Category: Baseball

It’s less a question of “if” than “when” as it pertains to whether the Yankees will add to their bullpen this year. Though the consternation over the club’s relief unit has been overblown (the bullpen does have the third-best ERA and best expected ERA in the American League right now), it’s clear the Yankees plan to make some sort of alterations to a group that contains a few question marks.

As of now, there’s probably only two guys out there that fans would pencil in with relative confidence as late-inning guys, in David Bednar and Fernando Cruz. That pair, barring injury, will almost certainly factor into the Yankees’ high-leverage plans throughout the year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess how the hierarchy will shake out.

Outside of Cruz and Bednar, which Yankees reliever are you most optimistic about? As shaky as the group has felt at times, there are some decent choices to pick from. Maybe the most obvious choice is Camilo Doval, whose 100-mph cutters and sinkers force one to wonder how it’s even possible that he’s not a dominant reliever. Doval has looked better lately after a terrible first couple of weeks of the season, but he’s still got an unimpressive 5.47 ERA and 3.99 FIP for the year.

Perhaps you’ve bought into Brent Headrick, who actually leads the Yankee bullpen in fWAR and narrowly trails Cruz in rWAR. Though he won’t run a 2.03 ERA all year, Headrick has done an admirable job missing bats and limiting homers, sitting 94-95 mph from the left side. There’s also Paul Blackburn, whose quietly been excellent at managing contact this year, and has seen his fastball velo tick up toward 95 mph, the hardest of his career.

There’s of course Tim Hill, the early-season hero who’s numbers have taken a hit after a few bad outings lately, but still has the look of a good contact-manager. There could ostensibly be some Jake Bird believers out there, with the right-hander posting totally cogent fielding-independent numbers. One could even cape for the flame-throwing Yovanny Cruz, who impressed in a cup of coffee with the Yankees, but whose control problems (he walks 4.5 per nine in the minors) have likely kept the team from committing to him.

Look up and down the bullpen, and the Yankees really have managed to coax fine production from most of their relievers this year, but there just aren’t many that inspire iron-clad confidence. If you had to choose one, which of the Yankees’ relievers that aren’t fully in the Circle of Trust now would you bet on to ascend there by season’s end?

It’ll be a relatively light day, as we all catch a breather while the Yankees travel back from Cleveland. In the morning, John wonders whether Paul Blackburn can take the Luke Weaver route to a high-leverage relief role, and Andrew recaps Wednesday’s American League action. Later, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Dan Topping, and Andres analyzes the dismal production the Yankees have gotten from their catchers at the plate the last few weeks.

Today’s Matchup

Offday.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): Many worried how the Yankees offense would suffer in the absence of Aaron Judge as he recovers from a broken rib, and while they will always be a better team with him in the lineup, they have to feel encouraged about the sweep they just completed over the Guardians scoring 18 runs across the three games. Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Paul Goldschmidt in particular stepped up in Cleveland and the hope is that they can continue to lead the team into the summer.

Also contained within this series takeaway was a nugget that Ryan Weathers was seen warming up in the bullpen in the fourth inning on Wednesday and was “in play” as a reliever according to Aaron Boone despite being scheduled to start against the Blue Jays on Friday. It offers an insight into the Yankees’ rotation plans as Max Fried makes progress in his elbow injury rehab, Weathers perhaps now the first name on the chopping block for a move to the bullpen.

Yahoo! Sports | Jordan Shusterman: Gerrit Cole labored through his Tuesday night start against the Guardians, though it is interesting to note that he threw his first 100 mph fastball in an MLB game since September 28, 2022. Cole offered some insights into the possible cause of the bump in velocity, noting the hot, humid weather and a very elevated heartbeat up to what he felt was around 185 BPM. He did admit that he was completely gassed by the 29-pitch third inning where the Guardians scored two runs, but also felt encouraged that he was able to complete four innings and limit the damage to two.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: As Anthony Volpe neared his season debut from offseason shoulder surgery, Aaron Boone promised the media and fans that José Caballero had played well enough that he would not lose the starting job at short should Volpe hit better than him upon returning. Well, it turns out that is exactly what happened, Volpe riding a ten-game hot streak to start his campaign to effectively steal the starting shortstop job from Caballero. Volpe has gone cold since then with a 78 wRC+ in 20 total games yet continues to receive the lion’s share of starts at short despite several notable fielding blunders and non-competitive at bats. To be fair, Caballero has gotten starts in the outfield with Judge injured, but that is also taking playing time away from guys like Spencer Jones and Max Schuemann, both of whom have been more productive hitters than Volpe in limited playing time.

New York Post | Ryan Dunleavy: Jasson Domínguez is nearing his return from a shoulder injury and has been learning a new position in his Triple-A rehab assignment. Domínguez manned right field in his two outings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre despite playing just one game there in the minors and none in the majors. The idea is that it will give him the opportunity for more reps between right and DH with Judge and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined. Once Domínguez has completed his rehab assignment, Spencer Jones is the most likely to be optioned to make room on the major league roster, though Boone did not guarantee an immediate call-up and committed to playing it day-by-day based on the performances of Domínguez and Jones.

NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: In addition to overlapping on the report of Domínguez’s position change, Miller provides an update on Carlos Lagrange’s progress transitioning to a bullpen role. Lagrange tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball while striking out seven in his first relief appearance as the bulk guy to follow and opener before giving up a run on three hits and a walk in 2.2 innings his next time out. He had five days of rest in between those relief appearances and the plan now is to reduce the time between outings. The Yankees still believe his long-term future is as a quality big league starter, but the hope this year is that he can reinforce the struggling big league bullpen with his triple-digit heater.

The Jays’ International Free Agent pipeline has been a bit down in recent years. Vladimir Guerrero jr. and Alejandro Kirk are homegrown stars who signed at 16, but they’re it on the roster right now. There isn’t a ton of immediate promise on the farm, either. Recent top dollar signings, including like Manuel Beltre, Luis Meza, and Enmanuel Bonilla have crashed out in the low minors. On our top 40, the highest rated homegrown IFA was Fernando Perez at #8, and he’s slammed into a wall at AA this season and is now on the non-injury development list trying to rebuild his arsenal. He’s joined by Victor Arias, another prospect struggling a bit in New Hampshire, Silvano Hechavarria, who signed at 20 out of Cuba and so effectively represents a different class of prospect, and Juan Caricote, this year’s big signing who’s just getting his feet wet in the Dominican Summer League.

Juan Sanchez, our #12 pre-season prospect, represents one of the few bright spots. He was actually the third largest bonus the Jays handed out last year, behind Cristopher Polanco (not looking great) and Seojun Moon (just 5 appearances at the complex so far, but early reports are intriguing). Sanchez got off to a hot start to his pro career, posting a .341/.439/.565 line that was the 11th best in the DSL, with most of the guys ahead of him being older players repeating the level.

The Jays rewarded his precocious debut with a jump over the complex and straight to A ball to begin the 2026 season. Sanchez is one of just 11 qualified hitters 18 or younger in full season ball. The early returns weren’t promising. Through his first 20 games, Sanchez was hitting just .118, with a 30% strikeout rate and just two extra base hits. Since then, though, he’s found his footing, trimming his strikeout rate to 25% and posting 13 XBH, including a triple and three homers, for a .313/.367/.554 line.

The cornerstone of Sanchez’ game is power. He’s listed at 6’3” and 180lbs, and while he already looks substantial his shoulders are broad and he has plenty of room to pack on good weight. He’ll probably be huge as a full grown man. Baseball America notes in their scouting report that he hit a ball over 115mph last season. That would be a monster number for a 17 year old, and he hasn’t gotten close to that this season, but his hard hit rate is a respectable 37%, and 45% since things started to click for him this time last month. His swing also naturally produces his hardest contact in the 8-32 degree range of launch angles that accounts for almost all extra base hits and home runs. This is the profile of a potential 30 home run hitter if he can refine his hit tool enough to allow all that power to play in games.

Admittedly, there’s work to do on that front. Sanchez has been aggressive this year, swinging at right around 50% of the pitches he sees. He’s chased exactly a third of the time against a 66.1% in-zone swing rate. That’s not terrible plate discipline, but it’s not great either. He’s also got a fair bit of swing and miss in his game. His in-zone contact rate is 75.1%. That’s a huge drop from the 89% he posted in the DSL, but he’s trending in the right direction by raising it to 78.3% over the past month. That’ll be a key thing to watch going forward. League average zone contact is around 85%. It’s fine if Sanchez comes in a bit below that if it’s the result of a swing that allows him to use his power, but not many productive hitters land below 75%, and ideally he’d get into the 80s. Contact outside the zone is less important, but his 39% rate there is also low.

The good news is that I think experience and pitch selection are a bit part of the issue. He has great bat speed and doesn’t have trouble catching up to high heat, with a contact rate of 80% on fastballs 94 and above in the zone. The big issue seems to be on breaking balls, which he whiffs on in the zone and chases below it far too often. That’s hardly a surprise for a teenager who’s suddenly facing a steady diet of college drafted pitchers whose arsenals and approach are far beyond anything he’s seen before. Over time, he’ll hopefully learn to lay off and adjust to pro quality breakers, and indeed his improvement over the last month shows that he’s already taking steps in that direction.

Sanchez has mostly played third base so far this season, moving off shortstop in deference to Jojo Parker. That’s probably his long term home anyway, as he’s already a fringy runner who’s almost certainly going to slow down as he bulks up. His actions are just OK, but he has a strong arm that can make all the throws for the position and I think he can stick on the dirt. He projects as a 5-6 hitting slugger whose big power production more than makes up for lower averages. There’s a lot of ground to cover between here and there, but his holding his own and showing he can adjust after big jumps in competition this season cements him as a major prospect and a bright spot in the international talent pipeline.

Home sweet home: How many Phillies could stay put for All-Star Game? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the first time since 1996, Major League Baseball’s Midsummer Classic returns to Philadelphia.

The 96th All-Star Game arrives just in time to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday.

And with the turnaround of the Phillies under former six-time All-Star and now interim skipper Don Mattingly, there is more juice surrounding the weekend and who will participate in the game.

Mattingly, who has led the Phils to a 28-12 record, was asked by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to join his coaching staff alongside Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol. Roberts took down Mattingly’s Blue Jays, where he served as bench coach, in last year’s Fall Classic.

But what about personnel?

Who will don the red pinstripes on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park?

It starts with the group fans cannot vote on.

Pitchers.

Two names stand as locks, pending health, a little more than a month out.

Cristopher Sánchez has registered the second-lowest ERA in baseball at 1.54 while leading the sport in starts (14), innings pitched (93 1/3) and bWAR (5.0). The Phillies’ lefty ace also authored a 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak, the fifth-longest in the modern era and longest by a left-handed starter.

It would make a lot of sense if Sánchez started the game for the National League, but that will ultimately be Roberts’ decision.

If Sánchez gets the ball, he would become the 14th pitcher to start an All-Star Game in his home park. He would be the first since Clayton Kershaw at Dodger Stadium in 2022 and the first Phillie since Robin Roberts at Shibe Park in 1952.

Sánchez has also helped the Phillies hand the ball to closer Jhoan Duran in low-scoring save situations. So far, Duran has provided the return on the investment.

He has converted 17 saves in 18 opportunities. That save total is tied for the second most in the National League, behind San Diego’s Mason Miller with 18.

Duran has posted a 1.99 ERA and a 38.6 percent strikeout rate, third best among relievers with at least 20 appearances and second best in the National League.

A lot would have to go wrong for Duran to not have a strong case to make his first All-Star team. He could become the first Phillies closer since Jonathan Papelbon in 2015 to make it.

Zack Wheeler also has a real chance.

In nine starts since returning from thoracic outlet decompression surgery, Wheeler has posted a 2.22 ERA, fifth among NL starters with at least nine starts. His 0.85 WHIP is the third best in baseball under the same criteria.

His consistency and the respect he has across the league give him a convincing case.

There are stipulations involved.

Every team needs a representative. Some players will opt out. That opens opportunities.

Last year, Roberts carried seven starting pitchers on the National League team. One was Kershaw as the “Legend Pick,” so really six.

Sánchez, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes feel like the other shoe-ins. If you include Wheeler, that is six.

If the National League takes seven again without a “Legend Pick,” one of Los Angeles’ Justin Wrobleski or Yoshinobu Yamamoto could also make the game. Another Dodger, Shohei Ohtani, will take up a roster spot, but if he does not plan to pitch, that should not restrict the National League from taking another starter.

That would be an interesting and devastating group for American League hitters.

Speaking of arms, one more Phillies arm, a dark horse, could pitch himself into the All-Star Game with a dominant stretch before the break.

Setup man Brad Keller currently sports a 3.38 ERA. He has been solid with 13 holds, tied for the third most in the NL. But his durability gives him a chance if names start to drop out.

Keller is one of 15 National League relievers to appear in 30 or more games. He is one of 10 with an ERA below 3.50 and one of four right-handers in that group.

It sounds like a stretch, but as the game inches closer, Keller could find his way next to his bullpen mate in the Midsummer Classic.

The Phillies have sent two relievers to an All-Star Game once in franchise history. That came in 2024 in Texas, when Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman made the team as part of a franchise-record eight total All-Stars.

Offensively, it is pretty clear what the Phillies have to offer.

That is where the fans come in.

Kyle Schwarber, the league leader in homers with 24, should be in play to start the game at designated hitter, but Ohtani stands in his way.

The Phils’ slugger has posted a .933 OPS, third best in the NL and just seven points behind Ohtani. The Dodger has a dozen fewer home runs, but his average (.299) is exactly 60 points higher and his on-base percentage is ahead by nearly the same margin.

Regardless, Schwarber, the 2025 All-Star Game MVP, is a lock to make the game.

It would also be a surprise not to see him participate in the Derby.

Bryce Harper has more competition for a spot, but should be able to hold on if he can fend off another Dodgers veteran.

The Phillies’ first baseman has posted an .893 OPS with a .517 slugging percentage, 15 homers and 28 total extra-base hits.

While his defense has been underwhelming from a metrics standpoint, he has been the second-best first baseman in the NL behind Matt Olson, who has 19 homers, 50 RBI and a .902 OPS.

Harper has played every game of the Phillies’ season. Freddie Freeman, as Harper said recently, is also having a solid year. Freeman is hitting .283 with 10 homers and an .848 OPS.

If both play to the back of their baseball cards until the break, Harper should draw a strong vote total and logically be named as the backup first baseman to Olson as things stand.

Then there is the one that would mean a lot to the Philadelphia faithful and presents a lot of competition.

Brandon Marsh.

The 28-year-old, in the middle of a breakout campaign, is batting .326, fourth best in the majors.

Like the starting pitchers, seven NL outfielders made the team last year.

Washington’s James Wood, Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, St. Louis’ Jordan Walker, New York’s Juan Soto, Atlanta’s Michael Harris and Los Angeles’ Andy Pages feel like six names that could occupy outfield spots.

Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. also felt like he could be in play, but he has landed on the injured list for the second time in a month.

Marsh could go toe-to-toe with San Francisco’s Jung Hoo Lee, who is batting .338, the best mark among all outfielders in baseball.

Marsh has the edge in extra-base hits, RBI and OPS over Lee, who has put the ball in play more often this year.

Defensively, they are similar.

At the end of the day, though, this comes down to a popularity contest. Lee, who was born in Japan and played professionally in Korea, has a large following and plenty of Giants fans behind him.

Marsh has Philadelphia.

It would be the first All-Star team for either player, and that could come down to the wire.

Be sure to keep an eye on NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com for more All-Star content.

The Dominican Summer League (DSL) season got underway on June 2. The season is 72 games long and ends in August. The Padres have two DSL teams, Padres Gold and Padres Brown, with the Gold team defending its championship from last season.

With the addition of the ACL Padres and the two DSL teams, the Padres now have seven minor league teams playing games. The prospect lists have been updated for the end of May/beginning of June. Catcher Ethan Salas has improved his status as a prospect, moving up from No. 27 to No. 11 on the Baseball America prospect list. MLB.com lists Salas as the No. 49 prospect in baseball.

LHP Kruz Schoolcraft, who started the year in the MLB top 100 prospects, has slipped off the list. His slow start with Lake Elsinore has undermined his early value. His velocity was down to start the year but his last couple starts have shown improvement and his future value could be improved.

Besides those two players, no one else in the Padres system will receive any national attention until they prove they deserve consideration. San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has stated on multiple occasions that the Padres prospects are valued by other teams more than they are by national evaluators.

The coming trade deadline, on Aug. 3, is when Padres fans will find out if Preller believes his team is a playoff team by the way he handles business at the deadline. Multiple players have helped Preller out by distinguishing themselves early in the season. The real test comes when the teams begin to play each other for the second time around and if adjustments come to maintain success.

El Paso Chihuahuas (51-79 record, last in the PCL East)

With the promotion of Samad Taylor and Jase Bowen, the Chihuahuas lost two of their most productive players. They went 2-4 in their series versus the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Outfielder Nick Solak has stepped into the leading role for El Paso. In the six-game series he had 13 hits with two doubles and two home runs. Solak, 31, has had major league experience and is hitting .344/.421/.536. Oufielder Nick Schnell leads the team with 10 home runs and Solak has 39 RBI.

RHP Germán Márquez has begun his rehab assignment and has pitched 6.1 innings over two starts with no runs allowed and only two hits. He has walked one and has five strikeouts. Evan Fitterer remains the most effective starter for El Paso with 11 games started and a 3.80 ERA in 45 innings pitched. JP Sears continues to lead the team in strikeouts despite being hit hard and often. He has a 7.62 ERA in 54.1 innings pitched.

Catcher Blake Hunt has been off the IL for a week and back with El Paso. He had five hits, including a double and a home run, in the four games he has played.

San Antonio Missions (25-32 record, last in Texas League South)

The Missions went 5-1 in their series with the Wichita Wind Surge and resurgent OF Braedon Karpathios was part of the reason. Karpathios, a 2022 undrafted free agent sign, had a difficult start to the season but has surged over the past week. In their six-game series he was 9-for-19 with nine walks. Since May 1, he has a .920 OPS.

Catcher Ethan Salas, who has been consistently hot since the season began, had a little cooling off stretch despite celebrating his 20th birthday on June 1. He only had three hits and no extra base hits with three walks. He stole his 12th base, a new high for him in his career.

Infielder Carson Tucker leads the team with a .299 average and Karpathios has the best OBP at .373. Salas has a slug of .462 and the most RBI with 31. First baseman Romeo Sanabria also had a good series with two doubles and two home runs to keep him close to Salas in production.

The Missions bullpen is their strength in pitching. Both Francis Peña and Andrew Moore shined for the bullpen. Peña has a 1.93 ERA in 23.1 innings and Moore has a 2.29 ERA in 19.2 innings.

LHP Jagger Haynes had his best start, pitching 5,2 innings with two runs allowed. RHP Miguel Mendez has been brought back slowly after his early season neck strain and pitched five innings in his last start with no runs allowed. He gave up two hits and struck out four. His fastball was clocked at 96-97 mph and his location is improving (report per Ben Davey of MadFriars.com).

Fort Wayne TinCaps (24-33, 5th Medwest League East)

The TinCaps faced the Lake County Captains for their six-game series and went 1-5 for the week. The starters struggled with command during the series. LHP Kash Mayfield had his worst outing of the year. His five innings were pitched under poor conditions for the pitchers. A strong wind blowing out aided the three home runs he allowed with the seven hits and two walks. Mayfield has only allowed two previous home runs in his other starts.

RHP Carson Montgomery worked five innings while struggling with his command. He allowed three runs on two hits and walked five. He was able to strike out six hitters and has a 2.40 ERA overall. Reliever Clay Edmondson had his first rough outing, allowing three hits, three runs and two walks in 0.2 innings. His ERA is now 1.59.

RHP Tucker Musgrove is building off his breakout season of last year. His fastball tops at 99 mph and his sweeper at 98 mph. In his last 10.1 innings pitched he has a 1.69 ERA and 47% strikeout rate. (report per Clark Fahrenthold of MadFriars.com).

Outfielder Jake Cunningham continues to lead the TinCaps offense. He is hitting .295/.383/.628 with 10 doubles, 14 home runs and 32 RBI. Four of those homers came in the past week but he also leads the team in strikeouts with 56 and his swing-and-miss will need to improve. Outfielder Alex McCoy is in another slump and is seeing mostly breaking balls in his at-bats. The league has adjusted to his success against the fastball and he isn’t seeing many of those. He will need to adjust back in order to maintain his early success.

Lake Elsinore Storm (33-24 record, 1st in Cal League South)

The Storm went 3-3 in their six-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies. They maintained their top spot in the Cal League and have the best record as well.

LHP Kruz Schoolcraft got his first win as a pro player, pitching five innings with one run and three hits. He got three strikeouts and allowed no walks. RHP Jesus Castro has also been pitching well and threw five innings with three hits, two walks and five strikeouts while shutting out the opponents. The 18-year-old has a 3.05 ERA and has bypassed Winyer Chourio as the most effective Storm starter. Chourio still leads with 60 strikeouts to 22 walks.

Reliever Nick Falter has a 2.25 ERA over 40 innings and has one save. He has 39 strikeouts to 13 walks.

Catcher Ty Harvey, out for the next month or so after being hit by a swing and breaking his hand, still leads the Storm with a .340 average. Infielder Luke Cantwell, back after his three-week injury stint, has a leading .477 OBP. Infielder Kerrington Cross leads in slug and OPS (.570/.1.037) with eight home runs and 30 RBI. He played first base while Cantwell was injured but is also a third baseman.

Outfielder Ryan Wideman had a great week against Fresno, with two doubles and a home run. He added another stolen base to his total of 37 but was caught three times (he has 12 caught stealing for the year). Infielder Jose Verdugo, 18, also had a good week with two doubles and a home run. Not known for his power, Verdugo hit safely in every game of the series and is hitting .287.

ACL Padres (13-13 record, 3rd in ACL West)

With just 26 games played, there have been some noticeable standouts for the rookie league already. Infielder/DH Santiago Vargas, a switch hitter, was signed in January of 2025 but didn’t play in the DSL last season. He has begun his pro career with a bang and has a .315/.367/.556 batting line with three doubles, two triples, two homers and 15 RBI in 16 games.

3B Dawson Willis, an undrafted free agent from Louisiana, is hitting .317/.404/.634 with five doubles, a triple, two homers and six RBI in 11 games. Outfielder Moises Valdez, 20, is hitting .405/.435/.524 with five doubles and five RBI in 12 games.

Lefty reliever Zack Qin is off the IL but remains in Arizona. He has a 1.15 ERA in 15.2 innings. Padres signed reliever Daison Acosta before the season and then designated him for assignment during the spring. He went on the IL almost immediately after camp started and has now begun his rehab with the ACL team. Ty Adcock finished his rehab and is with El Paso.

RHP Lang-Hong Su has three starts and 10 innings pitched with a 0.90 ERA. Reliever Bernard Jose has a 1.29 ERA in 14 innings with 25 strikeouts to two walks.

DSL Padres

The DSL Brown Padres have played six games and have a 1-5 record. RHP Yoel Duarte is a top international prospect that signed with the Padres and is playing for Brown. The 17-year-old from Venezuela has not pitched yet. With six games played, second baseman Osmy Osorio leads the team with a .304 average and 1.012 OPS.

RHP Yolansy Perez has a 2.25 ERA in four innings pitched with three strikeouts and no walks.

The DSL Padres Gold (3-2, 4th DSL Northwest) have several of the top rated international players signed by the Padres. Shortstop Joniel Harnandez, SS/3B Timothy Mogen, catcher Jhonneiker Leon, LHP Diego Serna, and RHP Jordan Perez all begin with the Gold.

Hernandez is hitting .350 with a .931 OPS in five games. Mogen, playing third base, is hitting .167 in five games. Leon has a .067 average in four games. Serna has not pitched yet and Perez has a 27.00 ERA in one inning pitched, allowing three runs.

For the second time in three nights, it would require extra innings.   This time however, the Astros wouldn’t be as fortunate as they were 48 hours earlier in the series opener, dropping the finale to the Angels by a score of 3-2.   Former Astro Jose Siri would deliver the final blow with an RBI single which brought home Nick Madrigal, who served as the automatic runner with the winning score.    Bryan Abreu would take the loss in relief, allowing a pair of hits on only seven pitches.    

The only good news of the night was that the Astros hit two home runs.   The bad news, those HRs represented their only two hits before Alvarez and Walker reached base in the 9th.   

With each passing inning, there was a sense that the season is slowly slipping away.    70 games now completed with a mark of 31-39.  The Astros are again 8 games under the .500 mark, and questions continue to linger.    Is this the Astros new reality?    Are they destined to hover towards the bottom of their division?     They sit in fourth place in the A.L West, having dropped three of their last four.   

Peter Lambert delivered yet another quality start, striking out 6, but would exit in the 7th with an apparent finger injury that began to swell up on a comebacker.       

Mike Trout, playing DH on this night, started the scoring with a solo shot to straight away center field in the first inning.   It was one of only two mistakes that Peter Lambert would make, also allowing Logan O’Hoppe in the 5th to go yard with a blast to left.  The Angels this season have now hit a combined 12 home runs off of Astros pitching in their 7 meetings.    With the victory, LA has now won 4 of those 7 contests.    

The Astros wouldn’t register a hit until Shay Whitcomb led off the 6th inning with a solo shot.    The offense has been in hibernation in recent games, and on this night was dominated by Reid Detmers who struck out five of his first seven.   Detmers would finish the night with 9 K’s.   Whitcomb would be the lone baserunner that Detmers would allow.    

Upon exiting, Cam Smith would take Chase Silseth deep for his 7th home run of the season to tie things up at 2.   

In the 9th, Yordan Alvarez appeared to break a tie at home plate after an errant throw occurred off a Christian Walker double, but the call was quickly overturned.    

As the contest unfolded, encouraging news came from Sugar Land where ace Hunter Brown went 5 innings, tossing 78 pitches with 7 strikeouts in what is expected to be his final rehab start.   Brown’s fastball would register 98 MPH.   

All signs now point toward Brown returning next week to face the Tigers on the next Astros homestand.    Before that happens, Houston will next play three in Kansas City after an off-day Thursday.    

Columbus Clippers 1, Indianapolis Indians 11

It was a brutal one for the Clippers in every facet of the game. They were held to just 4 hits and 3 walks, while they allowed 7 hits(including 3 HRs) and 9 walks. CJ Kayfus and Nolan Jones both had a hit and a walk. Austin Peterson limited the damage to just 3 runs but you never want to see a command pitcher walk 5 batters and only have 4 strikeouts.

Akron RubberDucks 6, Erie Seawolves 8

Luke Hill and Jaison Chourio have injected a ton of life into this offense. Ever since their promotion to AA they have both been raking. Luke Hill went 2-4 with two doubles tonight and is now hitting .370 with an OPS of 1.007 in AA. Jaison Chourio went 1-4 with a 3 run home run over the center field wall. He is now hitting .319 with an OPS of .945 since his promotion to AA. Both of these two have a good chance to jump into the top 10 Guardians prospects with their performances this season.

It was a rough game for the Akron pitching staff. Caden Favors allowed 4 runs in just 3.2 innings pitched, his ERA is up to 6.00 for the season. Jack Jasiak allowed 4 runs in his 2 innings pitched but only one of those runs was earned.

Lake County Captains 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 8

Nolan Schubart appears to be really figuring it out. He went 2-4 tonight with his 13th home run of the season and is now hitting .233 with an OPS of .866. He got off to a rough start this season and has been so much better as of late. Tommy Hawke also went 2-4 with a walk and is now hitting .315 with an OPS of .884.

It was another meh start from Michael Kennedy, who allowed 2 runs in 4 innings pitched with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks. His ERA is up to 5.35 on the season.

Hill City Howlers 7, Wilson Warbirds 8

Juneiker Caceres might be my favorite prospect in the entire system. Now that Travis Bazzana has graduated, I think he has a real argument to be a top 3 prospect in the system behind Ralphy and Genao. He went 2-4 tonight with a double and is now hitting .317 with a .921 OPS as an 18 year old in Single A. I can’t remember the last time the Guardians ever had an 18 year old in High-A but they’re going to have to promote this kid soon. He is that good. Elite contact skills, good approach, and plenty of raw power. I am beyond excited about him.

Cannon Peebles went 2-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Jose Pirela went 1-5 with an RBI single. Anthony Martinez went 3-4 with a walk, and Tyler Howard went 3-4.

After a great start to the season, Nelson Keljo has been struggling the last couple weeks. He allowed 3 more runs tonight in 4.2 innings pitched, and his ERA is now up to 4.42.

The Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers faced off in the rubber match of this three game interleague series. Down 3-0 after 6 1/2 innings, it looked like the A’s offense had finally cooled off in the desert heat. Yet, the team burst to life just in time and then its bullpen shut the door on the Brewers, sealing the A’s 4-3 victory in this tightly-contested series finale.

Brewers Assert Early Dominance

The Brewers struck first for a third straight game. Facing A’s starting pitcher Jack Perkins, Christian Yelich drew a leadoff walk and later scored on Andrew Vaughn’s two-out RBI single to right field. Perkins responded by striking out the next batter to strand Vaughn at second base.

The Brewers added another run in the second inning. Catcher Gary Sanchez got the inning started with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. Perkins limited further damage, leaving David Hamilton at third after his one-out double.

Meanwhile, Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Sproat was sharp early, holding the A’s scoreless through the first two innings.

The visitors made it three in the third as center fielder Jackson Chourio crushed the first pitch of the inning 440 feet to dead center for his sixth home run of the season and second in as many games. Both home runs came on mistake pitches from Perkins, who has yet to find his rhythm as a starter. Perkins allowed two walks but no further runs, though he needed over 30 pitches to complete the inning.

A’s Threaten but Don’t Score

A’s center fielder Henry Bolte led off the A’s half of the third with an infield single, speeding down the line to beat the throw to first. He then stole second, putting himself in scoring position with no outs.

Sproat walked second baseman Jeff McNeil before the Brewers middle infield turned a slick double play on a ball off the bat of A’s shortstop Alika Williams. The right-hander promptly struck out Kurtz to end the inning. Through three innings, the A’s hit into two rally-killing double plays. Maybe the inning would have gone differently if Williams had bunted to advance the runners rather than swing away.

Game Rolls Along

Perkins tossed his first scoreless inning of the night in the fourth, which also marked the end of his laborious outing. The A’s starter allowed three runs on five hits and three walks. Offensively, the A’s could not take advantage, continuing to struggle against Sproat, who needed just 58 pitches to complete five scoreless innings.

Athletics right-handed reliever Luis Medina replaced Perkins in the fifth and needed just seven pitches to complete a scoreless inning. He remained in the game the next inning; however, the Brewers opened the sixth with back-to-back singles. Medina escaped the jam unscathed, getting Milwaukee’s shortstop Joey Ortiz to ground into an inning-ending double play.

A’s Score At Last

The A’s finally scored off Sproat in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Williams hit his first MLB home run, a solo shot to left field, cutting the hosts’ deficit to two.

A’s relievers Jose Suarez and Scott Barlow combined for a scoreless top of the seventh. The Brewers stranded two runners on base in their latest attempt to extend the lead.

A’s Complete the Comeback

In the last of the seventh, the visitors turned to reliever Chad Patrick after Sproat allowed one run over six innings on just 68 pitches.

A’s right fielder Carlos Cortes welcomed Patrick to the game by hitting his sixth home run of the year, a 461 feet solo shot to right to cut his team’s deficit to one.

A’s third baseman Zack Gelof followed by lining a double to right, extending his hitting streak to 15 games. Then, right fielder Lawrence Butler came through with his biggest hit in a while. His fourth home run of the season, a 463 feet two-run rocket to center field, put the hosts up 4-3. The A’s hit 15 home runs this series, tying a franchise record for most home runs in a three-game series.

The Brewers turned to left-hander Aaron Ashby after Patrick failed to record an out. With two outs, Williams singled and then Kurtz walked. The runners advanced 90 feet on a passed ball before Soderstrom grounded out to end the inning.

Chaotic Eighth

In the eighth, Milwaukee collected two straight singles with one out. A’s left-hander Hogan Harris escaped trouble by getting pinch-hitter William Contreras to ground into an inning-ending double play, preserving the hosts’ one-run lead.

Facing new Brewers reliever Trevor Megill, A’s catcher Shea Langeliers led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to the left-center field gap. Megill retired the next three batters as the A’s failed to capitalize on a prime chance to add an insurance run.

Elvis is Back

Athletics reliever Elvis Alvarado entered to pitch the ninth. Alvarado was dominant for a second straight night as the Brewers top three hitters were no match for his 100 mph fastball and nasty slider. The hard-throwing reliever struck out two of the three batters he faced, recording his first career save and more importantly securing the series victory for the Athletics against a very good Brewers squad.

The Athletics will have a day off in Las Vegas tomorrow. On Friday, the Colorado Rockies open a three-game series against the A’s at Las Vegas Ballpark. Left-hander Gage Jump will start for the A’s at a ballpark he knows well, having made several starts there during his time in Triple-A. The Rockies have not yet announced their starter for Friday night’s matchup.

PITTSBURGH –– Dalton Rushing was unsuccessful on the one call he tried to challenge in the bottom of the seventh Wednesday night.

Three other times, in what became a three-run inning that triggered a late-game meltdown in the Dodgers’ eventual loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, both he and pitcher Shohei Ohtani missed the chance to use MLB’s new ABS system to turn called balls into what could have been game-changing strikes.

“I hesitated whether to challenge,” Ohtani said in Japanese afterward. “Looking at the results, I think it would have been better to.”

Granted, that wasn’t the main reason for the Dodgers’ painful 9-8 defeat at PNC Park –– not on a night the team’s bullpen combined to allow five more runs in the eighth as the Dodgers blew what had been a five-run lead. 

Still, the borderline pitches nonetheless became a topic of conversation in the clubhouse postgame, starting with Ohtani’s admission to reporters himself.

“I went up to around here,” he said while raising his hand to his head, mimicking the signal for an ABS challenge. “But I didn’t take the last step.”

Entering the seventh, the Dodgers were in total control. They had built a 6-1 lead on Ryan Ward’s grand slam an inning earlier. Ohtani, meanwhile, was back on the mound trying to complete his latest pitching gem.

Against leadoff hitter Tyler Callihan, however, the pair’s first missed ABS opportunity set the disaster in motion.

In a 1-0 count, Ohtani threw a low fastball that, according to MLB’s Gameday system, caught the bottom of the zone. With both of their challenges remaining at that point, either Rushing or Ohtani could have opted for an ABS appeal.

Alas, they let the at-bat roll on. And while Ohtani eventually worked the count full, he couldn’t put Callihan away with a fastball or a sweeper, before finally missing with a curveball for what would prove to be a consequential leadoff walk.

Three batters later, the Pirates had two aboard with one out when Rushing did tap his head for an ABS review, trying to change a first-pitch splitter to Spencer Horwitz into a strike on the outer edge. 

But the verdict, as was displayed via a video graphic on the stadium scoreboard, was that the pitch was indeed outside –– by a whole two-tenths of an inch.

Ohtani would bounce back to strike out Horwitz. But with only one challenge left at that point, the dynamics of the Dodgers’ ABS strategy had shifted.

“You never want to go into the eighth, ninth inning without a challenge from an offensive side, especially in a close game,” Rushing noted.

“That,” manager Dave Roberts added, “might have been something that caused a little bit of a pause [the rest of the inning].”

Indeed, as Brandon Lowe came to the plate next, Rushing declined to challenge two balls that could have been overturned: A first-pitch heater seemed to clip the outer edge of the plate, then another 2-0 four-seamer that appeared to graze the bottom corner.

Ohtani almost tapped his head on the latter pitch, but stopped as Rushing shook his head from the plate. 

“Our plan is basically for the catcher to do it, so I don’t do it unless I have a lot of confidence,” Ohtani said. 

“But considering the situation,” he added in hindsight, “I think it could have been good to do it.”

Instead, in what was a 3-0 count, Ohtani predictably threw a fastball in the zone that Lowe ambushed for a two-run double down the line.

Just like that, the two-way star’s night on the mound was over.

And suddenly, the door had opened for a stunning Pirates comeback –– which would be completed after Lowe scored on a Max Muncy error later in the seventh, and Callihan and Horwitz both hit home runs in the five-run eighth.

“I haven’t looked back, but I did hear a couple of those pitches to Lowe were strikes,” Roberts said. “They would have obviously flipped the count. You never know.”

Rushing, who spent a long time with his head hanging low at his locker postgame, was also left second-guessing himself, saying that while he thought both pitches in the moment were balls, “maybe one of the two were worth challenging.”

Rushing added that he considers several factors when evaluating ABS opportunities, from the score of the game to the leverage of the inning.

“Do we need one [challenge to be saved] late in the game? Do we have two? Do we have one to waste?” he said.

But, “obviously seeing what we saw there tonight,” he countered, “it would have been nice to hold it.”

Roberts was careful not to put blame on either player for their ABS decisions. He also specifically praised the strides Rushing has made using the system this year; an area the second-year backstop struggled with early in the season, before improving his ABS challenge rate recently thanks to behind-the-scenes work with the club’s augmented reality Trajekt pitching machine.

“Probably in his opinion, it wasn’t worth the challenge,” Roberts said. “It’s not an exact science.”

Another factor that might have complicated matters: Wednesday was the first time this year Rushing caught one of Ohtani’s outings, getting his fourth-straight start as Will Smith battles a neck injury that will force him to go on the injured list Thursday.

The new battery pairing wasn’t seamless, with Ohtani noting he shook off a few more pitches than usual (something he said was to be expected given the duo’s lack of familiarity).

Nonetheless, with slightly better use of the ABS system in the seventh, the night still could have had a much happier ending.

Instead, as both players dressed and exited the clubhouse, Ohtani passed by Rushing and gave him a pat on the back –– almost as if to say, oh well, lesson learned for both of them.

Well just as Drake Baldwin seemed to be nearing his return, the Braves will now be without Ronald Acuna for at least 10 days, with a hamstring strain. The Braves just can’t seem to get all of their stars healthy and playing well together at once, even as they are performing extremely well this season. It does seem like Ronald’s hamstring strain is fairly mild, so hopefully it will be a short absence and we can witness a fully healthy Braves’ offense in July. On the pitching side, the Braves are finally getting a look at veteran James Karinchak, who had an impressive spring and an impressive start to the season in the minors, as well as another look at JR Ritchie. While my preference would be to move Grant Holmes to the bullpen, the Braves may not yet trust Ritchie enough to hand the keys to a rotation spot until Hurston Waldrep or AJ Smith-Shawver can hopefully return successfully from their respective surgeries to quality performance.

Braves News

Ronald Acuna hit the IL, with Rowdy Tellez taking his place on the roster, as Ronald has a mild hamstring strain.

JR Ritchie returned to the majors, as James Karinchak also joins the Braves, with Carlos Carrasco DFA’d and Tyler Kinley hitting the IL with elbow inflammation.

The Braves lost the first two games of a series for the first time this season, as they fell 2-1 to the White Sox, with the offense struggling without Baldwin and Acuna.

MLB News

The Tigers and Brewers made a minor trade involving pitching depth.

The Orioles picked up former Braves catcher Chadwick Tromp on a minor league deal.

Oniel Cruz hit the IL with hand fractures and is expected to miss at least a month.

Box Score

It was a solid night for Brandon Sproat in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, but the Brewers were unable to pick up the series win, as the offense faltered after putting up an early lead and Chad Patrick struggled out of the bullpen.

Christian Yelich started the evening off with a walk, and after moving to second on a groundout by Brice Turang, came around to score and give Milwaukee a 1-0 lead on Andrew Vaughn’s RBI single.

Nick Kurtz started things off with a single in the bottom of the first, but he was wiped out on a double play from Tyler Soderstrom, and Sproat was through the first with an unconventional 1-2-3.

Gary Sánchez doubled Milwaukee’s lead in the second, slugging a leadoff homer over the wall in left to make it 2-0. David Hamilton also had a one-out double, but he was ultimately stranded at third.

Sproat picked up a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout in the second, and Jackson Chourio tacked on another run with a leadoff homer in the third, his sixth of the season and fourth this month.

Sproat got into his first real trouble in the third, as he allowed a single, a steal, and a walk to put two runners on with no outs. He was able to get out of it, though, as Alika Williams hit into a 6-4-3 double play on a tough play made by Joey Ortiz, and Sproat followed with a strikeout of Kurtz after a well-timed mound visit by Sánchez.

Things quieted down for both sides from there, as the Brewers got a two-out double from Yelich in the fourth before both teams traded 1-2-3 innings through the end of the fifth.

In the sixth, the Brewers once again threatened against reliever Luis Medina. Sánchez led off with a single, and Sal Frelick followed with another single that maybe should have been caught and probably should have been a double if anybody other than Sánchez was running in front of him.

Neither Sánchez nor Frelick would move from their spots, though, as Hamilton struck out and Ortiz hit into an inning-ending double play.

The homer bug finally bit Sproat in the bottom of the sixth, as Alika Williams hit his first career homer just over the wall in left, cutting the Brewers’ lead to 3-1. Sproat escaped the inning without any more damage, allowing a two-out single but nothing else as he was through six innings on just 68 pitches.

Even with the low pitch count, Sproat was done after six, as Pat Murphy went to Chad Patrick for the seventh. Sproat went six frames, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out three. This was arguably Sproat’s best start of his career, and just the second quality start for him this season (he went 6 2/3 innings with one run allowed against the Blue Jays on April 16).

Unfortunately, Murphy’s move didn’t work out great, as Patrick — who had allowed just one run in his last 21 1/3 innings dating back to early May — allowed a leadoff homer to Carlos Cortes, a double to Zack Gelof, and another homer to Lawrence Butler, flipping the scoreboard to a 4-3 A’s lead before Patrick recorded an out. That marked the end of the night for him, as he threw just eight pitches (four strikes) and gave up three runs on three extra-base hits.

After Aaron Ashby took over and got out of the inning, the Brewers put together another rally in the eighth via a pair of hits by Frelick and Rengifo, who pinch-hit for Hamilton. With one out and the tying run on second and the go-ahead run at first, Murphy used William Contreras as a pinch-hitter for Ortiz, but Contreras hit into a double play to end the rally.

Trevor Megill replaced Ashby in the bottom of the inning, and despite allowing a leadoff double to Shea Langeliers, he was able to keep the deficit at one as the Brewers looked to mount a comeback in the ninth.

The comeback was not to be, though, as Yelich struck out, Chourio grounded out, and Turang struck out.

For the second consecutive night, the Brewers couldn’t do much of anything against the A’s bullpen. While they had plenty of baserunners tonight via 11 hits and three walks, they left nine runners on base and went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Chourio, Vaughn, Sánchez, and Frelick had two hits each, and Chourio and Sánchez had the big hits via solo homers. Sánchez and Vaughn also added a walk each, while Yelich reached twice via a double and a walk.

The pitching staff looked solid outside of Patrick, as he took his third loss of the season. Ashby and Megill each worked a scoreless inning, while Sproat held his own over six frames, allowing just the one run on a solo homer.

While this was a fun series for those who love seeing the ball fly out of the ballpark, I’m sure Brewers fans and the Brewers themselves are happy for the Crew to return home. They’ll get a much-deserved day off on Thursday before returning to action this weekend against the Phillies. Jacob Misiorowski will start opposite Andrew Painter in that one, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m.

The Cubs released right-hander Jeff Brigham. Brigham was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason but was injured in Spring Training and never actually pitched for Iowa or any other minor league team.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs were locked in a cave by the Louisville Bats (Reds), 20-5. Yikes.

Jordan Wicks started and took the loss. Wick gave up eight runs on eight hits over 3+ innings. However, only four of the eight runs were earned. Still, it was Wicks’ own error that opened the floodgates to four of the five runs scored in the third. Wicks walked three and struck out just one.

Shortstop Ben Cowles went 2 for 2 with a double, a walk and a sacrifice fly. He scored twice and had two total RBI.

Third baseman James Triantos was 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored.

Left fielder Justin Dean went 2 for 3 with a double and he was hit by a pitch. Dean had two RBI.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies split a doubleheader with the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays), losing game one 10-6 and winning game two 10-8. Although the doubleheader was played in Montgomery, the Smokies were the home team in game two.

Connor Schultz started game one, gave up two runs in the second and five in the third and took the loss. The final line on Schultz was seven runs, six earned, on five hits over 2.1 innings. Schultz walked four and struck out three.

Catcher Owen Ayers continues to tear up the Southern League. In game one, he went 4 for 4 with three doubles and three runs batted in.

Yenrri Rojas started game two, pitched two innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out one.

Erian Rodriguez threw the next 2.1 innings and gave up four runs on four hits. Still, that was good enough for the win. Rodriguez struck out three, hit two batters and walked two.

Vince Reilly pitched the final 2.2 innings and collected the save. Reilly allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out three and didn’t walk anyone.

Left fielder Edgar Alvarez tied the game 5-5 in the third inning with a two-run home run, his seventh. Alvarez was 1 for 4.

DH Owen Ayers didn’t slow down much in game two. In the first inning, he hit an RBI single. In the bottom of the sixth, he hit a two-run home run, giving the Smokies two insurance runs that they would end up needing. It was Ayers’ 17th home run this year and 11th for the Smokies. He finished game two going 2 for 4.

After a slow May when Ayers hit .191, albeit with six home runs, in his first full month in Double-A, Ayers is hitting .586/.657/1.138 over eight games in June. He has seven doubles and three home runs in those eight games.

Shortstop Karson Simas went 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly. He scored one run and had three RBI.

Second baseman Hayden Cantrelle was 2 for 3 with two steals. He scored one run.

First baseman Cameron Sisneros went 2 for 3 with an RBI double in the third inning. He scored twice.

A two-run single for Simas.

The Edgar Alvarez home run.

And here’s Ayers going deep for the 17th time this year already.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs fired the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals), 5-3. This lowers the Cubs magic number for a first-half division title down to three.

Tonight’s game started two hours and 19 minutes late because of rain, so it was played as a seven-inning affair.

Eli Jerzembeck allowed two runs in the top of the first to put South Bend down early. He finished with giving up two runs on four hits over two innings. He walked two and struck out four.

Kevin Valdez threw the final five innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Valdez walked no one and struck out eight batters, which tied his career-high.

Center fielder Josiah Hartshorn tied the game in the third inning with a two-run home run, his tenth overall and fifth with South Bend. Hartshorn was 1 for 2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly to give him three total RBI.

DH Kane Kepley went 1 for 3 with a triple and a walk. He scored twice.

Shortstop Ty Southisene was 1 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch. He also stole two bases and scored one run.

Hartshorn’s home run.

Here’s Kepley’s triple, Hartshorn’s sac fly and a two-run double by Jose Escobar. Escobar was 1 for 3.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans swatted the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 5-2. The win snapped an eight-game Pelicans losing streak.

Braylon Myers made only his second start of the season and pitched three scoreless innings. Myers allowed just one hit and issued three walks. He struck out four.

Hayden Frank tossed the next four innings and got the win after surrendering just one run on three hits. The one run came on a seventh inning solo home run. Frank walked two and struck out one.

Right fielder Eli Lovich was 2 for 3 with a walk and one run scored.

Highlights.

ACL Cubs

Off day.

Kodai Senga could be back on the mound as soon as Thursday after a minor injury setback.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Senga “felt good” after playing catch Tuesday, which is an encouraging update in the wake of his scratching from a minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday due to ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm.

“He was supposed to play catch [again] today, I haven’t heard anything,” Mendoza said before the Mets’ 9-2 loss to the Cardinals at Citi Field on Wednesday night. “We’ll see how he goes after he plays catch today. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s pitching in a game tomorrow or the next day.”

The right-handed starter is in the midst of his recovery from lumbar spine inflammation.

Landing on the 15-day injured list April 28 (retroactive to April 27), Senga returned to New York and played catch off the mound before the Mets opened the series against the Cardinals.

He cited increased mechanical work and practice as the reasoning for his irritation, calling it “minor” and even straying away from labeling it as an injury.

“I got some treatment and the treatment effects were a little bit greater than I anticipated,” he said through a translator. “It became a little bit more loose, so that caused the nerve sensations. It’s not like it’s inflamed, I wouldn’t say this is an injury. Going back to what I said earlier, continuing to strive for those mechanics, striving for health and getting back to the field I don’t think is too far.”

The 33-year-old had made three rehab starts — one at Single-A St. Lucie and two at Triple-A Syracuse — before he was scratched. Over those three starts, Senga posted a 5.25 ERA and allowed at least two runs in each outing.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS

Not only did he walk or hit a batter in every appearance, but Senga was also unable to make it past the fourth inning in the first two starts.

RHP Jonathan Pintaro was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, while RHP Joey Gerber was returned following Tuesday night’s game.

Pintaro pitched three innings, giving up one hit — a home run to Alec Burleson — while striking out two in Wednesday’s loss.

Mendoza said the changed starting pitching rotation of Austin Warren on Wednesday and Christian Scott on Thursday was nothing more than getting hurlers like Nolan McLean an extra day.

While Scott was initially slated to start Wednesday, Mendoza said the plan was “something that we discussed over the weekend.”

“It got out that Scotty was pitching today, but they knew the plan, the Cardinals knew the plan that we were going bullpen game today, Scotty tomorrow and then Noah,” Mendoza said. “Just kind of giving those guys an extra day this early on the stretch that we’re about to go here with 22, 23 days.

“We thought it was best coming off an off-day on Monday.”

Infielder Ronny Mauricio, who is currently on the injured list recovering from a fractured right thumb, has resumed baseball activities.

“He’s now on that phase where he’s doing a lot of the baseball stuff,” Mendoza said.

This was a game that was initially defined by excellent pitching, but the bats came alive for Colorado in the final two innings, resulting in a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The Rockies have secured the series victory and improved to 26-42 on the season, thanks largely in part to a strong start on the mound and some late-game heroics from the rookies.

Lorenzen rebounds nicely

After a string of rough starts, Michael Lorenzen delivered exactly the type of start he needed to, not just for himself but for the Rockies in general.

Lorenzen’s night started simply as he enjoyed a quick 1-2-3 top of the first inning with a pair of strikeouts. The second inning was more of the same, as he got a couple of quick outs and a strikeout. The third inning then featured another two strikeouts as part of another 1-2-3 inning. Perfect through three, it was the second straight start for Lorenzen in which he had five strikeouts through the first three innings.

His luck ran out in the top of the fourth inning when Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a towering ball to center field that kicked off the wall for a triple. Moisés Ballesteros grounded a ball to first base to score PCA to give the Cubs an early 1-0 lead.

However, unlike previous outings, Lorenzen didn’t let things spiral out of control. He got Michael Busch to ground out, issued a walk to Alex Bregman, and then struck out Ian Happ to end the inning.

The Cubs threatened in the fifth inning with a one-out double from Nico Hoerner and a two-out walk to Dansby Swanson. PCA then stepped up to the plate but thanks to the height of Kyle Karros at third base, was robbed of a hit on a line drive that would have scored another run if Karros had not leaped to make the grab.

Feeling good at 84 pitches, Lorenzen didn’t come out for the sixth. He went five innings, allowing just one run on two hits with two walks and a season-high seven strikeouts. What aided his success was being able to get ahead of the Cubs’ hitters. He threw a first-pitch strike about 65% of the time while also avoiding barrels. The balls the Cubs put in play had an average exit velocity of 77.1 mph.

Hopefully, the success of this outing will give Lorenzen the much-needed confidence moving forward to turn things around on the mound.

Shota shuts things down

While Lorezen was dealing for the Rockies, Shota Imanaga was matching him for the Cubs.

The Rockies first threatened in the first inning after TJ Rumfield threw out a single and Hunter Goodman drew a walk with two outs. However, Imanaga escaped the jam with a strikeout of Ezequiel Tovar.

He then struck out the side in the second inning, while also allowing a two-out walk to Braxton Fulford. A 1-2-3 third inning was then followed by a lead-off single for Goodman and three quick outs. The fifth inning also followed suit as the Rockeis went down in order.

Imanaga allowed just two hits over five innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. The Rockies took some length at-bats and made him work as he threw 90 pitches. However, Imanaga did what he often does best and threw a lot of strikes and limited hard-hit balls.

In fact, there was only one hard-hit ball through the first five innings of the game for either team, the first time that happened in MLB this season.

Welcome back, Jeff Criswell

After Lorenzen departed, the bullpen continued to give the Rockies offense a chance to win. Brennan Bernardnio fired a scoreless sixth inning, followed by a clean seventh by Juan Mejia.

But the highlight of the night for the pen was the big-league return of Jeff Criswell.

After a long recovery from Tommy John surgery, Criswell finally stood on a major league mound as he took the ball for the eighth inning. The first batter he faced was Swanson, and he blew a fastball by him for a strikeout. He then got PCA to line a ball to right field for the second out of the inning.

But nothing comes easy.

Carson Kelly, who had entered the game in the sixth inning, drew a walk, followed by a soft-hit single by Busch. Bregman stepped up to the plate and, after a lengthy battle, popped the ball up to first base to end the inning. After nearly 18 months, Criswell managed to keep the game close in an awesome moment and was reaching about 96 mph with his fastball.

Keep on threatening

The Rockies continued to threaten the Cubs’ bullpen in the sixth inning after a pair of two-out singles from Goodman and Tovar. However, the Rockies couldn’t get a run when Cole Carrigg popped out to the catcher after launching a long foul ball to left field.

Shut down again in the seventh, the Rockies finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth inning after the hot-hitting Edouard Julien collected a pinch-hit single with one out. Perhaps frustrated by an earlier strikeout, Rumfield stepped up to the plate and swung at a first-pitch changeup from Jacob Webb and tucked it into the right field seats. The two-run homer was the first go-ahead home run in the eighth inning or later, allowing the rookie first baseman to give the Rockies a 2-1 lead.

Ninth-inning drama

Unfortunately, the parallels of the game continued as Happ launched a solo home run on the second pitch of the ninth off Antonio Senzatela to tie the game 2-2. Senzatela rebounded nicely to escape the inning without further damage, leaving it up to the offense to look for some magic once again.

Facing Daniel Palencia, Troy Johnston managed to draw a leadoff walk. The Rockies then turned to a left-handed pinch hitter in Brett Sullivan. Sullivan attempted to bunt twice but failed and continued to battle to line a base hit into right field on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

With runners on the corners, Sterlin Thompson was called upon to pinch hit. He fouled off the first pitch at 101.3 mph. Down 0-1 and with the infield playing in, Thompson roped a 100.4 mph fastball through the right-side hole for a base hit to drive in Johnston and secure the 3-2 walk-off victory.

He became just the fourth Rockies rookie to ever have a pinch-hit walk-off hit, the first since Ben Paulsen in 2015.

The Rockies ended up out-hitting the Cubs 9-5 while striking out 11 times and drawing just three walks. They went just 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position, but that ended up being all that they needed.

Up next

The Rockies and Cubs conclude the series with an afternoon affair. Ryan Feltner (2-1, 4.22 ERA) takes the mound for the Rockies, looking to continue his string of strong starts. Edward Cabrera (3-3, 4.99 ERA) will do the pitching for the Cubs in his second start since coming off the injured list on June 5.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 pm MDT.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!