Oklahoma City's James Tibbs III is introduced before a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Dodgers minor league affiliates combined for nine home runs on Saturday.
Player of the day
James Tibbs III is running roughshod through Sugar Land, Texas this week. He hit a three-run home run and delivered an RBI single for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night, giving him five home runs and 15 RBI in five games so far during this series.
â Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 30, 2026
On the season, Tibbs is hitting .317/.419/.644 and leads the Pacific Coast League with 16 home runs, 50 runs batted in, 34 extra-base hits, and 134 total bases.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Home runs ruled the day in the Cometsâ win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).
In addition to Tibbs, Seby Zavala also hit a three-run home run and Jack Suwinski hit a solo shot.
Charlie Barnes started and struck out four with no walks in his five innings, and allowed one run for the win. Five innings matched his longest outing of the season, done four times with Iowa before getting claimed off waivers from the Cubs on May 9.
Double-A Tulsa
Shortstop Elijah Hainline, who had already walked three times on Saturday, hit the game-winning grand slam to cap a seven-run eighth inning in the Drillersâ comeback win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).
Josue De Paula had three hits, including two doubles, and scored three times in the win for Tulsa. Zyhir Hope and Griffin Lockwood-Powell each doubled, singled, and drove in two runs.
Patrick Copen pitched into the seventh, when he allowed his fourth run of the game and left trailing after his 6 1/3 innings, three walks, and four strikeouts.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons only managed to score two runs, wasting a combined 14 strikeouts and only one walk by the pitching staff in a road loss to the Dayton Dragons (Reds).
Brooks Auger stretched out for his longest start since returning from the injured list in late April, going five innings with two runs allowed and a season-high seven strikeouts. Jacob Frost, the 2025 10th-round pick, piggybacked with Auger for the fifth time in the last five-plus weeks, and struck out seven of his own in three innings. The winning run for Dayton came on a two-out triple in the eighth inning and a wild pitch from Frost.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers joined the power party with five home runs of their own to rout the Visalia Oaks (D-backs). Ontario scored six runs in the fourth inning, three in the fifth, and five more in the sixth.
Ching-Hsien Ko didnât homer, but he did reach base five times with two singles, a double, and three walks, and scored three times. Catcher Anson Aroz reached base four times, including a three-run home run, and scored three times. Jaron Elkins homered and stole a base, part of his two-hit, two-RBI, and two-run evening.
Arizona Complex League
Alek Thomas played all seven innings in center field his second game since getting acquired by the Dodgers on May 12, and was hitless in four at-bats with a strikeout and a run scored against the ACL Guardians in Goodyear. Thomas also played on Thursday, and had a hit in his three at-bats plus a walk against the ACL Brewers at Camelback Ranch.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 25: Tobias Myers #32 of the New York Mets walks off the mound after pitching during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on May 25, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets are hopeful Jorge Polanco, who has been sidelined with Achilles bursitis, will return next weekend in San Diego.
The Mets honored late longtime team photographer Marc Levine with a Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award.
Pitching prospect Channing Austin has been making some waves in the Metsâ system this season.
If Mark Vientos and Brett Baty donât help the Mets climb out of this hole they are in by July, the Mets may want to consider trading one of them at the deadline, writes Will Sammon of The Athletic.
The Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo trade was one of the best trades in baseball last offseasonâŠfor the Rangers, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Around the National League East
The Nationals came roaring back with a six-run seventh inning to beat the Padres 9-4, despite Fernando Tatis Jr.âs first home run of 2026.
The Phillies had a thrilling come from behind victory as well, as Edmundo Sosaâs go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth off Tanner Scott lifted Philadelphia to a 4-3 win over the Dodgers.
The Phillies designated former Met Zach Pop for assignment to make room on their roster for Max Lazar, who they activated from the 60-day IL and sent to Triple-A.
Itâs been over two years since Brandon Marsh played with Shohei Ohtani on the Angels and they were teammates for less than two seasons, but Marsh still gets asked about it.
Ronald Acuña Jr. blasted two home runs in the Bravesâ 5-2 victory over the Reds.
Angels reliever Brent Suter and rehabbing Rays pitchers Steven Wilson and Manuel RodrĂguez took the anthem standoff so seriously at Tropicana Field yesterday that they were all ejected from the game before first pitch. Even the mascots got involved.
In a huge blow to the White Sox, slugger Munetaka Murakami was placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks.
Pete Alonsoâs walk-off hit capped off a five-run ninth inning for the Orioles as they won a 6-5 thriller over the Blue Jays.
MLB.com reviewed seven storylines to watch as the calendar turns to June, including whether early season disappointments like the Mets, Tigers, and Red Sox can turn things around.
Pete Crow-Armstrong may be heating up, as he notched four hits in the Cubsâ 6-1 win over the Cardinals.
May 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy (17) in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Red Sox arenât actually worse in the first month of the Chad Tracy eraâŠbut they feel worse.
With this early milestone just passed, itâs fair to ask what has changed. If things had actually changed, this would be a really fun exercise. But, as I look around, a fair answer isâŠnot much? There have been some cosmetic differences, sure, like Mickey Gasper and Nick Sogard being called up from Triple A. Trevor Storyâs hernia forced a decision at shortstop, with Marcelo Mayer eventually slotting into the starter role. If not for Storyâs IL stint, thatâs a change which I suspect would not otherwise have been made right now. (For the record, Iâm in favor of it.)
But the anemic offense hasnât changed. Neither has the winning percentage, at least not by much. Nor the Sox place in the standings, either.
The one place I see a clear difference is in the fan support. The Sox have lost us in 2026. I say this as a lifer, and with genuine regret.
At the end of April, surprising as the timing was, the firing of Cora & Co. seemed to hold out some hope for a big change. A morale boost, a turnaround, a shift in mechanics/procedure/process/whatever that might have cracked open a new version of this team. There was also the hope that all of the individual players who are âjust not performing to their career norms,â as Craig Breslow put it, would either get on track due to the coaching change, or naturally emerge from their respective slumps if given enough time. While Duran and Mayer may be showing more signs of life recently, this hasnât happened across the board.
Allowing ourselves to believe that shaking things up with the coaching staff might right the ship was a dream that might have been semi-believable in April. I wasnât sure that was what needed to happen, but I was willing to let the theory play out. I wouldâve been thrilled if it had worked.
But itâs not April anymore; itâs the cusp of June. Shit has gotten real over the past month. No matter the state of the AL East and the possibility that the Sox still have a ridiculously reasonable chance at making the third Wild Card spot, everyone agrees that the team is just terrible. I see it in comments, message boards, casual conversations. On air, in print, online, among friends. The team is painful to watch and this whole thing [gestures wildly] is painful to watch.
I have no trouble critiquing a play, a bad performance, an approachâŠbut I sure donât like to criticize the entire enterprise. It goes too far against the grain to feel like everything is wrong. I want to feel like thereâs a possibility for redemption or joy somewhere in this season, but I canât find it right now. I canât believe Iâm saying this, but I stay away from the televised games whenever I can. Iâm not sure I can be bothered to travel the seven miles downtown to see them when they come to Seattle in June. My entire life, this has been unthinkable. Iâve gone to outlandish, crazy lengths to see the Red Sox whenever, wherever, and however I can.
Iâm usually a pretty positive person and many people who know me might say that I live for the Red Sox. It takes a lot to turn a diehard fan into a stone. Blame FatseâŠblame CoraâŠno, blame Breslow. Sell the team. I havenât advocated for any of those things. And yetâŠ
In grad school, it was common to talk about âfilling up the vessel.â Forgive this fine arts-speak, which is a shorthand way to talk about replenishing creative energy. The vessel is you. The vessel gets emptied as you naturally go about your day, expending energy. Doing something restorative, or even betterâinspiringâfills up the vessel. This could be as simple as avoiding burnout by going home to get some rest. I think it was Picasso who said he invited people to his studio every morning (filling up the vessel), so that he had something to paint every afternoon.
Our damn Red Sox vessel is dry and weâre parched and weâre in a drought, okay? And we still have 105 games left on this slog through treacherous terrain (see: Guardians, Orioles, Yankees, Rays next on the schedule). Thereâs nothing new being poured into our collective vessel.
If it werenât for Payton Tolleâs big heart and Connelly Earlyâs grin as he leans on the dugout rail and talks with the other pitchers, Iâd have nothing at all in the tank for this team.
Yes, of course, if Roman Anthony returns rested and healthy, and once again takes up the mantle of superstar-in-the-making, that would add something to the vessel. If Garrett Crochet gets back to being a lights-out pig, thatâs more for the vessel.
Itâs summer now. Theyâre still my team butâŠthe Red Sox have to give us something. Fans have become pretty depleted over the last month.
Good morning! The Mariners are looking for a series sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks after another dominant win last night. Bryan Wooâs seven innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts were complimented by four home runs to secure a 5-1 win. As Connor mentioned in his recap last night, the Mariners are finally back at .500 (for the first time since March 30th) and won consecutive series for just the second time all season.
Bryce Miller gets the start today against RHP Merrill Kelly at 1:10 PM in trial #3 of the piggyback plan.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 30: Ryne Nelson #19 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 30, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team News
D-backs seeking return to winning ways after entering mini-skid âI said it last night, we knew coming up here it was gonna be a dogfight and we got only one thing to do, and thatâs go out and play our best baseball game tomorrow and try and salvage one game here,â Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. âWeâve been playing good baseball. I have every reason to believe that will continue tomorrow.â
Bryan Wooâs Dominant Start Raises Concerns Over Diamondbacks Offense
Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno combined to go 0-for-15 with one walk (by Perdomo in the ninth inning) and five strikeouts. Arizona did not record an extra-base hit on the night, with Ryan Waldschmidt providing the other base hit of the night â off the Seattle bullpen. https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/bryan-woo-dominant-start-concerns-diamondbacks-offense
Oreo has made enough cookies to go to the moon and back 5 times.
Since Oreo was introduced to the market in 1912, over 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold worldwide.
According to Greek traditions, tossing childrenâs loose teeth to a roof brings good luck.
The Greeks have always been known for their own way of doing things. In some cultures, children keep their loose teeth under pillows to swap for cash from the tooth fairy. However, the Greeks had their children throwing loose teeth onto roofs. Yeet!
The Hawaiian alphabet contains only 13 letters.
The Hawaiian alphabet contains a total of five vowels that are both long and short. It also contains a total of eight consonants. Hawaiiâs alphabet represents all the basic sounds and phonemes in their language.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 30: Zach Neto #9 of the Los Angeles Angels scores on a wild pitch before Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays can make the tag in the seventh inning of a game at Tropicana Field on May 30, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees offense couldnât keep the momentum rolling for a fourth straight night. Following efforts of 15, seven, and eight runs, their valiant comeback attempt in the ninth fell just short in the second game against the Aâs. They still have a chance to win the three-game series today with Will Warren on the mound. Fortunately for them, the Rays also stumbled, so there is no change atop the standings, though there was plenty of other excitement involving the Yankeesâ AL rivals.
Los Angeles Angels (23-36) 14, Tampa Bay Rays (35-20) 3
A day after surrendering seven runs in the seventh to squander a late lead, the Angels rebounded at the Trop to drop two touchdowns against the Rays. He may be the personal kryptonite of the Yankees, but Drew Rasmussen stumbled over his worst start of the season to give up five runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. Angels starter Reid Detmers was marginally better with his five innings of three-run ball, but this game was all about the lead his bats generated for him and never stopped building.
Detmers didnât have to wait l0ng for that lead, the Angels ambushing Rasmussen for four runs in the top of the first. Mike Trout singled and Vaughn Grissom and Jorge Soler drew a pair of walks to load the bases with one out for Wade Meckler, who demolished an absolute no-doubter to right for a grand slam to give his starter a four run lead before even taking the mound.
Yandy DĂaz clawed one back with a home run to lead off the bottom-half, but the Rays would always be in chase mode. Los Angeles extended their lead scoring one in the fourth on a Meckler leadoff single and Donovan Walton RBI double and another an inning later on a booming solo shot from Trout. The Rays responded with a pair in the bottom of the fifth on a Junior Caminero RBI double and Ryan Vilade RBI groundout, and then threatened by loading the bases in the sixth on three straight two-out walks, but their failure to plate any of the three opened the door for Los Angeles to kill the game off in the ninth after a wild pitch in the seventh allowed their seventh run to score â an output they would double in the ninth inning.
SebastiĂĄn Rivero led off that ninth with a walk, Nick Madrigal was hit by a pitch, Trout walked, and Grissom was hit by a pitch to plate the eighth run. Jose Siri drove in the ninth with an RBI groundout, and Adell drove in the remaining pair on the bases with a mammoth 431-foot three-run bomb to center. Oswald Peraza then went back-to-back for lucky run number 13, and a Walton single and Rivero RBI double put a bow on the scoring.
Baltimore Orioles (27-32) 6, Toronto Blue Jays (29-30) 5
In a reversal of fortune from Fridayâs events at Camden Yards, the Blue Jays were in the driverâs seat for most of this game, and they were the ones who had a 5-1 lead late. They handed it off to closer Jeff Hoffman in the bottom of the ninth, only to see him give it all up as the Orioles scored five to walk it off. It wasted something of a strange outing from Trey Yesavage, who managed to hold Baltimore to a run in five innings despite walking seven batters. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4-for-5, Kazuma Okamoto hit a two-run double and JesĂșs SĂĄnchez an RBI double, and Ernie Clement drove in a run with one of his two singles.
However, weâve seen the way a ninth inning led can evaporate when Hoffman is closing. He plunked Coby Mayo with one out and Leody Taveras drove him home with a triple. Jackson Holliday plated Taveras with a single before advancing to third on a Colton Cowser double. Hoffman and Connor Seabold then combined to walk three straight batters to plate two more runs and bring Pete Alonso to the plate with the score tied, 5-5. Alonso fought off a 2-1 fastball on his hands to the opposite field for the walk-off single.
Bryan Woo authored another gem, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless for seven innings allowing just two hits and no walks to go along with nine strikeouts. Ryne Nelson wasnât so lucky, coughing up five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Four of those runs came via the solo home run, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone leaving the yard in the second and Colt Emerson and Julio RodrĂguez going deep in the third. Seattleâs fifth and final run came in the sixth, Randy Arozarena leading off with a groundball that resulted in a Jose Fernandez throwing error and Arozarena standing on second, a Raley single to move him to third, and a Cole Young sac fly to bring him home. With the win, the Mariners push their record above .500 for the first time since March 30th.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Alex Lodise #74 of the Atlanta Braves warms up during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Saturday was a rough day down on the Atlanta Braves farm system, as the teams in the organization combined to drop all six games played. Making things tougher were a JR Ritchie start that lasted just a third of an inning, plus another less than impressive start from Lucas Braun. There were some positives though, as Manuel Campos filled up the boxscore, Jordan Groshans had a monster game, Luke Sinnard had a positive second start in High-A, and Gensi Angeles had another scoreless start.
Nashville Sounds 8, Gwinnett Stripers 3
Maverick Handley, C: 2-3
Ben Gamel, CF/RF: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, .186/.310/.347
JR Ritchie, SP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2.70 ERA
JR Ritchie didnât have his command in this game and turned in one of the shortest starts of his career, lasting just a third of an inning. Ritchie walked four and allowed a hit, and all five of those guys came in to score â though he did record a strikeout for his lone out. Javy Guerra provided some length out of the bullpen, allowing a run over three innings of work before Daysbel Hernandez and Hayden Harris each went an inning and a third â Harris with a scoreless outing and Hernandez allowing two runs. James Karinchak went two scoreless frames with four strikeouts to finish off this game.
The bottom of the order was the only source of offense for the Stripers in this one, as Maverick Handley, Ben Gamel, and Jose Azocar each had two hit days, with Gamel recording a double. Outside of that trio, who hit 6/7/8 in the lineup, singles by Rowdy Tellez and Brewer Hicklen were the only others to reach base safely.
Biloxi Shuckers 9, Columbus Clingstones 4
Jordan Groshans, 3B: 3-3, HR, BB, R, 3 RBI, .258/.337/.529
David McCabe, 1B: 1-3, 2B, BB, R, .254/.362/.522
Lucas Braun, SP: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 7.04 ERA
Lucas Braun made the start in the first game and allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over five and a third innings. Braun, who has struggled a bit more in his starts with Columbus this year, struck out four and had seven whiffs. Luis Vargas followed Braun and allowed five runs in just two thirds of an inning, before a scoreless inning from Blane Abeyta.
Jordan Groshans went off in the first game, going a perfect three for three with a homer, walk, and three runs batted in. That gives him 10 homers and 27 RBI to go with his .865 OPS for the Clingstones. David McCabe also reached base multiple times, doubling in three at bats, plus a walk and a run scored. Tristin English also added a two-hit game that included a double, while Luke Waddell singled and walked in the loss.
Biloxi Shuckers 5, Columbus Clingstones 0
Logan Braunschweig, LF: 1-2
Luke Waddell, SS: 0-2, BB, .242/.363/.377
Ian Mejia, SP: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 8.82 ERA
The second game saw Ian Mejia make the start and allow five runs (four earned) over five innings of work, allowing six hits and two walks with three strikeouts before giving way to Samuel Strickland. Strickland came out of the pen and pitched the final two innings of scoreless baseball and picked up one strikeout.
The second game saw Columbus get dominated by Biloxi starter Jaron DeBerry, who allowed just one hit and two walks in his seven inning shutout. The recently promoted Logan Braunschweig had the lone hit, a fifth inning single. Luke Waddell and Archer Brookman drew the pair of Clingstones walks, as Waddell reached base for the third time on the day between the two games.
Luke Sinnard made his second start with Rome on Saturday, allowing a pair of runs on three hits and a walk over five innings. Sinnard struck out five with eight whiffs on 78 pitches as he continues to build back up after his late start to the season. Jacob Shafer followed and allowed two runs in his inning, while Justin Long and Riley Frey each allowed a run over an inning of work.
The Emperors managed just two runs on three hits. Cody Miller homered and stole a base, while Dixon Williams added a double. Beyond that the only Emperors to reach base were a walk by Colby Jones and a single from Colin Burgess. Isaiah Drake and John Gil were both hitless, though Gil did steal a base.
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 2, Augusta GreenJackets 1
Zach Royse continued to dominate Low-A hitters on Saturday. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks, in addition to eight strikeouts and an impressive 22 whiffs. That takes him to 48 strikeouts over 48.1 innings to start the season, and probably gets him closer to a move up the ladder. Lewis Sifontes pitched a scoreless eighth inning to finish things off on the pitching side.
The Augusta offense faced a tough test in this pitchers duel, as outside of a two for four game from Alex Lodise and a two for three with a walk day from Dallas Macias, they had just three additional singles and two walks on a day off for Tate Southisene. Michael Martinez, Luis Guanipa, and Cooper McMurray had the remaining singles.
FCL Rays 12, FCL Braves 3
Manuel Campos, SS: 2-3, BB, R, 3 SB, .274/.411/.397
Gensi Angeles started off with four and a third scoreless innings, allowing just a pair of hits and a pair of walks as the Braves led 3-0. Angeles struck out three and picked up four whiffs in another strong performance. Daniel Brooks followed for the next two outs of the inning and came back for the sixth, but the sixth was a very bad inning as the Braves allowed 10 runs to score. Brooks got one more out, but allowed five runs (two earned) before giving way to Melvin Hidalgo, who walked the five batters he faced and allowed five unearned runs. Edward Cedano pitched one and two thirds scoreless innings before Juan Olmos allowed two additional runs in his inning of work.
On the hitting side Manuel Campos had a game of ups and downs. He went two for three with a walk, stole three bags, and scored a run â but he also made three errors in the field. Rehabbing Owen Carey walked in four plate appearances and stole a base, while Caden Merritt walked, scored a run, and batted one in. Both Campos and Carey had exit velocities above 97 MPH. Diego Tornes was hitless in four at bats.
Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) prepares to bat as Houston Astros pitcher Tayler Scott (54) prepares to deliver the pitch in the third inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
I was in Cincinnati and Great American Ballpark. I have to say, regardless of the outcome, that I really liked it. Yes, itâs small. Not just the outfield dimensions, though. Itâs cute, as the wife remarked. I feel that the rows are closer together in the lower bowl. I didnât realize how pitched the right outfield seats and the left field upper deck were. The left field seats donât quite bring you into the left fielderâs lap like the Crawford boxes in Houston do. But it draws you in closer. The entrance pulls you into queues separated by statues of Reds gone by. Built in 2003, it just missed the trend of opening up the seating so that you can see the action from the concourse. But overall, really nice.
The staff at the park were very friendly. No one questioned me as I entered the lower bowl. Iâve never had that experience in Atlanta. The ushers in the last three Braves ballparks made it a point to check your ticket and make sure everyone is seated exactly where they should be. The concessions that we visited were grab and go cafeteria style ones. Their postgame fireworks went for 20 plus minutes, and without a lot of fluff either. I donât what they would do for the Fourth, maybe declare war on Kentucky?
So where do you rate Great American Ballpark? Itâs not home, but I liked it. Are there away parks that you like more?
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres reacts to a home run during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The months long wait is over. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a 451-foot solo home run in the top of the fifth inning that gave the San Diego Padres a 3-1 lead over the Washington Nationals. Padres starter Michael King was cruising through the first six innings of the game, and it appeared the Friar Faithful were going to see their superstar end his homerless drought and their team get a second consecutive win. That changed when the Nationals scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and cruised to a 9-4 win at Nationals Park on Saturday.
The home run by Tatis followed solo home runs by Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado. Of course, all three home runs followed what proved to be the game-winning two-run home run by Jackson Merrill the night before. The Padres offense looked to be coming to life a bit with home runs from all four of their superstars, three of which have been mired in season long slumps.
King was performing like the ace he has shown himself to be. He allowed one run on a solo home run in bottom of the third inning and appeared to be in complete control. In the bottom of the seventh he allowed back-to-back singles before loading the bases with a walk. He then hit a batter and that made the score, 3-2. King was taken out of the game and was replaced by Bradgley Rodriguez who could not get out of the inning. before the Nationals had a 7-3 lead. It was a difficult inning to watch, even for San Diego manager Craig Stammen who was ejected arguing a force play at second base.
Machado hit an RBI-double in the top of the eighth inning to make the score, 7-4 but Wandy Peralta allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the 9-4 deficit proved to be too much for the Padres to overcome. San Diego will have a chance to win the series against Washington today 10:35 a.m.
Padres News:
Any time your team goes 3-6 on a homestand itâs going to be a long and difficult week. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball recaps the week that was and highlights some of the struggles that led the Padres to a losing week at Petco Park.
The Chicago White Sox are favorites this afternoon as they look to complete their fourth series sweep on the season against the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit is labouring, with just two wins in its last 12, as they dwell in the AL Central basement. Theyâve already been swept five times this season.
My Tigers vs White Sox predictions and MLB picks have this as Chicagoâs sixth sweep, with their hot bats lighting up Detroitâs Keider Montero.
Who will win Tigers vs White Sox today: White Sox -1.5 (+166)
Keider Montero's four-game losing streak isn't a coincidence. He's failed to reach the sixth inning in three straight starts, and the underlying issue is a growing reliance on fastballs and sinkers after losing trust in his slider, which he's throwing just 16% of the time.
That has made him far more predictable, and hitters are responding with a 90.7 mph average exit velocity.
That's a bad recipe against a Chicago White Sox lineup that ranks sixth in slugging and has already piled up 19 hits and four homers in this series.
I expect Chicago's power edge to show again and would play the run line up to -2.5.
COVERS INTEL:The White Sox are fourth in the majors in home runs, and thatâs due to a vast improvement in batted balls that are pulled in the air (19.2%). Pulled air balls are the most valuable type, and Chicago is currently eighth in the league in that category.
Tigers vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-120)
The White Sox have cashed eight the Over eight times in their last 10 games, as their pitching staff has been bailed out by a good hitting lineup.
Sean Burke's last four starts have all ended in losses, and all four games produced at least eight total runs.
Detroit's offense hasn't been reliable, but the Tigers don't need to do all the heavy lifting, as its pitching staff has allowed 5+ runs in five of the last eight games, repeatedly forcing totals upward regardless of opponent.
I expect another game that threatens double-digit runs and would play the Over up to 9.5 runs.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 10-8, +2.40 units
Over/Under bets: 13-4, +8.96 units
Tigers vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Tigers +117 | White Sox -122
Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-178) | White Sox -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-113) | Under 7.5 (+108)
Tigers vs White Sox trend
Coming off a win, the White Sox have won nine straight day games against AL opponents. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. White Sox.
How to watch Tigers vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Sunday, May 31, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
DSN, CHSN
Tigers starting pitcher
Keider Montero (2-3, 4.09 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Sean Burke (2-3, 3.90 ERA)
Tigers vs White Sox latest injuries
Tigers vs White Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
We all know this sort of talent is within Ben Brown and Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Saturday night in St. Louis, both of these players showed it off.
Brown threw seven outstanding innings, his longest outing of the year, and PCA went 4-for-5, including a memorable home run, as the Cubs evened up the series with a 6-1 win over the Cardinals.
Brown retired the first nine Cardinals he faced, three by strikeout, on only 27 pitches, really efficient work. But the Cubs couldnât do anything with Kyle Leahy over those three innings.
It appeared the Cubs had a run in the second when Alex Bregman left the yard in the second. But the call of âhome runâ was reviewed and the ball was ruled foul [VIDEO].
In the third, the Cubs had two baserunners, one of them on PCAâs first hit, a single to center. They also had RISP in the fourth, loading the bases with two out, but Dansby Swanson struck out to end the inning.
The Cardinals got on the board against Brown in the fourth. JJ Wetherholt singled, advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Cubs wasted no time tying the game up in the fifth. PCAâs second hit, a double, led off the inning. He took third on a ground out by Nico Hoerner and scored on this single by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
The Cubs took the lead in the sixth. With one out, Miguel Amaya reached on a throwing error, Swanson walked and PCA was hit by a pitch. That loaded the bases for Nico [VIDEO].
Brown continued his fine outing through seven innings. He allowed just the one run on three hits, all singles, walked one and struck out six. He threw 82 pitches. Hereâs more on Brownâs evening [VIDEO].
You can see a much better pitch mix for Brown than in previous years. The addition of a sinker and changeup have made him the starting pitcher many hoped he could be. I suspect that when Edward Cabrera returns, Jordan Wicks goes back to Iowa â but when Matthew Boyd comes back, Brown will stay in the rotation and Colin Rea will return to long relief. Great work, Ben. More on Brownâs evening from BCBâs JohnW53:
Brown is the third different Cubs starter this season to pitch at least 7.0 innings and give up three hits. Shota Imanaga did it on April 21 at home vs. the Phillies and Jameson Taillon did it on April 29 at San Diego.
Imanaga gave up one run, as Brown did. Taillon gave up three. Imanaga gave up a homer; Taillon, two; Brown, none. All three walked at least one. Brown and Taillon walked six; Imanaga, one.
The Cubs made it 4-1 on what I thought was a magical moment. You canât hear it on the video clip Iâm going to link to, but when PCA came to bat in the eighth, there were chants of âOverrated! Overrated!â from Cardinals fans.
The look on PCAâs face is one of pure joy, something we havenât seen much of from him recently. Hereâs hoping his big day will result in a long hot streak for him.
Daniel Palencia, who had been warming up for a potential save, threw the bottom of the ninth even though the game was no longer in that situation. That was okay, as Palencia had not thrown since last Tuesday and thereâs an off day Monday. He allowed a leadoff single to Ivan Herrera, then got an out on a force play.
The Cubs made 11 hits Friday night, then 12 more Saturday.
This is the first time they have produced double-digit hits in back-to-back games since April 23-24, 33 games ago, when they made 18 at home vs. the Phillies, then 11 at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers in the last of their 10 straight wins. Those were the third and fourth in a row. They had had only four double-digit games since then until Friday.
This was their 19th game with at least 10 hits among all 59 played. âŠ.. This was Pete Crow-Armstrongâs fourth game with four hits, matching his career high.
He had four singles on Aug. 28, 2024, at Pittsburgh; three singles and a homer on May 16, 2025, at home vs. the White Sox; and two singles and two homers on July 4, 2025, at home vs. the Cardinals.
This is the sort of game I think PCA has in him every time he takes the field. This is the way he played during the first half of 2025. Iâm hoping this game gets him back to that level.
As for Brown, I think heâs got this in him too, every time. His confidence level appears sky-high, heâs executing all his pitches well and as I mentioned earlier, the additional pitches are what gives him the repertoire to be a good starting pitcher in this league. If he can keep it up at this level, the Cubs have a real asset. In addition to everything else, Brown has allowed only one home run this year in 51.2 innings â and that was to the very first batter he faced this year on Opening Day. His homerless streak is the longest active streak in MLB. He doesnât have enough innings yet to be a qualified starter, but if he did, his 1.92 ERA would rank third in the NL behind Cristopher SĂĄnchez and Jacob Misiorowski, pretty good company. Great work, Ben.
The Cubs will go for the series win Sunday evening in St. Louis. Hopefully Jordan Wicks will throw better than he did in his first 2026 start last Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Matthew Liberatore will start for the Cardinals, so itâs an all-lefty matchup. Game time is 6:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage is on NBC (full national broadcast, no blackouts). Itâs the first appearance for the Cubs on NBCâs new Sunday night coverage, and announcers will be Jason Benetti, Jim Deshaies and Albert Pujols. The game will also be streamed on Peacock.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Itâs been well documented already that the team does not have a large cadre of capable right handed hitting right now. Adolis Garcia is mired in the worst stretch by a Phillies outfielder it seems since 2001 Pat Burrell, J.T. Realmuto is truly starting to show his age and Alec Bohm continues digging himself out of his deep early season hole.
The biggest issue is that there isnât much help coming from anywhere in the organization that would make a huge impact on the roster as it stands. Free agents are around the market of course, but theyâre free agents for a reason right now. The only recourse would be to trade for someone, but it would be an overpay at this point in the season. So, do you see anything available to help with the right handed woes right now? Are they just kind of stuck with what theyâve got at the moment.
May 4, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) lays down a bunt against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Over the past week, the St. Louis Cardinals have been a shell of the team we had seen for the first 50 games. After surpassing all expectations and changing fan tune from necessary rebuild to playoff hopefuls, the stretch of NL Central games has exploited some holes on the St. Louis roster. While we knew there were spots on the roster in need of an upgrade, the great start to the year may have unfairly put some players under the microscope when their performances may have been ignored if the team were 10 games under .500.
What this season has given us so far has been some clarity at certain positions. Possibly with different levels of certainty, we can say that the Cardinals have major league capable hitters at first base, second base, right field, and depending on the day, catcher. Alec Burleson has put together another consistently solid campaign while JJ Wetherholt has surged to the top of the NL Rookie of the Year favorites despite going through a mini slump or two. Coming into the year, most fans would be surprised to see right field be locked down by MVP candidate Jordan Walker who, with each passing day is making us believe what we are seeing is real. And then catcher. The commonly debated position without a clear answer should have at least one future long-time big leaguer somewhere in the organization.
The Cardinals have obvious needs but a not-so-obvious timeline
I keep saying it, but the point of the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals season was to get some answers at key positions. After a couple years of promising runway and opportunity, those missions never came to fruition and the Cardinals were stuck in neutral rather than choosing a direction. Now that Chaim Bloom is in charge, the direction has been agreed upon, but the team has shown that they may be better than we anticipated. Whenever we hear rebuild, we assume that means 100 losses, as many among Cardinal social media predicted, but the Yungry Redbirds missed that memo. As the series against the Cubs concludes today (apologies, writing this Friday since I will be at Blogger Day Saturday and traveling home all day Sunday), the Cardinals are still in the postseason picture but the overall goal remains to figure out needs for the future.
In order to see the true holes in the Cardinals roster, I set FanGraphs leaderboards to the 2024 season through the season to this point in order to determine how long each position has been performing below league average. I sorted through fWAR but also used wRC+ as my measures because I personally do not care how good you are at catching the ball if you cannot provide any use with the bat. Since 2024, the Cardinals have been 15th or worse in each measure at third base (15th in both), right field (15th wRC+, 18th fWAR), center field (30th wRC+, 29th fWAR), and left field (21st in both). On the mound, the starters are 24th in fWAR and 25th in xERA while the bullpen sits 12th and 19th, respectively.
I assume like you, I was surprised at the catching set up not being listed above, but digging further, the four-man split from the past two seasons has Ivan Herrera accumulating a 6.0 fWAR to Pedro Pagesâ 2.8 number, with Herreraâs offense doing the heavy lifting for the position to sit in fifth and sixth place in wRC+ and fWAR. Based on the numbers, the Cardinals have five position groups in the bottom half of the league, but for now, I will take away right field because Jordan Walkerâs previous two seasons tanked that ranking. This year, right field ranks top three in both measures so we will cross that off for today.
Moving to the hot corner, Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman have combined to be basically league-average third basemen. With Arenado out in the desert, count me as one of the excited fans who was going to see Gorman get a true daily role, despite having 1500 inconsistent plate appearances coming into the year. Of the guys on the roster, Gorman may have the most to lose this year and has yet to take full control of his opportunity. The signing of Ramon Urias provided some insurance, but his injury has kept Gorm in the lineup most everyday, be it at third or as the DH. On the positive side, the sluggerâs defense has improved massively, but the bat has been pretty much what we have seen for the past few seasons. While he has trimmed the strikeouts, the power has been lost along with the new approach and I would personally rather see a 30% K-rate if that meant 30 or more homers. For now, he has an 83 wRC+ and is on pace for around 15 homers. As much as it pains me personally, this offseason could be the time to find a long-term replacement for Gorman.
They may not need to wait until the winter to make a small move, however, One of my personal favorites Blaze Jordan has been teeing off in the minors while playing a decent third base and could get a call later in the year to replace Urias. Jordan may not be the long-term solution at third, but his bat bounced back after last yearâs trade to St. Louis and he could provide the spark in the bottom-third of the St. Louis lineup. Outside of Blaze, third base is thin in the organization unless they decide to try JJ Wetherholt there next year. I would be against that seeing he is performing like a Gold Glover or better at the keystone.
While I am fine with giving Gorman another 100 games to truly come to a conclusion, center field is where I am more than ready for a change. As I mentioned earlier, catching the ball is great but it is impossible to win a game 0-0. I apologize to Victor Scott II again as I believe I end up calling him out every week, but I am officially marking the offseason swing changes down as hearsay. While he has hit a âscaldingâ .214 in May to raise his average to .194, there has been little inspiring about his offense. Out of his 156 plate appearances (through May 28), 16 of them have ended in a bunt attempt. Two of them have gone for hits and NINE have gone for sacrifices. To no surprise, that number leads all of baseball and VSII has bunted as much as 20 teams have all year. Beyond the poor plate appearances, he has struggled stealing bases and his defense has been just fine.
We saw Nathan Church cut into the playing time after his stellar play, but his injury put an end to that setup and I was hoping that Scott would use this next week to swing as hard as he can every at-bat to try and win back the job. Shoulder injuries are tough and I am sure Church is itching to come back, but returning too quickly could do more damage than if he were to wait. He also has never been viewed as a long-term option in outfield outside of a bench guy, so even if he does supplant VSII for the season, it may not mean much for the future. So in a preview to next weekâs article (assuming no crazy changes), I would like to see Joshua Baez patrolling center at the major league level in the second half of the season.
In left field, I am waiting to plug the hole for the time being because I do believe that Lars Nootbaar coming back will be a slight boost to the team. While Church, along with Bryan Torres, did some to increase the left field performance this year, the team still sits in the lower half of the league in terms of production. Noot coming back as a league-average or slightly better player could help extend this lineup, bump guys like Masyn Winn and Gorman down a notch in the order, and potentially spark the offense. I do not think Noot will be here beyond the offseason, assuming return to health, so Baez is also an option to fill in here full-time in 2027 if there is a season.
The outfield prospect pool is a little light in the upper minors as well, so with the question marks surrounding next year, I would wait to enhance that position group until the Trade Deadline or in the draft if the Cardinals shift their focus from pitching.
The way the Cardinals have performed this season is what makes these conversations a little different than most teams in the first year of a rebuild. Normally, most fans would tell ownership to stay the course, maybe promote a top prospect or two, and deal away anyone over the age of 27. However, with the Cardinals hanging around the postseason picture, staying the course could mean a completely different thing in St. Louis before the season ends.
What do you think the Cardinals should do with their position players? Is it Baez time or just let Nootbaar and VSII have the rest of the year? Do you believe they should target offense on the trade market and in the draft? Sound off!
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 15, 2026: Danny Watson #68 of the New York Yankees pitches during the ninth inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 1]5, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. The Tigers beat the Yankees, 12-1. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Growing up outside Albany, New York, Danny Watson was a New York Yankees fan. He told the Albany Times-Union in an interview that his entire room âwas decked out in Yankee gear.â
So you can imagine what it was like when the Yankees fulfilled his childhood dream and selected him in the 15th round (453rd overall) in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Virginia Commonwealth University.
âIt definitely was a surreal moment I had with my family,â Watson said. âYou work so hard and then following the Yankees my entire life. My family have always been Yankees fans. It was really cool to see my name up on the board. Definitely a surreal moment that Iâll cherish.â
It is often said to never meet your heroes, youâll only be disappointed. But Watson said that wasnât the case. âMariano Rivera was in the clubhouse, so I got to talk to him a little bit and then he was at the dinner the next night,â Watson said. âSo it was really cool to spend some time talking with him. It definitely was an oh-my-gosh moment.â
Working his way through the Yankees system, Watson spent the past two seasons at Double-A Somerset. This season, he is with the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and one step away from pitching in the major leagues for his favorite team as a child. In 16 games with the RailRiders, Watson is 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. In his last six relief outings, he has given up just three unearned runs.
âI feel like itâs been pretty solid,â Watson said. âI feel like Iâm throwing the ball well, throwing my pitches where I want to. My bodyâs feeling good, velo is trending up. So I feel like Iâm in a really good spot to keep things rolling.â
Most of Watsonâs appearances have been out of the bullpen. He did make one spot start May 3rd against the Buffalo Bisons. He also has one hold and recorded a save March 29th at Buffalo.
âThey do a good job here of giving everybody all different kinds of roles,â Watson said. âOne game you can be the closer, the next game you can be the long relief guy in the fourth, fifth inning. Our pitching coaches do a really good job of giving us the experience of every little bit of that we could experience in the big leagues. So if we do get that call to the big leagues, weâre better prepared. So we donât have set roles, but Iâm able to get experience doing a little bit of everything so Iâm more diversified when I finally get the call up to the big leagues.â
Watson has a unique delivery. When he comes to the set position, heâs all crooked with his back facing the hitter. Also, he throws sidearm. âThereâs no other pitchers who throw like I do,â he said. âI feel like that helps with deception.â
July 2022 was when Watson dropped his arm slot. Then during spring training in 2023 he changed how he set up and started with his back to the hitter.
âIn 2022, it was a hard adjustment. I would have liked to been able to adjust to it faster,â he said. âBut I was able to work through it in the offseason. I feel like thatâs why I had so much success in 2023 because I was finally able to put all the new stuff to work in the offseason and make it feel comfortable.â
At High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2023, Watson was a combined 7-1 with a 1.58 ERA, seven holds and five saves in 45 relief appearances. He struck out 82 in 62.2 innings. According to MiLB.com, he posted the best ERA among minor leaguers with at least 60 innings pitched and ranked third in opponentsâ batting average (.138) and WHIP (0.88).
Toward the end of last season, Watson added a curveball to his arsenal. He continues to work on it and feels it has contributed to his success this season. He also focuses on his getting his fastball vertical break higher and throwing strikes.
âHow I throw is completely unique so I can exploit that a little more with getting higher vert on the fastball,â Watson said. âIt makes everything else look a little bit better.â
One of the strengths of this yearâs RailRiders team is its bullpen. Watson said it has been fun to be part of the dynamic.
âEverybodyâs throwing super well, so it only makes me better and pushes me to be better,â Watson said. âEveryone has good character, is a good teammate. Itâs really cool to be around these guys. If I hit my pitch count and have a runner on, you trust that (next) guy fully to get out of that situation. Itâs been a really cool experience to be a part of this group of guys and Iâm super excited to see where it takes us all.â
If and when that call to the major leagues comes, Watson feels he is ready. He likes being in pressure situations and thinks he can thrive in that environment.
Being a Yankees fan growing up, he imagined what it would be like to one day pitch for them.
âIt will be a really cool experience to be there, soak it all in,â Watson said. âBut when the game starts and Iâm on the mound, it will feel like the same game Iâve played for my entire life.â
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches against the New York Yankees in the top of the second inning at Sutter Health Park on May 30, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
COVERS INTEL:
