Category: MLB

Seriously, the headline tells pretty much the story of the Cubs’ 6-0 loss to the Rangers, a defeat that ended their 10-game winning streak, the second such Cubs streak this season.

Well, not the entire story. Here’s most of the reason for the loss:

I’m not going to complain too much about this, because the team has done so well and this game was an aberration compared to many of the games during the winning streak. Yes, they have had RISP issues at times this year, but not during the streak. Nevertheless, the Cubs did have plenty of baserunners in this game, four hits, six walks and one runner reaching on an error, but they simply could not capitalize. At all. This despite again forcing the Rangers starter, this time Jack Leiter, to throw 28 pitches in the first inning, and got him out of the game before the fifth inning had ended.

These kinds of things happen, all the time, even to very good teams. I don’t think this is going to start some sort of trend.

Edward Cabrera had an easy first inning, then didn’t really have much the rest of the way. He served up a pair of solo homers and five runs overall in five innings. It wasn’t a terrible outing, but it wasn’t really a good one, either. Jacob Webb and Ethan Roberts finished up, throwing three innings combined and allowing one run. That saved the higher-leverage arms for the series finale Sunday.

Usually, even in a loss like this, I sometimes have good defensive highlights to show you. Not from this one, there was nothing out of the ordinary. So here, let me break up this wall of text with a summary of Cabrera’s start [VIDEO].

Ian Happ’s on-base streak remained alive when he drew a walk in the first inning. That puts his streak at 30 games, if you’re keeping track of such things. The Cubs’ only hits were singles by Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch, and doubles by Michael Conforto and Dansby Swanson. Moisés Ballesteros got a couple of innings behind the plate, so I suppose that’s useful.

A couple of notes from BCB’s JohnW53 on the end of the streak:

This was the 11th winning streak by the Cubs since 1901 that ended after 10 games. The loss to the Rangers was the fifth in which the Cubs were beaten by at least six runs.

The previous two were by eight: 8-0 at Minnesota in 1998 and 12-4 at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers on April 25.

They fell to the Giants at home by seven runs, 7-0, in 1906 and by nine runs, 18-9, in 1910.

The Cubs also were shut out, 3-0, at home vs. the Superbas, today’s Dodgers, in 1909, so four of the 11 streaks ended in a shutout defeat.

Two of the losses were by one run and two more by two. A 1938 streak was halted by a 7-7 tie at St. Louis.

And more from John regarding interleague competition:

Last night’s loss was the 42nd in which the Cubs were shut out by an American League team. It was their 586th interleague game. They have won 304 and lost 282, for a winning percentage of .519.

None of the earlier shutouts had been against the Rangers. In the 28 previous games between the teams, the Cubs had averaged 5.18 runs, while winning 15 and losing 13.

They had scored one run in two of the losses, at Texas in 2010 and at home in 2016.

The only AL team that has not shut out the Cubs at least once is the Orioles, whom the Cubs have played 25 times.

Oddly enough, during the three-game losing streak that came in between the 10-game winning streaks for the Cubs, one of the losses was by this same score, 6-0, to the Dodgers on April 26.

So, as the saying goes: Flush this one and move on, and hopefully start another winning streak Sunday afternoon.

It will not be an easy task, as the Cubs will be facing Jacob deGrom. Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Cubs. Game time is 1:35 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

With all of the consternation about Greg Weissert’s performance lately, it’s worth remembering that he’s not supposed to be a high-leverage reliever. But the mercurial nature of bullpens means that the Red Sox frequently have no choice but to use pitchers who don’t inspire the utmost confidence. But at least the Sox can now knock Weissert down a spot in the pecking order, because Justin Slaten is officially back. “It felt like the longest month of my life,” he said of his recovery form an oblique strain. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Had yesterday’s game not been rained out and had Slaten pitched, he would’ve found himself throwing to a surprising catcher: Mickey Gasper, who was penciled into the starting lineup despite the fact that there were no injuries to either Carlos Narvaez or Connor Wong. Here’s Chad Tracy on why he did it:

Pedro Martinez also found himself throwing to a surprising catcher at Fenway recently. Back in town to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, Pedro reflected on the strange fact that the recently fired Jason Varitek wasn’t behind the plate to receive it. “To be honest, I’m not gonna go into details without knowing why because I haven’t really been inside the offices. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna let me know. There’s gotta be a reason because Tek means so much to this city just like every one of us.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)

Speaking of former Red Sox catchers, David Ross was also recently back in town, and he spoke about his time in Boston. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Pedro certainly sounds dismayed about Varitek’s parting, but he hasn’t given up on the 2026 Red Sox. Nor have many of the players. “I think we’ve been playing pretty good baseball lately,” said Ceddanne Rafaela. “I think it shows we’re a pretty good team and we’re going to be in a pretty good spot in September.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

They’ve certainly looked like a pretty good team when Payton Tolle is on the mound and on his game. He’ll get the start today on what will likely be an emotional mother’s day for him. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

Meet the Mets

The Mets fell to the Diamondbacks 2-1 in Phoenix on a night where the bats fell silent once again. Clay Holmes had another strong outing, yielding just two runs over 5 2/3 innings of work and Austin Warren and Craig Kimbrel combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief, but the Mets managed just three hits off Merrill Kelly and Holmes was saddled with the loss.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, Faith and Fear in Flushing, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post

Huascar Brazobán will serve as the opener for the Mets today in their rubber game against the Diamondbacks with David Peterson as the bulk pitcher behind him.

Bo Bichette has already had several hard-hit balls go for outs in this series and his hard-hit rate and exit velocity suggest that his underperformance thus far in 2026 is at least partially due to bad luck. That is further backed by the fact that the defensive runs saved against him is the best in the league, which was mentioned on last night’s FOX broadcast. “It feels like every day there’s one at-bat when he hits a rocket and somebody is making a play,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before last night’s game. “I am not worried about him. The ball is going to find holes. He’s too good a hitter.”

Tobias Myers, who earned his first career save on Friday night, has been a versatile Swiss Army Knife for the Mets, writes Laura Albanese of Newsday.

“We’re not in the place that we should be,” Ron Darling said to Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman on their podcast on his relationship with former teammate Lenny Dykstra ahead of the 1986 championship reunion later this summer.

The Mets signed right-hander Xzavion Curry to a minor league deal, per MLB Trade Rumors. He began this season with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League and was in the Rockies organization last year after stints with the Guardians (who drafted him) and Marlins before that.

Around the National League East

Longtime Braves manager and Hall of Famer Bobby Cox passed away yesterday at the age of 84. Tributes rolled in from across the baseball world yesterday. “Bobby Cox led one of the greatest eras of sustained excellence in baseball history,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

The Braves honored Cox with a 7-2 win over the Dodgers behind a strong start from Spencer Strider.

The Nationals rallied for three runs in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to catch the Marlins, who hit three homers in an 8-7 victory in this NL East showdown. Jakob Marsee’s go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth was the decisive hit for Miami.

The Nationals have completely overhauled their developmental approach under this new front office regime. And it’s working.

The struggling Alec Bohm broke out for two home runs and four RBIs in the Phillies’ 9-3 win over the Rockies.

Bryce Harper was removed from last night’s game in the bottom of the first inning due to a migraine.

Around Major League Baseball

MLB.com honored all of the baseball moms in celebration of Mother’s Day today.

The Cleveland Guardians acquired catcher Patrick Bailey from the Giants in a trade yesterday in exchange for the No. 29 pick in this year’s draft (a competitive-balance pick) and left-handed pitching prospect Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson.

The Twins placed starter Taj Bradley on the injured list yesterday with right pectoralis muscle inflammation.

Giants ace and workhorse Logan Webb is spending a rare stint on the injured list as well with right knee bursitis.

In an electric moment, Bobby Witt Jr. sped around the bases for an inside-the-park home run in the Royals’ 5-1 victory over the Tigers at home.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

In a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane discuss whether two series wins in a row really changes anything for the Mets.

Seth Ashby explored whether MJ Melendez’s surprising level of production for the Mets is sustainable.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 2000, the late, great Rickey Henderson took his 10,000th career at-bat, becoming just the 21st player in baseball history to do so.

May 12th marks an anniversary that Oswaldo Cabrera isn’t necessarily celebrating. It was on that day last year that the Yankees infielder suffered a gruesome injury during a play at home plate in Seattle against the Mariners.

In the ninth inning of a Yankees 11-5 win, Cabrera was on third base when he tagged up on a fly ball by Aaron Judge to right field. He ran wide to avoid the tag attempt of Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh on the throw up the line, but overran the plate. When he tried to stop, he slid awkwardly and his left leg got caught underneath him and twisted, causing him to suffer a fractured ankle and ligament damage.

Cabrera stayed on the ground in obvious pain and medical personnel from both teams immediately rushed to his aid. He was taken off the field in an ambulance to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Now, one year later, Cabrera is recovered and playing with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

“It’s crazy and interesting to look back and see all the time that I lost, but also see all the maturity that covered in my mind in a good way,” Cabrera said. “Trying to see another perspective of baseball, that it can be worse. I was in the bottom worse, when you’re hurt and can’t do anything about it. After that, I’ve come in with the right energy every single day coming to the field.”

Video of the play is difficult to watch, definitely not for the squeamish. Cabrera said he has never looked at the replay, although he did see some photos of the incident.

“Even when I got hurt that day, I didn’t look at my foot at all,” he said. “Since I got hurt until they fixed it, I never looked at my foot. I’m not strong now to watch the video again.”

He credits Yankees head trainer Tim Lentych with getting him through the initial moments after the injury.

“They came in right away and put a towel on it,” Cabrera said. “Timmy came and he was my angel at that time, talking with me and trying to calm me down. Of all the bad things, that was a beautiful thing for sure.”

After the game, many of his teammates — including Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe — went to the hospital to visit him. Cabrera said that meant a lot to him.

“That’s all that matters. That’s why I love those guys so much,” he said. “In the good times, they are there, but also in the bad times, they are there, too.”

The next day, Cabrera flew back to New York. He underwent surgery to repair the ankle on May 15th, thus ending his season. At the time, he was playing well, batting .243 (26-for-1o7) in 34 games with four doubles, one home run, 11 RBI, 11 walks and 17 runs. He was starting at third base, but also saw action at second base, left field and right field. Rehabbing the injury was hard, even for the always-upbeat Cabrera. But he worked his way back and continues to do so.

“Obviously, it was a lot of things with the ankle and we are trying to fix it and get it better every single day,” Cabrera said. “Every day is much better, but at the same time, the tough part is getting my rhythm back after a year of not doing baseball stuff. That’s the challenge that I have right now. It’s nothing I cannot do. That’s why I come here every day and try my best every single day.”

Often in football, running backs who are returning from a knee injury must make that first cut or take that first hit to know mentally that they are fully recovered. For Cabrera, the biggest obstacle at spring training he had to overcome in his mind was sliding.

“I was running 100 percent, I was doing everything 100 percent. Now let’s see how it feels sliding the bases,” he said. “That was the biggest step. I was in a short distance and coming in slow and sliding. After the first one or two, I was like, ‘No, I have to do it real.’ So I went and ran like normal and sliding. After that, it was like, I’m good.”

Perhaps the biggest thing the 27-year-old Venezuelan gained from going through the injury was a greater appreciation for baseball.

“It’s made me feel blessed every single day to play,” Cabrera said. “Pitch by pitch I feel blessed.”

The Yankees optioned Cabrera to the RailRaiders in March. He appeared in 32 of the team’s first 36 games and batted .217 (26-for-120) with six doubles, one triple, two home runs, 12 RBI and 13 walks.

While it is not exactly the start to the season he hoped for, Cabrera is starting to show signs of breaking out. He has hit safely in seven of his first eight games in May, including a combined 5-for-6 effort with four doubles in a doubleheader on May 1st against the Buffalo Bisons.

One thing Cabrera is not doing is using his injury as an excuse for his slow start.

“I’m just trying to find the best version of what I am,” he said. “We’ve been trying different things at the plate. That’s why we are maybe not at the spot we want. But I know I’m going to get there. I’ve been there before, so I’m not worried. I know I can make it happen.”

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (20-16)

ROCHESTER 7, SYRACUSE 4 (BOX)

A middling Triple-A debut from Zach Thornton. Another rough outing from Ryan Lambert. No hits from the notable prospects in the lineup. A loss.

• LF A.J. Ewing: 0-4, K
• RF Nick Morabito: 0-4
• DH Ryan Clifford: 0-4, 2 K
• 1B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, R, HR (2), RBI
• 2B Ji Hwan Bae: 0-4, K
• CF Cristian Pache: 1-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 2-3, 2 RBI
• C Ben Rortvedt: 1-3, K
• SS Jackson Cluff: 1-3, R, HR (4), RBI, K, E (5)
• LHP Zach Thornton: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, L (0-1)
• RHP Ryan Lambert: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• LHP Nate Lavender: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (11-20)

POSTPONED (RAIN)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (8-23)

GAME 1: BOWLING GREEN 7, BROOKLYN 6 / 10 (BOX)

Brooklyn took an early lead, lost it, clawed back the tie in the seventh (the end of regulation for a doubleheader), then traded runs two extra innings before ultimately falling in walkoff fashion in the tenth. Vincent Perozo and John Bay went deep, while Mitch Voit – by far the most notable prospect in the lineup – had three strikeouts and was hitless in five at bats.

• SS Mitch Voit: 0-5, 3 K
• 2B Yonatan Henriquez: 0-5, R, 2 K
• RF John Bay: 3-5, 2 R, HR (4), 2 RBI
• LF Corey Collins: 1-5, 3 K
• DH Ronald Hernandez: 0-4
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-4, 2 R, 2 K
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 0-4, K
• C Vincent Perozo: 3-4, R, HR (2), 3 RBI, K
• CF Sam Biller: 1-4, K
• RHP Noah Hall: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Hunter Hodges: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• RHP Felix Cepeda: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, L (0-2), BS (1)

GAME 2: BOWLING GREEN 6, BROOKLYN 5 / 7 (BOX)

You’ll never guess what happened in game 2. If you said the same thing as game 1, you’re basically correct. Brooklyn got down early, clawed back to equalize in the top of the seventh, then lost in walkoff fashion. At least it only took seven innings this time. Yonatan Henriquez, Ronald Hernandez, and Trace Wilhoite deep in the loss.

• SS Mitch Voit: 1-4, 2 K
• 2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-4, 2 R, HR (1), RBI, K
• C Ronald Hernandez: 1-3, R, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 K
• LF Corey Collins: 0-3, 3 K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, R, 2B, K
• 1B Trace Willhoite: 1-3, R, HR *2(, 2 RBI, K
• 3B Colin Houck: 0-3, 2 K
• RF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-3, 3 K
• CF Sam Biller: 3-3, 2B
• RHP Danis Correa: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Parker Carlson: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Tanner Witt: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, L (2-1)

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (14-18)

ST. LUCIE 3, LAKELAND 2 (BOX)

This game featured a 3-for-13 performance with RISP, only four strikeouts for the Mets’ pitching, and a caught steal of home, but St. Lucie won anyway. Jose Chirinos made another strong start to lower his ERA to 2.52 on the season despite middling stuff metrics and is perhaps a name to monitor.

• SS Elian Peña: 1-3, 2 BB
• DH Edward Lantigua: 0-0, BB
• PH-DH Simon Juan: 1-4, RBI, K
• LF Randy Guzman: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 K
• 1B Julio Zayas: 0-4, K
• RF JT Benson: 2-4, 3B, K, SB (6), CS (3)
• C Chase Meggers: 1-4, RBI, K, E (2)
• CF Sam Robertson: 1-4, R, K
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K, CS (3)
• 2B Jamari Baylor: 0-4, R, 2 K
• RHP Jose Chirinos: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Emilio Obispo: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (2-0), BS (1)
• RHP Ryan Dollar: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, S (2)

Rookie: FCL Mets (1-6)

FCL CARDINALS 9, FCL METS 4 (BOX)

• CF Wyatt Vincent: 1-2, 2 BB, SB
• LF Adolfo Miranda: 0-0
• SS Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-4, 2 K, 2 E (5)
• 2B Anthony Frobose: 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI, K
• C Yovanny Rodriguez: 0-3, BB, E (2)
• LF-CF Heriberto Rincon: 1-4, K
• DH Bohan Adderley: 0-3, R, BB, K, SB
• RF Justin Ramirez: 0-2, R, 2 BB
• 1B Yeider Mindiola: 2-3, R, 2 3B, 2 RBI, E
• 3B Vladi Gomez: 0-4, K
• RHP Camden Lohman: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, E (1)
• REHAB ALERT: RHP Adbert Alzolay: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Yoralbert Cadiz: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, L (1-1)
• RHP John Valle: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Jun-Seok Shim: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

STARS OF THE NIGHT

Jose Chirinos

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Ryan Lambert

While the Atlanta Braves split the series against the Dodgers on Saturday with a 7-2 victory, the team and fanbase were saddened with the news that their former longtime manager, Bobby Cox, passed away at the age of 84.

Cox had managed the Atlanta Braves for parts of 25 years between 1978-2010, earning five National League pennants throughout the 1990’s and helping Atlanta win the World Series in 1995. At the tail end of his Hall of Fame managerial career, a 21-year-old Freddie Freeman was under his tutelage for 20 games, and the impact Cox had on Freeman was immense.

Freeman reacted to the news of Cox’s passing as he spoke about him candidly with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA prior to the start of Saturday’s game. The Dodgers held a moment of silence for both Cox and Ted Turner, the late media mogul responsible for the creation of the 24-hour news cycle.

“I’ve been thinking all morning about memories and interactions with him, and a lot of it is baseball, but my favorite memory of Bobby is 2017 spring training… Most of my interactions at that time with Bobby had been all baseball, and to see Hall of Famer Bobby Cox— the joy on his face once he saw my six-month-old son— that’s stuff I’ll never forget… He lived a great life; everyone loved him in baseball, Braves country loves him… I think a lot of people have heavy hearts, but they’re also having a good time thinking about all the wonderful memories and impacts that Bobby had on their lives today… we’re going to miss him immensely.”

Dave Roberts briefly reflected on Cox’s legacy during his pregame presser.

“He was a Hall of Famer. He did it the right way. He loved his players, loved this game, loved the way he wore spikes as a manager— that’s pretty cool. He was a guy that wore his uniform. Guys like Tommy [Lasorda], Bobby, I look to, and we lost a great one. We lost a legend.”

Links

After missing the Dodgers’ first 38 games of the season, Blake Snell made his 2026 debut, and it lasted all of three innings after tossing 77 pitches and allowing five runs to score.

Snell was originally slated for a final rehab start on Saturday, but opted to face a team like Atlanta to see where he’s at. Saturday proved that is still some ways to go until he’s at a point where he can stretch deep into games, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I said yes before they even asked,” Snell said. “I wanted this start. Facing a team like Atlanta, really good, it’s going to let you know where you’re at pretty quickly… I feel really good. I feel like I’m going to recover good. So I’m excited about that,” Snell said. “But yeah, I got a lot of work to do to get ready for the next start. Put the bullpen in a position not to cover six innings.”

Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich appeared on the Old Man and the Three podcast where he discussed the feeling of losing last year’s NLCS in the manner they did, which featured Shohei Ohtani having one of, if not, the greatest single game performance of all time.

It ended up being a tough week for the Colorado Rockies. They kicked things off on Sunday by giving up 11 runs to the Atlanta Braves to complete a sweep, and it didn’t get much better when the New York Mets came to town.

The Rockies lost to the Mets on Monday before the snow—yes, snow—rolled in and postponed Tuesday’s game and delayed the start time on Wednesday. As the snow cleared, the Rockies lost 10-5 in a chilly affair before snapping what had become a six-game losing streak on Thursday.

On Friday evening the Rockies offense roared to life with a 9-7 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in the City of Brotherly Love after a collapse by the bullpen pushed the game into extra innings. However, they could not carry the momentum into Saturday.

The Rockies have just two wins so far this month. They’ll wrap up the series against the Phillies later this morning before heading across the state of Pennsylvania to take on the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With that being said, here’s what our staff here at Purple Row had to say this week:

To Read: Rockpiles

• Monday:Josh Rosenthal reflects on pioneering the Rockies Cultural Education & Development program, and changing the cultural education landscape across MLB | Sam Bradfield
• Tuesday:What are the (too early) projections for the Rockies in the 2026 MLB Draft? | Renee Dechert
• Wednesday:The Rockies’ plan requires patience and trust | Skyler Timmins
• Thursday:Are long relievers the key to surviving Coors? | Cory Cohen
• Friday:Opener rightly Chased from Rockies repertoire | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday:The Rockies’ old double-play escape hatch has gotten harder to find | James Riggenbach

To Read: Other News

• Rockies prospect news:Cole Carrigg named PCL Player of the Week | Renee Dechert
• Weekly Pebble Report:Cade Denton looks to build on a strong fall in Arizona | Evan Lang, Skyler Timmins, & Sam Bradfield
• Rockies roster news:Colorado Rockies sign Jordan Romano to MiLB contract | Renee Dechert

Weekend Discussion Topics

On Mother’s Day in 2017, Nolan Arenado and Pat Valaika hit a combined three home runs to topple the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Valaika was responsible for two of them, both of which were two-run home runs.

What are your favorite Mother’s Day baseball moments? Skyler Timmins wrote about a few back in the day. Feel free to also discuss how your mom may have contributed to your own baseball life!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

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Our Sunday 15-game MLB slate is ripe with solid betting possibilities throughout the day.

Our moneyline predictions target a good mix of struggling bullpens and bats to attack, and we've found a number of strong underdogs to go along with favorites in favorable matchups.  

Read on for my MLB picks for Sunday, May 10. 

MLB moneyline picks for May 10

Matchup	Pick
Nationals vs Marlins	+117
Athletics vs Orioles	-104
Rockies vs Phillies	+203
Rays vs Red Sox	-113
Angels vs Blue Jays	-100
Astros vs Reds	+117
Twins vs Guardians	-133
Yankees vs Brewers	+122
Mariners vs White Sox	+117
Cubs vs Rangers	+108
Pirates vs Giants	-100
Braves vs Dodgers	-122
Mets vs Diamondbacks	-113
Cardinals vs Padres	+127
Tigers vs Royals	-122

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 5-10.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for May 10

Nationals vs Marlins: Nationals (+117)

Nationals win probability: 46.1%

Cade Cavalli draws a favorable matchup against a Miami Marlins offense posting an 80 wRC+ over the last seven days, one of the coldest lineups in baseball. The Washington Nationals rank third in wRC+ this week. Back the Nats at plus money.

Athletics vs Orioles: Athletics (-104)

Athletics win probability: 51%

The Athletics rank fifth in wRC+ this week at 118, while the Baltimore Orioles bullpen has posted a brutal 4.66 ERA over the last seven days. The A's hot offense gives value at a near pick'em price.

Rockies vs Phillies: Rockies (+203)

Rockies win probability: 33%

The Colorado Rockies are slugging .433 across their previous seven games. Cristopher Sanchez may be dealing, but the Philadelphia Phillies' .290 on-base percentage means they shouldn't be nearly 2/1 favorites against anyone. Hold your nose and play Colorado. 

Rays vs Red Sox: Rays (-113)

Rays win probability: 53.1%

The Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen has been dominant over the last seven days, posting a 0.62 ERA in relief. Drew Rasmussen faces a Boston Red Sox offense ranked 18th in weekly wRC+. Tampa Bay owns the pitching edge from top to bottom.

Angels vs Blue Jays: Angels (-100)

Angels win probability: 50%

Eric Lauer has coughed up eight home runs across 31.1 frames. Jose Soriano is striking out 10 hitters per nine, and meets a Toronto Blue Jays offense that seems stuck, as evidenced by their 82 wRC+ across the past seven days. 

Astros vs Reds: Astros (+117)

Astros win probability: 46.1%

Two of the sport's worst bullpens meet today, and it appears the Houston Astros will be in a bullpen game. Cincinnati Reds starter Andrew Abbott is walking 4.24 hitters per nine, and the Cincy bullpen boasts a 9.23 ERA across the last week. Back the 'Stros bats in a slugfest.

Twins vs Guardians: Guardians (-133)

Guardians win probability: 58%

We should see good starting pitching on Sunday. The problem is the Minnesota Twins' bullpen is carrying a whopping 9.24 ERA across their last 21 1/3 frames. The Cleveland Guardians bullpen isn't much better, but we'll back the better offense, and that's the Guardians. 

Yankees vs Brewers: Brewers (+122)

Brewers win probability: 45%

Logan Henderson faces the best offense in baseball, but Carlos Rodon is making his first start and could be rusty. The Milwaukee Brewers bullpen has posted a 2.10 xERA in relief over the last seven days. The Brewers are worth backing at a good price. 

Mariners vs White Sox: White Sox (+117)

White Sox win probability: 46.1%

Logan Gilbert has been inconsistent lately, and the Chicago White Sox offense has quietly improved, ranking 10th in batting wRC+ over the last seven days at 103. Chicago sticks and dynamite Davis Martin (5-1, 1.64) on the mound offers value at plus-money against a vulnerable Gilbert.

Cubs vs Rangers: Cubs (+108)

Cubs win probability: 48.1%

The Chicago Cubs are the hottest team in baseball, and rank second in wRC+ this week at 126. Jameson Taillon has been better than his numbers suggest, and I'll back him and the Cubbies as the Texas Rangers continue to struggle out of the bullpen. 

Pirates vs Giants: Pirates (-100)

Pirates win probability: 50%

The San Francisco Giants rank dead last in batting wRC+ this week at 67 and continue to struggle badly offensively. The Pittsburgh Pirates offense has quietly been solid over the same stretch. With two struggling starting pitchers on the hill, we'll back the Bucs' bats. 

Braves vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-122)

Dodgers win probability: 55%

Two spectacular starters on the hill, but the Los Angeles Dodgers' bullpen has posted a 0.84 ERA in relief over the last seven days, the second-best in baseball. The Dodgers' offense is slightly better than the Atlanta Braves' sticks, and we'll roll with the L.A. pitching. 

Mets vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-113)

Diamondbacks win probability: 53.1%

Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound at 3-0, and the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen has posted a 2.12 ERA in relief over the last seven days. The New York Mets haven't named a starter with a struggling lineup and the 20th-best bullpen in the past week. 

Cardinals vs Padres: Cardinals (+127)

Cardinals win probability: 44.1%

The St. Louis Cardinals own the better offense, and Kyle Leahy gets a San Diego Padres one of the coldest lineups in baseball with a 68 wRC+ over the last seven days. St. Louis' bullpen has been good enough to trust the Cardinals to outscore the Padres. 

Tigers vs Royals: Royals (-122)

Royals win probability: 55%

Kansas City Royals' bullpen ranks eighth in baseball this week, while the Detroit Tigers offense ranks 27th in wRC+ at 72 during that same period. The Royals have both the hotter bats and stronger relief pitching at a reasonable price. 

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.

Today’s Reflections

I would say, “Mr. Brown! You did an excellent job!”, but you would probably think I was talking to myself.

So, ….. “Ben-nie, Ben-nie, Ben-nie and the Cubs!” Hmph, cheesy.

Ben Brown delivered Friday night, four innings pitched, no runs, no hits, 31-of-46 pitches for strikes, one batter over the minimum. Excellent. What ever else could the Cubs need from the mound?!

Javier Assad, come on down! 3.2 IP of shutout ball, a hit and walk, 26-of-41 pitches strikes. And if the Cubs needed any more — Ethan Roberts pitched a solid inning and didn’t hurt himself on a chunk of metal!

The offense showed itself off below. Hope they keep it going during the rest of the road trip!

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Ten, again! Brown sets the tone as Cubs reach SECOND double-digit win streak. “North Siders become 5th team in MLB history with multiple distinct 10-game winning streaks before 40th game”

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune): Ordinary day in an extraordinary run for Chicago Cubs, who post their 2nd 10-game winning streak. “Ben Brown threw four hitless innings in his first start for the injured Matthew Boyd, and Javier Assad notched the win with 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.”

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ next-man-up mentality highlighted by another 10-game winning streak. “Every organization in professional sports talks about the next-man-up mentality. …… But the Cubs are actually making it work.”

• Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson treats his glove with love. “Swanson goes to great lengths to keep what he calls ‘an extension of my hand’ in working order.”
• Paranjoy Goswami (Total Pro Sports): MLB Rumors: Two Teams Emerge As Early Landing Spots For Freddy Peralta. “The Athletics are in a playoff race this year, but need some help with their starting pitching to sustain their challenge” said Curt Bishop of Sports Illustrated. ….. “The Cubs need somebody to eat innings and carry the torch in the rotation. A trade to the Cubs would also reunite him with his former manager, Craig Counsell.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs RP Hunter Harvey Suffers Stress Reaction Near Triceps, Shut Down 4 More Weeks. “He experienced abnormal soreness following his bullpen on Thursday, and a subsequent MRI revealed a stress reaction in the triceps area.”
• Casey McAleer (Da Windy City): Craig Counsell’s Nico Hoerner quote perfectly explains the Cubs’ identity. “The Cubs manager pointed toward one defensive play as the perfect example of how Chicago has built its historic stretch.”

Food For Thought:

A taste of the tremendous duo’s bios:

With his astonishingly accomplished guitar playing, Stevie Ray Vaughan ignited the blues revival of the ’80s. Vaughan drew equally from bluesmen like Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Albert Collins and rock & roll players like Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack, as well as jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery, developing a uniquely eclectic and fiery style that sounded like no other guitarist, regardless of genre. Vaughan bridged the gap between blues and rock like no other artist had since the late ’60s. From 1983 to 1990 Stevie Ray was the leading light in American blues, consistently selling out concerts while his albums regularly went gold. His tragic death in 1990 at age 35 cut short a brilliant career in blues and American rock & roll just as he was on the brink of superstardom.

Albert King (1923-1992), who was billed as “King of the Blues Guitar,” was famed for his powerful string-bending style as well as for his soulful, smoky vocals. King often said he was born in Indianola and was a half-brother of B. B. King, although the scant surviving official documentation suggests otherwise on both counts. King carved his own indelible niche in the blues hierarchy by creating a deep, dramatic sound that was widely imitated by both blues and rock guitarists.

An Illinois man who collects Bearbricks toys earned a Guinness World Record when his collection was tallied at 3,482 pieces.

Daniel Park, aka BrickChicago on social media, officially cataloged his collection in March, and it was confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest collection of Bearbrick bears. Park said he started collecting the colorfully painted plastic figures after opening a blind box about five years ago. “What captivated me then, and continues to drive me now, is the brilliance of the standard platform,” Park told Guinness World Records. “It is a remarkable canvas that allows for infinite creative expression, while maintaining a consistent, iconic silhouette.”

Park’s collection includes Bearbricks painted like characters from pop culture, athletes, musicians and even famous works of fine art. (VIDEO)

“2026 is shaping up to be the biggest travel year of the decade — and this video is your ultimate cheat code. 🌍✈️ We’re counting down the TOP 25 places to visit in 2026, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and beyond. From iconic cities you’ve dreamed about your whole life to wild, unexpected destinations most travelers never dare to visit, this list has it ALL.

“We’re talking jaw-dropping landscapes, legendary food scenes, once-in-a-lifetime cultural experiences, and places that will absolutely blow up on social media this year. One destination even has a famous street food where the local favorite is literally mice on a stick 🐭🔥 — and yes, we’re telling you why people LOVE it.Whether you’re planning your next big international trip, building your travel bucket list, or just dreaming about escaping everyday life, this is the most important travel video you’ll watch for 2026.

👉 “Perfect for:

• Best places to travel in 2026
• Travel inspiration & bucket list ideas
• International travel planning
• Food travel & cultural adventures
• Trending destinations before they go viral

“Watch till the end — #1 might completely surprise you.“ (VIDEO)

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Triple-A: Gwinnett Stripers (ATL) 11, Norfolk Tides 3

Starting pitcher Trace Bright had a rough night, including a six-run second inning where he faced 11 batters and allowed six hits, including a home run, two walks, and three stolen bases. Overall, he gave up eight runs in four innings pitched.

Relief pitchers Cameron Foster and Alex Pham combined to allow three more runs in three innings. Josh Walker was the lone pitcher to not allow a run.

On offense, both Creed Willems and Jud Fabian hit their seventh home runs of the year. Both had two-hit games. As a team, they struck out 15 times with every batter in the lineup racking up at least one.

Box Score

Double-A: Altoona Curve (PIT) 7, Chesapeake Baysox 1

This was a great game for the Baysox through the first 5.1 innings, because that’s how long Evan Yates had a no-hitter going. Yates retired the first 10 batters he faced before issuing a one-out walk in the fourth inning. Post walk, he got six more outs before finally surrendering a hit with one out in the sixth inning.

Yates was immediately removed for relief pitcher Ben Vespi, and that’s when things went south. Before getting out of the inning, Vespi gave up both a three-run homer and a two-run homer.

The offense had just five hits and scored their only run on a Griff O’Farrell double followed by a Maverick Handley single. Heston Kjerstad began his rehab from a hamstring strain with a 1-for-3. Jackson Holliday is also on a rehab assignment with Chesapeake, but had a scheduled day off.

Box Score

High-A: Jersey Shore BlueClaws (PHI) 10, Frederick Keys 5

Kiefer Lord allowed three runs in the top of the first inning, and things didn’t get much better. He lasted just three innings and exited the game with four runs allowed. His relief, Carson Dorsey, allowed a whopping nine hits in four innings. That resulted in six more runs for the BlueClaws. It was a sloppy defensive game, with four errors. Two were by Dorsey.

Four of the Keys’ five runs came in the bottom of the ninth, but the rally ended when Ike Irish flew out to end the game. Irish went 0-for-4 in the game. Reed Trimble and Wehiwa Aloy each singled in the contest.

Box Score

Low-A: Salem RidgeYaks (BOS) 7, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

Denton Biller allowed three runs in 4.2 innings and Dalton Neuschwander followed with four runs in 3.2 innings. Just two of those runs were earned as the Shorebirds made four errors in the game.

It was a rough night for offense, who went just 2-for-21 with runners in scoring position. DJ Layton continued his hot play with a three-hit game. Jose Perez doubled, homered, and walked. Stiven Martinez had two hits as well.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

• Triple-A: Norfolk vs Gwinnett, 1:05. Starter: Nestor German
• Double-A: Chesapeake vs Altoona, 1:05. Starter: Luis De León
• High-A: Frederick vs Jersey Shore, 3:00. Starter: Joseph Dzierwa
• Low-A: Delmarva @ Salem, 2:05. Starter: Brayan Orrantia

Good morning, baseball fans!

And Happy Mother’s Day to all of our Giants moms out there!

We are in the middle of a new feature for May that I’m calling the “12 Days of Mays-mas” because I won’t be around for this week, and I want to leave you guys with some fun things to watch while I’m gone.

For the tenth day of Mays-mas, I thought we’d take another look at a game that deserves to be remembered, but didn’t exactly lead to further playoff success. And that would be the 2016 NL Wild Card Game!

While the rest of the playoff adventure that year might be best forgotten, this game specifically deserves some love because it was yet another masterpiece of a complete game shutout from Madison Bumgarner, and gave us such popular memes as “Literally Conor Gillaspie!”

So grab your coffee, call your mom if you haven’t yet, then settle in and enjoy!

What time do the Giants play today?

The San Francisco Giants wrap up this three-game home series against the Pittsburgh Pirates this afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PT.

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We’ve been blessed with a 15-game Mother’s Day MLB Sunday schedule, which means plenty of plus-money opportunities to be had.

I’ve scoured the MLB odds and have found three hitters in solid matchups, including Detroit Tigers OF Riley Greene facing Kansas City Royals lefty Noah Cameron. 

Read on for my MLB player props and MLB picks for Sunday, May 10.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Tyler Soderstrom	Over 1.5 total bases	+110
Aaron Judge	Over 1.5 total bases	+105
Riley Greene	Over 1.5 total bases	+140

Tyler Soderstrom Over 1.5 total bases (+110)

Athletics OF Tyler Soderstrom is in a strong spot against Baltimore Orioles starter Chris Bassitt, whose underlying numbers have been shaky. 

Soderstrom has a couple of hits off Bassit in seven at-bats, and that should give him confidence to break his current 0-9 series mark. 

Bassitt is allowing more hard contact and not missing many bats, and the Orioles bullpen is surrendering a 4.07 xERA across their last 44 frames.

Soderstrom’s power profile stands out with a 51% hard-hit rate and 13.5% barrel rate, and is a good play at plus-money. 

• Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, NBC Sports California

Aaron Judge Over 1.5 total bases (+105)

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge gets a favorable matchup against Milwaukee Brewers starter Logan Henderson, who throws his four-seam fastball nearly half the time. 

That is dangerous against Judge, who is slugging .692 against four-seamers this season while continuing to produce elite hard-contact numbers. 

Henderson also mixes in cutters and sinkers, two more pitch types Judge has handled extremely well throughout his career. 

Judge saw his six-game hitting streak snapped last night, but has strong value at plus money to record two total bases.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Brewers.TV, YES Network

Riley Greene Over 1.5 total bases (+140)

Detroit Tigers OF Riley Greene has been crushing left-handed pitching this season, posting a .368 batting average and 1.053 OPS in the split. 

He also draws a favorable matchup against Kansas City Royals starter Noah Cameron, who has struggled badly against left-handed hitters, allowing a .677 slugging percentage and .430 wOBA. 

Greene continues to produce elite hard-contact numbers with a 52.1% hard-hit rate and strong barrel metrics. 

At plus money, this is an appealing spot for Detroit’s best hitter to deliver extra-base damage.

• Time: 7:20 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Peacock

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 Guardians lost to the Twins 2-1 and frustrations are high.

The Guardians went 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position. Two innings, a fly ball to medium deep outfield would have scored the winning run, as would likely a deep ground ball. The offense was pathetic against a horrible Twins bullpen.

With that said, Stephen Vogt either allowing or calling for Angel Martinez to sacrifice against a pitcher who had yet to throw a strike was dumb, but not quite as dumb as not intentionally walking the only player in the Twins lineup who is any good in the 11th. But, I suppose he saved us all another inning of frustration.

On the bright side, Tanner Bibee was very, very good, as was the bullpen. Peyton Pallette especially stood out. Both Bibee and Pallette made one mistake- to Byron Buxton who made them pay both times (not even sure Bibee’s pitch that Buxton hit for a homer was a mistake).

The Guardians managed to address their team problems yesterday by trading for Patrick Bailey who currently has a wRC+ of 16. Sense my sarcasm, please. It’s a fine trade but I hope everyone realizes that Bailey coming here is likely the end of Hedges’ tenure in Cleveland come 2027. That’ll be a tough pill to swallow for some. And I hope no one thinks Bailey will be a good hitter because he will not. Our hitting team is not capable of “fixing” anyone. Breaking someone? Yes.

They released another Guardians’ Weekly yesterday. Rosenhaus interviews David Fry and Rhys Hoskins.

AROUND MLB:

The Royals beat the Tigers and the White Sox beat the Mariners.

It seems as though that Alec Bohm is the Phillies topic of the weekend right now. Most of the articles being written about them are centered on the struggling third baseman and the team’s plans with him. At least they are recognizing that there is a problem.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Alec Bohm didn’t play on Thursday or Friday. He didn’t pick up a bat on Thursday at all. Maybe it will help, maybe it won’t ($).
• Prior to Saturday, the team had an Alec Bohm problem. What are the solutions and how long until they decided to do something more permanent ($)?
• This is a really fun story about the Fleer factory that was in Olney and those that worked at it.

MLB news:

• First, the Braves saw their former owner pass away this week. Now, their former manager Bobby Cox has passed away as well.
• The American League isn’t really that good this season. Why do their standings look so….weird?
• The Giants decided to move on from their Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey in a trade with the Guardians.
• Baltimore has lost another starting pitcher for a bit as Cade Povich has landed on the injured list with an elbow issue.

Make it five straight losses for the Detroit Tigers after their 5-1 loss on Saturday night to the Kansas City Royals. Burch Smith’s two runs surrendered in just 1/3 of an inning as the opener was too much for the wet-noodle offense to overcome and… sigh… AJ Hinch’s squad is in danger of its second-straight sweep.

The Motor City Kitties will have right-hander Brenan Hanifee on the hill to open up Sunday’s series finale in what should be yet another bullpen game. The 27-year-old has yet to surrender a run so far this season and the Tigers got scoreless three frames out of him in his last appearance against the Boston Red Sox, so maybe there is hope.

Meanwhile, second-year hurler Noah Cameron will take the mound for Kansas City. The 26-year-old southpaw had a strong rookie season last year, putting up a 2.99 ERA but a 4.18 FIP in 138.1 innings pitched with a 20.5% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate — those last two numbers are not far off from his numbers so far this year.

However, after opening the 2026 campaign with a 1.69 ERA and 1.82 FIP over 10 2/3 frames, which includes just a couple of walks and 10 strikeouts, he has posted a 7.29 ERA and a 5.80 FIP in the 21 innings he’s thrown since on 30 hits (five home runs) and nine walks while striking out 18. Can the Tigers take advantage of the struggling starter?

Find out on Sunday night — if you have access to the NBC Sports Network or Peacock.

Detroit Tigers (18-22) vs. Kansas City Royals (19-21)

Time (ET): 7:20 p.m.
Place: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
SB Nation Site:Royals Review
Media: NBC Sports Network/Peacock, Tigers Radio Network

Game 41: RHP Brenan Hanifee (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Noah Cameron (2-2, 5.40 ERA)

HANIFEE

CAMERON