Category: MLB

The San Diego Padres dropped Game 1 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday in horrible fashion. In what has become all too common, the Friars failed to score a single run despite multiple pristine opportunities to do so.

The Padres loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning before striking out twice and grounding out to end the inning without a score.

Then again in the third, the first two runners reached base before a forceout put runners on the corners. Manny Machado promptly grounded into a double play to end the inning.

With runners at first and second and only one out in the fifth, Miguel Andujar popped out before Xander Bogaerts flew out to end the final scoring opportunity the Padres would have.

The San Diego offense has had a meager showing lately, going 2-for-29 in their last four games. It’s been an exclamation mark on the continual inconsistency of the Friars lineup. One thing’s for sure, they’ll need to take advantage of every opportunity they have if they hope to salvage the series against Philly.

Taking the mound

Aaron Nola (PHI) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)

Nola’s been an ace in the past for Philadelphia, but he’s struggled to perform in 2026 with a 6.04 ERA and 1.56 WHIP through 10 starts. It’s been a consistent downturn for Nola since 2024, posting ERAs above 6.00 in each of his last two seasons.

He’s only had one scoreless start so far this year and has surrendered 13 runs in his last three games (13.1 IP). The Padres will need to do what they couldn’t yesterday if they’re to force the rubber match: score runs.

(Apologies for the mistake on yesterday’s preview. I accidentally wrote that Vásquez was starting Monday and Canning on Tuesday. That is my fault and Vásquez will start today’s game.)

Vásquez has shared ace duties with King this year, authoring a career-best 2.96 ERA through 54 2/3 innings. He’s lost that a bit in his recent starts, posting a 3.89 ERA across his last 37 innings.

His last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers was uncharacteristic, pitching just 4 1/3 innings and allowing three runs. If he can limit the Phillies lineup, he’ll need to do much better at limiting contact from Philadelphia’s sluggers.

Batter up!

As previously stated, the San Diego offense needs to wake up. Their inability to score in prime opportunities continues to infuriate the Friar Faithful. Despite outhitting the Phillies, 5-3, in Monday’s game, the Friars couldn’t score a single run.

But the one pleasant surprise was Fernando Tatis Jr. He went 2-for-2 with two walks against Philly. Across his last seven games, Tatis is batting .417, going 10-for-24 at the plate with five walks.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Miguel Andujar, DH
3. Gavin Sheets, 1B
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Jackson Merrill, CF
7. Ramón Laureano, LF
8. Nick Castellanos, RF
9. Freddy Fermin, C

After Rodolfo Durán caught two days in a row, Fermin will start today’s game against Philly. He’s been swinging an ice-cold bat and will look to turn things around against Nola.

Surprisingly, the Padres lineup doesn’t have an abundance of experience against the veteran starter. Outside of Bogaerts, Castellanos and Machado, the Friars have a combined 24 at-bats against the right-hander. They’ll need to figure him out quickly to win Game 2.

Relief corps

Starter Griffin Canning had his best outing of the season, pitching six-plus innings and allowing just three runs. Unfortunately, the Friars offense couldn’t back his effort, but the bullpen was saved for the remainder of the series.

Only Jeremiah Estrada and Yuki Matsui were used to finish the game, with Estrada recording the final out of the seventh inning before Matsui pitched a hitless eighth and ninth.

That allows the Padres to have depth for the final two games, with Jason Adam, Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez available to pitch in Game 2.

Go Rays!

Fresh off a series-opening win, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals are back at it on Tuesday night. The roof will be open for a night game for the first time this season.

The Brewers made a transaction prior to the game, placing Logan Henderson on the 15-day IL with low back tightness. RHP Coleman Crow was recalled to the active roster to take his place. Pat Murphy confirmed that Crow will pitch on Friday against the Astros. Meanwhile, Wednesday’s starter is still TBA, but Murphy said that the finale against the Cardinals will be covered by “a combination of guys already on the roster.”

Henderson told reporters that he felt his back tighten up while facing Freddie Freeman in the fourth inning during his last start. He’s hoping to return to throwing soon and is already starting to make a little bit of progress in his recovery, but not enough to be able to make his start tomorrow.

For the game tonight, Kyle Harrison is on the mound for the Crew, looking to continue his stretch of dominance. Harrison hasn’t allowed a run in either of his past two starts and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a single start all season. Over Harrison’s last five starts, he’s allowed just three runs over 28 IP, good for a 0.96 ERA.

On the other side, the Cardinals will have Michael McGreevy. McGreevy has a 2.40 ERA in his 10 starts. He doesn’t miss a lot of bats with just 5.9 K/9, but he also doesn’t walk many either, posting 1.9 BB/9 so far. We can expect a lot more contact than we saw in Monday’s game when both starters had 10-plus strikeouts.

Pat Murphy is shaking up the Brewers lineup as well with Christian Yelich in the leadoff spot, bumping Jackson Chourio down to the two-spot. Brice Turang, William Contreras, Jake Bauers, and Garrett Mitchell make up the middle of the order. Luis Rengifo, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton round out the bottom of the lineup.

The Cardinals are keeping the top of their lineup pretty similar, with JJ Wetherholt leading off, followed by Iván  Herrera, Jordan Walker, and Alec Burleson.

The Brewers have a great opportunity to extend their lead in the NL Central even further. The Brewers have won their last six games when Harrison has started. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers.TV and the Brewerse Radio Network.

What a difference a week makes. Just a few days ago it felt like the Orioles season was circling the drain. They had lost five of six, including three embarrassing displays down in Tampa. Now, they are winners of three out of four and the magic is emanating from them.

But as the saying goes, momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher. In the Orioles case, that’s Shane Baz, and the O’s haven’t won a start of his since April 28. That’s not all Baz’s fault. He allowed just one run over six innings against these Rays in his last outing, and tossed seven solid frames against the Nationals in the start before that. Those two efforts have brought his season ERA from 5.48 to 4.87.

The Orioles won’t have Dietrich Enns to help them out of the bullpen. He was DFA’d earlier today in order to make room for Nick Raquet. The swap of lefties seems like an effort to add flexibility and a fresh arm after the 13-inning affair on Monday. Raquet has options. Enns doesn’t. Hopefully Raquet can replicate his Triple-A success (3.24 ERA, 2.86 FIP over 16.2 innings) in Baltimore. His three MLB games from earlier this year did not go well. Enns might still stay in the organization, but he will need to get through waivers first. His $2.625 million salary might allow that to happen.

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward, LF
2. Gunnar Henderson, SS
3. Pete Alonso, 1B
4. Samuel Basallo, C
5. Leody Tavares, CF
6. Jeremiah Jackson, DH
7. Colton Cowser, RF
8. Blaze Alexander, 3B
9. Jackson Holliday, 2B

RHP Shane Baz (1-5, 4.87 ERA)

Rays lineup

1. Chandler Simpson, LF
2. Junior Caminero, 3B
3. Jonathan Aranda, 1B
4. Yandy Díaz, DH
5. Richie Palacios, 2B
6. Cedric Mullins, CF
7. Victor Mesa Jr., RF
8. Hunter Feduccia, C
9. Taylor Walls, SS

RHP Griffin Jax (1-2, 3.54 ERA)

The Braves are hoping to wake up their offense with Strider on the mound to avoid three-straight losses. And for the Red Sox, well, they’re just hoping they can get over 3.7 runs per game. As always, you know where to find us for the recap.

First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. EDT

Lineups

Preview

Obviously the Detroit Tigers badly need offensive help to return off the injury list. The pitching staff now has Will Vest and Troy Melton back, and Tarik Skubal threw a successful 39 pitch live BP session on Tuesday. Jackson Jobe’s rehab continues to run a little ahead of pace, setting him up for a return to action in July potentially. But the real issue now for the club is a lineup that is dead in the water apart from its three top bats. The Tigers got a mix of good and bad news on that front today

Gleyber Torres had a successful hitting session on Tuesday. He’s been rehabbing his left oblique strain over the past two weeks, running, fielding, and throwing well. However, he had previously experienced some discomfort when taking full swings. If he responds well with no setbacks, he’ll likely have one more cage session before heading on on a rehab assignment according to Evan Woodbery of MLive.

On the other hand, Javier Báez work getting back to full strength has hit a setback. Over the past two weeks, Báez has been trying to get back to full speed in his running and agility progressions, but his right ankle is still bothering him and he hasn’t been able to go all out. As a result, he’ll be seeing a specialist to see if anything was missed in the original diagnosis.

The Tigers really need those two bats to get their offensive game back in order. Torres is obviously a key piece for them as a highly disciplined right-handed hitter who gets on base a lot, works pitchers, and has the ability to hit behind runners on base using the opposite field.

Báez is more of a filler in the lineup, keeping a worse hitter on the bench or down on the farm, and doing most of his damage against lefties and with runners on base. Unfortunately, his defensive presence at shortstop and in center field is where most of his impact is centered these days, and the Tigers are missing him in every way. If he’s not back at full speed, he’s no help at all, and it feels like he’s still several weeks from potentially getting back, assuming this is just lingering pain from the sprain and not something more serious. Báez has been out for a month since rolling his ankle under him sliding into first base on an awkward play back on April 28.

The news is better for Kerry Carpenter, who is continuing his rehab and is hitting regularly again along with his defense and running work. The right fielder has been out since May 10 with an AC joint strain in his left shoulder after colliding with the wall at Kauffman Stadium trying to field a drive from Bobby Witt Jr. that turned into an inside the park home run.

Justin Verlander is scheduled to throw a live BP session tomorrow, but he’s been doing that and it’s a matter of recovering as he needs to before they can start ramping up his workload.

Utilityman Trei Cruz, who the Tigers expected to have as a defensive specialist at least, and depth for the shorstop and center field positions, is rehabbing now in Lakeland and should be back in Toledo by next week.

In prospect injury news, C/1B Josue Briceño is hitting now, about 10 weeks out from wrist tendon surgery. He seems on pace to return to the Double-A Erie SeaWolves sometime in late June. LHP Andrew Sears has made rehab appearances in both the Complex League, and then with the West Michigan Whitecaps back on May 22. He threw three innings in that outing, and should only need one more start there at most to build him up to a return to the Erie SeaWolves. Right-hander Owen Hall has made four shot appearances with the Complex League Tigers and should be nearing a return to the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers pretty soon.

After an amazing win last night to get over .500, the Nats will look to keep the good times rolling. The offense put on a show against a usually stingy Guardians pitching staff. They will look to do that again tonight, as they face a crafty lefty. This Nats team needs to show that this hot start is no mirage.

With a lefty on the mound, the Nats are going to make a couple changes to the lineup that put up 10 runs last night. Andres Chaparro will be back at first base, replacing Luis Garcia Jr., who had a big night at the plate yesterday. James Wood will be out in left field and Daylen Lile will be the DH. Keibert Ruiz will be back behind the plate. Cade Cavalli was great last time out and will look to do it again tonight.

The Guardians are also making a couple changes. Daniel Schneemann will get his first start of the series in center field. That will move Steven Kwan to left field and Angel Martinez to right field. Chase DeLauter will be the DH in this one. Outside of that, it is the same personnel as last night. Southpaw Joey Cantillo will be on the mound, and he has a great changeup.

Game Info:

Stadium: Progressive Field

Time: 6:10 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

It has been a great time to be a Nats fan lately. Last night was an absolute show from the offense and Zack Littell looked great on the mound. They will look to put another good performance together tonight to get their winning streak to 4 games. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, May 26, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet

Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. Braxton Ashcraft (3-2, 2.89 ERA)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Chicago Cubs today at beautiful PNC Park.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo are back in the mud on the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as the Mets had another rather rough week. Connor and Joe let it all out by talking about the losses, the uninspired play, the utter lack of offense, the struggles of Nolan Mclean, and so much more. 

Later, the guys go Down on the Farm to introduce you to prospect Channing Austin, and answer Mailbag questions about how to handle a tough Mets summer, the situation at second base, and the future of the Mets front office. 

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Cincinnati Reds took care of business on Monday night in Queens, taking down the New York Mets by the score of 7-2. Nick Lodolo was excellent, the offense consistently befuddled Mets starter Nolan McLean, and now there’s a chance for Cincinnati to take the series with another victory.

Lucky for the Reds, they get to hand the ball to their resident ace next.

Chase Burns gets the start for Cincinnati on Tuesday evening, and he does so on quite the heater. Over his last 7 starts, he’s fired 42.2 IP and allowed just 6 ER, pairing 46 strikeouts with just 10 walks. He’s pitched to a 1.27 ERA and 2.84 FIP in that time, and pretty consistently has made people look afool in the process.

The Mets will counter with veteran lefty David Peterson, who owns a 6.33 ERA at home this year and a 5.03 ERA overall. The Reds have stacked their lineup with mostly righties as a result, with JJ Bleday the lone true lefty who’s in the starting lineup.

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up to start this one:

The Astros optioned OF Zach Cole to Triple A Sugar Land following last night’s game. Taking his place on the active roster, the Astros reinstated OF Taylor Trammell from the 10-day IL today.

This move makes a lot of sense right now, as Cole (8×51, 3 HR 8 RBI 21K in 51 AB) has struggled with inconsistent playing time and will benefit from regular AB at Sugar Land.

Trammell is also a LH bat and excellent defender, and is more accustomed to a part-time role.

Trammell hit well in spring training, and was 10×29 (.345) with a double, triple, and 4 RBI before landing on the IL in April.

Texas Rangers lineup for May 26, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Jack Leiter for the Rangers and Jason Alexander for the Astros.

Sigh. Its another game. The Rangers have tried their very best the last several games not to get hits, and accomplished that yesterday. Hopefully today will be different. Josh Jung is back, which I hope will help.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Osuna — LF

Nimmo — RF

Jung — 3B

Burger — 1B

Carter — CF

Duran — SS

Foscue — 2B

Higashioka — C

7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -132 favorites.

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The Seattle Mariners look to gain ground on the Athletics in the AL West when the two teams face off tonight.

Seattle took the series opener 9-2 on Monday, yet is listed as a +100 underdog ahead of tonight’s divisional showdown.

My Mariners vs. A’s predictions break down why there’s a good chance of another convincing Seattle win, with Emerson Hancock facing an unproven A’s rookie.

Read more in my MLB picks for Tuesday, May 26.

Who will win Mariners vs A's tonight: Mariners (+100)

While the Seattle Mariners were already looking at a favorable matchup against Luis Severino, the veteran right-hander has been pushed back to start in tomorrow's series finale.

However, a looming matchup against A’s rookie Gage Jump now presents itself as arguably even more advantageous for Seattle, who are rocking a 114 wRC+ on the road over the past month, a far cry from the 91 mark they’ve posted at home.

Jump hasn’t exactly been lights out in the minors this season, posting a 4.50 ERA through 38 innings in Triple-A, including a 4.74 BB/9 and a 16.7% HR/FB rate. This is a perfect spot to fade a young southpaw being thrust into a last-minute debut.

COVERS INTEL: Despite a 26-29 record, Seattle owns a +13 run differential, the fourth-best mark in the AL. That should equate to a 29-26 Pythagorean record that would have the Mariners 10th in baseball.

Mariners vs A's Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-110)

Emerson Hancock’s fastball sits in the 99th percentile in run value at Baseball Savant, and his wFB metric of 8.6 ranks fifth among all eligible pitchers this season.

Meanwhile, the Athletics are having issues generating consistent offense. Their 26.4% hard-hit rate is second-lowest in the majors the past week, driving a 1.28 GB/FB ratio and a .111 ISO.

Once Hancock gives way to the pen, I’m expecting the A’s to continue struggling to find runs. The Mariners rank sixth in BB% and ninth in K% over the past month, and both bullpens should perform well enough to limit late scoring.

Mariners vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Mariners +100 | A's -120
• Run line: Mariners +1.5 (-150) | A's -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)

Mariners vs A's trend

The A's are 4-6 SU over their last 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Mariners vs. A's.

How to watch Mariners vs A's and game info

Mariners vs A's latest injuries

Mariners vs A's weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The sinking Mets made a flurry of roster moves before Tuesday afternoon’s middle game against the Reds at Citi Field. The Mets reinstated A.J. Minter and Jared Young from the Injured List, placed Tyrone Taylor on the 10-Day Injured List with a right hip flexor strain, optioned Nick Morabito and Jonathan Pintaro to Triple-A Syracuse, promoted infielder Eric Wagaman, and will make another corresponding 40-man roster move prior to first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET.

Minter, who signed a 2-year, $22 million contract in January 2025, underwent season-ending lat surgery in early May after posting a sparkling 1.64 ERA in 13 appearances with the Mets. The left-hander had rehab stints this spring with Single-A St. Lucie, High-A Brooklyn, and most recently Triple-A Syracuse, where he worked a scoreless inning on Sunday. He joins Brooks Raley to form a reliable duo of southpaws at the back end of the Mets’ bullpen. 

Pintaro, who allowed just one baserunner and struck out three in 3.2 innings of work since joining the big league club on Saturday, was the odd man out as Minter makes his return.

Just as the Mets get one position player back from injury, they lose another. After appearing to tweak something while getting out of the box on a ground ball during Monday’s game, Taylor is officially headed to the IL. Carlos Mendoza wouldn’t put a strict timetable on Taylor’s recovery, but expressed hope that it would be two or three weeks.

Meanwhile, Jared Young, who had been sidelined since April 13 with a left meniscus tear, returns from his rehab assignment to a roster now occupied with other left-handed options including MJ Melendez and A.J. Ewing. Young and Melendez will both get the starting nod at first base and left field, respectively, on Tuesday night against Cincinnati starter Chase Burns. Prior to his injury, Young put up an .841 OPS in 23 plate appearances with the Mets.

After exactly one week in the majors, Nick Morabito is headed back to Triple-A in order to keep him playing every day, according to Mendoza. The 23-year-old — who ranked No. 15 on Amazin’ Avenue’s top prospect list entering the season — went hitless in 11 at-bats with the Mets, but flashed his good glove in the outfield.

Eric Wagaman, a late April waiver claim, will join the big league roster for the second time this season in search of his Mets debut. The 28-year-old infielder has a career .674 OPS and 0.0 bWAR in 158 games with the Angels and Marlins, but he was absolutely raking with Syracuse, holding a 1.043 OPS over 52 plate appearances and a .481 batting average over his past eight games.

Tuesday notes…

• NOT SOMETHING YOU HAD HOPED TO READ THIS YEAR: The Cubs are the 26th team since 1901 to have at least one double-digit winning streak and at least one losing streak of nine games in the same season. The Guardians were the previous team to do it. Last year, they won 10 and lost 10, to become the 19th team with double-digit streaks of both kinds. The three others with 10 or more wins and at least nine losses since 2000 were the Dodgers in 2017 (11 of each), Guardians in 2008 (10 of each) and Pirates in 2004 (10 and nine). The Cubs did it once before, in 1970 (10 and 12). The Guardians have had four seasons of at least 10 and nine; the Orioles and Senators/Twins, three; and the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox and Reds, two. Teams besides the Cubs with one: Athletics, Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Yankees and White Sox. That makes a total of 15 teams that have done it at least once. The 1976 White Sox and 1985 Twins both won 10 and lost nine and 10. The 1987 Orioles won 11 and lost nine and 10. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• CAN’T WIN IF YOU DON’T SCORE: Yesterday’s game was the 12th this season in which the Cubs gave up exactly two runs. They have lost three of them. They are 3-0 when yielding both no runs and one. They are 2-2 with three runs allowed, 6-4 with four, 3-3 with five — and 6-16 with five or more. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• LIKE NIGHT AND DAY: After Monday’s loss, the Cubs are only 13-15 in day games, while going 16-10 under the lights.
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: A two-run homer by Alfonso Soriano in the eighth ties the game against the Reds and a double by Welington Castillo in the ninth gives the team a 5-4 win in Cincinnati. The win ends a six-game losing streak. It happened 13 years ago today, Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Cubs lineup:

Pirates lineup:

Jordan Wicks, LHP vs. Braxton Ashcraft, RHP

So here we are, with another pitcher from Triple-A Iowa pressed into service because of a rotation injury.

Jordan Wicks was the Cubs’ No. 1 pick out of Kansas State in 2021 and there were great hopes for him to be a solid starter. He did reasonably well in seven starts in 2023 but the next two years were filled with bad pitching and injuries. This year, he suffered nerve irritation in his left forearm and had to start the year on the IL, then had a rehab assignment to Triple-A Iowa and then one start there after being optioned.

Potential hope: Over his last three starts at Iowa, Wicks has allowed only one run in 15 total innings. His walk rate is a bit high, though.

This, obviously, is his MLB season debut for 2026. Hopefully it goes well. The pitch chart below is from last year. It was obviously a very different Pirates team, but Wicks made his MLB debut at PNC Park Aug. 26, 2023 and threw five two-hit innings, striking out nine. Perhaps he can channel that tonight. To date, that’s Wicks’ only career appearance against the Pirates.

Braxton Ashcraft has done well as a full-time member of the Pirates rotation this year: 10 starts, 2.89 ERA, 1.027 WHIP. That includes five innings of one-run ball against the Cubs April 11 at Wrigley Field.

This month he has a 1.91 ERA and 0.882 WHIP in four starts, with 26 strikeouts and only four walks in 28.1 innings.

So tonight will not be an easy task for Cubs hitters.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around PNC Park.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout. If you do go there to interact with Pirates fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.