Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Padres:
Let’s talk about it.
Gamethread 5/26: Phillies at Padres
Takeaways as Phillies hammer heaters, Aaron Nola mixes up Padres in victory
Takeaways as Phillies hammer heaters, Aaron Nola mixes up Padres in victory originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
SAN DIEGO — You could probably hear the ball off the Phillies’ bats if you were anywhere near Southern California on Tuesday.
Philadelphia played its version of a home run derby against Padres starter Randy Vásquez at Petco Park. The long ball has carried the Phillies in San Diego, and it was again the biggest difference in their 4-3 win over the Padres.
The Phillies also received another strong performance from their starting pitcher, their fifth in a row. This one was arguably the most important.
Aaron Nola, who entered with a 6.01 ERA, delivered one of his best outings of the season.
Six innings. Three hits. Two runs. No walks. Five strikeouts.
Homers and strong starting pitching will win you plenty of games. Just ask the Phillies since they made it out west.
BACK ON TRACKNOLS
Nola showed he still has the stuff. Sure, the Padres have been one of the worst offenses in baseball despite their strong start. But Nola’s sequencing needed refinement, and it was.
The way he will be successful going forward starts with favoring his knuckle curve in any count. For the second consecutive start, Nola threw that pitch more often on the first pitch than any other in his mix, and he was efficient with it at a 63 percent strike rate.
He generated a 39 percent whiff rate with the pitch and got hitters to expand the zone against it more than a third of the time.
Against a predominantly right-handed lineup, Nola was able to mix and match his four-seamer and sinker. He threw the sinker more than usual, using it 24 percent of the time, five percentage points above his season average. His four-seam usage dropped 10 percentage points, due in part to there being just two lefties in the Padres’ order.
Of the heaters put in play, six resulted in contact, and only two were hard-hit. The average exit velocity sat around 76 mph.
That mattered. Opponents were hitting .417 against Nola’s four-seamer entering the night. Right-handed batters were also hitting north of .400 against his sinker.
The lone blemish on his night was Manny Machado’s fourth-inning two-run shot. It probably should not have happened.
A pitch earlier, Gavin Sheets hit a ball 84 mph that skipped off Trea Turner’s mitt. There were two outs. It was scored a hit, but it was certainly a play Turner is capable of making.
On the very next pitch, Machado, who has had a down season to this point, was sitting on something in. He got a sinker on the inner black and left the yard with it.
But Nola remained unfazed the rest of the way.
In the sixth, he allowed another two-out hit, which brought the left-handed Sheets to the plate. That has been a matchup Nola has struggled with this season.
This time, he handled it. He started Sheets with two knuckle curves, both whiffs, then finished him with a 93.7 mph four-seamer off the plate.
A huge punchout and an exclamation point on an encouraging night for the Phillies right-hander.
LOUD CONTACT
Since Don Mattingly took over for Rob Thomson on April 28, the Phillies have been much better against fastballs.
Before the managerial change, the club slashed .247/.332/.395 against all heaters. Since then, they are at .270/.349/.470.
That turnaround has directly tied into their overall improvement at the plate. The Phillies actually averaged a higher exit velocity against fastballs before Thomson was let go, but their batting average on balls in play against those pitches has jumped nearly 30 points.
Tuesday’s exit velocities made that improvement look loud.
Three of their eight hits left the yard, all against Vásquez. And they were scorched.
In the first inning, Bryce Harper got ahead 2-1 and got a low-and-in cutter from the Padres right-hander. Harper golfed a line shot into the right-field seats.
It left the bat at 113.5 mph, his hardest-hit ball of the season. That came a night after he drove a ball to the center-field wall, just missing a homer.
Harper made this one count.
The next homer came the following inning. In the second, J.T. Realmuto got ahead 1-0, then mashed a low-and-in cutter, just like Harper, into the first few rows in left field.
That one left the bat at 109.3 mph, Realmuto’s hardest-hit ball of the year and his first homer since April 1.
Good things came in threes.
In the third, Turner, batting second behind Kyle Schwarber, got a much-needed get-right swing.
This one was not a mistake over the middle. It was a sinking fastball that missed about two to three ball widths above the zone, up and in. Turner tomahawked it into the Western Metal Supply Co. building.
434 feet. 109.1 mph off the bat.
All three were solo shots, and they paired perfectly with Nola’s outing.
MARSH LEAVES
In the top of the first, after Harper’s solo shot, Brandon Marsh lined a single from the cleanup spot.
He was later back-picked by Padres catcher Freddy Fermin to end the frame.
Marsh looked like he was in pain after the play, stretching out his fingers near first base. He jammed his right hand on the bag, the hand not protected by the sliding mitt.
The Phillies later announced that Marsh sprained his right middle finger and would undergo further testing.
That is a situation worth watching.
Marsh has been the Phillies’ best pure hitter to this point, batting .326, third best in baseball.
If Marsh misses extended time, Edmundo Sosa would likely see more opportunities in left field. Otto Kemp could factor in, too. It could also make the Phillies more urgent in their search for outfield help ahead of the Trade Deadline.
Not great news for a player who has been one of the most consistent bats in their lineup.
SUCCESS AGAINST RIGHTIES
It is remarkable how different the Phillies have been against right-handed starters compared to lefties.
They are now 21-14 against right-handed starters. Against left-handed non-openers, they are 4-12.
Tuesday’s win put an exclamation point on that disparity. The Phillies hit three homers off a right-handed starter, got a strong outing from Nola and secured another important series win.
That gap against righties and lefties could also help shape the front office’s thinking as the Trade Deadline gets closer.
Either way, after back-to-back series losses following six straight series wins, the Phillies picked up a big series victory in San Diego. They remain in the thick of the National League Wild Card race and are again nine games back of the top spot in the division.
Astros vs. Rangers Game Thread: Game 56, 5/26/2026
TONIGHT’S GAME: Tonight, the Houston Astros (24-31) and Texas Rangers (24-29) will play the 2nd game of a 4-game series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
RHP Jason Alexander (1-0, 7.30 ERA) will make his 2nd start and 4th app. of the season for the Astros as he takes on Rangers RHP Jack Leiter (1-4, 4.61 ERA). Tonight will be Alexander’s 1st career appearance at Globe Life Field.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT: In his last start, RHP Jason Alexander hurled 6.0 scoreless innings on May 19 at MIN in what was an emergency start.
Alexander, who has spent most of the season at Triple A Sugar Land, will make his 2nd start and 4th appearance of the season tonight. It is also his 2nd career start/appearance vs. TEX.
Remarkable Run: In 2025, Alexander had a remarkable run while in the Astros rotation. In a span of 9 starts, the Astros went 9-0, with Alexander posting a 2.32 ERA in that span (July 29-Sept. 15).
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: In the first installment of the Silver Boot series in 2026, the Astros took 2 out of 3 from Rangers, May 15-17 at Daikin Park.
With last night’s win, HOU has now won 6 of their last 7 games vs. TEX.
Even Series: The two clubs have played each other 296 times in the regular season in their franchise histories, with the Astros holding a slight advantage, 149-147.
Recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 96-52 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
The Silver Boot Trophy, which the Astros have held onto since 2017, is on display in the Centerfield Team Store at Daikin Park.
200 CLUB: The Astros next win will be #200 for manager Joe Espada. Espada’s very first managerial win came via a no-hitter by RHP Ronel Blanco on April 1, 2024.
ROSTER MOVE: The Astros optioned OF Zach Cole to Triple A Sugar Land following last night’s game.
To take his place on the active roster, the Astros reinstated OF Taylor Trammell from the 10-day IL today. Trammell is in the lineup today, batting 5th and playing LF.
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 4 straight, 5 of their last 6 and are 7-3 in their last 10 games.
BLANKINGS: Last night’s 9-0, no-hit win at TEX was the Astros 6th shutout of the season, which is T-2nd most in the AL.
FOR STARTERS: Astros starters have a combined ERA of 2.14 (13ER/54.2IP) over the last 10 games.
Last night was the 4th time in the last 6 games that an Astros starter did not allow a run in his start. Additionally, Astros starters have allowed no runs 5 times in the last 10 games.
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker is on a sizzling run as of late with 3 HR and 9 RBI in hits last 3 games (5×11, .455).
For the season, he has been one of the top hitters in the AL and is currently tied for the league lead in RBI with 40.
He also ranks 6th in HR (15), 5th in TB (108), T6th in SLG (.540) and 11th in OPS (.879).
Walker also has not committed an error in his 55 games played.
THROWING SOME LEATHER: The Astros 19 errors as a club are tied for the fewest in the AL, along with KC and ATH. The Astros have a .990 team fielding pct.
PEN PALS: As a group, the Astros bullpen has had a decent run of success recently.
Since May 8, they have a combined ERA of 3.25 (20ER/55.1IP).
Individually, several relievers are currently pitching well:
–RHP Bryan Abreu: 0.00 ERA in last 8 outings (7.2 IP, 0 R).
–AJ Blubaugh: 3.14 ERA in last 9 outings (14.1 IP, 5 ER).
–LHP Bryan King: 1.42 ERA in last 10 outings (12.2 IP, 2 ER)
–LHP Steven Okert: 9 K’s in his last 5.2 IP (6 apps.) and a 2.89 ERA in his last 10 outings (9.1 IP, 3 ER).
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros have been one of the AL’s top hitting teams on the road in 2026.
Entering today’s game, HOU leads the AL in road batting avg. (.265) and OBP (.335) while ranking 2nd in runs (134), SLG (.417) and OPS (.757).
YESTERDAY’S NO-NO:RHP Tatsuya Imai (6 IP), LHP Steven Okert (1.0 IP) and RHP Alimber Santa (2.0 IP) combined to no-hit the Rangers last night, 9-0.
It was the 18th no-hitter in franchise history (incl. postseason) and the 5th combined no-hitter in franchise history.
Christian Walker (3-run HR), Yordan Alvarez (solo HR) and Nick Allen (2 H, 2 RBI) led the way on offense.
ABOUT THE NO-NO: *In franchise history, it was the 17th regular season no-hitter and the 18th overall. The last was thrown by RHP Ronel Blanco on April 1, 2024 vs. TOR.
*It was the 5th combined no-hitter in Astros history and the 1st since Nov. 2, 2022 at PHI, which was Game 4 of the World Series.
*Per Elias, RHP Alimber Santa became the 1st pitcher since 1900 to pitch in a no-hitter in his ML debut. According to their records, it happened one other time, which was on Oct. 15 of 1892, when RHP Bumpus Jones of CIN hurled a 9.0 inning CG no-hitter in his ML debut.
*Last night’s no-hitter was the Astros’ 7th since 2019, which is the most in the Majors in that span. Additionally, the Astros 18 no-hitters overall are the most in the Majors since the franchise was born in 1962.
*The Astros are the 3rd team ever to have 2 rookies as part of a combined no-hitter. The other teams were the Cubs, 9/4/24 vs. PIT (Porter Hodge, Shota Imanaga) and Mariners, 6/8/12 vs. LA (Lucas Luetge, Stephen Pryor). source: Elias.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, May 26, 7:05 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Game Thread: Twins (26-28) at White Sox (27-26)
The White Sox brought themselves back to a game above .500 after a rough road trip, and will aim to defeat the Minnesota Twins for the eighth time in a row tonight. Sean Burke had himself an excellent April — 2.73 ERA in 29 2/3 innings — but has fallen flat this month, holding a 5.59 ERA in May across 19 1/3 frames. The righty still has plenty of positives: a walk rate in the 84th percentile (6.3%), a solid 33.1% whiff rate, and limiting barrels to 6.3% of the time, 22% less than the MLB average (8.1%).
It would be most ideal if the offense could back Burke up with some insurance runs, but the South Siders will have to face a tough opponent with righthander Joe Ryan on the mound for Minnesota. Ryan might be able to exploit his strong 27.1% strikeout rate since the Good Guys hold the second-highest K% in all of baseball (24.5%). I, however, would prefer if they could take advantage of Ryan’s 10.2% average barrel rate, which ranks in the 23rd percentile in MLB, as the White Sox have posted the fifth-best barrel rate at 9.8% and are tied with the Braves for second in team home runs (72).
Speaking of homers, three of the first four guys in the lineup account for 60% (43) of the team’s 72 bombs: Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery. Players like Sam Antonacci and Chase Meidroth help balance out the lineup at the top and middle of the order with their ability to get on base, and both hold the highest batting averages on the team (minimum 60 plate appearances). And I’d be remiss not to mention newly arrived prospect Rikuu Nishida, who so far only has three at-bats but was a significant part of Monday’s win with his excellent defense and positive energy.
Ryan is 3-3 on the season in 11 starts (56 2/3 innings) with a 3.02 ERA, though his FIP is closer to a 2.50, potentially due to very mediocre defense from the Twins, who are tied with the White Sox and Tigers for eighth-most errors in baseball (28).
The Twins might have traded everyone away last year, but they still have some decent power in their lineup, especially at the top of the order with Byron Buxton and Brooks Lee. Buxton is slugging .579 with a .901 OPS this season, and has previously hit a home run off of Burke. Lee was the one who struck yesterday with a homer in the first off of Anthony Kay, but hopefully, Burke can shut him down today.
First pitch on the South Side at the Rate will take place at 6:40 p.m. CT on a beautiful evening, with temperatures around 77º at game time. Tune in to the usual broadcast locations: either CHSN (TV) or ESPN Chicago AM 1000 (radio). Time for back-to-back Ws!
Gabe Speier activated from injured list in Mariners bullpen relief
The Seattle Mariners announced Tuesday that they have activated LHP Gabe Speier off the 15-day injured list for pitchers, optioning RHP Nick Davila in a corresponding move. Speier had joined the ballclub in Sacramento following rehab stints in Everett and Tacoma. The southpaw has been a core part of the back end of Seattle’s bullpen once again, with a 2.92/3.64 ERA/FIP in 12.1 frames across 15 appearances. To some degree, Speier has perhaps shown the symptoms of a career-high workload in 2025, where he made 83 appearances across the regular season and playoffs, a total of 69.1 innings. His peripherals, namely strikeouts and walks, haven’t yet matched his usual pace as a Mariner, however the shoulder troubles that took him to the injured list may have played a role there.
It’s a tough beat for Davila, who may rightly be miffed to take the train back to T-Town. The 27 year old rookie did not yield a run in 7.1 frames across seven outings, albeit almost exclusively low-leverage. Davila’s 0.00 ERA is belied somewhat by a 4.43 FIP and just four punchouts to six walks. Still, he not only dutifully covered several innings in his first big league cup of coffee, but worked his way out of trouble each time. He’ll be near the top of the list the next time the bullpen needs reinforcements.
Game Discussion for St. Louis Cardinals vs Milwaukee Brewers Tuesday
After losing to the Milwaukee Brewers on Memorial Day Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals will try again on Tuesday night as Michael McGreevy will start for the good guys while Kyle Harrison takes the mound for the villains. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40pm at American Family Field in Milwaukee and will be watchable on Cardinals.tv.
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Game 55 Thread: Royals vs. Yankees
Things are really bleak right now. The Kansas City Royals have five wins since May 6. The New York Yankees, and their many fans, are in town looking for their fifth consecutive win against the Royals this year. That’s underselling it, actually; the Yankees have defeated the Royals in the last 11 consecutive regular season games dating back to 2024. And, oh yeah, the Yankees are sending Cam Schlittler to the mound. The 25-year-old righty leads the American League in pitching Wins Above Replacement with a 1.50 ERA. He’s nasty nasty.
You know what that means, right? The Royals are probably gonna score, like, eight runs out of nowhere. It’s either that or zero runs. No in between.
Of course, it may not matter. The Royals are sending Bailey Falter out there, who has been…less than stellar this season. Less than stellar as a Royal, really. Afterwards, it’ll be a bullpen game. The chances for an Aaron Judge home run seem greater than 100%.
But you don’t play baseball in a spreadsheet. You play it on a field. And the Royals can’t lose against the Yankees forever. Right? Right????
Yankees 5/26 lineup
Royals 5/26 lineup
Mets vs. Reds: Lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 5/26/26
Mets Lineup
- Carson Benge – RF
- Bo Bichette – SS
- Juan Soto – DH
- A.J. Ewing – CF
- Jared Young – 1B
- Brett Baty – 3B
- Marcus Semien – 2B
- MJ Melendez – LF
- Luis Torrens – C
David Peterson – LHP
Reds Lineup
- Blake Dunn – RF
- Elly De La Cruz – SS
- Sal Stewart – DH
- Spencer Steer – 1B
- Eugenio Suarez – 3B
- Dane Myers – CF
- JJ Bleday – LF
- Tyler Stephenson – C
- Matt McLain – 2B
Chase Burns – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: WEPN 1050AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2
Game 54 Game Day Thread – Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers
Houston Astros @ Texas Rangers
Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 7:05 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
RHP Jason Alexander vs. RHP Jack Leiter
Go Rangers!
New York Yankees @ Kansas City Royals: Cam Schlittler vs. Bailey Falter
On the heels of a brutal 4-10 skid that dropped them 5.5 games back of the Rays for first place in the AL East, the Yankees pulled consecutive victories out of a hat, winning both in the ninth. The latter win came yesterday against the Royals, with embattled shortstop Anthony Volpe lining a two-run single off closer Lucas Erceg to flip a deficit into a lead.
With a chance to win the three-game set today, the Yankees will hand the ball to Cam Schlittler. Despite an array of more decorated arms in the team’s rotation, it’s Schlittler who’s pitched like the team’s ace, recording an MLB-best 1.50 ERA through 11 starts while shooting to the top of most AL Cy Young odds boards. His last time out, the 25-year-old allowed more than one earned run for the first time in over a month, holding the Blue Jays to two over six innings while taking his second loss of the season. Schlittler throws some form of fastball more than 90 percent of the time, and for good reason; opponents are hitting below the Mendoza line against each of his four-seamer, his cutter, and his sinker.
He’s lined up to face Bailey Falter. The southpaw struggled upon joining the Royals at last year’s Trade Deadline and began 2026 in the bullpen. After allowing five runs in his first two outings, though, he was sent down to Triple-A Omaha, where he pitched well enough to get recalled in mid-May. Falter made his first start of the year last Tuesday, going just two innings to kick off a bullpen game. Expect something similar today, since he hasn’t thrown as many as 50 pitches all year and is not stretched out to handle a starter’s workload. Falter pitches off his four-seamer, which he’s thrown more than 60 percent of the time and against which opponents are hitting a brutal .500.
Kansas City will run out the same lineup for the fourth game in a row (outside of swapping Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen between catcher and DH). It’s a group that’s struggled to get going, scoring the sixth-fewest runs in baseball. Against the lefty Falter, the Yankees will start Amed Rosario at third, while Volpe gets the nod over José Caballero at short. Ben Rice, who’s just 5-for-37 of late, will drop to fifth for the first time since April 18th. He’s at DH with the lefty-mashing Paul Goldschmidt at first base and cleanup.
How to watch:
Location: Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City, MO
First pitch: 7:40 pm EDT
TV Broadcast: YES Network | Royals.TV
Radio Broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | 96.5 The Fan, Royals Radio Network (KC)
Online Stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
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Tampa Bay Rays sign veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel to shore up bullpen
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays signed right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel to a major league contract on Tuesday to shore up their bullpen.
The Rays placed right-hander Jesse Scholtens on the 15-day injured list with a right wrist strain to make room for Kimbrel on the active roster.
The New York Mets designated Kimbrel for assignment on Friday after the nine-time All-Star allowed 10 runs over 15 innings in 14 appearances. He signed a free agent contract with the team in January.
The 37-year-old Kimbrel has 440 saves with 10 teams in his 17-year career. He won a World Series with Boston in 2018 and was the 2011 NL rookie of the year.
The Rays have the AL’s best record at 34-17, but their bullpen’s ERA of 4.40 is 21st in the majors.
Game 55: Twins at White Sox
First Pitch: 6:40 PM CDT
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App, LosTwins.com
Know thine enemy:South Side Sox
Today’s pitching match-up will be Joe Ryan vs. Sean Burke. Ryan has been great lately, with just a single run allowed in each of his last 3 starts. Meanwhile, Burke has been struggling, with 12 ER allowed in his last 13.1 innings.
GameThread: Tigers vs. Angels, 6:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (21-33) vs. Los Angeles Angels (20-34)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Halos Heaven
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (2-3, 3.83 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Kochanowicz (2-3, 4.55 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montero | 9 | 49.1 | 16.3 | 7.1 | 31.8 | 4.22 | 0.6 |
| Kochanowicz | 10 | 57.1 | 16.3 | 11.5 | 56.8 | 4.51 | 0.5 |
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Why Spencer Horwitz is the Pirates most underrated hitter
Much has been made of the Pirates’ new-look offense in 2026.
After posting one of the worst offensive seasons in franchise history last year, the Pirates have blossomed into one of the best lineups in the sport.
Don’t believe it? It’s easy to think after the team finished in the bottom five of most offensive categories, but the numbers don’t lie.
The Pirates are tied for third in hits (8.6), tied for fourth in batting average (.249), fifth in on-base (.331), tied for fifth in runs per game (4.8),and 11th in OPS (.717).
Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, and Konnor Griffin debuting have been considerable reasons why, but the Pirates wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for one of the most underrated players in the National League.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz is exactly what the Pirates need.
A contact-first approach but capable of hitting the ball out of the park, Horwitz isn’t a prototypical first baseman. The Pirates don’t need him to be.
Horwitz is batting .282, third best on the team, and hit leadoff for the Pirates on Sunday and Monday. He’s hit as low as eighth in the lineup, including Tuesday.
Horwitz is tied sixth in the NL with a team-high .389 on-base percentage, trailing All-Stars Brice Trang (.410), James Wood (.405), Shohei Ohtani (.403), Corbin Carroll (.399), and young stars Xavier Edwards (.391) and Drake Baldwin (.389).
He swings a solid bat from the left side, owning a .832 OPS in 149 at-bats. Horwitz struggles against lefties (.190 average) and tends to sit against left-handed starters, but is batting close to .300 (.297) against righties in 128 at-bats.
Horwitz is somewhat of a throwback player who can hit the ball the other way, make solid contact, and doesn’t strike out.
For a lineup that includes Cruz (on pace to record the most strikeouts in franchise history), Reynolds, Lowe, Marcell Ozuna, and Henry Davis, Horwitz’s approach is a necessity to balance the roster construction.
The 28-year-old former Blue Jay is the only Pirate regular to earn more walks (26) than strikeouts (24). Horwitz homered off Dylan Cease in Toronto in the Bucs’ 4-1 win on Sunday afternoon.
Good teams need players like Horwitz who won’t gain significant attention but find a way to come through. He’s hit five home runs and driven in 23.
Baseball Savant adds an additional element to Horwitz’s success, ranking him in the 86th percentile in batting run value.
He doesn’t hit the ball all that hard (17th) or have a good barrel percentage (19th), but squares up the ball (87th) and doesn’t chase poor pitches (77th).
Horwitz ranks in the 94th percentile in whiff percentage and is zigging when the league zags to the three true outcomes. His strikeout (90th) and walk (89th) percentiles are some of the best in the sport.
He won’t hit the ball 440 feet, make flashy defensive plays, or easily score from first on a ball in the gap, but Spencer Horwitz is more valuable than many people think.
If the Pirates are going to climb the difficult NL Central stairway to a playoff bid, Horwitz is going to be a major reason why the Bucs have their most competitive and complete offense in a decade.
Game 53: Braves at Red Sox, Ranger Suarez tries to stop a losing streak
On the most beautiful weather night for baseball so far this year at Fenway Park, Ranger Suarez tries to post yet another beautiful pitching line (he’s already held opponents to zero earned runs in five starts this year).
Lineup wise, the most interesting detail is Mickey Gasper starting at catcher, and while that’s most likely because there’s a righty on the mound for Atlanta and Chad Tracy is slowly working Gasper in behind the plate, the far more compelling explanation would be that it was supposed to be Connor Wong’s turn and he got benched for his embarrassing baserunning in the 9th inning on Sunday.
Speaking of the catcher position, let’s try our new feature where we can embed polls from the feed and ask who should be starting the majority of games there right now:
Here’s the full lineup:
⚾️ First Pitch: 6:45pm — Fenway Park, Boston, MA
📺 TV: NESN
📻 Radio: WEEI