Category: Baseball

You just can’t come up with enough superlatives to describe Cam Schlittler. The flame throwing righty struck out a career-high 13 batters in the series opener against the Reds to widen his lead in the AL Cy Young race. His six scoreless innings and home runs by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice proved the catalysts in the Yankees’ 5-0 series opening win in the Bronx as they look to win all four series on this lengthy homestand.

The Rays, Blue Jays, Guardians, and Mariners all took the field on a beautiful Friday, so let’s see how those games shook out.

Tampa Bay Rays (42-30) 5, Washington Nationals (39-37) 2

After getting swept in three games at Chavez Ravine, the Rays received a reprieve returning home to host the Nationals’ second-worst pitching staff in the majors. The Griffin Jax starting pitching experiment has been largely successful and that continued tonight, the Rays’ converted reliever allowing two runs on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts in five innings. The Nationals meanwhile tried to take a page out of the Rays’ book by starting with an opener — something that has generally mitigated Miles Mikolas’ struggles as he pitches as the piggyback bulk reliever. It didn’t tonight, the former Cardinal allowing five hits on nine runs in six innings.

Washington actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead early courtesy of solo home runs from CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr., the former to lead off the second and the latter coming with two outs in the third, while their opener PJ Poulin allowed just a single in the first two innings. However, things turned south the moment Mikolas entered the game to start the third. He walked Hunter Feduccia and allowed a Yandy Díaz single, both with one out, to set up a three-run homer off the left foul pole from Jonathan Aranda.

The Rays then tacked on insurance runs in the fourth and the eighth. In the fourth, Taylor Walls singled Richie Palacios home after the latter reached on a one out double. Jonny DeLuca wrapped up the scoring by going yard to lead off the eighth as the Rays remained within three games of the Yankees for first.

Other Games

Chicago Cubs (40-36) 16, Toronto Blue Jays (37-39) 2

The Blue Jays had to feel good coming off a three-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway, but those smiles were promptly wiped off their faces with a drubbing in the series opener at Wrigley. The Cubs put up 16 runs on three crooked numbers — seven in the first, four in the sixth, and five in the seventh. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays managed just two runs both courtesy of George Springer on an RBI single in the third and home run to lead off the sixth.

The Cubs sent 12 batters to the plate in the first. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Alex Bregman, Ian Happ, and Matt Shaw all drew walks and Seiya Suzuki clubbed a two run double. Carson Kelly demolished a grand slam followed by three straight two out singles from Dansby Swanson, PCA, and Bregman. By the time the dust had settled, there was a seven-spot on the board all charged to Kevin Gausman, who lasted just two innings.

Reliever Brendon Little was the victim of the Cubs’ four runs in the sixth. Kelly and Swanson drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, PCA hit and RBI single, and Bregman an RBI ground out. Tyler Rogers then gave up five runs in the seventh, though all were unearned thanks to a fielding error by Davis Schneider at second. The inning quickly unraveled for Rogers as he gave up a walk, four singles, and a triple by Justin Dean with the bases loaded. Outfielder Myles Straw was actually one of their more effective pitcher as he converted the final four outs of the contest without giving up another run.

Houston Astros (36-41) 9, Cleveland Guardians (40-36) 3

Tatsuya Imai logged one of his best starts in an Astros uniform, striking out 11 across six innings of three-run ball. All three of those runs came in the third on an RBI double by Brayan Rocchio and a two-run homer from Rhys Hoskins. Jeremy Peña and Jose Altuve had the big days on offense for Houston Peña went 3-for-5 with a pair of solo home runs and an RBI single while Altuve went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and the most impactful hit of the game, a three-run homer in the sixth.

Boston Red Sox (30-43) 6, Seattle Mariners (39-38) 2

We had a good old fashioned pitchers’ duel between Ranger Suarez and Bryce Miller. Miller gave the Mariners five strong innings allowing a run on three hits to go with seven strikeouts. However, it was Suarez who impressed the most, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning before a double and two walks swiftly ended his outing at 6.1 scoreless. Caleb Durbin was the standout performer on offense for the Red Sox, going 3-for-4 with a double and a solo home run. Marcelo Mayer wasn’t that far behind him going 2-for-4 with three driven in. Boston scored four of their six runs in the seventh. A Julio Rodríguez two-run homer in the ninth averted the shutout, but in the end they were just a pair of consolation runs.

There was no game last night, which was weird. Having Brazil playing a World Cup game in Philadelphia will do that to a city, but hey, at least there won’t be any strange days off for a while.

Right?

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Andrew Painter struggled with his fastball in the major leagues. There is a plan to help him rediscover that weapon at Lehigh Valley ($).
• The left handers the Phillies have in their bullpen have been an issue ($). Jose Alvarado might be at the top of that list.

MLB news:

• The Braves and Pirates made a trade the other night, Joey Bart heading to Atlanta to help with catching depth.
• Jacob Misiorowski has gotten good as fast as he throws his fastball. His ascendance is truly something to behold.
• The trade deadline chatter is starting to pick up steam, so that means we need to figure out the top ten names that might be on the move and where they might fit best.

Fresh off another masterful performance last night, it’s still amazing to think about how there were 219 players selected in the 2021 MLB Draft before Cam Schlittler. The details will fade in memory. No, he was not remotely this kind of pitcher at Northeastern in the Colonial Athletic Association. But the Yankees’ scouts deserve credit for nabbing not one but two players from New England who had tools that popped. The development from Schlittler and Ben Rice (12th round, 363rd overall) is nothing short of impressive. They have bigger goals in mind than strong first halves, to be clear. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Today on the site, Scott will take the occasion of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders traveling to Columbus to face the Clippers to remember the many years that they were in fact a Yankees affiliate. Peter will tackle the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will remember a “Next Man Up” Yankee for today’s birthday feature, and Michael will ponder the question of whether the Knicks’ championship run increases or decreases the pressure on the 2026 Yankees.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Reds.tv

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Do you think Cam Schlittler will top his 13-strikeout game from last night at some point this season?

2. How far do you think Team USA will advance in the World Cup now that they’ve secured an appearance in the knockout round?

Rochester Red Wings 6, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (box)

Dylan File was knocked around badly in the early innings and the Hens offense couldn’t take advantage of plenty of baserunners in this one.

Rochester got to File for two in the first, three in the second, and another in the third.

The Hens got on the board in the top of the second when Eduardo Valencia doubled, and a pair of fly outs advanced him around to score. They loaded the bases with two outs in the third but couldn’t score.

In the fourth, Corey Julks dumped a pop-up into right field for a single. He eventually scored on a Max Burt sacrifice fly after Cal Stevenson had singled him to third. Max Clark followed that with a single, but again the Hens left the baserunners stranded.

Brenan Hanifee, Jack Little, and Tanner Rainey all did a nice job locking down the Red Wings the rest of the way, but the bats just couldn’t mount a comeback.

Clark: 2-5, 2B

Julks: 2-3, R, RBI

File (L, 4-4): 3.2 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, BB, K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied 2-2, with first pitch on Saturday set for 6:45 p.m. ET.

Erie SeaWolves 7, Harrisburg Senators 3 (box)

The SeaWolves took advantage of eight walks issued by Senators pitching to win again on Friday.

The game started with Seth Stephenson getting hit by a pitch, and that’s a bad idea for any opponent. He immediately stole second and took third on a throwing error from Harrisburg’s catcher. Peyton Graham walked and stole second, drawing the throw, and Stephenson took advantage of an error on the second baseman to race home. Thayron Liranzo later singled in Graham for a 2-0 lead.

Andrew Jenkins led off the second with a double, and with one out, Aaron Antonini walked. Stephenson singled in Jenkins and got Antonini to the third, and then stole second base again. A sacrifice fly from Graham plated Antonini. Liranzo blasted his eighth homer of the year to open the third, and it was 5-0 SeaWolves.

Thayron Liranzo launches a solo homer to deep left to put Erie up 5-0. It’s his 8th home run of the season. pic.twitter.com/oCSFXcX1qX

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 19, 2026

Max Alba got through three innings without issue, but gave up three in the fourth. He settled back in to pitch the fifth, and struck out five overall on the night.

Chris Meyers doubled and scored on a Jenkins sac fly in the fifth. In the seventh, Meyers and Jenkins singled, and Meyers scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-3 where it ended. Dariel Fregio and Eric Silva each tossed a pair of scoreless frames to keep the Senators down.

Graham and Stephenson now have 32 stolen bases on the season apiece.

Liranzo: 2-3, R, 2 RBI, HR, 2 BB

Jenkins: 3-4, R, RBI, 2B

Meyers: 2-5, 2 R, 2B, K

Alba: 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Harrisburg on Saturday with the series all tied up.

West Michigan Whitecaps 3, Lansing Lugnuts 1 (box)

Lugnuts pitching had a lot better night on Friday, but it still wasn’t enough as Carlos Marcano and the ‘Caps bullpen outdueled them in this one.

Marcano gave up a few singles that led to two runs in the third, but was otherwise very good. He struck out six, walking one in 4.2 innings of work.

Meanwhile, the offense was pretty quiet until they broke through in the sixth. Caleb Shpur led off with a single, and with one-out, Bryce Rainer smoked a single to center. Garrett Pennington stepped in and launched a three-run shot to left center field for a 3-2 lead.

Garrett Pennington with a huge 3-run homer to left to put the Whitecaps up 3-2 in the 6th. It’s his 13th home run of the year. @wangler_nathan on the call. pic.twitter.com/PGNbXAxXxt

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 20, 2026

Preston Howey contributed with three scoreless innings to get the win. Inohan Paniagua returned from the injury list to close this one out to earn his second save.

Rainer: 2-4, R, K

Pennington: 1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR

Marcano: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 3-0 lead in the series headed into a 7:05 p.m. ET game on Saturday. It will be Star Wars Night, if you’re so inclined.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 10, Dunedin Blue Jays 1 (box)

Beau Ankeney was a one man wrecking ball in this one, while Cale Wetwiska returned off the injury to make a short start on Friday.

Wetwiska allowed a run in the first, and then tossed a pair of scoreless innings. The 2025 seventh rounder looked at full strength though, sitting 95 mph with his lively fourseamer and getting some ugly swings on the cutter.

In the bottom of the first, Jordan Yost was hit by a pitch to start things off. Edian Espinal walked with one out and Jesus Pinto reached on an infield single to load the bases with two outs. A walk to Anibal Salas forced a run in, though that was all they’d get.

In the second, Ankeney smoked a two-run shot the opposite way. In the third, Carson Rucker singled and took second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Zach MacDonald launched a two-run shot to right center field to make it 5-1.

Ankeney destroyed an inside fastball in the fourth, launching it 440 feet to left center field. That was the 10th home run of the year for the 23-year-old first baseman.

Goodness gracious, Beau Ankeney. He hits a nuke to left for his 2nd home run of the night, and his 10th of the year. Left his bat at 106 MPH and went 440 feet. 👀💣 pic.twitter.com/7fWSDvCFGM

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 19, 2026

A bases clearing double in the seventh from Jordan Yost was the capper that made it 10-1. Eliseo Mota, Jorge Guzman, and Yendy Gomez were all pretty sharp in relief.

Jordan Yost breaks the game open with a 3-run double to right center. pic.twitter.com/RffKuPjLES

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 20, 2026

Nice sprawling play by shortstop Jordan Yost. pic.twitter.com/JLj07NGq1b

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) June 20, 2026

Ankeney: 3-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR

Rucker: 2-4, R, BB, K

Yost: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, 2B, BB

Wetwiska: 3.0 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The series is tied up heading into a 6:00 p.m. ET start.

FCL Tigers 8, FCL Phillies 4 (box)

Paul Wilson’s second rehab start went well, as the Tigers’ 2023 3rd rounder fired a pair of perfect frames with two strikeouts to start this one off. His curveball-slider combination was working, though his command was pretty rusty, and he topped out at 95 mph with the fastball.

RHP Ryan Hall, the Tigers 2025 fifth rounder, made his pro debut as he works his way back from injury. That went less well as he gave up three runs.

A rehabbing Patrick Lee homered in the top of the first for the Tigers, and Jose Dickson launched a grand slam in the second to lead the offense.

Lee: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, 2 BB, 2 K, SB

Dickson: 2-4, R, 5 RBI, 2B, HR

Wilson: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Jazz Chisholm Jr. had to exit Thursday’s game against the White Sox after fouling a ball into his groin, but he insists that he will continue not wearing a cup. He said fielding grounders is where you’d really want to wear some protection, but that he trusts his hands enough to not make a change in spite of the pain he suffered on Thursday. He admitted he has never worn a cup in his career including when it was required in the minors. Aaron Boone confirmed that “a lot of these guys don’t wear cups,” as they feel that doing so limits their range of movement or is just plain uncomfortable.

That’s certainly a risky gamble to take as we saw with Jazz. At least he showed no signs of continued discomfort last night, homering off Rhett Lowder to kick off the Yankees’ scoring in a 5-0 win.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees suffered another bullpen meltdown on Thursday, Fernando Cruz and (more impactfully) Tim Hill loading the bases in the eighth before Camilo Doval came in and gave up a grand slam on the first pitch he threw. These latest struggles thrown what has been a glaring need all season into sharper focus with the Trade Deadline approaching. The Yankees have internal options including converting top prospect Carlos Lagrange into a reliever to potentially help the major-league bullpen this year if he can sufficiently adjust to the role. But they would also be well-suited to target relievers with a proven track record of success at the highest level.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Alongside the bullpen, the top target in the coming weeks will be a right-handed catcher. Austin Wells may have hit two home runs in his latest rehab game at Triple-A, but he and J.C. Escarra have both largely struggled to produce at the plate, both lefties in particular looking helpless against southpaw pitching. The name that keeps popping up is the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers, who was slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, a 163 wRC+, and 1.7 fWAR in 37 games before suffering a broken hamate bone in his left hand on May 19th. He has an eight-week expected recovery timetable, but it is always terrifying for a hitter coming back from a broken hamate. He’s middle-of-the-pack when it comes to framing in his career but quite poor at blocking and throwing, which could stand at odds with the Yankees emphasizing defense over anything else at the catcher position.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The Yankees announced that right handed pitcher Peter Strzelecki has opted out of the minor-league deal he signed on May 23rd and will become a free agent. He made just six appearances at Triple-A since joining the organization, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings though he did strike out over 40-percent of the batters he faced. The 31-year-old is hoping for his first taste of the big leagues since making 10 relief appearances for the Guardians in 2024. He pitched 83.2 innings for Milwaukee, Arizona, and Cleveland between 2022 and 2024, posting a 3.44 ERA, 3.49 FIP, and 86 strikeouts across 77 appearances.

The San Francisco Giants are embroiled in a scandal completely of their own making. And it just keeps getting worse.

The San Francisco Chronicle published a piece on Friday that confirms what I said in my opinion post on Thursday. The players were not forced to wear the Pride hats that members of the team defaced on Pride Night. Nor did they do so out of any semblance of a feeling of being discriminated against.

No, no. It was an entirely unforced error. And one that they had, apparently, spent weeks planning. Per the Chronicle’s reporting. And what’s worse is that manager Tony Vitello apparently knew about it the whole time and even helped the players navigate how they would perform their very optional protest.

You know, the protest of the thing they weren’t being forced to participate in. The one that they chose to make a “personal” stand on to display their own homophobia, rather than just opting out of wearing the hats and moving on with their lives.

And then, you know, complaining about not being able to move on with their lives because they were being forced to face the consequences of their own actions. I guess we should all just accept that they hate us and let them move on. But I’m not interested in doing that.

So yes, they spent weeks planning this protest without ever once, seemingly, even taking a single moment to ponder how that would play out among the fanbase that supports them. Really shortsighted work on their part.

But what gets me is that Tony Vitello reportedly knew the whole time. Not only did he know, he helped them plan it. You know, the person who should have known better. The person who should have advised against it. The person who most assuredly either informed the ownership group, or neglected to do so which would be even worse.

Which means that we can safely assume that the ownership group was aware of the planned protest and through their lack of actions allowed it to proceed.

Firing Tony Vitello would be the absolute least that the Giants organization could do to make amends at this point. He is so very clearly in over his head on a human level, that it almost doesn’t even matter how poorly he is doing on a baseball level. And he is also failing at that.

So yes, Vitello should absolutely be the first firing from this shameful ordeal. But he should not be the last, and if they do fire him we should not accept his scapegoating as enough.

Because the rot starts well above him.

As I said on Thursday, it’s time to clean house and Vitello would only be the first move in that. But it would be a meaningful one.

Friday night should not have required late dramatics for the Dodgers.

But boy, what a stunning finish it created.

After leading by three runs early, then falling behind by two runs entering the ninth, the Dodgers rallied for a wild 6-5 walk-off win over the Baltimore Orioles –– one that finished, fittingly, with a game-winning hit from the Dodgers’ most frustrated player.

Before he came to the plate with the game on the line, catcher Dalton Rushing had endured eight innings of anguish. He was 0-for-4 on the night with three strikeouts. He had fanned twice on low sliders, including one in a wasted bases-loaded opportunity in the bottom of the third. 

After two pitches against Orioles closer Ryan Helsey, he was back in a two-strike hole again, having chased yet another slider in the dirt that sent him stepping out of the box in another moment of rage.

But then, the left-handed hitter looked up and caught a glimpse of the Dodgers’ dugout.

Mookie Betts was cheering him on. The rest of his teammates were pounding the top railing.

“When you’re in that moment right there, nothing that’s happened the first four at-bats … matters,” he said afterward. “I look in the dugout and all those guys care about is that next pitch, and the next pitch after that.”

Thus, Rushing took a deep breath, then took the next pitch –– another slider –– high for a ball that kept the at-bat alive.

The next pitch after that: A fastball on the inner half that had Rushing jammed, but that he still got enough of to send a single into right field.

“Honestly, I just wanted to spoil any pitch besides a slider, especially after chasing one in the dirt,” Rushing quipped. “I had a feeling that they were gonna throw another one. And the whole mindset was, foul off a fastball and just try to move the slider forward through the middle of the field. And luckily, pulled a heater inside, caught it in the loop, and Dodgers win.”

Indeed, what happened next was the most pandemonious moment of the Dodgers’ season to date.

Pinch-runner Alex Call came racing home from the second. Then, outfielder Tyler O’Neill’s throw from right got past catcher Samuel Basallo, who gave a seemingly weak effort to corral a high, awkward hop.

The ball ricocheted off Basallo’s glove, trickled into the dugout, and allowed the winning run in a suddenly delirious Chavez Ravine.

“Great way to end the night, especially after the frustration early,” Rushing said, wearing a wild smile and cooler-soaked jersey as he addressed reporters from his locker postgame. 

“It’s a great feeling. I think it honestly just feels great that we won that baseball game.”

What it means

Rushing was not the only one frustrated early, after the Dodgers had let a 3-0 lead in the second inning turn into a 5-3 deficit by the seventh.

Along the way, there was the wasted bases-loaded, no-out opportunity in the third, the low point of a night the Dodgers left 12 men on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. 

There were back-to-back home runs off Roki Sasaki in the sixth, turning what had been a gem of an outing up to that point (he had retired 16 of his first 19 batters with six strikeouts) into a disappointing 5 ⅔-inning, three-run dud.

Then, there was a go-ahead two-run single from Orioles No. 9 hitter Jeremiah Jackson in the seventh off reliever Will Klein, giving Baltimore a two-run lead it would carry into the ninth.

But, with the Dodgers on the verge of one of their most disappointing defeats of the year, Mookie Betts hit a home run (his third hit of the game) to cut the deficit to one. After that, Max Muncy and Ryan Ward both drew walks to set up Rushing’s heroics with two outs in the inning, lifting the Dodgers (49-27) to their fourth-consecutive one-run win.

“Tonight shouldn’t have been a game, in my opinion,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We kept them around. We’ve let a lot of teams hang around … But at the end of the day, we are winning baseball games. So that’s a good sign.”

Who’s hot

Even before Friday, Rushing had not been hot for the better part of two months, following up his blistering start to the season (.385 average, seven home runs, 16 RBIs in his first 12 games) with a prolonged slump ever since (.209 average, one home run, five RBIs in 30 games since April 27).

Against that backdrop, he repeatedly berated himself in the dugout following his poor swing decisions earlier in the contest. At one point, he tried to snap a bat over his knee.

“Still working on that,” Rushing deadpanned when asked how he is learning to better control his animated emotions.

“It’s just part of the process,” Roberts added. “The learning process, the experience part.”

Another meltdown might have happened in the ninth, if not for the glimpse Rushing caught of the bench in the face of the game’s last strike. 

The faith he felt from Betts, he noted, was particularly helpful as he tried to reset.

“I see Mookie, [and he had] just all the confidence in the world in me,” Rushing said. “For a guy like that, a guy that’s lived in that moment, he’s succeeded in that moment, he’s failed in that moment, he knows what it feels like, it’s pretty special.”

Betts was in the middle of the mob that formed around Rushing at the game’s raucous conclusion, as the team walloped the second-year catcher in one of the season’s most joyous scenes.

“For him to flush it all and to flip his entire game and help us win a ballgame was huge,” Roberts said. “After he, you know, vents, he does a good job of collecting himself to get back into the next play.”

Who’s not

The Dodgers, of course, didn’t want to need a three-run ninth-inning rally given the way the game had started.

But on a night they were without Shohei Ohtani (who was away from the team for the birth of his second child), Teoscar Hernández (who is set to begin a rehab assignment next week as he nears his return from a hamstring strain) and Will Smith (who had a cortisone injection to address his lingering neck injury), the team’s young replacements missed a chance to pull away.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the third, each of Ward, Rushing and Alex Freeland went down swinging, unable to lay off low sliders from Trey Gibson that cost the Dodgers a golden opportunity to break the game open.

In the end, however, both Ward and (especially) Rushing got their chance for redemption.

“That third inning, very forgettable at-bats,” Roberts said, “To their credit, they made the adjustments later.”

Up next

The Dodgers and Orioles continue this series on Saturday night when Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-4, 2.52 ERA) returns to the mound following his near no-hitter last week. He will face off against Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (3-7, 5.86 ERA).

Dalton Rushing walked it off with a clutch ninth-inning RBI base hit for the Dodgers (49-27), securing a 6-5 comeback victory over the Orioles (35-42) Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers offense stranded 12 base runners on the night, squandering many scoring opportunities against Baltimore pitching. Rushing channeled all With two outs, Dalton Rushing hit a clutch two-run single to right field, bringing in Alex Call and Ryan Ward to cap off a wild, three-run ninth inning rally

Sasaki looked to turn the page on his last start against the White Sox when he stepped back in a series-opening 8-2 loss to the White Sox at Rate Field. Sasaki was cruising until the sixth inning when Baltimore scored three runs to tie the game.

Taylor Ward tested the arm of Andy Pages to start the game in dramatic fashion. Taylor tried to extend a base hit into two bases, but Pages had something to say about that. Pages came up with his seventh outfield assist of the season after throwing out Taylor at second.

Don't run on Andy.

🗳️: https://t.co/BXKr9Iuhiepic.twitter.com/99DvThY9ot

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 20, 2026

Roki was touching the corners with a fastball touching 99-101 mph and his nasty splitter in the first.

The Dodgers were without Shohei Ohtani in the lineup, but the lineup sans Ohtani did a good job to get on the board in the first against the rookie Gibson. Kyle Tucker led off with a walk, and a Mookie Betts double put two into scoring position with two outs for Max Muncy.

Muncy singled to right field to cash in both runners and make it 2-0 early. Tommy Edman kept the first inning alive with his first hit of the season, an opposite field single.

Quick work from Max. pic.twitter.com/tIPDFEVOXN

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 20, 2026

Dino Ebel was feeling froggy in the home half of the second. He sent Alex Freeland home on a Pages double to left field. Freeland’s swimmingly good slide home was one we won’t forget soon. The call at the plate was safe. Baltimore challenged and lost. 3-0 Dodgers.

Alex Freeland pulls off the slick swim move to score at home! 🏊‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/Z84VrU08q4

— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2026

The Dodgers loaded the bases against Gibson in the third with nobody out. Betts had a nice at-bat, won a challenge on a ball, and dumped a single to lead off the frame. Muncy drew his patented walk, and Edman singled for his second hit of the game.

Gibson reared back to strike out Ryan Ward, Dalton Rushing, and Freeland to strand the bases loaded. This would be a key inning and wasted scoring opportunity.

The Orioles finally got to Roki after 5 2/3 innings and back-to-back home runs in the sixth. A two-run home run by Gunnar Henderson in the sixth made it 3-2. Pete Alonso also got a hold of one for a solo home run to tie the game up 3-3 and chase Sasaki.

The Dodgers got another man on base in the bottom of the sixth with a Tucker single. Andrew Kittredge and Freeman battled in a 11-pitch full-count at-bat for the final out of the inning. Freeman sent one for a ride, but Leody Taveras made a great catch crashing into the wall to retire the side and preserve the tie.

The Orioles plated another two runs in the top of the seventh, five straight runs, to put them ahead 5-3. Will Klein and the Dodgers got into a jam in the top of the seventh, Back-to-back base hits for the Orioles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Jeremiah Jackson singled in two to give Baltimore the lead.

The Dodgers stranded another runner in the bottom of the seventh and one in the eighth.

Betts got the Dodgers back within one run with his eighth home run of the season, a solo homer against closer Ryan Helsley with one out in the ninth. It was a three-hit game for Betts.

Mookie Betts brings the @Dodgers within a run in the 9th 👀 pic.twitter.com/wSNO8DPYwy

— MLB (@MLB) June 20, 2026

Muncy drew a walk even though Helsey got a break on a challenged foul ball call. Edman faced his fellow former Cardinal Helsey, but he popped it out to Alonso in foul ground for the second out.

Ward walked to put pinch-runner Alex Call into scoring position for Rushing. Rushing had a rough night up to that point, chasing high cheese and striking out three times. He came up clutch in the ninth with a RBI single to right. A throwing error by right fielder Tyler O’Neill allowed the winning run with Ward to come in for the 6-5 walk-off win.

BIG TIME RUSH. pic.twitter.com/PwHV8L0dDh

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 20, 2026

Friday particulars

Home runs: Gunnar Henderson (16), Pete Alonso (17); Mookie Betts (8)

WP — Blake Treinen (4-1): 1 IP, 2 strikeouts (9 pitches)

LP — Ryan Helsley (0-3): 2/3 IP, 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts (23 pitches)

Up next

The series continues on Saturday night at (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (7-4, 2.52 ERA, 0.840 WHIP) on the mound for the Dodgers. Trevor Rogers (3-7, 5.86 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) starts for Baltimore.

In front of a sell-out crowd of 45,775 on fireworks night on a day the stands were packed with Red Sox and World Cup fans alike, the Mariners fizzled out, dropping the opening game against Boston in dismal fashion. By the ninth inning, a loud “let’s go Red Sox” chant had erupted, with the only joy for Mariners fans a garbage-time Julio Rodríguez two-run shot.

Every piggyback game feels like two games, but the contrast tonight was especially stark. In the Bryce Miller game, the story was: one ambush home run and a lot of good pitching between; in the Luis Castillo-led part of the piggyback, the story was: one bad and BABIP-fueled bad inning, one also-not-great-inning and some decent pitching between. But the part of the story that was consistent throughout the game was the Mariners offense once again failing to do much against a left-handed starter, and failing to capitalize on opportunities when they had them.

Bryce Miller had a clean first and was one out away from a clean second when Caleb Durbin ambushed a first-pitch fastball at the top of the zone and yanked it over the wall in left field just enough to clear the fence – a home run at just 13 MLB parks including T-Mobile and Fenway. Maybe that shook Miller’s confidence somewhat, because he then struggled to put away Marcelo Mayer, getting into a ten-pitch battle that ended with Mayer staring at a fastball on the plate for a called strike three.

Miller didn’t have a clean inning after the first, but he was able to face the minimum in both the third and fourth thanks to a well-timed double play, getting Mickey Gaspar, who has both the name and countenance of a 1900s circus strongman, to tap into an inning-ending double play on the splitter. In the fourth, he got an assist from Cal Raleigh (welcome back Cal) throwing out Wilyer Abreu trying to steal after Abreu had jumped on a first-pitch fastball for a ground ball single. Miller’s fifth inning was a cherry on top of a strong day, with two strikeouts and a weak groundout from Meyer, who’d given him the tough at-bat earlier. Miller doubled up on the curveball to Jarren Duran after Duran flinched after the pitch for his sixth strikeout of the day, and then went split-sweeper to Durbin, who had homered off him earlier, for his seventh strikeout.

“Everything felt good,” said Miller postgame, noting that he didn’t even have a chance to get to all his pitches because he was seeing so much success on the four-seamer. “I didn’t even throw a cutter today, so we still had that in the back pocket, and I think I threw one sinker…it’s never easy coming out of a one run game, especially when – I felt like I was rolling. But it was. You know. It was the plan going into it, so not really much that I can say to change anybody’s mind…when there’s a pre-set plan, there’s not really much arguing you can do.”

At least Miller was able to avenge himself against Durbin and Meyer, but unfortunately, that’s where the moral victory part of the day ends, leaving just the less-fun defeat part. Left-handed pitching has been the bête noire for the Mariners this season, and Ranger Suarez is a particularly good lefty, so the Mariners were already facing an uphill climb, but four strikeouts in the first two innings – with two of those coming from righties in Cal and Julio – isn’t exactly a recipe for success. The Mariners didn’t have a baserunner until the fourth, with Cal working a walk off Suarez in his second time facing him, declining this time to chase after the curveball, but Julio wasn’t able to make a similar adjustment, getting punched out looking on the sinker, and then Josh Naylor battled heroically for eight pitches but wound up popping out softly.

On as the second part of the piggyback, Luis Castillo had a strong first inning of work but a BABIP-fueled meltdown inning in the seventh. Ceddane Rafaela doubled off a fastball up in the zone to lead off the inning, giving the Red Sox a roughly 70% chance to increase their lead. What they’d wind up doing is putting the game out of reach. Some of it was Castillo’s fault: he lost the handle on a slider, allowing Rafaela to score from third to make it 2-0, but if you like Increased Velo Castillo – he was touching 97-98 on his fastball – you also have to be prepared for that increased velo on the slider, like this 90 mph one that Castillo said “surprised” him.

If Castillo had been able to cap the damage there, that would have been one thing, but things quickly got worse with four straight singles – two hard-hit on pitches that caught way too much plate, and then a pair of bad-luck more weakly hit ones off the slider that found holes. A sac fly on another slider brought in the fifth run of the inning and all of a sudden the Mariners were looking at a 5-0 deficit in a game where they were being no-hit.

“One of those things where sometimes things just don’t go your way,” said Castillo postgame through translator Freddy Lllanos.

After the blowup in the top of the inning, the Mariners attempted to answer back, finally knocking Suarez out of the game in the seventh. Cal walked again facing Suarez, but Julio went after a cutter for an easy flyout for the first out. That left it to the lefty Naylor, who finally, finally broke up the no-hitter with a ringing double to right-center.

After Josh Naylor’s no-hitter-breaking double, Dominic Canzone grounded out for the second out of the inning, but Cole Young was able to work a walk. A moment of appreciation for Cole Young: facing a tough lefty, he swung at strikes only, didn’t expand and chase the curveball or cutter, and overall did his best. If the Mariners want to leftyproof their lineup, Cole Young having at-bats like this will go a long way towards doing it. With the Mariners threatening, the Red Sox opted to bring in righty Justin Slaten, meaning Dan Wilson could free J.P. Crawford from the bench to try to come up with a clutch two-out RBI. Sadly Crawford couldn’t come up with any of his signature two-out magic, striking out and stranding the bases loaded.

The Red Sox were able to get one more run off Castillo with another set of two-out back-to-back doubles in the ninth, but by that point the game was pretty well out of hand for the Mariners. Julio Rodríguez provided the lone offensive highlight, hitting a garbage-time homer (with Cal aboard with his third walk of the day, the Red Sox pitching had zero interest in pitching to Cal Raleigh in this game from either side of the plate) off Tommy Kahnle, last seen being bullied by the Mariners in the ALDS. No no-hitter and no shutout goals achieved, then, but the more elusive “win back to back games” goal remains out of reach for these frustratingly inconsistent 2026 Mariners.

Dalton Rushing was frustrated. He just chased a slider in the dirt — again. And this time, the game was on the line. The Dodgers were down to their last out. He was down to his last strike.

So he took a moment, took a breath, and looked to the Dodgers dugout.

The first person he spotted was Mookie Betts, who had just cut the Orioles’ lead to a run with a solo homer. Betts was locked in with Rushing, brimming with confidence, cheering him on.

“For a guy like that, a guy that’s lived in that moment, he’s succeeded in that moment, he’s failed in that moment, he knows what it feels like, it’s pretty special,” Rushing recounted.

Rushing’s eyes traveled along the railing, noting his teammates all on the top step, all relying on him.

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He dug into the box, expecting the slider that Baltimore’s Ryan Helsley threw next — it was high, for a ball. Then Rushing got a fastball he could drive. And he did not miss.

The next moments in the Dodgers’ 6-5 walk-off win Friday were chaos.

Rushing lined a tying single into right field, giving Alex Call time to score from second. Call slid across the plate as the throw from Orioles right fielder Tyler O’Neill took for a long hop to catcher Samuel Basallo.

Basallo misjudged it, taking an unhurried shuffle up the line, before the ball glanced off his glove and rolled toward the Dodgers dugout.

Third base coach Dino Ebel waved home Ryan Ward, who scored standing up.

Manager Dave Roberts, who looked down at his card when the throw was in the air, was already thinking through extra innings when the crowd erupted again. He heard field coordinator Bob Geren shouting something like, “The run counts.”

The Dodgers (49-27) ran onto the field and swarmed Rushing, who had just reached second. They jumped and yelled as the Dodgers Stadium lights flashed around them.

“It was good to get Freddie [Freeman] a night off for being the guy in the middle for a change, you know?” Rushing said with a grin. “No, it’s a great feeling, and I think it honestly just feels great that we won that baseball game.”

For several innings, it looked like they wouldn’t.

The Dodgers had jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, on a two-run single from Max Muncy in the first inning and an RBI double from Andy Pages in the second. Then their scoring dried up.

Rushing was having as frustrating of a night as anyone, with a line out and three strikeouts.

His first strikeout was part of a brutal sequence. The Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs in the third. Then Ward, Rushing and Alex Freeland, all went down swinging.

Rushing struck out on a slider in the dirt. And Orioles starter Trey Gibson got him to bite on the same putaway pitch in the fifth.

Rushing’s reactions steadily grew more animated, on the field and in the dugout.

“He plays with a fire under his ass,” Freeland said. “He gets after it. He expects nothing but the best for himself day in and day out, and that comes with it.”

Said Roberts: “After he ... vents, he does a good job of collecting himself to get back into the next play, the next at-bat, catching.”

On Friday, he was catching Roki Sasaki, who faced just one batter over the minimum through five innings. But during the third time through the order, the Orioles finally figured him out and hit back-to-back home runs.

With two outs and a runner on, Sasaki yanked a splitter to the inside edge of the strike zone to Gunnar Henderson, who lifted it over the wall in right field. Pete Alonso then homered to left-center field on an inside fastball about belt high to tie the score.

“I thought he threw the baseball really well,” Roberts said. “I liked the way he competed. The fastball command was good. He was fantastic tonight.”

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The Orioles (35-42) pulled ahead against the Dodgers bullpen. Will Klein surrendered a seventh-inning single to Jackson that sent two baserunners, including one inherited from Dodgers left-hander Jack Dreyer, across the plate.

Kyle Hurt and Blake Treinen threw clean eighth and ninth innings.

Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, Betts ended the Dodgers’ scoring drought. Then Muncy — later replaced by the pinch-running Call — and Ward drew walks.

With two outs, Rushing stepped up to the plate, fell behind in the count 0-2 and reset.

“I look in the dugout, and all those guys care about is that next pitch, and the next pitch after that, and the next pitch after that,” Rushing said. “They just want you to win one pitch at a time.”

So, that’s what he did.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Both starter Connor Prielipp and reliever Travis Adams were doing alright… until they weren’t. Some bad defense didn’t help, either! Inning-by-inning notes:

1: Oops Byron. We still love you, but oops. He hits one to left and admires it for a sec; it hits the wall and THEN Bux turns on the speed. He’s thrown out at second.

The Dbacks have their City Connect jerseys on (or their normal alternates, I do not know), and they’re a dark purplish-blue. They look like something that would glow under a black light. They manage a walk and an infield hit, but Connor Prielipp gets the ground ball third out. This time.

2: Weird. Starter Michael Soroka has to leave; something in his leg is bothering him. Hopefully it’s not the same stuff he had trouble with in 2020-2022.

RHP Taylor Clarke in; he’s part of a Very Good Dbacks bullpen. Well-struck balls by Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee end up in fantastic catches by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Corbin Carroll (no relation to former Twin Jamie). Victor Caratini hit a solo shot, though! Not the guy you’d expect! We’ll take it.

A nice little seven-pitch inning for Connor! We’ll take it. Twins 1-0

3: RHP sidearmer Ryan Thompson in. Luke Keaschall singles off him, and advances on a FC. Buxton takes a ꓘ, and then a Klobberin’ Kody Klemens grounder takes a really sprightly hop and jumps past 3B Nolan Arenado’s glove. It’s ruled an error, which I don’t think is correct, but in any case Keaschall doubles the mighty lead.

LuJames Groover has a great baseball name, and he grooves one about four inches short of a homer; he pulls in at 2B. Prielipp gets the next out, then walks Geraldo Perdomo to but Corbin Carroll up with two on; not what you want. He singles to left, one run scores. Then Prielipp induces the GIDP; good Connor, good boy! Lakes over Snakes 2-1

4: RHP Drey Jameson in. Why am I listing their names? I don’t know who they are and neither do you. I suppose it’s habit. Anyhoo he walks Brooks Lee with one out. Then Caratini. (Really, you don’t need to walk Caratini.) Tristan Gray hits one that’s guaranteed to be a DP, but it smacks the bag at second and bounces over the fielder’s head; Lee scores. Then Keaschall hits into the second chance DP, but still, not the worst LOBsters the Twins have done lately.

Nolan Arenado with the one-out single. Gets the next guy, and then Jordan Lawlar singles; runners at 1st and 3rd. Then an easy flyout to Buxton, so still Twinkers 3-1

5: Back-to-back singles for Larnach and Buxton. Clemens flies out, Josh Bell strikes out, and Royce Lewis has an “excuse me” swing that lofts nicely into a glove. THAT’s the LOBsters we’re used to!

Third time through the lineup for Prielipp. He walks the first guy, gets the second, and Carroll doubles the runner to third. Lee, playing in, boots a grounder and the runner scores. Then Gurriel Jr. hits one to short and if it was played well, it might have been a DP; it’s not played well, and Carroll scores.

Arenado singles, and Prielipp balks both runners into scoring position. Guess what? They both score. The “third time through the lineup” thing didn’t go so well! Arizoners 5-3

6: RHP Jonathan Loáisiga in; his name is not pronounced like pasta. Twins down 1-2-3.

Prielipp still in? OK, whatever, have a nice day. He strikes out the #9 Groover, but not the #1 Ketel Marte. Long gone dong. Then a strikeout and flyout, but still it’s the Grand Canyon State 6-3

7: Lefty Aramis Garcia in; he walks the leadoff Keaschall, and Austin Martin DB-5 pinch hits for Trevor Larnach. Martin strikes out on three pitches and now you’ve lost one of your better hitters for the rest of the game. The highlight of this inning is when Buxton hits it to second and Keaschall does some silly dancing with 2B Marte.

Travis “who?” Adams pitching for the Twins. A one-out hit by Gurriel Jr., a eight pitch strikeout of Arenado, strikeout of Ildemaro Vargas (no relation to onetime “next David Ortiz” Kennys).

8: RHP Kevin Ginkel, who has a 2.60 ERA so far this season, gives up back-to-back jacks. One to Josh Bell, one to Royce Lewis. A one-out Caratini walk, and he’s replaced with pinch-running rookie Kyler Fedko. Fedko runs as Tristan Gray strikes out; he gets a terrible jump and isn’t close to making it.

Adams makes a very nice barehanded play on a bunt-for-hit attempt and JUST misses getting the runner by half a step. Then an infield single, then a Marte strikeout. Perdomo walks; Carroll up with the bases loaded. From some reason Adams stays in.

On Adams’s 42nd pitch of the relief stint, Carroll hits a triple. More great pitching management, Derek baby! Cody Laweryson gets the last two outs but it’s Rattlers 9-5

9: Paul Sewald puts the team out of their misery 1-2-3, Twins lose.

Studs: Sure, will give Caratini one. Why not? Bell and Lewis, all the dingers.

Duds: half Prielipp/Adams, half Shelton for leaving both in too long. Infield defense (again).

COTG goes to gintzer for sharing tales of his grumpy Gus basketball coach. Thanks to everyone who joined in; a late start plus Apple TV is a deadly combination!

Tomorrow’s game is at 9:10, and features their Zac Gallen against our own Taj Bradley. Catch y’all next time!

Game Summary

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a superstar. Ketel Marte is fantastic, as he showcased with the satellite he launched into orbit on his home run, but Corbin Carroll is a true superstar. Apple TV’s broadcast put Carroll in the center of the show tonight with the pregame promos and in-game interviews, and Carroll didn’t disappoint. Corbin finished the day a home run short of the cycle (or an inch short of being a double short of the cycle IYKYK), was on base 4 times, and made a great catch on defense.

To top it all off, he’s the most humble and team-first man on the diamond. When asked about Ketel Marte, he gushes over how talented a player he is. When asked about Torey as he records the final out in the inning, he doesn’t give a short, robotic answer to send the interviewers away. Instead he gives several sentences on his Skipper’s importance to him and the club before letting the overlords cut to commercial. Finally, when asked about himself and how much winning a Gold Glove would mean to him, he says it would mean a lot to Dave McKay for all the work that he put into Corbin. Corbin Carroll is a man every single person who is a fan of this organization can be proud of and it’s rare to have a player like that.

Now, stepping off my soap box, there was a game played tonight that the Diamondbacks didn’t always look like they were going to win. In fact, it looked like it might be one of those games where it just wasn’t their night. Michael Soroka left after 1 inning due to “posterior left hip discomfort”, whatever that may be. Then the Diamondbacks allowed 2 runs on rather freak plays: an error by Arenado (gasp!) and an inning-ending double play turned into RBI single thanks to the ball hitting second base and using it as a launch pad (d’oh!). After all that, the Serpientes found themselves in a familiar place: behind their opponent.

As they have all season now, though, the Snakes held tough and battled back. The bullpen was heroic, cobbling together 8 innings of about as good a ball as you can pitch besides the Stinkel appearance. No one really looked to have their A-game, but each man limited damage to little or nil (did you know the World Cup was happening?) and the defense did their job. The offense, for it’s part, took advantage of some shoddy Twins defense to get ahead. Still, it was Marte’s solo homer that was the difference in the game going into the bottom of the 8th, but the Snakes loaded the bases for Corbin and let him do the rest. Corbin tripled home 3 runs to give Sewald some breathing room in the 9th. Carroll is now 5/6 with the bases loaded this year and has 15 RBI! Only Luis Garcia Jr of the Nationals has more RBI with the bases loaded than Carroll and he’s had twice the ABs in those situations!

Great team win tonight. We took advantage of a less talented and struggling team tonight when several things just didn’t go our way. We’ll need to keep stacking those this weekend before we run the gauntlet heading into the All-Star break. Oh, that reminds me: go vote for Corbin!

Win Probability and Box Score

Outside the Box Score

• Lourdes Gurriel made an early impact defensively when he threw out Byron Buxton trying to hustle to second for a double. Buxton crushed the pitch off the left field wall but Gurriel played the carom perfectly and threw into second where Ketel had plenty of time to set up and apply the tag to Buxton who was in his home run trot out the batter’s box. Lourdes is too young to bang into the wall and make the catch like the young kids have been doing, but his way was just as effective.
• Gabi’s single in the first was of the infield variety. The Minnesota shortstop made an excellent play to range up the middle and stop the ball from rolling into centerfield, but he couldn’t get up and make the throw in time.
• Michael Soroka left the game before the beginning of the second inning after looking gimpy on his push off leg during his warm up tosses. Not great on any day, but especially not the same day that we put Ryne Nelson on IL with a likely longterm injury.
• Lourdes and Corbin picked up Taylor Clarke who was called in on short notice with their defense on the first two plays of the second inning. Lourdes made a sliding catch in shallow left (probably could have let Gerry make the catch ranging back from short but it all worked out) and then Corbin made an outstanding sliding catch in right-center. Unfortunately there was no defense that could save the next batted ball when Victor Caratini blasted the pitch 430 feet into the right field bleachers.
• Arenado’s been top shelf defensively this season, but he made a rare mistake on a tough but makable backhand chopper down the third base line which allowed a run to score with 2 outs in the third.
• Corbin got our first RBI of the game when he served a cue shot through the hole between third and short. Wasn’t pretty, but was effective. Plus, more left on left goodness for Corbin!
• Drey Jameson was a little wobbly in the 4th but he dialed up what looked to be an inning ending double play ball, but the ball skipped off second base and shot way over Domo’s head into center field allowing a run to score. Too bad that run gets scored against Drey.
• Corbin Carroll mashed double off the top of the wall in right-center field and everyone, and by everyone I mean me, the announcers and the stadium operations crew, thought it was homer. As the relay throw came in to the plate to keep Domo from scoring, the stadium lights went into the Home Run Sequence. Alas, it was just the least well lit double of the night instead of a game-tying homer.
• The Twins infield defense failed their pitcher leading to the D-backs tying the game in the 5th. First, with runners at second and third, Gabi chopped a ball to third that the defender botched resulting in Domo scoring and runners at the corners with still only one out. Then Lourdes hit a tailor-made double play ball to shortstop that the defender made an awful flip to second, forcing the second baseman to stretch out to record the out and not be able to turn two, allowing Corbin to score from third. Pitcher couldn’t blame the defense for the next 2 runs scoring in the 5th, though, as he balked 2 runners into scoring position who then scored on a hot shot single from Ildemaro.
• Ketel Marte’s homer in the 6th inning was a ceiling scraping moonshot into the home bullpen (into Brandyn Garcia’s glove between warm up tosses as a matter of fact). The 40* launch angle was the highest launch angle for a homer by the Diamondbacks this year.
• Gabi Moreno nabbed another would-be base stealer to complete a strike-em-out-throw-em-out with a nice assist from Perdomo. First, the Twins’ hitter just watched a fastball go by down Main Street for Strike 3 which was a nice, then Gabi short-hopped his throw to the wrong side of the bag. Thankfully, Domo was able to cleanly grab the hop and, since the throw reached Domo so early he had time to reach back to the sliding baserunner and apply the tag.
• Jordan Lawlar was pulled for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 8th after beating out a bunt single. He didn’t show any signs of distress during the replays of the run and he practically sprinted off the field so I’m hopeful that there is no real injury here. Hopeful.

Comment of the Game

The GameDay Thread was a little lighter than typical Friday night games, especially a Friday night win, but I suspect the AppleTV broadcast had at least something to do with that. The game reached a final tally of 187 comments at time of publishing. COTG tonight goes to Webb Gemz for his note on the Twins defense:

Coming Up

The Diamondbacks face the Twins for the second game of this 3-game set tomorrow evening with a 7:10pm first pitch Arizona time. Righthander Taj Bradley (5-3, 4.14 ERA) will take the mound for the Twin Cities and Zac Gallen (3-5, 5.35 ERA) takes the ball for the good guys. Gallen needs to soak up some innings tomorrow to give the bullpen a chance after they covered for Soroka’s injury today. I’m not sure that’s a great thing.

Well, I guess I’ll eat crow for doubting this game, at least.

Few highlights in this one:

This team went 3-for-6 with RISP and only left two men on base with 10 hits! How about that!

Ceddanne Rafaela is on one, I really wonder if his bat is finally catching up to his defensive abilities, because this doesn’t feel like a mere streak. To kick off the seven inning, four run rally, he lined a double off of Luis Castillo, advanced on a sac fly and then made a beautiful read on Cal Raleigh getting crossed up by Castillo to scamper home. In the grand scheme of things, it was one of six runs scored but when it’s a 1-0 game and you come home like that, it can feel like a backbreaker to the opppsition.

I think all four Red Sox challenges were successful tonight: three ball/strike asks by Narváez, and a ball/strike ask from Marcelo which was overturned by 0.2 inches, leading to more Red Sox runs. Don’t ask me if the Red Sox have been more successful since they really started practicing challenging better—maybe worth a deep dive soon.

The four game losing streak is OVAH! Huzzah! With the World Cup providing so much entertainment the last week, it’s good to see the Red Sox bring the punch too. Only sad the Scots couldn’t see a win at Fenway in person, but I’ll take this one tonight.

Studs

Ranger Suárez (6.2 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 0 ER)

One of these days, Ranger Suárez is going to do more than the incredible. What a piece of work this game was for Ranger; multiple frames 10 pitches and under, he was just mowing batters down left, right, and center. He started to overthrow a little bit late but for the most part, his fastball, curveball, changeup and slider were all beyond on point.

Caleb Durbin (3-f0r-4, 1 HR)

…where did this Caleb Durbin come from and how do we keep him? He’s getting his hands through the zone better and it’s leading to much more solid contact. He was only a triple away from the cycle! Four homers in the last seven games is also no laughing matter.

Duds

Micky Gasper (0-f0r-4)

The only player with no hits to not do anything contributive to this one. Carlos Narváez gets a pass for his multiple successful ABS challenges and a sacrifice fly.

Play of the Game

I have to give it to Suárez’s outing, it actually made the Red Sox interesting to watch!

Red Sox 6, Mariners 2

Piggy Back: Bryce Miller, .11 WPA

Broken Back: Luis Castillo, -.21 WPA

Saving Me From Recapping a No-Hitter Back: Josh Naylor, .88888888888888 kWPA

Game thread comment of the day:

This one goes in the file on my computer labeled “so true bestie”

Discussion question: If you were to make a Dan Wilson soundboard like those ones dogs “talk” through, what would the buttons say?

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs beat Indianapolis (Pirates), 11-7.

Starter Vince Velazquez gave the I-Cubs three innings and gave Indianapolis three runs on six hits. Velazquez walked three more and struck out four.

Andrew Wantz threw the next four innings, surrendered three runs on four hits, and got the win. Wantz struck out three, hit one batter and walked one.

Vince Reilly was summoned from the bullpen with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth. The first batter he faced hit an RBI single, but the second one struck out and Reilly got the save.

In the fourth inning, first baseman Jonathon Long hit a grand slam, his sixth home run on the year. Long went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.

DH BJ Murray added on two more runs with his eighth home run of the year n the fifth. Murray went 3 for 5 with a double, the home run and a walk. Murray scored three times.

Catcher Christian Bethancourt was 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He scored two runs and drove in one.

Shortstop Owen Miller went 2 for 6 with an RBI double in the fifth inning. He scored on Murray’s home run.

Center fielder Brett Bateman was 2 for 6. He scored one run and had one RBI.

Left fielder Chas McCormick went 2 for 3 with a walk and a hit by pitch.

Second baseman Ben Cowles was 2 for 5.

Everyone in the lineup for Iowa had at least one hit and reached base twice.

RBI single for Bateman gives him a ten-game hit streak.

Brett Bateman extends his hitting streak to ten games and makes it a one run game! pic.twitter.com/xkKHnkTeAG

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 20, 2026

RBI double for James Triantos, who was 1 for 4 and was hit by a pitch.

Tri ties it at three! pic.twitter.com/euzd9ZNlXt

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 20, 2026

Nice catch by Bateman.

Slip and slide grab by Brett Bateman! pic.twitter.com/C8m9I8MDpp

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 20, 2026

Long’s grand slam.

JONATHON LONG WITH HIS SECOND GRAND SLAM OF 2026!!!! pic.twitter.com/y3Iccq0Yd2

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 20, 2026

Murray’s home run was 416 feet.

B.J. Murray sends one out and off the batters eye! pic.twitter.com/EOzTkY6c8D

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 20, 2026

Vince Reilly with the save.

Vince Reilly called game for his first Triple-A save! pic.twitter.com/pZNbpGBrGU

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) June 20, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies smoked out the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 2-0. The win gives the Smokies a one-game lead over Chattanooga in the first-half standings with two games to play.

Three Knoxville pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout. Jace Beck got the start and allowed two runs over five innings. But what really stands out is that Beck struck out a career-hight ten and walked just one. He did hit one batter.

Yenrri Rojas pitched the next two innings and retired all six batters he faced. He struck out one of them and got the win.

Tyler Ras was on the mound for the final two innings and got the save. He allowed a leadoff double in the ninth, but no other baserunners. Ras struck out two.

The Smokies scored both runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on back-to-back singles by left fielder Carter Trice and catcher Ariel Armas. Both players were 1 for 3.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs dented the Ft. Wayne TinCaps (Padres), 7-6 in 11 innings.

South Bend starter Koen Moreno put the Cubs down early when he gave up five runs in the first inning. One of the runs was an inside-the-park home run. However, four of the five runs Moreno allowed were unearned and he stayed in the game afterwards and gave the Cubs five innings. The final line on Moreno was five runs, one earned, on five hits over five innings. Moreno walked two and struck out two.

Jackson Brockett entered the game with the bases loaded and just one out in the sixth inning. He stranded all three runners and went on to pitch 4.1 innings of relief without allowing a run. He gave up two hits, walked no one and struck out three.

Ethan Bell did not allow a run or a hit over the final 2.1 innings and got the win, stranding the automatic runner in both the tenth and the eleventh. Bell walked three, one intentionally, and struck out four.

DH Ty Southisene singled home automatic runner Alex Madera in the top of the eleventh with what turned out to be the winning run. Southisene went 2 for 5 with a walk and three total RBI.

Center fielder Kane Kepley was 2 for 4 with a double, two walks and a stolen base. Kepley scored twice.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda came off the injured list and in his first game for South Bend since April, went 2 for 5 with a double and a walk.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn was 1 for 4 with an RBI double, a walk and a sacrifice fly. Hartshorn scored one run and had the two runs batted in.

Hartshorn’s double.

RBI number 30 with the #SBCubs for Josiah Hartshorn! pic.twitter.com/4bOSJkMAe5

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) June 20, 2026

Southisene drives home two.

All Ty-ed up!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/QvYp5U3tlv

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) June 20, 2026

Southisene’s go-ahead single in the 11th.

Repeat offender Ty Southisene delivered the game-winning single in the top of the 11th!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/aaB5q5nleV

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) June 20, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were egged by the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles), 8-4.

Kaleb Wing started this game and allowed one run on three hits over 2.2 innings. Wing walked four and struck out three.

Sam Mettert got tagged for four runs in the bottom of the eighth and took the loss. However, all four runs were unearned after two Pelicans errors. Mettert’s final line was four runs, all unearned, on three hits over two innings of relief. Mettert struck out two and walked no one.

Catcher Logan Poteet hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. It was his 11th on the season. Poteet was 2 for 3 with a double, the home run and two walks.

Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy went 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He drove home two.

Center fielder Darlyn De Leon was 2 for 4 with a triple and one run scored. He also stole one base.

Poteet’s home run.

LOGAN POTEET!

Ties it up with one swing of the bat. pic.twitter.com/c4mZo7uXFa

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) June 20, 2026

ACL Cubs

Off day.