Category: Baseball

Blue Jays 3 Red Sox 0

It seems weird to get a shutout in a game that the Jays pitchers really didn’t look great

An impromptu bullpen day, with Max Scherzer scratched with back tightness (landing him on the IL), Jays pitchers walked seven and allowed seven hits. You’d imagine one of those baserunners would have come around to score. The Red Sox were 0 for 12 with RISP.

We did get some good defense. Kazuma Okamoto made a couple of terrific plays (two in the eighth in particular) and Vladimir Guerrero had just an excellent night with the glove. Davis Schneider also made an excellent catch in left field.

On the pitching side:

• Braydon Fisher got the first four outs, giving up two walks in the process.
• Simeon Woods Richardson, the forgotten man in the pen, played bulk guy, going three innings, with three hits and three walks with one strikeout. He was helped by the spectacular catch in left field by Schneider. SWR was awarded the win.
• Mason Fluharty only got one out, with one walk, one his and one strikeout.
• Spencer Miles came in with Fluharty’s two runners on base and left them there, getting four outs, with one hit and one walk, with a strikeout.
• Jeff Hoffman pitched the seventh and was the first Jays pitcher not to walk someone. He gave up a one-out single, but got out of the inning with three ground outs. It took him 25 pitches to throw that scoreless inning, but put up a zero.
• Tyler Rogers had his usual inning, giving up a single, but getting three ground outs.
• And Louis Varland was untouchable in the ninth, three strikeouts on ten pitches. He was amazing. Save number 14.

We only got three runs, but it was enough:

• Two in the third: Davis Schneider hit a double off the left field wall. After Myles Straw (one of Spencer Miles or Myles Straw has to change the spelling of their name, I keep forgetting which is which. Add in all the variations on Brandon on the team and it is too much for a bear of very little brain) struck out, Andrés Giménez singled Davis in. Giménez then stole second. George Springer was hit by pitch (it looked like he got it off the foot again). The pair pulled off a double steal and Andrés scored on a Guerrero ground out. I thought IKF could have come home on the play, but I’m not going to complain.
• One in the eighth: Giménez singled and stole second. Springer flied out, moving up the runner. and Vlad popped one up just out of the reach of the Red Sox second baseman Andruw Monasterio.

We had eight hits (but no walks) on the day. Vlad and Andrés had two each. Springer (with a hit by pitch), Okamoto (2 k), Kirk (2 k) and Clement (2 k) had 0 fors. We were 2 for 9 with RISP, infinitely better than the Red Sox.

Giménez had 3 steals and Springer had 2 which set a new Jays single game record with 5 steals in a game.

Beyond that, the English soccer fans gave a bit of atmosphere to the game. They had fun. I’ve been to a few soccer games in England and the fans are half the fun of the game.

Jays of the Day: Spencer Miles (0.18 WPA), Giménez (0.17), Woods Richardson (0.15) and Hoffman (0.09). I’d give honorable mention to Davis, Kazuma and Vlad for their defense.

No one gets the number for the Other Award. Straw had the low mark at -0.08 but he did make a nice catch too.

Tomorrow is a day game. 1:30 Eastern, which messes with my day. Trey Yesavage (3-3, 3.78) and Sonny Gray (8-1, 3.03) are the starters. I’d say runs will be hard to get, but I said that you should take the ‘over’ on runs scored today and only three runs were scored.

Sportsnet says we are 7-1 on bullpen days. Of course, we were over-using the arms in the pen.

And Tyler Heineman was traded to the Angels for the ever famous ‘cash considerations’. No word on what uniform number cash will be wearing with the Jays. Yeah, bad joke.

Left-hander Victor Zarraga was sent to the rookie ball ACL Cubs from Low-A Myrtle Beach.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs snuck past Indianapolis (Pirates), 6-5 in ten innings.

Paul Campbell gave the I-Cubs five strong innings, allowing just one run. Unfortunately, he came out for the sixth and gave up three runs before getting pulled. The final line on Campbell was four runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out three and walked two.

Tyler Ferguson blew a save in his first game back with Iowa, but to be fair to him, it was on an unearned run. To be fair to the truth, the error was his own bad pickoff throw at first base. Ferguson allowed one unearned run on three hits over two innings. He walked one and struck out no one.

Vince Reilly pitched the top of the tenth, kept the automatic runner from scoring and got the win. Reilly allowed no runs and no hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Second baseman James Triantos singled home BJ Murray in the bottom of the tenth to win the game. Triantos went 2 for 4 with a double.

Most of Iowa’s runs came on a fourth inning grand slam by shortstop Ben Cowles. It was his fourth home run of the eyar. Cowles was 2 for 3 with a walk.

The Cowles grand slam.

Vince Reilly gets out of the tenth.

Here’s Murray scoring on Triantos’ single. They could have given an error on this. A clean catch and Murray is out by a mile.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were identified by the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 5-2. The loss drops Knoxville a game behind the Lookouts with four to play in the first half.

Frankie Scalzo Jr. started, gave up a three-run home run in the second inning and got the loss. Scalzo’s final line was three runs on two hits and two walks over 1.1 innings. He struck out one.

Tyler Santana gave the Smokies three strong innings of relief, allowing no runs on just two hits. He struck out five and walked no one.

The Smokies managed just five hits, all singles. Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle was 2 for 2 wth a walk and one run scored.

Third baseman Jefferson Rojas had an RBI single. He was 1 for 4.

South Bend Cubs

I regret to inform you that Josiah Hartshorn did not reach base today. That’s because the South Bend Cubs were rained out. Doubleheader tomorrow in Ft. Wayne.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans washed the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles) out to sea, 8-6.

Noah Edders tossed the first two innings and did not allow a run. He permitted just one hit. Edders walked no one and struck out four.

Riely Huntsaker pitched the next four innings and got the win. Hunsaker allowed one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out two.

Jhon Rosario pitched the final 2.2 innings, gave up two runs in the ninth but got the save. Rosario allowed two hits and hit one batter, all in the bottom of the ninth. Rosario did not walk anyone and struck out one.

Myrtle Beach scored five runs in the top of the second and never trailed afterwards. Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy was 1 for 2 with three walks and three steals. He scored once and drove in one run.

First baseman Michael Carico went 2 for 5 and scored twice.

DH Edward Vargas went 1 for 3 with a two-run single in the third. He was also hit by a pitch, stole a base and scored one run.

RBI infield single for Geuri Lubo, who was 1 for 4.

RBI single for Alexis Hernandez, who went 1 for 4 with a walk.

The two-run single by Vargas.

ACL Cubs

Beating the Angels 4-2 in the third inning.

The Braves’ offense waited a little too long to wake up on Wednesday.

After they managed just two runs in the first 16 innings against a San Francisco Giants pitching staff which entered the day 22nd in ERA (4.52), they found themselves in a 7-2 hole entering the ninth inning staring down another series loss.

Although delayed, the awakening was real for Atlanta’s bats, plating three runs with one out to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, as Mauricio Dubon hit a two-run homer after two previous flyouts to the warning track and another run came across on a wild pitch.

But Ozzie Albies grounded out and Austin Riley struck out, bringing the comeback bid up short in a 7-5 loss which completed what was essentially a doubleheader sweep after the majority of Tuesday’s 7-2 loss was played on Wednesday afternoon.

Dubon’s homer prevented the fifth time in the last six the Braves have scored three or fewer runs. But the Braves were unable to avoid their second three-game losing streak in the last seven games after they had just one through the first 66 games of the season.

Not to pile on, but it also clinched the Braves’ third straight series loss after they dropped just two of their first 21 series this season.

They had chances throughout, as they were set down in order just twice in nine innings and put the leadoff runner on base five times while outhitting the Giants 12-9

But they couldn’t convert frequently enough, finishing 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine runners.

That only hit with RISP before the Braves were in a 7-2 hole in the ninth inning came from Riley. He led the offensive effort with his first three-hit game since Opening Day and broke a 13-inning shutout streak with his sixth-inning RBI single. Dominic Smith plated the other in the sixth on a sacrifice fly.

Along with Riley, the rest of the middle of the lineup did much of the lifting as Matt Olson and Albies, the two hitters ahead of Riley, had three and two hits, respectively, while Eli White, hitting after Riley, had one as well.

Jair Camargo, called up as the 27th roster member for the doubleheader nightcap, had a ninth-inning double which was his first career major league hit in his Braves debut.

Until it was basically too late, the offense didn’t do much to help JR Ritchie in his return to the starting rotation. Now, it bears mentioning the rookie didn’t exactly help himself early in his outing.

Rafael Devers gave San Francisco a 1-0 lead in the first with a two-out RBI single to left.

The wheels then really came off in the second, when he allowed three home runs. Willy Adames led off the inning with his second homer in as many games. After a walk of nine-hole hitter Eric Haase, Luiz Arraez followed with a two-run homer. Bryce Eldridge came up next and he also homered off the fellow rookie, who was tagged for five runs on five hits over the first two innings.

The nature of the pitching staff after a bullpen game to begin the day meant that Ritchie had to wear his struggles. Thankfully for him, he steadied himself well after the very rocky start. After a leadoff walk and wild pitch to begin the third, Ritchie retired the final nine batters he faced, working through five innings with no more runs allowed.

Carlos Carrasco, called up before the second game of the day, threw the final four innings, starting with three shutout frames before he was tagged for two runs which wound up being PRETTY IMPORTANT in the ninth on a two-run single by Arraez, who had a four-RBI game.

The Braves will look to salvage a game from this series and avoid being swept by the team with the second-worst record in the National League in Thursday’s series finale. There’s a big asterisk on that one, though, as the forecast looks…rough.

If it happens, Atlanta’s Martin Perez (5-3, 2.90 ERA) is slated to start against Landen Roupp (5-7, 4.24) for the Giants.

The champs are in the building. That’s one heck of a motivator.

Before Wednesday night’s game at Yankee Stadium, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart came to the mound to throw ceremonial first pitches. The duo will join the rest of their Knicks teammates at the Canyon of Heroes, a spot the Yankees have populated frequently in years past, for their championship parade. The city will be bloated to burst with euphoric fans, celebrating the end of a long drought and an incredible postseason run which united all five boroughs.

The Yankees will never be able to unite the whole city behind them—they’ve been villains for far too long. But seeing the ovation Brunson and Hart received has to light a fire under you. The Yankees indeed put together a spirited performance, dropping double-digit runs against the White Sox for the second consecutive game en route to a 10-5 victory. It continues an appropriately strong start to a week in which plenty of revelry still awaits in NYC.

It’s always pretty amusing when both teams face the same scenario in the same inning, but one squad ultimately succeeds and the other doesn’t. Both the Yankees and White Sox had a run-producing opportunities after a two-out double in the opening frame. The White Sox’ Colson Montgomery worked a 12-pitch at-bat but ultimately failed to come through. Cody Bellinger, master of the left-on-left matchup, had no such trouble. His two-run homer put the Bombers ahead early.

After Brunson and Hart stopped by the YES—er, Amazon Prime booth, the Yanks got right back to work against lefty starter Anthony Kay with the bottom of their order. José Caballero took a ball off his shoetop, but was still able to race all the way home from first base on an Anthony Volpe triple. Ali Sánchez then singled Volpe home with a simple base hit to right field to give Rodón plenty of early breathing room against the team that drafted him out of NC State.

Unfortunately, the room got cramped again real quick. Montgomery must have felt a little rankled when Rodón outlasted him in the first, so with two aboard and two out in the third he got his revenge. On an 0-2 count, Carlos’ slider caught far too much plate and the young infielder jolted it over the right field wall to put the Pale Hose back within one run.

The Yankees subsequently failed to bring home Cody Bellinger on three tries in the bottom half following his leadoff double and advancement to third on a wild pitch. At this point, my Recapper’s Intuition(TM) told me we wouldn’t be seeing any more scoring for a while.

Thankfully, the Yankees got to work to foil my prediction against new pitcher Sean Newcomb to open the fifth inning. Bellinger’s third hit of the evening started the rally, then Jasson Domínguez lashed an opposite field double to give the middle of the order a prime opportunity for some insurance. Jazz Chisholm Jr. blew his chance on a first-pitch foul pop, but Caballero had his teammate’s back. He stayed back on a letter-high fastball and raked it the other way to score both runners.

They weren’t done. Volpe and Sánchez collected their second respective hits in their second respective at-bats, flipping the lineup card over for Paul Goldschmidt. Continuing the opposite-field theme, Goldy clocked a line drive towards the short porch, and it zipped into the stands for a three-run home run to break the game wide open.

Bellinger and Goldschmidt now have 11 homers apiece on the season.

Rodón struck out the side after the Sox got the leadoff man aboard in the fourth, then he worked around a double in the fifth to finish his night. A couple long stanzas limited his outing to a five-and-dive, but given last night’s 10-run victory and the six-run margin the Yanks had already built, it wasn’t paramount that he go deeper. Paul Blackburn handled matters in the sixth, seventh, and a slice of the eighth.

Following the seventh-inning stretch, Jazz decided to get in on the act with a home right to right field, giving the Yankees double-digit runs for the second straight night. That blast gave him 10 on the year—still a long way to go if he wishes to reach the 50/50 club. But hey, at least the homers have been coming pretty consistently of late.

The Southsiders grabbed a few late runs on solo homers: another from Colson Montgomery in the eighth, then a long drive from Team Italy legend Sam Antonacci against Jake Bird in the ninth. But they went down in order after that final loud sound to secure a fourth straight Yankee victory, nine of their last ten, and 15 of their last 20. Meanwhile, the Dodgers completed a sweep of the Rays to give the Bombers yet another game of cushion in the standings.

The Yankees will aim for a sweep of their own tomorrow night against the White Sox, who have been flattened to the tune of 22 runs during their sojourn in the Bronx. Ryan Weathers will be tapped to start against 26-year old righty Sean Burke.

Box Score.

Up-and-down game (emotionally and, well, on the field) tonight. Gavin was bad tonight. Probably the worst start he’s had since 2024 (not fact-checked). Certainly the worst of the season. He gave up 5 runs in the first 2 innings, walking two and giving up a long ball.

But then, in the fourth, Daniel Schneemann came up with the bases loaded and one out (Bazzana walk, Manzardo single, Rocchio walk, Hoskins strikeout).

That would end up being the high water mark of the evening for the Guardians. Gavin gave up 2 more runs on a 2-run homer from Jackson Chourio right after this.

The highlight of tonight, by far, is Daniel Espino’s debut. It was truly something special to watch. He struck out 2 and induced a weak flyout for the last out of the inning.

To come out throwing that kind of stuff in your major league debut is extremely special.

The Guardians ended up losing 9-4. It’ll be Messick vs. Drohan tomorrow afternoon for the finale.

The Yankees offense continued to roll on Wednesday night in the Bronx, making life easy for starting pitcher Carlos Rodón in the team's fourth straight win, 10-5 the final score.

For the second straight night, all nine starters in the New York batting order got at least one hit.

Here are the takeaways....

-New York Knicks stars Josh Hart and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson threw out the first pitch for tonight's game to celebrate the team's NBA title.

-Rodónallowed a two-out double to potential All-Star corner infielder Miguel Vargas, but bounced back to win a 12-pitch at-bat against Colson Montgomery to strand Vargas at second base and end the top of the first inning.

-Amed Rosario responded in the bottom half of the first with a two-out double of his own, and Cody Bellinger compounded the damage with a home run into the right field seats, giving the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.

-Rodóngot himself into some trouble in the top of the second inning, allowing a walk and a single before recording an out. He worked out of the jam without allowing a run, forcing a ground ball double-play before recording a strikeout for the third out.

-Left-handed White Sox starter Anthony Kay lost control of a breaking ball, which struck Jose Caballero on the right foot. Yankees manager Aaron Boone left the dugout to check on his left-fielder, who remained in the game.

-Shortstop Anthony Volpe was keen to test out Caballero's legs, bringing the speedy utility player all the way around to score from first base with an RBI triple into the gap in left-center. Then, catcher Ali Sanchez poked a soft single into right-center to score Volpe from third, increasing the Yanks' lead to 4-0.

-The White Sox immediately responded to keep the ballgame within touching distance in the third inning. With two men on base, Montgomery took a hanging Rodón slider deep with two outs and two strikes in the count, changing the scoreboard to 4-3. Rodón was visibly frustrated on the mound, but got out of the inning one batter later.

-Bellinger led off the bottom of the third with a stand-up double, his second extra-base hit of the night. Still with nobody out, Bellinger advanced to third base on a wild pitch, but a Jasson Dominguez groundout, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. strikeout, and a Jose Caballero infield pop-out on a hapless bunt attempt squandered the run-scoring opportunity.

-Rodón was resilient in his final inning of work, unfazed by a leadoff double allowed to Chase Meidroth, by recording three straight outs to hold the 4-3 lead. He exited the game having pitched five full innings, allowing seven hits and three walks, but while striking out seven batters. All three runs allowed for the lefty came on Montgomery's aforementioned homer.

-The Yankees bats continued to sizzle in the bottom of the fifth, knocking around lefty reliever Sean Newcomb. Cody Bellinger led off with a line drive single, putting him a triple away from the cycle. Dominguez's double into the right field corner put runners on second and third, and two batters later, Jose Caballero singled them both home to extend the lead to 6-3. Anthony Volpe drilled Newcomb with a comebacker that struck the pitcher on his left arm, forcing him to exit the game, while Volpe reached first base on a fielder's choice. 

-Newcomb's replacement, rookie right-hander Tyler Davis, was unable to limit the damage for Chicago. The Yankees have been ruthless at the plate with two outs all season, and it was no different in this instance, as Ali Sanchez singled Volpe to third base before Paul Goldschmidt joined the hit party with an opposite-field frozen rope that left the yard for a three-run home run. The fifth inning ended with the score 9-3 in New York's favor.

-Chisholm Jr. was the final Yankee in the order to record a hit tonight, but came through in a big way, clobbering a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning and pad the lead to 10-3.

-Ben Rice sent a jolt into one with runners on the corners and two outs, but former Yankee Everson Pereira made a spectacular leaping grab on the run in left-center field. Pereira was shaken up after the play, as he collided with the outfield wall, but the White Sox center fielder held onto the ball for the third out, ending the seventh inning. He was quickly removed from the game.

-Colson Montgomery added another home run to his tally in the top of the eighth, his 19th of the season, a long drive to center field off of Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn, bringing the score to 10-4.

-Sam Antonacci took Yankees righty Jake Bird deep in the ninth inning, but Bird retired the next three White Sox batters in order to secure the 10-5 win.

Game MVP: Cody Bellinger

It was Cody Bellinger who stole the show with a stellar 3-for-4 night plus a walk, racking up eight total bases and two RBI.

Highlights

Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/xobyrLm3b9

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 17, 2026

Anthony Volpe drives in a run with a triple! pic.twitter.com/IuSoUNcc9v

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 17, 2026

PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT OH MY pic.twitter.com/mZUQ0IDFix

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 18, 2026

Cabby tacks on two! pic.twitter.com/CbB9L7AncQ

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 18, 2026

🎷 pic.twitter.com/PIXfXuTAiB

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) June 18, 2026

What's next

The Yankees, who now lead the AL East by 3.5 games at 45-27, will go for the three-game sweep of the White Sox on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

LHP Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.36 ERA) and RHP Sean Burke (3-4, 4.15 ERA) will square off on the mound.

CINCINNATI — Bo Bichette was just getting started when he singled in the first inning Wednesday.

As has been the case lately, a Bichette hit spawns at least another from the veteran infielder. On this day he finished 3-for-4 with a walk, leading the offensive attack in the Mets’ 9-1 victory over the Reds.

It was a sixth straight multihit game for the sizzling Bichette.

“I am just competing and the ball is finding grass,” said Bichette, who owns a 1.039 OPS in June.

Bichette’s multihit game streak is the third longest in franchise history. Steve Henderson had eight straight such games in 1979 and David Wright had seven in 2011.

But Bichette said he’s not exactly in a zone where he believes a hit is forthcoming with each plate appearance.

“I think there’s a lot of at-bats right now that I can still have better at-bats,” Bichette said. “It’s not perfect. I think I am just making good adjustments from at-bat to at-bat and I think I can make adjustments better from pitch to pitch, but I am not going to complain too much.”

Juan Soto had a three-hit performance batting behind Bichette, giving the Mets another sampling of a tantalizing 1-2 punch.

“That’s what I envisioned,” Bichette said. “He’s a great hitter. I’m a great hitter, so it’s my vision. It’s fun scoring runs.”

Bichette’s resurgence has fueled a lineup still awaiting Francisco Lindor’s return from a left calf strain.

“[Bichette] is a really good player, and it was just a matter of time,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Now we are starting to see that consistently.”

A.J. Ewing’s diving catch in center field in the third inning helped Nolan McLean escape with only one unearned run allowed. The Reds had the bases loaded with one out

“It kept a lot of runs off the board and I think it gave us momentum going into the later parts of the game,” McLean said.

Ronny Mauricio is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this weekend, according to Mendoza. The infielder has been sidelined since May 3 with a left thumb fracture.

The Mets have scored at least five runs in each of their past 10 victories, dating to May 29 against Miami.

The Red Sox got a fairly effective outing from Jake Bennett in his fourth MLB start, which didn’t eventually matter with a zero on the board from Boston’s offense. The Blue Jays secured the series victory in a 3-0 win. The Red Sox fell to 13 games under .500 for the first time since 2015 (162-game season) and 10 games under .500 against the American League East, letting another low-scoring game fade away. 

Here’s three takeaways from Wednesday’s loss. 

NO SCHERZER, NO PROBLEM

Max Scherzer had been slated to start for Toronto before he landed back on the injured list with back spasms just a week after being activated from the injured list. The future Hall of Famer gave up three runs in 3 ⅔ innings against the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate in Worcester in a recent rehab outing before the latest setback. 

That didn’t seem to matter for the visitors as the Blue Jays shut out Boston with seven arms holding the often-scuffling lineup off the board. 

OFFENSE FALLS FLAT AGAIN
Boston’s lineup can’t say it didn’t have more than enough chances in the middle game of the three-game set. Toronto pitchers walked seven hitters, though the Red Sox failed to take advantage and left 13 runners on base for the second consecutive night. 

The Red Sox rank in the bottom third of baseball in runners left in scoring position (RISP) per game.

ANOTHER DAY OF CONFIRMATION

Sell at the deadline. Just like this. 

The Royals announced today they have acquired pitcher Randy Dobnak from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations. The move comes just days after the team acquired pitcher Connor Seabold from the Toronto Blue Jays for minor league pitcher Denis Samudio and cash considerations. Both players will be added to the 40-man roster, and to make room for them, the Royals transferred pitchers Carlos Estévez and Cole Ragans to the 60-day Injured List. Estévez has already been out for more than 60 days, while the move means Ragans will be out until at least July 7.

Dobnak had an impressive stretch his rookie year, with a 1.59 ERA in 28.1 innings with the Minnesota Twins, but has struggled since then. He has a career 4.86 ERA in 140.2 innings with just 5.4 strikeouts-per-nine-innings, and has pitched just six MLB games since 2021. He had a 4.24 ERA in 13 starts at Triple-A this year, but had an “upward mobility” clause in his minor league contract that required the Mariners to offer him to other teams to be placed on another 40-man roster. Dobnak has options remaining and has been assigned to Triple-A Omaha.

The Royals acquired Seabold on Tuesday and he made his team debut that evening against the Nationals. The 30- year old is out of options, and is pitching for his third team this year. He has pitched in parts of five seasons with the Red Sox, Rockies, Rays, Braves, Tigers, and Blue Jays, and has a 7.25 ERA in 139 innings. He has been better this year, however, with a 4.05 ERA in 20 innings after his outing with the Royals. Samudio is a 21-year-old pitching at Low-A Columbia, where he had a 4.50 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 14 innings. He was not ranked on top Royals prospect lists for Baseball America or MLB Pipeline, and FanGraphs listed him in “honorable mention”, noting he can throw 95 mph.

The Royals’ pitching staff has been hard with injuries lately. Ragans was shut down after experiencing discomfort this week, and is getting a second opinion on an MRI, according to Anne Rogers. Bubic had a setback after one rehab start, but he had a clean MRI last week, according to Joel Goldberg. Seth Lugo missed his start on Monday after being placed on the 7-day concussion Injured List, but he is expected to return for his start on Friday. Reliever Nick Mears has been out since late May with a shoulder impingement, but could begin a rehab assignment soon. Estévez has been throwing and could return in July.

The moves this week just highlight how important it is to have organizational pitching depth. The Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers have a 5.74 team ERA, second-worst in the International League, with the most walks in the league. The Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals have a 6.15 ERA, worst in the Texas League. The acquisitions of Dobnak and Seabold may not move the needle much at the big league level, but they underscore how thin the Royals’ pitching depth has become. With multiple members of the major league staff sidelined and few obvious internal alternatives emerging from the upper minors, Kansas City is being forced to scour the trade market for reinforcements.

The hottest topic in baseball is whether it’s OK for MLB players to have Bible verses written on their rainbow-inspired hats when the team is celebrating Pride Night.

Appearing as a guest on “The Will Cain Show” on Wednesday, former MLB pitcher Roger Clemens suggested players should be able to vote whether they wear the special hats.

“I think if you took a vote amongst the players if they were wanting to wear this or that, it would have been a different outcome of what would have been said,” Clemens said. “Alter our uniforms all the time with numbers or somebody that’s passed away. I know that one time in Boston, Larry Bird retired, … they put 33 on in a silver marker on the hat so I could honor Larry Bird.”

“I did it for my Mom and my grandmother. I mean, they were the reason why I was there, and I love it that these guys show that the blessings the Lord has given them. To be out there on that field. That’s the way it was for me.”

Clemens is correct; modified uniforms have always existed in baseball. The Angels’ uniform this season features a patch that says “GA” honoring Garret Anderson, who passed away in April. During last year’s World Series, Dodgers and Blue Jays players wore modified hats that featured the number “51” in honor of Alex Vesia, who was away from the Dodgers in what was later revealed as a sudden loss of his newborn daughter.

On Monday, MLB issued a warning to Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker after they altered their Pride Night hats and added Bible verses.

Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen was the first pitcher to enter a game this year with a Pride Night hat with a Bible verse written on it.

Last season, Treinen was in the public eye after paying tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk by having his name written on his hat after Kirk was assassinated.

Tonight the Mariners will play their sixth game against the Orioles in the last ten days. I will be filing a complaint. Also filing a complaint: George Kirby, who has received six runs of support in his past eight outings against the O’s – not per game; combined.

Lineups:

News:

Sadly, emergency call-up Curtis Washington Jr. wasn’t able to get in the game last night. He’s been optioned back to Everett, with INF/OF Connor Joe recalled to take his place.

Tonight’s game information:

Game time: 6:40 PT

TV: Mariners TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, and Ryan Rowland-Smith as sideline reporter

Radio: 710 Seattle Sports with Rick Rizzs and Shannon Drayer

So, that was annoying. Last night, the Orioles kept us up late just to get one total hit after the first inning, going quietly into the Seattle night.

You joining us for another round?

Look, it’s possible that George Kirby makes for an easier target for O’s hitters. After debuting in 2022, the Rye, NY native and first-rounder posted three consecutive sub-4 ERA seasons, but 2025 and 2026 haven’t been as good. He dealt with shoulder inflammation in 2025, but nothing announced this year. His fastball continues to be a very effective pitch, but something is the matter with his curveball, which has a negative run value for the first time ever, and an expected .336 BA against.

Kirby faced Baltimore in the last series, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings with three walks and a season-high 10 strikeouts. Gunnar loves hitting off of him: he’s .444 in 18 trips to the plate. Pete Alonso is 4-for-8 against the righty. Taylor Ward has hit three career homers off him.

It’ll be a nicer game to stay up late for if Kyle Bradish can keep building back to his pre-Tommy John form. Statcast data suggests his pitches are not quite back: his slider has a career-worst -7 run value, whereas in his ridiculous 2023 it was a +12, behind only his +16 curveball (that’s ridiculous).

Earlier this season, Bradish had a successful May, the ERA trending down in consecutive starts, but in June he’s allowed five runs in two straight starts. That included a clunker against this Mariners lineup, where he got homered on by Cole Young, Luke Raley, and Dominic Canzone in just four innings.

Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward LF
2. Gunnar Henderson SS
3. Adley Rutschman C
4. Pete Alonso 1B
5. Samuel Basallo DH
6. Leody Taveras CF
7. Tyler O’Neill RF
8. Jackson Holliday 2B
9. Blaze Alexander 3B

Mariners lineup

1. J.P. Crawford 3B
2. Cal Raleigh C
3. Julio Rodríguez CF
4. Dominic Canzone DH
5. Cole Young 2B
6. Victor Robles RF
7. Colt Emerson SS
8. Connor Joe LF
9. Miles Mastrobuoni 1B

The A’s have split the first two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That’s set up tonight’s rubber match, with one team getting a series win in Sacramento. The Athletics dropped back below .500 with last night’s loss so a win this evening would get them back to even, and depending on how Seattle does tonight the A’s could be within a half-game of first place in the AL West. Can the A’s get back in the win column on Pride Night at Sutter Health Park?

Before tonight’s contest, the A’s announced a minor roster move, activating tonight’s starting pitcher Aaron Civale while optioning righty Luis Morales:

The move doesn’t have major implications but does remove an option from the bullpen for Mark Kotsay. Morales didn’t make an appearance during his brief callup and now he’ll return to Las Vegas and continue trying to fix things down there.

Back to the game at hand. As said above, Civale is the Athletics’ starting pitcher tonight. The veteran right-hander spent just over three weeks on the injured list with shoulder tendinitis in his pitching arm. Everyone held their breath when that was the diagnosis but it seems that the A’s are getting the best-case scenario with Civale’s shoulder. With that short of a layoff he didn’t need more than the one rehab start he made. In that appearance he looked awesome, firing 4 1/3 perfect innings with seven strikeouts against Triple-A hitters. Looks good to go. He got hit hard in his last two appearances before landing on the IL so the hope is that the shoulder was the cause of those rough outings and he can get back to the pitcher he’s been for the majority of the year.

Here’s how the bats will line up behind their starting pitcher for the series finale:

The typical top of the lineup, with Kurtz and Langeliers (DH’ing tonight) batting back-to-back to start things. They’re followed by Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, repeating the same top four as last night’s batting order.

With Langeliers DH’ing that means Jonah Heim will be catching Civale and he’s right in the middle of the order batting behind Wilson. Zack Gelof is back at third for the third consecutive night, leaving Max Muncy riding the bench. You can’t take Gelof out of the lineup when he’s riding a 20-game hit streak, and with a right-hander on the mound Kotsay is going with McNeil instead of Muncy tonight. Lawrence Butler is in right field versus the right-handed starter, and Henry Bolte will be patrolling center field this evening in Sacramento.

That lineup will be going up against Pittsburgh starter Braxton Ashcraft. The 26-year-old sophomore has been fantastic for the Pirates this season, his first as a full-time starter at the big league level. In 14 games he has a great 3.30 ERA thanks to his strikeout stuff. He’s also been stingy with the walks, issuing just 19 in 84 innings of work. The A’s will need to take advantage of any and every opportunity they get against the ascending Ashcraft.

And the Pirates’ starting nine tonight:

Not much different from last night’s lineup, aside from two small changes. Former #1 overall pick Henry Davis is back behind the plate batting ninth, while veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna is in the DH role this evening.

Gotta get this win tonight. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

The Braves got some bad news on Ronald Acuña Jr.’s hamstring injury. 

The star outfielder is a “long way” getting back on the field, according to Atlanta beat writer Mark Bowman, who added that the “Braves will be more cautious than they were” last month when Acuña went down with a Grade 1 strain in the same hamstring in May.

When he hit the IL last month, Acuña missed nearly three weeks. 

Acuña re-injured the left hamstring trying to run out a ground ball in a June 9 loss to the White Sox in 10 innings.

Braves manager Walt Weiss had previously suggested that the injury wouldn’t be long-term. 

“Grade 1, so it’s not terrible, but enough where we had to IL him,” he said last week. “We’d be waiting around a while, playing shorthanded if we were waiting for it to heal. So we went ahead and put him on the IL.

“Like I said, I don’t think it’s as severe as the last one, but still going to need some time.”

The injury is just the latest in a long list of leg issues Acuña has dealt with throughout his career. 

He played in just 144 regular season games in 2024 and 2025 combined after tearing his ACL in May 2024. 

Three years earlier, Acuna tore his right ACL, which took him out for about a year. 

Lower body injuries aren’t the only thing plaguing Acuña this year after having suffered a bone bruise in his left thumb in late May, though he opted to play through the ailment. 

When on the field this season, Acuña hasn’t quite looked like his MVP-like self. 

In 52 games, Acuña, a five-time All-Star, has hit .251/.373/.421 with seven home runs and 15 stolen bases. 

Despite Acuña’s hamstring issues, the Braves remain the class of the National League East. 

After Wednesday’s loss to the Giants, Atlanta sits at 46-26, seven games up on the Phillies for first-place in the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Athletics, June 17, 2026, 9:40 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing in the series finale against the Athletics in the capital of California.

The Pirates are handing the ball to Braxton Ashcraft, who is looking for his first win in June. Ashcraft has made two starts so far this month, but lost to the Atlanta Braves on June 6 by giving up six runs in five innings. He was given a no decision in his last start against the Miami Marlins, where he pitched five innings and gave up two runs, but the Pirates could not hold on late to pull out a win.

Veteran right-hander Aaron Civale is pitching for the A’s. Civale has played for six teams in the last four years but has found a bit of a rhythm with the A’s this season. Civale is 5-2 with a 4.20 ERA, but has been on the injured list for the past couple of weeks due to shoulder tendinitis. Civale is back on the mound today for the first time since May 25 and is looking for his first win in over a month as he is brought back to the lineup to face the Pirates.

Going into the off day, the Pirates want to make sure they finish the series out strong.

Location: Sutter Health Park, Sacramento, CA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (5-3, 3.30 ERA) vs. Aaron Civale (5-2, 4.20 ERA)

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