Category: MLB

In honor of the Philadelphia Phillies playing host to the 2026 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, we here at The Good Phight are launching a yearlong series that focuses on the history of the Phillies and the All-Star Game. Check back regularly for posts about the Phillies participation (or lack thereof) in the Midsummer Classic over its history.

At last, we’ve reached the first period of real sustained success the Phillies have had in their history as we take a look back at all of their one-time All-Stars. The eighties started off pretty well with the team’s first championship and included another World Series appearance in 1983 after many disappointments at the end of the seventies. But by the latter half of the decade, the team once again slid into mediocrity and, eventually, back into the basement. That made it prime territory for one-and done All-Stars, and as such, this will be another two-part entry in this series. If you’d like to catch up with the rest of the series, you can with the following links: 1930s, 1940s part 1, 1940s part 2, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

Al Holland, 1984

Holland was the forgotten relief ace of the forgotten 1983 pennant winning Phillies, but way before that he was the oldest of four boys born to Charles Holland and Sylvia Wade of Roanoke, Virginia. Al excelled in sports at Lucy Addison High School, a segregation-era school for African Americans. Holland was good enough to be able to play baseball and football at North Carolina A&T State University; a historically black university located in Greensboro.

His two-sport success peaked in 1972, when after leading the football team in rushing, Holland led the country with 143 strikeouts and pitched to a 0.54 ERA. His mind-blowing baseball season also included a no-hitter with 25 strikeouts and one ball being hit in fair territory. He would throw three more no hitters in his college career, one each season. Despite his athletic success, Holland planned to use his bachelor’s degree in Recreation to run youth recreation programs. He was drafted twice, once by the Rangers in the 30th round in 1974 and by the Padres in the fourth round in 1975, but Holland chose not to leave college either time. Because of this, he ended up being an undrafted free agent following his collegiate tenure and ultimately signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in June of 1975.

Holland excelled in his first full season of professional ball in 1976, posting a 2.96 ERA in 39 games with 4 starts in A-ball. He continued to impress in 1977, and by late September of that year, Holland earned a call to the Majors to make his MLB debut on September 5th against the Phillies. The 24-year-old lefty entered in the 7th inning of a 9-1 game his Pirates were on the wrong end of. Holland allowed a single to Gary Maddox to begin the inning before retiring Tim McCarver, Ted Sizemore, and Steve Carlton on a fly out and a pair of groundouts.

Despite making two MLB appearances to end 1977, Holland spent all of 1978 and the majority of 1979 in Triple-A Portland. That was until he was traded by the Pirates to the San Francisco Giants in late June 1979. Holland was sent to the Giants as part of a six-player deal that brought Bill Madlock to Pittsburgh. Holland made his Giants debut on September 9th and threw three scoreless innings in relief. He made two further MLB appearances that year that were also scoreless, bringing his shutout inning streak to seven.

Holland made the Giants roster to start 1980 and quickly showed why he belonged there. His first eight appearances were all scoreless, extending his shutout streak to 16.2 innings. Holland rose to be the top left-handed option for the Giants out of the bullpen and finished his first full season in the Majors with a 1.75 ERA in 82.1 IP across 54 appearances. He struggled to begin 1981 but righted the ship by June, just in time for the MLBPA strike that shut down the season until July. By late September, the Giants opted to give Holland a chance at starting, and he ran with it. Holland made three starts to close the 1981 season and went 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 21.2 IP.

The 29-year-old was a full-fledged member of the 1982 rotation, even being named the Opening Day starter. But Holland was back to the bullpen by June after missing almost all of May with a hamstring injury. He settled back into a reliever’s role, preferring the opportunity to pitch almost every day, once saying “If we play 162 games, I’d say I’d want to be in at least half of them.”

However, the Giants decided they had enough left-handed pitching in their bullpen that they could afford to trade one. Holland became the choice to be moved, and he was traded to the Phillies along with 39-year-old Joe Morgan in exchange for Mike Krukow, Mark Davis, and C.L. Penigar. The deal was the second the Phillies made in less than a week to try and remake their roster in order to have one last ride with their championship core, as they traded Manny Trillo for outfielder Von Hayes six days earlier.

Holland suffered an elbow injury in spring training and missed the first month of the 1983 season, but he returned in May and quickly rose to be a stalwart in the Phillies bullpen, throwing his power fastball almost exclusively in an era of relievers focused on deception. Holland pitched to a 2.26 ERA in 91.2 IP across 68 appearances and collected 25 saves while striking out 100 and walking only 30, earning the nickname “Mr. T” thanks to a pair of gold chains given to him by his wife. One of the games Holland finished on the mound just so happened to be Steve Carlton’s 300th career win on September 23rd in St. Louis. Another notable game was the 1983 NL Pennant clincher against the Dodgers when Holland struck out Bill Russell to send the Phillies to the World Series. Holland excelled in the 1983 postseason, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings across four appearances, but the Phillies ultimately lost the World Series to the Orioles in five games.

The 1984 season started off well for Holland, as he was sitting on a 2.80 ERA and 17 saves by the time of the All-Star break. That strong performance earned him a trip to the All-Star game, conveniently being held in his old stomping grounds of Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Unfortunately for Holland, he did not appear in the game that ended in a 3-1 NL win. Part of the reason may have been that Phillies manager Paul Owens was the manager for the NL squad and opted to use Goose Gossage as closer instead and save his own closer. However, Holland took offense at the slight, telling the Philadelphia Daily News “I’m very disappointed in not pitching. Back in San Francisco, my first All-star game…I really wanted to pitch.” Holland added that he was never told if or when he was going to pitch, despite Owens claiming that he would have used Holland if the game went into extra innings.

Nevertheless, Holland, much like the Phillies, tailed off in the second half of the season. Despite breaking his own franchise record for saves in a season with 29, Holland pitched to a 4.34 ERA across 37.1 innings while the team went 36-42 in the second half, ultimately finishing 81-81. He was particularly bad in August and September, with a 6.86 ERA in 19 games and allowing 28 hits and five home runs in 21 IP. 1985 started with discussions about Holland’s weight, with it later being revealed that there was a $10,000 bonus in his contract if he could stay under 210 pounds, and speculation about Holland’s future as he entered the final year of his deal. Team president Bill Giles downplayed trade rumors, but a trade did eventually come to fruition. The 32-year-old Holland and minor league pitcher Frankie Griffin were shipped to Pittsburgh in exchange for 38-year-old reliever Kent Tekulve on April 20th.

But Holland wasn’t in Pittsburgh for long, as he was traded once again later in the season to the California Angels before finishing the 1985 with a 2.90 ERA in 56 appearances. However, his free agency was compromised due to his involvement in the Pittsburgh Drug Trials that investigated cocaine use in baseball. Holland was one of the players suspended 60 games but avoided serving the time by agreeing to donate 5% of his salary to drug prevention programs and completing 50 hours of community service. He eventually signed with the Yankees and became a favorite of George Steinbrenner for his no-nonsense attitude, but Holland began the season in Triple-A and then saw his season mired by injury and ineffectiveness before being released in August. He re-signed with the Yankees for 1987 but made just three big league appearances before a suffering a major injury to his pitching arm on August 9th. That would prove to be his final game, as Holland never threw another professional pitch and to this day cannot straighten his left arm.

Glenn Wilson, 1985

Wilson was a first-round pick by the Detroit Tigers out of Sam Houston State University in the 1980 MLB amateur draft. As a 21-year-old in his final year in college, the 6’1, 195-pound Wilson played third base and hit a staggering .469 with 11 home runs in 46 games. Despite this and being the 18th overall pick, Wilson wasn’t viewed as the Tigers biggest prospect acquisition at the time. That title would go to Eduardo Cajuso, the first Cuban refugee to be signed by a Major League club after commissioner Bowie Kuhn lifted the ban on such signings.

Unlike Cajuso, who only played 23 career games, all of which at A-ball, Wilson quickly rose through the Tigers system and made his MLB debut on April 15th, 1982. Wilson, now playing right field, pinch-hit in the eighth inning of a 4-2 game with the Tigers leading. Wilson struck out looking against the Blue Jays’ Jerry Garvin, but that inauspicious first impression didn’t last too long. Wilson went on to hit .292 with a .778 OPS and 12 home runs across 84 games in his rookie season, winning the Tigers Rookie of the Year honors.

Wilson posted another steady season in 1983, hitting .268 with 11 home runs. Spring training 1984 started with swirling trade rumors for the Tigers, but a potential trade of John Wockenfuss to the Philadelphia Phillies for Gregg Gross fell through due to Gross exercising his 10 and 5 no-trade rights after neither team offered him financial incentives to waive them. Wilson meanwhile was the victim of a prank in the Tigers clubhouse on March 23rd when he arrived to see a shirt with the Tigers old English “D” on the front and “Trade Bait” written on the back. It turned out that prank was prophetic though, as Wilson was traded the next day to the Phillies along with Wockenfuss in exchange for reliever Willie Hernandez and Dave Bergman. To clear room for Wilson, the Phillies traded 1983 NLCS MVP Gary Matthews to the Cubs in a trade that landed Philadelphia reliever Bill Campbell and catcher Mike Diaz. Team president Bill Giles put the reasoning bluntly by saying “We feel Glenn Wilson will be better than Gary Matthews, but that’s yet to be seen.”

That statement didn’t age too well at least in 1984, as Wilson had the worst year of his career to that point when he hit a pedestrian .240 with a career-low 6 home runs in 132 games. The Phillies reportedly tried to trade Wilson at the winter meetings in 1984 as part of a package to acquire Luis Salazar, Luis DeLeon, and shortstop prospect Ozzie Guillen from the San Diego Padres but the talks never advanced.

It turned out the Phillies were lucky that trade never materialized, as Wilson had one of the best years of his career in 1985. He was hitting .266 with 8 home runs and jockeying for the league lead in RBIs with 61 while leading all outfielders with 12 assists by the time of the All-Star break. Despite this, Wilson was originally not named to the NL All-Star team because the 37-49 Phillies already had their representative in catcher Ozzie Virgil. However, Wilson was eventually added to the roster as an injury replacement for the Dodgers’ Pedro Guerrero, sending him to the game to be played at the Metrodome in Minnesota.

Despite being one of the last men named to the squad, Wilson did actually appear in the game when he pinch hit for pitcher Jeff Reardon in the 9th inning with the bases loaded and the NL leading 4-1. The man Wilson would face was of course Willie Hernandez, the exact player he was traded for. Vin Scully, who was calling the game for NBC, realized the moment and remarked “Here’s the trade. Here you have it.” Wilson flailed at a screwball in the dirt for strike three.

Wilson continued to have solid offensive seasons in 1986, hitting a career best 15 home runs with a .275 AVG, and 1987 while continuing his exceptional defense, leading all NL outfielders in assists in both seasons. He made his pitching debut on August 5th, 1987, when he pitched a perfect ninth inning against the Mets in a 13-3 blowout loss. Wilson’s Phillies tenure ended on December 9th, 1987, when he was traded along with Dave Brundage to the Mariners in exchange for Phil Bradley and Tim Fortugno. He went on to play four more seasons in the Majors for the Mariners, Pirates, and Astros. Wilson was a free agent following the 1990 season but was not offered an MLB contract after a pedestrian season in Houston where he hit .245 with 10 home runs in 118 games as a 31-year-old. He played in Triple-A for the Braves organization in 1991 before retiring. But the Pirates brought him out of retirement in 1993 for his second stint with the team, signing the 34-year-old Wilson to a minor league deal in January. He appeared in just 10 MLB games that season and hit .143 before retiring again for good.

Shane Rawley, 1986

An impressive year at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa was enough for Shane Rawley to get on the radar of MLB teams. It was there as an 18-year-old that Rawley went 7-2 on the mound and racked up 63 strikeouts. The Dodgers first selected the Racine, Wisconsin native in the fourth round of the January draft in 1974 but he did not sign, rather waiting until he was selected by the Montreal Expos in the second round in the June draft. It’s likely a no hitter he threw in between the selections on May 27th helped bump up his draft positioning.

Rawley pitched well in rookie ball for the Expos and quickly earned a promotion to Class-A Kinston where he struggled as a still 18-year-old pitcher. 1975 was kinder to Rawley, as he finished the year good enough to earn a promotion to Double-A for 1976 where he went 11-7 with a 2.69 ERA in 25 starts. Despite the 20-year-old lefty progressing well, the Expos elected to trade him along with Angel Torres to the Reds in exchange for 24-year-old MLB hurler Santo Alcala on May 27th, 1977. Alcala would appear in only 31 games with the Reds with a 4.69 ERA and never appeared in the Majors again after 1977. Rawley meanwhile was traded again following the 1977 season, this time being shipped to the Mariners in a deal for outfielder Dave Collins. The then farm director for Seattle, Mel Diddier, was who originally signed Rawley to the Expos in 1974. Rawley welcomed the move, later saying to his hometown newspaper that he “didn’t like Cincinatti too well” and that they “didn’t treat their minor league players with any respect.”

Rawley made the MLB roster for the Mariners to begin 1978 and made his debut in the second game of the season on April 6th. The youngest player on the Mariners at just 22-years-old, Rawley entered his first game in the second inning with the Mariners down 4-0. He got future Hall of Famer Rod Carew to ground out to end a scoring threat and then continued to throw four scoreless innings in relief with three hits, a walk, and three strikeouts. Rawley’s efforts allowed the Mariners to rally back to within one run but were ultimately doomed by baserunning mistakes in a 5-4 loss. Rawley though went on to appear in 52 games his rookie year with two starts and logged a 4.12 ERA in 111.1 innings pitched.

1979 started off well for Rawley, as by the end of June he was emerging as an ace in the Mariners’ bullpen. But that all changed after collecting his tenth save the night of June 29th, as he and teammates Rick Honeycutt and Mike Parrott got involved in a bar fight in Caledonia, Milwaukee after the game. Rawley ended up suffering a fracture in his left pitching hand after trying to break up the altercation, forcing him to undergo immediate surgery and keeping him out of MLB action until August 21st. Rawley finished the year with a 3.84 ERA and 11 saves in 84.1 IP across 48 appearances.

Rawley had his best year to date in 1980, totaling a 3.31 ERA in 113.2 IP with 13 saves. But the Mariners finished with the worst record in baseball, and he saw his name dangled in trades talks all winter as the team was in the process of being sold to new ownership. Rawley wasn’t traded that winter of 1981, but he did suffer a broken foot playing in a basketball game in January that required surgery and for the foot to be in a cast for six weeks. He only missed about two weeks of the regular season, but Rawley struggled to get going when he did come back. He had a 4.41 ERA in 32.2 IP by the time the 1981 player’s strike halted the season. Rawley pitched better when the season resumed and finished the year with a 3.95 ERA.

The next winter brought more trade rumors but this time, they came to fruition, albeit in spring. Rawley was traded on April 1st to the Yankees in exchange for three players and cash. The 26-year-old didn’t really lament the trade, telling the media that “it really gets old, losing” and that he didn’t believe Mariners new owner George Argyros “cared about the players as people,” adding that Argyros “doesn’t know the game as well as he thinks he does.”

Unfortunately for Rawley, more losing was in his future, as the Yankees finished 1982 in fifth place at 79-83, just three wins better than his old team in Seattle. 1983 was better for the Yankees and Rawley, as he was moved into the rotation and pitched a career-high 238.1 innings with 13 complete games while sporting a 3.78 ERA. One of those came on June 24th where Rawley went 5.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 10 hits. That game is notable because it was the infamous “pine tar game” where George Brett’s g0-ahead two-run homer was disallowed due to “excessive” pine tar on his bat, giving the Yankees a 4-3 win. American League president Lee MacPhail later ruled that the game had to be resumed on August 18th with Brett’s home run counting, leading to the real final score to be a 5-4 Royals win.

Rawley started the 1984 season in the rotation again but this time it didn’t go as well as before. He dealt with injuries and had a 6.21 ERA across 10 starts by June 30th. That’s when he was then traded to the Phillies in exchange for Marty Bystrom and Keith Hughes. The 28-year-old turned his season around in Philadelphia, making 18 starts and going 10-6 with a 3.81 ERA, but the Phillies could not keep up a strong first half and finished 81-81. The lefty was even better in his first full season in Philadelphia in 1985 when he went 13-8 with a 3.31 ERA and threw 198.2 innings, proving to have been a shrewd trade for the Phillies at a time when such moves were almost non-existent.

Rawley appeared to be growing into the ace the Phillies desperately needed to start 1986, as he was 11-5 with a 2.96 ERA across 146.1 IP by the time of the All-Star break. The young lefty couldn’t shake the constant comparisons to another famous lefty who was recently the ace of the Phillies staff. “You can’t replace a Steve Carlton,” Rawley told the Daily News, adding “The very idea of that is ridiculous.” What wasn’t ridiculous was that Rawley was named an All-Star for the game to be played at the Houston Astrodome. However, unlike his teammate Mike Schmidt who started at third base, Rawley did not appear in the game that was a 3-2 AL win. Dwight Gooden started for the NL and was relieved by Fernando Valenzuela, Mike Scott, Sid Fernandez, and Mike Krukow.

The good times soon ended for the Phillies’ new ace, as he struggled mightily to begin the second half, allowing 12 runs in just 8.2 total innings in his first two starts after the All-Star break. Then he suffered a strained muscle in the upper part of his back that sent pain down his pitching shoulder and forced him to leave his third start on July 29th in the fourth inning. The injury was severe enough that Rawley missed the rest of the season as injuries dampened the Phillies chances of winning the division.

Rawley took a step backwards in 1987, going 17-11 but with a 4.39 ERA in 229.2 IP. He logged another ERA over 4 in 1988, but this time had a losing record of 8-16 and allowed a career-worst 250 hits as the Phillies’ rotation finished as the worst in the league. Rawley also got into a physical altercation with teammate Juan Samuel during a game on September 25th. Samuel had reportedly gone to the mound after a walk and suggested to Rawley, who was never shy about airing his grievances about his teammate’s play, to start throwing strikes. Rawley reportedly answered that Samuel was welcome to do the pitching if he liked. The second baseman didn’t like that and slugged his pitcher in the dugout tunnel before the fight was broken up by John Vukovich.

Rawley’s Phillies tenure ended on October 24th when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for second baseman Tommy Herr. Rawley made sure to get a parting shot in on Samuel in his reaction to the trade though, telling the Daily News “They got Tommy Herr and that frees up Juan Samuel to go play the outfield. That makes the pitching better, because I just don’t think Juan Samuel can play second base at the major league level.”

It turns out, Rawley couldn’t pitch at the major league level much longer either, as he lasted only one season with the Twins and went 5-12 with a 5.21 ERA. The 33-year-old was a free agent following the disappointing season and signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox on January 10th, 1990. But he did not make it through spring training with Boston, as they elected to release him during cut downs on April 2nd, effectively ending his career.

Sources

Baseball-Reference.com

Andy Sturgill, Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) Biography for Al Holland

The Park City Daily News, June 29th, 1979

Peter Pascarelli, Dan McGrath, The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 15th, 1982

Frank Dolson, The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 15th, 1982

Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Daily News, July 11th, 1984

Peter Pascarelli, The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 28th, 1985

Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Daily News, April 22nd, 1985

Jayson Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 21st, 1985

Harry Atkins, Lansing State Journal, June 4th, 1980

Harry Atkins, The Herald-Palladium, January 17th, 1983

Vern Plagenhoef, The Flint Journal, March 24th, 1984

Vern Plagenhoef, The Saginaw News, March 25th, 1984

United Press International, The Muskegon Chronicle, March 28th, 1984

Peter Pascarelli, The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 7th, 1984

Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Daily News, July 13th, 1985

Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Daily News, July 15th, 1985

Mark Whicker, Philadelphia Daily News, July 17th, 1985

Peter Pascarelli, The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 10th, 1987

Intelligencer Journal, January 15th, 1993

Los Angeles Times, January 10th, 1974

The Journal Times, May 28th, 1974

Bob Dunn, The Montreal Star, June 7th, 1974

The Montreal Star, May 27th, 1977

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Stephen Nover, The Journal Times, April 2nd, 1978

John Lawrence, The Tacoma News Tribune, April 7th, 1978

Stephen Nover, The Journal Times, July 1st, 1979

The Post-Crescent, July 1st, 1979

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The Spokesman-Review, January 30th, 1981

The Bellingham Herald, April 2nd, 1982

The Boston Globe, December 25th, 1983

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Jayson Stark, The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 15th, 1986

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Peter Pascarelli, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 1st, 1986

Murray Chass, The Morning Call, December 26th, 1988

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Folks, I’m afraid that we’re going to have to talk about Mauricio Dubón once again. Well, I’m not so much “afraid” of it as I am happy to do so, since this has been one heck of a week at the plate for ol’ Dubie. Dubón hit another big homer during Friday’s 6-3 win for the Atlanta Braves over the Pittsburgh Pirates and he’s now hit a homer in three straight games — a new personal best mark for Dubón in terms of homer streaks.

Earlier this week when he spoke to the media, Dubón stated that he was a “confident” guy and that he was relishing the opportunity to get the chance to show what he can do with the bat in big-time situations. This was yet another case of Dubón coming through in the big moments as both of hits came with two strikes on the board this time. I asked Dubón about where his confidence level is at right now and whether or not it’s spiking at the moment or if this is just how he normally operates.

“I’m very cocky,” said Dubón. “I know I can do it. I know I can go out there and […] let my game speak for itself. I’ve always got the chip on my shoulder so I know I can go out there and perform.”

He’s definitely been performing as of late, as he’s upped his slash line to .259/.315/.418 with a wOBA of .324 and a wRC+ of 105. For Dubón, his current wOBA and wRC+ would both be career-high numbers for him and while he did also acknowledge the ebbs and flows of a season, he seems determined to make sure that he’s making the best of this opportunity that he’s got so far.

Dubón also credited manager Walt Weiss for giving him the opportunities in the first place and Weiss was more-than-happy to deflect that praise onto his capable utilityman. “With all of the big hits he’s had, it’s pretty easy to write his name in the lineup,” explained Weiss when he was asked about Dubón’s performance so far. “It’s easy for me to write Dubón’s name in the lineup because of what he’s been doing all year. He seems to be in the middle of a lot of really good things this year.”

“He’s a treat to be around,” continued Weiss when he was asked further questions about Dubón. “It’s good energy every day. He loves playing baseball and I know that sounds weird but he truly does. You never see him without a smile on his face. Even on the days when he’s not playing, he’s a pro and he’s already ready. When he’s not in the starting lineup, he’s ready to pinch-hit or go in the game. He doesn’t even have to get any warning.”

“He’s a really good player and I think the Atlanta fans are seeing what this guy really is,” exclaimed Weiss. “Maybe he hasn’t had so many opportunities along the way but you put this guy out there and he helps you win games.”

Dubón as certainly helped the Braves a ton this season and we’re only seeing it start to ramp up with his performances this week. We’ve already talked about the versatility that he brings to the table and his sky-high confidence and now we’re starting to see him really put it all together in order to hit a level that we haven’t seen from him in other destinations. We’ll see if Dubón can continue to keep things going in the right direction as he continues to get the job done for the Braves here in 2026.

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Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela has homered in back-to-back starts, and his hitting profile suggests he’ll continue his hot play at the plate against Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Bradish, making his hits prop an attractive play at -130. 

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Orioles predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, June 6. 

Orioles vs Blue Jays predictions

Orioles vs Blue Jays best bet: Brandon Valenzuela Over 0.5 hits  (-130)

Brandon Valenzuela is hitting the ball well over his last nine games, sporting an .870 OPS in that stretch, including back-to-back games with a home run. 

The rookie slugger profiles extremely well against Baltimore Orioles starter Kyle Bradish, who primarily throws a sinker/slider combination. 

The rookie catcher owns a .400 batting average and .920 slugging percentage against those pitches, while generating hard contact at a 61.1% clip.

Additionally, Valenzuela has cashed this prop in 11 of his last 15 games. 

Despite his recent surge, the books are still mispricing him by having him priced at -130, which is well below every other Toronto Blue Jays hitter on the market today.

I’d play Valenzuela’s Over 0.5 hits up to -145.

COVERS INTEL: Bradish’s 3.44 ERA suggests regression as his 4.04 xERA ranks in the 51st percentile, while sitting in the 13th percentile in barrel rate. 

Orioles vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

I’ll continue to bet on the Blue Jays' bats today and wager on both George Springer and Nathan Lukes getting a hit. 

Springer has dominated Bradish in his career with a 1.263 OPS with six extra-base hits in 19-career at bats. 

He’s also starting to heat up at the plate with nine hits in his last eight games. 

As for Lukes, he’s eclipsed his hits total in nine of his last 10 outings, sporting a 191 WRC+ in that stretch, while also owning a .333 batting average against sinker/sliders.

Orioles vs Blue Jays SGP

• Brandon Valenzuela O 0.5 hits
• George Springer Over 1.5 total bases 
• Nathan Lukes Over 0.5 hits

Orioles vs Blue Jays home run pick: Brandon Valenzuela (+700)

Bradish has allowed just two homers in his last five outings, so we’ll make this just a half-unit wager.

However, the Blue Jays hitter with the best power profile against Bradish is once again Valenzuela, who has gone yard in back-to-back games. 

He's been swinging a hot power bat recently, and since May 1, the slugging catcher owns a .400 average and a 1.067 slug-rate against Bradish’s two most commonly thrown pitches. 

Valenzuela also owns a 60% hard hit rate against them, which ranks 2nd on the Jays behind Yohendrick Pinango. 

Orioles vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Baltimore -105 | Toronto -105
• Run line: Baltimore -1.5 (+153) | Toronto +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-115) | Under 8 (-105)

Orioles vs Blue Jays trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Game Total Over in 6 of their last 7 games (+4.90 Units / 65% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Orioles vs Blue Jays and game info

Orioles vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Orioles vs Blue Jays weather

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MLB Rumors: The Texas Rangers are signing free agent catcher Elias Diaz, per multiple reports.

Diaz, 35, has been with the Kansas City Royals this season before being released earlier this week. He has spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies. In 2025 he was with the San Diego Padres, slashing .204/.270/.337 in 283 plate appearances over 106 games.

The Rangers have an open 40 man roster spot due to Sam Haggerty being designated for assignment yesterday. The speculation is that Danny Jansen could be headed to the injured list. The Rangers don’t have another catcher on their 40 man roster aside from Jansen and Kyle Higashioka, and none of their AAA catchers are guys you’d feel comfortable using in a regular backup catcher role in the big leagues.

After starting the year in AAA, Diaz had slashed .227/.261/.591 in 23 plate appearances over 10 games for the Royals after being added to their major league roster. Diaz came up to be the Royals’ third catcher due to concerns about Salvador Perez’s health, but was dropped in favor of Tyler Tolbert last in late May.

Diamondbacks News

Nationals Embarrass Diamondbacks in Home Run Fest
Ildemaro Vargas was hit by a pitch one night after the Max Muncy collision. Adrian Del Castillo pitched. Merrill Kelly and Philip Abner were both hammered hard, resulting in five hime runs surrendered in a game the team had best forget in a hurry.

Luis Garcia Jr. Has Big Night in Rout of Diamondbacks
The seven-year vet had a multi-homer game, which included his career-first grand slam, which he hit by winning the lefty-on-lefty matchup against Philip Abner.

Jose Fernandez Demotion Explained
Most anyone could see he needed a bit of time back down in Reno to get regular reps and make some adjustments as he was struggling to adapt to the league’s adjustments to him. He’ll get regular playing time now and will likely be back before long.

Other Baseball News

Top-100 Prospects by Team
The Diamondbacks feature only two names on this list and one is currently playing on the 26-man roster already.

We are Closer to the End than the Beginning
Examining how Gerrit Cole might be the best draft selection of the past 15-20 years, who came from what was far and away the best draft class of this generation.

Jeff Passan’s Early Trade Deadline Preview
Despite last night’s collapse, the Diamondbacks are still very much in the running for a playoff berth in the National League and could look to bolster the team rather than selling off. Then again, one more bad week could see them as sellers. Basically, weren’t we already in this position the last two seasons?

Aaron Judge Diagnosed with Rib Stress Fracture Received in April
Judge is headed to the IL and it could be a while before the hulking slugger returns.

Maybe the Miami Marlins truly are the kryptonite for this offense. After that Marlins series, fans were starting to get concerned that this was the start of an offensive slide for the Nats. However, those concerns were quickly put to bed last night with the Nats putting up 14 runs on the Diamondbacks.

Back at the end of April, we wrote about how resilient this offense is. Every time they get knocked down, this offense gets up and becomes even stronger. They were punched in the mouth against Miami, and poor Merrill Kelly got to face an angry Nats offense. Luis Garcia Jr. made a statement with a two run homer to start the game, and the electric offense took it from there.

It was one of those games where everyone was eating. Six Nationals hitters had multi-hit days, including Daylen Lile who really needed a big game. Lile’s chase issues are well documented, but he is a great hitter when he is controlling the zone. He was locked in last night, going 3 for 6 with a homer. Lile has had a slightly underwhelming season, but he is still on pace for 20 homers and nearly 80 RBI’s.

Lile has been a very hot and cold hitter this season, so hopefully this can be the start of one of those heaters. When Lile is locked in, he can truly carry an offense. We saw that at the end of last season and during that Reds series this year. Daylen Lile gets his hits in bunches. When he sees a couple fall, that ball just gets very big for him. Lile is such a natural hitter, so when he is trusting his instincts, he can be unstoppable.

When this lineup came out, a lot of Nats fans were scratching their heads. They wondered how the Nats could be a consistent offensive threat with Nasim Nunez, Jorbit Vivas, Jose Tena and Drew Millas all in the lineup. However, this offense is at its best when fans are beginning to doubt them. Of course this is the lineup that puts up 14 runs. Those bats at the bottom of the order were a big part of the outburst as well. 

Vivas had a particularly nice game. His struggles with runners in scoring position have been well documented this season. Before last night, he was 0 for 25 in those situations. Vivas got that monkey off his back with two hits with runners in scoring position, including a clutch double which drove in two runs.

There were a lot of run-producing bats in the lineup last night, but none of them drove in more than Luis Garcia. The Nats first baseman hit two home runs, including a grand slam which truly made this game a rout. 

Garcia is an interesting player to talk about. He has so many flaws that really stick out and limit his game. However, his combination of bat to ball skills and power still make him intriguing. For the season, Garcia is hitting .263 with 7 homers, 37 RBI’s and a .745 OPS. His .454 slugging percentage is also a career high. 

There is no question that Garcia has hitting ability. However, his poor approach and lack of defensive value make him a bit problematic. Personally, I think the Nats should cash in on Garcia at the deadline and give Abimelec Ortiz those reps down the stretch. It is no guarantee that Ortiz can match the offensive production that Garcia gives this team though. We are deep into his career now, and I am still not quite sure if Luis Garcia Jr. is good or not.

One player who I know is good is James Wood. After an uncharacteristically poor series against the Marlins, Wood got back on track last night. As he often does, Wood hit a home run that just left me shaking my head. On a ball up by his neck, he absolutely drilled a long home run off of Merrill Kelly. His OPS for the season is up to .944, and I still think the 23 year old has plenty of untapped offensive upside.

Wood and CJ Abrams are the engines of this offense. We saw the offense sputter when those two were not performing against the Marlins. Last night, both Wood and Abrams had two hits and homered. They are such an elite duo, and both deserve to start the All-Star game.

For the next two games, the Nats are going to have to solve one of their few offensive problems. It is not as bad as last year, but the Nationals offense still struggles a bit during day games. We wrote about this the other day, and it remains quite a strange problem.

They will have a chance to up those numbers this afternoon in the desert. Personally, I do not think the day game issues are a massive worry. The offense is still so good that I trust Matt Borgschulte’s process. However, it will be something for us to monitor these next couple days.

Whenever we doubt this offense, they always show up. Last night was a big game for the Nats, who had fallen below .500. They made a statement that this team is not going anywhere. Now, they have a chance to get back above .500 and flex their muscles on the west coast.

Worcester: W, 6-3 (BOX SCORE)

The WooSox did not have an ordinary assignment today. The opposing pitcher on the mound was a guy you may have heard of named Max Scherzer, a bonafide hall-of-famer in the twilight of his career on a rehab assignment for Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) from forearm tendonitis and ankle inflammation. The 41-year-old was not expected to be 100% yet, but this is Mad Max we’re talking about. He’s still got the stuff, striking out five with that tricky slider. But Scherzer only made it into the fourth. When he did get hit, the hits came in waves, and he allowed three extra-base hits in that time including a Matt Lloyd home run to make it a 3-1 lead for the WooSox and it only got better from there. The WooSox had a rehab appearance of their own mound; Patrick Sandoval started the game allowing Raymond Burgos to be the bulk guy. Winning on a night a top contemporary pitcher starts the game is a great accomplishment.

And hopefully it doesn’t come to this, but next man up, should it come to that for any reason, is looking like it could be Tsung-Che Cheng. The 24-year-old has defensive versatility, is a speed demon on the basepaths, can be slotted into second, third, or short, and makes contact. This was all evident in limited action during the WBC this spring. And on Friday, he had a statement two-RBI single against Scherzer and another RBI knock when the lead needed protecting in the eighth. So many of these hits have came from the bat of Cheng on the year. It’s easy to see there’s so many infielders with similar versatility ahead of Cheng, but he’s using an option year anyway and so if the Red Sox need to burn another infielder due to (insert any circumstance here) then there’s worse calls to make.

Portland: L, 7-8 (BOX SCORE)

Coming out of relief, Dalton Rogers pitched a hitless four innings against the Yard Goats (Rockies AA) and now stands at just three earned runs in 23 innings of work since being promoted to the double-A squad after his first appearance in Greenville back in April. The rest of the pitching staff got touched up, though, getting saddled with a six-run ninth inning to steal defeat from the depths of victory. The offense had an explosive inning of their own, though, or else Hartford would have run away with it. That seven-run sixth was the only inning in which Portland scored. It included a grand slam by Abhram Liendo. In the following inning, Caden Rose started the inning off wih a triple, and Portland’s winning percentage expected was north of 98 percent. Sadly, finishing the game out on top wasn’t to be.

Greenville: L, 0-1 (BOX SCORE)

In this 0-0 game where Rome (Braves High-A) walked off Greenville with the first run of the game, you really have to tip your hat to both pitching staffs. Jojo Ingrassia was no slouch and Joe Vogatsky recovered nicely from his mess of a relief appearance earlier in the week. But, you can’t compete with 1 run allowed unless you also score a run, and Greenville stranded ten, struck out sixteen times and went hitless in seven attempts to bring in runners in scoring position.

Salem: L, 7-11 (F/11) (BOX SCORE)

Going 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position in a close game, is, of course, not a way to win the game, but the RidgeYaks got to the Warbirds (Brewers A) for a lot of runs despite the team getting four hits on the night. In the end, though, it was, in part, Salem’s propensity for giving up walks (eleven) caught up with them, as they started the inning with one and ended up getting walked off with a grand slam.

Have a steaming hot Saturday. And, as always, expletive the Yankees.

Hickory starter Aidan Deakins struck out seven in five innings, giving up a solo homer. Louis Marinaro struck out two in two scoreless innings.

Hector Osorio was 3 for 4 with a homer. Yolfran Castillo had a hit and a stolen base. Braylin Morel doubled. Marcos Torres doubled. Dewar Tovar and Josh Springer each had a hit.

Hickory box score

Caden Scarborough started for Hub City, allowing one run in three innings, striking out three and walking three. Case Matter allowed a run in an inning, walking two and striking out two. Joey Danielson struck out one in a scoreless inning.

Malcolm Moore was 2 for 5 with a homer. Paxton Kling was 2 for 6 with a pair of doubles. Chandler Pollard and Gleider Figuereo each had a double.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter Dalton Pence struck out seven in five innings, allowing two runs and walking two.

Ian Moller homered. Rafe Perich doubled and walked. Dylan Dreiling had a hit and a walk.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Gavin Collyer faced three batters, striking out two of them and walking one. Rehabbing Cole Winn faced three batters, retiring two of them, one by strike out, and walking one. Josh Sborz, re-signed by the Rangers after exercising his opt out earlier this week, faced four batters, walking one of them striking out one, and allowing two hits, one of which was a homer. Emiliano Teodo faced three batters, walking one of them and retiring two of them, one via strikeout.

Cam Cauley had a double and a walk. Jarred Kelenic had a hit, a walk and a stolen base. Blaine Crim had a hit and a walk.

Round Rock box score

ACL Rangers box score

DSL Rangers Red box score

DSL Rangers Blue box score

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (27-34) won 9-6 (BOX SCORE)

Ferreras put Sugar Land on the board in the 2nd inning connecting on a 3 run home run. They got another run in the third on a Whitcomb RBI single. In the 4th, the offense added 3 runs on a Loperfido 2 run double and Whitcomb RBI single. Alexander added a 2 run home run in the 5th inning. Hendrickson started for Sugar Land and allowed 6 runs over 5 innings of work. The bullpen was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings as they closed out the 9-6 win.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .500 in Triple-A.

• Cavan Biggio, 1B: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB
• Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Shay Whitcomb, SS: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, SB
• CJ Alexander, DH: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 2-for-3, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB

• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Jayden Murray, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (SAVE)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (24-31) lost 6-0 (BOX SCORE)

Swanson started for the Hooks but struggled allowing 5 runs over 3.2 innings. He was relieved by Guedez who allowed one unearned run over 2.1 innings. Torres and Cuevas had scoreless outings but the offense was quiet all night as they were shutout in the 6-0 loss.

Note: Torres has a 2.86 ERA this season.

• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-3
• Yamal Encarnacion, LF: 1-for-3
• Jax Biggers, 3B: 1-for-3

• Nic Swanson, RHP: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Michael Cuevas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (15-39) won 11-4 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the first inning scoring a run on a Call RBI double. They scored 5 more runs in the third inning on a Thomas RBI single, Moss 2 run single and Lytle 2 run double. Smith started for Asheville and went 6 innings allowing 4 runs, 2 earned, while striking out 5. The offense continued to add on getting a run in the 5th on a Lytle solo home run and 2 in the 6th inning on Moss 2 run home run. In the 7th, the offense got 2 more on Thomas RBI single and Powell sac fly. The bullpen tossed 3 scoreless innings as they closed out the 11-4 win.

Note: Thomas is hitting .288 this season.

• Kyle Walker, 2B: 3-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB, SB
• Justin Thomas, CF: 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, SB
• Caden Powell, LF: 0-for-4, R, RBI
• Chase Call, RF: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 3-for-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI
• Mason Lytle, DH: 3-for-3, R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, SB

• Parker Smith, RHP: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K (WIN)
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Bryce Collins, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (25-30) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the third inning when Huezo connected on a 3 run home run, his 9th home run of the season. Perez got the start and was dominant for the Woodpeckers tossing 7 scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters. Weber came on in relief and allowed 2 runs but held on for the save as the Woodpeckers won 3-2.

Note: Perez has a 2.82 ERA this season.

• Anthony Huezo, RF: 1-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 1-for-2, BB
• Waner Luciano, 3B: 1-for-3, R, 2B
• German Ramirez, 2B: 1-for-3, R

• Javier Perez, RHP: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K (WIN)
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ryan Weiss – 7:35 CT

CC: Brett Gillis – 7:05 CT

AV: TBD – 5:05 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

Catching up on Friday highlights in the Dodgers minor leagues, and a pair of major leaguers tackling third base this week in Triple-A.

Player of the day

Tulsa third baseman Jake Gelof homered twice and doubled on Friday night, part of his three-hit, three-run, three-RBI night.

Gelof has driven in runs in seven straight games.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Comets rallied late after falling behind 5-0 early, but it wasn’t enough in a loss to the Round Rock Express (Rangers).

James Tibbs III walked twice and hit a two-run home run, his league-leading 18th of the season, and played his third straight game at first base after four weeks of being limited to designated hitter duties. Tibbs has seven home runs in his last 10 games.

Tommy Edman played his first game at third base on this rehab assignment, during which he’s also played three games at second base, plus once each in left field, center field, and at DH.

Hyeseong Kim had two hits playing second base on Friday after playing third base twice this week, his first time at the hot corner since 2020 with Kiwoom in the Korean Baseball Organization. he made this incredible diving stop and strong through from well behind third base on Thursday.

Double-A Tulsa

Two big innings sank the Drillers in a high-scoring loss to the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Diamondbacks), who scored five runs in the fifth and three more in the seventh.

Josue De Paula doubled, singled, walked, and drove in a run. Mike Sirota homered and walked in the loss.

High-A Great Lakes

Two two-run home runs were more than enough for the Loons in a shutout win over the Lansing Lugnuts (A’s). Nico Perez hit the first home run in the first inning, and Jose Meza joined him in the fifth.

Great Lakes pitched a shutout, but it was a wild ride for piggyback pals Brooks Auger and Jacob Frost. Both pitchers walked five batters to bookend the game, with Auger striking out four in his four-inning starts, and his single allowed was the only hit of the game for Lansing. AAfter five up and five down by Matt Lanzendorfer in between, Frost walked five and struck out three in his 3 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first professional save.

Class-A Ontario

The Tower Buzzers scored in five consecutive middle innings to beat the Stockton Ports (A’s).

Mairo Martinus, playing third base on Friday, doubled twice and singled. Easton Shelton homered, walked twice, scored two runs, and drove in a pair.

Transaction

Triple-A: Veteran catcher Seby Zavala was released. The 32-year-old non-roster invitee in spring training hit .196/.323/.353 with two home runs in 62 plate appearances for Oklahoma City, with 12 starts at catcher and four more at first base.

Friday scores

• Round Rock 6, Oklahoma City 4
• Amarillo 10, Tulsa 7
• Great Lakes 4, Lansing 0
• Ontario 10, Stockton 7

Saturday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Charlie Barnes) vs. Round Rock (Jose Corniell)
• 4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Sterling Patick) vs. Lansing (Tzu-Chen Sha)
• 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Patrick Copen) at Amarillo (TBA)
• 6:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Stockton (Donny Troconis)

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers beat the Guardians yesterday, 3-2.

Kennedi Landry writes about Corey Seager’s go-ahead home run in his first game back off the IL.

As Skip Schumaker said postgame, it’s good to have your horses back.

Evan Grant writes about another multi-inning save for Jacob Latz, a neat trick that Grant says must be used sparingly.

Some guy named RJ Coyle writes about what was actually a fairly impressive “tarps off” section in right field last night, one that the Rangers took note of.

Elsewhere Jordan Montgomery made it through a live BP sesh.

Josh Smith is expected to start a rehab stint this weekend.

Grant breaks down the Rangers decision to hang with Evan Carter over Alejandro Osuna.

And finally Rangers great Buddy Bell is the latest guest on Grant’s podcast.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers continue their series with Cleveland tonight at 6:35 with Jack Leiter on the mound for Texas.

Have a great weekend!

Anne Rogers writes about a whirlwind day for Josh Rojas on Thursday, with a hit at Triple-A in the afternoon, and the game-winning hit in the big leagues that evening.

“I can’t imagine having a travel day like that,” said Michael Massey, who homered in the fourth inning. “And then having to come in and face a leverage reliever.”

“I think I would have been a little more stressed [getting here] if I hadn’t played a game yet today,” Rojas added. “But I’d already done all my activation. I played a game. I did sit at the airport for a while, but I still felt pretty good. It didn’t feel like I had just woken up out of bed. Obviously, the adrenaline of being in the big leagues, I felt really good just stepping out there.”

Jaylon Thompson notes that Rojas missed his initial flight.

“They were like, hey, your flight is in an hour and 45 minutes — we’re going to try and rush you there,” Rojas recalled. “I ended up missing that one and didn’t get there in time. And then, my next flight left at eight o’clock. So I was there for about four hours waiting for my next flight.”

Pete Grathoff looked at how rare it is to get hits for two different teams in the same day.

Researching players who appeared in a minor- and major-league game the same day has proven to be difficult, but the Twins’ Matt Wallner did it on May 23, 2023. After playing for the St. Paul Saints in the afternoon, he was promoted to the Twins but made an out in his pinch-hit appearance that night.

Curt Nelson, senior director of the Royals Hall of Fame, noted that former Royals outfielder Lane Adams played for the Braves and their minor-league affiliate in 2017.

Adams had two hits for Triple-A Gwinett in an afternoon game, then got the call to join the big-league Braves that night. He went 0 for 2 with Atlanta.

Jaylon also talks to Lucas Erceg about his recent struggles.

After blowing consecutive saves, Erceg became a major talking point among the fan base and national pundits. People criticized his subpar season, and it’s led to lingering concerns about his ability to stick in the role as the team’s closer.

“I’m allowing the outside noise to affect me a little bit,” Erceg said. “I talk about that a lot. It’s not allowing the outside noise and not allowing the situation to dictate how I feel out there. And I guess, the last couple of weeks, I’ve allowed it to affect the way I think and I moved down the mound.”

David Lesky breaks down Seth Lugo’s start on Thursday against the Twins.

Overall, the numbers don’t paint a picture of a particularly bad outing, but don’t mistake that for me saying Lugo was good or even just a little unlucky. He had trouble putting hitters away, and the Twins didn’t seem to be having trouble with any of his pitches. He had a perfectly respectable whiff rate of 23 percent and didn’t seem to get crushed overall, but it was just an underwhelming performance. One thing that I thought was interesting is that I thought his changeup looked different in the first inning. He threw one to Brooks Lee and then another to Clemens, which sort of caught me off guard when they came up as a changeup.

And sure enough, he was throwing it significantly harder. He averaged 86.2 MPH on it after averaging 84.6 on it this year previously. Additionally, it had a lot more spin. The movement wasn’t that different by the numbers, but there was one, in the fourth maybe, that I thought looked like a totally different pitch. That’s something I do appreciate from Lugo. He will continue to work and work and work, honing pitches. There might be something negative about that, too, if he doesn’t let what’s working keep working, but I appreciate someone who always tries to improve themselves.

Dave Helling reports that a petition may force a vote on the proposed Royals downtown stadium.

Catcher Elias Díaz has elected free agency.

Former Royals catcher Logan Porter signs with the Angels.

The ball that hit off Jo Adell’s head and went over the fence is changed from a home run to a four-base error.

Jorge Castillo at ESPN writes about the takeaways from the owner’s meetings.

Padres outfielder Ramon Laureano is likely out for the year after hip surgery.

What are the toughest decisions on All-Star ballots?

Why the Orioles serve as a cautionary tale for the Red Sox.

Cody Bellinger has been a great investment for the Yankees.

What starting pitchers have improved the stuff and command this year?

The Chicago Bears advance a plan to relocate to Indiana.

How Curaçao became the smallest country ever to qualify for the World Cup.

Companies are using Reddit to manipulate ChatGPT results.

Why do we sleep under blankets, even on hot nights?

A rare blue micromoon rises this weekend.

Your song of the day is Gary Wright with Love is Alive.

The Yankees dropped the opener of their weekend series against the Red Sox on Friday, losing 5-3 with all of the damage done in three consecutive innings against Ryan Weathers. Spencer Jones went 3-for-3 with an RBI in his return to the team following Judge’s placement on the IL and Ben Rice hit his 18th long ball of the year, but the only other offense to be found for New York came on a Trent Grisham solo shot. Not the most encouraging sign of life for a lineup that’ll be without their captain for the foreseeable future, but they’ll get back at it today looking to even the series back up. In the meantime, their rivals had the opportunity to either catch up to them or in the case of the Rays, get a little breathing room.

Tampa Bay Rays (37-23) 6, Miami Marlins (29-35) 0

Tampa controlled this game from the get-go, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Ryan Gusto. After a groundout opened the game, Junior Caminero ripped a double out to right and Jonathan Aranda walked to give them runners on. Yandy Díaz hit into a fielder’s choice that put runners on the corners, and Richie Palacios brought them both in as he dropped a ball out into right that deflected off of Owen Caissie’s glove and rebounded out to the wall in center for a triple. Ryan Vilade then singled him home to round out the threat.

That was all the offense the Rays needed, because Drew Rasmussen was dealing against the Fish. Rasmussen tossed seven innings as he blanked the Marlins, allowing just a single hit in the second inning to Javier Sanoja and stranding him with ease after striking out the next two batters to escape the frame. Rasmussen sat down nine Marlins hitters personally, and after he handed the ball over to the bullpen Cam Booser and Cole Sulser combined to strike out five more in the last two innings. Sulser did give up the second and last hit that Miami collected on the night via a leadoff bunt to third, but no rally was forthcoming.

There was more offense to be had for Tampa though, as they struck in each of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Another Caminero double and an Aranda single brought in Tampa Bay’s fourth run of the game, and their fifth came on Cedric Mullins launching a home run to open the next inning. The final insurance run was brought home after a leadoff walk got moved to third via a hit and passed ball before Vilade earned his second RBI of the game with another single.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (30-34) 3, Baltimore Orioles (31-33) 13: The Orioles took it to the Jays, but it didn’t become a blowout until much later in the game. The two teams traded a run in the first inning, Gunnar Henderson launching a solo shot for the O’s while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lifted a sacrifice fly for Toronto. The Blue Jays briefly took a 3-1 lead in the fifth on a two-run blast from Brandon Valenzuela, but Baltimore took the lead right back with a five-run sixth inning — RBI hits from Adley Rutschman and Jeremiah Jackson set the stage for Coby Mayo to hit a two-run homer to cap it off.

The eighth and ninth inning turned this into a proper blowout. Baltimore scored three in the former thanks to a quartet of singles with a wild pitch in the mix, and then scored four more in the latter when Rutschman doubled home two and a throwing error allowed two more to round third. Brandon Young lasted 6.1 innings for the Orioles, allowed all three of Toronto’s runs, but the Baltimore bullpen clamped down allowing just a single baserunner the rest of the way.

Cleveland Guardians (36-29) 2, Texas Rangers (31-32) 3: For five innings Cleveland was slowly building itself a little lead, scoring one run in the first on a Travis Bazzana solo shot and a second run in the fourth on an RBI single from Austin Hedges to support starter Parker Messick. Messick allowed just a lone single through that point, but in the sixth Texas’ offense woke up: Kyle Higashioka led off with a blast, Wyatt Langford hit a one-out double, and then Corey Seager launched a two-run homer to take the lead away. Both pitching staffs kept the offenses in check from there, with Jacob Latz working around a single and walk in the ninth to secure a two-inning save.

Seattle Mariners (33-31) 3, Detroit Tigers (26-38) 7: Detroit apparently decided to play their best ball of the season against division leaders this week, taking it to Seattle coming off of their sweep of the Rays. The Mariners did take a 1-0 lead in the first, but Detroit answered back with three in the third, first scoring on a Dillon Dingler looped ball that dunked in front of Julio Rodríguez before the center fielder managed to fire it back in quickly enough to get a force out at second. Kerry Carpenter made it easier for the next two to cross, lifting a two-run shot out to right.

The game was locked down at 3-1 Tigers until the seventh, when Seattle got a solo shot from Colt Emerson to get within one but Detroit struck back immediately with a Gleyber Torres two-run double in the bottom frame. The eighth inning was a similar story, the Mariners carving back a run on a Cole Young RBI single only to give back two via a Spencer Torkelson home run.

Let’s see how some of the Phillies’ prospects fared last night in the minor leagues.

Lehigh Valley 4, Rochester 2

The Ottoman Kempire raised its flag in Lehigh Valley once again, this time leading the IronPigs with two hits, one of them being a solo home run. It’s probably past time to admit he’s simply a good minor league hitter, nothing more than that. Also, did you know that Seth Johnson had two more strikeouts? That’s 36 in 24 1/3 innings this year. Something to monitor if a need arises.

Also, imagine being Bryse Wilson. Going from released by the Phillies to re-signing with the team on a minor league deal to pitching four innings of shutout ball for the IronPigs in a span of about 24 hours. The life of a minor leaguer I suppose.

Binghamton 5, Reading 4

This one went extra innings when the two teams were tied at two. Reading had a few hitting highlights on the night, Bryan Rincon continuing his resurgence this year by homering again, his ninth on the year. Kehden Hettiger had two hits on the night as well, including an RBI single in the tenth that scored Dylan Campbell, who had just had an RBI double before him, that gave the Fightin’ Phils a two run lead going into the bottom of the tenth. However, the Rumble Ponies stormed back when Reading reliever Vincent Perozo came in with the ghost runner on, allowed a single to put runners on the corners, then a three-run home run to end the game. Yikes.

Brooklyn 6, Jersey Shore 3

Tough night for the BlueClaws as they drop one to Brooklyn in Lakewood. Kodey Shojinaga was two for three, a double added to his resume. Trent Farquhar and Pedro Leon also doubled, but a rough third inning by Jersey Shore starter Luke Gabrysh doomed the home team. He was not helped by an inning beginning error that was exascerbated by a three-run home run, followed by a solo shot that was the backbreaker. Tough game.

Clearwater 5, St. Lucie 4

Clearwater took another game from St. Lucie last night, but there were two names that popped out. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with Alirio Ferrebus and Ramon Marquez, it might be time to do so. The former hit another home run last night for Clearwater, his eighth on the season, pushing his overall OPS to .936 on the season. It’s time to pay more attention to his prospect status, even if it maybe doesn’t end with his being a catcher. The latter was Marquez, who has continued to build on his season with 5 1/3 innings, only allowing two runs on two hits and striking out nine. This might be another solid arm the team needs to develop properly.

I can safely say that I got the answer to the question I posed yesterday. Well, not exactly. The question I asked was: Is it possible for the team to hit rock bottom and still end up winning the game? If that’s possible, I suppose, remains an open question. The reality is, though the Cubs won Thursday’s thrilling game, it was not rock bottom. On Friday afternoon, the team sunk lower.

I mean, we can be fair and balanced about Friday’s loss. The Giants thought they would field a competitive team in 2026. They did not. But, the remnants of a team they thought would contend are largely in tact. It’s a team that just took back-to-back wins in Milwaukee, the class of the NL Central and one of the best teams in baseball. A loss? That can happen. On any given day, right? I mean, that’s kind of something that football talks about. But it’s the kind of thing that happens every single day in baseball. Probably on 90 percent or more of the days, if we scan all of the final scores, some team is beating some other team with a much better record. If I’m wrong on that number, it’s only because there are so many teams with middle of the road records. As a for instance, ignoring the Cub game, the Mets beat the Padres Friday.

Put simply, these things happen. So that is whatever. But 18-3? The 18 runs in one game is the second-most that any team has allowed this season in a game. The most? 19. Bonus points if you knew that the opponent was also the Giants. So the Giants are at least a team that has been explosive this year. But Wrigley Field isn’t Coors Field. Also, the Cubs aren’t supposed to be the Rockies. One of those teams won a playoff series last year, the other… well, most of us don’t readily remember the Rockies even being in a playoff series. I imagine most of us have a hazy memory about a Rockies team that reached the World Series. And we all remember the Cubs losing a very frustrating Wild Card game against them. More bonus points if you readily knew that was the last time the Rockies played in the postseason.

The Cubs drew a good number of walks against Giants starter Robbie Ray. But they only had two hits during the competitive portion of this game. They ended up with six hits and six walks. But that’s basically never going to work when you allow 19 hits. As per usual, the Cubs got pummeled in the middle innings of this game. It’s not usually 14-1 bad. But if you read John’s stat packs, you’ve seen recently that the Cubs more or less play the first three innings close to even and they win over the last three innings, on the strength of their massive run differential in the ninth inning. But the Cubs have been outscored more in the middle innings than they outscore opponents at the end of the game.

What does it tell us about a team that struggles consistently in the middle innings? Well, some combination of two factors is at play when you allow a lot of runs in the middle innings. Either A) your starters struggle as the lineup cycles to the third time through the order or B) your depth relievers aren’t good. In this instance, the eye test would say both. Ignoring Friday’s game, year to date, Cub starters allow an opponent OPS of .648 the first time through the order, .756 the second and .850 the third.

If the Cubs are going to regroup at this point and make a run, I’m pretty sure they are going to have to start looking for 18 batters out of the starter and getting into the pen. As much as hitting is down across baseball as a whole, Cub starting pitching just doesn’t give opponents anywhere near enough trouble. That kind of usage will likely torch an already suspect Cub bullpen. But then, that beleaguered bullpen is outperforming the starters.

The only good pieces of news about Friday’s game are that no matter how lopsided the game is, it only counts as a single loss. Additionally, no matter how bad you lose, it’s still scoreless the next day when the next game starts. This series can still be won.

The odds that this team is a seller and not a buyer next month are increasing by the day. It’s becoming hard to imagine this team rebounding with any authority. There is plenty of time. I just don’t believe this team knows what to do with it.

Three Positives:

• Seiya Suzuki had a home run and drew three walks.
• Pedro Ramirez got into the game late and had a pair of singles in two plate appearances. He also scored a run.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong had a hit and a walk in three plate appearances.

Game 64, June 5: Giants 18, Cubs 3

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Seiya Suzuki (.037). 1-1, HR, 3 BB, RBI, 2 R
• Hero: Carson Kelly (.035). 2-4, RBI
• Sidekick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.016). 1-2, BB

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Edward Cabrera (-.327). 3.2 IP, 20 BF, 8 H, BB, 8 ER, 6 K (L 3-3)
• Goat: Ian Happ (-.093). 0-2
• Kid: Nico Hoerner (-.051). 0-3

WPA Play of the Game: Willy Adames’ two-run homer with two outs in the first inning. (.180)

Giants Play of the Game: Carson Kelly singled leading off the bottom of the second, the Cubs down two at t he time. (.041)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 63 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 119 of 158 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Busch +21
• Nico Hoerner/Michael Conforto +10
• Ben Brown/Kelly +9.5
• Ryan Rolison/Phil Maton/Jameson Taillon/Caleb Thielbar -8
• Matt Shaw -10
• Dansby Swanson -11
• Seiya Suzuki -26.5

Up Next: Game two of the three-game series. Ben Brown (2-2, 1.92) starts for the Cubs. Landen Roupp (5-6, 4.22) starts for the Giants.