Category: Baseball

A more definite set of attributes, traits, and countenance has emerged after half a season of Cardinals baseball in 2026. It is surely not definitive, as this mercurial team arises from the ashes of the past. It is halfway set and halfway emerging out of the fires of change and progress like an Apollonian fever dream. Is Chaim Bloom our agent of change? It sure appears so… but, this team also has a lot of players from the wiles of John Mozeliakian machinations. What is it that they do well?

It is Monday at 7:30PM, no game on, half the season gone, A/C cranked. I worked yesterday, and it was plenty hot enough. Not tonight after a full shift of work. But I will probably have to venture out into the wall of steam tomorrow night, possibly. We will see how I feel. I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. But I’m pretty good at a lot, I’d like to think. Rennaissance man? I think not. Polymath? I hope not. Just some middle aged dude writing about baseball and other miscellany.

The Cardinals don’t have the fortune to be able to work from home. They have to go to Atlanta next. Is that even hotter than playing in StL? I would think so! But I really don’t know. Atlanta and Houston are my last two big cities to go to, and Phoenix but I’ve been to Mesa. I’d love to go to Seattle again. I know the other big cities well enough, for now. June ends with a new beginning.

The Cardinals go on their toughest stretch of the season leading up to the All-Star Break. There is no doubt about that, with a road trip to Atlanta and Chicago’s northside, and then turning around and hosting the Brewers for 4 games. And then… the Braves again. This first series at Atlanta will definitely set the tone for this stretch more than anything. As a whole, the 4 series amount to around a .590 winning percentage foe vs our 5 over guys.

How could the Cardinals possibly beat the Braves? This might come as a surprise (it was for me) the Cardinals have a little better position players. Cardinals have a better defense, no question. On offense, StL position players are batting 102 wRC+ as a group, while Atlanta is a hair below league average. Why are the Braves so good? Actually, I’m not sure. Their pitching is definitely quite a lot better than the Cardinals, but they’re not one of the best teams at pitching, either.

The Cardinals top 5 hitters by xwOBA are, you guessed it, Alec Burleson, Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker, and JJ Wetherholt. After that it drops off a cliff. But with a solid 4 above .350 xwOBA, that’s going to win some games. Winn, Church, and crew are not yet pushing this team over the top. Except newcomer Nootbaar (everything new is old again) has brought the offense a new aspect with his top notch but newly minted 2026 baseball savant page. That’s mostly bars of red there. So how does that change this offense?

For one, it appears to be insurance if Jordan Walker isn’t as good in the second half. But what if Walker truly has become one of the National League’s best hitters? That is then over half the lineup of damage-doing hitters, with the rest of them either likely to do a little better or at least have a chance of being an improvement over Scott and Pages. With a strength of schedule that seems to be relatively soft after the all-star break, I find it quite an interesting topic. If Nootbaar is not traded away, all that has to happen is Walker and Wetherholt keeping up the good work, and for the pitching to be able to not crumble under the pressure of innings and summer heat.

While looking through the lens of xwOBA, I can see a better lineup than what fangraphs wRC+ described. So, I suppose it’s a toss-up on the offenses. We will find out after these next two series are in the books. Luckily for the Cardinals, the Braves best hitter, Acuna, is currently injured. So that could be the real difference maker.

But I should add, as a team, once again, the Cardinals are better at xwOBA and are #3 in MLB as a team stat. I guess what I’m saying is, both teams offenses could heat up at any moment. This should be interesting.

Of course, when it comes to pitching, the Braves are top 5 by xwOBA and the Cardinals are bottom 5. Therein lies the big difference. St Louis pitching has been the worry all along.

Since the Cardinals are actually doing a lot better than what most people would’ve predicted at the halfway point, how are they bucking the odds? What are they doing to win games while keeping a negative run differential?

What are the Cardinals good at?

The St Louis Cardinals have a pitching staff that lead MLB in inducing groundouts, and also a middle infield defense that leads MLB in turning the double play. So, naturally, the pitching staff is leading the Big Leagues in ground into double plays. So that is our best stat. If they get on, there’s a good chance they’ll get erased through our defensive machine up the middle. Burleson has been good enough to scoop a lot of plays that no one would ever think either JJ Wetherholt or Masyn Winn would execute. Burly has been on his toes at first base.

You know what the Cardinals are also good at? Getting on base through hit-by-pitch! They are boosting their offense the toughest way possible. The Cardinals are ahead of the Angels, Mariners, and White Sox in total HBP. That’s one way to make an abundance of baserunners! Along with a good walk rate of course.

So the Cardinals are best at inducing ground balls into double plays on defense and getting hit by the pitch. Is the latter sustainable? Who knows! Kind of hope not, but if that’s a built-in trait for this team, maybe it helps just enough.

Beyond those two top tier traits, the Cardinals’ offense doesn’t strike out a lot… and xwOBA think they’ll do better. They’re rather average or mediocre at everything else.

June is over

It sure has felt like people have been a little down on the Cardinals during their recent play, so let’s take a look at the last month. The Cardinals position players have been top 10 in MLB by fWAR, tied with Detroit and just ahead of the White Sox. So the promotions and changes to the bottom of the order certainly have not hurt.

In June the Cardinals got on base at a rather beneficial .339 clip, top 5 in MLB… but ended up bottom five in HR. There was definitely a power outage, not that they were ever a huge home run threat, but they were much better than expected prior to June. So they hit less home runs in the humidity, I guess? And regressed, I digress.

Not to worry though, the Cardinals were a top 10 offense by wOBA. They should be ok, and go through different phases. As long as they gel after the All-Star Break, I think they’ll always be a strength. How much of one, we will find out. Defensively they seem to be a little worse off in June.

It is difficult to say what the better setup is: optimizing defense as we did earlier in the year, or optimizing offense as we seem to be doing now. Things will sort themselves out.

The Cardinals pitching was not a disaster in June. But they were below average, about the same as NY Mets pitching and SF Giants pitching, two other ballclubs who are struggling but not sinking to the bottom. They are above replacement level, but only by a game and a half in June.

If the Cardinals want to continue their strengths, they need Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt to stay healthy, and to continue run preventing center field defense. Pedro Pages may see more playing time if Jimmy Crooks III doesn’t steal his spot. That would play back into that defense that actually takes runs away from the other team.

Maybe part of that plan was Ramon Urias but he’s doubly hurt and not a big part of this team, and wasn’t really the elite defender that was advertised anyway. Blaze Jordan or Nolan Gorman types will be fine at third base, but they aren’t going to steal runs away, or be a huge difference maker with the bat either. Hahahaha just trying to rile up Blaze, Blaze Jordan fans.

These two Braves series will be more interesting than most think, and I think we can take the Cubs if they are slumping again. Wrigley can be a bad place to play sometimes, but it can also provide the long ball. It is the Brewers series that is most worrisome, we need to avoid the sweep and if we are to have any hope of beginning to catch up to them (I don’t), you just gotta win that series. But most of all, just don’t get swept while hosting the Brewcrew! Get into the All Star Break with a decent record and the rest of the season doesn’t seem so formidable.

Ok, I’m sorry, I could talk about Cardinals baseball all day. Here is the music portion of the broadcast.

1992 Music Extravaganza (Part 1)

Ok I have been reminiscing about my high school years and 1992 is where things really hit a turbo charged cultural take off. Already huge genres like hiphop and metal are absolutely on fire, fledging genres like shoegaze and industrial really begin to take off, and the overall quality of albums and how they are produced really pushed the envelope taking sounds to new heights.

1992 was a year that meant a lot to me, both when I was in high school and later in life, when I figured out I missed out on bands like Kyuss, Polvo, and many more on the list. I did have a good collection of tapes and CDs in high school though! And many of them I still love.

• Faith No More – ‘Angel Dust’ their absolute best, words cannot describe experiencing hearing this album the first few times, and living with it your whole life. Its own dimension of sound to visit when you need a good mental shakedown, it will take you to another place and that place is 1992. But it is also rather timeless, sounding still fresh today due to a crisp production and excellent songwriting with a full band and one of the best singers of all time at the top of his game.
• Polvo – ‘Cor-Crane Secret’ Chapel Hill genius guitar duo debuts with Polvo’s first official full length and it’s all of what you want in an album: creative, fun, innovative, emotive, and absolutely one of a kind. Reinventing the wheel and rewriting the script. Both catchy and devastating, but not extremely heavy in a conventional sense, they’re just more emotionally impactful and absolutely absurd. There’s no way to explain, you just have to hear it multiple times before it even starts to make sense. Then it grows…
• Kyuss – ‘Blues For The Red Sun’ an absolutely stunning wall of sound with the only rocker to be in the same territory as Chris Cornell on vocals, but sounding more like what I would call a male Janis Joplin. More raw and over the top. And that goes for the whole band. That California desert sound was put on the map by this band, and it is the precursor to the more popular and well known Queens of the Stone Age. I love both bands, but I’d rather hear Kyuss, to be honest. Regardless, 1992 is the beginning… they started to become famous because of “generator parties” out in the desert. They never quite got behind cult status, but one of the best American bands. And this sounded like nothing else before or since!
• Sonic Youth – ‘Dirty’ NYC was always on the map in the 90s, since they had Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys in the prior decade. And a gazillion more, but …this album changed my thinking about music. I found this one before Helmet, another NYC band, before Polvo, they were some article in a magazine and sounded so cool I bought this CD. And I still love it a whole bunch. Extremely influential to bands who will never make it big. The 1990s were a whole different dimension.
• Helmet – ‘Meantime’ so far on the list we have seen heavy being reinvented in new rock n roll ways that aren’t really heavy metal per se, but I could see why you might say this is a heavy metal album. If anything it sounds like it influenced nu-metal years later, but I find it ultimately an alt rock thing melding hiphop and jazz college knowledge with punk and a new approach to presenting heavy riffs and vocals, as well as solos. I wouldn’t blame you if you filed this under heavy metal, but most true metalheads would be mad at you. Maybe it was their short hair and hipster clothing.
• Medeski Martin And Wood – ‘Notes From The Underground’ these guys were real good from the beginning, and this might be their most unnecessarily overlooked album by me and many fans. They made both avant garde and classic jazz more accessible to the 90s and the 00s. And after this small stage jazz phase they got super funky and then blossomed out into the jam band big stage scene. I much prefer their first two stages, but they have always been a damned good band and always will be. I absolutely love them. And in case you didn’t know, it’s a keyboards (Medeski), drums (Martin), and bass (Wood) trio, for the most part!
• Thinking Plague – ‘In This Life’ this won’t be on the playlist, sadly enough, but it is America’s answer to the Rock In Opposition movement that started around a decade before. If you like prog rock or just straight up weird music with amazing musicianship, , or even classical, you must check this out! From Denver.
• Alice In Chains – ‘Dirt’ the crowning achievement of grunge? You decide! I was more into this album than even ‘Badmotorfinger’. Unbelievably catchy for how heavy it is, it’s alt rock having a meeting with heavy metal, with a dual vocal attack and very creative solos and song structures. Layne Staley was on the same level as Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell, one of the all time great rock vocalists.
• Beastie Boys – ‘Check Your Head’ the Beastie Boys show their full scope on this one; it’s an all-time hip-hop and alt-punk classic with top-notch production. This has got to be a part of your 1992 soundtrack unless you have a bias against the Beasties. This is them at their peak, with a lot of variety filtered through experience and focus. They took their past success to the next level here!
• Rage Against The Machine – self titled this album had a big effect on me as a teenager, but the riffs and music stand up over time and embarrass the naysayers with good, inspirational music. Catchy as fuck and sounds more like 1992 than most of the albums on this list! I truly love the whole band as musicians and I don’t see what all the talk is about with them as people. They spoke their mind and made a good band about it… it just so happened to blow up to international levels. And yeah, they were college-educated people.
• Ministry – ‘Psalm 69’ this album is one of the best party albums of all time, throw it on and everyone is gonna get energized somehow, for better or worse. It also crystallized Ministry’s sound into a perfect form that won over a ton of new fans (for better or worse). They went full industrial metal hybrid on this one, but it’s also catchy as hell, until it (d)evolves into some disturbing, nightmarish soundtrack sounds to round out the experience. When grunge was hitting in Seattle, Chicago had Ministry, the Jesus Lizard, and Smashing Pumpkins (and plenty more). Al Jourgensen is a Chicago legend for all the wrong reasons, but his musical genius remains.
• The Jesus Lizard – ‘Liar’ A wild ride start to finish, Steve Albini production, a noise rock classic, it will even grow on you the more times you hear it, even though it’s good upon first listen. And their best album cover! Deranged insanity, presented artfully. But also a real ripper, with monster bass sounds and amazing riffs, with many a trick up its sleeve, and tight shifts contrasted with musical abstractions… equals a perfect album.
• Stereolab – ‘Peng!’ I love me some Stereolab and yes even this early stuff is quite good! an all time classic.
• Medicine – ‘Shot Forth Self Living’ Cali shoegaze champs Medicine before their big spot on the Crow soundtrack. They’re one of my favorite bands ever so I’ll just leave it here, check out how the guitarist processed his guitar sound on this. https://tapeop.com/interviews/116/brad-laner I would describe Medicine as America’s answer to the UK’s My Bloody Valentine (although sometimes I gotta say the Swirlies are ultimately the only band to compete with MBV for world crown).
• Lush – ‘Spooky’ and to round out my top 15 albums of 1992 (at this time) I must include the super awesome Spooky album by noise-popsters Lush. There are certain songs on here that are my favorite songs ever. “Tiny Smiles”, “Superblast!”, “Laura”, and “Starlust” would all make my best songs of all time soundtrack, but the rest of the album ain’t bad either.

I’ll have another whole 15 (non-metal) albums from 1992 next week, I have severely run out of time! But it’s been fun, VEB. Hopefully the Cardinals will get this pre-ASB stretch started off right and they can just go on a good run. Starting off on the right foot despite a bad performance by JoJo Romero and Ryan Fernandez. I think the reinforcements can only help the team, and platooning for Burleson will yield even more results.

1905
White Sox pitcher Frank Owen won both games of a doubleheader at St. Louis, 3-2 and 2-0. In both games he went the distance, and only allowed the Browns seven total hits for the afternoon.

It was the first time in American League history that this milestone was accomplished, and Owen remains one of only 10 pitchers in baseball history to accomplish the feat of two complete-game wins in a single day.

---

1910
The White Sox opened the original Comiskey Park and lost, 2-0, to the St. Louis Browns. Within three days of the first game, three Sox players were sidelined with injuries, thus beginning in the minds of some a “Curse of the Comiskeys” or “White Sox Curse.”

Owner Charles Comiskey himself believed he had cursed the franchise because the stadium was opened on a Friday — in Irish lore, always a bad omen, “Never of Friday” being the watchword.

Infielder Lena Blackburne stroked the first two Sox hits in their new park, both singles coming off of Barney Pelty.

---

1920
Future Hall of Fame catcher Ray Schalk was honored with his own Day. The ceremony took place before a doubleheader with the St. Louis Browns. The White Sox split the two games, winning the opener, 3-2, in 11 innings, and losing the nightcap, 4-1. Schalkwent 1-for-4 in the twin bill, with an RBI.

---

1962
The White Sox set the AL record for sacrifice flies in an inning, as they got three straight in the fifth as part of a 7-6 win over Cleveland at Comiskey Park. It was the second game of a doubleheader, with the Sox winning both contests. Juan Pizarro, Nellie Fox and Al Smith did the honors. The Sox were able to accomplish this feat because Cleveland outfielder Gene Green committed errors on two of the fly balls. Chicago took that first game, 5-4.

---

1972
The Twins scored just once in a 5-1 loss at Comiskey Park, but what a run it was: Harmon Killebrew hit a ball over the roof in left field. The blast came off of Dave Lemonds, who pitched eight innings for his first win of the season. Ed Herrmann went 3-for-3 with an RBI and runner caught stealing to help fuel the win for the 40-27, second-place Sox.

---

1977
Although they had been flirting with first and second place all season long, a 5-2 win over Minnesota marked the start of a five-week run atop the AL West Division for the White Sox.

Richie Zisk clubbed two homers, including a three-run shot in the bottom of the first that put the White Sox in front for good. Chris Knapp went the distance to earn his seventh win of the year.

For the Twins, Rod Carew singled and tripled in five at-bats to keep his incredible pursuit of .400 at his season-high mark of .411.

---

1990
On the 80th anniversary of the opening of Comiskey Park, New York’s Andy Hawkins threw a no-hitter.

There was for one small problem … he lost the game, 4-0! The White Sox got all their runs thanks to back-to-back fly ball errors courtesy of Jim Leyritz and Jesse Barfield in the eighth inning. Leyritz’s error was the back-breaker, as it came on a fly ball off the bat of Robin Ventura with the bases loaded and two outs, enabling three runs to come home.

Greg Hibbard matched Hawkins pitch-for-pitch in the early going, as he also had a no-hitter through the first 5 1⁄3 innings. 

---

1991
Thanks to a Carlton Fisk home run in the 10th inning, the White Sox beat Minnesota at the Metrodome, 5-4, for the franchise’s 7,000th victory. Bobby Thigpen, the fifth Sox pitcher of the game, picked up the win. 

---

2006
Just six weeks after “The Punch” win over the Cubs at Sox Park in which A.J. Pierzynski played a central role, the rapscallion struck again. With the White Sox trailing, 6-5, with two runners on and down to their last out, Pierzynski clubbed a home run onto Sheffield Avenue to put the White Sox up, 8-6. Bobby Jenks closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 25th save.

An unheralded role in the stunning comeback was authored by Ross Gload, who was down to the final strike of the game before singling. A Jermaine Dye walk followed, and A.J. took it from there.

Also notable, Cubs fans delaying the game after A.J.’s homer by tossing garbage onto the field, like three-year-olds having a tantrum.

---

2007
Honoring the legacy of the Negro Leagues, the White Sox wore full Chicago American Giants jerseys in a game for the first time (on May 2, 1992 the White Sox honored the American Giants as well, but only by wearing the club’s caps during the game). Led by seven strong innings from Jon Garland and a powerful, 2-for-3 game (double, homer) from Paul Konerko, the White Sox won in Kansas City, 3-1.

The Mets have signed first baseman Christopher Morel to a minor league deal, according to a report by Will Sammon. And Jorge Castillo adds that the deal contains three opt-outs, the first of which is on July 15.

Now in his age-27 season, the right-handed hitter is several years removed from his best years in the big leagues. His first two seasons in the league in 2022 and 2023, which he spent with the Cubs, were his best, as he hit .241/.311/.471 with 42 home runs and a 115 wRC+ in 854 plate appearances.

Since then, however, Morel has hit just .201/.283/.351 with 32 home runs and a 79 wRC+ in 989 plate appearances. After his struggles at the plate began in the 2024 season, the Cubs traded Morel and two other players to the Rays for Isaac Paredes. And following the 2025 season in Tampa, Morel was non-tendered and became a free agent before signing with the Marlins ahead of the 2026 season. In 73 plate appearances with Miami this year, Morel has hit just .162/.219/.206 with zero home runs and an 18 wRC+.

Etowah baseball coach Greg Robinson still remembers the first time he laid eyes on Kansas City Royals outfielder Drew Waters.

Robinson was umpiring a middle school game when Waters stepped up to the plate.

“I'm behind the plate when he's coming to bat and I'm watching him and he barrels a ball into center field,” Robinson said. “And I'm like, ‘This guy's going to be special.’”

Years later, Robinson sat at Waters’ MLB Draft party as the then-18-year-old received the call from the Atlanta Braves – a moment that Robinson saw coming for a long time.

Over his 32 seasons as a high school head coach, Robinson has watched numerous other stories like Waters’ unfold. From Dexter Fowler to Sawyer Gipson-Long and now Trevor Condon and Matthew Sharman, Robinson has coached plenty of stars along the way.

But in just a few short years, those moments might be delayed.

On June 18, MLB proposed the elimination of high school draftee eligibility, stating players wouldn’t become draft-eligible until the completion of their sophomore year of college, encouraging athletes to attend college.

Robinson believes the change could strengthen college baseball but also take opportunities away from certain players who are prepared to begin their professional careers. 

“It's a maturity level thing that these guys are ready for mentally,” Robinson said. “So, I think those guys ought to be rewarded with the opportunity to go ahead at the next level.”

However, this could also be an opportunity for continued growth at the college level. With more elite prospects on hand, college baseball would become even more competitive.

“There's a lot of value in a kid going off to college for a couple of years and playing 60 games,” Robinson said. “Look at these facilities. Look at the competition.”

South Walton head coach Nick Borthwick agrees the proposal could further elevate the college game while narrowing the gap between college baseball and the minor leagues.

“I guess what that would do is turn college baseball into an affiliate to the minor leagues,” Borthwick said. “College baseball is not a bad place to develop.”

Borthwick, who played baseball at Alabama Southern, also believes college offers benefits beyond just baseball. 

“Collegiate athletics is designed to kind of help develop a complete person on and off the field,” Borthwick said. “I think those opportunities are sometimes overlooked in today's climate.”

Borthwick is the long-time coach of two projected draft picks this year, including his son, Coleman Borthwick, a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher ranked No. 35 among MLB’s prospect rankings.

Although Coleman would not be affected by this proposal because he is eligible for this year’s draft, Borthwick is confident that his son is prepared for whatever the next chapter brings.

“I've no doubt that wherever he goes, whether it be Auburn or goes to the draft, he'll be able to help whatever team win,” Borthwick said. “And that's what he's done his whole career.”

If Coleman hears his name called on July 11, he’ll join a long list of stars who began their professional careers right out of high school – Clayton Kershaw, Mike Trout, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts to name a few.

At the same time, many of today’s biggest stars were college standouts before they reached the big leagues. Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman and Paul Skenes are just a few players who are a testament to the development that college offers.

“I don't think all kids have the opportunity to develop in high school like [Coleman and Denton Lord] had,” Borthwick said. “I think they're in a unique situation not just with the talent, but the support system around them throughout their high school careers. I think that they're as ready as any players in the country to start their professional careers.”

Whether the proposal is ultimately adopted in the next collective bargaining agreement or not, the decision won’t change the mission of high school coaches like Robinson and Borthwick.

“I'm trying to develop young men that will be ready for life after baseball,” Robinson said. “Baseball is really second to what I try to do with these guys. We try to be selfless people, relentless people and care for others first. That’s going to play a lot longer than baseball.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB wants top prep players in college first. High school coaches see pros and cons

Good morning Birdland,

It’s officially July, which means trade season will soon be open. Last year, the Orioles traded away reliever Bryan Baker on July 10, when they were 10 games under .500. and seven games back of the final wild card spot. While dealing away a middle reliever isn’t necessarily a sign of surrender, that’s exactly what it would be for the 2025 Orioles.

Right now, the 2026 version of the Orioles are 9 games under .500, five games back of the final wild card spot, and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. This year’s AL is worse than it was a season ago, so perhaps there is some reason for optimism in the organization. More likely, there is pressure within the front office to just make this roster work, no matter what. The team’s on-field play is making that a tough case to prove.

The Orioles 9-3 loss on Tuesday night was just the latest disheartening performance. Some of that was another tough start for rookie Trey Gibson, which is frustrating but understandable for such a young player. More annoying was yet another weak offensive showing. They had nine hits, but scored just three runs, and did not hit any home runs. It’s just not good enough, and while their have been moments of brilliance, and some good weeks mixed in, the squad has just generally been a disappointing. There are no signs to indicate that will change.

That doesn’t mean the Orioles need to get to selling right now. Maybe a miracle happens, they forget who they are, and they string together a bunch of wins by the end of the month. That would be fun to see. But we shouldn’t hold our breath. And considering the times that Mike Elias has given up on solid-but-not-great teams, it would be pretty frustrating to see him pick THIS team as one worth doubling down on come the deadline.

Stay cool out there today, Baltimore. It’s gonna be a hot one. And we have an Orioles game right in the middle of it. First pitch is 12:35 from Camden Yards. Stay in the shade. Drink water. And get inside when possible.

Links

‘They have every right to boo’: Albernaz, Orioles confront struggles as Deadline looms | Orioles.com
The thing is that Orioles fans do NOT have championship expectations for their baseball team. These guys don’t need to be the Dodgers or Yankees in order for fans to be pleased. But they should be competitive and in the mix for a playoff spot. Instead, they are a nightly disappointment.

This, that and the other | Roch Kubatko
Some Mike Elias quotes from over the weekend are in here. He spoke about injuries, how they have impacted the team, and the upcoming trade deadline. It is fair to say that injuries have been a problem for the Orioles, but come on. The team doesn’t stink because Jordan Westburg and Zach Eflin have been out. They should have been able to absorb those losses and still been an 85-90 win team. The issues go deeper.

Jon Meoli: If the Orioles even give Mike Elias a trade deadline choice, buying is the only one | The Baltimore Banner
Eh, I’m not sure I agree with the premise. The roster is flawed and hasn’t shown the sort of upside that, to me, feels worth doubling down on. They do have a few weeks to go on some sort of magical run. We’ll see.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Nelson Cruz turns 46 today. The slugger spent just one season in Baltimore, but it was a good one. He led the league with 40 home runs and helped the Orioles capture the 2014 AL East title.
• Jamie Walker is 55 years old. He pitched out of the Orioles bullpen for parts of three seasons from 2007 through ’09.

This day in O’s history

1957 – Orioles pitcher George Zuverink and catcher Frank Zupo form the first “Z” batter in major league history in a 3-2 loss to the Yankees.

1967 – Orioles pitcher Mike Adamson makes his major league debut, becoming the first draftee to bypass the minors and go straight to the majors. However, he will play in the minors in 1968.

1982 – Orioles manager Earl Weaver moves Cal Ripken Jr. from third base to shortstop.

1994 – The Orioles and Angels combine to hit a major league record-tying 11 home runs in a 14-7 win for the O’s.

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/4-3)

WORCESTER 15, SYRACUSE 5 (BOX)

The Woo Sox creamed Syracuse. Nick Morabito concluded his red-hot June with three more hits- one of which was a double- but there really isn’t anything positive to say about this drubbing. Luis Robert Jr. went 1-3 while Jorge Polanco went hitless in three trips to the plate.

·  REHAB ALERT CF Luis Robert Jr.: 1-2, BB

·  CF Cristian Pache: 0-2, R

·  REHAB ALERT DH Jorge Polanco: 0-3

·  PH-DH MJ Melendez: 1-2, R, HR (3), 2 RBI

·  LF Nick Morabito: 3-5, 2B

·  1B Ryan Clifford: 0-5, 3 K

·  RF Jared Oliva: 1-4, R, BB, 2 K, SB (3)

·  2B Vidal Bruján: 1-3, R, HBP

·  PR-2B Yonny Hernández: 0-1

·  3B Grae Kessinger: 1-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, E (1)

·  C Hayden Senger: 1-3, BB

·  SS Zack Short: 0-3, RBI, K

·  RHP Daniel Duarte: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Jack Weisenburger: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Adbert Alzolay: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Ofreidy Gómez: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

·  LHP Matt Turner: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, WP

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent CF Luis Robert Jr. on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated SS Zack Short.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/2-5)

BINGHAMTON 5, CHESAPEAKE 3 (BOX)

It took a while thanks to a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, but the Rumble Ponies took the opener in their series against the Baysox, their second win of the second half. Binghamton scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but before they could take their next turn at bat, the rain came. Jonathan Santucci initially took the mound for Binghamton, but because of the torrential downpour, only ended up throwing 29 pitches over two innings. After things cleared up, the Rumble Ponies plated three more runs. The Baysox scored a pair of runs in the top of the third and one more in the top of the fourth, but Felipe De La Cruz, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Saul Garcia held things down in the later innings.

·  C Chris Suero: 2-4, 2 R, 2B, K, SB (21)

·  CF Jose Ramos: 1-4, R, K, SB (7)

·  3B Nick Lorusso: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K, SB (5)

·  1B JT Schwartz: 0-3, RBI, BB, 2 K

·  DH Matt Rudick: 1-4, 2 K

·  SS Wyatt Young: 0-3

·  LF Jaylen Palmer: 0-3, 2 K

·  2B Kevin Villavicencio: 0-3, K

·  RF Nick Lucky: 0-2, R, BB, K

·  LHP Jonathan Santucci: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, E (2)

·  RHP Jordan Geber: 0.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Danis Correa: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

·  LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (1-1)

·  LHP Gabriel Rodriguez: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, H (4)

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (2)

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Danis Correa assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: LHP Felipe De La Cruz assigned to Binghamton Rumble Ponies from Syracuse Mets.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/6-4)

BROOKLYN 5, FREDERICK 3 (BOX)

The reigning, defending, undisputed Pitcher of the Week Daviel Hurtado instantly put himself in the running for a repeat, following up one his six scoreless inning, two-hit performance with one walk and six strikeouts by throwing six scoreless innings, allowing a single hit, walking one, and striking out eight; Acknowledge him. Ronald Hernandez put Brooklyn on the board just before Hurtado left the game with a solo homer, and in the top of the seventh, the Cyclones scored three more. Gregori Louis almost ruined things for the Cuban left-hander by allowing three runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the bullpen settled after his blip of an inning.

·  SS Mitch Voit: 2-5, R, HR (9), 3 RBI, 2 K

·  CF Yonatan Henriquez: 1-5, K

·  1B Ronald Hernandez: 1-4, R, HR (7), RBI

·  DH Corey Collins: 1-3, BB, K

·  C Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-4

·  LF John Bay: 0-4, K

·  RF JT Benson: 0-3, BB, K

·  3B Colin Houck: 2-4, 2 R

·  2B Jamari Baylor: 2-4, R, RBI, K

·  LHP Daviel Hurtado: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, W (4-1)

·  LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

·  RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (1)

·  RHP Ryan Dollar: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, S (1)

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Parker Carlson assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from Syracuse Mets.

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Tanner Witt assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from Syracuse Mets.

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/2-6)

TAMPA 6, ST. LUCIE 0 (BOX)

Emilio Obispo contained the Tarpons once though the order, but in the middle innings, they tagged him for four runs. Zack Mack allowed two more, but ultimately those and every other run outside of Tampa’s first were meaningless, as the Tarpons blanked the Mets. St. Lucie managed only three hits, doubles from Antonio Jimenez and Taylor Darden and a Jack Scanlon single.

·  SS Elian Peña: 0-4, K, 2 E (15, 16)

·  2B Trey Snyder: 0-4, K

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 1-4, 2B, 3 K

·  DH Julio Zayas: 0-3, K, HBP

·  RF Branny De Oleo: 0-3, K, HBP

·  C Chase Meggers: 0-3, K

·  CF Simon Juan: 0-3, K

·  1B Jack Scanlon: 1-3, K

·  LF Taylor Darden: 1-3, 2B, K, E (1)

·  RHP Emilio Obispo: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Zack Mack: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, BLK, HBP

·  RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

·  RHP Luis Alvarez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WP

ROSTER ALERT: St. Lucie Mets released RHP Joe Charles.

Rookie: FCL Mets (16-24)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Daviel Hurtado

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Adbert Alzolay

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Mike Montgomery, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1958 – The Cubs’ Tony Taylor hits a ball inside the third base line that falls into the rain gutter in fair territory at Wrigley Field. San Francisco rookie OF Leon Wagner chases the ball, but is fooled by Cubs relief pitchers staring intently under the bench. Wagner does not look for the ball in the gutter 40 to 50 feet further down. Taylor reaches home on the hit, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1916 – At age 42 years and 4 months, Honus Wagner is the oldest player to hit an inside-the-park home run. 
• 1920 – Washington Senators pitching legend Walter Johnson no-hits Boston Red Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park, the only no-hitter of his illustrious career.
• 1941 – Joe DiMaggio has two hits in the first game and one in the second to tie Willie Keeler‘s major-league hitting streak of 44 games.
• 1951 – Veteran Bob Feller pitches the third no-hitter of his career, tying the record of Cy Young and Larry Corcoran, as he beats Detroit’s Bob Cain, 2-1.
• 1972 – Roberto Clemente‘s fourth and fifth (out of six) career home runs off Ferguson Jenkins provide the Pirates with a 4 – 3 walk-off win against the Cubs at Three Rivers Stadium. Clemente hits Fergie’s first pitch in the 7th inning over the left field fence to tie the game. After the Bucs fall behind, 3-2, his second homer is a game-ending blast with none out in the ninth.
• 1973 – The Twins’ Jim Kaat fires a one-hitter to beat the Angels, 2-1. Frank Robinson‘s home run in the 2nd is the only hit. This is the second time in his career that Robby hits a home run to break up a no-hitter.
• 1973 – Luis Aparicio of the Red Sox steals the 500th base of his career in a 9-5 loss to Milwaukee. It is the highest total in the American League since Eddie Collins retired in 1930.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1906 – Righthander Jack Taylor, 8-9 with the St. Louis Cardinals, returns to the Cubs in exchange for second-string C Pete Noonan, rookie P Fred Beebe and cash. Taylor will help the Cubs by going 12-3 the rest of the year.
• 1912 – At Pittsburgh, Chicago’s Wildfire Schulte breaks up a scoreless pitching duel between Marty O’Toole and Jimmy Lavender by legging out an inside-the-park homer in the 12th inning. Lavender and the Cubs win, 1-0.
• 1950 – The Reds’ Ewell Blackwell has to go ten innings but finally beats the Cubs, 5 – 3, striking out 14 and allowing just two hits. One of the hits is Andy Pafko‘s three-run home run in the 9th.
• 1973 – At Wrigley Field, the Mets edge the Cubs, 6-5, in the first game of a doubleheader. Then it is the Cubs’ turn, as Randy Hundley bangs a ninth-inning three-run homer to give Chicago the 6-5 edge. Ron Santo has seven hits for the afternoon, five in the nightcap.

Cubs Birthdays:Chris Flexen, Colin Rea, Mike Montgomery*, Dick Drott, Frank Baumann, Hersh Freeman, Fred Holmes, John Clarkson HOF. Also notable: Ben Taylor HOF. Roger Connor HOF.

Today in history:

• 1200 – Sunglasses are invented in China [approx. date].
• 1731 – Benjamin Franklin and members of his ‘Junto’ community improvement club draw up articles of agreement to found the Library Company of Philadelphia, the first public library in British America.
• 1776 – First vote on Declaration of Independence for Britain’s North American colonies.
• 1863 – Battle of Gettysburg begins in Pennsylvania, Union forces halt Confederate General Robert E. Lee‘s Army of Northern Virginia.
• 1898 – Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders charge up San Juan Hill during US’s successful assault on the city of Santiago.
• 1963 – ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Codes are introduced for United States mail.
• 1967 – The Beatles’ album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” goes to No. 1 in the United States and stays there for 15 weeks.
• 1997 – Nevada Athletic Commission suspends Mike Tyson indefinitely and withholds $20 million purse for biting Evander Holyfield‘s ear during their heavyweight title fight 28 June.

*pictured.

The Detroit Tigers clinched their first series win since sweeping the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park with a 9-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. Tarik Skubal had his best outing since returning from the injured list and the Tigers’ offensive onslaught continued, having now scored 35 runs over their last five games.

AJ Hinch’s squad will go for the sweep on Wednesday afternoon with right-hander Troy Melton on the mound looking to continue his recent dominance, which has seen him string two straight quality starts together. Over that stretch spanning across 12 innings of work, the 25-year-old posted a sparkling 1.50 ERA along with a less-impressive 4.43 FIP, allowing just a pair of earned runs — both on solo home runs — while striking out 11 against three walks.

Melton missed the Yankees in Detroit when they played last week.

Opposite him is fellow righty Will Warren, who has been solid so far in his third major league campaign. The 27-year-old struggled in June, however, recording a 5.49 ERA and 4.68 FIP over four games stretching across 19 2/3 innings, serving up a pair of home runs while striking out 14 against 10 walks.

Warren also missed the Tigers in Detroit in last week’s series.

Here is a look at how the two match up on Wednesday afternoon as Detroit goes for the kill.

Detroit Tigers (37-49) vs. New York Yankees (48-37)

Time (ET): 1:35 p.m.
Place: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
SB Nation Site:Pinstripe Alley
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 87: RHP Troy Melton (4-1, 2.39 ERA) vs. RHP Will Warren (7-3, 3.75 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Melton	6	37.2	17.2	6.2	38.5	5.07	0.1
Warren	16	84.0	22.9	7.9	44.0	3.61	1.5

MELTON

WARREN

The Yankees are officially reeling as they jump into July, losing their sixth straight game in lackluster fashion. The Tigers took ace Cam Schlittler to task from the get-go, scoring four runs in the first inning and six by the time he exited after just three innings. New York did get another home run off of Tarik Skubal, this one from Ben Rice in the bottom of the first, but that was also the only hit they’d collect off the two-time Cy Young winner for six innings in what quickly became a rout.

With that, there’s another chance for the Rays to gain some ground in the AL East and unfortunately, when it rains it pours.

Tampa Bay Rays (49-33) 10, Kansas City Royals (35-51) 4

Despite a fantastic day from Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals were out of this game in a hurry. The Rays staked them a 1-0 lead on a Carter Jensen home run in the first inning, just to turn around and put up a six-spot in the third. It started on a Nick Fortes bunt single that drew an errant throw allowing him to move to second, and then Yandy Díaz walked ahead of a Jonathan Aranda single that tied the game up. Junior Caminero turned it into a big rally in a hurry, crushing a three-run homer 438 feet to left-center that made it 4-1, and Ryan Vilade went back-to-back with him to push the lead to four. Two more singles followed that before Noah Cameron finally recorded the first out of the frame via a pickoff, but Ben Williamson brought one more across on yet another single.

Witt did get involved, getting two of those runs back immediately via a two-run shot, but there was little else the Royals got done on Tuesday. Fortes singled home two more runs in the fifth, and a wild pitch plus a bases-loaded walk allowed two more Tampa baserunners to cross home plate in the sixth to make it a 10-3 romp. Witt made it a two-homer day for himself with a solo shot in the eighth, the 12th of his MVP-caliber season, but there was little else he could do as the Rays rolled.

Other Games

New York Mets (36-50) 3, Toronto Blue Jays (40-46) 0: A day after joining the 50-loss club, the Mets turned around and played a rare clean game all around. Nolan McLean delivered six strong innings, striking out seven and walking two while Francisco Alvarez gave them all the firepower they’d need with a solo shot in the fifth inning. For good measure, Luis Torrens gave them some insurance with a solo shot in the seventh and Brett Baty lifted a sacrifice fly in the ninth. Brooks Raley, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams all tossed an inning of work to secure the win with a lone single in the ninth inning being the Jays’ only fragment of success against the Mets’ bullpen.

Texas Rangers (44-42) 4, Cleveland Guardians (44-42) 2: This one’s gonna be a hard one for Cleveland to live down. They got ahead 2-0 in the first inning thanks to a Kyle Manzardo two-run blast, but gave it up in the third when Joc Pederson hit a two-run blast of his own. From there the two sides were in a stalemate, as Jacob deGrom and Tanner Bibee both had outstanding outings lasting seven innings each. Unfortunately for Bibee, his defense blinked before he did — after a leadoff single, Bibee got Evan Carter to ground out and Alejandro Osuna to fly out to the left fielder Cooper Ingle. Ingle thought that was the third out instead of the second, however, and tossed the ball into the stands only to allow an unearned run to score instead. The Rangers did get an extra run in the eighth on a Josh Jung solo shot, but giving up the go-ahead run on a miscue like that has to sting.

Seattle Mariners (44-43) 8, Los Angeles Angels (36-51) 3: A scoring fest broke out in the middle of what was a pitchers’ duel. Bryan Woo and Jose Soriano were both dealing through five, matching zeroes on the scoreboard. Soriano got into trouble in the sixth though, allowing three straight singles to suddenly break the scoreless tie and chase him from the game. Chase Silseth didn’t make things much better, issuing a walk immediately followed by a pair of singles and a wild pitch that culminated in five runs scoring in the inning.

The Angels did get three of those runs back in the top of the sixth, but they watched them slip out of their grasp as the Mariners responded with three more runs in the bottom half. Those two innings were all the offense that we’d see, as the bullpens locked in and didn’t allow anyone else to advance into scoring position, but they were all Seattle needed to run away with the win.

There’s no doubt that this season has seen the ebbs and flows of the Brewers. We’ve seen stretches where the offense is unstoppable, and we’ve also seen stretches — such as the last week — where the offense can’t cash in a runner in scoring position. The same applies to the pitching staff, which, entering Tuesday night’s game, is the second-best pitching staff in baseball, right behind the New York Yankees.

Despite having the best pitching staff in the National League, pitching is still a cause for concern, particularly the bullpen, which, as we know, has always been an issue for the Brewers come playoff time. Outside of the bullpen, it never hurts to have another starting pitcher, even if the Brewers have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to that category. And of course, the left side of the infield has been a cause of concern since the departure of Willy Adames in free agency two years ago.

Today, in no particular order, we take a look at five former Brewers players that Matt Arnold could potentially reunite with at the trade deadline come August 3.

RHP Grant Wolfram – Baltimore Orioles

The first player we recognize as part of bringing back to the Brewers is a guy who never appeared in a uniform but was on the roster. Grant Wolfram was traded to the Orioles in April 2025 for Daz Cameron, and his second season has been better than his first. Through 31 games this season, he has posted a 3.96 ERA, striking out 29 batters. The Orioles find themselves 11.5 games back of first place in the American League East division and could be sellers at the deadline.

LHP Bryan Hudson – Chicago White Sox

Our first left-handed pitcher on the list goes to the arm that got away. Matt Arnold has done a great job of trading away players, and wherever they go next, they aren’t quite the same as they were with the Brewers. Hudson is maybe the worst of the ones he didn’t hold onto.

Selected off waivers by the White Sox in August 2025, Hudson has been having a great bounce-back season. In 2024, Hudson broke onto the scene with the Brewers and pitched to a tune of a 1.73 ERA in 43 appearances. Last year was a year to forget, as he had a 6.00 ERA between the Sox and the Brewers, returning to the version of himself we saw the year prior. However, he has since reverted to a similar version of himself this year, as in 38 games, he has a 2.13 ERA, striking out 35 and walking just 16. With the need for left-handed pitching and the White Sox holding onto a one-game lead in the AL Central, this could be a bit of a costly pickup for the Brewers.

UTIL David Fry – Cleveland Guardians

Another player who never appeared in a uniform for the Brewers but was drafted in the seventh round of the MLB Draft and spent quite some time in the minors is utilityman David Fry. Fry could be compared to what David Hamilton brings to the table, minus the speed. His ability to play all over the field and his clutch offense in the postseason could make him an attractive trade candidate.

There’s no doubt, looking at his numbers, that he hasn’t been producing at the rate that he was when he was named to the All-Star team in 2024. Last year was a career-worst season, but he was dealing with injuries. This year, he has the second-best on-base percentage mark of his career, and the Brewers love guys who can get on base; Fry could be one of those. The Guardians are in a similar spot to the White Sox, as they’re the team right behind them, making Fry a player that could be a bit of a struggle to get from Cleveland, but he could be someone that would solve some bench issues for the Brewers.

SS Willy Adames – San Francisco Giants

Willy Adames is quite possibly the biggest trade target amongst Brewers fans. A staple in the clubhouse throughout the 2021-24 season, Adames could be the missing piece to the left side of the infield. While Cooper Pratt is hoping to be the answer at shortstop, perhaps he can move over to third base to make way for Adames, who has never played at the hot corner in the big leagues.

The Giants have made it clear that they are willing to move on from Adames, but he comes with serious baggage as he is in his second year of a seven-year, $182 million contract. The Brewers would almost certainly have to give up one of their top five prospects to bring him back if they wanted the Giants to eat part of the contract. But, at the end of the day, Adames brought more to the team than just clubhouse culture; he brought a top-10 MVP finish in 2024 and four seasons that featured some of the best baseball he produced in his career.

LHP Eric Lauer – Los Angeles Dodgers

With the need for left-handed pitching, what about reuniting with an arm that spent four seasons with the Brewers, featuring two of the best seasons in his career? This season, he’s off to the best start in his career with the Dodgers. He has posted a 2.88 ERA through six appearances with the defending World Series champions.

The former first-round pick is on a one-year deal with the Dodgers worth $4.4 million. The Dodgers don’t have many weaknesses, and certainly don’t want to be trading with a team they could be competing with come playoff time. But with the need for a left-hander that can give you both starts and bullpen appearances, perhaps this could be the splurge Arnold and Co. could be looking for.

Honorable Mentions:

• Brent Suter – Los Angeles Angels
• Jakob Junis – Texas Rangers
• Lucas Erceg – Kansas City Royals
• Jordan Montgomery – Texas Rangers
• Freddy Peralta – New York Mets

Who would you like to see the Brewers reunited with at this year’s trade deadline?

BALTIMORE – On the day Sam Antonacci played his first professional baseball game, going 2-for-4 for Class A Kannapolis in a Carolina League contest Aug. 8, 2024, the Chicago White Sox fired their manager with a 28-89 record, mired in a stretch of losing 48 of 54 games, on their way to a record-setting 121-loss season.

Sometimes, it’s advantageous to be young and oblivious.

From that moment in time, a gaggle of players like Antonacci methodically worked their way through the White Sox’s system, were culled from the waiver wire, imported en masse in a blockbuster trade or drafted, developed and tossed into the fire.

And in less than two years, baseball’s most depressing outpost has become its most surprising story.

“When I got drafted, when I first got to the Arizona complex,” Antonacci, a fifth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina in 2024, tells USA TODAY Sports, “it didn’t feel like a 121-loss team.

“I knew it was going to change quickly. It was a matter of when.”

How about… now?

These 2026 White Sox are 45-39, will begin the month of July atop the American League Central and, in a year of leaguewide mediocrity, have an 80% chance to reach the playoffs. It is a stunning climb for a club that saw the fading presence of Tony La Russa give way to three consecutive 100-loss seasons, the utter chaos of the Pedro Grifol managerial era and, finally, a place in the record books nobody wanted.

Yet for so many of the players assembled this year on the South Side, there’s a certain eternal sunshine of the rookie mind that joyfully prevails.

Antonacci did not debut until April 15, yet as the club’s leadoff hitter and left fielder, ranks sixth in the AL with a .391 on-base percentage, a 5-foot-11 doubles hitter residing among giants named Yordan and Trout and Kurtz. Tristan Peters, an erstwhile Savanna Banana rescued via cash considerations after the Tampa Bay Rays designated him for assignment, is playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field, rarely strikes out and reaches base at a .345 clip.

Munetaka Murakami, of course, was a member of Japan’s Yakult Swallows back in 2024, only to arrive this year and pound 20 homers in 57 games before a hamstring injury sidelined him. Still, he's a joyous presence around the club as he works his way back to a July return, secure in knowing the club has maintained a 15-12 clip without him.

And then there is Miguel Vargas, whose steady climb these past three seasons at both third base and the plate has him on the verge of a rare journey: Discarded Dodger mega-prospect to All-Star.

“It’s been really impressive,” says second-year White Sox manager Will Venable. “And it starts with players that, regardless of their opportunity in the past or where they are in their career, they’re really special guys. Guys who want to go out and compete and play hard, and make adjustments.

“That’s really what’s required to stay in this league and perform at a high level.”

Even if getting there can be a circuitous journey.

'A wild ride'

Winkler, Manitoba won’t be confused for a baseball outpost anytime soon, wedged as it is roughly halfway between Winnipeg and Grand Forks, North Dakota. And as Peters was growing up, juggling youth hockey (duh) and baseball, he realized his proclivity for the latter.

With that, his family agreed to ship him 12 hours west, to Calgary, where he’d stay with an aunt and attend a school with a baseball academy for his junior and senior years.

Peters would continue following the sun, to Arizona’s Chandler-Gilbert Community College, where fate would intercede in many ways.

Juco ball creates a melting pot of personalities and Peters wasn’t quite sure what to think when a teammate suggested they kill a night by going line dancing.

“And I was like ‘Oh boy, I don’t know,’” Peters remembers. “I said yes and almost got cold feet.”

Yet Peters and his buddy followed through, and good thing they ended up at Scootin’ Boots in Mesa. That evening, Peters would meet a young woman named Erin, commencing a four-year friendship that culminated in their 2023 marriage – held just a short drive from their initial meeting at Scootin’ Boots.

Peters also left an impression on Tyler Gillum, an opposing coach at South Mountain Community College, who’d remember Peters after the outfielder continued on to Southern Illinois University.

And in 2021, Gillum invited Peters to suit up for the Savannah Bananas.

Oh, it wasn’t full-fledged Banana Ball just yet. The Bananas were members of the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League. Yet their home games were spectacles – all the TikToks and stilts and dancing fans have come to expect.

Peters played in 17 games, a period that coincided with Milwaukee choosing him in the seventh round of the 2021 draft. It was good baseball – and an even better mental reset as his pro career began.

“Often, we focus on our performance on the field. There, we’re focused on the fans and how to give them a good time,” says Peters. “That’s who we’re playing for, essentially.

“When you’re hard on yourself and struggling, it can be pretty tough. It didn’t matter if you had a bad game or good game – you’d go out and dance with the fans after the game. You gotta have fun.”

Peters made his major league debut Aug. 8 with Tampa Bay – he’d been dealt from Milwaukee in 2022 for reliever Trevor Rosenthal – yet was hitless in 12 at-bats before returning to Class AAA.

The taste of the big leagues increased his cravings. As did sitting on an 0-for-12 all winter.

Yet as Peters redoubled his efforts, working out at Driveline Baseball’s Arizona facility to add strength and revamp his hitting approach, the Rays designated him for assignment. The White Sox soon worked out a deal for a lump of cash in exchange.

Why the White Sox, for a guy with four games of major league experience?

“They brought up my defense, first and foremost,” says Peters. “Saw some potential in my bat as well. I agreed and thought it was there.

“They were really awesome and excited to have me. That gave me motivation.”

It set the stage for an unforgettable couple of weeks – Peters made the White Sox’s opening-day roster and shortly thereafter, his daughter Elaine was born.

With Erin and Elaine along for most road trips – “She’s having a blast, I think,” says Peters of nearly 4-month-old Elaine – Peters has established himself as a mainstay in center field, racking up 2.3 WAR and tied for fourth among major league center fielders with seven outs above average.

“It’s been a wild ride, to say the least,” he says. “There’s been a lot of steppingstones along the way and some you don’t expect. I’m just super grateful to be here and have this opportunity.”

South Side energy

Vargas can second that. He was a ballyhooed prospect with the Dodgers, rising to No. 30 in Baseball America’s top 100, yet predictably didn’t have a full developmental runway after batting .195 over 81 games in 2023.

So in August 2024, he was dropped into the White Sox’s 121-loss misery. A year later, with Venable stabilizing the managerial position, Vargas began to make strides.

This year, now 26, Vargas is about maintaining that over a full season, with excellent results so far.

The third baseman has racked up 3.3 WAR while hitting 19 homers in 82 games. He’s very much on track for a reunion next week with Cuban countryman and close friend Andy Pages, himself enjoying a big breakout with the Dodgers.

“I just try to be better every day, be consistent with my job,” says Vargas. “Understand that this is a long season. Get my body in the best position to go out there and compete every single day.

“Also, this group of guys, the energy they bring every single day (makes) it so easy to come here and match that energy. It’s been great for me to be part of this group.”

Says Venable: “He’s been so consistent. Last year we saw in flashes, in stretches that lasted a little longer. He just wasn’t able to really maintain it. That’s what’s been impressive – the work he’s put in in the offseason to give him that strength to be consistent throughout these stretches.”

That goes for the White Sox at large. They have received decent starting pitching from somewhat unexpected sources such as Davis Martin and Sean Burke. Noah Schultz, their 6-10 top prospect, will return from injury and start Wednesday, July 2 at Baltimore.

The bullpen is a bit unsettled, yet that’s the case for even the top contenders. Questions still remain about the sustainability of it all, as young players like Antonacci and Peters, recent outfield call-up Braden Montgomery and another rookie first-round pick, first baseman Jacob Gonzalez, complete their first trips around the 162-game sun.

It seems like a hodgepodge of youth. It also seems, trite as it sounds, like these guys are learning how to win. They are 17-10 in one-run games, a respectable 19-22 against teams with winning records.

"Early in the season, we were in a lot of these games that came down to one inning, situational baseball. We’ve had experience with all this stuff now. Everyone kind of knows their role," says shortstop Colson Montgomery, another former first-round pick who leads the club with 21 home runs. "We’re just getting more and more polished each day we play.

"We’re a young team and everything like that. But we like to act like we have that experience and confidence, because we do."

Braden Montgomery's June 9 debut was symbolic in another sense: All three pieces from the December 2024 trade of ace Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox - Montgomery, second baseman Chase Meidroth and catcher Kyle Teel - are now everyday players in Chicago.

That deal perhaps the franchise nadir - 121 losses followed by the trade of a future Cy Young runner-up. They'd go on to lose 101 more games in 2025, the product more respectable but not yet totally watchable.

Yet look at them now.

The White Sox have drawn 15 crowds of at least 28,000, and now rank 10th in the AL in attendance - this after ranking 13th the past two seasons, finishing ahead of only the minor league Athletics and uncertain Rays.

“That’s why I feel it’s more enjoyable,” says Vargas, “and you kind of come from that and where we are now. You look back and the way we’ve been doing it step by step and it’s amazing.

“It’s a great journey for me and the whole organization, and we want to take this opportunity the best we can.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Chicago White Sox went from 121 losses to AL Central penthouse

PHOENIX — They will be proudly representing their teams at the 96th All-Star Game in two weeks in Philadelphia, but once the festivities are over, and they travel back home for the second half of the MLB season, they soon may be wearing different uniforms.

The Major League Baseball trade deadline is Aug. 3, less than three weeks after the All-Star Game, and there are seven potential All-Star players who could be on the trade block and switching uniforms.

The biggest question is not whether two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers will be traded, but whether he will be one of the 12 American League pitchers selected to the All-Star Game by the players, managers and coaches. He’s just 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA after missing five weeks after undergoing arthroscopic elbow surgery. Still, he’s one of the finest pitchers on the planet who could be the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history this winter.

Here are this year’s potential All-Star candidates, led by Skubal, who will find themselves subjected to intense trade rumors at the All-Star festivities:

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

The Tigers, 37-49, have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, but as badly as they’ve performed, the American League stinks to the high heavens, and they are just 6.5 games out of a wild-card berth. Do they ride it out and hope that Skubal’s return gets them back into contention, or do they sell him to the highest-bidder and stock their farm system, knowing they’re not going to re-sign him as a free agent, anyway? If nothing else, Skubal has quieted any doubts that he’s fully recovered from his elbow surgery, striking out nine while yielding just one hit and one earned run in six innings in his last start Tuesday against the New York Yankees, hitting 99 mph on the radar gun.

Prediction: Skubal will go, with Atlanta being the favorite according to rival executives, but this decision likely will go down to the final days, if not hours, before the deadline.

Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox

Chapman is 16-for-18 in save opportunities with a 2.19 ERA, but has scuffled at a time the Red Sox are playing their best baseball. Chapman, 38, has blown two saves and given up at least one run in three of his last six appearances. The Red Sox, 37-47, have also been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments, but let’s repeat: the American League stinks. They are only 5.5 games out of a wild-card berth.

Prediction: Chapman, who has pitched for seven different teams in his 17-year career, will still be the marquee reliever traded at the deadline.

Sonny Gray, Boston Red Sox

Gray is 9-1 with a 2.69 ERA and may be the best pitcher traded not named Tarik Skubal. He has been everything the Red Sox could possibly have envisioned when they acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals even chipped in $20 million to cover the remaining $41 million on his contract.

The biggest obstacles in a potential Gray trade is that he has a complete no-trade clause, and will be owed about $11 million in his remaining salary plus a $10 million buyout on his mutual option.

Prediction: The Red Sox will pay his $10 million mutual option, and trade Gray to a team of his choosing, perhaps Atlanta or the Chicago White Sox, unless they somehow claw back into this weak wild-card race.

Luis Arraez, San Francisco Giants

Buster Posey, Giants president of baseball operations, has already let the baseball world know the Giants are open for business, with all of their high-priced players − except ace Logan Webb − available for trades. While infielders Rafael Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman are making too much money for anyone’s liking, Arraez is easily their best trade chip among position players. Arraez, the three-time batting champion, is once again working his magic at the plate, hitting .331 with only 13 strikeouts in 353 plate appearances this year, with his 3.7% strikeout rate easily the lowest in MLB. He also is hitting with more power with a career-high seven triples and four homers. The biggest bonus is that with the help of infield guru Ron Washington, he has morphed into a Gold Glove candidate at second base.

Prediction: The Giants absolutely love Arraez, who has become a clubhouse favorite, but have no plans to keep him. They will thank him for his services, trade him, and wish him well in free agency, knowing they certainly helped increase his value.

Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels

OK, so he’s not the same pitcher who dominated everyone in his wake in April, yielding a 0.24 ERA in his first six starts. Still, he’s 8-5 with a 3.42 ERA, and best of all, comes with 2½ more years of team control. He is earning $2.9 million this year, so he won’t stretch out anyone’s budget, either.

Prediction: The biggest question will be whether Angels owner Arte Moreno will allow interim GM John Mozeliak to trade him. Moreno hates to trade players who are under team control, and Soriano has shown this year that he could be one of the game’s premier starters. Yet, if Moreno really is handing the reins over to Mozeliak and wants to rebuild, the return for Soriano could be quite the kick-start.

Eduardo Rodriguez, Arizona Diamondbacks

Rodriguez, who was a bitter disappointment the first two years of his four-year, $80 million contract, is having the finest season of his career and should be headed to his first All-Star Game. He’s 7-2 with a 2.21 ERA, and has six starts in which he has gone at least seven innings and permitted one or no runs, tied for the major-league lead.

Prediction: The Diamondbacks are on the playoff bubble, sitting 2½ games back of a playoff berth. They are 13-2 against the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, but 30-40 against everyone else. If they fall out of the race, they must decide whether to simply trade starter Michael Soroka, who’s on a one-year contract, or dump Rodriguez, who is owed $21 million in 2027 before he’s a free agent again. They may have no choice but to listen to any and all offers.

CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals

The Nationals put Abrams on the trade block last winter, but never received an offer that ever tempted them to trade him. His trade value has since soared, with him hitting .273 with 18 homers and 60 RBI with an .866 OPS, leading all National League shortstops in virtually every offensive category.

Prediction: The Nationals, one of baseball’s biggest surprises at 44-43, can’t trade Abrams without a huge public relations fallout. At least not now. They still are in the race, just 2½ games out, and Abrams still is under control through 2028. They have plenty of time to listen to trade offers in the future if they don’t sign him to an extension.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade rumors: Tarik Skubal among 7 potential All-Stars who could soon switch teams

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:W, 3-2 vs. Norfolk Tides

SS Jonathan Ornelas 1-3, 2B, BB, RBI
C J.C. Escarra 0-2, BB, RBI, HBP — finally playing in Triple-A after those very brief demotions earlier in June
2B Marco Luciano 1-3, RBI, SF
RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4
3B Tyler Hardman 0-4, 2 K
1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-4, K
DH Payton Henry 1-3, K, HBP
CF Duke Ellis 0-1, BB, K, outfield assist
LF Kenedy Corona 0-2, sacrifice

Adam Kloffenstein 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB, 5 K
Zach Messinger 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K (win)
Carson Coleman 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (save)

Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 5-2 vs. Hartford Yard Goats

RF Jackson Castillo 3-4, HR, RBI, SB
CF Jace Avina 0-3, BB, K, outfield assist
3B Coby Morales 3-4, 2 2B
LF DJ Gladney 1-3, BB, RBI, K
C Tomas Frick 0-3, BB, K, GIDP
1B Josh Moylan 3-4, 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI — helluva day in the 23-year-old’s seventh game at Double-A; two-run shot put Patriots ahead in the fourth, 3-1, and then hit another in the sixth
DH Miguel Palma 0-4, 3 K
SS Kevin Verde 0-4, 2 K
2B Connor McGinnis 0-4, 2 K

Cade Smith 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, HR (win)
Kelly Austin 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Matt Keating 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K — struck out all three hitters he faced
Harrison Cohen 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 0 K, HR — gave up a dinger to old friend Roc Riggio

Josh Moylan with a TWO-HOMER GAME to give the Zorros a 4-1 lead!!!🔥 pic.twitter.com/ykJpn9gDDe

— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) July 1, 2026

High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 0-5 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks — shut out on two hits

2B Kaeden Kent 0-4, BB, 2 K
SS Core Jackson 0-4, BB, K, SB
RF Wilson Rodriguez 0-1, 3 BB, K, 2 SB — no-contact day but hey he got on base
DH Eric Genther 0-2, 2 BB
1B Kyle West 0-4, 3 K
3B Roderick Arias 0-3, BB, K, fielding error
C Josue Gonzalez 1-4, K — singled in the fourth
CF Camden Troyer 0-3, BB, K
LF Luis Durango 1-4, 2 K — single in the ninth was just the Renegades’ second hit

Bryce Cunningham 5.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R (2 ER), 4 BB, 1 K, HR, WP (loss) — the Arias error hurt but he didn’t pitch well anyway
Aaron Nixon 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Tanner Bauman 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, WP
Bryce Warrecker 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K — struck out the side

Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 6-0 at St. Lucie Mets — pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout

SS Jackson Lovich 1-5, 2 K
2B Hans Montero 0-5, K
C Luis Puello 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI — two-bagger doubled the Tarpons’ lead to 4-0 in the fifth, later got ejected for arguing a call at third
C Ediel Rivera 0-2, 2 K
LF Logan Maxwell 1-3, BB
3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-3, BB, K, SB
CF Brando Mayea 1-3, BB, RBI
RF JoJo Jackson 1-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
1B David McCann 2-2, HR, BB, RBI, HBP — clubbed his first homer above Rookie ball, perfect day at the dish
DH Engelth Urena 0-4, GIDP

Justin West 5.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, HBP (win) — 2025 18th-rounder set the tone nicely
Jose M. Rodriguez 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP
Parker Seay 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, WP
Pedro Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Back-to-back multi-hit games by #Tarpons C/1B David McCann (2-for-2, HR, BB, HBP, RBI, 2 R). Reached base safely in all 4 trips to the plate, including this go-ahead HR leading off the 3rd – his 5th HR (1st w/ Low-A Tampa) and 1st since June 5th. #Yankeespic.twitter.com/7X2gdExLn5

— Nick Flammia (@NickFlammia) July 1, 2026

Florida Complex League Yankees: Postponed vs. FCL Tigers due to lightning and inclement weather; will make up in doubleheader today

Dominican Summer League Yankees:W, 10-4 (7) vs. DSL Tigers 2

CF Isaias Castillo 2-4, 3B, HR, RBI, 2 K — very good game!
SS Stiven Marinez 1-4, 2B, fielding error
RF Yostin Pena 3-4, 3 RBI — single drove in one during the four-run first
2B Juan Torres 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, SB — went yard in the four-run sixth
1B Juan Martinez 1-3, 2B, BB, K, SB, throwing and fielding errors — did swipe home on double-steal in the fifth
C Cesar Lopez 1-3, BB, RBI, 2 SB, CS
DH Kenneth Melendez 1-2, RBI, K, SF — pro debut for May 29th signee
LF Manuel Aguilar 0-2, BB, 2 K, SB
3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-3, 2 K

Dalvin Taveras 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (0 ER), 3 BB, 3 K, HBP
Angel Salazar 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 2 K, HBP, throwing error (win)
Varis Villarreal 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

🚨Juan Torres hits a 2-Run Shot (5)!

108 MPH EV 🚀#RepBx#Yankeespic.twitter.com/2sUK5pPeBi

— YankeesFarm (@YankeesFarm) June 30, 2026

Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 5-10 at DSL Rangers Blue

SS Mani Cedeno 2-5, RBI, 2 K, SB
2B Carlos Bello 1-3, RBI, SB, HBP
DH Alessandro Rodriguez 2-4, 2 RBI
RF David Carrera 0-4, 2 K, outfield assist
3B Germayhoni Beltre 0-4, 3 K
C Poly Ojeda 1-2, 2B, 2 BB, CS
C Jesus Guerrero 0-0
CF Alfiery Matos 2-3, 3B, BB, K
1B Stalen Ramirez 0-3, RBI, SF
LF Sebastian Pinto 1-4, 2B

Junior Tavera 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (3 ER), 6 BB, 4 K, WP
Oscar Vasquez 2.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, WP
Ronald Tejada 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 0 K (loss)
Chaury Gomez 0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, WP, HBP — ouch
Lenin Caceres 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, balk

Iowa Cubs 3, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

Hens pitching was pretty good on Tuesday, but the bats faltered in the 90 degree heat of this cruel, noon start time.

The Mud Hens did get on the board first. Brett Callahan singled with one out in the top of the second inning. He stole second as Trei Cruz struck out, and the throw from Moises Ballesteros was wild to second, and Callahan took third. A bloop single from Jace Jung brought him home as the Hens only run on the day.

Dylan File put together a pretty mediocre outing, giving up three runs in 4.1 innings of work. He did strike out five against two walks.

Brenan Hanifee, Tyler Mattison, Tanner Rainer, and Nick Sandlin were all effective in relief, but the Hens only managed four hits on the day. Cubs right-hander Will Sanders put together a strong outing against them.

Callahan: 1-4, R, K, SB

File (L, 4-5): 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start at Fifth Third on Wednesday.

Erie SeaWolves 6, Akron RubberDucks 4 (box)

Hayden Minton and Carlos Peña split this start, with each going four innings and allowing two runs. That was plenty as Peyton Graham and the SeaWolves pounded out the hits in this one.

Minton gave up two runs in the first before settling in for three scoreless frames.

In the top of the third, Seth Stephenson and Graham lined back-to-back doubles and Garrett Pennington singled in Graham to make it a 2-2 tie.

In the fourth, E.J. Exposito singled with one out. With two outs, Stephenson singled, and Graham doubled in both runs with his second double on the day. 4-2 SeaWolves.

It’s the 4th inning in Akron and Peyton Graham already has 3 doubles. This one brings in two runs and puts Erie up 4-2. pic.twitter.com/Ux6wg8AMSc

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 30, 2026

Exposito added his 12th home run of the season to open the sixth. That made it 5-2, and a nice relay from Stephenson to Graham to third ended the bottom half of the inning, avoiding a jam for Peña.

Chris Meyers is on a multi-week heater and he continued it with a solo shot to center field in the seventh to make it 6-2.

Peña leaked a pair of runs in the eighth, but Trevin Michael locked down the save.

Trevin Michael and Bennett Lee combine for a game-ending strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play, and Erie wins 6-4. pic.twitter.com/bsZPWttcRc

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) July 1, 2026

Graham: 3-5, R, 3 RBI, 3 2B

Stephenson: 2-5, 2 R, 2B

Exposito: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, K

Minton: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, BB, 2 K

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

Lake County Captains 20, West Michigan Whitecaps 11 (box)

Neither team’s pitching staff could find the strike zone on a scorching, humid night in West Michigan. Typically under those conditions, home plate umpires call a loose strike zone and force hitters to swing the bats. Not in this one. A tight zone, sweaty hands, and position players pitching by the end of this led to a high scoring game, but it wasn’t entertaining as 24 walks combined were issued in this one.

On a bullpen day, Logan Berrier gave up five runs, and Ryan Harvey and Thomas Bruss each gave up four.

The two clubs started exchanging blows in the third, as the Captains scored five runs. In the bottom half, Patrick Lee was hit by a pitch with one out and Woody Hadeen walked. Bryce Rainer smoked a 114 mph single to center to plate Lee.

Bryce Rainer with a 114-MPH single to right to get West Michigan on the board. He now has 8 multi-hit games in June. @ThatDanHasty and @wangler_nathan on the call. pic.twitter.com/yyht7SLSSx

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 30, 2026

Ricardo Hurtado then doubled in Hadeen and Rainer and took third on throwing error on the play. A Jackson Strong sacrfice fly made it a 5-4 game.

Ricardo Hurtado blasts a 2-run double to center to make it a 5-3 game. Hurtado is now batting .311/.449/.557 in June. pic.twitter.com/RPgwAZrcH9

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 30, 2026

Unfortunately, the Captains scored single runs in the fourth and fifth to take a 7-4 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, the ‘Caps came roaring back. Samuel Gil led off with a single, and after Luke Shliger struck out, Patrick Lee singled, and both scored on a Woody Hadeen double. Rainer walked on four pitches, as the strike zone contined to look extremely tight for the home plate umpire. Hurtado singled in Hadeen and Rainer, and it was 8-7 Whitecaps.

That’s where Harvey and Bruss melted down. The Captains scored eight runs in an unending inning of pain in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom half, Lee walked and then scored on another Hadeen double. Beyond that, this game just got stupid as the Whitecaps turned to position players, and the Captains relievers couldn’t throw strikes. The walks and homers piled up on the Captains side.

Hurtado: 3-5, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2B

Rainer: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 K

Hadeen: 2-4, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 2B, 2 BB

Lee: 1-2, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB

Zack Lee: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K

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

Lakeland Flying Tigers 7, Palm Beach Cardinals 1 (box)

The Flying Tigers got a little help from a rehabbing slugger, and the pitching staff did a nice job as they returned home with a comfortable victory on Tuesday night.

The one thing that didn’t go right was Grayson Grinsell’s start. The lefty allowed three singles and a walk in the first, but managed to manuever through the inning without allowing a run. He did throw 33 pitches, so the Tigers pulled him.

Pedro Garcia took over for the second inning and he gave the Flying Tigers three scoreless frames to save the rest of the pen.

In the third, Jude Warwick and Nick Dumesnil led off the bottom half with singles. They’d only get one run, as Zach MacDonald and then Jordan Yost walked to force in a run. Beau Ankeney struck out and Josue Briceño popped out to end the inning.

In the third, Carson Rucker led off with a single and Edian Espinal walked. There was a delay for an injury as the Cardinals had to go to the bullpen. The new reliever walked Dumesnil, and Rucker scored on a Jesus Pinto ground out. MacDonald hit one 400 feet to center field, but it was run down to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth, Briceño, rehabbing his preseason wrist surgery, smoked an opposite field shot for his first homer of the year. 3-0 Lakeland.

Welcome back Josue Briceño, who hits an oppo missile for his first home run of the season. It left his bat at 105.2 MPH and put Lakeland up 3-0. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/DH8etUImur

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) July 1, 2026

Right-hander Colin Fields, also on a rehab assignment, gave up a solo shot in the fifth to make it 3-1, but it was all Lakeland the rest of the way. Pinto mashed a three-run homer in the seventh to make it 6-1. Dumesnil singled in Rucker in the bottom of the eighth for the final run of the game.

Jesus Pinto launches a 3-run homer to left to break the game open for Lakeland. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/mQr3F8X0lm

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) July 1, 2026

Yost: 2-3, RBI, 2B, 2 BB, SB

Rucker: 2-3, 2 R, BB, K, SB

Dumesnil: 3-3, R, RBI, 2 BB

Garcia (W, 2-4): 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.

Welp. Last night was more of the same for the suddenly-helpless Yankees, who closed out June with their sixth loss in a row — appropriately their longest skid since … last June. The Aaron Boone Era Yankees are nothing if not consistent in their frustrating patterns.

For last night in particular, nothing went right. Their ace got bombed, they weren’t crisp in the field, and their offense was held to two hits until the ninth. It ain’t swell around these parts.

There’s plenty of pressure to go around, but who do you think bears the most right now? Ben Rice is a candidate, as until a solo shot yesterday, the likely All-Star had been very quiet with the bat in the past week and change. Could he be feeling the heat to keep up his torrid production from the first few months, given the wider struggles of the offense of late? Might it be Cody Bellinger, a likely fellow All-Star who has cooled off as well and carries a big contract that comes with responsibilities, particularly with Aaron Judge out? Or maybe it’s someone else, like impending free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr., one of the starting pitchers trying to keep the opponent at bay, or the bleakly anemic Austin Wells. There’s no shortage of options, unfortunately.

Today on the site, it’s a rapid-fire schedule before the matinee this afternoon. Peter will run our monthly GM poll, Madison will tackle the Rivalry Roundup, John remember the extremely mysterious Jack Quinn for our Yankees Birthday series, and then he and Kento will do the monthly check-ins on the AL Central and AL West, respectively.

Today’s Matchup*

New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

TV: YES, Detroit SportsNet

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

*This is not the matchup, and feel free to ignore me if you don’t care about the World Cup. But the soccer fan in me is compelled to mention that Team USA faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, CA tonight on Fox. Check it out and see if the USMNT win a game in the knockout round for the first time in 24 years!