PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 04: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks has gum thrown on him by Gabriel Moreno #14 after hitting a walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on June 04, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks defeated the Dodgers 3-2. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, the All-Star wasted no time in his at-bat, connecting on Dodgers closer Tanner Scott’s 97-mph fastball low in the zone and launching a 431-foot home run to left field, securing the D-Backs’ 3-2 victory and a series split.
Marte now owns the most walk-off hits in MLB this season with three. He’s just one walk-off hit away from matching the franchise record of four, shared by Paul Goldschmidt (2013), Justin Upton (2011) and Alex Cintron (2005).
Vargas had been pulled from the game in the fifth inning, following a collision with Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy. A ground ball was hit down the right field line, and pitcher Ryne Nelson, assuming it was a foul ball, did not cover first.
That led to both Vargas and Muncy running full speed at the bag. They crashed into each other, and both spent time down on the ground being tended to by trainers. Thankfully, they both walked off the field on their own power.
Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll continues chasing a unique MLB record.
In 1922, Hall of Famer George Sisler registered an all-time best .472 batting average during 153 at-bats against left-handed pitchers. Corbin entered Wednesday night’s matchup against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers batting .411 in 73 at-bats against left-handers.
The New York Yankees will be without franchise slugger and two-time reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge for weeks and perhaps months. The club announced on Thursday that Judge — after multiple examinations and initial fears about the possibility of thoracic outlet syndrome — has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side.
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Dallas announced himself with an insane play in his MLB debut against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
In the third inning, Dallas allowed an infield single to Ronald Acuna Jr., followed by a steal to second base. The pitcher gave up another single to Mauricio Dubon and Matt Olson’s sac-fly brought home Acuna Jr. Ozzie Albies flied out to right field. Dubon reached second as Dallas walked Michael Harris II. A wild pitch from Dallas put Dubon at third.
“People are frustrated. The fans want us to win games. So do we. We’re more frustrated than anybody,” Machado told MLB.com after the Padres’ 6-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday. “We want to turn things around. Everybody on this ballclub is trying to do that. So, we’re going to keep working, just knowing that we’re still in a good position, even though we’re playing like dog s—.
Campbell pitcher Cade Kuehler pitches during the NCAA Baseball Tournament Knoxville Regional between the Tennessee Volunteers and Campbell Fighting Camels held at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Utvcampbell0604 0183
The Atlanta Braves affiliates played four close games, all defined by impressive starting pitching and late runs deciding the outcome. Cade Kuehler had a particularly impressive day with eight strikeouts and 23 whiffs generated, but he was far from the only headlining pitcher. Herick Hernandez made his return to Columbus with a four inning masterpiece, and down in Augusta Derek Vartanian continued to be one of the fringe prospects who has impressed early this season.
Anthony Molina, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 4.37 ERA
The Stripers did a great job of opening up a lead against the Tides on Thursday, but failed to add on in the latter half of the game, leaving the bullpen with the tall task of protecting a slim lead. Gwinnett had a comfortable going early at the plate and opened up a lead on a double from DaShawn Keirsey Jr. in the second inning, a lead they would hold for most of the game. They added a couple of more runs on a single from Maverick Handley in the fourth inning, giving the pitching staff a solid lead to work with over the five innings, though that would dwindle quickly across the coming frames. Following the Handley single the offense completely disappeared for the last half of the game. Jim Jarvis had an 0-5 performance at the plate with three strikeouts, putting an end to a strong stretch of play for him over his past five games. Jarvis hadn’t had a multi-strikeout game in two weeks prior to this performance and hadn’t had three strikeouts in a game since May, but this was probably the worst he has looked at the plate in any individual game this season.
Anthony Molina started this game on a heater, because despite giving up some solid contact the Tides struggled to actually get the barrel to the ball consistently. Molina threw a ton of strikes and his secondaries were all effective at getting whiffs in this game, and he was particularly sharp in a stretch between the second and third innings where he recorded five strikeouts and a pop out across a six batter span. However Molina had some moments where he struggled to keep breaking balls down in the strike zone, and that bit him in a huge way in the fifth inning. Molina hung a curveball right over the heart of the plate to Tommy Pham, who hit an absolute tank for a three-run home run that spoiled an otherwise stellar start. Molina left after that fifth inning, and that was the start of the real trouble for the Stripers. Victor Mederos had all kinds of trouble with his command in this one, both missing badly out of the strike zone and right over the heart of the plate with concerning frequency. The Tides took advantage and notched three hits and the tying run in the game off of him in the sixth inning, though he managed to escape a jam thanks to a big strikeout of Sam Huff and he got a second opportunity to pitch in the seventh. Mederos kept it together for a few batters but made some mistakes with two outs and gave up another run that stuck him and the Stripers with the loss.
Swing and Misses
Anthony Molina – 17
Victor Mederos – 4
Connor Thomas – 3
(25-27) Columbus Clingstones 5, (27-26) Rocket City Trash Pandas 3
Luis Vargas, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB. 2 K, 6.11 ERA
Herick Hernandez is finally back and healthy with the Clingstones, and once again he looked strong on the mound for them with four impressive innings. Hernandez’s command was shaky-though that may not necessarily be a sign of rust for him-yet he managed to continue his pattern of great pitching this year as Rocket City had no real answer to finding solid contact against him. Hernandez wasn’t sharp enough with his fastball to get the level of swing-and-miss we have seen out of him in past outings, but the carry on that four seam fastball led to a lot of lazy fly outs mixed with enough whiffs to keep the lineup moving and avoid too many balls in play. Hernandez’s command will continue to be the big red flag for his profile, but his stuff is so nasty it sort of hasn’t mattered yet. He’s managed to make this jump to Double-A and improve his strike-throwing and walk rate slightly while actually getting more whiffs than before, and there is a lot more consistency with his command on the field even if it’s not at the level it needs to be yet. The bullpen nearly got themselves into real trouble in the innings after Hernandez left, allowing three runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but the fifth inning explosion by the offense was enough for them to hold on. Luis Vargas got back on track with one of his better relief appearances this spring, and even though the overall numbers are ugly he is missing bats and control is a bit better than last season, so progress is being made despite the glacial pace it seems to come at for him.
The Clingstones could not figure out Angels 2025 third-rounder Nate Snead the first time through the lineup, as he blanked them across the first four innings of this game to keep pace with Hernandez. Then the hits started to tumble out in the fifth inning and they did not stop until Snead was chased from the game with only one out recorded. Patrick Clohisy looked good at the plate and broke the scoreless tie with a base hit, and the Clingstones put up a four spot with five hits off of Snead. After he left they went right back to their quiet ways with the bats, though Adam Zebrowski did make a loud addition in the seventh inning. He showed off his strength with a long solo home run into the right-center field gap to add a bit of insurance on, and so far he has had a huge week at the plate since coming back down from Gwinnett. All four of his hits in the past three games have been extra base hits.
Cade Kuehler, SP: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 8 K, 3.71 ERA
Cade Kuehler has made an impressive turnaround to his season over the past month, and delivered his most dominant start of the year despite having a rough command day relative to recent standards. Over his past five games Kuehler has turned it up, both getting a high swing-and-miss rate (33.5%) while not sacrificing strike-throwing or allowing the home runs that plagued him early in the season. Two of those did not carry over well into this game. Kuehler missed the plate more often than he has across his strong stretch of play, which did cause some trouble for him, but these hitters struggled to make any contact against him so it didn’t matter. The only exception to that was a rather huge one, when they tried to run him out for the sixth inning and he struggled. He walked the first hitter then left a breaking ball right over the heart of the plate which got crushed for a two-run home run, ending his no-hitter and shutout in one swing. Otherwise, Kuehler got 23 whiffs on 43 swings, was forcing a ton of infield pop ups, and mostly cruised even through the occasional walks.
No Emperor had a big breakout day at the plate, though with steady production throughout and one big swing from Cody Miller they put up enough runs to take the game in extra innings. Miller put the Emperors on the board in the fourth inning following a leadoff walk to Dixon Williams, taking a fat slider and pulling it for his sixth home run of the season. Miller is still struggling to find consistent impact at the plate but officially seems over the whiff issues that defined his early struggles this season, with a stretch now of nine games in which he only has six strikeouts. His current season numbers are the high water mark for him since May 12th, and given that he is hitting the ball harder and making consistent contact I expect to watch them continually drift up. Isaiah Drake led off in the fifth inning with a hot swing, hitting a hard line drive down the right field line that stayed fair and bounded over the wall for a ground-rule double. Drake would take advantage of a wild pitch to advance to third base, and John Gil lifted a fly ball that was deep enough to allow Drake to score and extend the lead to 3-0. The issue that faced the Emperors was a lack of ability to string hits together. That was the case throughout the game, but in the 9th inning Miller reached on a wild pitch on a strikeout, creating a sliver of hope in a game that had swung in Greenville’s favor and had them leading 4-3. It got down to two outs after a couple of ground outs, but with the last gasp of breath Colby Jones hit a pop up into shallow right field, which pittered off of the glove of the sliding right fielder and fell harmlessly for a lucky RBI double. In extra innings John Gil got himself on the board with a one out base hit, bringing up Eric Hartman who only needed to get one into the outfield to score Dalton McIntyre from third base. He did just that, walking the game off with a sacrifice fly.
Swing and Misses
Cade Kuehler – 23
Riley Frey – 5
(30-24) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (19-35) Delmarva Shorebirds
Derek Vartanian, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 3.94 ERA
The GreenJackets put up a disappointing offensive performance, save for Tate Southisene who had a couple of hits in the game to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Southisene has been unquestionably fantastic for the GreenJackets at the top of the order, and really put them in a great position to win this game late. In the eighth inning Augusta only trailed 2-0, and Southisene came to the plate with a couple of men on and drove a sharp single through the right side. With still no outs in the inning and two runners on there was a huge opportunity for Augusta to at least tie the game. but it wasn’t meant to be. Luis Guanipa popped out into shallow center field keeping all of the runners at bay, and in a critical spot Juan Mateo popped out to the infield for the second out. Michael Martinez then grounded out and the Shorebirds put one out for two runs in the top of the ninth to seal the game. Nick Montgomery did add on with a home run in the ninth inning, but the bottom of the order didn’t have the firepower to drag Augusta back into the game.
It’s rather a shame, too, that Augusta’s bats had a down evening because Derek Vartanian 100% pitched well enough to deserve a win in this game. Coming off of his worst outing of the season Vartanian bounced back and commanded the ball much better, and the Shorebirds hit ground ball after ground ball to help him advance through the lineup with ease. He’s been consistently around the 25% whiff rate range, which is where he was today, and has produced loads of weak ground balls to keep offenses from being able to put up runs. In the first inning an errors by Luis Guanipa allowed a runner to get to third base and score a quick one against Vartanian, but other than that one unearned run he was in full control of this game for the first four innings. A bunt single in the fifth inning and an inside out double that rolled down the left field line accounted for the only other run he allowed.
Jun 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) celebrates with left fielder Tyler Soderstrom (21) and center fielder Henry Bolte (33) after hitting a two run inside the park home run against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Happy Friday A’s Fans! Hope everyone’s week has been going well so far.
The Athletics have had more success this week, once again showcasing better performances on the road than at West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park. They got the weeklong road trip started with a series win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. They were in prime opportunity to get the sweep, but suffered a bullpen collapse, resulting in a walk-off loss to end the series against the Cubs.
The majority of the A’s roster has performed better on the road. The pitching staff has performed particularly well, posting a noticeably lower ERA away from home. Take left-hander Gage Jump, for example. He surrendered four runs on nine hits in his first MLB start at home before tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the Chicago Cubs on the road. However, the team’s bullpen remains shaky regardless of where the A’s play.
The A’s look to continue their stellar road form during this weekend’s three-game series against the division-rival Houston Astros. The last time these two teams met in Houston, Nick Kurtz launched four home runs in a historic performance that helped secure American League Rookie of the Year honors.
Right-hander Jack Perkins will make his first start of the season in the series opener. In 17 relief appearances, the 26-year-old is 2-2 with a 5.46 ERA and three saves. He has struggled recently and is now set to join the rotation following a series of injuries and ineffective performances among the club’s other starting pitchers. His performance will determine whether this is a one-time spot start or the beginning of a permanent role in the rotation.
On Saturday, A’s right-handed pitching prospect Kade Morris is lined up to make his first MLB start. He faces a stiff test against a lineup that includes Yordan Alvarez and Jose Altuve. Will Morris sink or swim?
Sunday, the A’s wrap up the road trip with left-hander Gage Jump on the mound, looking to follow up his quality start at Wrigley with another solid outing. From the other dugout, A’s hitters will face Astros right-handers Peter Lambert, Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows.
Can the A’s make it two straight series wins? What are your expectations for this upcoming series in Houston?
With voting now underway for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, Athletics fans should get behind catcher Shea Langeliers as well as first baseman Kurtz, both of whom are emerging as legitimate All-Star contenders.
After playing three games against the Houston Astros this weekend, the A’s will spend next week in Las Vegas, hosting the Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies at the stadium of the A’s Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators.
— A's Ballpark in Las Vegas (@VegasAthletics) June 4, 2026
Athletics’ 20-year-old left-handed pitching prospect, Wei-En Lin, has been dominant at Double-A. It will be fascinating to see how he handles the jump to Triple-A when he inevitably gets promoted, hopefully sooner rather than later.
Congratulations to Wei-En Lin on being named the Texas League Pitcher of the Month! 🔥 The RockHounds left-hander dominated on the mound all month long, earning well-deserved league-wide recognition pic.twitter.com/vX3ddO7R22
The ultimate rivalry is back. Tonight, the New York Yankees kick off a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox in the Bronx, aiming to extend their dominant five-game winning streak over their rivals.
New York enters the matchup as the clear favorite, well-positioned to exploit a Boston starter who is due for a reality check. Read all about it in myYankees vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for Friday, June 5.
Who will win Red Sox vs Yankees today: Yankees moneyline (-140)
Despite their struggles in the wake of AL MVP Aaron Judge's injury, the New York Yankees should take care of business tonight, and I'd play this to -165.
Sonny Gray is due for negative regression. His 4.39 expected ERA is nearly a full run and a half higher than his actual ERA. Pulling these metrics down the most is a barrel rate that sits in the Bottom 33% of the sport.
Judge's absence is felt, but the Yankees still rank first in baseball in both barrel and hard-hit rate, built to expose Gray's contact profile.
COVERS INTEL: Sonny Gray drops his four-seam usage to 9% against right-handed hitters, forcing him into a cutter-heavy mix against a Yankees lineup that leads the league in barrel rate.
Red Sox vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-120)
This is a two-unit play on the Over, my seventh of the season. I made this number 8.3 and would play it to 8.
We've talked about Gray and why this Yankees lineup can cause him problems, even without Judge. The other side is the Boston Red Sox offense, and I feel good about them in this matchup.
Ryan Weathers' nearly 30% strikeout rate is impressive, but a Bottom-15 percentile barrel rate cannot be trusted with a total this low, especially against a Boston lineup with four starters in the Top 30% of those metrics.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 27-21, +5.94 units
Over/Under bets: 30-18, +14.07 units
Red Sox vs Yankees odds
Moneyline: Red Sox +125 | Yankees -150
Run line: Red Sox +1.5 (-170) | Yankees -1.5 (+145)
Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8
Red Sox vs Yankees trend
The Yankees have cashed the Over in six of their last eight games for +3.75 units and a 43% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Yankees.
How to watch Red Sox vs Yankees and game info
Location
Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Date
Friday, June 5, 2026
First pitch
7:05 p.m. ET
TV
Peacock
Red Sox starting pitcher
Sonny Gray (6-1, 3.06 ERA)
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (2-3, 3.52 ERA)
Red Sox vs Yankees latest injuries
Red Sox vs Yankees weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox walks to the dugout during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday, May 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Madison McCall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Brayan Bello — the man some once called “Little Pedro” — is headed to Worcester. What a long strange trip it’s been. (Not the trip to Worcester — that’s pretty straightforward, though I don’t envy him making the drive on the Friday of a beautiful summer weekend).
I never really bought into the “mental” explanation of why he performed so much better with an opener this season. It just doesn’t seem to make much sense that someone who has pitched in 112 MLB games in his career would all of a sudden be freaked out by the first inning. But he is human, and the yips are real, and we could be witnessing some kind of fulfilling cycle of first inning doom here. It’s a fascinating thing to watch, really.
So what do the Red Sox do now? Garrett Crochet is not particularly close to returning. The Sox roster isn’t exactly well set-up for bullpen games. And the Sox have 9 games in the next 10 days. Trading Caleb Durbin for Kyle Harrison probably isn’t an option at this point, so is Jake Bennett going to be in the rotation for the foreseeable future, or would you like to see the Sox go another route?
Talk about depth starters, weird mental hangups, and whatever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.
GLENDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 27: Rafe Perich of the Texas Rangers bats during a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on February 27, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers outfielder Hector Osorio and infielder Rafe Perich were named the Player of the Month for the month of May for the Carolina League and the South Atlantic League, respectively.
Osorio — who we did a Q&A with earlier this week — put up a .339/.449/.598 slash line for the Hickory Crawdads in the month of May, with 15 walks against 13 Ks in 87 plate appearances. The 21 year old is slashing .291/.427/.547 in 50 games for Hickory this season, and would seem to be poised to be promoted to high-A Hub City in the not-too-distant future.
Perich, a corner infielder who turned 24 last month, was the Rangers’ 7th round pick out of Lehigh in 2024. Prior to his being promoted to AA Frisco late in the month, Perich had a .345/.448/.747 slash line for Hub City in May in 105 plate appearances, including 10 homers. Overall this year, Perich slashed .303/.394/.606 at high-A before being promoted.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 09: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrate after driving in the game winning run in the eleventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 09, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this week, All-Star voting for the 2026 season opened up. Over the next several weeks, fans will have the opportunity to make their choices for the starting lineups for the American and National League teams for this year’s edition of the game, taking place in Philadelphia to coincide with various celebrations for the 250th birthday of the United States of America.
It is, of course, a sacred duty for Orioles fans to vote for all Orioles, going back to the days of when these things were actual punch card ballots that got handed out by ushers in the stadiums. All those Yankees fans and Red Sox fans and whoever else would be voting in their assorted jabronis, so you better try to counter their ballot stuffing.
The punch cards have been gone for quite some time in favor of less-charming digital ballots. This year’s ballot is sponsored by a video game company known for giving the gaming world the ultimate cheat code: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start. Mike Elias puts in that code and he thinks he’s going to get his choice of waiver wire relievers and one-year contract starting pitchers. It probably won’t help him beat Contra and it hasn’t been great for the AL East lately either.
There have been fun years in recent memory where there was a deserving Oriole at a great number of positions and you didn’t have to be a ridiculous homer to vote for mostly or entirely Orioles ballots. Last year wasn’t one of those years. This year is also not looking like one. Even if several players go on a tear between now and the end of the voting period, people’s minds are largely made up before voting begins. Below is an attempt to carefully consider the case for each Oriole at each position and how they stack up to the competition.
Designated hitter
The Oriole: Samuel Basallo
Should you vote for him? Yes
Are you a total homer for voting for him? Probably
There’s a Yordan Alvarez-sized problem for Basallo getting in as the starter in the American League. The Astros nearly-full-time designated hitter is, going into Thursday’s games, the best hitter so far in all of MLB, dropping a 1.075 OPS on the league. He’s hit 21 home runs already.
Even so, we can all be excited about what Basallo has done so far this season, particularly the way he rebounded after a tough first few weeks of the season to become one of the better young hitters out there. It’s nice that the Orioles have finally noticed and are lately playing him nearly every day, even against lefties. And he definitely deserves to be a reserve over just about anybody else you could name among AL designated hitters.
First base
The Oriole: Pete Alonso
Should you vote for him? Yes
Are you a total homer for voting for him? Unfortunately, yes
Based on reports, the Orioles actually attempted to sign Kyle Schwarber the day before they signed Pete Alonso, but (this is my speculation) Schwarber just used the Orioles to drive up the price to return to the Phillies. I mention this because Schwarber has 23 home runs and Alonso so far only has 12. That’s not going to get anybody into the All-Star Game or probably even back into the Home Run Derby. As of this writing, Alonso is 8th in fWAR among primary first basemen, trailing people like Munetaka Murakami and Jonathan Aranda.
There were a lot of intangibles that the Orioles hoped they were getting in signing Alonso and it seems like they are getting those with veteran leadership and all that jazz. Some more tangibles would be nice too. There are four more years to get Alonso into the All-Star Game as an Oriole. People other than me might find this thought reassuring.
Second base
The Oriole: Jeremiah Jackson
Should you vote for him? Yes
Are you a total homer for voting for him? Yes
Jackson was a fun story last year after arriving with little fanfare and having a good month of August. That feels very far away now. After a fantastic March/April where he had six home runs and drove in 24 runs, Jackson hasn’t homered yet in May or June and he’s OPSing under .500 since April turned to May. It’s too bad, because there’s not an overwhelming AL favorite here; it’s close between four guys, currently led in fWAR by Texas’s Ezequiel Duran. Maybe next year, Jackson Holliday can be a guy who deserves support.
Third base
The Oriole: Coby Mayo
Should you vote for him? Yes
Are you a total homer for voting for him? Yes
The last 28 days split for Coby Mayo is .281/.359/.526. That might get him in the conversation for being a starter if he’d been doing that for the whole season. However, he had an OPS under .500 as recently as May 9. That’s not going to do it, particularly against a field that includes seven-time All-Star/likely future Hall of Famer José Ramírez. Might still be a good time to buy some Mayo stock anyway.
Shortstop
The Oriole: Gunnar Henderson
Should you vote for him? Yes
Are you a total homer for voting for him? Yes
Even in the month of April, when he hit nine home runs, Henderson still didn’t manage to get his OBP over .300 or his SLG over .500. He’s only hit four home runs since and he isn’t hitting for average or getting on base while not hitting the homers either. I’m bummed about him, friends. This is the shortest entry because I don’t want to say any more.
Catcher
The Oriole: Adley Rutschman
Should you vote for him: Yes
Are you a total homer for voting for him? Mostly
One aspect of being a sports fan is veering continually between “It is so over” and “We are SO back.” This dynamic may be exemplified most clearly by Rutschman, about whom my Camden Chat colleague Stacey and I are always asking, “Is Adley back?” And the thing is that, often, he is back. But the reason that he’s back is because he went away for a while and that kind of sucks. His most recent status is “not back,” refreshing the cycle yet again while probably not winning him very many neutral votes.
Outfield
The Orioles: Leody Taveras, Dylan Beavers, Taylor Ward
Should you vote for them? Yes, yes, and yes
Are you a total homer for voting for them? Yes, yes, and yes
Confession: If Tyler O’Neill was listed here, I was going to break from the bit and say no, you should not vote for him. The Orioles have saved me that trouble by not even listing him. It is, actually, pretty sad that Beavers, who’s been on the IL for a month, gets a spot here over either O’Neill or Colton Cowser. That’s the way the season’s gone for those other guys. A guy I follow on Bluesky called The Dishwasher has lately pointed out this remarkable fact: O’Neill has batted 27 times in the first two innings of a game this year and he has zero hits in that time. Sheesh.
Taveras carried the Orioles offense, such as it was, through roughly their first 25 games and since that time has returned to hitting like Leody Taveras. This is not complimentary. Other outfielders are bad enough at hitting lately and Taveras is okay enough defensively to still make it worth playing him, but come on, it’s a tough field for the outfield, led by Mike Trout, who may actually be back. That’s a fun story.
Then there’s Taylor Ward. First impressions stick in the mind and my first impression of him was that Opening Day play where he misread a carom about as badly as you can do. He has continued to play poor defense in the field, worse than I think even the Orioles could have reasonably expected based on Ward’s career to date. He had not hit the dingers that we had all expected, instead carving out a strange new niche as a “gets on base a lot and hits a bunch of doubles” guy that has some value, if not quite the value the Orioles were expecting. Grayson Rodriguez has a 10 ERA after four starts with the Angels.
Pitcher
Fans don’t vote for pitchers, either starting pitchers or relievers. That stuff all gets sorted out behind the scenes while trying to juggle between actually deserving players and making sure that at least one player from each team is able to be named to an All-Star roster. We certainly shouldn’t expect any Orioles starting pitchers to make the cut. Although some are trending better lately, that’s going to be no competition against guys who’ve been getting it done all year.
Since the above was largely a bummer, I do want to shout out the one guy on the Orioles who probably deserves to make an All-Star roster, and if things are more or less the same in about a month as they are right now, he probably will be the only Orioles All-Star this year. That’s Rico Garcia. He went 11 straight outings to start the year without allowing a hit and even now, batters are hitting just .083/.172/.155 against him for the season. That’s a 0.68 ERA and 0.608 WHIP. Good stuff.
It won’t be great if Garcia is the only Orioles All-Star. Hopefully June and onward go better for the team, such that by season’s end it looks silly that they only had one All-Star.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 4: Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres reacts after a swing and miss in the top of the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Padres 6-4. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jackson Merrill ripped a two-run home run to right field that banged off the advertising on the face of the second deck and ricochetted back down onto the field as he rounded the bases en route to home plate where he completed his trip and pulled the San Diego Padres within two runs of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Padres trailed 6-4, but with no outs and Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado having already allowed two runs, there was a glimmer of hope that San Diego could pull off some late-inning magic and avoid the series sweep. Alvarado would not allow another run, in fact, he did not allow another baserunner, before closing out the game and securing the win for Philadelphia.
The Padres continued to struggle at the plate and saw six of nine batters who were in the starting lineup finish their day without a hit. San Diego amassed just four hits in the game with two of those hits accounting for the four runs scored. Manny Machado hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh, which made the score 3-2 before Adrian Morejon took the ball in the bottom of the inning and allowed three runs on three hits with one walk. He was replaced on the mound by Wandy Peralta after 1/3 of an inning and the Phillies enjoyed a 6-2 lead.
Merrill drove in Ty France who walked to open the ninth inning, and the only other hits in the game for San Diego came from the No. 9 hitter, Bryce Johson. He singled in the sixth and singled in the eighth. Johnson moved to second in the eighth inning after a Gavin Sheets walk, but with two on and two out in the inning, Machado grounded to third to end the top half of the frame.
The Padres return to Petco Park to host the New York Mets today at 6:40 p.m. still looking to find some kind of offensive identity. The problem for San Diego now is the bullpen faltered multiple times on the road trip and are showing signs of wearing down and being less affective.
Padres News:
The Padres catching tandem of Freddy Fermin and Rodolfo Duran have provided nothing at the plate recently, but minor league catcher Blake Hunt is hitting homers for El Paso.
05 June 2026, Baden-Württemberg, Schriesheim: A paraglider soars through the air against a slightly cloudy sky. Photo: Uwe Anspach/dpa (Photo by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Hickory starter Jesus Lafalaise walked five and struck out three in 4.1 IP, allowing three runs.
Paulino Santana homered. Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 5. Josh Springer was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Dewar Tovar was 2 for 4 with a homer.
Frisco starter Winston Santos allowed three runs in five innings, striking out three and walking one. Bryan Magdaleno walked two and struck out two in an inning of work, allowing one run. Eric Loomis struck out two in a shutout inning, lowering his ERA on the year to 0.60. Ryan Lobus allowed a run in two innings, striking out one and walking one.
Dylan Dreiling was 3 for 4 with a homer and a walk. Arturo Disla and Rafe Perich had a hit apiece.
The Red Sox (26-35) and the Yankees (37-25) renew one of the more storied rivalries in sports tonight in the Bronx, opening a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Boston is happy to be on the road after losing yesterday. They were waxed by the Orioles, 8-2, to drop their eighth series of the season at Fenway. Their futility at home is a big reason why they own the cellar in the American League East. The Yankees found out yesterday Aaron Judge (stress fracture of the first rib) will be sidelined for at least the next 6-8 weeks before going out and salvaging the final game of their three-game series against the Guardians. New York sits ½ game behind the Rays in the AL East.
Getting runners to cross home plate has been a major issue for Boston. They have scored the third fewest runs in baseball. Of late, they have shown signs of breaking out but the consistency has not been there. For example, take the last six games. In those contests, the Red Sox have scored 3, 9, 9, 2, 8, and 2 runs. They are 3-3 in those six games and there is little question which games were wins and which were losses.
Conversely, the Yankees have scored the fifth most runs in baseball. The Bronx Bombers have beaten up the bad teams and played a little over .500 ball against teams above .500 (10-8). Ben Rice has been the primary producer on offense hitting .300 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs. The issue for New York is the bottom of the order. Austin Wells is hitting .169, Anthony Volpe owns a batting average of .220, and Ryan McMahon is hitting a stout .205. That futility only underlines how good the top of the order has been.
On the mound tonight, the Red Sox will turn to right-hander Sonny Gray, who has been one of their few reliable arms. A one-time Yankee, Gray takes the mound with a 6-1 record and a 3.06 ERA, while the Yankees counter with left-hander Ryan Weathers, who brings a 3.52 ERA to the bump.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Yankees vs. Red Sox
Date: Friday, June 5, 2026
Time: 7:05PM EST
Site: Yankee Stadium
City: New York, NY
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, YES, NESN
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The Latest Odds: Yankees vs. Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: New York Yankees (-149), Boston Red Sox (+123)
Spread: Yankees -1.5 (+141), Red Sox +1.5 (-171)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers: Yankees vs. Red Sox for June 5
Yankees: Ryan Weathers Season Totals: 64.0 IP, 2-3, 3.52 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 75K, 19 BB
Red Sox: Sonny Gray Season Totals: 50.0 IP, 6-1, 3.06 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 41K, 14 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Yankees vs. Red Sox
Wilyer Abreu – 3-11 in the series against Baltimore
Ceddanne Rafaela – 6-13 in the series against Baltimore
Jarren Duran – 2-13 in the series against Baltimore
Paul Goldschmidt — 5-12 in the series against Cleveland and has hit in 9 straight games (13-39)
Clay Bellinger – 3-10 in the series against Cleveland
Jose Caballero – 2-10 in the series against Cleveland
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Top Betting Trends & Insights: Yankees and Red Sox
The Red Sox are 25-36 on the Run Line this season
The Yankees are 30-32 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 28 times in Boston’s 61 games this season (28-31-2)
The OVER has cashed 28 times in the Yankees’ 62 games this season (28-31-3)
Expert picks & predictions: Yankees vs. Red Sox
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Yankees and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Yankees on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Yankees on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0
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Judge has been shut down for four-to-six weeks due to a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. He will be reimaged after the end of the shutdown period to determine his level of healing and appropriate next steps, with the expectation that he'll return this season.
With Judge on the shelf, Jones figures to play nearly every day in the outfield along with Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham.
Jones, 25, struggled earlier this season in his first taste of the majors, hitting just .167/.259/.167 with 12 strikeouts in 27 plate appearances over 10 games.
Strikeouts have been an issue for Jones throughout his minor league career, overshadowing the prodigious power he possesses.
In 43 games this season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Jones is hitting .269/.378/.571 with 13 homers, but he has struck out 60 times.
Jones fanned 179 times in 116 games last season as he split time between Triple-A and Double-A Somerset.
This Sunday, June 7, features an exciting day of MLB coverage on NBC and Peacock. First, at 3:00 PM ET, the Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in an MLBSunday Leadoff matchup. Later, at 8:00 PM ET, the San Francisco Giants face the Chicago Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
The Giants, under first-year MLB manager Tony Vitello, look to find stability and avoid missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. Meanwhile, the Cubs, who ended their four-year playoff drought last season, look to build off that momentum.
Jason Benetti will call Sunday's Giants vs Cubs game, alongside 12-year MLB pitcher Jim Deshaies and four-time All-Star outfielder Hunter Pence.
Bob Costas will host the pregame show alongside Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
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The San Francisco Giants have dominated the Chicago Cubs in recent memory, but the hosts will grab a victory in today's series opener at Wrigley Field.
My Giants vs Cubs predictions will explain why Chicago, which is a -156 favorite today, is in a prime position to take this contest, with Robbie Ray on the mound for San Francisco.
Who will win Giants vs Cubs today: Cubs -1.5 (+120)
The Chicago Cubs will face San Francisco Giants left-hander Robbie Ray this afternoon. He's struggled lately, compiling a 5.85 FIP across his last two starts, and he also owns a 6.24 SIERA during that span.
Ray has completely lost his command (10.13 BB/9), forcing him to serve his offerings on a silver platter over the heart of the plate.
Additionally, 47.6% of his contact over the last 14 days has come through the air, with 10% of those fly balls leaving the yard. That's concerning against a Cubs offense that ranks 12th in home runs, setting him up for a rough day at the office against Chicago's 43.1% hard-hit rate over the last week, while carrying a 107 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
The real edge is Edward Cabrera's pitch mix returning to Wrigley Field, where he has a 3.89 FIP this season while limiting contact in the air to just 34%.
I'll play this pick to +100.
COVERS INTEL: The Cubs can pull away late against a Giants' bullpen boasting a 5.23 xFIP over the last two weeks.
Giants vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 runs (+100)
My secondary lean is the Under. While I expect the Cubs to generate offense against Ray, Chicago's pitching staff should be capable of limiting the damage on the other side. With Cabrera returning from the IL, he will likely be on a short leash, and he's failed to pitch more than 4 2/3 innings in either of his last two outings.
That means the Cubs bullpen will play a significant role, and that's hardly a concern. Chicago's relievers own a 3.20 FIP over the last seven days while holding opponents to a .169 ISO and just 0.43 home runs per nine innings.
The Giants haven't shown much power on the road either, carrying a .157 ISO away from home in 2026. If Chicago's bullpen continues its recent form, San Francisco will struggle to generate enough offense to push this game beyond the total.
I'll play this pick to -110.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 21-16, +3.92 units
Over/Under bets: 22-14, +4.25 units
Giants vs Cubs odds
Moneyline: Giants +150 | Cubs -156
Run line: Giants +1.5 (-127) | Cubs -1.5 (+122)
Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-113) | Under 10.5 (+108)
Giants vs Cubs trend
The San Francisco Giants have hit the Team Total Under in 28 of their last 45 away games (+9.00 Units / 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Giants vs. Cubs.
How to watch Giants vs Cubs and game info
Location
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Friday, June 5, 2026
First pitch
2:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSBA, MARQ
Giants starting pitcher
Robbie Ray (3-6, 4.45 ERA)
Cubs starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (3-2, 4.00 ERA)
Giants vs Cubs latest injuries
Giants vs Cubs weather
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Judge missed the three-game set against the Guardians this week and the offense was anemic, to say the least. They scored 10 runs in the series, and only two in the finale to salvage a game.
Against the Red Sox, the Yanks may not need so many runs against a struggling Boston team, but they will have to score enough against some notable names.
After Sonny Gray on Friday, the Red Sox will deploy Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early to round out the weekend series.
Rice rising
In Judge's absence, Ben Rice is the clear best hitter in the lineup. While it may not be fair to the youngster, the Yankees will need Rice to come up big in this series.
It'll be a tall task for Rice as he'll go up against Suarez and Early, a couple of tough southpaws, but Rice is hitting .306 against left-handers with five home runs this season.
Rice had a seven-game hitting streak going before it was snapped Thursday.
Can Schlittler bounce back?
Schlittler is one of the frontrunners for the AL Cy Young, but he's coming off his worst start of the season.
Against the Guardians, Schlittler allowed five runs (four earned) in the loss. Not to beat a dead horse, but if Judge is not going to be in the lineup, the formidable starting pitching needs to step up alongside the other hitters.
Jun 2, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Schlittler has two career starts against the Red Sox. He allowed one run in eight innings in Boston in late April this year and also faced them in his coming out party last October, when he pitched eight shutout innings while striking out 12 batters in the Wild Card Series.
Will Schlittler continue to dominate his childhood team?
Getting to Early....early
On the opposite side of that game in the Wild Card Series was young Connelly Early.
The talented southpaw has two career starts against the Yanks, the aforementioned playoff game and back on April 21 in Boston. In the Wild Card Series, Early allowed four runs in the loss but looked impressive, matching Schlittler's zeroes with three scoreless before Boston's defense betrayed them in a four-run fourth inning that cost them the season.
In April, Early was effective, allowing three runs across 5.1 innings while walking three and striking out four.
Against the current Yankees lineup, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the most success against Early. He's 2-for-4 against Early, and the only Yankee to have multiple hits against the 24-year-old.
AL East scoreboard watching
Despite their best efforts this week, the Yankees made up ground on the Rays.
Although they went 1-2 against the Guardians, the Rays were swept by the Tigers and Tampa's hold on the AL East sits at a half game heading into play Friday.
Tampa is 2-8 over its last 10 games and will take on the Marlins in Miami this weekend. If the Yankees take care of business, they can find themselves in first place by the end of play on Sunday.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Ben Rice
The young slugger continues his tear.
Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?
Cam Schlittler
Schlittler seemingly pitches his best against Boston.
Which Red Sox player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?
Willson Contreras
Contreras is having one of the best seasons of his long MLB career. He enters play Friday with 12 home runs and is hitting close to .300.
Head to NBC and Peacock this Sunday, June 7, for an exciting day of MLB coverage. First, at 3:00 PM ET, the Washington Nationals take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in an MLBSunday Leadoff matchup on Peacock. Later, at 8:00 PM ET, the San Francisco Giants face the Chicago Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
The Washington Nationals have had six straight losing seasons since winning the 2019 World Series. The organization made major changes to its front office this offseason, hiring manager Blake Butera, President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni, and new hitting coach Matt Borgschulte, along with his two assistants, Andrew Aydt and Shawn O’Malley. The Nationals look to establish a new foundation for sustained success in 2026.
The Diamondbacks have missed the playoffs in the last two seasons and look to reach the postseason for the first time since losing the World Series to the Rangers in 2023.
Former Washington infielder Kevin Frandsen, five-time All-Star outfielder Luis Gonzalez, and reporter Caroline Pineda will join play-by-play voice Dave Flemming on this week’s MLB Sunday Leadoff announce team.
How to watch the Washington Nationals vs Arizona Diamondbacks:
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information visit, Peacock’s Help Center.
COVERS INTEL: Sonny Gray drops his four-seam usage to 9% against right-handed hitters, forcing him into a cutter-heavy mix against a Yankees lineup that leads the league in barrel rate.
D.J. Short
