The Yankees avoided a three-game skid Monday when they started their four-game series at the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-1 win.
Takeaways
Cam Schlittler sure did rebound from last Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The Yankees' right-handed starting pitcher allowed one run on four hits in a season-high-tying eight innings, striking out eight and throwing 101 pitches with 72 strikes. Not only did Schlittler (9-5, 2.01 ERA) bounce back from surrendering a career-high six runs in his season-low four innings against the sub-.500 Tigers, but he delivered one of his best outings as a Yankee. Entering next Saturday's penultimate start of the first half as the projected starter for the 4:05 p.m. game at the Washington Nationals, Schlittler has returned to form.
What would the Yankees do without José Caballero? New York's seventh-batting shortstop homered twice to almost singlehandedly support Schlitter's gem, a 2-for-3 effort that drove home four runs with the fifth inning's three-run shot to end Griffin Jax's no-hit bid and give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. Caballero's eighth-inning-starting solo shot, his 10th homer of the season, gave New York a bit more cushion before Schlittler's scoreless bottom half. Caballero was the hero as he improved to slashing .249/.304/.407 with 16 RBI through 77 games this year.
For good measure, Ben Rice's ninth-inning-starting solo shot was the Yankees' third hit and added breathing room. While New York's only hits were home runs, will Rice following Caballero wake the bats up? New York struck out 17 times. Rice, who batted second and was the Yankees' designated hitter, is slashing .267/.360/.565 with 25 homers and 57 RBI through 85 games.
After losing nine of their past 10 games, the Yankees got a much-needed win that directly helps them in the American League East. They improve to 50-40 and three games behind the AL East-leading Rays (52-36) with three more chances. For New York to gain further ground, though, it will need better performances beyond its starting pitcher and one batter.
Who's the MVP?
Caballero. If it were not for him, the Yankees likely would have suffered a painful loss and completely changed the narrative of this one.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 06: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 06, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball is beautiful, but more importantly it is extremely weird. With how poorly the Yankees have played over the last fortnight, if I had told you they would only manage three hits in Monday’s series opener with the Rays, many of you would have skipped tomorrow’s game out of disgust. They did only get three hits, but that’s the thing about home runs. Four men crossed the plate on two José Caballero swings, and Cam Schlittler did the rest. Ben Rice added a final insurance run and New York takes the first round of this big series, 5-1 your final.
I was starting to get just a little worried the Yankees were going to be on the downside of a perfect game. Griffin Jax looked great and the Yankees looked terrible in their first 13 at-bats — I could be wrong but I believe Austin Wells was the only player to get the ball out of the infield. And then came the fifth inning, and a repudiation of Michael Zeno’s earlier proclamation: The Yankees have stopped walking.
Tell that to Jasson Domínguez and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who both worked their way aboard to ensure we wouldn’t see perfection tonight. Then, former Ray José Caballero stepped in to deliver what felt like the biggest hit the club’s had in a month:
I’ve never consciously felt a fever actually break — generally I fall asleep sick and wake up feeling a little better. This is what I imagine it must feel like though, the venting of an incredible amount of pressure, the knowledge that yes, actually, we can turn things around. This was the first time the Yankees had a three-run lead since June 19. It would remain the only hit Jax gave up, while striking out 10 in five innings, but boy was it a needed one.
Cam Schlittler nearly matched Jax, with his trio of fastballs able to get through four innings without the Rays posing much of a threat. He did surprisingly not manage a shutdown inning in the fifth after getting those three runs of support, where Chandler Simpson hit a worm killer that Ryan McMahon couldn’t barehand. Two batters later baseball’s fastest man came home to score on a single, but that would be the extent of the damage done against Cam.
It took the Yankee ace 76 pitches to get through 6.0 innings, setting him up for a seventh inning that felt significant given how little faith we all have in the bullpen these days. It took him 11 chucks to get through the seventh, and while the leadoff man did reach in the eighth, Taylor Walls’ inexplicable decision to bunt with two strikes led to a foul ball and a key out before the lineup turned over. Cam’s eight inning, one run, 8:0 K:BB performance wasn’t a perfect game but it was pretty perfectly what the club needed.
It felt like this one was personal for the young ace too, after getting his teeth kicked in against Detroit last week. Cam’s been in the majors one year less three days, what an anniversary present to himself.
Rice gets into slumps when he doesn’t elevate the ball. Getting it in the air is the key to getting him back into form. Let’s hope that swing brings something back, indeed, let’s hope this entire game brings something back to the whole team. We saw this on Friday, the Yankees won against the Twins, everyone felt ok, and then the rest of the series happened. There’s positive mojo around this team for the first time in a while after tonight, they can’t afford to waste it.
Will Warren is the man tapped to follow Schlittler’s performance with one of his own tomorrow, against an as-of-yet-unknown Rays starter (update: it’ll be lefty Ian Seymour). The next Biggest Game of the Year kicks off at 6:40 Tampa time on Tuesday.
DENVER, CO - JULY 1: Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on July 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The last time the Rockies were in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers, it didn’t go so well.
The Dodgers swept Colorado 3-0 and outscored the Rockies 24-10. It also capped off a 2-8 stretch during a challenging stretch in May.
Even though Monday night marks a matchup between the National League-leading Dodgers (59-32) and the last-place Rockies (37-54), Colorado enters the series having won four of its last five and is no longer the worst team in MLB.
They are still the Dodgers, though, and Monday’s matchup is a repeat of the May 26 showdown when Kyle Freeland and Eric Lauer when L.A. came out on top 15-6. Freeland (2-7, 7.25 ERA) has been performing better on the mound, helping the Rockies win his last three starts. In his last start, he held Miami to two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in five innings in a 6-3 win on July 1.
Lauer (4-5, 4.84 ERA) has bounced back and forth between relief and starting roles for L.A. this year, but this will be his 11th start in 14 appearances this season. The 31-year-old lefty is 3-3 with a 4.77 ERA as a starter.
The Dodgers lead the 2026 season series with the Rockies 5-2.
First Pitch: 8:10 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 2: General view of downtown San Diego prior to a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 2, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
PADRES
Ketel Marte – 2B
Fernando Tatis – RF
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Jake Cronenworth – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Manny Machado – 3B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Gavin Sheets – 1B
Lourdes Gurriel – DH
Ty France – DH
Max Kepler – LF
Jackson Merrill – CF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Samad Taylor – LF
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Sung-Mun Song – SS
Tommy Troy – CF
Rodolfo Duran – C
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Walker Buehler – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Reinstated from the 10-day injured list: C James McCann (strained right quad)
Optioned to Triple-A Reno following yesterday’s game: C Adrian Del Castillo
This is a bit of a surprise, if only because I’d kinda forgotten about McCann. His last appearance was back on May 18, and when he went on the IL the following day, the estimated timeline was 4-6 weeks. It’s been a little longer than the upper end of that – about seven weeks or so. But when you are dealing with a) a catcher, and b) a player who turned 36 while on the injured list, caution is probably no bad thing. Just hope nobody is exactly expecting much offensively. Over 22 games and 62 PA before the injury, McCann hit a paltry .203/.217/.254, with a K:BB of 17:1 and an OPS of .471. That’s somehow below the .555 OPS Del Castillo has posted for the Diamondbacks this season.
The end of the homestand yesterday would make it a good time to check in on the D-backs attendance. In late May, Jack looked at the numbers and found the team’s drop, year-to-year to that point was a massive 5,413 per game – worst in MLB and more than twice the next biggest decline. There were some schedule-related reasons, such as two “home” games in a small stadium in Mexico City, and a preponderance of weekday contests, which will typically draw lower. President Derrick Hall said, “We are right on pace with our projections,” expecting an overall tally around the same as they had in 2025.
The numbers since then do seem to bear that optimism out. With 46 home games now in the book, the D-backs are still behind the numbers from last season. But the previous deficit has been slashed by fifty-nine percent in about six weeks. It’s now 2,194 per game, ahead of three teams. So there has been some progress, although there is still work to be done. The numbers were helped by a weekday four-pack against the Dodgers, which averaged over 35,000 per game, including 42,000 for the finale. Discounting Opening Days, that’s the highest figure for any Thursday contest at Chase since April 2023. Something to keep an eye on, as we progress through the season.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Each of the three All-Star selections of Byron Buxton’s major league career has naturally brought him a deep sense of appreciation.
This one was undoubtedly the most satisfying.
Voted in as a starter by fan balloting for the first time, Buxton reveled in the fact that he landed on the American League squad with Minnesota Twins teammate Joe Ryan for the second straight summer.
Playing on market-value contracts for a team in transition with a bottom-third payroll that conducted a big selloff before the deadline last year, Buxton and Ryan have been prominently included on just about every baseball pundit’s list of trade candidates for months on end.
Yet they’re both still wearing Twins uniforms and going back to the All-Star Game this season while representing a plucky club that has shown plenty of competitiveness for all of its roster imperfections.
Buxton, a two-time Gold Glove award winner in center field, ranks fifth in the majors with 25 home runs with a robust .904 OPS mark that’s his best since 2021. Ryan, one of the pitchers elected by the players, leads baseball with 19 starts and is seventh in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
“It means a lot to be able to represent the Twins but also to be able to start out the season good,” Buxton said in New York on Saturday when MLB unveiled the All-Star teams. “To be able to run it back with Joe is a little bit more special to me.”
The second overall pick in the 2012 draft, Buxton has deftly persevered through his well-documented history of injuries to become not only the five-tool player the Twins long envisioned but a vital leader in a clubhouse of mostly younger players who revere him.
Despite a threadbare bullpen and a series of injuries that have diluted a strong group of starting pitchers, the Twins have so far hung around in both an AL Central division that’s there for the taking and a wide-open race for three wild-card spots. They won a road series against the Yankees over the weekend for the first time in 12 years.
“I truly think this is the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball,” Buxton said. “With the support that we have in here, the resilience that the team has, everything that makes this group us. I know I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Buxton was removed from the game on Sunday as a precaution after feeling discomfort in the right hip that has given him problems from time to time this season, putting his All-Star Game appearance in question with the event approaching on July 14. The Twins were off on Monday, giving him a bonus day to rest before starting a three-game series against division rival Cleveland on Tuesday. But so far, Buxton has not had to go on the injured list at all this year, another point of pride for the 32-year-old.
“I don’t want to set myself back farther, just in case I was trying to push through it or whatever the situation was,” Buxton said after the game on Sunday. “I don’t want to put the team in a bad spot by me trying to go out there and be Superman by trying to play one game and I end up missing a month.”
During the team’s most recent homestand, general manager Jeremy Zoll began an interview session, unprompted, by declaring that Buxton has never been on the trade block and won’t be now. Buxton, for his part, has a no-trade clause that he has consistently and emphatically alluded to anytime his status comes up with reporters. Buxton’s contract, which pays him a little more than $15 million per year, expires after the 2028 season.
“We have no plans to trade Byron,” Zoll said. “It’s not something we’re exploring. It’s not something we plan to explore.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 05: Sung-Mun Song #24 of the San Diego Padres safely slides into second base during an MLB game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 5, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Greg Fiore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Arizona Diamondbacks (44-45) at San Diego Padres (44-45), July 6, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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Evan Phillips was activated from the 60-day injured list on Monday, and if he can pitch the way he did before he underwent reconstructive elbow surgery last year, the Dodgers really might not have to do anything in the month leading up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
“More nervous than I expected,” Phillips said.
Dodgers have activated Evan Phillips from the 60-day IL after reconstructive elbow surgery last year. Getty Images
Phillips, 31, was the Dodgers’ saves leader in both 2023 and 2024. Claimed off waivers in the middle of the 2021 season, Phillips has posted a 2.22 earned-run average in 201 games for the Dodgers.
His return for the start of a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies marked the end of a 13-month journey that started when Dr. Neal ElAttrache repaired his ulnar collateral ligament.
“I’m excited to get back out there. I was here for a live BP a month and a half ago and took a moment then to appreciate being back at Dodger Stadium, but it’s gonna be different tonight, getting back out there in a competitive atmosphere,” Phillips said. “So really exited about that.
The final stage of Phillips’ recovery included a month-long rehabilitation in triple A. Phillips pitched 12 games for the Dodgers’ Oklahoma City-based affiliate, posting a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings.
Phillips pitched on consecutive days for Oklahoma City on June 24 and 25, the latter appearance marking the start of a four-game stretch in which he didn’t give up any runs or walks.
“Feel like probably the last past two weeks or so really took a good turn on my rehab,” he said. “Started bouncing back even better, pitching more like myself, feeling more like myself.”
Paul Gervase was optioned to clear a spot for Phillips on the active roster. Phillips’ place on the 40-man roster came at the expense of left-hander Jake Eder.
In a separate roster move, the Dodgers added right-hander Carlos Duran to the 40-man roster and designated catcher Chuckie Johnson for assignment. Johnson was optioned to triple A after he was 2 for 23 in eight major-league games with the Dodgers.
Phoenix, AZ - February 19, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Evan Phillips (59) at Los Angeles Dodgers' media day during spring training in Camelback Ranch, Phoenix, AZ on February 19, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Thirteen months and two days after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips was activated off the 60-day injured list on Monday by the Dodgers ahead of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.
Phillips had an extensive rehab assignment, appearing in 12 games over 30 days with Triple-A Oklahoma City. The right-hander had a 1.80 ERA with 13 strikeouts and five walks in 10 innings for the Comets, with his last game coming last Friday, a perfect frame with two strikeouts against Sugar Land. This was essentially spring training for Phillips, who pitched on back-to-back days on June 24-25, and appeared in parts of two innings on June 28, usual items on the checklist for relief pitchers building up for their season.
Jake Eder, who was on the minor league injured list in Oklahoma City, was released to make room on the 40-man roster for Phillips. Paul Gervase was optioned to Triple-A to open the active roster spot. Gervase pitched in two of the four games for which he was active on this stint in the majors. Eder, acquired from the Washington Nationals on April 1, piched in four games for the Dodgers and allowed a run on three hits in four innings, with one strikeout and one walk.
Also on Monday, the Dodgers added pitcher Carlos Durán to the 40-man roster and designated catcher Chuckie Robinson for assignment.
Durán was originally developed by the Dodgers but was traded to the A’s in April 2025 for outfielder Esteury Ruíz. Durán signed a minor league contract to return to the Dodgers in December, and was a non-roster invitee in spring training. In 30 games for Oklahoma City, Durán has a 3.86 ERA and two saves with 50 strikeouts and 25 walks in 35 innings. He’ll remain with the Comets, only now on the 40-man roster.
Robinson started six games behind the plate to backup Dalton Rushing before getting optioned over the weekend in favor of Eliezer Alfonzo. Robinson had two hits in 23 at-bats with the Dodgers, both hits coming on June 23 at the Minnesota Twins.
Boston Red Sox's Roman Anthony, who has been sidelined with an injured right wrist
The Red Sox is headed to Fort Myers for injury rehabilitation — and nothing else.
Anthony, 22, suffered a partially torn ligament in his right ring finger in May. He is still experiencing difficulty swinging a bat due to the discomfort in his right hand and wrist.
“His focus, a singular focus now, is if you’re in Florida, it’s to get yourself healthy and not have to deal with all the other stuff that goes with it,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said.
Boston Red Sox’s Roman Anthony, who has been sidelined with an injured right wrist AP Photo/Charles Krupa
“So it’s a singular focus, very focused on getting himself healthy and getting him back to us. We want him. We want him in the lineup. So I’m going to keep in touch with him frequently and see how he’s doing, with the hope that we get him back.”
Tracy went on to clarify what he meant by “other stuff.”
Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“Just the day-to-day of being at Fenway. He’s going to get asked questions about it constantly. And for him being there, his focus is on one thing right now: That’s get yourself healthy.”
His next step is visiting Dr. Gary Lourie, a hand specialist, in Atlanta this week.
Tracy first mentioned Anthony’s shift down to Fenway South on Saturday and framed it as a move based on logistics.
Boston has become crowded with injured players, so Anthony was moved to create space, a similar move to one done with some pitchers in the past.
Anthony has not yet resumed a hitting program in the midst of his recovery.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Zac Veen #13 of the Colorado Rockies advances to second base on a wild pitch against the San Diego Padres during the fifth inning of a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minor League Baseball announced today that Albuquerque Isotopes outfielder Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) has been named Pacific Coast League Player of the Month for June.
The PCL Player of the Month award for June goes to Mr. Veen!
He slashed .366/.385/.782 with 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 19 RBI. Also led the PCL with 37 hits and all of MiLB with 79 total bases in June.
Over 24 games in June, Veen slashed .366/.385/.782. This includes 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers, and 19 RBI. He led the PCL in hits (37), doubles, total bases (79), and tied for first in triples during the month of June. In addition, Veen led minor league baseball in total bases.
His 24 extra-base hits in June were second-most for an Isotopes player in a month since at least 2005. Scott Seabol and Ryan Ritter each collected 25 extra-base knocks in May 2006 and May 2025, respectively.
Add to that, Veen hit safely in 23 of 24 games during the month and compiled a 25-game hit streak from May 27-June 25, the third-longest in Isotopes history. Additionally, he tied a franchise record with three doubles on June 23 when the Isotopes met the Salt Lake Bees before launching a pair of leadoff home runs later in that series.
This marks the ninth time in team history an Albuquerque player has won PCL Player of the Month: Scott Seabol (May 2006), Ryan McMahon (June 2017), Mike Tauchman (May 2018), Taylor Motter (July 2021), Wynton Bernard (August 2022), Elehuris Montero (May 2023 and July 2024) and Ryan Ritter (May 2025).
This is Veen’s first Player of the Month award of his career.
Jun 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) reacts after an inning ending double play against the San Diego Padres during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals begin a brutal 5-game series over just 4 days against the Milwaukee Brewers Monday night at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will give the ball to Dustin May while the Brewers will assign Shane Drohan the starting duties. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time and the game TV broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
May 23, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; A view of the signage above the main scoreboard before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
George Springer has joined the team in San Francisco, but there is no word that he’s been added to the roster and he isn’t in the lineup tonight, which is something that we could have an explanation about. Of course, as soon as I hit publish the team will make an announcement.
The lineup they have posted:
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
GIANTS
Ernie Clement – 2B
Heliot Ramos – RF
Nathan Lukes – RF
Luis Arraez – 2B
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Casey Schmitt – 3B
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Rafael Devers – DH
Sean Keys – DH
Jung Hoo Lee – CF
Alejandro Kirk – C
Willy Adames – SS
Daulton Varsho – CF
Bryce Eldridge – 1B
Myles Straw – LF
Victor Bericoto – LF
Andres Gimenez – SS
Eric Haase – C
Kevin Gausman – RHP
Landen Roupp – RHP
Shi Davidi tells us that Vladimir Guerrero’s back has been bothering him more than he’s admitted to us. Which make sense. Players don’t need to tell everyone if they are hurting.
It explains why he is skipping the All-Star game.
Back things are weird, one day it will feel good and the next you are back to hurting. Back issues happen when you are are in shape or out of shape or in shape. With the rather violent action of a swing, it would be pretty hard for you back to improve if you are taking several swings a day. I think a few days off might do him good. Or at least it can’t get all that worse.
It is Stampede, here in Calgary, and it is a busy time for me, so posting will be a little hit and miss this week. There are a lot of things going on.
AKRON, OHIO - MAY 26, 2026: Parks Harber #26 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels bats during the first inning against the Akron RubberDucks at 7 17 Credit Union Park on May 26, 2026 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
A busy weekend for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates! Let’s jump into all the action that happened on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Some shocking news came across the farm over the weekend: Low-A San Jose LHP Braydon Risley was released. Risley was a 19th-round pick in last year’s draft, and had been having a decent debut season, with a 4.80 ERA, a 4.70 FIP, and a Pitcher of the Month award in the Cal League in May. I don’t want to speculate as to the exact why for this release — hopefully we get details at some point — but, put simply, drafted players do not get released in their debut seasons because of their on-field performance (and even if they did, Risley has been too good to be a consideration for that reason). This is almost certainly an off the field matter, and likely a severe one, given that he was released rather than placed on any sort of leave.
In happier news, AA Richmond center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) was named Player of the Month in the Eastern League, while High-A Eugene center fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was named Player of the Week in the Northwest League.
In injury news, Richmond catcher Adrián Sugastey was placed on the 7-Day IL, while AAA Sacramento LHP Matt Wilkinson was activated off the IL. Sacramento outfielder Grant McCray will begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League.
And finally, some shuffling of Quad-A relievers. The Giants designated RHP Gregory Santos for assignment, and outrighted him to Sacramento when he cleared waivers. They also claimed RHP Eric Cerantola off of waivers from the Royals, and assigned him to Sacramento. Cerantola is a 26-year old who was taken in the 5th round in 2021. He has a 2.67 ERA and a 4.31 FIP in AAA this year, with 43 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. He made his MLB debut earlier this year.
AAA Sacramento (45-39)
Friday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas 4-2 [box score] Saturday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas 8-6 [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats lost to the El Paso Chihuahuas 11-2 [box score]
Well, not a good weekend for the River Cats, that’s for sure.
It was also an odd weekend. The biggest oddity appeared on Sunday, when LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL) made an appearance out of the bullpen. Whitman, the team’s compensation round pick in 2023, was arguably the best starting pitcher in the Eastern League while in AA this year, and received a well-earned promotion to AAA. He’s had a few bumps and bruises as one expects in AAA, but had been fairly solid through 5 starts. And then came this bizarre bullpen outing.
As Roger Munter notes in his must-read Minor Lines, Sunday was Whitman’s scheduled start, but the River Cats were also welcoming LHP Matt Wilkinson back into the fold after a rehab stint. Still and all, I would have assumed that would mean the team would piggyback them, but instead they used Whitman like a true reliever, bringing him into the game in the 4th inning, with 2 outs and a runner on base, and only keeping him out there through the 5th inning. He wasn’t sharp, unfortunately, giving up 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run in 1.1 innings, though he needed just 18 pitches to do so.
In all, it turned into a day of using starters in brief stints: Wilkinson lasted just 3.2 innings as he gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs, with 3 strikeouts, while RHP Carson Seymour came in later and tossed 2 rough innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs, with 3 strikeouts. So not a great day for any of those starting pitchers, but they all did better than the rehabbing pitcher on Sunday, as RHP Jason Foley faced 4 batters and didn’t retire any of them, giving up a double, a single, and 2 walks, which ultimately resulted in 4 earned runs after Seymour’s struggles allowed all the inherited runners to score. A day to forget for the pitchers, and it’s really been a rough scene for Foley, who has a 7.80 ERA and a 5.26 FIP during his rehab assignment, with just 10 strikeouts in 15 innings. Not sure what the Giants will do about that situation.
Friday’s starter was the biggest pitching bright spot, as RHP Blade Tidwell (No. 9 CPL) was strong through 5 innings, giving up 5 hits, 2 walks, and 2 unearned runs, while striking out 6 batters. That said, the unearned runs thing feels a little cheap, since it involved an error by Tidwell himself, and then an ensuing home run … 2 things that feel a little antithetical to a run being “unearned.” Still, it was a solid showing, even if it took him 97 pitches to get through 5 innings. RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) pitched a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts later in the game, as he continues his glorious run … he’s now allowed runs in just 1 of his last 16 outings, which spans more than 2 months. That’s brought him down to a 3.96 ERA and a 4.73 FIP, despite an ugly start to the year.
Also nice relief outings for RHPs Braxton Roxby (2 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts) and Wilkin Ramos (2 perfect innings with 1 strikeout), and LHP Nick Zwack (1 perfect frame with 2 strikeouts).
In the batter’s box, left fielder/right fielder Will Brennan continues to be the team’s best offensive player post-outrighting. The lefty had a lovely weekend, hitting 4-12 with a home run, a double, a hit by pitch, and no strikeouts.
The 28-year old veteran has a 7-game hitting streak, and has collected 10 hits through 5 games in July. And since getting designated for assignment and outrighted, he’s gone 21-57 with 1 home run, 6 doubles, 3 walks, and just 3 strikeouts. It’ll be an uphill battle to get back on the roster, but we’ll see if the Giants trade any of their outfielders in the next month.
Speaking of which, center fielder/left fielder Turner Hill just continues to look comfortable in AAA. He had another majestic weekend, hitting 4-10 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and, like Brennan, no strikeouts. The 27-year old undrafted free agent has an .843 OPS and a 125 wRC+ since getting promoted, with strong outfield defense and 15 stolen bases in 61 games. He’s kind of a left-handed hitting Jonah Cox Lite!
Finally, the up-and-down play continued for catcher Jesús Rodríguez (No. 16 CPL). After not getting an at-bat on Friday, the contact savant went 2-5 with a home run and a stolen base on Saturday, though he also committed an error. But on Sunday, he went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. He’s really been scuffling since getting optioned just over a month ago, and his season numbers in AAA are down to a .777 OPS and a 106 wRC+.
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 7-0 [box score] Sunday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 6-5 [box score]
No Saturday game for the Squirrels, as their holiday game was lost due to poor weather. Not very patriotic of the weather if you ask me!
But 2 games was all that was needed for third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) to shine. Harber put on a superstar showing in both games: on Friday, he cemented the blowout win by smashing a 3-run home run in the 7th inning, as part of a 3-4 day that featured a sacrifice fly and his 1st stolen base of the season.
Yeah Taylor and Travis just got married but have you heard Parks Harber hit another bomb? 💥 pic.twitter.com/dEfIB0G5fT
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 4, 2026
And on Sunday? Well, he one-upped himself, going 2-4 with a pair of big flies. What a weekend!
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 5, 2026
Harber hit the ground running after missing the start of the season with an injury, but fell into a bit of a slump for a while. I think it’s safe to say that the slump is well behind him at this point! Over his last 8 games, the righty is hitting 13-32 with 3 homers, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts. It’s brought his OPS back to .897 and his wRC+ to 136, though he still has a 25.1% strikeout rate.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 5, 2026
Interestingly, after moving strictly to the outfield for a while, Harber is back to playing third base. Is it a coincidence that his time in the outfield coincided with the Giants having a hole in their outfield, and his move back to third coincides with Matt Chapman’s injury? I’d say yes, but given the trajectory they’ve put some of their prospects on this year, who knows!
Richmond’s other offensive star had a nice weekend as well, if a little quieter, as center fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) hit 4-8 with a double, a walk, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout. After a stunning June in which he posted a 1.072 OPS, the 24-year old lefty is off to a similarly hot start to July, with a .984 OPS through the 1st 4 games. He’s up to an .861 OPS and a 121 wRC+, with 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts.
Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 32 CPL) had a lovely time at the yard, hitting 2-6 with a home run and a walk. He’s up to a .779 OPS and a 112 wRC+ on the year, and the 22-year old switch-hitter has more than doubled his isolated slugging over his prior stops in Richmond.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 4, 2026
A great pitching performance on Friday, led by LHP Greg Farone, who had one of his best performances of the year. The 2024 7th-rounder threw 6 shutout innings, giving up just 5 hits, 0 walks, and 2 hit batters, while striking out 5. It’s been a struggle of a year for the 24-year old southpaw, who was given a rather aggressive assignment in his 2nd season, and has just a 6.17 ERA and a 6.18 FIP. His June was particularly bad — he allowed 15 walks and 17 earned runs in 21 innings — so it’s nice seeing him start July on the right foot.
He was followed up by another player who has been having a tough season but had a great game: RHP Shane Rademacher. The 25-year old UDFA, who is in his 3rd season, threw 3 no-hit innings to end the game, with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. After a really rough start to the year, Rademacher — who is pitching strictly in relief this year — has started to find a rhythm. He’s allowed 4 runs in 14.2 innings over his last 6 games, after ceding 16 earned runs in 22 innings over his 1st 13 outings.
LHP Charlie McDaniel pitched 6.1 innings on Sunday, which was impressive, though he allowed 7 baserunners and 3 runs, with just 3 strikeouts. The undrafted free agent, who turned 25 on Saturday, has a 5.04 ERA and a 4.15 FIP in 6 starts since getting promoted.
High-A Eugene (49-32)
Friday Game 1: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 5-3 (7 innings) [box score] Friday Game 2: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 9-0 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Vancouver Canadians 8-2 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds lost to the Vancouver Canadians 5-3 [box score]
It was a very nice weekend for the farm system’s power hitters … while Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) was bashing homers in the Eastern League, center fielder/right fielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) was doing the same in the Northwest League. Jordan has really been turning things on lately following a June swoon, and this weekend emphasized that. After going 0-4 with a strikeout in the 1st game of Friday’s doubleheader, Jordan turned on the burners: over the weekend’s final 3 games, the ultra athletic righty hit 8-13 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and 1 strikeout.
The 2024 4th-rounder, who recently turned 23, now has an .846 OPS and a 122 wRC+, and in his last 7 games has hit 13-29 with 8 extra-base knocks, which earned him Player of the Week honors. Perhaps most encouraging is that Jordan, who still has quite a big swing-and-miss issue, has only 3 strikeouts in his last 11 games.
And now, for the GRAND FINALE!
Dakota Jordan extends his team lead in HR, sending his 15th and 2nd of the game out of the ballpark. @Kota_1k is on an absolute TEAR leading up to the All-Star Future’s Game.#RootedHerepic.twitter.com/fnZZZRAOYO
Plenty of other nice offensive performances, including from left fielder Carlos Gutierrez (No. 18 CPL), who hit 5-14 with 2 doubles, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts, bringing his OPS to .796 and his wRC+ to 115, with 19 stolen bases in 20 attempts. The middle infield duo of Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) and Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) had up-and-down weekends, with Level going 4-17 with 2 doubles, 3 strikeouts, and a caught stealing, and Kilen hitting 3-17 with a home run, 2 doubles, and 3 strikeouts. Level now has a .756 OPS and a 102 wRC+ since a promotion, while Kilen has an .818 OPS and a 118 wRC+ in his 1st full season.
A nice weekend for corner outfielder Jakob Christian (No. 40 CPL), who hit 3-10 with a home run, a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, and 3 strikeouts, bringing his OPS to .828 and his wRC+ to 123. Christian is showing off a ton of power and getting on base at a fantastic clip, but still really struggling with strikeouts, with a 31.3% rate.
Also homering were catcher Onil Perez and first baseman Robert Hipwell, who each knocked their 3rd dinger of the year in otherwise rough offensive seasons. Catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) only played twice, but hit 5-7 with a double and a walk, boosting his OPS to .857 and his wRC+ to 131. What a season for the 21-year old!
The pitching star was LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL), who nearly pitched a complete game during the 7-inning 2nd game of Friday’s doubleheader. The just-turned 21-year old finished with 6.1 shutout innings in which he allowed just 2 hits, 2 walks, and a hit batter, though he only struck out 3. After an injury delayed his start, and then he pitched with a fair amount of rust, Bresnahan has started to really turn his season around … he’s all the way down to a 3.19 ERA, though his 4.50 FIP points to some of the issues he’s been having after back-to-back Pitcher of the Year campaigns to start his career.
While Bresnahan’s strikeout totals were low in this one, it was his 3rd straight excellent outing, as he’s now gone at least 6 innings in 3 straight games, giving up just 7 hits, 4 walks, and 1 run in 18.1 innings over that time. Quite impressive! The strikeouts are a touch concerning, as he’s gone from 12.0 per 9 last year to just 9.7 this season, but that’s still an OK number. And while his home runs have gone in the wrong directions — from 0.2 per 9 last year, to 1.0 this year — he’s also only allowed 35 hits in 53.2 innings, which is extremely impressive.
RHP Niko Mazza also had a great start, as he continues to sport a great ERA/bad FIP combo meal. Mazza pitched on the holiday and went 6 innings, while giving up 5 hits, 1 walk, 2 hit batters, and just 1 run. The 24-year old 8th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft threw 56 of 85 pitches for strikes but, like Bresnahan, only struck out 3 batters. That was out of character for the Southern Mississippi alum, who has boosted his strikeouts per 9 innings from 8.7 in his debut season (in Low-A) to 10.9 this year. And, just like last year, he has an ERA in the 2s (2.63) despite an FIP in the 4s (4.09).
Part of the reason for that high FIP is the walks (he’s issued 5.5 per 9 innings), so the singular walk in this game was a nice change of pace, despite the 2 hit batters.
RHP Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL) pitched a no-hit inning with a walk and a strikeout, and it was his 4th straight game without allowing a hit (though he’s walked at least 1 batter in all 4 appearances). The 22-year old’s stuff remains absurd: in 19.2 innings this year, the triple-digit flamethrower has struck out 29, while giving up just 11 hits … but he’s walked 27.
Low-A San Jose (49-32)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6-5 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 14-6 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7-2 [box score]
The Baby Giants are officially rolling … they not only swept the weekend, but swept the series, and ride into Monday’s off-day on a 7-game winning streak.
They used the long ball for this weekend’s success, smacking 8 home runs over the 3 games, with at least 2 dingers in each contest.
A pair of those home runs came from someone who is quickly starting to look like one of the breakout players of 2026: right fielder Jose Astudillo. Power numbers in the Cal League shouldn’t be taken too seriously, especially for a 22-year old, but still: Astudillo has always been a sensational contact hitter and a strong defender, but now he’s added in power. Over the weekend he went 5-11 with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and an outfield assist, bringing his OPS up to .940 and his wRC+ to 132 (and running his hitting streak to 18 games). The .353 batting average and 5.9% strikeout rate, which rank 2nd and 1st, respectively, out of the 88 Cal League hitters with at least 150 plate appearances? We’ve come to expect that. But the .190 isolated slugging and the 6 home runs? That is a shock for someone who entered the year with just 1 career home run in 110 games. Hopefully it can continue!
Don't think it's possible to be hotter than Jose Astudillo right now. His second two-RBI hit of the night, this one an absolute no-doubter. pic.twitter.com/BOmOfvGPA5
He wasn’t the only San Jose hitter to go yard multiple times, though the other was less surprising: left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 31 CPL) went 3-5 with a pair of home runs and a walk on Saturday, though he went 0-9 with 3 strikeouts in the other 2 games. Not only have we grown accustomed to Diaz hitting homers (he’s 3rd in the system with 13 this year), but he’s playing down a level, as he couldn’t join High-A Eugene on their trip north of the border, so he bopped down to California.
A LISBEL LASER.
Lisbel Diaz hits his second home run of the game, and the Giants have reached double digits in the run column for the NINETEENTH TIME this season! pic.twitter.com/Ini2tsKYen
Third baseman Dario Reynoso continued to rebound from a little slump he had going, as he went 5-12 with a home run, 2 doubles, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 5 strikeouts. Reynoso, who has a .942 OPS and a 133 wRC+, continues to put on a show: his .295 batting average ranks 22nd out of those aforementioned 88 Cal League hitters, while his .241 isolated slugging mark is 10th, and his 14.5% walk rate is 19th. But the 31.1% strikeout rate and 14.8% swinging strike rates remain terrifying, though they are improvements over his 2025, so at least there’s that.
FIREWORKS IN THE FIRST AGAIN!
Dario Reynoso blasts his 11th homer of the year (109 EV) and for the second night in a row, Giants score first on the long ball. pic.twitter.com/TTcFaJ1k80
Shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL) played quite well, hitting 4-11 with a home run, 2 walks, and 1 strikeout. Last year’s 4th-round pick has taken a while to get going, but has been much better lately, and now has a .729 OPS and an 82 wRC+, though the 27.2% strikeout rate is a touch concerning for the 22-year old. His July has been excellent following a tough June.
Lorenzo Meola with another mammoth home run, the Giants ELEVENTH home run this series. pic.twitter.com/boTQT2LDdq
First baseman Jeremiah Jenkins and left fielder Oliver Tejada both homered over the weekend as well. Jenkins, who hit 2-12 and added a double, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts, now has an .866 OPS and a 115 wRC+; Tejada, who went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout in his only game, is 2-14 through 4 games since getting promoted.
And another one!
Oliver Tejada with his first HR of the season, and the Giants take a 4-0 lead. pic.twitter.com/S11y94Ok6d
There were a pair of bits of big news on the pitching front. On the unhappy side was the aforementioned release of LHP Braydon Risley, who made his final appearance for the organization on Friday. It showed off his strengths and his weaknesses, as he allowed 7 baserunners and 3 runs in just 4.1 innings, but also struck out 7 batters. Hopefully we find out at some point why he was released less than a year after getting drafted.
The happier side of the news was that RHP Keaton Winn continued his rehab assignment on Sunday. He pitched for the 2nd time in his rehab, and for the 1st time in San Jose, and gave up a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning. Hopefully he’s back in the San Francisco bullpen soon.
Following Winn was RHP Sam Bower, who had a wonderful game, throwing 4 shutout innings and allowing just 2 singles and 0 walks, while striking out 6. Bower, the 2022 11th-round pick who, due to injuries, didn’t debut until this season, is starting to find his rhythm and kick his rust and dust off. He still has just a 4.62 ERA and a 4.80 FIP in his debut season, but in his last 2 starts has allowed just 5 hits, 0 walks, and 0 runs in 9 innings, with 12 strikeouts. Trending up!
LHP Ricardo Estrada started on Saturday and had a funny start. The 24-year old from Mexico gave up just 3 hits and 1 run in 5 innings, but walked 4 batters (he also struck out 6). He has just a 4.17 ERA and a 5.80 FIP on the year.
Perhaps the most exciting news in this game was that designated hitter Reggie Crawford returned following an injury. He played part of Friday’s game and hit 2-2 with 2 runs batted in, and in 5 games this year is 5-14 with a home run, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts.
By now you’re likely all familiar with Crawford’s story and career path (and if you want more there, I recommend reading Justice delos Santos’ recent profile). After Crawford began hitting again following his countless pitching injuries, it felt extremely cruel that he quickly suffered an injury playing first base. But it’s great that the injury didn’t linger, and hopefully he can get back in a rhythm of playing regularly this summer.
Speaking of injured players returning, shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) is still healthy, though the Giants have slow-playing him a little bit following his second hamstring injury. He played in Friday’s game and went 0-2 and was caught stealing, but also drew 2 walks and stole a base. He’s still only played 20 games in the ACL, but the 18-year old superstar prospect is 23-61 with 7 extra-base hits, 15 walks, just 15 strikeouts, and 6 stolen bases in 7 attempts. I can’t wait to see him in San Jose later this year.
His counterpart, shortstop Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) also only played once, but went 1-4 with a triple, a hit by pitch, and a strikeout. He’s slowed down a little bit following his unreal start, but he still has a .939 OPS, a 119 wRC+, and just a 17.7% strikeout rate … stunning numbers for a 17-year old middle infielder in his debut season. The future is bright! Which is good, because the present is fairly ugly.
First baseman Evan Estevez had a nice weekend as well, going 3-8 with a 2-run home run, though he also struck out 4 times. The 18-year old has struggled in his stateside debut, with just a .723 OPS and a 76 wRC+. He’s shown some good power (he now has 5 home runs and 11 extra-base hits in 43 games), but his contact skills are really taking a hit, as he has just a .231 average and a 37.1% strikeout rate.
As was the case in San Jose, the big news on the Complex League pitching front was RHP Keaton Winn kicking off his rehab. Before he went up to the Cal League, Winn pitched a perfect inning on Friday at Papago, while striking out 2. He was replaced by AA RHP Logan Martin, who is also rehabbing. Martin tossed 2 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts. Martin has now made 3 rehab appearances and allowed just 1 baserunner (a walk) in 5 innings. Hopefully he’s back in Richmond very soon.
Otherwise, the pitching over the weekend was not very good. RHP Luke Mensik did strike out 6 batters in 4 innings on Friday, but also gave up 6 baserunners and 5 runs. The 18-year old, who was taken in the 17th round of last year’s draft (for a nearly $500K bonus), has just a 5.08 ERA and a 5.87 FIP in his debut season, though he has 9.6 strikeouts per 9 innings and a lovely 50.5% groundball rate.
Dominican Summer League Black (14-11)
Friday: DSL Giants Black beat the DSL Mets Orange 5-4 [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Black 11-10 [box score]
Saturday was an extremely DSLy game. The DSL Giants Black drew 8 walks and were hit by 3 pitches … and issued 13 walks while hitting 3 batters. Gotta love it.
It was a good weekend for the Camacaro brothers. Third baseman/shortstop Keiberg, the older of the 2, went 3-8 with a solo home run, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 2 strikeouts. Second baseman Alexander hit 3-7 with a double, 2 walks, a stolen base, and a strikeout. Keiberg, a 19-year old in his 4th season, is putting up career numbers, with a .957 OPS, a 137 wRC+, a 12.7% strikeout rate, and 13 stolen bases in 24 games. That’s a dramatic improvement over last year, when he had a .620 OPS, an 89 wRC+, a 24.6% strikeout rate, and just 7 stolen bases in 33 games. Alexander, an 18-year old in his 2nd season, has a .736 OPS, a 91 wRC+, and 9 stolen bases in 24 games … those aren’t great numbers but, like his brother, they’re dramatic improvements over last year’s debut (.483 OPS, 56 wRC+, and 0 stolen bases in 17 games).
A few pitchers kept their low ERAs intact: 18-year old RHP Jeremiah Jones tossed 2 no-hit innings with a strikeout, though he walked 3, lowering the 2nd-year player’s ERA to 2.53 (albeit with a 4.97 FIP); 21-year old RHP Lender Bracho tossed 3 scoreless frames with 3 hits and 2 strikeouts, and now has a 1.72 ERA (but a 5.33 FIP) in his 3rd season; and 22-year old RHP Brayan Cabello retired all 4 batters he faced with a strikeout, lowering his blissful ERA to 0.49, though his FIP is 4.50 and this is his 5th season.
Dominican Summer League Orange (14-11)
Friday: DSL Giants Orange beat the DSL Blue Jays Blue 7-6 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Orange lost to the DSL White Sox 3-2 (7 innings) [box score]
First baseman Fernando Pena, who is normally a catcher, went 0-1 on Friday, but drew a walk and was hit twice. The 19-year old, who is in his 3rd season, has now been hit 9 times in just 24 games. There’s something about catchers that just leads to getting hit all the time! Combined with his 17.3% walk rate and his .319 average, all those plunkings have given Pena a .495 on-base percentage (and also a 1.017 OPS and a 153 wRC+).
The best players for the DSL Orange team were on the mound, though. RHP Omar Calcurian, a 21-year old in his 3rd season, pitched 2 shutout innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.45 (like nearly all DSL pitchers with good ERAs, his FIP is way behind, at 5.25). After striking out just 17 batters in 33 innings last year, Calcurian already has 19 punchouts this season, in just 18.2 innings. 19-year old RHP Kendry Castro tossed 3 scoreless frames on Saturday with 2 hits, 0 walks, and 2 strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.64 (and again … 4.13 FIP). Castro has really done a great job improving command: after walking 29 batters in just 15.2 innings in his debut season in 2024, he issued 18 walks in 33.2 innings last year … and has given up just 2 walks in 11 innings so far this season.
Home run tracker
15 — Dakota Jordan x2 — [High-A] 13 — Lisbel Diaz x2 — [10 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 11 — Parks Harber x3 — [AA] 11 — Dario Reynoso — [Low-A] 9 — Gavin Kilen — [High-A] 9 — Jeremiah Jenkins — [Low-A] 8 — Lorenzo Meola — [Low-A] 7 — Jesús Rodríguez — [2 in MLB; 5 in AAA] 6 — Jakob Christian — [High-A] 6 — Jose Astudillo x2 — [Low-A] 5 — Evan Estevez — [ACL] 4 — Diego Velasquez — [AA] 3 — Robert Hipwell — [High-A] 3 — Onil Perez — [High-A] 3 — Keiberg Camacaro — [DSL] 2 — Will Brennan — [AAA] 2 — Oliver Tejada — [1 in Low-A; 1 in ACL]
The Marlins were in Sacramento facing the Athletics on Sunday, and Perez recorded seven perfect innings on 92 pitches. He retired all 21 batters he faced before being pulled to begin the eighth inning.
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez (39) throws a pitch against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A’s fans chanted “Shame!” at the team as they came in to remove Perez.
His replacement, Lake Bachar, gave up a leadoff walk in the eighth and a single to end the perfect game and no-hitter almost instantly. Bachar would give up five earned runs on four hits before Michael Petersen came in to try and stop the bleeding.
For the ninth, Pete Fairbanks got the ball. He gave up three runs of his own, and the Marlins nearly blew the 9-0 lead they had held all afternoon.
Eury Pérez threw 7 perfect innings (92 pitches) at the A's today.
He was replaced by Lake Bachar to begin the 8th, and the A's got a leadoff walk to end the perfect game, followed by a single to end the no-hitter.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 5, 2026
Perez, who was making only his third start since returning from the injured list, was a mere six outs away from securing the first perfect game in franchise history.
“There was a part of my heartstrings pulling at his opportunity to keep on going, but I have to think about Eury and our organization, our team and what’s best moving forward to give us a chance to continue winning games,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said postgame.
“Going into this game, 90-plus was the pitch count, but…us looking to play beyond the regular season, Eury’s going to be an important part of that. He had it really going today,” McCullough continued.
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Eury Perez (39) hands the ball to manager Clayton McCullough (86) after being pulled as catcher Joe Mack (80) looks on in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The possibility of seeing the Marlins in October doesn’t seem that far-fetched these days. They’ve won nine of 12 overall, including the weekend sweep of the Athletics. They are in a statistical tie for the final wild-card spot. All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez, who homered in Sunday’s thriller, was named the NL Player of the Week.
Which, for the Dodgers, comes with one big question:
Go after two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal? Or largely stand pat with a roster containing virtually no glaring needs?
Trade deadline season is here. For the Dodgers, that means deciding whether they want to pursue two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Trade deadline season is here. For the Dodgers, that means deciding whether they want to pursue two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal.Getty Images
That’s the decision California Post baseball writers Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris are discussing on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast, as they look ahead to the team’s deadline plans with less than a month to go until the Aug. 3 occasion.
Dylan makes the case the Dodgers don’t have any holes, and don’t need to mortgage their future on a pitcher who –– for all his talent –– is also a pending free agent who could be gone next year. Jack wonders if the team needs to hedge against potential pitching injuries over the second half of the season, and whether that’s worth dealing from a farm system that will be important for the club to count on to provide talent in the coming years.
Elsewhere, the two recount an emotional day at Dodger Stadium, as rookie catcher Eliezer Alfonzo made his MLB debut on the same day he learned his sister and stepmom had been found dead in the rubble of the recent Venezuelan earthquakes.
They also recap other talking points from another Dodgers series win over the Padres.
Later, they take reader comments, including one on the differences between “reasons” and “excuses” for Roki Sasaki’s recent struggles.
And, as always, they finish with some trivia and predictions –– plus throw in a little World Cup talk at the end.
All that and more on the latest episode of the Dodgers Post podcast. Subscribe on YouTube or follow along on Apple and Spotify.
