If you knew that Sean Manaea and the Mets’ bullpen would hold the Braves to just three runs over the course of a game, you might’ve thought the Mets would win. That would take a lot of faith in a Mets lineup that has struggled to score runs all too often this year, but if you saw Manaea pitch over the first few weeks of the season, you’d be thrilled at the prospect of a win.
That’s not what happened, though, as the Mets scored just once in the game, adding another poor performance at the plate to their dubious record on the season.
Mark Vientos drove in the Mets’ sole run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, and the team might’ve scored one more if not for a home run replay review that resulted in a would-be home run in the ninth.
As for the pitchers, Manaea went six innings, struck out six, walked two, and gave up two runs on four hits. That’s his best appearance of the season by far. Austin Warren gave up a run over the course of two innings of work, and Daniel Duarte threw a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth.
The Mets will attempt to win the series and improve upon their 31-39 record on the season in the series finale tomorrow afternoon 1:40 PM EDT.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 05: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts after striking out during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 05, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is that enough for Yamamoto to start the All-Star Game? Probably not.
Is that enough to force Roberts into the uncomfortable position of picking one of his aces over another, like a father picking one of his sons over another? Maybe.
On Saturday, Yamamoto took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. He did it last September too, and in between he painted an October — and a first day of November — for the ages.
We have heard so much about Shohei Ohtani, and why not? Ohtani decided he would win the Cy Young Award this season, and why not?
His earned-run average did not rise above 1.00 until June 10. He also leads the NL in on-base-plus-slugging percentage, well on his way to his annual most valuable player award.
The Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award sounds nice. Not just yet, but someday, how about the Shohei Ohtani Most Valuable Player Award?
But back to the issue at hand: Which NL pitcher should start the All-Star Game?
Ohtani could, of course. He has, in 2021. In a game that is all about the fans, he is the player fans most want to see.
And, if he does not start at pitcher, he could not start at designated hitter, come in later to pitch one inning and remain in the game at DH. (At least, not under the current rules, which major league officials could waive for the All-Star Game.)
For Roberts and the Dodgers, that would be the ideal: Let Ohtani pitch the first inning so he can follow his normal pregame routine, since he has a routine for both pitching and hitting. Or, since Ohtani is trying to complete his first full season as a pitcher since 2022 and win the Cy Young, he and the Dodgers could agree that he would skip pitching in the All-Star Game.
But Roberts figures to have two other very worthy options. In the category of “player everyone wants to see,” he could select Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers, not so much for his league-leading 1.34 ERA — Ohtani, at 1.06, doesn’t have enough innings to qualify — but for the 104-mph fastballs he was throwing in the ninth inning of his one-hit, 15-strikeout shutout Friday.
Without worrying about pitching deep into the game, with the opportunity to throw one inning and rear back and fire, can you imagine how hard Misiorowski might throw in the All-Star Game?
Roberts also could select the ace of the home team, Cristopher Sanchez of the Philadelphia Phillies, who threw 50⅔ consecutive scoreless innings this season. No one had thrown 50 since 1988, when Dodgers legend Orel Hershiser set the record with 59.
Sanchez has a 1.54 ERA, and he and Misiorowski lead all pitchers in wins above replacement (WAR).
The hometown favorite would be the safe pick for Roberts, although Dodgers fans have long memories: They remember the New York Mets’ Matt Harvey starting over Clayton Kershaw at Citi Field in 2013, a decision that looked regrettable at the time and looks downright shameful in hindsight.
That brings us back to Yamamoto, whose combination of consistency and excellence makes him the natural choice to start a big game — opening day, for instance, or an elimination game in the World Series.
In his 13 starts this season, he has given up three or fewer earned runs all but once and pitched at least six innings all but twice.
In the regular season last year, he pitched eight innings once. This season, he has pitched at least eight innings in his last two starts.
In his last five starts, he has a 1.01 ERA, with five walks and 32 strikeouts. Keep that up for another month, and good luck telling him someone else is starting the All-Star Game.
Look at it this way: Who would you want if you had to pick someone to win you Game 7? You can’t go wrong with the guy who already did.
Freddy Peralta is looking toward his torso for answers.
The Mets ace said Saturday he’s identified a needed mechanical adjustment involving his torso’s rotation that he believes will lead to improved performance in his next start.
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Over his past five starts, Peralta has pitched to a 5.65 ERA. In three of those starts he allowed at least four earned runs.
“I didn’t realize until I sat down with some people around and we figured out I was becoming something different,” Peralta said before the Mets’ 3-1 loss to the Braves on Saturday at Citi Field. “Like a different version of myself because I wasn’t doing what brought me here. I am working on that, and everything is going better.”
Peralta said his location has suffered due to a lower release point. He believes he’s eradicated the problem.
And Peralta isn’t about to look back.
Mets ace Freddy Peralta is looking to rebound after having his worst outing of the season on Tuesday, when he surrendered six earned runs over six innings in a loss to the Cardinals. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“I have a lot more games for the rest of the season and I bet on myself,” Peralta said. “And I know at the end it’s going to be a really good season.”
Devin Williams was unavailable from the bullpen following appearances on consecutive days, including a 1 ¹/₃-inning outing on Friday in which he threw 33 pitches to record the save.
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His nemesis in the latter appearance was Mauricio Dubón, who took Williams to a 13th pitch before delivering a single in the ninth. Williams recovered to get the final two outs.
“I showed him everything I had, and he just kept getting a bat on it,” Williams said. “I was kind of like, ‘All right, let’s just get it over.’ Obviously, I would have liked to get him out there, but I was just ready to move on to the next guy.”
Williams is unscored upon in 15 of his last 17 appearances.
“Overall, I think I have thrown really well,” he said. “They all matter, but when there’s been no room for error, I have matched it,” Williams said. “Outside of two games I think it’s been really good. Consistent for the most part.”
CHICAGO –– After committing an eighth-inning error on Saturday that ended Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s bid for a perfect game, Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts stood before his locker and kept repeating the same message.
“Just a routine ground ball that I missed,” he said. “Not making any excuses.”
There was little routine about the moment, of course, with Yamamoto having been four outs away from a perfect game –– and one out away from tying an MLB record of 46 batters retired in a row –– when White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth hit a bouncing ground ball that Betts went to field.
After committing an eighth-inning error on Saturday that ended Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s bid for a perfect game, Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts stood before his locker and kept repeating the same message. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThere was little routine about the moment, of course, with Yamamoto having been four outs away from a perfect game.
Though it certainly wasn’t a difficult play, the chopper didn’t wind up being exactly routine, either, taking what appeared to be a slightly high bounce on its final hop before reaching Betts.
What happened next might’ve gone down in Hanley Ramirez-esque infamy, had Yamamoto not also lost his no-hit bid in the ninth inning on a solo home run from Tristan Peters.
As Betts bent down to field the grounder, he booted it in a stunning moment that saw the ball clank off the heel of his mitt.
“[I was] very aware of everything going on,” Betts said. “Didn’t have any extra pressure.”
Instead, he explained, he simply didn’t execute.
“I’m not making any excuses,” he reiterated. “I should have made the play.”
In the moment, Betts seemed to be in disbelief at his mistake. He raised his hands as the ball ricocheted to second baseman Santiago Espinal, who couldn’t salvage the play with a bare-handed attempt. He then looked around stoically, with a blank expression almost as if to say: How did that happen?
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“Obviously, Mookie being the competitor, the athlete that he is, he was pretty hard on himself about it,” catcher Dalton Rushing said.
Yamamoto absolved Betts of any blame, noting through an interpreter that the ball took an “irregular bounce” and that the situation “was just what it is.”
Back in the dugout after the inning, Yamamoto was also among the several teammates who tried to pick up the frustrated Betts with a pat of encouragement as he walked past the bench.
After the game, Rushing cited Betts’ disappointment as a sign of how much the former MVP cares.
After the game, Rushing cited Betts’ disappointment as a sign of how much the former MVP cares. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“That’s what we want,” Rushing said. “We don’t want guys to just say ‘whatever’ and play like that and kind of give in, and act like it wasn’t their number or anything like that. He holds himself accountable as much as anyone, and that’s what we want to see out of guys.”
When Betts was asked what was going through his mind after the error, he insisted “nothing” –– only adding that he “did everything I was supposed to do, just didn’t catch the ball.”
When asked specifically if the high hop was what caused the miscue, he again sidestepped any excuse-making.
“I think that’s for someone else to decide,” Betts said. “I should’ve caught the ball.”
Since moving to shortstop full-time last year, the former six-time Gold Glove right fielder has typically made such plays with ease. A season ago, he was a Gold Glove finalist after leading the majors in defensive runs saved at the position. This year, he had made just one error in 34 games before Saturday, ranking fifth in fielding percentage among shortstops with 100 innings played.
“That’s baseball. It happens,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “It’s a team game. At the end of the day, you’re going to go out there and pick him up.”
Just over two weeks into Sean Manaea’s reinstatement as a bulk pitcher for the Mets, the left-handed hurler is continuing to earn more trust.
Manaea strung together a strong outing in a 3-1 loss to the Braves on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, marking his first start of the 2026 campaign amid questions of how the Mets plan to use the 34-year-old moving forward for the remainder of the season.
Going six innings, Manaea gave up just four hits and two earned runs (one homer) while registering six strikeouts in the loss.
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It was the first time Manaea went six or more innings since Game 3 of the 2024 NLDS.
“Huge,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I mean, that’s the guy that we’re going to need moving forward here. For him to go out there and give us a chance, he was pretty solid today, and against a pretty good lineup. Used all of his pitches. Competing in the strike zone. No walks. Got swings and misses.
“Just overall, that’s the guy that we saw a lot in 2024. Alive on the fastball at times. Like I said, got swings and misses. But, yeah, big pictures, man, that’s the guy we need.”
Aside from the solo homer he gave up to the Braves’ Eli White in the fourth inning, Manaea didn’t give Atlanta much to work with. His velocity hovered in the 91-93 mph range.
Sean Manaea throws a pitch during the first inning of the Mets’ 3-1 loss to the Giants on June 13, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Over his past eight appearances, Manaea has posted a 3.33 ERA with four times as many strikeouts (28) as walks (7).
While Manaea said it has felt good to see his hard work pay off lately, the Indiana native wouldn’t say if he feels as good as he did in 2024.
“I think having a solid routine, and some of the kind of deficiency that I had, like my mechanics and all that stuff, I feel like we’ve been really cleaning all that stuff up,” Manaea said. “It’s kind of like that snowball effect where I start feeling good and just like that positive snowball effect so. I think it slowly happened over time over the last two months.”
Asked what was behind the decision to give Manaea the start on Saturday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza expressed the necessity of it. He said putting Manaea on the mound on Saturday was “an easy call for us.”
Sean Manaea pitches in the first inning of the Mets’ loss to the Braves. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Mendoza has previously said that they are comfortable pushing Manaea to 80-85 pitches if needed. He reached 84 pitches on Saturday, throwing 59 for strikes.
As a bulk pitcher, Manaea has been in the 70-75 range.
With numerous injuries to the Mets rotation, including Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes, Manaea has become an important piece if the Mets — sitting 5 ½ games back of the NL wild card after Saturday’s loss — hope to make up the ground they’ve lost early on this season.
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Manaea partially credited his turnaround to how he’s thrown his sweeper lately, noting that “throwing it hard” and “selling it” has been key for him.
“I can definitely see him getting to a conventional starting pitcher,” Mendoza said of Manaea recently. “He continues to throw the ball the way he’s been doing it, we’ve seen that he’s a guy that can carry a rotation. We’re open to anything. At the end of the day, we need this guy to get big outs for us and provide innings for us.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 04: Trevor McDonald #72 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the San Diego Padres in the top of the first inning at Oracle Park on May 04, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for Game 2 between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs! Welcome to weekend baseball!
Trevor McDonald takes the mound for the Giants, with the right-hander making his eighth start of the year. So far this season, the 25-year old is 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA, a 3.51 FIP, and 37 strikeouts to 12 walks in 39 innings. His last start came against this Cubs team, when he held them to one run in five innings.
For the Cubs, it’s right-hander Ben Brown, who makes his seventh start, and 19th appearance of the season. The 26-year old is 2-2 with a 1.74 ERA, a 2.24 FIP, and 58 strikeouts to 16 walks in 57 innings. He’s been even better since transitioning to a starting role, including in his last start, when he matched up against McDonald and held the Giants scoreless in 5.1 innings.
Perhaps we’ll get another nice pitcher’s duel in this one. Enjoy the action, everyone. Go Giants!
Third baseman José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians throws out Spencer Torkelson #20 of the Detroit Tigers at first during the fourth inning at Progressive Field on June 13, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Guardians both won and lost on Saturday.
While the team beat the Tigers 3-1 for the second straight day, superstar José Ramírez is headed to the injured list after suffering a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.
The injury occurred in the fifth inning, when Ramírez left the game after hitting a foul out behind home plate against Tigers starter Tarik Skubal.
Third baseman José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians throws out Spencer Torkelson #20 of the Detroit Tigers at first during the fourth inning at Progressive Field on June 13, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after the game that the team should know more by Sunday.
“It was the swing on the pop up, and he felt it,” Vogt told reporters after the game. “He had a similar injury, I think, to the right hand a few years ago… He tried to go back out. He knew the position we were in, grabbed his glove. He said, ‘Maybe I can at least play defense,’ and couldn’t squeeze his glove. So, Jose wanted to get back out there to help us win that game, and just couldn’t.”
Ramírez suffered a fracture to his right hamate bone in 2019 and was out for exactly a month, the only time he’s been on the injured list in his career.
Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez (11) fields a ground ball against the Detroit Tigers for the third out of the first inning at Progressive Field. Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Since getting called up to the majors in 2013, Ramírez has been the heart and soul of the Guardians’ offense, hitting over 30 homers four times. He helped the team to an American League pennant in 2016, and the team’s been in the postseason seven of the last 10 years.
The seven-time All-Star, however, is hitting just .239 with 10 homers through 72 games in 2026.
Still, his durability has played a vital role in the team’s recent success, as he’s missed 10 or fewer games in every year since 2016, besides 2019.
Ramírez wasn’t the only Guardian to suffer an injury Saturday, as outfielders Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez left the game in the first two innings.
DeLauter suffered a bruised rib cage and Martinez got a bruise after fouling a ball off his foot.
The Guardians are 39-33 and in first place in the AL Central, just half a game ahead of the White Sox.
Yamamoto sailed into the ninth inning with a no-hit bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Tristan Peters hit a leadoff homer for the Chicago White Sox. The Japanese right-hander had to settle for a dominant performance in a 7-1 victory on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Yamamoto also carried a no-hitter into the ninth at Baltimore on Sept. 6. He surrendered a solo homer to Jackson Holliday with two out, and Los Angeles went on to a frustrating 4-3 loss.
This time, Alex Vesia closed it out for the Dodgers. But Yamamoto was left to wonder about another close call.
“What I did, I didn’t make it, complete it, because of the ninth inning, the no-hitter,” Yamamoto said through a translator. “But how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.”
Yamamoto, who was the World Series MVP when the Dodgers won their second consecutive championship, improved to 4-0 with a sparkling 0.94 in his last four starts. He has surrendered 14 hits and struck out 24 in 28 2/3 innings during his win streak.
“He can attack the plate on both sides from ball to strike probably better than anybody I’ve ever seen,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said.
Yamamoto retired his last 22 batters while pitching eight innings in a 9-2 win against the Angels in his previous start. Then he retired his first 23 batters against Chicago.
The streak — and Yamamoto’s bid for a perfect game — ended when shortstop Mookie Betts mishandled Chase Meidroth’s two-out grounder in the eighth inning for an error.
“I’m not making any excuses. I should have made the play,” Betts said.
Jacob Gonzalez bounced to second for the final out in the eighth, but Peters hit a drive to right on a 96.6 mph fastball from Yamamoto. It was Peters’ third homer of the season.
Yamamoto departed after Edgar Quero flied to center for the first out in the ninth. He was saluted with a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 37,832 as he made his way off the field.
“One of the best outings we’ve seen from an opponent this year,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “The stuff was outstanding. Lived on the edges. We didn’t have a ton to hit.”
Yamamoto struck out seven. He threw a season-high 109 pitches, 74 for strikes.
Before the ninth inning, Chase Meidroth had the best chance for a hit for the White Sox. He had a liner hook just foul before he struck out swinging for the final out of the fifth.
There was a short delay before the bottom of the sixth while the grounds crew worked on the area around the pitching rubber on the mound. But Yamamoto had no issues when the game resumed, striking out Gonzalez on a full-count cutter before Peters bounced to first and Quero fouled out to left.
“He was in the zone. He kept it out of the middle. I mean, kept them off balance,” Betts said. “I mean that’s just Yoshi being Yoshi, you know. I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Before Jacob Misiorowski made history Friday night, by throwing the fastest pitch by a starting pitcher at 105 MPH Friday night, he knew what he was capable of doing.
Appearing as a guest on “On base with Mookie Betts,” the Dodgers superstar asked him what the hardest he could throw a ball. To which Misiorowski replied, “I think 104, 105. I think I could touch five.”
Before Jacob Misiorowski made history Friday night, by throwing the fastest pitch by a starting pitcher at 105 MPH Friday night, he knew what he was capable of doing. AP Photo/Eric Christian SmithAppearing as a guest on “On base with Mookie Betts,” the Dodgers superstar asked him what the hardest he could throw a ball. To which Misiorowski replied, “I think 104, 105. I think I could touch five.” Wally Skalij for CA Post
Picking up his third strikeout of the game, Misiorowski’s 105 MPH pitch came in a 2-2 count against Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter, Kyle Schwarber. Misiorowski threw a fastball down the lower part of the strike zone in the middle and got Schwarber to bite on the pitch.
Friday night’s 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies was the performance of a lifetime for Misiorowski. He pitched a complete game, 1 hit shutout, while striking out a career high 15 batters, joining Ben Sheets and Corbin Burnes as the only pitchers to toss 15 in a game.
Misiorowski threw 95 pitches against the Phillies. 69 of them were fastballs, 58 of them registered at 100 MPH or higher. 12 of his strikeouts were from his fastball.
The Brewers’ power pitcher is already blossoming into one of the league’s best as he and Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez are the early favorites to win the Cy Young award.
This year, Misiorowski is tied with Sanchez, among qualified pitchers, with an 8-2 record. He leads the league with a 1.34 ERA and 131 strikeouts.
Betts asked Misiorowski during the episode if he thinks future pitchers will be throwing over 100 MPH all the time, and his response was, “I don’t think so. I think it will be more common for a starter to be touching 100, but I don’t think you’ll have many guys sitting 100.”
DENVER, CO - JUNE 7: Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies acknowledges the crowd after being recognized for pitching the most innings in Colorado Rockies history in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on June 7, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following last night’s loss to the Athletics, the Colorado Rockies enter a matchup built around uncertainty, as Kyle Freeland tries to find his footing against Joey Estes, who will make his 2026 debut after being recalled by the A’s from the minors. Jeffrey Springs was projected to start, but will now be pushed to Sunday with Estes taking the mound.
Last Sunday, Freeland made Rockies history, passing Aaron Cook to take the franchise lead in innings pitched. While a look at the final score doesn’t show it as the bullpen let the game get out of hand, Freeland had his best start in recent memory. He went five innings and although he gave up seven hits, he worked out of some jams and limited the damage to three runs. By comparison, he had given up up six or more runs in five of the six starts before that one, so the three runs surrendered marked a big improvement relatively.
On the year, Freeland is 1-6 in 11 starts. His lone win came way back on April 7th and his ERA has ballooned since May, reaching 7.81 now. He’s got 45 strikeouts and 16 walks across his 11 games. That said, he felt more reliable on the mound in his last outing and he’ll look to build on that against the A’s.
The Athletics will counter with Estes. He had a limited 2025, going 0-2 in two starts and three appearances, with a 9.82 ERA across 11 innings pitched. In his career, Estes is 7-12 with a 5.51 ERA across 30 games. He’ll make a spot start as the club shuffles it’s rotation a bit for the Vegas series.
While last night’s matchup in Vegas didn’t have quite as many fireworks as the insane 29-run game in Vegas early in the week, there were still some sparks. After four scoreless innings to start things off, Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, and Cole Carrigg all blasted homers. In a ballpark that has seen a lot of those and with two pitchers who are looking to find their groove this season, the steadier hand may prevail in game two of the series.
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 31: Joey Estes #68 of the Athletics pitches during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Monday, March 31, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Here we go again. The series against the league-worst Rockies continues tonight in the second of three weekend contests. The A’s came out on top last night but only thanks to a late two-run rally. They were close to blowing it last night so let’s hope for a more dominant performance tonight at Las Vegas Ballpark. A win tonight and the A’s are back at the .500 mark and coupled with the Mariners’ and Rangers’ earlier losses the team can make up some ground in the standings if they handle business. Plus, a possible four-game winning streak on the line. Plenty of motivation for a big performance in front of the future home fans.
Getting the start tonight for the A’s will be right-hander Joey Estes, who will be making his first start for the big league team since April 4th… of last year. It’s been a tough year-plus for the former top prospect. After showing potential in 24 starts as a rookie in 2024 the hope was the team had found a viable backend type of pitcher to help solidify things. Instead he regressed hard in his sophomore season, so much so that he was quickly optioned at the start of the season and remained in Triple-A for almost the rest of the year (outside of one relief appearance for the A’s at the end of August).
This season hasn’t gone much better for him in terms of run prevention down with the Aviators. In 12 starts he has a 5.95 ERA, allowing 39 runs in 59 innings of work. He’s seen his strikeout rate drop while walks have become a much bigger problem this year. With Aaron Civale returning soon this is likely just a spot start but who knows? Maybe a big outing puts him back on the team’s radar if and when they need to dip back into their pitching depth.
Now onto the starting lineup. Here’s how manager Mark Kotsay decided to order things up this evening looking for the team’s fourth straight win:
Shea Langeliers and Colby Thomas will swap spots with Thomas now leading off and “Bangeliers” in the three hole. Backup catcher Jonah Heim draws the second straight start as the DH and he’ll be batting cleanup. And why not ride the hot hand? He’s batting .389 with four home runs over his last seven games.
Jacob Wilson bats fifth and is back at shortstop for the second straight day since being activated off the IL. Rookie Henry Bolte is behind him in center. Kotsay will mix things up a bit more from here as Zack Gelof will grab his outfielder’s glove. Tyler Soderstrom is getting the night off against a left-handed starter on the opposing mound so Thomas will slide to left with Gelof opposite him in right field. Gelof will also be looking to extend his hitting streak to 17 games so hopefully going back to the grass doesn’t screw him up in the batter’s box. And Alika Williams will handle second base duties tonight, batting ninth.
Those bats will be facing veteran Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, shockingly already in his 10th big league season. Now 33, Freeland is having his worst season to date, which is saying something. In 11 starts the left-hander is sporting a bloated 7.81 ERA, with that mark over 10(!) in his last seven. He’s seemingly nearing the end of the line but he’ll try to tame the A’s bats. A tall task, especially in the band box that is Las Vegas Ballpark.
And the Rockies’ lineup for game two looks like this:
Lots of the same characters from last night but with some expected changes facing a different handed pitcher. Estes has good numbers against the three batters he has faced before (Goodman, Castro, and Julien). Who will that favor in this one?
Can the A’s make it four wins in a row? All signs point to yes. Take tonight’s game and we can secure the sweep tomorrow in the finale and climb up the standings a bit. Let’s go A’s!
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 13: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox looks on after hitting a two RBI single in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on June 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Red Sox season will be made or broken over the next three weeks. So says team president Sam Kennedy, anyway, acknowledging that this floundering team doesn’t have much time to turn itself into buyers before the trade deadline. To that end, this afternoon’s game is exactly what the Red Sox needed.
Facing a tough pitcher but countering with a tough pitcher of their own, the pitching-and-defense Sox got just enough offense to pull out a win against Jacob deGrom and the Texas Rangers. The Sox scratched across two runs via four singles in the third while Ranger Suarez finessed his way through the Rangers lineup as usual. Then Ceddanne Rafaela said ‘Nuff Cedd in the seventh, knocking in two runners who, frankly, didn’t even deserve to be on base. This is probably the type of win that the Red Sox brass had in mind when they flew north from Fort Myers this Spring, the type of win there just hasn’t been enough of this year, particularly at Fenway, and the type of win they’ll need even more off for the rest of June if they’re going to salvage this season.
Three Studs
Ranger Suárez: Many people (hi, it’s me, one of the many) were critical of the Ranger Suárez signing this offseason. Not because he was a bad pitcher, but because he was a poor fit for a roster that had plenty of starting pitching depth but little offensive fire power. This season has mostly proven those skeptics right — the Sox have an exponentially greater need for a bat than an arm. But having said that, Ranger is a delight to watch on the mound, and I have a feeling he’s going to continue to be so for the length of his stay in Boston. I love having this dude on the team.
Ceddanne Rafaela: Speaking of a “delight to watch,” there is no better descriptor in the English language for the Red Sox centerfielder. Not only did he patrol center with his usual aplomb, but he also came through in the clutch in the seventh inning with the two-run knock that gave the Sox a lead they would not lose. Did Rangers pitcher Robby Ahlstrom help him out by inexplicably throwing a breaking ball in the zone after Ceddy chased two high fastballs? Yes, he did. But that’s not Ceddy’s fault.
The beautiful vagaries of baseball: The Red Sox are extremely fortunate that Rafaela even had two men on in the seventh to knock in, given that his plate appearance was preceded by two noncompetitive at-bats by Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer in that inning. But baseball is weird, and those two at-bats were surrounded by two successful swinging bunts by IKF and Carlos Narvaez. Baseball — like life — is just weird sometimes.
Two Duds
Caleb Durbin: But, yeah, that competitive seventh inning at-bat, which ended with Durbin looking at a fastball right down the pike, was pretty ugly. He went 0-4 on the day and was the only Red Sox starter to fail to collect a hit.
Tyron Guerrero: I’m not mad at Tyron— absolutely no one expected that he’d be called on to hold a lead in a high-leverage situation this year. But after Ceddy’s seventh inning knock, he did his best to give the game back to the Rangers, allowing a homer and hitting a batter before being lifted in the eighth.
Play of the Game
Can I give it to Bill Lee for his performance-enhanced in-booth appearance?
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring in the sixth inning of a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. He homered in his first at-bat. (Zoe Davis / Getty Images)
Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani stepped into the batter’s box at Rate Field for the first time this series on Saturday, greeted by a smattering of boos from Chicago White Sox fans.
He took his first swing at the second pitch of the game. And he sent it into the right-field stands. A no-doubt homer, proclaiming that his availability no longer was in doubt.
Ohtani returned to the lineup for the Dodgers’ 7-1 win against the White Sox, after exiting the game Thursday at Pittsburgh and missing Friday‘s game because of inflammation in his left knee.
“I felt good waking up in the morning,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton after going one for three with a home run and three walks. “I feel good now. So I’m pretty confident that I’ll be able to stay healthy, and should be good to go tomorrow as well.”
Ohtani also tested his knee playing catch before the game. And the Dodgers will continue to monitor him as he prepares to take the mound Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium.
“It wasn’t 100% today,” Ohtani said. “But with the next three, four days, I feel pretty confident, with enough recovery, that I should be able to make the next start.”
Ohtani said he hasn’t been able to pinpoint the cause of the swelling. But he has a theory.
“All I can really know for sure is that I think my mechanics weren’t quite great in terms of my pitching side,” he said, “so I believe that had something to do with this.”
Even before Ohtani’s knee swelled, the Dodgers planned to have him pitch the day before their day off Thursday. They switched Ohtani and left-hander Justin Wrobleski in the rotation order to have Wrobleski pitch Tuesday on regular rest.
That remains the plan, even after Wrobleski was hit in the leg by a comebacker during his start Thursday. He left the game after that play in the fifth inning with a bruised right hamstring.
The Dodgers considered bringing in a spot starter, manager Dave Roberts said, in order to keep the full rotation on extra rest.
Shohei Ohtani leads off the game with a home run to spark the Dodgers to a 7-1 win over the White Sox on Saturday. (Matt Marton / Associated Press)
“But considering how Wrobo’s start went short, feels good after it, we feel the four days’ rest will be fine for him,” Roberts said. “And then where Shohei is at, we feel good about just leaving it status quo.”
Ohtani returned Saturday without restrictions in his designated hitter role — except one request from his manager, after a couple of days of parsing whether a steal attempt that was snuffed out by a foul ball had contributed to Ohtani’s inflammation.
Though they didn’t find a clear cause for it, Roberts made it clear Saturday: “There will be no base stealing.”
José Ramírez, the Cleveland Guardians' seven-time All-Star third baseman, fractured the hamate bone in his left hand Saturday, June 13, an injury that will likely sideline him well into the second half of the season.
Ramírez was removed from the Guardians' 3-1 victory over Detroit and the club announced the fracture after the game. His absence will be considerably longer if surgery is required to remove the bone, but the likely minimum absence is six weeks.
That's a harsh blow for the Guardians (39-33), who on Saturday pulled into first place, a half-game ahead of the Chicago White Sox. Ramírez leads the American League with 24 stolen bases and his .754 OPS trails only Brayan Rocchio's .762 mark on the Guardians.
Ramírez was the third Guardian to leave Saturday's game due to injury. Outfielder Chase De Lauter suffered a right ribcage contusion hitting the wall while making a first-inning catch, and Angel Martinez left the game with a left foot contusion shortly after fouling the first pitch of the game off his foot.
