Category: Baseball

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (35-35)

SYRACUSE 6, NORFOLK 3 (BOX)

Syracuse returned to .500 powered by a strong start by Xzavion Curry, who allowed three runs over seven innings, scattering 5 hits, issuing no walks, and striking out 7. The Tides took the lead in the top of the first and held the lead for the majority of the evening. In the eighth inning, Syracuse batted around, plating four runs in the process; there was unfortunately no one big hit, with virtually every hitter contributing in some way to the runs that the team scored.

·  LF Nick Morabito: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K, SB (19), E (2)

·  RF Ji Hwan Bae: 0-3, R, BB, 2 K, SB (23)

·  3B Andy Ibáñez: 0-3, RBI

·  1B Ryan Clifford: 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K, E (8)

·  SS Grae Kessinger: 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI, K

·  DH Ben Rortvedt: 0-3, K

·  CF Cristian Pache: 1-3, R

·  C Hayden Senger: 0-2, BB, K

·  PR Christian Arroyo: 0-0, R

·  C Kevin Parada: 0-0

·  2B Jackson Cluff: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI

·  RHP Xzavion Curry: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

·  RHP Adbert Alzolay: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (1-0)

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets optioned RHP Jonathan Pintaro to Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Dan Hammer assigned to Syracuse Mets from Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (24-40)

NEW HAMPSHIRE 4, BINGHAMTON 1 (BOX)

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies found themselves being no-hit for most of the ballgame. In the bottom of the seventh, they finally managed their first hit- a JT Schwartz home run, ending the no-hit bid and the shutout- and in the ninth, they showed a little spunk, loading up the bases, but the Fisher Cats were able to prevent Binghamton from scoring. R.J. Gordon and the bullpen behind him didn’t pitch poorly necessarily, but the offense simply didn’t show up. With the loss, that is 40 games that the Binghamton Mets have lost in 2026, the first minor league affiliate to reach that ignominious distinction.

·  C Chris Suero: 0-3, BB, K, CS (3)

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 0-4, K

·  CF Matt Rudick: 0-4, 3 K

·  1B JT Schwartz: 2-4, R, 2B, HR (7), RBI

·  DH Vincent Perozo: 1-3, K, HBP

·  RF Jaylen Palmer: 0-2, BB, K, HBP

·  SS Wyatt Young: 0-4

·  2B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-3, 2 K, HBP

·  LF Diego Mosquera: 0-2, BB, K

·  RHP R.J. Gordon: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, L (0-4)

·  LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, WP, BLK

·  RHP Douglas Orellana: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Garrett Stratton: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets signed free agent OF Nick Lucky to a minor league contract.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Nick Lucky assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets sent RHP Justin Armbruester on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

ROSTER ALERT: OF Matt Rudick assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Garrett Stratton assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Brooklyn Cyclones.

ROSTER ALERT: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released 1B TT Bowens.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-38)

WILMINGTON 6, BROOKLYN 4 (BOX)

The Cyclones had a shutout going, holding on to a comfortable four-run lead, but reliever Parker Carlson had a meltdown on the mound in the bottom of the seventh, allowing the two runners he inherited from Tanner Witt to score and then three more he put on base himself. Hoss Brewer allowed one more in the bottom of the eighth because why not? In the top of the ninth, John Bay and JT Benson both worked walks, putting the tying runs on base, but down to one out left, Nick Roselli foul tipped a ball into the catcher’s mitt to end the game.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 0-3, RBI

·  1B Ronald Hernandez: 0-4, K

·  DH Corey Collins: 0-4, 2 K

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 3-4, 3 R, 2 2B, HR (3), RBI, K, PB (7)

·  CF Yonatan Henriquez: 0-3, BB, K

·  RF John Bay: 0-3, RBI, BB, K, SB (16), CS (4)

·  3B Colin Houck: 1-3, BB, K, E (8)

·  LF JT Benson: 1-3, R, BB

·  2B Nick Roselli: 1-2, BB

·  RHP Dakota Hawkins: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K

·  RHP Tanner Witt: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, BLK, L (0-3), BS (1)

·  RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

ROSTER ALERT: Brooklyn Cyclones activated RHP Josh Blum from the 7-day injured list.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (30-33)

ST. LUCIE 10, DAYTONA 3 (BOX)

The Tortugas scored three runs in the top of the first, smacking Conner Ware around a bit, but the offense had his back and put up a nine-spot in the bottom of the second, sending 13 batters to the plate in the inning. That second inning had a little bit of everything- Yohairo Cuevas got it started by reaching on a throwing error and later in the inning hit a two-run homer, the capstone runs of the inning. The St. Lucie bullpen kept Daytona in check for the rest of the ballgame, allowing just one hit, a pair of walks, and a pair of hit batsmen for the rest of the ballgame.

·  SS Elian Peña: 0-3, R, 2 BB

·  2B Trey Snyder: 1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 2-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, K, CS (2)

·  RF Yohairo Cuevas: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, HR (1), 2 RBI, BB

·  1B Julio Zayas: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB

·  CF Branny De Oleo: 1-3, R, BB, 2 K, SB (5)

·  C Chase Meggers: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, 2 K, PB (8)

·  LF Simon Juan: 1-4

·  DH Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-4, R, RBI

·  LHP Conner Ware: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, WP, HBP

·  RHP Zack Mack: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, HBP, W (1-0)

·  RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, BLK

·  RHP Joe Charles: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Caden Wooster: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: C Francisco Toledo assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

Rookie: FCL Mets (12-18)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Xzavion Curry

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Parker Carlson

On April 3, 2026, the Brewers signed 21-year-old shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt to an eight-year, $50.75 million contract. The deal includes two club options worth an additional $30 million.

On June 9, 2026, the Brewers signed 21-year-old outfield prospect Luis Lara to a seven-year, $31 million contract. The deal includes three club options worth an additional $33 million.

Both of these deals are relatively unprecedented in franchise history. Up until Pratt and Lara signed their extensions, the only prospect that the Brewers had ever signed prior to making his major league debut was Jackson Chourio. Aaron Ashby and Freddy Peralta both signed team-friendly extensions extremely early in their careers, but both had already made their major league debuts.

Lara and Pratt both rank among the Brewers’ top five prospects, but unlike Chourio or Jesús Made, neither entered 2026 carrying the label of a can’t-miss superstar. Naturally, their extensions raise an obvious question: what does Milwaukee see in these two prospects that made the organization comfortable guaranteeing more than $80 million before either of them even appeared in a major league game? Furthermore, what do these two players’ extensions say about the Brewers’ front office philosophy?

Defense

In recent years, the Brewers have built their roster around players with high-end defensive prowess. Before Brice Turang developed into arguably the best hitter on the Brewers, he brought value with his Platinum Glove defense. Sal Frelick has taken a step back this year, but he ranked in the 79th percentile or better in fielding run value in both of the last two seasons and posted +7 Outs Above Average last year. Joey Ortiz has never been feared at the plate, but has earned a starting spot for years because he’s a great defender. Blake Perkins has carved out a roster spot year after year with his defensive acumen.

I could provide numerous other examples, but you get the point. Over the last decade, Milwaukee’s organizational philosophy has been straightforward: build around run prevention. The Brewers prioritize strong defense and pitching, then rely on a lineup that does just enough offensively to outscore opponents. That formula has helped them remain one of baseball’s most consistent contenders despite operating with a bottom-third payroll.

Both Pratt and Lara fit that profile perfectly. Pratt is a 2024 Minor League Gold Glove winner whose defense earns 60 grades for both fielding and arm strength from MLB Pipeline. Pipeline is even higher on Lara, giving him a 70 grade for his defense and 60 grades for both his arm and speed. Both players project as significantly above-average fielders in the major leagues and have been consistently great defenders in the minor leagues. Furthermore, while no prospect is a sure thing, defensive skills tend to be more stable and predictable than offensive production — something that most likely gives the Brewers a little more confidence in offering Lara and Pratt their extensions.

Offense

Pratt’s .735 OPS with Triple-A Nashville is the highest OPS he has posted above Single-A. He recorded a .700 OPS in High-A (albeit in only 90 at-bats) and a .691 OPS in Double-A last season. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers, but evaluators remain optimistic because of Pratt’s underlying skills.

Scouts like Pratt’s offensive profile first and foremost because of his bat-to-ball ability. Despite opening 2025 in Double-A, he cut his strikeout rate from 20% in 2024 to 15.2%. As FanGraphs noted in its coverage of the extension, the combination of strong plate discipline, high contact rates, and steadily declining strikeout rates is an especially encouraging indicator of future offensive success. Pratt is also 6’4″ and has consistently recorded strong exit velocities for his age, leading many evaluators to believe more power is to come.

Turang provides an interesting comparison point. When Turang was Pratt’s age, he posted a .715 OPS in Double-A Biloxi and a .695 OPS in 176 plate appearances with Triple-A Nashville. Turang’s power ultimately developed more than most scouts projected. The Brewers are likely betting that Pratt’s offensive game still has room to grow in a similar fashion. By the time Pratt turns 23 in August of next year, the same age that Turang was when he made his major league debut, he’ll already have over a season of major league experience under his belt (assuming he sticks in the big leagues).

Lara, meanwhile, has pretty much always been a good hitter in the minors. Lara’s batting average in his professional career is .270, and his OBP is .368. Outside of his 2024 season in High-A, he’s never hit below .257 in any given year. He’s always had excellent bat-to-ball skills and strong plate discipline, but the missing piece with Lara was his power tool. Lara had just 10 home runs in four years coming into this season. He’s already hit seven so far in 2026.

I have a deeper dive on Lara’s breakout coming soon, so I don’t want to give away too much here. The short version is that Lara, like Pratt, is still very young. Last year, he hit 32 doubles and three triples, but just two home runs. As a 19-year-old in High-A, he recorded 19 doubles while again hitting only two homers.

By offering Lara this extension, Milwaukee is likely betting that, like Pratt, he will continue to grow into more power as he matures physically and adds strength. His early-season power surge could be the final piece of his offensive profile, especially because gap (extra-base) power at a young age is often viewed as a precursor to future home run production — whether through added strength, swing adjustments, or simply physical maturation.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

The final thing worth considering is that even if neither player fully develops at the plate, these contracts are pretty unlikely to become burdensome.

Lara will make less than $5.5 million annually through his age-26 season. An above-average defensive outfielder with solid contact skills and modest power — a fairly conservative projection for Lara — is worth that kind of money, particularly to an organization like Milwaukee that places a premium on defense.

The same logic applies to Pratt. He’ll make under $5.5 million through his age-27 season, roughly in line with what players such as Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Mauricio Dubón, and Miguel Rojas earn today. All three have carved out solid careers as defense-first players who make consistent contact but provide limited power. None has ever hit more than 11 home runs in a season, yet each has generated enough value to justify his salary. If Pratt becomes that caliber of player, the Brewers will be perfectly happy with the deal. If the bat develops further, the contract could become a bargain.

The Brewers are also making these bets in a changing economic environment that could make both contracts look even more favorable over time. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between MLB and the MLBPA is set to expire after the season, and a salary floor is widely expected to be a topic of discussion during the next round of negotiations. In its initial proposal during the last CBA talks, the MLBPA introduced a Competitive Integrity Tax that would have effectively penalized teams for maintaining payrolls below $150 million. As of 2026, 13 teams — including the Brewers — would fall below that threshold.

Milwaukee’s current adjusted payroll sits a little above $121 million, meaning the club could eventually be forced to spend more than it traditionally has. More broadly, if a significant portion of the league is required to increase payroll, player salaries would likely rise as a result. If that happens, Pratt’s and Lara’s contracts could look even more team-friendly than they do today.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

So, what does all this say about the Brewers’ organizational philosophy?

If Lara and Pratt become above-average defenders and below-average hitters, their contracts won’t look terrible. President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold and the rest of the Brewers’ front office no doubt see the value in locking up two young players who already fit the Brewers’ run prevention-first ethos, but have significant room for growth.

On the other hand, if Lara and Pratt turn into above-average hitters while maintaining their defensive value, their contracts will be looked at as steals. The Brewers are a small-market team, and small-market teams have to take risks to remain competitive.

Prospects are never a sure thing. Maybe Lara and Pratt aren’t as good defensively as they project to be, or maybe they prove unable to provide even replacement-value offense. That’s possible, but it isn’t likely.

For Milwaukee, the risk is relatively modest. The reward, meanwhile, is the possibility of controlling two above-average everyday players through the prime years of their careers at well below market value.

Good morning Birdland,

It looked like the Orioles were still operating on east coast time and up past their curfew in the 3-1 loss to the Mariners on Tuesday night.

The first inning was somewhat encouraging. Taylor Ward opened with a double and later scored on a Samuel Basallo single. But the entire lineup collected just one hit for the final eight innings. Brutal. It was an almost identical experience to the last time they faced Logan Gilbert, which was just a few days ago in Baltimore.

At least Brandon Young was good again, though not as dominant as he has sometimes been. Still, it was another quality start (six innings, three runs, four hits, four walks, two strikeouts) for the sophomore, who still sports an impressive 3.18 ERA on the year.

Because the Orioles offense was so bad, the game also wrapped up rather quickly. It took just two hours and 18 minutes from first pitch to final out. So if you did make the poor decision to stay up and watch this game, at least you still made it to bed at a somewhat reasonable time.

This west coast swing is just getting started, unfortunately. There are eight games left on this road trip, including two more in Seattle. Kyle Bradish will be on the bump tonight, and the Orioles could use a return to form for the righty. He has allowed 10 runs over his last two starts (eight total innings). They need more from him, though he is far from the only one that has hid the skids recently.

These next few days, much like the lengthy home stand a couple of weeks ago, feels make or break. If they can go .500 or so on this road trip, they will be in a good spot. If they fall apart, it could make sense to start looking towards July with a sellers’ eye.

Links

O’s get their closer back as Helsley returns from IL stint | Orioles.com
In case you missed it, Ryan Helsley is back with the Birds. Anthony Nunez was sent down to Triple-A Norfolk to make room. The O’s closer says he is without pain and felt good during his two rehab outings. It’s tough luck for Nunez, who has had a rocky (but often impressive) first taste of the majors this year. He also has all of his options remaining, so he is the easiest member of the group to send down to Norfolk for now.

Digging into the mailbag | Roch Kubatko
Nothing major in here, but it does include injury and rehab updates for several notable Orioles. The Orioles could use the help, though most of their success will be determined by the players already on the roster. They need their stars to perform more than they need their complementary players to get healthy.

Jon Meoli: How Blaze Alexander and Coby Mayo fixed both their seasons and the Orioles’ third base problem | The Baltimore Banner
Alexander and Mayo have shown themselves to be major league caliber players. But are they third base starters on a competitive team? Eh, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Even still, the outputs have been better recently, and that is worth appreciation.

Manny Machado: ‘I’ll always be an Oriole at heart’ | Baltimore Baseball
Manny wasn’t here long enough to get his number retired, and he won’t go into the Hall of Fame as an Oriole. But his contributions to the organization are still sizable. He will likely get a spot in the Orioles’ Hall of Fame someday, and when people look back at his career it is undeniable that many of his biggest moments came in orange and black.

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

Orioles birthdays

• Shane Baz turns 27 today. The Orioles traded for him this past offseason, and then handed him a big extensions. So far, his performances have been mixed, though the potential remains evident.
• The late Dave Pope (b. 1921, d. 1999) was born on this day. He spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles from 1955-56, playing in 98 total games in that time.

This day in O’s history

2005 – Orioles star Miguel Tejada plays in his 822nd consecutive game, tied for the ninth-longest streak in MLB history.

2008 – Top prospect Matt Wieters hits his first career home run as the Orioles beat the Mets 6-4.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Andrew Chafin, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1915 – Zip Zabel comes out of the Chicago Cubs bullpen with two outs in the 1st inning to face the Brooklyn Robins. Zabel wins the game in the 19th inning, 4-3, in the longest relief effort in major league history, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1880 – John Montgomery Ward of the Providence Grays pitches a perfect game against the Buffalo Bisons, winning 5-0. The next perfect game by a National League pitcher will not happen for 84 years, when Jim Bunning turns the trick on Father’s Day in 1964.
• 1943 – Boston Red Sox player-manager Joe Cronin inserts himself as a pinch-hitter in both games of a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics – and hits three-run home runs in each at-bat, becoming the first major leaguer to pinch-hit home runs in both ends of a doubleheader.
• 1960 – Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hits his 500th career home run against the Cleveland Indians at Cleveland Stadium. Williams’ two-run shot off Wynn Hawkins helps the Red Sox beat Cleveland, 3-1.
• 1970 – At Candlestick Park, Giants legend Willie Mays (615) and Ernie Banks of the Cubs (504) both hit home runs making it the first time two big leaguers with 500 home runs do it in the same game.
• 1971 – Don Kessinger of the Chicago Cubs goes 6 for 6, with five singles and a double, in a 7-6, 10-inning decision over the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
• 2009 – Ivan Rodriguez catches the 2,227th game of his career, breaking Carlton Fisk‘s record, in Houston’s 5-4, 10-inning loss to his former team, the Texas Rangers. For Texas, Omar Vizquel, the all-time leader for games played at shortstop, picks up his 2,677th hit, tying Luis Aparicio for most hits by a Venezuelan player.

Cubs Birthdays:Andrew Chafin*, Pete Elko, Zeb Terry, Phil Douglas.

Today in history:

• 1579 – English navigator Francis Drake lands on the coast of California at what becomes known as Drakes Bay, for ship repairs; claims area on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, and names it “Nova Albion.”
• 1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, then spends more than 20 years building her tomb, the Taj Mahal.
• 1775 – Battle of Bunker Hill (actually it was Breed’s Hill).
• 1837 – Charles Goodyear obtains his first rubber patent.
• 1885 – Statue of Liberty arrives in NYC aboard French ship “Isere.”
• 1954 – Rocky Marciano beats Ezzard Charles by unanimous points decision in his 3rd world heavyweight boxing title defense at Yankee Stadium, NYC.
• 1962 – US Open Men’s Golf, Oakmont CC: Jack Nicklaus wins his first major title by three strokes in an 18-hole playoff with Arnold Palmer.
• 1991 – The body of the 12th US President, Zachary Taylor, is exhumed to test how he died; rumors had persisted since his death in 1850 of arsenic poisoning – no evidence of this was found.
• 1994 – O.J. Simpson does not turn himself in on murder charges, forcing LA police to chase his Ford Bronco for hours before he eventually gives up (seen live on national TV).
• 2003 – “Moneyball”, a book about the 2003 Oakland Athletics baseball team and GM Billy Beane’s sabermetric approach, inspired by Bill James, is published.
• 2021 – US President Joe Biden signs into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act making June 19th a federal holiday commemorating emancipation.

Today in music history:

• 1957 – “So Rare” by Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra peaks at #2.
• 1965 – British rock band The Kinks arrive in NYC beginning their 1st US tour.
• 1966 – Peter Green, British blues-rock guitartist joins John Mayall’s Bluebreakers.
• 1967 – “Somebody To Love” by Jefferson Airplane peaks at #5.
• 1970 – British rock band Led Zeppelin begin their last European tour.
• 1971 – Carole King‘s album “Tapestry” goes to #1 on US album charts and stays there for 15 weeks.
• 1976 – New Wave band Blondie release their debut single “X Offender,” written by Debbie Harry and Gary Valentine.
• 1980 – Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen‘s fifth studio album “The River”; the 2-record set becomes a global smash, going top five in 8 countries.
• 1997 – Wynton Marsalis releases his “Blood on the Fields” album (first jazz work to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music – 1997).
• 2022 – “Running Up That Hill” single by Kate Bush goes to #1 on the UK chart; originally released in 1985, the song was featured in sci-fi television show “Stranger Things”, its record 44 year climb to the top also makes Bush (63) the oldest female artist to score a No.1.

*pictured.

Listen, I’m glad that the Phillies won and everything, but the thing I’m most glad about is that Kyle Schwarber was not subjected to anything crazy at first base. I know the team was trying to get Bryce Harper off his feet and that with Alec Bohm at third thanks to Trea Turner needing a day off, Schwarber needed to play first.

I’m just glad nothing crazy happened over there.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The Phillies’ outfield is crying out to get a bat to join them. It’s not just us around here that see it either!
• The Phillies and one-year deals under Dave Dombrowski have seen very little success being found ($). It’s worse than you think.
• Brad Keller went on the injured list with forearm tendinitis. Ominous?

MLB news:

• Justin Verlander is coming back to the rotation this week, which means Keider Montero will be moving to the bullpen.
• Which front office executives are on the hot seat with this trade deadline approaching in August?
• The Giants are willing to listen and move Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers in the right trade.

The Detroit Tigers dropped the second game of their three-game series against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Tuesday night, 4-2, in a game that saw them struggle against Hunter Brown in his return from the injured list. It certainly did not help that Colt Keith and Gleyber Torres were both absent from the lineup, while the defense also left something to be desired.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Motor City Kitties look to take the series rubber match with right-hander Casey Mize finally returning from his second stint on the IL this season with inflammation of his right groin. The 29-year-old had looked great in his return from his first trip to the IL, posting a 1.08 ERA and 1.61 FIP stretching over 16 1/3 innings and three starts, allowing eight hits and a walk while striking out 14 over that stretch.

For the Astros, fellow righty Peter Lambert will climb the hill to make his 11th start of the 2026 campaign. The 29-year-old has been solid so far in June, posting a tidy 2.31 ERA but an inflated 5.76 FIP over two starts stretching across 11 2/3 inning, allowing 10 hits — three of them home runs, all solo shots — and four walks while striking out 10, earning a win in the process.

Here is a look at their respective pitching summaries.

Detroit Tigers (30-43) vs. Houston Astros (34-41)

Time (ET): 2:10 p.m.
Place: Daikin Park, Houston, Texas
SB Nation Site:The Crawfish Boxes
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 75: RHP Casey Mize (2-3, 2.27 ERA) vs. RHP Peter Lambert (5-4, 3.47 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Mize	9	47.2	26.5	6.5	35.2	2.42	1.8
Lambert	10	57.0	22.3	10.5	42.6	3.91	0.9

MIZE

LAMBERT

The Pittsburgh Pirates have officially f beloellw .500 for the first time since March 1, and althought they won last night to get back to even, they are in the middle of a bad slump of games. A lot of chatter has been about how pitcher Paul Skenes isn’t playing as well and may already be slipping as a pro. While the season has been far from perfect for Skenes, there are way bigger problems for the Pirates and their fans to worry about.

First let’s get the obvious out of the way first; Skenes is having a rougher start to this season than in year’s past. At one point in Skenes’ career, it would be weird to even associate the number “2” with the pitcher and his ERA, as he posted below 2.00 in each of his first two seasons. The 24-year-old righty currently has a 2.85 ERA with a 6-6 record. He’s also already given up eight home runs this season, and at times has racked up his pitch count, spending long times on the mound fighting in an at-bat. The sheer dominance that Skenes has had over opponents previously has seemed to waver this year, and for the first time in the majors he has looked human more often than not.

Even given his “shortcomings” Skenes is far from being “washed” or a liability in the Pirates’ rotation. The fact of the matter is that most big league pitchers would be thrilled to be having the season that Skenes is having. Despite the shaky start to 2026, Skenes still has the fifth lowest WHIP in baseball while also holding claim to the sixth lowest H/AB in baseball and the fourth most strikeouts with 99.

Paul Skenes has given up two home runs today which ties his season high pic.twitter.com/ABxxu79Zvt

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 14, 2026

The Pirates as a whole are flawed, with a lot of the microscope being focused on Skenes because of his All-Star status. Pittsburgh has lost six straight Skenes’ starts. In this span, Skenes has a 2.50 ERA per game, which is certainly high for the reigning National League Cy Young Award recipient. However, the Pirates lineup also has a minus-27 run differential in that time frame, with run support being hard to come by when Skenes is on the mound.

In his most recent start against the Miami Marlins, Skenes struck out 10 batters, retiring nine a row and set a career high in whiffs with 23. In that contest, he gave up two runs, both of which were homers, and the Pirates’ bats couldn’t generate more than two runs in support.

Manager Don Kelly spoke postgame on the struggles the team has had during this stretch of Skenes’ starts.

“I think when you’re looking at it, we just haven’t been able to put a complete game together,” Kelly said. “Last year was maybe the run support. We’ve had starts throughout those six where we’ve scored runs, we’ve had starts that offense has been there and other things have happened. I don’t think we can point to one thing, and that’s consistent throughout all the starts.”

The ever stoic Skenes was not bothered by the lack of success or run support postgame.

“It’s baseball,” Skenes said. “I’ve dealt with it before. It’s a team sport. It’s just the nature of the game.”

The fact of the matter is everyone has gotten used to one version of Skenes, which at any given time is the best pitcher in baseball. It’s hard to remember in the moment, but ever since he came into the league, Skenes has been rewriting record books and setting new incredibly high standards for an ace in the Major Leagues. Just because he’s not performing like Superman every week does not mean he’s fallen off. The image and the standard that Skenes created for himself in his first two seasons is INCREDIBLY HARD to live up to all the time. Even at his absolute worst, you’d still want him to be your number one pitcher in the rotation. Has he fallen short of expectations? Sure, but it’s undeniable that he’s still performing in the top echelon of the best big league starters.

Paul Skenes strikes out the side in the 6th.

10 strikeouts today.

87.7 MPH slider
88.2 MPH slider
98.3 MPH 4-seam pic.twitter.com/ZJec40yh8K

— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) June 14, 2026

Skenes and the Pirates are in a rough patch, there’s no doubt about that. However, Skenes is still a generational type of player for Pittsburgh, and there are way bigger problems on the team than his still very respectable 2.85 ERA. Skenes will bounce back much faster than the Pirates as a team will because that’s what the best pitchers in baseball do. The blinders are on, he’s the man in the arena and we all need to pump the brakes on talks of slipping and falling short.

PHOENIX — This is the pitcher the Los Angeles Angels envisioned when they drafted him in the first round in 2020 as the nation’s finest left-handed collegiate starter.

This is the pitcher the baseball world envisioned when he pitched a no-hitter as a 22-year-old rookie.

And now, after his latest magnificent performance on Tuesday, June 16, this is the pitcher that everyone badly covets at the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Say hello to Reid Detmers, who is now officially on baseball’s Most Wanted List.

Detmers, 26, is on an absolute pitching heater these days, shutting down the Arizona Diamondbacks, 7-0, in his latest dominant start, allowing just three harmless singles and no walks in seven innings. He generated only four swings-and-misses, but he kept the D-backs completely off-balance with his array of 94-mph fastballs, 85-mph sliders and 72-mph curveballs. They hit the ball hard only six times the entire game, with Detmers throwing 19 of his 24 first-pitches for strikes.

“It looks that he can throw any pitch at any time,’’ Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He’s just consistently pitching ahead in the count. Earlier in the year, there were a lot of foul balls late in the count. Now, he’s starting to execute put-away pitches, put in a good spot where there’s a swing-and miss or put in play for an out weakly.’’

The result has been utter dominance. In Detmers' last six starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.36 ERA, yielding just 12 hits in 33 innings with 39 strikeouts and five walks. He has given up just one run in his last three starts, allowing just six hits in 20 innings for a 0.45 ERA.

"Pretty impressive," said Angels slugger Mike Trout, who homered, doubled and drove in three runs.

The best Detmers has ever been in an Angels’ uniform?

"He had a good run there in '22 for a stretch in the second half," Suzuki said, "so this is pretty damn close to it."

Well, considering he was 3-1 with a 1.97 ERA in eight starts for a two-month stretch in July and August 2022, with 45 strikeouts and 18 walks in 45.2 innings, this stretch might even be better.

It has elevated Detmers to being perhaps the finest starting pitcher on the trade market not named Tarik Skubal.

"I'm not paying any attention to that," Detmers tells USA TODAY Sports. "I don't see any of it, to be honest with you. I’m not on social media. It is what it is. It’s out of my control."

If Detmers keeps pitching like this, he might want to shut off his phone, too. He not only has become one of the most dominant left-handers in the game, but could be one of the best bargains for your buck at the trade deadline.

While Skubal is eligible for free agency this year and is seeking a record-setting contract exceeding $400 million for a pitcher, Detmers is earning just $2.7 million this year, and isn’t even eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season.

Little wonder why clubs already are checking in with Angels GM Perry Minasian.

Well, Minasian hates to be the bearer of bad news, but it's quite possible that Detmers isn't going anywhere at the deadline except making his next start in an Angels uniform.

If the Angels are ever going to win again, Detmers would be an integral part of their future, so why trade him?

Besides, if the Angels aren’t going to trade a megastar like Shohei Ohtani in his walk year, rejecting several lucrative offers that included potential stars like Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, and plan to keep Mike Trout through the rest of his playing days, why would they trade away a young star under club control?

The only time they have been a real seller at the trade deadline since their last playoff appearance was in 2022 when Angels owner Arte Moreno wanted to slash payroll. They dumped reliever Rasiel Iglesias, starter Noah Syndergaard, outfielder Brandon Marsh and utilityman Tyler Wade at the deadline, with catcher Logan O’Hoppe being the only quality piece in return.

So, while the Angels aren’t going anywhere this year, and will miss the playoffs for the 12^th consecutive year, the best thing for their future is keeping a young potential star like Detmers.

It may have taken longer than the Angels thought, or Detmers desired, but this is the pitcher everyone envisioned when he became the only the 10^th pitcher in history to throw a no-hitter in his first 11 career starts in baseball history in 2022. Yet, instead of blossoming, he took a step back, going 8-19 with a 5.30 ERA the next two seasons, walking 98 batters in 236 innings. He was relegated to the bullpen all last season.

This year, with renowned pitching coach Mike Maddux joining Suzuki’s staff, Detmers’ potential finally has emerged for the baseball world, and, yes, trade suitors, to see.

"I'm just trying to be the best pitcher I can," Detmers, 3-5, 3.68 ERA, said, "mostly just trying to get ahead, staying ahead, and then put them out of make them have weak contact. I wouldn't say I'm trying to do anything different than I have been in the last couple of years. But I've had pretty good command of the fastball lately, and that's helped a lot."

His fastball has been Greg Maddux-esque of late, giving up just one hit in two of the six starts during this stretch, striking out 14 in one game and not issuing a walk in three others.

"It's fun to watch, it's fun to play behind him every single day," Angels shortstop Zach Neto said, "and even when he's not pitching, he's one of the greatest teammates that we have in this locker room, just pushing every single one of us every single day to be better."

So, would the Angels really trade a guy like this?

Sounds like a guy they plan to build around.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reid Detmers could be coveted ahead of the MLB trade deadline

Toledo Mud Hens 2, Rochester Red Wings 1 (box)

Troy Watson gave the Mud Hens a pretty good outing, and the bullpen held a slim lead to take the first of six in Rochester on Tuesday.

Watson fired five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit while punching out three Wings.

Andrew Navigato opened the scoring with a solo shot in the third, his second homer since rejoining the Tigers organization. In the fifth, a two-out single from Navigato sparked another run when he stole second and Ben Malgeri singled him in for a 2-0 lead.

Konnor Pilkington allowed a Trey Lipscomb solo shot in the sixth, but he locked it down from there. Tanner Rainey and Jack Little followed him with scoreless appearances, with Little earning his second save on the year.

Navigato: 2-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, SB

Malgeri: 1-3, RBI, BB, K, 2 SB

Watson (W, 2-2): 5.0 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

Erie SeaWolves 3, Harrisburg Senators 1 (F/10)(box)

The SeaWolves offense struggled all game long, but so did the Senators. In the end this one was decided in 10 innings as the SeaWolves plated a pair in the top of the ninth and then Tanner Kohlhepp locked down the bottom of the 10th.

LHP Andrew Sears made his first start of the year back with the SeaWolves after numerous rehab outings in A-ball. He looked good, allowing just a fourth inning run and striking out six in 3.2 innings of work. Yoniel Curet, down from Triple-A, finished the fourth and spun a scoreless fifth, striking out three hitters. Johan Simon, Trevin Michael, and Luke Taggart took it from there in regulation, blanking the Senators.

The SeaWolves got on the board first with a Chris Meyers solo shot in the second. They couldn’t take advantage of five walks issued by Harrisburg’s starter. In the top of the sixth, Harrisburg walked the bases loaded with no outs, but they still couldn’t push across a run.

So, this eventually got to extras. With John Peck starting on second base, Thayron Liranzo singled to left and then stole second base, drawing a throw. That throw from Senators catcher Caleb Lomavita sailed into the outfield, Peck scored, and Liranzo moved to third. A pair of strikeouts followed, but they intentionally walked Izaac Pacheco, and Peyton Graham ripped an RBI double to left to make it 3-1 SeaWolves.

That was all they’d get but it was enough. Tanner Kohlhepp took over in the bottom half, struck out the first batter he faced, and then got a routine grounder and fly ball combo to wrap this one up.

From earlier today, here’s how Erie won in extras. A Thayron Liranzo single, and double steal + error, and a Peyton Graham 2-out double. pic.twitter.com/oZmeDqBu3T

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 17, 2026

Graham: 2-4, RBI, 2B, BB

Meyers: 1-3, R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, K

Pacheco: 0-1, 4 BB

Sears: 3.2 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves take a 1-0 lead in the series into a 6:30 p.m. ET matchup on Wednesday.

West Michigan Whitecaps 4, Lansing Lugnuts 1 (box)

After the start time was pushed back to allow some storms to clear the area in West Michigan, Hayden Minton turned in another good start, and the much maligned Whitecaps’ bullpen was sharp after the offense broke through in the late innings.

The right-hander allowed just a run on two hits and two walks, striking out four. Thomas Bruss continues to struggle with some control issues but he pitched around two walks and a hit to throw a scoreless sixth. Logan Berrier, Zack Lee, and Ryan Harvey shut the Lugnuts down the rest of the way.

The Whitecaps really struggled to get anything going at the plate early on, but in the sixth they broke through. Samuel Gil led off with a single and Woody Hadeen and Jackson Strong walked to load the bases. Garrett Pennington struck out, but Bryce Rainer took a fastball in the back, forcing in one run. With two outs, Andrew Sojka walked as well to make it a 2-1 Whitecaps’ lead.

In the seventh, it was Gil sparking things again with a one-out double. Hadeen walked again, and the duo pulled off a double steal. A sac fly from Jackson Strong allowed Gil to tag and score, and Pennington came through with a double to plate Hadeen for a 4-1 lead, where it ended.

Garrett Pennington lines an RBI double into the left corner to give the Whitecaps a 4-1 lead. @ThatDanHasty on the call. pic.twitter.com/86QMgVoA1d

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 17, 2026

Gil: 2-3, 2 R, 2B, SB

Hadeen: 1-2, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB

Minton: 5.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Lakeland Flying Tigers 4 (box)

Grayson Grinsell gave the Flying Tigers an okay outing, and the offense took control in the middle innings only to see the bullpen falter late.

The most important thing that happened in this game was the absolute worst. In his first game of the year after missing nearly a year’s time with an ACL injury, middle infielder Franyerber Montilla crumpled to the ground on a play in the second inning in which he appeared to slip over second base. He was in agony on the field with what looked like a knee injury and had to be helped off the field. I have no words. It was awful.

Grinsell gave up single runs in the first and second inning, and while he shut it down from there, he was only able to pitch into the fourth, though he did strike out six on the day.

So it was 2-0 Blue Jays when Beau Ankeney doubled to lead off the fourth. Edian Espinal singled him to third, where he scored on a double play ball from Jesus Pinto.

In the top of the fifth, Dunedin put together a scoring threat, but Zach MacDonald in left field caught a fly ball from Jake Cook and fired home to nail the runner tagging from third at the plate.

Finally in the seventh, the Flying Tigers really broke through. Pinto singled and stole second base and then Jude Warwick walked. Carson Rucker grounded into a force of Pinto at third, but Nick Dumesnil cracked a three-run shot to left center field for a 4-2 lead.

Nick Dumesnil launches a 3-run homer to left to put Lakeland up 4-2 in the 7th. It’s his 3rd home run of the year. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/zYqH02f6RK

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 17, 2026

Luke Hoskins and Win Scott handled the middle innings after Grinsell with no trouble, but Yendy Gomez allowed four runs, three earned, over the final two innings to blow the lead.

Dumesnil: 2-3, R, 3 RBI, HR, CS

Espinal: 2-3, K

Grinsell: 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

🎙️ ICYMI: This week’s podcast episode is live!@AaronArnstein sits down with Tigers No. 2 overall pitching prospect Malachi Witherspoon to talk about his incredible story, the lengths his mom went to support Witherspoon and his brother in their baseball journeys, and much more! pic.twitter.com/KIdCbSoIv2

— Lakeland Flying Tigers (@LkdFlyingTigers) June 16, 2026

FCL Yankees 9, FCL Tigers 2 (box)

On Monday, lefty Carlos Rodriguez was knocked around for five runs as the Yankees took out the Tigers in Complex League play. Rodriguez struck out eight in 4.2 innings of work, but a pair of home runs really blew up his outing.

Cris Rodriguez hit his fourth home run to lead the offense, while Maikol Orozco and Ronald Ramirez each had a pair of hits in this one.

Orozco: 2-4, RBI, 2B

Rodriguez: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K

Rodriguez (L, 0-4): 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 8 K

The White Sox deserve a lot of credit for already exceeding expectations this year, fresh off a 102-loss season in 2025 and of course the modern record 121-loss 2024. They’re neck and neck with the Guardians atop the AL Central, and a Wild Card spot is possible as well given how light the American League looks this year. That’s really great!

But the Yankees should still beat them, especially in the Bronx. And boy did they do that last night, handling the best that the South Side has to offer, righty Davis Martin. He’d allowed three homers in 78.1 innings thus far (a league-best 0.3 HR/9) while racking up 3.2 rWAR and a 2.41 ERA. Well, the Yanks doubled that total in one outing, as each of Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt took him deep in a smooth 12-2 victory.

Let’s talk about Jones for a minute. His laser to right field was his first ever at Yankee Stadium, and combined with two walks, he’s up to a .239/.340/.391 triple slash and a 109 wRC+ in his first 53 career plate appearances — no small feat considering how overmatched he looked during his first promotion in early May.

We’re likely to see a decent amount of Jones over the next few weeks with Trent Grisham recently joining Aaron Judge on the injured list and no clear return in sight for Giancarlo Stanton. While the clock might still be ticking on Jones’ return to Triple-A—another demotion certainly seemed possible prior to Grisham’s injury since Jasson Domínguez was finishing a rehab apperance—he will likely end up with at least a representative sample of at-bats for 2026.

So what would you consider to be a successful first foray for Jones? I don’t expect high averages or even medium strikeout rates from the big fella, but to me, if he can run into a pitch every now and then, take his walks, and avoid whiffing on too many pitches clearly outside the zone, then he’s doing his job. I’ve calibrated my own expectations such that a 109 wRC+ is probably more than I honestly expect. I can’t do cartwheels, but I’d be metaphorically doing them if he did that while Grisham and Judge are out.

Even with their absences, the Yankees are fortunate to have a number of quality bats in the lineup, so Jones doesn’t have to put too much pressure on himself. He can focus on developing while also playing good defense and running the bases well. Those are somewhat-overlooked aspects of his game too, as it would be a disservice to asssume he’s lumbering around out there. The man can move!

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Today on the site, John will discuss one of the more forgotten players on the roster, Ryan Yarbrough. Madison will run through Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate an overlooked-but-quietly-important Yankee’s 65th birthday, Peter will break down Ben Rice’s go-ahead bomb in Toronto for his At-Bat of the Week feature, Kento will break down why Cody Bellinger’s contract might age better than he initially thought, and Estevão will look back at how the Yankees and White Sox have narrowly avoided playoff matchups over the years. Chicago is the only AL team who they’ve never faced in October.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

Video: Amazon Prime Video, Chicago Sports Network

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: I guess the good news is that Austin Wells began a rehab stint on Tuesday night at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now. Buckle in. Because that’s it for good news on the injury front. Trent Grisham will be out “a few weeks” due to his hamstring strain. There had initially been a vague hope that perhaps he would only miss the minimum 10 days; that won’t be the case.

But wait. There’s more.

As we know, Giancarlo Stanton, suffering from a calf strain (way to mix up the leg injuries, fellas), re-injured it while running the bases last week. Accordingly, both Yankee sluggers are now looking at July returns, assuming nothing else goes wrong. Here’s a little more on Stanton, from the YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits:

Giancarlo Stanton said he reinjured calf running bases. It felt similar to what he felt in Houston. Asked if he is back at square 1 he responded… I don’t know. He originally wanted to be back tomorrow but he will have a “light week” and reevaluate next week #yankees

— Meredith Marakovits (@M_Marakovits) June 17, 2026

But wait. There’s more.

MLB.com | Jared Greenspan: George Lombard Jr., crown jewel of the Yankee farm system, left Tuesday’s game with an apparent injury. Not to his leg, though. This looks like an injury to an upper body extremity, just to keep things from getting boring. Bo Naylor slid directly into Lombard’s left hand while attempting to steal second, prompting the youngster to double over in pain. He stayed in the game for another inning but ultimately departed early. Here’s hoping he’s OK. As of late on Tuesday night, there have not been any updates.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): The José Caballero pitch clock controversy, perhaps the dumbest controversy in recent memory, is not going away. Apparently, MLB informed manager Aaron Boone Monday night that Cabbie “must appear ‘alert’ and engaged with the pitcher when the pitch clock strikes eight seconds” lest umpires discipline him. Caballero’s militant adherence to the limit of the rules, and subsequent refusal to let pitchers dictate his at-bats, apparently offends and annoys other teams, the umpires, and Major League Baseball itself. Caballero is absolutely in the right here. If MLB doesn’t like it, change the rule again in the offseason. Until then, sleep in the bed you made.

MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: Seth Brown, who had been playing at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees’ system, triggered his opt-out clause. Accordingly, the Yanks released him rather than add him to the 40-man roster. The seven-year veteran (all with the A’s) has struggled greatly against left-handed pitching at Triple-A, striking out 52.4 percent of the time in 42 plate appearances. When he has the platoon advantage, Brown has hit .247, slugging .466. A club who might be missing some pop from the left side of the plate may be interested in Brown, with the article listing the Padres and Phillies.

José Caballero said he entered Tuesday’s game against the White Sox still unclear of the pitch clock rule that he’s often been able to use to his advantage.

The issue stemmed from Sunday’s controversy in Toronto, where Caballero was issued a warning for not engaging with the pitcher with eight seconds left on the clock.

“I’m still waiting [for] the actual rule,’’ Caballero said before going 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs in the Yankees’ series-opening 12-2 win against Chicago in The Bronx. “That’s it.”

Aaron Boone, though, said he had a lengthy chat with the league Monday and passed along some of the messaging to Caballero.

The issue, Boone said, is that the umpires need to see that Caballero doesn’t just have his head up by eight seconds, but is also “alert” at that time.

“I certainly understand what he’s trying to do, and he has a rhythm and a process to get locked in,” Boone said. “We think it’s within the rules.”

If there’s a change, it’s that Caballero has to understand what “alert” means — and that he doesn’t step out of the batter’s box unless the umpire says the pitcher hasn’t engaged him in time.

“I tried to get very specific and give José some instruction where we should be OK,” Boone said.

The Yankees don’t want to take away that aspect of Caballero’s game, with Boone noting that his ability to irritate the opposition is one of the aspects of his game that intrigued them when he was with the Rays.

Caballero, evidently still mystified, said he would ask the home plate umpire as he got to the plate for the first time to get the umpire’s interpretation of the rule.

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• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

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“They’ve been changing the rule every single day,’’ Caballero said.

One potential issue is that Caballero occasionally holds his bat in a hitting position while not looking up for an extended period of time, which arguably violates the rule that prohibits hitters from trying to “deceive” pitchers.

Toronto manager John Schneider was unhappy with Caballero on Sunday, saying he’s the only player who’s using his methods.

Caballero said he was unaware of and not interested in Schneider’s comments.

To Caballero, it’s about controlling the at-bat.

“I’m not gonna give my at-bat to a pitcher to determine my timing,’’ Caballero said.

He added he was “pretty annoyed” that he’s being stopped from what he believes is fair play.

And Boone tends to agree with his player.

“I think the way he articulates it makes a lot of sense,’’ Boone said. “You see night in and night out, different pitchers try to hold the ball. Batters can take control of the situation. Every batter has a mentality of how to get focused and their process. That’s what he’s doing.”

The manager added he’s “surprised” more hitters don’t take a similar approach.

“He’s a smart, gritty player and there’s some gamesmanship to what he does,’’ Boone said. “He’s using the rules to the best of his ability to his advantage. There’s nothing he’s doing

. … Maybe I am surprised other guys don’t do that. The last thing I want to do as a hitter is be at the mercy of a pitcher for 15 to 17 seconds, where they can control the pace and tempo.”

And if it bothers the opposition, so be it.

“It’s heady stuff he does,” Boone said. “I’ve been on the other side. I understand it gets under their skin. Part of that is why we got him over here.”

We usually start this type of post by talking about the Guardians, so I’ll do that briefly. If you’ve been following this team at all closely as of late, you probably had a strong feeling about how last night’s game was going to go. “But you can’t predict ball!” the naysayers will say. You can when the Guardians offense is involved, and last night’s game was one of the most predictable sporting events I have watched in my lifetime. Right down to the Brewers reliever who keeps lucking into Pitcher Wins lucking into yet another.

And onto other stuff…

• The Tigers, White Sox and Royals also lost. The Twins picked up a full game on all 4 of their rivals.

• You may have already seen CTC’s depressing headlines about Jose being out 5-7 weeks and Angel Martinez being out a similar amount of time.

• Also hitting the IL was Randy Arozarena.

• Also getting injured was Colt Keith…

• And Twins prospect Kaelen Culpepper…

• And Michael Harris…

• And Maikel Garcia.

• And Luis Rengifo was DFA’d. Anybody who is a fan of a FO that has a Bad Hitter Fetish should be nervous.

For the first 5 ½ innings on Tuesday night, there was a whole lot of nothing at Dodger Stadium.

Then, Shohei Ohtani came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and put a long-awaited jolt into the game.

On a first-pitch, center-cut cutter from Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen, Ohtani sent a no-doubt home run sailing deep to center field, opening the scoring in the Dodgers’ eventual 1-0, series-clinching win.

“Old-school baseball game, 1-0,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Really fun baseball game to be part of.”

The blast was Ohtani’s 15th home run of the season, his seventh in the last 17 games, and his fifth in the last nine.

It was the latest sign that he is rediscovering his power stroke, after a stretch of 39 games from April 13 to May 26 in which he hit only three long balls.

“He’s seeing the baseball well, swinging at good pitches,” Roberts said. “And when he uses the big part of the field, there’s just no one better.”

More importantly, it also gave the Dodgers some much-needed run support on a night Justin Wrobleski turned in a scoreless six-inning start.

Up to that point, Wrobleski and Rasmussen had been dueling, keeping either team from even sniffing an opening run.

After Ohtani’s home run, the rest of the night flew by similarly, with the Dodgers bullpen producing three scoreless innings in a second-straight game –– one each from Will Klein, Kyle Hurt and Tanner Scott, who combined to face the minimum nine batters –– to sew up a shutout that took just 1 hour, 52 minutes, the Dodgers’ quickest nine-inning game since 1992.

“Under two hours is pretty cool, especially when we’ve got a noon game tomorrow,” Wrobleski said. “That’s good for the boys.”

What it means

The Dodgers (47-27) don’t have the best winning percentage in the majors. But after the Atlanta Braves had their game Tuesday postponed by rain, the club does now own the title of winningest team in MLB, surpassing the Braves’ win total with their 47th victory.

Tuesday also secured the Dodgers a series win over the Rays (41-29), improving their home record this season to 24-12.

Who’s hot

Coming off a hamstring contusion last week and pitching on “just” four days of rest (making him only the second Dodgers pitcher to do so this year), Wrobleski had a short leash, getting pulled after just 67 pitches.

But, the left-hander made his six innings on the mound count, delivering his fifth scoreless start of at least that length this season to outshine Rasmussen in Tuesday’s pitchers’ duel.

It was a prototypical Wrobleski start, keyed by efficiency, soft contact and little need for much swing-and-miss.

Wrobleski held the Rays to only three hits while striking out five batters (three of which came against his first four hitters of the game). He let only one baserunner even reach second. He retired nine of the last 10 he faced.

He is now 8-2 on the season with a 2.72 ERA, continuing to build his case for an unexpected All-Star selection.

“That’s kind of what drives me, is just being the best version of myself and see where that falls,” Wrobleski said of potentially reaching the Midsummer Classic. “It’d be super cool but not (focusing) on it too much. I just want to come in there and contribute each time out.”

Who’s not

Anyone worrying about Ohtani’s left knee injury.

On the eve of his next scheduled pitching start on Wednesday, Ohtani threw a bullpen session before Tuesday’s game in what was a final check of his knee after he dealt with swelling coming out of his last trip to the mound last week.

After the game, Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will be good to go for Wednesday’s start, though noted the two-way star will not DH in the game, as well.

Still, it’s another encouraging sign that his knee injury will not be a long-term issue.

Clearly, it’s not affecting him at the plate.

Up next

The Dodgers will go for a three-game sweep of the Rays on Wednesday afternoon, with Ohtani (6-2, 1.06 ERA) set to face Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (6-4, 3.23 ERA).

The Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates squared off once again in the second game of this three-game interleague series. The A’s jumped out to an early lead, only to blow multiple scoring opportunities in the later innings as the Pirates used the long ball to rally for a come-from-behind road victory.

A’s Strike Right Away

In the bottom of the first, the A’s offense drew first blood against Pirates’ starter Mitch Keller. Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, left fielder Tyler Soderstrom and shortstop Jacob Wilson drew walks to load the bases with one out. It looked like the A’s would waste that opportunity when Cortes struck out for the second out.

Third baseman Zack Gelof came through. He hit a grounder that Pirates’ first baseman Spencer Horwitz knocked down. Horwitz’s throw to the pitcher covering first was wild, allowing all three runners to score on the chaotic play. Wilson came all the way around from first, using a nifty slide spin to avoid the catcher’s tag. Gelof was credited with just one RBI because of the first baseman’s throwing error and a third-base obstruction call. Gelof kept his hitting streak going, which at 20 games, is now tied for the fourth-longest by an A’s player this century.

make that 20 for Gelof!!!!!#VoteAthletics ⭐️ https://t.co/SBezYOtGtGpic.twitter.com/X1G6X31C86

— Athletics (@Athletics) June 17, 2026

A’s right fielder Lawrence Butler made it a four-run first inning, lining a double down the left-field line to score Gelof and keep the rally going.

Law Dawg stays hot 🥵 pic.twitter.com/o0RkBp3ZlD

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 17, 2026

A’s starting pitcher Jack Perkins opened his outing with three scoreless innings, striking out five, while keeping momentum on his team’s side.

Pirates Get On the Board

Kurtz made a nice diving play at first base on a Brandon Lowe grounder to record the first out of the fourth inning.

What can't Nick Kurtz do?! 😮 pic.twitter.com/QHj4cb8NOo

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 17, 2026

With one out, the Pirates got two straight singles to put runners on the corners. Pittsburgh’s third baseman Nick Gonzales hit an RBI groundout to bring home the Pirates’ first run of the game. Perkins limited the damage by retiring the next batter to strand a runner at second.

Base Running Mistakes on Both Sides

In the fifth inning, the A’s took advantage of bad Pittsburgh base running. Bolte made the catch in center field and fired to Kurtz to complete the double play, as the Pirates runner on first base had broken on contact. That was Bolte’s second outfield assist and the Athletics eighth of the season.

Henry Bolte turns a hit-and-run attempt into a fantastic double play! 👀 #Athleticspic.twitter.com/FxErrdgy74

— Uprooted (@uprootedoakland) June 17, 2026

Perkins walked the next two hitters he faced before striking out Lowe to escape a two-on, two-out jam and complete five innings for the first time this season.

Pirates Inch Closer

Perkins remained in the game to start the sixth, but Pirates’ left fielder Bryan Reynolds led off the inning with his third hit of the game—a solo home run to center, his ninth of the season—that cut the A’s lead in half. Designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn followed by lining a double to right-center.

Perkins’ night was over after he allowed two straight extra base hits. Right-hander Justin Sterner entered from the A’s bullpen to replace him, inheriting a runner at second with no outs.

Catcher Endy Rodriguez’s one-out RBI single scored O’Hearn to make it a 4-3 game. That closed the book on Perkins, who allowed three runs on six hits over five-plus innings. He struck out six, while inducing five groundouts and two fly outs. The A’s got the final out of the top of sixth as Wilson’s heads-up play caught Rodríguez in a rundown between second and third base. For the second straight inning, the visitors’ bad base running reared its head.

1000 IQ play by Jacob Wilson 🧠 pic.twitter.com/lRH1FBpdm5

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) June 17, 2026

Gelof On-Fire!

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Gelof collected his third hit of the game. His 10th home run of the season, a solo shot to left field, knocked Keller out of the game. The Pirates starter pitched well aside from the beginning and end of his outing. He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings. Pirates’ left-hander Evan Sisk replaced Keller and got the final two outs of the inning.

have yourself a day, Zack 🤯#VoteAthletics | https://t.co/SBezYOtGtGpic.twitter.com/ZLLHohTBXi

— Athletics (@Athletics) June 17, 2026

Harris Blows the Lead

Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris made his 37th appearance of the season in the seventh. He issued a one-out walk to Horwitz. With two outs, Reynolds tied the game with his second home run in as many innings, a two-run shot to right field. The Pirates’ left fielder was a one-man wrecking crew, finishing 4-for-5.

A’s Waste Multiple Scoring Chances

Alika Wiliams, pinch-hitting for McNeil, began the last of the seventh with a double to left field. Reliever Yohan Ramirez’s wild pitch advanced Williams to third base with one out.

The hosts squandered that scoring opportunity as catcher Shea Langeliers and Wilson both grounded out. In the eighth inning, both teams left runners at second base, once again wasting chances with runners in scoring position.

Pirates Surge Ahead Late

After Mark Leiter. Jr pitched a scoreless eighth, the A’s turned to right-hander Elvis Alvarado to work the top of the ninth with the game tied at 5-5. The Pirates took their first lead of the game on Lowe’s one-out solo home run to right, his 18th of the season.

A’s Come Up Short

The visitors brought in hard-throwing left-hander Gregory Soto for the save opportunity. Kurtz lined a one-out single to left field for his first hit of the game. Langeliers singled up the middle, advancing Kurtz to second and bringing the tying run into scoring position with Soderstrom due up. The A’s rally fizzled out as Soto retired Soderstrom and Wilson to save the game.

The Pirates’ victory tonight entails a rubber game tomorrow between these two historic MLB franchises. Veteran right-hander Aaron Civale will make his return from the injured list to start the series finale for the Athletics. He will be opposed by right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who is 5-3 with a 3.30 ERA through his first 14 starts of the season.

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