Following his retirement from the NHL, former Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard occasionally would serve as a studio analyst for Bally Sports Detroit.
But now, he's landed himself a new role with Detroit's newest expansion franchise. Howard has been chosen as the goaltending coach for PWHL Detroit, one of the newest expansion franchises for the Professional Women's Hockey League that will begin play at Little Caesars Arena this fall.
PWHL adds experience in goal – with ex-Red Wing Jimmy Howard as goaltending coach https://t.co/RtVbxW0AmU
Howard, whom the Red Wings selected with the 64th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, is ranked third all-time in Detroit goaltending history with 246 victories in a Red Wings uniform behind only Chris Osgood and Terry Sawchuk.
He played his first NHL game in the fall of 2005, and would spend four seasons with the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins before being promoted full time in Detroit in the fall of 2009.
Howard would eventually wrestle the title of starting goaltender away from Osgood during the 2009-10 season, and even put himself in the conversation for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender.
Reaching his 500th career NHL game in 2019, he became just the third Red Wings goaltender to achieve the feat, also behind Osgood and Sawchuk.
Upon his retirement in 2021, Howard had accumulated a record of 246-196-70 along with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage 24 shutouts. He also went 21-26 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs while posting a 2.58 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage with three shutouts.
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MIAMI — A ballclub is only as good as its bullpen, so it should come as no surprise, then, what a difficulty it has been for the Giants to build any semblance of momentum this season.
Just when they seemed to be on the verge of winning their fourth game in a row for the first time all year, they were sent right back to the starting line. Again.
“Obviously we want to win every game we play,” said Landen Roupp, who had them in position to do just that with six innings of two-run ball Friday night. “To not get over that four win [threshold], especially when we’ve been there multiple times this year and just not been able to win the fourth…”
This time, the tailspin in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins started as soon as Roupp left the game.
Sam Hentges, taking over in relief to begin the seventh inning, hit Estuary Ruiz to put the speedy pinch-hitter on base to lead off and allowed the second batter of the inning to reach, too.
Hentges had Ruiz down 0-2 and went too high and tight with a heater trying to put him away. He wasn’t able to complete the play when Javier Sanoja, the No. 9 hitter, dropped down a bunt.
“The ball [to Ruiz] was literally this far away from being over the plate,” manager Tony Vitello lamented. “It wouldn’t have been a strike, but he’s on top of the plate and it hits his elbow.
“We thought there was a possibility of [Sanoja] bunting, so we were yelling from the dugout. Sam moves around pretty well for a big guy, but I don’t know there was much we could do with that one.”
Just when they seemed to be on the verge of winning their fourth game in a row for the first time all year, they were sent right back to the starting line. Again. AP Photo/Lynne SladkyThe tailspin in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins started as soon as Landen Roupp left the game. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Rather than protecting the one-run lead handed over by Roupp, Hentges allowed both runners to score, flipping the score in favor of Miami. Leadoff man Liam Hicks laced a single through the right side of the infield and Owen Cassie, a triple away from the cycle, sent a deep sac fly to left.
The runs proved to be decisive in the Giants’ seventh loss in 30 games when leading after six innings.It was the fifth time this season they have had a chance to win a fourth in a row, falling to 0-5 in those contests.
“You’d like to go on a roll,” Vitello said. “I think it’d be good for maybe three, and then three, and then three. Maybe if there was more of that, we’d be in a happier place and not even worrying about it. But it’ll happen at some point with this group.”
Roupp had put the Giants in position to build on Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep with a bounceback performance. He surrendered a solo home run to Cassie in the first inning but only allowed one more run the rest of the way while completing six innings.
Their bats didn’t necessarily hold up their end of the bargain.
Traffic was no trouble for either team, as Roupp allowed runners to reach in all six of his innings and the Giants put six men on in the first three innings against a bullpen game from the Marlins.
Bryce Eldridge was one of only two Giants hitters not to reach base, snapping his 22-game streak that had been the longest by a San Francisco rookie since Buster Posey. The other was Luis Arraez as the top two spots of their batting order combined to go 0-for-9.
Daniel Susac came a few feet shy of a grand slam that would have been his first career home run, but he settled for a long sacrifice fly that ended up as the only run the Giants were able to cash in from their early opportunities.
Traffic was no trouble for either team, as Roupp allowed runners to reach in all six of his innings. Getty Images
Rafael Devers led off the sixth with a no-doubt home run to the upper deck in right field — his 11th of the season — and it again looked like the Giants were in business when Jung Hoo Lee followed with a double.
Casey Schmitt singled home Lee with one out to briefly put the Giants on top, 3-2, but the inning was over as quickly as it started, leaving two more runners stranded on the corners.
“I mean, we almost had four runs on one swing,” Vitello said. “It doesn’t guarantee a victory … but I do think it simplifies things for us, but you’ve got to combine defense with that and pitching as well. We’d like to win some games when we score three, or maybe even two.”
What it means
Vitello has circled four runs as a magic number of sorts — the Giants are 24-7 when reaching that threshold — but couldn’t get there despite no shortage of chances.
In the end, they needed more cushion for a bullpen that has been one of the seven worst in the majors since the end of April, with a 4.94 ERA.
They fell to 7-37 in an MLB-leading 44 times being held to three runs or fewer.
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Willy Adames collected his 1,000th career hit with a single to lead off the second inning, coming around to score on Susac’s sac fly.
The milestone came in Adames’ first at-bat since slugging his 12th and 13th home runs of the season in San Francisco’s doubleheader sweep of the Braves on Wednesday.
Ten of those home runs have come since May 18, second only to Juan Soto (11) for the most in the majors in that span. Yet, Adames admitted after Wednesday’s games that his swing “hasn’t been feeling the best” and that he was “trying to get more consistent.”
Adames had been 1-for-31 dating back to his last home run before homering twice Wednesday.
Willy Adames collected his 1,000th career hit with a single to lead off the second inning. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Who’s not
Roupp was 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA through his first six starts.
Since then, the Giants had lost all eight of his starts before Friday’s game, with Roupp allowing four or more runs five times to raise his season ERA to 4.24.
It was a different story this time around as Roupp pitched around traffic in every inning but left after six leading 3-2, having struck out seven, one away from matching his season-high.
He was more efficient than he had been of late, landing his sinker for strikes and generating swings and misses with his changeup, which even took him by surprise.
“When I looked up there in the fourth inning and saw only 65 pitches, I was kind of shocked,” Roupp said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do that. I think I was just competing and getting down the mound better today — moving better.”
He was in line to earn his first win since the last time he faced the Marlins, on April 26, when he limited them to two runs over 7 ⅔ innings in his longest start of the season.
“I kind of found out early on that they were hunting the curveball, so I just went away from that,” Roupp said. “[The sinker] has been a lot better, even my last three starts. But definitely tonight I was locating on both sides of the plate and getting ground balls instead of pop flies.”
Up next
Trevor McDonald, originally scheduled to start the series opener, will get the ball Saturday in Game 2, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. ET. It could be his last chance to prove worthy of holding onto his rotation spot with Tyler Mahle set to return from a hamstring strain Wednesday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 19: J.C. Escarra #25 and Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees react after the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium on June 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cam Schlittler entered play on Friday with the fourth best bWAR among all pitchers in the sport prior to his scheduled start against the Cincinnati Reds in the series opener in Yankee Stadium. Safe to say, the burgeoning New York Yankees ace is going to find himself higher on that list come Saturday morning.
Schlittler hit the first batter of the game before settling in, and settle in he did. He fanned 13 Reds hitters across 6.0 IP – yeah, 13 of the 18 outs he recorded came via strikeout – and allowed nary a run as the Yankees eventually blasted their way to a 5-0 victory. He needed just 96 pitches to get that work done, scattering 4 hits and walking none while piling up his baker’s dozen of fans.
Jazz Chisholm, Jr. socked a solo homer off Reds starter Rhett Lowder to begin the damage, while Ben Rice later added a tattooed 433 foot homer off Lowder in the Bottom of the 2nd that put this game on complete ice with Schlittler on cruise control. That latter one was of the 3-run variety, which was quite unfortunate, but even a solo job would’ve been enough to bury the Reds on the night.
To Lowder’s credit, he settled down shortly thereafter and managed to clear 5.1 IP with just the 4 ER allowed, finding a way to fan 5 against a trio of walks. It was far from his best outing, obviously, but at least he is gradually beginning to command the corners of the strike zone far better than he did to begin the season even if, yes, he is still leaving way too many over the plate.
Blake Dunn was the lone semi-bright spot on the offensive side of things, being that leadoff HBP off Schlittler and adding in a pair of hits – one a double – while also getting thrown out trying to steal. That’s all it took to be an offensive standout for this lineup on the night.
Cincinnati will send Andrew Abbott to the mound on Saturday afternoon to try to dig their way back into this series, while New York will counter with righty Will Warren. It’s a 1:35 PM ET start time, so plan your afternoon accordingly even if it doesn’t include – or specificially does not include – watching this team try to play this sport.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 19: Jorge Mateo #2 celebrates as Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves scores a run in the sixth inning during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park on June 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves had not had a good time recently, especially in terms of hitting the ball. Jacob Misiorowski came into this game as the best pitcher in baseball. It seemed like a recipe for continued misery/Miz-ery. Well, I am happy to inform you that about two hours and thirty minutes after first pitch, the Braves prevailed by a score of 3-2. They did a bit of everything: they eventually wore down and punched out Misiorowski thanks to Mauricio Dubon’s two-run single, they hit a homer, Martin Perez pitched a really good game, and Eli White had a game-saving outfield assist in the ninth. Woo. Wow. Wooo!
Early on, the Miz was as advertised. Things felt unfair, even without the context of the Braves’ recent offensive struggles. After Martin Perez threw a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 first, Misiorowski sprung out of the dugout and hurled a nine-pitch frame of his own. Perez responded by striking out the side… and Misiorowski vaguely wobbled a bit.
Dominic Smith led off the bottom of the second with a bloop single, and Austin Riley took a two-strike approach in a zero-strike count and bounced a hopper through the right side to put two on with one out. Mike Yastrzemski hit a hard grounder that led to a bang-bang out at first, which brought up White. Misiorowski pumped in four fastballs, the first two at 103 and the next two at 104, White missed two of them (and fouled off one in the middle), and that was that.
Then, it was Milwaukee’s turn to kinda-sorta strike. This was, of all of them, the definite Perez pachinko inning. Blake Perkins led off the frame with a swinging bunt single. After a strikeout, Joey Ortiz turned a down-the-pipe fastball into a hard grounder up the middle. It could’ve been a double play if it were hit at an infielder, but it was not. A comebacker moved the runners up, and the Braves elected to walk Jackson Chourio so that Perez could face Brice Turang with the platoon advantage. That sorta worked, because Turang hit a down-the-middle sinker into the ground, but it also didn’t work because the ball was again hit nowhere near the Braves’ defensive alignment, and went for an infield single as it hobbled up the middle. The Brewers led, 1-0. It seemed imposing, given Misiorowski’s presence looming on the mound. (Perez got out of it as old friend William Contreras flew out on a 2-0 count.)
It was imposing, as Misiorowski faced the minimum in the third, fourth, and fifth. To his substantial credit, Perez didn’t fall apart either — the strikeouts went away but he and the defense kept the Brewers at bay. A two on, zero out situation was untangled as lefty-killer Andrew Vaughn hit a screamer right at Jorge Mateo at shortstop, giving the Braves a double play; Perez escaped he frame with a strikeout to end his outing.
And then, the stage was set for the Braves upending everything by tagging Misiorowski for a couple of runs. Mateo got things started with a weak bouncer infield single of his own. After Misiorowski once again got the better of Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies was able to take a first-pitch, down-the-middle 100 mph heater out to right center for a single. Matt Olson and The Miz then engaged in a legendary-feeling battle: three strikes in the zone (the third was a foul), then three balls out of the zone, then two fouls on wicked 96 mph cutters that Olson seemed to bend the laws of physics to be able to reach and fight off as they bore in on his knees, and finally, a cutter that Misiorowski mis-executed and hurled towards Olson’s shoetops, loading the bases. So, up came Dominic Smith… and not much later, he sat down. He missed one of those ogrish cutters for strike one, and eventually missed two balls (102, then 103) in the middle of the zone.
It was up to Mauricio Dubon. He came through. Misiorowski’s idea was clear: move horizontally and jam Dubon. After a ball outside, he threw a fastball in the up-and-in part of the zone, and got a foul. He darted a cutter off the plate away, and got a whiff. He came back in with a fastball in that same place as strike one, and… Dubon was ready:
There’s some world where Dubon hits this too hard, and the misery/Miz-ery continues. This is not that world. Woo. Misiorowski struck out Austin Riley to end the inning, but the damage was done.
And, finally, with a late-ish lead, it was time for the Braves’ overly-well-rested bullpen backend to get some high-leverage work. First up was Dylan Lee. A bloop single and a steal put the tying run on second, but Lee struck out Ortiz. Up next, Christian Yelich hit a deep drive into the left-field corner, but White made a nice running catch to snare it on the warning track. Rather than walk Chourio again to set up a lefty-lefty matchup, the Braves swapped Lee for Robert Suarez, who got a routine groundout to end the frame.
Abner Uribe came in for the seventh. The first Milwaukee non-Misiorowski pitch was promptly creamed into right field by Yastrzemski for a homer. Actually, it wasn’t really creamed — it was a Truist Park special cheapo homer to right, but it still counts, and gave the Braves some breathing room that they’d end up needing.
Suarez stayed in for the eighth and had some drama. There were two quick outs, but then a couple of well-struck balls that put the tying runs on base. The Brewers pinch hit with Jake Bauers to gain the platoon advantage. Suarez got ahead of Bauers with two strikes, including a silly-looking whiff on a changeup out of the zone, but then tried to get that same whiff four more times and ended up walking Bauers instead. Sal Frelick pinch hit with the bases loaded, and Suarez had a spot of trouble locating his fastball — but after pumping in two get-me-over ones to fill up the count, Frelick hit a hard comebacker on another get me over-ish heater. The ball bounced off Suarez but not very far, and the inning ended with the game still at 3-1.
The Braves got a Smith double in the eighth, but nothing else. So, it was up to Raisel Iglesias in the ninth. Fortunately, he ended up getting some help. After a groundout, Iglesias walked Yelich to bring the tying run to the dish. Chourio didn’t tie the game, but he did yank a changeup into the left-field corner to put the tying run in scoring position. Turang jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Iglesias and lined it to left, kinda in the same spot where Dubon came through earlier… and it would have tied the game, except… Eli White to the rescue! White threw a bullet to Baldwin, cutting down Chourio at the plate. The Brewers challenged because, well, why not — but the call was confirmed, with the perfect throw nudging Baldwin’s glove into Chourio’s leg ahead of his foot scraping the plate. The Brewers did, technically, now have the tying run on base with Contreras up, but Iglesias got ahead of him with a sinker and then ended the game with two changeups that Contreras could only flail at. Game over.
And what a game it was. The Braves haven’t had it easy, and tonight wasn’t either, but they came away with a win. Chris Sale gets the ball tomorrow. We’ll see what happens.
Jun 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) behind the mound during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 19: Milwaukee second baseman Brice Turang (2) hits a line drive during the MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves on June 19th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite having the tying runner on base twice in the top of the ninth inning, the Milwaukee Brewers came up short in the series opener against the Atlanta Braves, losing 3-2. The loss is Jacob Misiorowski’s first since April 19th against the Miami Marlins.
Tonight was one of those frustrating games for the Brewers, in which, in every inning except the first and second, they had a runner on base. Overall on the night, the offense left 11 runners on base. On the flip side, Misiorowski wasn’t as strikeout-heavy as he normally was, striking out just seven batters. Honestly, if it wasn’t for one poorly located pitch, the Brewers squeaked out a 2-1 victory.
The Brewers offense was able to crack the scoring column in the top of the third inning with an RBI single off the bat of Brice Turang to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. That would be it in terms of offensive production for the rest of the game until the Brewers got something cooking in the top of the eighth inning.
Huge credit goes out to Martín Pérez, who historically has never been able to find an answer to success against the Brewers. Tonight, he found that answer for the first time in his career as Pérez threw six innings, allowing just one run on six hits, two walks, and he struck out five batters.
Clinging onto a 1-0 lead, Misiorowski ran into trouble against the tough lineup that is the Braves. A pair of singles from Jorge Mateo and Ozzie Albies, followed by a walk from Dominic Smith, loaded the bases for the Braves. Then, Mauricio Dubón hit a single into left field to drive in two runners to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
Abner Uribe replaced Misiorowski on the mound to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, and on the first pitch of his appearance, he gave up a no-doubt solo home run to Mike Yastrzemski to push the Braves’ lead to 3-1.
Arguably one of the more back-bending parts of the game for the Brewers came in the top of the eighth inning. Andrew Vaughn was able to get some sort of offensive production started with two outs before Jake Bauers followed with a pinch-hit walk. Sal Frelick pinch-hit for Cooper Pratt and worked a full count before hitting a groundball up the middle that got snagged by Braves pitcher Robert Suarez to end the inning, stranding the tying runner on base.
Perhaps the other part in this game that shows that baseball is a game of inches happened at the top of the ninth inning. Christian Yelich drew a one-out walk before Chourio ripped a first-pitch double down the left field line to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Much like earlier in the game, Turang came through, driving in a run before Chourio was thrown out at the plate after a nice throw from Eli White. Then, Contreras went 1-2-3 in his at-bat to end the ballgame, handing the Brewers their second straight loss.
Already, tonight’s game is going to be one that you look back on and wish you had, especially because this series doesn’t get any better for the offense. Chris Sale will be on the bump for the Braves, and he will enter tomorrow’s game with a 2.30 ERA on the season with 92 strikeouts. Being handed the ball for the Brewers will be Kyle Harrison, who has a 2.47 ERA and 80 strikeouts on the season.
The Brewers will seek to even up the series tomorrow afternoon, with the first pitch coming at 3:10 p.m.
Next month, it may be the National League All-Stars that Cam Schlittler is starting against.
The Yankees’ budding ace turned in a downright dominant outing Friday, striking out a career-high 13 across six shutout innings on the way to a 5-0 win over the Reds in The Bronx.
Lowering his ERA to 1.71 — the lowest by a Yankee through his first 16 starts of a season since Whitey Ford in 1964 — Schlittler added another highlight to his crowded résumé to start the All-Star Game for the American League. His biggest opponent Friday was his pitch count, as he needed 96 pitches to get through the sixth or else he might have kept going.
“He was feeling it tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Cam Schlittler reacts during his start against the Reds on June 19, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg
The Reds (35-39), who entered the night with the second-highest strikeout rate (24.5 percent) of any team, fell right into Schlittler’s hands as he became the first Yankee to record 13 strikeouts since Max Fried last September. The right-hander scattered just four hits (one of them a dropped fly ball by Jasson Domínguez in right field) while walking none as the Yankees (46-28) won for the 10th time in their last 13 games.
In the process, the 25-year-old Schlittler became the youngest pitcher in Yankees history to record 13 strikeouts and no walks in a game, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
“It’s been kind of tough the last couple starts, just been a grind, especially pitching in New York,” Schlittler said. “I haven’t done an excellent job over the past month or so pitching here. So it’s important to go out there and have a dominant start.”
Schlittler has spent the past few weeks working on his mechanics, getting down the mound without opening up his frame, and it finally clicked Friday. With a four-seam fastball that averaged 98 mph, a sinker that averaged 98.1 mph and a cutter that averaged 95.6 mph, his heat kept the Reds guessing all night long as he racked up 18 whiffs.
Cam Schlittler throws a pitch during the Yankees’ June 19 win. Charles Wenzelberg
“We always expect to watch him go out and do something special, so it wasn’t very surprising,” said Ben Rice, who provided most of the offense with a three-run shot in the second inning.
“That’s a good thing to hear, Josh is a great guy,” said Schlittler, who has gotten to know Hart. “I’m pumped for him and the city of New York, just being able to finish that off. It’s great to have his support.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off the second inning with a home run and Rice capped it off with his 21st blast of the season to make it 4-0, giving Schlittler all the support he needed before Anthony Volpe added an RBI single in the eighth.
Jake Bird, Brent Headrick and David Bednar each threw a scoreless inning of relief to finish off the shutout.
Entering Friday, Schlittler’s regular-season career high was nine strikeouts. He surpassed that by fanning Eugenio Suárez on a 99 mph sinker to end the fourth inning, when he struck out the side.
J.C. Escarra and Cam Schlittler react during the Yankees’ June 19 win. Charles Wenzelberg
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His overall career high was the 12 strikeouts he had in the AL wild-card series against his hometown Red Sox last October. But he beat that mark by the fifth inning, blowing a 98 mph heater past JJ Bleday for a three-pitch strikeout.
Schlittler’s night actually got off to an inauspicious start, when his first pitch was a sinker that ran in and hit Blake Dunn. But by the time he walked off the mound for the final time, he received a standing ovation from the crowd of 42,420 for his efforts.
“I think it would be pretty cool to see him out there pitching in the All-Star Game,” Chisholm said, “knowing he’s one of the best pitchers in the world.”
Jun 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It was a game of ones, as one outstanding pitching performance and one inning’s worth of scoring helped the Yankees easily handle the Reds in a 5-0 win at home, their first shutout win this month. If you went out searching for a worst-case-scenario matchup for an offense against a specific starter, it’d be a massive challenge to find one that would rival Cam Schlittler against the Reds. Cincinnati entered play tonight with the worst offensive numbers in baseball against pitches of 95 mph or higher: a .194 batting average and .305 slugging percentage—credit to the YES broadcast for displaying this in the fourth inning when Schlittler had already recorded seven of his eventual 13 punchouts, topping his dozen from the AL Wild Card Series clincher against Boston last October.
For a team that hits high velocity so poorly, facing a starter with not one, not two, but three separate high-velocity offerings, allowing him to basically shelve anything offspeed is a nightmare. The biggest question in anyone’s mind, watching Schlittler mow down the Reds inning after inning, was how long he’d last, considering he was racking up the strikeouts quite early. It was a giveaway for a high pitch count, but that, all things considered, it was never felt as high as his number of K’s would indicate.
Although the opponent allowed Schlittler to shelve a curve he already hardly uses, there were some interesting adjustments within those three primary pitches. Schlittler more than doubled his sinker usage from a 19-percent season average to 43 percent against the Reds, utilizing it as the primary offering against both lefties and righties, and then the four-seamer as the main complement against lefties and the cutter versus the righties. Through six scoreless innings, the right-hander tossed a virtually stress-free 96 pitches to earn an amazing 13 strikeouts with no walks, keeping the Reds 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and with a sense that a potential rally was always very far away.
Schlittler moved one K behind Toronto’s Dylan Cease for the AL lead in strikeouts at 109, and only Jacob Misiorowski has a lower ERA than Schlittler’s 1.71 among the 62 qualified MLB starters. The man is a marvel.
With Schlittler dominating in the manner in which he did, the Yankees didn’t need a whole lot of offense to take what would at least feel like a commanding lead. They did it in a manner that might be all too common for them, but not something that Rhett Lowder has experienced often, if ever, in his young major-league career.
The Reds starter came into this game having allowed three homers across 77.2 innings in his career as a big leaguer. In one inning, Lowder nearly doubled that mark, giving up first a solo shot to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and then a three-run bomb to Ben Rice, both in the bottom of the second inning. Rice’s homer would turn out to be the Yankees’ only hit with a runner in scoring position until the eighth, when Chisholm earned a walk, stole second, and came around to score on an Anthony Volpe RBI single.
While Schlittler was amazing and the offense did its part to give him a healthy lead early, it also stopped scoring after that second inning, thus putting at least some pressure on the bullpen to finish things off. A four-run lead may be comforting, but it is only a four-run lead. Luckily, Jake Bird, Brent Headrick, and David Bednar were all on their game, each pitching in with a scoreless frame. They might not have had the same zip on their fastball as Schlittler, but it was more than enough to overpower the struggling Reds.
The Yankees have their fourth consecutive series win in their crosshairs tomorrow afternoon, as they send righty Will Warren out to face southpaw Andrew Abbott. First pitch is at 1:35pm ET on YES.
Jun 5, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) delivers to the plate against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Dodgers (48-27) host the Orioles (35-41) for a three-game series over Father’s Day Weekend at Dodger Stadium.
Roki Sasaki (3-4, 4.76 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) takes the mound for the Dodgers in the series opener Friday night.
Rookie Trey Gibson (1-2, 5.91 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) makes his first career start against the Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani is away from the team on paternity. He is expected to be back at some point this weekend.
Tarik Skubal’s mouth did better work than his arm on Friday, but the Tigers still came away with the W. | (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Even though this was a June game between two teams separated by over nine games in the standings, there was no lack of drama or fireworks in a gritty Detroit Tigers win over the Chicago White Sox. It felt like a division-rivalry showdown for the first time in a while — and the Tigers had the last laugh.
The fireworks started early when Randal Grichuk, who came into the game with a .364 average against Tarik Skubal, paid tribute to Snoop Dogg when he smashed a home run 420 feet to put the White Sox on the board. Not to be out done, Matt Vierling took advantage of a fastball a little too much in the zone, hitting it over the fence for a two-run homer as the third Detroit batter in the bottom of the first inning.
For the next few innings, it was your average White Sox gritty affair. Both teams had plenty of chances, but some nice defensive plays and missed opportunities kept the Tigers ahead until the top of the fifth inning. In the fifth, there were fireworks.
With runners on the corners, Tristan Peters brought in a run on what was originally called a double play on a badly-missed call by first bace umpire Stu Scheurwater. Scheurwater’s gaffe was reversed, and at some point over the next few batters, things got chippy. While the White Sox couldn’t take advantage and grab the lead, they clearly got under the skin of Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal. After striking out Colson Montgomery, Skubal and Mike Vasil had more than a few words for each other as Skubal walked to the dugout. While it was impossible to read their lips, I’m sure they weren’t congratulating each other on their solid seasons so far.
The cameras tried to catch some more fire between the two pitchers, but there were no more pleasantries exchanged between the two sides in the sixth inning. With that being said, the cameras caught a different explosion in the form of Junior Perez’s first big league homer, as he gave the South Siders the lead once again. Tigers manager AJ Hinch had seen enough out of Skubal and he departed in the middle of the sixth. This time, Skubal didn’t have any more fiery words for Vasil as he hung his head leaving toward the dugout, in line for the loss in his first start in Detroit since his IL stint.
Unfortunately, Chicago’s good vibes didn’t last long. The Tigers took back the lead in what resembled a sparkler more than a firework when a bloop single dropped just before Peters could get under it in the bottom of the sixth. With the runners going on contact with two outs, two runs came around to flip the lead back in favor of the Tigers.
The White Sox continued to scratch and claw their way through the game, but unfortunately, they ran out of firepower once Skubal departed. After the southpaw was pulled, the Tigers bullpen allowed just one hit and struck out four over the last 11 batters they faced.
While the loss is certainly disappointing, it was a solid showing against one of the best pitchers in baseball. With much more “gettable” pitchers on deck for Detroit, there is still a good chance the South Siders can take this series.
The Yankees extended their lead atop the AL East standings with a 5-0 win in their series opener against the Cincinnati Reds.
Cam Schlittler dazzled on this muggy summer night at Yankee Stadium, setting a new career high with 13 strikeouts.
Here are the takeaways....
-Schlittler's first pitch of the game got away from him and plunked Reds outfielder Blake Dunn. Schlittler immediately neutralized the situation, first with a "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" double play as catcher J.C. Escarra caught Dunn trying to swipe second before Schlittler struck out Sal Stewart with a nasty sinker to end the top of the first inning.
-The Yankees squandered a run-scoring opportunity in the bottom of the first frame, as a one-out ground-rule double into the right field stands off the bat of Jasson Dominguez was nullified by a Cody Bellinger groundout and a Paul Goldschmidt strikeout.
-Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. couldn't complete a potential groundout with nobody out in the top of the second inning, as Reds designated hitter Nathaniel Lowe reached first base on his throwing error. Thankfully for the Yankees, Schlittler brought his best stuff and recorded three strikeouts to get out of the inning.
-Chisholm more than made up for his error leading off the bottom of the second, sending a Rhett Lowder pitch to the second deck in right field for a 390-foot solo shot. It didn't get any easier for Cincinnati's righty starter, who issues back-to-back walks to Spencer Jones and Anthony Volpe before recording an out in the inning. Ben Rice took advantage with a two-out three-run home run which went a mammoth 433 feet to right-center field. Lowder struck out Dominguez to end the inning with the Yankees leading 4-0.
-Schlittler's signature three-fastball mix (sinker, four-seam, and cutter) was deadly tonight. Of his 96 pitches, just three were off-speed in the form of three curveballs. He struck out a career-high 13 batters through 6 scoreless innings. At this point, the 25-year-old is firmly in the mix -- if not the outright front-runner -- for the AL Cy Young Award.
-Jake Bird relieved Schlittler in the top of the seventh, the lead still 4-0 Yankees with neither offense having been able to generate any momentum throughout most of the game to this point. Bird engineered a flawless inning, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts.
-Brent Headrick kept the good vibes rolling for the Yankees bullpen, as the lefty reliever recorded a scoreless eighth inning despite issuing a two-out walk to JJ Bleday.
-Goldschmidt's 10-game hitting streak was halted, as the first baseman went 0-for-4. Meanwhile, Chisholm stole his 21st base of the season in the bottom of the eighth. Reds righty reliever Zach Maxwell then walked Jones before Volpe capitalized with runners on first and second, lining an RBI single to left field, the shortstop's third time reaching base on the night. The inning ended with New York leading 5-0.
-David Bednar took care of business in the top of the ninth, retiring the side and striking out two Reds batters in the process to seal the 5-0 win for the Yankees.
Game MVP: Cam Schlittler
Schlittler lowered his ERA to 1.71 and his WHIP to 0.89 in his dominant outing and didn't walk a single Reds batter.
Aug 11, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) and pitcher Bryce Miller (50) prior to a game against the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The Mariners – Red Sox kick off a series today with two dueling pitching strategies. The Red Sox, knowing how left-handed heavy the Mariners are, will be starting a trio of lefties, causing the Mariners to make a roster move to get more right-handed (read more in the “roster move” section). Meanwhile, the Mariners will be utilizing the piggyback again, starting Bryce Miller. John wrote about the benefits of returning to the piggyback; read more here if you missed it.
This is the first time the Mariners will face the Red Sox this season. Get up to speed with the series preview here.
Lineups:
It’s Juneteenth, so the Mariners are wearing their Steelheads jerseys instead of the City Connects.
No nice graphic for the Red Sox, who made a last-minute lineup change. Isiash Kiner-Falefa is scratched with forearm soreness; Durbin moves up, and Marcelo Mayer – who missed yesterday with an illness but is apparently now well enough to play – enters the lineup.
UPDATED 6/19 at SEA: Gasper DH Rafaela CF Abreu RF Contreras 1B Duran LF Durbin 3B Mayer SS Narváez C Monasterio 2B Suarez P
If you’re wondering who Wilson is in the lineup, it’s not Will Wilson magically returned from the 60-day IL; it’s newly-signed Weston Wilson. He’s basically a right-handed Miles Mastrobuoni, who was DFA’d today. Read more here.
Game information:
Game time: 7:10 PT because * * * fireworks * * *
TV: Mariners.TV with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, with Brad Adam on pre and postgame and Ryan Rowland-Smith as sideline analyst. This game will also be shown on KING 5 locally.
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
Jun 19, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda (8) celebrates a home run during the third inning against Washington Nationals at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Pablo Robles-Imagn Images | Pablo Robles-Imagn Images
The Rays hopefully hit reset, returning to Tropicana Field with a welll-played win.
Six of the runs scored by both teams came via the long ball. The Nationals managed two solo home runs in the second and third inning against Griffin Jax. Poor Brian Anderson and Dewayne Staats came with a ton of stats showing how well Jax has done as a starter, and each time they launched into that conversation, Jax would give up a home run (or in one case a very deep fly ball that would have been a home run in 22 ball parks, that was caught by Johnny DeLuca).
The Rays didn’t let that go unanswered, however. Hunter Feduccia walked, Yandy Diaz singled, and then Jonathan Aranda, who has been struggling, unleashed a far from overwhelming home run — 95 mph, 334 feet, hitting off the foul pole. But you don’t get fewer points just because your home run was a little wimpy, so the Rays took a 3-2 lead to close out the third inning.
After giving up the two solo homers, Jax kept the Nationals off the board, but he was nonetheless done after five innings. I had thought Jax has generally been limited to four or five innings as he ramps up to starter, but we learned from tonight’s broadcast that in fact he’s had problems with a chronic blister that apparently returns after an inning or two of pitching, and he tries to push through the discomfort. Hopefully that gets resolved soon, he’s been pitching well as a starter and it would be nice if his starts didn’t become a de facto half bullpen day.
Jax was replaced by Steven Matz, and I’ll admit my stomach lurched as he entered the game, because he’s been something of a disaster since returning from the IL. But tonight he did his job, pitching 1.2 innings and giving up just one hit.
Meanwhile, the Rays were adding to their lead. In the fourth inning, Richie Palacios doubled and then scored on a Taylor Walls single. And in the eighth, Jonny DeLuca, just off the IL, got all of a hanging breaking ball and homered to left field, to give us the final score of 5-2.
Overall, this game felt like a return to earlier season normal, with good pitching, mostly clean defense (Aranda was charged with an error as he dropped the ball while making a tag at first), and a mix of long ball and small ball. Chandler Simpson even laid down a lovely bunt and beat it out, just like in the old days (of May).
Let’s keep this going! Game 2 of this series is tomorrow afternoon, and the Rays will go with the ever impressive “TBD” on the mound.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 13: Trey Gibson (43) of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch during an MLB game against the San Diego Padres on June 13, 2026 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Orioles have struggled when facing winning teams this season. Here we are with them opening a three-game series, on the road where they’re also bad, against the team with the best record in all of baseball, the Dodgers. The on-paper stuff doesn’t point to an Orioles series victory, or perhaps to any Orioles victories at all.
All that the Orioles need to do is play better than they have been playing. The frustrating big picture thing about them this season is that doesn’t seem like it should be so hard, and yet, they keep on not playing better, or at least not playing better for long enough to really prove anything. The thing that I keep coming back to is how they’ve yet to win more than three games in a row. You know who else never won more than three games in a row? The 52-110 Orioles of 2021.
It would behoove the Orioles to play well tonight, because Yoshinobu Yamamoto lurks tomorrow and there’s probably not an “end the no-hitter in the ninth inning and still win” miracle waiting for them – certainly not as a walkoff win, since they’re on the road. Another Japanese pitcher is up for the Dodgers in this one: Roki Sasaki, a 24-year-old righty who’s veered between good and bad outings this year. His last one was bad and he has a 4.76 ERA for the season. Hit some homers against this guy.
Game recap note: This game will not be recapped until after your recap writer (that is, me) has gone to sleep and woken up on Saturday morning. I’m hoping to wake up and need to find things to say about an awesome game. Don’t wait up for the recap!
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward – DH
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Pete Alonso – 1B
Samuel Basallo – C
Leody Taveras – RF
Colton Cowser – CF
Coby Mayo – 3B
Jackson Holliday – 2B
Jeremiah Jackson – LF
Trey Gibson is the starting pitcher tonight. He’ll have to make do with an infielder in the outfield.
Note the lack of Adley Rutschman in the starting lineup. Manager Craig Albernaz said the Orioles are giving Rutschman a full day off after he took a thrown baseball in his ear while running to first base in Sunday’s game against the Mariners. They will re-evaluate him tomorrow.
