CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 13: Noelvi Marte #4 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Great American Ball Park on June 13, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The list of things the Cincinnati Reds got on Saturday evening in Great American Ball Park amounts to a what’s what of things that have proven to be pitfalls for them so often over their last ~40 or so games.
First, they put together some back to back hits with 2-outs, as Matt McLain socked an early double and was immediately driven in by an Edwin Arroyo single. Hits with 2-outs, hits of any variety with a runner in scoring position have been so few and far between from this offense that the stranded runners on the bases might as well have bought real estate out there.
Then, they got a lockdown performance from a starting pitcher after an early foible. Rhett Lowder turned in his best start since the first week of April (5.2 IP, ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K) and did so even after serving up a homer to Corbin Carroll in the Top of the 1st that immediately put the Reds in a hole. He limited walks, finally, and showed once again how good he can be controlling all parts of the zone when his arm, body, experience, etc. are all in the right place.
That run Lowder allowed in the Top of the 1st? It proved to be the only run allowed by Reds pitchers all game, which is an endorsement of just how good the bullpen managed to be once Lowder yielded. Caleb Ferguson, Chase Petty (in relief!), and Tony Santillan combined to fire 3.1 IP of scoreless ball, and did so while only issuing a lone walk – that’s a marked improvement for a unit that’s been so maligned.
And while the offense on the day only managed to muster a pair of runs, the second one came on a big swing in a huge spot. Noelvi Marte swatted a homer for the second straight game, his coming with an out in the Bottom of the 8th to give the Reds a 2-1 lead that Santillan would hammer down with a save minutes later. It’s precisely the kind of momentum-changing swing that Cincinnati simply has not been able to muster of late, and the life it breathed into the dugout was palpable through the TV feed.
Cincinnati won, 2-1, and leveled the series with Arizona. On Sunday, they’ll send the red-hot Andrew Abbott to the mound to try to win a series and eschew the absolutely abysmal vibes they’ve been mired in during their four-series losing streak, a period of time that also saw them lose their face in Elly De La Cruz.
Maybe, just maybe, Marte’s homer ends up a demarcation point in this season where things began to finally, mercifully turn back towards the positive.
Well, this was yet another game that the Diamondbacks should have won. Michael Soroka really seems to be back to the form that earned him second place in the 2019 Rookie of the Year vote. He pitched seven innings, only allowing two hits and one hit batsman while striking out 7. The Diamaondbacks, meanwhile, racked up seven hits, three walks, with three other baserunners reaching thanks to two hit-by-pitch incidents and one fielding error. Over the course of the game nine of those baserunners wound up in scoring position. Sadly however, if you saw those comparative numbers and expected that the team with so many more chances to score would win the game, you would be wrong.
There’s honestly not that much more to say about this one. Things started off well enough, with Corbin Carroll launching the first pitch he saw from Reds starter Rhett Lowder over the right field wall for a one-out solo dinger:
One out later, Nolan Arenado drew a five-pitch walk and, somewhat hilariously, stole second to make himself the first Diamondback of the game to get into scoring position. Pavin Smith, as one might expect, did Pavin Smith things, so Arenado remained where he was. 1-0 D-BACKS
Geraldo Perdomo was hit by a pitch to begin the second, and was left standing there after the bottom of the order did bottom-of-the-order things with a lineout to center and then consecutive strikeouts. Ketel Marte lined a single to right to lead off the third, and one out later Gabriel Moreno dropped a bloop single just inside the right field line to advance Marte to second (which is to say scoring position) with less than two outs. Arenado struck out, however, and Pavin Smith did another Pavin Smith thing, grounding out to first base.
Meanwhile, after cruising through his first two innings of work with only 27 pitches thrown after all, Soroka hit his first and only patch of trouble after striking out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the third. Matt McLain lined a double to deep left field, and then Reds’ leadoff hitter Edwin Arroyo blooped a single to shallow right that allowed McLain to score from second. 1-1 TIE
After that, it was smooth sailing for Soroka, who didn’t allow another baserunner as he proceeded to cruise through the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. The Diamondbacks offense, meanwhile, continued to threaten: Marte hit a comebacker with one out in the fifth that hit Lowder and rolled away for an infield single. One out later Moreno lined a double to center that Reds center fielder Noelvi Marte dove for and missed. It looked like he might catch it, though, right up until he didn’t, so Ketel had to stay put at second and was only able to advance to third. So that was two more runners in scoring position, though with two outs this time. Nolan Arenado, who really sucked today at the plate, grounded weakly back to the mound, bringing the number of runners in scoring position who were left there to four. Perdomo walked with one out in the sixth and stole second base, but was left standing there (RISP #5) as Tommy Troy and Adrian Del Castillo struck out.
The Diamondbacks even managed to load the bases in the top of the seventh against the Reds bullpen, thanks to a one-out Marte walk (#6), a Corbin Carroll infield single (#7), and Moreno getting drilled in the arm by a pitch. However, Nolan Arenado struck out and Pavin Smith flied out to left on the first pitch he saw. Tommy Troy reached with one out in the eighth on an error by Reds third baseman Sal Stewart, and was able to advance to third (#8) on a two-out Ryan Waldschmidt double (#9). That flipped the lineup over for Ketel Marte, who, despite having reached base on three of his four trips to the plate to that point, only managed a weak grounder to second.
So onto the bottom of the eighth with the game still all tied up and Juan Morillo taking the mound. The good? He struck out three of the four batters he faced. The bad? The one batter he didn’t strike out was Noelvi Marte, to whom he hung a slider that Marte promptly sent into the left field seats. And given that Carroll, Moreno, and Arenado all grounded out on the infield in the top of the ninth, that’s yer ballgame right there. 2-1 CincinnatiFINAL
Kind of a slim Gameday Thread this afternoon, with only 162 comments at time of writing. The rec rationing, too, seems like it continues, as while several comments went “Sedona Red,” none of those got more than four recs. So I’m giving this one to gzimmerm, for saying something that, while it’s been said before, needs to be said again and again until it becomes a reality, or until reality changes:
Thanks to our win on Friday night, at least we still have a shot to take our first series in quite awhile. Unfortunately, Zac Gallen is taking the mound for the Diamondbacks, while the Reds send out lefty Adam Abbott, whose numbers aren’t that great (4.10 ERA) but who’s still performing far better than our guy. This will be an early one, as well, with first pitch scheduled for 10:40am AZ time. Hopefully you can join us for the rubber match.
As always, thanks for reading, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
Sometimes you just have to give someone on the other team credit, even at the top of the story. Hat tip, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. | Getty Images
Well, the good times were bound to run into a blip eventually, and this blip happened in overwhelming fashion.
Sean Burke fed Shohei Ohtani an upper-zone fastball on the second pitch of the game and it ended up 409 feet away. Then, after a Mookie Betts single, Burke went 3-0 on Max Muncy, at which point Steve Stone warned Muncy would have the green light. Burke didn’t hear him and fed another fastball in the zone, this one deposited 415 feet away to make it three-zip.
After that, the only thing of interest in the game for the sellout crowd was whether Yoshinobu Yamamoto would throw a perfect game. That drama lasted through 23 Sox hitters, until Mookie Betts booted a routine grounder by Chase Meidroth:
(For those keeping track of such things, getting on via error does not extend an on-base streak, so Meidroth’s ended at 22 and his hitting streak died at 12.)
Yamamoto ended up losing the no-hitter and shutout when Tristan Peters led off the ninth with a 388-foot shot just inside the foul pole, but who’s to say whether Peters would have gotten a nice fastball right down the middle from a pitcher who hadn’t thrown such a thing all game if the perfect game was still in play?
Whilst the Sox were flailing — Yamamoto ended up with seven strikeouts — the Dodgers mainly just watched pitches go by. Burke ended up walking five and first reliever Joe Rock, just up from Charlotte, added five more in three innings and hit a couple of Dodgers as well.
The mighty L.A. lineup did little more to help itself until Muncy hit a second two-run shot in the eighth — Ohtani being given little chance to do anything because he was walked three times and Betts being the only other Dodger to do much (three singles to raise his average to a mighty .196). The Dodgers left 11 on base in the first six innings alone, and that was after hitting into rally-killing double plays twice, and were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Save that, things could have been truly ugly.
The loss runs the White Sox record to 37-32 and puts them a half-game behind the Guardians, who beat the Tiges and Tarik Skubal this afternoon. But José Ramírez suffered a broken hamate in the game, so Cleveland may be in trouble.
Rubber match against the Dodgers is tomorrow afternoon, Erick Fedde vs. Emmet Sheehan, who couldn’t even make it through the second inning against the Angels last time out.
ONE DAY AT A TIME: A win today would be the Cubs’ third straight for the first time since their second 10-game winning streak ended on May 8. They are 9-22 since then and have won back-to-back games three times. The first two were May 14-15, at Atlanta and at the White Sox, and May 27-28, at Pittsburgh. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
I LEFT MY WINS IN SAN FRANCISCO: The last time the Cubs won the first two games of a series at San Francisco was in 2023. That was the first since 2013, when they completed a three-game sweep. They lost the third game in 2023. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: The Cubs already have lost more games on Saturdays on the road than they did all of last season. They are 3-3 this year. They finished last year 11-2. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Terry Shumpert hit a three-run walk-off homer in the 14th inning — one of just two home runs he’d hit as a Cub — and the Cubs defeated the Padres 6-3. It happened 30 years ago today, Thursday, June 13, 1996.
Ben Brown has been the Cubs’ best pitcher for a month now. That’s great for the team and great for him.
Since joining the rotation May 8: 1.44 ERA, 0.766 WHIP, 1.89 FIP, 34 strikeouts in 31.1 innings, and of course his great homerless streak, which is now 219 batters since the first hitter he faced this year (Jacob Young of the Nationals) homered off him.
Do good again, Ben.
Trevor McDonald threw five innings against the Cubs last Sunday at Wrigley Field and allowed one run in five innings, striking out six.
The Cubs will need to do better than that today to win.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
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Why did the umpires overturn Juan Soto's home run in the ninth inning?
When asked about the umpires' explanation for the controversial overturning of a solo homer hit by Juan Soto, Mendoza responded that "they didn't see the ball leave the ballpark.
Soto's homer would've been a much-needed shot in the arm for a Mets lineup that struggled all day against the Braves, and it came in a pivotal spot, as the slugger was leading off in the bottom of the ninth with the Mets down 3-1.
Given the lengthy review, and the presence of a fan reaching over the railing in right field to attempt catching the long fly ball (much to the frustration of Braves left fielder Mike Yastrzemski), many were wondering if the call of a ground-rule double was made due to fan interference. However, Mendoza clarified, "there was no fan interference" on the play.
"It was tough to tell from the big screen," the skipper lamented.
Lack of clutch hitting continues to cost the Mets
Today's loss was yet another instance of the Mets offense not being able to get going when it matters most.
The Mets have the fourth-worst OPS in all of MLB with runners in scoring position (.679), and today they were 0-for-3 with RISP.
Two of those opportunities came in the ninth inning, after the aforementioned double by Soto to lead off the inning. Mark Vientos struck out swinging, Marcus Semien walked, and Francisco Alvarez grounded into a double play to end the game.
"We created traffic," Mendoza said when asked about the team's inability to come up clutch. "We couldn't come up with the big hit, that's how good modern-day bullpens are, especially [Atlanta's], gotta give them credit."
Mendoza also called for a more disciplined approach from his hitters.
"We have to do our thing. Get better at-bats against good pitching... you have to be able to work some really good at-bats."
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was nearing major league history on Saturday afternoon.
Mookie Betts doomed any chances of that, however.
The Dodgers shortstop booted a routine grounder in the bottom of the eighth inning against the White Sox in Chicago, ending any chance the star right-handed pitcher could achieve baseball immortality in the Los Angeles’ 7-1 win.
Oh no…
Yamamoto loses his perfect game bid with 2 outs in the 8th as Betts can't make this play at SS. pic.twitter.com/XfFDWWtebc
Already with two outs in the frame, Yamamoto induced a ground ball from Chase Meidroth. Betts shuffled to his left and got in perfect position to field it, but the grounder bounced off him and caromed toward second baseman Santiago Espinal, who bobbled the ball and dropped it without being able to make a throw.
“Just a routine ground ball that I missed,” Betts told reporters after the game. “Not making any excuses.”
Yamamoto got out of the rest of the inning unscathed, so a no-hitter was still intact in the ninth. But Tristan Peters ended that chance at history with a lead-off solo homer.
The Dodgers hurler, had he thrown the perfect game, would have become the 25th pitcher to do so in MLB history and the first since ex-Yankees right-hander Domingo German did so in 2023.
Instead, Yamamoto’s effort will likely become just a small footnote in baseball history in the Dodgers win at Rate Field.
Mookie Betts now has two errors at shortstop this season. Getty Images
For Betts, who shifted to shortstop full-time last year, it marked just his second error of the season after having seven last year.
Betts has been mired in a slump at the plate this season, but he went 3-for-5 with three runs scored on Saturday.
The 2018 American League MVP’s average (.196) and OPS (.611) still remain far below career norms.
Jun 13, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (29) and pitcher Trey Gibson (43) meet on the mound during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
Occasionally there are games where a bad first inning is enough to make you consider doing something other than watching Orioles baseball that day. That was the case here as the Padres scored four runs before the O’s even got a chance to hit and eventually prevailed to a 9-3 win on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore.
It was a mixed day for rookie Trey Gibson. As mentioned, the first inning was brutal. He gave up two walks in the opening frame, and each one was shortly followed by a home run to get the visiting Padres out to an early four-run lead.
Gibson found his footing a bit after that, working three straight scoreless innings from the second through the fourth. But the fifth inning was trouble once again. He walked the lead-off hitter. Later, he hit Xander Bogaerts in the head with a wayward sinker. Craig Albernaz pulled him at that point, but his line wasn’t quite wrapped up as Keegan Akin came on and allowed both inherited runners to cross the plate.
When it was all said and done, Gibson tossed 4.1 innings and allowed six runs on three hits, five walks, and seven strikeouts. Missing bats had been an issue for him coming into this game. His 14.7% whiff rate was near the bottom of the league. He more than doubled that to 30% in this game, which was shown in the box score with the seven strikeouts. What he seemed to sacrifice to get there was control of the strike zone. The sky high walks and the bean ball to Bogaerts speak for themselves.
This is the sort of game that a rookie is going to have. He’s still figuring things out. The whiffs and strikeouts are good. The home runs and walks are bad. Sometimes you have to suffer through the growing pains and hope it all pans out on the other side.
The bullpen was not much better. Akin only recorded those two outs in the fifth inning, and while he wasn’t charged with any runs of his own, he failed to prevent any of Gibson’s runners from pushing the lead even higher. At least Albert Suárez was able to provide length. He worked the final four innings, but also allowed three solo home runs.
The Orioles lineup showed some early life. They responded in the bottom of the first inning with two runs. Pete Alonso hit a two-out homer. Samuel Basallo followed with a walk and then came in to score on a Leody Taveras triple to right field. Maybe we had a game on our hands after all?
Not really. The Orioles had runners on base throughout the afternoon. But time and time again they failed to cash in on them. As a group the team went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
Alonso and Blaze Alexander were the two most active on offense. They each had three hits. Alonso had the homer, a double, and two RBI. Alexander’s three knocks were all singles, but he added a stolen base on top of it all. Tyler O’Neill and Coby Mayo both had a double each, but were stranded.
Something to watch coming out of this game relates to Bogaerts being hit. The Padres, understandably, weren’t happy about it. Gibson had been wild all day, so there is no question about it being an accident. But it’s dangerous to pitch up in that area. If you don’t know where the ball’s going to that degree, you probably shouldn’t be in the game. Albernaz quickly pulling him was, at least in part, an acknowledgment of that.
San Diego was intent on retaliating, which probably would have been fine if they succeeded the first time. Bradgley Rodriguez went up and in on Gunnar Henderson twice in the seventh inning, but missed both times. Henderson eventually walked. Then, in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Ron Marinaccio successfully nailed Henderson in the ribs with a 94 mph fastball. That got the Orioles’ hackles up. Henderson gestured something about trying “three times” towards Marinaccio. The umpires quickly got together and decided the San Diego pitcher was gone. His ejection riled up the skipper Craig Stammen, who clearly wanted to be thrown out himself at the point, when there was essentially nothing to lose. Eventually, he got his wish and was sent to the showers about five minutes before the rest of his team.
Padres reliever Adrian Morejon came on to throw two pitches and get the final out without any additional fireworks. But it’s possible that more is brewing. The Padres got to throw at Henderson twice on purpose. The Orioles had only thrown at Bogaerts once, and it was by accident. Do they now get to throw at Manny Machado or Jackson Merrill in the series finale now? Hopefully not. The Padres are probably looking at suspensions for someone coming out of this. Intentional hit by pitches usually come with consequences.
The best comeback from the Orioles perspective would be to go out and win the series on Sunday. The Padres aren’t some division (or even league) rival. Just beat them and wrap this series up on a positive note.
Trevor Rogers (3-6, 6.15 ERA) will be on the bump as he continues to keep his encouraging June going. The lefty has a 3.18 ERA this month. He will be opposed by Walker Buehler (3-3, 4.33 ERA). Buehler has also been good recently, allowing just two runs over his last 10.2 innings. First pitch is set for 1:05 from Camden Yards.
The left-hander certainly appeared to be as he made his first official start of the season in Saturday afternoon’s middle-game of a huge weekend set with the Braves.
While he ended up taking the loss, Manaea was able to keep the high-powered NL East leaders in check, completing six innings of work for the first time since the 2024 playoffs.
The lone damage against him came off the bat of righty-hitting outfielder Eli White.
White struck against Manaea for an RBI double to open the scoring in the top of the second, then lifted his third homer of the season to increase the advantage just two innings later.
Other than that, the 34-year-old southpaw was in complete control the rest of the way, allowing just those two runs on four hits while striking out six and issuing no free passes.
Most importantly, his velocity was up a few ticks from his season-average, again.
“That was huge,” Carlos Mendoza said. “That’s the guy we’re going to need -- for him to go out there and give us a chance today, he was very solid today against a pretty good lineup over there.
“He used all of his pitches, competed in the strike zone, got swing-and-misses, and had a good pitch mix -- that’s the guy we saw a lot in 2024 -- big picture, that’s the guy we need moving forward.”
After a brutal start to the season that saw him relegated to an inning-eating low-leverage role out of the bullpen, Manaea has now pitched to a solid 3.33 ERA over his last eight appearances.
He’s given up just three homers and has struck out (28) four times as many batters as he’s walked (7) over that span, fighting his way back into a regular spot in the Mets' starting rotation.
“I feel good,” Manaea said. “I'm excited with where I’m at and just want to keep this train rolling.”
“He continues to earn the opportunity,” Mendoza added. “To go out there and have that type of outing today, he just puts himself in a way better position, and he’s going to only make us better moving forward."
Jun 13, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) throws the ball against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
Shohei Ohtani is back; he homered to open the scoring in what turned out to be a 7-1 Dodgers win, and yet he takes a backseat in the storyline of this game as Yoshinobu Yamamoto toyed with perfection—not allowing a single baserunner through the first 7.2 innings—carrying a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before Tristan Peters took care of it with a solo shot. Dating back to his previous performance against the Angels, Yamamoto went as far as retiring an absurd 45 straight batters, and for the second straight appearance, tossed eight innings of one-run ball, allowing a combined three hits.
Forget recording a hit; even lifting the ball in the air was a massive challenge for the White Sox, who, through the first seven innings, recorded only a pair of flyouts. Specifically for this game, Yamamoto found himself with a little extra zip on the fastball with an average velocity 1.2 MPH higher than his season average, and he took advantage of it. The Dodgers’ starter defaulted to his four-seamer far more regularly than he has in 2026, and the success behind his performance evidently justified that choice. Although it should be noted that Peters’ home run in the ninth came on a poorly located fastball with not enough zip to miss his bat, as the Dodgers starter was already over 100 pitches at that point.
Shortly before that home run, though, the perfect game bid ended in brutal fashion—there were two outs at the bottom of the eighth when the White Sox would put their first man on via an error. Chase Meldroth hit what was by all accounts a routine grounder to short, and Mookie Betts couldn’t collect it cleanly, allowing the White Sox’ second baseman to reach base. Going back to the events in Baltimore a year ago, Yamamoto is establishing similarities with Dave Stieb as a bit of a no-no specialist, well before eventually recording one.
For the Dodgers offense, much like it was the case against the Angels, once again they rewarded Yamamoto’s outstanding performance with a slugfest that left no doubts about the winner of this game. As stated at the top, the scoring began early when Ohtani knocked one out of the yard to lead off the game.
Lacking in the power department on what are the inhuman standards he has set for himself, Ohtani briefly tied Max Muncy for second place in homers on the team with 14. However, it was Muncy’s day to shine, hitting not one but two long balls, one in the first and one in the eighth. In doing so, Muncy overtook Andy Pages for the team lead in homers, with 16, and became the main driving force behind this seven-run effort on the road.
What’s even more impressive is that had the Dodgers supplemented their power output with a bit more quality with runners in scoring position—finishing the game 1 for 11 in such instances—they could’ve easily gotten into the double digits. In the end, they didn’t need much with Yamamoto dismantling the White Sox lineup, leaving the game to a standing ovation after recording the first out in the ninth.
Emmett Sheehan and the veteran Erick Feede will be the protagonists in an early Sunday matchup for West Coast viewers as the Dodgers and White Sox will meet for the final time in Chicago this season, first pitch at 11:10 a.m. PT.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 13: Nicky Lopez #33 of the Texas Rangers scores off a single hit by Wyatt Langford #36 (not pictured) in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on June 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Boston Red Sox scored six runs.
The Rangers had four opportunities with the bases loaded today and went 0-for-4. The Red Sox had one opportunity with the bases loaded after two infield dribble hits and a walk and went 1-for-1 with the eventual winning hit.
The Rangers have gone 1-for-10 with the bases loaded on this road trip, which they now need a win tomorrow to avoid being a losing road trip after clinching their first losing series of June with today’s loss.
Player of the Game: Jacob deGrom allowed two runs on six hits in six innings while walking zero and striking out five Red Sox batters. He was pretty good.
After the Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, deGrom’s big sin today was pitching to Wilyer Abreu with a runner in scoring position after Boston had tied the game at one apiece which, if you’ve ever seen Wilyer Abreu hit against the Rangers, that meant the game did not stay tied.
A bigger sin, though, was being a member of the Texas Rangers when the lineup backing him went 1-for-9 with RISP. That hit did not even score a run.
Up Next: The Rangers and Red Sox close out this series with RHP Nathan Eovaldi set to pitch for Texas against LHP Connelly Early for Boston.
The Sunday evening first pitch in the series finale from Fenway Park is scheduled for 6:20 pm CDT time and will be back on Peacock.
Jun 13, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (12) catches the ball at first base for a out against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images
Nationals 8, Mariners 3
Day baseball nap: Colt Emerson, .17 WPA
Day baseball nap, on the cap: Luis Castillo, -.37 WPA
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto retired the first 23 hitters before an error in a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. (Matt Marton / Associated Press)
A White Sox hat waved in the air. Fans clad in Chicago’s black pinstripes and Dodger blue alike rose to their feet.
Rooting interests didn’t matter as they watched Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto embrace his teammates on the mound. The brilliant performance they’d just witnessed deserved to be celebrated.
In the Dodgers’ 7-1 win against the White Sox on Saturday, Yamamoto carried a perfect game into the eighth inning until Mookie Betts booted a grounder at short, and a no-hit bid into the ninth before Chicago’s Tristan Peters homered to end it.
Perhaps even more astounding, dating to Yamamoto’s previous start against the Angels, he retired 45 straight batters, one shy of the major league record set by Yusmeiro Petit in 2014.
In an eventful game, which included Shohei Ohtani returning to the lineup to homer in his first at-bat, a two-homer performance from Max Muncy and a team bounce-back after getting blown out the night before, Yamamoto’s performance on the mound stole the show.
“I do feel a little bit [of regret], because I went into the ninth inning and I was not able to achieve a no-hitter,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “But how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.”
It marked the second time in about nine months that Yamamoto fell just short of his first major league no-hitter. Last September, he was one out away in Baltimore when he surrendered a solo homer to Jackson Holliday.
“Every time he takes the mound we feel he’s got a pretty good chance to do something special,” pitching coach Mark Prior said.
That feeling only grew stronger as Yamamoto cruised through seven innings. The only thing that slowed his roll was the mound itself. Yamamoto asked for the grounds crew to fix it in the sixth. And then he kept rolling.
“He can attack the plate on both sides from ball-to-strike better than anybody I’ve ever seen,” Prior said. “He has that ability to do that when he’s on. And that makes it tough on hitters. You don’t know if the ball is coming at them, from the right side or the left side, and going in. He did a lot of really good things to keep guys off balance.”
Yamamoto also had help from a steady defense behind him for much of the game.
The sixth inning included two highlight plays. Peters hit a sharp ground ball up the line, and first baseman Freddie Freeman made a sliding stop, tossing the ball to Yamamoto at the bag to get the out. Then left fielder Alex Call ran into the retaining wall in foul territory to catch Edgar Quero’s fly ball for the final out of the inning.
The hardest contact against Yamamoto came the third time through the lineup. In the seventh inning, he pumped a heater to the top rail against Miguel Vargas, who stayed on top of the pitch to send a line drive to left field — and right to Call.
In the eighth, Yamamoto fell behind Colson Montgomery 3-and-1. But Yamamoto worked back to a full count. Montgomery then scorched a line drive up the first base line — into Freeman’s glove.
Yamamoto’s perfect game ended two batters later.
“I’m not making any excuses,” Betts said. “I should have made the play.”
It looked like Yamamoto had tied the record for consecutive batters retired when he got Chicago’s Chase Meidroth to chase a slider and hit a routine grounder to Betts.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing slaps hands with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the ninth inning Saturday against the White Sox. (Zoe Davis / Getty Images)
But the last hop was higher than Betts expected. The ball ricocheted off him to his left, where second baseman Santiago Espinal made a last-ditch effort to salvage the play but couldn’t pick up the ball cleanly.
“I thought I got him, but that was kind of an irregular bounce,” Yamamoto said. “So it was just what it is. I didn’t really think much.”
An inning later, the no-hit bid was next to fall.
Peters led led off the ninth, and on a 1-and-0 count, Yamamoto put a high fastball over the plate. Peters turned on it and drove it into the stands in right, craning to see it stay to the left of the foul pole.
“I was a little heated in the ninth inning,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “Jumped on a pitch that was really decently executed.”
Yamamoto stayed in for one more batter, inducing Quero to fly out, before handing the ball to manager Dave Roberts.
Yamamoto wasn’t the only one feeling mixed emotions on the mound as he embraced Rushing, tapped Muncy on the back in a side hug and bumped fists with the rest of the infielders.
“I was still frustrated,” Rushing said. “He’s such a great teammate, he’s one of my good friends. You can talk to him just about anything, and he’s just a good dude. So you want to see good things happen to guys like that.”
Rushing made a prediction: “I know we’re going to have more opportunities with Yoshi like that, and I’m looking forward to it.”
After coming so close to a no-hitter twice, maybe the third time will be the one Yamamoto completes.
CHICAGO — Earlier this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he believed Yoshinobu Yamamoto would throw a no-hitter this year.
Deep into Saturday’s game at Rate Field against the White Sox, it seemed like that prediction might not be bold enough.
On a mild Chicago afternoon, in which the Dodgers’ understated staff ace nearly topped his World Series MVP-winning form from last October, Yamamoto carried a perfect-game bid all the way into the bottom of the eighth inning and a no-hitter into the ninth.
That close, the Japanese right-hander was to making history.
Instead, in the Dodgers’ eventual 7-1 win, both achievements were lost on a pair of stunning moments.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto lost his perfect game in the eighth and no-hitter in the ninth. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With two outs in the eighth — and Yamamoto also one out away from matching an MLB record of 46 consecutive batters retired in a row, going back to the seven-plus perfect innings he threw at the end of a start against the Angels last week — White Sox infielder Chase Meidroth hit a seemingly routine chopper to shortstop.
Standing there, ready to make the play, was 2025 Gold Glove finalist Mookie Betts.
The last hop, however, looked bigger than he expected, sending the ball booting off the heel of his mitt for a perfecto-snapping error.
“Just a routine ground ball that I missed,” Betts said afterward. “Not making any excuses.”
Yamamoto temporarily recovered, retiring the side in the next at-bat to keep the no-hitter intact.
Back in the dugout, he was also one of several Dodgers players to pick the downtrodden Betts up with a pat on his back.
“It took a tough hop, even from my view,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “That’s a tough ball to make a play on. And at the end of the day, it didn’t lose him a no-hitter, so we weren’t beating him up about it. But obviously, Mookie being the competitor, the athlete that he is, he was pretty hard on himself about it.”
Thus came the ninth, with a sold-out crowd rising to its feet in anticipation as Yamamoto returned to the mound.
Two pitches later, though, White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters — a rookie left-handed hitter with only two home runs previously this year — squared up a fastball that Yamamato left over the middle and hooked it inside the right-field foul pole for a home run.
It was the second time in the last two years that Yamamoto — who would get one more out before finishing an 8 ⅓-inning, 109-pitch, seven-strikeout gem — had lost a no-no on a ninth-inning long ball.
“I do feel a little bit regrettable, because I went into the ninth inning and I was not able to achieve a no-hitter,” he said through an interpreter afterward. “But how I was pitching, I was pretty satisfied.”
Yamamoto lost his no-hitter on a White Sox home run in the bottom of the ninth. AP Photo/Matt Marton
What it means
Just like in Baltimore last September, when Yamamoto was one out from a no-hitter before Jackson Holliday hit a home run that triggered a stunning Orioles comeback, the Dodgers’ ace had looked untouchable right up until Peters’ blast sailed past the foul pole.
“He’s surgical with all his pitches,” pitching coach Mark Prior said. “I think from a hitter’s perspective it’s gotta be really hard to zero in on a specific pitch or a specific location.”
Indeed, Yamamoto mixed and matched with his six-pitch arsenal. He got two strikeouts each with his fastball (which played up a tick at 97 mph), splitter (which only got one whiff but kept White Sox hitters off balance) and cutter (a chance-of-pace weapon that keyed his success in last year’s playoffs).
The home run to Peters wasn’t perfectly located. But at 97 mph, Rushing noted, “that’s usually a pretty good pitch.”
At least, unlike last year’s other close call in Baltimore, the Dodgers had no trouble holding on to win this time.
“I know we’re gonna have more opportunities with Yoshi like that,” said Rushing, who admitted some frustration at how close his batterymate came. “And I’m looking forward to it.”
Who’s hot
One key in Yamamoto’s outing: He was pitching with a big lead.
The Dodgers’ offense scored three times in the first, on home runs from Shohei Ohtani (who returned to the lineup after battling knee inflammation the past couple days) and Max Muncy. They stretched it to 5-0 by the sixth. And then in the eighth, Muncy added more insurance with his second two-run blast of the day, giving him a team-high 16 home runs this season.
Who’s not
Miguel Rojas exited the game in the seventh inning after hopping awkwardly out of the way of an inside pitch. His status was not immediately clear postgame, with manager Dave Roberts departing before speaking to reporters to travel to his daughter’s college graduation on Sunday. Bench coach Danny Lehmann will fill in for him in the series finale.
Up next
The Dodgers will go for a series win Sunday to punctuate this road trip, with Emmet Sheehan (3-3, 4.70 ERA) slated to face right-hander Erick Fedde (1-5, 4.69 ERA).
On a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon at Citi Field, the Mets bats were ice cold as they lost to the Braves, 3-1 the final.
Sean Manaea put together his best start in quite some time, but the Mets offense never really got going against a very strong Braves pitching staff.
The Mets record now sits at 31-39, a handful of games out of an NL Wild Card place.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Braves opened the scoring in the second inning when Eli White laced a two-out double, bringing home Matt Olson all the way from first base. Despite the fact that White moved up to third base, Sean Manaea stranded him there by getting Ha-Seong Kim to pop out and end the inning with the score 1-0 in Atlanta's favor.
-- Vidal Bruján made his first appearance for the Mets since May 31st against the Miami Marlins, and it was a bit of a revenge game for the shortstop, as he was designated for assignment by the Braves this past offseason.
-- Carson Benge turned a strikeout looking into a walk in the third inning with a successful challenge of the umpire's call. He was left stranded after Bo Bichette's hard hit line drive to left field was caught.
-- Eli White got the better of Manaea once again in the fourth inning, this time clobbering a solo shot over the left-field fence to double Atlanta's lead (and his RBI tally for the day).
-- Juan Soto opened the fourth inning with a single, but Mark Vientos grounded into a double play and Marcus Semien ended the inning with another groundout.
-- In the sixth inning, Carson Benge got on his horse and flashed the leather with a running, leaping catch on the warning track, hanging on as he crashed into the center-field wall to rob Ozzie Albies of an extra-base hit. An inning later, Benge took away a bloop hit to shallow center off the bat of Austin Riley with a spectacular diving catch.
-- Bo Bichette continued his hot streak at the plate with a multi-hit game, notching New York's first extra-base hit of the day in the sixth inning with a one-out double. In something of an early hook, Braves manager Walt Weiss decided to pull Pérez despite the fact that he had thrown just 71 pitches and had been pitching very well.
-- Mark Vientos put the Mets on the board with a two-out single off of lefty Dylan Lee, bringing Bichette home and cutting Atlanta's lead to 2-1. Pérez was tagged with the earned run, meaning his final line read one run, four hits, and one walk allowed through 5.1 innings. He struck out four batters.
-- For the first time since September of 2024 (Game 3 of the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies), Manaea pitched for six full innings. He allowed four hits and two runs, both earned, across 84 pitches. He struck out six Braves batters and walked none. His command was excellent all afternoon, tunneling his sweeper and four-seam fastball very well, and his velocity was a noticeable tick up across the board.
-- 20-year-old highly touted Braves prospect Didier Fuentes struck out the side in the eighth inning, sitting down Mets hitters Francisco Alvarez, pinch-hitting Jared Young, and MJ Melendez in order.
-- Austin Warren relieved Manaea in the seventh inning, and after Braves right fielder Eli White doubled yet again, Warren bounced back to strand him, retiring former Met Dominic Smith and Ha-Seong Kim.
-- Manager Carlos Mendoza trusted Warren to handle the eighth inning as well. However, after striking out two Braves batters, the righty reliever hung a slider slider to lefty slugger Michael Harris II who promptly hammered a solo homer to right field, making it 3-1 Braves. He finished the inning without allowing any further damage to the scoreboard.
-Daniel Duarte sat down the side in the top of the ninth for the Mets.
-- Juan Soto led off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Initially, it looked like a home run, but the umpires determined that the ball never left the ballpark and sent Soto back to second base after a lengthy review. Braves closer Raisel Iglesias shut the door, striking out Vientos, walking Semien, but then getting Alvarez to ground into a double play.
Game MVP: Eli White
White was 3-for-4 with two RBI, a solo homer and two doubles. Typically not known for his bat, the speedy outfielder had an outstanding day at the plate for the Braves.
Highlights:
Juan Soto's long fly ball, initially ruled a home run on the field, is overturned to a double pic.twitter.com/IugJ8fZzbZ
The Mets have one more win this season than last when trailing after eight innings, but that isn’t saying much.
Last year’s number was 0-70 in such instances. It was 1-31 this season entering Saturday, and even with the middle of the Mets lineup front and center for the team’s final at-bat, that wasn’t about to change.
Juan Soto doubled leading off the ninth against Raisel Iglesias, but the Mets were still left empty-handed in a 3-1 loss to the Braves at Citi Field.
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Soto’s shot to left field was originally ruled a home run but changed to a double after replay officials determined the ball caromed back into play off the top of the left-field fence and wasn’t touched by a fan.
Francisco Alvarez’s double-play grounder ended it, after Mark Vientos struck out and Marcus Semien walked.
“Nowadays you have two elite guys throwing the eighth and ninth so it’s never easy,” Soto said. “It’s no excuse for us to keep losing after trailing after eight, but it’s not easy.”
The Mets received a solid performance from Sean Manaea, in his first start this season. The left-hander, who has been used in various relief roles, pitched a season-high six innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches.
Eli White’s RBI double in the second delivered the game’s first run. Manaea allowed a leadoff single to Matt Olson before White’s shot (he took third on the throw) brought in the run. Manaea recovered to get the next two outs without an additional run scoring.
New York Mets pitcher Austin Warren (44) gives up a solo home run to Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Harris II (23) during the eighth inning on Saturday, June 13, 2026 at Citi Field in Queens, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
White cleared the left-field fence with two outs in the fourth to extend the Mets’ deficit to 2-0. The homer was the third Manaea allowed in his last three appearances. But Manaea was finished allowing runs for the day.
Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Manaea may have shed the training wheels and will be allowed to continue as a starter.
“He continues to earn that opportunity and for him to go out there and have that type of outing, it puts himself in a way better position and he’s going to only make us better,” Mendoza said.
The Mets lost on a game-ending double play with two runners on base in the ninth inning. Robert Sabo for NY PostAtlanta Braves center fielder Eli White (36) advances to third base on his RBI double during the second inning. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Vientos stroked an RBI single in the sixth that brought in the Mets’ only run. Bo Bichette doubled and Vientos delivered after Soto was retired by reliever Dylan Lee. Vientos snapped an 0-for-17 skid with the hit.
The scuffling Vientos began the day hitless in June with strikeouts in six of his 12 at-bats. Vientos’ chase rate of 37.5 percent for this season — placing him in MLB’s 13th percentile — is a strong indicator of where he needs improvement.
Vientos was asked before the game if he’s received any words of encouragement from the Mets’ field staff.
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“I don’t think we’re at a level where people need to boost your spirits,” Vientos said. “This is either perform, or don’t. I don’t think any type of ‘go get them’ out there is going to fix anything. It’s just either you do it or you don’t.”
Austin Warren allowed a solo homer to Michael Harris II in the eighth that gave the Braves a 3-1 lead. It was a third straight appearance in which Warren allowed at least one run. The right-hander surrendered a go-ahead, two-run homer in San Diego on the Mets’ last road trip and followed that with a shaky inning (two earned runs allowed) against the Cardinals as an opener.
The Mets still can earn a series victory and .500 homestand with a win on Sunday, but a 31-39 team needs much more than the ability to tread water.
“We have been having a lot of tough times with the injuries, so I feel we have been good,” Soto said. “We have been having the rookies play great baseball, we have the guys playing good games, so it’s really cool to see.”
