NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 27: Andrew Abbott #41 of the Cincinnati Reds in action against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 27, 2026 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Reds 4-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On the one hand, it’s a bit hyperbolic to declare that a 31-33 team playing a road series in San Diego is playing for their season. There are, after all, almost 100 games left in the 2026 regular season.
For the Cincinnati Reds, though, it’s been five-plus weeks of absolute crud on the baseball field, both in the form of their overall record and in terms of the health of the roster. This is a team that’s threadbare in almost all facets right now, a team now lacking identity and depth at the very same time. And when you factor in that the trade deadline comes at just about 100 games – not the full 162 – suddenly game 65 takes on a lot more meaning when it comes to how aggressive this tepid front office will be about a run this season.
God that’s embarrassing to say yet again. It’s only the exact same admission I’ve had to make mid-June for all of the 15 or so seasons that I’ve covered this franchise.
Anyway, Andrew Abbott takes the mound against the Padres tonight in late night West Coast action, with Lexington, Kentucky’s own Walker Buehler on the bump for the Friars. First pitch is set for 9:40 PM ET, so you’ll need to stay up much, much later than you probably should to see the end of this one.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 23: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals runs off the field at the end of the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 23, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I think the St. Louis Cardinals have reached the point where they need to stop doing the same thing with Nolan Gorman while expecting something different than what we’ve seen for the past three seasons, but what should that thing be?
If you look at Nolan Gorman’s numbers from 2023 moving forward, you see a downward trend in both power and average. From 27 home runs in 2023 to 19 in 2024 and 14 in 2025, it’s the same story when it comes to Nolan’s batting average. A non-spectacular .236 in 2023 to .203 in 2024 and .205 in 2025 and now below the Mendoza line at .199 in 2026 so far, push has now come to shove. You can dive as deep as you want into exit velocity, hard hit rate and numerous other metrics, but the bottom line is Nolan needs a career correction at this point.
What are the Cardinals Nolan Gorman options?
My understanding is that Nolan Gorman is out of minor league options. To remove him from the Major League roster, he’d have to be designated for assignment or the Cardinals would need to trade him. As much as it pains me to say it, I think the latter option is the best thing the St. Louis Cardinals could do for their roster and for Nolan Gorman, too. I think he’s become a player who would benefit most from a change of scenery to try and achieve his potential elsewhere.
What would Nolan Gorman’s trade value be?
It’s hard to imagine the St. Louis Cardinals getting much in return for Nolan Gorman at this point, but he’s not without value. I could see the team attempting a “struggling-bat-for-struggling-arm” challenge trade or a low-leverage, mid-tier relief option. Exchange Nolan for another team’s “change of scenery” candidate might not be the worst thing. I could also imagine if St. Louis hangs onto Gorman until we get closer to the trade deadline that he could be an addition to a trade package where he’s not the centerpiece, but a lottery pick type of addition for a team willing to take a chance that his high power ceiling might reappear. If there’s a team that needs temporary help at third base due to an injury, perhaps there’s a way to harvest some value for Nolan.
Who would replace Nolan Gorman on the roster even if the St. Louis Cardinals can find a trade partner?
I’ve heard many say it’s time to call up Blaze Jordan, but I’ve seen reports saying his range at third base is limited and that’s he’s viewed as more of a first baseman long-term. Jose Fermin has only played 5 major league games at third base while Thomas Saggese has logged 18 games at third. This has been part of the valid argument that has kept Nolan Gorman making consistent lineup appearances. There isn’t a 100% solid answer of who would take his place.
I think the time has come for the St. Louis Cardinals to do something different regarding Nolan Gorman. I’d rather see a platoon situation with multiple players like Fermin or Saggese taking care of third until the team has a better option. We wanted the 2026 season to let us know where the Cardinals needs are and it’s now clear third base is one of those needs. For the record, I want to see Nolan Gorman succeed, but I’m now convinced his best chance to do that is with a different uniform. It’s time to see if we can find a trade partner to make that happen. I believe that’s the best thing that could happen to the St. Louis Cardinals and Nolan Gorman.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Astros begin a six-game road trip with the first game of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels tonight at Angel Stadium.
The May AL Pitcher of the Month, Spencer Arrighetti will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Grayson Rodriguez and the Halos.
The Astros have won 10 of their last 16 games.
HOT SPAGHETTI: Tonight’s Astros starter RHP Spencer Arrighetti made his season debut on April 15 and has since gone 7-1 with a 1.94 ERA (11ER/51IP) and a .184 opponent average while allowing one- or-fewer earned runs in seven of his nine starts.
Among AL pitchers with 50+ innings pitched, he’s posted the lowest opponent average, while ranking second in ERA and tied for third in wins.
PITCHER OF THE MONTH: RHP Spencer Arrighetti was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for May after going 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA (3ER/29IP) and a .165 opponent average (16×97) in five starts in the month.
In May, he posted the lowest ERA and opponent average among AL starters, while ranking tied for third in wins.
ROAD TRIP: Tonight is the first game of six game road trip for the Astros.
The Astros will face the Angels for a three-game series before traveling to Kansas City to face the Royals for another three-game series.
The Astros are 14-18 on the road this season but went 7-3 on their last road trip.
THE LAST 22: Since May 15, the Astros are 13-9 thanks in large part to their pitching, which has produced a 3.54 ERA (77ER/196IP) and a .194 opponent average, which ranks second in the Majors in that span.
Their bullpen has been even better in those last 22 games, working to a 2.77 ERA (23ER/74.2IP) and posting a league-best .160 opponent average.
YESTERDAY’S GAME: The Astros were shutout by the Athletics, 5-0 yesterday at Daikin Park.
RHP Mike Burrows (5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) made his 13th start of the season.
RF Cam Smith (2×3, 1BB) recorded his 11th multi-hit game of the season.
VOTING COMMENCES: MLB launched the 2026 Konami eBaseball MLB All-Star Ballot last week.
The Astros on the ballot: 1B Christian Walker, 2B Jose Altuve, 3B Isaac Paredes, SS Jeremy Peña, C Yainer Diaz, DH Yordan Alvarez, OF Brice Matthews, OF Jake Meyers and OF Cam Smith.
MAKING THE PLAYS: The Astros have committed the fewest errors in the AL (25) and have posted the best fielding percentage (.989) in the AL, topping the Royals (.989) by a few percentage points.
Among all Major League teams, only the Padres (20) and Dodgers (22) have committed fewer errors than the Astros.
VS. THE HALOS: The Astros and Angels will face off for the second time this season.
The last time was on Opening Weekend at Daikin Park, where the two teams split the four-game series.
The Astros went 8-5 against the Angels last season, including a 4-2 record at Angel Stadium.
The Astros own a 140-90 all-time record against the Angels, including a 66-46 record at Angel Stadium.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros placed IF Nick Allen on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain.
To take his place on the active roster, the Astros recalled IF Shay Whitcomb from Triple A Sugar Land.
ON THE LEADERBOARD: DH Yordan Alvarez leads the Majors in OPS (1.080), SLG (.650) and total bases (154) and leads the AL in home runs (22) and RBI (48).
Also in the AL, he ranks tied for first in extra-base hits (35), second in batting average (.316), second in OBP (.431), second in hits (75), fourth in runs (45), and tied for fourth in walks (44).
YORDAN’S SLAM: DH Yordan Alvarez hit his fifth career grand slam on Saturday vs. ATH and shockingly, the first of his career at Daikin Park.
Alvarez now ranks fifth in franchise history in grand slams, trailing only 2B Jose Altuve (7), 3B Alex Bregman (7), OF Carlos Lee (7), and 1B Jeff Bagwell (6).Yesterday’s 3-0 win was the Astros 5th shutout of the season, which is T-3rd in the AL.
KEYSTONE FLIGHTS: 2B Jose Altuve hit the 260th home run of his career on Saturday and his 240th while playing the second base position, surpassing 2B Lou Whitaker for the 10th-most home runs by a second baseman in MLB history.
Per Elias, Altuve now immediately trails 2B Ian Kinsler (246) and 2B Joe Gordon (246) on that all-time list.
EVERYDAY OKERT: LHP Steven Okert worked 1.0 scoreless innings yesterday, giving him 31 appearances this season, which ranks tied for sixth in the Majors.
Since May 3, he’s recorded a 1.69 ERA (3ER/16IP) with 17 strikeouts, four walks, a 0.69 WHIP and a .130 opponent batting average.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker ranks second the AL in RBI with 46, trailing only teammate DH Yordan Alvarez (48).
Walker also ranks fifth in the AL in tied for fifth in extra-base hits (28), tied for fifth in total bases (122), tied for sixth in home runs (16), and 10th in SLG (.496).
AL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: OF Yordan Alvarez has been named the AL Player of the Week for the week of June 1-7.
For the week, he batted .476 (10×21) with 6 runs, 1 double, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 walks and a 1.386 OPS.
Marked his second AL Player of the Week award this season, also won for the week March 30-April 5.
DOWN ON THE FARM: RHP Javier Perez was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 1-7.
Perez made one start for Single A Fayetteville on June 5, where he allowed two hits and struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings against Columbia.
This season, Perez has posted a 2.82 ERA (17ER/54.1IP) with 64 strikeouts, a 0.83 WHIP and a .181 opponent batting average in 10 appearances .
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, June 8, 8:38 p.m. CT
Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Jase Bowen #4 of the San Diego Padres takes the field during the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Petco Park on June 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cincinnati Reds (31-33) at San Diego Padres (33-31), June 8, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 02: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts during action against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at American Family Field on June 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a three-game sweep in Colorado, the Brewers finish up their western road trip with a preview of the future for the Athletics. They are heading to Las Vegas to play three games in the ballpark of the Triple-A affiliate.
Kyle Harrison leads off the rotation for the Brewers in this series. Despite his stellar season, Harrison has had to shine in the shadow of Jacob Misiorowski so far. His last start came against the Giants, where he allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings while striking out 12. That one run came on a solo home run in his final inning. He has faced the Athletics once in his career, and that came with his first appearance with the Red Sox. In that game, he pitched three scoreless innings with two strikeouts, and the only baserunner he allowed was a hit by pitch.
For the Athletics, Jeffrey Springs makes the start. He is in his ninth season in the majors, and his second season with the Athletics. Springs has had an OK year, posting a 4.37 ERA and 4.98 FIP over 13 starts, along with a 7.7 K/9 and 2.7 BB/9. He has allowed at least four runs in six of his starts this season, including four of his last five (though one of those had three unearned runs). In his last start, he allowed four runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Cubs, though the Athletics won that game in extra innings. Springs has taken several losses, and the Athletics have only won two of the last nine games he’s started. This is his third career start against the Brewers. They faced him last year in Milwaukee, when they hit him for six runs on five hits and four walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Before tonight’s game, the Brewers made a couple of roster moves. Joel Kuhnel has been added to the active roster after being acquired from the Athletics over the weekend. To make a roster space for him, Craig Yoho was optioned back down to Triple-A Nashville. He pitched two good innings on Friday, but will have to wait for another chance later. Also, Jake Woodford cleared waivers and was outrighted to Nashville, but elected to become a free agent instead. Finally, right-handed reliever Carlos Rodriguez, who has been with the Brewers since May 24 but hasn’t appeared since May 30, was placed on the 15-day IL with an undisclosed injury.
After using a Sunday lineup yesterday, the Brewers have most of the regulars back in the lineup. The top five of Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Jake Bauers has become standard now, with manager Pat Murphy using that top five for the 10th time in the last 13 games (including tonight). With a left-handed pitcher on the mound, Andrew Vaughn gets the start at first. While Murphy is getting the right-handed batters into the lineup, Garrett Mitchell gets the start since his splits against LHP are much better than Sal Frelick. Luis Rengifo and Joey Ortiz round out the lineup.
First pitch is at 9:05 p.m., with a first pitch temperature forecast of 96 degrees. The game will be on Brewers.TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some injury updates prior to Monday’s series opener in Cleveland…
On Jasson Dominguez…
Dominguez will continue his rehab assignment in Triple-A this week.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is off on Monday night, but the young outfielder will be back out there when the team returns to action each of the next two days.
Dominguez is scheduled to play four-to-five innings, then the Yanks will see how he's feeling after that.
The 23-year-old went hitless with three strikeouts across seven at-bats over his first two appearances last week.
Boone said that the Yankees still don’t have a set number of games he may need.
Dominguez, of course, has been sidelined since suffering a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder making a great catch into the left-center field fence on May 7.
On Giancarlo Stanton…
Stanton, on the other hand, could be a bit closer to returning.
While the team doesn’t have an exact timeline on him either, Boone is hopeful that he may be able to return sometime during the next homestand.
The Yanks visit the Guardians and Jays, before returning to the Bronx to host the White Sox and Reds next week.
Stanton will continue his running progression and throwing program in New York over the next few days after logging his first two live BP sessions over the last week.
The oft-injured slugger has now missed a total of 39 games after straining his right calf jogging to second on a walk during a game in late May.
Getting him, and eventually Dominguez, back in the mix would be a huge boost for the Yanks lineup with Aaron Judge set to miss a significant amount of time.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 25: Carmen Mlodzinski #50 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Monday, May 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Christopher Denver/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The MLB trade deadline is under two months away, and teams already need help in certain areas.
Nowhere is that reflected more than in the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen.
Through 66 games of the season, the Pirates are 34-32. With 96 games left, the bullpen is the largest Achilles heel and must be addressed for the Pirates to be a true contender.
ESPN insider Jeff Passan released his first trading deadline piece last week, identifying the buyers, sellers, and teams in between.
Passan labels the Pirates in the “Could Acquire… But” category, needing to answer important questions.
“Barring a rough June — which is not entirely out of the realm of possibility with upcoming series against the Braves, Dodgers, Mariners, and Phillies — the Pirates will add at the deadline,” Passan said.
Since writing his piece, the Pirates were swept by the Atlanta Braves and outscored 15-8. Evan Sisk replaced Bubba Chandler with one out in the seventh inning and inherited the bases loaded. One of the Bucs’ best relievers allowed a bases-clearing double to Michael Harris.
The three runs were all Atlanta needed to win 3-2.
Passan feels comfortable with Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, and the Pirates’ rotation, while admitting the bullpen needs help.
“Their rotation is already good enough to have squeezed Mlodzinski out,” Passan said. “Their bullpen could use another power arm, though Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery, and rookie Wilber Dotel are high-octane options.”
He thinks the Pirates could deal Carmen Mlodzinski in a potential trade. It’s important to note this was written before Mlodzinski delivered four innings of one-run ball in his first outing after moving to the bullpen, to help the Pirates defeat Houston on Thursday, 5-1.
Passan identified Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers as a potential replacement for Henry Davis or Endy Rodriguez and add a most consistent hitter behind the plate. Jeffers is hitting .295 with a .408 on-base percentage, seven homers, and 26 RBIs.
Passan believes the objective of the Pirates season is to make the postseason. It’s true, and it would mark the first time Pittsburgh is back in the playoffs since 2015. Pirates fans may be thinking more.
To do so, the Bucs need to acquire a bullpen arm… or five, more so than a catcher.
The bullpen owns a 4.14 ERA, fifth worst in the National League, a number helped by occasional opener situations with Carmen Mlodzinski. It also has a collective 1.32 WHIP and has allowed 118 earned runs, fourth worst in the NL.
Aroldis Chapman has been rumored to be the most likely reliever traded at, or even before, the deadline.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Pirates are aggressive in their pursuit of relief pitching.
In 20 games, Chapman has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. Over 19.2 innings, Chapman owns a 0.46 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 26 strikeouts.
He has completed 13 saves for the 27-36 Red Sox, last place in their division, and significantly underperforming.
Fellow Boston reliever Garrett Whitlock also would make sense. Whitlock owns a 3.20 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 19.2 innings.
He was a key piece for Team USA’s bullpen in the World Baseball Classic and set the table for Mason Miller to close the ninth inning. Whitlock is expected to rejoin the Red Sox on Tuesday after battling a knee injury.
Relief pitching will be at a premium for the Pirates and likely other clubs as the August 3 deadline nears. It’s also the least expensive compared to impact bats and top-to-middle-of-the-rotation starters.
The Pirates need a bounce back against the Los Angeles Dodgers, hosting the defending champions for a three-game series beginning on Tuesday night.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 25: Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 25, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two Reds fans really wanted to get their hands on a baseball stuck just over the outfield wall during a game between Cincinnati and the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Sunday.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, St. Louis outfielder Bryan Torres hit a shot toward right field, and it just snuck over the wall for a two-run blast. But the ball wedged itself between the fence and a back wall, making itself ripe for the taking.
Two fans, a father and son duo, attempted to build an impromptu human claw machine to reach the ball. The father held his son over the wall by his legs and lowered him slowly down toward the ball. Similar to a typical slippery claw machine in an arcade, the prize was not obtained — but the reason for the miss was different.
Stadium security arrived quickly and stopped the two from carrying out their plan.
Dad and son try to reach the ball stuck just above the home run wall at Busch Stadium. @RedsDaily4/X
Funny and diabolical moment from the Reds game earlier today.
This kid wanted the ball so his dad held him by the feet to try to get it until security quickly said absolutely not.
No matter the outcome, it created a funny situation that was caught on camera during the Reds’ broadcast.
“That dude is going to sacrifice his son,” one of the announcers said.
Unfortunately for the family, they left Busch Stadium without a ball or a Reds win as the Cardinals completed a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory.
The home run by Torres was the difference maker, as it gave the Cardinals the lead they’d hang on to.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Those three losses for the Reds saw them fall to the bottom of the National League Central. Almost the opposite can be said for the Cardinals, who now sit second in the division and hold the top NL wild-card spot.
Still, the Reds have a solid chance of making the playoffs, at least at this point in June. They sit just 2 1/2 games behind for the third wild-card spot held, which is held by the Diamondbacks.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 24: (EDITORS NOTE: A long exposure was used in camera to produce this image.) The roof closes as the smallest panel rotates along the tracks after the Toronto Blue Jays victory against the Cincinnati Reds after their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 24, 2009 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 67.
Today would be a good day to in win a third game in a row.
So there is news. Dylan Cease will start tomorrow’s game and Max Scherzer will start on Wednesday. Alejandro Kirk could be back Friday.
Yimi Garcia pitches for the Bison’s Wednesday, maybe back with the Jays after that, or maybe one more rehab appearance. Shane Bieber starts for Buffalo Thursday.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 07: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees hits a home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, June 7, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees clear out of the city ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals as they travel to Cleveland tonight to open a three-game series against the Guardians. If it feels like you are experiencing a bit of déjà vu, that is because these two clubs just wrapped up a series in the Bronx a few days ago. The Yankees dropped two of three in that match-up and will look to flip the script on the shores of Lake Erie.
The Yankees are most recently coming off a two-game split with the Red Sox that saw the middle game of the series postponed. In the finale, the Yankees got two big home runs. One came from Cody Bellinger and the other from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who launched his big fly with a stolen bat, adding another token from a fallen teammate to his growing collection.
Those two and the rest of the Yankees offense will square off against Gavin Williams. Williams earned the win against New York last week after allowing three earned runs on four hits across 5.1 innings. The right-hander is in the midst of the best season of his young career, entering tonight at 9-3 with a 3.20 ERA. He has been even better at Progressive Field, posting a 4-1 record and 2.29 ERA in the land.
Countering for Aaron Boone and the Yankees is Will Warren. The Mississippi Magician is also having the best season of his career thus far in 2026. In 12 starts, Warren sits at 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA. Warren’s last start was that wild game versus the Athletics some eight days ago. In his last two starts, both on the road, Warren went six innings and only gave up two earned runs total.
Cleveland’s offense is not a high-powered machine, but it has a knack for doing just enough to win games. The Guardians enter tonight atop the AL Central thanks largely to their pitching staff and a lineup led by rising star Travis Bazzana and franchise cornerstone José Ramírez. Those two will bat 1-2 tonight. Warren’s job will be simple in theory and difficult in practice: keep those two off the bases and force the rest of the lineup to beat him.
Last week the Guardians outscored the Yankees 15-10 in the team’s first series without Aaron Judge this season. Boone will deploy a heavy dose of left-handed bats tonight hoping to fluster Williams. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Bellinger, Jazz, Spencer Jones, Ryan McMahon, and J.C. Escarra all find themselves in the lineup, while Paul Goldschmidt and José Caballero are the lone right-handed hitters. Goldschmidt is the designated hitter tonight and Caballero will play shortstop.
In the last matchup, Jazz, using his own bat, and Caballero both took Williams deep. Rice also doubled off the Cleveland starter. While this game and series have all the makings of a trap series overshadowed by whatever happens at Madison Square Garden tonight, it could also be the type of game that helps spark a run from the Yankees offense. Here is hoping a second look at Williams in such a short span swings the advantage towards the Bombers.
The Yankees will try to take Game 1 in Cleveland. The Knicks will try to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. What is your final score prediction for both games tonight?
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 07: Manager Craig Stammen #14 of the San Diego Padres relieves Randy Vásquez #98 in the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Petco Park on June 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres forced a rubber match against the New York Mets on Saturday night with some late-inning heroics from catcher Freddy Fermin. Fermin showed similar heroics with a two-run shot on Sunday’s series finale. But, this time, it was too little, too late.
That said, the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. The Padres were in an early hole with starter Randy Vásquez surrendering four runs across four shaky innings of work. The bullpen didn’t do much to help, with Yuki Matsui surrendering two solo homers and Ron Marinaccio giving up another run.
The Friars had three rallies quashed by incredible defensive plays by the Mets. San Diego’s been in a major funk lately, but it wasn’t the offense’s fault this time. The at-bats looked good, and the Friars made solid contact, but their luck on batted balls was poor. They’ll hope to turn things around this week against the similarly struggling Cincinnati Reds.
Taking the mound
Andrew Abbott (CIN) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
Both Abbott and Buehler have had subpar, but serviceable, seasons for their respective teams. The former had an incredible 2025 campaign, posting a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts. 2026 has shaped up to be the worst year of his short career, with a 4.06 ERA through 68 2/3 innings.
However, Abbott’s pitched well when facing the majority of the Friars. The exception to that is Fernando Tatis Jr., who owns a career .385 batting average in 13 at-bats against the lefty.
Buehler’s had a similar rough year but has bounced back recently. This season he’s been saddled with a 4.53 ERA but has a 3.86 mark in his last seven starts. The right-hander has also not faced much of the opposing team’s lineup. However, of those he has faced, only Nathaniel Lowe owns a batting average higher than .200 (five-plus at-bats).
Buehler just pitched a gem against the Philadelphia Phillies last week, allowing just one run across six innings of work. He’ll need to similarly limit a potent Reds’ lineup to help the Padres to a series opening victory on Monday night.
Batter up!
The lineup had plenty of bright spots in Sunday’s series finale. Tatis and Jackson Merrill went 2-for-7 with two walks. Samad Taylor went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored two runs. But player of the game for San Diego was Fermin, going 2-for-4 and knocking in all three of the Padres’ runs.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Ty France, 1B
Gavin Sheets, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Miguel Andujar, DH
Sung-Mun Song, 2B
Rodolfo Durán, C
After Fermin caught the last two consecutive games, Durán will start for the Friars tonight. He’s had a good eye for the strike zone lately but hasn’t shown an aptitude for hitting as of yet.
Song had a great performance in Saturday’s win, going 2-for-2 with a walk. His offensive breakout would be huge for San Diego in moving Tatis back to his regular position in right field.
Relief corps
With Vásquez going just four innings, the Padres tasked their relievers to cover multiple innings. Matsui went 1 2/3 innings in what was his worst outing of the year. Marinaccio went 2 1/3 in a solid appearance, and Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless, albeit shaky, ninth inning.
That will leave plenty of high-leverage spots available for the series opener against Cincinnati. Jason Adam, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez will all be fresh out of the ‘pen for San Diego.
Jun 1, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock (26) throws against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Mariners will look to shake off a disappointing weekend series in Detroit – capped by a bummer of a walkoff yesterday – by opening a four-game series against the Orioles in Camden Yards. They’ll be doing so without their starting shortstop, though, as J.P. Crawford was officially placed on the injured list after missing the last two games thanks to a hit-by-pitch on the hand from (who else?) Framber Valdez. Ryan Bliss has been recalled to take his place on the roster.
Lineups:
You might be surprised to see Bliss in the lineup at the keystone already, but Colt Emerson was a late scratch thanks to back tightness. Don’t like that one bit. Cole Young will take over at shortstop in the interim, and we get a third straight day of Jhonny Pereda behind home plate. Emerson Hancock will take the mound, and will look to stretch his streak of allowing two or fewer runs in a start to five. Trey Gibson will get the start for the O’s, coming up for Chris Bassitt who himself landed on the IL this morning, and we also get to see old friend Leody Taveras batting fifth and playing right field.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 27: Starting pitcher Trey Gibson #43 of the Baltimore Orioles works the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 27, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles can’t linger long on their disappointing loss to the Blue Jays yesterday, as they’re back in Baltimore and back in action this evening to open a four-game set against the Mariners. The M’s, who lead the AL West with a 34-32 record, represent the Orioles’ toughest opponent since they faced the Rays at Camden Yards two weeks ago. That series turned out excellently for the Birds, so maybe this one will do the same.
The O’s pulled the old starting pitcher switcheroo this afternoon. Chris Bassitt, who left his previous outing with lower back tightness, was thought to be recovering quickly enough to start tonight, but apparently not. The O’s placed Bassitt on the 15-day IL today and called up Trey Gibson to take the ball. This will be Gibson’s fourth major league appearance and third start. In his last one, May 27 against the Rays, he gave up six hits and four walks but danced out of trouble at every turn, limiting the damage to one run and earning his first MLB win.
Meanwhile, the Orioles’ offense faces a tough customer in M’s righty Emerson Hancock and his 2.80 ERA. You might notice that the O’s lineup looks a little bit different. Neither Adley Rutschman nor Samuel Basallo (who left Sunday’s game with a wrist injury) are in the lineup, as Sam Huff starts at catcher for the O’s for the first time since April 19. Gunnar Henderson, who committed a crucial error and was prominently involved in the non-double-play no-call against the Jays, will get a break from the field as the DH, with Blaze Alexander replacing him.
The red-hot Colton Cowser will be batting cleanup for the first time this year. Interestingly, he’ll also be starting in center and Leody Taveras in right instead of the other way around. I think Taveras has more range than Cowser but has had trouble fielding fly balls near the wall, so maybe the Orioles are hoping this will provide a marginal defensive upgrade. Let’s see how it plays out.
Orioles lineup:
LF Taylor Ward DH Gunnar Henderson 1B Pete Alonso CF Colton Cowser RF Leody Taveras 2B Jackson Holliday 3B Coby Mayo SS Blaze Alexander C Sam Huff
RHP Trey Gibson
Mariners lineup:
2B Cole Young CF Julio Rodríguez 1B Josh Naylor LF Randy Arozarena RF Luke Raley DH Dominic Canzone 3B Patrick Wisdom SS Colt Emerson C Jhonny Pereda
May 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Blech. Yesterday’s bullpen blowup was so bad, the Red Sox traveled to visit first-place Tampa Bay, against whom they probably won’t have a lead to squander. That’s some chess strategy right there. Speaking of which, as a guy who plays a lot of online chess, I hate the “4D chess” analogy. It’s plenty hard enough as it is! Stop using it!
Connelly Early gets the start, which is neat, at least:
He’ll face Ian Seymour as an opener. Here’s the full Rays slate:
I don’t feel great about this one, folks, but maybe Early can keep it from getting late out there? At least they’ll be playing inside the ugliest stadium in the sport. That ought to ease the pain, amirite?
