Category: Baseball

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (19-15)

SYRACUSE 3, ROCHESTER 1 (BOX)

A rather ho-hum win, the Mets scored a run in each of the first three innings to put them out in front quickly. Ryan Clifford hit a monster of a solo home run in the first, registering at 112.6 mph and 404 ft., Hayden Senger doubled a run home in the second, and Christian Arroyo singled their third and final run home in the third inning.

On the other side, Jack Wenninger threw another gem, going six scoreless, surrendering just two hits. He did not strike out many (five), and walked a few (three), but overall he was great. The bullpen surrendered a single run, but held firm after that.

• RF A.J. Ewing: 0-3, BB
• CF Nick Morabito: 1-4, R, K
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 2-4, R, HR (6), RBI
• 2B Christian Arroyo: 1-4, RBI, SB (4)
• DH Ji Hwan Bae: 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB (7)
• LF Cristian Pache: 0-4, 3 K
• 3B Yonny Hernández: 1-3, R
• C Hayden Senger: 1-2, 2B, RBI, BB, K
• SS Jackson Cluff: 0-2, BB, K
• RHP Jack Wenninger: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP, W (3-1)
• RHP Dan Hammer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP, H (2)
• RHP Alex Carrillo: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, H (2)
• LHP Anderson Severino: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, S (4)

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (11-18)

BINGHAMTON 4, HARTFORD 3 / 10 (BOX)

Chris Suero’s fifth home run of the year came in the first inning, giving the Ponies 1-0 lead. That lead did not hold long, as two Hartford runs in the second and one in the fifth put Binghamton down 3-1 going into the latter half of the game.

Binghamton would inch their way back, starting with a Wyatt Young RBI single in the seventh, and a Jose Ramos solo home run in the eighth, which tied the game. Binghamton would go home happy, with Eli Serrano walking the Yard Goats off with a sacrifice fly in the tenth.

• RF Eli Serrano III: 0-4, RBI, 2 K
• C Chris Suero: 1-4, R, HR (5), RBI, K
• LF Jose Ramos: 2-4, R, HR (4), RBI, K
• DH Kevin Parada: 2-4, 2B, K
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 0-4, K
• 1B TT Bowens: 2-3, R, BB, K, E (1)
• CF Matt Rudick: 0-4, K
• 2B Wyatt Young: 1-4, R
• SS Diego Mosquera: 0-3, K, E (1)
• RHP Brendan Girton: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HBP
• RHP Brian Metoyer: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Ben Simon: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Zach Peek: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (2-0)

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (7-20)

BOWLING GREEN 8, BROOKLYN 4 (BOX)

Joel Díaz put the Cyclones behind the eight ball, giving up six runs in the first three innings of the game. The Cyclones. to their credit, battled back and made it a game, as they scored four in the first four innings, including tying the game at three apiece on a John Bay single. However, Hoss Brewer would surrender two in the eighth, which put the nail in the coffin for Brooklyn.

• SS Antonio Jimenez: 0-3, R, BB, K
• 2B Yonatan Henriquez: 1-5, 2B
• 1B Ronald Hernandez: 2-4, R, K
• DH Corey Collins: 0-3, 2 K
• C Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-4, K
• CF John Bay: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, BB, K
• 3B Colin Houck: 1-4, 2 K
• LF Vincent Perozo: 1-4, R, HR (1), RBI
• RF Yohairo Cuevas: 0-4, 3 K
• RHP Joel Díaz: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L (0-5)
• LHP Gregori Louis: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Parker Carlson: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Hoss Brewer: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (13-16)

LAKELAND 5, ST. LUCIE 4 (BOX)

Lakeland got off to a fast start in this one, scoring in the first inning on an error by starting pitcher Joel Lara. They added three more in the third, one on a triple and one on a two run home run, putting the Mets behind 4-0.

They battled back to tie it, first breaking the shutout on a wild pitch. Randy Guzman hit his seventh home run of the year, a two run home run, to make it 4-3, all in the sixth inning. Branny De Oleo singled in the seventh to tie the game. However, the comeback would not be seen to the end, as a sacrifice fly in the seventh made it 5-4 Lakeland, the eventual final score.

• SS Elian Peña: 1-5, R, 2 K, SB (11)
• CF Edward Lantigua: 0-4, 2 K
• 1B Randy Guzman: 1-2, R, HR (7), 2 RBI, 2 BB, K
• DH AJ Salgado: 0-3, BB, 2 K, SB (5)
• LF JT Benson: 0-4, 3 K
• C Chase Meggers: 0-3, BB, K
• RF Simon Juan: 1-4, R, SB (3)
• 2B Sam Robertson: 1-4, K
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 2-3, R, RBI, BB, SB (3)
• RHP Joel Lara: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, E (1)
• RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• LHP Conner Ware: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L (1-4)

Rookie: FCL Mets (1-2)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jack Wenninger

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Joel Díaz

Edmundo Sosa is such a fascinating ballplayer. He was in swing at everything mode in the eighth inning, but he managed to foul off enough pitches well outside of the zone until he got one to hit and delivered the go ahead, two-run single. And because of it, the Phillies are now 1-10 in games started by a left handed starting pitcher.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Cristopher Sánchez was in Cy Young-caliber form Tuesday night, and his performance was the latest in a string of strong starts from the Phillies staff that is turning their season around. ($)
• A’s young star Nick Kurtz grew up in Lancaster and was a die-hard Phillies fan. Now, he’s cherishing his time playing in the ballpark he went to games at with his family.
• Bryson Stott is starting to shake off his slow start, but there’s another member of the Phillies infield that hasn’t found his stroke yet.

MLB news:

• A massive blow was dealt to the Astros yesterday, as they lost shortstop Carlos Correa for the rest of the season due to a torn tendon in his ankle that requires surgery.
• Speaking of the Astros, former Astro and current Tiger Framber Valdez was suspended six games for intentionally throwing at the Red Sox Trevor Story on Tuesday night.
• Tyler Glasnow of the Dodgers exited his start before the second inning yesterday with lower back pain.
• Baseball America has released their updated 2026 Top 100 prospects list. ($) Three Phillies are featured on the list, although two will be graduating soon.

The Brewers had announced over the winter that they would be inducting both CC Sabathia and Dave Parker into the team’s Wall of Honor outside American Family Field. Both had been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame the previous year.

Both Parker and Sabathia are worthy inductees for the Brewers Wall of Honor despite having only short stints in Milwaukee. Parker played one season in Milwaukee in 1990, where he was named to the All-Star team, earned MVP votes, and won the Silver Slugger award. The 1990 season was a fairly forgettable one in Brewers history, but how can you not have a Hall of Famer who was an All-Star for you in your Wall of Honor?

Sabathia had even less than a full season with Milwaukee, just three months, but it was arguably the greatest three-month stretch for any pitcher we have ever seen. Sabathia lifted the Brewers on his back and carried them into the playoffs, ending the franchise’s 26-year postseason drought. No one had more of an impact on this team and this city in such a short amount of time. Of his 17 starts, seven of them were complete games. Despite being in a contract year, Sabathia selflessly put his body on the line to get this franchise to the playoffs, and this city is forever grateful to him for that.

That offseason after 2008, Sabathia left and signed a massive contract with the New York Yankees.

He will be inducted on Friday night before the Brewers play against…the New York Yankees.

It is the absolute perfect night for the Brewers to bring Sabathia back to Milwaukee and honor him. The Yankees and their fans will have to watch one of their favorite players, one of their Hall of Famers, don Brewers gear, throw out a ceremonial first pitch, be inducted into the Brewers Wall of Honor, and be cheered and adored by Brewers fans, not Yankees fans.

It works out great for Sabathia as well to see two of his old clubs at the same time, but it’ll be on the Brewers home turf.

Sabathia’s contributions were so critical to Brewers culture, one could even argue he’d be worthy of induction into the Walk of Fame as well. Generally, the criteria for the Walk of Fame is a higher bar to clear, and since he didn’t have multiple years in Milwaukee, it would be difficult in the eyes of some voters to get there. But in terms of impact, no one did more for this franchise in a shorter amount of time.

I walked around a street fair in Irvine over the weekend, checking out the crowd while waiting for my daughter’s dance team to perform. We were a few short miles from Angel Stadium, but you wouldn’t have known it: lots of people wearing Dodgers caps, someone wearing a Shohei Ohtani cap, someone else wearing an Ohtani jersey, someone else wearing a Clayton Kershaw jersey, a dog wearing a Dodgers bandana, and people repping the Padres, Giants, Athletics and Yankees.

After 25 minutes, someone walked by in an Angels cap.

If the passion wanes, apathy can set in. I wondered if that is where the Angels might find themselves now, with a slice of their fan base finding a more enjoyable way to spend its summers than watching one losing season after another, and with the shadow of baseball’s best team extending ever more securely into Orange County.

Something else happened over the weekend that made me wonder. On the heels of a winless road trip, and on the day before the Angels would claim the worst record in the major leagues, Angels general manager Perry Minasian said this to reporters: “Our best baseball is in front of us. There’s no doubt about that.”

No doubt?

On the Angels’ broadcast the previous night, reporter Erica Weston presented play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo with a birthday gift: a figurine of Grogu, a character in the Star Wars family. Randazzo said he would keep Grogu in the broadcast booth, as a good luck charm for the Angels.

“We certainly could use one,” Randazzo said.

Minasian, the sixth-year general manager, has yet to deliver a team that finished better than 17 games out of first place. On Wednesday, I asked him to explain why he was so confident in saying he had “no doubt” the team’s best days were ahead.

“We’ve been very competitive,” Minasian said. “Our wins and losses aren’t where we want them to be, but we have lost a lot of one-run games, a lot of tough games.”

The Angels have lost six one-run games. So have the Yankees, the team with the best record in the American League.

Read more:Tigers' Framber Valdez suspended six games for hitting Red Sox's Trevor Story with pitch

The Angels’ run differential is minus-14. They are four games behind in the AL West, where the first-place Athletics have a .500 record and a minus-21 run differential. You never know.

So far, however, the Angels’ offense is all about the three true outcomes: They strike out the most of any major league team and rank among the top six in walks and home runs, but they do not rank among the top 10 in runs. Only five teams have given up more runs.

“Going to the bullpen has been a harbinger of danger for the Angels,” Randazzo told viewers. The Angels’ bullpen entered Wednesday with a 5.35 earned-run average, the highest in the AL.

Owner Arte Moreno cut payroll this year, amid the implosion of the FanDuel regional sports networks. Edwin Díaz was not walking through the bullpen door.

But the Dodgers find solid bullpen arms in ways beyond buying them: Evan Phillips was cast off by the Baltimore Orioles during a 110-loss season; Alex Vesia was acquired from the Miami Marlins after putting up an 18.69 ERA in his first five major league games.

“We’ve had guys like that,” Minasian said.

He cited Brock Burke, a waiver claim who gave the Angels two solid seasons in middle relief. Minasian traded him last winter for outfielder Josh Lowe, and any general manager would trade a middle reliever for a middle-of-the-order bat. To this point, Lowe has a .198 on-base percentage and a .287 slugging percentage.

Lowe is but a data point in illustrating this primary point: Minasian’s margin for error is smaller than it otherwise would have been if Moreno had not withdrawn from the market for top-tier free agents or had approved trading Ohtani for elite prospects that would have accelerated rebuilding. Smaller, but other teams do more with less.

Read more:Angels say rodent infestation at one offending stadium concession stand has been cleaned

“We’ve got to be able to develop our own players,” Minasian said.

On the day Minasian said he had “no doubt” better days were ahead for his team, the Angels, their triple-A affiliate and their double-A affiliate all were in last place.

Analysts perennially rank the Angels’ farm system among baseball’s worst. Minasian said he’ll put his faith in four homegrown starters: José Soriano, Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz and Walbert Ureña. Their combined ERA so far: 2.99.

“When you look at good teams and sustainable winners, they build rotations, whether that’s through trades or free agency or your own,” Minasian said. “We’re doing it with our own. You can’t microwave that overnight.”

You can’t make fans wait forever for October either. Angels fans have heard enough about building a competitive team and needing patience.

They have not seen their team in a playoff game in 12 years. When are they going to see that?

“I’m not in the prediction business,” said Minasian, whose contract expires after this season. “They’re going to see a team that plays hard every day. They’re going to see young, talented players day in and day out.”

That’s fine, but when are they going to see a winning team?

“The proof will be in the pudding,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what I say. I could say all these things. At the end of the day, we’re going to go play 162 games. We’ll see where we end up and who’s done what, and we’ll go from there.”

On Wednesday, the Angels won a series for the first time since April 13. They’re 3-2 with Grogu in the broadcast booth.

The schedule gets more challenging: a trip to Toronto and Cleveland, then back to the Big A to play the Dodgers. The same distant Angel Stadium seat available on the resale market for Wednesday's game for $5 (fees included) is available for $103 for the opener of the Dodgers series.

Orange County loves a winner. There was a long line at that Irvine street fair to collect souvenirs from one booth — the one for the Anaheim Ducks.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

A two-time World Series champion, “Old Tom” Zachary spent parts of three seasons in New York. In addition to playing for the Yankees, Zachary is tied to Yankees lore as the pitcher who gave up No. 60 to George Herman Ruth back in 1927.

Being tied to the Babe is usually enough to keep you relevant for generations. However, in Zachary’s case, in addition to that moment, he was able to make a 19-year run in the pros, appearing for seven organizations. That run resulted in 3,126.1 innings pitched, 185 complete games, and an ERA of 3.73.

Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary
Born: May 7, 1896 (Graham, NC)
Died: January 24, 1969 (Burlington, NC)
Yankees Tenures: 1928-30

Zachary was born into a family of Scotch-Irish Quakers in 1896 near Graham, North Carolina. Both of his parents were from families deeply rooted in the area. After graduating high school, Zachary went to Guilford College, where he played baseball from 1916 through 1918. As a lanky left-handed pitcher, Zachary was not known for overpowering any batters, but excelled with excellent control and a deliberately slow delivery.

In 1918, Zachary used the alias Zach Walton to attempt to play pro ball and not lose his college eligibility. Zach Walton impressed Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics and made two starts for the team, going 2-0, albeit with a 5.63 ERA. After the season, he signed up with the Red Cross for service during the war.

Zachary saw service in France before being released in June of 1919. Philadelphia had not placed him on their reserve list or ever officially signed him, making him free to sign with any team. That freedom led to him being signed by Clark Griffith and the Washington Senators. He debuted, under his real name, Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary, with an inning of scoreless relief in Chicago on July 18, 1919.

That would start a seven-year run with the club that included making the 1924 and 1925 World Series, the former of which the Senators won in a seven-game classic over the New York Giants. Zachary played a key role for Washington, winning Game 2 with 8.2 innings of work, and then forcing a Game 7 with a one-run, complete-game effoty against John McGraw’s club. In the February after Washington’s ’25 World Series loss to Pittsburgh,, the Senators traded Zachary and Win Ballou to the St. Louis Browns for Bullet Joe Bush and Jack Tobin.

Zachary spent the 1926 season and part of the 1927 season in St. Louis before he was traded again, this time midseason. This trade sent him back to the Senators for Alvin “General” Crowder. The timing of this trade would later allow for history to be made at Zachary’s expense.

In the eighth inning on September 30th, Ruth would connect with a low fastball from Zachary for his 60th home run of the season, sailing into the right field bleachers. In total, Ruth hit nine home runs off Zachary in his career, but that one, the last, would be the most memorable.

After spending most of the 1928 season in Washington, Zachary was placed on waivers in August. The Yankees would claim him and start his three-season run with the club. The Yankees needed Zachary, as Herb Pennock was injured and the club was in the middle of a pennant run. Zachary rose to the occasion, tossing three complete-game victories in six starts.

The Yankees would meet the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Zachary drew the nod for Game 3. After a rocky first inning, Zachary settled in and delivered seven strikeouts in a complete-game 7-3 victory. The Yankees swept the series 4-0.

The 1929 season found Zachary still in pinstripes, and he posted one of his best seasons as a professional. That year, he appeared in 26 games, making 11 starts. Zachary posted a 12-0 record with a 2.48 ERA. That 12-0 mark still stands as the best record for a season without a loss.

The record was threatened in 1941 by Howie Krist, who finished 10-0, in 1985 by Dennis Lamp, who finished 11-0, and by Yankee cult hero Aaron Small in 2005, who also went 10-0 from July 20th until the end of the season. Zachary would start the 1930 season with the Yankees but would be placed on waivers in early May. Zachary’s career as a Yankee saw him post a 16-4 record with a 3.21 ERA, his second World Series ring, and a spot in the record books.

The Boston Braves would scoop him up off waivers in 1930, and that would start a five-season run there. In Boston, Zachary appeared mostly as a starting pitcher. He made 98 starts and went 42-42 overall. The Braves tenure came to an end after he was placed on waivers on May 28, 1934.

Zachary would go unclaimed but signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers on June 7th. He would spend the rest of that season, all of 1935, and part of the 1936 season in Brooklyn before he was placed on waivers again. This time, Zachary was claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies.

In case you lost count, this was his seventh and final team. He would appear in seven games but was released at 40 years old after posting a 7.79 ERA. So, in 1936, after 19 seasons that started at age 22, Tom Zachary was done playing professional baseball. He settled into life as a farmer, though he did notably return to the Bronx in June 1948, when an ailing Ruth’s No. 3 was retired. Zachary was one of several former teammates on hand for the event, and he of course had his own special tie to Ruth from that 1927 season. The Great Bambino passed away two months later; it was would be another two decades before Zachary joined Ruth in the great ballpark in the sky, passing away from a stroke in 1969.

Happy birthday, Old Tom!

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Toledo Mud Hens 4, Memphis Redbirds 3 (Gm1)(box) (F/8)

Gage Workman’s eighth inning single walked Game 1 off for the Mud Hens as the first of a doubleheader after Tuesday night’s rainout.

Right-hander Dylan File was knocked around a bit, but hung in there to toss 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball while striking out six on the day.

A pair of singles in the top of the first were cashed in when File allowed a two-run double. New acquisition Paul DeJong doubled in the bottom half for his first Mud Hens at-bat, but was stranded. File gave up another run in the top of the third, but the Mud Hens kicked it into gear at that point.

Max Clark singled in Andrew Navigato in the third, and Eduardo Valencia cracked a solo shot in the fourth to make it a 3-2 Memphis lead. In the sixth, Corey Julks singled and Workman doubled him to third, where he eventually scored on a Navigato ground out. That was all they’d get, but it made it a 3-3 game while Drew Sommers took over from File successfully.

Tanner Rainey spun a scoreless eighth, an extra inning as this was scheduled for seven. DeJong started on second for the Hens, and was wild pitched to third. Workman stepped in and banged a ground ball through the right side for a walkoff single.

🚨Mud Hens Walk-Off Win🚨

Gage Workman singles through the drawn-in infield and Toledo wins game one of today’s doubleheader 4-3. pic.twitter.com/qJAwDpciT9

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Workman: 2-4, RBI, 2B, K, SB

Julks: 2-3, R, BB

File: 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, BB, 6 K

Memphis Redbirds 3, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (Gm2)(box)(F/7)

The Redbirds fought back in a low scoring Game 2. Lefty Carlos Peña, up from Erie to help out, gave up a run in two innings of work. Konnor Pilkington took over, allowing a two-run third inning. Scott Effross and Jack Little kept Memphis in check the rest of the way, but no comeback was forthcoming.

Luke Ritter tripled with one out in the bottom of the third, but was cut down at home on a Ben Malgeri ground ball. Finally in the sixth, Corey Julks led off with a walk, eventually scoring on a Tomás Nido double. Max Clark drew a two out walk in the bottom of the seventh, and Julks followed with a walk, but Workman’s magic was already used up on thsi day, and he grounded out to end it.

Nido: 1-2, RBI, 2B, BB

Clark: 1-3, BB

Julks: 1-3, R, BB

Pena: 2.0 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The series is even at a game apiece headed into a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday.

Erie SeaWolves 13, Harrisburg Senators 6 (box)

The SeaWolves banged out 12 hits and drew six walks to overcome a shaky start from Lael Lockhart Jr. on Wednesday.

Lockhart allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but in the third the SeaWolves came back. Bennett Lee led off the third with a walk, and scored on a Peyton Graham triple to center field. John Peck reached on a soft single to third base, and Justice Bigbie doubled in Graham. An Andrew Jenkins sacrifice fly scored Peck and made it 3-2 SeaWolves.

Unfortunately, Lockhart allowed a run in the bottom half, and then another in the fifth before departing, leaving the game with it 4-3 Senators.

In the seventh the comeback arrived courtesy of RBI knocks from Peck and Bigbie to make it 6-4 SeaWolves. Dariel Fregio gave a run back in the bottom half, but in the eighth, Aaron Antonini led off with a walk, and Peyton Graham singled with one out. Peck pulled a ball to shortstop but Seaver King threw it away, scoring Antonini. Bigbie singled in Graham, and a Jenkins grounder to third allowed Peck to score ahead of the throw. Two walks followed, forcing in a run to make it 10-5.

John Peck rips an RBI double to left to tie the game for Erie. pic.twitter.com/7JdXF9drIc

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Tanner Kohlhepp allowed a run in relief, but the SeaWolves weren’t done scoring yet either.

Graham was hit by a pitch in the top of the ninth, and Peck reached on another error. He and Graham pulled off a double steal, but it wasn’t required as Bigbie struck out, and then Jenkins blasted a three run homer, his fifth of the year, to cap the scoring.

Andrew Jenkins smashes a 3-run homer to left that puts Erie up 13-5 in the 9th. It’s his 5th home run of the year. pic.twitter.com/nwIiO5xwuo

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Jenkins: 3-4, R, 5 RBI, HR, BB

Graham: 2-4, 4 R, RBI, 3B, BB, K, SB

Peck: 2-6, 4 R, RBI, 2B, SB

Lockhart: 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves have a 2-0 lead in the series heading into Thursday’s 6:30 p.m. ET start time in Harrisburg.

Dayton Dragons 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)

The Whitecaps losing streak hit 10 games on Wednesday, and once again, they lost it in the ninth inning. It’s no consolation that this one was at home and so not a walkoff.

Left-hander Ben Jacobs, at least, continued to pitch very well in his second Midwest League outing. He punched out seven over four innings of work, allowing just a solo shot to Kien Vu in the first inning.

In the bottom of the first, Jackson Strong drew a leadoff walk, but was cut down trying to steal second. Ricardo Hurtado and Garrett Pennington followed with singles, and Bryce Rainer lined a single to left to score Hurtado. Pennington was cut down trying to go first to third, so that was all they’d get.

In the third, Strong tried again, walking and successfully stealing second. Pennington singled him home, and Rainer walked, but Samuel Gil and Cristian Santana struck out.

CJ Weins and then Thomas Bruss got the ‘Caps through the eighth still holding a 2-1 lead, and then Rainer rifled a line drive home run to left field for his first with the Whitecaps.

Bryce Rainer shoots a line drive home run over the left field wall. It’s his 1st at Hi-A, and his 2nd this year. Left his bat at 103 MPH and went 364 feet. @ThatDanHasty calls it. pic.twitter.com/sRoTaC7oFd

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 7, 2026

Things looked good, and after Logan Berrier closed out the eighth, he was back for the ninth. Unfortunately, he allowed a one out walk, a single, and then made an error on a comebacker. An error from Junior Tilien in left contributed as the Dragons scored three unearned runs to take the lead. The Whitecaps went 1-2-3 in the bottom half.

Rainer: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Pennington: 2-5, RBI

Jacobs: 4.0 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s an 11:00 a.m. ET start on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 5, St. Lucie Mets 4 (box)

Rookie Cash Kuiper put together his best outing so far this year, and the Flying Tigers used a mix of power and speed on the bases to win on Wednesday.

Kuiper no-hit the Mets for 3 2/3 innings in this one. He walked two, and struck out six, giving his team every chance to build a lead.

They got started quickly, as Jesus Pinto led off the bottom of the first with a walk and quickly stole second base. Max Anderson grounded out to move him to third, but a comebacker from Jordan Yost was thrown away the Mets’ Joel Lara and Pinto scored.

They started to break it open in the third when Yost singled up the middle and Zach MacDonald hammered a triple to the wall in center field. Yost scored, and MacDonald rode home on Beau Ankeney’s second home run of the year. 4-0 Lakeland.

Beau Ankeney with a 2-run rocket to left center that puts the Flying Tigers up 4-0. This one left his bat at 110 MPH and traveled 414 feet. @AaronArnstein on the call. pic.twitter.com/v28i4I9eOC

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 6, 2026

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be enough as a rehabbing Preston Howey got into trouble in the sixth and allowed a run and then a two-run shot that made it a 4-3 game.

Luke Hoskins gave up a run in the seventh that tied it up. In the bottom of the seventh, Javier Osorio drew a walk and stole second base. Pinto walked and Osorio stole third as well. A Max Anderson sacrifice fly was enough to score the go ahead run. Pinto then stole second, but a rocket from Yost to right was caught, and MacDonald struck out.

So it was up to Yendy Gomez to lock this one down. He started poorly in the eighth, walking the leadoff hitter, but Gomez has good stuff, up to 98 mph with his sinker, and he bounced back. A strikeout and a pop-up followed, and then Gomez picked off the runner at first to end it. Gomez got in a little trouble in the ninth as well, but was able to wriggle out of a jam to collect the save.

Ankeney: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 K

MacDonald: 1-4, R, RBI, 3B, 3 K

Kuiper: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start in Lakeland on Thursday with the series tied up 1-1.

The Mets did not let the absurdly cold conditions impede them tonight during their 10-5 win against the Rockies. Freddy Peralta and Michael Lorenzen faced off for the second time in two weeks but, unlike their first meeting, this time the Mets’ bats were wide awake.

Juan Soto started things off quickly with his first career leadoff home run. After a Bo Bichette ground out, MJ Melendez tripled on a line drive to right field. The first inning ended with no more runs scored, but the tone was set for the evening.

In the fourth, Brett Baty drew a leadoff walk, followed by a double by Marcus Semien, sending Baty to third. Carson Benge continued his offensive hot streak by hitting a line drive into right field for a two-RBI single. Francisco Alvarez kept the inning going with a single that sent Benge to third and, after Luis Torrens grounded out, Alvarez’s good base running confused the Rockies’ infielders enough that he was able to avoid the tag, returning to first base safely, and allowing Benge to score, putting the Mets up 4-0. 

Peralta was able to keep things quiet on the Rockies’ side through five innings, though his pitch count remained inefficient, throwing 91 pitches over five innings. The Rockies threatened on a couple occasions, putting two men on in the second, third, and fourth innings, but Peralta left the Rockies 0-6 with runners in scoring position.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Mets’ lineup let loose again, starting with a single from Semien on a ground ball to right field. Benge hit a double to send Semien to third base, followed an RBI single by Alvarez, driving in Benge and moving Semien to third. 

That would be it for Lorenzen, who was relieved by Zach Agnos. Agnos promptly hit Torrens with a pitch, and the inning unfolded from there. Soto hit a sacrifice fly to score Benge and Bichette hit an RBI single to score Alvarez. Tyrone Taylor (who pinch ran for MJ Melendez in the fifth) grounded into what should’ve been a double play, but a throwing error by Edouard Julien, allowed him to move to second base and Torrens to score. The Mets were up 8-0 when Tobias Myers replaced Peralta in the bottom of the sixth. 

In two thirds of an inning, Myers gave up a home run to TJ Rumfield, doubles to Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston, a home run to Jake McCarthy, and a single to Julien, good for four runs, and the Mets’ lead was cut in half. Brooks Raley and Luke Weaver calmed things down and combined for two and a third scoreless after Myers, but things got dicey again in the ninth.

Thankfully, the Mets got some insurance in the top of the ninth, when Semien hit a line-drive home run, scoring Benge and putting the Mets up 10-4.

Sean Manaea took the ball in the ninth, and it was not good. Manaea allowed three singles in a row to Mickey Moniak, Hunter Goodman, and Rumfield before hitting Freeman and forcing in a run. In what should not have been a save situation, Devin Williams had to come in. He looked strong, striking out the final two batters and ensuring the Mets’ win.

The final game in the series will be played tomorrow at 3:10 PM EDT, after weather delays postponed yesterday’s game and pushed back today’s game. With any luck, the temperature will be warmer, as promised, and the Mets can maintain some momentum when Christian Scott takes on old friend Jose Quintana.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Freddy Peralta +28.0% WPA
Big Mets loser: Mark Vientos -9.0%
Mets pitchers: +32.0% WPA
Mets hitters: +18.0% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge’s two RBI single, +19.4% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jake McCarthy’s two-run home run, 8.8% WPA

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks last night 1-0 in a Paul Skenes gem, but it was Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds that made the history.

Reynolds went-2-for-4 in the game, giving him 1,000 hits for his career. It also makes him just the fifth Bucco to go for 1,000 hits, 200 doubles and 140 homers, joining Andrew McCutchen, Willie Stargell, Dave Parker and Roberto Clemente. Elite company indeed.

It also bumped Reynolds up to a .260 average on the season. He also has 4 homers and and 22 RBIS, as well as an .OBP on the year of .402, which is good for 11th in all of Major League Baseball. 30 walks in 37 games will do that to you. He’s also slugging .420 and has an .OPS of .822, which is third best on the team behind Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn.

The other news from last night is that the Pirates are finally out of the basement of the NL Central. The Bucs are tied with the Cincinnati Reds with a 20-17 record, but the Bucs are techincally above the Reds due to owning the season series thus far. The Milwaukee Brewers are an identical 5 games back as well, but they have slightly higher winning percentage than the Bucs and Reds, so they are techincally in third place. The St. Louis Cardinals are in second, 3.5 games back of the division leading Chicago Cubs. It is still very much anyone’s division.

And lastly, I think we need Jamain calling for more Paul Skenes innings more often. Just a couple days after he asked for more Skenes, we got an eight-inning gem out of the Pirates’ ace. Skenes also dropped his ERA to a more Skenes-like 2.36 and now stands with a 5-2 record on the season. Nicely done.

The Bucs are back in action this afternoon with another one versus the D’Backs.

PHOENIX — Pittsburgh Pirates Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, already producing the greatest start to a career of any pitcher in MLB history, came oh, so close Wednesday to carving out a page in the record book.

Skenes, in one of the finest starts of his brilliant career, came oh, so close to pitching a no-hitter.

Really, he came oh, so close to pitching a perfect game.

“I’d be lying,’’ Pirates manager Don Kelly said, “if I said it didn’t go through my mind.’’

Skenes instead had to settle for a brilliant eight-inning gem, allowing just two baserunners in the Pirates’ 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

“I don’t know what else to say,’’ Kelly said, “but he was unbelievable.’’

Skenes was blowing his 98-mph four-seam fastball past the D-backs. He had them swinging at air on his changeup. He had them diving at his sinker. They flailed away at his sweeper.

Everything was working, generating 13 swings-and-misses, with seven strikeouts on three different pitches.

He threw 97 pitches, 65 for strikes.

He retired 13 Diamondback hitters on three or fewer pitches.

He never threw more than 17 pitches in a single inning, and threw nine pitches or fewer in three innings.

He barley broke a sweat.

“I thought there were times that every pitch was working,’’ Skenes said, “but they weren’t at the same time, unfortunately. I was happy with it. We were executing our pitches.’’

Skenes set down the first 15 Diamondbacks hitters he faced with such ease that only three balls were even hit to the outfield, and no one had to make more than a routine play.

He retired the last 10 batters he faced, striking out the side in his final innings.

It was just those two batters with two outs in the sixth inning, with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hitting a ball that traveled just 50.8 mph off his bat, trickling to the right of Skenes, and winding up with an infield hit when Skenes’ throw to first baseman Spencer Horwitz was wide of the bag. And Nolan Arenado, who attended the same high school as Skenes in Lake Forest, California, followed on the next pitch with a sharp single to left field.

Other than that, Skenes was perfect in his eight shutout innings, one out less than his career high.

No walks.

No more hits.

And no runs.

“I’m not going to go out there and tell him he’s got to throw no-hitters every single time he goes out there,’’ said Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe, who produced the only run with his first-inning homer, “but it’s a lot of fun to be behind when he’s rolling like he was tonight.’’

Sure, Skenes (5-2, 2.36 ERA) may have looked human at times this year. He gave up five runs in his season-opener without getting out of the first inning, and five runs (three earned) in his last start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Otherwise, he's been nothing short of spectacular.

He is 5-0 with a 0.74 ERA in his six other starts, yielding just 12 hits and three runs in 28.1 innings, showing the baseball world why he’s the finest pitcher in the game.

Skenes, the defending Cy Young Award winner, continues to put together a resume that no one has ever accomplished. He now has a career 2.01 ERA, the lowest ERA by any pitcher through his first 63 starts since at least 1920. He has made 22 scoreless starts, which are the most by any pitcher through 63 starts since at least 1901.

The only thing missing in his glossy resume is a shutout, or a nine-inning complete game.

Yet, after striking out the side in the eighth, but reaching three-ball counts on the final two batters to do so, Kelly thought he was showing fatigue after 97 pitches. He summoned left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to close out the game.

“I was thinking about it,’’ Kelly said, “and it just looked like in the eighth inning his command wasn’t as good. His velo ticked down a hair. He was getting ahead so early (in the game), but in the last inning, he just didn’t look like the command was as sharp.’’

Skenes, who said he was unaware of his pitch count, didn’t balk at the decision, saying he had confidence Soto would finish it out for a combined shutout.

“I wasn’t worrying about it too much,’’ Skenes said. “So, hopefully this year.’’

Is there any doubt?

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul Skenes no hitter bid dissolves, but he still dazzles

Perhaps it’s not a question worth pondering. After all, much of the joy watching Shohei Ohtani play baseball is wondering what he might do next, and if a ceiling even exists for the greatest player in the game’s history.

Yet with every passing game accompanied by quiet at-bats, with his hard-hit ball rate slipping below 50%, and with his every-six-days “hobby” of pitching absorbing more of his energy, it’s fair to at least wonder.

Has Shohei Ohtani plateaued?

Yeah, it seems like sacrilege. No player in the history of the game has ever thrown fastballs 100 mph and hit them 400 feet with regularity. Has produced 50 homers and 50 steals in a season. Nor put together arguably the greatest game in baseball history to clinch his team’s place in the World Series.

Pondering his peak wastes precious headspace contextualizing whatever facet of the game he’s currently dominating (Right now, it’s locking down opposing hitters). And besides, Ohtani doesn’t ebb and flow so much as he shape-shifts.

Watch Ohtani long enough and you realize he gives us what he can at a given time. Can’t pitch in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery recuperation?

Fine, Ohtani simply stole 59 bases – more than twice his previous career best – and hit 54 home runs to produce the first 50-50 season in major league history, capped by his first World Series title.

Fully stretched out as a pitcher, and possessing the freshest arm after the Dodgers played all the way into November to claim a second consecutive championship?

OK, then, Ohtani will simply not hit on days he pitches, pour more into his mound work and put up a major league-leading 0.97 ERA in his first seven starts this season.

It’s amazing stuff. Yet as Ohtani’s 32^nd birthday approaches in July, it’s also fair to wonder if we may have seen his best work as a hitter and true two-way player.

Let’s examine:

Ohtani the hitter: Underlying changes?

If Ohtani’s career were an art gallery, aficionados would stop in their tracks at his 2023 and 2024 offensive seasons. Which one was finer?

Either way, one of those can certainly be identified as Ohtani’s hitting apex. In 2023, Ohtani set career highs in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS (.412, .654, 1.056) and weighted runs created plus (185), all while pitching.

A year later, while recovering from elbow surgery, he established career highs with 54 homers, 130 RBI, 411 total bases and 187 adjusted OPS, while equaling his 185 wRC+ (and stealing 59 bases).

Last year? Well, this is where Ohtani’s production looks an awful lot like Apple stock in the same timeframe – it may fluctuate a bit, but it never dips too far.

Ohtani underwent offseason surgery on his left shoulder following a World Series injury suffered on a steal attempt. That didn’t slow him: Ohtani hit one more home run than 2024 finish with a career-best 55, once again led the majors in total bases (380) and his OPS stayed in the four-figure range (1.014). With pitching gradually entering the mix, his stolen bases dropped to 20.

And that brings us to the first quarter of this year.

Ohtani’s .442 slugging percentage would be his lowest in his eight full seasons, and his six home runs put him on pace for his first sub-30 full season since 2019. He snapped an 0-for-18 skid - second-longest of his career - with a double Wednesday, May 6 against the Houston Astros.

Certainly, it’s early. Yet Ohtani’s underlying metrics show a gradual slippage since his ’23-’24 apex.

Both his average exit velocity (95.8 mph) and hard-hit percentage (60.1%) peaked in 2024; in 2026, they’re at 93.6 and 48.4. His wRC+ and adjusted OPS have taken more dramatic tumbles, to 125 and 131 respectively – once again, his lowest full-season totals since 2019.

All the while, his bat speed has been ticking downward, from 77.4 mph in 2023 to 74.8 this season, dropping him to the 83^rd percentile.

It’s perhaps little wonder, then, that the Dodgers have been sitting him on days he pitches. But that’s where we get to the good news portion of the program.

Ohtani the pitcher: More efficient, more effective

We’re closing in on the three-year anniversary of Ohtani’s finest hour on the mound, and perhaps as a two-way player: His one-hitter against Detroit on July 27, 2023. The Angels improved to 53-49 that day, added at the trade deadline. Life was good in Orange County.

Less than a month later, Ohtani’s elbow would give. The Angels faded badly. Ohtani became a Dodger.

And the gradual build-back to pitching is paying its biggest dividends right now.

So this Ohtani won’t blow you away like his former self, the guy who led the AL with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings in 2022. This Ohtani is punching guys out at a 10.2/nine clip – but leading the majors in ERA (0.97) and WHIP (0.81).

This Ohtani is throwing his four-seam fastball harder (98 mph) and with more frequency (a career-high 44.5%). Consequently, he’s a bit less reliant on a sweeper that he probably fell a little too in love with just before his second elbow reconstruction in 2023.

His sweeper usage peaked at 37.4% in 2022. He now throws it a quarter of the time and it’s perhaps more devastating, as Jose Altuve recently found out.

After a pair of BABIP hits, Ohtani went 101 MPH twice in a row to Altuve, and then got this swing as he tried to cheat on the fastball. pic.twitter.com/pHeu2UX1wd

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) May 6, 2026

Ohtani worked seven innings in that game, his longest outing since that 2023 one-hitter, and needed just 89 pitches to do so. Perhaps Ohtani won’t cross the 200-strikeout threshold again, as he did in 2022.

Yet he might be an even more effective pitcher, anyway, fulfilling his dreams of adding a Cy Young Award to his four MVPs.

Ohtani the two-way threat: Priorities, priorities

You’ve heard on more than one occasion that Ohtani is putting up “video game numbers” on the field, and that’s not a bad way to look at his output.

Hitting and pitching take their toll, and Ohtani seems to have mastered the art of keeping his energy bar right where he needs it.

Nobody recommends undergoing a pair of reconstructive elbow surgeries, but rehabbing both injuries allowed him to fully concentrate on pitching. He reached the apex of two-way greatness in 2022 and ’23, an almost robotic dispersal of his skills even as the distribution flipped:

2022: 3.4 batting WAR, 6.3 pitching WAR, 9.7 total.

2023: 6.1 batting WAR, 3.8 pitching WAR, 9.9 total.

Freed from pitching in 2024, he went 50-50 and still racked up 9.0 WAR – and the first of two World Series titles. The next year saw the Dodgers wisely slow play his pitching ramp-up, totaling 7.7 WAR and another title.

The postseason can’t be discounted: Ohtani beat both the Phillies and Brewers in the playoffs, holding Milwaukee to two hits and 10 strikeouts in a pennant-clinching win. A good use of his time and energy, for certain.

This year? Well, it’s impossible to say whether there’s a correlation between Ohtani’s pinpoint pitching (and the energy expended to get to that level) and his suboptimal, for him, offensive production. Ah, well: Ohtani’s merely on track for roughly 8.0 WAR.

Future Ohtani

Even if he doesn’t approach 50 home runs this season, Ohtani’s pitching excellence maintains the wondrous illusion that he can simply do anything his heart desires on a baseball field.

What form will that take as the Dodgers roster evolves, and Ohtani heads into his mid-30s?

This is very much a marathon: Ohtani is under contract through 2033, with only Yoshinobu Yamamoto guaranteed to be around longer. Naturally, the biggest X factor will continue to be arm health.

Could modern medicine save Ohtani’s elbow from a third disruption? Can his upper body withstand all the torque his upper body absorbs both hitting and pitching?

So long as it does, a frontline starter will always be a rarity, and a relative bargain when the Dodgers get two players for the price of one.

As for hitting? Well, it’s not out of the question that Ohtani has yet to tap into some of his Dad Strength, if you will. Age may rob him of certain athletic attributes. Hitting tape-measure shots probably won’t be one of them.

The Ohtani-Babe Ruth comp will always be a little inapt, given the disparate eras. But The Babe was a home run champ at 36. It’s easy to see Ohtani replicating that.

And even if the very, very best of Ohtani is behind him, there’s still an awful lot to look forward to – and no shortage of surprises he may provide us year after year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani stats for two-way star lagging early in 2026 for Dodgers

SNY | Phillip Martinez: Some news broke late last night, with the Yankees scratching Ryan Weathers from this scheduled start this afternoon. Weathers was apparently dealing with a nasty stomach virus. “I pitched, then went home and pretty much threw my guts out for several hours,” the starter said. “I thought I just had food poisoning, but woke up the next day and was running a 102 [degree] temp.”

Aaron Boone said Weathers should be good to be reinserted into the rotation next Monday. Paul Blackburn is slated to get the spot start against the Rangers today.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: Giancarlo Stanton is now eligible to return from the 10-day IL, but it doesn’t seem like the slugger’s return is imminent just yet. “He’s doing OK, and he’s hit some. [It’s lingering] a little bit. It still feels minor, but not ready to push it yet,” said Boone on Tuesday. Stanton’s injury has been described as a low-grade calf strain. It’s the kind of soft-tissue problem that’s become synonymous with Stanton at this point, but it sounds like he shouldn’t be out too much longer.

CBS Sports | Matt Snyder: On the other side of the ledger, we know that Carlos Rodón is nearing his return, and it’s sounding like Sunday’s game against the Brewers will be his season debut. “I think he’s felt ready to go now the last couple of times,” said Boone. “But to get him up over 80 pitches this time out, we wanted to do, and give him a third game. We feel like he’s ready to go.” The Yankees have four starters on the roster at the moment and will need a starter on Sunday, so as long as Rodón’s arm feels good, it seems likely he’ll be the choice.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: It’s one thing that the Yankees’ pitching has been league-best all season, and that their offense has been flat-out dominant for the last three weeks as the team ripped off a 15-2 stretch. It’s another thing altogether that they’ve done this without two of their top arms. The Yankees are firing on all cylinders and are about to get reinforcements in the form of Rodón and Gerrit Cole, a scary thought for their competitors. “We can’t wait,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said after Tuesday night’s win. “Those guys are what makes us who we are, especially when it comes to the playoffs, too. So right now, we’re just hoping they stay healthy and come back as soon as possible.”

MLB.com | Jason Catania: Not only are the Yankees dominating without some of their top pitchers, they’ve also posted elite offensive numbers without much help from a crucial spot: the leadoff spot. Trent Grisham has been their primary leadoff hitter in 2026, and though he’s probably been dealt some bad luck, Grisham’s .148 batting average out of the leadoff slot hasn’t helped put Ben Rice and Aaron Judge in position to do maximum damage. On the whole, Yankee lead off hitters have hit just .160, about 40 points lower than the next worst team. In a way, it’s actually encouraging that the Yankees are scoring heaps of runs even while getting little from their leadoff hitters. How much better could they get if Grisham starts to get some hits to fall?

And one last piece of news: the Yankees optioned Yerry de Los Santos after last night’s game. Tough draw for de Los Santos, who helped give the Yankee bullpen a breather last night, soaking up 3.1 scoreless innings against the Rangers in relief of an ineffective Will Warren. The job of a Scranton Shuttle Rider isn’t an easy one, and we salute those who work it.

After missing all of spring training with an oblique injury, Bryce Miller’s month of rehab likely wrapped up tonight in Everett. So far, Miller has made four starts on his rehab assignment:

• 4/18 (AAA): 1.2 innings, 10 batters faced, three runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts; 33 pitches (21 strikes)
• 4/24 (A+): 3 innings, 11 batters faced, no runs on a hit with a walk and six strikeouts; 47 pitches (35 strikes)
• 4/30: (AAA): 4 innings, 15 batters faced, no runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts, 53 pitches (36 strikes)
• 5/6 (A+): 5 innings, 19 batters faced, no runs on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts, 61 pitches (38 strikes)

Miller was maybe too efficient tonight against eager High-A hitters excited to swing against the big-leaguer, keeping him from increasing his pitch count significantly—he had to finish out his outing in the AquaSox bullpen to get in his required pitches—but all the indicators were there: he held his fastball velocity well, still hitting 96-98 into the later innings of his outing, and mixed in all his secondaries. Postgame, Miller joked about how quickly he got through his five innings in typical Bryce-style:

Miller on his rehab start: "They had a lot of quick at-bats today. A lot of ground balls. I felt like 2026 George Kirby." https://t.co/vd7xPjWvPc

— Josh Kirshenbaum (@J_Kirshenbaum) May 7, 2026

If you’re a little concerned about the walks on Miller’s ledger, that’s fair, but also, Miller was adamant about wanting to work in all of his pitches during his rehab starts, so take the walks with a grain of salt. The one thing to maybe be aware of is how often his fastball seemed to exhibit extreme downward movement to land for balls, which is something that felt like a consistent issue during his rehab assignments. But the bigger benchmarks were working at a consistent fastball velocity, throwing all his pitches and throwing strikes or near-strikes, and getting through his projected innings, and Miller hit all those targets with flying colors.

Miller didn’t face much adversity from the low minors hitters of the Diamondbacks system, but he did have to work around some traffic in the first after giving up a BABIP double and then walking the next hitter he saw on four pitches. He got out of the jam when the next hitter went after the first pitch he saw for a GIDP. Miller continued on like that, playing with his food a bit; he walked a hitter with two outs in the second, trying to get the feel for his splitter, only to come back for an easy 4-3 groundout. In the third, he issued a walk with two outs (boo! hiss!) but got his first strikeout of the day on the very next batter:

Miller’s second strikeout of the day, against Brady Counsell (yes son of Craig) to close up a very quick nine-pitch one-two-three third, was on a fastball that popped up on the gun at Funko Field at 98 mph.

Miller got through one more clean inning, thanks partially to a great sliding catch by Mariners prospect Jonny Farmelo, who continued to show he can hold down center field after the ACL tear that cost him significant time last season:

What a catch by Jonny Farmelo. Great to see him healthy & running well again. pic.twitter.com/6qxXhtoGNd

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) May 7, 2026

It was a big night for Farmelo and the AquaSox offense, who showed out in support of their big-league rehabber. That fifth inning almost-hit for Miller, saved by Farmelo, came after a long layoff where the AquaSox were busy scoring five runs, in addition to the three they’d already scored in the third, and the two in the first. Ten runs after four innings, cue the Mariners rotation/“I used to pray for times like this” meme.

The 2-3-4 trio of Jonny Farmelo – Felnin Celesten – Luke Stevenson ganged up for seven combined hits, six RBI, two doubles, a triple, and a homer, and since it’s hard to see any of the three of them spending much more time in Everett – Farmelo’s been there a while, Celesten has been on a heater lately, and Stevenson looks too advanced for the level – if you’re local, get up and see them while you can.

Crushed. Luke Stevenson 2-run HR! pic.twitter.com/JH5KYk3BEz

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) May 7, 2026

The Mariners have yet to announce if Miller will make another start or rejoin the club on this road trip, and have definitely not said what their plans are going forward, especially with Emerson Hancock, Miller’s de facto replacement, pitching as one of the top pitchers in Seattle’s rotation. But what seems clear from tonight’s outing is Miller has completed his rehab assignment, insofar as the assignment was “have a spring training”; he’s made five total starts now, including the one he did this spring before landing on the injured list, and he’s hit his pitch count benchmarks every time. Whatever the decision is, it’s coming soon.