The Philadelphia Flyers have been a great story this year, and they are in the second round of the playoffs this spring because of it. Yet, with the Flyers still being a team that is focused on the future, they will certainly be hoping to have success at the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
The Flyers have their first-round pick for this year's draft. In his most recent mock draft for The Athletic, Scott Wheeler predicted that the Flyers would end up selecting defenseman Juho Piiparinen with their first-rounder this summer.
Piiparinen is a big right-shot defenseman with good upside, so it would make a lot of sense if the Flyers decided to select him with their first-round pick this year. The 6-foot-3 blueliner is known for his steady defensive play, and he could be a nice pickup for the Flyers because of it.
Piiparinen played in 29 games this season with Tappara of Finland's Liiga, where he recorded three assists and a plus-6 rating. He also played in 15 games for Tappara's U20 team, where he posted one goal and 13 points.
With the Flyers needing help on the right side of their blueline, it would make sense if they took a chance on Piiparinen with their first-round pick. The potential for him to blossom into a top-four defenseman is there, and it is no secret that NHL teams will forever value big right-shot blueliners like him. Thus, it would not be a bad thing at all if the Flyers added him to their system.
The St. Louis Cardinals head to Southern California for a four-game series with the San Diego Padres beginning Thursday night.
The opener features Matthew Liberatore and Michael King on the bump, and will be televised on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET.
My Cardinals vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, May 7 are taking a shot on the underdog Redbirds to win outright.
Who will win Cardinals vs Padres tonight: Cardinals moneyline (+150)
The San Diego Padres are a tad overvalued in this spot due to starting pitcher Michael King’s 2.95 ERA.
He’s achieved that with a bit of smoke and mirrors. His botERA of 5.21 is a red flag, as is his career-low Stuff+ (93) — down from 101 a year ago.
The St. Louis Cardinals rake against right-handed pitching (109 wRC+). San Diego is less potent against LHP (88 wRC+) and will face southpaw Matthew Liberatore (4.39 botERA, 99 Stuff+).
I’ll take the value with the Cardinals, winners in seven of their last nine contests and one of the hottest teams in The Show.
COVERS INTEL:King has pitched around loud contact (20th percentile barrel rate) thus far, but that’ll be difficult to manage against a St. Louis ballclub with the second-highest barrel rate (11.1%).
Cardinals vs Padres Over/Under pick: Under 8 (+102)
This is a high total for a night game at Petco Park, which has the second-lowest Park Factor (97).
San Diego’s poor results against LHP (.661) inspire bearishness on the offense, whereas King has been effective enough on the mound to demand a certain level of respect.
Mason Miller leads a Padres bullpen with a stellar 3.18 SIERA (second in MLB). The Cardinals will have all of their top relief arms available and are well-rested thanks to Tuesday’s rainout, and closer Riley O’Brien (1.43 FIP) has thrown just three pitches in the last four days.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 10-9, -0.99 units
Over/Under bets: 13-7, +5.62 units
Cardinals vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Cardinals +150 | Padres -178
Run line: Cardinals +1.5 | Padres -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8
Cardinals vs Padres trend
The Cardinals have won five of Liberatore’s seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Padres.
How to watch Cardinals vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Thursday, May 7, 2026
First pitch
10:10 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Cardinals starting pitcher
Matthew Liberatore (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Michael King (3-2, 2.95 ERA)
Cardinals vs Padres latest injuries
Cardinals vs Padres weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
I’m running out of superlatives to describe what the 2026 Chicago Cubs are doing, but I’m certainly going to try, because the Cubs keep topping themselves every single day.
On a coolish Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Cubs decided they’d had enough of late-inning comebacks and walk-off wins and instead dominated the Reds in nearly every aspect of the game, winning 8-3. That gave the Cubs a four-game sweep, nine wins in a row and 15 consecutive victories at Wrigley Field. The latter streak is the second-longest home winning streak for the Cubs in the Modern Era.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Shōta Imanaga had s solid first two innings, allowing a single in each but also striking out a pair in each.
The wind was shifting all over the place during the game. At the time of Conforto’s homer, it was blowing in pretty good — he nailed that blast at 105 miles per hour.
Imanaga allowed one more hit in the third and issued a walk in the fourth. None of the Reds runners through four got past first base.
The Cubs blew the game open in the bottom of the fourth, in part due to a brain fart from Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson.
Reds starter Rhett Lowder walked the first two hitters in the inning, Alex Bregman and Ian Happ. Then he threw ball one to Michael Busch and left the game with the trainer. This is why:
Rhett Lowder left today’s game with right shoulder discomfort.
Ke’Bryan Hayes stepped on third, retiring Busch. But that took the force play off at the plate, and Stephenson needed to tag Happ for an out, and as you can see… he did not do that. What Hayes probably should have done is throw home; that might have resulted in a 1-2-3 double play. But he didn’t, and Happ was safe, making the score 3-0.
As you can see, the throw beat Amaya to the plate, but Stephenson couldn’t hold on to the ball. While that throw came in, Nico took third, where he scored on this sac fly by Moisés Ballesteros [VIDEO].
Here are some facts about the Cubs’ seven-run fourth from BCB’s JohnW53:
The Cubs’ seven-run fourth inning was their biggest outburst of the season. They had scored five runs three times: April 1 at home the vs. Angels, April 8 at Tampa and April 13 at Philadelphia.
This was the Cubs’ 22nd game since the last of those.
They last had seven runs in a 12-1 win at home over the Cardinals on Sept. 26 of last year. That was 42 games ago.
The Cubs had two other seven-run innings last year and an eight-run eruption on May 20 in a 14-1 romp at Miami.
Imanaga continued to dominate. He finally allowed a Reds runner past first base in the fifth on a single and walk, and a solo home run by Sal Stewart made it 8-1. As we know, home runs have been a problem for Imanaga, but I think we can forgive a solo homer with an eight-run lead. He’s still allowed just four home runs this year in 47.1 innings.
This was the 16th quality start by a Cubs pitcher and the team-high fifth by Imanaga. He has allowed one run in three of his five and none in the two others.
Edward Cabrera has four; Jameson Taillon, three; Colin Rea, two; and Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton, one. With the win today, the Cubs are 14-2 when they get a QS. ….. Imanaga’s 10 strikeouts were one shy of his career high, achieved twice: Sept. 16, 2024 at home vs. the Athletics and April 15 this year at Philadelphia. He pitched 6.0 innings in both games.
He had 10 twice before, both at home, in 7.0: July 21, 2024 vs. the Diamondbacks and Aug. 6, 2024 vs. the Twins. The Cubs won all four games.
Trent Thornton, just up from Triple-A Iowa and off his solid 10th inning Wednesday night, threw a scoreless seventh, allowing a hit and a walk. Gavin Hollowell, also up from Iowa replacing Corbin Martin on Thursday, served up a solo homer to Blake Dunn in the eighth. Then he was left in to throw the ninth, likely Craig Counsell wanting to save all his leverage relievers in a blowout.
This did not work. Hollowell struck out the first batter he faced in the ninth, then issued a walk. A fly to center was the second out, but another walk followed that. Hollowell did get JJ Bleday to pop a ball into short center, but too shallow for PCA to catch. It dropped for a double, scoring the Reds’ third run. After another walk loaded the bases, Daniel Palencia had to be summoned, something I’m sure Counsell did not want to do on this day, especially since it began raining in the middle of all that.
In fairness to Hollowell, he threw 49 pitches in this game. He hadn’t thrown that many in any of his outings at Iowa this year, and hadn’t thrown as many as 40 since April 2. He likely just ran out of gas.
Palencia painted the inside corner with a 100 mile per hour fastball. Lowe challenged — I mean, what did he have to lose? But it was a strike, and the game ended. And since the tying run was on deck when Palencia entered the game, he qualified for a save. Fortunately, it was a quick seven-pitch outing.
The Cubs did nearly everything right in this series, coming from behind, taking advantage of situations, and in this game using that advantage to make it a blowout. Nine wins in a row. Fifteen straight at home, the franchise record in the Modern Era is 18, set in 1935, the year the team won 21 in a row on the way to the NL pennant (the last three of that streak were on the road). John tells me that “it appears” the Cubs have never won two entire homestands of at least seven games in a single season — until this year. Good stuff, Cubs. Keep it going. The Cubs now lead the NL Central by four games over the second-place Cardinals. The Pirates are third, five games back; the Brewers, fourth at 5.5 behind; and the Reds, who have lost seven in a row, are last, six games behind the Cubs.
Lastly, let me say a mea culpa about Conforto. I wasn’t in favor of this signing, didn’t see the point, thought Dylan Carlson might be a better bench bat. Conforto has been outstanding in his limited role and after going 3-for-3 in this game with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI, he is batting .361/.467/.667 (13-for-36) with five doubles and two home runs. Granted, small sample size, but he’s proven to be a really useful player and seems to have accepted this role well.
The Cubs head on the road, where the first stop is Arlington, Texas, to face the Rangers in a three-game series beginning Friday evening. The Cubs starter for the series opener is listed as TBD for now. That would have been Matthew Boyd’s turn. It’s possible Javier Assad, who threw 17 pitches on Tuesday, could take the start. Kumar Rocker will start for Texas. Game time Friday is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 7: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after his sixth inning RBI double against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The skies cleared, the temperatures rose, the snow melted, and the Rockies played a game of make-up baseball on a Thursday afternoon with the goal of ending their homestand with a win and snapping a six-game losing streak.
Thanks to excellent pitching and an unexpected hero, the Rockies did just that as they defeated the New York Mets at Coors Field, 6-2.
Happy Anniversary
Left-handed veteran José Quintana continued to settle in as a solid contributor in the Rockies’ pitching rotation. Quintana turned in his third straight outing of allowing two runs or fewer while going at least five innings.
On the 14th anniversary of his Major League debut (originally with the Chicago White Sox), Quintana worked 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks. Two of those hits and both earned runs came in the second inning, where a leadoff walk and a single got Quintana into trouble early. A wild pitch and a single would plate two, but Quintana was sharp for the remainder of his outing. After giving up a two out single in the top of the sixth inning, he was lifted for reliever Juan Mejia, who ended the frame with a quick flyout.
After today, Quintana joins Tomoyuki Sugano and Chase Dollander as members of the Rockies’ rotation with a sub-4.00 ERA at this stage in the season.
The Rockies bullpen had another solid afternoon in relief of José Quintana, doing exactly what was needed and keeping the Mets off the scoreboard until the final pitch.
Juan Mejia struggled somewhat with his command and walked two batters, but he also tallied two strikeouts in his single inning of relief work. Meanwhile, Brennan Bernardino—entering the game with runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the seventh inning—took four pitches to record his out.
Antonio Senzatela—one of the league leaders in wins above replacement for relief pitchers—was tasked with recording the final six outs of the game. After a 1-2-3 eighth inning he entered the top of the ninth with a lead. After a leadoff walk and a bloop single by Mets top prospect Carson Benge, he quickly locked in. Senzatela struck out his next two hitters before the final out was recorded via a popout.
His ERA for the season now sits at just 1.11 in 24.1 innings of work.
For much of this series against the Mets, the problem for the Rockies has been a failure to score runs and a failure to capitalize on opportunities to do so. The Rockies found themselves down late in a low-scoring affair despite strong performances from the pitching staff. Mickey Moniak’s hitting streak was brought to an end and all seemed quiet.
Then Jake McCarthy happened.
You’d be forgiven if you hadn’t expected much of McCarthy. The off-season trade acquisition from the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a cold start. Through his first 15 games in a Rockies uniform he hit just .200/.300/.314 with two doubles and a triple. He had drawn a decent number of walks and limited his strikeouts, but overall there just wasn’t much to talk about with his at-bats.
However, McCarthy’s bat had quietly started to click over the last few weeks. Coming into this afternoon, he was hitting .333/.382/.600 over the last 12 contests with three doubles and a triple. He hit his first home run of the season last night, and had drawn three walks to three strikeouts.
This afternoon, McCarthy was responsible for tying the game. In the bottom of the sixth with runners in scoring position he blooped a double into center field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Rockies had the bases loaded thanks to back-to-back singles by TJ Rumfield and Troy Johnston combined with a Willi Castro walk. The Rockies needed something they had struggled to get from their hitters all season: a clutch hit.
McCarthy delivered, slugging a high fly ball over the right field wall for—after being reviewed for potentially going foul—a grand slam. It was the Rockies’ first home run worth three or more runs of the season.
The Rockies are headed to the City of Brotherly Love (and cheesesteaks) for a three game set against the Philadelphia Phillies. Chase Dollander will be making the start without an opener against Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 04: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates his solo home run during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 04, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good evening, folks! Well, it’s the quiet before the storm, as the Braves are currently on an off-day before they get set to head into the snake pit that is Dodger Stadium for a three-game series that’ll certainly have plenty of eyes on it while it’s happening. Still, we’re just over 24 hours from that game getting underway so there’s still some time to chat about whatever before we get into tomorrow’s action.
What I’m watching tonight
ESPN has a double dip that doesn’t seem all that bad — and it’ll also give us folks on the East Coast a chance to gear up for another late night. Tampa Bay vs. Boston is interesting enough because of the divisional rivalry but the 10:10 p.m. ET game following that one will be the start of another NL showdown out West. The Cardinals have gotten off to a really strong start and the Padres have been keeping stride with the Dodgers so far. The matchup itself is intriguing but apparently we’re all on Home Run Watch for Fernando Tatis Jr. — being that he still hasn’t hit any dingers yet. That’s strange.
The Athletic hires a new Braves writer
David O’Brien’s retirement was a bit sudden and it left a bit of a void for Braves coverage over at The Athletic vertical. That void has now been filled, as former Baseball America writer Jesús Cano will be covering the Braves for them going forward.
What will the rotation look like going forward?
I put this Feed post on the homepage earlier and I’m sharing it again because it’s a very good question: What happens at the back of the rotation?
This is a pretty good problem to have but it’s still something that needs to be solved going forward. We’ll see what happens.
May 7, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban (43) tosses his glove in the air after being pulled in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
With a lineup that more suited for a spring training game than a May 7th game, the Mets snapped their three-game winning streak with a 6-2 loss to the Rockies at Coors Field. This was the makeup from a snowed out game on Tuesday, another anachronism for early May.
The game began with both the Rockies’ Jose Quintana and Christian Scott trading zeroes, with Quintana getting three quick ground balls and Scott striking out the first two batters on just three pitches apiece.
The first run of the game came in the top of the second. Austin Slater led off the inning with an opposite field single, which was followed by a Marcus Semien walk. A wild pitch by Quintana moved both runners into scoring position. Andy Ibañez floated a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Slater. After a Francisco Alvarez strikeout, Tyrone Taylor hit a soft liner to left, which scored Semien before Taylor was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.
The Rockies got on the board in the fourth after Scott threw a flat sweeper to Willie Castro, who singled home Tyler Freeman. Scott looked a bit tired after practically breezing through the first three innings, but was able to strike out Jake McCarthy to end the two-on, two-out threat.
The tiring of Scott became more clear in the fifth, where he started each of the three batters he faced with 2-0 counts. After walking Eduoard Julien, Carlos Mendoza pulled Scott after four and two-thirds innings of one-run ball. With Scott still somewhat recovering from Tommy John Surgery, the Mets are, rightly, being extra cautious with him.
Huascar Brazobán was first out of the Mets’ bullpen, and he induced a groundout from Mickey Moniak to end the inning. Brazobán would come back out for the sixth, but two walks, a wild pitch, and a double off the bat of McCarthy tied the game at two apiece. Austin Warren was next out of the bullpen and, after walking the bases loaded, struck out Brett Sullivan on a held foul tip to escape further damage.
Juan Mejia relieved Quintana with two outs in the sixth, and faced five batters across an inning of work, allowing two walks and striking out two. After the walk to Vidal Brujan, Mejia was pulled for lefty Brennan Bernardino who was called upon to get Juan Soto out. He did just that, inducing a Soto pop up to end the frame.
Warren pitched the bottom of the seventh, and worked around a one-out walk to Moniak by inducing a double play and taking the tie game to the eighth. Craig Kimbrel entered to pitch the eighth for the Mets and continued his tightrope walk from the first game of the series, where he worked around a triple.
This time, he fell off the tightrope and faceplanted.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no one out. A McCarthy grand slam on a 94 mile an hour meatball ended the Mets’ hope of a sweep right quick.
To the Mets’ credit, they would not go quietly into the night. Marcus Semien walked and Carson Benge lofted a single down the left-field line. Alvarez and pinch hitter MJ Melendez would both strike out before bringing up Brujan. Brujan would pop out to end the game.
While this Mets team has looked much improved from the team that the Rockies swept in New York a few weeks ago, they must have a better option than washed Kimbrel to bring in to tie games in the eighth inning.
The Mets travel to Arizona for a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Nolan McLean and Ryne Nelson square off in game one on Friday night at 9:40pm.
The Los Angeles Lakers roster is already stretched thin as it is, but there's a chance they could be down one more body for Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.
Luke Kennard was added to the Lakers injury report on Wednesday with neck soreness. He's still on it as of the 5:30 p.m. NBA injury report for Thursday and is officially listed as questionable.
Kennard struggled in Game 1, shooting just 1-for-4 from the field for seven points, five rebounds, one assist and two turnovers. But the 29-year-old sharpshooter played a major role in the Lakers' first round series win over the Houston Rockets, scoring 27 and 23 points in the first two games as LA raced out to a 3-0 lead. He ultimately averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 44.6% and 41.7% from beyond the arc over their six games against Houston.
Luke Kennard (neck soreness) is questionable for tomorrow's Game 2 at OKC. Jarred Vanderbilt is doubtful. pic.twitter.com/sahX1xLzRW
The Lakers acquired Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round draft pick at the trade deadline on Feb. 5. Since his arrival, he's provided some much-needed shooting to Crypto.com Arena, emerging as a go-to complementary piece for LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
If Kennard sits for Game 2, that would add to the Lakers' injury woes this postseason.
Doncic has missed a month with a grade 2 hamstring strain and recently revealed he was originally given an eight-week timeline to return, meaning he likely won't be available until the end of the Western Conference Finals.
Jarred Vanderbilt is day-to-day with a dislocated right pinky and Austin Reaves has struggled to a 30.4% field goal percentage since returning from a grade 2 oblique strain in Game 5 against Houston.
May 7, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians players react in the dugout during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Guardians attacked Seth Lugo from the start, and it paid off quickly. Steven Kwan led off the game with a sharp single to center followed by a hard-hit double down the rightfield line by Jose Ramirez two batters later. Next up, cleanup hitter Kyle Manzardo pounded a double of his own to drive in two before scoring when Daniel Schneemann singled him home.
Five batters in, it was 3-0 Cleveland with just one out.
Seth Lugo labored through four innings in which he tossed 102 pitches. He surrendered seven hits and walked four while striking out five. He took the loss.
To give the Royals a modicum of credit, they never stopped fighting. Multiple times today the Royals sent up to the plate a batter who represented the tying run. Ultimately, that never came to fruition, and the closest the Royals came to the Guardians was a three-run deficit.
Kansas City batters, led by Bobby Witt Jr., collected a dozen hits and walked five times versus only seven strikeouts, though some of those whiffs were incredibly untimely. Seven of the Royals’ starting nine collected at least one base hit with Maikel Garcia joining Bob with multiple hits.
Bobby Witt Jr. went 4-for-4 with a walk and a home run, his fourth of this season. He launched a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh after the Guardians took their largest lead of the game, 8-2. When Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a homer of his own, suddenly the Royals were back within a slam with nine outs to spare.
Pasquantino came up again the next inning with two on and a chance to tie it. Instead, he struck out. That pretty much put the game away as the Royals went quietly in the ninth when Cleveland’s closer, Cade Smith, struck out Salvy and Jensen before getting Cags to weakly fly out to end the suffering.
The name of the game today was missed opportunities. In the bottom of the first, the Royals loaded the bases against Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi. But on the first pitch of his at-bat following a walk by Jensen, Caglianone grounded out to first.
In the fifth, the Royals finally got on the board when Garcia singled home Massey, but then Garcia gaffed on the basepaths when the next batter, Witt, hit one hard to the second baseman, rookie Travis Bazzana, who bobbled it. It didn’t get nearly far enough away from Bazzana for Garcia to try to take third, but try to take third he did, and the young Aussie nailed him, deflating a could-be rally.
The Royals threatened again the very next inning. Nick Loftin lined out to center with the bases loaded, but Jensen scored, making it a 5-2 game. Lane Thomas then walked to re-load the bases for Garcia. Garcia got ahead in the count, 2-0, but then swung at a pitch that was clearly outside the zone. The at-bat turned after that, and Garcia meekly flew out to right.
Bobby Witt Jr. led off the next inning with his homer.
Salvador Perez continues to struggle. He went 0-for-5 with a strikeout. He’s back under The Mendoza Line with an equally ugly .573 OPS. I would say he shouldn’t stay in the cleanup spot, but if not him, then who? Jensen and Cags aren’t exactly lighting it up, and as well as Isaac Collins is hitting, he’s not meant for that role.
Lest Lugo and the batters take all the blame, 3/4 of the relievers also struggled, though Nick Mears got out of it unscathed. Alex Lange and Eric Cerantola can’t say the same. The former allowed one run to score in his only inning of work while the latter allowed the biggest hit of the game, a three-run homer off the bat of Bo Naylor that gave Cleveland its 8-2 lead in the seventh. And wouldn’t you know it, the Guardians won by three.
The Buffalo Sabres picked up a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the second round. With this, the Sabres have a 1-0 series lead and will be looking to expand on it in Game 2.
Sabres forward Josh Doan was one of the main reasons for the team's win, as he put together a strong performance in Game 2. Doan scored the Sabres' game-opening goal at the 4:31 mark of the first period and then recorded an assist on Ryan McLeod's first-period goal that gave Buffalo a 2-0 lead. With this, Doan stepped up in a big way for the Sabres in their Game 1 victory over the Canadiens.
Doan is only continuing to break out for the Sabres as the playoffs roll on. The 24-year-old forward is only getting better and is continuing to show Buffalo that they made the right call picking him up from the Utah Mammoth this past off-season.
After being held off the scoresheet in his first three playoff games this spring, Doan has responded by recording five points in his last four games alone. The 2021 second-round pick is thriving right now for Buffalo, and he will be looking to stay hot from here.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: Cade Povich #37 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 01, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Where to watch: MASN/MASN+
Probable pitchers: LHP Cade Povich (1-1, 4.41 ERA, 11 K) vs. RHP Max Meyer (2-0, 2.68 ERA, 40 K)
Turns out the only thing the Orioles needed to rejuvenate their season was a quick trip down to Miami. After being outscored 39-10 during a four-game sweep in the Bronx, the O’s are back on track after their last two wins over the Marlins. After a 9-7 win on Tuesday and a 7-5 win last night, the O’s have had two of their nine biggest offensive outputs in their first two contests with the Marlins.
Pete Alonso has been at the heart of the offensive boom, as he enjoy terorizing his former NL East rival. Over Games 1 & 2, Alonso is 3-for-8 with two doubles, a homer and 5 RBIs. The star 1B is currently on a seven-game hit streak, slashing .360/.448/.880 with three home runs.
The Orioles will need a better outing from starter Cade Povich if they want to complete the sweep of the Marlins and get a game closer to .500. The Baltimore left-hander was roughed up in Game 1 of the Yankees series, giving up five runs over four innings while allowing a pair of long balls. Tonight will be Povich’s first career start against the Marlins, and he’ll hope to improve upon his previous outings against the senior circuit. In 11 career appearances against the National League, the lefty has a 5.09 ERA with a 1.41 WHIP and 10 home runs allowed.
Opposing Povich is 27-year-old right-hander Max Meyer. The former 1st-round pick is coming off the best start of his career, throwing seven innings of shutout ball against the Phillies while only allowing one hit and punching out seven. Meyer is also facing an opponent for the first time tonight, and like Povich, has a suspect track record in Interleague games. In six starts against the AL, Meyer has a 6.60 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP and seven home runs allowed.
If the O’s can complete the sweep against the Marlins, it will be their second sweep of the season, having swept the White Sox in Chicago last month. Baltimore has already won the season series against Miami for the first time since 2023 after winning the last two nights
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 06: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts after they beat the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on May 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have had plenty of games that started this way.
It was a pitcher’s duel for the whole of Matt Waldron and Adrian Houser’s respective outings. The two pitched through the first six innings giving up a solo shot each. But Houser was (surprisingly) lifted in the seventh after only 74 pitches and the Padres made it count.
Keaton Winn walked Ramón Laureano before getting Nick Castellanos to ground out and inducing a shallow flout from Freddy Fermin. With runners on second and third, San Francisco went with Matt Gage to face Sung-Mun Song. The Friars countered by pinch-hitting Ty France. It paid off immediately.
France tripled and scored both baserunners, giving San Diego a two-run lead. The Padres would extend the lead to four runs the following inning, with Xander Bogaerts hitting a two-run shot off of Ryan Walker.
The last two games have been a wonderful return to the Padres’ offense that put them on an eight-game winning streak earlier this year. They’ll need to keep it up for their four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals starting tonight.
Taking the mound
Matthew Liberatore (STL) v. Michael King (SD)
Liberatore has been solid for the Cardinals thus far, posting a 4.50 ERA across 36 innings. St. Louis has had to piece together a pitching staff that has impressed far beyond its expectations, helping them along to a 21-15 record.
But Liberatore’s biggest problem has been limiting free passes and home runs. The lefty owns a 35.2 percent fly ball rate (MLB average of 24.1 percent). If the Friars can wait for a pitch to do damage on, tonight will be a cake walk. Watch for lots of baserunners and tons of fly balls.
King has looked vintage in his first seven starts of the year, pitching to a 2.95 ERA in 39 2/3 innings. His most recent start against the Chicago White Sox was mostly solid, but he ended up surrendering four runs to the Southsiders.
Prior to that, King had only given up nine runs in the entire month of April. If he can return to that form against the Cards, the Friars should have no problem outslugging their opponents.
That being said, St. Louis has had a sneakily good offense. It’s not easy to get to 21 wins this early, and they have. King can’t underestimate the ability of this younger group to do damage.
Batter up!
Manager Craig Stammen got creative with the lineup (yet again), and it paid off. He’s shown a marked difference from former-skipper Mike Shildt’s set-it-and-forget-it policy with the lineup. That’s worked out well thus far and worked even better these last two games.
Jackson Merrill has gone 4-for-9 in his last two games batting leadoff, Song has already impressed in his debut, and Fernando Tatis Jr. has showed signs of turning things around despite being dropped to the No. 5 spot in the lineup.
Jackson Merrill, CF
Miguel Andujar, DH
Manny Machado, 3B
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Ramón Laureano, LF
Ty France, 1B
Nick Castellanos, RF
Rodolfo Durán, C
The Padres will probably continue with this lineup against St. Louis. That being said, with the lefty Liberatore on the mound, it’s possible that’s not the case.
Durán will be making his MLB debut tonight behind the dish. With Luis Campusano sent to the IL with a fractured toe, Durán is the only catching depth the Padres possess in the minors. This season he holds a .238/.356/.429 slash line in Triple-A.
Andujar has been hot lately and the club seems to trust him slightly more against left-handers. He’s become somewhat of the de-facto DH for San Diego. Bogaerts has actually hit better against lefties (.320) than righties (.265), and he’s homered in two consecutive games.
France came off the bench yesterday and delivered so he could supplant Sheets at first. Sheets has been used a lot lately and could benefit from some rest, though he hit a towering shot to left field in the series finale yesterday. He’d still be available off of the bench in a pinch-hit scenario.
Relief corps
Stammen got a bit creative with the pitching as well, and it also went well for San Diego. Bradgley Rodriguez served as the opener before Waldron pitched in bulk relief. Waldron had his best outing yet and may have even earned himself another start with the club. He went five full innings, giving up two hits and striking out seven batters.
Morejon covered the seventh and eighth innings splendidly, and Mason Miller slammed the door in the ninth for his MLB-leading 11th save. He notched two strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 1.04.
That leaves plenty of options for tonight’s game against St. Louis. Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta make up the group available out of the ‘pen.
Of those five, expect Matsui or Peralta out should either team have a sizable lead. But, if it’s close, Adam and Estrada represent the more high-leverage choices for Stammen.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 17, 2026: Spencer Jones #68 of the New York Yankees puts on his helmet prior to an at bat during an intrasquad scrimmage game on Billy Martin Field 1 at the Himes Complex on March 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With outfielder Jasson Domínguez headed to the injured list after crashing into the outfield wall earlier this afternoon, the New York Yankees have opted to promote top prospect Spencer Jones, according to reports.
Soon after, it was reported that, following the bullpen day, the Yankees were recalling Kervin Castro from the minors as well; he likely will be taking Brendan Beck’s spot on the roster, as the right-hander will probably be sent back to Scranton so he can remain stretched out as a starter.
Yankees are calling up big power/speed OF prospect Spencer Jones The Post has learned
By this point, Yankees fans are well-acquainted with Jones, whose rise through the minor league system has come under more scrutiny than any of the organization’s recent prospects, with the possible exception of the man he is replacing. Originally taken with the 25th overall pick of the 2022 draft, the 6-foot-7 left-handed outfielder has steadily climbed through the organization, tantalizing scouts and fans alike with a power potential that is truly only rivaled by now-teammate Aaron Judge – and a similarly high strikeout rate. After yet again making adjustments in an attempt to improve his contact rate, this time by drawing on Shohei Ohtani’s swing as inspiration, Jones has continued to, well, be himself so far this spring, posting a .258/.366/.592 slash line in 33 games, smashing 11 homers and striking out a whopping 46 times.
While Jones was the last outfielder on the 40-man roster not injured or already in the majors, it seemed at first glance like necessity might simply force the organization’s hand. The presence of veterans Anthony Volpe and Oswaldo Cabrera in Scranton, however – not to mention the ability of Cabrera, Amed Rosario, and Jose Caballero to play the corner outfield spots – means that the Yankees didn’t have to bring him up to ride the pine as the team’s fourth outfielder. And with Giancarlo Stanton already on the shelf – the whole reason the Martian was up in the first place – and Ben Rice missing the last four games due to a hand contusion, it’s clear that the Yankees are finally looking to see if their former top prospect can make the jump to The Show and, like White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami, simply outhit his strikeout woes.
Exactly how the Yankees will line up remains to be seen. Expect Jones to play the outfield more consistently than Domínguez did, however, as defense has been the youngster’s calling card ever since he was drafted. Whether this means that Aaron Judge will get more DH days, or that they will cycle the DH spot through Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Rice (when he’s healthy, that is), we’ll know soon enough.
The Yankees are also calling up Venezuelan RHP Kervin Castro, who will return to MLB, per sources.
Castro, 27, last appeared in MLB in 2022 (Cubs, Giants).
He posted a 1-0 record with a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings and 10 strikeouts at Scranton Triple-A.
Kervin Castro, a 27-year-old pitcher out of Venezuela, was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster last winter to avoid him being taken in the Rule 5 Draft — which is, coincidentally, how the Yankees acquired him from the Astros in 2023. Although he lost the competition for the final bullpen spots, he has pitched well enough in Scranton, posting a 3.14 ERA in 14.1 innings, that the Yankees feel comfortable bringing him up to reinforce a bullpen that needs some fresh arms after an unexpected bullpen day. This is not Castro’s MLB debut, however: he scattered 20 appearances with the Giants and Cubs between 2021 and 2022, allowing 15 runs in 25.2 innings.
The Mets failed to complete the sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon, losing by a score of 6-2.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Making his 12th career start (third this season) and still searching for his first career win, Christian Scott looked primed to do that after needing just nine pitches to retire the side in order, with two strikeouts, in the first inning. It was a reversal of fortune for Scott, who had to waste a lot of bullets in the first inning of his first two starts this season.
Scott set down the next four batters he faced before Kyle Karros doubled for the Rockies’ first hit of the game. Scott retired the next two after a couple of long at-bats to leave the inning unscathed.
-- Prior to that, the Mets gave the right-hander the lead by scoring two in the second against former Met Jose Quintana thanks to an Andy Ibañez sacrifice fly and Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single. Austin Slater began the inning with a single as he and Ibañez, as well as Vidal Brujan, were all in the lineup against the left-hander. Slater was the only one of the three to get a hit, finishing 2-for-3.
-- New York had another chance to get to Quintana in the third after Juan Soto tripled high off the right-field wall with one out. But after Bo Bichette walked, Mark Vientos grounded into an inning-ending double play to thwart the threat.
-- From there, the Mets’ bats went quiet as Quintana, who pitched 5.1 innings of one-run ball against New York at Citi Field two starts ago, managed to do it again against them. This time, Quintana lasted 5.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits.
-- Still, Quintana left the game with his team down 2-1 because of the job Scott was able to do. The rookie allowed a run on three hits and two walks in 4.2 innings while striking out six, but was pulled after a season-high 82 pitches (53 strikes).
Scott pitched well enough to get that elusive first win, but he’ll have to wait until his next outing to try again. Nevertheless, he lowered his season ERA to 3.27.
-- Huascar Brazoban was the first man out of the bullpen and after finishing off the fifth inning, he went back out for the sixth. With New York still clinging to a one-run lead inside Coors Field, Brazoban issued a one-out walk and then unleashed a wild pitch to put the tying run at second base. After a strikeout and another walk, Brazoban gave up a double to Jake McCarthy that tied the game and knocked him out.
-- Austin Warren then entered and loaded the bases with a walk before getting a strikeout to end the frame. Warren faced the minimum in the seventh and gave way to Craig Kimbrel in the eighth.
-- A day after scoring 10 runs on 15 hits, the Mets offense went back to old habits, mustering just six hits and going scoreless after the second inning. They went 1-for-9 with RISP and bypassed a great chance to take the lead in the seventh when Soto came up with runners on first and second. Soto was precisely who New York wanted up in that spot, but he popped out to shortstop to end the inning. Soto finished 1-for-4 atop the lineup.
-- The Mets' inability to tack on runs cost them when Kimbrel loaded the bases to start the eighth on two singles and a walk. McCarthy, who tied the game in the sixth, untied the game two innings later with a grand slam to put Colorado ahead for the first time all game, 6-2. Kimbrel's ERA is now 7.56.
Game MVP: Jake McCarthy
McCarthy tied it, then untied it with one big swing in the eighth inning.
Oklahoma City Thunder have been cruising so far through the 2026 NBA playoffs despite not being at full strength.
Thunder star Jalen "J-Dub" Williams has not played since suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain during the first round against the Phoenix Suns on April 22. Williams played in the first two games of the opening series and has been sidelined since.
Oklahoma City finished the Suns in a sweep and have since moved on to the Conference semifinals to face the Los Angeles Lakers, where they hold a 1-0 series lead after their 108-90 Game 1 win on May 5.
Williams missed the first game of the Thunder-Lakers series. His status for Game 2 mirrors his Game 1 status.
According to the NBA injury report (as of 5 p.m. ET), Williams is listed out for Game 2 with a left hamstring.
Williams, 25, averaged 17.1 points and 5.5 assists for the Thunder during the 2025-26 regular-season. He shot 48.4% from the field and just under 30% from 3-point distance. His average plus/minus is +6.9.
Despite missing those numbers, Oklahoma City has shown signs of success without Williams, who has sat out at times throughout the season with injuries. Williams played in 33 regular-season games. He was limited with two wrist surgeries and two hamstring strains.
The Thunder have been breezing by opponents with or without him, defeating their opponents by an average of 17.4 points in five games. Adding Williams would only make Oklahoma City seem unstoppable.
Williams is part of the Thunder core and the team's present run at a dynasty. He signed a five-year, $239.25 million deal as part of a designated rookie contract extension with Oklahoma City in July 2025.
Jalen Williams draft
Williams was selected by the Thunder with the 12th pick in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Santa Clara. The pick was originally acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers as a part of a deal that sent Paul George to LA for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jalen Williams stats
Here are Jalen Williams' 2025-26 regular-season stats:
Points: 17.1
Rebounds: 4.6
Assists: 5.5
Field goal %: 48.4
3-point %: 29.9
Free throw %: 83.7
Blocks: 0.3
Steals: 1.2
Jalen Williams highlights
Check out Thunder guard Jalen Williams' highlights from last year's playoffs.
RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 21: Jonah Cox #8 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels runs to third base during the game between the Somerset Patriots and the Richmond Flying Squirrels at CarMax Park on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matthew Mitrani/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Just three games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Wednesday, as High-A Eugene and the Arizona Complex League Giants both had the day off. Let’s get into the action that did occur, though, as it was pretty nice!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Not much news. RHP Evan Gray, who hasn’t pitched yet this year, was moved from High-A Eugene to Low-A San Jose, as his season looks ready to commence. To make space in San Jose, RHP Melvin Pineda was moved from Low-A to the Arizona Complex League roster.
AAA Sacramento (18-15)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 9-5 Box score
The River Cats started the post-Eldridge/Rodríguez era with a whimper on Tuesday, but responded with a very nice win on Wednesday. The biggest hit belonged to third baseman Buddy Kennedy, who smacked a 2-run home run in a critical 6th inning, when Sacramento flipped a 5-2 deficit into a 7-5 lead.
Kennedy, who finished the day 2-5 with 3 runs batted in, is up to an .881 OPS and a 139 wRC+, while maintaining just a 14.2% strikeout rate. As a 27-year old signed as a Minor League free agent over the winter, he probably doesn’t have a way to play his way onto the roster, but he’s having the type of performance that will make the Giants more than comfortable adding him to the roster should an injury facilitate it. I’d assume his play was also part of what made them comfortable DFA’ing Tyler Fitzgerald, which left the Giants with no infielders on the 40-man roster in AAA.
Left fielder Turner Hill continues to look comfortable at the level, as he hit a perfect 3-3 with a double and a walk, though he was caught stealing. Hill, a recently-turned 27-year old UDFA who has a whole lot of Jared Oliva in his game, probably should have been in AAA on merit, but roster logistics sent him back to AA Richmond to start the season. When the Giants called up Drew Gilbert and Will Brennan (the latter was just returned to Sacramento), Hill was called to fill in at the top Minor League level. He’s more than held his own through 14 games, as he has an .809 OPS, a 121 wRC+, just a 7.8% strikeout rate, and 3 stolen bases. Hopefully he’s in Sacramento to stay.
Designated hitter Harrison Bader made his 2nd rehab appearance and went 0-3 with a strikeout, though he did draw a walk and was hit by a pitch. It seems like Bader will have a lengthy rehab stint, as he professed a desire to make up for some of the time he lost in Spring Training …. which hopefully explains his ice cold start to the season. Usually when position players rehab, they’re back in the Majors as soon as they’re back in game shape, but for Bader I’m guessing the Giants will wait until his results are looking good.
Not a very good pitching performance, which started with RHP Spencer Bivens serving as an opener. Bivens again struggled, giving up 3 hits (including a home run and a double) and 2 walks in just 2 innings, which tagged him for 4 runs (3 earned). Bivens, who struck out 2, has now given up at least 3 runs in 4 consecutive outings … during that time he’s thrown 6.2 innings and ceded 12 hits, 3 walks, 13 runs, and 11 earned runs. That’s tanked his ERA to 7.27 and his FIP to 6.67. In 6 weeks, Bivens has gone from looking like a likely Opening Day roster-maker to a potential roster casualty if the Giants need to open up a spot on the 40 (which currently isn’t an issue, since they only have 39 players).
After Bivens was LHP Seth Lonsway, who was not sharp. Lonsway threw just 36 of 68 pitches for strikes while giving up 3 hits, 3 walks, and a hit batter (plus an error) in 3.1 innings, though he managed to limit the damage to just 1 run, while striking out 4. A 27-year old whom the Giants took in the 6th round in 2021, Lonsway has really been having a tough go of it this year, as he has a 6.97 ERA and a 5.69 FIP. That underscores a bigger issue, which is that he is walking a lot of batters and having a very hard time striking people out. Among the 43 Pacific Coast League pitchers who have thrown at least 20 innings this year, Lonsway is 39th in strikeouts per 9 innings (5.2), and 40th in walks per 9 (5.7).
RHPs Tristan Beck and Wilkin Ramos both had nice games though, with Beck allowing just 1 hit in 1.2 shutout innings, with 2 strikeouts, while Ramos had a hit and a strikeout in a scoreless inning. Ramos, who isn’t on the 40-man roster, has sneakily been having a very nice season, as he lowered his ERA to 2.04 (though his FIP is 4.58).
Covering the Giants means I hear a lot of people say, “they should just call up all the prospects from AAA and AA, no way they would be worse than the current players.” The realistic answer to that is: yes they can be, and yes they would be. Shockingly so.
But.
But, but, but.
You kind of have to wonder what would happen if the Flying Squirrels could replace the Giants, because they just seem to have an overflowing cup of magic that San Francisco could greatly benefit from. Richmond keeps winning and winning and winning, and it’s starting to feel like every win is outrageous and full of fairy dust.
Wednesday was no exception. The Squirrels entered the bottom of the 9th inning trailing 4-2. Second baseman Aeverson Arteaga, who had a brilliant game, drew a leadoff walk to bring the tying run to the plate. That tying run just happened to be the hottest hitter in Richmond … and perhaps in the Eastern League who, like Arteaga, was having a brilliant game: right fielder Jonah Cox.
Cox got ahead in the count 2-0, then pounced on a get-it-in fastball, lifting it past the fences and tying the game.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 7, 2026
But Richmond wasn’t content to just get the game to extra innings. They wanted to send the fans home happy before the Manfred Man shenanigans commenced. And so, with one out, third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) bopped a double to get the winning run in scoring position.
And then, with 2 outs (and 2 strikes!), catcher Drew Cavanaugh sent everyone home in a frenzy by cracking a walk-off double.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 7, 2026
Needless to say, Cox was the biggest star of the game, and for good reason. He finished the day 3-3 with a sacrifice fly, which gave him 3 runs batted in … and he stole his 17th base of the season.
What Cox has done is, in my opinion, the most incredible story on the farm this year. I’ve said it many times this year, but I’ll say it again: he entered the year as a Jared Oliva type, who could play great defense across the outfield and steal a million bases, with the hope that he could maybe hit juuuust well enough to survive. You can build a nice career in the Majors that way, as evidenced by the Giants seeing their 2017 6th-round pick, Bryce Johnson, on the Padres this past week.
But what happens when a glove-and-cleat player hits, hits, and hits some more, and is suddenly one of the best offensive players in the farm? I’ve been saying for a few weeks that hopefully we find out with Cox, and now we’re nearing the point where his sample size is big enough to put some serious stock into … the next time he steps into the batter’s box, it will be his 100th plate appearance of the year.
Just to show you how stark the difference is, look at his year-over-year increases, and how they stack up against the rest of the league. And as you look at these shocking figures, remember that he spent last year in High-A, not the AA level that he’s currently annihilating. His 2025 numbers are compared to 67 Northwest League hitters who had at least 200 plate appearances, while his 2026 figures are relative to the 91 Eastern League hitters with at least 80 plate appearances.
Anyway, the point here is clear: Cox has been the Eastern League’s best hitter, and he’s doing it in every way imaginable, while also being one of the best hitters in the league and avoiding strikeouts. That seems mighty sustainable … perhaps not the Bondsian numbers, but very good ones, at the very least. If you’re still not convinced, I recommend reading Roger Munter’s most recent mailbag, which really lays out a lot of reasons to believe in Cox’s renaissance. Maybe one day the Giants lineup will be anchored by Cox and Daniel Susac, and we can really thank the A’s.
As for Arteaga, he’s not quite having the season that Cox is having, but his improvement year-over-year is just as dramatic, given how bad he was last year. Arteaga went 2-2 in this game, while drawing a walk, laying down a sacrifice bunt, and smacking a double. A year after having a .508 OPS and a 49 wRC+ at the same level, Arteaga is up to an .891 OPS and a 134 wRC+ (though it’s worth noting his strikeout rate has gotten a little worse, at a not-good 27.3%).
Given how catastrophic his 2025 was (when he was returning from an injury that cost him virtually all of 2024, it’s worth noting), it’s easy to forget how young and promising Arteaga still is. He only turned 23 in March, and he still has some serious defensive chops. For now, he’s getting the chance to turn himself into a utility infielder, as shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) has surpassed him on the priority chart, so Arteaga is no longer just a shortstop, but also a second and third baseman as well (although, on cue, Ahuna had a rough game, hitting 1-4 with 2 strikeouts and 2 errors).
On the pitching front, RHP Trystan Vrieling had a really nice start, perhaps his best of the year. The forgotten player in the Camilo Doval trade, Vrieling got the start and ceded just 3 baserunners (2 doubles and a walk) in 5 shutout innings, while striking out 4 batters, and throwing 47 of 71 pitches for strikes.
Vrieling, a 25-year old taken in the 3rd round in 2022, hasn’t been very sharp in his 1st full season in the organization, as he has a 4.00 ERA and a 4.76 FIP in his 2nd pass through AA. Both his strikeout and walk numbers have moved in the wrong direction year-over-year though, interestingly, he’s dramatically increased his groundball rate, from 35.9% to 52.2%. You don’t see that kind of jump very often!
RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) didn’t have the type of game that will get him sent back to Sacramento, where he began the year before roster logistics pinched him down a level. He gave up 2 doubles and 1 walk in just 1 inning of work, getting tagged for 2 runs without a strikeout. You don’t see him have many outings without a strikeout!
Low-A San Jose (18-11)
San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 12-2 Box score
A lot of the Giants prospects came out of the gates with extremely hot seasons. But for a few others, they took a little bit of time getting settled in, and just now are starting to take off. One such player? Third baseman Dario Reynoso.
Wednesday was a spectacular day for the 21-year old righty, who reached base in all 5 of his plate appearances, hitting 3-3 with a home run, a triple, and 2 walks, while driving in 6 runs. Hard to do much better than that, though here’s a video reminder as to why Minor League stats need to be taken with a few grains of your preferred salt.
Blinded by the light. Cam Nelson loses one in the lights, and Dario Reynoso clears the bases with a triple. Giants take a 12-2 lead to the ninth. pic.twitter.com/0H4NxMxloM
Reynoso, who was signed in 2023 out of the Dominican Republic, has started to find the power that he showed last year in the Complex League. After going homerless in his 1st 30 games with San Jose (spanning the end of last year and the start of this year), he’s now gone deep 3 times in his last 5 games, including on back-to-back days. Suddenly, after having an isolated slugging of just .064 with the Baby Giants in 2025, Reynoso is up to .206 this season, and that’s given him a .956 OPS and a 146 wRC+.
For the second straight night, Dario Reynoso has gone deep! Giants up 6-0 in the fourth. pic.twitter.com/mqclEZRuwB
The strikeout rate is still scary high, but it’s also improved over last year’s mark, and not just last year’s Low-A mark … a year ago, Reynoso had a 38.6% strikeout rate in San Jose, and a 31.7% mark in the Complex League. This year, that number is 30.8%. That’s something to work on, but there’s certainly the foundation of a very exciting player in there.
Left fielder Damian Bravo continued his heater, as he went 2-4 with a double, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and a strikeout. The 22-year old, taken in the 15th round out of Texas Tech in July, now has 3 straight multi-hit games, with 4 extra-base hits in that time. He started the year 7-39 with 1 home run and 2 doubles … since then, the righty is 22-62 with 4 home runs, 1 triple, and 8 doubles, which has brought his OPS up to .905 and his wRC+ to 115.
Undrafted first baseman Hayden Jatczak continued his stellar debut season, as he hit 2-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk, boosting his OPS to .973 and his wRC+ to 148. The righty has absolutely put on a show with the bat this year, though he will turn 25 later this season and is confined to first base (for now, at least). It will be fun to see how he performs at higher levels, and maybe we’ll get to see that soon.
Speaking of debuting players, RHP Jordan Gottesman had the best game of his young career, as he was dominant through 5 shutout innings, giving up just 2 singles and 2 walks, while striking out 5 batters. Gottesman threw 45 of 71 pitches for strikes, and has really started to find his groove. Check out the splits for last year’s 6th-round selection:
First 3 games: 10.2 innings, 7 hits (3 home runs), 5 walks, 6 earned runs, 13 strikeouts Next 3 games: 14.1 innings, 11 hits (1 home run), 4 walks, 2 earned runs, 14 strikeouts
The home runs will certainly have to come down — they explain why he has a 5.97 FIP despite a 2.88 ERA — but it’s been an encouraging rookie season for the 23-year old from Northeastern.
RHP Ubert Mejias struck out 3 batters in 2.1 scoreless innings, with 2 hits and 0 walks. Mejias’ numbers have been dominant this year: in 21.2 innings, he’s allowed just 13 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 26 batters, en route to a 2.49 ERA (3 home runs have given him a 4.82 FIP, though). The cold water is that Mejias is 25, but he only signed in 2023 after defecting from Cuba. He’s starting to settle into his role as a reliever, after beginning his career as a starter.
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Reno (SP: John Michael Bertrand) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs Akron (SP: Darien Smith) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Vancouver (SP: Tyler Switalski) San Jose: 6:00 p.m. PT vs. Fresno (SP: Argenis Cayama)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV
COVERS INTEL: 
