Category: MLB

Dodgers right-hander Brock Stewart pitched a scoreless inning for Class-A Ontario on Friday, the second straight night to complete the planned back-to-back outings that manager Dave Roberts said on Tuesday was coming this week.

Stewart in four games for Ontario during this rehab assignment has allowed one run on four hits in four innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. He’s been on the injured list since May 9 with a bone spur in his left foot.

Player of the day

Center fielder Alek Thomas had his best game yet in the Dodgers organization with four hits for Oklahoma City, including a double and home run.

Acquired by trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 12, Thomas drove in two runs and scored twice on Friday,

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Thomas and Ryan Fitzgerald homered in the Comets win over the Sacramento River Cats (Giants).

Fitzgerald had two hits, as did third baseman Taylor Young. Second baseman Austin Gauthier had three singles and drove in a pair in the four-run eighth inning that gave Oklahoma City its winning margin.

Paul Gervase pitched two scoreless innings, and since getting optioned to Triple-A on May 31 has allowed two runs in eight innings with 10 strikeouts and five walks, with five of his six appearances scoreless.

Double-A Tulsa

Tulsa scored seven runs in the first three innings to rout the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).

Mike Sirota still has reached base every game since April 9, so he hasn’t exactly slumped much this season, though he needed extra innings to extend said streak this week on both Tuesday and Thursday. On Friday Sirota singled in the second inning then later added a double and single for his first three-hit game since June 4. His 57-game on-base streak is the longest minor league baseball this season.

Wyatt Crowell entered with a huge lead and dominated the final five innings with six strikeouts and only two walks allowed, and no hits to earn the win.

Like Sirota, Zyhir Hope (two walks, single), Jake Gelof (two singles, walk), and Kole Myers (two walks, single) all reached base three times, and combined to drive in five of the nine runs.

High-A Great Lakes

The first three Loons pitchers each allowed three runs in a loss to the Lake County Captains (Guardians) to open the second half of the season.

Infielder Eduardo Guerrero, as the designated hitter on Friday, had three hits, including a triple and a home run. First baseman Cameron Decker hit a two-run home run, his second homer in eight games since returning from the injured list.

Playing catch-up

Last Saturday, Loons reliever was one out away from finishing off a four-inning save, but was ejected after a tense interaction with Wisconsin pinch-hitter Marco Dinges. The two did not exchange blows, though Ayon certainly squared up, and benches did clear. Both players were suspended, Ayon for two games.

After the dust-up, pitcher Davis Chastain got the final out to close out Saturday’s 3-1 victory, and earned the save instead.

Class-A Ontario

Seven runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth were more than enough to beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels).

First baseman Easton Shelton, shortstop Mairo Martinus, and catcher Conner O’Neal each had two hits, including a home run. Chase Harlan doubled twice.

One start after allowing nine earned runs, Hyun-Seok Jang struck out a career-high nine and allowed only one run in his 4 2/3 innings. This came after a rough stretch in which Jang only struck out 12 of 63 batters faced (19 percent) over his last four starts, with 26 runs (23 earned) in only 10 innings.

Transactions

High-A: Infielder Logan Wagner was activated from the injured list after six weeks on the injured list. The switch-hitter played four rehab games in the Arizona Complex League.

Class-A: Outfielder Jaron Elkins returned from the injured list after missing eight games, and doubled twice. Starting pitcher Marlon Nieves, out since the end of April on the injured list, started a rehab assignment in Arizona. Nieves struck out three in his one inning of work, but also allowed two unearned runs on two hits and a hit batter in his first game action in seven weeks.

Friday scores

• Oklahoma City 7, Sacramento 3
• Tulsa 9, NW Arkansas 1
• Lake County 11, Great Lakes 4
• Ontario 10, Rancho Cucamonga 1

Saturday schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at NW Arkansas (Drew Beam)
• 4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) vs. Lake County (Melkis Hernandez)
• 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) vs. Sacramento (Blade Tidwell)
• 6:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Rancho Cucamonga (Trey Gregory-Alford)

Gavin Sheets and Ty France did everything they could to help the San Diego Padres get a series opening win against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. Sheets drove in the first run of the game with an RBI-single in the top of the first inning and France launched an opposite field grand slam home run to give the Padres a 5-0 lead after their half of the first inning. San Diego starter Randy Vasquez seemingly did all he could to give Texas the win, as he committed an error on a throw from France at first base that would have been an out for the first batter he faced. Instead, Joc Pederson was standing on first base and kicked off what resulted in a six-run bottom of the first. After one complete inning the Padres trailed the Rangers, 6-5.

France hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game, 6-6 but Vasquez returned to the mound in the bottom of the fourth and promptly allowed a single and a double to the first two batters of the inning, which resulted in another run for Texas to make the score 7-6 heading into the top of the fifth inning. It should be noted Vasquez did not complete the inning and was removed from the game after 3.1 innings pitched. He allowed seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout. Yuki Matsui was called on to complete the inning.

The Rangers tacked on an additional run in the bottom of the sixth when David Morgan allowed three hits to the first four batters and the Padres found themselves trailing by two. San Diego cut the deficit to one run when Sheets hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning, but as was the case throughout the game, Jason Adam took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and allowed a leadoff home run to Wyatt Langford to make the score, 9-6.

For much of the season the San Diego pitchers have done their part to keep the Padres in games. It has been the offense that has failed to provide run support, so it was about time for the rotation to have a dud in the same game that the lineup scored seven runs on 10 hits. France finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, five RBI and two runs scored. Sheets finished 2-for-4 with a single, a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Samad Taylor also contributed finishing 3-for-5 with three singles and a run scored. The big four of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts combined to finish 0-for-17 with two walks, two runs scored and seven strikeouts.

The Padres will see if they can get a better pitching performance from Walker Buehler and any contributions from Tatis, Merrill, Machado or Bogaerts when they take on the Rangers today at 1:05 p.m.

Padres News:

• Matt Waldron made his second rehab start at Triple-A and struck out two batters as he works to get back on the mound for the Padres.

• Fernando Tatis Jr. has been hitting the ball hard and his average is starting to rise. Jared Greenspan of Padres.com points to changes that could be the cause.

• Mason Miller returned to the Padres bullpen and the team needed to make room on the roster. San Diego chose to do that by sending Bradgley Rodriguez down to the minors.

• Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribunetalked with Walker Buehler to learn more about the former Los Angeles Dodgers ace.

• Jackson Merrill is trying to get back to driving the ball to the opposite field so he can move forward the rest of the season and have success.

Baseball News:

• The MLB owners and the MLBPA continued their conversations in hopes to reach an agreement prior to the expiration of the current CBA. It is in the interest of both sides to work toward an agreement because a work stoppage looms and both sides will hear from fans.

• Jacob Misiorowski was dealing again but the Milwaukee Brewers took a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

• Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland reached a career milestone and helped his team get a win.

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It's another busy day across the Majors, and I've found solid value in my MLB same-game parlay predictions. 

Walker Buehler continues his dominance, while Cristopher Sanchez will be missing some New York Mets bats this evening. Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.

Today's best MLB SGP picks

Game	SGP Odds
SD vs TEX	+266
MIL vs ATL	+370
NYM vs PHI	+360

Padres at Rangers SGP: Buehler Keeps Dealing

The San Diego Padres send Walker Buehler to the hill tonight against the Texas Rangers, and he's been dominating.

The right-hander owns a 1.86 ERA and 3.20 FIP over his last two outings. He hasn't allowed more than one earned run in three straight starts, and Buehler has cashed the Under in four consecutive appearances.

With Nathan Eovaldi struggling lately (5.70 FIP over last two starts), Buehler will lead the Padres to victory. Also, look for Fernando Tatis Jr. to stay hot. He owns a 58.7% hard-hit rate over his last 12 games, and the superstar has smacked a single in three of his last five. 

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Padres.TV, Rangers Sports Network

Brewers at Braves SGP: Sale Outduels Harrison

The Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to stop their road losing streak tonight, but it won't be easy with Chris Sale on the hill. The Brew Crew are striking out 9.67 times per game across their last three, and the Atlanta Braves lefty is averaging 11.02 K/9 over his previous three outings. He's also cashed the Over in punchouts in two of his previous three home starts. 

Meanwhile, Kyle Harrison sports a 5.21 xERA and 7.18 FIP over his last two appearances. A brutal outing where he gave up eight earned runs inflates those numbers, but Harrison also owns a 4.56 road ERA while surrendering 1.52 HR/9. That's compared to a 1.29 ERA at home. 

Sale will pitch deep into this one, and Atlanta's bats will jump on Harrison. 

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: BravesVision, Brewers.TV

See full analysis of this game in our Brewers vs. Braves predictions.

Mets at Phillies SGP: Sanchez Racks up the Ks

Cristopher Sanchez is having a dominant campaign for the Philadelphia Phillies, and he's one of the top strikeout pitchers in the sport. The lefty is averaging 9.35 K/9 over his last five outings, and he's cashed the Over in three of his last four. 

He also doesn't give up many hits. Sanchez has hit the Under in two of his previous three appearances, and the New York Mets struggle immensely against left-handed pitchers, sporting a .238 average and a .142 ISO. 

Kyle Schwarber has a 57.1% hard-hit rate over his last six games, and he's finished with a hit in four of his last five. 

• Time: 7:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNY, NBCS-Philadelphia

See full analysis of this game in our Mets vs Phillies predictions.

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The MLB-best Los Angeles Dodgers are surging, looking for a fifth straight win as they host the Baltimore Orioles.

L.A. opened the set with a 6-5 win Friday and will send ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the bump tonight, a big reason why they’re hefty home favorites in the MLB odds.

My Orioles vs. Dodgers predictions and free MLB picks stick with L.A., which I expect to overwhelm the struggling O’s at Dodger Stadium.

Who will win Orioles vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -2.5 (+134)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been dealing, allowing just three runs over his last four starts, striking out 24 and walking only three.

L.A. should tee off on Baltimore Orioles starter Trevor Rogers; they’re hitting .308 collectively against him in a small sample.

The lefty is 1-7 in his last 10 starts with a 6.70 ERA and faces a Dodgers lineup that’s second in runs per game and leads the majors in average, on-base percentage, and OPS.

L.A.’s bats will be a problem for an Orioles staff already allowing more than five runs per game. I'd play this down to +125.

COVERS INTEL: The Orioles know just how filthy Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stuff is: last year, he was just an out away from throwing a no-hitter at Camden Yards.

Orioles vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)

It’s always a tricky proposition betting the total with Yamamoto on the bump, as L.A. gives him plenty of run support, but he doesn’t give much to the opposition.

Still, the Over has hit in two of his last three starts — missing a third Over by a single run in the third — while each opponent (White Sox, Angels, and Phillies) ranks in the bottom half of runs allowed per game.

Baltimore’s runs allowed mark is worse than those three, and the Over already hit in L.A.’s win Friday night. Rogers’ starts also yield high scores: the teams have combined for at least 10 runs in four of his last six.

Orioles vs Dodgers weather

Expect clear skies and temperatures around 70°F by first pitch, with that number dropping to the low-60s later in the night. Wind will not be a factor.

Orioles vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Orioles +223 | Dodgers -233
• Run line: Orioles +2.5 (-163) | Dodgers -2.5 (+134)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Orioles vs Dodgers trend

L.A. has won 10 straight night games against losing teams. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Orioles vs Dodgers and game info

Orioles vs Dodgers latest injuries

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

Worcester: L, 3-9 (BOX SCORE)

Brayan Bello allowed seven hits, three runs, walked two, struck out five, and let his pitch count get up to 88 (with just 49 strikes) without getting out of the fifth inning. The line by itself was fine for most pitchers. It wasn’t fine, though, for a guy already on a contract extension that many thought, myself included, solidified him as the future at the number two or three slot in the big league rotation. And, listen, Bello did keep the WooSox in the game. The offense even hung around. Tyler McDonough hit a homer in the fifth, the WooSox only had two at-bats with runners in scoring position but scored a runner with one of them, and Matt Thaiss had a clutch RBI knock, It wasn’t until Seth Martinez allowed five IronPigs (Phillies AAA) to score in the eighth when Iggy Suarez conceded the game and had Nate Hickey pitch the last out, officially turning this into laugher status.

Portland: W, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Gage Ziehl’s redemption arc continued against the Patriots (Yankees AA) on Friday night. He struck out nine and allowed four hits on two runs (one being a homer) as the bullpen carried the game the rest of the way scoreless. The Sea Dogs enjoyed a 5-for-10 night from the bottom of their lineup including a 3-run home run from nine-hole hitter Abhram Liendo. The Sea Dogs scored five in the second inning which would make Ziehl’s outing a lot more stress-free. Stanley Tucker is also on a nice five-game hit streak since joining the Double-A squad.

Greenville: L, 2-4 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville had just four hits on the night on the Jersey Shore (Phillies High-A) and just two of their starting nine had knocks, but that’s all the offense they needed behind Kyson Witherspoon’s five innings in which he struck eight Blue Claws out. Joe Vogatsky added five before Steven Brooks slammed the door. Ronny Hernandez, the catcher who’s been spending some time at first base, had what would become the put-away shot in the sixth inning with his sixth home run of the season.

Salem: W, 7-6 (BOX SCORE)

After losing ten consecutive games, the RidgeYaks have now taken two in a row from the Nationals. This was a high-scoring affair that was just 3-1 after six innings. The Nats’ three defensive errors came back to haunt them as the RidgeYaks also bid them death by a thousand paper cuts, essentially singling them to death. Mayers’ eleven outs in relief, striking out six, was also huge.

For those of you still in front of a screen for the Red Sox, last night was a late night. Today will be the same, with first pitch at 10:10 PM. So, have a slumbering Saturday.

The answer to this question is probably a lot different than it was a month ago. A month ago, Bohm was the worst hitter in the game. Forget the National League, he was the worst hitter in the entirety of MLB. Since his two day off sojourn, he’s come back as one of the more productive hitters the Phillies have. Not quite enough to totally earn extension talk, but then other things have happened.

Aidan Miller was the best hitting prospect the team has had in a while, but now has back issues. We know how badly they can linger, but would they linger enough to go into 2027? It leads back to the question of the day: has Bohm done enough to warrant the team giving him a contract extension, especially considering the health of Miller?

I really don’t know what to think about Andre Pallante. After a bad 2025 season, I was pretty ambivalent about him. Sure he showed some promise in 2024, but even when he is pitching well, he doesn’t get a ton of strikeouts or do anything overly flashy. Yet here we are approaching the midpoint of the season and he is arguably the Cardinals’ second best starting pitcher. He has lopped a run and a half off his ERA, lowering it to 3.76, and already eclipsed his 2025 WAR total. Today I want to take a quick look at his pitch metrics and utilization pattern to highlight some of the adjustments and evolutions he has made that are contributing to his success.

Stuff

Pallante’s Stuff+ score has gone from 97 in 2024 to 95 last season, and back up to 97 this season. Stuff+ is scaled so that 100 is average and is computed by measuring an individual pitch’s velocity, movement, spin rate, etc. Even though the aggregate metric has remained stable, there have been notable changes to his repertoire. 

Pallante’s primary pitch, his four-seam fastball, has graded out similarly the last three seasons (95 or 96) despite having a large change in the movement profile. The 2024 version of his four-seamer sunk and cut, moving away from right-handed hitters and in to left-handed hitters, much more than the typical four-seamer. It sank 6.4 inches more than average and cut 7.5 inches more than average. This season, it is sinking just 3.7 inches more than average and cutting 7 inches more than the typical four-seamer. This shift toward a slightly more typical shape could explain some of the drop in groundball percentage that Pallante has induced. After posting an absurd 77.8% GB% in 2023, that figure has dropped to 61.8% in 2024, 59.1% last season, and is down to 53.3% this year. Pallante has increased the velocity on the pitch about half a mile per hour to 95.1 MPH this season. 

Pallante’s sinker has been the highest-graded pitch by the models and this season is rated as a 107. He has improved the spin efficiency on the pitch and is generating 1.5 inches more arm-side movement while throwing the pitch a tick harder. This has been a critical development, as the sinker is the primary fastball he uses to try to neutralize the right-handed hitters that have historically given him so much trouble. 

Pallante’s slider and knuckle curve are both grading out similarly to last season, albeit with a bit more movement. Finally, Pallante has introduced a splitter into his repertoire, but has only thrown the pitch 37 times so far this season. In the extremely small sample size, the pitch grades out a tick below average at 97 on the Stuff+ scale, but it gives him another weapon to sprinkle in against the lefties.

Pitch Mix

Pallante has made drastic changes to his pitch mix over the last three seasons.

His four-seam fastball usage has declined all the way down to 30%. I cut the graph off at the last three seasons, when he has primarily been a starter, but he threw the pitch even more frequently in his first two seasons in the majors. He is still throwing the pitch 49% of the time against lefties, but is mixing more offspeed and breaking pitches than in years past. His four-seam fastball ate lefties alive in 2024, holding them to a .315 xwOBA, but the last two years his results have been more pedestrian with a combined xwOBA of .364. For reference, the league average right-on-left four-seam fastball xwOBA is .353 this season. This drop in reliance on the pitch seems like it is in response to the change in the movement profile of the pitch. It is still an effective offering to left-handers but not to the same level it was earlier in his career. 

The reduction in four-seam utilization has made room for Pallante to mix in all his other offerings a few percentage points more. You can see when you further break down the mix by the batters’ handedness that the plan of attack is even more polarized.

Pallante has moved to a slightly more balanced mix of pitches against lefties, mixing in more breaking and offspeed pitches at the expense of his four-seam. Against right-handers, he is now throwing his revamped sinker and slider a combined 76% of the time. Perhaps not coincidentally, for the first time in his career, Pallante is holding right-handers to a below-average batting line with a wOBA of .285 (.318 MLB average). Pallante is still holding left-handers to a solid .308 wOBA, but this is the first time in his career he is running more traditional splits. 

Location

Perhaps the biggest change this season for Pallante has been his ability to throw strikes and get into more favorable counts. His first-pitch strike percentage is 67.7%, fourth among qualified starters. Last season, Pallante ranked 32nd out of the 54 qualified starters. Batters who start off 0-1 have a 67 wRC+. Those who start off 1-0 go on to produce a 131 wRC+ in those plate appearances. Throwing first-pitch strikes is easier said than done. The obvious trade-off is if you get too strike-happy, batters will swing more frequently and ambush(™) (thanks Chip) hittable strikes. Pallante has avoided this fate thus far in 2026 as batters are managing a .342 wOBA against him on first-pitch contact. The league average wOBA on first-pitch contact (or HBP) is .386 across the league. How has Pallante managed to keep hitters from sitting on first-pitch strikes? Part of it is his ability to mix things up, reducing his first-pitch fastball usage from 67% to 56%. Last season, Pallante threw only 36.2% of his non-fastball pitches in the strike zone. The average pitcher lands offspeed and breaking pitches in the zone around 42% of the time. So far this season, Andre has increased his non-fastball Zone% to 42.6%. In fact, he is throwing each of his pitches in the zone more consistently this season.

This has allowed Pallante to significantly increase both his secondary usage AND his overall percentage of pitches in the zone. This has been a huge development both for his effectiveness and, selfishly, his watchability. It no longer seems like he is constantly behind in the count, bouncing breaking balls nowhere near the strike zone. The best way to capture where Pallante has found success this season is by looking at his slider utilization against right-handed batters. He has started 38% of his plate appearances against righties with the slider. On those 59 pitches, he has gotten ahead 0-1 38 times, he has induced five first-pitch outs, and given up one solitary hit, a single. That will play. 

Pallante has had good stretches before, followed by a series of blow-ups. Pitcher development is always tricky to follow and almost impossible to predict, but he has made some real changes to his repertoire and pitch mix, and is executing better than ever before. We just might have a good pitcher on our hands.

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 14, Syracuse Mets 3

It was an offensive explosion for the Tides on this night. They racked up 16 hits, nine for extra bases, in a blowout win in Syracuse. Shortstop José Barrero had quite possibly the most productive game of his life, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, four runs, and four RBIs. It’s like he hit for the cycle but with an extra homer instead of the triple. Barrero now has 17 homers in 63 games for the Tides.

Also homering in this game were Johnathan Rodríguez, Jud Fabian, and Ryan Noda. Atop the lineup, Enrique Bradfield Jr. snapped out of an 0-for-8 drought with three hits, while Creed Willems contributed a two-run single as part of a seven-run top of the eighth.

On the mound, starter Christian Heberholz had a mediocre outing, giving up three runs in 4.2 innings, but relievers Jose Espada, Josh Walker, and Hans Crouse combined for 4.1 scoreless frames.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 2

Pitching carried the day in this Baysox win. Starter Evan Yates delivered a six-inning, one-run quality start, his longest outing of the year. Yates struck out five and walked two. Reliever Micah Ashman followed with two scoreless to lower his ERA to 1.73. The 23-year-old might be ready for the challenge of Triple-A.

The Baysox, despite going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, generated enough offense to win, plating all four of their runs on homers. Ethan Anderson had a solo homer as part of a 3-for-5 night, Frederick Bencosme added a solo dinger, and Thomas Sosa blasted a two-run shot.

Box score

High-A: Frederick Keys 3, Hub City Spartanburgers (Rangers) 2

In this closely contested affair, the Keys scored all three of their runs in the bottom of the fifth and held on for a one-run victory. The Keys managed only five hits and didn’t get any contributions from their high-profile prospects, with Wehiwa Aloy going 0-for-4 and Ike Irish not in the lineup, but #9 hitter Yasmil Bucce powered his first home run of the year and a Hub City throwing error on a pickoff scored another run.

That meager run support was enough, thanks to a dynamite outing by starter Yeiber Cartaya, who worked six scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Cartaya lowered his ERA to a stupendous 1.99 in 54.1 innings. The 23-year-old righty is thriving in his first full season at High-A. Riley Cooper worked the final two innings to notch the six-out save.

Box score

Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 8, Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs) 4

It’s a clean sweep! It’s rare for all four O’s affiliates to win on the same day, considering that three of them have lousy records, so it’s nice when it happens. The Shorebirds held up their end of the bargain by scoring seven runs in their final two innings to overcome a 3-1 deficit. Second baseman Elvin Garcia stroked a game-tying two-run single in the seventh, and in the eighth, the Pelicans committed errors on back-to-back plays to gift-wrap four runs for Delmarva. Garcia drove in three runs on two hits, while leadoff man Jaiden Lo Re set the table with two hits, two runs, and a stolen base.

Unfortunately, the nice win came with a dark cloud: another horrific outing by fading prospect Esteban Mejia, who issued an unsightly six walks and three runs while recording just four outs. Mejia has now surrendered an unfathomable 54 walks in 39.2 innings this year, a rate of (gulp) 12.2 BB/9. It was his fourth outing this year of six or more walks. Relievers Adrian Heredia, Dalton Neuschwander, and Zac Lampton restored order long enough for the Shorebirds’ offense to complete their comeback.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: at Syracuse, 6:35 PM. Starter: Chris Kachmar (1-0, 4.50)
• Chesapeake: vs. Richmond, 6:35 PM. Starter: Joseph Dzierwa (1-1, 2.70)
• Frederick: vs. Hub City, 6:00 PM. Starter: TBD
• Delmarva: vs. Myrtle Beach, 7:05 PM. Starter: Denton Biller (1-3, 6.43)

Utility player Mauricio Dubon was acquired by the Atlanta Braves over the offseason for shortstop Nick Allen. The Braves were looking to have a more flexible player and some offense. The Astros saved a little money and got a great defender. The returns have been pretty one-sided toward the Braves, however. Mauricio has put together a line of .259/.314/.405 with a perfectly league-average 100 wRC+ and 1.5 WAR. Dubon has already doubled his criminally underrated projection of 0.7 WAR. Nick Allen has put up a 72 wRC+ and 0.2 WAR in a limited 70 plate appearances for Houston. Clearly, this move was quite a coup for the Braves. And it’s probably the trade of the season. But this is not the one I am thinking about, at least not exactly.

In years past, if the Braves decided to focus on the bullpen or the bench they always focused on the bullpen. This approach probably peaked in 2024, when the Snitker-proofed bullpen put up 6.2 WAR. That team had Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, A.J. Minter, a healthy Joe Jimenez, a pre-kerplosion Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, Grant Holmes, and Jesse Chavez. These were solid choices all around. Meanwhile, the benches in those years were pretty thin. But you probably don’t worry about the bench in a DH-adopting National League when you have an excellent first nine. Ten through thirteen were a little Charlie Culberson-y, though.

However this year, the focus was clearly on the bench over the bullpen. Now, they picked up Robert Suarez who has been excellent the last few years. But otherwise they rolled with who they had in the organization, Here’s Walt Weiss on this year’s bench from last night.

I don’t think there’s been any question [about the bench] in my nine years here. We’ve always had the everyday players that posted and played well. And nothing about the guys that have been here, but there’s been a big dropoff when you go to the bench. [It’s been] just the opposite. There’s been times when the bench has carried us this year.

So is focusing on the bench over the bullpen the best trade in years? Is having a great bench better than having eight solid options in the bullpen? This year the bench has definitely paid off with the injuries and a suspension. The bottom three of four in the bullpen have been a frustration though.

The Orioles were on their way to what might have been a feel-good win in their series opener against the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. They carried a two-run lead into the bottom of the ninth on Friday night. Even against these guys, that should have been enough. Closer Ryan Helsley, fresh off the injured list, absolutely blew it instead, with a little help from his friends. Instead of a win, the Orioles get yet another feel-bad loss, one that tips them closer to the point where there’s no coming back from this.

Before this west coast trip began, I decided that I was not going to stay up late watching these jokers. They aren’t worth it. I apologize for the belated recap that has stemmed from this decision. It will happen twice more before this road trip is over. I’m not actually that sorry, though, because waking up to this validates the decision. Imagine if I had stayed up and then had to write about this at 1 o’clock in the morning:

Let’s rewind this series of events a little bit. Helsley took the mound for the ninth with a two-run lead. This was his second outing since returning from the injured list. He was bad in the first outing two days ago, which was a non-save situation. After retiring the leadoff batter, Helsley turned it into a one-run cushion by giving up a home run to Mookie Betts. Although Betts has enjoyed a decades-long run as one of the game’s elite players, he entered Friday’s game with a .203/.266/.367 batting line. Don’t get beat by that guy! Helsley did, though.

Right after giving up that home run, Helsley walked the next batter, putting the tying run on base and bringing the winning run up to the plate. This is the strike zone plot of Max Muncy drawing this walk:

Look at those four green dots! Those are nowhere close to the strike zone. This guy had no idea where the ball was going. This was the time for the experienced closer to buckle down and make some good pitches and he did this. Helsley, come on, man! Once on base as the tying run, Muncy was replaced by a pinch runner.

The closer then got your hopes up by getting the second out on an easy popout. Just get the next guy and you’re good. That’s all. Helsley did not get the next guy. He walked Ryan Ward on four pitches. The four balls were not as egregiously out of the strike zone as the previous walk, so I’m not going to post that screenshot also, but still. This was bad and it sucks, and also, after this disaster, Helsley has a 5.11 ERA. If it’s late June and your closer has a 5+ ERA, you don’t have a closer. You have a tragedy.

Two on, two out, the tying run on second base, the winning run on first. What happened next is not, in its entirety, Helsley’s fault. I refer you to the above video. The tying run was always going to score on this batted ball. The winning run did not have to. It did anyway, thanks to the poor decision by Tyler O’Neill (who was, if you can believe it, a defensive replacement) to airmail the ball home instead of going for the cutoff man.

Maybe Samuel Basallo should have been more prepared for that possibility and ready to react to a bounce. I don’t know. He’s got his manager prepared to remark on his every fault, and this was apparently Craig Albernaz’s lead comment about the play in his post-game presser. Basallo doesn’t need me piling on. Anyway, Helsley wasn’t backing up the play properly so the errant bounce led to the winning run scoring. What a stupid way to lose. What a 2026 Orioles way to lose.

This could have been a feel-good win! The Orioles erased a 3-0 deficit by scoring three runs in the sixth inning. Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso each homered as part of that rally. The O’s took a 5-3 lead in the seventh when the bottom of the lineup loaded the bases and Jeremiah Jackson delivered a two-run single to put the team on top for the first time all game. The people who say that this team has no fight are regularly proven wrong. That’s not their problem. Their problem is just the roster isn’t good enough, no matter how much it feels like it should be.

The Orioles were in that 3-0 deficit as a result of early struggles by the starting pitcher, Trey Gibson. His final line looks pretty bad: Seven hits and four walks in five innings, allowing three runs, all earned. When your WHIP for the game is over 2, it’s tough to say it was a good day. And indeed, it wasn’t.

Still, Gibson can probably feel okay about the outing. He did a fine job of limiting the damage. After giving up a pair of first inning runs and one more in the second, the Dodgers loaded the bases against Gibson with no one out in the third. He was on the ropes and on the way to a complete disaster. Gibson pulled out his best pitch, the so-called death ball, and struck out the next three Dodgers batters in order to hold the line.

As it turned out, stopping the bleeding was crucial. The Orioles, much later in the game, did mount a comeback that would have been a lot tougher, if not impossible, if Gibson had totally fallen apart in the third. That’s a plus for Gibson and something that will hopefully serve him well in future starts, when he’s facing teams that aren’t the Dodgers.

The Orioles, however, are beyond a point where we can take comfort in little moral victories. They need actual victories. They are 35-42. They are an awful 13-23 on the road. They have earned these records. They are not a good team and they do not play well for more than a few games at a time. Most often, they play badly and lose. Sometimes, as in Friday night, they still manage to surprise you with how dumb it is when they lose. By now, we should all know better, but it’s still hard to accept about this team.

The other downside about blowing this one is that looming here later on Saturday night is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Starting for the Orioles in the 10:10 game is Trevor Rogers. As you know, this is not a good thing in the 2026 season. I also won’t be staying up late for this one. I suggest you don’t do it either. They’re not worth it.

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Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes takes the mound tonight, and the Pittsburgh Pirates ace leads off my MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Otto Lopez round out my favorite MLB player props today, and I’ll break down all three picks below.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Paul Skenes	Over 6.5 strikeouts	-116
Pete Crow-Armstrong	Over 1.5 total bases	+111
Otto Lopez	Over 0.5 singles	-153

Paul Skenes Over 6.5 strikeouts (-116)

Paul Skenes has not been quite as dominant this season compared to last year’s Cy Young-winning performance, but it’s still early, and there are plenty of positive signs for the Pittsburgh Pirates ace.

Skenes is still piling up the strikeouts, ranking second in the majors in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9). The right-hander has tossed Over 6.5 strikeouts in four straight outings and nine of his last 10, and he’ll have the upper hand in tonight’s matchup vs. the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies are averaging 8.78 strikeouts per nine innings — sixth most in MLB — and they’re particularly susceptible to the four-seamer, which happens to be Skenes’ go-to punchout pitch (49 of Skenes' 99 Ks).

The Rockies have 227 Ks against that pitch — the most in the majors. This prop feels like an absolute steal at -116, and I would confidently play it up to -130.

• Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Rockies.TV

Pete Crow-Armstrong Over 1.5 total bases (+111)

The weather is heating up, and so is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Chicago Cubs star is batting an insane .433 in June, clubbing Over 1.5 total bases in each of his last nine games — including three hits in Friday’s 16-2 win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto’s bullpen will be in rough shape following yesterday’s brutal defeat, where the Jays went through seven different arms — including more than an inning of work from outfielder Myles Straw!

Starter Patrick Corbin has been serviceable for an injury-riddled Blue Jays rotation, but the southpaw ranks near the bottom of MLB in xERA (5.48; 12th percentile) and xBA (.291; 5th percentile).

PCA actually has stronger reverse splits this year, hitting .286 vs. lefties. He’s also hammered the sinker for a .487 average, which happens to be Corbin’s most common pitch and one he goes to nearly 30% of the time.

We’re getting great value again with a favorable matchup, so I’d play this prop up to -115.

• Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Sportsnet

Otto Lopez Over 0.5 singles (-153)

Luis Arraez has led the MLB in singles for three years running, but his crown might be in jeopardy.

Otto Lopez currently tops the majors with 99 hits and 71 singles, and the Miami Marlins shortstop has shown no signs of cooling off. Lopez is batting .348 this month with at least one single in seven of his last 10 contests.

San Francisco Giants starter Trevor McDonald is giving up nearly 8.5 hits per nine innings, which puts him in the Bottom 20 among all starters in the majors.

McDonald goes to his sinker more than 56% of the time, and that’s a pitch that Lopez is feasting on this season — he has 14 singles and a .468 average vs. the sinker.

I love the matchup for Lopez, but this line is already super chalky. I wouldn’t play it past -160.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCS-Bay Area, Marlins.TV

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Rangers 9, Padres 7

• And like that, the Rangers’ losing streak ends.
• Didn’t look that way at first, though, did it?
• Uncharacteristic wildness from Jacob deGrom in the first inning, capped off by a Ty France grand slam, meant the Rangers were down 5-0 before they ever came to the plate.
• The France bomb was church, it seemed like.
• But not to your resilient Rangers.
• Bottom of the first, there’s an E1, a couple of walks, a cavalcade of doubles, a couple of infield singles…
• And like that, the Rangers are up 6-5. We feel all warm and fuzzy inside. The cold pricklies have been banished, at least for the moment.
• One of the fun things about baseball is that you see a lot of fun and unusual stuff if you watch long enough, get to experience weird things.
• Like two teams combining for 11 runs in the first inning.
• After the first, things calmed down, of course. The Rangers outscored the Padres 3-2 the rest of the way. It was a low-scoring affair, really, after the first.
• deGrom retired 15 of 16 batters in one stretch. Of course, the one batter he didn’t retire was Ty France, who hit a home run. And the batter who broke up that stretch was Ty France, who doubled. That was followed by an intentional walk and an F9 to end the inning, and deGrom’s day.
• Six hits allowed by deGrom, half of them by France. Three walks, one intentional. Nine strikeouts.
• It looks like a pretty decent outing, if you don’t look at the runs allowed.
• The Rangers have now allowed 63 runs in 75 first innings this year, including 25 home runs.
• Openers for everyone, maybe?
• Jakob Junis and Jacob Latz combined to finish things out, with Junis allowing a run in the eighth and prompting Skip Schumaker to bring in Latz for a four out save.
• Wyatt Langford put up a 3 for 5 night, including a 430 foot homer in the eighth.
• Langford is now slashing .258/.300/.447, with a 108 wRC+, despite his awful start to the season.
• Langford’s homer is the seventh longest ball hit at the Shed this season. 11 of the 12 farthest balls hit this season have been since the start of the Houston series on May 26.
• Jacob deGrom hit 99.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 96.9 mph. Jakob Junis touched 93.9 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 95.1 mph.
• Wyatt Langford’s home run was 107.1 mph, and he had a 104.5 mph double. Brandon Nimmo had a 105.8 mph double and a 102.7 mph. double. Jake Burger had a 105.7 mph double. Josh Jung had a 105.3 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 103.5 mph single. Alejandro Osuna had a 102.1 mph double.
• We can think positively now, at least for a little bit, and hope this continues through the weekend.

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The Atlanta Braves are favored in the battle of elite lefties, trading at -130 on the moneyline.

My Brewers vs. Braves predictions and MLB picks see the home team coming out on top in a low-scoring, grind-it-out affair.

Who will win Brewers vs Braves today: Braves moneyline (-130)

Kyle Harrison is having a great season for the Milwaukee Brewers, but he's shown blemishes against strong offenses.

He has posted a 7.02 ERA and completed five innings only once over four starts vs. teams ranking Top-10 in ISO against lefties — and the Atlanta Braves slot eighth.

Chris Sale has been remarkably good regardless of the competition. He conceded two runs or fewer in nine of his last 10 starts, including against the Dodgers, Phillies, Cubs, and Rockies (in Coors).

He should limit the Brew Crew and put the Braves in a good position to win. Play this to -140.

COVERS INTEL:Chris Sale slots in the 97th percentile in pitcher run value.

Brewers vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 7 (-105)

Runs will be hard to come by today. Sale has pitched lights out at home, sporting a 1.26 ERA and allowing multiple runs only once in six games.

The Brewers have not been great against left-handed pitching this season, sitting 21st in wOBA and 29th in ISO.

While the Braves should cause some problems for Harrison, he ranks in the 88th percentile in pitcher run value and has a Top-10 bullpen behind him.

Getting to four runs will be a difficult task for both teams, making the Under an appealing bet up to -115.

Brewers vs Braves weather

Temperatures in the mid-80s are expected today. However, the wind will be blowing in slightly.

Brewers vs Braves odds

• Moneyline: Brewers +110 | Braves -130
• Run line: Brewers +1.5 (-190) | Braves -1.5 (+160)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (-115) | Under 7 (-105)

Brewers vs Braves trend

The Braves have cashed the moneyline in 31 of the last 50 games for +6.65 units and a 10% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Braves.

How to watch Brewers vs Braves and game info

Brewers vs Braves latest injuries

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For the second straight night, the A’s came out on top, beating the Angels 12-11 in extras innings of work.

More to come…

It has been “Old Home Week” for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders during their current series in Columbus against the Clippers. For 28 years, from 1979 to 2006, the New York Yankees had their Triple-A affiliate in Columbus and enjoyed a highly successful run. Previous notable Triple-A homes had included Syracuse, Richmond, Denver, and Newark, but if today’s fans remember another one beyond Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, it’s probably Columbus.

This is the first time the RailRiders have visited Columbus since 2023. The Clippers have not been to PNC Field in Moosic since 2019. But back in the day, when Columbus was a Yankees affiliate and it came to town, fans would pack the former Lackawanna County Stadium. The Phillies’ minor leaguers on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons often remarked that it felt like a road game because so many people were there rooting for the Clippers.

After the teams split the first four games of the current set, Columbus leads the all-time series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 168-138.

Many notable Yankees played in Columbus. Dave Righetti. Don Mattingly. The Core Four. Alfonso Soriano, Chien-Ming Wang, and Robinson Canó.

Current RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan played 12 games for Columbus in 2006 and hit a home run in his Triple-A debut with the Clippers on June 19, 2006.

Eight players won International League Most Valuable Player while Columbus was a Yankees affiliate: Bobby Brown (1979), Marshall Brant (1980), Tucker Ashford (1982), Scott Bradley (1984), Dan Pasqua (1985), Hensley Meulens (1990), J.T. Snow (1992), and Fernando Seguignol (2003). Six pitchers were named IL Pitcher of the Year: Rick Anderson (1979), Bob Kammeyer (1980), Brad Arnsberg (1987), Dave Eiland (1990), Sam Militello (1992), and Ed Yarnall (1999).

During its affiliation with the Yankees, Columbus won seven International League titles and finished runner-up three times. Here’s a quick look back at those championship teams:

1979: With later dynasty architect Gene Michael as manager, the Clippers went 85-54 during the regular season, then defeated the Syracuse Chiefs in the final, four games to three. Dennis Werth—Jayson’s stepfather—was the team’s top hitter with 17 home runs, 74 RBIs and a .299 batting average. Brown was league MVP. Kammeyer was 16-8 with a 3.92 ERA, while Anderson was 13-3 with 21 saves and a 1.63 ERA.

1980: Under the direction of manager Joe Altobelli, who would soon win a World Series as Earl Weaver’s successor with the Orioles, Columbus went 83-57 and beat the Toledo Mud Hens in the final, 4-1. Brant hit .289 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs to earn MVP honors. Kammeyer was 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA to be named Pitcher of the Year.

1981: For the third straight year, Columbus wins the league title with a third different manager. Frank Verdi led the Clippers to an 88-51 record during the regular season. In the final, they beat the Richmond Braves, 2-1, after the remainder of the series was cancelled due to rain and unplayable field conditions. Steve “Bye Bye” Balboni hit 33 home runs and drove in 98 runs, while Brant had 25 home runs and 95 RBIs. Ashford had 32 doubles, 17 home runs, 86 RBIs and batted .300. Pitchers John Pacella and Dave Wehrmeister each won 11 games.

1987: Bucky Dent managed Columbus this season, three years after his MLB career ended and three years before he would skipper the Yankees themselves. The Clippers finished second in the league with a 77-63 record, but swept the Rochester Red Wings and Tidewater Tides, 3-0, to capture the Governors’ Cup. Frank Costanza’s beloved Jay Buhner had 31 home runs and 85 RBIs. Orestes Destrade added 25 home runs and 81 RBIs, while Roberto Kelly had 13 home runs, 62 RBIs and 51 stolen bases. Pitchers Arnsberg and Pete Filson each won 12 games.

1991: Rick Down managed Columbus to an 85-59 record, then a three-game sweep of the Pawtucket Red Sox in the final. Playoff hero-in-the-making Jim Leyritz had 11 home runs and 48 RBIs, future Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo had 10 bombs and 75 RBIs, and Mike Humphreys recorded nine home runs, 53 RBIs and a .283 batting average. Royal Clayton was the top pitcher, going 11-7 with a 3.84 ERA. Others on the staff that season included Eiland, Alan Mills, and Scott Kamieniecki.

1992: Down again was manager and guided Columbus to a 95-49 record. The Clippers then rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning of the fifth and deciding game of the final to defeat the Red Barons and repeat as champs. Snow captured MVP honors after batting .313 with 15 home runs and 78 RBIs. Meulens hit 26 home runs and knocked in 100 runs. The late Gerald Williams batted .285 with 16 home runs and 86 RBIs, while a youngster named Bernie Williams played 95 games and had eight home runs and 50 RBIs whenever he wasn’t patrolling center in the Bronx. Militello was 12-2 with a 2.29 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 142 innings to earn the league’s top pitcher award. Bob Wickman added 12 victories.

1996: Former Yankees skipper Stump Merrill managed this Columbus team to an 85-57 record, then swept the Rochester Red Wings in the final, 3-0. Ivan Cruz socked 28 home runs and 96 RBIs. A whole bunch of familiar names from the late-1990s Yanks contributed to this Clippers team. Ricky Ledee had 21 home runs and 64 RBIs, while Jorge Posada chipped in 11 home runs and 62 RBIs. Brian Boehringer won 11 games, Eiland and Dave Pavlas each won eight and Ramiro Mendoza chipped in six victories.

In 2006, the Yankees announced they were moving their Triple-A affiliate from Columbus to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starting with the 2007 season. They have been in northeastern Pennsylvania ever since.

When the Yankees left, Columbus became the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals for 2007-08. It then became the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians in 2009 and continues to be today.

No longer do the Clippers play in Cooper Stadium, where the Yankees affiliate played. They moved to a downtown ballpark, Huntington Park, in 2009. But it doesn’t feel so long ago.