NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 12: A.J. Ewing #9 of the New York Mets steals second base in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field on May 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets beat the Tigers in a 10-2 blowout. A.J. Ewing impressed in his debut, drawing three walks, driving in two runs, stealing a base, and hitting a triple for his first major league hit.
Carson Benge’s outfield dynamism has turned heads and is one of the few bright spots in the slog of the 2026 season so far.
With A.J. Ewing’s call-up, the Mets designated outfielder Andy Ibáñez for assignment.
The Mets aren’t in the bottom of at least one hyper-specific statistic: pitches thrown outside the zone and called strikes without a challenge.
A.J. Minter threw a bullpen session yesterday and should be heading back to a rehab assignment this weekend, hopefully putting his return in the somewhat near future.
On the other hand, Luis Robert Jr. is still experiencing symptoms and doesn’t look to be coming back anytime soon, potentially giving A.J. Ewing a lot of runway.
Francisco Alvarez was removed from last night’s game due to a right knee injury and will undergo an MRI today.
MLB Pipeline put out a list of every team’s current hottest pitching prospect, and the Mets’ selection is (unsurprisingly) the nearly-untouchable Jack Wenninger.
Around the National League East
Much of the Braves’ offense—and success—is coming courtesy of the heavy-hitting duo of Matt Olson and Drake Baldwin.
The Nationals routed the Reds in a 10-4 victory, with Daylen Lile driving in four of the Nationals runs on two home runs.
The Phillies held on to beat the Red Sox 2-1, with Zack Wheeler going 7.1 innings, allowing one run on six hits and striking out four.
The Marlins were shut out by the Twins 3-0. Eury Pérez gave up all three runs in six innings, allowing six hits and three walks while striking out eight.
The Braves bested the Cubs 5-2 in a heavyweight matchup. The hero of the game for the Braves was Mike Yastrzemski, who drove in three runs on two hits including a two-run home run.
Around Major League Baseball
So many of this year’s best teams have issues with the back end of their bullpen, and Buster Olney explained why.
The Dodgers have acquired outfielder Alek Thomas from the Diamondbacks in exchange for a minor league outfielder.
MLB and the Player’s Association met for the first time yesterday to begin negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current one set to expire on December 1.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Steve Sypa returned with another group of Mets Minor League Players of the Week.
Steve Sypa also introduced us to the newly called up top prospect A.J. Ewing.
Mar 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez against the Chicago Cubs during spring training at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
We have reached the midway point of the first half of the International League schedule and the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are in the thick of the race for first place. They entered the week in fifth place with a 20-17 record, four games behind the leading Memphis Redbirds (25-14). The Gwinnett Stripers are second at 24-15, the Louisville Bats third at 23-16 and the Worcester Red Sox fourth at 21-16. Right in back of the RailRiders are the Syracuse Mets and St. Paul Saints, both 20-18.
Unfortunately, the RailRiders do not play Memphis, Gwinnett, nor Louisville this season. However, they were scheduled to begin a series at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania against Syracuse on Tuesday. Then after visiting the Lehigh Valley IronPigs next week, they host Worcester for six games May 26-31, then go to Syracuse for seven games June 2-7.
So in the next four weeks, the RailRiders have a chance to take care of business on their own and hope that the top three teams hit the skids. This week is the second meeting of the season between the RailRiders and Syracuse. The Mets won four of five when the teams played April 14-19 in New York.
Some of baseball’s top prospects will be featured in the series. Syracuse has the Mets’ No. 1 prospect and No. 36 overall according to MLB Pipeline in righty Jonah Tong, who debuted last year for the Amazins and is 1-2 with a 4.46 ERA, along with a league-leading 52 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. Fellow right-hander Jack Wenninger is the Mets’ No. 5 prospect with a 3-1 record, 1.27 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Wenninger defeated the RailRiders, 5-3, on April 17th. He allowed one run on three hits in 5.1 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. The lone run he allowed was a home run to the since-promoted Spencer Jones.
First baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford—acquired in the 2023 Justin Verlander trade—is the Mets’ No. 3 prospect. He is batting .252 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs.
Of course, the RailRiders have the New York Yankees’ top three prospects in infielder George Lombard Jr. and righthander pitchers Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez. Lombard (No. 22 MLB Pipeline) is batting just .176 (6 for 34) with 6 singles in 10 games since being promoted to Triple-A, but he does have 12 walks. Lagrange (No. 62 MLB Pipeline) is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in seven starts with 38 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Rodríguez (No. 65 MLB Pipeline) is 1-2 with a 1.38 ERA in five starts with 26 strikeouts in as many innings.
Last week in Worcester, the RailRiders won two of five games from the WooSox, including the series final, 3-2, on a home run by Ali Sánchez in the top of the second inning and a two-run home run by Yanquiel Fernández in the top of the sixth. Zach Messinger worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth by getting a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
The win was No. 500 in the managerial career of Shelley Duncan — 269 of which have come with the RailRiders. Duncan also has 87 wins from his time in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ organization, with the Hillsboro Hops (2015-16) in the High-A Northwest League; 69 with the Visalia Rawhide (2017) in the Low-A California League; and 75 with the Jackson Generals (2018) in the Double-A Southern League. His overall record is 500-411.
Congrats to Skipper Shelley Duncan on the 500th win of his managerial career, including 269 at the helm of the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate! 🎊
Fernández batted .333 (8-for-24) in five games with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs. Duke Ellis and Payton Henry both batted .462 (6-for-13) in four games. Ellis, getting a chance to play in the outfield with Jones called up to the Yankees, had two doubles, one home run, three RBIs, and three stolen bases. Henry had a double and three RBIs.
Messinger and Dylan Coleman each had one save. In two appearances, Messinger worked 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. He has not given up a run in his last four outings covering 8.2 innings. Coleman did not give up a run or a hit in 2.2 innings with no walks and three strikeouts.
As a team, the RailRiders have nine saves with eight pitchers recording at least one. Kervin Castro—who spent most of the weekend with the Yankees before returning to Scranton upon Carlos Rodón’s activation—leads with two saves. Harrison Cohen and erstwhile Astros reliever Rafael Montero also did not give up a run in two appearances against Worcester.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers on deck against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are now losers of four straight (again) after falling to the San Francisco Giants 6-2 on Tuesday, but Shohei Ohtani was able to bust out of his slump and was the only redeeming factor for the Dodgers.
Ohtani went 2-4 with a single, a home run and a walk, recording his first home run since April 26, as he was the only Dodger to get multiple hits on Tuesday. With his next scheduled start coming today against Robbie Ray, the Dodgers will have Ohtani get the day off from hitting for the final two games of the homestand as a means to give him some additional time to regather as a hitter, notes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“For me, with any hitter, when the quality of at-bat starts to go down consistently, I think that’s a telling sign there needs to be a break,” Roberts said. “Because you’re just not able to – whether it’s the mechanics, the mind – just stay within your game plan, and then the chase starts to spike. There’s a workload component with some players, but that are more on the defensive side.”
While Ohtani hit his seventh home run of the season, rapper Ice Cube was on the broadcast with Joe Davis and Orel Hersheiser. Courtney Hollman of MLB.com has more.
Roki Sasaki has continued to display marginal improvements with each start, as before getting ambushed by San Francisco in the top of the sixth on Monday, he had held the Giants to one run over five innings with five strikeouts and just one walk. As the team sees the improvements, it only vindicates them more in seeing the potential with Sasaki as a viable starting pitcher within their rotation, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.
“We definitely see him as a long-term starting pitcher,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman recently told The Athletic. “We are very firm believers that he has the ability and the upside to be an elite starting pitcher in this game.”
It’s been almost 10 whole years since Charlie Culberson hit his iconic walk-off home run that helped the Dodgers clinch the NL West during Vin Scully’s final broadcast at home. Culberson spoke with Sierra Santos of MLB Network about the home run, noting that Scully was able to sign the bat he hit the home run with.
ATLANTA, GA OCTOBER 08: Legendary Atlanta manager Bobby Cox gets a hug from current Braves bench coach Walt Weiss (4) after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch of the Major League baseball NLDS game between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 8th, 2018 at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Despite the fact that the Braves were back in town and riding high following a successful road trip out West, there was still a bit of a somber feeling at the ballpark ahead of their series opener against the Chicago Cubs. That’s because this was the first time where the organization would be able to honor the memory of both former owner Ted Turner and former manager Bobby Cox — both of whom passed away while the Braves on the road.
As such, this gave some figures around the Braves a chance to publicly spell out some of their memories and takeaways from their time spent with the legendary manager. Walt Weiss spoke with the media (as he usually does) ahead of Tuesday’s game and he had plenty to say about Bobby Cox’s impact on his baseball career.“
“I think everybody’s done a really good job of communicating the legacy of Bobby Cox in the last several days. There’s been a lot of great stories,” said Weiss when he was asked about his thoughts on the whole situation. A lot of confirmation about what a great leader he was and the impact he had on so many people.
Walt Weiss played under Bobby Cox from 1998 through the 2000 season as he ended his playing career as a member of the Braves. He also discussed how he learned from Cox on how to be a leader during those times. “I was honored that I got a chance to play for him for three years. I always tell everybody that I wish everybody in the game could either play for Bobby or work for Bobby for at least one year, just to see how it’s supposed to be done,” explained Weiss. “He was a different type of leader and a different type of person based on the way he treated people. He just created loyalty with how he treated people. That respect always came back to him.”
“He always had great culture,” continued Weiss. “I remember coming in my first year for spring training as a Brave and thinking ‘I don’t wan’t be the one to screw this thing up,’ so you get on board and you do things the way Bobby wanted them done…in ‘99 we lost in the World Series to the Yankees. Every guy in the room felt like we let Bobby down. That doesn’t happen in professional sports. A lot of times, it becomes self-preservation because it’s such a cutthroat business. But he had that kind of impact where when we didn’t play well or in that instance, we didn’t win the World Series for him, we let him down. I don’t know if I’d ever felt that before at this level.”
Weiss’ time playing under Bobby Cox clearly had an impact on how he has operated as a manager and it’s obvious that he has carried a lot of what he learned during that time with him into his current stint as manager. “I said this when I got hired. I was proud that in some way, a small way, that Bobby’s lineage continues,” exclaimed Weiss. “I think that’s really important here. It’s been foundational to the Braves’ success over the last few decades so I’m proud of that. That doesn’t mean that we’re all do the things the exact same way that Bobby did but we are going to do some of the things that he did that are important and that respect this brand and organization. I think that’s important and I’m proud that in some small way, I’m an extension of Bobby.”
Tuesday’s game was televised on TBS (coincidentally but also fitting), which meant that Jeff Francoeur got a chance to be in the house as a color commentator. He also spoke with the media ahead of the game and he took the time to share plenty of memories that he had during his time playing under Bobby Cox.
“The first game I ever got ejected was in San Diego at Petco Park in 2006,” began Frenchy as he started telling a story of one of the more offbeat moments for him — and something routine for Cox. “Bobby comes out and he gets ejected with me — I’ve never been ejected. We’re walking on the stairs, Bobby’s waddlin’ and I ask him ‘Bobby, what do I do? I’ve never been thrown out of a game before,’ and he said ‘Well, go get in the cold tub, have a couple of beers, ice your legs. You’ll probably get fined $500 or $1000, depending on what you said — or you can do what I do which is I just send a $50,000 check at the beginning of the year and whatever’s left over, just give it to charity…he was one of a kind.”
Frenchy went on to talk about how he wasn’t the only former Braves player in the house to pay respects to their former manager. “It’s cool to be here to be able to honor Bobby tonight…we’re having Andruw [Jones] on in the third [inning] on TBS because I want him to tell the story live of when Bobby yanked him out of the game…He’s just a such a respected man, Bobby was. In our first day of spring training, Bobby would get everybody in that thing and he would say that everybody that was on the plane, whatever they were, they were part of the Braves family. Treat them with respect and give them your time.”
Frenchy went on to give Bobby Cox some extremely lofty praise when it came to his opinion of Cox’s impact on the franchise. “This might be a lot to say but I think that the two most influential people in the history of the Atlanta Braves were Hank Aaron No. 1 and probably Bobby Cox as No. 2,” exclaimed Frenchy. “Just the foundation and the way he built [this team], people came here to play for less money and they came here to play for Bobby. I was one of the fortunate ones who got to realize the dream to play for him early on.”
Francoeur went on to tell another story about how Bobby Cox would be faithful to his players. Sometimes it would be to a fault but sometime it would work out like it did for Frenchy in this particular situation. “I was 2-for-26 coming off a road trip and he’s like ‘You’re going to play right field for me and you’re going to bat fifth or sixth depending on the matchups so just go out there, relax and play baseball. It’s what you’re good at, it’s what you do — don’t listen to talk radio or anybody else. Just go out there and play baseball,” remembered Francoeur. “That little two-minute conversation all of a sudden frees me up. My last at-bat that night, I got a bloop single to right at Turner Field. The very next night vs. the Phillies…I had two home runs. I took off, man. He knew how to encourage you.”
It makes sense that when Francoeur was asked to sum up Bobby Cox in one word. It’s a tough task but Frenchy rose to the occasion with a pretty good word, in my opinion. “Loyal. Loyalty was his thing,” said Francoeur. “He would ride and die with you. You wanna know the impact he had? All the guys he had to release, trade, send down…they all still talked about him with reverence. They all talked about him with such respect. I’ve played for a lot of other managers and I loved them but they’re not talked about like that. He found a way to just ride with you to the end.
DENVER, CO - MAY 04: Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies hits an RBI triple in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Darryl Strawberry was pinch-hit for in the championship softball game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Power Plant mogul and manager C. Montgomery Burns explained the decision:
“It’s called playing the percentages; it’s what smart managers do to win ball games.”
Sure, Strawberry had nine home runs that day, but with the lefty on the mound and the game on the line, Mr. Burns turned to the right-handed hitting “Home Run” Homer Simpson, who was subsequently beaned in the head to drive in the winning run.
Match-ups matter.
As I watch the Rockies on television, a common turn of phrase seems to be that the Rockies are looking for proper match-ups to allow their players to succeed. Lineup construction is often based on the handedness of the starting pitcher, and in-game substitutions are more prevalent based on which reliever is brought into the game.
Platoon splits are nothing new in baseball. Manager Warren Schaeffer and the Rockies front office haven’t reinvented the wheel, but the use of platoon splits has felt more pronounced this season as the Rockies try to give themselves and the players the best chance to win ball games.
So, this raises the question: Is the platoon system working for Colorado’s offense?
Team Splits
First, let’s take a look at the team’s splits as a whole.
Like most teams in the league, the Rockies generally have more success against right-handed pitching. Entering Tuesday, they rank seventh in batting average (.256) and eighth in OPS (.745) while having the second-most hits (265).
They also have the third-most strikeouts (284) and are 18th in walks (101).
On the flip side, left-handed pitchers represent a decline in production. The Rockies rank 14th in AVG (.235), 25th in OPS (.643), 19th in hits (84), the fourth-most strikeouts (117), and the second-fewest walks (24). Granted, the sample size against left-handed pitching isn’t large across the league, and the Rockies ranked 23rd in total at-bats against southpaws (357), nearly 700 fewer than against right-handers.
As you’d expect, right-hander batters are seeing the bulk of success against left-handed pitching, batting .251/.317/.379 with six home runs. Meanwhile, left-handed batters are slashing .295/.369/.489 with 22 home runs against right-handed pitching. In the same side match-ups, both aspects of the platoon have a .205 AVG and OPS numbers that are relatively close. The main difference is that right-handed batters have 11 home runs against righties in 300 more at-bats.
The platoon splits are nothing surprising. In general, the scarcity of left-handed pitchers makes the proportions of sample sizes skewed, and it’s well known that a hitter will often struggle more against a same-sided match-up, but that is exponentially more true for left-handed hitters. The lack of regular opportunity to see lefty-pitchers puts left-handed hitters under a microscope, making it more likely they will be subbed out if the match-up demands it.
The Lefty Swingers
The poster child for the Rockies platoon is none other than Mickey Moniak.
Tormenting right-handed pitchers to the tune of a .337/.390/.716 slash with nine home runs, Moniak is having a fantastic year in Colorado. However, he has seen his opportunities against left-handers limited as he is just 4-for-24 with 12 punchouts. Granted, he does have two home runs to do the heavy lifting for his slugging percentage (.417), but it’s clear that the Rockies are cognisant of his struggles along with the other left-handed hitters.
Moniak, TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Edouard Julien are a combined 19-for-92 against southpaws with three walks and 25 strikeouts. Like Moniak, this group of lefties — along with Jake McCarthy — are torching righties to help propel the Rockies’ offense. In the past, the team struggled to employ multiple lefties in the lineup in general, but in 2026, they have the luxury of deploying up to seven in a single lineup against a right-handed pitcher. Those kinds of odds are helping to produce runs and generate wins for the Rockies.
The anomaly for the group is catcher Brett Sullivan and McCarthy, to an extent. Sullivan has struggled quite a bit in the platoon advantage, slashing .167/.222/.238 with seven hits in 42 at-bats, including three doubles. Meanwhile, in half the sample size, Sullivan is slashing .350/.409/.500 against lefties, going 7-for-20 with three doubles. McCarthy seems to be the only one consistent on both sides of the platoon as he is batting .300/.300/.500 against lefties, albeit in just 10 at-bats, and .288/.368/.500 against righties.
The Righty Swingers
What becomes of the right-handed batters then?
This group of hitters is struggling quite a bit at this point in the season against right-handed pitchers. Tyler Freeman leads the group with a .315/.393/.352 batting line followed by Hunter Goodman’s .262/.327/.524 slash. Beyond them, however, none of the right-handed batters on the current roster against side-sided matchups have an AVG above .200, and only Kyle Karros has an on-base percentage above .300.
The struggles are quite pronounced and become more worrisome when the majority of starting pitchers in the big leagues are still right-handed. It has forced the Rockies to use more platoon match-ups, and we’ve seen decreased playing time for Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck, along with more days off for Ezequiel Tovar.
The player settling into the platoon role the best at this point is Beck.
As mentioned last week, Beck has earned some patience, despite his struggles against righties (.049/.114/.073), because he’s doing well against lefties. Thus far, he is slashing .306/.333/.500 with a 115 wRC+ against southpaws, tallying 11 hits including two doubles, a triple, and a home run. A platoon role may be what’s best for Beck at the moment to spot Moniak and Johnston in the outfield. The downside is that he gets less playing time, but the Rockies want him to have a chance to have opportunities to succeed. He was solid enough last season against right-handers, so he is capable, but just hasn’t found that rhythm in 2026.
Karros and the switch-hitting Castro, who is fine on either side of the plate, are also enjoying more results at the plate against left-handed pitching. Oddly enough, Freeman is batting .192/.276/.423, but does have two home runs. Unfortunately, Doyle’s struggles have continued against left-handed pitching with only slight improvement to a .198 AVG, but he has drawn five walks against 10 strikeouts.
Tovar is the interesting piece here because his struggles have felt more pronounced this year. In his big-league career, he has generally been immune to the platoon split because the numbers have been similar enough. Star players have to have the capabilities of posting up every day and finding ways to beat the pitcher regardless of what hand they throw with. This year, however, right-handers are exploiting Tovar’s weaknesses more than ever. Meanwhile, he’s posting career-highs in AVG (.286) and OBP (.375) against left-handers.
Out of all the players mentioned above, the Rockies can’t afford for Tovar to become a platoon player at the plate because he has the potential to be a star and is elite on defense.
Is it working?
Overall, the platoon system and hunting match-ups seem to be working. Given the makeup of the team, it makes sense that Paul DePodesta and Warren Schaeffer would keep an eye on platoon splits. For some players, it genuinely can make a difference and allow more opportunities for other players. However, for players like Tovar, some issues run deeper than a simple platoon split, and more work will need to be done to mitigate the gap in production.
Still, the Rockies are looking to give players opportunities to succeed, and platoon splits are a good place to start.
Despite 10 hits as a team, the Albuquerque Isotopes managed just two runs as they won in extra-innings against Oklahoma City. The Isotopes scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Sterlin Thompson and wouldn’t score against until the 10th, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base. Thompson played hero in extras, lacing an RBI single for the walk-off victory. Cole Carrigg, Adael Amador, and Chad Stevens also had two-hit nights for the ‘Topes. Erasmo Ramírez, the 36-year-old veteran, was excellent in his second start since joining the organization, as he allowed just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. The bullpen surrendered just three hits the rest of the way and allowed three walks with two strikeouts.
Thanks to a walk-off home run by Benny Montgomery, the Hartford Yard Goats pulled out a 7-6 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. The home run was Montgomery’s third of the year and his only hit of the night as he struck out three times. Meanwhile, Andy Perez tallied three hits and scored three runs on the night to lead the Yard Goats. Hartford recorded nine hits while striking out 13 times and drawing six walks. Konner Eaton started on the mound, allowing five runs through 4.2 innings, giving up three home runs while striking out three and walking one. Three relievers then combined to allow just one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
The Spokane Indians scored early and often to secure a 7-3 victory over Hillsboro. Roynier Hernanadez and Tommy Hopfe led the 13-hit barrage for Spokane with three hits apiece. Jacob Hinderleider drove in three runs, aided by a two-run homer, along with Jacob Humphrey, who had a two-run home run of his own. Jackson Cox was again brilliant in his start, working 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The bullpen was also strong, as two relievers combined to allow just one hit and a walk, along with two strikeouts.
A nightmare top of the ninth cost the Fresno Grizzlies a series-opening victory against the Visalia Rawhide as four runs came across to snag an 8-7 loss. Austin Newton delivered a solid start for Fresno, allowing two runs on five hits through five innings. He gave way to Easton Marks, who worked three innings but allowed two runs in the eighth and was responsible for three more in the ninth, although one was unearned. Seth Clausen was then tagged with the loss and blown save after giving up the winning run. Offensively, the Grizzlies had 11 hits with Cameron Nelson going 3-for-5 with a couple of RBI. Tanner Thach blasted his sixth home run of the season, and Roldy Brito delivered his fourth triple of the season as part of his two-hit night.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the production of Jake McCarthy and the cracks in the rotation, and take a quick look around the minor league system.
The Rockies have been trying to preach more patience and focus and the plate at the results are starting to show in Triple-A for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - May 11: Eric Haase #18 and Sam Hentges #31 of the San Francisco Giants prepare for the game at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants had a good time in Southern California on Tuesday night, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2. In a statistic that almost defies reality, the Giants are now 4-1 against the two-time defending champions … and just 14-23 against the rest of the league.
But that wasn’t the only fun that was had, and it wasn’t the only reality that was defied. The Giants won with the long ball on Tuesday, with three solo home runs, all of which came from the eighth and ninth hitters.
That included a double dinger day for backup catcher Eric Haase, who did something that, when all is said and done, may go down as the least likely thing that happened to the Giants this year: he became the first player in the Majors to have a two-homer game against ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The fun continued all game, but it was … uhh … restrained. After Monday’s win in the series opener, outfielders Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, and particularly Drew Gilbert (to the surprise of no one) celebrated with a little bit of consensual behavior normally reserved for incognito mode.
And indeed, the Giants fantastic beat reporters got to the heart of it … and it turns out that the call came in from somewhere higher up.
Now for the million dollar question: was it Buster Posey putting an end to the mild dose of homoeroticism, or the corporate folks at the league offices? We may never know, but at least the Giants are having fun.
Or as much fun as they’re allowed to have, at least.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 07: Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox throws in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching injuries happen. They have always happened, and they always will happen. That’s why when someone says “there’s no such thing as too much pitching”, they’re correct, regardless of how much pitching that team actually has. You could have a rotation of prime Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Pedro Martinez, Cy Young, and Randy Johnson, and that would still not be enough pitching (I don’t know why those are the five names that came to mind. It’s late. Leave me alone).
The Red Sox, despite having plenty of pitching, have proven that rule. Through the first month or so of the season, they’ve had eight different pitchers start games, and only one has been a scheduled opener. That also doesn’t include Johan Oviedo, who was injured before he could get a crack at the rotation. One of those pitchers was Jake Bennett, who most didn’t expect to debut in May. Thanks to a series of injuries, some major and some minor, he got his chance on May 1st. Since then, he’s made two starts, thrown 10.1 innings while registering a 4.35 ERA, 9.5% strikeout rate, and 9.5% walk rate. While those numbers are far from stellar, they’re not bad, and he’s held his own in those two games.
After Spring Training, I was excited about Bennett as a prospect. He’s a huge lefty who was throwing hard and using his frame to get down the mound. He’s also equipped with a plus changeup, a useful tool in neutralizing right-handed hitters. After two starts in the big leagues, I walked away underwhelmed, but not discouraged.
Bennett struggled to punch out hitters. Over his two starts, he only struck out four guys. He got to two-strike counts against 19 hitters. I actually don’t know what the league-wide conversion rate for two-strike counts into strikeouts is, but about 19% of two-strike pitches go for strikeouts, so it has to be above Bennett’s mark of 21%. Doing my best to be polite to Mr. Bennett, I’d say it’s because his stuff isn’t good enough. Here’s a look at his two-strike command against each side.
Against righties, it looks pretty good. The changeups are down and away, while the four-seamers are upstairs. Of those 37 pitches, however, just two returned whiffs, while 12 were fouled off to extend at-bats. While I can’t definitively give a reason for that, I’d say it’s because the four-seam fastball isn’t enough of a threat. Through two starts, it’s averaged 92.6 mph. The 7.1 feet of extension it’s thrown with helps it play up, but it only has about 11 inches of induced vertical break. The height-adjusted vertical approach angle is just 0.5 degrees, meaning it’s not an outlier at all in terms of shape.
It’s returned two strikeouts, but it feels to me like hitters aren’t threatened by it. His changeup is his best pitch, and he’s yet to strike out a right-handed hitter with it, depsite good locations. Almost half of his two-strike changeups to righties have been fouled off. It’s a good pitch; it’s generated whiffs earlier in counts, but it feels to me as if he’s missing a third pitch to prevent hitters from seeing a low pitch and identifying it as a changeup.
He has a curveball and a cutter, but neither has shown bat-missing ability so far. He doesn’t generate a ton of spin on any of his pitches, so finding a breaking ball to add to his arsenal could be a challenge. The low spin rate allows him to create depth on his changeup, which is a plus, but it makes it difficult for him to get lift on his fastball and move the ball to the glove side with a breaking ball. I think adding a quality breaking ball will be difficult, so his best path forward is likely to add velocity. It’s easier said than done, but his fastball was up to 98 mph in Spring Training, so there’s clearly room to grow in that department.
Against lefties, the story is similar. He does a good job locating his sinker on the arm side for weak contact and quick outs, but a breaking ball, something to throw away from lefties, is necessary to increase his strikeout rate. He uses his changeup against lefties, which can miss bats, but the downside is it’s often in an area where lefties can drop the barrel and tee off on it. That hasn’t happened for Bennett yet, but it happens to same-handed changeups when they’re poorly located.
It’s not all bad, though. Bennett hasn’t made many mistakes over the plate and has missed barrels as a result. It’s not overpowering, and he probably hasn’t been in the zone as much as he’d like, but he’s done a nice job living on the edges. With Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez returning to the rotation, Bennett was optioned back to Triple-A. If the Red Sox need him, though, he’s a high-floor option, with the ceiling of an excellent pitcher. He’ll need to add some velocity and potentially a breaking pitch to reach that ceiling, but the bones of a major league rotation piece are there.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 home runs last season and finished second in American League Most Valuable Player voting, is in a terrible slump. But last night he snapped an 0-for-38 streak with a single last night.
All it took to break out was getting smacked in the oompa-loompas with a foul ball the half-inning before.
Big oof and big ouch…
Cal Raleigh goes down after a hard foul tip directly between his legs and is understandably showing a ton of pain upon gathering himself.
Ken Rosenthal writes that Giants team president Buster Posey keeps making big, risky moves, but none of them are paying off at the moment. (The Athletic sub. req.) He also said that Posey grew frustrated with Bailey, feeling that his game management skills were lacking in addition to his weak bat.
The issues for Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai continue. He came off the injured list yesterday and got rocked for six runs in four innings. Jack Baer examines what’s gone wrong for the Japanese rookie.
Yankees infielder Jose Caballero went on the IL after he broke the same finger! Well, not exactly the same finger. Caballero’s broken finger is attached to his hand and not Murphy’s. It would be weird otherwise. Anyways, that means that Anthony Volpe got recalled from Triple-A.
Astros Hall of Fame broadcaster René Cárdenas died at age 96. Cárdenas was the first ever Spanish-language team broadcaster when he called the Dodgers in 1958. He moved on to Houston to call the “Colt .45s” when the expansion franchise got underway.
And finally, thirty years ago director Spike Lee wanted a red Yankees cap to complete his outfit for the World Series, but there weren’t any in any color other than Black. Lee’s quest for a red Yankees cap opened up the current world of multiple caps in multiple colors for alls teams. The Yankees, Lee and New Era are celebrating the 30th anniversary of that with a a new Spike Lee line of Yankees caps.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Tuesday that Ragans (elbow) played catch two of the past three days and remains day-to-day, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
Quatraro added that Tuesday’s throwing session was better than Sunday’s, and the expectation is Ragans will play catch again on Wednesday, as he deals with a case of pitcher’s elbow. Stephen Kolek is starting in Ragans’ place Tuesday night and will fill his rotation spot while Ragans heals up on the 15-day injured list. It doesn’t sound like Kansas City expects this to be a lengthy absence for its ace.
One reason to believe in this team: The veteran pitchers still have it
Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha migrated to Kansas City from San Diego ahead of the 2024 season and spearheaded the Royals’ first trip to the postseason in nine years. The unions were so fruitful that the team eventually signed both pitchers to contract extensions. Lugo and Wacha are in their mid-30s now, but they’re still as productive as ever — and at a critical juncture, with Cole Ragans on the injured list and Noah Cameron enduring a bit of a sophomore slump. Wacha owns a 2.63 ERA, as he’s held hitters to a .188 average. Lugo’s ERA is 3.21, and he has allowed a grand total of one home run in 47 2/3 innings.
Estevez won’t throw for three more weeks, and then he’s hoping to start working his way back — and given the volatility of bullpens around the game, it’s possible that he’ll get another chance to close games later this year. “I have hope,” he said. “I’ll be fine. I just have to keep working. I’ll be back, right on time, ready for the playoff hunt.”
With Estevez out, Royals manager Matt Quatraro turned to Lucas Erceg, who has been excellent, stabilizing the Kansas City bullpen and allowing just two hits and no earned runs over his past eight outings; he has compiled 10 saves this season.
The Royals might have found a temporary fix, but the closer roller coaster has been a popular ride throughout Major League Baseball this year.
The 2026 version of Squires is doing something more interesting. His .244 ISO is among the better power numbers in the Texas League, and a .538 slugging percentage from a first baseman who went undrafted out of college is not a small thing. His 139 wRC+ sits just six points below Kulasingam’s despite a vastly different profile. Squires swings more, walks less, and does his damage in larger doses. His 23.7% strikeout rate is the number skeptics will point to, and fairly so, but corner infielders with real power carry higher strikeout rates at every level of professional baseball. The contact he makes tends to travel.
The Royals feel fairly set at first base in 2026 with Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez handling the primary duties, and Squires knows it. That means the most realistic outcome for a strong season may not be a call-up but a deadline trade, a contender in need of corner infield depth acquiring a first baseman with a .538 slugging percentage and three stolen bases in a single game against Corpus Christi. That would be a reasonable outcome for both sides. In the meantime, Squires keeps hitting, keeps running, and keeps making the case that someone should have drafted him when they had the chance.
Mozzicato rose from No. 20 in the preseason rankings to No. 17 in our latest update. The ERA is brutal at 6.65, but he has a 21.7% K% and has shown some intriguing stuff on his pitches, though control and command have been less than stellar to begin the year. The sooner Kansas City moves Mozzicato to the bullpen full-time (he’s made six starts), the better his outlook (and current statline in Double-A) will be. Also in Double-A, Beam rose from No. 9 to No. 7, despite sporting a 4.88 ERA and 6.63 FIP in 27.2 IP. The strikeouts haven’t been there for Beam to begin the year, as illustrated by a 13.6% K%. However, he could be due for a positive bounce-back when the weather heats up, and he gets more settled against Texas League hitting.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 12: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox walks off of the field after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on May 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! The Boston Red Sox have scored just four runs in their last three games. It is now abundantly clear that this is not a good offensive team. Moreover, it won’t be a good offensive team even if we see a little bit of a bounce back from Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Carlos Narvaez, Roman Anthony… from everyone except Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, really. The lineup’s ceiling is… league average, maybe?
There are four major components of the game — hitting, fielding, starting pitching, and relief pitching — and it’s rare for any team to excel in each of them. But when a team is outright bad in one of those areas, it can make for some ugly watches. But I will say this: if your team has to be terrible at one of those components (note to Craig: it doesn’t!) then I think I’d take the ugly lineup. The Red Sox might be losing ballgames, but at least they aren’t losing lopsided, four-hour affairs that are out of hand by the fourth inning, which is what fans of teams with terrible starting pitching are forced to deal with.
So I suppose my question today is: what’s the most tolerable kind of bad baseball team?
Use this space to talk about that and whatever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, determined to break out of a frustrating 10-game hitless streak, decided to take drastic action, showering in his full uniform Monday after another tough night at the plate. His unconventional approach paid off, as he broke his slump Tuesday night and helped lead the Mariners to a 10-2 win over the Houston Astros.
In Seattle's May 12 victory, Raleigh snapped his 0-for-38 skid with two singles. Last year’s American League MVP runner-up recorded his first hit since April 27 with a sharp line drive to center field in the seventh inning. Moments later, Randy Arozarena doubled to right field, allowing Raleigh to capitalize and score, pushing the score to 8-2.
“Logan (Gilbert) gave me some good advice to wash off the bad mojo or juju from the baseball gods,” Raleigh told the Associated Press. “So yeah, it worked. He was right, so I got to give him credit where credit’s due.”
Cal Raleigh singles to snap an 0-for-38 stretch, the longest hitless streak of his career and of any player this season pic.twitter.com/g0dOpJVqgN
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 13, 2026
Raleigh capped off his night with another single in the ninth inning, finishing the game with two hits and a much-needed renewed sense of confidence at the plate.
Last year, Raleigh led the American League with an impressive 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. However, this season has been more challenging for the slugger, as he has recorded only seven home runs and 18 RBIs over the first 40 games.
The Cleveland Guardians seek a series sweep when they host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of their three-game set.
Cleveland starter Parker Messick has been a revelation, and my Angels vs. Guardians predictions expect a convincing Guardians victory today. Read on for my MLB picks for Wednesday, May 13.
Who will win Angels vs Guardians today: Guardians -1.5 (+156)
Messick owns a 2.30 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through eight starts, with his fastball-changeup combination generating elite run value on both pitches.
Three of the Angels' top four hitters rank among MLB's individual strikeout leaders, and Los Angeles owns the highest raw strikeout total in baseball with 419 on the season.
With Cleveland's bullpen pitching decently over the last two weeks, the plus-money value is there.
COVERS INTEL:The top of the Angels' lineup, Zach Neto (62), Mike Trout (49), and Jorge Soler (52) have combined for 163 strikeouts across 556 plate appearances.
Angels vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-108)
Two left-handed starters take the mound in Cleveland, and neither figures to allow much damage.
The Angels have struck out 115 times against left-handed pitching this season, while the Guardians lack much power against lefties, evidenced by their .148 ISO.
With two southpaws dealing and sharp money moving the total down to seven runs, a low-scoring affair is in the cards today.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 6-11, -3.75 units
Over/Under bets: 6-9, -4.30 units
Angels vs Guardians odds
Moneyline: Angels +133 | Guardians -138
Run line: Angels +1.5 (-170) | Guardians -1.5 (+163)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+127) | Under 7.5 (-133)
Angels vs Guardians trend
The Under is 3-7 in the Los Angeles Angels' previous 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Guardians.
How to watch Angels vs Guardians and game info
Location
Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
Date
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
Angels.TV, CLEGuardians.TV
Angels starting pitcher
Reid Detmers (1-3, 4.33 ERA)
Guardians starting pitcher
Parker Messick (4-1, 2.30 ERA)
Angels vs Guardians latest injuries
Angels vs Guardians 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.
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 24: Nick Morabito #3 of the Scottsdale Scorpions runs to first base during the game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Friday, October 24, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With nearly even records coming into this game, Syracuse held the lead for most of the early portions of the game, but it was a thin lead. Jack Wenninger went unscored upon, lowering his ERA to 1.08, but sure enough, Scranton not only tied things up but then took control after he was taken out of the ballgame. The Mets came into the ninth inning down 4-2, but Ryan Clifford and Yonny Hernandez tied things up with an RBI double and single, respectively. With the adoption of the ghost-runner-starts-at-second rule, you don’t see extra-inning games go too long, but this one made it into the thirteenth inning and since these things are not too common anymore, you gotta appreciate it.
Nick Morabito led off the thirteenth with a sac bunt to move ghost runner Matt Rudick over to third, but old friend Ali Sanchez bungled the play- considered a sure-handed catcher, he was playing first base after having been pinch hit into the game. A few batters later, Christian Arroyo drove in two more runs with a single into left. Mike Baumann, thankfully, was able to throw a 1-2-3 inning for the save, and that was that.
The Rumble Ponies fell to the Patriots to kick off the Double-A Subway Series, their fifth loss in a row and their second consecutive shutout. Nick Lorusso and JT Schwartz were the only Ponies to log hits, while Eli Serrano and Jacob Reimer drew a walk apiece and the indomitable Wyatt Young drew two. Brendan Girton made the start for Binghamton and was solid, allowing one run over five innings, but even if the bullpen hadn’t allowed two more, he would’ve been the losing pitcher in this contest.
The Cyclones fell to Rome to kick off their series, their third loss in a row. Mitch Voit and Daiverson Gutierrez were the only Cyclones to log hits, while Ronald Hernandez drew a walk. Joel Diaz made the start for Brooklyn and was decent, allowing two runs over four innings, but even if he cut that in half, he still would’ve been the losing pitcher in this contest.
Happy birthday to Eli Morgan, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history is a story that is so good, so nice it shouldn’t be buried amongst the ther stories. In 1947 – Larry Miggins hits the first of his two major league home runs, going deep off Preacher Roe in the fourth inning of the Cardinals’ 14-8 loss to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The round-tripper hit by the Bronx-born outfielder, who had once shared his dream of playing in the big leagues during a prep school assembly with a buddy with aspirations to be a baseball broadcaster, is called by an overwhelmed Vin Scully, Brooklyn’s play-by-play announcer who had wondered that day with his friend “what the odds against that would be.” And enjoy the other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1911 – Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers hits his first grand slam. After six innings, Detroit leads the Boston Red Sox, 10 – 1. Boston comes back to win the game, 13- 1, in 10 innings.
1954 Robin Roberts gives up a HR then retires next 27 men in a row
1955 – At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the first time in his major league career. The New York Yankees slugger finishes the game with three home runs — two left-handed and one right-handed — and drives in all of his team’s runs in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher and Steve Gromek the loser.
1958 – Teammates Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer each have four extra-base hits as San Francisco beats the Dodgers in Los Angeles, 16-9. Mays hits two home runs, two triples, a single and drives in four runs, and Spencer has two home runs, a triple, a double and six RBI for a combined 28 total bases. The Ginats set a record with a total of 50 total bases in the game.
1995 – As of today, Tony Gwynn has hit .402 in his last 162-game stretch.
2009 – Alfonso Soriano hits his 53rd leadoff homer as the Chicago Cubs defeat the Padres, 6-4, in a rain-shortened game. Soriano’s blast ties Craig Biggio for second on the all-time list, still well behind record holder Rickey Henderson at 81; it also breaks the Cubs record held by Jimmy Ryan, as it is Soriano’s 21st such homer since joining the team in 2006.
2015 – Last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber of the Indians, finally gets his first win of the year after starting off 0-5. He strikes out 18 Cardinals batters and allows only one hit over eight innings to lead Cleveland to a 2-0 win. The 18 strikeouts tie a club record set by Bob Feller in 1938 and are the most by any American League pitcher since Roger Clemens also struck out 18 in 1998.
1607 – English colonists led by John Smith establish Jamestown at a second landing near the James River in Virginia – first permanent English settlement in North America.
1846 – US Congress votes in favor of President James K. Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico over border disputes.
1878 – Danvers State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts, opens and later serves as inspiration for Arkham Sanitorium in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, which in turn inspires Arkham Asylum of the D.C. Batman universe.
1905 – World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defences; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson.
1940 – Winston Churchill says “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” in his first speech as Prime Minister to the British House of Commons.
1977 – Howard Stern begins his professional broadcasting career at WRNW radio in Briarcliff Manor, New York.
1981 Pope John Paul II is shot and critically wounded by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Ağca in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
1989 – After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Chinese government to find a peaceful resolution, the Chinese government initiated martial law in late May and deployed troops to occupy the square on the night of 3 June in what is referred to as the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The struggles continue for the Detroit Tigers, who opened up their three-game road series at the New York Mets on Tuesday night with a miserable 10-2 loss. Jack Flaherty only lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, which was all it took to overtake the visitors’ anemic offense.
The good news is that the Motor City Kitties get their No. 2 starter, left-hander Framber Valdez, back from suspension with a chance to even up the midweek series. The 32-year-old had one of the worst outings of the season, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out three before the bean-ball incident that led to his five-game stint in the penalty box.
Last time Valdez faced the Mets was with the Houston Astros on opening day 2025, when he threw seven frames of shutout ball while allowing four hits and two walks while striking out four to earn the win. He did, however, hit a batter in that game.
For New York, right-hander Christian Scott takes the mound for the fourth time this season. His season debut only lasted 1 1/3 innings after issuing five walks, plunking a batter and balking before he was pulled in that one. The 26-year-old’s next two outings saw him throw five and 4 2/3 innings, respectively, putting up a 2.79 and a 2.50 FIP while striking out 14 over that stretch.
Scott has only pitched a dozen games in his major league career, but none of them came against the Tigers.
Take a look below at an overview of the two starters in Wednesday night’s clay diamond duel.
Detroit Tigers (19-23) vs. New York Mets (16-25)
Time (ET): 7:10 p.m. Place: Citi Field, Queens, New York SB Nation Site:Amazin’ Avenue Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 43: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.57 ERA) vs. RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 3.27 ERA)
COVERS INTEL:
