Category: Baseball

It has been an up-and-down week for the Milwaukee Brewers. It feels as though they’ve continued playing their best baseball, but it’s been a sequence of close losses. But through it all, the offense has been looking stellar, and that’s promising enough as the Crew heads into another tough slate of games ahead of them this week.

This afternoon’s rubber match is one for the ages as two of the best southpaws in baseball are handed the rock. For the Brewers, it’s Kyle Harrison who is in desperate need of a bounce-back game after last Monday. Against the Athletics, he gave up eight runs on eight hits, including three home runs. It was not only an outlier performance on the season but also his career, as eight runs were the most he had given up.

The reigning National League Pitcher of the Month, Cristopher Sánchez, will face the Brewers for the first time since 2024. In all of his outings against the Crew, he has allowed only one run, enough for him to have a 2.03 ERA through 13.1 innings. After not allowing a run throughout May, Sánchez has come back down to Earth a little, as he has allowed three runs in his first two starts in June. With that, he has pitched seven innings in both starts this month and has accumulated 18 strikeouts during that span with just two walks.

For the Brewers, this lineup has seen Sánchez a handful of times. The lone hitters that will be seeing him for the first time will be Jake Bauers, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn. Outside of our core hitters, Blake Perkins has hit the best against Sánchez, as he’s gone 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Christian Yelich has faced him seven times and is batting .286, while William Contreras has faced him six times and is batting .167.

First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m., and you can catch the game on Brewers.TV and WTMJ 620.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (30-38) won 5-1 (BOX SCORE)

McPherson started for Sugar Land and pitched well striking out 5 over 5 innings allowing just 1 run. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Brooks RBI double. In the 6th, the offense blew it open scoring 4 runs on a Ferreras 2 run double, Salazar sac fly and run scoring on a fielder’s choice. The bullpen was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings as they closed out the 5-1 win.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .457 in Triple-A.

• Trenton Brooks, DH: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 1-for-4, R
• Zach Dezenzo, RF: 2-for-3, R, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Cesar Salazar, C: 0-for-1, R, RBI, 2 BB
• Tommy Sacco, 3B: 1-for-4, RBI

• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• J.P. France, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (28-34) won 12-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Brutcher RBI double. They scored 3 more runs in the 2nd inning on a Whitaker solo home run, Spence RBI triple and a run on an error. Gillis got the start and was solid allowing 2 unearned runs over 4.2 innings while striking out 5. The offense picked up 2 runs in the 6th on a Williams RBI double and Austin RBI single. The Hooks blew it open in the 7th scoring 5 runs on a Brutcher solo home run, Sullivan RBI single and Spence 3 run double. The Hooks picked up another run in the 9th on a wild pitch.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .327 in Double-A.

• Lucas Spence, CF: 3-for-6, R, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI
• Trevor Austin, 2B: 1-for-6, RBI
• Jason Schiavone, DH: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-5, R
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 2-for-4, 4 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB
• Jeron Williams, LF: 3-for-3, R, 2 2B, RBI
  • Joseph Sullivan, LF: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI
• Jax Biggers, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (16-45) lost 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

DeVos got the start for Asheville and went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs, with all 4 runs coming on a grand slam in the 2nd inning. Asheville got on the board in the 4th inning on a Nunez solo home run. They got another run in the 8th on a Call RBI single, but the Spartanburgers responded with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead. The offense was shutout in the 9th as Asheville fell 6-2.

Note: Nunez is hitting .372 in June.

• Caden Powell, CF: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-4, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-3, BB

• Nolan DeVos, RHP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (29-32) won 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Diaz steal of home. Perez got the start and tossed 4 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts, throwing just 38 pitches. They got another run in the 5th on a Vasquez RBI double. Weber relieved Perez and went 3 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned. The Woodpeckers took the lead in the 8th on a Huezo solo home run and a run on a groundout.

Note: Huezo is hitting .381 with 4 home runs over his last 11 games.

• Anthony Huezo, LF: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Xavier Neyens, SS: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-4
• Camilo Diaz, 2B: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, SB
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, SB

• Javier Perez, RHP: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 6:35 CT

CC: Trey Dombroski – 1:00 CT

AV: Dylan Howard – 3:35 CT

FV: TBD – 3:05 CT

On The Greg Hill Show on June 11, I believe that my favorite truth-twister, Sam Kennedy, actually treated us to more truth than lies. I’ll supply the quotes in question, then let’s render a verdict.

Quote #1

“I think it’s important here at the outset, Greg, just to acknowledge…how embarrassing and unacceptable, maddening, frustrating, whatever words you want to use, the past two and a half months have been. There’s no way to sugarcoat it.”

Verdict: TRUTH

Of course it’s the truth! We know this deep in our bones. He went on to describe the season to date as “awful” and “incredibly frustrating” and there’s not much else to add.  

Quote #2

“But look, let’s be honest, unless things change dramatically, we may have to pivot here from what our initial planning was [regarding plans to buy at the trade deadline].”

Verdict: TRUTH

The Sox are performing far too poorly not to at least introduce this option as a possibility. It might be rephrased as “Positioning the organization for the future,” “Stating the obvious,” or even “Not throwing good money after bad.”

Personal note to the front office: unlike past years, choose one lane and stay in it. No more simultaneous Buying and Selling so we can call it a wash. Go all in.

Quote #3

“[Craig Breslow] is working as hard as anybody in terms of getting things back on track.”

Verdict: TRUTH

No one ever accused Breslow of not being a hard worker. I have no doubt that he’s working overtime to prove that his method of team building works, that his approach deserved to win out over Cora’s—and to save his job.

Quote #4

“Look, I fully understand and appreciate questions regarding Craig Breslow and his job security and all that, but the issue of a change there, just to be clear, that’s not even on the table.”

Verdict: LIE

Maybe Sam Kennedy had his fingers crossed behind his back where no one could see them as he said this. Maybe in his head, he silently added “today” or “not this week, anyway” at the end of the sentence.

There’s a lot of chatter lately about Breslow’s job security, which is why Kennedy has been forced to make statements like these. Most of what I’m seeing and hearing says that FSG won’t fire Craig Breslow because the organization doesn’t want to be seen as “unstable” after so recently firing Alex Cora and six coaches. The argument goes like this: they hoped that firing the coaches might work, but it didn’t, so they want to give Breslow time to do things on his terms. Not honoring this gentleman’s agreement would make them look like an even bigger dumpster fire, the story goes.

I don’t think Breslow is safe, and I don’t think Kennedy thinks he’s safe. That’s not how FSG operates in a crisis. The organization likes to lean into data, process, and finances, rather than individual loyalty.

I’m not going to look in John Henry’s wallet and discuss finances today, but as far as the rest, that’s not what I see when I look at FSG through the years. The organization has ruthlessly made changes at or near the top, no matter the optics.

• Firing Brendan Rodgers as manager of Liverpool F.C. in October 2015, a little over year after Liverpool finished in second and Rodgers received a four-year contract.
• Firing Dave Dombrowski in September 2019, less than a year after Dombrowski created the team that brought home a World Series trophy and landed in the record books.
• Firing Chaim Bloom in 2023, though it wasn’t exactly shocking after consecutive last-place finishes.
• Firing Alex Cora and six of his coaching staff in April 2026. No need to rehash that again right now, but in terms of optics it was spectacularly messy. The season was still young, the terminations happened after a blowout victory, and Red Sox legend Jason Varitek was part of the purge.

That doesn’t look like an ownership that’s particularly mindful of stability or optics.

Speaking of optics, John Henry has earned a reputation as not caring about the fans. Despite not engaging much with the media, or having a steady presence around the team, as some owners do, I tend to disagree. I think he does care what fans think, desperately, even if it’s not in ways that we can always appreciate. Just for fun, my pop psychologizing is torn between turning the lens on Henry (even though he’s been at the pinnacle of success for years, he still brings that try-hard energy in ways that can be kind of cringey) and turning it on ourselves (the cold father figure can be super distant and has a hard time showing affection, but he often comes through in the end when he realizes what a shit he’s been). It’s clear he’s aware of what fans think, and I do think that will influence some of the decision making when it comes to Breslow’s eventual exit.

Remember that widely shared Instagram story from February 2025, of good ol’ John Henry smoking a congratulatory cigar all by himself?

It was actually his wife’s story, but don’t tell me that he didn’t okay it. It was right after the Sox signed Alex Bregman. This is the weird kind of way he occasionally engages with fans, but it proves he cares.

In the interview he gave to Sports Business Journal in May, he spoke extensively about fans. He recalled a plane that flew over a Liverpool match, trailing a banner that called for FSG to sell the team. “Fans get frustrated…It doesn’t mean you ignore them, it means you work harder – you don’t settle for mediocrity. You have to win.”

Looking back at Bloom’s firing, our old friend checked too many boxes: he provoked very negative fan reactions (I personally wanted him gone, and said so) – but he also didn’t win.

The SBJ article notes that Henry was at Fenway on April 6 when the hometown fans started chanting for FSG to sell the team. (For the record, I don’t want FSG to sell the Sox.) It was clear Henry got the message; he was caught on video repeating the phrase, as though to clarify what was being said. I don’t think it was entirely a coincidence that the big purge happened not long after, on April 25.

Buster Olney at ESPN tweeted that someone from the ownership group—so, not Craig Breslow, who’s not part of ownership—has been personally reaching out to other front offices, to try to get a trade done. If that doesn’t show how much Henry cares right now, I’m not sure what does. If true, it also shows that Henry doesn’t have faith in Breslow to do his own job. That alone makes this arrangement unsustainable.

Verdict: Breslow’s Gone

Fan reaction and team performance are aligning against Breslow. For me, the main questions are:

• When? Will Breslow handle the upcoming trade deadline? If he’s a dead man walking, as I suspect (note that I’m not advocating for it, simply reading the writing on the wall) why keep him in place to run the table one more time? Despite the occasional rout this season when the bats wake up, the Sox performance certainly isn’t buying Breslow any time.
• Who would the successor be? The Red Sox famously had a hard time even gathering a respectable slate of interviewees the last time the position was open. Too soon to talk about this, but FSG had better be ready to pay—and pay well—and to have a heart-to-heart about what they want to do differently moving forward, and why they’re not as “unstable” as things might appear right now.

One Yankee rival lost early on Saturday as the Yanks took down the Blue Jays 3-1, with Paul Goldschmidt providing a clutch game-winning, two-run bomb in the ninth. Goldy’s heroics meant that Cam Schlittler’s start, wherein he held the Jays down outside of a Kazuma Okamoto solo home run, didn’t go to waste.

All told, Saturday was a good day for New Yorkers. The Knickerbockers capped a magical run to win their first NBA championship in 53 years. And José Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels had the good sense to hang an L on the Tampa Bay Rays, giving the Yanks a full game lead in the American League East.

Tampa Bay Rays (40-27) 0, Los Angeles Angels (29-42) 8

Griffin Jax was really good for Tampa Saturday. He gave up a run in the first, unearned thanks to a Taylor Walls error. Other than that, however, the Angels could not touch Jax. Alas, he couldn’t throw all nine frames for the Rays and they went to their bullpen in the sixth.

And once that happened, the Angels went to work. They scored three runs in the sixth, including putting one on Craig Kimbrel who, in his 17th season is pitching for this 11th club. In the seventh, more of the same. Four more runs, led by a Jose Siri two-run shot, doubled the Angels’ lead.

An eight-run lead is generally pretty insurmountable. It is even more so when you’re facing José Soriano. The Angels’ ace has scuffled of late, but on Saturday night he was nails, throwing five shutout innings before giving way to the bullpen. Unlike Tampa’s pen, LA’s relievers were up to the task, continuing the shutout and providing four innings with just two hits.

Other Games

Seattle Mariners (37-35) 3, Washington Nationals (36-35) 8: Luis Castillo has had a rough 2026 season. Saturday was more of the same, except his defense did him absolutely zero favors committing three errors in the first five innings. Of the five Nationals runs on Castillo’s ledger, only one was earned thanks to the shoddy glovework behind him.

Seattle fought back from an early 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately for the M’s, Castillo couldn’t deliver a shutdown inning. A two-run Luis García Jr. home run broke the tie and gave Washington a lead they never surrendered. The Nats put the game out of reach in the home seventh when they plated three more runs. The win nudges them back above .500, something I doubt many fans thought they’d see from the Nationals this year, fresh off a 66-96 record last season.

Cleveland Guardians (39-33) 3, Detroit Tigers (29-42) 1: Tarik Skubal underwent surgery on his throwing elbow to remove loose bodies on May 6th. On June 13th, he took the mound for the Tigers — an absolutely wild recovery timeline. Understandably, he was not at his best in his return, but it’s still incredible how quickly he made it back to the big leagues. He threw 80 pitches Saturday, giving up three runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings. Skubal hit 99.9-mph on the radar run with the heater, so apparently the arm is fine.

It’s not all good news for Cleveland, however. Rookie Chase DeLauter crashed into outfield wall in the top of the first inning and departed the game in the bottom half after a single. Hopefully he’s okay. His replacement, Daniel Schneemann, provided the big blast off Skubal though, with a two-run home run in the third that broke a 1-1 tie.

Good morning and happy Sunday everybody! Nick links are back which means injury news is back too. I want to think it’s not my fault but the evidence is getting overwhelming at this point. I’m heading out of town for a week and I’m hoping that that can help stem the tide. I suppose time will tell.

The Mariners lost a bruiser to the Nationals yesterday 8-3, and need a win this morning to avoid dropping back-to-back series. They go in just a few hours at 10:35 PST.

In Mariners news…

• The emergence of Colt Emerson’s power has been one of the very best parts of the 2026 season so far.
• The Mariners are bringing back Michael Plassmeyer, who was originally drafted by the Mariners in the 4th round of the 2018 Amateur Draft.

Around the league…

• The year of the hamate continues, it’s most recent victim being Guardians super star José Ramírez, who broke the bone during an at-bat in the fifth inning of yesterday’s win over Detroit.
• The losing pitcher in the Guardians win yesterday was one Tarik Skubal, just 38 days after elbow surgery, back on the mound throwing 99 mph.
• Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day IL by the Atlanta Braves after only making it through three full innings on Friday. Strider started the season on the IL and has only pitched in eight games, and his right elbow continues to be a massive concern.
• Reporting on Garrett Crochet earlier this week resulted in mixed messaging surrounding his rehab, so it fell to Crochet himself to clear the air and announce that he likely won’t be back until after the All-Star break.
• Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander, who has been on the 15-day IL for a month, is expected to get surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the 2026 season.
• New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham exited Friday’s game early and was placed on the IL yesterday morning with a right hamstring strain. Jasson Domínguez was reinstated from his rehab assignment in the corresponding move.
• Speaking of the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton was expected to return to the team during their next homestand, but may instead may need to go for imaging on his calf after tweaking it while running the bases this week.
• While some pitchers on the Giants choose to embarrass themselves and their organization, I think it’s important to ignore them and instead remember the life of a man who devoted a significant part of his life to bettering his community. Meet Rod Beck.

Nick’s pick…

• The New York Knicks once again staged a big comeback, albeit smaller then Wednesday’s, to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 and win their first NBA Finals in 53 years!
• Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals is tonight at 5:00 PST in Las Vegas. Vegas needs to win to force a game 7, and Carolina wants to secure their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. and their first in 20 years.

Saturday afternoon was the offensive showing that the Friar Faithful have been waiting for. The San Diego Padres erupted for nine runs against the Baltimore Orioles. It’s the most the team has scored since their 10-5 rout of the San Francisco Giants on May 5. More than that, it forced their third consecutive rubber game after a dismal Game 1 to the O’s.

Starter Randy Vásquez pitched well despite some early trouble. He surrendered two runs in the first inning but settled in for the next four. The ‘pen took over from there, allowing just one run and four hits between five relievers.

But the offense stole the show. Baltimore starter Trey Gibson struggled to get through the first, surrendering four runs on two homers before the O’s had even batted. Samad Taylor was one of those home runs (the first of his MLB career). Unfortunately, Xander Bogaerts and Freddy Fermin exited the game after being hit by pitches. The two were removed as a precautionary measure but will be monitored closely.

Taking the mound

Trevor Rogers (BAL) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Rogers hasn’t had exactly the season that Baltimore hoped he would. He’s pitched to a 6.15 ERA with just 44 strikeouts through 60 innings pitched. His 1.48 WHIP is ridiculously high, even when compared to his 1.32 career WHIP.

The lefty has pitched even worse in his last seven games, with an 8.04 ERA and 1.63 WHIP across his most recent 31 1/3 innings. His last start was decent, pitching 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball against the Seattle Mariners, but Rogers will need to do much more to best the Friars.

Buehler has been on the other side of that pendulum, looking much better in his most recent starts than the rest of the season. Across his last seven outings, the righty owns a 3.62 ERA compared to a 4.33 mark through the season. His last three outings have been spectacular, giving up just four runs in 16 innings.

The right-hander hasn’t had much success against this Baltimore lineup in the past. The club boasts a combined .283 career batting average against Buehler (53 at-bats). He’ll need to limit them if San Diego hopes to take the rubber match.

Batter up!

It almost felt like the recent woes of the San Diego offense disappeared immediately as the team unloaded on the Orioles’ starting pitcher. The lineup went deep five times. Jackson Merrill and Taylor in the first inning, Gavin Sheets in the seventh, Rodolfo Durán in the eighth and Manny Machado in the ninth to cap a nine-run victory.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Xander Bogaerts, SS
5. Gavin Sheets, 1B
6. Samad Taylor, LF
7. Will Wagner, DH
8. Nick Solak, RF
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Only five of the Padres have faced Rogers before, and none of them to much success. The new additions have certainly stepped up. Taylor is having the best week of his MLB career. Wagner has gone 4-for-8 at the plate with a 1.292 OPS. Nick Solak had a 1-for-2 debut on Saturday with an RBI. They’ll need that to continue to win their second consecutive series for the first time since April.

Relief corps

Plenty of relievers toed the rubber for the Padres on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore. Much of that is due to Vásquez’s inability to pitch deep into games. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam each pitched an inning of work.

Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the ninth and recorded two outs before being ejected for hitting Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. It was likely unintentional, but Marinaccio and manager Craig Stammen were both ejected nonetheless. Adrian Morejon recorded the final out, inducing a ground out by Pete Alonso.

Morejon will likely still be available in today’s game, having only thrown two pitches. The same is true for Marinaccio, who threw four. Behind them remains Mason Miller, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta. Hopefully, San Diego will gift Miller with a lead in the ninth to take the rubber match.

Another day, another Eric Hartman homer down in the Atlanta Braves farm system. The day also had Owen Murphy record double digit strikeouts and see Drake Baldwin begin his rehab assignment. However Saturday wasn’t all positive, as Luke Sinnard exited after just one inning. We are still awaiting word on why Sinnard left his start early, but when a player with his injury history leaves a start that early, it is something worth monitoring closely.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3, Gwinnett Stripers 2

• Drake Baldwin, C: 1-3, HR, R, RBI
• Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-4, .301/.395/.435
• Owen Murphy, SP: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 4.43 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

You may have missed this one as a rain delay kept this one from starting until after 9 PM, but if you saw it then you got to witness Owen Murphy carving up the Jumbo Shrimp. After allowing a first inning run on three hits, Murphy settled in to allow just one unearned run on no hits and a walk over the next five innings. He also added 10 strikeouts and 24 swings and misses, including 14 on his fastball alone. The next inning and a third went to Hunter Stratton, who would allow the walkoff run to score in the bottom of the eighth, via a sac fly.

It was just his first rehab game, but Drake Baldwin certainly seemed ready to get back to Atlanta when he came up in the top of the sixth down 2-1 and smashed a 110.4 MPH exit velocity homer to tie the game at two. Baldwin finished his day one for three before leaving early, which is normal for a player’s first game on rehab assignment. The rest of the offense had a fairly quiet day as they managed a combined five hits and three walks. With a two walk game DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was the only player to reach base more than once, and Baldwin’s homer was the lone extra base hit. Jim Jarvis ended up one for four in the loss, while Brewer Hicklen singled and scored the Stripers other run.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4, Columbus Clingstones 0

• Luke Waddell, SS: 1-4, .218/.335/.328
• Julio Robaina, SP: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3.38 ERA
• Shay Schanaman, RP: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 5.63 ERA

Box Score

Julio Robaina turned in four innings of three run ball, though only two of the runs were earned. Robaina only struck out three, but did have 11 whiffs. Shay Schanaman followed him with three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk. Jacob Wallace went the final two innings, and allowed an unearned run but did strike out three hitters.

The Columbus hitters just couldn’t get anything going in this one, managing just three singles and one walk. It is actually even tougher than that as they had just one hit through five innings, and only added the walk over the next two innings. It wasn’t until the final two innings where they were able to record the other two base hits. Luke Waddell, Drew Compton, and Keshawn Ogans had the singles, and Will Verdung took the lone walk.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 5, Rome Emperors 1

• Eric Hartman, CF: 2-4, HR, R, RBI, .311/.377/.601
• Tate Southisene, SS: 1-4, .217/.357/.348
• John Gil, 2B: 1-4, .266/.365/.432
• Luke Sinnard, SP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2.30 ERA
• Isaac Gallegos, RP: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.99 ERA

Box Score

Luke Sinnard started and only went one inning, being removed for still unknown reasons. During that inning he allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out one with four whiffs. Sinnard threw 23 pitches, 12 of which for strikes, and also hit a batter. We now await an update on a talented prospect who has had a troubling injury history. Mathieu Curtis took the ball from Sinnard and allowed four runs over two and a third innings. Riley Frey was next, and he allowed one run over two and two thirds as the next man up. The final two innings went to Isaac Gallegos, and he was dominant. Gallegos allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out five and picked up a remarkable 11 swings and misses in the 28 pitches he threw.

Once again Eric Hartman was the biggest storyline, as he went two for four with his 17th homer of the season – a solo shot in the eighth inning. Besides Hartman the bats were pretty much nonexistent, as singles by Tate Southisene and John Gil accounted for all of the hits, and one walk to Mason Guerra was the only other player to reach base safely. It is worth noting that Tate Southisene did get the start at short, his second straight day there but only his 10th start of the season there.

Augusta GreenJackets 4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3

• Conor Essenburg, CF: 1-4, BB, R, RBI, .262/.415/.512
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-3, BB, R, RBI, .280/.328/.345
• Zach Royse, SP: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 4.42 ERA

Box Score

Zach Royse had another solid outing on Saturday, going one out shy of the quality start. Royse allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts and 15 whiffs to pick up his third win of the season. Kendy Richard followed and allowed a run over his inning and two thirds, before Daniel Brooks pitched a scoreless inning and two thirds to pick up his first save.

Despite scoring four runs the Augusta lineup managed just three hits, all singles. Conor Essenburg, Juan Mateo, and Tanner Smith each singled and walked, with Essenburg and Mateo each scoring a run and batting one in. Both Alex Lodise and Luis Guanipa were hitless, but drew walks, and Lodise came around to score.

FCL Rays 9, FCL Braves 5

• Manuel Campos, DH: 2-5, SB, .272/.380/.417
• Arlenn Manzanillo, C: 2-4, BB, 3 R, .163/.229/.209
• Wuilinyer Tovar, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 5.75 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

The continuation of Friday’s suspended game saw the FCL Rays beat the Braves squad 9-5. Starter Wuilinyer Tovar battled his command, allowing four runs (three earned) over three and a third innings, walking four and striking out five. After two thirds of an inning from Melvin Hidalgo, Victor Duarte allowed a pair of runs in his inning. Will Eldridge was next and kept the Rays off the board for two and two thirds, before Cesar Rodriguez allowed the final three runs to come in during his inning and a third.

Manuel Campos continued showing his hit tool in this one, picking up a pair of hits and stealing his 15th base of the season, while Arlenn Manzanillo had a pair of singles and a walk, scoring three of the Braves five runs. Caden Merritt also reached base three times, walking twice and hitting a single, and also stealing a base. Top prospect Diego Tornes was hitless in four at bats, but did steal a base.

FCL Braves 3, FCL Rays 2

• Diego Tornes, DH: 1-4, RBI, .190/.269/.250
• Manuel Campos, SS: 1-3, R, SB, .274/.379/.415
• Gensi Angeles, SP: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.99 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

In the second game team ace Gensi Angeles was on the mound and went four and a third, allowing two runs (only one earned) on two hits and three walks. Angeles also struck out four and had seven whiffs as he moved his ERA to 1.99 on the season. Jorge Nunez went the next inning and two thirds and struck out three hitters to pick up the win, while a scoreless seventh inning got Juan Olmos the save.

Manuel Campos collected yet another hit and another stolen base in the second game, giving him a combined three hits and two steals. The lone multi-hit game came from outfielder John Estevez, who picked up a pair of singles in three at bats. Diego Tornes also broke into the hit column and batted in a run.

DSL Braves 7, DSL Royals Fortuna 4

• Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez, LF: 3-3, 2 RBI, .440/.563/.800
• Edelson Cabral, DH: 2-3, 2 R, .250/.382/.321
• Jose Manon, SS: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, .320/.471/.560
• Cesar Navarro, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 3.68 ERA

Box Score

The DSL Braves squad pulled off just their second win of the season thanks to one of their better pitching performances. Starter Cesar Navarro allowed a run over three and a third innings, while Charlis Medina followed with two and a third scoreless. Matthew Luna allowed three runs in his inning of work, and they needed Yostin Pinales to come in to pick up the final out and collect the save.

The fun lineup down here had a strong performance as well. Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez led the way, going a perfect three for three with a pair of runs batted in, while Edelson Cabral and Osmar Torrealba each went two for three. Durban Arnedo walked, singled, stole two bases, and scored a pair of runs, while Jorwin Pulido and Jose Manon each recorded a double in the win.

Truly. Nothing new. Same ol’, same ol’ in this one. A 6-1 loss that felt pre-determined, or determined immediately after Pete Crow-Armstrong homered on the first pitch of the game thrown by Trevor McDonald.

PCA continued to be a menace all evening: he collected two more hits, came up a triple shy of the cycle, advanced to third on a flyout to left field, and scored two of Chicago’s six runs. 

McDonald, far removed from his early success and efficiency, has officially spent too much time with Landen Roupp and Robbie Ray. After pitching into the 7th inning in three of his first five starts, McDonald hasn’t reached the 6th in three consecutive outings. On Saturday night, 93 pitches didn’t even get him through four complete. He chucked a pair of wild pitches, walked three (his third consecutive game doing so), and hit a batter while surrendering 4 runs on 6 hits.  

Some of that ineffectiveness can be blamed on Chicago’s peskiness. They refused to be grounded by McDonald’s sinker-heavy arsenal. But mixed in with the Cubs’ professional approach was a level of Bush League-ness exhibited by the Giants. 

McDonald and reliever Reiver Sanmartin helped generate Chicago’s fourth run with this depressing sequence walk – single – HBP – walk — all started with two outs, the bases empty, and an inability to tempt the very temptable, .174 hitting Dansby Swanson to chase out of the zone. 

This was actually the second time in as many frames in which San Francisco’s generosity overfloweth. With runners at the corners, Craig Counsell signaled for Ian Happ to steal second, and like many, many Little Leaguers before him, back-up catcher, Eric Haase couldn’t resist the throw down — despite no defender covering.

The Cubs managed just one-hit in 11 at-bats with a runner in scoring position. But free gifts of 90 feet and a trio of homers paced them plenty, as the Giants offense had to play catch-up against Ben Brown. They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and struggled to get productive outs.

Rafael Devers watched the next three hitters go down in quick succession after his lead-off double in the 2nd. Luis Arraez’s RBI triple in the 3rd (extending his hitting streak to 13 games) got the Giants on the board, but after Bryce Eldridge walked, neither runner advanced further after Casey Schmitt and Rafael Devers both struck out. Willy Adames’s late jump on a loose ball got him cut down at third for a momentum-killing second-out in the 4th.

Right after that bungled scoring opportunity, Ian Happ and Pedro Ramirez both homered off Sanmartin to extend Chicago’s lead and effectively lay the Giants down for the night.

The victory earned the Cubs their first series win since early May. The loss was a rerun for Giants fans.

It was the offensive explosion fans of the San Diego Padres have been waiting for all season. It was a glimpse at what the Friar Faithful thought this lineup could be with big-name stars scattered throughout the order. It was good to see. Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, Gavin Sheets, Samad Taylor and Rodolfo Duran all hit home runs to lead the Padres to a 9-3 over the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the game with a leadoff walk but was not on base long. Merrill followed and hit the fourth pitch of his at-bat over the wall in left-center field to give San Diego a 2-0 lead. Xander Bogaerts drew a one-out walk before Sheets popped out for the second out of the inning. Taylor came to the plate and hit a two-run home run on the fifth pitch of his at-bat to give the Padres a 4-0 lead.

Randy Vasquez took the mound for San Diego and immediately surrendered two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Both runs were scored with two outs with the first Baltimore coming on a Pete Alonso home run. The Orioles scored their second run of the inning when Vasquez allowed a walk and a triple to the next two batters to make the score 4-2.

Taylor added an RBI-single in the top of the fifth inning, which scored Machado to give the Padres a 5-2 lead. Nick Solak, who was called up after Miguel Andujar was placed on the IL, hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to extend the San Diego lead to 6-2. Gavin Sheets made the score 7-2 with a solo home run in the top of the seventh inning before the Baltimore added a run in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 7-3.

Rodolfo Duran and Manny Machado hit solo home runs in the top of the eighth and top of the ninth innings to make the final score 9-3 and give the Padres a chance to win the series in the final game against the Orioles.

Vasquez completed five innings and allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Yuki Matsui pitched a scoreless sixth, Bradgley Rodriguez allowed a run in the seventh, Jason Adam pitched a scoreless eighth and Ron Marinaccio pitched 0.2 innings before being ejected following a hit batter, which led to manager Craig Stammen being ejected and Adrian Morejon got the final out of the game for the Padres.

San Diego takes on Baltimore in the rubber match today at 10:35 a.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres got beat up in the win. Xander Bogaerts was hit in the head by a pitch in his first game back from paternity leave and was later taken out of the game and Freddy Fermin was hit on the side of his head behind his ear while warming up Yuki Matsui before the sixth inning and he too left the game early with an injury.

• German Marquez had another scoreless outing his latest rehab start and will be ready soon to contribute to San Diego’s succes.

Baseball News:

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto was almost perfect for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox.

• The Detroit Tigers suffered a 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in Tarik Skubal’s return to the mound. But it was not all good news for the Guardians as they saw their third baseman Jose Ramirez end up on the IL with an injury to his hamate bone.

• The Philadelphia Phillies took advantage of not facing Jacob Misiorowski and beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 9-8.

• The Atlanta Braves bounced back to beat the New York Mets, 3-1.

• The Cincinnati Reds slipped past the Arizona Diamondbacks, 2-1.

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The New York Mets will try to claim a series win when they host the Atlanta Braves in a rubber game this afternoon.

Atlanta pitcher Bryce Elder has been among the best in the majors this year, and I like him to lead his team to victory in my Braves vs. Mets predictions.

Keep reading to see my full analysis and to get my free MLB picks for Sunday, June 14.

Who will win Braves vs Mets today: Braves moneyline (+102)

Bryce Elder’s analytics look as good as any pitcher in the majors this year, rating in the 99th percentile for pitching run value. He’s been especially good at preventing hitters from getting all of his pitches, allowing barrels on just 3.7% of batted balls.

The Atlanta Braves should hit New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta well. He relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, throwing it 54% of the time, while the Braves are pulling that pitch in the air 18.5% of the time off righties. I see Atlanta as a favorite and would bet them at -120 or better.

COVERS INTEL: Bryce Elder throws four-seamers, sinkers, and sliders for 79% of his pitches. The Mets hit just 21.5% of those pitches for line drives off righties, the third-lowest rate in the majors.

Braves vs Mets Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-110)

I like this Braves offense to carry this total. Atlanta has a wOBA of .330 and is barreling up 9.5% of their batted balls, which will play well on a hot day in New York. Peralta has been particularly poor as of late, throwing to an ERA of 5.65 over his last five starts.

While New York may not get a lot of balls in the air off Elder’s arsenal, they do have a solid 17.2% air pull rate off those pitches. With reasons to expect runs on both sides, I like the Over at 8.5 runs or less.

Braves vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Braves +100 | Mets -120
• Run line: Braves +1.5 (-205) | Mets -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Braves vs Mets trend

The Braves are 5-2 in Bryce Elder's last seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Mets.

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Derek McInnes is a logical appointment who will thrive on the challenge of rebuilding Rangers, says Dave McPherson.

The Hearts head coach is being strongly linked with a move to Ibrox, with Danny Rohl expected to depart for RB Salzburg.

"Rangers need a bit of stability," said former Scotland defender McPherson, who had two spells with the club, along with two stints with Hearts.

"Derek's proved – not just at Hearts, but in previous clubs he's been at – that he can build a good team, get the best out of players, and get results, and that's what Rangers need at the moment.

"He'd have been my choice as Rangers manager way back, but I think he's proved even more at Hearts how good a manager he is.

"Rangers are there to be rebuilt and I think it's a good time for a Scottish manager and a guy that's played for Rangers to go in there and say, 'right, I can start from the bottom up and build something big here'.

"He's going to have some funds behind him but it will still come down to recruitment. You have to recruit the right players, and I think that's where Rangers have failed in the past.

"If you think of the job that was done at Hearts last year, it was a fantastic set-up, and everybody wanted to play for Hearts. He got the best out of the players, and I think if he can transfer that to the Rangers job, then it'll be a good Rangers team to watch next season."

McInnes moved to Tynecastle from Kilmarnock last summer, with Hearts going so close to a first title in 66 years.

Defeat at Celtic Park on the final day left the Edinburgh side two points behind the defending champions and eight points in front of Rangers.

Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland has already made the switch from Tynecastle to Ibrox and McInnes taking the same path would be "a massive blow", according to McPherson, although he is confident the club is can cope without the key duo.

"I don't have any idea who they're going to go for, but there's big shoes to fill there," he said.

"Having spoken to a lot of people at Hearts last season, they've got a really good set-up. They're built in such a way that if they do lose somebody, then they've got things in the background that's going to be able to replace a player or a manager, so I've got every confidence in Hearts doing really, really well next year again."

BALTIMORE — Manny Machado would like to keep it simple.

He knows he’s having the worst season of his career. Is well aware he’s among the worst hitters in all the major leagues this year.

And would rather the ugly truth be told in the language of baseball’s traditional markers of futility.

The Mendoza Line? Machado knows all about it – and that he’s well beneath it.

The interstate? Manny’s been riding it all year, hitting a buck-something as his San Diego Padres fell from the depths of a 19-9 start, now fighting to stay above .500.

A miserable Manny, entering June 13 batting .178, on track for a career low in homers, his WAR 1.4 in the red?

Hold up.

Even as he closes in on his 34^th birthday, this is still Machado – chest out, taking the punches, ready to counter.

“This is why we love baseball. Us baseball players are masochists. We love being tortured,” Machado tells USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a failing game. We obviously don’t want to be in this position. But that’s the beauty of playing the game – the rollercoaster. It’s a lot of ups and downs.

“You kind of gotta ride that wave and really enjoy every moment of it. The bad, the good, the ugly that comes with it.

“I think it’s why I love the game. Because once you come out of it, once you get going, you remember all those bad times and remember all the good times and get to enjoy the full season of it.”

That season is starting to shrivel, down to 93 games for the Padres and their third baseman whose decision to come to San Diego jarred awake a slumbering franchise that’s now Exhibit A for investing in the product and reaping the rewards.

Midway through June, I believe it is time we can all believe that the postseason is a real possibility for the St. Louis Cardinals this year. FanGraphs agrees, putting the Cardinals above a 50% chance to play in October, but we would still be smart to temper overall expectations for this season. The overall strategy remains to build towards the future and Chaim Bloom has been clear that the team is more likely to subtract than add to the major league roster at the Trade Deadline.

Even though Bloom will still look to deal from the active roster, he has not been shy to shake things up as he has gone a different direction in recent weeks. Beyond the promotion of Blaze Jordan for a tough-to-watch Nolan Gorman, he called up Jimmy Crooks and demoted Victor Scott II in order to stay competitive but future-focused. Rather than dumpster dive on the waiver wire, Bloom has used upper minors talent to supplant the major league roster in order to evaluate yet still hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

Since expiring contracts like Dustin May and JoJo Romero could (should?) be traded regardless of postseason position, Bloom would likely be searching for prospect return rather than big league talent back. If it were a major league player, I would think it would be similar to Hunter Dobbins or Richard Fitts in terms of team control. Because the Cardinals minor league system is so talented, I would prefer this way of dealing as 26-man trades open up spots for the organization’s guys to get their chance.

In a big league sell-off, opportunity awaits for Cardinals prospects

Out: Dustin May

In: Hunter Dobbins

Duh. Let’s get this one out of the way. It may not be the coolest, but it is the simplest and cleanest move for a guy like Dobbins to get his extended look. Another righty with lower strikeout rates, yes, but he can also touch 97mph with a solid splitter and breaking ball that could be further unlocked for more whiff.

If an extension could be worked out with May, I would be open to that conversation. The questions around the 2027 season make me wary of a one-year addition, but anything going into his age-30 season and beyond is also a yellow flag for me. I had hoped for a two-year deal at the time of signing, but in this mutual option reality, it makes the most sense to get decent return for a solid rental starter.

Honorable mentions for this spot would be Brycen Mautz (seen later) and Quinn Mathews. I would like to see Mathews get his shot since he will have to be added to the 40-man this offseason anyway. In a May to Dobbins scenario, Mathews or Mautz could end up taking on the Dobbins spot starter role until something more long-term opens up.

Out: JoJo Romero

In: Brycen Mautz

I am still not sure if the Cardinals held onto Romero too long or if his value is just what it is as a solid backend lefty reliever. However, he is still in St. Louis and pitching fine but is on the expiring deal that makes him expendable, even if the team remains competitive. Rather than replace him with a waiver wire lefty, Mautz could make his return to the majors in a relief role.

After getting his first start wiped out by rain, the Cardinals kept him active for a bulk relief role before sending him back to Memphis. He has remained in the rotation since the demotion and has kept his strikeout stuff in his shorter outings. Mautz has not gone over five innings in a month, so a bullpen role is an easy way to manage his workload but give him more major league experience.

The left-handed relief options have been thin for the Cardinals, seemingly by design in recent years. When they return to consistent relevance, I would hope a high-leverage lefty would be priority, either through development, trade, or with the pocketbook.

Out: Ryne Stanek

In: Tink Hence

Unlike May, Ryne Stanek actually got a more realistic two-year deal, with the Cardinals holding a $6 million club option for the question mark of a 2027 season. They could realistically hold onto him if he becomes a lockdown eighth inning guy, especially if Bloom cashes out on Riley O’Brien as he could then slide into the closer role for a team still holding a postseason spot. After that blowup against Minnesota, though, I think we are all on the train of finding Stanek somewhere to go besides St. Louis.

Assuming he is dealt somewhere desperate for an experienced bullpen arm, I am giving Tink Hence his opportunity to crack the majors. It may be the plethora of Bowman 1st cards talking, but the Cardinals need to give Hence his shot at the big league level before fully throwing in the towel on the former top prospect. He is working in the minors still and has flashed mid-90s on his fastball while coming out the bullpen. Like the others, Tink is on the 40-man so, if healthy, give him his shot.

After getting his feet wet as a reliever this year and assuming he stays healthy through the season, Tink could then shift his focus back to the starting rotation or stay in a consistent reliever work pattern if he was effective in relief.

Out: Riley O’Brien

In: Max Rajcic

In the season’s first two months, if you mentioned trading Riley O’Brien you were an uneducated baseball person because there is no way you trade the best closer in baseball. Well, the 31-year-old with health and consistency issues has demonstrated some of his tight-roping tendencies in recent weeks as his effectiveness waned. Even with four years of control remaining, taking advantage of O’Brien being on the mound and performing at a high level is the best move.

Assuming Bloom will not be able to get a major-league ready closer in return and if Stanek gets traded, the ninth inning is questionable at best. In the best case scenario, Matt Svanson is back to form and can slide into the closer role to end the year, thus leaving the middle innings open for a revolving door of tryouts. Getting one of those spots for me is starter turned reliever Max Rajcic.

Like Mathews, Rajcic could be selected in the Rule 5 draft if he is not added to the 40-man roster this offseason so, if you are following along, my wish is to give him that shot now and see if he is worth the protection in the winter. The righty has seen a massive jump in his stuff across the board this year, commanding the strike zone better than before while striking out over a batter an inning. Racjic has hit a blip in the past couple outings, but his overall body of work is worthy of a deeper look.

My honorable mention here goes to Luis Gastelum. The righty also needs to be added to the 40-man this offseason and has a devastating changeup that can be used against righties or lefties, allowing Marmol to play matchups despite the handedness. Gastelum has been trending in a better direction lately than Rajcic, but I could see both of these guys making their debuts at some point later this season.

Out: Lars Nootbaar

In: Joshua Baez

My article on Lars Nootbaar last Sunday went a few different directions and I am ultimately settled on whatever Chaim does involving Noot, I’ll just nod my head and say okay. In the winter, I needed Noot healthy so the Cardinals could trade him ASAP. Now that he IS healthy, he is mashing baseballs like his peripheral stats always said he could. He has only been back for a few games so far, but we know more about Nootbaar than we do say… Joshua Baez.

Even though he is the oldest on the team, Noot is only 28-years-old and has a year of control remaining. His veteran leadership is a 180 compared to that of Arenado and Goldschmidt, so Noot’s personality figures to play well with the young clubhouse if Bloom decides to keep him around for this year and into next. Should Bloom go the other way, though, Joshua Baez is as close to knocking on the door to the majors as anyone with his seemingly daily Memphis moonshots.

The 22-year-old Baez completely transformed his offensive approach last season and bolted into top prospect lists after maintaining those changes in the 2026 season. After hitting 24 homers in his first 232 games, Baez has smoked 38 homers in the 177 game since while also wreaking havoc on the bases. He trimmed his K-rate to 20% last season, but it has trickled back into the 30% range, although that has not sapped Baez from his power stroke. As of Saturday morning, Baez has 19 homers to tie him for the lead in all of Triple-A. He also has another 12 stolen bases and has generally graded as a solid defender in the corner outfield. Memphis has been deploying him in centerfield more often lately, so Baez could become a major league outfielder even if Noot is held onto.

Out: Justin Bruihl

In: Cooper Hjerpe

This last one is a cheapie because the article title is trade chips and Justin Bruihl is more of a cut candidate unless another team gets desperate for lefty help. I know Justin Bruihl has “done well lately” but I agreed to a point. In our VEB group text, Jake said “Justin Bruihl has a 2.70 ERA since May 3rd”, which is correct. The Cardinals have been playing well since then, so I looked at his outings. My response, “Not by accident for Bruihl. The only close games were extra innings in Cincy and Friday Cubs game. Their record in his games 3-10.”

No slight to Bruihl as he has done his job and was helped by the team giving him the best opportunity to succeed. He is like a referee or umpire: you don’t notice them unless they really mess up. When the Cardinals are consistently in close games, Bruihl has to pitch in those spots more often. In order to prevent that from happening, I decided to promote Cooper Hjerpe to the bigs to give the Cardinals a chance to stay competitive even while using their youngsters.

I am on the record as not being as high on Hjerpe as others, and that is mostly due to his unorthodox delivery that yes, Chris Sale can do, but few others replicate. The lefty was durable in college but has missed significant time with different arm injuries these past couple seasons. Hjerpe is now rehabbing and while he has not pitched above Double-A, he is, again, on the 40-man roster so move him on up.

I did not include any catchers because I do not know the interest around the league in Pedro Pages or Yohel Pozo, nor do I see the Cardinals moving on from Ivan Herrera and Jimmy Crooks for the rest of the season, barring injury. If they do, then Leo Bernal will move on up and then the catching freight train continues rolling. I believe Bloom will avoid dealing from the catching depth this season and will let the backstops sort themselves out throughout the year.

I still expect the Cardinals to remain competitive throughout the rest of this season and even make slight additions on the waiver wire as the year goes on. I do not necessarily see all the above trade candidates as locks to be moved, but I do believe Bloom will make a move or two. In those trades, I foresee prospects as being priority, so the replacements on the roster will have to come from within.

Did I miss any trade candidates? Any non-roster guys you believe should get a shake?

Thanks as always!

SAN FRANCISCO — It started right from the first pitch of the game, which Pete Crow-Armstrong deposited into the seats at Oracle Park.

And it continued through nine innings of the Cubs putting together the sort of offense we saw during the two 10-game winning streaks. Not that another one’s necessarily going to follow, but I have always believed that these Cubs hitters were too good to have slumps like this for much longer.

Ian Happ and Pedro Ramirez added homers and Ben Brown threw five solid innings and hey, look! The Cubs extended their winning streak to three with a 6-1 win over the Giants.

Let’s begin at the beginning, because PCA did [VIDEO].

About that first batter of the game homer, from BCB’s JohnW53:

PCA’s homer was the Cubs’ second this season by their first batter of a game on the road. Nico Hoerner did it at Tampa on April 8.

They did it four times last season: three by Michael Busch and one by Ian Happ.

PCA is the 61st Cub to turn the trick since 1910. They have done it 116 times. Alfonso Soriano is the leader, with 12. Dexter Fowler hit seven; Happ, Brian McRae and Rick Monday, five. PCA is the 37th with one.

The Cubs got a couple more men on base in the first, but Happ hit into a double play to end the inning.

Ben Brown was once again solid through two innings, allowing a hit in each, but no runs.

Then the Cubs extended their lead in the third. PCA led off with a double. One out later, Michael Busch walked. Seiya Suzuki drove in PCA with this single [VIDEO].

Busch went to third on that hit. Then this happened [VIDEO].

Both Happ and Busch were credited with stolen bases on that play — I’m not sure what Giants catcher Eric Haase was thinking, or what the Giants infielders were doing, because no one was covering second base. So Busch, a very unlikely stolen-base guy in the first place, gets a steal of home. More from John:

The last Cub before Michael Busch to steal home was Kyle Tucker, on a double steal with Seiya Suzuki, on July 22 of last year, at Kansas City, with two outs in the seventh inning and the Cubs ahead, 5-0.

The last Cubs first baseman to do it was Lloyd McClendon, on a double steal with Damon Berryhill on May 19, 1989, at Cincinnati, with one out in the fifth inning and the Cubs ahead, 5-2. Busch’s was the Cubs’ 16th steal of home since then.

McClendon stole seven bases in his 141 games as a Cub over two seasons. Busch now has swiped eight in 377 games as a Cub over three seasons.

So it’s 3-0 Cubs. The Giants got one run back off Brown in the third, and then the Cubs made the lead three runs again in the fourth, all with two out and no one on base. The first two Cubs, Ramirez and Miguel Amaya, struck out. Dansby Swanson followed with a walk and went to third on a single by PCA, his third hit of the game. Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Busch walked, scoring Swanson [VIDEO].

In the bottom of the fourth with one out and a runner on first, Matt Chapman hit a sinking liner to right. Suzuki made an awkward attempt to catch it and Chapman wound up with a single [VIDEO].

Suzuki left the game and Matt Shaw took over in right. Here’s what we know as of now:

Let’s hope this is nothing serious. I’d think Michael Conforto would likely start in right field Sunday, though.

The Cubs made it 6-1 in the fifth on a pair of solo homers.

First, Happ [VIDEO].

One out later, Ramirez, his first big league homer [VIDEO].

Hopefully, they got that ball back for Ramirez. And for the record, it went a long way [VIDEO].

Brown was lifted after five innings and 86 pitches. It wasn’t quite as dominant as his previous recent outings, but it was certainly good enough. Here’s more on Brown’s game [VIDEO].

Three Cubs relievers, Ethan Roberts, Caleb Thielbar and Phil Maton, threw four no-hit innings in relief of Brown, issuing one walk and striking out four. Maton, in particular, is digging himself out of the big hole he found himself in earlier this year. Since allowing three runs to the White Sox May 17, Maton has a 2.45 ERA and 1.454 WHIP in 12 appearances covering 11 innings, and a FIP of 2.89. That’s certainly an improvement. Perhaps he’ll be a useful reliever after all.

Here’s the final out [VIDEO].

So, three in a row! From John:

The Cubs’ three-game winning streak is their third-longest of the season, after their two 10-game streaks. They won back-to-back games three times, then lost the third.

The offense appears solid looking at the box score, but I’m going to open the complaint department door just a little. The Cubs had 11 hits, four walks, two men hit by a pitch and another hitter reaching on an error, with Giants pitchers throwing a huge number of pitches, 187 in all. That’s a lot of traffic on the bases for only six runs. They went 1-for-11 with RISP and left 12 runners on base. Since they won the game convincingly this is only a minor thing, but… gotta be better in those situations.

Back to happier things — here’s Ramirez on his home run [VIDEO].

PCA’s season OPS is now up to .803 after his three-hit game. He was NL Player of the Week last week and who knows, he might do it again — in the five games on the trip he’s batting .318/.348/.682 (7-for-22) with three doubles, a triple, a home run and five runs scored.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are Swanson, who is 2-for-16 (.125) with eight strikeouts on the road trip, and Nico Hoerner, who went 0-for-5 and is 3-for-20 (.150) in the five games in Colorado and San Francisco and over his last 21 games is batting .183/.244/.207 (15-for-82). I’d think Craig Counsell will sit at least one of those two players Sunday afternoon, just for a reset, likely Nico.

The Cubs will try for a series sweep Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park. It will not be easy, as the Giants’ best starter, Logan Webb, will take the mound. Colin Rea will go for the Cubs after Ryan Rolison is the opener. Game time is 2:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via ABC (full national broadcast, no blackouts), and streaming on the ESPN app. Announcers: Jon Sciambi, David Ross and Buster Olney.

Meet the Mets

Sean Manaea had his best start of the season, keeping the Braves mostly at bay over six solid innings, but the Mets still fell to Atlanta 3-1 to even up the series, as the bats went silent.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic

Bo Bichette’s big night on Friday night gives the Mets maybe a little reason to hope, writes Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Per Anthony DiComo, the Spiderman mask behind the Mets’ new home run celebration was a gift to Juan Soto from a fan that Carson Benge suggested the Mets start using in their celebrations.

Both the Mets and Braves let their accomplished franchise first baseman walk. But it has only worked out for one of those teams, writes Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

In the aftermath of the worst start as a Met on Thursday, Freddy Peralta said yesterday that he identified a mechanical adjustment that could help him fix things for today’s outing in the Mets’ series finale against the Braves.

Around the National League East

The morning after his early exit on Friday night, the Braves placed Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

The Nationals routed the Mariners 8-3, as C.J. Abrams had another big night at the plate for Washington.

The Marlins lost a close one to the Pirates 3-2, as Anthony Bender hit Spencer Horwitz with a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth to plate the go-ahead run. Miami rallied in the ninth, but could not manage to pull this one out.

A five-run sixth inning propelled the Phillies to a 9-8 victory over the Brewers, as they held on to win despite a late-inning comeback effort from Milwaukee.

Around Major League Baseball

McCovey Chronicles called out the bigoted and tone deaf display some Giants pitchers chose to partake in during the team’s Pride Night.

Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton experienced a setback in his recovery from a left calf strain and could undergo additional imaging.

Injury woes continue for the Yankees, as they placed Trent Grisham on the 10-day injured list yesterday with a right hamstring strain.

Speaking of which, Aaron Judge’s injury leaves the AL MVP race wide open.

Guardians third baseman José Ramírez suffered a fractured left hamate bone on Saturday, in the Guardians’ 3-1 win over the Tigers.

In that same game, Tigers ace Tarik Skubal took the loss in his return from surgery to remove a loose body in his elbow. He pitched well, but was done no favors by his defense nor given much run support.

MLB.com runs down seven potential landing spots for Skubal if he is dealt at the deadline.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto narrowly missed out on both a perfect game and a no-hitter in the Dodgers’ 7-1 win over the White Sox.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

In a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane discuss the one step forward, two steps back nature of the 2026 season for the Mets.

This Date in Mets History

Duke Snider hit his 400th career home run at the Polo Grounds on this date in 1963.