Category: Baseball

Last week, I wrote and encouraged the Red Sox to totally tear down the roster with a 2014-style fire sale at the trade deadline on Aug. 3rd. 

I still stand by that for the large portion of sellable pieces. The Willson Contreras decision in that conversation became a complicated one for me and one that i’ve spent the last week thinking about rather often. In that period of reflection, the answer to what to do with Boston’s first baseman became pretty obvious to me. 

The Red Sox cannot trade Willson Contreras. 

The veteran is a rare sign of life in an otherwise dismal season that will cause several people their jobs by year’s end. Contreras is a borderline All-Star in 2026. If he doesn’t make the team, it won’t be due to any fault of his own, but more so due to the ridiculous surges of others around the American League. 

He’s enjoying his best offensive season at age 34 and clearly has plenty left in the tank after shifting away from catching during his tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals. Contreras would be a hot commodity given the usual need for right-handed power every summer. That’s intriguing for a should-be seller like the Red Sox, though there’s a different story to tell that’s even more important about the construction of the roster moving forward. 

When you have a chance to keep a hole filled for a while, take it. How long have the Red Sox been trying to find a staple at second base since the end of Dustin Pedroia’s days as an everyday player? (Newsflash: They still are).

Triston Casas still holds potential in the wild world of Red Sox Twitter/X, but the reality is that  he’s only played one full season (he did receive ROTY votes) since his 2022 call-up. It would be way easier to navigate the position if Casas could really be healthy and contribute. Ultimately, Boston would be viciously irresponsible to build the lineup in years to come with the expectation of Casas being a regular. 

Contreras is under team control through 2027 with a club option for 2028. His no-trade clause also carried over from the Cardinals, limiting Boston’s best shot at another quality return at the deadline. 

The Red Sox should probably listen for a potential undeniable offer at the deadline, but for a team that lacks real hitters the way they do, can they totally afford to lose the only one they have?

Good morning. I hope you’ve already checked out the owners-proposed changes to the draft by now.

• As long as we’re on the topic of the draft, Kiley McDaniel has a mock draft.
• Jim Callis, who is traditionally really good at these things, offers his most recent mock draft.
• Keith Law re-drafts the 2016 draft. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• And Law has the biggest draft mistakes of the 2016 draft. (The Athletic sub. req.) If you think the Cubs are the only team making bad draft picks, you should read this article and realize everyone makes bad picks. (The Cubs did not have a first or second round pick in 2016.)
• Sam Blum polls the players and the overwhelming majority of them think there is going to be a lockout this winter. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• The MLB Pipeline crew have one player from each farm system that should be promoted.
• Dayn Perry looks at how Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski transformed into one of the best pitchers in the majors.
• Bradford Doolittle examines how the Brewers and Guardians keep defying expectations and winning.
• Ben Lindbergh argues that the Brewers have somehow figured out the key to “clutch” hitting, even if they don’t know how.
• Brian Murphy has six “under-the-radar” trades that are having a major impact in 2026.
• Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan rank the top trade candidates this summer.
• Mark Feinsand has ten possible trade candidates.
• Twins outfielder Byron Buxton shot down trade speculation by saying “I’m a Twin.”
• Jay Jaffe notes that one year later, the blockbuster Rafael Devers trade has been a disaster for the Giants and no good for the Red Sox either.
• The Pirates traded catcher Joey Bart to the Braves for right-hander Hunter Stratton.
• Dan Szymborski has six interesting players who could get called up to the majors this year.
• There are changes coming to the Home Run Derby. The contest is going back to the “swings” format rather than the timed format.
• Jake Mintz draws up his dream Home Run Derby field.
• Will Leitch has ten players who should be getting more All-Star Game votes.
• Russell Dorsey argues that the White Sox are one of the best teams in the American League.
• Ken Rosenthal and Brittany Ghiroli report that Cal Ripken Jr. intends to take a bigger role in player development in the Orioles organization. (The Athletic sub. req.) Ripken wants to emphasize fundamentals.
• Jared Greenspan looks at two Rays relievers—Bryan Baker and Kevin Kelly—both rely on changeups, but he shows how the two changes couldn’t be more different.
• Missouri Senator Josh Hawley sent a strongly-worded letter to commissioner Rob Manfred demanding answers for the warnings issued to Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their “Pride Night” caps. To be clear, the players were not fined and players are not allowed to write anything on their caps.
• The independent league York Revolution forfeited last night’s game after several of their players refused to wear “Pride Night” jerseys.
• Ben Clemens believes we need a better way of dealing with inherited runners than the current ERA rules.
• Matt Snyder wonders who will be the next pitcher to throw a no-hitter.
• Mike Axisa shows how Paul Goldschmidt’s resurgence is helping to power the Yankees this year.
• Having a comeback season, Mike Trout went on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
• White Sox center fielder Everson Pereira went on the concussion list after a spectacular catch up against the wall.
• Tigers utility man Wencel Perez suffered a “concern[ing]” eye injury after a training band snapped and hit him.
• Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. left Thursday night’s game with a knee injury.
• In World Cup news, Team England stopped by Kaufman Stadium. Manager Thomas Tuchel threw out the first pitch and star Harry Kane and others joined the festivities. Anne Rogers reports.
• And finally, Jeff Polman wants you to stop paying attention to A.I. generated social media accounts. There’s a particularly awful “photo” of Lou Brock dancing off third with both Cubs and Giants players in the field behind him.

In 2015, Brett Sullivan was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2023, he made his MLB debut as a catcher with the San Diego Padres.

This season, the 31-year-old Colorado Rockie made another MLB debut, this time as a pitcher. The catcher, who played some infield in college and in the minors, but has spent most of his career as a backup catcher, had a simple philosophy.

“Try to get off the mound as fast as possible. That’s it,” Sullivan said. “I don’t want to be out there that long, so I just try to let the defense make all the plays for me. They’ve done a good job.

“The approach is to throw it maybe very slow, and then sometimes not as slow,” he continued, “but know that hopefully they hit it to my defense. That’s a whole approach.”

The Rockies signed Sullivan to a minor-league deal in the offseason, and he immediately made an impact as a mentor to young catchers Hunter Goodman and Braxton Fulford in spring training. Little did Rockies fans know that he’d be spending time on the other side of home plate.

On May 19, Sullivan pitched a scoreless, hitless ninth inning in a 10-0 loss to the Rangers. Having only pitched one time in the minors, he didn’t hesitate when the Rockies coaching staff asked him if he could “go out there and throw strikes.”

“I was like, ‘Yeah, I got it,’ and that was basically it,” he said. “So I keep it simple, but hopefully I don’t have to do it again because that means we’re not winning. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just lobbing it up there.”

Sullivan has pitched in three more games since May 19 — all, unfortunately, in four blowout losses. However, he’s posted three scoreless innings and totaled a 4.15 ERA in 4.1 innings with six hits, two runs, including one homer, one walk and one strikeout. With his humorous and outgoing personality, he doesn’t take preparing for his side pitching job too seriously.

“I just sat on the bench, and then when the next inning was over, I just walked out onto the mound. I didn’t warm up — no routine, no nothing, just straight from the bench,” Sullivan said. “I grabbed Jimmy Herget’s glove and walked right out there.”

Sullivan said he’s used Herget’s glove three times and Ryan Feltner’s once, adding he grabs whatever is closest. 

Even if he’s just eating an inning, Sullivan has earned some impressive stats on the mound. On May 26 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sullivan became the only player besides Shohei Ohtani to hit a home run and pitch in a game. 

“It feels good to be in the same category as him, you know,” Sullivan jokingly said. “No, it’s that was just a fluke — a crazy, lopsided game — and you get asked to pitch, and then it happens that your spot in the order came up and facing another position player. But they all count. And it’s a fun story.”

He also pitched [kind of] like Ohtani by putting up a scoreless frame.

In his most recent outing, the ninth inning in a 19-6 loss to the Giants on May 31, Sullivan recorded his first and only career strikeout thus far. It was a memorable one, too, coming against three-time All-Star and World Series Champion Rafael Devers.

“I don’t know if I threw a strike to him, but the umpire called them, so we’ll take it,” Sullivan said. “And again, good story. For it to be Devers, who’s going to be a Hall of Famer, is funny.”

Sullivan said he kept the ball to remember the moment. However, Sullivan said he’s not practicing pitching, but does have a great response when asked what his best pitch is.

“I throw like a little air cutter, and I hope that it’s slow enough that the gravity takes it the other way off their barrel,” Sullivan joked. “That’s my best pitch right now.”

Since May 26, in Sullivan’s Ohtani game, the Stockton, Calif. native has hit four homers in 23 at-bats. That includes a two-homer game against the Chicago Cubs on June 11.

Sullivan didn’t have any home runs in his 78 at-bats before that day in L.A. Some might say being a pitcher has made him a better hitter. Sullivan credits something else, namely, taking Mickey Moniak’s advice that he needed new pants.

“I changed my wardrobe a lot,” he said. “I would say that’s the biggest change. I switched it up. I am now wearing Mickey Moniak’s clothes, and we’re gonna roll with that.

“There’s honestly not much else to it,” he continued. “This game is a funny game, it’s a tough game, but when you just have a clear mind, let things go, have fun with it, I think that things happen.”

Moniak told him he needed new pants, and Sullivan proudly said, “I listened.”

“I’m just trying to bring him a little piece with him to the plate with me,” Sullivan said. “It’s good.”

From the easy-going attitude and the sneaky pop at the plate to his ability to pitch and stay positive as a journeyman, Sullivan’s Tao of the backup catcher now also includes pitching. With the Rockies facing struggles in the bullpen and injuries to the starting rotation, it’s likely Sullivan will be back on the mound again at some point this season. It’s a role he’s happy to play if the Rockies need him.

“I think it’s just to help the bullpen when games like that are really lopsided,” Sullivan said. “You don’t want to waste one of those good arms because the next day is an opportunity to win a game, and we’ll need those guys fresh.

“So, if I could just go in there and save those guys, then you know that’s a small victory for the next day.”

On the Farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 3, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 2 (10)

Drew Avans hit a walk-off single to score Nic Kent in the bottom of the 10th to lead the Isotopes to victory.

Jose Cordova hit a sac bunt to move Kent to third base to set-up the winning run. Albuquerque struck first when Zac Veen hit an RBI triple in the first inning to score Chad Stevens. Veen was thrown out at home trying to stretch it to an inside-the-park homer, but the Isotopes went up 1-0. The Space Cowboys tied the game in the seventh and took a 2-1 lead in the eighth. Albuquerque answered right back to tie the game 2-2 when Mike Antico hit an RBI single to score Avans.

Gabriel Hughes had a scoreless outing, striking out six while walking three and only giving up one hit in 4.2 innings. Jordan Romano kept the Space Cowboys off the scoreboard in the ninth and Erasmo Ramírez walked one, but struck out one in a scoreless, hitless 10th to earn the win. Avans, Veen and Ryan Ritter recorded two hits apiece to make up the majority of Albuquerque’s 10 hits.

Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 10, Reading Fightin’ Phils 6

Hartford rallied from a 5-2 deficit with a three-run seventh inning on its way to a 10-6 win on Thursday. Conner Capel hit two homers, while GJ Hill added an insurance solo homer in the eighth and Roc Roggio did the same in the ninth. Capel went 3-for-5 with five runs driven in and Hill and Roggio each recorded two hits and two RBI. Davison Palermo earned the victory after throwing 1.2 scoreless innings, Carlos Torres posted the hold by limiting Reading to one run in two innings with a strikeout. Dyan Jorge drew two walks and scored two runs.

High-A: Vancouver Canadians 13, Spokane Indians 9

Despite taking the lead in the first, second and third innings, Spokane couldn’t hold on to any of them and lost on Thursday night. Max Belyeu and Jack O’Dowd started the game with solo homers in the first as the Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Jacob Hinderleider scored on a wild pitch and Belyeu hit an RBI single in the second inning to take 4-3 lead. In the third, Tommy Hofpe added a two-run homer and Kelvin Hidalgo hit an RBI single to put Spokane up 7-4 in the third. O’Dowd answered back after Vancouver tied up the game again when he hit a sac fly and Hofpe recorded an RBI double to put the Indians back on top 9-8 in the sixth, but that was the last rally for Spokane as the Canadians got the final comeback with a five-run seventh.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 2, Inland Empire 66ers 3

Tanner Thach hit a two-run homer in the first inning and the Grizzlies took a lead they never lost in a big win on Thursday night. Thach came up a triple short of the cycle, finishing the game with five RBI, three hits and three runs scored. Roldy Brito doubled on a two-hit night and scored two runs, Wilder Dalis added a double and run-scoring single and Ashly Andujar added a two-run single.

Riley Kelly started the game strong for Fresno, throwing 4.2 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, three hits and three walks. Manuel Olivares recorded the win after holding the 66ers to one run on three hits with five strikeouts, while Luke Hansel pitched the ninth and struck out two, despite giving up a solo homer.

Looking back on notable first half rookie Rockie performances | Purple Row

Skyler Timmins explores the impressive debut TJ Rumfield is making so far in Colorado, comparing him to other breakout rookies in Rockies history like Todd Helton, Wilin Rosario and Trevor Story. What do they all have in common? Ten homers and 50 hits before the All-Star break.

Renck: Rockies had their Paul Skenes in Ubaldo Jimenez. Ex-ace has ideas on how to develop next power pitcher. | Denver Post ($)

The Rockies begin a home series against the Pirates today and on Saturday, Paul Skenes is slated to pitch. With a struggling rotation, Troy Renck points out that the Rockies need an ace like they had 16 years ago in Ubaldo Jiménez.

ValleyCats INF Parker Coddou Headed to Colorado Rockies | TCValleyCats.com

The Tri-City ValleyCats, an independent professional baseball team out of Troy, NY that plays in the Frontier League, announced that infielder Parker Coddou was signed to a deal by the Colorado Rockies. From 2002 through 2020, the ValleyCats were the Class-A short season affiliate of the Houston Astros. Coddou, who scored 25 runs and posted 23 hits, while also leading the ValleyCats in stolen bases with 14, becomes their third player to be signed by an MLB organization this season.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

If you’re no stranger to McCovey Chronicles, then you’re probably aware that I’ve been pretty critical of Buster Posey during his tenure. Err, during his tenure as president of baseball operations, I should specify. Not sure I ever had a criticism of Posey during his tenure as Face of the Franchise/Captain America/All-World Catcher/Hugger Extraordinaire/Three-Time Champion.

While I’m in favor of giving Posey more time before reaching any grand conclusions, most of the results have been poor. His free agency signings have been middling. His managerial decisions have backfired. His control of the image of the Giants has been slipping. His unwillingness to address the bullpen has been baffling.

But there’s one area where Posey (and general manager Zack Minasian) have excelled without question: deadline deals.

The 2025 trade deadline was bizarre for the San Francisco Giants. Just a few days before the deadline, the Giants, still clinging to the belief that they could be competitive, were reported to be buyers. Then they lost a few games, admitted defeat, and turned into sellers.

What followed was excellence. The Giants sent out the expiring contract of Tyler Rogers for Drew Gilbert, Blade Tidwell, and José Buttó. They traded Camilo Doval (who currently has a 5.08 ERA this year), and got back Jesús Rodríguez, Parks Harber, Carlos De La Rosa, and Trystan Vrieling. They moved on from Mike Yastrzemski, an impending free agent, and received Yunior Marte in return.

It seems that the Giants are once again heading for sell-town. And they once again have some intriguing options: starting pitchers Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahle, and soon-to-be-four-time All-Star second baseman Luis Arráez are all on expiring deals. So too is reliever JT Brubaker. Center fielder Harrison Bader and starting pitcher Adrian Houser aren’t on expirings, but are paid modestly and have veteran cachet.

Barring a shocking winning streak, the Giants will have to fold their hand yet again, and turn their eye to the future. Can they match last year’s impressive deadline wheeling and dealing?

Stay tuned, I guess.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants kick off a series with the Miami Marlins tonight at 4:10 p.m. PT.

This is Part 2 of my exploration of some of the underlying details of Cardinal pitching prospects. The question I am trying to answer is… Of the minor leagues prospects we’ve been watching, who has the most interesting pitch shape metrics (ie. the under the hood stuff)? We seem to be far enough into the season to have built up some stats that can stand up to Small Sample Size (SSS) scrutiny. Since I do the daily down on the Farm Reports, I see the various pitcher usage and line score results every day. That has made me curious about some things that might be going on beyond the line score.

Last week folks got a look at the pitchers in Palm Beach. What I neglected to mention then is that the set of top 10th percentile pitch metrics was 225 pitch types deep, and the Cardinals had 25 entries in the group or just a little below league average of 28. This becomes a little less mundane when we start looking at AAA numbers.

First, I raised the bar for AAA pitchers to 150 pitches minimum instead of 50 pitches as for Low-A pitchers. This to keep the set manageable. If I used the same 50 pitch minimum, the AAA set would include 1267 pitcher/pitch type combinations. I’m looking for the outliers and that is a large outlier group. That the AAA group is five times bigger tells me that a significant difference between AAA and Low-A pitching is volume.

Same methodology as last week. I am looking for pitchers have top 10th percentile metrics. This is a “who has a tool that sticks out” kind of question. Even with a 150 pitch minimum, I still get 382 pitcher/pitch combinations in the top tenth percentile (almost double the Low-A group). In an ugly turn of events, only 17 Cardinal entries are found in this table and as you will see, too many of them are outlier in a bad way (as in last decile, not top).

AAA Metric Leader Board

Like last week, the first table shows just the pitch profile, not the results (which follow in the next section).

What do we see?

• People ask “what happened to Ian Bedell”. Well, he has an outlier bad FF velocity rate and gets no whiffs with it. And he uses this pitch 60.4% of the time. Pete Hansen and Bruce Zimmerman are in the same bottom decile in FB velocity across the International League, with the same whiff results. At least they don’t use this pitch nearly as often.
• Gastelum is in the top decile for spin rate on his Four Seam Fastball (FF), resulting in a top 20th percentile arm-side run. I bet that pitch really bores in on RH hitters.
• Skylar Hales has about the straightest FF in the league.
• Brycen Mautz is top floor on his arm-side run on his fastball, which probably allows the fairly pedestrian velo to play up. I bet he’d be super effective coming in to face LH hitters in relief, if that sorta thing was needed in StL.
• Mautz’ slider is odd. Almost no movement. This is one of those counter-intuitive ones. You’d rather be in the lowest tenth percentile, since glove side run is shown as a negative number in the data set.
• Rajcic’s horizontal movement on his fastball is near-elite, and you will see later gets elite results.
• Roycroft’s sinker profiles as elite, both in velo and drop (IVB). If only he had poise.
• Zimmermann makes the list in a bad way on his FF, FS and SL. He limits damage by limiting walks.

Overall, this is not a good profile for the AAA group and we see this with the shortage of depth for the MLB staff. We will keep this handy and see how it changes as some of the AA studs matriculate to Memphis later this year.

Performance Matters

Stuff (and the underlying metrics which show it) are one thing. Performance is another. Which AAA pitchers are getting the most out of their stuff? Let’s look more at performance outcomes as see how they rate.

In the above table, you will see many of the same names and pitches, this time with how those pitches are performing in real games. There are few new names, as some guys without top 10th percentile stuff are still getting top tenth percentile results, such as Nelfy Ynfante, who really limits hard contact without any top tier stuff.

Some notes:

• Gastelum (CH), Mautz (SL) and Roycroft (SI) each have a go-to pitch that is effective at limiting damage.
• Zimmermann avoids damage by limiting walks across all his pitches.
• Skylar Hales has an elite K rate. I’m not sure how.

You know what else I notice in these lists? Quinn Mathews doesn’t appear once. I wonder why? Let’s look specifically at his Prospect Savant page.

You see that his whiff rate falls just below elite at 89th percentile. Lots of stuff between average (~50th) and really good (80th), but nothing elite. Gives me a picture he does many things well, but nothing great. Even his walk rate isn’t anywhere near bottom 10th percentile for AAA.

The other thing I see in his data: His FF is probably his worst pitch in terms of K and BB rates. He throws it almost 50% of the time. He actually has a higher walk rate (25%) on his FF than K rate (23%). An adjustment to his pitch mix is coming.

Summary

There really isn’t anyone at AAA with standout tools. That is not to say there aren’t good pitchers. My screen was for top 10th percentile stuff…elite. Apparently, that is to be found at AA and High-A. We shall see.

Links

<a href="http://<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSxqYqjHlZFG1sv4z7zqciltal6c87mVTWhdCigRAq1rwVYMDR2nQ8Kd2thIfvEmr-PAyLvP_FB2k4p/pubhtml?widget=true&headers=false">Here is a link to the underlying spreadsheet with top decile performance across the AAA level of baseball.

Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers bounced back this week with a strong homestand that featured a pair of series wins over the Phillies and Guardians, keeping a hold atop the NL Central. The Brewers are now in Atlanta as they’ll face off with another one of the best teams in baseball thus far in the Braves. They’ll then face a stretch of NL Central opponents in the Reds, Cubs, and Reds (again).

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread:

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Another series, another series loss. The O’s dropped the opening leg of their three-city road trip with a 2-0 shutout loss to the Mariners yesterday, which you can read about in my game recap if you’re so inclined. If you missed the game, don’t worry; so did the Orioles’ offense. The Birds’ bats have been M.I.A. in two of the first three games of their West Coast tour, and things are only going to get tougher, with a three-game series against Shohei Ohtani and the 48-27 Dodgers up next. Good luck.

The Orioles continue to be stuck in quicksand, gradually sinking deeper into the muck without making any real progress toward freeing themselves. They’re back to six games under .500 with 76 games in the books. That’s barely improved from where they were after 50 games, at a season-worst eight games under .500 on May 20. Improving by just two games over nearly a month’s worth of action is probably not the best way to vault the Orioles into contender status…although, with the current sorry state of the American League, who knows?

In the meantime, there’s some changes going on behind the scenes, where Orioles legend and part owner Cal Ripken Jr. is set to take on a larger role in player development, as reported by both The Athletic and The Baltimore Banner. The idea is for Cal, who grew up under “The Oriole Way” during his Hall of Fame playing career, to help emphasize fundamentals throughout the organization. The O’s, as you might have noticed, aren’t a particularly good defensive team, and they’ve been sloppy at some aspects of baseball that don’t necessarily show up in the box score — failing to turn double plays, missing cutoff men, etc.

At first glance, the idea of a team owner becoming heavily involved in on-field operations could spark unsettling flashbacks to the late-90s era of the Orioles. But then again, this is Cal Ripken, not Peter Angelos. If there’s anyone who knows the finer points of baseball and is qualified to dispense such wisdom, it’s the Iron Man. And as the Banner article notes, Ripken will be just one part of a larger group of coaches and personnel who are tasked with establishing best practices in the minor leagues regarding defense and fundamentals. He’ll have his say, but he’s not taking over the whole operation himself.

There’s a sizable contingent of O’s fans who have been clamoring for years for Ripken to take on an on-field role, with some even suggesting the Orioles should hire him as their manager or general manager. I’ve never quite understood that sentiment, and I say that as someone who considers Cal my all-time favorite player. It’s been 25 years since he retired and he’s never held so much as a coaching role since then, so I don’t see any reason to believe he’d be capable of taking on such a prominent position as skipper or GM.

But this? Working behind the scenes, offering tips to young players on how to prepare, how to position themselves, how to focus on the minute details of playing defense? That’s up his alley. Whatever work that Ripken and the development team do might be too late to save this Orioles season — akin to closing the barn doors after the horses have gotten out, and all that — but if there’s a chance that it can have a positive impact on the future of the ballclub, them I’m all for it.

Links

Will the Orioles finally draft a pitcher in the 1st round? – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Do college outfielders still exist? Then no, the Orioles will not draft a pitcher in the first round.

O’s pitching prospect Luis De Leon looks to get back on track after slow start – Steve Melewski

The hard-throwing lefty’s rocky 2026 season has dropped him off some prospect lists, but the Orioles insist his struggles will only make him stronger in the long term. Uh, sure. Let’s go with that.

Rutschman exits game after being hit by throw on left ear – MLB.com

Adding injury to insult yesterday, Adley Rutschman might be hurt after taking an errant throw off his head. If this team didn’t have bad luck, they wouldn’t have any luck at all.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! A whopping seven former Orioles were born on June 19. They include right-handers Cody Sedlock (31), Logan Verrett (36), and Willis Roberts (51); outfielders Val Majewski (45) and Butch Davis (68); and lefties Bruce Chen (49) and the late Don Ferrarese (b. 1929, d. 2024).

On this date in 1962, the Orioles signed 18-year-old shortstop Mark Belanger as an amateur free agent out of Pittsfield HS in Massachusetts. It was a good decision. Belanger debuted in the majors three years later and developed into an all-time elite defender at shortstop, manning the position for 17 years with the Orioles and winning eight Gold Gloves.

Random Orioles game of the day

On June 19, 1969, the Orioles blanked the Washington Senators, 2-0, to notch their seventh straight win. Dave McNally improved to an incredible 10-0 on the season by throwing his second consecutive shutout and fourth of the season, holding the Senators to a meager two hits, both singles. McNally would finish the season with 20 wins and 11 complete games. Washington righty Jim Hannan countered with seven shutout innings of his own before the O’s broke a scoreless tie with two runs against reliever Dennis Higgins. The aforementioned Mark Belanger reached base three times on two hits and a walk.

Happy Friday everybody,

Today is Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. This holiday was not recognized until 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

The A’s are celebrating by making tonight’s first of four home games against the Los Angeles Angels African-American Heritage Night.

While outfielder Lawrence Butler is the only African American on the current A’s roster, the franchise has employed some of the greatest Black players in MLB history, from Rickey Henderson (the Man of Steel) to Reggie Jackson (Mr. October), Frank Thomas (The Big Hurt) and Coco Crisp (Mr. Bernie Lean).

Down on the farm, two of the A’s top 10 minor-league prospects, outfielder Devin Taylor and infielder Kuroda-Grauer, hope to add more of an African-American presence to the A’s roster in the coming years.

Overall, MLB still struggles with roster diversity as squads primarily consist of White and Latino athletes.
According to MLB.com, Black players make up 6.8% of active and inactive Opening Day rosters in 2026, marking two consecutive years of growth. This is the highest percentage in nearly a decade, yet more work remains.

The Athletics were deeply ingrained in and involved with the diverse Oakland community during their 57 years spent playing at the Oakland Coliseum. They continue to remain active in the communities of their temporary home of Sacramento and future home of Las Vegas. However, both cities have fewer African American residents than the East Bay, making any community impact there likely less impactful.

Meanwhile, struggling veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs gets the start tonight, looking to reverse his recent slump and get back in the win column After falling short on Pride night earlier this week, it would behoove the Athletics to secure the win on this special day.

A’s Coverage:

• Athletics Drop Series Finale To Pirates 12-4
• As a ballpark rises in Las Vegas, owner John Fisher is pitching his A’s — and himself
• Bally’s is causing problems for the A’s Las Vegas ballpark dream
• How A’s Prospect Wei-En Lin’s Potential Injury Could Impact Trade Deadline Plans
• Why Athletics’ Gelof Hottest Hitter in MLB Right Now
• Alvarado’s return so dominant, he’s inviting a lofty comparison
• Why Front Office And Manager Should Be Embarrassed By Today’s Game
• Some Easy Fixes Rocket Science Aren’t
• Athletics’ Devin Taylor Emerges As All-Around Talent
• Status Report: Uncertainty Persists In 5 Places On The Diamond
• Why A’s Williams Deserves Spot Past Jacob Wilson’s Return
• 7 wild facts from a Vegas show for the ages
• A’s $2 Billion Las Vegas Ballpark Shows Progress With First Roof Truss in Place
• A’s interested in Kris Bubic
• Korach reflects on A’s history in Las Vegas, upcoming move
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In June
• Las Vegas is ‘dying for a baseball team.’ Will its locals adopt the A’s?
• The A’s Inability To Play Well At Home Is Embarrassing
• Arnold and Jump are both slinging … anyone else reminded of another A’s duo?
• Three Dark Horse Trade Candidates for Athletics This Summer
• Athletics Early MLB Draft Preview

MLB News and Interest:

• Ranking top 2026 MLB trade deadline candidates: Skubal, more
• 2026 MLB mock draft: Our expert makes every first-round pick
• MLB Home Run Derby to ditch clock, revive swing-based system
• 10 All-Star candidates who deserve more love in the polls
• Trout headed to IL with hamstring strain amid resurgent season
• Brewers’ Priester to have season-ending thoracic outlet surgery
• Royals trade for RHP Randy Dobnak from Mariners
• Blue Jays place Max Scherzer on injured list with back spasms
• Phillies Option Andrew Painter
• Digging into 5 Trade Deadline hot topics
• Angels Acquire Tyler Heineman
• Here’s a prospect pushing for a promotion from each team
• Guardians Place Chase DeLauter On Injured List, Recall Kahlil Watson For MLB Debut
• Freak accident with therapy band could sideline Tigers outfielder Wenceel Pérez
• Austin Wynns Elects Free Agency
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

A’s top prospect Leo De Vries continues to hold his own in Double-A. He remains on track to reach Triple-A Las Vegas sooner than later, which would be the last stop on his supersonic ascent through the minor leagues.

The A’s pitching staff continues to give up runs at an alarming rate. It is a testament to the team’s offense that they are entering the weekend with a nearly .500 record, which outperforms their expected record of 32-42 based on runs scored and allowed.

Zack Gelof’s re-emergence as an everyday starter and major contributor has arguably been the Athletics’ biggest bright spot so far this season.

What do you think of this draft proposal as well as the corresponding one for international players?

Welcome to an odd, baseball-less Friday. The Phillies played the Mets yesterday, and they’ll play them tomorrow, and they’ll play them the day after that, but they’re not playing them today.

Onto the links.

Phillies news:

Adolis García is out for the season.

Roy Halladay was sent down to the minors in his youth. Can Painter follow in his footsteps? ($)

A lot of people learn to play baseball from their dads. Not a lot of them have a dad like Justin Crawford’s, though.

MLB news:

MLB has proposed seismic changes to the draft, including the introduction of an international draft and an end to drafting players out of high school.

Mike Trout is heading to the IL.

The Home Run Derby is ditching the clock.

Who are the top trade deadline candidates?

The Detroit Tigers began June en fuego, winning seven of their first nine games this month, including series wins over a pair of division-leading teams — a sweep of the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays and taking two of three from the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners. Since taking two of three from the Minnesota Twins at home, however, the team has reverted back to its losing ways.

After that hot start to the month, the Motor City Kitties have dropped four of five, with a de facto two-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians and dropping two of three to the Houston Astros. Next up are the Chicago White Sox, who have been rather surprising so far in 2026 and are in a battle with the Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central.

Opening things up at home for a three-game weekend series against their division rivals is ace left-hander Tarik Skubal, whose return from the injured list last time out against Cleveland was a bit underwhelming. The 29-year-old lasted just 4 2/3 innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on five hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out four and hitting a batter in for his third loss in a 3-1 defeat.

For the ChiSox, right-hander Erick Fedde will take the mound on Friday night for just the second start in his last six appearances. The 33-year-old’s previous start came against the Twins on June 3, when he tossed five frames of scoreless ball on two hits and a walk while striking out a pair for his first and only win of the season.

The game before that, Fedde faced the Tigers in relief, throwing four frames of two-run ball, allowing four hits (one home run) and three walks while striking out three in a game Chicago went on to win in extras, 4-3.

Here is how the two match up in the series opener on Friday.

Detroit Tigers (30-44) vs. Chicago White Sox (38-34)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:South Side Sox
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 75: LHP Tarik Skubal (3-3, 2.81 ERA) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (2-5, 4.50 ERA)

SKUBAL

FEDDE

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 5-7 at Columbus Clippers — also note that George Lombard Jr. went on the seven-day IL yesterday due to his sprained fingers

C Austin Wells 2-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI — homered twice (first went 376 feet; the second went 392) and caught the full game, so great rehab appearance
2B Marco Luciano 1-3, BB
SS Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, 2B, SB — swiped home on double steal with Ornelas in the eighth
RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-3, BB, RBI, 2 K
1B Tyler Hardman 0-3, BB, fielding error
3B Jonathan Ornelas 1-4, SB
DH Payton Henry 0-3, BB
CF Duke Ellis 2-4, 2 K, SB, CS
LF Kenedy Corona 0-2, BB
PH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-1

Alexander Cornielle 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 6 K, 2 HR, pickoff (loss)
Zach Messinger 1 IP , 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Carlos Lagrange 1.2 IP 2 H, 4 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, HR — the runs might have been unearned, but the homer was tattooed; just a reminder to be patient with his bullpen conversion
Yerry De los Santos 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 6-7 at Portland Sea Dogs

CF Jace Avina 2-3 BB, K
PH-3B Kevin Verde 0-1
RF-CF Garrett Martin 2-3, 2B, BB, RBI, K, SF
DH DJ Gladney 0-4, RBI, 2 K, SF
LF Jackson Castillo 2-5, RBI, K, outfield assist
1B-RF Nicholas Torres 1-5, 2 K
3B-1B Coby Morales 1-4, HR, BB, 3 RBI, 2 K — 12th homer in 62 games
C Manuel Palencia 1-4, 2 throwing errors
PH Miguel Palma 0-1, K
2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, K
SS Owen Cobb 1-3, 2B, BB

Jack Cebert 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP (loss)
Kelly Austin 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 4 K, WP
Tony Rossi 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, HBP, WP
Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:Rained out at Rome Emperors (will not be made up)

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 5-16 vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels — Tarpons allowed nine combined in the seventh and eighth as Mussels took control

DH Jackson Lovich 1-4, 2B, BB, 2 K, CS
CF Brando Mayea 0-1, BB — first game off the IL
CF Willy Montero 1-2, 2B
SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — dingered in garbage time
3B Hans Montero 0-4, 2 K
RF JoJo Jackson 2-4, CS
LF Logan Maxwell 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB
C David McCann 1-4, K, throwing error — Fort Myers went 7-for-8 on steals, including home on a double steal
1B Austin Green 0-4, RBI, 2 K
2B Luis Escudero 2-3, 2B, BB, RBI

Wyatt Parliament 4.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, throwing error (loss) — oh no
J.T. Etheridge 2.1 IP, 8 H, 8 R (8 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HR, 2 HBP, pickoff — OH NO
Jordarlin Mendoza 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, HR — threw the game’s 19 fastest pitches, topping out at 99.1 mph and averaging 98 with the fastball and sinker
Parker Seay 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K — fine aside from allowing Fort Myers’ 20th hit on the day

Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 4-7 and W, 10-4 (7) vs. FCL Phillies

Game 1 — completion of June 16th game that was suspended in the top of the third

3B Richard Matic 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 K, throwing error — led off June 16th with a bomb
DH Queni Pineda 0-4, 3 K
2B Leni Done 0-3, BB, K, 2 SB
CF Jose Castro 2-4, HR, RBI, K — had a solo shot of his own the other day, his fifth in 17 games
RF Francisco Vilorio 1-4, 2 K
SS Dexters Peralta 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 K — saved his extra-base hits for yesterday as FCL Yanks built 4-0 lead through six, which didn’t hold
LF Estivenzon Montero 0-1, K (June 16th)
LF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, SB
C Justin Capellan 0-3, 2 K, passed ball
1B Christofer Reyes 0-3, K

Brian Hendry 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K (June 16th)
Stanly Alcantara 3.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 4 K, HR, HBP
Anthony Mena 1.2 IP 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K (loss) — he and Alcantara fell apart in a six-run seventh that zoomed the Phils from a four-run deficit to a two-run lead
Marco Manzano 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Game 2

3B Richard Matic 2-4, 2 2B, BB, K, throwing error
C Queni Pineda 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI, 2 K
C Diego Flores 0-0
2B Leni Done 3-3, HR, 2 RBI, HBP, 2 CS — perfect “nightcap” at the plate, beginning with a two-run dinger in the first; his knock in the third then gave Yanks a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish
DH Jose Castro 0-3, 2 K, HBP
CF Francisco Vilorio 2-4, 2B, K
SS Dexters Peralta 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, K — also went deep
LF Robbie Burnett 0-2, BB, 2 K, HBP
RF Estivenzon Montero 1-4, 2B, 2 K
1B Christofer Reyes 1-4, RBI

Jerson Alejandro 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, WP — bumpy stateside debut, but bullpen picked him up
Manuel Cruz 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 4 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, pickoff error (win) — steadied the ship, even with some walks
Sunayro Martina 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 1 K, WP

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 14-7 (7) at DSL Miami — this was actually a 6-3 deficit going into the final frame … before the DSL Yanks scored 11; what a league!

CF Isaias Castillo 0-4, BB, RBI, K — bases-loaded walk put DSL Yanks ahead late
SS Stiven Marinez 1-3, 2 BB, RBI, K, 3 SB
RF Yostin Pena 3-5, HR, 4 RBI, K, 2 SB — solo shot in the first and late had RBI in separate at-bats in the seventh
DH Juan Torres 1-4, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K
LF Manuel Aguilar 2-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K — his first career pro homer plated two and made it an 11-run frame in the seventh
1B Juan Martinez 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI
PR Kendry Diaz 1-1 — scored tying run in the seventh after consecutive wild pitches from Junior Pina
1B Edgar Jimenez 0-0
C Cesar Lopez 3-4, 2B, HBP
3B Abrahan Pichardo 0-1, 4 BB, fielding error
2B Alfred Ciriaco 0-3, 2 BB

Jhosneyker Colina 5.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, HR, 3 WP, fielding and pickoff errors
Brandon Rodriguez 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, HR, WP (win)

Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 14-2 vs. DSL Rangers Blue — had 14 runs of their own to match their other DSL team, albeit in a regulation game; 10 were scored in the last two innings to take a 4-1 ballgame to the final score

DH Daniel Santana 1-4, BB, K, 2 SB
SS Mani Cedeno 0-4, BB, 3 K, fielding error
2B Carlos Bello 0-4, BB, 2 K
RF David Carrera 1-3, HR, BB, 3 RBI, outfield assist — first pro homer made it a 3-1 ballgame in the fourth
C Alessandro Rodriguez 2-4, RBI, K, SF — all three runners scored on his eighth-inning sac fly with the bases loaded because the Rangers made multiple errors, hell yeah
1B Poly Ojeda 2-5, RBI — the 4-6 hitters all have an OPS that starts with nine
3B Germayhoni Beltre 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB
LF Richard Meran 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K — RBI triple started the six-run party in the eighth
LF Eddison Charles 0-0
CF Alfiery Matos 0-1, BB, 4 SB, 2 HBP — go go, go Alfiery go, go; Alfiery B. Goode

Cesar Acosta 9 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 11 K, 2 WP, pickoff (win) — damn, I don’t know when I last saw a minor-league, nine-inning complete game at this level but his pitch count must have been great (the 11 punchies sure were)

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Blake Parker, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1846 – First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) – NY Nine defeats the NY Knickerbockers 23-1 in Hoboken, New Jersey, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1897 – MLB Baltimore Orioles outfielder Wee Willie Keeler’s then-record 44 game hitting streak ends.
• 1942 – Paul Waner reaches the exclusive 3000 hit club with a single off Rip Sewell.
• 1988 – Bert Blyleven wins his 250th career game as Minnesota beats Seattle, 3-1.
• 1989 – Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets records his 100th victory, 5-3, over Montreal. His 100-37 career record is second only to Whitey Ford‘s 100-36 start.
• 1990 – Gary Carter plays in his 1,862nd career game as a catcher to break the National League mark set by Al Lopez.
• 2019 – One day after fouling a bunted ball in his face during batting practice and breaking his nose, Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Nationals against the Phillies sporting a prominent black eye. He still stymies the opposition with seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 win. “Trust me, this thing looks a lot worse than it actually feels,” he explains to journalists.

Cubs Birthdays:Blake Parker*. Also notable: Lou Gehrig HOF.

Today in history:

• 1865 – Union General Gordon Granger declares slaves free in Texas, now the date the end of slavery is celebrated across the US as Juneteenth.
• 1917 – The British Royal Family, which has had strong German ties since George I, renounces its German names and titles and adopts the name of Windsor.
• 1936 – German boxer Max Schmeling KOs up-and-coming American heavyweight Joe Louis in 12 rounds at Yankee Stadium, New York.
• 1937 – Second of two legendary recording sessions by Delta Blues musician Robert Johnson with producer Don Law at the Vitagraph Studios, Dallas, Texas.
• 1946 – First TV sports and boxing spectacular, Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in a match broadcast across New York.
• 1960 – Loretta Lynn records “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl”.
• 1964 – Ameican folk singer Bob Dylan completes his first UK tour.
• 1970 – Jim Bouton’s controversial baseball diary “Ball Four” is published.
• 1971 – Carole King starts a five-week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with the double A-sided single “It’s Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move.”
• 1973 – “The Rocky Horror Show” stage production first opens in London written by Richard O’Brian and directed by Jim Sharman and starring Tim Curry.
• 1978 – Garfield, created by Jim Davis, first appears as a comic strip.
• 1992 – Evander Holyfield beats Larry Holmes in 12 for heavyweight boxing title.
• 2019 – Oklahoma writer Joy Harjo is named the first Native American US Poet Laureate by the Library of Congress.

*pictured.

Toledo Mud Hens 9, Rochester Red Wings 6 (box)

Sawyer Gipson-Long gave the Hens a decent start, and the offense did the rest. Jace Jung has been running hot in June, and he led the way with a double and a home run.

Gipson-Long allowed three runs, but he went 5.2 innings, striking out seven.

Jung opened the scoring with a blast to center field for his 12th long ball of the season. Max Clark singled and scored on a Ben Malgeri single in the third. From there, Rochester chipped away at Gipson-Long to take a 3-2 lead until the Hens broke through in the seventh.

Jung started things off with an opposite field double and Tyler Gentry was hit by a pitch. Tomas Nido and Andrew Navigato walked, forcing in a run, and after the Red Wings went back to the bullpen, new reliever Zach Penrod walked Max Clark to force in a run. A Max Anderson ground out plated another, and a Gage Workman sacrifice fly brought in Navigato to make it 6-3. Two more walks made it 7-3 in a pretty ghastly display from Red Wings’ pitching.

In the eighth, Navigato and Clark hit singles with one out, and then they pulled off a double steal that produced a pair of errors that allowed them both to score. 9-3 Hens.

Ricky Vanasco collected four outs in relief of Gipson-Long. Nick Sandlin allowed a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth. Jung walked and scored on a Navigato sacrifice fly in the ninth. Sandlin allowed two more runs trying to put this one to bed, and Konnor Pilkington had to come on to get the final out, which he did.

Jung: 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR, 3 BB

Clark: 2-4, 3 R, RBI, BB, SB

Malgeri: 1-4, RBI, BB

Gipson-Long (W, 3-3): 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: The Hens have a 2-1 lead heading into a 6:45 p.m. ET start on Friday.

Harrisburg Senators 3, Erie SeaWolves 1 (box)

Lefty Carlos Peña threw a pretty good game, but the Senators pitching kept the SeaWolves in check all evening.

Peña gave up single runs in the first, fourth, and fifth innings, but he only allowed five hits and no walks. The Senators managed to sequence their hits well, as they also struck out eight times.

Justice Bigbie cracked a solo shot in the seventh inning for the SeaWolves only run.

Bigbie: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, K

Peña (L, 3-3): 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 8 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Friday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 16, Lansing Lugnuts 0 (box)

It’s been a rough first half for the Whitecaps, but on Thursday they were the hammer.

Ben Jacobs fired four scoreless innings with six strikeouts, though he did walk three and battled his command a little bit. He also spent a lot of time waiting between innings as his teammates piled up the runs. Lucas Elissalt was rained out this week, so he was about to get in four innings as well, and he looked great, showing off some good sliders and curveballs as well as a pretty dominant heater. He struck out six, allowing just two hits and a walk.

Of course, the story was the offense. Bryce Rainer and Garrett Pennington led the way as they each homered and collected three hits in this one. Everything Rainer hit seemed to be 112 mph or better, including a pair of screaming singles.

Ricardo Hurtado homered and had two hits. Woody Hadeen had two hits and two walks, while Jackson Strong had two hits and a walk of his own. The Whitecaps piled up 16 hits and four walks, scoring four in the first, two in the second, and then eight runs in an endless bottom of the third in which the Lugnuts also made a couple of errors.

Pennington: 3-6, 3 R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR, 2 K

Rainer: 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, K

Hadeen: 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB

Hurtado: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K

Jacobs: 4.0 IP, 0 R, H, 3 BB, 6 K

Elissalt (W, 1-4): 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are up 2-0 in the now five-game set, with first pitch set for 6:45 p.m. ET on Friday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 11, Dunedin Blue Jays 3 (box)

The Flying Tigers bounced back with an impressive showing behind Malachi Witherspoon on Thursday to get back into this series with the Blue Jays.

Witherspoon’s consistency remains an issue, because the stuff remains undeniable. He had everything under control in this one, including his changeup, and the Blue Jays had no answers. The right-hander fired five innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts against three hits and a walk allowed. He racked up 13 whiffs, averaging 95 mph with his fourseamer. He allowed a single and a double in the first to produce the run he allowed, and then was dominant the rest of the way.

The Flying Tigers took control in the second when Carson Rucker led off with a walk and Anibal Salas blasted his sixth home run. Salas remains interesting with plus raw power, plate discipline, solid speed, and a strong throwing arm.

In the fourth, Nick Dumesnil, Rucker, and Salas singled in order to produce a run. Zach MacDonald smoked a line drive single to left to plate Rucker, and then Jack Goodman singled in Salas. Beau Ankeney and Edian Espinal got into the act with RBI singles as the inning continued and they batted around with an 8-1 lead.

In the seventh, Espinal led off with a single and Espinal walked. A wild pitch with two outs advanced the runners and MacDonald and Goodman walked to push across another run.

Joe Ruzicka allowed a two-run homer in the top of the eighth, but his teammates came right back for two more in the bottom half as Dumesnil launched a two-run homer.

Salas: 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, K

Dumesnil: 2-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Espinal: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, K

Witherspoon (W, 3-2): 5.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Friday.

FCL Blue Jays 15, FCL Tigers 3 (b0x)

Jack Bushell was lit up in a shorter start this time out after punching out 10 last time out. Johnathan Rogers did even worse, and the Blue Jays just poured it on from there.

What was notable in this game was the return of the Tigers’ 2025 competitive balance round A pick, Michael Oliveto, returning from a broken toe to make his pro debut. He walked twice and struck out once in this one.

Cris Rodriguez: 1-3, RBI, K

Santiago Pinto: 1-1, R, rBI, 3B, BB

Oliveto: 0-1, 2 BB, K

Amid the first days of grief after Alex Vesia and his wife lost their newborn daughter last fall, Vesia noticed something as he watched the World Series on television. He paused the broadcast, then checked the video, then texted another player to make sure.

51.

Dodgers teammates wore his number on their caps. So did players from the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It was awesome,” Vesia said. “It was a very heartwarming moment.”

Moving.

Touching.

Read more:Freddie Freeman's two-run home run helps Dodgers complete sweep of Rays

And, under baseball’s rules, illegal.

Who knew, really, until this week? Three pitchers from the San Francisco Giants wrote the name of a Bible verse on their Pride Night caps and, amid an uproar, Major League Baseball said it had warned the players that “writing of any kind, with any message” on any playing apparel is not permitted. The issue, the league said in a statement, was not what they wrote on their caps but simply that they wrote on them at all.

Said MLB in the statement: “We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom’ and names of family members.”

To its credit, the league did not enforce the rule when Vesia’s number started appearing on caps in the World Series. But, if you’re going to draw a line on enforcement, where should you draw it?

In San Francisco, the actions of the Giants’ pitchers were widely condemned.

“They were in for a rude awakening with the response, and it wasn’t just from the gay community,” Giants broadcaster and former pitcher Mike Krukow told KNBR, the team’s flagship radio station. “It was from the Northern California community that supports the gay community.”

In response to media inquiries, and as first reported by Outsports, MLB confirmed it had warned the three players. I asked the league whether warnings had been issued in two other instances in which players had written on their caps, including Clayton Kershaw last year writing the same Bible verse on his Pride Night cap that the Giants’ pitchers wrote this year. MLB declined to comment.

“I got chastised by the league when I put Charlie [Kirk]’s name on my hat last year, because a man was murdered in cold blood,” Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen told me, “and now these gentlemen who are relievers in San Francisco are getting chastised by the league for putting a Bible verse on their hat. It’s crazy to me.”

Read more:Giants players' Pride Night protest now involves backlash from all sides

Treinen said league officials had told him the rule is strictly enforced.

“I straight up asked Clayton last year, ‘Did they call you when you put that on your hat?’” Treinen said. “He said, ‘No.’”

The Pride caps feature team logos decorated in the colors of the rainbow, a symbol long associated with the gay community. In the Bible verse cited by the pitchers (Genesis 9:12-16), the rainbow represents “the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures.”

That the league would warn players against writing a Bible verse on their caps ignited a wave of conservative outrage, from Vice President JD Vance to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley fired off a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, alleging apparent discrimination “against baseball players who profess their Christian faith” and threatening the league’s antitrust exemption. Assistant U.S. Atty. Gen. Harmeet Dhillon said on national television that players might be able to file a claim for employment discrimination.

That is complete nonsense. This is what you want: When employees raise an issue to their employer, the employer listens and addresses their concerns.

In 2023, the year after five Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear rainbow logos for Pride Night, Manfred said the league would no longer compel players to do so.

“We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players: not putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views,” Manfred said then.

Manfred said the Pride Night celebrations could go on, however a team wished to stage them — or not, in the case of the Texas Rangers, the only one of the 30 MLB teams that declines to hold a Pride Night. And the league still sells Pride gear on its website for all teams, including the Rangers.

In the cases of the Giants and Dodgers, MLB grandfathered each team’s long-running use of a rainbow logo on the cap, with this accommodation to players: If you don’t feel comfortable wearing the Pride cap, just wear your regular cap.

That is what Treinen and outfielder Alex Call did when the Dodgers celebrated Pride Night. That is also what a fourth Giants pitcher did.

“My job is to abide by the rules,” Treinen said. “Ultimately, the only rule we have is to wear our team-issued uniform. So that’s what I chose to do.”

To Treinen, the decision over whether to wear a Pride cap is not about passing judgment on anyone else but about what he sees as the push “to force something on people that you know that is controversial to their faith — and, in fact, straight up against their faith.”

He expressed his support for the Giants pitchers.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani and Justin Wrobleski team up to lead Dodgers over Rays

“Kudos to those men over there who are standing strong in their faith,” he said. “It’s a sad thing to corner someone and try to make them feel bad about their convictions.”

I respect Treinen for explaining his viewpoint. To me, wearing a Pride cap for one night does not diminish your faith at all. It might sharpen your convictions. More important, it signals a welcome to everyone in the community that buys the tickets and broadcast subscriptions that help pay your salary.

“I think a few people made it about themselves and not about the community,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie told the Bay Area Reporter.

We always proclaim the life lessons of sports. One of them: Sometimes you have to put the team’s interests ahead of your own.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

A four-game winning streak came to an end last night thanks to Andrew Benintendi’s late grand slam. Whatever. It’s not news that the bullpen needs work (Tim Hill and Camilo Doval were the villains on Thursday), and even the best teams will take their lumps in that department. The Yankees remainl 8-2 in their last 10 games and already had the series win in the bag.

Next up: the Yankees face the Reds beginning today. For one reason or another, they’ve proved to be a tougher opponent than expected every time they’ve gone head-to-head since 2022, when MLB teams began playing every other club for at least one series on an annual basis. Cincinnati has one three of the four sets, going 7-5 against them with the Yanks’ only triumph coming in a sweep from the otherwise-underwhelming 2023 team. The Reds memorably returned the favor the following year, sweeping the Yankees in the Bronx during their pennant-winning 2024. The only real highlight for the Yanks in that one was Ben Rice’s first career homer. Cincy won two of three last year at Great American Ballpark.

Today on the site, Jeremy will offer an expanded series preview against the Reds, Sam will run through the Rivalry Roundup, and Matt will celebrate the 123rd birthday of one of the greatest and most beloved players in MLB history: the “Iron Horse” himself, Lou Gehrig. (Donate to your favorite ALS research organization in his memory!) Later, Peter will break down an at-bat against Cam Schlittler for his Sequence of the Week, Josh will discuss why MLB’s latest CBA proposal to the players is horrible for the game on multiple fronts, and Madison will answer your mailbag questions.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Reds.tv

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. The Yankees’ best three relievers right now are (in some order) David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, and Brett Headrick. Who is next on the depth chart for you?

2. Will you watch any of the Team USA vs. Australia World Cup match in the afternoon today before the Yankees game? If so, any pregame thoughts?