Category: Baseball

With Zack Wheeler going against Paul Skenes, it looked like we were in for a pitcher’s duel on Sunday. And that’s exactly what we got for five innings or so. But eventually, Skenes faltered while Wheeler stayed strong, and the Phillies emerged with a 6-0 victory over the Pirates that completed a sweep and put them above .500 for the first time since.

The aces were dominating through the first four innings. Each team had just one hit, and it looked like it might come down to which ace blinked first.

In the fifth, Skenes was the one who blinked. Adolis Garcia led off the frame with a walk, and advanced to third on a J.T. Realmuto single. A Justin Crawford groundout got the Phillies’ first run home, and a Trea Turner single brought home the second.

Sunday Trea pic.twitter.com/mfgKlNdrUS

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 17, 2026

For most teams, that’s about as much as they can hope to get off Skenes in a given game, but the Phillies weren’t done. Bryce Harper started off the fifth with a blast to centerfield to make it 3-0.

BRYCE BOMB! pic.twitter.com/HgiFylG4Y0

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 17, 2026

Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh followed with hits to chase Skenes from the game and gave the Phillies a crack at the Pirates’ much less imposing bullpen. Pirates’ reliever Isaac Mattson began his stint by hitting Garcia (his second HBP of the day, maybe he owes the Pirates money?) and allowing an RBI double to Bryson Stott.

5️⃣-0 pic.twitter.com/qIZuwDIiOM

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 17, 2026

Unlike Skenes, Wheeler continued to cruise. He came close to giving up a run in the sixth when a hit by Brandon Lowe was originally ruled a home run, but review showed it was a double aided by fan interference.

Aside from that, Wheeler was never seriously threatened. His final tally: Seven innings, zero runs, four hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts.

A dominant day from Zack Wheeler 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OvI5bGjssP

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 17, 2026

The Phillies tacked on a run in the eighth on a Bryson Stott laser of a home run, and it felt like they were rubbing it in the Pirates’ faces a bit.

It was a great weekend for the Phillies in Pittsburgh. They had a massive comeback on Friday night and then recorded two dominating wins behind two of the best pitchers in baseball. The biggest winner of the weekend might by Cristopher Sanchez, who might have seized the unofficial title of “best pitcher in the National League” from Skenes.

The Phillies will try to keep the good times going on Monday as they return home to face the Reds. Andrew Painter will be on the mound, and the hope is that maybe he learned a thing or two from watching his ace teammates over the weekend.

As the Rivalry Weekend comes to a close, the Ohio Cup returns to Cleveland for now. In Game 3 of this weekend series, the Cleveland Guardians took the series closer and the series from the Cincinnati Reds.

Gavin Williams was given an additional day of rest after switching his spot in the lineup with Joey Cantillo. Gavin had another fantastic quality start today, throwing 6.0 innings with 2R, 8H, 0BB, and 7Ks on 93 pitches, giving the Guards bullpen a nice reprieve to end the week.

Gavin was given plenty of run support to ease some stress from his start. The Guardians decided to not play Guards Ball and to host a mini-HR derby.

In the bottom of the first José Ramírez drew a one-out walk, a mistake on Brady Singer that would be immediately punished. Chase DeLauter watched a sinker go over the plate for strike one. The next pitch, an inside slider, was launched 371 feet to right field for a quick two-run home run to start the game.

In the bottom of the third, Chase DeLauter hit a one-out single to center to reach base. Kyle Manzardo took a page from CDL and launched his own two-run home run, 382 feet to right.

Brayan Rocchio got in on the home run fun. In the bottom of the fourth, with one-out, Rocchio worked a 2-2 count then slapped a sweeper low and over the plate 388 feet to right center.

In the bottom of the fifth, with a new pitcher on the mound, Kyle Manzardo slapped a first pitch, one-out home run 406 feet to right center for his second home run of the game!

Tim Herrin came on to pitch the seventh inning. His only base runner was a one-out walk to Matt McLain. Other than that, Herrin struck out 3 to retire the side. The bottom of the seventh saw the return of more home runs!

Travis Bazzana hit a one-out single, but was caught stealing second as he over slid the bag. Steven Kwan drew a two-out walk and Angel Martínez tacked on his own two-run home run to put the Guardians up 8-2 over the Reds.

Codi Heuer replaced Tim Herrin in the top of the eighth. He had a similar outing to Herrin’s. His only baserunner was a walk to Sal Stewart. Heuer struck out the first two batters and got a pop out to retire the side with only 13 pitches.

The bottom of the eighth started with Rocchio being hit by pitch. José finally got in on the home runs with a fly ball to center, hit 407 feet to score two more runs.

All of Cleveland’s runs came on home runs today. When is the last time this team has scored double digits, solely on home runs? With this team having felt on the precipice of a offensive breakout for seemingly weeks now, but just falling short, maybe they just needed some warm weather to get things going.

Codi Heuer closed it out for Cleveland, giving up a one-out single and double. Matt McLain ran himself into an out as Blake Dunn made his way to third.

The Guards did allow another run late in the ninth on a misplayed ball by Daniel Schneemann. It didn’t matter for long as Cleveland got the final out to close it on this game.

If today was a preview to what this summer will look like as the heat and humidity climbs, I am quite excited.

The Dodgers look to sweep the Angels on Sunday. Roki Sasaki faces Grayson Rodriguez.

Today’s #Dodgers lineup at Angels: pic.twitter.com/4rT4d6upxi

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 17, 2026

SUNDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Angels
• Stadium: Angel Stadium
• Time: 1:07 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: Am 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

With Blake Snell having elbow surgery on Tuesday, Tyler Glasnow on the injured list with back spasms, and River Ryan only one start back from a minor league injured list stint, the Dodgers had five starting pitchers for their six-man rotation. So it makes perfect sense that they acquired left-hander Eric Lauer from the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday for cash considerations.

Lauer was in a similar position on the depth chart in Toronto, and said after the use of an opener before his April 17 game, “It’s definitely different. To be real blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it.” More from SportsNet:

“It messes with your pre-game routine,” he said. “We’re creatures of habit. It changes the rhythm and routine. It’s a little harder to time things out…

“You can make it work the best you can. Hopefully, it’s not something that we will continue doing. But that’s above my pay grade.”

It didn’t help that Lauer wasn’t pitching well for the Blue Jays. After a strong 2025 season, this year he struggled with a 6.69 ERA and 5.82 xERA in eight games, including six starts. He struck out 26 and walked 16 in his 36 1/3 innings, with his 11 home runs atop the American League when he was designated for assignment on Monday.

In his eight-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, and Blue Jays, Lauer has a sparkling 2.69 ERA in 15 games, including 13 starts against the Dodgers, with 69 strikeouts and 27 unintentional walks in 77 innings. That includes 5 2/3 scoreless innings in two appearances in the 2025 World Series, pitching in Games 1 and 3.

Lauer is making $4.4 million this season after losing his salary arbitration case in the offseason, with about $3.17 million remaining. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.

To make room for Lauer on the 40-man roster, pitcher Brusdar Graterol was moved to the 60-day injured list. Graterol, working his way back from 2024 shoulder surgery, pitched in four rehab games for Triple-A Oklahoma City before getting shut down this week after pitching on Tuesday.

Graterol tweeted on Saturday, “Baseball is not easy. But it’s no reason to give up. LFG.”

Baseball is not easy

But it's no reason to give up.
LFG

— brusdar graterol (@BrusdarGraterol) May 16, 2026

In the middle of the sixth inning of a game where the Atlanta Braves were firmly in control of things against the Boston Red Sox, the skies suddenly opened up. First, they were able to play through a bit of hail but once they went out there for the bottom of the sixth inning, the bottom completely fell out and the grounds crew was forced to stop play.

The tarp is going on the field and we are currently in a rain delay. We will provide updates as soon as they are available.

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) May 17, 2026

They’re not anticipating this to be a long delay (just one of those pop-up storms) but there’s still a pause in play. We’ll let you in on any updates that may come up soon, so stay tuned.

UPDATE [3:24 p.m. ET]: The tarp is already coming off of the field so I’d imagine that play will resume shortly.

UPDATE [3:33 p.m. ET]: Straight from the Braves TV crew, they’re planning to restart the game at 3:40 p.m. ET.

UPDATE [3:49 p.m ET]: It’s a bit later than expected but the game should be starting shortly after you read this. Let’s see if the Braves can hold on!

It’s series finale time, as the San Francisco Giants take on the Oakland/Sacramento/Vegas Athletics for the third game of the series. I’m writing this before the first game, so here’s hoping that the Giants are going for a sweep, or at least a series win today. But who knows! You, probably.

If the scheduled starters have held over these few days, then it’s righty Adrian Houser for the Giants and lefty Jeffrey Springs for the A’s. Houser is making his ninth start, and is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA, a 5.63 FIP, and 23 strikeouts to 14 walks in 42 innings. Springs is making his 10th start, and is 3-3 with a 4.22 ERA, a 4.21 FIP, and 44 strikeouts to 15 walks in 49 innings.

Enjoy the game, everyone. Go Giants!

Game #47

Who: San Francisco Giants vs. Athletics

Where: Sutter Health Park, West Sacramento, California

When: 1:05 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

Jorge Polanco, sidelined with left Achilles bursitis, likely won’t be at full strength the rest of the season, according to Carlos Mendoza.

Polanco has resumed some baseball activities and will travel with the team to Washington, but the manager said he’ll have to deal with the injury indefinitely.

“He’s gonna feel it,’’ Mendoza said. “We have to keep it to a point where [it’s] ‘I can tolerate this.’ Because if not, he’s gonna be shut down for a long period of time.”

It’s been an awful start for Polanco, who has been limited to 14 games while dealing with Achilles and wrist injuries. And he didn’t play well when he was able to be on the field.

Asked if Polanco would be unable to get to 100 percent health this season, Mendoza said, “I don’t know if anyone is 100 percent in there. In this case, he’s gonna be feeling it. He’ll continue to get treatment and hope it goes away, but it’s probably something he’ll have to manage.”

Mets pitching prospect Jack Wenninger lasted just 2.1 innings in Sunday's game for Triple-A Syracuse, getting pulled after 61 pitches.

The right-hander allowed two earned runs, both coming in the third inning, on two hits and four walks.

Despite walking the bases loaded in the second inning, Wenninger kept the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders scoreless through two innings. However, things unraveled for the 24-year-old in the third after a leadoff single by George Lombard Jr. and Wenninger's fourth walk of the day.

With two on and nobody out, Marco Luciano doubled to drive in a run before Oswaldo Cabrera brought home another on a sacrifice fly. That would be it for Wenninger who only threw 28 strikes out of 61 pitches (46 percent). 

The brief outing matched Wenninger's season-low which came on April 23 where he only allowed two runs on one hit but walked five and hit a batter. He's now at 22 walks in 35.2 innings this season.

Wenninger left with the game tied after Syracuse scored twice in the first inning.

The San Diego Padres, second in the NL West with a 27-18 record, face the Seattle Mariners, who are second in the AL West with a 22-25 record. The scheduled starting pitchers are Lucas Giolito for San Diego, with a 3.41 ERA, and George Kirby for Seattle, with a 2.84 ERA.

How to watch San Diego Padres vs. Seattle Mariners

• Date: Sunday, May 17

• Time: 7:20 p.m. ET / 4:20 p.m. PT

• Where: T-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA

• TV Channels: NBC/Peacock

• Live Stream:ESPN+, MLB.TV | Follow on Yahoo Sports

Team records

• San Diego Padres: 27-18 (No. 2 in NL West)

• Seattle Mariners: 22-25 (No. 2 in AL West)

Odds

• Spread: Seattle Mariners -1.5

• Moneyline: Seattle Mariners -161 (59.2%) / San Diego Padres +135 (40.8%)

• Over/Under: 7.5

Starting pitchers

San Diego Padres: Lucas Giolito (10-4, ERA: 3.41, K: 121, WHIP: 1.29)
Seattle Mariners: George Kirby (5-2, ERA: 2.84, K: 46, WHIP: 1.16)

Weather: 64°F at first pitch

Ballpark: Capacity: 47,929 | Roof: Retractable | Surface: Grass

On a national telecast through Peacock, the Tampa Bay Rays got a well deserved spotlight this Sunday, starting with the star of the show – Junior Caminero – clearing the fence:

After giving up the lead, the Rays would battle back the second time through the order, and after loading the bases, Taylor Walls – who I have always loved and have never said otherwise – stepped up with two outs and cleared the bases with a triple on a fastball down the middle.

Yandy Diaz padded the Rays lead in the fifth with a solo shot that could have had Caminero on base had he not been caught out by a hit and run the batter before, with the liner snagged by the second baseman and doubling him up with a quick throw to first.

It was a fun game for the Rays offense, but the interesting elements came when the Rays were on defense.

Drew Rasmussen worked to expose the weak Marlins offense by throwing almost exclusively fastballs, pitching to contact to get outs. It should have worked! If I had a nickel for every time the Rays outfielders played a liner on one hop instead of going for the out, I’d have three nickels, which feels weird!

CF Jakob Marsee was credited with a double in the second on what could have been called an error, when a liner to Jonny DeLuca in left field took a weird hop and went under his outstretched glove. He would be thrown out by Nick Fortes trying to steal third shortly thereafter.

RF Owen Cassie then had his bat sawed off by a cutter in the third, which conveniently rolled up the middle. He would come around and score when former Rays prospect 2B Xavier Edwards slapped a dink the opposite way when he finally got a change up. Edwards was moved to third on a fielder’s choice, then SS Otto Lopez stood in for a full count before getting his bat on a cutter in the zone. This dropped, somewhat inexplicably, in front of DeLuca as well who played the hop in front of him instead of trying to get his glove on the ball with two outs.

In the fourth, after a long at bat, 3B Leo Jimenez got on a similar way in the fourth, lining a full count tenth pitch fastball to left field, which one hopped into the glove of a deep Chandler Simpson.

The third time through the order, the at bats started to stretch out for Rasmussen, and the Marlins got two men on, but Kevin Cash got the groundball double play the Rays drew up by going to bullpen.

Garrett Cleavinger allowed a third run to score and then loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, so Kevin Cash turned to Ian Seymour. He picked up the second out on a phenomenal change up, and then coaxed a liner to Taylor Walls to escape further damage.

Rays closer Bryan Baker got the nod in the ninth and, despite a first pitch single to the No. 9 hitter, worked through 1-2-3 in the Marlins order with some nice fielding from Simpson and the middle infield.

Game Notes

• Peacock brought Rays color man Brian Anderson to the telecast, a smart decision allowing for an honest and thoughtful perspective from someone who knows the Rays well, something you don’t always get from a national broadcast crew.
• Kevin Cash, interviewed midgame, described Junior Caminero’s power as “unprecedented” and it’s hard to disagree. Since 2016, when EV90 started getting tracked, Caminero is the only right-handed hitting players to enter the top 20 at the age of 23 or younger (109.5 mph). Caminero ranks 13th overall on that list. The only other 23-or-younger player is James Wood, a left handed hitter (110.7 mph).
• Junior would lose his bat on a foul ball in the game.
• Taylor Walls career stats with bases loaded: 42 PA | .367/.476/.533
• The Rays loaded the bases again, chasing the Marlins starter but getting pushed to two outs. Jonathan Aranda stepped in and gave some eager swings on pitches outside the zone and then tapped out to the pitcher, slamming his helmet. An uncharacteristic moment!
• Peacock’s broadcast was thrilled the Rays concessions had both a Miami and Tampa Cuban sandwich available, with man among the people John Fanta correctly noting the addition of salami and crispy toasted bread made it vastly superior.

After splitting the first two games of the series, the Athletics and San Francisco Giants will square off this afternoon in the rubber game of this rivalry weekend showdown. Athletics’ starting pitcher Luis Severino struggled yesterday. The Giants jumped out to a 5-0 lead before holding off the A’s late comeback attempt.

As a result, the hosts would benefit from a strong performance from left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs, who will take the mound for the A’s in Sunday’s series and home stand finale. Entering his 10th start, he owns a 3-3 record with a 4.22 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched. The 33-year-old took the loss in his last outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings.

Having not earned a win in a month, this matchup presents a tantalizing opportunity for Springs to rebound, pitch well and secure his fourth win of 2026. To do so, he will need to keep the ball on the ground and rack up strikeouts, as the significant wind gusts could make fly balls more unpredictable and difficult for A’s outfielders to track down.

The Athletics’ lineup shakes out like this:

Series finale pic.twitter.com/aJcVBnaRPD

— Athletics (@Athletics) May 17, 2026

Young outfielder Henry Bolte gets a breather following three straight starts and a hard collision with the wall last night. With Lawrence Butler in center field and Carlos Cortes in right field, the outfield defense is weaker, which could prove costly given the aforementioned windy conditions. Will backup catcher Jonah Heim finally collect his first hit since returning to the Athletics? To win this game, the team must obtain production from the top of its lineup, as shortstop Darell Hernáiz has recently been the only hitter among today’s bottom of the order consistently producing.

This lineup will go up against Giants’ right-hander Adrian Houser. The 33-year-old has gotten off to a rough start this season. Through his first eight starts with San Francisco, Houser is 1-4 with a 5.79 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP and 23 strikeouts over 42 innings. The veteran has been pitching better lately. He got the win in his last start, limiting the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs on three hits over 5 2/3 innings. Houser seeks to build off that momentum and make it two straight winning outings, though the A’s offense could spoil that if the team’s hitters stay patient and capitalize on mistake pitches from him and the Giants’ bullpen.

The Giants’ lineup looks like this:

Rubber match on deck 👊

⌚️: 1:05 p.m. PT
📍: Sacramento, CA
📺: @NBCSGiants
📻: @KNBR | KSFN#SFGiants | @CocaColapic.twitter.com/aeNPdsr0YE

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) May 17, 2026

Springs must be wary of second baseman Luis Arraez and designated hitter Casey Schmitt, who have each posted four-hit games in this series. Infielders Rafael Devers and Willy Adames are also starting to heat up for the Giants. The visitors also feature former A’s, Daniel Susac and Matt Chapman, batting back-to-back.

The Athletics need this win after dropping their first series of the home stand against the Cardinals. To remain in American League West contention, they cannot afford to lose a second-straight series. A win would additionally build momentum heading into the team’s upcoming Southern California road trip against the Los Angeles Angels and San Diego Padres. 

Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

Game Three with the Tigers and then the Jays head off for four games in New York against the Yankees.

And Adam Macko is up with the team. He told reporters that he rushed around to buy ‘collared shirts’ to wear on the team bus, saying that he only had hoodies. It seems that I’ve been following his journey up the ladder forever. He was drafted by the Mariners in 2019 from Vauxhall high school here in Alberta (a 2.5 hour driving time from Calgary), and we got him in trade for Teoscar Hernandez.

Vlad is in the two-spot today. I’m all for moving guys around when they are slumping. It likely won’t do much, but you never know.

GO JAYS GO.

The Yankees are not playing their best baseball at the moment, winning just two of their last eight games to fall several games back of first. That three of those losses have come against a pair of struggling teams in the Orioles and Mets makes the Bombers’ deficiencies appear all the most glaring — and they’re at risk of their third consecutive series loss. All the same, they can get back in the series win column with a good performance in the rubber game against their crosstown rivals this afternoon.

Elmer Rodríguez got the call up after Max Fried was placd on the IL with a bone bruise in his pitching elbow. Lauded for his command in the high minors, the walks have been the biggest issue in his first two MLB starts, though it is worth commending him for settling down and tossing 3.2 scoreless after a three-run first threatened to derail his last start against the Rangers. In those two starts, both against Texas, Rodríguez has given up five runs on ten hits and eight walks across 8.2 innings.

Freddy Peralta has performed largely as advertised since the Mets acquired him from Brewers over the winter to be their long-sought-after ace of the rotation. The whiffs and strikeouts are down as he has lost about one mph off all of his pitches, but he is doing a much better job of keeping the ball off the barrel of the bat than in his previous three seasons. In nine starts, Peralta is 3-3 with a 3.10 ERA (128 ERA+), 3.66 FIP, and 50 strikeouts in 49.1 innings.

The Yankees lineup has been one of the principal culprits in the recent downturn in form, scoring three or fewer runs in six out of the last eight games. Austin Wells is probably their most struggling player and he gets the day off after the night game with J.C. Escarra taking his place behind the plate. It has been nice to see Jazz Chisholm Jr. get the bat going of late, while Anthony Volpe has been getting on base despite not registering a hit since making his season debut.

The Mets meanwhile field the worst offense in MLB, yet still managed to push six runs across last night. They make a pair of changes to their lineup, MJ Melendez coming in to play left, moving Juan Soto to DH and Austin Slater to the bench. Hayden Senger takes over catching duties from Luis Torrens.

How to watch

Location: Citi Field – Flushing, NY

First pitch: 1:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, SNY

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (NYM)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

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

Subway Series Finale. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/kvJoZ8lpcn

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 17, 2026

Homestand finale! ⚾️ #LGMpic.twitter.com/8ooDlU0ZAz

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 17, 2026

Texas Rangers @ Houston Astros

Sunday, May 17, 2026, 1:10 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Daikin Park

RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. RHP Peter Lambert

Go Rangers!

After a deeply gratifying win to get to .500 yesterday, the Nats have a chance to sweep the O’s. Getting to .500 is cool, but getting over that hump would be even better. They will have a chance to do just that in front of what should be another stellar crowd at Nationals Park.

The Nats are not making too many adjustments to the lineup that got them 13 runs yesterday. After a great performance off the bench, Brady House will be starting again at third base. That pushed Jose Tena to DH and down the lineup. Keibert Ruiz stays behind the plate after his big day. Richard Lovelady will be the opener and Miles Mikolas will follow him.

GOOOOOOOD morning girl bosses

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/OyqMWkx4vF

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 17, 2026

The O’s are making more changes. Adley Rutschman will get the day off. That means young Samuel Basallo will do the catching. Taylor Ward moves up to the leadoff spot and takes Basallo’s place as the DH. Colton Cowser will be back in the lineup as the left fielder. Right hander Brandon Young will be on the mound for the birds.

Sunday afternoon baseball. pic.twitter.com/f1ngsreCB2

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 17, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 1:35 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This series has already been a huge success for the Nats. They have performed well in front of big crowds and brought a new buzz around the team. Now they have a chance to put a cherry on top today. They will go for the sweep and a winning record. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.