Category: MLB

The kids are celebrating Independence Day, so let’s see how they did last night.

Rochester 11, Lehigh Valley 5

So yeah, the Phillies are in trouble if someone in the rotation gets hurt, aren’t they? Kolby Allard allowed seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings for the IronPigs, dooming their game from the beginning. It wasted solid efforts at the plate from Dylan Moore (3-4, 2 2B, 3B, 2 R) and Otto Kemp (2-4, R) too. The lack of pitching depth has been an issue for a few years as the team has failed to bring in those starting pitchers on minor league deals in the winter thanks to their having so few opportunities at the big league level. This year it is really starting to show, so we’ll have to continue to hope for continued health.

Of note, Brad Keller had his first rehab appearance last night and it didn’t go great. He allowed two runs in his inning of work and didn’t strike anyone out. His fastball topped at 96.9 mph. He only got one swing and miss.

New Hampshire 12, Reading 4

Alex Binelas (3-4, 2 2B, RBI) and Raylin Heredia (2-4, HR, RBI) led the offense on the evening, but it was the same as the IronPigs. The pitching was a mess, particularly the late game relief and New Hampshire was able to pull away. Braydon Tucker allowed five runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings to start, but it was Tristan Garnett and Aaron Combs, allowing a combined seven runs in two innings of relief in the eighth and ninth innings, that salted the game away.

Rome 1, Jersey Shore 0

This game was shortened by a power outage that caused the game end after six innings, but the story was Ramon Marquez. He struck out nine over five innings, only giving up two hits and the one run scored in the game. The offense did nothing, so let’s focus in on Marquez.

Another DOMINANT outing for Ramon Marquez tonight. He struck out the first 5 batters he faced.

His final line:
5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K 65 pitches (45 strikes) 18 whiffs

He's been an incredible breakout prospect for the Phillies this year pic.twitter.com/W9xSo8dCmm

— FuturePhils (@FuturePhils) July 4, 2026

That changeup is illegal in most states. The team seems to have really found something in Marquez, a pitcher climbing the ranks of many Phillies lists. How far up he goes remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised to see his name popping up in trade rumors this year. Maybe he doesn’t have ace upside, but this looks like a quality arm that can lead a trade package for something significant.

Ft. Myers 4, Clearwater 3

A clean sweep of the Phillies affiliates, the Threshers got home runs from Griffin Burkholder (3-5, HR, RBI) and Nathan Humphreys (2-5, 2B, HR, RBI) on offense, but not much in the way of starting pitching to hold on for a victory. Ryan Degges led up three runs in two innings of work to start the game to put the Threshers in a hole that they could not climb out of. Of note, Zuher Yousuf had four innings of relief and allowed only three baserunners while striking out five.

Hello friends, and happy Fourth of July!

The Mariners dropped a snoozer to the Blue Jays last night, falling 2-0 thanks to a dazzling performance from Jays starter Dylan Cease.

The Mariners have the chance to do the most patriotic thing of all time today and vanquish the invading Canadians. Do you believe the Logan Gilbert-Emerson Hancock piggyback can get it done?

In Mariners news…

• Max Ellingsen continued his MLB Draft profiles with a close look at Texas Tech outfielder Logan Hughes.

Around the league…

• The Yankees have placed left-hander Carlos Rodón on the injured list with elbow inflammation.
• Orioles closer Ryan Helsley is also headed to the IL with elbow discomfort.
• Royals lefty Kris Bubic was shut down from his rehab with shoulder soreness.
• Padres right-hander Randy Vásquez hit the injured list after taking a comebacker to the ankle.
• The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen.
• Now at the halfway point of the season, Bradford Doolittle at ESPN checked in on the major awards races for both leagues.
• Kiley McDaniel, Jeff Passan, and Bradford Doolittle redrafted the 2023-2025 MLB drafts in one big mega-draft.

Anders’ pick…

• Australian officials are warning residents not to interact with TikTok sensation Neil the Seal, the first male elephant seal to visit Tasmania in years — who is also a massive jerk.

After a game like this, I think it’s important to start with the big picture. There are only four teams with more wins than the Cubs. The Cubs are on pace for 90 wins. Deep breath and flush.

This loss doesn’t count extra and neither does Wednesday’s blowout win. Just two random, crazy games in a season full of crazy outcomes. First team in history to win by 15+ and then lose by 15+. Wacky.

Suffice is to say that the Cub defense isn’t a magic wand for David Peterson. Unsurprising for a guy who became available on one for one swap for a prospect that wasn’t creating a lot of buzz. I don’t think this means that Peterson can’t help this Cub team, particularly while so much of its regularly scheduled pitching staff is inhabiting the injured list. If you thought he was some panacea, then today was sobering. If you thought he was another guy who can pitch an occasional really good game and might get some boost from a strong defense, then throw this game out. If you aren’t a really elite pitcher, odds are you aren’t getting away with your clunkers.

Unsurprisingly, the Cubs are a different team when they jump ahead early. We’re seeing a lot of that in Cub games in general. There is a lot of benefit to getting ahead early. That is the fun thing, even with the changes of the modern game. There is still an enormous benefit to having the better starting pitcher. There are more dynamics to the modern game the way it is played. A superb bullpen can steal a close game. A lousy bullpen can undo all of the hard work your starter did. To be fair, those things were always true, but they are amplified in the modern game because of just how many innings bullpens cover now.

All of the change in the game, and a three-run homer in the second, is still a sizable problem. Six runs over three is nearly insurmountable and the game was over after four. After the Cubs batted in the sixth, no play had any WPA. After the bottom of the fourth, no play was worth more than .001. Masyn Winn’s homer to make it 11-0 was that last play worth any real value at .010. And even that is very little value.

So basically, nothing to see here. Move along.

Three Positives:

• Pedro Ramirez came off the bench and had a triple and scored the only run.
• Alex Bregman had two hits and drove in that only run. One of the hits was a double.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong had a double before leaving this one early.

Game 88, July 3: Cardinals 17, Cubs 1 (49-39)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Carson Kelly (.011). 1-4
• Hero: Seiya Suzuki (.006). 0-3, BB
• Sidekick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.004). 1-3, 2B

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: David Peterson (-.369). 3.2 IP, 23 BF, 9 H, 3 BB, 10 ER, 3 K (L 1-1)
• Goat: Ian Happ (-.043). 0-3
• Kid: Alex Bregman(-.027). 2-4, 2B, RBI

WPA Notes: Ramirez does finish fourth, but again there was basically no leverage by the time he gets in there. WPA registered 87 plays and 24 of them had a WPA score of .000.

WPA Play of the Game: Nathan Church’s three-run homer with two outs in the second. (.263)

Cubs Play of the Game: David Peterson struck out Jordan Walker with a runner on third and one out, the game scoreless in the first. (.057)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 87 Winner: Dansby Swanson received 168 out of 228 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +18
• Carson Kelly +14.5
• Ben Brown +13.5
• Trent Thornton +12.5
• Michael Busch +12
• Dansby Swanson -9
• Edward Cabrera/Seiya Suzuki -9.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Caleb Thielbar -13

Up Next: Game two of the three-game weekend set. Shōta Imanaga (5-6, 4.30) starts for the Cubs. He’s just 1-2 with a 5.67 over his last seven starts (39.2 IP). He was pretty good last time though, against the Padres to start this homestand. Kyle Leahy (6-4, 4.09) starts for the cardinals. He’s 1-1 with a 4.29 over his last seven (35.2). He was also good in his last one, a start against the Marlins in St. Louis. Leahy hasn’t started on the road since June 12 when he allowed four runs over five innings in Minnesota. He held the Cubs to one run over 4.1 innings back on May 30.

Win a game, keep some positive momentum going. Blah, blah, blah. Momentum. Starting pitching. You go we go Shōta, ok? Doesn’t have the same ring, but still true.

The San Diego Padres’ dirty little secret is Jackson Merrill’s steady decline at the plate, and the organization avoids talking about his struggles. It is tough to suggest Merrill is mired in a slump when his batting average has dropped 81 points since the All-Star’s rookie season in 2024.

Much of his decline stems from the Padres’ mismanagement, which created several bad habits that ruined his sweet swing.

Is Souza the problem?

2026 has brought a new hitting coach, Steven Souza Jr., into the fold. He has a different approach to hitting from the team’s previous coach, Victor Rodriguez. Souza emphasizes pulling more pitches for extra-base hits. 

The move from Rodriguez has caused an informational overload for Merrill at the plate. At times, he looks tentative, as Merrill is recognizing pitches too late to make solid contact. The regression is alarming, as the Friars need to re-evaluate whether he should go back to his old approach.

The Friars failed to hire a hitting coach capable of enhancing Merrill’s natural strengths as a hitter. In his rookie season, he excelled at hitting to all fields. But Souza’s approach has eroded those skills. 

Now, Merrill is attempting to pull every pitch, which results in either a sky-high pop-up that barely travels out of the infield or an easy groundball to the second baseman. Souza has failed to help him make the necessary adjustments to counter the pitching sequence during an at-bat.

It is time to hire a hitting coach who specializes in repairing swings. If not, the damage may be irreversible. 

Stammen backs his coaching staff

Padres skipper Craig Stammen backs his hitting coach. But at some point, someone has to take the blame for the offensive struggles this season. 

In Merrill’s case, no talk of him moving down the batting order. Team management is confident their young star will turn his season around.

Unfortunately, we’re in July, past the halfway point in the season, and Merrill’s past hitting prowess seems light-years away.

Chasing too many bad pitches

If we take a deep dive into his plate appearances, Merrill has decent power numbers. He has 25 extra-base hits with a .211 batting average, as Merrill will outpace his power production from a year ago.

However, there are concerns with his approach during at-bats. Merrill’s chase rate is poor at 34.2%, and his strike rate (24.9%) is the highest of his professional career. The Friar Faithful have seen too much of him swinging wildly as the ball tails outside the strike zone. 

Fortunately, Merrill’s hitting slump has not impacted his stellar defense. He is still considered one of the best to patrol centerfield in the game today.

The blame for this mess lies at the feet of Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller, who has been too stubborn to recognize that his managerial choice is way over his head. Failing to hire a proven major league manager has stunted Merrill’s growth. 

Stammen’s coaching staff is the butt of the Friar Faithful’s jokes. The team’s loyal fan base has lost faith in the coaching staff’s ability to turn Merrill back into a top run-producer.

The first order of business is to hire a coach to work with him. It is never too late to fix Merrill and get the talented outfielder back to hitting the baseball with more authority.

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The Detroit Tigers visit the Texas Rangers this afternoon, while a pitcher's duel takes place between the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros. 

Those two matchups will headline my best NRFI and YRFI predictions. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, July 4. 

Best NRFI/YRFI predictions today

Tigers at Rangers: YRFI (-103)

The Detroit Tigers visit the Texas Rangers tonight, and there are multiple potential pathways to runs early on. Jack Flaherty takes the mound for the visitors, and while he's been very impressive lately with a 1.74 FIP across his last three outings, the Rangers are hitting .274 in the first inning and have a 114 wRC+ over the last month. 

Kumar Rocker, meanwhile, counters for Texas, and he's struggled immensely with a 5-9 NRFI/YRFI record this season. The righty is known for getting into trouble in the first inning, and that's bad news against a Tigers lineup batting .276 in the first inning and posting a 115 wRC+ in their last six games. 

Rocker is definitely the more vulnerable arm right now, but both offenses are capable of producing out of the gates. 

I'll play this pick up to -130. 

• Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: DSN, RSN

Rays at Astros: NRFI (-131)

We have quite the matchup on the mound between the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros tonight. Drew Rasmussen has a five-game streak without allowing a run in the first inning, and he owns a 13-3 NRFI/YRFI record overall. The right-hander has a solid 3.13 xERA over his previous two appearances. 

Houston has been kept off the scoresheet in the opening frame in three of their last four games, and they have a poor 78 wRC+ across the last two weeks. As for Hunter Brown, he's been dominant since returning from injury. The righty hasn't allowed a run in the first in five outings. Tampa is scoreless in the first in back-to-back games. 

With two thriving arms taking the ball and a pair of offenses far from their best lately, I expect a quiet first. 

I'll play this pick up to -140.  

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rays.TV, Space City Home Network

White Sox at Guardians: NRFI (-121)

The Cleveland Guardians send Parker Messick to the mound tonight, and he's been absolutely lights out early on. Across 17 starts, the left-hander hasn't allowed a run in the first inning once, sporting a perfect 17-0 NRFI/YRFI record. He also owns a 2.13 FIP across his last two outings.

The Chicago White Sox haven't scored in the opening frame in two straight games, and they're batting just .213 in the first. 

As for Chicago starter Sean Burke, he has just an 8-4 NRFI/YRFI record. However, Burke has a 3.02 xERA over his previous two appearances and has allowed just 0.77 HR/9 over that span. More importantly, the Guardians are scoreless in the first in three in a row, and they've posted just 82 wRC+ across the last 13 games. 

Messick will deal, and Burke has a real chance to come out of the opening frame unscathed due to Cleveland's offensive inconsistencies. 

I'll play this pick up to -130.

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Guardians.TV, CHSN

What is a NRFI prediction?

NRFI (No Run First Inning) and YRFI (Yes Run First Inning) picks add a thrilling twist to the start of an MLB game. A NRFI pick is a prediction that no runs will be scored in the first inning. You're predicting that the starting pitchers for both teams will get through the first inning without allowing any runs, whether by striking out batters, inducing ground balls, or through solid defensive play.

A YRFI pick is the exact opposite. You're predicting that at least one run will be scored in the first inning. In this case, you’re hoping for an early offensive burst such as a leadoff walk, a timely hit, or even a home run.

NRFI and YRFI picks add excitement to the early part of a game and offer immediate gratification for those looking for a quick resolution.

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

Hickory starter Daniel Keaney went 4.2 IP, allowing four runs, striking out three and walking two. Aneudis Mejia walked two in two shutout innings.

Marcos Torres entered the game for Paulino Santana after Santana was hit by a pitch and went 1 for 2 with a double and a stolen base. Yolfran Castillo had a hit, a walk and a pair of stolen bases. Dewar Tovar was 2 for 3 with a walk. Daniel Flames had a pair of hits.

Hickory box score

Caden Scarborough started for Hub City, allowing two runs in 4.1 IP, walking two and striking out two.

Yeison Morrobel had a double and a triple. Hector Osorio homered. Gleider Figuereo and Maxton Martin each had hits.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter Dalton Pence went 4.2 scoreless innings, striking out six and walking three. Eric Loomis struck out four in two shutout innings.

Rafe Perich doubled. Ian Moller and Arturo Disla each had a hit.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Michel Otanez struck out three and walked one in 1.1 scoreless innings. Thomas Ireland allowed two runs in 1.1 IP. Joe Ross, who re-signed to a minor league deal after clearing waivers and electing free agency, allowed a pair of runs in 1.2 IP, walking one.

Jarred Kelenic, who re-signed to a minor league deal after clearing waivers and electing free agency, drew a walk. Aaron Zavala had a double.

Round Rock box score

ACL Rangers box score

DSL Rangers Red box score

DSL Rangers Blue box score

The San Diego Padres and their fans asked Michael King to take the mound and provide a performance that would allow them to have a chance to get a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and snap their six-game losing streak. He did that, but an error by Jake Cronenworth followed by a poor pitch from Adrian Morejon turned a 3-0 lead into a 4-3 loss for the Padres at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

King gave San Diego just what it needed, and the offense did enough to score three runs against Los Angeles starter Shohei Ohtani. King cruised through six innings and worked into the seventh when he ran into “trouble,” giving up a leadoff walk to Mookie Betts and a single to Max Muncy. King was pulled after just 75 pitches and was replaced by Morejon.

The left-handed reliever got what appeared to be a potential double play ball with a grounder from Kyle Tucker that rolled out to Cronenworth at second base. The normally dependable second baseman did not field the ball cleanly and flipped toward second base, but Muncy was able to get to the bag safely and the bases were loaded with no outs. Teoscar Hernandez wasted no time and hit the first pitch of the at-bat over the center field wall and the work that was done by King and the Padres’ offense was erased.

As a result of the home run by Hernandez, King’s line looks worse than it was. He finished with two runs allowed on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. It was a tough ending to what was a solid start and the decision by manager Craig Stammen to pull King considering his low pitch count and his success throughout the outing will be questioned. Morejon got the ground ball he needed but Cronenworth did not make the play and that proved to be a critical error until Morejon compounded it with a hanging slider to Hernandez.

It was a deflating set of events for San Diego and that was reflected in their at-bats over the final two innings. The Padres sent three men to the plate in the eighth inning and three in the ninth and finished the game with two groundouts and four strikeouts to take a one-run loss to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and extend their current losing streak to seven games.

San Diego will send Griffin Canning and his 7.09 ERA to the mound to try to get back to .500 with a win against Yoshinobu Yamamoto today at 7:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• The health of the Padres continues to decline as Randy Vasquez and Freddy Fermin were both added to the IL on Friday. It was also announced Friday that reliever Jason Adam will be sidelined for at least a month.

• Catcher Blake Hunt is staying ready in the minors should the Padres need to bring him back to the MLB roster and he showed that with a home run in a win for El Paso.

• Jake Peavy will be on the call for the Padres/Dodgers game on Sunday for NBC/Peacock finally giving San Diego fans someone with knowledge of the Padres on a national broadcast.

• History tends to repeat itself and Dennis Lin of The Athletic believes we may be seeing that with the current pitching problems for the Padres.

• The Padres released infielder Pablo Reyes from his minor league contract.

Baseball News:

• Aroldis Chapman set the all-time record for strikeouts by a reliever to help the Boston Red Sox secure a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

• The Colorado Rockies beat up on the San Francisco Giants in a 15-3 win.

• Nick Martinez and Junior Caminero led the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros.

• The New York Yankees snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins.

• The St. Louis Cardinals go to Wrigley Field and hand the Chicago Cubs a 17-1 loss.

• The Atlanta Braves hit four home runs in their win over the New York Yankees.

• Dylan Cease throws seven innings to lead the Toronto Blue Jays past the Seattle Mariners, 2-0.

The Yankees at long last broke their losing streak, ending it at seven games after putting up five runs for the first time since June 19th against the Reds. The Twins had their chances to match them, but New York’s pitching held them in check with only Fernando Cruz getting himself into some trouble walking two batters in his inning of work. After finally stopping the bleeding, the only thing that could’ve made things better would’ve been the Rays breaking their winning streak at the same time — alas, not everything lined up how they wanted on Friday.

Tampa Bay Rays (52-33) 3, Houston Astros (43-47) 1

It was a close, low-scoring affair down in Houston as the Rays opened up a series against the Astros. The AL East leaders had won eight straight games entering the contest, but they took a while to get going facing Spencer Arrighetti. The Astros’ right-hander tossed six innings and didn’t give many opportunities to , working around a leadoff single by immediately inducing a double play and then getting a one-out walk erased thanks to Yainer Diaz throwing out the runner.

The third through fifth inning saw Arrighetti mow down Tampa Bay in order, but with two outs in the sixth Nick Fortes finally got the scoring started with a solo shot clanking off the wall in left field.

Houston didn’t go down without a fight, of course. Nick Martinez was doing a similar job to Houston’s offense through five, but Yordan Alvarez got to him in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game right back up with a solo shot of his own, his 27th of 2026 (he now has a very impressive 187 wRC+). Tampa fought right back, getting a Junior Caminero home run—his 10th in 10 games—to go ahead 2-1 in the seventh inning and a Fortes RBI double in the eighth to jump ahead by two runs.

As for the Astros, after that Alvarez blast they were blanked the rest of the way, getting a single immediately afterwards only for the next 11 Houston at-bats to all end in an out. The Yankees remain four games behind the Rays in the AL East with a series looming early next week.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (42-46) 2, Seattle Mariners (45-44) 0: Half of our Rivalry teams were playing up in the Pacific Northwest as Toronto made one inning count enough to carry them to victory. Luis Castillo had one of his better outings this year, tossing six innings and allowing just five hits, but four of them came in the top of the third leading to an RBI double from Andrés Giménez and an RBI single from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead. That was all the damage necessary to tag Castillo with the loss as Dylan Cease shoved on the other end, pitching seven shutout with nine strikeouts before passing the baton over to Jeff Hoffman and Louis Varland to close the game out. The idle Rangers moved half a game ahead of Seattle in the light AL West.

Cleveland Guardians (47-42) 4, Chicago White Sox (45-42) 3 (10 innings): This was a battle of the bullpens as neither starter made it through a full five innings of work. Chicago’s Anthony Kay blinked first, issuing two walks to lead off the third inning that got moved over on a bunt, but Cleveland only scored one run on the opportunity as Travis Bazzana singled in the lead runner before David Fry grounded into an inning-ending double play. Gavin Williams wound up with the worse stat line, allowing two singles to lead off the fifth and nearly stranding them just to lose a 10-pitch battle with Miguel Vargas that ended in a three-run blast.

After a rain delay briefly interrupted the action, Cleveland got to work tying the game back up. The seventh inning saw them work a pair of walks but go down to two outs as well, just for Austin Hedges to find a fastball over the middle to slap to shortstop hard enough that the ball deflected off of the fielder’s glove. That scored a run and kept the inning alive, and Steven Kwan cashed in with a single to bring home another and tie the game at three. Extra innings were brutal for Chicago, as they went down in order in the top of the 10th while the Guardians got singles from Bazzana and Kahlil Watson to walk it off.

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There's no shortage of players smashing baseballs out of the ballpark lately, and I've found value in my MLB player props home run analysis. 

Today's picks will include Luis Garcia, Rafael Devers, and Junior Caminero. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, July 4.

Best MLB home run props today

Home run pick: Luis Garcia (+391)

Washington Nationals star Luis Garcia is flourishing right now. He has a .750 ISO across his last six games, going deep five times during that span. Garcia had two home runs on Friday evening against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also has a 56.5% hard hit rate over the last week. 

Garcia will face Braxton Ashcraft today. He's allowed 2.25 HR/9 across his previous two outings, and the righty gave up three homers last time out to the Philadelphia Phillies. Opponents also have a 57.1% hard hit rate against him during that span. 

This is a clear opportunity for Garcia to stay hot. 

I'll play this pick up to +300. 

• Time: 11:05 a.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, SportsNet Pittsburgh

Home run pick: Junior Caminero (+367)

Junior Caminero cannot be stopped. The Tampa Bay Rays slugger has homered in five of his last six games, and he carries a .600 ISO over the last week into tonight's matchup against the Houston Astros.

Caminero's 55.5% hard hit rate over the last week says it all. He is truly squaring up everything right now, and 55.5% of his contact has been through the air during that span.

He'll face the dominant Hunter Brown tonight, but it's impossible to ignore Caminero's recent brilliance. No matter who is on the hill, he's dominating. Also, Brown has allowed a home run in each of his last two starts, and he's allowed a 42.9% hard hit rate in those outings as well. 

I'll play this pick up to +300. 

• Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rays.TV, Space City Home Network

Home run pick: Rafael Devers (+238)

San Francisco Giants star Rafael Devers heads into a favorable matchup tonight against Tomoyuki Sugano. Devers has clubbed four home runs in his last six games while posting a .600 ISO. He has a mind-boggling 62.5% hard hit rate and 25% barrel rate during that span. 

Sugano has had trouble with the home run all year, and that's been no different lately. The righty has given up 2.14 HR/9 across his previous four starts while posting a 7.29 ERA. Playing at Coors Field here also heavily benefits Devers due to just how much the ball carries in Denver. 

I'll play this pick up to +200. 

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Rockies.TV, NBC Sports Bay Area

Today’s HR parlay

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

The Yankees’ roster carousel continues. Following last night’s game, they optioned outfielder Spencer Jones to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He had been up with the team for his second stint this year, but while he played better than his initial 4-for-24 showing, he was still running a 40-percent strikeout rate. Fellow lefty hitter Trent Grisham’s activation from the IL immediately prior to the Friday contest also meant that regular time in center field was no longer going to be available, so it was best to keep the outfielder reps in Triple-A instead.

To take Jones’ spot on the roster today, the Yankees promoted righty pitcher Brendan Beck, who will take the spot start for this afternoon’s Fourth of July matinee against the Twins. With Carlos Rodón suddenly on the IL with elbow inflammation and Elmer Rodríguez unavailable after pitching on Thursday, Beck gets the call for his second career appearance.

The 2021 second-round pick out of Stanford has gone through his injuries to make it to The Show, and this will be his first big-league start — no small feat! He last pitched in the majors on May 7th against the Rangers when Ryan Weathers was ill, entering as the “bulk guy” after an opener, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks in three innings, striking out one. Beck has a 3.07 ERA and 3.78 FIP in 88 innings (16 starts) at Triple-A this year; I expect long reliever Ryan Yarbrough will also pitch today and that the Yankees will be delighted if Beck can even give them four solid innings.

The Yankees have had a quite a few roster moves over the past few days. The best way to consider it is to consider the replcements on the 26-man roster from Wednesday night’s game, their seventh loss in a row. Here’s the roster just one full game later:

OF Spencer Jones OF Trent Grisham
UT Oswaldo Cabrera 3B Ryan McMahon
SP Carlos Rodón SP Brendan Beck
RP Yovanny Cruz RP David Bednar

Hopefully Beck and company can help the Yankees win their second straight and put the memory of that seven-game skid behind ’em.

Don’t look now, but Jorge Mateo is having a career year. He is working on career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging. And it’s not luck driven, as his xwOBA, xwOBAcon, xBA, and xSLG are at career highs as well.

Jorge is crushing the fastball right now. A .422 xwOBA on four-seamer is pretty good. He’s cut the whiff rate on the fastball in half. He’s pulling the ball now more than ever before and hitting it harder than ever before. To be honest, that’s his main improvement from a hitting standpoint. All his numbers versus the other stuff is right around where it was in years past. But if you can pick a pitch to handle, it’s the fastball. He might see more of the other stuff, but right now he’s cruising.

It’s quite a surprise from where we started the year. Ha-Seong Kim was the presumed starter, and Jurickson Profar would get most of the starts in left field. But that’s not where we are right now. Mauricio Dubon has been needed to hold down left field with Jurickson Profar on a year-long hiatus. And I’m still not convinced Ha-Seong Kim is fully healthy.

So are the Braves all set with Jorge Mateo at shortstop? Well, unless a mid-season move for a left fielder and Ronald Acuña Jr’s return pushes Dubon out of the outfield, then Mateo is probably their best option. It’s not like Kim will be at shortstop a lot in the near future.

Triple-A: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RoughRiders (Yankees) 3, Norfolk Tides 2

A low-scoring affair saw the RoughRiders break a 2-2 tie in the seventh with a run against Enoli Paredes and hold on to defeat a lackluster Tides lineup. No Norfolk batter had more than one hit, managing only five in total, all singles. José Barrero drove in a run on a single and scored the other on a fielder’s choice, and that was the entirety of the Tides’ run output. A heating-up Heston Kjerstad reached base twice on a single and a walk. Enrique Bradfield Jr. didn’t start but pinch-hit in the ninth and struck out.

Yaqui Rivera started and gave up two runs in three innings. A rehabbing Yaramil Hiraldo worked a scoreless frame with two strikeouts as he returns from right shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him since April 2.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 5, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets) 4

In a wild game, the Baysox erased a late 3-0 deficit with a three-run seventh inning, then fell behind again in the eighth, only to rally for two in the top of the ninth to steal the win. The top of the lineup set the table nicely, as Aron Estrada, Griff O’Ferrall, and Thomas Sosa collected two hits apiece. Sosa played the hero with his two-run single in the ninth to grab the lead for good.

Former Orioles minor leaguers Justin Armbruester and Zach Peek both pitched for Binghamton in this game. Armbruester fared well, working a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, but Peek surrendered three runs to blow the lead in the seventh. That included a two-run homer by Baysox right fielder Fernando Peguero and an RBI single by O’Ferrall.

As for Chesapeake’s hurlers, starter Evan Yates went five and allowed three runs (two earned). Jeisson Cabrera gave up a run in the eighth but vultured the win, and Zane Barnhart worked a perfect ninth for the save.

Box score

High-A: Frederick Keys 8, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 7

This was another roller coaster of a game, with the Keys storming out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, then coughing up seven unanswered runs to fall into a 7-6 deficit before responding with a go-ahead, two-run rally in the seventh.

Ike Irish went 0-for-3 and Wehiwa Aloy did not play, but some lesser known names did the heavy lifting for the Keys lineup. RJ Austin got the offensive party started with a leadoff homer, part of his three-hit night in which he was a triple shy of the cycle. Leandro Arias also homered, and Yasmil Bucce and Colin Tuft drove in two runs apiece.

Starter Twine Palmer gave up three runs and struck out eight in five innings, but reliever Jacob Cravey let the early lead slip away by coughing up four runs while recording just two outs. The bullpen was much better after that, with Chandler Marsh, Bradley Brehmer, and Todd Kniebbe combining for 3.1 scoreless frames to allow the Keys to come back. Brehmer struck out the side in a perfect eighth inning.

Box score

Low-A: Charleston RiverDogs (Rays) 9, Delmarva Shorebirds 3

All you need to know is that the Shorebirds committed five errors and gave up 18 hits in this game. Not gonna win many games that way, and indeed they didn’t. Starter Brayan Orrantia and reliever Kailen Hamson allowed six apiece, with each giving up three earned runs, and Orrantia also committed one of the Shorebirds’ quintet of miscues. Charleston third baseman Nicandro Arias torched the Shorebirds for five hits and four RBIs.

Jaiden Lo Re had a nice night for Delmarva, collecting two doubles and scoring two of his team’s three runs. He’s batting .329 with a .904 OPS in 22 games for the Shorebirds. Leadoff man Braylon Whitaker added a home run. But it was far too little to make up for the Shorebirds’ self-inflicted wounds.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 6:35 PM. Starter: Nestor German (3-3, 4.79)
• Chesapeake: at Binghamton, 4:00 PM. Starter: Sebastian Gongora (6-3, 3.19)
• Frederick: vs. Brooklyn, 1:00 PM. Starter: Boston Bateman (3-3, 3.92)
• Delmarva: vs. Charleston, 6:35 PM. Starter: Stephen Still (1-2, 3.68)

Happy Independence Day, where this year, the 250th anniversary of our independence as a nation, there is a little extra celebration in our country.

Baseball is still America’s pasttime, even if football has passed it in terms of popularity. The majority of little kids still play T-ball first when they’re getting into team sports as opposed to strapping on the shoulder pads, so I’m still going to call baseball America’s pasttime. That means today, as you celebrate, you might be doing something baseball related wherever you are at.

What will you do today that is baseball related on the Fourth of July? Maybe it’s as simple as having a catch in the backyard barbeque that you’re headed out to later on today. Maybe it’s just kicking back and watching the Phillies later on tonight in Kansas City. Maybe it’s far more than that – maybe you’re going to a baseball or softball tournament somewhere for your child. Good luck with that one.

The Atlanta Braves continued to shuffle things around and kicked off Friday with a few moves in the bullpen. First, the club announced that righty Anthony Molina was recalled to Atlanta, fellow righty James Karinchak was optioned to Triple-A, and lefty Danny Young was reinstated from the injured list. Finally, righty Ian Hamilton was designated for assignment. 

The #Braves today recalled RHP Anthony Molina to Atlanta after optioning RHP James Karinchak to Triple-A Gwinnett following last night’s game. The club also returned LHP Danny Young from his rehabilitation assignment and reinstated him from the injured list, and designated RHP…

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 3, 2026

The moves provide the Braves with a fresh look in the bullpen as they continue searching for consistency in the late innings. Molina returns after a strong stretch in Triple-A, while Young gives Atlanta another left-handed option following his stint on the injured list. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s DFA opens a spot on the 40-man roster as the club continues to reshape its pitching staff ahead of the second half.

More Braves News:

Matt Olson homered twice during Atlanta’s 5-3 defeat of the New York Mets. 

MLB News:

The Seattle Mariners have placed outfielder Julio Rodriguez on the 7-day concussion injured list. 

The Baltimore Orioles have placed righty Ryan Helsley on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. The move is retroactive to June 30.

The New York Yankees placed lefty Carlos Rodón on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation. The move is backdated to June 30.

From the Feed:

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When it comes to the Colorado Rockies and the Trade Deadline, expect the unexpected. The perennial cellar-dwellers have at times conducted the types of fire sales familiar to teams without a shot at the ostseason, attempting to restock their prospect pool while punting on the current group. But they’ve also had deadlines where they hedged, most infamously in 2021 when they held onto Trevor Story and Jon Gray, two valuable assets on expiring contracts who ended up leaving in free agency after the season.

Perhaps with Paul DePodesta now leading baseball operations, they will take a more normal approach. Assuming the Rockies do, in fact, sell, they have some pieces.

A trio of veteran starters — Kyle Freeland, Michael Lorenzen, and Tomoyuki Sugano — are on expiring deals. Freeland and Lorenzen have been dreadful, but given the Coors effect and a constant need for starting pitching around the league, they might have low-end value. Sugano’s been more encouraging in his first year in Colorado, pitching to a 102 OPS+, and could be a viable rotation piece for a contender.

Given their roster construction, it’s more likely the Yankees will target one of Colorado’s relievers. Longtime starter Antonio Senzatela has been a revelation in his first year pitching out of the bullpen, posting a 3.07 ERA and 160 ERA+ in 44 innings. Taking advantage of shorter outings, his fastball is up two ticks. Senzatela’s also transformed his cutter from an afterthought into his secondary pitch, to great effect (opponents are hitting .196 against it). The 31-year-old will be a free agent after this season and is a virtual lock to be moved.

Another option is Jimmy Herget, a journeyman who’s caught on in Colorado and pitched at a high level in a year and a half there. The Yankees have swung deals for two Rockies relievers (Jake Bird and Angel Chivilli) in the past year and, while neither has panned out thus far, that shouldn’t hold GM Brian Cashman back from kicking the tires on Senzatela and Herget.

On the other side of the ball, veteran utilityman Willi Castro holds value and is under contract through 2027. He’s picked things up after a slow start, slashing .292/.388/.472 in July. He could be on the Yankees’ radar, though his skill set is a bit redundant to Amed Rosario’s. Mickey Moniak, also under team control through next year, could be moved as well. After grading out as one of the worst outfield defenders in baseball last year, he’s stabilized a bit this year. But it’s his bat that plays — the lefty has a .990 OPS against right-handed pitching this year.

The biggest question mark for the Rockies is whether they’ll shop Hunter Goodman. The 26-year-old broke out last year, making the NL All-Star team while taking home a Silver Slugger at catcher. Goodman has been just as dominant offensively this year; his 27 home runs are seven ahead of the next-best catcher.

While the jury’s still out on him defensively, and his below-average framing rate flies in the face of the Yankees’ well-established philosophy at the position, their catchers have struggled so mightily at the plate that they’d have to ask after Goodman if the Rockies make him available. The bigger wrinkle is that, with three more years of club control after this season, Colorado make take their best player off the table, at the very least preferring to hold onto him until he’s closer to free agency.

As we approach the deadline with so few teams truly out of contention, those teams will garner more than their fair share of attention. Count the Rockies, on pace for their fourth straight 100-loss season, squarely in that group. If the Yankees link up with them on a trade, the most likely scenario is that they acquire one of their veteran relievers, with Hunter Goodman lurking as a higher-impact dark horse.