ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Josh Lowe’s first career grand slam was all the offense the Los Angeles Angels needed Sunday in a 4-1 victory over the Athletics.
Lowe was 10 for 33 with 27 RBIs with the bases loaded during his six-year career, but had only managed two extra-base hits in those situations prior to going deep off starter Aaron Civale in the second inning.
The center fielder fouled off a pair of 1-2 pitches before sending a high cutter 403 feet to the right-field corner for his first homer since May 20.
Angels starter Sam Aldegheri (3-3) allowed one run and five hits in five innings, striking out four. José Fermin threw two scoreless innings and Samy Natera Jr. got four outs for his first major league save.
Joey Meneses drove in Jeff McNeil with a sacrifice fly in the fifth for the A’s, who finished with six hits. They went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base overall.
The A’s threatened to cut into the lead after two straight walks to open the eighth, but Ryan Zeferjahn struck out the next two batters before giving way to Natera, who retired Nick Kurtz on a flyball.
Civale (5-5) permitted seven hits in five innings, striking out two. José Suarez tossed two scoreless innings in relief.
Up next
The A’s host the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers for a three-game series beginning Monday night. LHP Gage Jump (3-1, 2.04 ERA) faces LHP Eric Lauer (3-5, 4.87) in the opener.
Angels RHP Ryan Johnson (1-2, 8.84 ERA) starts Monday night in Seattle against RHP George Kirby (6-7, 3.94) to begin a three-game set.
Mookie Betts watches his two-run single in the fifth inning Sunday, the big blow in the Dodgers' three-run rally. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press)
The Dodgers claimed a series win against the San Diego Padres with a 4-2 victory Sunday, widening the gap between division rivals to 10 games.
The Dodgers (54-30), who have the best record in the majors, have won five of the first six games of a three-city trip that ends in Sacramento.
A bounce-back start from right-hander Emmet Sheehan made the Dodgers’ win Sunday possible. He held the Padres to one run, on Manny Machado’s fourth-inning homer, through five innings.
“Maybe being a little more comfortable in my mechanics,” Sheehan said after limiting the Padres to two hits. “But also just the focus in between starts of trying to get a little more execution instead of delivery thoughts. I had seven days, so I got to throw two bullpens this week, which is nice.”
It was the first time Sheehan held an opponent to a single run since May 8, when he threw 4⅔ innings against the Atlanta Braves.
“He just beared down and made pitches when he needed to,” manager Dave Roberts said, “versus feeling it with the mechanics or being uncertain.”
Mookie Betts stayed hot with his bases-loaded, two-run single off Padres starter Michael King to spearhead a three-run rally in the fifth. Betts also singled in the seventh.
Freddie Freeman had an RBI on a nine-pitch walk in the fifth, and Shohei Ohtani drove in the Dodgers’ first run with a single in the third.
“The last six weeks, Shohei’s been out of this world,” Roberts said. “Freddie’s been very consistent all year, and then now we got Mookie this last week on track. So it has been the better part of the season that we haven’t had all three of those guys. You can see it — when those three guys are threats, it just kind of takes a lot of pressure off everybody else.”
Over the three-game series, the Dodgers outscored the Padres 20-12. Here are offensive takeaways from the series:
Tucker ‘grinding’ through
Kyle Tucker hits a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in the Dodgers' 15-3 win. (Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)
Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker never had been through a stretch like this. He entered Sunday with a .719 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, the lowest he’s had 77 games into a season in his career.
“I feel fine coming to the field and everything, it’s just not being as productive as I normally am, or as I want to be, kind of sucks,” Tucker said in a conversation with The Times a couple of weeks ago. “But I’ve just got to come back for the next at-bat, or the next day, and whatever, and just move on.”
Has battling this uncharacteristic slump taught him anything?
“I’d rather not suck,” he said. “But just try and grab through and just whenever anything works or clicks or whatever, just don’t let it go.”
Tucker has had moments this season when it looked like he was heading toward an offensive turnaround.
In mid-April, he homered twice in three games, including a three-hit performance. In early May, he went on a six-game hitting streak. He hit .303 over a nine-game stretch in mid-June. But none led to sustained success.
So, when Tucker logged three hits, including a home run, on Saturday as the Dodgers routed the Padres 15-3, he was cautious in his optimism. Tucker even nitpicked the nine-pitch at-bat that ended in the pull-side homer.
“There were some pitches I swung at earlier in the at-bat that I thought should’ve gotten the job done earlier, just didn’t put a great swing on it,” he said after the game.
Manager Dave Roberts was more enthusiastic about that at-bat.
“He’s handled it well,” Roberts said. “He’s frustrated, certainly. But he hasn’t run from the work. Even [Friday] night after the game, he was hitting in the cage. … You hear the word ‘grind’ a lot, but he’s grinding. It’s good to see him have some success. I just liked that one at-bat tonight where it was just compete. It wasn’t about mechanics. It was about competing and getting the job done.”
On Sunday, Tucker singled in four at-bats.
Edman’s consistency
Tommy Edman hits against the San Diego Padres on Friday. (Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)
There were times last year when utility player Tommy Edman could look at video of his swing and think, “OK, that doesn’t look like how I want it to look.” But there was only so much he could do in the middle of the season, while playing through nagging ankle issues.
“Part of it is kind of just breaking habits that I built last year,” said Edman, who underwent surgery on his right ankle in the offseason. “Was just getting into some bad movements with the lower body, probably just compensating for the ankle, and hips get out of whack, and that kind of stuff. So I’m hopeful that I’ll just be able to keep this up the rest of the year and just be consistent with it.”
Since returning from the injured list on June 16 to make his season debut, Edman is hitting .333 (11 for 33) with a .405 .on-base percentage. He hit his first triple and second double of the season in the Dodgers’ blowout win Saturday.
“I feel like this is kind of one of the rare times where both swings feel good, both from the right and left,” switch-hitting Edman said after that game. “It’s really tough to maintain both swings over the course of the season, so just happy that I feel that way.”
Betts is back
When Betts went three for four, a triple short of the cycle, in the Dodgers’ series finale in Minnesota last week, he couldn’t put his finger on a cue that had snapped his swing into shape over the last couple of weeks.
“Today, I was able to just find something,” he said then. “I don’t even know really what I found. After the home run the first at bat, I wasn’t sure what I did, but I just kind of stayed there. And I think that was the beauty of it. And not really fully knowing and just kind of going to play kind of let me know my training is paying off.”
It continued playing off. That performance kicked off a three-game homer streak. And by the end of his two-week heater, Betts had raised his OPS from .591 to .737.
By Saturday night, Roberts was ready to declare that Betts was back.
“I say ‘back’ because I just think there’s more intent with him in the batter’s box and a lot less indecisiveness,” Roberts said. “So for me, if he can have that kind of proactive approach, aggressive approach, then everything else is going to take care of itself.”
Betts credited his resurgence to a shift in how he prepares for games. Instead of taking 100 swings in the cage with a specific cue, he’s building up from a blank slate every day.
“I used to have things I would think about that would produce a swing, and now I’m actually just training my body every day,” he said. “So kind of one in the same, but they’re just two completely different ways of going about it. And still trying to get fully used to it, but it’s working, so I’m not changing it.”
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3: Devin Vassell #24, Julian Champagnie #30, Victor Wembanyama #1, and Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs huddle up during the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs added four rookies during the draft. Who are you most excited about, and who, if anyone, did you wish they had drafted instead?
Marilyn Dubinski: As someone who is not a college basketball aficionado, it’s hard to get too high or low on anyone when you’re well outside the lottery for the first time and years and don’t know anything about anyone until they’re Spurs. That being said, I like the approach the Spurs took. They went directly at their most exposed weakness in the first round, which was a lack of size and physicality down low, and even doubled down by trading for a second pick. Jayden Quaintance is a long-term project with his knee but could have the Spurs once again owning the steal of the draft when/if he gets going again. And if not? Tarris Reed is about the best insurance policy they could have asked for. The second round was less exciting, but with the power forward market in both the draft and FA a bit dry, there’s a chance for at least Maliq Brown to show something (but I wouldn’t count on it).
Mark Barrington: I like taking a swing on Quaintance, although he’s not likely to help next season. Tarris Reed looks like he can help this upcoming regular season, although rookies are rarely playoff-ready in their first go (Dylan Harper excepted). As Marilyn mentioned, the Spurs drafted two guys at their biggest position of need. Their lack of an athletic big to take some of the pressure off Wembanyama and give him sufficient rest to be fresh at the end of games was exposed by the Knicks in the finals. These guys will be big helps in the future, but the future is now for the Spurs. I’m worried about JQ’s history of injuries, as the Spurs have had bad luck in the past with drafting injured players who haven’t panned out. A lot of people mention DeJuan Blair, but I can go back a long way and remember James Anderson (foot) and Livio Jean-Charles (knee). I trust that the Spurs have done their homework and they have a high degree of confidence that Jayden will be fully healthy, even if he has to take a redshirt year.
I’m not concerned about the second-round picks. Gillespie could slot in as a replacement for Jordan McLaughlin or Lindy Waters, and Maliq Brown as a development player who could make the rotation if he improves his offense. One or both of them will probably be on a 2-way contract next year, and both of them will play mostly in Austin if they make the team.
Jacob Douglas: Long-term, the idea of at least one of Victor Wembanyama and Quaintance protecting the rim is about as exciting as it gets. San Antonio has the depth to let Quaintance sit for the majority of the season if it needs to give him time to get healthy. Then, they could have one of the most dominant defensive front courts in the NBA.
In the meantime, Reed should be able to log some minutes at center. He gives San Antonio that bruising size they’ve needed alongside Wembanyama for a bit. However, unless they were worried about a team 21-25 selecting Quaintance, I would have liked to see them grab Cameron Carr from Baylor at 20, and then pick Quaintance at 26. Yes, the Spurs need size, but they also need shooting. Carr is a knockdown three-point shooter and a high flyer who could eventually fill out into a 3&D wing. Addressing that and grabbing a big man in the draft would have been a huge win.
Jeje Gomez: I was intrigued by Houston’s Chris Cenan Jr. because of his raw tools, but the Quaintance pick seems like the type of upside swing the team can afford to take. The consensus seems to be that he would have been a lottery talent if he had been healthy, and his Arizona State season backs that up. He could be a special defender who is a decent jumper away from being a two-way force, and the fact that he will be just 18 for a couple more weeks shows that he has plenty of room to grow. Reed is less exciting but seems NBA-ready physically and mentally, as he knows what he is and is happy to just do the non-glamorous jobs.
It was surprising to see the Spurs pick a small guard and a forward who can’t shoot in the second round, since the league is moving away from those archetypes, but maybe that’s why they were available and could prove to be valuable. Either way, it’s always better not to have high expectations for second-rounders, so if they ever contribute, it’d be a bonus.
Free agency is close, and after the draft, the Spurs still haven’t upgraded the power forward spot. Who would you like them to target, or do you think they are set at PF?
Dubinski: As previously mentioned, it’s a pretty dry market. I don’t see LeBron James wanting to leave the state of California (and don’t really desire him, plus likely the only thing that would have drawn him here would have been playing for Pop, and that’s not an option anymore). Beyond him and Draymond Green, whom I also have no interest in, the best options are John Collins and Tobias Harris. And you know what? We’ve been talking about Collins as a potential Spur for at least five years now. Why not just make it happen so we can finally see what we’ve been missing? If the Spurs don’t pursue a power forward, I’m going to assume that their eventual goal is for Wemby to move back to his preferred position of PF, and the stockpiling of centers is to actually see who can play alongside him.
Barrington: I think the Spurs still need help at power forward, but their history in free agency is that they don’t really go for it, as they tend to try to develop players internally. Tarris Reed is more of a center than a power forward, but he might end up doing some twin towers work with Wemby this season, as Victor slides to the forward position. John Collins is interesting, and he’d be a good addition, but it all depends on how much it costs to obtain him.
Douglas: San Antonio can offer roughly $15M and up to four years with the non-taxpayer MLE. They can also trade for a player into that slot. John Collins and Rui Hachimura are the names I’ve seen mentioned most frequently. Collins would provide some vertical spacing as a lob threat and has shot around 40% from three on about three attempts per game over the last two seasons. He’s probably the best fit, but still comes with questions. Can he hold down the paint and guard the perimeter while Wembanyama roams defensively? He isn’t the greatest rebounder either (11.4% rebound rate).
I’d stay away from Hachimura, who would be duplicative with Julian Champagnie. Yes, Hachimura hit 44.3% of his three-pointers, but those looks are typically stand-still catch-and-shoot jumpers, like the ones Champagnie gets. He’s a worse rebounder (only a 6.9% rebound rate) and a worse defender. San Antonio needs a four who can play inside and out, and can do some of the dirty work for Wembanyama inside. Hachimura is not a fit in that regard.
May I present a third door? Are we sure the Spurs want to commit 15M a year to a role player when they have looming contract extensions for Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper? What if they went have someone a little cheaper instead? San Antonio had reported interest in Guerschon Yabusele last offseason. He got back on track in a bigger role with the Chicago Bulls late last year. He’d provide the same level of rebounding as Collins while shooting 38% from three (with the Bulls). He’d be a cheaper option who could do a lot of the things San Antonio needs from a power forward.
Gomez: Rumors about Aaron Gordon being potentially available have me wanting the Spurs to take a big swing, but after getting to the Finals, it’s unlikely they will do anything drastic. I’d settle for them getting Hachimura, Tobias Harris, or Collins, and I’ll add Precious Achiuwa to the list of desirable targets. Achiuwa is not a shooter, but he’s a big forward who can also play as a small ball center in a pinch thanks to his rebounding, and he brought energy to a Kings team that severely lacked it last season. He could do the same for a Spurs team that might get complacent now that it knows it’s elite and will have a target on its back.
If they decide to go for cheaper targets, Kenrich Williams could be interesting. He has playoff experience, can shoot a little, and doesn’t shy away from physicality.
There have been a few high-profile players who seem to be available via trade. Do you think the Spurs should go hard after any of them?
Dubinski: I don’t think so. Jalen Brown is both too combustible and expensive (plus, it seems he wants to be first fiddle, and that’s even less likely here than Boston), and someone like Ja Morant is not a position of need and a hard pass for the Spurs’ system and culture. Plus, any trades for major players would likely require De’Aaron Fox for salary purposes; the Spurs have made it clear they have no intention of trading him, and as Jesus pointed out, it wouldn’t be a good look for them at this juncture. (And for the record, I’m not on the trade Fox bandwagon. I think the results would have been different if his ankle had been healthy. Blame Ayo Dosunmo.)
Barrington: I honestly can’t believe the deal that Minnesota gave up for Julius Randle. He is still a useful player, but they basically swapped the 28th pick for the 33rd to dump Randle’s salary, just so they could overpay Ayo Dosunmo. If the Spurs can find another team having a fire sale on good players because they’re churning the roster, maybe they can take advantage of another team’s cap problems, as they have a pretty decent situation for the next year or two before things start to explode with Wemby and Castle getting their second contracts and Fox’s max kicking in. I just don’t see it happening, but I expect that Brian Wright will be keeping an ear to the ground to listen for signs of other teams having salary cap-induced panic attacks.
Douglas: No, partly because I don’t think San Antonio has assets it should sacrifice to get one of them. Aaron Gordon or Leonard (gulp) would be the perfect fits with this team, but would likely require giving up De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, and/or Keldon Johnson to get them. This offseason shouldn’t be about a major shakeup. It should be about adding pieces around the edges that can maximize a core that made it all the way to the NBA Finals in their first full season playing together. A trade for a star that requires a major sacrifice could either boost them into the stratosphere or kill all of the momentum from last season.
Gomez: The way the Spurs acted at the deadline last season, when they stood pat despite having big expiring contracts, suggests they are happy with their core, so I doubt they are seriously considering making a big move. It’s always good to do the due diligence and check what it would take to land an established star, and there are some exciting names that could make San Antonio better, but I just don’t see a big trade coming, for better or for worse.
Jun 28, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) hits a two-run single during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The Dodgers reinforced their dominance over the San Diego Padres on Sunday, taking the weekend finale by a final score of 4-2.
The Dodgers were left hitless over their first two innings against Michael King, but Alex Freeland tallied their first hit with an opposite field single to lead off the top of the third. Chuckie Robinson put Freeland into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and Shohei Ohtani brought in the game’s first run with an RBI single.
Emmet Sheehan mowed down San Diego’s offense over his first three innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three. His one-run cushion was short-lived as Manny Machado connected for his second home run against him this season in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Freeland reached base for the second time against King with a leadoff walk to begin the top of the fifth inning, but Robinson failed to move him over as the bunt attempt found King’s glove. Ohtani worked the second walk of the inning to give the Dodgers multiple baserunners for the first time, and King subsequently plunked Pages for the second time to load the bases with one out. Freddie Freeman gave the Dodgers the lead back with a walk, and Mookie Betts broke it open with a two-run single, knocking King out of the game after just 4 1/3 innings. Betts added another hit in the seventh inning, finishing the weekend with an average of .333 (4-12), two home runs and six RBI.
Sheehan walked Song for the second time before plunking Fernando Tatis Jr. with two strikes on him and two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. With Samad Taylor representing the potential tying run, Sheehan struck him out for the third time to get out of the jam.
Sheehan’s day was done after 84 pitches, but he put up his best performance in two months. It was the first time that Sheehan allowed just one run since May 8 against the Atlanta Braves, and it was the first time he allowed just one run over at least five innings since April 24 against the Chicago Cubs. His two hits allowed on Sunday are tied for the least amount all season.
Alex Vesia came in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning, but a late reaction to a ground ball from Jackson Merrill allowed the center fielder to reach on an infield single. Merrill got into scoring position on a lazy pickoff attempt from Vesia, and the left-hander couldn’t complete the inning after getting two outs.
Will Klein came in to face Xander Bogaerts, but an RBI single cut the Dodger lead in half. For the second straight inning, the Padres got a baserunner on a hit by pitch with two outs and two strikes as Andujar was drilled to put the tying run on base. Sung-Mun Song represented the potential go-ahead run, but Klein struck him out swinging to get out of the jam.
San Diego threatened Klein again in the bottom of the seventh as Tatis lined a single to right to once again bring the tying run to the plate. Klein got Taylor to strike out for the fourth time, but Tanner Scott came in to face the left-handed hitting Merrill. Scott got him swinging on three pitches to end the threat.
Scott stayed in to face the middle of the order in the bottom of the eighth, but a double from Machado and a hit by pitch to Ty France put the tying run on base with nobody out. Scott managed to strike out Bogaerts for the first out, and the southpaw needed just one pitch to get Andujar to ground into a 5-4-3, inning ending double play.
Edgardo Henriquez notched his first save of the season and just the third of his career, as the Dodgers now lead the season series over San Diego 4-2. The two teams are set to meet at Dodger Stadium for a four-game set beginning Thursday.
Before these two teams square off again, the Dodgers head up to Sacramento to begin a three-game set against the Athletics beginning Monday (6:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Eric Lauer faces left-hander Gage Jump.
ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 17: Miles Bridges #0 of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles the ball during the game against the Orlando Magic during the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament on April 17, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
You never know when or where an NBA transaction is going to strike, especially this time of year. I took the gamble. I loaded my family and the dogs into the truck and headed for the coast this weekend. The destination was Huntington Beach, California. Surf City, USA. I figured nothing major would happen as I felt the team was a good place.
Sure, running it back wasn’t sexy. But it was responsible, especially considering the transgressions of the past and where the franchise currently stood. Knowing that both Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale would be on expiring contracts next offseason, along with Jalen Green, meant the organization had an entire season to evaluate whether its culture had truly taken hold, how the pieces fit together, and whether its path of alignment and development would ultimately lead to success.
Then, as I was getting ready to head down to the beach, my phone buzzed. The Suns had traded both Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale for Miles Bridges.
BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and a 2033 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/vjcR7AdwSD
What are my initial thoughts on the acquisition of Miles Bridges, along with a 2029 first-round pick swap and a 2027 second-round pick swap, in exchange for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick? Let’s grade the trade.
Draft Capital Exchange Grade: D+
I’ll start here: why include a 2033 first-round pick? This is an organization allergic to retaining unprotected futures, aren’t they? Bridges is an expiring deal. You are giving them two players for that expiring. You are getting back the 2029 first-round pick you sent out for Mark Williams, which is a heavily swapped “worst-of-the-worst” draft pick. You’re getting a swapped second-round pick in 2027. Are those worth an unprotected 2033? I simply don’t get it.
I can understand the “well, the kid is currently in sixth grade, so who cares?” point of view. But I don’t agree with it. Every kid was a sixth grader once. Devin Booker was. Imagine if the Suns traded his draft rights in 2008 for an expiring power forward. I understand the philosophy, but at some point, you are going to have to lean into lottery youth to restart your program. 2033 could be that year, but it no longer has the chance to be.
Sooner or later, especially with the new draft rules, a Suns pick that they no longer own will end up high in the lottery, and we’ll be kicking ourselves down Jefferson Street because of it.
The one plus is that, by making this deal, they have opened up accessibility to all of their first-round draft capital between now and 2029. So if they like what they have as an organization, that can improve by attaching those picks. Jalen Green, anyone…
After this Miles Bridges trade and opening up access to their draft picks for the next four years in other trades, I’m starting to believe Jalen Green’s long-term future isn’t in Phoenix.
This is a team that is positioning itself for a big move, whether it’s now or in months.
I know Miles Bridges is a player this organization has targeted for quite some time. I’ve been writing about him for the past few seasons, and I understand the eventual need to move on from both Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale. My question is whether this truly maximizes their outgoing value.
The Suns acquire Bridges and his $22.8 million expiring contract. Make no mistake about it, the fact that it’s an expiring deal doesn’t mean an extension isn’t already part of the plan. I fully expect the Suns to bring him back.
This Suns trade for Miles Bridges came about late last night. The plan is that Bridges will not just be here for one year – at some point not sure when they would like to extend him. To replace Grayson Allen the Suns are looking at 7 to 8 free agent shooting guards. So, another…
The financial side of this deal is significant as well. Before the trade, Phoenix sat $5.4 million below the second apron and $7.6 million above the first apron. By moving the combined $29 million owed to Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen and taking back Bridges at $22.8 million, the Suns save more than $20 million in luxury tax payments while reducing their payroll by roughly $6.2 million. They now sit only $1.7 million above the first apron.
They also opened a roster spot. From a financial standpoint, that’s meaningful flexibility. The question is whether that flexibility, combined with Miles Bridges, was worth the price they paid.
What does this mean? It means the Suns can now use a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to add another player when free agency opens on June 30. Perhaps Luke Kennard becomes a target. Whoever it is, it needs to be someone who can shoot the three-ball because the Suns just traded away two of the better three-point shooters in the league for a player who is a career 33.8% shooter from beyond the arc.
And that’s the challenge with all of this for Phoenix. Throughout the offseason, many people pounded the table for the Suns to acquire a power forward. Well, they did. But no matter what move they made, they were always going to be shifting their problems rather than eliminating them. There is no catch-all solution. There is no magic move that fixes every hole on the roster. There are only tradeoffs.
Yes, the Suns brought in a power forward. But he’s an undersized power forward who doesn’t stretch the floor, so now you’ve addressed one need while creating another. You sent out shooting, and now you have to find shooting. That’s the reality of roster construction when you’re chasing your tail. It becomes even more difficult when you’re carrying $23.2 million in dead cap.
We’ll have much more clarity on the full scope of this transaction once the new season begins. First, we need to see who the Suns add to fill that open roster spot. If that player, combined with Miles Bridges, proves to be a better combination than Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, then it’s a net positive. That’s a good trade.
There’s also another wrinkle to consider. Because the Charlotte Hornets already had a deal in place with the Minnesota Timberwolves involving LaMelo Ball earlier this weekend, there’s a possibility this transaction gets folded into that larger deal. If that happens, the Suns could potentially receive one or more additional assets.
As it stands right now, I walk away from this trade a little perplexed, but certainly intrigued. There’s also the moral dilemma.
Miles Bridges arrives with an off-court reputation that most people would not describe as positive. For a team that has spent the better part of a year talking about culture and identity, it’s fair to wonder what impact that has inside the locker room. It’s already created outrage among portions of the fan base.
Overall Grade: C+
Did the Suns take a step forward or a step backward? Right now, I don’t think we have enough information to answer that question. The roster isn’t complete, the additional flexibility created by the deal hasn’t been utilized, and there could still be more to this transaction than we currently know. My initial reaction, however, is that it feels like a step backward. I can’t help but feel there was more value to be extracted had the Suns played this a little more patiently. I can’t help but feel like the team added a first-round draft pick that didn’t need to be included.
But what’s done is done. Now we wait to see how the rest of the offseason unfolds.
I don’t hate the depth chart, though. I see the short-term viability and the long-term vision. This move tells me Phoenix still believes its competitive window is open, but it’s trying to win with younger legs instead of older veterans.
It’s funny. As I finish writing these words and get ready to head down to the beach, I can’t help but think about one thing. If you had told me two summers ago that the Phoenix Suns would one day have Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Miles Bridges on the same roster, I wonder what my response would have been. I wonder what I would have thought about that team’s chances of being successful.
Knowing there’s also an influx of young talent developing behind them makes it even more intriguing. That’s the word I keep coming back to. Intriguing. And it reminds me of something I said two summers ago: the Suns might not always be good, but they’re always entertaining.
Sep 26, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Romy Gonzalez (23) gets a base hit in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Romy Gonzalez is a good baseball player. He was one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitchers last season. His 162 wRC+ against southpaws last season was ninth-best among qualifiers. Tonight, he makes his return for the Red Sox against Carlos Rodon on the Yankees. While he’s not the flashiest name, it should be a legitimate spark for a struggling offense. Sonny Gray goes for the Red Sox, coming off an 11-strikeout performance against the Rockies. Is a four-game sweep of the Yankees what this team needs to turn things around? Probably not, but it’s a start.
Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (70) against the Kansas City Chiefs during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
For the Arizona Cardinals they have two big decisions to make with regards to Monti Ossenfort’s first draft class, and they are two players at premium positions.
Now the question becomes, how will they address each contract situation?
What is interesting is that Paris Johnson Jr. and Michael Wilson seem to be going about their expectations of their next contract a little bit differently.
At least how it is being reported.
LT Paris Johnson Jr, who is under team control through the 2027 season, is seeking "$40 million" per year on his next contract, per @joshweinfuss
Michael Wilson tells ESPN that contract extension talks with Arizona are "going great."
"I love the Cardinals organization and I truly do want to be one of those guys that plays for one organization their whole career. That is a goal of mine,"
What is so interesting is that Wilson is probably better off playing the year out and betting on himself to get from the $18-22 million range to the $26-30 million range.
While PJJ wanting “$40 million a year,” makes sense for the top end left tackles, and maybe PJJ is, but can you pay that to someone who hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year?
The Cardinals also need to be cognizant of how much they’re investing in their “best players” from a three win team. They can control Paris the next two years at reasonable rates (for the position) while Wilson probably needs to prove he is more than just a volume player when the team is down 17+ points.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 23: Carlos Rodon #55 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park on June 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees are lucky this series is in Boston, because after three pretty gross outings in a row against the Red Sox, they’d almost certainly booed by the Bronx like the hunter who shot Bambi’s mom. They can get a little bit of good vibes back today by managing a single win in this four-game set, though they’ll need to beat arguably the BoSox’s best in order to do it.
Sonny Gray, who I’m sure many of us remember, has been quite effective from a pure run prevention standpoint. He’s top 20 in baseball by ERA albeit with a 70-inning threshold, but what should be noteworthy is how his strikeouts have disappeared. He sat down 26.7 percent of batters faced last year and over 30 percent two years ago, but manages just a 21.1 percent this year. Far more balls in play are available against Gray, and while he’s juiced his ground-ball rate to something we haven’t seen from him this side of COVID-19. If the Yankees can elevate against him, there are runs on the table here.
Meanwhile, Carlos Rodón will once again take the stage for the Yankees. I don’t want to harp on Carlos too much, he’s a fair pitcher who probably isn’t what you’re paying him to be but his wife is an excellent social media follow. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs a start all year. I hate watching him pitch. He is a laborious viewing prospect, seemingly spotting every hitter an extra pitch and being one of the slowest pitchers in baseball in terms of how long he holds the ball for. Cam Schlittler is the second-slowest, but at least he seems to dock a pitch per hitter rather than donate one. I hope Rodón pitches well, but I doubt I’ll enjoy the journey.
We have a bit of a funky lineup today, with Aaron Boone seemingly try to shake the tree and see if a few runs drop out. Against the righty Gray, Jazz Chisholm Jr. will lead us off for the first time all season–first time as a Yankee actually–and traditional lefty platoon hitter Amed Rosario will DH and bat sixth. This means Paul Goldschmidt is the odd man out, with the league’s oldest position player given the day off. Oswaldo Cabrera also gets his first start since the ugly ankle injury that ended his season early in May 2025.
How to watch
Location: Fenway Park – Boston, MA
First pitch: 7:20 pm ET
TV broadcast: NBC
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WEEI 93.7, WESX 1230 AM, WCCM 1490 AM (BOS)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 28: Eli White #36 of the Atlanta Braves steals second base sliding in ahead of the throw to Willy Adames #2 of the San Francisco Giants in the top of the sixth inning at Oracle Park on June 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a pitching duel at Oracle Park, it was the Braves who faltered, leaving Chris Sale on the hook for a loss despite a good performance in a way that’s frustrating and familiar.
Sage or something stronger may be needed to get the stink of this team, both bats AND gloves. Generally, the Braves were hitting the ball well… to a perfectly placed Giant playing effortless and Ron Washington-coached defense. The Giants, in turn, were hitting bloops and seeing-eye singles that found grass every. Single. Time.
The good? Ha-Seong Kim worked another walk. It was apparently a beautiful and clear day in San Francisco. Chris Sale threw the fastest pitch he’s ever recorded since 2018. But otherwise? Yikes.
Chris Sale’s 99.2 mph strikeout was his fastest strikeout pitch since 8/12/18 (99.4 mph and 99.2 mph)
Sale and Robbie Ray went toe-to-toe in throwing up zeroes for the first half. Ray’s perfect game bid was broken up in the sixth inning with an Eli White single. Sale worked around traffic and stranded Giants runners effectively until the bottom of the sixth.
The Braves’ best chance to draw first blood came in the top of the sixth when White’s leadoff single and stolen base, the aforementioned HSK walk, and Michael Harris II productive out to get the runners to second and third. But Ozzie Albies groundout would send us to the cursed bottom of the sixth.
A particularly annoying Luis Arraez single followed by another by Heliot Ramos would set the table for Rafael Devers. He wouldn’t homer here, but he would single on a ground ball to Austin Riley, who then overthrew it over to first. The error allowed a run to score and for Ramos to get to third. Sale would get two swinging strikeouts, but be burned again by his own defense when Ozzie had a throwing error of his own on a play that should’ve ended the inning and instead made it 2-0 Giants.
Sale’s afternoon concluded with six innings pitched, eight hits, two runs (one unearned), one walk, and ten strikeouts. He was relieved by Didier Fuentes, who allowed a single to pinch-hitter Drew Gilbert, a double to Matt Chapman, and a sac fly to Arraez to make it 3-0. After walking Ramos, he was lifted in favor of Dylan Lee, who ended the threat.
And lo, the scoring drought would end in the eighth. Ray got his own taste of his defense making mistakes. Eli White reached on a Chapman error and got to third after a Mauricio Dubón double. But Harris II sac fly would be all they get to make it 3-1 Giants. Robbie Ray’s final line? 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (unearned), 1 BB, and 2 K. And he did it in 95 pitches (in contrast to Sale’s 94 pitches). Tyler Kinley pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth.
And as we’ve heard before, the Braves may not always win, but they’ll give you a finish. Matt Olson would make it interesting with a double in the ninth, advancing to third on a groundout, and then scoring on a groundout to make it 3-2. Walt Weiss turned to Dom Smith with one out left. He singled and was replaced with pinch-runner Jorge Mateo, who did his job to steal second. The script was scripting for pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski to deliver against his former team. But it wasn’t to be.
California was not good to the Braves. Good riddance to 2026 Pacific Time baseball. But the Delta plane awaits to bring them back home where the Cardinals and Mendoza-less Mets await. Here’s to hoping for better results as we flip the calendar to July later this week.
Anthony Kay just didn’t have it today. | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The White Sox and Royals played two games this afternoon, but squeezed them both into nine innings.
For the first 3 1/2 innings, it looked like the game would last until roughly Thursday and end up 46-44. For the next 5 1/2, both relief staffs did really good Mark Buehrle imitations, so the game ended up in 2:52, with KC up by a run.
The Royals scored one in the first off Anthony Kay on a single, stolen base and RBI single by Carter Jensen as he stretched his hitting streak to 19. It only took two batters against Luinder Avila for the Sox to take the lead in the bottom half, after a Sam Antonacci walk and a 407-foot shot into the wind and the bleachers by Miguel Vargas, his 19th blast of the season.
Kay then gave two back in the top of the second on a hit batter, a Colson Montgomery error on a routine grounder (not his day, he was also 0-for-4 with two of Chicago’s six strikeouts), a single and a sac fly, but Avila returned the kindness and handed the Sox back a 4-3 lead on two-out hits by Antonacci, Vargas, and Kyle Teel, the last two with broken bats.
Not one to accept gifts, Kay then gave up another run in the top of the third to make it 4-4, and yet another in the fourth to give the Royals a 5-4 lead. At that point the game had already lasted longer than an hour-and-a-half thanks to a superabundance of pitches (73 in 3 2/3 by Kay, 86 in four by Avila) as well as all the running around the bases by the two teams, who had 13 hits off the starters.
Cue up the second game, in which five White Sox relievers tossed 5 1/3 innings of four-hit, one walk shutout ball (Seranthony Domínguez was even good, probably because he pitched the sixth instead of the ninth), and five Royals out of the pen did even better, giving up just one hit in five innings of work.
It should be noted Bryan Hudson was helped considerably by an excellent throw by Braden Montgomery after Starling Marte lashed a shot down the right field line:
Nailing Marte turned out to be really important at the time, because Salvador Pérez followed with a single to left.
With the surprisingly shutdown bullpen work (especially a surprise for the Royals staff), the 5-4 score at the end of 3 1/2 innings was the same at the end of nine.
The White Sox still won the series and had a 4-2 homestand. Their record is an amazing 43-39, and with a Guardians win the two teams are again tied atop the AL Central. The Sox now head to Baltimore for three games starting tomorrow, followed by four in Cleveland.
Who tried the best to knock the Royals off the throne?
Jun 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Joel Kuhnel (59) hangs his head following the tenth inning against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
A game and a series that started so promising, ended up in an emotional loss for the Milwaukee Brewers as they fall to their rivals, the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon.
Brandon Woodruff was the big positive. In his second start since coming back from the IL, Woodruff shoved once again, allowing just one hit over 5.2 scoreless innings. He was efficient and filled up the strike zone as he usually does. Woodruff ended the day with six strikeouts on his line and protecting a one-run lead.
That one run lead was provided by Gary Sanchez, who took a 1-1 fastball from lefty Ryan Rolison and tattooed it into the second deck in left field. It was Sanchez’s eighth home run of the season.
However, that was all the Brewers offense could really muster off Rolison and then old friend Bryse Wilson, who shut down the Crew’s offense over his 4.1 IP.
The Brewers did have a number of opportunities, though. Runners at the corners in the 3rd with one out, both Chourio and Turang strike out. In the 4th, Andrew Vaughn gets a leadoff triple, no one can even muster a sac fly to bring him home. Runners on first in the 6th, 7th, and 8th, no advancement. In the 9th, the Brewers had runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, a base hit can walk it off, and both Cooper Pratt and Joey Ortiz strike out.
“I think sometimes guy maybe try to do too much, and that’s where we try to preach ‘take what the game gives you and go back to taking pitches and handing it to the next guy'” offense and strategy coordinator Jason Lane said.
Meanwhile the Crew used up their top bullpen arms in those earlier leverage innings. Aaron Ashby spiked a curveball with a runner on 3rd to allow the Cubs to tie the game in the 7th. But then Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill got the jobs done in the 8th and 9th. But with few leverage arms left, the Brewers turned to Joel Kuhnel in the 10th.
Kuhnel was able to get the first two batters out at the bottom of the Cubs order. Then he just lost the strike zone. They intentionally walked Pete Crow-Armstrong, then Kuhnel hits Bregman, then walks Michael Busch to bring in a run. Then Seiya Suzuki rips a single to left to score two more and put the Cubs up 4-1.
The Brewers put together some big chances in the 10th. Christian Yelich singled home Ortiz, then Chourio walked and Turang singled, loading the bases for pinch-hitter Garrett Mitchell. Mitchell worked a walk and the Brewers were within a run, down 4-3, with the bases loaded and nobody out.
That’s exactly when it all went sideways. Jake Bauers, after seeing Mitchell get walked, swung at the first pitch and hit a shallow pop fly into left field that was nowhere near deep enough to score a run. Then Gary Sanchez, who homered in the 2nd, grounded into a tailor-made 5-4-3 double play to end the game.
Milwaukee was 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. Woodruff pitched well enough to win. The bullpen did well enough to win through nine innings. The offense just couldn’t give them enough.
The Brewers missed way too many opportunities to put this game away when they should have and that leaves them on the short end of this series where they had their top three arms in the rotation going. The lead over the Cubs sits at 5.5 games now and the Brewers will look to turn the page to the Reds series.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 26, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not a good day at the ballpark as the Athletics fell to the Angels 4-1 in Anaheim in the series opener.
Jun 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) bobbles the ball looking to turn the double play as Seattle Mariners designated hitter Cal Raleigh (29) is out at second base during the third inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Mariners finally broke through their three-run cap to score five runs in a game, but a bullpen meltdown in the eighth meant the Mariners took a loss anyway in the season finale against the Guardians, 6-5. The loss means the Mariners fall out of first place in the AL West, meaning Mariners fans don’t even have “at least we’re in first place!” as a comforting balm in the face of one of the toughest losses of the season so far.
The five-run inning will be what undid the Mariners on the scoreboard, but the offense had multiple opportunities to put this game out of reach and failed to capitalize. The Mariners left 14 runners on base today, ranging from the standard – a J.P. Crawford leadoff single stranded in the first, a one-out Cal Raleigh walk stranded in the fifth – to the truly excruciating: back-to-back singles stranded in the fourth; an inning-ending double play in the eighth stranding Julio at third. It seems counterintuitive to fault the offense on a day when they scored more runs than they have in the past two weeks, but had the offense converted a few more of these opportunities earlier, the situation in the eighth might have played out very differently.
The Mariners did score three off Guardians starter Gavin Williams, in their usual fashion of scoring early but not delivering the kill shot. They small-balled around a run in the second off a pair of singles from their catching tandem, Cal Raleigh (DHing today) and Mitch Garver, and then got another two runs in the third: Julio Rodríguez took a one-out walk and scored on a Josh Naylor double, and then Naylor scored on what should have been a routine Randy Arozarena groundout, mishandled by Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio. A particularly frustrating footnote is the Guardians played shoddy infield defense all day, but ultimately the Mariners weren’t able to capitalize enough on those mistakes; this inning ended without further damage, despite a Cal Raleigh walk, as neither of the Mariners’ young infielders were able to cash in on that traffic on the bases; Colt Emerson had a particularly rough at-bat, seeing just one pitch in the zone but striking out anyway.
This game was a particularly brutal shake for Emerson Hancock, who was solid today, navigating around trouble and helping himself out with some defensive plays that gave Bryan Woo, the Mariners’ best fielding pitcher, a run for his money.
Hancock didn’t have the most swing-and-miss stuff against the lefty-heavy Guardians lineup, but he was able to efficiently navigate around minimal traffic all day. The Guardians were able to scrape a run off him in the fifth thanks to some bad-BABIP-luck weakly-hit singles, but Hancock managed to wiggle out of a bases-loaded no-outs situation, allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly.
Not only did Hancock limit the damage in the fifth, but fighting through that inning meant he was able to come back out for the sixth and get another two outs for his bullpen before walking Cooper Ingle. With the Mariners clinging to a three-run lead, Dan Wilson opted to bring in Eduard Bazardo, who immediately gave up a double to pinch-hitter Daniel Schneemann on a sinker located dead red. Bazardo didn’t have great command today, spraying the ball around against pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey and going to a full count, but was able to quell the threat by getting Bailey to chase after a nasty biting sweeper.
The Mariners were able to get that run right back, again capitalizing on Guardians mistakes. With former Mariner Shawn Armstrong on in the sixth, Robles reached on a bunt, then stole second and third, realizing Armstrong wasn’t paying any attention to him. Julio then brought Robles home on a weakly-hit ball that didn’t leave the infield, again poorly handled by Travis Bazzana at second, who had an absolutely brutal series defensively. But again, the Mariners weren’t able to extend the lead against lefty Tim Herrin, who came in for Armstrong and immediately hit Naylor with a pitch; Arozarena went after the second pitch he saw and pounded it on the ground to the Guardians’ one sure-handed infielder, Gabriel Arias at third, for the inning-ender.
That lack of adding on would loom large in the eighth, after the Mariners squandered yet another opportunity in the seventh against former Mariner Matt Festa. Again, the Mariners had two runners on, and again, they failed to convert that traffic into runs, with Arozarena hitting into an inning-ending double play. Gabe Speier was able to knock the Guardians down in the bottom of the seventh, but that left the eighth.
With the bottom of the lineup coming up and Muñoz as “the ninth inning guy” per Dan Wilson, the Mariners sent in Michael Rucker. On the one hand, Wilson’s options were limited: Bazardo and Speier had already pitched, José Ferrer was down after pitching the last two nights, Nick Davila has poor splits against lefties, and the six-man rotation has already shorted the pen an arm, leaving Rucker and lefty Josh Simpson, recently returned from Tacoma. Both of them would pitch in this inning. Neither would pitch well.
If you’ve been a Mariners fan a while, you already know how this went. I don’t need to describe each agonizing detail, and you probably don’t want to read it. There’s no value to be extracted from examining why each of these pitchers failed. It was a late-innings spring training game, but played in late June instead. If you’re really dead-set on imagining it, here’s a visual representation:
By the end of the inning, the Guardians led, 6-4. The Mariners would claw one of those runs back in the ninth against Guardians closer Cade Smith – Cole and Colt teaming up for back-to-back singles, a weak ray of sunshine on a dark day, and Robles again making Bazzana reconsider life at the keystone – but it almost felt even more insulting to lose by one run, especially coming in on Bazzana’s umpteenth fielding miscue of the series, like pointing up the fact that even spotted shoddy infield defense, the Mariners still couldn’t overcome their fatal flaws of non-clutch-hitting and bullpen implosion.
Losing a game that’s winnable is always frustrating, but with the way the team has been playing lately, today’s game feels like salt in the wound. Breaking out of the prison of three-or-fewer runs scored only to lose feels not so much like a finger on the monkey paw curling down, but the Mariners taking the monkey paw and beating fans over the head with it – the latest not-fun entry in the captain’s log of what has been, so far, an almost wholly unenjoyable season.
The Detroit Red Wings took their first steps toward the 2026-27 season on Monday, announcing the roster and schedule for their upcoming development camp this summer.
The camp will take place at the BELFOR Training Center beginning Monday, June 29 and running through Thursday, July 2, featuring daily on-ice skill development and off-ice workouts throughout the week.
Players will be split into two groups, Team Howe and Team Lindsay, with daily on-ice instruction and skill development led by the Red Wings player development staff.
The camp serves as a critical opportunity for prospects to receive direct feedback from NHL-level coaches and staff on what they need to do to take their games to the next level. Players will also participate in NHL-level off-ice workouts and attend presentations designed to help them prepare for the transition to professional hockey.
The roster is headlined by the Red Wings' newest additions from the 2026 NHL Draft, including first round pick JP Hurlbert and second round pick Victor Plante, who will be joined by fellow 2026 draftees Carter Bear, Eddie Genborg, Luka Arkko, Beckham Edwards, Adam Levac, Nikita Tyurin, Will Murphy, Michal Svrcek, Brent Solomon, Grayden Robertson-Palmer, Myles Brosnan and goaltenders Michal Pradel and Michal Orsulak.
Among the most notable attendees beyond the newest draft class is Max Plante, meaning the Plante brothers will share the ice together at a Red Wings camp for the first time, adding another compelling storyline to what is shaping up to be an exciting week. Breakout goaltending prospect Rudy Guimond will also be in attendance, coming off a stellar season in the QMJHL that has raised his profile considerably within the organization.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 28, 2026
The rest of the camp roster is rounded out by Brennan Ali, Austin Baker, Noah Dower Nilsson, Charlie Forslund, Jesse Kiiskinen, Owen Mehlenbacher, Justice Christensen, Brady Cleveland, Larry Keenan, Jack Phelan, Fisher Scott and John Whipple. Also in attendance will be a group of free agent players looking to earn contracts with the organization, including Michael Dec, Yegor Vinogradov, Salvatore Viviano, Yaroslav Busygin, Cade Christenson, Albin Boija, Will Keane and Semyon Konopsky.
Development camp will give the Red Wings coaching and development staff their first extended look at a prospect group that grew considerably this past weekend in Buffalo.
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CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 28: Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio (4) rounds third base as he scores a run during the eighth inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Guardians on June 28, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Gavin Williams had to work a bit extra this outing, throwing 103 pitches in 5.0 innings. He allowed 3R/2ER on six hits and three walks, striking out six batters. The unearned run for Gavin came in the top of the third. A throwing error by Brayan Rocchio allowed Josh Naylor to score. Shawn Armstrong only worked 0.2 innings, giving up a run on two hits before Vogt went to Tim Herrin. Herrin pitched a full inning of work, only giving up one hit. Matt Festa earned the win, improving to 2-1 on the season. He worked 1.1 innings, allowing only three base runners via two base hits and one walk. Cade Smith earned the save, but not without some struggles. Cade allowed two hits and only struck out one. A throwing error from Travis Bazzana to Rhys Hoskins scored a runner from third, accounting for Cade’s unearned run.
The Guards offense woke up in the bottom of the fifth. Gabriel Arias, Austin Hedges, and Steven Kwan all hit singles to load the bases. Kwan’s single was called an out, but Cleveland won the challenge earning Kwan another successful bunt single. Travis Bazzana hit a sac fly with no outs and bases loaded to Julio Rodríguez, scoring Gabriel Arias from third.
The Guardians remained down until the bottom of the eighth when the offense put up a five spot. Brayan Rocchio led off with a single. Cooper Ingle drew a walk and Daniel Schneemann singled on a ground to center to score Rocchio.
Patrick Bailey hit a perfect sac bunt that moved both runners with Steven Kwan loading the bases in the next AB via a walk. The Mariners opted for a pitching change to face Travis Bazzana. Bazz popped out for the second out of the inning. Chase DeLauter hit a 2-RBI single to tie it up for the Guardians.
Rhys Hoskins doubled to left field, with the ball falling just fair. Chase DeLauter, with an aggressive send, was on the heels of Steven Kwan to score the go-ahead and insurance runs.
Is the offense back? Were the only pieces we needed a load-bearing Kahlil Watson and Chase DeLauter’s return to turn things around? The Texas Rangers will be in town for a three game series starting tomorrow. Here’s to hoping the team can keep this momentum into the next few series and keep in the fight for first in the AL Central.
