Category: MLB

Texas Rangers @ Kansas City Royals

Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 6:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Kauffman Stadium

RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. RHP Stephen Kolek

Go Rangers!

Today’s roster moves: Here

Tuesday notes…

• WINNING THAT FIRST ONE SEEMS IMPORTANT: The Cubs lost the first game of five of their first six series of the season. They won the opener in seven of the next nine. Since then, they have lost six straight, making their record 8-13 for the year in first games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• MORE ON FIRST GAMES: The Cubs lost the first game of their first four home stands or road trips. They won the next four. They have lost the last three. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• ALLOWING TWO RUNS: The Cubs allowed just two runs in both of their last two games. They have given up exactly two in five of their last thirteen. In the eight other games, they surrendered an average of 7.75: four once, five and six twice each, 12 once and 18 once. They lost three of the five games in which they allowed two runs, all by 2-1. They won by 7-2 and 3-2. The Cubs are 11-5 in all games in which they yielded a pair of runs. They are 27-11 when the have given up no more than four; 7-21 with at least five. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Ryne Sandberg’s three-run homer in the seventh overcame a 2-1 deficit and the Cubs defeated the Expos 4-2 at Wrigley Field. It happened 30 years ago today, Sunday, June 9, 1996.

The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.

Rockies lineup:

A hot new bombshell enters the lineup! pic.twitter.com/7ziVK51jmH

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) June 9, 2026

Colin Rea, RHP vs. Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP

After a couple of rough outings, Colin Rea has posted a 3.57 ERA over his last three starts.

He has not faced the Rockies since 2024 and most of those guys aren’t on the Rox anymore.

Only four current Rockies have ever faced him and they are a combined (small sample size) 1-for-11.

Hoping for good things tonight, Colin.

Tomoyuki Sugano came to MLB in 2025 after a 12-year career in NPB in Japan. He’s 36 and didn’t have a great year in Baltimore last year and his numbers are kind of up and down so far with the Rockies.

Since May 1: 5.12 ERA, 1.358 WHIP, six HR in 31.2 innings. He faced the Cubs last year while with the Orioles, Aug. 2, 2025 at Wrigley Field, and allowed three runs in five innings. No current Cub has more than six at-bats against him and overall current Cubs are (a small sample size, too) 4-for-20 against him.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Coors Field.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Rockies site Purple Row. If you do go there to interact with Rockies 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.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

You have to learn to have a short memory when you play in the major leagues, and there’s no doubt that a player like Gerrit Cole does. Last week, for the first time in 627 days, Cole took the loss in his first poor outing since returning from Tommy John surgery against these same Cleveland Guardians at Yankee Stadium.

Well, at Progressive Field tonight, the 2023 AL Cy Young will look to bounce back. Through three starts, Cole has allowed just four runs in 18 innings, pitching into the sixth in all three outings. His first two outings were brilliant, but he allowed four runs in 5.1 shaky innings last week against Cleveland, allowing a trio of home runs for the first time since July 2024. It’s a hard Cleveland team to strike out, so don’t expect him to pitch like he did against Kansas City, but he should do better this time around.

On the other side, it’s another man who pitched in last week’s series at Yankee Stadium, as Slade Cecconi looks to build on a quality start last week in his 14th start of the season. His overall numbers still look pretty unimpressive, pitching to a 4.92 ERA (84 ERA+) and 4.31 FIP in 67.2 innings, and there wasn’t anything particularly eye-opening about his outing last week. He only struck out four batters and worked quickly against an offense that looked lost without Aaron Judge. With another week down, we’ll see how it goes.

The smoldering hot Trent Grisham leads off once again, followed by Ben Rice, Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Spencer Jones gets the start in right field, batting sixth in front of Anthony Volpe, Ryan McMahon, and J.C. Escarra.

Cleveland will use the exact same top four for the fifth game in a row, going Travis Bazzana, José Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Kyle Manzardo. Rhys Hoskins jumps into the lineup, batting fifth, while Angel Martinez, Steven Kwan, and Brayan Rocchio assume the same positions. The only other change is Austin Hedges, who will bat eighth and catch.

How to watch

Location: Progressive Field — Cleveland, OH

First pitch: 6:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: Guardians TV, WKYC3, TBS

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), WTAM 1100, WMMS 100.7, WARF 1350, Guardians Radio Network (CLE)

Online stream: Amazon Prime Video, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Back at it in Cleveland. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/UwB4X04tHv

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 9, 2026

Slade day.#GuardsBall | #VoteGuardspic.twitter.com/Xhi4skzheu

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 9, 2026

Go Rays!

Detroit Tigers (26-39) vs. Minnesota Twins (30-37)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (2-0, 1.74 ERA) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (5-2, 3.56 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Melton	3	20.2	11.4	7.6	42.2	3.73	0.4
Bradley	11	60.2	26.8	10.0	35.2	3.47	1.2

Here’s the Yankees lineup:

Back at it in Cleveland. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/UwB4X04tHv

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 9, 2026

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Slade day.#GuardsBall | #VoteGuardspic.twitter.com/Xhi4skzheu

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 9, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

A six-game road trip through the central divisions commences. Will Smith was scratched on Saturday with a stiff neck, and still remains out of the lineup for a third straight game over the last four days.

Today’s #Dodgers lineup at Pirates: pic.twitter.com/1kBWeuO6Cx

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 9, 2026

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Pirates
• Ballpark: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
• Time: 3:40 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The Seattle Mariners announced another batch of roster moves Tuesday, following Monday’s placement of SS J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list and recalling of 2B Ryan Bliss. Today, they placed long relief RHP Cooper Criswell on the 15-day injured list for pitchers with a right shoulder strain, recalling RHP Nick Davila from Triple-A Tacoma in exchange.

It’s a tough break for Criswell, who’s been dutiful with Seattle to the tune of a 3.52/3.76 ERA/FIP, generating groundballs at an exceptional 60.2% clip and covering 30.2 frames in 26 appearances. While a recent poor outing set the stage for a walk-off loss in Detroit, by and large Criswell has been a stellar bridge on days where the bullpen needs length. That is all the more vital with Seattle utilizing a six-man rotation instead of the piggy-back approach, leaving the bullpen shorthanded by current tastes at all times. Davila has been sharp with the Rainiers, and has yet to yield an earned run in the bigs, though his peripherals are that of a man hiding a horseshoe somewhere, and it’s not in his hands or mouth.

Today’s move came along with a contemporaneous deal, wherein Seattle traded for veteran RHP reliever Carson Fulmer, who’d been with Triple-A Indianapolis in the Pittsburgh Pirates system. Fulmer was not on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster and thus won’t need to be placed on Seattle’s, however the move is the sort that seems likely to include such an addition soon. Bearing no relation to RHP Michael Fulmer who debuted in 2016 as well and won AL Rookie of the Year with the Tigers, Carson Fulmer has nonetheless carved a similar path of longevity at the big league level across several organizations. Fulmer was even a Mariner briefly, signing a minor league deal in the spring of 2024 with a Spring Training invite before being released.

Most recently with the Anaheim Angels in the bigs, the 32 year old occupied a mixture of roles from mop-up to mid-range relief and even starting from 2023-25. He’s managed a 5.44/5.27 ERA/FIP in 256.2 innings, however, with -0.2/-0.5 bWAR/fWAR and a pedestrian 8.1% K-BB ratio. Part of what’s kept clubs coming back to Fulmer is a pedigree as a Vanderbilt ace who was selected 8th overall in the 2015 draft by the Chicago White Sox. He’s lost several ticks on his fastball since then, and struggled with command at every level and stop on his journey, but the repertoire he boasts can be hard on hitters when located well.

Mets lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Bo Bichette – SS
3. Juan Soto – LF
4. Jared Young – 1B
5. A.J. Ewing – CF
6. Marcus Semien – 2B
7. Brett Baty – 3B
8. MJ Melendez – DH
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Freddy Peralta – RHP

Cardinals lineup

1. JJ Wetherholt – 2B
2. Iván Herrera – DH
3. Alec Burleson – 1B
4. Jordan Walker – RF
5. Lars Nootbaar – LF
6. Masyn Winn – SS
7. Jimmy Crooks – C
8. Nolan Gorman – 3B
9. Nathan Church – CF

Dustin May – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

Ah, it’s that time of the season.

The Mariners will roll out… a lineup to face the Orioles on Tuesday in Birdland. Victor Robles is leading off. Ryan Bliss, Rob Refsnyder, and Patrick Wisdom each get a start. Cole Young is at short. Not ideal! But hey, this isn’t the worst lineup the Mariners have brought to Baltimore.

Logan Gilbert gets the start. This is shaping up to be something of a down year for Gilbert. His FIP is 4.17, and he’s been much worse on the third time through the lineup. That said, we’ve seen him dominate at times, too. The Mariners could certainly use that today.

Cal Raleigh made a rehab stop in Tacoma this afternoon and hit a couple homers. Kate Preusser has the update on Raleigh for your pregame reading.

Lineups:

Game Info:

Game Time: 3:35pm PDT

TV: Mariners.tv

Radio: Old Reliable

Last week’s good vibes around the Orioles have been partly erased by three stupid losses in a row, but it’s too soon for this team to throw in the towel. After dropping Game 1 of this homestand against the Mariners last night, the Orioles will try to even the series against righty Logan Gilbert with lefty Trevor Rogers on the mound.

It no longer needs to be said, but it’s been a disappointing start to the season for Rogers (3-6, 6.29), who was so brilliant, with a sub-2.00 ERA in 19 starts last season. The lefty has shown signs of life over his last two starts, though, throwing five scoreless each time before hitting a wall. He ended up surrendering four runs in six innings to Toronto two outings ago, and one run in 5 ⅔ versus lowly Boston last week. Hey, it’s better than getting bombed out of the first inning, right? The Mariners have not hit lefties well this year, so perhaps Rogers can keep up his nascent streak of effectiveness. He has history with Victor Robles (3-for-10 against him lifetime), Julio Rodríguez (2-for-6), Randy Arozarena (3-for-9), Mitch Garver (0-for-5) and Josh Naylor (2-for-5).

As for Seattle’s starter, Logan Gilbert has been a model of consistency for the Mariners over parts of six seasons. In five of six of those years, he posted an ERA below four, including this one (4-4, 3.79). This year, Gilbert’s peripheral stats tell an interesting tale: on the one hand, the righty is a leader in fastball velo, strikeouts and walks, but he’s also sustaining some of the hardest contact in the league: his average exit velocity of 90.7 is in the bottom 13th percentile of pitches. It looks like the trouble lies with his fastballs: hitters are slugging .629 against his four-seamer and .655 against his cutter. Time for O’s hitters to swing hard, sounds like. Very few current Orioles have faced Gilbert: Taylor Ward, who used to face him as an Angel, is 6-for-22, Leody Taveras is just 2-for-17 (although both hits were homers), Pete Alonso is 1-for-6 and Gunnar Henderson is 1-for-8.

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward DH
2. Gunnar Henderson SS
3. Pete Alonso 1B
4. Colton Cowser LF
5. Leody Taveras CF
6. Coby Mayo 3B
7. Jackson Holliday 2B
8. Tyler O’Neill RF
9. Sam Huff C

Mariners lineup

1. Victor Robles RF
2. Julio Rodríguez CF
3. Randy Arozarena LF
4. Josh Naylor 1B
5. Rob Refsnyder DH
6. Patrick Wisdom 3B
7. Mitch Garver C
8. Cole Young SS
9. Ryan Bliss 2B

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We’re back with our first Reacts Survey in a while, and this week, we’re asking fans about which prospect they’d most like to see called up to the majors first.

After inking shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt (MLB No. 63, team No. 4) to an eight-year deal back in early April, the Brewers signed outfielder Luis Lara (MLB No. 91, team No. 5) to a seven-year deal this week, giving the team two prospects signed to long-term deals before they’ve even set foot in the majors. Not to be overshadowed, utility prospect Jett Williams is actually ranked higher than both of those guys at No. 57 overall and No. 3 in the organization (behind only MLB’s No. 1 prospect Jesús Made and No. 16 prospect Luis Peña).

Williams, 22, is hitting .224/.338/.355 with five homers, seven doubles, four triples, 28 RBIs, 42 runs, and 12 steals in 60 games at Triple-A Nashville this season; Pratt, 21, is hitting .248/.360/.391 with five homers, six doubles, four triples, 29 RBIs, 29 runs, and 16 steals in 53 games; and Lara, 21, is hitting .338/.447/.500 with seven homers, eight doubles, two triples, 27 RBIs, 49 runs, and 18 steals in 56 games.

With multiple players at the major league level struggling — Luis Rengifo and Joey Ortiz in the infield, Blake Perkins, Sal Frelick, and Garrett Mitchell in the outfield — is it time for one (or multiple) of Milwaukee’s top prospects to get the call? Who would you most like to see?

Weigh in below and stay tuned for results later this week!

Back onto the East coast go the Diamondbacks, starting in Miami for a road-trip which will see them come back to Phoenix by way of Cincinnati. While the Marlins are below the D-backs in the standings, it’s the result of a rather unusual split in the fishes’ record. They are actually better against teams at or above .500, than against opponents with losing records. Miami have gone 19-19 for the former, but only 12-16 against the latter. They have taken series from the Dodgers – on the road, no less – and the Cardinals, and split six games with their Florida siblings, the AL East leading Rays. But they were swept by Detroit, and lost to both Minnesota and Baltimore.

I took a look at the overall standings. Unsurprisingly, most teams do better against weaker opponents. The average win percentage is 124 points better against teams below .500 (.438 vs. 561 – and before you ask, rounding). The Marlins are 71 points worse. The only team with a bigger gap in that direction are the Rangers: they are 19-14 against winning teams, but 14-19 facing losing ones, a whopping 170-point reverse split over what’d be expected. And the team with the largest split on the other side? Well, that would be your Arizona Diamondbacks.

Right now, the D-backs are 11-23 versus opponents at or above .500. That’s exactly the same record as the woeful Angels, who are dead-last in the AL West, and only three teams have a worse win percentage. But against losing teams? 23-8, the best record in the majors. All told, that’s a massive split of 418 points: .324 vs .742. With the Marlins guaranteed to be below .500 for the entire duration of the series, we’re hoping that’s trend which will continue – on our side of the ball at least. If the Marlins want to cool off against winning teams through Thursday, that would be very much appreciated.

In his first rehab start with the Everett AquaSox on Sunday, Cal Raleigh went 1-for-3 with a single. Serving as the DH, he also hit a deep flyout, just missing a home run. He got that home run today and more in his rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma, a 15-3 drubbing of the Albuquerque Isotopes (Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate) where Raleigh alone was responsible for six RBI.

Today the Mariners dialed up the intensity for Raleigh’s second rehab start, having him both take three at-bats and catch a full five innings. Raleigh didn’t have the opportunity to throw anyone out behind the dish, as Tacoma starter Gabe Mosser was able to keep the Isotopes mostly at bay, scattering just a pair of singles and giving up a two-run homer. However, Cal did get some practice in with the challenge system as a catcher: he challenged a pitch that missed inside by .7” in the second and lost, but then challenged another pitch in the third that resulted in a strikeout. If you’re curious about why Cal was willing to risk losing both challenges in the first third of the game, here’s where that second pitch was located:

But if we give Raleigh an “incomplete” for catching work done today, he gets an A + for his work in the box. Facing former Mariner Erasmo Ramírez, somehow still pitching in affiliated baseball in the year 2026 and good for him, Raleigh took the first pitch he saw – a cutter middle-middle – 326 feet to right for a two-run homer.

CAL.

RALEIGH. pic.twitter.com/l1ajjxp9SD

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) June 9, 2026

Sure, the wind was blowing out to right pretty well at Cheney Stadium today, but that majestic shot – 46 degree launch angle! – came off the bat at 104 mph, with that classic Cal one-handed finish, all encouraging signs for Cal’s injured right oblique.

The Rainiers offense was in full send mode against the Isotopes pitching staff, helpfully offering Raleigh four chances to step to the plate over his five innings of work. In his second at-bat, Ramírez fell behind 3-1 before serving up that exact same cutter Cal had homered on earlier. This time, though, Raleigh just got under it, popping up to the shortstop.

His third at-bat came during the fourth inning, where Tacoma had already scored twice more to build out the lead to 6-2, and Ramírez tried again to pitch Raleigh off the plate, this time coming in and plunking him lightly on the toe with a curveball. That did offer the opportunity to see Raleigh run the bases, however, and he was able to go first to third on a ground ball single up the middle, another tick mark on the rehab checklist.

The Rainiers were in full battering mode in the fifth inning, adding another two runs before Raleigh stepped to the plate for his fourth and final at-bat of the day with the bases loaded. Facing Victor Juarez in a 1-0 count, Raleigh reached down to scoop a changeup up and over the right field wall – just 95 mph off the bat this time but 354 feet, but good for four runs.

Big Dumper. Grand Slam.@Mariners' Cal Raleigh belts his second jack of the game for @RainiersLand 🤯

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/jN1BtVkGl5pic.twitter.com/LVt3Qs0Y1o

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 9, 2026

On a side note, the Rainiers broadcast caught Cal after the homer, knowing his day was done, chatting with his replacement catcher Brian O’Keefe, and it was the most relaxed and happy Cal has looked all year. It’s been a while since we’ve seen this smile.

The plan is for Raleigh to stay with the Rainiers for this week while they’re at home and the Mariners are out on their lengthy east coast road trip, and then for the team to assess from there. If Raleigh continues swinging like this – with power and apparently pain-free – he could be activated as soon as the next homestand.

The San Diego Padres desperately needed a game like last night’s. The Friars tacked on six runs against the Cincinnati Reds, en route to a, 6-2, series opening win.

Catcher Freddy Fermin homered again, his third bomb in as many games. That was all the Padres could muster against starter Andrew Abbott until their rally in the seventh inning.

Walker Buehler pitched well, though only went 4 2/3 innings before being pulled after surrendering three consecutive hits to the Reds after recording two outs in the fifth. The bullpen locked it down from there despite Bradgley Rodriguez allowing a run in the sixth.

A rally sparked by San Diego’s young role players helped win the game. Jase Bowen and Samad Taylor went a combined 4-for-7 with a walk. They’ll need more of that production to take the series against Cincinnati’s ace tonight.

Taking the mound

Chase Burns (CIN) v. Lucas Giolito (SD)

After the news of Hunter Greene’s major injury at the outset of this season, Burns was expected to shoulder the burden of being an ace in Cincinnati’s rotation. He had an uninspiring 2025 campaign, though his stuff was undeniably good.

Burns has looked every bit the ace he was expected to be. He’s pitched to a 2.05 ERA and lost just one game for the Reds through 70 1/3 innings. The 23-year-old has been even better lately, posting a 1.70 ERA in his last seven starts.

Giolito has been inconsistent through the beginning of his San Diego tenure, though he’s looked like a veritable back-end option for the Friars. His last outing against the Philadelphia Phillies was solid, going four innings and surrendering just two runs.

The righty has dealt with a short leash due to his inconsistent production. That led to his early hook in the game against Philly after facing trouble in the fifth. Giolito will look to lengthen that leash with a solid performance against a struggling Cincinnati lineup tonight.

Batter up!

After a tepid weekend from the San Diego offense, the bats came alive a bit on Monday night. That said, they showed up late (though showing up at all is fantastic at this point). 

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Gavin Sheets, DH
6. Jase Bowen, RF
7. Samad Taylor, LF
8. Sung-Mun Song, SS
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Bogaerts went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored while Sheets recorded an RBI-double. The former went on the paternity list this morning and will be gone for the next few days. Will Wagner was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

None of the Friars have faced Burns so they’ll need to figure him out quickly or get to the rougher Cincinnati bullpen. That will be a tall order for an offense that hasn’t produced as of late.

Relief corps

Apart from Rodriguez’s gaffe in the sixth, the bullpen was nails on Monday night. Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller each looked electric, with the latter two striking out six batters.

After a three-run eighth inning, Miller came into the game in a non-save situation. He didn’t treat it any differently and looked dominant despite struggling to command his fastball. 

The Friars will still have options available today, but will be banking somewhat on Giolito to pitch deep into the game. Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta will be available out of the ‘pen.