Category: Baseball

A strong weekend in Toronto left the Yankees back where they want to be, alone in first place in the AL East, and with the best record in the American League for good measure. Despite falling behind the Rays by as many as five games last month, New York has surged to put themselves back in front by one game as we near the halfway point of the year.

That the Yankees would lead the division at this point is not a huge surprise, but the rest of the AL East is. The Rays being the Bombers’ primary opponent in the race for the division is not something most would have predicted before the season, and it’s downright shocking to see the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles all well below .500 in mid-June.

There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, but it’s also no longer early, and the division has stratified into a two-horse race. Will it stay that way all season?

None of Toronto, Boston, nor Baltimore has at any point in 2026 looked like the clubs they hoped to be entering the year, but we’ve seen several examples in recent seasons of teams that looked out of it in the middle of the year suddenly turning things around and rallying back into contention. Teams like the 2024 Tigers and Mets spring to mind, with both clubs finding themselves underwater halfway through the season before second-half sprints. The 2025 Guardians somehow won the AL Central after falling 15.5 games behind Detroit, while the 2024 Astros faced a 10-game division deficit in mid-June yet wound up winning the AL west comfortably. Hell, even the 2025 Yankees give us a helpful reminder of how teams can claw their way up the standings, having erased a 6.5-game August deficit to tie the Blue Jays in the AL East.

Can any of the Yankees’ non-Rays foes make this more than a two-team contest? Prior to the year, most would have bet on Toronto giving the Yankees the stiffest challenge all year, and indeed the Jays are in third place, albeit ten games back of first. Toronto has not looked like much in 2026, but I think they are the team the Yankees should be most wary of, other than the Rays. Injuries have wreaked havoc on Toronto’s roster, and though the Jays still do have a huge number of players on the IL, it’s plausible the team will ultimately find itself healthier in the second half and in better position to make a run.

The Orioles, in fourth, shouldn’t be fully discounted either. Baltimore’s young lineup has performed closer to expectations than last year, running the third-best wRC+ in the AL, though their pitching has left a lot to be desired. If the O’s can figure out how to prevent runs, they could prove to be a threat, but the smart money is on them not pitching enough to bother the teams at the top of the division this year.

And then there are the Red Sox, in the midst of a tumultuous campaign that’s seen them dismiss their coaching staff and lose a whole lot of games. Boston’s roster is still littered with interesting talent, but a dreadful start and the early loss of Garrett Crochet have probably just left Boston too far back in the standings, 13 games out at 29-39.

What do you think? Do you see the AL East remaining a two-horse race all year? Or will another contender emerge during the summer months?

The Yankees are off today, traveling back home for a three-game set with the White Sox, and we’ll have a fairly light day on the site. In the morning, Kevin recaps Sunday’s American League action, while Andrés writes up a Yankees great as part of our Yankees Birthday series in Andy Pettitte, and Madison puts out the call for this week’s mailbag.

Today’s Matchup

Offday.

It was just a series in early June, and no, the two best pitchers in baseball this year did not square off against each other.

Yet it's hard to minimize the symbolic power of the Milwaukee Brewers and Jacob Misiorowski's ' weekend conquest of Cristopher Sánchez and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Misiorowski pitched the game of his life Friday, June 12, a one-hitter with 15 strikeouts that set all kinds of high-water marks for maximum velocity and utter, bloodless efficiency.

Two days later, after the Phillies squared the series, Jackson Chourio jumped on the great Sánchez for a leadoff home run, jump-starting a series-winning 4-0 victory that dealt Sánchez just his third loss in 15 starts.

By weekend's end, The Miz had a firm lead over Sánchez - who posted a 55-inning scoreless streak, a record for a left-hander earlier this month - in virtually every key pitching category. And the Brewers clawed their way into the No. 2 slot in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.

"I’m happy for the guys to be in a battle like this with a team built for the World Series," says Brewers manager Pat Murphy. "That’s what this whole thing’s about – to be in these environments as much as you can, keep your poise."

A look at our updated rankings:

1. Atlanta Braves (-)

• A second IL stint for Ronald Acuña Jr. due to barking hamstring.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (+1)

• Kyle Harrison overcomes 10-run Vegas debacle to outpitch Cristopher Sánchez.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers (-1)

• One of these times, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get his no-hitter - or perfect game.

4. New York Yankees (+1)

• Now 14-10 against AL East after winning series in Toronto.

5. Tampa Bay Rays (-1)

• Craig Kimbrel wobbly in first two appearances off IL.

6. Cleveland Guardians (-)

• How does one replace Jose Ramírez? You simply hope he's a fast healer.

7. St. Louis Cardinals (-)

• Alec Burleson having a first half worthy of MVP consideration, non-Ohtani division.

8. Chicago White Sox (+2)

• Uhhh they just took a series off the Dodgers. This is getting alarming.

9. Philadelphia Phillies (-1)

• Adolis Garcia's likely season-ending injury will have them scouring for outfielders on trade market.

10. San Diego Padres (-1)

What a week for Samad Taylor: First major league homer, nine hits, eight RBIs.

11. Chicago Cubs (+1)

• Win three in a row for first time in five weeks.

12. Seattle Mariners (-1)

• Should get that Big Dumper back this week.

13. Arizona Diamondbacks (-)

• Gabriel Moreno's hot streak means eight consecutive starts, six at catcher.

14. Washington Nationals (+4)

• 8-1-1 over their last 10 series.

15. Pittsburgh Pirates (-1)

• Paul Skenes has given up eight home runs, nearly matching the 11 he yielded last season.

16. Toronto Blue Jays (-1)

• Catcher Tyler Heineman designated for assignment as Brandon Valenzuela (seven homers, 115 adjusted OPS) proves worth during Alejandro Kirk's absence.

17. Texas Rangers (-)

• Corey Seager misses third straight game with "mild concussion symptoms."

18. Miami Marlins (+4)

• Max Meyer goes 15 starts without a loss, longest streak to start season since...Tony Gonsolin in 2022.

19. Athletics (-)

• After 100-degree temperatures, a rock-hard infield and balls flying at altitude in Summerlin, Yolo County never looked so good.

20. Cincinnati Reds (-4)

• A homer in every game from Noelvi Marte can't prevent fifth consecutive series loss.

21. Baltimore Orioles (-1)

• Nine-game West Coast swing seems to have a lot more sink than swim potential.

22. Houston Astros (-1)

• Mike Burrows has highest batting average against (.297), second-most homers given up (18) in AL.

23. New York Mets (-)

• Sean Manaea graduates to starter; no opener necessary. "He's earned it," manager Carlos Mendoza says.

24. Minnesota Twins (-)

• Outfield prospect Tyler Fedko getting big league call-up.

25. Boston Red Sox (-)

• Aroldis Chapman cashes in 29 consecutive save chances, tying career high.

26. Detroit Tigers (-)

• Weird return: Tarik Skubal beaten by Guardians, who lose three players in the effort

27. Kansas City Royals (+1)

• Oof: Vinnie Pasquantino undergoes hamate surgery, out up to six weeks.

28. Los Angeles Angels (+1)

• Another physical malady strikes Grayson Rodriguez, as he leaves start with back injury.

29. San Francisco Giants (-2)

• Pitching staff ranks 22nd with 4.52 ERA. Not much Pride, indeed.

30. Colorado Rockies (-)

• Chase Dollander UCL injury a major setback to pitching rebuild.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB power rankings:Brewers Misiorowski rise in NL standings

San Diego Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. is scorching at the plate to open the month of June. Manager Craig Stammen has been reluctant to lock his superstar into one defensive position at either second base or right field because it might limit the offense’s potential. With the need for more run production amid key injuries, the Padres may be forced to place Tatis Jr. at one position to acquire another bat.

In June, Tatis Jr.’s offensive production is .359/.390/.513 with a HR and three RBI, which makes him the lineup’s hottest hitter. Despite his production, the offense still needs another proven batter. Keeping his right-handed superstar at one position allows the front office to pursue potential hitters available on the trade market.

Stammen delays selecting position for Tati

Stammen appears to be indifferent to making such a move. He likes the versatility his lineup offers. However, if the offensive slump continues, it may force the Padres to make a deal.

Granted, Tatis Jr. progressed through the minors as a shortstop before moving to the outfield and becoming a Gold Glove winner. But Jake Cronenworth sustained a concussion that forced Stammen to move Tati back to the infield at second base.

He has deployed Tatis Jr. back in right field and inserted Sung-Mun Song at second against tough right-handed starting pitchers. The latter is a decent fielder, but Song has struggled at the plate. He is hitting .190 with eight hits in 42 at-bats. His offensive struggles will garner further scrutiny if the team’s poor play extends much longer. 

Injuries too much to overcome

The loss of Cronenworth has been a major void, as he looked to regain his offensive proficiency after a slow start to the 2026 campaign. The second baseman was placed on the concussion injury list in early May. Cronenworth has begun light baseball activities, including soft running, fielding, and tossing drills. But there is no guarantee that he will return to the lineup this season.

Now, the Friars are in dire straits with the loss of Ramon Laureano from the starting lineup. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. The recovery time is four to five months, which means Laureano will miss the remainder of the 2026 season.

Unfortunately, the injury might have ended his playing career in San Diego, as he is eligible to become a free agent at season’s end. To replace Laureano in the lineup, Gavin Sheets is expected to play the majority of the time in left field.

A decision has to be made

It seems like the front office is delaying adding another piece to the roster until they get confirmation that Cronenworth will not return this season. Choosing a position for Tatis Jr. allows them to do their due diligence on the price needed to trade for a bat. 

The Friars need to find a way to generate more run production from the bottom of the lineup. Adding another hitter will lengthen the batting order. 

It does not matter whether the Padres acquire a second baseman or corner outfielder, as long as they solve their offensive issues. 

But do not wait too long, or your top trade targets might get dealt. 

A low scoring, back and forth affair took a turn in the top of the eighth inning during which the Rays broke a 3-3 tie with a five-run inning punctuated by a pair of blasts from Caminero and Mesa Jr. The Rays left Anaheim with a series loss, but were able to salvage the last of three games against the Halos, avoiding the sweep.

Across nine innings, the Rays used six different pitchers in what was a scheduled bullpen day. The staff did their job and kept this game close long enough for the offense to break out. Legumina opened ahead of Seymour, tossing 1.2 innings. He surrendered the first run of the game in the bottom of the second and struck out one.

Seymour followed and provided 3.1 innings of two run baseball. He walked and struck out three. Kelly, Kimbrel, Cleavinger, and Baker combined to toss the final four innings. They allowed no runs and punched out seven.

Prior the eighth the Rays managed to score three runs. In the third, the Chandler Simpson singled home Mesa Jr. and Aranda to give the rays an early 2-1 lead. The following inning, Williamson hit his first homer of the season and extended the Rays lead to 3-1.

The Angels bounced back and eventually tied the game in the fifth and the 3-3 score would hold until the eighth inning. Sam Bachman came on to replace Brent Suter and promptly issued a leadoff walk to Mullins. Caminero followed with a blast to left field, his fifteenth of the year.

Leading 5- and with one out in the inning, Palacios doubled and later scored thanks to a two out RBI-single by Feduccia. Mesa Jr. then got in on the action and clubbed his second homerun of the season. The blast extended the Rays’ lead to 8-3.

That score would hold and the Rays eventually left victorious. At the plate Arana, Mullins, and Mesa Jr. all tallied a pair of hits. In total, the Rays had eleven hits on the day along with four walks. they struck out only four times.

They Rays will face the Dodgers Monday night as Nick Martinez will pitch opposite Eric Lauer. The Dodgers will enter the night with a record of 45-27 while the Rays enter at 41-27. Both teams hold the second best record in their respective leagues. Should be a fun series.

It’s easy to forget how good pitching can help produce good hitting. The correlation isn’t always guaranteed, isn’t always direct or obvious, but every once and awhile those two different facets of the game sync for a team, and it becomes perfectly clear how much one needs, or feeds, off the other. 

Defenders are also hitters. The Giants field eight two-way players who not only watch, but prepare, for every pitch thrown by the pitching staff. Every missed fastball and spiked slider in every prolonged at-bat in every drawn-out inning takes its toll over a long game or long series. There’s a trickle down effect to all that standing around — it’s not just the pitcher who struggles. It’s hard for the other players to stay vigilant, to stay sharp as the mind wanders and the body tires. Errors are made. Mistakes seem to compound. Outfielders and infielders are like the rest of us, they’re fans of baseball. They love to be involved, to see action. Good pitching gets them gassed up!  

Jung Hoo Lee said as much about Logan Webb’s performance before his run-saving, wall-colliding catch in the 8th inning.

Webb had recorded 23 Chicago hitters in the game so far and wanted a 24th. At the time, the Giants had a three-run lead — but the Cubs had just scored their first run on a throwing error by first baseman Casey Schmitt, and threatened with a runner on second base. Webb’s pitch count had eclipsed the century mark. Manager Tony Vitello went out to the mound to go get his starter and was turned back by his starter. Webb wanted to finish the inning, and even in the far reaches of right field with the afternoon sun in his eyes, Lee could see that.

His teammate’s determination to right the ship was evident from the first frame when he got Pete Crow-Armstrong to swing through a fastball on the sixth pitch of the first at-bat of the game, then turned-two on a comebacker after back-to-back singles.

All game Webb attacked the zone, refused to give into hitters, buckled down with runners on base. He struck out 7 without walking a batter. The last time a Giants starter not named Logan Webb had thrown six complete innings and not walked a batter was Landen Roupp on May 19th, nearly a month ago. The last time a Giants starter not named Logan Webb had even pitched six complete innings (to be clear, a pretty unremarkable feat) was Trevor McDonald on May 27th against Arizona, nearly two-and-a-half weeks ago. Webb had done it twice, throwing 7 shutout frames on June 3rd against Milwaukee, and throwing 8 innings of 1 run ball on June 8th against Washington. Over his entire MLB career, Webb had never thrown 8 complete innings in consecutive starts — until today, thanks to Jung Hoo Lee. 

Michael Busch lined a first-pitch 4-seamer towards the first archway in right. Lee booked it into the corner at the crack of the bat. One eye tracked the ball in flight, the other tried to ignore the disconcertedly solid brick wall that was fast-approaching. We all know the history there. Lee would’ve been forgiven if he pulled up short, not wanting to risk another shoulder injury, another season-ending collision with a stubborn vertical plane. Instead he risked it, secured the baseball, then got decked.

Webb’s start didn’t need that 24th out to be vindicated — he had already gone above and beyond — but the fact that he insisted he stay on the hill, and Lee insisted on catching the baseball, wall be damned, is the kind of symbiosis this team has been lacking. 

Landen Roupp threw 105 laborious pitches and didn’t even make it through the 5th on Friday night. The offense responded with lackluster support, recording just 4 hits and 1 run. On Saturday, Trevor McDonald unraveled in the 4th, with three walks, one hit batter, and two wild pitches in a game in which the batting order managed just a single run again. The starters set a terrible tone. They sunk down into the muck and dragged the rest of the team with them. 

But behind a vintage Webb, the bats responded in kind. They didn’t necessarily look fierce, just dynamic, with balls in play to go along with walks and stolen bases and sac bunts. They blooped and blasted and blooped again. In other words, they got on base, got aggressive, and good things happened. 

San Francisco’s three-run 5th inning started with a single by Lee who took second on Daniel Susac’s bunt. The line-up had been hitless, 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, over the weekend until Drew Gilbert’s bloop double to left.

Then came the blast. 

Matt Chapman’s seventh homer of the year was his sixth in June. He’s racked up 20 RBIs in the first two weeks of the month. His slash line in 54 plate appearances: .415/ .519/ .902.  

Chapman worked a lead-off walk in the 7th. Another sac bunt by Luis Arraez moved him to second to score on Bryce Eldridge’s RBI lob into left.

In the 8th, Casey Schmitt stole second and was promptly knocked home by Susac single. 

The offense looked focused for the most part. There wasn’t much hemming and hawing, not much dilly-dallying. They played off script by manufacturing some opportunities. They didn’t swing too big, or try to do it too much at once. Small ball, you know. When a runner moved into scoring position, the next guy up punched him home. Webb held the Cubs hitless in 6 at-bats with a runner in scoring position, and the Giants went 4-for-7. 

Sweep dodged!

A.J. Ewing showed again Sunday why the Mets were aggressive in calling him up from the minors when they needed a center fielder earlier this year.

The 21-year-old helped lead them to an 8-1 win over Atlanta at Citi Field, coming up just a triple shy of the cycle.

Ewing has consistently impressed with his speed and defense, but his offense has been choppy, and he began Sunday with just one hit in his prior 11 at-bats.

But against Atlanta, he delivered an opposite-field double in a four-run first inning, hit a single to center in the third and then a homer to right in the fifth.

Carlos Mendoza called Ewing’s performance at the plate versus tough Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder “impressive.”

“I just want to be myself and stay as simple as possible,’’ Ewing said.

“It shows how he handles stuff, especially after a couple of tough games,’’ the manager said.

Mendoza likened Ewing to fellow rookie outfielder Carson Benge in that both have been able to maintain level heads despite going through the ups and downs of their first season in the majors.

“Similar to Carson, you can’t tell if he went 0-fer or had a good game,’’ Mendoza said. “It’s his ability to stay consistent. He’s gonna use the whole field. He hit a homer to the pull side, play defense and run the bases. He’s a mature guy and is learning, adjusting and developing at the big league level.”

In the never-ending game of musical chairs that is the Mets rotation, Tobias Myers is scheduled to start Monday’s series opener against the Reds in Cincinnati, Mendoza said.

Myers has been at Triple-A Syracuse, where he pitched 2 ²/₃ innings and threw 36 pitches Thursday.

Despite the somewhat limited action, Mendoza said Myers could be stretched out a bit.

“He’s gonna go,’’ Mendoza said when asked if Myers would be used just as an opener. “We’ll see how the game unfolds. We’ve got a pitch count in mind.”

After that, Mendoza said the Mets would figure out the next two games in Cincinnati, although Christian Scott and Nolan McLean are lined up for them.

Myers, acquired along with Freddy Peralta from Milwaukee in the offseason, hasn’t pitched more than two innings in a game in the majors since going 2 ²/₃ on May 2.

President of baseball operations David Stearns said Friday that Myers’ “role is going to be whatever we actually need at that point. … He could pitch at the front of games, it could be more in the swing capacity that we saw at points this year.’’

Coming off an ugly start in his previous outing, Peralta allowed three hits to open Sunday’s game, as the Braves pounced on his four-seam fastball.

So Peralta and catcher Luis Torrens shifted, and he used his four-seamer less, and his curveball, slider and sweeper more.

It helped Peralta get through five innings, although he needed 90 pitches to do so.

“I was able to make pitches when I needed to,’’ Peralta said. “I was looking forward to [pitching] at least six, but some things happened.” 

TORONTO — Over the course of nine innings Sunday, José Caballero played second base, third base and left field, got into his almost-daily argument with the home plate umpire over his usage of the pitch clock, and then capped it all off by crushing a 420-foot home run.

“We got the full experience today,” manager Aaron Boone said with a chuckle after the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. “He got the right level of ticked off to really lock him in there.”

And while Caballero’s day ended on a high note with the three-run homer in the ninth inning that gave the Yankees some breathing room — which he clearly enjoyed with a slow trot around the bases — his latest spat with the umpires was not a laughing matter.

With the game tied in the sixth inning, Caballero began arguing with home plate umpire Steve Jaschinski before Spencer Miles could even throw him a pitch. The root of the issue, as it normally is with Caballero, is how he uses the timing rules to his advantage — purposely not looking up at the pitcher until there are eight seconds left on the clock, which is the cutoff time for engagement. Pitchers cannot come set until the hitter has acknowledged them.

But Caballero said Jaschinski told him that “if I looked down, he was going to call a strike on me.”

“They’ve been changing the rules without any warnings ahead [of time],” Caballero said. “I don’t know why they’re doing that. The rules are the rules. Nobody wanted the rules. They invented the rules. They should take care of it. I’m just trying to play with the new system that they got us playing in, it’s not like I invented the rules.”

After Caballero’s extended conversation with Jaschinski — which eventually included crew chief John Tumpane and Boone and got heated at times — Tumpane announced that Caballero received a warning for “intentionally delaying” the game.

Caballero said he just wants clarity on the rules because they are not being enforced consistently. Boone added that he expects to speak with the league about the issue.

“I do the same thing over and over, even from the windup, even from the stretch,” Caballero said. “It’s not my fault the pitchers rush a little bit. You can tell every time the pitchers don’t rush, it’s no problem at all. But whenever they get people on and they start thinking faster and they rush, then that’s when the problem comes.

“But that’s not my fault. I do the same thing over and over. Please, come out here and tell us the actual rule, because I’m kind of confused at this point.”

Giancarlo Stanton will undergo tests Monday to determine how much of a setback he had in his calf after tweaking it running recently. He is no longer expected to return during the upcoming homestand, as he initially was, but it remains to be seen how much more time this will cost him on the injured list.

“He did have a little bit of a setback, to a similar area in the calf,” Boone said Sunday. “I think it’s clearly going to slow him down a little bit. To what level, I don’t know yet.”

Austin Wells (cervical headaches) will “probably” play in some rehab games this week, Boone said, before he is activated off the injured list. He is first eligible to do so Tuesday.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. started the day out of the lineup, with Boone saying he has been beaten up of late — including fouling a ball off his toe earlier this week. But Chisholm entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning and walked in all three plate appearances.

Francisco Lindor has taken another step in his recovery from a strained left calf that’s sidelined him since April, as the shortstop has begun running the bases.

It’s one of the latest signs that Lindor expects to be back soon, even as he opts not to publicly disclose a potential return date.

But as The Post’s Jon Heyman reported, Lindor could be back by the third week of June, which is quickly approaching, and president of baseball operations David Stearns noted they expect him back by the end of the month.

If the Mets really do intend to turn around what’s been a rotten first few months of the season, they’ll need their star shortstop to be there — and productive.

Lindor is in his sixth season with the Mets. He and his family live in Manhattan, and the 32-year-old understands the pulse of the city.

Naturally, Lindor understands what the Knicks’ first title in over half a century means — and what it could mean for the Mets.

“It’s a great moment to be a New York sports fan,’’ Lindor told The Post on Sunday when the Mets beat the Braves 8-1 to win the series. “I’m proud of that group. All they talked about after they won last night is how they played for each other.”

Like these Mets, the Knicks were down a long time before finally getting the title, as James Dolan said immediately after the clincher, when he apologized for the championship having taken so long to return to New York.

“Even the owner said it,’’ Lindor said. “We know what it’s like. We don’t need more inspiration, but something like that, seeing them win, of course it motivates us as players and is inspiring. Want to win here and when you have history being made in this city like they did, it gives you goose bumps and gets you excited for the ‘what ifs.’ ”

For those “what ifs” to have a chance to become reality, Lindor has to get back on the field and return to form.

Lindor was 7-for-17 with a pair of extra-base hits in his final five games before he suffered the calf injury the same day that Juan Soto returned from his own strained calf.

Without the superstars paired in the lineup, the Mets offense has mostly slumped, although there have been encouraging signs of late.

He’ll continue to rehab from the injury this week, Carlos Mendoza said prior to the game, and the Mets will see how he responds before a potential minor league rehab stint since he hasn’t played in nearly two months.

The Mets clearly haven’t played well in his absence, but they haven’t completely folded, with the hope that Lindor’s presence back on the roster could rejuvenate the team, which has severely underperformed.

With Lindor returning to short, Bo Bichette would shift back to third, leaving Brett Baty to play against certain right-handed pitchers, and Jared Young would likely stay at first base, at least for now.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Red Sox failed to win a game at Fenway Park. It was ugly from the jump, with Connelly Early’s first pitch of the night going for a home run. In the second inning, after a few runners reached base, he left a changeup over the plate that was also sent over the fence, giving the Rangers a 4-0 lead. Willson Contreras followed with a solo home run in the bottom half, and the Red Sox were able to push another run across after a walk, a single, and a groundout, but couldn’t extend the rally. In the fourth, the Rangers grabbed two more runs when Early again left a pitch over the plate, this time off the wall for a double.

The bullpen did its job, keeping the Rangers off the board for the final 4.1 innings of the game, but the offense wasn’t able to do enough against Nathan Eovaldi and a really strong Rangers bullpen. Jacob Latz came in with two outs in the eighth inning and was nearly perfect, retiring all four batters he faced to record his 11th save of the season. It’s an off day on Monday before a three-game set with the Blue Jays at Fenway Starts on Tuesday.

Three Studs

Willson Contreras

Two bombs. Get that man to the All-Star game.

Ryan Watson

Two scoreless innings to keep the score where it was and save the bullpen. Solid.

The Tartan Army

I love having the Scots here in Boston. Yeah, they’re on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, so obviously they’re in a good mood, but they’re just constantly having fun and bringing good vibes. I biked around the city on Friday morning, and Boston Common was lively with bagpipes and kilts and all of that. On Sunday, the crowd was as loud as it’s been all season, thanks to the Tartan Army. Go Scotland.

Three Duds

Connelly Early

The home run ball once again ruined Early’s night. He’s left the ball over the plate far too often this season, which has gone for home runs. He also seriously labored through the fourth inning. If the Red Sox’s season continues to go how it is, I can’t help but wonder if it would be beneficial to cap his innings. He’s never thrown over 100 innings in a season, and he’s already at 75 on the season.

The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the Boston Red Sox scored four runs.

The Red Sox must not enjoy tidying up as the Rangers were able to keep them from sweeping with a win in tonight’s finale. It was a frustrating couple of games for the Rangers over the weekend in Boston but they came out quite literally swinging in front of the primetime audience on NBC.

On the game’s first pitch, leadoff designated hitter Wyatt Langford sent one 418 ft over the Green Monster to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead. By the end of the top of the second, it was already 4-0 Texas as catcher Kyle Higashioka connected for a three-run dong, giving the Rangers what they’d been missing for much of this road trip with a big extra base hit with runners on base.

In the bottom of the second, however, the Red Sox signaled that the game wouldn’t just devolve into a laugher as they scored two runs off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi to halve Texas’ lead.

The Rangers were up for scoring more runs in ways they’ve struggled with as Brandon Nimmo doubled in two runs on a bases loaded opportunity in the fourth inning. That double made it 6-2 to give Eovaldi a lot of runway as he eventually finished allowing three runs on six hits and a walk to go along with six strikeouts over seven innings of work.

The third Red Sox run came in the sixth when Willson Contreras connected for his second solo home run off Eovaldi, as he did his best Wilyer Abreu impression against Texas this weekend. Speaking of Abreu, he drove in Boston’s fourth run of the night — because of course he did — in the eighth to cut the lead to just two.

However, with two on, Jacob Latz came in and got the Rangers out of the eighth inning jam and then pitched a clean ninth to allow Texas to claim the finale and finish with an even road trip.

Player of the Game: Eovaldi deserves credit for putting in seven innings for a quality start on 94 pitches as he helped to save the bullpen during this long stretch.

In addition, Brandon Nimmo doubled twice and drove in two runs with his first double coming on a dreaded bases loaded chance. Justin Foscue had three hits before being lifted to get his glove off the field. Cody Freeman had two hits and drew a walk.

Kyle Higashioka had two hits, including the big hit of the night with his three-run home run to give the Rangers a four run lead. Wyatt Langford hit a home run, walked, and scored twice out of the leadoff spot. And Latz was Latz (1.1 IP, 0 R, 2 K) and Latz is good.

Good stuff all around.

Up Next: The Rangers immediately hop a plane back to Arlington to open up a series against the American League Central’s Minnesota Twins beginning tomorrow night. Texas will send LHP MacKenzie Gore to the mound to begin the series while Minnesota hasn’t yet named a starter for the opener.

Monday’s first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and you can can head back over to watch it on the Rangers Sports Network.

I was having trouble settling on a Purple Row After Dark topic tonight because I was distracted by the absurdity that was the Rockies game today.

By the time it was over, Colorado had scored 23 runs on 24 hits.

Every Rockies starter had at least one hit. Every Rockies starter scored at least one run.

Nobody in the Rockies lineup had a birthday today, but it might as well have been everyone’s birthday.

Which brings me to a baseball belief I have always had:

Play the birthday guy.

Baseball is already loaded with superstition. Lucky socks, rally caps, dugout routines, not saying certain things out loud — this sport has never been shy about chasing vibes. So if a player’s birthday offers even the smallest chance of baseball magic, why not lean in?

Mickey Moniak gave the theory a pretty strong push earlier this season. On his birthday, he did exactly what the birthday guy is supposed to do: he homered.

That is pretty much all the evidence I need.

But because baseball is baseball, there is actual data for this. Baseball Savant has a Birthday Index, built by Sarah Langs, that compares how players perform on their birthdays against how they perform every other day.

Naturally, I opened it.

The June 14 leaderboard had a familiar name at the top: Greg Brock.

Brock played 10 MLB seasons with the Dodgers and Brewers, finishing with 110 home runs, 10 WAR, and a 105 OPS+. He also hit 44 home runs for the 1982 Albuquerque Dukes, giving Rockies fans a loose Albuquerque connection through today’s Isotopes.

Greg Brock was also my high school baseball coach.

At that point, I was fully invested.

As for the Rockies, Moniak is the easy headliner because he already delivered the birthday homer. He ranks fourth among active players with a 4.7 Birthday Index, and the numbers are as ridiculous as you would hope: in three birthday games, he has gone 6-for-11 with a double, a triple, two home runs, a .545 batting average, a 1.947 OPS, and a .784 wOBA.

Willi Castro was less fortunate. He has a 2.6 Birthday Index, but he was injured the night before his April 24 birthday and missed the chance to test the theory in a Rockies uniform. That is too bad, because Castro’s birthday line is strong: three hits in seven plate appearances, two home runs, a .429 batting average, a 1.858 OPS, and a .759 wOBA.

Jake McCarthy and Ezequiel Tovar are the next proven birthday bats to watch. McCarthy owns a 2.0 Birthday Index and has gone 5-for-9 in two birthday games, with two doubles, a .556 batting average, and a 1.334 OPS. His next birthday game opportunity comes July 30. Tovar follows two days later on August 1 with a 1.8 Birthday Index, built on five hits in three birthday games. Four of those hits have been doubles, good for a .357 average and a 1.043 OPS.

There are a few first-time cases before then. Troy Johnston has the first upcoming Rockies hitter birthday on June 22, followed by Sterlin Thompson on June 26. Kyle Karros is next on July 26. None of them has played in a major-league game on his birthday yet, so the sample size is nonexistent. Which, honestly, makes the experiment cleaner.

Of course, the Birthday Index also makes it clear this is not universal. Some players get the cake and the candles and still go 0-for-4. That is baseball. The Rockies have had a few fun birthday lines to point to, but the point is not that birthdays guarantee anything.

It is that in a 162-game season, with all the weirdness this sport already allows for, I am fine giving the birthday guy a start.

Let him swing. See if the birthday luck can carry.

Pitchers are trickier because of rotations, of course — although given the state of Rockies starting pitching, maybe birthday vibes are worth trying there too.

So what do you think: Play the birthday guy, or is it completely irrelevant once the game starts? Has anyone ever had birthday luck show up on the field, at work, or somewhere else in real life? Or is this just one more baseball superstition that feels true because it is more fun that way?

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

I’m running out of things to say about Josiah Hartshorn. The only thing I can really compare him to is Kris Bryant, but Bryant was coming out of college and was 22 when he hit .355 with 22 home runs in 68 games for Double-A Tennessee in 2014.

Left-hander Luke Little was demoted to Double-A Knoxville from Triple-A Iowa.

Nobody lost! I can’t say everyone won.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were fit to be tied by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 4-4.

Before I get into the stats, let me explain that Iowa scored five runs in the top of the tenth and James Triantos hit a three-run home run. But the rains came and washed out the bottom of the tenth, so the score reverted to a 4-4 tie.

Starter Doug Nikhazy went four innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He struck out six and walked no one. Both runs off Nikhazy came on a fourth-inning home run by Héctor Rodríguez.

Center fielder James Triantos was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. It would have been five if it hadn’t rained when it did.

Right fielder Justin Dean went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He also had a two-run single in the tenth that didn’t count.

Here’s a two-run single by Triantos that counted.

And here’s his home run that didn’t count.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies ate the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), 4-3. The win and the Lookouts’ loss moved the Smokies into sole possession of first place in the Southern League North Division. The Smokies and the Lookouts start a six-game series in Knoxville on Tuesday to end the first half.

Brooks Caple allowed three runs on just two hits over the first five innings. All three runs were unearned, although it was his own throwing error that opened the gates to a three-run bottom of the third. Caple walked three and struck out one.

Next, Yenrri Rojas threw two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit. He struck out one and walked no one.

Luke Little pitched the bottom of the eighth inning and got the win in his first game with the Smokies since 2023. Little walked a batter with one out, but then he picked him off first base. The he allowed a two-out single before finishing off the inning with his only strikeout.

Erian Rodriguez pitched the ninth and got his first professional save. He gave up a two-out single, but no other baserunners. Rodriguez struck out two.

DH Andy Garriola hit a sacrifice fly that scored catcher Owen Ayers in the top of the ninth that ended up being the winning run. Garriola went 1 for 4 with a triple and the sac fly. He scored once.

Ayers doubled twice and walked once in a 2 for 4 afternoon.

First baseman Cameron Sisneros hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to tie the score. It was Sisneros’ first Double-A home run and seventh overall. Sisneros was a perfect 2 for 2 with two walks.

Third baseman Jefferson Rojas was 3 for 5 and scored once.

Right fielder Alex Ramírez went 2 for 5 with three steals.

Sisneros’ home run.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs turned the hoses on the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 10-3.

Alfredo Romero pitched the first three innings, allowing three runs on three hits. All three runs came on a home run in the top of the third. Romero walked two and struck out four.

Nazier Mulé handled the next three innings and got the win. Mulé allowed just one hit and no runs. He struck out four and walked two.

Kenton Egbert, Nate Williams and Ethan Bell each threw a scoreless inning to close out the game in non-save situations.

DH Josiah Hartshorn did it again with a solo home run in the eighth inning. It was Hartshorn’s eighth home run in 18 games in South Bend and 13th overall. Hartshorn went 3 for 4 with a walk, the home run and a stolen base. He scored twice and had two overall runs batted in.

Back in the fifth inning, right fielder Miguel Useche hit a three-run home run, his seventh with South Bend and eighth overall. Useche went 1 for 4 and he was hit by a pitch.

Left fielder Jose Escobar hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the first inning. Escobar went 1 for 3 with two walks and the triple.

Second baseman Alex Madera was 2 for 5 with three steals. He scored one run.

Third baseman Matt Halbach went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

Escobar’s triple just missed going out.

Useche’s home run.

A nice catch by center fielder Kane Kepley.

RBI single for Hartshorn.

Hartshorn goes deep.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans mocked the fashion choices of the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 6-5.

Starter Pierce Coppola went four innings and allowed just one run on three hits. Coppola walked two and struck out three.

David Bracho gave up a three-run home run in the seventh, but he got the win because Coppola didn’t go five innings. Bracho’s final line was three runs on one hit over four innings. Bracho walked four and struck out four.

Jordan Henriquez came on in the ninth to get the save with a 6-4 lead. After retiring the first two batters of the inning, he gave up a solo home run. Then Henriquez got a ground out to end the game and record the save. He struck out one.

Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run, his third of the year. Lumpuy was 1 for 3 with a walk and a hit by pitch.

In the fourth inning, left flieder Geuri Lubo homered with the bases empty. It was Lubo’s fourth home run of the season. Lubo was 2 for 4.

Catcher Logan Poteet hit the Pelicans third and final home run of the game with a man on in the fifth. Poteet now has ten home runs this year. Poteet also had an RBI double in the third inning, giving him three RBI on the game. Poteet went 3 for 4 with the double and the home run.

Lumpuy homers to lead off the bottom of the first.

Poteet’s RBI double.

Lubo knocks the ball way deep.

Poteet hits it even farther.

ACL Cubs

Off day.

This team, amiright? One of the streakiest teams I can remember for a while. Can a team this streaky maintain its long term status and get into the playoffs, or will the streaking eventually catch up?

C. Wesley Baier: It is very easy to forget how long a 162 game season is and even easier to fall into the trap of recency bias. By the time this roundtable is published, the D’Backs will still have over 90 games left to play. I honestly can’t answer that question until we have a better idea of what this lineup and roster is going to look like by the end of the month..

Spencer: We aren’t even the streakiest team in MLB this season (hello North Side little bears). I think a streaky team has a better than average chance to make the playoffs because they rack up wins. But the ones that do make it on the back of 1-3 top tier skills. I don’t think this Arizona has those skills.

James Attwood: It is going to largely depend on how often the negative streakiness of the offense and pitching line up with each other. This team still has some serious issues that need to be addressed, including left-handed power and reliable starting pitching. It will be difficult enough to address one of those, much less both. The best chance the team has of keeping things going in the right direction is if the youth movement continues to develop and impress.

Makakilo: Yes, they can reach the playoffs. This season, the longest losing streak is 4 games. This is favorable because in 2023, when the Diamondbacks made the playoffs, they had three 6-game losing streaks, a 5-game losing streak, and at least three 4-game losing streaks.

Justin:I think we end up right around 81-81. We will have some stretches where we look like we can take on anyone and other stretches where we….won’t.

Ben: I don’t know if this team is really that streaky or if they’re just inconsistent. The current iteration of the Cubs feels like a more accurate representation of streaky with multiple 10-game streaks of winning or losing. This D-Backs club I think more likely just took advantage of some softer parts of their schedule that might have been more of a mirage than anything else.

Jordan Lawler is back. Do you think its more likely we get the Lawler we saw the first couple cups of coffee or more what we saw at the start of the season

C. Wesley Baier: I’m confident that the Jordan J.J. Lawlar we’re seeing this season is the real deal, because that’s the hitter I saw when the Dbacks drafted him. Every first round prospect has the raw talent to succeed, but not all of them have the makeup to overcome multiple injuries or being terrible for the first time in their life like like Lawlar has. Triple-J always seemed like he had that special “Je ne sais quoi” to eventually figure it out.

Spencer: Lawlar is an immensely talented player who gets hurt constantly. He’s Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton. I think we get the good version for however long he stays on the field. He’s turned a corner and is finally capable of hitting MLB pitching.

James Attwood:I figure it will be somewhere in-between, but leaning towards the opening of this season. He is going to have to stay healthy though, which might be his single-biggest challenge.

Makakilo: With the caveat that 25 PAs is a small sample size, the following stats indicate that he can maintain his excellent batting. .311 xBA, .479 xSLG, .386 xwOBA, 27.5% squared up, and 40.0% hard hits.

Justin: I think he needs an extended look. 34 PAs in 2023 and 74 last year. I might be in the minority, but I am not ready to write him off.

Ben: I suspect he’ll get off to a slow start as he works back from his injury, but I think he showed enough at the start of the season to give me confidence that he can be a productive part of the lineup which would feel like a victory in and of itself after his injury history.

Puk took a step back in his rehab, seemingly continuing a trend of Dbacks players to do so. Is this a concerning pattern or just noise?

C. Wesley Baier: It’s just noise at this point. I do think the organization should look to improve though, and one of the ways they can do that is improving in this area, even if they’re not anywhere near the worst in this regard. It might be a good idea to take a look at all the IL setbacks over the last few seasons and identify what, if any, external causes of those setbacks might be, and try to eliminate them from happening again, if possible. Maybe they need to take a look at what the “healthiest” organization do to keep their players off the Injured List?

Spencer: Concerning pattern brought on by a desperate team. But it happens and it is what it is.

James Attwood: At this stage, going back more than a year now, it is difficult to see this as anything other than a pattern. Exacerbating the issue is that this is a make-or-break season for a number of Diamondbacks, including Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo. That means guys pressing (or being pressed) to come back as quickly as possible. Expecting Burnes to return before mid-August was always optimistic in my opinion, and that was before he suffered his recent setback. Now, he’s out until September. The reality is, he should be out until 2027, to make sure he returns 100% healthy. A.J. Puk’s timetable was a more rapid one as he underwent a different procedure, but still a major one. Given Puk already has one foot out the door, the push to rush him back did more to help him with showcasing himself for the trade deadline (or free agency) than it did to help the team win more games over the rest of the season. At this point, especially as the team continues to hover around the .500 mark, they should be slowing recoveries, not accelerating them.

Makakilo: Injuries (and reinjuries) will always be somewhat unpredictable (noisy). Nevertheless, my view is that the ratio of supinated to pronated pitches will impact the frequency of pitcher injury. A fan perspective of pitcher injuries follows:

Justin: It speaks to the depth, or lack there of, where we were depending so much on renforcements arriving. Puk will get back when he gets back, JMart. Burnes might as well not even come back as far as I am concerned.

Ben: I think it’s likely just noise/function of pitcher delivery. As far as I remember, there was no setbacks for Pavin Smith or Jordan Lawlar in their respective rehab and Lourdes Gurriel Jr came back earlier than expected. I understand fans are frustrated by setbacks because the process feels so opaque and they want to blame the training staff, but I think that’s just misdirected anger.

Jack brought up an interesting suggestion, that he believed MLB should allow therapeutic corticosteroids for rehabbing players. Is that something you would agree with, and is that something MLB could allow and manage in such a way that it would not be abused?

C. Wesley Baier: Doctors and other licenced healthcare professionals should be able to treat their patients with whatever is in the best interest of their patient’s health. Banning substances that have legitimate medical uses, that are medically appropriate for a patient’s condition is legal and ethical landmine, and unsurprisingly something I have a problem with. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is commonly treated with various amphetamines, which players already can get a medical exemption for, because it’s what is medically appropriate more often than not. I mention that specifically because MLB has quite the history of its players abusing Amphetamines (along with literally every single stimulant known to humankind, see my last article for some examples), and that’s most often to combat the fatigue that comes with an extremely long season, or to mentally focus, because you have undiagnosed ADHD.

James Attwood: MLB has a very sticky situation on their hands that is 100% a problem of their own making. By turning a blind eye to players going from being administered HGH as part of their recovery process (hello Barry Bonds) to more than 50% of the league on HGH or related steroids (still here Barry?), the integrity of the game’s hallowed records has come under constant attack. Now, to try and clean up their mess, MLB is forced to implement rules that do not have the best recovery outcomes for players in mind. Instead of allowing closely-regulated treatment of rehabbing players, they are forced to put players in the position of less effective treatments in order to “keep the game clean”. One of the problems here though, is that as the players are getting bigger, stronger, and faster, they are needing more and more aggressive therapies to rehabilitate from injury. It is something that, if they were smart and honestly interested in the long-term health of their rank and file, the MLBPA would be addressing in the upcoming CBA. It might well be that we have come to the point that MLB is going to need to allow modern medicine back into the sport, but closely regulated and with strict oversight. Perhaps an independent rehabilitation panel that answers only to the Commissioner’s Office instead of the team could be created. I’m sure there are issues with that as well, but it at least starts the conversation. Baseball fans want to see Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Tarik Skubal Jacob Misiorowski, et al on the field not on the IL.

Makakilo: My impression (I could be wrong) is that doctors can submit pre-treatment paperwork to MLB to request approval to use PEDs, including corticosteroids. My opinion is based on these two quotes about the investigation of the Dodgers team doctor.

“MLB players, like UFC fighters, can receive a special exemption to use certain banned substances.” link: https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/dodgers-doctor-neal-elattrache-performance-enhancing-drugs-conor-mcgregor/

“[Neil] ElAttrache [Dodgers team doctor] told the NYT that after McGregor [UFC fighter] saw the specialist, the doctor wrote a letter to support McGregor’s application for a special exemption, which would’ve allowed him to use performance-enhancing drugs without facing a penalty.” link: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/dodgers/2026/06/11/mlb-dodgers-doctor-connection-conor-mcgregor-treatment/90517303007/

Justin: I guess I agree with. Like the question asks, they would have to figure out a way to manage it so it isn’t abused.

Ben: I’m not a medical expert so I won’t pretend to understand what corticosteroids do on a molecular or medical level, but I’m on board with any strategy that might ease the pain of the actual participants in my favorite sport. If they can find a way to apply them to either improve rehabilitation times without abuse or giving some players an advantage, then I’m all for it. But I suspect there would be some significant side effects that would need to be dealt with before MLB would approve it.

No, not because of the score, humiliating as it was, and not because of the venue, which “is what it is” and was always going to be that. It’s the decisions that were made with full knowledge of the context that make fans rightly wonder who is minding the store.

The fact is, fans don’t actually want to be smarter than management — they want to pretend to be, but they want to be wrong because they want their team to be well run. One of the worst aspects of fandom is the helpless feeling of watching decisions you know are dumb but can do nothing to control.

Fortunately, most often fans “know that they’re smarter” but in fact are only smarter in hindsight. It’s when foresight is 20/20 that nerves are touched even in a game that winds up being a loss by 2 touchdowns. Let’s count the number of obvious blunders that were blunders before they happened — and then showed why.

1. As I proclaimed loudly, before the home stand began, to anyone who would listen (nobody), the last thing you wanted to do was to line up Jeffrey Springs to start twice in a 6-game home stand in the launching pad that is Summerlin. JT Ginn would have been on turn, Mason Barnett could have pitched in tandem as part of a bullpen game, and Springs could have been pushed back to Monday.

Predictably, Springs got shelled again for 8 runs and 3 HR in 4 IP — with 2 of the HRs coming on exit velocities that needed a boost from the desert air.

2. I will accept that Nick Kurtz needed a day off of 1B because he has had so little time off the field and you can’t begrudge needed rest, even though you were looking at a game against an opponent you had a great chance to beat with a chance to move into a 1st place tie. But given the extreme heat and fatigue factor, you have to allow for it.

Where the front office failed was in constructing a roster without a real back up 1Bman, which led Mark Kotsay to opt for Jeff McNeil at 1B. It only took until the top of the 1st for the idea to backfire, as McNeil couldn’t pull in a bad throw from Muncy that a taller or more accomplished 1Bman catches on the bag.

Where Kotsay failed was in not making the more logical move and going with Tyler Soderstrom, no great 1Bman but one with experience at the position and the physical traits for the job. Speaking of which…

3. The A’s could not have put a more absurd defense on the field behind their pitchers. You had Max Muncy and Jeff McNeil on the corner infield, the combo that predictably allowed for 2 unearned runs to score early.

The A’s continue to act as if Lawrence Butler is a viable option in CF and that Carlos Cortes won’t hurt you in RF. Back when the game was still very winnable, Butler fanned on a drive that Henry Bolte runs down, then proceeded to look like a Little Leaguer out there the rest of the afternoon. Cortes did as well later in the game, but you can at least blame the sun/wind for playing a part and by then no one really cared about the results anyway.

Overall the defense was an absolute joke — just as it was on paper so no one should have been the least bit surprised. How could Kotsay have better navigated the personnel he had available to him? You put Soderstrom at 1B, McNeil at 2B, Gelof at 3B, Cortes in LF, Bolte in CF, Butler in RF.

Suddenly you have exactly nobody playing out of position (even if your 1Bman and LFer aren’t the strongest fielders) and you have swapped Muncy out for Bolte the day after Bolte put together several excellent plate appearances and there was really no reason to sit him.

With that defense behind a SP who isn’t an extreme fly ball pitcher with severe HR tendencies, the A’s would have had a shot today against a bad pitcher who was getting hit hard. Now would the A’s have won? Likely not in that most probably today was a game where at some point the A’s were going to turn to Luis Medina in the middle innings and Medina was just awful. So maybe you lose anyway — but not in a way where the front office and manager are exposed for not knowing how to assemble or employ a roster.

Moving forward, if the A’s want to stay in contention for anything they are going to have some difficult decisions to make because they can’t continue to carry too much dead weight on their roster and expect to distance themselves from the .500 mark — at least not in the direction they are hoping.

In a game that featured 39 hits, McNeil went 0 for 3 with a couple weak fly balls to LF. It’s getting harder and harder to justify penciling him in as his slump reaches 0 for 20 and he has just 4 hits, all singles, in his last 51 at bats. And more troubling is how weak most of his contact has been in those 51 at bats.

Also, Scott Barlow’s smoke and mirrors act is running out of steam. The A’s suddenly have the trappings of a much improved bullpen thanks to the apparent emergence of Elvis Alvarado and Mason Barnett, but Barlow’s last 5 appearances speak for themselves: 4.1 IP, 8 hits, 9 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR. Summerlin can only be blamed so much.

Colby Thomas’ season line is down to .241/.290/.379 (.670 OPS) as opposing pitchers have gotten a clear book on him: throw balls and let him swing at them. Thomas is now 3 for his last 26 with 2 BB and 9 K (32.1% K rate). And he’s hardly making up for it in the field, where he sports a -3 DRS and -1 OAA in RF.

So there’s 3 roster spots the A’s need to make some tough decisions around as the calendar turns to mid-June and the prevailing phrase is “It’s not early anymore.”

But what the A’s need to do first and foremost is to put their players in a position to succeed and that means understanding where they can play on the diamond and how their skill set matches the environment where the game is being played. Today’s game should be a wake up call that these things actually matter. A lot.