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Not every favorite deserves to be favored.

Several of Saturday's MLB matchups feature teams trading at inflated prices based on reputation, while others offer value thanks to favorable pitching matchups, stronger recent form, or bullpen advantages.

Here are my favorite MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.

MLB moneyline picks for June 20

Matchup	Pick
White Sox vs Tigers	+113
Reds vs Yankees	+170
Blue Jays vs Cubs	-100
Padres vs Rangers	-133
Brewers vs Braves	+104
Giants vs Marlins	+144
Nationals vs Rays	+144
Mets vs Phillies	+150
Guardians vs Astros	+113
Pirates vs Rockies	+170
Angels vs A's	-138
Orioles vs Dodgers	+245
Twins vs Diamondbacks	+127
Red Sox vs Mariners	+117

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 6-20.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for June 20

White Sox vs Tigers: White Sox (+113)

White Sox win probability: 46.9%

Detroit is starting Troy Melton against an undecided Chicago arm. With a highly volatile pitching landscape on both sides, the value lies entirely with the White Sox bullpen, which holds a firm edge (4.03 SIERA) over Detroit's relievers (3.50 SIERA).

Reds vs Yankees: Reds (+170)

Reds win probability: 37%

Andrew Abbott faces Will Warren in the Bronx. While New York's lineup commands respect, laying a heavy -178 premium on Warren is a massive value trap. The math requires backing Cincinnati at a steep +170 price against an unproven starter.

Blue Jays vs Cubs: Blue Jays (-100)

Blue Jays win probability: 50%

Patrick Corbin's recent 4.10 xFIP aligns nicely with a pick'em price. The core advantage lies in the late innings, where Toronto’s bullpen (3.44 xFIP-, 3.46 SIERA) heavily outclasses a highly unstable Cubs relief unit that is currently sporting a 4.23 SIERA.

Padres vs Rangers:  Rangers (-133)

Rangers win probability: 57%

Walker Buehler goes up against Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi provides a stable floor for Texas (4.57 SIERA), whereas Buehler faces a potent Rangers offense. Texas's price of -133 is highly reasonable for a strong home team in this spot.

Brewers vs Braves: Brewers (+104)

Brewers win probability: 49%

Kyle Harrison squares off against Chris Sale. While Sale is an elite force for Atlanta, the Braves are priced too tightly against a dominant Milwaukee bullpen that leads the slate with a 3.23 SIERA and a blistering 12.48 K/9.

Giants vs Marlins: Giants (+144)

Giants win probability: 41%

Trevor McDonald faces Max Meyer. Miami is a steep -150 favorite here, which is an immediate fade against any competent team. San Francisco’s superior bullpen efficiency (3.41 SIERA) makes the road underdog a mandatory play at +144.

Nationals vs Rays: Nationals (+144)

Nationals win probability: 41%

Miles Mikolas takes the mound against an undecided Tampa Bay starter. Since the Rays are forced into an uncertain pitching situation and carry a mediocre 3.79 bullpen SIERA, grabbing a substantial +144 head start with Washington is the smart choice.

Mets vs Phillies: Mets (+150)

Mets win probability: 40%

Freddy Peralta faces Cristopher Sanchez. This is a strict price play against an inflated line. The Phillies are taxed too heavily at -156, leaving clear value on Peralta and the Mets at a +150 return.

Guardians vs Astros: Guardians (+113)

Guardians win probability: 47%

Joey Cantillo matches up against Spencer Arrighetti. While Arrighetti gives Houston a stable floor, their bullpen remains a risk of regression. Cleveland at +113 offers better value than laying juice on a volatile home team.

Pirates vs Rockies: Rockies (+170)

Rockies win probability: 37%

Laying -178 on the road is too much juice. Paul Skenes is elite (2.42 SIERA), but Pittsburgh's bullpen has been highly unstable with a 4.35 SIERA. Coors Field variance, combined with a weak Pirates relief unit, makes the underdog price on the Rockies a solid value. 

Angels vs A's: Athletics (-138)

Athletics win probability: 58%

The Athletics' bullpen is currently a top-tier weapon, boasting an elite 3.21 SIERA and a massive 11.20 K/9 over the last two weeks. They hold a massive late-game advantage over the Angels, making the -138 price tag very reasonable at home.

Orioles vs Dodgers: Orioles (+245)

Orioles win probability: 29%

Los Angeles is a fade at a massive -257 Dodgers' tax. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is sharp, but the Dodgers' bullpen has underperformed its 3.20 SIERA with a 6.00 ERA over the past two weeks. This astronomical line leaves no choice but to back Baltimore at massive plus money.

Twins vs Diamondbacks: Twins (+127)

Twins win probability: 44%

Taj Bradley faces Zac Gallen. Arizona's bullpen has been a weak link over the last two weeks, posting a 4.11 SIERA. Minnesota brings a dominant relief unit that excels at generating swing-and-miss (11.03 K/9), making them a great +127 target.

Red Sox vs Mariners: Red Sox (+117)

Red Sox win probability: 46%

Seattle's bullpen has completely collapsed over the last two weeks, posting a 4.66 SIERA and walking a brutal 5.91 batters per nine. Boston’s relief core is significantly tighter (3.72 SIERA), making the Red Sox the clear value choice at plus money.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to a close this weekend, so it’s time for us to pick our Player of the Week!

This week, I’m giving the honors to Luis Arraez!

And not just because he’s the only Giants player currently with any chance of being an All Star Game starter (though that helps and you really should get your votes in while you can!)

Arraez has had quite the week, particularly in the series against the Atlanta Braves. He combined for five hits and four RBI in Wednesday’s double-header, including a home run, his third of the season. That’s enough for him to be my pick for this week!

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue their weekend road series against the Miami Marlins this afternoon at 1:10 p.m. PT.

Good morning Birdland,

The west coast road trip is not going well for the Orioles. After dropping two of three in Seattle, they have now lost the opener in Los Angeles, and it happened in particularly brutal fashion. The game was actually pretty great up until the ninth inning. Our guys dug out of an early hole. Trey Gibson settled in. The middle relievers (Andrew Kittredge, Tyler Wells, and Yennier Cano) were very good. Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso contributed key home runs. And the team was able to hand Ryan Helsley a 5-3 lead going into the ninth inning.

Then, it all fell apart.

Helsley struggled again. He gave up a home run to Mookie Betts to cut the lead in half. Then he issued two walks with a pop out sandwiched in between. Despite his struggles, he was one out away from getting the Orioles a win anyway. But it wasn’t to be. Dalton Rushing singled into right field. The tying run scored easily. Tyler O’Neill’s throw home got away from Samuel Basallo, and the winning run crossed the plate.

Both Helsley and Basallo took some blame after the game. That feels fair enough overall. Helsley did not pitch well. Four of the six batters he faced reached base. And Basallo needs to catch the ball from O’Neill. It was not a horrible throw, though both he and Craig Albernaz claim it took a bad hop in front of the catcher. Even still, that getting past him was a killer.

Albernaz will likely get some blame from fans too. “Why go with Helsley there? He didn’t look great last series. He’s fresh off the IL. And the Orioles need wins! Cano could have stayed in.” Sure, but you signed this guy to be your closer. He had been really good prior to the injury, his velocity looks fine, and it was a save opportunity. You hand him the ball.

Unfortunately, he was bad. That has been a trend for this Orioles team. When the moment gets big and they need someone to come through, they often wither rather than rise. This west coast trip was going to test them and see if they had what it took to climb back into contention. Right now, it doesn’t seem like it.

Links

Trey Mancini’s MLB comeback was all about who was in the stands to see it | The Baltimore Banner
It really is impossible to not love Mancini. He always came off as the nicest guy during his time with the Orioles, and it was such a bummer to see him struggle with the Cubs. The fact he was willing and able to put in so much work and effort to get back up to the big leagues is the stuff movies are made about.

Two years since peak, Orioles approaching a pivotal crossroads | The Baltimore Sun
Yeeeah, we may have already passed the crossroads and found out we took a wrong turn. This season isn’t sunk yet, but there is very little evidence to suggest this roster is capable of a playoff run.

A deeper dive into the mailbag while the Orioles are on the West Coast | Roch Kubatko
A few Albernaz questions in this one. A struggling team and some bubbling clubhouse issues will start to make people uneasy about a skipper.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Félix Bautista turns 31 today. When not injured, the hard-throwing righty is one of the best closers in MLB. He’s got a 2.01 ERA over 156 appearances with the Orioles between 2022 and ‘25. Unfortunately, he is on the IL right now.
• Thomas Eshelman is 32 years old. He’s one of the many former Astros draft picks that Mike Elias has given a chance in Baltimore. From 2019 through 2021, he pitched in 31 games for the O’s. He is now a pitching coordinator within the organization.
• Kevin Gregg turns 48. His time in Baltimore lasted two seasons from 2011 and ‘12. In season one he was the team’s closer, and then in the follow up campaign he was more often a middle-inning arm. Perhaps the lasting image of Gregg in an Orioles uniform will be the brawl he got into with David Ortiz back in 2011 when the Hall of Fame slugger took exception to being pitched inside to.
• Paul Bako is 54 today. He was the Orioles backup catcher during the 2007 season.
• Juan Castro is also 54 years old. He was one of many players that spent time at shortstop for the Orioles in 2008 after the team traded away Miguel Tejada in the offseason and failed to replace him.
• Phil Huffman turns 68. He pitched in two games for the Orioles in 1985, which was his first time back in the majors after debuting with the Blue Jays six seasons earlier.
• Tony Chevez is 73 years old. His only MLB experience was a four-game stint with the Orioles in 1977.
• The late Andy Etchebarren was born on this day (b. 1943, d. 2019). He was a catcher with the Orioles for 12 seasons between 1962 and 1975. In that time he made two all-star games, won two World Series titles, and helped the 1971 pitching staff to become only one of two to ever have four 20-game winners on one team.

This day in O’s history

1964 – Baltimore slugger Boog Powell fractures his wrist in a collision with an outfield fence. The injury will put him on the shelf until September 5th.

Today’s Reflections

I’m sure that someone has come up with the phrase before me, but Cub Tracks is really enjoying PCA-Mania. It doesn’t flow off the tongue like Fernandomania, but I’m going to go with it.

With a day off mid-week, that gives baseball writers a lot of time to write a lot of articles — some are repetitive, and I have tried to give you the best out there. So many PCA articles. So many Dansby Swanson articles. And as you see below, articles on roster moves, injury updates, trade talk, whether to go with youth for a little bit, and even a couple on a hot prospect.

One trade idea that I will save you from reading is trading Seiya Suzuki for Aaron Nola (but if you want further laughs, here’s the link). I’m mentioning it because the idea came from a Chicago sports journalist (George Ofman), not one from Philadelphia. I’ve voiced my opinion a number of times about Jameson Taillon this year. I would rather have a rotation of five Taillons than to have Nola, who hasn’t shown any glimpse of improving from his horrible performance over the last two seasons. A big trade is supposed to improve your team (even for prospects). This trade for a pitcher with four years and $100 million left on his contract would wreck the team.

Silly season has certainly arrived, folks!

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Wednesday’s game, and PCA-Mania en masse:

• Field Level Media (Deadspin): Seven-run inning carries Cubs to series victory over Rockies. “The Cubs took two out of three in the series, the first home series win for Chicago since a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds the first week of May.”

• Jacob Zanolla (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong Goes Deep for the Fourth Time in His Last Five Games. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is on another planet right now.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Pete Crow-Armstrong is So Locked In That Even the Gods Are Helping Him. “”I thought it was foul,” you could see Pete Crow-Armstrong say in the dugout Wednesday night. But that was after circling the bases on a home run that counted, and rightfully so.”
• Casey McAleer (Da Windy City): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s latest comments show exactly why he’s become a Cubs leader. “The Cubs are finally showing signs of life, but PCA knows there is still plenty of work left to do.”

Opinions on how to fix Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): How the Chicago Cubs are trying to help Nico Hoerner get out of his offensive funk. “In many ways, as Nico Hoerner goes, so goes the Chicago Cubs’ offensive production.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs say they’re sticking with Dansby Swanson in everyday lineup, then homer gets ‘blue whale’ off his back. “After the Cubs signaled that the slumping shortstop would stay in his everyday role, Swanson hit a home run as part of the team’s seven-run second inning in a win over the Rockies.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Dansby Swanson briefly quiets doubters, but is his defense enough for Cubs? “Over his first three seasons with the Cubs, Swanson has largely been a league-average bat.”
• Jared Bloom (Sporting News): Opposing pitchers have figured out how to keep this Cubs slugger’s bat quiet. “At least his glove is still elite.”

Plenty of various Cubs talk:

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Pete Crow-Armstrong Excelling by Shifting Obligation to Opportunity. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, or so goes an old saying that has been attributed to a number of different sources, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear. It’s all a matter of perspective, really.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Ballesteros optioned to Triple-A; Cubs recall Justin Dean. “Ballesteros has run into the kind of struggles typical for a young player in the Majors, and playing time has become sporadic amid some recent roster developments.”
• Tommy Erbe (OnTapSportsNet): Roster Move: Get To Know Newest Chicago Cub, Justin Dean. “With Moises Ballesteros being optioned to Triple-A Iowa, the Chicago Cubs and fans will get their first look at Justin Dean.”
• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Can Matthew Boyd Save the Cubs’ Rotation? “With Matthew Boyd nearing a return, the Cubs could soon get a much-needed boost to a rotation that has been searching for stability.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs Get Positive Edward Cabrera News, But Can He Finally Step Up? “The Chicago Cubs should have Edward Cabrera back for his next start after he was forced to leave the game early on Wednesday.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Should Cubs Youngsters Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez Play Every Day for a While?. “With multiple key Cubs hitters struggling mightily, two young players whose path to playing time was murky a month ago now have a clear lane—and the team is starting to seem open to letting them have it.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Instead of youth movement, Cubs wait for Dansby Swanson and Alex Bregman to produce. “When Hoyer sat down in Wrigley Field’s home dugout this week for a media briefing, he seemed surprised by the amount of time spent on an underperforming offense, the possibility of benching Swanson and Bregman’s lack of impact.”

• Billy Heyen (Sporting News): Cubs linked to trade for $75 million, 8-1 starting pitcher from AL East. “One name that now continues to pop up as someone who will be available, below the rung of the Tarik Skubal level of deal, is Boston Red Sox righty Sonny Gray.”
• Conor Liguori (Sporting News): Cubs reveal ‘top priority’ for MLB trade deadline. “Chicago has a very clear need.”
• Garrett Kerman (Clutch Points): Cubs’ perfect trade offer for Angels’ Reid Detmers. “Discover the Cubs’ perfect trade package for Angels ace Reid Detmers and why Chicago must make this move before the deadline.”
• Anthony Vlahovic (LastWordOnSports.com): The Next Great Cubs Slugger Could Be Emerging in the Minor Leagues. “As the minor league season heads into late June, Josiah Hartshorn is giving Cubs faithful plenty of reason to believe he could be their next great homegrown middle of the lineup mainstay.”
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Should Cubs make plans for Hartshorn? Not so fast, Hoyer says. “Jed Hoyer says minor-league outfielder Josiah Hartshorn will not be rushed to the parent club despite a great start to the season.”

Food For Thought:

Larry “Mud” Morganfield (born September 27, 1954) is an American blues singer. He is the eldest son of Muddy Waters and the half-brother of Big Bill Morganfield. He was raised by his mother and seven uncles, with occasional visits from Muddy, and never really got to know his father. Despite growing up surrounded by music, Morganfield did not consider becoming a professional musician until after his father’s death in 1983. At that time, Morganfield was driving trucks for a living, but the strain was wearing on him. He suggested that a recurring dream of Muddy Waters performing on stage helped prompt him to begin performing the blues professionally.“

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Meet the Mets

The Mets were off last night due to World Cup action in Philadelphia, but Francisco Lindor and Tyrone Taylor both began their rehab assignments with the Rumble Ponies last night.

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo recently conducted a Reddit AMA in which he discussed the Mets’ potential deadline plans, amongst other topics.

Around the National League East

Not even Jacob Misiorowski can stop the 2026 Braves, as Atlanta defeated the Brewers and their Cy Young candidate 3-2.

The Marlins fought back from a late deficit to emerge victorious over the Giants 4-3.

Miles Mikolas came out of the bullpen and surrendered five runs in six innings to doom the Nationals to a 5-2 loss to the Rays.

Cade Cavalli was scheduled to start for Washington yesterday, but he got scratched due to food poisoning.

The Good Phight noted that the Phillies have dominated weak opponents while struggling against the top teams thus far in 2026.

Around Major League Baseball

Justin Verlander has been limited to just one outing in his return to the Tigers this year, and now the future Hall of Famer will miss more time due to a hamstring strain.

Bobby Witt Jr. was out of the lineup yesterday due to a grade 1 MCL sprain, but the Royals are hopeful that he will be back on the field shortly.

Shohei Ohtani was away from the Dodgers last night “on paternity,” though he was not officially placed on paternity leave.

Padres and Rangers fans tuning into the game between the two squads yesterday were treated to an unusual sight at the beginning: just two umpires on the field.

Neither Gods nor men can compel Jazz Chisholm to wear a cup.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Seth Ashby sung the praises of Luke Weaver and the rest of the Mets bullpen.

Joe Sokolowski compiled quotes from an exciting week in New York sports history—one in which the Mets won four games.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets got four homers—including one from Steve Trachsel (yes, the pitcher)—en route to a win that further cemented their dominant lead in the NL East on this date in 2006.

There was no game last night, which was weird. Having Brazil playing a World Cup game in Philadelphia will do that to a city, but hey, at least there won’t be any strange days off for a while.

Right?

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Andrew Painter struggled with his fastball in the major leagues. There is a plan to help him rediscover that weapon at Lehigh Valley ($).
• The left handers the Phillies have in their bullpen have been an issue ($). Jose Alvarado might be at the top of that list.

MLB news:

• The Braves and Pirates made a trade the other night, Joey Bart heading to Atlanta to help with catching depth.
• Jacob Misiorowski has gotten good as fast as he throws his fastball. His ascendance is truly something to behold.
• The trade deadline chatter is starting to pick up steam, so that means we need to figure out the top ten names that might be on the move and where they might fit best.

You just can’t come up with enough superlatives to describe Cam Schlittler. The flame throwing righty struck out a career-high 13 batters in the series opener against the Reds to widen his lead in the AL Cy Young race. His six scoreless innings and home runs by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice proved the catalysts in the Yankees’ 5-0 series opening win in the Bronx as they look to win all four series on this lengthy homestand.

The Rays, Blue Jays, Guardians, and Mariners all took the field on a beautiful Friday, so let’s see how those games shook out.

Tampa Bay Rays (42-30) 5, Washington Nationals (39-37) 2

After getting swept in three games at Chavez Ravine, the Rays received a reprieve returning home to host the Nationals’ second-worst pitching staff in the majors. The Griffin Jax starting pitching experiment has been largely successful and that continued tonight, the Rays’ converted reliever allowing two runs on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts in five innings. The Nationals meanwhile tried to take a page out of the Rays’ book by starting with an opener — something that has generally mitigated Miles Mikolas’ struggles as he pitches as the piggyback bulk reliever. It didn’t tonight, the former Cardinal allowing five hits on nine runs in six innings.

Washington actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead early courtesy of solo home runs from CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr., the former to lead off the second and the latter coming with two outs in the third, while their opener PJ Poulin allowed just a single in the first two innings. However, things turned south the moment Mikolas entered the game to start the third. He walked Hunter Feduccia and allowed a Yandy Díaz single, both with one out, to set up a three-run homer off the left foul pole from Jonathan Aranda.

The Rays then tacked on insurance runs in the fourth and the eighth. In the fourth, Taylor Walls singled Richie Palacios home after the latter reached on a one out double. Jonny DeLuca wrapped up the scoring by going yard to lead off the eighth as the Rays remained within three games of the Yankees for first.

Other Games

Chicago Cubs (40-36) 16, Toronto Blue Jays (37-39) 2

The Blue Jays had to feel good coming off a three-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway, but those smiles were promptly wiped off their faces with a drubbing in the series opener at Wrigley. The Cubs put up 16 runs on three crooked numbers — seven in the first, four in the sixth, and five in the seventh. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays managed just two runs both courtesy of George Springer on an RBI single in the third and home run to lead off the sixth.

The Cubs sent 12 batters to the plate in the first. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, and Matt Shaw all drew walks and Seiya Suzuki clubbed a two run double. Carson Kelly demolished a grand slam followed by three straight two out singles from Dansby Swanson, PCA, and Bregman. By the time the dust had settled, there was a seven-spot on the board all charged to Kevin Gausman, who lasted just two innings.

Reliever Brendon Little was the victim of the Cubs’ four runs in the sixth. Kelly and Swanson drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, PCA hit and RBI single, and Bregman an RBI ground out. Tyler Rogers then gave up five runs in the seventh, though all were unearned thanks to a fielding error by Davis Schneider at second. The inning quickly unraveled for Rogers as he gave up a walk, four singles, and a triple by Justin Dean with the bases loaded. Outfielder Myles Straw was actually one of their more effective pitcher as he converted the final four outs of the contest without giving up another run.

Houston Astros (36-41) 9, Cleveland Guardians (40-36) 3

Tatsuya Imai logged one of his best starts in an Astros uniform, striking out 11 across six innings of three-run ball. All three of those runs came in the third on an RBI double by Brayan Rocchio and a two-run homer from Rhys Hoskins. Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve had the big days on offense for Houston Peña went 3-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs and an RBI single while Altuve went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and the most impactful hit of the game, a three-run homer in the sixth.

Boston Red Sox (30-43) 6, Seattle Mariners (39-38) 2

We had a good old fashioned pitchers’ duel between Ranger Suarez and Bryce Miller. Miller gave the Mariners five strong innings allowing a run on three hits to go with seven strikeouts. However, it was Suarez who impressed the most, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning before a double and two walks swiftly ended his outing at 6.1 scoreless. Caleb Durbin was the standout performer on offense for the Red Sox, going 3-for-4 with a double and a solo home run. Marcelo Mayer wasn’t that far behind him going 2-for-4 with three driven in. Boston scored four of their six runs in the seventh. A Julio Rodríguez two-run homer in the ninth averted the shutout, but in the end they were just a pair of consolation runs.

The Detroit Tigers opened up their three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox with a 4-3 win on Friday night. Tarik Skubal ran into some trouble in his second start after returning from the injured list, but the offense had just enough oomph and the bullpen served up 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball to secure their first win against the ChiSox this season in four tries.

On Saturday afternoon, right-hander Troy Melton will climb the hill for the home team seeking a bounce-back after his worst outing this year. The 25-year-old was shelled by the Minnesota Twins in his previous start, surrendering four runs — all four scored on solo home runs — on eight hits but zero walks while striking out five over five frames in a game in which he still earned the win thanks to the offense in a 10-4 final.

Melton looked good the last time he saw the White Sox this season, earning a quality start for his seven innings of one-run ball on six hits and a walk while striking out just one in a game the Tigers ultimately lost in extras, 4-3. Hopefully, he can bring his A-game again and help his team clinch a series victory.

No starter for Saturday’s game has been announced as of the time of writing. Take a look at Melton’s pitching summary below in the meantime.

Detroit Tigers (31-44) vs. Chicago White Sox (39-35)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:South Side Sox
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 76: RHP Troy Melton (3-0, 2.81 ERA) vs. TBA

MELTON

Rochester Red Wings 6, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (box)

Dylan File was knocked around badly in the early innings and the Hens offense couldn’t take advantage of plenty of baserunners in this one.

Rochester got to File for two in the first, three in the second, and another in the third.

The Hens got on the board in the top of the second when Eduardo Valencia doubled, and a pair of fly outs advanced him around to score. They loaded the bases with two outs in the third but couldn’t score.

In the fourth, Corey Julks dumped a pop-up into right field for a single. He eventually scored on a Max Burt sacrifice fly after Cal Stevenson had singled him to third. Max Clark followed that with a single, but again the Hens left the baserunners stranded.

Brenan Hanifee, Jack Little, and Tanner Rainey all did a nice job locking down the Red Wings the rest of the way, but the bats just couldn’t mount a comeback.

Clark: 2-5, 2B

Julks: 2-3, R, RBI

File (L, 4-4): 3.2 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, BB, K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied 2-2, with first pitch on Saturday set for 6:45 p.m. ET.

Erie SeaWolves 7, Harrisburg Senators 3 (box)

The SeaWolves took advantage of eight walks issued by Senators pitching to win again on Friday.

The game started with Seth Stephenson getting hit by a pitch, and that’s a bad idea for any opponent. He immediately stole second and took third on a throwing error from Harrisburg’s catcher. Peyton Graham walked and stole second, drawing the throw, and Stephenson took advantage of an error on the second baseman to race home. Thayron Liranzo later singled in Graham for a 2-0 lead.

Andrew Jenkins led off the second with a double, and with one out, Aaron Antonini walked. Stephenson singled in Jenkins and got Antonini to the third, and then stole second base again. A sacrifice fly from Graham plated Antonini. Liranzo blasted his eighth homer of the year to open the third, and it was 5-0 SeaWolves.

Max Alba got through three innings without issue, but gave up three in the fourth. He settled back in to pitch the fifth, and struck out five overall on the night.

Chris Meyers doubled and scored on a Jenkins sac fly in the fifth. In the seventh, Meyers and Jenkins singled, and Meyers scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-3 where it ended. Dariel Fregio and Eric Silva each tossed a pair of scoreless frames to keep the Senators down.

Graham and Stephenson now have 32 stolen bases on the season apiece.

Liranzo: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 BB

Jenkins: 3-4, R, RBI, 2B

Meyers: 2-5, 2 R, 2B, K

Alba: 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Harrisburg on Saturday with the series all tied up.

West Michigan Whitecaps 3, Lansing Lugnuts 1 (box)

Lugnuts pitching had a lot better night on Friday, but it still wasn’t enough as Carlos Marcano and the ‘Caps bullpen outdueled them in this one.

Marcano gave up a few singles that led to two runs in the third, but was otherwise very good. He struck out six, walking one in 4.2 innings of work.

Meanwhile, the offense was pretty quiet until they broke through in the sixth. Caleb Shpur led off with a single, and with one-out, Bryce Rainer smoked a single to center. Garrett Pennington stepped in and launched a three-run shot to left center field for a 3-2 lead.

Preston Howey contributed with three scoreless innings to get the win. Inohan Paniagua returned from the injury list to close this one out to earn his second save.

Rainer: 2-4, R, K

Pennington: 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR

Marcano: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 3-0 lead in the series headed into a 7:05 p.m. ET game on Saturday. It will be Star Wars Night, if you’re so inclined.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 10, Dunedin Blue Jays 1 (box)

Beau Ankeney was a one man wrecking ball in this one, while Cale Wetwiska returned off the injury to make a short start on Friday.

Wetwiska allowed a run in the first, and then tossed a pair of scoreless innings. The 2025 seventh rounder looked at full strength though, sitting 95 mph with his lively fourseamer and getting some ugly swings on the cutter.

In the bottom of the first, Jordan Yost was hit by a pitch to start things off. Edian Espinal walked with one out and Jesus Pinto reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs. A walk to Anibal Salas forced a run in, though that was all they’d get.

In the second, Ankeney smoked a two-run shot the opposite way. In the third, Carson Rucker singled and took second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Zach MacDonald launched a two-run shot to right center field to make it 5-1.

Ankeney destroyed an inside fastball in the fourth, launching it 440 feet to left center field. That was the 10th home run of the year for the 23-year-old first baseman.

A bases clearing double in the seventh from Jordan Yost was the capper that made it 10-1. Eliseo Mota, Jorge Guzman, and Yendy Gomez were all pretty sharp in relief.

Ankeney: 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR

Rucker: 2-4, R, BB, K

Yost: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB

Wetwiska: 3.0 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied up heading into a 6:00 p.m. ET start.

FCL Tigers 8, FCL Phillies 4 (box)

Paul Wilson’s second rehab start went well, as the Tigers’ 2023 3rd rounder fired a pair of perfect frames with two strikeouts to start this one off. His curveball-slider combination was working, though his command was pretty rusty, and he topped out at 95 mph with the fastball.

RHP Ryan Hall, the Tigers 2025 fifth rounder, made his pro debut as he works his way back from injury. That went less well as he gave up three runs.

A rehabbing Patrick Lee homered in the top of the first for the Tigers, and Jose Dickson launched a grand slam in the second to lead the offense.

Lee: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, 2 K, SB

Dickson: 2-4, R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR

Wilson: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Fresh off another masterful performance last night, it’s still amazing to think about how there were 219 players selected in the 2021 MLB Draft before Cam Schlittler. The details will fade in memory. No, he was not remotely this kind of pitcher at Northeastern in the Colonial Athletic Association. But the Yankees’ scouts deserve credit for nabbing not one but two players from New England who had tools that popped. The development from Schlittler and Ben Rice (12th round, 363rd overall) is nothing short of impressive. They have bigger goals in mind than strong first halves, to be clear. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Today on the site, Scott will take the occasion of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders traveling to Columbus to face the Clippers to remember the many years that they were in fact a Yankees affiliate. Peter will tackle the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will remember a “Next Man Up” Yankee for today’s birthday feature, and Michael will ponder the question of whether the Knicks’ championship run increases or decreases the pressure on the 2026 Yankees.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Reds.tv

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Do you think Cam Schlittler will top his 13-strikeout game from last night at some point this season?

2. How far do you think Team USA will advance in the World Cup now that they’ve secured an appearance in the knockout round?

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Jazz Chisholm Jr. had to exit Thursday’s game against the White Sox after fouling a ball into his groin, but he insists that he will continue not wearing a cup. He said fielding grounders is where you’d really want to wear some protection, but that he trusts his hands enough to not make a change in spite of the pain he suffered on Thursday. He admitted he has never worn a cup in his career including when it was required in the minors. Aaron Boone confirmed that “a lot of these guys don’t wear cups,” as they feel that doing so limits their range of movement or is just plain uncomfortable.

That’s certainly a risky gamble to take as we saw with Jazz. At least he showed no signs of continued discomfort last night, homering off Rhett Lowder to kick off the Yankees’ scoring in a 5-0 win.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees suffered another bullpen meltdown on Thursday, Fernando Cruz and (more impactfully) Tim Hill loading the bases in the eighth before Camilo Doval came in and gave up a grand slam on the first pitch he threw. These latest struggles thrown what has been a glaring need all season into sharper focus with the Trade Deadline approaching. The Yankees have internal options including converting top prospect Carlos Lagrange into a reliever to potentially help the major-league bullpen this year if he can sufficiently adjust to the role. But they would also be well-suited to target relievers with a proven track record of success at the highest level.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Alongside the bullpen, the top target in the coming weeks will be a right-handed catcher. Austin Wells may have hit two home runs in his latest rehab game at Triple-A, but he and J.C. Escarra have both largely struggled to produce at the plate, both lefties in particular looking helpless against southpaw pitching. The name that keeps popping up is the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers, who was slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, a 163 wRC+, and 1.7 fWAR in 37 games before suffering a broken hamate bone in his left hand on May 19th. He has an eight-week expected recovery timetable, but it is always terrifying for a hitter coming back from a broken hamate. He’s middle-of-the-pack when it comes to framing in his career but quite poor at blocking and throwing, which could stand at odds with the Yankees emphasizing defense over anything else at the catcher position.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The Yankees announced that right handed pitcher Peter Strzelecki has opted out of the minor-league deal he signed on May 23rd and will become a free agent. He made just six appearances at Triple-A since joining the organization, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings though he did strike out over 40-percent of the batters he faced. The 31-year-old is hoping for his first taste of the big leagues since making 10 relief appearances for the Guardians in 2024. He pitched 83.2 innings for Milwaukee, Arizona, and Cleveland between 2022 and 2024, posting a 3.44 ERA, 3.49 FIP, and 86 strikeouts across 77 appearances.

The San Francisco Giants are embroiled in a scandal completely of their own making. And it just keeps getting worse.

The San Francisco Chronicle published a piece on Friday that confirms what I said in my opinion post on Thursday. The players were not forced to wear the Pride hats that members of the team defaced on Pride Night. Nor did they do so out of any semblance of a feeling of being discriminated against.

No, no. It was an entirely unforced error. And one that they had, apparently, spent weeks planning. Per the Chronicle’s reporting. And what’s worse is that manager Tony Vitello apparently knew about it the whole time and even helped the players navigate how they would perform their very optional protest.

You know, the protest of the thing they weren’t being forced to participate in. The one that they chose to make a “personal” stand on to display their own homophobia, rather than just opting out of wearing the hats and moving on with their lives.

And then, you know, complaining about not being able to move on with their lives because they were being forced to face the consequences of their own actions. I guess we should all just accept that they hate us and let them move on. But I’m not interested in doing that.

So yes, they spent weeks planning this protest without ever once, seemingly, even taking a single moment to ponder how that would play out among the fanbase that supports them. Really shortsighted work on their part.

But what gets me is that Tony Vitello reportedly knew the whole time. Not only did he know, he helped them plan it. You know, the person who should have known better. The person who should have advised against it. The person who most assuredly either informed the ownership group, or neglected to do so which would be even worse.

Which means that we can safely assume that the ownership group was aware of the planned protest and through their lack of actions allowed it to proceed.

Firing Tony Vitello would be the absolute least that the Giants organization could do to make amends at this point. He is so very clearly in over his head on a human level, that it almost doesn’t even matter how poorly he is doing on a baseball level. And he is also failing at that.

So yes, Vitello should absolutely be the first firing from this shameful ordeal. But he should not be the last, and if they do fire him we should not accept his scapegoating as enough.

Because the rot starts well above him.

As I said on Thursday, it’s time to clean house and Vitello would only be the first move in that. But it would be a meaningful one.

Friday night should not have required late dramatics for the Dodgers.

But boy, what a stunning finish it created.

After leading by three runs early, then falling behind by two runs entering the ninth, the Dodgers rallied for a wild 6-5 walk-off win over the Baltimore Orioles –– one that finished, fittingly, with a game-winning hit from the Dodgers’ most frustrated player.

Before he came to the plate with the game on the line, catcher Dalton Rushing had endured eight innings of anguish. He was 0-for-4 on the night with three strikeouts. He had fanned twice on low sliders, including one in a wasted bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the third. 

After two pitches against Orioles closer Ryan Helsey, he was back in a two-strike hole again, having chased yet another slider in the dirt that sent him stepping out of the box in another moment of rage.

But then, the left-handed hitter looked up and caught a glimpse of the Dodgers’ dugout.

Mookie Betts was cheering him on. The rest of his teammates were pounding the top railing.

“When you’re in that moment right there, nothing that’s happened the first four at-bats … matters,” he said afterward. “I look in the dugout and all those guys care about is that next pitch, and the next pitch after that.”

Thus, Rushing took a deep breath, then took the next pitch –– another slider –– high for a ball that kept the at-bat alive.

The next pitch after that: A fastball on the inner half that had Rushing jammed, but that he still got enough of to send a single into right field.

“Honestly, I just wanted to spoil any pitch besides a slider, especially after chasing one in the dirt,” Rushing quipped. “I had a feeling that they were gonna throw another one. And the whole mindset was, foul off a fastball and just try to move the slider forward through the middle of the field. And luckily, pulled a heater inside, caught it in the loop, and Dodgers win.”

Indeed, what happened next was the most pandemonious moment of the Dodgers’ season to date.

Pinch-runner Alex Call came racing home from the second. Then, outfielder Tyler O’Neill’s throw from right got past catcher Samuel Basallo, who gave a seemingly weak effort to corral a high, awkward hop.

The ball ricocheted off Basallo’s glove, trickled into the dugout, and allowed the winning run in a suddenly delirious Chavez Ravine.

“Great way to end the night, especially after the frustration early,” Rushing said, wearing a wild smile and cooler-soaked jersey as he addressed reporters from his locker postgame. 

“It’s a great feeling. I think it honestly just feels great that we won that baseball game.”

What it means

Rushing was not the only one frustrated early, after the Dodgers had let a 3-0 lead in the second inning turn into a 5-3 deficit by the seventh.

Along the way, there was the wasted bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the third, the low point of a night the Dodgers left 12 men on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. 

There were back-to-back home runs off Roki Sasaki in the sixth, turning what had been a gem of an outing up to that point (he had retired 16 of his first 19 batters with six strikeouts) into a disappointing 5 ⅔-inning, three-run dud.

Then, there was a go-ahead two-run single from Orioles No. 9 hitter Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh off reliever Will Klein, giving Baltimore a two-run lead it would carry into the ninth.

But, with the Dodgers on the verge of one of their most disappointing defeats of the year, Mookie Betts hit a home run (his third hit of the game) to cut the deficit to one. After that, Max Muncy and Ryan Ward both drew walks to set up Rushing’s heroics with two outs in the inning, lifting the Dodgers (49-27) to their fourth-consecutive one-run win.

“Tonight shouldn’t have been a game, in my opinion,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We kept them around. We’ve let a lot of teams hang around … But at the end of the day, we are winning baseball games. So that’s a good sign.”

Who’s hot

Even before Friday, Rushing had not been hot for the better part of two months, following up his blistering start to the season (.385 average, seven home runs, 16 RBIs in his first 12 games) with a prolonged slump ever since (.209 average, one home run, five RBIs in 30 games since April 27).

Against that backdrop, he repeatedly berated himself in the dugout following his poor swing decisions earlier in the contest. At one point, he tried to snap a bat over his knee.

“Still working on that,” Rushing deadpanned when asked how he is learning to better control his animated emotions.

“It’s just part of the process,” Roberts added. “The learning process, the experience part.”

Another meltdown might have happened in the ninth, if not for the glimpse Rushing caught of the bench in the face of the game’s last strike. 

The faith he felt from Betts, he noted, was particularly helpful as he tried to reset.

“I see Mookie, [and he had] just all the confidence in the world in me,” Rushing said. “For a guy like that, a guy that’s lived in that moment, he’s succeeded in that moment, he’s failed in that moment, he knows what it feels like, it’s pretty special.”

Betts was in the middle of the mob that formed around Rushing at the game’s raucous conclusion, as the team walloped the second-year catcher in one of the season’s most joyous scenes.

“For him to flush it all and to flip his entire game and help us win a ballgame was huge,” Roberts said. “After he, you know, vents, he does a good job of collecting himself to get back into the next play.”

Who’s not

The Dodgers, of course, didn’t want to need a three-run ninth-inning rally given the way the game had started.

But on a night they were without Shohei Ohtani (who was away from the team for the birth of his second child), Teoscar Hernández (who is set to begin a rehab assignment next week as he nears his return from a hamstring strain) and Will Smith (who had a cortisone injection to address his lingering neck injury), the team’s young replacements missed a chance to pull away.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the third, each of Ward, Rushing and Alex Freeland went down swinging, unable to lay off low sliders from Trey Gibson that cost the Dodgers a golden opportunity to break the game open.

In the end, however, both Ward and (especially) Rushing got their chance for redemption.

“That third inning, very forgettable at-bats,” Roberts said, “To their credit, they made the adjustments later.”

Up next

The Dodgers and Orioles continue this series on Saturday night when Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-4, 2.52 ERA) returns to the mound following his near no-hitter last week. He will face off against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (3-7, 5.86 ERA).

Dalton Rushing walked it off with a clutch ninth-inning RBI base hit for the Dodgers (49-27), securing a 6-5 comeback victory over the Orioles (35-42) Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers offense stranded 12 base runners on the night, squandering many scoring opportunities against Baltimore pitching. Rushing channeled all With two outs, Dalton Rushing hit a clutch two-run single to right field, bringing in Alex Call and Ryan Ward to cap off a wild, three-run ninth inning rally

Sasaki looked to turn the page on his last start against the White Sox when he stepped back in a series-opening 8-2 loss to the White Sox at Rate Field. Sasaki was cruising until the sixth inning when Baltimore scored three runs to tie the game.

Taylor Ward tested the arm of Andy Pages to start the game in dramatic fashion. Taylor tried to extend a base hit into two bases, but Pages had something to say about that. Pages came up with his seventh outfield assist of the season after throwing out Taylor at second.

Roki was touching the corners with a fastball touching 99-101 mph and his nasty splitter in the first.

The Dodgers were without Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, but the lineup sans Ohtani did a good job to get on the board in the first against the rookie Gibson. Kyle Tucker led off with a walk, and a Mookie Betts double put two into scoring position with two outs for Max Muncy.

Muncy singled to right field to cash in both runners and make it 2-0 early. Tommy Edman kept the first inning alive with his first hit of the season, an opposite field single.

Dino Ebel was feeling froggy in the home half of the second. He sent Alex Freeland home on a Pages double to left field. Freeland’s swimmingly good slide home was one we won’t forget soon. The call at the plate was safe. Baltimore challenged and lost. 3-0 Dodgers.

The Dodgers loaded the bases against Gibson in the third with nobody out. Betts had a nice at-bat, won a challenge on a ball, and dumped a single to lead off the frame. Muncy drew his patented walk, and Edman singled for his second hit of the game.

Gibson reared back to strike out Ryan Ward, Dalton Rushing, and Freeland to strand the bases loaded. This would be a key inning and wasted scoring opportunity.

The Orioles finally got to Roki after 5 2/3 innings and back-to-back home runs in the sixth. A two-run home run by Gunnar Henderson in the sixth made it 3-2. Pete Alonso also got a hold of one for a solo home run to tie the game up 3-3 and chase Sasaki.

The Dodgers got another man on base in the bottom of the sixth with a Tucker single. Andrew Kittredge and Freeman battled in a 11-pitch full-count at-bat for the final out of the inning. Freeman sent one for a ride, but Leody Taveras made a great catch crashing into the wall to retire the side and preserve the tie.

The Orioles plated another two runs in the top of the seventh, five straight runs, to put them ahead 5-3. Will Klein and the Dodgers got into a jam in the top of the seventh, Back-to-back base hits for the Orioles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Jeremiah Jackson singled in two to give Baltimore the lead.

The Dodgers stranded another runner in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth.

Betts got the Dodgers back within one run with his eighth home run of the season, a solo homer against closer Ryan Helsley with one out in the ninth. It was a three-hit game for Betts.

Muncy drew a walk even though Helsey got a break on a challenged foul ball call. Edman faced his fellow former Cardinal Helsey, but he popped it out to Alonso in foul ground for the second out.

Ward walked to put pinch-runner Alex Call into scoring position for Rushing. Rushing had a rough night up to that point, chasing high cheese and striking out three times. He came up clutch in the ninth with a RBI single to right. A throwing error by right fielder Tyler O’Neill allowed the winning run with Ward to come in for the 6-5 walk-off win.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Gunnar Henderson (16), Pete Alonso (17); Mookie Betts (8)

WP — Blake Treinen (4-1): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts (9 pitches)

LP — Ryan Helsley (0-3): 2/3 IP, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts (23 pitches)

Up next

The series continues on Saturday night at (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-4, 2.52 ERA, 0.840 WHIP) on the mound for the Dodgers. Trevor Rogers (3-7, 5.86 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) starts for Baltimore.

In front of a sell-out crowd of 45,775 on fireworks night on a day the stands were packed with Red Sox and World Cup fans alike, the Mariners fizzled out, dropping the opening game against Boston in dismal fashion. By the ninth inning, a loud “let’s go Red Sox” chant had erupted, with the only joy for Mariners fans a garbage-time Julio Rodríguez two-run shot.

Every piggyback game feels like two games, but the contrast tonight was especially stark. In the Bryce Miller game, the story was: one ambush home run and a lot of good pitching between; in the Luis Castillo-led part of the piggyback, the story was: one bad and BABIP-fueled bad inning, one also-not-great-inning and some decent pitching between. But the part of the story that was consistent throughout the game was the Mariners offense once again failing to do much against a left-handed starter, and failing to capitalize on opportunities when they had them.

Bryce Miller had a clean first and was one out away from a clean second when Caleb Durbin ambushed a first-pitch fastball at the top of the zone and yanked it over the wall in left field just enough to clear the fence – a home run at just 13 MLB parks including T-Mobile and Fenway. Maybe that shook Miller’s confidence somewhat, because he then struggled to put away Marcelo Mayer, getting into a ten-pitch battle that ended with Mayer staring at a fastball on the plate for a called strike three.

Miller didn’t have a clean inning after the first, but he was able to face the minimum in both the third and fourth thanks to a well-timed double play, getting Mickey Gaspar, who has both the name and countenance of a 1900s circus strongman, to tap into an inning-ending double play on the splitter. In the fourth, he got an assist from Cal Raleigh (welcome back Cal) throwing out Wilyer Abreu trying to steal after Abreu had jumped on a first-pitch fastball for a ground ball single. Miller’s fifth inning was a cherry on top of a strong day, with two strikeouts and a weak groundout from Meyer, who’d given him the tough at-bat earlier. Miller doubled up on the curveball to Jarren Duran after Duran flinched after the pitch for his sixth strikeout of the day, and then went split-sweeper to Durbin, who had homered off him earlier, for his seventh strikeout.

“Everything felt good,” said Miller postgame, noting that he didn’t even have a chance to get to all his pitches because he was seeing so much success on the four-seamer. “I didn’t even throw a cutter today, so we still had that in the back pocket, and I think I threw one sinker…it’s never easy coming out of a one run game, especially when – I felt like I was rolling. But it was. You know. It was the plan going into it, so not really much that I can say to change anybody’s mind…when there’s a pre-set plan, there’s not really much arguing you can do.”

At least Miller was able to avenge himself against Durbin and Meyer, but unfortunately, that’s where the moral victory part of the day ends, leaving just the less-fun defeat part. Left-handed pitching has been the bête noire for the Mariners this season, and Ranger Suarez is a particularly good lefty, so the Mariners were already facing an uphill climb, but four strikeouts in the first two innings – with two of those coming from righties in Cal and Julio – isn’t exactly a recipe for success. The Mariners didn’t have a baserunner until the fourth, with Cal working a walk off Suarez in his second time facing him, declining this time to chase after the curveball, but Julio wasn’t able to make a similar adjustment, getting punched out looking on the sinker, and then Josh Naylor battled heroically for eight pitches but wound up popping out softly.

On as the second part of the piggyback, Luis Castillo had a strong first inning of work but a BABIP-fueled meltdown inning in the seventh. Ceddane Rafaela doubled off a fastball up in the zone to lead off the inning, giving the Red Sox a roughly 70% chance to increase their lead. What they’d wind up doing is putting the game out of reach. Some of it was Castillo’s fault: he lost the handle on a slider, allowing Rafaela to score from third to make it 2-0, but if you like Increased Velo Castillo – he was touching 97-98 on his fastball – you also have to be prepared for that increased velo on the slider, like this 90 mph one that Castillo said “surprised” him.

If Castillo had been able to cap the damage there, that would have been one thing, but things quickly got worse with four straight singles – two hard-hit on pitches that caught way too much plate, and then a pair of bad-luck more weakly hit ones off the slider that found holes. A sac fly on another slider brought in the fifth run of the inning and all of a sudden the Mariners were looking at a 5-0 deficit in a game where they were being no-hit.

“One of those things where sometimes things just don’t go your way,” said Castillo postgame through translator Freddy Lllanos.

After the blowup in the top of the inning, the Mariners attempted to answer back, finally knocking Suarez out of the game in the seventh. Cal walked again facing Suarez, but Julio went after a cutter for an easy flyout for the first out. That left it to the lefty Naylor, who finally, finally broke up the no-hitter with a ringing double to right-center.

After Josh Naylor’s no-hitter-breaking double, Dominic Canzone grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Cole Young was able to work a walk. A moment of appreciation for Cole Young: facing a tough lefty, he swung at strikes only, didn’t expand and chase the curveball or cutter, and overall did his best. If the Mariners want to leftyproof their lineup, Cole Young having at-bats like this will go a long way towards doing it. With the Mariners threatening, the Red Sox opted to bring in righty Justin Slaten, meaning Dan Wilson could free J.P. Crawford from the bench to try to come up with a clutch two-out RBI. Sadly Crawford couldn’t come up with any of his signature two-out magic, striking out and stranding the bases loaded.

The Red Sox were able to get one more run off Castillo with another set of two-out back-to-back doubles in the ninth, but by that point the game was pretty well out of hand for the Mariners. Julio Rodríguez provided the lone offensive highlight, hitting a garbage-time homer (with Cal aboard with his third walk of the day, the Red Sox pitching had zero interest in pitching to Cal Raleigh in this game from either side of the plate) off Tommy Kahnle, last seen being bullied by the Mariners in the ALDS. No no-hitter and no shutout goals achieved, then, but the more elusive “win back to back games” goal remains out of reach for these frustratingly inconsistent 2026 Mariners.