Jun 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; The American and Canadian flags are seen above the scoreboard during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
So yesterday didn’t go to plan. The Cubs treated Kevin Gausman like a nine-man Qatari soccer team, dissipating the good vibes from the sweep of the Red Sox. But it’s a new day. Patrick Corbin (2-3, 4.57) is no great shakes at this point in his career, but I think he can give us more than we got yesterday. The offense should be able to score more than two off Colin Rea (5-5, 5.35).
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 09: Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton (52) pitches during the first inning of a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers on June 9, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sean Newcomb gets the nod as an opener this afternoon. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
Last night was a little bit of a clunker. You wouldn’t know it from the one-run, 4-3 final score, but it did sting just a little more than usual, because it felt like those are the types of games this White Sox team has been improbably winning all season. But I suppose the operative word there is improbable. The 32-19 record they posted from April 17th to June 14th works out to a .627 winning percentage. I love this team as much as the rest of us, but they’re not a .600 club just yet. Games like yesterday were bound to happen with a bit more frequency than they have been.
The Sox had their chances to win yesterday’s game. They put a baserunner on against Tarik Skubal in all five innings he pitched, a rare feat against a back-to-back Cy Young winner with a sub-1.000 WHIP over his last 600 innings. They loaded the bases with one out in a tie game against him, and came away with nothing. Skubal doesn’t even give teams the chance to get there, most of the time. If you fail to capitalize in the rare moments in which he does, you’re probably not going to win. They took a lead in the back half of a game and their piecemeal bullpen just couldn’t hold it. There are some pitchers you can only give so many high leverage innings to before it bites you.
Sean Newcomb is being given the ball to start this one, and as far as I can tell about an hour and a half before first pitch, we’re not entirely clear on who will be working behind him as a bulk man. This is the rotation spot previously occupied by Noah Schultz, and though last Monday’s off day allowed them to skip it their last time through the rotation, they’ll have to find an alternate option today.
Given the mystery, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the fact that Grant Taylor hasn’t emerged from the bullpen in nearly a week.
Taylor has pitched two innings in four of his last five appearances, and his innings total is still on pace to check in a little below their stated preseason goal of 100 for the year. I could be completely wrong, but if Will Venable thinks he can get two innings out of Sean Newcomb — a pretty reasonable proposition, given how he’s pitched lately and the quality of Detroit’s lineup—then I suspect this may be the day we get to see Taylor try at a third inning of work. Let’s just see what happens.
We’ve got an early one today, as first pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. CT at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. You know, Comerica might be a big corporation like any other sponsor, but at least they have a long history in Detroit and the Ilitch family hasn’t sold those naming rights out from under them to UltraCryptoMaxx LLC like the rest of the world. Boy is the bar low, huh? Anyhow, if you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio), like always!
Things couldn’t have gone worse for Giants starter Trevor McDonald against the hottest team in June in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Miami Marlins.
McDonald ran into immediate trouble in the bottom of the first inning. The rookie right-hander struggled with his command, issuing multiple walks that allowed Miami to quickly load the bases. However, the free passes only resulted in the Marlins taking an early one-run lead.
McDonald never fully settled in, and the Marlins continued to take advantage throughout his outing. He allowed three hits, three runs (three earned), three walks, three HBP and one strikeout through three innings.
Twelve Miami batters reached base without a hit, via walk, hit by pitch or error, in the first six innings. It was the first time since the Giants moved to San Francisco that they had four errors and hit four batters in a single game.
Outside of Casey Schmitt’s 16th home run of the season, San Francisco’s pitching and poor defense were too much for the offense to overcome.
And Miami’s pitching staff limited San Francisco’s scoring opportunities in key moments, preserving the Marlins’ advantage as the game moved into the later innings.
The loss leaves the Giants searching for answers after another difficult outing from a young rotation arm. San Francisco will look for a cleaner start on the mound and more timely hitting as it attempts to avoid a sweep in Miami on Sunday.
RUN DIFFERENTIAL: The Cubs’ 16-2 demolition of the Jays yesterday sent their run differential soaring to +23. It had not been that high in 16 games, since May 30, following a 6-1 win at St. Louis. It has not been higher than +23 in 25 games, since it was +26 on May 22, following a 4-2 loss against Houston. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WINNING IN DOUBLE FIGURES: The Cubs have scored at least 10 runs in seven games this season. They have won them all, extending their streak to 39 consecutive wins with double-digit runs since a 12-11, 10-inning loss at Arizona on April 16, 2024. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WALKING THE WALK: Cubs batters walked 11 times yesterday and struck out only four. They had had 23 previous games since 1901 with at least 11 walks and no more than three whiffs, but not since Sept. 5, 1988, when they had 12 and 4 while beating the Phillies at home, 14-3. Yesterday’s game was their 5,926th since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PLAYER OF THE WEEK, AGAIN?: Pete Crow-Armstrong was NL Player of the Week last week. He’s making a case to win the honor again. In four games so far this week: .563/.600/1.313 (9-for-16) with a double, a triple and three home runs.
Colin Rea had made some decent starts early this year but the last seven, yikes. In those seven: 6.75 ERA, 1.556 WHIP, eight home runs in 36 innings. His season ERA is 5.35, the highest it’s been since it was 6.00 after his first season outing (two runs in three innings).
Okay, so what can we find in his record vs. Blue Jays hitters? Not much, 3-for-17 in a very small sample size. One of those three hits was a home run by Alejandro Kirk.
Good luck today, Colin.
Patrick Corbin signed a six-year deal with the Nationals after six pretty good years in Arizona.
Well. He had one good year there (2019) and got himself a World Series ring but the rest of his time in Washington was just awful — 137 starts with a 5.62 ERA and he led the league three times in runs allowed, hits allowed and losses.
In Toronto he’s been… okay. Positive bWAR (0.8), for whatever that’s worth. This month, though, in three starts, it’s gone back to bad: 8.49 ERA, 1.971 WHIP, K rate down, BB rate up… maybe this is a good time for the Cubs to face him.
Current Cubs are batting .316 (49-for-155) against Corbin. Michael Conforto, in particular, has hit him well: .333 (12-for-36) with five home runs. Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson have also both homered twice off Corbin.
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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.
Jun 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Alex Call (12) slides into home plate to score in the ninth inning as Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) watches at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Every Dodgers game in the 2026 season has been decided in nine innings, and the lack of extras hasn’t been for lack of trying. The Tampa Bay Rays loaded the bases in the ninth inning, coming dangerously close to bringing home the equalizer. On Friday, Dalton Rushing’s RBI single should have tied the game with two outs in the ninth.
“With the base hit, I was thinking about extra innings. I was thinking the play was going to be made, and I actually didn’t see it get by the catcher,” manager Dave Roberts said Friday night. “I wasn’t in tune, I was kind of moving to the next play.”
But the ball did get by Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo, allowing a second, winning run to score, and the Dodgers decided yet another game before having to deal with the automatic runner on second base.
The Dodgers are nearly at the halfway point of their season, as Friday was their 76th game of the campaign, and have still not played in extra innings in 2026. The Texas Rangers have played in two such games and the San Diego Padres in three. Every other team has played in at least four extra-inning games by now, with the MLB average about six per team. Last year the Dodgers played in 15 extra-inning games in the regular season, tied for seventh-most in the league, including nine games by this point in the year.
To start a season, the Dodgers’ streak of 76 games with none in extra innings is the second-longest in MLB history. They trail only the 2005 Boston Red Sox, who went 98 games into that year before playing in extra innings.
Four games is the Dodgers’ longest streak of wins all by one run since May 30-June 2, 2010 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers on Saturday have a chance to tie their franchise record for longest streak of one-run victories. They’ve had three such five-game streaks, the last coming 32 years ago:
May 17-22, 1961 vs. Braves (one game), at Giants (three games), Reds (one game)
July 4-8, 1966 vs. Reds (three games), vs. Braves (two games)
May 9-14, 1994 vs. Astros (three games), vs. Padres (two games)
Friday evening’s debacle in the Bronx would have, in a just world, been the kind of thing that would have pissed off a wide swath of Cincinnati Reds fans. They gave up big hits early on bad pitches. They looked positively overmatched all up and down their lineup. They lost, they didn’t score, and looked defeated throughout the entire process.
It somewhat went over without so much as a groan, though. This is the Reds we have come to know for oh so long after all, and losing games like that in ways like that have become so predictable that you see them coming from weeks away. So, by the time it materializes in perfect form, you’ve already checked out.
A couple dozen strikeouts later, and the Reds are back in action again today in Yankee Stadium, this time with lefty Andrew Abbott on the mound. At the rate he’s been pitching (2.47 ERA in 51.0 IP over 9 starts dating back to April 30th) and at the rate the Reds have been precipitating down the standings, Abbott should probably get traded this summer for something the Reds can use down the road. That’s a compliment, Andrew.
Will Warren will start for New York as they look to clinch the series over Cincinnati. He’s 7-1 with a 3.47 ERA on the season, and while I long ago moved past the idea that a pitcher’s record was worth more than a cold slice of dirt, the idea that a pitcher could actually be 7-1 for a team means that team has actually won enough games to make that happen, and that’s foreign enough for me to sound cool right now.
First pitch in today’s matinee action is set for 1:35 PM ET as the Reds – who will be in last place through the weekend regardless of how the next two games play out – look to figure out how to play baseball once again.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 19: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres hits a solo home run during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres couldn’t cash in on one of their most productive nights at the plate all season. The Friars slugged out five runs in the first inning against Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom. Randy Vásquez couldn’t back up the squad, surrendering six to Texas in the bottom frame.
San Diego stayed in it the whole way, thanks to Ty France and Gavin Sheets solo shots in the fourth and eighth. But the club fell short, 9-7, in the end and couldn’t capitalize on a few key opportunities. The fault certainly lies with Vásquez, who gave up seven runs (six earned) through just 3 1/3 innings.
Taking the mound
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) v. Walker Buehler (SD)
After turning in the best season of his career in 2025, Eovaldi has looked rough in ‘26 with a 4.23 ERA across 14 starts. Pair that with a 1.17 WHIP through 87 1/3 innings and it’s been tough for the righty.
Eovaldi’s looked better in his last seven starts, pitching to a 3.78 ERA, but it’s still been tough. He’s given up 10 runs across his last 18 2/3 innings. The Padres will hope to beat the Rangers’ starter to force the rubber match.
Buehler has had an incredible turnaround as of late. Despite a 4.14 ERA this season, he’s posted a 2.92 mark in his last seven starts. In his last three starts, he’s surrendered just one run apiece across 15 2/3 innings.
San Diego will need that form of Buehler to pitch tonight. The righty has been resurgent and he’ll need to limit a Rangers lineup that just slugged nine runs against the Padres’ pitching staff.
Batter up!
Despite the loss, it was an incredibly productive night for the Padres’ lineup. The offense went 10-for-37 with three walks. France was the player of the game, with a three-hit night and 10 total bases. He slugged two homers, including a grand slam in the top of the first.
Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
Samad Taylor, RF
Jackson Merrill, CF
Manny Machado, 3B
Gavin Sheets, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Ty France, 1B
Will Wagner, DH
Blake Hunt, C
Catcher Rodolfo Durán took a few pitches to the head and exited the game early. Nick Solak pinch-hit for Durán in the eighth before Blake Hunt made his major league debut behind the dish. Hunt might start today’s game to give Durán a day off.
Relief corps
With Vásquez exiting early, the San Diego bullpen was tasked with covering 4 2/3 innings of work. They did so well, but gave up some key runs that would have turned the tide for the Friars. Yuki Matsui, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Jason Adam finished out the game. If Adam hadn’t given up a home run to Wyatt Langford in the bottom of the eighth, the game could have been taken into extra innings.
The Padres will hope for another great start from Buehler. Behind him is Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, Adrian Morejon and the returning Mason Miller. Miller came back off the bereavement list on Friday, with San Diego sending Bradgley Rodriguez to the Arizona Complex League.
Ian McCall has described new Rangers manager Derek McInnes as a "total control freak" and expects him to be "hands on" in how the club is run.
Having led Hearts to within minutes of the title last season, McInnes was this week appointed Ibrox boss after Danny Rohl's move to Red Bull Salzburg. It is McInnes' sixth club as a manager.
And former Rangers midfielder McCall told BBC Sportsound: "Derek McInnes, I think, as the new manager - I hope he doesn't mind me saying - is a total control freak. He'll want to be in control of all the things that are going on.
"He wants his hands on everything. I do think that Derek is very, very hands on in all aspects of management.
"He's exactly what they're looking for. They need a manager and that's what Derek is. The way he manages best is he likes to have a print on all over the club.
"The biggest thing he's got to get right is who he signs. His signing record is very good. He won't be scared of it. There is no chance he'll be scared of it. He'll embrace it all."
Retired midfielder Andy Halliday played for Rangers from 2015-20 and later turned out for Hearts.
And he sees need for further significant change at Ibrox this summer.
"It'll interesting in terms of recruitment," said Halliday. "They have so much work to do. I still think they've got glaring holes within their squad."
However, Halliday believes Rangers are "already in a stronger position" after recruiting Lawrence Shankland and appointing McInnes, both from Hearts.
"It gives them a stronger edge than if it was Danny Rohl," Halliday said.
"It's almost been 10 years in the making. How many times has McInnes been linked with the Rangers job? It's probably been the best time for McInnes and I think it's been the best time for Rangers.
"He's been a part of the club before, he obviously lives in Scotland, he knows what it's all about.
"It's a positive appointment. "They're already in a stronger position going into next season.
"Lawrence Shankland's the best striker in the country and they've got him as well."
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 17: Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart of the New York Knicks are seen in the dugout ahead of throwing the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 17, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A week ago today, a long, city-wide nightmare finally came to an end. At 11:30 pm on June 13, 2026, the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals, securing their first title in 53 years. Thursday’s parade was a sight to behold.
As I left New York City in the aftermath of the Knicks’ first-ever journey down the Canyon of Heroes, I was listening to WFAN, where a host who I do not remember the name of got a call from a very old gentleman who started by talking about just long he had waited for this moment and how much it meant to him.
But the part of his call that raised a good bit of discussion in the studio was where he said that he no longer cared about how the Mets did in 2026, which is probably a good thing given their struggles deep into June. That opinion fostered an interesting debate on whether New York baseball fans will give more leniency overall to their teams throughout the season and as we head into October.
The consensus opinion over the airways was that it wouldn’t, and it might even work in the opposite direction of adding more pressure onto them, because of the manner in which the Knicks did it.
It’s an interesting thought, especially because of the natural pressure on the Yankees to win the World Series every year. After all, they always have a top-three payroll in the sport, haven’t had a losing season since the year Aaron Judge was born, and make it clear every year that it’s “championship or bust”.
The last New York Big 4 professional sports team to win a championship before the Knicks was the Giants over 14 years ago in Super Bowl XLVI. That drought was the longest the city had seen since before the Yankees won their first World Series back in 1923. It brought a level of angst towards all of the teams when they made the postseason, with the weight of the largest city in the country on their shoulders.
The close calls weren’t even that close, either. The Rangers, Mets, and Yankees all made it to their respective championship rounds, but all lost in five games. The Islanders and Knicks had gotten as close as the conference finals, the Nets made it to Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Giants made it to the 2022 Divisional Round, and the Jets haven’t even made the playoffs.
The title drought wasn’t technically 14 years. New York teams have won in the PLL, NWSL, WNBA, and MLS, all since 2020, but you can tell from the way the city reacts to one of the Big 4 teams that it’s another level (well, maybe except for those Nets).
But as Yankees fans can certainly attest to, once you finally get a taste of that victory champagne, you get addicted to it. It’s easy to say that finally seeing a team you’ve loved your whole life winning a title can be good enough, but that feeling eventually fades away. I’m sure Knicks fans will not be as distraught if next year doesn’t end in a championship, but ask how Celtics fans felt losing the way they did the last two years. It’s never easy to lose.
Ultimately, from a fan perspective, it might just come down to the way you feel about your teams. If the Knicks are the team you’ve loved more than any other, and you’ve lived through all the bad years like that WFAN caller, it might truly be good enough for now. Nothing will match the joy of what you saw last week, so the pain of feeling defeat won’t feel as bleak.
But if you don’t watch much basketball or your fandom of the Knicks doesn’t match up as much as yours with the Yankees, it’s entirely fair to say that this doesn’t affect the mission statement at all. If the Yankees don’t win, it’s another catastrophic failure.
But regardless of what the Knicks did, the pressure on the Yankees has never been about an entire city hanging on them to end a miserable title drought, it’s always been about the legacies of both the franchise and the talent they possess.
The Yankees are two years away from their longest title drought since they were referred to as the Highlanders, before the time of Babe Ruth. Aaron Judge is 34 years old and is getting closer and closer to going down as one of the greatest players of the modern era to never win a ring, and unlike when Barry Bonds had to backpack underwhelming Giants and Pirates teams, he’ll have done it playing exclusively for the sport’s biggest brand.
The pressure is as much internalized as it is exuded by the fans. This is the New York Yankees. Every year the franchise is stuck on 27 World Series championships is an injustice to the brand itself. You see the Dodgers looking to redefine the sport and make it their own in the way that the Lakers did to basketball, ripping it away from a Celtics team that dominated the first couple of decades of the sport.
So my answer to this thought experiment is that it depends based on who you’re talking to. In the grand scheme of things, it changes nothing. The Yankees are the best team in the American League. They should win the AL East. They’ll be favorites to make the World Series for the second time in three years. Their success and the Knicks’ success are independent of each other.
The one thing I worry about in the other direction, where the pressure actually increases on them, is that people take the wrong lessons away from what the Knicks did and try to apply them to the Yankees.
The Knicks won it all one year after firing Tom Thibodeau, a very respectable coach whose limitations were obvious. Mike Brown gave them the extra edge they needed to get over the top. The WFAN host suggested maybe the same could happen with Aaron Boone if 2026 ends without a title, and while I wouldn’t rule it out, it fundamentally misunderstands why the Knicks made the move and what the jobs are of coaches in these two sports.
There are parallels between Boone and Thibodeau, but not many. The main knock against Thibs was that he was stubborn and played his starters too many minutes. Can you imagine an MLB manager sitting out their stars for more than a few days per year? The two sports are just totally different in that regard. Brown was also instrumental in changing the team’s offensive scheme, something you won’t see with a managerial change in baseball.
There was also the discussion of how the Knicks went all in with an owner in James Dolan that had an addiction to winning (a take that I disagree with, considering how his meddling tanked the team for 20 years), but Hal Steinbrenner refuses to show the same desire, and Brian Cashman refuses to go the extra mile to build a juggernaut. The sports are just entirely too different to make these comparisons directly.
The Knicks winning the championship is a seismic event for New York sports. All of us Yankees and Knicks fans should bask in that glory this summer and use it as an opportunity to not be too bothered if a summer swoon makes those July and August Yankees games a bore, but when October comes around, the mission statement remains. We want a second parade down the Canyon of Heroes this November.
Hours after the Department of Justice announced an investigation into Major League Baseball and after the league warned four San Francisco Giants pitchers about altering their caps on the team's Pride night, three of the pitchers said they did not feel discriminated against by MLB.
Relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote a Bible verse on the rainbow Giants logo, while Sam Hentges did not wear the hat at all for the team's June 12 game at Oracle Park. The three told the San Francisco Chronicle that they didn't feel a warning from MLB for defacing their uniform constituted discrimination.
The DOJ announced its investigation Friday, June 19, and the players issued their remarks before their game at Miami that evening.
"At the end of the day I don’t think it’s discrimination,” reliever JT Brubaker told the Chronicle. "It’s just people getting a hold of something and turning it into something."
Giants pitchers place Bible verses on hats during Pride celebration
Brubaker and Ryan Walker, joined by starting pitcher Landen Roupp, wrote the 9:12-16 verse near the rainbow “SF” logo and received warnings for violating MLB's uniform rule. Roupp, who pitched Friday at Miami, declined to comment, the Chronicle said.
"I don’t feel discriminated against,” Hentges told the Chronicle. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. They can feel how they want about me or what I have done, but it wasn’t out of hate. I don’t hate the community. It’s gotten bigger than anticipated and drawn more attention than everybody thought.”
Walker said, when asked if he felt pressured to wear the Pride cap: "I wouldn’t say I necessarily felt pressured by anybody, necessarily. It was more so questioning myself and what does my faith mean to me. More like, I have my beliefs in myself and what am I going to do to make sure I stand for my faith in myself versus feel pressured to wear this because such-and-such."
The Chronicle reported that Giants players discussed the Pride night actions weeks in advance among themselves and staffers.
The particular Bible verse was first scrawled on a Pride cap by Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw in 2025; LGBTQ supporters say the verse is an attempt to reclaim the rainbow symbol from their movement.
The Giants players have received significant criticism nationally and particularly in San Francisco's LGBTQ community; the Giants were the first team to hold a promotion specifically geared toward the community, beginning in 1994 with their "Until There's A Cure" day, designed to raise funds and awareness for AIDS victims.
Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow was among those criticizing the players.
"I think when you’re a player and you come into this environment, it’s your responsibility to know just how sensitive this city is in regards to that cultural freedom and religious freedom, and just the way that you live your life,” Krukow said in a talk-show sequence on the club's flagship radio station. "And I think they were in for a rude awakening with the response, and it wasn’t just from the gay community; it was from the Northern California community that supports the gay community.
"It hurt me because I saw in 1994 that they were the first team to ever take on the challenge of going against public opinion and the outrage of even associating with the gay community, and they openly went out and said, ‘We support the gay community. We support Until There’s a Cure day. We are going to raise money to fight AIDS. We support the community.’ And they did it with love."
"We are again overjoyed to experience this wonderful day in our lives together," Ohtani wrote in a post on Instagram. "Thank you for being born safely.
"We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported us throughout this journey."
Ohtani was not in the Dodgers lineup for Friday's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles. Shortly afterward the team announced he was taking paternity leave.
However, the team issued a statement saying he's expected to return "sometime this weekend."
Ohtani previously went on paternity leave last April when his wife delivered their first child, a daughter.
The couple did not reveal any information about their new baby.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 12: Cooper Ingle of the Cleveland Guardians poses for a portrait at Cleveland Guardians Photo Day during 2026 Spring Training at Goodyear Ballpark on February 12, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians lost a game where the hitting was bad and the bullpen was worse. Too bad they don’t have any hitting or relief help in Columbus!
Oh, what’s that? They have Cooper Ingle who has a 165 wRC+ and Franco Aleman has a 0.56 ERA in the past 16 innings? Shhhh, no one tell Chris Antonetti.
Stephen Vogt used Matt Festa as a fireman yesterday and it blew up in his face. Now, in Vogt’s defense, coming into yesterday, Festa had a 2.76 FIP in high leverage spots and a 2.90 FIP with runners in scoring position. Now, of course, his xFIP’s in both spots were over 5.
Festa’s K/BB is still good. The problem, of course, is that he is giving up a 14% HR/FB rate. That hurts. And it’s why I think they need to try to get Aleman up and get Festa through waivers. He’s getting crushed.
The Guardians hitters were horrific against Imai and the Astros pen who are, frankly, awful. They struck out 15 times and had 0 walks. Gabriel Arias remains a player who cannot hit major league pitching and whose defense does not justify his place on the roster.
AROUND MLB:
Tigers beat the White Sox, the Royals won and the Twins lost.
What would have sounded like pure fantasy just a month ago is shaping into an actual possibility.
This isn’t to say Sasaki has an inside track to be part of the Dodgers’ postseason rotation.
The Dodgers have Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani. They are expecting back Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
But if any of them are unavailable for any reason, and if the Dodgers don’t acquire Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline, Sasaki is a legitimate option to start games for the two-time defending champions in October.
Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium on June 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
Sasaki pitched five scoreless innings against the Orioles at Uniqlo Field, only to give up back-to-back home runs in the sixth that wiped out a three-run lead and cost him a decision.
The game showed Sasaki what he had to work on, but it also offered evidence that he was on the right path.
“I thought he was great,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I liked the way he competed. He was fantastic tonight.”
Unlike in his previous start, Sasaki had better control of his splitter and slider.
“I worked a lot on my breaking balls,” Sasaki said in Japanese. “Especially my slider.”
Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts on the mound after a solo home run from the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 19, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
But his fastball was his primary weapon.
He averaged close to 99 mph with his fastball again. Five of his pitches were clocked at 100 mph or faster, making this the fourth consecutive start in which he touched triple digits.
He was able to throw the pitch down the middle of the plate and not be punished for it.
He used his fastball to get ahead in counts. He used it to finish hitters, recording the third strike on three of his six strikeouts with it.
He was able to pitch efficiently as a result, his pitch count at just 54 through four innings. He faced the minimum number of batters until the fifth inning when he walked Colton Cowser with two outs.
Sasaki started the game by giving up a hit to Taylor Ward, who was thrown out attempting to stretch his single into a double, and didn’t give up another hit until the sixth inning.
His only regret of the night was a splitter he threw in the sixth inning that was launched for a two-run homer by Gunnar Henderson.
“The forkball cut [inside],” Sasaki said. “It didn’t move the way it usually does.”
Sasaki also gave up a homer to the next batter, Pete Alonso, but he didn’t think the fastball he threw him was a bad pitch. The 98 mph fastball was on the inside edge of the plate against the right-handed-hitting Alonso.
“I threw the ball where I was asked to throw it, and it was hit,” Sasaki said. “Judging by the results, I think the pitch selection was a mistake.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki (11) throws during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
If his goal last week was to be more consistent with his off-speed pitches, his objective between now and his next start will be to figure out how to attack hitters as he enters the later innings, particularly in his third time through the order.
As disappointed as he was in how Alonso’s homer resulted in his removal after 5 ⅔ innings, Sasaki sounded encouraged by the start.
“On the whole, I was able to do what I wanted,” he said. “I thought I threw a lot of good pitches.”
Which could explain his demeanor after the game.
He has changed over the first 2 ½ months of the regular season.
The once-gloomy Sasaki has become more sociable. He even smiles.
Shortly after the Dodgers completed their ninth-inning comeback Friday night, Sasaki learned that Japan was playing in the World Cup the next day.
“Oh, really?” he asked in Japanese.
Realizing he’d inadvertently revealed that he wasn’t paying any attention to the tournament, Sasaki chuckled.
“I have some time tomorrow, so I’ll cheer them on,” Sasaki said.
Told Japan’s game would overlap with the Dodgers’, Sasaki laughed again.
“Then I can’t,” he said.
Well, he probably could watch part of it.
Yamamoto was scheduled to deliver his first pitch against the Orioles at 7:10 p.m. The game between Japan and Tunisia was set for a 9 p.m. start.
“I’ll ask Yoshinobu-san to do his best,” Sasaki said.
Another laugh.
Glimpses of this side of Sasaki’s personality appeared last October. A surge in confidence relaxed him enough to be more open.
Last year, that self-assurance helped him close games in the postseason. This year, it could help him start them.
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The Texas Rangers will look to make it two in a row over the San Diego Padres as they continue their interleague series on Saturday afternoon.
San Diego has been the worst offensive team in the majors this season, and I like Nathan Eovaldi to shut its lineup down again in my Padres vs. Rangers predictions.
Read on for a closer look at this matchup and to get my free MLB picks for Saturday, June 20.
Who will win Padres vs Rangers today: Rangers moneyline (-126)
One of the major problems facing this inept San Diego Padres lineup is the fact that they chase on 31.9% of their swings.
That plays right into Nathan Eovaldi’s hands, as the Texas Rangers starter is inducing chases on an elite 36.2% of swings while also generating a 29.5% whiff rate.
The Padres are dead last in MLB in runs per game (3.88), OPS (.656), and wOBA (.290). Eovaldi is a nightmare matchup for a lineup struggling this badly.
I’m taking the Rangers to win outright, and would stick with them at -140 or better.
COVERS INTEL: Eovaldi throws his splitter 37% of the time, a pitch the Padres are hitting for line drives just 16.7% of the time off of righties.
Padres vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-112)
While the Padres might be the undisputed kings of bad offense, the Rangers aren’t much better. Texas averages 4.01 runs per game and a .313 wOBA, which ranks in the bottom 10 in MLB.
San Diego starter Walker Buehler has gotten a lot out of his cutter/fastball combo, as his fastball run value rates in the 95th percentile of all pitchers this season.
Buehler hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last seven starts, posting a 2.92 ERA in that span. I like the Under here as long as it stays at 7.5 runs or higher.
Ed Scimia's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 13-18 -5.84 units
Over/Under bets: 12-17 -5.74 units
Padres vs Rangers weather
Notes on the weather and its impact.
Padres vs Rangers odds
Moneyline: Padres +117 | Rangers -122
Run line: Padres +1.5 (-170) | Rangers -1.5 (+163)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+100) | Under 7.5 (-104)
Padres vs Rangers trend
The Under is 4-1 in San Diego’s last five games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Rangers.
How to watch Padres vs Rangers and game info
Location
Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Date
Saturday, June 20, 2026
First pitch
4:05 p.m. ET
TV
Padres.TV, RSN
Padres starting pitcher
Walker Buehler (4-3, 4.14 ERA)
Rangers starting pitcher
Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 4.23 ERA)
Padres vs Rangers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL: Eovaldi throws his splitter 37% of the time, a pitch the Padres are hitting for line drives just 16.7% of the time off of righties.