Category: MLB

The Yankees (48-31) protected their lead atop the AL East standings with a 4-2 win in the rubber match of their three-game road series against the Detroit Tigers (34-46).

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers made his second straight quality start for the Yanks, pitching six full innings and allowing just one earned run.

Here are the takeaways....

-First baseman Paul Goldschmidt led off for the Yankees tonight, and opened the scoring immediately with a solo shot to left field on the fifth pitch he saw from Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. His very next at-bat, with nobody on base in the third inning, Goldschmidt blasted a 427-foot moonshot to make the score 2-1 Yankees. This was the first multi-homer game for Goldschmidt as a Yankee, and the 28th game of his career with two dingers, tying Jose Ramirez for 10th place on the active player leaderboard for this feat. It's no surprise that Aaron Judge is the active MLB leader in this statistic, with 47 multi-homer games.

-Right fielder Jasson Dominguez had a bit of a roller coaster of a game tonight in Detroit. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Dominguez booted a single hit in his direction, and Detroit's two baserunners each moved up a base - to second and third - as a result, before a sacrifice fly drove in a runner to tie up the game, 2-2. However, the switch-hitting slugger made up for his mistake a couple of innings later, batting as a righty in the sixth inning and crushing a Skubal changeup for a two-run home run. With the score 4-2, Skubal exited the game for the Tigers, having largely dominated, allowing just four hits and walking zero while striking out nine Yankees batters. However, three of those four hits allowed were long balls, which accounted for four earned runs, and the Tigers training staff will keep an eye on the health of their reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner, as he was in visible discomfort on the mound with a possible groin issue midway through his start.

-Following a masterful performance in his last start against the Chicago White Sox, when he struck out eight batters through 6.1 innings, Ryan Weathers kept it rolling tonight in Detroit. The southpaw lowered his ERA to 3.95 with six full innings of solid pitching, striking out six Tigers batters and walking just two, allowing one earned run in the process. Weathers, who was acquired via trade this past offseason from the Miami Marlins, has been an unheralded cog of the Yankees rotation all season as a reliable "back-end" starter, and is seemingly finding his groove in his first season in the Bronx.

-Utility man Max Schuemann manned center field for the Yanks tonight, his first start at that position with the organization. Schuemann was acquired via trade from the Athletics a few weeks after Weathers' arrival, and Weathers might owe him a steak dinner after Schuemann made two web gems in the fifth inning with men on base. Schuemann has long been known for his defensive prowess and positional versatility, and he showcased both tonight to record crucial outs when it seemed like the effectiveness of New York's starter was deteriorating.

-The Yankees relied on three relievers - Camil Doval, Fernando Cruz, and David Bednar - to handle some high-leverage work on a night when their offense couldn't get going. Cruz struck out four of the five batters he faced before handing the ball to Bednar, who promptly picked up his 16th save of the season. 

Game MVP: Paul Goldschmidt

The Yankees simply don't win this game tonight without Goldschmidt's bat. The 38-year-old continues to age like the finest of wines, and is currently penning a memorable Yankees chapter of his Cooperstown-bound career.

Highlights

A LEADOFF BLAST FOR PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT! pic.twitter.com/r62NbAPGWE

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 24, 2026

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT'S SECOND HOME RUN OF THE NIGHT OFF TARIK SKUBAL! pic.twitter.com/RNTMUZCf1A

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 24, 2026

Max Schuemann lays out for the catch! pic.twitter.com/uLrMbvNkfB

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 24, 2026

JASSON DOMÍNGUEZ TAKES TARIK SKUBAL DEEP! pic.twitter.com/tz3wO2U7pD

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 25, 2026

What's Next

The Yankees immediately head to Boston to begin a four-game set against the archrival Red Sox, with first pitch on Thursday set for 7:10 p.m.

The expected pitching matchup is a rematch of last season's AL Wild Card winner-take-all Game 3; Yankees RHP Cam Schlitter (8-3, 1.71 ERA) for New York and Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) are set to duel once again.

The White Sox waited until the last minute to tee off on Cleveland closer Cade Smith in the ninth inning once more, but could not convert a run with the bases loaded in the 10th, falling 4-3. As if to indicate dismay with leaving an attainable sweep on the table, the rain that initially delayed today’s contest almost three hours) started pouring. As a result, the two teams are again tied for first.

Both teams experienced traffic on the basepaths in the second, Erick Fedde with back-to-back walks, and Tanner Bibee with a hit-by-pitch and single. Both pitchers escaped their jams to leave it knotted at zero. The White Sox would again put two runners on in the third with singles from Sam Antonacci and Miguel Vargas, but the pair were left stranded when Andrew Benintendi hit into a fielder’s choice.

A single, an error, and a walk would load the bases for Cleveland in the top of the sixth, with no outs. Kahlil Watson singled on a line drive straight to Antonacci, whose throw to Kyle Teel in an attempt to cut down the second runner out at home short-hopped the catcher. That was all for Fedde, and surprisingly Brandon Eisert inherited two runners on and one out and was able to stun batters for back-to-back strikeouts, escaping the jam.

In the seventh, Teel got his first hit since coming back two days ago, and Colson Montgomery helped out with a double. With ducks on the pond a sac fly from Braden Montgomery sent Teel home, making it 2-1. Randal Grichuk came off the bench, but with that move, the Guardians went back to their bullpen to replace lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski. Grichuk launched a ball to center, but with a diving catch, Steven Kwan ended the rally.

Joe Rock came on to pitch in the Chicago eighth and struggled with his command. Petey Halpin started Rock’s outing with a single, and Kyle Manzardo walked. Rock was able to get a strikeout and a fly out, but walked Daniel Schneemann to load the bases and then walked in a run to keep the bases loaded for Kwan. Thankfully, Kwan has been struggling and left the bases loaded after going down swinging.

The score remained 3-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, when Braden Montgomery started a two-out ninth-inning rally with his second home run of the season, putting the White Sox down one run.

Before I could even complete that sentence, Grichuk hit another solo shot to tie the game at 3-3, much to Cleveland closer Smith’s dismay:

Jacob Gonzalez kept it going with a single of his own. Antonacci walked, prompting yet another call to the pen for the Guardians. Miguel Vargas caused my heart rate to spike a bit more by sending a ball in the air, but it was caught, bringing on extras.

Grant Taylor came in to pitch for the 10th and gave up back-to-back hits that allowed the Guardians to regain the lead. The Sox loaded the bases after walks to Teel and Colson Montgomery with one out. Chase Meidroth bit on the one pitch he should have passed on, a 3-1 sinker that grounded the ball to shortstop for the fielder’s choice out at home. Braden Montgomery’s attempt to play hero for the second straight inning fell short, ending the game as Kyle Manzardo slid headfirst to beat him to first on a ground out. Unfortunately, the sac bunt from Luisangel Acuña that started the inning would prove to be useless, and helped prevent a sweep that was right in Chicago’s hands.

The start of the second half of the minor league season always includes promotions of minor league players that have distinguished themselves over the first half of the season.

Several of the promotions this year were expected. Multiple members of the San Diego Padres’ minor league system had excellent first halves of their year and forced the organization to push them up the ladder.

A few players struggled and were sent down a level to regroup and try to get some consistency in their game. Of the 23 moves made on Tuesday, 16 were promotions. 

Lake Elsinore lost multiple members of their team that won the first half in the South Division in the California League.They are guaranteed a playoff spot at the end of the season but the team will look significantly different than the one that won the first half.

El Paso Chihuahuas (35-40 record, 3rd in the PCL East)

El Paso went 4-2 for the week against the Reno Aces, with the starting pitching consisting of Jhony Brito, Germán Márquez, JP Sears, and Matt Waldron for the first four games of the week.

Brito has completed his rehab and is continuing to tune-up following recovery from UCL surgery. Márquez and Waldron are in rehab and Sears is still struggling with PCL hitters. Sears was called up to the Padres on Tuesday to make a start when Lucas Giolito went on the injured list.

Right-handed reliever Andrew Moore, acquired last season as the return for Connor Joe at the trade deadline, was promoted from Double-A San Antonio to the Chihuahuas after posting a 1.85 ERA in 24.1 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts for the Missions. 

First baseman Romeo Sanabria, 24, who made a big impression in spring camp with the major league team, was promoted from the Missions to El Paso and will get an opportunity to show what he can do in a more hitter-friendly environment. Sanabria started the season slowly but has really come on over the past few weeks. After hitting .176 in April, Sanabria has hit .283 with an OPS over .800 for May and June.

Infielder Dylan Grego, who was promoted to El Paso to help replace players needed by the Padres, has been returned to Lake Elsinore.

San Antonio Missions (31-38 record, 5th, last, in Texas League South)

San Antonio went 4-2 for the week. After losing Moore and Sanabria to Triple-A, the Missions received outfielder Jake Cunningham, right-handed reliever Tucker Musgrove and right-handed reliever Clay Edmondson from High-A Fort Wayne.

Cunningham, 23, was a free agent signed by the Padres before the season after being released by the Baltimore Orioles organization. In his previous  three seasons in their minor league system, Cunningham had worse outcomes each year. He had injury issues as well as declining performance over those three seasons and was released in January. He signed with the Padres eight days later.

A healthy Cunningham has a .264/.362/.548 line with a .910 OPS. He has hit 15 homers with 35 RBI, adding 11 doubles to the mix. He will need to improve his K rate (34%) and his walk rate (12.88%) as he goes forward in the system.

Righty relievers Musgrove and Edmondson excelled in High-A with Musgrove, 24, holding his high 90’s fastball consistently mixed with an excellent sweeper, slider and curve. Edmondson, 23, a sidearmer that features a fastball, curveball and changeup, has 11 saves to lead the Midwest League and is carrying a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings pitched into his new team.

Fort Wayne TinCaps (29-40 record, 5th in the Midwest League East)

Fort Wayne went 4-2 for the week. After losing Cunningham, Musgrove, and Edmondson to the Missions, the TinCaps received a massive infusion of talent from Lake Elsinore.

Right-handed starter Bryan Balzer, 21, was signed by the Padres in 2023 out of Japan. He began his career with Tommy John surgery and is now fully recovered. His season started a bit rocky but his last three starts has brought his ERA down from 5.32 to 4.41 and he has 57 strikeouts in 60.1 innings pitched with 21 walks.

Right-handed starter Winyer Chourio, 22, has a 3.18 ERA in 56.2 innings pitched with Lake Elsinore. He has 78 strikeouts to 28 walks. The Venezuelan signed with the Padres in 2024 and played the past two seasons in the DSL and ACL respectively. He has not appeared on any preseason prospect lists but is making a name for himself quickly. 

Left-handed reliever Will Koger, 23, is a 2025 round nine draftee in his first professional season. He has 36 strikeouts in his 26 innings pitched despite having had some difficult appearances. He has six saves, ranking him tied for second in the California League at the time of his promotion.

Right-handed reliever Bernard Jose, 23,  recently finished his rehab assignment with the ACL Padres and was briefly with the Missions to help out but is now with Fort Wayne. He has only pitched 29 innings with 43 strikeouts but has struggled at times and has a 7.28 ERA.

Right-handed reliever Nick Falter, 23, was signed by the Padres as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He has begun his career with Lake Elsinore with 44.2 innings pitched and a 3.02 ERA. He has 43 strikeouts to 14 walks.

Outfielder Ryan Wideman, 22, had a long swing and a big leg kick when drafted in the third round last year. He played in 26 games after being drafted and then spent this past offseason reworking his swing. It seems to have worked pretty well. Wideman was hitting .314/.389/.504 with the Storm with 20 doubles, six triples, six homers and 44 RBI. He tacked on 43 stolen bases in 56 attempts to force his promotion. He has speed and an above-average arm in the outfield as well. He is an exciting player to keep track of going forward and prime trade bait for AJ Preller, the Padres trader-in-chief.

1B/3B Kerrington Cross, 24, was drafted in the seventh round last year and probably could have been promoted sooner. He had a 1.075 OPS with Lake Elsinore before his promotion, hitting .313/.467/.608 in his 58 games with the Storm. He has 11 homers and 43 RBI with 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts. He has recently been used in left field as well as the two infield corners.

First baseman Luke Cantwell, 23, was drafted in the 20th round in 2025 and spent a bit of time on the injured list this season but has still played in 40 games for the Storm. He had a .328/.475/.496 line with 30 RBI. Not showing much home run power with two homers, Cantwell has great contact skills and has had only 30 strikeouts with 26 walks.

Right-handed reliever Daison Acosta was assigned to Fort Wayne to continue his rehab.

Lake Elsinore Storm (39-30 record, 1st in California League South)

The Storm had a 3-3 record for the past week after clinching the first half championship in the first game of the series. They have lost a lot of their power and speed with these promotions but have a playoff spot clinched for 2026. 

After the players that left, the Storm received some players form the ACL Padres.

Left-handed pitcher Zack Qin, 20, signed out of China in 2024, started the season injured and on a rehab assignment. He has 21.2 innings pitched so far with a 1.25 ERA while with the ACL team. He has both started and appeared out of the bullpen so far this year.

Right-handed starter Lan-Hong Su, 19, signed with the Padres out of Taiwan in October of last year. He has six games and five starts for 15.2 innings pitched with the ACL Padres. His 4.02 ERA is due to one bad start on June 19, where he allowed five runs in six innings pitched but had a 1.38 ERA before that start. He has 17 strikeouts and eight walks in his appearances.

Lake Elsinore also received right-handers Isaiah Lowe and Jeferson Villabona from Fort Wayne.

ACL Padres (20-17 record, 3rd in ACL West)

After losing two of their best pitchers, the ACL team might not be able to maintain their winning ways. Right-handed starter Kannon Kemp has been sent their way to begin his rehab assignment. Newly activated Adler Cecil has also been assigned to the ACL team at this point.

Outfielder Cardell Thibodeaux, drafted in the 16th round last year, has been released by the Padres. Left-handed pitcher Joseph Herrera, 20, was sent from Lake Elsinore to the ACL Padres.

DSL Padres Brown (4-12 record, last in DSL West)

The Brown team has both pitching and offense problems. There are no currently top-rated international prospects with the Brown team.

DSL Gold, on the other hand, has a 13-3 record and sits atop the Northwest Division. They feature all of the Padres top international prospects from last year. Shortstop Joniel Hernandez, 17, is hitting .365/.468/.571 with 10 XBH and 24 RBI in 63 at-bats for the Gold. 

Rightfielder Ricardo De La Paz, 16, is a lefty-hitting outfielder who is hitting .375/.596/.563 with 6 XBH and 17 RBI in 32 at-bats. 

Left-handed starter Diego Serna, 17, is a highly-ranked Mexico prospect in the Padres system. He has just made his first start for the Gold team and will bear watching for the second half of their season. He has been in the development program up until now.

The Texas Longhorns made another addition from the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday with the commitment of Long Beach State Dirtbags outfielder Trevor Goldenetz.

The 6’0, 180-pounder has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Out of Huntington Beach (Calif.), Goldenetz initially committed to TCU before landing at Long Beach State. Perfect Game ranked Goldenetz as the No. 96 prospect and No. 18 outfielder in California.

With the Dirtbags, Goldenetz earning the starting role in center field as a freshman and posting an impressive season at the plate by batting .369 with only 14 strikeouts in 108 at bats. Hitting from the left side, Goldenetz drew 19 walks and was hit by eight pitches, but had a slugging percentage lower than his on-base percentage because only three of his 40 hits went for extra bases — two doubles and a triple. A productive base stealer in high school, Goldenetz was caught stealing on five of his 15 attempts in 2026.

As an outfielder, Goldenetz only made one error, finishing the season with a .986 fielding percentage.

Goldenetz missed more than a month of the season due to a hand injury.

The bat-to-ball skills make Goldenetz an intriguing player, but the lack of power could limit him to a reserve role at Texas in 2027, so adding strength and some gap-to-gap ability are important aspects of his development this offseason after arriving on the Forty Acres.

Tonight, the Athletics will look to snap their three-game losing streak as they take on the San Francisco Giants in the middle game of this three-game interleague series. Last night, the A’s offense struggled against Giants starter Robbie Ray, who tossed eight innings of one-run ball. As a result, the “Green and Gold” need to get a win this evening, or they could be at risk of being swept tomorrow afternoon.

Athletics rookie left-hander Gage Jump will make his sixth MLB start and first against the Giants. The top-100 prospect has lived up to the billing through his first few big-league outings. Jump has posted a 3-1 record, a 2.37 ERA, an impressive 0.99 WHIP and 26 strikeouts across his initial 30 1/3 MLB innings. The 23-year-old is coming off his best start with the A’s, earning the win after pitching seven shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

With a pitcher-friendly ballpark and a Giants offense that has scored the fourth-fewest runs in the league working in his favor, Jump appears well-positioned to cap off an impressive first month in the majors with another quality start.

The southpaw, who has experienced a meteoritic rise since being drafted by the A’s out of Louisiana State University in 2024, has a chance to become the franchise’s best left-handed starter developed from within since Barry Zito and Mark Mulder anchored the team’s rotation in the early 200os.

Here’s the A’s lineup for this matchup:

Starting at the top, it is important to note that resurgent infielder Zack Gelof is not in today’s lineup in the wake of exiting Tuesday’s game with a minor hand injury. Hopefully he will return to the starting nine tomorrow; otherwise, he could make his return Friday night in Anaheim.

Center fielder Henry Bolte takes Gelof’s place in the leadoff spot. It will be the speedy Bolte’s job to get on base and set the table for slugging first baseman Nick Kurtz and catcher Shea Langeliers. Joey Meneses’ audition continues as he starts at designated hitter for a third consecutive game, while Lawrence Butler returns to right field after drawing a walk as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of the team’s series-opening loss.

Last but not least is Jeff McNeil, who will get the start at second base. Yesterday, he entered the game in the second inning as a defensive replacement for Gelof and went on to play the remainder of the contest.

The A’s offense will look to have more success against Giants right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters his 12th start of the season with a 1-7 record, a 6.04 ERA, a 1.54 WHIP and 57 strikeouts across 56 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old returns after missing a month with a left hamstring strain in his first season with San Francisco.

Mahle’s Giants tenure has not gone well so far. He took the loss against the A’s in West Sacramento on May 15, allowing five runs on ten hits over five innings. While there is a possibility he used his time on the injured list to rediscover his form, the A’s appear to hold the pitching advantage in this matchup.

Therefore, it will be up to the likes of Kurtz, Butler and the rest of the A’s hitters to produce runs in support of Jump. Last night, the A’s struggled to work counts, something they will need to improve against a pitcher who may be rusty after last pitching in the majors in May. In addition, they must make Mahle and the Giants bullpen pay for any pitches left over the middle of the plate.

And the Giants lineup:

Like the A’s, the Giants will be without second baseman Luis Arraez, who left the series opener after fouling a ball off his right foot. San Francisco’s lineup is top heavy, with its five best hitters occupying the top five spots in the order. At the bottom are multiple young players, including former A’s draft pick Jonah Cox, who was dealt to the Giants in a trade for Ross Stripling a couple of years ago.

Let’s go A’s! Time to snap the skid.
Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to show their support for the larger immigrant community and have committed funds for those affected by recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.

The ball club reportedly denied federal ICE agents entry into Dodger Stadium parking lots in 2025, preventing them from creating a staging area for their deportation efforts. One year later, they are again illustrating their position to aid those affected by federal agents' raids in Los Angeles and throughout the United States.

The Dodgers, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles, committed $1 million toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by those recent events in the region.

The Dodgers' donation went towards local organizations, California Community Foundation and Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who directly support the LA community, aiding youth and families with food insecurity, basic essentials, and mental health services. The exact figure donated to the organizations is $1.1 million, according to the LA Times.

“What’s happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected,” Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten said in a news release. “We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles.”

LA mayor Karen Bass expressed in a news release how grateful she was for the Dodgers and their support.

"I want to thank the Dodgers for leading with this action to support the immigrant community of Los Angeles,” Bass said. “These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy."

Her message to LA residents: "We will stick together during this time and we will not turn our backs on one another — that's what makes this the greatest city in the world.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: LA Dodgers pledge $1.1M to support families after ICE raids

The 2026 Orioles have played plenty of dumb, bad baseball. But the 10th inning of this 7-6 loss to the Angels on Wednesday afternoon in Anaheim may take the title for the absolute worst moment of the entire season. It also completely changed the tone of the now-concluded west coast road trip, which saw the Orioles lose five of nine and go home on a supremely sour note.

Let’s get right into that 10th inning because that ended up being the whole ballgame.

The two teams were knotted at five runs apiece after regulation. The Orioles began the 10th with Blaze Alexander as the Manfred runner at second base. Taylor Ward opened the frame with a single to put runners on a corners. A Gunnar Henderson swinging bunt sent Alexander towards home, but he would be tagged out, a call which was upheld after review. After Leody Taveras flew out for the second out of the inning it seemed like the Birds might not score at all. But Pete Alonso came through with a clutch single to score the one crucial run and give the bullpen a lead to work with in the bottom of the inning.

Keegan Akin was called on for the 10th in a game that saw the Orioles empty their bullpen. The only reliever that did not pitch in this loss was Albert Suárez. And while Akin would carry some blame for the loss, it wasn’t his pitching that was at fault.

Akin struck out Zach Neto to open the frame, and then got a fly out of Vaughn Grissom for the second out. Things were going well! All that stood between the Orioles and a winning road trip was Nolan Schanuel.

Kudos to Akin for getting Schanuel to hit a weak grounder to the right side for what should have been the final out of the game. But that is where everything fell apart. It seemed like both Akin and Alonso were unsure of who was covering first. Jeremiah Jackson tossed the ball over anyway and Akin did just beat the runner there, but he also fumbled the catch and then Schanuel accidentally kicked it into right field. Not only did that allow the Manfred runner to score and tie the game, but it pushed Schanuel all the way around to third base.

The Orioles still could get out of the jam with one final out. And again, Akin induced weak contact. In fact, the batter, Logan O’Hoppe, didn’t even fully swing the bat. But he made contact anyway, leaving a dribbler in front of home plate. Samuel Basallo sprung up to collect the ball, but Schanuel was off with contact, evaded Basallo in the base path to score. Basallo never even looked for the force out at first base, but it’s unclear if he really had a chance there either. After that comedically calamitous inning, the Orioles had lost 7-6.

This fate could have been avoided altogether if the Orioles bats hadn’t fallen asleep after the third inning. But that is exactly what happened. José Soriano was removed after the third, and the Orioles did next to nothing against the Angels bullpen. Four relievers combined to toss six shutout innings, allowing just one hit in the process, walking one, and striking out five.

Prior to that, the Orioles were tearing into Soriano. Basallo hit a pair of two-run homers; one in the second inning and one in the third inning. Both times it was Alonso on board. Alonso had the team’s two other RBI. His first came on a double in the third and the other was the aforementioned extra-inning ribby. The only other Oriole hitter that did much of anything was Taylor Ward. He had two singles and scored on the Alonso double. The rest of the order was missing all afternoon.

Trey Gibson did start this game, but lasted just four innings as Craig Albernaz figured he could mix and match with his entire bullpen considering they have the day off on Thursday. That strategy worked until the late innings when everyone melted down.

Gibson himself was pretty good. The two runs he allowed came on one Jorge Soler swing in the first inning. His final three innings were scoreless, and he struck out five in the process. The rookie has room to grow, but the improvements are noticeable each time to the mound.

Albernaz had his entire bullpen on a short leash. Grant Wolfram came on to work the fifth inning. He got two outs and then an error by Gunnar Henderson pushed the skipper to bring on the right-hander Tyler Wells to face Soler. Wells got out of that inning and stayed on for a clean sixth inning.

Yennier Cano was picked for the seventh inning. He walked two and struck out two before Albernaz opted for the currently scuffling Rico Garcia. Garcia was able to wrap up the seventh without issue, but his troubles would pop back up in the eighth inning.

Donovan Walton doubled to begin the inning. Garcia followed up with back-to-back outs. But he couldn’t quite get to the finish line. Grissom pinch hit and singled in the Angels’ third run of the day. Schanuel walked to put two runners on. That was end of the line for Garcia and start of the day for Andrew Kittredge. He was no better. Kittredge walked Denzer Guzman to load the bases and then coughed up a game-tying single to Wade Meckler.

And we already covered what happened from there. Ryan Helsley tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning, which is important. The team needs him to be good. But everything came crashing down in the 10th inning for Akin and the rest of the Orioles.

This is an all-too-common experience for this baseball team. The bats go quiet. The bullpen falls apart at the worst time. And in the highest of pressure situations it seems like they always lose their heads. The Orioles should have won this baseball game for several different reasons. The roster is more talented than what the Angels are trotting out there. This should have been a winning road trip. And yet, it wasn’t. And maybe that’s all you need to see to truly understand this team and their outlook.

Jackson Holliday also played, making a late pinch hitting appearance in which he struck out. So apparently he won’t be going on the IL. And if he does, the Orioles can’t back date it any longer. Just pure brilliance on display.

We will all be spared the Baltimore Orioles experience on Thursday. They have the day off. Then they open a weekend series with the Nationals on Friday night. Good luck, Birdland.

To sweep or not to sweep. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Braves are not in a favorable position to ask this question. But, they’ve shown they can turn things around under pressure at any given time… let’s see if tonight can be one of those times.

First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. EDT.

Game Notes

Lineup

Preview

The Texas Rangers have released first baseman Blaine Crim, per the MLB transactions page. This drops the 40 man roster down to 39.

Crim, 29, was the Rangers’ 19th round pick in 2019. He was added to the 40 man roster in early 2025 so that he could come up to the majors when Jake Burger was sent to AAA for a reset. He was hitless in 11 at bats, with a .000/.154/.000 line due to a walk and an HBP, before being optioned to AAA Round Rock.

Crim was designated for assignment at the trade deadline in 2025 and was claimed by the Colorado Rockies. He got a little bit of playing time with Colorado late in 2025, putting up a .241/.295/.556 slash line in 61 plate appearances. Colorado sent him to AAA at the start of the 2026 season, and then designated him for assignment in mid-May. The Rangers claimed him and sent him to AAA Round Rock, where he has put up a .263/.345/.461 slash line in 87 plate appearances.

Usually when a player is released like this, it is because they have an offer to play overseas. Crim most likely is headed to Korea, or possibly Japan, where he will be able to make more money than he will playing in the minors here.

Atlanta Braves (48-30) at San Diego Padres (41-37), June 24, 2026, 5:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Shohei Ohtani faces Joe Ryan as the Dodgers look to sweep the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Twins
• Stadium: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
• Time: 4:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

Matthew Liberatore will try to turnaround his season Wednesday night as the St. Louis Cardinals play game 3 of their 4 game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Matthew will be opposed by Mitch Britt who gets the start for the Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium and the TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.

• Recalled from Triple-A Reno: LHP Mitch Bratt (No. 60)
• Optioned to Triple-A Reno following last night’s game: LHP Kohl Drake
• Reinstated from the 60-day injured list and designated for assignment: INF Carlos Santana (strained right adductor)

If we do not get a “Bratt Summer” headline for the recap tonight, I will want to know why. Mitch will be making his major-league debut, having come over from Texas in the Merrill Kelly deal at the deadline last year. His numbers in Reno have been pretty impressive: a 2.84 ERA over 11 starts and 44.1 innings is close to the PCL best. However, you’ll see he has only averaged four frames per start, which is why he has only one W. Bratt also came back off the IL recently, and has only one outing under his belt there. He allowed two runs over four innings, and threw 48 pitches, so I’d not expect much more than about sixty from him tonight.

Drake goes back to the minors, having not thrown a pitch during his brief stay. Probably inevitable, given the tight nature of last night’s contest, which didn’t really offer an opportunity for the B-bullpen. Though I note it did get Paul Sewald’s ERA (4.03) almost exactly in line with his FIP (4.00), so we got all that pesky regression out of the way without it costing a win. 🙂 It’s the first time since May 13th his ERA has been higher than his FIP, the gap being as high as 0.80 as recently as June 15th. Last night’s wobbly outing also jacked Sewald’s BABIP for the season by 52 points, though at .185, it feels there may be some more regression to come there.

Finally, Carlos Santana never made it back off the injured list, the team opting to DFA him rather than require a 40-man roster move to make room for him. After seventeen years in the majors, it’s quite possible that may be the end for Santana. He is currently third for games played by an active player, with 2,212. That trails just Freddie Freeman (2,256) and Andrew McCutchen (2,299), so it has certainly been quite the career for Carlos. He’s only three degrees of separation from Bob Feller, whose career started ninety years ago. Santana > Jim Thome > Harold Baines > Minnie Monoso > Bob Feller. If this is it, may your retirement be enjoyable, Carlos.

The Dodgers open a weekend series against the San Diego Padres on Friday at Petco Park. Roki Sasaki starts for the Dodgers, with right-hander Randy Vásquez on the mound for the Padres.

After these two teams met in San Diego from May 18-20, the Dodgers led the Padres by a game and a half. Entering Wednesday the gap between first and second place in the National League West is nine games.

Friday’s game will be exclusively televised by Apple TV, with Wayne Randazzo and Dontrelle Willis on the call along with reporter Heidi Watney.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Padres
• Ballpark: Petco Park, San Diego
• Time: 6:45 p.m. PT
• TV: Apple TV
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The lineup isn’t the only place where Walt Weiss and the Atlanta Braves are now throwing throwing things at the wall and trying to figure out what sticks during this rough patch. The rotation has been the heart of the issue, as even when the Braves do score runs, their starters have gotten hit too hard on a somewhat regular basis while struggling in recent times.

As such, there’s also room in the rotation after JR Ritchie got sent down to Triple-A earlier today. As such, Reynaldo López will now be getting another chance in the rotation. Mark Bowman of MLB.com reported the news on social media.

López last pitched on this past Sunday, which is when he provided three innings of relief in what ended up being a loss for the Braves. In fact, this’ll be López’s first start since April 21, which is when he got blown up for four runs on five hits and three walks in just one inning of work against the Washington Nationals.

Ever since then, López has been serving as a reliever where he’s actually been pretty solid. Ever since moving to the ‘pen on a full-time basis, López has thrown 22 innings and produced an ERA of 3.27 (78 ERA-) and a FIP of 3.92 (96 FIP-) — numbers that aren’t spectacular but would be sorely needed for the rotation if he can translate that into starts.

Nine of López’s 13 starts saw him go further than just one inning and as.I mentioned earlier, he actually went three innings not too long ago. He’ll be on a somewhat normal cycle of rest ahead of this start and it’s clear that the Braves are hoping that he’ll be able to give them something solid against the Giants. Assuming he does well (or well enough), he’ll likely be slotting into the rotation since the Braves are in pretty dire need of rotation help at the moment. Hopefully he’ll be able to harness what he found during the 2024 season where he produced the best year of his career as a starter. Let’s see what happens with this one.