Category: MLB

Kyle Leahy was very sharp through the 4th inning in Cincinnati, but it was the 5th inning that came back to bite him as the Reds scored 5 runs in the 5th. The Cardinals offense would come to the rescue late, but the Reds would eventually outlast St. Louis in extra innings.

Let’s start with the good news. Jordan Walker continued his hot weekend with a 2nd inning walk that was followed by a single by Nolan Gorman where he went first to third and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Masyn Winn giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Jordan would also double in the top of the 4th inning, but did not score as Gorman, Winn and Torres were unable to bring him around. Jordan’s biggest swing was yet to come, though. Wait for it.

Kyle Leahy’s great start would become less great in the 5th inning. Higgins started the bottom of the 5th with a single to left. Friedl laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Higgins to second. Blake Dunn then singled, but Higgins was held at third base, but it wouldn’t matter as Elly De La Cruz would unload on a Leahy 4-seam fastball for a 3-run homer to deep left center making it 3-1 Reds. Cincinnati wasn’t done. Sal Stewart asked for a successful ABS challenge to draw a walk. Lowe then crushed a homer to center field upping the Reds lead to 5-1.

The comeback Cardinals would come alive in the top of the 6th inning as Ivan Herrera was hit by a pitch yet again. Alec Burleson then ripped a double to right as Herrera advanced to third. It was then that Jordan Walker absolutely punished a pitch by starter Chase Petty launching it 427 feet to left-center for a 3-run blast immediately getting the Cardinals back in the game shortening the Reds lead to only 5-4. Boom!

Kyle Leahy’s final stat line was 5 innings allowing 7 hits and 5 earned runs with 8 strikeouts and 2 walks. If not for that 5th inning, what might have been? Manager Oli Marmol brought in Justin Bruihl to pitch the bottom of the 6th inning to keep the Cardinals within striking distance. That didn’t go well. Bruihl allowed a leadoff double to Steer. He was advanced to third by a sacrifice bunt by Higgins. Then Myers hit a double to nearly the same place that Steer hit his which gave the Reds a run back increasing their lead to 6-4. That inspired Marmol to bring in Gordon Graceffo to shut down the Reds and keep the Cards within 2. He did the job allowing no more damage.

St. Louis came charging back in the top of the 7th inning as JJ Wetherholt drew a walk and then went to third on a successful hit-and-run by Ivan Herrera. Unfortunately, Jordan Walker would temporarily slip back to old Jordan Walker and chase a disappearing slider for the last out of the Cardinals 7th.

Ryan Fernandez was the Cardinals relief solution in the bottom of the 7th inning. He started his outing with strikeouts of Stewart, Lowe and McLain. After the Cardinals failed to mount any kind of forward-moving offense in the top of the 8th inning, Fernandez returned to handle the bottom of the 8th which he did with no difficulty, but Victor Scott II deserves a honorable mention assist as he made a great play on a ball hit by Myers that he caught right up against the wall.

The Cardinals would again threaten in the top of the 9th inning as Jose Fermin turned around a Tony Santillan 4-seam fastball into a 373 foot home run to left cutting the Reds lead down to just 1 at 6-5. Victor Scott II walked on a questionable 3-2 no-swing call which brought up JJ Wetherholt as the potential go-ahead run. JJ just missed his pitch flying out to right-center for the first out. Ivan Herrera then struck out on 3 straight pitches for the second out. That left Alec Burleson as the Cardinals final hope. He walked on four pitches bringing up Jordan Walker. He put on his hero hat yet again and squeezed a single in between third and short as Victor Scott II raced home for the tying run. Nolan Gorman hit a weak fly ball to left to end the Cardinals 9th, but at least they had a fighting chance.

JoJo Romero was brought in with the mission to keep Cincinnati in check in the bottom of the 9th inning and send the game to extras. He made a great play on a bunt attempt by Dunn in front of home for the first out. Elly De La Cruz was up next. He reached on a weak single to left field that Torres was unable to get to as all the outfielders were playing deep. JJ Bleday watched as Elly De La Cruz was unsuccessful in trying to steal second base despite a challenge by the Reds and then struck out to send the game to extras.

The Cardinals top of the 10th would not go as planned. Thomas Saggese came into the game as the designated runner at second base. Masyn Winn would move him to third base by grounding out to third with just one out. Bryan Torres hit a ground ball that was handled cleanly by first baseman Nathaniel Lowe who fired the ball home to nail Thomas Saggese who ran on contact. The Cardinals would lose their challenge on the play at home plate and would score no runs after Yohel Pozo popped out to first to end the inning.

JoJo Romero stayed in the game long enough to intentionally walk Stewart as JJ Bleday was on second as the designated runner to setup a force play. Riley O’Brien was brought in to try and keep the Reds from walking off the game in the bottom of the 10th. He would face Eugenio Suarez and strike him out for the first out. He then got McLain on a dribbler in front of the mound for the second out. That brought up Spencer Steer. Yohel Pozo saved the game twice on two balls that were in the dirt on the first base side. O’Brien struck him out on a 3-2 pitch to end the Red’s 10th inning.

The Cardinals designated runner in the top of the 11th inning was Yohel Pozo. First man up Victor Scott II struck out. JJ Wetherholt moved Pozo to third base by grounding out to first for the second out. Herrera nearly gave the Cardinals the lead, but was robbed by a sliding catch by Dunn to end the St. Louis 11th.

Riley O’Brien answered the bell and pitched the bottom of the 11th inning. Higgins laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt for the first out moving designated runner Steer to third base. Dane Myers was walked as the Cardinals shifted to a 5-man infield. Blake Dunn then hit a ball up the middle that Masyn Winn fielded, but instead of trying to turn a double play fired the ball home. Unfortunately, the ball short-hopped Pozo as Steer slid underneath the tag giving the Reds a tough 7-6 victory which was confirmed on a crew chief video review.

The St. Louis Cardinals will conclude their stay in the Cincinnati area over the weekend as they’ll send Matthew Liberatore to the mound to take on the Reds Sunday afternoon. Cincinnati will counter with Brady Singer (2-4, 6.26 ERA, 34 SO) who will start for the Reds. First pitch at Great America Ball Park is 12:40pm central time. Game broadcast will be on Cardinals.tv.

The Brewers had a big first inning for the second night in a row, but this time the Dodgers had an answer. Teoscar Hernández drove in six runs to turn things around in a 11-3 win for Los Angeles on Saturday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

Roki Sasaki needed 35 pitches to get through the first inning, a frame that started with two doubles and was exacerbated by his own throwing error and a mistimed leap by Mookie Betts at shortstop on a single that scored the third run. After trailing 4-0 after an inning on Friday, the Dodgers were down 3-0 after one on Saturday.

Los Angeles had a runner on base in each of the first two innings, including a one-out triple by Kyle Tucker in the second, but he was stranded. One of the outs was a strikeout by Hernández.

More opportunities came, and Los Angeles finally cashed in during the fourth inning, first with consecutive doubles by Freddie Freeman and Andy Pages for one run. After a walk by Tucker, Hernández hit a towering ball down the left field line that hit off the foul pole for a three-run shot that gave the Dodgers their first lead of the series.

That’s the second home run this week for Hernández, and his third extra-base hit in four games.

After a double (off the yellow line in center field, just shy of a home run) and walk with two outs in the second inning, Sasaki escaped that frame and retired his final 10 batters face, getting through the next four innings on only 52 more pitches. He left with four strikeouts and a lead.

Two walks started the eighth for the Dodgers, who cashed them in with consecutive singles by Will Smith and Hernández, plus a squeeze bunt by Miguel Rojas for a three-run frame. Hernández added another two-run single in the ninth for a season-high six RBI.

After going three weeks without an extra-base hit, Hernández since May 11 is hitting .386/.440/.682 with seven extra-base hits in 12 games.

Going streaking

After Alex Vesia and Kyle Hurt protected a one-run lead in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, a warmed-up Tanner Scott entered with a four-run lead in the eighth and struck out three to work around a single. Jonathan Hernández got the ninth inning with an eight-run lead and retired all three he faced to finish the win.

Dodgers relievers have not allowed a run since May 12, and the bullpen’s 36 consecutive scoreless innings is the longest in modern franchise history (since 1901). On Saturday they surpassed a 33-inning streak from April 17-28, 1998.

Notes

• Eleven walks by Dodgers batters is a season high, two more than their previous best set last Saturday in Anaheim.
• Six RBI for Hernández match his career high, also done on June 13, 2021 with Toronto, on August 26, 2023 with Seattle, and on June 8, 2024 for the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.
• Freeman’s double in the fourth inning was the 561st of his career, breaking his tie for 30th place all-time with Eddie Murray and Jeff Kent. Freeman, who has five extra-base hits in his last four games, is four doubles shy of Carlós Beltrán for 29th place.
• Freeman also walked four times, one shy of his career high set on June 17, 2024. He had two other four-walk games with Atlanta, in the regular season in 2019 and in Game 6 of the 2021 National League Championship Series.
• Shohei Ohtani singled twice and walked on Saturday, his ninth straight game reaching base at least twice, matching his own streak from April 3-12 as the longest by a Dodger this season. The last longer Dodgers streak was Freeman with a 10-game streak from April 20-30, 2024.

Saturday particulars

Home run: Teoscar Hernández (7)

WP — Roki Sasaki (3-3): 5 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 4 strikeouts

LP — Robert Gasser (0-1): 4 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers and Brewers close things up on Sunday afternoon (11:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA), with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound against right-hander Brandon Sproat.

MIAMI — Jonah Tong’s strong work Friday has earned him a stay with the Mets.

The right-hander figures into the next rotation turn, either as a starter or in a bulk relief role, according to Mendoza, after he pitched three hitless, scoreless innings from the bullpen against the Marlins in his season debut.

With Tong in the mix, Zach Thornton was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse — allowing the Mets to add another reliever. That spot went to Jonathan Pintaro, who was recalled Saturday.

“[Tong] is a big part of the team and the organization, so we’re going to continue to give him opportunities,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the Mets lost to the Marlins, 4-1.

“What we saw [Friday] was very encouraging and that is what we expect from him.”

Thornton allowed four earned runs over 4 ¹/₃ innings Wednesday against the Nationals in his major league debut.

Jared Young is progressing in his rehab and could rejoin the Mets during the next homestand, according to Mendoza.

The utilityman has been sidelined for the past five weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. MJ Melendez has filled the left-handed bat, outfield/DH role in Young’s absence.

A.J. Minter was rained out in his scheduled rehab appearance Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse.

The lefty reliever has been rescheduled to pitch Sunday, his potential final appearance before rejoining the Mets.

Kodai Senga will be with the Mets in New York this week to work out with teammates and under the coaching staff’s guidance.

Mendoza did not have the specifics on Senga’s next rehab start. The right-hander threw 63 pitches over 3 ¹/₃ innings for Single-A St. Lucie on Friday.

Tylor Megill and Reed Garrett, both of whom are rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in Port St. Lucie, were with the team Saturday at loanDepot park.

“It can be a lonely place when you are far away from your teammates and them going through what they are going through,” Mendoza said.

MIAMI — Sean Manaea is feeling as if much of his mojo has returned.

“I feel like I am going out there and attacking guys, not really falling behind on counts, not walking guys — that is the biggest thing,” the Mets left-hander said Saturday before the Mets’ 4-1 loss to the Marlins. “The velocity is up, and that is a plus. So I feel like I have a lot of quality weapons attacking guys.”

A night earlier, Manaea had a third straight solid relief appearance, allowing one earned run on four hits over 3 ²/₃ innings in the Mets’ 2-1 loss.

Maybe the worst is behind him. After an ugly April and beginning to May, he’s pitched to a 3.12 ERA with eight strikeouts over his past three appearances, spanning 8 ²/₃ innings. Overall, he owns a 5.81 ERA in 11 appearances this season.

In his latest outing, Manaea averaged 91.2 mph with his sinker. For the season he was averaging only 89.6 with that pitch.

Manaea credited the work he’s been putting in with assistant pitching coach Dan McKinney for paying dividends.

“He’s had some ideas on drills and mechanics and stuff we have kind of been implementing,” Manaea said. “But I also think that having more reps, feeling good in my body physically and ultimately more [work] have put me in a good place.”

Manaea was squeezed from the rotation near the end of spring training, with the possibility he would be utilized as a sixth starter. But after struggling early, he was essentially relegated to mop up relief.

His appearance in the second inning Friday, behind opener Tobias Myers, was among just a few higher-leverage opportunities this season.

“If it’s helping the team win, that is what I am here to do,” Manaea said. “It was a higher-leverage situation than being in a game down six [runs] or something.”

The Mets could use the continued contributions from Manaea, who isn’t even halfway through the three-year contract worth $75 million he signed before last season.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Manaea’s first year of the deal was a complete bust — he strained an oblique in spring training and didn’t rejoin the club until July. In 15 appearances, he pitched to a 5.64 ERA.

Manaea’s best work with the Mets was in 2024, when he pitched to a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts and emerged as the de facto staff ace.

“He’s in a really good place,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the Mets’ loss on Saturday. “Beginning with that outing against the Yankees [on Sunday when he allowed two earned runs over four innings] it was a really good sign and then [Friday].

“I thought just the way he is moving with his mechanics and the way the ball is coming out, I feel with like getting swings and misses with the fastball, especially at the top [of the strike zone] and just attacking, competing in the strike zone. There’s a lot to like right now and it’s good to see him being that guy, because we’re going to need him.”

Manaea was asked where he still feels there is need for improvement.

“It’s just like nitpicking, but just keep attacking guys,” Manaea said. “Not getting two balls before a strike and stuff like that, but ultimately I feel like I am headed in the right direction and feel good with where we are at.”

Chris Taylor has apparently mulled over his retirement decision and seemingly changed his mind.

The 35-year-old has been placed on the minor league's injured list, per MLB.com's Rhett Bollinger. The transaction was not officially listed on MiLB's official website as of Saturday evening.

Taylor was listed as retired on the same website on Friday, May 22.

Taylor had been playing for the Los Angeles Angels' Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees. He fractured his left forearm after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning of a minor league game on Wednesday, May 20.

He joined the Angels’ franchise after spending the majority of his career playing for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent a decade with the Dodgers and won two World Series titles.

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.

• Selected OF Tommy Troy (No. 9) from Triple-A Reno.
• Placed on the 10-day injured list: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (strained left hamstring)

The Age of Troy has commenced! Tommy Troy was out first round pick in 2023, going twelfth overall in that year’s draft, and with a signing bonus of $4.4 million. He’s the fifteenth player from the first round, including additional picks, to reach the majors, a class headlined by Paul Skenes and Wyatt Langford. Tommy progressed quickly through the farm system, reaching Triple-A at the beginning of August last season, not much more than two years after being drafted. Since then, he has played 82 games for the Aces, with a line of .301/.390/.440 for an OPS of .829. This season’s numbers are in line with that: an OPS of .846.

Troy was rated the #4 prospect in the farm system by MLB Pipeline.com. Their most recent assessment said, “He rarely misses on four-seamers or sinkers, and the bulk of his damage will come against such heaters. By comparison, he really struggled with contact against changeups at Triple-A. His overall swing decisions are solid too, and he’s generally at his best trying to shoot the ball up the middle of the field. He’s also generally a line-drive hitter more than an aim-for-the-seats type. Gap extra-base hits and the occasional homer (12-15 per season) will fuel his slugging ability in the bigs.”

His playing time for the Aces has been almost evenly split between second-base and left-field. Given he has been called up to replace Gurriel, I imagine he’s going to be seen most often in left, but he could be used to give Ketel Marte a blow, either at DH or resting entirely. However, it is worth noting this year was the first time he had played left-field as a professional, and in general has much more experience as a middle infielder than playing the outfield. So it may prove to be a work in progress. But hopefully he’ll fit in well, alongside his fellow rookie Ryan Waldschmidt. Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Troy!

CINCINNATI — Four years after considering retirement, Bryan Torres made it to the major leagues at age 28 and homered for the St. Louis Cardinals in his debut.

“Eleven years to get to here,” Torres said, fighting back tears after helping the Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader. “I’m not a homer guy. Today, my debut, it just happened. I’ve been learning to manage the pressure. When the heart is going too fast, you have to slow things down. I felt a little pounding in my chest today.”

Torres, who first played minor league ball in 2015, hit seventh and played left field.

With dyed blond hair and wearing thick eye black, he worked a full-count walk from Chris Paddack (0-6) in the second, singled on a cutter in the fourth, grounded out in the sixth, flied out in the seventh and homered on a 95.2 mph fastball from Jose Franco in the ninth, driving the 2-1 pitch into the first row of the right-center field seats.

“There’s not many words to describe this moment,” he said.

Cardinals fans at the game, many of them waving their shirts, kept chanting his name and three batters later induced a curtain call.

“All those guys bring us some energy,” Torres said.

Torres became the third Cardinals player since 1900 with multiple hits that included a home run in his debut, the first since Bobby Smith at Cincinnati on April 16, 1957.

“Pretty neat, man,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “There’s moments throughout the year that you take a step back and get to enjoy. That’s one of them. You could tell, even in his first at-bat, there’s a calmness to him in the box.”

Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco organization in December 2019, became a free agent after the 2021 season and spent two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association.

“I’m not going to lie, at one moment, I thought I’d retire,” he said. “In that moment, I decided I wanted to give myself a chance, and if I did, give it 100%.”

He signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals in September 2023, hit .331 with 28 doubles, two homers, 56 RBIs and 33 stolen bases at Double-A Springfield, then was promoted to Triple-A Memphis and batted .328 with 16 doubles, nine homers 51 RBIs in 2025.

He was added to the 40-man roster last November and played for Puerto Rico in this year’s World Baseball Classic, going 2 for 6 with a double, three walks and three runs.

“I’m going to try to get him out there as much as possible,” Marmol said. “This is a left-handed bat who understands the strike zone, finds a way on base, a real pesky at-bat. I like his skill set.”

Torres was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday after hitting .336 with 10 doubles, two homers, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 36 games.

“I was in (the) clubhouse sitting in my seat and my manager, Ben Johnson, said: ‘I’ve got some good news for you. Bryan Torres is going to The Show,’” Torres recalled. “Everyone started yelling and jumping up and down. Some of them started crying with me.”

Several family members were at Great American Ball Park. His first call was to his mother, Lissette Crespo.

“Since I was a young kid, 4 years old, she lost all her weekends to bring me to the stadium,” he said. “During the week, she always (brought) me to the park to practice, to play.”

His parents traveled from Puerto Rico on Friday only for that night’s game to be rained out.

“It was very emotional. He was crying and when I received it I cried with him,” his mom said during the Cardinals’ telecast. ”That was a special moment.”

Torres took the roster spot of outfielder Nathan Church, placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain. He became the oldest position player to debut for the Cardinals since catcher Alberto Rosario at age 29 in 2016. Left-hander Nick Raquet debuted last season for St. Louis, also at 29.

“It’s been a very long and tough road, and not the usual road,” Torres said. “Everything happens for a reason. My family is very happy. We’re living the dream, basically.”

After a late-inning rally, the Colorado Rockies will look to win back-to-back games for the first time in two weeks. After starting 14-18, the Rockies have gone just 6-14 in May, tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the second-lowest winning percentage in MLB. Only the Detroit Tigers have a worse record (4-16). They have also been outscored 124-77 during that stretch, and has been held to three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 20 games. If they win tonight, they have the chance to split and if they win tomorrow, they can potentially win their first series in May.

After Tomoyuki Sugano posted the Rockies’ first Quality Start since May 1 last night, right-hander Michael Lorenzen (2-6, 7.03 ERA) will look to continue the momentum. In his last start against these same Diamondbacks, Lorenzen only pitched 4.2 innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and three walks with two home runs. It was the fourth time this season that Lorenzen has allowed seven runs in a start — the most of such outings in MLB this year — and the fourth-straight game in which he allowed multiple walks. The last time he did that was in 2024 when he allowed multiple walks in nine straight games.

Lorenzen has faced the Diamondbacks 11 times (three starts) and is 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA against them. Last time he faced them on the road was July 6, 2025 with the Kansas City Royals. In that outing, he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Lorenzen will face Dbacks’ right-hander Zac Gallen (2-4, 4.78 ERA). Gallen is currently in his eighth season with the Snakes, which ties a record for pitchers with teammates Merrill Kelly and Kevin Ginkel, as well as former pitchers Randy Johnson (1999-2004, 2007-2008) and Andrew Chafin (2014-2020, 2023). Only Ketel Marte has more time on the Snakes’ roster than those three on the active roster.

In his last start on May 18 against the San Francisco Giants, Gallen allowed just two runs on four hits across six innings with one walk and five strikeouts in the 12-2 victory. Today marks Gallen’s 19th start against the Rockies. He is 9-1 against them with a 3.41 ERA.

First Pitch: 8:10pm MT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

SBN Site:AZ Snake Pit

Lineups:

Texas Rangers @ Anaheim Angels

Saturday, May 23, 2026, 9:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Angel Stadium

RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. RHP Walbert Urena

Go Rangers!

On Saturday, news broke of Taijuan Walker signing with the Angels on a minor league deal. I’ve always felt the hate directed at Walker was a bit over the top. Sure, he wasn’t good, but he did have some stretches where he was an effective pitcher for the team. His time here was clearly up and they made the correct move in getting rid of him, but since they made that decision, something has changed.

That something is Zack Wheeler returning and being his usual, Cy Young caliber self.

It seems as though the season has turned on his return, which isn’t too surprising since going from Walker to Wheeler is quite the leap forward in talent. But it’s nights like tonight, where Wheeler didn’t have this top top stuff and was still able to carve up the Cleveland lineup. However, his offense was once again stymied by the Guardians starter, this time in the form of Slade Cecconi.

Cecconi was going through the Phillies lineup similarly to what Gavin Williams did last night. He was matched by Wheeler, perhaps even beaten, particularly in the fourth inning. In that inning, Chase DeLauter doubled to begin the inning, wobbling Wheeler a bit. He responded as pitchers of his caliber do by striking out the next two hitters and getting the third to ground out harmlessly to first to end that threat. Good teams respond to that by getting their starter some runs and that’s what the Phillies did.

In their half of the inning, with one out, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm hit back to back singles to get things started. Brandon Marsh grounded out on a spectacular play by Kyle Manzardo to put the runners on second and third with two outs and Bryson Stott up, the team needing something to break their scoreless inning streak. Stott delivered and the Phillies were up, 2-0.

Wheeler continued dominating the Guardians, eventually going six innings and only allowing two hits and one walk, lowering his season ERA to 1.67. In the bottom of the sixth, Harper and Bohm got on to start things off, then were joined on a walk by Stott. J.T. Realmuto struck out for the second out to bring up the horrendously struggling Adolis Garcia. Somehow, he worked a walked and an insurance run was added, making it 3-0.

From there, the bullpen trio of Orion Kerkering, Brad Keller and Jhoan Duran were able to keep Cleveland off the board, only allowing one combined baserunner and never really being threatened. The losing streak of three games was snapped and the Phillies are back at .500. These two teams will be playing (maybe!) tomorrow in the rubber match to see who takes the series.

There is a lot of Little League to the best team in the American League.

Operating with the third-lowest payroll in MLB, per Spotrac.com, the small-market Rays are pitching well, making contact and running the basepaths just like they have during most of their best nuisance-making seasons over the last 20 years.

“The thing, I think, that amazes me the most is our ability to, on the days we don’t hit home runs, still score runs,” seven-year veteran Drew Rasmussen, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday’s rained-out game against the Yankees, said. “Shoot, baseball at the major league level my entire time has been striking guys out and watching guys hit homers.

“To see a team that has the ability to score without needing to run the ball out of the yard, it’s really refreshing. But also, I do think it can lead to more sustainability. Teams that are dependent on homers are just that — dependent on homers to put up big innings. Yes, we’ll always take them, and I’m definitely excited to see us hit some more, but it is really cool that our athleticism has the ability to put us in ball games.”

The Rays (34-15) have won the first four meetings of the season against the Yankees to open up a 5.5-game lead in the East.

While the $336 million Yankees entered Saturday leading the majors in home runs, the $108 million Rays lead in sacrifice bunts, have the fewest strikeouts and rank No. 4 in stolen bases (two spots ahead of the Yankees).

On the mound, the Rays are right with the Yankees in MLB’s top-five in ERA and WHIP.

“I think we are doing a lot of things well,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve kind of maximized opportunities with guys in scoring position. It’s a lineup filled with a bunch of guys who make contact and put pressure on pitchers, and then our overall speed. The up-the-middle defense has been good, pitching has been tremendous, the bullpen has really come together.”

The Rays’ game-winning four-run rally Friday started with a Yankees’ error and then included two singles, a walk, a double and a sacrifice fly to score a pinch runner.

And two first-to-third dashes.

“To see how everyone contributes to helping us win day-in and day-out has been awesome,” Rasmussen said. “It also kind of keeps everybody in the flow of playing and gives the opportunity for everyone to stay in rhythm.”

But it’s not exactly a cast of no-names considering former All-Stars Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz might be the American League’s best trio of hitters outside of the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice.

“Their starting pitching is really good, they have three really linchpin hitters in the middle of their order and then a lot of complementary speed pieces that do a lot of different things that put pressure on you,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It kind of hasn’t bounced our way against them, but we have to find a way to beat that club.”

Sometimes it just takes a road trip to the Bronx to bring national attention to what the Rays are piecing together.

“If you take these games, these might come down and be the deciding factors later in the year,” Díaz said through a translator. “It’s time [people noticed]. For the last few years, we have been one of the best or better teams in MLB, so we’ll take all the attention. It feels really good.”

Díaz’s memory is a little faulty.

The Rays made five straight playoff appearances — including eliminating the Yankees en route to the 2020 World Series — but finished under .500 in each of the last two seasons.

So, what’s the difference now?

“We’re getting a little more alignment than we did last year,” Rasmussen said. “We’re doing the simple stuff — scoring runners in scoring position, throwing strikes. The stuff you learn about in Little League, but it still does pertain to the game at this level. Guys are willing to sacrifice at-bats to move a runner.

“What is it in particular? I don’t know. It just seems like we are playing an all-around team game, and I think that really has helped in our success at this point.”

Unlike other surprise teams — the White Sox, for example — the Rays aren’t being carried by surprise stud performances.

It’s more like a collection of high-end numbers on the back of a baseball card. Maybe that makes it more sustainable.

“I felt like that’s kind of how we were built going into spring training, learning the guys,” Cash said. “It was going to take a roster that was doing everything — doing their part. To date, it certainly feels like that.”

The A’s saw their three-game winning streak snapped last night in the first game of this series down in San Diego. The team remains in first place in the AL West though so can’t let last night’s struggles follow them into the second game of this weekend set against the Padres.

On the mound for the Athletics tonight will be right-hander J.T. Ginn. The right-hander is coming off a tough-luck loss last time out when he went eight no-hit innings before allowing a single and walk-off two-run home run to ruin his evening. That tough ending aside, Ginn’s 2.98 ERA leads the team’s rotation as the 26-year-old has been a revelation for the squad. Let’s hope his extended outing last time out won’t affect him tonight in what’ll be his ninth start of the season.

Here’s the A’s lineup for tonight brought to you by Mark Kotsay:

That starting nine will be facing veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito. The longtime White Sox starter only signed on with the Padres recently, inking a deal at the end of April as the Padres dealt with a slew of injuries to their starting staff. It was a bit odd considering his solid year last season with Boston but he’s on the older side for pitchers. After taking some time to ramp up he finally got promoted to the big league team last week and looked solid in his first and so far only start for the Padres, firing five inning of three-run ball against the Mariners. In four career starts against the A’s Giolito has a 5.01 ERA so history is on our side tonight.

And the Padres’ batting order for tonight looks like this:

Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:

Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

False alarm. Former Dodgers star Chris Taylor is not retiring, after all.

A day after Major League Baseball’s transaction log stated that Taylor was retiring — and the league’s official social media account even put out a post recognizing his career — Taylor changed his mind on the decision and instead went on the injured list with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City, a source confirmed to The California Post.

Taylor had not played since being hit by a pitch in his left arm earlier this week in a Triple-A game. He is going on the minor-league IL now with a forearm fracture, as MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger first reported.

Taylor, 35, has been in the Angels’ organization ever since the Dodgers released him in the final year of his contract last May.

He played 30 games with the Angels at the big-league level over the second half of last season, batting .179 while missing time with a fractured hand.

He re-signed with the Angels on a minor-league deal this spring and has spent the entirety of the year in Salt Lake, where he was hitting .255 in 32 games this year.

News of Taylor’s supposed retirement on Friday night was met with a wave of gracious reactions from Dodgers fans online. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also praised Taylor’s contributions in Los Angeles, where the utilityman was a two-time World Series champion and a 2021 All-Star selection over a productive 10-year stint.

Turns out, such plaudits were premature.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

According to a source, Taylor told the Angels’ organization he was planning to retire this week, leading the club to file official paperwork to the league Friday.

By Saturday, however, he changed his mind, electing to keep his career active and go on the minor-league IL instead.

Athletics (26-25) at San Diego Padres (30-20), May 23, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads

One step forward, two steps back. 

The Mets’ offense appeared to have found their footing in recent games, but they’ve quickly returned to their feeble ways down in Miami. 

New York struck against Marlins righty Eury Perez on a Juan Soto homer in the first inning of Friday’s series opener, but managed just three baserunners the rest of the way. 

They followed that with an even worse showing on Saturday. 

Max Meyer had just about everything working as he held the Mets to three walks and a 64 mph opposite-field single across his seven shutout innings of work. 

New York was held to only that hit until a Tyrone Taylor pinch-hit double in the ninth, followed by a Mark Vientos RBI single that finally got them on the board. 

That was the Mets’ first at-bat with a runner in scoring position over the first 18 innings of this weekend set, and it was quickly wasted as A.J. Ewing grounded out to end the game. 

They now have just two runs on six hits and four walks in the pair of losses. 

“We’re better, we’ve seen that,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We’ve ran into two pretty good arms the past couple of days.”

“Obviously we haven’t done what we’ve wanted at the plate, but you gotta give credit where credit is due,” Vientos added. “The pitchers we’ve faced have been doing their thing.”

Both Perez and Meyer were certainly at their best, but this continues a season-long skid in which the Mets have managed to score one run or less in a league-worst 14 games.

With these last two, they’ve now dropped four of their last five. 

Now 1.5 games back in the basement of the NL East, though, they know they have to turn the page quickly. 

“You can’t sit here and feel sorry for yourself,” Mendoza said. “You gotta keep going.”

“Once 12 o’clock hits tomorrow, it’s a new day,” Vientos added. “Today is in the past and we have to focus on tomorrow and come back and win the game tomorrow.”