Category: MLB

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Get ready for the weekend with a trio of NRFI/YRFI bets for Friday, May 22!

My top MLB picks call for a low-scoring first frame between the Cleveland Guardians and Philadelphia Phillies, with the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels also blanking the first inning to wrap up my betting card.

Best NRFI/YRFI picks today

Pick	Odds
/ - NRFI	-139
/ - NRFI	-121
/ - NRFI	-127

Guardians at Phillies: NRFI (-139)

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams and Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez have both dazzled in the first inning this season.

Williams has held opposing hitters to a .222 batting average while tossing a scoreless first inning in seven of 10 starts, and it’s been a similar story for Sanchez. The southpaw has pitched a scoreless first in eight of 10 starts with a 2.70 ERA.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSP, CLEG

Mariners at Royals: NRFI (-121)

The Kansas City Royals have scored in the opening inning in just 24% of their games, tied for sixth-lowest in the majors.

Although Seattle Mariners starter Logan Gilbert has been hit for a 1.045 OPS in the first inning, he posted a .645 mark in 2025, making this a great spot for the righty to flip the early script.

Seattle also ranks 29th in wOBA against left-handed starters, and Royals southpaw Noah Cameron has fired a scoreless first inning in six of eight starts.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ROYL, SEAM

Team at Team: Rangers at Angels: NRFI (-127)

While it might be asking a lot to back Los Angeles Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, the Texas Rangers have scored in the first inning at the eighth-lowest rate in baseball this season. Rodriguez also held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless in the first inning in his season debut last time out.

Rangers righty Jacob deGrom is also due for some statistical correction in the opening frame. He’s allowed four first-inning home runs with a 1.010 OPS, but considering he’s surrendered just 10 total homers and a .625 OPS overall, those early struggles should start to subside.

• Time: 9:38 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, CW33

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There’s a potential playoff lookahead as two of the best teams in the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers, begin a three-game weekend series on Friday.

With two effective hurlers on the mound in Justin Wrobleski and Logan Henderson, my Dodgers vs. Brewers predictions envision a low-scoring contest.

Read on for my full analysis and MLB picks for Friday, May 22.

Who will win Dodgers vs Brewers today: Dodgers (-106)

Justin Wrobleski has experienced a breakout start, notching two more wins (6) than any other hurler on the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a single loss to show for it. He carries a 2.49 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while avoiding walks (5.9% BB%) and home runs (0.36 HR/9).

The Milwaukee Brewers have struggled to hit southpaws all season, ranking 26th in wRC+ (78) and 27th in wOBA (.283).

That contrasts greatly with L.A.’s numbers against righties — second in both wRC+ (120) and wOBA (.345) — so the edge goes to the Boys in Blue.

COVERS INTEL:Milwaukee’s struggles against LHP are backed up by their poor batted ball metrics. Its lineup hits soft grounders (first in groundball rate, 26th in hard-hit rate) and rarely goes deep (28th in HR/FB).

Dodgers vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-110)

It’ll be cold (56 degrees) and windy (11 mph blowing in toward first base) day at American Family Field, which already has the sixth-lowest Park Factor (97) of any venue.

That’s pitching weather if I’ve ever seen it, and it’ll benefit two effective starters.

Logan Henderson is a budding star, notching a 2.49 ERA across his first nine starts. That’s supported by a 114 Pitching+ and a robust 26.5% K-BB% that would rank second among qualified starters.

These are the top two bullpens in FIP this month (Milwaukee 2.36, LA 2.45), and both are well-rested after Thursday’s off day.

Dodgers vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles -103 | Milwaukee -107
• Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+152) | Milwaukee +1.5 (-168)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-103) | Under 8.5 (-107)

Dodgers vs Brewers trend

The Dodgers have cashed the Under in five of Justin Wrobleski’s seven starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Brewers.

How to watch Dodgers vs Brewers and game info

Dodgers vs Brewers latest injuries

Dodgers vs Brewers weather

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In the baseball canon, Tommy John’s name gets used with more frequency and gravity than almost any one else’s. Unlike some of the other cemented names in the game’s history, John’s recognition comes largely from reasons outside of his play. Now, this does make sense, given the importance of the surgery that bears his name, but it’s also perhaps a bit unfair, as the left-hander was a very good, and sometimes great, pitcher in the big leagues for the better part of three decades.

A four-time All-Star who enjoyed a run of particular run of excellence in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, John made his mark on and off the field, as a monument of longevity, and of course, providing the name to the procedure that forever changed the game.

Tommy John
Born: May 22, 1943 (Terre Haute, IN)
Yankees Tenure: 1979-82, 1986-89

Born in Indiana in 1943, Thomas Edward John would be pitching in the Major Leagues 46 years later, taking a route that was anything but straightforward.

He made his big league debut back in 1963 with Cleveland, as a spry 20-year-old. The lefty spent two decent-but-brief seasons in Cleveland, before being shipped to the South Side of Chicago in a three-team trade. He had his first great season with the White Sox in ‘68, when he managed a sub-2 ERA and made his first All-Star team.

Prior to the 1972 season, Tommy John was traded to the Dodgers in as high-profile a one-for-one trade as you will see, sent in exchange for Dick Allen. Allen immediately went and won the MVP award in ‘72, but John did his best to match it, entering the best and most significant stretch of his career. His first two seasons in L.A. saw him pitch over 400 combined innings with a neat and tidy 3.00 ERA.

While John had already established himself as a reliable and highly effective starter, his fame would skyrocket for the wrong reasons in the mid-’70s. After an excellent start to the 1974 campaign, the lefty had to leave mid-game in a July start against the Expos. John heard a pop and had significant pain in his throwing elbow; he would not return for the rest of the season. An external doctor told John that it was a career-ending injury, having torn his UCL, though Dodgers’ team doctor Frank Jobe had different plans. He performed the now universally known and eponymous reconstructive surgery, using a tendon from John’s wrist and placing it in his throwing elbow. It was a leap of faith, with the procedure never being done on an athlete, but it was a resounding success. John missed all of the ‘75 season, but ultimately returned, pitching 14 more seasons following the procedure, and of course, paving the way for thousands of other hurlers.

Following the famed procedure, the veteran starter returned for his age-33 season, and was just as good as ever. In fact, it would mark the beginning of the finest stretch of his career. The lefty pitched three more seasons with the Dodgers, working well over 200 innings in each, finishing second in Cy Young voting in ‘77, and making another All-Star team during that stretch. Following another excellent run in 1978, the 15-year veteran hit free agency for the first time, when he signed a three-year deal with the Yankees.

Upon arrival, the impact John had was immediately clear. In 1979, He set a career high with 276.1 innings pitched, doing so at a very high level, managing a sub-3 ERA, notching his first 20-win campaign, and once again finishing second in Cy Young voting. Now several years removed from his revolutionary surgery, the doubt that shadowed him was rightfully subdued.

When the 1980s rolled around, John had entered his late-30s, but he remained near the top of his game. He tossed a whopping 265.1 innings, he won another 22 games, and made his fourth (and third consecutive) All-Star team. In 1981, despite his medical history and 40th birthday beginning to knock on the door, John continued to deal. Although he pitched in just 140.1 innings, thanks to a strike and a frightening medical scare with one of his sons, it was one of his best seasons from a run prevention standpoint, posting a 2.63 ERA in the shortened campaign.

During his initial stretch in New York, he did his part in the postseason as well, particularly in 1981. That year, he was the winning pitcher in Game 1 of the ALCS, stymieing the A’s with six innings of one-run ball. Then in Game 2 of the World Series against the Dodgers that season, John tossed seven shutout frames and did not allow a baserunner to reach until the fifth inning.

Tommy John was traded to the Angels in August of 1982, and despite being 39 at the time, he still had plenty of baseball ahead of him. He pitched in parts of four seasons for the Angels, not quite meeting his standards of performance, but continuing to pitch plenty of innings. After a brief and disappointing finish to the ‘85 season with Oakland, John once again defied the odds and continued to pitch for four more seasons after.

All of this time came in a return to the Yankees. He even posted a sub-3 ERA in over 70 innings in ‘86, and tossed 187.2 innings a year later at the age of 44. Tommy John would pitch his final game at 46-years-old in the 1989 season with New York.

Tommy John’s career and legacy in the baseball world is as significant as some of the biggest names in the game. While that may be primarily for reasons aside from his playing ability, the lefty was a terrific pitcher, and was generally as durable as they come for multiple decades. His eponymous surgery is certainly vital to baseball history, but John should also be remembered as an excellent pitcher, who pitched more than 4,700 Major League innings.

Here’s to a happy 83rd birthday to one of baseball’s biggest names!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

1926
With a single in his first at-bat, Earl Sheely ran his hot streak to 10-of-13, one of just seven such stretches in White Sox history. Of his 10 hits, Sheely had four singles, five doubles and a home run.

1928
Center fielder Johnny Mostil tied former White Sox center fielder Happy Felsch with an AL-record 12 chances in a 4-3 win against Cleveland. Mostil took advantage of a cavernous Comiskey Park center field to grab 10 fly balls (including all three outs in the top of the third) in the game. Mostil also initiated an inning-ending double play in the top of the sixth, snagging a liner off the bat of Luke Sewell.

As if scampering deep to center and into left and right field for fly balls wasn’t enough of a testament to Mostil’s speed and quicks, he also scored the eventual winning run on a wild pitch by George Uhle — from second base!

Mostil had three hits on the day, scoring two runs.

1938
Ted Lyons beat the Senators, 9-2, for his 200th career win. The future Hall-of-Famer would earn 60 more victories before his career was done. Despite this milestone in 1938, other counting stats failed the legend, as his 9-11 record and seemingly-high 3.70 ERA (nope, he had a 134 ERA+) for a putrid, 65-83-1 White Sox club saw Lyons get his $10,000 salary slashed by 10% in 1939!

1977
Richie Zisk became only the second White Sox player in history to hit a home run into the center field bleachers at Comiskey Park, joining Dick Allen (1972). Zisk’s blast off Detroit’s Dave Rozema in the eighth inning didn’t help the Sox win, however — they got beat, 14-3, despite slapping out 12 hits in the game. The blow was the fifth-ever hit into Comiskey’s center field bleachers, over the ballpark’s 67 years.

1982
A 7-3 win against Cleveland raised Chicago’s record to 26-12 — best in all of baseball. The win also moved the White Sox one game up in the AL West race, breaking a tie with California.

The victors struck for four in the bottom of the first inning, and by end the of five frames were ahead, 7-2. Tony Bernazard and Greg Luzinski both rapped out three hits in the game, while Harold Baines went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs. Steve Trout went 5 1/3 innings for the win, while Jerry Koosman worked 2 2/3 for the save.

1990
White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk struck a blow for traditionalists. 

Fisk got into a verbal exchange with Yankees outfielder Deion Sanders after the two-sport star drew a dollar sign in the batter’s box before an at-bat at Yankee Stadium, and then failed to run out a pop-up. Fisk followed Sanders back to the Yankee dugout while shouting, “Run the ball out, you piece of shit.” 

The next time Sanders came up to bat, he said something to Fisk. Carlton started to go after him when home plate umpire John Hirschbeck intervened. 

Fisk was asked after the game what else he said to Sanders: “‘There is a right way and a wrong way to play this game,’” he said. “‘You’re playing it the wrong way. And the rest of us don’t like it. Someday, you’re going to get this game shoved right down your throat.’”  

2019
It was a night of firsts for the White Sox, in a 9-4 win over the Astros. Things started off in the third inning, when Houston had runners on first and second with nobody out. Jake Marisnick hit a shot down to third base. Yoán Moncada fielded it and stepped on third for the out, fired to second baseman Yolmer Sánchez for out No. 2, and Sánchez relayed the ball to first baseman José Abreu just in time to nip Marisnick for a triple play. (One day short of the fourth anniversary of the triple play, Marisnick was designated for assignment off of the White Sox roster.)

Then with the Sox up, 4-3, in the sixth inning, outfielder Charlie Tilson launched a grand slam into the right-field seats. It was Tilson’s first big-league home run, and became the first time in franchise history the Sox had both a grand slam and a triple play in the same game — and only the fourth time in 40 years that had happened in all of baseball!

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The Chicago White Sox head to the Bay Area tonight to begin a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants. First pitch is scheduled for 10:15 p.m. ET at Oracle Park. 

With an intriguing pitching matchup, my White Sox vs. Giants predictions see value in the Under. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, May 22. 

Who will win White Sox vs Giants today: White Sox moneyline (-108)

The Chicago White Sox send their ace to the mound tonight in Davis Martin. He's dominated this year, compiling a 1.61 ERA and 6-1 record through nine starts. 

Martin has also been solid on the road, sporting a 1.95 ERA. He's up against a San Francisco Giants team that is 30th in runs scored and has lost three straight. 

Chicago has also won three of the last four meetings against the Giants. The hosts hand Trevor McDonald the ball, and he's allowed six earned runs at home across his last two outings. 

COVERS INTEL: The Giants are 20th in wRC+ in May, sitting at 92. 

White Sox vs Giants Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-125)

While McDonald hasn't been at his best at Oracle Park lately, he does have a very respectable 2.37 ERA overall through three starts.

The right-hander has shown the ability to get outs on a consistent basis, and the White Sox aren't exactly thriving at the dish lately,scoring just six runs across their previous series with the Mariners. 

Martin, meanwhile, can't do much wrong, giving up two earned runs or fewer ever since his season debut on March 30.

He is lights-out, and the Giants have struggled immensely all year to muster up any offense. Also, four of the last five meetings have hit the Under. 

White Sox vs Giants odds

• Moneyline: White Sox -104 | Giants -100
• Run line: White Sox -1.5 (+148) | Giants +1.5 (-192)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-101) | Under 7.5 (-127)

White Sox vs Giants trend

The White Sox have hit the moneyline in 19 of their last 30 games (+10.25 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Giants.

How to watch White Sox vs Giants and game info

White Sox vs Giants latest injuries

White Sox vs Giants weather

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.

The Nationals’ farm system has been in the limelight for the past two months, with plenty of lower-level talent already emerging as legitimate prospects. For a franchise that continues to look toward the future, the recent developments have been nothing short of incredibly encouraging.

With all of the hype surrounding prospects still in the early stages of their development, little has been said about players who could see a promotion to the MLB club and make an impact in the near future. The slow start of offseason trade acquisition, catcher Harry Ford (MLB.com #6), hasn’t done much to change that narrative.

One player, however, has been lighting up AAA pitching, and could give Washington some much-needed reinforcements if his play continues to dazzle. You won’t find 24-year-old corner infielder Yohandy Morales on any Top-10 prospect lists, and many don’t even have him in the organization’s Top 20. A middling hit tool has long forced scouts to question his future at the big league level, and he’s remained an afterthought in a rising system. That could soon be coming to an end.

Through 45 games with the Rochester Red Wings so far in 2026, the right-hander is slashing a downright absurd .344/.425/.592/1.017, smashing 10 long balls and driving in 27 runs. He’s hitting the ball hard as much as anyone in the minor leagues, with his Average Exit Velocity, Max EV, 50th% EV, 90th% EV, and Hard-Hit% all landing in the 90th percentile or higher. The whiffs continue to be a problem, but even his swing decisions, a visible weakness in his game that led to 164 punchouts in 2025, have improved in recent weeks.

Critics of a potential promotion point to the largest concern with his game: he simply swings and misses too often, especially on pitches in the zone. His Zone-Contact% is a measly 75.48%, good for just the 20th percentile, and the one fix that batters point to for overcoming said issues, a high Pull-Air%, is nowhere to be found as he’s posting an abysmal 11th percentile mark.

The pathway to playing time is easily visible, with Jorbit Vivas struggling to provide anything in the way of offensive production in his at-bats. Morales has fantastic raw power, and the possibility of injecting that type of life into the Nationals’ lineup may be too appealing for the front office to ignore for much longer.

No one should be expecting Morales to light the world on fire if he does indeed get the call to the majors, but his performance continues to make the decision to keep him in AAA more difficult to support.

Only time will tell, but the Puerto Rican slugger could find his way to Washington in the near, if not immediate, future.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (20-28) lost 8-2 (BOX SCORE)

Alexander got the scoring started with a solo home run in the 2nd inning. Pecko got the start for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 6 runs over 4 innings of work. He was relieved by VanWey who allowed 2 runs. Sugar Land got one run in the 9th on a sac fly but that was it as they fell 8-2.

Note: Biggio is hitting .356 with 5 HR in May.

• Rhylan Thomas, CF: 2-for-4, RBI
• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-2, 3 BB
• CJ Alexander, LF: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Riley Unroe, DH: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB

• Ethan Pecko, RHP: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Anthony Maldonado, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (19-23) lost 13-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Holy leadoff home run. Hicks got the start and started off well but ran into some trouble allowing 8 runs, 7 earned, over 5 innings of work. Hader allowed a run in relief and Cuevas allowed 4 runs in the 9th. The offense was quiet the rest of the way as the Hooks fell 13-1.

Note: Holy has a .918 OPS in Double-A.

• Max Holy, SS: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Taylor Trammell, RF: 1-for-4

• James Hicks, RHP: 5.0 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
• Josh Hader, LHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (9-33)

Game One – lost 2-1 (BOX SCORE)

Hertzler got the start in game one and was dominant tossing 6 innings allowing 1 run while striking out 9 batters. The offense got not the board in the 5th inning scoring a run on a Walker bases loaded walk. In the bottom of the 7th, the Hot Rods walked it off with a home run as Asheville dropped game one 2-1.

Note: Hertzler has 49 K in 30.1 innings this season.

• Kyle Walker, 2B: 0-for-2, RBI, BB
• Caden Powell, DH: 2-for-2, R, BB, SB
• Chase Call, RF: 0-for-1, 2 BB, 2 SB

• Cole Hertzler, RHP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
• Joan Ogando, RHP: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Game Two – lost 8-3 (BOX SCORE)

Santos got the start in game two but had a tough outing allowing 5 runs, 4 earned, over 4 innings of work. He was relieved by Rodriguez who allowed 3 runs, 1 earned, over 2 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the 6th inning on a Brutcher RBI single. In the 7th, they picked up 2 more runs on a passed ball and a Thomas groundout but that was it as Asheville dropped game two 8-3.

Note: Walker is hitting .283 this season.

• Kyle Walker, SS: 2-for-4, SB
• Justin Thomas, CF: 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-3, RBI
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-3, R

• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Luis Rodriguez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (18-24) lost 12-8 (BOX SCORE) 

The Woodpeckers got the scoring started in the third inning scoring 2 runs on a Huezo RBI double and Flores RBI double. Perez got the start and after 3 scoreless innings to start the game, he ran into trouble allowing 6 runs in the 4th. The Woodpeckers battled back with a run in the 4th on a Cauro sac fly and a run in the 5th on a Salas walk. Wells relieved Perez and 6 runs over 2.1 innings. The offense got one in the 5th on a Newman RBI single and in the 8th, Huezo connected on a 3 run home run. Unfortunately the offense couldn’t complete the comeback as the Woodpeckers fell 12-8.

Note: Huezo has a .810 OPS this season.

• Anthony Huezo, RF: 2-for-4, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, SB
• Arturo Flores, C: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, BB
• Hector Salas, 3B: 0-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
• Camilo Diaz, 2B: 2-for-5, R
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, BB
• DJ Newman, LF: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB

• Javier Perez, RHP: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Josh Hendrickson – 8:45 CT

CC: Nic Swanson – 7:05 CT

AV: TBD – 6:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

Back in February, ZiPS projections were posted, and they did not have a single Red Sox player reaching the 20 home run threshold. Twitter/X got a hold of this and ran with it, becoming an easy talking point for those who felt that Craig Breslow’s offseason effort to fix the power in the lineup fell short (most of us). 

After 49 games, 30% of the season, here is how the Red Sox regulars are pacing for home runs:

• Willson Contreras – 33
• Jarren Duran – 20
• Wilyer Abreu – 20
• Ceddanne Rafaela – 13
• Trevor Story – 10
• Marcelo Mayer – 7
• Carlos Narvaez – 7

Everyone else on the team has one home run or fewer thus far, including Caleb Durbin, Roman Anthony, and Masataka Yoshida. Feel free to do that math yourself.

It probably should have been obvious at the time that ZiPS was low on Contreras, considering they had him at a projected 118 games played, tracking more like a catcher than a first baseman, but otherwise, they’ve been right on. That being said, it’s Memorial Day Weekend, so things should start heating up at Fenway, right about nowish. Looking at Statcast’s Park Factors for 2026, Fenway has played as the 5th most difficult park to hit in overall, and the #1 most difficult park to hit a home run at, and it’s actually not even close. 

If you use the three years prior (2023-2025), Fenway is the second-most friendly park overall, and tops in terms of doubles, but seventh-most difficult for homers.

I’ll say that Contreras and Abreu reach the 20 home run threshold, and that’s it. If this Sox team makes a wild card run over the next two months in this pathetic American League (outlined here, and here, on Over the Monster over the last two days), it should be pretty clear that a power bat is what the team will need to add at the deadline, and preferably well before the deadline. 

Enjoy the long weekend, and be good to each other.

The Kendall George show took over in Double-A while the Comets shut out Reno at home.

Player of the day

Ask not what Kendall George can do because the answer might just be everything. The Drillers’ center fielder was all over the place in a 6-4 win for Tulsa, raising his batting average to .346 by going four for four and also reaching 25 stolen bases on the year.

Having stolen 100 bags last season, it’s tough for George to dazzle you now, but think of this success rate, which has vastly improved. Not caught once, George is now 25 for 28 after being thrown out 24 times last season.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

One quiet day was more than enough for Alex Freeland, who made the most out of his one hit in what turned out to be an 8-0 win for the Comets. Freeland left the yard with a three-run shot in the sixth as part of a rally that saw the Comets score seven runs with a home run from Jack Suwinski as well.

Starter River Ryan needed a little over 60 pitches to get through five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and hand it off to a bullpen that was equally as dominant, carrying on to record 14 of their 27 outs on strikeouts against only five from Reno.

Double-A Tulsa

Reaching base safely in all five of his plate appearances, Kendall George could not have done more at the top of the order for the Drillers, a key player in this 6-4 win over the Wind Surge. Scoring half of the Drillers’ six runs, George was his usual dynamic self on the basepaths, responsible for all three of Tulsa’s stolen bases.

Outhitting the Wind Surge 13 to 6 as a team, the Drillers thrived at the top of the order, with 10 of those 13 hits coming from the top four, including yet another productive day from Mike Sirota. The recently promoted outfielder is settling in as nicely as anyone could’ve hoped in this new environment in Double-A.

Payton Martin finally earned his first win of the year, working through nine base runners (6 of them on walks) to allow just one earned run in 5.1 innings.

High-A Great Lakes

It’s tough to outhit your opponent and still lose by nine runs. That’s what happened as a rattled pitching staff for the Great Lakes could not stop walking Wisconsin’s hitters, leading to a 14-5 defeat that was somehow worse than that final score. The Loons managed to put up three garbage-time runs in the ninth to avoid losing by double digits.

On top of starter Jakob Wright, who allowed a couple of runs on one hit and five walks, the Loons had three other relievers concede more runs than they did hits. Among them was Acccimias Morales, the losing pitcher of record with four earned runs in 0.2 innings of work out of the bullpen.

Single-A Ontario

Seven of the Tower Buzzers’ batters recorded multiple hits, and it was the ninth-hole hitter, AJ Soldra, leading the charge in this 13-10 win. Soldra recorded four hits in five at-bats, the last of them a home run, surprisingly the game’s only long ball, when Ontario already led 12-10 in the ninth.

Starter Hyun-Seok Jang had the Tower Buzzers set for a blowout win, but the bullpen almost gave it all away, allowing four runs in the seventh and another four in the eighth. Luckily, Robby Porco provided some stability by pitching two scoreless innings to wrap things up and earn a second save on the season.

Thursday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 8, Reno 0
• Wichita 4, Tulsa 6
• Great Lakes 5, Wisconsin 14
• Inland Empire 11, Ontario 13

Friday’s schedule

• 3:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Christian Zazueta) vs. Wisconsin (Josh Knoth)
• 4:35 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Wichita (Sam Armstrong)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Charlie Barnes) vs. Reno (Kohl Drake)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Inland Empire (Mason Peters)

Good morning friends and happy Friday!

The Mariners kick off a weekend series in Kansas City this afternoon, with Logan Gilbert trying to right the ship against the 20-30 Royals.

As we prepare to enter the holiday weekend with lovely weather on the horizon for those of you in the Seattle area, what plans do you have? Are you going on a trip? Hanging out with friends and/or family locally? Or maybe hunkering down and soaking in Mariners baseball?

In Mariners news…

• Between injuries and underperformance, several Mariners players have been pushed beyond their comfort zones for the sake of the team, writes Daniel Kramer.
• The Lookout Landing staff got together for a round-table discussion about the Mariners’ weird six-man/piggyback rotation plan.
• Zach Mason likened players on the Mariners roster to things in his apartment as a way to express his feelings about the team in the first quarter of the season.

Around the league…

• In a major scoop, Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic reported that the Angels and Rays agreed to a trade during the 2023 deadline that would have sent Shohei Ohtani to Tampa — but Angels owner Arte Moreno shut it down (only for Ohtani to leave a few months later anyway). The Mariners should be thanking their lucky stars this deal never came to fruition. ($)
• The new Las Vegas stadium for the Athletics is reportedly on schedule for a 2028 opening.
• The Pirates are promoting outfield prospect Esmerlyn Valdez to make his major league debut.
• Don’t look now, but the Washington Nationals are off to their best start to the season since 2018.
• Nats infielder Paul DeJong will miss the rest of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery.
• A’s outfielder Denzel Clarke is out until the All-Star break with his own hamstring ailment.
• Has Sandy Alcantara successfully revitalized his career? Michael Baumann at Fangraphs gave his verdict.
• Fastballs are faster than ever before. Louisa Thomas at The New Yorker wonders what this extreme level of strain does to the human arm.
• Paul Sullivan at The Chicago Tribune pointed out that as a player, it’s impossible to win once you start talking back to chirping fans.
• Patrick Dubuque at Baseball Prospectus wrote about how difficult it is to determine a manager’s worth, and how strange it is that teams and fans act otherwise. ($)
• Did you know that you can bring outside food into the stadium? Tayla Minsberg at The New York Times spoke to fans about their favorite meals and snacks to bring to the park.

Anders’ pick…

• A group of students at the University of Washington have resurrected a portion of the Seattle cityscape that was lost when I-5 carved through it in the 1960s.
• Kyle Busch, one of the greatest drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, died suddenly yesterday from an unexplained illness at the age of 41. Busch drove in two races this past weekend, winning on May 15 and noting in seeming premonition that “you never know when the last one is.”

Happy Friday Athletics Nation!

After beginning the season as the team’s Opening Day center fielder, Denzel Clarke has seen his 2026 season get worse and worse as the season has progressed. The gifted defender struggled in the batter’s box from the jump and was slashing just .170./.228/.417 with no home runs at the time he suffered an injury to his right foot, which ultimately required a trip to the injured list.

Some fans hoped that the time off could be a sort of mini-reset for the young outfielder as he looked utterly lost facing major league pitching. With his amazing defense at a critical position Clarke doesn’t need to be a force with the bat, but he can’t be as big of a black hole as he was during the first month of the season. Getting away from the bright lights of the major leagues and getting back to basics down in a less stressful environment like the minor leagues seemed like as good as any idea to get him back into a rythym in the batter’s box. The early returns, though small, were encouraging as he went 4-for-6 in two games for Stockton in Single-A then 1-for-2 in his first game with the Aviators.

Unfortunately his rehab stint will be cut short. He hasn’t suffered a setback with his foot, but instead has suffered what the organization is calling a “significant hamstring strain”, which will cost him the next couple of months at a minimum:

It’s another tough break for the 26-year-old outfielder. Clarke jumped onto the scene last year and A’s fans immediately saw him flash the leather as he became a near-daily highlight reel in center field. The A’s haven’t had this gifted a defender on the grass in quite a while and though the bat didn’t exactly strike fear into opposing pitchers the team was happy with that as long as they continued to get Gold Glove caliber defense up the middle. Things were cut short earlier than anticipated though as he suffered a season-ending adductor strain in mid-July, ending his year and also depriving the A’s of a longer look at the light-hitting center fielder.

This hamstring strain doesn’t bode well for Clarke in the near or long term. His struggles with the bat were already a cause for concern entering this season and those worries are much larger now after seeing a regression with the stick this year. Add in the fact that the A’s have a shiny new young center fielder named Henry Bolte and the situation is quickly developing into a quagmire. Clarke’s defense is spectacular but the team just can’t stomach him in the lineup on an everyday basis. It’s like playing with eight players in a nine-man lineup.

Bolte doesn’t have the ceiling of Clarke’s glove but he’s no slouch with the glove in his own right, and he’s always been a better hitter than Clarke at every level. Bolte is off to a solid start to begin his big league career and now that he doesn’t have to worry about Clarke coming back anytime soon the A’s should give him plenty of run in center field. If he continues to progress and takes ahold of the position then the organization will suddenly be in a tough situation regarding Clarke. He looked like the center fielder of the future as recently as last summer, but he could soon be the odd man out of a crowding outfield picture the A’s have going for them right now. It’ll be fascinating to see how manager Mark Kotsay and the team handle things when Clarke is finally healthy and ready to return.

We got a new series tonight as the team heads further south to take on the San Diego Padres. It’ll be Walker Buehler for the Friars while the A’s have yet to make it official but it’ll likely be Jeffrey Springs on the bump tonight. First pitch is at 6:40. Until then, have a great weekend everyone!

A’s Coverage:

• “State Of The Rotation”: A Projected Weakness, An Actual…?
• Jump, A’s No. 3 prospect, dazzles to extend scoreless streak
• Guerrero touts West Sacramento’s MLB experience as expansion looms large
• A’s Come Back In Extras, Beat Angels 6-5
• A’s clobber Angels 14-6 in Anaheim
• A’s Suffer Heartbreaker to Open Road Trip
• ’Gut-wrenching’: Ginn takes no-no into ninth only to give up walk-off home run
• Michael Stefanic Elects Free Agency
• A’s Bullpen, Defense Collapse in Series-Deciding Loss to Giants
• How John Fisher betrayed Oakland (again) by finally spending on the Athletics
• Kurtz in rarefied air through 162 career games
• The Giants-A’s rivalry is officially dead
• There’s Forcing Your Way Up And There’s Bolte — Is There A Spot For Him?
• May Roster Shuffle Could Help The A’s — But They’d Have To Want It
• Athletics’ Wei-En Lin Continues Rising The Ranks
• Now that we’ve seen a two-way player, what about a three-way player?
• A Walk In The Park Is Nice…To A Point

MLB News and Interest:

• Robby Snelling To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
• Tigers’ Tarik Skubal throws bullpen session, takes ‘great step’
• Yankees’ Grisham has no structural damage to knee, tests show
• Padres Shopping For Bullpen Help
• Mock draft: Shift in the top five, after that, uncertainty abounds
• Mets’ Kodai Senga to begin minor league rehab assignment Friday
• Braves Select Carlos Carrasco
• Former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer survives nasty car wreck while chasing MLB comeback
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Very interesting:

Time to swap out Lopez for Jump?

Things may be moving in that direction…

Followed by an Arnold promotion to Triple-A?

Stadium…. update?

And it’s not even close!

ICYMI:

Before we get to the Astros, a note: The Cubs moved half a game ahead of the Cardinals into second place in the NL Central when St. Louis lost to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The Astros started the year 6-3, but since then have gone 14-28. Only the Angels (13-28) are worse over that span.

So this could be a really good time for the Cubs to host them.

For more on the Astros, here’s Patrick Creighton, manager of our SB Nation Astros site The Crawfish Boxes.

Nothing has really gone right for the Astros this season, and once again the primary culprit is injuries. Houston players have already had 22 IL stints this season, including long-term injuries to ace Hunter Brown, starter Cristian Javier, and SS/3B Carlos Correa with Correa being lost for the season. Closer Josh Hader has yet to pitch this season and the team has stated he will not be activated when eligible May 24.

Additionally, the team is also down franchise icon Jose Altuve, starting catcher Yainer Diaz, OF Joey Loperfido, and SP Lance McCullers Jr.

The Astros were planning on leaning on some young players like Loperfido (injured), Brice Matthews (.202 AVG, .609 OPS), Cam Smith (.206 AVG, .618 OPS) and Zach Cole (.186 AVG, .623 OPS), but none have risen to the occasion as yet.

Offseason acquisitions SP Mike Burrows (2-6, 5.75 ERA) and Tatsuya Imai (1-2, 8.31 ERA) have both struggled badly this season.

The Cubs, however, will see the three starters who have pitched the best for Houston: Spencer Arrighetti (5-1, 1.50 ERA), Kai-Wei Teng (2-3, 2.61 ERA) and Peter Lambert (2-4, 3.57 ERA).

Houston’s pitching is starting to normalize, as both RHP Bryan Abreu and RHP A.J. Blubaugh have started to find themselves after slow starts, while LHP Steven Okert has gotten his command in line lately as well. The addition of hard-throwing RHP Nate Pearson and rookie RHP Alimber Santa (4-2, 2 Sv, 1.42 ERA at Triple-A Sugar Land) should give the bullpen some of the swing-and-miss capability it has sorely lacked this season.

Offensively, the team really goes as DH Yordan Alvarez goes. Alvarez leads the team in most every major offensive category (AVG, OBP, OPS, SLG, H, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB) and when he’s hot, the team scores. When he goes 0-for, it’s very hard for them to overcome currently. Jeremy Pena and Jake Meyers have just returned to the team a few days ago. Christian Walker (11 HR 31 RBI .255 AVG .819 OPS) has rebounded strongly from a subpar 2025, while Isaac Paredes is off to a slow start (.244 AVG, .711 OPS) after a big season last year.

So far this season, the Astros have not been able to match up effective pitching with timely hitting. After leading the AL in runs in April, the team’s offense has fallen flat in May. Since a 10-0 victory in Cincinnati May 8, Houston is 4-8 and has scored 23 runs (less than 2 runs per game).

The Astros offense has struggled with strike zone management, striking out at high rates and walking at low rates.

While the team still hopes to get hot once it gets healthy, the current roster has not been able to maintain any kind of momentum, resulting in swirling rumors about the job status of manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown.

Fun facts

The Cubs have lost 47 more games against the Astros than they have won, 385-338, but are 189-170 at Wrigley Field, including a three-game sweep when the teams met most recently on the North Side in April of 2024. Last year, the Cubs lost two of three in Texas.

This is just the third series between the teams at Wrigley since the Astros switched to the American League. The first was in 2013, their first season in the AL. The Cubs won two of three. In all interleague matchups, each team has won nine games.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Jameson Taillon, RHP (2-3, 4.97 ERA, 1.204 WHIP, 6.68 FIP) vs. Spencer Arrighetti, RHP (5-1, 1.50 ERA, 1.194 WHIP, 3.61 FIP)

Saturday: Colin Rea, RHP (4-2, 4.98 ERA, 1.426 WHIP, 4.09 FIP) vs. Kai-Wei Teng, RHP (2-3, 2.61 ERA, 1.097 WHIP, 3.79 FIP)

Sunday: TBD vs. Peter Lambert, RHP (2-4, 3.57 ERA, 1.075 WHIP, 3.31 FIP)

NOTE: Sunday should be Shōta Imanaga’s turn; for some reason the Cubs do not have him officially listed yet.

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Apple TV (how to watch)

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

The Astros seem a bit of a conundrum. If you look at the three starters for this series, you might wonder why they are 11 games under .500. Largely, it’s because their other starters have been pretty bad (overall 5.02 starter ERA) and the bullpen has been worse (5.72 ERA for relievers, and closer Bryan Abreu has been horrific, with an ERA over 8).

So the game plan here, I think, should be to get the Houston starters out of the game as early as possible.

The Cubs should right the ship by taking two of three here.

Up next

The Cubs travel to Pittsburgh for a four-game series against the Pirates beginning Monday afternoon.