The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman celebrates with Andy Pages after a go-ahead, two-run home run during the sixth inning against the Rays. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins collided chest first into the blue padding of the center field wall as he made one last-ditch effort to save his team from a Dodgers home run. His glove, though, came up empty.
Not even a leaping Mullins, one of baseball’s veteran home-run robbers, could stop Freddie Freeman from doing what the Dodgers first baseman does best: hitting clutch home runs.
Freeman’s two-run home run in the sixth inning Wednesday, set up by Andy Pages’ double an at-bat earlier, lifted the Dodgers to a 5-4 win that allowed them to maintain a season-high nine-game lead over their closest National League West rival, the San Diego Padres (38-35). For the Dodgers (48-27), it was their sixth sweep of the season — all while surviving a shaky start on the mound by the usually unshakable Shohei Ohtani.
“He’s like a lot of our guys — when they feel good, they get their rest, production follows,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Freeman. “He’s been good for quite some time.”
If Ohtani’s left knee inflammation was bothering the four-time MVP, it didn’t seem to pose that great of a threat as he pitched the first four innings, and he pinch-hit in the sixth inning for Miguel Rojas, who had started at designated hitter.
Tampa Bay (41-30) eventually broke through in the fifth inning, scoring four runs on small-ball hits that found just enough grass. No particular pitch seemed particularly off for Ohtani, though the Rays connected more on his four-seam fastball that inning than the others. A bleeding blister that opened up didn’t help either.
“The stuff was good,” Roberts said. “The sweeper wasn’t as lights out, swing and miss as we’ve seen. He still always finds a way to manage innings and make pitches when he needs to, but yeah, I mean, I think that he was still kind of working through some delivery stuff with the knee.”
A handful of unlucky plays in the fifth left the Dodgers vulnerable. Take Mullins’ single to Freeman. Mullins hit the ball hard enough that Freeman, more than a handful of steps away from first base, wouldn’t be able to make the play unassisted. Ohtani tried his hardest to match Mullins’ speed but couldn’t.
“There was a little confusion with the Shohei inning, as far as you know, Freddie going to second, then Shohei thinking that, so giving them an extra out there,” Roberts said.
After a five-hit inning, Ohtani escaped on a bunt that went to Tommy Edman — playing third base in his return from the injured list — who threw to first for the third out. Ohtani’s ERA, after he surrendered a season-worst four earned runs, rose to 1.47 but still is second only to Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski among pitchers with at least 70 innings.
Shohei Ohtani gave up a season-worst four earned runs in the fifth inning Wednesday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
“I felt good overall,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “It’s just really that inning, that fifth inning, that I wasn’t really too pleased. But aside from that, the stuff was good and felt pretty good overall.”
Rays starter Shane McClanahan also ran into trouble in the fourth inning. Alex Call singled in Mookie Betts for the first run, then stole second base. Call sprinted home on an Alex Freeland single, his helmet popping off and skidding a couple of feet into the grass as he crossed home.
McClanahan left the game with the bases loaded after the left-hander walked Edman — his only time reaching base in an 0-for-3 day — before Pages ended the inning by lining out softly to short against Casey Legumina.
The Dodgers came up short in another bases-loaded opportunity the next inning, squandering a chance to take the lead. Kyle Tucker pushed one run across on a bases-loaded walk. Yet, with no outs, the next three batters — Call, Dalton Rushing and Freeland — went down in order. The Dodgers finished with 11 runners left on base, which nearly cost them.
Alex Vesia put the potential tying run on base with a walk and spent most of his ninth-inning outing with Tampa Bay’s Austin Slater on second. The Dodgers intentionally walked Yandy Díaz with two outs to face Jonathan Aranda, who earned a walk. With the bases loaded, Vesia struck out Mullins swinging to end the game. It capped a stretch of nine scoreless innings by the bullpen in this series after the unit struggled during the team’s recent trip.
“I put myself into that mess,” Vesia said with a small smile while shaking his head. “Rush and I were just — I was leaning on him, to be honest. He had some good words of encouragement during a couple meetings. Just trust my stuff. I felt like I was nibbling around the edge. Overall, I’ll take it. It was a good win for all of us.”
Teoscar Hernández, out with a hamstring injury, is scheduled to take live batting practice Thursday. A simulated game is also in the works for the 33-year-old outfielder before a rehab game early next week, Roberts said.
Will Smith is unlikely to be reinstated Friday when he is eligible to come off the injured list. The Dodgers still are trying to figure out ways to make sure he doesn’t regress once the catcher comes back from a neck injury. He did a full workout Tuesday.
“I don’t want to put a say on when he’s going to play,” Roberts said. “But each day is getting better.”
The team’s lineup squandered a couple key early chances, getting just one total run from two bases-loaded opportunities in the bottom of the fourth and fifth.
Shohei Ohtani, making his 12th pitching start of the season as scheduled despite last week’s knee injury, had his worst inning of the season on the mound, giving up four runs in a nightmare fifth inning that included a leadoff walk and miscommunication with Freddie Freeman on a ground ball to first base.
Shohei Ohtani, making his 12th pitching start of the season as scheduled despite last week’s knee injury, had his worst inning of the season. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With a chance to sweep the Rays within their grasp, the Dodgers appeared to be on the verge of letting it slip away.
“But,” manager Dave Roberts said, “we found a way to win.”
Indeed, this Dodgers team has more margin for error than most. They can hang around, stay within striking distance and flip the script on a moment’s notice.
Wednesday, it turned out, would become the latest example, with Freddie Freeman keying the club’s eventual 5-4 victory with a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.
The squandered bases-loaded chances didn’t end up mattering, despite a three-at-bat sequence with the bags full and no outs in the fifth that “was as bad as it gets,” Roberts said.
Ditto with the four fifth-inning runs Ohtani was charged with in his six-inning start, one that was also hampered by a bloody blister on his right middle finger.
Instead, once Freeman provided the lead with his 12th home run of the year — a towering two-run blast against Rays right-hander Kevin Kelly on a center-cut sinker, turning a one-run deficit into a one-run lead — the club rolled the rest of the way to a third consecutive one-run win in this series, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth when Alex Vesia struck out Cedric Mullins with a full-count slider.
“There’s not a lot of situations where you feel 100%,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “So I just took it as that. It’s big that … we were able to win a game like this.”
Wednesday, it turned out, would become the latest example of the Dodgers quickly flipping the script, with Freddie Freeman keying the club’s eventual 5-4 win with a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth. AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
What it means
Coming off their first series loss in more than a month to the White Sox last week, the Dodgers (48-27) bounced back in impressive fashion against the Rays (41-30).
They picked up their first series sweep since the Rockies came to town last month and their first against a team with a winning record since a trip to play the Nationals in early April.
At the 75-game mark, they continue to own the most wins in the majors.
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It was only a month ago that Freeman seemed to be struggling, mired in a mid-May slump that had dropped his season batting average to .254 and OPS to .737.
As he has so often done over his 17-year career, however, Freeman didn’t panic, looked for tweaks to his swing and trusted his process.
Ever since, he has rounded back into his perennial All-Star form.
With Wednesday’s go-ahead home run, Freeman is now batting .323 in 27 games since May 19. In that time, he has eight home runs, 14 extra-base hits, 20 RBIs and an OPS over 1.000.
It has helped raise Freeman’s season-long numbers closer to his norm (.279 average, .850 OPS) and catapulted him into the early lead for All-Star Game voting among National League first basemen, as he looks for a 10th career selection to the Midsummer Classic.
Ever since his mid-May slump, Freddie Freeman has rounded back into his perennial All-Star form. AP Photo/Kyusung Gong
Who’s not
Will Smith is making progress from his neck injury, Roberts said before Wednesday’s game, and has been going through on-field activities throughout the week.
However, the catcher is unlikely to be activated from the injured list when he’s eligible Friday, dashing hopes he would only miss the minimum 10 days as he deals with inflammation in a disk.
“We’re just trying to get him to a place where he doesn’t regress with it once he comes back,” Roberts said. “So I guess he’s not out of the woods yet.”
Up next
The Dodgers are off Thursday and continue this homestand Friday by opening a three-game series against the Orioles.
Jun 16, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) celebrates with third base coach Matt Erickson after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to secure a series win over the Cleveland Guardians tonight after a win in last night’s pitchers’ duel.
Some pregame notes from Pat Murphy include a positive report on Brandon Woodruff’s rehab start last night for High-A Wisconsin, in which Woodruff was sitting 90-92 mph. He’s expected to rejoin the big league rotation soon and not need another rehab start. Also, there’s no update yet on the decision on Quinn Priester following his appointment with his thoracic outlet specialist, but news should be coming soon.
Meanwhile, for the Brewers’ current rotation, it’s Brandon Sproat’s turn tonight. Sproat is coming off one of his strongest outings yet, despite pitching in the bandbox that was Las Vegas. Sproat went six strong innings, allowing just one run over six innings on 68 pitches. He was efficient and largely kept the ball in that tiny ballpark. He’ll be looking to repeat that strong performance against a fairly weak Guardians lineup that is missing a couple of its best hitters, including José Ramírez.
However, the Guardians will be throwing one of the better starters in the American League tonight with Gavin Williams. The East Carolina product has a 3.32 ERA on the season with a 9-3 record. Williams is tied for the fifth-most strikeouts in baseball this year and ranks in the top 10 in the AL in opponent batting average.
The Brewers’ lineup tasked with going against Williams will include the standard top four in the order with Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Jake Bauers gets the start at first base, meaning Andrew Vaughn is on the bench once again. Sal Frelick is in right field, Garrett Mitchell is in center. Cooper Pratt, seeking his first major league hit, is batting eighth for the second consecutive night, with David Hamilton rounding out the bottom of the order.
The Guardians still have a pretty strong 1-2 punch atop their order with Travis Bazzana and Kyle Manzardo. Old Friend Rhys Hoskins is batting cleanup and is the designated hitter. Another old friend, David Fry, traded as a minor leaguer for JC Mejia a few years ago, is batting sixth and playing right field.
The Brewers have already set a franchise record for most wins through 70 games with 44 of them. In their 71st game, can they add to their win total? First pitch is at 6:40 p.m.
Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, Salvatore J. Cordileone
The Archdiocese of San Francisco has defended the right of Giants players to publicly express their Christian faith after four pitchers came under fire for writing Bible verses on their caps during the team’s Pride night match against the Chicago Cubs.
“People of faith should not be compelled to hide or suppress their sincerely held religious convictions in public life, including in the world of professional sports,” Marlow said.
Archdiocese of San Francisco defends Giants pitchers’ Bible verse display on Pride Night, citing religious liberty and mutal respect. AP Photo/Scott Marshall
The controversy began during the Giants’ Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs when Roupp, Brubaker and Walker wrote “Gen 9:12-16” on their rainbow-themed caps.
Hentges declined to wear the Pride Night cap altogether, opting instead for the Giants’ standard black-and-orange cap.
The Bible passage references God’s covenant with Noah and describes the rainbow as a sign of that promise.
Afterward, Roupp emphasized there was “no hate at all” behind the gesture.
“It’s just what I stand for,” Roupp said. “I believe in God.”
Major League Baseball issued warnings to the players for violating uniform regulations that prohibit writing messages on equipment, though the league stressed the warning “had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message.”
The incident also drew national political attention. Sen. Josh Hawley demanded answers from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Vice President JD Vance criticized the league on social media writing on X: “Trump won. We don’t have to do this anymore.”
Sam Hentges #31 and Drew Gilbert #0 of the San Francisco Giants Getty Images
Meanwhile, the Giants issued a statement apologizing to members of the LGBTQ+ community who felt hurt by the players’ actions while reaffirming the organization’s support for Pride Night.
Marlow said the discussion should not be reduced to assumptions about the players’ motives.
“We understand that some individuals may have been offended by the players’ actions, and we certainly support treating every person with dignity and respect,” Marlow said.
“At the same time, we do not believe that a respectful reference to Sacred Scripture should be viewed as inherently hurtful or exclusionary.”
Archbishop of San Francisco, the Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone leads the prayer of commendation during the funeral Mass of archbishop emeritus and Cardinal William Joseph Cardinal Levada San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesSan Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, (left) is joined by Vicar for Administration, Father John J. Piderit San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
He added that the Archdiocese supports both religious liberty and respect for all individuals.
“In a diverse society, respect should be a two-way street,” Marlow said.
“Just as individuals with same-sex attraction deserve to be treated with dignity and free from unjust discrimination, people of faith deserve the freedom to express their beliefs peacefully and respectfully without being presumed hostile or hateful.”
Marlow also argued that much of the public conversation has overlooked the religious significance of the Bible passage itself.
“Much of the public discussion has focused on contemporary cultural and political debates, while the religious meaning of the biblical reference itself has received relatively little attention,” he said.
According to Marlow, Genesis 9:12-16 carries deep significance for Christians and Jews alike because it recalls God’s covenant with Noah after the flood and presents the rainbow as a symbol of God’s faithfulness and mercy.
The Archdiocese also pushed back on the notion that faith expressions are out of place in professional sports.
Pride month celebration at Oracle Park Getty ImagesJT Brubaker #34 of the San Francisco Giants pitches Getty Images
“Public displays of faith have long been part of American sports,” Marlow said. “Athletes routinely express gratitude to God, wear religious symbols, make the sign of the cross, kneel in prayer, or speak about their faith in interviews.”
“If diversity is truly valued, that diversity should include religious belief and religious expression,” he added. “Athletes should not be asked to check their faith at the clubhouse door.”
As the debate continues, the Giants players have largely maintained that their actions were intended as expressions of personal faith rather than opposition to anyone.
Ryan Walker recently told The California Post that he hoped the attention would encourage people to read the Bible and understand the meaning behind the passage.
Whether the controversy ultimately fades or continues to grow, Marlow said he hopes it leads to a broader appreciation for both religious liberty and human dignity.
“People of faith should be free to express their beliefs respectfully in public life, and all people should be treated with the respect that flows from their God-given dignity.”
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AKRON, OHIO - MAY 26, 2026: Bo Davidson #5 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels bats during the third inning against the Akron RubberDucks at 7 17 Credit Union Park on May 26, 2026 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
All seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday. Here’s what happened!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
AAA Sacramento (40-27)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Oklahoma City Comets (Dodgers) 10-1 Box score
RHP Tyler Mahle began his rehab assignment on Tuesday, a few days later than planned (Mahle was supposed to begin his rehab on Sunday, but that game was rained out, and Monday was an off-day). Rehab assignments are all about ramping up and feeling healthy, so we’ll try to overlook the fact that Mahle was not very sharp. He only threw 33 of 63 pitches for strikes, while walking 5 batters in just 3 innings. He wasn’t particularly hittable, admittedly, as he only gave up 1 hit and 1 run, with 3 strikeouts, but still not the most encouraging outing. With RHP Trevor McDonald (No. 12 CPL) struggling, and Mahle being a player who could be moved at the deadline, it seems likely that he’ll be back in the MLB rotation soon.
Also rehabbing was RHP Jason Foley, who pitched a perfect inning while throwing 8 of 10 pitches for strikes. Foley has pitched well in his rehab, though he had it hit the pause button when his arm struggled to recover from back-to-back outings. Now he’s rehabbing again, and could be helping the MLB bullpen soon.
RHP Carson Seymour, like Mahle, struggled with command, issuing 4 walks in 3 innings, though he gave up just 1 hit and 0 runs, while striking out 3. Seymour hasn’t looked particularly good in AAA (3.81 ERA, 4.70 FIP) or in the Majors (14.54 ERA, 6.56 FIP) this year. Already 27 years old, it’s fair to wonder if the Giants are thinking of moving on at some point.
LHP Juan Sánchez (No. 41 CPL) hasn’t had a very good season either, but has been really strong since returning from an unofficial (I believe) stint on the Development List. He was dominant in the 9th inning of this game, throwing 8 of 9 pitches for strikes in a perfect frame, while striking out 2. I’m still optimistic that we see him in the San Francisco bullpen in the second half of the season.
A lot of good days on offense. The hits just keep coming for second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), who hit 4-6 with a double, a stolen base, and an error. Furman, a 24-year old lefty acquired in the Alex Cobb trade, has been living up to his billing as a contact maven in his debut AAA stint. He’s up to a .292 batting average and just a 12.5% strikeout rate, with a sensational 3.9% swinging strike rate … a mark that ranks 2nd out of 54 Pacific Coast League hitters with at least 200 plate appearances … and 3rd out of 674 Minor League hitters across all leagues and levels (min: 200 PA). It does seem logical to conclude that the Giants might want Furman to slide right into Luis Arráez’s spot when Arráez is inevitably traded, though for now that spot seems to be Casey Schmitt’s to take.
In total, Furman has an .804 OPS, a 115 wRC+, and 10 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
The big hit belonged to third baseman Thomas Gavello, who hit 1-4 with a 3-run home run, a walk, a strikeout, and 4 runs driven in. Gavello is still trying to get off the interstate, and right now his biggest strength is that he plays all over the diamond and is a fantastic clubhouse guy. But we shouldn’t forget that there’s quite a bit of talent there, too! Sometimes it just comes out late.
First baseman Jake Holton had a good but painful day, going 0-1 but drawing a walk and getting hit 3 times. Left fielder Jared Oliva continued his rehab and went 2-5 with a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, while center fielder Turner Hill stated his case for that sort of a role, hitting 2-5 with a stolen base and an outfield assist.
Catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) and designated hitter Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL) drew to a draw in their race to be next man up behind the dish in San Francisco, as both players had a pair of singles and a walk.
AA Richmond (41-22)
Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Chesapeake Baysox (Orioles) 8-4 Box score
A fairly uninteresting day on either side of the diamond, save for big days from a pair of hitters: center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) and first baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL).
Davidson continued his June dominance. He only hit 1-4, but the hit was a 2-run home run, he didn’t strike out, and he continued his stellar defensive year with an outfield assist at third base and a robbery.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 17, 2026
After a rough May that featured just 1 home run and a ton of strikeouts, the soon-to-turn 24-year old has spent June regaining any top prospect status that he had risked losing. He’s hit safely in 12 of the 13 games he’s played in this month, with the only exception being the weather-shortened game that ended in the 5th inning. In total, he’s hit a staggering 18-48 with 7 home runs in June, while striking out just 10 times. That’s given him not just an .854 OPS and a 120 wRC+ on the season, but has also put him in 1st place on the Giants farm system home run leaderboard. If he keeps this up, we’ll almost certainly see him in AAA by the end of the year, especially since he’s going to be Rule 5 eligible this winter.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 17, 2026
As for Ceballos, who came to the Giants in the Jorge Soler trade, he showed off his power, hitting 1-2 with a 2-run home run and 2 walks.
Ceballos, a 23-year old taken in the 3rd round in 2023, is repeating AA, and is once again struggling with his batting average, which is just .228 after being .232 a year ago. But he’s found some of the power he lost last year … he now has 7 home runs on the season, surpassing last year’s total while barely having half as many plate appearances. He only has a .734 OPS and a 99 wRC+, but with his decent power, his ability to avoid strikeouts, and his excellent defense at both corners of the dirt, there’s something exciting there if he can just find a way to get more hits.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) June 17, 2026
Tough days for a pair of exciting players who are going through rough patches: left fielder Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) and shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL). Harber, who missed the start of the season due to injury, but was red hot when he got started, went 0-3 with a walk, 2 strikeouts, and an error. In his last 12 games, Harber is hitting just 8-43 with 0 home runs, 3 doubles, 9 walks, and 20 strikeouts, which has brought him down to an .871 OPS and a 130 wRC+ … still fantastic numbers! Ahuna went 0-4 with 2 strikeouts, as the contact concerns continue to rear their heads. Ahuna has hit a lowly 5-39 with 21 strikeouts in June, and now has a .674 OPS and an 81 wRC+. The bigger concern, however, is the 36.5% strikeout rate and the 18.6% swinging strike rate … numbers that rank 102nd and 99th, respectively, out of 104 Eastern League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances this season.
Not a good pitching day, though RHP Mitch White tossed a perfect inning, which was great to see since he’s been struggling quite a bit. LHP Greg Farone continued to have a hard time adjusting to AA, as the 2024 7th-rounder gave up 7 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs in 5 innings of action, while striking out just 3 batters. June has been a tiny bit better to Farone than the rest of the year, as he has a 5.14 ERA in the month, after ERAs in the 6s in the prior 2 months. The recently-turned 24-year old has a very interesting profile and could really develop into something exciting, but right now he’s not really doing anything well from a results standpoint: he has a 6.15 ERA, a 6.40 FIP, 8.5 strikeouts per 9 innings, and 5.1 walks.
In the Northwest League, however, there was a highly encouraging starting pitching performance, as RHP Niko Mazza took the mound for the Emeralds and struck out 7 Dust Devils in 5 innings of work, while allowing just 5 baserunners. It wasn’t a flawless performance, as 3 of the 5 baserunners he allowed (2 singles and a hit batter) came to the first 3 batters he faced. That, combined with a sacrifice fly, put 2 runs on his ledger. But he recovered to retire 15 of the next 17 batters he faced, with only a pair of walks reaching base.
Mazza, a 23-year old who was taken in the 8th round in 2024, has settled in fairly nicely with Eugene, where he has a 3.06 ERA and has struck out 11.3 batters per 9 innings. He’s had an issue with walks (5.9 per 9), which has led to a slightly bloated FIP (4.27), but it’s been a very strong 2nd season in the pros.
RHP Matt Dunaway made his 2nd appearance since getting returned to Eugene following an injury and a rehab appearance, and he tossed 2 perfect innings with 1 strikeout. LHP Esmerlin Vinicio, unfortunately, had a bad outing for one of the only times this year, ceding 8 baserunners and 4 runs in 2 innings … after having given up just 3 runs in 29.2 innings entering the game.
On offense, designated hitter Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL) once again showed off the massive power leap he’s made this year, hitting 2-5 with a home run, a strikeout, and 3 runs batted in. Anyone who has been reading these roundups is aware that Gutierrez, one of the best hitters for average in all of the Minors last year, has given up some of that this season in pursuit of more power, and this was the latest example. The 21-year old lefty now has 7 home runs in 51 games with High-A … after just 3 in 85 games across the DSL, ACL, and Low-A.
There’s room for the batting average to come up for Gutierrez, as it’s just .263 right now. The low strikeout rate (18.9%) and decent speed certainly suggests that Guttierez can get that number a lot closer to .300 eventually. But for now, with the power increase, it’s still good for a .823 OPS and a 123 wRC+, and given Gutierrez’s age and inexperience, that’s really impressive.
Funnily enough, of Eugene’s 5 extra-base hits, 3 of them were triples, and they came from a trio of good prospects who had nice days: right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 3-6 though he was caught stealing; center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) hit 2-5 with a stolen base and a strikeout; and left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) went 2-5, albeit with 2 strikeouts.
First baseman Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL) continued his absurd streak of walk-drawing, as he went 1-1 and drew 4 walks. Christian has now drawn 9 walks in his last 4 games, boosting his walk rate to 13.6% on the year, with an .859 OPS and a 134 wRC+. His strikeout rate, however, remains a very high 30.3%.
Low-A San Jose (37-27)
San Jose Giants lost to the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 2-1 Box score
A very funny pitching performance from RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL). Martinez has put his strength and his concern fully on display this year: strikeouts and walks, respectively. And that was true to an extreme on Tuesday, when he struck out 6 batters in just 4 innings … but walked 7.
Remarkably, despite giving up 11 baserunners in those 4 innings (he also hit a batter, and gave up a home run and 2 singles), Martinez was only tagged for 2 runs, and just 1 earned run. Just a strange game for the 21-year old from Venezuela.
Martinez has proved mostly unhittable this year, as he’s given up just 32 hits in 45.1 innings … with 73 strikeouts. His 14.5 strikeouts per 9 innings ranks 3rd out of the 509 Minor Leaguers with at least 40 innings thrown this year, and if you want to know why he’s emerged as arguably the top pitching prospect in the organization, well … that’s why! But if you want to know what’s keeping him from more success — such as a promotion, or a spot on a top 100 list — it sits with the 6.0 walks per 9 innings, which needs to be addressed in a big way.
Nice bullpen games from the 2 relievers who pitched, RHPs Alix Hernandez and Garrett Langrell. Both pitchers gave up 3 baserunners and 0 runs, with 3 strikeouts; Hernandez while pitching 3 innings, and Langrell while pitching 2. Both players have strong strikeout numbers this year, but haven’t been able to make the total package work.
A nothing-burger on offense, with the Baby Giants mustering just 4 hits on the day. Shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) had perhaps the best day, hitting 1-3 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Meola is still trying to overcome his slow start to the year, but last year’s 4th-round pick has been playing quite well lately, and seems to be enjoying getting to play shortstop regularly with Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) promoted to High-A.
Arizona Complex League (16-16)
ACL Giants lost to the ACL D-backs 5-4 (7 innings) Box score
Not the most interesting game, but a few nice performances, especially on offense. Second baseman Anthony Marquez, a 19-year old in his 1st season stateside, hit 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base. After a pair of strong seasons in the DSL, Marquez has struggled a bit to adapt to the ACL, and has just a .673 OPS and a 78 wRC+. He’s still drawing a ton of walks, like always (15.9% walk rate), but is having a hard time hitting for average … he’s at just .216 for the year, after boasting a .279 average in 2024, and a .276 average last year. He does have 6 stolen bases though, and some strong defense.
Designated hitter Yosneiker Rivas, a 20-year old in his 1st ACL season after 3 years in the DSL, hit 2-2 with a double and a walk. The lefty from Venezuela has adapted very well to stateside ball, as he’s hitting for average (.343), drawing walks (16.7%), and limiting strikeouts (19.0%). He’s not hitting for much power at all, but the hits and walks have given him an .881 OPS and a 130 wRC+.
As for the big name prospects, recently-returned first baseman/DH Reggie Crawford didn’t play, while shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) hit 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
Dominican Summer League Black (7-5)
DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Mets Orange 4-1 Box score
A trio of hitters who reached base a bunch in this game. Center fielder Djean Macares, an 18-year old in his 2nd season, went 0-2, but drew 3 walks and stole 2 bases. Just as was the case in his debut last year, Macares — who was arguably the team’s 2nd-biggest signing last year after Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) — is doing a tremendous job of limiting strikeouts, but having a hard time doing damage with the bat. He has just an 8.9% strikeout rate this year, with a tremendous 19.6% walk rate … but has only a .233 batting average and a .070 isolated slugging, resulting in a .702 OPS and a 90 wRC+.
Designated hitter Diego Villegas hit 1-2 and drew 2 walks while getting caught stealing. A good game, but unfortunately the 22-year old has been unable to separate himself from the pack in his 6th DSL season. And catcher Diego Alambarrio, an 18-year old in his 2nd season, had a painfully successful game, hitting 0-1 but getting hit 3 times. He’s already been hit 7 times in his career, despite playing just 17 games. Catchers! They’re built different!
A really nice start by RHP Santiago Guerrero, an 18-year old from Mexico who is a member of the team’s very small signing class this year. Guerrero is an intriguing prospect, and in his 3rd professional game tossed 4 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts and 0 walks, while giving up just 3 singles. Very impressive stuff. He’s been excellent in 2 games, while having a dud sandwiched between them.
LHP Hector Dos Santos tossed 2 perfect innings with a strikeout. Through 4 games this year, the 20-year old in his 2nd season has given up just 3 baserunners and 0 runs in 4.1 innings.
Despite the gaudy run total, the Giants Orange squad had just 1 extra-base hit on the day. Welcome to the DSL!
A few players had nice offensive games though: center fielder Jose Valdez, a 17-year old in his debut season, hit 2-3 with a walk, raising his OPS to .807 and his wRC+ to 97; first baseman Albert Jimenez, a 19-year old in his 3rd season, went 2-5 with a double and a strikeout, giving him a whopping 1.293 OPS and 180 wRC+; shortstop Jonathan Valle, an 18-year old debuting player, hit 1-3 with 2 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout, and now has a .669 OPS, a 58 wRC+, and 3 stolen bases; second baseman Yeison Oviedo, an 18-year old in his 2nd season, hit 0-2 but drew 3 walks and stole a base, moving his OPS to .845 and his wRC+ to 116, with 2 stolen bases; and left fielder Angelo Ugueto, a 17-year old who was signed in January, hit 3-4 with a strikeout, bumping his OPS to .754 and his wRC+ to 96.
A pair of players pitched really well: RHPs Fernando Estrella and Abraham Utrera. Estrella, a 23-year old who is pitching for the first time since 2022, threw a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts in his 2nd appearance of the season. Utrera, a 21-year old in his 2nd season, gave up a hit and a walk in 2 shutout innings, with 3 strikeouts. He has 16 strikeouts in 9 innings this year.
Home run tracker
13 — Bo Davidson — [AA] 7 — Sabin Ceballos — [AA] 7 — Carlos Gutierrez — [High-A] 5 — Thomas Gavello — [AAA]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 4:05 p.m. PT at Oklahoma City (SP: Matt Wilkinson) Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Chesapeake (SP: Charlie McDaniel) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Tri-City (SP: Tyler Switalski) San Jose: 1:00 p.m. PT vs. Lake Elsinore (SP: Jordan Gottesman)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates with teammate Andy Pages #44 after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on June 17, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Scoring was much more prevalent on Wednesday, but the Dodgers secured their third straight one-run win against the Tampa Bay Rays, taking the finale 5-4 to complete the sweep.
Just like on Tuesday, both teams were held scoreless over the first three innings, as Shohei Ohtani and Shane McClanahan allowed just two baserunners apiece over that span.
The Dodgers began the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts, giving them their first baserunner since the second inning. A dazzling defensive play from Richie Palacios robbed Kyle Tucker of a hit but moved Betts into scoring position, setting the table for an RBI single from Alex Call to help the Dodgers strike first against McClanahan.
A successful ABS challenge by Dalton Rushing helped him reach on a walk, and Alex Freeland kept the two-out rally alive with an RBI single to left to make it a two-run lead. After a walk to Tommy Edman loaded the bases, that marked the end for McClanahan’s day. Casey Legunima got out of the jam without any further trouble by getting Andy Pages to line out to leave the bases full.
After Shohei Ohtani extended the Dodgers’ pitching scoreless streak to 20 innings against Tampa Bay, Ohtani allowed the first two to reach in the top of the fifth with a walk to Victor Mesa Jr. and a double from Hunter Feduccia. The shutout attempt fell by the wayside with a sacrifice fly from Taylor Walls, and an RBI single from Yandy Díaz tied the game at two to take McClanahan off the hook for the loss.
Ohtani induced a ground ball off the bat of Cedric Mullins that looked like a sure out at first, but Freddie Freeman hesitated on the play and Ohtani couldn’t cover the bag in time allowing Mullins to reach to load the bases. Tommy Edman made a fantastic play to rob Junior Caminero of a hit, but the throw nearly got away from Freeland to spoil the double play, score a run and help Tampa Bay take a 3-2 lead. Palacios followed up with a two-out RBI single to right to make it a two-run Rays lead.
The Dodgers responded by loading the bases against Legumina with nobody out to begin the bottom of the fifth which signaled the end of his afternoon. Tucker worked a nine-pitch walk against Garrett Cleavinger to bring the Dodgers down a run, but the left-hander got both Alex Call and Dalton Rushing to fly out before striking out Alex Freeland to get out of the jam.
Ohtani had better fortunes in the sixth inning, retiring the side in order to end his outing. Wednesday was the most struggling start for Ohtani as a Dodger, as his four earned runs were the most he’s allowed in any start this season. He’s allowed seven runs over his last 12 2/3 IP and his season ERA now sits at 1.47, which now ranks second behind Jacob Misiorowski for the lowest ERA among all pitchers with at least 70 innings.
Despite the poor start, the Dodgers took him off the hook for the loss and in line for the win, as Freddie Freeman clobbered a two-run home run to center field, giving the Dodgers the lead once again.
Edgardo Henriquez worked around a leadoff infield single from Díaz in the top of the seventh and recorded four outs overall on the day. Jack Dreyer followed him out of the bullpen to secure the final two outs in the top of the eighth inning.
Instead of Tanner Scott attempting to record a third consecutive save against the Rays, Alex Vesia was called upon for the ninth. Vesia allowed a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Austin Slater, and Slater took second on a stolen base to put the potential tying run in scoring position. The left-hander got pinch-hitter Ben Williamson to line out before inducing an infield pop fly out from Taylor Walls. Díaz was put on intentionally to fill the open bag at first and Aranda worked a seven-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs. Vesia found himself in a full count against Mullins, but a sharp slider sent him down swinging on strikes, securing the Dodgers’ first sweep since doing so against the Colorado Rockies from May 25-27.
The Dodgers are off on Thursday but are back at home to welcome the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set beginning Friday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Roki Sasaki goes for the Dodgers while the Orioles have yet to announce their starter.
SCORING FIRST IS USUALLY GOOD: Last night’s loss was just the Cubs’ second of the season at home after they had scored first. But it was their second in three such games since a 10-0 start. They are 24-9 in all games when they have scored first; 14-27 when they have not. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THREE IS THE NUMBER OF THE COUNTING: The Cubs are 35-16 when they have scored at least three runs; just 4-20 with no more than two. They lost last night despite making eight hits. They are 32-20 with at least seven. They lost despite hitting a homer. They are 33-20 with at least one. And they lost despite earning four walks. They are 32-23 with at least three. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE NICO FILES: No Cub batter started the season hotter than Nico Hoerner. Through his first 12 games, his OPS was exactly 1.000. It was last above .900 after 24 games, at .908. It was last above .800 after 37 games: .809. It was last above .700 after 56 games: .705. It now stands at .641. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jake Arrieta throws six shutout innings, striking out 11, and the Cubs defeat the Pirates 6-0 at PNC Park. They are 45-20 after this win and lead the NL Central by 10.5 games. It happened 10 years ago today, Friday, June 17, 2016.
Javier Assad has had two straight outstanding outings, first after coming into a game at Wrigley Field in an emergency after Jameson Taillon was injured, then in a start against the Giants last Friday in San Francisco, where he threw six shutout innings.
Keep up the good work, Javier. Last year, he threw six innings and allowed three runs to the Rockies Aug. 30, 2025 in Coors Field. Perhaps Wrigley will be more pitcher-friendly to Assad.
Sean Sullivan was the Rockies’ second-round pick out of Wake Forest in 2023. He made his MLB debut last Friday against the A’s in Sacramento and threw three scoreless innings, which in Sacramento is pretty good!
Sullivan threw 49 pitches in that game. He was throwing 80-plus pitches for most of the year in his starts with Triple-A Albuquerque so he is likely going a bit longer tonight.
Obviously he’s never faced the Cubs or anyone on their active roster.
Based on the pitch chart below — and remember, it’s just 49 pitches — he appears to be a soft-tossing lefty.
Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Phillies play a three-game series in Philadelphia starting on Thursday night at 6:40 on SNY...
As Lindor continues to play simulated games at Citi Field, his return from a nearly two-month long absence appears imminent.
There's a chance Lindor is back as early as Saturday against the Phillies, in the second game of the series.
When Lindor does return, it will be just the 12th time that both he and Juan Soto are in the lineup together this season -- with Lindor having suffered his calf injury in the same April game where Soto returned from his.
The Mets' offense has been better lately, with them averaging roughly 4.7 runs per game over the last week -- including their nine-run eruption on Wednesday against the Reds.
Lindor being back should add a serious jolt to that. If he isn't activated from the IL in Philadelphia, it stands to reason that he'll return during New York's homestand that opens this coming Monday against the Cubs.
Bichette entered play on Wednesday having slashed .412 with a 1.222 OPS in 53 plate appearances over his last 12 games.
On Wednesday, he had another huge day, going 3-for-4 with a walk, RBI, and two runs scored. Bichette's OPS, which was .531 on May 17,is up to .677.
The return to form by Bichette has been enormous for the lineup, which is also getting strong contributions lately from Juan Soto (who has been on a tear for most of the season), Francisco Alvarez, Carson Benge, and A.J. Ewing.
Once Lindor returns, Bichette -- who has been holding down shortstop in Lindor's absence -- will slide back to third base.
New York's starting rotation is a tricky jigsaw puzzle right now, but Manaea has been sharp lately -- taking a bit of pressure off.
After working in a bulk role for a while, Manaea returned to the rotation on June 13 against the Braves and was strong, allowing two runs in six innings while striking out six.
New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) follows through on a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning at Citi Field / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
Manaea gets the start in Thursday's series-opener, with Freddy Peralta slated to start on Saturday and New York possibly going with a bullpen game on Sunday night.
Kyle Schwarber is on another level
Schwarber, fresh off re-signing with the Phillies this offseason after being pursued by the Mets and others, is having another monster year.
He entered play on Wednesday with an MLB-leading 25 homers, putting him on pace to come close to the career-high 56 he slugged last season.
Overall, Schwarber is hitting .249/.368/.574 in 70 games, with his slugging percentage leading the National League.
Strikeouts continue to be Schwarber's kryptonite, with him fanning a league-worst 107 times already. He's on pace to strike out 237 times this season, which would shatter his career-worst to this point (215 strikeouts in 2023).
Can the Mets get to Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler?
After the Mets face Aaron Nola (5.86 ERA, 1.47 WHIP), they draw Philadelphia's aces.
Sanchez, one of the early favorites for the NL Cy Young award, has a 1.82 ERA (2.14 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP while striking out 10.5 batters per nine in a league-best 99.0 innings.
Wheeler, who missed the start of the season as he finished his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery, has been nearly as good.
In 62.2 innings over 10 starts, Wheeler has allowed just 38 hits. He has a 2.01 ERA (3.38 FIP) and 0.84 WHIP, though his strikeout rate (8.9) has taken a serious dip from where it was in 2025 (11.7 per nine) and is the lowest it's been since the shortened 2020 campaign.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Bo Bichette
Bichette is sure to get a rude welcome after spurning the Phillies in the offseason. He'll use it as fuel.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Freddy Peralta
Peralta locked in during his last outing, allowing just one run in five innings against the Braves.
Which Phillies player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Brandon Marsh
Marsh is in the midst of the best season of his career.
After he was virtually untouchable in his first nine appearances of the season, Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, is mired in a two-start funk on the mound.
Ohtani, who gave up one or no runs in eight of his first nine starts, gave up more runs in one inning — four — on Wednesday, June 17 than he did in his first five starts. And now he has a pair of nagging physical issues to monitor.
Making his first start since sitting out a game as a hitter due to left knee inflammation, Ohtani was peppered for four singles, a double and a walk as the Tampa Bay Rays batted around in the fifth inning.
After the inning, cameras caught small traces of blood on his pants, from the middle finger on his pitching hand, although Ohtani came out to pitch a scoreless sixth and even served as pinch-hitter in the bottom of the inning.
Despite his struggles he ended up the winning pitcher, after Freddie Freeman clubbed a go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, erasing a deficit and giving the Dodgers a 5-4 lead that the bullpen preserved.
L.A.'s relievers pitched nine scoreless innings in the three-game sweep of the Rays.
Yet the good vibes were at least partially tempered by the notion Ohtani - now 7-2 - hasn't been as indomitable of late as he was in the season's first third. He was sanguine about his dual health concerns.
"It’s just part of the game. Not a lot of situations where you feel 100% so I took it as that,' Ohtani told reporters via translator Will Ireton. "It was big we were able to win a game like this."
The bad inning Wednesday was fueled in part by his tardiness covering first base on a groundball to Freeman, who glanced momentarily toward second, freezing Ohtani in his journey off the mound. Soon, a 2-0 Dodgers lead was a 4-2 deficit.
And after Ohtani's six innings of seven-hit, four-run, one-walk, five-strikeout work against the Rays, his ERA stood at 1.47. Elite, to be sure, but when he took the mound in Pittsburgh one week ago, it was at an absurd 0.74.
Ohtani allowed a season-high 10 baserunners and gave up a season-high three earned runs to the Pirates in that game and a day later, was removed from the game due to left knee inflammation.
Ohtani sat out just one game as DH, and manager Dave Roberts said he remained on track to make his assignment against the Rays. That he did, though it went south after four innings, and now the finger issue may be one to further monitor for the Dodgers.
"My every intention was to start today’s game.," says Ohtani. "Didn’t really feel like that was not going to be an option not to pitch."
Roberts felt confident sending Ohtani out for the sixth despite his rough fifth inning and the knee and finger issues, citing a desire to avoid lower-leverage relievers before aligning for the seventh, eighth and ninth.
"He still always finds a way to manage innings and make pitches when he needs to," says Roberts. "I think he’s still kind of working through delivery stuff with the knee."
Roberts said that "right now," Ohtani would be fine to make his next start one week from now, and says they will revisit his use of a topical skin adhesive on the middle finger. As for the past two starts?
"I don’t think anyone expected him," says Roberts, "to never give up any runs."
Pitcher Landen Roupp was one of three San Francisco Giants players who were issued warnings for inscribing a Bible verse on their Pride Night caps. (Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
The controversy around the Pride Night protest by three San Francisco Giants pitchers continues to grow.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) entered the fray Tuesday, demanding answers from Major League Baseball after it issued warnings to Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker about writing on their uniforms. The players added a Bible verse on their specialty caps for the night.
In a letter addressed to MLB commissioner Robert Manfred, the Republican senator also accused the league of “a pattern of discrimination ... against baseball players who profess their Christian faith.”
“I write with grave concern over your reported decision to issue a formal warning to three Major League Baseball (MLB) players for publicly expressing their Christian faith,” Hawley says in his letter. “MLB has said this is a content-neutral policy and that MLB ‘respect[s] players’ right to free expression.’ But this is dubious, given that MLB is openly promoting a political viewpoint and possibly compelling adherence to that viewpoint.”
The Missouri senator referenced the league’s “sweeping, judicially manufactured exemption from the federal antitrust laws” as justification for his inquiries.
“Trump won we don’t have to do this anymore,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media.
The San Francisco Giants' pride logo is displayed on the scoreboard at Oracle Park before its Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs. (Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
In Friday’s Pride Night game against the Chicago Cubs, Roupp, the Giants’ starting pitcher, wore a hat with “Gen 9:12-16” written alongside the rainbow “SF” logo. Relief pitchers Brubaker and Walker also added similar references to the Old Testament passage about rainbows being a “covenant between God and every living creature” on their caps. (Fellow Giants pitcher Sam Hentges chose to wear a cap with the team’s standard logo instead of the Pride Night version.)
“That’s just kind of something I believe in, and I stand firm in that,” Roupp told reporters after the game. “I’m thankful we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want ... and express what we want.
“The verse says ... the rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us, and us as believers to stand firm in that,” he added after confirming he never had previously inscribed it on his cap before. “There’s no hate at all. It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in. I believe in God, and that’s me.”
Rainbows have been associated with LGBTQ+ pride since the rainbow flag was introduced by activists and artists in San Francisco in the 1970s. The verse Roupp mentions often is cited by Christian conservatives in their effort to “reclaim” the rainbow’s symbolism. (Former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw added the same Bible verse to his Pride Night cap last season.)
Following the Pride Night actions of Roupp and his fellow Giants pitchers, the team’s fans, members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies expressed their hurt, anger and disappointment in the players and the organization. The Giants have a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and causes.
The MLB issued the players who added inscriptions to their caps a warning Monday for violating the league’s uniform policy.
“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” MLB clarified in a widely reported follow-up statement issued Tuesday.
“We respect players’ right to free expression. However, writing of any kind, with any message, is prohibited per Major League Baseball’s Uniform Regulations which provides in part that, ‘(a) Player may not write, attach, affix, embroider or otherwise display nicknames or messages on apparel or playing equipment…’. We have given the same warning numerous times in the past to players for messages such as ‘Dad’, ‘Happy Mother’s Day, I Love Mom,’ and names of family members.”
A number of fans expressed anger and disappointment after the actions by pitchers for the Giants, a team with a history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and causes. (Scott Marshall / Associated Press)
The Giants have not addressed the fallout beyond their statement following the game Friday.
“The San Francisco Giants are proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ+ community. Baseball should be a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued,” the statement provided to numerousoutlets reads. “We also respect that individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations. We understand that the choices by individual players has caused pain and anger to many in the LGBTQ+ community and we are sorry for that. Those choices do not change our organization’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and creating a welcoming environment for all. We remain grateful to our fans, partners, employees, players and coaches who help make Pride Night a meaningful celebration.”
The team was among the first in professional sports to host an HIV/AIDS awareness game in the 1990s and the first MLB team to incorporate the Pride rainbow in its on-field uniforms for its Pride game in 2021.
California state Sen. Scott Wiener has continued to call out both the Giants and Republican politicians regarding the Pride Night protest and the aftermath.
“MAGA leaders like JD Vance and Josh Hawley are now glomming on and declaring an anti-LGBTQ culture war, in an attempt to bully MLB from enforcing its rules,” Wiener wrote in an lengthy post on social media, calling them out for their “Bigotry against LGBTQ people.”
“This isn’t an issue of religious freedom. People have a right to whatever religious beliefs they want — even if those beliefs dehumanize other people — but they don’t have a right to hijack their employer to promote those hateful beliefs at a job-related event.”
With high school baseball seasons across the country coming to a close, attention now turns to the 2026 MLB Draft.
On Monday, June 15, hundreds of the nation’s top prospects received invitations to the MLB Draft Combine, a three-day event that gives players the chance to showcase their skills in front of Major League baseball operations departments, scouting directors and other personnel.
Of the 334 draft-eligible players invited, 140 are high school athletes representing numerous schools. The event begins with a high school sim game on June 23 before players participate in on-field workouts, strength and conditioning assessments and biomechanical testing.
While those players represent programs from across the country, nine schools placed multiple athletes on this year’s invite list. Here’s a look at the high schools with the most players invited to the 2026 MLB Draft Combine.
TNXL Academy: Ocoee, Florida (4)
TNXL Academy is a baseball-focused high school program that allows athletes to train in a professional style environment. Since the academy was founded in 2014, it has produced eight MLB draft picks and 93 college commits. It's no surprise that TNXL produced the most invites this year, but it has not yet had four players drafted in the same year.
Coleton Brady – RHP (No. 178)
Genson Veras – OF (No. 184)
Spencer Evans – LHP (No. 194)
Kaleb Traylor – 3B
Orange Lutheran High School: Orange, California (3)
Orange Lutheran has long been one of the nation's top high school baseball programs, producing several notable MLB players, including AL Cy Young Award winner Gerit Cole. The Lancers continued that tradition this year, placing three players on the MLB Draft Combine list after also producing 10 Division I signees this year.
Cooper Sides -- RHP (No. 99)
Gary Morse -- RHP (No. 137)
CJ Weinstein -- SS (No. 149)
Etowah High School: Woodstock, Georgia (2)
Fresh off of its third state championship in program history, Etowah High School enters the draft season as Georgia's top-ranked baseball program. The Eagles captured the 2026 GHSA Class 6A State Championship, marking its second title in three years, and placed two players on the Combine invite list. Senior outfielder Trevor Condon is one of the top high school prospects invited to the Combine.
Trevor Condon -- OF (No. 22)
Matthew Sharman -- RHP
Casteel High School: Queen Creek, Arizona (2)
Despite being founded just 11 years ago in 2015, Casteel High School has established itself as a powerhouse in Arizona. After earning back-to-back AIA 5A state championship titles in 2023 and 2024, the Colts moved up to the 6A classification last season.
Ryne Barker -- 3B (No. 195)
Ryan Harwood -- OF
De La Salle High School: Concord, California (2)
De La Salle High School is another one of California's premier baseball programs. The Spartan's won their second-consecutive NCS Division I Championship this season, securing the program's 16th North Coast Section. De La Salle has produced numerous MLB draft picks and will look to add a pair of teammates to that list.
Tyler Spangler -- SS (No. 49)
Graham Schlicht -- RHP (No. 139)
Corona High School: Corona, California (2)
Corona High School made MLB history last year after three of its players were drafted in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Two of the three were drafted in the top-10, which was also a historic feat. The program hasn't always been dominate, but has become a national powerhouse under head coach Andy Wise. Trey Ebel hopes to follow in the footsteps of his brother Brady who was the No. 32 overall pick last year.
Anthony Murphy -- OF (No. 107)
Trey Ebel -- SS (No. 113)
St. John Bosco: Bellflower, California (2)
While St. John Bosco isn't the first California school to enter this list, it is the top-ranked program in the state. The program claimed back-to-back CIF Southern Section Division 1 Championship titles, with draft prospect Julian Garcia paving the path this year. He threw a complete game and struck out 14 en route to the championship title.
James Clark -- SS (No. 53)
Julian Garcia -- RHP (No. 117)
South Walton: Santa Rosa Beach, Florida (2)
The South Walton Seahawks emerged as one of the nation's top teams this season, finishing 30-4 and capturing the first state championship in program history. Ranked No. 4 nationally, the Seahawks also boast one of the top MLB draft prospects in the country in right-handed pitcher Coleman Borthwick, who could be a first-round pick this year.
Coleman Borthwick -- RHP (No. 35)
Denton Lord -- RHP (No. 72)
Jesuit High School: Tampa, Florida (2)
Jesuit High School Tampa has one of the most historically dominant baseball programs in the nation. The Tigers have captured seven state titles and have produced hundreds of Major Leaguers, including Hall of Famer Al Lopez Sr. In last year's draft, Jesuit High School graduate Jamie Arnold was drafted 11th overall, becoming the second-highest Jesuit alumnus ever drafted.
Jacob Misiorowski is dominating on the mound in his sophomore campaign, and one of the game's all-time great arms is taking note. CC Sabathia showered the Brewers' ace with praise on the latest episode of his podcast, MLB According to CC.
"He's a top-two pitcher and not number two. Right now, he's one of the best pitchers in the game."
Misiorowski currently leads all qualified starters with a 1.34 ERA, 48 points better than any other starter. The 24-year-old sits atop the leaderboards in WHIP (0.71), strikeouts (131), and opponent batting average (.140). Reaping the benefits of their young star, the Brewers hold a 4.5-game lead in the NL Central.
This isn't the first time Sabathia has shouted out Milwaukee's flamethrower. Back in May, the Hall of Famer emphasized cutting down on walks and being "aggressive in the strike zone" in order for Misiorowski to reach the upper echelon of starting pitchers. Since then, he has done just that, allowing 2+ walks in just one of his last six starts.
Sabathia was an early believer in the Miz, saying he "absolutely" had the chance to become baseball's No. 1 starting pitcher. After facing the minimum in a complete game shutout against the Phillies on June 12 (with 15 strikeouts to boot), Misiorowski may have already proved he is the game's best.
New episodes with CC and Ahmed Fareed drop every Wednesday on NBC Sports NOW, NBCSN, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Who makes the Mount Rushmore of New York City sports?
On today’s episode of MLB According to CC, legendary Yankee CC Sabathia discussed his top four “modern era” New York athletes, alongside his cohost, Ahmed Fareed who made his own “legends” top four list. Sabathia gave the number one spot to five time World Series winner with the Yankees, and his teammate of five years, Derek Jeter.
"Derek Jeter's got to be No. 1 with five rings."
Next, the former pitcher selected former Giants quarterback, Eli Manning, pointing to his destruction of the unbeaten 2007 Patriots’ Super Bowl dreams. In the number three slot, Sabathia selected newly minted NBA Champion, Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson.
Knicks need to “put the statue in front of MSG" for Jalen Brunson.
Rounding off the former Cy Young winner’s “Mount Rushmore” was another former teammate who spent their whole career in the pinstripes, iconic Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera. Sabathia praised Rivera, saying he “embodies what it means to be a Yankee.” Sabathia also mentioned Brooklyn Dodger and sports legend, Jackie Robinson for “what he did for Brooklyn and the game of baseball.”
Fareed’s selections for his legends “Mount Rushmore” included names such as Yankees icons Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Giants' defensive gamewrecker Lawrence Taylor, and Islanders' stalwarts Mike Bossey and Denis Potvin.
New episodes with CC and Ahmed Fareed drop every Wednesday on NBC Sports NOW, NBCSN, YouTube, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Jun 12, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Atlanta Braves relief pitcher Jr. Ritchie (60) reacts after throwing a runner out at first base in the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Braves are firmly mired in their first extended skid of the 2026 season.
After an uncompetitive 7-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants — who have the second-worst record in the National League —in a game concluded Wednesday after it was delayed a few innings in on Tuesday, the Braves have lost five of their last six games.
To put it in perspective, they hadn’t even lost four games of a six-game span before this slump.
Atlanta turns to rookie righty JR Ritchie (1-1, 3.82 ERA) to look to earn a Wednesday split and set up a Thursday rubber match, weather permitting.
Ritchie was sent back down to Gwinnett last month after making his first five career major league starts. It wasn’t clear if Ritchie was going to be a starter or reliever upon his return to Atlanta, but Spencer Strider being sidelined with elbow inflammation made that choice for the Braves, thrusting Ritchie back into the rotation for the time being.
His first outing back was a relief appearance, just the second of his professional career. It was also his best career major league outing to date as he replaced Strider and allowed two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings —his first outing without allowing a run — while striking out five.
The hope is that appearance can be something to build around as he enters his first career game against a NL West team.
The Giants will be starting a similarly new pitcher to this level in Carson Whisenhunt, who will be making his season debut at the major league level in this start. The 25-year-old 11th-ranked prospect in the Giants organization made his first five starts in the majors last season, posting a 2-1 record and 5.01 ERA with 16 strikeouts, 12 walks and six home runs allowed in 23 1/3 innings.
The southpaw has a 5-2 record and 3.65 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) this season for Triple-A Sacramento, with 77 strikeouts and 30 walks in 69 innings.
No member of the Braves’ offense has faced Whisenhunt, just like no Giants player has faced Ritchie.
Long before he was striking out hitters in Yankees’ pinstripes, Carlos Rodón was mowing them down on the South Side. | (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
The White Sox are looking to bounce back from last night’s 12-2 thumping. Standing in their way is an old friend, Carlos Rodón, who has quietly put together another strong, albeit brief, season since returning from left elbow surgery.
First, though, the Sox need a solid outing from Anthony Kay. The southpaw’s season has been a roller coaster. April was rough, May was excellent, and June has gotten off to a rocky start. The veteran definitely has an intriguing profile. His average fastball velocity of 95.5 mph ranks above average for a lefty, and his 71st-percentile chase rate shows he has the stuff to entice hitters into swinging at pitches outside the zone. The challenge has been converting those chases into outs.
Kay’s 5.65 xERA ranks among the bottom tier, and his strikeout numbers aren’t great. His 21.9% whiff rate and 17.6% strikeout rate both sit well below league average as well, meaning hitters are often making contact when they decide to swing. Against a Yankees’ lineup that demonstrated exactly how dangerous it can be when putting balls in play last night, that is not an ideal recipe.
The good news is that Kay’s 9.0% walk rate is manageable, and he generates ground balls at an above-average clip. If he can get Yankees hitters to chase while keeping the ball on the ground, the White Sox have a chance to keep this one close.
On the other side stands Rodón, whose profile is almost the exact opposite. While Kay’s underlying metrics suggest a pitcher searching for answers, Rodón’s numbers paint the picture of a legitimate front-line starter. Opponents own only a .184 expected batting average against him, ranking in the 97th percentile. He still misses bats at an elite rate, striking out 26.4% of hitters while generating a 27.8% whiff rate.
The velocity isn’t quite what White Sox fans remember from his dominant 2021 campaign. Rodón now averages 94.1 mph rather than the upper-90s heat he once featured. Yet his fastball remains one of the game’s most effective weapons, ranking in the 87th percentile in run value.
If there is a crack in Rodón’s armor, it is his control. His 14.7% walk rate ranks among the worst in baseball, and that may provide the White Sox with their clearest path to victory. Chicago has done a better job this season of grinding out at-bats and forcing pitchers to work, but that approach will be tested tonight. If the Sox come out chasing early-count pitches and expanding the zone, Rodón’s swing-and-miss arsenal could make for a very long evening. If they stay patient, force him into hitter’s counts, and capitalize on the free passes he occasionally offers, they may be able to drive up his pitch count and expose the Yankees’ bullpen.
Here is the Sox lineup that skipper Will Venable hopes can grind out some offense against Rodón.
The matchup tonight feels like a battle of opposites: Kay needs hitters to chase, while Rodón needs hitters to swing. The team that best executes its offensive approach may very well decide who walks away with the W.
First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. CST. Tune in to the TV broadcast on CHSN or listen in at ESPN Chicago AM 1000.
