Jun 24, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) reacts while rounding the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The Dodgers could only score four runs on Wednesday, but it was enough to finish off a sweep of the Minnesota Twins.
The Dodgers went down in order against Joe Ryan in the top of the first inning, but Mookie Betts began the second inning with a solo home run to left-center to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. It was Betts’s 300th career home run, becoming the first Dodger to reach that accolade since J.D. Martinez back in 2023. Betts would finish the game 3-4 on the night and was a triple shy of the team’s first cycle in nine years.
The Twins responded with a trio of singles from Victor Caratini, Brooks Lee and Tristan Gray to load the bases with just one out. Shohei Ohtani’s first pitch to Ryan Kreidler got away from Dalton Rushing and rolled into the dugout to tie the game. Kreidler drove home the other two runners with a single up the middle as the Twins took the lead, giving Ohtani a third consecutive start of at least three runs allowed.
Alex Freeland led off the third inning with a double against Ryan, and Ohtani made up for the three-run inning with an RBI single up the middle to trim the deficit to one. A walk to Freddie Freeman and a single from Betts loaded the bases with just one out, and Muncy tied the game with his second hit of the game to plate Ohtani. Alex Call hit a fly ball to shallow right field for the second out, but the throw from Kody Clemens was cut off by Royce Lewis, allowing Freeman to score and as the Dodgers retook a one run lead.
After Ohtani retired his next five hitters in a row after the second, including four strikeouts, he allowed a two-out walk to Lee before Gray roped a double down the right field line to put both the potential tying and go-ahead runners on with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kreidler once again hit one up the middle, but a nice defensive play from Betts ended the threat.
Ohtani would not allow another baserunner after the fourth inning, as he registered another quality start on 89 pitches over six full innings. Ohtani’s eight strikeouts on Wednesday are the most he’s had in a start since he struck out eight against the San Francisco Giants on May 13. After allowing two earned runs, Ohtani’s ERA now jumps up to 1.58 on the season, which still places him second in baseball behind Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski.
Kyle Hurt was the first man out of the bullpen in relief of Ohtani, and he found himself in trouble by walking a pair of hitters to put both the tying and go-ahead runners on base with two outs. Against the dangerous Byron Buxton, Hurt got him to fly out in foul territory to complete a 26-pitch scoreless seventh inning.
Former Dodgers Anthony Banda and Yoendrys Gómez pitched in relief of Ryan, with both relievers tossing a scoreless inning in their first appearances against their old team this year.
Alex Vesia was one out away from a perfect bottom of the eighth inning, but singles from Caratini and Royce Lewis once again put both the tying and go-ahead runners on base with two outs. Vesia got Lee to chase at a fastball high and away to end the threat and preserve the one-run lead heading into the ninth inning.
Tanner Scott came in for the save opportunity, and he immediately put the tying run on base as Austin Martin slapped a pinch-hit, leadoff single. Scott needed one pitch to get Kreidler to fly out, and he got pinch-hitter Luke Keaschall to strike out for the second out. Scott worked the count full against Buxton, but he got him to swing out in front of a slider at the knees to complete the sweep. It is the first time the Dodgers had a three-game sweep against the Twins at Target Field since 2014.
The Dodgers are off on Thursday as they fly down to San Diego to begin a three-game set with the Padres at Petco Park on Friday (6:45 p.m., Apple TV+). Roki Sasaki faces old friend Walker Buehler.
You don’t owe the Mets anything, and the way they’re playing, they clearly don’t feel that they owe you a professional performance. Mets infielders combined to commit a staggering six errors in a game that saw their team lose to the Cubs for the second time today and the third time in as many games by the Cubs.
Even when the score was closer in this game, it never really felt like the Mets had a chance. They’re playing a brand of baseball that makes you wonder if they ever practice. And in the end, the final score—Cubs 10, Mets 5—was a fairer representation of the way the game went.
If you want the play-by-play of this one for some reason, the play log FanGraphs has you covered. There’s not much of a reason to pay attention to these Mets that thoroughly, though, and the defensive efforts of Brett Baty in right field, Marcus Semien at second, and Mark Vientos at first make you long for players who have enough experience at a position to play it properly without having so much experience that they’re on their way out of the league.
How the organization has had the patience to leader all of its under-performers on the active roster, its manager in place, and its president of baseball operations in charge of baseball operations is beyond me at this point. It’s not that everyone must go, but right now, it looks like there are simply no consequences within the org.
Find better things to do with your time than watch the 2026 Mets until they earn it. The fact that another year of Francisco Lindor’s prime, injury-interrupted as it may be, is set to go to waste is particularly frustrating on the night that he returned from a two-month stint on the injured list.
If you’d like to see the Mets attempt to avoid getting swept, the last game in this four-game series starts at 7:10 PM EDT tomorrow night. The Mets won’t trade anyone by then, but they should start listening to offers soon, even if they have to act like they still believe in this team when speaking in public.
The Mets hit four home runs, but couldn't overcome errors and defensive misplays in their 10-5 loss to the Cubs in the second game of their doubleheader on Wednesday.
New York committed six errors, leading to five unearned runs.
The Mets (34-46) have lost five straight games and are 12 games under .500, a season-low mark for the season.
Here are the takeaways...
-After a lengthy first, the Cubs took advantage of Sean Manaea in the second inning with back-to-back doubles to push across the game's first run. Manaea would get out of it without allowing another run, but he labored through those first two innings. After a ho-hum third inning, the wheels would come off on the Mets in the fourth. After a leadoff double, Marcus Semien booted a grounder, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Chicago would capitalize with an RBI single and then Dansby Swanson followed up with an RBI single of his own.
Pete Crow-Armstrong then hit a bunt over the head of a charging Bo Bichette at third to put the Cubs ahead, 4-3. That bunt single spelled the end of Manaea as Huascar Brazoban was called upon to limit the damage and did just that, and closed the book on Manaea's line.
Manaea allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out four batters across three-plus innings (86 pitches/57 strikes).
-Brazoban pitched a scoreless fifth before giving way to Brooks Raley in the sixth. After giving up a bloop double to Pedro Ramirez to lead off the inning, Swanson hit a triple to give the Cubs a 5-4 lead. Brett Baty, playing in right field, misplayed the ball, mistiming his jump as the ball careened off the wall, allowing Swanson to make it to third. Two batters later, Swanson was driven home after a fielder's choice hit at Semien, who could not come up with it cleanly and had to settle for the out at second.
-Luke Weaver walked the leadoff batter in the seventh before Semien dropped a pop-up in shallow right field (his second error of the game), allowing two runners on with one out. Weaver would get the inning-ending doubleplay to end the threat.
The last time Semien made two errors in a game was May 2022.
In the eighth, the Mets would commit two more errors. Bichette bobbled a hopper to him at third, and then after Mark Vientos made a fantastic diving stop at first, A.J. Minter could not come up with the toss covering the bag, allowing the Cubs to push across their seventh run of the game.
In the ninth, a Vientos error allowed for three unearned runs to be scored off of Devin Williams, with Swanson capping off the inning with a two-run single.
-Francisco Lindor's return got off to a rough start. The first ball hit to him in the first inning, the sure-handed shortstop botched a grounder, extending the opening frame for Manaea. The southpaw had to toss 30 pitches, but kept the Cubs off the board in the first after they put two runners on.
Lindor would go hitless (0-5), but his at-bat in the seventh loomed large. With runners on the corners and two out, Lindor hit a sharp grounder to third to end the inning.
-Francisco Alvarez got the Mets on the board in the second with a solo shot off of Shota Imanaga. Alvarez has hit a home run in all three games in this series. After an infield single by Eric Wagaman, A.J. Ewing followed with a two-run shot to put the Mets up 3-1. It's Ewing's first homer against a left-handed pitcher.
In the fourth, Vientos' solo shot got the Mets back even. Bichette smashed a solo shot in the sixth.
-Swanson, who had nine RBI across the first two games of this series -- including seven in the first game of the doubleheader -- had his way with the Mets pitching again, going 3-for-5 with four RBI.
Game MVP: Dansby Swanson
Swanson now has 15 RBI in three games, and there's still one more game in this series to go.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 21: Derek Hill #49 of the Philadelphia Phillies meets with teammate Brandon Marsh #16 prior to the game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, June 21, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In Sam Raimi’s 2009 horror flick Drag Me To Hell, a woman makes a mistake at work and is eventually condemned to eternal damnation for it. This is highly relatable for the Nationals’ bullpen arms, who made a mistake at work and were sentenced to hell for it. Well, surrendering a pinch-hit go-ahead homer to a team down to their final strike isn’t quite hell, but it’s close enough; I’m fairly certain Dante mentioned it somewhere in his Inferno, somewhere between the guy who’s eternally having his head bitten and the guys who are eternally trees.
But before the drama of a last-ditch comeback repeated, a less appealing narrative recurred: Aaron Nola’s struggles with the long ball continued, as Luis García Jr. took a sinker that hung up in the middle of the zone to center for a 1-0 Washington lead in the first. An inning later, Jorbit Vivas took a curveball that did the same and did the same. 2-0, Nationals. Meanwhile, the Phillies struggled through three against opener Carson Palmquist, putting only one baserunner aboard in the form of Brandon Marsh, who promptly got picked off.
Marsh was also the Phillies’ second baserunner, singling up the middle to lead off the fourth. Afterwards, Palmquist’s opening job was over, and Miles Mikolas took his turn. He quickly found trouble. Alec Bohm reached safely on a grounder when Nasim Nuñez booted it, and Bryson Stott hit a fly ball that found its way over James Wood’s head in right for a double. The Phillies had their first run of the night. They had their second on a sacrifice fly from J.T. Realmuto, and their third on a single from Gabriel Rincones Jr. Nola kept the good vibes going with a three up, three down fourth. Only a potential injury to Bohm, who came up limping while running the bases on the fourth, still needled the Phillies, and given that he remained in the game, this turned out not to be a big issue. The Nationals seemed like they might have a big issue though: the pitching of Mikolas, who gave up singles to Trea Turner and Marsh in the fifth. He fought his way through it without further damage, but the tilt of the game still seemed to favor the Phillies.
Kyle Backhus took over in the sixth, with Nola’s final line standing at 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Backhus faced the minimum of three, getting two out and allowing a baserunner, and was pulled for Jonathan Bowlan as Don Mattingly played the matchup game, pitting righty against righty. It did not go as planned. The first pitch to Curtis Mead went flying into deep left, towards the foul pole, remaining fair and ending the Phillies’ lead.
José Alvarado took the seventh. He got the first two batters out, but faced trouble with José Tena, who hit a shallow fly to left that Marsh dove for and missed. The result was a triple. CJ Abrams was up next; the duel between him and Alvarado saw a quartet of fouled off 3-2 pitches , and finally a walk. But Alvarado got the next batter out to keep the deficit at one.
But the Phillies offense remained stagnant, unable to put a runner aboard in the eighth. Seth Johnson was tasked with the ninth and keeping the game within reach of more last-ditch heroics. A simple 1-2-3 inning set the Phillies up well for the sequel to yesterday’s fireworks. Realmuto, Rincones, Jr. and Edmundo Sosa were the trio tasked with setting them off. Their opponent was Orlando Ribalta. He shares his name with the great knight of both myth and history (also known as Roland); unfortunately for the Phillies, the game took place at Nationals Park and not Roncevaux Pass. Realmuto grounded out, Rincones Jr. struck out. But then, high drama: Kyle Schwarber, who was left out of the starting lineup thanks to back tightness, was called in to pinch hit for Sosa. He took the first pitch for a ball, swung and missed at the second, took the third, but saw it called for a strike. Once more, the Phillies were down to their final strike. A poorly-advised challenge from Nationals backstop Drew Mills on ball 3 brought some levity to the proceedings, but soon enough it was tense again. He fouled off some pitches, one of which got enough air to stop some hearts, momentarily. He ended up walking, bringing Garrett Stubbs to the plate as a pinch-hitter, and as the winning run. But he didn’t stay there long: the Nationals swapped pitchers (to Richard Lovelady, less useful for references to epic poems) , Stubbs was swapped to the pinch-runner role, and Derek Hill got the call to bat.
When the Phillies traded for him, I noted that whoever got the first recap in which he did something notable would get the glory of the Running Up That Hill pun title. Last night, writing the question of the day post, I got impatient and wasted the pun on the subhead. As Hill sent a poorly-placed fastball over the wall in right-center, I sincerely regretted this. Thank god Kyle Schwarber had been more patient than me. Once more, the Phillies had gone down to their last strike and struck back.
Thus, Jhoan Duran was called in to bring it home. He did, with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of strikeouts. The final strike was a close one on the corner; the Nationals challenged. Or tried to. They were out of challenges, and so all they had was a plaintive head-tap. The Phillies had crested the Hill, and found victory on the other side.
The Phillies are 44-36. They’ll conclude the series against the Nationals tomorrow at 6:45.
TORONTO, CANADA - JUNE 23: Joey Loperfido #10 of the Houston Astros celebrates his go-ahead, three-run home run in the 11th inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on June 23, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tara Walton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Christmas came six months early for the Astros. After Joey Loperfido tripled with 1 out in the 8th, Blue Jays reliever Jeff Hoffman inexplicably attempted to pick him off at third base. His errant throw would send him home, making Loperfido the hero for the second straight day.
Gifts continued in the bottom of the 8th when Luis Urias would get doubled up off of second base, after a sensational play by Cam Smith, thwarting any threat for Toronto.
The final gift would add an insurance run, as Brice Matthews scored when Guerrero was pulled away from first on a sloppy throw. The combination of miscues would make the final score 3-1.
Not only were the Astros beneficiaries of Toronto’s charity, but they would also retire the opening batter in all nine innings, a rare feat for this staff. Mike Burrows brief flirtation with the bullpen has already paid dividends. Burrows’ lone mistake would be a solo shot to Nathan Lukes, but after that, he’d finish strong.
In the 6th inning, Burrows would retire Springer, Lukes and Guerrero with relative ease. Burrows would go six, strike out three and only walk one runner. By contrast, his counterpart, Trey Yesavage issued five walks on the night.
Issac Parades would start the scoring with a double which brought home Jeremy Pena who was the first runner of the night after drawing a walk.
Two weeks ago in Anaheim, Joe Espada summarized what every Astros fan was feeling stating “We’ve got to start winning some series”. After taking the rubber match from the Jays, Houston has now won their last four series, and in total have won 8 of their last 12 games.
Steven Okert would notch the win, his first of the season. Josh Hader would record his 6th save of the season. He’s now 6 for 6 in save opportunities.
Houston now heads to Detroit for a 4 game series with the Tigers beginning tomorrow night.
The Astros are now 39-43, 4 games under .500. They are even in the win column with Toronto, and trail the Jays by 1 game in the Wild card race.
Houston is 2.5 games behind Seattle in the AL West.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 25: A scoreboard operator carries a number to post on the manual scoreboard on the left field wall at Fenway Park between innings of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles on May 25, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Milwaukee Brewers came to town, we talked about their Famous Racing Sausages as a tradition they could leave behind to inspire a new mascot race at Coors Field.
With the Colorado Rockies taking the series today and sending the Boston Red Sox back to Fenway, it feels like a good time to discuss Boston’s historic home and chat all things ballparks.
Along with the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, Fenway Park comes up frequently as being at the top of people’s bucket lists for MLB parks they are most excited to visit. Getting to step into the oldest cathedrals of the game is truly a treat. They’re a blast from the past and capture the heart of baseball.
On top of those, there are so many wonderful modern classics with stunning backdrops, fun features, exciting fan bases, and amenities that are worth a visit. Thanks to some work travel, I had the chance cross off Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, the new Yankee Stadium, and Fenway over the span of a few months last year. It was an incredible stretch of stadiums, views, and experiences that I feel lucky to have gotten.
I’m currently at 12 of 30 MLB ballparks visited (in addition to a handful of minor league stadiums) and I’m excited to get to more. While nothing will overtake the Coors Field-shaped space in my heart, I loved the bay views in San Francisco, the delicious food in Seattle, the history of Chicago and Fenway, and the aforementioned mascot race shenanigans in both Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.
Which brings us to tonight’s chat! We want to hear about all the places you’ve been or hope to get to.
Are you “Chasing 30”, on a mission to visit every team’s ballpark? How many have you been to so far?
Which park are you visiting next?
Of the ones you’ve been to, which is your favorite?
Any favorite features, traditions, snacks, or hidden gems from the ballparks you’ve gotten to check out?
Whether it’s in the majors or minors, give us all of your ballpark hot takes, memories, and hopes below!
Buster Posey, the president of operations for the San Francisco Giants, makes a statement ahead of an MLB game against the Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Protesters are expected to gather outside Oracle Park to demonstrate against four pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and opted out of wearing the team's Pride-themed gear during the Giants' Pride Night celebration on June 12. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Like most San Francisco Giants fans, I remember May 25, 2011 vividly. But it’s been more than 15 years since that fated day in which a young blossoming superstar, the budding pillar of the franchise, fractured his fibula and tore multiple ligaments in his leg during a collision at the plate. So some of the features of that memory have grown blurry.
I don’t remember who was pitching, or who hit the ball that sent Scott Cousins barreling around third base and straight into Buster Posey. I can’t recall the outcome of the game, or the Giants’ place in the standings at the time.
What I do remember is this: in the face of excruciating physical and emotional pain, Posey remained stoic. Years before the hundreds of millions of dollars in salary and investments would roll into his bank account, and before countless dreams had been checked off his personal to-do list, Posey sat on the plate at his home ballpark, knowing that not just his season, but his entire career was in jeopardy. His eyes were dry and his jaw was strong. He took in the scene, refused to call for a cart to wheel him away, and, with he help of the training staff, stood up and slowly hopped off the field, tall and upright. Beat and battered, but never broken.
318 days later, he was back on the field for Opening Day. 523 days later, he hoisted a World Series trophy over his head. 541 days later, he was honored as the league MVP.
That year-and-a-half sequence defined Posey as one of the toughest athletes of his era. Staring at the utmost adversity, Posey refused to blink.
It set the tone for the rest of his career. He was talented and selfless and a tireless worker, yes, but above all else he was tough. And in turn, the Giants were.
Which makes his latest turn all the more confounding, concerning, and infuriating.
On Tuesday, Posey — no longer the face of the roster, and now the face of the front office — met with the media. It was Posey, as he so often did in the batter’s box, calling his own number. It wasn’t a media session mandated by the league, or demanded by the reporters. It was just Posey, leader of a team in turmoil on and off the field, making himself available.
And looking weaker than I ever could have imagined he would.
Posey opened with a milquetoast statement regarding the team’s Pride Night debacle, and the subsequent fallout within the queer community, one that had about as much substance as a Jack Harlow song played in reverse. At best, it was a “there are good people on both sides and I care more about baseball” deflection; at worst, it was a child placing his head in his hands and screaming “mom I don’t want to.”
“I’d like to recognize that the organization has shared its response to Pride Night, and I understand that there’s strong feelings on this topic,” Posey said, the prevarication only just revving up. “There’s differing perspectives, and out of respect to everybody involved, it’s not something that I’m going to revisit. I understand that some fans are upset and frustrated, and I promise you this is something we’ve talked about a lot internally, and we’ll continue to do so. Our focus is on the team right now, the upcoming draft, the trade deadline, and trying to win games. So anybody that has baseball questions, I’m happy to take baseball questions from you now.”
It was bland and corporate, and a little spineless. But if that was leaning back at a pitch high and tight, what followed was Posey watching a fastball down the middle, and turning around to walk away before it even made it to the catcher. Calling off the at-bat after two pitches. Unwrapping his protective gear, walking out of the ballpark, and driving home in the fifth inning.
The reporters in attendance, to their credit, pushed back. Fairly, I might add. And even gently at first. Softballs initially, perfect for someone who used to be able to square up a 100-mph fastball with ease.
But Posey tucked his tail and tucked his head. In a staggering display of weakness, at the team’s lowest moment in decades, Posey stuck his fingers in his ears, squeezed his eyes closed, and sang, “la la la la I can’t heeeaaaaaarrrrrr youuuuuu.”
It was genuinely difficult to watch.
Did you object to Pride Nights as a player, and did anyone explain the importance to Tony Vitello and the players?
“If you want to ask baseball questions, I’ll answer baseball questions.”
Will you reach out to the gay community about what has unfolded?
“If you want to go to baseball questions, I made my statement, I’ll answer baseball questions.”
Do you have a response to the commissioner throwing the Giants under the bus?
“I’ll answer baseball questions.”
Why will you only answer baseball questions when the team is embroiled in something so important?
“I’m gonna only answer baseball questions.”
Is this not your job? Should we speak with Larry Baer?
At that point, Posey was beyond answers, and looked pathetically around for help, until a poor communications director was forced to repeat the same line: “We just need to keep it baseball related.”
You made this a baseball issue by hosting Pride Night, and letting players take the field having violated MLB’s rules.
“Buster made his statement. If you guys have any baseball questions, he can answer those, or we’re gonna be done.”
Cowardice. Weakness. Spinelessness.
And broken.
All hidden behind the vacant face of a man who clearly would rather face Clayton Kershaw 1,000 times over before having to spend another 10 seconds being asked for accountability over a blatant lack of inclusion and failure of leadership.
It’s clear that the Department of Justice’s hogwash meddling with the situation has spooked the Giants, and it’s fair to think that Posey’s hands were slightly tied by an unwanted political presence hovering over the entire situation. It also does essentially nothing to cover up the immeasurably pathetic display that took place at Oracle Park.
Posey could have no-commented questions about the hats that Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker defiled. He could have no-commented the team’s communication with its players, the involvement of the DOJ, and Rob Manfred harshly criticizing the team.
Here, I wrote him a statement he could have said. I’m writing this on the fly. I didn’t take any time to think it over. I’m not going to edit it. I’m improvising here. Let’s see what I’m about to come up with.
I, along with the entire Giants organization, support and celebrate San Francisco’s vibrant and historic LGBTQIA+ community. We are aware that many in the community are hurting based on the actions and response of our team, and we are dedicated to making sure that every Giants fan feels at home at Oracle Park. We will meet with local leaders in the community to see how we can learn and grow from this year’s Pride Night, and I personally will be donating $100,000 to the SF LGBT Center. Unfortunately, for legal purposes, I can’t currently comment on the hats, our communication with the commissioner’s office, or anything regarding the DOJ’s investigation. We’re going to keep our discussions with players internal.
See how easy that was? It’s not a perfect statement because, again, I wrote it on the fly. It took 45 seconds. It probably has a spelling error in it. It features an organization I just learned about when I googled “LGBTQ youth centers San Francisco.”
But it does the important thing: it makes it clear where Posey stands. It makes it clear where the organization stands. It takes the absolute bare minimum level of accountability. It does nothing to interfere with the commissioner or the Department of Nonsensical Whining.
In the absence of that tiny act of accountability and inclusion, why do anything at all? Why hold a media session? Why face the cameras and reporters at all, if you can even call what Posey did “facing?” Why write a test that didn’t need to be written just to get all the answers spectacularly wrong?
A stable of unforced errors, buried beneath a cascade of cowardice. The antitheses of meeting the moment. The polar opposite of what the fanbase deserved and needed.
There was a time when I never would have dared to utter the word “weak” in association with Buster Posey. Now I fear I need a stronger word.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Jasson Dominguez #24 (R) of the New York Yankees celebrates his two-run home run that drove in Ben Rice #22 in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Facing off against Tarik Skubal, the Yankees were going to need a strong start to best the reigning two-time AL Cy Young winner. They got just that, and though Skubal managed to look a lot more like his old self and shut down the lineup for long stretches, the offense made their moments count and cashed in most of the hits they got for runs.
Paul Goldschmidt set the tone immediately, working a 3-0 count before finding a fastball up and in the zone that he could crush — 372 feet later, it landed in left field for a 1-0 Yankees lead. Skubal rebounded quickly though, retiring the next three Yankees in just seven pitches, and outside of a seven-pitch battle with Jazz Chisholm Jr. the second inning gave him little trouble as well.
In the bottom of the second, the Tigers’ bats responded against Ryan Weathers. Riley Greene led off with a fly out, but Spencer Torkelson crushed a middle-middle fastball for a double out to left, and Hao-Yu Lee worked a four-pitch walk to put runners on with one out. Weathers managed to strike Ben Malgeri out to get an out away from escaping without any damage, but Zach McKinstry jumped on a 2-1 sinker that caught too much of the plate for a line drive single back up the middle that tied the game at one. Weathers evaded further problems by striking out Jake Rogers, his third of the night already, but the offense would have to pick him back up.
Goldschmidt’s second blast of the game was still just the second hit the Yankees had, and spoiler alert: they wouldn’t get another one for a while. Still, the Bombers were making Skubal pay on the few mistake pitches he made, making a night where he otherwise looked like the dominant ace he has been not feel too frustrating.
The Tigers weren’t out of this one yet, and they got some help to tie the game back up in the fourth inning. Torkelson led off with a walk, and Lee worked a 3-0 count before getting a fastball near the middle of the plate to drive. Jasson Domínguez couldn’t field the ball cleanly, allowing Torkelson to advance to third on the single, and Malgeri lifted a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat to cash in the runner and knot us up at two.
Weathers buckled down, getting the next two outs to close the inning without incident, and he worked around a leadoff double in the fifth to turn in a relatively strong outing for the second consecutive turn through the order. Weathers lasted six innings, allowing the two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with six punchouts. After a shaky streak of starts saw his ERA jump north of four during this month, Weathers has calmed things down and managed to secure his first start without a home run allowed since May 24th against Tampa Bay. And thanks to his offense finding one more spark on a night that they otherwise struggled, he walked away with the win.
After Goldschmidt’s second homer in the third, the entire lineup turned over without a batter getting on board. With two outs in the sixth, Ben Rice jumped on a first-pitch changeup to slap a single out to right breaking up Skubal’s rhythm and forcing him into the stretch for the first time all game. Perhaps that made the difference as Domínguez stepped up to the plate and fought through a nine-pitch at-bat where Skubal just couldn’t put him away despite jumping ahead 0-2, eventually leaving the third and final mistake pitch of his night: a changeup right over the heart of the plate. Domínguez pounced on it, and drove it out to left.
Now in the driver’s seat, the Yankee bullpen was tasked with holding the lead and they were very successful. Camilo Doval entered for the seventh and walked Rogers to lead off, but then got two straight pop-ups before handing the ball over to Fernando Cruz who struck out all four batters he faced. David Bednar got the ninth inning as usual, and got to two outs before he allowed a single to Kevin McGonigle that brought the tying run to the plate. Thankfully, Dillon Dingler jumped at the first pitch and lofted a fly ball right into Domínguez’s glove for the final out.
The Yankees secured themselves a series win after looking rather lackluster to start off, and now they’ll take that momentum into Boston for a four-game set with their archrivals. Cam Schlittler will open that series off and face off with Connelly Early, first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. EST.
Jun 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38), right fielder Kahlil Watson (31) and center fielder Petey Halpin (0) celebrate after defeating the Chicago White Sox after the tenth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Everything was going smoothly for Tanner Bibee and the Guardians through six innings. Bibee was 89 pitches into his outing, looking to salvage a win and avoid a sweep on the South Side. Then, as has been the norm, Stephen Vogt takes Bibee out, in line for a victory, opting to go to the bullpen. This is when the fun began.
First things first, though, and that’s Kahlil Watson. Watson provided a spark all series long, and without Watson today, Cleveland gets swept. Watson set the table for a Bibee win with a bases loaded 2-RBI single, taking an Erick Fedde sweeper the other way. Watson, who entered the series 0-for-12 to start his MLB career, went 5-for-9 in this series with two massive hits in this game, including this single.
Now back to Bibee. Bibee’s pitch mix has seen some pretty major alterations. His 4-seam usage is down substantially while he’s leaning more on his sinker/cutter/slider combo. In doing so, Bibee is seeing more swing and miss in the zone and better quality of contact against him. He’s now running a 1.71 ERA in June while throwing his 4-seamer under 15% of the time in that span.
Vogt went to the Guardians’ magic 8-ball bullpen in the 7th, going to Erik Sabrowski fresh off the injured list, and Chicago immediately broke the seal, tallying a run and cutting the lead in half. Sabrowski has struggled upon return, getting tagged with earned runs in both outings. Holderman cleaned up, getting the final out.
The Guardians put together a scoring threat again in the 8th inning, and with the bases loaded and two out, Joe Rock walked Patrick Bailey, bringing Halpin in to score. A Kwan strikeout ended the threat, but Cleveland was up 3-1. Gaddis and Herrin covered the bottom half, but it was not without struggle as the White Sox got two more baserunners on before the threat was ended. Cleveland failed to add anything in the top of the 9th, and with Cade Smith coming on, all hell broke loose.
In a 1-1 count with two outs, Smith left a 4-seam fastball over the heart of the plate, and rookie Braden Montgomery did not miss it. 411 feet later, Chicago was within a run, and before anyone had a chance to catch their breath, Smith hung a sweeper right down broadway to Randal Grichuk, and just like that, Cade had blown his first save in two months, and Cleveland was staring down the barrel of a sweep and two game deficit in the division. Smith then surrendered a single to Jacob Gonzalez and walked Sam Antonacci, leading to Vogt yanking his potential All-Star closer for Shawn Armstrong. Somehow, this was Kyle Manzardo’s fault (iykyk).
Armstrong got the final out, but now it was on to extras.
Chicago brought in Grant Taylor who had already not been having the best series. After getting Manzardo to strike out, Taylor gave up a single to Rhys Hoskins.
Kahlil Watson, have a day! Watson, just like in the 6th, sliced a single to the opposite field, this time off of a 100 mph sinker from Taylor. Guards back up, 4-3.
Armstrong stayed on for the bottom half, and hooooo boy was this not good for the ol’ ticker! After a Luisangel Acuña sacrifice bunt moved Vargas to third, Armstrong walked Kyle Teel, then walked Colson Montgomery, and if not being able to find a grip wasn’t enough, the rain started falling on the South Side of Chicago. Thankfully, Armstrong got Chase Meidroth to ground out on a pitcher’s pitch down and in, and then Braden Montgomery grounded out to Manzardo with Manzo stretching out full extension to tag the base, mercifully ending this game with a badly needed W.
Cleveland, with this win, slots back into a tie for 1st place in the AL Central with Chicago, now sitting at 42-39.
After a day off tomorrow, the Guards head back home for a nice long home stand, starting with three against Seattle, three against Texas, and then a four game set against these same White Sox.
Jun 24, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Isaac Collins (1) reacts after getting called out on strikes in the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
The Royals did not cash in on early opportunities and the Rays did. Sometimes it is that simple. In the end the score was 5-3, but two of those three for Kansas City came because of an inning where the Rays made two back-to-back errors.
The Royals had runners in scoring position in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings against Griffin Jax who Tampa Bay is trying to convert into a starting pitcher mid-season. They went 0-5 with RISP in these opportunities including a double play to end the threat in the first inning. Meanwhile, the Rays started the bottom of the 3rd inning with a pair of singles and a sac bunt to get two runners set up to score. That forced the Royals to intentionally walk Junior Caminero to load them and set up a double play as an escape hatch. Next up was Ryan Vilade who hit a hard ground ball to Jac Caglianone who stepped on first and threw home. Unfortunately, the throw home was rushed and off target. It actually hit Nick Fortes coming home and that error allowed a second run to come in as well. Jonathan Aranda added an RBI single to left before Noah Cameron could get out of the inning down 3-0.
In the 4th, Tampa started the inning with a double just past Nick Loftin at third base. He was sac bunted over to third, just like last inning. The struggling Fortes was up again and reached for the second time in as many innings when Cameron hit him with a pitch. Yandy Diaz made him pay for that with an RBI single moving Fortes to third and Jonny DeLuca promptly doubled to score him. Caminero was walked to load them unintentionally this time, and Vilade was back in the same position as the inning before. This time he struck out and so did Aranda when Salvador Perez challenged a ball call and turned it into strike three. Recently Kansas City has made a habit of coming back from big deficits though, and they immediately went to work trying to get back in this one.
It was not entirely the Royals who got the comeback started in the 5th inning. They got some help from the Rays’ defense. Jensen got on with a walk and was still on first with 2 outs when the red hot Jac came up. He hit a pretty routine looking groundball up the middle that somehow got past the short stop, Taylor Walls, playing right near second. Jensen made it to third and Cags hustled to second. Salvy was up next and crushed a liner right at Chandler Simpson in left, it looked like a sure out. It was knuckling on him, and it hit him right in the chest. With two outs the baserunners were going on contact and both scored. Two errors and two runs to get the score to 5-2 Rays.
Noah Cameron was just not very sharp in this one. He did stay in and have a nice quiet 5th inning ending with a final line of 5IP, 8H, 3BB, 5K, and 5ER over 108 pitches.
The rest of the game was mostly bereft of baserunners. Lucas Erceg did allow a runner but faced the minimum with a GIDP. Daniel Lynch had a clean 7th and he and Erceg combined threw just 18 pitches in those two innings. The Tampa bullpen was equally effective and the two teams rattled off six pretty easy scoreless innings. After giving up a run last night with a huge lead, Beck Way was given the 8th and there was finally another interesting one. He walked Simpson who stole second and was advanced to third on a Yandy chopper to third with two outs. Way got DeLuca to groundout for the seventh goose egg in a row and the Royals had three more outs to win or extend this one. On a side note, Beck Way has now allowed runs in just two of eight outings in the big leagues this season.
Bryan Baker came on to close it out for Tampa Bay and he struck out Kameron Misner to begin the inning. The Royals did manage their first earned run of the game on the next batter when Josh Rojas hit his first home run as a Royal while pinch hitting for Tolbert. They still needed two more runs though, and Carter Jensen struck out followed by a Nick Loftin lineout to left. Those early missed opportunities came back to bite the team in the end.
Tomorrow they will get another opportunity to win the series in in a day game that starts at 11 in the morning.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) reacts after New York Yankees right fielder Jasson Domínguez (not in the photo) hits a two run home run during the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It was one of those games where a handful of unlucky pitches made all the difference as the Yankees beat the Tigers 4-2.
The Tigers were looking to come away with a series win in Wednesday night’s rubber match against the Yankees. To get the job done and head into their four-game weekend series against the Astros on a high note, the Tigers had Tarik Skubal on the mound. And, with some storm clouds in the distance and the potential threat of rain, the Yankees had the aptly-named Ryan Weathers on the mound.
It was bad news right out of the gate as Paul Goldschmidt hit a solo home run to start the game. Skubal immediately got back in the groove, not letting the leadoff homer shake his confidence, and got the next three outs in a row. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
The Yankees went three-up, three-down in the top of the ninth. Skubal wasn’t messing around and was likely more than a little fired up about that first-inning run. In the home half, Spencer Torkelson got a one-out double, followed by a walk to Hao-Yu Lee. With two outs, Zach McKinstry singled to bring Torkelson home and tie up the game. It was the only run they’d get for the inning, but it brought them back to even footing.
Two outs into the third inning, and Goldschmidt did it again. Another solo home run. Skubal got the final out of the inning, but I’m pretty sure Paul isn’t getting a Christmas card from the Skubals this year. In the bottom of the inning, Matt Vierling got a single, but the Tigers left him stranded.
Skubal, not one to be thrown off by a bad pitch, got the side out in order in the top of the fourth. Torkelson started the home half with a walk. Lee then singled, and thanks to an error from Jasson Dominguez, Torkelson advanced to third. A sac fly from newbie Ben Malgeri brought Tork home and tied the game up again.
Skubal once again churned through the Yankees in order. In the bottom of the inning, Kevin McGonigle got things going with a leadoff double, but was then eliminated gunning for third in a fielder’s choice off the bat of Dillon Dingler. Two more outs followed and the Tigers missed out on their opportunity to pull ahead.
With two outs in the sixth–finally getting Goldschmidt out–Ben Rice hit a single. Jasson Dominguez then homered (it almost would have been better if it HAD been Goldy), putting the Yankees up 4-2. Not ideal. In the home half with one out, Lee singled. That was all the Tigers managed for the inning, though.
Skubal’s day was done after six, with a final line of 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 9 K, 3 HR on 85 pitches. He looked really good; it was just unfortunate that the hits he did give up were home runs. Jacob Waguespack came in to replace him. He got the side out in order, though there was a brief pause in play while Jose Caballero tried to sort out a twist in his back. As someone in my 40s… relatable. In the bottom half, Camilo Doval replaced Weathers. Jake Rogers took a leadoff walk. Two outs followed, including a force out off the bat of Dingler, eliminating Rogers. Fernando Cruz replaced Doval, and A.J. Hinch did a double pinch-hitter swap, pulling James Outman, who was queued up for Doval, and then went to Kerry Carpenter for Cruz. The change ultimately didn’t matter, as Carpenter was the third out of the inning.
In the eighth, Max Schuemann was hit by a pitch with one out to take a free base. With two outs, Enmanuel De Jesus replaced Waguespack, and while Ben Rice hit a grounder to get on first, pinch-runner Spencer Jones was out at third to end the inning. Riley Greene got a leadoff single in the home half, but the next three batters were out in order.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Cody Bellinger hit a double right down the foul line to right field. The Tigers did manage to get themselves out of that pickle, though, and escaped the inning with no additional runs scored. David Bednar was the next Yankees’ reliever. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, McGonigle singled, keeping hope a live a little longer. That hope was short-lived, though, as Dingler hit a flyout to end the inning and the game. The Yankees took the series.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 26: San Francisco Giants pitcher Tyler Mahle (54) throws the first pitch during a MLB game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants on May 26, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game series against the Athletics tonight from Oracle Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters tonight’s game with a 6.04 ERA, 4.89 FIP, with 57 strikeouts to 24 walks in 56.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 7-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 26th, in which he allowed three runs on three hits with three strikeouts and three walks in five innings.
He’ll be facing off against A’s left-hander Gage Jump, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.37 ERA, 2.48 FIP, with 26 strikeouts to nine walks in 30.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Athletics’ 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on June 18th, in which he allowed just one hit and three walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
The Yankees (48-31) protected their lead atop the AL East standings with a 4-2 win in the rubber match of their three-game road series against the Detroit Tigers (34-46).
Left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers made his second straight quality start for the Yanks, pitching six full innings and allowing just one earned run.
Here are the takeaways....
-First baseman Paul Goldschmidt led off for the Yankees tonight, and opened the scoring immediately with a solo shot to left field on the fifth pitch he saw from Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. His very next at-bat, with nobody on base in the third inning, Goldschmidt blasted a 427-foot moonshot to make the score 2-1 Yankees. This was the first multi-homer game for Goldschmidt as a Yankee, and the 28th game of his career with two dingers, tying Jose Ramirez for 10th place on the active player leaderboard for this feat. It's no surprise that Aaron Judge is the active MLB leader in this statistic, with 47 multi-homer games.
-Right fielder Jasson Dominguez had a bit of a roller coaster of a game tonight in Detroit. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Dominguez booted a single hit in his direction, and Detroit's two baserunners each moved up a base - to second and third - as a result, before a sacrifice fly drove in a runner to tie up the game, 2-2. However, the switch-hitting slugger made up for his mistake a couple of innings later, batting as a righty in the sixth inning and crushing a Skubal changeup for a two-run home run. With the score 4-2, Skubal exited the game for the Tigers, having largely dominated, allowing just four hits and walking zero while striking out nine Yankees batters. However, three of those four hits allowed were long balls, which accounted for four earned runs, and the Tigers training staff will keep an eye on the health of their reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner, as he was in visible discomfort on the mound with a possible groin issue midway through his start.
-Following a masterful performance in his last start against the Chicago White Sox, when he struck out eight batters through 6.1 innings, Ryan Weathers kept it rolling tonight in Detroit. The southpaw lowered his ERA to 3.95 with six full innings of solid pitching, striking out six Tigers batters and walking just two, allowing one earned run in the process. Weathers, who was acquired via trade this past offseason from the Miami Marlins, has been an unheralded cog of the Yankees rotation all season as a reliable "back-end" starter, and is seemingly finding his groove in his first season in the Bronx.
-Utility man Max Schuemann manned center field for the Yanks tonight, his first start at that position with the organization. Schuemann was acquired via trade from the Athletics a few weeks after Weathers' arrival, and Weathers might owe him a steak dinner after Schuemann made two web gems in the fifth inning with men on base. Schuemann has long been known for his defensive prowess and positional versatility, and he showcased both tonight to record crucial outs when it seemed like the effectiveness of New York's starter was deteriorating.
-The Yankees relied on three relievers - Camil Doval, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar - to handle some high-leverage work on a night when their offense couldn't get going. Cruz struck out four of the five batters he faced before handing the ball to Bednar, who promptly picked up his 16th save of the season.
Game MVP: Paul Goldschmidt
The Yankees simply don't win this game tonight without Goldschmidt's bat. The 38-year-old continues to age like the finest of wines, and is currently penning a memorable Yankees chapter of his Cooperstown-bound career.
The Yankees immediately head to Boston to begin a four-game set against the archrival Red Sox, with first pitch on Thursday set for 7:10 p.m.
The expected pitching matchup is a rematch of last season's AL Wild Card winner-take-all Game 3; Yankees RHP Cam Schlitter (8-3, 1.71 ERA) for New York and Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) are set to duel once again.
Braden Montgomery’s second career home run was nearly as dramatic as his first. | Getty Images
The White Sox waited until the last minute to tee off on Cleveland closer Cade Smith in the ninth inning once more, but could not convert a run with the bases loaded in the 10th, falling 4-3. As if to indicate dismay with leaving an attainable sweep on the table, the rain that initially delayed today’s contest almost three hours) started pouring. As a result, the two teams are again tied for first.
Both teams experienced traffic on the basepaths in the second, Erick Fedde with back-to-back walks, and Tanner Bibee with a hit-by-pitch and single. Both pitchers escaped their jams to leave it knotted at zero. The White Sox would again put two runners on in the third with singles from Sam Antonacci and Miguel Vargas, but the pair were left stranded when Andrew Benintendi hit into a fielder’s choice.
A single, an error, and a walk would load the bases for Cleveland in the top of the sixth, with no outs. Kahlil Watson singled on a line drive straight to Antonacci, whose throw to Kyle Teel in an attempt to cut down the second runner out at home short-hopped the catcher. That was all for Fedde, and surprisingly Brandon Eisert inherited two runners on and one out and was able to stun batters for back-to-back strikeouts, escaping the jam.
In the seventh, Teel got his first hit since coming back two days ago, and Colson Montgomery helped out with a double. With ducks on the pond a sac fly from Braden Montgomery sent Teel home, making it 2-1. Randal Grichuk came off the bench, but with that move, the Guardians went back to their bullpen to replace lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski. Grichuk launched a ball to center, but with a diving catch, Steven Kwan ended the rally.
Joe Rock came on to pitch in the Chicago eighth and struggled with his command. Petey Halpin started Rock’s outing with a single, and Kyle Manzardo walked. Rock was able to get a strikeout and a fly out, but walked Daniel Schneemann to load the bases and then walked in a run to keep the bases loaded for Kwan. Thankfully, Kwan has been struggling and left the bases loaded after going down swinging.
The score remained 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, when Braden Montgomery started a two-out ninth-inning rally with his second home run of the season, putting the White Sox down one run.
Jacob Gonzalez kept it going with a single of his own. Antonacci walked, prompting yet another call to the pen for the Guardians. Miguel Vargas caused my heart rate to spike a bit more by sending a ball in the air, but it was caught, bringing on extras.
Grant Taylor came in to pitch for the 10th and gave up back-to-back hits that allowed the Guardians to regain the lead. The Sox loaded the bases after walks to Teel and Colson Montgomery with one out. Chase Meidroth bit on the one pitch he should have passed on, a 3-1 sinker that grounded the ball to shortstop for the fielder’s choice out at home. Braden Montgomery’s attempt to play hero for the second straight inning fell short, ending the game as Kyle Manzardo slid headfirst to beat him to first on a ground out. Unfortunately, the sac bunt from Luisangel Acuña that started the inning would prove to be useless, and helped prevent a sweep that was right in Chicago’s hands.
The start of the second half of the minor league season always includes promotions of minor league players that have distinguished themselves over the first half of the season.
Several of the promotions this year were expected. Multiple members of the San Diego Padres’ minor league system had excellent first halves of their year and forced the organization to push them up the ladder.
A few players struggled and were sent down a level to regroup and try to get some consistency in their game. Of the 23 moves made on Tuesday, 16 were promotions.
Lake Elsinore lost multiple members of their team that won the first half in the South Division in the California League.They are guaranteed a playoff spot at the end of the season but the team will look significantly different than the one that won the first half.
El Paso Chihuahuas (35-40 record, 3rd in the PCL East)
El Paso went 4-2 for the week against the Reno Aces, with the starting pitching consisting of Jhony Brito, Germán Márquez, JP Sears, and Matt Waldron for the first four games of the week.
Brito has completed his rehab and is continuing to tune-up following recovery from UCL surgery. Márquez and Waldron are in rehab and Sears is still struggling with PCL hitters. Sears was called up to the Padres on Tuesday to make a start when Lucas Giolito went on the injured list.
Right-handed reliever Andrew Moore, acquired last season as the return for Connor Joe at the trade deadline, was promoted from Double-A San Antonio to the Chihuahuas after posting a 1.85 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts for the Missions.
First baseman Romeo Sanabria, 24, who made a big impression in spring camp with the major league team, was promoted from the Missions to El Paso and will get an opportunity to show what he can do in a more hitter-friendly environment. Sanabria started the season slowly but has really come on over the past few weeks. After hitting .176 in April, Sanabria has hit .283 with an OPS over .800 for May and June.
Infielder Dylan Grego, who was promoted to El Paso to help replace players needed by the Padres, has been returned to Lake Elsinore.
San Antonio Missions (31-38 record, 5th, last, in Texas League South)
San Antonio went 4-2 for the week. After losing Moore and Sanabria to Triple-A, the Missions received outfielder Jake Cunningham, right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove and right-handed reliever Clay Edmondson from High-A Fort Wayne.
Cunningham, 23, was a free agent signed by the Padres before the season after being released by the Baltimore Orioles organization. In his previous three seasons in their minor league system, Cunningham had worse outcomes each year. He had injury issues as well as declining performance over those three seasons and was released in January. He signed with the Padres eight days later.
A healthy Cunningham has a .264/.362/.548 line with a .910 OPS. He has hit 15 homers with 35 RBI, adding 11 doubles to the mix. He will need to improve his K rate (34%) and his walk rate (12.88%) as he goes forward in the system.
Righty relievers Musgrove and Edmondson excelled in High-A with Musgrove, 24, holding his high 90’s fastball consistently mixed with an excellent sweeper, slider and curve. Edmondson, 23, a sidearmer that features a fastball, curveball and changeup, has 11 saves to lead the Midwest League and is carrying a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings pitched into his new team.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (29-40 record, 5th in the Midwest League East)
Fort Wayne went 4-2 for the week. After losing Cunningham, Musgrove, and Edmondson to the Missions, the TinCaps received a massive infusion of talent from Lake Elsinore.
Right-handed starter Bryan Balzer, 21, was signed by the Padres in 2023 out of Japan. He began his career with Tommy John surgery and is now fully recovered. His season started a bit rocky but his last three starts has brought his ERA down from 5.32 to 4.41 and he has 57 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched with 21 walks.
Right-handed starter Winyer Chourio, 22, has a 3.18 ERA in 56.2 innings pitched with Lake Elsinore. He has 78 strikeouts to 28 walks. The Venezuelan signed with the Padres in 2024 and played the past two seasons in the DSL and ACL respectively. He has not appeared on any preseason prospect lists but is making a name for himself quickly.
Left-handed reliever Will Koger, 23, is a 2025 round nine draftee in his first professional season. He has 36 strikeouts in his 26 innings pitched despite having had some difficult appearances. He has six saves, ranking him tied for second in the California League at the time of his promotion.
Right-handed reliever Bernard Jose, 23, recently finished his rehab assignment with the ACL Padres and was briefly with the Missions to help out but is now with Fort Wayne. He has only pitched 29 innings with 43 strikeouts but has struggled at times and has a 7.28 ERA.
Right-handed reliever Nick Falter, 23, was signed by the Padres as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He has begun his career with Lake Elsinore with 44.2 innings pitched and a 3.02 ERA. He has 43 strikeouts to 14 walks.
Outfielder Ryan Wideman, 22, had a long swing and a big leg kick when drafted in the third round last year. He played in 26 games after being drafted and then spent this past offseason reworking his swing. It seems to have worked pretty well. Wideman was hitting .314/.389/.504 with the Storm with 20 doubles, six triples, six homers and 44 RBI. He tacked on 43 stolen bases in 56 attempts to force his promotion. He has speed and an above-average arm in the outfield as well. He is an exciting player to keep track of going forward and prime trade bait for AJ Preller, the Padres trader-in-chief.
1B/3B Kerrington Cross, 24, was drafted in the seventh round last year and probably could have been promoted sooner. He had a 1.075 OPS with Lake Elsinore before his promotion, hitting .313/.467/.608 in his 58 games with the Storm. He has 11 homers and 43 RBI with 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts. He has recently been used in left field as well as the two infield corners.
First baseman Luke Cantwell, 23, was drafted in the 20th round in 2025 and spent a bit of time on the injured list this season but has still played in 40 games for the Storm. He had a .328/.475/.496 line with 30 RBI. Not showing much home run power with two homers, Cantwell has great contact skills and has had only 30 strikeouts with 26 walks.
Right-handed reliever Daison Acosta was assigned to Fort Wayne to continue his rehab.
Lake Elsinore Storm (39-30 record, 1st in California League South)
The Storm had a 3-3 record for the past week after clinching the first half championship in the first game of the series. They have lost a lot of their power and speed with these promotions but have a playoff spot clinched for 2026.
After the players that left, the Storm received some players form the ACL Padres.
Left-handed pitcher Zack Qin, 20, signed out of China in 2024, started the season injured and on a rehab assignment. He has 21.2 innings pitched so far with a 1.25 ERA while with the ACL team. He has both started and appeared out of the bullpen so far this year.
Right-handed starter Lan-Hong Su, 19, signed with the Padres out of Taiwan in October of last year. He has six games and five starts for 15.2 innings pitched with the ACL Padres. His 4.02 ERA is due to one bad start on June 19, where he allowed five runs in six innings pitched but had a 1.38 ERA before that start. He has 17 strikeouts and eight walks in his appearances.
Lake Elsinore also received right-handers Isaiah Lowe and Jeferson Villabona from Fort Wayne.
ACL Padres (20-17 record, 3rd in ACL West)
After losing two of their best pitchers, the ACL team might not be able to maintain their winning ways. Right-handed starter Kannon Kemp has been sent their way to begin his rehab assignment. Newly activated Adler Cecil has also been assigned to the ACL team at this point.
Outfielder Cardell Thibodeaux, drafted in the 16th round last year, has been released by the Padres. Left-handed pitcher Joseph Herrera, 20, was sent from Lake Elsinore to the ACL Padres.
DSL Padres Brown (4-12 record, last in DSL West)
The Brown team has both pitching and offense problems. There are no currently top-rated international prospects with the Brown team.
DSL Gold, on the other hand, has a 13-3 record and sits atop the Northwest Division. They feature all of the Padres top international prospects from last year. Shortstop Joniel Hernandez, 17, is hitting .365/.468/.571 with 10 XBH and 24 RBI in 63 at-bats for the Gold.
Rightfielder Ricardo De La Paz, 16, is a lefty-hitting outfielder who is hitting .375/.596/.563 with 6 XBH and 17 RBI in 32 at-bats.
Left-handed starter Diego Serna, 17, is a highly-ranked Mexico prospect in the Padres system. He has just made his first start for the Gold team and will bear watching for the second half of their season. He has been in the development program up until now.
