Category: MLB

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 8-9 (8) and W, 8-6 (7) at Columbus Clippers

Game 1

C Austin Wells 0-4, BB, 3 K — no-contact day in this rehab game, as opposed to the two homers on Thursday
2B Marco Luciano 0-4, BB, K
3B Oswaldo Cabrera 4-5, HR, 2 RBI — great day for Waldo!
RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-5, HR, RBI, 2 K, GIDP — dinger in the seventh but Scranton ahead, butmisplay in right allowed Bo Naylor to walk off the doubleheader opener in extras (yes, the eighth constitutes extras here) with a two-run inside-the-parker, had to be seen to be believed!
1B Tyler Hardman 0-4, K, HBP
DH Payton Henry 3-4, RBI
LF Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-2, K, HBP
PR-LF Duke Ellis 0-1, 2 SB — scored two runs though, and up to 30 stolen bases
SS Jonathan Ornelas 1-2, 2 BB, K, 2 SB
CF Kenedy Corona 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, SB — two-run double in the eighth put Scranton up, and he did as well on Cabrera’s hit; the 8-5 lead wasn’t enough

Adam Kloffenstein 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 4 K, HR
Angel Chivilli 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, HR — allowed game-tying homer to begin the seventh
Yovanny Cruz 1 IP, 2 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 2 K — as noted above, Fernández was somewhat the goat for the final play, but Cruz and Montero played their part as well with poor relief work; Cruz continues to throw hard with 13 pitches of at least 100 mph and one at 102 … but he has work to do
Rafael Montero 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, HR (loss)

Game 2

SS Jonathan Ornelas 1-4, HR, 4 RBI — grand slam got Scranton back in it after trailing 6-0 through five
2B Marco Luciano 2-4, K
RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, K — hit go-ahead homer put Scranton up by one
3B Oswaldo Cabrera 2-4, K — six hits combined in the twin bill
1B Tyler Hardman 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI
DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-1, 3 BB, K
C Payton Henry 0-4, K
LF Kenedy Corona 1-3, BB
CF Duke Ellis 1-3, BB

Danny Watson 1 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HR — ouch
Carson Coleman 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K
Dylan Coleman 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, HBP
Bradley Hanner 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (win) — excellent work for the W (for the most part)
Cole Gabrielson 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (save) — Hanner and pitching coach Spencer Medick got ejected, so in came a position player for the save after the long day of RailRoders pitching … and he got it lol (walked one but then got a popup)

Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 2-6 at Portland Sea Dogs

LF Jackson Castillo 0-4, K
CF Garrett Martin 3-4, 2B, HR, RBI — his 21st homer, cotinues laying waste to Double-A
RF DJ Gladney 1-4, K
1B Nicholas Torres 0-4, 3 K
3B Coby Morales 1-4, K, fielding error
C Tomas Frick 1-4, K, GIDP
DH Miguel Palma 0-3, 3 K
2B Connor McGinnis 0-3, 2 K
SS Owen Cobb 1-3, 3B, RBI, K

Chase Hampton 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 2 K (loss) — the Tommy John rehab process is not for the faint of heart
Chase Chaney 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 4-5 at Rome Emperors

2B Kaeden Kent 0-4, BB, 2 K
SS Core Jackson 1-4, 2B, K, SB
DH Eric Genther 0-3, BB
1B Kyle West 0-3, BB, RBI, K, SB
LF Wilson Rodriguez 0-3, BB, 2 K
3B Roderick Arias 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, K — run-scoring hit in the first and a two-run blast in the third (his first against a lefty of 2026)
C Josue Gonzalez 0-4, 2 K
CF Camden Troyer 0-3, BB, 2 K
RF Luis Durango 2-3, SB, sacrifice — only five hits total on the day from Hudson Valley

Allen Facundo 5.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, WP
Brady Kirtner 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, HBP
Bryce Warrecker 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Andrew Landry 0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, WP (loss) — wild pitch allowed game-tying run to score in the ninth
Tanner Bauman 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP —gave up walk-off single to end it

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 8-7 vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

SS Jackson Lovich 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — 13 homers and a .922 OPS in 51 games now, leading the Florida State League; his two-run bomb gave Tampa a 6-4 lead in the seventh
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-4, K
1B Hans Montero 0-4
LF Luis Puello 1-3, HR, RBI, SB, HBP — 416 feet on his homer, continuing hot streak from Tuesday
CF Willy Montero 1-4, 2B, K
DH Engelth Urena 0-4, 2 K
C Ediel Rivera 1-4, K
2B Luis Escudero 1-2, 2 BB, RBI, K
RF Gabriel Lara 2-3, 2B, BB, RBI, K

Henry Lalane 6.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 8 K, HR — 12 swings and misses but only so much right outside of the K’s; that homer was a grand slam
Greysen Carter 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K (win)
Josh Tiedemann 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, HBP, 2 WP (save) — struck out final batter with the tying run at second

Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 2-9 and L, 8-15 vs. FCL Blue Jays

Game 1 — completion of June 12th game, which was suspended in a 2-2 tie in the eighth

1B Richard Matic 1-4, BB, RBI, K, picked off — tied it in the seventh with an RBI knock
RF-CF Wilberson De Pena 0-4, K (June 12th)
CF Francisco Vilorio 0-1
C Queni Pineda 1-4, K, catcher interference error
2B Leni Done 0-2, 2 BB, K, SB
DH Robbie Burnett 0-3, K (June 12th)
DH Justin Capellan 0-1
LF-RF Estivenzon Montero 1-4, K
SS Dexters Peralta 2-2, 2 BB, fielding and throwing errors
2B Christofer Reyes 1-4, 2B, RBI, K — only extra-base hit of the game for FCL Yanks
CF Isael Arias 0-2, K (June 12th), outfield assist
PH Jose Castro 0-0, HBP (June 12th)
LF Diego Flores 0-1

Omar Gonzalez 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, HBP, WP (June 12th)
Enixon Sanchez 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K (loss) (June 12th)
Austin Breedlove 0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K (June 12th)
Rafael Arias 1.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR — let the tie game get out of hand
Carlos Rondon 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K — he’s a catcher

Game 2

3B Richard Matic 0-3
PH-1B Carlos Rondon 0-1, BB
CF Wilberson De Pena 1-3, 2 K — appears to have left with an injury after singling in the fifth; would be unfortunate, as the 19-year-old from the Oswald Peraza trade has hit .341/.393/.674 with a 1.059 OPS this year in his first 32 games stateside
PR-CF Isael Arias 0-2
DH Queni Pineda 2-5, HR, RBI, K — 10th homer in 35 games at FCL
2B Leni Done 0-2, BB, K, SB — replaced in the top of the sixth after striking out to end the fifth
1B-3B Diego Flores 1-2, RBI
RF Jose Castro 0-4, 2 K, HBP
LF Francisco Vilorio 0-3, 3 K, HBP — no-contact day (aside from the pitch making contact with him)
SS Dexters Peralta 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, K
C Justin Capellan 1-4, 2 RBI
1B-2B Christofer Reyes 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K — bottom of the order had the ribbies anyway

Omar Gonzalez 3.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R (9 ER), 2 BB, 3 K. 4 HR — it had been a week since that appearance, so yes he started this one too; it, uh, did not go well (FCL Jays pounded him in an eight-run third)
Enixon Sanchez 0.1 IP, 1 H, 5 R (5 ER), 8 BB, 1 K, HR, WP — then again, Gonzalez got more than one out and didn’t walk EIGHT, so
Edinzo Marquez 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, HBP
Brian Arias 1.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, balk
Estivenzon Montero 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K — an outfielder pitching

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 9-6 at DSL Arizona Red

CF Isaias Castillo 1-4, BB, 2 RBI, K
DH Stiven Marinez 1-2, HR, 3 BB, 5 RBI, 2 SB — clubbed a game-breaking grand slam in the seventh
RF Yostin Pena 0-4, RBI, SF
SS Juan Torres 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K, SB, fielding and throwing errors
C Juan Martinez 2-3, SB, GIDP — left one out into the sixth, wonder if there might’ve been a bad foul tip or something along those lines
C Edgar Jimenez 1-1, BB, SB
3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-4, BB, GIDP
1B Cesar Lopez 1-3, BB, HBP
LF Eliezer Adames 1-4, BB, RBI, K
2B Emmanuel Orozco 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K

Victor De Leon 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 1 K, WP
Yunior Jerez 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 3 K, WP, pickoff error (win)
Varis Villarreal 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 K

Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 7-5 vs. DSL Rockies

DH Mani Cedeno 1-3, 2 BB, RBI, K, SB
3B Carlos Bello 1-5, 2 K, GIDP, fielding error — not the cleanest of days on defense, but the Bombers won
RF David Carrera 2-3, BB, K
1B Poly Ojeda 1-4, K
SS Germayhoni Beltre 2-3, BB, RBI, SB, picked off, fielding error
C Jesus Guerrero 0-3, BB, passed ball
LF Sebastian Pinto 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI — tied game with RBI double in the fifth, and then did so again in the decisive five-run bottom of the eighth (plating two)
2B Stalen Ramirez 1-3, 2 K, throwing error
CF Alfiery Matos 0-3, BB, RBI, throwing error — drew bases-loaded walk to put Bombers ahead for good

Jose Sanchez 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, HR, WP — pro debut
Higor Requena 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 4 K
Jhon Castro 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K, 3 WP — effectively wild?
Oscar Vasquez 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 1 K, WP (win)
Carlos Hampshire 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 WP (save) — my favorite Hampshire, personally

As Major League Baseball and the players’ association near the end of their collective bargaining agreement in less than 6 months on December 1, questions over a potential lockout loom. It was reported today that the MLB has proposed widespread changes to it’s annual draft.

The likelihood of the proposition being accepted as-is may not be high, but it confirms the rumors that sweeping changes could be made to players’ entry in to professional baseball and it could have massive effects on the future of college baseball.

First, the MLB wants to institute a separate international draft. Currently, international players are allowed to sign with whichever Major League team offers them a contract, with bonus pool limitations for spending, similar to the current draft. The signing period runs between January 15 and December 15, with prospects being required to be at least 16 years old to sign and turn 17 by September 1 of the next year. It’s basically free agency. An international draft would require players to be 18 and consist of 12 rounds.

How could that affect LSU? Well, instead of the process being essentially open game, it could bottleneck crops of players in particular drafts. It likely would not matter much to the top-end talent who will get paid on the higher end of slot values, but with middle-to-lower talent, prospects could choose to go to school for two years, earn NIL, and hope to develop within collegiate baseball programs to improve their abilities and, eventually, their draft stock. It would be fairly similar to the decision that high school players are faced with, although they are not only competing with their peers for draft positions, they’re also in the same crop as college players. Is it likely that college baseball sees a large influx of international players come to America to play college baseball? Probably not, but changes like this could certainly matter so some players from outside of the country.

You may have noticed that I mentioned that the international players could choose to go to college for two years. That’s because part of the proposed changes to the typical MLB draft entail changing the eligibility requirements to simply two years in college. Currently, players that attend four-year colleges are eligible upon finishing their junior year or turning 21 years old within 45 days of the draft. Although they’re the vast minority, there are some sophomores that make the cut for the age requirement, often referred to as “draft eligible sophomores” or “super sophomores”. Derek Curiel is a prime example.

The two year rule would go along with the most impactful change that would immediately affect NCAA Baseball. High school players would no longer be eligible to enter the MLB Draft. Every graduating senior must attend college and would be eligible after their sophomore season. In the 2025 draft, 96 high school baseball players signed professionally after being drafted. With the rule change, all of that top-end talent would enter the collegiate ranks, bettering college baseball as a whole.

While the entire sport would benefit from more high-level players taking the field from the SEC to the mid-majors, LSU, specifically, would be ecstatic to actually land all of the commitments that they receive. Over the years, they have been gutted by the MLB draft and, at times, forced to turn to the transfer portal as a saving grace. This past season was a perfect example. Jay Johnson lost 8 signees to professional baseball, a few of which were slight surprises. With a change like the one proposed, coaching staffs would have a much better idea of who will make it to campus, much like football and basketball.

To further illustrate the immense amount of talent that has skipped over LSU, here are the commits from Jay Johnson’s first four classes that signed professionally. Four have already made it to the MLB, three of which are everyday players (or in the rotation in Misiorowski’s case). For the others, their current level in the minors and their prospect rankings in their respective organizations are included, along with when they were drafted.

2022

OF Justin Crawford (1st rd, Phillies) – Made his MLB debut this season, playing in 69/75 games so far in 2026 with 200+ at-bats as Philadelphia’s center fielder.

RHP Jacob Misiorowski (2nd rd, Brewers) – After bursting on to the scene and making his Major League debut in 2025, Misiorowski has started 28 games over the past two seasons and has dominated. His ERA this season is 1.34 through 87.0 innings pitched and he has topped out at 104.5 mph just days ago.

LHP Robbie Snelling (1st rd, Padres) – Made his MLB debut in May for the Marlins with one start where he threw 5.0 innings. Currently ranked as Miami’s #2 prospect.

3B Tucker Toman (2nd rd, Blue Jays) – High-A/#40 Toronto

SS Mikey Romero (1st rd, Red Sox) – AAA/#11 Boston

LHP Michael Kennedy (4th rd, Pirates) – High-A/#18 Cleveland

2023

C Blake Mitchell (1st rd, Royals) – High-A/#1 Kansas City

2024

SS/OF Konnor Griffin (1st rd, Pirates) – Called up to make his MLB debut for Pittsburgh early in the season on April 3rd. Has played in 51 games and is hitting .270 with just under 200 at-bats while typically starting at shortstop.

LHP Cam Caminiti (1st rd, Braves) – High-A/#1 Atlanta

LHP Boston Bateman (2nd, Padres) – High-A/#9 Baltimore

3B Kale Fountain (5th rd, Padres) – A/#18 San Diego

2025

SS Brady Ebel (1st rd, Brewers) – A/#13 Milwaukee

SS Quentin Young (2nd rd, Twins) – A/#12 Minnesota

OF Dean Moss (2nd rd, Rays) – A/#29 Tampa Bay

SS Jaden Fauske (2nd rd, White Sox) – A/#7 Chicago White Sox

RHP Miguel Sime (4th rd, Nationals) – High-A/#17 Washington

LHP Briggs McKenzie (4th rd, Braves) – High-A/#6 Atlanta

C Landon Hodge (4th rd, White Sox) – Rookie ball/#19 Chicago White Sox

RHP River Hamilton (11th rd, Tigers) – Injured list/Ranking NA

It’s clearly visible how impactful just a fraction of these players could have been for the Tigers. Although the current state of the MLB Draft has not prevented Johnson from bringing two national championships home in his first five seasons in Baton Rouge, it’s hard not to imagine how incredible a few of these players could have been in purple and gold. Can you imagine a rotation in 2023 that included both Paul Skenes AND Jacob Misiorowski? Konnor Griffin and Steven Milam could have been one of the best middle infield in college baseball history. Briggs McKenzie and Miguel Sime would have been a revelation as starting pitching options as LSU’s entire rotation was injured at some point in 2026.

Johnson has been very vocal about how impossible it is for colleges to compete with the inflated amounts of money that MLB teams are offering high school prospects nowadays. They do their best, but when you have to get through 82 selections in the draft before the slot value drops below seven figures, it’s an uphill battle that they’ll never win.

Taking the option to sign professionally away from high school graduates would change that, though, and LSU would be set to benefit as much, if not more than anyone.

Blair Kerkhoff writes that Tyler Tolbert came up big in the Friday win over the Cardinals.

“You never know when your name is going to be called,” Tolbert said. “You just have to be ready.”

That was the case throughout the game for Tolbert. In the sixth inning, after failing to get down a pair of bunts with a runner on third, he drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep center.

“To stay in the moment and be able to concentrate on that pitch, that was big for him,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That ball was smoked.”

Anne Rogers has more on how Tolbert stays ready.

“It’s a mental thing,” Tolbert said. “A lot of people are like, ‘Save your energy.’ But for me, it’s a mindset thing. My whole life, I’ve been a starter. It just gets my mind and body ready, like, ‘Hey, we’re playing a game. Let’s get in that mode. We’re not sitting around and hanging out. Turn the switch on.’”

She also provides an update on the knee injury for Bobby Witt Jr.

If playing one game shorthanded means the Royals can give Witt more time to recover and see how he feels, they’ll do it. Avoiding an IL stint means they would avoid the minimum 10 days without their best player. But they also don’t want to risk a long-term injury, so there are a lot of factors at play.

“It’s going to be what the conversations are with him and [team] Doc [Vincent] Key,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “It’s not a surgical thing. I know they can put a brace on it. It’s going to be a lot of get the swelling out of there and understand how he feels, and those conversations are going to have to be honest between all of us.”

Thomas Harrigan at MLB.com writes about the starting pitcher trade market.

Kansas City made the playoffs in 2024 and won 82 games a year ago, but the club has cratered in ’26. The Royals aren’t going to launch a full-scale rebuild when they have Bobby Witt Jr. in his prime, but they badly need to retool.

With starters Cole Ragans (controllable through 2028) and Kris Bubic (pending free agent) both injured, their best chance to do that is dealing veteran hurlers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha, each of whom is signed through 2027 with a ’28 club option.

Michael Baumann at Fangraphs examines the decline of Salvador Perez.

Perez’s power is gone. It just up and disappeared over the winter. And for a player who already couldn’t run, wasn’t much use defensively, and never walks, that was the last Jenga piece. The power was the only tangible skill Perez had left.

And it’s definitively gone. Last year, Perez’s barrel rate was in the 91st percentile and his hard-hit rate was in the 70th percentile. Those numbers are in the 45th and 44th percentiles now.

From last year to this, Perez has lost 1.4 mph of average bat speed and his fast swing rate has been cut nearly in half, from 30.5% to 16.9%. Another hitter could live with those numbers; Perez’s bat speed figures are in the same neighborhood as Kevin McGonigle’s and Kyle Tucker’s. But if power is your carrying tool, that little power won’t carry you very far. Maybe Perez is dealing with an injury from which he’ll recover, but for a 36-year-old who’s spent nearly 12,000 innings behind the plate, Occam’s Razor points in another direction.

David Lesky recaps the big offensive night on Thursday against the Cardinals.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep writes that the offense has not been a problem this month.

Shohei Ohtani is out of the lineup while away on paternity.

Travel issues led to the Padres/Rangers game to have only two umpires.

Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal and White Sox pitcher Mike Vasil exchange heated words.

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler strikes out 13 in a shutout win over the Reds.

Justin Verlander is out several weeks with a hamstring strain.

How Jacob Misiorowski became one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The Tigers call up the grandson of Jose Cruz, making that family the fifth to have three generations of MLB players.

Byron Buxton isn’t looking for a trade out of Minnesota.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. admits he has never worn a cup, after taking a ball to the groin.

The Giants may be ready for a firesale, but can they move those large contracts?

Oklahoma and North Carolina square off in the Mens’ College World Series finals this weekend.

Could the United States actually win the World Cup?

Will NFL officiating improve with a new “practice squad” of refs?

Be careful with your dog’s paws in hot weather.

A TV series based on the popular RPG novel Dungeon Crawler Carl is greenlit for Peacock.

Pizza Hut is sold to a private equity firm.

Your song of the day is The Replacements with I Will Dare.

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday!

The Mariners bats struggled to get going last night against the Red Sox, with left-hander Ranger Suárez tossing six no-hit innings in a 6-2 M’s loss. The squad will try to get back into the win column tonight against young lefty Connelly Early.

It’s looking like a sunny Father’s Day weekend in Seattle. What plans do you have on tap for the next couple of days?

In Mariners news…

• Some Australians in town for the FIFA World Cup have found their way to Mariners baseball fandom.
• Jessica Roberts at the Everett Post-Intelligencer broke down Andrés Muñoz’s fastball issues this season.
• Over on The Feed, Kate Preusser shared some quotes from Perry Hill regarding Brendan Donovan’s defensive work.
• If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, LL commenter BlackbirdFly is organizing a reader meet-up for next week’s series!

Around the league…

• The United States Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Major League Baseball after the league issued a warning to a handful of Giants players for altering their hats on Pride Night.
• Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander is excepted to miss several weeks with a hamstring strain.
• Jarred Kelenic has been called up by the Rangers.
• Bradford William Davis found that Rick Burnham, the man responsible for MLB’s probes into player misconduct, has himself had almost a dozen misconduct allegations brought against him during his time with the NYPD.
• Now that we are almost halfway into our first season with the ABS challenge system, Matt Martell at Fangraphs took a look at how teams are strategizing when to use their valuable challenges.
• After an injury-plagued first month of the season, Brewers youngster Jackson Chourio is having his star turn, writes Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs.
• Eno Sarris at The Athletic updated his starting pitcher rankings for the rest of the season. ($)

Hickory starter Daniel Keaney made his first ever full season league appearance and threw five innings of shutout, one hit ball, walking two and striking out six. Geury Rodriguez struck out three in two scoreless innings.

Yolfran Castillo was 3 for 5. Marco Argudin was 1 for 3 with two walks. Paulino Santana drew a pair of walks. Angel Arredondo had a pair of hits. Dewar Tovar doubled. Daniel Flames had a hit and a walk.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter Caden Scarborough allowed one run and two hits in 4.2 IP, walking one and striking out 9 of the 16 batters he faced. Aidan Deakins allowed a two runs homer in 3.1 IP, walking one and striking out two.

Hector Osorio doubled. Yeison Morrobel had a hit.

Hub City box score

Dalton Pence started for Frisco and allowed three runs in 5.1 IP, walking four, striking out four and giving up a homer.

Facing 2025 #3 overall pick Kade Anderson, the Roughriders mustered just two hits in the game, one of which was an Arturo Disla double.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Wilian Bormie struck out two and walked one in two scoreless innings. Emiliano Teodo allowed four runs in 1.2 IP, walking four, striking out three and giving up a homer. Gavin Collyer faced five batters, allowing two runs on a hit and three walks while striking out one.

Cam Cauley homered and walked. Blaine Crim had a hit and a walk. John Taylor had a homer and a walk.

Round Rock box score

ACL Rangers box score

DSL Rangers Red/Blue box score

Dodgers right-hander Brock Stewart pitched a scoreless inning for Class-A Ontario on Friday, the second straight night to complete the planned back-to-back outings that manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday was coming this week.

Stewart in four games for Ontario during this rehab assignment has allowed one run on four hits in four innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. He’s been on the injured list since May 9 with a bone spur in his left foot.

Player of the day

Center fielder Alek Thomas had his best game yet in the Dodgers organization with four hits for Oklahoma City, including a double and home run.

Acquired by trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 12, Thomas drove in two runs and scored twice on Friday,

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Thomas and Ryan Fitzgerald homered in the Comets win over the Sacramento River Cats (Giants).

Fitzgerald had two hits, as did third baseman Taylor Young. Second baseman Austin Gauthier had three singles and drove in a pair in the four-run eighth inning that gave Oklahoma City its winning margin.

Paul Gervase pitched two scoreless innings, and since getting optioned to Triple-A on May 31 has allowed two runs in eight innings with 10 strikeouts and five walks, with five of his six appearances scoreless.

Double-A Tulsa

Tulsa scored seven runs in the first three innings to rout the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).

Mike Sirota still has reached base every game since April 9, so he hasn’t exactly slumped much this season, though he needed extra innings to extend said streak this week on both Tuesday and Thursday. On Friday Sirota singled in the second inning then later added a double and single for his first three-hit game since June 4. His 57-game on-base streak is the longest minor league baseball this season.

Wyatt Crowell entered with a huge lead and dominated the final five innings with six strikeouts and only two walks allowed, and no hits to earn the win.

Like Sirota, Zyhir Hope (two walks, single), Jake Gelof (two singles, walk), and Kole Myers (two walks, single) all reached base three times, and combined to drive in five of the nine runs.

High-A Great Lakes

The first three Loons pitchers each allowed three runs in a loss to the Lake County Captains (Guardians) to open the second half of the season.

Infielder Eduardo Guerrero, as the designated hitter on Friday, had three hits, including a triple and a home run. First baseman Cameron Decker hit a two-run home run, his second homer in eight games since returning from the injured list.

Playing catch-up

Last Saturday, Loons reliever was one out away from finishing off a four-inning save, but was ejected after a tense interaction with Wisconsin pinch-hitter Marco Dinges. The two did not exchange blows, though Ayon certainly squared up, and benches did clear. Both players were suspended, Ayon for two games.

After the dust-up, pitcher Davis Chastain got the final out to close out Saturday’s 3-1 victory, and earned the save instead.

Class-A Ontario

Seven runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth were more than enough to beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels).

First baseman Easton Shelton, shortstop Mairo Martinus, and catcher Conner O’Neal each had two hits, including a home run. Chase Harlan doubled twice.

One start after allowing nine earned runs, Hyun-Seok Jang struck out a career-high nine and allowed only one run in his 4 2/3 innings. This came after a rough stretch in which Jang only struck out 12 of 63 batters faced (19 percent) over his last four starts, with 26 runs (23 earned) in only 10 innings.

Transactions

High-A: Infielder Logan Wagner was activated from the injured list after six weeks on the injured list. The switch-hitter played four rehab games in the Arizona Complex League.

Class-A: Outfielder Jaron Elkins returned from the injured list after missing eight games, and doubled twice. Starting pitcher Marlon Nieves, out since the end of April on the injured list, started a rehab assignment in Arizona. Nieves struck out three in his one inning of work, but also allowed two unearned runs on two hits and a hit batter in his first game action in seven weeks.

Friday scores

• Oklahoma City 7, Sacramento 3
• Tulsa 9, NW Arkansas 1
• Lake County 11, Great Lakes 4
• Ontario 10, Rancho Cucamonga 1

Saturday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at NW Arkansas (Drew Beam)
• 4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs. Lake County (Melkis Hernandez)
• 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Sacramento (Blade Tidwell)
• 6:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Trey Gregory-Alford)

Gavin Sheets and Ty France did everything they could to help the San Diego Padres get a series opening win against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Sheets drove in the first run of the game with an RBI-single in the top of the first inning and France launched an opposite field grand slam home run to give the Padres a 5-0 lead after their half of the first inning. San Diego starter Randy Vasquez seemingly did all he could to give Texas the win, as he committed an error on a throw from France at first base that would have been an out for the first batter he faced. Instead, Joc Pederson was standing on first base and kicked off what resulted in a six-run bottom of the first. After one complete inning the Padres trailed the Rangers, 6-5.

France hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game, 6-6 but Vasquez returned to the mound in the bottom of the fourth and promptly allowed a single and a double to the first two batters of the inning, which resulted in another run for Texas to make the score 7-6 heading into the top of the fifth inning. It should be noted Vasquez did not complete the inning and was removed from the game after 3.1 innings pitched. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout. Yuki Matsui was called on to complete the inning.

The Rangers tacked on an additional run in the bottom of the sixth when David Morgan allowed three hits to the first four batters and the Padres found themselves trailing by two. San Diego cut the deficit to one run when Sheets hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, but as was the case throughout the game, Jason Adam took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and allowed a leadoff home run to Wyatt Langford to make the score, 9-6.

For much of the season the San Diego pitchers have done their part to keep the Padres in games. It has been the offense that has failed to provide run support, so it was about time for the rotation to have a dud in the same game that the lineup scored seven runs on 10 hits. France finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, five RBI and two runs scored. Sheets finished 2-for-4 with a single, a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Samad Taylor also contributed finishing 3-for-5 with three singles and a run scored. The big four of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts combined to finish 0-for-17 with two walks, two runs scored and seven strikeouts.

The Padres will see if they can get a better pitching performance from Walker Buehler and any contributions from Tatis, Merrill, Machado or Bogaerts when they take on the Rangers today at 1:05 p.m.

Padres News:

• Matt Waldron made his second rehab start at Triple-A and struck out two batters as he works to get back on the mound for the Padres.

• Fernando Tatis Jr. has been hitting the ball hard and his average is starting to rise. Jared Greenspan of Padres.com points to changes that could be the cause.

• Mason Miller returned to the Padres bullpen and the team needed to make room on the roster. San Diego chose to do that by sending Bradgley Rodriguez down to the minors.

• Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribunetalked with Walker Buehler to learn more about the former Los Angeles Dodgers ace.

• Jackson Merrill is trying to get back to driving the ball to the opposite field so he can move forward the rest of the season and have success.

Baseball News:

• The MLB owners and the MLBPA continued their conversations in hopes to reach an agreement prior to the expiration of the current CBA. It is in the interest of both sides to work toward an agreement because a work stoppage looms and both sides will hear from fans.

• Jacob Misiorowski was dealing again but the Milwaukee Brewers took a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

• Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland reached a career milestone and helped his team get a win.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It's another busy day across the Majors, and I've found solid value in my MLB same-game parlay predictions. 

Walker Buehler continues his dominance, while Cristopher Sanchez will be missing some New York Mets bats this evening. Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
SD vs TEX	+266
MIL vs ATL	+370
NYM vs PHI	+360

Padres at Rangers SGP: Buehler Keeps Dealing

The San Diego Padres send Walker Buehler to the hill tonight against the Texas Rangers, and he's been dominating.

The right-hander owns a 1.86 ERA and 3.20 FIP over his last two outings. He hasn't allowed more than one earned run in three straight starts, and Buehler has cashed the Under in four consecutive appearances.

With Nathan Eovaldi struggling lately (5.70 FIP over last two starts), Buehler will lead the Padres to victory. Also, look for Fernando Tatis Jr. to stay hot. He owns a 58.7% hard-hit rate over his last 12 games, and the superstar has smacked a single in three of his last five. 

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Padres.TV, Rangers Sports Network

Brewers at Braves SGP: Sale Outduels Harrison

The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to stop their road losing streak tonight, but it won't be easy with Chris Sale on the hill. The Brew Crew are striking out 9.67 times per game across their last three, and the Atlanta Braves lefty is averaging 11.02 K/9 over his previous three outings. He's also cashed the Over in punchouts in two of his previous three home starts. 

Meanwhile, Kyle Harrison sports a 5.21 xERA and 7.18 FIP over his last two appearances. A brutal outing where he gave up eight earned runs inflates those numbers, but Harrison also owns a 4.56 road ERA while surrendering 1.52 HR/9. That's compared to a 1.29 ERA at home. 

Sale will pitch deep into this one, and Atlanta's bats will jump on Harrison. 

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BravesVision, Brewers.TV

See full analysis of this game in our Brewers vs. Braves predictions.

Mets at Phillies SGP: Sanchez Racks up the Ks

Cristopher Sanchez is having a dominant campaign for the Philadelphia Phillies, and he's one of the top strikeout pitchers in the sport. The lefty is averaging 9.35 K/9 over his last five outings, and he's cashed the Over in three of his last four. 

He also doesn't give up many hits. Sanchez has hit the Under in two of his previous three appearances, and the New York Mets struggle immensely against left-handed pitchers, sporting a .238 average and a .142 ISO. 

Kyle Schwarber has a 57.1% hard-hit rate over his last six games, and he's finished with a hit in four of his last five. 

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNY, NBCS-Philadelphia

See full analysis of this game in our Mets vs Phillies predictions.

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

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The MLB-best Los Angeles Dodgers are surging, looking for a fifth straight win as they host the Baltimore Orioles.

L.A. opened the set with a 6-5 win Friday and will send ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the bump tonight, a big reason why they’re hefty home favorites in the MLB odds.

My Orioles vs. Dodgers predictions and free MLB picks stick with L.A., which I expect to overwhelm the struggling O’s at Dodger Stadium.

Who will win Orioles vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -2.5 (+134)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been dealing, allowing just three runs over his last four starts, striking out 24 and walking only three.

L.A. should tee off on Baltimore Orioles starter Trevor Rogers; they’re hitting .308 collectively against him in a small sample.

The lefty is 1-7 in his last 10 starts with a 6.70 ERA and faces a Dodgers lineup that’s second in runs per game and leads the majors in average, on-base percentage, and OPS.

L.A.’s bats will be a problem for an Orioles staff already allowing more than five runs per game. I'd play this down to +125.

COVERS INTEL: The Orioles know just how filthy Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stuff is: last year, he was just an out away from throwing a no-hitter at Camden Yards.

Orioles vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)

It’s always a tricky proposition betting the total with Yamamoto on the bump, as L.A. gives him plenty of run support, but he doesn’t give much to the opposition.

Still, the Over has hit in two of his last three starts — missing a third Over by a single run in the third — while each opponent (White Sox, Angels, and Phillies) ranks in the bottom half of runs allowed per game.

Baltimore’s runs allowed mark is worse than those three, and the Over already hit in L.A.’s win Friday night. Rogers’ starts also yield high scores: the teams have combined for at least 10 runs in four of his last six.

Orioles vs Dodgers weather

Expect clear skies and temperatures around 70°F by first pitch, with that number dropping to the low-60s later in the night. Wind will not be a factor.

Orioles vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Orioles +223 | Dodgers -233
• Run line: Orioles +2.5 (-163) | Dodgers -2.5 (+134)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Orioles vs Dodgers trend

L.A. has won 10 straight night games against losing teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Orioles vs Dodgers and game info

Orioles vs Dodgers latest injuries

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

Worcester: L, 3-9 (BOX SCORE)

Brayan Bello allowed seven hits, three runs, walked two, struck out five, and let his pitch count get up to 88 (with just 49 strikes) without getting out of the fifth inning. The line by itself was fine for most pitchers. It wasn’t fine, though, for a guy already on a contract extension that many thought, myself included, solidified him as the future at the number two or three slot in the big league rotation. And, listen, Bello did keep the WooSox in the game. The offense even hung around. Tyler McDonough hit a homer in the fifth, the WooSox only had two at-bats with runners in scoring position but scored a runner with one of them, and Matt Thaiss had a clutch RBI knock, It wasn’t until Seth Martinez allowed five IronPigs (Phillies AAA) to score in the eighth when Iggy Suarez conceded the game and had Nate Hickey pitch the last out, officially turning this into laugher status.

Portland: W, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Gage Ziehl’s redemption arc continued against the Patriots (Yankees AA) on Friday night. He struck out nine and allowed four hits on two runs (one being a homer) as the bullpen carried the game the rest of the way scoreless. The Sea Dogs enjoyed a 5-for-10 night from the bottom of their lineup including a 3-run home run from nine-hole hitter Abhram Liendo. The Sea Dogs scored five in the second inning which would make Ziehl’s outing a lot more stress-free. Stanley Tucker is also on a nice five-game hit streak since joining the Double-A squad.

Greenville: L, 2-4 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville had just four hits on the night on the Jersey Shore (Phillies High-A) and just two of their starting nine had knocks, but that’s all the offense they needed behind Kyson Witherspoon’s five innings in which he struck eight Blue Claws out. Joe Vogatsky added five before Steven Brooks slammed the door. Ronny Hernandez, the catcher who’s been spending some time at first base, had what would become the put-away shot in the sixth inning with his sixth home run of the season.

Salem: W, 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

After losing ten consecutive games, the RidgeYaks have now taken two in a row from the Nationals. This was a high-scoring affair that was just 3-1 after six innings. The Nats’ three defensive errors came back to haunt them as the RidgeYaks also bid them death by a thousand paper cuts, essentially singling them to death. Mayers’ eleven outs in relief, striking out six, was also huge.

For those of you still in front of a screen for the Red Sox, last night was a late night. Today will be the same, with first pitch at 10:10 PM. So, have a slumbering Saturday.

The answer to this question is probably a lot different than it was a month ago. A month ago, Bohm was the worst hitter in the game. Forget the National League, he was the worst hitter in the entirety of MLB. Since his two day off sojourn, he’s come back as one of the more productive hitters the Phillies have. Not quite enough to totally earn extension talk, but then other things have happened.

Aidan Miller was the best hitting prospect the team has had in a while, but now has back issues. We know how badly they can linger, but would they linger enough to go into 2027? It leads back to the question of the day: has Bohm done enough to warrant the team giving him a contract extension, especially considering the health of Miller?

I really don’t know what to think about Andre Pallante. After a bad 2025 season, I was pretty ambivalent about him. Sure he showed some promise in 2024, but even when he is pitching well, he doesn’t get a ton of strikeouts or do anything overly flashy. Yet here we are approaching the midpoint of the season and he is arguably the Cardinals’ second best starting pitcher. He has lopped a run and a half off his ERA, lowering it to 3.76, and already eclipsed his 2025 WAR total. Today I want to take a quick look at his pitch metrics and utilization pattern to highlight some of the adjustments and evolutions he has made that are contributing to his success.

Stuff

Pallante’s Stuff+ score has gone from 97 in 2024 to 95 last season, and back up to 97 this season. Stuff+ is scaled so that 100 is average and is computed by measuring an individual pitch’s velocity, movement, spin rate, etc. Even though the aggregate metric has remained stable, there have been notable changes to his repertoire. 

Pallante’s primary pitch, his four-seam fastball, has graded out similarly the last three seasons (95 or 96) despite having a large change in the movement profile. The 2024 version of his four-seamer sunk and cut, moving away from right-handed hitters and in to left-handed hitters, much more than the typical four-seamer. It sank 6.4 inches more than average and cut 7.5 inches more than average. This season, it is sinking just 3.7 inches more than average and cutting 7 inches more than the typical four-seamer. This shift toward a slightly more typical shape could explain some of the drop in groundball percentage that Pallante has induced. After posting an absurd 77.8% GB% in 2023, that figure has dropped to 61.8% in 2024, 59.1% last season, and is down to 53.3% this year. Pallante has increased the velocity on the pitch about half a mile per hour to 95.1 MPH this season. 

Pallante’s sinker has been the highest-graded pitch by the models and this season is rated as a 107. He has improved the spin efficiency on the pitch and is generating 1.5 inches more arm-side movement while throwing the pitch a tick harder. This has been a critical development, as the sinker is the primary fastball he uses to try to neutralize the right-handed hitters that have historically given him so much trouble. 

Pallante’s slider and knuckle curve are both grading out similarly to last season, albeit with a bit more movement. Finally, Pallante has introduced a splitter into his repertoire, but has only thrown the pitch 37 times so far this season. In the extremely small sample size, the pitch grades out a tick below average at 97 on the Stuff+ scale, but it gives him another weapon to sprinkle in against the lefties.

Pitch Mix

Pallante has made drastic changes to his pitch mix over the last three seasons.

His four-seam fastball usage has declined all the way down to 30%. I cut the graph off at the last three seasons, when he has primarily been a starter, but he threw the pitch even more frequently in his first two seasons in the majors. He is still throwing the pitch 49% of the time against lefties, but is mixing more offspeed and breaking pitches than in years past. His four-seam fastball ate lefties alive in 2024, holding them to a .315 xwOBA, but the last two years his results have been more pedestrian with a combined xwOBA of .364. For reference, the league average right-on-left four-seam fastball xwOBA is .353 this season. This drop in reliance on the pitch seems like it is in response to the change in the movement profile of the pitch. It is still an effective offering to left-handers but not to the same level it was earlier in his career. 

The reduction in four-seam utilization has made room for Pallante to mix in all his other offerings a few percentage points more. You can see when you further break down the mix by the batters’ handedness that the plan of attack is even more polarized.

Pallante has moved to a slightly more balanced mix of pitches against lefties, mixing in more breaking and offspeed pitches at the expense of his four-seam. Against right-handers, he is now throwing his revamped sinker and slider a combined 76% of the time. Perhaps not coincidentally, for the first time in his career, Pallante is holding right-handers to a below-average batting line with a wOBA of .285 (.318 MLB average). Pallante is still holding left-handers to a solid .308 wOBA, but this is the first time in his career he is running more traditional splits. 

Location

Perhaps the biggest change this season for Pallante has been his ability to throw strikes and get into more favorable counts. His first-pitch strike percentage is 67.7%, fourth among qualified starters. Last season, Pallante ranked 32nd out of the 54 qualified starters. Batters who start off 0-1 have a 67 wRC+. Those who start off 1-0 go on to produce a 131 wRC+ in those plate appearances. Throwing first-pitch strikes is easier said than done. The obvious trade-off is if you get too strike-happy, batters will swing more frequently and ambush(™) (thanks Chip) hittable strikes. Pallante has avoided this fate thus far in 2026 as batters are managing a .342 wOBA against him on first-pitch contact. The league average wOBA on first-pitch contact (or HBP) is .386 across the league. How has Pallante managed to keep hitters from sitting on first-pitch strikes? Part of it is his ability to mix things up, reducing his first-pitch fastball usage from 67% to 56%. Last season, Pallante threw only 36.2% of his non-fastball pitches in the strike zone. The average pitcher lands offspeed and breaking pitches in the zone around 42% of the time. So far this season, Andre has increased his non-fastball Zone% to 42.6%. In fact, he is throwing each of his pitches in the zone more consistently this season.

This has allowed Pallante to significantly increase both his secondary usage AND his overall percentage of pitches in the zone. This has been a huge development both for his effectiveness and, selfishly, his watchability. It no longer seems like he is constantly behind in the count, bouncing breaking balls nowhere near the strike zone. The best way to capture where Pallante has found success this season is by looking at his slider utilization against right-handed batters. He has started 38% of his plate appearances against righties with the slider. On those 59 pitches, he has gotten ahead 0-1 38 times, he has induced five first-pitch outs, and given up one solitary hit, a single. That will play. 

Pallante has had good stretches before, followed by a series of blow-ups. Pitcher development is always tricky to follow and almost impossible to predict, but he has made some real changes to his repertoire and pitch mix, and is executing better than ever before. We just might have a good pitcher on our hands.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 14, Syracuse Mets 3

It was an offensive explosion for the Tides on this night. They racked up 16 hits, nine for extra bases, in a blowout win in Syracuse. Shortstop José Barrero had quite possibly the most productive game of his life, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, four runs, and four RBIs. It’s like he hit for the cycle but with an extra homer instead of the triple. Barrero now has 17 homers in 63 games for the Tides.

Also homering in this game were Johnathan Rodríguez, Jud Fabian, and Ryan Noda. Atop the lineup, Enrique Bradfield Jr. snapped out of an 0-for-8 drought with three hits, while Creed Willems contributed a two-run single as part of a seven-run top of the eighth.

On the mound, starter Christian Heberholz had a mediocre outing, giving up three runs in 4.2 innings, but relievers Jose Espada, Josh Walker, and Hans Crouse combined for 4.1 scoreless frames.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 2

Pitching carried the day in this Baysox win. Starter Evan Yates delivered a six-inning, one-run quality start, his longest outing of the year. Yates struck out five and walked two. Reliever Micah Ashman followed with two scoreless to lower his ERA to 1.73. The 23-year-old might be ready for the challenge of Triple-A.

The Baysox, despite going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, generated enough offense to win, plating all four of their runs on homers. Ethan Anderson had a solo homer as part of a 3-for-5 night, Frederick Bencosme added a solo dinger, and Thomas Sosa blasted a two-run shot.

Box score

High-A: Frederick Keys 3, Hub City Spartanburgers (Rangers) 2

In this closely contested affair, the Keys scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on for a one-run victory. The Keys managed only five hits and didn’t get any contributions from their high-profile prospects, with Wehiwa Aloy going 0-for-4 and Ike Irish not in the lineup, but #9 hitter Yasmil Bucce powered his first home run of the year and a Hub City throwing error on a pickoff scored another run.

That meager run support was enough, thanks to a dynamite outing by starter Yeiber Cartaya, who worked six scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Cartaya lowered his ERA to a stupendous 1.99 in 54.1 innings. The 23-year-old righty is thriving in his first full season at High-A. Riley Cooper worked the final two innings to notch the six-out save.

Box score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) 4

It’s a clean sweep! It’s rare for all four O’s affiliates to win on the same day, considering that three of them have lousy records, so it’s nice when it happens. The Shorebirds held up their end of the bargain by scoring seven runs in their final two innings to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Second baseman Elvin Garcia stroked a game-tying two-run single in the seventh, and in the eighth, the Pelicans committed errors on back-to-back plays to gift-wrap four runs for Delmarva. Garcia drove in three runs on two hits, while leadoff man Jaiden Lo Re set the table with two hits, two runs, and a stolen base.

Unfortunately, the nice win came with a dark cloud: another horrific outing by fading prospect Esteban Mejia, who issued an unsightly six walks and three runs while recording just four outs. Mejia has now surrendered an unfathomable 54 walks in 39.2 innings this year, a rate of (gulp) 12.2 BB/9. It was his fourth outing this year of six or more walks. Relievers Adrian Heredia, Dalton Neuschwander, and Zac Lampton restored order long enough for the Shorebirds’ offense to complete their comeback.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: at Syracuse, 6:35 PM. Starter: Chris Kachmar (1-0, 4.50)
• Chesapeake: vs. Richmond, 6:35 PM. Starter: Joseph Dzierwa (1-1, 2.70)
• Frederick: vs. Hub City, 6:00 PM. Starter: TBD
• Delmarva: vs. Myrtle Beach, 7:05 PM. Starter: Denton Biller (1-3, 6.43)

Utility player Mauricio Dubon was acquired by the Atlanta Braves over the offseason for shortstop Nick Allen. The Braves were looking to have a more flexible player and some offense. The Astros saved a little money and got a great defender. The returns have been pretty one-sided toward the Braves, however. Mauricio has put together a line of .259/.314/.405 with a perfectly league-average 100 wRC+ and 1.5 WAR. Dubon has already doubled his criminally underrated projection of 0.7 WAR. Nick Allen has put up a 72 wRC+ and 0.2 WAR in a limited 70 plate appearances for Houston. Clearly, this move was quite a coup for the Braves. And it’s probably the trade of the season. But this is not the one I am thinking about, at least not exactly.

In years past, if the Braves decided to focus on the bullpen or the bench they always focused on the bullpen. This approach probably peaked in 2024, when the Snitker-proofed bullpen put up 6.2 WAR. That team had Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, A.J. Minter, a healthy Joe Jimenez, a pre-kerplosion Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, Grant Holmes, and Jesse Chavez. These were solid choices all around. Meanwhile, the benches in those years were pretty thin. But you probably don’t worry about the bench in a DH-adopting National League when you have an excellent first nine. Ten through thirteen were a little Charlie Culberson-y, though.

However this year, the focus was clearly on the bench over the bullpen. Now, they picked up Robert Suarez who has been excellent the last few years. But otherwise they rolled with who they had in the organization, Here’s Walt Weiss on this year’s bench from last night.

I don’t think there’s been any question [about the bench] in my nine years here. We’ve always had the everyday players that posted and played well. And nothing about the guys that have been here, but there’s been a big dropoff when you go to the bench. [It’s been] just the opposite. There’s been times when the bench has carried us this year.

So is focusing on the bench over the bullpen the best trade in years? Is having a great bench better than having eight solid options in the bullpen? This year the bench has definitely paid off with the injuries and a suspension. The bottom three of four in the bullpen have been a frustration though.

The Orioles were on their way to what might have been a feel-good win in their series opener against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They carried a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth on Friday night. Even against these guys, that should have been enough. Closer Ryan Helsley, fresh off the injured list, absolutely blew it instead, with a little help from his friends. Instead of a win, the Orioles get yet another feel-bad loss, one that tips them closer to the point where there’s no coming back from this.

Before this west coast trip began, I decided that I was not going to stay up late watching these jokers. They aren’t worth it. I apologize for the belated recap that has stemmed from this decision. It will happen twice more before this road trip is over. I’m not actually that sorry, though, because waking up to this validates the decision. Imagine if I had stayed up and then had to write about this at 1 o’clock in the morning:

Let’s rewind this series of events a little bit. Helsley took the mound for the ninth with a two-run lead. This was his second outing since returning from the injured list. He was bad in the first outing two days ago, which was a non-save situation. After retiring the leadoff batter, Helsley turned it into a one-run cushion by giving up a home run to Mookie Betts. Although Betts has enjoyed a decades-long run as one of the game’s elite players, he entered Friday’s game with a .203/.266/.367 batting line. Don’t get beat by that guy! Helsley did, though.

Right after giving up that home run, Helsley walked the next batter, putting the tying run on base and bringing the winning run up to the plate. This is the strike zone plot of Max Muncy drawing this walk:

Look at those four green dots! Those are nowhere close to the strike zone. This guy had no idea where the ball was going. This was the time for the experienced closer to buckle down and make some good pitches and he did this. Helsley, come on, man! Once on base as the tying run, Muncy was replaced by a pinch runner.

The closer then got your hopes up by getting the second out on an easy popout. Just get the next guy and you’re good. That’s all. Helsley did not get the next guy. He walked Ryan Ward on four pitches. The four balls were not as egregiously out of the strike zone as the previous walk, so I’m not going to post that screenshot also, but still. This was bad and it sucks, and also, after this disaster, Helsley has a 5.11 ERA. If it’s late June and your closer has a 5+ ERA, you don’t have a closer. You have a tragedy.

Two on, two out, the tying run on second base, the winning run on first. What happened next is not, in its entirety, Helsley’s fault. I refer you to the above video. The tying run was always going to score on this batted ball. The winning run did not have to. It did anyway, thanks to the poor decision by Tyler O’Neill (who was, if you can believe it, a defensive replacement) to airmail the ball home instead of going for the cutoff man.

Maybe Samuel Basallo should have been more prepared for that possibility and ready to react to a bounce. I don’t know. He’s got his manager prepared to remark on his every fault, and this was apparently Craig Albernaz’s lead comment about the play in his post-game presser. Basallo doesn’t need me piling on. Anyway, Helsley wasn’t backing up the play properly so the errant bounce led to the winning run scoring. What a stupid way to lose. What a 2026 Orioles way to lose.

This could have been a feel-good win! The Orioles erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso each homered as part of that rally. The O’s took a 5-3 lead in the seventh when the bottom of the lineup loaded the bases and Jeremiah Jackson delivered a two-run single to put the team on top for the first time all game. The people who say that this team has no fight are regularly proven wrong. That’s not their problem. Their problem is just the roster isn’t good enough, no matter how much it feels like it should be.

The Orioles were in that 3-0 deficit as a result of early struggles by the starting pitcher, Trey Gibson. His final line looks pretty bad: Seven hits and four walks in five innings, allowing three runs, all earned. When your WHIP for the game is over 2, it’s tough to say it was a good day. And indeed, it wasn’t.

Still, Gibson can probably feel okay about the outing. He did a fine job of limiting the damage. After giving up a pair of first inning runs and one more in the second, the Dodgers loaded the bases against Gibson with no one out in the third. He was on the ropes and on the way to a complete disaster. Gibson pulled out his best pitch, the so-called death ball, and struck out the next three Dodgers batters in order to hold the line.

As it turned out, stopping the bleeding was crucial. The Orioles, much later in the game, did mount a comeback that would have been a lot tougher, if not impossible, if Gibson had totally fallen apart in the third. That’s a plus for Gibson and something that will hopefully serve him well in future starts, when he’s facing teams that aren’t the Dodgers.

The Orioles, however, are beyond a point where we can take comfort in little moral victories. They need actual victories. They are 35-42. They are an awful 13-23 on the road. They have earned these records. They are not a good team and they do not play well for more than a few games at a time. Most often, they play badly and lose. Sometimes, as in Friday night, they still manage to surprise you with how dumb it is when they lose. By now, we should all know better, but it’s still hard to accept about this team.

The other downside about blowing this one is that looming here later on Saturday night is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Starting for the Orioles in the 10:10 game is Trevor Rogers. As you know, this is not a good thing in the 2026 season. I also won’t be staying up late for this one. I suggest you don’t do it either. They’re not worth it.