May 30, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits an RBI single against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Things are bleak for the New York Mets, towering walk-off home runs from MJ Melendez and a three-game win streak aside. The team has under-performed, been bitten by the injury bug, and overall has been abysmal offensively. The boom-or-bust cycle of the Steve Cohen era is trending once again toward bust in 2026. It’s painful for any fan base to accept the idea of your team being a deadline seller before the summer gets going.
Juan Soto’s continued play at an MVP level might ease some of that pain.
Soto’s last few weeks have been some of the best of his career, and he has appeared like an oasis in the desert that is the Mets’ lineup. It took Soto a while to get going after returning from an early-season calf injury that kept him out for most of April, but he has been spectacular since May 14.
Reaching base safely in the 14 games since then, Soto has been the consistent presence that you would expect from someone earning his astronomical salary. He’s has a 1.310 OPS, eight home runs, 13 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. The kind of hot streak where you could tell your friends that a home run is coming before a Soto at bat, and you just might be right.
Soto’s play as of late has been so impressive that he had Joey Votto singing his praises on a recent MLB Network appearance. Votto compared Soto to Hall of Famer Mel Ott and said that Soto is one of the most important players of the post-integration era.
“I would argue that Juan Soto may be among the best three to five best left-handed hitters of all time,” he added. “Juan Soto is playing against the best players of all time. We’re at the peak of baseball, we’re at the peak of drug testing, we’re at the peak of everything…That’s just my take and he’s been quoted saying that he thinks that he’s the best hitter of all time. I don’t think he’s out of school for that.”
Now that Soto appears to have recovered from injuries and is actively producing, the question for the last-place Mets is: Can the lineup around him help with some of the heavy lifting? So far, the answer is clear no.
New York is 22-19 in games Soto has started, but the team somehow struggles to get wins when he has a big day. In wins, Soto has an .810 OPS with four home runs, and he has a 1.162 OPS with eight home runs in losses. It couldn’t hurt for the rest of the lineup to pile on in games where Soto breaks through or find a way to make teams pay for pitching around him more often.
It can be hard for Mets fans to be positive, and that’s completely reasonable. But maybe Soto at his best and the nearing returns of Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alveraz, and Jorge Polanco can jolt this lineup enough for the club to at least claw back to .500.
If not, the chance to watch Soto is enough for the price of admission and enough to keep tuning in for the rest of the season.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 30: Brandon Nimmo #24 of the Texas Rangers reacts after slideing across home plate to score the winning run against the Kansas City Royals during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on May 30, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 7, Royals 6
What a weird game.
Kumar Rocker went six shutout innings despite walking more batters (3) than he struck out (2).
Rocker wasn’t missing bats — he got 9 swings and misses on 85 pitches — and he gave up a good amount of hard contact. And although he’s usually a ground ball pitcher, the Royals put a bunch of balls in the air against him.
But he still kept Kansas City off the board. The biggest jam he got into was in the third inning, when a single and a pair of walks resulted in a bases loaded, two out situation, but Rocker got Salvador Perez to ground out to end the inning.
Rocker even ended up retiring the final nine batters he faced. He left the game with a 3-0 lead, and surely, with the Rangers’ bullpen going up against a bad Royals offense, Rocker would end up with the win.
Right?
Of course not. Things don’t work out that easily for the Rangers.
Tyler Alexander and Jakob Junis combined to strike out the side in the seventh. That would be much more exciting news if the Royals didn’t also bat around in the seventh, with a double, four singles and another double plating four runs and turning the 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit.
Alexander did get credit for a Hold, however, because the Rangers were still up when he left the game. This, despite retiring just one of four batters he faced. That’s kind of funny.
Chris Martin exacerbated things in the eighth inning, issuing a walk to start the inning and then giving up a homer to Carter Jensen.
Chris Martin is now sporting a 7.84 ERA, a 7.56 xERA and a 6.35 FIP. That makes me sad.
Texas had gotten on the board in the first on a Josh Jung home run, then scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth thanks to an E5 on a fielder’s choice that resulted in runners on first and second with no one out. Alejandro Osuna bunted the runners over, but in doing so hurt his finger and ultimately had to leave the game, because of course what the Rangers really need right now is more injured hitters.
Anyway, the Rangers scored two in the fourth, with offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez singling home the second of those two runs.
I know y’all are fired up about Nicky Lopez.
The Rangers rallied in the eighth and were in position to tie the game, as a Jake Burger double, Ezequiel Duran walk, and Danny Jansen double made it a 6-4 game with runners on second and third and one out. Justin Foscue, pinch hitting for Lopez, popped out, and then Michael Helman, for some reason, tried a two out bunt but popped it up for the third out.
At this point I was all prepared to talk in the thoughts post about how this is what happens when you are relying on the likes of Justin Foscue and Michael Helman to take key at bats and drive home runs late in the game. You fall short and you end up losing and that’s the way it is.
But instead I can talk about how you should never lose hope, you should never give up, you should always keep believing.
Joc Pederson led off the ninth with a home run, his eighth of the season, one fewer than he had all last year.
The Rangers were suddenly down just one.
Josh Jung smoked a ball into the hole at shortstop that Bobby Witt Jr. made a great diving stop on. Jung, not the fleetest Ranger, seemed like he’d be a dead duck at first base. Witt rushed the throw to first, however, and it went way wide, resulting in Jung getting credit for an infield single.
Brandon Nimmo then hit a chopper back up the middle. If Lucas Erceg, the Royals reliever, lets it go past him, it is probably a double play. However, Erceg tries to make a play on it, and it caroms off his glove. Nimmo beats the throw to first for an infield single.
Can you feel the momentum building? Were you sensing a miraculous comeback was at hand?
Or were you convinced that this was a tease, that the Rangers were just setting things up for a heartbreaking loss?
Jake Burger swung at a 2-0 pitch but didn’t get good wood on the ball. It ended up working out for the best, as he flared the ball the other way, just beyond the infield into right field, for a game-tying single.
That set the stage for Ezequiel Duran, who blooped a 1-1 pitch the opposite way. It fell in front of Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone. Brandon Nimmo, at third, broke home once the ball fell in, and slid in ahead of the throw.
Ballgame. A walk off win.
And the first ever major league win for Peyton Gray, whose scoreless ninth inning kept the Rangers in position to make the comeback.
Think how made Royals fans must be about this game. The Pederson homer to get the game within one. Then two infield hits, followed by a flare and a bloop, and your team lost.
Its just the second time this season that a reliever has gotten walked off while facing at least five batters and retiring none of them. The other one was Jordan Romano against the Angels last month.
And it is only the second time in Rangers history that the Rangers have walked it off in such a scenario. The only other time was in 2008, when Fernando Rodney faced six Rangers, retired none of them, and was walked off on a Chris Davis bases loaded single.
Joc Pederson’s homer was 108.0 mph. Brandon Nimmo had a 104.6 mph groundout, a 104.1 mph fly out and a 102.8 mph single. Josh Jung had a 102.2 mph homer and a 101.1 mph single. Jake Burger had a 101.9 mph single.
Kumar Rocker’s fastball topped out at 94.9 mph, averaging 93.4 mph. Tyler Alexander touched 92.7 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis hit 94.9 mph with his sinker. Chris Martin’s fastball reached 94.7 mph. Peyton Gray maxed out at 93.6 mph with his fastball.
Oklahoma City's James Tibbs III is introduced before a minor league baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Albuquerque Isotopes at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 27, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Dodgers minor league affiliates combined for nine home runs on Saturday.
Player of the day
James Tibbs III is running roughshod through Sugar Land, Texas this week. He hit a three-run home run and delivered an RBI single for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night, giving him five home runs and 15 RBI in five games so far during this series.
On the season, Tibbs is hitting .317/.419/.644 and leads the Pacific Coast League with 16 home runs, 50 runs batted in, 34 extra-base hits, and 134 total bases.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Home runs ruled the day in the Comets’ win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).
In addition to Tibbs, Seby Zavala also hit a three-run home run and Jack Suwinski hit a solo shot.
Charlie Barnes started and struck out four with no walks in his five innings, and allowed one run for the win. Five innings matched his longest outing of the season, done four times with Iowa before getting claimed off waivers from the Cubs on May 9.
Double-A Tulsa
Shortstop Elijah Hainline, who had already walked three times on Saturday, hit the game-winning grand slam to cap a seven-run eighth inning in the Drillers’ comeback win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).
Josue De Paula had three hits, including two doubles, and scored three times in the win for Tulsa. Zyhir Hope and Griffin Lockwood-Powell each doubled, singled, and drove in two runs.
Patrick Copen pitched into the seventh, when he allowed his fourth run of the game and left trailing after his 6 1/3 innings, three walks, and four strikeouts.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons only managed to score two runs, wasting a combined 14 strikeouts and only one walk by the pitching staff in a road loss to the Dayton Dragons (Reds).
Brooks Auger stretched out for his longest start since returning from the injured list in late April, going five innings with two runs allowed and a season-high seven strikeouts. Jacob Frost, the 2025 10th-round pick, piggybacked with Auger for the fifth time in the last five-plus weeks, and struck out seven of his own in three innings. The winning run for Dayton came on a two-out triple in the eighth inning and a wild pitch from Frost.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers joined the power party with five home runs of their own to rout the Visalia Oaks (D-backs). Ontario scored six runs in the fourth inning, three in the fifth, and five more in the sixth.
Ching-Hsien Ko didn’t homer, but he did reach base five times with two singles, a double, and three walks, and scored three times. Catcher Anson Aroz reached base four times, including a three-run home run, and scored three times. Jaron Elkins homered and stole a base, part of his two-hit, two-RBI, and two-run evening.
Arizona Complex League
Alek Thomas played all seven innings in center field his second game since getting acquired by the Dodgers on May 12, and was hitless in four at-bats with a strikeout and a run scored against the ACL Guardians in Goodyear. Thomas also played on Thursday, and had a hit in his three at-bats plus a walk against the ACL Brewers at Camelback Ranch.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 25: Tobias Myers #32 of the New York Mets walks off the mound after pitching during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on May 25, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets won their third game in a row, soundly defeating the Marlins 6-1 at Citi Field after inducting Lee Mazzilli and former manger Bobby Valentine into the Mets Hall of Fame. This game also included a few firsts: Christian Scott earned his first big league win with five strong innings of work, Hayden Senger launched the first home run of his major league career, and Cionel Pérez pitched a scoreless inning in his first Mets appearance as part of an excellent collective effort by the bullpen.
Jon Heyman provides four reasons why the 2026 Mets could turn things around like Bobby V’s 1999 Mets did.
Cionel Pérez was selected to the roster prior to yesterday’s game and took the roster spot of Tobias Myers, who was optioned to Triple-A. The Mets say he’ll “have a more regular throwing program” in the minors and may end up being an option for the rotation. Anderson Severino was designated for assignment to make room for Pérez on the 40-man roster.
The Mets are hopeful Jorge Polanco, who has been sidelined with Achilles bursitis, will return next weekend in San Diego.
The Mets honored late longtime team photographer Marc Levine with a Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award.
Pitching prospect Channing Austin has been making some waves in the Mets’ system this season.
If Mark Vientos and Brett Baty don’t help the Mets climb out of this hole they are in by July, the Mets may want to consider trading one of them at the deadline, writes Will Sammon of The Athletic.
The Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo trade was one of the best trades in baseball last offseason…for the Rangers, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Around the National League East
The Nationals came roaring back with a six-run seventh inning to beat the Padres 9-4, despite Fernando Tatis Jr.’s first home run of 2026.
The Phillies had a thrilling come from behind victory as well, as Edmundo Sosa’s go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth off Tanner Scott lifted Philadelphia to a 4-3 win over the Dodgers.
The Phillies designated former Met Zach Pop for assignment to make room on their roster for Max Lazar, who they activated from the 60-day IL and sent to Triple-A.
It’s been over two years since Brandon Marsh played with Shohei Ohtani on the Angels and they were teammates for less than two seasons, but Marsh still gets asked about it.
Ronald Acuña Jr. blasted two home runs in the Braves’ 5-2 victory over the Reds.
Angels reliever Brent Suter and rehabbing Rays pitchers Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodríguez took the anthem standoff so seriously at Tropicana Field yesterday that they were all ejected from the game before first pitch. Even the mascots got involved.
In a huge blow to the White Sox, slugger Munetaka Murakami was placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks.
Pete Alonso’s walk-off hit capped off a five-run ninth inning for the Orioles as they won a 6-5 thriller over the Blue Jays.
MLB.com reviewed seven storylines to watch as the calendar turns to June, including whether early season disappointments like the Mets, Tigers, and Red Sox can turn things around.
Pete Crow-Armstrong may be heating up, as he notched four hits in the Cubs’ 6-1 win over the Cardinals.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Alex Lodise #74 of the Atlanta Braves warms up during the first inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Saturday was a rough day down on the Atlanta Braves farm system, as the teams in the organization combined to drop all six games played. Making things tougher were a JR Ritchie start that lasted just a third of an inning, plus another less than impressive start from Lucas Braun. There were some positives though, as Manuel Campos filled up the boxscore, Jordan Groshans had a monster game, Luke Sinnard had a positive second start in High-A, and Gensi Angeles had another scoreless start.
Nashville Sounds 8, Gwinnett Stripers 3
Maverick Handley, C: 2-3
Ben Gamel, CF/RF: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, .186/.310/.347
JR Ritchie, SP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2.70 ERA
JR Ritchie didn’t have his command in this game and turned in one of the shortest starts of his career, lasting just a third of an inning. Ritchie walked four and allowed a hit, and all five of those guys came in to score – though he did record a strikeout for his lone out. Javy Guerra provided some length out of the bullpen, allowing a run over three innings of work before Daysbel Hernandez and Hayden Harris each went an inning and a third – Harris with a scoreless outing and Hernandez allowing two runs. James Karinchak went two scoreless frames with four strikeouts to finish off this game.
The bottom of the order was the only source of offense for the Stripers in this one, as Maverick Handley, Ben Gamel, and Jose Azocar each had two hit days, with Gamel recording a double. Outside of that trio, who hit 6/7/8 in the lineup, singles by Rowdy Tellez and Brewer Hicklen were the only others to reach base safely.
Biloxi Shuckers 9, Columbus Clingstones 4
Jordan Groshans, 3B: 3-3, HR, BB, R, 3 RBI, .258/.337/.529
David McCabe, 1B: 1-3, 2B, BB, R, .254/.362/.522
Lucas Braun, SP: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 7.04 ERA
Lucas Braun made the start in the first game and allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over five and a third innings. Braun, who has struggled a bit more in his starts with Columbus this year, struck out four and had seven whiffs. Luis Vargas followed Braun and allowed five runs in just two thirds of an inning, before a scoreless inning from Blane Abeyta.
Jordan Groshans went off in the first game, going a perfect three for three with a homer, walk, and three runs batted in. That gives him 10 homers and 27 RBI to go with his .865 OPS for the Clingstones. David McCabe also reached base multiple times, doubling in three at bats, plus a walk and a run scored. Tristin English also added a two-hit game that included a double, while Luke Waddell singled and walked in the loss.
Biloxi Shuckers 5, Columbus Clingstones 0
Logan Braunschweig, LF: 1-2
Luke Waddell, SS: 0-2, BB, .242/.363/.377
Ian Mejia, SP: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 8.82 ERA
The second game saw Ian Mejia make the start and allow five runs (four earned) over five innings of work, allowing six hits and two walks with three strikeouts before giving way to Samuel Strickland. Strickland came out of the pen and pitched the final two innings of scoreless baseball and picked up one strikeout.
The second game saw Columbus get dominated by Biloxi starter Jaron DeBerry, who allowed just one hit and two walks in his seven inning shutout. The recently promoted Logan Braunschweig had the lone hit, a fifth inning single. Luke Waddell and Archer Brookman drew the pair of Clingstones walks, as Waddell reached base for the third time on the day between the two games.
Luke Sinnard made his second start with Rome on Saturday, allowing a pair of runs on three hits and a walk over five innings. Sinnard struck out five with eight whiffs on 78 pitches as he continues to build back up after his late start to the season. Jacob Shafer followed and allowed two runs in his inning, while Justin Long and Riley Frey each allowed a run over an inning of work.
The Emperors managed just two runs on three hits. Cody Miller homered and stole a base, while Dixon Williams added a double. Beyond that the only Emperors to reach base were a walk by Colby Jones and a single from Colin Burgess. Isaiah Drake and John Gil were both hitless, though Gil did steal a base.
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 2, Augusta GreenJackets 1
Zach Royse continued to dominate Low-A hitters on Saturday. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks, in addition to eight strikeouts and an impressive 22 whiffs. That takes him to 48 strikeouts over 48.1 innings to start the season, and probably gets him closer to a move up the ladder. Lewis Sifontes pitched a scoreless eighth inning to finish things off on the pitching side.
The Augusta offense faced a tough test in this pitchers duel, as outside of a two for four game from Alex Lodise and a two for three with a walk day from Dallas Macias, they had just three additional singles and two walks on a day off for Tate Southisene. Michael Martinez, Luis Guanipa, and Cooper McMurray had the remaining singles.
FCL Rays 12, FCL Braves 3
Manuel Campos, SS: 2-3, BB, R, 3 SB, .274/.411/.397
Gensi Angeles started off with four and a third scoreless innings, allowing just a pair of hits and a pair of walks as the Braves led 3-0. Angeles struck out three and picked up four whiffs in another strong performance. Daniel Brooks followed for the next two outs of the inning and came back for the sixth, but the sixth was a very bad inning as the Braves allowed 10 runs to score. Brooks got one more out, but allowed five runs (two earned) before giving way to Melvin Hidalgo, who walked the five batters he faced and allowed five unearned runs. Edward Cedano pitched one and two thirds scoreless innings before Juan Olmos allowed two additional runs in his inning of work.
On the hitting side Manuel Campos had a game of ups and downs. He went two for three with a walk, stole three bags, and scored a run – but he also made three errors in the field. Rehabbing Owen Carey walked in four plate appearances and stole a base, while Caden Merritt walked, scored a run, and batted one in. Both Campos and Carey had exit velocities above 97 MPH. Diego Tornes was hitless in four at bats.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - MAY 30: Zach Neto #9 of the Los Angeles Angels scores on a wild pitch before Ian Seymour #61 of the Tampa Bay Rays can make the tag in the seventh inning of a game at Tropicana Field on May 30, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees offense couldn’t keep the momentum rolling for a fourth straight night. Following efforts of 15, seven, and eight runs, their valiant comeback attempt in the ninth fell just short in the second game against the A’s. They still have a chance to win the three-game series today with Will Warren on the mound. Fortunately for them, the Rays also stumbled, so there is no change atop the standings, though there was plenty of other excitement involving the Yankees’ AL rivals.
Los Angeles Angels (23-36) 14, Tampa Bay Rays (35-20) 3
A day after surrendering seven runs in the seventh to squander a late lead, the Angels rebounded at the Trop to drop two touchdowns against the Rays. He may be the personal kryptonite of the Yankees, but Drew Rasmussen stumbled over his worst start of the season to give up five runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. Angels starter Reid Detmers was marginally better with his five innings of three-run ball, but this game was all about the lead his bats generated for him and never stopped building.
Detmers didn’t have to wait l0ng for that lead, the Angels ambushing Rasmussen for four runs in the top of the first. Mike Trout singled and Vaughn Grissom and Jorge Soler drew a pair of walks to load the bases with one out for Wade Meckler, who demolished an absolute no-doubter to right for a grand slam to give his starter a four run lead before even taking the mound.
Yandy Díaz clawed one back with a home run to lead off the bottom-half, but the Rays would always be in chase mode. Los Angeles extended their lead scoring one in the fourth on a Meckler leadoff single and Donovan Walton RBI double and another an inning later on a booming solo shot from Trout. The Rays responded with a pair in the bottom of the fifth on a Junior Caminero RBI double and Ryan Vilade RBI groundout, and then threatened by loading the bases in the sixth on three straight two-out walks, but their failure to plate any of the three opened the door for Los Angeles to kill the game off in the ninth after a wild pitch in the seventh allowed their seventh run to score — an output they would double in the ninth inning.
Sebastián Rivero led off that ninth with a walk, Nick Madrigal was hit by a pitch, Trout walked, and Grissom was hit by a pitch to plate the eighth run. Jose Siri drove in the ninth with an RBI groundout, and Adell drove in the remaining pair on the bases with a mammoth 431-foot three-run bomb to center. Oswald Peraza then went back-to-back for lucky run number 13, and a Walton single and Rivero RBI double put a bow on the scoring.
Baltimore Orioles (27-32) 6, Toronto Blue Jays (29-30) 5
In a reversal of fortune from Friday’s events at Camden Yards, the Blue Jays were in the driver’s seat for most of this game, and they were the ones who had a 5-1 lead late. They handed it off to closer Jeff Hoffman in the bottom of the ninth, only to see him give it all up as the Orioles scored five to walk it off. It wasted something of a strange outing from Trey Yesavage, who managed to hold Baltimore to a run in five innings despite walking seven batters. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4-for-5, Kazuma Okamoto hit a two-run double and Jesús Sánchez an RBI double, and Ernie Clement drove in a run with one of his two singles.
However, we’ve seen the way a ninth inning led can evaporate when Hoffman is closing. He plunked Coby Mayo with one out and Leody Taveras drove him home with a triple. Jackson Holliday plated Taveras with a single before advancing to third on a Colton Cowser double. Hoffman and Connor Seabold then combined to walk three straight batters to plate two more runs and bring Pete Alonso to the plate with the score tied, 5-5. Alonso fought off a 2-1 fastball on his hands to the opposite field for the walk-off single.
Boston Red Sox (24-33) 9, Cleveland Guardians (34-26) 1
This game was a closely-contested affair until Guardians reliever Will Dion gave up six runs in the ninth inning. Starters Sonny Gray and Parker Messick both surrendered just one run, Gray over six innings and Messick over five. Cleveland scored their only run on a José Ramírez RBI double in the first. From there the Red Sox scored nine unanswered. In the ninth, Wilyer Abreu drew a leadoff walk, Willson Contreras was plunked, and Marcelo Mayer reached on an error by Ramírez, setting up a Masataka Yoshida walk with the bases loaded. Connor Wong then singled home a pair and Jarren Duran fully cleared the bases with a three-run bomb.
Bryan Woo authored another gem, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless for seven innings allowing just two hits and no walks to go along with nine strikeouts. Ryne Nelson wasn’t so lucky, coughing up five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Four of those runs came via the solo home run, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone leaving the yard in the second and Colt Emerson and Julio Rodríguez going deep in the third. Seattle’s fifth and final run came in the sixth, Randy Arozarena leading off with a groundball that resulted in a Jose Fernandez throwing error and Arozarena standing on second, a Raley single to move him to third, and a Cole Young sac fly to bring him home. With the win, the Mariners push their record above .500 for the first time since March 30th.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 30: Ryne Nelson #19 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 30, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Maddy Grassy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team News
D-backs seeking return to winning ways after entering mini-skid “I said it last night, we knew coming up here it was gonna be a dogfight and we got only one thing to do, and that’s go out and play our best baseball game tomorrow and try and salvage one game here,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’ve been playing good baseball. I have every reason to believe that will continue tomorrow.”
Bryan Woo’s Dominant Start Raises Concerns Over Diamondbacks Offense
Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno combined to go 0-for-15 with one walk (by Perdomo in the ninth inning) and five strikeouts. Arizona did not record an extra-base hit on the night, with Ryan Waldschmidt providing the other base hit of the night — off the Seattle bullpen. https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/bryan-woo-dominant-start-concerns-diamondbacks-offense
Oreo has made enough cookies to go to the moon and back 5 times.
Since Oreo was introduced to the market in 1912, over 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold worldwide.
According to Greek traditions, tossing children’s loose teeth to a roof brings good luck.
The Greeks have always been known for their own way of doing things. In some cultures, children keep their loose teeth under pillows to swap for cash from the tooth fairy. However, the Greeks had their children throwing loose teeth onto roofs. Yeet!
The Hawaiian alphabet contains only 13 letters.
The Hawaiian alphabet contains a total of five vowels that are both long and short. It also contains a total of eight consonants. Hawaii’s alphabet represents all the basic sounds and phonemes in their language.
Good morning! The Mariners are looking for a series sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks after another dominant win last night. Bryan Woo’s seven innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts were complimented by four home runs to secure a 5-1 win. As Connor mentioned in his recap last night, the Mariners are finally back at .500 (for the first time since March 30th) and won consecutive series for just the second time all season.
Bryce Miller gets the start today against RHP Merrill Kelly at 1:10 PM in trial #3 of the piggyback plan.
May 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy (17) in the dugout before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Red Sox aren’t actually worse in the first month of the Chad Tracy era…but they feel worse.
With this early milestone just passed, it’s fair to ask what has changed. If things had actually changed, this would be a really fun exercise. But, as I look around, a fair answer is…not much? There have been some cosmetic differences, sure, like Mickey Gasper and Nick Sogard being called up from Triple A. Trevor Story’s hernia forced a decision at shortstop, with Marcelo Mayer eventually slotting into the starter role. If not for Story’s IL stint, that’s a change which I suspect would not otherwise have been made right now. (For the record, I’m in favor of it.)
But the anemic offense hasn’t changed. Neither has the winning percentage, at least not by much. Nor the Sox place in the standings, either.
The one place I see a clear difference is in the fan support. The Sox have lost us in 2026. I say this as a lifer, and with genuine regret.
At the end of April, surprising as the timing was, the firing of Cora & Co. seemed to hold out some hope for a big change. A morale boost, a turnaround, a shift in mechanics/procedure/process/whatever that might have cracked open a new version of this team. There was also the hope that all of the individual players who are “just not performing to their career norms,” as Craig Breslow put it, would either get on track due to the coaching change, or naturally emerge from their respective slumps if given enough time. While Duran and Mayer may be showing more signs of life recently, this hasn’t happened across the board.
Allowing ourselves to believe that shaking things up with the coaching staff might right the ship was a dream that might have been semi-believable in April. I wasn’t sure that was what needed to happen, but I was willing to let the theory play out. I would’ve been thrilled if it had worked.
But it’s not April anymore; it’s the cusp of June. Shit has gotten real over the past month. No matter the state of the AL East and the possibility that the Sox still have a ridiculously reasonable chance at making the third Wild Card spot, everyone agrees that the team is just terrible. I see it in comments, message boards, casual conversations. On air, in print, online, among friends. The team is painful to watch and this whole thing [gestures wildly] is painful to watch.
I have no trouble critiquing a play, a bad performance, an approach…but I sure don’t like to criticize the entire enterprise. It goes too far against the grain to feel like everything is wrong. I want to feel like there’s a possibility for redemption or joy somewhere in this season, but I can’t find it right now. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I stay away from the televised games whenever I can. I’m not sure I can be bothered to travel the seven miles downtown to see them when they come to Seattle in June. My entire life, this has been unthinkable. I’ve gone to outlandish, crazy lengths to see the Red Sox whenever, wherever, and however I can.
I’m usually a pretty positive person and many people who know me might say that I live for the Red Sox. It takes a lot to turn a diehard fan into a stone. Blame Fatse…blame Cora…no, blame Breslow. Sell the team. I haven’t advocated for any of those things. And yet…
In grad school, it was common to talk about “filling up the vessel.” Forgive this fine arts-speak, which is a shorthand way to talk about replenishing creative energy. The vessel is you. The vessel gets emptied as you naturally go about your day, expending energy. Doing something restorative, or even better—inspiring—fills up the vessel. This could be as simple as avoiding burnout by going home to get some rest. I think it was Picasso who said he invited people to his studio every morning (filling up the vessel), so that he had something to paint every afternoon.
Our damn Red Sox vessel is dry and we’re parched and we’re in a drought, okay? And we still have 105 games left on this slog through treacherous terrain (see: Guardians, Orioles, Yankees, Rays next on the schedule). There’s nothing new being poured into our collective vessel.
If it weren’t for Payton Tolle’s big heart and Connelly Early’s grin as he leans on the dugout rail and talks with the other pitchers, I’d have nothing at all in the tank for this team.
Yes, of course, if Roman Anthony returns rested and healthy, and once again takes up the mantle of superstar-in-the-making, that would add something to the vessel. If Garrett Crochet gets back to being a lights-out pig, that’s more for the vessel.
It’s summer now. They’re still my team but…the Red Sox have to give us something. Fans have become pretty depleted over the last month.
Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) prepares to bat as Houston Astros pitcher Tayler Scott (54) prepares to deliver the pitch in the third inning of the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.
I was in Cincinnati and Great American Ballpark. I have to say, regardless of the outcome, that I really liked it. Yes, it’s small. Not just the outfield dimensions, though. It’s cute, as the wife remarked. I feel that the rows are closer together in the lower bowl. I didn’t realize how pitched the right outfield seats and the left field upper deck were. The left field seats don’t quite bring you into the left fielder’s lap like the Crawford boxes in Houston do. But it draws you in closer. The entrance pulls you into queues separated by statues of Reds gone by. Built in 2003, it just missed the trend of opening up the seating so that you can see the action from the concourse. But overall, really nice.
The staff at the park were very friendly. No one questioned me as I entered the lower bowl. I’ve never had that experience in Atlanta. The ushers in the last three Braves ballparks made it a point to check your ticket and make sure everyone is seated exactly where they should be. The concessions that we visited were grab and go cafeteria style ones. Their postgame fireworks went for 20 plus minutes, and without a lot of fluff either. I don’t what they would do for the Fourth, maybe declare war on Kentucky?
So where do you rate Great American Ballpark? It’s not home, but I liked it. Are there away parks that you like more?
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres reacts to a home run during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The months long wait is over. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a 451-foot solo home run in the top of the fifth inning that gave the San Diego Padres a 3-1 lead over the Washington Nationals. Padres starter Michael King was cruising through the first six innings of the game, and it appeared the Friar Faithful were going to see their superstar end his homerless drought and their team get a second consecutive win. That changed when the Nationals scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and cruised to a 9-4 win at Nationals Park on Saturday.
The home run by Tatis followed solo home runs by Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado. Of course, all three home runs followed what proved to be the game-winning two-run home run by Jackson Merrill the night before. The Padres offense looked to be coming to life a bit with home runs from all four of their superstars, three of which have been mired in season long slumps.
King was performing like the ace he has shown himself to be. He allowed one run on a solo home run in bottom of the third inning and appeared to be in complete control. In the bottom of the seventh he allowed back-to-back singles before loading the bases with a walk. He then hit a batter and that made the score, 3-2. King was taken out of the game and was replaced by Bradgley Rodriguez who could not get out of the inning. before the Nationals had a 7-3 lead. It was a difficult inning to watch, even for San Diego manager Craig Stammen who was ejected arguing a force play at second base.
Machado hit an RBI-double in the top of the eighth inning to make the score, 7-4 but Wandy Peralta allowed two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and the 9-4 deficit proved to be too much for the Padres to overcome. San Diego will have a chance to win the series against Washington today 10:35 a.m.
Padres News:
Any time your team goes 3-6 on a homestand it’s going to be a long and difficult week. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball recaps the week that was and highlights some of the struggles that led the Padres to a losing week at Petco Park.
The Chicago White Sox are favorites this afternoon as they look to complete their fourth series sweep on the season against the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit is labouring, with just two wins in its last 12, as they dwell in the AL Central basement. They’ve already been swept five times this season.
My Tigers vs White Sox predictions and MLB picks have this as Chicago’s sixth sweep, with their hot bats lighting up Detroit’s Keider Montero.
Who will win Tigers vs White Sox today: White Sox -1.5 (+166)
Keider Montero's four-game losing streak isn't a coincidence. He's failed to reach the sixth inning in three straight starts, and the underlying issue is a growing reliance on fastballs and sinkers after losing trust in his slider, which he's throwing just 16% of the time.
That has made him far more predictable, and hitters are responding with a 90.7 mph average exit velocity.
That's a bad recipe against a Chicago White Sox lineup that ranks sixth in slugging and has already piled up 19 hits and four homers in this series.
I expect Chicago's power edge to show again and would play the run line up to -2.5.
COVERS INTEL:The White Sox are fourth in the majors in home runs, and that’s due to a vast improvement in batted balls that are pulled in the air (19.2%). Pulled air balls are the most valuable type, and Chicago is currently eighth in the league in that category.
Tigers vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-120)
The White Sox have cashed eight the Over eight times in their last 10 games, as their pitching staff has been bailed out by a good hitting lineup.
Sean Burke's last four starts have all ended in losses, and all four games produced at least eight total runs.
Detroit's offense hasn't been reliable, but the Tigers don't need to do all the heavy lifting, as its pitching staff has allowed 5+ runs in five of the last eight games, repeatedly forcing totals upward regardless of opponent.
I expect another game that threatens double-digit runs and would play the Over up to 9.5 runs.
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 10-8, +2.40 units
Over/Under bets: 13-4, +8.96 units
Tigers vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Tigers +117 | White Sox -122
Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-178) | White Sox -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-113) | Under 7.5 (+108)
Tigers vs White Sox trend
Coming off a win, the White Sox have won nine straight day games against AL opponents. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. White Sox.
How to watch Tigers vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Sunday, May 31, 2026
First pitch
2:10 p.m. ET
TV
DSN, CHSN
Tigers starting pitcher
Keider Montero (2-3, 4.09 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Sean Burke (2-3, 3.90 ERA)
Tigers vs White Sox latest injuries
Tigers vs White Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 4, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) lays down a bunt against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Over the past week, the St. Louis Cardinals have been a shell of the team we had seen for the first 50 games. After surpassing all expectations and changing fan tune from necessary rebuild to playoff hopefuls, the stretch of NL Central games has exploited some holes on the St. Louis roster. While we knew there were spots on the roster in need of an upgrade, the great start to the year may have unfairly put some players under the microscope when their performances may have been ignored if the team were 10 games under .500.
What this season has given us so far has been some clarity at certain positions. Possibly with different levels of certainty, we can say that the Cardinals have major league capable hitters at first base, second base, right field, and depending on the day, catcher. Alec Burleson has put together another consistently solid campaign while JJ Wetherholt has surged to the top of the NL Rookie of the Year favorites despite going through a mini slump or two. Coming into the year, most fans would be surprised to see right field be locked down by MVP candidate Jordan Walker who, with each passing day is making us believe what we are seeing is real. And then catcher. The commonly debated position without a clear answer should have at least one future long-time big leaguer somewhere in the organization.
The Cardinals have obvious needs but a not-so-obvious timeline
I keep saying it, but the point of the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals season was to get some answers at key positions. After a couple years of promising runway and opportunity, those missions never came to fruition and the Cardinals were stuck in neutral rather than choosing a direction. Now that Chaim Bloom is in charge, the direction has been agreed upon, but the team has shown that they may be better than we anticipated. Whenever we hear rebuild, we assume that means 100 losses, as many among Cardinal social media predicted, but the Yungry Redbirds missed that memo. As the series against the Cubs concludes today (apologies, writing this Friday since I will be at Blogger Day Saturday and traveling home all day Sunday), the Cardinals are still in the postseason picture but the overall goal remains to figure out needs for the future.
In order to see the true holes in the Cardinals roster, I set FanGraphs leaderboards to the 2024 season through the season to this point in order to determine how long each position has been performing below league average. I sorted through fWAR but also used wRC+ as my measures because I personally do not care how good you are at catching the ball if you cannot provide any use with the bat. Since 2024, the Cardinals have been 15th or worse in each measure at third base (15th in both), right field (15th wRC+, 18th fWAR), center field (30th wRC+, 29th fWAR), and left field (21st in both). On the mound, the starters are 24th in fWAR and 25th in xERA while the bullpen sits 12th and 19th, respectively.
I assume like you, I was surprised at the catching set up not being listed above, but digging further, the four-man split from the past two seasons has Ivan Herrera accumulating a 6.0 fWAR to Pedro Pages’ 2.8 number, with Herrera’s offense doing the heavy lifting for the position to sit in fifth and sixth place in wRC+ and fWAR. Based on the numbers, the Cardinals have five position groups in the bottom half of the league, but for now, I will take away right field because Jordan Walker’s previous two seasons tanked that ranking. This year, right field ranks top three in both measures so we will cross that off for today.
Moving to the hot corner, Nolan Arenado and Nolan Gorman have combined to be basically league-average third basemen. With Arenado out in the desert, count me as one of the excited fans who was going to see Gorman get a true daily role, despite having 1500 inconsistent plate appearances coming into the year. Of the guys on the roster, Gorman may have the most to lose this year and has yet to take full control of his opportunity. The signing of Ramon Urias provided some insurance, but his injury has kept Gorm in the lineup most everyday, be it at third or as the DH. On the positive side, the slugger’s defense has improved massively, but the bat has been pretty much what we have seen for the past few seasons. While he has trimmed the strikeouts, the power has been lost along with the new approach and I would personally rather see a 30% K-rate if that meant 30 or more homers. For now, he has an 83 wRC+ and is on pace for around 15 homers. As much as it pains me personally, this offseason could be the time to find a long-term replacement for Gorman.
They may not need to wait until the winter to make a small move, however, One of my personal favorites Blaze Jordan has been teeing off in the minors while playing a decent third base and could get a call later in the year to replace Urias. Jordan may not be the long-term solution at third, but his bat bounced back after last year’s trade to St. Louis and he could provide the spark in the bottom-third of the St. Louis lineup. Outside of Blaze, third base is thin in the organization unless they decide to try JJ Wetherholt there next year. I would be against that seeing he is performing like a Gold Glover or better at the keystone.
While I am fine with giving Gorman another 100 games to truly come to a conclusion, center field is where I am more than ready for a change. As I mentioned earlier, catching the ball is great but it is impossible to win a game 0-0. I apologize to Victor Scott II again as I believe I end up calling him out every week, but I am officially marking the offseason swing changes down as hearsay. While he has hit a “scalding” .214 in May to raise his average to .194, there has been little inspiring about his offense. Out of his 156 plate appearances (through May 28), 16 of them have ended in a bunt attempt. Two of them have gone for hits and NINE have gone for sacrifices. To no surprise, that number leads all of baseball and VSII has bunted as much as 20 teams have all year. Beyond the poor plate appearances, he has struggled stealing bases and his defense has been just fine.
We saw Nathan Church cut into the playing time after his stellar play, but his injury put an end to that setup and I was hoping that Scott would use this next week to swing as hard as he can every at-bat to try and win back the job. Shoulder injuries are tough and I am sure Church is itching to come back, but returning too quickly could do more damage than if he were to wait. He also has never been viewed as a long-term option in outfield outside of a bench guy, so even if he does supplant VSII for the season, it may not mean much for the future. So in a preview to next week’s article (assuming no crazy changes), I would like to see Joshua Baez patrolling center at the major league level in the second half of the season.
In left field, I am waiting to plug the hole for the time being because I do believe that Lars Nootbaar coming back will be a slight boost to the team. While Church, along with Bryan Torres, did some to increase the left field performance this year, the team still sits in the lower half of the league in terms of production. Noot coming back as a league-average or slightly better player could help extend this lineup, bump guys like Masyn Winn and Gorman down a notch in the order, and potentially spark the offense. I do not think Noot will be here beyond the offseason, assuming return to health, so Baez is also an option to fill in here full-time in 2027 if there is a season.
The outfield prospect pool is a little light in the upper minors as well, so with the question marks surrounding next year, I would wait to enhance that position group until the Trade Deadline or in the draft if the Cardinals shift their focus from pitching.
The way the Cardinals have performed this season is what makes these conversations a little different than most teams in the first year of a rebuild. Normally, most fans would tell ownership to stay the course, maybe promote a top prospect or two, and deal away anyone over the age of 27. However, with the Cardinals hanging around the postseason picture, staying the course could mean a completely different thing in St. Louis before the season ends.
What do you think the Cardinals should do with their position players? Is it Baez time or just let Nootbaar and VSII have the rest of the year? Do you believe they should target offense on the trade market and in the draft? Sound off!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on May 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been well documented already that the team does not have a large cadre of capable right handed hitting right now. Adolis Garcia is mired in the worst stretch by a Phillies outfielder it seems since 2001 Pat Burrell, J.T. Realmuto is truly starting to show his age and Alec Bohm continues digging himself out of his deep early season hole.
The biggest issue is that there isn’t much help coming from anywhere in the organization that would make a huge impact on the roster as it stands. Free agents are around the market of course, but they’re free agents for a reason right now. The only recourse would be to trade for someone, but it would be an overpay at this point in the season. So, do you see anything available to help with the right handed woes right now? Are they just kind of stuck with what they’ve got at the moment.
We all know this sort of talent is within Ben Brown and Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Saturday night in St. Louis, both of these players showed it off.
Brown threw seven outstanding innings, his longest outing of the year, and PCA went 4-for-5, including a memorable home run, as the Cubs evened up the series with a 6-1 win over the Cardinals.
Brown retired the first nine Cardinals he faced, three by strikeout, on only 27 pitches, really efficient work. But the Cubs couldn’t do anything with Kyle Leahy over those three innings.
It appeared the Cubs had a run in the second when Alex Bregman left the yard in the second. But the call of “home run” was reviewed and the ball was ruled foul [VIDEO].
In the third, the Cubs had two baserunners, one of them on PCA’s first hit, a single to center. They also had RISP in the fourth, loading the bases with two out, but Dansby Swanson struck out to end the inning.
The Cardinals got on the board against Brown in the fourth. JJ Wetherholt singled, advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Cubs wasted no time tying the game up in the fifth. PCA’s second hit, a double, led off the inning. He took third on a ground out by Nico Hoerner and scored on this single by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
The Cubs took the lead in the sixth. With one out, Miguel Amaya reached on a throwing error, Swanson walked and PCA was hit by a pitch. That loaded the bases for Nico [VIDEO].
Brown continued his fine outing through seven innings. He allowed just the one run on three hits, all singles, walked one and struck out six. He threw 82 pitches. Here’s more on Brown’s evening [VIDEO].
You can see a much better pitch mix for Brown than in previous years. The addition of a sinker and changeup have made him the starting pitcher many hoped he could be. I suspect that when Edward Cabrera returns, Jordan Wicks goes back to Iowa — but when Matthew Boyd comes back, Brown will stay in the rotation and Colin Rea will return to long relief. Great work, Ben. More on Brown’s evening from BCB’s JohnW53:
Brown is the third different Cubs starter this season to pitch at least 7.0 innings and give up three hits. Shota Imanaga did it on April 21 at home vs. the Phillies and Jameson Taillon did it on April 29 at San Diego.
Imanaga gave up one run, as Brown did. Taillon gave up three. Imanaga gave up a homer; Taillon, two; Brown, none. All three walked at least one. Brown and Taillon walked six; Imanaga, one.
The Cubs made it 4-1 on what I thought was a magical moment. You can’t hear it on the video clip I’m going to link to, but when PCA came to bat in the eighth, there were chants of “Overrated! Overrated!” from Cardinals fans.
The look on PCA’s face is one of pure joy, something we haven’t seen much of from him recently. Here’s hoping his big day will result in a long hot streak for him.
Jacob Webb relieved Brown and threw a scoreless eighth, and then the Cubs extended their lead in the ninth. Ian Happ led off with a double, his second hit of the game. Seiya Suzuki reached on another Cardinals error, with Happ taking third. A ground out by Moisés Ballesteros moved Suzuki to second. Amaya reached on catcher’s interference — not a good defensive day for the Cardinals! — loading the bases.
Daniel Palencia, who had been warming up for a potential save, threw the bottom of the ninth even though the game was no longer in that situation. That was okay, as Palencia had not thrown since last Tuesday and there’s an off day Monday. He allowed a leadoff single to Ivan Herrera, then got an out on a force play.
The Cubs made 11 hits Friday night, then 12 more Saturday.
This is the first time they have produced double-digit hits in back-to-back games since April 23-24, 33 games ago, when they made 18 at home vs. the Phillies, then 11 at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers in the last of their 10 straight wins. Those were the third and fourth in a row. They had had only four double-digit games since then until Friday.
This was their 19th game with at least 10 hits among all 59 played. ….. This was Pete Crow-Armstrong’s fourth game with four hits, matching his career high.
He had four singles on Aug. 28, 2024, at Pittsburgh; three singles and a homer on May 16, 2025, at home vs. the White Sox; and two singles and two homers on July 4, 2025, at home vs. the Cardinals.
This is the sort of game I think PCA has in him every time he takes the field. This is the way he played during the first half of 2025. I’m hoping this game gets him back to that level.
As for Brown, I think he’s got this in him too, every time. His confidence level appears sky-high, he’s executing all his pitches well and as I mentioned earlier, the additional pitches are what gives him the repertoire to be a good starting pitcher in this league. If he can keep it up at this level, the Cubs have a real asset. In addition to everything else, Brown has allowed only one home run this year in 51.2 innings — and that was to the very first batter he faced this year on Opening Day. His homerless streak is the longest active streak in MLB. He doesn’t have enough innings yet to be a qualified starter, but if he did, his 1.92 ERA would rank third in the NL behind Cristopher Sánchez and Jacob Misiorowski, pretty good company. Great work, Ben.
The Cubs will go for the series win Sunday evening in St. Louis. Hopefully Jordan Wicks will throw better than he did in his first 2026 start last Tuesday in Pittsburgh. Matthew Liberatore will start for the Cardinals, so it’s an all-lefty matchup. Game time is 6:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage is on NBC (full national broadcast, no blackouts). It’s the first appearance for the Cubs on NBC’s new Sunday night coverage, and announcers will be Jason Benetti, Jim Deshaies and Albert Pujols. The game will also be streamed on Peacock.
COVERS INTEL:
