Category: MLB

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It’s a small eight-game slate on the diamond Thursday, June 11, and my trio of MLB same-game parlay predictions include a pair of afternoon tilts.

The SGP MLB picks begin with the Detroit Tigers having a solid day at the dish against Minnesota Twins righty Zebby Matthews and conclude in the evening with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates lighting up the PNC Park scoreboard again tonight.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Twins vs Tigers SGP: Matthews humbled in Motor City 

The Detroit Tigers have flipped the script in June with a second-ranked wOBA supported by a fifth-ranked xwOBA while scoring 6.4 runs per game, and I’m anticipating them giving Minnesota Twins righty Zebby Matthews a tough time this afternoon.

Matthews has surrendered a 16.0 barrel percentage with an abysmal 2.14 K/BB rate across his past three starts, after all.

Turning to Detroit second baseman Gleyber Torres, he’s picked up a hit in five of seven games since returning to action with a healthy .438 wOBA and 40.9% squared-up contact rate.

I’d play this SGP down to +280.

• Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: DSN, MNNT

Cardinals vs Mets SGP: Stars tee off at Citi

The wind is forecast to be blowing out at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon, so I’m targeting three of the best hitters taking the field to fill up the box score.

New York Mets star Juan Soto has teed off on right-handed pitchers to the tune of a .418 wOBA and .289 ISO over the past three years, while St. Louis Cardinals batters Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson have been consistently dangerous in the middle of the lineup and check in with a respective OPS of .903 and .973 against righties in 2026.

The breakeven point for this SGP is +325.

• Time: 1:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNY, CARD

See full analysis of this game in our Cardinals vs. Mets predictions.

Dodgers vs Pirates SGP: More runs at PNC 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the highest wOBA against righties this season and the highest overall xwOBA over the past 30 days, so I’m anticipating Pittsburgh Pirates righty Mitch Keller’s hands to be full Thursday.

Keller doesn’t have a single positive pitch value across his past five starts, and Los Angeles lefty Justin Wrobleski’s2.62 ERA is well below his 4.42 xFIP, so the Pirates are positioned to also chip in offensively.

Finally, Pittsburgh outfielder Bryan Reynolds is dialed in at the dish with a .339 batting average and 48.9% hard-hit rate across his past 17 games, and he also sports an elite .325 average and .433 wOBA against lefties for the season.

This SGP is playable down to +325.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNP, SNLA

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Prior to today’s series finale against the Cardinals, the Mets recalled right-hander Daniel Duarte to join the bullpen. In a corresponding move, the team optioned right-hander Jonathan Pintaro back to Triple-A. Thus, the bullpen churn continues as the club looks to cycle in some fresh arms.

Pintaro ate up the final three innings of last night’s 9-2 loss to St. Louis, allowing one earned run on one hit with two strikeouts. It was his third appearance for the Mets so far this season. In 6 2/3 innings for the club across those three relief outings, the righty has given up just the one earned run and one hit while walking one and striking out five batters.

Duarte made one appearance for the Mets earlier in the year, finishing up the team’s 9-6 loss to the Nationals back on May 19. In that game, he allowed just one hit and did not give up a run over 2 1/3 innings pitched from the sixth through the eighth innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out one batter. In 23 innings for Triple-A Syracuse, he’s posted a 3.91 ERA in 18 appearances. He has been charged with 11 runs (10 earned) on 18 hits, with 19 strikeouts over 23 innings.

H

(33-32) Gwinnett Stripers 2, (36-29) Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 14

• DaShawn Kiersey Jr., RF: 1-4, RBI
• Jair Camargo, C: 2-3
• Victor Mederos, SP: 2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, K

Box Score

Based on the score above, one can infer that not much went right for Gwinnett on Wednesday.

Victor Mederos got the start and more or less got shelled. Across two innings, Mederos gave up five runs on four hits while issuing four walks in the process. The bullpen wasn’t better, as the Stripers relief corps gave up an additional nine runs over the course of the next seven innings.

At the plate, the Stripers were held to just two runs on four hits — of which both runs came in their final at-bats on the night. DaShawn Kiersey Jr. registered the lone RBI on the night, while Jair Camargo was the only Striper to finish the game with multiple hits as he went 2-3.

(26-29) Columbus Clingstones 3, (29-29) Pensacola Blue Wahoos 6 (GAME ONE)

• David McCabe, 1B: 1-3, HR, RBI, R
• Logan Braunschweig, RF: 2-2, 2B, R, BB
• Herick Hernandez, SP: 4 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 K

Box Score

Despite getting a solid start from Herick Hernandez, Columbus lost game one of their doubleheader on Wednesday by a 6-3 final.

Across four innings, Hernandez turned in a scoreless outing despite issuing four walks and giving up a pair of hits. He also managed to strikeout four as well. With the scoreless performance, Hernandez lowered his season ERA to 1.15 across 31.1 innings pitched, in which he has struck out 39 batters as well.

It’s a decent sample size, but Hernandez needs to show that consistency over four or five more starts before there is a consideration to calling him up to triple-A at this point. Regardless, it’s a very encouraging sign from the lefty.

At the plate, the Clingstones plated three runs on five hits, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the offense from Pensacola. David McCabe launched a solo homer on the night, while Logan Braunschweig went 2-2 with a double and a run scored and a walk to his credit as well.

(27-29) Columbus Clingstones 2, (29-30) Pensacola Blue Wahoos 1 (GAME TWO)

• David McCabe, DH: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Drue Hackenburg, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 4 K

Box Score

In what is one of the more unique box score you’ll see, Columbus won game two of their doubleheader by tallying just one hit on the night.

Drue Hackenburg got the stat in this one and put up a competitive performance as he limited Pensacola to just one run on three hits while issuing one walk and striking out four.

Limiting the damage to just the one run proved to be consequential as the Clingstones scored just enough at two runs to get the win — despite getting just one hit.

The lone knock came off the bat of David McCabe who homered — and also left the yard in game one — to give him two home runs on the day. Ironically, McCabe’s homer came in the bottom of the first inning, meaning Columbus was held hitless for the next six innings, but still managed to get the win.

(31-27) Rome Emperors 8, (42-16) Bowling Green Hot Rods 3

• Isaiah Drake, LF: 3-5, 2 HR, 2B, 3 RBI
• John Gil, SS: 3-4, 2B, RBI, SB
• Tate Southisene, 2B: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI
• Eric Hartman, CF: 3-5, R
• Dalton McIntyre, RF: 2-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
• Owen Carey, DH: 1-4, 2B
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 8 K

Box Score

All in all, Rome dominated what is a very talented Bowling Green team on Wednesday afternoon.

Rome got on the board first in this one thanks to some nifty baserunning — and a bit of defensive misfortune from Bowling Green.

In the top of the first, John Gil doubled on a groundball into the left field corner to give Rome their first basrunner. Gil proceeded to steal third base — his 29th of the year — and, after the throw sailed wide of the Hot Rods third baseman, Gil trotted across the plate to give the Emperors an early 1-0 lead.

Isaiah Drake — more on him later — also doubled in the inning, but the Emperors failed to bring him home.

Rome wasted no time in adding on to their lead as they plated three more runs in the top of the second frame.

After Owen Carey reached via dropped third strike, Mac Guscette was hit by a pitch to put a runner in scoring position. Tate Southisene proceeded to double over the center fielders head for his first and second RBI at the high-A level while also extending the lead to 3-1.

Once again, Gil came through, this time with an RBI-single into left field again to plate Southisene and make it a 4-1 game.

Rome tacked on another run in the fifth inning as Dalton McIntyre launched his first high-A homer for a solo shot to extend the lead to 5-1. In the very next inning, Drake got in on the action by launching an absolute moonshot on a fastball over the right field wall for a solo homer — his ninth of the season thus far — to make it a 6-1 game. But this wouldn’t be Drake’s last impression on this game.

Bowling Green got two of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth to cut the Emperors’ lead in half to 6-3.

In the top of the ninth, following an Eric Hartman double, Drake pulled a 2-0 fastball for another homer — this time a two-run blast — to extend the Rome lead to 8-3. Drake’s homer was hit so hard, the right fielder for Bowling Green didn’t move a step.

Despite hitting a batter and issuing a walk to put a runner in scoring position, Isaac Gallegos managed to limit the damage there and seal off the Rome win.

While the offense garnered most of the attention in this one, starter Cedric De Grandpre deserves his flowers for his performance. Across five innings pitched, De Grandpre struck out eight batters while holding Bowling Green to just one run on six hits in the process.

(31-28) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (22-35) Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5

• Conor Essenburg, RF: 2-3, 2B, 2 BB
• Dallas Macias, LF: 1-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB
• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-4, RBI
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K

Box Score

Despite putting up a respectable performance in this one, Augusta fell short by a 5-2 final.

Ethan Bagwell was simply excellent as he managed to strike out eight batters across 4.1 innings. While he did give up two runs, Bagwell was dominant enough to keep the GreenJackets in the game.

It’s a nice bounceback for Bagwell who gave up six runs in 4.2 innings in his last outing. Regardless, the righty still carries an ERA of 2.95 on the year in what has been a solid beginning to his season. There’s a good chance Bagwell gets the call-up to Rome in the near future.

The GreenJackets’ offense put up decent numbers in this one as well. Conor Essenburg led the charge with a double and two walks, while Dallas Macias tallied a solo homer as well in this one. Luis Guanipa went 1-4 with an RBI to his credit as well.

For Essenburg, Wednesday marked his third double of the month as he is slashing .292/.414/.417 for June. Essenburg has been seeing the ball extremely well and has shown a solid approach at the plate for his age. He is definitely one to watch over the final few months of the season.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (27-38) lost 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Brown made a rehab start for Sugar Land and looked good striking out 7 batters over 5 innings allowing 2 runs, 1 earned. Gordon went 4 scoreless innings in relief. The offense got on the board in the 8th inning on a Brooks RBI single but that was it for the comeback as Sugar Land fell 2-1.

Note: Brown was up to 98.6 MPH.

• Zach Dezenzo, LF: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Trenton Brooks, DH: 1-for-4, RBI
• Tommy Sacco, SS: 1-for-4, 2B
• Cesar Salazar, C: 1-for-3, BB

• Hunter Brown, RHP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• Colton Gordon, LHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

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AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (26-33) lost 7-5 (BOX SCORE)

Mayer started for the Hooks but struggled allowed 2 runs while retiring just 2 batters. Guedez and Swanson were the next two in and they allowed 2 and 3 runs, respectively, as the Hooks found themselves down 7-0. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Brutcher groundout. In the 7th, Whitaker connected on a solo home run. The Hooks rallied for 3 more runs in the 8th on a Schiavone 2 run home run and Whitaker groundout but the comeback fell short as the Hooks lost 7-5.

Note: Schiavone has a .961 OPS in Double-A.

• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-4, BB
• Joseph Sullivan, LF: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Trevor Austin, 2B: 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB
• Lucas Spence, DH: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

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A+: Asheville Tourists (16-42) lost 21-0 (BOX SCORE)

Santos started for Asheville and allowed 6 runs over 3.2 innings. The bullpen really struggled allowing 10 runs as the Spartanburgers extended their lead and a position player pitched in the 8th, allowing 4 more runs. The Asheville offense struggled on the day collecting just five hits as they were shutout on Wednesday.

Note: Nunez is hitting .387 in June.

• Justin Thomas, LF: 1-for-4
• Nehomar Ochoa, DH: 1-for-4
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 2-for-4, SB
• Keduar Trujillo, C: 1-for-3, BB

• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Conor Steinbaugh, RHP: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Eurys Martich, RHP: 0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Freuddy Batista, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K

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A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (27-32) won 6-5 (BOX SCORE)

Potter got the start for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 run over 5 innings while striking out 3 batters. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Luciano RBI single, Flores RBI single and Gomez groundout. Verdugo relieved Potter and allowed 3 runs in the 6th as the RidgeYaks took the lead. The Woodpeckers rallied in the 7th scoring 3 runs on an error and a Neyens 2 run double. Verdugo allowed another run in the 9th but was able to hold on for the win.

Note: Potter has a 2.18 ERA this season.

• Anthony Huezo, CF: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 2-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Waner Luciano, 2B: 1-for-3, R, RBI
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 2-for-4, RBI
• Kenni Gomez, RF: 1-for-4, R, RBI
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-4, R

• Nick Potter, RHP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Ryan Verdugo, RHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (WIN)

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Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ethan Pecko – 7:05 CT

CC: James Hicks – 7:00 CT

AV: Kellan Oakes – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

Meet the Mets

The Mets suffered another embarrassing loss to one of the teams they are chasing in the Wild Card standings. The pitching struggled all game, especially David Peterson, who gave up six runs out of the bullpen. The offense was again non-existent outside of Francisco Alvarez, who accounted for all their runs with one swing of the bat. They will now look to avoid a sweep in the series finale.

In other news, another blue and orange team managed to complete a thrilling comeback victory. Go New York, Go New York, Go.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, Daily News, MLB.com, NY Post

Before the game the team called up Jonathan Pintaro and sent Joey Gerber to Triple-A.

With the Knicks captivating New York, Juan Soto is determined to bring that same energy to the Mets.

Kodai Senga will return to the mound in Double-A after getting scratched from his last start.

Around the National League East

The Braves dropped another close game to the White Sox despite a strong effort by Chris Sale.

Ronald Acuña Jr. was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain and was placed on IL.

The Marlins blew out the Diamondbacks 8-0 to take the series against Arizona.

 Giants rookie Bryce Eldridge hit a walk-off grand slam against the Nationals, who were up 9-1 in the eighth inning.

Around Major League Baseball

The Pirates placed Oneil Cruz on the IL with a broken left hand that he injured sliding into home plate.

Toronto starter Max Scherzer reached the 3,500 strikeout milestone in the team’s loss against the Phillies.

Brandon Nimmo accidentally hit former teammate Seth Lugo in the head with a line drive, but thankfully Lugo seems to have avoided serious injury.

Shohei Ohtani gave up a season high four runs to raise his ERA from 0.74 to 1.06.

For the teams that miss out on Tarik Skubal at the deadline, Reid Detmers from the Angels could be an interesting backup option.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

On the latest episode of A Pod of Their Own, the emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing was discussed.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2005, Marlon Anderson hit a pinch-hit inside-the-park game-tying home run in the team’s 5-3 win over the Angels.

It feels like Lars Nootbaar has been someone that could fit well on the Rays’ roster over the last few years. I think the timing could be right to acquire him this season if the Cardinals are willing to part ways with him. Nootbaar combines above-average on-base ability, defensive versatility, and multiple years of team control – traits the Rays consistently target. With Jonny DeLuca, Jake Fraley, and Jacob Melton all dealing with injuries, the fit between player and roster is stronger now than it has been at any point in recent years.

Nootbaar is a solid defender in a corner outfield spot and he is capable of playing center as well. His offensive profile is largely OBP driven (over .340 vs righties for his career) – making him a good fit to hit near the top of the lineup and potentially leadoff against right-handed pitchers. This could also give the Rays more flexibility with Chandler Simpson’s lineup placement. Whether Simpson remains in the leadoff spot or moves lower in the order, adding another high-OBP hitter would help lengthen the lineup against right-handed pitching.

Despite the fact that Nootbaar has been injured for a large part of the season, the cost to acquire him should be relatively high. The Cardinals are still in contention in a competitive NL Central race, and Nootbaar is under team control until 2028. So what could it cost the Rays to land Nootbaar?

Again, I think it starts with one of the players below in the third tier of prospects I mentioned in my previous write-ups. Flewelling and Hopkins would likely be unavailable for someone like Nootbaar; their potential and years of control are beyond Nootbaar’s value.

• SS Daniel Pierce
• C Caden Bodine
• RHP Michael Forret
• INF Cooper Flemming
• RHP Anderson Brito
• RHP Santiago Suarez
• RHP TJ Nichols

I could see the Rays also needing to offer a player from the group of upper-minors prospects who are going to be Rule 5 eligible this winter. This group includes names like:

• INF Cooper Kinney
• 1B/DH Xavier Isaac
• C Tatem Levins
• OF Brock Jones
• OF Homer Bush Jr.
• INF Brayden Taylor
• 1B Tre Morgan

This group contains prospects with varying levels of risk. Some project as role players or complementary pieces, while others still possess everyday upside but face enough uncertainty that the Rays may be willing to discuss them in the right deal. I think it would take a package of multiple players between the two groups listed above.

The NL playoff race will play a role in the type of package the Rays would need to offer. It would hurt a bit to lose a player from the first group and another from that second group, so that’s a good signal that it would be enough to land someone as valuable as Nootbaar.

A package built around one prospect from the first group and another from the second would sting, which is usually a sign that the deal is in the right neighborhood. Nootbaar is a controllable everyday player who fits the Rays’ current roster, and acquiring that type of talent generally requires giving up prospects with a legitimate chance to contribute in the majors.

The Dodgers took a big lump Wednesday in Pittsburgh, losing a close game that was an Ohtani start in which he surrendered his first inning of multiple runs. And as always, there are always more bumps in the road.

Will Smith will be hitting the injured list, after his lingering neck issue isn’t getting better fast enough to return to the field. The Dodgers primary backstop has been out of the lineup since he was pulled in Saturday’s game.

Daulton Rushing was already slated to pitch all three games in Pittsburgh, and the Dodgers cleared a roster spot on Wednesday by releasing utility player Tyler Fitzgerald.

The Dodgers have two options in Triple-A, Eliezer Alfonzo and Chuckie Robinson.

“We had Chuckie last year, and we had Eliezer all spring,” Roberts said. “So both those guys are confident. They’re kind of a little older, so they’ve been around, and we’re very familiar with both those guys, so it should be pretty seamless.”

The Dodgers chose Robinson, and he is expected to be in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Maddie Lee of the L.A. Times has more details on the logistics here.

Freddie Freeman collected his 2500th hit on Tuesday, and now has his sights set on 3000. But, he acknowledges that it might not be in the cards.

Three big things could stand in his way – his age, his want to spend more time with his family, especially now having a newborn at home, and that another certain player will be occupying the DH position for the Dodgers for quite awhile.

“Over the last year or two, 3,000 is a number that I would love to get to. But I have one more year under contract. There’s still a lot of other factors that go into it. I have four kids now. We have to see what’s going on there. But I would love to get to 3,000 hits. I would love to. I’m not going to deny that. But do I know if I’m going to get there? I don’t know. But we’ll start the trek tomorrow and we’ll see if we can get some more numbers and we’ll see if people still want me to play after 2027.”

Only 33 players currently have more than 3,00o hits. Bill Plunkett of the OC Register discusses other implications of chasing that number here.

Jack Harris of the California Post has some more quotes from the multi-time All-Star on where his head is at at this point in his career.

Monday night’s offensive slugfest with the Athletics in Las Vegas was nothing short of wild. From Kyle Harrison’s random blowup, where the first pitch of the bottom of the first inning got taken for a ride, to the 15 overturned pitch challenges, or maybe the fact that despite giving up 14 runs as a pitching staff, the Brewers (who lead all of baseball in strikeouts as a team) still managed to strike out 20 hitters in a 12-inning affair.

If you’re a baseball nerd like myself, you love stats. Specifically, you love records and learning about where they compare to other memorable offensive shootouts or pitching dominations. Monday night’s game didn’t even crack some of the top offensive games in recent years, or even all-time as a franchise, but it sure did feel like it. With that, let’s take a look at some of the weirdest, fun, and most memorable games.

August 28, 1992 – Brewers 22, Blue Jays 2 (Box Score)

The most runs scored by the Milwaukee Brewers ever. With about a month left in the 1992 season, the Brewers were 4.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East division standings. The visiting Brewers went into Toronto and had an offensive explosion that hadn’t been seen in two years (when they scored 20 against the California Angels). In their 20-run victory, the Brewers’ eight and nine hole hitters, Kevin Seitzer and Scott Fletcher, both had five hits apiece, not to mention two other players with four hits in a game that featured 31 hits. That 31-hit outburst also set the mark for most hits in a game franchise history.

August 17, 2019 – Brewers 15, Nationals 14 (Box Score)

If you watched the game on Monday night, you most likely heard Jeff Levering and Tim Dillard reference this game a couple of times, for good reason, too. If you thought the 12-inning, 4:14 affair was long (definitely didn’t help with them playing on the West Coast), then let’s remind you of the old times. No, not that old — just before the pitch clock or the extra-inning runner rule was implemented, or even the designated hitter in the National League.

The Crew traveled to the nation’s capital and played a 14-inning, 5:40 game. This game was special for a couple of different reasons; not only was it the longest game ever played by the Brewers in this era, but it was also the most home runs hit by the team in a game (seven), which tied a record that was set by the 1980 squad. In their slugfest with the Nationals, former MVPs Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich had a multi-home run game with two apiece. Trent Grisham, Mike Moustakas, and Eric Thames also homered.

May 8, 1984 – White Sox 7, Brewers 6 (Box Score)

Sticking with the topic of the longest games in Brewers history, this game probably takes the title of craziest game in franchise history, and arguably, MLB history. We’ve heard the stories from Bill Schroeder over time, but it’s still one of those you’re shocked it happened. And quite frankly, the box score is one of my favorites to look back on.

A 25-inning game that took eight hours (across two days) and had two Brewers’ blown leads. Somehow, the Brewers only burned six pitchers in this game, which is fewer than they used in the game on Monday, and in way fewer innings. It featured four players getting at least 10 at-bats and all but three guys getting a base hit. There are a lot of zeros to be shown on the line score, but what I think is the most frustrating part of it all is that the Brewers had a two-run lead on two separate occasions and blew them both times. Most shockingly, a two-run lead was headed into the bottom of the ninth inning with Rollie Fingers as the closer. This game is one of those moments you wish social media was around for to see the reactions of both fan bases.

May 22, 2000 – Brewers 10, Astros 9 (Box Score)

It was the final year of baseball being played in County Stadium, and it featured the largest comeback in the ninth inning in franchise history. According to Baseball Reference, the Brewers had a 0.13% chance to win the game entering the final inning. But as Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” And that was truly how this game was summed up.

Entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Crew were down 9-2 before the first seven batters of the inning reached base, bringing the score to 9-6 before recording their first out. Actually, their first two outs, seeing as how it was back-to-back strikeouts from James Mouton and Ronnie Belliard. But the party didn’t end there; the same three guys who began the inning kept it alive to force extra innings. After a scoreless top of the 10th inning, José Hernández walked it off with a home run to left field.

April 28, 2004 – Brewers 10, Reds 9 (Box Score)

Wrapping up our discussion of some of the wildest, jaw-dropping games in Brewers history, let’s end on the biggest comeback win in franchise history. This one’s a bit different, because the Crew found themselves down 9-0 at the top of the fourth inning, and used the whole rest of the game to complete their comeback.

Following an abysmal start from Matt Kinney and a relief appearance from Adrián Hernández, the pitching staff held its part of the bargain for the remaining six innings by allowing no runs on just two hits. Then, the offense broke into the scoring column with an RBI base hit from Lyle Overbay. After slowly chipping away at their deficit and bringing the game’s score to 9-6, Bill Hall came through, for just the first of two times that day, with a bases-clearing double that tied the game at 9-9. Later in the bottom of the 10th inning, he dropped a walk-off sacrifice bunt to win the game for the Brewers.

It’s only fitting that Pat Murphy wants his team to have the mindset of a woodpecker, because, to be honest, that’s just how the Brewers have been throughout time, despite maybe not being as consistent as they are today.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides, Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) – PPD

Rain postponed the Wednesday night matchup at Harbor Park. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday.

Double-A: Altoona Curve (Pirates) 10, Chesapeake Baysox 3

The Baysox got beat down by the Curve on Wednesday in Altoona. It was a quiet night for the affiliate’s offense, scoring all three of their runs in the seventh inning.

Tavian Josenberger was responsible for two-thirds of Chesapeake’s runs. He hit a two-run bomb in the seventh inning, his sixth homer of the season. Johnny Tincher had the other RBI, driving in Douglas Hodo III earlier in the seventh. Griff O’Ferrall had a nice game, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases. Ethan Anderson had a single and a walk.

Four pitchers made their way to the mound for the Baysox. Sebastian Gongora was the starter, and he got ambushed out of the gate, allowing three runs in the first inning. The righty settled in a bit from there, but lasted just four innings and gave up four runs on five hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. Jeisson Cabrera worked a scoreless fifth inning. Ben Vespi coughed up one run across his two frames. And then Daniel Lloyd had a tough outing, serving up five runs in just one inning of work.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 7, Frederick Keys 2

It’s tough to win a game when your lineup goes 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaves 10 runners on base. The Keys learned that in their 7-2 loss to the Cyclones on Wednesday night in Brooklyn.

Wehiwa Aloy and Ike Irish had one RBI each. Aloy homered and struck out four times. Irish doubled and walked once. Vance Honeycutt went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Elis Cuevas tripled for the second time this year, and had three strikeouts. As a team the Keys were punched out 14 times.

Kiefer Lord worked 3.1 innings a a starter, which included a brutal second inning that saw him allow five runs. only three of them were earned because of two errors in the inning by the Frederick defense. Honeycutt and Yasmil Bucce were both charged with throwing errors. Carson Dorsey was charged with the other two runs during his three innings of work. Ryan Cabarcas and Raimon Gomez combined to record five other outs in the game without allowing any runs.

Low-A: Columbia Fireflies (Royals) 8, Delmarva Shorebirds 5

The winless day on the farm was completed when the Shorebirds fell into a 6-1 hole that a late-inning rally was unable to make up for.

Anytime the Shorebirds were on defense, it was a nightmare. The team made four errors, which limited the number of earned runs charged to their pitchers from eight down to six. Even still, allowing six runs in nine innings isn’t good either! Starter Brayan Orrantia tossed four innings and allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out six and walking three. J.D. Hennen was first out of the ‘pen. He recorded three outs and allowed three runs. Kailen Hamson worked the final three innings and gave up two runs (one earned), striking out four in the process.

Delmarva smacked three home runs in this game. Raylin Ramos hit two of them, both solo shots. Andrés Nolaya hit the other (along with a double) as part of his 3-for-4 game. Braylon Whitaker had three hits out of the lead-off spot, scoring once and driving in one run.

Box Scores

Thursday’s Schedule

Norfolk: vs Memphis, Game 1, 12:05. Starter: Trace Bright (0-4, 6.75 ERA)

Norfolk: vs Memphis, Game 2, TBD. Starter: TBD

Chesapeake: at Altoona, 6:00 pm. Starter: Luis De León (1-5, 6.80 ERA)

Frederick: at Brooklyn, 6:40 pm. Starter: Caden Hunter (0-0, 3.24 ERA)

Delmarva: at Columbia, 7:05 pm. Starter: Stephen Still (0-0, 1.50 ERA)

Today’s Reflections

Today’s Reflections have no one to reflect positively on. I mean, PCA won NLPlayer Of The Week, but even he doesn’t want to talk about it (below). So the players listed in the title are SOME of the problem guys mentioned in the articles below.

The story below about Nico Hoerner’s problems is very interesting, with graphs and stuff. Some people drool in happiness when they see graphs; I just think, “Just tell me what it says.” But this time, I’m going to give this a re-read because it was so well presented and informative. Or at least, a very intriguing viewpoint of his situation.

That’s really all I got, other than the news of Matthew Boyd’s setback that dug the Cubs’ hole a little deeper.

Now, I didn’t jinx the Cubs! But I think it was early May when things were really rolling, I thought, “This is a lonnnggg season. Hurry up and get to the playoffs!” A month later, it’s, “The Cubs’ season is almost over.”

Gotta keep playing.

Before the links, a bit of news (Bluesky link):

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Reports from Tuesday’s game:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Cubs {$}): Chicago Cubs put in a big hole early by Colin Rea in 7-3 loss to Colorado Rockies: ‘We just didn’t do enough’. “Tuesday night’s performance certainly failed to deliver an inspiring performance or suggest a turnaround is on the horizon.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs take accountability for slump, but bats stay cold against Rockies. “Pete Crow-Armstrong was not in much of a mood to talk about any personal accolades sent his way on Tuesday afternoon — not when the Cubs as a team are trying to pull out of a persistent cold spell.”

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Trade Talk:

• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs trade deadline plans have major Alex Bregman, Ian Happ problem. “….. the Cubs’ offense has three of the worst eight batters in RBIs below expectation, with Happ at minus-8.8, along with the two worst in MLB, with Seiya Suzuki at minus-12.7, and Bregman at minus-13.2. Those marks are a good example of the issue plaguing the Cubs right now, and it’s not only their starting rotation.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Jameson Taillon injury update could lead to shocking end to Cubs’ tenure. “Even if the Cubs aren’t a defined seller, if the rest of the pitching staff is in better shape by then, there’s an argument to make that trading Taillon would still be one of the better moves Jed Hoyer can make this summer.”
• Nick Halden (Da Windy City): Cubs should consider calling Braves to solve Dansby Swanson woes. “Atlanta may be one of the few teams capable of taking on Swanson’s contract if Chicago decides to move on.”
• Matt Johnson (Sportsnaut): 4 Trades to Help Rebuild the San Francisco Giants This Summer. “Robbie Ray Traded to Chicago Cubs.”
• Zachary Draves (Clutch Points): Cubs rumors: Farm system collapse could lead to trade of once-promising young star. “The Chicago Cubs may be poised to trade away Matt Shaw as the farm system collapses beneath them and amid underutilization.”

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Assorted activity, chatter and complaints:

• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Nico Hoerner Has to Get Earlier Again. “It’s been a long, horrid stretch for the Cubs’ newly-minted long-term second baseman. To snap out of this funk, he has to stop settling for solid contact.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Sore shoulder sparks Cubs to ‘back off’ Matthew Boyd’s IL return, Javier Assad likely starter this weekend. “The team’s Opening Day starter won’t make his comeback from knee surgery this weekend after experiencing shoulder soreness during a recent bullpen session, yet another injury-related woe for the Cubs’ rotation.”
• Zachary Draves (Clutch Points): Cubs disappointing season gets even worse with White Sox reality. “The struggles of the Chicago Cubs are very real, compared to that of the White Sox, who are surprisingly strong.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): How Ben Brown Got Hitters Off the Barrel. “Last season, Ben Brown gave up too much hard contact and way too many home runs. He remade himself this winter, and now, he’s not just a bat-misser. He also limits damage.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Understand Job Requirements, Just Can’t Get Work Done. “If the Cubs have a sign tracking the days since their last workplace accident, it hasn’t gotten past two in over a month.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Struggles of Cubs’ offseason additions a major reason for their spiral. “Fans have been begging the team for years to be aggressive and complete a full offseason. But 65 games into the campaign, what looked like the Cubs’ desired path for the winter has not turned into success on the field.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Shaw Activated, Alcántara Optioned, Taillon to IL, Roberts Recalled. A lot of movement on the Northside.
• Zachary Cariola (Yardbarker): Matt Shaw’s return to the Cubs couldn’t come at a better time. “The Cubs could potentially use Matt Shaw at third base with Alex Bregman struggling.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Cubs’ Recent Struggles Have Done Real Damage to Playoff Hopes. “It probably doesn’t come as a shock given the magnitude of their recent woes, but even in early June, the Cubs’ stumbling has their playoff positioning looking quite grim.”
• Jeff Vorva (Chicago Tribune {$}): 3 takeaways from the Chicago Cubs’ homestand, including Alex Bregman’s self-critique: ‘I’ve been terrible’. “Ryan Rolison is on a roll.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball): Charting Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Evolution with the Cubs. “Pete Crow-Armstrong is still growing as a player, but he’s proving the Cubs right for their decision to extend him.”

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Food For Thought:

Delbert McClinton (born November 4, 1940) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist. From his first professional stage appearance in 1957 to his most recent national tour in 2018, he has recorded albums for several major record labels and singles that have reached the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Rock Tracks, and Hot Country Songs charts.

Four of his albums have been number one on the blues chart, and another reached number two. McClinton has earned four Grammy Awards – 1992 Rock Performance by a Duo with Bonnie Raitt for “Good Man, Good Woman”, 2002 Contemporary Blues Album for Nothing Personal, 2006 Best Contemporary Blues Album for Cost of Living, and 2020 Best Traditional Blues Album for Tall, Dark, & Handsome.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Seth Lugo was cruising along before taking a comebacker off the forehead in the 4th inning last night

In the fourth inning, Royals starter Seth Lugo was struck in the head by a 106.6 mph line drive off the bat of Rangers star Brandon Nimmo. It was a scary moment as both Nimmo and the Royals training staff raced out to Lugo.

Lugo was alert and able to walk off the field on his own power. The Royals would insert right-handed reliever Mason Black into the game.

Later in the game, the Royals did tweet this out on social media.

Seth Lugo is doing well after exiting tonight's game and will undergo the appropriate protocol and testing.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 11, 2026

Before the game, Kyle Isbel was placed on the IL

It wasn’t long after Kyle Isbel exited Tuesday’s game against the Rangers in the seventh inning that the Royals also pulled outfielder Kameron Misner from the Triple-A Omaha game in anticipation of needing their center-field depth.

By Wednesday afternoon, that need was confirmed. Isbel was placed on the 10-day injured list with left plantar fasciitis, and Misner was recalled from Triple-A prior to Kansas City’s 6-4 loss in 10 innings at Kauffman Stadium.

Misner, 28, is slashing .276/.373/.547 in 59 Triple-A games this season and was just named International League Player of the Week after going 10-for-24 during the week of June 1-7. The left-handed batter recorded three doubles, five home runs, two stolen bases and four multi-hit games in the six-game series against Columbus (Guardians).

Jac Caglianone is unstoppable at the plate currently, Kevin O’Brien of Royals Keep talked about it.

Blake Mitchell has been a fascinating case study in Quad Cities this season, Mike Gillespie of Royals Keep wrote about it

Preston Farr wrote about the Royals failure to develop hitters

Kameron Misner pinch ran in the 10th last night; however, Caleb Moody of Kings of Kauffman tells us why we should be excited about him as a whole

The White Sox, (yes really), are in first place in the AL Central after beating the Braves again last night

The Giants hit a walk off grand slam yesterday, and it was cool in a couple of different ways

Shohei Ohtani had a rough night in Pittsburgh last night

The New York Knicks overcame the largest deficit in NBA Finals history to go up 3-1 over the San Antonio Spurs

Patrick Mahomes becomes first half a billion-dollar NFL player

The Brendan Sorsby saga continues, here is a complete timeline of the events

Grand Ole Opry icon Bill Cody dies at 67

Today’s song of the day is Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Man. What a season so far, huh? The Chicago White Sox are 35-31 after Tuesday’s victory over the Atlanta Braves. They’re only a half-game back of first place in the AL Central. They don’t just have a wild card spot, no sir, they have a firm grasp on a wild card spot.

There’s plenty of praise to go around the White Sox locker room. Munetaka Murakami’s power. Miguel Vargas’s All-Star leap. Ditto Davis Martin and his fiendish six-pitch mix. But none of those players is the White Sox MVP through the first third of 2026. The most important man on this roster has been a former Banana Baller who was bought with the change between Jerry Reinsdorf’s couch cushions: center fielder and bunting gremlin extraordinaire, Tristan Peters.

After a prolonged and painful will they/won’t they, Chris Getz executed what he believed would be a simple one-for-one trade. He traded his old center fielder, Luis Robert Jr., and acquired Luisangel Acuña as his replacement. Acuña had never played the position before, but the goal was to bring him up to speed quickly. Getz projected a center fielder’s glove onto Acuña’s range and athleticism. I’ll even admit that I can see his vision whenever Acuña fields his natural shortstop position. Center field is a different beast, however, and the early-season returns were disastrous for Acuña.

I only blame him so much. Acuña’s been on base just 29 times, and yet he’s managed to rack up 11 steals, so you can’t call him lazy.  I’m sure he worked hard at it, but he was put in an impossible position. Oneil Cruz struggled with the same transition, and he’s an athletic marvel. Acuña’s failure falls on Getz.

Had it not been for Peters, there’s no telling where the Sox would be in the standings. The Mune/Vargas/Martin Renaissance could have all gone for naught. It’s not a stretch to say that Peters saved the Sox from their opening swoon:

Now, I won’t sugarcoat it; I simply do not believe Peters is an .800 OPS monster. His Savant batting profile ranges from dark blue (bad) to gender reveal blue (respectably bad), except for a 67th percentile strikeout percentage. The one thing he’s shown is a supersized ability to pull the ball when he does launch it, as his pull percentage on fly balls is 8.4% above league average. Beyond that, the real Peters most likely resembles the man we saw in the first six weeks of this season: a respectable .280 average with a few walks, a smattering of extra base hits, plenty of sacrifice bunts, and an OPS+ hovering around the mid-80s.

I’m not mad about that. Peters’ real value comes in two areas that never slump: baserunning and fielding. The Statcast percentiles make that clear enough. As of the end of play on June 9 — henceforth to be known both as Braden Montgomery Day and as the first time Bob Costas got sick of seeing a team bunt — Peters is in the 89^th percentile of baserunning value and the 96^th percentile of fielding run value.

Peters’ baserunning pops off the screen. He makes smart decisions and commits to them full throttle, a perpetual motion machine fine-tuned for the 180 feet between first base and third. I shouted out a play on Sunday against the Phillies that won’t show up in his stats but exemplifies his baserunning skill. With Peters on first and two out, Drew Romo slashed a sharp grounder up the middle that second baseman Bryson Stott knocked down. He recovered in time to throw out Romo by a step. It was a great play by the Phils’ keystone man.

As Stott was still scrambling at the edge of the grass, Peters briefly appeared at the bottom of the TV screen. Peters hadn’t slowed down. In fact, he made the turn around second as though the ball had reached the right field wall. Had Romo managed to beat the throw, Peters would have gone first-to-third on an infield single.

And yet! If we’re ranking Peters’ skills, baserunning would still be in the A-tier alongside sacrifice bunts, drag bunts, and being your dad’s favorite player to the point where it’s a little uncomfortable. Above them all, in the S-tier, is the Gold Glove-level fielding he brings to baseball’s most important outfield position.

Peters has seven outs above average (OAA), according to Savant, ranking him fourth in all of baseball. I went ahead and checked some of the underlying metrics, something I had never done before. Definitions for reaction, burst, and route were oddly difficult to find on Baseball Savant’s website. Still, thanks to a Samford University abstract posted online in 2020 by a high school senior named Jake, I finally tracked down this handy infographic:

With that out of the way, I’ll now show you the top 10 leaderboard for OAA. Fair warning, these numbers are going to seem very complimentary of Peter Crow-Armstrong. I’ll try my best to twist them into a negative:

These numbers show that a good center fielder can go about their business in one of two ways. In both cases, burst is non-negotiable. The difference is in how you use that burst. Some guys use it, along with quick reaction time, to compensate for less-than-stellar routes. Like Crow-Armstrong. Looks like you’re just a fast dummy, Pete!

The second are the guys who may not react quickly, but they read the ball well off the bat and optimize their route to the baseball. That’s the smarter kind of outfielder. It’s the rarer kind. It’s more likely to age well:

Among the top ten, Peters and Steven Kwan are the best route runners. Unlike Kwan, Peters also has an acceptable (not exceptional) reaction time. I can’t help but feel like Robert Jr. for Peters would have been a pretty fair deal.

Hustle? Defense? The ability to make up for Getz’s worst decisions? That’s your 2026 White Sox MVP.

Good morning baseball fans!

The San Francisco Giants are off today, with the Chicago Cubs coming to town tomorrow to begin a weekend series.

In the meantime, I thought we could have some fun with a creative writing prompt. Because sometimes, reality just doesn’t make a lot of sense and it’s more fun to make up silly reasons for things. You know, things like the Giants’ inconsistent offensive capabilities.

So today’s creative writing prompt (which you are all encouraged to participate in down in the comments) is to come up with an explanation for this, but wrong answers only.

I’ll go first. My theory is that Buster Posey attended a farmer’s market with his family during the offseason, and this is what happened.

While his wife and children peruse the produce, Posey’s eye catches on a stand advertising rare and unique treasures. A wisp of an elderly woman sits behind the tables laden with strange and somewhat unnerving items.

She catches his eye and beckons him over, where she begins to pull out a dusty velvet box from underneath the tables.

“I know what you’re looking for, young man,” she insists, nodding to herself, as she pushes the box towards Posey. “Take a look.”

He gives her an appraising look, then carefully opens the box to reveal an amulet. The amulet looks suspiciously like one of his World Series Championship rings, but wrong somehow.

“This grants the wearer the power to make one wish and have it come true,” she says quietly. “I can see in your eyes that you’re looking for something, something that has eluded you for years. Take it.”

Posey looks at the woman dubiously. But she insists, and he figures that it can’t hurt.

Hours later, his puts the amulet on in the privacy of his own home once his family has gone to bed. He thinks to himself, “I wish my team would score more runs this season.”

There’s a flash of light and a burst of heat where the amulet rests on his chest. He finds the experience unsettling in a way he cannot articulate, but shrugs it off and goes to bed and promptly forgets the entire thing.

Months later, as the Giants teeter between scoring 19 runs and being incapable of overcoming the smallest deficits, he has a jolt of panic as he remembers the encounter and his wish.

He digs out the amulet from his bedside table to take a closer look. Only then does he realize that while he first believed it to hold a resemblance to one of his own World Series rings, it was actually one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rings.

He gasps, and races to his car, determined to return it to the woman who gave it to him. He scours the farmer’s market, looking for her. He finally spots her in the back and sprints in her direction but she sees him coming and begins cackling. As he approaches, she changes form before his very eyes, transforming into Dave Roberts.

Posey gasps and falls short, giving Roberts the chance to throw a smoke bomb and disappear into the crowd.

End scene.

Your turn! Give me your best, wrong answer to the cause of the Giants’ offensive inconsistencies this season down in the comments.