SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 29: Geraldo Perdomo #2 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws out a runner during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 29, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Diamondbacks News
Marte’s Hit Streak, Snakes Fall to Mariners in Extras Geraldo Perdomo broke ot of his funk, but Zac Gallen was unable to keep the qality start streak alive. In the end, the Diamondbacks were unable to capitalize on some opportunities and fell in extras.
Diamondbacks Walked Off in 10 A bit better timing by either Zac Gallen or the offense (if not both) and this game goes the other way.
Closes May with a 7.04 ERA over 6 starts (30.2 IP, 37 H, 24 ER, 1.57 WHIP).
Season ERA of 5.16 is 5th worst in MLB amongst qualified pitchers.
Allowed 2 HR over first 6 starts, allowed 8 HR over last 5 starts.
Averaging under 5 IP per start in ‘26.
— Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info (@DbacksStatsInfo) May 30, 2026
I expect there will be plenty more posts like the one above until after Gallen is gone from the team, regardless of how the rest of the season goes. Gallen certainly is doing himself no favours, but it isn’t as though there were better options to be had at the time.
MLB CBA Panic Check Jeff Passan and others are still trying to keep a positive spin on tings and point out that it is entirely too early to panic.
Spencer Striders Fascinating First Examined Diamondbacks fans are well aware that simply giving up three in the first inning is not the end of the world if the pitcher can buckle down moving forward.
What Should Giants Do with Robbie Ray Another old friend alert. After bouncing back from injury in Arizona, Robbie Ray went on to be one of the better pitchers in the American League for a spell. Now, he’s starting to show signs of aging jst as the Giants are looking at the possibility of unloading him at the deadline.
The South-sider’s slugging rookie phenom left last night’s tilt against the Tigers early after suffering a tweak in his right hamstring running to first base. He will undergo imaging today and is likely headed to the IL.
20 June 2023, Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel: The sailing competitions of Kiel Week 2023 will be held in front of the Olympic Center in Schilksee. At the start on the sea lane there is a dense crowd of ORC yachts. Photo: Sascha Klahn/dpa (Photo by Sascha Klahn/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Hickory starter Aidan Deakins allowed three runs in 4.1 IP, striking out four and walking two.
Yolfran Castillo went 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. Paulino Santana had a pair of walks and a stolen base. Hector Osorio had a pair of walks. Josh Springer had a hit.
The Roughriders played two. Rafe Perich joined the Roughriders from Hub City, making his AA debut.
In Game One, Frisco starter Winston Santos struck out eight in 5.2 IP, walking three and allowing three runs, including a home run. Eric Loomis faced three batters and allowed a run on one hit and one walk, striking out one.
Arturo Disla went 3 for 3. Dylan Dreiling had a hit.
In Game Two, Dalton Pence struck out six and walked one in six shutout innings.
Ian Moller was 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. Dylan Dreiling homered. Rafe Perich walked. Keith Jones II walked twice and stole a base.
For Round Rock, Robbie Ahlstrom allowed a run in 0.2 IP, striking out one and walking one. Joe Ross struck out three in two shutout innings. Ryan Brasier threw a shutout inning. Michel Otanez struck out one, walked one and allowed a solo homer in an inning of work. Emiliano Teodo needed just 9 pitches (7 strikes) to retire the side in the ninth, striking out two.
Cam Cauley had two hits, two walks and a stolen base. John Taylor, promoted to Round Rock from Frisco, tripled. Aaron Zavala had a hit and three walks.
The Mets' wins haven't been pretty, but they are finding a way.
That was again the case on Friday night, as New York blew a late lead but battled to open a three-game weekend set with a much-needed gusty walk-off win over the Marlins in 10 innings.
It was their league-high 11th extra-inning victory to this point, and here’s how it played out:
Unlike last weekend in Miami, New York was able to come through with some timely hits early on against Max Meyer, scratching across four runs in the bottom of the first.
“The guys put together some really good at-bats there,” Carlos Mendoza said. "We saw Myers over the weekend and he was nasty, so it was good to see them set the tone out of the gate."
Freddy Peralta followed that with a scoreless second inning, but then the Marlins were able to get themselves on the board after making him work through a 38-pitch third.
The righty ended up being chased with four runs allowed (two earned) in 4.2 innings of work.
“Give those guys a lot of credit,” Mendoza said. “They made him work and grinded out some long at-bat's, we didn’t make some plays in the field which cost him some pitches, but they made it tough on him.”
The skipper was forced to lean heavily on his bullpen once again, and things went as planned until Tobias Myers allowed a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the eighth.
Before that, though, this one was pushed to extras where Austin Warren did a tremendous job stranding the ghost runner at second which set up MJ Melendez to send the fans home happy with a towering two-run blast.
It was the first walk-off knock of Melendez’s big-league career.
“Honestly pretty speechless, kind of a surreal feeling,” the lefty said. “It’s something that I’ve never done before at the major league level, so it was a really crazy feeling.”
The Mets have now won back-to-back games for just the seventh time this season.
Three of their last five victories have come in extras, with the other two being a one and two-run ballgame.
It’s a trend that they know isn’t sustainable, but they’ll take it for now.
“At the big-league level you take the wins however they come,” Mendoza emphasized. “Especially with how hard it’s been for us this year -- ideally on a night like tonight, we had to use pretty much everyone that was available.
“Is that sustainable? Of course not. But at this level it’s just whatever it takes day in and day out, we worry about tomorrow tomorrow, and I’m glad that the boys were able to come through today.”
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 25: Curtis Mead #45 of the Washington Nationals watches his solo home run during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on May 25, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have talked about him quite a bit this season, but Curtis Mead’s production at the plate continues to amaze me. The Aussie has gone from a short side of a first base platoon to the everyday third baseman on the strength of his bat. As a prospect, Mead was supposed to be an elite bat, and he is showing it now with the Nats.
When the Nats traded for the recently DFA’d Curtis Mead, he was known as the failed prospect who was traded for Cristopher Sanchez. While Mead was fizzling out with the Rays and White Sox, Sanchez was becoming one of the premier arms in the National League. It is one of the few times where the Rays were fleeced.
We don't talk enough about Cristopher Sánchez-for-Curtis Mead being one of the great heists in recent baseball history. We talk about it. But not enough.
After the trade went down in 2019, it seemed like the Rays had done it again. MLB Pipeline even wrote in their 2023 preseason scouting report that Mead has become the poster boy of why teams should be hesitant to trade with the Rays. This was when Mead was a top 35 prospect in baseball and Sanchez was struggling to carve out a big league role in Philly.
However, in the years that followed, Sanchez thrived, while baseball began to kick Mead in the teeth. It felt like Mead was becoming one of those AAAA players. The Aussie always put up big numbers in AAA, but it did not translate to the big leagues. In 2025, Mead posted a .620 OPS with the Rays and the White Sox, where he was traded after the Rays gave up on him.
Right as the season was about to kick off, the White Sox also gave up on Mead. With a crowded infield group, the White Sox decided to DFA the 25 year old Mead. The Nats jumped on this opportunity, and it did not hurt that they knew the person as well. When Mead was in Single-A, a young Blake Butera was his manager. That connection helped convince Paul Toboni to jump the waiver line, and trade 2025 6th rounder Boston Smith for Mead. Smith is actually doing quite well, but with the way Mead is hitting, it does not matter.
While Curtis Mead has always been able to hit, he has not been able to show power or patience at the MLB level before this season. Now, he is doing both at a very high level. Mead and Bryce Harper are the only NL first baseman with at least a .350 OBP and 140 wRC+. That is obviously great company to be keeping.
The only NL 1B with at least a .350 OBP and a 140 wRC+ (min. 140 PA)
Calling Mead a first baseman would not be totally correct though. For most of the year, Mead has been at first, in a platoon with Luis Garcia Jr., but that has changed lately. After Brady House got sent down, Mead became the everyday third baseman.
Having Mead face right handed pitching has been a master stroke so far. He actually has reverse splits this season, with a .730 OPS against lefties and a .979 OPS against righties in a nearly identical number of at bats. At first, he was pigeon holed into a platoon role, but eventually the Nats realized that this dude can mash against anyone.
You can see that in the numbers. After hitting 4 homers in his first three seasons as a big leaguer, Mead already has 8 this season. His walk rate has also gone from 5.7% to 14% between 2025 and 2026. When I talked to Mead, he told me that finding the right pitches to hit and swinging at pitches he could do damage on were his big goals in the offseason. Well, he has certainly accomplished those two things, and it has totally unlocked his game.
Honestly, this is the sort of player Mead was supposed to be when he was a prospect. He is a bat first guy who can play all over the infield, even if the defense is not stellar. There is a reason this guy had a 65 grade hit tool as a prospect. That is not a grade that is just handed out like candy.
Mead just needed to make a few adjustments to get there. When the Nats picked him up, you could tell that his approach needed to improve when you looked at his data. He hit the ball pretty hard, but it just did not result in power because he was swinging at everything. Mead also struck out a lot for a guy who did not whiff a ton, meaning he also fell behind in counts.
What you should know about Curtis Mead: -25 years old -Former top 100 prospect, as high as 32nd on Fangraphs rankings in 2024 -76 wRC+ and 3 home runs in 90 games for TB and CHW last season -Makes hard contact, but needs a more refined plate approachpic.twitter.com/RCE2wwW5CU
He has completely turned those weaknesses into strengths this year. Mead has 21 walks and just 25 strikeouts this season. When you are walking almost as much as you are striking out while hitting for power, you are in the sweetstop. Over half of Mead’s hits have gone for extra bases this year as well.
I also think there is reason to believe that Mead’s batting average should improve as well. That is the only part of his offensive game that is not overly impressive right now. Despite having an .856 OPS this year, Mead is hitting just .244. This is not due to his striking out a ton either, with his K rate sitting at just 16.7%. His BABIP is extraordinarily low at .245, way below his .294 career mark.
Mead’s expected batting average this season is .264. His BABIP will probably always be on the lower side due to his lack of speed and fly ball heavy attack. However, .245 is too low for anybody. If he raises his average to .260, that OPS will only go up.
Curtis Mead has been the best find for this front office so far. The Aussie has been the Nats third best hitter this season, behind just James Wood and CJ Abrams. He is a big reason why this offense is so electric. The Aussie has become that right handed bat that compliments the two dynamic lefties the Nats have. I love watching Mead hit, and I hope to see him do his thing in DC for years to come.
The New York Mets won the series opener in dramatic fashion, hitting a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
My Marlins vs. Mets predictions expect the home side to pick up its third straight win Saturday afternoon.
Let's take a closer look at my MLB picks for May 30.
Who will win Marlins vs Mets today: New York Mets (-135)
Neither offense is above average at generating runs so I’m looking towards pitching to find my edge.
The New York Mets have the advantage with Christian Scott taking the bump. He owns a 2.8 FIP and 3.0 ERA over the past month despite a .328 batting average on balls put in play, which should drop moving forward.
His stuff has been excellent, allowing him to sit down 27.9% of opposing batters by strikeout.
Tyler Phillips’ xERA is more than two runs higher than his ERA, suggesting regression could be coming. Back the Mets to -145.
The easiest way to score runs is with power and both teams are lacking.
The Miami Marlins are tied for 27th in home runs and the numbers under the hood don’t provide any reason for optimism. The Marlins have posted an ISO of .117 against right-handed pitching this month, ranking them 29th in the majors.
While the Mets have fared a little better, it’s still not pretty. They sit tied for 21st in homers, 30th in SLG, and 30th in OPS.
There is very little juice in their offense, even with Juan Soto lighting it right now. Play to -115.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 20-16, -1.08 units
Over/Under bets: 17-18-1, -3.61units
Marlins vs Mets odds
Moneyline: Marlins +115 | Mets -135
Run line: Marlins +1.5 (-190) | Mets -1.5 (+160)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+110) | Under 7.5 (-130)
Marlins vs Mets trend
New York has hit the Game Total Under in 32 of their last 45 games (+18.15 units, 36% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Marlins vs. Mets.
How to watch Marlins vs Mets and game info
Location
Citi Field, Flushing, NY
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
Marlins.TV, SNY
Marlins starting pitcher
Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.07 ERA)
Mets starting pitcher
Christian Scott (0-0, 3.20 ERA)
Marlins vs Mets latest injuries
Marlins vs Mets weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Atlanta Braves look to grab another series win tonight when they face the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Ronald Acuna Jr. has suddenly caught fire, and my Braves vs. Reds predictions and MLB picks are backing this dangerous Atlanta lineup to put up big numbers on the reeling hosts.
Who will win Braves vs Reds today: Atlanta -1.5 (+113)
Cincinnati Reds starter Brady Singer has lost a full MPH off his sinker, an inch of vertical break compared to 2025. That’s why hitters are rocking a .404 wOBA and .501 xSLG vs. his primary pitch.
Add in a fastball RV/100 of -16.8 RV/100 and a cutter with an xSLG of .871, and it’s easy to see why his 4.8 HR/9 is the highest of any qualified starter in May.
That’s a recipe for disaster at Great American Ballpark in warm conditions, especially given the Atlanta Braves' fifth-lowest 0.94 GB/FB rate in May.
I’m backing the Braves -1.5 up to even money.
COVERS INTEL:Hitters are pulling Singer’s offerings at a clip of 50.8% this month, while registering a HR/FB rate of 36%—the highest of any starter with at least 15 innings pitched.
Braves vs Reds Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+100)
Graham Ashcraft is the latest Cincinnati bullpen arm lost to injury. The pieces left in place are getting rocked.
That’s going to happen when you allow a 53.5% FB rate over the past two weeks, with 19.1% of them clearing the fences. Both those marks are the worst in the majors in that span.
The weather conditions at GABP rank fifth-best in the league on Saturday, and Martin Perez’s1.46 HR/9 and 14.8% HR/FB road metrics will help push the scoring into double-figures.
Take the Over to -120.
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 7-12 -6.11 units
Over/Under bets: 12-7, +4.28 units
Braves vs Reds odds
Moneyline: Braves -138 | Reds +133
Run line: Braves -1.5 (+113) | Reds +1.5 (-117)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+100) | Under 9.5 (-104)
Braves vs Reds trend
The Atlanta Braves have covered the Run Line in 39 of their last 50 away games (+31.65 Units / 52% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Reds.
How to watch Braves vs Reds and game info
Location
Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Braves starting pitcher
Martin Perez (2-3, 2.70 ERA)
Reds starting pitcher
Brady Singer (2-4, 6.26 ERA)
Braves vs Reds latest injuries
Braves vs Reds weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The New York Yankees visit the Athletics tonight in Sacramento as -155 favorites, with the total set at 9.5.
Ryan Weathers' 85th-percentile strikeout rate lines up against an A's lineup that ranks 19th in MLB in runs scored, while J.T. Ginn's 29th-percentile walk rate hands a stacked Yankees offense exactly what it wants.
Here are my Yankees vs Athletics predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, May 30.
Who will win Yankees vs A’s today: Yankees -1.5 (+105)
The New York Yankees' offense will slump at some point, but today is not that day. For the second straight night, I'm grabbing New York to cover and would play it to -110.
This is a pitcher-strength-on-team-weakness angle. Ryan Weathers has, somewhat to my surprise, been impressive for the Yankees, carrying a Top-15 percentile strikeout rate (28.3%) that plays against an Athletics group whiffing at an above-average clip.
On the other side, J.T. Ginn's10.6% walk rate forces him into hitter's counts, where he's allowing a .308 xwOBA, exactly the spot a hot Bronx offense feasts.
We cashed the Over last night due to the A's pushing over a late run. Tonight offers a lower-scoring environment.
Both pitchers have expected ERAs that sit below four, and both are genuinely solid arms from a metric perspective.
While I expect the Yankees to score enough to cover the run-line, Ginn will still be decent. He does a great job limiting hard contact with a hard-hit rate that ranks in the Top 14% of baseball, which is essential against the Yankees.
On the other side, we've already spoken about how Weathers whiff-inducing stuff should carry him. I'd play this to -122.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 25-19, +5.64 units
Over/Under bets: 29-15, +16.34 units
Yankees vs A’s odds
Moneyline: Yankees -155 | A’s +125
Run line: Yankees -1.5 | A’s +1.5
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Yankees vs A’s trend
The New York Yankees have covered the 1st Five Innings (F5) Run Line in 31 of their last 50 away games (+9.60 Units / 16% ROI)
How to watch Yankees vs A’s and game info
Location
Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA
Date
Saturday, May 30, 2026
First pitch
10:05 p.m. ET
TV
YES, NBC Sports California
Yankees starting pitcher
Ryan Weathers (2-2, 3.14 ERA)
A’s starting pitcher
J.T. Ginn (2-3, 3.19 ERA)
Yankees vs A’s latest injuries
Yankees vs A’s weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
FRISCO, TX - JUNE 26: Peter Heubeck #25 of the Tulsa Drillers pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Frisco RoughRiders at Riders Field on Thursday, June 26, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Homero Amador/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Friday night in the Dodgers minors included a few multiple home run games and a dominant pitching outing for someone freshly back from the injured list.
Player of the day
Peter Heubeck retired nine of his 10 batters faced in three scoreless innings, with six strikeouts on Friday night for Double-A Tulsa. He allowed only a two-out single in the second inning, shortly after the right-hander struck out his first four batters of the game.
Heubeck returned from the injured list last Saturday, making his first start for Tulsa since suffering a shoulder injury last July. He’s struck out nine of his 19 batters faced in five innings thus far.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets homered four times to beat the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros). Ryan Fitzgerald hit the first two of those homers, solo shots in the second and seventh innings.
Oklahoma City broke things open with four runs in the eighth, including home runs by Tyler Fitzgerald and James Tibbs III. Tibbs has been limited to designated hitter and pinch-hitting duties for three weeks, last playing the field on May 7. He’s dealing with a forearm issue, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic.
Logan Allen allowed a run in five innings for the win, and Carlos Duran struck out three in two scoreless innings of relief.
Chayce McDermott began the eighth inning in relief but only faced one batter, as he was struck on the right knee on an infield single, and had to exit the game. He walked off under his own power.
Rehab update
After playing five innings at second base in each of his first two games, Tommy Edman was the designated hitter on Friday, playing on back-to-back days for the first time. He had an infield single in three at-bats on Friday and has four hits in nine at-bats with a walk thus far for the Comets.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers swept the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) in a doubleheader, walking them off in the first game and allowing just one hit in a shutout win in the second game.
Griffin Lockwood-Powell homered twice in the opener, and also delivered the walk-off double in the seventh inning.
Elijah Hainline homered in the opener, and had two hits in the nightcap. Josue De Paula doubled and scored in Game 2.
After Heubeck on the mound in the nightcap, Carson Hobbs and Kelvin Ramirez each pitched two scoreless innings.
High-A Great Lakes
Five runs in the second inning set the tone for the Loons’ road win over the Dayton Dragons (Reds). Emil Morales hit a three-run double in the big frame.
Eduardo Quintero reached base four times with two singles and two walks, and stole two bases, giving him 21 steals on the season. Jose Meza homered in the sixth inning for Great Lakes.
Christian Zazueta gave up three runs in the third inning, including a home run, but nothing else in his 4 1/3 innings. His two strikeouts were three fewer than the next-fewest of his other seven starts this season. After a 41.4-percent strikeout rate in April, Zazueta had a 25.9-percent strikeout rate in May. On the season he’s at 50 strikeouts against only nine walks in 37 1/3 innings.
Alex Makarewich (five outs), Nicolas Cruz (two innings), and Matt Lanzendorfer (one innings) closed out the game in scoreless fashion, combining for eight strikeouts and no walks.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers lost a wild, back-and-forth game to the Visalia Oaks (D-backs) in 10 innings.
Jecsua Liborious had an outing befitting his name on Friday. He pitched a scoreless eighth inning, but allowed the tying run in the ninth inning by hitting the leadoff batter, who advanced to third base on two outs before Liborius wild-pitched him home. In the 10th inning, Liborius started the frame with a wild pitch and a balk to score the free runner for the go-ahead run. With one out in the 10th inning, Liborius walked a batter, then was removed after 2 1/3 hitless, yet wild innings. Then Seamus Barrett came in and allowed a two-run home run that padded Visalia’s lead, plus another run of his own after a pair of errors.
The Ontario outfielders made their mark in this one.
Right fielder Jaron Elkins hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, giving Ontario a lead after trailing 8-2 just two frames earlier. Elkins also walked, was hit by a pitch, and scored three runs. Center fielder Landyn Vidourek doubled, walked twice, drove in a pair, and scored a run. Right fielder Ching-Hsien Ko singled, walked twice, drove in two, and scored two. All three outfielders each stole a base as well, and the trio combined to reach base nine times, with six runs scored and six RBI.
Transactions
Triple-A: Ryan Ward was called up to the Dodgers to time share in left field. Hyeseong Kim was optioned.
May 21, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics pitcher Luis Severino (40) delivers during the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
Hello friends and happy Saturday!
The Mariners completed their climb back to .500 yesterday with a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Diamondbacks. Julio Rodríguez and Luke Raley continued their hot starts at the dish with a home run each, while J.P. Crawford had his first multi-homer game as a Mariner.
Raley leads the M’s with 12 dingers so far this year, Julio has 11, and J.P. rounds out the top three with 9. Who do you think will lead the club in homers by the end of the season?
Rob Manfred admitted the league didn’t have sufficient evidence that former right-hander Jeurys Familia assaulted his wife. Major League Baseball punished him for it anyway. Bradford William Davis wrote about how this precedent endangers the women who come forward with allegations.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 29: Richie Palacios #1 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after hitting a two-RBI triple in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Tropicana Field on May 29, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What John Sterling always said was true. You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn. Except sometimes you can have a pretty fair guess. The expected outcomes for the American League’s top two teams came to pass last night because both the Yankees and Rays are better than the A’s and Angels. If you’ll forgive getting blue from the jump with a Sandor Clegane quote, sometimes it’s as simple as your opponent not having armor or a big fucking sword (to admittedly stretch a metaphor). The Yankees won 8-2, and the Rays won 8-5. Yup.
Here’s what what went on among some top AL foes.
Tampa Bay Rays (35-19) 8, Los Angeles Angels (22-36) 5
I suppose I’m being a tad uncharitable to the Angels, who did lead the Rays for the middle part of this ballgame at the Trop. But if the Halos have proven anything over their past decade of misery, it’s that they’re never to be trusted. Walbert Ureña did a nice job of matching Nick Martinez, allowing a leadoff homer to Yandy Díaz and really not much else across six innings of one-run ball. And the Angels had a 2-1 advantage by the time Ureña left at the end of the sixth, thanks to a pair of RBI knocks from Vaughn Grissom and Zach Neto. It could’ve been more, as they went 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position on the night. Oh well.
Ryan Zeferjahn took over for Ureña in the seventh and saw it fitting to then give up seven. Okay fine, the last three runs were charged to Brent Suter, but this was some bad relief pitching. Zeferjahn didn’t record his only out until after walking Cedric Mullins, allowing back-to-back homers to Díaz and Jonathan Aranda (Yandy putting the Rays ahead), and yielding a single to Junior Caminero.
Grissom didn’t help matters for Suter upon his entrance, bobbling a Chandler Simpson grounder for an error. Oliver Dunn then reached on a squeeze single, Richie Palacios cleared the bases with a two-run triple, and he scored on a Nick Fortes sacrifice fly. A 2-1 lead had become an 8-2 deficit in an inning. That’s Angels baseball, baby.
Two walks, a Grissom double, and a pair of productive outs helped the Halos trim the score to 8-5 in the eighth. For as lousy as the pitching is, the Orange County offense did manage to get the go-ahead run to the plate down to their last gasp against closer Bryan Baker. With one down, he walked Logan O’Hoppe, allowed a single to erstwhile Rays pest Jose Siri, and despite fanning Neto, he walked Trout to load the bases for Grissom — who actually had a go-ahead slam earlier this week in Detroit. No dice this time around, as Baker got Grissom to pop up to end it. The Rays retain their 1.5-game lead in the AL East.
Other Games
Toronto Blue Jays (29-29) 6, Baltimore Orioles (26-32) 5: It looked like the O’s had a handle on this one, as they seized a 5-0 lead at Camden Yards on the strength of homers from Jackson Holliday, Pete Alonso, and Samuel Basallo. Trevor Rogers threw six scoreless innings on under 75 pitches, and it wasn’t controversial to see him return for the seventh. Four batters later, he was gone and it was quickly a 5-4 ballgame on a pair of two-run dingers from Kazuma Okamoto and the debuting Charles McAdoo. Whoops. As the Toronto bullpen after Austin Voth threw no-hit relief, the Jays finished the comeback in the eighth, blitzing Yennier Cano as well with back-to-back singles and a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double to plate both runners before an out was recorded. Adley Rutschman had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth as the winning run at the plate following an error by Ernie Clement, but Braydon Fisher got him to ground out, Clement succeeding in his mulligan. Toronto is back to .500 for the first time since April 4th.
Seattle Mariners (29-29) 7, Arizona Diamondbacks (31-25) 6 – 10 innings: The Jays’ 2025 ALCS foes are back even at .500 as well, and while it hadn’t been quite as long for the M’s, it had still been almost exactly a month. Seattle outhomered Arizona 4-1 on Friday, with J.P. Crawford slugging a pair off Zac Gallen himself. However, three singles, two doubles, and a walk helped the D-backs come back from down 5-1 in the sixth against George Kirby and Matt Brash. Luke Raley countered with a solo shot to make it 6-5, M’s, but Andrés Muñoz’s tough 2026 continued when he blew the save in the ninth. He was honestly fortunate to escape the bases-loaded, no-out jam he put himself in on two singles and a plunking of Nolan Arenado with just one run scoring on a slow grounder that turned into an RBI fielder’s choice. The game went extras, and after Cooper Criswell stranded the zombie runner with two grounders to short and one to second, Randy Arozarena responded to the challenge of Josh Naylor being intentionally walked in front of him, doubling to center to walk it off. The M’s lead the A’s in the AL West by a game and a half.
Cleveland Guardians (34-25) 4, Boston Red Sox (23-33) 3: No one outside of the Buckeye State has really been looking all that much, but the Guardians are putting the finishing touches on an outstanding month of May. They began it dead even at .500; since then they’ve gone 18-9, and that’s even including the recent, weird home series loss to the Nationals. Cleveland got back on track last night with the last-place Red Sox in town, burning Boston’s “opener + Brayan Bello” strategy by crushing said opener, Tyler Samaniego.
Angel Martínez’s two-RBI single paced a four-run first, and though Bello kept it close with seven shutout innings while his offense tallied three in the fifth off Slade Cecconi, the Red Sox never mustered that game-tying score. Reliever Colin Holderman stranded Cecconi’s remaining runner in scoring position, and Boston could only scatter a few singles against the Cleveland bullpen. Cade Smith allowed a leadoff hit in the ninth before striking out the side for his MLB-leading 20th save.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 13: The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs before the game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 13, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Triple-A: Durham (Rays) 7, Norfolk Tides 4
Friends, it’s depressing looking at this Norfolk box score. No help is on the way and chaos reigns. The Orioles signed a pitcher more or less off of his couch to start this game. That’s Chris Kachmar, part of the Cubs organization last year, who pitched his first game of the year here. His 3.1 innings were scoreless.
Behind him for three innings was Riley Cooper, a guy the team appears to have bumped up from Delmarva for this game out of desperation. Cooper gave up two runs, then random 40-man roster fodder Eduarniel Núñez managed to give up five (three earned) in one-third of an inning.
There is just nothing to hang your hat on. The outfield was Michael Siani (also 40-man fodder), Tommy Pham, and Jud Fabian. There are no infield prospects in this box score. Designated hitter Heston Kjerstad drove in a run while going 1-4 with a double. I’m a little bit interested in seeing how Kjerstad does now that he’s officially been optioned. I hope he can pull off yet another career revival and end up displacing Tyler O’Neill in the Orioles lineup.
It’s nice for me to get to look at a butt-kicking by the Orioles affiliate here after that last one. Chesapeake exploded for seven runs in the second inning and they never looked back from there. The team had 19 hits and six different batters had multi-hit games. Among these were my guy Aron Estrada (hit his seventh homer of the year), Ethan Anderson (three hits), and Griff O’Ferrall (four hits). O’Ferrall needs some more four hit games to raise his season OPS, which now sits at .633. Estrada has a .757 OPS, while Anderson has rebounded nicely from last year’s time at Aberdeen, sitting at an OPS of .833.
The Baysox starting pitcher here was Sebastian Gongora, one more guy in the Orioles system who isn’t really a prospect but he’s also not a total non-prospect. The 24-year-old lefty, an 11th round pick by the Orioles two years ago, allowed two runs over a 6.2 inning start where he gave up just two hits and one walk. Gongora now has a 3.56 ERA in ten starts.
High-A: Jersey Shore (Phillies) 8, Frederick Keys 3
Does this box score let me report something good to you about Wehiwa Aloy? Sort of, he was hitless in three at-bats but walked twice. Okay, what about lately-warming-up outfielder Braylin Tavera? Also hitless, but he had a walk and a sacrifice fly. Early-season sensation Victor Figueroa? 0-3 with a walk. Vance Honeycutt didn’t strike out, because he didn’t play. Nate George remains on the injured list with an undisclosed illness. The Keys only had seven hits in all, just one of which went for extra bases, and they were 1-9 with RISP. It’s a rough way to try to win a game.
Frederick faced an early hole they were dug by their starting pitcher Kiefer Lord and never recovered from there. Lord sported an unenviable 3 WHIP for the game: Six hits, three walks in three innings. He was lucky to allow “only” three runs. Lord, who’s scarcely been healthy to pitch since being drafted in 2023, has a 6.19 ERA after five starts with Frederick following a promotion up from Delmarva.
Each of these teams had six hits. The Shorebirds hits were all singles. Fredericksburg had two doubles and a triple. That was pretty much the difference. It didn’t help that there was an error right after the triple, allowing that run to score with two outs. Shortstop DJ Layton, an interesting young guy from last year’s draft, committed the error. He made up for it a little bit with one of the Shorebirds hits, and scored Delmarva’s lone run.
Another guy appearing in this box score is Enrique Bradfield Jr., who’s rehabbing the injury that’s had him out of action with Norfolk since his last game on April 21. Bradfield came up to bat four times out of the leadoff spot, going 0-3 with a walk. Norfolk’s lineup will be a bit more interesting once he returns there.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the fourth inning at Petco Park on May 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After finishing their longest homestand of the season with a 3-6 record and a first-third of the season record of 31-24, the San Diego Padres know they have problems. No one on the team seems to be trying to deny it. The offense is the worst in baseball. The starters also have issues but have been overall competent for most of the season. Once again, they have the best bullpen in baseball, and reinforcements could be getting closer.
It’s a boring enterprise to keep harping on how badly this offense is performing. The best way to express where they stand is to let the highest-paid player on the team, third baseman Manny Machado, step forward and represent the hitters.
“We’re scuffling as an offense, obviously. It doesn’t help that your star player leaves six on base. There goes the game. I don’t really think it’s anybody else. You get a hit there, even drive in one run on a ground ball, double play. Should have done that in the first inning. The game changes a little bit there.” — Machado, after the May 25 loss to the Phillies, as written by Kevin Acee in his Padres Daily newsletter of May 26.
It’s admirable that Machado tries to take the blame on himself but he is joined by many others who make this a team-wide problem. The hitters have struggled against good pitching and bad pitchers. Their .218 team batting average and .291 OBP are the worst in the league. They are 29th in slug and OPS, with the Mets only being worse than them by a small percentage.
Support for Steven Souza Jr
The players and their manager, Craig Stammen, have all spoken up in defense of hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. The latest was Machado, who has taken on the role of team captain despite the Padres never officially having a team captain. Machado has had a prickly relationship with the media at times but during these early-season struggles, his willingness to speak for himself and the team has been noticeable.
“Those coaches don’t grab a bat,” Machado said when asked about Souza. “It’s us grabbing the baseball bat and going up there and putting on our gear and facing Cristopher Sanchez today. It’s on us to go out there and perform. They’re giving us the information, and we’re going out there and we’re executing, we’re just not getting those results that we’d like. The game is like that sometimes.”- From Kevin Acee’s Padres Daily newsletter of May 28, after being shutout by Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez.
It is natural in a situation like this that a rookie hitting coach, with no previous coaching experience, would be taking heat for a poorly performing offense. The Padres will have a real problem soon if the offense doesn’t turn this around. With a winning record and still seven games over .500, the organization still has a little wiggle room but that won’t be true soon.
Bullpen brilliance
The Padres finished the series against the Phillies with the best bullpen ERA in baseball at 3.07. Mason Miller continues to lead the National League closers with 16 saves and 47 strikeouts. He is not the only pitcher on the team who has had success this season.
Yuki Matsui, since coming back from injury, has pitched 12 innings without allowing a run. Jason Adam has 18.2 innings pitched with a 0.96 ERA and has 10 straight scoreless innings. Wandy Peralta has pitched 25.1 innings with a 2.13 ERA but has had 12 straight scoreless innings.
Bradgley Rodriguez, 22, has a 1.69 ERA in 23 games and 26.2 innings pitched with two saves. He has shown the ability to pitch more than one inning as well as pitch in close games. His fastball sits in the upper 90’s and has touched 100 mph regularly. He has a plus changeup and a good slider to complement the fastball.
With Jason Adam being a free agent at the end of this season, 2026 will be the best time for Rodriguez to step up into higher-leverage situations.
Petco Park wins Best Facility in sports
The Sports Business Journal, which holds annual awards, awarded Petco Park the Sports Facility of the Year for 2026.
Earlier this year, Petco Park was named Best Ballpark by USA Today. Petco also won that award in 2023 and 2024.
Injury Updates
Padres manager Craig Stammen provided updates this past week on several players currently on the injured list.
RHP Nick Pivetta has not yet begun a throwing program and is in the “active rest” stage of his rehab.
RHP Joe Musgrove is on the verge of beginning a throwing program that should begin with playing catch next week.
2B Jake Cronenworth is still experiencing symptoms from the concussion sustained when he was hit by a pitch in his right jaw. He was seen on the field this past week, playing catch. That is the first baseball activity for Cronenworth.
C Luis Campusano has caught bullpens for pitchers but is still not able to begin a rehab stint until he can move around freely without pain in his broken toe.
RHP Germán Márguez is no longer experiencing pain in his right forearm and has started playing catch.
Not in Stammen’s update but on a rehab assignment, RHP Jhony Brito has had 3 starts since beginning his rehab from UCL surgery. He had one appearance in Arizona and has had two starts with Double-A San Antonio. His last start, May 23, lasted 3.1 innings and 68 pitches; he allowed six hits and three earned runs and three walks.
Multiple players are playing with the ACL Padres to begin their rehab.
Minor leaguers: RHP Ryan Och, C Brendan Durfee, C Blake Hunt, RHP Adler Cecil and LHP Zach Qin all started rehabs with the ACL Padres.
RHP Ty Adcock , on the Padres roster to start spring camp, started his rehab in Arizona but is now pitching for the High-A Fort Wayne TinCaps on his rehab journey.
May 29, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets designated hitter MJ Melendez (1) hugs New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) after hitting a walk off two run home run against the Miami Marlins during the tenth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
Despite scoring four runs in the first and adding three additional runs in the rest of regulation, the Mets allowed the Marlins to chip away and ultimately tie it, and the first game of the series between the two division rivals thus went into extra innings. The Amazins emerged victorious, however, thanks to a walk-off two-run homer off the bat of MJ Melendez.
The Mets are finally making a shift to their rotation, with David Peterson officially heading to the bullpen and Sean Manaea taking his spot as a starter/bulk arm.
David Stearns acknowledged that the team has underperformed thus far but expressed hope that they could still dig themselves out of the hole they’re in.
Tobias Myers surrendered a game-tying two-run homer in last night’s game and was optioned to Triple-A afterwards.
Bobby Valentine and Lee Mazzilli will be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame today, and the former celebrated by donning his famous disguise one more time.
One of the most exciting players of the 2026 season thus far will be off the shelf for a while, as Munetaka Murakami suffered a right hamstring injury in last night’s game.
In a game that would mirror a certain famous World Series game a few months later, the Mets got themselves a walk-off extra inning victory on an error on this date in 1986.
Felix Reyes of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs reacts during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Some of the team’s top prospects are looking much better of late, but the churn is beginning on the major league bench.
Lehigh Valley 5, Buffalo 4
It’s starting to become a broken record of sorts, but Felix Reyes just keeps on demolishing Triple-A pitching, homering again last night in Buffalo.
As the kids say, the guy is cookin’. He had help though as Paul McIntosh had three hit, two doubles included, and one RBI in the Ironpigs victory. On the mound, it was Levi Stoudt getting the victory after five innings of only allowing two runs and seeing his bullpen bend but not break.
Harrisburg 9, Reading 1
A wet fart of a game, the Fightin’ Phils offense decided that getting to watch Gage Wood last night in his home debut was mentally and emotionally draining enough that they took the night off. Kehden Hettiger had a solo home run to be the only offense worth mentioning as the remainder of the lineup managed only five other hits in addition to that long ball. On the mound, starter Luke Russo was actually quite good, striking out eight in five innings and only allowing a single earned run, but a bullpen failure allowed seven other runs to score to let the Fightins fall.
Jersey Shore 8, Frederick 3
Devin Saltiban and Keaton Anthony were the offensive stars for the Blue Claws, each collecting two hits, Saltiban having a double and Anthony scoring two runs to help the cause. Mavis Graves looked better, only giving up three runs in 4 2/3 innings, striking out six. It’s these kinds of games that the Phillies do need though. Do a basic search and these three guys are considered to be some of the better prospects the team has right now. Having them start to be a little more consistent would go a long way in evaluating these kids the team has and maybe change those experts’ minds on the health of the lower levels.
Dunedin 8, Clearwater 3
The Ferre-bus continues rolling along as Alirio Ferrebus had two hits in three at bats and a run scored. His season average is up to .342 and his stock is firmly on the rise. A bullpen game saw a lot of arms going for the Threshers, but none of them were particularly impressive outside of starter Cade Obermueller.
Much better and cleaner second outing for second round pick Cade Obermueller. The southpaw strikes out 4 in two innings for Clearwater tonight, allowing just one hit. Obermueller averaged 93 with the fastball pic.twitter.com/m464P7wxMs
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 09: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals watches from the dugout during the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium on May 09, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“We felt like there’s a core here that we could rely on for offense,” Picollo said. “Surrounding them with a deeper, better group and more balanced group was the goal. I think we did that. But I’m accountable, too. There are some evaluations made that haven’t lined up just yet. I think we have the pieces to compete and win more games that we have.”
When a team with expectations struggles as much as the Royals have, it doesn’t take long to hear calls for coaching changes. The calls have been loud in Kansas City for quite some time now.
Despite the Royals falling vastly short of expectations so far, a staff shakeup doesn’t appear imminent.
It means trading anyone who isn’t under contract beyond this season. Most players on the roster are under team control beyond this season, but a few could bring back some return. Health is a huge part of this with guys like Kris Bubic and Matt Strahm, but I do think they can get some additions to the system. But I also think they need to be open to anything. On our preview podcast on Kauffman Corner, I said the Royals would make a massive deal and move Kendry Chourio (and many others) for James Wood. I don’t think that particular deal is going to happen, but if the Royals can get Witt a sidekick in a deal, even if it doesn’t help them this year, it’s okay to buy at the deadline in that way.
So it’s not just trading everyone. That can get difficult for them because their system is undoubtedly improving, but it’s still not at the point where they have a plethora of top prospects to trade away and remain where they are.
In addition to sharing revenue, the league is hoping its plan can help more people watch games. Since the teams would share the TV revenue, there would be fewer restrictions on viewers.
“(B)y sharing media revenue equally as part of our proposal, we can address another top fan concern of local TV blackouts,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said on the league’s website.
Troubling, too, are his more advanced 2026 metrics — only in whiff % (30.1, 60th percentile) and K% (25, 51st percentile) is Mozzicato above the 50th percentile, and he’s at the 14th percentile in strike % (14), and the 21st percentile in BB% (16.2) and zone % (42.6).
The southpaw’s fastball is also a concern. Mozzicato simply hasn’t displayed the velocity he needs.
And then there’s his control. If not improved soon, Mozzicato’s tendency to walk far too many batters (career 16.3 BB% and 6.48 BB/9) may well be enough to keep him out of the majors.
Kiley McDaniel at ESPN has a mock draft out with the Royals taking prep pitcher Gio Rojas at #6.
Rojas is a cut-rate option here and otherwise might not have real interest until the teens, so he’s incentivized to cut a deal.
Don’t be surprised if: This is the spot where there could be a curveball. The reason I said the three players in the second tier should go in the next four picks is that the Royals could mix in a surprise.
I think Lombard is the preference, then Booth Jr. and Rojas are next up in some order. But there’s always a surprise in the top 10, and I think this might be the spot. Arkansas slugger Ryder Helfrick also could be an option here.
COVERS INTEL:
