Category: Baseball

The San Diego Padres forced a rubber match against the New York Mets on Saturday night with some late-inning heroics from catcher Freddy Fermin. Fermin showed similar heroics with a two-run shot on Sunday’s series finale. But, this time, it was too little, too late.

That said, the box score doesn’t tell the whole story. The Padres were in an early hole with starter Randy Vásquez surrendering four runs across four shaky innings of work. The bullpen didn’t do much to help, with Yuki Matsui surrendering two solo homers and Ron Marinaccio giving up another run.

The Friars had three rallies quashed by incredible defensive plays by the Mets. San Diego’s been in a major funk lately, but it wasn’t the offense’s fault this time. The at-bats looked good, and the Friars made solid contact, but their luck on batted balls was poor. They’ll hope to turn things around this week against the similarly struggling Cincinnati Reds.

Taking the mound

Andrew Abbott (CIN) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Both Abbott and Buehler have had subpar, but serviceable, seasons for their respective teams. The former had an incredible 2025 campaign, posting a 2.87 ERA in 29 starts. 2026 has shaped up to be the worst year of his short career, with a 4.06 ERA through 68 2/3 innings.

However, Abbott’s pitched well when facing the majority of the Friars. The exception to that is Fernando Tatis Jr., who owns a career .385 batting average in 13 at-bats against the lefty.

Buehler’s had a similar rough year but has bounced back recently. This season he’s been saddled with a 4.53 ERA but has a 3.86 mark in his last seven starts. The right-hander has also not faced much of the opposing team’s lineup. However, of those he has faced, only Nathaniel Lowe owns a batting average higher than .200 (five-plus at-bats).

Buehler just pitched a gem against the Philadelphia Phillies last week, allowing just one run across six innings of work. He’ll need to similarly limit a potent Reds’ lineup to help the Padres to a series opening victory on Monday night.

Batter up!

The lineup had plenty of bright spots in Sunday’s series finale. Tatis and Jackson Merrill went 2-for-7 with two walks. Samad Taylor went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored two runs. But player of the game for San Diego was Fermin, going 2-for-4 and knocking in all three of the Padres’ runs.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Gavin Sheets, LF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Miguel Andujar, DH
8. Sung-Mun Song, 2B
9. Rodolfo Durán, C

After Fermin caught the last two consecutive games, Durán will start for the Friars tonight. He’s had a good eye for the strike zone lately but hasn’t shown an aptitude for hitting as of yet.

Song had a great performance in Saturday’s win, going 2-for-2 with a walk. His offensive breakout would be huge for San Diego in moving Tatis back to his regular position in right field.

Relief corps

With Vásquez going just four innings, the Padres tasked their relievers to cover multiple innings. Matsui went 1 2/3 innings in what was his worst outing of the year. Marinaccio went 2 1/3 in a solid appearance, and Wandy Peralta pitched a scoreless, albeit shaky, ninth inning.

That will leave plenty of high-leverage spots available for the series opener against Cincinnati. Jason Adam, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, David Morgan and Bradgley Rodriguez will all be fresh out of the ‘pen for San Diego.

The Yankees clear out of the city ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals as they travel to Cleveland tonight to open a three-game series against the Guardians. If it feels like you are experiencing a bit of déjà vu, that is because these two clubs just wrapped up a series in the Bronx a few days ago. The Yankees dropped two of three in that match-up and will look to flip the script on the shores of Lake Erie.

The Yankees are most recently coming off a two-game split with the Red Sox that saw the middle game of the series postponed. In the finale, the Yankees got two big home runs. One came from Cody Bellinger and the other from Jazz Chisholm Jr., who launched his big fly with a stolen bat, adding another token from a fallen teammate to his growing collection.

Those two and the rest of the Yankees offense will square off against Gavin Williams. Williams earned the win against New York last week after allowing three earned runs on four hits across 5.1 innings. The right-hander is in the midst of the best season of his young career, entering tonight at 9-3 with a 3.20 ERA. He has been even better at Progressive Field, posting a 4-1 record and 2.29 ERA in the land.

Countering for Aaron Boone and the Yankees is Will Warren. The Mississippi Magician is also having the best season of his career thus far in 2026. In 12 starts, Warren sits at 7-1 with a 3.22 ERA. Warren’s last start was that wild game versus the Athletics some eight days ago. In his last two starts, both on the road, Warren went six innings and only gave up two earned runs total.

Cleveland’s offense is not a high-powered machine, but it has a knack for doing just enough to win games. The Guardians enter tonight atop the AL Central thanks largely to their pitching staff and a lineup led by rising star Travis Bazzana and franchise cornerstone José Ramírez. Those two will bat 1-2 tonight. Warren’s job will be simple in theory and difficult in practice: keep those two off the bases and force the rest of the lineup to beat him.

Last week the Guardians outscored the Yankees 15-10 in the team’s first series without Aaron Judge this season. Boone will deploy a heavy dose of left-handed bats tonight hoping to fluster Williams. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Bellinger, Jazz, Spencer Jones, Ryan McMahon, and J.C. Escarra all find themselves in the lineup, while Paul Goldschmidt and José Caballero are the lone right-handed hitters. Goldschmidt is the designated hitter tonight and Caballero will play shortstop. 

In the last matchup, Jazz, using his own bat, and Caballero both took Williams deep. Rice also doubled off the Cleveland starter. While this game and series have all the makings of a trap series overshadowed by whatever happens at Madison Square Garden tonight, it could also be the type of game that helps spark a run from the Yankees offense. Here is hoping a second look at Williams in such a short span swings the advantage towards the Bombers.

The Yankees will try to take Game 1 in Cleveland. The Knicks will try to take a commanding lead in the NBA Finals. What is your final score prediction for both games tonight?

How to watch

Location: Progressive Field — Cleveland, OH

First pitch: 6:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, FS1

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280

Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Monday Matchup in Cleveland. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/b4sDXgIm6D

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 8, 2026

Have YOU 🫵 filled out your All-Star Ballot 5x today?https://t.co/twAxRaahsp#GuardsBall | #VoteGuardspic.twitter.com/LEIHox4EJ4

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) June 8, 2026

The Mariners will look to shake off a disappointing weekend series in Detroit – capped by a bummer of a walkoff yesterday – by opening a four-game series against the Orioles in Camden Yards. They’ll be doing so without their starting shortstop, though, as J.P. Crawford was officially placed on the injured list after missing the last two games thanks to a hit-by-pitch on the hand from (who else?) Framber Valdez. Ryan Bliss has been recalled to take his place on the roster.

Lineups:

You might be surprised to see Bliss in the lineup at the keystone already, but Colt Emerson was a late scratch thanks to back tightness. Don’t like that one bit. Cole Young will take over at shortstop in the interim, and we get a third straight day of Jhonny Pereda behind home plate. Emerson Hancock will take the mound, and will look to stretch his streak of allowing two or fewer runs in a start to five. Trey Gibson will get the start for the O’s, coming up for Chris Bassitt who himself landed on the IL this morning, and we also get to see old friend Leody Taveras batting fifth and playing right field.

Game Info:

Game Time: 3:35pm PDT

TV: Mariners.tv

Radio: Old Reliable

The Orioles can’t linger long on their disappointing loss to the Blue Jays yesterday, as they’re back in Baltimore and back in action this evening to open a four-game set against the Mariners. The M’s, who lead the AL West with a 34-32 record, represent the Orioles’ toughest opponent since they faced the Rays at Camden Yards two weeks ago. That series turned out excellently for the Birds, so maybe this one will do the same.

The O’s pulled the old starting pitcher switcheroo this afternoon. Chris Bassitt, who left his previous outing with lower back tightness, was thought to be recovering quickly enough to start tonight, but apparently not. The O’s placed Bassitt on the 15-day IL today and called up Trey Gibson to take the ball. This will be Gibson’s fourth major league appearance and third start. In his last one, May 27 against the Rays, he gave up six hits and four walks but danced out of trouble at every turn, limiting the damage to one run and earning his first MLB win.

Meanwhile, the Orioles’ offense faces a tough customer in M’s righty Emerson Hancock and his 2.80 ERA. You might notice that the O’s lineup looks a little bit different. Neither Adley Rutschman nor Samuel Basallo (who left Sunday’s game with a wrist injury) are in the lineup, as Sam Huff starts at catcher for the O’s for the first time since April 19. Gunnar Henderson, who committed a crucial error and was prominently involved in the non-double-play no-call against the Jays, will get a break from the field as the DH, with Blaze Alexander replacing him.

The red-hot Colton Cowser will be batting cleanup for the first time this year. Interestingly, he’ll also be starting in center and Leody Taveras in right instead of the other way around. I think Taveras has more range than Cowser but has had trouble fielding fly balls near the wall, so maybe the Orioles are hoping this will provide a marginal defensive upgrade. Let’s see how it plays out.

Orioles lineup:

LF Taylor Ward
DH Gunnar Henderson
1B Pete Alonso
CF Colton Cowser
RF Leody Taveras
2B Jackson Holliday
3B Coby Mayo
SS Blaze Alexander
C Sam Huff

RHP Trey Gibson

Mariners lineup:

2B Cole Young
CF Julio Rodríguez
1B Josh Naylor
LF Randy Arozarena
RF Luke Raley
DH Dominic Canzone
3B Patrick Wisdom
SS Colt Emerson
C Jhonny Pereda

RHP Emerson Hancock

Blech. Yesterday’s bullpen blowup was so bad, the Red Sox traveled to visit first-place Tampa Bay, against whom they probably won’t have a lead to squander. That’s some chess strategy right there. Speaking of which, as a guy who plays a lot of online chess, I hate the “4D chess” analogy. It’s plenty hard enough as it is! Stop using it!

Connelly Early gets the start, which is neat, at least:

He’ll face Ian Seymour as an opener. Here’s the full Rays slate:

I don’t feel great about this one, folks, but maybe Early can keep it from getting late out there? At least they’ll be playing inside the ugliest stadium in the sport. That ought to ease the pain, amirite?

Phillies keep rolling as early offense backs Cristopher Sánchez in Toronto originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies kept their foot on the gas north of the border.

And by doing so, they gave Cristopher Sánchez run support, which in 2026 almost feels unfair.

Philadelphia faced longtime NL East foe Patrick Corbin, a lefty the Phillies have historically handled well. The 36-year-old made his 12th start of the season for a Blue Jays rotation decimated by injuries.

Toronto has leaned heavily on Corbin, who signed on April 4, a week into the season, made his first start on April 10 and has not missed a turn since.

That reliance caught up to the soft-tossing lefty Monday in Philadelphia’s 5-2 victory at Rogers Centre.

The Phillies ran Corbin after just three-plus innings. They grinded at-bats again and again, pushing his pitch count to 79.

That has become a common theme during the Phillies’ recent surge.

After lulling the Phils to sleep with his low-80s slider through the first five batters, Corbin ran into Bryson Stott. In a left-on-left matchup, Stott worked a long plate appearance while Corbin kept pitching him to the outer half.

Stott fouled off five of the eight pitches.

After Corbin delivered a slider and sinker below the zone, he went back to the same spot with a cutter. Stott flicked it to right-center field for a two-out double.

His aggressiveness on pitches out of the zone has shot up this year. Lately, it has worked for him.

Adolis García came up next, got ahead 2-1 and saw Corbin float a slider middle-low. García got his arms extended, stayed back on the 78.2 mph breaking ball and drove it 104.8 mph off the bat.

The ball traveled 406 feet into the left-center field seats for his third homer in his last five games.

“Adolis is getting us going,” Don Mattingly said. “Stott gets the hit there with two outs, just to keep that inning alive, and then Adolis gets a pitch. He’s been working hard. It’s good to see it when a guy works and has struggled and is coming out of that.”

Even through the Phillies’ offensive struggles, they have been one of the best two-out offenses in baseball. Entering Monday, they had the fourth-highest OPS in those spots.

They had more answers in the third.

Another part of their offensive surge has been the ability to string baserunners together. Corbin lost the zone against Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, walking both with one out. He then drilled Brandon Marsh.

With the bases loaded, Alec Bohm laced a 2-2 pitch for an RBI single. J.T. Realmuto ambushed a first-pitch sinker for another run-scoring single. Then Corbin lost the zone again, walking Stott with the bases loaded.

The Phillies made Corbin throw strikes. When he did not, they took the free bases. When he did, they made him pay.

“We did a nice job right there,” Mattingly said. “Scoring some early there with Sánchez, it’s obviously a good feeling with him.”

Before the Phillies’ matchup with White Sox lefty Anthony Kay, opposing left-handed starters, excluding openers, had produced a 2.04 ERA against them with a .566 opponents OPS.

In their last two games against lefties, the Phillies have scored 11 runs in seven innings and posted a 1.149 OPS.

Their right-handed bats have gotten going against southpaws. That is a key piece if the club is going to maintain the success that has driven its turnaround.

After scoring five runs in the first three innings, the Phillies could not muster much against Toronto’s bullpen.

So they turned to Sánchez.

For a pitcher who had just gone 50 2/3 innings without allowing a run, this was not his best outing from a stuff standpoint.

He allowed a leadoff double in the first, which later came around to score. He allowed a solo homer to Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement in the fifth. Then he allowed another leadoff double in the sixth.

But the way Sánchez responded to trouble made this edition of his season impressive.

In the sixth, after the double, he struck out the side.

George Springer swinging.

Nathan Lukes swinging.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looking.

Runner left on third.

Sánchez walked off the mound screaming in excitement.

“Not only because it was Vladdy, but it was more about having a runner, nobody out, and then striking out the side,” Sánchez said.

He came back out for the seventh, and Toronto put together another threat. The Blue Jays brought the tying run to the plate with two outs.

At 101 pitches, Sánchez wanted one more batter.

He made that clear to Mattingly.

“I don’t like leaving guys on base,” Sánchez said. “That’s one of the main reasons. And I felt great today, even though I had close to 100 pitches.”

Mattingly stayed in the dugout.

“It was almost a visit and see where he’s at,” Mattingly said. “But he made that easy. He wanted one more, so always go with him.”

Sánchez went right after pinch-hitting catcher Brandon Valenzuela and got a groundout to end the inning.

A gutsy seven innings.

Two runs. One walk. Ten strikeouts. 107 pitches.

His sinker was hit hard, but he leaned on his slider and changeup for big outs. Both pitches generated whiff rates above 40 percent.

Over Sánchez’s last seven starts, he has walked just five of the 195 batters he has faced.

Tremendous.

Even after allowing two runs in seven innings, Sánchez’s ERA still sits at 1.54.

The Phils got into trouble with Brad Keller in the eighth, but held on behind Jhoan Duran’s 16th save in 16 opportunities this season.

They keep finding new ways to win, and they are now sitting comfortably in the National League Wild Card picture.

What we learned as blown save wastes Logan Webb gem in Giants' loss to Nationals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO — The Washington Nationals are the highest-scoring team in baseball. The Giants have that honor over the past month, and they just came off a trip in which they averaged nearly seven runs per game. 

Naturally, the first game of their series at Oracle Park was a pitcher’s duel most of the night, but things got wild in the late innings. 

The Giants took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but the Nationals countered with three in the top of the ninth. Jung Hoo Lee’s fourth hit of the night got the tying run to third in the bottom of the inning, but Bryce Eldridge struck out. The 4-3 loss was a gut punch, and came on a night when the Giants seemed poised to win for the fifth time in six games. 

The offenses combined for just two runs through the first seven innings, but the Giants broke through in the bottom of the eighth with a rally that started with Lee’s third hit of the night. After an error got him to second, Lee scored the go-ahead run on an opposite-field double from Eldridge. They tacked on an insurance run with a squeeze bunt from rookie Jonah Cox, but they needed more. 

THE BRYCE IS RIGHT 🤑 pic.twitter.com/kHXzpGLhic

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 9, 2026

Manager Tony Vitello turned to Keaton Winn for a third straight day, and he might have run out of gas. A double, hit-by-pitch and passed ball put two runners in scoring position, and CJ Abrams tied the game by hitting an elevated sinker up the middle. Daylen Lile’s single put the Nationals on top and ended Winn’s night.

the lead will always reveal itself to us pic.twitter.com/DoMMh8cY2R

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 9, 2026

Look Who’s Back

Webb made it through eight innings for the first time this season and did it on just 99 pitches. The timing couldn’t be better; the bullpen was a bit worn down after the weekend series at Wrigley Field, and Vitello figured he would be without some of his high-leverage arms. 

Webb struck out seven and scattered five hits. The only run came in the sixth, when James Woods singled with two outs, stole second, and scored on a single by Luis Garcia Jr. 

Logan Webb. That is all. pic.twitter.com/1iKJzizt1u

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 9, 2026

Webb has allowed just two runs in three starts since coming off the IL. He lowered his ERA to 3.88. 

Can’t Slow Him Down

Lee bounced a single through the right side in his second at-bat, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. It’s the longest by a Giant since Donovan Solano barreled his way to a hit in 17 consecutive games in front of the cardboard cutouts in 2020, and longest by one of their outfielders since Angel Pagan had a hit in 19 consecutive games in 2016. 

Jung Hoo Lee extends his hitting streak to 16 games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/eLTCHp4tek

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 9, 2026

The Nationals tried to change it up before his next at-bat and brought lefty reliever Mitchell Parker into the game. Lee lined his second pitch up the middle to pick up his 30th hit in the last 16 games. He got No. 31 in the eighth when he hit a slow roller in front of the plate and beat it out and then singled again in the ninth, raising his average to .333. 

Making It Hurt

The game-tying rally in the bottom of the sixth certainly will lead to some second-guessing in the Nationals clubhouse. Miles Mikolas was absolutely cruising and had thrown 41 of 54 pitches for strikes, but rookie manager Blake Butera went to lefty Mitchell Parker with two outs in the sixth and the Nationals leading 1-0. 

The Giants had lefties coming up, but both Lee and Eldridge singled, getting a good matchup for Matt Chapman. His 112.1 mph single to left tied the game. 

Clutch Chappy comes through again 😤 pic.twitter.com/QwQHoJSzcw

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) June 9, 2026

The Eldridge single was particularly noteworthy. The rookie is now 6-for-14 off lefties this season — the Giants happen to face lefty starters in the final two games of this series.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Here are the lineups for game 1 in Toronto. Let’s discuss.

For the Phillies:

🚨 It's a Sanchie start day 🚨#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/m4mX4FEqLn

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) June 8, 2026

For the Blue Jays:

It's our Roy Halladay Retro Jersey Giveaway Night!

Be here tonight: https://t.co/GVGBqe6I7Bpic.twitter.com/V9xc3beZAf

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) June 8, 2026

Red Sox not considering firing Craig Breslow: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Craig Breslow’s job appears to be safe after all.

The Boston Red Sox are not considering firing their chief baseball officer despite rumors to the contrary, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.

“Further, amid the team’s underperformance — and speculation that Breslow may be on the hot seat — the club’s ownership hierarchy has not even discussed making a change,” Healey added.

The Red Sox entered Monday in last place in the American League East standings with a 27-37 record. It has been a massively disappointing season for a club that hoped to build off an encouraging 2025 campaign.

Even so, Boston is technically in the playoff hunt, only four games back of the third AL Wild Card spot. With more than half of the season left to play, it seems the organization still has faith in Breslow to make the right moves that turn things around.

Breslow and the Red Sox are reportedly seeking a right-handed bat to add to their struggling lineup. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, ownership has recently gotten involved in those trade discussions. That report only added to the speculation about Breslow’s job security.

For now, at least, it looks like Breslow will be the one making moves ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline. But if the Red Sox’ season continues to spiral out of control, ownership may have to reevaluate its stance on Breslow’s job security.

Bryan Bello’s demotion to Triple-A hit him hard.

The 27-year-old was sent down to Worcester after his latest rough outing for the Red Sox, in which he gave up eight earned runs over five innings in a lost to the Orioles on June 4.

“It was a really tough day,” Bello told reporters via translator. “I had a bad outing as you all know. We were getting ready to travel, and the trip right now in New York is a family trip and we were all set up to get ready to go up there. So, when I got the unfortunate news, I even shed some tears, got a little emotional because like I said before, I have so much love and passion for this game and to get that bad news was really tough. But we’re better today.”

Bello, in the midst of a six-year, $55 million deal signed before 2024, put together a 2-6 record record with a 6.34 ERA — the worst mark of his career — and a 1.67 WHIP.

The Dominican Hurler seemed to be turning the corner before the disaster outing against Baltmore. He was sent to the bullpen, operating as a long reliever following an opener, allowing just two earned runs in 25 1/3 innings (0.74 ERA) in the role.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporter he’d asked Bell to “fall in love with baseball” again.

Brayan Bello said he “shed some tears” after receiving news of his demotion to Triple-A Worcester. pic.twitter.com/atzawHAn0t

— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) June 7, 2026

The hope is, a start with the Woo Sox on Thursday can help set a key rotation arm back on track.

In Bello’s place, the Red Sox have called up left-handed reliever Joe La Sorsa.

But that call-up could be temporary, as the Red Sox now have a vacant starting-rotation spot. Pitching prospect Jake Bennett is the leading candidate to take Bello’s spot. Bello was slated to make his next start on Tuesday, meaning the Red Sox might make their decision then. 

The Red Sox need some help anyway they can get it. They sit dead last in the AL East, having a record of 27-36 entering Monday’s slate.

The Red Sox have struggled in the pitching department after ace Garrett Crochet went on the 15-day IL on April 29; a setback during a live throwing session saw him go onto the 60-day IL. 

BALTIMORE- The Baltimore Orioles, already struggling in their quest to reach the .500 mark, placed starting pitcher Chris Bassitt on the 15-day injured list with a back injury Monday, June 8, as he and the club continue seeking answers for his malady.Bassitt, 37, visited a back specialist in Baltimore while the team was in Toronto last weekend before rejoining the club. He refused comment before the team’s Monday night game against the Seattle Mariners at Camden Yards.Rookie Trey Gibson was summoned to make Bassitt’s start Monday, with some doubt about the veteran’s return date."He’s looking at his options and kind of seeing what his best course of action is," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday.

Bassitt was signed to a one-year, $18.5 million contract in March, is 4-4 with a 5.27 ERA in 12 games, including 10 starts and two outings as the “bulk pitcher.”

After posting a 6.75 ERA in his first five starts, he has pitched better of late, including two six-inning, one-run outings.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Orioles' Chris Bassitt out with back injury, goes on injured list

Good evening, folks! I hope everybody’s had a lovely start to their day. The Braves may not be in action but sometimes it’s just nice to take some time to look at the standings and relax a bit. Things are looking good for the Braves and days like this are nice to just take it all in. Let’s hope that they continue to keep the pedal to the metal as this season progresses.

Meanwhile, there are still plenty of options for baseball this evening if you still need your fix. If you’re trying to do a hate-watch then the Phillies are going to have a pretty interesting matchup with the Blue Jays tonight. Cristopher Sánchez has been having an incredible season so far and Toronto is countering that with Patrick Corbin as their starting pitcher, so we’ll see how that goes. Meanwhile, the Yankees and Guardians will be locking horns about 20 minutes before the game in Toronto starts and both of those teams have been looking good in the standings so far. The Yankees are learning how to navigate without Aaron Judge after the pain of playing with an injured rib was finally too much for him, so we’ll see if New York can topple the Guardians. The game will be on FS1 too, so that might be the easier choice for you if you’re reading this and you don’t have MLB.tv or live in Philadelphia or Canada.

I wished I could’ve been here to talk about what happened between my Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Georgia Bulldogs during Game 3 of their Super Regional but we (sadly, IMO) won’t be getting a Game 3 because the red-and-black Bulldogs out-slugged the maroon-and-white Bulldogs and punched their ticket to the College World Series. If you’re following the NCAA Tournament, tell us who you got winning it all now that the field for Omaha is revealing itself. Or you can tell us who’s going to win tonight in the two big league games I mentioned above. Or you can tell me what you’re having for dinner. It’s all on the table. The floor is now yours.

Two more winning opponents faced, and the Diamondbacks saw more realistic results. Was the sweep at the hands of the Mariners or the split with the Dodgers more indicative of where the team is in reality?

Spencer: I think it shows we are mercurial. If we can beat horrendous teams the rest of the year, we might sneak in.

DBacksEurope: I think both. The Diamondbacks aren’t one of the best teams in the league, nor will they be, but on any given day they can battle fiercely against the top teams, because there is some superb quality on this team in the form of Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. For that to happen, we need to take advantage of a solid pitching performance, which is more than likely not to happen with this rotation, but if everything clicks, then this team could beat any given opponent. This happens on 2 out of 7, say 25% of the time each time we meet one of the top teams in this league? Yeah, that doesn’t sound that crazy to me.

James Attwood: Probably the series against the Dodgers. Mostly, I think the big takeaway is that, for the most part, the team has largely found ways to remain in games and to lose them by the narrowest of margins. A bit more roster depth might have salvage two extra wins in that stretch of seven games.

Makakilo: In the two series against the Mariners and Dodgers, most games were close and hard fought. Four of seven games were decided by 1-run. The two low-scoring 1-run games were split (win vs Dodgers and loss vs Mariners). The two high-scoring games were lost. Contention possibilities were shown by the awesome 4-1 win over the Dodgers. Bust possibilities were shown by two games with a combination of almost no runs scored and weak starting pitching.

1AZFan1: The split with the Dodgers. The Mariners hit HRs at an outlier rate that series. D-backs pitchers are not going to give up homers at that rate all year, though the Nats appear to be testing that theory.

Dano_In_Tucson: I don’t think it’s a simple “either-or” choice. As such, I would say both, but in different ways. Unfamiliar teams with good pitching are going to give us trouble. They’re going to give anyone trouble–that’s what good pitching does–but our offense, while feasting sometimes on more substandard starting pitching and bullpens, can’t seem to really compete convincingly at this point against rotations that are in the upper tiers. As for the Doyers, we know them a lot better, especially their bullpen, and their lineup, and they are less fearsome at the end of the day than their reputation might suggest. FTD are in some respects paper tigers, and I do expect that we’ll see that more clearly as the season progresses.

The LuJames Groover era begins. Do you see this youth movement as the correct path towards a winning season, or is it showing a focus towards the future?

Spencer: I think it’s leaning future with the small hope of catching lightning in the bottle. I wouldn’t reject the idea that some of these promotions are showcases for trades. But competition within the organization is most likely.

DbacksEurope: It is probably the only “correct” way we are able to achieve a winning season because Hazen didn’t do anything this past off-season to replace the batting champions we lost during the 2025 season. So, I think it is his way to try and scrap some necessary wins in so he isn’t on his way out after this season. Could be that it is also with an eye towards the future but in this case I think Troy, Waldschmidt, Groover and whomever Wesley thinks who might get a call up any time soon are all here to try and boost that offence to get wins now.

James Attwood: Both is good.

Makakilo: MY VIEW. The Diamondbacks are focused on reaching the playoffs more than the future. Any move to younger players was made to make the team better now rather than the future.

MY POINTS. First, the opening day roster was older than the MLB average (for each of batters and pitchers) per a Baseball America article from 26 March 2026. Second, my estimated average age for yesterday’s roster of pitchers is unchanged from opening day (30.7 years old). Third, my estimated age of batters got younger (29.8 years old got younger by maybe 2 years); batters are now possibly about the seventh youngest in the Majors. The Diamondbacks traded away Alek Thomas (age 26), resulting in two younger players in center field: Ryan Waldschmidt (age 23.7) and Jorge Barrosa (age 25.3). Also, the Diamondbacks called up younger players (Jordan Lawlar, Tommy Troy, and LuJames Groover).

1AZFan1: It’s the correct path towards a winning season this year when the veterans who were in front of them are Carlos Santana, Pavin Smith, and Alek Thomas.

Dano_In_Tuscson: Again, I can’t really buy into the “either-or” construction here. Again, my answer is “both,” because while I’m not sure we come to the end of 2026 with a winning season, calling up Waldschmidt and Troy and Groover seems like it’s our best path forward right now, and it gives us our best shot, right now. It also has the added benefit for giving a lot of our AAA prospects an extended audition, so we can get a better sense of who we’ve got down on the farm who can contribute at the major league level in future and plug some holes that we’d otherwise have to look to free agency or trades to fill.

Who has been the most surprising team, either good or bad, to you so far this season?

Spencer: I think the Nationals offense needs to be here. But both the White Sox success and Tigers utter uselessness deserve an honorable mention. Cardinals too but I don’t buy it throughout the season.

DBacksEurope: I certainly didn’t expect the Giants to be this bad and I didn’t expect the Diamondbacks to be this good, with a 33-29 record before the series against the Nationals. Outside of the NL West, maybe the strength of the NL Central in general surprises me, especially the Cardinals. In general we still have more than 50% of the games left. Blue Jays can easily slip back into the wild card, just like the Astros.

James Attwood: While I always expected the Mets to struggle more than the roster indicated they should, I certainly did not expect them to spend time as the worst team in the game after more than a week’s worth of games had been played. They are still one of the four worst teams in the National League. The Tigers are surprising for the same reasons. Neither team should be as bad as those two have been, though losing Tarik Skubal certainly has not helped Detroit any.

Makakilo: BACKGROUND. Preseason, I projected 85 wins for the Diamondbacks. My 4 May article argued that 85 wins gives a 50% chance to make the playoffs. In games through 5 June, they are on-pace for 85 wins, albeit FanGraphs shows only a 42.6% chance of playoffs.

THE SURPRISE. There is a strong possibility that the Diamondbacks will end the season in second place in the NL West, ahead of the Padres. The Diamondbacks, after 40 consecutive games in third place (11 April to 26 May), now are in second place. Tankathon and FanGraphs show the Padres will play stronger teams through the rest of the season. What is really exciting is that the Diamondbacks can decide their fate because they will play the Padres 11 times in July/August/September. Finishing the season in second place in the NL West would be a nice consolation prize, should the Diamondbacks fall short of the playoffs.

1AZFan1: Gotta go with my NL West bias and say the Giants. Fully expected them to be right in the thick of the Wild Card race next to us and the Padres instead of cellar dwelling.

Dano_In_Tucson: Honestly, I think probably the Tigers. They nearly made it to the World Series last year, and now they’re tied with the Royals and the San Francisco Giants for the second-worst record in the major leagues. When it’s coming up on mid-June and you’re 13 games under .500, I’m pretty sure not going to climb back into contention. For Detroit, that was certainly not on my bingo card. Sure, Skubal got injured and that has hurt them, but when you’re rocking a 26-39 record on June 6, you’ve got way more problems than one ace can solve or be held responsible for.

If the Diamondbacks had never existed, who would you be following now?

Spencer: Cubs or Phillies. I was born on the north side and my mom made me a baseball fan and she was a Phillies fan growing up. But realistically, not a single sportsball team. As a family, we struggle to enjoy any sport outside baseball.

DBacksEurope: Atlanta Braves

James Attwood: Cubs and Mariners with some love for the Tigers and Giants.

Makakilo: Perhaps, instead of baseball, I would watch women’s volleyball, which is big in Hawaii. On the other hand, when I attended a game with a group of people, our seats were so high and so far from the game that I regretted not bringing binoculars.

1AZFan1: The Cubs. Before the D-backs existed, I watched a ton of Cubs games because we had WGN. I really don’t have much of a soft spot for them anymore, though. I wasn’t even rooting for them in the ’16 World Series.

Dano_In_Tucson: I honestly have no idea. Maybe, at the outside of maybe, the Phillies, because they were my team when I was a kid in southern New Jersey? But probably none….finding the Diamondbacks at the direction of my mom when I was living in NYC in 2001, and then moving back to Arizona in 2005 and watching games every night with her while I was living with her in Prescott Valley, and later discovering the Snake Pit and all you lovely people and eventually starting to write about baseball here from time to time is what got me back to being a baseball fan again after many years of not really following it. So thanks, everyone!

The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t had rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin in the lineup for the past week, and it looks like they will be without the young star for longer than anticipated. 

Griffin went on the 10-day injured list back on May 31 after suffering a right arm flexor strain. The injury took place in the series against the Minnesota Twins at home.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said that they’re going to be “more conservative” for when Griffin returns, following his flexor mass muscle strain, which the location of which is causing them to give Griffin more time.

Pittsburgh doesn’t want to rush the young player which makes sense to me. He is the future of the team, and you don’t want him to be rushed back just to get injured again or make the injury worse.

Although the 10-day IL is turning into a long stay for Griffin, it is important to make sure his injury fully heals. So I don’t really disagree with Cherington and the rest of the organization in keeping a close eye on the situation.

Griffin has improved from the plate, slashing .270/.327/.402 for an OPS of .729 in 51 games, with 51 hits, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 22 RBI and 14 stolen bases on 15 attempts.

The Bucs signed Griffin to a nine-year, $140 million contract extension on April 8 and his future with the team is a big part to them turning themselves into a winning franchise, after more than a decade out of the postseason.

Cherington said that of all the things that Griffin will do in his injury rehab, throwing will come at the end, likening it to a pitcher building back up. 

“Obviously given the injury, that’s the part that we’re going to be the most cautious about,” Cherington said. “He can take ground balls, he can run, he can hit, it’s the throwing that we’ll be the most careful about and that’s the part I don’t expect would happen until No. 1, he’s fully asymptomatic and No. 2, there’s probably some progression he goes through in terms of like a pitcher would almost, you’re going to go through a progression of exercises, stretching, plyo ball, programming, stuff like that before he can pick up a ball.”

Hearing from Cherington and the rest of the community has me confident that they are taking this Griffin injury very seriously. That is important because without Konnor Griffin, I don’t see Pittsburgh make a deep run this season.

There is no official timetable yet for Griffin’s return. He has not been cleared to throw yet, and there is no timeline for when he will resume a throwing program or get back oin the field.