Category: MLB

Ho hum. This was how this stretch was supposed to go. Three days in a row, the Cubs have looked a full step above their competition. In fairness, that can be hard to do on the road, even against bad teams. But for as many times as I’ve written the words “in fairness” through the years, there have been just too many this year. I try to give a lot of benefit of the doubt. Baseball is hard. Hard for teams, hard for players. The edges aren’t massive. Even a year when a team wins or loses more than 110 games, a rare occurrence in either direction, the differences between top and bottom are ultimately not that much.

Fans tend to be unfair. The see a lousy team on the schedule or a pitcher with a high ERA and they just assume victory by a lopsided score is more or less automatic. There are 162 games. Even those rare super dominant (or super awful) teams occur, they still win 50-60 games. Most of the bad teams still win 70 games. That’s a whole lot of David beating Goliath. That’s because in the MLB, it isn’t really David beating Goliath. We tell those stories because so many people love a good underdog success story. But the reason so many games are won by bad teams or lost by good teams, is because the margins just aren’t that big.

Trust me, if you elevated a Triple-A team to the big leagues, they wouldn’t be winning 70 games. Unless it’s a well stocked system, they probably wouldn’t win 60 either. Elevate a Double-A team, and they’d win even less. You keep going down and have a low minor league team playing against major league teams, you’d see the big league teams, even the bad ones, winning over 90 percent of the time. It isn’t the nature of baseball that just any two teams of any skill level will play to close to even. It is the nature of major league baseball that just about any two teams would play to near even.

All of that is fine. But this Cub team is built to win 90 plus games. This team should be able to grind out wins over time. And they should be able to look a cut above for three straight games. But they also should have been able to do a good bit more than that over the seven games prior to that. And they should have been able to go toe to toe and play near even for the three weeks before that. The best Cub team of any of our lifetime went through an extended lull. It happens. I get it. But more than a month is crazy stuff.

I just don’t know what to do or what to think with this team anymore. They had one of the best stretches of baseball I’ve ever seen and one of the teams they beat up on in that stretch is looking like a bonafide contender in the National League. That stretch largely wasn’t against the worst teams in the league. But then this recent bad stretch did include some of the worst teams. We saw some of that last year too. Surging even against strong competition and fading even against lesser competition.

Yesterday, one commenter wondered if the elimination of most of the big league scouting has a part in all of that. I’m not savvy enough to know that. The Cubs certainly aren’t going to tell us that. Even their beat writers rely too much on access to the team and its players to spill any secrets they might hear around the team. I don’t know what the deal is, but this has been a frustrating team to follow.

It’s going to take more than three wins to lure me back onto the bandwagon. But that doesn’t preclude me hat tipping the team for taking care of business now for three straight games and making it look fairly easy doing so. More of that please. Let’s go 10 straight again. Or something like 15 of 20. Let’s make this team even more confusing to understand.

Or let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Yet. Let’s enjoy this win and move on to Sunday. This team has done an exceptional amount of sweeping this season. Let’s get greedy again and pick up another sweep on Sunday. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Positives:

• Pete Crow-Armstrong stayed blisteringly hot, picking up three more hits. Included were a homer on the first pitch of the game and a double. Have I mentioned that he’s going to pick up a cycle one of these days?
• Pedro Ramirez had a pair of hits including his first career homer. That led to me expanding my positives past three, because this game deserves a hat tip.
• Ben Brown was less dominant than he’s been as a starter. And still, he allows one run over five. He allowed seven hits, due to an unsightly .412 BABIP. That’s an unusually rough occurrence with a defense as good as the Cubs have.
• Caleb Thielbar retired all five batters he faced. He’s had some recent struggles and so this was nice to see. Hat tip to Phil Maton, another guy working through a rough year, retiring four of the five batters he faced.
• Matt Shaw got his most significant playing time since returning from the IL (let’s hope Seiya Suzuki is okay) and had a single and a walk. His bat helps balance the left/right splits on this team and his versatility is a plus.

Game 71, June 13: Cubs 6, Giants 1 (37-34)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Michael Busch (. 231). 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, R, SB
• Hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.176). 3-5, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R
• Sidekick: Ben Brown (.139). 5 IP, 23 BF, 7 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 3 K (3-2)

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Ian Happ (-.079). 1-5, HR, RBI, R, SB, DP
• Goat: Nico Hoerner (.053). 0-5
• Kid: Miguel Amaya (.045). 1-4, 2B, HBP

WPA Play of the Game: Luis Arraez had an RBI triple with one out in the third to cut the Cub lead to two. (.140)

Cubs Play of the Game: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s leadoff homer on the first pitch of the game. (.101)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 70 Winner: Javier Assad received 170 of 189 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Busch +26
• Ben Brown +12.5
• Pete Crow-Armstrong +12
• Michael Conforto +10
• Trent Thornton/Carson Kelly +7.5
• Caleb Thielbar/Phil Maton/Jameson Taillon -8
• Matt Shaw -10
• Dansby Swanson -12
• Seiya Suzuki -23.5

Win Pace: 84.4

Up Next: The final game of the series in San Francisco and the last game of the year between the two teams. The Cubs have won three of five. Ryan Rolison (5-1, 2.25) will work as the opener ahead of Colin Rea (5-4, 5.19). Rolison worked as an opener just over a year ago against the Mets as a member of the Rockies. He allowed one hit in an inning of work. Rea threw six innings of three run ball in a follower role earlier this year against the Phillies. Rea is just 1-3 with a 5.89 ERA over his last seven, so this is worth a shot to shake things up a little.

The Giants start their ace, 29-year-old Logan Webb (3-4, 3.88). Webb has struggled at home this year (0-3, 4.94). But he’s still very good. This is going to be a tough one. I’d think Michael Conforto would get a start in right field to give Seiya Suzuki a day off after leaving early last night. Webb is a little more susceptible to left handed hitters, so it would make sense anyway to load up that way.

This team has found so many ways to surprise us. Maybe they surprise us in this one and ride their recent momentum to a win?

So, I was going to open this up with a play on the song You Gotta Have Heart, from the classic musical Damn Yankees. But I did that for an article before. And I’m fresh out of heart puns. Something about those chalky candy hearts that nobody ever eats? Something about cardiology? Maybe a bit about how Brandon Marsh is playing so thrillingly that you might need a cardiologist to handle watching him? I’m going to sleep on it, and if you’re reading this, that means I didn’t think of anything clever overnight.

Anyway, Brandon Marsh is doing something interesting with the heart region this year. All pitches thrown end up in one of four Attack Regions:

Purple is Heart, Red is Shadow, Yellow is Chase, and Grey is Waste. I was gonna do a Captain Planet bit here (by your powers combined, I’m Captain Strike Zone!), but then I remembered that was created by Ted Turner, who owned the Braves, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to write about a Braves-affiliated cartoon on a Phillies site. Anyhow, every pitch thrown ends up in one of those four regions, and a batter’s performance on every pitch he receives either adds or subtracts from his team’s run expectancy, and so we can calculate the run value he contributes or detracts by region. That’s what we see here. This isn’t some random player’s chart, by the way. It’s Brandon Marsh’s, from this season.

And this is Marsh’s from last season.

Last season, Marsh’s performance on the pitches he got in the Heart region graded out as exactly neutral. The run expectancy he added with decisions to swing were canceled out by the run expectancy he lost with decisions to take. This season, though, he’s been a decided positive on pitches in the Heart region, adding 8 runs there. Only 10 players league-wide have added more, and their number includes familiar names like Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt, Jr., and Kyle Schwarber. That’s good company.

Here’s Marsh’s performance in the Heart region since 2022. Overall performance is the sum of the runs generated by swings and the runs generated by takes.

Since this is a cumulative statistic, and you can lose run value with bad decisions, there’s a possibility that his number for 2026 could drop before season’s end. Still, it’s notable that his 8 runs added in the Heart region would be by far the most of his career. If it holds (or goes up), it’ll be just the second time in his career he’s posted a positive run value in the heart region. So, how’s he doing it? Well, you want to swing at pitches in the Heart region. And he’s generating more runs with his swing decisions than he did last year, and losing fewer with his take decisions than he did last year. So he’s probably swinging at more of the pitches he receives there as compared to last year, right?

Last season, Marsh swung at 72% of pitches he received in the Heart region. And this season he’s swinging at… 72% of pitches he receives in the Heart region. He hasn’t changed his swing rate there at all. (As a side note: Marsh’s swing rates in 2025 were exactly identical to the MLB average in three of the four attack regions, and just 1% off of the average in the other. That’s not really relevant to this piece, but it was odd enough that I felt I had to mention it somewhere).

So if Marsh isn’t swinging at more pitches in the heart zone, how is he generating more run value there this year?

Well, one way to do it would be to just do more damage on his swings there. A double on a pitch in the Heart region is going to add more run value than a single. And that’s the case: in 2025 he posted a wOBA of .386 on pitches in the Heart region, and in 2026 that number is .516. Marsh is just better at the plate this year, and so of course that’s going to show up on his performance on pitches in the heart of the zone. But there’s gotta be something more specific we can say. Something a little more precise than, “I dunno, Marsh hit ball good” (which is true, but not exactly the sort of analysis that you come to TGP to read).

So, what is it? Well, we know that his overall swing rate on pitches in the Heart region hasn’t changed. But that doesn’t mean that his swing decisions there haven’t changed. Let’s take a look under the hood.

Marsh’s overall swing rate in the Heart region hasn’t changed one bit, but his swing decisions sure have. He’s a lot more likely to swing at fastballs there, and a lot less likely to swing at breaking balls there (as well as a little less likely to swing at offspeed pitches). The fact that his overall swing rate in the Heart region hasn’t changed is hiding the fact that he’s started to hunt fastballs. Actually, he’s swinging at fastballs more in the Shadow and Chase regions too; it’s not an approach limited to the Heart region. He’s getting fewer fastballs overall, and he’s clearly making a decision to maximize what he can do with the ones he does get. His decreased willingness to swing at breaking balls is Heart-region specific, though: he’s swinging at a greater percentage of them in all other regions. At any rate, when it comes to the Heart he’s clearly swinging at more of the pitches he can do the most damage on and at fewer of the ones he can do less damage on.

“Wait for a fastball over the meaty part of the plate” isn’t exactly an iconoclastic idea. But there’s no rule that says your strategy needs to be novel. It just needs to work. And for Brandon Marsh, it’s working quite well. He’s taken that approach, old to many, new to him, to heart.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers put an end to the Chicago White Sox’s eight-game home win streak yesterday and will look for a series win as they chase down the league's best record.

My Dodgers vs. White Sox predictions and free MLB picks have L.A.’s top-ranked offense eventually cracking Chicago’s bullpen to pull away for the victory.

Who will win Dodgers vs White Sox today: Dodgers -1.5 (-125)

Bryan Hudson's 0.00 ERA is misleading because he's worked just 3 1/3 innings in three starts and is unlikely to face this Los Angeles Dodgers order more than once.

That leaves the Chicago White Sox's vulnerable middle relief exposed for 7-8 innings against baseball's best road offense, averaging 6.03 runs per game and leading MLB in average, OBP, slugging, and OPS.

The White Sox bullpen has struggled to suppress power, allowing the seventh-most homers, which is a dangerous profile against L.A.'s lineup depth.

The Dodgers have won 13 of their last 15 road games as favorites by multiple runs, and I'd play the spread to -2.5 if interested. 

COVERS INTEL:This Dodgers offense has been successful because their batters aren’t chasing pitches. They are currently tied for the fifth-fewest team strikeouts per game at 7.80.

Dodgers vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+101)

We’ve already discussed L.A.’s offensive prowess, and they’ll be starting righty Emmett Sheehan, who might be a help in pushing this score Over the total.

He was pulled after just 1 1/3 innings in his last start against the Angels after allowing three hits, two earned runs, and two walks in a 13-5 drubbing.

That’s the third time in the last seven Sheehan starts that’s ended with more than nine runs scored between opponents, and the sixth time overall. That should help a White Sox offense that already scores the eighth-most runs in the league at 4.83 per game. 

Tally that up with the Dodgers cashing the Over in six of the last seven, and you’ve got another Over hitting Sunday.

Dodgers vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -186 | White Sox +178
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-117) | White Sox +1.5 (+113)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)

Dodgers vs White Sox trend

The White Sox have lost by multiple runs in 12 of their last 13 losses, including eight straight. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. White Sox.

How to watch Dodgers vs White Sox and game info

Dodgers vs White Sox latest injuries

Dodgers vs White Sox weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Team News

D-backs squander another one of Soroka’s walk-free quality starts

“When you feel like the hitter might not know what’s coming, I feel a little bit more comfortable throwing balls completely over the plate,” Soroka said. “Last year, I think I ran into struggles, because I didn’t have those extra pitches. And second, third time around, these guys were seeing the same two [pitches], four-seam, curveball, over and over again.”
https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/michael-soroka-quality-start-d-backs-lose-to-reds

Michael Soroka’s strong outing not enough as D-backs’ hitting woes continue in loss vs. Reds

The D-backs finished the game going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position despite outhitting the Reds 7-3. https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/d-backs-loss-vs-reds

Abysmal Offense Cripples Diamondbacks Once Againhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/abysmal-offense-cripples-diamondbacks-once-again-reds

Young Diamondbacks Pitcher Suffers Surprise Shoulder Injuryhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/young-diamondbacks-pitcher-surprise-shoulder-injury-hoffmann-bratt

A Zac Gallen Turnaround Simply Can’t Wait Any Longerhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/zac-gallen-turnaround-cant-wait-longer

Other Baseball

Jose Ramirez To Be Placed On IL With Hamate Fracturehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/jose-ramirez-to-be-placed-on-il-with-hamate-fracture.html

Cole Ragans Headed For Testing On Arm

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/cole-ragans-headed-for-testing-on-arm.html

Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman reportedly says if Yankees trade for him, GM Brian Cashman should apologize first; Aaron Boone disagrees

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/red-soxs-aroldis-chapman-reportedly-says-if-yankees-trade-for-him-gm-brian-cashman-should-apologize-first-aaron-boone-disagrees-213535648.html

Yamamoto carries no-hit bid into ninth inning as Dodgers winhttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49054315/yamamoto-carries-no-hit-bid-ninth-inning-dodgers-win

Will Skubal get traded? Here are 7 possible destinations

https://www.mlb.com/news/teams-that-could-trade-for-tarik-skubal

Dollander placed on 60-day IL, trending toward UCL surgery https://www.mlb.com/rockies/news/chase-dollander-elbow-injury-2026

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/june-14

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/June_14

You can’t see the Great Wall of China from space.

You may have seen fact sites claiming that the Great Wall is the only man-made structure visible from space, but this is actually not the case. According to the Apollo astronauts, the Great Wall cannot be seen from space. However, city lights at night, roads, and the Pyramids of Giza are said to be visible.

The oldest piece of chewing gum is more than 9,000 years old.

The oldest chewing gum ever found was a lump of birch bark tar that dates back to the Stone Age.

Asking for salt in an Egytian household is bad.

If you are invited over for dinner at an Egyptian household, remember that it is traditionally rude to ask for salt. It’s also considered offensive for the host if you refill your own glass.

Good morning, folks…

The Texas Rangers fell to the Boston Red Sox by a score of 6-3.

Shawn MacFarland laments that the Rangers once again failed to capitalize in key bases loaded situations.

The Rangers were without Corey Seager, who is day-to-day after a home plate collision on Thursday.

Before the game, Evan Carter landed on the injured list with a strained oblique.

Also before the game, the Rangers added veteran pitcher Joe Ross to the bullpen.

The Rangers will be making another roster move before today’s game due to Michael Helman suffering fractures in his right hand after being hit by a pitch.

Also suffering a broken hand on Saturday was Cleveland superstar Jose Ramirez, who broke a bone in his left hand on a swing.

On the other hand, Tarik Skubal returned from the injured list on Saturday.

Evan Grant says Jacob Latz should be an All Star.

David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs, which feature Jake Burger talking about his Tottenham fandom.

While Dylan Crews only went 1 for 4 with a single yesterday, it still felt like he was in the middle of everything for the Nats. His impact in the field and on the bases was very loud in the Nationals 8-3 win over the Mariners. Crews pretty much sealed the win with his mad dash from first to home on a single up the middle.

Seeing Crews fly around the bases like that and watching him pop up when he slid in safely was so much fun to watch. Plays like that are part of the reason fans want the Dylan Crews thing to work out so badly. He is just one of those players that is consistently making winning plays out there.

However, it is tough to be a winning player when you are hitting .192 with a .562 OPS. Crews was seen as one of the safest and most polished hitting prospects in a long time when he came out of LSU. That offensive profile has not translated to the big leagues so far, especially not the 70 grade hit tool that was talked about out of the draft. 

At this point, I think we have a large enough sample size to say that a 70 hit tool is never coming. Crews has a .208 career average and .623 OPS in nearly 500 at bats now. He is never going to be the hitter he was supposed to be out of college. That does not mean he cannot improve and become a productive big leaguer. 

Crews still has some intriguing offensive tools, and I think he can become an average hitter with a couple adjustments. While Crews has struggled at the plate, fans have often pointed to his underlying data to suggest improvement could be on the horizon. After a while, it gets annoying because he has underperformed his expected stats for years now.

However, when you look at the data, there is no way he should be this bad. His xwOBA is .333, which is over 80 points higher than his wOBA of .252. For his career, Crews has underperformed his xwOBA by 40 points, so there must be something in his profile some of the expected stats don’t see. Part of it is likely the fact he hits a lot of ground balls and does not pull balls in the air.

When Crews does get a hold of a ball, it can be pretty to watch. He is not some massive guy like James Wood, but he can generate a ton of force and power. Crews has always hit baseballs hard, but they are usually ground balls or low liners. The other night, he elevated and then celebrated in the dugout.

There are some encouraging signs that Crews could be lifting the ball with more regularity. His average launch angle is up from 8.5 degrees to 12.1 degrees. Crews’ ground ball rate has also gone from over 50% to 42.6%, which is a major improvement.

I think Crews is due for a hot streak at the plate, but there are still plenty of holes in his profile. He has been chasing pitches more than ever, and his 37.2% chase rate is higher than Keibert Ruiz. For Crews to have more offensive success, he needs to keep the ball in the air and find the right pitches to swing at. He also needs to find a way to get into count leverage because it feels like he gets down 0-2 in about half his at bats.

There are still a lot of big picture offensive things Crews needs to work on, but his heart and hustle will never be in doubt. I think Crews is one of the best base runners in the sport. He is not afraid to swipe bags and is always trying to take the extra base. Crews is a man possessed out on the bases and we saw that yesterday.

I think base running is the best part of Crews’ game right now. However, he is also a good defensive outfielder. When you look at the metrics, Crews is a good but not elite defensive outfielder. After all, there is a reason Jacob Young is the center fielder when the two are playing together. If Crews was a Young level defender, there would be less pressure on the bat.

While Crews is not elite on defense, he is very good. He showed that yesterday when he got a chance out in center field. The 24 year old made a really nice catch at the wall to rob Victor Robles of extra bases. Like when he is running the bases, Crews has a reckless abandon in the field that I love to watch.

At this point, we know Crews can do the little things. He is constantly looking to take the extra base or run into a wall to make a catch. The secondary tools are fantastic for the former LSU star. However, there is still one big question that looms over his future. That question is can Dylan Crews hit? So far the answer has been no, but Crews still has time to figure it out, though that time will not last forever.

It has been an up-and-down week for the Milwaukee Brewers. It feels as though they’ve continued playing their best baseball, but it’s been a sequence of close losses. But through it all, the offense has been looking stellar, and that’s promising enough as the Crew heads into another tough slate of games ahead of them this week.

This afternoon’s rubber match is one for the ages as two of the best southpaws in baseball are handed the rock. For the Brewers, it’s Kyle Harrison who is in desperate need of a bounce-back game after last Monday. Against the Athletics, he gave up eight runs on eight hits, including three home runs. It was not only an outlier performance on the season but also his career, as eight runs were the most he had given up.

The reigning National League Pitcher of the Month, Cristopher Sánchez, will face the Brewers for the first time since 2024. In all of his outings against the Crew, he has allowed only one run, enough for him to have a 2.03 ERA through 13.1 innings. After not allowing a run throughout May, Sánchez has come back down to Earth a little, as he has allowed three runs in his first two starts in June. With that, he has pitched seven innings in both starts this month and has accumulated 18 strikeouts during that span with just two walks.

For the Brewers, this lineup has seen Sánchez a handful of times. The lone hitters that will be seeing him for the first time will be Jake Bauers, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn. Outside of our core hitters, Blake Perkins has hit the best against Sánchez, as he’s gone 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Christian Yelich has faced him seven times and is batting .286, while William Contreras has faced him six times and is batting .167.

First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m., and you can catch the game on Brewers.TV and WTMJ 620.

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

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (30-38) won 5-1 (BOX SCORE)

McPherson started for Sugar Land and pitched well striking out 5 over 5 innings allowing just 1 run. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Brooks RBI double. In the 6th, the offense blew it open scoring 4 runs on a Ferreras 2 run double, Salazar sac fly and run scoring on a fielder’s choice. The bullpen was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings as they closed out the 5-1 win.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .457 in Triple-A.

• Trenton Brooks, DH: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 1-for-4, R
• Zach Dezenzo, RF: 2-for-3, R, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Cesar Salazar, C: 0-for-1, R, RBI, 2 BB
• Tommy Sacco, 3B: 1-for-4, RBI

• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• J.P. France, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (28-34) won 12-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Brutcher RBI double. They scored 3 more runs in the 2nd inning on a Whitaker solo home run, Spence RBI triple and a run on an error. Gillis got the start and was solid allowing 2 unearned runs over 4.2 innings while striking out 5. The offense picked up 2 runs in the 6th on a Williams RBI double and Austin RBI single. The Hooks blew it open in the 7th scoring 5 runs on a Brutcher solo home run, Sullivan RBI single and Spence 3 run double. The Hooks picked up another run in the 9th on a wild pitch.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .327 in Double-A.

• Lucas Spence, CF: 3-for-6, R, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI
• Trevor Austin, 2B: 1-for-6, RBI
• Jason Schiavone, DH: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-5, R
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 2-for-4, 4 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB
• Jeron Williams, LF: 3-for-3, R, 2 2B, RBI
  • Joseph Sullivan, LF: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI
• Jax Biggers, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (16-45) lost 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

DeVos got the start for Asheville and went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs, with all 4 runs coming on a grand slam in the 2nd inning. Asheville got on the board in the 4th inning on a Nunez solo home run. They got another run in the 8th on a Call RBI single, but the Spartanburgers responded with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead. The offense was shutout in the 9th as Asheville fell 6-2.

Note: Nunez is hitting .372 in June.

• Caden Powell, CF: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-4, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-3, BB

• Nolan DeVos, RHP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (29-32) won 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Diaz steal of home. Perez got the start and tossed 4 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts, throwing just 38 pitches. They got another run in the 5th on a Vasquez RBI double. Weber relieved Perez and went 3 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned. The Woodpeckers took the lead in the 8th on a Huezo solo home run and a run on a groundout.

Note: Huezo is hitting .381 with 4 home runs over his last 11 games.

• Anthony Huezo, LF: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Xavier Neyens, SS: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-4
• Camilo Diaz, 2B: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, SB
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, SB

• Javier Perez, RHP: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 6:35 CT

CC: Trey Dombroski – 1:00 CT

AV: Dylan Howard – 3:35 CT

FV: TBD – 3:05 CT

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Cristopher Sanchez has slid to second in the NL Cy Young race after a marvelous Jacob Misiorowski start earlier this series.

My Phillies vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks are backing Sanchez to respond with an exceptional outing of his own, leading Philadelphia to a series win this afternoon. 

Who will win Phillies vs Brewers today: Phillies moneyline (-120)

Cristopher Sanchez has given up just three runs and one homer over seven starts since the beginning of May.

The Milwaukee Brewers have hit grounders against lefties at the league’s highest rate while sitting 25th in ISO during that span. It’ll be difficult to muster up offense.

As well as Kyle Harrison has pitched, the Philadelphia Phillies will be tough to slow down. They’ve hit lefties well, slotting fourth in ISO and third in wOBA since May 1.

Harrison has allowed four homers over his last two starts, and he doesn’t have the margin for error going against Sanchez. Back the Phillies to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Cristopher Sanchez ranks in the 100th percentile in Pitcher Run Value this season.

Phillies vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 6.5 (+100)

Excluding Top-10 offenses in OBP vs. left-handed pitching, Sanchez has allowed three runs over seven starts while pitching an average of 7 2/3 innings. His ERA sits at 0.53 in such matchups.

The story is nearly identical for Kyle Harrison. Take out Top-10 opponents in OPS vs. lefties, and he's conceded just five runs over eight starts, sporting an ERA of 1.05.

I think it’ll be difficult for either team to score four runs, making the Under look appealing at a plus-money price. I’d play Under 6.5 down to -110.

Phillies vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Phillies -120 | Brewers +100
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+150) | Brewers +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-120) | Under 6.5 (+100)

Phillies vs Brewers trend

The Phillies have stayed Under the total in 15 of their last 22 road games for +8.5 units and a 35% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Brewers.

How to watch Phillies vs Brewers and game info

Phillies vs Brewers latest injuries

Phillies vs Brewers weather

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On The Greg Hill Show on June 11, I believe that my favorite truth-twister, Sam Kennedy, actually treated us to more truth than lies. I’ll supply the quotes in question, then let’s render a verdict.

Quote #1

“I think it’s important here at the outset, Greg, just to acknowledge…how embarrassing and unacceptable, maddening, frustrating, whatever words you want to use, the past two and a half months have been. There’s no way to sugarcoat it.”

Verdict: TRUTH

Of course it’s the truth! We know this deep in our bones. He went on to describe the season to date as “awful” and “incredibly frustrating” and there’s not much else to add.  

Quote #2

“But look, let’s be honest, unless things change dramatically, we may have to pivot here from what our initial planning was [regarding plans to buy at the trade deadline].”

Verdict: TRUTH

The Sox are performing far too poorly not to at least introduce this option as a possibility. It might be rephrased as “Positioning the organization for the future,” “Stating the obvious,” or even “Not throwing good money after bad.”

Personal note to the front office: unlike past years, choose one lane and stay in it. No more simultaneous Buying and Selling so we can call it a wash. Go all in.

Quote #3

“[Craig Breslow] is working as hard as anybody in terms of getting things back on track.”

Verdict: TRUTH

No one ever accused Breslow of not being a hard worker. I have no doubt that he’s working overtime to prove that his method of team building works, that his approach deserved to win out over Cora’s—and to save his job.

Quote #4

“Look, I fully understand and appreciate questions regarding Craig Breslow and his job security and all that, but the issue of a change there, just to be clear, that’s not even on the table.”

Verdict: LIE

Maybe Sam Kennedy had his fingers crossed behind his back where no one could see them as he said this. Maybe in his head, he silently added “today” or “not this week, anyway” at the end of the sentence.

There’s a lot of chatter lately about Breslow’s job security, which is why Kennedy has been forced to make statements like these. Most of what I’m seeing and hearing says that FSG won’t fire Craig Breslow because the organization doesn’t want to be seen as “unstable” after so recently firing Alex Cora and six coaches. The argument goes like this: they hoped that firing the coaches might work, but it didn’t, so they want to give Breslow time to do things on his terms. Not honoring this gentleman’s agreement would make them look like an even bigger dumpster fire, the story goes.

I don’t think Breslow is safe, and I don’t think Kennedy thinks he’s safe. That’s not how FSG operates in a crisis. The organization likes to lean into data, process, and finances, rather than individual loyalty.

I’m not going to look in John Henry’s wallet and discuss finances today, but as far as the rest, that’s not what I see when I look at FSG through the years. The organization has ruthlessly made changes at or near the top, no matter the optics.

• Firing Brendan Rodgers as manager of Liverpool F.C. in October 2015, a little over year after Liverpool finished in second and Rodgers received a four-year contract.
• Firing Dave Dombrowski in September 2019, less than a year after Dombrowski created the team that brought home a World Series trophy and landed in the record books.
• Firing Chaim Bloom in 2023, though it wasn’t exactly shocking after consecutive last-place finishes.
• Firing Alex Cora and six of his coaching staff in April 2026. No need to rehash that again right now, but in terms of optics it was spectacularly messy. The season was still young, the terminations happened after a blowout victory, and Red Sox legend Jason Varitek was part of the purge.

That doesn’t look like an ownership that’s particularly mindful of stability or optics.

Speaking of optics, John Henry has earned a reputation as not caring about the fans. Despite not engaging much with the media, or having a steady presence around the team, as some owners do, I tend to disagree. I think he does care what fans think, desperately, even if it’s not in ways that we can always appreciate. Just for fun, my pop psychologizing is torn between turning the lens on Henry (even though he’s been at the pinnacle of success for years, he still brings that try-hard energy in ways that can be kind of cringey) and turning it on ourselves (the cold father figure can be super distant and has a hard time showing affection, but he often comes through in the end when he realizes what a shit he’s been). It’s clear he’s aware of what fans think, and I do think that will influence some of the decision making when it comes to Breslow’s eventual exit.

Remember that widely shared Instagram story from February 2025, of good ol’ John Henry smoking a congratulatory cigar all by himself?

It was actually his wife’s story, but don’t tell me that he didn’t okay it. It was right after the Sox signed Alex Bregman. This is the weird kind of way he occasionally engages with fans, but it proves he cares.

In the interview he gave to Sports Business Journal in May, he spoke extensively about fans. He recalled a plane that flew over a Liverpool match, trailing a banner that called for FSG to sell the team. “Fans get frustrated…It doesn’t mean you ignore them, it means you work harder – you don’t settle for mediocrity. You have to win.”

Looking back at Bloom’s firing, our old friend checked too many boxes: he provoked very negative fan reactions (I personally wanted him gone, and said so) – but he also didn’t win.

The SBJ article notes that Henry was at Fenway on April 6 when the hometown fans started chanting for FSG to sell the team. (For the record, I don’t want FSG to sell the Sox.) It was clear Henry got the message; he was caught on video repeating the phrase, as though to clarify what was being said. I don’t think it was entirely a coincidence that the big purge happened not long after, on April 25.

Buster Olney at ESPN tweeted that someone from the ownership group—so, not Craig Breslow, who’s not part of ownership—has been personally reaching out to other front offices, to try to get a trade done. If that doesn’t show how much Henry cares right now, I’m not sure what does. If true, it also shows that Henry doesn’t have faith in Breslow to do his own job. That alone makes this arrangement unsustainable.

Verdict: Breslow’s Gone

Fan reaction and team performance are aligning against Breslow. For me, the main questions are:

• When? Will Breslow handle the upcoming trade deadline? If he’s a dead man walking, as I suspect (note that I’m not advocating for it, simply reading the writing on the wall) why keep him in place to run the table one more time? Despite the occasional rout this season when the bats wake up, the Sox performance certainly isn’t buying Breslow any time.
• Who would the successor be? The Red Sox famously had a hard time even gathering a respectable slate of interviewees the last time the position was open. Too soon to talk about this, but FSG had better be ready to pay—and pay well—and to have a heart-to-heart about what they want to do differently moving forward, and why they’re not as “unstable” as things might appear right now.

One Yankee rival lost early on Saturday as the Yanks took down the Blue Jays 3-1, with Paul Goldschmidt providing a clutch game-winning, two-run bomb in the ninth. Goldy’s heroics meant that Cam Schlittler’s start, wherein he held the Jays down outside of a Kazuma Okamoto solo home run, didn’t go to waste.

All told, Saturday was a good day for New Yorkers. The Knickerbockers capped a magical run to win their first NBA championship in 53 years. And José Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels had the good sense to hang an L on the Tampa Bay Rays, giving the Yanks a full game lead in the American League East.

Tampa Bay Rays (40-27) 0, Los Angeles Angels (29-42) 8

Griffin Jax was really good for Tampa Saturday. He gave up a run in the first, unearned thanks to a Taylor Walls error. Other than that, however, the Angels could not touch Jax. Alas, he couldn’t throw all nine frames for the Rays and they went to their bullpen in the sixth.

And once that happened, the Angels went to work. They scored three runs in the sixth, including putting one on Craig Kimbrel who, in his 17th season is pitching for this 11th club. In the seventh, more of the same. Four more runs, led by a Jose Siri two-run shot, doubled the Angels’ lead.

An eight-run lead is generally pretty insurmountable. It is even more so when you’re facing José Soriano. The Angels’ ace has scuffled of late, but on Saturday night he was nails, throwing five shutout innings before giving way to the bullpen. Unlike Tampa’s pen, LA’s relievers were up to the task, continuing the shutout and providing four innings with just two hits.

Other Games

Seattle Mariners (37-35) 3, Washington Nationals (36-35) 8: Luis Castillo has had a rough 2026 season. Saturday was more of the same, except his defense did him absolutely zero favors committing three errors in the first five innings. Of the five Nationals runs on Castillo’s ledger, only one was earned thanks to the shoddy glovework behind him.

Seattle fought back from an early 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately for the M’s, Castillo couldn’t deliver a shutdown inning. A two-run Luis García Jr. home run broke the tie and gave Washington a lead they never surrendered. The Nats put the game out of reach in the home seventh when they plated three more runs. The win nudges them back above .500, something I doubt many fans thought they’d see from the Nationals this year, fresh off a 66-96 record last season.

Cleveland Guardians (39-33) 3, Detroit Tigers (29-42) 1: Tarik Skubal underwent surgery on his throwing elbow to remove loose bodies on May 6th. On June 13th, he took the mound for the Tigers — an absolutely wild recovery timeline. Understandably, he was not at his best in his return, but it’s still incredible how quickly he made it back to the big leagues. He threw 80 pitches Saturday, giving up three runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings. Skubal hit 99.9-mph on the radar run with the heater, so apparently the arm is fine.

It’s not all good news for Cleveland, however. Rookie Chase DeLauter crashed into outfield wall in the top of the first inning and departed the game in the bottom half after a single. Hopefully he’s okay. His replacement, Daniel Schneemann, provided the big blast off Skubal though, with a two-run home run in the third that broke a 1-1 tie.

Good morning and happy Sunday everybody! Nick links are back which means injury news is back too. I want to think it’s not my fault but the evidence is getting overwhelming at this point. I’m heading out of town for a week and I’m hoping that that can help stem the tide. I suppose time will tell.

The Mariners lost a bruiser to the Nationals yesterday 8-3, and need a win this morning to avoid dropping back-to-back series. They go in just a few hours at 10:35 PST.

In Mariners news…

• The emergence of Colt Emerson’s power has been one of the very best parts of the 2026 season so far.
• The Mariners are bringing back Michael Plassmeyer, who was originally drafted by the Mariners in the 4th round of the 2018 Amateur Draft.

Around the league…

• The year of the hamate continues, it’s most recent victim being Guardians super star José Ramírez, who broke the bone during an at-bat in the fifth inning of yesterday’s win over Detroit.
• The losing pitcher in the Guardians win yesterday was one Tarik Skubal, just 38 days after elbow surgery, back on the mound throwing 99 mph.
• Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day IL by the Atlanta Braves after only making it through three full innings on Friday. Strider started the season on the IL and has only pitched in eight games, and his right elbow continues to be a massive concern.
• Reporting on Garrett Crochet earlier this week resulted in mixed messaging surrounding his rehab, so it fell to Crochet himself to clear the air and announce that he likely won’t be back until after the All-Star break.
• Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander, who has been on the 15-day IL for a month, is expected to get surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the 2026 season.
• New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham exited Friday’s game early and was placed on the IL yesterday morning with a right hamstring strain. Jasson Domínguez was reinstated from his rehab assignment in the corresponding move.
• Speaking of the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton was expected to return to the team during their next homestand, but may instead may need to go for imaging on his calf after tweaking it while running the bases this week.
• While some pitchers on the Giants choose to embarrass themselves and their organization, I think it’s important to ignore them and instead remember the life of a man who devoted a significant part of his life to bettering his community. Meet Rod Beck.

Nick’s pick…

• The New York Knicks once again staged a big comeback, albeit smaller then Wednesday’s, to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 and win their first NBA Finals in 53 years!
• Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals is tonight at 5:00 PST in Las Vegas. Vegas needs to win to force a game 7, and Carolina wants to secure their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. and their first in 20 years.

Saturday afternoon was the offensive showing that the Friar Faithful have been waiting for. The San Diego Padres erupted for nine runs against the Baltimore Orioles. It’s the most the team has scored since their 10-5 rout of the San Francisco Giants on May 5. More than that, it forced their third consecutive rubber game after a dismal Game 1 to the O’s.

Starter Randy Vásquez pitched well despite some early trouble. He surrendered two runs in the first inning but settled in for the next four. The ‘pen took over from there, allowing just one run and four hits between five relievers.

But the offense stole the show. Baltimore starter Trey Gibson struggled to get through the first, surrendering four runs on two homers before the O’s had even batted. Samad Taylor was one of those home runs (the first of his MLB career). Unfortunately, Xander Bogaerts and Freddy Fermin exited the game after being hit by pitches. The two were removed as a precautionary measure but will be monitored closely.

Taking the mound

Trevor Rogers (BAL) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Rogers hasn’t had exactly the season that Baltimore hoped he would. He’s pitched to a 6.15 ERA with just 44 strikeouts through 60 innings pitched. His 1.48 WHIP is ridiculously high, even when compared to his 1.32 career WHIP.

The lefty has pitched even worse in his last seven games, with an 8.04 ERA and 1.63 WHIP across his most recent 31 1/3 innings. His last start was decent, pitching 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball against the Seattle Mariners, but Rogers will need to do much more to best the Friars.

Buehler has been on the other side of that pendulum, looking much better in his most recent starts than the rest of the season. Across his last seven outings, the righty owns a 3.62 ERA compared to a 4.33 mark through the season. His last three outings have been spectacular, giving up just four runs in 16 innings.

The right-hander hasn’t had much success against this Baltimore lineup in the past. The club boasts a combined .283 career batting average against Buehler (53 at-bats). He’ll need to limit them if San Diego hopes to take the rubber match.

Batter up!

It almost felt like the recent woes of the San Diego offense disappeared immediately as the team unloaded on the Orioles’ starting pitcher. The lineup went deep five times. Jackson Merrill and Taylor in the first inning, Gavin Sheets in the seventh, Rodolfo Durán in the eighth and Manny Machado in the ninth to cap a nine-run victory.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Xander Bogaerts, SS
5. Gavin Sheets, 1B
6. Samad Taylor, LF
7. Will Wagner, DH
8. Nick Solak, RF
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Only five of the Padres have faced Rogers before, and none of them to much success. The new additions have certainly stepped up. Taylor is having the best week of his MLB career. Wagner has gone 4-for-8 at the plate with a 1.292 OPS. Nick Solak had a 1-for-2 debut on Saturday with an RBI. They’ll need that to continue to win their second consecutive series for the first time since April.

Relief corps

Plenty of relievers toed the rubber for the Padres on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore. Much of that is due to Vásquez’s inability to pitch deep into games. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam each pitched an inning of work.

Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the ninth and recorded two outs before being ejected for hitting Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. It was likely unintentional, but Marinaccio and manager Craig Stammen were both ejected nonetheless. Adrian Morejon recorded the final out, inducing a ground out by Pete Alonso.

Morejon will likely still be available in today’s game, having only thrown two pitches. The same is true for Marinaccio, who threw four. Behind them remains Mason Miller, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta. Hopefully, San Diego will gift Miller with a lead in the ninth to take the rubber match.

Another day, another Eric Hartman homer down in the Atlanta Braves farm system. The day also had Owen Murphy record double digit strikeouts and see Drake Baldwin begin his rehab assignment. However Saturday wasn’t all positive, as Luke Sinnard exited after just one inning. We are still awaiting word on why Sinnard left his start early, but when a player with his injury history leaves a start that early, it is something worth monitoring closely.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3, Gwinnett Stripers 2

• Drake Baldwin, C: 1-3, HR, R, RBI
• Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-4, .301/.395/.435
• Owen Murphy, SP: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 4.43 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

You may have missed this one as a rain delay kept this one from starting until after 9 PM, but if you saw it then you got to witness Owen Murphy carving up the Jumbo Shrimp. After allowing a first inning run on three hits, Murphy settled in to allow just one unearned run on no hits and a walk over the next five innings. He also added 10 strikeouts and 24 swings and misses, including 14 on his fastball alone. The next inning and a third went to Hunter Stratton, who would allow the walkoff run to score in the bottom of the eighth, via a sac fly.

It was just his first rehab game, but Drake Baldwin certainly seemed ready to get back to Atlanta when he came up in the top of the sixth down 2-1 and smashed a 110.4 MPH exit velocity homer to tie the game at two. Baldwin finished his day one for three before leaving early, which is normal for a player’s first game on rehab assignment. The rest of the offense had a fairly quiet day as they managed a combined five hits and three walks. With a two walk game DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was the only player to reach base more than once, and Baldwin’s homer was the lone extra base hit. Jim Jarvis ended up one for four in the loss, while Brewer Hicklen singled and scored the Stripers other run.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4, Columbus Clingstones 0

• Luke Waddell, SS: 1-4, .218/.335/.328
• Julio Robaina, SP: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3.38 ERA
• Shay Schanaman, RP: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 5.63 ERA

Box Score

Julio Robaina turned in four innings of three run ball, though only two of the runs were earned. Robaina only struck out three, but did have 11 whiffs. Shay Schanaman followed him with three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk. Jacob Wallace went the final two innings, and allowed an unearned run but did strike out three hitters.

The Columbus hitters just couldn’t get anything going in this one, managing just three singles and one walk. It is actually even tougher than that as they had just one hit through five innings, and only added the walk over the next two innings. It wasn’t until the final two innings where they were able to record the other two base hits. Luke Waddell, Drew Compton, and Keshawn Ogans had the singles, and Will Verdung took the lone walk.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 5, Rome Emperors 1

• Eric Hartman, CF: 2-4, HR, R, RBI, .311/.377/.601
• Tate Southisene, SS: 1-4, .217/.357/.348
• John Gil, 2B: 1-4, .266/.365/.432
• Luke Sinnard, SP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2.30 ERA
• Isaac Gallegos, RP: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.99 ERA

Box Score

Luke Sinnard started and only went one inning, being removed for still unknown reasons. During that inning he allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out one with four whiffs. Sinnard threw 23 pitches, 12 of which for strikes, and also hit a batter. We now await an update on a talented prospect who has had a troubling injury history. Mathieu Curtis took the ball from Sinnard and allowed four runs over two and a third innings. Riley Frey was next, and he allowed one run over two and two thirds as the next man up. The final two innings went to Isaac Gallegos, and he was dominant. Gallegos allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out five and picked up a remarkable 11 swings and misses in the 28 pitches he threw.

Once again Eric Hartman was the biggest storyline, as he went two for four with his 17th homer of the season – a solo shot in the eighth inning. Besides Hartman the bats were pretty much nonexistent, as singles by Tate Southisene and John Gil accounted for all of the hits, and one walk to Mason Guerra was the only other player to reach base safely. It is worth noting that Tate Southisene did get the start at short, his second straight day there but only his 10th start of the season there.

Augusta GreenJackets 4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3

• Conor Essenburg, CF: 1-4, BB, R, RBI, .262/.415/.512
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-3, BB, R, RBI, .280/.328/.345
• Zach Royse, SP: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 4.42 ERA

Box Score

Zach Royse had another solid outing on Saturday, going one out shy of the quality start. Royse allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts and 15 whiffs to pick up his third win of the season. Kendy Richard followed and allowed a run over his inning and two thirds, before Daniel Brooks pitched a scoreless inning and two thirds to pick up his first save.

Despite scoring four runs the Augusta lineup managed just three hits, all singles. Conor Essenburg, Juan Mateo, and Tanner Smith each singled and walked, with Essenburg and Mateo each scoring a run and batting one in. Both Alex Lodise and Luis Guanipa were hitless, but drew walks, and Lodise came around to score.

FCL Rays 9, FCL Braves 5

• Manuel Campos, DH: 2-5, SB, .272/.380/.417
• Arlenn Manzanillo, C: 2-4, BB, 3 R, .163/.229/.209
• Wuilinyer Tovar, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 5.75 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

The continuation of Friday’s suspended game saw the FCL Rays beat the Braves squad 9-5. Starter Wuilinyer Tovar battled his command, allowing four runs (three earned) over three and a third innings, walking four and striking out five. After two thirds of an inning from Melvin Hidalgo, Victor Duarte allowed a pair of runs in his inning. Will Eldridge was next and kept the Rays off the board for two and two thirds, before Cesar Rodriguez allowed the final three runs to come in during his inning and a third.

Manuel Campos continued showing his hit tool in this one, picking up a pair of hits and stealing his 15th base of the season, while Arlenn Manzanillo had a pair of singles and a walk, scoring three of the Braves five runs. Caden Merritt also reached base three times, walking twice and hitting a single, and also stealing a base. Top prospect Diego Tornes was hitless in four at bats, but did steal a base.

FCL Braves 3, FCL Rays 2

• Diego Tornes, DH: 1-4, RBI, .190/.269/.250
• Manuel Campos, SS: 1-3, R, SB, .274/.379/.415
• Gensi Angeles, SP: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.99 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

In the second game team ace Gensi Angeles was on the mound and went four and a third, allowing two runs (only one earned) on two hits and three walks. Angeles also struck out four and had seven whiffs as he moved his ERA to 1.99 on the season. Jorge Nunez went the next inning and two thirds and struck out three hitters to pick up the win, while a scoreless seventh inning got Juan Olmos the save.

Manuel Campos collected yet another hit and another stolen base in the second game, giving him a combined three hits and two steals. The lone multi-hit game came from outfielder John Estevez, who picked up a pair of singles in three at bats. Diego Tornes also broke into the hit column and batted in a run.

DSL Braves 7, DSL Royals Fortuna 4

• Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez, LF: 3-3, 2 RBI, .440/.563/.800
• Edelson Cabral, DH: 2-3, 2 R, .250/.382/.321
• Jose Manon, SS: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, .320/.471/.560
• Cesar Navarro, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 3.68 ERA

Box Score

The DSL Braves squad pulled off just their second win of the season thanks to one of their better pitching performances. Starter Cesar Navarro allowed a run over three and a third innings, while Charlis Medina followed with two and a third scoreless. Matthew Luna allowed three runs in his inning of work, and they needed Yostin Pinales to come in to pick up the final out and collect the save.

The fun lineup down here had a strong performance as well. Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez led the way, going a perfect three for three with a pair of runs batted in, while Edelson Cabral and Osmar Torrealba each went two for three. Durban Arnedo walked, singled, stole two bases, and scored a pair of runs, while Jorwin Pulido and Jose Manon each recorded a double in the win.

Truly. Nothing new. Same ol’, same ol’ in this one. A 6-1 loss that felt pre-determined, or determined immediately after Pete Crow-Armstrong homered on the first pitch of the game thrown by Trevor McDonald.

PCA continued to be a menace all evening: he collected two more hits, came up a triple shy of the cycle, advanced to third on a flyout to left field, and scored two of Chicago’s six runs. 

McDonald, far removed from his early success and efficiency, has officially spent too much time with Landen Roupp and Robbie Ray. After pitching into the 7th inning in three of his first five starts, McDonald hasn’t reached the 6th in three consecutive outings. On Saturday night, 93 pitches didn’t even get him through four complete. He chucked a pair of wild pitches, walked three (his third consecutive game doing so), and hit a batter while surrendering 4 runs on 6 hits.  

Some of that ineffectiveness can be blamed on Chicago’s peskiness. They refused to be grounded by McDonald’s sinker-heavy arsenal. But mixed in with the Cubs’ professional approach was a level of Bush League-ness exhibited by the Giants. 

McDonald and reliever Reiver Sanmartin helped generate Chicago’s fourth run with this depressing sequence walk – single – HBP – walk — all started with two outs, the bases empty, and an inability to tempt the very temptable, .174 hitting Dansby Swanson to chase out of the zone. 

This was actually the second time in as many frames in which San Francisco’s generosity overfloweth. With runners at the corners, Craig Counsell signaled for Ian Happ to steal second, and like many, many Little Leaguers before him, back-up catcher, Eric Haase couldn’t resist the throw down — despite no defender covering.

The Cubs managed just one-hit in 11 at-bats with a runner in scoring position. But free gifts of 90 feet and a trio of homers paced them plenty, as the Giants offense had to play catch-up against Ben Brown. They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and struggled to get productive outs.

Rafael Devers watched the next three hitters go down in quick succession after his lead-off double in the 2nd. Luis Arraez’s RBI triple in the 3rd (extending his hitting streak to 13 games) got the Giants on the board, but after Bryce Eldridge walked, neither runner advanced further after Casey Schmitt and Rafael Devers both struck out. Willy Adames’s late jump on a loose ball got him cut down at third for a momentum-killing second-out in the 4th.

Right after that bungled scoring opportunity, Ian Happ and Pedro Ramirez both homered off Sanmartin to extend Chicago’s lead and effectively lay the Giants down for the night.

The victory earned the Cubs their first series win since early May. The loss was a rerun for Giants fans.