Category: MLB

Tonight almost fell into the bucket of the very frustrating games that this team definitely should have won category. Their starting pitcher went 7 strong innings while their offense continued to squander opportunity after opportunity late into the game. However with 2 outs in the 9^th, the biggest star on the team Ketel Marte finally broke through and put this team on his back with a walk off 3 run home run! What a swing and what a swing of emotions for this fanbase!

Ryne Nelson was very solid tonight as he was able to go deep and get through 7 innings. The lone blemish on the night for Nelson was a 3 run 2^nd inning, but he was able to right the ship quickly and get on a roll.

It was the offense that refused to come to play tonight. The Dbacks were able to get on the board first in the first inning today when Corbin Carroll lined a ball into the gap and when he slid into 3^rd base, the throw glanced off of Carroll’s head and he was able to take the extra 90 feet and score. According to the broadcast, Carroll made it from home to 3^rd in just 10.7 seconds which is the fastest in Carroll’s career and the fastest recorded time in the major leagues in nearly a decade! After that exciting play on the second hitter of the game, this teams offense went dead silent until late in the game.

One of the defining moments in the game for me was In the 7^th inning when the Dbacks offense began to show some signs of life and loaded the bases with just 1 out and down 3-1. Torey Lovullo then elected to stay with his designated hitter Adrian Del Castillo who came into the game with a wRC+ of just 53. A startling 47% below league average hitter up in the biggest moment of the game. Del Castillo then proceeded to hit into a double play and kill the rally and get the Giants out of the inning. It is also worth noting that if anyone else on the team were running they would’ve beaten out the throw from the SS and the Dbacks would’ve scored a run as Del Castillo’s speed is in just the 21^st percentile. It is also worth pointing out that Jose Fernandez was sitting on the bench and has speed in the 98^th percentile and has been a much better hitter.

As if this heartbreak wasn’t bad enough, in the 8^th inning the Dbacks would also load the bases again with 1 out and this time Nolan Arenado grounded into a double play. Back to back innings the Dbacks strand the bases loaded with one out in what has to be some of the worst timely hitting of the season so far. At least Arenado has been one of the hottest hitters on this team and put a good swing on the ball so its hard to be too critical. Just an unfortunate at bat.

In the 9^th inning Del Castillo was given another opportunity for some reason unknown to anyone else on the planet and was surprisingly able to come through and knock in Ildemaro Vargas and make it a 3-2 game. Rookie Ryan Waldschmidt who had several good at bats tonight was able to get on base via a catcher’s interference call giving Ketel Marte a golden opportunity with the winning run on base. Ketel had just missed a 2 run home run in the at bat before and was visibly frustrated when the CF caught the ball on the warning track, but he got another opportunity with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th and his team down 3-2. And this time, he delivered!!!!! Ketel with the whole fan base down in the dumps ready to see yet another very winnable game slip through their fingers delivered a walk off 3 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th inning and tossed his bat in the air with an epic bat flip! This was the first walk off home run of Marte’s career per the broadcast. If there was one guy on this team who deserved this moment it was absolutely Ketel Marte who has hit so many balls so hard this season and had so very little to show for it.

The Dbacks were able to win this game tonight because Ketel Marte chose to put this team on his back and come through when his team needed him most. We are so lucky to have Ketel Marte on this team and for him to get through the stretch that he has had where he has had such bad luck on hard hit balls and come out the other side with a moment like this was just awesome to see. And lastly, anyone who has any questions about Ketel’s commitment to this team and his desire to win, watch him hit that home run and look at his face as he is rounding the bases. Watch his postgame interview and listen to the passion in that guy’s voice. Ketel just wants to win and tonight he did just that.

The Dbacks are finally back over .500 at 24-23 and go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon. Time to step on the gas pedal and go get the sweep!

The first two games this season between the teams with the two best records in the National League West have been close, hard-fought battles going down to the wire. After not scoring in the series opener, the Dodgers found just enough offense on Tuesday and capitalized on an absolute gift from the most dominant closer in baseball to beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 at Petco Park.

Mason Miller was wild on Monday, walking his first two batters in the ninth inning before getting the final three outs to close out the 1-0 San Diego win. Max Muncy worked a one-out walk against Miller in the ninth inning on Tuesday, then was replaced by pinch-runner Alex Call.

Call took off for second base on Miller’s first movement, but it coincided with Miller delivering a pickoff throw to first base. Ordinarily, Call would have been dead to rites, except that Miller’s cannon of a throw got by, just off the glove of Ty France and down the right field line, allowing Call to get to third base.

Andy Pages fell behind 0-2, then fouled off four more pitches, working the count even before driving a fastball just deep enough to right field to score Call with the winning run on a very close play at the plate. That’s pretty much been the margin for things through two games of the series.

Freddie Freeman has been battling an illness the last few days, manager Dave Roberts told reporters in San Diego before the game. But the first baseman went from under the weather to over the left field wall against Griffin Canning in the first inning for a two-run home run to not only get the Dodgers on the board but also snap a personal string of 16 hitless at-bats (with five walks) dating back to last Wednesday.

Freeman homered again in the sixth inning, this time to right field off reliever Jeremiah Estrada to tie the game at four apiece. It’s the first multi-homer game this season for Freeman, and his third game in 2026 with two extra-base hits.

Shohei Ohtani doubled and scored in the first inning, then doubled again to lead off the eighth, setting up a golden opportunity.

With Ohtani on third base and one out, Freeman chased a 3-1 fastball outside the strike zone, then struck out swinging against Padres left-hander Adrián Morejón, who then got ahead of lefty Kyle Tucker 0-2 before inducing a tapper back to the box to end the Dodgers’ wasted threat.

Ohtani has reached base multiple times in each of his last six games, during which he’s 12 for 23 with six extra-base hits and six walks, good for a .522/.621/.913 batting line.

Trouble with the fastball

Emmet Sheehan got the first two batters in the bottom of the first and was ahead in the count 1-2 on Gavin Sheets before walking him. Then Manny Machado clobbered a middle-middle fastball on a full count for a two-run home run of his own. The Padres third baseman was in his own slump, with just three hits in 29 at-bats between home runs.

Miguel Andujar took advantage of another Sheehan meatball in the third inning, cashing in an infield single by Fernando Tatis Jr. for another two-run home run, the second homer of the series for Andujar.

Sheehan nearly allowed another two-run home run on a fastball to Ty France in the fourth inning, but it was hit to one of the deepest parts of the park in right center field, and needed a bounce to get over the fence. What would have easily scored Jackson Merrill from first base instead was a ground-rule double, forcing Merrill back to third base. Sheehan was able to escape the damage with an inning-ending groundout.

The Padres swung at 19 of Sheehan’s 28 fastballs and didn’t miss once, and his day was done after four runs in four innings at just 67 pitches, not allowed to see the top of San Diego’s lineup a third time.

Sheehan’s early exit led to some earlier appearances for the Dodgers’ most trusted relievers, such that Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, and Tanner Scott were used in tight spots in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

That left the ninth inning for Will Klein, who struck out France and retired all three batters he faced to preserve the win and earn his first career save. Edgardo Henriquez and those four Dodgers relievers combined to get the final 15 outs in scoreless fashion, allowing one hit and three walks, with four strikeouts.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Freddie Freeman 2 (6); Manny Machado (7), Miguel Andujar (5)

WP — Tanner Scott (1-1): 1 1/3 IP, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

LP — Mason Miller (1-1): 2/3 IP, 1 unearned run, 1 walk

Sv — Will Klein (1): 1 IP, 1 strikeout

Up next

Shohei Ohtani takes the mound in the final game of the series, the road trip, and this stretch of 13 game days in a row on Wednesday evening (5:40 p.m., SportsNet LA), with right-hander Randy Vásquez starting for San Diego.

White Sox 2, Mariners 1

My mood when I volunteered to do the chart in the eighth inning: Bryce Miller, +0.30 WPA
My mood now: Andres Muñoz, -0.56 WPA

Game thread comment of the day:

The good news for the Yankees is that Giancarlo Stanton feels better than his MRI exam looks.


The bad news is that the MRI overrules what the veteran DH is feeling.

And so Stanton remains in a holding pattern after repeat imaging last week revealed that there is still a low-grade strain lingering in his right calf, keeping him from getting the clearance to ramp up a running program that he needs to do before he returns.

“Calves are very interesting and history [factors in],” Stanton said Tuesday before the Yanks’ 5-4 win over the Jays. “Just got to be careful of not making it much longer than it needs to be.”

Stanton, who has missed time with calf strains before, has been hitting every day in the cage and off the Trajekt machine, which should keep him close to game ready once he starts running.

He has also been doing plyometric exercises, which he said are “explosive enough to be running, just not the continuous [motion].”

But the Yankees are being cautious and will likely get another MRI to make sure he is fully healed before he advances to running.

“I don’t want to be out,” said Stanton, who has been on the IL since April 28. “I want to be back as soon as possible.”

Austin Wells returned to the lineup Tuesday after J.C. Escarra had started back-to-back games behind the plate and went 0-for2.

Wells has struggled at the plate at the plate all season, but especially of late, entering the day 3-for-32.

“It does feel like his work’s been really good behind the scenes,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He has the equipment to get out of it. But in these times, you got to just be process-driven and think small. It’s about really just, as much as you can, focus on the quality of the at-bat and trust that your ability over time will net you results. He’s very capable of that. The good thing is he’s been tremendous behind the plate”

José Caballero took batting practice on the field Tuesday, continuing to do ramp up baseball activities in hopes of missing just the minimum 10 days on the injured list with a fracture in his right middle finger.

He is first eligible to return on Friday.

The Yankees promoted righty reliever Eric Reyzelman to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday after a strong start to the season at Double-A.

After struggling at SWB last year and then undergoing a microdiscectomy late in the season, the 24-year-old struck out 32 and walked only four across 17 ¹/₃ innings with Double-A Somerset, even touching 100 mph at times. 

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

If Reyzelman carries over his success to Triple-A, he could enter the conversation of giving the Yankees help in the bullpen before long.

Charlotte Knights 5, Gwinnett Stripers 4
The Knights (23-23) blasted their way to an early five-run cushion, then survived a late Gwinnett rally for a close win thanks to another shutdown appearance from Ben Peoples. Jonathan Cannon turned in a solid start despite some wild command, allowing just one run over five innings while working around four walks and punching out four.

Offensively, the Knights brought the thunder early, with Jacob Gonzalez launching his 15th homer in the second before Oliver Dunn, Korey Lee, and Austin Hays all went deep in a span of two innings to bury Gwinnett under a pile of baseballs leaving the yard. Braden Montgomery kept his heater alive as well, ripping an RBI double in the third after Rikuu Nishida swiped second following a bunt single. Montgomery’s bat keeps looking more and more ready for the next challenge.

Things got unnecessarily sweaty late when Gwinnett came back within one against Tyler Schweitzer, but Peoples once again looked like the steadiest arm in the building, escaping ninth-inning trouble with the help of a gorgeous game-ending relay from Gonzalez and Lee to cut down the tying run at the plate.

Biloxi Shuckers 4, Birmingham Barons 3
The Barons (16-24) let a winnable game slip away, falling in walk-off fashion after Biloxi pieced together a messy ninth inning against Jairo Iriarte. Birmingham struck out 12 times and managed just five knocks, with Alec Makarewicz responsible for two of the Barons’ five hits. The DH crushed his eighth homer of the season in the fourth while Calvin Harris chipped in with a game-tying RBI single in the fifth. Their final tally came in the sixth on an RBI single by Anthony DePino.

Lucas Gordon battled through five innings, surrendering three runs on five hits. The bullpen nearly bailed everybody out, as Phil Fox and Jackson Kelley combined for three scoreless innings to keep the game tied entering the ninth. Then came the unraveling: a hit batter, a walk, a bunt single, and finally a soft liner that dropped into left to end it. Birmingham had chances late, including runners at second and third in the seventh and the tying run in scoring position again in the ninth, but the bats couldn’t deliver the one clean swing they needed.

Winston-Salem 13, Greensboro Grasshoppers 9
The Dash (24-16) treated Greensboro pitching like a batting-practice machine, piling up 16 hits and three homers. After starter Gabe Davis labored through 3 2/3 innings filled with traffic and wild pitches, the Dash offense simply decided to outscore the problem.

The avalanche started in the third when Alex Ungar launched a two-run shot before Grant Magill punched a two-run single and George Wolkow demolished a three-run homer to cap a seven-run explosion. Wolkow stayed scorching hot all night, finishing a double shy of the cycle, while Boston Smith added a three-run nuke of his own in the sixth after Greensboro gifted the Dash extra baserunners with a pair of hit batters. Winston-Salem went 4-for-12 with RISP, with Caleb Bonemer, Ely Brown, Smith, Wolkow, and Ungar all collecting multi-hit games.

The bullpen wasn’t exactly stress-free, but Seth Keener brought some badly needed order to the madness through the middle frames, firing 2 1/3 hitless, scoreless innings to stabilize the game and earn the win. Even after the Grasshoppers made some noise with a pair of homers and nine runs, the Dash offense had already done enough damage to survive.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 3, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 1
Riley Eikhoff was the early headline, slicing and dicing the Pelicans for six innings of one-hit, shutout work, earning himself a quality start. He only allowed a double, gave up no walks, and struck out three.

The Ballers’ (19-21) offense broke through in the fourth when Abraham Núñez walked, swiped second and third like he owned the place, and jogged home on a Stiven Flores sac fly. Ballers up 1-0.

In the sixth inning, Kanny tacked together a few insurance runs when Núñez drew another walk, Billy Carlson slapped a single to right, and Javier Mogollón smoked an RBI double. Then Stiven Flores added on another tally with a fielder’s choice. Myrtle Beach finally got on the board in the seventh off Choyce Diffey, but the Ballers’ defense helped him out when Jaden Fauske gunned down Jose Escobar trying to stretch an RBI single. Landen Payne and Jordan Morales handled the rest, locking down the win.

ACL Royals 6, ACL White Sox 4 (7 innings)
KC spent the first two innings turning free baserunners into runs thanks to walks, hit batters, and stolen bases, grabbing an early 2-0 lead. Efren Teran got things rolling for the Sox (4-8) with a solo homer in the fourth, then Alejandro Cruz’s bunt single and hustle forced an error that helped tie the game 2-2 in the fifth.

The Sox had a golden opportunity to take control in the sixth after loading the bases with two outs, but everybody was left stranded, and the game was still tied. Naturally, the Royals immediately made them pay. A backbreaking three-run triple was the key to a four-run inning that flipped the game for good. To the Sox’s credit, they didn’t completely fold. Teran crushed his second homer of the night — a two-run shot in the seventh to cut the deficit to two, but the late rally fizzled there. The lineup finished with just five hits, while the pitching staff handed out eight walks and two hit batters.

ACL Athletics 2, ACL White Sox 1 (Monday, May 18 — 7 innings)
The ACL Sox managed just five hits and spent most of the night knocking baseballs right into gloves. After the A’s scratched across a first-inning run, José  Mendoza answered immediately in the second by launching his second homer of the year to left center, briefly tying things up. That would be the Sox’s lone breakthrough, though, as the offense went ice cold the rest of the way, closing the night with 13 ground-ball outs and only one baserunner after the fourth inning.

The Athletics took the lead in the third on an unearned run after a pair of Sox errors and an RBI single. Despite Orlando Suarez and Reudis Diaz combining for 3 2/3 scoreless relief frames after that, the lineup couldn’t do anything. A few Sox positives are that Jurdrick Profar flashed some leather with several smooth plays at second, while catcher Landon Hodge cut down a runner on the bases in an otherwise frustrating night for the offense.

When the Colorado Rockies welcomed the Texas Rangers to Coors Field for Game 2, their hope was to pick up where they left off after getting a Monday night win. After all, it was “Bark in the Park,” so the vibes (and the dogs!) were good.

However, by the time the game ended, there was nothing to be heard but howls of disappointment from the Rockies side of Coors Field as the Rangers racked up a decisive 10-0 win.

The hits, they kept coming — for the Rangers

The Rangers got on the board first after a rough first inning from opener Sammy Peralta.

He opened by walking Andrew McCutchen on four pitches and then hitting Brandon Nimmo. Ezequiel Duran hit a double to bring them home. After that, Peralta issued yet another walk, loading the bases with one out for Alejandro Osuna. After Peralta struck out Osuna, bulk reliever Tanner Gordon entered the game to get the final out, which he did with just one pitch.

Still, the Rockies were down two runs before even sending a batter to the plate. Worth noting is that the Rangers are 17-3 when scoring first, and that trend continued tonight.

In their half of the first, the Rockies did not get a hit. Adding to the bad news, Brenton Doyle left the game after attempting a diving catch with a left-side contusion.

E1: Rangers 2, Rockies 0

That would be as good as it got for Gordon with the Rangers hitting him hard for the rest of the game.

The second inning saw the Rockies falling further behind as a Nimmo RBI single scored Joc Pederson. Following that, Duran singled to bring home Nimmo, and then a Jake Burger single brought home Josh Jung. When the Rockies finally got the third out, the Rangers had a 5-0 lead.

Rockies pitchers had already issued three walks before the top of the second had ended.

Kumar Rocker took over pitching duties for the Rangers in the second inning and never looked back. Troy Johnston — the second hitter Rocker faced — hit a single, the Rockies’ first hit of the game. Tyler Freeman, fresh off paternity leave, followed that with another single, but the Rockies failed to capitalized.

E2: Rangers 5, Rockies 0

After a scoreless third inning, the Rangers got back to work in the fourth. They scored two more runs — seven runs on 10 hits with the game not yet half over.

Although Ezequiel Tovar walked in the bottom half of the inning, he was unable to advance.

E4: Rangers 7, Rockies 0

The hits kept coming in the fifth inning as Pederson scored his third hit despite entering the game in the second inning. Justin Foscue hit a sacrifice fly to bring him Evan Carter, and the score was 8-0 Rangers.

In contrast, the Rockies did not have a single baserunner in the fifth.

E5: Rangers 8, Rockies 0

This is a pretty grim game recap, so please enjoy this catch from Mickey Moniak in the sixth:

Also worth noting is that the Rockies got three outs on four pitches. The sixth was that rare inning when the Rangers failed to put a runner on base.

In the seventh inning, the Rangers scored again on a — stop me if you’ve heard this one before — Joc Pederson single that scored Danny Jansen. Pederson went 4-for-4 with one RBI.

The Rockies managed a baserunner in the bottom of the inning after a Johnston single, his second of the evening and the Rockies third hit, but they were unable to score.

E7: Rangers 9, Rockies 0

Seth Halvorsen entered the game in the eighth and promptly surrendered two hits, two walks, and a run.

Catcher Brett Sullivan was preparing to enter the game to relieve Halvorsen when Willi Castro caught two quick line-outs to end the inning.

E8: Rangers 10, Rockies 0

The Rockies sent Sullivan to pitch the ninth. Things were grim, but watching the Rockies turn a double play never gets old, and the Rockies turned a nice one to end the inning for Sullivan. (Unfortunately, no video was available.)

Ezequiel Tovar drew a two-out walk in the ninth — worth noting, he walked twice in this game. They were unable to score in the ninth.

E9: Rangers 10, Rockies 0

For the Rangers, this marked a season high in terms of hits (16) and runs (10). Add to that, an excellent performance from Kumar Rocker who absolutely muzzled the Rockies.

“The slider was devastating,” said manager Warren Schaeffer after the game.

On the flip side, it marked an offensive wasteland for the Rockies. They had just three hits and no runs. They walked three times and had and had seven Ks.

The Rockies pitching, it was not good

This will not go down as the best-pitched game in Rockies history.

Opener Sammy Peralta went 0.2 IP giving up two runs (both earned) on two hits. He also walked to and struck out one on 23 pitches. Tanner Gordon did his best, but the Rangers dinged him for hits throughout the game.

He went 6.1 IP, allowing seven runs (all earned) on 12 hits. He walked one and struck out five while throwing 81 pitches. Although Gordon was not effective on the mound, he saved the bullpen.

“The length was extremely valuable to us tonight, ” Schaeffer said.

The eighth inning went to Halvorsen, who struggled much as Gordon did. When the inning ended, he had thrown 25 pitches and allowed one run (earned) on two hits. He also walked two and did not strike out a hitter.

Sullivan pitched the ninth inning as the Rockies waved the white flag. He went one inning, allowed no hits or runs, and walked one.

“He’s willing to do it, and he saved the ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “That was big for us and good job by Sullivan.”

Up Next

Join us tomorrow for the rubber match when Jack Leiter will face Kyle Freeland. First pitch is at 1:10.

See you then.

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It’s not often that the Mets score a bunch of runs in games started by Nolan McLean this season, but that’s exactly what they did on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals after scoring five runs in the first two innings.

However, this time it was McLean who let his offense down after the right-hander allowed nine runs (six earned) in 5.2 innings. The six earned runs given up by McLean are a career-high and four of them came on one swing.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, James Wood attacked McLean’s first pitch sweeper and sent it deep to left center field, where the Mets couldn’t make a play on it, which resulted in an inside-the-park grand slam.

In fact, all three hits allowed by McLean in that second inning came on the first pitch. All three were on different pitches.

“They were ultra aggressive, especially that first time through,” manager Carlos Mendoza said about the Nationals. “… They were hacking first pitch, they were looking hard. The sinker, the cutter, 1-0 [count] and they were aggressive. Balls found holes, they attacked him.”

With how aggressive Washington’s hitters were, McLean found it difficult to make the necessary adjustments on his pitches because they wouldn’t allow him to get settled or find a rhythm.

“Sometimes it’s tough to make adjustments when they’re putting the first pitch in play on multiple different pitches,” McLean said. “… They were just up there pretty aggressive, so sometimes it’s tough to get to the adjustment as quick as normal.”

To make things more difficult for McLean, he clearly didn’t have his best stuff and had to battle with every pitch. On top of that, his fastball, which usually sits around 96 to 97 mph, was hovering around 94 mph for most of the night, perhaps due to the high heat and humidity.

It’s also possible the 45-minute rain delay at the start of the game threw off the right-hander.

“They made some pretty good swings on some decent pitches,” McLean said. “Obviously, I didn’t have my best stuff, but that’s no excuse for not going out there and competing better than I did.”

In the end, McLean went 5.2 innings before handing it off to Daniel Duarte, who saved the bullpen by finishing the game with 2.1 scoreless innings.

Still, it’s not the outing that McLean expects out of himself.

“Obviously, the bullpen’s been getting after it these last couple of days, but my job every time, whether we have a full bullpen or not, is to go out there and get at least seven, so I’m disappointed I didn’t do that,” he said.

But back to the biggest swing of the night, that inning actually began with McLean retiring the first two batters. A double kept the inning going, but after that McLean got ahead 0-2 to No. 8 hitter Drew Millas before hitting him with a curveball.

That mistake elongated the inning and proved costly as an infield single loaded the bases before Wood jumped the rookie.

“In that second inning there, with two outs, even after the double, the 0-2 hit by pitch was kinda like the killer there,” Mendoza said. “… The 0-2 hit by pitch ended up costing a lot in that inning. Overall, especially in those early innings, like I said, he wasn’t able to go to his secondary, make that adjustment… It was a battle for him.”

Right-hander Kaleb Wing was promoted from rookie ball ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.

Right-hander Luis A. Reyes went from the Pelicans down to Mesa.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost their eighth-straight game, 6-3 to the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals).

If you want some more bad news, Iowa starter Connor Noland had to be carted off the mound in this game after he was hit in the ankle by a line drive comebacker. Noland’s line on the game was one run on four hits over 1.1 innings. Noland struck out two and walked one.

If you want some good news, Ryan Jensen relieved Noland, stranded two runners and went on to pitch 2.1 scoreless innings. Jensen allowed two hits and walked two while striking out four.

The loss went to Yacksel Rios, who pitched two innings of relief and gave up one run on two hits. Rios walked two and struck out two.

Iowa pitchers walked a season-high 13 batters. Memphis got two runs with bases-loaded walks and two on sacrifice flies.

Left fielder Justin Dean hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, his third on the year. Dean was 1 for 3 with a walk.

James Triantos tripled in a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game 2-2. Triantos went 2 for 4.

Pedro Ramirez missed this game because of illness.

A Jensen strikeout.

The Triantos triple.

Dean goes 366 feet to right-center

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were fried by the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 3-1.

Starter Yenrri Rojas took the loss after allowing three runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out four and walked no one.

Jace Beck tossed the next three innings, gave up no runs and struck out seven. He allowed one hit and walked two.

The Smokies had just five hits. First baseman Edgar Alvarez went 1 for 2 with an RBI double in the seventh inning. He also walked once.

Alvarez’s double.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs were taken out with the tide by the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 6-4.

Nazier Mulé made his first start since returning from the Development List and got the loss. Mulé allowed one run on one hit over 1.1 innings. He walked four batters and struck out three.

Center fielder Kane Kepley was most of South Bend’s offense tonight as he hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning. It was Kepley’s second home run this year. Kepley went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

Shortstop Ty Southisene continued to hit for average in South Bend. Tonight he went 3 for 5 with a stolen base. Southisene is hitting .373 over 13 games in the Midwest League.

Kepley’s three-run home run.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

‘The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got splashed on by the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox), 3-1.

Pierce Coppola was terrific for the Birds even if his final line doesn’t completely show it. He no-hit the Cannon Ballers through five innings, although he did give up a run in the fourth inning on a walk, two stolen bases and a sac fly. He came out to pitch the sixth and exited after giving up a one-out walk and a single. Both of those runs scored off of reliever Mason McGwire, although to be honest, it was more an issue with the Pelicans defense than McGwire.

So Coppola ended up getting the loss after being charged with three runs on one hit over 5.1 innings. He walked three and struck out nine.

McGwire pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two hits and no runs of his own. He walked one and struck out one. But the two runs scored because of a high infield chopper that both shortstop Alexis Hernandez and third baseman Derniche Valdez just whiffed on, so it rolled into shallow left field for a double.

The only Pelicans run came on a single in the seventh inning by second baseman Jose Escobar. Escobar was 2 for 3 with a double.

Here’s that double by Kannapolis’ Javier Mogollon that I was talking about [VIDEO]. Low-A ball at its finest.

Some Coppola highlights.

ACL Cubs

Tied 6-6 with the Diamondbacks in the 7th inning.

Will Sanders made a rehab start in this game and got battered for five runs on six hits over 1.2 innings. Sanders struck out two and walked one. That’s not good, but as I always say, the only thing that matters about a rehab appearance is how the player feels afterwards. It’s about health, not results.

With Kris Bubic out with some elbow discomfort, the Kansas City Royals turned to ye olde “bullpen game” against the Boston Red Sox. While the bullpen held for most of the game, the Royals offense stayed sleepy and the Red Sox eventually did their damage, beating the Royals in a 7-1 slog.

Kansas City turned to Bailey Falter, whose ERA entering tonight’s game was an eye-watering 10.13. Falter did nothing to dispel the implication that his ERA suggested, immediately walking leadoff hitter Jarren Duran on four consecutive pitches.

Somewhat miraculously, Falter only gave up two runs in his two innings of work. A Willson Contreras single poked across one run in the first inning, and Falter escaped a bases loaded jam in the second inning while only allowing one run thanks to a Wilyer Abreu double play.

In the clubhouse, a visibly frustrated Falter answered the first question from our press corps simply and directly: “I haven’t been good since being acquired.” He took responsibility for not being good, but it sure doesn’t seem like he has any answers, unfortunately.

On the offensive side, the Royals drew blood quickly. Bobby Witt Jr. hit a bouncing single to opposite field. Salvador Perez—who was briefly possessed by Juan Soto during this game—challenged a strike call! At the plate! And won! And then walked! Lane Thomas then hit a hustle double (a questionable send, TBH, but that will be a theme) to tie the game at the time.

Then, one of the turning points happened. Against a tough lefty, Cags hit a dribbler to the right side. It sure seemed that he beat it out on replay. But New York upheld the call, making it two outs. It really should have been one, but a questionable call shouldn’t sink a whole team.

Oh, we should mention Duran here. Duran walked in the first inning. He also walked in the second inning. He also was flying everywhere on defense. In the second inning, Vinnie Pasquantino struck out looking bad against Red Sox starter Ranger Suarez, a lefty. But Nick Loftin came up to bat and swatted a beautiful line drive.

But then, Duran made a hell of a diving play. Out.

In the third inning, Salvador “Juan Soto” Perez walked, again, his second walk in three innings. Now, he didn’t score, but if Salvy can draw some walks, he can mitigate his declining hit tool a bit. Notably, Salvy was in the third spot in the order. Perez was the DH tonight, and Carter “Salvador Perez” Jensen threw out Isiah Kiner-Falefah on a delightful, perfectly thrown ball to second base.

Duran continued his night in the fifth inning with a booming double. But Lane Thomas scooped up the ball quickly and rifled a throw to Witt, who unleashed a beautiful laser of his own to third base and cut Duran down. It was ruled a double, but you should know.

Amusingly, one of the Boston beat writers to my left confidently said “triple” as the ball sailed to center field. Well, welcome to Kansas City. Witt is in charge here, and the only triples allowed here are his own.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, more baserunning bad happened. Jensen hit a leadoff double, a ground ball just fair down the first base line. A Maikel Garcia line drive moved him to third base, but Garcia was thrown out at second base after the relay went home; he had slowed down at first base and almost belatedly decided he would do it. It looked odd at the moment.

After the game, Garcia—through a translator, which is not his standard practice—answered some questions. “We made too many mistakes running the bases,” he said. He elaborated that he wasn’t running hard out of the box, and that first base coach Damon Hollis sent him when the throw came in high. “Honestly, it was a mistake. Coach said ‘go,’ but he didn’t see me coming out of the box.” To be clear, I think that Garcia blamed himself, and interviews through translators always have a sort of margin for error. But it was interesting nonetheless.

Anyway, nobody scored. A fly ball from Witt was too shallow, and a blistered line drive from Perez wasn’t quite high enough to go over the fence, instead finding its way into, of course, Duran’s glove. Duran made a…questionable route, but a leaping catch looked very snazzy.

In the sixth inning, this seemed like a turning point in the game. After failing to push a run in scoring position across with one out, and with John Schreiber coming into the game, things seemed prime to fall apart.

Now, while it didn’t fall apart immediately, it did fall apart—it just took some time, with a baserunning farse detour along the way. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Thomas led off with a single. Cags struck out, but Starling Marte singled to put men on first and second…until Thomas got picked off at third base, the Royals’ second. A Vinnie line drive then ended the inning.

The pitching took a little bit to topple. I mentioned Schreiber—he actually pitched a clean sixth inning. Nick Mears struck out a pair in his two innings of work, giving up one run in the eighth inning off a Rafaela double and some productive out shenanigans. But it was the ninth inning where things really fell of the rails. Fresh from Triple-A Omaha, the Red Sox greeted reliever Eli Morgan with a flurry of hits. And then Duran, capping off an excellent game, smashed a three-run shot to expand Boston’s lead to 7-1. Red Sox social media called it a “dagger,” but let’s be real—the true dagger came three runs earlier.

In the ninth inning, the Royals were blessed with not needing to face Aroldis Chapman. It didn’t matter; lefty Jovani Moran might as well have been, as he mowed down Caglianone, Marte, and Pasquantino with three strikeouts.

A halfhearted chorus of boos percolated through the crowd. The game ended. The Royals fall to 20-29, but are not yet alone at the bottom of the division because the Detroit Tigers are inexplicably also 20-29. So it goes.

The Texas Rangers scored a girthy ten runs while the Colorado Rockies scored no runs at all.

This one’ll do wonders for the ol’ Pythagorean W-L.

Maybe last night’s loss was the kick in the butt moment the Rangers needed as they came out tonight and immediately scored a couple of runs before turning to a opener to help ease Kumar Rocker into one of his best outings as a big leaguer.

The first inning has been among the biggest trouble areas for Texas this season as they have given up a lion’s share of their runs allowed in the first frame while not scoring much of their own in the game’s first inning. That has put the Rangers in a hole in an exorbitant number of contests, which has only hindered a lineup that has clearly been pressing.

Tonight however, it felt like an upset that Texas scored only two runs in the first inning as Ezequiel Duran doubled in a pair before the Rangers left ‘em loaded.

Meanwhile, in the bottom of the first, on Rocker’s usual day, manager Skip Schumaker decided to go with reliever Tyler Alexander for an inning with Rocker being among the biggest first inning-issues offender this season.

The plan worked swimmingly as not only did Alexander enter with a lead and pitch a scoreless frame, by the time Rocker took the mound to start the second inning, the Rangers had scored three more runs to give Rocker a 5-0 lead to work with.

Big lead Rocker was a hit to put it mildly. The righty ended up going all but the final out with 7.2 shutout innings while allowing just three hits and three of walks with seven strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Rockies also went for an opener and it, uh, didn’t work out as well for them. Left-handed opener Sammy Peralta didn’t even make it out of his opening inning and once he left, Schumaker inserted left-handed hitting Joc Pederson in for leadoff man Andrew McCutchen and Pederson ended up with four hits in five at-bats.

Texas scored runs in six of the nine innings and every member of the lineup contributed at least a hit, walk, or run scored.

The Rangers reached double digits in runs scored for the first time this season as the season-high ten runs allowed them to tie up this series ahead of tomorrow’s finale.

Player of the Game: The lineup had a lot to like tonight. Aside from Pederson, Brandon Nimmo had three hits including the game’s lone home run. Duran had three hits and drove in a team-high four runs. Justin Foscue doubled in a run and walked. Jake Burger had a couple of hits, walked, and drove in a run.

But then again, it’s hard to ignore what Rocker accomplished. 7.2 innings of shutout relief on 103 bullpen-saving pitches. It goes down as a win but it was the ultimate save!

Up Next: The Rangers close out this series against the Rockies with a day game finale with RHP Jack Leiter expected to pitch for Texas opposite LHP Kyle Freeland for Colorado.

The Wednesday afternoon first pitch from Coors Field is scheduled for 2:10 pm CDT and will be viewable via the Rangers Sports Network.

Jays 4 Yankees 5

I don’t know…..

Dylan Cease was pitching great and the Jays got three runs in the fourth. All seemed good in the world.

In that fourth:

• Daulton Varsho singled.
• Kazuma Okamoto walked.
• Yohendrick Piñango singled, and we had our first run.
• Jesús Sánchez singled in the second run, nice line drive hit, but his follow through caught catcher Austin Wells in the head and there was a delay while they looked at him.
• Andrés Giménez singled, scoring our third run. Unfortunately it ended there, Tyler Heineman popped out and George Springer ground out.

The long break seemed to affect Cease, he wasn’t great in the bottom of the fourth, giving up a couple of walks and a Ryan McMahon home run.

Cease gave up two more in the fifth, on a Ben Rice homer. 5 innings, 5 earned isn’t what we were hoping to see.

The bullpen did the job. Adam Macko (two outs), Chase Lee (one out, two walks), Mason Fluharty (one inning), Louis Varland (1 inning).

But we didn’t score again. We had chances:

• In the seventh, Vlad was hit by pitch and Varsho singled but Okamoto ground out.
• In the ninth, Giménez walked and Ernie Clement singled (have to admire that he came into the game since he was suffering from strep throat). But Springer lined one right at pitcher Camilo Doval, who managed to snag it. 90 mph and almost straight at his head (Baseball Savant has it at a .470 expected BA). Then Vlad lined one fairly deep to right-center (339 feet, I thought it was deeper when I first watched), but Trent Grisham made the catch (Baseball Savant says a .320 expected BA) that scored a run. Varsho beat out an infield single, putting runners on the corners. But Okamoto ground out and that was the game.

We had nine hits, and 3 walks, but again, no extra base hits, which seems to be the usual thing for out Jays.

Daulton went 4 for 5. No one else had more than one hit.

We had three guys in the lineup with batting average in the .100s, with Schneider’s .136 being the low mark. I don’t know how much more run way he has. You can tell he’s been bad, John had him bunt (and he did a good job of it). Heineman isn’t much better at .143.

Of note, the Yankees lost a challenge on a caught stealing call that the replay we saw made it look like he was easily safe. Aaron Boone was understandably upset.

And I always get irritated when announcers talk about how hard it will be for a pitcher when he sits a long and generally, when they come back for the next inning they are fine, but tonight was the time it came to pass that Clease (at least seemed) to be affected by the long inning.

Jays of the Day: Varsho (0.21 WPA), Clement (0.15) and Giménez (0.09).

Other Award: Cease (-0.36), Vlad (-0.18), Springer (-0.10), and Heineman (-0.10).

Tomorrow Trey Yesavage (1-1, 1.40) goes against Cam Schlittler (6-1, 1.35). The bullpen could use a big of a rest but Trey isn’t pitching deep into games.

Matthew Liberatore had another strong start, but another not strong ending as he pitched 4 solid innings, but he would not finish the 5th inning as the game got away from him. Fortunately, the Cardinals offense lead by JJ Wetherholt, Nolan Gorman, Alec Burleson and eventually Ivan Herrera picked him up beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-6, but it would take extra innings heroism to get it done.

The Cardinals would score first as Pedro Pagés walked and then JJ Wetherholt put a charge into a 2-1 pitch from Mitch Keller and deposit it in the left-center field greenery giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead.

The Cardinals would add a run to that lead in the bottom of the 4th inning as Alec Burleson singled followed by another single by Jordan Walker. Alec advanced to third on Jordan’s single. Nolan Gorman then hit into a double play, but Burleson scored giving St. Louis a 3-0 lead that wouldn’t last long.

The first few innings of Matthew Liberatore’s performance was impressive and that included a career-high 9 strikeouts. It was the 5th inning that would be his nemesis again. Lowe and Triolo singled to start the top of the 5th. Liberatore would get Davis to fly out to center for the 1st out, but then walked Gonzalez to load the bases. Matthew then unleashed a wild pitch that bounced off the backstop allowing Lowe to score from third base for the first Pirates run making it 3-1 Cardinals. Liberatore struck out Konnor Griffin, but then Bryan Reynolds doubled to left driving in both runners and tying the game 3-3. O’Neill Cruz would untie it with a single to score Reynolds and give the Pirates their first lead at 4-3. Gordon Graceffo was brought in by manager Oli Marmol and he was able to get Garcia out on a pop-out to first to end the inning. Matthew Liberatore’s final stat line for the night was 4 2/3 innings allowing 7 hits and 4 earned runs with 2 walks and that impressive strikeout total of 9.

The comeback Cardinals would so so again in the bottom of the 6th inning when Alec Burleson was hit by a pitch. After Jordan Walker popped out, the Pittsburgh Pirates made the fateful decision to remove Mitch Keller to go lefty-on-lefty bringing in Evan Fisk. Nolan Gorman made them pay by jacking a 437 foot homer into the right-center field seats giving the Cardinals the lead back at 5-4.

Gordon Graceffo pitched the Cardinals through the 6th inning keeping the game close and Ryne Stanek got 2 outs in the 7th inning while JoJo Romero closed out the Pirates for the final out in the top of the 7th inning and also pitched into the 8th inning for St. Louis.

The Cardinals squandered a chance to add an insurance run (or runs) to their lead in the bottom of the 7th inning when Thomas Saggese walked followed by a single from Pedro Pagés. Victor Scott II executed a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt to move Saggese to third and Pagés to second which brought up JJ Wetherholt. Unfortunately, Thomas Saggese would get caught leading off of third base and then falling down before being tagged out in a rundown. Wetherholt would then walk, but Ivan Herrera struck out to end the Cardinals 7th. Opportunity missed for St. Louis.

Kudos to Alec Burleson on two great achievements in the top of the 8th inning in what could be argued were game-savers. With one out and Garcia on first, Triolo hit a weak grounder to Alec Burleson who was well off of first base. JoJo Romero did not get a proper jump off of the mound to cover first, but Alec laid himself out and managed to get the tag on Triolo for the second out of the inning. Rodriguez would fly out to deep right-center to end the Pirates 8th inning. Then, in the bottom of the 8th inning, Alec would lead off the inning by tomahawking a ball into the right field bullpen giving St. Louis the insurance run they so badly needed making it 6-4 Cardinals. They would end up needing that additional run.

A rested Riley O’Brien was brought in to close out Pittsburgh in the top of the 9th inning. He would face the top of the Pirates order and it was not without some drama. Gonzalez would lead off the inning with a bloop single. Konnor Griffin was hit by a pitch which stood even though the Cardinals challenged the call and it appeared to hit the knob of the bat instead. Guess New York didn’t consider the video replay as clear and convincing enough to overturn it. That brought up the dangerous Bryan Reynolds as the potential go-ahead run at the plate. Riley O’Brien would bounce a ball in the dirt that hit Reynolds after getting him 2 strikes down loading the bases. Marcell Ozuna was the next man up and he kindly hit into a double play, but a run scored cutting the Cardinals lead to 6-5. O’Neill Cruz at the plate with the tying run in the form of Konnor Griffin on third base was next. O’Brien would again get ahead with 2 strikes before throwing 4 straight balls to put Cruz on as a potential go-ahead run. Spencer Horwitz pinch-hit for Garcia and promptly slapped a single to left field on the first pitch he saw to tie the game at 6-6.

The Cardinals bottom of the 9th meant they’d have to walk off the Pirates with the bottom of their order. Thomas Saggese struck out to start the St. Louis 9th. Pedro Pagés also whiffed for the second out. Victor Scott II lost his 3rd strike appeal to join the strikeout club ending the Cardinals 9th.

The first Cardinals hero in extra innings was George Soriano who did not allow Pittsburgh’s designated runner to score. He struck out Mangum and got Rodriguez to fly out to right field. The other Cardinals hero in the top of the 10th was Nolan Gorman who made a great play on a ground ball to his left and an equally great play by Alec Burleson to pick his throw out of the dirt for the final Pittsburgh out in the top of the 10th.

The heroes in the bottom of the 10th inning included JJ Wetherholt who singled to move designated runner Victor Scott II to third. Then, it was Ivan Herrera who would provide more than just a sacrifice fly crushing a walk-off 3-run home run into the Pirates bullpen giving St. Louis a huge 9-6 victory.

It’s game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals barrage of games against NL Central rivals Wednesday as Michael McGreevy will try to dominate the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs will counter with Carmen Mlodzinski on the mound for Pittsburgh. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm at Busch Stadium and game viewable on Cardinals.tv.

Aaron Boone went savage.

Feeling like second base umpire Brennan Miller had just blown his second call of the game and with no available measure to challenge the play, Boone blew his top and was ejected Tuesday after the last out of the seventh inning in the Yankees’ heart-stopping 5-4 win against the Blue Jays.

“Probably just me being over-amped,” Boone said afterward in an uncharacteristically self-blaming tone. “I thought two missed calls that were important. … That being said, I probably overreacted to it a little bit, but I just kind of snapped on it a little bit because I felt like there [were] two calls and then when you can’t challenge because you feel like one’s already been missed?”

Aaron Boone was ejected for arguing this catch made by Daulton Varsho, as the Yankees lost their challenge earlier on a Volpe caught stealing

The Umpire that ejected Boone was Brennan Miller, the same umpire from the infamous "Savages in the Box" rant pic.twitter.com/xT4vmRFv1l

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 20, 2026

The trouble started in the fourth inning.

Or maybe it started July 18, 2019. That’s when Boone had his notorious “Savages in the box!” tirade that led to an ejection as he disputed Miller’s strike zone.

With that history in mind, fast forward seven years and Boone was unhappy that Miller punched out Anthony Volpe on a stolen base attempt to end the fourth. Boone vehemently signaled to put on the headset and go to replay, which the umpires did — only to uphold the caught stealing after an extended review.

Boone tossed his gum, spit out some expletives and kept stewing.

So, when Miller ruled that center fielder Dalton Varsho made a diving catch to take a hit away from Jazz Chisholm Jr. with a runner on first base, Boone sprinted out of the dugout to behind second base.

Players from both teams lingered on the field as if to suggest that no one was emphatically sure whether it was a catch. The Yankees’ own replay mechanisms suggested that Varsho trapped the ball, Boone confirmed.

“I didn’t control myself very well,” Boone said.

It was Boone’s second ejection of the season and 48th of his managerial career. Boone handed off the lineup card to bench coach Brad Ausmus, who teamed with pitching coach Matt Blake to navigate a tricky final two innings from a short-handed bullpen.

Box Score

Jacob Misiorowski hasn’t allowed a run since April 25.

The Miz extended his scoreless streak to four straight starts and 24 1/3 innings this evening, and this time the Brewers were able to hold the slim lead that he left the game with. A good thing, too, as the Brewers had plenty of chances to turn this one into a laugher early. While they let some of those chances go by the wayside, some scrappy early runs against starter Ben Brown (who has been excellent this year) and a big hit from Brice Turang late gave the Brewers the cushion they needed to survive a late rally by the Cubs.

The Brewers again got out to an early lead tonight. After Jackson Chourio struck out, Turang and William Contreras walked and singled to put runners on first and second. Brown struck out Yelich for out number two, but Garrett Mitchell came through with a big two-out hit on his bugaboo, the high fastball. Mitchell turned one around for an RBI single up the middle, and the Brewers led 1-0.

Misiorowski got off to a somewhat shaky start when Nico Hoerner walked, and Michael Busch reached on a David Hamilton error. But Alex Bregman flew out to center, Ian Happ struck out looking, and Seiya Suzuki went down swinging on a 95-mph slider.

The second inning passed without much fanfare, but the Brewers were back at it in the third. Chourio and Turang led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and after a Contreras fielder’s choice, the Brewers had runners on first and third with one out. After another Yelich strikeout, Brown had a path out of the inning, but a wild pitch with Mitchell at the plate scored Chourio from third (it was Brown’s league-leading sixth wild pitch of the season). After a Mitchell walk and a mound visit, Jake Bauers jumped on a hanging first-pitch curveball and smacked it into right for another RBI single, extending Milwaukee’s lead to 3-0.

Misiorowski put up his second straight 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third, and the Brewers again got off to a threatening start in the top of the fourth. Sal Frelick reached second base when Pete Crow-Armstrong inexplicably dropped a fly ball, and a patented David Hamilton bunt single put runners on the corners, which turned into runners on second and third when Hamilton stole second with Chourio at the plate. Brown battled back, though: Chourio and Turang both struck out, and Contreras hit a hard ground ball to third that turned into an out. The Cubs were teetering, but remained in the game.

Suzuki managed a two-out single — Chicago’s first of the game — in the bottom of the fourth, but that was all the Cubs got off of Miz, who struck out two more batters and added another inning to his scoreless streak. Yelich hit a double on a fly ball down the left-field line to start the fifth, but Brown wriggled off the hook again when Mitchell grounded out, Bauers struck out with Yelich standing on third, and Rengifo grounded out.

Dansby Swanson led off the bottom of the inning with a single, but PCA struck out, and Miguel Amaya grounded into a double play, with Bauers making a nice stretch on the back end. Milwaukee threatened again in the sixth, this time against reliever Jacob Webb, when Frelick singled to start things, but Hamilton failed to get a bunt down(!), and Chourio flied out. Turang singled with two outs, and Contreras put a charge into one, but it held up in center for Crow-Armstrong, and he made the catch for the third out.

Hoerner started the sixth with a swinging bunt for a single, but Misiorowski got the next three without much trouble. That capped another stellar outing for Misiorowski: he extended his scoreless inning streak to 24 innings, allowed just three hits (all singles) and one walk, and struck out eight (restoring sole possession of the league lead in strikeouts). His ERA is down to 1.89.

Caleb Thielbar was the Cubs’ new pitcher in the seventh, and he got through the inning with no damage beyond a two-out single from Bauers. Trevor Megill was the first man out of Milwaukee’s bullpen tonight, and he struck out Suzuki, got Moisés Ballesteros on a fly ball, and struck out Swanson after a bit of a battle.

The Brewers got a couple of important insurance runs in the top of the eighth. With one out, Hamilton walked. Chourio flew out for the second out, and Hamilton was safe stealing second, a call that stood after the Cubs challenged it. The stolen base didn’t matter, but the extra out did, as Turang got a fastball that got too much of the plate and blasted his seventh homer on a high fly ball to left-center, putting the Crew up 5-0.

Aaron Ashby replaced Megill in the bottom of the eighth, and things got hairy. PCA singled to start things, and Amaya followed with a ground-rule double into the ivy. A Hoerner single scored Crow-Armstrong and put runners on the corners. Busch was called out on strikes for the first out, and a wild pitch advanced Hoerner to second (though Amaya had to hold at third). Bregman struck out for the second out, but Happ walked, and Rengifo was unable to handle a hard grounder from Suzuki. Rengifo was at least able to keep it in the infield, and thus the Cubs only scored a run — Suzuki was credited with an infield single.

That was all for Ashby, though, as the go-ahead run came to the plate. Pat Murphy called for Chad Patrick from the Milwaukee bullpen, and Craig Counsell countered by pinch-hitting Michael Conforto for the initially announced pinch-hitter Matt Shaw (who was supposed to bat for Ballesteros). But Patrick did what he needed to do, and Conforto grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. It wasn’t a fun inning for Brewers fans, but they came out of it hanging onto a three-run lead.

Phil Maton shut the Brewers down in the ninth. Abner Uribe came in for Patrick, and he nearly walked the leadoff (and nine-hole) hitter, Swanson, but he struck him out looking on a very close pitch that was upheld on review. After that, it was much easier: Crow-Armstrong grounded out, as did pinch-hitter Carson Kelly. The Brewers won 5-2.

In Misiorowski’s last start, the Brewers’ bullpen was unable to preserve his gem of an outing. Tonight, he did it again, and while Milwaukee flirted with disaster, they held on for a satisfying win. Miz was the big star, but Megill and Uribe both looked good, and Patrick came up with a clutch out. On the offensive side, Turang was the standout: he went 3-for-4 with two singles, a homer, a walk, two runs scored, and two RBIs. Every other Brewer starter contributed a hit (Bauers had two) except for Rengifo, while Yelich had the team’s only other extra-base hit with his double.

Milwaukee now leads the division, and they’ll try to preserve that lead by sweeping Chicago, a team that had won 15 straight home games coming into this series, tomorrow. It’s a good pitching matchup, with Kyle Harrison on the mound for the Brewers and Edward Cabrera for the Cubs. It’s a rare third straight night game on the north side, so catch that game at 6:40 p.m.