Diamondbacks @ Cardinals discussion

Busch Stadium and City of St. Louis skyline with Gateway Arch and Mississippi River, Missouri. (Photo by: Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Today’s Lineups

DIAMONDBACKSCARDINALS
Ketel Marte – 2BJJ Wetherholt – 2B
Geraldo Perdomo – SSIvan Herrera – C
Corbin Carroll – RFAlec Burleson – 1B
Adrian Del Castillo – CJordan Walker – DH
Max Kepler – LFLars Nootbaar – RF
Pavin Smith – 1BMasyn Winn – SS
Lourdes Gurriel – DHNathan Church – CF
Ildemaro Vargas – 3BBlaze Jordan – 3B
Tommy Troy – CFJose Fermin – LF
Zac Gallen – RHPMichael McGreevy – RHP

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.

  • Reinstated from the restricted list and activated: OF Max Kepler (No. 22)
  • Recalled from Triple-A Reno: RHP Juan Burgos (No. 52)
  • Optioned to Triple-A Reno following last night’s game: OF Tim Tawa + LHP Mitch Bratt
  • Transferred to the 60-day injured list: RHP Ryne Nelson (strained right elbow)

A fair bit to unpack here, though none of the moves are a particular surprise. Interesting to see Bratt sent right back down. He won’t be eligible to come up again for a bit, so we’ll need a different arm to start Monday’s game, back at Chase against the Giants. Will that be Brandon Pfaadt? Probably not. He hasn’t pitched since the 20th, and only threw 52 pitches. There’s no time to get another start in and then have him pitch again on Monday, except on very short rest (he’s not starting tonight for the Aces either). Oh, well. That’s an issue for Mike Hazen to figure out. We just report things.

Nelson goes to the 60-day IL, confirming what we largely knew, that he won’t be back until late August at the very earliest. That opens up the 40-day spot for Kepler, who replaces Tawa on the active roster. I find myself in two minds about the new arrival. Of course, he’s a Diamondback and I want him to do well. But he’s also a convicted PED user, and doesn’t seem to have made even the token noises about it. So I also want him to go into a slump of Fernando Tatis Jr.-esque proportions. Be also get the return of Juan Burgos, who kinda sucked last year, after coming over from Seattle at the trade deadline. A 6.59 ERA this year in Reno isn’t exactly encouraging.

The weather for this one looks distinctly iffy, so may be interrupted or not completed. Jack wrote earlier, “Looking at the radar from 6:45-8:00 it looks like VERY heavy rain with more coming in behind that” Given it’s a Zac Gallen start, perhaps “pray for rain”, as the old proverb went, might be the best option. Him going three innings, and the game being called as a no-content, sounds like a plan. If it needs rescheduled, common off days for the two teams are Thursdays July 23, August 13, September 10 + 17, and Monday September 21. September 10 might work: Arizona would be coming back from Kansas City and St. Louis from San Francisco. August 13 (AZ going to Atlanta, STL at home) is another possibility.

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Giants’ late collapse vs Athletics keeps them from first sweep of season

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows A San Francisco Giants player in a white and orange jersey, black cap, and brown glove, Image 2 shows A San Francisco Giants baseball player in uniform and helmet

SAN FRANCISCO — Landen Roupp was in line for his first win since April 26, and the Giants were positioned to complete their first sweep of the season.

It all fell apart, like so much else this season, thanks to their bullpen.

Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp struck out six and scattered six hits in six innings. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Roupp limited the Athletics to two runs over six innings and Jung Hoo Lee delivered a bases-clearing triple that, combined with Victor Bericoto’s two-run blast that followed, gave San Francisco a four-run lead.

The problem was that they needed the bullpen to protect it for three innings.

“Yeah, it wasn’t good,” manager Tony Vitello said a short while later. “I mean, we gave up a touchdown in the last three innings.”

Ryan Walker, Erik Miller and Dylan Smith allowed the A’s to cut into the lead in the seventh and eighth innings, and it evaporated once and for all in the ninth against closer Caleb Kilian.

The result: a 9-6 loss in the series finale that they led 6-2 when the bullpen took over. A 26th series they failed to sweep. And a 10th consecutive start in which Roupp failed to earn a win. Roupp’s winless streak is the longest the Giants have gone without winning in one pitcher’s starts since 2008.

The A’s scored in each of the final three innings, totaling seven runs against the Giants’ bullpen.

“You could talk about some balls finding the hole or a broken-bat hit, things like that,” Vitello said. “But the bottom line is we need to do better.”

Kilian, named the closer earlier this month, never recovered after speedy leadoff man Henry Bolte beat out an infield single to the opposite side that Casey Schmitt was shaded.

A wild pitch put the potential tying run on second base with nobody out, but Kilian retired Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers to make it through the meatiest part of the A’s order. 

The Giants’ Bryce Eldridge went 0-for-3 and scored a run Thursday. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Then, he issued a two-out walk to Tyler Soderstrom and didn’t record another out.

Jonah Heim, Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy singled home four runs off Kilian before Matt Gage finally recorded the third out of the inning, with a one-run lead now a three-run deficit.

The blown save was Kilian’s second in seven chances, the Giants’ 10th as a team in 26 save opportunities and San Francisco’s fifth loss in 34 games it has led after eight innings. Their five losses when leading after eight are tied for fourth most in MLB.


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The seven runs allowed by the Giants’ relievers raised their ERA in June to 6.38. Their 5.09 mark dating back to the start of May ranks as fifth worst in the majors.

Kilian, however, hadn’t been part of the problem, boasting nine scoreless outings in a row when he emerged from the bullpen.

So much for that streak — and the Giants’ hopes of breaking out the brooms.

What it means

Roupp turned in his second consecutive quality start, limiting the A’s to two runs over six innings with six strikeouts to only one walk, but will still have to wait to get into the win column again.

The visiting Athletics rallied with four runs in the top of the ninth inning to stun the Giants. AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Who’s hot

What a couple days it’s been for Bericoto.

The Giants left fielder was in the starting lineup Wednesday for the first time since June 10 and spent the entire game trying to find out if his family was OK following two massive earthquakes in his native Venezuela, also home to Luis Arraez and injured reliever Jose Butto.

That was on his mind when he fired a 93 mph laser beam to nab a runner at home plate and when he crushed the 445-foot walk-off home run in the 2-1 win.

Bericoto, it turned out, wasn’t done.

He unleashed another throw on the money from left field in the fourth inning Thursday. This one (clocked at 94.2 mph — the hardest by a Giants outfielder since 2018) went to second base, where Soderstrom was dead to rights trying to extend a single into a double leading off the inning.

Practically replicating his game from a day before, Bericoto followed up his throw with an almost identical homer — also 445 feet to center field — to drive in the final two of five runs in the sixth.

Bericoto, as well as benchmate Jonah Cox, each got rare starts the past two games because lefties were on the mound for the A’s. Maybe Vitello will try to mix in more playing time moving forward. 

Who’s not

Kurtz presented the biggest threat in either lineup this series.

Turns out, there was nothing to fear.

The A’s slugging first baseman came up 13 times over the three games and didn’t record a hit. The major-league RBI leader, with 61 entering the series, drove in only one run. He beat out a would-be double play with runners on the corners in the fifth.

He struck out in his first two tries against Roupp, including with two on and one out in the third, and earned a hat trick by going down swinging with the tying run on second in the ninth.

Up next

The Giants see the Braves again after winning both games the teams played in between downpours last week in Atlanta. It will be Trevor McDonald against Reynaldo Lopez in the series opener Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:15.

Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger advance in MLB All-Star voting

BRONX, NY - MAY 03: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Ben Rice #22 in the dugout during the game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 3, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

This evening, MLB announced the results of the first phase of All-Star voting on MLB Network. Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, and Cody Bellinger earned enough votes to advance to Phase 2.

The top overall vote-getter in the American League was Ernie Clement (that a decent player like Clement leads the voting brings into question what exactly it is that we’re doing here, but that’s a story for another day), meaning that he has already earned a starting spot on the AL squad. The top two vote-getters at every (top six in the case of outfielders) now advance to the second phase of voting, with the exception of Clement’s position of second base. Vote totals are reset after Phase 1, so the slate will be swept clean before Phase 2 begins, and the winners at each position will go on to start the All-Star Game.

Despite the rib injury that has kept him out for a few weeks now, Judge leads the way for the Yankees, his 2,567,404 votes the most for New York and the most among AL outfielders. Mike Trout, in the midst of a resurgent season but also unfortunately injured, finished second. In third is Byron Buxton, and in fourth is Cody Bellinger, whose excellent all-around contributions have helped the Yankees thrive even without Judge. More Blue Jays, Daulton Varsho and Jesús Sánchez, round out the top six among outfielders; the top three vote-getters in Phase 2 will start across the outfield in the All-Star Game.

Also advancing to Phase 2 is Rice, who finished second at first base but should have finished first, his 2026 campaign easily outstripping that of the actual first-place finisher Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rice has morphed into one of the game’s finest hitters, and his OPS+ dwarfs that of Vladito (167 to 98). Now, Rice has a shot to start at first if he can defeat Guerrero in Phase 2, but he has work cut out for him, with Canada doing its best to vote for their Blue Jays.

The top vote-getters across the rest of the field are as follows:

Jazz Chisholm Jr. was on the fringes of contention, but he had little chance against the juggernaut that is Clement, ultimately finishing fourth at second base. Otherwise, the only other Yankee to finish in the top five at their position was Giancarlo Stanton, who came in fourth at DH.

Voting in Phase 2 will begin on Monday, June 29th, and lasts until noon ET on July 2nd.

Rangers @ Jays Game Thread

Mar 27, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the the exterior of the Rogers Centre before the Opening Day game between the Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Game one of four with the Godless Texas Rangers.

Lineups:

Today’s Lineups

RANGERSBLUE JAYS
Joc Pederson – DHGeorge Springer – DH
Wyatt Langford – CFErnie Clement – SS
Corey Seager – SSVladimir Guerrero – 1B
Brandon Nimmo – RFKazuma Okamoto – 3B
Jake Burger – 1BAlejandro Kirk – C
Ezequiel Duran – 3BNathan Lukes – RF
Alejandro Osuna – LFDavis Schneider – LF
Kyle Higashioka – CMyles Straw – CF
Nicky Lopez – 2BLuis Urias – 2B
MacKenzie Gore – LHPKevin Gausman – RHP

Craig Counsell says Cubs' defense can benefit David Peterson as southpaw looks to turn season around

The Cubs needed to make a move for a starting pitcher after losing two in the last week, and when Mets southpaw David Peterson became available, the deal was done.

Cubs president Jed Hoyer said Peterson's name was someone they've been talking about as a potential trade target for "quite a while," and his manager echoed those sentiments when talking about the team's newest acquisition.

"This is something we’ve been talking about for a while. And from a timing perspective, we have some needs," Craig Counsell said ahead of Thursday's series finale. "But we’re hopeful we can get a starting pitcher that can solidify some things in a time of need for us and hopefully give him a fresh start and get back to some of the success he’s had."

A fresh start is something Peterson and the Mets needed. After struggling earlier this season, Peterson found himself yo-yoing between the rotation and bullpen as the Mets tried to cobble together viable starters. Through 16 games (eight starts), Peterson is 3-6 with a 6.09 ERA after being an All-Star a season ago. With Peterson set to take the mound for Chicago this weekend in Milwaukee, Counsell and the Cubs are hopeful they can unlock that All-Star caliber pitcher. 

When asked how the Cubs' infield defense can help, Counsell boasted his team's skill in that department. 

"This is a pitcher among the league leaders of getting the ball on the ground. The ball is going to be in play and that’s something we’re good at," Counsell said. "This is the strength of our team, is playing defense and converting balls into outs. He’s the type of pitcher who benefits most from defense." 

This season, Peterson has a 53 percent groundball percentage, which is in the 89th percentile in MLB, according to Baseball Savant. The Cubs are an MLB-best 37 OAA -- the Mets are 20th with -8. The Cubs have committed 31 errors, tied for the fifth-fewest in MLB, while the Mets have committed 51, tied for the fourth-most in baseball. 

Those numbers were inflated after the Mets' six-error game in the second of their doubleheader on Wednesday night. 

"There’s always going to be some tweaks that you try to make," Counsell said when asked how the Cubs can help Peterson. "Baseball is a team game. One of the ways that we think we can help him is to provide something that is important to him that we do pretty well."

The Cubs entered Thursday with a 0.5-game lead over the Padres for the third and final Wild Card spot.

New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox: Cam Schlittler vs. Connelly Early

DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Paul Goldschmidt #48 (R) of the New York Yankees celebrates his solo home run with Chad Bohling, senior director of organizational performance, in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Fresh off a win over the back-to-back American League Cy Young Award winner to clinch the series in Detroit, the Yankees head to Boston with Cam Schlittler set to take the ball in the opener of a four-game series at Fenway. We are almost to the midway point of the season, and through five meetings the first-place Yankees hold a 4-1 edge in the season series over the Red Sox. Do not forget, one game was rained out a few weeks ago and will be made up in August.

Boston counters tonight with the Robin, thus far, in Schlittler’s Batman story: Connelly Early. The last time these two faced off was Schlittler’s breakout performance back in October. We all remember how that went! But just so we can all see that final line one more time, Schlittler went eight scoreless frames while striking out 12 batters on 107 beautiful pitches. Early went 3.2 innings and struck out six but gave up four runs (three earned), the defense behind him offering no favors in a sloppy fourth.

Early has been good this season, entering tonight at 6-5 with a 3.64 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. However, the month of June has not been as kind to the young lefty. During the month, opponents have hit .293 against him, and he has surrendered five home runs in 20.2 innings, leading to a 5.66 ERA.

On the flip side, June has also been Schlittler’s least dominant month of the season. When you are a Cy Young frontrunner, though, those numbers still look pretty good. This month Schlittler is 1-1 over four starts with a 2.35 ERA. Most of the damage came against Cleveland, and over his last three starts he has tossed 15.2 innings while allowing only two runs. In two starts against Boston this season, Schlittler has allowed just two runs in 13.2 innings.

In the batter’s box, the Yankees have held their own as injuries have tested the organization’s depth. Since Aaron Judge landed on the injured list, the Yankees have gone 11-9, a pace that would translate to roughly 90 wins over a full season. Though the offense has been volatile, including being shut out four times this month, it is still averaging 4.65 runs per game, a mark that would rank inside the top 10 in baseball this season.

Paul Goldschmidt has shown everyone he is not ready for the rocking chair on the front porch just yet. He has surged to a 1.050 OPS in June with eight home runs. Including two yesterday off of Tarik Skubal. On the season, Goldy is hitting .408 against left-handed pitching, and 8 of his 14 home runs have come against southpaws. When the Yankees have needed him most, the veteran has not only stepped up but has performed at an MVP-caliber level since the Captain went down.

Boston’s offense owns a .244 team batting average, ranking 15th in the majors. Its .312 on-base percentage ranks 23rd, and its 64 home runs rank second-to-last. The Red Sox looked better toward the end of May but have stumbled to a 7-12 record in June.

Boston’s hottest hitter this month has been erstwhile Baby Bomber Caleb Durbin, who is slashing .317/.343/.587. Another previous Yankee, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, has also contributed. IKF had an uninspiring April, a solid May, and has been about what you would expect in June: slightly below league average, which is pretty typical IKF (though he’s now injured). Just to finish the note, Boston will start three consecutive former Yankee farmhands tonight in Durbin, Anthony Seigler, and Carlos Narváez at 6-7-8.

The southpaw Early means a lofty spot for lefty killer Amed Rosario, who bats third. Partner-in-crime Goldschmidt will lead off, and while Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger are also in the top four, they can handle lefties, too. The lineup is fairly straightforward from there. Austin Wells gets the nod behind the plate over J.C. Escarra, batting ninth.

Every Schlittler start feels like a gift. Every chance to watch him face a last-place Red Sox club is just the bow on top. Bombers in Beantown, let the showdown begin!

How to watch

Location: Fenway Park — Boston, MA

First pitch: 7:10 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, NESN, MLB Network

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280, WEEI 93.7

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

For updates, follow us on BlueSkyTwitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros, 6:40 p.m.

Detroit Tigers third baseman Kevin McGonigle (7) bats a single against New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Detroit Tigers (34-45) vs. Houston Astros (39-43)

Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: The Crawfish Boxes
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (4-0, 2.56 ERA) vs. RHP Tatsuya Imai (4-3, 6.15 ERA)

PlayerGIPK%BB%GB%FIPfWAR
Melton531.215.27.243.25.410.0
Imai1041.026.513.345.64.710.3

Lineups

ASTROSTIGERS
Jeremy Pena – SSKevin McGonigle – DH
Yordan Alvarez – DHKerry Carpenter – RF
Isaac Paredes – 3BDillon Dingler – C
Christian Walker – 1BRiley Greene – LF
Jose Altuve – 2BColt Keith – 3B
Joey Loperfido – LFSpencer Torkelson – 1B
Cam Smith – RFZach McKinstry – SS
Taylor Trammell – CFJames Outman – CF
Christian Vazquez – CHao-Yu Lee – 2B

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MLB All-Star Game starters: Full finalists list revealed after voting phase 1

Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is about three weeks away and Phase 1 of voting is over. While fans will still have time to vote for their favorite players, only finalists will be available for voting to start in this year's game from now on.

Two players at each infield position, plus a designated hitter and six outfielders, are now the only players capable of starting this year's All-Star Game, with the leading vote-getters in each league from Phase 1 earning automatic bids into the All-Star Game.

So who earned those automatic bids, and which players are still in the voting pool ahead of the Midsummer Classic? Here are the finalists at each position.

2026 MLB All-Star Finalists

*- indicates leading vote-getter from Phase 1 (guaranteed starter for All-Star Game)

American League

Catcher:

  • ATH Shea Langeliers
  • TOR Alejandro Kirk

First base:

  • TOR Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  • NYY Ben Rice

Second base:

  • TOR Ernie Clement*

Third base:

  • TOR Kazuma Okamoto
  • TBR Junior Caminero

Shortstop:

  • KCR Bobby Witt Jr.
  • TOR Andres Gimenez

Outfield:

  • NYY Aaron Judge
  • LAA Mike Trout
  • MIN Byron Buxton
  • NYY Cody Bellinger
  • TOR Jesús Sanchez
  • TOR Daulton Varsho

Designated hitter:

  • HOU Yordan Alvarez
  • TOR George Springer

National League

Catcher:

  • ATL Drake Baldwin
  • LAD Will Smith

First base:

  • LAD Freddie Freeman
  • ATL Matt Olson

Second base:

  • ATL Ozzie Albies
  • PHI Bryson Stott

Third base:

  • LAD Max Muncy
  • PHI Alec Bohm

Shortstop:

  • WSH CJ Abrams
  • LAD Mookie Betts

Outfield:

  • LAD Andy Pages
  • PHI Brandon Marsh
  • ATL Ronald Acuña Jr.
  • LAD Teoscar Hernández
  • NYM Juan Soto
  • ATL Michael Harris II

Designated hitter:

  • LAD Shohei Ohtani*

When does Phase 2 of voting begin?

Phase 2 of voting begins on Monday, June 29 at noon ET. Fans will have just three days to cast their votes from the group of finalists before starters are determined. Votes from Phase 1 do not carry over into Phase 2, so everyone gets a fresh slate.

Starters will be announced on Saturday, July 4, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Who made the cut after phase 1 of MLB 2026 All-Star Game voting?

Rays Reacts Results: How should the Rays improve?

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 25: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates his home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fifth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 25, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Another week, another reminder that being a Rays fan means constantly screaming into the void about depth (I assume you saw Matz goes back to the IL) while the front office continues to do its best impression of a magician pulling rabbits out of hats.

We threw up the latest Rays Reacts survey asking the community the big question of adding to the depth (or a the starting lineup!), and as we sit at 45-33 and in the thick of the AL East & wild card picture, let’s see the results.

A majority — 52% — want the team to get aggressive in the trade market on both sides of the ball. That tracks with what we’ve been seeing on the field and in the comments.

Despite all but three bats in the lineup going ice cold lately…

…the Rays are still sitting pretty (+7 GB) in the wild card mix, and using the season long view the window feels open.

Will the Rays make the playoffs? You can wager on that opinion with our friends at FanDuel, who sponsored this post!

Go Rays

Washington Nationals vs Philadelphia Phillies

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 24: José Tena #8 (L) and CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals wait for their turns to bat in the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park on June 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Nats have lost in truly heartbreaking fashion back to back nights. However, they still have a chance to salvage a split tonight. It will be a tall task though. Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez is on the mound, and he is having a truly special season.

The big news for the Nats is that CJ Abrams is out again with his side injury. Blake Butera did say he was available off the bench though. That means Nasim Nunez will play shortstop, Jorbit Vivas will be at second and Curtis Mead is at third. With a lefty on the mound, Andres Chaparro will play first. James Wood will DH and Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews will be in the outfield. Cade Cavalli looks to bounce back from a rough outing in Tampa.

Kyle Schwarber is back in the lineup for the Phillies at DH. Bryce Harper will move to first and Alec Bohm is back at third base. There is no Edmundo Sosa in the lineup today with the righty on the mound. As mentioned up top, the Phillies will have their ace Cristopher Sanchez on the bump

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Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nats should be looking to finish the sweep, but unfortunately that is not the case because the bullpen is a flaming pile of garbage. A split would help bring some of the good vibes back though. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.

Atlanta Braves off day chat and discussion: June 25

SAN DIEGO, CA - JUNE 24: Mauricio Dubón #14 of the Atlanta Braves looks on from the dugout during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Emma Steinberg/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Hoo boy, it has suddenly gotten tense in Braves Country. The Atlanta Braves are on a serious skid and it doesn’t help that their once-massive lead in the division has already been cut significantly as well. A spark (and maybe some major acquisitions ahead of the trade deadline) is needed at the moment so that hopefully this thing can get back rocking and rolling for our Braves.

In the meantime, we’ve got an off day here so now it’s time to relax and enjoy things before things get tense again for tomorrow’s action.

What am I watching?

USA! USA! USA! USA! The United States Men’s National Team (or USMNT for short) is in action tonight in their final match of the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They’ll be kicking off against Türkiye at the same time as Paraguay faces Australia and the good news is that since the USMNT has already won the group, the pressure is off a little bit and they can use this as a bit of a tune-up for the knockout rounds. As long as nobody gets hurt, any result is okay but I think we all want to see the US go ahead and make it three wins in a row, right? Kickoff is at 10:00 p.m. ET on the nose.

If nothing in the above paragraph appealed to you at all, there’s still good ol’ fashioned baseball on. The hate-watch is obviously taking place in Washington as the Phillies face the Nationals but with the way things are going now, all that’s going to do is make you upset as the Phillies continue to play at a scorching-hot pace. That game starts at 6:45 p.m. ET.

The other hate-watch is taking place in New York, where the Mets will be taking on the Cubs. Old friend Dansby Swanson essentially torched the Mets yesterday as he racked up a whopping 11 RBI across two games yesterday. You can take a guy out of Atlanta but you can’t take the Atlanta (aka taking great joy in beating up on the Mets) out of the guy, eh? First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET.

So yeah, there’s the guide for tonight. You can choose your own journey, I’m not your boss. Let us know what you’re doing or how you’re feeling or if we should just let the Earth swallow us up into a bottomless pit so we can just navigate the abyss. Have a good evening, y’all!

Astros at Tigers Game Discussion: 6/25/2026

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JUNE 19: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park on June 19, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (39-43) begin a 4-game series vs. the Detroit Tigers (34-46) at Comerica Park tonight.

RHP Tatsuya Imai (4-3, 6.15 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. Tigers RHP Troy Melton (4-0, 2.56 ERA). Tonight will be Imai’s 1st career appearance vs. the Tigers.

ROAD TRIPPIN: Tonight is the 4th game (2-1 thus far) of a 7-game road trip for the Astros. They were 2-1 at TOR on the 1st stop of the trip.

Road Recovery: The Astros are 12-7 in their last 3 road trips combined. They have have posted an 18-13 record on the road since going 1-9 on their 1st road trip of the 2026 season.

Road Bats: The Astros are T-1st in the AL in road batting avg. at .251. They also rank 2nd in road HR (56), SLG (.417) and OPS (.740) and 3rd in OBP (.326).

ASTROS-TIGERS: The Astros took 2 of 3 games from the Tigers last week at Daikin Park (June 15-17). The 2 clubs will play all 7 of their scheduled games between June 15-28. In 2025, the Astros and Tigers finished with identical 87-75 records, with the Tigers earning the final AL Wild Card spot due to winning the season series vs. HOU.

Recent Success: Since 2022, the Astros are 18-10 vs. DET with a 7-4 record at Comerica Park.

ABOUT IMAI: RHP Tatsuya Imai will make his 11th start of the season tonight and the 1st of his career vs. DET.

In his last start on June 19, Imai tallied a career-high 11 K’s en route to a 9-3 win vs. CLE (6 IP, 3 H, 3 ER).

Solid Stretch: Since May 25, Imai is 3-1 in his 5 starts with a 4.56 ERA (12 ER/23.2IP) with 27 K’s in 23.2 IP.

The No-No: Imai was the starting pitcher in the Astros combined no-hitter on May 25 at TEX, hurling 6.0 hitless innings on that historic night. In January, the Astros signed Imai to a three-year deal. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the NPB in Japan, where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros have now won 4 cons. series for the 1st time in 2026, posting an 8-4 record in that span. The last time that the Astros won that many series in a row was when they won 5 straight, from June 20-July 6 of last season (went 12-3 in that stretch). Adding to that note from last season, the Astros did not lose a series between May 22-July 6, going 13 consecutive series without losing one (11-0-2 in series during that stretch).

CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are now 16-10 in 2-run games, 8-4 in 1-run games and 4-4 in extra innings.

ROSTER MOVE: Effective today, the Astros reinstated RHP Bryan Abreu from the Restricted List. LHP Colton Gordon was optioned to Triple A Sugar Land following last night’s game.

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, over the last month or so (May 21-June 24), the Astros are 19-12 (.613), which is the 2nd-best record in the AL in that span.

Top Records since May 21 (AL)

1. NYY: 18-11 (.621)

2. HOU: 19-12 (.613)

RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 3 of 4, 6 of 8 and 8 of their last 12 games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid 1st half to his season, currently leading all of baseball with a 1.069 OPS. Additionally, he leads the AL in SLG (.634), OBP (.435), TB (185), is T-1st in HR (25), 2nd in batting avg. (.322) and T-2nd in RBI (56).

Alvarez, who was the AL Player of the Month for May, is hitting .382 (29×76) in June with 5 HR and 17 RBI with a 1.121 OPS (.489 OBP/.632 SLG).

ALL-STAR VOTING: Yordan Alvarez leads all AL DH’s in All-Star voting, per MLB’s update on Monday. His 1,974,459 votes rank 2nd in the AL and 3rd overall in the Majors.

PEN PALS: Since May 15, the Astros bullpen has been one of the best in the AL, posting a 2.75 clip (41ER/134IP) in that span. The Astros are 22-15 since May 15.

OKERT’S 0’s: LHP Steven Okert has not allowed a run in his last 17.0 innings, which is the longest scoreless streak by an Astros hurler this season and the 3rd-longest by a reliever in the Majors this season. In his current streak, which spans 14 appearances, and began on May 23 at CHC, Okert has allowed just 8 hits in those 17.0 innings pitched.

Longest 2026 Scoreless Streaks – Relievers

1. Luke Weaver: 21.1 IP (active)

2. Chad Patrick: 18.1 IP

3. Steve Okert: 17.0 IP (active)*

*Okert’s streak is the longest by a LH reliever in ‘26.

HADERADE: In his 10 appearances since coming of the IL on June 3, opponents are just 2×32 off LHP Josh Hader. Hader has posted a 0.90 ERA (1ER/10IP) and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities (.063 opp. avg., .040 WHIP).

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2022 – In the Bronx, 3 Astros hitters combine for a masterful, 3-0 no-hitter over the Yankees. RHP Cristian Javier is the main cog, punching out 13 batters with just 1 walk in 7.0 innings of work. RHP Hector Neris hurls a hitless 8th inning and RHP Ryan Pressly hurls a hitless 9th to preserve the no-hitter. Jose Altuve and J.J. Matijevic each hit solo HRs to provide the offense.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, June 25, 5:40 p.m. CT

Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

TV: SCHN

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Mets vs Cubs, 6/25/26: Peralta vs Boyd

CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 17: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets pitches in the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 17, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Mets lineup

Carson Benge – RF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Juan Soto – DH
Mark Vientos – 1B
Francisco Alvarez – C
A.J. Ewing – CF
Ronny Mauricio – SS
MJ Melendez – LF
Brett Baty – 2B

SP: Freddy Peralta – RHP

Cubs lineup

Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
Michael Conforto – RF
Michael Busch – 1B
Alex Bregman – 3B
Ian Happ – LF
Nico Hoerner – 2B
Pedro Ramirez – DH
Miguel Amaya – C
Dansby Swanson – SS

SP: Matthew Boyd – LHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

Game 81 Game Day Thread – Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays

Jun 24, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) celebrates his home run against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers @ Toronto Blue Jays

Thursday, June 25, 2026, 6:07 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Rogers Centre

LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. RHP Kevin Gausman

Today’s Lineups

RANGERSBLUE JAYS
Joc Pederson – DHGeorge Springer – DH
Wyatt Langford – CFErnie Clement – SS
Corey Seager – SSVladimir Guerrero – 1B
Brandon Nimmo – RFKazuma Okamoto – 3B
Jake Burger – 1BAlejandro Kirk – C
Ezequiel Duran – 3BNathan Lukes – RF
Alejandro Osuna – LFDavis Schneider – LF
Kyle Higashioka – CMyles Straw – CF
Nicky Lopez – 2BLuis Urias – 2B
MacKenzie Gore – LHPKevin Gausman – RHP

Go Rangers!

What we learned as Harper caps Phillies' comeback trilogy, nostalgic first half

What we learned as Harper caps Phillies' comeback trilogy, nostalgic first half originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

WASHINGTON — The Phillies reached the season’s halfway point Thursday with a familiar feel.

Four years ago, another Phillies club ended its first half against Washington after climbing out of an early hole, undergoing a managerial change and beginning a run that carried it to a National League pennant.

That 2022 team concluded the first 81 games at 43-38.

This one left Nationals Park at 45-36.

The similarities only grew after the Phillies erased a five-run deficit to beat Washington, 10-5, completing a three-game comeback trilogy that kept topping itself.

They scored two runs in the sixth, three in the seventh and four in the ninth. Bryce Harper, channeling his inner “Showman,” hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth to cap their third straight comeback win and a wild series against the Nationals.

They became the first team in MLB history to hit go-ahead homers in three consecutive games, and scored the most ninth-inning runs in a three game span of any Phillies team ever.

Absurd.

The Phillies were 9-19 less than two months ago. They have gone 36-17 since, moving within four games of first place in the National League East as Atlanta has lost 10 of its last 13.

Thursday did not look like it would extend the run.

Cristopher Sánchez, of all pitchers, allowed five runs over the first three innings. The Phillies had struggled to get anything going against Nationals starter Cade Cavalli.

Then Brandon Marsh got a pitch to drive.

CHIP AWAY, CHIP AWAY

It felt fitting that Marsh broke the Phillies’ scoreless seal.

After Harper singled with one out in the sixth, Marsh jumped on a low-and-in changeup from Cavalli and drove it into the right-field seats for a two-run homer.

It was Marsh’s eighth hit of the series, fourth extra-base hit and third homer.

Earlier Thursday, Marsh was named a National League All-Star finalist after Phase 1 voting ended. This series offered another reminder of what has fueled his breakout season.

“I got some pitches to do some damage with and take advantage of in this series,” Marsh said. “It’s not gonna always be like that, so you definitely got to take it when you get it.”

The Phillies were still down three entering the seventh.

Justin Crawford began the inning with his second hit of the day, only his sixth hit this season against a left-hander. Trea Turner followed with a single, extending his streak to three straight multihit games.

Then the Phillies changed the inning without putting a ball in play.

Kyle Schwarber walked. Harper and Marsh each drew bases-loaded walks after Clayton Beeter entered.

Suddenly, it was 5-4.

Alec Bohm tied the game by beating out a potential inning-ending double play. Bryson Stott worked another walk. J.T. Realmuto grounded out to end the inning despite Curtis Mead hesitating on his throw after the Phillies’ catcher stumbled on his way down the line.

Mattingly said the inning started with an effort to get traffic on the bases before Schwarber and Harper came up.

“We were very patient there in the seventh,” Mattingly said. “We wanted to get some action before Schwarber and Harp got up. Crawford gets a hit, Trea gets a hit, then you’re in the zone. Schwarber walks, Harper walks and it kind of snowballed.”

The Phillies entered the inning with little momentum. They left it with another chance.

A RARE ROUGH DAY FOR SÁNCHEZ

Sánchez’s scoreless streak reached 50 2/3 innings earlier this season. Since it ended, he has posted a 4.98 ERA over four starts and allowed at least four runs twice.

His command was not as sharp as usual Thursday.

Curtis Mead opened the scoring with a first-inning homer off a sinker that leaked back over the plate. Sánchez then hit Andrés Chaparro before allowing consecutive singles to Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile. Jacob Young brought home another run with a soft chopper, and Nasim Nuñez added a two-out RBI single.

Sánchez relied on his slider 28 percent of the time, his second-highest usage of the pitch this season. He allowed five earned runs in five innings with one walk and six strikeouts, raising his ERA to 2.13.

He stayed in long enough to cover five innings after the rough start.

“He hangs in there and gets us through five,” Mattingly said. “He kind of got better as the game went along. His pitch count just got a little deep for us.”

Sánchez did not view the outing as a physical issue.

“I missed a couple pitches and they got me,” Sánchez said. “Outside of that, I felt great today. Everything was good.”

His teammates gave him a different ending than the one he expected after the third inning.

“It motivates us a lot,” Sánchez said. “After a rough start like today, them picking me up like that, that’s motivating.”

THE STAGE WAS SET FOR BRYCE

The Phillies had already climbed back from five-plus runs Tuesday.

They had been down to their final strike Wednesday before Derek Hill’s go-ahead homer.

On Thursday, after the seventh-inning rally tied the game, Harper came to the plate in the ninth with a chance to finish it.

The right-field upper deck had spent much of the night chanting at the former National.

Harper heard it. With “eff you” chants raining down from the ‘tarps-off’ group, he sat on a 1-0 changeup and drove it the other way for a go-ahead two-run homer.

He gestured toward the crowd as he rounded the bases, later clarifying it was his ring finger. He knows this place quite well.

“It’s a fan base I sweated for, for seven years,” Harper said. “There’s a lot of people over there within that organization I respect, a lot of workers around the ballpark, and I still love them.

“But it’s all part of it. It’s all fun.”

The crowd noise has never kept Harper from leaning into a moment.

“I love it,” Harper said.

Mattingly sees those environments as a natural fit for Harper.

“He’s not afraid of the stage,” Mattingly said. “He’s been in it his whole life. I don’t think the stage bothers him. I think it probably motivates him when people get on him and stuff like that. I think it’s probably something he feeds off of a little bit.”

Harper’s homer gave the Phillies their first lead of the afternoon. Realmuto followed with a double off the wall, then Hill added another home run, giving the Phillies breathing room and allowing Mattingly to stay away from Jhoan Duran.

Harper placed the game-winning swing within the full rally that came before it.

“Once you get down 5-0, it’s definitely tough,” Harper said. “But we just got to keep fighting and going back, and we’ve done that.

Three nights. Three comeback wins. Three different players delivering go-ahead homers.

THE ’22 FEEL

The 2022 comparison remains imperfect. Harper said this group is different from the one that went to the World Series.

But the setting, record and timing are hard to ignore.

Bohm was part of that 2022 turnaround. Thursday left him looking at a club in a far better place from the early stages of the season.

“We’re definitely in a lot better spot than we could be, given how we started,” Bohm said. “This is what we knew we were capable of.”

The three games in Washington reflected the larger turnaround, with contributions coming from everywhere.

“It’s kind of the same thing you see in these last three games,” Bohm said. “We’re down five, we’re down three, we’re down two, whatever it is late in the game, and we string something together. It’s the whole roster, guys coming off the bench, shoving down the lineup. It’s everybody chipping in.”

The Phillies did not coast into the second half.

They fought their way there, and now, they could be the most battle tested group in the sport.

“You can’t just flip the switch in this game,” Bohm said. “I think this group’s shown that we can do it. We’ve definitely fought back from a pretty good hole we dug ourselves into, and I think we can draw on that when it comes down to later in the year.”