Jun 16, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) celebrates with first baseman Matt Olson (28) after a home run against the San Francisco Giants in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Ha-Seong Kim is getting a third straight start at shortstop and batting ninth, as he continues to set a torridly awful pace for value and production this season. Drake Baldwin is catching and batting cleanup and the Braves really need him to find his swing again, as he has struggled since returning from injury. That last of the lineup is pretty bleak as Mauricio Dubon has been the best of those batters by a wide margin this season. Good luck against Logan Webb today.
Jun 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies kicked off their road trip with yet more hijinks late in the game. Entering the game down 7-0, the Rockies proceeded to score eight unanswered runs to take the lead against the Minnesota Twins only to lose in extra innings due to sloppy play. Now the Rockies will look to win their first game of the series against the Twins, hopefully without the drama, but who are we kidding? The Rockies are surprisingly one of the best teams in the league when it comes to late game offense.
Making the start for the Rockies is Michael Lorenzen, who now has three straight starts of five or more innings. His last time out, Lorenzen went 5.1 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but gave up four earned runs on seven hits with a home run. He struck out five batters.
Since simplifying his approach, Lorenzen has been performing much better on the mound. His ERA for the season is down to 7.11 and he has a solid body of work against the Twins. In seven appearances he holds an ERA of just 2.86 with 23 strikeouts over 28.1 innings.
The starting pitcher for the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is right-handed rookie Mike Paredes, who made his debut earlier this season. Paredes holds a 4.05 ERA over five appearances, three of which were starts, entering today’s game with 11 strikeouts in 20 innings.
His last time out, Paredes worked five innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks while giving up two earned runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout. The 25-year-old has a four pitch arsenal consisting of a four-seam fastball that averages 93 MPH, a changeup, a sweeper, and a cutter.
First Pitch: 5:10 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)
Gerrit Cole is finding that out in his comeback from Tommy John surgery and Saturday, he showed a little bit of both.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, by the time the former Cy Young winner got back to his old self, he’d put the team in too big a hole to overcome.
But despite a second straight shaky outing in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox, Cole said he was encouraged by how he felt over his final three innings compared to his rough first 2 ¹/₃ innings.
“I got more aggressive as the game went on,’’ Cole said.
The difference, according to Cole and Aaron Boone, was that after trying to be too careful in the early going and seeing his command suffer, Cole went on the attack more in the latter part of his outing.
Gerrit Cole delivers a pitch during the Yankees’ June 27 loss to the Red Sox. AP Photo
The results backed that up.
He gave up solo homers to Masataka Yoshida and Anthony Seigler, both from the left side, in the first two innings.
And after giving up singles to Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela to open the third, Cole then allowed a booming two-run double to Willson Contreras.
Cole righted himself after that, retiring nine of the next 11 batters.
The turnaround didn’t help the Yankees avoid a third straight loss, but as Austin Wells said, it may have given Cole some momentum heading into his next outing.
Gerrit Cole gets pulled during the Yankees’ June 27 loss to the Red Sox. Getty Images
“I tried to free myself up,’’ Cole said. “The command sometimes isn’t there. You have to go after it then and not care as much about where the pitch is going.”
Not every pitcher can do that without disastrous results.
As much as the Yankees and their slumping offense can ill afford shaky starts from their ace, the team is looking for Cole to round into peak form as the season moves along and not necessarily in June, seven starts post-elbow surgery.
Cole allowed four runs in 5 ¹/₃ innings to the Red Sox and has given up nine runs in 9 ²/₃ innings in his last two outings.
Perhaps Boston wasn’t the place to call on Cole for dominance, since Fenway has been his Kryptonite for much of his career.
Of any ballpark in which he’s made more than three starts, Cole has the worst ERA (5.52), WHIP (1.409) and opposing OPS (.864) with the Green Monster behind him.
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Saturday was more of the same.
The homer to Yoshida to lead off the bottom of the first, the home run to Seigler and the double to Contreras were all on four-seam fastballs, which Cole threw less than usual Saturday.
He responded after the Contreras double by whiffing the next two batters and gave up just a pair of singles the rest of the way.
“Coming off surgery, he’s slowly starting to unlock and feel like himself again,’’ Wells said. “He started to free himself up again after trying to be too perfect. He’s been carrying that a little bit. He was able to break free the last couple of innings, just go out and pitch and not worry too much about results. That freed him up and gave him some good momentum going forward.”
Jun 26, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) hits a RBI double against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
First Pitch: 6:10 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
One night after what many are already calling the dumbest game of all time, Target Field is playing host to the Battle of the Mikes. Mike check, one-two, one-two. Heh. Hilarious.
For the Twins, it’s Mike Paredes, who has five major-league games under his belt and has somehow accidentally become a starting pitcher. Throwing roughly 60 or so pitches as a quasi-opener, Paredes went five innings his last time out — regular starter numbers — and has yet to give up more than three earned runs in a game, holding opponents to either one or two in all but a single start against the Kansas City Royals. Today, he has his best chance so far to look like a real real major-league arm.
His opponent is a certified Real Major-League Arm, with 12 seasons of big-league experience and a consistent presence in the league since 2015. Lorenzen, possibly the highest-profile non-Ohtani two-way hopeful, has almost 150 big-league at-bats and has put together 1.6 career bWAR from hitting, playing the occasional outfield for the late-teens Cincinnati Reds, and bopping 7 career homers. Now, with his hitting days behind him, he’s posting a -.1.2 bWAR for the Rockies, with a 2-9 record, 7.11 ERA, and obscene 13.4 H/9 in 17 games this year.
The Twins ended last night tied with the New York Yankees for the team runs lead in the American League (404), and have been reaping the rewards of post-demotion Royce Lewis (.296/.346/.521, four doubles, four homers, 9 RBI, four steals since his recall.) They remain 4.5 back at 39-44, which is somehow still good for a game and a half out of the Wild Card. The 32-50 Colorado Rockies should be an easy punching bag, and a much-needed one in the wake of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Minnesota will need to keep the pressure on if they want a potential bounceback sweep.
They failed to keep the pressure on last night, and it almost cost them. We’ll see if they can make the adjustment this evening.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter pose for a photo during the New York Yankees Old Timers' Day prior to the game against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on August 24, 2024, in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Back in August, I began a series here at Pinstripe Alley where I was going to put together an All-Star Yankee team of players who were born in a given month. Since then, we as a staff have started doing daily posts for the year 2026, highlighting a Yankee from history whose birthday happens to land on that day. As we near the end of this month, what better way to put a cap on a month’s worth of birthday posts then by using the all-month teams as a way to look back on who we covered? And maybe some we didn’t cover who shared a birthday with someone else?
With that in mind, here are my choices for the All-June Birthday Yankee Team. (I took making this particular team personal, as today is actually your truly’s birthday.)
Eddie Lopat, Jack Chesbro, and Will Warren would add onto a pretty solid starting rotation for the June team, but there’s only one I could pick to be the ace. Pettitte won’t be the only “Core Four” member on this particular team, and he’s definitely the choice to be the starter.
Catcher is a loaded enough position for June that we’re going to put another one in at DH, Considering that Dickey has an argument to be the catcher for an all-time overall Yankees’ team, he definitely warrants a place in this one.
“The Iron Horse” is one of the greatest players in the history of baseball, and a beloved icon in the Bronx. It won’t hold up through every position, but this is a hell of a start for the June team.
His tenure in the Yankees’ front office is far better than his playing career, but we’ll give “Stick” the nod at second base as a rare player-GM.
Shortstop: Derek Jeter (June 26th birthday post)
Another “Core Four” member will make up a strong core for this June team. It obviously doesn’t mean all that much, but young me always thought it was cool that my birthday was right after Jeter’s.
Third Base: Wade Boggs
We didn’t get to profile Boggs as he shares a birthday with Pettitte, who got the nod as our birthday boy on the 15th. However, he was an important part of the 1996 World Series winners, and him riding the police horse is one of the most famous images of that championship.
Here’s the aforementioned other catcher that we’re working into the team. Munson was the captain and the heart and soul of the Yankees’ late 1970s teams until his tragic and untimely passing.
That’s my lineup for June, but what would you do? Let us know in the comments!
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: A general view of racing during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series OnlyBulls Green Flag 150 at Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
RAYS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Yandy Diaz – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Jonathan Aranda – 1B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Junior Caminero – 3B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Victor Mesa – RF
Adrian Del Castillo – DH
Chandler Simpson – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Cedric Mullins – CF
Max Kepler – LF
Taylor Walls – SS
LuJames Groover – 1B
Richie Palacios – 2B
Tommy Troy – CF
Hunter Feduccia – C
Jose Cabrera – RHP
Michael Grove – RHP
Yesterday’s defeat was Zac Gallen’s seventh loss of the year, and dropped the team to 6-11 when he takes the mound. It got me thinking, which starter in franchise history was the “biggest loser”? Before we get to that, I have to say that the single-season record for losses is one which never crops up in “unbreakable records”, but it probably should. In 1883, John Coleman of the gloriously-named Philadelphia Statistics lost 48 times. Admittedly, he did start 61 of the team’s 99 games that year, and threw 59 complete games. The Statistics also went 17-81 that year. Wasn’t all on the pitching, as the team collectively hit three home-runs. Anyway…
To find Arizona’s loss leaders, you need to go back a bit. Rodrigo Lopez and Brandon Webb both lost sixteen games, in 2010 and 2004 respectively. The latter is impressive, because Webb had an ERA+ of 125, so was by no means a bad pitcher. That same year, Casey Fossum had 15 L’s and Randy Johnson 14 (coming second in Cy Young voting). The team were simply not very good. That records may be hard to beat, with starting pitchers now less likely than ever to get the decision, as they pitch less far into games. But that same year, the D-backs overall lost 23 games Webb started, which is the most defeats in a season by any Arizona starting pitcher.
However, they still won 12 times, giving a team W% of .343 when he took the mound. Lopez was slightly worse. He made 33 starts, and Arizona lost 22 of them, a team W% of .333. But the record holder appears to be Fossum. Over his 27 starts during that disastrous 2004 campaign, Arizona won just six, a team W% of .222. If Gallen gets another 17 starts, he would need to go 1-16 the rest of the way to end up with a lower team W% than Fossum. But Gallen may be the recent record holder already. In 2021, he made 23 starts, and the D-backs went 6-17 in them, for a .260 team win percentage.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 26: Jhoan Duran #59 and J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after defeating the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 26: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Petco Park on June 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres have been playing some good baseball lately. It’s a relief for the Friar Faithful, who have endured a stretch of tough at-bats and depressing losses. Now? The Padres have reeled off a four-game win streak against two of the best teams in baseball. They swept the Atlanta Braves at home, and took the series opener last night from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They’ll play Game 2 against L.A. tonight, hoping to win the series and shorten the rivals’ lead in the NL West. It will be tougher than last night, with the 2025 World Series MVP on the mound against San Diego. But, if the offense looks anything like it did last night (seven runs on seven hits), the Friars will coast to a series victory.
Taking the mound
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) v. Randy Vásquez (SD)
It says something that Yamamoto has been the Dodgers’ second-best starter this season. He boasts an elite 2.65 ERA and minuscule 0.87 WHIP over 91 2/3 innings. His strikeout numbers have been down a bit, but he’s still getting outs at a ridiculous clip. He’s looked even better recently, with a 2.25 ERA in his last 48 innings pitched.
Yamamoto has looked like an ace ever since the Dodgers signed him out of Japan. He’ll seek to keep that dominance going against San Diego. A stat worth noting: Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado boast a combined .348 batting average against the righty. Just how much damage the veteran duo can do tonight remains to be seen.
Vásquez has had a rough stretch lately. After seeming to unlock a new level to his game at the beginning of the season, he now owns an ERA over 4.00 for the first time since April 2025. That’s due to his last outing against the Texas Rangers, in which Vásquez gave up six runs in the first inning, blowing a five-run cushion and losing the game for the Friars almost immediately.
He’ll need to do better tonight. He’s struggled to command his pitches well. If Vásquez isn’t on his A-game, the Padres will likely have to turn to the ‘pen earlier than they’d like. Hopefully, the righty can turn things around in such an important matchup.
Batter up!
The San Diego kid continues to impress. Ty France launched his 10th home run of the season last night for a three-run shot in the second inning. Despite scoring four more in the eighth, it was all the Padres would need after Walker Buehler limited Los Angeles to a single run.
Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
Samad Taylor, LF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Gavin Sheets, 1B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Miguel Andujar, DH
Freddy Fermin, C
Sung-Mun Song, 2B
France has swung a hot bat lately but could be out of the lineup in today’s game after his arm was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning. He was able to remain in the game until the ninth inning, when Andujar replaced him at first base. That said, he may not play today depending on the state of his arm.
Relief corps
Buehler looked great against his former team, pitching five strong innings before being lifted in sixth inning for reliever Yuki Matsui. It was an odd move, with Buehler only at 74 pitches. He walked Andy Pages, and was taken from the game before Matsui gave up a double to Freddie Freeman. It could have been much worse, but the lefty popped out Max Muncy and flew out Kyle Tucker to end the trouble.
Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta covered the final three innings well. Adam pitched a perfect seventh. Morejon worked through trouble in the eighth, inducing an inning-ending double play. Peralta did the same to finish off Los Angeles.
The four-run burst in the eighth allowed the Friars to save elite closer Mason Miller for the final two games of the series. If the offense is able to keep putting runs on the board, that move will prove incredibly shrewd for the club. Additionally, Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio and David Morgan will be available out of the ‘pen. Hopefully, Vásquez can cover six innings against the Dodgers so the relievers won’t be overworked.
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: The Cubs are 6-6 on Saturday this season. They finished 20-7 a year ago. They are 2-3 on Saturday on the road. They finished 11-2 a year ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RISPy BUSINESS: The Cubs were 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position last night. It was the 21st game in which they were hitless with RISP, more than one of every four they have played. They are 3-18 with no hits and have lost 11 in a row since they were 0 for 7 in a 2-0 win at Atlanta on May 14. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
STREAKING: Pete Crow-Armstrong’s 28-game on base streak ties him for the 49th longest by a Cub since 1901 with John Sullivan, 1921; Hack Wilson, 1929 and 1930; Stan Hack, 1941; Tony Taylor, 1959; and Glenn Beckert, 1973. Johnny Evers, in 1912, and Augie Galan, in 1938, had streaks end at 29 games. There have been 46 streaks of at least 30, including seven of exactly 30, most recently by Ian Happ, April 45-May 9. Happ’s tied Bryan LaHair, in 2012, for the longest since Starlin Castro went 43 games, in 2011-12 — one short of Riggs Stephenson’s record of 44, in 1928. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Kris Bryant hits three homers and two doubles, going 5-for-5 with four runs scored and six RBI, as the Cubs defeat the Reds 11-8 in Cincinnati. Bryant’s 16 total bases break a franchise record that had stood since 1962 (Ernie Banks, 14). It happened 10 years ago today, Monday, June 27, 2016.
The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.
David Peterson is having the worst year of his career. Shuttled back and forth between the Mets rotation and bullpen, he’s never been able to get any consistency.
You all know about his extreme ground-ball tendencies; BCB’s Sara Sanchez has more in this article posted yesterday. Hopefully the Cubs’ elite defense will help him get back to the level he was at the last two years, when he was essentially a 2 WAR pitcher.
He last faced the Brewers July 3, 2025 in New York, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing two runs (one earned). I think we’d take that tonight. Current Brewers are batting .184 (9-for-49) against Peterson with 14 strikeouts.
Kyle Harrison has been a revelation for the Brewers, posting a 2.50 ERA and 1.056 WHIP in 14 starts. One of those starts was against the Cubs May 20 in Wrigley Field, where he threw seven shutout innings and struck out 11.
Please visit our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball. If you do go there to interact with Brewers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 27: Christian Vazquez #2 of the Houston Astros and Jeremy Pena #3 score on a double by Isaac Paredes to take a 8-6 lead over the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning at Comerica Park on June 27, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There may have been a sense that with AL MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez getting just his second off day of the season, the Houston Astros (41-44) may have trouble scoring runs today. That would not be the case.
The Houston offense got untracked early and surged late to lead the Astros over the Detroit Tigers (35-48) 8-6 this afternoon at Comerica Park.
Facing former Astro Framber Valdez, Houston got on the board first in the top of the second on a 2-run homer by Cam Smith. It was Smith’s 9th HR of the season, matching his total from all of 2025.
They would tack on another in the top of the 3rd when Jeremy Pena (3×5, 2R, 2RBI) scored on a Jose Altuve double-play groundout. The Tigers conceded the run in exchange for the two outs. It was 3-0 Astros.
Things got ugly for Astros starter Kai-Wei Teng in the bottom of the 3rd. Teng, who was coming off a terrific 6 inning performance in his last outing allowing just one run, would load the bases on a walk, an error, and a hit-by-pitch. Kerry Carpenter then launched a poorly placed curveball 390 feet to right center for a grand slam, his 12th HR of the season. The bomb gave the Tigers a 4-3 lead.
The Astros would answer right back in the top of the 4th on an RBI single by Jeremy Pena to tie the game at 4.
In the bottom of the 4th, a two-out RBI double by Spencer Torkleson would give the Tigers back the lead at 5-4 and chase Teng from the game in favor of Steven Okert.
Okert has essentially become the Astros “stopper”, the reliever called on to slam the door in stressed situations to quell rallies. Okert came into the game with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, but got Carpenter on a grounder to first to end the threat.
In the bottom of the 5th, the Tigers would add another run on a solo HR by Hao-Yu Lee. Lee’s 3rd HR of the season made it a 6-4 Tigers lead and ended Steven Okert’s scoreless streak at 17.2 IP, the longest of the season by an Astros pitcher and the longest of the season by a LHP in MLB this year.
The Astros would get one back in the top of the 7th. a 2-out walk by Isaac Paredes and a single by Jose Altuve gave Houston 1st & 2nd, and then Christian Walker would deliver an RBI single to score Paredes and cut the deficit to 6-5. Walker would finish with 4 hits on the day, this one accounting for his 53rd RBI of the season.
Houston would have more 2-out magic in the top of the 8th. After a leadoff single by Yainer Diaz, Jake Meyers and Taylor Trammell both struck out. Christian Vazquez then poked a single to right, advancing Diaz to 2nd. A single by Pena and an error by Tigers CF James Outman would allow Diaz to score, tying the game at 6.
Bryan King and Josh Hader (S, 7) would handle the 8th and 9th innings in order for the Astros, who improve to 41-44 with the win.
AJ Blubaugh (4-2) picked up the win in relief with 2 scoreless innings.
The Astros are currently 2GB in the AL West and 0.5GB in the AL Wild Card race, pending tonight’s action.
The Astros will look to win the 5th straight series tomorrow afternoon behind Hunter Brown. The Astros have not won 5 straight series since June 20- July 6 last season, a stretch in which they went 12-3.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 21: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds walks on the field prior to the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, June 21, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Chase Burns leads the Cincinnati Reds into Saturday’s contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates with the chance to lock up a much needed series victory. Jared Jones gets the start for the Bucs, with first pitch estimated to come at some point around 4:40 PM ET after a roughly half-hour rain delay.
When Buehler met with reporters after the game, he didn’t hesitate to state how good he felt after beating his former team for the first time as a member of the Padres.
“My last pitch there was the last out of the [2024] World Series. I don’t really know how else I would’ve rather gone out any better than that,” Buehler said Friday.
“I want to kick everyone’s ass. I want to beat everyone, especially in the division. And especially against a team that has been so successful against the organization that I am with now.”
"I want to kick everyone's ass, I want to beat everyone, especially in the division." Walker Buehler on Padres 7-1 win vs the Dodgers and facing his former team.https://t.co/lbyvm63gig
Friday night marked the second time Buehler has faced the team he helped close out Game 5 and win the 2024 World Series over the Yankees. The first time he faced the Dodgers was as a member of the Red Sox, when he pitched 4 ⅔ innings, giving up three runs, five walks and four hits.
On Friday night, Buehler looked like his old self, pitching five-plus innings and striking out five. He yielded one run on three hits and three walks.
Former Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler defeated his old team Friday night, leading the host Padres to victory. AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
“I think the first one in Boston was a lot bigger, emotional, load, for lack of a better word,” Buehler said Friday night. “It’s a team in our division; I’m gonna have to pitch against them. It’s good to get the first win in this uniform, at home, and we’ll see what kind of happens on the road. I haven’t thrown at Dodger Stadium yet, which will be a different thing.”
Buehler admitted during postgame that his philosophy on pitching has changed since he joined the Padres. Now he is not trying to throw over 100 pitches in a game but is more focused on delivering five to six clean innings for the bullpen to finish the game.
Walker Buehler has been strong during his last eight starts for the Padres. YouTube/@MartyCaswell
While the Padres and Dodgers are scheduled to play the second game of their three-game series Saturday night in San Diego, it appears Buehler’s next scheduled start will come against the Dodgers: July 2 at Dodger Stadium.
Mets fans, you can expect to see a lot of Jared Young moving forward.
Interim manager Andy Green told reporters prior to Saturday afternoon's game against the Phillies that Young will handle the position “pretty consistently” over this next stretch.
“I’d be a fool to change that one,” he said. “There’s still opportunities for other players, especially against certain types of lefty pitching, to get over to first and play, but he’s locking down kind of the lion’s share of at-bats over there.”
First base, of course, has been a bit of a revolving door for the Mets this season as they’ve attempted to make up for the departure of Pete Alonso over the winter.
Jorge Polanco was brought in on a two-year pact to handle the bulk of the playing time, but injuries quickly limited him to DH duties and then forced him to the injured list since mid-April.
Mark Vientos and Brett Baty received opportunities over there as well, but Baty ended up being utilized elsewhere around the diamond and Vientos struggled mightily on both sides of the ball.
Thus far, Young has taken advantage of the opportunity since returning from an injury of his own.
The lefty slugger continues to serve as a catalyst for an offense that desperately needs it, and has provided an extremely steady glove at first base, both of which were on display Friday.
"I had the opportunity to coach him in Chicago," Green said. "I've always believed the bat is real, it's fun for the rest of the world to get the opportunity to see that -- he's a tremendous teammate, cares about winning, smiles through adversity -- just the kind of guy you love having on a baseball team.
"There's a lot to like and he's really defending the position well, it's been fun watching."
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 27: New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerritt Cole (45) as seen after b being relieved in the seventh inning during a MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals on May 27, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Everyone can beat the Red Sox at home, right? They can’t hit there. They make costly mental errors. They’ve won won just 15 games at their home ground in the Fens, the lowest number of any team in the league.
All of this makes it grandly hilarious that the one team they apparently can beat at home right now is the New York Yankees.
After beating the Yankees yet again, this time behind Jake Bennett’s clean 6.1 innings, the Red Sox are now on their longest win streak of the season. Yes, three wins is not a very impressive streak. But, again, that just makes it even funnier that those three wins have come at the expense of the Yankees. Let’s all laugh at their pain!
The Sox scored early and often off Gerritt Cole, with Masataka Yoshida and Anthony Seigler picking up the daddy-torch Rafal Devers left in his locker 12 months ago. (Wait, ew, what’s a daddy-torch? I don’t want to think about it. Let’s move on.) Yoshida’s homer came in the first plate appearance of the game for the Sox, setting the tone for a pretty nice day at the ballpark.
The two rivals will go at it again tomorrow as the Sox try to complete 2026’s funniest sweep.
Three Studs
Jake Bennett: The pitching depth, it is for realz. Bennett only struck out three batters, but found a way to keep the Yanks off the basepaths for most of the afternoon, taking his start all the way into the seventh.
Masataka Yoshida: Might this be the start of one of Masa’s patented hey! he’s a pretty good hitter! two-month stretches at the plate? TBD, but he notched two hits today and scored twice.
Anthony Seigler: Ceddanne Rafalea joined Masa in the two-hit club, as he continues to build his case as one of the low-key best outfielders in the game. But Seigler’s bomb was the first of his career, so let’s stud him for that.
One Dud
Jarren Duran: Another 0-4 day and another two strikeouts for a guy who has been an offensive blackhole for most of the season. Is there some kind of rule that says the 2026 Red Sox need to have someone who is hitting worse than everyone else in the league at all times?
Play of the Game
It’s one of the biggest days of Anthony Seigler’s life, folks.
Right-handed pitcher Bryse Wilson was claimed on waivers by the Cubs from the Phillies earlier this week.
And now, he’s on the active roster (Bluesky link):
Wilson had eight years in the major leagues before 2026, with the Braves, Pirates, Brewers and White Sox. He was pretty bad for the Sox last year (6.65 ERA in 20 appearances covering 47.1 innings) and threw in one game for the Phillies this year. That inning for the Phillies, June 18 vs. the Mets, was the last time he threw in a game.
He’s probably stretched out enough to go maybe four or so innings. Between Wilson and Vince Velasquez, I think that’s who we will see throw in tomorrow’s game, presuming, of course, that David Peterson can give the team some length tonight against the Brewers.
I mentioned Wilson had pitched in Milwaukee, and one of those years was 2023, so Craig Counsell has some familiarity with him — Wilson threw well in relief for the Brewers that year, with a 2.58 ERA and 1.070 WHIP in 53 relief appearances. Maybe Counsell can channel some of that. Wilson was once a Top 100 prospect, back in 2019, for whatever that’s worth.
As always, we await developments. Today’s game preview will post at 4 p.m. CT.
