CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Chapman singled to drive in automatic runner Jonah Cox in the 10th inning, lifting the San Francisco Giants over the Chicago Cubs 2-1 on Sunday night for their fourth win in their last five games.
Chapman lined the second pitch from Trent Thornton (2-2) to center and Cox, pinch running for Bryce Eldridge, scored from second base as the Giants took two of three at Wrigley Field and dealt the Cubs their 20th loss in 27 games.
Keaton Winn (2-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win, working around a single and a walk. Dylan Smith tossed a perfect 10th for his first major league save, getting Alex Bregman to pop out and stranding Pete Crow-Armstrong at third.
Javier Assad threw 6 1/3 shutout innings and allowed only Chapman’s infield single — along with a walk and a hit batter — after coming in for Cubs starter Jameson Taillon, who exited with a strained left hamstring with no outs in the second. Taillon said after the game he thinks he’s headed to the injured list.
Assad struck out five following his recall from Triple-A on Saturday for a second stint with the Cubs this season. The right-hander retired the last 12 Giants he faced before Jacob Webb took over in the eighth.
Jung Hoo Lee had an RBI single in the first to stretch his hitting streak to 15 games
Crow-Armstrong extended his career-high hitting streak to 12 games with a single. Moisés Ballesteros singled in a run in the third.
Giants starter Trevor McDonald allowed one run on four hits in five innings.
Taillon exited after walking Chapman to lead off the second. The right-hander allowed one run and two hits, and walked two.
Two-time Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson was held out of the Cubs’ starting lineup for a second straight game. He entered batting .180.
Up next
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (3-4, 4.25 ERA) starts Monday in San Francisco against Washington RHP Miles Mikolas (1-5, 6.39)
Cubs: RHP Colin Rea (5-3, 4.45) faces Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (5-4, 3.98) on Tuesday in Colorado.
CHICAGO (AP) — Cubs starter Jameson Taillon thinks he’ll end up on the injured list after he left Chicago’s 2-1, 10-inning loss to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night with a strained left hamstring.
Taillon walked Matt Chapman to lead off the second with Chicago trailing 1-0. Then, the Cubs training staff and manager Craig Counsell came to the mound to talk to the right-hander. After a brief discussion, Taillon walked to the dugout and was replaced by righty Javier Assad, who was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Saturday.
“I don’t think it’s crazy,” said Taillon, who’ll have an MRI on Monday. “Like, I’m walking around and moving around. Obviously, it will be an IL stint, but hopefully we can keep the arm conditioned and moving around. I don’t think it’s surgical or anything like that.”
Taillon said he first felt discomfort in the hamstring after throwing an inside changeup to Chapman that made the count 2-2 in the at-bat.
“And then kind of in-between pitches, I was kind of trying to weigh whether I should throw another pitch or not, then threw the 3-2 pitch and kind of felt it a little more,” Taillon said. “Nothing I’ve ever felt. Unfortunately, just kind of one pitch did it.”
Taillon allowed a run in the first inning Sunday on a walk followed by two singles, pushing his ERA to 5.19. He entered the game 2-5 and had lost four straight decisions over his previous five starts.
Assad followed with 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, along with a walk and a hit batter. He retired the final 12 Giants hitters he faced.
San Francisco won it in the 10th when Chapman singled in automatic runner Jonah Cox. The Giants won for the fourth time in their last five games and handed Chicago its 20th loss in 27.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. found a way to keep Aaron Judge’s bat in the Yankees’ lineup.
After being held hitless by the Red Sox in each of his first three plate appearances on Sunday, the slugging infielder decided to make a change when he stepped to the bat rack.
Chisholm grabbed Judge’s 35-inch, 33-ounce bat instead of his own and ended up clubbing the first pitch he saw to deep right-center for a three-run homer.
“I was swinging and missing when I thought I was hitting the ball,” Chisholm said. “Sometimes you just need a little more weight and a little less on your swing.”
This isn’t the first time the lefty slugger has borrowed Judge’s bat.
Chisholm used one to homer off a position player in his second game as a Yankee, but also tore his right oblique after swinging too hard with the heavier lumber last April.
This time around, he knew he needed to just keep things simple.
“When I pick up his bat I know I can’t swing as hard as I can, or else I’ll tear an oblique like last year,” Chisholm said. “It helps to be able to just control the barrel, and just try to touch the ball instead of trying to hit it so hard.”
Chisholm’s dipped into most of his other teammates bats too, aside from Paul Goldschmidt and Giancarlo Stanton.
While Stanton’s bat is too difficult for him to swing, he of course, wore the injured slugger’s pants in an effort to break his slump at the plate late last month.
With Sunday's homer, Chisholm is hitting .306 with 11 RBI and a .918 OPS over his last 19 games.
May 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers designated hitter Jahmai Jones (18) hits an RBI single in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Well, we had some good times in 2025. Lefty masher Jahmai Jones seized that role from Andy Ibáñez, hero of the 2024 AL Wild Card series win over the Houston Astros, last year and he ran with it. This year it just isn’t happening, and while it’s easy to give up on a bench bat too quickly when the sample size of plate appearances is still too small, we’re now into June, the Tigers are a desperate team, and Jones shows zero signs of getting hot. Game after game, Jones is entering to pinch-hit for Colt Keith, or Kerry Carpenter, or Zach McKinstry, failing to get it done, and then costing them another bench move as Jones can’t really be trusted to play much in the outfield. There has to be a better way.
One of the failures of Scott Harris’attempts to build a complete roster is the presence of limited players that continue to undercut their supposed philosophy of having a very flexible, versatile bench. They already rely on too many jack of all trades, master of none, types in the first place. Not only is Jones not getting it done against left-handed pitching this year, he can’t really do anything else other than pinch-run effectively. Having a player in such an extremely limited and specific role isn’t ideal even when he’s hitting well, but you can deal with it. When he isn’t hitting, the Tigers are playing with a 12-man position player roster.
In 2025, Jones hit seven homers and posted a 159 wRC+ in 150 plate appearances, mostly against left-handed hitters. This year he has two homers and a grisly 35 wRC+ in 86 plate appearances and it has to stop now.
Obviously 86 plate appearances is a small enough sample that it’s hard to make too much of it under normal circumstances. With the Tigers desperate for help, there just isn’t time to wait around for Jones to figure it out. They’ve been very patient with him already, but with a stacked injury list it didn’t really matter because they already had no way to replace all their vacant roster spots. Now that they’re getting healthy, that last roster spot becomes the real point of dispute.
For my money, the smart move here is to call up Trei Cruz. A switch-hitter with typically balanced splits, who is arguably the their best center fielder right now, Cruz would open up a lot more options on the Tigers roster. He’s also a decent shortstop who could make Zack Short a moot point as well. Cruz is unlikely to hit any more than Zach McKinstry does and he generally does his best work hitting left-handed against right-handed pitchers, so don’t expect too much from his bat. However, his defensive versatility, pesky, disciplined at-bats, and speed on the bases would be an asset and actually give the Tigers more of the flexible bench they want, while opening up other options on the roster at the same time.
Adding Cruz, who is already on the 40-man roster to the mix, would allow them to sit Wenceel Pérez and Matt Vierling more against right-handed starters, with Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter in the corners. Pérez is a significantly better hitter against left-handed pitching, and he could then fill Jones’ role, with the added benefit of being marginally more functional defensively. Cruz’s presence would also give AJ Hinch a second option at the shortstop position, allowing them to DFA Zack Short and bring up one of Hao-Yu Lee or Max Anderson to play some third base, while otherwise riding the bench waiting for lefty relievers to pinch-hit against.
The biggest flaw in the plan is that Cruz has only been back with the Toledo Mud Hens for seven games. He’s not exactly tearing it up even by Triple-A standards, but while you’d like to catch him on a hot stretch, this isn’t really about his bat so much as how he frees up the rest of the roster and injects some flexibility back into the mix. Letting them use Pérez, Vierling, and perhaps one of their young, right-handed hitting infielders to hit left-handers, is only one of the benefits.
The Tigers could also choose to replace Jones by adding right-handed hitting Triple-A outfielders like Ben Malgeri or Corey Julks to the 40-man roster in Jones’ place. Julks has major league experience as a replacement level corner outfielder, and he’s hit 11 homers and stolen 8 bases for the Hens across 211 plate appearances this season. Julks doesn hold a 1.076 OPS against left-handed pitching this year, though we’re only talking about 52 appearances. He didn’t hit at all in the major leagues against either left or right-handed pitching, however. He’s also 30 years old and it’s highly unlikely that he’s figured it out at this point.
Malgeri is a little more interesting as the 26-year-old homegrown outfielder is a good enough outfielder to play center field in a pinch. He has six homers and seven steals for the Mud Hens this year, with an OPS against left-handed pitching of 1.148 in 67 plate appearances. I wouldn’t get too excited, however, as Malgeri didn’t hit lefties at the Double-A level last year, and overall has the track record of a career minor leaguer.
If the Tigers can’t quite quit on Jones just yet, and want to give Cruz some time to get his bat going, another option is to simply DFA Zack Short and use Zach McKinstry to spell McGonigle at shortstop as needed. That would at least open up the option of calling Lee back up, or adding Max Anderson to the 40-man roster and bringing him up instead. Anderson’s lack of plate discipline is going to remain his undoing, as he swings at everything, but he does have the hands to make a good amount of contact anyway, and plenty of power against left-handed pitching.
Lee is the better prospect of the two in my book, as he’s a little more disciplined and a better defender due to an edge in his range over Anderson. On the other hand, Anderson is pretty steady, and doesn’t make as many mistakes. Pick your poison.
The final option is for Scott Harris to go trade for a part-time, right-handed hitting outfielder who is more versatile than Jones. At this point, any player like that who can at least hit for some average and be more useful defensively would be an upgrade. That’s probably not in the cards this time of the year, especially with Harris running the show.
Jahmai Jones was a force off the bench in 2025, but it just isn’t happening this year. The lack of production isn’t just hurting the Tigers in his plate appearances, it’s costing them at-bats from good left-handed hitters late in games as well, with no gains to offset that issue. As long as he’s on the bench, manager AJ Hinch has to try and get him going somehow, but they can’t keep doing this any longer without a big sign from Jones that he’s about to turn things around. Even if the Tigers do DFA Jones, there won’t be that much interest in a lefty mashing DH who isn’t hitting at all. He may end up accepting an assignment to Triple-A Toledo to try and get back on track.
I feel like a broken record, but the Tigers can’t keep holding non-prospect level players they aren’t even willing to use in a limited role on their 40-man roster. If Jace Jung can’t help you right now, and he cannot, when is that supposed to happen exactly? The same is true with Trei Cruz and first baseman Eduardo Valencia. The latter is unfortunately a pretty balanced splits type overall, and so not really a good fit to replace Jones, and he’s even less valuable defensively and on the basepaths. Cruz is the one who checks the boxes as a near average center fielder who can also play shortstop, switch-hit, steal bases, and generally be a pest to opposing pitchers. If the Tigers don’t trust him to handle center field and shortstop to an acceptable degree, there’s no reason he should have been on the 40-man roster to begin with.
The Tigers might prefer to give Cruz some more games to get back to full speed against Triple-A pitching before joining his father and grandfather as major league players, but it’s hard to think of a move that could open up more options for them and create the flexible, versatile sort of bench that Harris always says that he wants. The Tigers have been very patient with Jahmai Jones, but they really need to try to freshen up their bench. Trei Cruz won’t provide a lot of offense, but his defensive ability would at least give them options to get more out of their bench spots.
The Mets dropped a tough one on Saturday night, falling to the Padres on a Freddy Fermin homer in the late innings, despite receiving an encouraging outing from Nolan McLean.
Austin Warren allowed a go-ahead blast in a rare hiccup thus far this season, then Mark Vientos' struggles continued as he went down easily on three pitches to end the game with the tying-run on-base.
Instead of sitting and sulking in the finale on Sunday, though, the Mets were able to come back and put together a complete effort from top-to-bottom to secure the series victory.
“It was a really good team win,” Carlos Mendoza said.
The offense was terrific after being held in check on Saturday, putting men on-base in all nine innings as they broke through for seven runs on 13 hits and four walks.
Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette stayed hot, but it was Carson Benge who led the way with a solo homer and RBI triple as part of his first-career 5-for-5 day.
“It was really cool to see,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Rockets pretty much everywhere, using the middle of the field, staying short and on top of the ball -- he set the tone for us.”
Benge is the third youngest player Met to go 5-for-5, and their first rookie since Pete Alonso (2019).
And he wasn’t the only youngster to shine, as A.J. Ewing showcased his outstanding range once again with a running grab in left-center to rob the Padres of extra-bases in the bottom of the eighth.
Ewing also drove in a run, and extended his hitting streak to five games with a ninth-inning single.
“I’m loving him out there,” Benge said.
“I feel like something cool or special is going to happen every day,” Sean Manaea added.
Manaea was terrific as well serving as the bulk reliever, holding the struggling Padres offense to just two runs across four innings of work to lower his ERA to 3.28 over his last four appearances.
Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams put the finishing touches on the victory.
After starting the road trip with a pair of tough losses in Seattle, the Mets were able to rebound nicely to finish it off 3-3, and winners in seven of their last 10.
They now head home for a big six-game stretch with the Cardinals and Braves.
“We just have to continue to win series,” Mendoza said. “Bouncing back after a tough one last night, they showed up today and set the tone early -- that’s what you want to see -- now enjoy the day and be ready for our homestand.”
Francisco Alvarez was back behind the plate as he continued his minor league rehab assignment on Sunday afternoon with Triple-A Syracuse.
The 24-year-old backstop enjoyed himself a much-needed strong day with the bat after going hitless in each of his last two appearances with the team.
Alvarez was retired his first two times up, but then drew walk before being stranded in scoring position.
He then ripped a third-pitch fastball right back up the middle in the top of the eighth, and came in to score a few batters later on a Matt Rudick homer.
Before that, Syracuse regained the lead on a Ryan Clifford RBI sacrifice bunt.
Alvarez finished 1-for-3 with a walk, and caught a runner too far off first on a back-pick.
The Mets don’t have an exact day for his return, but as long as things continue progressing as planned, he could be back in the lineup at some point during the upcoming six-game homestand.
On the mound for Syracuse, prospect Zach Thornton delivered a bounceback performance, allowing just two walks and walk hits while striking out five over five scoreless innings.
Tobias Myers followed that by only giving up an unearned run while striking out one over two innings of work in his second appearance following his demotion from the Mets.
Dylan Ross was called upon to get the final out after Syracuse ran into trouble in the ninth, and he allowed an RBI double and two walks before striking out George Lombard Jr. to end the game.
Ross took home his first save, but he’s now issued 16 walks over 18 outings this season.
Carson Benge just continues to progress at the big-league level.
The youngster has settled in nicely after a bit of a slow start to his career, and Sunday was easily one of his most impressive showings to this point.
Benge led the way for the Mets’ offense, becoming the third-youngster player in franchise history to enjoy a 5-for-5 day in a series-finale win over the Padres.
He’s also the first Mets rookie to reach that mark since Pete Alonso in 2019.
“Pretty impressive, it was really cool to see,” Carlos Mendoza said. “Rockets pretty much everywhere, using the middle of the field, staying short and on top of the ball -- he set the tone for us and it was a good team win.”
The 23-year-old certainly set the tone, lining the fourth pitch of the game right back up the middle before coming in with the opening run just two batters later.
Benge also singled leading off the top of the third, then again to open the fifth, with the second sparking another rally which chased Vásquez from the ballgame.
The damage wasn’t done there, as Benge lifted a homer in a left-on-left matchup in the sixth then ripped an RBI triple down the right-field line with two outs in the top of the eighth.
Benge scored three runs, drove in two, and finished just a double shy of the cycle.
“Today was definitely nice,” the slugger said. “It’s always nice to get two hits let-alone five, so being able to do that today was definitely pretty special.”
With the Mets’ offense extremely shorthanded Benge has slid seamlessly into the leadoff spot, hitting an impressive .316 with five homers and 20 RBI since the beginning of May.
“I’m not surprised,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen the type of player and the talent and just the things he can do on a baseball field -- he’s settling in, is comfortable, and is just going out and playing his game.
“We’re going to see a lot of games like that moving forward where he’s just totally locked in and he's doing a lot of things to help us win baseball games -- he’s just a special player.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 02: Trevor McDonald #72 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at American Family Field on June 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time, and it’s getaway day … in the evening? Odd. Yes, the scheduling deities have blessed the San Francisco Giants by placing their 10th of 13 straight games in the evening, ahead of a flight back to the Bay Area. So it goes.
Taking the mound for the Giants is right-hander Trevor McDonald, who makes his seventh start of the season. The 25-year old is 2-3 on the year, with a 4.50 ERA, a 3.66 FIP, and 31 strikeouts to nine walks in 34 innings. In his last start, McDonald, who is trying to hang onto a rotation spot that he’s halfway through stealing from Tyler Mahle, gave up three runs in five innings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Pitching for the Chicago Cubs is veteran right-hander Jameson Taillon. The 34-year old, who is in his fourth season with the Cubs, has made 12 starts this year, and is 2-5 with a 5.13 ERA, a 6.33 FIP, and 57 strikeouts to 21 walks in 66.2 innings. He’s also allowed an MLB-worst 20 home runs, which opens the door for a Giants team that has been putting the ball over the fence a lot lately. In Taillon’s last start, he gave up two runs in 6.1 innings against the Athletics.
Emmet Sheehan’s failure to complete the second inning Sunday resulted in an unexpected bullpen game for the Dodgers, who were forced to use six relievers in a 13-5 loss to the Angels.
Talk about an unpleasant surprise.
Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan didn’t last two innings Sunday against the visiting Angels. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
Outside of a game last season in which he was used as an opener, the start was the shortest in the career of the 26-year-old Sheehan.
Pitching against the worst team in baseball, Sheehan lasted only 1 ⅓ innings.
Sheehan’s implosion came after spectacular performances by Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the first two games of the series.
With one out in the second inning, he gave up a single to Jo Adell, which was followed by walks to Nick Madrigal and Jose Siri. A two-run single by Sebastian Rivero resulted in Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removing Sheehan, who had thrown 36 pitches in the inning, including 15 to Madrigal.
Blake Treinen gave up two runs in the fourth inning, and Alex Vesia was charged with two in the fifth to put the Dodgers at a 6-1 deficit.
But for however briefly, the Dodgers made a game of it, as back-to-back homers by Dalton Rushing and Ryan Ward in the bottom of the sixth reduced the deficit to 6-5.
The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-5 Sunday in the loss. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
The Angels blew open the game in the next inning.
Jonathan Hernandez had a nightmare of a seventh inning, giving up six runs on a walk and five hits, including home runs by Adell and Zach Neto.
What it means
The Dodgers have won six of their last seven series, and they split the other. They are 16-6 over that span.
On May 13, they trailed the Padres by a half-game, but they now have a commanding lead over the Padres and Diamondbacks in the National League West.
Who’s hot
Rushing matched his career high in hits with a 4-for-4 performance that included a three-run home run and double.
Rushing is now 7-for-14 in his last four games.
Freddie Freeman also maintained his steady form.
In the three games against the Angels, Freeman was 5-for-10, including 2-for-5 in the series finale.
Freeman’s third-inning single contributed to the Dodgers’ first run, as it advanced Shohei Ohtani to third base and positioned the two-way player to score on a dribbler by Kyle Tucker.
Freeman has hit well over the last couple of weeks, batting .362 over his last 12 games.
Who’s not
Will Smith didn’t make his anticipated return to the lineup after being held out Saturday night with a stiff neck. Rushing started at catcher for the second consecutive game.
Up next
The Dodgers have a day off Monday. They resume play Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where left-hander Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.74 ERA) will make his third start for LA against Paul Skenes (6-5, 3.09) of the Pirates.
Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the first inning of a 13-5 loss to the Angels at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Angels flipped the script on the Dodgers, preventing a Freeway Series season sweep with a 13-5 win Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Emmet Sheehan’s start only lasted 1 ⅓ innings, as he struggled to keep his pitch count low. He threw 35 of his 49 pitches in the second inning alone. Many of those went to Nick Madrigal, who battled Sheehan in a 14-pitch at-bat in which Madrigal won two ABS challenges.
“I thought the stuff was good coming in,” said manager Dave Roberts about Sheehan. “After the first inning, I just didn’t feel comfortable getting him past the 40-pitch mark in one inning. I’m not going to put this guy in harm’s way.”
The Angels third baseman drew a walk, marking the beginning of the end for Sheehan, who already allowed a single. The 26-year-old pitcher loaded the bases with another walk. Angels catcher Sebastián Rivero drove in two runs with a center-field single.
“Frustrating,” Sheehan called his outing. “Couldn’t put guys away, not efficient.”
The game shifted into an unexpected bullpen game, and the Dodgers shuffled through seven pitchers. Edgardo Henriquez retired five consecutive batters. But the Dodgers’ spiral continued. Jo Adell reached first after a ball deflected off the glove of Miguel Rojas. Adell then moved to second on a passed ball by catcher Dalton Rushing. Reliever Blake Treinen then gave up a walk and before Rivero hit another two-run single.
Madrigal beat the Dodgers (42-24) in another double-digit pitch plate appearance in the fifth. Home plate umpire Dan Iassogna called a third strike, but Madrigal argued with the umpire, emphatically slapping his head. After an ABS review, the pitch was determined to be a ball. Rushing, seemingly not pleased with a borderline check-swing call, argued with Iassogna. In the end, a 12-pitch at-bat resulted in another walk.
Coupled with a missed call for a walk on a foul-tip earlier in the game, the check-swing call added to a frustrating afternoon for the Dodgers.
“It should be reviewable,” Roberts said of the foul tip. “That changed the game, and obviously the Madrigal check-swing. I felt that he went. That did impact the game.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walks on the field during the seventh inning Sunday against the Angels. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Roberts replaced Alex Vesia with Jonathan Hernández, who gave up a two-run single to Jose Siri. Miguel Rojas threw out Madrigal at home on the hit to limit the damage.
In the third inning, Kyle Tucker drove in a run on a groundout that landed a foot away from home plate, but it gave Shohei Ohtani just enough time to sprint home after Rivero threw to first.
Still, the Dodgers, who had outscored the Angels 41-5 in games this season before Sunday, struggled. Twice, Rushing hit singles. Twice, Ryan Ward, the next batter, grounded into a double play, dashing any momentum. Rushing and Ward hit back-to-back home runs to right field in the sixth, but the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize on the momentum.
Rushing received more playing time than predicted this series, but he said he embraced the opportunity. He matched his career-high with four hits on Sunday. His home run was his first since April 20.
“This year, my whole goal was make sure if there’s an opportunity that I can pick a day that Will [Smith] needs rest, make sure that I can provide just as much as he does with the bat as well as behind the plate,” Rushing said Saturday. “He knows I’ll catch every game if he can’t go back there.”
Catcher Will Smith did not play Sunday because of neck stiffness, despite Roberts predicting the catcher would return for the series finale. Imaging on Smith’s neck came back negative, though it’s unclear if he’ll play Tuesday against Pittsburgh.
“It’s not anything serious, but it’s something that is preventing him from playing,” Roberts said. “It’s kind of a day-to-day thing.”
Rushing’s and Ward’s home runs were quickly negated when Adell hit a two-run homer to left-center field. Zach Neto also hammered a seventh-inning, three-run home run. By the time the game concluded, the bottom of the Angels lineup batted 13 for 15, walking four times. The Angels (25-41) could’ve scored more if not for Neto and Mike Trout, who hit a combined one for 12.
“The bottom half of the order, they were fouling off a lot of balls, we couldn’t put those guys out,” Roberts said. “But, yeah, the Madrigal at-bat really was a difference today.”
Glasnow talks about his injury
Dodgers starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow (back spasms), who was put on the 60-day injured list Saturday, attributed his slow recovery to trying to come back too soon. He plans to rest a few days before building back up.
“It’s uncomfortable,” Glasnow said. “When I get into my load, something feels weird. The more I go, the more it starts to aggravate it. Generally, before I start to throw, as long as it’s completely gone, it gets over the hump, it’s gone, and then I can get back to full speed. I just feel like I haven’t gotten there yet.”
Knoxville Smokies infielder Jefferson Rojas (2) scores a run during a Minor League baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Birmingham Barons at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on June 2, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/ News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Starter Brooks Caple took home the win after he went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits. All three runs came in the third inning and two of them came on a home run. Caple struck out seven and walked no one.
Vince Reilly didn’t allow a run over the final two innings for the save. Reilly surrendered just one single in the eighth (erased in a double play) and walked one batter in the ninth. Reilly struck out one.
The Smokies took the lead for good when third baseman Jefferson Rojas connected on a two-run home run. It was Rojas’ ninth home run and third in two days. Rojas went 2 for 4 with a triple and the home run. He scored twice.
DH Owen Ayers was 2 for 4 and he singled home Rojas after he tripled in the seventh inning.
Rojas’ home run.
Jefferson Rojas gives the Smokies the lead with his third home run in the last two games 💣 pic.twitter.com/Eu4esCv87z
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) June 7, 2026
— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) June 7, 2026
South Bend Cubs
Rained out. The game will also not be made up.
Wisconsin was also rained out, which means that the two rainouts are going to move the Cubs’ magic number for clinching the second half down. South Bend has a five-game lead on Wisconsin with nine games left in the first half.
The Pelicans wasted a dominating start by Pierce Coppola. Coppola pitched five innings and allowed no runs and just one hit and one walk. One more runner reached on an error. Coppola struck out five.
Riely Hunsaker pitched the seventh and eighth innings, gave up three runs and took the loss. The final line on Hunsaker was three runs, one earned, on five hits over two innings. He struck out one and walked no one.
First baseman Michael Carico reached base five times, going 2 for 2 with three walks. He scored once.
Catcher Jairo Diaz tied the game 4-4 with an RBI double in the top of the eighth. Diaz was 2 for 4.
Right fielder Eli Lovich hit a two-run double in the seventh. Lovich was 1 for 4 with a walk.
Jun 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels catcher Sebastián Rivero (38) hits an RBI single against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
Needing one win to secure the sweep, the Dodgers had to use their bullpen much earlier than expected and were outclassed offensively in a 13-5 loss to the Angels.
After a 14-pitch first inning, Emmet Sheehan started the top of the second with a strikeout of Nolan Schanuel, but the Angels strung across a one-out rally beginning with a Jo Adell single. Sheehan lost a 14-pitch battle to Nick Madrigal for a walk before walking José Siri, with Dalton Rushing pleading that Siri fouled tipped the 3-2 pitch. Sebastián Rivero, who had just two RBI on the year entering Sunday, gave the Angels a two-run lead with a single up the middle, knocking out Sheehan after tossing 49 pitches over 1 1/3 innings.
What had been a dominant stretch for Dodgers starting pitching this week came to a screeching halt, as Sheehan was the first starter to not even complete two innings all season long after each starter tossed quality starts since Wednesday’s win over Arizona.
Edgardo Henriquez came in to get out of the jam, which he did by striking out Zach Neto and getting Mike Trout to ground out with two men on base. The Dodgers responded offensively in the bottom of the second with a pair of leadoff singles against José Soriano, only for a double play and a groundout to keep them scoreless. The Dodgers once again had two men on with less than two outs in the bottom of the third, and this time Kyle Tucker brought home a run on a groundout.
With Blake Treinen on the mound, both Adell and Madrigal repeated with a single and a walk respectively, with a sacrifice bunt from Siri moving them into scoring position. Rivero reached out on a 1-2 sweeper and dunked it just over the head of Alex Freeland to give him a career-high four RBI on the game, making it a three-run Angel lead. The Dodgers responded with a one-out single from Dalton Rushing, only for Ryan Ward to hit into his second double play turned by the Angels.
The Angels were able to load the bases with two outs, including Jo Adell slapping his third hit of the game and Madrigal winning a 12-pitch battle against Alex Vesia for his third walk of the game, chasing the left-hander out of the game. Jonathan Hernández came in as the fourth reliever before the end of the fifth, but Siri capitalized for a two-run single to make it a five-run lead. Madrigal tried to help Siri clear the bases, but he was thrown out at home to end the rally.
The Dodgers once again put two men on with less than two outs, as Tucker led off the inning with a walk before Alex Call reached on a throwing error by Neto. Dalton Rushing notched his third hit of the game, this one leaving the yard to bring the deficit to two runs. It was Rushing’s first home run since April 20 against the Colorado Rockies and it was the Dodgers’ first hit with runners in scoring position against Soriano.
The Angels almost immediately got two of those runs back as Jo Adell smashed one 433 feet deep into the left field pavilion to give him a four-hit game and once again make it a three-run lead. Madrigal only needed three pitches to reach on a single up the middle as he reached base for the fourth time. Siri followed with a single to left while Rivero dunked in his fourth hit of the game, knocking in his fifth run to make it a four-run lead. Zach Neto put the game completely out of reach with a three-run shot to center, giving the Angels a commanding 12-5 lead.
Rivero would add the cherry on top of his game with his fifth hit of the afternoon in the ninth inning, driving home Siri for his sixth RBI to bring the lead to eight runs. 13 runs are the most that the Dodgers have allowed in any game this season.
While Sunday was a game to certainly leave in the past, there were some key individual performances from the Dodgers lineup. Dalton Rushing added a double in the eighth to give him a four-hit game, while Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani both had a pair of hits.
Last season the Angels took every game from the Dodgers in the regular season. The Dodgers nearly returned the favor this year, but will settle for a 5-1 season record having outscored the Angels 46-18 in the six games. The Dodgers division lead now sits at 7 1/2 games over the second place Arizona Diamondbacks.
Game particulars
Home runs— Dalton Rushing (8), Ryan Ward (2); Jo Adell (10), Zach Neto (12)
The Dodgers are off on Monday as they fly out to Pittsburgh for a three-game set with the Pirates beginning Tuesday (3:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Eric Lauer faces the reigning NL Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes.
Defense, baserunning and hitting are all components of Benge’s toolbox that have fast transformed the outfielder into a National League Rookie of the Year candidate.
On Sunday he was the biggest factor in the Mets salvaging a .500 road trip. Benge’s 5-for-5 afternoon led to a 7-3 victory over the Padres, giving the Mets their first road series victory since May 7.
“Today was nice,” Benge said. “It’s tough enough to get two hits, let alone five, so doing that was pretty special.”
The Mets had a third solid offensive showing in four days, totaling 13 hits and giving bulk reliever Sean Manaea and the bullpen a cushion.
Carson Benge reacts after hitting a home run during the Mets’ June 7 win against the Padres. Getty Images
Benge’s road trip included a steal of home Wednesday in Seattle. He and A.J. Ewing have energized the Mets defensively with their fearless outfield play.
Benge’s fourth hit of the day was a solo homer in the sixth against lefty Yuki Matsui that increased the Mets’ lead to 6-2. In his next at-bat, he stroked an RBI triple.
“Rockets pretty much everywhere,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Using the middle of the field, staying short, on top of the baseball and the left-on-left homer, it was just pretty incredible.”
Benge, who became the first Mets rookie with five hits in a game since Pete Alonso in 2019, singled in each of his plate appearances before the homer. Since the start of May, he owns an .873 OPS and has stabilized the leadoff spot with Francisco Lindor on the injured list.
Carson Benge slides into third base during the Mets’ June 7 win over the Padres. Imagn ImagesSean Manaea throws a pitch during the Mets’ June 7 win over the Padres. Getty Images
“We’re going to see a lot of games like this, where he’s locked in and doing a lot of things to help us win baseball games,” Mendoza said.
Manaea allowed two earned runs on four hits and one walk over four innings. Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Luke Weaver combined to pitch three scoreless innings before Devin Williams surrendered a run in the ninth.
Huascar Brazobán served as the opener ahead of Manaea and navigated a scoreless first inning after walking Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill in succession to start his afternoon.
Luis Torrens (l.) and Carson Benge celebrate after the Mets defeated the Padres on June 7. AP Photo
Juan Soto’s RBI groundout in the first inning gave the Mets a 1-0 lead. Benge singled leading off the game and Bo Bichette doubled him to third. Soto’s RBI was his 30th of the season.
Marcus Semien extended the lead to 2-0 with a homer leading off the second. It was the second straight game with a homer for Semien, whose shot in the seventh inning Saturday night put the Mets ahead before Austin Warren surrendered a go-ahead blast in the bottom of the inning.
MJ Melendez provided a defensive boost in the bottom of the frame with a full-extension diving catch in left to rob Miguel Andujar of a hit following Xander Bogaerts’ leadoff single.
Jared Young’s RBI single in the fifth widened the Mets advantage, and Ewing’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded increased the lead to 4-0, but Soto was thrown out at third by Jase Bowen after tagging up at second.
Manaea surrendered a two-run homer to Freddy Fermin in the fifth that brought the Padres to within 4-2. It was the second straight game with a jolt by Fermin, whose homer in the seventh inning Saturday sank the Mets.
Tatis’ boneheaded decision to attempt to steal third base with two outs, after stroking a double, backfired as he was thrown out by Luis Torrens.
Melendez homered in the sixth to give the Mets a 5-2 lead.
The homer was Melendez’s fourth of the season. Benge’s blast later in the inning widened the gap to 6-2. His triple in the eighth gave the Mets their final run.
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Benge said he recovered the ball from his fifth hit and gave it to his father.
“It’s pretty tough to win a series, especially on the road,” Benge said. “But I like the traveling. It brings us all closer.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - OCTOBER 07: Terry Francona ( center), the new Manager of the Cincinnati Reds talks to the media at Great American Ball Park on October 07, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nick Krall ,President of Baseball Operations sits to his left and Brad Meador , Senior Vice President & General Manager sits to his right. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds lost to the St. Louis Cardinals again on Sunday. Much like Saturday’s loss, the team scraped and clawed their way to the game still being tight late, only for the bullpen to fork over the game in the 8th inning.
The bullpen is a problem, yes. There are simply too few arms down there that can be turned to in any situation, let alone late and close, and their inability to find the plate is a problem with no clear fix.
Not to be outdone, their starting pitching still struggles mightily on pretty much every day in which Chase Burns is not the starter, and we all know how quickly he is sprinting towards hitting his innings cap for the season. Reds starters owned a collective 5.07 FIP on the season entering Sunday’s start by Rhett Lowder, one in which he danced around 5 walks and just 4 strikeouts in his 70-pitch trio of innings. The only clubs with worse marks so far this year are the perpetually rebuilding A’s and Colorado Rockies.
Cincinnati is now riding a four-game losing streak after being swept by St. Louis, and have lost five of their last six. They’ve won just two of their last ten games, and it’s startling just how off their offense has looked in that time (which overlaps completely the days since Elly De La Cruz hit the shelf with his hamstring problem). In those last ten games, they’ve scored two, three, two, six, two, four, two, three, five, and three runs, it being simply impossible for any of their biggest bats to get hot at the same time in the absence of their star.
At 31-33 through 64 games, it also seems as if they’ve already played most of their cards. They’ve rifled through all of their AAA bullpen options in attempts to patch that battered unit, have watched it still not work, and lost a couple guys to free agency through being DFA’d in the process. They’ve called up Rece Hinds, JJ Bleday, Noelvi Marte, and Edwin Arroyo to give them their shots, and only Bleday – who’s cooled over the last week – has hit the ground running. There is no obvious bat to call up to fix those woes.
Chase Petty got a cup of coffee and showed improvement, but not nearly enough to, say, cut Brady Singer and let Petty do heavy lifting for the rest of the year. If anything, keeping Singer – one of the four worst pitchers in the sport who’ve thrown at least 50 IP this year – to mop things up and keep innings off other, more controllable arms has to be in the discussion. Even the idea of rushing Hunter Greene back to ride to the rotation’s rescue at the moment seems like Pickett’s Charge in its feasibility.
The Cincinnati Reds are in a terrible rut, and they need a spark in the worst of ways. It’s just getting increasingly hard to find where that will come from, or if it’s at all possible for it to happen in a way that can help salvage this once promising season.
The reality is that it’d be completely easy to simply write about how this team’s ownership and front office have failed to get the job done, but since there’s been so much continuity there through the mediocre, at best, last few decades, that’s the short way to cover this story. So, in the meantime, we get to be critical of the pieces put in play on the field and in the dugout since it seems foolish to believe there would ever be greater change higher up. And, once again, the product on the field simply looks lackluster when compared to most teams – in particular, this weekend, their once-heated rivals in St. Louis
The Milwaukee Brewers, fresh off a sweep of the Rockies, will wrap up their road trip in Las Vegas, as they’ll visit the Athletics in a preview of their future home. The A’s, formerly of Oakland and now playing their home games in Sacramento, will host the Brewers and Rockies for three games each at Las Vegas Ballpark, the home of the A’s Triple-A affiliate. The A’s new Vegas stadium, slated to be ready for the 2028 season, is still under construction.
Milwaukee sits at 40-23 on the season, five games ahead of the second-place Cardinals in one of the toughest divisions in baseball through two-plus months. On the other side, the A’s play in one of the weakest divisions, as the Mariners sit in first place at 34-32, the only team in the division with a winning record. The A’s are 31-34 on the year, 2.5 games behind Seattle, as they’ve lost three of their last four to the Cubs and Astros.
The Brewers’ injuries keep piling up, as lefty Brian Fitzpatrick is the latest to join the list after suffering a UCL strain on Friday night in Denver. With him shelved, alongside fellow lefties DL Hall, Rob Zastryzny, Jared Koenig, and Angel Zerpa, the once deep bullpen is suddenly facing a lefty depth issue, with Aaron Ashby and Drew Rom the only active lefties. Milwaukee is also without right-handers Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, and Logan Henderson, as well as outfielder Brandon Lockridge, all of whom have listed June/July return dates.
For the A’s, third baseman Max Muncy, shortstop Jacob Wilson, and outfielder Denzel Clarke will all miss this series with injuries. On the pitching side, the A’s are without former Brewer Aaron Civale, Luis Severino, Brooks Kriske, and Gunnar Hoglund.
Milwaukee’s offense is anchored by Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, William Contreras, Jackson Chourio, and Christian Yelich, with Sal Frelick, Gary Sánchez, Garrett Mitchell, and Andrew Vaughn providing support. David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Blake Perkins, and Luis Rengifo round things out. As a team, Milwaukee is hitting .251/.339/.381 (.720 OPS ranks 11th), with 50 homers (29th), 329 runs (fifth), and 67 steals (second).
The A’s offense is led by Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, and Brent Rooker, all of whom have double-digit homers, with Langeliers leading the way with 16 homers and Kurtz leading the team with a .927 OPS, including a .431 OBP thanks to 60 walks. Tyler Soderstrom, Zack Gelof, Jeff McNeil, Carlos Cortes, and Lawrence Butler round out the regulars, while Colby Thomas, Henry Bolte, Darell Hernaiz, Alika Williams, and Jonah Heim serve as depth. As a team, the A’s are hitting .244/.324/.392 (.716 OPS ranks 13th), with 72 homers (tied for 14th), 273 runs (20th), and 36 steals (tied for 21st).
After the recent pitching injuries, the Brewers’ bullpen is held down by Aaron Ashby, Grant Anderson, Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Chad Patrick. The rest of the ‘pen is filled with a variety of moving pieces, including the aforementioned Rom, Craig Yoho, and potentially Coleman Crow, who started on Thursday but hasn’t been included in the upcoming probables. The team will also likely add Joel Kuhnel, who was acquired for cash considerations from these same A’s over the weekend. He hasn’t yet been activated. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.26 team ERA (third), including a 3.22 starter ERA (third) and a 3.31 bullpen ERA (eighth). They’ve struck out 606 batters (third) over 563 1/3 innings.
The A’s bullpen is anchored by Hogan Harris, who leads the team with five saves and a 2.40 ERA over 30 innings this season. Justin Sterner (3.23 ERA over 30 2/3 IP), Scott Barlow (3.54 ERA over 28 IP), and Mark Leiter (4.94 ERA over 27 1/3 IP) have also played major roles for the bullpen, with Luis Medina (2.77 ERA over 26 IP) also showing signs of success. Elvis Alvarado (6.94 ERA over 11 2/3 IP), José Suarez (6.00 ERA over 12 IP), and Mason Barnett (no earned runs over 6 IP) round out the bullpen. As a staff, the A’s have a 4.54 team ERA (23rd), including a 4.68 starter ERA (24th) and a 4.46 bullpen ERA (21st). They’ve struck out 523 batters (21st) over 579 1/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, June 8 @ 9:05 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (7-1, 1.57 ERA, 2.46 FIP) vs. LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-6, 4.37 ERA, 4.97 FIP)
Harrison, 24, continues to star through 11 starts, as he’s lowered his season numbers to a 1.57 ERA, 2.46 FIP, and 73 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings. He’s coming off his fourth consecutive win, as he went 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball (a solo homer) against his former team, the Giants, striking out 12 in Milwaukee’s 8-3 victory. Harrison made a three-inning relief appearance against the A’s last September while with the Red Sox, allowing no runs on three hits and a hit batter, striking out a pair.
Springs, 33, is in his ninth MLB season and second with the A’s. He’s been a reliable every-fifth-day starter with the A’s, making 45 appearances (43 starts) over the last two years. Across 13 starts this season, he has a 4.37 ERA, 4.97 FIP, and 60 strikeouts across 70 innings. After the A’s lost all five of his May starts, the team was able to provide enough run support for a win over the Cubs his last time out, as he went just 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out three, though the A’s would go on to win 5-4 in 10 innings. Springs has made two starts against Milwaukee, totaling 7 1/3 innings with eight runs allowed (six earned) and 11 strikeouts, including six runs (four earned) over just 2 1/3 innings in a loss last season.
Tuesday, June 9 @ 9:05 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (0-2, 4.73 ERA, 5.50 FIP) vs. RHP J.T. Ginn (3-3, 2.74 ERA, 4.08 FIP)
Gasser, 27, hasn’t been able to replicate the success from his first two stints in the majors quite yet, as he has a 4.73 ERA, 5.50 FIP, and 12 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings across three starts this season. He held his own against the Giants in his last appearance, allowing one run on five hits and a walk, striking out five in a tough-luck 1-0 loss as Logan Webb dominated. This marks Gasser’s first career appearance against the A’s.
Ginn, 27, is in his third season, all with the A’s. He’s found success this year, as he sports a 2.74 ERA, 4.08 FIP, and 60 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings. He leads the American League with just six hits allowed per nine innings, though he’s walking 3.7 batters per nine, which, combined with his FIP, indicates potential regression. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in each of his last six starts, going 3-2 with a 1.49 ERA over that stretch. Ginn has appeared in each of the last two seasons against Milwaukee, totaling 6 1/3 innings with four runs allowed (5.68 ERA) and eight strikeouts in a start and a relief appearance.
Wednesday, June 10 @ 8:05 p.m.: TBD vs. RHP Jack Perkins (2-3, 6.19 ERA, 2.88 FIP)
Based on Milwaukee’s recent use of a six-man rotation, this would be either Coleman Crow (last pitched Thursday in Milwaukee) or Brandon Sproat (last pitched Friday in Colorado). Neither of them had great outings, though, and Sproat hasn’t found any consistency this season, so it seems plausible that the Brewers go a different direction in the series finale. I’ll quickly outline Crow and Sproat’s stats here.
Crow: 0-1, 5.94 ERA, 4.54 FIP, 10 Ks over 16 2/3 IP in 2026; no career appearances against the A’s
Sproat: 1-4, 6.17 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 54 Ks over 54 IP in 2026; no career appearances against the A’s
Unlike Ginn, Perkins, 26, has struggled with a 6.19 ERA but also has a 2.88 FIP over 32 innings this season, striking out 39. His first 17 appearances came out of the bullpen, but this will mark his second consecutive start. He went four innings against the Astros in that one, allowing five runs on five hits and a pair of walks, striking out six. A former fifth-round pick now in his second MLB season, this marks Perkins’ first career appearance against Milwaukee.
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, June 8: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, June 9: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, June 10: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
I’m hopeful for a fun series in Vegas, with three late starts at Las Vegas Ballpark. Give me the Brewers to win two of three.
