We, the spoiled denizens of Braves Country, have made our displeasure known about the recent offensive outages. Some of it warranted (dropping a series to the Nats at home). We may have said things we regret.
I’m taking your Ronald Acuña Jr. apology forms riiight here.
The Braves will finish 4-2 against the Red Sox this season, taking 2 of 3 in both Atlanta and Boston in the span of a week.
The Braves are back in the win column and notched another series win, bouncing back after 1) last night’s shutout and 2) their second series loss of the year before Memorial Day.
In the battle of lefties on the mound, Chris Sale grinded through five innings of work, throwing 96 pitches and allowing six hits, two earned runs, three walks, and striking out eight. He pitched around traffic in every inning, but got strikeouts in huge spots to end the threats in the first, second, and third.
Thus ends the streak of 6+ inning starts for Sale, but he still got the win, adding to his streak of decisions so far this season. You can’t help but be extra appreciative of Sale when he’s at Fenway. He’s throwing 99 mph on his 92nd pitch of the game for a strikeout for us. For Atlanta. Matt Olson was entirely right to (mildly and apparently amicably) let Willson Contreras know not to chirp our ace. He kept us right in it, believing his offense would break through.
And they would do exactly that – but before we get to the point where they broke it open, I want to give Jorge Mateo his flowers.
Mateo has made the most of his fluid role and limited playing time with the Braves. Called upon to DH, pinch run, or start at short like today, he has contributed in a myriad of underrated ways. He had himself a day today, going 2-for-4 with a double and two-out RBI single to get the scoring started off of Payton Tolle. Tolle was picking right back up where he left off in stealing the souls of Braves hitters. But he proved fallible, and Jorge had the first blow. Mateo’s single also set up a Dom Smith RBI single to make it 2-0 Braves in the fourth. A difference maker!
Those two runs felt huge, but Sale’s unlucky fourth (a barely-fair RBI double and RBI single) brought us a brand-new ballgame tied at 2-2. Ronald Acuña Jr. reached on a leadoff walk and collected a stolen base, but nothing further would be charged to Tolle after being lifted after 4.2 innings.
The top of the sixth was special. When have you seen the first three Braves hitters show bunt? Only Michael Harris II laid one down for a single, but Mateo and Smith took advantage of reliever Danny Coulombe’s lack of command and walked to load the bases. A brief game of chicken ensues: Eli White came in to pinch hit for Sandy León, Boston countered with a pitching change to go to righty Greg Weissert, and then White headed back to the dugout in favor of Mike Yastrzemski. Yaz’s good eye led to a bases-loaded walk to make it 3-2 Braves. Lineup card turned over, and there are still no outs.
Ronald took a ball low. Weissert’s next pitch, a 93 mph sinker, was promptly sent a whopping 417 feet, soaring over the Green Monster for a grand slam. What a moment for Ronnie rocket #3 of the season.
The game continued while we reveled in that high for a while. Tyler Kinley (1.0 IP), Reynaldo López (2.0 IP), and Dylan Dodd (1.0 IP) would combine to throw four scoreless to finish out the game. Harris II and Ozzie Albies also wanted in on the fireworks and would tack on three runs via a solo homer in the seventh and a two-run homer in the ninth, respectively.
The Braves improve to 38-19 and will have a happy flight to Cincinnati. Don’t watch that highlight again without turning in your apology form.
Major League Baseball could make Sacramento a permanent home in the near future, at least that's the hope for city leaders and residents surrounding California's capital.
Regional leaders near Sacramento made their plans for a MLB team called "The Sacramento Pitch" in a news release from the Greater Sacramento Economic Council detailing commitments including a "fully entitled 50-acre stadium site" and nearly $2 billion in public and private funds.
The Athletics play at Sutter Health Park, a minor-league stadium in West Sacramento, after the A's relocated from Oakland, using Sacramento as a pitstop from 2025 to potentially 2028 before they ultimately land in Las Vegas where a new, state-of-the-art ballpark is expected to be completed by that year.
Sacramento natives and residing neighbors who were either A's fans from their Oakland days or now riding for their local team have gotten accustomed to having a professional baseball team in town, and there's buzz to keep one in the region when the league negotiates team expansions into two other markets - one on the West coast and another in the East.
Founder and chairman of Fulcrum Property and Board Chair of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council Mark Friedman believes Sacramento will be "impossible to ignore" when it's time to consider additional franchises.
"When MLB moves forward on expansion, Sacramento will be impossible to ignore,” Friedman said in a news release. “We have the market, the site, the capital, and the community. Sacramento is ready to compete — and Sacramento is ready to win.”
The Greater Sacramento Economic Council has plans for a 50-acre downtown site for a modern ballpark and mixed-use development. The project is said to have pinpointed almost $2 billion in private-public funding that includes $800 million in land and private investment and another $1 billion expected to come from the City of West Sacramento through tax increment financing, existing hotel taxes, and additional sources, the news release said.
“This is a defining moment for West Sacramento, and we’re ready,” West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero said in a news release. “Major League Baseball is already seeing firsthand the passion, energy, and civic pride that exists here. This region offers a practical and achievable path for long-term MLB success, and we have the financial capacity, community support, and clear vision needed to bring Major League Baseball permanently to West Sacramento. We’re built for this. We’re ready. Bring it on.”
The Sacramento Pitch is an organizational group of city and sports leaders spearheading the effort to bring MLB to Sacramento on a full-time basis. Among those individuals are notable baseball names from the Sacramento area, former Major League Baseball player Derrek Lee and World Series Champion, as a player and manager, Dusty Baker.
“I have always believed Sacramento is a major league city. Throughout my career, I’ve traveled across the country, and there’s something different about the people here. This community truly loves baseball,” Baker said in a news release. “For more than a century, this region has built a proud baseball legacy and developed generations of Major League Baseball players. I could not be more excited for the prospect of bringing a permanent MLB team here.”
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 15: Spencer Arrighetti #41 of the Houston Astros pitches in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on May 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: Tonight, the Houston Astros (25-32) and Texas Rangers (25-30) will play the finale of this 4-game series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
RHP Spencer Arrighetti (6-1, 1.32 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-5, 3.55 ERA).
Tonight will be Arrighetti’s 1st career appearance at Globe Life Field and his 3rd vs. TEX overall.
Rematch: Tonight will also be the 2nd time that Arrighetti and Eovaldi have faced each other. The last time was on July 13, 2024 in HOU in which both hurlers took a ND in a 2-1, Rangers win in 10 innings.
SPENCER’S GIFTS: Since making his season debut on April 15, RHP Spencer Arrighetti has been one of the top starters in the Majors.
With Friday’s win at CHC, he is now 6-1 in just 7 starts with a 1.32 ERA (6ER/41IP) and a miniscule .169 batting avg. (24 H allowed in 41.0 IP).
Since April 15, Arrighetti’s 6 wins are tops in the AL in that span.
Model of Consistency: Arrighetti has allowed 1 ER or less in 6 of his 7 starts and 2 ER or less in all 7 starts.
In May, Arrighetti is 3-1 in 4 starts with an 0.78 ERA (2ER/23IP).
Pitcher of the Month Candidate: Arrighetti is 3-1 in his 4 starts in May with an AL best 0.78 ERA (2ER/23IP). For the month, he has allowed just 13 hits in his 23.0 IP (.169 opp. avg).
TRIP FINALE: Tonight is the finale of this 10-game, 3-city road trip.
The Astros are 6-3 thus far on the trip, going 1-2 at MIN, 3-0 at CHC and 2-1 here at TEX with 1 game left to play. A win tonight would give the Astros 7 wins on a 10-game road trip for the 1st time since a 10-0 trip, June 7-17, 2018.
Home-Cooking: After tonight’s game, the Astros will return to HOU for a 9-game homestand, during which they will host MIL, PIT and ATH, respectively.
AIR YORDAN: Yordan Alvarez has been sizzling hot in this series at Globe Life Field, going 6×12 in 3 games with 5 HR and 8 RBI.
*Is the 1st Astros player with multi-HR in back-back games since Jose Altuve turned the trick, Sept. 4 (2 HR) and Sept. 5 (3 HR), also at Globe Life. Altuve’s 5 HR are a club record for a 2 game span.
*His 2 HR last night give him 20 HR on the season, which is a club record for the 1st 57 G of a season.
*He is the 5th Astros player with multi-HR in consecutive games. The others: Jose Altuve, 9/4-5, 2023 at TEX; Richard Hidalgo, 9/9-10, 2000 at CHC; Moises Alou, 8/13/2000 at PHI, 8/14/2000 vs. PIT; Doug Rader, 7/2021/1973 vs. NYM.
*Has matched the club record for HR in a 3-game span with 5. That record is shared by Jose Altuve (2023), Richard Hidalgo (2000) and Glenn Davis (1990).
*From Elias: The Astros record for HR in a 4-game span is 6, set by Glenn Davis, 6/1-4 of 1990.
*At Globe Life Field, his 17 career HR and 1.216 career OPS are the best of any visiting player. He has 17 HR and 37 RBI in just 33 games at Globe Life Field.
*From Sarah Langs: Only 4 MLB players have had 3 straight multi-HR games: 2003-Jeff DaVanon; 1969-Lee May; 1962-Frank Thomas; 1951-Gus Zernial.
Note: All 3 hit 6 HR in their 3-game spans.
*From Elias: The MLB record for HR in a 3-game span is 7, set by Shawn Green (5/23-25 of 2002). The MLB record for HR in a 4-game span is 8, set by Ralph Kiner, 9/10-12 of 1947 (DH on 9/11).
ON THE LEADER BOARD: Yordan Alvarez currently leads the Majors in OPS (1.085), SLG (.663) and TB (134).
In the AL, he is 1st in batting avg. (.312), T-1st in HR (20) and 4th in RBI (39).
200 CLUB: Last night’s win was #200 for Astros manager Joe Espada. Espada’s very first managerial win came via a no-hitter by RHP Ronel Blanco on April 1, 2024 vs. TOR.
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 5 of 6, 6 of 8 and 8 of their last 12 games.
FOR STARTERS: Astros starters have a combined ERA of 3.34 (26ER/70IP) over the last 12 games (since May 15) with a 1.04 WHIP.
In that span, they have allowed just 41 hits in 70.0 for an AL-best .170 opp. avg. During that time, HOU ranks 1st in the AL in opp. avg., 2nd in WHIP and 6th in ERA. Additionally, Astros starters have allowed no runs 5 times in the last 12 games.
HOMER HAPPY: The Astros have slugged 14 HR in their last 6 games. HOU now ranks 3rd in the AL in HR with 74, just behind CWS (75).
WALKER, TEXAS HAMMER: 1B Christian Walker has 4 HR and 9 RBI in hits last 5 games.
For the season, he has been one of the top hitters in the AL and is currently T-2nd in the league lead in RBI with 40. Walker also ranks 6th in HR (15), 7th in TB (108) and SLG (.519) and 13th in OPS (.850).
Walker also has not committed an error in his 57 games played.
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros are 4-2 vs. the Rangers thus far in the 2026 Silver Boot Series.
They took 2 out of 3 from Rangers, May 15-17 at Daikin Park in the 1st matchup of the series.
Dating back to last season, HOU has won 7 of their last 9 games vs. TEX.
Even Series: The two clubs have played each other 298 times in the regular season in their franchise histories, with the Astros holding a slight advantage, 150-148.
Recently, the Astros have had the upper hand, winning or splitting nine straight season series, going 97-53 against the Rangers since the start of the 2017 season.
The Silver Boot Trophy, which the Astros have held onto since 2017, is on display in the Centerfield Team Store at Daikin Park.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1969 – One night after his walk-off grand slam defeated the Phillies, Doug Rader is the hero again, this time with an RBI-single in the 10th inning for a 7-6, walkoff win over the Phillies in the Dome. Additionally, the win is the 10th straight for the Astros, tying the franchise record at that time.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, May 28, 7:05 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
May 27, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left winger Jason Robertson watches the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Baseball: Scenic view from center field of Seattle Mariners Steve Cishek (31) warming up in bullpen as bullpen coach Mike Hampton (46) looks on during game vs Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. Overall view of field and stadium. Baltimore, MD 5/19/2016 CREDIT: Simon Bruty (Photo by Simon Bruty /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: SI389 TK1 )
Game one of four in Baltimore.
There have been moves. McAdoo is up. Sosa is on the Il. I bet you didn’t know that inability to take a walk was something that could land you on the IL.
Seabold is on the roster, Chase Lee is headed to Buffalo.
Davis Martin apparently trying to nab a free t-shirt fired from one of those little cannons. | (Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)
It didn’t look like the feeble-hitting Twins would have much chance against Davis Martin, and that turned out to be right.
And it didn’t look like the Sox would struggle against an emergency starter rushed into action very shortly before game time, and that turned out to be right, too. Especially thanks to the incompetence of Twins manager Derek Shelton.
The Twins offense, which had scored only five runs in regulation in three games against lesser Sox pitching, looked hopeless against Martin, who holds the key to success against Minnesota: complete ownership of Byron Buxton. He did walk Buxton once, but got a K on a pitch around eye-high, running the star’s career against him to 1-for-12 with six strikeouts. He also held the rest of the Twins to two hits, both by Tristan Gray, who drove in the only run on Martin’s tab with a double long after the game was essentially over.
Just to show he’s not just all-throw-and-no-catch, Martin even made a nifty play on Trevor Larnach in the sixth.
Meanwhile, Minnesota had a problem — an even bigger problem than just being the Twins. Shelton, for some reason, decided to give hurler Taj Bradley (5-1) an extra day of rest, even though his last three starts had been excellent, rather than having him face a division rival. Then opener+ Kendry Rojas, ERA 1.26, was pulled due to elbow soreness, and Simeon Woods Richardson was rushed into duty on little warning.
Woods Richardson is mostly a starter, but he’d just pitched two relief innings on Monday and was in no way ready to go. He gave up a run on a Colson Montgomery single after Miguel Vargas walked and stole second in the first. Then Shelton left Woods Richardson in well past his sell-by date in the fourth, even after he’d loaded the bases on two walks and another Montgomery single. To no one’s surprise — except maybe Shelton’s — Tristan Peters then drove in a run on an infield single to give the Sox a 2-0 lead, and Randal Grichuk effectively put the game away with a double to the corner against a Twins offense too lousy to mount a comeback.
That made it 5-0 Sox, and after a Sam Antonacci single and an errant pickoff attempt, a Munetaka Murakami pop-up double stretched the lead to 6-0 after five.
The Twins finally scored on Martin in the sixth on a walk and Gray’s double. Will Venable decided to be kind to them in the seventh and inserted Jordan Leasure, but even he only gave up one run despite being hit hard by four straight batters. Tyler Davis and Grant Taylor each threw a scoreless inning to keep the final 6-2.
The win moves the White Sox to 29-27 and actually gets their run differential back to even for the first time since Opening Day. The Tigers, who haven’t won a game since roughly April Fool’s Day and got clobbered by the Angels today, are headed to town for a three-game series starting with Troy Melton making his second start of the year, going for Detroit vs. Erick Fedde for Chicago tomorrow night.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 10: Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles works the second inning against the Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 10, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If I had a dollar for every time someone has brought up the Earl Weaver quote that momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher, I could probably take a nice vacation. It comes up so often it is kind of a joking cliche. Yet the reason it is deployed so often is there is an obvious truth to it. If your starting pitcher gets his butt kicked, then it probably doesn’t matter what you did the last three games. That winning streak is over. If your starting pitcher goes out and throws a gem, you’ve got a pretty good chance to keep the good times rolling.
The Orioles open up a series against the Blue Jays here on Thursday night with Chris Bassitt on the mound. Amazingly, he is kind of a defiance of the Weaver cliche. Bassitt has been pretty much terrible so far, with about three of his ten outings being anything like good. He has thoroughly earned the 5.51 ERA that he currently possesses. He is not on the path to looking like the $18.5 million contract that Mike Elias handed him for 2026 will pay off for the Orioles. He is neither pitching well nor eating innings.
Somehow, the Orioles are 7-3 in games that Bassitt pitches. Bassitt himself has come away with a 4-3 win-loss record, grabbing wins in games where he gave up five runs in 5.1 innings and three runs in 4.1 innings (relief outing). Always remember that pitcher win-loss records are not indicative of all that much.
Maybe Bassitt will surprise me and pitch well. The Blue Jays are not hitting very well over the last two weeks, with a .231/.298/.374 team batting line. Annoyingly, they are 9-5 in this time, because their pitchers are doing even better. In the same time, the Jays have allowed a .599 OPS and 2.65 ERA. Tonight’s Jays pitcher, Patrick Corbin, who has netted -3.4 bWAR since the start of the 2021 season, is worth more than any Orioles starting pitcher! No one would have been happy at the time if Elias had signed this guy. Two months into the season, though, those are the results.
Obligatory Orioles roster move of the day: The team optioned yesterday’s starter, Trey Gibson, back to Norfolk. They selected the contract of Cameron Weston from Norfolk. He has not been pitching well down there, or at least not getting good results. Good luck to him if he debuts. Also today, the Orioles activated Heston Kjerstad from the injured list and optioned him to Norfolk.
Orioles lineup
Taylor Ward – DH
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Adley Rutschman – C
Pete Alonso – 1B
Coby Mayo – 3B
Leody Taveras – CF
Tyler O’Neill – RF
Jackson Holliday – 2B
Blaze Alexander – LF
If the question is “Why is Tyler O’Neill playing?” the answer is probably that the team has zero confidence in Colton Cowser against lefty pitchers, but also I have zero confidence in O’Neill against any pitcher so, you know. Sunk cost time is approaching, if it has not already arrived.
Blue Jays lineup
George Springer – DH
Nathan Lukes – LF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
Daulton Varsho – CF
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Jesús Sánchez – RF
Ernie Clement – 2B
Andrés Giménez – SS
Brandon Valenzuela – C
The Jays signed the Japanese infielder Okamoto as a free agent this offseason to hit home runs and he already has 11 home runs. Must be nice.
SeatGeek is the official MLB Ticketing Partner of the New York Post. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change.
The “Summer of George 3.0” is underway.
For the third straight season, the New York Yankees are giving away “Seinfeld”-inspired George Costanza bobbleheads.
This year, they’ll be handing out 18,000 tiny Jason Alexander statuettes — where he’ll likely be polishing off a calzone — on Thursday, Aug. 27 when Aaron Judge’s Bronx Bombers go toe-to-toe with Yordan Alvarez’s Houston Astros.
As “Seinfeld” fans may recall, George’s infamous run-in with the Italian delicacy comes from the Season 7 episode “The Calzone” where he accidentally gets his boss George Steinbrenner (voiced by Larry David) hooked on the folded pizza.
A minute into the episode, Steinbrenner asks Costanza “what is that you’re eating there? It looks pretty tasty?” before having his underling hand his lunch over.
“Big Stein wants a little taste” he adds before taking a sizable bite of the meal that comes complete with cheese, pepperoni and eggplant.
If you’d like to get a taste of your very own Costanza calzone bobblehead, tickets are available for the late August, dog days of summer contest.
Better yet, they’re surprisingly cheap.
At the time of publication, we found seats going for as low as $41 including fees on SeatGeek.
100-level seats start at $98 including fees.
In the event “Seinfeld” isn’t your thing, the Yankees have a number of other exciting giveaways coming up these next few months.
Personally, we’re most excited about the Aaron Judge MVP bobblehead (June 20), Cody Bellinger bobblehead (Aug. 21) and Josh Hart bobblehead (Sept. 25).
Also, we’d be absolutely remiss if we didn’t mention that other than the Pinstripers playing well this season, fans are lining up for the $10.99 ice cream fried chicken bucket at games.
“…what looks like a pair of fried chicken drumsticks is actually ice cream with a chocolate-covered cookie ‘bone’ center with a coating of white chocolate and candied corn flakes to give it that fried chicken look [and] is served in a souvenir mini ‘chicken’ bucket,” MLB.com reports.
Need a calzone bobblehead…and maybe an ice cream fried chicken bucket too?
We’re here to help.
Our team has everything you need to know and more about getting tickets for the Yankees George Costanza Calzone bobblehead giveaway game below.
Yankees George Costanza bobblehead giveaway day tickets
A complete breakdown of all Yankee Stadium section ticket prices for the Aug. 27 Yankees-Astros game with the George Costanza calzone bobblehead giveaway can be found here:
Yankee Stadium sections
Ticket prices start at
400-level
$41(including fees)
300-level
$65(including fees)
200-level
$84(including fees)
100-level
$99(including fees)
Lower level
$321(including fees)
Yankees 2026 home game tickets
At the moment, Aaron Boone’s Yankees are sitting at 34-22 just behind the scrappy Tampa Bay Rays in the competitive AL East.
And, while that’s certainly exciting, we’re most jazzed about all the amazing giveaways the team has planned for the rest of the year (along with the Costanza bobblehead).
To make sure you’re fully up to speed on which games include special trinkets with your tickets (and Old-Timer’s Day!), here are all the remaining 2026 Yankees giveaways and special dates.
Yankees 2026 giveaways
Guardians vs. YankeesTuesday, June 2 Charles Fazzino’s America250: A New York Yankees Celebration Poster Night
Red Sox vs. YankeesSaturday, June 6 Military Appreciation Night – Red, White & Blue Yankees T-shirt
White Sox vs. YankeesThursday, June 18 Yankees Soccer Jersey Night
Guardians vs. YankeesSaturday, June 20 Aaron Judge MVP Bobblehead Day
Twins vs. YankeesFriday, July 3 Fireworks Night
Twins vs. YankeesSaturday, July 4 Yankees 4th of July Cap Day
Pirates vs. YankeesMonday, July 20 Yankees T-Shirt Night
Braves vs. YankeesSaturday, Aug. 8 Old-Timers’ Day
Blue Jays vs. YankeesFriday, Aug. 21 Cody Bellinger Bobblehead Night
Blue Jays vs. YankeesSaturday, Aug. 22 Hello Kitty Yankees Bobblehead Day
Orioles vs. YankeesFriday, Sept. 25 Josh Hart Yankees Bobblehead Night
Orioles vs. YankeesSaturday, Sept. 26 CC Sabathia Night
Note: Most freebies will be given to the first 18,000 fans. There are exceptions so make sure to arrive at the ballpark early.
Prefer a home game without giveaways? You can find the Yankees’ complete 2026 schedule here.
Jerry Seinfeld Beacon Theatre residency
Starting Oct. 24, Jerry Seinfeld resumes his ongoing Beacon Theatre residency.
As of now, the funnyman has ten shows booked at the classy Upper West Side performance space. To find the one that makes the most sense for you, you can find all Jerry Beacon dates below.
Jerry Seinfeld Beacon Theatre dates
Friday, Dec. 117 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 125 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 128 p.m.
Want to see Jerry elsewhere? You can find Seinfeld’s complete 2026 tour calendar here.
Stream “The Calzone” “Seinfeld” episode
In the off-chance it’s been a few years since you’ve caught “The Calzone” — which originally aired April 25, 1996 and features subplots where Jerry dates a woman and Elaine goes out with a guy whose found “dating loopholes” — you can stream the fan-favorite episode on Netflix.
Note: “The Calzone” is Season 7 Episode 19.
Huge 2026 concerts
Hoping to catch a concert or three this year, too?
If the answer is a resounding yes, here are just a few you won’t want to miss these next few months.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 17: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on May 17, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pitching Matchup: Colin Rea (4-3, 4.83 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (6-4, 3.00 ERA)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Chicago Cubs today at beautiful PNC Park.
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Bucs Dugout is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
The commenting system was updated during the summer. They’re still working on optimizing it for Game Day Threads like ours. If you don’t like clicking “Load More Comments”, remember that the “Z” key can be your friend. It loads up the latest comments automatically.
BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
The Major League Baseball Players' Association braced their players for years this would be coming, and there it was Thursday, presented in black-and-white, MLB’s first official salary cap proposal since 1994.
The reaction?
Pure, unadulterated disgust.
The 200-page proposal was worse than they ever anticipated after submitting their initial proposal on Wednesday.
“Yesterday, the MLBPA presented a comprehensive package of proposals designed to improve compensation for players at all levels, and to incentivize and reward competition on the field," interim union chief Bruce Meyer said in a statement. “The owners responded today with a demand for a salary cap system, something generations of players have fought against. The last time the owners made such an explicit push for a cap – over 30 years ago – it led to the longest work stoppage in MLB history.
“For generations, our members have fought against cap systems because they harm players at all levels, erode or eliminate contractual guarantees, pit player against player, lead to more work stoppages, not less, and get worse for players over time."
In other words, MLB’s proposal was a complete non-starter.
The union anticipated that MLB would offer to significantly raise the minimum salary, maybe not to $1.5 million as they are seeking in 2027, but at least increased from $780,000. They expected free agency to possibly be lowered from six years to five years, as they desire, for players 30 years or older. They thought that the salary arbitration pool would be expanded.
No. No. And no.
There was nothing, well, at least in this initial proposal.
MLB proposed a $245.3 million salary cap, which would cause eight teams to lower their payroll, and in return, offered a $171.2 million salary floor, which would cause 12 teams to increase their payroll.
The players would immediately gain $38 million in the return.
Sorry, the union isn’t buying it.
The cap and floor would be significantly lowered, the union believes when benefits and amateur signings are included.
It brought back memories of their collective bargaining talks in 2021 when MLB offered a luxury tax system beginning at $180 million, with also a salary floor at $100 million. It was flatly rejected by the union, and MLB implemented a lockout that lasted 99 days.
This proposal was rejected by the time the union lawyers walked out of the door.
They will talk again, perhaps in a few weeks, with meetings occurring more frequently later in the fall, but barring a more stunning surprise than the Colorado Rockies winning the NL West, there will be no agreement when the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 1.
MLB will impose a lockout.
The start of spring training will be delayed, and perhaps games will be missed.
MLB realizes that with the influx of new owners, showing more interest in acquiring real estate holdings than their actual team, this is their best and perhaps last chance to secure a salary cap.
If it doesn’t happen now, it never will.
So, MLB could keep the lockout going until mid-April, forcing the players to miss a paycheck, and see if they blink. If the players stay strong, then MLB must decide how long they are willing to keep the game shut down, and how many more missed paychecks will lead to any softening of their stance.
In the meantime, there will be plenty of rhetoric.
MLB is telling the players that if they don’t agree to a salary cap, they won’t come close to getting their fair share of the financial pie, and are offering 50% of all baseball revenue. MLB says the players are costing themselves money under the current system.
Payrolls increased by 149% since 2003, MLB says, while MLB’s revenue has increased by 247%. In fact, MLB says, the players’ share has actually declined in the last four collective bargaining agreements.
The union argues that if they agreed to MLB’s proposal, the players would receive less money than they’re getting now, worried about league-wide escrows which could potentially force them to return money once revenues are calculated.
MLB also says the middle class is getting squeezed, with their data showing that 10% of its highest-paid players receive 60% of the total payroll, compared to 51% in the NFL, 41% in the NBA and 31% in the NHL.
“The biggest issue we need to solve next to continue to grow the game off the field is fixing the payroll disparity unseen in any other major U.S. sport,” MLB spokesperson Glen Caplin said. “Ultimately the game is about hope and competition and too many fans in too many markets have too little hope their team has a fair chance to win. Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues because they don't believe a $446 million spending gap from top to bottom is a fair fight. Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together."
The union calls it a cop-out, arguing that competitive balance isn’t a problem considering that small-market clubs like the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians are currently leading their respective divisions, with the Brewers winning an MLB-best 97 games last season.
“Caps don’t lower ticket prices for fans, eliminate tanking or ensure teams are run with equal competence,’’ Meyer said. “They suffocate competition by offering owners an all-purpose excuse for inaction and mediocrity.
“Baseball is experiencing unprecedented momentum and owners are enjoying record viewership, revenues and franchise values. Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries. This isn’t out of generosity or a desire to protect the game’s well-being. It’s a play to control costs, increase profits and maximize franchise values – all at the expense of players past, present and future.
“We’ll continue our review of the owners’ proposal and stand ready to negotiate system improvements that benefit players and fans alike.’’
In other words, let baseball’s labor war proceed, with a whole lot of arguments, rhetoric, and hostility coming to a ballpark near you.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 27: Terry Clark, CEO of PGA of America, stands on the field before throwing a ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field on May 27, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 28, 2026 against the Houston Astros: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Spencer Arrighetti for the Astros.
Its the finale of the four game series against Houston. Skip Schumaker will be missing the game today due to a graduation he will be attending. Luis Ureta will be managing in his stead.
The lineup:
Pederson — DH
Osuna — LF
Nimmo — RF
Jung — 3B
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Duran — SS
Higashioka — C
Lopez — 2B
7:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -136 favorites.
May 27, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) hits a double during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
The Baltimore Orioles went into the 2026 offseason with a purpose, making significant moves like signing slugger Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley, and Leody Taveras and dipping into their deep farm system to trade for Taylor Ward, Andrew Kittredge and Shane Baz. Between those moves and the graduation of top prospects like Sam Basallo, many considered Baltimore to be one of the most improved teams of the offseason and ready to get right back into the thick of contention.
Unfortunately for Baltimore fans, that hasn’t happened. The Orioles sit fourth in the ALE with a 26-30 record, a game behind Toronto in the standings. Injuries, underperformance, and just plain bad luck have all contributed to an underwhelming first third of the season.
I reached out to old friend of VftOS, Tyler Young from Camden Chat to get his take on the current Orioles and what their fanbase is feeling and looking for right now.
Baltimore was widely considered to have had an excellent offseason and there was a lot of pre-season hype about them. What, in your opinion, are the key elements behind the under 500 start to the season?
Injuries are not the whole reason why the team has struggled, but it is definitely part of the story. Jordan Westburg won’t play at all this year. Jackson Holliday just got back. Zach Eflin made one start. Ryan Helsley has missed a month already. And that just scratches the surface. On top of that, the team hasn’t gotten enough out of its very best players. Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, and Trevor Rogers have all underwhelmed. Tough to win with that combination. There’s been a lot of trade speculation with Adley Rutschman in the centre, especially with the emergence of Sam Basallo. Do you think the club is most likely to move him, try to extend him, or let him hit free agency and go from there?
I don’t expect anything to happen with Rutschman this year. The organization is convinced they can win with this roster, and Rutschman is a key component. I also don’t see an extension coming his way. So my guess would that if they stink in ‘27 he is dealt at the deadline. If they compete, he will stick around until free agency. Is this Front Office likely to make additions through trade to bolster the lineup and rotation over the next couple of months, or are they more likely to wait and see how it plays out?
There is pressure on this front office to win, but I don’t think they will force anything. The team has largely treaded water to this point, and in a flawed AL that has been enough to keep them in the playoff mix. If they can get healthier and be right around .500 come July I would expect them to be buyers. Which prospect are Orioles fans most excited for that debuted or might debut this year?
I’ve got two: Trey Gibson and Enrique Bradfield Jr. Gibson is a fringy Top 100 type that has already made a few big league appearances this year. He’s looked good, though he profiles as just a mid-rotation arm. Bradfield is an outfielder that could debut late in the year. Super fast, great glove, and a light bat. Sounds like a perfect bench option come playoff time. Who is your favourite member of the team to watch right now?
It’s Basallo. He’s just a pure hitter with ludicrous power. The ball explodes off his bat. He has been the team’s most productive offensive weapon, and he’s still only 21 years old. Signing him to that extension looks pretty wise right now! And just a fun little exercise, if you could make a guaranteed trade for one player from a division rival, who would it be and what would you consider a fair return to acquire them?
Cam Schlittler is too obvious of an answer, but it’s the right one. A young, hard-throwing pitcher that’s already dominating is too good to pass up, even if he has to get Tommy John eventually. I don’t think the Yankees would value much of anything on the Orioles roster outside of Henderson, and I’m not parting with him. Maybe I could entice them with a package of Holliday, Gibson, two top prospects, and a Competitive Balance pick?
RICHMOND, VA - APRIL 02: Drew Cavanaugh #19 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels poses for a photo during the Richmond Flying Squirrels photo day at CarMax Park on Thursday, April 2, 2026 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Simon Bruty/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Arizona Complex League was off on Wednesday, and the Dominican Summer League still hasn’t started, but the other four Minor League Baseball affiliates of the San Francisco Giants were all in action. So let’s get into it!
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A few small bits of news. AA Richmond infielder Dayson Croes was activated off of the 7-Day Injured List, while High-A Eugene outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) was reassigned to the Arizona Complex League. Unclear what that move is about, as it’s certainly not a demotion, or Diaz would have been moved to Low-A San Jose (he’s also been playing quite well lately, and is hitting right at league average).
AAA Sacramento (31-20)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 12-5 Box score
In yesterday’s roundup, I wrote about how catcher Drew Cavanaugh (No. 19 CPL) could definitely factor into the organization’s plans at some point, given that Patrick Bailey has been traded, and that neither Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL) nor Daniel Susac (No. 20 CPL) was yet a proven entity. Often times when I write things (good or bad), prospects spend the following game making sure I look like I don’t know what I’m talking about (which, indeed, is the case).
But Drew is a sweet guy, so he did the opposite. The 2023 17th-round pick had one of the best games of his career on Wednesday, which is a pretty huge achievement given that his entire 2025 season (and the start of 2026) was built on good games followed by great games. But Wednesday was special: Cavanaugh came to the plate 5 times and reached base in all 5 at-bats. The total damage? 1 walk, 2 singles, 2 home runs, and 5 runs batted in.
With that, Cavanaugh now has a 1.381 OPS and a 240 wRC+ through 11 games in AAA this year, after putting up similarly scintillating figures in AA before his early-year promotion. And for anyone wondering, the lefty has a whole lot of talent behind the dish, as well.
Since the Giants have 3 catchers in the Majors and a 4th on the 40-man roster, they can afford to let Cavanaugh take his time annihilating Pacific Coast League pitchers, and working his way through any bumps or walls that pop up in the coming days, weeks, and months. But my goodness, he sure went from organizational filler to a great story to an inevitable Major Leaguer in shockingly short time period. What a story!
One thing to note: the Giants, somewhat surprisingly in my eye, did not give Cavanaugh an invite to spring training this year, so he’s not as familiar with the pitching staff as Rodríguez, Susac, Eric Haase, and Logan Porter are. That will probably be a factor to consider if he starts knocking on the door of the Majors, though that’s putting the cart ahead of the horse.
Another recent promotee had a great game as well, as right fielder Turner Hill went 3-5 and finished a triple shy of the cycle.
The home run was certainly surprising to see, as it was not only his 1st of the year, but just his 6th career dinger in nearly 1,300 Minor League plate appearances. But then again, Reno gonna Reno…
Hill continues to make a case that he can play a Jared Oliva role at some point. The recently-turned 27-year old, who was an undrafted free agent in 2023, began the year in AA (though that was probably just a logistics thing, given his prior success at the level), and moved up to AAA when the Giants sent a wave of River Cats to the Majors, and had a hole in the outfield. It’s probably safe to say that Hill isn’t going back: in 28 games with Sacramento, he has a .848 OPS, a 131 wRC+, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and excellent defense across all 3 outfield positions. He’s turned into a quality depth piece to have around.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go so well for another recently-promoted player, as left fielder Scott Bandura struck out in all 5 of his plate appearances. A day to forget … or to learn from.
Center fielder Grant McCray had a nice day, hitting 2-4 with a triple, a walk, and a strikeout. McCray has really seen his status take a hit this year: he openly campaigned for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but lost that battle to Oliva, who wasn’t even on the 40-man roster. Since then, he’s watched as Drew Gilbert got promoted, Will Brennan got promoted twice, Victor Bericoto got rostered and promoted, and Rodríguez and Casey Schmitt got reps in the outfield in the Majors. But the 2019 3rd-round pick is fighting to get back there … while his overall numbers are modest (.752 OPS, 104 wRC+), he has a 7-game hit streak currently, during which time he’s 11-23 with 1 triple, 4 doubles, 6 walks, and just 4 strikeouts.
It was a funny pitching game, as the starting pitching was bad and the bullpen was excellent. That starter was RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL), who had a bit of a funny game.
Tidwell showed good command, as he threw 54 of 82 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a single batter. But living over the plate had its consequences, as he got knocked for 10 hits in just 4 innings, which resulted in 5 runs. Tidwell wasn’t entirely hittable, though, as he did strike out 6 batters … but even in Reno, giving up 10 hits while facing just 22 batters is mighty ugly, and it raised the 2022 2nd-rounder’s ERA to 6.75, while moving his FIP to 5.21. Even with the struggles, though, we’re seeing Tidwell’s electricity: his 12.2 strikeouts per 9 innings ranks 9th out of the 87 PCL pitchers with at least 20 innings thrown this year.
As for the bullpen, 4 arms combined to throw 5 shutout innings. It began with a perfect 5th inning from rehabbing RHP Jason Foley, who has yet to allow a run in 5 rehab appearances with Sacramento (he did give up some runs in his 1st rehab appearance, though, which came with Low-A San Jose). He should be in the Majors soon, and that will be exciting.
RHP Dylan Smith tossed a pair of shutout frames, while RHPs Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) and Marques Johnson handled an inning apiece. Johnson struck out 2 batters in a perfect inning, and now has a 4.05 ERA and a 4.46 FIP. His strikeout and walk numbers have both taken a big hit this year, unfortunately. But that’s to be expected when adjusting to a new level.
Revenge is a dish best served by a tugboat. Or something like that.
Wednesday was a special day for one of the newest prospects in the system, LHP Matt Wilkinson. The hefty lefty, who came over in the Patrick Bailey trade, was not only making his 3rd start with his new organization, but making his 1st start against his old team. The 23-year old was dominant in 6 starts with the RubberDucks prior to the trade … but not nearly as dominant as he was facing off against them.
Wilkinson gave up a single to the 1st batter he faced … and then faced 21 more batters, without allowing a single hit. Not a damn one! In all, Tugboat tossed 7 shutout innings while giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk, and needing just 75 pitches. A thoroughly impressive and dominant performance.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) May 28, 2026
The 2023 10th-round pick wasn’t overwhelming anyone, as he only recorded 3 strikeouts on the day, but it was a game full of soft contact and easy outs, and it lowered his ERA to 1.87 on the year, with a 2.92 FIP. Right now, it seems that Wilkinson and his new teammate, LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) are battling it out for the title of best pitcher in the Eastern League on any given day. There are 45 pitchers in the league with at least 30 innings thrown this year, and Wilkinson is 2nd in ERA, 2nd in FIP, 16th in strikeouts per 9 innings (10.2), 11th in walks per 9 (2.7), and 2nd in batting average against (.153). What an awesome dude.
The rest of the pitching was handled by RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL), who tossed 2 no-hit innings with 2 walks and 1 strikeout. Bednar has had a little bit of a disappointing year — which has featured time on the Development List and a demotion from AAA to AA — but he does have a nice 3.10 ERA and 3.91 FIP across the 2 levels. His strikeouts are down a bit year-over-year despite not really addressing his walk issue.
A quiet day on offense. Shortstop Maui Ahuna (No. 33 CPL) had a great game though, hitting 2-2 with a double, a walk, and a sacrifice bunt. The 2023 4th-round pick has been slumping a bit in May, after a solid April, and has a .712 OPS and 88 wRC+ on the season. Nice to see him have a game with not just some damage, but no strikeouts.
As for the top prospects, center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) hit 1-4 with 2 strikeouts and a stolen base, left fielder Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-4 with a double and a strikeout, and right fielder Jonah Cox went 1-5 with a triple. Dayson Croes made his return after missing about 6 weeks with an injury (and a subsequent rehab assignment in the ACL), and went 1-5 while playing third base.
High-A Eugene (35-12)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays) 10-7 Box score
A quiet game for Eugene’s stars, but some other intriguing prospects had standout days. The highest-ranked trio sat atop the order and didn’t do much: right fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) led off and went 0-5 with a strikeout, and was followed by center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), who hit 1-5, and was followed by shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) who had an 0-5.
But immediately after that, the fun started to happen, as the final 6 hitters combined to reach base 15 times. It started with the cleanup hitter, first baseman Zander Darby, who went 1-3, drew 2 walks, and smashed a solo home run.
Darby has positively exploded this year. The 23-year old lefty, who was taken in the 12th round of the 2024 draft, had a strong year in Low-A San Jose last season, but really struggled upon a late-season promotion to Eugene, as he posted just a .123 average, a .489 OPS, a 45 wRC+, and a 42.0% strikeout rate in 21 games with the Emeralds. He certainly made the adjustments, though, as this year he’s up to a .324 average, a .954 OPS, a 158 wRC+, and a 27.8% strikeout rate, and, through 40 games, has matched the home run total that he posted last year across the 2 levels, in 79 games. It’s always great seeing players take off like that!
But the best day belonged to left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who is starting to find his footing following a breakout 2025. The 21-year old lefty from Mexico, who looks much more athletic and strong this year, went 3-4 with a grand slam, a double, and a stolen base, and it’s safe to say that’s a game to remember.
Gutierrez is one of the best contact hitters in the system, though it’s taken a while for that to play out this year. He’s kept his strikeout rate low (it’s at 16.8% for the year, and has been around that mark all season), but the average is only just starting to come up, and has climbed to .259 (still nearly .100 points below what it was a year ago). But what he’s lost in average, he’s made up for in power. He entered the year with 3 career home runs in 85 games across the DSL, ACL, and Low-A. And on Wednesday, in his 37th game in High-A? He surpassed that mark with his 4th home run of the season. It’s always exciting when a high-contact, low-power player starts to add power without it sapping his contact, though, as the average and swinging strike rate point to, there is some work to do before his contact is fully back on track. Still, it’s an .810 OPS, a 124 wRC+, strong outfield defense, and 12 stolen bases without getting caught for Gutierrez who, in my eyes, has done nothing to lose his spot in the top 20.
Rounding out the dinger party was a fellow small player who has been bulking up a little, second baseman Jean Carlos Sio (No. 44 CPL). Sio, who missed the start of the year with an injury and then had a rehab assignment, went 2-4 with a 3-run shot, and the just-turned 22-year old already has 4 homers in just 12 games with Eugene this season.
Jean Carlos Sio is the hottest hitter on the planet!
Sio, who was signed in 2023 out of Cuba, had quite a breakout year last season, which featured an .808 OPS and a 130 wRC+, with just an 18.0% strikeout rate in 28 games with the Emeralds following a late-season promotion. Given that prior success, the Giants probably don’t need to see him maintain his current performance — he has a 1.117 OPS and a 197 wRC+ — for very much longer before they see how he fares in AA.
An uninteresting pitching day. Starting RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) went 5 innings, but wasn’t fooling anyone. He allowed 7 hits during that time (which included a home run and a double), while also walking 3 and striking out just 4, en route to 5 earned runs on his ledger.
It’s been a so-so year for the 22-year old Marte, who came to the Giants in the Mike Yastrzemski trade last season. He has a 3.74 ERA, a 4.07 FIP, 8.5 strikeouts per 9, and 4.0 walks. A very middle-of-the-pack season thus far, though there’s a lot of potential in that arm.
Following him was RHP Hunter Dryden, who ceded a home run, 2 doubles, and 4 walks in just 2.2 innings, tagging him for 2 runs. Dryden, who struck out 4, has had an odd season, and the 2024 17th-rounder is sitting on a 3.58 ERA and a 4.26 FIP. Year-over-year, his strikeouts are up a bit from his debut season in San Jose (10.0 to 11.0 per 9 innings), and his ground ball rate has spiked (39.9% to 49.4%). But he’s also seen spikes in his walks (4.0 to 5.2 per 9) and home runs (0.3 to 0.8 per 9).
But the pitching ended well, with RHP Ryan Vanderhei retiring all 4 batters he faced, with a strikeout. The 2023 10th-round pick has had an awesome season, with 30 strikeouts against 8 walks in 25 innings, to go with a 1.80 ERA and a 3.00 FIP. In his last 8 games, Vanderhei has thrown 12.1 innings and allowed just 5 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, with 15 strikeouts.
Low-A San Jose (25-22)
San Jose Giants lost to the Fresno Grizzlies (Rockies) 3-2 Box score
Down in the California League, LHP Jordan Gottesman put forth one of the best pitching performances in the system this year. Last year’s 6th-round pick was utterly sensational against Fresno, tossing 5 shutout innings with just a single and a walk allowed, while striking out 7 batters.
That represented a nice bounce-back for the 23-year old from Northeastern, as he had allowed 4 runs in his last start … which had come after back-to-back scoreless 5-inning starts. It takes a while to erase a 4-run start from an ERA, but still … not allowing a run in 3 out of 4 starts in a month is a very impressive thing!
The only thing looming over Gottesman right now is home runs, as he’s allowed 5 of them in 39 innings. That’s given him a 5.37 FIP despite a lovely 2.77 ERA, a pretty nice strikeout to walk ratio (41 to 13), and just 29 total hits allowed in those 39 innings.
A very mild-mannered game on offense, with just 5 hits and 1 walk secured. Right fielder Broedy Poppell had the biggest hit, as he went 1-3 with a solo home run. Last year’s 13th-round pick has really been struggling in his debut season, particularly with contact, as he has just a .232 average and a 28.8% strikeout rate, leading to a .691 OPS and a 78 wRC+. But he’s been a bit better in May than he was in April, particularly on the power front (he has 5 extra-base hits in 44 at-bats this month, after just 1 in 51 last month). Hopefully those improvements continue for the switch-hitter.
Also a nice day for center fielder Andy Polanco, who hit 1-3 with a double, a stolen base, and a strikeout. The just-turned 21-year old, who was taken in the 11th-round in 2024, has struggled on offense in his 2nd ACL season, as he has a .675 OPS, a 71 wRC+, and a 31.7% strikeout rate. But his defense continues to impress, and he’s up to 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts on the year. Through his 2-year career, Polanco has swiped 40 bags in just 82 games.
Home run tracker
7 — Drew Cavanaugh x2 — [4 in AAA; 3 in AA] 6 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 5 — Jean Carlos Sio — [4 in High-A; 1 in ACL] 4 — Carlos Gutierrez — [High-A] 3 — Broedy Poppell — [Low-A] 1 — Turner Hill — [AAA]
Thursday schedule
Sacramento: 6:05 p.m. PT at Reno (SP: TBD) Richmond: 3:35 p.m. PT at Akron (SP: Cesar Perdomo) Eugene: 7:05 p.m. PT at Vancouver (SP: Jacob Bresnahan) San Jose: 6:50 p.m. PT at Fresno (SP: TBD)
WINNING FACTS: By winning last night, the Cubs avoided falling into fifth place in the division. The have been fifth after 13 days on which they played this season, but not since they were 11-9 on April 19. They have been fourth after four games, third after seven, second after 11 and first after 19. The Brewers have been first on 20 days; the Reds, on 19; the Pirates, eight; and the Cardinals, three. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HITTING USUALLY MEANS WINNING: The Cubs’ 14 hits last night tied for their fifth most this season. They had 18 vs. the Phillies on April 23, 16 vs. the Rays on April 7, 15 vs. the Phillies on April 14 and 15, and 14 vs. the Mets on April 17 and the White Sox on May 15. All but the 18-hit game and 14 vs. the Sox were on the road. The Cubs won all those games. They are 16-1 this season when they have produced double-digit hits. The only loss was by 13-7 at Philadelphia on April 13, the day before the Cubs began their first 10-game winning streak. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WEBB SPINNING: Jacob Webb, month of May: 11 games, 13 innings, 0.69 ERA, 0.769 WHIP, no home runs allowed, two walks, 18 strikeouts.
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Kyle Hendricks throws a five-hit complete game and the Cubs defeat the Phillies 5-1 at Wrigley Field. The team improves to 33-14 and leads the NL Central by 5.5 games. It happened 10 years ago today, Saturday, May 28, 2016.
The Pirates lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Pirates lineup.
Colin Rea, RHP vs. Paul Skenes, RHP
After a pretty good start to his 2026, Colin Rea has been hit pretty hard in his last two starts, though the most recent one (last Saturday vs. the Astros) was decent — seven innings, four hits, three runs.
Rea has not faced the Pirates this year. Last year in three starts against them he had a 2.65 ERA and 0.941 WHIP and only one home run allowed in 17 innings.
Two current Pirates who hit him well are Nick Gonzales (5-for-12, a home run) and Bryan Reynolds (8-for-19, two doubles, two home runs).
It’s weird to see “3.00” as Paul Skenes’ ERA as he’s been below 2.00 most of his MLB career. He got pounded for five runs in less than an inning in his first 2026 start, largely due to a misplay by Oneil Cruz, then over the next eight: 1.09 ERA, 0.527 WHIP, 55 strikeouts and only five walks in 49.1 innings.
But then he got hit hard his last two times out: 15 hits and nine earned runs in 10 total innings, and his K rate dropped.
So maybe the Cubs are facing him at a good time for them.
Cubs teams have hit Skenes reasonably well. Their .737 OPS in seven games they’ve faced him is the best for any team that’s faced him more than three times. Same for the 2.94 ERA he has against the Cubs — worst for any team that’s faced him more than three times.
Thus… don’t assume this is a loss. The Cubs have done okay against Skenes in the past, and he’s coming off two (for him) bad starts. Fingers crossed.
Please visit our SB Nation Pirates site Bucs Dugout. If you do go there to interact with Pirates fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Major League Baseball proposed a hard salary cap Thursday for the first time since 1994, which resulted in a players’ strike that cancelled the World Series, in their first proposal to the MLB Players' Association in New York.
MLB proposed a $245.3 million salary cap, including benefits, which is lower than eight current MLB clubs’ payroll, requiring a total reduction in payroll of $578 million.
In return, MLB proposed a $171.2 million salary floor, which would require 12 teams to increase their payroll by a combined $617 million.
In the last collective bargaining talks in 2021, MLB offered a four-tier luxury tax system beginning at $180 million, with also a salary floor at $100 million. It was flatly rejected by the union, and MLB implemented a lockout that lasted 99 days.
In this proposal, MLB said that players would immediately receive 50% of baseball revenue and in future years. MLB revenue has increased by 247% since 2003, according to MLB calculations, while player payroll has increased by 149%.
The salary cap, MLB insists, would increase competitive balance in the sport.
“Ultimately the game is about hope and competition and too many fans in too many markets have too little hope their team has a fair chance to win," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues because they don't believe a $446 million spending gap from top to bottom is a fair fight.
"Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together. Further, by sharing media revenue equally as part of our proposal, we can address another top fan concern of local TV blackouts. We look forward to working with the MLBPA during the bargaining process to continue improving the game for the fans.”
The union argues that competitive balance isn’t a problem considering that small-market clubs like the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians are currently leading their respective divisions. The Brewers, who reside in baseball’s smallest market, won the most games in MLB last season with 97, while winning the NL Central division for the third consecutive year.
MLB’s proposal also said that all revenue from local media will be centralized and shared equally among clubs while players will receive 50% of any increase in future media revenue with the national TV contracts expected to expire after the 2028 season.
The CBA is scheduled to expire on Dec. 1, and if no agreement is reached, MLB is expected to implement another lockout.
