Category: MLB

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/3-1)

SYRACUSE 4, LEHIGH VALLEY 3 / 10 (BOX)

Jonah Tong still just doesn’t quite have it. Sure, he only gave up two runs, but the swing and miss isn’t there. The fastball has backed up. The breakers aren’t clicking. Just a lost season as he looks to find a consistent left-right option to use in the big leagues. Anyway, the Mets blew a ninth inning lead but won in extras. Yonny Hernandez had four hits.

• LF Ji Hwan Bae: 1-5, 2B, RBI, K
• 2B Vidal Bruján: 1-5, R, 3 K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 4-5, 2B, RBI, K, 2 SB (10)
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 1-5, 2 K
• RF Jared Oliva: 1-4, R, 2 SB (2)
• DH Ben Rortvedt: 0-4, K
• SS Grae Kessinger: 1-3, RBI, K
• C Hayden Senger: 0-4, R, K
• CF Cristian Pache: 1-3, R, 2B, 2 K
• RHP Jonah Tong: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, E (2)
• RHP Ben Simon: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• LHP Jefry Yan: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (2-0), BS (2)
• RHP Danis Correa: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, S (1)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/1-3)

ERIE 6, BINGHAMTON 0 (BOX)

Channing Austin’s Double-A debut did not go well – three walks and three runs in a single inning. The offense did basically nothing after that.

• CF Jose Ramos: 0-4
• 1B JT Schwartz: 1-3, BB
• C Vincent Perozo: 0-4, K
• DH Matt Rudick: 0-4, 2 K
• SS Wyatt Young: 1-4, 2 K
• RF Jaylen Palmer: 1-3, 2B, BB, K
• 3B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-3, BB
• LF Nick Lucky: 0-1, 2 BB
• 2B Nick Roselli: 1-3, K
• RHP Channing Austin: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, L (0-1)
• LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• LHP Max Green: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/3-4)

BROOKLYN 6, JERSEY SHORE 5 (BOX)

The Cyclones managed to overcome a five run inning for the Blue Claws, taking the lead in the seventh and making it stand up. There’s still not a ton of interesting stuff on this roster, but at least they stole a bunch of bases, so that’s fun.

• SS Yonatan Henriquez: 1-5, R, K, SB (13)
• C Ronald Hernandez: 1-1, 2 R, 2B, 3 BB, SB (15)
• CF John Bay: 1-3, R, HR (10), 3 RBI, K
• 1B Corey Collins: 0-3, BB
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, R, RBI, BB
• 2B Colin Houck: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K
• 3B Jamari Baylor: 2-4, 2B, RBI
• LF Trace Willhoite: 0-4, 3 K
• RF Sam Biller: 2-4, 2 K, SB (5), CS (4)
• RHP Jose Chirinos: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• LHP Joe Jacques: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (2-1)
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, H (2)
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (1)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/2-4)

FORT MYERS 6, ST. LUCIE 2 (BOX)

Rough day for Elian Peña who made two errors and got caught stealing in a 6-2 loss. He remains the only real prospect of note on this roster and has cooled off significantly from his early season.

• SS Elian Peña: 2-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB (24), 2 E (14), CS (7)
• CF Trey Snyder: 0-4, BB, 3 K
• 2B Antonio Jimenez: 0-2, R, 2 BB, SB (10)
• LF Simon Juan: 1-4, K
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 1-4, K, CS (7)
• 1B Chase Meggers: 1-4, 2B, RBI, K
• C Francisco Toledo: 0-4
• RF Taylor Darden: 2-3, R, 2B, BB, SB (1)
• DH Jackson Hauge: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• RHP Jonathan Jimenez: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, L (2-2)
• RHP Caden Wooster: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Joe Scarborough: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Zack Mack: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Rookie: FCL Mets (15-23)

FCL CARDINALS 7, FCL METS 3 / 7 (BOX)

• LF Wyatt Vincent: 1-4, R, 2B, K
• CF Bohan Adderley: 1-3, R, BB
• SS Anthony Frobose: 1-2, R, HR (4), 2 RBI, BB
• C Josmir Reyes: 1-4, RBI, E (5)
• 2B Vladi Gomez: 1-3, BB, 3 SB (22)
• 3B Yorber Semprun: 1-3, BB, K
• DH Yeider Mindiola: 0-1, BB, K, SB (7), CS (2)
• RF Adolfo Miranda: 0-3, K
• 1B Diover De Aza: 1-2, K, E (3)
• LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Dillon Stiltner: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, L (0-2), E (4)
• LHP Wilmer Lugo: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, E (1)
• RHP Franyel Diaz: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Channing Austin

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Yonny Hernandez

The Mets continue their weekend set with the Phillies on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing, who reached base twice in Friday's loss, has a .357 OBP over his last 15 games
• Christian Scott pitched to a 2.97 ERA over his last eight starts before landing on the IL
• With a double on Friday, Bo Bichette is hitting .340 with a .956 OPS in the month of June
• Philly is sending out Alan Rangel, a righty who allowed just two runs through two outings thus far

Today's Lineups

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The Milwaukee Brewers are -170 favorites to extend their winning streak to six games.

With another massive starting pitching advantage, my Cubs vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks are backing Milwaukee to make it six straight on Saturday night.

Who will win Cubs vs Brewers today: Milwaukee Brewers (-170)

Kyle Harrison’s numbers have dipped over the last month – allowing eight runs against the Athletics will do that – but his process remains elite. He has posted a sparkling 3.12 xFIP and 31 K%.

His strong pitching should continue at home, where he has allowed six runs over eight starts.

While the Chicago Cubs have hit lefties well in June, they rank 19th in average and 23rd in ISO since May 1.

The Milwaukee Brewers are in a much better spot against David Peterson, who ranks in the fifth percentile in Pitcher Run Value.

Back Milwaukee up to -185.

COVERS INTEL:Kyle Harrison sits in the 92nd percentile in Pitcher Run Value.

Cubs vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Over 8.0 (-105)

Peterson has allowed at least three runs in four of his past five starts. Things won’t get any easier for him against the Brewers, who sit third in runs scored on home soil this season.

Behind Peterson is a bullpen in dreadful form. Their bullpen owns a 5.15 ERA in June, ranking them 23rd in ERA. They grade out even worse in FIP, besting only the Royals. 

Milwaukee’s offense should score early and often in this one, doing the heavy lifting necessary to push this Over the total.

Bet to -115.

Cubs vs Brewers weather

Temperatures are not expected to reach the 70s, resulting in a small boost to the pitchers.

Cubs vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Cubs +140 | Brewers -160
• Run line: Cubs +1.5 (-145) | Brewers -1.5 (+125)
• Over/Under: Over 8.0 (-110) | Under 8.0 (-110)

Cubs vs Brewers trend

Milwaukee has won 35 of its past 50 games (+15.50 units, 21% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Brewers.

How to watch Cubs vs Brewers and game info

Cubs vs Brewers latest injuries

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.

Walker Buehler made his first start as a member of the San Diego Padres against his former team and the right-hander delivered in what turned out to be a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on Friday night. Dawning the new City Connect 2.0 uniform; Buehler took the mound and delivered another solid performance with 5.1 innings. He allowed one run, a solo home run to Mookie Betts in the top of the second inning, on just three hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Was it a perfect performance? No, but it was what the Padres needed to contain a potent Dodgers lineup.

Ty France hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning to put San Diego ahead, 3-1, but there was no way to know at the time that would be the game-winning hit. Both sides had opportunities throughout the game to add to their run totals, but solid pitching performances and good defense from both teams kept the score at 3-1 until the bottom of the eighth inning when the Padres tacked on four insurance runs, giving Mason Miller the night off while giving the Dodgers a series-opening loss.

San Diego loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth with a single and back-to-back walks. Sung-Mun Song hit a well-placed groundball back through the infield that scored two runs, but France was thrown out trying to go first to third on the play. The play on France allowed Song to move up to second to keep a runner in scoring position with two outs and the score, 5-1. Rodolfo Duran scored Song and replaced him at second base with a double to make the score, 6-1 and Fernando Tatis Jr. capped the scoring with a line drive to center field that brought Duran in to push the score to 7-1.

The relievers who came on for San Diego behind Buehler were the story of the game until the Padres erupted for four runs in the eighth. Yuki Matsui pitched 0.2 innings and allowed one hit and one walk, which was intentional to load the bases, but then he got Max Muncy to pop out and Kyle Tucker to flyout to end the inning. Jason Adam pitched a scoreless seventh inning and recorded a strikeout and Adrian Morejon worked around two hits to complete a scoreless eighth inning. It was setup for Miller to close the game in the ninth, but with four runs added on, San Diego went to Wandy Peralta and the lefty pitched a scoreless ninth inning while allowing a hit to secure the win for the Padres.

San Diego takes on Los Angeles for the second game of the series tonight at 5:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• Jake Cronenworth began his rehab assignment with the El Paso Chihuahuas after being sidelined since May with concussion-like symptoms and in his return, he crushed a 400-plus foot home run.

• The Padres pursued Roki Sasaki heavily in free agency before he decided to sign with the Dodgers and his start against San Diego on Friday reminded the Friar Faithful about the disappointment with how the pursuit ended.

• The Padres added some infield depth to their system, signing veteran Luis Rengifo to a minor league deal.

• After being sent back to the minors following a brief stint with the big-league club, Nick Solak has elected free agency.

Baseball News:

• The good news is that both the MLB owners and the MLBA continue to negotiate. The bad news is they still are not close to reaching an agreement, which is to be expected at this point in the process. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides details on the latest proposal.

• The Boston Red Sox got a chippy 6-1 win over the New York Yankees.

• The Chicago White Sox thumped the Kansas City Royals with a 22-1 win.

• Jacob Misiorowski unleashed a 105.5 mph pitch to Pete Crow-Armstrong and led the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.

• Derek Hill went high above the wall to take a home run away from Juan Soto and helped the Philadelphia Phillies get a 2-1 win over the New York Mets.

• Connor Griffin homered in his return from the IL, but it was not enough to help the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds.

• The Minnesota Twins knocked off the Colorado Rockies in extra innings.

As the Yankees and Red Sox meet on opposite ends of the American League East standings, neither team can afford to even contemplate where they’d be without the production of their first basemen. For the Yankees, Ben Rice has been the team’s best hitter on the season, and the same can be said of his Boston counterpart, Willson Contreras.

But Rice and Contreras are not just the best hitters for the respective teams. They are both among the best hitters in the American League, and they’ve both gotten to this lofty perch as former catchers that became first basemen.

While the destination is the same, the journey to get there could not have been any more different for Contreras and Rice. With the Yankees’ ex-backstopper, despite Rice playing about twice as many games behind the plate as first base in the minor leagues, New York decided to use him primarily as a first baseman right as he came up. This was partially due to the team’s needs at that point, but also in an effort to maximize the potential of a player whose primary asset was always his bat. Let’s just say that Rice was never going to establish himself as an elite defender behind the plate, and that he was always going to go as far as his bat took him.

Contreras, on the other hand, was always a fairly flexible player, including featuring in a corner outfield in his first season back in 2016, but managed several years of success and became a two-time All-Star, all behind the plate. It wasn’t until last season, after a couple of years with the Cardinals, that an organization decided to give him an extended look at first. The offensive production for Contreras remained good in 2025, but more importantly, he had his healthiest campaign since 2018, featuring in 135 games, 120 of them at first and an extra 15 as the designated hitter. As a primary catcher, he’d only averaged about 100 games played in his previous five full seasons.

Looking to bolster their lineup following the departure of Rafael Devers, the Red Sox took to the trade market in search of reinforcements and found in the Cardinals a willing trade partner. Boston acquired Contreras to be its primary first baseman, and that individual move could not have turned out better for them, even if the rest of the offense has been a letdown, to say the least. Hitting at Fenway has perfectly suited Contreras (.946 OPS at home), on his way to his best season with the bat since 2019, when he OPS’d .888 and was an All-Star for the Cubs.

Both Rice and Contreras are performing well above the standards they had previously set, and while it’d be foolish to tie all of this progress to the fact they’ve recently been completely removed from the efforts of playing catcher, to ignore its positive effect is equally naive. Either of these teams could feasibly take the aggressive route of trying to, at least occasionally, use one of their best hitters as a catcher, given the dire status of the catching market and their depth chart.

Yet, they choose not to, and are rewarded with two of the AL’s best hitters. We don’t have the counterfactual of exactly how either Rice or Contreras would be performing right now if they were still occasionally playing catcher, but it’s easy to envision that they wouldn’t be hitting as well, and perhaps not as often. Contreras in particular has been quite durable, appearing in 77 of Boston’s 79 games this year. Without the burden of learning and managing an entire pitching staff, and without the wear and tear that comes with squatting behind the plate for a few hours every night, both Rice and Contreras have been free to be the best versions of themselves at the plate.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Friday, in case you missed it...

• The biggest news of the day came off the field when the Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza
• Shortly after the decision was made, Mendoza penned a letter to fans and the organization
• David Stearns explained how they reached that verdict, and put the blame on himself
• It was a decision that caught Juan Soto off guard, and Francisco Lindor shouldered the blame as well
• Despite the team's continued struggles, Stearns believes he still has support from owner Steve Cohen
• Still, Danny Abriano presents the question of if a bigger purge of this team may be needed 
• Chelsea Janes also takes a look at the uncertain future they now face
• For now, though, they'll look to turn things around under interim manager Andy Green
• Green will fill the role for this season but then a full search will commence, and Albert Pujols has already thrown his name into the ring
• The Green-era started the same way the Mendoza one ended, with a seventh straight loss
• Lefty Zach Thornton did impress, though, keeping the Phillies in check in his second career start
• WATCH: Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez, and Ron Darling discuss the Mendoza firing
• WATCH: Lindor, Soto, and Bo Bichette react to firing, as well
• WATCH: Stearns addresses the media following the difficult decision

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The Boston Red Sox took the first two games against their biggest rivals.

While the Yankees are -125 favorites to take Game 3, my Yankees vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks believe the value lies in backing Boston to clinch a series victory on Saturday, June 27.

Who will win Yankees vs Red Sox today: Red Sox moneyline (+105)

Injuries have taken real punch out of the New York Yankees' offense, especially against left-handed pitching.

They have really tailed off in June, ranking 19th in wOBA and 20th in OPS, while striking out at the sixth-highest rate.

It’ll be tough for them to get going against Jake Bennett, who sits in the 97th percentile in xERA through the first handful of starts in his career.

Gerrit Cole has not been his dominant self, ranking in the 52nd percentile in Pitcher Run Value and allowing 13 runs over his past four starts.

Back the Boston Red Sox to -110.

COVERS INTEL: The Yankees are clearly missing the power from their lineup, sitting 28th in hard hit rate against left-handed pitching in June.

Yankees vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-110)

This total is a little high for me. 

Bennett has generated grounders at an elite rate while also avoiding walks, which should allow him to neuter a powerful Yankees offense.

Cole’s elite strikeout stuff has simply not been there but he has still found a way to be effective, posting an xERA of 3.5 or lower in four of six starts.

The Red Sox are 26th in wOBA vs. right-handed pitching this month, so they’re a team Cole should be able to work his way through even lacking punchouts. 

Play the Under to -125.

Yankees vs Red Sox weather

Temperatures in the mids 70s are expected but with slight winds blowing inwards. Neutral hitting conditions.

Yankees vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: Yankees -125 | Red Sox +105
• Run line: Yankees -1.5 (+135) | Red Sox +1.5 (-155)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)

Yankees vs Red Sox trend

The Yankees have hit the Under in 29 of the last 50 away games (+8.10 units, 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Red Sox.

How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox and game info

Yankees vs Red Sox latest injuries

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.

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With another full slate across the Majors, I've found value in my MLBsame-game parlay predictions. 

Dylan Cease will carve up the Texas Rangers this afternoon, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto will help the Los Angeles Dodgers bounce back after a tough loss to their rivals, the San Diego Padres. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, June 27. 

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
vs	+340
vs	+305
vs	+390

Rangers at Blue Jays SGP: Cease Racks up The Ks

Dylan Cease has been one of baseball's premier strikeout pitchers this season, recording 118 strikeouts in 78.2 innings.

He's cleared 7.5 strikeouts in six of his last seven starts while averaging 12.66 K/9 across his last two outings. The Texas Rangers are also striking out 8.93 times per game on the road.

The Toronto Blue Jays hold the edge on the mound, as Cease continues to dominate while Cal Quantrill enters with an 8.46 FIP and a 59.1% hard-hit rate over his last two appearances. 

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is also swinging the bat well, hitting .280 over his last six games while cashing the Over on total bases in three of those contests

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, Rangers Sports Network

See full analysis of this game in our Rangers vs Blue Jays predictions.

Reds at Pirates SGP: Burns Leads Reds to Victory

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Reds.TV

See full analysis of this game in our Reds vs. Pirates predictions.

Dodgers at Padres SGP: Yamamoto Silences San Diego

Yoshinobu Yamamoto continues to pitch like the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace. He owns a 2.17 FIP over his last four starts while limiting opponents to a 27.5% hard hit rate and 2.9% barrel rate. The righty has also allowed Under 1.5 earned runs in five of his last six appearances. 

Randy Vasquez takes the ball for the San Diego Padres, and he's struggling. The right-hander has compiled a 6.84 xERA over the last month while posting an alarming 46.2% hard hit rate. It's a clear opportunity for the Dodgers to do damage and ride the wave behind Yamamoto. 

Freddie Freeman is one of those hitters who should benefit. He's cashed the Over in total bases in four straight, and Freeman has finished with two hits or more in every single game during that span. The veteran has a 73.3% hard hit rate in his previous six games, and he's 3-for-7 lifetime against Vasquez. 

• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MLB Network

See full analysis of this game in our Dodgers vs. Padres predictions.

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.

Well, come on. You didn’t really think the Cubs would defeat Jacob Misiorowski, did you?

The thing is, though, that they did pretty much hold Misiorowski and the Brewers even while the Milwaukee fireballer was still in the game. Then the Cubs had another bullpen meltdown and Milwaukee won the game 6-2. For anyone who thinks the Cubs need starting pitching help above anything, yes they need starting pitching help but if they don’t fix the bullpen soon…

Colin Rea’s outing against Misiorowski was admirable. He matched zeroes for four innings with the Brewers starter, though he did allow four hits in that span. He got helped out by his defense.

Matt Shaw with this nice diving grab in the fourth [VIDEO].

Dansby Swanson, also in the fourth [VIDEO].

The Cubs had just one baserunner through four innings, a one-out walk by Shaw in the third. Shaw was erased when Swanson hit into an inning-ending double play.

Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs the lead, leading off the fifth [VIDEO].

That’s a really impressive home run. First, on height, exit velocity and distance [VIDEO].

But also, that was the first time Misiorowski had allowed a home run since April 14, when both Andres Gimenez and Daulton Varsho of the Blue Jays went deep off him. That’s a span of 75.1 innings and 278 batters in between home runs allowed. Including last year’s division series, when Suzuki hit a homer off Misiorowski, that makes Suzuki the only player to homer off him more than once.

A 1-0 lead wasn’t likely going to be enough no matter how well Rea threw. Rea had reached 89 pitches after allowing a leadoff single to William Contreras and walking Jake Bauers.

Craig Counsell summoned Ethan Roberts, who has generally been effective this year. And Roberts got Andrew Vaughn to line into this double play — on a line-drive comebacker [VIDEO].

As you can see on the clip, that came really close to being a triple play. Too bad it wasn’t, because two pitches later Garrett Mitchell homered off Roberts to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead. Okay, that’s likely not insurmountable now that Misiorowski’s going to be out of the game (he’d thrown 107 pitches, a season high, through six). But Roberts then walked Cooper Pratt and David Hamilton’s triple scored him to make it 3-1 Milwaukee.

Jayden Murray replaced Roberts in the seventh, and allowed a leadoff double to Jackson Chourio. One out later Contreras homered off Murray to make it 5-1.

The Cubs did get one of those runs back. In the eighth, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman led off with walks. PCA took third on a fly ball, and scored on this sac fly by Suzuki [VIDEO].

The Brewers scored another run off Murray in the eighth on an RBI double by Christian Yelich that PCA nearly made a spectacular catch on.

Seriously: Jayden Murray is not a major league pitcher. I can only assume Craig Counsell left him out there for a second inning of work because Sunday’s a likely bullpen game and he’s trying to save arms (and he basically confirms that in his postgame comments, see below). I’d think there could be a roster move to replace Murray for Saturday’s game, though who that might be — I have no idea. The Cubs really are running out of useful bullpen arms. To circle back to what I noted earlier, this team needs bullpen help, and fast.

About the two home runs allowed in this game, from BCB’s JohnW53:

The two homers off Cubs pitchers Friday raised the total for the season to 125 — most surrendered by any team, and also the most the Cubs ever have served up through 82 games.

They allowed 121 in 1999 and 2000, 116 in 2006, 110 in 20022, 109 in 1966 and 101 in 1956. From 2023-25, they had given up 80, 90 and 97.

A couple of final notes. First, on Rea’s outing, which really was very good [VIDEO].

And here are Craig Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].

Newly-acquired left-hander David Peterson will make his Cubs debut in the second game of this series Saturday evening in Milwaukee. He’ll face Brewers lefty Kyle Harrison. Game time is 6:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

Hurston Waldrep was pulled out of Nashville on Thursday afternoon and put on a flight to San Francisco. He had worked himself up to 4 2/3 innings five days before this appearance. He is 16 weeks removed from his surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow, and admitted that this is his Spring Training. So what can we make of Hurston Waldrep at this point?

The slider looked good. (All the videos here are from last year because last night’s video is not available at time of writing.) The spin rate was about on par with last year. He was able to get a strikeout with it, which is actually one more than he had with it last year. This generated two whiffs last night. The splitter was working as well. Hurston felt that he had a good feel of it. The spin rate didn’t match last year. But otherwise, it was effective and he felt in was “in his back pocket”.

The bad part is that he has not found the sinker. The walk rate in his rehab appearances and last night bear that out. He didn’t really get hit at all. One of the two hits was a 57 MPH swinging bunt that likely glanced off the plate and meandered about 40 feet. But he was all over the place, which is not what you want to see in a bulk role.

So, what are we doing here? He’s pitched every fifth day like clockwork in his rehab. Does this mean we will see him again in a permanent role on Wednesday at home versus the Cardinals? Does he return to Gwinnett and recover his sinker? The Braves have already ripped the seal on his last option year. So if they want to return him for a single inning reliever they can do it. It was so good to see him and his breaking pitches last night. But he’s likely undercooked for now and probably needs another week or two to continue rehab.

Meet the Mets

The Mets kicked off the Andy Green era with a 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Pride Night at Citi Field. Zach Thornton had a really impressive second major leagues start, pitching six innings of one-run ball, but the offense couldn’t do much against old friend Zack Wheeler. New York has now lost seven in a row and dropped to 34-48 on the year.

Choose Your Recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Daily News, NY Post, ESPN

The day began with that the news that the Mets were firing Carlos Mendoza.

The Mets revealed that Andy Green would serve as interim manager for the duration of the season.

Mendoza shared a statement following his dismissal.

Steve Cohen shared his own statement on Mendoza following his firing and says the fans deserve better than what the team is giving them.

David Stearns and Andy Green addressed the media before the game.

Green referred to the move as his ‘responsibility’ but will return to the front office following the 2026 campaign.

Bridget Reilly offered an introduction to Green, for those Mets fans who may not be familiar.

Green already had a positive review before his first game at the helm.

Greg Prince wrote about how Mendoza’s menschiness did not save him in the end.

With Mendoza gone, David Stearns is on deck for accountability, explains Laura Albanese.

While Mendoza took the fall for the team’s play, the real indictment is on Stearns, argued Ken Rosenthal.

David Lennon wrote that firing Mendoza won’t fix Stearns’ mess.

Joel Sherman, in a similar vein, said that, with Mendoza gone, there is no one left to shield Stearns from this disaster.

Stearns talked a lot about accountability, but now it’s time to back it up, writes Abbey Mastracco.

Spender Brod stated that the team currently has a $25 million Stearns dilemma.

Francisco Lindor called Mendoza a great man and said he feels like he failed him.

Lindor and Bo Bichette expressed regret and took responsibility for Mendoza getting let go given their recent play.

Ultimately, the players feel like they failed Mendoza.

Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal looked at some of the early candidates for the Mets’ managerial opening.

Laura Albanese also listed seven possible replacements for Mendoza next season.

Albert Pujols made it known that he’s interested in the Mets’ managerial opening.

Mark Feinsand isn’t convinced that the team firing Mendoza means they’re ready to become sellers.

Mike Francesa had some choice words for the Mets’ owner.

A segment of Mr. Met dancing behind Steve Gelbs while he talked about Mendoza’s firing during yesterday’s pregame show has gone viral for its awkwardness. And honestly, it was pretty funny to watch in real time.

Prior to the game, the team activated Tyrone Taylor and Zach Thornton and optioned Daniel Duarte and MJ Melendez to Triple-A.

In happier Mets news, the team has revealed their new service dog in training, Howie, and people are obsessed.

Infielder Nicky Lucky got a call from his Indy Ball manager alerting him that the Mets were signing him to join their Double-A affiliate.

Around the National League East

Derek Hill made a jaw-dropping catch to rob Soto of a homer, and he stunned his teammates in the process.

The Braves have placed reliever Robert Suarez on the IL with right forearm tightness.

The Marlins will be giving Jonah the dog his dream day at loanDepot park on July 12.

The Nationals fell 3-1 to the Orioles for their fourth straight defeat.

The Braves won their game against the Giants 3-1.

The Marlins blanked the Cardinals 4-0.

Around Major League Baseball

Thomas Harrigan explored whether some big names will end up on the trade block this year.

The Angels dismissed GM Perry Minasian and announced that John Mozeliak has been brought in as a consultant.

The Tigers blanked the Astros 8-0.

The Reds picked up two runs in the eighth to skate past the Pirates 6-4. In the loss, Konor Griffin hit a 435 foot, 108.9 mph home run in his first at-bat off the IL.

The Rays topped the Diamondbacks 6-1. In the win, Junior Caminero strengthened his All-Star case with his 20th home run of the season, and his fourth in two games.

Benches cleared in last night’s Red Sox vs. Yankees game after Will Warren buzzed Willson Contreras, and warnings were issued following the scuffle. The Red Sox got the last laugh, topping the long-time rival Yankees 6-1.

The Mariners clipped the Guardians 3-1.

The Rangers outlasted the Blue Jays 5-4.

The White Sox put up 10 in the third inning and roasted the Royals 22-1.

The Brewers beat the Cubs 6-2. In the game, Jacob Misiorowski fired a pitch to Pete Crow-Armstrong that registered at 105.5 mph.

The Twins walked off the Rockies 9-8.

The Athletics defeated the Angels 9-3.

The Padres beat up the Dodgers 7-1. Walker Buehler, who tormented San Diego for years as a member of the Dodgers, enjoyed the chance to return the favor to his old club.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

I introduced you to Andy Green, the team’s interim manager.

I previewed the team’s series against the Phillies.

On the latest episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Chris McShane and Brian Salvatore discussed the team moving on from David Peterson and other things going on around the team.

Joe Sokolowski brought us the latest edition of This Week in Mets Quotes.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets signed a 17-year-old Ed Kranepool on this date in 1962.

Given the disaster the Red Sox have gotten themselves into this season, let’s take a look back on how the ballclub could have been in a better position to compete, both in 2026 and other recent seasons with just two playoff appearances in the 2020s.

Boston currently ranks last in baseball with just 67 home runs as a team. Guess which player leads the sport in long balls? 

That would be Kyle Schwarber, the three-month power boost the Sox acquired at the 2021 trade deadline in a swap with the Washington Nationals that’s among the larger wins of Chaim Bloom’s complicated tenure as chief baseball officer.

The 2016 World Series champion didn’t immediately hit the field after the trade as he worked back from injury. Once he did take the field, he elevated an already talented lineup. Schwarber hit .291 with seven homers in a .957 OPS in 41 regular-season games for Boston. Finding a brand new role at first base, he also elevated the inconsistent Bobby Dalbec to the best two-month stretch of his life with 15 homers in 49 games in the last two months of the year. 

Schwarber also popped three dingers in the postseason, with memorable moments from his solo shot off Gerritt Cole in the American League Wild Card Series to blowing open a raucous Game 3 of the ALCS off Jose Urquidy. 

That was really the end of the fun on an unexpected run. Boston’s bats fell quiet from there on out and eventually fell to the Astros in six games that series. Schwarber headed to free agency and Boston chose not to bring him back given that designated hitter J.D. Martinez was still there for another season, Dalbec was available to play first, and the eventual arrival of touted power prospect Triston Casas.

The Red Sox never should have let him walk out the door. Keeping him paired with Martinez (at least for part of 2022), Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers would’ve made for a lethal lineup with a cemented core, even after the Mookie Betts trade in 2020.

Boston had options to make that work. The front office could’ve traded Martinez to clear the way for Schwarber on a longer deal. They could’ve let him ride out first base until Casas or Dalbec truly forced the issue, at least defensively to an extent. But that never happened.

Instead, Schwarber walked to the Philadelphia Phillies on a four-year, $79 million deal. That’s a pretty good bargain for someone who led the league in home runs twice during that contract. And the Red Sox should’ve matched it. 

After four playoff appearances and a trip to the World Series with the Phillies, Schwarber hit the market again this past winter. The Red Sox had an open chance to right their wrongs and add real power to a lineup that truly needed it in its modern construction. 

The Red Sox never made him an offer. Once again, he signed on with Philadelphia, this time for five years and $150 million. Don’t like that number for a 33-year-old? Too bad, he continues to back it up.

There’s obviously several “what if” personnel decisions to look back on over the last half-decade in Boston. For the Red Sox, Schwarber continues to play to a level worthy of topping that list. 

Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4

• Its a two game winning streak, y’all.
• And a win that is thanks in large part to our man Nathan Eovaldi.
• In the first game against Toronto, MacKenzie Gore allowed four hits and a walk in seven innings, but clustered most of them together in one inning, resulting in three runs scoring.
• Nathan Eovaldi was similar to Gore in terms of allowing baserunners — five hits and a walk — but wily veteran that he is, he made sure they were more scattered.
• Through five innings Eovaldi had allowed just a walk and a single. He allowed a pair of hits in the six and two more in the seventh, but left them all stranded, ultimately leaving the game with no Blue Jays runs on the board.
• The Jays did their damage off the pen in the eighth, with Robby Ahlstrom and Jakob Junis each getting dinged with two runs apiece in the inning before Junis finally struck out pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk with the tying run on first.
• And Jacob Latz decided to walk the leadoff hitter in the ninth just to alarm us a little before retiring the next three batters on foul pop outs.
• Eovaldi’s most effective pitch for once wasn’t his splitter. Instead it was the curveball that was keeping the Jays off-balance, generating 8 of the 14 swings and misses he got on the day.
• Eovaldi threw his cutter and curveball a combined 49 times and didn’t allow either a hit or a hard hit ball off of either of them. Eovaldi only allowed three hard hit balls all game, per Statcast, with two coming off of his fastball and one on his sinker.
• That’s pretty good, I think.
• Eovaldi logged nine strikeouts against the Jays, which moved him past Kerry Wood, Yovani Gallardo, Woodie Fryman and Todd Stottlemyre for 204th on the all time strikeout list, with 1588. If he can strike out seven his next time out he’ll move into the top 200.
• Looking at the guys ahead of him on the all time list, guys he could pass this year if he stays healthy and effective, you see an odd combination of names. The next three are Ron Darling, he of the awful Lee Mazzili trade, Steve Trachsel, and Hall of Famer Rube Marquard. Guys Eovaldi could be passing later in the year include Hall of Famer Vic Willis, who is sandwiched between J.A> Happ and Rick Wise. Freddy Garcia, Jack Powell, Steve Rogers and Jered Weaver are all tied at #186, with 1621 Ks.
• Much like the series opener, the Rangers jumped on top early, then rode that out despite having to sweat a little late.
• The Rangers jumped on Patrick Corbin for three runs in the first inning, then two more in the third.
• I’m like, oh, yeah, Patrick Corbin was in the Rangers’ rotation most of last year. It feels kind of embarrassing.
• Justin Foscue, looking to securely lock down his role as short-side platoon DH, went 2 for 4, driving in a run in the first with an RBI single, and then both the third inning runs with a two run homer.
• Foscue is currently slashing .382/.462/.735 in 39 plate appearances against lefties, and I think that will play.
• For the season he’s slashing .268/.330/.500 in 91 plate appearances. I’m not going to provide his splits against righties because I don’t want to harsh my mellow.
• Wyatt Langford went 3 for 5 with a double, continuing to silence the critics. He also stole a base, though he was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double as well.
• Langford is slashing .278/.324/.500 on the season. His 1.7 bWAR is the second-highest on the team, despite playing in just 40 games so far this year, and he has a 138 OPS+. He has a 1.5 fWAR and 128 wRC+, if you prefer Fangraphs to B-R.
• Coming into this game, the Rangers were in a four-way tie for WC3 with the Astros, A’s and Jays. The Jays lost to the Rangers, of course, and the Astros lost, but the A’s won, so the Rangers are now in a tie for WC3 with the A’s, one game up on the Astros and Jays, a game and a half up on the Twins and the Orioles, a game and a half back of Seattle in the A.L. West, and two games back of Cleveland for WC2.
• Nathan Eovaldi reached 96.3 mph on his fastball, averaging 95.6 mph. Robby Ahlstrom topped out at 96.4 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker reached 94.6 mph. Jacob Latz touched 95.9 mph with his fastball.
• Alejandro Osuna had a 105.6 mph groundout. Justin Foscue had a 104.8 mph homer and a 101.6 mph groundout. Wyatt Langford had a 104.2 mph double and a 103.0 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 103.3 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.2 mph groundout.
• Five down, five to go.

The Yankees were asleep at the wheel last night, getting retired in order through five innings before finally getting a hit in the sixth, and losing a 6-1 dud in Boston. I will be upfront in that I had other plans and was spared from watching it, but from what I’ve gathered and reviewed, I sure as hell didn’t miss much. Anyway, read Peter’s recap if you’re daring and interested in more.

Here’s some of what else was going on around the Junior Circuit on Friday night.

Tampa Bay Rays (46-33) 6, Arizona Diamondbacks (41-40) 1

The Yankees haven’t won since Wednesday and the Rays haven’t lost since then either. That includes a Yankees offday on Thursday, but it still means that Tampa Bay has made up ground in a hurry. The 3.5-game lead from Wednesday night is down to one after the Rays welcomed the D-backs to the Trop with a pretty comfortable win.

The Rays prolonged Zac Gallen’s nightmare return to Arizona following an unsuccessful free agency. On the one hand, he only gave up four hits and got into the seventh, but Tampa Bay made the knocks (and two walks) hurt. Geraldo Perdomo had led off the game with a solo shot before Gallen toed the rubber. He walked Yandy Díaz, plunked Jonathan Aranda, and then got smoked for a three-run homer by Junior Caminero that sailed 437 feet.

Gallen actually retired the next 15 batters in a row, but the damage was costly. And when he ran out of steam in the seventh, he allowed a homer to Cedric Mullins before departing in wake of a two-out double from Hunter Feduccia. Díaz singled him in to close out Gallen’s line, and Aranda hung a run on reliever Juan Burgos with a two-bagger to plate Yandy. That was enough to back Nick Martinez (unscored upon for 5 2/3 after the Perdomo dinger) and the Tampa Bay bullpen.

Hope you didn’t use any mental energy on this game either! It was a dud for anyone who doesn’t happen to also be a St. Pete partisan.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (42-40) 1, Seattle Mariners (42-41) 3: The Cantillo/Castillo Bowl ended in a 1-1 stalemate after six with both Joey and Luis gone from the ballgame after six, though the former looked sharper with nine K’s and two hits allowed. One of those knocks was a homer by rookie Colt Emerson, and Seattle actually ended up giving Castillo the win by scoring right after he departed. Cal Raleigh and Dominic Canzone drew back-to-back walks to begin the seventh, and once Raleigh went to third on a double-play ball by Josh Naylor, he scored when J.P. Crawford beat out an infield hit on a ball that Travis Bazzana couldn’t handle. Julio Rodríguez added insurance in the eighth on an RBI single of his own; the José A. Ferrer/Gabe Speier/Andrés Muñoz trio spun three innings of perfect relief to nail it down.

The M’s are a game and a half up on the Rangers in a crowded AL West that also has the A’s two back and the Astros 2.5 games behind. The ever-hapless Angels fired their GM and are back to square one with former Cardinals head honcho John Mozeliak suddenly popping up to be their interim leader. What an org. Meanwhile, Cleveland fell one behind Chicago, who, uh, quite frankly annihilated the Royals:

Toronto Blue Jays (39-43) 4, Texas Rangers (40-42) 5: With all due respect to our late pal John Sterling, sometimes you can predict baseball — at least when the starting pitching matchup is Nathan Eovaldi vs. Patrick Corbin. Brandon Nimmo’s RBI double kicked off a three-run first for Texas against Corbin and Justin Foscue belted a two-run homer to make it 5-0 by the third. Eovaldi fired seven scoreless, and though his bullpen nearly gave it all back in an awful eighth that featured a clout by Kazuma Okamoto, Jakob Junis struck out Alejandro Kirk with one man on to finish the inning. Jacob Latz worked around a leadoff walk to retire the next three Jays in order, closing it out despite Toronto having three cracks at walking it off.

Two massive earthquakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday. Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas and reliever Edgardo Henriquez both have family in the country who are safe, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, who caught up with both players. From Rojas:

“They’re in a place where they have power, they have connection, they have everything we need to stay in contact and we talk every day. But I still really feel that I’m so far from them right now,” he said.

“Literally two blocks away from where my family was two buildings collapsed, the whole building. And the building where my family was was shaking really bad and they had to go away from that place to stay someplace else that night. They were lucky to get away before everything else happened and the building stayed in some kind of good shape to go down the stairs and get out of there. I’m lucky to be honest with you guys. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and with me. I’m not taking this for granted.”

Dodgers and Padres players are wearing  the letters VZ on the sides of their caps this weekend, per Maddie Lee at the Los Angeles Times:

Links

Class-A Ontario manager John Shoemaker is such a staple in Dodgers history that it’s been over a decade since he was named the organization’s captain of player development, and why his uniform is adorned with a capital C. This is Shoemaker’s 50th season with the Dodgers, the first four as a player, and last 46 as a coach and manager.

Benjamin Hill at MLB.com profiled Shoemaker about his storied career:

“Coming to the park every day and knowing there’s going to be 25 or 30 guys that walk into that clubhouse that I feel responsible for. I’m at the age now where I could be their grandfather, some of them, and I feel like I’ve got a job to do to treat them like I was treated as a kid. … That they were taught how to become a professional, how to work hard and what it meant to be a Dodger.”

Lorenzo Bundy managed six seasons in the Dodgers minor leagues between 2007-13 and was also on the major league staff as third base coach and outfield coach in 2014-15. Part of his time with the Dodgers included managing the Albuquerque Isotopes from 2011-13, and he’s being honored this weekend with induction into the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame. Geoff Grammer at the Albuquerque Journal has more.