Category: Baseball

It was just about the most characteristic game the San Diego Padres could have. Winning 2-0 on the laurels of their dominant pitching, the Friars won their first home series in quite some time. It’s certainly been nice to watch San Diego take out their frustrations from the recent rivalry series on someone.

Starter Lucas Giolito was solid, working around some shaky command to get through five scoreless innings. He had some help. Ty France made three double plays (one of which may have been overturned had the Athletics not lost their challenge in the first inning).

The Padres managed to scratch two runs across against J.T. Ginn. The lineup went 0-for-5 with RISP but scored on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and an RBI ground out. However they did it, it’s a results-based business and the Friars are now 11 games over .500. It feels good to be a Padres fan.

Taking the mound

Luis Medina (ATH) v. Michael King (SD)

Media has looked good so far for the A’s. He’s only been used in relief so it’s unclear if the Athletics will use him as an opener or if it will be a bullpen game. It remains to be seen how the club will pitch the series finale.

Whatever the case, Medina has looked great in what has been a breakout 2026. Through 14 games he owns a 2.41 ERA, almost three runs lower than his career 5.03 ERA. He hasn’t limited runners well, with a 1.18 WHIP, so San Diego will need to take advantage.

King has been the Friars’s ace, there’s just no other way to say it. His 2.31 ERA and 1.06 WHIP don’t even tell the full story of how good he’s been. And that’s without mentioning that — until his last start — he didn’t even look fully like himself.

Then he reminded everyone of who he was in his previous start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching seven scoreless innings and outdueling 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the win. If he can keep that elite command intact, King could make a run at the National League Cy Young.

Batter up!

Most of the Padres have yet to face Medina. He’s only spent three years in the league, and it’s been in a different division so it’s not all that surprising. That means it’ll probably be a standard lineup.

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

Bogaerts got a rest day on Saturday, with Song starting at shortstop. He’ll be back in today’s lineup, though Song could still play at second to give Tatis his first outfield start in a while.

Merrill looked good in his first game back from tweaking his back. He went 1-for-3 with a walk in Saturday’s game. If he can keep that momentum going it would be a major boost for San Diego.

The same is true of Durán. After getting his first MLB hit (it was a homer) in Seattle against the Mariners, he’s looked fantastic. That continued to be the case in the series opener against the Athletics, with Durán going 1-for-1 with two walks.

Relief corps

After using most of their high-leverage relievers in Game 1 on Friday, the Friars exhausted them thoroughly in Saturday’s win. Manager Craig Stammen likely decided to do that due to King starting Sunday’s finale. The Padres will rest on the laurels of their ace against the A’s as opposed to their high-leverage bullpen options.

Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon each covered two innings between the two games while Mason Miller closed out the save last night. Miller could still be available in a save situation for the finale.

However, the likelier available pitchers are Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez. Only Rodriguez has pitched so far in this seres (0.2 IP on Friday).

Not even a rainout can stop these red-hot Orioles! Perhaps I exaggerate just a bit. But after a convincing 7-4 win on Friday night, one can almost glimpse what this team could be. Maybe a series against last-place Detroit was just what these Birds need to kickstart their herky-jerky season.

Don’t discount the importance of Jackson Holliday’s return, either. On Friday, just his third game since coming off the IL, Holliday went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk. Welcome back, kid! Gunnar Henderson also feasted, going 3-for-5, and Adley Rutschman and Leody Taveras contributed two hits apiece.

So despite a Saturday rainout, the Orioles will get a chance to get a win streak going with a scheduled doubleheader today. First pitch is at 12:35 ET, with Saturday’s original matchup going in Game 1 instead. It’s a battle of right handers, with Brandon Young (3-1, 4.25 ERA and 22 SO in 29.2 IP) taking on Framer Valdez (2-3, 4.58 ERA and 45 SO in 55 IP).

You may recall Framber Valdez as one of a handful of starters the Orioles were linked to during the offseason. Well, he didn’t sign with the Orioles. That hurt a bit back in April, when Valdez has a 3.67 ERA in six starts, but he’s had a terrible month of May, going 0-2 with a 7.98 earned run average. There’s some evidence that the velocity on his heaters is down. Could he be hurt? I don’t know, but the Orioles can’t worry about such things: there’s a season to save!

As for Brandon Young, he was, like, Plan C for this rotation back in spring training. But what with injuries to Zach Eflin (out for the season with Tommy John), Dean Kremer (still recovering from a quad strain) and Trevor Rogers (we’re not sure what’s going on with him), the big Texan-that-could has been thrust back into the rotation. He’s done OK, actually, with just one clunker in six starts (a 10-run, only 4 earned, effort against his childhood team, the Astros). On the other hand, as Mark Brown pointed out in his series preview, Young’s sizeable ERA-FIP gap (4.25/5.22) suggests things could go sideways. With the Tigers considered a bottom-10 offense by Fangraphs, maybe Young will continue to walk the tightrope.

Game 1 Orioles lineup

1. Taylor Ward DH
2. Gunnar Henderson SS
3. Adley Rutschman C
4. Pete Alonso 1B
5. Tyler O’Neill RF
6. Coby Mayo
7. Leody Taveras CF
8. Jackson Holliday 2B
9. Blaze Alexander LF

Game 1 Tigers lineup

1. Zach McKinstry 2B
2. Kevin McGonigle 3B
3. Dillon Dingler DH
4. Riley Greene LF
5. Matt Vierling CF
6. Colt Keith 1B
7. Wenceel Pérez RF
8. Jake Rogers C
9. Zack Short SS

Left-hander Trevor Rogers, originally slated for Sunday’s finale, takes Game 2. Rogers is 1-5 with an 8.42 ERA in his last seven starts. Oh, dear. Could it be pitch tipping? I hope so, because the alternatives seem worse.

In an act of procrastination so extreme even I am shocked by it (and I have a bad habit of procrastination), Detroit still hasn’t announced their Game 2 starter as of 12:05 today. The best guess we have is that they’ll reinstate second-year righty Troy Melton off the 60-day injured list (elbow inflammation) for his first start of the year. Last year, in primarily a relief capacity, Melton posted a 3-2 W-L record with a 2.76 ERA in sixteen games (four starts). The 25-year-old righty has excellent velocity on his fastball, which he pairs his heater with a slider that was effective last year, and a cutter that was less so.

Let’s play two! Let’s go O’s!

The Phillies and Guardians will wrap up their three game series on Sunday….or at least they will if the rain gives them a window to play. (Considering the Guardians won’t be back to Philadelphia this season, they’ll do their best to fit it in.)

The teams split the first two games of the series, each team winning by shutout. The Phillies have gotten well pitched games on both Friday and Saturday and hope rookie Andrew Painter can replicate the feat on Sunday.

The Guardians will go with lefty Parker Messick. Based on Messick’s strong season and the Phillies’ struggles against lefthanded pitching, runs may be at a premium.

Game time is 1:35 and will be televised locally on NBCSP.

The Mets have scratched Juan Soto from the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Miami Marlins due to an illness.

"Soto’s ill, so he’s out of the lineup," said manager Carlos Mendoza. "I think this is something that we are all battling for the past week. He’s been battling it for the past three days. Showed up today with fever, body aches, and didn’t have much sleep. So, hopefully he recovers and we have a player [off the bench] for today.

"Kind of like a flu going around."

Soto was originally batting third and serving as the designated hitter. Now, A.J. Ewing has been moved up to the three-hole, with MJ Melendez sliding in lower in the order as the DH.

Losing Soto's bat in the lineup comes at a rough time for the Mets, who have scored exactly one run on three hits in each of the first two games against Miami, both losses. 

And Soto has been on a heater as well, hitting .333 with a .778 slugging percentage, four home runs, and seven RBI over his last seven games.

UPDATED LINEUP:

Benge RF
Bichette SS
Ewing CF
Vientos 1B
Baty 3B
Semien 2B
Melendez DH
Taylor LF
Senger C

Scott P https://t.co/nvm0tvMjfx

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 24, 2026

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The Chicago Cubs desperately need a win, and they’ll look to get it this afternoon when they host the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs have lost seven straight for the first time in four years after a 3-0 loss on Saturday, but with Yordan Alvarez sidelined, my Astros vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks expect them to get back on track today.

Who will win Astros vs Cubs today: Cubs -1.5 (+130)

Yordan Alvarez will miss Sunday’s game, which particularly hurts them in this matchup. That’s because Shota Imanaga has a 2.12 HR/9 rate vs. left-handed hitters, but just a 0.65 HR/9 rate vs. righties.

He’s dominating opposite-side matchups, with RHH posting a .245 wOBA. He also walks RHH half as often. Over the past two weeks, Houston’s .179 wOBA, 13 wRC+, and .000 ISO vs. LHP are the worst in the league.

There’s too much juice for me to take the Chicago Cubs moneyline, but there’s value on the run line given Houston’s lack of production and poor bullpen performance.

COVERS INTEL: Shota Imanaga is utilizing his splitter 41% of the time vs. RHH, with opponents posting a .186 xBA and .267 xSLG against the pitch this season.

Astros vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-124)

I’m expecting the Cubs to score enough runs to cover the run line, but not much beyond that.

Their 60 wRC+ is third-worst in the majors over the past two weeks. They’ve managed just a .294 xwOBA, hindered by a 26.1% strikeout rate that's third-worst over that span.

Houston Astros starter Peter Lambert has far better road splits, with a .200 BABIP and a .270 FIP outside of Daikin Park. 

I foresee the Cubs finally breaking through against a Houston pen with a 5.18 xFIP the past two weeks, while both lineups struggle against the starters.

Astros vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Astros +150 | Cubs -156
• Run line: Astros +1.5 (-133) | Cubs -1.5 (+127)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+117) | Under 7.5 (-122)

How to watch Astros vs Cubs and game info

Astros vs Cubs latest injuries

Astros vs Cubs weather

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The Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels close out their weekend series Sunday at Angel Stadium with a lefty-lefty pitching matchup between MacKenzie Gore and Reid Detmers.

This is a fairly even pitching matchup, but I see value on the underdog in this Sunday Night Baseball matchup.

Read all about it in my Rangers vs Angels predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, May 24.

Who will win Rangers vs Angels tonight: Rangers (+105)

MacKenzie Gore comes into this matchup with a strikeout rate of nearly 26%, ranking in the 75th percentile of baseball.

Both of these pitchers can deliver swings-and-misses, but one matters more than the other. That's why I'm backing the Texas Rangers and would play them to -115.

The Los Angeles Angelsstrike out at a 23% clip against southpaws, the 11th-highest mark in baseball, and Gore's elite extension on his heaters plays well here. Reid Detmers can match the K upside, but the Rangers' offense is more well-rounded to attack him.

Rangers vs Angels Over/Under pick: Under 8 (-105)

I mentioned earlier Gore's K rate mattered more in this matchup than Detmers'. The biggest reason is overall hitting: the Angels have the second-highest whiff rate in the sport. However, that doesn't mean the Rangers don't have their own strikeout issues.

They actually rank sixth in the sport in whiff rate at 27% and have struck out more with a smaller dataset against left-handed pitching.

Detmers' 25% K rate should be successful because of that. This all points to both pitchers having stretches of dominance in this game. I'd play this to 7.5.

Rangers vs Angels odds

• Moneyline: Rangers +105 | Angels -125
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 | Angels -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8 | Under 8

Rangers vs Angels trend

The Texas Rangers have hit the game total Under in 27 of their last 45 games (+10.80 Units / 22% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Brewers.

How to watch Rangers vs Angels and game info

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Rangers vs Angels weather

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Time for a sweep.

Two games under .500 and tied to for the last Wild Card spot. It seems strange to have a playoff spot while being under .500, but I’ll take it.

Nathan Lukes is playing for Dunedin today, so he should be back soon.

George Springer is hitting again, six game hitting streak .320/.370/.760 with 3 home runs and 2 doubles. Sanchez is hitting too, .441/.474/.676 in his last 13 games. It is good to see. Now if Vlad and Okamoto could get things going, life would be great.

Today’s lineup:

The Dodgers have asked a lot of their relievers over the last two weeks, and so far they’ve been up to the task. The bullpen covered the last four innings of Saturday’s win in Milwaukee without giving up a run, and have now pitched 36 scoreless innings in a row, breaking the modern franchise record.

The previous longest scoreless streak in the modern era (since 1901) by Dodgers relievers came from April 17-27, 1998, when the bullpen pitched 33 innings in a row without allowing a run. Frank Lankford allowed the runs directly before and after that streak, and contributed four scoreless frames during. Darren Dreifort (7 1/3 innings) and Brad Clontz (7 innings) were the heavy lifters during the 1998 streak, which also included Antonio Osuna, Mark Guthrie, Scott Radinsky, and Jim Bruske, a beautiful concoction of remembering some guys.

Seven total relievers pitched in the 1998 scoreless streak. In the 2026 streak, a dozen different pitchers have put up zeroes, part of heavy roster turnover the last two weeks as the Dodgers covered for losing Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, and Jack Dreyer.

May 12 was the last time the Dodgers bullpen allowed a run, when the San Francisco Giants scored once in the seventh inning. Edgardo Henriquez and Dreyer finished out that game with scoreless frames, followed by 10 games in a row through Saturday without the bullpen allowing another run.

I would argue that the Dodgers bullpen scoreless streak is even longer, at 38 innings, because of the May 15 win over the Angels in Anaheim. They used a bullpen game in that series opener, filling in for a scheduled Snell start, and Will Klein began that game with two scoreless innings, which technically counts as a start, but in my eyes he’s a reliever who just happened to pitch at the start of the contest.

The Dodgers are 8-2 in the last 10 games while their bullpen has been spotless. Here’s the breakdown of all the contributors to the 36 38-inning scoreless streak, including Klein’s “start” on May 15:

It was a rough start to the season for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders relief pitcher Zach Messinger. In five appearances in April covering 12.1 innings, the 26-year-old right-hander allowed 13 runs (11 earned) on 15 hits with nine walks and 11 strikeouts. His earned-run average was 7.07.

Since then, Messinger has turned things around. In his last six appearances dating back to April 28th, he has not allowed a run and just one hit in 13 innings with five walks and 11 strikeouts. He has lowered his ERA to 3.67.

“As the year goes on, there’s ups and there’s downs. I just hit a lower point early on,” Messinger said. “I’ve put in a lot of work with our analysts and our pitching coaches on things we can tighten up. I think we’ve done a really good job of that. It’s also me staying within myself, understanding it’s only April, it’s only May. Nothing really too crazy to push the issue on. Just the ebbs and flows of the season. But it’s been good to put a few good ones together.”

During the rough stretch, there wasn’t anything physically wrong with Messinger. Nothing wrong mechanically, his velocity was good. Some of it was bad luck. Most of it, Messinger feels, was a difference in game-planning and focus points.

“Typically in my career, that’s something I’ve leaned pretty heavy on,” he said. “I feel like I’m a pretty cerebral guy and I enjoy the game-planning aspect of going through a lineup and how you’re going to attack them. I got a little bit away from myself from doing that. So getting back to who I was and trusting my stuff. I’ve worked really hard to get where I’m at, worked really hard to get my stuff where it’s at. It was a little bit of seeing is believing. Now it’s starting to come together.”

The turning point came April 23rd in a home game at PNC Field against Rochester. Messinger came on in the top of the ninth inning with the RailRiders leading, 4-2, and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks, enabling the Red Wings to take a 5-4 lead. The RailRiders tied it in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Messinger pitched three-up, three-down innings in the 10th and 11th with two strikeouts and the RailRiders won it in the bottom of the 11th on a RBI single by Jasson Domínguez.

“Putting together two really good innings and ending up winning that game,” said Messinger, who is 3-0 with one save this season. “That’s just good mentally, confidence-wise, too, to be able to have that one in the back pocket. So leaning on that and kind of doing a deep dive into some usage stuff – fastballs less, sliders more – looking back on what’s given me success over the course of my career as a starter or a reliever.”

Selected by the Yankees out of the University of Virginia in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB Draft (393rd overall), Messinger has worked his way up through the organization, primarily as a starter.

He began last season in Triple-A with the RailRiders and his first seven appearances were starts. Then, in mid-May, he transitioned to a reliever and worked out of the bullpen. On August 28th, he was sent down to Double-A Somerset and finished the season there. In 33 combined games (28 RailRiders, 5 Somerset), he was 4-4 with three saves, one hold, a 5.55 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 73 innings.

Messinger doesn’t have a preference as a starter or a reliever. He believes he is capable in whatever role he is needed.

“Last year I did some starting at the beginning of the year, then had some ninth-inning appearances,” he said. “So far I’ve done a decent amount of long relief, but I’ve also had some later, high-leverage innings in the eighth and ninth this year. 

“I think the best thing I can give the Yankees is me showing I’m adaptable. If you need 45 pitches out of me, I’m going to be there. If you need me to come in late innings and kind of put out a fire with guys on base, I’m adaptable. I’ll be ready in any situation.”

One of Messinger’s best friends in the organization is RailRiders teammate Brendan Beck. The two were drafted together in the same year. They are roommates on the road, so he had a front-row view for when Beck was called up to the Yankees on May 7th to make his Major League debut.

“I was right there watching everything that was going on in the Yankees game and there with him when he had to jump in the car and rush to the Bronx,” Messinger said. “Knowing that guy’s journey, there’s nothing you can take away from that guy that he hasn’t earned. Going through surgeries and setbacks, he’s an absolute grinder. It was so cool to see, he’s really earned it. They don’t hand out big-league debuts just for guys because it’s a cool story, coming back from injuries. You’ve got to go out there and put up the success on the field and he’s been able to do that at every level he’s been at. He’s been able to do it since college. He just needed the opportunity and let his body hold up a little bit. It’s been really awesome to see him do that these last couple weeks.”

If and when Messinger gets that phone call, he said he will be ready.

“I’ve put in a lot of work, especially the past few offseasons, to build my repertoire and my mentality for the game, especially as a reliever,” he said. “I think I’ve put myself in a good position to where if the team upstairs needs me, I’ll be ready. That’s kind of the whole goal, right? I stuck my toe in the water last year and got the taste of Triple-A as a starter and a reliever. I know how to get through a lineup and I’ve seen guys go up to the big leagues and succeed. I’ve talked to them and I feel like I’m good mentally and physically to where if the opportunity comes and the Yankees need me, I’ll be there.”

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays, May 24, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET

Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet

Pitching Matchup: Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.86 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (3-2, 2.98 ERA)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Toronto Blue Jays looking to grab a win.

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Hickory was rained out.

Hub City played a pair.

In Game One, Ismael Agreda allowed seven runs in four innings, walking 4 and striking out 7. Case Matter made his 2026 full season debut, throwing a scoreless inning.

Rafe Perich homered. Maxton Martin, Paxton Kling and Gleider Figuereo each singled.

In Game Two, Kling and Perich each had a hit and a walk. Chandler Pollard had a hit.

Hub City Game One box score

Hub City Game Two box score

Frisco starter Leandro Lopez struck out seven in 4.2 IP, but allowed four runs on 10 hits and a walk, including a home run. Josh Sborz walked two in a scoreless inning.

Dylan Dreiling had a hit. Arturo Disla was 3 for 5. Cody Freeman had a hit.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Robbie Ahlstrom threw 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out one. Michel Otanez struck out three in two scoreless innings. Gavin Collyer struck out two and walked one in a scoreless inning. Emiliano Teodo threw a scoreless inning.

Cam Cauley was 2 for 4 with a walk and a double.

Round Rock box score

Izack Tiger, making his way back from Tommy John surgery, threw a scoreless inning for the ACL Rangers, striking out one and walking one. Josh Owens walked two and struck out two in 0.2 IP.

Jay McQueen was 3 for 4 with a walk and a homer. Rashawn Pinder had a pair of homers.

ACL Rangers box score

1917
Reb Russell threw a 12-inning shutout against the Senators, giving up 11 hits, striking out six, and walking none. Russell was helped by Ray Schalk gunning down all four of Washington’s attempts to steal second base.

Oh, and at the plate, Russell also went 2-for-4 with a triple.

1929
In one of the greatest pitching performances in baseball history, White Sox starter Ted Lyons threw all 21 innings of a heartbreaking 6-5 loss to the Tigers. He allowed 24 hits in the game and faced an astounding 85 hitters. His opponent that day, George Uhle, pitched 20 innings and faced 79 batters himself.

The 85 batters faced is the most-ever in White Sox history, and ranks sixth all-time in baseball history; the 21 innings pitched is the most in White Sox history, and is tied for seventh all-time.

The 21-inning game is tied for the third-longest in White Sox history.

1939
The first night game in White Sox history came in Philadelphia, and ended in a 4-1 Chicago win. The Athletics held a 1-0 lead until the top of the eighth, when the White Sox ruined the hopes of 18,721 A’s fans by rallying for three runs on five singles and a ground out. Eddie Smith went the distance in his first nighttime assignment.

1946
White Sox manager Jimmy Dykes was fired, replaced by … Ted Lyons. Dykes is atop the White Sox leaderboard in several manager categories:

• Longest tenure: 12 years, 13 days
• Most games: 1,839
• Most wins: 899
• Most losses: 940
• Most managerial WAR: 34.4
• Most managerial WAR per season: 3.0 

With Lyons moving to manager, White Sox pitching legend Red Faber joined the team as a coach.

Dykes also was involved in a footnote that could have changed White Sox and baseball history.

In March 1938, the White Sox played a benefit exhibition against the Pasadena Sox, a group of young players from that California city. Holding forth on the local team was a 19-year-old Black youth who made several brilliant plays. Acknowledging the color line in place in the major leagues at the time, Dykes said, “Geez, if that kid was white, I’d sign him right now.” 

In March 1942, Dykes allowed the phenom and another black baseball player, Nate Moreland, to try out for the White Sox. He sent them away without an offer. Perhaps he allowed the tryouts only to deflect integration criticism, since no major league team had yet expressed any positive attitude toward integration. In any event, nothing came of it. How history might have changed if he had been able to offer a contract to that phenom … a lad named Jackie Robinson!

(The White Sox also nearly had a third crack at Robinson, as Frank Lane had arranged a trade for the Dodgers star in the mid-1950. The Cincinnati Reds made a waiver claim, nixing the deal.)

1961
For the first time since the 1950 season, the White Sox dropped into last place in the American League (although just briefly), after they lost a doubleheader in Baltimore, 5-3 and 6-4. The plight of the Sox actually caused some Chicago aldermen in a city council session to publicly ask what was going on.

The Sox rebounded, though, to end the year in fourth place, with 86 wins.

1967
White Sox first baseman Tommy McCraw had his career day. In a game at Minnesota, McCraw slammed three home runs (all off of future White Sox pitcher Jim Kaat) and knocked in eight as the Sox pounded the Twins, 14-1. On the day he went 3-for-6, with three runs. The eight RBIs tied a franchise record.

1981
With a 10-2 win at California, the White Sox completed a three-game sweep compiling 45 hits and 34 runs (in victories of 9-5, 15-4, 10-2). The big blow came in the second inning, when Ron LeFlore hit a Little League grand slam by singling in three runs with the bases full, with an error by Brian Downing in left field allowing LeFlore to score and put the White Sox up, 5-0. Both LeFlore and Mike Squires had three hits apiece in the win.

It was a fourth straight win and seven victories in eight games. Chicago would win three of four games to come, making the run a full 10 wins in 12 games. For the road trip that included Toronto, California and Oakland, the White Sox won seven of nine.

The sweep pushed the White Sox to 21-15 and firmly in second place. With the season disrupted by the players’ strike with the club better than .500 all season, 1981 goes down as a great what-if in White Sox history.

1982
LaMarr Hoyt improved to 9-0 on the season with a 3-1 win over Kansas City. Hoyt went the distance, and in the process ran his overall Comiskey Park record to 16-0 and his personal winning streak in all games to 14. An RBI single from Greg Luzinski and a two-run safety from Tom Paciorek in the sixth inning provided all the scoring Hoyt needed for the win.

The victory moved the White Sox to 27-13 and back up by a half-game in the AL West, but sadly would be their final day in sole possession of first during the 1982 season.

1983
The 1983 season turned around completely on this evening, as the White Sox destroyed Boston and pitcher Doug Bird, 12-4. Bird, who hadn’t lost a game in two years, was roughed up as the Sox blasted five home runs on the night. Greg Luzinski hit one of them, his fifth shot in five games.

It was the start of the drive that led, four months later, to 99 wins and the Western Division championship.

2011
White Sox outfielder Carlos Quentin wrote his name in the franchise record book when he hit three home runs in a game against the Rangers. Quentinhit them before and after a rain/high wind delay of almost three hours, which caused the game to end at 1:27 a.m. local time. He went 3-for-5 on the night, with five RBIs in the 8-6 win.

Another Sunday, another rubber match for the Atlanta Braves.

For the third straight weekend — and the fourth out of the last five — the series will be on the line in the deciding game Sunday when the Braves host the Washington Nationals at 4:10 p.m. EDT.

Given, rubber matches have been no problem for the Braves through the first two months of the season. They’ve won seven of their eight deciding games of series and still haven’t lost a series at home, a perfect 8-0-0.

Martín Pérez (2-2, 2.85 ERA) will be called upon to continue that run in this series finale. He’s making a second consecutive start without a relief appearance in between for the first time since April 28 and May 6.

While Pérez’s role has been a bit wonky, he’s handling it exceptionally well. He allowed a season-high-tying four runs Tuesday at Miami — three of them coming in the first inning — but still grinded out five innings and set a new career high of 10 strikeouts — no small feat for a 15-year veteran.

In 10 appearances (six starts) this season, Pérez has a career-best 2.85 ERA and a career-best 1.000 WHIP. When you look at his Statcast profile, there’s no one area that jumps out in terms of his effectiveness. But he just keeps providing strong-enough spot starts or relief appearances.

Pérez doesn’t have a particularly strong history against the Nationals. He’s 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA in six appearances (four starts), striking out 20, walking seven and allowing six homers. He faced them out of the bullpen back on April 22, allowing two solo homers in three innings of work of the Braves’ 8-6 win.

He’ll be facing off against Washington’s Foster Griffin (5-2, 4.02) in a battle of left-handers. Griffin is back in the United States this season after spending the last three in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants. He returned to the majors on a one-year deal with Washington.

That return has gone well through the first few months. He’s one of just three Nationals pitchers to make 10-plus starts and his ERA is 16 hundredths behind Cade Cavalli for the best among starters on the team.

However, he’s come back down to earth a bit in the last few starts after a very strong start to the season. He’s allowed 14 runs over 9 1/3 innings in his last two starts (five in five innings vs. the Mets on May 19 and nine in 4 1/3 against Cincinnati on May 14). He allowed two home runs in each of those starts and has allowed 10 in as many starts this season.

That’s potentially music to the ears of a Braves lineup still looking for his first homer of the series and which has scraped across just two total runs in regulation of the first two games against Washington this weekend.

Griffin made his first career start against the Braves back on April 21, allowing three runs over six innings and earning the win in Washington’s 11-4 win.

Game Info

Game Time: Sunday, May 24th, 4:10 pm EDT

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA.

Watch: BravesVision/MLB.tv

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

In his second season as a big leaguer, former 18th round pick Brad Lord has continued to just be a steady and reliable presence. Last year he bounced between the rotation and the bullpen. However, this season he has settled into being a multi-inning relief arm, which is a role that suits him perfectly.

Lord is just a guy who quietly goes about his business and gets the job done. Even yesterday, his work could be lost in the shuffle, pitching in between the brilliant Jake Irvin and the high energy Richard Lovelady. Lord just gave the Nats 3 mostly drama free innings when they needed that stability badly. That is what makes Brad Lord the ultimate glue guy.

Nothing about Brad Lord’s game is particularly flashy. His 4-seamer and sinker have solid velocity, but he is not a flamethrower. Lord’s slider, sweeper and changeup are decent pitches, but nothing special. However, Lord is able to get outs on a consistent basis due to his deception and command.

Lord throws from a very low arm slot, at 17 degrees. Lower lots tend to be funkier and tougher for hitters to pick up. Throwing 95+ from that low of a slot while pounding the zone is also unusual. Lord really relies on his fastballs, throwing a 4-seamer or sinker 59% of the time. However, like many Nats pitchers he has dropped his fastball usage. Last year, he was throwing 4-seamers or sinkers 67% of the time.

This season, Lord picked up a sweeper that he is throwing 11% of the time. Batters are hitting just .111 on the pitch this season. The only hit on the sweeper came when Lord hung one to Juan Soto, which is generally not a good idea. His sweeper is not some elite weapon, but it gives hitters a different look along with his heaters and harder slider.

Lord actually gets more whiffs on his 4-seam fastball than any other pitch. He gets swings and misses at a 28% clip on the heater. From that low slot, his fastball just gets on guys at the top of the zone. We saw that yesterday, with Lord getting all three of his strikeouts on his heater.

What Lord did yesterday was so huge for this team, and I want to give him his flowers. Jake Irvin was throwing a gem, but an injury forced him to leave the game after 5 innings. The bullpen was absolutely taxed after an 11 inning game yesterday, so the Nats needed Lord to eat up outs in a pretty high leverage spot in a 2 run game. That is exactly what Lord did.

Lord went three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and walking nobody, though he did hit a batter. This kind of outing is turning into the standard for Lord. For the season, Lord has a 2.83 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 35 innings. He has just been efficient and drama free.

This season, Lord has done a great job limiting free passes. In 35 innings, Lord has issued just six walks. I just love the way Lord attacks hitters. He knows he can get ground balls at an elite 56% clip, so he does not really fear hitters. 

Between his multi-inning role and overall reliability, Lord reminds me of former Nats reliever and current Padres manager Craig Stammen. Both Lord and Stammen started as starting pitchers/swingmen before landing in a multi-inning relief role. Stammen ended up having a 13 year big league career where he had a 3.66 ERA. He did this as a 12th round pick. As an 18th rounder, I think Lord can do similar things.

Ever since he came up last season, I have really enjoyed watching Brad Lord pitch. I remember watching him face the Dodgers and get his first career strikeout against Shohei Ohtani. It was cool seeing a guy who worked at Home Depot in the offseason retiring the Dodgers $700 million superstar. That is just baseball I guess.

However, Lord is no flash in the pan or good story anymore. At this point, he is a full fledged bullpen weapon, who is one of the Nats most reliable arms. The Nats have been using relievers in multi-inning roles a lot more this season, and that kind of role is a perfect fit for Lord. He can be elite in these 3 inning bursts. I think he could be a decent starting pitcher, but he might be more valuable as a great multi-inning reliever rather than a mediocre starter.

Brad Lord is going to be a fixture on this Nats pitching staff for years to come. Right now, the Nats have a lot of guys who walk the tight rope out of the bullpen. Lord is not like that. He just comes in and does his job. That is what makes him the ultimate glue guy and a pitcher who will stick in the big leagues for a long time.

Saturday saw the teams in the Atlanta Braves organization split six games down the middle. Cade Kuehler threw his third straight great game, while Isaiah Drake, John Gil, and Jim Jarvis all had notable days at the plate. We also got to get the full Jhancarlos Lara experience, where he got himself into trouble, but also really showed his swing and miss stuff.

Gwinnett Stripers 5, Charlotte Knights 1

• Jim Jarvis, SS: 2-3, 2 2B, BB, R, .301/.407/.428
• Brewer Hicklen, CF: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, .348/.430/.570
• Anthony Molina, SP: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 4.50 ERA
• Joel Payamps, RP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 4.05 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

Anthony Molina got the start and threw five excellent innings on Saturday. Molina allowed just one hit and three walks in the five scoreless innings, striking out five and whiffing nine. Rolddy Munoz was the next pitcher used and allowed a run over an inning and two thirds. Joel Payamps got the next inning and a third, and recorded a strikeout for each of the four outs he picked up. A scoreless Ian Hamilton inning finished this one off for the Stripers pitching staff.

Jim Jarvis and Brewer Hicklen once again carried the Gwinnett offense. Jarvis doubled twice in three at bats, walked, and scored a run, while Hicklen singled, doubled, scored a run, and batted one in. New catcher Maverick Handley added a pair of hits in his Braves system debut, while Brett Wisely, Rowdy Tellez, and Aaron Schunk all had a hit, while Tellez and Wisely each drew a walk to join Jarvis, Hicklen, and Handley in reaching base multiple times.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4, Columbus Clingstones 0

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 1-4, 2B, .264/.338/.440
• Ethan Workinger, LF: 1-3, 2B, BB, .204/.286/.357
• Lucas Braun, SP: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 7.20 ERA
• Jhancarlos Lara, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 7.43 ERA

Box Score

Back in Double-A Lucas Braun got his first start since the demotion, and just his second start here this year. Unfortunately he gave up a first inning run and ended up allowing three more in his five and a third innings. Braun allowed seven hits and a walk as he struck out three, though did have 11 whiffs. Samuel Strickland pitched a scoreless inning and two thirds in relief of Braun. Jhancarlos Lara came in for the eighth and final inning and got into some trouble as he allowed a leadoff single, strikeout, wild pitch, walk, strikeout, double steal, and a third strikeout. Lara used 20 pitches to get through the inning, but six have six whiffs.

Karson Milbrandt dominated the Columbus lineup with six shutout innings that included 12 strikeouts and 24 whiffs. Overall the Clingstones managed just four hits and three walks. Ethan Workinger was the most productive, doubling and walking, while Patrick Clohisy also added a double. The other two hits were singles by Drew Compton and Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. David McCabe was the only other player to reach base, as he walked twice in the loss.

Rome Emperors 7, Hub City Spartanburgers 4

• John Gil, SS: 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, .275/.383/.451
• Isaiah Drake, LF: 1-4, RBI, 2 R, .274/.354/.452
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 5.03 ERA

Box Score

Game 1 saw Cedric De Grandpre go six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk. Cedric struck out seven and had 15 whiffs as he needed just 88 pitches to get this quality start. Those numbers may have looked better if not for a mistake in the third inning, when he allowed a two out, three-run homer. Jacob Kroeger came in to get the final three outs and picked up the save.

John Gil had a big part in this win, as he was two for four with a homer, two runs scored, and three batted in, running his OPS up to .834 on the season. Isaiah Drake went one for four, scored twice, and batted in a run. Eric Hartman was hitless in three at bats, but walked and scored a run, while both Dixon Williams and Cody Miller had hits and batted in a run, with Williams having a double and Miller picking up a pair of RBI.

Rome Emperors 4, Hub City Spartanburgers 0

• Isaiah Drake, LF: 2-4, R, .279/.358/.453
• Cody Miller, 3B: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, .197/.293/.331
• Cade Kuehler, SP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 4.31 ERA

Box Score

The makeup of Friday’s game saw Cade Kuehler continue his recent run of strong starts. Kuehler went five and a third scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks, giving him 17.1 innings of scoreless baseball across his last three starts. That lowers his ERA from 7.66 to 4.31 – over three runs off where it was earlier this month. Kuehler also struck out four with 12 whiffs. Logan Samuels got the next two outs in the sixth, before Drew Christo pitched the final inning to complete the combined shutout.

The offense wasn’t as loud in this one as the first game of the day, but Isaiah Drake continued his strong day with a two for four evening that included a run scored. Between both games he was three for eight, scored three runs, and batted one in. Cody Miller also had a double and batted in a pair, giving him two hits on the day. John Gil and Eric Hartman were each hitless in two at bats, though Hartman was hit by a pitch and Gil did walk and score a run.

Columbia Fireflies 6, Augusta GreenJackets 4

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-3, 3B, BB, R, .309/.354/.531
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-3, BB, R, .306/.364/.388
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2.20 ERA
• Zach Royse, RP: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 6 K, 4.79 ERA

Box Score

Game two started on Friday night before a delay and the eventual push into Saturday, so Ethan Bagwell’s two scoreless innings were on Friday night. Bagwell allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out three and picking up six whiffs. Zach Royse got what amounted to a start, and went five innings, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks. Royse did strike out six and whiff 15, and he actually allowed just one run through his first four innings before getting into some trouble in his fifth inning of work and allowing four runs. Adiel Melendez followed and allowed a run in an inning and two thirds, and Kade Woods was needed to come in to get the final out of the game.

Augusta only managed one run through the first eight innings in this one, as they tacked on three runs in an attempt to rally from behind in the ninth. Luis Guanipa tripled in three at bats and also drew a walk, Juan Mateo singled and walked in three at bats. Nick Montgomery walked once, while Dalton McIntyre doubled, stole a base, and batted in a pair. Both Tate Southisene and Alex Lodise were hitless in four at bats, with Lodise picking up the platinum sombrero.

Augusta GreenJackets vs Columbia Fireflies – Game 2 – PPD

Game 2 was scheduled because Friday got rained out. Unfortunately the rain got in the way again, and this game was postponed before it got started. The game was moved to Sunday as part of a doubleheader again.

FCL Rays 9, FCL Braves 3

• Manuel Campos, SS: 1-4, 3B, R
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 1-4, BB, RBI
• Gensi Angeles, SP: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K

Box Score

Gensi Angeles came into this start with a 0.00 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through three starts – all against the Rays team, but he didn’t make it out of the first with that ERA still intact. Overall he allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts over 3.2 innings. Cesar Rodriguez allowed a run, while Yander Pinero allowed three as the next two pitchers, putting this game out of reach. Daniel Brooks and Juan Olmos each made scoreless appearances in the losing effort.

The standouts offensively included Manuel Campos, who had a triple and a run scored in four at bats, and Connor Essenburg, who singled, walked, and batted in a run in his five trips to the plate. Juan Elejandro and Mario Baez each had multi-hit games, with Baez picking up a double and also stealing a base. Diego Tornes went hitless in four at bats, but did get on in the ninth when he was hit by a pitch.