Category: MLB

Nick Kurtz's rise to major league stardom will now include a starting spot for the American League in the All-Star Game.

The Athletics first baseman assumed the starting position shortly after All-Star rosters were announced, when Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opted out of the game, telling reporters he needs to prioritize overcoming a lower back issue.

That means Kurtz, who grew up about 90 minutes from Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park and earned the nickname "Big Amish," will get the start in what may be the first of several All-Star appearances in his career.

Kurtz, 23, was an instant smash after making his debut April 23, 2025, though his dominance of major league pitching came too late for him to earn an All-Star nod in his Rookie of the Year season. This year, he's hit 20 home runs and posted a .939 OPS for the Athletics, who are in their second of three seasons playing in West Sacramento's Yolo County before moving to Las Vegas.

Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (5-8, 3.77 ERA, 96 Ks) vs. LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 5.05 ERA, 42 Ks)

Where to watch: Peacock

The Orioles head into today’s finale of their Independence Day weekend series vs. the Reds looking for a couple of things. First, Baltimore is looking to complete only their third series sweep of the season, and their first one since sweeping the Rays at Camden Yards in May. Second, if they can complete the win, it’ll give the O’s their first four-game winning streak of the season. The often inconsistent Orioles have had six previous attempts at extending their winning streak to four, going 0-6 in those games with a combined -22 run differential.

And yet, since hitting their rock bottom of nine games below .500 after Tuesday’s loss to the White Sox, this has looked like a different Orioles team. They avoided a sweep in their series finale against Chicago, winning 6-1 behind a strong outing from Dean Kremer and a ruthlessly efficient offense.

The O’s followed that up with a 3-0 win in Cincinnati on Friday, as a rejuvenated Trevor Rogers combined with Rico Garcia, Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells combined for Baltimore’s second shutout of the season. Last night the offense stole the headlines, as a three-run homer from Samuel Basallo and multi-hit days from Adley Rutschman and Pete Alonso powered the O’s to an 8-5 win.

Carrying the hopes of Birdland this Sunday is former ace Kyle Bradish. The 29-year-old right-hander has had the highest highs of any Orioles starter this season, but is still searching for a measure of consistency in his first full season back after Tommy John surgery. On the Orioles’ recent West Coast swing, Bradish put together a two-start stretch against the Mariners and Angels where he tossed 15.2 innings, allowed only 11 hits, one run and punched out 21. However, in his most recent outing vs. the Nationals, he struggled with command, walking five in four innings while giving up four runs in an eventual 6-4 loss.

Bradish has faced the Reds one time previously, a 6-2 Orioles win at Great American Ballpark during his rookie season of 2022. That start was Bradish’s first back in the big leagues after a six-week demotion to Norfolk, and he rewarded the Orioles’ renewed faith in him by posting a line of 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB and 7 Ks. Bradish has typically been strong against National League opposition, posting a 2.97 career ERA with a .217 BAA and 130 Ks in 121.1 innings against the senior circuit.

Opposing the Orioles’ right-hander is 28-year-old southpaw Nick Lodolo. After posting a career year in 2025, Lodolo started this year on the IL with a finger blister and has struggled to replicate last season’s form since his return in May. The former first-round pick out of TCU has been stronger of late, pitching nine shutout innings across two different starts vs. the Brewers in his latest outings.

The Cincinnati southpaw has faced the Orioles twice in his career, a win in Cincinnati back in 2022 and a lopsided loss also in Great American Ballpark in 2024. The last time the O’s faced Lodolo, they got off to a hot start thanks to an RBI single from Anthony Santander and a two-run homer from Jordan Westburg—both in the top of the 1st.

The O’s have been a below-average team against left-handed starters this year, ranking 22nd in baseball with a .702 OPS. Baltimore’s great neutralizer against lefties has been infielder Coby Mayo, with the 24-year-old posting a 1.056 OPS and 51.1% hard-hit rate against southpaws this season.

Orioles lineup

1. Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
2. Adley Rutschman (S) C
3. Taylor Ward (R) LF
4. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
5. Coby Mayo (R) DH
6. Tyler O’Neill (R) RF
7. Leody Taveras (S) CF
8. Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
9. Blaze Alexander (R) 3B

Reds lineup

1. Elly De La Cruz (S) SS
2. Sal Stewart (R) 3B
3. JJ Bleday (L) LF
4. Eugenio Suárez (R) DH
5. Spencer Steer (R) 1B
6. Tyler Stephenson (R) C
7. Noelvi Marte (R) RF
8. TJ Friedl (L) CF
9. Edwin Arroyo (S) 2B

The start of Sunday's game between the Mets and Atlanta Braves has been delayed due to weather.

The game was originally scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock. 

Once the weather clears, Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78 ERA) will take the mound for New York, while veteran left-hander Martín Pérez (6-5, 3.27 ERA) will start for Atlanta.

The Mets have dropped the first two games of the four-game series against the Braves and are 2-8 in their last 10 games.

After the Nats offense went wild in game one, they were held in check by the Pirates pitching staff in game two. That sets up a crucial rubber match between two teams sitting in the playoff mix. We will see two hard throwing righties square off this afternoon.

The Nats are making a couple changes to their lineup. Jorbit Vivas will be back in the lineup playing second base over Nasim Nunez. Jacob Young is still out of the lineup, meaning the outfield will consist of Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews and James Wood. Keibert Ruiz will be back behind the dish. Cade Cavalli is on the mound after having his start moved up one turn. He is allowed to pitch with his suspension in appeal.

The Pirates are only making one change in personnel. Endy Rodriguez will be back behind the plate replacing Henry Davis. There is some shuffling of positions though. Ryan O’Hearn will be at first, while Tyler Callihan is in left and Bryan Reynolds is at DH. The flame throwing Bubba Chandler will be on the mound.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 1:00 PM EST

TV: Peacock

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This is a crucial rubber match for the Nats. They have been good at winning series this season, and this will be a chance to grab another. Hopefully Cavalli can build on his career best start in Boston, just without the drama. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

If you will allow me to put my armchair meteorologist hat on, I read an article somewhere about how this heat dome that’s been causing temperatures to skyrocket in recent days has been collapsing since Thursday. As such, that’s been causing enough of a disruption in the atmosphere to where thunderstorms are even more likely to pop up than usual.

So with that being said, it’s not particularly surprising that the weather is a bit spotty over Truist Park in Cobb County and as of right now, the tarp is reportedly on the field and has been since around noon.

While the starting pitchers did both continue their warmups as if the game would start on time, the forecast worsened a bit and now Mark Bowman is reporting that a delay is possible.

We’ll have more updates as they come in, so stay tuned.

1910
In the seventh game ever played there, Comiskey Park saw its first wild pitch and first extra-inning game. The White Sox lost, 6-5, in 10 innings. Joe Lake of the Browns and Chicago’s Jim Scott both threw wild pitches in the game. A total of 5,200 fans showed up on a Tuesday makeup game (rainout, April 16) to see a frame of free baseball.

1914
White Sox legend Ed Walsh made his season debut, having sat out all year with a strained arm. Seven straight years of throwing no fewer than 230 1⁄3 innings — including league-leading totals in four seasons and as many as 464 innings thrown in one year — had taken its toll. In fact, even the 1913 season was truncated by Walsh’s standards, as the 32-year-old could muster just 97 2⁄3 frames.

On this day, however, Walsh threw seven innings of three-hit ball in a 6-3 win over Cleveland. Fellow future Hall-of-Famer Red Faber got the save, his second of 1914.

Walsh would win just four more games in his career, which stretched to age 36. He fell just short of being able to contribute to the best team in White Sox history, the 1917 World Champions.

1947
History was made in front of 14,655 at Comiskey Park, as Cleveland’s Larry Doby broke the color line in the American League, becoming the first active Black player. Doby pinch-hit for pitcher Bryan Stevens, striking out against White Sox reliever Earl Harrist. The next day, Doby started at first base in the nightcap of a doubleheader and went 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Doby’s career would bring him to Chicago in two stints, 1956-57 and 1959, and then back as a White Sox coach and then manager in 1978. Doby was the second Black player (after Jackie Robinson) and manager (after Frank Robinson) in MLB history. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by Veterans’ Committee vote in 1998.

1964
During the 1960s the White Sox were synonymous with outstanding pitching … pitching that was the envy of most of Major League Baseball, excluding only, perhaps, the Dodgers. A great example of this came during two days in Chicago over the Fourth of July holiday: Over a span of roughly 28 hours, the White Sox threw three straight shutouts against Cleveland.

On the Fourth of July itself, Gary Peters blanked the Tribe on three hits, winning 4-0. In the Sunday doubleheader on July 5, it was Juan Pizarro tossing a seven-hitter in the opener, winning, 2-0. Then in the nightcap it was Joe Horlen with a 5-0 blanking, on four hits.

In 27 innings, Cleveland managed no runs on 14 hits. Now that’s pitching!!!

1987
The White Sox tied the franchise mark for the most lopsided shutout, winning 17-0 at Cleveland. Ken Williams and Harold Baines both drove in four runs in the rout, with Ozzie Guillén and Greg Walker knocking in three apiece. Future Hall-of-Famer Phil Niekro was saddled with the loss.

The other 17-0 shutout came in 1925, at Washington. The 17-run margin remains tied for the third-biggest White Sox win ever.

1998
Despite an eight-run outburst in the sixth inning and 14 runs on 12 hits in the game, the White Sox lost at Fenway Park, 15-14. The South Siders fell behind, 10-2, through four, but then rallied to tie the game, 11-11. Jaime Navarro was bailed out by the comeback, as he started and coughed up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits in just two-plus innings. The White Sox fell to 35-51 on the season.

2025
After a season-plus of being on the wrong end of such records, the White Sox put the Colorado Rockies into some infamy. With a 10-3 win in Denver, Chicago dealt the Rockies their 17th consecutive home series loss. That set a National League record and tied the 1916-17 Philadelphia A’s for the longest such streak in MLB history.

It must be fun to be a manager and a pitching coach. Ok, we have Shane Bieber back and ready to go. Three starts in, he has a 9.00 ERA. 7 walks and 9 strikeouts in 13 innings. Batters are hitting .351/.422/.737 against him.

His fastball velocity is at the 15th percentile and average exit velocity is about 5th percentile. And it isn’t like they can remove him from the rotation, they are already going with four starters and a bullpen day. It is just the way a 31-year-old would like to go into free agency.

But the good news is that Max Scherzer had a rehab start and could be back after a couple more rehab starts. Maybe the one guy who has been worse than Bieber, and that’s the good news.

I don’t even know what you do at this point. I think Patrick Corbin is a better choice than either of those two and he was banished to the bullpen.

Jake Bloss? He has a 14.29 ERA in 3 starts for Buffalo. Ricky Tiedemann has pitched 1 inning in a rehab game and then was scratched from his next one with a “neck issue”. I can’t see that SWR would be a poorer choice.

The front office is saying they want a starter at the deadline, but one starter really isn’t enough.

The Jays are second last in the league in runs per game, and yet it looks like starting pitching is going to be the issue from here on out.

They announced the All-Star teams. Vlad has pulled out, which is understandable. Though maybe a couple of days of just fun is what he needs.

The AL All-Stars:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Starters
C: Shea Langeliers (ATH)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)
2B: Ernie Clement (TOR)
3B: Junior Caminero (TB)
SS: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)
OF: Mike Trout (LAA)
OF: Byron Buxton (MIN)
OF: Aaron Judge (NYY)
DH: Yordan Alvarez (HOU)

Reserves
C: Dillon Dingler (DET)
C: Adley Rutschman (BAL)
INF: Travis Bazzana (CLE)
INF: Nick Kurtz (ATH)
INF: Kevin McGonigle (DET)
INF: Ben Rice (NYY)
INF: Miguel Vargas (CWS)
OF: Randy Arozarena (SEA)
OF: Cody Bellinger (NYY)
OF: Riley Greene (DET)
DH: Yandy Díaz (TB)

Starting pitchers
RHP: Dylan Cease (TOR)
LHP: Parker Messick (CLE)
RHP: Drew Rasmussen (TB)
RHP: Joe Ryan (MIN)
RHP: Cam Schlittler (NYY)
LHP: Ranger Suarez (BOS)
RHP: Michael Wacha (KC)

Relief pitchers
RHP: Bryan Baker (TB)
LHP: Aroldis Chapman (BOS)
LHP: Jacob Latz (TEX)
RHP: Cade Smith (CLE)
RHP: Louis Varland (TOR)

NL

Starters
C: Drake Baldwin (ATL)
1B: Freddie Freeman (LAD)
2B: Ozzie Albies (ATL)
3B: Max Muncy (LAD)
SS: CJ Abrams (WSH)
OF: Brandon Marsh (PHI)
OF: Juan Soto (NYM)
OF: Andy Pages (LAD)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)

Reserves
C: William Contreras (MIL)
C: Hunter Goodman (COL)
INF: Luis Arraez (SF)
INF: Bryce Harper (PHI)
INF: Otto Lopez (MIA)
INF: Matt Olson (ATL)
INF: Sal Stewart (CIN)
OF: Corbin Carroll (AZ)
OF: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC)
OF: Jordan Walker (STL)
OF: James Wood (WSH)
DH: Kyle Schwarber (PHI)

Starting pitchers
RHP: Chase Burns (CIN)
RHP: Max Meyer (MIA)
RHP: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL)
LHP: Eduardo Rodriguez (AZ)
LHP: Chris Sale (ATL)
LHP: Cristopher Sánchez (PHI)
RHP: Paul Skenes (PIT)
RHP: Logan Webb (SF)
RHP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

A win this afternoon would be nice. Or, at least, a game that keeps me awake.

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Sunday's MLB card is loaded with star power, and a few of baseball's heaviest hitters find themselves in mouthwatering matchups.

Before locking in your MLB player props, here are the hitters my MLB picks are targeting to leave their mark this afternoon.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Rafael Devers	Over 1.5 total bases	-144
Tanner Gordon	Over 3.5 earned runs	-105
Javier Assad	Under 3.5 strikeouts	-120

Rafael Devers Over 1.5 total bases (-144)

No, this is not the sexiest price you've ever seen, but if you're not in the business of laying juice, you can always take his home run and double market instead. Still, with Rafael Devers ranking as one of the top-rated hitters across both Batters-Box datasets, it's hard to pass up this much data backing the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Over his last 60 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, Devers owns a .327 batting average, .837 slugging percentage, and 1.287 OPS, while producing a 55.6% hard-hit rate and 16.7% barrel rate.

He draws Colorado Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon, whose arsenal Devers owns more than 65% coverage against. This season at home, Gordon has allowed left-handed hitters to bat .359 with a .538 slugging percentage and .408 wOBA. Those hitters have also generated a 59.5% elevation rate and a 54.8% hard-hit rate.

With Devers posting a .638 wOBA, 27.3% barrel rate, and 1.120 slugging percentage over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching, how could I pass this up at Coors?

• Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

Tanner Gordon Over 3.5 earned runs (-105)

Is asking for 4+ runs in essentially the first five innings a lot? Of course, but when you're in Coors with five elite-rated hitters and four more carrying strong ratings, it's very tough to ignore that data.

Tanner Gordon draws the highest-rated offense on the slate while carrying the day's worst pitcher rating. He enters this matchup with poor marks in matchup wOBA, ISO, hard contact rate, strikeout rate, and ground ball rate.

At home this season, Gordon owns a 9.70 ERA, 6.00 xERA, and 1.83 WHIP. Opposing hitters are also generating a concerning 51.32% hard-hit rate and 15.79% barrel rate against him.

Over their last six games, the Giants have posted a 111 wRC+, .742 OPS, and .172 ISO. With an entire lineup rated above 0.50 on Batters-Box, the matchup is simply too strong for me to pass up. I am willing to lay the high run total because Gordon has struggled all season, and this profiles as another difficult outing for him.

• Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

Javier Assad Under 3.5 strikeouts (-120)

One thing the St. Louis Cardinals do very well as a team is avoid strikeouts. On the season, they're just a hair over 20% as a team. In their last 21 games, that number is down to 17.8%. Their lineup is peppered with hitters carrying strikeout rates under 17%, six to be exact. Four of them sit at 13.3% or lower.

That lineup draws Chicago Cubs right-hander Javier Assad, who owns the lowest matchup strikeout on the slate, per Batters Box. In 15 default average ratings on Batters Box, Assad stays under four strikeouts 53.33% of the time.

At home this season, his strikeout rate is just 13.10%, and over his last three outings, it has dipped to 12.28%. At -120, this is a sweaty Under worth getting into. Anything much higher than this price, I would pass.

• Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

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Freddie Freeman has driven in nine runs over his last eight games against a left-handed starting pitcher.

Freeman draws a struggling southpaw tonight in JP Sears, which is why he headlines my Padres vs. Dodgers props and MLB picks for Sunday Night Baseball.

Make sure to also check out our full Padres vs. Dodgers predictions before first pitch at 7:20 p.m. ET!

Padres vs Dodgers props for July 5

Pick	Odds
Andy Pages Over 0.5 runs	-145
Freddie Freeman Over 0.5 RBIs	+145
Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 0.5 singles	-115

Padres vs Dodgers player prop picks

Andy Pages Over 0.5 runs (-145)

Andy Pages has hit .264 off lefties with a rock-solid .350 OBP. He is consistently getting on base, allowing him to score regularly as part of a loaded Los Angeles Dodgers attack.

Meanwhile, righties have hit .314 against JP Sears with a whopping .399 xwOBA to boot.

Isolating matchups with left-handed pitchers ranking in the 30th percentile or worse in xwOBA vs. righties, Pages has scored in eight of 11 games — and six of seven victories.

I’d back Pages to score up to -155.

Freddie Freeman Over 0.5 RBIs (+145)

Freddie Freeman has been an RBI machine against left-handed pitchers. Thanks to a .409 average with runners in scoring position, he has knocked in at least one run in 13 of 23 starts vs. lefties.

Freeman has done so in seven of the last eight wins when facing a left-handed starter, which is certainly notable with the Dodgers listed as -200 favorites on the moneyline. 

A +145 price tag implies a 40.8% probability, which feels low given Freeman has knocked in a run 56.5% of his starts vs. lefties – and 62.5% of victories.

Bet to +117.

Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 0.5 singles (-115)

Fernando Tatis Jr. has hit righties much better of late, posting a .317 average since June 1. He leads the San Diego Padres by a margin of 14 hits during that span.

Nearly 63% of Tatis' hits against right-handed pitchers were singles, and Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan ranks in the 48th percentile in batting average vs. righties. 

Sheehan is not untouchable, and Tatis Jr. is the most likely Padres player to cause problems. 

Bet to -125.

How to watch Padres vs Dodgers and game info

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Now 27 years old, Tyler Hardman spent parts of five years with the Somerset Patriots, the New York Yankees’ Double-A affiliate. He debuted there in his second pro season, during the final week of the 2022 campaign and helped them win the Eastern League championship. He ultimately played 313 games there, second-most in franchise history, and he ranks first in hits (254), home runs (67), and RBIs (195).

Throughout his tenure there, he saw many teammates—Austin Wells, Ben Rice, Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones, and George Lombard Jr., just to name a few—get promoted while he remained in the Garden State. Yet he persevered, and finally, on May 23rd, he got the call to Triple-A and joined the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. 

“It’s been a lot of fun so far,” Hardman said. “I’ve been able to reconnect with guys I met in spring, same thing with coaches. It’s been a really good change of environment. It’s been fun to learn from guys that have been up higher than Triple-A, been up to the top before.” 

Hardman insists he felt no frustration in being at Double-A for so long.

“It’s always my job to force their hand,” he said. “If there was any doubt or something I could have done better, that’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t want there to be a question if I deserved to be somewhere. Everything was in my control to force their hand.”

Still, he certainly had the numbers to mehrit a promotion. The 27-year-old, right-handed slugger ranked among the Eastern League offensive leaders each year and, at the time of his call-up this season, was first in the league in RBIs (40); second in home runs (13) and total bases (92); tied for third in extra-base hits (21); fourth in slugging (.613); fifth in OPS (.984); tied for seventh in hits (45); and 10th in batting average (.300).  

“That’s part of who I am. I always just want to control what I can,” Hardman said. “Even if you’re hitting .300, you’re still messing up a lot. So I feel like there’s always something you can do better. I was surrounded by a lot of good groups down there, had a lot of good teammates pass through. It was always a good time.”

One might think it’s not a big deal to hold franchise records at Double-A. But Hardman feels otherwise. 

“I think it’s cool,” he said. “Granted, everyone knows you’re not there to set that record. It’s a good reminder that I was at least able to help produce for the team or help the team out. It’s not your first goal there, but once you get something like that, you have that reminder you might have been here a while, but you’re still doing your part to help the team.” 

Now, he wants to do his part to help the RailRiders. So far in 37 games, he is batting .238/.340/.415 (31-for-130) with eight doubles, five home runs, six stolen bases, 15 runs, 17 RBI, and a 98 wRC+. 

For Hardman, he said he always just tries his best to put the ball in play. 

“You can’t be productive if you can’t put the ball in play. That’s been my mantra this year,” Hardman said. “Just do whatever I can to keep it super simple. I’m a big believer that baseball is very much a mental game. The more I can keep it simple and push the ball forward has helped me a lot offensively. And defensively, just keep the confidence up wherever they need me to play.”

Primarily a third baseman, Hardman played first base for much of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2023. He moved back to third in 2025, but still occasionally plays first.

During the RailRiders’ recent road trip in Indianapolis, Hardman had a two-homer game June 25th at Victory Field. The second of those blasts was the 1o0th of his professional career. He said the key to hitting home runs is to try not to hit them.

“There’s a lot of hitters that I’ve played with that are like that. They have that power that if you just put the ball in play, it’s going to be hit fairly hard, if not harder than the average,” Hardman said. “So if I continue to put the ball forward, the chances of those homers go up substantially. A He lot of times when you try too hard, the baseball doesn’t go in your favor. So the more I can keep it simple and just focus on move the ball forward, the longer ones are going to take care of themselves.”

Finally being at Triple-A means being one step closer to the ultimate goal of reaching the major leagues. Hardman said he is working on his consistency in order to make it to the next level.

“It’s a really long year and you’re going to have waves when you go up and down. You want to ride the high waves as long as you can and you want to keep the low ones as short as possible,” Hardman said. “So just being as consistent as possible. You don’t want to be the streaky hitter that’s good for a week and has to find it again. The hardest part of our sport is being consistent. Just as a whole be the same type of person every day.”

A native of Mission Viejo, California, Hardman was originall selected in the no-longer-existent 37th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies out of Temescal Canyon High School in Lake Elsinore. He didn’t sign and instead went to the University of Oklahoma before being taken by the Yankees in the fifth round of the 2021 Draft.

As a former Sooner, he was thrilled to see the outcome of this year’s College World Series, with Oklahoma taking down the University of North Carolina to win its first championship since 1994.

“It was awesome to see them take the championship home and it was good to see skip and them get some good recognition,” Hardman said. “It was really cool to text them and watch the World Series.”

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals, July 5, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are finishing off their series in the nation’s capital with a matchup against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

The Pirates will start Bubba Chandler, who struggled in his last start against the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched 6.1 innings, the longest start of his season, but gave up seven hits and five runs in an 8-0 loss to the Phillies.

The Nats are countering with Miles Mikolas, who is struggling in his first year in the nation’s capital. Mikolas is 2-7 with a 5.44 ERA so far this season for the Nationals. The 37-year-old spent eight seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and was named to the All-Star team twice, but he isn’t playing at that level this season.

In his last start at Family Park against the Boston Red Sox, Michaelis pitched seven innings, giving up nine hits and six earned runs in a 6-3 loss. Mikolas also pitched 3.1 innings against the Pirates earlier in the season, giving up three hits and three earned runs on April 14 at PNC Park. The Nationals won the game 5-4.

It’s been a unique series for the Pirates against the Nats on the weekend of Independence Day with strange start times, but a win at the end of their time in D.C. will set them up for a strong final push before the All-Star break.

Location: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Peacock

Pitching Matchup: Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.62 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (2-7, 5.44 ERA)

BD community, chime off in the comments section below.

With the Phillies biting at the Braves’ heels, Atlanta needs every win it can get right now.

The Braves have taken care of business against the Mets through two games, celebrating America’s 250th birthday with a 14-3 demolition Saturday night.

Now they give the ball to Martín Pérez Sunday afternoon against New York’s Nolan McLean seeking a series-clinching win ahead of Monday night’s finale.

After Saturday’s game was on Fox, Sunday’s 12:30 p.m. start will be on NBC and Peacock.

Follow along here as the Braves go for their first three-game win streak since June 5-7.

Game notes

Preview

Lineups

Roster moves

The Houston Astros offseason checklist had at the very top: Starting Pitcher, Lefthanded OF Power Bat, Righty Leverage Reliever.

As we approach the trade deadline, those have not changed.

Further adding to this, in his latest Sunday Notebook, longtime MLB reporter and insider Bob Nightengale mentioned the following about the Astros:

The Houston Astros, badly needing an outfielder, are showing strong interest in Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies. They also plan to be in the Tarik Skubal and Sonny Gray sweepstakes.

Nightengale has proven to be very clued in on the Astros throughout their Golden Age, so his reporting on them should be considered very in tune with the club’s thinking and processes.

Moniak, 28, is a former 1st round pick in 2016 drafted out of high school by the Philadelphia Phillies. He was brought up at age 22 the first time, and again at age 23 for a brief time as well, and struggled badly. He was traded to the Los Angeles Angels at the deadline in 2022 for Noah Syndergaard.

2023 finally led to a breakthrough season for Moniak, who hit .280 with 14 HR and 45 RBI after being called up May 12. He posted an .802 OPS, but only a .307 OBP because he walked just 9 times in 323 PA.

In 2024 he would regress, batting just .214 with a .266 OBP and .686 OPS. The Angels released him March 25, 2025.

The next day, he signed a 1 year, $1.25M deal with the Colorado Rockies. His first year in Denver, Moniak hit .270 with a career-best 24 HR and 68 RBI. He again posted a strong OPS (.824) despite a weak OBP (.306).

So far this season, Moniak is batting .282 with a .333 OBP and .945 OPS with 15 HR and 37 RBI in 55 games.

Moniak is not known as a strong defender, with limited range and a weaker arm. He would likely be a left fielder on the Astros.

Moniak is signed to a 1 year, $4M contract and still has one more season of arbitration eligibility.

McCarthy, 28, is another former 1st round pick, chosen 39th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018 out of University of Virginia. McCarthy is a name that has previously been connected with the Astros, a lefthanded hitter with terrific speed.

McCarthy is in his first season in Colorado, having been acquired from the DBacks in trade on January 10 this year. He’s responded with arguably his best season, batting .307 with a .344 OBP and .862 OPS with 9 HR and 47 RBI. He also has 16 doubles, 5 triples, and 14 stolen bases.

McCarthy first broke through in 2022 in Arizona when he finished 4th in NL ROY voting after batting .283 with a .342 OBP and .769 OPS. In 99 games (354 PA), McCarthy finished with 8 HR, 43 RBI, and 23 SB. His 30.1 ft/sec sprint speed was clocked as the fastest in the majors among right fielders for that season.

His career has been up and down, as the following year his batting regressed to .243 AVG, .318 OBP, .644 OPS, but then he rebounded in 2024 to .285 AVG, .349 OBP, .749 OPS.

He began 2025 in a terrible slump, starting 3×41 before being optioned to Triple-A Reno on April 19. He hit .314 in 49 games for Reno, and was recalled by the big league team again on June 24. He would appear in just 67 games last season, hitting a career-worst .204, leading to his offseason trade to the Rockies.

McCarthy is signed to a 1 year, $1.525M contract, and has 2 more years of arbitration eligibility.

Most Astros fans probably believe that Tarik Skubal will be out of the Astros price range, and that may be true, but the team is still keeping tabs on him. It should be noted that once upon a time, Justin Verlander was considered to be out of the Astros price range, but team owner Jim Crane led the charge for the deal (in fact, he’s led the charge for a Verlander trade twice). So while it would seem unlikely, it shouldn’t be considered impossible.

Skubal, 29, is the 2x reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. He has led the AL in WAR (among pitchers), ERA, ERA+ and FIP each of the past 2 years. He was a Triple Crown winner in 2024.

Skubal underwent surgery May 4 to remove loose bodies from his elbow with a new procedure called the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0. Whereas the nromal return to play time for arthroscopic surgery is 2-3 months, Skubal was able to return in under 6 weeks. He made his final start before surgery on April 29, and returned to the rotation on June 13. In his most recent start against the New York Yankees, he went 6 innings, allowing only 1 ER on 1 hit, struck out 9 and did not walk a batter.

For the season, Skubal is 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. He has maintained his usual elite command, with a 75/8 K/BB ratio in 65.2 IP.

Skubal is signed to a 1 year, $32M contract, and is a free agent at the end of the season.

Gray, 36, was an offseason target of the Astros that they were unable to acquire when the Boston Red Sox offered top starting pitching prospects Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke to secure the deal from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gray is having a tremendous season for the underachieving Red Sox, leading the AL with 10 wins against only 1 loss. His .909 win percentage is also tops in the AL. Sporting a 2.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 89.2 IP, Gray’s command continues to be excellent with an 82/23 K/BB rate.

Gray’s contract situation is a little more complicated than the others, but not necessarily in a bad way. As part of the trade to Boston, the Cardinals agreed to pick up $20M of the $31M Gray was owed for this season, making Gray’s effective cost for this season only $11M. He also has a mutual option for next season for $30M. As part of that mutual option, the team can opt out with a $10M buyout. If the player opts out, he gets no buyout.

Texas Rangers lineup for July 5, 2026 against the Detroit Tigers: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Casey Mize for the Tigers.

Texas is looking to win their third straight series and stay above .500. The offense is looking to rebound from yesterday’s unpleasantness. Alejandro Osuna is getting the day off.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Jung — 3B

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Duran — SS

Carter — CF

Smith — LF

Diaz — C

Lopez — 2B

2:30 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +105 underdogs.

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Ranger Suarez has pitched lights out over the past month, looking like the high-impact starter Boston signed him to be.

With a massive starting pitching advantage, my Red Sox vs. Angels predictions and MLB picks see value in backing the road team — even as -160 favorites.

Who will win Red Sox vs Angels tonight: Boston Red Sox (-160)

Ranger Suarez is in great form. He has posted a 3.58 xERA or better in five consecutive starts, allowing just seven total runs. Suarez has shown more strikeout prowess, recording an impressive 28.8 K% along the way.

He is primed to continue that success against the Los Angeles Angels. They rank 22nd in wOBA and have struck out at the third-highest rate vs. lefties since June 1.

The Boston Red Sox should give Suarez run support against Ryan Johnson, who owns a 7.40 ERA and has allowed 2.22 homers per nine innings.

Playable to -180.

COVERS INTEL: Ranger Suarez ranks in the 96th percentile in Pitcher Run Value, including boasting an average exit velocity that sits in the 90th percentile.

Red Sox vs Angels Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-105)

Suarez has given up only seven earned runs over seven away starts since April 1, and he also possesses a 1.95 ERA over six starts against Bottom-10 teams in batting average against left-handed pitching.

The southpaw is likely to carve up this Angels team, forcing the Red Sox to score in bulk to push this total Over.

While Johnson has been underwhelming overall, he’s allowed just one run over his last 11 innings of work.

Play to -115.

Red Sox vs Angels weather

Temperatures are expected in the low 80s with a slight wind blowing out, giving a small boost to the offenses.

Red Sox vs Angels odds

• Moneyline: Red Sox -160 | Angels +140
• Run line: Red Sox -1.5 (+105) | Angels +1.5 (-125)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-115) | Under 8 (-105)

Red Sox vs Angels trend

Los Angeles has hit the game total Under in 29 of its last 50 home games (+7.50 units, 14% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Angels.

How to watch Red Sox vs Angels and game info

Red Sox vs Angels latest injuries

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