ATLANTA, GA - MAY 23: Brad Lord (41) of the Washington Nationals delivers during the Saturday afternoon MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals on May 23, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
In his second season as a big leaguer, former 18th round pick Brad Lord has continued to just be a steady and reliable presence. Last year he bounced between the rotation and the bullpen. However, this season he has settled into being a multi-inning relief arm, which is a role that suits him perfectly.
Lord is just a guy who quietly goes about his business and gets the job done. Even yesterday, his work could be lost in the shuffle, pitching in between the brilliant Jake Irvin and the high energy Richard Lovelady. Lord just gave the Nats 3 mostly drama free innings when they needed that stability badly. That is what makes Brad Lord the ultimate glue guy.
Brad Lord is in best glue guy in Nationals history talks for me
Nothing about Brad Lord’s game is particularly flashy. His 4-seamer and sinker have solid velocity, but he is not a flamethrower. Lord’s slider, sweeper and changeup are decent pitches, but nothing special. However, Lord is able to get outs on a consistent basis due to his deception and command.
Lord throws from a very low arm slot, at 17 degrees. Lower lots tend to be funkier and tougher for hitters to pick up. Throwing 95+ from that low of a slot while pounding the zone is also unusual. Lord really relies on his fastballs, throwing a 4-seamer or sinker 59% of the time. However, like many Nats pitchers he has dropped his fastball usage. Last year, he was throwing 4-seamers or sinkers 67% of the time.
This season, Lord picked up a sweeper that he is throwing 11% of the time. Batters are hitting just .111 on the pitch this season. The only hit on the sweeper came when Lord hung one to Juan Soto, which is generally not a good idea. His sweeper is not some elite weapon, but it gives hitters a different look along with his heaters and harder slider.
Lord actually gets more whiffs on his 4-seam fastball than any other pitch. He gets swings and misses at a 28% clip on the heater. From that low slot, his fastball just gets on guys at the top of the zone. We saw that yesterday, with Lord getting all three of his strikeouts on his heater.
What Lord did yesterday was so huge for this team, and I want to give him his flowers. Jake Irvin was throwing a gem, but an injury forced him to leave the game after 5 innings. The bullpen was absolutely taxed after an 11 inning game yesterday, so the Nats needed Lord to eat up outs in a pretty high leverage spot in a 2 run game. That is exactly what Lord did.
Three shutout innings with three strikeouts from Brad Lord.
Given how many relievers the Nationals used last night, the length Lord has given them today is huge.
Lord went three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and walking nobody, though he did hit a batter. This kind of outing is turning into the standard for Lord. For the season, Lord has a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 35 innings. He has just been efficient and drama free.
This season, Lord has done a great job limiting free passes. In 35 innings, Lord has issued just six walks. I just love the way Lord attacks hitters. He knows he can get ground balls at an elite 56% clip, so he does not really fear hitters.
Between his multi-inning role and overall reliability, Lord reminds me of former Nats reliever and current Padres manager Craig Stammen. Both Lord and Stammen started as starting pitchers/swingmen before landing in a multi-inning relief role. Stammen ended up having a 13 year big league career where he had a 3.66 ERA. He did this as a 12th round pick. As an 18th rounder, I think Lord can do similar things.
Ever since he came up last season, I have really enjoyed watching Brad Lord pitch. I remember watching him face the Dodgers and get his first career strikeout against Shohei Ohtani. It was cool seeing a guy who worked at Home Depot in the offseason retiring the Dodgers $700 million superstar. That is just baseball I guess.
However, Lord is no flash in the pan or good story anymore. At this point, he is a full fledged bullpen weapon, who is one of the Nats most reliable arms. The Nats have been using relievers in multi-inning roles a lot more this season, and that kind of role is a perfect fit for Lord. He can be elite in these 3 inning bursts. I think he could be a decent starting pitcher, but he might be more valuable as a great multi-inning reliever rather than a mediocre starter.
Brad Lord is going to be a fixture on this Nats pitching staff for years to come. Right now, the Nats have a lot of guys who walk the tight rope out of the bullpen. Lord is not like that. He just comes in and does his job. That is what makes him the ultimate glue guy and a pitcher who will stick in the big leagues for a long time.
Saturday saw the teams in the Atlanta Braves organization split six games down the middle. Cade Kuehler threw his third straight great game, while Isaiah Drake, John Gil, and Jim Jarvis all had notable days at the plate. We also got to get the full Jhancarlos Lara experience, where he got himself into trouble, but also really showed his swing and miss stuff.
Anthony Molina got the start and threw five excellent innings on Saturday. Molina allowed just one hit and three walks in the five scoreless innings, striking out five and whiffing nine. Rolddy Munoz was the next pitcher used and allowed a run over an inning and two thirds. Joel Payamps got the next inning and a third, and recorded a strikeout for each of the four outs he picked up. A scoreless Ian Hamilton inning finished this one off for the Stripers pitching staff.
Jim Jarvis and Brewer Hicklen once again carried the Gwinnett offense. Jarvis doubled twice in three at bats, walked, and scored a run, while Hicklen singled, doubled, scored a run, and batted one in. New catcher Maverick Handley added a pair of hits in his Braves system debut, while Brett Wisely, Rowdy Tellez, and Aaron Schunk all had a hit, while Tellez and Wisely each drew a walk to join Jarvis, Hicklen, and Handley in reaching base multiple times.
Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4, Columbus Clingstones 0
Patrick Clohisy, CF: 1-4, 2B, .264/.338/.440
Ethan Workinger, LF: 1-3, 2B, BB, .204/.286/.357
Lucas Braun, SP: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 7.20 ERA
Back in Double-A Lucas Braun got his first start since the demotion, and just his second start here this year. Unfortunately he gave up a first inning run and ended up allowing three more in his five and a third innings. Braun allowed seven hits and a walk as he struck out three, though did have 11 whiffs. Samuel Strickland pitched a scoreless inning and two thirds in relief of Braun. Jhancarlos Lara came in for the eighth and final inning and got into some trouble as he allowed a leadoff single, strikeout, wild pitch, walk, strikeout, double steal, and a third strikeout. Lara used 20 pitches to get through the inning, but six have six whiffs.
Karson Milbrandt dominated the Columbus lineup with six shutout innings that included 12 strikeouts and 24 whiffs. Overall the Clingstones managed just four hits and three walks. Ethan Workinger was the most productive, doubling and walking, while Patrick Clohisy also added a double. The other two hits were singles by Drew Compton and Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. David McCabe was the only other player to reach base, as he walked twice in the loss.
Rome Emperors 7, Hub City Spartanburgers 4
John Gil, SS: 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, .275/.383/.451
Isaiah Drake, LF: 1-4, RBI, 2 R, .274/.354/.452
Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 5.03 ERA
Game 1 saw Cedric De Grandpre go six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk. Cedric struck out seven and had 15 whiffs as he needed just 88 pitches to get this quality start. Those numbers may have looked better if not for a mistake in the third inning, when he allowed a two out, three-run homer. Jacob Kroeger came in to get the final three outs and picked up the save.
John Gil had a big part in this win, as he was two for four with a homer, two runs scored, and three batted in, running his OPS up to .834 on the season. Isaiah Drake went one for four, scored twice, and batted in a run. Eric Hartman was hitless in three at bats, but walked and scored a run, while both Dixon Williams and Cody Miller had hits and batted in a run, with Williams having a double and Miller picking up a pair of RBI.
The makeup of Friday’s game saw Cade Kuehler continue his recent run of strong starts. Kuehler went five and a third scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, giving him 17.1 innings of scoreless baseball across his last three starts. That lowers his ERA from 7.66 to 4.31 – over three runs off where it was earlier this month. Kuehler also struck out four with 12 whiffs. Logan Samuels got the next two outs in the sixth, before Drew Christo pitched the final inning to complete the combined shutout.
The offense wasn’t as loud in this one as the first game of the day, but Isaiah Drake continued his strong day with a two for four evening that included a run scored. Between both games he was three for eight, scored three runs, and batted one in. Cody Miller also had a double and batted in a pair, giving him two hits on the day. John Gil and Eric Hartman were each hitless in two at bats, though Hartman was hit by a pitch and Gil did walk and score a run.
Game two started on Friday night before a delay and the eventual push into Saturday, so Ethan Bagwell’s two scoreless innings were on Friday night. Bagwell allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out three and picking up six whiffs. Zach Royse got what amounted to a start, and went five innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks. Royse did strike out six and whiff 15, and he actually allowed just one run through his first four innings before getting into some trouble in his fifth inning of work and allowing four runs. Adiel Melendez followed and allowed a run in an inning and two thirds, and Kade Woods was needed to come in to get the final out of the game.
Augusta only managed one run through the first eight innings in this one, as they tacked on three runs in an attempt to rally from behind in the ninth. Luis Guanipa tripled in three at bats and also drew a walk, Juan Mateo singled and walked in three at bats. Nick Montgomery walked once, while Dalton McIntyre doubled, stole a base, and batted in a pair. Both Tate Southisene and Alex Lodise were hitless in four at bats, with Lodise picking up the platinum sombrero.
Augusta GreenJackets vs Columbia Fireflies – Game 2 – PPD
Game 2 was scheduled because Friday got rained out. Unfortunately the rain got in the way again, and this game was postponed before it got started. The game was moved to Sunday as part of a doubleheader again.
Gensi Angeles came into this start with a 0.00 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through three starts – all against the Rays team, but he didn’t make it out of the first with that ERA still intact. Overall he allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts over 3.2 innings. Cesar Rodriguez allowed a run, while Yander Pinero allowed three as the next two pitchers, putting this game out of reach. Daniel Brooks and Juan Olmos each made scoreless appearances in the losing effort.
The standouts offensively included Manuel Campos, who had a triple and a run scored in four at bats, and Connor Essenburg, who singled, walked, and batted in a run in his five trips to the plate. Juan Elejandro and Mario Baez each had multi-hit games, with Baez picking up a double and also stealing a base. Diego Tornes went hitless in four at bats, but did get on in the ninth when he was hit by a pitch.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - APRIL 22: Yamal Encarnacion #1 of the Corpus Christi Hooks is seen on the field during the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
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 (21-29) lost 6-0 (BOX SCORE)
Weiss started for Sugar Land and allowed 5 runs over 5.1 innings while striking out 6 batters. It was a quiet day for the offense though as they picked up just six hits and were shutout in the 6-0 loss.
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (20-24) won 6-0 (BOX SCORE)
The Hooks got on the board in the third scoring 2 runs on a Schiavone RBI single and Austin RBI groundout. They got another run in the 5th on a Guillemette sac fly and in the 5th, Trammell connected on a solo home run to extend the lead. Gillis got the start and was great tossing 6 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts. Trammell added some insurance in the 7th with a 2 run home run. The pen was solid closing it out with 3 scoreless innings as the Hooks won 6-0.
Asheville got on the board in the 3rd inning scoring 3 runs on a Thomas 2 run home run and Frey solo home run. Smith got the start but struggled allowing 6 runs, 5 earned over 5 innings of work. Asheville got one back in the 6th on a Brutcher RBI single but that was it from the offense as they dropped game one 6-4.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 27: Manager Dan Wilson #6 of the Seattle Mariners walks to the dugout after making a pitching change against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning of the game at Target Field on April 27, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If the season ended today, the Mariners would miss the playoffs. The season doesn’t end today.
The Mariners will play their 54th game on Sunday to finish off the first third of the season. They are currently 25-28 and tied for second place (we’ll call it third) in the AL West, 1 1/2 games out of first and a 1/2 game out of the wild card. It’s been a disappointing start after last year’s banner and expectations for more in 2026. They’ve played hot and cold, with short, aggravating losing streaks between brief spouts of competence. They dropped a series to the worst team in baseball. They took a series from the best. If I had to describe the season in a word: Familiar.
I don’t want to talk about the Mariners today. You already know the deal. They’ve hit righties well. They’ve hit lefties poorly. Their lopsided roster has forced them to pinch hit to frustrating results. The pitching has been good but inconsistent, and nobody on Opening Day would have guessed the who or the how. Again… familiar.
Instead, I want to talk about seasons, specifically the Mariners’ season (tricked you). How much should we adjust our expectations at the one-third mark?
Some, but not a lot, is the short of it.
While the Mariners have lost more games than they’ve won, they’ve scored more runs than they’ve allowed. That’s important. If we want to consider how they might play going forward, we want to know their “true talent.” One of the best ways to measure “talent” is with run differential.
Let’s walk through the table, for those unfamiliar. The first column of numbers is good ol’ fashioned win rate. The second is PytheganPat win rate, which uses run differential to estimate wins. The third is Base Runs win rate, which uses more granular information (total bases) to estimate runs to estimate wins. And finally, we have gradient win rate, which is a lesser-known Tom Tango invention that weights run differential to estimate wins (distinguishing between a four-, eight-, and 12-run win).
The table shows the Mariners have played a bit better than their record to this point by each of the win estimators. It also suggests they haven’t been a good team, but they have indeed been a playoff-caliber one in a lackluster American League.
So where are those missing wins? That brings us to our next stop:
The Mariners are 7-13 in one-run games. I plotted them next to the 2025 Mariners, who won more one-run games than any other team in the majors. We can see that at about this point last year they were eight games better in contests decided by one run.
“To say that there is no skill in a team winning one-run games would be wrong. Teams that are good at scoring runs and preventing the other team from doing so will have a better chance at winning them. The problem is that one-run games actually happen in several different ways, and winning them would rely on the abilities of different parts of the roster. The way in which they unfold, often involving extra innings, adds an extra layer of variability over and above that of a normal game. Baseball is a game with a lot of randomness in it already, and that randomness overwhelms the effect of skill. Based on this, I wouldn’t recommend reading much into a team’s one-run record.”
You might expect a bad team to lose a lot of one-run games, because they lose a lot games period. And vice versa. But a “good” team could still lose a lot of one-run games without it being a reflection on their underlying skill. And vice versa. The Mariners, as it happens, are 15-15 in games decided by more than one run.
When should we start caring about the Mariners actual win rate? Pretty soon, but also, not for a while.
Let’s start with the good news. At this point in the season, through 53 games, actual win rate tells us the least about how a team will play going forward. The following plot shows the correlation between win rate at each game number and win rate the rest of the season.
We can see that winning the first game of the season tells us nothing about a team’s future success. Each game thereafter gives us a bit more information, until about game 100, when the sample size issue flips the other direction. Gradient win rate is generally the best at predicting the future, while actual win rate is the worst. We should expect the Mariners to play a bit better going forward.
OK, the bad news: Wins are wins are wins. The season isn’t played in Excel, and we don’t give trophies to decimals. The Mariners are indeed falling behind. I ran the same tests, but rather than looking at rest-of-season win rate, I looked at full-season win rate. We can see actual win rate becomes the best at predicting the final standings… right about now, as it turns out.
Still, seasons aren’t constants. The Mariners were hot at this time last year, then they collapsed in June, then had a great summer, then collapsed again, then went on one of the great runs in franchise history to close out the year. The 2022 squad was even more extreme, truly bottoming out around this time, before setting the longest win-streak in franchise history. Few teams are great from wire-to-wire, with the 2001 team being the exception.
This is all normal. Despite our irony and bloodlust, the Mariners are a fairly standard baseball team. Their current stretch — stumbling early and then hovering around .500 — is not at all out of place for a playoff-bound club.
I took every 25-game stretch for every team since 1996 and found the median best and worst win rates:
Good teams, bad teams — just about every team besides the 2001 Mariners — play good and bad at some point in a season. The difference between them in the final standings is how good and how bad and how often.
The Mariners worst 25-game stretch to this point was their first one, when they went 10-15 (.400) to open the year. Their best 25-game stretch came on May 8, when they capped a 14-11 (.560) stretch with a win over the Braves.
Let me throw out two things that are true:
If the Mariners have played their worst baseball this year, a pretty standard hot streak would get them into the 92-96 win range.
The Mariners probably haven’t played their worst baseball this year.
I’ll leave you with a Rorschach test. The Mariners are still favorites to win the AL West. The rest of the division is very bad. In fact, this is the worst the division has been on May 24 since 2011, a year where each team in the west was within three games of .500. The Rangers would go on to play the rest of the season with the best record in the American League. The Mariners would go on to play with the worst.
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 23: Texas Rangers outfielder Andrew McCutchen (4) catches a fly ball during an MLB baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels played on May 23, 2026 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Los Angeles Dodgers (32-20) wrap up their three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers (30-19). The division leaders split their first two games. Starting pitchers are scheduled to be Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the Dodgers, with a 3.32 ERA, and Brandon Sproat for the Brewers, with a 5.75 ERA.
How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs Milwaukee Brewers
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers will each try to win the third game of the series, matching up NL division leaders in Milwaukee this afternoon.
L.A. has won eight of its last 10 games, while Milwaukee has won 12 of 15. After a prolonged cold streak, the Dodgers have found their bats. That’s why my Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks call for L.A. to win a slugfest.
Who will win Dodgers vs Brewers today: Dodgers -1.5 (+100)
The Los Angeles Dodgers scored 11 runs yesterday, the third time in seven games they’ve hit double figures. L.A. has scored 5+ in six of the last nine. Shohei Ohtani, who had a rare early-season slump, has now hit in nine straight, hitting .457 in the process.
The L.A. batters face Brandon Sproat, who has been sub-replacement this year with a 5.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. The Dodgers start Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has a 3.32 ERA and a WHIP under 1.00.
COVERS INTEL: Brandon Sproat gained velocity this year and added a cutter, but the results have been a disaster. He’s in the Bottom 1% in MLB in breaking ball value and the Bottom 3% overall. His fastball (27th percentile) is the only pitch not in baseball’s bottom quarter, and he has among MLB’s worst walk rates and chase rates.
Dodgers vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+105)
The Milwaukee Brewers have also been hitting. Sunday’s 11-3 loss snapped a streak of four straight scoring five or more. Yamamoto has allowed 3+ runs in four of his last five starts, surrendering six home runs over that period.
Milwaukee will want to get to him early — Yamamoto has a 7.00 first-inning ERA. The Brewers hit .263 with 110 OPS+ in the first and have six first-inning runs in the last two games.
Meanwhile, Dodgers batters have been more patient. They’ve walked 17 times in the first two games of the series and are walking 6.4 times per game over the last nine, up from 3.9 per game on the season up to that point.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 15-20, -4.28 units
Over/Under bets: 19-20, -2.51 units
Dodgers vs Brewers odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -163 | Brewers +156
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+100) | Brewers +1.5 (+105)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-125)
Dodgers vs Brewers trend
The Dodgers have covered the run line in eight of their last 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Brewers.
How to watch Dodgers vs Brewers and game info
Location
American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Sunday, May 24, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
SportsNet LA, Brewers.TV
Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-4, 3.32 ERA)
Brewers starting pitcher
Brandon Sproat (1-2, 5.75 ERA)
Dodgers vs Brewers latest injuries
Dodgers vs Brewers weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 15: Enrique Hernández #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws the ball prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Kiké Hernández played nine innings at third base in his 12th and final rehab game with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night. Hernández is expected to be activated off the injured list when the Dodgers return home, manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Milwaukee on Saturday.
Dave Roberts says Max Muncy (wrist, HBP) will be down through the weekend and the team will reevaluate back in LA on Monday.
Kiké Hernández will play his final rehab game with OKC tonight and is set to join the Dodgers on Monday as well. #Dodgers
Hernández was 0-for-4 on Saturday, and in his 12 games for the Comets hit .214/.298/.310 with two doubles, a triple, and five walks. Ten of his 12 games with Oklahoma City came at third base, plus one start each in center field and second base.
The Dodgers when activating Hernández will need to make a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster, as he is on the 60-day injured list.
Player of the day
Mason Estrada had the best start of his pro career to date, with nine strikeouts in four scoreless innings for Class-A Ontario. The Dodgers’ seventh-round draft pick last year out of MIT walked three and allowed a single, and induced 17 swinging strikes, continuing his improvement after a wild start this season.
Through his first five appearances, Estrada had 22 walks and 12 strikeouts to go with his 11.47 ERA in 13 1/3 innings. In his last three outings, Estrada allowed one total run in 12 innings, with 19 strikeouts and only seven walks.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Comets pitchers allowed only two runs, but the offense scored just once in a loss to the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks). Oklahoma City’s run didn’t come until one out in the ninth inning, when James Tibbs III doubled, stole third base, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jack Suwinski.
Wyatt Mills in his first appearance since getting optioned to Triple-A, pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
Double-A Tulsa
Three runs in the seventh inning off Roque Gutierrez and Christian Suarez doomed the Drillers in a loss to the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins). The rally spoiled an otherwise solid outing by Gutierrez, who pitched four scoreless innings of relief to get though the sixth.
Peter Heubeck made his first start for Tulsa since last July 19, missing the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. His start to 2026 was delayed by a hamstring injury during spring training, per Drillers play-by-play announcer Dennis Higgins during the broadcast.
Heubeck struck out Wichita second baseman Kyle DeBarge to begin his outing, but had a bumpy road trying to find the beat of the rhythm of his night. Billy Amick homered to lead off the second inning, and Heubeck allowed a single and walked two in his two innings. Heubeck also has a slow delivery to home plate, which was exploited for one steal and nearly another. Caleb Roberts was called out trying to steal second base in the first inning, but appeared to reach the bag before the tag. Heuback struck out three and threw 35 pitches, right around his set limit of roughly 40 pitches.
Josue De Paula singled twice and stole two bases in the loss.
Kyle Nevin fouled a ball of his foot in the second inning and remained in the game for one more inning on defense before getting replaced at third base in the third inning.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons only trailed by two entering the top of the ninth inning, when the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) piled on for an 11-4 rout.
Right fielder Jose Meza walked three times and homered in the loss. Kole Myers, demoted to High-A on Tuesday, doubled twice and walked.
Brooks Auger faced his first adversity of the season, giving up four runs on five hits and a walk in the second inning. He escaped an even bigger frame with two strikeouts to get out of the second, and struck out six in his three innings. The right-hander has 26 strikeouts against five walks in his 14 2/3 innings this season, with a 3.07 ERA.
Class-A Ontario
A four-run third inning was more than enough for the Tower Buzers to beat the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners). The decisive inning included three doubles and two sacrifice flies. Mairo Martinus had one of those doubles, part of a two-hit game.
Following Estrada on the mound was Jose Cabrera, who struck out four and retired all six batters he faced in two perfect innings of relief.
Transactions
Double-A: Catcher/infielder Bryan González was promoted from the Arizona Complex League to Tulsa. If the 2023 sixth-round pick gets into a game for the Drillers, it will be the first game for the 20-year-old at a full-season affiliate. Peter Heubeck joined Tulsa after one rehab appearance in Arizona last weekend.
Class-A: Catcher Francisco Espinoza joined Ontario from Arizona.
The New York Mets (22-30) take on the Miami Marlins (24-29). The Marlins won the first two games of the series. Starting pitchers are scheduled to be Christian Scott for the Mets, with a 4.12 ERA, and Tyler Phillips for the Marlins, with a 1.20 ERA.
How to watch New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins
Date: Sunday, May 24
Time: 1:40 p.m. ET / 10:40 a.m. PT
Where: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
TV Channels: Marlins.TV presented by Werner, Hoffman, Greig & Garcia, SNY
Heavy sigh. This is as weird of a Cubs season to follow as I can remember. You’ve heard me say it so many times. This team is better than it’s looked over the last two weeks. We knew it was never as good as it looked the three weeks before that. But somewhere in the middle is the true talent level of this team. But we’re just not seeing that.
Finally, the Cubs got a quality start. It felt like it has been forever since that happened. The pitching kept the game competitive, allowing three or fewer runs for the first time since they shut out the Braves on May 14. But today there was basically no offense. They had just three singles and drew three walks. On top of that, they grounded into two double plays and had a runner caught stealing. The Astros only had to face 30 total hitters. You’re basically never going to win with that output.
Maybe this is rock bottom? I don’t know. And I don’t really know what to say. It’s hard have a ton of warm and fuzzy things to say when things are going this bad.
Maybe Sunday?
Three Positives:
Credit where it is due, FIP didn’t like this game (6.95), but Colin Rea threw seven innings and allowed three runs on four hits and walked three. This team should win behind that outing.
Ryan Rolison faced the minimum in a scoreless ninth.
Moisés Ballesteros drew two walks in three plate appearances. Two five-pitch walks. Showing some patience should get him a few more pitches to drive.
Game 52, May 23: Astros 3, Cubs 0 (29-23)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
WPA Play of the Game: Christian Walker’s two-run homer with two outs in the first. (.190)
Cubs Play of the Game: Moisés Ballesteros led off the third with a walk. (.044)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 51 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 60 of 76 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +16
Michael Conforto +14
Nico Hoerner +13
Shōta Imanaga +10
Trent Thornton +7.5
Ryan Rolison -8
Phil Maton -9
Matt Shaw -10
Dansby Swanson -11
Seiya Suzuki -22
Current Win Pace: 90.34 wins
Up Next: The third and final game of the season series with the Astros. The Cubs are just 7-10 versus AL teams so far this year. Shōta Imanaga (4-4, 3.38, 58.2 IP) gets his 11th start of the season. It says a lot about how good he’s been this year that his numbers are still quite good after allowing eight earned runs in 4.1 innings the last time out. Hopefully, he can bounce back. He’s been at his best in day games (2.62 vs 4.44). The Astros are only 7-10 versus lefty starters).
29-year-old Peter Lambert (2-4, 3.57, 35.1 IP) makes his seventh start of the year. The Rockies second round pick (44th overall) in the 2015 draft lost last time out. He allowed five earned in six innings of work against the Rangers. He did beat the Dodgers back on May 5, holding them scoreless over seven. In two road starts, he has a 1.74 ERA. The Cubs are 7-6 against lefty starters.
This is the game the Cubs will break through and win.
When going through the annals of baseball history, there are very few players who are idolized as much as Bartolo Colón. Not only did he come from a poor background in a foreign country (albeit one known for producing incredible baseball players), but he also wasn’t built like the average ballplayer. He wasn’t 6-foot-5 and a brooding hulk of muscle. Instead, he was a 5-foot-11, 285-pound paunchy man on every major league mound he set foot on.
However, the beauty of baseball is that if you have the talent, you will succeed. Sure, there may be areas in which you aren’t as specialized, but your talents will shine through, and Big Sexy was the epitome of this fact.
Colón was born in the Dominican Republic and lived there until he was around 20 years old. From ages 9 to 14, he worked manual labor, harvesting coffee beans and fruit for his family. He never had much time to play baseball, despite his love for the game, due to his excruciating workdays. And his love for the game initially drew him into some trouble. According to the New York Post, Colón was arrested for trespassing after he and a group of friends went to a private field to play the game they craved. But, fortunately for him, a group called “The Club of the Mothers and the Club of the Fathers” pooled about $125 to get the group of between 15 and 20 out of trouble. And that would make the field an easy purchase for Colón down the line. However, he was first signed as an amateur free agent in 1993 by Cleveland, giving him a ticket to the United States to try and make a name for himself.
Colón spent about four years in the minor leagues, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t find his successes. It took him a couple of seasons to get used to the professional style, but in 1995, he finally began showing the Cleveland front office why they had brought him into the organization. He won the team’s Minor League Player of the Year Award with High-A Kinston in the Single-A Carolina League thanks to an ERA of 1.96 and 152 strikeouts in 128.2 innings pitched. And in 1997, Colón played for the Buffalo Bisons in Triple-A, posting a 2.22 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 56.2 innings.
At the age of 23, Colón made his debut against the Anaheim Angels, and he was certainly welcomed to the major leagues in a stark way. He pitched five innings, giving up six hits, three walks, and four earned runs while tallying four strikeouts. And it was that kind of season for the rookie, as Colón went 4–7 with a 5.65 earned run average in 19 games played (17 of which he started). In 1988, though, Colón took a huge step forward, almost doubling the number of games he started from 17 to 31, pitching over 200 innings for the first time in his career, registering his first career All-Star appearance, and finishing with a 3.71 ERA at the age of 25. He also pitched six complete games, two of which were shutouts, and pitched a four-hit, one-run complete game gem in his only start of the 1998 postseason in the American League Championship Series against the powerhouse Yankees.
Colón was with Cleveland until the 2002 season. He finished with a 3.98 ERA and 574 strikeouts in 615.1 innings pitched from 1999-2001, his final three full seasons with the club. In 1999, Colón finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting (Mariano Rivera finished above him in third). But in 2002, he was traded to the Montreal Expos along with another right-handed pitcher, Tim Drew, the middle brother of outfielder and 2007 World Series champion J.D Drew and 2013 World Series champion infielder Stephen Drew. Cleveland received a package of Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, and Lee Stevens. Colón only played the back half of 2002 with Montreal (with an ERA of 3.31), but still finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting before being traded to the Chicago White Sox before the 2003 season for a package that included a Yankee legend, Orlando “El Duque” Hernández.
Big Sexy’s only year with Chicago finished with him pitching the most innings of his career at 242 and registering the most complete games not just of his career but in the entirety of MLB as well. And as a free agent following 2003, Colón signed with the Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, using his first pro contract money to buy the field on which he was arrested for trespassing.
From 2004 to 2007, Colón was a mainstay of the Angels’ rotation and likely would have put up better numbers if not for injuries in the back two years of his time there. The first two, though, were more of the same he had shown in years prior: that he could eat innings and get outs no matter the uniform he was wearing. Colón pitched over 200 innings again, and in 2005, not only was he given another All-Star appearance for his efforts, but he also won the American League Cy Young Award, the first Angels pitcher to do so since 1964. He finished with a record of 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA and 157 strikeouts in 222.2 innings pitched for a 122 ERA+. But the postseason proved detrimental to him, as he sustained a partially torn rotator cuff against the Yankees, which put him in said injury trouble through 2006. He pitched only 10 games that year and 18 the following year, not reaching 100 innings in either season.
The next couple of seasons were filled with turmoil, as he made a stop in Boston on a minor league deal and pitched well in the lower levels, but only threw seven games in the majors before leaving for the Dominican Republic due to “personal matters” in early September. He was on the restricted list for the rest of the regular and postseason and became a free agent, having pitched only 39 innings that season. Then, Colón had injury issues again, not just with an offseason surgery to remove bone chips in his right arm, which he recovered from and became the White Sox’s fifth pitcher in the rotation. However, he pitched only 12 games due to another injury in early June, this time to his left knee.
Colón did not pitch in 2010 because his body seemed like a hotbed of pain. His throwing arm had major issues between the shoulder, elbows, and wrists, and his leg injury was a handicap for him as well. But, following a full season of recovery and a major stem cell surgery that brought some backlash, Big Sexy was ready to return, signing a minor league deal with the Yankees and was invited to spring training, which he took advantage of, making the Opening Day roster in the bullpen.
Despite being named to the bullpen at the beginning, Colón hardly came in relief at all through the 2011 season. He took the rotation position of Phil Hughes, who sustained an injury, and he ended up pitching 26 of his 29 games as starts, with his first coming on April 20th. Yankees manager Joe Girardi was rewarded for his decision to put Colón on the mound as a starter, as he finished through May with a 3.26 ERA, including a four-hit shutout against the Oakland Athletics on May 30th. He did suffer an injury in early June to his hamstring, but came back as soon as he could off the 15-day injured list, which ended up being July 2nd at Citi Field against the New York Mets, where he dominated.
The 38-year-old Colón finished the year with a 4.00 ERA and an 8-11 record, a far cry from where he had been prior to his injury issues with both Boston and Chicago. He was placed in the bullpen for the postseason, and the Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series, which made the right-hander a free agent.
Colón signed with the Athletics for the 2012 season, and he was brought back for the 2013 season as well. The resurgence in New York gave him confidence in Oakland, pushing him to his best seasons since his Cy Young year in 2005 with Los Angeles. In 2012, he was strong, posting a 3.43 ERA over 152.1 innings, but he also dealt with off-field issues, receiving a 50-game suspension from MLB for using synthetic testosterone. But 2013 was spectacular, as Big Sexy finished with a 2.65 ERA in 190.1 innings pitched (30 games started) and an ERA+ of 147. He received his third All-Star nomination and finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting.
Following Oakland, Colón would return to New York but with the club in Queens, signing a two-year, $20 million deal in 2014 at the age of 41. Some of his highlights included being the Opening Day starter for the Mets at 42 in 2015, breaking a Mets record set by Dwight Gooden for most consecutive decisions as a starting pitcher, achieving 26 decisions in 26 consecutive starts, and pitching in the 2015 World Series, the first time he did since 1997 with Cleveland.
The mainstay highlight for Colón (and baseball in general) was the first home run of his career against James Shields at Petco Park, making him the oldest player to hit his first-career home run in major league history (42 years and 349 days). And on July 8th, Colón also received his final All-Star nod, replacing San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner.
Colón finished his major league career with stops in Atlanta and Minnesota in 2017, and Texas in 2018 at the age of 45, but hung up the major league spikes following 148.1 innings pitched and a 5.78 ERA in Arlington. He also signed with Acereros de Monclova in 2020, but he never played a game that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After pitching with the club in 2021, he announced that he would retire in 2022 following another season of winter ball, which he did in 2023.
Big Sexy was the epitome of an innings-oriented pitcher. He was as reliable as they got through the heart of his career and even toward the backend. His love for the game of baseball can never be questioned, as evidenced by both how much he pitched through his career (3,461.2 innings) and how long he pitched (21 seasons). He’s a baseball legend in his own right. Happy birthday, Bartolo!
May 22, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) throws to first base during the third inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Mariners continue to maintain a comfortable, arms length distance away from .500 after a miserable loss in Kansas City last yesterday. The gang will try for a series win this morning at 11:10 am PST.
Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox have already begun shopping around in search of bats to fill the Rafael Devers shaped hole in their lineup that’s led them to being one of the worst offenses in the league so far in 2026.
Joey Votto went on Jayson Stark’s podcast Rates and Barrels to talk about his life in retirement, and what a life it is! In the less than three years since calling it a career, Votto has spent significant time in Japan, Spain, Ireland, Egypt, and Jordan, and that’s not even to get into some of what he’s done in those places. Truly living the “this is what it’s all about” lifestyle.
Nick’s pick…
John Travolta doing the laziest RTJ hand sign we’ve maybe ever seen is my new Roman empire. I’m literally incapable of elaborating beyond that.
May 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielders Tim Tawa (13) and Corbin Carroll (7) celebrate after defeating the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images
Team News
Lovullo gave Marte a piece of advice, and he’s been mashing ever since Marte, though, asked to move back into the leadoff spot a few weeks ago — “We were winning games then,” Lovullo recalled him saying — but the real difference has been his dedication to getting back on track.
“I just said, ‘Be kind to yourself, just be yourself,’” Lovullo said. “Go out there and you’re going to be fine. Flush days. Flush good days, flush bad days, and tomorrow is another one.”
Ketel Marte’s heater continues in D-backs win vs. Rockies
When creating a timeline that begins with Marte’s walk-off dinger on Tuesday, across his last 19 plate appearances, Marte is 10-for-16 with two doubles, three homers, three walks and has scored six times.
His OPS has jumped over 100 points in that time. Not bad. He is now indeed getting luckier, as the advanced numbers said he should.
2 Encouraging Signs from Diamondbacks’ Win over Rockies
“Crazy what he’s doing right now,” rookie outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt said of Marte to the D-backs.TV postgame broadcast.
“That’s especially important for me to get on base (Waldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a run scored Saturday) for the hot streak that he’s going on, and that’s just the player he is. If I can get on first base in front of him, and I know he’s going to hit the ball like that we’re going to score a lot of runs.” https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/2-encouraging-signs-diamondbacks-win-rockies
‘I didn’t believe it at first’: D-backs call up No. 4 prospect Troy Montero and Troy started to review highlights of his recent defensive plays before Montero asked a question that the D-backs’ No. 4 prospect has been waiting to hear since he was drafted by the club 12th overall in 2023.
Baseball’s top ‘triple threat’ is speeding his way toward more history And full gear for Carroll is a place very few can go. In fact, since the beginning of the 2023 season, Carroll owns 14 of the 21 fastest home-to-third times on a triple. The fastest of those came earlier this week, when he raced to third in 10.71 seconds against the Giants.
The 3 small eyes on a bee’s head detect light and help them escape from predators approaching from above. The 2 visible front eyes help them with navigation and recognizing shapes.
The oldest English word is ‘town’.
This is one of the oldest words in the English language that is still in use. The first dictionary took note of this in 1755.
Humans have just 1 bone fewer than horses.
Horses have an average of 205 bones or more while the adult human is set at 206. On average, horses will live for 25-30 years.
The Tampa Bay Rays, first in the AL East with a 34-15 record, face the New York Yankees, who are second in the division at 30-22. The Yankees have lost three in a row, including Friday’s series opener with the Rays. The teams’ Saturday game was postponed. Scheduled starting pitchers are Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay, with a 3.19 ERA, and Ryan Weathers for New York, with a 3.58 ERA.
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COVERS INTEL: Brandon Sproat gained velocity this year and added a cutter, but 
