Representing the Mets at the MLB Futures Game on Sunday afternoon was first baseman Ryan Clifford who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the fifth inning and worked a walk in the sixth.
Clifford, of course, was acquired by New York at the 2023 trade deadline when the Mets traded Justin Verlander and cash considerations to the Houston Astros for Clifford and Drew Gilbert.
Since then, Gilbert was traded to the San Francisco Giants and has made his MLB debut while Clifford remains in the Mets’ farm system as their No. 6 ranked prospect, per SNY contributor Joe DeMayo.
Clifford, a power bat currently playing for Triple-A Syracuse, has had an up and down season in his first full season with Syracuse. The 22-year-old is slashing .196/.283/.395 with 16 home runs and 47 RBI and while the power is obvious, Clifford has struggled to make enough contact and has struck out 129 times in 86 games.
Never one to hit for a high average, Clifford is hitting a career-low this season and his .678 OPS is well-below his career average of .799 in 494 games across all minor league levels. But what Clifford lacks in batting average, he makes up for in on-base percentage and even though his walks are down this season, the lefty-swinging slugger walked in his only at-bat on Sunday against a left-hander after working the count full.
“It was great. It was fun to play in front of a big crowd and hopefully one day be back in this environment again,” Clifford said about his experience at the MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park.
For Clifford to reach the next step in his development he needs to work on consistency, something he’s already well aware of.
“I think the first half was kind of up and down so I’m looking to, after the break, just maintain some consistency and stay out on the field and be healthy,” he said. “Look to cut down on strikeouts and keep the power up.”
Because of that elite power he possesses, New York, in the middle of a lost season, might be inclined to promote Clifford at some point later in the year even if he doesn’t improve with his consistency at the plate, especially because of the long-term hole at first base since the departure of Pete Alonso.
At the very least, Clifford is certainly a candidate for a September call-up to show what he can do at the big league level. In fact, earlier this year Clifford was invited to the Mets’ spring training for the first time and went 2-for-20 with seven strikeouts before being reassigned to minor league camp.
Despite the results, just being around major league players gave Clifford some great insight into being a pro and he was grateful for the opportunity.
“The clubhouse is great,” he said. “Everyone is open to helping out the younger guys and I shared a locker next to [Marcus] Semien so it was cool to be able to work with him everyday and overall just all the infielders were all kinda close to each other.”
June 6, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama pitcher Tyler Fay (8) makes a pitch during the NCAA Tuscaloosa Super Regional game between Alabama and St. John’s at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
After Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron was drafted #18 in the first round by the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, three of his teammates joined him in pro ball on Sunday. Right handed pitcher Tyler Fay was picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates, left handed pitcher Zane Adams went to the Baltimore Orioles, and catcher/outfielder Brady Neal was nabbed by Cincinnati. Two pitchers that had committed to Alabama out of the transfer portal were also chosen, as well as two incoming freshman, and two former Tide pitchers also were taken. Dylan Marionneaux, a right handed pitcher out of NW State, and Garrett Lambert, a righty out of Mercer, were both drafted. Canadian high school pitcher, Cade Dorland will have a decision to come to school or sign after being picked, as will as pitcher Hudson DeVaughn out of Indiana. Former Alabama hurlers Beau Bryans and Ariston Veasey also heard their names called on Sunday.
The 6’6’ Fay was drafted in the 6th round, 169th overall, by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Fay had a special season in 2026 with an 11-5 record and 4.54 ERA, striking out 127 batters in 109 innings. The strikeout total was one short of tying former Tide left hander Wade Leblanc’s single season record of 128, set in 2006. The highlight of Fay’s year was the no-hitter he tossed against Florida, striking out 13 Gators along the way. The slot value of the 169th pick is $406,500.
Adams was picked two spots after Fay at 171 by the Baltimore Orioles. Adams was a three year starter for the Tide and has a career record of 19-14 with a 5.09 ERA. In 2026 Adams finished 8-5 with a 4.58 ERA, pitching 90 innings and striking out 100 batters. The slot value for Adams is $396,300.
The Cincinnati Reds took Neal in the 8th round at #242. Neal played catcher and outfield for the Tide. After two years at LSU, Neal transferred to Alabama in 2025. The Tallahassee, FL native had a career year in 2026, hitting .316 with 15 doubles, 10 home runs, with a .969 OPS. The slot value for pick 242 in $229,700.
Dylan Marroineaux, a junior at Northwestern State in Louisiana, committed to the Tide out of the portal in June. The Chicago Cubs used the 126th pick in the 4th round on the right hander. Originally a walk-0n at NW State, Marroimeaux had a break out year in 2026 with a 4-2 record and 3.51 ERA in 84 innings with 81 strikeouts. The slot value is $609.200. However, Marroineaux was not listed as a top 500 prospect, and the thought is there may have been a deal cut at a lower bonus to secure the draft spot. Lambert, a redshirt freshman from Mercer, committed to transfer to Alabama out of the portal in June. The Colorado Rockies picked Lambert with the #165 pick-6th round- on Sunday. After two injury plagued years, Lambert broke out in 2026 with a 5-1 record, and a 4.31 ERA while pitching 71 innings, allowing 58 hits, and striking out 90 batters. The slot for the pick is $417,400.
Alabama had two 2026 high school signees drafted. Dorland was taken #382 in the 13th round by the Atlanta Braves and DeVaughn was picked with the 569th pick in the 19th round. The Tide will have a good chance of getting the two right handers to campus.
Former Tide players chosen were: left handed pitcher Beau Bryans out Jacksonville State in the 7th round with the 208th pick by the SF Giants and right handed pitcher Ariston Veasey out of Clemson with the 337th pick in the 11th round. Bryans pick carries a slot value of $292,300.
Arkansas Razorbacks' Ethan McElvain (33) and Ryder Helfrick (27) celebrate victory as Auburn Tigers take on Arkansas Razorbacks during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala. on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Arkansas Razorbacks 2-1. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
While the big names in the MLB draft are all gone after the first day (or essentially committed to going to or back to college next year), there are future big leaguers every year in the second or third day of the draft. Recent Royals draft picks outside of the first 150 picks in the last decade to make it to the big leagues include David Sandlin, Noah Cameron, Anthony Veneziano, Noah Murdock, Vinnie Pasquantino, Tyler Tolbert, Austin Cox, Jonathan Heasley, Nate Eaton, Tyler Zuber, Brewer Hicklen, Nicky Lopez, and Richard Lovelady.
Can anyone from today join them? Only time will tell, but let’s not forget: being drafted at all is an incredible achievement. Only 5% of the roughly 10,000 draft-eligible NCAA baseball players every year are selected by an MLB team.
151st pick: Ethan McElvain, left-handed pitcher from the University of Arkansas
McElvain transferred from Vanderbilt and moved completely to the bullpen, where he threw 38.1 innings, struck out 34.4% of batters, and had a 1.88 ERA. He stands at a hefty 6’ 4”, 250 lbs. Rated by MLB as the 144th-best prospect in the draft.
180th pick: Justin LeGuernic, left-handed pitcher from Clemson University
Another bullpen arm, LeGuernic is young to be drafted as a junior—he doesn’t turn 21 until October—and had a 4.69 ERA in 19 games. Rated by MLB as the 220th-best player in the draft.
Pick 209: Dylan Vigue, right-handed pitcher from the University of Georgia
A starting pitcher, Vigue started 16 games for the Bulldogs with a 4.43 ERA against tough SEC competition. Rated by MLB as the 201st-best player in the draft.
Pick 239: Hunter Possehl, left-handed pitcher from Florida Gulf Coast University
Kansas City’s first position player selected on day two, Johnson transferred from Witchita State to Oklahoma this year and slashed .298/.403/.478 with 31 stolen bases. Rated by MLB as the 116th-best player in the draft.
Pick 299: Grant Fontenot, right-handed pitcher from Louisiana State University
Another reliever, Fontenot has battled with injuries and only has 48.1 total college innings over the last three years. When healthy, he’s been able to strike out 26.9% of batters.
Pick 329: Tanner Griffith, outfielder from St. Mary’s College
At 5’ 9”, the small Tanner Griffith nevertheless swung a big bat this year for St. Mary’s, hitting .342/.477/.545 with 22 doubles in 303 plate appearances.
Pick 359: Lance Hartley, right-handed pitcher from the College of Central Florida
Clement and his very nice mustache have pitched out of the bullpen as a starter. Clement is another guy coming back from injury, only tossing 3.1 innings last year.
Pick 479: Dylan Alonso, right-handed pitcher from Troy University
Rated by MLB as the 138th best player in the draft and by Baseball America at 111, DeVaughan is the type of guy who could get some signing bonus overage to try to lure him away from the University of Alabama.
Pick 599: Riley McDonald, two-way player from State College of Florida
With their final pick today, the Royals selected McDonald, interestingly calling him an infielder and right-handed pitcher out of a junior college in Florida.
Dave Roberts had only one real request for his team in their first-half finale on Sunday.
Play. Clean. Baseball.
Once again, it was too tall an ask.
In a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks that sent the team into the All-Star break on an unsatisfying (and unsatisfactory) note, the Dodgers continued their puzzlingly poor run of play over the last week.
“Some mental lapses, some physical lapses,” manager Dave Roberts said. “This last week has just been below average for sure.”
Tommy Edman celebrates after hitting a two-run double. Getty Images
Indeed, there were once again errors on defense, with a dropped ball by Andy Pages in the fifth and a bad throw from Max Muncy in the sixth directly leading to unearned runs that helped Arizona erase an early 3-0 deficit.
Also, again, there was sloppy pitching and wasteful offense, with the Dodgers managing just three hits at the plate while watching their pitching staff succumb to walks, balks and poorly-timed mistakes.
As a result, the club lost its fourth game out of the last five, dropped three in a row for the first time in exactly two months and suffered its first series sweep of the year as it heads into the All-Star break.
Most of it, in hindsight, felt so self-inflicted.
All of it, undoubtedly, served as sources of frustration.
“It’s just one of those stretches for us right now,” Muncy said. “I think everyone’s ready for the break.”
Shohei Ohtani hits a ground ball during the fifth inning. AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
Sunday started well enough for the Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch of the day out to center for a leadoff home run, then sparked another rally in the third with a leadoff double that eventually set Tommy Edman up for a two-run single.
After that, however, the Dodgers wouldn’t record another hit.
And on the other side of the ball, they opened one door after another to let the Dbacks back into the game.
Following back-to-back doubles off Emmet Sheehan in the fifth, Pages dropped a relatively routine fly ball that led to another score. In the sixth, a leadoff walk from Sheehan and a passed ball from backup catcher Eliezer Alfonzo created another Dbacks threat.
With runners on the corners later in the inning, Muncy got a ground ball at third but hit Geraldo Perdomo in the back while trying to throw home. That allowed Perdomo to score the tying run. Ildemaro Vargas then gave Arizona the lead with an RBI single in the following at-bat.
“The ball took me to my right, so instinctively I just went home,” said Muncy, explaining why he didn’t go to second for a potential double-play. “And the runner did his job by getting inside the line, and it just clipped his shoulder.” The throw was on line, but not on line because he was in the way.”
In the ninth, Arizona added insurance when Tim Tawa took Evan Phillips deep.
And in the end, the Dodgers put a disappointing bookend on their sloppiest week of the season.
Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch of the day out to center for a leadoff home run. AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
What it means
Going back to Tuesday’s loss to the Colorado Rockies, when a couple late errors effectively gave the game away, the Dodgers have put up ugly marks in most facets of the game.
Most glaring is their defense, which committed just 24 errors in their first 92 games but has stunningly combined for nine in the five games since (leading to eight total unearned runs in that span).
However, the pitching has also been spotty, highlighted by 19 walks, two hit batters, three wild pitches and two balks during this five-game rut.
And the offense hasn’t been bailing anyone out, going just 6-for-35 with runners in scoring position over that same span.
It hasn’t cost the Dodgers (61-36) the best first-half record in the majors. It’s also put only the slightest of dents into what is now an 11 ½ game lead in the National League West.
Still, Roberts was clearly irked even before Sunday’s dud. The search for cleaner baseball goes on, but will now have to wait until the season resumes next Friday on the East Coast.
Who’s hot
The biggest part of Ohtani’s day was slated to happen after Sunday’s game, with the two-way star scheduled to have his ailing knee drained and receive a pain-relieving injection.
But first, the four-time MVP made his latest mark at the plate, finishing his first half as a hitter strong by collecting his 22nd home run, recording his 58th RBI and hitting the All-Star break with a .293 average and .952 OPS.
Now, he’ll take the next couple days to let his knee rest –– which the Dodgers hope will allow him to resume full-time two-way duties when the schedule starts back up.
Who’s not
Hard to pick just one Dodger right now, but Muncy stands out because of his recent struggles on both sides of the ball.
The All-Star third baseman endured a quiet homestand at the plate, batting just .207 with two doubles, no homers and three RBIs. The bigger problems, however, were with the glove, where Muncy’s once-standout defensive season took a quick and ugly turn.
Sunday marked the third-straight game Muncy committed an error (he only had five errors all season previously). In that stretch, he has also missed a couple hard ground balls that were ruled for hits.
On multiple occasions, his frustration was evident.
“Just going through slumps,” Muncy said. “You just try to weather it.”
Up next
With the exception of Ohtani, the Dodgers’ other five All-Stars (plus manager Dave Roberts and his coaching staff) will head to Philadelphia for this week’s All-Star festivities. The team will be back in action next Friday, when it begins a three-city road trip with a three-game set against the Yankees.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 12: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics exits the game the fifth inning of the a game between the Athletics and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 12, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Griffin Quinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s couldn’t manage to escape the South Side with a win, getting swept by the White Sox 9-1 to wrap up the first half.
Righty J.T. Ginn was off today. After the A’s gave him a quick lead in the first he coughed that right back, allowing six runs in the first inning to put the squad in an early hole they wouldn’t come out of.
The tough part about today was all of the offense came in the first inning off the bat of Shea Langeliers. Other than that, nothing. The offense continues to run silent during this critical stretch.
Now the team has a little less than a week off, Hopefully they can take the time off and figure things out.
Jul 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) steals second base ahead of the tag of San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) during the fifth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 4 Padres 3
A rough eight cost them.
Hoffman in. Xander Bogaerts, leading off, ground one softly (63.4 mph) up the middle, but between second and short. Ernie Clement got to it too deep to make a play. Bogaerts stole second. Manny Machado lined a single to center, scoring the run. Gavin Sheets ground one at Andrés Giménez, but Clements was slow getting to second so they couldn’t get the lead runner. The out at first wasn’t enough. I didn’t understand why Clements couldn’t get to the bag before the base runner. They had a shot at a double play. After that, a steal of third and a sac fly brought in the go ahead run. That was the game.
Barker talked about it after and watching it, again, I still don’t get what Ernie was doing.
And the bottom of the ninth went too quick. Ground out, pop out, strikeout.
Kevin Gausman had one bad inning. In the second he gave up a Machado single, Sheets walk, Ty France singled (scoring one). Jake Cronemworth singled to load the bases. A pop out got us one out. A walk scored run number two. Fernando Tatis struckout, but there was a rather weird balk in there. Gausman threw out of the stretch, instead of the windup with the bases loaded. Earlier he had told the plate umpire that’s what he was going to do, but not that time. I’m always unclear on balk rules, but I don’t think that I’ve seen that one before.
He got out of the inning after that, and went 6.0. Three hits and a walk that inning, one hit, two walks in the other five, with eight strikeouts total.
Tyler Rogers pitched a quick seventh.
Offensively:
One in the first: Nathan Lukes homered.
Two in the fourth: With two out, Andrés Giménez doubled and Ernie Clement homered.
One in the eighth: Kazuma Okamonto led off with a single. Two outs later, Alejandro Kirk (pinch hitting for Sean Keys) was intentionally walked. Jonatan Clase singled the run in.
We should have scored more. We had nine hits (two home runs) and three walks.
Clase and Okamoto had two hits each. Vladimir Guerrero (with a walk) and Sean Keys had 0 fors.
We had two on in the second, two on in the third, one on in the fifth. We were two for nine with RISP.
Jays of the Day: Clase (0.26 WPA), Okamoto (0.11
Other Award: Hoffman (-0.55, some of that belongs to Clement), Varsho (-0.11) and Valenzuela (-0.09) anad Keys (-0.09).
Tennessee's Tegan Kuhns (21) throws a pitch during a baseball game between Tennessee and Wright State in Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, March 6, 2026. | Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 Major Legue Baseball Draft is now in our rearview mirror. While it wasn’t a 2024 or 2025-esque firestorm of Tennessee Volunteers flying off the board, Tennessee still had a solid six players selected over the two-day event.
Let’s take a closer look at who went where.
CB-A, No. 32: Tegan Kuhns, St. Louis Cardinals
The headliner was, of course, Tennessee ace Tegan Kuhns. He had been projected from anywhere as high as 24 to Seattle down to below where he was taken, which was at No. 32 overall by the St. Louis Cardinals.
Yes, the Cardinals. For the second straight year, St. Louis tabbed the top of Tennessee’s pitching rotation early in the draft. Last year, St. Louis took Liam Doyle with the No. 5 overall pick.
Kuhns was the second player taken by the Cardinals in the top 32 this year. With pick No. 13, St. Louis also tabbed Tennessee commit OF Trevor Condon out of Etowah High School in Woodstock Georgia.
So, Tennessee fans should have a keen eye on St. Louis to see where the progam’s ace pitchers from 2025-26 end up, as well as who could have been their freshman superstar in 2027.
Rd 6, No. 191: Henry Ford, Seattle Mariners
Tennessee’s biggest bat from 2026 finds his new home, and he’ll be joining a team that certainly has the pitching, but still needs to find some answers at the plate.
Ford slugged a team-high 20 home runs last year, which put his total at 48 for his three collegiate years. Without question, he showed he has high upside at the plate from a power perspective at the MLB level. But his batting average dropped off pretty heavily in 2026 from his previous two seasons at Virginia. He posted a .293 average after hitting .362 in 2024 for the Cavaliers.
Opportunity is there for Ford, and he’ll hit his fair share of long home runs with a path to move up — if he can continue to make contact.
Rd 7, No. 219: Bo Rhudy, Philadelphia Phillies
Not a bad franchise to land with as far as being a consistent winner. Rhudy ended up putting together a very nice stat line in his one year at Tennessee: 3.38 ERA, 41 Ks, six walks.
His unorthodox delivery and arm slot should help him out at the big-league level and continue to give him a slight edge by deceiving hitters.
Rd 8, No. 229: Garrett Wright, Los Angeles Angels
Another Vol is headed to Orange County, California. Wright joins Christian Moore and Ben Joyce in the Angels organization. He was a crucial part of Tennessee’s offense last year, hitting an impressive .348 with nine homers and 17 RBIs. A catcher and outfielder, he has some added benefit with positional flexibility.
Rd 12, No. 367: Brandon Arvidson, Chicago Cubs
Arvidson was certainly an important part of the Vols’ pen last year, appearing in 16 games with one start and logging 37.1 innings. He doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but the 6-5, 210-pound lefty has the frame and delivery to be a problem for hitters with proper development.
Rd 13, No. 381: Evan Blanco, Athletics
Last but not least, one third of the Vols’ weekend rotation gets the nod in Round 13 by the (future Las Vegas) Athletics. He doesn’t have the Kuhns-type stuff, but he wasn’t all that far behind the Vols’ ace in strikeouts (101 in 89 IP vs. Kuhns’ 106 in 81). However, he gave up a team-high 17 home runs. He’ll have to learn how to avoid mistakes to get by with his arsenal at the next level.
Emmet Sheehan (80) battled through 5⅓ strong innings, and Shohei Ohtani belted his ninth leadoff homer, but the Dodgers were swept for the first time this season. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers needed to turn things around Sunday to wrap up the first half on a high note. Manager Dave Roberts said as much the night before.
“When you give teams free bases, extra outs, it’s hard to win a game, regardless of the opponent,” he said. “Emmet [Sheehan] needs to go out there and throw the baseball well tomorrow. We’ve got to find a way to win a game tomorrow to feel somewhat better about going into the break.”
Instead, the Dodgers fell to the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3, swept for the first time this season. It was Arizona’s first sweep at Dodger Stadium since September 2017.
“I guess,” Roberts said. “Gives guys a reset. ... We’ve got some good teams coming up and we’ve got to play good baseball.”
Sheehan at least did his job, holding the Diamondbacks to three runs in 5⅓ innings. It was clear from the first at-bat that his pitch count could limit how deep he pitched into the game. Sheehan won a 14-pitch battle to strike out Ketel Marte.
The right-hander then struck out the side and was efficient enough to pitch into the sixth. He exited after his pitch count reached 101.
Max Muncy swings at a pitch in the seventh inning. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Shohei Ohtani sparked the offense with his ninth leadoff home run of the season — and 22nd overall — on a two-hit day. But he’ll get treatment this week instead of playing in the All-Star Game.
It wasn’t a clean defensive game for the Dodgers. In the midst of the Diamondbacks’ two-run fifth, All-Star center fielder Andy Pages tracked a long fly back to the wall but missed the catch as the ball bounced off his glove for an error.
In the sixth, the tying run scored when All-Star third baseman Max Muncy’s throw to the plate hit Geraldo Perdomo in the back as he ran home for another error.
“Just a slump,” Muncy said. “You go through slumps both offensively and defensively, mentally. It’s just one of those stretches for us right now, and I think everyone’s ready for the break.”
Regardless of some sloppiness, the Dodgers have had a successful season going into the break.
“Just flush it,” Roberts said. “We’re still in a really good spot. Don’t let it carry over to the second half.”
They have the best record in the majors (61-36) and an 11½-game lead in the National League West. They also had six players selected as All-Stars.
So, as Major League Baseball pauses play and honors some of the best performers in each league, now’s a good time to hand out our first-half awards.
MVP: Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani follows through on a double in the third inning. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Who else? Ohtani’s the frontrunner for the NL most valuable player — not just these unofficial first-half awards — for his two-way performance.
He’s been a top performer both on the mound and in the batter’s box. He entered Sunday among the top three in the league in offensive fWAR (26.6) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.940). And his 1.79 earned-run average ranked second among NL pitchers who have thrown at least 50 innings. He remains in the Cy Young conversation, despite pitching only 85 ⅔ innings in the first half because of the Dodgers’ six-man rotation and a missed start stemming from an irritated left knee.
Honorable mention: Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy
Cy Young: Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Yamamoto has carried this rotation through both performance (2.85 ERA) and workload, leading the team with 110⅔ innings.
Last month, he carried a perfect game into the eighth inning and no-hitter into the ninth against the Chicago White Sox. That was one of two starts of at least eight innings that he’s authored. He’s thrown six or more innings in all but two starts.
Pitcher Justin Wrobleski holds an All-Star jersey during a pregame ceremony honoring the Dodgers' All-Stars. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
This time last year, Wrobleski was moving back and forth between triple A and the majors, providing length out of the bullpen after making changes to his delivery.
Coming into this season, a regular rotation spot was not guaranteed. Now, he’s an All-Star. And in a star-powered rotation, he has the second-best ERA (2.69) and has pitched the second-most innings (100⅓).
Honorable mention: Tanner Scott, Dalton Rushing, Andy Pages
Second-half breakout candidate: Kiké Hernández
Dodgers infielder Kiké Hernández high-fives his daughter, Penelope, after she threw out the ceremonial first pitch Sunday at Dodger Stadium. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
Hernández has been on the field for only four plate appearances, exiting because of a strained left oblique in just his second game back from offseason surgery on his left elbow. But he recorded a hit in each of those plate appearances, including a pair of doubles.
Hernández, on the verge of a rehab assignment, is on a faster track to return than Roberts initially expected.
Others to watch: Edwin Díaz, Edgardo Henriquez, Alex Freeland, Kyle Tucker
Jul 12, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg (16) loses his helmet on a swing during the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies fell to the San Francisco Giants in yet another close, low-scoring game in the Bay Area. This afternoon’s series finale was the last of 17 straight games the Rockies had to play before the All-Star Break. After a hard fought close series in Los Angeles, the Rockies lost four of their final five games of the half.
“It’s disappointing,” said manager Warren Schaeffer after the game. “We come expecting to win every night, but the season isn’t over yet.”
The season so far has been full of ups and downs, but has also been infinitely more watchable. The Rockies finish the first half with a 39-59 record, a full 17 games better than they were at the All-Star break in last year’s 119-loss campaign.
Now the Rockies will take a well deserved rest in preparation for the true dog days of summer: the second half of the MLB season.
“We’ll come back and get after it on Friday,” said Schaeffer.
Lorenzen gets the job done
Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen wasn’t necessarily sharp, but he gutted his way through five innings while only giving up one earned run to Giants hitters. Lorenzen entered today’s game having given up more than two earned runs in just one of his last six starts while going at least five innings in all but one outing during that same stretch.
Lorenzen struck out just one batter while giving up five hits and issuing three walks. That one strikeout came in the first inning against Rafael Devers, who came to the plate with runners on first and second with just one out. The Giants would fail to score that inning. Lorenzen worked just two 1-2-3 innings–the second and fifth–and dealt with frequent traffic, but really only had one truly bad inning where the Giants were able to capitalize. In the fourth inning, Lorenzen gave up a walk and back-to-back singles with two outs, allowing the Giants to score their first run of the game. He then issued a walk, but was able to navigate out of the inning with no further damage.
Jake McCarthy—who has been an electric acquisition for the Rockies this season—kicked off the game with a leadoff inside-the-park home run. It was his second such feat of the season and put the Rockies ahead early.
McCarthy becomes the just the third Rockies player in franchise history to hit two inside-the-park home runs in a single season–joining Brandon Barnes in 2014 and Charlie Blackmon in 2017–and is also the first player to hit two leadoff inside-the-park home runs since 1929.
“If anybody’s going to do it, it’s going to be Jake,” Schaeffer said of the accomplishment when informed after the game.
In addition, Hunter Goodman went 2-for-2 and the Rockies lineup as a whole struck out just six times.
That sadly does it for the positives, as the Rockies’ offense was whisper quiet for most of their final game of the first half. Outside of those two Goodman hits and the McCarthy home run, the Rockies had just one other hit. It came off the bat of Tyler Freeman in the fifth inning.
With the Rockies down to their final out in the ninth inning, rookie center fielder Cole Carrigg fought valiantly to keep the game alive. He worked an 11-pitch at-bat with a full count and fouled the ball off six times. Unfortunately, a sliding catch by Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee in shallow right field cemented the Rockies’ loss.
Relievers Brennan Bernardino and Jimmy Herget combined to give up just one hit and one walk over their two innings of relief for Lorenzen. Each pitcher recorded a strikeout.
Where things fell apart was when Antonio Senzatela entered the game in the eighth inning.
Senzatela issued a leadoff walk to Devers and a single to Bryce Eldridge to put a runner in scoring position. The pinch runner for Eldridge stole second base and an errant throw from Goodman ended up in the outfield allowing Devers to score the go-ahead run for San Francisco. A Willy Adames single plated another run to put the Rockies behind 3-1 in what would be the final score of the game.
After an incredibly strong start to the season, Senzatela has faltered as the months wear on. Since the start of June, he had a 6.60 ERA over his last 13 appearances, although his 3.17 FIP in that stretch indicates he’s also gotten unlucky.
Coming Up Next
The Rockies are off until Friday for the Midsummer Classic in Philadelphia, where Hunter Goodman will be their sole representative. After the break, they will start a three game series against the Cincinnati Reds at home.
The first game of that series will start at 6:40 PM MDT with right-handed pitcher Brady Singer on the bump for the Redlegs. The Rockies have yet to announce who will start for them.
The Mets closed out their disappointing first half on Sunday afternoon with a heartbreaking loss against the Boston Red Sox, wasting rookie Zach Thornton’s incredible performance in just his third major league start.
The left-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out five and throwing just 82 pitches (56 strikes). It was the best outing of Thornton’s young career which has seen him only make sporadic starts for New York – one in May, one in June and one in July.
But after his dominant outing, Thornton, at least for now, has earned a spot in the rotation and will make his next start for the Mets at some point after the All-Star break.
“We’ve been mostly floating with four starters for a while, so to have him step up and throw the baseball the way he did we’ll take a lot of encouragement from that because we’ve been needing that from someone and you can see he’s unafraid and you can see he’s on the attack,” interim manager Andy Green said. “So as painful as this moment is, those are good signs for our future to see a young guy step on the mound and pitch like that.”
Through three starts, Thornton owns a 2.60 ERA (0.92 WHIP) in 17.1 innings. His last start against the Philadelphia Phillies, which came on June 26, was also a good one. He pitched six innings while giving up one earned run on five hits and a walk. He also struck out seven and kept his pitch count to 78 pitches, 54 of them being strikes.
The back-to-back solid outings by the left-hander is a great sign, considering his struggles during his MLB debut against the Washington Nationals on May 20, in which he allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings.
“[Thornton is] just a guy who can mix and attack with aggression and he just needs to continue to repeat that and step on the mound,” Green said. “Not every time is it gonna be seven scoreless… but for us that is what we want to see out of him. There’s days that he’ll pop it up to 95 [mph] and he can use that to punch guys late in counts. Didn’t see a lot of that today, didn’t need a lot of that today so just encouraged three starts in. We know he's unafraid.”
After the game Thornton was asked about his performance and what it is he needs to do to continue pitching like he did on Sunday.
“Just get back to what I do best and throwing strikes with all five pitches,” the rookie southpaw said. “I'm super excited to be here and just keep contributing to getting wins around here.”
The 24-year-old also mentioned that his teammates giving him words of encouragement has helped too.
“I think I belong anywhere,” Thornton said.
After all, Thornton earned his right for the call-up earlier this season after owning a 3.32 ERA in 48 games (39 starts) in his career in the minor leagues, making him the next highly touted Mets pitching prospect.
Thornton joins fellow rookie starters Nolan McLean and Christian Scott in the team's starting rotation, both of whom have shined as well. Meanwhile other pitching prospects are waiting in the wings for their opportunity to take the mound.
“Thornton was really good in his third major league start against a lineup that has hit left-handed pitching all season long, and Luis Torrens called a great game for him,” Green said. “They kept hitters off balance the entire game, he missed barrels the entire game, he got some punchouts, and it was fun to see. Encouraging for us as we look to round out the rotation.”
In a season where very little has gone right for New York, perhaps Thornton is a bright spot worth keeping an eye on as the Mets look to the future.
Ole Miss' Austin Fawley (24) strikes out against Mississippi State in Oxford, Miss. on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Bruce Newman/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Day two of the 2026 MLB Draft is now complete and five more Rebels will now have a choice to make between signing with the clubs that drafted them or returning to Ole Miss and attempting to improve their draft position.
Interestingly enough none of Judd Utermark, Will Furniss or Tristan Bissetta were selected in the 20 round draft. It was also announced that Hunter Elliott was returning to Oxford and withdrawing from the draft.
Wil Libbert was the first off the board on Sunday, going to the Atlanta Braves in the 5th round (144th overall). Libbert is an interesting one regarding his decision to stay or sign. He could become a weekend guy for the Rebels or opt to start his pro career in a $500,000 signing slot.
The New York Mets took another Rebel hurler in the eighth round, selecting Landon Koenig 240th overall.
Bullpen arm Landon Waters was taken in the 17th round by the Toronto Blue Jays and is likely to return to Oxford.
The Atlanta Braves double dipped and took Austin Fawley in the 19th round. With Drake Baldwin set to be the Braves catcher for the next decade plus, Fawley would be wise to return to Ole Miss and have a more consistent year at the plate.
Rounding out the Rebel draft picks is JP Robertson, taken by the San Francisco Giants 598th overall (out of 613 total).
If any of the three big bats sign free agent deals to with a minor league team, the Cup will be here to update you.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 12: Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) scores a run during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 12, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The silver lining for the Dodgers on Sunday is that they did not lose in lopsided fashion. But they did fall to the Diamondbacks for a third consecutive day, this time a more conventional 5-3 win for Arizona that capped off a series sweep and a deflating final week before the All-Star break.
Fielding miscues plagued the Dodgers this week, as nine errors in the last five games is no way to make a living. Two errors cropped up Sunday. Andy Pages dropped a fly ball during the two-run fifth inning, then Max Muncy’s throw home hit a smartly-positioned Geraldo Perdomo, facilitating the two-run sixth inning that gave the Diamondbacks the lead for good.
That spoiled a promising start by Emmet Sheehan, who struck out seven against only one walk in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs but only one of them were earned.
Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch of the game for a solo home run, his fourth in six games, and also doubled. Ohtani had two home runs in the series against Arizona, which matched Diamondbacks first baseman Tim Tawa for the weekend.
Tawa drove in seven runs in the series, one fewer than the Dodgers scored as a team. It was that kind of a weekend for Los Angeles.
The All-Star break is here. But first, several Dodgers will be in Philadelphia for the All-Star Game on Tuesday (5 p.m. PT, Fox). Next real game is Friday in The Bronx against the New York Yankees (4:05 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, MLB Network).
KNOXVILLE, TN - MAY 31: Wake Forest Demon Deacons infielder Dalton Wentz (1) throws to first base during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Miami (OH) RedHawks on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After two days, 20 rounds, and more than 600 names announced (some even with correct pronunciations!), the 2026 MLB Draft has come to a close. It was a very fun one for the Giants … after a few years of losing picks due to the Qualifying Offer, the Giants had their full slate this time around … and then added an extra pick in the top 30 when they traded Patrick Bailey, all while getting lucky in the lottery and landing the No. 4 overall pick.
What follows is a breakdown of the final 10 selections that the Giants made on draft day.
If you want to read about the earlier picks, here are the links:
The Giants kicked off the second half of the draft with a player who posted comical numbers this year: first baseman Charlie Bussey III, a right-handed hitter out of Francis Marion, taken with the No. 328 pick. Obviously players are drafted first and foremost based on scouting their live mechanics, which is good because it’s hard to know how much stock to put into smaller school stats. Bussey is Example A: in the Division II Conference Carolinas, playing against competition such as Ferrum College and Shorter University, Bussey hit a truly laughable .489/.604/.866 with 21 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 60 games, while walking well over twice as frequently as he struck out.
I think I speak for everyone when I say that he’ll be a good Major Leaguer if he can keep those numbers up at the next level.
Perhaps more importantly, Bussey, who turns 23 in December and is listed at 6’2, 205, played in the Cape Cod League this summer, where he hit 6-27 with one double, nine walks, seven strikeouts, and three stolen bases. He was the D2 National Player of the Year this season, which is a great honor … remember that not all great players and prospects come from big name schools, as Bo Davidson frequently reminds us.
In the 12th round, with the No. 358 pick, the Giants took their fourth player who has some serious MLB bloodlines: prep outfielder Josiah Kemp, from Choctaw High School in Oklahoma. Kemp, a right-handed hitter, is the nephew of three-time All-Star Matt Kemp, whom the Giants were all too familiar with given his excellent run with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kemp, who has a commitment to Oklahoma that the Giants will have to buy him out of, is an exceptionally athletic and twitchy outfielder. He’s fairly lean, but projects to fill out as he grows. If he can maintain his speed and agility as he adds strength, he could become a very intriguing two-way player. He has good speed with both his bat and legs. The Giants need more athletes, and they just got one. Kemp was the No. 311 prospect on Baseball America’s big board.
With their 13th-round selection, No. 388 overall, San Francisco turned to Arkansas left-handed pitcher Colin Fisher. The soon-to-turn 22-year old saw his stock drop a little bit in his third year with the Razorbacks, and he finished the season with a 5.59 ERA and a 4.80 FIP while getting moved to the bullpen after 10 starts. That rough start probably cost him a few rounds in the draft, but there’s still a lot to like, as evidenced by the fact that Fisher still was listed as the No. 268 draft prospect on Baseball America’s big board.
Fisher has a good frame, with a listed height of 6’3 and 225 pounds. His curveball is his best pitch, but to this point he has struggled to put together a competitive fastball. Needless to say, that will be something he needs to address in the Minor Leagues if he wants to have success at the next level. He did have good command though, as he only walked 17 batters in 56.1 innings this year. With three years at Arkansas on his ledger, he’s someone that Tony Vitello will have had some experience watching and playing against. Like so many prospects, Fisher also pitched in the Cape Cod League this year, where he had a 4.70 ERA in 15.1 innings, with nine strikeouts and six walks.
San Francisco continued the pitching theme in the 14th round, taking Houston right-hander Alex Solis with the No. 418 pick. Solis, who is listed at 6’1, 190, and turns 22 in December, doesn’t have very good college stats, but that’s not unusual at this part of the draft. This past year, which was his junior season, was his best year, as he posted a 5.50 ERA and a 4.05 FIP while working almost entirely in relief. Solis cut his walk rate nearly in half this year, issuing just 11 bases on balls in 37.2 innings, with 37 strikeouts.
While his numbers aren’t great, he certainly has experience playing against decent competition, as he spent all three of his collegiate years at Houston in the Big 12. Given his role in college, it seems likely that the Giants will jump straight to using Solis as a reliever in the Minor Leagues.
In the 15th round, with the 448 selection, the Giants chose third baseman Drew Smith from Oregon. Smith had a spectacular year in the Big 10, hitting .342/.425/.622 for a 1.047 OPS and a 139 wRC+. He showed off some serious power gains, with 16 home runs in 272 plate appearances … after just 12 homers in 496 prior plate appearances.
So why was he available in the 15th round, when he finished 15th in a quality conference in OPS, just a few percentage points behind No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky? A few reasons. For starters, Smith was a four-year college player, so he’s on the older side. Having turned 23 last month, Smith is only nine months younger than the other Oregon third baseman in the Giants system, Sabin Ceballos … who has already logged more than 700 plate appearances in AA. The other primary reason is that, despite his .342 batting average, Smith had a 25.0% strikeout rate in his senior year at Oregon, which is incredibly high for a college player, especially a four-year player.
Still and all, late in the draft the Giants got a guy with good power, who hits the ball incredibly hard, and has a track record of success at a good baseball school, while playing a defensively important position (he also has some defensive versatility, as he’s played second base and the outfield). That’s always a win in my book! And when he makes it to High-A, he’ll have plenty of experience at the ballpark, as the Eugene Emeralds share a field with the Oregon Ducks, where Smith played all four of his collegiate seasons.
After a pause, the draft resumed for the 16th round, where the Giants got a very exciting player: Wake Forest third baseman Dalton Wentz. A powerful switch-hitter, Wentz was projected to be drafted at the start of the day, if not at the end of Saturday … he was ranked as the No. 165 prospect by MLB Pipeline, No. 170 by Baseball America, and No. 188 by ESPN. As such, the Giants will surely have to use some of their savings from earlier underslot signings to facilitate a Wentz signing, as he’ll likely command something like a sixth-round bonus … perhaps higher given that he was a draft-eligible sophomore, so he can head back to school.
Wentz, who was a Freshman All-American, had a spectacular 2026 in his second season of college ball. He slashed .306/.414/.629 on the year, with 18 home runs in 60 games, which was tied for fifth in the ACC. He’s a serious power hitter, for better and for worse — his .323 isolated slugging was an outrageously good number, while his 22.7% strikeout rate surely gave scouts pause. He’s a very aggressive hitter, also for better or for worse, with strikeouts driven more by swing decisions than contact ability (although, despite that, he had a 15.1% walk rate).
Despite his size (he’s listed at 6’2, 215), Wentz also plays second base, though his future is almost certainly at a corner, be it in the infield or the outfield. His biggest strength on defense is, fittingly, his arm strength. Ultimately, the Giants got an extremely-powerful switch-hitter who will turn 21 later this month, about 10 rounds later than he was projected to go. That’s extremely exciting, though whether or not they can sign him now becomes one of the biggest questions of their 2026 draft class.
In the 17th round, with the No. 508 pick, the Giants got an extremely Giantsy player: Western Michigan outfielder Tanner Mally. A right-handed hitter who is about to turn 22, Mally has a whole lot of Wade Meckler in his game. His contact ability is truly absurd: this year he posted an almost unbelievable .446 batting average, with a .554 on-base percentage (and while the Mid-American Conference isn’t the best baseball in the world, it is D1). And he did all of that while striking out just 13 times in 243 plate appearances.
The downside? He ends his college career without having recorded a single home run, in nearly 500 plate appearances. So not a lot of power in that bat. But my goodness can he hit, and he’s got some speed as well, and used it to steal 19 bases this season. That speed has allowed him to become a quality defensive player in the outfield, and I would expect the Giants to develop him in the center of the grass.
Mally also played summer ball last year in the Coastal Plain League, where he hit .316/.446/.393, with only eight strikeouts in 148 plate appearances (funnily enough, despite the donut in college, he hit two homers in summer ball). He’ll be a fun player to follow, and we know the Giants will be enamored with his skillset.
The Giants returned to pitchers in the 18th round, selecting UC Irvine southpaw Ryder Brooks with the No. 538 pick. After having subpar results as a starter in 2025, Brooks returned to the bullpen this past year for his junior season. The overall results were mixed — he posted a 4.86 ERA and a 3.59 FIP — but the move to the pen helped Brooks decrease his walk rate, while his strikeouts took off. In all, he struck out 41 batters in 33.1 innings, while only walking 11 (though he did hit seven batters).
A three-year Anteater, Brooks pitched in the Cape Cod League last summer and struck out 12 batters in nine innings, though he walked seven. Brooks has an incredibly smooth and repeatable motion, with a highish release that induces a lot of ground balls. He lives in the low-90s currently, so his fastball has a lot of room for improvement, but his sweeper is a very nice pitch.
With their penultimate pick of the draft, No. 568 overall, the Giants picked another third baseman, Mikey Bell from Gonzaga. A right-handed hitter who grew up in Fresno, Bell has a lot of power, and in 2026 hit .379/.456/.607 with nine home runs in 54 games, en route to West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors (he won the award in both of his seasons with Gonzaga, after transferring from a community college). He also showed off some considerable contact improvements, lowering his strikeout rate from 20.4% in 2025 to 14.2% this past season.
Despite lowering that strikeout rate, Bell, who is 22, has a good amount of chase in his game, and will likely strike out a lot in the Minors unless he makes some adjustments. But his power plays to all parts of the field, and that led to him sneaking into the Baseball America top 500 draft prospects list, at No. 444. There’s also a lot left to untap there: Bell posted better exit velocities than his power numbers would suggest. He’s spent some time in the outfield, and could end up at a corner there, or at first base.
While Bell won’t be as hard to sign as Wentz, he’ll likely command a decent bonus, as he was scheduled to transfer from Gonzaga to Georgia. An SEC school offers a lot more NIL money and a better chance to showcase himself against top talent before potentially entering the draft as a fifth-year senior, so the Giants will have to compete with that.
And finally we arrive at the team’s 20th-round pick … their 21st and final selection of the draft. With the No. 598 pick in the draft, the Giants returned to the defining position of their draft by selecting right-handed pitcher JP Robertson from Mississippi.
Robertson spent just one year at Mississippi after transferring from a community college, and ended the season with a 4.34 ERA and a 4.25 FIP. He worked almost exclusively as a reliever, and had some serious punchout stuff, as he recorded 49 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, which is very impressive in the SEC. He has some notable command issues to work through, though, as he also issued 21 walks.
But there’s a lot to work with there, as Robertson has some serious power. He lives in the mid-upper 90s, and has tickled triple digits on the radar gun. His cutter has a lot of movement, and he also has an intriguing slider. Despite his command issues, he has a compact delivery that should be fairly repeatable. Robertson will likely be used as a pure power reliever, and that’s something the system has been awfully short on this year.
And that’s the 2026 draft for the Giants! For stats and videos on all 21 picks, go check out our draft tracker.
A huge thanks to all the great publications and prospectors who help provide so much information pertaining to the draft. A special thanks to Bluesky users EB and Giant Futures, whose posts helped me fill out my understanding of these 10 players. Give them a follow.
Jul 12, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (1) third baseman Austin Riley (27) and first baseman Matt Olson (28) walk off the field after the Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Remember when I asked in the headline of the Pirates series recap if the Atlanta Braves had finally found that spark at the plate that they’d been looking for? As it turned out, they probably haven’t found that spark because we ended up watching them fall into yet another extended period of struggling as the first 18 innings of this series saw the Braves get completely clamped at the plate by the Cardinals.
Also, a trend that has been killing Atlanta’s pitching staff lately was on full display throughout this series. It’s honestly fitting that the Cardinals were the ones who exposed it since it’s the type of situation that historically makes sense for the Cardinals to do damage in but it’s also something that the Braves have been dealing with for far too long so far this season. Let’s see if you pick up on it throughout this piece, yourself. Time to take a look back at the weekend that was for Atlanta.
We got our requisite rain delay for a matchup between these two clubs and unfortunately for the Braves, that meant that what was shaping up to be yet another solid start from Chris Sale got wiped out. With that being said, the bullpen did a decent enough job of keeping the Cardinals mostly quiet at the plate and the trio of Sale, Victor Mederos and Didier Fuentes went six innings with four hits, two walks, nine strikeouts and just one run allowed so it was effectively another full Sale start.
We unfortunately got another hallmark of a 2026 Chris Sale start, which is that the run support was non-existent. Once the nearly three-hour rain delay came to a close, the Braves scratched across a run thanks to Austin Riley shooting one up the middle to plate Mike Yastrzemski (who took a trip to the IL on Saturday) and that was all that Atlanta would get on the night.
St. Louis, meanwhile, picked up a game-tying run in the sixth after Didier Fuentes saw three-straight Cardinals reach base safely with one out (with Jordan Walker’s RBI single tying the game) and then Jimmy Crooks got a two-strike hanger from Danny Young in the eighth inning in order to hit his third-career homer that ended up being the game-winner. Another long night at the ballpark ended in defeat for Atlanta.
For the second night in a row, the Braves just could not get anything going at the plate and their success in Pittsburgh seemed like a distant memory once this game was over. Reynaldo López got to two strikes and two outs with two men on against Lars Nootbaar in the first inning but ended up paying the price for leaving a curveball in the zone as Nootbaar crushed it for a three-run dinger to make it 3-0 Cardinals. He once again got to two strikes and two outs in the fourth inning and this time, Blaze Jordan sent one up the middle to make it 4-0 Cardinals.
The Braves had another shot against the struggling Matthew Liberatore and for the second time, they made him look like a Cy Young candidate. Liberatore ended up tossing six scoreless innings where he only gave up four hits and a walk with six strikeouts, to boot. Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II were the only two batters to make it into scoring position against Liberatore in this one and it came in the first and sixth inning. Outside of that, the Braves continued to be befuddled by a guy who the rest of baseball seems to have figured out.
Mauricio Dubón continued to be the most consistent hitter at the plate for the Braves since their current month-and-a-half-long downturn in form as he cracked a dinger that ensured that the Braves wouldn’t get shut out. Eli White doubled later on in the frame with one out but the Braves got nothing else going from that point forward and Atlanta had no choice but to accept yet another series loss. Michael Harris II had a crazy day in the field, though, so there’s that.
With two strikes and two outs and a man on second base in the first inning, Alec Burleson somehow got solid contact on a hanging sinker from Danny Young that was out of the zone. Once the ball landed, Mauricio Dubón was chasing after it and the Cardinals were up by a run to start things off. Fortunately, Atlanta responded pretty quickly and scored in the second inning after Dustin May uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded. They could’ve had more in that frame but at that point, beggars couldn’t be choosers as far as the Braves were concerned and they just needed to take the run and try for more later on.
More ended up arriving in the fourth inning in dramatic fashion, as Austin Riley made it home on an aggressive send from third base coach Tommy Watkins on a single from Drake Baldwin to give the Braves the lead and their first game with multiple runs scored in this series. In fact, they even added on and made it a two-run lead in the sixth after Jim Jarvis and Brewer Hicklen went back-to-back with doubles (just like we all predicted back in February, right?) to make it 3-1.
Things got serious again once the Cardinals came to the plate in their half of the sixth inning. Didier Fuentes very nearly got out of a JR Ritchie-manufactured jam but (and I hope you’re sitting down for this) with two strikes and two outs in the inning, José Fermín got a hold of a fastball and looped it into center for a game-tying RBI single. It’d be unbelievable if it hadn’t happened all weekend and for the past few weeks to the Atlanta Braves.
Eventually the ninth inning rolled around and it was still a 3-3 game. Ozzie Albies got something going with a one-out double and then Michael Harris II kept the inning alive after he just about got hit by a pitch that was upheld on replay. The ruling infuriated Cardinals manager Oli Marmol, who got ejected for arguing the ruling and then I’d imagine that he was just as irate as the crowd was once he saw what happened in the next at-bat. With two strikes and two outs on the board, something finally went Atlanta’s way. Mauricio Dubón seemingly grounded into what should’ve been an inning-ending out but Masyn Winn uncorked a shambolic throw to first that extended the inning and, more importantly, allowed Ozzie Albies to score from third and give the Braves the lead.
Raisel Iglesias made his first appearance since Wednesday and sat down the Cardinals in order so that the Braves could salvage the series and at least ensure that Atlanta would be on top of the NL East heading into the All-Star break.
The Cardinals scored nine runs in this series. Six of those runs came in situations where the Braves were pitching with two strikes in the count and two outs on the board and seven of them came in situations with two strikes in the count. This series likely looks a lot different if the Braves had finished off those situations and while it would be easy to simply chalk it up to Cardinal Devil Magic, it actually sums up how the Braves have fared in that particular situation for the past month or so.
From June 1 heading into Sunday’s action, opposing hitters have slashed .188/.295/.325 with a .283 wOBA in two-strike two-out situations against the Atlanta Braves. That batting average is the eighth-worst number in all of baseball, the OBP is the worst in the National League, the slugging percentage is the fifth-worst in all of baseball and the wOBA mark is also the worst in the National League during that span. That is ghastly.
Sure, the offense has had its fair share of problems (and they certainly deserve much of the blame for how this series went) but it’s tough for the Braves to play their way out of a rough patch when they’re constantly tripping up in a situation that is seemingly the most advantageous moment in any given inning for a pitching staff. It’s frustrating and explains a lot for how some of these games have gotten away from Atlanta in recent times.
If any team in baseball needs the break, though, it’s the Braves. While they may not have the most players on the IL, there are enough big names and impact players on there that they badly need this time to recover. The bullpen has been sketchy in recent times so Walt Weiss should benefit from having a full-rested bullpen for the first time in what feels like ages. The games themselves have just felt like a slog lately, so this just feels like a solid time for Atlanta to regroup.
They’re still in first place but now they’ve got two teams breathing down their neck at the top of the NL East and the Wild Card race figures to be incredibly fierce should the Braves fall from the top of the divisional standings. Atlanta’s got to get things going again and hopefully they’ll hit the ground running once they’re back in action for Friday. For now, it’s time for the squad to take this time to retreat and figure something out for the second half of the season. We’ll see what happens.
PHOENIX, AZ - JUNE 23: Owen Kramkowski #48 poses for a photo during the 2026 Draft Combine at Arizona Grand Resort Phoenix on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Aryanna Frank/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In most cases, the number of players drafted is a strong indication of how good a college baseball team was the previous season. Arizona had nine draftees last year after reaching the College World Series, but following a disastrous 2026 campaign only two Wildcats heard their names called in the 2026 MLB Draft.
Right-handed pitcher Owen Kramkowski was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 5th round, while fellow righty Collin McKinney went in the 9th round to the Baltimore Orioles.
Kramkowski was taken with the No. 145 picks, which has a bonus slot value of $506,100. McKinney’s bonus slot at No. 260 is $213,300. Players chosen in the 11th round or later can sign for up to $150,000 without it impacting a team’s bonus pool.
The two draft picks for Arizona is its fewest since 2022, when catcher Daniel Susac went in the 1st round and outfielder Tanner O’Tremba went in the 15th round. It was also the first time since 2014 the UA did not have a player taken in the first four rounds.
While the loss of existing UA players to the MLB Draft was minimal, the same can’t be said for future Wildcats. Two members of Arizona’s 2026 recruiting class as well as three transfers signed this summer were drafted Sunday.
Incoming freshman catcher Francisco Rivero, from Canyon del Oro High School in Oro Valley, went in the 15th round to the Washington Nationals while righty Garrett Ahern—a transfer from GCU—went in the 16th round to the New York Yankees. The 17th round then saw righties McCartyEnglish (Southern Miss) and Collin Cobb (Williston State JC) and New Mexico prep righty Jack Byers all get picked.
Each has until July 27 to sign a pro contract or they’ll join the Wildcats this fall for the 2027 season.
The 6-foot-3 Kramkowski, who grew up in Sahuarita, is the fifth player recruited to the UA out of high school by Chip Hale and his staff to get drafted. He spent three seasons with the Wildcats and was part of the weekend rotation the last two years, starting the opening game of the College World Series. In 2025 he wen 9-6 with a 5.48 ERA, striking out 90 batters in 92 innings, but struggled as a junior with a 1-8 record and 6.13 ERA.
In 35 career appearances, Kramkowski walked only 38 batters in 165.1 innings against 165 strikeouts.
The 6-foot-5 McKinney spent the last two seasons at the UA after beginning his career at Baylor. He was the Wildcats’ Friday night starter for most of 2025 before getting moved to the bullpen, and this past spring spent time in the rotation and as a reliever. He struck out 109 in 91.2 innings with Arizona.
McKinney had entered the NCAA transfer portal last month and committed to Houston but is expected to sign.
Arizona’s lack of draft picks from its roster was indicative of a team that went 19-34, its worst record since 1994, and finished 9-21 in the Big 12 after winning the conference tournament title the previous year. The same can’t be said for ASU, which failed to advance beyond the NCAA regionals despite having 10 draft picks on the roster.
