MLB News
The Dodgers (57-31) continue their four-game battle against the Padres (43-43) at Dodger Stadium Friday night.
Shohei Ohtani (8-2, 1.58 ERA, 0.90 WHIP) makes his 14th start for the Dodgers in the series opener.
Michael King (5-7, 3.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) toes the rubber for the Friars.
If you’re looking for a place to look at all of the Atlanta Braves’ home runs of the night in their 5-3 win against the New York Mets, you’ve found the place.
Because this might be the turnaround we discussed in the preview, we’re going to do something a little different.
Starting with a quick recap of pitching, tonight wasn’t a great outing from Grant Holmes, but a fair one. Throwing 82 pitches through his five innings pitched, Holmes finished his stat line with five allowed hits and two earned runs (which was a two-run homer from Mets’ Juan Soto).
What does this tell us? Well, not a whole lot on the improvement sector, but at least it’s not a setback.
Ok, before we get to highlights, let’s just acknowledge that though the offense improved, they can’t always rely on the big plays to get them out of a jam, or to get runs on the board in general. At the beginning of the season, the Braves did well combining their small ball strategy with their home runs, but now it seems they can only get ahead if multiple players can go yard.
Regardless, a win is a win, and the home runs were very much needed in tonight’s matchup to click the four-game series off.
So, without further ado, let’s enjoy some homers.
We started with Michael Harris II putting the Braves on the board with a two-run homer.
Ozzie Albies followed up to take back the lead.
It’s not a homer night without adding one from Matt Olson.
And yet another solo shot from him in the bottom of the eighth.
And in that order, the Braves set the tone for a successful game one. Games two through four will need to pick up where they left off, or better yet, surpass tonight’s performance.
It is Friday night.
The Orioles have defeated the Reds, 3-0, to start their road trip off on a good note. Samuel Basallo hit a two-run homer. Gunnar Henderson played dazzling defense. And Tyler Wells earned his first save since 2023. Trevor Rogers struggled with walks but pitched five shutout innings to earn the win. The Reds left 10 batters on, so thanks for that one guys.
You know what must be done.
GIFS!
San Diego Padres (43-43) at Los Angeles Dodgers (57-31), July 3, 2026, 7:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Dodger Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
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Back to the grind – for both the D-backs and me. I’ve returned from a very pleasant week in Wyoming, Mrs. SnakePit and I visiting a friend in Jackson Hole. Expect pics of the places we visited to be appearing in the Gameday Threads for this series! It was a very pleasant trip: the air and scenery up there are both amazing. I also enjoyed the whole de-stressing thing. Getting off social media and, to a large extent, the Internet in general, for a few days is something I highly recommend. It’s tough initially: I kept wanting to reach for my phone. But after a while, I realized life elsewhere was going to continue, regardless of whether or not I was checking in on an hourly basis.
The D-backs went 2-2 in my absence, being swept by the Rays, before taking two of three from the Giants. Though losing even a single game to San Francisco feels like a defeat. That leaves them at a perfectly even 43-43 record, and a tough series beckons against the Brewers, who have the second-best record in all baseball, behind only (and this is my unsurprised face) the Dodgers. This season, LA has scored more runs per game and conceded fewer, than any other team in baseball. Milwaukee, however, are not exactly slouches – by the same metric, they rank fifth- and second-base respectively. Nope, it ain’t going to be easy. One win will be okay. Two? A triumph.
Arizona are still desperately short of production at 1B. Their seasonal OPS is a woeful .559, which remains the worst at the position by any team since 1920. It’s sixty-six points worse than anyone else. Mind you, center field is hardly any better at .587. At least that is ahead of someone: specifically, the Cleveland Guardians, whose CFs are collectively sixteen points below us. Designated Hitter, at .620, completes the trifecta of positional suck, ranked 28th (above the Tigers and Royals). With basically three positions – two of them generally considered offensively minded ones – acting as black holes, it’s kinda impressive the D-backs are still at .500. Whether they will be by Sunday night remains to be seen…
Not satisfied with hosting all these international visitors for the World Cup, Seattle will now tolerate the presence of 30,000 Candians for the annual series against the Blue Jays. The Mariners will look to get a little revenge for their Game 7 loss in last years ALCS, but they’ll have to do it without their star centerfielder. Julio Rodríguez was transferred to the 7-day concussion IL after getting hit in the back of the head by an errant throw on his way to second base last night. Víctor Robles was also taken out of last night’s game after getting hit by a pitch on the forearm, but he is doing OK today and will take Julio’s place in centerfield. Miles Mastrobouni takes Julio’s place on the 26-man (and gets on the 40-man by way of Cooper Criswell being transfered to the 60-day IL).
Sorry for the bad graphic. Elon now wants you logged in to get access to the team’s fancier graphics they post on Twitter. Such are the limits of my service journalism.
Tonight’s starting pitchers will be Dylan Cease for the Jays and Luis Castillo for Seattle. Cease was Tornoto’s big offseason acquisition, and has totally delivered. Rocking the second-lowest ERA, xERA, FIP, and xFIP of his career, Cease is right in the thick of the AL Cy Young conversation as the second half gets rolling. Castillo’s season is unfolding . . . differently.
First Pitch: 7:10 PDT
TV: Simulcast on Mariners TV and over the airwaves on KING 5
Radio: Old reliable
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Late night baseball, especially for you guys out east. I’m going to put the thread up early, mostly so I don’t forget.
There is a little bit of news:
Tonight’s lineups:
Tonight, the Athletics kick off a three-game Independence Day weekend series against the Miami Marlins, who have been arguably the hottest team in baseball, as evidenced by their MLB-best 20-6 record in June. After dropping two of three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week, the A’s will look to bounce back against the Marlins in the second and final series of the team’s latest homestand.
Earlier today, the “Green and Gold” shook up their bullpen, activating Mark Leiter Jr. off the injured list and welcoming back Jose Suarez from the paternity list. The team made room in its bullpen by designating right-handed reliever Geoff Hartlieb and left-hander Matt Krook for assignment. The two journeymen relievers will likely either clear waivers and remain in the organization, most likely at Triple-A Las Vegas, or be claimed by another club.
While Leiter Jr. and Suarez could see action out of the bullpen, they will follow right-hander Jack Perkins, who gets the start for the A’s in the series opener. Perkins enters his 23rd game and sixth start of the season with a 2-3 record, a 6.00 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP and 62 strikeouts across 51 innings.
The 26-year-old delivered his best start of the season in his most recent outing, holding the Los Angeles Angels to two runs on four hits over five innings. Despite pitching well, he received a fourth straight no-decision. Perkins will aim to change that this evening as he chases his first win since April. He will need to keep the ball on the ground, avoid giving up the long ball and work efficiently on the mound.
Here’s the A’s lineup for tonight’s matchup:
This is one of the most interesting lineups the Athletics have used this season. Their two likely All-Stars sit atop the order, with first baseman Nick Kurtz leading off after catcher Shea Langeliers hit first in the A’s previous game.
The middle of the lineup features several players in unfamiliar spots. Slumping right fielder Lawrence Butler will hit third, rather than his usual position closer to the bottom of the order. An injury to starting left fielder Tyler Soderstrom has opened up everyday playing time for Colby Thomas, who gets a rare chance to face a right-handed starter. Designated hitter Carlos Cortes has seen limited action lately amid a prolonged slump at the plate.
For the hosts to emerge victorious, they will need offensive production from these three players, as well as rookies Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and Henry Bolte. Kuroda-Grauer, making his fourth straight start, looks to build on his strong 5-for-11 start to his MLB career.
The A’s offense will face Marlins right-hander Tyler Phillips, who enters his 23rd game and seventh start with a 1-3 record, a 3.02 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP and 50 strikeouts over 65 2/3 innings. The 28-year-old recorded his first MLB win against the A’s when he was on the Phillies in 2024. Last year, Phillips threw three scoreless innings when the “Green and Gold” faced the Marlins in Miami.
The right-hander comes into this outing full of momentum after a 7 1/3-inning, two-run performance in a losing effort against the St. Louis Cardinals. In his start before that, Phillips held the Texas Rangers to two runs over six innings. If Miami’s starter continues pitching this well, the A’s may have trouble scoring runs tonight. However, he could be prone to a letdown outing, especially in the hitter-friendly confines of the A’s home ballpark.
And the Marlins’ starting nine this evening:
The Marlins’ offense contrasts with how the Athletics and many other teams operate. Miami scores much of its runs through speed and small ball rather than home runs. Liam Hicks and Kyle Stowers provide the power, while the middle-infield duo of Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards supply on-base ability and speed.
As a result, Perkins must pitch carefully and avoid leaving pitches over the middle of the plate. His battery mate, Langeliers, will need to help him control the running game and throw out potential base stealers.
Time to start this series on the right foot with a Friday night win. Let’s go A’s!
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Athletics – NBCSCA
A tough run of injuries for the 2026 Mariners continues. The latest blow: Julio Rodríguez is being placed on the 7-day concussion IL after being struck in the back of the head by an errant throw by Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel in Thursday’s game.
Julio initially stayed in the game for the rest of the inning plus a defensive half-inning, but by the time the adrenaline wore off, he was feeling light-headed. He contacted a trainer and was removed from the game in the third inning. Rodríguez came to the park to be evaluated this morning and was still feeling concussion-like symptoms, at which point the team opted to place him on the seven-day concussion IL
“Obviously, with head injuries, you have to be so careful,” said manager Dan Wilson. “Obviously it’s a tough break, but we’ve been through it before here, so we’ll keep grinding away.”
The concussion IL is a minimum stay of seven days, but shouldn’t require any additional rehab beyond that. Rodríguez will be able to return to baseball activities as soon as he feels up to it, although for today, and likely tomorrow, he’s at home and resting.
To take Julio’s place, utility player Miles Mastrobuoni has been selected to the big-league roster. Mastrobuoni was the subject of an unfortunate DFA on June 19 when the team needed another right-handed bat while Randy Arozarena was on the 10-day IL. He cleared waivers and remained with the Mariners, however, and now will rejoin a team that’s suffered more than its fair share of position-player injuries. Mastrobuoni – or “Mister Bunny” as we like to call him around here, thanks to my Otter transcription app, which cannot parse his name – doesn’t help the Mariners with their lefty-heavy problem, a big part of the reason he was DFA’d in the first place, but he does help solve the outfielder problem, at least partially, as he’s more of an outfielder than the righties Buddy Kennedy and Weston Wilson.
In order to make room for Mastrobuoni, RHP Cooper Criswell has been transferred to the 60-day IL with a right shoulder strain (originally this was called a pec strain, but the injury classification has been updated). He’s eligible to return August 8, so still on track for the post All-Star-Break timeline Justin Hollander gave in his last injury update.
Also injured in last night’s arcade shootout game with the Angels were outfielders Victor Robles and Randy Arozarena, who were both hit by pitches. Both are in the lineup today, although Arozarena was seen pregame with kinetic tape wrapped around the sore biceps where he was hit. Robles said pregame he’s feeling “better” – he’ll take over center field duties the majority of the time Julio is out, along with Luke Raley.
While this is a night-owl game at the start of a holiday weekend, there are reasons to tune in. Can Jake Bennett, who looked great against the Yankees, do it again? Can the Red Sox unleash some emotion on the Angels? This is a good time to get something going, in a season that’s running out of chances.
Most importantly, let’s enjoy Willson Contreras while we can. He’s on the field tonight while the appeals process plays out, but unless his suspension is dismissed or shortened, he’s about to go on the shelf for seven games. Longer term, will he still be on the team by this time next month?
All together for Willson, and for Venezuela. ¡Fuerza!
First pitch is at 9:38 PM ET on NESN and WEEI.
The Yankees are in the midst of trying to stop a seven-game losing streak with the Twins in town to begin a three-game series. Minnesota took a quick lead off Gerrit Cole thanks to a solo shot by Kody Clemens, but Yankees leadoff hitter Trent Grisham welcomed himself back from the IL by belting a bomb of his own at the start of the game to tie it at 1-1.
Although Cole has since settled down a bit with two scoreless innings, we must now wait before we get baseball again. They’ve put the tarp on the field at Yankee Stadium with heavy rain expected shortly. The forecast looks like it will clear up in a little while, but for now, it’s a rain delay. I would say that I hope it cools people off on this hot, hot day, but it might just end up being steamy. Alas.
We’ll keep you all posted with any news.
Well, that didn’t take too long! Assuming nothing crazy happens (outside of Cape Verde vs. Argentina anyway), we’ll have baseball again in just a little bit. This delay should hopefully end up being about 50 minutes or so.
So remember in Wednesday’s recap when I said maybe games like this make me reconsider my desire for MLB to have a mercy rule?
Can I take that back?
The Cubs put a +20 on their run differential with Wednesday’s win — and gave 16 of that back Friday afternoon in a 17-1 blowout by the Cardinals.
First, about that blowout loss after the blowout win, from BCB’s JohnW53:
The most runs that the Cubs ever had allowed before in a game immediately after one in which they had scored at least 20 was 10. They lost to the Reds, 10-5, at home on Aug. 14, 1937, one day after winning, 22-6.
So 89 years later, the Cubs pretty much shattered that “record,” for whatever that’s worth.
More from John:
The Cubs’ worst loss ever to the Cardinals was by 18 runs, 21-3, at Wrigley Field on April 27, 1977. They lost to them, 19-2, at the West Side Grounds in 1904, and by 15 three times, the last in 1925.
…..
The Cubs’ worst loss since 1901 was by 22-0 at home vs. the Pirates on Sept. 16, 1975, then by 20 runs, 22-2, at Cincinnati on June 1, 1957. This was their 17th loss by at least 16 runs and the 11th of them at home.
Okay, you probably do want to hear something from me. What I want to say about David Peterson’s first Wrigley Field start as a Cub is this: He just could not put away hitters, or innings. After a pretty easy first, which could have been better if Michael Busch hadn’t dropped a possible double-play relay after Dansby Swanson caught Ivan Herrera’s line drive, Peterson then retired the first two hitters in the second. After that: Double, single, home run. In the third, after the first two hitters reached, a sac fly and a ground out made it 4-0, but again, Peterson couldn’t put away Masyn Winn, who hit an RBI single, followed by an RBI double by Jose Fermin. In the fourth, after he got the first two hitters out on routine fly balls, Peterson walked the bases loaded, then gave up a two-run single. Bryse Wilson then relieved Peterson and served up a three-run homer to Winn, with two of the runs charged to Peterson.
Peterson threw 91 pitches to record 11 outs and was ahead of quite a few hitters, but simply could not put them away. Was it the Cardinals? As I mentioned in today’s game preview, the Cardinals pounded Peterson for seven hits and six runs in 3.2 innings just three weeks ago in New York.
So, Peterson vs. the Cardinals this year: 7.1 innings, 16 hits, 16 runs, 19.64 ERA. Maybe just don’t start him against the Cardinals?
Wilson wasn’t any better, serving up another homer in the sixth and being charged with seven runs in 3.1 innings. One can see why Wilson has been in five organizations in the last four years.
Here, let me break up this wall of text by showing you the Cubs’ only run of the game. In the seventh, Pedro Ramirez (who had taken Swanson’s place in the lineup) tripled, and one out later Alex Bregman doubled him in [VIDEO].
So, yay? Bregman had two of the Cubs’ seven hits. Maybe he’ll start hitting.
Drew Pomeranz, just returned to the Cubs, threw a 1-2-3 ninth in garbage time, on just 11 pitches, so he should be available tomorrow. That’s about all I’ve got on this one.
One more game note: It rained really hard in the area around Wrigley Field for about an hour starting just as the gates were opening at 1:30. Fortunately, it cleared the area, though a light rain fell during the first inning, and the game started just 10 minutes after the scheduled starting time of 3:05. Had this been a normal Friday 1:20 start, it probably would have started at… around 3:15.
Games like this, you do have to eventually laugh. They only count as one loss, fortunately, and one of the best things about baseball is that there’s almost always another game the next day. The Cubs and Cardinals will play Saturday evening at Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Kyle Leahy goes for St. Louis. Game time is 7:08 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Fox-TV (regional — coverage map).
Go Rays!
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Earlier this week, Dave Roberts was unsure if Shohei Ohtani would pitch in this year’s All-Star Game.
In the days since, the Dodgers’ reshuffled pitching plans have essentially made the decision for him.
With Ohtani having his originally scheduled outing on Wednesday against the Athletics pushed back a couple days to Friday night against the Padres, the two-way star is now unlikely to take the mound in the Midsummer Classic, even if he is selected to the National League pitching staff as expected.
After Friday’s start against the Padres, Ohtani’s final pitching appearance of the first half will come next Friday against the Diamondbacks, knocking him off schedule to be available to the All-Star Game in Philadelphia that following Tuesday.
“I haven’t formally said it, but if you just do the math, it would be hard to imagine,” said Roberts, who is also the NL manager this year thanks to the Dodgers’ pennant last year. “But I don’t have to make a decision quite yet.”
Already, it was going to be difficult for Ohtani –– who has clinched the NL’s starting designated hitter slot via fan voting –– to make what would have only been his second career pitching appearance in the All-Star Game.
To do so, Roberts confirmed earlier this week, Ohtani likely would have had to start the game, given the logistical challenges that would have gone into trying to warm up in the bullpen while also taking at-bats in the NL’s lineup.
The NL, of course, has more obvious candidates to handle the starting honors, from Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski to local Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez.
Based on their own pitching schedules, however, it still might have been possible for Ohtani (whose 1.58 ERA entering Friday trailed only Misiorowski among pitchers with 70 innings) to warrant the starting pitcher nod.
Now, he has been all but knocked out of consideration, with the Dodgers’ preference to give him a couple extra days of rest as a pitcher this week likely to limit his All-Star Game involvement to DH duties only.
The San Francisco Giants head to Coors Field tonight to begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.
As of the time this is being written, the Giants have not yet announced a starting pitcher. But check out the comments below for more up-to-date information.
Whoever it ends up being will be facing off against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.42 ERA, 4.94 FIP, with 35 strikeouts to 20 walks in 53 innings pitched. His last start was in the Rockies’ 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, in which he allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings.
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Who: San Francisco Giants (36-50) vs. Colorado Rockies (34-53)
Where: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado
When: 5:10 p.m. PT
Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area
National broadcast: n/a
Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM