SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Petco Park on June 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Walker Buehler made his first start as a member of the San Diego Padres against his former team and the right-hander delivered in what turned out to be a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on Friday night. Dawning the new City Connect 2.0 uniform; Buehler took the mound and delivered another solid performance with 5.1 innings. He allowed one run, a solo home run to Mookie Betts in the top of the second inning, on just three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Was it a perfect performance? No, but it was what the Padres needed to contain a potent Dodgers lineup.
Ty France hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning to put San Diego ahead, 3-1, but there was no way to know at the time that would be the game-winning hit. Both sides had opportunities throughout the game to add to their run totals, but solid pitching performances and good defense from both teams kept the score at 3-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Padres tacked on four insurance runs, giving Mason Miller the night off while giving the Dodgers a series-opening loss.
San Diego loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth with a single and back-to-back walks. Sung-Mun Song hit a well-placed groundball back through the infield that scored two runs, but France was thrown out trying to go first to third on the play. The play on France allowed Song to move up to second to keep a runner in scoring position with two outs and the score, 5-1. Rodolfo Duran scored Song and replaced him at second base with a double to make the score, 6-1 and Fernando Tatis Jr. capped the scoring with a line drive to center field that brought Duran in to push the score to 7-1.
The relievers who came on for San Diego behind Buehler were the story of the game until the Padres erupted for four runs in the eighth. Yuki Matsui pitched 0.2 innings and allowed one hit and one walk, which was intentional to load the bases, but then he got Max Muncy to pop out and Kyle Tucker to flyout to end the inning. Jason Adam pitched a scoreless seventh inning and recorded a strikeout and Adrian Morejon worked around two hits to complete a scoreless eighth inning. It was setup for Miller to close the game in the ninth, but with four runs added on, San Diego went to Wandy Peralta and the lefty pitched a scoreless ninth inning while allowing a hit to secure the win for the Padres.
San Diego takes on Los Angeles for the second game of the series tonight at 5:40 p.m.
The Padres pursued Roki Sasaki heavily in free agency before he decided to sign with the Dodgers and his start against San Diego on Friday reminded the Friar Faithful about the disappointment with how the pursuit ended.
The good news is that both the MLB owners and the MLBA continue to negotiate. The bad news is they still are not close to reaching an agreement, which is to be expected at this point in the process. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides details on the latest proposal.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 05: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees runs to first base during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, June 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jonathan Pensiero/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As the Yankees and Red Sox meet on opposite ends of the American League East standings, neither team can afford to even contemplate where they’d be without the production of their first basemen. For the Yankees, Ben Rice has been the team’s best hitter on the season, and the same can be said of his Boston counterpart, Willson Contreras.
But Rice and Contreras are not just the best hitters for the respective teams. They are both among the best hitters in the American League, and they’ve both gotten to this lofty perch as former catchers that became first basemen.
While the destination is the same, the journey to get there could not have been any more different for Contreras and Rice. With the Yankees’ ex-backstopper, despite Rice playing about twice as many games behind the plate as first base in the minor leagues, New York decided to use him primarily as a first baseman right as he came up. This was partially due to the team’s needs at that point, but also in an effort to maximize the potential of a player whose primary asset was always his bat. Let’s just say that Rice was never going to establish himself as an elite defender behind the plate, and that he was always going to go as far as his bat took him.
Contreras, on the other hand, was always a fairly flexible player, including featuring in a corner outfield in his first season back in 2016, but managed several years of success and became a two-time All-Star, all behind the plate. It wasn’t until last season, after a couple of years with the Cardinals, that an organization decided to give him an extended look at first. The offensive production for Contreras remained good in 2025, but more importantly, he had his healthiest campaign since 2018, featuring in 135 games, 120 of them at first and an extra 15 as the designated hitter. As a primary catcher, he’d only averaged about 100 games played in his previous five full seasons.
Looking to bolster their lineup following the departure of Rafael Devers, the Red Sox took to the trade market in search of reinforcements and found in the Cardinals a willing trade partner. Boston acquired Contreras to be its primary first baseman, and that individual move could not have turned out better for them, even if the rest of the offense has been a letdown, to say the least. Hitting at Fenway has perfectly suited Contreras (.946 OPS at home), on his way to his best season with the bat since 2019, when he OPS’d .888 and was an All-Star for the Cubs.
Both Rice and Contreras are performing well above the standards they had previously set, and while it’d be foolish to tie all of this progress to the fact they’ve recently been completely removed from the efforts of playing catcher, to ignore its positive effect is equally naive. Either of these teams could feasibly take the aggressive route of trying to, at least occasionally, use one of their best hitters as a catcher, given the dire status of the catching market and their depth chart.
Yet, they choose not to, and are rewarded with two of the AL’s best hitters. We don’t have the counterfactual of exactly how either Rice or Contreras would be performing right now if they were still occasionally playing catcher, but it’s easy to envision that they wouldn’t be hitting as well, and perhaps not as often. Contreras in particular has been quite durable, appearing in 77 of Boston’s 79 games this year. Without the burden of learning and managing an entire pitching staff, and without the wear and tear that comes with squatting behind the plate for a few hours every night, both Rice and Contreras have been free to be the best versions of themselves at the plate.
The Boston Red Sox took the first two games against their biggest rivals.
While the Yankees are -125 favorites to take Game 3, my Yankees vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks believe the value lies in backing Boston to clinch a series victory on Saturday, June 27.
Who will win Yankees vs Red Sox today: Red Sox moneyline (+105)
Injuries have taken real punch out of the New York Yankees' offense, especially against left-handed pitching.
They have really tailed off in June, ranking 19th in wOBA and 20th in OPS, while striking out at the sixth-highest rate.
The Red Sox are 26th in wOBA vs. right-handed pitching this month, so they’re a team Cole should be able to work his way through even lacking punchouts.
Play the Under to -125.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 44-32, +3.20 units
Over/Under bets: 40-32-4, +3.99 units
Yankees vs Red Sox weather
Temperatures in the mids 70s are expected but with slight winds blowing inwards. Neutral hitting conditions.
Yankees vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Yankees -125 | Red Sox +105
Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+135) | Red Sox +1.5 (-155)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Yankees vs Red Sox trend
The Yankees have hit the Under in 29 of the last 50 away games (+8.10 units, 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Saturday, June 27, 2026
First pitch
1:10 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Yankees starting pitcher
Gerrit Cole (2-2, 3.62 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
Jake Bennett (1-3, 3.71 ERA)
Yankees vs Red Sox latest injuries
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.
With another full slate across the Majors, I've found value in my MLBsame-game parlay predictions.
Dylan Cease will carve up the Texas Rangers this afternoon, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto will help the Los Angeles Dodgers bounce back after a tough loss to their rivals, the San Diego Padres.
Dylan Cease has been one of baseball's premier strikeout pitchers this season, recording 118 strikeouts in 78.2 innings.
He's cleared 7.5 strikeouts in six of his last seven starts while averaging 12.66 K/9 across his last two outings. The Texas Rangers are also striking out 8.93 times per game on the road.
The Toronto Blue Jays hold the edge on the mound, as Cease continues to dominate while Cal Quantrill enters with an 8.46 FIP and a 59.1% hard-hit rate over his last two appearances.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is also swinging the bat well, hitting .280 over his last six games while cashing the Over on total bases in three of those contests
Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, Rangers Sports Network
See full analysis of this game in our Rangers vs Blue Jays predictions.
Reds at Pirates SGP: Burns Leads Reds to Victory
Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns sports a 12.66 K/9 mark over his last four starts, and he's cashed the Over in strikeouts in every single outing dating back to May 14. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 28th in team strikeouts.
Burns also has an impressive 2.78 FIP across the last month, allowing just 0.84 HR/9 and a 32.7% hard hit rate. Bucs starter Jared Jones has a 6.11 FIP over his previous two outings, allowing 2.57 HR/9.
Tyler Stephenson carries a .333 average over his last four games into this contest and, most importantly, a 66.7% hard hit rate. Stephenson has cashed the Over in hits in three of his last four appearances.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Reds.TV
See full analysis of this game in our Reds vs. Pirates predictions.
Dodgers at Padres SGP: Yamamoto Silences San Diego
Yoshinobu Yamamoto continues to pitch like the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace. He owns a 2.17 FIP over his last four starts while limiting opponents to a 27.5% hard hit rate and 2.9% barrel rate. The righty has also allowed Under 1.5 earned runs in five of his last six appearances.
Randy Vasquez takes the ball for the San Diego Padres, and he's struggling. The right-hander has compiled a 6.84 xERA over the last month while posting an alarming 46.2% hard hit rate. It's a clear opportunity for the Dodgers to do damage and ride the wave behind Yamamoto.
Freddie Freeman is one of those hitters who should benefit. He's cashed the Over in total bases in four straight, and Freeman has finished with two hits or more in every single game during that span. The veteran has a 73.3% hard hit rate in his previous six games, and he's 3-for-7 lifetime against Vasquez.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MLB Network
See full analysis of this game in our Dodgers vs. Padres predictions.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 0-6, -6.00 units
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.
Well, come on. You didn’t really think the Cubs would defeat Jacob Misiorowski, did you?
The thing is, though, that they did pretty much hold Misiorowski and the Brewers even while the Milwaukee fireballer was still in the game. Then the Cubs had another bullpen meltdown and Milwaukee won the game 6-2. For anyone who thinks the Cubs need starting pitching help above anything, yes they need starting pitching help but if they don’t fix the bullpen soon…
Colin Rea’s outing against Misiorowski was admirable. He matched zeroes for four innings with the Brewers starter, though he did allow four hits in that span. He got helped out by his defense.
The Cubs had just one baserunner through four innings, a one-out walk by Shaw in the third. Shaw was erased when Swanson hit into an inning-ending double play.
But also, that was the first time Misiorowski had allowed a home run since April 14, when both Andres Gimenez and Daulton Varsho of the Blue Jays went deep off him. That’s a span of 75.1 innings and 278 batters in between home runs allowed. Including last year’s division series, when Suzuki hit a homer off Misiorowski, that makes Suzuki the only player to homer off him more than once.
A 1-0 lead wasn’t likely going to be enough no matter how well Rea threw. Rea had reached 89 pitches after allowing a leadoff single to William Contreras and walking Jake Bauers.
As you can see on the clip, that came really close to being a triple play. Too bad it wasn’t, because two pitches later Garrett Mitchell homered off Roberts to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead. Okay, that’s likely not insurmountable now that Misiorowski’s going to be out of the game (he’d thrown 107 pitches, a season high, through six). But Roberts then walked Cooper Pratt and David Hamilton’s triple scored him to make it 3-1 Milwaukee.
Jayden Murray replaced Roberts in the seventh, and allowed a leadoff double to Jackson Chourio. One out later Contreras homered off Murray to make it 5-1.
The Cubs did get one of those runs back. In the eighth, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman led off with walks. PCA took third on a fly ball, and scored on this sac fly by Suzuki [VIDEO].
The Brewers scored another run off Murray in the eighth on an RBI double by Christian Yelich that PCA nearly made a spectacular catch on.
Seriously: Jayden Murray is not a major league pitcher. I can only assume Craig Counsell left him out there for a second inning of work because Sunday’s a likely bullpen game and he’s trying to save arms (and he basically confirms that in his postgame comments, see below). I’d think there could be a roster move to replace Murray for Saturday’s game, though who that might be — I have no idea. The Cubs really are running out of useful bullpen arms. To circle back to what I noted earlier, this team needs bullpen help, and fast.
About the two home runs allowed in this game, from BCB’s JohnW53:
The two homers off Cubs pitchers Friday raised the total for the season to 125 — most surrendered by any team, and also the most the Cubs ever have served up through 82 games.
They allowed 121 in 1999 and 2000, 116 in 2006, 110 in 20022, 109 in 1966 and 101 in 1956. From 2023-25, they had given up 80, 90 and 97.
Newly-acquired left-hander David Peterson will make his Cubs debut in the second game of this series Saturday evening in Milwaukee. He’ll face Brewers lefty Kyle Harrison. Game time is 6:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Jun 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep (64) walks off the mound during the bottom of the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images
Hurston Waldrep was pulled out of Nashville on Thursday afternoon and put on a flight to San Francisco. He had worked himself up to 4 2/3 innings five days before this appearance. He is 16 weeks removed from his surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow, and admitted that this is his Spring Training. So what can we make of Hurston Waldrep at this point?
The slider looked good. (All the videos here are from last year because last night’s video is not available at time of writing.) The spin rate was about on par with last year. He was able to get a strikeout with it, which is actually one more than he had with it last year. This generated two whiffs last night. The splitter was working as well. Hurston felt that he had a good feel of it. The spin rate didn’t match last year. But otherwise, it was effective and he felt in was “in his back pocket”.
The bad part is that he has not found the sinker. The walk rate in his rehab appearances and last night bear that out. He didn’t really get hit at all. One of the two hits was a 57 MPH swinging bunt that likely glanced off the plate and meandered about 40 feet. But he was all over the place, which is not what you want to see in a bulk role.
So, what are we doing here? He’s pitched every fifth day like clockwork in his rehab. Does this mean we will see him again in a permanent role on Wednesday at home versus the Cardinals? Does he return to Gwinnett and recover his sinker? The Braves have already ripped the seal on his last option year. So if they want to return him for a single inning reliever they can do it. It was so good to see him and his breaking pitches last night. But he’s likely undercooked for now and probably needs another week or two to continue rehab.
Jun 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets interim manager Andy Green (center) stands in the dugout with bench coach Kai Correa (left) and third base coach Tim Leiper during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets kicked off the Andy Green era with a 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Pride Night at Citi Field. Zach Thornton had a really impressive second major leagues start, pitching six innings of one-run ball, but the offense couldn’t do much against old friend Zack Wheeler. New York has now lost seven in a row and dropped to 34-48 on the year.
A segment of Mr. Met dancing behind Steve Gelbs while he talked about Mendoza’s firing during yesterday’s pregame show has gone viral for its awkwardness. And honestly, it was pretty funny to watch in real time.
Prior to the game, the team activated Tyrone Taylor and Zach Thornton and optioned Daniel Duarte and MJ Melendez to Triple-A.
In happier Mets news, the team has revealed their new service dog in training, Howie, and people are obsessed.
Infielder Nicky Lucky got a call from his Indy Ball manager alerting him that the Mets were signing him to join their Double-A affiliate.
Around the National League East
Derek Hill made a jaw-dropping catch to rob Soto of a homer, and he stunned his teammates in the process.
The Braves have placed reliever Robert Suarez on the IL with right forearm tightness.
The Marlins will be giving Jonah the dog his dream day at loanDepot park on July 12.
The Nationals fell 3-1 to the Orioles for their fourth straight defeat.
The Braves won their game against the Giants 3-1.
The Marlins blanked the Cardinals 4-0.
Around Major League Baseball
Thomas Harrigan explored whether some big names will end up on the trade block this year.
The Angels dismissed GM Perry Minasian and announced that John Mozeliak has been brought in as a consultant.
The Tigers blanked the Astros 8-0.
The Reds picked up two runs in the eighth to skate past the Pirates 6-4. In the loss, Konor Griffin hit a 435 foot, 108.9 mph home run in his first at-bat off the IL.
The Rays topped the Diamondbacks 6-1. In the win, Junior Caminero strengthened his All-Star case with his 20th home run of the season, and his fourth in two games.
Benches cleared in last night’s Red Sox vs. Yankees game after Will Warren buzzed Willson Contreras, and warnings were issued following the scuffle. The Red Sox got the last laugh, topping the long-time rival Yankees 6-1.
The Mariners clipped the Guardians 3-1.
The Rangers outlasted the Blue Jays 5-4.
The White Sox put up 10 in the third inning and roasted the Royals 22-1.
The Brewers beat the Cubs 6-2. In the game, Jacob Misiorowski fired a pitch to Pete Crow-Armstrong that registered at 105.5 mph.
The Twins walked off the Rockies 9-8.
The Athletics defeated the Angels 9-3.
The Padres beat up the Dodgers 7-1. Walker Buehler, who tormented San Diego for years as a member of the Dodgers, enjoyed the chance to return the favor to his old club.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
I introduced you to Andy Green, the team’s interim manager.
I previewed the team’s series against the Phillies.
On the latest episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Chris McShane and Brian Salvatore discussed the team moving on from David Peterson and other things going on around the team.
Joe Sokolowski brought us the latest edition of This Week in Mets Quotes.
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 22: Kyle Schwarber #18 of the Boston Red Sox warms up on deck before game six of the 2021 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 22, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Given the disaster the Red Sox have gotten themselves into this season, let’s take a look back on how the ballclub could have been in a better position to compete, both in 2026 and other recent seasons with just two playoff appearances in the 2020s.
Boston currently ranks last in baseball with just 67 home runs as a team. Guess which player leads the sport in long balls?
That would be Kyle Schwarber, the three-month power boost the Sox acquired at the 2021 trade deadline in a swap with the Washington Nationals that’s among the larger wins of Chaim Bloom’s complicated tenure as chief baseball officer.
The 2016 World Series champion didn’t immediately hit the field after the trade as he worked back from injury. Once he did take the field, he elevated an already talented lineup. Schwarber hit .291 with seven homers in a .957 OPS in 41 regular-season games for Boston. Finding a brand new role at first base, he also elevated the inconsistent Bobby Dalbec to the best two-month stretch of his life with 15 homers in 49 games in the last two months of the year.
Schwarber also popped three dingers in the postseason, with memorable moments from his solo shot off Gerritt Cole in the American League Wild Card Series to blowing open a raucous Game 3 of the ALCS off Jose Urquidy.
That was really the end of the fun on an unexpected run. Boston’s bats fell quiet from there on out and eventually fell to the Astros in six games that series. Schwarber headed to free agency and Boston chose not to bring him back given that designated hitter J.D. Martinez was still there for another season, Dalbec was available to play first, and the eventual arrival of touted power prospect Triston Casas.
The Red Sox never should have let him walk out the door. Keeping him paired with Martinez (at least for part of 2022), Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers would’ve made for a lethal lineup with a cemented core, even after the Mookie Betts trade in 2020.
Boston had options to make that work. The front office could’ve traded Martinez to clear the way for Schwarber on a longer deal. They could’ve let him ride out first base until Casas or Dalbec truly forced the issue, at least defensively to an extent. But that never happened.
Instead, Schwarber walked to the Philadelphia Phillies on a four-year, $79 million deal. That’s a pretty good bargain for someone who led the league in home runs twice during that contract. And the Red Sox should’ve matched it.
After four playoff appearances and a trip to the World Series with the Phillies, Schwarber hit the market again this past winter. The Red Sox had an open chance to right their wrongs and add real power to a lineup that truly needed it in its modern construction.
The Red Sox never made him an offer. Once again, he signed on with Philadelphia, this time for five years and $150 million. Don’t like that number for a 33-year-old? Too bad, he continues to back it up.
There’s obviously several “what if” personnel decisions to look back on over the last half-decade in Boston. For the Red Sox, Schwarber continues to play to a level worthy of topping that list.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 26: Texas Rangers Relief Pitcher Jacob Latz (67) celebrates the win with Texas Rangers Catcher Elías Díaz (35) after the MLB regular season game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays on June 26, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4
Its a two game winning streak, y’all.
And a win that is thanks in large part to our man Nathan Eovaldi.
In the first game against Toronto, MacKenzie Gore allowed four hits and a walk in seven innings, but clustered most of them together in one inning, resulting in three runs scoring.
Nathan Eovaldi was similar to Gore in terms of allowing baserunners — five hits and a walk — but wily veteran that he is, he made sure they were more scattered.
Through five innings Eovaldi had allowed just a walk and a single. He allowed a pair of hits in the six and two more in the seventh, but left them all stranded, ultimately leaving the game with no Blue Jays runs on the board.
The Jays did their damage off the pen in the eighth, with Robby Ahlstrom and Jakob Junis each getting dinged with two runs apiece in the inning before Junis finally struck out pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk with the tying run on first.
And Jacob Latz decided to walk the leadoff hitter in the ninth just to alarm us a little before retiring the next three batters on foul pop outs.
Eovaldi’s most effective pitch for once wasn’t his splitter. Instead it was the curveball that was keeping the Jays off-balance, generating 8 of the 14 swings and misses he got on the day.
Eovaldi threw his cutter and curveball a combined 49 times and didn’t allow either a hit or a hard hit ball off of either of them. Eovaldi only allowed three hard hit balls all game, per Statcast, with two coming off of his fastball and one on his sinker.
That’s pretty good, I think.
Eovaldi logged nine strikeouts against the Jays, which moved him past Kerry Wood, Yovani Gallardo, Woodie Fryman and Todd Stottlemyre for 204th on the all time strikeout list, with 1588. If he can strike out seven his next time out he’ll move into the top 200.
Looking at the guys ahead of him on the all time list, guys he could pass this year if he stays healthy and effective, you see an odd combination of names. The next three are Ron Darling, he of the awful Lee Mazzili trade, Steve Trachsel, and Hall of Famer Rube Marquard. Guys Eovaldi could be passing later in the year include Hall of Famer Vic Willis, who is sandwiched between J.A> Happ and Rick Wise. Freddy Garcia, Jack Powell, Steve Rogers and Jered Weaver are all tied at #186, with 1621 Ks.
Much like the series opener, the Rangers jumped on top early, then rode that out despite having to sweat a little late.
The Rangers jumped on Patrick Corbin for three runs in the first inning, then two more in the third.
I’m like, oh, yeah, Patrick Corbin was in the Rangers’ rotation most of last year. It feels kind of embarrassing.
Justin Foscue, looking to securely lock down his role as short-side platoon DH, went 2 for 4, driving in a run in the first with an RBI single, and then both the third inning runs with a two run homer.
Foscue is currently slashing .382/.462/.735 in 39 plate appearances against lefties, and I think that will play.
For the season he’s slashing .268/.330/.500 in 91 plate appearances. I’m not going to provide his splits against righties because I don’t want to harsh my mellow.
Wyatt Langford went 3 for 5 with a double, continuing to silence the critics. He also stole a base, though he was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double as well.
Langford is slashing .278/.324/.500 on the season. His 1.7 bWAR is the second-highest on the team, despite playing in just 40 games so far this year, and he has a 138 OPS+. He has a 1.5 fWAR and 128 wRC+, if you prefer Fangraphs to B-R.
Coming into this game, the Rangers were in a four-way tie for WC3 with the Astros, A’s and Jays. The Jays lost to the Rangers, of course, and the Astros lost, but the A’s won, so the Rangers are now in a tie for WC3 with the A’s, one game up on the Astros and Jays, a game and a half up on the Twins and the Orioles, a game and a half back of Seattle in the A.L. West, and two games back of Cleveland for WC2.
Nathan Eovaldi reached 96.3 mph on his fastball, averaging 95.6 mph. Robby Ahlstrom topped out at 96.4 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker reached 94.6 mph. Jacob Latz touched 95.9 mph with his fastball.
Alejandro Osuna had a 105.6 mph groundout. Justin Foscue had a 104.8 mph homer and a 101.6 mph groundout. Wyatt Langford had a 104.2 mph double and a 103.0 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 103.3 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.2 mph groundout.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 26: Richie Palacios #1 (L) and Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees were asleep at the wheel last night, getting retired in order through five innings before finally getting a hit in the sixth, and losing a 6-1 dud in Boston. I will be upfront in that I had other plans and was spared from watching it, but from what I’ve gathered and reviewed, I sure as hell didn’t miss much. Anyway, read Peter’s recap if you’re daring and interested in more.
Here’s some of what else was going on around the Junior Circuit on Friday night.
Tampa Bay Rays (46-33) 6, Arizona Diamondbacks (41-40) 1
The Yankees haven’t won since Wednesday and the Rays haven’t lost since then either. That includes a Yankees offday on Thursday, but it still means that Tampa Bay has made up ground in a hurry. The 3.5-game lead from Wednesday night is down to one after the Rays welcomed the D-backs to the Trop with a pretty comfortable win.
The Rays prolonged Zac Gallen’s nightmare return to Arizona following an unsuccessful free agency. On the one hand, he only gave up four hits and got into the seventh, but Tampa Bay made the knocks (and two walks) hurt. Geraldo Perdomo had led off the game with a solo shot before Gallen toed the rubber. He walked Yandy Díaz, plunked Jonathan Aranda, and then got smoked for a three-run homer by Junior Caminero that sailed 437 feet.
Gallen actually retired the next 15 batters in a row, but the damage was costly. And when he ran out of steam in the seventh, he allowed a homer to Cedric Mullins before departing in wake of a two-out double from Hunter Feduccia. Díaz singled him in to close out Gallen’s line, and Aranda hung a run on reliever Juan Burgos with a two-bagger to plate Yandy. That was enough to back Nick Martinez (unscored upon for 5 2/3 after the Perdomo dinger) and the Tampa Bay bullpen.
Hope you didn’t use any mental energy on this game either! It was a dud for anyone who doesn’t happen to also be a St. Pete partisan.
Other Games
Cleveland Guardians (42-40) 1, Seattle Mariners (42-41) 3: The Cantillo/Castillo Bowl ended in a 1-1 stalemate after six with both Joey and Luis gone from the ballgame after six, though the former looked sharper with nine K’s and two hits allowed. One of those knocks was a homer by rookie Colt Emerson, and Seattle actually ended up giving Castillo the win by scoring right after he departed. Cal Raleigh and Dominic Canzone drew back-to-back walks to begin the seventh, and once Raleigh went to third on a double-play ball by Josh Naylor, he scored when J.P. Crawford beat out an infield hit on a ball that Travis Bazzana couldn’t handle. Julio Rodríguez added insurance in the eighth on an RBI single of his own; the José A. Ferrer/Gabe Speier/Andrés Muñoz trio spun three innings of perfect relief to nail it down.
The M’s are a game and a half up on the Rangers in a crowded AL West that also has the A’s two back and the Astros 2.5 games behind. The ever-hapless Angels fired their GM and are back to square one with former Cardinals head honcho John Mozeliak suddenly popping up to be their interim leader. What an org. Meanwhile, Cleveland fell one behind Chicago, who, uh, quite frankly annihilated the Royals:
Toronto Blue Jays (39-43) 4, Texas Rangers (40-42) 5: With all due respect to our late pal John Sterling, sometimes you can predict baseball — at least when the starting pitching matchup is Nathan Eovaldi vs. Patrick Corbin. Brandon Nimmo’s RBI double kicked off a three-run first for Texas against Corbin and Justin Foscue belted a two-run homer to make it 5-0 by the third. Eovaldi fired seven scoreless, and though his bullpen nearly gave it all back in an awful eighth that featured a clout by Kazuma Okamoto, Jakob Junis struck out Alejandro Kirk with one man on to finish the inning. Jacob Latz worked around a leadoff walk to retire the next three Jays in order, closing it out despite Toronto having three cracks at walking it off.
San Diego, California - June 26: San Diego Padres' cap with the initials VZ in a symbol of support for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Venezuela before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on Friday, June 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Two massive earthquakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday. Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas and reliever Edgardo Henriquez both have family in the country who are safe, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, who caught up with both players. From Rojas:
“They’re in a place where they have power, they have connection, they have everything we need to stay in contact and we talk every day. But I still really feel that I’m so far from them right now,” he said.
“Literally two blocks away from where my family was two buildings collapsed, the whole building. And the building where my family was was shaking really bad and they had to go away from that place to stay someplace else that night. They were lucky to get away before everything else happened and the building stayed in some kind of good shape to go down the stairs and get out of there. I’m lucky to be honest with you guys. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and with me. I’m not taking this for granted.”
Dodgers and Padres players are wearing the letters VZ on the sides of their caps this weekend, per Maddie Lee at the Los Angeles Times:
The Dodgers and Padres are wearing VZ on their hats to show support for the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela this week. pic.twitter.com/An6H0G3fS4
“Coming to the park every day and knowing there’s going to be 25 or 30 guys that walk into that clubhouse that I feel responsible for. I’m at the age now where I could be their grandfather, some of them, and I feel like I’ve got a job to do to treat them like I was treated as a kid. … That they were taught how to become a professional, how to work hard and what it meant to be a Dodger.”
Lorenzo Bundy managed six seasons in the Dodgers minor leagues between 2007-13 and was also on the major league staff as third base coach and outfield coach in 2014-15. Part of his time with the Dodgers included managing the Albuquerque Isotopes from 2011-13, and he’s being honored this weekend with induction into the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame. Geoff Grammer at the Albuquerque Journal has more.
Buster Posey, the president of operations for the San Francisco Giants, makes a statement ahead of an MLB game against the Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Protesters are expected to gather outside Oracle Park to demonstrate against four pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and opted out of wearing the team's Pride-themed gear during the Giants' Pride Night celebration on June 12. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
We have reached the point of this San Francisco Giants season where it’s not really worth finding the silver linings. Everything about this season is crap in a crap sandwich that someone left outside in the heat.
So instead of highlights of the week, this week I thought we’d all pick our favorite lowlights. Because there have been plenty, both on the field and off.
But the one that has made the franchise the laughingstock of the rest of the sports world would have to be the press conference that Buster Posey called early in the week, in which he promptly refused to answer any questions or give any actual information, all while looking defeated and extremely out of his depth.
“Baseball questions only” has become a meme among the sports fans of social media. And rightly so. It was a pathetic display from a pathetic organization and they should be mocked for it. Both MLB and the Giants seem hell-bent on moving on. And that’s great for them, but I’m not interested.
So if you haven’t read Brady’s post from earlier this week, I highly recommend it. I haven’t weighed in on the topic this week because I have been ill, but Brady really hit the nail on the head. So instead of highlighting anything else that might have happened this week, I want us to revisit that excellent post and keep talking about this issue. Because they clearly don’t want us to.
What was your favorite lowlight of the week?
What time do the Giants play this weekend?
The Giants continue this weekend series against the Atlanta Braves, with Saturday’s game starting at 6:05 p.m. PT and Sunday’s game starting at 1:05 p.m. PT.
It was a cool morning in Jupiter, Florida, this past February, and as was his custom, Brant Brown had arrived at the Cardinals training facility early enough to get in a workout before the chaos of spring training ensued. As Brown was about to enter the team’s redesigned weight room, he heard a faint thud in the distance. He stopped to listen and there it was again… An uneasy feeling washed over Brown as he set down his gym bag and cautiously made his way toward the mysterious sound. It seemed to be coming from the batting cages. As he got closer, the sound got louder and more distinct. Wishhhhhh, thud…. Then about 8 seconds of silence and another wishhhhh, thud.
As Brown turned the corner, he was relieved to see the familiar face of Ivan Herrera standing in the batting cages facing the pitching machine. Before Brown could alert Herrera to his presence, another pitch was whistling toward Ivan. To Brown’s shock and dismay, the ball, traveling at over 90 MPH, slammed into his star pupil’s shoulder, producing that thud sound that had been echoing through the abandoned training facility.
“Ivan!” Brown shouted. “Are you ok, man?”
Herrera, obviously thinking he was alone, startled at the sight of the still sleepy bald man rushing toward him. “Oh, hey, coach,” he said, once he recognized it was Brown who was the cause of the interruption. “I didn’t hear you coming. Just trying to get some work in before the boys get here.”
Brown, relieved that Herrera was ok, said, “My bad, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. You aren’t cleared for BP yet. If Oli and the training staff find you in here, you are gonna be in big trouble!” It was then that Brown had a chilling realization… Herrera wasn’t even holding a bat and did not seem to have even brought one with him to the cages. Brown felt a cold shiver run up his spine and instinctually took a step backward, wanting to put a little distance between himself and the now slightly menacing-looking slugger.
“Are you in here practicing letting pitches hit you?” Brown asked, incredulous.
Herrera stood silently for a moment like he was trying to think of a way out of this conversation. The seconds ticked by and finally, Herrera spoke. “Not practicing exactly… I…. I enjoy getting hit by pitches.” Seeing the look of confusion and concern on his coach’s face, Herrera continued. “When I was a kid, all my friends wanted to be major league baseball players. Some dreamed of hitting a walk-off home run in the World Series. Some dreamed of throwing no-hitters. All of them wanted to be stars in the big leagues. I never cared about any of that. I loved, and I mean, LOVED, getting hit by pitches. It didn’t matter if it was a fastball, slider, curveball, whatever. The feeling of getting a free base and knowing that my wRC+ was going up was all I thought about. The only reason I even wanted to keep playing baseball was the thought that one day I could get hit by the fastest fastballs and the wickedest breaking balls in the world…”
Herrera’s voice trailed off and Brown noticed that tears had started to form in his eyes… Tears of joy. Herrera had a far-off look in his eyes as he quietly wept, thinking about all the baseballs that would hit him in the upcoming season.
Brown was so shaken by the conversation that he could not formulate a response. He slowly turned and started walking back to the gym. As he left, he heard that sound again. Wishhhh, THUD.
Ok, now that I have that out of my system, let’s get to the nonfiction portion of today’s program.
Ivan Herrera is getting hit by pitches at an absurd rate. His 22 HBPs is six more than the next highest player in baseball. He is currently on pace for 45 HBPs, which would place him fifth all-time and second since 1900. The Cardinals’ record is 31 (as a reminder it is still June). Herrera’s mark is already the tenth most in a single season for any Cardinals player.
The major league record for hit-by-pitches in a season is 51, set in 1886 by Hughie Jennings, and the post-1900 record is 50 by Ron Hunt of the Montreal Expos in 1971. While these lofty totals may be out of reach, Herrera is getting hit A LOT.
What is the impact of Ivan’s hit-by-pitches on his production? Currently, his xwOBA of .371 ranks 24th in baseball. If you were to normalize his HBP rate to the league average, it would drop to .356, which would rank 44th in MLB.
Setting aside Herrera’s other wonderful qualities as a ballplayer and a human being, his willingness to endure this battering makes him one of my favorite players. As a fan, it is enraging to watch a batter dance out of the way of a pitch with the game on the line and the team badly needing a baserunner. Now, this isn’t a moral judgment against players who make more of an effort to avoid projectiles hurled at their bodies. Obviously, beyond the pain, getting hit introduces the risk of injury, so it is not a free lunch. I am not saying that my fondness for players who are willing to “wear it” is totally rational, but it is what it is.
Appreciating the fact that Ivan gets hit so often is not sufficient. I want to know if there is an obvious reason as to why he is drawing so many HBPs. Perhaps he crowds the plate more than normal? Are pitchers throwing him an inordinate amount of pitches inside? Or maybe something with his exaggerated stance and stride toward the pitcher makes it harder for him to get out of the way?
Baseball Savant has some very granular data on batters’ positions in the box that you can play with here. Looking at this data, there are a few things to note. Herrera starts with the third most open stance of any right-handed batter in baseball at 48 degrees. As he loads, his front foot goes from the back chalk of the batter’s box to hovering over the front chalk closest to the plate and then he strides forward opening back up to become almost perfectly square to the pitcher. He is essentially diving toward the plate as the ball approaches. The combination of a high leg kick and momentum coming toward the plate could make it harder for him to back away from pitches running inside.
Baseball Savant also tracks batters’ distance from the plate defined by where each player’s center of gravity is while in their stance. On average, right-handed hitters stand 27.8 inches from the plate. Herrera is a little closer at 26.7. This is the 111th closest (out of 354 batters) among righties, so he crowds the plate a little but not in some outlier fashion. All things considered, Herrera’s setup and approach might have a little something to do with his HBP total, but it definitely isn’t the whole story.
What about how pitchers are attacking him? Is he simply being pitched inside at a ridiculous clip? Fortunately for us, there is a wealth of data available at Baseball Savant that breaks down the exact location of each pitch.
Location Matrix
This location matrix is from the catcher’s perspective so the left side is inside to a right-handed hitter. The Heart zone (1-9), as you would expect, are pitches in the middle of the plate. The Shadow zone (11-19) includes pitches just on or just off the plate. Chase and Waste are self-explanatory.
I pulled all pitches thrown to right-handed batters that were inside in the Shadow, Chase, and Waste zones. Ivan Herrera has seen the fourth most pitches of any right-handed batter in these zones so far this year. Here is how the top five rank with HBPs added for context.
20.5% of the pitches Herrera has seen this season have been in the inside zones compared to the leaguewide average of 16.2% (again, righties only). While Herrera has gotten more than his fair share of inside pitches, comparing his HBP totals to the other top-five players shows the stark contrast. Junior Caminero somehow avoiding a single HBP is truly impressive. He stands about 2.5 inches farther off the plate than Herrera, but his dodging ability is still truly remarkable.
All right, let’s go a level deeper and see which specific zones are hotspots for HBPs and if Herrera is just being pitched in those zones more aggressively. To do this, I looked at all 33,821 pitches that have been thrown in the inside zones to righties this year and calculated the percentage of pitches that resulted in the 576 HBPs that they absorbed. Here is what the breakdown looks like:
Percentage of pitches that hit batter
There are virtually no HBPs in the Shadow zone, although shoutout to Mike Trout who accounts for the .01% in the middle Shadow zone by virtue of being hit by a pitch that was actually a strike. In total, 14 HBPs have occurred in the Shadow zone. The Chase zone accounts for 135 HBPs with the majority coming on pitches up and in. As you would expect, the majority of hit batsmen are on pitches in the Waste zone where 427 have occurred.
Here is how Herrera stacks up.
Percentage of pitches that hit Ivan Herrera
I have included Ivan’s total HBPs by zone in parentheses. Like the rest of the league, he is racking up most of his HBPs on pitches up and in. He has not done anything heroic like leaning into the Shadow zone, but on wasted pitches inside, he is getting hit two to six times more frequently than the league average. Just to be sure, I checked the types of pitches he is being attacked with, and the mix is essentially in line with the rest of the league.
I will leave you with one statistic that quantifies just how much Ivan likes a free base. If you apply the league average HBP rate by zone to the number of pitches Ivan has seen in each zone, you get an expected HBP total of… 6.7. There you have it. Ivan Herrera is a certified lunatic.
Apr 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jimmy Herget (44) delivers during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Jimmy Herget’s season looks ordinary until you start pulling it apart.
The ERA says middle relief. The whiffs, strike-throwing, pitch shapes, and post-IL work suggest something more useful. That does not make Herget a hidden star. It makes him a strange, practical bullpen arm with enough deception and control to make the Rockies’ deadline question more complicated than it might look.
Herget does not overwhelm hitters with velocity. He creates discomfort by making different pitches come out of the same unusual window and then move into different lanes.
The pitch-tracking data helps explain how it works. From a flat 5-degree arm angle, Herget’s 85.9 mph slider stays tight, with just 1.6 inches of lateral break. His 77.9 mph sweeper comes from the same look but moves much farther across the plate, with 15.6 inches of horizontal break. Against left-handed hitters, the changeup gives him a third direction, fading 9.6 inches to the arm side at 85.3 mph. He has thrown the changeup 17% of the time against lefties and just 1% of the time against righties.
That is the glitch.
Right-handed hitters mostly have to separate the tight slider, bigger sweeper, and sinker from the same low-slot look. Left-handed hitters also have to account for the changeup fading the other way. The result is not overpowering, but it is uncomfortable: the ball starts from a similar visual place and then refuses to behave the same way twice.
That still has value, even if the results have backed up from last year.
Herget is still useful for the Rockies
Herget’s 2025 season was one of the few clean bullpen wins for the Rockies. He appeared in 59 games, threw 83.1 innings, struck out 81 batters, and finished with a 2.48 ERA.
His 2026 season has been harder to read, but it is also more encouraging than the surface line suggests.
The full line is mixed, but hardly broken: 19.1 innings, a 4.19 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, 23 strikeouts, and three walks. His whiff rate is up from 26.9% to 31.2%, his strikeout rate has climbed from 23.3% to 28.0%, and his walk rate has dropped from 7.5% to 6.1%.
For context, MLB pitchers this season have a 22.1% strikeout rate and a 9.1% walk rate.
Usually, that is the kind of underlying improvement that points toward a cleaner season. But Herget’s 4.19 ERA is nearly identical to the league average of 4.18, and his 1.40 WHIP sits above the league average of 1.31.
Herget has not gotten the cleaner season suggested by the whiffs and command because the contact has gotten louder. His hard-hit rate has jumped from 39.1% to 45.3%, and his barrel rate has climbed from 7.3% to 11.3%. In other words, he is missing more bats and walking fewer hitters, but the mistakes have carried more damage.
The run prevention is ordinary. The baserunner prevention is a little messier. The strikeout-to-walk shape is still strong.
Herget’s season looks better under the hood
Three outings are doing almost all of the earned-run damage. On April 29 against the Reds, May 3 against Atlanta, and May 8 against Philadelphia, Herget combined to allow nine hits, seven earned runs, one walk, five strikeouts, and two home runs over three innings.
Those three appearances account for seven of his nine earned runs and both home runs he has allowed this season.
Split
G
IP
H
ER
BB
K
HR
ERA
WHIP
K/9
BB/9
HR/9
Overall
19
19.1
24
9
3
23
2
4.19
1.40
10.71
1.4
0.93
Rough outings
3
3.0
9
7
1
5
2
21.00
3.33
15.00
3.00
6.0
All other outings
16
16.1
15
2
2
18
0
1.10
1.04
9.92
1.10
0.00
That is not an argument to erase the bad outings. They happened, and relievers are often judged by the innings they cannot contain.
But this has not been a slow leak. It has been a mostly functional season interrupted by one loud stretch.
Across those three rough outings, Herget still had five strikeouts against one walk, including three strikeouts and nine whiffs on 16 swings on April 29 against Cincinnati.
The mix was still creating empty swings. The walk rate was still under control. But when the mistakes got hit, they did not stay harmless. For a reliever, three loud innings can reshape an entire season line.
There is also a transaction-log layer to all of this, and it should be handled carefully.
Herget was activated from a paternity/restricted-list stretch on April 27. His three loudest outings came on April 29, May 3, and May 8. He went on the bereavement list May 9, returned May 12, and then landed on the injured list May 14 with a right shoulder impingement.
That does not explain everything. It should not be treated like a decoder ring. We do not know the private details behind every absence, nor should we need to. A paternity-list stint, a bereavement-list stint, and a shoulder issue are not things to flatten into a baseball excuse.
But they are context.
The baseball line says Herget hit a rough stretch. The transaction log suggests life was happening in full around it.
Still glitching along
In his first three appearances after returning from the injured list on June 17, Herget looked much more like himself. He threw 3.1 scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one, struck out six, and picked up a save.
This has not looked like a reinvention. It has looked like Herget with the damage turned back down.
On June 17 against the Cubs, he allowed two hits, but none of the three balls in play were hit harder than 83 mph. On June 20 against Pittsburgh, he mixed six sweepers, six sliders, and six sinkers over 1.1 scoreless innings. On June 24 against Boston, he tightened the mix even more, leaned on the slider, and struck out two in an 11-pitch save.
Friday night’s loss in Minnesota technically ended the scoreless post-IL run, but it did not change the read much. In his fourth appearance back, Herget entered the bottom of the 10th with the automatic runner already on second and issued an intentional walk. After Royce Lewis fouled off a sinker, Herget yanked a sweeper for a wild pitch, moving the winning run to third and forcing the infield in. On the next pitch, Lewis reached out and rolled a slider off the plate through the drawn-in infield. The contact was not especially hard — 89.3 mph off the bat with a -12 degree launch angle — but it was enough to end the game. Herget was charged with an unearned run and the loss, but it does not tell us nearly as much as the larger post-IL trend.
The Rockies have a real question
That is what makes Herget a real deadline question.
He is striking out more hitters, walking fewer, and still getting whiffs. His rough stretch was loud, but also short and concentrated. Since coming back from the injured list, he has been sharp.
On the Rockies, that creates a real roster question: is Herget more valuable to Colorado on the team, or traded off of it?
He is not a pure rental. Herget is making $1.55 million this season, avoided arbitration for 2026, and can be retained through arbitration again in 2027 before reaching free agency. That gives the Rockies some control and some flexibility.
That is why this is not a “trade him just to trade him” situation. The Rockies still need bullpen innings, and they will need functional relief arms again next year. Herget is affordable, flexible, and experienced.
There are reasons to listen, too. Antonio Senzatela is the more obvious bullpen trade piece, and Brennan Bernardino has left-handed supply-and-demand appeal. But Herget may be one of Colorado’s better practical relief pieces beyond that group: a weird right-hander with strikes, whiffs, role flexibility, and another year of arbitration control.
If the market sees a 4.19 ERA and a useful middle-relief depth arm, the Rockies may be better off keeping him. If another team sees the 31.2% whiff rate, 28.0% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate, concentrated three-outing damage, sharper post-IL return, and extra year of control, the conversation gets more interesting.
Herget is useful enough to trade, but also useful enough not to give away.
For now, the better read is simpler. Jimmy Herget had a loud, messy stretch in the middle of an interrupted season. Outside of that stretch, he has looked much closer to the pitcher who gave the Rockies real value a year ago.
The Salt Lake Bees improved to 41-37, while the Albuquerque Isotopes dropped to 41-38 after being shut out 6-0 at Isotopes Park.
Ryan Miller opened with 2.0 scoreless innings before exiting, and Eiberson Castellano kept Albuquerque in it for a while before the game got away from him. Salt Lake broke through for five runs in the seventh, helped by a throwing error from Richie Martin Jr., and Castellano finished with 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K in the loss.
The Isotopes managed just three hits, went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, and left six on base. Conner Capel had two hits, Adael Amador added a single, Jordan Beck went 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch, and Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Albuquerque turned three double plays, but the offense never found a way back into the game.
The Hartford Yard Goats improved to 41-31 with a late 4-3 comeback win over the Portland Sea Dogs, who fell to 37-35.
Hartford trailed 3-1 after Portland built its offense around a pair of solo homers, but the Yard Goats answered with two runs in the seventh and the go-ahead run in the eighth. Zach Kokoska delivered the key hit, a two-run single in the seventh to tie the game. Kokoska finished 2-for-2 with a double, a walk and 2 RBI, pushing his season line to .290 with a .932 OPS and 30 RBI.
Dyan Jorge helped set up the winner in the eighth, singling, moving to second on an error, advancing to third on a wild pitch, and scoring on an Andy Perez sacrifice fly. Jorge went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Perez added his 28th RBI of the season.
Connor Staine gave Hartford length, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits over 7.0 innings with 4 strikeouts, bringing his ERA to 4.06. Fidel Ulloa was sharp behind him, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts to earn the win and lower his ERA to 2.63.
The Spokane Indians improved to 32-41 with a 3-2 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils, who fell to 39-34.
Tri-City jumped ahead in the first on a two-run homer from Adrian Placencia, his third of the season, but Spokane chipped away from there. Jacob Hinderleider tripled in the third and later scored, Jacob Humphrey tied the game with his ninth double of the season in the fourth, and Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP) supplied the difference with a solo homer in the sixth, his eighth of the year. Hedges finished 2-for-4 with the homer, while Jack O’Dowd went 2-for-4 and is now hitting .364 with a 1.129 OPS.
Everett Catlett settled in after the early damage, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits over 7.0 innings with 6 strikeouts, improving to 5-4 with a 4.63 ERA. Hunter Mann handled the final two innings, allowing just one hit with 2 strikeouts to earn his third save and bring his ERA to 4.99. Spokane went just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, but the pitching staff held Tri-City scoreless after the first inning.
The Fresno Grizzlies improved to 40-33 with a 10-4 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm, who fell to 40-33.
Fresno built an early lead and kept adding on, scoring twice in the second, twice in the fourth, twice in the sixth, three times in the seventh and once more in the ninth. Kyle Fossum led the way, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, 2 RBI and a hit-by-pitch, raising his season line to .285 with an .868 OPS. Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) also had a big night, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored, while Jesus Freitez went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.
Tanner Thach opened the scoring with his 22nd double of the season and finished 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored, pushing his OPS to .959. Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) added his seventh triple of the year, and Carlos Renzullo drove in a run while adding his sixth stolen base.
Ethan Cole gave Fresno a strong start, allowing just 1 unearned run on 2 hits over 6.0 innings with 4 strikeouts, improving to 4-5 with a 5.45 ERA. Manuel Olivares allowed three runs over the final three innings but still earned his third save. Fresno finished with 13 hits and went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
In this week’s Weekly Pebble Report, Eli Whitney checks in on Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP), Colorado’s 2025 third-round pick who has turned last year’s rough Spokane introduction into something useful. Hedges is still settling into his first full pro season, but the early lesson is encouraging: he already met the slump, learned from it, and looks more like the polished USC bat the Rockies drafted. The report also runs through a busy week across the system, including big performances from Nic Kent, Conner Capel, Jack O’Dowd, Tanner Thach, and more.
Ryan Boman at Sports Illustrated looks at Brody Brecht’s (No. 3 PuRP) path toward becoming a real part of the Rockies’ rotation picture. Brecht is still more upside than finished product, but the early shape is easy to see: premium velocity, big strikeout totals, and enough starter intrigue to make his command the developmental question that matters most. If the control keeps moving forward, could Colorado have one of its more fascinating young arms pushing toward Denver in 2027?
MLB Pipeline’s Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Brendan Samson take their latest run through the 2026 mock draft, and the Rockies land on a familiar draft lane at No. 10: a college outfielder. This time it is LSU’s Derek Curiel, with Callis noting that Colorado appears to be looking strongly at college hitters.
COVERS INTEL: The Yankees are clearly missing the power from their lineup, 
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