Mar 6, 2026; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Rafael Marchan (13) slides as Pittsburgh Pirates short stop Alika Williams (37) waits for the ball in the fourth inning during spring training at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Rivalry Weekend begins tonight. Some of the matchups are obvious: you needn’t ask why the Cubs and White Sox have beef with each other (not Italian beef. Disliking each other, they would not likely share a meal of that delicious Chicago specialty). Some are not: Detroit and Toronto may be close to each other, but there’s no real rivalry between the Tigers and Blue Jays. And some are somewhere in between. The Phillies will play the Pirates at PNC Park tonight, in a matchup that was once a ferocious rivalry, but now has become a less vicious affair. But rivalry never really dies. Or does it? That’s for you to decide and debate. Today’s question is: do you consider the Pirates a rival?
May 13, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (21) hits a single and drives in the tying run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 27: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox leaves the field during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday, April 27, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Back on Wednesday, with evening showers threatening to spoil the Orioles’ series finale against the Yankees, the mounting clouds parted, and out from the mound shone a sliver of light: Kyle Bradish and his six scoreless innings. I jest, but Bradish had started this season with an ERA above five in his first seven starts, and this return to form was a massive bit of good news.
One good outing from Bradish doesn’t change the larger picture, though, which, for this starting rotation remains rather bleak. Presumptive ace Trevor Rogers, who carried a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts last season, has a 5.77 ERA. Three other O’s starters carry an ERA above five: Shane Baz, Cade Povich, and Chris Bassitt. Three starters are on the IL, for that matter: Povich, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer.
The rotation’s failure is especially galling because the front office set expectations high this winter. O’s GM/president of baseball operations Mike Elias touted an ownership group “that’s really enabling us to invest,” and promising that “Plan A” would be finding a top-tier pitcher. Top tier meant, according to our best intel at the time, an arm ike Dylan Cease, Michael King, Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez. The Orioles were confirmed to be in hot pursuit of multiple impact starters at the winter meetings in December.
Well, Plan A turns out to have belonged to someone else. Michael King took a hometown discount to stay with the San Diego Padres, accepting three years and $75 million. Suárez landed with the Boston Red Sox on a five-year, $130 million deal. Cease went to the Toronto Blue Jays for seven years and $210 million. Valdez signed with the Detroit Tigers on a three-year, $115 million deal. After watching all four opportunities disappear, the Orioles pivoted to veteran reliability. Chris Bassitt, 37, one of the last established veterans on the free-agent market, signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal with Baltimore in mid-February.
Not to dwell, but the gamble hasn’t gone great. The Orioles starting rotation’s numbers since Opening Day tell a tough story. They have the AL’s lowest WAR and a 5.04 ERA, worse than everyone but Houston and Colorado (Houston also due to injuries, Colorado due to being Colorado). Bradish can be an ace, but he can’t lift a bottom-quartile rotation producing bottom-quartile results into a contending outfit, right?
An analysis piece about the potential for improvement held by guys like Shane Baz and Trevor Rogers would be interesting; I wanted to write instead about the pitchers the Orioles didn’t sign. Maybe that’s just sour grapes. I thought it was a question worth asking, anyway.
Snapshots of the road not taken leave some room for jealousy. Start with the best. Which makes him the worst. Dylan Cease has been superb for Toronto: a 2.41 ERA, career bests in ground ball rate and strikeout rate—and on top of that, 75 K’s to lead all qualified AL starters. Cease is, in a word or two or several, everything the Orioles could use right now.
Michael King has been a very good acquisition for San Diego in parts of three seasons. He had an excellent first year in 2024—a 2.95 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and 173 innings. And although injuries limited him to just 15 starts in 2025, the righty is on track for what may be his best season yet. The right hander has a 2.63 ERA over 51.1 innings so far, and what BaseballSavant considers one of the best changeups in the game. To be sure, there are signs of overperformance that suggest King’s numbers will settle in around his career 3.18 ERA: a somewhat inflated FIP (3.69) and mediocre strikeout numbers (50). But with his 1.6 WAR, King would lead all current Orioles players in value.
The 30-year-old Ranger Suárez started off slow for Boston, posting a 5.02 ERA through his first three starts. But now he has a 2.44 ERA and what is considered one of the best fastballs in the game. In three of eight starts so far he’s tossed a stinker, allowing four runs apiece to Houston, San Diego and New York. But two of those three are great offenses, and he’s pitched a shutout in his last three starts.
Finally, Framber Valdez. The 32-year-old lefty has been less glowing for Detroit, with a 4.32 ERA and other indicators trending in the wrong direction. He posted a 3.67 ERA in six starts in April, but he got absolutely rocked in Boston a week-and-a-half ago, allowing seven runs in three innings. In particular, there’s evidence of concerning velocity dips on Valdez’s heaters. Based on ERA+, this is the first time since 2019 that Valdez is a below-average pitcher.
Would one of them have fixed Baltimore’s rotation? Yes, and it’s not even a hard question. Put it in terms of WAR. Cease, King, Suárez and Valdez each has a bWAR between 0.4 to 1.8. Right now, the only O’s starter who’s healthy and has a positive WAR is Kyle Bradish (0.1): all the rest are in the red. Thus, in WAR-terms, each of the four sought-after candidates would have made the rotation better; more, each would be the best starter on the staff.
Would the Orioles have paid this kind of money for any of them? This notoriously tight-fisted team really stretched itself over the offseason with $60-plus million extensions for Shane Baz and Samuel Basallo. Only King, whose team-friendly deal was probably only possible given his injuries the season before, would have been in the ballpark, so to speak.
Maybe that shows the limitations of this team’s approach to signing pitching. Maybe the Orioles were true players for these arms, and saw things they didn’t like. Maybe it was reasonable for them to presume, after Trevor Rogers’ ace-like season last year, that he and Bradish needed only a supporting cast to lead this outfit. But the rotation thus far has been in desperate need of someone who can give the team a reliable win every five days and keep the bullpen from working itself into the ground. As currently constructed, the rotation has room to grow, and a much higher ceiling than they’ve shown so far, but an ace might have papered over some of those cracks, and given this team room for error.
May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) runs to second base against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Happy Friday, everyone! Well, it’s been a dismal week to be a Tigers fan, that’s for sure. They were swept by the Mets, which is the first time all season the Mets have swept anyone. But they’re home again, they’re facing the Blue Jays this weekend, and hopefully they have some wins ahead.
If we want to look at the positive, though, we’re spotlighting our choice for Rookie of the Year, Kevin McGongile below, who continues to amaze us and prove he’s no fluke. In terms of broader baseball news, we discuss the CBA, the Rays stadium deal, jail time for Yasiel Puig, and Cy Young chatter around Shohei Ohtani.
Let’s just get right into it.
Detroit Tigers News
This kid is good.
Kevin McGonigle is the first player in Tigers history with at least 45 hits and 24 walks in his first 40 big league games. He is only the second Tiger in franchise history, age 21-years-old or younger, to tally 45 hits in his first 40 major league games, joining Travis Fryman who… pic.twitter.com/4oruaPZCck
There's an update regarding the delay in the 4th inning. A fan fell into the visiting team bullpen. That fan has now been transported to the hospital for treatment.
Who will win Phillies vs Pirates today: -127 at Polymarket
The Pittsburgh Pirates have yet to face the Philadelphia Phillies in 2026, but they are riding a three-game winning streak against them dating back to last season. The Bucs also send one of their top arms to the hill in Braxton Ashcraft, who has been spectacular alongside Paul Skenes.
Ashcraft owns a 2.77 ERA, and he's given up only one run across his last two starts. Ashcraft's last outing at PNC Park was 7.2 scoreless frames against the Cincinnati Reds. The righty has a 3.42 ERA at home, and he's throwing the baseball with a lot of confidence.
The Phils also have one of the worst offenses in the sport, and they didn't score more than three runs in any game in their most recent series against the Boston Red Sox.
Aaron Nola, meanwhile, has a 5.48 ERA, and his ERA also sits at 4.94 on the road. The Pirates haven't had a ton of success against him, but Pittsburgh is sixth in runs scored, and they just scored seven runs on Thursday.
COVERS INTEL: Nola has a career-worst .432 xSLG so far this season, and he's surrendered 11 earned runs across his last three road starts.
Phillies vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 runs (-122 at Polymarket)
Three of the last four meetings between these two have cashed the Under in runs, and there are signs that Nola is trending in the right direction, which strengthens this play.
The righty has given up just three earned runs across his previous two appearances. I do expect the Bucs' impressive offense to give him some trouble, but he's shown more composure lately, which should help him limit serious damage.
Philadelphia's bullpen has also been better lately, and they've hit the Under in four straight contests. As for Pittsburgh, Ashcraft's consistency is crystal clear, and he often brings his best each week.
While he hasn't faced this Phillies lineup a lot, he's only allowed more than two earned runs once this season.
With both starters in good form and Pittsburgh's pen also holding their own lately, this contest screams value with the Under.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 10-11, -4.71 units
Over/Under bets: 12-9, +1.35 units
Phillies vs Pirates odds
Moneyline: Phillies +122 | Pirates -127
Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-178) | Pirates -1.5 (+170)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+117) | Under 8.5 (-122)
Phillies vs Pirates trend
Four of the last five meetings between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have cashed the Under. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Pirates.
How to watch Phillies vs Pirates and game info
Location
PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Date
Friday, May 15, 2026
First pitch
6:40 p.m. ET
TV
NBC Sports Philadelphia, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Phillies starting pitcher
Aaron Nola (2-3, 5.14 ERA)
Pirates starting pitcher
Braxton Ashcraft (2-2, 2.77 ERA)
Phillies vs Pirates latest injuries
Phillies vs Pirates weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Rangers have lost four consecutive league matches for only the second time in the club's history, after a run of five successive defeats from October to November 1983.
Including the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, Rangers have only lost their final league game in one of the past 17 seasons (W9 D7), a 2-1 defeat at Kilmarnock in 2018-19.
Falkirk have lost just one of their past five home league games against Rangers (W2 D2), although that was their most recent, a 6-3 defeat in April.
Rangers have only lost one of their past 48 top-flight matches against Falkirk (W39 D8), a 1-0 defeat in December 2006 under Paul Le Guen.
Falkirk have lost four of their past five league games (W1), including both of their latest two. They are yet to lose three in a row in the league this season, last doing so in the top flight in March 2010.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets is looked at by a trainer after being hit by a pitch during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field on May 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have been sputtering a bit of late, losing five of their last six games while also dealing with injuries, including one to Max Fried that the extent of is not known yet. However, it almost always could be worse, and we just need to look at this weekend’s opponent for an example of that.
This weekend, the Yankees are headed across the city, as they go to Queens for a three-game set against the Mets. Not only do the Mets currently sit in last in the NL East with one of the worst records in baseball so far, they’ve also been dealing with a mess of injuries. Expected regulars Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and Kodai Senga are all currently on the IL. Juan Soto has been one of the only regularly good bats for them, but he’s already had an IL stint and recently had another scare after fouling a ball of his foot (though he did homer yesterday).
However even with those struggles, the Mets always seem to get up for Subway Series matchups, and both fanbases certainly do, too. Before the action gets going tonight, here’s a look at this weekend’s expected pitching matchups.
Friday: Cam Schlittler vs. Clay Holmes (7:15 pm ET)
In his last outing, Schlittler had a gem wasted, as the Yankees’ offense and bullpen couldn’t hang on after the young ace allowed just two hits and no runs. There’s not much more you can say about Schlittler other than that he’s been awesome, leading the league in a number of statistics (namely ERA, FIP, WHIP, and H/9 entering play yesterday). We’ve seen how he gets up for the rivalry against the Red Sox, so let’s see what he does for this cross-city matchup.
The second year of the Holmes as a starter experiment is going … pretty well. The former Yankees closer has a 1.86 ERA in 48.1 innings across eight starts. He has yet to allow more than two runs in any one start, which is especially solid considering he’s made it through at least five innings in every start he’s made. Anecdotally, the Yankees also sometimes seem to struggle against pitchers who had down notes while a member of the Yankees, so we’ll see what happens this time around.
Saturday: Carlos Rodón vs. TBD (7:15 pm ET)
On Saturday, Rodón will be making his second start back off the injured list. His 2026 debut definitely saw some rust despite some good velocity, as he walked five batters in 4.1 innings. That partially caused him to give up three runs to the Brewers despite only giving up two hits. At least, hopefully that was only rust. You still can’t judge much on only two outings, but we’ll get a better sense of how he looks after this game.
At time of writing, the Mets haven’t announced who will be going in the second game. As mentioned, they’re a bit injured, and previous times at this spot in their rotation, they’ve gone with Huascar Brazobán as an opener. 2025 All-Star David Peterson lost his spot in the rotation with an awful start to 2026, but he’s been getting some work as a “bulk guy,” so he could follow Brazobán.
Sunday: Ryan Weathers vs. Freddy Peralta (1:40 pm ET)
Last time out, Weathers flirted with a no-hitter at Camden Yards, only for things to go to pieces after he left the game, leading to a Yankees’ loss to the Orioles. After an up-and-down start to his Yankees career, Weathers has been very solid in recent weeks. Over his last four starts, he has a 1.88 ERA and a 2.77 FIP.
Peralta was one of the biggest name pitchers to move over the offseason, as the Mets acquired him in a trade with the Brewers. He’s been good so far, especially of late, posting a 3.10 ERA and a 3.67 FIP over his first nine starts as a Met. As was the case in Milwaukee, he’s not the type of guy to go 7-8 innings, as his longest outings of the season have been 6.0 innings flat, without ever starting the seventh. However, he can still go out there and strike a bunch of batters out in bunches.
Cam Schlittler has been a dominant force for the New York Yankees this season, making up for the loss of two key arms and inserting himself in the AL Cy Young conversation in the process. The right-hander owns a 1.35 ERA while striking out 59 hitters in only 53 1/3 innings of work.
Schlittler has cashed the Over in Ks in two of his last four outings. The youngster collected six punchouts against the Minnesota Twins in his most recent start, and he also had eight Ks in his last road appearance.
The Yankees visit the New York Mets tonight. The Mets are one of the worst teams in the big leagues, and Schlittler has a mind-boggling 0.98 road ERA, striking out 42 in 36 2/3 frames.
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, SNY
Taylor Ward Over 0.5 runs (-115)
Taylor Ward has been a nice pickup for the Baltimore Orioles. In his first season with the team, Ward is hitting .265, coming across the plate 28 times in 43 games. The veteran has hit the Over in runs in back-to-back games, also registering three hits during that span.
The O's begin a series with the Washington Nationals tonight, and the matchup plays in Ward's favor.
The Nats send the struggling Zack Littell to the hill, who has a 6.94 ERA. Ward is 4-for-8 lifetime against the right-hander with two home runs and three RBI. Ward also has 20 of his runs versus righties, and Littell allows a lot of runs.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, Nationals.TV
Edward Cabrera Over 5.5 strikeouts (-104)
The Chicago Cubs' rotation is led by Edward Cabrera, who owns a 3.88 ERA. He's struck out 43 in 46 1/3 innings of work, and he's cleared tonight's number in three consecutive starts.
Cabrera has been hit around a bit lately, but he racked up six Ks in his most recent outing, and eight before that.
The Cubbies take on the Chicago White Sox this evening, who struggle to make contact. They rank 28th in the MLB in strikeouts, and Cabrera is striking out more hitters than usual at the moment.
A matchup against a lineup who aren't swinging it well plays in the right-hander's favor.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, CHSN
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 29-50, +6.18 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Head to NBCSN and Peacock this Sunday for an exciting slate of MLB action. Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with an MLBSunday Leadoff showdown featuring the Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays. Then, at 7:00 PM ET, it's the San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
Last season, Clayton McCullough,in his first year as Miami's skipper, guided the club to its largest improvement from one full season to another, excluding the 2020 season that was shortened by COVID. Miami finished with a 79-83 record, a 17-win improvement from 2024. The Marlins, who now have the second-youngest active roster in the league, look to build off that success.
The Tampa Bay Rays have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The team, led by current AL Manager of the Year favorite Kevin Cash, looks to rewrite the narrative this season.
World Series champion pitchers Brian Anderson and Jeff Nelson will join play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian and reporter John Fanta on this week’s edition of MLB Sunday Leadoff.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information visit, Peacock’s Help Center.
Negotiators for baseball players and owners began what figures to be lengthy and acrimonious collective bargaining negotiations Tuesday to replace their labor contract that expires Dec. 1
Head to NBCSN and Peacock this Sunday for an exciting day of baseball. The action starts at 12:00 PM ET with an MLBSunday Leadoff showdown featuring the Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays. Then, at 7:00 PM ET, it's the San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
Last season was a monumental one for the Mariners. They captured their first AL West division title since 2001 and advanced to the ALCS, where they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle looks to build on that progress and end its World Series drought. The Mariners are the only MLB franchise that hasn't made a World Series.
The Padres, whose last World Series appearance was in 1998, are also in search of their first World Series title.
San Diego finished the regular season 90-72, winning at least 90 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. They were eliminated by the Cubs in the NL Wild Card series.
2007 NL Cy Young Award Jake Peavy and former Major League pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith will join play-by-play voice Jason Benetti in the booth for this week’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. Ahmed Fareed will host the pregame show alongside Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
How to watch San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners:
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information visit, Peacock’s Help Center.
Negotiators for baseball players and owners began what figures to be lengthy and acrimonious collective bargaining negotiations Tuesday to replace their labor contract that expires Dec. 1
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 9: A view of Sea Lions at Pier 39 of Fisherman's Wharf on May 9, 2026 as the San Francisco's Beloved Steller sea lion named as 'Chonkers' missing from Pier 39 in San Francisco, California, United States. Roughly 2,000-pound Steller sea lion became an internet sensation during his extended stay on decks at Pier 39 as visitors have continued to stop by in hopes of spotting him. The sea lions camped out in PIER 39âs West Marina have been endearingly coined The PIERâs âSea Lebrities.â The boisterous pinnipeds started arriving in droves in January 1990, shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Hickory starter Aidan Deakins allowed two runs in 5.2 IP, striking out 5. Louis Marinaro struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings.
Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 5 with a homer and a sotlen base. Dewar Tovar was 2 for 4. Hector Osorio homered. Paulino Santana had a hit.
J’Briell Easley started for Hub City, allowing four runs, including a pair of home runs, in three innings, striking out three and walking two. Brock Porter struck out four and walked three in four shutout innings.
Malcolm Moore doubled twice and drew a walk. Maxton Martin was 3 for 6 with a walk. Rafe Perich had a pair of hits and a walk. Paxton Kling homered and walked twice. Gleider Figuereo drew a pair of walks. Yeison Morrobel had three hits and a walk. Chandler Pollard was 4 for 5 with a double.
2024 11th rounder Dalton Pence was promoted to Frisco and made his first start for the Roughriders, striking out three, walking two and allowing two runs. Bryan Magdaleno allowed a run in two innings, striking out two.
Jose Corniell struck out four in five innings for Round Rock, allowing two runs. Michel Otanez allowed faced five batters, walked four of them, gave up a hit, threw a wild pitch, and allow four runs. Ryan Brasier struck out two in a shutout inning. Dane Acker allowed 6 runs in 0.2 IP. Emiliano Teodo needed 10 pitches (9 strikes) to retire four batters, including one via strikeout.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 13: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after a double during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are lofty expectations for anyone that gets signed to a contract with an annual average value of $60 million. In the case of Kyle Tucker, it appeared as though the expectations were too tough to reach throughout the beginning of the season.
Tucker was performing at a below league-average rate over his first 33 games of the season, as he slashed .236/.322/.362 while having dropped in the lineup considerably from second on opening day to hitting routinely in the cleanup and five spots in the lineup. Since the Dodgers went into Houston to face Tucker’s old team, the outfielder has found a new gear at the plate and has been one of the Dodgers’ hottest hitters over his last 10 games.
Tucker has a .323 batting average over his last 10 games since the series opener against the Astros, and while the home run power hasn’t broken through, he has five doubles and as many walks as strikeouts. Dave Roberts knows that is still more to come from Tucker at the plate, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“Yes, I think Kyle has looked better the last week. Still not right, for me – and for him,” Roberts said. “I think he is taking much better at-bats. I think he’s been much more consistent controlling the strike zone and not chasing as much which has led to a lot more contact and some hits.”
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Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup for a second straight game on Thursday, but it didn’t matter too much in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants to split the four-game set. Ohtani gave Dave Roberts the “ok” to sit out on Thursday in an effort to keep him fresh for the team’s upcoming nine-game road trip, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
Said Ohtani, through interpreter Will Ireton: “I talked to the team, and I’m good with it. My last at-bat as a hitter [Tuesday] was really good, so I want to continue that momentum whenever I get to hit again. … Tomorrow’s a day for me to work on that and make sure that that’s really my body, and to make sure that I can do that during a game.”
Kiké Hernández is in the thick of his rehab assignment, and that included a series against the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes— the former Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers. Expecting to receive boos, Hernández was thrown off by the amount of love he received from the Albuquerque fans, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“A little bit shocked. Slightly embarrassed, but good,” he told reporters, including Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal, before the Comets’ 8-2 loss on Wednesday.
Happy Friday, everyone! Hopefully, it’s been a good week, and you’re set to enjoy your weekend. To ease you into the final day of the week, we’ve got an assortment of baseball news for you to enjoy. We’re taking a look at the early discussions regarding the CBA and a potential salary cap, the new tentative Rays stadium deal, bad luck injury news for Cal Raleigh (who just busted his slump in the strangest way), and a surprising turn for the White Sox who… are playing winning baseball?
We’ve got all that and more in today’s news, so grab a coffee and enjoy!
A scary update from a recent White Sox game. Stay safe out there, friends!
There's an update regarding the delay in the 4th inning. A fan fell into the visiting team bullpen. That fan has now been transported to the hospital for treatment.
A.J. Ewing hit his first major league home run, Nolan McLean got through seven innings, and the Mets hit a total of five home runs as they completed a sweep of the Tigers yesterday at Citi Field.
Ewing’s home run traveled 405 feet, and here’s something you might not have known about the 21-year-old: When he’s not on the field, he plays guitar to take his mind off the game.
Before the game, the Mets provided injury updates on Francisco Lindor and Francisco Alvarez, as the former has shown signs of healing in his calf but still doesn’t have a timeline for returning, while the latter had surgery that will very likely keep him out until mid-July.
The Mets will appear on three different networks this weekend as they host the Yankees: Apple TV has the game tonight, FOX has the game tomorrow, and the series finale on Sunday will mercifully be on SNY.
Ranger Suárez struck out eight in five-and-one-third scoreless innings against the Phillies, the only team he’d ever pitched for until signing with the Red Sox in free agency, but Philadelphia scored three runs in the eighth and beat Boston.
The White Sox continue to be one of the most surprising teams in baseball, as they completed a sweep of the Royals to put themselves over .500 for the first time since Opening Day of the 2025 season.
Former Met Justin Turner couldn’t get a gig with a major league club coming off his disappointing year at the plate in 2025—and blames the game putting too much weight in “data sheets” for not even getting a non-roster invitation—but he’s thriving as he continues to play baseball in Tijuana.
This Date in Mets History
Pat Mahomes recorded the win against the Phillies in his Shea Stadium debut on this date in 1999.
COVERS INTEL: Nola has a career-worst .432 xSLG so far this season, and he's surrendered 11 earned runs across his last three road starts. 
Cam Schlittler
Taylor Ward
Edward Cabrera
D.J. Short
Eric Samulski
