Category: MLB

Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays

Saturday, June 27, 2026, 2:07 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Rogers Centre

RHP Cal Quantrill vs. RHP Dylan Cease

Go Rangers!

It has been a long time coming, but Dylan Crews is finally heating up. He has a .986 OPS in his last seven games and a .795 mark in his last 15. Plenty of people have talked at length about how Crews’ process should be leading to better results, and now those results are finally coming.

Even with the Nats offense ice cold and looking demoralized last night, Crews was at least trying to make things happen. He only went 1 for 4, but he got a really nice double down the line. On a night where most of the team seemed dead, Crews was still hustling and flying around as always.

That hustle is part of what really endears Crews to the fanbase, besides the yearning for their massively hyped top prospect to turn it around. When he is on the field, Crews really looks like he wants it, which is nice to see. 

Despite that desire for success, there has not been a ton of it in Crews’ big league career so far. Even after this hot streak, Crews is hitting just .230 with a .654 OPS. This June things have looked a lot better, but his OPS for the month is still only .694. Some of this is bad luck, but as we will get into, there is still one massive flaw that Crews needs to fix.

Starting with the bad luck though, Crews’ xwOBA is 40 points higher than his wOBA. However, he has finally caught some lucky breaks this past week. He had a 3 hit day against the Phillies where at least two of those hits did not leave the infield. It was a lucky 3 hit day, but he has most certainly earned that luck. 

Crews has flaws as a hitter, but he is not a sub .600 OPS guy. With how hard he hits the ball, combined with not striking out too much this year, that was never going to last. On pure ability, I would say Crews is a low .700’s caliber OPS guy. 

One thing that has been fun lately is to see him lean into some tape measure homers. When I saw Crews in person, I was surprised with how small he is. Whether it was how hard he hit the ball, or his aura, something about Crews made me think he is bigger than he is. He is listed at 5’11 203, but he looks a bit leaner than that. However, he has crazy power and bat speed for his size. He hit monster home runs in Tampa and Arizona that were 440 foot shots.

The idea of a Dylan Crews that can be a consistent hitter is such a cool concept. That would be such a fun and exciting player because of everything else he does. Crews has 4 outs above average in the field this year and grades out as a positive base runner. He also is such a spark plus with his energy.

My favorite Dylan Crews play of the season was not a big home run or a diving catch. Rather, it was his mad dash on the bases against the Mariners. Jose Tena was at the plate, and Crews stole second. However, Tena roped a liner up the middle for a base hit. The vast majority of players would pull up at third base there, but Crews sprinted home, sliding in safely thanks to a swim move.

That play is what Dylan Crews is all about. Those kinds of bursts are why he is so easy to love despite not having great results at the plate. If Crews can get on base more, he can make those sorts of plays with greater regularity.

However, getting on base has been a challenge for him, especially via the walk. In 33 games, Crews just has two walks all season. That is honestly pretty impressively bad. He is walking just 1.5% of the time. For context, the free swinging Luis Garcia Jr. walks nearly three times as often at 4.2%. 

For Crews to become a productive offensive player, he needs to walk more. There are a couple things Crews has to do to accomplish that goal. The first one is simple, he needs to chase less. Dylan Crews is chasing pitches at a 36.8% clip, easily a career high. Last year he chased at a 29.5% clip and in 2024, that number was 26.5%. He has shown he can be more selective, but right now that is not happening.

At LSU, Crews’ approach was seen as one of his strengths. However, that has not translated to pro ball, and he is unlikely to ever be a big walk guy. Getting that chase rate back under 30% would go a long way for him though. In his first two seasons, his walk rate was around 8%, so this seems like a bit of an outlier.

I actually think this recent hot streak could help him get more walks moving forward. This season, pitchers have not been scared of Crews at all. They always seem to attack the zone early in counts against him. On the other hand, James Wood gets pitched around a lot, which leads to walks. 

With Crews swinging the bat well and punishing mistakes, he could start to be pitched differently. Hopefully that will lead to more walks because when Crews is on base, he is a major threat.

Despite the hot streak, I am still in wait and see mode on Crews. I figured he would come to life at some point because all the underlying numbers suggested he was not as bad as his numbers. The question now is whether this hot streak will continue and see his OPS climb into the .700’s or if he will plateau again. The answer to this will go a long way in determining his future with the club.

The Rangers are moving another of their young bottom-six pieces. 

Adam Edstrom has been dealt to the Nashville Predators for Massimo Rizzo and the No. 148 pick. 

Edstrom was expected to be a regular piece on New York's fourth line last season, but he battled injuries and never quite found his groove upon returning, losing his spot in the lineup. 

The towering center was a healthy scratch more often than not, appearing in just 35 games. 

He finishes his time with the Blueshirts with 10 goals, six assists, and 189 hits. 

Rizzo is a 25-year-old AHLer whom the Preds acquired from the Bruins earlier this offseason. 

He is reportedly not expected to receive a qualifying offer from New York, making him a free agent this week. 

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona had seemingly settled on centerfielder Blake Dunn as his everyday leadoff man a couple of weeks back. Despite the team’s overall inability to score runs on a regular basis, that wasn’t necessarily Dunn’s fault – he’s been pretty cromulent atop the order ever since.

But with Dunn exiting Friday night’s series opening victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates early due to soreness in his right elbow, Tito was going to need to find a different solution to the top of his lineup come Saturday.

Turns out, that’ll come in the form of batting one of the most electric players in the sport there.

Elly De La Cruz returns to the leadoff spot for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Bucs, while Dane Myers will get the start in center in Dunn’s stead.

Chase Burns will toe the rubber for the Reds as they look to claim the series victory after downing ace Paul Skenes in Friday night’s 6-4 victory.

First pitch is set for 2:05 PM ET. Here’s how the Reds will line up to start:

Main Tom is in the middle of the MS ride right now, and emergency backup Tom (me) is in the process of driving to B.C., so there may or may not be lineups in this post. Apologies for that. The starters are Dylan Cease and Cal Quantrill, though. The Jays can stull escape wirh a split against a wildcard competitor, so today and tomorrow are big games.

Sean Keys makes his Blue Jays debut today. He was 17 on our preseason top 40, but would rank significantly higher after torching AA and AAA. It’ll he exciting to see how he does with his first MLB opportunity.

[edit:] Well, we are five hours and counting late to leave, something I’m not stressed about at all, so here are the lineups after all:

Rangers:

• Joc Pederson, DH
• Wyatt Langford, CF
• Corey Seager, SS
• Brandon Nimmo, RF
• Josh Jung, 3B
• Jake Burger, 1B
• Jared Kelenic, LF
• Elias Diaz, C
• Nicky Lopez, 2B

Blue Jays:

• Nathan Lukes, RF
• Vladimir Guerrero jr., DH
• Daulton Varsho, CF
• Kazuma Okamoto, 3B
• Alejandro Kirk, C
• Sean Keys, 1B
• Ernie Clement, 2B
• Yohendrick Pinango, LF
• Andres Gimenez, SS

Go Jays Go!

Detroit Tigers (35-46) vs. Houston Astros (40-44)

Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: The Crawfish Boxes
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 3.91 ERA) vs. RHP Kai-Wei Teng (4-6, 4.03 ERA)

Baseball is a long season filled of 162 games but believe it or not we are already at the halfway point of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners this past Thursday, the Pirates played their 81st game of the season, and they were 41-40. They dropped to .500 after Friay’s loss, but at the halfway point, the Bucs are a .500 team, which is a start they haven’t had since over  a decade. 

The Pirates have faced plenty of injury trouble, from missing starter Jared Jones for the first two months to losing key offensive weapons Konnor Griffin, Oneil Cruz and now Spencer Horwitz. Yet Pittsburgh has managed to stay afloat as it enters a pivotal second half, increasing its win total by 9 from last season at this point and accomplishing its best first half since 2015, the last time it reached the postseason.

In 2025, the Pirates ranked dead last in home runs and finished last in the NL Central with just 71 wins. They made some serious changes in the offseason to fix the offense by trading for Brandon Lowe, who leads the team with 19 home runs. The team also brought in Marcell Ozuna and Ryan O’Hearn who have helped offensively as well. 

Lowe said he and O’Hearn talked about the prospect of Pittsburgh’s lineup at full strength after Wednesday night’s 11-run barrage with no home runs. Lowe described the team as “scary” once weapons like Griffin and Cruz return. 

We already saw the impact Griffin has on this lineup after his leadoff home run in the 6-4 loss the Pirates had to the Cincinnati Reds. 

Reynolds is the longest-tenured position player on the Pirates. He said this season is different from past first halves, but there’s still plenty of baseball left.

“Do I think that we’re better than a .500 baseball team through 81 games? Yeah, absolutely,” said Jake Mangum, who filled into the leadoff spot for Horwitz on Thursday. “But at the same time, we’re still learning how to win, and we haven’t played our best baseball yet. If I could pick a time to play your best baseball, it’s the second half.”

The start that team has been on has been fun to watch, but they have struggled in the month of June with a record of 9-13. The team feels very optimistic about the start and what they can do in the second half of season but if they want to snap their playoff drought the bullpen needs to play better and they have to make some moves during the trade deadline. 

Each week, The California Post will power rank MLB’s 30 teams and check in on one intriguing awards race. Here is this week’s edition (records through Saturday morning):

1) Dodgers (52-30)

It wasn’t the Dodgers’ best week. They dropped a series to the Orioles. They saw Roki Sasaki regress in a rivalry game against the Padres. And they had to diffuse some obvious frustration between Shohei Ohtani and catcher Dalton Rushing in Minnesota. Still, by sweeping the Twins during that trip to Minnesota, they remain the majors’ winningest team — and No. 1 in these rankings. (Last week: 1st)

2) Brewers (50-29)

The Brewers have the sport’s hardest thrower in Jacob Misiorowski (who hit 105.5 mph on Friday) and, evidently, the sport’s most pain-tolerant manager in Pat Murphy, who was in the dugout — or, more accurately, in the tunnel just behind it — a day after undergoing 2 ½-hour back surgery. Together, they’ve helped Milwaukee win five straight. (Last week: 4th)

3) Yankees (48-33)

The Bombers, surprise surprise, have not been as good since Aaron Judge got hurt, going just 12-10 without him in June. But their pitching remains elite, headlined by the continued breakout season of Cam Schlitter (8-4, 1.62 ERA). If this is the treading-water portion of their season, they’re doing enough to get by. (Last week: 3rd)

4) Braves (49-31)

The feel-good Braves are going through their first rough patch, having lost 10 of their last 14. In that stretch, their offense has scored five or more runs just four times. It might only be a blip. But for now, it is opening the door for the … (Last week: 2nd)

5) Phillies (46-36)

Look who is suddenly just four games back in the NL East. The Phillies are on another winning streak, having won four in a row (albeit, with plenty of help from the Nationals’ bullpen). Cristopher Sánchez has cooled off a bit, but Zack Wheeler is back in dominant form. Now, if someone could just tell Bryce Harper that ring finger taunts of Nationals fans don’t exactly land the way he might hope. (Last week: 5th)

6) Rays (46-33)

Craig Kimbrel (yes, he’s still pitching) couldn’t complete a combined no-hitter bid in the ninth inning this week. But Tampa Bay has nonetheless steadied against a weak part of the schedule, keeping itself on the Yankees’ heels in the AL East. (Last week: 7th)

7) White Sox (42-38)

The latest evidence the White Sox are a truly viable playoff contender: How about a 22-run onslaught against the Royals on Friday, second-most runs in the franchise’s history. The vibes on the South Side remain up. (Last week: 9th)

8) Cubs (44-38)

The Cubs, who already have a pair of 10-game win streaks this season, are on the upswing again thanks to a recent Pete Crow-Armstrong-fueled 10-3 stretch. Then again, we’ve seen this movie before. We’ll see if they can avoid cratering immediately after. (Last week: 10th)

9) Cardinals (42-37)

The main goal in the Cardinals’ clubhouse should be simple: get to the trade deadline in a place the front office (which had planned for this to be a rebuilding year) has to go out and be at least somewhat aggressive. A current 2-6 skid, however, isn’t helping that. (Last week: 6th)

10) Mariners (42-41) 

The American League remains stunningly mediocre. Underperforming contenders like the Mariners are a good example why. They should still run away with the AL West at some point. That they haven’t yet, however, is allowing a bunch of other teams to keep hanging around. (Last week: 8th)

11) Padres (43-37)

For the first time in a while, the Padres are showing renewed signs of life. They swept the Braves, then routed the Dodgers on Friday. They’re finally getting better production from Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Even Walker Buehler is finding a groove. (Last week: 14th)

12) Guardians (42-40)

Like the Yankees, the Guardians are in the treading-water portion of their season in the wake of an injury to José Ramírez (and rookie star Chase DeLauter). Unlike the Yankees, however, they aren’t getting by all right, having lost seven of 10. (Last week: 11th)

13) Pirates (41-41)

Little new with the Pirates lately, other than rookie sensation Konnor Griffin returning from a monthlong IL stint with a home run Friday. (Last week: 12th)

14) Diamondbacks (41-40)

Why, exactly, didn’t the Dbacks try to reunite with Paul Goldschmidt this offseason? While the former MVP is enjoying a renaissance season in the Bronx, the Dbacks just released their offseason first-base acquisition Carlos Santana. A bad calculation for a team with fine margins for error. (Last week: 13th)

15) Marlins (43-39)

It was this time last year the Marlins quietly went on a second-half surge to stay on the fringes of the playoff picture. Right now, it might be happening again, as they’ve reeled off seven wins in eight games. Consider us intrigued. (Last week: 17th)

16) Blue Jays (39-43)

Toronto still isn’t winning enough games. But it certainly showed out in the All-Star Game fan vote, where Ernie Clement nearly got as many selections as Ohtani to punch his Midsummer Classic ticket and the Blue Jays had Phase 2 finalists at every other position. It will be something when they have half-a-dozen All-Stars and still miss the playoffs. (Last week: 15th)

17) Athletics (40-42)

Our complaints of AL mediocrity will continue here. Because the A’s, despite being under .500 with a run differential of nearly minus-50, are in a playoff spot as of now. Maybe this could be the year of a losing record making October. (Last week: 18th)

18) Astros (40-44)

We’re not sure if we’re ready to really buy the Astros as being back, despite a 7-3 stretch that has brought them back within a game of a wild-card spot. Then again, in this AL, you might not need to actually be good to be a postseason contender. (Last week: 20th)

19) Rangers (40-42)

Everything we wrote above about the Astros applies here as well. And MLB is really sure “more parity” is the answer to fixing the game’s supposed woes? (Last week: 21st)

20) Nationals (41-42)

Maybe the MLBPA should use the Nationals as a counter-example to concerns over parity. After all, if the club had put even modest resources into its bullpen this year, it might be in the playoff spot. Instead, they suffered three late-game nightmares to the Phillies this week, stalling the momentum their young and exciting lineup keeps generating. (Last week: 16th)

21) Twins (39-44)

Yet another bad AL team within a couple games of a wild-card spot, even after getting swept by the Dodgers this week. At least it means Byron Buxton could play in some meaningful second-half games as he makes a case for MVP consideration. (Last week: 19th)

22) Orioles (39-44)

Have we mentioned the AL is letting bad teams hang around? Oh look, here’s another example with the Orioles. They finally had an impressive result last weekend by taking two of three from the Dodgers in LA … only to turn around and drop two of three to the Angels in Anaheim, including a wacky walk-off in the rubber match. (Last week: 23rd)

23) Tigers (35-47)

Where the AL standings could add some legitimate intrigue in the near term is at the trade deadline. The Tigers remain five games back for now, but one good run in the next couple weeks could put them right back in the mix … and maybe make trading Tarik Skubal a somewhat tougher proposition. (Last week: 26th)

24) Reds (38-42)

The Reds should probably be lower. But at least they haven’t displayed the sheer organizational incompetence of the team’s soon-to-come at the bottom of this list. So we’ll give them a half-break. (Last week: 22nd)

25) Royals (34-49)

Bobby Witt Jr. could make a run for history. The Royals are on pace for 66 wins, yet he is emerging as a front-runner for MVP. If both things happen, it would be a record for the fewest team wins ever from an MVP winner, a mark currently held by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 with the 67-win Orioles. (Last week: 25th)

26) Red Sox (34-46)

At least the Red Sox are showing that there are some limits to how bad you can be while hanging around the AL playoff picture. A series loss to the Rockies this past week (the Rockies!) has them five games out. At least they won a couple games against the Yankees since. (Last week: 28th)

27) Mets (34-48)

All it took for Carlos Mendoza to get fired, it turned out, was a historically putrid effort from the Mets’ defense (six errors in one game) to punctuate an unbelievably putrid run of form yet again (seven straight losses). What is there to say at this point, other than speculate about David Stearns’ job, too? (Last week: 24th)

28) Giants (33-48)

At least the Mets’ problems are just baseball-related. In San Francisco, the Giants have been blundering PR crises on multiple fronts, from the Pride Night controversy to Rafael Devers’ immaturity. They are watching Buster Posey tarnish his legacy in the city. And, oh yeah, they still aren’t winning games, now owning a record just as bad as the Angels. (Last week: 27th)

29) Angels (34-49)

Speaking of the Angels, they got in on the firing spree this week, Friday-news-dumping an announcement that GM Perry Minasian had been fired and replaced by former Cardinals exec John Mozeliak. Maybe this is a step in the right direction for the club. Maybe it’s just a ploy to get Albert Pujols (very familiar with Mozeliak from their Cardinals days) as manager. Either way, there will be no unbridled rejoicing until the day Arte Moreno announces he’s selling the team. (Last week: 29th)

30) Rockies (32-50)

Well, at least the Rockies aren’t dealing with the above dysfunction. Their problems are much simpler: They still have a big-league roster that stinks. The latest example, Friday’s loss in Minnesota, when they erased an eight-run deficit just to get walked-off in the ninth. (Last week: 30th)

Award Tracker: American League MVP Award

1) Yordan Alvarez, Astros (.318, 25 HRs, 56 RBIs, 1.055 OPS)

By the time Judge returns from a stress fracture in his rib, he will have missed three-plus months. That means that for the first time since 2020, the AL MVP will be a player other than Judge or Ohtani. The favorite now is Alvarez, an all-around hitter who leads the major leagues in OPS.

2) Bobby Witt Jr., Royals (.294, 10 HRs, 32 RBIs, .833)

Witt returned to the Royals’ lineup on Friday after missing six consecutive games with a sprained knee. Even with the missed time, Witt remains the major league leader in wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference and FanGraphs. Witt leads the AL with 28 stolen bases.

3) Nick Kurtz, Athletics (.278, 19 HRs, 62 RBIs, .959 OPS)

Ben Rice of the Yankees and Dillon Dingler of the Tigers deserve to be considered for this spot, but the pick here is Kurtz, who leads the majors in RBIs and walks (73). Kurtz’s firepower has the A’s in the running for a wild-card spot.

After stumbling to a series-opening loss to the Red Sox on Thursday, the Yankees found themselves completely shut down by Payton Tolle as the Red Sox jumped on a struggling Will Warren to clinch a breezy 6-1 victory. They’ve guaranteed themselves at least a series split; now it’s up to the Bombers to claw back the final two decisions. The effort will begin with Gerrit Cole on the bump.

Like the Yankee lineup, Cole is looking for a mulligan. He struggled through 4,1 innings as a meek Tiger offense awoke for five runs on nine hits against him. While there were flashes of the usual Cole between the loud noises, he was not able to execute big pitches in key spots. The Red Sox offense has been doing their homework–they have not looked overawed by the task of facing Yankee pitching in this series.

Cole hasn’t pitched at Fenway Park in nearly four years; you have to go back to September 13, 2022, in which he struck out 10 batters but allowed four runs in a no-decision. He has not had success in Boston in his career; his career ERA there is 5.52, and that’s before you include his two postseason losses there. But every start is a blank slate.

Jake Bennett is another of the Red Sox’ seemingly limitless supply of talented young left-handers: the third New York will face in this series. Bennett took the rotation spot of the struggling Brayan Bello, and has turned in a solid 3.71 ERA in his first five turns. Last time out he dazzled with six scoreless innings against the Rockies, but Boston got walked off in the ninth inning on a triple by Jake McCarthy. Bennett features a pair of fastballs and a changeup in addition to three other pitches he sprinkles in every so often. He attacks same-siders with the sinker but favors a more balanced three-pitch approach against righties.

Ben Rice draws back into the starting lineup today; he’ll bat second after Paul Goldschmidt. Amed Rosario hits third and returns to third base. Jazz Chisholm Jr. will hit the bench today–José Caballero will man the keystone. Max Schuemann will play in center field with Cody Bellinger and Jasson Domínguez in the outfield corners. Austin Wells will catch for Cole.

How to watch

Location: Fenway Park – Boston, MA

First pitch: 1:10 pm ET

TV broadcast: ABC

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WEEI 93.7, WESX 1230 AM, WCCM 1490 AM (BOS)

Streaming: ESPN+

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Zach Thornton is headed back to the minors...for now.

The Mets optioned the young southpaw back to Triple-A on Saturday to open a roster spot for Christian Scott to be activated from the injured list. 

Thornton certainly figures to have earned himself another turn in the rotation, though. 

The youngster did just about everything he could to try to help the struggling Mets snap their long losing streak, keeping the high-powered Phillies lineup in check in just his second big league outing. 

He settled in nicely after being knocked around by the first four batters, holding the division rivals to just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven across six innings of work. 

It was Thornton's first career quality start, and just the 18th from a Mets starter all season. 

"It just gives me confidence that I can compete with the best out there and get anyone out," the rookie said. "I want to pitch in the big leagues for a long time, and I think I can do that."

Though he's heading back to Syracuse for now, Thornton certainly figures to be back. 

As far as Scott, he'll take the ball on Saturday after being sidelined for two weeks due to a right hip impingement. 

Scott was settling in as one of New York's most reliable arms prior to the injury, pitching to a 2.97 ERA with 46 strikeouts across his previous eight starts. 

Texas Rangers lineup for June 27, 2026 against the Toronto Blue Jays: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Dylan Cease for the Blue Jays.

The Rangers clinched at least a series split in Toronto yesterday, and are trying to clinch a winning series in Toronto today. They have their most challenging matchup of the series today, with Cy Young contender Dylan Cease going for Toronto. Corey Seager is back in the lineup, while Ezequiel Duran gets a day off.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Langford — CF

Seager — SS

Nimmo — RF

Jung — 3B

Burger — 1B

Kelenic — LF

Diaz — C

Lopez — 2B

2:07 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +155 underdogs.

TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (40-44) and Detroit Tigers (35-47) will play the 3rd game of their 4-game series this afternoon at Comerica Park.

RHP Kai-Wei Teng (4-6, 4.03 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. Tigers LHP Framber Valdez (4-5, 3.91 ERA).

ROAD TRIPPIN: Today is the 6th game (3-2 thus far) of a 7-game road trip for the Astros, They were 2-1 at TOR on the 1st stop of the trip.

Road Recovery: The Astros are 13-8 in their last 3 road trips combined. They are 19-14 on the road since going 1-9 on their 1st road trip of the 2026 season.

ASTROS-TIGERS: The Astros are 3-2 vs. DET this season, having won 2 of 3 games from the Tigers last week at Daikin Park (June 15-17). The 2 clubs will play all 7 of their scheduled games between June 15-28. In 2025, the Astros and Tigers finished with identical 87-75 records, with the Tigers earning the final AL Wild Card spot due to winning the season series vs. HOU.

Recent Success: Since 2022, the Astros are 19-11 vs. DET with an 8-5 record here at Comerica Park.

ABOUT KAI-WEI: Today will be RHP Kai-Wei Teng’s 10th start and 23rd app. overall this season. He was solid in his last start on Sunday vs. CLE, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits in 6.0 IP to earn the win in the Astros 2-1 victory.

Today will be Teng’s 2nd start vs. the Tigers (other was June 15 at Daikin Park, 9-3 loss). He took the loss in that start, but did tally 9 strikeouts in just 3.1 innings of work (9 of the 10 outs recorded were via the punchout).

Daytime Warrior: Teng is 2-1 in 8 daytime app. (3 GS) with a 1.96 ERA (5ER/23IP) and a .188 opp. avg.

Teng was acquired by the Astros from the Giants this offseason in exchange for minor league C Jancel Villarroel. Teng is the 2nd Taiwanese-born player ever to appear with HOU, joining RHP Chia Jen-Lo, who made 19 relief app. with the Astros in 2013.

PITCHING DEBUT: OF Jake Meyers hurled a scoreless 8th inning last night in what was his 1st ML appearance on the mound. While at the Univ. of Nebraska (2015-17), Meyers was 17-4 in 39 appearances (23 starts). Prior to last night, he had 1 pitching appearance as a professional, which was in 2018 while at Buies Creek (1.1 IP, 0 R).

RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 4 of 6, 7 of 10 and 9 of their last 14 games.

WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-4 in 1-run games and 16-10 in 2-run games (4-4 in extra innings).

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros have won 4 consecutive series for the 1st time in 2026, posting an 8-4 record in those series. The last time that the Astros won that many series in a row was when they won 5 straight, from June 20-July 6 of last season (went 12-3 in that stretch).

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 20-13 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.

Top Records since May 21 (AL)

1. HOU: 20-13 (.606)

2. NYY: 18-13 (.581)

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid 1st half to his season, currently leading all of baseball with a 1.045 OPS. Additionally, he leads the AL in SLG (.619), OBP (.427) and TB (185), is T-1st in HR (25), 2nd in batting avg. (.314) and runs scored (57) and T-3rd in RBI (56).

Alvarez, who was the AL Player of the Month for May, is hitting .349 (29×83) in June with 5 HR and 17 RBI with a 1.033 OPS (.455 OBP/.578 SLG).

ALL-STAR UPDATE: Per MLB’s update on Thursday, Yordan Alvarez’ 2,911,655 fan votes were tops among all DH’s and the 2nd-most overall in the AL. The second phase of fan voting begins Monday, June 29th and features the top two vote-getters at each position.

Phase 2 voting concludes at 12:00 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, July 2nd. Alvarez has been an All-Star 3 times thus far in his career. Since 2017, the Astros’ 37 All-Star selections are tops in the AL in that span.

OH MY FOR IMAI: With his 10 K’s Thursday night, RHP Tatsuya Imai now has tallied 21 strikeouts in his last 2 starts combined. He had a career-high 11 strikeouts in his previous start on June 19 vs. CLE. His 21 K’s in his last 2 starts have come in just 12.0 innings pitched, and make him the 1st Astros pitcher to reach 10 punchouts in back-back starts since LHP Framber Valdez, June 5 and 12 of 2025 (11 K at PIT, 12 K vs. CWS, respectively)….

Solid Stretch: Since May 25, Imai is 4-1 in his 6 starts with a 3.64 ERA (12ER/29.2IP) with 37 K’s in 29.2 IP.

PEN PALS: The Astros bullpen combined for 5.0 scoreless innings last night, continuing a trend of solid pitching over the past 6 weeks. Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has been one of the best in the AL, posting a 2.66 clip (42ER/142P) in that span. The Astros are 23-16 since May 15.

HADERADE: In his 10 appearances since coming of the IL on June 3, opponents are just 2×32 off LHP Josh Hader. For the season, Hader has posted a 0.90 ERA (1ER/10IP) and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities (.063 opp. avg., .040 WHIP).

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2002 – Pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun hits a walk-off, grand slam with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th off RHP Byung-Hyun Kim to defeat the Diamondbacks, 7-4, at Daikin Park. Zaun is one of four Astros to hit a walk-off grand slam in franchise history. The others: Milt May (May 22, 1974 vs. SD); Brian Bogusevic (Aug. 16, 2011 vs. CHC); Jose Altuve (June 15, 2021 vs. TEX).

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, June 27, 12:10 p.m. CT

Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

TV: SCHN

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

The Anaheim Angels fired general manager Perry Minasian yesterday afternoon. John Mozeliak, former long-time general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, has been brought in as a consultant and, per the Angels press release, will be overseeing the baseball operations side of things while the team looks for a new general manager.

The timing of this move is odd, given that the MLB Draft is just two weeks away, though oddness and unusual decisions has been the hallmark of the Angels under owner Arte Moreno. Minasian was hired to replace Billy Eppler, who was the general manager for the Angels from 2015-20. Eppler replaced Jerry DiPoto, who is currently the president of baseball operations with the Seattle Mariners, having taken over for the infamous Jack Z in Seattle after the 2015 season.

Minasian was in the final year of his contract, and there’s already speculation that the Angels will, in a cost saving move, wait until after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached to hire a permanent replacement. The expectation is that there will be another lockout, and given Moreno’s proclivities, the thinking is that he will not want to have to pay a top baseball executive to be executiving while the lockout is going on. First year manager Kurt Suzuki only received a one year deal, with speculation being that this was motivated by a similar desire. Mozeliak reportedly being expected to stay with the organization “through the end of this calendar year” would seem to support the notion that a permanent replacement won’t come until there’s a new CBA.

Minasian got his start with the Rangers, as his father, Zack Minasian the Elder, was the team’s longtime clubhouse manager. Perry and his brothers, Rudy, Zack the Younger, and Calvin were bat boys and clubhouse assistants for the Rangers growing up. Perry was a scout for the Rangers for a number of years before working for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Atlanta Braves. Zack is the general manager of the San Francisco Giants under president of baseball operations Buster Posey. Calvin is the Braves’ clubhouse manager. Rudy is the black sheep of the family, as he’s a lawyer, something all of us here feel is an unsavory and embarrassing profession.

Mozeliak was the general manager and then president of baseball operations of the St. Louis Cardinals from 2007 through 2025, although his departure was under odd circumstances, as Chaim Bloom was hired as an advisor prior to the 2025 season, with it being announced at the time he would take over for Mozeliak after the 2025 season. The Cardinals had won 71 and 83 games the previous two seasons, missing the playoffs both years, and there was some sense at the time that the team needed to move on from the Mozeliak era. Bloom was, per ESPN at the time the hiring was announced, “tasked with reenergizing the team” in the player development department.

The Angels’ last winning season was in 2015, they’ve not won more than 77 games since 2018, and they’ve made the playoffs just once since getting coming two wins away from advancing to the World Series in 2009. After an offseason where the team’s strategy seemed to be to acquire players that were either good a few years ago, or were seen as good prospects a few years ago, but were neither when the Angels scooped them up, Anaheim is currently tied with the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in the American League.

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The Mets play their second game since changing managers on Friday against the Phillies, a team whose season turned around after a similar move earlier in the season.  

The Mets have lost seven straight and yet are somehow favored.

My Phillies vs. Mets predictions and MLB picks take the Phillies as an unlikely but potentially profitable underdog.

Who will win Phillies vs Mets today: Philies moneyline (+116)

It's not unusual for teams to rally after a managerial change, but the New York Mets being favored seems like a gift.

The Philadelphia Phillies have won four straight and six of seven, while New York hasn't won since June 18. They'll win eventually, but getting a plus moneyline for the Phils is a no-brainer.

The Mets start Christian Scott in his first game off the injured list. Scott's offspeed and breaking stuff are both in the bottom third in MLB.

He'll rely on his fastball against Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, who are both among the top 20 fastball hitters in MLB.

COVERS INTEL: Alan Rangel doesn't have enough innings to qualify, but his hard-hit rate, barrel rate and exit velocity allowed would all be in the top 10% in MLB. Batters have a 44% whiff rate against his changeup.

Phillies vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+106)

New York had Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto both in the lineup for just the 10th time this season and still only managed one run, the fifth time in their losing streak they've scored three or fewer. They're 29th in MLB in OPS.

The Phillies start journeyman Alan Rangel, who looked strong in two bullpen outings and was an effective starter in Triple-A. His stuff isn't overwhelming, but he avoids solid contact.

Philly also has the bullpen ready after only needing them for two innings and 28 pitches on Friday. They have a 2.39 ERA and 0.79 WHIP over the last three.

Phillies vs Mets weather

Notes on the weather and its impact.

Phillies vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Phillies +117 | Mets -122
• Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-170) | Mets +1.5 (+163)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-117) | Under 8.5 (+113)

Phillies vs Mets trend

The Philadelphia Phillies have hit the Game Total Under in 18 of their last 24 away games (+11.50 Units / 44% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Mets.

How to watch Phillies vs Mets and game info

Phillies vs Mets latest injuries

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

In his first 7 games of the season, Slade Cecconi got off to one of the worst starts to a season a starting pitcher could possibly have. He had a 6.56 ERA, a 5.79 FIP, and was giving up 2.02 HRs per 9 innings pitched. In the 9 starts since, his ERA has gone down to 2.96, his FIP to 3.47, and the HR/9 rate is down to 0.74. So, has Slade turned things around? Let’s break it down.

Before getting into some of the changes he’s made, it’s important to look at the information we already have a bit more closely. There’s a natural ebb and flow in a baseball season, as both hitters and pitchers will experience changing conditions in the field. Batted ball distribution, luck, and defensive performance behind a pitcher can fluctuate, and because of that, surface level results can often be cloudy. For example, on the surface, a pitcher putting up an ERA 3.50 runs lower than they had been and a FIP drop of almost 2.50 sound amazing, but if we look at his xERA and xFIP numbers, they tell a slightly different story. For example, look at the following table:

We can see that in those first starts, Slade was actually getting significantly higher than expected results, and in the more recent set of starts we see the opposite. (Granted, the more recent difference is not as extreme.) This leads us to conclude that baseball variance has amplified both ends of this equation. The good news is that even though the degree of the new performance is a little bit overexaggerated by the under and then overperformance relative to expected metrics, we can see there still appears to be a definite improvement that’s happened, even if it’s less of one than we originally might have thought. In order to get to an answer, we’re going to take a look deeper at his more specific quality of contact numbers and see if we can find any differences that would explain this extreme change in results. Let’s start with the following data:

Looking at this, I think we may have a bit of conundrum. Hard-Hit % has stayed the same, but the Average Exit Velocity has gone up, and the Barrel % has plummeted. We also have a modest, but important, uptick in Ground Ball %, and here we can draw a few conclusions. Even though Slade appears to be getting hit slightly harder on average than before, we can see from the Barrel % and the Ground Ball %  that the hard-hit contact is not translating into barrel-level damage nearly as much as before. The Barrel % drop is so significant it’s the clearest signal of improved damaging contact prevention. Another consideration with increases in ground ball outs comes the chance for increases in double plays turned. When we look at that data, we can see there were 3 GIDPs in Slade’s first 7 starts, and 6 in the most recent 9 starts. This could be normal variance, but it is worth mentioning to see if the pattern holds. This modest rise in Ground Ball % may have contributed to reducing the severity of the contact outcomes on Slade’s pitches, but the largest driver of improvement appears to be the overall suppression in  barrel conversion of the hard contact and not a broad reduction in overall hard contact. These factors combined do show some real meaningful improvements beyond potentially noisy surface level results. Next, let’s break down Slade’s pitch mix and see if we can learn anything from that. Here’s some data to take a look at:

There’s a lot to unpack here, but the general trend we can see has been increased usage of the fastball and fastball variant pitches (the 4SFB, the cutter, and the sinker), the addition of the slider and changeup, and the near total removal of the sweeper. We see that the mix before was very 4SFB heavy, with moderate cutter and low sinker usage. Now, we can see the pitches are thrown in a much more balanced distribution.

We can also see the curveball is being used at about the same rate, but the contact quality on it is significantly better. Having multiple different fastball movement profiles may be making his pitches less predictable, and combining that with slider and changeup usage may be what’s opening up the curveball to be weaponized more. We can also see the velocity differences of the pitches give him a few different speed options to potentially help keep hitters off balance, and the slider and the changeup coming in at similar speeds but moving in different ways can make the pitch location harder to discern for the hitter.

The increase in options in the different velocities may be improving deception and timing disruption and ultimately contributing to the ability to miss barrels and get less damaging contact. The increased sinker usage also helps explain the increase in the Ground Ball % we spoke of earlier.

Now that we’ve identified some changes to the pitch mix and how they may have affected Slade’s results, let’s take a look at his command and see if there’s been any changes there.

Initially there’s a lot of good here. Lower walk rate, more first pitch strikes, and more pitches in the ABS strike zone as well (Zone %). The final number in the table (CSW%) stands for “Called Strikes plus Whiffs”, and the idea behind this stat is to show how often the pitcher “wins” the pitch outright either by throwing something in the strike zone that the hitter does not swing at, or by getting the hitter to swing and miss. We can see this number has improved as well. This is a very modest improvement, but still worth mentioning because of the nature of the statistic.

We’ve seen evidence of the pitches getting more favorable contact quality before, and now we can also see Slade is throwing more strikes, and the higher CSW % shows that the increase isn’t just in easy to hit pitches either. 

So we put that all together and what do we see? Honestly, these improvements appear to be very real and tangible. Although the magnitude of the improvements does appear to be magnified by normal baseball variance. We saw that his initial bad start looked worse than it was, and this good stretch looks a bit better than what the surface numbers suggest it is, but it’s still significantly better.

We should probably expect some regression from the recent starts, but overall it seems like Slade has made legitimate adjustments and gotten back on track, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Guards.