Taylor had been playing for the Los Angeles Angels' Triple-A affiliate, the Salt Lake Bees. He fractured his left forearm after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning of a minor league game on Wednesday, May 20.
He joined the Angels’ franchise after spending the majority of his career playing for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent a decade with the Dodgers and won two World Series titles.
He helped lead the Dodgers to their first World Series championship in over 30 years, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in a six-game series back in 2020. He won the second title of his career with the Dodgers, winning a five-game series against the New York Yankees in 2024.
He started his career with the Seattle Mariners after he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 draft out of the University of Virginia.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Tommy Troy #98 of the Arizona Diamondbacks heads to the dugout before the spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
ROCKIES
DIAMONDBACKS
Jake McCarthy – CF
Ketel Marte – 2B
Hunter Goodman – C
Corbin Carroll – RF
TJ Rumfield – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Willi Castro – 1B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Troy Johnston – LF
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Ezequiel Tovar – SS
Gabriel Moreno – C
Sterlin Thompson – RF
Jose Fernandez – DH
Chad Stevens – 2B
Tim Tawa – LF
Kyle Karros – 3B
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Michael Lorenzen – RHP
Zac Gallen – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Selected OF Tommy Troy (No. 9) from Triple-A Reno.
Placed on the 10-day injured list: OF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (strained left hamstring)
The Age of Troy has commenced! Tommy Troy was out first round pick in 2023, going twelfth overall in that year’s draft, and with a signing bonus of $4.4 million. He’s the fifteenth player from the first round, including additional picks, to reach the majors, a class headlined by Paul Skenes and Wyatt Langford. Tommy progressed quickly through the farm system, reaching Triple-A at the beginning of August last season, not much more than two years after being drafted. Since then, he has played 82 games for the Aces, with a line of .301/.390/.440 for an OPS of .829. This season’s numbers are in line with that: an OPS of .846.
Troy was rated the #4 prospect in the farm system by MLB Pipeline.com. Their most recent assessment said, “He rarely misses on four-seamers or sinkers, and the bulk of his damage will come against such heaters. By comparison, he really struggled with contact against changeups at Triple-A. His overall swing decisions are solid too, and he’s generally at his best trying to shoot the ball up the middle of the field. He’s also generally a line-drive hitter more than an aim-for-the-seats type. Gap extra-base hits and the occasional homer (12-15 per season) will fuel his slugging ability in the bigs.”
His playing time for the Aces has been almost evenly split between second-base and left-field. Given he has been called up to replace Gurriel, I imagine he’s going to be seen most often in left, but he could be used to give Ketel Marte a blow, either at DH or resting entirely. However, it is worth noting this year was the first time he had played left-field as a professional, and in general has much more experience as a middle infielder than playing the outfield. So it may prove to be a work in progress. But hopefully he’ll fit in well, alongside his fellow rookie Ryan Waldschmidt. Welcome to the big leagues, Mr. Troy!
CINCINNATI — Four years after considering retirement, Bryan Torres made it to the major leagues at age 28 and homered for the St. Louis Cardinals in his debut.
“Eleven years to get to here,” Torres said, fighting back tears after helping the Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-1 in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader. “I’m not a homer guy. Today, my debut, it just happened. I’ve been learning to manage the pressure. When the heart is going too fast, you have to slow things down. I felt a little pounding in my chest today.”
Torres, who first played minor league ball in 2015, hit seventh and played left field.
Bryan Torres is all smiles as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the ninth inning of the Cardinals’ 8-1 Game 1 doubleheaderwin over the Red at Great American Ball Park on May 23, 2026 in Cincinnati. Getty Images
With dyed blond hair and wearing thick eye black, he worked a full-count walk from Chris Paddack (0-6) in the second, singled on a cutter in the fourth, grounded out in the sixth, flied out in the seventh and homered on a 95.2 mph fastball from Jose Franco in the ninth, driving the 2-1 pitch into the first row of the right-center field seats.
“There’s not many words to describe this moment,” he said.
Cardinals fans at the game, many of them waving their shirts, kept chanting his name and three batters later induced a curtain call.
“All those guys bring us some energy,” Torres said.
Torres became the third Cardinals player since 1900 with multiple hits that included a home run in his debut, the first since Bobby Smith at Cincinnati on April 16, 1957.
“Pretty neat, man,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “There’s moments throughout the year that you take a step back and get to enjoy. That’s one of them. You could tell, even in his first at-bat, there’s a calmness to him in the box.”
Torres signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee in 2015, was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco organization in December 2019, became a free agent after the 2021 season and spent two years with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association.
“I’m not going to lie, at one moment, I thought I’d retire,” he said. “In that moment, I decided I wanted to give myself a chance, and if I did, give it 100%.”
Bryan Torres is doused by teammate Iván Herrera after the Cardinals’ Game 1 doubleheader win over the Reds. Getty Images
He signed a minor league deal with the Cardinals in September 2023, hit .331 with 28 doubles, two homers, 56 RBIs and 33 stolen bases at Double-A Springfield, then was promoted to Triple-A Memphis and batted .328 with 16 doubles, nine homers 51 RBIs in 2025.
He was added to the 40-man roster last November and played for Puerto Rico in this year’s World Baseball Classic, going 2 for 6 with a double, three walks and three runs.
“I’m going to try to get him out there as much as possible,” Marmol said. “This is a left-handed bat who understands the strike zone, finds a way on base, a real pesky at-bat. I like his skill set.”
Torres was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday after hitting .336 with 10 doubles, two homers, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 36 games.
Bryan Torres celebrates with teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the ninth inning of their win over the Reds in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Getty Images
“I was in (the) clubhouse sitting in my seat and my manager, Ben Johnson, said: ‘I’ve got some good news for you. Bryan Torres is going to The Show,’” Torres recalled. “Everyone started yelling and jumping up and down. Some of them started crying with me.”
Several family members were at Great American Ball Park. His first call was to his mother, Lissette Crespo.
“Since I was a young kid, 4 years old, she lost all her weekends to bring me to the stadium,” he said. “During the week, she always (brought) me to the park to practice, to play.”
His parents traveled from Puerto Rico on Friday only for that night’s game to be rained out.
“It was very emotional. He was crying and when I received it I cried with him,” his mom said during the Cardinals’ telecast. ”That was a special moment.”
Torres took the roster spot of outfielder Nathan Church, placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder strain. He became the oldest position player to debut for the Cardinals since catcher Alberto Rosario at age 29 in 2016. Left-hander Nick Raquet debuted last season for St. Louis, also at 29.
“It’s been a very long and tough road, and not the usual road,” Torres said. “Everything happens for a reason. My family is very happy. We’re living the dream, basically.”
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 17: Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Coors Field on May 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a late-inning rally, the Colorado Rockies will look to win back-to-back games for the first time in two weeks. After starting 14-18, the Rockies have gone just 6-14 in May, tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the second-lowest winning percentage in MLB. Only the Detroit Tigers have a worse record (4-16). They have also been outscored 124-77 during that stretch, and has been held to three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 20 games. If they win tonight, they have the chance to split and if they win tomorrow, they can potentially win their first series in May.
After Tomoyuki Sugano posted the Rockies’ first Quality Start since May 1 last night, right-hander Michael Lorenzen (2-6, 7.03 ERA) will look to continue the momentum. In his last start against these same Diamondbacks, Lorenzen only pitched 4.2 innings and allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and three walks with two home runs. It was the fourth time this season that Lorenzen has allowed seven runs in a start — the most of such outings in MLB this year — and the fourth-straight game in which he allowed multiple walks. The last time he did that was in 2024 when he allowed multiple walks in nine straight games.
Lorenzen has faced the Diamondbacks 11 times (three starts) and is 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA against them. Last time he faced them on the road was July 6, 2025 with the Kansas City Royals. In that outing, he threw seven scoreless innings and allowed two hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Lorenzen will face Dbacks’ right-hander Zac Gallen (2-4, 4.78 ERA). Gallen is currently in his eighth season with the Snakes, which ties a record for pitchers with teammates Merrill Kelly and Kevin Ginkel, as well as former pitchers Randy Johnson (1999-2004, 2007-2008) and Andrew Chafin (2014-2020, 2023). Only Ketel Marte has more time on the Snakes’ roster than those three on the active roster.
In his last start on May 18 against the San Francisco Giants, Gallen allowed just two runs on four hits across six innings with one walk and five strikeouts in the 12-2 victory. Today marks Gallen’s 19th start against the Rockies. He is 9-1 against them with a 3.41 ERA.
May 6, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
May 23, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
On Saturday, news broke of Taijuan Walker signing with the Angels on a minor league deal. I’ve always felt the hate directed at Walker was a bit over the top. Sure, he wasn’t good, but he did have some stretches where he was an effective pitcher for the team. His time here was clearly up and they made the correct move in getting rid of him, but since they made that decision, something has changed.
That something is Zack Wheeler returning and being his usual, Cy Young caliber self.
It seems as though the season has turned on his return, which isn’t too surprising since going from Walker to Wheeler is quite the leap forward in talent. But it’s nights like tonight, where Wheeler didn’t have this top top stuff and was still able to carve up the Cleveland lineup. However, his offense was once again stymied by the Guardians starter, this time in the form of Slade Cecconi.
Cecconi was going through the Phillies lineup similarly to what Gavin Williams did last night. He was matched by Wheeler, perhaps even beaten, particularly in the fourth inning. In that inning, Chase DeLauter doubled to begin the inning, wobbling Wheeler a bit. He responded as pitchers of his caliber do by striking out the next two hitters and getting the third to ground out harmlessly to first to end that threat. Good teams respond to that by getting their starter some runs and that’s what the Phillies did.
In their half of the inning, with one out, Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm hit back to back singles to get things started. Brandon Marsh grounded out on a spectacular play by Kyle Manzardo to put the runners on second and third with two outs and Bryson Stott up, the team needing something to break their scoreless inning streak. Stott delivered and the Phillies were up, 2-0.
Wheeler continued dominating the Guardians, eventually going six innings and only allowing two hits and one walk, lowering his season ERA to 1.67. In the bottom of the sixth, Harper and Bohm got on to start things off, then were joined on a walk by Stott. J.T. Realmuto struck out for the second out to bring up the horrendously struggling Adolis Garcia. Somehow, he worked a walked and an insurance run was added, making it 3-0.
From there, the bullpen trio of Orion Kerkering, Brad Keller and Jhoan Duran were able to keep Cleveland off the board, only allowing one combined baserunner and never really being threatened. The losing streak of three games was snapped and the Phillies are back at .500. These two teams will be playing (maybe!) tomorrow in the rubber match to see who takes the series.
Operating with the third-lowest payroll in MLB, per Spotrac.com, the small-market Rays are pitching well, making contact and running the basepaths just like they have during most of their best nuisance-making seasons over the last 20 years.
“The thing, I think, that amazes me the most is our ability to, on the days we don’t hit home runs, still score runs,” seven-year veteran Drew Rasmussen, who was scheduled to pitch Saturday’s rained-out game against the Yankees, said. “Shoot, baseball at the major league level my entire time has been striking guys out and watching guys hit homers.
“To see a team that has the ability to score without needing to run the ball out of the yard, it’s really refreshing. But also, I do think it can lead to more sustainability. Teams that are dependent on homers are just that — dependent on homers to put up big innings. Yes, we’ll always take them, and I’m definitely excited to see us hit some more, but it is really cool that our athleticism has the ability to put us in ball games.”
Yandy Díaz celebrates after hitting an RBI double during the Rays’ win over the Orioles on May 19, 2026. Getty Images
The Rays (34-15) have won the first four meetings of the season against the Yankees to open up a 5.5-game lead in the East.
While the $336 million Yankees entered Saturday leading the majors in home runs, the $108 million Rays lead in sacrifice bunts, have the fewest strikeouts and rank No. 4 in stolen bases (two spots ahead of the Yankees).
On the mound, the Rays are right with the Yankees in MLB’s top-five in ERA and WHIP.
“I think we are doing a lot of things well,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ve kind of maximized opportunities with guys in scoring position. It’s a lineup filled with a bunch of guys who make contact and put pressure on pitchers, and then our overall speed. The up-the-middle defense has been good, pitching has been tremendous, the bullpen has really come together.”
The Rays’ game-winning four-run rally Friday started with a Yankees’ error and then included two singles, a walk, a double and a sacrifice fly to score a pinch runner.
And two first-to-third dashes.
Chandler Simpson slides into second base during the Rays’ win over the Yankees on May 22, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
“To see how everyone contributes to helping us win day-in and day-out has been awesome,” Rasmussen said. “It also kind of keeps everybody in the flow of playing and gives the opportunity for everyone to stay in rhythm.”
But it’s not exactly a cast of no-names considering former All-Stars Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz might be the American League’s best trio of hitters outside of the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice.
Carson Williams slides across home plate during the Rays’ May 22 win against the Yankees. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
“Their starting pitching is really good, they have three really linchpin hitters in the middle of their order and then a lot of complementary speed pieces that do a lot of different things that put pressure on you,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “It kind of hasn’t bounced our way against them, but we have to find a way to beat that club.”
Sometimes it just takes a road trip to the Bronx to bring national attention to what the Rays are piecing together.
“If you take these games, these might come down and be the deciding factors later in the year,” Díaz said through a translator. “It’s time [people noticed]. For the last few years, we have been one of the best or better teams in MLB, so we’ll take all the attention. It feels really good.”
Díaz’s memory is a little faulty.
The Rays made five straight playoff appearances — including eliminating the Yankees en route to the 2020 World Series — but finished under .500 in each of the last two seasons.
Drew Rasmussen throws a pitch during the Rays’ May 17 game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
So, what’s the difference now?
“We’re getting a little more alignment than we did last year,” Rasmussen said. “We’re doing the simple stuff — scoring runners in scoring position, throwing strikes. The stuff you learn about in Little League, but it still does pertain to the game at this level. Guys are willing to sacrifice at-bats to move a runner.
“What is it in particular? I don’t know. It just seems like we are playing an all-around team game, and I think that really has helped in our success at this point.”
Unlike other surprise teams — the White Sox, for example — the Rays aren’t being carried by surprise stud performances.
It’s more like a collection of high-end numbers on the back of a baseball card. Maybe that makes it more sustainable.
“I felt like that’s kind of how we were built going into spring training, learning the guys,” Cash said. “It was going to take a roster that was doing everything — doing their part. To date, it certainly feels like that.”
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MAY 18: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics looks on from the mound during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 18, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The A’s saw their three-game winning streak snapped last night in the first game of this series down in San Diego. The team remains in first place in the AL West though so can’t let last night’s struggles follow them into the second game of this weekend set against the Padres.
On the mound for the Athletics tonight will be right-hander J.T. Ginn. The right-hander is coming off a tough-luck loss last time out when he went eight no-hit innings before allowing a single and walk-off two-run home run to ruin his evening. That tough ending aside, Ginn’s 2.98 ERA leads the team’s rotation as the 26-year-old has been a revelation for the squad. Let’s hope his extended outing last time out won’t affect him tonight in what’ll be his ninth start of the season.
Here’s the A’s lineup for tonight brought to you by Mark Kotsay:
That starting nine will be facing veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito. The longtime White Sox starter only signed on with the Padres recently, inking a deal at the end of April as the Padres dealt with a slew of injuries to their starting staff. It was a bit odd considering his solid year last season with Boston but he’s on the older side for pitchers. After taking some time to ramp up he finally got promoted to the big league team last week and looked solid in his first and so far only start for the Padres, firing five inning of three-run ball against the Mariners. In four career starts against the A’s Giolito has a 5.01 ERA so history is on our side tonight.
And the Padres’ batting order for tonight looks like this:
False alarm. Former Dodgers star Chris Taylor is not retiring, after all.
A day after Major League Baseball’s transaction log stated that Taylor was retiring — and the league’s official social media account even put out a post recognizing his career — Taylor changed his mind on the decision and instead went on the injured list with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City, a source confirmed to The California Post.
Taylor had not played since being hit by a pitch in his left arm earlier this week in a Triple-A game. He is going on the minor-league IL now with a forearm fracture, as MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger first reported.
Chris Taylor decided not to retire. Getty Images
Taylor, 35, has been in the Angels’ organization ever since the Dodgers released him in the final year of his contract last May.
He played 30 games with the Angels at the big-league level over the second half of last season, batting .179 while missing time with a fractured hand.
He re-signed with the Angels on a minor-league deal this spring and has spent the entirety of the year in Salt Lake, where he was hitting .255 in 32 games this year.
News of Taylor’s supposed retirement on Friday night was met with a wave of gracious reactions from Dodgers fans online. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also praised Taylor’s contributions in Los Angeles, where the utilityman was a two-time World Series champion and a 2021 All-Star selection over a productive 10-year stint.
Turns out, such plaudits were premature.
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Chris Taylor is sticking with the Angels’ Triple-A team for now, going on the IL. Getty Images
According to a source, Taylor told the Angels’ organization he was planning to retire this week, leading the club to file official paperwork to the league Friday.
By Saturday, however, he changed his mind, electing to keep his career active and go on the minor-league IL instead.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 22: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-run home run against the Athletics during the first inning at Petco Park on May 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Athletics (26-25) at San Diego Padres (30-20), May 23, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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The Mets’ offense appeared to have found their footing in recent games, but they’ve quickly returned to their feeble ways down in Miami.
New York struck against Marlins righty Eury Perez on a Juan Soto homer in the first inning of Friday’s series opener, but managed just three baserunners the rest of the way.
They followed that with an even worse showing on Saturday.
Max Meyer had just about everything working as he held the Mets to three walks and a 64 mph opposite-field single across his seven shutout innings of work.
New York was held to only that hit until a Tyrone Taylor pinch-hit double in the ninth, followed by a Mark Vientos RBI single that finally got them on the board.
That was the Mets’ first at-bat with a runner in scoring position over the first 18 innings of this weekend set, and it was quickly wasted as A.J. Ewing grounded out to end the game.
They now have just two runs on six hits and four walks in the pair of losses.
“We’re better, we’ve seen that,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We’ve ran into two pretty good arms the past couple of days.”
“Obviously we haven’t done what we’ve wanted at the plate, but you gotta give credit where credit is due,” Vientos added. “The pitchers we’ve faced have been doing their thing.”
Both Perez and Meyer were certainly at their best, but this continues a season-long skid in which the Mets have managed to score one run or less in a league-worst 14 games.
With these last two, they’ve now dropped four of their last five.
Now 1.5 games back in the basement of the NL East, though, they know they have to turn the page quickly.
“You can’t sit here and feel sorry for yourself,” Mendoza said. “You gotta keep going.”
“Once 12 o’clock hits tomorrow, it’s a new day,” Vientos added. “Today is in the past and we have to focus on tomorrow and come back and win the game tomorrow.”
White Sox announcers got so bored with the game they spent the last several innings talking about Alcatraz and going kayaking. | (wikipedia.com)
Apparently, if the sun is out, all you have to do to beat the White Sox is hit pop-ups. Or hope they bring in Jordan Leasure.
The Giants took a 3-0 lead in the fourth thanks to Jarred Kelenic misplaying a Luis Arraez fly ball into a triple, which a sac fly and four singles followed, all off sorta starter (after a Bryan Hudson opening performance), Erick Fedde. Kelenic tried to atone by leading off the fifth with a double, which was followed by singles by Tristan Peters and Drew Romo and a shot by Sam Antonacci that drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, but it would have been more were it not for a great play by Willy Adames.
That made it 3-2. Munetaka Murakami then K’ed, but Miguel Vargas doubled Antonacci home to tie the game.
That would be the last point of the game where Vargas didn’t want to bury his head in the warning track.
In the bottom of the fifth, Arraez singled, and Casey Schmitt went deep to make it 5-3. Then with two outs Matt Chapman popped out behind third to end the inning, only Colson Montgomery didn’t chase it and Vargas lost it in the sun, so it went for a double. Fedde then walked the bases loaded, bringing up the only batter he’d had no trouble with, Harrison Bader.
Naturally, after Fedde proved he could handle Bader, Will Venable went to the freshly recalled Jordan Leasure, who served up a gopher ball after Miguel Vargas lost yet another pop-up — this one foul. The grand slam made it 9-3 and sent John Schriffen, Gordon Beckham, and Connor McKnight spiraling into an extended riff on Alcatraz, sharks, seals, kayaks, and just about anything besides baseball. Hard to blame them.
That was about it for anything interesting, except when Rafael Devers hit a pop-up, the wind blew fair in front of the plate, and Devers just stood and watched while Murakami lost that one in the sun and dropped it and ended up thrown out thanks to a nice stretch by Chase Meidroth.
Adames hit a homer in the eighth to make the final 10-3, but by then, the announcers were scheduling their kayaking for tomorrow. Again, can’t blame them.
Eight of the Giant runs were on Fedde’s tab, with Leasure only charged with Bader himself and not the guys Fedde put on the bases, and Trevor Richards tagged for the last run. In true hyper-inefficient White Sox fashion, despite only walking three and striking out six, the four pitchers needed 161 pitches to get through eight innings — Giants pitchers only needed 147 for nine, and they struck out 12 Sox, which takes more throws.
The Sox did have 10 hits, two each by Peters and Vargas, who were probably only about a net minus-five runs for the day.
The loss puts the Sox record at 26-25, with the series by the bay wrapping up tomorrow at 3:05 Central, Noah Schultz matching up against veteran lefty Robbie Ray, who’s fresh off being absolutely clobbered by the Diamondbacks.
Oct 14, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts after game two of the NLCS round against the Milwaukee Brewers for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Dodgers and Brewers finish off their weekend series in Milwaukee with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound on Sunday.
Yamamoto is coming off a tough-luck loss on Monday in San Diego, in which he allowed a solo home run in the first inning and otherwise mostly nothing else in his seven innings. This is the right-hander’s third career start against the Brewers, all of which will have been in Milwaukee. The first two were on opposite extremes of results.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 23: Jake Irvin #27 of the Washington Nationals pitches against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park on May 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brett Davis/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In this series, pitching has mostly ruled the day despite the two highest scoring teams in the league squaring off. That was especially true today. The Nats and Braves were locked in a pitchers duel. In the end, two solo home runs from Dylan Crews and Jorbit Vivas proved to be the difference.
While the game started on time, there was an absolute downpour in the second inning, which led to a half hour delay. Both Grant Holmes and Jake Irvin seemed unaffected by the delay, and were absolutely dealing. Irvin was the better of the two though. He threw five scoreless innings, retiring 15 of the 16 batters he faced.
Jake Irvin has retired 15-of-16 batters through 5 scoreless innings, the only one to reach doing so via walk. Most-encouraging sign: He's maintaining his velocity, with his fastball still 94-95 mph.
This was the best Irvin has looked all season. His fastball was sitting at 94 MPH and the curveball was absolutely dancing. Irvin’s curve has been a great offering for him all season, and this was the best it has looked all year. He got 11 of his 14 whiffs on the big hook.
Unfortunately, Irvin seemed to have tweaked something at the end of his fifth inning of work. He tried to give it a go in the 6th, but he could not even make it through his warm up pitches. It would be a real shame if Irvin was hurt after this dominant outing. The results have not always been there for Irvin, but he has been one of the most dependable starters in the big leagues the last few years. I do not believe he has missed a start in his career to this point.
While Irvin was dealing, the Nats offense was mostly quiet. They had a tough time dealing with Grant Holmes’ breaking balls. The slider and the curve were both there for the mustachioed right hander. However, Holmes did make a couple mistakes and the Nats made him pay.
The first one came on an 0-2 count to Dylan Crews, who looked all out of sorts on the first two pitches. However, Holmes gave him a hanging slider, and the former LSU star did not miss it. Crews hammered his first home run of the season into left field, and gave the Nats a 1-0 lead.
Crews has been up and down since coming back from the minors, but seeing him homer was nice. It does feel like he falls into 0-2 counts far too often though. Hopefully this homer can be the start of something for Crews. It would be amazing if the Nats could get him going.
The Nats other home run also came from an unlikely character. Jorbit Vivas had really been struggling at the plate, especially with runners in scoring position. However, with nobody on, Vivas ambushed a Grant Holmes fastball on the first pitch that just left Truist Park. It was a huge homer that gave the Nats much needed insurance.
The pitching is what ruled the day though. After Irvin departed, Brad Lord came in and delivered three scoreless innings. He was able to navigate a Vivas error to strand two Braves in the 7th. As usual, Lord was fantastic in his bulk relief role and helped the Nats save their bullpen. He is such a key piece to this Nats pitching staff and is a true glue guy.
In the 9th, Richard Lovelady came in the game to face the middle of the Braves lineup. The fiery lefty retired Michael Harris, Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies without incident to secure the Nats a 2-0 win. It was a pitchers duel in Atlanta, and the Nats got the upper hand. The 3 Nats pitchers only allowed one hit and dominated a very good lineup. That sets up a rubber match tomorrow, weather permitting of course.
May 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) is restrained by players after a confrontation after being tagged out at home plate during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Recap
Jovani Moran had the responsibility to keep the Twins in check for the first inning in order to provide a soft landing for Brayan Bello in his bulk-pitching era. Well, today wasn’t that day: Moran allowed hits to the first three Twins batters, then a run-scoring sacrifice fly immediately after that. Despite needing all the help he could get, Bello entered the game with a 2-0 deficit.
Bello twice got into a bases loaded jam and threw 20+ pitches.
The Sox bats were silent until the fourth. This inning also featured a clearing of the benches as the inning ended, after Willson Contreras ran through Twins catcher Victor Caratini but didn’t beat the throw.
The fifth inning featured Contreras’ first error of the season, and an extremely close play at the plate that was challenged but ultimately didn’t go the Sox way. Bello didn’t do himself any favors in the inning either, loading the bases for the second time (albeit with help from Contreras’ E) in another high-pitch inning. He also thoughtlessly deflected a ball in play, which looked like it was headed toward being cleanly fielded by Mayer, but scored a run instead. Two more runs crossed the plate, 4-1 Twins.
Though Bello didn’t melt down, it wasn’t a good outing. That will probably be classified as progress for him, but it’s not enough, friends. Not enough.
The Sox were unable to capitalize on an error and walk that opened the seventh inning.
But wait! Things got interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Chad Tracy pulled all the levers, leaving just one player on the bench. Caleb Durbin came in as a pinch runner and took second on “defensive indifference.” This said a lot about this game, I thought, but some drama arrived in the form of three walks, including one that brought in a run. With the bases still loaded, it was very close to happening again, but Jarren Duran ultimately struck out to end the game. He threw a Hail Mary ABS challenge at the problem, but lost the challenge…and the Sox, the game.
This last-minute flurry of excitement masked what was a really lackluster game overall.
Studs
Relief pitching not named Brayan Bello
In their three combined innings of work, Tyler Samaniego and Ryan Watson gave up one hit and no runs, with three strikeouts thrown in (all Watson). This may look more like damning them with faint praise rather than covering them with glory, but this was the high-water mark today. They needed to stabilize after Bello and offer the offense the opportunity to wake up. They did their part, but the offense didn’t come through.
Fenway First
A woman—Jen Pawol—umpired home plate for the first time.
Duds
Offense
The common refrain for the 2026 season. There was nothing particularly egregious, simply not enough base runners or movement on the basepaths. 5H, 11 SO, 6 BB on the night—and the Sox got lucky in the ninth with some big nerves by the Twins relievers. Blah.
Play of the Game
The Twins’ Larnach scored on a sacrifice fly. Connor Wong thought he had him at the plate but none of the camera angles definitively cleared up the mystery, and the challenge was unsuccessful. Why is this the play of the game? Because it provides a glimpse of the frustration of this game; there were no heroics, nothing to truly admire…just several screwy moments that might have gone a different way, and this is one.
