WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: José Tena #8 (L) and CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals wait for their turns to bat in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats have lost in truly heartbreaking fashion back to back nights. However, they still have a chance to salvage a split tonight. It will be a tall task though. Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez is on the mound, and he is having a truly special season.
The big news for the Nats is that CJ Abrams is out again with his side injury. Blake Butera did say he was available off the bench though. That means Nasim Nunez will play shortstop, Jorbit Vivas will be at second and Curtis Mead is at third. With a lefty on the mound, Andres Chaparro will play first. James Wood will DH and Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews will be in the outfield. Cade Cavalli looks to bounce back from a rough outing in Tampa.
Kyle Schwarber is back in the lineup for the Phillies at DH. Bryce Harper will move to first and Alec Bohm is back at third base. There is no Edmundo Sosa in the lineup today with the righty on the mound. As mentioned up top, the Phillies will have their ace Cristopher Sanchez on the bump
The Nats should be looking to finish the sweep, but unfortunately that is not the case because the bullpen is a flaming pile of garbage. A split would help bring some of the good vibes back though. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 24: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves looks on from the dugout during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Emma Steinberg/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hoo boy, it has suddenly gotten tense in Braves Country. The Atlanta Braves are on a serious skid and it doesn’t help that their once-massive lead in the division has already been cut significantly as well. A spark (and maybe some major acquisitions ahead of the trade deadline) is needed at the moment so that hopefully this thing can get back rocking and rolling for our Braves.
In the meantime, we’ve got an off day here so now it’s time to relax and enjoy things before things get tense again for tomorrow’s action.
What am I watching?
USA! USA! USA! USA! The United States Men’s National Team (or USMNT for short) is in action tonight in their final match of the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They’ll be kicking off against Türkiye at the same time as Paraguay faces Australia and the good news is that since the USMNT has already won the group, the pressure is off a little bit and they can use this as a bit of a tune-up for the knockout rounds. As long as nobody gets hurt, any result is okay but I think we all want to see the US go ahead and make it three wins in a row, right? Kickoff is at 10:00 p.m. ET on the nose.
If nothing in the above paragraph appealed to you at all, there’s still good ol’ fashioned baseball on. The hate-watch is obviously taking place in Washington as the Phillies face the Nationals but with the way things are going now, all that’s going to do is make you upset as the Phillies continue to play at a scorching-hot pace. That game starts at 6:45 p.m. ET.
The other hate-watch is taking place in New York, where the Mets will be taking on the Cubs. Old friend Dansby Swanson essentially torched the Mets yesterday as he racked up a whopping 11 RBI across two games yesterday. You can take a guy out of Atlanta but you can’t take the Atlanta (aka taking great joy in beating up on the Mets) out of the guy, eh? First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET.
So yeah, there’s the guide for tonight. You can choose your own journey, I’m not your boss. Let us know what you’re doing or how you’re feeling or if we should just let the Earth swallow us up into a bottomless pit so we can just navigate the abyss. Have a good evening, y’all!
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 19: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park on June 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (39-43) begin a 4-game series vs. the Detroit Tigers (34-46) at Comerica Park tonight.
RHP Tatsuya Imai (4-3, 6.15 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. Tigers RHP Troy Melton (4-0, 2.56 ERA). Tonight will be Imai’s 1st career appearance vs. the Tigers.
ROAD TRIPPIN: Tonight is the 4th game (2-1 thus far) of a 7-game road trip for the Astros. They were 2-1 at TOR on the 1st stop of the trip.
Road Recovery: The Astros are 12-7 in their last 3 road trips combined. They have have posted an 18-13 record on the road since going 1-9 on their 1st road trip of the 2026 season.
Road Bats: The Astros are T-1st in the AL in road batting avg. at .251. They also rank 2nd in road HR (56), SLG (.417) and OPS (.740) and 3rd in OBP (.326).
ASTROS-TIGERS: The Astros took 2 of 3 games from the Tigers last week at Daikin Park (June 15-17). The 2 clubs will play all 7 of their scheduled games between June 15-28. In 2025, the Astros and Tigers finished with identical 87-75 records, with the Tigers earning the final AL Wild Card spot due to winning the season series vs. HOU.
Recent Success: Since 2022, the Astros are 18-10 vs. DET with a 7-4 record at Comerica Park.
ABOUT IMAI: RHP Tatsuya Imai will make his 11th start of the season tonight and the 1st of his career vs. DET.
In his last start on June 19, Imai tallied a career-high 11 K’s en route to a 9-3 win vs. CLE (6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER).
Solid Stretch: Since May 25, Imai is 3-1 in his 5 starts with a 4.56 ERA (12 ER/23.2IP) with 27 K’s in 23.2 IP.
The No-No: Imai was the starting pitcher in the Astros combined no-hitter on May 25 at TEX, hurling 6.0 hitless innings on that historic night. In January, the Astros signed Imai to a three-year deal. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the NPB in Japan, where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.
SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros have now won 4 cons. series for the 1st time in 2026, posting an 8-4 record in that span. The last time that the Astros won that many series in a row was when they won 5 straight, from June 20-July 6 of last season (went 12-3 in that stretch). Adding to that note from last season, the Astros did not lose a series between May 22-July 6, going 13 consecutive series without losing one (11-0-2 in series during that stretch).
CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are now 16-10 in 2-run games, 8-4 in 1-run games and 4-4 in extra innings.
ROSTER MOVE: Effective today, the Astros reinstated RHP Bryan Abreu from the Restricted List. LHP Colton Gordon was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land following last night’s game.
THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, over the last month or so (May 21-June 24), the Astros are 19-12 (.613), which is the 2nd-best record in the AL in that span.
Top Records since May 21 (AL)
1. NYY: 18-11 (.621)
2. HOU: 19-12 (.613)
RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 3 of 4, 6 of 8 and 8 of their last 12 games.
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid 1st half to his season, currently leading all of baseball with a 1.069 OPS. Additionally, he leads the AL in SLG (.634), OBP (.435), TB (185), is T-1st in HR (25), 2nd in batting avg. (.322) and T-2nd in RBI (56).
Alvarez, who was the AL Player of the Month for May, is hitting .382 (29×76) in June with 5 HR and 17 RBI with a 1.121 OPS (.489 OBP/.632 SLG).
ALL-STAR VOTING: Yordan Alvarez leads all AL DH’s in All-Star voting, per MLB’s update on Monday. His 1,974,459 votes rank 2nd in the AL and 3rd overall in the Majors.
PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has been one of the best in the AL, posting a 2.75 clip (41ER/134IP) in that span. The Astros are 22-15 since May 15.
OKERT’S 0’s: LHP Steven Okert has not allowed a run in his last 17.0 innings, which is the longest scoreless streak by an Astros hurler this season and the 3rd-longest by a reliever in the Majors this season. In his current streak, which spans 14 appearances, and began on May 23 at CHC, Okert has allowed just 8 hits in those 17.0 innings pitched.
Longest 2026 Scoreless Streaks – Relievers
1. Luke Weaver: 21.1 IP (active)
2. Chad Patrick: 18.1 IP
3. Steve Okert: 17.0 IP (active)*
*Okert’s streak is the longest by a LH reliever in ‘26.
HADERADE: In his 10 appearances since coming of the IL on June 3, opponents are just 2×32 off LHP Josh Hader. Hader has posted a 0.90 ERA (1ER/10IP) and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities (.063 opp. avg., .040 WHIP).
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2022 – In the Bronx, 3 Astros hitters combine for a masterful, 3-0 no-hitter over the Yankees. RHP Cristian Javier is the main cog, punching out 13 batters with just 1 walk in 7.0 innings of work. RHP Hector Neris hurls a hitless 8th inning and RHP Ryan Pressly hurls a hitless 9th to preserve the no-hitter. Jose Altuve and J.J. Matijevic each hit solo HRs to provide the offense.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, June 25, 5:40 p.m. CT
Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
TV: SCHN
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 17: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets pitches in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 17, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF Bo Bichette – 3B Juan Soto – DH Mark Vientos – 1B Francisco Alvarez – C A.J. Ewing – CF Ronny Mauricio – SS MJ Melendez – LF Brett Baty – 2B
SP: Freddy Peralta – RHP
Cubs lineup
Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF Michael Conforto – RF Michael Busch – 1B Alex Bregman – 3B Ian Happ – LF Nico Hoerner – 2B Pedro Ramirez – DH Miguel Amaya – C Dansby Swanson – SS
SP: Matthew Boyd – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Jun 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) celebrates his home run against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Shortly after getting swept in a doubleheader by the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, the Mets traded David Peterson to the Cubs, sending the left-hander to the visitor’s locker room for minor league prospect Cole Mathis.
Manager Carlos Mendoza spoke about the trade before the series finale between the two teams on Thursday and was sad to see Peterson, who was in his seventh season playing for New York, go.
“It’s a tough one because obviously you understand this is a business, but, especially from my end, I had a really good relationship with Petey,” Mendoza said. “This is a guy that will come in the office and have coffee and just talk about life. We’ve been together since I took the job [in 2024] and we’ve been through the ups and downs.”
Mendoza’s introduction to Peterson in the skipper’s first year on the job happened while the left-hander was rehabbing from hip surgery which caused him to miss the beginning of the season.
When he recovered, though, Peterson became one of the best pitchers on the Mets and was instrumental in their surprise playoff berth and again during their run in the postseason that saw New York reach the NLCS.
In 21 starts that season, Peterson went 10-3 with a 2.90 ERA to go along with a 2.92 ERA and a save in five games (one start) during the playoffs.
The southpaw returned the following season and kept up his brilliant pitching in the first half. For his efforts, Peterson was named to his first All-Star selection and was on his way to becoming a front-line starter for the Mets.
Unfortunately, the 30-year-old’s second half was not nearly as good and played a part in New York’s collapse of not making the playoffs.
However, determined to revert back to his All-Star potential and the Mets believing he was capable of that, Peterson began his 2026 campaign with 5.1 scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But after that, things quickly went downhill for the lefty, who eventually lost his spot in the starting rotation and was used as the long man coming out of the bullpen.
Injuries to the staff and better results as a reliever helped get Peterson back in the rotation, but after his latest clunker against the Philadelphia Phillies rose his ERA as a starter this year to 7.71, it became clear to New York that he no longer had a role with the team, especially because fellow struggling starter Kodai Senga has already been moved to the bullpen.
“I’ve seen him have success, make the All-Star team,” Mendoza said. “I’ve seen him struggle a lot and how he handles it, but it got to a point where we needed the flexibility on the roster.
“Talking to David [Stearns], we already have Kodai on the pen and just continuing to have starters in the bullpen, it’s just not gonna be sustainable so there was an opportunity to make a deal and we’ll move forward.”
Despite the unsatisfactory results, Mendoza praised Peterson’s willingness to do whatever was asked of him this season with no complaints and said he represented the team “in a quality way” on and off the field.
“He’s a professional and he’s always willing to do whatever the team needed,” Mendoza said. “Whether it was as a bullpen guy, as a piggyback, as a starter, he’s done everything for us.”
The skipper was then asked why the Mets were unable to get Peterson back to the version of himself that became an All-Star and Mendoza said the failure is on him and that it’s something he’s always thinking about regarding any struggling player.
“It’s a question that we’re always asking ourselves when players are not performing at their best,” Mendoza said. “In Petey’s case he was an All-Star last year and then kinda everything went the other way. Credit to coaches that were here last year that put everything to continue to help him [and] this year’s coaching staff, but it just didn’t work for some reason.”
Major League Baseball continued its pattern of radical proposals in collective bargaining, proposing a five-year limit on free agent contracts and eliminating contract deferrals, an offer the MLB Players' Association quickly derided as "misleading" and would "eliminate the free market."
The proposals come within the context of a $245.3 million salary cap MLB laid out in a previous proposal, and the cap remains the most explosive point of contention between management and labor. MLB first sought a salary cap in CBA negotiations in 1994, a year that ended with the cancellation of the World Series as the work stoppage dragged into the following year.
The current CBA expires Dec. 1, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has strongly suggested the league will lock out the players, as it did in December 2021 during the last major round of bargaining.
The five-year contract length - it would be six years for players returning to their current team - severely limits the earning power of players in the prime of their career. New York Mets slugger Juan Soto is the game's highest-paid player, signing a 15-year, $765 million contract after the 2024 season.
Another previous proposal barred players younger than 20 from the draft, and international players younger than 18 from signing with a club; they can currently sign at 16. Both proposals would significantly delay free agency for young players, especially elite talents such as Soto and Bryce Harper, who each debuted at 19.
MLB's most recent proposal did throw the union a pair of crumbs it has previously requested - the elimination of the qualifying offer for free agents and free agency for players 30 years and older once they reach five years service time; it's currently six years for all players.
Yet those concessions pale compared to the cap on both salaries and contract length, which would cost players billions of dollars over time.
"After making a series of proposals to reduce player compensation by billions of dollars, eliminate fundamental rights with a salary cap, and destroy the amateur entry process, Major League Baseball and team owners are now attempting to distract from the true impact their plan would have on baseball," the MLBPA said in a statement. "These misleading offers are designed to look like ‘improvements’ but are of little or no value, given they are expressly conditioned on agreement to the league’s cap system which eliminates the free market, and ensures gains for one player only come at the expense of another.
"The league also introduced a litany of additional restrictions on player rights – limiting salaries, contract length, performance, award, and signing bonuses. While MLB claims to be acting in the interest of fans, their proposals thus far are entirely consistent with owners’ long-held goals: suppressing player salaries and maximizing club profits."
MLB also offered to raise the minimum salary for players with at least two years of service time from $780,000 to $1 million, though many third-year players receive nominal raises after their rookie seasons. It also proposed raising the pre-arbitration salary pool - designed for Rookies of the Year and high achieving young players - by 30%.
"Today, in addition to proposing the largest ever increase in minimum salary, earned by over half of MLB players, we accepted two landmark changes to free agency that have been in place for 50 years," Glen Caplin, MLB's special assistant, baseball operations said in a statement. "We agreed to both the MLBPA's proposal to provide earlier access to free agency, and their proposal to eliminate the qualifying offer system, a provision players view as a drag on free agency.
"We also proposed to eliminate deferred compensation and create a new "Cornerstone Player" provision similar to the NBA's "Bird Rights" to give every team a fair shot at retaining their fans' favorite star players. We will continue working iwth the MLBPA during the bargaining process to improve the game for teams, players and fans."
The MLBPA's strength has long been built on a top-down assumption that the highest earners will drive salaries for all players. It intends to hew to that as negotiations continue.
The sides have one more bargaining session scheduled before the July All-Star break.
"Owners’ attempts to pit players against players are nothing new, but they've failed in the past and will fail again now, because PA members remain unified," said the MLBA. "We are committed to achieving a fair deal that protects the rights of all players, promotes competition, and leaves our game better for future generations."
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 23: Trent Grisham #12 and José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees look on during batting practice prior to the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
If you purchased a ticket to this game months ago, my condolences. Red Sox vs. Yankees is supposed to resemble a clash of titans, but instead, the Red Sox have been such an embarrassment they’ve fallen through the cellar floor and might as well be in a different hemisphere than New York (15.5 games back and the season’s not even halfway over yet).
You’ll get no Aaron Judge, no Roman Anthony, and probably no competitive game if it goes anything like the first few starts for Cam Schlittler against the Red Sox. It’s too bad too because normally a four game set between these two teams at this point in the calendar would be box office material and generate major fireworks. But now the biggest piece of drama is if the Red Sox will fail as badly as they did the last time the Yankees were here, which was such a disastrous, listless effort it got Alex Cora and most of the coaching staff fired a few days later in Baltimore.
If you’re looking for a shred of positivity (not that this team deserves any), Connelly Early will get a chance to back up his effectively wild outing last time on the bump in Seattle. It would also be a nice little revenge game personally for Early, who lost both the Game 3 Wild Card series to the Yankees last fall and his start at Fenway against them in April.
In any case, volcanos are much less interesting when they’re dormant; so please bring the rivalry back soon baseball gods. I miss it!
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Baseball and manga fans are about to be united in the City of Angels.
On Thursday, July 2, the Los Angeles Dodgers are hosting their second “One Piece” night at Dodger Stadium.
For the uninitiated, “One Piece” is a popular Japanese manga turned anime turned live-action Netflix series has been around since summer ’97 and follows a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy who has the ability to expand like rubber once he’s consumed a magical Devil Fruit.
Last summer, the defending World Series champion put on a “One Piece” night with a giveaway where fans were gifted straw hats and Monkey D. Luffy promo cards — where he’s at bat wearing a Dodgers jersey and taking a swing at a straw hat — that are now being flipped on the re-sale market for anywhere from $1,000 to $19,000 depending on the card’s grading.
This time around, the first 40,000 fans will be given straw hats and an exclusive, limited edition “One Piece” trading card. Photo ops, activations, and a post-game “One Piece” drone show are being offered as well.
In early June, The Post wrote “the Dodgers have already unveiled a redesigned hat featuring a chin strap…Fans have begun discussing resale values online despite the organization not yet confirming a card giveaway.”
If you’d like to be there, last-minute tickets are still available for the high-demand game (where Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers will be taking on Manny Machado’s San Diego Padres by the way).
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats was $289 including fees on SeatGeek.
Field-level seats start at $634 including fees.
Make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).
Other notable giveaways this season include a Freddie Freeman bobblehead (July 6), Shohei Ohtani bobblehead (July 8) and 2025 World Series mystery rings (July 28).
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2026 “One Piece” giveaway night below.
What do tickets cost for “One Piece” night at Dodger Stadium?
A complete breakdown of all the best prices on tickets by section at Dodger Stadium for “One Piece” night are listed here.
Dodger Stadium sections
Ticket prices start at
Upper Deck
$289(including fees)
100 Level
$294(including fees)
Lower Level
$312(including fees)
Field Level
$634(including fees)
What are the other Dodgers giveaways in 2026?
All Dodgers giveaway home game dates, opponents, freebies and links to buy tickets can be found here:
Los Angeles Dodgers 2026 giveaway dates
Rockies vs. DodgersFreddie Freeman “18th Inning Walk-Off” Bobblehead Monday, July 6 7:10 p.m.
Rockies vs. DodgersShohei Ohtani “Greatest Game” Bobblehead Part 2 Wednesday, July 8 7:10 p.m. *for first 54,000 fans
Diamondbacks vs. DodgersSon Heung-min Bobblehead Saturday, July 11 6:10 p.m.
Mariners vs. Dodgers2025 World Series Mystery Rings Tuesday, July 28 7:10 p.m.
Mariners vs. DodgersEdwin Díaz Bobblehead Wednesday, July 29 7:10 pm.
Red Sox vs. DodgersKyle Tucker Bobblehead Friday, July 31 7:10 p.m.
Royals vs. DodgersMax Muncy “Game 7 Home Run” Bobblehead Monday, Aug. 10 7:10 p.m.
Brewers vs. DodgersClayton Kershaw Bobblehead Friday, Aug. 14 7:10 p.m.
Brewers vs. DodgersReggie Smith “Legends of Dodger Baseball” Bobblehead Saturday, Aug. 15 4:15 p.m.
Pirates vs. DodgersShohei Ohtani “Starter Series” Bobblehead Saturday, Aug. 22 6:10 p.m.
According to MLB.com, Giveaways are limited to 40,000 units, unless otherwise noted. Only one giveaway item, per person, per valid ticket upon entering the stadium.
Los Angeles Dodgers full 2026 home schedule
Fans that plan on seeing Ohtani, Freeman, Mookie and the squad regardless of whether or not there are giveaways can catch the 2024 and ’25 World Series champs at home all spring and summer long.
Want to be there?
Tickets for all 2026 Los Angeles Dodgers home games at Dodger Stadium from June all the way through September can be grabbed here.
2026 Dodger Stadium special events
At the time of publication, there are 16 Chavez Ravine special event nights scheduled this spring and summer. You’ll find everything you need to know about each of them below.
2026 Dodger Stadium special events
Padres vs. DodgersDrone Show Friday, July 3 7:10 p.m.
Padres vs. DodgersFireworks Show Saturday, July 4 7:10 p.m.
Rockies vs. DodgersHawaiian Shirt Night Tuesday, July 7 7:10 p.m.
Diamondbacks vs. DodgersBlack Heritage Night Friday, July 10 7:10 p.m.
Mariners vs. DodgersGuatemalan Heritage Night Thursday, July 30 7:10 p.m.
Royals vs. DodgersSalvadoran Heritage Night Tuesday, Aug. 11 7:10 p.m.
Brewers vs. DodgersKorean Heritage Night Thursday, Aug. 13 7:10 p.m.
Nationals vs. DodgersUnion Night Saturday, Sept. 5 6:10 p.m.
Reds vs. DodgersFirst Responders Night Monday, Sept. 7 6:10 p.m.
Reds vs. DodgersDía de Los Dodgers Tuesday, Sept. 8 7:10 p.m.
Reds vs. DodgersNurses Night Wednesday, Sept. 9 7:10 p.m.
Huge 2026 Los Angeles concerts
Hoping to catch a concert or three this year, too?
You’re in the right place.
Our team tracked down just five of the most exciting shows headed to the City of Angels these next few months.
• Mamamoo (Aug. 25)
• BTS (Sept. 1-2, 5-6)
• Le Sserafim (Sept. 16)
• aespa (Oct. 3)
• KATSEYE (Nov. 21-22)
Don’t forget KCON is coming to the Crypto.com Arena from Aug. 14-16, too. We’ll see ya there.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 25: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners looks on during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Thursday, June 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rayni Shiring/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In a year of anniversarial festivity across the United States, a less rounded celebration will make its annual occurrence in just a month and change. The 105th anniversary of the first radio broadcast of a baseball game will occur on August 5th. That initial voyage on the airwaves was appropriately undertaken by MLB’s most ancient seafarers, the Pittsburgh Pirates, taking on their intrastate rivals in Philadelphia.
That 1921 afternoon at Forbes Field was broadcast on KDKA, the first licensed radio station in the United States. Harold Arlin, holding a converted telephone in a box seat converted to little more than the sort of station basketball broadcasters tend to utilize courtside, made history just three miles from where the Seattle Mariners took on those same Pirates today at PNC Park. Still broadcast on KDKA over a century later, fans heard, saw, and otherwise were treated to a 5-1 Pirates win that swept aside their maritime counterparts in a broadcast that Seattle’s television crew struggled to capture due to numerous technical difficulties.
It was for the best. And, with a tinny quality likely reminiscent of Arlin’s original broadcast, Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink made the most of the limitations for one of their best duo shows of the year. It was just as well, because the club’s offensive performance was not so much Transatlantic as Goldsmith’s accent drifted for a delightful moment, but subaquatic.
The Mariners stretched their three-or-fewer runs scored streak to two full weeks on Thursday, though not without some fight. Against Pittsburgh rookie righty Bubba Chandler who sits 98-99 on his heater, the 23 year old worked around five hits, three walks, and a lot of hard contact to stymie Seattle repeatedly. A bases-loaded opportunity came for Seattle in the fourth frame, with Julio Rodríguez singling and seeing the bases loaded behind him by a Josh Naylor hit and, following a dicey stolen base attempt that Julio managed to make work, a Luke Raley walk.
Cole Young rapped a 100 mph heater nearly exactly as hard right back into the left center gap, only to see it swallowed up by a slick sliding catch from Jake Mangum.
Though Seattle had chipped away at the lead built by Pittsburgh’s set of homers off otherwise-sharp Bryce Miller, the 3-1 lead would have been enough even before Alex Hoppe once again fluffed the final total, concluding at a tasteful-but-rigid 5-1.
Most of the day, as has been a common refrain, Seattle could not produce with runners in scoring position. An eternal complaint nearly every season for all 30 teams, it is actually accurate in many ways to highlight the M’s shortcomings w/RISP this year. They entered the day with the third-worst batting average (.226) and fourth-fewest RBI (212) with runners in scoring position. The RBI are descriptive of circumstance here, not intended predictively, but merely to highlight that the M’s have around 30 fewer runs than the average club does to this point generated in RISP situations. That’s not the whole story, of course, as the M’s actually have a 10th-best in MLB wRC+ of 105 w/RISP, and a middle-of-the-pack .315 weighted on-base average (wOBA). If you’re putting two-and-two together there, the M’s walk lots with runners on, but their .254 BABIP is worst in MLB, compounded by having the fourth-fewest total RISP opportunities of any club.
1-10 on the day in their RISPportunities, Seattle loaded the bags again with two outs in the top of the 6th, this time for Colt Emerson against lefty reliever Evan Sisk. Emerson emulated the dream of every Little League Coach and baseball fan reared on 70s and 80s slap and dash baseball. He took the ball right back up the middle, blistering a low line drive on a single hop, at 104 mph just for good measure.
Obviously, an easy out. The ball was hit at almost the exact same just-oppo trajectory as Young’s lineout, in fact. And that is at least part of the issue.
Seattle spent the past two games pulling the ball less than any other club in MLB in that time, and spent all afternoon continuing that trend. Sprayed contact can commonly drop or catch defenses out of position, but it is physically impossible to hit a ball as authoritatively the other way as it is to pull it. That’s why home runs are pulled far more than not, and home runs are better than singles, and way better than outs. It’s crucial to highlight here that Seattle isn’t purely to blame for this. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff threw 40 of the 41 hardest pitches of the game, all from 98.4 to 101.4 mph, including 13 pitches over 100 mph, 12 of which were by the starting pitcher Chandler.
It’s not easy to pull this caliber of stuff in the air, but it does hurt your chances of scoring in bunches. And for Seattle, whose roster is especially home run dependent particularly without Brendan Donovan and Dominic Canzone in the lineup, it’s not great to be in a spot of such power outage.
The final threat came in the top of the 7th, with an all-too-familiar frustration. Cal, Naylor, and Randy Arozarena walked off Sisk and old friend Yohan Ramírez, setting the stage for another relief appearance by flamethrowing southpaw Mason Montgomery. Pushed to a key moment in the game with a lefty on the hill, Dan Wilson went to Rob Refsnyder to relieve Luke Raley. Montgomery is a more ferocious lefty than Sisk, who Raley had been allowed to face earlier and managed a single, but it’s hard not to manage more than utter rage and frustration to see the 35 year old trot out in any capacity at this point. In Refsnyder’s line of work, you typically only get one good pitch to hit, and to his credit he attacked it, unleashing on a 1-1 curveball over the heart of the plate after waving over the same pitch in the dirt at 1-0.
He fouled it off, stomping in frustration with some manner of precognition for what was to come. A 100 mph ball high on the heater merely reset his eyeline for pitch five, the breaking ball at the bottom of the zone, flied lazily to left to quell the final threat. Crowd noise buzzed around the edges of the broadcast. Fuzziness around the edges from millions of games across a century of this sport. The Mariners once again share the same record as the cumulative achievement of all of baseball’s history: .500.
Jun 23, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) is congratulated by first baseman Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
Here are the lineups for the series finale in Washington. Let’s discuss.
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 27: Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44) jokes with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) during the MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 27, 2025 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After Wednesday night in Minnesota, the Dodgers have played 81 games, expecatly half of their 2026 regular season schedule. They are 52-29, and it doesn’t take a math whiz to realize they are on pace for 104 wins.
Here’s a glance at the first half of the schedule and how it compares to what’s left over the final three-plus months.
Interleague winds down
The Dodgers’ previous 12 games were all against American League teams. They’ve fared pretty well in interleague play thus far, going 20-10, the best record in MLB. But after 30 interleague games in the first half, only 18 such games remain, the first three of which are in a minor league ballpark:
June 29-July 1 at A’s in West Sacramento
July 17-19 at New York Yankees
July 28-30 vs. Seattle Mariners
July 31-August 2 vs. Boston Red Sox
August 10-12 vs. Kansas City Royals
August 28-30 at Detroit Tigers
Getting used to the Padres
The Dodgers played 24 games against the National League West thus far, and have 28 games remaining. The difference here is they’ve played the San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Colorado Rockies twice each so far, but they’ve only played the San Diego Padres once.
They open the second half of the schedule in San Diego for three games, then one weekend later host the Padres for four games. The two also play in the final week of the season at Dodger Stadium, giving this year’s schedule the odd quirk of the Dodgers playing the Padres all six games at Petco Park before playing any of the seven at Dodger Stadium.
un-Red emails
The only National League team the Dodgers haven’t yet played in 2026 is the Cincinnati Reds, and that won’t get rectified until the final month of the season. The entirety of their season series will be played over 11 days, with three games in Los Angeles from September 7-9 followed by four games at Great American Ball Park from September 14-17.
The Dodgers played a dozen games against the NL Central in the first half, with 20 remaining. The other slight difference in halves is that the Dodgers will play four games against the Brewers at home from August 13-16 after playing three games in Milwaukee in the first half.
Other things are pretty much even. The Dodgers played 15 games against the NL East thus far, and will play 15 more against that division the rest of the way. They’ve played 40 games at home and 41 road contests to date, and will flip that for the final 81 games.
STEP RIGHT UP AND SWEEP THE METS: The Cubs’ last sweep of the Mets at Citi Field was three games in 2022. They also won three in 2019. They captured four in a row May 31-June 3, 2018. The current series is their second of four games since then. They split in 2024. Before 2018, the Cubs swept four when visiting the Mets only three times: June 15-17, 1962, at the Polo Grounds, and Aug. 6-8, 1965, and Aug. 2-5, 1991, at Shea Stadium. In 1969 and 1970, the Cubs won the first three games of series, then lost the fourth. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SIX-RUN STREAKING: The Cubs have scored at least six runs in six consecutive games. Their last such streak to reach six games was more than 26 years ago, on April 22-28, 2000. It ended the next day with a 7-4, 10-inning loss. Their last such streak of more than six games was eight, on April 16-26, 1970. They had had eight three times before, in 1920, 1925 and 1930. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
MORE ON RUN SCORING: In their last six games, the Cubs have scored 59 runs (six, eight, 16, nine, 10 and 10), eight more than in any previous six games this season: 51, April 12-18 (seven, seven, 10, 11, 12 and four). Their six-game record is 81 runs, in 1930. They had a high of 64 in 2024, 61 in 2019 and 60 in 2018. Their most runs in seven games is 87, in 1930. They scored 73 in 1961 and 2024, 69 in 2019, and 63 in 1954 and 2004. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
DANSBY ON FIRE: Dansby Swanson is on a six-game hitting streak in which he is batting .478/.519/1.174 (11-for-23) with two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 18 (!) RBI, eight runs scored and only two strikeouts.
Neither team had posted a lineup as of the time this preview posted. Please check BCB social media for tonight’s lineups.
Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Freddy Peralta, RHP
Matthew Boyd returns tonight from his second IL stint.
The first was due to a bicep issue. After his return then, he had one okay start, one bad one and another that was pretty good, before he injured his knee playing with his kids.
He made two rehab starts at Iowa and then had a setback. His most recent rehab start, last Saturday at South Bend, was better. He threw only 59 pitches in that one, and only 80 in the previous one for Iowa. So I wouldn’t expect him to go more than five innings tonight.
Boyd did not face the Mets when they were at Wrigley Field earlier this year. The last time he faced them was Sept. 24, 2025 at Wrigley Field, where he allowed them two runs in 5.1 innings. I think we’d take that.
Remember when Freddy Peralta was the guy many thought the Cubs could trade for to save their rotation this year?
Well, Peralta’s likely going to be available in a few weeks but is he a savior? Let’s see, he has a 4.83 ERA and 1.389 WHIP and has allowed 12 home runs in 85.2 innings. Yep, he’d fit right in with this group in Chicago!
Sigh. Actually, Peralta was doing reasonably well until he was left in to take a 10-run pounding in 2.2 innings from the Phillies in his last start. That alone raised his season ERA almost a full run (3.90 to 4.83).
Well, okay. Let the Cubs hit him hard tonight and then they can trade for him and turn him around. That works every time, right. Right?
Peralta allowed the Cubs three runs in 5.2 innings April 18 at Wrigley Field. That included a homer by Ian Happ.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
Kendall George, the Dodgers’ No. 13 overall prospect, suffered one of the strangest injuries in recent memory last month.
George (the Dodgers’ No. 36 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft) scored a run during a May 26 game with the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate Tulsa Drillers. While heading back to the dugout, he had to dodge a bat dog who was running onto the field. This caused George to suffer a leg injury that he was visibly frustrated about.
While heading back to the dugout during a May 26 game, Kendall George had to dodge a bat dog running onto the field, resulting in a leg injury. Getty Images
The Dodgers suspended their bat-dog program as a result of George’s injury. While this has been upsetting for fans, it likely was the right call because dogs running around the field became detrimental to top prospects.
George, who’s hitting .328 with an .801 OPS and 26 stolen bases in 44 games this season, was placed on the seven-day injured list one day later because he suffered a left patellar tendon injury from dodging the dog. It took him about a month to return to the field, as he made his return on June 24 for the Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate, the Ontario Tower Buzzers.
It took George about a month to return to the field, as he made his return on June 24 for the Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate, the Ontario Tower Buzzers. Bally Sports
In his first at-bat, the Buzzers’ opponent, the Visalia Rawhide, played sounds of dogs barking, in what was a clear attempt to mock George’s freak injury. A video of this was posted to the Jomboy Media X account on Thursday morning and has since tallied over 380,000 pageviews.
The taunt worked out well for the Rawhide, as George struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
The opposing team was playing barking noises as Dodgers prospect Kendall George took his first at bats since injuring his knee avoiding a bat dog
What does this silence surrounding Schneider’s contract negotiations mean for his future in New York?
Despite messages from Schneider about wanting to stay with the Blueshirts, as well as from Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury about waiting to retain Schneider, it does not appear we are heading in that direction.
To kick off the offseason, the trade market has proven to be a sellers' market, as the Rangers have explored trade options for Schneider, according to The Athletic, and could look to capitalize on the current state of the market.
Drury, who is not looking to sit through a prolonged rebuilding process, is widely speculated to be targeting a young forward who could instantly contribute if he were to trade Schneider.
Given the Rangers’ reluctance to commit to Schneider long term, they could sign him to a one to two-year bridge deal, but Schneider, who is coming off a two-year, $4.4 million contract, is likely seeking a long-term contract extension.
It’s also possible the Rangers take a similar route to how they handled K’Andre Miller’s restricted free agency, in which the team agreed to a sign and trade with the Carolina Hurricanes that included a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, and Scott Morrow.
The silence surrounding Schneider’s contract negotiations does not bode well for his chances of remaining with the Rangers into the future.
