After a three-game absence, Ha-Seong Kim returns to the Braves lineup for Sunday afternoon’s series finale in Cincinnati.

Kim, who has struggled to generate momentum with a .095 batting average and no extra-base hits in 12 games and 42 at-bats after starting the season on the injured list, is getting another chance to break out after a breather of sorts to work out of his slump. He’ll hit eighth and play short.

That doesn’t come at the expense of Jorge Mateo sitting, however. Mateo, who has been filling in for Kim, will be the designated hitter for the second time this week to keep his productive bat in the lineup. Mateo is 6-for-16 (.375) with four RBIs in the last four games and delivered his third homer in Saturday night’s win. He’ll hit just ahead of Kim in the seventh spot in the lineup.

Austin Riley is also back in the lineup, hitting sixth and playing third after missing his second start of the season on Saturday. That moves Mauricio Dubon, who filled in on Saturday, back to left field.

Chadwick Tromp is also getting his turn at catcher and hitting ninth in the series finale as Atlanta goes for a sweep to complete what would be a 5-1 road trip.

Braves starter Spencer Strider (3-0, 3.46 ERA) has faced the Reds three times but hasn’t done so since 2023. That limits the number of current Cincinnati players who have faced him to just five. Nathaniel Lowe has a team-high six at-bats against the right-hander but only one hit (.167). TJ Friedl (2-for-3) and Eugenio Suarez (2-for-4) have had more success in a smaller sample size, with Suarez providing the only extra-base hits off Strider in a pair of doubles.

Overall, Cincinnati’s hitters are a combined 7-for-18 against Strider (.389) with four RBIs, seven strikeouts and one walk.

The Reds are moving JJ Bleday up three spots to the three-hole of the lineup after he provided their only real offense of the game with a two-run homer in Saturday’s 5-2 loss. Slugging rookie Sal Stewart drops a spot to the cleanup role.

Additionally, leadoff hitter Blake Dunn moves from right field to center, replacing TJ Friedl, who will sit. Will Benson — who is in a 2-for-23 slump — gets the start in right and will hit eighth. P.J. Higgins also replaces Tyler Stephenson behind the plate for his seventh start of the season, hitting ninth.

Reds starter Nick Lodolo has one career start against the Braves last year, giving him a limited but scattered experience against the Braves’ current hitters. No one has more than four at-bats against him (Kim, 1-for-4) and no one has more than one hit or one RBI off him.

Riley has a double and Michael Harris II has a triple, as Braves hitters are a combined 5-for-24 against Lodolo (.208) with three RBIs, 10 strikeouts and two walks.

The smoldering Ronald Acuña Jr., who has four homers in the last three games, has never faced Lodolo.

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The Philadelphia Phillies face the Los Angeles Dodgers this afternoon in a series-deciding game. 

My Phillies vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks have Yoshinobu Yamamoto cruising with his splitter-lead approach against a Philadelphia lineup struggling at the dish.

Who will win Phillies vs Dodgers today: Dodgers -1.5 (-108)

World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws his splitter more than any other pitch for a reason — it’s devastating. Opponents have a .173 average and .219 wOBA against the offering.

The Philadelphia Phillies have the fourth-worst runs above average per 100 splitters seen (-1.76), and the third-lowest wRC+ (76) and highest strikeout rate (25.2%) against right-handed pitchers in the last 20 days. 

Yamamoto will cook with his splitter, while the lineup behind him (league-high 121 wRC+ in the L20) will tag up Andrew Painter (5.40 ERA). Given the discrepancies in starting pitching and hitting, I’d play this up to -120.

COVERS INTEL: Philadelphia has the sixth-lowest contact rate and the eighth-highest O-Swing rate in the last 20 days. Yamamoto will pile up whiffs (78th percentile) against this ice-cold lineup..

Phillies vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+107)

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’ve recommended the Under in the first two games of this series, and both hit, so let’s go for a third. 

Philadelphia has cashed the Under in eight consecutive games, scoring no more than four runs in any of those games and posting a league-worst 55 wRC+ and .251 wOBA. 

The Phillies have the best bullpen SIERA (2.31) in the last 20 days, and the Dodgers have the third-best FIP (3.13).

I have to bite with plus money available on the Under and multiple data points pointing in that direction.

Phillies vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Phillies +185 | Dodgers -225
• Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-110) | Dodgers -1.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5

Phillies vs Dodgers trend

The Phillies are 1-7 straight up and 2-6 against the run line in Andrew Painter’s last eight starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Phillies vs Dodgers and game info

Phillies vs Dodgers latest injuries

Phillies vs Dodgers weather

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The San Diego Padres have had an abundance of problems lately. Their offense has been rough, to say the least. Their starting pitching doesn’t look particularly great. But their bullpen has locked it down. On Saturday against the Washington Nationals, they did not.

After Michael King pitched six beautiful innings, he returned for the seventh and struggled. After giving up a leadoff single to CJ Abrams, José Tena reached on a fielder’s choice that failed to record the out. King lost control after that, issuing a walk to load the bases with no outs before hitting Dylan Crews with a pitch to make it a one-run game.

King likely should have come out before that ever took place, but with the bullpen taxed from Friday’s series opener and King sitting at a low pitch count, he continued to pitch and it led to the monstrosity that would eventually play out.

Bradgley Rodriguez came in and had the worst outing of his MLB career. He induced a ground ball from Drew Millas that should have been a double play. However, Xander Bogaerts failed to touch second base and Crews slid hard into the bag, forcing Bogaerts to fall over.

It only got worse from there. Manager Craig Stammen received the first ejection of his Padres tenure before Rodriguez walked in another run. An out was finally recorded with James Wood striking out and it seemed like the damage might finally be over.

But then Luis García Jr. hit a single to score two runners, making the score 6-3, Washington. Daylen Lile grounded into an RBI force out and Abrams came back up to finally end the inning by striking out. It was a dismal performance from Rodriguez in what has been a phenomenal rookie year thus far.

However, with all that in mind, the Friars slugged three homers and one of them was Fernando Tatis Jr. to end his season-long drought. Good things did happen for the Padres, but that one inning cost them the game. They’ll face off today in the rubber match against the Nationals.

Taking the mound

Zack Littell (WAS) v. Griffin Canning (SD)

Littell was a surprising signing by the Nats this offseason. The righty spent more time on the free agency board than most expected and had to settle for a one-year, $7 million contract with the club.

He hasn’t exactly rewarded that, posting a 5.23 ERA in 53 1/3 innings. But Littell has looked good lately, giving up just three runs over his last 17 innings pitched.

Despite Canning having a phenomenal outing in his last start, he lost because San Diego failed to score a run against the Philadelphia Phillies. Across 6 2/3 innings, Canning only surrendered three runs.

He’s looked better lately after getting off to a rough start. Canning has been saddled with a 7.54 ERA that doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s had some tough luck with balls in play but has performed serviceably. He shouldn’t have any trouble limiting this Washington lineup.

Batter up!

It was beautiful to see Tatis break his homerless streak. It’s been rough going, but the slugger has heated up lately. Tatis is batting .481/.548/.630 with an OPS over 1.000 in his last seven games. Here’s hoping the home runs come in bunches.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Gavin Sheets, 1B
3. Miguel Andujar, DH
4. Manny Machado, 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Jackson Merrill, CF
7. Ramón Laureano, LF
8. Nick Castellanos, RF
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Machado, despite his lack of hits (.178 batting average), managed to mash his team-leading 10th homer of the season in Saturday’s game. He owns a .333 career average against Littell (12 at-bats).

The Padres have historically hit Littell well, with a combined .338 batting average and 1.148 OPS against the righty (74 at-bats). If they can rake against him today, a San Diego series victory would be markedly easier.

Relief corps

With the bullpen taxed after Friday’s game, the Friars only used Rodriguez and Wandy Peralta to finish out the game. That ended with an uncharacteristic implosion, but it shouldn’t today.

The Padres have plenty of options to turn to if Canning falters. Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada, Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon are all available to pitch in relief. If San Diego can clinch the rubber match, Miller will surely come in to pitch the save.

The piggyback is the best thing going for the Mariners’ rotation right now.

The Mariners on Sunday will use Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo in a tandem start against the Diamondbacks. Miller will get the ball first and pitch for a while, then Castillo will come out of the bullpen to finish the job. It’s the third attempt at this strategy, and it’s likely the final one for at least a couple weeks. To be entirely up front, I hope it comes back.

I assume you know the story. Miller began the year on the injured list. Emerson Hancock took his spot, as he has in the past. But unlike the past, Hancock has been good — so good that it would be unconscionable to remove him from the rotation. That meant when the Miller returned, there was no natural, five-man rotation spot for him to claim. The Mariners have George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Logan Gilbert as their main trio (with Hancock threatening to make it a quartet), and they have Castillo as their once-great veteran to round out the group. It’s not the best rotation in the league, but it’s a unique rotation, with four or five good starters and no true holes. 

This dynamic created a handful of options: 

1. Keep Miller in Tacoma after his rehab stint was up
2. Release or trade a starter
3. Move a starter to the bullpen
4. Adopt a six-slot rotation
5. Create a tandem start out of a five-slot rotation

The Mariners went with option five, asking Miller and Castillo to “piggyback” their outings, with one throwing half the game and the other taking what remains. They’ve done it twice, and both times it worked. The first, Miller started and Castillo relieved. The Mariners lost because they only scored one run, but together they combined for eight innings, 11 strikeouts, two hits and two runs. The second, Castillo started and Miller relieved. They covered all nine innings with 10 strikeouts, seven hits, and two runs allowed.

The tandem through two starts has thrown 17 innings with a 2.11 ERA, 2.34 FIP, 11.7 K/9, and 2.6 BB/9. That would be the Mariners best starter. The sample size is meaningless, and these numbers will be different by supper time. But there’s a reason it’s working, and there’s a reason it needs to.

The Mariners on the first turn through a lineup have a league-best 2.70 FIP. They’re striking out batters, limiting walks, and justifying their reputation as a dominant pitching organization. It’s across the board, too. Castillo, Miller — all of them — have been good on the first pass.

It gets sticky from there. On the second turn, the Mariners have been worse. This is to be expected: Batters gain an advantage the more they see a pitcher in a game. Five of the Mariners pitchers are still above average on the second pass — Woo has even gotten better — and they’re one of the best teams on this split overall. But Castillo has struggled mightily as soon as the lineup turns over, which is why he was chosen for the tandem.

The wheels come off for most of them on the third turn. The Mariners have been one of the 10 worst rotations by FIP after 18 batters, giving up lots of hard contact and homers. With their early-game excellence, no rotation has faced more batters on the third pass, making the drop quite abrupt. Note that Castillo looks a bit better on this split, but the sample is small because he’s often pulled before or during the third turn. Miller looks bad, too, though he reached the third pass just once in his first outing.

Regardless, we can see whythe Mariners would want to piggyback. They have six pitchers who’ve been great for one turn, they have five pitchers who’ve been good for two turns, and they have just two pitchers who’ve been passable late. The drop-off in quality has been an issue for this group dating back to last season (I even advocated for the piggyback over the winter).

That’s the logic of the strategy. Sticking two starters together allows the Mariners to cluster more innings around those first-pass splits and avoid both the third pass and the low-leverage bullpen. Sure, it may eat up a reliever spot, but because the piggyback can cover three or four turns through the lineup, they can get most or all the job done on their own. The piggyback and a travel day gave the Mariners bullpen two full days of rest this week, and it’s possible they could get a third with another strong performance Sunday.

This is also why I wince at the notion of a six-man rotation. It might solve the issue of needing to hoard quality starting pitchers, but it doesn’t address the fundamental, in-game longevity issue the Mariners face. It may even compound it by adding more games with starters unlikely to finish six, forcing more innings onto the low-leverage bullpen while still eliminating a reliever.

And so I’m disappointed to hear the Mariners will switch to a six-man rotation after Sunday’s piggyback, at least temporarily. The rationale is there are only three off days in June, and the arrangement will help manage their workload. They’re stalling, in other words.

Now, the issue with the piggyback — and the reason the Mariners are stalling — is it’s not popular with the guinea pigs. Miller and Castillo have each expressed dissatisfaction, and there’s been a few awkward shots of the fellas huffing and puffing in the dugout.

For Miller, it’s understandable. He’s been great, and he probably feels that he’s being punished for his injuries. That said, the Mariners aren’t wrong for holding him back initially. I wrote this winter that Miller last year showed a steep decline in velocity and release point on the third pass. It was worth being cautious, allowing him to ease back into the majors and start from a place of success.

And he has. His stuff is sharp and varied, with a massive, unpredictable arsenal chock full of plus pitches. And he’s held a mid- to high-90s fastball for as long as he’s been asked. The good and healthy version of Miller could be the Mariners best pitcher, and he looks good and healthy right now. The shift to the six-man rotation tells me the Mariners agree and are ready to see how he manages a proper workload.

Technically, this gives Castillo a sort of “prove it” period as well, but I think his fate is somewhat sealed at the bottom of the depth chart. He’s a former ace-ish pitcher in the decline phase of his career. What Castillo offers right now is something between a very good swingman and a perfectly fine spot starter. Anything more than that, he gets exposed. Anything more than that, the Mariners are worse for it. To be fair, it’s a unique situation, as Castillo would be a fine mid-rotation starter for many other teams. It’s just here where Castillo represents a notable dip.

But it’s also here where his specific skillset could be a boon. Whether it’s Miller or Hancock or even just a general, rotating piggyback, the Mariners have several pitchers who struggle deep in games. Somebody has to cover those innings, and Castillo remains a highly effective pitcher at medium length. He can still be a weapon for this team. He can still be a rock. Maybe it’s less of a piggyback, and more of a catapult.

Legitimate signs of hope have been few and far between for Washington Nationals fans since the storybook title run in 2019. Pieces being sold, starting pitching being a revolving door of mediocrity (at best) and inconsistency, and the lack of a true team identity for much of the 2020s.

2026 wasn’t viewed as a turning point going into the season. A makeshift bullpen, a rotation with some steady pieces but lacking star power, and an offense that could flash potential but still contained too many questions to be counted on. Flash forward to today, the Nats are sitting one game over .500 at 30-29 on the last day before the calendar flips to June.

The bullpen continues to leave a lot to be desired, the rotation has just two starters posting a sub-4.00 ERA, and top prospect Dylan Crews, once projected to be one of the driving forces in the lineup, has bounced between AAA and MLB.

But, with all of that being said, the Nats just continue to get it done.

They have gone 4-0-1 in their last 5 series, with a chance to improve to 5-0-1 in the series finale against San Diego on Sunday. Foster Griffin and Cade Cavalli’s return to extended big-league action has anchored the top end of the pitching staff. Multiple relievers have put together runs of being late-inning options who can be counted on.

However, the star of the show is the offense. James Wood continues to be everything Nationals’ fans could’ve hoped for and more, and CJ Abrams is not far behind him. Joey Wiemer and Keibert Ruiz have provided sufficient depth when called upon, and arguably the biggest surprise of the season, Curtis Mead, has yet to stop hammering baseballs whenever given the chance.

Whether it’s offensive explosions, gritty pitching performances, or just doing whatever is possible to add to the win column, the Nats keep doing it.

Fans are back in the stands, with some even bringing the widespread “tarps off” trend into the bleachers. The farm system is producing new developmental success stories left and right. The coaching staff seems to be building a culture worth believing in. Baseball in the nation’s capital is as exciting as it has been in years.

While the National League continues to flex its muscles as the more competitive half of MLB in the standings, the Nats have kept themselves squarely in the middle of the playoff race as the season continues into its middle stages. Sitting 2.0 games back of a playoff spot and 4.0 games clear of the team closest following them, the Miami Marlins, Washington hasn’t wavered as the contenders begin to separate themselves.

A lot can happen from now until the start of October. Seasons can collapse, trades can shake up the foundation of the league, and teams can cement themselves as true competitors as the postseason inches closer. What category the 2026 Washington Nationals will fall into remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain. This team refuses to roll over and accept its presumed identity as a rebuilding franchise.

In a sport where the impending Summer can fuel electrifying stretches from the unlikeliest of places, why not the Nats?

This week’s Braves road trip has already been a success.

They’ve won two more series, bringing their series record to 16-2-1 on the season. They became the first team to reach 40 wins with Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds, reaching a season-high 21 games above .500.

Atlanta looks to make it a 5-1 road trip in Sunday’s 1:40 p.m. EDT series finale against the Reds at the Great American Ballpark.

The Braves will give the ball to Spencer Strider (3-0, 3.46 ERA) as they look for a sweep of Cincinnati.

After a rocky, erratic season debut at Colorado, Strider has found a real rhythm in his last four starts. He’s thrown five-plus innings and allowed three runs or less in his last four starts, winning his last two and three of his last four.

He’s also posted a batting average against of .171 or lower in each of his last four starts, allowing 11 hits over 22 2/3 innings with 26 strikeouts and 10 walks.

Strider has a strong track record against the Cincinnati Reds, albeit not having faced them since 2023. He has a 1-0 record and 2.77 record in three appearances (two starts) with 25 strikeouts to three walks.

The Reds will counter with southpaw Nick Lodolo (1-1, 5.57). Like Strider with his oblique, Lodolo missed the start of the season with a blister. He made his season debut May 8, five days after Strider did and has made one fewer start (four).

Unlike Strider, Lodolo didn’t get off to a very strong delayed start, posting a 7.20 ERA and 0-1 record through his first three outings, striking out 11 and walking nine.

He’s coming off a breakthrough start, however, having thrown a season-high six innings and allowing one run on six hits, striking out seven and walking one in a 7-2 road win over the New York Mets on Monday.

Aside from chase percentage, there’s a whole lot of blue on Lodolo’s Statcast profile.

Lodolo has one career appearance against the Braves in May of 2025. He didn’t factor into the decision after allowing two runs on five hits over six innings (3.00 ERA), striking out seven and walking none in a game Atlanta won 5-4 in 11 innings.

Game Info

Game Time: Sunday, May 31st, 1:40 pm EDT

Location: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, OH

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Good morning, folks…

The Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals yesterday by a score of 7-6.

Evan Grant writes that the Rangers come from behind victory sets them up to potentially have a winning homestand.

Joc Pederson homered in the win, and is looking like the guy the Rangers thought they were signing.

Evan Carter and Alejandro Osuna were banged up on Saturday, but both appear to be no worse than day-to-day right now.

Corey Seager had a good day Saturday fielding, running and hitting, as he looks to be on track to return to game action before long.

Wyatt Langford started a rehab assignment with Round Rock on Saturday.

A pair of former Rangers — one who we have generally fond memories of, one who we don’t — were enshrined in the New York Mets Hall of Fame on Saturday.

David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.

Columbus Clippers 3, Toledo Mud Hens 1

Clippers improve to 30-25

In a game without many hits, Columbus got its biggest one in the first inning as Bo Naylor had a two-run single to score Kahlil Watson and Juan Brito.

Watson was the only Clipper who reached base safely twice, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Cooper Ingle doubled and Nolan Jones tripled and scored the other run on a sacrifice fly from Angel Genao.

Starting pitcher Pedro Avila was solid, allowing one run on three hits in 5.0 innings. He struck out seven and walked four. 

The bullpen was sensational as Jack Leftwich and Franco Aleman both pitched 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings with just one walk between them while striking out a combined five. 

Akron RubberDucks 10, Richmond Flying Squirrels 3

RubberDucks improve to 27-23

Akron got an offensive eruption with five of its 10 hits going for extra bases on Saturday. 

Joe Lampe had himself a day, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Alfonsin Rosario also was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and an outfield assist.

Alex Mooney has been playing better of late. He went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored while Jose Devers went 2-for-4 with a walk to reach base safely three times.

Starting pitcher Dylan DeLucia had his best outing of the season. He allowed one run (zero earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk in 6.0 innings, yet he didn’t get the win because Akron waited to score seven of its runs in the eighth inning.

Adam Tulloch and Hunter Stanley closed out the win with 2.1 combined scoreless innings of relief.

Lake County Captains 8, Beloit Sky Carp 3

Captains improve to 27-22

The bottom of Lake County’s lineup did all the damage on Saturday. 

Catcher Logun Clark went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk. Luke Hill went 1-for-2 with three walks and a stolen base and Maick Collado went 2-for-3 with a double and two walks.

Tommy Hawke also set the table nicely, going 1-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases while Aaron Walton doubled. 

Fresh off a strong week, Jace LaViolette backslid by going 0-for-5 with a golden sombrero.

Starting pitcher Rafe Schlesinger pitched well, allowing one run (zero earned) on three hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings.

Donovan Zsak, Izaak Martinez and Luis Flores combined for 3.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out the win.

Hill City Howlers 7, Fayetteville Woodpeckers 17

Howlers fall to 25-25

The craziest part about this game was based on the final score, you’d have thought starting pitcher Chase Mobley got drilled, but he had one of his best outings of the season. 

Mobley allowed one hit with one strikeout and no walks in 2.0 scoreless innings on 32 pitches.

Zane Petty, on the other hand, was tattooed for five runs on six hits in his 3.0 innings of work. Then reliever Aaron Savery got absolutely destroyed for seven runs on seven hits with three walks and no strikeout sin 1.1 innings. Eudry Alcantara didn’t fare much better, allowing another five runs on six hits in 1.2 innings.

Position player Yerlin Luis ended the onslaught with a scoreless ninth inning.

Offensively, Hill City had some bright spots. Yelferth Castillo had a monster game, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk.

Luis De La Cruz also had a three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and two steals and Cannon Peebles went 1-for-3 with a double, two walks and a stolen base.

Things are bleak for the New York Mets, towering walk-off home runs from MJ Melendez and a three-game win streak aside. The team has under-performed, been bitten by the injury bug, and overall has been abysmal offensively. The boom-or-bust cycle of the Steve Cohen era is trending once again toward bust in 2026. It’s painful for any fan base to accept the idea of your team being a deadline seller before the summer gets going.

Juan Soto’s continued play at an MVP level might ease some of that pain.

Soto’s last few weeks have been some of the best of his career, and he has appeared like an oasis in the desert that is the Mets’ lineup. It took Soto a while to get going after returning from an early-season calf injury that kept him out for most of April, but he has been spectacular since May 14.

Reaching base safely in the 14 games since then, Soto has been the consistent presence that you would expect from someone earning his astronomical salary. He’s has a 1.310 OPS, eight home runs, 13 RBIs, and 15 runs scored. The kind of hot streak where you could tell your friends that a home run is coming before a Soto at bat, and you just might be right.

Soto’s play as of late has been so impressive that he had Joey Votto singing his praises on a recent MLB Network appearance. Votto compared Soto to Hall of Famer Mel Ott and said that Soto is one of the most important players of the post-integration era.

“I would argue that Juan Soto may be among the best three to five best left-handed hitters of all time,” he added. “Juan Soto is playing against the best players of all time. We’re at the peak of baseball, we’re at the peak of drug testing, we’re at the peak of everything…That’s just my take and he’s been quoted saying that he thinks that he’s the best hitter of all time. I don’t think he’s out of school for that.”

Now that Soto appears to have recovered from injuries and is actively producing, the question for the last-place Mets is: Can the lineup around him help with some of the heavy lifting? So far, the answer is clear no.

New York is 22-19 in games Soto has started, but the team somehow struggles to get wins when he has a big day. In wins, Soto has an .810 OPS with four home runs, and he has a 1.162 OPS with eight home runs in losses. It couldn’t hurt for the rest of the lineup to pile on in games where Soto breaks through or find a way to make teams pay for pitching around him more often.

It can be hard for Mets fans to be positive, and that’s completely reasonable. But maybe Soto at his best and the nearing returns of Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alveraz, and Jorge Polanco can jolt this lineup enough for the club to at least claw back to .500.

If not, the chance to watch Soto is enough for the price of admission and enough to keep tuning in for the rest of the season.

Rangers 7, Royals 6

• What a weird game.
• Kumar Rocker went six shutout innings despite walking more batters (3) than he struck out (2).
• Rocker wasn’t missing bats — he got 9 swings and misses on 85 pitches — and he gave up a good amount of hard contact. And although he’s usually a ground ball pitcher, the Royals put a bunch of balls in the air against him.
• But he still kept Kansas City off the board. The biggest jam he got into was in the third inning, when a single and a pair of walks resulted in a bases loaded, two out situation, but Rocker got Salvador Perez to ground out to end the inning.
• Rocker even ended up retiring the final nine batters he faced. He left the game with a 3-0 lead, and surely, with the Rangers’ bullpen going up against a bad Royals offense, Rocker would end up with the win.
• Right?
• Of course not. Things don’t work out that easily for the Rangers.
• Tyler Alexander and Jakob Junis combined to strike out the side in the seventh. That would be much more exciting news if the Royals didn’t also bat around in the seventh, with a double, four singles and another double plating four runs and turning the 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit.
• Alexander did get credit for a Hold, however, because the Rangers were still up when he left the game. This, despite retiring just one of four batters he faced. That’s kind of funny.
• Chris Martin exacerbated things in the eighth inning, issuing a walk to start the inning and then giving up a homer to Carter Jensen.
• Chris Martin is now sporting a 7.84 ERA, a 7.56 xERA and a 6.35 FIP. That makes me sad.
• Texas had gotten on the board in the first on a Josh Jung home run, then scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth thanks to an E5 on a fielder’s choice that resulted in runners on first and second with no one out. Alejandro Osuna bunted the runners over, but in doing so hurt his finger and ultimately had to leave the game, because of course what the Rangers really need right now is more injured hitters.
• Anyway, the Rangers scored two in the fourth, with offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez singling home the second of those two runs.
• I know y’all are fired up about Nicky Lopez.
• The Rangers rallied in the eighth and were in position to tie the game, as a Jake Burger double, Ezequiel Duran walk, and Danny Jansen double made it a 6-4 game with runners on second and third and one out. Justin Foscue, pinch hitting for Lopez, popped out, and then Michael Helman, for some reason, tried a two out bunt but popped it up for the third out.
• At this point I was all prepared to talk in the thoughts post about how this is what happens when you are relying on the likes of Justin Foscue and Michael Helman to take key at bats and drive home runs late in the game. You fall short and you end up losing and that’s the way it is.
• But instead I can talk about how you should never lose hope, you should never give up, you should always keep believing.
• Joc Pederson led off the ninth with a home run, his eighth of the season, one fewer than he had all last year.
• The Rangers were suddenly down just one.
• Josh Jung smoked a ball into the hole at shortstop that Bobby Witt Jr. made a great diving stop on. Jung, not the fleetest Ranger, seemed like he’d be a dead duck at first base. Witt rushed the throw to first, however, and it went way wide, resulting in Jung getting credit for an infield single.
• Brandon Nimmo then hit a chopper back up the middle. If Lucas Erceg, the Royals reliever, lets it go past him, it is probably a double play. However, Erceg tries to make a play on it, and it caroms off his glove. Nimmo beats the throw to first for an infield single.
• Can you feel the momentum building? Were you sensing a miraculous comeback was at hand?
• Or were you convinced that this was a tease, that the Rangers were just setting things up for a heartbreaking loss?
• Jake Burger swung at a 2-0 pitch but didn’t get good wood on the ball. It ended up working out for the best, as he flared the ball the other way, just beyond the infield into right field, for a game-tying single.
• That set the stage for Ezequiel Duran, who blooped a 1-1 pitch the opposite way. It fell in front of Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone. Brandon Nimmo, at third, broke home once the ball fell in, and slid in ahead of the throw.
• Ballgame. A walk off win.
• And the first ever major league win for Peyton Gray, whose scoreless ninth inning kept the Rangers in position to make the comeback.
• Think how made Royals fans must be about this game. The Pederson homer to get the game within one. Then two infield hits, followed by a flare and a bloop, and your team lost.
• Its just the second time this season that a reliever has gotten walked off while facing at least five batters and retiring none of them. The other one was Jordan Romano against the Angels last month.
• And it is only the second time in Rangers history that the Rangers have walked it off in such a scenario. The only other time was in 2008, when Fernando Rodney faced six Rangers, retired none of them, and was walked off on a Chris Davis bases loaded single.
• Joc Pederson’s homer was 108.0 mph. Brandon Nimmo had a 104.6 mph groundout, a 104.1 mph fly out and a 102.8 mph single. Josh Jung had a 102.2 mph homer and a 101.1 mph single. Jake Burger had a 101.9 mph single.
• Kumar Rocker’s fastball topped out at 94.9 mph, averaging 93.4 mph. Tyler Alexander touched 92.7 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis hit 94.9 mph with his sinker. Chris Martin’s fastball reached 94.7 mph. Peyton Gray maxed out at 93.6 mph with his fastball.
• Let’s go sweeping on Sunday.

Dodgers minor league affiliates combined for nine home runs on Saturday.

Player of the day

James Tibbs III is running roughshod through Sugar Land, Texas this week. He hit a three-run home run and delivered an RBI single for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday night, giving him five home runs and 15 RBI in five games so far during this series.

On the season, Tibbs is hitting .317/.419/.644 and leads the Pacific Coast League with 16 home runs, 50 runs batted in, 34 extra-base hits, and 134 total bases.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Home runs ruled the day in the Comets’ win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).

In addition to Tibbs, Seby Zavala also hit a three-run home run and Jack Suwinski hit a solo shot.

Charlie Barnes started and struck out four with no walks in his five innings, and allowed one run for the win. Five innings matched his longest outing of the season, done four times with Iowa before getting claimed off waivers from the Cubs on May 9.

Double-A Tulsa

Shortstop Elijah Hainline, who had already walked three times on Saturday, hit the game-winning grand slam to cap a seven-run eighth inning in the Drillers’ comeback win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).

Josue De Paula had three hits, including two doubles, and scored three times in the win for Tulsa. Zyhir Hope and Griffin Lockwood-Powell each doubled, singled, and drove in two runs.

Patrick Copen pitched into the seventh, when he allowed his fourth run of the game and left trailing after his 6 1/3 innings, three walks, and four strikeouts.

High-A Great Lakes

The Loons only managed to score two runs, wasting a combined 14 strikeouts and only one walk by the pitching staff in a road loss to the Dayton Dragons (Reds).

Brooks Auger stretched out for his longest start since returning from the injured list in late April, going five innings with two runs allowed and a season-high seven strikeouts. Jacob Frost, the 2025 10th-round pick, piggybacked with Auger for the fifth time in the last five-plus weeks, and struck out seven of his own in three innings. The winning run for Dayton came on a two-out triple in the eighth inning and a wild pitch from Frost.

Class-A Ontario

The Tower Buzzers joined the power party with five home runs of their own to rout the Visalia Oaks (D-backs). Ontario scored six runs in the fourth inning, three in the fifth, and five more in the sixth.

Ching-Hsien Ko didn’t homer, but he did reach base five times with two singles, a double, and three walks, and scored three times. Catcher Anson Aroz reached base four times, including a three-run home run, and scored three times. Jaron Elkins homered and stole a base, part of his two-hit, two-RBI, and two-run evening.

Arizona Complex League

Alek Thomas played all seven innings in center field his second game since getting acquired by the Dodgers on May 12, and was hitless in four at-bats with a strikeout and a run scored against the ACL Guardians in Goodyear. Thomas also played on Thursday, and had a hit in his three at-bats plus a walk against the ACL Brewers at Camelback Ranch.

Saturday scores

• Oklahoma City 9, Sugar Land 1
• Tulsa 11, NW Arkansas 7
• Dayton 3, Great Lakes 2
• Ontario 15, Visalia 4

Sunday schedule

• 10:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sterling Patick) at Dayton (Ovis Portes)
• 11 a.m.: Tulsa (Wyatt Crowell) vs. NW Arkansas (Frank Mozzicato)
• 12:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) at Sugar Land (Brandon McPherson)
• 1:05 p.m.: Ontario (TBA) vs. Visalia (Junior Ciprian)

Meet the Mets

The Mets won their third game in a row, soundly defeating the Marlins 6-1 at Citi Field after inducting Lee Mazzilli and former manger Bobby Valentine into the Mets Hall of Fame. This game also included a few firsts: Christian Scott earned his first big league win with five strong innings of work, Hayden Senger launched the first home run of his major league career, and Cionel Pérez pitched a scoreless inning in his first Mets appearance as part of an excellent collective effort by the bullpen.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post

Bobby V, wearing his famous disguise, took the train to the game on the way to his induction ceremony.

Jon Heyman provides four reasons why the 2026 Mets could turn things around like Bobby V’s 1999 Mets did.

Cionel Pérez was selected to the roster prior to yesterday’s game and took the roster spot of Tobias Myers, who was optioned to Triple-A. The Mets say he’ll “have a more regular throwing program” in the minors and may end up being an option for the rotation. Anderson Severino was designated for assignment to make room for Pérez on the 40-man roster.

The Mets are hopeful Jorge Polanco, who has been sidelined with Achilles bursitis, will return next weekend in San Diego.

The Mets honored late longtime team photographer Marc Levine with a Mets Hall of Fame Achievement Award.

Pitching prospect Channing Austin has been making some waves in the Mets’ system this season.

If Mark Vientos and Brett Baty don’t help the Mets climb out of this hole they are in by July, the Mets may want to consider trading one of them at the deadline, writes Will Sammon of The Athletic.

The Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo trade was one of the best trades in baseball last offseason…for the Rangers, writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Around the National League East

The Nationals came roaring back with a six-run seventh inning to beat the Padres 9-4, despite Fernando Tatis Jr.’s first home run of 2026.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today called C.J. Abrams “the best MLB trade that wasn’t made,” as he spearheads one of the league’s best offenses.

The Phillies had a thrilling come from behind victory as well, as Edmundo Sosa’s go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth off Tanner Scott lifted Philadelphia to a 4-3 win over the Dodgers.

The Phillies designated former Met Zach Pop for assignment to make room on their roster for Max Lazar, who they activated from the 60-day IL and sent to Triple-A.

It’s been over two years since Brandon Marsh played with Shohei Ohtani on the Angels and they were teammates for less than two seasons, but Marsh still gets asked about it.

Ronald Acuña Jr. blasted two home runs in the Braves’ 5-2 victory over the Reds.

The Braves will use a bit of a rotation at the shortstop position, per manager Walt Weiss.

Around Major League Baseball

Angels reliever Brent Suter and rehabbing Rays pitchers Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodríguez took the anthem standoff so seriously at Tropicana Field yesterday that they were all ejected from the game before first pitch. Even the mascots got involved.

In a huge blow to the White Sox, slugger Munetaka Murakami was placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks.

Pete Alonso’s walk-off hit capped off a five-run ninth inning for the Orioles as they won a 6-5 thriller over the Blue Jays.

MLB.com reviewed seven storylines to watch as the calendar turns to June, including whether early season disappointments like the Mets, Tigers, and Red Sox can turn things around.

Pete Crow-Armstrong may be heating up, as he notched four hits in the Cubs’ 6-1 win over the Cardinals.

The Yankees threatened in the ninth, but fell short as their winning streak ended at five games at the hands of the A’s.

This Date in Mets History

May 31, 1964 was a long day at the office for Ed Kranepool.

The Yankees offense couldn’t keep the momentum rolling for a fourth straight night. Following efforts of 15, seven, and eight runs, their valiant comeback attempt in the ninth fell just short in the second game against the A’s. They still have a chance to win the three-game series today with Will Warren on the mound. Fortunately for them, the Rays also stumbled, so there is no change atop the standings, though there was plenty of other excitement involving the Yankees’ AL rivals.

Los Angeles Angels (23-36) 14, Tampa Bay Rays (35-20) 3

A day after surrendering seven runs in the seventh to squander a late lead, the Angels rebounded at the Trop to drop two touchdowns against the Rays. He may be the personal kryptonite of the Yankees, but Drew Rasmussen stumbled over his worst start of the season to give up five runs on four hits and two walks in four innings. Angels starter Reid Detmers was marginally better with his five innings of three-run ball, but this game was all about the lead his bats generated for him and never stopped building.

Detmers didn’t have to wait l0ng for that lead, the Angels ambushing Rasmussen for four runs in the top of the first. Mike Trout singled and Vaughn Grissom and Jorge Soler drew a pair of walks to load the bases with one out for Wade Meckler, who demolished an absolute no-doubter to right for a grand slam to give his starter a four run lead before even taking the mound.

Yandy Díaz clawed one back with a home run to lead off the bottom-half, but the Rays would always be in chase mode. Los Angeles extended their lead scoring one in the fourth on a Meckler leadoff single and Donovan Walton RBI double and another an inning later on a booming solo shot from Trout. The Rays responded with a pair in the bottom of the fifth on a Junior Caminero RBI double and Ryan Vilade RBI groundout, and then threatened by loading the bases in the sixth on three straight two-out walks, but their failure to plate any of the three opened the door for Los Angeles to kill the game off in the ninth after a wild pitch in the seventh allowed their seventh run to score — an output they would double in the ninth inning.

Sebastián Rivero led off that ninth with a walk, Nick Madrigal was hit by a pitch, Trout walked, and Grissom was hit by a pitch to plate the eighth run. Jose Siri drove in the ninth with an RBI groundout, and Adell drove in the remaining pair on the bases with a mammoth 431-foot three-run bomb to center. Oswald Peraza then went back-to-back for lucky run number 13, and a Walton single and Rivero RBI double put a bow on the scoring.

Other Games

Baltimore Orioles (27-32) 6, Toronto Blue Jays (29-30) 5

In a reversal of fortune from Friday’s events at Camden Yards, the Blue Jays were in the driver’s seat for most of this game, and they were the ones who had a 5-1 lead late. They handed it off to closer Jeff Hoffman in the bottom of the ninth, only to see him give it all up as the Orioles scored five to walk it off. It wasted something of a strange outing from Trey Yesavage, who managed to hold Baltimore to a run in five innings despite walking seven batters. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 4-for-5, Kazuma Okamoto hit a two-run double and Jesús Sánchez an RBI double, and Ernie Clement drove in a run with one of his two singles.

However, we’ve seen the way a ninth inning led can evaporate when Hoffman is closing. He plunked Coby Mayo with one out and Leody Taveras drove him home with a triple. Jackson Holliday plated Taveras with a single before advancing to third on a Colton Cowser double. Hoffman and Connor Seabold then combined to walk three straight batters to plate two more runs and bring Pete Alonso to the plate with the score tied, 5-5. Alonso fought off a 2-1 fastball on his hands to the opposite field for the walk-off single.

Boston Red Sox (24-33) 9, Cleveland Guardians (34-26) 1

This game was a closely-contested affair until Guardians reliever Will Dion gave up six runs in the ninth inning. Starters Sonny Gray and Parker Messick both surrendered just one run, Gray over six innings and Messick over five. Cleveland scored their only run on a José Ramírez RBI double in the first. From there the Red Sox scored nine unanswered. In the ninth, Wilyer Abreu drew a leadoff walk, Willson Contreras was plunked, and Marcelo Mayer reached on an error by Ramírez, setting up a Masataka Yoshida walk with the bases loaded. Connor Wong then singled home a pair and Jarren Duran fully cleared the bases with a three-run bomb.

Seattle Mariners (30-29) 5, Arizona Diamondbacks (31-26) 1

Bryan Woo authored another gem, holding the Diamondbacks scoreless for seven innings allowing just two hits and no walks to go along with nine strikeouts. Ryne Nelson wasn’t so lucky, coughing up five runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. Four of those runs came via the solo home run, Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone leaving the yard in the second and Colt Emerson and Julio Rodríguez going deep in the third. Seattle’s fifth and final run came in the sixth, Randy Arozarena leading off with a groundball that resulted in a Jose Fernandez throwing error and Arozarena standing on second, a Raley single to move him to third, and a Cole Young sac fly to bring him home. With the win, the Mariners push their record above .500 for the first time since March 30th.

Team News

D-backs seeking return to winning ways after entering mini-skid
“I said it last night, we knew coming up here it was gonna be a dogfight and we got only one thing to do, and that’s go out and play our best baseball game tomorrow and try and salvage one game here,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “We’ve been playing good baseball. I have every reason to believe that will continue tomorrow.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/diamondbacks-lose-2-straight-games-series-vs-mariners

Ryne Nelson gives up 4 homers as Mariners shut down Diamondbackshttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/ryne-nelson-mariners

Bryan Woo’s Dominant Start Raises Concerns Over Diamondbacks Offense

Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno combined to go 0-for-15 with one walk (by Perdomo in the ninth inning) and five strikeouts. Arizona did not record an extra-base hit on the night, with Ryan Waldschmidt providing the other base hit of the night — off the Seattle bullpen. https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/bryan-woo-dominant-start-concerns-diamondbacks-offense

Diamondbacks Management Seems Confused About Brandon Pfaadthttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/diamondbacks-management-confused-brandon-pfaadt

Diamondbacks’ Corbin Burnes Takes Major Step Forward in Recoveryhttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/diamondbacks-corbin-burnes-major-step-forward-recovery-injury

Under-the-radar prospect becomes first to 20-HR plateau in Minors
https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/diamondbacks-manuel-pena-first-20-homers-milb-2026?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

Nolan Arenado’s Arizona Bounce-Back

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/05/nolan-arenados-arizona-bounce-back.html

Other Baseball

Lee Mazzilli, Bobby Valentine enshrined in Mets Hall of Famehttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48922356/lee-mazzilli-bobby-valentine-enshrined-mets-hall-fame

White Sox slugger Murakami out 4-6 weeks with hamstring strain

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48920460/white-sox-slugger-murakami-4-6-weeks-hamstring-strain

Jake McCarthy hits 2-run homer, drives in 4 runs in the Rockies’ 8-3 win over the Giantshttps://sports.yahoo.com/articles/jake-mccarthy-hits-2-run-040154042.html

Overrated? PCA responds with 4-hit night — and souvenir to Tarps Off crewhttps://www.mlb.com/news/pete-crow-armstrong-has-4-hit-night-homer-in-cubs-win

Erceg, Royals stunned in walk-off fashion after Jensen’s electrifying catch
https://www.mlb.com/royals/news/carter-jensen-royals-rally-before-walk-off-loss-to-rangers

7 burning questions as June approaches

https://www.mlb.com/news/storylines-to-watch-in-june

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/may-31

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/May_31

Oreo has made enough cookies to go to the moon and back 5 times.

Since Oreo was introduced to the market in 1912, over 450 billion Oreo cookies have been sold worldwide. 

According to Greek traditions, tossing children’s loose teeth to a roof brings good luck.

The Greeks have always been known for their own way of doing things. In some cultures, children keep their loose teeth under pillows to swap for cash from the tooth fairy. However, the Greeks had their children throwing loose teeth onto roofs. Yeet! 

The Hawaiian alphabet contains only 13 letters.

The Hawaiian alphabet contains a total of five vowels that are both long and short. It also contains a total of eight consonants. Hawaii’s alphabet represents all the basic sounds and phonemes in their language. 

Good morning! The Mariners are looking for a series sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks after another dominant win last night. Bryan Woo’s seven innings of two-hit ball with nine strikeouts were complimented by four home runs to secure a 5-1 win. As Connor mentioned in his recap last night, the Mariners are finally back at .500 (for the first time since March 30th) and won consecutive series for just the second time all season.

Bryce Miller gets the start today against RHP Merrill Kelly at 1:10 PM in trial #3 of the piggyback plan.

In Mariners news…

• Following Bryce Miller’s start today, the Mariners will reportedly move to a six-man rotation and slot Miller in after Luis Castillo.
• Top pitching prospect Ryan Sloan continues to dominate for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers as he was pulled from his start yesterday after throwing six perfect innings and 11 strikeouts.
• Ryan Divish at The Seattle Times highlights four questions facing the Mariners as they take over first place in the AL West.
• The latest Mariners injury updates include key progressions for Carlos Vargas, Miles Mastrobuoni, and infielder Will Wilson.

Around the league…

• Athletics RHP Luis Severino has officially been placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain.
• Chicago White Sox star first baseman Munetaka Murakami headed to the IL with a right hamstring strain and will miss 4-6 weeks.
• Precise swing changes have had an impressive impact on Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado this season.
• Travis Sawchik at MLB.com details the focus of the recent bargaining discussions between MLB and the MLB Players Association as they work towards the next labor agreement.
• Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony has been shut down again after experiencing soreness while recovering from a sprained right wrist.