Jun 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
The Mets dropped their second one-run game against the Phillies this weekend, losing 5-4 to drop the series against their division rivals. In a game Gary Cohen aptly called “excruciating”, the Mets went 2-16 with runners in scoring position, leaving 14 men on base, in the loss.
The beginning of the game had a much different tone than that, however, especially the first four innings. Jesus Luzardo, who got the ball for the Phillies, looked great over the first four frames, allowing four base runners (with the first one coming in the third inning), and the Mets had trouble keeping the Phillies bats silent.
The Mets operated with a quasi-bullpen game, with lefty Cionel Pérez opening the game against the lefty heavy top of the Phillies lineup. He was excellent, striking out two, before handing the ball to the first of their two bulk relievers behind him in Tobias Myers. Myers had an iffy outing, throwing two zeroes in the second and fourth but also getting hit around in the third, surrendering three runs in that inning.
Trailing 3-0 after four, the Mets handed the ball to the second of their two bulk relievers, Kodai Senga. He started off strong, sitting the Phillies down in order. The Mets finally got on the board in the fifth, when Carson Benge lined a Luzardo sinker to left field to drive home Tyrone Taylor, making it 3-1.
Senga worked himself into a jam in the sixth, walking Alec Bohm and allowing a double to Brandon Marsh, setting up second and third with no outs. He worked himself out of a man made jam of his own creation, striking out J.T. Realmuto, getting Bryson Stott to ground out to a drawn in Brett Baty, and getting Juan Soto home run stealer Derek Hill to go down swinging to end the frame still down 3-1.
Francisco Alvarez doubled to lead off the sixth off of Chase Stugart. Stugart got a pinch hitting Jared Young on strikes, but did not get a pinch hitting A.J. Ewing out. The rookie blasted a hanger of a sweeper 382 ft. into the bullpen, making it a 3-3 game. Ewing crushed it, hitting it 104 mph. Ewing exited the game with a 123 wRC+, which is a wonderful silver lining in this mostly lost campaign, especially considering he is only 21 years old.
A.J. Ewing digression aside, lets get back to the sixth inning, because it did not end there. Brett Baty followed up the two run home run with a walk, and Luis Torrens singled to make it first and third, with still only one out. Carson Benge hit a soft liner up the middle that ricocheted off the pitcher’s glove, allowing Baty to scamper home on a fielder’s choice, making it 4-3 Mets.
The good vibes would end there, really. Justin Crawford led off with a single in the seventh, and Kyle Schwarber would soon after hit his 30th home run of the season to make it 5-4 Phillies, the eventual final score. Kodai Senga would stay in the rest of the game and genuinely pitch well, but that no-good, terrible pitch to Schwarber was one mistake too many.
The Mets offense did not roll over and die, but instead could not find the big hit after Ewing delivered one in the sixth. They got two runners on with two outs in the seventh but stranded them on a Baty ground out. They loaded the bases with one out on three walks against Orion Kerkering, but a Ronny Maruicio pop out and a Francisco Alvarez strike out ended the threat. They got a base runner against closer Jhoan Duran as well, but the two-out walk would be in vein.
The Mets, who at 35-49 are facing a season fading into obscurity, are 1-8 over their last nine games, which is, in my humble opinion, not what you want. (The one win, however, was the game I attended, moving my personal record to 2-0. Season tickets please @Mets!)
Big Mets winner: 29% WPA Big Mets loser: Ronny Maruicio -24% WPA Mets pitchers: -37% WPA Mets hitters: -13% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: A.J. Ewing’s two run home run in the fourth, +27.0% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Kyle Schwarber’s two run home run in the seventh, -37.8% WPA
No matter what you thought the Cubs would do this year, you absolutely did not have the following on your Cubs Bingo card:
“Jordan Wicks is going to post his first save of the year against the Brewers, in Milwaukee, coming into the game in the 10th inning with the bases loaded and nobody out.”
Who writes these scripts, anyway?
And yet, that is exactly what happened in a tension-filled contest. The Cubs did win 4-3 in 10 innings, taking the series and an important game from their division rivals.
Well. If you’ve settled down a bit from all the drama, let’s begin at the beginning.
With the Cubs rotation in shambles, this was scheduled to be a bullpen game. Ryan Rolison, who was the opener one other time this year, got those honors. And he got to two out in the second inning with no trouble, but… Craig Counsell might have left him in one batter too long. Gary Sanchez homered off Rolison with two out in the second to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead. Rolison finished off the inning without further incident.
The Cubs, as they had done in the other two games of this series, had trouble with the Brewers starter, Brandon Woodruff gave the Cubs just one hit and two walks into the sixth, the hit a double in the third by Miguel Amaya.
Bryse Wilson, who wasn’t even in the Cubs organization until four days ago and who last pitched 10 days ago, two innings for the Phillies, was spectacularly good in relief of Rolison. He threw 4.1 innings, allowed four hits and no runs, didn’t walk anyone and struck out four. So between Rolison and Wilson, they threw 6.1 innings, allowed six hits and one run, didn’t walk anyone and struck out six – that’d be a pretty good outing from any starting pitcher.
From @sportradar: Bryse Wilson and Fergie Jenkins are the only #Cubs in the modern era to have 4+ IP in relief with 0 runs allowed and 0 walks in their team debut. @WatchMarquee
Welcome to the Cubs, Bryse Wilson! One more note on Wilson, from BCB’s JohnW53:
Bryse Wilson is the 23rd player to make his debut as a Cub this season — 17 pitchers, 6 position players.
That raises the all-time count since 1876, first season of the National League, to 2,300, the most by any team.
The Cardinals are second, with 2,250. They began play in 1882. The Braves, the only other active team that began in 1876, have used 2,184, which is sixth most.
So the game went to the seventh with the Cubs still down just 1-0. With one out, Ian Happ walked and Nico Hoerner singled him to third – just the Cubs’ second hit.
Shaw walked, putting runners on first and third with one out, but pinch-hitter Pedro Ramirez struck out and Dansby Swanson flied out, ending the inning.
No further runs crossed the plate in the seventh, eighth or ninth. Oddly, Justin Dean was sent up to bat for Matt Shaw in the top of the ninth. He struck out. Here’s why that change was made:
Matt Shaw had some wrist soreness which is why Justin Dean pinch hit for him in the 9th. #Cubs
The Cubs got good relief work from Caleb Thielbar, Tyler Ferguson (despite a throwing error with a runner on first on a pickoff attempt) and Jacob Webb. With the potential winning run on second and two out in the bottom of the ninth, Webb struck out Joey Ortiz to send it to extras [VIDEO].
All the leverage relievers have now been used by both teams, so the Brewers had to use Joel Kuhnel in the 10th. Dean was the placed runner. He went to third on a ground out. Swanson struck out, and then the Cubs rallied. Ball one was thrown to PCA, who was then intentionally passed. PCA stole second without a throw, taking away a force play and putting two runners in scoring position. Alex Bregman was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
A three-run lead in an extra inning should usually be enough for the visiting team. But remember when I said that all the leverage relievers had been used?
That meant Ethan Roberts was on for the Cubs. He’s been pretty good much of this season, but not on Friday against these same Brewers. Joey Ortiz was the placed runner for Milwaukee, and he scored on a single by Christian Yelich to make it 4-2. Then Jackson Chourio walked and Brice Turang singled, loading the bases.
That’s when Wicks came into the game. You were not filled with confidence at this move, but it was the only move Counsell had. Wicks walked Garrett Mitchell to make it 4-3. Wicks looked completely nerve-wracked on the mound, just as he had much of this season.
And then, some magic happened. Wicks got Jake Bauers to pop to short left for the first out.
Sanchez, who had started the scoring with his second-inning homer, was the next hitter. I was thinking, “If only Wicks could get him to hit the ball on the ground, he’s a good double-play candidate.”
You can see in the reaction by the Cubs fans there, and in the Cubs dugout, how big, how important this win was. It showed, I believe, that the Cubs are just as good as the Brewers, even with all the pitching injuries, even when having to use random pitchers picked up off the waiver wire. I am going to say this right here, right now, and you can believe me or don’t, but if the Cubs can somehow go on a run and win the NL Central, that run begins right here, right now, with this win in Milwaukee on June 28, 2026.
The Cubs’ series win here is an excellent accomplishment. It continues their good run – now 12-4 in their last 16 games – and moves them to within 5.5 games of first place. They’re now 23-21 on the road and return to Wrigley Field Monday to begin a six-game homestand. If you’re not optimistic now… well, jump on the bandwagon with me, won’t you?
The Cubs will open a three-game series against the San Diego Padres Monday evening at Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start the series opener for the Cubs. At this writing the Padres do not have a starter listed for Monday. Game time is 7:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Kodai Senga threw relatively well in his first career relief appearance Sunday, aside from one bad pitch.
The right-hander did well to save the bullpen and keep the Mets in a three-run ballgame.
Senga cruised his way through the top of the Phillies’ order in his first inning of work, including a four-pitch strikeout of Kyle Schwarber on a nasty slider out of the zone.
He found himself in immediate trouble after giving up a walk and a double leading off the sixth, but was able to dance his way out of danger with help from two more strikeouts.
The Mets rallied to jump in front for the first time in the ballgame in the bottom-half, and Andy Green decided to stick with Senga with the top of Philly’s order coming back up.
Green revealed postgame that the majority of New York's top arms were unavailable.
This time the Phillies' big bats were able to get to him, as the Met-killer Schwarber jumped all over a 1-2 fastball in the heart of the zone following three straight forkballs, crushing it over the right-center fence.
"Where we were at that point in the game and the count, it didn’t have to be a fastball," Senga said via a translator. "If I was going to go fastball since we were ahead, preferably it would’ve been higher, so there's a lot of think about."
Senga recovered nicely, retiring six of the next seven batters he faced to close the day.
The Mets had plenty of chances to pick him up as well, but couldn’t deliver the big hit needed, sending him home with the loss for the sixth consecutive outing.
It wasn’t all negative this time around for Senga, though, as he held the dangerous lineup to just the two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings.
He leaned heavily on his signature ghost-fork, using it to generate six of his 11 whiffs.
“I thought he was really good today,” Green said. “There was aggression in everything he threw.
“He used his forkball more, it's an elite weapon and we saw good hitters take bad swings at it -- that’s always been an elite weapon, it was good to see him use it in pivotal situations and we encourage him to continue to do it.”
Senga handled a starters workload, but his role moving forward still remains to be seen.
He knows at the end of the day, it comes down to the results.
"It's just up to me" he said. "If I can compete and be in the zone unlike my previous outing where strikes were strikes and balls were clearly balls, that’s not going to play, then I don’t deserve a spot in the rotation -- on the flip side, if I am able to compete I do feel I deserve a spot."
Ewing wasn't in the lineup with Philadelphia starting left-hander Jesus Luzardo, but was ready when his name was called upon to pinch-hit with one down in the sixth inning. Facing righty Chase Shugart, Ewing took a 0-1 sweeper and smacked it for a 382-foot game-tying two-run shot.
“Everybody in the lineup card has a role to play that day, whether they're in the starting nine or you're on the bench,” Ewing said. “And just staying prepared, staying into the game, the full nine innings.”
Ewing, who added a single in his three at-bats, said that being aggressive in counts is when he feels most comfortable at the plate.
"I feel like when I'm at my best, my at-bats end with one or two swings,” he said. “And I've been feeling more like myself recently."
In his last 14 games, Ewing has 16 hits in 47 at-bats (.340) with a 1.043 OPS as he has seven extra-base knocks and 12 RBI. And Sunday's homer, his third in that span and set up the Mets grabbing a lead after a CarsonBenge groundout later that same inning, was his first career pinch-hit hit.
“You just treat it like every other at-bat,” he said. “You’re getting prepared for it during the game a little bit, too.”
He added that the communication on that is “great” from the coaching staff in terms of who he might be facing and that gave him a “good idea” about when he might be entering.
Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived and, in the end, it was the Mets’ 15th one-run loss on the season, the most in the National League.
“That’s just baseball, it’s hard,” Ewing said of losing the lead after coming back from three down. “You just gotta show up tomorrow, we got three more in Toronto.”
RISP anything but crisp
Getting on base wasn’t the issue on Sunday, as the Mets had nine hits and eight walks. But the nine men in the starting lineup and three who came off the bench combined to go 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners stranded.
Perhaps the most crucial and, for Mets fans, most painful instance came in the home half of the eighth when Orion Kerkering issued three walks to load the bases with one out, throwing eight straight out of the zone to do so. But Ronny Mauricio popped out on a 1-0 count and Francisco Alvarez went down swinging after getting ahead 1-0.
“I saw just misses,” interim manager Andy Green said about what he saw on the day.
“Saw a bunch of guys taking aggressive passes and just missing pitches,” Green continued. “Obviously, there's a whole ton of times we could have hopped back in front, that was a huge swing from AJ to do that for us off the bench; that's impressive. We just didn't bring guys home today.”
When asked if there were times when they asked hitters to be more patient, Green said there were “certain situations” when the Mets had the “take sign” on for players in the game.
“It's not every situation,” the interim skipper said. “There's times where you want aggression on pitches that you should be able to hit and handle. So, different points in time of the game state today, there were takes on for guys, and then at different points in time, they were turned loose. And we weren’t able to get it just right today.”
With the day's poor showing, the Mets are now batting .238 (ninth-lowest in baseball) with a .678 OPS (fourth-lowest) and 216 RBI (lowest) with RISP.
Green had four options on his bench today and used three of them. Lindor was the lone man left out of action, and Green said he was unavailable.
“He was tempting,” the manager said about the opportunities when he could have used Lindor off the bench, but “he had the day entirely.”
Lindor played in the first two games of the series, the first time he’s done back-to-back games since he was activated from the IL on Wednesday, after several weeks out due to a calf strain.
Lindor had two hits (a triple) with two RBI and a walk in his seven at-bats of the series.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 28: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros hits a three-run home against the Detroit Tigers during the 10th inning at Comerica Park on June 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It took the Astros’ offense 7 innings to get into gear, but they were able to hit the gas when they needed to.
The Houston Astros (42-44) climbed out of a 3-0 hole early to come back and defeat the Detroit Tigers (35-49) 7-5 in 10 innings today at Comerica Park.
It is the the 5th straight series win for Houston, a season high. With the win, the Astros climb within 2 games of .500 since April 10 (they were 6-8). Houston is now only 1 game out in the AL West behind Texans and 0.5 GB of Seattle for the 3rd Wild Card spot in the AL.
The game did not start off the way the Astros had expected, especially with staff ace Hunter Brown on the mound.
In the bottom of the 2nd, a leadoff single by Kerry Carpenter was followed by a 2-run HR by Zach McKinstry (3) to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
The Astros, among the leaders for fewest errors this season, giftwrapped a run for Detroit in the 3rd. With Kevin McGonigle on 2nd base with two outs, Riley Greene hit a ball to second base that Raynel Delgado couldn’t handle. The error allowed McGonigle to score and gave Detroit a 3-0 lead.
In the top of the 7th, Delgado would atone for his fifth inning gaffe. After Jake Meyers reached and advanced to 2nd on an error by Tigers 1B Colt Keith with two out, Delgado smashed his first career HR 409 feet to right to draw the Astros within 1 at 3-2.
Things got dicey for Houston in the 9th as closer John Hader (W, 2-0) struggled with his command. After striking out Hao-Yu Lee for the first out, he walked Ben Malgeri. After retiring Matt Vierling on a fly ball to left, Hader then walked both McGonigle and Jahmai Jones before closing the inning by striking out Greene to leave the bases loaded.
In the 10th, with Jeremy Pena as the ghost runner, Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen (L, 1-4) walked Yordan Alvarez on 4 pitches that weren’t close. Isaac Paredes would follow with his 3rd hit of the game, an RBI single to drive in Pena and give the Astros their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Walker’s 56 RBI now tie Yordan Alvarez for the team lead.
In the bottom of the 10th, Enyel De Los Santos would allow a 2-run HR to Spencer Torkelson (13), but that was as close as the Tigers would get as the Astros won 7-5 and took 3 of 4 in Detroit.
The Astros now come home for a 6-game homestand starting with 3 against the Minnesota Twins.
Pitching Probables:
Mon: Peter Lambert (6-4, 3.28 ERA) vs. Zebby Matthews (3-5, 4.56 ERA)
Tue: Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.48 ERA) vs. Joe Ryan (5-4, 3.18 ERA)
Wed: Tatsuya Imai (5-3, 5.36) vs. Taj Bradley (6-3, 3.98 ERA)
Jun 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the New York Mets during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
Despite carrying an expensive payroll, the New York Mets have been the most disappointing team in baseball, languishing in last place in the National League East. On Sunday, they showed exactly why they’re such a bad team as they continually let the Phillies off to hook. The Phillies offense did just enough – including yet another home run by Kyle Schwarber – to escape Citi Field with a 5-4 win.
The Mets utilized a bullpen game, but the Phillies couldn’t take advantage early, going scoreless in the first two innings. In the third, they broke through against Tobias Myers. Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber had one out singles and then pulled off a double steal, allowing Bryce Harper to break the scoreless tie with a sacrifice fly.
Alec Bohm followed with a double to make it 2-0, and then Brandon Marsh hit an RBI single to put the Phillies up by 3.
Jesus Luzardo made the start for the Phillies, and was in control for the most part for the first four innings. In the fifth, he ran into trouble when the Mets started the frame with a walk and a single. With one out, Carson Benge singled to cut the lead to 3-1. Despite walking Juan Soto, Luzardo got the next two batters to limit the damage.
The Phillies wasted a second-and-third, nobody out situation in the sixth, and that proved costly the following inning. Luzardo was over 90 pitches, so manager Don Mattingly had to turn to his bullpen. It took Chase Shugart three batters to blow the lead thanks to a game-tying home run by A.J. Ewing.
After another walk and single, Shugart was pulled for Kyle Backhus. Benge put the Mets in front 4-3 thanks to an RBI fielder’s choice, but Backhus got Bo Bichette to fly out and end the inning.
In the seventh, the Phillies went back on front in a familiar fashion: A Kyle Schwarber home run. Justin Crawford led off the inning with a single and after Turner predictably came up small, Schwarber hit his 30th of the year to make it a 5-4 game.
The next two innings, the Phillies’ bullpen tried its best to hand the game to the Mets, but the Mets refused to take it. Jose Alvarado started the seventh with two strikeouts, but then hit a batter and committed a throwing error to put runners on second and third. But Brett Baty grounded out and the Mets came up empty.
In the eighth, Orion Kerkering walked the bases loaded with one out. With the bases loaded, and Kerkering having thrown nine straight balls out of the strike zone, Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio inexplicably swung in a 1-0 count and popped it up. Francisco Alvarez followed and swung at two balls out of the zone to end the inning.
Jhoan Duran also had some control issues, but once again, the Mets helped him out by swinging at numerous pitches out of the strike zone. When Luis Torrens hit a fly ball to right, the win was secured.
The Phillies have had their share of problems at Citi Field in recent years. But the Mets are in such a bad way, that despite the Phillies seemingly trying their best to lose, they still managed to escape with a series win.
Jun 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Starling Marte (0) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring against the Chicago White Sox during the third inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
The Royals rallied early in a back-and-forth game, to beat the White Sox 5-4. It ends a 4-game losing streak and a 6-game losing streak to the White Sox.
Lane Thomas led off the game with a single and stole second. He went to third on Bobby Witt Jr.’s deep flyout to center. Carter Jensen drove him in with an RBI single, to extend his hit streak to 19 games.
The White Sox immediately answered in the bottom of the inning, a leadoff walk was followed by Miguel Vargas blasting a 2-run shot into the left center bleachers. Avila worked around a single and walk thereafter.
In the top of the 2nd, Isaac Collins was hit by a pitch to start the inning, Tyler Tolbert reached via an error, and the Royals had 1st and 2nd with nobody down. Kameron Misner flew out to right, letting Collins get to third. Thomas singled him home to tie the game. Tolbert scored on a Jr. sac fly after getting to third on a wild pitch.
Again though, the White Sox answered right back. After two quick outs, a single, double and a 2-run broken bat single put the home team up 4-3.
The Royals tied the game in the top of the third behind Starling Marte turning back the clock. Marte led off with a single and stole second base, his first on the season and the 362nd of his career. He scored on Collins bloop double to right.
Avila finished the day, going 4 innings, allowing 6 hits, 4 runs, walking 3 and striking out 4. Steven Cruz, who was the winning pitcher, threw a 1-2-3 5th inning. Beck Way, Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm each got scoreless innings to get it to the 9th inning.
Alex Lange got the 9th, he got 3 groundouts to end the game but made a nice play after taking a hard grounder off the foot. It’s Lange’s 7th save on the season.
The Royals finish the road trip 3-4, they are 35-50 on the season now. They are off tomorrow, before starting a 3-game series on Tuesday against Tampa Bay.
Jun 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) receives congratulations from first baseman Christian Walker (8) after he hits a home run in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The story of the Detroit Tigers disastrous 2026 season can be told via the injury list and the bullpen’s inability to hold leads with any consistency. The latter has been on display all season, despite no major injuries to core pieces, and they blew it again with a little help from a bad defensive play. The Astros rallied back against Tyler Holton and Kyle Finnegan, and then mauled Kenley Jansen in the top of the 10th inning to win the game and take the series three games to one.
Jack Flaherty returned from the injured list in this one, bumping Enmanuel de Jesus, who has been pitching really well for two months, down to Triple-A Toledo. Flaherty looked reinvigorated by his time off, and put together a fine outing as his teammates battled one of the tougher starting pitchers in the game in RHP Hunter Brown. As has been the case so often, the Tigers won the battle of the starting pitchers only to watch the game fall apart in the late innings.
Flaherty came out throwing darts. He struck out Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker in the first, walking Yordan Alvarez, which is rarely a terrible idea, before wrapping up a scoreless first.
Brown tunneled a good low fastball after a changeup down and away on the same line to lock up Kevin McGonigle. That opened the bottom of the first. Colt Keith, in the two spot and playing first base with Spencer Torkelson on the bench, sliced a double the opposite way but he was stranded. Flaherty punched out Joey Loperfido and Yainer Diaz in a quick top of the second. Kerry Carpenter singled to open the bottom half, and then Zach McKinstry timed up a good Brown heater and blasted it to right field for a two-run homer.
Matt Vierling came up with a two-out knock later in the inning, and then stole second base. It went for naught, as McGonigle flew out to center field.
So Flaherty had a 2-0 lead, and he ran with it. Jake Meyers led off the third with a double, and that produced a stressful inning when he was wild pitched to third. However, Flaherty dug in and rather than shying away from contact, he came right after Raynel Delgado and Jeremy Peña, collecting swinging strike threes. He climbed the ladder against Yordan Alvarez and the Astros masher lifted a pop-up to Riley Greene in left, ending the threat.
A leadoff single from Isaac Paredes opened the fourth. A Walker grounder forced Paredes at second, but Loperfido walked for a one-out jam. Flaherty had the answer again, as Diaz lifted a fly out to right field. Trammell challenged a 3-2 pitch and correctly drew a walk, but the Tigers’ right-hander whiffed Meyers to again turn the Astros away.
The Tigers got another leadoff single from Carpenter in the bottom of the fourth, but again that didn’t go anywhere. Flaherty whiffed Peña, and then froze Yordan Alvarez in the top of the fifth to wrap up a strong outing.
In the bottom of the fifth, Kevin McGonigle drew a one-out walk. He took second on a Colt Keith grounder to the second baseman, Delgado. Riley Greene tested Delgado with a harder ground ball, and he booted it, allowing McGonigle to score from second for a 3-0 lead. That’s pretty good work against Hunter Brown, but it would still take another inning to get him out of the game.
Flaherty was out of the game, and Tyler Holton tossed a 1-2-3 sixth, getting Paredes, Walker, and then Cam Smith, who pinch-hit for Loperfido.
The Tigers got a two-out walk to Hao-Yu Lee, hey take your walks, buddy, in the bottom of the sixth. James Outman got down in the count, and so Lee opted to try and steal second. He was ruled safe, but a challenge showed he was just out by a hair. On to the seventh. Still 3-0 Tigers.
Holton got Diaz to open the seventh, and then Brice Matthews pinch-hit for Trammell and flew out. Unfortunately, the Tigers then Tiger’d. Colt Keith is ostensibly the club’s backup first baseman, but he never gets any reps there and that bit them on an errant throw from McGonigle after a Jake Meyers grounder. Keith tried to keep his foot on the base as he stretched all the way out, and he just flat out missed the throw. Meyers took second, and so there was a bit of two-out trouble. It quickly bit them, as the rookie Delgado climbed the ladder for a first pitch sweeper above the zone and cranked it to right for a two-run shot. That was the first home run of his career. 3-2 Tigers.
Not good. Obviously that’s on Colt Keith to a degree, but it’s really on McGonigle for the throw. They weren’t getting Meyers on that throw either way. Even so, every bit of adversity seems to crack Tigers relievers’ heads open, with disaster often following. Kyle Finnegan took over and gave up a single to Peña. He dug in and got a ground ball to end the inning from Alvarez. The Tigers have handled him extremely well in this series at least.
So, rather than see the Astros weaker relievers, they got Bryan Abreu in the bottom of the seventh. Outman opened the frame with a line drive single, and then Matt Vierling dropped a sacrifice bnnt to move him to second. Abreu wanted nothing to do with McGonigle, and walked him, but Colt Keith, seeking redemption, found none as he flew out to left field. Manager Joe Espada called on lefty Steven Okert to handle Riley Greene, and he did, getting the Tigers’ left fielder to pop out, stranding two.
So, a one-run game, two innings to go, what could go wrong? Obviously the Tigers have been atrocious in one-run games in the late innings, so the fear was, “everything.”
Those fears were immediately realized, when Finnegan missed with a splitter and then a slider against Isaac Paredes. He fired a heater right down the middle, and Paredes launched it to left to tie the game 3-3.
As has been the case all season, this bullpen remains a huge weakness. ERA doesn’t matter in relief work. Holding leads matters, and the Tigers’ bullpen has failed as much as any group in baseball this year.
Finnegan followed that up by walking Walker. He locked up Cam Smith with a fastball for the first out of the inning, but he was a long way from getting back into the dugout. Diaz got in a 3-2 count and chased two pitches out of the zone to bail Finnegan out. He fouled the first one off and whiffed on the second. With two outs, that left it to Matthews, but he took strike three in the upper corner after Dingler correctly challenged a ball call to get the Tigers out of the inning.
Bryan King took over for Okert in the bottom of the eighth. Dingler grounded out, but Spencer Torkelson pinch-hit for Carpenter and ripped a single to left. That was quickly erased by a chopper right to second base from McKinstry that became an inning ending double play ball.
Torkelson stayed in the game as the designated hitter, so it was still Keith at first with Kenley Jansen taking over. Meyers greeted the future Hall of Famer with a laser to McGonigle. The Tigers’ third baseman was in looking for a bunt and made a nice snare. Delgado lifted a weak fly ball to right for the second out. That brought up Peña, with Alvarez looming. The ideal was to get Peña, keep Yordan out of this, and then walk them off. Peña whiffed on two cutters, then fouled off two. Jansen pulled a perfect slider out of his bag of tricks, and Peña struck out swinging.
That brought Josh Hader, Astros closer, to the mound. The task would not be easy for the back half of the Tigers’ lineup, and Hao-Yu Lee chased an 0-2 slider and struck out. Still needed a little more patience from the 23-year-old rookie. AJ Hinch pinch-hit Ben Malgeri in for James Outman against the lefty.
Malgeri fell behind 0-2 but showed off the gritty, battling style he was known for in the Tigers’ system. He battled back to 3-2, fouling off some tough pitches, and drew a one-out walk. Vierling made a bid on a little drive in the left center field gap, but it stayed up and Matthews ran it down to make a sliding catch.
So, it was up to Kevin McGonigle. Hader got ahead of him, but didn’t really want to throw anything else in the strike zone. The rookie worked it to 3-2 and drew a walk on a heater well out of the zone. That left it to Jahmai Jones, hitting for Colt Keith, and probably just needing a single to win it. Hader missed with two fastballs to start the at-bat, and then missed again. Jones had the green light, but a fastball just off the outer edge was fouled off. Hader yanked a slider down, and he had walked the bases loaded as Riley Greene dug into the batter’s box.
Hader located a sinker for strike one, and then Greene chased a heater up. Hader missed with the next pitch, but another 97 mph sinker above the zone drew the whiff as Greene took too big a hack, and a pretty packed weekend crowd at Comerica Park groaned in misery. Greene’s batting average in high leverage counts dropped to .210 with that whiff. His career mark is .277 with a 109 wRC+ but it’s even been a struggle for him this season.
Kenley Jansen stayed in the game in the tenth, with Peña starting at second and Yordan at the plate. Jansen missed with four straight to walk Alvarez, and that was probably the plan, setting up a double play ball, though Jansen is decidedly a fly ball pitcher and hasn’t gone two innings in about a year. On the other hand, he’d only needed seven pitches in the ninth.
Isaac Paredes fell behind 0-2, but another cutter was punched into right center field for a single. Malgeri fired home too late, and it was 4-3 game, still with no one out. Things would get worse, as Christian Walker got a cut fastball right in the sweet spot in a 2-2 count and he drove it over the left field wall for a three-run shot. 7-3 Astros.
Predictable, really.
Jansen got Cam Smith to ground out, and then he departed as Jacob Waguespack took over to clean up the mess. Diaz grounded out.
Enyel de los Santos handled the bottom of the 10th. Riley Greene was at second. Dillon Dingler struck out on a slider for the first out. Torkelson pulled a 1-0 hanger just foul to left, and then whiffed on a sinker. The next pitch was a fourseamer belt high away, and the Tigers first baseman hammered a line drive the opposite way for a two-run homer. Thought we’d see a lot more of that oppo power once upon a time. 7-5 Astros.
Zack McKinstry was up next, and he missed an opportunity to challenge a 3-0 fastball up that was called a strike but was actually above the zone. It didn’t matter, as McKinstry lined the next pitch to right for a one-out single. Hao-Yu Lee bounced out, moving McKinstry to second, and so it was up to Ben Malgeri again.
A 2-2 pitch was yanked wild, moving McKinstry to third, and Santos missed with a slider to walk Malgeri after a failed Astros’ challenge.
So, it was first and third with two outs, and Matt Vierling at the dish with McGonigle looming. Vierling put a good swing on a 1-1 heater, but he flew out to the warning track in right. Ballgame.
The Tigers fall to 35-49 on the year. They’ll head to the Bronx to take on the Yankees for three games starting on Monday night.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 29: AJ Smith-Shawver #32 of the Atlanta Braves looks on while pitching during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Geneva Heffernan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We may be tracking toward seeing a bright blue glove back on the mound for the Atlanta Braves later this summer.
In an interview with BravesVision, Braves president of baseball operations and GM Alex Anthopolous shared that AJ Smith-Shawver will make a start in Single-A with the Augusta GreenJackets to kick off his rehab assignment.
Braves President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos shares an update on AJ Smith-Shawver and his first rehab start: pic.twitter.com/TtrE3SFC2l
The 23-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last June. Per the AJC, he threw two innings in a simulated game in the Braves’ Florida training facility on Thursday. The typical 30-day rehab assignment with no setbacks would mean we see AJSS back with the Braves around August.
First pitch time for the Augusta GreenJackets versus the Salem RidgeYaks is at 7:05 pm ET on Tuesday.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 27: Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals celebrates after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 27, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After three demoralizing games in a row against the Phillies, it was back to business for the Washington Nationals. They grinded out yet another road series win, this time against the Orioles. Luis Garcia Jr. is the hottest hitter in all of baseball right now, and he carried the offense in this one.
Final: Nats 6, Orioles 4. Luis Garcia Jr. went 3-for-5 with two homers, a double and 5 RBI. PJ Poulin recorded the final 6 outs for the save. The Nationals win another road series.
As mentioned, PJ Poulin also had a gutsy six out save to close this one out. After Mitchell Parker made things interesting in the 7th, Poulin came into the ball game. While Poulin does not throw hard, he kept Orioles hitters off balance with his deceptive delivery. He did a nice job keeping the ball off the barrel, something that has been a struggle for Nats relievers.
Poulin is not the most efficient pitcher ever, and tends to fall behind in counts, so it was certainly a stressful watch. However, the southpaw buckled down and got a game-ending double play after he walked a hitter. Nats fans were finally able to exhale, and the team was back over .500.
While Poulin got some huge outs, the MVP of this contest was undoubtedly Luis Garcia Jr., who is as hot as a hitter can get in this game. In his last 7 games, Garcia has a mind numbing 1.804 OPS with six home runs and a .435 average. His swing just looks so good right now, even the pitches he is fouling off. Garcia’s bat drop on his first homer was so sweet as well.
Luis García Jr. has now homered in five of his last six games. He is the first National since 2024 to hit five home runs in a six-game span.
García Jr.'s last six games: ⚾️9-for-17 (.529) ⚾️5 HR ⚾️2 2B ⚾️8 RBI ⚾️3 BB ⚾️7 R pic.twitter.com/s8dPMNSCBN
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 28, 2026
That homer gave the Nats a 5-2 lead. Garcia drove in five of the Nats six runs in this contest. Before the season, there were valid questions about whether Garcia could slug enough to be a valuable first baseman. Right now, he is answering those in a big way. For the season, Garcia now has an .850 OPS and a .543 slugging percentage. That slugging percentage is 7th in baseball, ahead of Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.
With James Wood and CJ Abrams being relatively cold in June, the Nats needed someone to step up and carry the load. Luis Garcia Jr. has been the guy to do that, and he is a real contender for NL player of the month. He should be a lock for NL player of the week.
At this rate, Garcia might break his career high in homers before the start of July. Right now, he is up to 16 home runs on the season, and the most he has in a campaign is 18. This is easily the best Garcia Jr. has ever played, and it has come when the Nats needed him most.
On his second home run, it did not feel like he got all of it, but the ball just snuck over the wall. The umps could not tell right away that it was a homer, but after a quick review, they gave the home run signal and the Nats first baseman rounded the bases.
Blake Butera has talked so much about how resilient his team is that it almost feels old. However, he is 100% right about his team’s ability to get off the mat. With the bullpen meltdowns against the Phillies, and a losing streak up to 4 games, this could easily have spiraled out of control. This team pushed through, and won yet another series. Next up is a trip to Paul Toboni’s old stomping grounds in Boston for what should be a fun matchup.
Jun 28, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Seth Halvorsen (54) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
After late-inning shenanigans in many of the Rockies’ recent games, the Colorado Rockies came into their Sunday afternoon rubber match against the Minnesota Twins looking for another series win. However, the Rockies’ bats went quiet against the Twins pitching staff, wasting a fairly well-pitched game by their own arms.
Another quality start for Ryan Feltner
Rockies starting pitcher Ryan Feltner didn’t record a single strikeout this afternoon against the Twins, but he also didn’t issue a single walk and did exactly what was needed of him. Feltner worked for six innings, threw 82 pitches, and gave up just two runs–one earned–on five hits. One of those runs scored in the second inning after a throwing error by third baseman Kyle Karros, while the other came via a solo home run off the bat of Twins second baseman Kody Clemens.
Feltner now has four quality starts in his last six appearances, and has given up more than two earned runs just once in that stretch. However, his ability to strike out batters has faded over the last two games. He struck out only two in his last outing before zero today.
Mixed results from the bullpen
Right-handed reliever Seth Halvorsen was the first to be given the ball after Feltner’s day was done. The hard-throwing Halvorsen tallied two quick outs, but then allowed what would be the game-winning run via a solo home run off the bat of Ryan Kreidler. He then gave up back-to-back singles before being pulled.
Lefty Brennan Bernardino recorded the final out of the seventh inning via a hard-hit comebacker right into his glove on the mound.
Juan Mejia took on the eighth inning and had a much-needed 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. While he’s had a rough season thus far, Mejia has now gone three straight outings without giving up an earned run.
Drama free in the wrong ways
The Rockies simply couldn’t get much going against the Twins’ pitching this afternoon, and it started against rookie Connor Prielipp. In his first outing against the Rockies, Prielipp pitched six strong innings without giving up a walk, allowed just two earned runs on six hits, and struck out a career high 10 batters.
The Rockies had their best opportunity to put multiple runs on the board in the first inning. Willi Castro led off the game with a single, and Tyler Freeman was hit by a pitch with Castro advancing to third on a Hunter Goodman groundout. Castro was then driven home on an infield single by TJ Rumfield. That would be the only run scored in the inning with a Cole Carrigg forceout and a Kyle Karros strikeout on an overturned ball four via ABS.
Rumfield went 2-for-4 this afternoon, expanding his streak of multi-hit games to five and his overall hitting streak to 11.
The Rockies wouldn’t score again until the sixth inning. Rumfield started the inning with another infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Carrigg. Rumfield was then driven in by a Troy Johnston single. Johnston was also 2-for-4 on the afternoon.
A Carrigg double with two outs–and a good at-bat that turned into an intentional walk by Karros–had the Rockies threatening in the eighth inning, but they failed to score. Catcher Braxton Fulford reached after getting hit by a pitch in the ninth, only for the next three batters to go down quietly to end the game.
Coming Up Next
The Rockies will head back to Denver tonight to kick off a three-game home series against the Miami Marlins tomorrow evening. Marlins right-handed ace Sandy Alcantara will be on the mound for Miami, while the Rockies have yet to announce their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM MDT.
The Mets fell to the Philadelphia Phillies by score of 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- In the bottom of the eighth, with the Mets trailing by a run, Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering walked the bases loaded. With one out, Ronny Mauricio popped out to second base for a huge second out, and Francisco Alvarez struck out on a high fastball to end the inning.
Overall, the Mets went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base.
-- After Cionel Perez retired the side in order in the first, the Mets turned things over to Tobias Myers. The righty had a clean second inning, but allowed three runs on four hits in the third as the Phillies rallied to take a 3-0 lead. The Mets and interim manager Andy Green appear to be stretching Myers out to join the rotation full-time, but it came at the detriment of Myers, allowing three runs as he stayed in the game instead of Green going to a different reliever.
--Kodai Senga made his first career relief appearance as he took over in the fifth inning. He pitched a one-two-three inning, did a great job working out of a jam in the sixth (more on that below), but gave up the lead in the top of the seventh, throwing a very hittable fastball to Kyle Schwarber,who put it over the wall in right center for a two-run homer, putting the Phillies back in front, 5-4.
Senga ended up going 5.0 innings, really saving the rest of the Mets bullpen, allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
-- The Mets put two men on with no outs in the fourth, but couldn't do anything with it as the next three batters were retired. Facing the same situation in the fifth, the Mets were able to capitalize, as it was none other than rookieCarson Benge who came through with an RBI single to left to get the Mets on the board. Benge now has nine hits over his last eight games.
The Mets would go on to load the bases with one out, but couldn't push another run across as Bo Bichette went down swinging and Eric Wagaman, hitting cleanup, flew out to shallow center.
-- A potential turning point came in the sixth inning. An Alec Bohm walk and a Brandon Marsh double had runners at second and third and no outs, but Senga dug deep and retired the next three to get out of the jam without allowing a run. In the bottom half of the inning,Alvarez led off with a double to right, and A.J. Ewingcame off the bench and delivered with a two-run homer to right field, his first career pinch-hit hit. After Jesus Luzardo allowed just one earned run in 5.0 innings, right-hander Chase Shugart immediately coughed the lead up.
Later in the inning, it was, guess who, Benge, who came through with a fielder's choice that gave the Mets a 4-3 lead, as Benge once again hit a ball hard off of left Kyle Backhus.
Game MVP
Schwarber, whose 30th homer of the season gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning.
Jun 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson (2), left, and infielder Pete Alonso (25) watch the Orioles bat in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Baltimore starter Kyle Bradish only allowed one hit today against the Nationals. If you’re looking for a positive story, you should probably stop reading now. The lack of hits did not bring the desired results. Bradish walked five hitters in only four innings of work, and Washington’s Luis García Jr. tortured Baltimore in a 6-4 Nationals victory at Camden Yards.
The Orioles actually got off to an encouraging start. Adley Rutschman picked up a two-out single in his first at bat after returning from the injured list. Pete Alonso worked the count full and fouled off a high heater before catching an elevated slider. Alonso tagged the ball 437 feet to dead center, and the Orioles led 2-0 at the end of one.
Bradish breezed through the first two innings and retired the first two batters in the third. Unfortunately, that’s where things began to fall apart. Bradish came within one strike of ending the inning in three consecutive at bats, but he kept letting batters off the hook. The righty issued free passes to Keibert Ruiz and James Woods before running the count full to Luis García Jr. Bradish managed to throw a pitch in the zone, but García turned the 96 MPH sinker around for a two-run double.
Bradish bounced back by generating a weak grounder from Curtis Mead, but Coby Mayo made a costly throwing error. Despite having plenty of time, Mayo spiked his throw to first. Samuel Basallo, playing first today with Alonso slotted as the DH, failed to pick the errant throw. García raced to the plate as the ball trickled by, and the Nationals secured a 3-2 lead.
Bradish walked two more batters in the fourth but managed to post a zero. He returned to the mound in the fifth, but exited after walking the leadoff hitter. Craig Albernaz summoned Tyler Wells for some long relief, but the move aged like milk. García Jr. delivered the Nats second hit of the game. This one was a 401-foot long ball that provided D.C. a 5-2 advantage.
Albert Suárez replaced Wells and tossed a scoreless sixth. Suárez struck out Woods to start the seventh, but García Jr. continued to see red in his next at bat. The 26-year-old smoked a line drive to deep right field. The ball was initially ruled in play, but replay revealed that the ball had left the yard. Washington led the game 6-2 behind García Jr.’s three extra-base hits.
The Orioles offense cooled after the early offense. Zack Littell entered the game with a 5.40 ERA, but he delivered a shutdown inning in the third. Baltimore failed to reach base in the fourth, and the Birds suffered some bad luck in the fifth. Taylor Ward was robbed of extra bases by an impressive catch at third base, and Gunnar Henderson just missed a run-scoring double on a ball that landed an inch left of the foul line.
Littell completed five innings to put himself in position for a win. Washington’s bullpen has been rocky all season, and Baltimore made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh. Colton Cowser reached with a base hit to center, and Jackson Holliday launched a ball over the fence in right field. The blast traveled 389 feet and cut the deficit in half.
Taylor Ward brought the tying run to the plate by working a walk, but Henderson flew out to end the inning. Henderson finished 0-for-4.
“Gunnar is just not getting the results that he wants,” Albernaz said after the game. “Nothing is falling for him right now.”
The Birds went down in order in the eighth. Coby Mayo worked a walk in the ninth, but pinch hitters Tyler O’Neill and Leody Taveras failed to deliver. O’Neill lined out to center field, and Taveras grounded into an inning-ending double play.
The Orioles dropped the series and fell to 39-46. Rutschman reached base multiple times and threw out a runner in his first game back. Cowser made several nice plays, and there were the big flies from Alonso and Holliday. There were a few positives, but not nearly enough. Bradish didn’t have it today, and García Jr. is on an absolute tear, but the Orioles beat themselves again with the throwing error in the third.
The struggling American League continues to keep Baltimore alive in the Wild Card race, but the Birds are in no position to be dropping a series like this at home. The Orioles will look to get back on track tomorrow evening against the White Sox.
Jun 28, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Kody Clemens (2) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Colorado Rockies during the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
After being swept by the presiding World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers this past week, the Minnesota Twins were looking for a “get right” series this weekend with the Colorado Rockies.
They got it–taking two-of-three from the Colorado kids and keeping their quest for .500 in the right direction.
Twins SP Connor Prielipp’s afternoon did not get off to a great start: a base hit from Willi Castro and HBP off the hand of Tyler Freeman. Castro would eventually touch the dish on a TJ Rumfield single, but Prielipp would wriggle out of further damage by whiffing Kyle Karros (with an ABS assist from Alex Jackson) to strand runners on 2B & 3B. 1-0 COL.
The Twins tied things up in B2 when a Royce Lewis leadoff double down the LF line was immediately paid off by a Brooks Lee single plus throwing error from COL 3B-man Karros. Alas, a MN lead was prevented by an Ezequiel Tovar web gem throw from SS to nip Austin Martin at the 1B bag. 1-1 tie.
Prielipp would again get himself into a T4 jam–bases loaded, one out—but again sidestep severity with a K and a ground out. MIN wouldn’t let the escape-artist trick go to waste in B4, when Kody Clemens clobbered a majestic moonshot that nearly clanged off the flagpole in the RF plaza! 2-1 MN.
T6 started with a Rumfield single–and ended with a tie ballgame after a Troy Johnston RBI single. Prielipp would depart after those six frames with a no-decision, but an impressive 10 K and 2 ER quality start. 2-2 tie.
After a scoreless frame from RP Andrew Morris, it looked to be the same for the Twins in B7–until a two-out bomb to the CF berm from Ryan Kreidler! 3-2 MN.
Could the bullpen record 6 outs without coughing up the slim lead? Always the terrifying dilemma for the Twins.
Well, things went fine in T8–Anthony Banda setting down the side scoreless even amongst a little base paths traffic. But the first pitch of T9 from Banda plunked Braxton Fulford–then Banda immediately left the game with an undisclosed injury.
Uh oh.
But just four pitches from Yoendrys Gomez was all it took to set down the Rockies for the final three outs.
Your Final: Minnesota Twins 3, Colorado Rockies 2.
Still hanging around in the AL Central race and Wild Card berth consideration within the muddled AL.
Zach’s Zealot
Prielipp: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 10 K–easily his best outing as a Twin thus far.
Zach’s Zombie
Luke Keaschall: 0-3, .645 OPS. Still struggling to find any sort of consistency in ’26.
Jun 28, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs while the Toronto Blue Jays scored two runs.
We can start by noting that the Rangers scored in the first inning of every game in this series. For a club often victimized by first inning runs, striking first proved to be an invaluable weapon for Texas this weekend in Toronto.
Today’s run came courtesy of Joc Pederson who, like on Thursday in the series opener, homered to lead off the game. Pederson’s solo dong came on the game’s first pitch, and the Rangers very nearly added more as they loaded the bases with one out against Toronto starter Shane Bieber before he wiggled out of trouble without another run crossing the plate.
And that ultimately seemed like potentially the big mistake of the day. The Rangers had fumbled their shot at following the same formula that had gotten them three wins to begin this series. After all, the Rangers had led big for much of each contest, allowing them to weather comeback bids by the Blue Jays in the late innings.
The Blue Jays threatened to nullify Texas’ scant early lead immediately in the bottom of the first as Kumar Rocker allowed a couple of singles to begin his start. However, Rocker buckled down to produce a shutdown inning and then ultimately enjoyed one of the more pleasant outings of his big league career.
Equipped with the deadly swing-and-miss slider that made him a No. 3 overall draft prospect, a slider that he sort of befuddlingly abandoned last season, Rocker only allowed two more hits and a walk in his six innings of work and struck out five, all swinging and four of which came on the slider.
Rocker’s biggest moment came in the bottom of the fifth when, in a 1-0 game, the big righty allowed a two-out single Andres Gimenez and then his defense started to abandon him. After a grounder to shortstop became a Corey Seager throwing error, with two on, Elias Diaz tried a back pick to get Gimenez at second base but the ball went off Gimenez’s helmet which allowed both runners to move into scoring position.
The Rocker of a year ago potentially collapses facing the top of the Jays’ order a third time and with the possibility of trailing with one hit. Instead, Rocker got Toronto’s No. 2 hitter Nathan Lukes to swing and miss on that money-maker slider to end the inning and the threat.
With the heart of the order due up an inning later, Skip Schumaker entrusted Rocker with the sixth inning and Rocker rewarded him with an easy inning to finish with an unblemished outing.
Now the Rangers are neck deep in a grueling early summer stretch of 15 games in 15 days that includes three consecutive road series. The pitching depth, especially in the bullpen, has become increasingly thin. There are going to be moments where some guys come in for appearances you probably wouldn’t want them to during this stretch and honestly most of that time that’s when Cole Winn comes into a game that the Rangers could maybe win.
After the Rangers got a bases loaded single from Diaz in the top of the sixth to make it a 2-0 game, a rally in which they failed to break open the game, Winn came on and tossed a scoreless seventh inning but then was tasked with going the eighth as well. After an out, he allowed a single to Jays’ leadoff hitter George Springer and then a home run to Lukes, a two-run shot that tied the game in the eighth.
As AJM noted, it was just the second home run that Winn had ever allowed to a left-handed batter. Nevertheless, the game was now tied and Rocker’s effort was erased. The tie game also allowed the Blue Jays to send in Louis Varland, who has been among the best relievers in the game this season.
After two quick outs, Josh Jung doubled and then was lifted for pinch runner Jarred Kelenic with Schumaker desperate to avoid extra innings and hoping that Corey Seager could come through with a go-ahead hit.
Instead, Varland unfurled a first pitch changeup for a wild pitch that the Jays showed no real urgency in fielding and Kelenic scored all the way from second base to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
That would become a 3-2 victory after Tyler Alexander tossed a scoreless ninth.
With the win, the Rangers collected a full four-game sweep of the Blue Jays – three of which were by one run – and leave Canada all the way back at .500.
Player of the Game: It’s Rocker, who enjoyed a quality start as the return to prominence for his slider continues to be a positive development. Unfortunately for him, the lack of run support and Winn existing prevented him from earning a win.
The Rangers won, though, so I’m sure he’s not sweating it.
Up Next: The Rangers return to the states to take on the Cleveland Guardians for the final leg of this lengthy road trip. The starting pitcher for Texas in the opener has yet to be determined while Cleveland will opt for LHP Parker Messick.
The Monday evening first pitch from Progressive Field is scheduled for 6:10 pm CDT and will be aired nationally on ESPN.
