We talked about today’s new already, so all I have to say is please win.
They are already saying the game will be delayed.
Today’s lineup:
Go Jays Go
Game #49 GameThread: Jays @ Yankees
Game #49: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. St. Louis Cardinals, May 20, 2026, 7:45 p.m. ET
Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet-PIT
Pitching Matchup: Carmen Mlodzinski (3-3, 4.40 ERA) vs. Michael McGreevy (3-2, 2.10 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the St. Louis Cardinals looking to grab a win.
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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
Royals vs Red Sox game 50 thread
Stop me if you have heard this one before. The Royals are going into the game tonight looking to avoid getting swept. For the third series in a row, Kansas City is just hoping to salvage one win going into the third game. They cannot fix all of their problems in one game on a Wednesday night, but it would be nice to see them get one from a Boston team that has mostly struggled their way through 2026 as well.
The Royals will send Michael Wacha to the mound to try and get the job done. The 4-2 record and 2.83 ERA are easily the best of any Royals starter so far this season. With all of the pitching injuries that the team has sustained, they need him to have continued success.
Unfortunately, Kansas City is facing yet another left handed starter tonight in Connelly Early. He is a 24 year old rookie with a solid ERA, but peripheral statistics that say he is more a back-end starter. Over his minor league career and last season’s cup of coffee, he routinely had very high strike out rates that have not shown up in early 2026 and are making him more pedestrian. Let’s hope that continues tonight.
The solution to the lineup issues is evidently to give Vinnie Pasquantino a day off and move Salvador Perez up to the three hole? Elias Diaz will be behind the dish with Perez at first.
GAME THREAD: Guardians at Tigers, game 51 of 162
Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Here’s the Tigers lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
Game Thread #47: Milwaukee Brewers (28-18) @ Chicago Cubs (29-20)
The Brewers moved back into first place in the National League Central yesterday when they defeated the Cubs, and they also clinched a series victory in the first set between the two teams this season. Tonight, they aim for a sweep with Kyle Harrison on the mound.
Harrison continued his excellent first season with the Brewers last Thursday when he went five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and zero walks against the Padres in a game that Milwaukee ultimately won 7-1. The only nit to pick in that start was Harrison’s efficiency, as he needed 99 pitches to complete those five innings; he’ll look to improve on that tonight, given that Milwaukee used their entire A bullpen on Tuesday. They’ve got a day off tomorrow, though, so bullpen usage may not be particularly restricted. On the season, Harrison is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA and 2.88 FIP, and he’s striking out over 11 batters per nine innings.
The Cubs will counter with right-hander Edward Cabrera, who they traded top prospect Owen Caissie for in the offseason. Cabrera’s results have been a little mixed this season; he’s done a decent job of keeping his walks at a sustainable level (3.2 per nine, slightly worse than last year but significantly better than his career rate), but he isn’t striking out as many (7.9 per nine, which would be a career low by far). Cabrera’s ERA of 4.06 is slightly worse than league average, but it still outpaces his 4.51 FIP by quite a bit. After back-to-back scoreless starts in his first two appearances of the year, Cabrera hasn’t allowed fewer than three runs in any of his seven starts since (though he’s given up more than three runs only once). Historically, Cabrera has been pretty good against Milwaukee, though: 19 2/3 innings against the Brewers when he was a Marlin, Cabrera had a 2.29 ERA and 20 strikeouts.
One quick roster note before we get to lineups: Peter Strzelecki, who was called up for one day before being designated for assignment, cleared waivers, but elected free agency rather than accept an assignment to Triple-A Nashville.
Milwaukee uses another unique lineup tonight (their 47th in 47 games). This one features David Hamilton at third base, Joey Ortiz in at shortstop against the right-hander, and an outfield of Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick. Andrew Vaughn once again starts on the bench, with Christian Yelich as the designated hitter and Jake Bauers in left field.
First pitch at Wrigley Field is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
GameThread: Tigers vs. Guardians, 6:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (20-29) vs. Cleveland Guardians (28-22)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: TBA vs. RHP Tanner Bibee (0-6, 4.15 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bibee | 10 | 52.0 | 21.2 | 9.0 | 40.5 | 4.27 | 0.7 |
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Washington Nationals vs New York Mets Game Thread
After an emotional win last night, the Nats evened the series with the Mets and got within a game of .500 again. Now, the Nationals can get back to .500 with a win. The best offense in baseball will be facing a kid making his big league debut. Hopefully they can give him a rude awakening.
With a lefty on the mound, Blake Butera will be making some changes to the lineup. Curtis Mead will be in the 2 hole and play third base. Andres Chaparro will make his first start since being recalled, playing first base. Dylan Crews will shift to right field with Jacob Young making his return to the lineup. Keibert Ruiz will be behind the plate in this one. Zack Littell will get the ball after having a nice start against the O’s.
The Mets are also making a few changes. Juan Soto will be playing the field, getting the start in left. A.J. Ewing will be back in the lineup, playing center field. MJ Melendez will start at DH and Hayden Senger will do the catching. Zach Thornton will make his MLB debut tonight. The lefty is a command artist.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 6:45 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Last night was one of the most fun games of the season. Now they will have a chance to follow that up with another good performance. This team is never out of a game with this offense and they will have a chance to face a rookie making his debut tonight. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
24-25 – Rangers shine late to leave gloomy Colorado with series win
The Texas Rangers scored five runs but the Colorado Rockies scored four runs.
In a very the-Rangers-are-quite-strange kind of way, the club almost lost a second consecutive series to a league-worst team despite outscoring them. The Rangers have outscored their opponents 30-17 on their current road trip, but were a couple of outs away from a second consecutive series loss, this time to the now 19-31 Rockies.
After outscoring the Astros nine runs to six, the Rangers outscored Colorado 21-11 in this series only to trail 4-3 into the ninth in the day’s rubber match. Without the ninth inning rally, Texas would have been staring at a most depressing result in the chilly spring drizzle in the Rocky Mountains. Thankfully, the sun is now shining as the Rangers scored two in the ninth to grab the series.
For a while there was worry as the Rangers fell back on old habits with Jack Leiter allowing a two-out RBI single in the first inning after an easy 1-2-3 top of the frame from the Texas bats. Nevertheless, another early deficit was put behind them when the Rangers had a spurt of scoring in the top of the fourth with Ezequiel Duran and Jake Burger hit back-to-back home runs.
Duran’s dong was of the two-run variety and Burger’s gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead with Leiter seemingly settling in. But Leiter’s stuff seemed down even as he got through the next few innings unscathed after the first. In the bottom of the fourth, his command abandoned him completely and he walked in a run. An inning later, he allowed both the tying and go-ahead runs to score.
So, bottom of the fifth and the Rockies take a one-run lead. But it’s the Rockies, and it’s Coors Field. Surely it’s not over right there, right? Well, it sure seemed like it was until in the ninth the Rangers loaded the bases, scored the tying run on a swinging strike passed ball, and then took the lead on a Josh Jung RBI single against a drawn-in infield.
Jacob Latz pitched his second scoreless inning in the bottom ninth for the save and the Rangers are now back to within a game of .500.
Player of the Game: Josh Jung played the hero with the go-ahead RBI in the top of the ninth while also going 3-for-4 overall on the day.
Up Next: The Rangers have the day off tomorrow before starting a series against the Anaheim Angels for the final leg of this current road trip beginning on Friday night in Orange County.
Mariners’ J.P. Crawford open to moving to third base
J.P. Crawford was a late scratch before Wednesday’s series finale against the White Sox, as the triceps issue stemming from a hit by pitch in the last series with the Padres continues to bother him. Pregame he was seen pointing out the sore area to Cole Young, playfully poking the young second baseman in the same spot, before settling in to take his daily defensive drills with Perry Hill.
It’s the kind of leadership and attention to young players Crawford has demonstrated during his entire tenure as a Mariner, something that will intensify when Crawford is able to return to play – although not, perhaps, where Mariners fans are used to seeing him. While going through those drills, Crawford walked to third base instead of his usual position at short.
Per Mariners GM Justin Hollander, Crawford’s agent reached out to him about the possibility of playing third base, saying he wanted to do whatever was necessary to help the team win. Crawford reportedly approached Dan Wilson directly with the same proposition.
Whether you rely on the eye test or on defensive stats, it’s been a struggle for Crawford at shortstop this year. With a Fielding Run Value of -5, Crawford ranks in the bottom five of all defenders in MLB; his Defensive Runs Saved mark of -7 is also bottom-five in the bigs. If you’ve just been relying on the eye test, you’ve seen the throws that have gone off-target at first, most cleaned up by Josh Naylor – not anything that would show up in defensive stats, but uncomfortable nonetheless. Crawford missed time this spring with a lingering shoulder issue, which might be impacting his accuracy. There have been times this season where Crawford’s body language has shown visible disappointment or frustration after making an off-target throw or mishandling a ball. Crawford’s defense has attracted enough negative attention that it’s even been the focus of various segments on the local talk radio stations; it’s fair to call it a noticeable issue.
But it’s not so simple as just pulling Crawford off the position that’s been his for as long as he’s been a Mariner. He’s the Mariners leader in games played at shortstop, surpassing Alex Rodriguez last season, and a future Mariners Hall of Famer. He’s the longest-tenured Mariner, the one they call “Captain,” the steady hand that’s overseen the transition of this team from rebuild to an ALCS appearance.
Now, it seems Crawford is prepared to enter a new phase of his Mariners tenure. If he does take over at third, it will be an echo of the start of his career, when Philadelphia tried to convert him from a primary shortstop to a hybrid shortstop-third baseman. Crawford struggled defensively in Philly, and later said that coming to Seattle to work with Perry Hill “saved his career.” Now, if Crawford transitions to third base, it will be his decision.
If he does take up the mantle at the hot corner, Crawford’s career as a Mariner will likely end mirroring the player who mentored him during his time, one of the best third baseman in Mariners history, Kyle Seager. It’s especially fitting because as Seager poured so much into Crawford as a young player, so does Crawford pay it forward with his young infielders Cole Young and Colt Emerson.
“J.P. is a selfless player,” said Dan Wilson. “He’ll go wherever anybody needs him to go.”
Braves at Marlins chat and discussion: Chris Sale vs. Janson Junk
It’s getting to be that time for the pivotal third game of any four game series. The winner will be in the drivers seat for a series win while the loser will go into tomorrow’s game simply trying to salvage a split. I think we’re all hoping that Chris Sale and the Braves will be able to play themselves into the driver’s seat with a win this evening. We’ll just have to see how it all plays out. Come on down into the comments and join us, why don’t you?
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Curvelo activated, optioned
The Texas Rangers activated pitcher Luis Curvelo from the 15 day injured list and optioned him to AAA Round Rock, the team announced today.
Curvelo started the season in the minors, but was called up a little over a week into the season to join the Rangers’ bullpen. He was placed on the injured list on April 15, and was sent out on a rehab assignment with Round Rock on May 15. The Rangers have apparently decided they do not need him in the major league pen for the time being, so he is officially off the injured list and on the active roster for the Express.
With Chris Martin having been activated from the injured list yesterday, that leaves four pitchers on the major league injured list — lefthanded starting pitchers Cody Bradford and Jordan Montgomery, who are both on the 60 day injured list, and lefty reliever Robert Garcia and righthanded reliever Carter Baumler, who are both on the 15 day injured list.
Mets at Nationals: Lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 5/20/26 – Zach Thornton vs Zack Littell
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Mark Vientos – 1B
MJ Melendez – DH
Brett Baty – 3B
Marcus Semien – 2B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Hayden Senger – C
SP: Zach Thornton – LHP
Nationals lineup
James Wood – DH
Curtis Mead – 3B
Andres Chaparro – 1B
CJ Abrams – SS
Dylan Crews – RF
Daylen Lile – LF
Jacob Young – CF
Nasim Nunez – 2B
Keibert Ruiz – C
SP: Zack Littell – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 6:45pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Game 49: Red Sox vs. Royals, Boston hunts for sweep
TV: NESN
First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
The Red Sox are officially out of last place in the American League East and search for their second sweep of the season. Boston earned wins behind solid starts from Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to start the series. On Wednesday night, Boston sends Connelly Early to the mound in the midst of a solid campaign.
Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate Wednesday night.
The Royals counter with old friend Michael Wacha, who’s pitched well for Kansas City in 2026 to the tune of a 2.83 ERA in nine starts.
Mets expect A.J. Minter to make one more Triple-A rehab start before rejoining team
The Mets bullpen should be getting reinforcement really soon.
Manager Carlos Mendoza spoke with the media ahead of Wednesday's game against the Nationals and gave an update on A.J. Minter, and the news is promising.
"He’s going to pitch one more time in Syracuse, could be Saturday or Sunday, depending on how he recovers from the back-to-back," Mendoza said. "It’s a quick turnaround."
Minter pitched Tuesday night for the Syracuse Mets and struck out one batter in his one inning of work. He was then asked to come in less than 24 hours later for Syracuse's 11 a.m. start and pitched 0.2 innings. He allowed a run on a hit, walk and a hit batter, raising his ERA to 2.70 in Triple-A. However, Mendoza is encouraged by Minter's ability to bounce back so soon.
"The fact that he pitched in an 11 o’clock game today. Shows you that he feels pretty good," Mendoza said. "One more over the weekend, hopefully and we’ll see if he’s in play for us when we get back from Miami."
In seven Triple-A appearances, Minter has allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out three across 6.2 innings.
The Mets will head to Miami after the end of the Nationals series on Thursday before heading home to take on the Reds.
Updates on Polanco and Robert Jr.
Mendoza was asked about the progress of Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. and there wasn't much for the Mets skipper to give.
While Robert Jr. remains shut down from all baseball-related activities, Polanco continues to do so and continues to take batting practice.
Neither seems close to a return.
Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers preview, Wednesday 5/20, 6:40 CT
Wednesday notes…
- THAT THIRD GAME: The Cubs are 32-33 in third games of series at home vs. the Brewers. They are 14-20 after losing second games, including 6-7 after losing the first two. The Cubs last were swept by the Brewers at Wrigley Field on Aug. 10-12, 2021, in a four-game series that began with a doubleheader. This is their 10th series on the North Side since then. It is the second in which the Cubs lost the first two. They lost both games of a doubleheader May 30, 2022, then won the next two days. The Cubs last were swept in three games at home by the Brewers on Sept. 8-10, 2017, which was 20 series ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- RUNS ARE HARD TO COME BY: In their 2-8 funk, the Cubs have scored more than three runs only twice — and they lost one of those games, 9-8, on the South Side on Saturday. In their first 10-game winning streak, the Cubs scored at least four runs in nine games. In their second streak, they did it in eight of 10. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
- AT LEAST ONE RELIEVER IS SOLID: Jacob Webb, last 12 games since April 19: 1.38 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 15 strikeouts and only three walks in 13 innings.
- TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Frank Castillo and three relievers allow four home runs to the Braves in an 18-1 loss in Atlanta. The team has given up that many runs or more only nine times since that game, which happened 30 years ago today, Monday, May 20, 1996.
Cubs lineup:
Brewers lineup:
Edward Cabrera, RHP vs. Kyle Harrison, LHP
Edward Cabrera was going along pretty well this year but his last two starts have been rough. His last start, in particular, was wrecked largely due to walks, which had been a concern in his time in Miami. Hopefully that won’t get worse as the season goes on.
His last start against the Brewers was July 6, 2025 in Miami. He allowed two runs in seven innings and struck out five. We’d take that tonight.
Kyle Harrison, originally a member of the Giants, went to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal and then came to Milwaukee as part of a six-player trade in February.
He’s been very good for the Brewers, allowing no more than two runs in any of his eight starts. He has a good walk rate (just 8.1 percent) and he doesn’t allow the long ball (just three in 38.2 innings).
He has one career relief appearance against the Cubs — he was the guy who pitched the 11th inning May 6, 2025 after Ryan Pressly had that monstrously bad top of the 11th.
Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.
Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.
Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.
Baseball-reference.com game preview
Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Discuss amongst yourselves.
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