NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 12: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday, June 12, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Evan Yu/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Mets welcomed the Braves to Citi Field with a 7-5 victory to open the series against the division leaders.
The dynamic duo of Bo Bichette and Juan Soto went back-to-back in the first inning to give the Mets an early 2-0 lead against their rivals. After Nolan McLean labored in the second and Atlanta tied the game, MJ Melendez doubled with two outs in the bottom half of the inning. That ended up being a key play in the game since the team went on to load the bases for Bichette who blasted his second home run of the game.
Bichette’s grand slam also saved McLean who stayed in game once staked to a four-run lead. It still wasn’t easy for the righty but he didn’t give up any more runs outside of the second inning. In that inning he threw 42 pitches and gave up RBI hits to old friend Dominic Smith and Mike Yastrzemski. After the two runs came home, the Braves loaded the bases with nobody out but he escaped without further damage by getting two strikeouts and a pop up. His night was done when he was unhappily pulled after four innings. McLean walked four and struck out six in his brief outing and then the game was in the bullpen’s hands.
First up was Cionel Pérez who gave up a home run to Matt Olson to allow the Braves to creep closer and after Huascar Brazobán was stellar for 1.2 innings, Brooks Raley was less so. He got just two outs and gave up two runs which forced the team to turn to Devin Williams with the tying runs on base. Williams did allow one of the inherited runners to score, but he got big Rowdy Tellez to fly out for the final out of the eighth inning. In the ninth the tying run again came to the plate, this time in the form of Olson, but Williams struck him out to nail down the save.
The Mets offense had tacked on a run the the fourth but they were held mostly in check after Spencer Strider departed early with right arm soreness. This game ultimately became a battle of the bullpens and while the Mets’ bullpen bent it did not break and they held on for a 7-5 win they desperately needed. Lets go Mets baby. Love da Mets.
Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette +41% WPA Big Mets loser: Nolan McLean and Brooks Raley -5% WPA Mets pitchers: +5% WPA Mets hitters: +45% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Bo Bichette grand slam in second, +30% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Mike Yastrzemski RBI single in second, -14.2% WPA.
God promising not to flood the world again, or Judy Garland about to sing a socialist song (that’s true). Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
On a drizzly night, the Twins managed (somehow) to win a battle of bumpy bullpens. (In bWAR for relievers, the Cards’ pitchers are ninth in MLB; the Twins’ are 29th.) Inning-by-inning notes:
1: Cards 1B Alec Burleson has a home run in each of his last three games; make it four. Heckuva hot streak. If you didn’t know (I didn’t), the record is eight games in a row. Shared by Ken Griffey, Jr. (1993), Don Mattingly (1987), and Dale Long (1956). Long’s not a name most of us are familiar with, but he had a solid career OPS of .80 over 10 seasons. Six guys have hit seven in a row, and 25 have hit six. None of the above were Twins.
Byron Buxton now has one straight game with a home run. That’s #21 for the year; that’s on pace for 48! But we know he’ll waive his no-trade clause, get traded to the Dodgers for a high-A prospect, and end up hitting 75 home runs because the Dodgers have bought off the baseball gods. (They can afford it.) Tied 1-1
2: Two singles by guys who have Tattooine-type names; Lars Nootbar and Masyn Winn. Then a lineout, and an RBI single for Blaze Jordan, who was just called up today! It was his first at-bat, in fact. Good for him. After a strikeout, there’s a single to right, and Winn scores. Originally, the throw beat Jordan to third, and he was tagged out… but, SS Tristan Gray bumped into Jordan on the basepaths, so he’s safe because of defensive interference.
Radio’s Kris Atteberry keeps saying this mistake cost the Twins a double play. No, Kris. No, it did not. Well, everybody makes boo-boos.
Royce Lewis hits a long out. That’s as exciting as the Twins get here. Cardinals 3-1
3: Ooh, Gameday has really spruced up the graphics this year:
That ball in the dirt KICKED UP some dirt. This is what you pay graphic design graduates hard money to think up, folks.
Finally a 1-2-3 inning for Joe Ryan, although he’s at 63 pitches now which means four innings of The Best Bullpen in Baseball.™
Tristan Gray has a leadoff single, and this mistake costs the Twins an imaginary radio double play. Whoops, I jinxed it, since after a Luke Keaschall strikeout there is an actual double play. Well, I wouldn’t have jinxed it if Atteberry hadn’t said it in the first place, so it’s still his fault.
4: Oops, I also jinxed Ryan by saying he’d pitch five innings. They just paused the game for rain, so he’s done.
I double-jinxed it. The delay was short enough (29 minutes) that Ryan’s back out. Waiting for the game to start, OTHER radio guy Dan Gladden says “I think 14 teams make the playoffs now” and this is untrue, so let’s just assume that the third radio guy is named Jim Beam tonight. Another 1-2-3 for Ryan.
Buxton hits a double, and tries stretching it into a triple. It doesn’t work. The rest of the Twins avoid baserunning errors by avoiding the bases.
5: Two-out single by Iván Herrera, who steals second with no throw, but Ryan strikes out Burleson to end it. He’s at 92 pitches now, though, so my original jinx stands true.
Here we go! A Lewis single and super-rare Victor Caratini double. Second and third, no out. Brooks Lee hit one to right, and Lewis doesn’t try to score, thinking RF Jordan Walker has a rocket arm. Walker does, but the throw ended up being way off line. Still, Gray has an infield single and Royce scores. Luke Keaschall flies out; not deep enough for the slow Caratini to tag up. No more goodness; man, you’d like to have had two runs there. Gashouse Gang 3-2
6: TRIPLE JINX! Ryan stays in to get three guys on seven pitches. Shows how much I know. I mean, I know a lot about certain things. I know that old-timey actor Edward G. Robinson was in a crime movie called The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse and you probably didn’t know that. But I do not always predict the future of baseballing games accurately.
Gee whiz, Byron… 3-3 tonight, this one a double. Kody Klobberin’ Klemens takes a walk. Josh Bell manages to golf-swing one off the outfield wall, and for some reason Clemens doesn’t get past third. Still, Buxton scores, and this chases starter Kyle Leahy.
Alfonso Soriano’s cousin George Soriano in to pitch. Royce sac fly to center, scoring Clemens. “Other” Soriano escapes further damage. Again, when (after the Bell RBI double) you had runners on second and third with nobody out, you’d like to get both of those in, but we’ll have to settle for Twins 4-3
7: Taylor Rogers (4.78 ERA) in. Leadoff walk, not so good. He gets a called Strike Three on the next guy, and he’s probably lucky this is Blaze Jordan’s first MLB game, because the 3-2 pitch was inside, but Jordan doesn’t challenge it. Roger gets the next guy swinging, and walks another; geez, Taylor.
This brings in Eric “Oozy” Orze. He gives up a hit, but Tristan Gray manages to keep the ball from escaping the infield. Nobody scores; yet the bases are loaded.
The new Cards pitcher is Gordon Graceffo, who is not related to Alfonso Soriano, but he has a very cool name just by itself. He gives up two walks of his own, and the second means he’s replaced by Ryne Stanek.
Hey! Kody Clemens found his dad’s old pharmacy phone number! Homer runner! Tied 7-7
8: Something called a Yoendrys Gómez pitching for the Twins. One easy pop-up out, then a single, WP, another single, and a ball that gets stuck in Tristan Gray’s glove for the RBI. Yuck. New pitcher time, it’s Anthony Banda. A bloop single loads them up; still only one out. A pop-out to first; then a flyout to center. Nice job, Banda, I guess maybe.
Hey, what happens when you hit a ball at the right angle 107 MPH? A Dong Does! Thanks Royce!
9: Andrew “Not Black Jack” Morris in for the save opportunity, and it’s… really pretty easy for him! Twims wim! (Yes, we spell it wrong on purpose here sometimes.)
Studs: Joe Ryan and the Bomba Squad, 6/12/2026 edition: Buxton, Clemens, Lewis, Lee. Duds: No duds, Twins win! (Except the whole bullpen, but it’s not their fault they stink, it’s Pohlvey’s.)
The Twins remain one of two teams (along with the Nats) not to have a walkoff win so far this season.
COTG: Nagurski for weather/cultural observations, SooFoo for “more like tarps on” (referencing how half-nekkid Cards fans like to call themselves the “Tarps Off” bunch, and there was a rainy delay), sandwiches for “We should play Twinkie Town blackout bingo with how the bullpen f***s up a game. Pretty sure we’d have a blackout already on the bingo card and by drowning our sorrows,” then Matt for “what is this Morris nonsense… get Lawrence out there, I want the Twins to obliterate the unique saves record”
Thanks to everybody who joined in; it was a long night!
Tomorrow’s game is at 1:10, featuring one Matthew Liberatore against our own Connor Prielipp. Catch ya next time!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 12: Tanner Bibee #28 and Patrick Bailey #16 of the Cleveland Guardians fist-bump after Bibee struck out Riley Greene of the Detroit Tigers to end the top of the sixth inning at Progressive Field on June 12, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is going to be a much cheerier recap than my last one, for obvious reasons. Feels like the Guardians haven’t played many truly well-rounded complete games recently, and tonight was a sterling example of what that looks like for this iteration of the club. Great starting pitching which, in turn, limits the amount of damage the middle/non-Cade relievers can do, and just enough offense.
Guardians got the scoring started with a 2-out rally (kinda) in the 2nd. Hoskins hit a leadoff double, which was promptly followed by back-to-back flyouts — neither of which advanced him to 3rd. But, as you might expect, Bailey drove in Hoskins with an RBI single and Rocchio drove in Bailey with an RBI triple (why not?).
The Tigers fought right back in the 3rd with a James Outman (who, if you missed it, was picked up by the Tigers yesterday) solo homer.
It was pretty quiet until the 6th, when Kwan drove in Angel with an RBI single (Angel doubled).
Bibee was through 7 and came out for the 8th, but gave up a solo homer to Torkelson. He was pulled after that. His final line was 7+ IP 2H 2ER 8K 2BB.
Flaherty, who started for the Tigers, was pulled after the 3rd. He had an awkward tumble in the 2nd, but came back out in new cleats for the 3rd. He seems to have been pulled due to some foot/lower leg injury.
Gaddis pitched a scoreless 8th, and Cade slammed the door in the 9th.
Jun 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) reacts after striking out with the bases loaded in the second inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
A loss in the first game of the season against the New York Mets was bad for the Atlanta Braves.
The loss of Spencer Strider to right arm soreness during his start was worse.
Strider’s departure after his fastball plummeted to 88-89 mph in the fourth inning overshadowed Atlanta’s 7-5 loss in Queens, N.Y. Friday night.
Mind you, it wasn’t a good start before the velocity dropped for Strider, who allowed a season-high seven runs on six hits — including three home runs — in three-plus innings.
But the optics of another apparent arm injury for a player who has been plagued by them of late are much worse than just a bad start, looming over a starting rotation which should get healthier in the coming weeks and months but isn’t quite there yet.
It didn’t seem the Braves were going to be in a competitive game when Strider exited in a 6-2 game which quickly became 7-2 when an inherited runner scored. Bo Bichette and Juan Soto hit back-to-back homers in the first off Strider.
After Atlanta scored two of its own in the second — before failing to take the lead with the bases loaded and no outs — the Mets reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning on another Bichette homer, this one a wall-scraping grand slam.
Credit to JR Ritchie, who was tasked with a bulk-relief appearance in his return to the major league level, for stabilizing things. He allowed the inherited run from Strider on a single to the first batter he faced and then a Bichette sacrifice fly for his sixth RBI.
But from there, Ritchie was dominant the rest of the way, allowing just one more hit and two walks over five total innings of work, striking out five. He did it on just 73 pitches, a promising response after his pitch count would often get a bit elevated in his first stint with the Braves earlier this season.
That shutdown from the rookie allowed the Braves to chip into the deficit. They got a run back in the fifth on a solo homer from Matt Olson, his 20th of the season. They got two more in the eighth on RBI singles from Ozzie Albies (team-high two hits and two runs) and Eli White.
They brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth in the form of pinch hitter Rowdy Tellez, who popped out to strand two, and brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth after Mauricio Dubon worked a 14-pitch at-bat that ended with a single.
But Michael Harris II and Olson each struck out to strand Dubon and end the game short of what would have been a morale-boosting victory given the circumstances.
Instead, it was the Braves’ third straight loss, just their second three-game losing streak of the season and the first since April 4-6. They’ll look to avoid their first four-game losing streak of the season Saturday night when Martin Perez (4-3, 3.02 ERA) to the mound against a TBD pitcher for New York.
Bo Bichette hit two home runs and tied a career-high with six RBI and Devin Williams delivered a four-out save as the Mets hung on for a 7-5 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Citi Field.
New York (31-38) grabbed the first of 13 matchups with Atlanta (45-24), and improved to .500 at home on the year.
Here are the key takeaways...
- The Mets jumped on Braves starter Spencer Strider early as Bichette launched a hanging slider at the top of the zone deep to left for a solo shot. The 0-2 offering was smacked (102.6 mph off the bat) and went 383 feet for his seventh of the season.
Juan Soto followed up by cranking a 97 mph fastball at the top of the zone out to right field to make it back-to-back one-out homers. Soto's blast, his 15th of the year, went 382 feet (109.1 mph). It was the second-straight game that the Mets hit two home runs in the bottom of the first inning.
- MJ Melendez ripped a double into the right-field corner and that started a little two-out push in the second as Luis Torrens got a fortunate infield hit on a ball that tipped off Strider’s glove before Carson Benge was plunked on the elbow to load the bases.
After ex-Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner went out for a visit, Bichette capitalized, smacking a fastball over the plate the other way for a grand slam, just sneaking it over the wall, 341 feet into the corner.
- Melendez worked a walk to start the fourth and that ended Strider’s night as he exited with the trainer due to right arm soreness. JR Ritchie entered in relief and surrendered a single to Torrens to put two men aboard. With one down and runners on the corners, Bichette muscled a sac fly to center to make it 7-2, but that was all the Mets could muster. (Ritchie would do really well to save Atlanta's bullpen with five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks with five strikeouts.)
Soto finished the day 2-for-3 with the solo HR, an intentional walk, and a ripped single into right in the seventh.
Melendez would finish the night 2-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. Torrens would end up 2-for-3.
- McLean shook off the 76-minute rain delay with two strikeouts in a perfect first. But the righty got into trouble in the second: A walk on a full count, an error on a pick-off throw to first, an RBI single, and another walk on a full count brought pitching coach Justin Willard out for a visit. McLean didn’t settle, allowing a full-count RBI single to Mike Yastrzemski to tie the game and issuing another full-count walk to load the bases with nobody down.
McLean then buckled down, getting Austin Wynns swinging, Mauricio Dubón on an infield-fly, and Michael Harris II looking to end a 42-pitch inning.
Again pitching with a lead, McLean got around a one-out single with a 4-6-3 double-play for a quick bounce-back inning. After issuing his fourth full-count walk of the game to start the fourth, he kept Atalanta off the board with two more strikeouts in the process.
But on the warm, muggy night, that was it for the righty: 4.0 innings, two runs on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts on 93 pitches (55 strikes). Before getting the hook, McLean had an animated conversation in the dugout with manager Carlos Mendoza. He later slammed his hat on the bench in frustration.
- Out of the bullpen, Cionel Perez made two nice plays popping off the mound for outs to start the fifth, but left a sinker in the happy zone for MattOlson to smack a lefty-on-lefty homer 399 feet to right-center. Perez got the first out of the sixth before Huascar Brazobán got back-to-back strikeouts to close the inning, and then added two more strikeouts in a perfect seventh.
Brooks Raley allowed a leadoff single to start the eighth, and after a passed ball and groundout, Ozzie Albies poked a run-scoring single up the middle to cut the Mets' lead to three. Raley got pinch-hitter Jorge Mateo swinging, but a breaking ball over the plate to Austin Riley put two in scoring position with a double to left-center.
When Atlanta pinch-hit with Eli White, the Mets turned to Williams for a four-out save. White grounded an 0-2 changeup down the third-base line that Brett Baty knocked down with a dive, but it was an RBI infield hit. But Williams got Rowdy Tellez (the third pinch-hitter of the inning) to pop out to left to end the inning with runners on the corners.
After getting the first out of the ninth on one pitch, the closer lost a 14-pitch battle with Dubón, who singled to right to bring the tying run to the plate. But Williams, pitching for the second straight day and looking for his first four-out save in some time, got Harris swinging on a 94 mph fastball and blew two fastballs past Olson before getting him swinging on a nasty changeup to slam the door.
- Marcus Semien singled and swiped second base with two out in the third, but was left stranded. He finished 1-for-3 with two strikeouts, one looking and one swinging, and a walk.
- Benge finished hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout swinging and a HBP.
- Baty finished 0-for-4 with a strikeout swinging.
- A.J. Ewing went 0-for-4, with a pair of swinging strikeouts.
- Jared Young went hitless in four trips, including a 6-3 double play.
Game MVP: Bo Bichette
The Mets have been waiting for Bichette's bat to get cooking, and a 2-for-3 day with two home runs could be the start of that.
Highlights
A pair of strikeouts in the first inning for Nolan McLean
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JUNE 12: Starting pitcher Luinder Avila #58 of the Kansas City Royals hands the ball over to manager Matt Quatraro #33 as he leaves the game against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium on June 12, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before the Royals took an at-bat in the first inning, they were down 9-0. Before the Astros took their second at-bat, the Royals had made it 9-5. Neither starter made it through the first inning, but the bullpens held it there until the eighth, when the Royals added 3 more to make 9-8. The Astros added a home run in the ninth off of Matt Strahm (naturally) to give us the final score of 10-8.
The big damage in the first inning was done by Yordan Alvarez, who has had a great career but is having perhaps his best season yet at age 28. He belted two home runs in that first inning, a two-run shot followed by a grand slam on his second trip. Christian Walker, having a rebound year, also hit a solo shot in the inning.
The Royals kept the line moving in their half of the first. Carter Jensen led off with a single, Bobby Witt Jr. walked, and Vinnie Pasquantino singled to drive home Carter. Maikel Garcia grounded into a fielder’s choice, Vinnie out at second, but drove in a second run. Jac Caglianone struck out, one of three on the evening, and Salvador Perez swung at a 3-2 pitch below the zone to put runners at second and third. Michael Massey doubled down the right field line to drive in one, then Kameron Misner blooped a single to center to drive in two more. Isaac Collins ripped a single into left, and Kameron Misner made the inexplicable decision to go to third on the plate and was thrown out to end the inning.
And that was it for the scoring until the eighth inning.
Garcia singled to lead off, then Jac struck out again, Salvy singled to center, then Massey went opposite field for an RBI single. The Astros called on lefty reliever Bryan King, and Lane Thomas was tasked with pinch-hitting for Misner, but he struck out. Isaac Collins got hit by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. Carter Jensen took an RBI walk, and Bobby smashed one toward the hole, but Isaac Parades managed to knock it down, keeping the Royals to only an RBI infield single. With the lefty still on the mound, Matt Quatraro went back to his bench to get Starling Marte to pinch-hit for Vinnie Pasquantino. Marte hit a weak grounder to short. Last year, he would have been fast enough to beat that out, and the Royals would have tied the game. Alas, it is 2026, and he was thrown out by a hair.
As previously noted, the Astros got one of those runs back, and Josh Hader came in to close it out, inducing three poorly hit balls from the Royals to end things.
Given how the game started, it’s amazing that KC managed to get all the way back in the game. But, as has been their modus operandi for the past two years, it was just too little, too late.
They’ll try again tomorrow evening. Mike Burrows (5.77 ERA, 9.8% K-BB%) will go against the suddenly sensational Noah Cameron (3.84 ERA, 16.7% K-BB%). The game is scheduled to start at 6:10 p.m. Central time. The USMNT isn’t playing this time, so I have no idea how you might otherwise distract yourself from whatever nonsense the Royals get up to this time.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 12: Blaze Jordan #33 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits an RBI single against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning of his MLB debut at Target Field on June 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Friday night’s game in Minnesota was a turning point of sorts for the St. Louis Cardinals after several roster moves one of which was the debut of Blaze Jordan. He contributed along with a bomb from Alec Burleson, but the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen would blow a lead late as the Minnesota Twins beat the birds Friday night in Minneapolis in a heartbreaker.
It has been a happy habit lately for the St. Louis Cardinals to score early and Friday was no exception. With two outs in the top of the 1st inning, Alec Burleson launched a 95 mph four-seam fastball from Joe Ryan 419 feet way up into the right-center field seats giving St. Louis an early 1-0 lead.
That one-run lead wouldn’t last long as Byron Buxton sent a Kyle Leahy 91 mph slider 425 feet to dead centerfield tying the game 1-1.
There would be two storylines in the top of the 2nd inning and they’re both related. The first was the Major League debut of Blaze Jordan who was called up as Nolan Gorman was sent down. After Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn singled, Jimmy Crooks lined out to center which brought up Blaze Jordan which would lead to several firsts. It was his first Major League at-bat, hit and RBI driving in Masyn Winn and giving the Cardinals their lead back at 2-1. Welcome to the show!
After Blaze Jordan’s hit and RBI, Nathan Church struck out, but JJ Wetherholt picked him up lofting a single over the second baseman’s head upping the Cardinals lead to 3-1. One interesting side note on that play was Blaze Jordan who would have been thrown out at third base, but he smartly ran past second base and didn’t slow down making contact with the shortstop which resulted in interference being called by the umpires, so Blaze was granted third base. He didn’t score when Ivan Herrera grounded out to end the inning, but that was smart baserunning and situational awareness by Jordan.
There was a 29 minute rain delay that interrupted play, but Kyle Leahy returned to the mound anyway. He would give up one run in the bottom of the 5th inning after he surrendered a single to Lewis and a double to Caratini. Two batters later, Lewis would score on an infield single by Gray cutting the St. Louis lead to just one at 3-2. Kyle would continue into the bottom of the 6th, but would run into trouble again. He gave up a leadoff double to Buxton then walked Clemens. Josh Bell then hammered a Kyle Leahy changeup to center for a double tying the game 3-3. Manager Oli Marmol took Kyle out of the game and brought in George Soriano in relief. He would give up a sacrifice fly to center which would score Clemens giving the Twins their first lead of the game at 4-3. Kyle Leahy’s line for the night would be 5 innings giving up 8 hits and 4 earned runs while striking out 5 and walking just 1.
The Cardinals would strike back in the top of the 7th inning. Jimmy Crooks walked to leadoff the inning, but Blaze Jordan was called out looking on a pitch that likely would have been overturned if he had made an ABS appeal. Nelson Velasquez pinch-hit for Nathan Church, but also struck out. JJ Wetherholt then drew a two-out walk on a no-doubt ABS challenge where he was already taking off his gear before the result was even revealed. Ivan Herrera then reached on an infield single which was actually a great grab by the shortstop to keep it from reaching the outfield resulting in a bases-loaded opportunity for the Cardinals with Alec Burleson coming to the plate. He promptly walked on 4 pitches when Twins reliever Eric Orze couldn’t find the strike zone walking in a run and tying the game 4-4. That brought up Jordan Walker who did what the 2026 version of Jordan Walker does. He punished an 85 mph splitter and ripped it into the left field corner which cleared the bases as even Alec Burleson scored all the way from first giving St. Louis a 7-4 lead.
Gordon Graceffo was the Cardinals answer for the start of the 7th inning, but he unfortunately wouldn’t finish it. After Gray grounded out to start the inning, Graceffo walked Keaschall. After Larnach flied out to center, Gordon then walked Buxton which brought up the tying run to the plate. The Cardinals brought in Ryne Stanek who was rudely greeted by Kody Clemens who crushed a 3-run homer into the right field stands tying the game (again) 7-7 in the 7th inning. Bummer.
Never fear. The St. Louis Cardinals relentless approach would star once again in Minnesota in the top of the 8th inning. After Masyn Winn popped out to lead off the Cardinals 8th, Jimmy Crooks singled to center and then advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Twins reliever Gomez. Blaze Jordan would then punch his second hit of the night into right field, but the Twins outfield was playing in and Bryan Torres who pinch-ran for Crooks was stopped at third base. Jose Fermin then whistled a sharp grounder to shortstop Gray for what looked like would be an inning-ending double play, but instead he was unable to get the ball out of his glove resulting in everyone being safe and Torres scoring to give the Cardinals an 8-7 lead.
It was then JJ Wetherholt’s turn as he lanced a single into short left field to load the bases again. Unfortunately, the Cardinals would not get another run on the board after Herrera popped out to second base and Burleson flied out to center. Those missed opportunities would come back to haunt St. Louis big time one half inning later.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, Ryne Stanek delivered a 95 mph four-seam fastball in exactly the place that Royce Lewis was looking for it and he destroyed it 394 feet high up into the left field seats tying the game (again) at 8-8 in the 8th inning. But wait, there’s more. After JJ Wetherholt made a Gold Glove-level play on a hot grounder from Caratini to get him out, Stanek grooved an 87 mph slider to Lee who gave someone 382 feet away in right field a souvenir making it 9-8 Twins. BUMMER.
The Cardinals sent up big bats in the top of the 9th inning as it was Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn representing St. Louis’ last hope. They unfortunately grounded out consecutively 1-2-3 to end a very disappointing night in Minnesota. They’ll try again Saturday afternoon when Matthew Liberatore gets the start for the Cardinals against LHP Connor Prielipp for the Twins. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm central time and the broadcast will be handled by Cardinals.tv.
Surrounded by a raucous crowd at Rate Field, and struggling to find his recently improved command, Sasaki and the Dodgers came unglued in a seven-run fifth inning, letting the game get away from them in an 8-2 loss.
“As a staff, we’ve done a pretty good job of not allowing the huge inning,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Last couple times, in the last four or five games, we’ve given up big numbers. Unfortunately, that happens.”
On Friday night, Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki found himself on the wrong side of it. AP Photo/Melissa Tamez
Even before first pitch, the Dodgers’ night hadn’t started well.
Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup after suffering a knee inflammation injury on Thursday. The makeshift batting order the team was left with included Alex Call in the leadoff spot and Santiago Espinal at DH.
Despite that, the Dodgers had an early 2-1 lead –– bouncing back from a solo home run by Andrew Benintendi in the bottom of the first with a two-run single from Espinal in the second.
By the time the fifth inning was over, however, everything had changed.
Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup after suffering a knee inflammation injury on Thursday. AP Photo/Melissa Tamez
The meltdown started with a walk, one of three Sasaki would issue in the inning as his old command problems reared their ugly head. The young flamethrower wasn’t helped by his defense after that, with Freddie Freeman letting a potential double-play grounder get past him to score the inning’s first run.
With that, the score was tied 2-2. The crowd was whipped into an October-like frenzy. And after former Dodgers prospect Miguel Vargas laced an RBI double off the wall, there was no stopping the shift in momentum.
A pair of two-out walks –– the latter with the bases loaded –– chased Sasaki from the game. Blake Treinen replaced him but yielded a two-run single and a two-run triple.
And even if the Dodgers (44-26) had Ohtani’s bat at that point, the resulting six-run deficit likely still would’ve felt too great.
“I remember a few years back, it was empty, and there was a lot of dismay here on the South Side,” Roberts said of the White Sox. “And now there’s a lot of energy, excitement, they’re in first place. It’s a young, kind of a tough, athletic team.”
The meltdown started with a walk, one of three Sasaki would issue in the inning as his old command problems reared their ugly head. AP Photo/Melissa Tamez
What it means
After making significant strides over the last month, Sasaki still very much remains a work in progress.
On Friday, he struggled to command his breaking pitches, couldn’t get ahead in counts and ultimately couldn’t stop the bleeding once the White Sox (37-31) finally got to him.
His final line: 4 ⅓ innings, seven runs, three walks, four strikeouts –– raising his ERA back to 4.76.
“My offspeed pitch wasn’t really good today,” Sasaki said through an interpreter. “So the third time through the order, I wasn’t able to get ahead in the count, I fell behind. So I couldn’t get those outs easily.”
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About the only reliable performer for the Dodgers on Friday was second baseman Miguel Rojas, who finally seemed to be snapping out of a recent slump.
Rojas went 2-for-4 at the plate, including a double in the second. He also recovered from a slip on the edge of the infield in the bottom of the inning to throw out a runner off balance from his knees.
Who’s not
The Dodgers’ situational offense, especially in the second inning.
Before the White Sox broke it open, the Dodgers had the chance to do the same. Twice, they had the bases loaded against left-handed starter Anthony Kay. But outside of Espinal’s single, they couldn’t take advantage, with Andy Pages (strikeout) and Freeman (flyout) coming up empty for the final two outs of the inning.
After that, a third-inning single from Rojas would be the only other time the Dodgers got a runner on base.
Up next
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (6-4, 2.68 ERA) will be on the mound Saturday against right-hander Sean Burke (3-3, 3.88 ERA). Whether or not Ohtani also returns remains to be seen.
“He just got treated [today],” Roberts said. “So talking to the training staff just right now, I’m optimistic. But I want to get him through tonight, get him here, go through some semblance of a workout, getting his body ready, and then we’ll go from there.”
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 12: Cole Young #2 and Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners walk to the dugout before a game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on June 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mariners 10, Nationals 2
Doing shots during a rain delay: Dominic Canzone, .17 WPA
Shotgun weddings during a rain delay: with apologies to Zack Littell for the rare non-Mariner goat WPA, Zack Littell: -.33 WPA
Jun 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer (4) slides into home safe ahead of the tag from New York Yankees catcher Ali Sánchez (39) during the eighth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Yankees 5 Blue Jays 8
Well, that was a baseball game. It had everything. Life doesn’t get much better. I always say that my two favourite things are a Jays’ win and a Yankees’ loss, and when I can get both in the same game, that’s even better.
Trey Yesavage was not good. 5 innings, 4 hits, 6 walks and 3 strikeouts. He was all around the strikezone but not in it near enough. He has been going through a rough little run. But his ERA is still 3.78, so things aren’t all that bad.
In the first four innings he didn’t give up any runs but:
Walked one it the first.
Loaded the bases on a single and two walks in the second.
Had a clean third.
Walked one in the forth.
The fifth didn’t go as well, double, out, walk, sac fly, home run, and then strikeout.
And he started the sixth, giving up a walk and double. Mason Fluharty came in and allowed both inherited runners to score.
Thankfully, our offense was great today. We scored:
Three in the first: Ernie Clement singled with one out. An out later, Alejandro Kirk doubled him home. Then Kazuma Okamoto homered into the fifth deck. Apparently only the tenth Blue Jay to hit one up there. 111.4 mph, 423 feet. Number 14 on the season.
Two in the second: With two out, Andrés Andrés Giménez was hit by pitch and George Springer homered (not into the fifth deck, but still counts apparently.
Two in the fifth: Springer walked, went to second on a ground out, and scored on a Vlad double down the third base line. Springer scored (he scored a few times today). And Alejandro Kirk singled home Vlad.
One in the eighth: With two out, Springer walked and scored from first on a Clement double (the old guy can still run). It thought Yankees Max Schuemann took a rather circular route to the ball. I don’t know if he could have made the catch but he could have held Clement to a single and held Springer at third.
We had ten hits and four walks. Kirk had three in his first start back from the IL (plus a walk). Clement had two.
The top of the order had a good day for a change. One thru four went 7 for 15 with 4 walks. And it was nice to see George Springer have a good day, the homer and 3 walks.
After Fluharty, our bullpen did a great job:
Braydon Fisher gave up two hits and a walk but got out of the seventh without a run scoring.
Tyler Rogers had a clean eighth.
Louis Varland had a clean ninth, with two strikeouts, for his 12th save. Gotta like a guy with a 0.49 ERA.
Other than that, our defense looked very good. Giménez continues to amaze me with how smooth he is. And the second hardest hit ball of the game was caught by Vlad, on a nice play. I was wondering how you catch a ball moving at 107 mph without breaking bone.
Having Kirk back was huge, he challenged the first pitch of the game, and was right. He did have a passed ball.
Jays of the Day: Kirk (0.16 WPA), Okamoto (0.13), and Springer (0.11). And let’s give one to our bullpen pitchers, Fisher, Rogers and Varland (totaled 0.17 WPA).
Other Award: Yesavage (-0.09). Sorry Trey.
Tomorrow we have a couple of very good pitchers going. Cam Schlittler (7-3, 1.87) vs. Kevin Gausman (4-4, 3.60).
TORONTO — Ryan Weathers is the only member of the Yankees pitching staff that was not in the organization the last time they played here before Friday.
But the left-hander sure looked a lot like the rest of his teammates did over the course of last year when playing north of the border.
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The Blue Jays beat up on Weathers early, taking him deep twice in the first two innings to worsen his home run problem, and then hung on to hand the Yankees an 8-5 loss that snapped their four-game winning streak on Friday night at sold-out Rogers Centre.
Combined with Trey Yesavage blanking the Yankees early, the game had shades of 2025, when Aaron Boone’s club went 1-6 here during the regular season and 0-2 in the AL Division Series.
Weathers, who has now given up nine home runs over his last five starts and 15 overall, lasted just 4 ¹/₃ innings while giving up six runs. He has given up at least five runs in four of his last five starts, with the long ball central to those struggles.
“I’m a competitor, I want to win,” Weathers said. “I’m sick of putting us in a hole right now the last couple outings. It’s not a good feeling. You want to win ballgames as much as you can, so just got to get back to executing pitches better.”
Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning in an MLB game at the Rogers Centre on June 12, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images
The Yankees actually got to Yesavage, who had thrown 11 ¹/₃ shutout innings and given up just three base-runners across two career starts against them (including a dominant performance here in Game 2 of the ALDS), for five runs in five-plus innings. But it proved to be too little, too late, after trailing 5-0 in the fifth inning and 7-3 in the sixth.
To make matters worse, the Yankees lost one of their hottest hitters, Trent Grisham, in the sixth inning. He left the game with right hamstring tightness after taking second on a two-run single that pulled them within 7-5, which could ultimately land him on the injured list.
George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays slides into home plate before the tag from Ali Sánchez #39 of the New York Yankees during the eighth inning. Getty Images
The Yankees later threatened to complete the comeback, loading the bases in the seventh inning before Ryan McMahon flew out to end the threat against reliever Braydon Fisher
“At-bat wise, I thought we had really good at-bats throughout the night against Yesavage and their good pen guys,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Both of the home runs that Weathers gave up on Friday came in 2-2 counts with two outs, once again derailing his outing. He had a simple explanation for the growing problem.
Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) hits an RBI double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning at Rogers Centre. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Bad pitches,” he said. “Just throwing bad pitches. That’s all I got.”
The Blue Jays’ first rally off Weathers began in the bottom of the first, when Ernie Clement reached on a swinging bunt and then took second on a wild pitch with two outs. Yankees killer Alejandro Kirk (3-for-3, walk, two RBIs), in his first game back after missing two months with a broken thumb, drove him in with a double just beyond the reach of Grisham in center field.
Kazuma Okamoto came up next and demolished a down-and-in slider, clobbering the two-run shot to the upper deck in left field for the 3-0 lead. Okamoto became only the 10th player in Blue Jays history to hit a home run to the 500 level, according to the team, though Statcast somehow only estimated it to travel 423 feet.
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In the second inning, Weathers retired the first two batters quickly before hitting No. 9 hitter Andrés Giménez with an errant 96 mph sinker. That brought up George Springer, who crushed a changeup down the middle for another two-run homer that extended the lead to 5-0.
“Stuff’s good, he’s throwing well, just unfortunately some of his mistakes have left the ballpark,” Boone said.
Yesavage had stranded five runners through four innings before the Yankees finally cashed in on a rally in the fifth, capped off by Cody Bellinger’s two-run homer. José Caballero’s double knocked Yesavage out of the game in the sixth, and Grisham’s two-run single pulled the Yankees within 7-5, but that was as close as they got.
“We end up with 10 base-runners against [Yesavage] in five innings,” Boone said, “you take your chances with that.”
Anthony DePino blasted two home runs for Bham, including the walk-off winner. | (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Charlotte Knights 12, Oklahoma City Comets 7 Charlotte overwhelmed the OKC with small ball and some big hits. Ryan Galanie had a big night and continues to be one of the most underrated guys on the Knights, clobbering a home run and an extra-base hit to supply five of the team’s 11 RBIs. Korey Lee and Junior Perez joined Galanie in the slugfest with home runs of their own. Dustin Harris’ persistent singles also helped offset the lineup’s 11 strikeouts and nine left on base.
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) June 13, 2026
Mason Adams got banged up in his first Triple-A appearance of 2026. The Comets knocked three runs off four hits on him, but at least he got five strikeouts in to keep the night from getting completely out of hand. Chase Plymell didn’t provide the immediate backup Adams may have hoped for, living up to his turbulent season with three runs allowed in a frame. Fortunately, the rocky pitching start didn’t matter in the long run, as Charlotte’s five-run seventh took care of the evening.
Let’s be real, the MVP goes to one of these home run sluggers. But which one should it be?
Birmingham Barons 3, Biloxi Shuckers 2 Bham managed to hang on in a game that came down to the wire in Mississippi. Led by Lucas Gordon’s tremendous two-hit, one-run ball in 5 1/3 IP, the Barons clung tight to their pitchers. Phil Fox took over for Gordon in the middle of the sixth inning, blanking Biloxi through the eighth. Surviving off a stingy offense that mustered two runs off three hits was too good to be true, though. After a walk and a wild pitch put a runner on third, Jackson Kelley turned it over to Jonathan Clark, who immediately allowed Biloxi’s Jacob Hurtubise to drive in the tying run with a single down the right field line.
But the Barons have a secret weapon the Shuckers don’t: Anthony DePino.
DePino has been a breakout player this year after surging his way through High-A earlier this year. Leading off the ninth, DePino took the fourth pitch he saw and sent the ball over the left field with a clean swing to walk the Barons off, earning them their 25th win of the season.
Greenville Drive 10, Winston-Salem Dash 5 A rough start from Max Banks set the tone for the rest of the game. Banks lasted four innings but gave up six runs off of six hits, a wild pitch, and an easy solo home run to give the Drive a 6-0 lead by the end of the second. Winston-Salem didn’t accept defeat, though. Center field saw a lot of action today, as Kyle Lodise cut the lead in half in the third with his own moonshot straight away and Arxy Hernandez slammed a solo dinger dead-center, too. By the sixth, the Dash had stormed back to make it a one-run game.
The Dash had their eyes set on a comeback win, but Jake Bockenstedt interrupted the momentum. He entered in the eighth after two clean frames … and put the game out of reach. Although he got unlucky with the Drive finding turning good pitches into hits and a questionable ball-two call that should’ve been a strike, Bockenstedt couldn’t shut the Drive down, and it cost the Dash their 27th loss.
Fredericksburg Nationals 12, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 4 It was an uneventful night for the Kannapolis hitters and pitchers. Kanny’s lineup fumbled around in the batter’s box and field, knocking out just six hits and committing three errors, tired from their recent resurgence to relevance. Javier Mogollón had the best night of all position players, going 2-for-2 with two runs and a stolen base before Matthew Boughton came in to pitch-hit for him. Here’s a tip, Kanny, if there’s one guy carrying the team, you may not want to yank him, no matter how many runs you’re down by.
On the bump, the pitching was just as bad. Alexander Martinez, whose sky-high ERA and control problems have existed since graduating from ACL, had a rocky outing. His five runs, two walks, and two home runs in 3 2/3 innings pretty much drove Kanny out of the game, but Anthony Patterson added fuel to Fredericksburg’s fire by giving up two more runs in his relief appearance. The game was clearly over by the seventh, but the Nats made sure to punctuate their win with some insurance runs in the ninth to dig the knife in deeper.
DSL Pirates Black 14, DSL White Sox 3 (7 innings) The DSL club endured another woeful loss that left much to be desired from the arms. Franchel Crisostomo was the only pitcher to pitch a full inning without allowing a run. His 2 2/3 innings were the only highlight on the mound, as the bullpen combined for eight runs, seven walks, and only five home runs. The bats were pretty quiet and let the poor pitching drive the night. Fielding errors galore also hurt the Sox more than their quiet bats; five of the Pirates’ 14 can be attributed to fielding errors. Now third from the bottom in the standings, the DSL Sox are slowly running out of time to redeem themselves.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 21, 2026: Will Sanders #43 of the Chicago Cubs throws a pitch during the second inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the San Diego Padres at Sloan Park on March 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Iowa right-hander Connor Noland and catcher Casey Opitz were placed on the development list. Both threw too many innings and need a rest, I guess.
Iowa right-hander Tyler Beede was activated off the development list.
Will Sanders was activated off the injured list just in time after Iowa gave up 20 runs in back-to-back games. Sanders allowed a third-inning solo home run and very little else. Sanders got the win after allowing one run on three hits over five innings. He struck out eight and walked no one.
It was Sanders’ first game for Iowa since April 16.
Gavin Hollowell retired the side in order in the ninth for the save. He struck out one.
DH BJ Murray went 2 for 3 with a double, a triple and a walk. He had three RBI—one on the triple, one on the walk and one on the double.
Center fielder Brett Bateman was 3 for 4 with a walk and two steals. Bateman scored once.
Starter Jace Beck gave the Smokies four scoreless innings. He gave up just two hits and two walks. Beck struck out seven.
The win went to Marino Santy, who surrendered one unearned run on one hit over 2.1 innings. Santy struck out three and walked one.
Center fielder Andy Garriola hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, his 12th on the year. Garriola was 1 for 4 and was hit by a pitch. He scored twice.
Right fielder Alex Ramírez broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning with a two-run home run. Then he added some insurance runs with a three-run home run in the eighth. Ramírez went 2 for 4 with the two home runs and five RBI. He now has seven home runs on the year.
DH Jefferson Rojas stayed hot, going 3 for 5 with a stolen base. He scored once and drove in one.
First baseman Owen Ayers was 2 for 5 with an RBI double in the sixth inning.
Jostin Florentino started, gave up two runs in the top of the first and took the loss. The final line on Florentino was two runs on two hits over three innings. Florentino walked three, hit one batter and struck out four.
Brayden Spears threw the next 3.1 innings and allowed one run on no hits. He struck out six and walked three.
The only South Bend run scored when first baseman Josiah Hartshorn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Hartshorn was 1 for 3.
Wisconsin split their doubleheader tonight, so combined with one Timber Rattlers rain out from last night that won’t be made up, South Bend’s magic number dropped to one tonight despite the loss.
Dominick Reid started this game but left in the second inning with an apparent injury. Reid got the loss after giving up five runs on three hits and four walks over 1.1 innings. Reid struck out one.
The Pelicans managed just three hits, but one of those hits was a two-run home run in the bottom of the first by catcher Logan Poteet. Poteet was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Shortstop Alexis Hernandez went 1 for 2 with a double and three walks and a stolen base. He scored on Poteet’s home run.
SAN FRANCISCO — In celebration of Pride Night, every Giants player wore a rainbow logo on their cap representing the LGBTQ+ community during their 5-1 loss to the Cubs on Friday night.
Starting pitcher Landen Roupp, however, made an alteration seen before by some big league players, inscribing a bible verse in silver adjacent to the rainbow logo.
Reliever J.T. Brubaker followed Roupp’s lead, and left-hander Sam Hentges took the protest a step further by refusing to wear the rainbow cap at all in lieu of the Giants’ traditional orange.
Afterward, Roupp, who suffered the loss, clarified that “there’s no hate at all” behind the gesture.
Giants pitcher Landen Roupp had a Bible verse inscribed on his hat Friday night. John Hefti-Imagn Images
“It’s just what I stand for,” Roupp said. “I believe in God.”
It is not an unprecedented move for one of the many religious members of Major League Baseball to take exception to their team’s Pride night on the grounds that it conflicts with their faith.
The most recent example was Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen, who like Hentges refused to wear the Dodgers’ Pride Night cap earlier this month. Roupp didn’t go that far, but he took a similar action as Clayton Kershaw, who also inscribed the Gen. 9:12-16 verse on his cap.
“It’s something I believe in and I stand firm in that,” Roupp said. “Thankfully we live in a country where we have the freedom to believe what we want.”
In the past, former Giants shortstop Nick Ahmed took the same move, opting for the same passage, Genesis 9:16.
The verse repurposes the rainbow as a symbol of God, stating in part, “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’”
Roupp, in his third major-league season, was raised in rural North Carolina and attended the private Faith Christian School in Rocky Mount before attending UNC Wilmington for college.
In Roupp’s social media, he displays the bible verse Philippians 4:13.
Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen refused to wear the team’s Pride Night hat earlier this month. Getty Images
“The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us,” Roupp said, “and us as believers stand firm in that.”
Despite the apparent show of solidarity from the Giants’ pitching staff, manager Tony Vitello said the topic was “not really” discussed as a group beforehand.
“Just kind of a general knowledge of the individuals [who] have the freedom to do what they think is best,” said Vitello, who wore the Pride cap but didn’t weigh in on the decisions by a handful of his players. “I do think it’s been apparent from Day 1, it’s pretty impressive how the Giants as an organization try to embrace the entire community.”
The Giants have the longest-running Pride celebration of any team in the majors, becoming the first team in professional sports to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game in 1994. They hosted their first official Pride night in 2000 and first incorporated the rainbow flag into their on-field apparel in 2021.
In 2022, they and the Dodgers became the first teams to both wear Pride hats during a game.
Jun 12, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jordan Lawlar (10) scores a run on a single by designated hitter Lujames Groover during the game against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Game Summary
Jordan Lawlar made his return from injury and left his mark all over this game as the Diamondbacks had yet another comeback win. The team had plenty of heavy lifting to do in this one after Eduardo Rodriguez couldn’t find the zone early and ended up not getting out of the third inning, but, just like E-Rod has picked up this team start after start, his teammates were up to the task and returned the favor to E-Rod tonight.
To start with, Eduardo Rodriguez line doesn’t look that bad. My dad text me halfway through the game asking if E-Rod was hurt because it didn’t seem obvious from the box score why he would’ve been pulled. Well, when you throw 40 pitches in the first inning (without somehow allowing any runs to score) and then being at 85 pitches 2 outs into the third inning, you get pulled no matter what the box score looks like. Eduardo’s command was really poor on the night, but at least he was just missing outside the zone and not serving up meatballs in the zone. When the Reds did make contact, with the lone exception of the homer he gave up to Marte, it was pretty soft and harmless.
The bullpen, called upon early and looking to need at least 6.1 innings if they were going to win, answered the bell and then some. Five relievers combined to allow only 2 hits and no runs the rest of the night. They also walked 4 batters, but the Diamondback defense delivered some awesome plays to keep the team in the game, most notably a catch from Lawlar as he ran face-first into the centerfield wall and a vintage Arenado game-saving play on grounder down the third baseline in the 8th. You can see both below:
The offense was quiet for much of the night, and, as Jim kept reminding us after every blown opportunity, they continued to fail with Runners in Scoring Position. The Diamondbacks finished 2/12 with RISP tonight and left 12 LOBsters on the table, but no one is talking about that tonight because they got a couple big hits when it mattered late and it appeared that they dusted off their sprinting shoes and put some pressure on the Reds by stealing 5 bases on the night (a season high per Apple TV). On a night when Ketel and Corbin went 2/9 with a couple Ks and 0 runs or RBI, Jordan Lawlar led the way with 2 hits, 2 SB, 2 RBI on a 2-out knock in the 9th, and he scored the tying run after stealing his way to scoring position in the 6th. Welcome back, Jordan!
Win Probability and Box Score
Outside the Box Score
E-Rod was off to a wobbly start, walking the first 2 batters he faced. The first pitch to the third hitter was ruled a ball but E-Rod challenged the pitch in a rare pitcher challenge and got a called strike. Unfortunately, that didn’t really speed up the at bat as Sal Stewart ended up battling for a 10-pitch AB and really boosted E-Rod’s pitch count. All told, E-Rod walked the bases the loaded and had a full count on the first 4 batters he faced, but didn’t allow any runs by inducing 3 pop-ups. It took 40 pitches for him to get out of the first inning.
Ketel Marte led off the third inning with a double off the wall in left field that I thought for sure was going to just be a little drink single just over the third baseman. Ketel really dug out a low pitch with a flick of his wrists and blasted it over the left fielder. Impressive how strong Ketel is.
Gabi Moreno came up with runners at first and second and bounced to second base and the Reds infielder made a poor decision trying to get Corbin out at second. Corbin was ruled out initially but the D-backs challenged and got the call overturned thanks to Corbin’s speed and hustle.
Man, a lot happening in this third inning! Arenado hit a sac fly with the bases loaded and no outs. The relay from the outfielder hit the cutoff man who pivoted and threw to second base where Gabi was trying to advance to and he looked to be dead to rights, but Gabi made an incredible swim move to avoid the tag!
Jordan Lawlar made an oopsie in his return to the field tonight when he fielded a single in shallow center and tried to get the runner going to third. The runner would’ve been safe easily anyway, but the throw hopped short of Arenado and ended up bouncing off his glove and into the dugout which resulted in a free run for Cincy.
Jordan Lawlar made a fantastic grab in the fourth inning to turn a double into an out. He ran full tilt to the warning track and reached up above his head to make the catch just before he faceplanted into the wall with his arms still above his head. The collision knocked his cap off and forced him to the ground, but he got up with a smile on his face and the ball still in his glove. Great play.
Jordan Lawlar reached base on a HBP in the 6th, then stole 2nd easily (no small feat on a fastball right down the middle) and scored the tying run at the time on a Groover single up the middle. Finally, some speed and youth making an impact.
Nolan Arenado snared a hot shot short hop with the go ahead run at second in the 7th inning, making a nice play to retire the side. Arenado’s bat has been up-and-down, but his glove has been wonderful all year long.
The Rattle did its job in the top of the 8th. With 2 outs, Lawlar singled and Groover and Waldy walked to load the bases for Ketel and he went down looking on 3 pitches, with the last pitch being a called ball overturned to a strike upon Challenge.
Geraldo Perdomo made a very smart play in the bottom of the 8th when he got a chopper deep in the hole between 2nd and 3rd. With a speedy runner on first and another hustling out the batter’s box, Domo didn’t even think about trying to get the lead runner and went straight to first to barely get the 2nd out of the inning. That play set up an intentional walk before Ginkel could go after the right-handed hitting McLain. Ginkel got McLain to hit a grounder but it was well-placed right down the third base line. Unfortunately for him, Nolan Arenado mans the hot corner for us and he made a vintage Arenado play, reaching a ball on the foul side of third base and throwing back across his body where Ildermaro made an equally impressive stretch to keep the game tied.
Apple TV broadcast had a good note late in the broadcast: 4 stolen bases tonight by the Diamondbacks is a season high. Then, on cue, Gabi Moreno got our 5th steal of the night.
Terry Francona made an odd managerial decision in the 9th inning. With 2 outs and a base open to walk Ildemaro Vargas and face Geraldo Perdomo. Domo worked a long AB, but it nearly worked out for Francona and the Reds when Gerry lifted a ball into medium depth left field. Fortunately the left fielder made a bad read and ended up clanking the ball off his glove to allow the go-ahead run to score. Then Jordan Lawlar broke the game open with a 2-run single right behind that.
Comment of the Game
The GameDay Thread was definitely light early on tonight, but with the early start, Apple TV broadcast, and US World Cup match going on, I understand completely. As the game stayed close late, the comment count kept growing and finished with a final tally of 296 comments at time of publishing. COTG tonight goes to Sigborg for his highly rec’d comment about recs.
Coming Up
The Diamondbacks face the Reds for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow afternoon with a 1:10pm first pitch Arizona time. Righthander Rhett Lowder (3-3, 5.01 ERA) will take the mound for Cincinnati and Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.28 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys. Hopefully Soroka is his normal self and can give the team 6-7 innings so the bullpen and get a breather.
