Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, in the Pacific Division) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, in the Metropolitan Division)
Raleigh, North Carolina; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Hurricanes -162, Golden Knights +135; over/under is 6
STANLEY CUP FINAL: Golden Knights lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Tuesday for the fourth time this season. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in the previous matchup.
Carolina is 35-12-2 at home and 53-22-7 overall. The Hurricanes have a 28-9-2 record when scoring a power-play goal.
Vegas is 39-26-17 overall and 26-16-8 on the road. The Golden Knights have a 49-7-11 record when scoring three or more goals.
TOP PERFORMERS: Seth Jarvis has 32 goals and 34 assists for the Hurricanes. Nikolaj Ehlers has six goals and four assists over the past 10 games.
Mitchell Marner has 24 goals and 56 assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has one goal and nine assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 8-2-0, averaging 3.5 goals, 6.2 assists, 5.1 penalties and 13.4 penalty minutes while giving up two goals per game.
Golden Knights: 8-2-0, averaging 3.7 goals, 6.4 assists, 3.2 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game.
INJURIES: Hurricanes: None listed.
Golden Knights: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
In less than 24 hours from permission granted to departure finalized, Chris MacFarland went from a key piece of the Colorado Avalanche’s front office to officially being out the door — and the speed of it has quietly turned into the first real question.
Chris MacFarland’s exit in Colorado didn’t come with much warning — or much resistance — and that alone is beginning to say something about where things stand inside the Avalanche organization.
Welcome to Smashville, Chris! 👋
We're proud to announce that Chris MacFarland has been hired as our President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.
On Wednesday, the Nashville Predators officially named MacFarland their President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, closing the book on a tenure in Colorado that ended almost as quickly as it was allowed to conclude. The timing, more than anything, has sparked the obvious question: was this a departure Colorado tried to prevent, or one they quietly accepted?
On paper, the Avalanche are still operating as a win-now team — Presidents’ Trophy expectations, Stanley Cup aspirations, and a core built around one of the most dominant groups the league has seen in years. But the results have stopped matching the billing. The championships haven’t followed, the draft capital has thinned out, and the roster is starting to show its age in key spots.
— 92.5 FM - Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) June 2, 2026
So when a senior executive is permitted to walk without much resistance, it naturally raises eyebrows. If MacFarland was truly viewed as part of the long-term foundation, it’s fair to wonder whether the organization would have drawn a harder line. They had the right to.
They didn’t use it.
Some will frame that as courtesy — a respectful send-off for a longtime executive earning a promotion elsewhere. Others will see it as something quieter and more telling: that internal change in Colorado may not be as far off as it looks from the outside.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
The guys react in real time as news breaks that Chris MacFarland is headed to Nashville. pic.twitter.com/Vy05jEq6Dp
Either way, it’s another storyline that will inevitably circle back to Joe Sakic the next time he addresses the media.
Familiar Pain, Familiar Opponent
From the outside, the Avalanche’s recent playoff history hasn’t offered much relief.
Last season’s disappointment again ended at the hands of Pete DeBoer and the Dallas Stars in a second consecutive seven-game first-round series. Dallas was dealing with injuries to key players like Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, which only added to the frustration around Colorado’s exit.
And then there was Mikko Rantanen.
Moved earlier in the year in a decision that still hangs over the franchise, he was sent to the Carolina Hurricanes — only to later surface in Dallas and play a major role in eliminating his former team. It was one of those storylines that refuses to fade, no matter how many months pass.
By the time the series ended, the blame didn’t sit in one place. Assistant coach Ray Bennett ultimately absorbed the formal fallout, but MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar were both pulled into the larger conversation about accountability within the organization.
Colorado’s power play issues were part of the story, but they weren’t the whole story. At different points, Dallas controlled the pace, dictated the physical tone, and forced stretches where the Avalanche struggled to respond.
One moment stood out more than most — Valeri Nichushkin taking a cross-check to the face from Jamie Benn, with little meaningful pushback afterward.
What stood out even more in hindsight was how that moment echoed beyond the Dallas series. The physical tone Benn established didn’t fade once the series ended. Instead, it became a reference point — not just for what Dallas did, but for how Colorado was increasingly being approached in the postseason. Test the edge. Challenge the response. See what breaks.
That blueprint didn’t stop. It followed them as Colorado refused to address their flaws.
Talent Without Enough Edge
There was an expectation afterward that Colorado would evolve into something heavier, something harder to play against. The reality only partially matched that idea.
Brent Burns brought experience and puck movement, but at this stage of his career he isn’t a player who changes the team’s physical identity. Josh Manson remains the closest thing Colorado has to that element, but injuries have kept him from being a consistent presence.
What hasn’t changed is the offense.
Nathan MacKinnon captured his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. Martin Nečas, acquired in the Rantanen trade, was outstanding through the first two rounds of the playoffs — driving play, creating offense, and looking like one of Colorado’s most dangerous forwards. But like much of the roster, he went quiet against Vegas once the Golden Knights tightened space and removed time in transition.
Brock Nelson provided steady production after arriving, Parker Kelly broke out with a 21-goal season, and Scott Wedgewood alongside Mackenzie Blackwood formed a strong tandem, sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals against during the regular season (minimum 25 games played).
Jared Bednar talking about Chris MacFarland Being a Finalist for GM of the Year: "No one is gonna outwork him, no one is gonna watch more games..."
Against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Avalanche were swept, and once again the gap between regular-season dominance and postseason reality became impossible to ignore.
At that level, skill doesn’t disappear — but it gets compressed. Space shrinks, time disappears, and structure takes over.
And against that structure, Colorado had no answer. Similar to Dallas, Colorado had no response to Vegas’ brutality.
The Cost Of Constant Recalibration
MacFarland’s approach was never reckless — it was deliberate. Aggressive when needed, patient when possible, always trying to keep the championship window from closing.
But over time, the accumulation of moves has left its mark.
Alex Newhook, drafted in 2019 and part of the 2022 Cup team, was traded to Montreal in 2023 for futures and a prospect who never became part of Colorado’s long-term core. In Montreal, he later delivered a breakthrough postseason, including a Game 7 overtime winner against Buffalo and a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
It’s exactly the kind of production that becomes more noticeable when depth scoring disappears in the spring.
On defense, Bo Byram’s departure still stands out. Now in Buffalo, he’s developed into a steady, mobile defenseman after being moved in the deal that brought back Casey Mittelstadt — a move designed to solve Colorado’s long-running search for a second-line center behind Nathan MacKinnon.
Perhaps the most striking reflection of that approach isn’t just in the roster turnover, but in what it has cost beyond it. Colorado does not own a first-round pick in the draft until 2029, and will not make a selection in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft either. For a franchise still operating with championship expectations, it’s a rare level of future compression.
Mittelstadt struggled to find consistency and was eventually moved again — packaged with Will Zellers and a draft pick to Boston for Charlie Coyle. Coyle’s stint didn’t last long either, later being dealt to Columbus with Miles Wood for Gavin Brindley and additional draft capital.
Brindley saw NHL time but finished the season back with the Colorado Eagles.
Layer after layer, the middle of the roster has been reshaped without ever fully stabilizing.
Cal Ritchie was included in the Brock Nelson deal — a move that delivered regular-season production but limited playoff impact. Nazem Kadri’s return brought familiarity and edge, but also a long-term commitment that now looks more complicated as his game ages.
Even smaller moves have added up. The Sam Girard for Brett Kulak trade remains one of the cleaner wins in that stretch.
But the overall direction is clear: Colorado has leaned heavily into a win-now identity that has steadily traded future flexibility for present urgency.
And that only works if the final step actually arrives.
So far, it hasn’t.
The Cycle Comes Full Circle
And now, with MacFarland gone and Joe Sakic once again central to the structure, the Avalanche find themselves circling familiar ground. Not a reset — a recalibration around the same philosophy that delivered the 2022 championship.
The problem is that everything around it has changed.
The core is older. The margins are thinner. And the same approach that once delivered a title has, in recent years, produced more questions than answers.
At some point, the bigger truth becomes hard to ignore.
You can’t keep selling your soul for short-term certainty and expect the same version of success to come back unchanged.
The 2022 team wasn’t just talented — it was stable. It grew together, stayed together, and understood exactly what it was when it mattered most.
Since then, the churn has been constant. Moves made for urgency. Moves made for fit. Moves made for a roster that keeps changing before it ever fully settles.
And that’s where the contrast becomes unavoidable. What once felt like a brotherhood built over years now feels more transactional — like everything has been broken up, moved around, and reassembled elsewhere, with pieces that don’t always naturally fit the same way.
Not bad players. Not bad intentions. Just a team that hasn’t been allowed to stay whole long enough to become what it once was.
And in the middle of it all, Sakic now finds himself back in a familiar position — trying to stabilize a structure he helped build, but didn’t always directly steer through its most aggressive decisions.
Because as MacFarland exits, there’s a growing sense of a familiar pattern underneath it all: when things don’t end in a championship, someone eventually becomes the face of the disappointment. Sometimes it’s a coach. Sometimes it’s an assistant. Sometimes it’s an executive cycle that quietly gets reshaped or replaced before the core ever truly changes.
MacFarland’s departure doesn’t land like a dramatic firing — but it also doesn’t feel entirely disconnected from that pattern either. Another layer of accountability, another shift in responsibility, another figure stepping out as the organization circles back toward the same core group that has defined its last era.
The difference this time is that Joe Sakic isn’t walking into a rebuild or a reset. He’s walking back into a familiar identity — one that already delivered a championship, but has since struggled to find the same level of finishing touch.
And whether MacFarland was the fall guy, a casualty of timing, or simply the next man to move on, the broader reality doesn’t change much.
But that’s the risk of a cup-or-bust mentality. You’re either a genius or the villain. Colorado, for a stretch, looked like neither was up for debate — they terrorized the entire league. It just didn’t carry through when it mattered most.
The Avalanche are still trying to solve the same problem they’ve been chasing since 2022.
They just keep changing who is held responsible for getting them there.
There are two things that I know for certain about the Vegas Golden Knights: they are inevitable, and they make things pretty entertaining along the way. Sometimes, to make things even more entertaining, they play dead for a stretch of time– usually early in the first period– to give their opponent a head start. And it doesn’t even matter how much of a head start their opponent gets, because they’ll still find a way.
They always find a way.
We are past the point of saying things like ‘doubt them at your own peril.’ They’ve done this so many times— seven times this postseason, to be exact— that if you’re still doubting the inevitability of their comebacks, there’s no hope for you.
The Golden Knights simply find a way. It doesn’t matter if they’re down 2-0 halfway through the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it certainly doesn’t matter if they’re down 3-0 in the first period against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
The Golden Knights always find a way.
1. Hero in a Half Shell: Hertl Power!
No one loves to score goals more than Tomáš Hertl. Since snapping a 29-game scoring drought, the 32-year-old forward has four goals in his last eight games. Following the 5-4 win, Hertl revealed that an old friend from his days with the San Jose Sharks called him during the scoring drought and provided words of encouragement.
“My old teammate called me– Joe Pavelski– and I had a 30-minute talk with him,” Hertl said. “He actually helped me a lot. We’re pretty close…. He got me through a lot.”
With 3:24 remaining in the third period, Hertl scored a beauty from the slot to break a 4-4 tie. It’s his second goal in the last three games; both were game-winners to break a tie in the third period.
Also… He’s tired of answering questions about the scoring drought.
“This playoff, you guys have been asking me this all the time,” Hertl joked following the 5-4 win. “I thought, now that I’ve scored a couple of goals, it can be over.”
2. The Pit (Authentic Barbecue) and the Pendulum
Going into this Stanley Cup matchup, the national narrative was that this would be a “boring series,” because two defensively sound teams couldn’t possibly make things entertaining.
HA.
In terms of momentum swings, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining hockey game than Game 1 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, only to see the Golden Knights wrestle control of the game and take a 3-2 lead of their own in the second. From that point on, the teams traded goals until Tomáš Hertl’s tally late in the third period proved too much for the Hurricanes to overcome.
“It’s probably going to be that way through the whole series here, back and forth,” said head coach John Tortorella following the Game 1 win. “I have all the confidence in the world, no matter where the flows go. We’re not gonna get into a panic mode by any means. We may not come back, we may lose a game, but we’re going to do it without losing ourselves completely, because you can get really sloppy when you start panicking. I don’t think there's gonna be any panic in the team, no matter what happens in this series.”
These teams are both extremely good, and even after Game 1, it’s tough to predict how this series will play out. But if tonight’s showing was anything to go off of… Giddy up.
3. What Happens in Vegas…
The Golden Knights have a unique skill: they’re really, really good at falling behind in games and finding a way to win. During the regular season, it seemed like the ‘comeback king’ mantra would be their demise– because, really, how many ugly wins do the Golden Knights have in them?
As it turns out, the Golden Knights had quite a few ugly wins in them.
This Game 1 victory wasn’t pretty by any means– they gave up a 2-on-1 just 25 seconds into the game, and the Hurricanes made them pay. But it’s possible that an ugly win was the best thing that could have happened to the team.
All year, this team has played with the belief that, if they fell behind in games, they could simply come back and get right back into the fight. To win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final following that formula, by way of another miraculous comeback, can only make that confidence grow.
“We were in this situation quite a number of times in the regular season, so I feel like we’re kind of comfortable,” said defenseman Shea Theodore following the win. “Obviously, it’s never ideal. But I think when guys keep their heads down, keep pushing, keep trying to play the right way, then things end up kind of turning for us.”
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 02: Brett Howden #21 of the Vegas Golden Knights scores a goal past Frederik Andersen #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period in Game One of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center on June 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes jumped out to a 2-0 lead and looked awesome until they didn’t.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights counter-punched and punched back hard as they went on to out-score the home team, 5-4 on Tuesday night to win game one of the Stanley Cup Final.
After the Hurricanes outhit the Montreal Canadiens by well over double the hits in the previous series, they were inexplicably outhit for this game, 35-26 on an energetic night where they had the crowd behind them.
Frederik Andersen had an amazing postseason so far, but looked quite ordinary on this night. At times he looked slow, especially in moving post to post. Perhaps his emotions caught up with him or perhaps it was just a bad luck night. He made 18 saves on the 23 shots he faced.
The game started off looking like the Nikolaj Ehlers show as the speedy winger broke in alone twice, and he was able to beat goalie Carter Hart both times. Goal number one came just 25 seconds into the game. His next goal came 12 minutes later.
The Knights had a slow start but were able to get a fluky goal past Andersen before the end of the period when Eric Robinson ticked in a Shea Theodore shot.
Vegas scored twice early in the second to take the lead, the first one just 25 seconds into the stanza but Jordan Staal rifled in a shot later in the second to tie the game.
Just 1:21 into the third period, Brett Howden got a step on the defense and tipped in a shot giving him 11 goals in the postseason.
About midway through the third, Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game on a nice approach shot. But as “Ghost” giveth he can also take away. Tomas Hertl beat the defenseman to the front of the net to score the game-winner.
After the game the blueliner admitted that he “took a breath” and was beat on the play.
It was an exciting game and both teams made numerous mistakes. I would expect that they both will make adjustments to tidy those up for Thursday night, but we will see.
For the first time in years, Darryl Sutter is stepping back into the spotlight—and he's bringing plenty of stories with him.
The former Calgary Flames bench boss is set to release a new book later this year, giving hockey fans a rare glimpse into the mindset of one of the NHL's most memorable and polarizing personalities.
Sutter Returns To The Spotlight With New Book
On Tuesday, Sportsnet's Justin Bourne revealed that Sutter will publish The Code of the West – Lessons From the Ranch and the Rink, with the book scheduled to hit shelves on Oct. 13.
Few figures in hockey have built a reputation quite like Sutter's. Whether behind the bench, working in a front office, or speaking to reporters, the Alberta native earned a reputation for being unapologetically direct and refreshingly authentic.
"[Sutter] is better known and even more loved for his reputation—as an advocate of aggressive, hard-nosed hockey, as a no-nonsense farmer who was never softened by the bright lights of fame, as one of six brothers who made it to the NHL, and as perhaps the most entertainingly blunt interviewee in the history of the game, capable of dissolving a scrum of reporters into laughter with a deadpan one-liner," reads the book's description.
"Fans, players, media, and opponents—everyone knows what they are going to get with Darryl Sutter. No bull. Just the stuff that means something."
The book is currently available for pre-order through Indigo, where the hardcover edition is listed at $26.60. An ebook version will also be available for $16.99.
A Career Built On Championships, Candor, And Hockey Tradition
While many younger fans know Sutter for his coaching career, his hockey résumé stretches back decades. He appeared in 406 NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks, recording 161 goals and 279 points while sharing the ice with stars such as Denis Savard and Tony Esposito.
His impact behind the bench was even greater.
Sutter guided the Los Angeles Kings to Stanley Cup championships in both 2012 and 2014, cementing his legacy as one of the most successful coaches of his era. Along the way, he coached some of the game's biggest names, including Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, Bernie Nichols, Jarome Iginla, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty.
His connection to Calgary remains especially significant. Sutter served as both head coach and general manager during a pivotal period in franchise history before returning for a second coaching stint in 2021. That return culminated in a Jack Adams Award-winning season in 2021-22, though his tenure came to an end following the 2022-23 campaign.
Since then, Sutter has largely stayed out of the public eye, making this book one of the first major opportunities for fans to hear directly from him again.
Given his decades in the game, championship pedigree, and reputation for telling it exactly how he sees it, there should be no shortage of stories waiting between the covers.
They blew a 2-0 lead, fell behind 3-2 and twice tied the score before falling on Tomas Hertl's winning goal with 3:24 left in the third period.
The Hurricanes, whose forechecking frustrates opponents, found the same difficulties getting out of the zone because of the Golden Knights' forecheck.
"We didn't handle the pressure particularly well.," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
Here are the winners and losers of the Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, a turnover-filled game that both coaches will have to address:
WINNERS
Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl
He went through a 29-game goal drought that carried from the regular season into the playoffs. But his winning goal was his fourth goal in the last eight games as he worked a give-and-go with Colton Sissons.
"We gave him some time," Tortorella said. "It took a little time, but the time was getting short. ... Once he scored, his game kind of changed. He's come through at a very important time and has given up some consistent minutes."
Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers
The Hurricanes signed the free agent to a six-year deal averaging $8.5 million. He reinforced why in Game 1 with his speed and shot. His goal 25 seconds into the game was the third fastest in the history of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He made a nice move on a breakaway goal to make it 2-0.
Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb
He's known more for his shot blocking and physical play than his offense. But he had three assists for his first time in a playoff game to help lead the Golden Knights' offense. He was a plus-3 and blocked two shots for good measure.
LOSERS
The Hurricanes' first line
Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis continue to struggle in the playoffs. Aho put the puck over the net in a chance in close and Svechnikov fanned on a one-timer.
"They had one good shift in the third there," Brind'Amour said. "Everybody has to play well if you're going to win at this time of year. Your best guys have to get on the scoresheet."
The Hurricanes' power play
It entered the game at a paltry 12.5% and went 0-for-2 on Tuesday with not many looks.
The goaltenders
Vegas' Carter Hart and Carolina's Frederik Andersen made a few good saves but weren't their usual selves. Hart had an .852 save percent age and Andersen was at .783. Coming into the games, they were at .924 and .932, respectively.
After allowing just one run across his two previous outings combined, Mets right-hander Jonah Tong had a tough night on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners.
The 22-year-old entered in the second inning and allowed five runs (four earned) over 3.1 IP, with three coming on a home run in the fifth inning to Jhonny Pereda that blew the game open, 7-2. Following the loss, Tong acknowledged his fastball wasn't working against the Mariners' bats and struggled after a solid first inning on the mound, knowing he needs to be more consistent.
"I obviously didn't have my fastball command for most of the game, so moving forward that's the definitely be the thing I'll focus on the next few games, weeks," Tong said. "Just getting that dialed back in and I'm more than confident it'll rebound right out of it really nicely."
He added on his overall performance: "Strong first little inning and then felt like I found my delivery and my stuff towards the end. Obviously it just boils down to that second and third up. I just got to do a better job."
While acknowledging the defensive errors that occurred, manager Carlos Mendoza pointed to Tong's issues throwing strikes and getting ahead in counts as the main reasons for the poor outing. In total, Tong threw 83 pitches, but only 54 were for strikes. He used his fastball 35 times (42 percent of pitches), but only had three whiffs on 16 swings and four called strikes.
"Having a hard time throwing strikes, that's where it starts," Mendoza said. "His ability to get strike one was below average today. And then deep counts, three-ball counts. Again, we don't make a couple of plays behind him and it cost him. But I think it's just like I said before the game, his ability to compete in the strike zone, and right now he's not doing it."
Like Mendoza mentioned, Tong did have to work around two errors in the third inning by Marcus Semien and Mark Vientos that forced him to throw 27 pitches in the frame. After a long time on the mound like that, Tong said he needs to "find a way" to push through when heading back out there again quickly like he did.
"You just got to calm yourself down after that," Tong said. "There's a lot of pitches thrown a couple times throughout that inning, just got to find a way to settle down after. Just got to find a way. Right, at the end of the day, that's out of my control in a lot of cases and that's the reality we're in so I got to find a way."
The home run pitch to Pereda came on cutter, which is something he's worked into his arsenal this year. He knows the pitch needs to improve, especially in big moments like Tuesday night.
"Part of it is just gonna be you're gonna have some really good ones and you're just gonna have one that gets away from you. And unfortunately had to be that one," Tong said. "But again, I have to do a better job with that pitch. That's plain and simple there."
Tong's future as the team's bulk pitcher after an opener next time through the rotation is still up in the air, as they'll need him to improve if he gets another chance. For now, New York will look to avoid a sweep on Wednesday afternoon against the Mariners.
Jun 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Michael Soroka in the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Dodgers evened the series on Tuesday night by narrowly beating the Dbacks 6-5. The Dbacks had plenty of runners on base, but were 1 big hit short Tuesday night.
Michael Soroka struggled early in this one allowing 2 runs in each of the first 2 innings. He allowed a 2 run HR to Freeman in the first and Ohtani tripled in 2 runs in the second. After the second inning however, Soroka locked it in and cruised through the next 4 innings. After giving up the 4 runs through 2 innings, it was huge for him to be able to get through 6 innings and keep his team in the game.
Offensively, Corbin Carroll homered in the 3rd inning. Nolan Arenado also delivered a big 2 run double in the bottom of the 7th that narrowly missed a home run as it was hit a little to flat but plenty hard at 104 mph. Pavin Smith had a big at bat in the bottom of the 7th with the bases loaded, drawing a big walk to bring the Dbacks within 1 run. Unfortunately though, the team would leave them loaded.
I also thought it was worth noting that Juan Morillo and Kevin Ginkel were really good yet again. Ginkel had a fantastic 1,2,3 inning to maintain the momentum and shut down the Dodger offense after bringing the game within 1 run. Juan Morillo came in in the 9th and proceeded to strike out Ohtani and Freeman in dominant fashion. Just really impressive stuff from these guys once again and I think its worthy of a shout out.
The achilles heel of this Dbacks team tonight aside from the early runs surrendered by Soroka was the lack of timely hitting. The offense did a great job of getting traffic on the bases but this Dbacks offense once again struggled to have the big at bat and get the big hit. They were just 2-12 with RISP. It is tough to win games with at bats like that with RISP. One such at bat that will certainly get discussed a lot is Geraldo Perdomo’s perplexing bunt in the bottom of the 9th down 1. Ildemaro Vargas had just singled ahead of him putting the tying run on first base with one out, and Perdomo with a 3-1 count laid down a bunt and got thrown out at first. What makes this even more scratching is that lefty Pavin Smith was on deck due to face a lefty. Im sorry, but as the regular 3 hole hitter on this team, you have to be more situationally aware than that and have the confidence to swing the bat in that situation. Major red flag for me the lack of situational awareness as well as the lack of confidence.
Overall, this was yet another game the Dbacks could’ve won and there is something to be said about that when you are playing one of the top teams in the league. They will look to take the lead back in the series tomorrow night but will have the tall task of trying to do so against Shohei Ohtani. Tomorrow is a big night for Zac Gallen. This team really needs him to start stepping up and tomorrow would be a great time to start.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 02: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets watches his two run home run during the third inning Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners proved once again why they’re the hottest team in baseball at the expense of the New York Mets.
The Mets gave up three home runs and committed two errors as the Mariners won their eighth straight game. Meanwhile, the Mets’ lineup outside of Carson Benge couldn’t get much going in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss. Benge hit two home runs and accounted for all three of New York’s runs.
Benge’s home runs came against Seattle’s starting pitcher Logan Gilbert, who finished with eight strikeouts across five and 1/3 innings. The Mariners’ bullpen took it from there, shutting New York down the rest of the way. Julio Rodriguez, Patrick Wisdom, and Jhonny Pereda added home runs for Seattle.
Huascar Brazobán played the role of opener for Jonah Tong and went once through the Seattle order with poor results. He walked the leadoff man, J.P. Crawford, before getting three groundball outs to escape. He wasn’t so lucky in the second inning. Dominic Canzone’s single was followed up by Wisdom’s home run to put Seattle up 2-0. Brazobán gave up a double to Colt Emerson before being pulled for Tong, who struck out Crawford on three pitches to end the inning.
The Mets’ rookie outfielders answered back in the top of the third. AJ Ewing hit his first big-league double, which was followed by Benge’s first home run of the night. Benge’s third-inning dinger was the hardest-hit ball of his career at 109.8 mph. Bo Bichette was then hit by a pitch, but Gilbert struck out Soto to end the inning. Soto entered the game 1 for 13 in his career against Gilbert. After he lined out and struck out, Soto got a single off Gilbert in the fifth inning before the right-hander was pulled.
The Mets’ infield defense let Tong down in his first clean inning. Randy Arozarena hit a line drive at Marcus Semien that Semien was able to knock down, but he airmailed the throw to first base, allowing Arozarena to advance to second. Next up was Luke Raley, who hit a line drive to first baseman Mark Vientos, who dropped it, easily sending Arozarena to home plate. The Vientos error put the Mariners up 3-2, a lead they never gave up.
Tong got into trouble all on his own in the fourth inning. He walked Wisdom, gave up a single to Pereda, then a walk to Crawford to load the bases. Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to score Wisdom and increase the lead to 4-2.
It kept getting worse for Tong in the fifth inning when he gave up a three-run home run to Pereda. Buried 7-2 and short on arms, manager Carlos Mendoza left Tong in for the rest of the fifth before going with Cionel Perez to start the sixth. Perez immediately gave up Rodriguez’s solo shot, but didn’t allow any more runs across two total innings. AJ Minter pitched for the second night in a row, stranding a pair in the eighth inning.
Benge’s second home run came in the sixth inning, but the Mets’ offense went quietly after the brief sign of life. A single from Brett Baty in the seventh and a walk from Benge in the eighth were all the Mets got going against Seattle relievers Eduard Bazardo and Cooper Criswell.
Semien, Vientos, Bichette, Jared Young, and Hayden Senger all went hitless for the Mets.
New York looks to avoid the sweep with Freddy Peralta on the mound for Wednesday’s series finale at 3:30 PM ET.
Big Mets winner: Carson Benge, +22% WPA Big Mets loser: Jonah Tong, -28% WPA Mets pitchers: -45% WPA Mets hitters: -5% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge home run in the third, +20.9% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Patrick Wisdom home run in the second, +19.9% WPA
Tuesday night's game against the Mariners showed the inconsistency of Mets first baseman Mark Vientos this season.
In the first inning, Vientos made a couple of good plays at first, including a nifty play going to his left on a grounder by Luke Raley down the right field line. Vientos scooped up the grounder, turned and threw to Huascar Brazoban covering at first to get the third out of the opening frame. Just two innings later, with a runner on second and one out, Raley lined a pitch toward Vientos at first base, but the youngster could not come up with the liner as the ball trickled into the outfield, allowing the Mariners to take a 3-2 lead.
In the fifth, Vientos would have a chance at making a play for his pitcher when Cole Young hit a grounder in the hole between first and second, but Vientos deflected it, allowing Young to reach for a one-out single. The Mariners would use that opportunity to score three more runs to go up 7-2, and Seattle would eventually win 8-3.
"Just jumped up and missed it," Vientos said of the error after the game.
When asked about the play in the fifth, Vientos said, "That one took a bad hop. Put a good glove on it, but took a bad hop."
"He’s been on and off," manager Carlos Mendoza said of Vientos' defense. "There’s been stretches where you see him play well defensively and then a couple of plays tonight are routine plays. Some inconsistency there at times."
Vientos made his fourth error in 50 games at first base on Tuesday. Last year, he had eight errors in 72 games at third base, but with Jorge Polanco on the IL, Vientos has been thrust into the starting role of late. So far this season, Vientos has a -4 OAA playing the field, according to Baseball Savant, which puts him in the eighth percentile in MLB.
But Vientos is in the lineup for his bat, but that inconsistency on the field has spread into his batting. The young slugger had a chance to do some damage and get the Mets back into the game.
After Carson Benge's second home run of the game cut the M's lead to 7-3, Vientos came up with runners on first and second, and one out. Jared Young's eight-pitch walk knocked starter Logan Gilbert out of the game, allowing Vientos to go up against Seattle's bullpen. However, Vientos swung at a first-pitch sinker running in on him from RHP Eduard Bazardo, and grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Vientos finished 0-for-4 and is 3-for-23 (.130) with one home run over his last seven games.
"Inconsistent, especially against righties. Having a hard time against righties," Mendoza said of Vientos offensively this season. "When you look at the numbers, he’s been pretty good against lefties. But righties are giving him a hard time."
Against left-handers, Vientos is slashing .273/.294/.439 with an OPS of .733 to go along with two home runs and eight RBI. The power numbers are greater against right-handers so far this season -- five against righties -- but the overall hitting numbers are worse. Vientos is slashing .190/.233/.347 with an OPS of .580.
The 26-year-old said he still has confidence at the plate, but acknowledged his inconsistencies.
"Last month, a lot of bad luck, but the inconsistency is not something that I want," Vientos said. "I’m pushing for better results, working with the coaches and trying to be the best version of myself. It’s not happening, but I’m working for it, for sure."
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 02: Relief pitcher Blake Treinen #49 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the sixth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on June 02, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers peppered their offense throughout Tuesday’s game, then rode the high wire as the bullpen recorded the final 13 outs of a 6-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix.
He doubled down the right field line and scored on Freddie Freeman’s home run in the first inning. Then Ohtani drilled a ball into the right field corner in the second for a two-run triple. He was intentionally walked with a runner on third base in the seventh, and scored then too, part of the Dodgers’ third two-run inning of the evening.
Freeman was hitless on Monday, snapping a 14-game on-base streak, but had three hits on Tuesday. He’s been on an extra-base-hit tear, with five home runs and four doubles in his last 13 games, raising his seasonal OPS 98 points during that time.
Eric Lauer didn’t give up much in the first four innings, mostly just a solo home run by the red-hot Corbin Carroll off the top of the left field wall and into the bullpen with two outs in the third. That was to be expected, with Lauer now at 13 home runs allowed, tied for eighth-most in the majors. Carroll entered Tuesday with a 219 wRC+ against lefties this season, which Ryan Blake wrote about at FanGraphs. Arizona’s star southpaw has punished southpaws to the tune of .417/.527/.708.
Two singles to open the fifth inning set the Diamondbacks up nicely, with Ketel Marte delivering a sacrifice fly to plate a second run. Lauer was allowed to face Carroll a third time, and landed a fastball and curve at the top of the zone to strike out Carroll with a runner on second base. That ended Lauer’s night at 4 2/3 innings.
Tuesday was the first time a Dodgers starting pitcher didn’t complete five innings in 12 games, and the bullpen had a bumpy road to cross the finish line.
Blake Treinen walked a first batter, then gave up a low liner to left by Nolan Arenado that had designs on bring another run home, but Ryan Ward made a sliding catch to escape further damage in the fifth, keeping the lead at two runs.
Two Diamondbacks reached off Edgardo Henriquez in the sixth, but he kept them there. Kyle Hurt walked three batters batters and couldn’t finish the seventh, and Arenado brought two of them home with a double off the left field wall. This time a bobble from Ward helped the second run score, as Mookie Betts’ relay was just a hair late to get a sliding Gabriel Moreno at the plate.
Hurt had three unintentional walks in 66 batters faced this season through Monday, but walked three of his six batters faced on Tuesday.
With a chance to reset, Klein allowed two singles in the eighth inning but got a double play to escape with the lead intact. He leads the Dodgers with eight appearances pitching in multiple innings this season, three more than the next-most on the team (Jack Dreyer).
Tanner Scott allowed a one-out single in the ninth. Geraldo Perdomo, who finished fourth in National League MVP voting last year but has struggled to the tune of a .679 OPS this year, laid down a bunt on a 3-1 pitch, which got the potential tying run in scoring position, but at the cost of a precious second out.
That left lefty Pavin Smith against the lefty Scott, and the resulting harmless groundout allowed the Dodgers to claim this one.
Tuesday particulars
Home runs: Freddie Freeman (9); Corbin Carroll (8)
Shohei Ohtani makes his 10th pitching start of the season on Wednesday night (6:40 p.m., SportsNet LA), with opening day starter Zac Gallen on the mound for Arizona.
Jun 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Colorado Rockies second baseman Willi Castro (3) is greeted after hitting a three run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
I am weird, you are weird. Everyone in the world is weird. One day two people come together in mutual weirdness and fall in love — Dr. Seuss
When two very bad baseball teams — say the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Angels — play a series, the stage is set for weirdness. That first became clear in Game 1 (e.g., ten walks, four errors, and an MLB review to decide the game in the bottom of the ninth).
The trend continued in Game 2 as the Rockies soundly defeated the Angels, 8-2, scoring back-to-back series wins in the process. They last had back-to-back series wins in August 2025.
The offense: Oh, the places you’ll go!
Tonight, the Rockies offense was (mostly) cooking.
After a sleepy first inning, Hunter Goodman got things rolling in the second with a leadoff home run, his 15th of the season.
Troy Johnston followed that up with a double and error on Jo Adell that allowed him to move to third with no outs. An Ezequiel Tovar sacrifice fly scored Johnson, and the Rockies had a 2-0 lead with one out in the second inning.
Grayson Rodriguez walked the next two batters, Kyle Karros and Sterlin Thompson. Between the errors and the walks, Game 2 began to have terrifying echoes of Game 1. Edouard Julien singled to scored Karros, and the Rockies had a 3-0 lead when the second inning had concluded.
Nothing of note happened in the third, but the fourth inning saw the Rockies on the move again.
After Rodriquez recorded two quick outs, he issued three singles, which resulted in Jake McCarthy scoring Kyle Karros. A throwing error allowed by Wade Meckler put McCarthy on second. And then Willi Castro (3) got everyone taco’s with a three-run homer.
Because this is a Rockies-Angels game, it involved walks, errors, and general weirdness. That happened when TJ Rumfield stepped up to the plate following Castro and hit a very strange home run, his eighth of the season.
And that was it for Grayson Rodriguez. He finished with 3.2 IP, allowing eight runs (all earned) on eight hits. He walked three, struck out two, and allowed three home runs on 91 pitches. He currently has a 10.00 ERA.
The Angels got on the board in the fifth inning. Tomoyuki Sugano got two quick outs, but struggled for the third. After allowing a double and a walk, Meckler got the Halos on the board with a double, and the score was 8-2. Sugano allowed two more runners to get on base before getting the final out.
And with that, his evening was done.
Though there was a bit on on-base traffic, things settled down for the Rockies after the fourth inning. However, this 13-pitch at-bat from Sterlin Thompson in the seventh merits some “Hang it in the Denver Art Museum” treatment.
For those keeping score at home, that’s the longest at-bat by a Rockie this season.
The offense stirred in the ninth inning when, with one out, Goodman doubled, and Troy Johnston followed up with a walk. However, the Rockies were unable to capitalize.
In terms of the final numbers, it was a good night to be Hunter Goodman, who went 2-for-4 with two hits including a home run, a double, and a walk.
The Rockies finished the evening with eight runs on 12 hits. They had five walks and eight strikeouts and were 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
The Rockies challenge going forward? “Playing day by day,” Schaeffer said, pointing to the length of the season.
Tomoyuki Sugano: Great day for up!
For Sugano, it was another solid outing, marred by a struggle to get the last out in the fifth inning, but still the kind of performance the Rockies have come to expect from him.
His final line was 5.0 IP and two runs (both earned) allowed on five hits. He walked two and struck out five on 96 pitches.
“I thought his splinter was excellent today,” Schaeffer said, though he commented on a lack of efficiency. Still, “he did a nice job.”
The bullpen: One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish
In the sixth inning, it was time to bullpen.
Blas Castaño entered the game in relief of Sugano and pitched two perfect innings in which he allowed no hits, runs, or walks. He also finished his evening by striking out Mike Trout swinging.
His current ERA is 4.15. Carry on, Blas! Carry on.
On the less-weird-but-still-very-cool side, TJ Shook made his MLB debut. His first out was a fly ball to left field. Following that, Vaughn Grissom hit a double, and Shook followed that by throwing three straight balls to Jo Adell before earning a called strike.
Then Chad Stevens turned a gorgeous unassisted double play. (Unfortunately, MLB has not provided video.)
Juan Mejia handled the ninth. He allowed one hit, but no damage.
In total, Rockies pitching allowed two runs (both earned) on seven hits.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 02: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox sprints for first in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park on June 02, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The latest in a long line of disgraceful factoids surrounding the 2026 Red Sox remained in tact on Tuesday night: Since Chad Tracy took over as interim manager back on April 25th, the Red Sox have not won a single game at Fenway Park in which the opponent scored more than one run. They’re 4-12 overall in Tracy’s 16 home games at the helm, have lost every single series started east of the Appalachians during that time, and continue to stumble into inefficient oddities at the plate on a near daily basis not seen since one of the Roosevelt administrations.
Speaking of which, Tom Caron announced on the NESN postgame show that this is the Red Sox’ worst home record to start a season (9-20) in 94 years. In case you’re wondering, that 1932 Red Sox team lost a franchise worst 111 games, and also fired their manager (Shano Collins) just after he reached double digit wins.
Combine all the ingredients in this sobering stew of suck, and isn’t it rather appropriate that Chad Tracy’s pet project, Mickey Gasper, made the final out of this game? On the surface, Gasper is a feel good story making the most out of his callup, batting .333 and seizing the majority of the starts behind the plate in recent days. Breaking it into even more detail, he’s collected 18 hits in just 60 plate appearances since getting the nod. All of this sounds nice, until you realize exactly zero of those hits have come in his 12 highest leverage plate appearances on the season.
There’s a reason for this: Mickey Gasper can’t hit high leverage arms! He’s not good enough, and he shouldn’t be taking the final at bat of a game at Fenway Park for the Red Sox down by two in the ninth inning. This isn’t meant to be a knock on him, because to his credit, Gasper’s actually taken some of the better looking at bats on the team in recent weeks against low and medium leverage guys (that is meant to be a knock on everybody else). But if you’re a big market team and your roster is weak enough that Mickey Gasper is getting the lion’s share of the plate appearances when his bat comes up in high leverage moments, something went seriously wrong when constructing the roster.
He’s a 30-year-old who has nearly ten times as many minor league plate appearances (a shade under 2,000) as major league ones (less then 200). Despite this, he’s both clearly the hottest hitting catcher of the three underwhelming backstops on the roster, and the right guy to bat in that spot thanks to a hideously undermanned bench.
And you know what’s specifically frustrating about this roster construction tonight? This is exactly the type of game the “run prevention Red Sox” should be winning if the formula is going to work. Connelly Early didn’t have it on the mound, but he battled enough to keep the team in the game before the bullpen froze Baltimore’s run total at four. With just a little bit thump at the plate, this is the type of Fenway fray where if Red Sox string together even a couple of consecutive good at bats against a mediocre opponent, you get the crowd buzzing, and probably end up kicking the door down in an ugly but satisfying 5-4 win. No dice with this listless lineup.
Instead, we got to watch some of the thump that was on the free agent market last winter show up to Fenway in a road uniform and prove that yes, it’s still possible to hit home runs here from right handed batter’s box. Here’s Pete Alonso with some of that sweet, sweet right handed pop the Red Sox so sorely lack launching a ball Over The Monster:
Meanwhile, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a right handed bat the Red Sox did sign over the winter, had this to say following the game when asked about the discrepancy between the home and road records for the club:
“I just feel like on the road we’re a very close-knit team. When we come home, there’s just a lot of people. It’s different. It’s just a different vibe at home. We’ve got to figure out a way to make it small like how it is on the road. I just feel like at home we see a lot of people we don’t know that are around this area.”
I’m sure there’s more layers coming from these comments in the coming days because that’s a statement that feels ripe with details waiting to be unearthed. If anything, we need more people in the clubhouse tomorrow, not less.
Greg Weissert: Faced five batters, got all of them out, and struck out three. Since he only seems to pitch well without men starting on base, maybe he should open for Brayan Bello?
Tyler Samaniego: Certainly not the sharpest he’s looked, and he got some serious help from the umpires on that call that went to New York and wasn’t overturned, but he sucked up two innings of work and didn’t allow a run. If the Red Sox offense didn’t suffer from narcolepsy when it’s time to rally, there’s a version of this game where he might have gotten the win.
Three Duds
Masataka Yoshida: 0-4 with three strikes outs and an OPS down to .683. And this is from a guy you pretty much have to use at DH because he’s a terrible fielder, can’t throw, and has below average speed on the bases. If he’s not going to start hitting, I’m not sure what he’s still doing here.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Came to the plate three times tonight and made four outs.
Lengthy Replay Reviews: Another bad night for replay as the process not only failed to get a call right that could have cost the Orioles the game, but it took several minutes just to incorrectly let us know that the following call stands.
As you might imagine, Orioles Twitter wasn’t pleased in real time:
Play of the game:
It’s Pete Alonso’s two run jack (as seen above). Not just because it shoved the right handed power the Red Sox don’t have in their face, but also because it gave the Orioles the lead and provided what turned out to be the winning run.
ATLANTA (AP) — On Lou Gehrig Day, baseball’s reigning iron man came through with the biggest blow for the Atlanta Braves.
Matt Olson marked his 844th consecutive game with a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning, giving the Braves a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Olson’s towering shot — his 17th homer of the season — got a big assist from a strong breeze blowing toward the right-field corner. The slugging first baseman thought he got under the ball, but it kept drifting and drifting — until it barely cleared the tall brick wall.
“I did not” think it was a homer, Olson said. “Luckily, we had some wind blowing out that way.”
Appropriately, Olson took a starring role on a day that Major League Baseball marked the 85th anniversary of Gehrig’s untimely death from ALS at age 37 — a disease that is forever linked to the Iron Horse and cut short his then-record streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
Olson, who also doubled and came around to score a run that gave Atlanta a 3-2 lead in the third, has played in every game going back to May 2, 2021 — the longest active run in the big leagues.
“We’ve talked about the streak,” he said. “It’s not something I’m hanging up on a pedestal. But to be able to show up and play while I’m able to, I want to.”
Braves manager Walt Weiss praised Olson’s durability and couldn’t think of higher praise than being compared to Gehrig.
“Lou Gehrig was one of my all-time heroes,” Weiss said. “I made all four of my sons do their fifth-grade book report on Lou Gehrig. That was mandatory in our house. What a legacy he left behind. And you’ve got our iron man hitting the game-winning homer on Lou Gehrig Day, so very appropriate.”
Olson was acquired in a blockbuster deal with the Athletics ahead of the 2022 season after the Braves couldn’t agree on a new contract with longtime first baseman Freddie Freeman.
It was huge shoes to fill, but Olson has been highly productive since joining the Braves. He hit a franchise-record 54 homers in 2023, and is on pace for another big season for the team with baseball’s best record at 41-20.
“He’s rock-solid in every way,” Weiss said. “He’s so reliable.”
Olson said there’s a simple reason that he prefers playing every day, eschewing even the occasional day off.
“I just don’t like sitting,” the 32-year-old said with a smile. “I’ve had days off in the past and, man, it sucks sitting there and watching everybody else play. Sure, you’re tired sometimes. But I just think you have a commitment to your teammates and the fans and yourself and the organization. If you can go, you should go.”
His playing streak is the longest in the big leagues since Miguel Tejada had 1,152 consecutive games from 2000-07. Of course, Gehrig’s record was broken by Cal Ripken Jr., who played in 2,632 consecutive games during his Hall of Fame career with the Baltimore Orioles.
Like Weiss, Olson appreciates what Gehrig meant to the national pastime and especially how he brought more attention to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive neurological disease that has no known cure.
“I know people from my area who’ve been affected by it,” Olson said. “A brutal disease. Every time we get a chance to bring some awareness to it and do something to help people who are really affected by it, we’re all for it.”
After hitting four home runs in Spring Training with the San Diego Padres, outfielder Jase Bowen was a late option to Triple-A El Paso from spring camp. He then settled in to make an impression with the organization that resulted in getting his first major league call-up on Monday.
Bowen hit his 13th homer for the Chihuahuas on May 31. He has a 45.5% hard-hit rate and his max exit velocity for one of those hard hits was 112.6 mph. Bowen possesses all five tools, and if he can improve his 26.2% K rate, he could be a long-term solution in left field for the Padres. For now, he will replace Ramón Laureano, who was placed on the injured list with right hip inflammation.
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm went 5-1 for the week in their series against the Inland Empire 66ers and extended their lead in the California League South to two games over the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Their overall record stands at 30-21.
Catcher Ty Harvey, who just returned after having a hamstring strain earlier in the season, has now been lost until July with a broken hand that was hit by a swing while he was catching.
Infielder Luke Cantwell was also injured last week, allowing Kerrington Cross to get more playing time, and he has taken advantage. Cross is hitting .307 with a 1.040 OPS, tops for the Storm. He has eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 24 RBI in his 114 at-bats. The 24-year-old should be seeing Fort Wayne soon.
Outfielder Ryan Wideman is only 22 but he could also be pushing for a promotion to the TinCaps. Selected in the third round of the 2025 draft, Wideman is an excellent defensive centerfielder and has shown that he can hit too. His .314/.376/.500 line with 16 doubles, five triples, four home runs and 36 RBI. He leads the Storm in RBI by eight. But his 36 stolen bases in 45 attempts tops all of minor league ball. He might not ever develop significant power, but his other tools are very loud.
There are many offensive stars on the Storm roster who have stepped forward with the loss of outfielder Kale Fountain for the year. Outfielder Connor Westernburg, infielder Bradley Frye, and outfielder Qrey Lott, all undrafted free agents, will be interesting to follow through the season as they try to show why they should have been drafted.
The Storm pitching staff is not as impressive as the offense, but they are doing enough to keep Lake Elsinore in the top spot. Starter Winyer Chourio has a 3.38 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched over eight starts with 56 strikeouts to 19 walks and leads the staff in strikeouts.
Reliever Nick Falter has a 2.08 ERA in 34.2 innings pitched in 17 appearances, and he has 36 strikeouts to 11 walks.
Lefty Kruz Schoolcraft, the Padres first-round pick in 2025, has had a rocky start to his professional career, battling with his command over the early part of the season. In his last start on May 29, Schoolcraft pitched 3.2 innings, allowing five hits and three runs with nine strikeouts to two walks. He has an overall 8.03 ERA in nine games started and 24.2 innings pitched.
Last season, the Padres attempted to make Sean Barnett a two-way player. The experiment did not succeed and he was converted into just a pitcher during the second part of the season. That didn’t go too well either. The organization will now give him a chance to succeed as a reliever with his upper-90s fastball and plus-slider. He struggled in his first few appearances but has allowed just one run over his past 8.1 innings pitched (report per MadFriars.com).
Fort Wayne TinCaps (23-28 record, 4th in Midwest League East)
The TinCaps played to a 1-5 record this past week with a combination of offensive and pitching issues. Outfielder Jake Cunningham is their best hitter with a .301 average and .988 OPS. He and fellow outfielder Alex McCoy lead the team with 14 home runs each. Cunningham has 24 RBI and McCoy has 32 RBI. That is most of the offense for Fort Wayne, with no other hitters over .226.
Lefty Kash Mayfield had a hiccup in his May 29 start and only lasted 0.1 innings while giving up three hits, six earned runs, two walks, and a HBP in 32 pitches before being removed. He still has a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts to 16 walks.
Carson Montgomery has eight starts and 36.1 innings pitched with a 1.98 ERA with 33 strikeouts to 18 walks. Struggling with his command but still limiting the damage has been the highlight of his season so far.
Sidewinder Clay Edmondson keeps racking up the saves and now has the league best 10 in 21 innings pitched with a 0.43 ERA.
San Antonio Missions (20-31 record, last in Texas League South)
The Missions played to a 3-3 record against the Corpus Christi Hooks this past week. Outfielder Leandro Cedeno, 27, was released after not playing since May 15 after suffering an injury.
Catcher Ethan Salas continues to impress with his consistent play. His defensive skillset is still considered major league-ready per all reports. Offensively, he is showing why the Padres were unwilling to consider trading him in the past.
Salas is hitting .311/.359/.503 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 30 RBI over 44 games and 161 at-bats. He is catching in tandem with Chris Sargent and is the DH on most days when not catching. He also has 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts; a good runner and base stealer for a catcher.
His success makes a promotion a good possibility later in the season. Where he is promoted to is the question. With the struggles of Padres catcher Freddy Fermin continuing, it would be tempting to give Salas a look at the major leagues after the All-Star break. Bringing him up sooner is probably not an option, as he missed all of last season and should be allowed to get in a solid amount of repetition before being stressed by major league pitching.
Outfielder Tirso Ornelas had a horrible 2025. He was taken off the Padres roster, spent a good portion of the season injured, and couldn’t hit when he wasn’t injured. The Padres gave him an offseason to rework his swing and brought him back this year with the Missions. To his credit, he has performed much better. Ornelas has a .272 average and .783 OPS. He still lacks power with only five home runs but has 13 doubles and 22 RBI.
RHP Jhony Brito will be completing his rehab soon and should be ready if the Padres need him. He does have a minor league option remaining. In four starts and 13.1 innings, Brito has a 2.03 ERA. Starter/reliever Eric Yost has 29.1 innings pitched and a 3.07 ERA with 35 strikeouts but also has 19 walks.
Both Francis Peña and Andrew Moore have pitched in 14 games. Peña has a 2.21 ERA in 20.1 innings and Moore has a 2.55 ERA in 17.2 innings.
LHP Jagger Haynes leads the team with 49 strikeouts but he also has 21 walks and a 4.65 ERA. RHP Victor Lizarraga is struggling with command this season and has the most walks with 25 and a 5.95 ERA as well.
El Paso Chihuahuas (25-32 record, 3rd in Pacific Coast League East)
The Chihuahuas played to a 2-4 record for the week against the Albuquerque Isotopes. Their best hitter is now with the Padres and Tirso Ornelas might be the most likely replacement.
Infielder Pablo Reyes is hitting .331 with a .973 OPS. Outfielder Nick Schnell has 10 home runs and 22 RBI and infielder Mason McCoy continues to hit for slug with seven doubles, two triples, six homers and 36 RBI.
Outside of starter Evan Fitterer, the El Paso pitching staff is having problems with the conditions in the Eastern division of the PCL. Fitterer has a 2.81 ERA in 10 games started and 41.2 innings and has 32 strikeouts with 22 walks. JP Sears leads the team with 52 strikeouts but has a 6.93 ERA.
Kyle Hart and David Morgan are on the Padres roster, but neither looks to be promoted anytime soon. Both are struggling with command, with Hart carrying a 10.38 ERA and Morgan a 6.97 ERA.
That’s the story for the whole of the staff, for the most part.
ACL Padres (10-11 record, 3rd in West)
The ACL team played four games and split its games 2-2. Infielder Yimy Tovar was promoted to Lake Elsinore. The team continues to host several rehabbing players from other parts of the minor league system.
Outfielder Moises Valdez leads the team with a .382 average. Infielder Dawson Willis has a .346 average and 1.164 OPS.
RHP Lan-Hong Su has started three games for seven innings pitched and has a 1.29 ERA. Reliever Bernard Jose has pitched in eight games over 12.1 innings with a 0.73 ERA.
Dominican Summer League (DSL)
The DSL has begun play and the Padres have two teams again this year. The DSL Padres Brown and the DSL Padres Gold. The first games were Monday with both teams in action. Next week, the update will feature some players to watch and the results from the first week of action.
