Category: MLB

Home sweet home. After going .500 on their six-game road trip, the O’s return to Baltimore, where their most recent homestand resulted in a 7-3 record and some of their most inspired baseball of the season. This time it’s going to be a tougher task, with all seven games coming against winning teams, starting with the AL West-leading Mariners.

The M’s have been red hot of late. They were four games under .500 as recently as May 24, but then they rattled off an eight-game winning streak to take control of their underwhelming division. They were the preseason favorites to win the West and, after a sluggish start, they’re now on track to do so.

The Mariners always seem to have a quality pitching staff, and this season is no exception. Seattle’s 3.50 team ERA is second only to the Yankees among American League teams. That includes their usual stable of quality starters as we’ll discuss below, but their bullpen has been particularly effective with a 3.15 mark that leads the AL. That’s even despite a rocky performance from All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz, who has given up 15 runs in 23.1 innings and has blown five of his 14 save opportunities. The latest one came just yesterday, when Muñoz coughed up two runs in a walkoff loss in Detroit.

But the crew setting up Muñoz has been stellar. Right-hander Matt Brash has allowed only one earned run in 16 innings. Offseason acquisition Jose A. Ferrer — the A is for Awesome, I guess — has a 1.55 mark in 32 games, teaming with Gabe Speier (2.16) to form a potent lefty duo. And former O’s washout Eduard Bazardo, who made three terrible appearances with the Birds in 2023, is now one of Seattle’s most reliable relievers. Go figure.

On offense, the Mariners have been steady but unspectacular. They were surely expecting more from Cal Raleigh, last year’s 60-homer-hitting AL MVP runner-up. Raleigh has a miserable .560 OPS this season and is currently on the injured list with a right oblique strain. The M’s also haven’t gotten much from first baseman Josh Naylor (.682 OPS), whom they re-signed to a five-year, $92.5 million extension this past offseason.

But the Mariners’ outfield has picked up the slack. Luke Raley and Julio Rodríguez lead the team with 13 homers apiece, and Randy Arozarena leads all M’s position players with a 2.6 WAR. Designated hitter Dominic Canzone (144 OPS+) and shortstop J.P. Crawford (10 homers) have also been big contributors offensively. The Mariners also called up top prospect Colt Emerson to play third base, and he’s performed well so far. The Mariners’ lineup skews very left-handed, with all of their regulars except Rodríguez and Arozarena swinging from the left side. That could be a problem for the Orioles, who have three right-handed pitchers starting in this series.

Game 1: Monday, 6:35 PM, MASN

RHP Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.80) vs. TBD

The Mariners’ rotation features five above-average, homegrown hurlers under the age of 30. Not gonna lie, I’m a little jealous. They’ll start the series with Hancock, who’s been the best of them all so far. The 27-year-old, who’d had only middling results in three seasons since debuting in 2023, has put it all together in 2026. In addition to his impressive ERA, he’s carrying a sub-1.00 WHIP and is striking out a batter per inning. Hancock faced the Orioles once last season, holding them to one run in 5.2 innings, with an Adley Rutschman dinger his only blemish.

As of this writing, the Orioles still don’t have a starter listed for the opening game. It’s Chris Bassitt’s turn, but he left his last outing early with lower back tightness and his status for tonight is unclear. If Bassitt can’t go, the O’s presumably will call up Trey Gibson, who last started June 3 for Triple-A Norfolk and would be on regular rest.

Game 2: Tuesday, 6:35 PM, MASN

RHP Logan Gilbert (4-4, 3.79) vs. LHP Trevor Rogers (3-6, 6.29)

At 29, Gilbert is the graybeard of the Mariners’ rotation (not counting veteran Luis Castillo, who’s been moved to long relief). The 2024 All-Star is continuing to limit walks and rack up strikeouts, though he’s among the lowest percentile of pitchers for hard-hit %, barrel %, and average exit velocity, so batters have been squaring him up a decent amount. The O’s offense will need to be aggressive and attack pitches in the zone. The only Orioles who have faced Gilbert frequently are his former AL West opponents Taylor Ward and Leody Taveras. Ward is 6-for-22 with a homer against him, while Taveras is just 2-for-17, but both hits are home runs.

Meanwhile, Rogers might be creeping his way back to being a solid pitcher, if not his dynamite 2025 self. In each of his last two starts, he’s begun the game with 5+ scoreless innings, only to hit the wall and lose effectiveness around the 70-pitch mark. It’s progress, for sure. This is a good matchup for Rogers, as the lefty-heavy Mariners are batting just .209/.290/.336 against southpaws this year.

Game 3: Wednesday, 6:35 PM, MASN

RHP George Kirby (5-5, 4.04) vs. RHP Brandon Young (4-1, 3.47)

Could Brandon Young be the first successful Mike Elias-signed and developed Orioles pitcher? It’s shaping up that way. The 27-year-old has rattled off three straight quality starts and now has the best ERA of any Orioles starter. Young has been a huge boost to an O’s rotation that’s been wracked by injuries, and his spot seems more than secure right now. This will be his first career start against Seattle.

Kirby, a former first round pick, began his career with three strong seasons from 2022-24 before slipping a bit last year. This season he hasn’t quite returned to form, with a career-worst K/9 of 7.4 and the highest WHIP and H/9 rate of his career. Still, that could just be small-sample-size noise. For whatever reason, he’s seen the Orioles a lot; his eight career starts against them are his most against any non-division opponent, though he’s just 2-5 with a 3.26 ERA. Ward, the former Angel, has tagged Kirby for three career homers.

Game 4: Thursday, 7:05, ESPN

RHP Bryan Woo (5-4, 3.74) vs. RHP Kyle Bradish (3-7, 3.89)

Bradish seemed to have reclaimed his ace status after a stellar May, but he got roughed up by the Blue Jays in his first start of June. Hopefully it was just a one-off. Overall he’s pitching with the same kind of stuff and swagger that he displayed in his great 2023 season, looking fully recovered from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2024. Bradish will need to be careful with Arozarena, who has homered twice against him in his career.

Woo, 26, is the youngest Mariners starter and the one coming off the best 2025 season, when he was an All-Star and finished fifth in the AL Cy Young vote after posting a 2.94 ERA in 30 starts. Woo worked six or more innings in his first 25 starts of that year, which seems like a herculean task in this day and age of baseball. He hasn’t quite matched that durability this year, already with three starts in which he failed to last six innings. Woo has had four outings of six or more shutout innings, but also four outings in which he allowed four or more runs, including his most recent start in Detroit. This might be a good time to give Taylor Ward a day off; he’s 0-for-13 with five strikeouts lifetime against Woo.

How many games do you think the Orioles will win in this series, Camden Chatters? Let us know in the comments.

Worcester: W, 5-3 (BOX SCORE)

If Triple-A baseball borrowed hockey’s “three stars of the game”, the WooSox’s pick for first star in the finale against Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) would be easy. They had two extra-base hits; both came from lead-off guy Braiden Ward, and one of those doubles drove Tsung-Che Cheng in to make it a 5-2 ball game. The bullpen was then pretty nails following Michael Sansone’s five innings of work where he allowed just two runs. Worcester now has four consecutive wins.

It’s pretty clear that Ward, the return for Brennan Bernardino, sees the ball well more often than not and is a strong backstop for the depth of the outfield in the minor league organization, and while primarily an outfielder, he’s also logged time at second base since being drafted by the Rockies in 2021. Ward finished off that series with a .522 slugging percentage in the month so far and his OBP is nearing .400 on the season. He’s a step below the rest of the outfield options currently in Boston for sure, but the last person trusted with the distinction of Worcester’s regularly leadoff guy (Nick Sogard) ended up on the Major League roster before his new stint on the injured list.

Now, while we’re discussing trends Worcester buys into… anyone care to explain this e-mail I got from them?

Portland: W, 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

Gage Ziehl, who started his 2026 campaign in a rough spot, again looked awesome after initially giving up a run in the first, going five scoreless after that giving the Sea Dogs a really good chance to put Hartford (Rockies AA) away with his six total innings of one-run, eight strikeout ball. The offense wasn’t too pretty, as, through seven, the Sea Dogs were clinging on to a 2-1 lead. It was then that Franklin Arias’ team OPS crown, which was thought to be untouchable as he ran through May with it hovering around 1.3, was relinquished when Brooks Brannon had a solo shot over the “Maine Monster” in left in the eighth inning, and that sealed it for Portland. Oh, silly me, I’m forgetting the important part. That mammoth ball travelled 464 feet with an exit velocity of 115 miles per hour. Brannon, ironically enough, is pictured above with David Sandlin, who we know as the prospect in “fine, damn, here’s a prospect too, just get Jordan Hicks off of this baseball team” trade, in which the Sox acquired Ziehl. He now has nine home runs on the season. Here that absolute rocket is.

Look, I’m going to be honest: amidst people wondering why the 20-year-old Arias isn’t getting a call up to Triple-A, I’m actually pretty confounded on why Brannon, who plays first as well as catcher, isn’t getting a shot at playing first base in Worcester. (Brannon has been DH’ing the majority of games this season as Ronald Rosario and Johanfran Garcia have been splitting time on the bump.) I’m a Matt Lloyd fan, sure, but the upside is limited there. Brannon is 22, has a few years in the minors now having been drafted in 2022, put on 25 pounds over the winter and has really established his power tool in the process. Now that his OPS has eclipsed 1.000, time to make the call.

Greenville: Cancelled, Rain

The finale with Rome (Braves High-A) is scrapped entirely.

Salem: L, 9-11 (F/11) (BOX SCORE)

The finale in Wilson (Brewers A) was over almost before it began as Salem ends the series having won just 1 of 6. Any night you commit four defensive errors, you don’t stand a good chance at winning, but the offense kept up with the defensive shortcomings. Shortstop Avinson Pinto celebrated his 19th birthday (it was on May 29th…. close enough) with a triple and a home run. Unfortunately, though, the triple and Kleyvar Salazar’s grand slam happened in the midst of Salem being scored on in four consecutive innings; the game was 11-5 at its worst and even the 4-spot from Salazar couldn’t draw the game any closer than a two-run deficit. It’s nice, though, to see catchers slugging up and down the organization.

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Gavin Williams has pitched lights out this season, especially on home soil.

My Yankees vs. Guardians predictions and MLB picks expect more of the same from him against an Aaron Judge-less New York lineup. 

Who will win Yankees vs Guardians today: Guardians moneyline (-125)

Gavin Williams and Will Warren have similar counting stats, but the underlyings indicate the Cleveland Guardians have an edge on the mound.

Williams enters in great form, sporting a 2.80 xFIP, 27.2 K%, and 3.2 BB% over the last 30 days. He's played his best at home, where he has allowed more than two runs only once through six starts.

New York Yankees starter Will Warren has shown some red flags of late, posting an xFIP (5.01) nearly double his ERA (2.78) the past 30 days. Back the Guardians to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Gavin Williams ranks in the 84th percentile or higher in chase rate, whiff rate, and strikeout rate.

Yankees vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-115)

The Yankees have predictably slowed down offensively without Aaron Judge in the lineup. They’ve scored 20 runs over five games, and were held to four or fewer in four of them.

Williams is allowing an average of just 1.70 runs per start in Cleveland, so this is not a spot we should see a spike.

While Warren is not pitching as well as Williams right now, the Guardians rank 29th in average and 26th in OPS vs. righties at home. They're not a team that should blow the doors off anyone. I'd play this to -130.

Yankees vs Guardians odds

• Moneyline: Yankees +105 | Guardians -125
• Run line: Yankees +1.5 (-200) | Guardians -1.5 (+165)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (-105) | Under 8 (-115)

Yankees vs Guardians trend

The Guardians have cashed the moneyline in 16 of their last 25 games for +6.6 units and a 21% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Guardians.

How to watch Yankees vs Guardians and game info

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Paul Toboni and the Nationals front office must have been in a giving mood last night because they made all sorts of promotions. Several prospects, including some of the biggest names in the organization rose up the ranks. Eli Willits, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Ethan Petry were among the players to be promoted.

This is a monster day for the organization. Willits and Fitz-Gerald are two of the Nats top five prospects, and now they are moving up. Fitz-Gerald is headed to Double-A, while Willits takes his place in the High-A infield. None of these promotions were overly surprising, just all of them happening at once was a bit of a shock to the system.

The biggest promotion of the day was Eli Willits, the former number one overall pick. Willits got off to a slower start, but has picked it up in a huge way. After a monster series this week, Willits is now hitting .300 with a .918 OPS in Low-A. Of course, Willits also brings elite defense and base running to this quality offensive game. 

So far this season, Willits has been a slightly different hitter than expected. His 23.3% strikeout rate is a little bit higher than anticipated. However, he has shown more power than evaluators were expecting, especially this early in his career. Willits already has 6 homers and 14 extra base hits on the season. He is also one of just ten 18 year olds to have at least a 150 wRC+ at Low-A, with some impressive names on that list.

Having seen Willits, he just looks like such a safe bet to be at least a solid big leaguer, which is a crazy thing to say about an 18 year old. Everything he does on the field is so smooth and natural. He is an incredibly sure handed fielder, with just one error all season. Willits could probably play a quality big league shortstop tomorrow. He is also like the energizer bunny on the bases. The youngster is always looking to make plays, as shown by his 29 steals.

He will be in for a fun matchup to start his High-A career though. The Blue Rocks head to Greensboro, where an elite pitching prospect resides. Seth Hernandez was the 6th overall pick in last year’s draft and has established himself as an elite pitching prospect already. He absolutely tore through Low-A before his promotion. Now the two blue chip prospects will likely face off sometime this week.

Willits is the biggest name to be promoted in this spree, but there are plenty of other movements on the farm. Talk Nats was all over this, so a major shoutout to him. One promotion that was a long time coming was Ethan Petry’s move to Double-A. 

As a productive SEC hitter, it just felt like High-A was too easy for Petry. Now, he will be tested at the Double-A level. I will be looking to see if his contact rates stay strong. Petry was making in zone contact at an above average clip in High-A despite being known as a power over hit guy. If those contact skills translate to AA, he could be a potential top 100 prospect.

Speaking of top 100 prospects, Devin Fitz-Gerald got called up to Double-A as well. The timing on this one is intriguing because DFG was in the midst of a major slump. He just snapped an 0 for 22 skid in his most recent game. However, before this cold streak, Fitz-Gerald was one of the hottest bats in all of minor league baseball. There was a time last month where it felt like he was homering every game.

While Fitz-Gerald has cooled off, his season OPS is still above .900. That is highly impressive for a 20 year old who plays his home games in pitcher friendly park. There is also a chance that his slump may have actually led to his promotion. That home run frenzy may have led to some bad habits forming. By getting to a new level, Fitz-Gerald is going to have to focus on making contact rather than swinging for the fences on every swing.

Those home runs might have made Fitz-Gerald’s swing a little too big. He has a great ability to pull the ball in the air, which leads to homers, but DFG should not be trying to be a home run hitter. Fitz-Gerald is at his best when he is trying to hit line drives to right field and then swinging for the fences when he gets the right pitch. Once he remembers that he is a pure hitter with power and not a slugger, the results will come.

One other promotion I wanted to shout out is Jack Moroknek, who dominated in Low-A. He was a joy to talk to when I chatted to him for my story when I went down to Fredericksburg. Moroknek is a self aware guy, who knows he is not some mega prospect. He is just really happy to be playing professional baseball and being teammates with guys like Eli Willits. The 11th rounder still has a long way to go, but I am keeping my eye on him.

These are the only promotions we know for now, but there could be more coming. With Petry and Fitz-Gerald coming to Double-A, a Cayden Wallace promotion would make a lot of sense. Wallace is 24 and has been performing in Double-A. The Triple-A infield is crowded, but his versatility makes it easy to find him a spot in a lineup. Sam Petersen has also been hitting the ball well lately, but the AAA outfield is even more crowded.

This is a big day for the organization, especially with Willits being called up. After he was drafted, Eli Willits said his goal was to be in the big leagues by the time he is 20 years old. He will be 18 for all of this season, and has already made it to High-A. Willits is on track to be in the big leagues as a 20 year old, and could even get a cup of coffee as a teenager if he has a monster year next season.

While the big league team is making more noise than expected, the farm system is still a massive priority for the new regime. The farm has more depth than I can ever remember, and these promotions are a good example of that. In the past, a lot of players got promoted too quickly, with Seaver King being a good example. However, it is tough to say that any of these guys did not earn these promotions. I am excited to watch these guys perform at the next level and march to the big leagues.

It was a day of completing series for the minor league teams. How did the team’s youngsters do?

Rochester 7, Lehigh Valley 6

Part of a looming issue facing the big league team right now is depth. What if there was a major injury of some kind, particularly to the pitching staff? Is there someone there that you would feel good about bringing to the major leagues? While the pitching staff would be a problem, what about the outfield? We know that Gabriel Rincones would likely be the initial choice, but outside of that? Keaton Anthony (2-5, RBI)? Dylan Carlson (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI)? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Binghamton 4, Reading 2

Speaking of looming things, the trade deadline is coming. The team has a good amount of prospect capital playing in Reading right now, some of it performing quite well. Aroon Escobar (0-3, K) is one of those prospects that might attract attention, as is maybe Bryan Rincon (1-4) and Raylin Heredia (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI). The pitching prospects? Maybe not so much.

Brooklyn 5, Jersey Shore 3

Pedro Leon (2-3, R, 3B, HR, 3 RBI) is an interesting player. Originally signed to give them some outfield depth at the major league level, he got hurt in spring training and has had to rehab and various parts of the minor leagues. Now in High-A, he’s been mashing the ball….but why isn’t he moving up the ladder? They have Dante Nori at Reading, which is who they’d like to get regular at bats at that level, but what about Lehigh Valley? Why not go there and see if he can be an option in centerfield there? Is Dylan Carlson too much to overcome? Do they like Leon enough to just let him hit the ball hard in Lakewood? I have questions.

Clearwater 11, St. Lucie 8

Nathan Humphreys, have a day. The young DH went 4-4 with two home runs and five RBI, leading the Threshers to victory. He wasn’t alone in the offensive explosion either. Juan Villavicencio and Jonathan Hogart each had three hits on the day, both hitting a home run. Sean Youngerman was pretty bad on the mound, allowing six runs in two innings, but when offenses are doing things like that, you can look past the mound struggles.

Good morning! A tough ending to their game against the Detroit Tigers yesterday handed the Mariners a series loss.

The Mariners will continue their road trip with a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles beginning this afternoon, with Emerson Hancock taking the mound for the 3:35 PM start.

In Mariners news…

• Cal Raleigh reflects on his first rehab start with the Everett AquaSox as he progresses back from an oblique strain.
• Infielder Ryan Bliss has joined the Mariners’ taxi squad as J.P. Crawford remains out of the lineup due to a sore right hand.

Around the league…

• The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Max Kepler amid his 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.
• Chicago Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon will be placed on the IL after leaving the team’s game yesterday with a left hamstring strain.
• The Los Angeles Angels have placed RHP Jack Kochanwicz on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation.
• Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal threw five scoreless innings in his first rehab start yesterday.

(25-38) Norfolk Tide 6, (32-31) Gwinnett Stripers 0

• Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-for-5, .293/.389/.422
• DaShawn Keirsey Jr., CF: 2-for-5, SB, .263/.298/.387
• Brewer Hicklen, RF: 1-for-5, SB, .324/.389/.530
• Aaron Schunk, 1B: 0-for-1, 3 BB, SB, .240/.308/.387
• Luke Williams, 3B: 0-for-1, 3 BB, .227/.305/.367
• Owen Murphy, SP: 5IP 6H 5R 4ER 1BB 6K, 4.91 ERA

Box Score

The Stripers dropped a hard one, getting shut out by the Norfolk Tide and losing 6-0 while splitting the series at three games a piece.

Owen Murphy got the start and had an interesting game as he changed his pitch mix, nearly dropping his curveball entirely, in increasing his cutter usage significantly throughout the outing. Typically, Owen is primarily a fastball pitcher, thanks to his unique fastball that has an IVB that averages 18-22”, but those numbers were way down as he featured his cutter more. Overall, Owen generated 17 whiffs, and most of his trouble came off of a grand slam he allowed to Tommy Pham, also on a cutter. Connor Thomas (2IP 2H 1ER 1BB 1BB 0K) came in relief for Owen and allowed a run of his own across two innings of work. With the offense struggling and still being shut out, Daysbel Hernández (2IP 0H 0R 2BB 2K) worked the final two innings and kept the Tide scoreless.

Unfortunately, the offense struggled throughout the game. They faced six different arms, drew a staggering nine walks, but only had one extra-base hit while going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position, and stranding 13 on base. Every time the Stripers would threaten with runners on base they either hit into double plays, or struck out in clutch situations – including the first and second innings when they had runners on but hit into double plays each time. DaShawn Keirsey Jr., fresh off being added to the forty man roster, was the only hitter to collect more than one hit, however three players (Brett Wisely, Aaron Schunk, and Luke Williams) all got on base three times each, drawing three walks a piece.

(26-28) Columbus Clingstones @ (28-27) Rocket City Trash Pandas – Canceled/Rain

(22-32) Greenville Drive @ (30-26) Rome Emperors – Canceled/Rain

(22-35) Delmarva Shorebirds 4, (30-27) Augusta GreenJackets 0

• Conor Esssenburg, CF: 1-for-4, .246/.373/.449
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-for-4, .280/.325/.347
• Cooper McMurray, DH: 2-for-3, BB, .212/.361/.364
• Davis Polo, SP: 6IP 4H 2R 1ER 0BB 8K, 3.22 ERA

Box Score

The GreenJackets just couldn’t get things started offensively as they struck out 11 times as a team, while collecting just four total hits all while failing to draw a single walk. They went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, while stranding 10 on base. To put the cherry on top of it all, they also committed three errors in a game they will want to forget.

Davis Polo got the start for Augusta and turned in another strong start generating an astounding 20 whiffs on 84 pitches. The return from a shoulder injury has gone fantastic for Davis as he has leaned into his three pitch mix to great results. The first run he gave up came in the second inning when a triple turned into an inside the park home run, after an error by catcher Nick Montgomery. The second run came in the third inning when he hit Shorebirds catcher Nolaya, who then stole second, and took third on a throwing error by catcher Nick Montgomery. He then scored on a single with one out – that was the final run given up by Davis. Kendy Richard (3IP 4H 2ER 0BB 3K) replaced Davis Polo and gave up a pair of runs himself, one in the seventh and one in the ninth.

Offensively, the GreenJackets were unable to overcome the defensive mistakes as they struggled to get anything done with the bat. Cody Miller, now finding himself at the top of the lineup in Augusta, went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts – continuing his difficult 2026, though he did pick up a pair of stolen bases. Cooper McMurray got on base three times as he picked up a pair of singles and drew a walk. With just six total bases, it was a game to forget for Augusta offense.

Game Recaps

[Dbacks.com] ‘Pretty dominant’: Soroka’s latest gem salvages D-backs’ homestand – Behind another good outing from Michael Soroka, the Diamondbacks beat the Nationals, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon to avoid a sweep in the three-game series. They finished up their week at home with a 3-4 mark. “Probably an incomplete grade,” manager Torey Lovullo said when asked to assess the homestand. “Nothing overly alarming, and nothing to get overly excited about. I want to come home and win baseball games. “It’s been a bit of an up-and-down stretch for the Diamondbacks. They dominated a run of 13 straight games against the NL’s two worst teams, going a combined 11-2 against the Rockies and Giants. They got swept in Seattle before coming home to face the Dodgers for four games.

[AZ Central] Michael Soroka’s career revival continues with 8th win of season – Michael Soroka’s last winning season was 2019, when he went 13-4 for Atlanta and was a National League All-Star. Seven years later, he’s headed toward more wins than losses; he’s 8-3 after holding the Nationals to a run on three hits over seven innings on Sunday, June 7, at Chase Field. Soroka matched his season high for most innings pitched in a game, and also struck six. He recorded his first seven-inning game with one or fewer runs allowed since August 2019. “It says a lot about how the team’s played,” Soroka said, asked what eight wins says about how he’s pitched in 2026. “I’ve been on the other end of the wins stat in my career. I went 0-and-10 in 2024. I didn’t pitch well for a good chunk of that. But these guys have supported me with some runs and some good defense.”

Team news

[MLB Trade Rumors] Diamondbacks Sign Max Kepler – News broke last January about Kepler’s positive test for the PED known as Epitrenbolone, and with Kepler still on the free agent market, his camp and Major League Baseball worked out an agreement for Kepler to serve his 80-game suspension even if he didn’t land a new contract. Since Kepler didn’t sign until now, he has been serving his 80-game suspension as if he was still a member of the Phillies (his former team). This makes June 25 the first day Kepler is eligible to take part in the 2026 season, so he’ll get a couple of weeks of ramp-up time in the minor leagues before making his D’Backs debut. Even before the suspension, Kepler was likely facing a tough market given his lack of production with the Phillies last year. He hit .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs over 474 plate appearances, and even those modest numbers now come under the cloud of the PED suspension.

[SI] What D-backs’ Ugly Series Loss to Nationals Told Us — And What It Didn’t – After being blown out 14-1 in game one, the D-backs picked up just two hits against Zack Littell in game two. Littell had an ERA north of 5.00 coming in to Saturday’s game. But more critically, Arizona could not find a way to bring runners home once on base. They turned in a dismal 1-for-12 performance with runners in scoring position in this series, including an 0-for-7 day in game three’s 5-1 win. That game might have been a blowout victory with a semblance of improved RISP hitting. It’s a problem that the Diamondbacks only had 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position. It’s a worse problem only one resulted in a hit. This will have to change very quickly.

[Arizona Daily Star] Early signs point to progress in Diamondbacks’ pitching pipeline – “It’s good to see progress, but it’s too early to necessarily say what the long-term progress is going to be in that area,” D-backs general manager Mike Hazen said. “It’s going to take some time.” Hazen said some of the improvements can be traced to philosophical changes and processes implemented by Jeremy Bleich, the club’s new assistant general manager, who was hired in December to revamp the team’s pitching infrastructure. Hazen said Bleich has made a “major impact” on improving strike-throwing from a mentality standpoint. He said the club’s changes to add velocity are still taking shape. “We’re obviously trying to build the engines of our pitchers safely, engines that can drive higher average velocities and I think they’re doing a good job of that,” Hazen said.

[MLB] Tommy Troy on his training, his father’s influence

Not THIS again department…

[Arizona Sports] Report: D-backs 2B Ketel Marte continuing to frustrate segments of organization with absences – Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte has continued to frustrate segments of the organization for taking days off, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Marte missed the Diamondbacks’ game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. The decision was a combination of Marte and Arizona’s medical staff due to lower back and hamstring issues, and they did not want to risk further injury, according to Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro. Marte’s absence was a talking point last season as there was some drama off the field due to absences and days-off requests around the All-Star break, which reportedly rubbed teammates the wrong way given the timing of the requests. He later apologized.

And, elsewhere…

[MLB] Top 10 Plays of the Week

[AP] Kyle Freeland now Rockies’ all-time innings pitched leader – The Denver native got Luis Rengifo to fly out in the fifth inning to take over the top spot. That first out to center put Freeland at 1,312 2/3 innings for his career and one-third ahead of Aaron Cook, the sinkerball specialist who notched 1,312 1/3 innings for Colorado from 2002 to ’11. Freeland received an ovation and made sure to appreciate the moment — just like former Rockies manager Bud Black once instructed.”I kind of thought of Buddy, that he’d love for me to tip the cap,” Freeland said after the Brewers finished off a three-game sweep with a 12-4 win Sunday. “I know that he would have probably told me, ‘Hey, make sure you tip your cap to the fans out there for their support of you over the years.’ I made sure I found my family to tip my cap to them, too.”

The War Between (2025)

• Rating: C+
• Dir: Deborah Correa
• Star: Damian Conrad-Davis, Sam Bullington, Wayne Charles Baker, Essa O’Shea

We’re familiar with the location in which this takes place. Picacho Peak is just off to the right of I-10, as we head down to Tucson. By our marriage vows, I am required to refer to it as “Pikachu Peak,” every time we pass it, and Chris is obliged to roll her eyes and snort derisively. In 1862, it was the site of the second-most Western conflict of the Civil War, though the “Battle of Picacho Pass” hardly deserves the name, since it was more of a ninety-minute skirmish. There was barely a dozen men on either side, with the Confederate group prevailing and able subsequently to warn Tucson of the approaching Union army. It’s in the wake of this event that the film begins.

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John Hudek’s start was something that only Hollywood could conjure up.     A year to the day from when he was in Toledo, Ohio and the Tigers dropped from the 40-man roster, he’d appear as an All-Star for the Houston Astros.    He was a model of perseverance.  He’s reliever John Hudek, and he’s our 23rd entry of our continuing Legends Series.    

Q:  You made your MLB debut with the Astros in April of 1994.  Three months later you were an All-Star.  What do you remember about that 1994 All Star Game?   

A:  In the game, first they told me to go and get loose.  So, I threw like five pitches and I was ready, I was so hyped up.  I honestly didn’t even know I was facing Cal Ripken Jr and I struck him out.   I just brought fastballs to him pretty much.   I was so locked in.     

My approach was always; it’s me against you, so I didn’t even pay attention to who I was facing.   Afterwards though, I was like oh my gosh!    I got Cal!    (laughs)     

Q:  That 1994 All-Star Game was also fun because at one point, you, Doug Drabek, Biggio, Bagwell and Caminiti were all on the field together. What was it like having so many teammates on the All-Star team?  

A:  Back then having five in the All-Star Game was a big deal.  It was such an incredible experience.   

You’ll remember that was the year that Bagwell was hitting everything.    It didn’t matter if there were no outs, or two outs, he was getting guys who were on base in.    The thing about that group of five, is that we all earned the right.    

Drabek had won the Cy Young with Pittsburgh earlier so going back and playing that night was awesome.   

Q:  Of the 194 games that you appeared in, what was the most memorable for you?

A:  I had situations that were cool.    My first official save was incredible.   Sometimes what I remember is just the friendships.  

One time, I gave up a bomb and Bagwell is out there and he’s taking forever to come in and I’m like, “let’s go” and he’s like I can’t, I’m waiting for that ball to come down that you threw (laughs).   That thing went all the way up on the tarps in Miami but that’s how we would bring each other down to earth.    Stuff would happen every outing, but every save was special and of course that All-Star Game was big.    

In one my career official at bat, I actually got a hit and drove in a pair of runs!    

Q:  How close a group was that 1994 team?

A:  I played with Derek Bell in High School.   Gonzo was also there, Dave Magadan was from there, so all of those guys and then you had so many great players thrown into the mix, it was a special group and time.   Those guys didn’t have any attitudes; they just played hard and had fun.

Hickory starter Evan Siary allowed two runs in five innings, striking out four and walking one. Owen Proksch struck out two and walked one in two innings. Michael Trausch faced four batters, threw six strikes in 21 pitches, and allowed a hit, three walks and two runs.

Hector Osorio was 3 for 5 with a homer — his 13th of the year — and I wouldn’t be shocked if this was his last game at Hickory. Paulino Santana had a pair of doubles. Daniel Flames doubled. Josh Springer had a hit. Brayling more had a pinch hit single.

Hickory box score

Hub City starter D.J. McCarty struck out nine in 4.2 IP, allowing two runs, including a solo homer, and walking one. Case Matter threw 0.2 scoreless. Joey Danielson struck out two in a shutout inning.

Yeison Morrobel was 3 for 5 with a walk and a homer. Esteban Mejia was 3 for 4 with a homer and a stolen base. Maxton Martin had a hit.

Hub City box score

Frisco played a pair.

In Game One, Dylan MacLean gave up four runs in four innings, striking out two and allowing a pair of homers. Josh Trentadue walked one in a shutout inning. Wilian Bormie threw a scoreless inning.

Josh Smith began his rehab assignment, hit leadoff, playing second base, and was 2 for 3 with a homer and a walk. Rafe Perich homered. Dylan Dreiling had a hit and a pair of walks.

In Game Two, Bryan Magdaleno walked two and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Ryan Lobus threw 1.2 scoreless innings.

Josh Smith led off and DH’d in Game Two, going 0 for 1 with a walk before being lifted for a pinch hitter. Rafe Perich was 2 for 3 with a homer. Ian Moller homered.

Frisco Game One box score

Frisco Game Two box score

Round Rock starter David Davalillo was lifted after recording just two outs, likely because he was at 34 pitches for the inning, with an 11 pitch walk to Alek Thomas being his final batter. Thomas Ireland allowed two runs in three innings, striking out two and walking two. Gavin Collyer allowed a run in 1.1 IP, striking out one and walking one. Michael Otanez struck out one and walked one in 0.2 IP, allowing a run. Emiliano Teodo walked one and struck out one in a shutout inning.

Alejandro Osuna was 2 for 4. Cam Cauley and Blaine Crim each had a hit.

Round Rock box score

The Yankees flirted with leaving the weekend against the Red Sox winless, as they were tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the eighth and hadn’t taken advantage of an excellent day from Cam Schlittler. Thankfully the Bombers’ bats came alive at last, Cody Bellinger breaking the ice with a solo shot before a Trent Grisham RBI single and a three-run blast by Jazz Chisholm Jr. gave the Yanks some breathing room. Final score: 6-1 Yanks and an offense hopefully back on track.

Here’s what else was going on in American League action on Sunday, which included a key game that brought the Yanks back to the forefront of the AL East.

Tampa Bay Rays (37-25) 1, Miami Marlins (31-35) 4

The Fish really did the Yankees a solid over the weekend, as despite entering with a 29-34 record, they took two out of three from the first-place Rays. In fairness to Tampa Bay, Sunday was a tougher matchup with former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara in control. He went seven strong innings, allowing one run on five hits and a walk, the lone score coming in the third when Yandy Díaz singled in Taylor Walls after the latter swiped second.

Griffin Jax isn’t a schmuck though, and for his part, the recently-converted reliever shut the Marlins down in five scoreless frames. With Garrett Cleavinger, however, the Fish fared better. Liam Hicks worked a one-out walk in the sixth and Otto Lopez tied the game with a triple that Cedric Mullins failed to cut off in center.

Kyle Stowers lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Lopez and the Marlins were in front.

Miami added insurance runs after a strike-’em-out/throw-’em-out double play that was part of a three-batter seventh for Sandy. Steven Matz entered for Tampa Bay, fresh off his return to the bullpen with the Rays abandoning their effort to make him a starter again. His first relief appearance didn’t go so hot either. The lefty walked Esteury Ruiz, allowed a stolen base, and then issued a free pass to Jakob Marsee. The duo executed a double steal, and the Rays brought the infield in. Joe Mack grounded to shortstop, but catcher Hunter Fedducia couldn’t handle the throw home. Both Ruiz and Marsee scored to make it 4-1, Miami.

Michael Petersen and Anthony Bender combined to allow a mere Jonathan Aranda single across the final two innings as the Marlins took the series. The Rays are now back in a virtual tie with the Yankees for first place in the AL East, technically percentage points ahead of them at 37-25 (.597) vs. 38-26 (.594), but they have played two fewer games than the Yanks. On the MLB.com standings page, they’re even in terms of games ahead/behind. Regardless, the Rays host the Red Sox for three at the Trop next while the Yanks go to Cleveland.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (32-34) 6, Baltimore Orioles (31-35) 4: The Jays enjoyed beating Baltimore 6-4 so much on Saturday that they did the exact same thing yesterday. There was more drama to this one, as the O’s jumped out to a 4-0 lead with an ambush on Kevin Gausman, Colton Cowser and Taylor Ward both homering in the four-run fifth. An inning later, the Jays stormed back. Yohendrick Piñango led off with a homer against Shane Baz, and after a Jesús Sánchez double and an error by Gunnar Henderson, the floodgates opened. An RBI groundout, single, and double followed, the last an Andrés Giménez hit to tie the game at 4-4. Nathan Lukes then reached on an infield single that caromed off the mound, and the play was just so slow enough for Giménez to come all the way around to score. Brandon Valenzuela later homered off Rico Garcia for an insurance run and Louie Varland retired three batters in a row as the potential tying run to nail down the Jays win.

Seattle Mariners (34-32) 4, Detroit Tigers (27-39) 5: The brutal season for Andrés Muñoz continues. The two-time All-Star closer has been dreadful in 2026, and he blew another game on Sunday, dooming Seattle to a series loss at the hands of the Tigers. They’ve been playing better this past week, but Seattle had this one in hand. Run-scoring hits from Josh Naylor, Cole Young, and Randy Arozarena gave the M’s a 4-1 lead. It was trimmed to 4-3 due to an ineffective Cooper Criswell, and then Muñoz entered for the ninth. He issued consecutive walks with one out to Zach McKinstry and the man whose triple had already cut into Seattle’s lead, Wenceel Pérez. A soft grounder moved the runners over, and down to Detroit’s last out, rookie Kevin McGonigle came through with a two-run single to win it.

Cleveland Guardians (37-30) 0, Texas Rangers (32-33) 10: The Mariners’ loss was the Rangers’ gain, as the obliterated the Guardians to move to within a game and a half of Seattle in the underwhelming AL West race. (The A’s also won to move to within 2.5.) It was a nice atonement for Texas after a 6-0 loss on Saturday. Cleveland’s Joey Cantillo was obliterated to the tune of seven runs on nine hits, three of which came on homers to Josh Jung, Wyatt Langford, and Justin Foscue. Jacob deGrom threw six scoreless for the Rangers, yielding just three hits. The Guardians retained a two-game AL Central lead over the White Sox, who would be leading the AL West. Unfortunately for them, it is not 1983 or 1993.

The Royals have spent much of the season looking like a team destined to sell at the trade deadline. At 27-39, they own one of the American League’s worst records and remain on pace for nearly 100 losses. The starting pitching staff is likely to be targeted by several contenders.

USA Today reporter Bob Nightengale wrote an early preview of the trade deadline, focused largely on Tigers pitching star Tarik Skubal. He reports that Royals pitcher Kris Bubic is drawing interest from the upstart Athletics. But he adds, theRoyals may not be ready to dump their roster despite their record.

The Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins, two more teams going nowhere, say they aren’t ready to sell considering the AL absolutely stinks, and they are somehow still alive in the wild-card race.

Despite all their struggles, the Royals are only 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, and a recent stretch of five wins in seven games has offered a glimpse of the club many expected to contend this year.

Bubic has been out since mid-May with elbow soreness and had a bullpen session this week, but has no timetable to return. The 28-year-old Northern California native was an All-Star last year, and had a 4.11 ERA in nine starts this year, his final year before he is eligible for free agency.

If the Royals decide to become sellers, Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha could also draw significant interest, although both are in the middle of multi-year contract extensions. Cole Ragans could be attractive if he can establish his health – he has also been since May and was shut down after he experienced discomfort in a rehab start. Relievers Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Alex Lange could also be targeted by teams needing bullpen help.

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The Milwaukee Brewers enter Monday's series opener in excellent form, and the matchup against Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs only adds to their appeal.

My Brewers vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks are backing Milwaukee to continue its offensive surge and roll to a convincing victory behind another strong outing from Kyle Harrison.

Who will win Brewers vs A's today: Brewers -1.5 (-105)

The Milwaukee Brewers will see Athletics left-hander Jeffrey Springs in the series opener. He's struggling immensely over his last two starts, posting a 5.99 FIP while allowing an alarming 3.12 home runs per nine innings. 

Additionally, opponents have generated a 51.7% hard-hit rate against him during that stretch, while his FIP sits at 4.43 at home this season. The Brew Crew comes into this one absolutely red-hot at the dish, hitting .319 over their last seven games while averaging a hard-hit rate of 44.6%. 

Kyle Harrison, meanwhile, has been elite. He has a 2.45 xFIP in his last two appearances, and he's given up just 0.77 home runs per nine innings across those starts.

He also owns an impressive 1.69 ERA on the road in 2026. The Athletics haven't shown much power lately, either, carrying a .163 ISO over the last week. I'd play this pick up to -130. 

COVERS INTEL: Kyle Harrison has limited opponents to a 26.6% hard-hit rate in his last four outings and a barrel rate of just 4.7%. 

Brewers vs A's Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 (+100)

This is an incredibly high total, and I'm expecting most of the runs here to come from Milwaukee. The Brewers are averaging 8.7 runs across their last seven contests, although that number is somewhat inflated after scoring 16 against the Giants and 12 against the Rockies. Nevertheless, they're generating plenty of offense and should have success against Springs.

The A's, however, have struggled at the plate. They own just a 79 wRC+ and .289 wOBA over the last week, suggesting consistent offensive production could be difficult to come by.

Milwaukee's bullpen has also been terrific lately, posting a 3.00 xERA over the last 14 days while allowing just 0.54 home runs per nine innings.

This feels like a game where the Brewers do most of the scoring, while Kyle Harrison and Milwaukee's relief corps limit the damage on the other side. I'll play this up to -110.

Brewers vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Brewers -150 | A's +140
• Run line: Brewers -1.5 (-104) | A's +1.5 (-100)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-117) | Under 10.5 (+113)

Brewers vs A's trend

The Brewers have covered the run line in 27 of their last 45 games for +11.80 units and a 22% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. A's.

How to watch Brewers vs A's and game info

Brewers vs A's latest injuries

Brewers vs A's weather

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Back to even on the week, the Guardians proved that they can come back strong after a rough patch. They took down one of the biggest threats in the American League and avoided getting swept once again.

Bibee Gets First Win

While win-loss record isn’t much of an important stat for pitchers these days, it doesn’t look the greatest when a pitcher is 0-7 to start the season. That was exactly the case for Tanner Bibee who had not earned a win in any of his first 13 starts of the season. The Guardians haven’t lost every game he’s started, he just did not earn a decision in any of those wins. That was until Saturday’s game against the Texas Rangers. Bibee went eight innings, giving up zero runs on just three hits. He walked two and only struck out three, but his eight innings of work in a 6-0 ballgame all but guaranteed him his first win of the season. He acknowledged that wins are “the most useless stat” in baseball but agreed that getting his first was a weight off of his shoulders.

Bazzana Has A Night as Big as Texas

Even though the Guards could not pull off a win in Friday’s 3-2 nailbiter versus Texas, they won the hit column thanks to four huge at bats from rookie Travis Bazzana. He started off hot with a leadoff home run in the first inning, his fourth of the season. In the top of the third, he led off with a single and stole second base. Two innings later, he hit a triple into right field but was not brought home by any of his teammates. He struck out in his final at bat of the night keeping him from the cycle, but he certainly boosted his batting average and slugging percentage with the attempt. He now sits at .271/.355/.444 for the season.

Smith Earns Big Honors

Closer Cade Smith was named the American League Reliever of the Month for May on Wednesday. From May 1st to the 31st, he led MLB with 12 saves while striking out 25 hitters in 13.2 innings. While he had a rough start to the season, he’s gotten right back on track and has become the closer that Cleveland needed after losing Clase. He’s sitting at a 2.83 ERA and 1.08 WHIP for the season and has been a strikeout machine. If he can continue to lock down games late, he’ll be a key part to getting the Guards back to the postseason.

Social Media Spotlight

Doing a bit of a self-plug here, but my favorite social media post from this week was one that I made. I went to the Columbus Clippers game on Saturday, and while I only got to see one inning of baseball thanks to a two-hour weather delay, I got to visit with my favorite former player/current Triple-A pitching coach, Nick Wittgren.

Talk around the San Diego Padres was the offense might have been turning a corner when Freddy Fermin hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning that helped them beat the visiting New York Mets on Saturday night. The teams returned to the field on Sunday, and the Padres proved that theory was inaccurate.

San Diego was down early, and it stayed that way throughout the game. New York scored runs in the first, second, fifth, sixth and eighth innings and took the three-game series with a 7-3 win. The floundering Padres offense was outhit 13-7 and five of the 13 hits for the Mets came from rookie Carson Benge who finished the day 5-for-5 with three singles, a home run and a triple. He also scored three runs and had two RBI.

The offensive bright spot for San Diego was once again Fermin, who hit his second two-run home run in as many days. This is the part where you are reminded that Fernando Tatis Jr. still only has one home run. Fermin finished the afternoon 2-fo-4 with a home run and a double. He scored a run and had all three RBI for the Padres. Tatis, Jackson Merrill, Xander Bogaerts, Miguel Andujar and Samad Taylor each had a hit for San Diego. Andujar came out of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning with an injury after he reached base on his single.

Randy Vasquez could not fool the Mets hitters, as evidenced by Benge’s success at the plate, and he allowed four runs on eight hits and lasted just four inning. Vasquez also allowed two walks and recorded just three strikeouts in the game. He was not the only Padres pitcher who struggled against the New York lineup. Yuki Matsui allowed two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings, Ron Marinaccio allowed one run on one hit and a walk in 2.1 innings, and Wandy Peralta did not allow a run but did allow two hits and issued a walk in his one inning of work.

San Diego does not get a break before the Cincinnati Reds come to town. The Padres and Reds open their three-game series tonight at 6:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres are in need of a spark. It would be nice if that came one the offensive side, but perhaps it can come from adding pitcher Jhony Brito to the MLB roster. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball thinks it is possible.

• German Marquez looked good in his latest rehab start in El Paso, but can he hit? The return of Marquez could help the rotation eat more innings to give the bullpen a break, but the offense will have to support his efforts.

• Sung-Mun Song has not had the struggles at the plate that many international players do when coming to the MLB from Japan or Korea. He has shown an ability to hit the fastball and his contributing on offense, but his greatest contribution has been his defense.

• Manny Machado had one hit in the three-game series against the Mets. His average is abysmal, but he his hitting home runs. Fernando Tatis Jr. has a good average hitting above .270 but still has not found his power stroke and has just one home run on the season. Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribunediscusses the strange season for the two San Diego stars.

• Samad Taylor is a California native who made his first start for the Padres with family and friends in attendance at Petco Park. He was able to give them a hit but unfortunately could not help San Diego give them a win.

• San Diego has not shown any signs of life during their recent struggles, but Dennis Lin of The Athletic says the Padres could still be buyers a t the deadline.

Baseball News:

• Kevin McGonigle hit a walk-off single to give the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners.

• Tarik Skubal is looking to return to the mound as soon as possible and is well on his way after five scoreless innings in his first rehab start.

• The Atlanta Braves completed a sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 3-2 win.

• Brandon Marsh homered to help the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago White Sox.

• The bottom of the lineup for the Los Angeles Angels dominated Los Angeles Dodgers pitching and gave the Halos a 13-5 win.

• The Milwaukee Brewers reached 40 wins on the season with a win and a series sweep over the Colorado Rockies.

• The St. Louis Cardinals completed a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds.