May 11, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jake Fraley (17) slides in to home plate to score against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Just when the Yankees looked like they were beginning to really roll with six consecutive series wins and 15 victories in a span of 17 games, they’ve hit a very annoying wall. They were swept in Milwaukee and the losing streak is now at four in a row after the bullpen blew its third consecutive game — right in tandem with the offense squandering several opportunities to add insurance runs that never crossed home plate. Joy!
It was far from a full slate on Monday, but here’s what was going on from the notable American League teams in action.
Tampa Bay Rays (27-13) 8, Toronto Blue Jays (18-23) 5
The Rays Train (steamboat?) kept on humming north of the border. Kevin Gausman reached a personal milestone as the sixth active pitcher with at least 2,000 career strikeouts, but that was cold comfort to him on Monday night. He only fanned four other Rays, and Tampa Bay knocked him around for seven runs on ten hits, as he needed 100 pitches just to get through 4.2 innings.
The Rays jumped on Gausman early and often. It was 1-0 after three batters due to two singles and a sacrifice fly. Richie Palacios made it 3-0 when he plated Junior Caminero and Jake Fraley on a two-out crack through the right side. An RBI triple by Taylor Walls (yikes) in the second added a fourth run, and though Walls was retired on a fielder’s choice at home, Chandler Simpson reached first on that play. He stole second and scored on a Jonathan Aranda single.
Toronto fought back against tough customer Drew Rasmussen, who coughed up a three-run bomb to Andrés Giménez. The light-hitting infielder came up big again in the seventh to record his first career multi-homer game and give him all five Jays RBIs on the night.
Both shots came with his team behind by five runs, however, as the Rays had kept building on their lead after the first Giménez homer. Aranda had the most impressive insurance delivery on a 415-foot clout off Gausman in the fifth. Rays relievers Hunter Bigge and Bryan Baker recorded the final five outs, nailing down another win. They’re two games up on the Yankees in the AL East.
Other Games
Seattle Mariners (20-22) 3, Houston Astros (16-26) 1: The Baseball Bar-B-Cast recently described the 2026 Mariners as “stuck in neutral,” and that seems apt for a club that should be leading this AL West with ease and is instead hovering just below .500, two games behind a merely adequate A’s team (in first place at 21-19). Cal Raleigh’s now hitless in his last 36 at-bats, but the M’s at least took the right step forward at the start of a four-game set in Houston. George Kirby grinded through five innings with just one run allowed, the bullpen was nearly pristine, and the bottom of the Seattle lineup delivered multiple RBI on knocks by Dominic Canzone and Cole Young. Julio Rodríguez hit a majestic solo shot, and Andrés Muñoz struck out Seattle nemesis Yordan Alvarez as the tying run at the plate to end it.
Cleveland Guardians (22-21) 7, Los Angeles Angels (16-26) 2: Folks, is it good when it’s the year 2026 and Alek Manoah is your best pitcher on a particular night? That’s the fate that befell the Angels in Cleveland, as the Guardians beat up on Brent Suter, José Fermín, and Kirby Yates for a combined seven runs in the second and third. With Joey Cantillo firing six shutout frames to keep the Halos at bay, it was a breezy win for the Guardos. The big hits came on two-run singles by Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann, and then a rookie Travis Bazzana plating a pair on a double against Yates.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 8: Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics runs to second base for a double during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 8, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning A’s fans!
The moment has finally arrived. If reporting is to be believed, the Athletics are set to promote top outfield prospect Henry Bolte to the major leagues for the very first time:
A’s are calling up No. 5 prospect Henry Bolte, per source.
Bolte impressed in spring and has been on a tear at Triple-A Las Vegas, batting .348 with a 1.076 OPS, 12 homers, seven doubles, three triples, 28 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 37 games. https://t.co/5RznfhbKlH
It’s a well-deserved promotion for the Athletics’ 2nd-round pick from the 2022 Draft. The 22-year-old has steadily climbed the minor league ladder after forgoing college to begin his pro career right out of high school. A toolsey outfielder with an interesting speed/power combination, Bolte (pronounced Bolt-AY) ranks as the organization’s #5 ranked prospect but took his game to another level this year. In 37 games playing for the Aviators Bolte has slashed an incredible .348/.418/.658 with 12 home runs and 17 stolen bases. He’s been especially hot at the plate recently as he’s gotten his in each of his past 12 at bats. There’s not much left for him to prove in the minors and now he’ll get his first taste of the big leagues.
How he fits into the lineup will be interesting to see. The most obvious path to playing time is in center field, where Opening Day starter Denzel Clarke is injured. Zack Gelof has been getting some playing time there in recent days and has held is own. He’s cut his strikeout rate while upping his walk percentage. It seems the club is planning on shifting him back to the infield now though with third base likely going to Gelof on a more regular basis until Max Muncy is ready to return from his hand fracture. That means there’s certainly an opportunity for Bolte in center field, where he’s played the majority of his games this year. He’ll provide a different aspect to the offense as well thanks to his great speed on the base paths. First baseman Nick Kurtz currently leads the team with five swipes so it shouldn’t be long before Bolte is leading the team in that category.
Bolte, a right-handed hitter, could also find himself in a corner outfield spot from time to time. Incumbents Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler are both left-handed hitters so Mark Kotsay could certainly platoon Bolte with one or the other on any given day. Neither player has gotten out to a great start, with Butler especially struggling in the batter’s box right now. It could be the perfect time to get those two some days off and see if that can jumpstart their seasons. Both are tied to long-term contracts too so the team is invested in seeing the long-term success for these two players the team considers building blocks.
We’ll also be waiting for word on a corresponding roster move with the fear being that shortstop Jacob Wilson may land on the IL due to his shoulder injury. That wouldn’t be the most ideal outcome as the team doesn’t have much in the way of depth behind Wilson. If the runner up in last year’s AL ROTY voting does end up missing time the most obvious guy to handle the position would be Darell Hernaiz as he’s already on the actice roster. If the team wanted to be extra bold they could get aggressive with top prospect Leo De Vries, but he’s yet to play in Triple-A so that would definitely be classified as an aggressive promotion. Fingers crossed the A’s don’t have to make that decision.
The A’s are back home tonight to start their homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’ll be Jeffrey Springs on the bump for the Green & Gold while the Cards plan to send righty Andrew Pallante to the mound. First pitch is at 6:40 PDT. Should be a good one! Enjoy your week guys.
A’S RECENT MOVES: Shotaro Morii to STK Myles Naylor to LAN RHP Jackson Finley to MID IL C Shea Langeliers off paternity list C Austin Wynns DFA’d RHP Tyler Ferguson to Cubs for $ RHP Brooks Kriske to A’s RHP Stevie Emanuels to LV RHP Nathan Dettmer to LANhttps://t.co/joKXkyUAPy
— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) May 12, 2026
He’ll be getting plenty of MVP votes after the year he’s had:
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 11: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers is hit by a pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field on May 11, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks have won three straight games having scored eight total runs. They are back to .500 at 20-20.
Arizona has allowed 10 runs over its last seven games. The last time the D-backs had a seven-game stretch with that few runs allowed was back in 2011. Before then? 2001.
Soroka allowed just three hits over 6 1/3 innings in the combined shutout on Monday and over his last two starts he’s given up just one run in 12 2/3 innings.
“We want to bang the baseball around and score a lot of runs,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “But when you’re in [a close situation] and the pitchers step up the way they did, it was a fantastic effort. It started with Soroka. He did a really nice job — low pitch count, temptation to leave him in the game, and I felt like the bullpen was ready for those matchups, and it worked out really well for us.”
Ten years ago, Geraldo Perdomo signed with the Diamondbacks for $70,000 as a 16-year-old amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He was not a big prospect, but he showed enough promise to move steadily through the system and ultimately reach the majors.
Perdomo is hoping another family member can follow a similar path.
Last week, the Diamondbacks signed 17-year-old outfielder Nicola Perdomo for a bonus of $47,500. He has a good approach, raw power and a strong arm. He is Geraldo’s younger brother, and he likely will begin his professional career this year in the Dominican Summer League.
“It was a total accident,” Sewald said earnestly. “Hopefully his foot’s okay. … it’s one of those things.”
Sewald did, also acknowledge the moment, the context, and the environment of the matchup.
“It’s fine in the regular season, postseason, not so great, obviously, especially here,” he said with a bit of a laugh. “The biggest thing was that I got the first two guys to try to make it a little bit easier.”
Though we don’t know for sure, we can use the last collective bargaining agreement negotiations and subsequent lockout as a guide. Teams looking to devote big money to making upgrades generally want to do so before the current CBA expires Dec. 1, both to avoid waiting for key additions and as a pre-negotiation signal of healthy spending on players. (The Texas Rangers splurging on Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million just hours before the Dec. 1, 2021, deadline was notable from that pre-lockout period.)
The assumption is that a lockout will happen again. That naturally leads to two questions: Which teams are eager enough to spend to sign big-ticket players before Dec. 1? And which players are important enough to get the offers they’d want to sign before the CBA expires? Before his injury, Skubal was the top free agent, but now his market might be muddier, which could lead to his camp opting to wait a bit. There might not be another slam dunk nine-figure player, with Freddy Peralta and Jazz Chisholm Jr. having the strongest cases at the moment among the other pending free agents.
This is the second season in a row that president of baseball operations Buster Posey has shaken up San Francisco’s roster with an early-season trade; last year, it was the mid-June acquisition of slugger Rafael Devers in a blockbuster with Boston. You don’t have to squint too hard to accept that both trades were aimed at upgrading moribund offenses, but when the Giants dealt for Devers, they were 11 games above .500 (41-30), one game behind the Dodgers in the NL West. They felt they’d landed the offensive cornerstone that had eluded them after unsuccessful pursuits of Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, a player who could help them return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. This time around, they entered the day of the trade 15-23, last in the division, and the move appears far more tilted toward the future, as Wilkinson has just gotten his feet wet in Double-A and the draft pick won’t make an immediate impact.
If this trade had occurred just prior to the deadline (August 3 this year), it might have been characterized as a white flag, part of a larger selloff. To these eyes, it’s a shakeup that at worst smacks of panic and at best places a lot of faith that Posey — a likely Hall of Fame catcher who has yet to show similar prowess as an executive — has found a diamond or two in the rough with his two recent catching acquisitions: Jesus Rodriguez, who came from the Yankees in last year’s Camilo Doval trade, and Daniel Susac, who was flipped by the Twins in December after being plucked from the A’s as a Rule 5 pick. Both are 24 years old and have fewer than 10 games of major league experience, with Susac, who turns 25 on May 14, currently on a rehab assignment after being sidelined by neuritis in his right elbow. Eric Haase, a 33-year-old backstop who hit his way out of a starting job in Detroit in 2023, started in Saturday’s 13-3 drubbing by the Pirates — San Francisco’s ninth loss in 11 games — while Rodriguez started Sunday’s 7-6 win, which lifted the team’s record to 16-24, still third worst in the NL.
he Rangers are sending Nathan Eovaldi for imaging after the veteran starter reported left side tightness, manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). Texas scratched Eovaldi from his scheduled start tonight in Arizona. Jakob Junis got the first couple innings of an impromptu bullpen game.
Schumaker’s bullpen should be well rested. The Rangers are coming off consecutive shutouts of what had been a hot Cubs lineup. They used three relievers after Jack Leiter on Saturday, but only Gavin Collyer tossed more than 13 pitches. Jacob Latz was their only reliever yesterday, tossing 20 pitches over two scoreless innings behind a masterful start from Jacob deGrom (seven scoreless with 10 strikeouts).
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Curtis Mead #45 of the Washington Nationals reacts to being hit by a pitch during the fourth inning of a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on April 29, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Heather Khalifa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before the season Paul Toboni was very active on the waiver wire. With the Nats having plenty of roster spots up for grabs, the front office decided to take chances on players. We wrote about the Nats heavy use of the waiver wire this winter. Now that we are about a month and a half into the season, I wanted to look at how these waiver claims have been doing.
Between January and March, there were a bunch of roster churn at the back of the 40 man roster. It seemed like the Nats were claiming a new player every day. Sometimes they would DFA guys just days after claiming them. However, I can count 8 guys on the 40-man roster who were part of this waiver/small trade frenzy.
Andre Granillo, Richard Lovelady, Paxton Schultz, Gus Varland, Ken Waldichuk, Curtis Mead, Jorbit Vivas and Joey Wiemer have provided mixed returns, but a few of these guys have been valuable pieces for the Nats. Before the season, I actually picked out 3 players that would hit. My picks were Granillo, Schultz and Varland. I would say I am 2 for 3 on those picks.
Paul Toboni and Ani Kilambi utilized the waiver wire heavily this offseason. These are their three best waiver pickups in my view https://t.co/VSNogD3FaL
In my opinion, the hits have been Lovelady, Schultz, Varland, Mead and Wiemer. All five of those guys have provided real value to this roster. I want to break down these five and talk about their futures on the roster. Also, I want to explore some of the guys who have not performed so far and examine why they have missed.
The first player I want to discuss is Curtis Mead because I think he could be the best long term piece. Technically Mead was not a true waiver claim, but he came to the Nats through the waiver process. Mead was DFA’d by the White Sox in late March, but the Nats decided to swing a trade to make sure they got him. They traded 2025 6th rounder Boston Smith to Chicago to cut the line and get Mead.
A big reason why they wanted Mead is because the organization was familiar with the player. While Mead was in the lower minors in the Rays organization, he was managed by Blake Butera. Whenever he has been asked about Mead, Butera always speaks about the Aussie in glowing terms.
Mead was a fun reclamation project for the Nats. At one point, he was a top 50 prospect in baseball, known for his pure hitting ability. However, he struggled to translate his ability to hit in the minors into big league production. Eventually, the Rays gave up on him and so did the White Sox.
However, Mead has been really hitting this season. In 31 games, Mead has a .780 OPS and a 121 wRC+. This is despite running into some very bad batted ball luck, as you can see with his .227 BABIP. Mead is showing a lot more power this year and almost has as many walks as strikeouts.
Curtis Mead: I don’t think people realize what the Nats might have found in Mead. Still just 25 years old, he’s hitting both lefties and righties well with underlying metrics like these? If he’s improves defensively we’re talking potential first baseman of the future pic.twitter.com/Nfwad8iBMe
Mead has not been great defensively at first base, but he is fairly new to the position. He is decent with his scoops, but there are times where he needs to sharpen up his instincts at the position. Mead can play a little bit at second and third base which adds value as well. I think the Nats found a really quality hitter in Curtis Mead, which is why he is the biggest hit so far.
There have also been a trio of waiver wire relievers who have done well for the Nats. Before his blowup against the Marlins, Gus Varland’s ERA was sitting at 3.07 and he was the Nats closer. I still like Varland’s stuff and mentality, which is why I have written a lot about him this season. In my opinion, that Marlins game was just a bad day at the office for him.
Paxton Schultz has not been in as many high leverage situations as Varland, but he has done well in the innings he has pitched. He has a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings this season. Schultz does a great job pounding the zone, walking just 3.4% of hitters this season. For the season, Schultz only has 2 walks.
He also does a good job putting hitters away when he gets to two strikes. While Schultz does not have elite velocity, his fastball has been a great put away pitch. Of Schultz’s 13 strikeouts, 11 have come on the heater despite the fact he only throws his fastball 30.4% of the time. He lulls batters to sleep with his cutter and changeup, then he can blow his 93-95 MPH heater by hitters.
Richard Lovelady is the other reliever who has been a big hit for the Nats. They have actually claimed him twice. The first time was in the winter, but at the end of Spring Training, he was DFA’d again and picked up by his old club the Mets. After pitching in 6 games with the Mets, Lovelady was DFA’d again. The Nats came calling again, and acquired him for cash.
Since November of 2024, Lovelady has been DFA’d 8 times. However, it seems like he has found a home in DC. In his 9 outings with the Nats, Lovelady has a 0.93 ERA. He has issued a lot of walks, but some of those have been intentional. However, when he is in the zone, Lovelady is tough to hit due to his funky mechanics and nasty sweeper. He is also an electric mound presence, who gets fired up after getting big outs.
He has been a really fun find for the Nats and has been a big part of stabilizing the bullpen. There will be nights where the walks will come back to bite him, but Lovelady looks like a quality reliever. He also seems like a fun guy to have around in the clubhouse.
The last claim I would call a win is Joey Wiemer. His insane March where he went 8/13 is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, but he did single-handedly win the Nats a couple games. Predictably, Wiemer has cooled off. However, if he can even be a .685 OPS bat like he was in April, that is a nice fourth outfielder.
Joey Wiemer has 8 plate appearances with the @Nationals.
Wiemer is a tremendous athlete, but he does not make a ton of contact. I am not sure how long he will be around with all the outfielders in AAA. However, that insane stretch where he quite literally could not get out makes him a win in my books.
As you would expect with waiver claims, it has not been all good. The biggest loss has been the Andre Granillo pickup, a move I actually liked at the time. Like the Mead deal, it was technically not a waiver claim, but it is connected. The Nats acquired Granillo from the Cardinals in a move that sent George Soriano to St. Louis.
Soriano was a waiver claim by the Nats, but they DFA’d him again. However, the Cardinals wanted to cut the line and gave the Nats Granillo, who was coming off a nice 2025 season. On paper, it looked like a win. Granillo was dominant in the minors last year and held his own in the MLB. Meanwhile, Soriano posted an ERA over 8 in 2025.
However, Soriano had the better stuff and the deeper arsenal. The early returns on this move have been bad. Granillo has posted an ERA over 9 in both the big leagues and the minors. His slider, which he relies on heavily, just has not been fooling anyone this season. On the other hand, Soriano has a 3.18 ERA in 18 outings with the Cardinals. Sometimes, you need to just bet on the stuff. Soriano averages 97 MPH and has five pitches, while Granillo is a two pitch guy with an average fastball and a slower slider.
Another move that was not really a part of the waiver process but I will include is the Jorbit Vivas deal. While Vivas was not on the wire, the out of options infielder was likely to be DFA’d by the Yankees. The Nats liked Vivas’ approach and decided to trade prospect Sean Paul Linan for him. That move seemed weird at the time, and has not really worked out.
Vivas was red hot to start the season, but his bat has gone cold. His wRC+ is down to 81 right now. He does have 0.2 fWAR due to his solid glove, but his lack of athletic tools really limits him. Meanwhile, Linan has a 3.47 ERA and over 12 strikeouts per 9 in High-A. This always felt like an unnecessary move by the Nats, but if Vivas’ bat can heat up again, he can be a solid utility infielder.
As we have discussed, the waiver wire has provided mixed results for the Nats. That should not come as any surprise. After all, there is a reason that these guys are on waivers. Sometimes you can find gems, but you are not going to bat 1.000.
Between some of the relievers and Mead, I think there has been more good than bad on the wire. I am interested to see how active Paul Toboni is throughout the season when it comes to waiver claims. He picked up Zak Kent the other day, and I wonder if more claims are coming. This will be something for fans to follow as we continue through this 2026 season.
The injury-plagued Houston Astros have dropped three consecutive games by multiple runs, and five of the last seven overall.
My Mariners vs. Astros predictions expect their struggles to continue in the second game of this AL West matchup.
Let's break down my MLB picks for Tuesday, May 12.
Who will win Mariners vs Astros today: Seattle Mariners (-150)
The Houston Astros have hit righties well this season... but they have not hit them well of late. They're dealing with injuries to key bats like Jeremy Pena, Carlos Correa, and Yainer Diaz — and they're really showing up.
Houston sits 19th in weighted on-base average (wOBA) against right-handed pitching in May, miles below their seasonal rank of third. They've struck out at a league-high 28.6% clip and have also hit grounders at the 11th-highest rate.
That doesn't set them up for success against Bryan Woo, who owns a strong 16% K-BB rate and has not allowed a homer in six of eight starts.
Mariners vs Astros Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)
The Astros are struggling to score runs. They have plated just two in their last three games and have scored three or fewer in seven of their last eight. Manufacturing offense is extremely challenging with so much firepower missing from the lineup.
Although the Seattle Mariners should have an easier time against Tatsuya Imai and a subpar bullpen, they rank 25th in runs, 26th in average, and All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh doesn't have a hit this month. They're not exactly a dynamic offense likely to put forth a ceiling game.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 16-7, +6.18 units
Over/Under bets: 10-12-1, -3.11 units
Mariners vs Astros odds
Moneyline: Mariners -150 | Astros +130
Run line: Mariners -1.5 (+110) | Astros +1.5 (-130)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)
Mariners vs Astros trend
The Seattle Mariners have hit the moneyline in seven of their past 10 away games (+3.05 units, 22% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mariners vs. Astros.
How to watch Mariners vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
First pitch
8:10 p.m. ET
TV
Mariners.TV, SCHN
Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo (2-2, 4.02 ERA)
Astros starting pitcher
Tatsuya Imai (1-0, 7.07 ERA)
Mariners vs Astros latest injuries
Mariners vs Astros weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
We're fading pitchers with our MLB picks for today, finding value in betting against a handful of struggling starters to continue being stuck in their rough patches.
Read on to see why our baseball experts are picking on Brayan Bello, Grant Holmes, Zac Gallen... and both pitchers in Miami/Minnesota.
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Josh Inglis' expert pick: Marlins/Twins Over 9.5
Price: 46¢ (+122) at Polymarket
Mother Nature should help generate some runs in Minnesota today with 19-mph winds screaming out to center field. Eury Pérez has been giving up home runs on fly balls, while Bailey Ober owns a groundball rate that ranks in the bottom half of MLB starters (in fact, both pitchers carry groundball rates below 37%). Add in a Minnesota Twins bullpen sporting a 6.93 ERA over the last two weeks, and the runs could keep coming all game long. THE BAT is projecting 10.32 total runs.
Jon Metler's expert pick: Phillies moneyline
Price: 58¢ (-138) at Polymarket
When you can get value on a team with a true ace on the mound, it’s hard not to back the Philadelphia Phillies in this spot. Zack Wheeler gives Philadelphia a major advantage because he can work deep into games — and help them avoid the weaker middle relief portion of their bullpen. The Phillies are currently trading around 58 cents, but I make them closer to a 63-cent (-170) favorite, which leaves a solid edge on the number. The matchup also sets up well offensively for Philadelphia: Brayan Bello has struggled badly against left-handed hitters this season, allowing a .366 batting average and a 1.143 OPS. Even if Jovani Moran opens the game from the left side, Bello will still eventually have to face dangerous left-handed bats like Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
Neil Parker's expert pick: Cubs moneyline
Price: 46¢ (+117) at Polymarket
Atlanta righty Grant Holmes had his most recent turn in the rotation skipped after an ineffective four-start stretch that went to the tune of a 5.95 ERA while allowing a healthy 53.8% hard-hit rate, so I'm expecting the Chicago bats to pick up the tempo after being blanked in consecutive games against Texas this weekend. The Chicago Cubs also have a splash of statistical correction coming at the dish with their third-ranked .346 xwOBA well above their actual .325 wOBA over the past 12 games, and also considering Chicago has the second-highest walk rate and third-lowest strikeout percentage during that stretch.
Joe Osborne's expert pick: Rangers moneyline
Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket
The Texas Rangers look like the right side tonight with both starting pitchers showing extreme home/road splits and Arizona being ice-cold at the plate. Zac Gallen has been strong in Arizona but owns a 7.13 ERA on the road, while Texas starter MacKenzie Gore has been far more effective at home. Add that the D-backs have scored two runs or fewer in five of their last six games, and it’s hard to trust them tonight — especially since the Rangers' bullpen has also arguably been the best in baseball over the last month.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
San Diego, CA - May 10: Ramón Laureano #5 of the San Diego Padres runs to score in the tenth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park on May 10, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres took a happy flight from San Diego to Milwaukee after splitting a four-game series at Petco Park with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Padres would have liked to win the series, but after a poor offensive showing over the four games at home, they will take winning two of the four games. San Diego scored a total of eight runs in four games, but on a positive note the pitching only allowed 12 runs. The current lack of offensive production cannot continue for much longer. If it does, the Padres’ luck may soon run out and the come-from-behind wins may become less likely due to player fatigue from constantly being held to one hit until the seventh inning when the San Diego offense wakes up and does just enough to get by – often in the final two or three innings of the game. The Brewers are coming off a sweep of the New York Yankees and are once again fighting for the National League Central Division crown. San Diego and Milwaukee faceoff today at 4:40 p.m. for the first of three games.
Padres News:
Everyone wants to diagnose and “fix” Fernando Tatis Jr. He does not have a home run this season but he has been able to contribute to Padres wins. The lack of power is newsworthy, but it is not like Tatis Jr. is just sitting on the bench collecting a paycheck.
Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribunebelieves the bullpen has been the reason the Padres have been able to stockpile wins as the stars of team work through their early season struggles.
Walker Buehler and the other starting pitchers for the Padres, not named Michael King or Randy Vasquez, have been a surprise to this point in the season, but their tightrope walk could become strained and will not be enough going forward if the offense cannot score.
Baseball News:
The Baltimore Orioles were no-hit by the Yankees for much of their game, but a three-run home run by Coby Mayo was all they would need to get a 3-2 win.
The New York Mets are looking for a spark, and they are hoping to get one from their No. 2 prospect A.J. Ewing who is being called up to make his MLB debut.
The Arizona Diamondbacks scored one run in the top of the first inning and Michael Soroka dominated on the mound to lead the Diamondbacks past the Texas Rangers, 1-0.
A.J. Ewing will make his big league debut. Ewing slashed .339/.447/.514 in 30 games across Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse before being promoted
Carson Benge is hitting .300/.352/.500 with two homers and four doubles in 54 plate appearances over his last 16 games
Freddy Peralta tossed five scoreless innings on May 6 against the Rockies in Colorado. In 43.1 innings over eight starts this season, Peralta has a 3.12 ERA and 1.20 WHIP
Today's Lineups
TIGERS
METS
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What channel is SNY?
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 11: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers is hit by a pitch during the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field on May 11, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
D-Backs 1, Rangers 0
Surprisingly, this was just the second time this season the Rangers have been shut out.
They have been held to just one run seven times, though. So it feels like they’ve been shut out more than twice.
On the one hand, once Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday, one wasn’t going to be flush with optimism about the Rangers’ chances.
On the other hand, the bullpen game worked out well for the Rangers, holding the D-Backs to just one run on six hits and two walks, one of which was intentional.
Well, kind of intentional? Cole Winn allowed a Ketel Marte double with one out, went 3-0 on Corbin Carroll, then Carroll was put on intentionally.
Winn seemed to be pretty clearly pitching around him, but if you throw more unintentional balls, even if they were kind of intentional, instead of intentional balls, is it really an intentional walk?
The one run in the game came on back-to-back one out first inning doubles by Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo off of Jakob Junis, who gave the Rangers 2.2 innings as the starter.
The Rangers have now allowed 30 runs in the first inning of games this season, and 123 runs in all the other innings combined.
Here’s something interesting…the Rangers have allowed no unearned runs in the first three innings of games this season. They’ve allowed three unearned runs in innings 4 through 6, and six unearned runs in innings 7 through 9.
Maybe the fielders are just getting tired as the game goes on.
Anyway, tip of the cap to Jakob Junis, Jalen Beeks, Peyton Gray, Cole Winn and Tyler Alexander, who did very fine work.
Too bad the offense did nothing.
Mike Soroka shut the Rangers down for 6.1 innings. He’s a fascinating story…he had a 6.0 bWAR season for Atlanta as a 21 year old in 2019. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind Pete Alonso, and sixth in the Cy Young voting. Jacob deGrom finished first, and Max Scherzer finished third.
Its still weird to think to myself, oh, yeah, Max Scherzer is a former Ranger. And not just any former Ranger…he won a ring for the Rangers!
Anyway, three games into the 2020 season Soroka tore his Achilles tendon, which required surgery. He missed all of 2021 and 2022 due to two more Achilles tendon surgeries. He split 2023 between AAA and the majors, and wasn’t good when he was in the majors. After the 2023 season he was sent to the White Sox in that weird trade when the ChiSox took on five guys the Braves were going to non-tender in exchange for Aaron Bummer.
Soroka wasn’t particularly good in 2024, signed with the Nationals for 2025, was underwhelming in their rotation, was traded to the Cubs at the deadline, and made one start and five relief appearances for them.
Arizona signed Soroka to a one year, $7.5 million deal this offseason, and he’s been pretty good for them. He had one disaster outing — an 8 run, three inning start against Milwaukee — but has a 3.53 ERA and 3.19 FIP overall.
And Soroka is still just 28 years old, which seems weird, because he’s seemingly been around forever. Someone who was getting Cy Young votes pre-pandemic shouldn’t be only 28 years old.
Anyway, the Rangers offense did a whole bunch of nothing against Soroka for 6.1 innings. After recording 19 outs, D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo went to lefty Brandyn Garcia with Evan Carter due up next.
We know what was going to happen next. If the Rangers are trailing and the opposition brings in a lefty to face Carter, Skip Schumaker is going to pinch hit for Carter. Schumaker went with Justin Foscue, who struck out. Andrew McCutchen then hit for Joc Pederson, and flew out.
Look, Evan Carter can’t hit lefties. We know that. You don’t want him to face a lefty.
But pulling him from the game with one out in the seventh, no one on base, so that Justin Foscue can hit? How much does that really increase your odds of winning?
And then, in the eighth, the Rangers had Foscue play second base, moved Ezequiel Duran from second base to left field, and Alejandro Osuna from left field to center field, meaning that the Rangers weakened themselves defensively at three position after that move.
The Marte double that Winn gave up was a screamer to left center that Osuna tried, and failed, to make a play on. There was some carping that Carter makes that play, but Statcast had it as a 5% catch probability, so Carter most likely doesn’t make that play. Still, the immediate reaction — my immediate reaction — when that happened was, man, I wish Carter was still in center field.
In the eighth, Osuna led off the inning with a single, then Jake Burger hit into a fielder’s choice. Sam Haggerty pinch ran for Burger. Haggerty promptly got picked off, which is how things went on Monday for the Rangers.
In the ninth, Brandon Nimmo and Ezequiel Duran were retired by Paul Sewald, and then Corey Seager was hit by a pitch, bringing up Josh Jung. Jung flew out to end the game. Had Jung gotten a hit other than a homer, though, you know would have been due up?
Justin Foscue. Against a righthanded reliever.
I’ve not been terribly impressed with Skip Schumaker as an in-game manager thusfar this season, and the late inning events from Monday kind of illustrate that. If the Rangers are trailing and a lefty reliever comes into the game, Evan Carter is being pinch hit for, because that’s what you do, even if its the seventh inning, no one is on base, you’re going to weaken yourself defensively in multiple positions as a result of the move, and it sets you up to have disadvantageous matchups later in the game.
Josh Jung had a 110.1 mph ground out. Brandon Nimmo had a 105.0 mph fly out.
Jakob Junis touched 93.3 mph with his fastball. Jalen Beeks reached 94.7 mph with his fastball. Peyton Gray maxed out at 92.7 mph with his fastball. Cole Winn’s fastball reached 95.9 mph. Tyler Alexander topped out at 91.9 mph with his fastball.
Let’s see if the Rangers can score a run on Tuesday.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox can swap stories of early-season gloom when they meet at Fenway Park tonight – but only one of these teams has been able to halt the spiral.
While Boston slips further from the .500 mark, Philadelphia is looking dangerous at last, and my Phillies vs. Red Sox predictions lean towards the visitors in this clash of marquee ballclubs.
Get the lowdown on this Tuesday, May 12, matchup with my free MLB picks.
Who will win Phillies vs Red Sox today: Phillies (-138)
What a difference a few weeks can make. Just when the obituaries were being written, the Philadelphia Phillies have climbed off the mat to win 10 of their last 13 contests, and I like Bryce Harper and Co. in this spot against the Boston Red Sox.
It also helps that the Phillies are handing the ball to Zack Wheeler tonight. He’s posted a 3.18 ERA so far this year, and Philadelphia has won all three of his starts.
After an eyebrow-raising sweep of the Tigers, the Red Sox came back to earth with a weekend series loss, and they’re just 7-12 at Fenway this season.
Phillies vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+101)
With the Phillies heating up at the plate, I’m taking the Over tonight. It’s 7-3 in the visitors’ past 10 outings, and they scored 22 runs in the weekend series against the Rockies. That included four homers from Kyle Schwarber, with Alec Bohm and Harper also joining the party.
Philadelphia has also finished with 9+ hits in five of its last six games, so watch for solid production here, with Boston expected to use an opener before turning things over to Brayan Bello.
The Red Sox offense is the biggest cause for pause here, but the possible return of Willson Contreras would give the lineup a boost.
Tom Oldfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-6, -4.93 units
Over/Under bets: 7-1, +5.31 units
Phillies vs Red Sox odds
Moneyline: Phillies -133 | Red Sox +127
Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+122) | Red Sox +1.5 (-127)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)
Phillies vs Red Sox trend
The Red Sox have lost nine of their last 12 home games. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Red Sox.
How to watch Phillies vs Red Sox and game info
Location
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Date
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
First pitch
6:45 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSP, NESN
Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler (1-0, 3.12 ERA)
Red Sox starting pitcher
TBD
Phillies vs Red Sox latest injuries
Phillies vs Red Sox weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
May 11, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka (11) slides into first base safely as Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas (6) attempts to double him up at first base during the sixth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Good morning.
Shawn McFarland writes about a rip-roaring, scintillating 1-0 loss from the Texas Rangers at The Shed last evening.
Jeff Wilson writes that Nathan Eovaldi was scratched pregame to set up last night’s humiliation ritual for the Texas lineup.
Kennedi Landy writes that, even with the bats flailing and failing, the bullpen turned in an excellent performance on short notice.
McFarland notes that while relievers Chris Martin and Robert Garcia are working their way back, Josh Smith — on the IL for a glute strain — has a new pain in his ass with wrist inflammation.
Evan Grant holds a Q&A to discuss Kumar Rocker and Kumar Rocker adjacent topics.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 11: An aerial general view during a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros on August 11, 2024 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This post is, I suppose, only really relevant to the subset of you that has MLB.tv and has interest in watching non-Braves games. If that’s you, how do you decide what non-Braves game to watch?
My answer is Stream Finder, which was once called Game Changer and was created by folks associated with Baseball Gauge, before it was acquired by Baseball-Reference. It kind of works less well now than it did before (not much ongoing support, if any), but the idea of being able to flip through games automatically based not only on in-game leverage, but the relevance of the teams, continues to be amazing.
If you’re not using that, what are you using? Do you just have a secondary team to watch, or do you just watch the other NL East teams and hope they lose?
May 1, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) singles during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The overwhelming sentiment surrounding the Orioles’ lineup right now is one of frustration—a frustration primarily aimed at young Orioles who aren’t making the grade. Gunnar Henderson is currently enduring one of the worst cold streaks of his career. Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo both can’t get above the Mendoza line and often look lost at the plate. Dylan Beavers is doing slightly better, but is still struggling to perform at a league-average level.
All of the turmoil and despair surrounding this lineup is what makes the evolution of Samuel Basallo so thrilling. Back on April 13th, Basallo went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in an Orioles win vs. the Diamondbacks. At that point, the 21-year-old backstop was slashing .136/.240/.273 with 15 strikeouts in 44 AB’s. Since then, Big Samuel has been a big problem for opposing pitchers.
In the 21 games since, the rookie catcher is hitting .352 with hits in 13 of his last 15 games. Basallo isn’t sacrificing power to maintain a better average, either. Throughout his hot streak, the 21-year-old is slugging .592 with six doubles, three homers and his first career triple.
It’s not shocking that Basallo is producing at the major league level. You need immense talent to be a Top 10 prospect in all of baseball and make your major league debut four days after your 21st birthday. However, what is suprising is how quickly he’s made adjustments that seasoned big league hitters often struggle to make.
Basallo’s profile—a towering power hitter with a willingness to chase pitches—is often one that takes time to adjust to the big leagues. They’re the type of bats that are used to clobbering fastballs against minor league pitchers, and often can’t lay off good changeups and breaking balls or handle the higher velocities that comes from big league pitchers. Cowser has been a victim of the former pitfall, and he was supposed to have a better hit tool as a prospect than Basallo.
And that’s what Basallo was through the first 150 AB’s of his MLB career. Dating back to his debut last August, the catcher started his career hitting .157 with a near 30% strikeout rate. Sure there were the occassional fireworks—like his walk-off homer agains the Dodgers—but every time he stepped to plate, it felt like a young hitter going through real struggles for the first time in his proffesional career.
Now, Samuel Basall0 at-bats feel like hope. The changes in his approach are so evident that it not only feels like the sky is the limit for the young Dominican, but that other Orioles hitters can make similarly meaningul adjustments. Watch him hit and it becomes clear that he’s no longer trying to hit home runs on every pitch he sees. From April to May, his line-drive rate has jumped from 24.1% to 36%, while his fly ball rate has dipped from 27.6% to 20%. That increase in qualify of contact has seen his average exit velocity for the season jump to 932 mph, 16th-best in all of baseball.
The Orioles’ backstop has also become increasingly patient. His pitches per plate appearance has jumped from 3.54 throughout the first month of the season, to 3.94 since the beginning of May. His chase rate against breaking balls and off-speed pitches have all dropped significantly, from about 41% to begin the season to down to 32% the past couple weeks.
However, it’s one thing to look at his Baseball Savant page and see a bunch of graphs trending in the right direction. It’s another to see him attack a perfectly-executed back door slider and shoot it 106 mph the other way for a double. Please, watch it and then watch it again. You know you want to.
The leaps we’ve seen from Basallo has ramifications for the right now and the long term roster construction for the Orioles. Basallo’s big leap has helped this offsense stay afloat through the unexpected struggles of Henderson and the inability to get any consistent production from the bottom third of the lineup.
The rate at which he’s risen to a prominent position in the lineup also means the Orioles don’t have chase power bats as they continue to try and build a winner in Baltimore. With recent additions such as Tyler O’Neill, Taylor Ward and Peter Alsono, the O’s have made it clear how badly they wanted to add power to this batting order. With Basallo entrenching himself in the 3-4-5 part of the order, it should empower the front office to pursue players who can help raise the team’s on-base percentage instead.
It’s also not purely coincidental that Basallo’s rise has come along side the best baseball of Adley Rutschman’s career. Pairing Basallo with Rutschman allows Rutschman to assume his best role as table-setter and offensive-catalyst rather than primary run producer. It also allows the O’s to keep Rutschman well-rested without having to worry about a decline in production behind the plate. And while Basallo is not the threat to Adley’s futuer with the O’s that many assume, it still undoubtedly provides Adley a push that keeps him locked it in.
There are still players on the O’s playing at a similar level as the young catcher. Ward has exceed every expectation even while under-performing in the powere department. Rutschman and Pete Alonso are both living up to their talent levels. But this is an Orioles team that needs proof of concept that things can go wrong and turn around. Samuel Basallo is that hope.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 06: Brandon Marsh #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates an RBI single in the eighth inning against the Athletics at Citizens Bank Park on May 06, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to overstate just how good Brandon Marsh has been so far this season. He was leading all of Major League Baseball in batting average with a .353 mark entering play on Monday. He’s hitting an absurd .519 (14-27) over his last seven games played and his four home runs on the year are already almost half of his 2025 homer total. Not all of this is a small sample either, as Marsh is hitting .317 with an .852 OPS across 518 plate appearances dating back to his return from injury on May 3rd of 2025.
But of course, one caveat with Marsh has always been his struggles against left handed pitching. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Marsh has hit .213 with a .611 OPS against lefties. He was particularly bad against lefties last season, hitting .197 with a strikeout rate of 36.4%. He’s been better so far in 2026, hitting .286 against lefties with a .680 OPS, but it’s been in an extremely limited 31 plate appearances as the Phillies have mostly deployed Marsh as part of a platoon.
Herein lies the problem with that so far in 2026 though. All of the right handed hitters the Phillies have played in left field this season, primarily Otto Kemp and Felix Reyes, have hit a combined .114 with a .318 OPS. Both of those marks are dead last in baseball among right handed hitting left fielders. Their 34.1% strikeout rate is second worst. It’s only been 44 plate appearances, but clearly this is a major weakness with the Phillies roster.
The team has correctly identified that Marsh should be limited against left handed pitching, but for at least the fourth straight season, they’ve also failed to find a competent right handed platoon partner for him. Marsh is likely to start seeing more playing time as an everyday player regardless of the opposing starting pitcher, especially considering rookie Justin Crawford’s own struggles against lefties so far in his young MLB career.
So, should Brandon Marsh start everyday for the Phillies at the moment? It’s not an ideal solution, as again Marsh has been a poor hitter against lefties. But even his poor numbers are a massive upgrade over the current alternatives.
Davis Martin continues his miraculous 2026 with two splendid starts over the past week. | (Photo by Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)
The White Sox had a week that could very well be described as average, as they did in fact go 3-3. A closer look of the lost series to the Angels and the series victory against the Mariners will tell you a story of midweek missed opportunity capped on either end with quite the dominant efforts.
What went wrong for the Good Guys this week?
Offensively, there were far too many runners left on base. For those of us that might need a refresher after a long weekend of celebrating the moms in our lives, runners left on base do nothing for the scoreboard.
The woes started during Monday, May 4’s win in Anaheim. José Soriano is officially scared of the South Siders after getting walloped for two starts in a row. Even though the offense would score six runs and the defense shut out the Angels, the team would only go 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and leave 12 runners on base. In a 6-0 win, you can afford to leave a few runners on base.
But leaving runners on base was a huge issue during a 4-3 loss, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday when the White Sox went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leave 11 on base. Wednesday’s 8-2 loss was capped by seven runners left on base. In fact, with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the bases were loaded for Edgar Quero … before he grounded out to end the game.
Friday saw five runners stranded in a 12-8 loss to the Mariners. I have not taken a math class in 10 years, but if my math is correct, had the runners not been left on the base paths and they crossed home plate, those two losses become wins.
Contributing to the stranded runners problem is the sheer number of strikeouts this team is continuing to rack up. To date, White Sox hitters are striking out in 28% of the time. Only six teams are striking out at a higher rate, with the Rockies and the Angels leading the pack. The Toronto Blue Jays have almost 50 more at-bats on the season and still trail the White Sox by more than 100 strikeouts.
Strikeouts are a particular issue for one very powerful hitter on the South Side squad, none other than Munetaka Murakami. Fans love him for very good reason, but he also ranks second most among qualified players in strikeouts this season, with 60. He has 173 plate appearances on the year, which means he is striking out a little more than a third of the time he is up to bat. On the flip side of this, because there always must be a positive spin with stars, he has drawn 30 walks, which puts him in the Top 10 of qualified players so far this season. Home runs are fun, but it would be great if Mune could focus on putting the ball in play a tad more than he currently is.
Pitching also had its woes this week.
Erik Fedde’s record dropped to 0-4 after going just 4 2/3 innings in his start, giving up four earned runs along the way. All four runs came via the long ball, thanks to Mike Trout, Jorge Soler and Zach Neto. The righty’s last two starts in April had improved his ERA to the lower half of three, but after this latest effort Fedde is back over three and a half.
Noah Schultz entered Wednesday’s series finale with the Angels hoping to build off of his strong start in San Diego. Instead the 6´10´´ rookie was only able to get through 3 2/3 innings. He exited the game after wearing seven earned runs on seven hits.
Sean Burke was also coming off of his hottest outing of the season, and last Friday’s game was anticipated as a pitching duel. Instead, a total of 20 runs were scored in the game, Burke being on the losing side of things. His 4 1/3 innings resulted in six runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
One of these days, I will start with the good that happened in the week, but today is not that day. If you made it this far, congratulations. It is time to talk about the highlights of the week.
First and foremost, Soriano may be an ace against every other team in the league, but he is not one when he faces the White Sox. He earned his second consecutive loss on May 4 against the Pale Hose after going just four innings and giving up five runs. The final three runs came via back-to-back dingers by Murakami and Miguel Vargas. The fourth was with both of them on Star Wars Day.
Soriano followed up this loss with 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Blue Jays on Sunday; he and his 1.74 ERA will be just fine for the rest of the season, especially knowing he’ll no longer have to face the fearsome White Sox.
It would not be a week if we did not also talk about Mune for more than a split second. A massive amount of strikeouts or not, the dude can rake. As if on cue in the top of the first inning of Friday’s opener against the Mariners, Munetaka hit his 15th of the season to get the scoring going. The Good Guys would not see the winning end of the slugfest, but one can appreciate a great start.
A player I would have never guessed I would be highlighting ever this season is Randal Girchuk, who hit two home runs this week. One of those was an inconsequential pinch-hit long ball in Friday’s loss, but his home run on Sunday tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning before Vargas’ sacrifice fly brought Drew Romo around to score the winning run.
While he had 10 strikeouts this week, Chase Meidroth improved his batting average by a whole 14 points. He is hitting .343 in May, and added a home run to the list in Tuesday’s loss. His middle infield counterpart, Colson Montgomery, is only hitting .176 in May, but he did homer in Saturday’s win, which was fun to watch in person.
I know you are sitting here wondering why I have yet to mention Vargas and his game on Saturday. Well, here I am saving the best for last. May 9 was Game Day for the Girls at the ballpark. It featured many wonderful opportunities for female fans to come out and enjoy a game and other activations. Vargas proved himself to be a girl’s girl and hit not just one but two home runs on Chicago’s road to victory. When the third baseman hit his second dinger of the night, Randy Arozarena didn’t even bother to move from his spot in left field. Vargas now has nine home runs on the year. As of May 10 Vargas, Murakami and Montgomery have more home runs (34) than six MLB teams.
Davis Martin. That is the pitching highlight of the week. The righthander continues to mow down batters and plow through tough lineups. In his rematch with Soriano on Monday, he went seven innings for a third time this season, giving up no runs on five hits, walking none and striking out a career high 10 batters.
Then on Sunday, Martin threw six innings of one run ball, giving up three hits, walking two, and striking out another nine hitters. His ERA is now a stunning 1.62. I really hope he is looking for hotel rooms for himself and his family in Philly for mid-July.
Also getting a nod this week for his pitching performance is Anthony Kay. Last week, there was much discussion about how he was emerging as the weakest link in the rotation. I am not saying he read my article, but Kay did have five strong innings on one run (zero earned), earning Saturday’s win.
The White Sox had an off day on May 11 but will be back at home for the entirety of the week. First up in continuing the homestand are the Kansas City Royals. And this weekends series brings the Chicago Cubs to the South Side for the Crosstown Classic, a matchup that might be more interesting than it has been in recent years.
COVERS INTEL: 
