LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - May 11: Eric Haase #18 and Sam Hentges #31 of the San Francisco Giants prepare for the game at Dodger Stadium on May 11, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants had a good time in Southern California on Tuesday night, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2. In a statistic that almost defies reality, the Giants are now 4-1 against the two-time defending champions … and just 14-23 against the rest of the league.
But that wasn’t the only fun that was had, and it wasn’t the only reality that was defied. The Giants won with the long ball on Tuesday, with three solo home runs, all of which came from the eighth and ninth hitters.
That included a double dinger day for backup catcher Eric Haase, who did something that, when all is said and done, may go down as the least likely thing that happened to the Giants this year: he became the first player in the Majors to have a two-homer game against ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The fun continued all game, but it was … uhh … restrained. After Monday’s win in the series opener, outfielders Harrison Bader, Jung Hoo Lee, and particularly Drew Gilbert (to the surprise of no one) celebrated with a little bit of consensual behavior normally reserved for incognito mode.
And indeed, the Giants fantastic beat reporters got to the heart of it … and it turns out that the call came in from somewhere higher up.
Now for the million dollar question: was it Buster Posey putting an end to the mild dose of homoeroticism, or the corporate folks at the league offices? We may never know, but at least the Giants are having fun.
Or as much fun as they’re allowed to have, at least.
DENVER, CO - MAY 04: Jordan Beck #27 of the Colorado Rockies hits an RBI triple in the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Coors Field on May 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Darryl Strawberry was pinch-hit for in the championship softball game against the Shelbyville Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Power Plant mogul and manager C. Montgomery Burns explained the decision:
“It’s called playing the percentages; it’s what smart managers do to win ball games.”
Sure, Strawberry had nine home runs that day, but with the lefty on the mound and the game on the line, Mr. Burns turned to the right-handed hitting “Home Run” Homer Simpson, who was subsequently beaned in the head to drive in the winning run.
Match-ups matter.
As I watch the Rockies on television, a common turn of phrase seems to be that the Rockies are looking for proper match-ups to allow their players to succeed. Lineup construction is often based on the handedness of the starting pitcher, and in-game substitutions are more prevalent based on which reliever is brought into the game.
Platoon splits are nothing new in baseball. Manager Warren Schaeffer and the Rockies front office haven’t reinvented the wheel, but the use of platoon splits has felt more pronounced this season as the Rockies try to give themselves and the players the best chance to win ball games.
So, this raises the question: Is the platoon system working for Colorado’s offense?
Team Splits
First, let’s take a look at the team’s splits as a whole.
Like most teams in the league, the Rockies generally have more success against right-handed pitching. Entering Tuesday, they rank seventh in batting average (.256) and eighth in OPS (.745) while having the second-most hits (265).
They also have the third-most strikeouts (284) and are 18th in walks (101).
On the flip side, left-handed pitchers represent a decline in production. The Rockies rank 14th in AVG (.235), 25th in OPS (.643), 19th in hits (84), the fourth-most strikeouts (117), and the second-fewest walks (24). Granted, the sample size against left-handed pitching isn’t large across the league, and the Rockies ranked 23rd in total at-bats against southpaws (357), nearly 700 fewer than against right-handers.
As you’d expect, right-hander batters are seeing the bulk of success against left-handed pitching, batting .251/.317/.379 with six home runs. Meanwhile, left-handed batters are slashing .295/.369/.489 with 22 home runs against right-handed pitching. In the same side match-ups, both aspects of the platoon have a .205 AVG and OPS numbers that are relatively close. The main difference is that right-handed batters have 11 home runs against righties in 300 more at-bats.
The platoon splits are nothing surprising. In general, the scarcity of left-handed pitchers makes the proportions of sample sizes skewed, and it’s well known that a hitter will often struggle more against a same-sided match-up, but that is exponentially more true for left-handed hitters. The lack of regular opportunity to see lefty-pitchers puts left-handed hitters under a microscope, making it more likely they will be subbed out if the match-up demands it.
The Lefty Swingers
The poster child for the Rockies platoon is none other than Mickey Moniak.
Tormenting right-handed pitchers to the tune of a .337/.390/.716 slash with nine home runs, Moniak is having a fantastic year in Colorado. However, he has seen his opportunities against left-handers limited as he is just 4-for-24 with 12 punchouts. Granted, he does have two home runs to do the heavy lifting for his slugging percentage (.417), but it’s clear that the Rockies are cognisant of his struggles along with the other left-handed hitters.
Moniak, TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Edouard Julien are a combined 19-for-92 against southpaws with three walks and 25 strikeouts. Like Moniak, this group of lefties — along with Jake McCarthy — are torching righties to help propel the Rockies’ offense. In the past, the team struggled to employ multiple lefties in the lineup in general, but in 2026, they have the luxury of deploying up to seven in a single lineup against a right-handed pitcher. Those kinds of odds are helping to produce runs and generate wins for the Rockies.
The anomaly for the group is catcher Brett Sullivan and McCarthy, to an extent. Sullivan has struggled quite a bit in the platoon advantage, slashing .167/.222/.238 with seven hits in 42 at-bats, including three doubles. Meanwhile, in half the sample size, Sullivan is slashing .350/.409/.500 against lefties, going 7-for-20 with three doubles. McCarthy seems to be the only one consistent on both sides of the platoon as he is batting .300/.300/.500 against lefties, albeit in just 10 at-bats, and .288/.368/.500 against righties.
The Righty Swingers
What becomes of the right-handed batters then?
This group of hitters is struggling quite a bit at this point in the season against right-handed pitchers. Tyler Freeman leads the group with a .315/.393/.352 batting line followed by Hunter Goodman’s .262/.327/.524 slash. Beyond them, however, none of the right-handed batters on the current roster against side-sided matchups have an AVG above .200, and only Kyle Karros has an on-base percentage above .300.
The struggles are quite pronounced and become more worrisome when the majority of starting pitchers in the big leagues are still right-handed. It has forced the Rockies to use more platoon match-ups, and we’ve seen decreased playing time for Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck, along with more days off for Ezequiel Tovar.
The player settling into the platoon role the best at this point is Beck.
As mentioned last week, Beck has earned some patience, despite his struggles against righties (.049/.114/.073), because he’s doing well against lefties. Thus far, he is slashing .306/.333/.500 with a 115 wRC+ against southpaws, tallying 11 hits including two doubles, a triple, and a home run. A platoon role may be what’s best for Beck at the moment to spot Moniak and Johnston in the outfield. The downside is that he gets less playing time, but the Rockies want him to have a chance to have opportunities to succeed. He was solid enough last season against right-handers, so he is capable, but just hasn’t found that rhythm in 2026.
Karros and the switch-hitting Castro, who is fine on either side of the plate, are also enjoying more results at the plate against left-handed pitching. Oddly enough, Freeman is batting .192/.276/.423, but does have two home runs. Unfortunately, Doyle’s struggles have continued against left-handed pitching with only slight improvement to a .198 AVG, but he has drawn five walks against 10 strikeouts.
Tovar is the interesting piece here because his struggles have felt more pronounced this year. In his big-league career, he has generally been immune to the platoon split because the numbers have been similar enough. Star players have to have the capabilities of posting up every day and finding ways to beat the pitcher regardless of what hand they throw with. This year, however, right-handers are exploiting Tovar’s weaknesses more than ever. Meanwhile, he’s posting career-highs in AVG (.286) and OBP (.375) against left-handers.
Out of all the players mentioned above, the Rockies can’t afford for Tovar to become a platoon player at the plate because he has the potential to be a star and is elite on defense.
Is it working?
Overall, the platoon system and hunting match-ups seem to be working. Given the makeup of the team, it makes sense that Paul DePodesta and Warren Schaeffer would keep an eye on platoon splits. For some players, it genuinely can make a difference and allow more opportunities for other players. However, for players like Tovar, some issues run deeper than a simple platoon split, and more work will need to be done to mitigate the gap in production.
Still, the Rockies are looking to give players opportunities to succeed, and platoon splits are a good place to start.
Despite 10 hits as a team, the Albuquerque Isotopes managed just two runs as they won in extra-innings against Oklahoma City. The Isotopes scored a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single from Sterlin Thompson and wouldn’t score against until the 10th, going 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base. Thompson played hero in extras, lacing an RBI single for the walk-off victory. Cole Carrigg, Adael Amador, and Chad Stevens also had two-hit nights for the ‘Topes. Erasmo Ramírez, the 36-year-old veteran, was excellent in his second start since joining the organization, as he allowed just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings. The bullpen surrendered just three hits the rest of the way and allowed three walks with two strikeouts.
Thanks to a walk-off home run by Benny Montgomery, the Hartford Yard Goats pulled out a 7-6 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs. The home run was Montgomery’s third of the year and his only hit of the night as he struck out three times. Meanwhile, Andy Perez tallied three hits and scored three runs on the night to lead the Yard Goats. Hartford recorded nine hits while striking out 13 times and drawing six walks. Konner Eaton started on the mound, allowing five runs through 4.2 innings, giving up three home runs while striking out three and walking one. Three relievers then combined to allow just one run on three hits with six strikeouts and four walks.
The Spokane Indians scored early and often to secure a 7-3 victory over Hillsboro. Roynier Hernanadez and Tommy Hopfe led the 13-hit barrage for Spokane with three hits apiece. Jacob Hinderleider drove in three runs, aided by a two-run homer, along with Jacob Humphrey, who had a two-run home run of his own. Jackson Cox was again brilliant in his start, working 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks. The bullpen was also strong, as two relievers combined to allow just one hit and a walk, along with two strikeouts.
A nightmare top of the ninth cost the Fresno Grizzlies a series-opening victory against the Visalia Rawhide as four runs came across to snag an 8-7 loss. Austin Newton delivered a solid start for Fresno, allowing two runs on five hits through five innings. He gave way to Easton Marks, who worked three innings but allowed two runs in the eighth and was responsible for three more in the ninth, although one was unearned. Seth Clausen was then tagged with the loss and blown save after giving up the winning run. Offensively, the Grizzlies had 11 hits with Cameron Nelson going 3-for-5 with a couple of RBI. Tanner Thach blasted his sixth home run of the season, and Roldy Brito delivered his fourth triple of the season as part of his two-hit night.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the production of Jake McCarthy and the cracks in the rotation, and take a quick look around the minor league system.
The Rockies have been trying to preach more patience and focus and the plate at the results are starting to show in Triple-A for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 12: Jarren Duran #16 of the Boston Red Sox walks off of the field after striking out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Fenway Park on May 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! The Boston Red Sox have scored just four runs in their last three games. It is now abundantly clear that this is not a good offensive team. Moreover, it won’t be a good offensive team even if we see a little bit of a bounce back from Trevor Story, Caleb Durbin, Carlos Narvaez, Roman Anthony… from everyone except Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, really. The lineup’s ceiling is… league average, maybe?
There are four major components of the game — hitting, fielding, starting pitching, and relief pitching — and it’s rare for any team to excel in each of them. But when a team is outright bad in one of those areas, it can make for some ugly watches. But I will say this: if your team has to be terrible at one of those components (note to Craig: it doesn’t!) then I think I’d take the ugly lineup. The Red Sox might be losing ballgames, but at least they aren’t losing lopsided, four-hour affairs that are out of hand by the fourth inning, which is what fans of teams with terrible starting pitching are forced to deal with.
So I suppose my question today is: what’s the most tolerable kind of bad baseball team?
Use this space to talk about that and whatever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, determined to break out of a frustrating 10-game hitless streak, decided to take drastic action, showering in his full uniform Monday after another tough night at the plate. His unconventional approach paid off, as he broke his slump Tuesday night and helped lead the Mariners to a 10-2 win over the Houston Astros.
In Seattle's May 12 victory, Raleigh snapped his 0-for-38 skid with two singles. Last year’s American League MVP runner-up recorded his first hit since April 27 with a sharp line drive to center field in the seventh inning. Moments later, Randy Arozarena doubled to right field, allowing Raleigh to capitalize and score, pushing the score to 8-2.
“Logan (Gilbert) gave me some good advice to wash off the bad mojo or juju from the baseball gods,” Raleigh told the Associated Press. “So yeah, it worked. He was right, so I got to give him credit where credit’s due.”
Cal Raleigh singles to snap an 0-for-38 stretch, the longest hitless streak of his career and of any player this season pic.twitter.com/g0dOpJVqgN
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 13, 2026
Raleigh capped off his night with another single in the ninth inning, finishing the game with two hits and a much-needed renewed sense of confidence at the plate.
Last year, Raleigh led the American League with an impressive 60 home runs and 125 RBIs. However, this season has been more challenging for the slugger, as he has recorded only seven home runs and 18 RBIs over the first 40 games.
The Cleveland Guardians seek a series sweep when they host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of their three-game set.
Cleveland starter Parker Messick has been a revelation, and my Angels vs. Guardians predictions expect a convincing Guardians victory today. Read on for my MLB picks for Wednesday, May 13.
Who will win Angels vs Guardians today: Guardians -1.5 (+156)
Messick owns a 2.30 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through eight starts, with his fastball-changeup combination generating elite run value on both pitches.
Three of the Angels' top four hitters rank among MLB's individual strikeout leaders, and Los Angeles owns the highest raw strikeout total in baseball with 419 on the season.
With Cleveland's bullpen pitching decently over the last two weeks, the plus-money value is there.
COVERS INTEL:The top of the Angels' lineup, Zach Neto (62), Mike Trout (49), and Jorge Soler (52) have combined for 163 strikeouts across 556 plate appearances.
Angels vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-108)
Two left-handed starters take the mound in Cleveland, and neither figures to allow much damage.
The Angels have struck out 115 times against left-handed pitching this season, while the Guardians lack much power against lefties, evidenced by their .148 ISO.
With two southpaws dealing and sharp money moving the total down to seven runs, a low-scoring affair is in the cards today.
Phil Naessens' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 6-11, -3.75 units
Over/Under bets: 6-9, -4.30 units
Angels vs Guardians odds
Moneyline: Angels +133 | Guardians -138
Run line: Angels +1.5 (-170) | Guardians -1.5 (+163)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+127) | Under 7.5 (-133)
Angels vs Guardians trend
The Under is 3-7 in the Los Angeles Angels' previous 10 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Guardians.
How to watch Angels vs Guardians and game info
Location
Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH
Date
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
Angels.TV, CLEGuardians.TV
Angels starting pitcher
Reid Detmers (1-3, 4.33 ERA)
Guardians starting pitcher
Parker Messick (4-1, 2.30 ERA)
Angels vs Guardians latest injuries
Angels vs Guardians weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby (26) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Note: All statistics are as of May 11
At some point every season, the Brewers’ bullpen stops making sense.
Not bad, necessarily. Just… different.
There’s no clean seventh-eighth-ninth progression. There’s no “this is the closer, this is the setup guy, everyone else fall in line.” Instead, it’s a constant shuffle of arms, innings, and situations that feel like they’re being decided on the fly.
And yet, more often than not, it works.
This year, a big part of that weirdness — and a big part of why it’s working — comes down to Aaron Ashby and DL Hall.
If you’ve watched even a handful of Brewers games this year, you’ve probably felt it. The most stressful inning is almost never the ninth. It’s the fifth when the starter runs out of gas with two on and one out. It’s the sixth when the lineup turns over and the middle of the order is coming up. It’s that one stretch where the game can flip, even if there are still 12 outs left to get.
That’s where Ashby has lived.
He leads the bullpen in plenty of stats, as he’s already up to 19 appearances and 26 innings with a 2.08 ERA, a perfect 7-0 record (those seven wins lead the majors), and 41 strikeouts. That alone stands out, but it’s how those innings are coming that really matters. These aren’t clean innings with nobody on and the bottom of the order due up. Ashby is getting the “this could unravel quickly” moments, and more often than not, he’s shutting them down.
He’ll give you multiple innings. He’ll come in mid-inning. He’ll face righties, lefties, whoever. There’s no clean label for it, but it’s pretty clear what the Brewers think of him: when things start getting dicey, he’s one of the first calls. That’s not a middle reliever or a setup guy. That’s just one of your most important pitchers.
Hall’s role isn’t identical, but it’s cut from the same cloth.
He’s been one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen so far, and like Ashby, he’s not being boxed into a traditional role. Some outings are longer, some are shorter, some are clearly matchup-driven, and some feel like pure feel. The Brewers aren’t asking him to be a one-inning specialist. They’re asking him to take whatever inning is available and turn it into something manageable.
Between Hall and Ashby, they’ve essentially created two malleable pieces that can plug into almost any situation. Starter exits early? They can cover it. Bullpen is taxed? They can stretch out. Tough pocket of hitters coming up? They can take that too.
If you’re trying to map out the Brewers’ bullpen by role, you’re going to drive yourself crazy. There isn’t a traditional structure here. Instead, it’s more about coverage. Ashby and Hall handle the messy middle innings and the multi-inning work, and the rest of the staff combines to get them to the finish line. Even that shifts from game to game.
The Brewers aren’t really managing innings as much as they’re managing problems, and Ashby and Hall are the guys solving the biggest ones.
Here’s the thing: even when it’s working, it doesn’t feel comfortable. You don’t get that sense of “OK, just three outs left.” Instead, you get Ashby coming in with traffic and throwing upper-90s with movement all over the place. You get Hall bouncing between roles. You get Abner Uribe hitting triple digits and occasionally losing the zone. Same with Trevor Megill. You get pitching changes that don’t follow a script.
It feels like the game is constantly on the edge.
And maybe that’s why Brewers fans never fully trust the bullpen, no matter how good the numbers look, because it doesn’t look stable.
But it works because of guys like this.
Take Ashby and Hall out of the equation, and everything gets thinner, fast. Suddenly you’re asking more of the traditional relievers. You’re exposing the lower-leverage arms. You’re burning through pitchers just to get from the fifth to the eighth.
Instead, the Brewers have built in some margin. Not through defined roles, but through flexibility. Ashby and Hall don’t just fill innings — they absorb chaos. They turn messy situations into manageable ones and keep games from getting away before the late innings even arrive.
No two games look the same. No bullpen usage pattern repeats cleanly. And no lead ever feels totally safe.
But somehow, Pat Murphy and this bullpen make it work.
That’s not happening by accident. It’s happening because in the middle innings — the ones that actually decide games — guys like Aaron Ashby and DL Hall are quietly doing the hardest work on the staff, even if it never really feels that way while you’re watching it.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 12: Catcher Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles drops a foul ball in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 12, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
Those two back-to-back wins the Orioles had on Sunday and Monday were cool, huh? But yesterday felt like a slap back to reality.
The 6-2 loss to the Yankees is easy enough to swallow. Losses happen in baseball. But the fact that Trevor Rogers got hit around does not instill much confidence that his IL stint allowed him to reset in any meaningful way. His pitch velocity was up, but so were the Yankees’ exit velocities.
On top of that, the O’s got some bad injury news. Grant Wolfram was placed on the IL just before the game with a low back strain. It doesn’t seem super serious. The team was trying to wait it out, but it got to the point where they just needed the fresh arm. Possibly more concerning was the late scratch of Dylan Beavers with right oblique discomfort. O’s manager Craig Albernaz said that Beavers felt it in the batting cage while preparing for the game. No IL stint was said to be imminent, but obliques do tend to linger.
Beavers has not been a star for the Orioles this year. He has a .243/331/.369 batting line after all. But he has at least been competent in the box, and had been putting together some nice at-bats lately. Missing him for any length of time does weaken the team’s outfield.
This team can’t really absorb the loss of any sort of offense contributor. It has been one week since the Orioles last scored more than three runs in a game. They have scored more than four runs in a game just twice in the month of May, both against the Marlins. You aren’t going to win many games consistently scoring four runs or fewer, especially with the O’s rotation in its current state.
Maybe an earlier game time wakes them up! The Orioles and Yankees will wrap up their series at 1:05 p.m. today, a late change to the schedule due to expected rain in the area. That might make it hard for some of us to take this game in. Depending on your feelings regarding this team, that could be construed as a positive.
Lou Trivino Elects Free Agency | MLB Trade Rumors The Trivino era of Orioles baseball has come to end, at least for now. He pitched in two games and was worth -0.2 bWAR. Thanks for the memories, Lou.
More this, that and the other | Roch Kubatko Lots of notes from Roch, including about the rotation. In short: it’s been a disaster but the Orioles are trying to keep their cool. What else can they do? It’s not as if Norfolk is frothing with top prospects. There’s one Trey Gibson and more than one questionable spot in the rotation at the moment.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Mychal Givens turns 36 today. The sidearming reliever had two stints in Baltimore. The first, from 2015 through 2020 went well. The second, which lasted just six games in 2023, did not.
David Hernández is 41 years old. He pitched in a total of 61 games for the Orioles between 2009 and 2010, as both a starter and reliever. the club then included him in a deal that landed slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds in Baltimore.
Ryan Bukvich is 48. He pitched in four games for the 2008 O’s.
Lyle Mouton turns 57. In 1998 he was an outfield option for the Orioles, playing in 18 games for the club.
Juan Beníquez is 76 today. He spent 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, including the 1986 campaign in Baltimore.
This day in O’s history
2007 – The Orioles fall apart right at the end of a game that they were leading 5-0. Dubbed the “Mother’s Day Miracle” in Boston, the Red Sox rally for six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning against a combination of starter Jeremy Guthrie and relievers Danys Báez and Chris Ray, winning in walk-off fashion.
2011 – Rays rookie Jeremy Hellickson throws his first career complete game and shutout, leading his team to a 3-0 win over the Orioles.
2018 – Fresh off of a call-up from Triple-A, Joey Rickard hits two home runs and drives in four as part of the Orioles 17-1 romp of the Rays. Danny Valencia and Trey Mancini also homer in support of Dylan Bundy’s seven scoreless innings on the mound.
Mar 17, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Dylan Carlson against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Truly, I am not looking forward to the takes that will be coming out of the woodwork about Thursday’s game. The much anticipated Jesus Luzardo-Ranger Suarez dustup is going to bring the hottest of hot takes.
The struggles continue for the Detroit Tigers, who opened up their three-game road series at the New York Mets on Tuesday night with a miserable 10-2 loss. Jack Flaherty only lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, which was all it took to overtake the visitors’ anemic offense.
The good news is that the Motor City Kitties get their No. 2 starter, left-hander Framber Valdez, back from suspension with a chance to even up the midweek series. The 32-year-old had one of the worst outings of the season, allowing 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits (three home runs) and a walk while striking out three before the bean-ball incident that led to his five-game stint in the penalty box.
Last time Valdez faced the Mets was with the Houston Astros on opening day 2025, when he threw seven frames of shutout ball while allowing four hits and two walks while striking out four to earn the win. He did, however, hit a batter in that game.
For New York, right-hander Christian Scott takes the mound for the fourth time this season. His season debut only lasted 1 1/3 innings after issuing five walks, plunking a batter and balking before he was pulled in that one. The 26-year-old’s next two outings saw him throw five and 4 2/3 innings, respectively, putting up a 2.79 and a 2.50 FIP while striking out 14 over that stretch.
Scott has only pitched a dozen games in his major league career, but none of them came against the Tigers.
Take a look below at an overview of the two starters in Wednesday night’s clay diamond duel.
Detroit Tigers (19-23) vs. New York Mets (16-25)
Time (ET): 7:10 p.m. Place: Citi Field, Queens, New York SB Nation Site:Amazin’ Avenue Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 43: LHP Framber Valdez (2-2, 4.57 ERA) vs. RHP Christian Scott (0-0, 3.27 ERA)
Happy birthday to Eli Morgan, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history is a story that is so good, so nice it shouldn’t be buried amongst the ther stories. In 1947 – Larry Miggins hits the first of his two major league home runs, going deep off Preacher Roe in the fourth inning of the Cardinals’ 14-8 loss to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The round-tripper hit by the Bronx-born outfielder, who had once shared his dream of playing in the big leagues during a prep school assembly with a buddy with aspirations to be a baseball broadcaster, is called by an overwhelmed Vin Scully, Brooklyn’s play-by-play announcer who had wondered that day with his friend “what the odds against that would be.” And enjoy the other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1911 – Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers hits his first grand slam. After six innings, Detroit leads the Boston Red Sox, 10 – 1. Boston comes back to win the game, 13- 1, in 10 innings.
1954 Robin Roberts gives up a HR then retires next 27 men in a row
1955 – At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the first time in his major league career. The New York Yankees slugger finishes the game with three home runs — two left-handed and one right-handed — and drives in all of his team’s runs in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher and Steve Gromek the loser.
1958 – Teammates Willie Mays and Daryl Spencer each have four extra-base hits as San Francisco beats the Dodgers in Los Angeles, 16-9. Mays hits two home runs, two triples, a single and drives in four runs, and Spencer has two home runs, a triple, a double and six RBI for a combined 28 total bases. The Ginats set a record with a total of 50 total bases in the game.
1995 – As of today, Tony Gwynn has hit .402 in his last 162-game stretch.
2009 – Alfonso Soriano hits his 53rd leadoff homer as the Chicago Cubs defeat the Padres, 6-4, in a rain-shortened game. Soriano’s blast ties Craig Biggio for second on the all-time list, still well behind record holder Rickey Henderson at 81; it also breaks the Cubs record held by Jimmy Ryan, as it is Soriano’s 21st such homer since joining the team in 2006.
2015 – Last year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, Corey Kluber of the Indians, finally gets his first win of the year after starting off 0-5. He strikes out 18 Cardinals batters and allows only one hit over eight innings to lead Cleveland to a 2-0 win. The 18 strikeouts tie a club record set by Bob Feller in 1938 and are the most by any American League pitcher since Roger Clemens also struck out 18 in 1998.
1607 – English colonists led by John Smith establish Jamestown at a second landing near the James River in Virginia – first permanent English settlement in North America.
1846 – US Congress votes in favor of President James K. Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico over border disputes.
1878 – Danvers State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts, opens and later serves as inspiration for Arkham Sanitorium in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, which in turn inspires Arkham Asylum of the D.C. Batman universe.
1905 – World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defences; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson.
1940 – Winston Churchill says “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat” in his first speech as Prime Minister to the British House of Commons.
1977 – Howard Stern begins his professional broadcasting career at WRNW radio in Briarcliff Manor, New York.
1981 Pope John Paul II is shot and critically wounded by Turkish gunman Mehmet Ali Ağca in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
1989 – After weeks of unsuccessful attempts between the demonstrators and the Chinese government to find a peaceful resolution, the Chinese government initiated martial law in late May and deployed troops to occupy the square on the night of 3 June in what is referred to as the Tiananmen Square massacre.
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 24: Nick Morabito #3 of the Scottsdale Scorpions runs to first base during the game between the Scottsdale Scorpions and the Surprise Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Friday, October 24, 2025 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Jill Weisleder/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With nearly even records coming into this game, Syracuse held the lead for most of the early portions of the game, but it was a thin lead. Jack Wenninger went unscored upon, lowering his ERA to 1.08, but sure enough, Scranton not only tied things up but then took control after he was taken out of the ballgame. The Mets came into the ninth inning down 4-2, but Ryan Clifford and Yonny Hernandez tied things up with an RBI double and single, respectively. With the adoption of the ghost-runner-starts-at-second rule, you don’t see extra-inning games go too long, but this one made it into the thirteenth inning and since these things are not too common anymore, you gotta appreciate it.
Nick Morabito led off the thirteenth with a sac bunt to move ghost runner Matt Rudick over to third, but old friend Ali Sanchez bungled the play- considered a sure-handed catcher, he was playing first base after having been pinch hit into the game. A few batters later, Christian Arroyo drove in two more runs with a single into left. Mike Baumann, thankfully, was able to throw a 1-2-3 inning for the save, and that was that.
The Rumble Ponies fell to the Patriots to kick off the Double-A Subway Series, their fifth loss in a row and their second consecutive shutout. Nick Lorusso and JT Schwartz were the only Ponies to log hits, while Eli Serrano and Jacob Reimer drew a walk apiece and the indomitable Wyatt Young drew two. Brendan Girton made the start for Binghamton and was solid, allowing one run over five innings, but even if the bullpen hadn’t allowed two more, he would’ve been the losing pitcher in this contest.
The Cyclones fell to Rome to kick off their series, their third loss in a row. Mitch Voit and Daiverson Gutierrez were the only Cyclones to log hits, while Ronald Hernandez drew a walk. Joel Diaz made the start for Brooklyn and was decent, allowing two runs over four innings, but even if he cut that in half, he still would’ve been the losing pitcher in this contest.
The Mud Hens got a solid start out of Dylan File, but they didn’t need any help as they piled up the runs early and put it to Storm Chasers’ pitching all game long.
Ben Malgeri doubled to start the game, and Max Clark dropped down a bunt single. A soft tapper from Paul DeJong was booted by Omaha pitcher Ryan Ramsey, scoring Malgeri. Eduardo Valencia flew out, and Max Anderson singled in Clark. That’s all they’d get, but Tyler Gentry led off the second with a single and Andrew Navigato walked. Malgeri stepped up and launched his sixth home run of the season. 5-0 Hens.
An error gave the Hens another run in the third. In the fourth, Anderson singled and rode home on a Jace Jung two-run shot. Walks set up the Hens in the fifth, and Valencia doubled in Clark and rode home on Anderson’s first homer of the year as he only just returned from the injury list. That blast made it 12-0.
Omaha native Max Anderson drives a 2-run homer to right center to put Toledo up 12-0. Anderson is 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs tonight. pic.twitter.com/aotrVqHuG0
Tyler Gentry cracked a two-run homer in the sixth, and you get the picture. This was a full-on beatdown of the Twins’ Triple-A squad.
File allowed a run in the fifth before wrapping up his outing with five strikeout, three walks allowed, and just one run allowed over five innings of work.
Beau Brieske’s rehab work progressed to Toledo in this one. The struck out two, allowing one hit in the sixth inning. Connor Seabold also moved form Lakeland to Toledo for his rehab and spun a scoreless seventh. Woo-Suk Go continues to be the Tigers’ best upper level reliever this spring, and he tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth with three punchouts, maintaining his sub-2.00 ERA on the year, with a strikeout rate approaching 40 percent, though most of that work came at the Double-A level.
Malgeri: 2-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR, BB, K
Anderson: 5-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR, K
Jung: 3-6, 3 R, 2 RBI, HR
File (W, ): 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
BREAKING: Gary Jones named Manager of the Mud Hens.
A couple of bad innings from Zack Lee and Yosber Sanchez on a bullpen day spelled doom for the Erie SeaWolves. Richmond is now 26-7 and running away with the first half divisional lead.
This was just a tough day for the offense all around. Zack Lee took over from Trevin Michael, who gave Erie two scoreless inning, but Lee allowed three in the third. Yosber Sanchez was knocked around for a four-run seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, a single from Chris Meyers was followed by a walk to Izaac Pacheco. Andrew Jenkins lined a shallow single to center that loaded the bases. The SeaWolves needed a big knock, but Aaron Antonini grounded into a double play, scoring Meyers, but that was all they’d get.
John Peck, Peyton Graham, and especially Brett Callahan have been swinging hot bats the past few weeks, but they were quiet in this one.
Jenkins: 2-3, 2B
Lee (L, 0-1): 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:05 a.m. ET start on Wednesday.
West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Great Lakes Loons 3 (box)
Good defense, solid starting pitching, and homers from Garrett Pennington and Ricardo Hurtado helped the Whitecaps finally break their 14-game losing streak on Tuesday.
Hayden Minton gave the ‘Caps his best start of the year. The right-hander had his breaking stuff working, punching out six, and allowing just a solo shot over five innings of work.
Pennington got the ‘Caps started when he cracked his seventh home in the top of the first inning. In the third, Andrew Sojka and Cristian Santana walked and performed the double steal. A wild pitch eventually scored Sojka to make it 2-0 ‘Caps, but Minton allowed a solo shot to Nico Perez in the bottom half. In the fifth, Bryce Rainer singled in Santana to make it 3-1 Whitecaps.
Hurtado launched a solo shot in the top of the seventh, and it was well that he did. Both Donye Evans and Ryan Harvey allowed a run in relief, but Luke Stofel held things down in the ninth to collect the save.
Ricardo Hurtado smokes a solo homer 414 feet to left center to put the Whitecaps up 4-1. It’s his 3rd home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/6pBGoc2c79
Grayson Grinsell was a bit wild but gave the Flying Tigers a good start anyway, and the top of the order pieced together enough runs to win on Tuesday.
The left-handed Grinsell has been pretty good so far, but still a bit erratic, and that showed up as he walked four and struck out five over five innings of one run ball in this one.
The Flying Tigers jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first. Jude Warwick singled and Jordan Yost was hit by a pitch. Zach MacDonald singled in Warwick, and a sacrifice fly from Carson Rucker got Yost in from third for a 2-0 lead. Warwick doubled home Sergio Tapia in the second, and is suddenly swinging a pretty hot bat.
Grinsell allowed a run in the third, but in the fifth, Anibal Salas led off with a walk, Warwick was hit by a pitch, and Yost drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Single-A baseball, folks. MacDonald pulled a grounder to third, and Salas was cut down at the plate. A run was balked in before Rucker struck out and Beau Ankeney popped out. So it was 4-1 at that point.
In the seventh, Warwick singled, and Yost doubled him to third. A MacDonald sacrifice fly made it 5-1.
Preston Howey’s rehab outing in relief did not go well at all. The right-hander was wild, allowing three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-4 Flying Tigers. Luke Hoskins and Yendry Gomez handled the last two innings with no issues to secure the win.
Warwick: 3-4, 3 R, RBI, 2B
Yost: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K
Grinsell (W, 3-1): 5.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
The Complex Leagues are development ball, so no one cares a lot about their records, but no doubt manager Brayan Pena was happy to get off the schneid with a good start from budding pitching prospect Jhonan Coba on Tuesday. Coba has really good stuff with plenty of projection, and he no-hit the Yankees rookies with six strikeouts and just two walks allowed. Cris Rodriguez cranked a two-run homer at 104 mph in the second inning to help lead the offense.
It might come as a surprise, but negative run differential teams sometimes make the postseason. I am not saying that the 2026 Cardinals will finish with a minus in runs, but I’m not saying they are going to make the playoffs, either. Anyhow, I thought I might go all the way back to 1981, let’s take a journey back into time.
The 1981 Cardinals outperformed their pythagorean record (what their record should be assuming a normal balance according to run differential) by only three games. That is because of a positive run differential. But, in 1983 they also had a positive run differential and finished 4 games below .500.
In 1984, the Cardinals were 6 games above .500 but with a run differential barely above zero. They should’ve been just over .500, according to their pythagorean record. The 1986 Cardinals did the right thing and absolutely nailed their pythagorean record, finishing at 79-82 with a -10 run differential.
The 1991 Cardinals should have finished at .500 but were a few games over .500. We could talk about the 2006 Cardinals, but they had a positive run differential and barely finished over their pythagorean record. And yet somehow won the World Series, of course. It doesn’t happen often, but a +19 run team can go all the way. But could a team with a negative run differential have possibly pulled that off?
The 2007 Cardinals really paid the piper for that one, finishing with a -104 run differential. That team should’ve been much, much worse though, interestingly enough. So maybe they never paid the piper! Should’ve been 20 games under! Finished 6 games under .500! So strangely enough, that was a team that didn’t give two turds about their run differential.
The 2008 Cardinals were another team to absolutely nail their pythagorean record, just as the 1986 Cardinals did. The Cardinals finished 10 games over in 2008, winning 86 games.
In 2010, the Cardinals underperformed by quite a bit, +95, & should’ve won 91 games but won 86, ten games over just like the 2008 team.
The incredible 2011 team barely overperformed their pythagorean record but was still destined for the postseason. They did have a +70 run differential, however.
Then, something happened to the 2012 Cardinals… they had a +100 run differential, but finished 5 games lower than their pythagorean record, making a team that would seemingly be a good postseason team into a third place team.
The 2013 Cardinals scored so many runs that them underperforming their pythagorean record didn’t matter. That team should’ve won over 100 games! But 97 wins was enough. It is noted that that team didn’t fare too well in close games.
2014 Cardinals won a lot more than they should’ve. They didn’t overperform their run differential like the 2007 Cardinals did, but they were certainly another outlier finishing at 90 wins with a +11 run differential.
The 2018 squad which was lead by both Mike Matheny and Mike Shildt, is the third team that hit their pythagorean record spot on (since 1981). That team actually won 88 games! But somehow finished in 3rd place. And also the Covid shortened 2020 season would make it four.
The 2021 Cardinals were another team that really overperformed their pythagorean record, finishing at 90 wins when they had a +34 run differential. Impressive.
The 2023 Cardinals are our fifth Cardinals team since 1981 to hit their pythagorean record. This team finished 20 games below .500! Far worse than the 2007 squad.
Most fans remember the 2024 team as being a lot better than expected. This is because that team should’ve finished ten games below .500, but Oliver Marmol coaxed a winning record out of a team with a negative run differential. However, an 83 win Cardinals team usually isn’t going to make the postseason. So it’s possible for the Cardinals to have a winning season with a negative run differential, but it would take some opportune circumstances for a team of that caliber to sneak into the postseason. The are however the best example I have come across with success as a negative run differential season performance by the Cardinals.
Last year’s team won 4 more games than their pythagorean record, so maybe the Cardinals are pretty good at overperforming their run differential nowadays. They were still under .500, but what about this season?
Baseball reference has the Cardinals as a pythagorean record .500 ballclub. I’ve always thought this is about what this team would be, give or take 5 games. Fangraphs has them finishing just below .500 now. Certainly much better than the Las Vegas odds we saw at the beginning of the season. Instead, this season the team is 7 games over .500. But what’s most impressive: they are only +3 runs. And have been a minus for much of the season!
There is of course a correlation with run differential, but it’s also much more random than you might think. It’s about as effective as a weather vane. A rather general barometer for the season. But there’s a history to it, and pythagorean records have been around for a while. How meaningful it is for Cardinals fans, I must shrug it off a bit. And there have been teams with a really good run differential in the first half and not so good in the second half, barely over. All sorts of scenarios and situations.
It’s hit and miss, but not a bad indicator, really. There are more advanced predictors out there, but it sticks around. It’s fun to look at, simple. But I have to admit, teams that beat their run differential are often more interesting than teams that just crush it. How do they do it? It’s often good bullpens and defense, and we have one of those, at least! At least a good closer helps, too.
It looks like I will have to go outside the Cardinals world to find a really good negative run differential team. Do they have those?
1981 and 1984 Royals were both negative run differential teams that had some success
the (expletive) 1987 Twins had a -20 run differential and, you know… sigh.
1997 Giants had a -7 run differential… and won 90 games! but ended up being swept by the Marlins in the NLDS. This particular team was driven by a 11-3 extra innings record resulting from an offense that lead the league in late and close situations. Clearly one of those “devil magic” Giants teams.
the 2005 Padres were some sort of unbelievable… they won their division only 2 games over .500 and scored -42 runs… the Cardinals swept them in the NLDS!
2007 Diamondbacks were a -20 run differential squad that somehow won 90 games, swept the Cubs, then got swept by the Rockies in the NLCS
2023 Diamondbacks made it all the way to the World Series with a -15 run differential, but lost
the phenomenon might actually be happening more often, and more egregiously than ever… the 2023 Marlins finished with a -57 run differential, 6 games over .500 and good enough for a wild card
last year’s Guardians had a negative run differential and won the AL Central with 88 wins
What did I learn? Successful teams with a negative run differential are rare. They often come from the NL West. The 2007 Cardinals weren’t as bad as I remember. And only two teams have made it to the World Series with a negative run differential in modern times… of course the Cardinals had to lose the championship to one of those two teams. So yeah, the only team to ever win the World Series with a negative run differential beat us.
Music section will be back next week, 1990 was a monster year! And I didn’t have as much time to research this week, being out of town then starting a new job.
Ok, last minute change of subject, where does our pitching stand? Our three best pitchers by BB/9 are Riley O’Brien, Michael McGreevy, and Dustin May. I think those guys will be all right. I would like to see Liberatore, Leahy, Pallante, and Graceffo improve their control. The problem is a big one though: Soriano, Svanson, Bruihl, and Stanek are all walking over 5 batters per 9 innings. That’s bad. Bruihl and Stanek in particular need to control their stuff, although Stanek can get away with it more than Bruihl with his 12 K/9.
I think I trust in Michael McGreevy more than any of our starting rotation, even though I’m a big fan of Dustin May, I just think McG is going to be the most reliable guy out there. I like that he has his walks under control. I like his xFIP. The xERA is worrisome but, whatever, I gotta trust somebody in the rotation. Maybe I’ll trust May more if he strikes out more batters.
Liberatore on the mound tonight, we will have to wait until 8:40 at night again. JT Ginn takes the rubber for the Athletics. Fangraphs gives a 41.7% chance of winning to the Cardinals. We’ll take it. I think I don’t mind Liberatore in this particular matchup, especially if he pitches like he has in the month of May as opposed to how he pitched in April.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 28: Storm clouds linger over the field before the Baltimore Orioles play the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 28, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey folks, it was a quick turnaround last night on a weeknight and I was at the game, so we’re going to just do a classic “Today on Pinstripe Alley” post today rather than doing a full question exercise. Thanks for understanding! We’ll still have two rapid-fire questions for folks to talk about if they so desire, as we do on the weekends.
Today on the site, we have a shorter schedule, partially due to the changes in the timing of the Yankees’ series finale in Baltimore. (It was supposed to be a night game but it was bumped up to 1:05 p.m. because it’s supposed to pour tonight.) So Scott will Triple-A Scranton’s big week ahead in Syracuse, Madison will run through the Rivalry Roundup, and Jonathan will salute 2010s Yankees catcher and all-time quote producer John Ryan Murphy on his 35th birthday.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST (moved up due to the weather)
Video: Amazon Prime Video, MASN
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Questions/Prompts:
1. Would you rather see Anthony Volpe or Max Schuemann at shortstop in José Caballero’s absence? (No, George Lombard Jr. is not an option here because he is at Triple-A.)
2. How much of the Stanley Cup playoffs do you typically watch?
CLEARWATER, MEXICO - MARCH 14: Edward Florentino #19 of the Pittsburgh Pirates bats during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on Friday, March 14, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates third highest ranked prospect, Edward Florentino, is off to a hot start in 2026 and is looking like one of the best hitters in minor league baseball.
Florentino is currently with High-A Greensboro and since his debut with the Grasshoppers on May 1, he has been tearing the covers off of baseballs. In the club’s most recent series against Greenville Florentino made a huge impression in the final two games. The 19-year-old centerfielder had homers in back to back contests against the Drive, making it his third with the club sixth on the year.
Fast starts are nothing new for Florentino. The Pirates originally signed him as an international free-agent in 2024, and he was quickly turning heads for Pittsburgh. Florentino started his journey in professional baseball in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old, but just a year later was already playing full-time minor league ball after hitting his way through the Florida Complex League and ended up playing in 54 contests with Low-A Bradenton.
Edward Florentino homers in back-to-back games for High-A @GSOHoppers 🚀
Now in 2026, Florentino is off to yet another hot in 2026. The Dominican native was a non-roster invitee to the Pirates’ big league Spring Training in Bradenton and represented the club in the Spring Breakout. From there Florentino returned to Low-A Bradenton but only played in nine games with the Marauders. In those nine games, Florentino left with a slash line of .321/.500/.750 with a 1.250 OPS and three homers.
With Greensboro Florentino has continued his hot streak, adding the three more homers to bring his season total to six and has been just as efficient at the plate as well. With the Grasshoppers, he is slashing .290/.303/.581 and has 8 RBIs and two steals. Overall Florentino has a .305 batting average with 18 hits, 18 RBIs and a .411 on base percentage in 16 games.
At just 18-years-old the Pirates may have found another solid star in Florentino. As a power threat he has been able to capitalize on his discipline at the plate coupled with his raw strength and hitting IQ will benefit him as he continues to advance in his career. He’s continued to add muscle to his 6’4” frame since signing and many believe this could just be the beginning of his hitting prowess, given the raw power that he already possesses. He’s athletic in the outfield and is showing a further understanding of navigating centerfield and tracking fly balls.
COVERS INTEL:
