DETROIT, MI - JUNE 7: Pitcher Jack Flaherty #9 of the Detroit Tigers during the second inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park on June 7, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Detroit Tigers fell short in their quest to take the lead in a four-game home series against the Houston Astros on Saturday afternoon, coughing up a late lead en route to an 8-6 defeat.
Framber Valdez struggled against his old team, but the offense looked strong for the second straight game. Unfortunately, Will Vest was unable to hold on, surrendering three runs in the eighth to doom the Olde English D.
Toeing the rubber in the series finale on Sunday afternoon is right-hander Jack Flaherty, who makes his return to the mound after missing time on the injured list with abductor inflammation. The 30-year-old made one rehab start in Double-A Erie, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across 5⅔ innings on 83 pitches.
Flaherty was on the IL when the Tigers faced the Astros in Houston last week. In his two games before being shelved, he posted a bloated 5.63 ERA but a tidy 1.85 FIP, allowing nine hits and two walks while striking out eight over eight frames of work.
For the visitors, fellow righty Hunter Brown will be making his fifth start of the season. The 27-year-old has allowed one run or less in his four appearances so far, but only made it through three innings his last time out against the Toronto Blue Jays, surrendering a solo home run along with three other hits and two walks while striking out four and hitting a pair of batters for a no-decision in a 4-2 team loss.
Brown looked sharp against the Tigers in Houston last week, throwing 5 2/3 frames of one-run ball on three hits and three walks while striking out seven for a no-decision in a 4-2 team win.
Here is a quick look at how the two match up on Sunday afternoon inside Comerica Park.
Detroit Tigers (35-48) vs. Houston Astros (41-44)
Time (ET): 1:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:The Crawfish Boxes Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 84: RHP Jack Flaherty (1-8, 5.35 ERA) vs. RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 1.40 ERA)
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 3-4 at Indianapolis Indians
2B Marco Luciano 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, K throwing error — produced half the hits and all the ribbies, but the rest of the offense didn’t do much DH Yanquiel Fernández 0-4, 2 K, GIDP C Garrett Martin 0-4, K 3B Tyler Hardman 0-3, BB, K 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 1-4, K SS Jonathan Ornelas 0-3, K C Payton Henry 0-3, K LF Duke Ellis 0-3, K, picked off RF Kenedy Corona 1-3, 2B
Brendan Beck 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 5 K Angel Chivilli 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Eric Reyzelman 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 1 K — hooboy, tough birthday for Reyzelman; the first two hits were infield singles, but he then walked a guy another hit before getting pulled Dylan Coleman 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K — allowed a single and a walk-off walk to seal the rough loss
Marco Luciano Night ⚡️💣
The leadoff batter goes oppo 402 ft. and 105.3 mph off the bat with his SECOND homer of the game to put SWB back on top!#RepBXpic.twitter.com/TdIWiLqjEo
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 5-6 (7) and W, 5-1 (7) at New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Game 1
RF Jackson Castillo 0-2, 2 BB, K CF Jace Avina 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI — double put Somerset ahead in the third DH DJ Gladney 0-3, BB, K 1B Nicholas Torres 1-3, BB, RBI, K 3B Coby Morales 2-3, 2B, RBI, GIDP C Tomas Frick 1-3 LF Josh Moylan 0-3, 2 K SS Kevin Verde 0-2, K PH Miguel Palma 1-1, RBI — tied game with pinch-hit single in the sixth 2B Santiago Gomez 0-0 2B-SS Connor McGinnis 1-2, 2B, BB, GIDP
Chase Hampton 3.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R (4 ER), 4 BB, 4 K, 2 pickoff errors — not his day Chris Kean 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 3 K Trent Sellers 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K (loss) — allowed walk-off double to Hedbert Perez
RF Jackson Castillo 1-4, 2B, RBI DH Jace Avina 1-4, 2 K CF DJ Gladney 0-4, 2 K 1B Nicholas Torres 0-3, K 3B Coby Morales 0-1, 2 BB C Manny Palencia 0-3, 2 K LF Josh Moylan 1-2, 2B, BB, K SS Kevin Verde 1-2, RBI — tied it up in the fifth with an RBI single PH Miguel Palma 1-1, RBI — drove in go-ahead run in the seventh, second big pinch-hit of the day 2B Santiago Gomez 0-0 2B-SS Connor McGinnis 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI — two-run double added in four-run seventh
Ben Hess 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, HR — only hit allowed was a solo shot in the third, now up to 65 pitches in gradual buildup Tony Rossi 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (win) Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Ben Hess (@Yankees No. 5 Prospect) worked into the fifth inning for the first time since coming off the 7-day IL. 🤩
3B Jackson Lovich 2-4, 2B, BB, RBI, K — doubled in three-run second CF Brando Mayea 1-4, BB, 2 K, SB LF Luis Puello 2-5, RBI, CS 1B Hans Montero 0-3, 2 BB, SB — scored a run after swiping third on a strikeout and bad throw SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-5, 2B, RBI, 2 K — doubled in three-run first DH Engelth Urena 0-4, RBI, 2 K 2B Luis Escudero 0-2, 2 BB, K C Ediel Rivera 0-2, BB, K, HBP RF Gabriel Lara 1-4
Tyler Boudreau 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, HBP (win) — shutout effort from 2025 UFA out of Texas Tech, 10 swings and misses Brian Hendry 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K — no-hit relief to close it out
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 3-2 (7) vs. FCL Blue Jays
3B Richard Matic 0-4, 3 K LF Wilberson De Pena 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI — put Yanks up with two-run double in the fifth C Queni Pineda 1-3, K — opposing catcher committed an error to allow walk-off run to score in final frame 2B Leni Done 1-2, SB, HBP CF Jose Castro 0-3, K DH Francisco Vilorio 1-3, SB SS Dexters Peralta 0-2, IBB, 2 K RF Estivenzon Montero 0-3, GIDP 1B Christofer Reyes 1-2, BB, K, SB — walked, stole second, and moved to third on a fliner in last inning
Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 7-2 at DSL Miami
CF Isaias Castillo 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K SS Stiven Marinez 1-3, BB, 2 K, SB, CS, HBP RF Yostin Pena 1-2, 3 BB, 2 RBI — drew game-tying walk, which turned out to score two because of a throwing error by the other catcher; ah, the DSL 2B Juan Torres 0-4, BB, 2 K DH Juan Martinez 0-5, RBI C Cesar Lopez 0-4, BB, SB LF Manuel Aguilar 1-5, 2B, K, SB 3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-3, BB, 2 K, SB 1B Edgar Jimenez 2-4, 2B, K, fielding error
Jhon Beltre 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, HBP Yunior Jerez 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (win) — dynamic relief, great work in essentially his fourth piggyback start Breidy Adames 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 3 K — pro debut for June 16th IFA signee
Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 11-6 vs. DSL Nationals
CF Alfiery Matos 1-3, 2 BB, RBI, 3 SB — both of the top two hitters in the lineup had three steals, nine on the day for Bombers despite one pickoff 2B Carlos Bello 0-4, BB, K, 3 SB C Alessandro Rodriguez 0-4, BB, K RF David Carrera 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, SF, SB — double broke it open a bit for the final Bomber runs SS Germayhoni Beltre 1-4, HR, BB, RBI, fielding error — first pro homer gave Bombers lead in the fifth DH Poly Ojeda 1-3, BB, K 1B Stalen Ramirez 1-3, HR, BB, 3 RBI, K, fielding error — first pro homer tied game at 5-5 in the fourth 3B Adrian Feliz 1-4, K, GIDP, SB, throwing error, picked off LF Eddison Charles 2-4, 3B, K, SB
Brandy Luis 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 0 K — pro debut for June 19th IFA signee Sebastian Castillo 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, HR, WP — oddly got the only K’s of the day for Bombers Ronald Tejada 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (win) Chaury Gomez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K Oscar Vasquez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Ty Madden had a rough outing, but the bullpen and offense had his back in Toledo’s 15-6 Saturday night win over Worcester.
The Red Sox took an early 5-0 lead, scoring three in the first and two in the second. It was 2-0 before Madden recorded his first out, and the first four batters reached safely. The command just wasn’t there today. He gave up five hits, three of which went for extra bases, three walks and hit two batters. Madden got the hook after a one-out walk in the third.
The Mud Hens didn’t ride Madden too long because the offense showed signs of life in the third after going six up, six down in the first two frames. Corey Julks sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and Tomas Nido followed up with a one-out double to put runners on the corners for Max Clark.
The former third overall pick found the gap in right-center for a two-run double, and Max Anderson followed with a two-run homer to cut the deficit to just one.
Beau Brieske picked things up for Ty Madden and worked through the fourth. Brieske retired all five batters he faced, including two strikeouts.
Toledo found more offense in the fifth, when Anderson led off with a single. Gage Workman followed with his own base hit, and Eduarado Valencia walked to load the bases. Trei Cruz tied the game up with a liner to left, and the WooSox’s bullpen walked in the go-ahead run.
Anderson, Workman and Valencia got things going again in the sixth, hitting back-to-back-to-back doubles. Brett Callahan lined out to snap the streak, but Cruz doubled to keep things moving.
Worcester should have gotten out of the inning with the score at 9-5, but a fielding error by the pitcher led to a three-run homer for Jace Jung. 12-5, Toledo.
Jace Jung swings the hot bat for the second game in a row💥💥
Cole Waites, Tyler Mattison and Nick Sandlin kept the Red Sox hitless through the next four innings. Waites had to work around a pair of walks in the fifth, and the other two walked a batter each. No harm done, though.
Valencia hit into a double play to score Clark in the seventh, Anderson led off with a solo homer in the ninth and Julks doubled in Valencia a couple of batters later, making it 15-5. That’s Anderson’s fifth hit of the day for those keeping track.
Max Anderson comes right out of commercials with a solo homer to left to put the Mud Hens up 14-5. It’s his 2nd home run of the game, and his 9th with Toledo. He’s 5-for-6 tonight. pic.twitter.com/NyVgHgWC6J
Scott Effross gave up a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, but Worcester wasn’t scoring another nine runs to keep this game going. Gee, it’d be nice to have that kind of run support and bullpen confidence in Detroit….
Clark: 2-6, 2B (15), 2 R, 2 RBI, K
Anderson: 5-6, 2 HR (9), 2B (10), 4 R, 3 RBI
Jung: 2-5, HR (14), R, 4 RBI, BB
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday, as Toledo goes for a seventh win in a row and the sweep.
Erie took care of business on Saturday against Binghamton, as the Erie SeaWolves beat the Rumble Ponies 8-1.
Andrew Sears gave another four-inning effort, throwing a season-high 60 pitches. Two of the four hits he allowed, and one walk, came in the first inning. Sears worked around those with a successful pickoff and one strikeout, though. He retired nine in a row after that, but a pair of two-out hits in the fourth led to the lone Binghamton run scoring.
The SeaWolves gave Sears a five-run cushion to work with by the third. Garrett Pennington and Andrew Jenkins set things up in the second with back-to-back singles. E.J. Exposito doubled in Pennington, and Aaron Antonini brought Jenkins home on a sacrifice fly.
Pennington singled in Chris Meyers, who doubled with two outs in the third. Jenkins walked, and Max Burt made it 4-0 with a grounder through the left side. Expositio walked to load the bases, and Antonini got hit by a pitch for a free run.
Dariel Fregio worked through the sixth in relief of Sears. He dealt with a baserunner in each inning but got through it all unscathed. Trevin Michael went 1-2-3 in the seventh, keeping the score at 5-1 while the offense went through a cold spell.
Erie’s bats came alive again in the bottom of the seventh. Justice Bigbie homered to open the frame, and Exposito hit a sac fly with the bases loaded. 7-1, SeaWolves.
Michael came back out for the eighth and worked around a one-out single. Meyers gave Erie one more insurance run in the bottom half, doubling in Peyton Graham.
Luke Taggart closed things out with a 1-2-3 ninth. A really good performance from the pitching staff, and plenty of offense for a comfortable win.
Pennington: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB
Bigbie: 1-5, HR (5), R, RBI, K
Meyers: 2-4, 2 2B (15), 2 R, RBI, BB
Sears: 4.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday. Erie leads the series, 4-1.
Gm 1: West Michigan Whitecaps 8, Dayton Dragons 1 (box)
It was a great day for West Michigan’s pitching staff, starting with a one-hitter in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The Whitecaps beat the Dayton Dragons 8-1, breaking through in the fifth for a six-run frame.
Things went pretty quickly until then. Clayton Campbell had the only hit through the first four innings, although there were five walks between both teams. Jake Miller was good through 3 2/3 innings, even if four of those walks belonged to him. Five strikeouts and no hits allowed balanced the level there.
Thomas Bruss took over for the final out of the fourth, and then West Michigan’s offense got going. Samuel Gil led off the fifth with a single, and Patrick Lee notched his own base hit with one out. Cristian Santana walked to load the bases, and Woody Hadeen grounded into a 4-6 out that brought in the first run of the day.
It’s quite fortunate that ball avoided being an inning-ending double play. Bryce Rainer homered in the next at-bat, making it 4-0. When we saw he homered, we mean he hit this ball into the stratosphere.
Bryce Rainer absolutely destroys this ball for a 3-run homer to right. It’s his 7th home run with the Whitecaps. pic.twitter.com/yiqbYhQmSd
Bruss went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth to get the offense back out there. Santana moved Lee (walk) into scoring position with a single, and Hadeen grounded out for another RBI. Productive outs today from him.
Juanmi Vasquez lost the shutout and no-hitter on one swing in the sixth, allowing a solo homer for the only Dayton run of the day. It could have gotten a lot worse, with Vasquez walking a pair and throwing a wild pitch, but he recovered to keep it a one-run frame.
Gil and Lee singled to bring another run in. Lee tried to stretch it into a double but was tagged out at second. Zack Lee went 1-2-3 in the ninth to close out a convincing win.
Rainer: 1-2, HR (7), R, 3 RBI, 2 K, 2BB
Lee, P: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, BB
Miller: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K
Gm 2: West Michigan Whitecaps 5, Dayton Dragons 1 (box)
The Whitecaps picked up where they left off and threw another gem as a staff against the Dragons, winning 5-1 in Game 2 of the doubleheader. This time, there were two hits, which means West Michigan allowed a total of three base hits over 14 innings on the day. That’s good stuff at any level of this game.
Charlie Christensen worked the first two innings in his High-A debut and Carlos Marcano took the last five. Christensen struggled with his command, walking five batters to just one strikeout. The lone base hit he allowed came with two outs in the second, and he followed up with three straight walks to give up a free run. It was a pretty bad spiral, but the Whitecaps had already scored a run, so all it did was tie the game.
Stephen Hrustich homered to get West Michigan on the board, and Ricardo Hurtado gave the Whitecaps the lead back in the third with an RBI single.
Stephen Hrustich hits a missile of a solo homer to left center to put West Michigan up 1-0 early in game 2. pic.twitter.com/VVVJNjadt9
Arcano took control of the game after that. He retired nine of the first 11 batters he faced, and got a double play to erase a walk in the sixth. Samuel Gil gave him an insurance run to work with in the sixth, hitting a sac fly with Rainer on third.
Hurtado came up big in the seventh, widening the gap with an RBI single and scoring on a double from Campbell. Marcano hit a batter in the final frame, but everything else was great from him.
Ricardo Hurtado works a 9-pitch plate appearance and then hits a sharp 2-out single to put the Whitecaps up 4-1. pic.twitter.com/i7Val6hnpS
Well, one of these teams had to lose, right? Lakeland only had four hits in its 7-1 loss against the Daytona Tortugas on Saturday. The Flying Tigers walked six times, too, but nothing ever got strung together.
Win Scott got his first start after 13 2/3 scoreless innings with Lakeland. He struck out the side in the first, but things turned in the second. Scott retired a pair of batters after allowing a leadoff double, but that third out was elusive. A walk, single and back-to-back doubles made it 4-0 in a flash. He got the first two out of the third just fine, but that was the end of the line for him at 52 pitches.
Yendy Gomez was sharp through the fourth, but he spiraled in the fifth inning. A leadoff double and one-out RBI single were bad enough, but three straight walks to bring in another run are unacceptable. Duque Hebbert took over with the bases loaded and gave up an RBI single before getting out of the jam.
At that point, Lakeland had already made it through its only offensive spurt of the day. Nick Dumesnil broke the shutout with a ground-rule double over the fence in left. Zach MacDonald and Anibal Salas had both walked before that, but only the former scored. Jack Goodman stranded the bases loaded, and nothing came of a one-out single in the fifth.
Hebbert retired six of the next seven batters he faced, getting Lakeland through the seventh, but the offense was lifeless. Donye Evans worked around a one-out walk in the eighth, and the Flying Tigers went down 1-2-3 in the ninth. Not great, Bob.
Yost: 0-4, BB
Warwick: 2-4, 2 K
Dumesnil: 1-4, 2B (5), RBI
Scott (L, 0-1): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 4 K
Coming up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday. Daytona leads the series, 4-1.
Rookie ball is usually where everyone hits the ball, but not today in Lakeland. The Tigers beat the Phillies, 1-0, as the visiting Phils only saw four baserunners reach.
Owen Hall threw the bulk of this one for the Tigers. He went five scoreless innings and struck out six without walking anyone. Both of the Phillies hits came off him, but I’d say he’s ready for Single-A after this performance.
Zach Swanson, Detroit’s ninth-round pick in 2024, got the start and made his professional debut after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Swanson was one of the Tigers big bonus prep picks, and so his progress will be closely followed. He threw 21 pitches and struck out three over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Swanson allowed one walk. Yoan Valdez struck out the only batter he faced, getting the final out of the second.
Offensively, the biggest note is Josue Briceno being back. He went 0-3 as the designated hitter today, but it’s good to see him back in the batter’s box after spring wrist surgery.
Ronald Ramirez had the only multi-hit day for the Tigers, singling in the second and fifth. Michael Oliveto had a base hit in the fourth. Santiago Pinto had a hit in the fifth, but he was caught stealing. Ramirez tried to score on a single from Luis Aguilera in the fifth, but he was thrown out at home.
Cristian Perez had the big swing in the sixth, a solo homer to decide the game.
Briceno: 0-3
Perez: 1-3, HR (9), R, RBI, K
Hall (W, 1-1): 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a rematch against the Phillies at noon ET on Monday.
The DSL Tigers 2 club beat the DSL Phillies 9-5 on Sunday.
Starter Alexander Bertiz had a rough day on paper with five runs scoring, but only two of them were earned. He struck out four and didn’t walk anyone. All things considered, that’s not so bad. Raimi Mueses threw two innings of one-hit ball, walking one and striking out one. Abelardo Medrano closed things out in the seventh, working around a one-out error.
Samuell Sanchez got the Tigers on the board early with a two-run homer in the first. Manuel Bolivar grounded out for an RBI, and Willian Berti doubled in another run in the third. Diego Orro gave the Tigers their fifth run with a sac fly in the third.
Eduardo Tusen broke a 5-5 tie in the fifth with a double, scoring Orro, who tripled the at-bat before. Tusen stole third and came home on a wild pitch. Orro had another RBI in the seventh on a single.
Tusen: 3-5, 2B (7), 3 R, RBI, K
Sanchez: 1-2, HR (4), R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
Orro: 3-3, 3B (2),2 R, 2 RBI
Bertiz: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
Coming Up Next:Both DSL Tigers clubs play on Monday at 11 a.m. ET. The No. 1 team is on the road against the DSL White Sox, and the No. 2 team is at home against the DSL Rockies.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 25: Anthony Seigler #48 high-fives Anthony Volpe #11 after scoring a run on a RBI hit by Jasson Domínguez (not seen) of the New York Yankees during the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Where oh where have the bats gone? The simplest answer is “The Injured List”, but the Yankees previously had been able to keep producing runs even after seeing some huge bats go down. Their luck has run out lately, however, with the team’s wounded lineup now struggling at the end of June and giving fans visions of a midsummer malaise. It’s up to Carlos Rodón to prevent a sweep in Boston tonight, or else the Bombers will return to New York nursing a four-game losing streak.
It’s an NBC Sunday night joint tonight, so ahead of the game, get caught up with Peter’s Rivalry Roundup, and enjoy Matt’s profile of Al Downing for our Yankees Birthday series. Later, John spins around this week in Yankees social media, and Scott tracks an uptick in attendance, for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
Time: 7:20 p.m. EST
TV: NBC/Peacock
Venue: Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Questions/Prompts:
1. How are you feeling about the Yankee offense’s ability to weather the storm without some of their top bats after this recent downturn?
2. Will the Yankees be handle to hold off the Rays while Aaron Judge heals, or do you think they’re doomed to see the Rays pass them by the time Judge returns now that Tampa has tied them?
Jun 27, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) pitches during the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Although Gerrit Cole’s Saturday start at Fenway was far from a success, it wasn’t without some positives. After giving up a two-run double to Willson Contreras in the third inning, Cole reportedly changed his approach, accepting that he didn’t have his best stuff and forgoing precise command for aggressively attacking the strike zone. It seemed to pay dividends – Cole escaped the third with consecutive strikeouts of Jarren Duran and Caleb Durbin, then retired 7 of 9 batters to finish his outing. While Cole has struggled of late after an encouraging first few starts, in-game adjustments like this show that he can bear down even when things aren’t going his way.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Some good news on the injury front – Trent Grisham is set to be activated from the 10-day injured list during the Yankees’ upcoming homestand. Although his batting line remains a step down from his excellent 2025, Grisham still provided decent pop and solid on-base skills at the leadoff spot, where he was stationed in 44 of his 66 games played. The Yankees need all the offensive help they can get, with Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger slumping over their past few games, and Aaron Judge still a ways away from rejoining the lineup. Hopefully Grisham’s return can reignite the Yankees’ spark.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) While the Yankees’ farm system isn’t really a world-beater, that’s not to say it’s completely barren. In fact, on the pitching side there’s been many positive developments in the first half of 2026, and Kuty provides a long list of interesting names. True to their prospect rankings, Elmer Rodríguez and Ben Hess are atop the list, but the prospects listed later are very intriguing as well. In my humble opinion, one name to keep in mind is Henry Lalane – the towering lefty is finally healthy after some injury-ridden years, and on Friday he turned in the best start of his career to date for Low-A Tampa – 7 innings, no hits, no walks, and 12 Ks. If Lalane can build on that while avoiding injury, he’s sure to shoot up the prospect rankings.
Austin Wells is pictured during the Yankees' June 5 game.
BOSTON — You wouldn’t know it to watch or listen to him now, but the Yankees drafted Austin Wells in the first round largely because of his powerful left-handed bat.
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There were questions both inside and outside the organization about whether Wells would develop enough at catcher to keep him behind the plate.
Now, the concern is if Wells can hit enough to be a viable option in the lineup.
The Yankees remain steadfast that Wells will be able to get going offensively, and Wells said, even after another hitless afternoon in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox, he’s pleased with the progress he’s made at the plate since his minor league rehab stint after landing on the IL with cervical headaches.
“Today was the best and most comfortable I felt in the box so far,’’ Wells said of his post-IL games after still going 0-for-3 and seeing his average plummet to .160.
Austin Wells is pictured during the Yankees’ June 5 game. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
He noted that he’s been working to get more “tilt” back in his swing after flattening it over the years.
The goal, he said, was to allow him not to rely on having to make perfect contact in order to get a hit.
But Wells also noted that as much as it bothers him to fail to produce offensively, as he did Saturday, he’s more concerned with his work with the pitching staff.
Hitting, Wells said, is “not a secondary part of my game, but my No. 1 job is to control the pitching staff. If we’re not doing that, it doesn’t matter how many runs or hits I have. We can’t win the game.”
He’s continued to impress the pitchers and coaches with his ability to call games effectively and frame pitches.
“I know I have a huge impact when I’m behind the plate and keeping that the No. 1 focus makes it a lot easier to brush off an at-bat or couple of at-bats,’’ Wells said. “If I’m 0-for-3 on a day, obviously I’m pissed off about it, but to go out there and get to the eighth or ninth with a zero [from the other team] is the goal.”
Aaron Boone said he’s seen Wells’ offensive woes get to him “at certain times,’’ but not lately.
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And he agreed with Wells that he’s at least trending in the right direction.
“I feel he’s moving the needle right now, believe it or not,’’ Boone said. “He was really struggling there for a while. I feel he’s gaining traction. The results aren’t there yet.”
There are still those around the Yankees who fear all the information Wells — and the team’s other catchers — are tasked with keeping track of has cost him too much at the plate.
But the Yankees aren’t alone in making catcher a defense-oriented position.
Still, they need to get more out of Wells than the 2-for-17 he’s been since his return from the IL or the .510 OPS he’ll carry into Sunday, his lowest since mid-April — especially with so much of the rest of the offense struggling.
In his first start off the injured list, Scott showed some of the same excellent stuff that has made him a bright spot in a dark season.
The 27-year-old threw one regrettable pitch — a 3-2 fastball to Bryce Harper, Scott bemoaning turning to the four-seamer a fifth time in the at-bat — that crept over the wall in left-center in the third inning for a two-run home run and otherwise was in control.
“Really solid,” interim manager Andy Green said after the 6-2 win over the Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday. “Only had so many bullets to fire today, and he was good outside of one swing from Bryce Harper.”
Scott, who had not pitched in a little over two weeks because of a hip contusion, lasted 82 pitches in 4 ¹/₃ innings in which he let up just those two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six.
The righty, who had missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery, induced 17 swings-and-misses while leaning particularly on his sweeper and four-seamer.
Christian Scott throws a pitch during the Mets’ 6-2 win over the Phillies on June 27, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“I feel great,” said Scott, who owns a 3.20 ERA and looks like a fixture in this rotation for years to come. “Felt like I attacked the zone pretty well for the most part. Just established my offspeed stuff early in the game and then kind of just rode the wave off of that.”
Zach Thornton’s reward for an excellent start — the kind the Mets are in desperate need of — was an immediate trip back to Triple-A Syracuse.
The Mets optioned the young starting pitcher, who had held the Phillies to one run while striking out seven in six innings Friday, to create roster space for Scott.
Including Scott, the Mets — who have Kodai Senga pitching out of the bullpen and have traded David Peterson — have four starting pitchers.
But they nonetheless demoted Thornton in large part because they have nine innings to cover Sunday without a true starting pitcher (Cionel Pérez will start) in a bullpen game that could feature Kodai Senga.
Rather than removing a reliever from the group ahead of a game in which the bullpen will be taxed — and with an off day Thursday, meaning that a fifth starter (or bullpen game) will not be needed again until July 7 — Thornton received some difficult news the day after his second and best major league start.
“He definitely did well [Friday],” Green said. “It was conveyed to him. Oftentimes these things are just roster decisions that keep your bullpen viable as you go through stretches.”
The 24-year-old Thornton, who began his season at Double-A Binghamton and earned a promotion after just five starts, has been a bright spot in a farm system that has not seen enough breakouts this season.
Top prospects Jonah Tong (5.95 ERA) and Jack Wenninger (6.67 ERA in his past seven starts) have struggled with Syracuse.
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Green said he expects “to see Zach back here.”
“He needs to go dominate what’s in front of him and continue to be professional,” Green said, “and I thought it was a tremendous outing from him [Friday].”
Jorge Polanco went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in the start of another rehab assignment, one that the Mets hope will end differently than the last.
The veteran, who arrived on a two-year, $40 million contract, served as Syracuse’s DH Saturday for the first time since June 5, when his rehab assignment was paused due to ankle soreness.
Polanco originally was placed on the injured list with a wrist contusion April 15 but also has been dealing with Achilles bursitis.
The Mets have said that if Polanco makes it back to the majors, he will be playing through ankle discomfort.
Jun 27, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Athletics catcher Jonah Heim (15) is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
The Athletics took on the Los Angeles Angels, looking to win their third straight game and wrap up this interdivisional series victory with a game to spare. Much like the last time these two pitchers squared off, the Angels scored multiple late runs to break a tie game and earn a 5-2 victory. The A’s finished the night 1-8 with RISP, lost another player to injury and saw Max Muncy’s struggles at third base prove costly once again.
Heim Time!
With one out in the second, A’s catcher Jonah Heim sent the first pitch he saw from Detmers 445 feet to center field. His seventh home run of the season, a birthday blast, put the visitors ahead 1-0 after the first two innings of this matchup.
In the bottom of the third inning, A’s left fielder Tyler Soderstrom exited the game with left hip soreness. Right fielder Colby Thomas switched to left field, while Lawrence Butler entered to play right. The ball immediately found Thomas in his new position. He made a nice diving catch on a sinking line drive for the third out of the inning.
Athletics’ designated hitter Shea Langeliers led off the fourth by drawing a walk. Butler lined a single to left, advancing Langeliers 90 feet. The rally stopped there as Detmers escaped the jam by retiring the next three hitters he faced. The Angels southpaw recorded eight strikeouts through his first four innings of work.
Angels Take the Lead
Perkins walked the first batter he faced in the fourth inning. Then Jorge Soler singled, putting runners on second and third with no outs.
With one out, Angels’ right fielder Jo Adell hit a ball down the left field line that Thomas misplayed, allowing Adell to reach third base and driving in both runners to give the Angels a 2-1 lead. Perkins got out of the inning without allowing any more runs as the Angels failed to bring Adell home.
Detmers quickly got his team back to the plate, throwing a seven-pitch fifth inning to maintain the hosts’ one-run advantage. Perkins matched his counterpart, keeping his team’s deficit at one.
Thomas Redeems Himself
Nick Kurtz singled and then Butler walked to give the Athletics two base runners with one out in the sixth. Thomas hit a two-out RBI single to left, scoring Kurtz to tie the game at two and end Detmers’ outing. The game-tying hit snapped Thomas’ 0-for-19 skid.
Angels’ right-handed reliever Chase Silseth relieved Detmers. He struck out Muncy to end the inning, stranding the two inherited runners and keeping the game tied.
Perkins’ night was done after five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits and one walk, while recording five strikeouts and inducing six flyouts in what was arguably his best outing as a starter this season. Right-hander Justin Sterner entered out of the Athletics’ bullpen and pitched a scoreless sixth inning, wiggling out of some two-out trouble.
Muncy Having A Bad Night
The Angels took the lead in the bottom of the seventh against A’s reliever Geoff Hartlieb. With two outs and a runner on third, Los Angeles third baseman Denver Guzman hit a ground ball that rolled under his counterpart Muncy’s glove and into left field. Josh Lowe scored the go-ahead run on what should have been the third out of the inning.
Not the A’s Night
Down 3-2, the A’s looked to mount another comeback in the eighth inning. They put two runners on with one out against Angels hard-throwing reliever Sam Bachman. Heim walked to load the bases, putting the tying run 90 feet away.
Bachman kept his team in the lead by striking out pinch-hitter Carlos Cortes before retiring Muncy to end the threat. The inning may have played out differently if Thomas had taken the at-bat instead of the slumping Cortes.
The Athletics failure to capitalize on that prime scoring opportunity kept the momentum firmly in the Angels’ dugout. The hosts added insurance runs in the eighth. Infielder Oswald Peraza hit a one-out RBI single off A’s left-hander Matt Krook. Logan O’Hoppe followed with an RBI single up the middle to extend his team’s lead to 5-2.
Angels closer Kirby Yates tossed a one-two-three ninth inning to earn his second save of the season and set up the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.
Seeking the series win, the Athletics will turn to right-hander Aaron Civale, who will make his 14th start of the season and third since returning from the injured list. The Angels will counter with young left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who is 2-3 with a 5.47 ERA through his first seven appearances, including four starts, this season.
The Dodgers' Kyle Tucker is showered with sunflower seeds tossed by Andy Pages after Tucker hit a two-run home run against the Padres Saturday in San Diego. (Tony Ding / Associated Press)
The Dodgers’ sixth-inning rally, en route to a 15-3 victory against the Padres at Petco Park Saturday, featured blasts from the two hitters who needed individual victories at the plate.
Tucker, who entered Saturday with just a .700 OPS, had gone four straight games without a hit. Rushing went hitless in the previous five, in a rough seven-week stretch.
“It’s tough,” Tucker said of his uncharacteristically slow offensive start. “You just have to try and stay positive as much as you can. ... We’re going to enjoy the win, but you’ve got another game tomorrow, and you’ve gotta move on to that. Anything that happened yesterday, you’ve got to move on, do your best at that, move on to the next game, and try to improve and try to help your team win.”
Tucker and Rushing’s home runs started the sunflower seed showers in a nine-run inning, which included a home run by Mookie Betts. Four of the runs scored in the sixth were unearned.
The Dodgers' Dalton Rushing celebrates with Alex Freeland after hitting a home run against the Padres Saturday in San Diego. (Tony Ding / Ap Photo/tony Ding)
The Dodgers took full advantage of the Padres’ defensive mistakes to jump-start their offense.
In the second inning, Max Muncy hit a line drive into the corner, and Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. dove after it. But he missed the catch, and the ball bounced behind him. Muncy legged out a triple. And that put him in position to score easily on Tommy Edman’s double to the center-field warning track for the first run of the game.
The Padres evened the score with a Gavin Sheets’ solo home run off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who’d go on to limit the Padres to two runs through six innings.
Shaky defense, however, came back to haunt the Padres the next inning.
With Freddie Freeman standing on second base, after a leadoff double against Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez, Muncy hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Will Wagner, who muffed the play. Freeman raced around the bases, scoring on a close play at the plate.
Then Edman, who’s been swinging a hot bat since making his season debut last week, tripled to drive in Muncy.
That’s when Tucker, who went three for five with four RBIs Saturday, stepped up to the plate. He won a nine-pitch battle, sending a cutter over the right-field fence.
“Kind of been looking for it all year,” Tucker said. “I just kind of caught the ball at the right point of contact. I didn’t really stay through it great, but I put a decent enough swing on it, got it to work out.”
Rushing was next, and also went long in a two-strike count.
The Dodgers kept extending the inning, with two walks and three more hits, including Betts’ three-run homer off Padres reliever Ron Marinaccio. It was Betts’ third home run in as many games.
The Padres chipped away at the lead with an RBI single from Sheets off Yamamoto in the sixth and another run against Dodgers reliever Kyle Hurt, who gave up two hits and issued two walks in one-third of an inning.
But the lead the Dodgers compiled in the sixth inning, plus the four runs they tacked on in the eighth with Muncy’s infield single, Edman’s bases-loaded groundout, and Tucker’s opposite-field single, was too steep to overcome.
By the ninth inning, both teams had position players pitching.
The Dodgers hope to activate Teoscar Hernández (strained left hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Monday, manager Dave Roberts said before Saturday’s game.
Hernández homered in all three of his triple-A rehab games, entering Saturday.
“Triple-A pitching is not comparative to big league pitching, I think we all know that,” Roberts said. “But if he’s healthy, he’s an easy guy to bet on.”
Catcher Will Smith, on the other hand, has not returned to baseball activities since receiving an injection to address his neck injury.
“I think we’re all surprised how long it’s taken,” Roberts said. “I hope he’s back before the All-Star break. But the more time he’s off, he’s going to have to play some [rehab] games. So that kind of cuts into the time of return to us. So I don’t really know. I don’t want to add any pressure to him. I want him to be healthy and then once he’s healthy we can have that conversation.”
Diamondbacks first baseman Carlos Santana (41) during a spring training game against the Brewers at Salt River Fields on March 20, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Braves’ starting pitching has been absolutely abysmal in June, after being much maligned in the offseason for lack of depth, but surprisingly productive to start the season. It really is “Chris Sale and pray” right now, which is a bigger problem when Sale performs best on extra rest and the offense is struggling. It looked like the Braves might have been able to skate by on their pitching depth to start the season, but injuries (that were always likely to happen) and Bryce Elder crashing back to Earth has rapidly turned this into a crisis. All the wins the team banked to start the season feel even bigger now as the team flounders due to injuries and underperformance.
Jun 27, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) is congratulated by catcher Dalton Rushing (68) and second baseman Tommy Edman (25) after hitting a two-run home run during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
The Dodgers scored only twice in the first 14 innings of this weekend series at Petco Park. But then they erupted for a nine-run sixth inning to blow things open in a 15-3 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.
Freddie Freeman hit another double — his fourth in five games on the road trip, and 568th of his career — and Tommy Edman tripled to get things going in the sixth, but then three home runs provided a huge cushion.
Kyle Tucker missed nearly three full games with back spasms this week but in reality has been missing for about a month, hitting just .181/.277/.281 with a 60 wRC+ over 25 games from May 25 through Friday. On Saturday he had three hits, including a two-run home run and a two-run single.
Dalton Rushing immediately followed with a solo shot, then Mookie Betts hit a three-run shot to cap the scoring in the frame, his third game in a row with a home run.
The Dodgers hadn’t scored nine runs in an inning since 2021, but they’ve now done it three times in their laast 19 games — nine-run first inning on June 6 against the Angels, 10 runs in the seventh on June 9 in Pittsburgh, then a nine-run sixth Saturday in San Diego.
Through six innings, this was only a 1-1 game, and the kind of support Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been used to over the last few years. But the eruption in the sixth was probably the only reason he wasn’t asked to go out for a seventh inning. He settled for two runs over six innings with four strikeouts, the 13th time in 15 starts Yamamoto has lasted at least six frames.
James Taussig blasted two home runs, including a grand slam in Winston-Salem’s 13-1 win. | (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Rochester Red Wings 3, Charlotte Knights 1 The Knights (44-36) scored one early in the bottom of the first but weren’t able to scratch another across, losing to the Red Wings (48-30), 3-1. Dru Baker led off the first with a double (his first of three hits on the day) and scored just a couple of batters later when Michael Turner drove him in on a base hit to right. After that, however, the offense fell completely flat, going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position while leaving seven on base.
Rochester only had one more hit than Charlotte, 6-5, but they were able to tag Knights starter Shane Murphy for three runs on four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. Overall the bullpen was fairly strong, as Zach Franklin and Garrett Schoenle adding another three scoreless innings, with Franklin ringing up three batters in his two innings. Murphy still ended up with the loss, as there was no comeback to be happening in Charlotte tonight.
Knoxville Smokies 7, Birmingham Barons 3 Birmingham was ahead of the Smokies (43-31) through seven innings, but the Barons (26-48) blew the lead in the eighth with a seven-run defensive implosion, dropping their eighth game in a row, 7-3. Tossing six scoreless frames with six strikeouts, righthander Dylan Cumming allowed just three hits and one walk, and was set up nicely to get the win, but unfortunately a few errors and six unearned runs were the difference there. The Barons scored one in the second on an RBI single from T.J. McCants, and the final two runs in the seventh off a sac fly from Alec Briley and another base hit from Anthony DePino to make it 3-0.
That’s when everything went haywire in the eighth, and it took three relievers just to get through it. A pair of singles set everything in motion, but a fielding error from Colby Shelton and a throwing error from Jackson Kelley, six of the seven runs that inning ended up being unearned. Kelley wound up with the loss and the blown save, his first of each this season, and the Barons will roll into Sunday in hopes to avoid the sweep and end the losing streak.
Winston-Salem Dash 13, Hub City Spartanburgers 1 The Dash (42-32) got off to a hot start to redeem themselves from Friday’s extra-inning loss, scoring seven in the first four frames before piling on six more later in the game to complete the beatdown over the Spartanburgers (37-37), 13-1. Wikelman González was the opener for lefthander Grant Umberger, making his third rehab start since coming back from the IL to eventually make his way back to the Triple-A Knights. González was spotless for 1 1/3 innings, striking out one before handing the game over to Umberger. He was just as solid, tossing for 5 2/3 innings while allowing one on three hits and a walk while striking out three – thankfully the only run scored for Hub City.
Winston-Salem’s bats started to get going as well, mashing 16 hits as a team while going 6-for-19 (.316) with runners in scoring position, still leaving 14 on base even with all those runs scored. Three of the 16 hits were for extra bases, but the Dash also walked 12 times against 11 strikeouts. James Taussig has adjusted perfectly fine to the next level, already mashing six homers in 15 games; including two more tonight with a grand slam and five RBIs. All while holding a .655 slugging percentage and a 1.049 OPS. It’s a smaller sample size (58 at-bats), but he’s also driven in 14 and has walked 11 times, helping to keep his on-base percentage closer to .400.
Nearly everyone got at least one hit for the Dash, but Ryan Burrowes, Boston Smith, and George Wolkow also drove in two runs apiece, and six of the nine batters in the lineup had two or more hits. It was a well-rounded win for Winston-Salem, as the rest of the pitching staff was excellent, only giving up one more hit, walking one, and striking out three in the final two stanzas.
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 4,Columbia Fireflies1 Snapping a four-game losing streak, the Cannon Ballers (36-38) pitching was elite and allowed just one run while the bats prevailed to defeat the Fireflies (38-36), 4-1. The only blemish from the pitchers was a solo home run off of Caedmon Parker in the second, but the righty otherwise gave up only two other hits and struck out three in his five innings. It took a few innings for the Kannapolis offense to really get rolling, but they continuously failed on their opportunities with runners in scoring position: 0-for-9 with nine left on base. Thankfully, the Fireflies assisted with the first run for the Ballers, as a throwing error conceded a run in the third to tie the game at one.
The three Kanny bullpen arms yielded one hit each and combined for two walks and seven strikeouts in the final four frames. Righthander Ryan Schiefer wound up with the win after a strong two-inning outing, thanks to a two-run Matthrew Boughton home run in the seventh that gave the Ballers a 3-1 lead. An RBI groundout from Leandro Alsinois added one more insurance run in the eighth, and Marco Barrios was able to record his fifth save of the season.
ACL Rangers 12, ACL White Sox 4 The ACL Sox (12-29) put up eight hits but couldn’t capitalize with runners and scoring position (1-for-7) while striking out 13 times as a team in their loss to the ACL Rangers (18-23), 12-4. Lefthander Christian Oppor has had a rough year thus far, holding a 9.87 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) with a steep 2.39 WHIP, and ended up with his sixth loss of the season Saturday. Oppor gave up two runs on two hits, but his command was all over the place with two wild pitches and four walks, only striking out two in comparison. The bullpen wasn’t much better, surrendering six in the fourth and another four in the sixth, but we can give the hat tip to righthander Marcelo Valladares, who was the only reliever not to allow any runs or walks with a clean, hitless frame. Jordan Rich and Yordani Soto each posted multi-hit days, with Soto mashing a two-bagger and a home run, though D’Angelo Tejada led the team with two runs batted in.
DSL Cubs Red 11, DSL White Sox 6 Despite holding a one-run lead after three, a defensive implosion in the bottom of the fourth allowed the DSL Cubs Red squad (12-8) to put up a seven-spot, ultimately leading to beating the DSL White Sox (5-15), 11-6. The Sox had tallied one more hit than the Cubs, 7-6, but righthander Erlyn Lauriano floundered with four walks, a balk, wild pitch, a hit batter, and just one single, leading to seven runs though just four were earned. The Good Guys attempted the comeback while scoring four in the fifth, but the bats stopped there and the bullpen let up another three anyways. Orlando Patino was the offensive standout for the Sox, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, and three batted in.
For at least half an inning Saturday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers reminded everyone why they were complaining about them all winter. They displayed how dangerous they are and sent a message to the National League that they are the team to beat.
Los Angeles erupted for nine runs in the sixth inning at Petco Park, blowing open what had been a tight 2-1, rivalry game and rolling to a 10-2 lead.
The outburst tied the Dodgers' biggest inning of the season. They scored nine in the first inning against the Angels earlier this month, surpassing their six-run inning against the Cubs on April 25. Saturday's version was all the sweeter since it was against their division rival.
The inning showcased just how much firepower the two-time defending champions have.
Mookie Betts launched a three-run homer and Kyle Tucker added a two-run shot. Tommy Edman doubled and tripled and drove in two. Max Muncy and Freddie Freeman piled on with extra-base hits as the Dodgers batted around against three San Diego pitchers. By the time the inning ended, Los Angeles had 11 hits and the Padres bullpen was searching for help.
Mookie Betts makes it a nine run inning for the Dodgers!
Padres starter Randy Vasquez took the brunt of it before the rally fully ignited, charged with seven runs in 3⅓ innings. San Diego's pitching surrendered seven extra-base hits on the night.
The Dodgers went into Saturday night's game with the best record in baseball and an eight game lead over the Padres in the National League West.
Jun 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
On May 22, Bryce Elder completed six innings against the Washington Nationals to lower his ERA on the season to 1.97. His FIP sat at a reasonable 3.31 and even his 3.84 xFIP was totally palatable.
Flash forward to Saturday night — a span of six starts — and after surrendering five more runs to the San Francisco Giants over four innings, Elder’s ERA now sits at 4.01 on the season. His ERA over those six starts is north of 10.
Elder was bad, the bats were lifeless again, and the Braves fell to the Giants 5-0 on Saturday night at Oracle Park.
Rafael Devers, who transforms into Barry Bonds against the Braves, hit a solo homer in the second inning and a three-run homer that clanked off the foul pole to make it 5-0. And that, as they say, was that.
Atlanta had one hit, a double from Mauricio Dubon early. They walked three times. Logan Webb and the San Francisco bullpen cruised after the first two innings.
The lone bright spot was Grant Holmes, who was superb in relief of Elder for four innings. He allowed just one hit, walked none and struck out four. We’ll see what Walt Weiss decided to do with the rotation next week.
Chris Sale will try to win the series on Sunday afternoon. He’ll be opposed by Robbie Ray, who mowed the Braves down last week. First pitch is 4:05 p.m. ET as the Braves play their final west coast game of the season.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 26: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals is tagged out at home plate in the fourth inning by Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was not pretty in the slightest, but the Washington Nationals are back in the win column. They eked out a 4-3 win in extra innings. Foster Griffin was brilliant, and they bounced back from yet another bullpen collapse to get the job done. When a hero was needed, Justin Lawrence stepped up in the top of the 10th to get a monster save.
Scoring was tough to come by in this contest. Both starting pitchers were excellent. Brandon Young of the O’s was getting a ton of swings and misses tonight. He got 23 whiffs in only 5 innings, which is a huge number. His splitter was really fooling Nats hitters. However, the approach of the offense left a lot to be desired tonight even accounting for Young’s sharp stuff.
However, Foster Griffin was even better than Young. Griffin had a laborious first two innings of work, throwing over 50 pitches. He got the efficiency under control as the game went on though, getting through 7 innings without allowing an earned run. Griffin had big time strikeout stuff early in the game, getting 8 K’s in 3 innings. Down the stretch though, Griffin relied more on soft contact, showing how versatile he is as a pitcher.
Watching Foster Griffin pitch is such a joy to watch. He is not going to blow anyone away, but he has so many different pitches and pinpoint command. In Griffin’s last inning of work, he did not throw a single 4-seamer or sinker. You are truly going to see the kitchen sink from Foster, and it has been working so well for him.
Earlier in the season, there is no chance that Blake Butera would put Griffin out for the 7th inning with his pitch count nearly at 100. However, Griffin has earned the managers trust, and well the bullpen has not.
The boys did not give Griffin a ton of run support, but they did scratch across a few runs. Luis Garcia Jr. continued his monster month of June, hitting a mammoth homer at 114 MPH. That was the hardest hit ball of Garcia’s career and it flew out into the street.
At 114.0 mph, this was the hardest hit ball of Luis García Jr.'s career. It was also García Jr.'s 11th home run since May 22, the second-most in the National League during that span. pic.twitter.com/xL2lqi35BR
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) June 28, 2026
This has been the best month of Luis Garcia’s career, particularly from a power standpoint. He has hit 9 homers this month and 11 since May 22nd. Early in Garcia’s career, that is the number of homers he would hit in a season. However, he has really grown into his frame and has become a true contact and power threat. He already has 14 homers this year, closing in on his career high of 18.
When Griffin exited the game, the score was 3-1, but the Nats bullpen did their thing again. This time it was Orlando Ribalta’s turn to blow it. He was tasked with coming in the game with 1 on and two outs. Ribalta proceeded to throw back to back meatballs to Pete Alonso and Samuel Basallo, and just like that the game was tied.
Clayton Beeter actually looked very sharp in the 9th, which sent the game to extras. In a bullpen filled with guys who are just flat out bad, Beeter is an interesting case. He is one of the few guys who has the stuff to dominate hitters. However, his erratic command makes him impossible to fully trust. Tonight we saw the best of Beeter, pounding the zone and finishing guys off with his slider. He is a Jekyll and Hyde reliever, which is more than you can say about most of these guys.
In the 10th, the Nats struck right away with Daylen Lile driving home the ghost runner. Jorbit Vivas got on with his third hit of the night. However, with guys on first and second with nobody out, Blake Butera elected not to bunt with Nasim Nunez, who struck out. The inning really fizzled out after that.
Daylen Lile grips and rips it to capitalize with the ghost runner in the 10th inning! pic.twitter.com/K5l3PYu76m
With Justin Lawrence coming on, with the ghost runner at second, it felt like the best case was a tied game, and a walkoff felt likely. Lawrence buckled down though. He got a ground out to start the inning, but that allowed the tying run to get to third. After that Lawrence got another ground ball, which CJ Abrams made a nice play on to nab the runner at home.
At that point things felt good, but this is the Nationals bullpen after all, so they had to make things interesting. The debuting Lawrence gave up a hit to Gunnar Henderson and walked Pete Alonso. However, the sidearmer got yet another ground ball and the game was over. The Nats finally snapped their brutal four game losing streak, with a reliever on the mound who was not in the organization when this streak started. For a bullpen that is searching for answers, that feels quite fitting. The Nats are back to .500 and got a much needed curly W.
