Jul 4, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Signage depicting the 4th of July is displayed at Chase Field prior to the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Team News
D-backs’ undefeated run vs. Giants ends as Gallen searches for answers “Zac was really good for the early parts of this game,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I thought he was driving his fastball into the right parts of the zone.”
Said Gallen, “I felt like we were pretty much in control.” ………………………………………………………. “I think I had said a while back, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good in this game,” Gallen said. “Like, right now I’m on neither side of the coin, so it’s kind of frustrating. I felt like any time I made a mistake, the ball was [hit] for damage or leaving the ballpark.”
Diamondbacks’ win streak over Giants couldn’t last forever
“We’re not gonna quit on Zac,” manager Torey Lovullo said postgame. “No coach is gonna quit on him. I know he’s struggling and he’s gonna continue to fight because that’s his spirit … It’s not working the way we want it to for him, I’ll acknowledge that, but he can pay us unbelievable dividends if he gets on one of his runs.” https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/giants-win-streak-ends
The workers were called soda jerks because of the jerking motion used to pump soda water.
The holes in spaghetti spoons have a purpose.
The single, circular hole in the middle of pasta spoons isn’t just for draining. It is actually a measure for the serving size of spaghetti. The amount of dry spaghetti that fits snug in the hole counts as one serving.
A group of frogs is called an army.
They can also be called a chorus or colony. A group of toads, on the other hand, can be called a nest or a knot.
Since the 4th doesn’t fall on “my day,” have a fun and safe July 4th! Or Treason Day either, or. My mom graduated high school in the bicentennial year.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 01: Manager Skip Schumaker #55 removes relief pitcher Cole Winn #60 of the Texas Rangers from the game against the Cleveland Guardians during the seventh inning at Progressive Field on July 01, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Corey Seager is back on the IL less than a week after returning from a concussion and less than a month after another back related injury.
This is the third trip to the IL for Seager this season and the ninth in the five years he’s been in Texas with five years and $155 million still left on his contract.
Wyatt Langford and Brandon Nimmo are also dealing with injuries right now.
Chris Martin made a rehab appearance with AA Frisco on Wednesday on his way back from a shoulder impingement.
Morale is high despite all the injuries, with the Rangers wrapping up a 7-3 road trip even with crucial missing pieces.
Cleveland beat the Rangers 9-4 yesterday, snapping the Rangers’ longest road win streak since 2017.
Jul 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos (17) reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
They did it. They actually did it: The Giants finally beat the Diamondbacks.
The win feels a bit like finding a crumpled up dollar in your pocket after getting mugged for your wallet and phone. Less of a win, more of “not a total loss”, but the Giants will take it. These small victories are what they’re playing for as the calendar flips to July and speculation abounds before the trade deadline. Unabashed sellers, they enter the market with trench coat fully open, rattling their wares: “Franchise cornerstones, here. Get yur cornerstones here. 100% authentic, no-doubt, real-deal cornerstones here!”
In this weird purgatorial state, all the Giants have is the day. This is the team until it’s not the team anymore. As a member of the roster, you have to find other things to play for: individual achievement, camaraderie, development of skill, love of the game (hopefully), proof you belong, to avoid total embarrassment.
Saving face — that’s a big one. Dropping to 0-9 to the Diamondbacks, three consecutive series sweeps to a division rival that was formed in the90’s…that would’ve been too much to bear. Then there’s right-hander Trevor McDonald, who needed to kick dust at a June in which he went 0-4 with a 5.73 ERA. Or Heliot Ramos, who missed 37 games due to a hamstring injury, and returned a stranger, needing to reintroduce himself to the fanbase and reassert his claim to an outfield spot.
Both starter and outfielder did what they needed to do on Wednesday evening to help themselves and help the team. McDonald threw 6 shutout innings, allowing just one-hit and striking out 5, while Ramos powered the offense with a homer and RBI triple in the 6-4 win.
The only baserunner McDonald allowed was a lead-off single to Ketel Marte in the 4th. He leaned heavily on his sinker (56% usage) to set up his slider and change-up. The offspeed particularly shone — bagging three of his five K’s, generating 6 whiffs on 10 swings. But the major personal triumph of the night: zero free passes handed out. McDonald’s last walk-less outing was his first of the year on May 4th. He walked 13 batters over five starts in June with a 1.73 WHIP. Wild pitches and hit batters exacerbated issues and shortened his starts. Things were sloppy. At times, he looked in over his head, lacking the composure needed to stay afloat in the Majors.
McDonald had that composure on Wednesday when Arizona’s hitters forced him to work. Ketel Marte started the game with an 8-pitch at-bat. He fouled off three pitches, pushed the count to 3-2 before flailing over the top of a slider. Later in the 1st, McDonald put himself in a 3-0 hole to Corbin Carroll before pumping three sinkers into the zone — Carroll didn’t move his bat once. In the 4th with two-outs and Marte on third in a scoreless game, McDonald jumped out to an 0-2 advantage against Gabriel Moreno, who then didn’t bite at any three baited offerings off the plate. Count full, with the threat of Arizona’s pesky offense breaking through once again, McDonald kept challenging the zone, and he finally got Moreno swinging at a change-up after three fastballs.
The very next pitch thrown in the game Heliot Ramos rocketed over the wall in center field.
427 111 MPH off the bat, landing 427 feet from the plate — the shot was Ramos’s sixth of the year, his second since his return from the IL, and also broke-up an impressive scoreless outing by Zac Gallen.
The Giants offense had managed a single single off of Gallen over the first four innings. Ramos’s homer sparked a string of four hits, including a Victor Bericoto 2-run homer. In the 5th, after Gallen recorded the first two outs by way of the K, Rafael Devers worked a walk before Ramos nearly took Gallen deep again with a deep flyball that bounced off the top of the right-field wall and back into play. The RBI triple fueled another series of hits: Jung Hoo Lee pulled a single through the infield to plate Ramos, and two batters later, came around to score himself on Drew Cavanaugh’s single.
A pair of three-run rallies gave San Francisco a six run lead, which proved stable enough to survive a barrage of singles and some general defensive sloppiness at Ryan Walker’s expense in the 8th. Dylan Smith mopped up the mess and Caleb Kilian turned in a stress-free 1-2-3 9th.
The Giants have been done in by the desert, lost and lifeless as they’ve wandered in the unbroken heat. Nine games in, dehydrated and down-trodden, this team finally found a slice of shade.
A minor relief — but that’s what this team is playing for.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 13, 2026: Josh Hammond #18 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during a minor league spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 13, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With the first half of the minor league season over, I thought it would be a good time to evaluate the state of the Royals’ farm system. While the organization has developed a few stars like Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen are off to good starts, they have struggled to develop a roster of homegrown players that can win.
Most observers still rate the system in the bottom third in the league, and I don’t think developments this summer have changed that status. There is more higher end talent in the farm system than there has been in years, but the depth tails off very quickly. First-round draft picks like Frank Mozzicato and Gavin Cross have failed to pan out and frankly, wouldn’t be rostered anymore if they didn’t have their draft pedigree.
On the other hand, the Royals have several intriguing pitching prospects climbing prospect rankings, and their recent international signing classes are producing more talent than we’ve seen from the organization in quite some time.
You can see the mid-season prospect list I put together last year, with Carter Jensen and Luinder Avila having graduated from prospect status since then. Here is my stab at a midseason top 30 prospect list for 2026.
30. 3B Derlin Figueroa
The Royals acquired Figueroa from the Dodgers in 2023 in a deal for pitcher Ryan Yarbrough. His power has really developed nicely, and he has 15 home runs in just 63 games at Quad Cities. He is a bit old for the league and should probably move up soon, and his 30 percent strikeout rate is a bit of a red flag.
29. OF Corey Cousin
The Royals lured Cousin away from Oklahoma with an overslot signing in 2024, and the toolsy outfield has begun to hit this year in his first pro season. The 19-year-old right-handed hitter is batting .308/.439/.477 with 11 steals in the Arizona Complex League.
28. LHP Darwin Rodriguez
Rodriguez had an amazing strikeout-to-walk ratio in the Arizona Complex League and held his own upon a promotion to Low-A this year. He has built on that performance this year with a 4.43 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 67 innings in his second season with the Fireflies. He features a big breaking ball that should dominate at lower levels.
27. 1B Brett Squires
Squires went undrafted out of Oklahoma, and had done nothing but hit since joining the Royals. He has smacked an organization-best 16 home runs while hitting .293/.366/.570 across Double-A and Triple-A. He doesn’t walk much, and although he plays some outfield, he is mostly limited to first base. There are a lot of guys at the Triple-A level who show these kind of numbers only to fail to hit big league pitching, but if the Royals continue to struggle, why not give him a shot?
26. RHP Hiro Wyatt
Wyatt showed a lot of promise last year in Low-A, and while his ERA improved in a second tour there this year, his peripherals have taken a turn for the worse. Even more discouraging, he has been out since mid-May due to an undisclosed injury and is on the 60-day IL. There is still a lot of time for the 21-year-old, but these aren’t the first injury issues he has had.
25. LHP Jordan Woods
Woods was an undrafted free agent out of Ontario, Canada and doesn’t appear on many prospect lists, but at some point, results have to matter. He struck out 14 of the 18 batters he faced over six perfect innings in one start earlier this season and dominated the Carolina League with a 1.80 ERA in 35 innings. He was older than much of his competition, so his promotion to High-A should provide a better test of whether he’s truly a hidden gem or simply taking advantage of younger hitters.
Injuries limited Langevin last year, but he has returned to strike out a ridiculous 45 percent of all batters he has faced this year. He also has 25 walks in 31.1 innings as a 22-year-old in High-A, which is not ideal. The Quebecois native has tremendous spin on his fastball, but will need to develop control to be a factor.
23. RHP Eric Cerantola
The streak of Canadian pitchers continues. Royals fans have seen a glimpse of Cerantola, and he what you see is what you get – a live arm that can strike hitters out, but walks too many to be very effective. He can throw in the mid-90s with a decent slider, but needs far better command to stick in the big leagues.
22. RHP Blake Wolters
We continue our streak of pitchers who miss bats, but can’t find the strike zone. Wolters flat out dominated Low-A ball with a 1.65 ERA this year, but upon a promotion to High-A, the walks have piled up. He has a 12.35 ERA in eight starts with 24 walks in just 31.1 innings. He has had shoulder issues in the past that have limited his development, and the clock is ticking on the 21-year-old.
21. SS Ramcell Medina
Medina was a big international signing last year and was named a Dominican Summer League All-Star. He has struggled with the bat there this year, but is just 18 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop.
20. SS Warren Calcaño
Calcaño was the big signing in last year’s international class as a glove-first shortstop. He hit well in the Dominican League in his first pro season, but has struggled this year. Just 18 year old, he is very wiry and will need to add strength to his frame to be any kind of offensive threat.
19. SS Daniel Vazquez
Vazquez is a glove-first shortstop who could be interesting if his bat develops a bit. His bat exploded in the advanced Arizona Fall League last year, generating excitement that perhaps his offensive game was coming around, but he is hitting just .248/.31/.331 in 66 games at Double-A this year.
18. SS Austin Charles
Charles has had a very up-and-down pro career, and is the definition of a high variance prospect. The 22-year-old had a rough 2025 season, but rebounded to hit .306/.377/.491 with three home runs and eight steals in 30 games at High-A this year. In May, he suffered hip and abdominal ligament issues, requiring surgery that will keep him out at least two months. He brings a great power/speed combo, but has had some problems staying on the field.
17. C Moises Marchán
Marchán comes from a baseball family – his cousin Rafael plays for the Phillies. He was a high dollar signing in the 2025 international draft class and has done nothing but hit. He is hitting .339 in the Arizona Summer Complex League, although he hasn’t developed any power to speak of yet. The 18-year-old runs very well for a catcher and could develop more strength as he grows.
16. RHP Drew Beam
Beam was selected in the third round as a polished college pitcher after winning a championship at Tennessee in 2024. He had a solid season in High-A this year, but has struggled a bit with a 6.86 ERA in Double-A. He struggled to strike hitters out last year and his rate has only decreased this year, while his pinpoint control has worsened as well. He’ll need to reestablish his ability to throw strikes, but he has a deep arsenal that can help him avoid hard contact.
15. RHP Ben Kudrna
Kudrna is a Kansas City-area kid the Royals signed overslot as a second round pick in 2021. He struggled to put hitters away at lower levels, but significantly improved his strikeout rates last year, and he had a solid 4.21 ERA at Double-A. His fastball has been pretty hittable, although the Royals have worked with him to tweak it. He underwent elbow surgery in April, which will likely keep him out most, if not all of this season.
14. RHP Cameron Millar
Millar was an overslot signing selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of high school. He has pitched a few games in the Arizona Complex League and has an eye-popping 21 strikeouts and just 3 walks in 14.2 innings. He has a mid-90s fastball that can run up to 97, but needs refinement in his secondaries. He’s a good project for the Royals pitching development team, and we could see him assigned to Low-A soon.
Kansas City Royals’ 2025 3rd round pick Cameron Millar threw Wednesday night at Camelback. HS righty from Cali. Works straight over the top with north/south approach. Generates sw/m with 3 pitches: high carry fastball, CHG, and SL. 1/x pic.twitter.com/DHVuaQ8GAT
Gonzalez is one of the best base-stealers in professional baseball, swiping 117 bases over the last two years, second-most of any player. He has very little power, although he does seem to be hitting the ball with a bit more authority this year, and he has already hit three home runs this year – he had only hit two his entire career prior to this year. He can draw some walks, but with his lack of power, he seems unlikely to do so at higher levels. Right now he projects to be the future designated pinch runner the Royals love to employ, but if he can develop just a modicum of pop he could become interesting.
12. CF Carson Roccaforte
Roccaforte just seems to hit at each level, showing power, speed, and a decent eye, while playing a premium defensive position in centerfield. He is hitting .236/.332/.468 with 15 home runs at Double-A this year, and has seemingly conquered the level in 118 games over the last two years there. The knock on the lefty bat is his strikeout rate – he’s whiffing 32 percent of the time. If he can cut down on that, he has a chance to break into a Royals outfield that is thin on talent.
11. RHP Felix Arronde
Arronde has gotten pretty good results at each level, and while his ERA has taken a bit of a hit at Double-A this year, his peripherals have improved. He features a fastball in the mid-90s, but had a pretty low strikeout rate in High-A last year. This year, however, he has significantly boosted his strikeout rate while also cutting his walk rate, an encouraging sign that his stuff is playing better against more advanced hitters. He has some pretty good downward action on his pitches, particularly his curve, and he could be a guy whose stuff plays better in the bullpen.
10. SS Yandel Ricardo
There is a noticeable gap between the top ten prospects and the rest of the system. Ricardo was a high-dollar signing out of Cuba in 2024 known for his glove. He has developed a solid bat, and after a slow start at Low-A last year, he is hitting .252/.325/.406 with five home runs at age 19 this year. He has added some strength this year, and it seems to be paying off with more power. He does not seem to be overly aggressive, taking some free passes, and using his speed on the bases.
9. CF Angeibel Gomez
The Royals have developed a decent pipeline of talent from Venezuela, and Gomez is the latest product of that system. Signed for $2.9 million in this year’s international signing period, Gomez is a potential five-tool player that already stands 6’2” at age 17. He is dominating in the Dominical Summer League, exhibiting power, speed, and a patient eye. He’s a long way from the big leagues, but he has the kind of upside that could make him a star one day.
Angeibel Gomez 👀
The Royals OF went 3-for-3 yesterday and now has a 1.285 OPS so far in the DSL.
It’s early, but his underlying data reminds RoboScout of Josuar Gonzalez’s DSL breakout in 2025.
Lombardi was a two-way player at Tulane and was often used as a reliever, so he doesn’t have a ton of mileage on his arm. The Royals have used him as a starter and he has dominated at Low-A with a whopping 86 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. He has struggled a bit with walks and he is a bit old for that level, which allows you to get away with shaky command at times. The Royals have been working with him to develop his secondaries, and his refinement of those pitchers will likely determine if he makes an impact at higher levels.
7. CF Sean Gamble
Gamble was the 23rd overall pick for the Royals in the first round of the 2025 draft out of high school who was praised for being a polished hitter with great speed. The Royals have moved the former shortstop to center field, but he has struggled in his first season of pro ball, hitting .183/.294/.270 with three home runs in 68 games at Low-A. He has an encouraging 10.8 percent walk rate, has 19 steals, and shows surprising power at times. Still, I thought he was a bit of a reach with a limited ceiling for a prep player at the time he was drafted, and he has done nothing to dissuade me of that yet.
6. C Ramon Ramirez
Ramirez seemed like a man among boys at Low-A Columbia last year, and he has only increased his offensive production at High-A this year. Hitting .286/.363/.478 with 10 home runs in 65 games this year, Ramirez is one of the best power bats in the organization. He isn’t a very big hitter, but he has a compact swing and gets everything out of it. Ramirez is a convert to catching, and while he has made some strides, he is something of a work-in-progress.
5. LHP Justin Lamkin
Lamkin went from Texas A&M to High-A ball this year, and after flat-out dominating in six starts, the Royals aggressively promoted him to Double-A. He struck out 15 hitters in 11.1 innings over two starts with just three walks, but was shut down and put on the 60-day Injured List, with an undisclosed injury. That’s a disappointing setback in what looked like a meteoric rise for the 22-year-old. Lamkin only throws in the low-90s but has a funky, deceptive delivery that could play as a reliever if he can’t cut it as a starter. Depending on the severity of his injury, he could be a contributor in the big leagues pretty soon, although his ceiling is probably a bit limited due to the lack of a plus pitch.
4. C Blake Mitchell
The power that Mitchell lost from his hamate bone injury a year ago has seemed to return. He has slugged 13 home runs in 68 games and seems likely to surpass a career high as a pro. That’s good! He also continues to draw walks unlike any other player in the organization – 73 free passes for a 24 percent walk rate. That’s great!
What is concerning is that he is striking out a 35 percent clip and hitting .210 in his second season in High-A ball. Other high school hitters from his draft class – Max Clark, Walker Jenkins, Colt Emerson, Arjun Nimmala – are already at Double-A or higher, so I suspect Mitchell could get moved up soon. He will need to adjust his approach at higher levels where opposing pitchers throw more strikes, but it is encouraging to see some pop out of him.
3. SS/3B Josh Hammond
Hammond was the 28th overall selection in last year’s draft, and while he was the second player the Royals selected, I liked him a lot more than Gamble. Hammond provides the kind of raw power the Royals need in their lineup, and has seemingly adjusted to wood bats quite well. In 69 games at Low-A, he is hitting .293/.354/.431 with five home runs.
Still just 19 years old, Hammond’s frame really hasn’t filled out and you could project more power onto him as he ages. He shows a decent eye at the plate for a high school draftee, and has 18 steals already. I think his future is at third, but he has split time between short and third this year.
2. LHP David Shields
The Royals have long struggled developing high school pitchers, but David Shields could be an indication that is changing. The former second-round pick had an eye-popping strikeout-to-walk ratio last year, and has picked up where he left off last season. In 14 starts at Quad Cities this year, he has 74 strikeouts to 20 walks in 64 innings and opponents are hitting just .214/.296/.362 against him. Shields doesn’t blow hitters away with velocity – he throws in the low-90s – but he commands his pitches well and has developed some plus secondary pitches. Whether or not that combo will play at higher levels remains to be seen, but the 19-year-old is currently getting outs against much older competition.
1. RHP Kendry Chourio
The prospect with the most helium in the organization right now is 18-year-old pitcher Kendry Chourio. Signed for $247,500 out of Venezuela, Chourio impressed in six late season starts at Low-A last year, and he dominated in 11 starts there this year with a 1.88 ERA and 44 strikeouts to just 9 walks in 48 innings. He earned a promotion to High-A where he is nearly five years younger than the average player. The performance has earned attention from national evaluators, with Baseball America ranking him as the #37 prospect in the game, and MLB Pipeline placing him #70.
What stands out most is Chourio’s polish. He fills the strike zone and demonstrates uncommon command for a pitcher his age. He throws in the mid-90s with some cut to his heater, and some scouts feel he could add some velo as he matures. He mixes in a plus kick change up, above-average curve, and a solid slider that keeps hitters off balance. The Royals have aggressively promoted him and he has answered every challenge so far. He has perhaps the highest upside by a Royals pitching prospect since Yordano Ventura. Chourio still has several years of development ahead of him, but so far he has done just about everything you could hope to see from an 18-year-old pitching prospect.
Honorable mention: RHP Kyle deGroat, RHP Kamden Edge, IF Tyriq Kemp, RHP Augusto Mendieta, SS Tyson Moran, OF Spencer Nivens, LHP Oscar Rayo, OF Nolan Sailors, 3B Jhonayker Ugarte, C Hyungchan Um, RHP Steven Zobac
May 25, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) walks to the dugout after striking out during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | Scott Marshall-Imagn Images
Good morning everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your Mariners off-day yesterday. The squad is back in action this afternoon against the Angels.
The holiday weekend is now just around the corner! What plans do you have on this Fourth of July? Do you enjoy watching fireworks, or has the novelty of it been lost for you?
Commenter BearInTheRiver introduced a new baseball game called The Four Seamer. Check it out!
Around the league…
Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli issued an apology for his comments towards Willson Contreras during Tuesday night’s game which many perceived as racially charged.
Astros right-hander Christian Javier is set to return from the injured list with his shoulder strain healed — but he will do so in a bullpen role.
The MLBPA’s latest proposal to the league included an earlier trade deadline and limits on player demotions, among other things. Evan Drellich at The Athletic has the report. ($)
Despite the Mets’ continued struggles, owner Steve Cohen assured fans that president of baseball operations David Stearns is safe — for now.
The Chicago Cubs seem to always be portrayed as the “loveable losers.” Northwestern professor and longtime Cubs fan Bill Savage explored this running theme for the Cubbies in modern pop culture.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 16: Eric Hartman #64 of the Atlanta Braves singles in the seventh inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Sunday, March 16, 2025 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Eric Hartman will get most of the headlines for his historic achievement — seeing as though we’re not even at the break yet — and rightfully so. But the pitching down on the farm was downright excellent as well on Wednesday. So, without further ado, let’s break down what happened.
Owen Murphy continues to make his case as the next arm to be called up to the big league roster as the 22-year-old spun a gem to lead Gwinnett to a win.
In six innings of work, Murphy allowed just three baserunners — two via hit and one via walk — while striking out seven in the process. With his start, Murphy lowered his season ERA to 3.88 on the year. To date, it is Murphy’s best start with Gwinnett as he appears to finally have gotten his footing underneath him.
Murphy’s fastball averaged 92.6 MPH with a solid chase rate of 31.8%. He’s clearly ready for the big leagues, but with the trade deadline looming, perhaps the Braves keep him in triple-A to boost his value with more solid starts in the event they use him as a trade chip. Either way, Murphy is on the right track and if he is still with the team after the deadline, he will be in Atlanta soon thereafter.
OWEN MURPHY GEM. TEAM USA UP. WHO HAS IT BETTER THAN US??
While Murphy was dealing, his offense provided him with a solid night at the plate as well.
The Stripers wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard, scoring three times in the top of the first. Brewer Hicklen plated the first run of the game courtesy of an RBI-single to score DaShawn Kiersey Jr. Aaron Schunk followed that up with an RBI-double as well to score Brett Wisely, while Hicklen later came around to score on an RBI-groundout off the bat of Jose Azocar.
As for Hicklen, his good approach at the plate continues and he’s been rewarded as he is hitting .306 with an OPS of .884, which leads Gwinnett among qualified hitters.
Cedric De Grandpre and Owen Murphy must have had a competition going to see who could have the best outing between them on Wednesday. As fate would have it, the two righthanders posted the exact same line of six innings pitched, two hits allowed, one walk issued and seven strikeouts.
In the two starts since his disastrous outing on June 19 in which he allowed seven runs in just 1.1 innings of work, De Grandpre has bounced back quite nicely. Across 11.2 innings, has allowed just two runs while striking out a combined 14 batters in those two outings. Hopefully he is fully adjusted, or at least getting there, to the double-A level.
At the plate, the Clingstones offense came to play as Columbus registered eight runs on 10 hits in the win.
The Clingstones scored one run in each of the first and third innings to jump out to a 2-0 lead over Tennessee. While the Smokies cut that lead in half in the bottom of the seventh, Columbus responded in a huge way in their final trip to the dish.
Patrick Clohisy — who doubled earlier in the game — got the rally started with an RBI-triple to score Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. and make it a 3-1 game. Clohisy later scored on a Kyle Farmer single before Drew Compton posted the biggest swing of the night — a bases-clearing triple to extend the Columbus lead to 7-1 on the night.
— Columbus Clingstones (@GoClingstones) July 2, 2026
Tennessee managed to get two of those runs back in the home half of the ninth, but Owen Hackman locked in and closed out the game to cap off the win.
Speaking of relievers, Blake Burkhalter tossed another scoreless outing with a pair of strikeouts to his credit. Since joining Columbus on June 17, Burkhalter has tossed 6.1 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and only one walk issued thus far. It will be interesting to see how long the front office keeps Burkhalter in double-A before they bump him up to Gwinnett to see if he continues his success.
(37-38) Rome Emperors 8, (28-48) Jersey Shore BlueClaws 1
On the same day he was named a top-25 prospect in the sport by Baseball America, Hartman capped off his banner day by joining a prestigious club — doing so in historic fashion.
Needing just one home run to join the 20/30 club and become the first player both this season and in Rome’s history to post a season with that statline. What makes it even more impressive is the fact he was able to do it in just 71 games.
Hartman got his historic swing in the top of the fourth, taking 1-1, center-cut fastball from a lefty and pulled it over the right center field wall for an absolute rocket which also extended the Emperors’ lead to 2-0.
HE’S DONE IT!
Eric Hartman becomes the first player in Rome franchise history to record 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season!#RuleTheLand 🐧 pic.twitter.com/zZVlcRTGdh
It’s been an absolutely meteoric rise for Hartman who came into this season relatively unknown outside of Braves prospects circles. It’s not very often you get significant value out of a 20th-round pick, let alone a top-25 talent. But it appears as though Atlanta hit an absolute gold mine in Hartman. The only question is: when will he get to Atlanta?
There’s absolutely no reason to rush the 20-year-old, despite how poorly the big league offense is performing at the moment. However, the Braves have been one of the most aggressive teams in all of baseball when it comes to promoting their top guys and it would not surprise me if Hartman is next on that list.
Mid-2027 is still the most realistic timeline for Hartman to get the call, but you never can confidently rule out any options when it comes to Alex Anthopolous and company.
Back to Wednesday’s action, Dixon Williams had a huge night offensively as well, homering — his ninth of the year — while driving in three of Rome’s eight total runs on the night. Dallas Macias also got in on the long ball fun, homering in the top of the third to get the scoring started for the Emperors.
Keeping with the trend of solid pitching across the system, Ethan Bagwell was spectacular in his first start for Rome. In six innings, Bagwell held Jersey Shore scoreless while limiting the opposition to just five hits and one walk. He also struck out six in the process. It was quite the high-A debut for the righty and his progress, albeit slowed by injuries to start his pro career, could be a sneaky good one. So keep an eye on Bagwell moving forward and don’t be surprised if he continues to succeed and rocket up the prospect rankings himself.
(44-33) Augusta GreenJackets 1, (29-47) Salem RidgeYaks 0
The GreenJackets might have only scored one run and tallied just two hits on the night, but that was more than enough to get the win thanks in large part to Derek Vartanian’s stellar start.
In what was his best start to date, Vartanian spun seven innings of scoreless ball, holding Salem to three hits and striking out eight in the process. Across 12 starts thus far, Vartanian carries an ERA of 3.41 while tossing 71.1 innings and striking out 71 batters over that span. While he is older for the low-A level as he’s 22, Vartanian could be a candidate to make the move up to Rome, especially when the new slate of draftees join the club later this month or in August.
Following Vartanian on the mound, Logan Forsythe and Lewis Sifontes combined to close out this one by tossing one scoreless inning apiece to preserve the shutout.
As mentioned, there wasn’t much to write home about on Wednesday with regards to the Augusta offense. However, the one run proved to be the difference maker as Cody Miller singled home Conor Essenburg in the third inning to tally the game’s lone RBI.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 01: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates a 4-0 win over the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What has transpired in the last week or so, in terms of American League East baseball, cannot happen again. After play concluded on Wednesday, the Yankees had turned in seven consecutive losses, while the Rays won seven consecutive contests, flipping the standings completely. What was a 3.5 game division lead at the start of this miserable stretch is now a deficit of the same volume, as the Bombers have begun to dig themselves a hole rather rapidly.
New York’s game against the Tigers on Wednesday, and yet another convincing Rays win did not help things. Junior Caminero’s reign of terror also continued, and the Guardians bounced back after a tough loss on Tuesday. Let’s take a look at the details for a Wednesday full of baseball.
Tampa Bay Rays (50-33) 4, Kansas City Royals (35-52) 0
The tone was set from the get-go in Kansas City. With a runner on in the top half of the first, Junior Caminero belted a two-run shot into the left field seats. It was the first pitch he saw, and the booming homer made it his sixth straight game with a long ball, making him the youngest player to reach that feat in the modern era.
With Caminero’s historic blast giving Tampa Bay a lead out of the gates, it cleared the way for Shane McClanahan’s excellent outing on the mound. The talented lefty worked six scoreless innings on the mound, allowing just three hits and striking out four. It was an excellent start, and a needed one, as he was coming off of a couple of clunkers.
The Rays added to their lead thanks to the work of Cedric Mullins, who pitched in with a solo home run in the sixth and an RBI knock in the eighth. McClanahan and the Rays’ bullpen kept the Royals out of the run column from wire-to-wire, and locked in yet another important victory. With the Yankees loss, Tampa Bay gains a seventh game in the division in as many contests, as they now proudly own a 3.5-game lead.
After a brutal loss on Tuesday, the Guards bounced back with a good win over the Rangers. The game was essentially decided in the second inning, when they roughed up Mackenzie Gore for five runs. Some small ball runs and a three-run blast from David Fry did the trick, and had the Guardians up 5-0 early on. Joey Cantillo battled through adversity on the hill for Cleveland, turning in a solid start despite five walks in his outing. The Texas offense woke up in the second half of the game, but it wasn’t enough to match the Guardians, who plated four more in their final two innings.
Toronto Blue Jays (41-46) 9, New York Mets (36-51) 3:
Apparently everyone in the East was able to have fun on Wednesday other than the Yankees. The Blue Jays cruised to victory against a disappointing Mets squad at home. Nathan Lukes, Kazuma Okamoto, Alejandro Kirk, and Ernie Clement all tallied multiple hits for the Jays, while homers from Sean Keys and Myles Straw helped them have multiple four-run innings.
On the pitching side, a three-arm tandem did the job for Toronto, which saw Spencer Miles toss three spotless innings in the early going, while Patrick Corbin tossed the final five innings of the ballgame. The Jays still have plenty of work to do to get themselves in a good position.
Man, am I sorry for the Cub fans who jumped off the bandwagon and decided to pack it in early for “Wait ‘til next year.” While there might be some efficiency in doing that and almost certainly an avoidance of future heartache and frustration, this team is a lot of fun when it’s going good. This third hot streak of the year continues to roll in a game that got so comically out of hand that the Padres went to a position player in the seventh inning. Between Wednesday’s blowout win and last week’s double header sweep of the Mets, these have been some of the most fun days I can remember.
The script remains the same for this team. In more than half their wins they have scored nine or (many) more runs or won in their last team at-bat. If this team doesn’t blow the other team out of the water, there’s a good chance they won’t win it until late in the game. In this game, they blew out real early. Seiya Suzuki slugged a three-run homer in the first inning and the Cubs were quickly off to the races. Walker Buehler had been throwing pretty well for the Padres, but he was clocked for nine earned runs in this one. That was only one more than Padre catcher Rodolfo Duran ended up being tagged with in relief.
The Cubs piled up 17 hits and drew seven walks in this one. If those numbers weren’t crazy enough, it was the eight homers that was the eye popping number. Dansby Swanson had his first career three homer game and missed another one by maybe a foot. Michael Conforto had his first two-homer game as a Cub. Alex Bregman was designated to make the outs for the team and was 0-5 with a walk. Seven different Cubs drove in runs, led by Dansby Swanson who has fixed his offensive numbers to a large degree over the last two weeks. 10 different Cubs scored runs, led by four from Conforto and Swanson.
The Cubs had a team line of .405/.490/1.024 (wRC+ 309). Of course these numbers are inflated by silly time at the end of the game. You have to finish the game. The Cubs were pretty aggressive at the plate, but they weren’t passing the opportunity to take some quality rips.
On the other side, Colin Rea did his best Javier Assad impression, wherein he allowed a ton of baserunners but somehow escaped trouble over and over again. He three five non-impressive innings and got a win for his efforts. Do you love a pitcher win more with 13 runs scored during your five innings of work or a three-inning save? That makes three of the latter for the Cubs this year.
Jordan Wicks moved into second on the team in saves with his three innings of one-run ball. In his two appearances since being recalled, he has been handed a three-run lead in the 10th at Milwaukee and a 13-run lead against the Padres on a windy day in Chicago and asked not to blow them. He did not blow either one. I’m at least curious to see if Wicks benefits at all from being used out of the pen. As Andrew Chafin reminds us, most relievers are just failed starters. I can’t ever remember watching Wicks pitch and being impressed, but I’m sure it is possible I’ve blocked something out.
The team now sits 11 over .500 at 49-38. As of this morning, there are just four teams with more wins than this Cubs team. The team is flawed, I get it. Of all of the competitive teams in the Ricketts era, it might be the most flawed team. But this team is fun. This team can buzzsaw you. The Padres team the they just swept is also a flawed team. A flawed team that is pretty good. They are no joke. The Cubs just posted 35 runs across three games. Ignoring the eight by a position player, that is 27 runs in 25 innings as they didn’t bat in the ninth the last two games. That’s quite an outburst. The 12 they allowed doesn’t look outlandish, and you feel better in that seven of them came in one game while they were nursing a pretty large lead (at least initially).
I don’t know what anyone is going to do about the Dodgers. There are no rules that stop them from hiring a small market wizard to run one of the very largest market teams. But they are terrifying. They are an organization that churns out elite talent from their system year after year after year. And when there is something they don’t have and can’t trade for with enormous prospect capital, they buy it. They don’t ever have to shop in the clearance rack. But hey, small market wizard, right? They shop in all of the bins. They are a problem.
Aside from the Dodgers, there is no team that you wouldn’t expect to have a puncher’s chance against. This team can pack a pretty significant punch. Especially if they can get any number of their key pitchers standing upright with their arm properly attached come playoff time.
What a time to be a Cub fan.
Three Positives:
Dansby Swanson is scorching the ball right now. Three homers, eight runs batted in and four runs scored. Two of his homers were pre garbage time.
Michael Conforto had three hits, two of them homers and was intentionally walked. He drove in four and scored four.
Seiya Suzuki kicked off the scoring with his three-run homer. He had a double and a single as well and drew a walk. He scored three to go with the three RBI. His season line is up to .274/.357/.466 (wRC+ 128). He is a force offensively.
Obligatory PCA line: two hits, one a homer, stolen base, three runs driven in, two scored. Didn’t play in garbage time.
Game 87, July 1: Cubs 23, Padres 3 (49-38)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
Billy Goat: Michael Busch (-.066). 2-6, HR, RBI, 2 R
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.020). 0-3, BB
Kid: Michael Conforto (-.003). 3-4, 2 HR, BB, 4 RBI, 4 R
WPA Notes: WPA does not care how much traffic a pitcher allows. Assuming you finish the inning, it’s binary. Did runs score? Conforto made an out the first time up and it got lopsided fast. So he ends up with one of the best lines I’ve ever seen on the wrong side of the ledger.
WPA Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki’s first inning three-run homer. It came with runners on first and third with one out. (.187)
Padres Play of the Game: As has happened so many times recently, the other biggest play immediately preceded it. Michael Busch struck out for the first out of the inning. (.058)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 86 Winner: Dansby Swanson received 95 of 134 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Pete Crow-Armstrong +17
Ben Brown +13.5
Trent Thornton +12.5
Michael Busch +12
Carson Kelly +11.5
Dansby Swanson -9
Edward Cabrera -9.5
Phil Maton -10
Seiya Suzuki -11.5
Caleb Thielbar -13
Up Next: An off day Thursday. The Cardinals (44-39) come to town. They lost to the Braves Wednesday night and play them again in Atlanta before heading to Chicago. Go Braves. The Cubs haven’t named a starter for the Friday game yet. Andre Pallante (9-5, 3.83) will be the Cardinals starter. This should be David Peterson’s spot for the Cubs. He is 4-6 with a 5.86 ERA, but looked good in his Cub debut in Milwaukee (5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 ER).
The Cubs will seek a sixth straight win and their 16th win in 20 games.
The White Sox made meaningful strides in June, proving they can win through depth and resourcefulness even as key areas still require attention. | (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
June was everything you expect from summer in Chicago. The White Sox feasted on the AL Central’s collapse and picked up a few unexpected wins during the East Coast road trip. While there are many strong takeaways from June, a gap still hasn’t been fully patched.
The Sox don’t need Munetaka Murakami, and they don’t need big contracts…but it sure would help
At first, losing Mune to a hamstring strain left me feeling defeated. Winning was fun while it lasted, right? Wrong. Without Murakami, the Sox lineup hit about the same as they did with him.
In June, Chicago slashed .255/.325/.443, scoring 138 runs and slamming 38 home runs. Compared to May, when Murakami had a monster slugging month, the Sox hit more consistently at the small cost of 12 fewer runs and four fewer dingers. Although they won fewer games, Chicago’s overall performance dip should be attributed to its shakier pitching, as evident by the +32 run differential in May versus +10 in June.
Losing Murakami likely through the All-Star break threw a wrench in the excitement, but this team didn’t collapse. Chicago’s front office has managed to assemble a winning team costing less than $115 million, and has found more success than five teams ranked in the top 10 in payroll. Money doesn’t always buy effectiveness.
In the same vein, their expensive closer Seranthony Domínguez, who’s rolling in his $10 million average annual value salary, isn’t coming close to earning his money. The 31-year-old reliever had a poor June, posting a 5.40 ERA with five walks while only converting one of three save opportunities. Sean Newcomb, Grant Taylor, Bryan Hudson, and Chris Murphy all pitched better than Domínguez, and their salaries combine to just over $6 million.
This team has never thrived more on its ability to maximize limited resources than now, but that doesn’t mean some expensive firepower won’t take it to new heights. If Chris Getz is smart, he’ll start cashing in his infield capital and abundance of Triple-A talent to acquire some high-end starters to keep the arms from getting too stale.
Chicago’s catching depth still hasn’t been resolved
Last year, the dynamic Kyle Teel–Edgar Quero catching duo seemed to be the solution to Chicago’s catching depth problems dating back to 2012, when A.J. Pierzynski and Tyler Flowers ranked sixth in the league in WAR among catchers (1.7). But that overflowing talent pool has quickly shriveled up.
Teel missed nearly half the season and is still finding his footing since suffering a hamstring strain during the World Baseball Classic. It’s too early to tell how he’ll fare over the rest of the season, but his early numbers at the plate and behind the dish say that he’ll either experience a backslide, or his IL recovery might take some time to iron itself out. Quero, on the other hand, has experienced one hell of a sophomore slump. He went from slashing .268/.333/.356 in 111 games in 2025 to hitting below the Mendoza line and recording a meager .233 slugging percentage. Quero is ranked 94th among big league catchers with -19 overturns versus expected by the average catcher and -3.6 runs, which includes challenges as a batter and fielder, amounting to a 47% challenge success rate.
Things look even worse considering Quero’s framing and block grades are -4 and -6, putting him in the bottom 10%. His performance was so lackluster that he got the boot back to Charlotte when Teel came off the IL.
Korey Lee and Drew Romo don’t deepen the depth chart dramatically. Lee seems to be in professional baseball purgatory, with never being able to outplay the Quad-A hitting and catching standard he’s sustained since 2024. And Romo, who is somehow still on the 26-man roster, is batting worse than all three ever have.
Perhaps that’s why Getz swapped Charlotte’s best relief arm for a catcher who hasn’t caught in Triple-A since 2024. The Sox aren’t in danger at catcher, but the expectedly long offseason should give enough time to address the situation fully.
Summary Metrics
Chris Getz Trade Confidence (How much better does a Chris Getz trade make this team?): 15%
Average Drinks Required (Average number of alcoholic drinks required to tolerate this team): 2.75 – a light buzz won’t kill anyone, but the starters sometimes prompt a heavier pour
Rebuild Index (1 is full rebuild, 5 is sustaining current pace, 10 is aggressively pursuing a World Series): 7
May 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Oakland Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) reaches base on a fielding error by Miami Marlins shortstop Xavier Edwards (9) in the ninth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Welcome to Thursday A’s fans!
The squad managed to avoid a sweep yet again last night, winning the series finale in convincing fashion against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It brought the A’s record to 41-46 and with the weak AL West that’s good enough to be just three games out of first place.
The A’s now have a day off to rest and recuperate before welcoming the Miami Marlins to town. The Marlins came into this season with low expectations but they’ve surpassed them and then some. At 46-40 not only do they have a better record than every team in the AL West, but they’re also third in arguably the toughest division in baseball, the NL East. They also come to Sacramento riding a a hot streak, having won two in a row and taking 10 of their past 12 contests. Wrong time to be facing the Fish right now.
Miami has worked as a team to help them to their successful first half. While they’re second-to-last in the National League in home runs, they’re sixth in batting average, fifth in on-base percentage, and tied for 7th (with the Giants) in OPS. What they’ve lacked in power they’ve made up for with speed as their 94 steals are tops in the entire sport. They have four players already in double-digit swipes so A’s catchers will likely have their hands full with Marlins on the basepaths. Plus, they’ve been without their top power threat in Kyle Stowers for portions of this year but he’s back and hitting well since his return. Miami could be a buyer this deadline season.
The Miami starting rotation also has a couple bright spots. Max Meyer, a former 3rd overall pick in the draft, has broken out and is one of the best arms in the NL this year. Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara hasn’t been quite found his old form but has generally given them a chance to win when he takes the mound. And Eury Perez has also been adequate, though not quite living up to the hype that surrounded him when he arrived to the big leagues. We’re likely to see Meyer this weekend but probably not Alcantara or Perez since they started the Marlins’ past two games.
Anyway, the A’s. Unfortunately the bad injury news keeps on coming for the squad. Two days ago we learned that Designated Hitter Brent Rooker isn’t making as much progress in his return from the knee injury that landed him on the injured list at the beginning of June…
Brent Rooker is away from the A’s today being reevaluated at Stanford for his knee injury. Kotsay: “I wouldn’t say that his progress has stopped. … it hasn’t progressed as efficient as we’d like. So he’s down there going through another exam.”
… but just last night just an hour or so before first pitch, the A’s announced the bad news: Rooker would be undergoing the knife, ending his season prematurely:
Brent Rooker is set to undergo surgery to address cartilage in his left knee. He will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.
Not great news. Though Rooker was suffering his worst season to date with the Athletics (.200/.281/.389, 10 home runs), the club would surely have prefered their expensive DH to be playing and trying to right himself. He’s hit at least 30 home runs the past three years and the A’s were counting on that production in the middle of the lineup this season. Instead he’s been on the shelf since the first week of June and that’s where he’ll remain the rest of 2026.
It’s a brutal blow for Rooker, who likely wanted to come back, turn his season around, and help drive the A’s to the playoffs. Now he’ll begin the process of rehabbing his knee and hopefully being 100% ready to go next year, when he’ll be 32-years-old. That’s no spring chicken but he’s still locked in with the A’s for another three years, and his salary is about to make a big jump this offseason from $8 million this year to $14 million next season. The club will certainly take things slow with Rook to make sure this surgery and rehab goes as perfectly as possible. The A’s can’t afford to have that big a salary be an anchor and still compete.
Originally placed on the IL with what the team called a “bone bruise”, it’s now officially to the point where the club needs to stop thinking of a stopgap for his roster spot, and start thinking about how they’re going to replace him for the final three months of the season. The most likely option is to just simply stick in-house and rotate guys like Carlos Cortes, Lawence Butler, Shea Langeliers and others in and out of that spot depending on who Kotsay wants to give a half-day off to. It wouldn’t cost the A’s anything as far as prospects or salary, and the team could get some answers regarding some of their young bats, but the floor is also much lower without a more proven hitter in that spot.
If the club has their sights set on the postseason and wants to bolster the DH spot, the front office had better at least be doing their due diligence on guys that could step into the roll for half a season. Would the A’s make a bold trade for someone like the Giants’ Luis Arraez? Or someone a bit less costly like the Rockies’ Mickey Moniak or Boston’s Willson Contreras? Who would you guys target now that Rooker is indeed done for the year?
No game today everyone, but we have a big Fourth of July weekend ahead of us! Have a great one guys.
Scary moment down in Double-A last night as outfield prospect Ryan Lasko suffered a collision with fellow outfield prospect Devin Taylor. Lasko was carted off while Taylor stayed in the game:
A's No. 18 prospect Ryan Lasko was carted off the field after this terrifying collision with his teammate in center field. No update yet on his condition. #Athleticspic.twitter.com/eZ4LH20JmM
But at least some good news. Keep Lasko in your thoughts, A’s fans. Get well soon Ryan!
A’s prospect Ryan Lasko is in stable condition. As of now, the swelling in his spine is to the extent where he doesn’t have feeling in his lower half. There is hope that the feeling will come back with time. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family.
Some “positive” injury news regarding a top prospect:
A's 20-year-old Taiwanese LHP Wei-En Lin underwent successful surgery on June 30 with Dr. Neil ElAttrache to reconstruct his left ulnar collateral ligament. He'll complete his rehabilitation in Arizona.
— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) July 1, 2026
Leo De Vries and Jamie Arnold are heading to the Futures Game, where many of the game’s current stars made their national debuts:
The future is here!
Congratulations to Leo De Vries and Jamie Arnold on their selection for the Futures Game. pic.twitter.com/fabmSuGRco
Dodger Stadium (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres are heading to Dodger Stadium, which has become their house of horrors.
Rarely do the Padres play their best baseball in LA
Since 2021, the Padres have a 16-33 record (.327 winning percentage) against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. After an embarrassing three days in Chicago, the Friars arrive in Tinseltown for their first series of the season inside Dodger Stadium. They hope to exorcise the demons that caused them despair from seasons past.
Keep in mind, the Dodgers hold a +55-run differential against the Padres at Dodger Stadium since 2021. It has allowed them to leverage their home-field advantage over their chief rival.
Often, the Friars’ defense self-destructs in Los Angeles, as the Dodgers take full advantage of the team’s mistakes for easy victories.
San Diego cannot get over the 2024 NLDS defeat
The Friar Faithful have suffered through so many disappointing losses inside Dodger Stadium. But none is bigger than the 2-0 shutout in Game 5 of the 2024 National League Divisional Series. What sunk their hearts was an 8-0 Whitewash in Game 4 at Petco Park.
The Padres were up 2-1 heading into the contest and looking to send the Dodgers home for the holidays. Losing that divisional series has left an indelible mark on the franchise that has been impossible to remove.
Those 24 consecutive shutout innings to close out the series may have been the start of the team’s struggles at the plate.
What is next in the season series
All of their games this season have been played in San Diego, as Los Angeles holds a 4-2 mark in the season series and a 13-game lead in the NL West standings. The crushing defeats have tested the Friar Faithful’s patience to cheer for a directionless, struggling ballclub.
The bats are slumping, and they cannot be buried by the Dodgers once again. The lineup has to show some signs of life. They cannot fade quietly into the night. The Padres have to breathe more life into their season because it is on life support.
No one is asking for a series sweep, but the Friars have to change their fortunes by playing smart baseball and winning a couple of games.
The roster needs to treat Dodger Stadium as another road site on the schedule. The field conditions are ideal for getting on a winning streak.
LOS ANGELES, CA - May 08: Jim Jarvis #74 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 8, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | Getty Images
After last night’s victory, the Braves are shuffling their bench once again. Or, maybe, their not-quite-bench:
The #Braves today recalled INF Jim Jarvis to Atlanta and designated INF Rowdy Tellez for assignment.
This will be Jim Jarvis’ second stint in Atlanta. The 25-year-old infielder made his MLB debut on the Braves’ West Coast trip to Seattle and Los Angeles earlier this season, where he made two starts and collected a single to go with two strikeouts in five PAs. Jarvis has a pretty silly 133 wRC+ at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, but if you put any stock in minor league xStats (not sure if I do or not, truly), he’s way outhitting his xwOBA down there.
It’s unclear whether Jarvis will simply hang around for left-handed depth, or whether things will get more complicated. Ha-Seong Kim is pacing himself for a historically awful season, though he’ll probably improve or just flat-out stop getting playing time if it keeps up. Jorge Mateo was a fun story earlier, but has cratered while trying to play through a mild injury over the last few weeks. Mauricio Dubon, the only Brave to have an unequivocally good June offensively, would be a solution, except that he’s been needed to patch up the Braves’ outfield issues. And then there’s Austin Riley, who appears to be auditioning for a role in a local stage production of Frozen 2 (if you know, you know) moreso than effectively hitting baseballs, so there’s another infield question mark that perhaps Jarvis will be called upon to address in some way.
The roster casualty of Jarvis’ promotion is Rowdy Tellez, who ends this round of his Braves tenure with 11 PAs in which he singled, homered, and walked in 11 PAs. He actually put up a .500+ xwOBA in those 11 PAs, so hard to say he didn’t do his job, but the Braves don’t need two no-field DH guys who probably won’t hit better than league average on the roster.
Jarvis will presumably be around and in uniform as the Braves play a rubber game against the Redbirds later tonight. Will he grab a start somewhere? Stay tuned.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 1: Samad Taylor #0 of the San Diego Padres slides but misses a catch during the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 1, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Walker Buehler had been the most consistent starter in the San Diego Padres rotation, but that image took a critical hit when the right-hander allowed nine runs over the first three innings to the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres suffered an embarrassing 23-3 loss to cap a three-game sweep at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.
Buehler was atrocious from the start of the game. He allowed a leadoff single to Pete Crow-Armstrong who stole second and then advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Alex Bregman followed with a walk before Buehler recorded a strikeout against Michael Busch for the first out of the inning. Buehler’s success was short-lived because he then allowed a three-run home run to Seiya Suzuki and that set the stage for the rest of the game.
Buehler then allowed a solo home run to Dansby Swanson in the bottom of the second inning and followed that with a two-out two run single and a two-out three-run homer – again to Swanson – in the bottom of the third inning that gave the Cubs a commanding 9-0 lead over the Padres. It was the fourth home run San Diego pitching has allowed to Swanson in the past two games.
The lone bright spot for the Padres came in the top of the fifth inning when Sung-Mun Song hit his first MLB home run. San Diego added a second run in the inning on back-to-back doubles by Manny Machado and Ty France that cut the deficit to 9-2. That deficit, like Buehler’s success in the first inning, was short-lived. Kyle Hart came into pitch in the fifth inning and allowed a solo home run and then a three-run home run that extended the Chicago lead to 13-2 over San Diego. Hart was still on the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning when Michael Conforto connected on a two-run home run to make the score, 15-2.
The Padres added a meaningless run in the top of the eighth inning when Miguel Andujar singled through the right side of the infield to score Samad Tayor from third base. That capped the scoring for San Diego, but Chicago added another eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off position player pitcher Rodolfo Duran. Four of those runs came on a grand slam by Swanson, his third home run of the game, and the final run for the Cubs came on a solo home run from Busch, which brought the score to 23-3. It was a fitting end to an embarrassing game that capped a miserable series in Chicago.
San Diego heads to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium today at 7:10 p.m.
More baseball across the Majors means more value in my same-game parlay predictions.
Jacob Misiorowski will dominate once again this afternoon, while Davis Martin is also in line for another quality showing. Read more in my MLB picks for Thursday, July 2.
Jacob Misiorowski takes the hill today for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he continues to dominate. The right-hander owns a 1.74 xERA across his last four outings, giving up just 0.32 HR/9 during that span.
Misiorowski has consistently limited loud contact with his elite fastball-slider combination, making this a difficult matchup for a Cincinnati Reds lineup that has struggled to square up pitching recently.
He's also hit the Under in hits allowed in two of his previous three outings, and Misiorowski comes up against a struggling Reds offense that has an xBA of .229 over the last week.
The Brewers' .208 ISO over their last six games is a reason to believe they can score some runs off Chase Burns, who is home run-prone lately. Cincinnati's bullpen also sports an 8.14 FIP over its last 19 2/3 innings of work.
Chicago White Sox rookie Jacob Gonzalez is hitting .409 over his last six contests with an impressive 50% hard-hit rate. He's posted four multi-hit games in his last seven as well, and Gonzalez just smacked five hits in a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles. He'll face Slade Cecconi tonight, who has allowed a 39.5% hard-hit rate across the last month.
White Sox ace Davis Martin owns a stellar 2.51 xERA across his previous two appearances, limiting opponents to a 33.3% hard-hit rate. The Cleveland Guardians are ice cold, with just 78 wRC+ in their last six games. This is a clear opportunity for Martin to toss another gem.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CSN, Guardians.TV
Tigers at Rangers SGP: Eovaldi racks up the Ks
Nathan Eovaldi has been a strikeout machine this season for the Texas Rangers, racking up 101 Ks in 100 1/3 innings of work. He's struck out nine hitters in back-to-back outings, and he's averaging 9.06 K/9 at home. The Detroit Tigers have averaged nine punchouts per game across their last three.
Kerry Carpenter has recorded a hit in six straight contests, and he's batting .320 over his last seven games with an impressive 52.4% hard-hit rate. Justin Foscue is also swinging it well, finishing with five hits across his previous four games. He's whacked lefties this season with a .357 average, and he'll face Framber Valdez tonight. It's a favorable matchup for Foscue.
Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: DSN, RSN
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 0-8, -8.00
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Australian No 1 dismisses French veteran 6-3 6-2 6-2
‘I just love it here,’ says No 5 seed
Alex de Minaur was not at his best against French veteran Adrian Mannarino as Wimbledon’s fourth day opened with the sun out and mercury rising, but he was good enough.
The Australian No 1 saw off his potentially troublesome left-handed opponent 6-3 6-2 6-2 in one hour 49 minutes on Thursday.
CIN vs 
MIL
CHW vs 
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