Category: Baseball

Texas Rangers lineup for June 29, 2026 against the Cleveland Guardians: starting pitchers are Tyler Alexander for the Rangers and Parker Messick for the Guardians.

The Rangers continue their long-ass road trip today in Cleveland, where they are playing the first of three. Tyler Alexander is the opener, though newly signed Chris Paddack apparently could be used as the bulk guy behind Alexander. Cam Cauley, just called up, will play in his first major league game. Corey Seager, recovering from a concussion, gets the day off, as does Brandon Nimmo, who has undergone an MRI after crashing into the wall on the final play of last night’s game. Evan Carter and Alejandro Osuna get rare starts against a lefthanded pitcher.

The lineup:

Foscue — DH

Jung — 3B

Duran — RF

Burger — 1B

Higashioka — C

Osuna — LF

Cauley — 2B

Lopez — SS

Carter — CF

6:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +133 underdogs.

If it feels like the Cincinnati Reds just got swept by the Milwaukee Brewers a minute ago, you aren’t wrong. That’s what happened in Great American Ball Park at the end of just last week, Milwaukee eeking out a pair of 1-run wins alongside a 2-0 victory in extra innings.

Though the margins between the two teams were slim in those games, the reality is that Milwaukee is light years ahead of the Reds in the standings. 11.5 games, to be exact. The first place Beers have a +120 run differential so far this year that’s second best to only the Los Angeles Dodgers in the entire sport, and they have owned the NL Central by winning 12 of their 17 contests played within the division this year.

The Reds, sporting just a 4-17 record against the Central, enter the four-game series in Milwaukee today with a -51 run differential that’s the second worst in the National League behind only a Colorado Rockies club that barely exists. Maybe the Reds barely exist at this point outside our little corner of the internet – it would be hard to argue otherwise – and this series might well be their last shot to prove that they actually are tangible for the remainder of 2026.

Four games to make a statement. Four games to dig back into the race. Four games, while currently sitting four games under the .500 mark with the All Star break and trade deadline looming.

These are the biggest four games of the Cincinnati Reds season.

Getting the start for the first one will be lefty Nick Lodolo, whom the Reds desperately need to be the vintage version of himself again. He enters with a ghastly 5.59 ERA across 46.2 IP, though he did look hands down the best he’d looked all year in his most recent start before taking a 107 mph comebacker off his left wrist and being forced to exit early. All signs point to his long-term prognosis being just fine, but we’ll have to cross our fingers that there are no lingering issues with it during tonight’s start.

Going for the Beers will be lefty Robert Gasser, and the Reds have juggled their lineup accordingly. The bad news is that despite a lefty on the mound, Eugenio Suarez is not in the starting lineup after being beaned on the hand by the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday. The good news, I suppose, is that he wasn’t placed on the IL, so hopefully it’s just a day to day thing that he’ll get over quickly.

Elly De La Cruz will DH in this one, while the middle infield will feature the red hot Edwin Arroyo at 2B with Matt McLain back in the lineup at short.

Here’s how the Reds will line up to start tonight, which features a first pitch at 7:40 PM ET:

Not much is going right for the Atlanta Braves at the moment as they’re essentially riding on the excellent pace that they set during the first half of the season as they try to navigate this current rough patch. They certainly need some starting pitching help at the moment and while the following news is defintely good news, it’s not anything that’ll help in the immediate near future.

Still, it’s nice to hear that Spencer Schwellenbach is eying a return for this season. Mark Bowman of MLB.com has reported that Schwellenbach could be heading to the Florida Complex League in the near future and that could be the start of Schwellenbach’s path back to Atlanta’s rotation.

I hate to go full Chip Caray on y’all but if Schwellenbach does indeed make it back for this season and hits the ground running, it would, in fact, be like making a trade after the trade deadline. It would also come at a position of need for the Braves, as the uncertainty that surrounded the rotation heading into this season has finally materialized here in the early second half of the season. Chris Sale and Martín Pérez have emerged as the only truly reliable starters at this particular moment with Spencer Strider injured and inconsistent, Bryce Elder crashing back down to earth and the fifth spot being in complete flux as well.

Before Spencer Schwellenbach went under the knife to end his 2025 season, he was a consistent source of production on the mound as he delivered an ERA of 3.09 (73 ERA-) and a FIP of 3.25 (81 FIP-) and his career numbers over two seasons have been solid as well with an ERA of 3.23 (77 ERA-) and a FIP of 3.27 (81 FIP-). It would be wishful thinking to see Schwellenbach make his return a seamless one but it sure would be nice to see and something that the Braves would gladly welcome — no matter what the rotation looks like once Schwellenbach eventually makes his return.

Again, this isn’t anything that’ll move the needle right now (and to be quite honest, the words “could” and “likely” are carrying a lot of weight when it comes to Bowman’s reporting here) but it’s good news for the future. Hopefully things will get to the point in the future where Schwellenbach’s return is a luxury and not a desperate need. We’ll see what happens.

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The Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians begin a three-game set tonight, with the struggling Texas bullpen looking to find its form behind opener Tyler Alexander. 

However, with Parker Messick dominating, my Rangers vs. Guardians predictions and MLB picks are targeting Cleveland to walk away with a victory here. 

Who will win Rangers vs Guardians today: Guardians moneyline (-142)

The Texas Rangers will hand Tyler Alexander the ball tonight, but after working just one inning in each of his last two starts, they'll once again lean heavily on their bullpen. That's a concern, considering Texas' relief corps owns a 5.24 FIP over the last week while allowing a 39.8% hard-hit rate.

The Cleveland Guardians counter with Parker Messick, who has been outstanding lately. The left-hander owns a 2.15 FIP across his last two appearances while striking out 12.63 hitters per nine innings and allowing just 0.66 home runs per nine.

Cleveland holds the clear pitching edge, and I'll play this pick to -150.

COVERS INTEL: This Rangers bullpen has given up 2.57 HR/9 across the last week, compared to just 1.13 overall this season. 

Rangers vs Guardians Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-116)

Parker Messick has been excellent lately, but I don't expect him to completely silence Texas. The Rangers are swinging the bat well, carrying a 45.3% hard-hit rate over their last seven games, and should be capable of scratching out a few runs.

Cleveland's offense hasn't produced consistently, with just a 69 wRC+ over the last week, but this is still a favorable pitching matchup after Tyler Alexander exits early. The Guardians don't need an offensive explosion to cash this Over, and a game in the 5-4 range feels well within reach.

I'll play this pick up to -130.

Rangers vs Guardians weather

Conditions at Progressive Field should provide a slight boost to offense tonight. Temperatures around 90 F and warm summer air could help the ball carry a bit better, while light 4.7 mph winds aren't expected to have much impact. Overall, the weather leans modestly toward hitters and supports a few extra scoring opportunities.

Rangers vs Guardians odds

• Moneyline: Rangers +133 | Guardians -138
• Run line: Rangers +1.5 (-163) | Guardians -1.5 (+156)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-104) | Under 7.5 (-100)

Rangers vs Guardians trend

The Rangers have cashed the Over in 20 of their last 35 games for +5.80 units and a 15% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Rangers vs. Guardians.

How to watch Rangers vs Guardians and game info

Rangers vs Guardians latest injuries

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The Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners meet tonight, with the dominant George Kirby on the hill. 

Behind the righty, my Angels vs. Mariners predictions eye Seattle to grab a home victory in the series opener. 

Find out more in my MLB picks for Monday, June 29. 

Who will win Angels vs Mariners today: Mariners -1.5 (-103)

The Los Angeles Angels hand Ryan Johnson the ball tonight. He's only made two starts since being recalled, but opponents have still managed a 40.8% hard-hit rate while Johnson has allowed 1.64 home runs per nine innings. That's a dangerous combination against a Seattle Mariners lineup that sees the ball better at home.

George Kirby, meanwhile, has been lights out. Over his last four outings, the right-hander owns a 2.82 FIP while allowing just 0.82 home runs per nine innings. Kirby also sports a solid 3.79 FIP at T-Mobile Park this season.

I'll play this pick to -130.

COVERS INTEL: Seattle's offense has compiled a 109 wRC+ at home compared to just 94 on the road.

Angels vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 runs (-103)

While Ryan Johnson has been vulnerable, Seattle's offense hasn't exactly been rolling either, carrying just a .290 wOBA over the last week. That should help keep this total in check, even if the Mariners find some early success against the Angels' starter.

Both bullpens have also been outstanding lately. Los Angeles owns a phenomenal 1.24 FIP across its last 26 1/3 innings, while Seattle's relief corps has posted a 2.33 FIP over the past week. Both units have done an excellent job limiting damage late in games.

I expect Seattle to score enough to win behind George Kirby, but runs could be difficult to come by after the starters exit.

I'll play this to -120.

Angels vs Mariners weather

Conditions at T-Mobile Park should have little impact on tonight's matchup. Temperatures around 70°F with light 8.1 mph winds create a fairly neutral environment, offering minimal assistance to either hitters or pitchers. The game is more likely to be decided by the starting pitching and bullpen matchups than by the weather.

Angels vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Angels +194 | Mariners -203
• Run line: Angels +1.5 (-113) | Mariners -1.5 (+104)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-108) | Under 7.5 (+104)

Angels vs Mariners trend

The Seattle Mariners have hit the game total Under in six of their last eight games (+3.80 Units / 43% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Angels vs. Mariners.

How to watch Angels vs Mariners and game info

Angels vs Mariners latest injuries

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The San Diego Padres visit the heavily favored Chicago Cubs (-150) at Wrigley Field to start a three-game set Monday, June 29.

My top Padres vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks call for the Chicago lineup to pull away and take the series opener tonight.

Who will win Padres vs Cubs today: Cubs -1.5 (+129)

The wind is forecast to be blistering out at Wrigley Field, and the Chicago Cubs have paced the majors with 6.6 runs per game during their 12-4 heater while also ranking fourth in wOBA and seventh in xwOBA.

So, with the San Diego Padres sending righty Griffin Canning to the bump tonight, I’m anticipating another big night from the Chicago lineup.

Canning has surrendered a 52.1% hard-hit rate, which is tied for the lowest mark in the majors among pitchers with 40 innings.

Of course, the Padres also rank 29th in baseball against left-handed pitchers, so I’m expecting Chicago southpaw Shota Imanaga to hold the San Diego bats in check enough for the Cubs to pull away tonight.

COVERS INTEL: Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga boasts a high-end 30.3 whiff percentage and 14.5 swinging-striking percentage, which positions him to both keep the San Diego Padres off balance at the plate while paving the way to Chicago covering the run line and keeping the number Under the inflated total.

Padres vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 11.5 (-126)

The wind is forecast to be blistering out at Wrigley Field tonight, so we’re receiving an inflated total. 

In addition to the noted struggles the Padres have had against lefties this season, they also rank 24th in overall xwOBA while averaging just 3.9 runs per game in June. 

Plus, San Diego has played to the Under in 26 of its past 45 road games (+6.20 Units / 13% ROI), and the Padres have only hit the Over in 21 of their last 50 games (-11.10 Units / -20% ROI).

Padres vs Cubs weather

High temperatures reaching 90°F paired with a strong 12-to-16 mph wind blowing straight out to left field will create favorable hitting conditions at Wrigley Field tonight.

Padres vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Padres +130 | Cubs -150
• Run line: Padres +1.5 (-145) | Cubs -1.5 (+125)
• Over/Under: Over 11 (-110) | Under 11(-110)

Padres vs Cubs trend

The San Diego Padres have hit the Under in 26 of their last 45 away games (+6.20 Units / 13% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Cubs.

How to watch Padres vs Cubs and game info

Padres vs Cubs latest injuries

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The powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers are small -115 favorites over the Athletics in the series opener.

While it's rare to get the Dodgers at such an enticing price, my Dodgers vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks believe the home team is set up for success Monday night.

Who will win Dodgers vs A's today: Athletics (-105)

Gage Jump has posted a 2.56 xERA or lower in four of six starts, including three in a row.

He should make life difficult on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who surprisingly rank 24th in wOBA and 26th in average vs. lefties since May 1.

Although Eric Lauer has pitched better since being scooped up by the Dodgers, he has benefited from luck. He owns a 2.83 ERA over the last month despite a 5.17 xFIP.

Regression should set in against an Athletics attack sitting first in home wOBA and SLG against lefties.

Back the Athletics to -115.

COVERS INTEL:Gage Jump ranks in the 88th percentile in Pitcher Run Value and xERA.

Dodgers vs A's Over/Under pick: Over 10.5 (-110)

Lauer is sporting a sky-high 51% fly-ball rate and has allowed 2.23 homers per nine innings.  

He profiles as the exact kind of pitcher who will struggle mightily against a powerful Athletics offense in a very hitter-friendly ballpark. 

The Dodgers haven’t fared all that well against lefties of late, but there is no doubt they have the talent to be much better. Jump has also allowed at least three runs in two of three home starts, with a putrid Angels team being the lone exception.

Both offenses should chip in plenty. Bet the Over to -125.

Dodgers vs A's weather

Temperatures in the 90s are expected with slight winds blowing outward. Perfect conditions for the offenses to hit for power.

Dodgers vs A's odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -115 | A's -105
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+135) | A's +1.5 (-155)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-110) | Under 10.5 (-110)

Dodgers vs A's trend

The Athletics have hit the game total Over in 10 of the last 17 home games (+3.35 units, 18% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. A's.

How to watch Dodgers vs A's and game info

Dodgers vs A's latest injuries

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The San Diego Padres continued their trend against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, winning Game 1 before dropping the next two. It was an electric first game followed by two depressing contests against L.A. The club’s biggest struggle was its starters. Randy Vásquez and Michael King combined to surrender 11 runs between their two outings.

In hindsight, it’s easy to say that manager Craig Stammen could have pulled both earlier with plenty of the bullpen available. That said, in the moment, both starters have proven they deserve a longer leash, and the Friars should have been able to put together more run support for King in the series finale. The lineup went a measly 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. They’ll need to do much more against the Chicago Cubs before facing the Dodgers again this weekend.

Taking the mound

Shota Imanaga (CHC) v. Griffin Canning (SD)

The left-hander returned to the Cubs despite a song-and-dance routine this offseason that saw him decline a $15 million player option before accepting a qualifying offer from Chicago. He’ll be a free agent at the end of this year but hasn’t done much to boost his stock.

Imanaga owns a 4.40 ERA on the season, continuing to shown signs of regression since his stellar rookie campaign in 2024 (2.91 ERA, 173.1 IP). He struggled in his last outing against the New York Mets, surrendering four runs in 5 1/3 innings, but has a good history against the Friars. The Padres will need to jump on his mistakes to end their current losing streak.

Canning, like most of the Padres’ rotation, has been woefully inconsistent this season. He just had his worst outing yet against the Atlanta Braves, going just 2/3 of an inning while giving up four runs. Hopefully, the right-hander can bounce back from the tough start and deliver San Diego a much-needed win.

It was rumored that Germán Márquez could be a part of the Friars’ pitching plans today, but the club announced he’ll be making another rehab start on Tuesday in El Paso. He’ll likely be activated later this week to replace either Canning or JP Sears.

Batter up!

It’s hard to pinpoint just where the Friars’ offensive switch-up came, but Samad Taylor was certainly a problem. After being a spark plug for the San Diego offense, Taylor would go a dismal 0-for-10 against L.A., with four strikeouts in the series finale alone. That being said, he took his walks (four BBs), but found himself in the first slump of an otherwise incredible start to his Padres tenure.

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

Andujar has the most success against Imanaga, albeit in a smaller sample size. In four at-bats against the lefty, he’s gotten two hits including a solo home run for a 2.000 OPS. The slugger has been mired in a slump since breaking out in early May and has struggled to get out of it. Perhaps tonight will be the night.

Relief corps

Thankfully, King was able to make it through four solid innings of work before reaching trouble in the fifth. He tried to pitch through it but couldn’t, with the Padres calling on Yuki Matsui to get him out of the jam. He recorded two strikeouts and pitched the sixth inning as well. Jason Adam twirled a one-hit seventh before Wandy Peralta finished out the game with two perfect innings.

That saves the Friars’ ‘pen for tonight’s series opener. If the Padres can manage to put together some runs against Imanaga, the ‘pen will have no shortage of arms to turn to. Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and David Morgan will each be available for San Diego.

If two weeks ago was a mixed bag for the Yankees, this past week was a outright tumble. They did manage to narrowly win a series against the Tigers to start off, but the offense’s lackluster performance outside of a couple key moments came home to roost in their trip up to Boston where they got swept in a four-game series against their archrivals. A humiliating result on several levels, New York got pummeled by the last-place team in their division giving the Rays the opening they needed to close the gap and retake first place while also looking lifeless for significant stretches offensively — they scored just seven runs outside of extra innings across those four games facing nothing but lefty starters and nearly got no-hit by the last of them in former Yankee Sonny Gray.

Needless to say, the vibes aren’t great after that road trip. While June hasn’t been an outright bad month for them, they’ve played to an even .500 record and suffered from some streaky play within the rotation for the first time all year while the offense can’t find its groove. On top of that, the defensive alignments have regressed significantly with Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon all out: José Caballero hasn’t taken to time in the outfield well, Ben Rice has had a rough showing when he’s manning first base instead of slotting in as the DH, and Amed Rosario is still prone to some maddening errors. Combine all this, and it’s easy to see how frustrating the month has been despite the overall record not being too damning. And as our own Michael Zeno pointed out in his analysis of the so-called June Swoon, the real catalyst for an oncoming slide is a poor performance in Fenway during the month. Buckle up and get ready to see if that trend holds true.

With all of that in mind, there’s still plenty of season left to play and a trade deadline now on the horizon as we approach July. Much can change in a matter of weeks, and as we get into the new month even day-to-day rumors should start to bubble up as the trade market forms. Will an overhaul of the team be on the horizon to buff out the rough edges, or will the front office target a key player or two hoping that one big fix brings relief across the board? How aggressive do you think the Yankees will be in dealing from their prospect pool? Can they avoid considering getting back their injured players as a “deadline acquisition” this time around? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of July 2nd will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Following Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets optioned right-hander Tobias Myers to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled RHP Joey Gerber in a corresponding move.

The decision came after Myers pitched three innings in a bulk relief role in the series finale and allowed three earned runs on six hits which raised his ERA to a season-high 6.21. 

In fact, since Myers was recalled from Triple-A after getting optioned in late May, he has not pitched well at all. In four appearances this month, the right-hander has allowed 14 earned runs on 17 hits (two home runs) and five walks in 8.2 innings for an unsightly 14.54 ERA.

Myers was optioned to Triple-A the first time due to bullpen necessity and flexibility because the 27-year-old had options remaining. Still, it came on the heels of a few rough outings after he had been exceptional early on in many roles out of the bullpen for New York -- he had a 2.05 ERA through May 2.

However, lately Myers has been unable to recapture his early-season form or even pitch to his career numbers (3.71 ERA in 230.2 IP) and has been optioned once again to try and find his groove.

Meanwhile, Gerber is getting recalled by the Mets for the fourth time this season. In limited action this year, the right-hander has a 1.80 ERA in five innings and has a career 3.24 ERA in 25 IP between three clubs. He last pitched for New York on June 9 against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Yankees will try to leave behind their ugly sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox starting on Monday, kicking off a three-game set at home against the Detroit Tigers. They will do so with a new face in the bullpen or, rather, an old friend getting another shot: Jake Bird.

The right-hander was sent to Triple-A on June 20th, when the Yankees needed a roster spot for an Elmer Rodríguez start. He was recalled from Scranton on Monday, as the Bombers placed closer David Bednar on the paternity list. The team announced the transaction via their social media channels.

It’s unclear who will act as the Yankees’ primary ninth-inning option while Bednar is gone, but right-hander Fernando Cruz and southpaw Brent Headrick figure to be part of the mix depending on matchups. If Cruz is called upon, he’ll need to quickly erase the memory of how the Yankees’ recent sweep at the hands of the Red Sox came to a close.

Bird last pitched in the majors on that June 20th game against the Cincinnati Reds, tossing a scoreless inning and allowing one hit in the process. He has thrown 24 frames for New York this year, with a 4.88 ERA, seven walks, and 27 strikeouts.

While he has been much better than in his short 2025 cameo in pinstripes, Bird remains susceptible to the long ball, surrendering 1.5 homers per nine innings. His swing-and-miss ability, however, is an asset, particularly against right-handed hitters. Bird pitched just one game in Scranton in his most recent stint there, on June 24th, completing 1.1 scoreless innings and striking out two.

On the other hand, the new father has left behind a somewhat rocky start to the season and currently owns a rock-solid 3.09 ERA as the Yankees’ closer, with a 2.67 FIP, 16 saves, and a 27-percent strikeout rate in 35 frames in 2026. Bednar will be missed for as long as he’s gone, but should be back in a few days. After throwing two innings last night, he probably would’ve sat today against Detroit regardless. We send our best to his family on a safe delivery.

The Nationals and Red Sox have been connected in a big way this season, mostly due to the new Washington President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni, spending the majority of his front office career in Boston. While neither Jake Bennett nor Luis Perales will appear in this series, the two pieces in Toboni’s first trade with his former club, it’s likely to be a more personal series for the head of the Nats’ front office. Washington snapped a 4-game losing streak with 2 straight wins to close out a series win against an in-state opponent, the Baltimore Orioles, but their brief skid has them 4th in a loaded National League East and 2.0 games back of a playoff spot.

Sky-high expectations to begin the season for the Red Sox have quickly crashed and burned, with preseason predictions of them being a World Series contender followed up by a 36-46 record to this point in the season. They are, however, coming off their best series of the year, capping off a 4-game sweep of the New York Yankees with a come-from-behind walk-off victory in 10 innings on Sunday night.

Game 1 – Monday 7:10 PM EST

WSH: RHP Miles Mikolas (2-6, 5.24 ERA)

BOS: LHP Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.83 ERA)

The best outing of Mikolas’ season was followed up with a rough go of it against Tampa Bay, but he settled in against the Phillies for a short but effective 3.1-inning appearance where he gave up 2 runs, both of which were unearned. Boston’s lineup is lefty-heavy, so he will have to get creative with his pitch mix to keep their hitters off-balance in the opener.

Former Phillie Ranger Suarez has been nothing short of a fantastic free agent signing for the Red Sox, and his 2.83 ERA ranks 6th in the American League among qualified starters, just .14 behind his teammate Sonny Gray for a spot in the Top 5. Most of the Nats’ hitters have seen the southpaw from his time in Philadelphia, and the lefty’s arsenal is deep and consistently difficult to crack.

Game 2 – Tuesday 7:10 PM EST

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.00 ERA)

BOS: LHP Connelly Early (7-5, 3.59 ERA)

Cavalli will be looking for an improved start to finish off what has been a month to forget, posting a 4.94 ERA across just 23.2 innings. He put up a quality start his last time out with 6.0 innings of 2-run ball against the Phillies, his first since May 26th. That start also tied his season-high in pitches with 97, making his stamina as the game progresses a prime storyline to follow.

The first of Boston’s two young lefty sensations that the Nationals will face this series, Early is another finesse-over-power arm in their rotation. His handful of offspeed pitches have given opposing lineups more than they can deal with for much of the season, with a well-timed mid-90s fastball with excellent ride also at his disposal. The biggest weakness to point to is his tendency to allow home runs, making the long ball an important part of how the Nats’ offense needs to operate.

Game 3 – Wednesday 1:35 PM EST

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-1, 3.44 ERA)

BOS: LHP Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78 ERA)

Alvarez takes the ball on getaway day for Washington, and what a rotation stabilizer he’s been since the start of June. He’s given them nothing but solid starts, surrendering just 2 or fewer runs in each of the 5 starts he’s made this month, good for a 3.00 ERA. The Nats can only hope for more of the same from the 27-year-old, with the bullpen having to expect more heavy work after his presumed shortened outing.

While Early has found success by blending movement and sequencing, Tolle has been the bulldog in the Boston rotation in the wake of Garrett Crochet’s absence due to injury. His elite extension and high-90s power fastball make life incredibly difficult for anyone he goes up against, and he’s been one of the most dominant arms in the AL when he’s been on.

So you have decided to heed the call to adventure. Good for you.

If you need to recall what the Guide is or who I am, please refer to the included links.

Trouble in River City

The Guide has the following to say about going to a game at Sutter Health Park:

Error: DATA NOT FOUND.

This Guide was created to analyze major league ballparks and the logistics involved in getting there and back. It is this author’s opinion that the Athletics already have a valid Guide Entry: “Farewell to Baseball’s Last Dive Bar.”

I have been critical of venues such as Guaranteed Rate Field/Rate Field, loanDepot Park, Tropicana Field, Truist Park, and Angel Stadium for various justifiable reasons, mostly because millions of dollars have been poorly spent on venues seemingly only designed to line ownership’s pockets, wholly at the expense of the unfortunate fans who visit.

One might expect this Guide entry to put the torch to Sutter Health Park with similar gusto.

However, we have a conundrum best explored through metaphor. To drive this point home, I am using myself as a guinea pig. Imagine that the Dodgers sent Billy Gasparino and David Finley to evaluate my worthiness as a relief pitcher at their own initiative. Rather than offer me a job in the front office or as an attorney, I get cold-called to suit up on the mound upon meeting me.

Alarm bells should be going off for everyone involved.

I am in my forties. I am not an athlete by any measure. I am not in any sort of positive physical shape. I nearly got knocked out by a slide in Milwaukee around Memorial Day. I have been throwing a knuckleball for almost forty years, but it should be instantly obvious to everyone involved that something has gone terribly awry and that everybody’s time, including my own, is being wasted.

Someone should be getting yelled at.

Do you yell at the hypothetical people who started this process? Absolutely; they could and should be doing just about anything else, including goofing off on the job, which would be an infinitely more productive use of their time. Do you yell at me, the potential reliever who has been asked to do his best with the option to live a dream, a dream that we all share? Honestly, maybe a little.

Remember, in this scenario, I did not offer my services. I was approached. Who wouldn’t try if given the opportunity? Join the 2026 Dodgers; that’s like being asked to become the thirteenth disciple and the sixth Beatle at the same time.

That said, one should expect to have enough self-awareness to at least ask why, lest it be some elaborate, mean-spirited prank. In this scenario, it’s not as if I played or managed college ball and then suddenly jumped to the majors with nothing in between. What kind of egotistical moron would do that?!?

With the above as prelude, Sutter Health Park is a fine home for the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Yes, you can walk from one end of the ballpark to the other in a single concourse with little effort; it’s a minor league park.

This Guide would take a much more relaxed view of going to minor league facilities for their intended purpose (if I were to go to Ontario, Tulsa, or Oklahoma City someday), asking the important questions, such as:

• “Is there baseball here?”
• “Could one watch baseball here?”
• “…did the stadium catch on fire while watching baseball here?”

Admittedly, that last question is a reference to Brockmire, a vulgar, hilarious love-letter to baseball in the guise of a four-season comedy. Oddly enough, I reevaluated my opinion of Joe Buck as a direct result of this series. And yes, the minor league park did catch fire near the end of the first season. (I won’t spoil how or why.)

But if you insist that I evaluate an out-of-place venue, pressed into service not because of a natural disaster but greed, we will roughly follow the Guide’s format. Here is all you need to know about going to a Dodgers/Athletics game in West Sacramento.

Baseball’s Moped (1. Is it worth going?)

If the Dodgers weren’t there, it’s relatively cheap, have at it. If the Dodgers are there, no, unless you have personal reasons compelling you to go.

As the joke goes, mopeds are fun to ride, but you don’t want your buddies to watch you do it. Normally, I review a ballpark over an entire series. Much like the hypothetical scouts evaluating my fitness as a potential reliever, this exam need not be belabored. We’re not here to embarrass the undeserving.

If you want to experience Sutter Health Park (“SHP”), play the intro clip above. Congratulations, you have experienced 80% of what it’s like to see a game at SHP.

For the remaining 20%, for this upcoming Dodgers series, you will need to pay at least $150, stand in the hot sun (think 90°F/32°C) or a heat lamp, get a literal Ball Park hotdog, and have your car parked in a dirt lot after paying an additional $30-40. Oh, we’ve got trouble — about going to a game in River City!

It would be comforting to think that a sly trickster like Professor Harold Hill came to Sacramento, technically West Sacramento, to hoodwink the locals into letting the now-vagabond Oakland Athletics use the town’s minor league ballpark for a few years as an open tryout to demonstrate the town’s viability as a major league venue, while the team’s “permanent” home in Las Vegas is built.

John Fisher, heir to the Gap, Inc. fortune, is not Harold Hill.

Throughout most of this process, he has been unintentionally funnier than Benny Hill: a blight upon both Oakland and Las Vegas and someone who likely could not find his own hindquarters with the aid of a map, GPS, and both hands.

If you think I am being too hard on him, and you have not read the volumes of text I have written about the man, perhaps his recent interview with Evan Drellich of The Athletic will persuade you:

“I think people needed to hear from me,” said Fisher, whose A’s played in Oakland for 56 years, through the 2024 season. “Not hearing from me, I think, led to frustration from, frankly, the media. Like, who is this guy? Is he hiding? Who’s the real John Fisher?”…

“The news today is not contained within a certain zip code,” Fisher said. “In the sense that people in this community were seeing information coming out of the press in the Bay Area, I felt for sure it was important that they could hear from me … (so they) could understand, why did we make the decision to leave Oakland? But even more importantly, why were we coming to Vegas?”

Eventually, Fisher is also going to need a really strong collection of baseball players. Tourists arriving on the Strip for a handful of nights will have to decide whether to watch acrobats at a Cirque du Soleil show or catch a ballgame.

“Winning is important in every market. It is especially important in this market, in that there’s so many other things for people to do,” Fisher acknowledged. “It’s not enough to just say, ‘Look at our great stadium in this great location, beautiful view, and the food’s great.’ You have to have a product that’s on the field that is compelling, and compelling means winning.”

[Emphasis added.]

If Mr. Fisher is going to make the jokes this easy, I refuse to play. I will give Mr. Fisher credit in one regard: he did open his wallet once the Athletics came to Sacramento and bolstered the roster a bit… before trading Mason Miller. Granted, he did not have to pay rent, got the local team to upgrade their facilities, and faced the possibility of the MLB Players’ Association filing a union grievance if he did not spend on his roster.

Locals were excited upon hearing that the Athletics were coming to town, but after the initial fanfare died down, it became clear the team was going to pretend it had as little to do with the region as possible. Sacramentans got the hint and started staying away. While the percentage of the filled ballpark capacity is higher now, it’s a misleading statistic when one compares the vast differences in capacity between SHP and the now-abandoned Oakland Coliseum. A finger of a shot glass is less impressive than a splash of liquid in a 16 oz. glass.

Unsurprisingly, no tours are offered at SHP, but weirdly enough, one can get a First Game Certificate, which one can sign up for at Guest Services. Mine took four weeks to arrive digitally, which raises even further questions in a “is graphic design their passion?” manner.

In 2025, the Athletics did just about everything possible to keep Sacramento at arm’s length, only having Sacramento on a single patch one could buy at the impossibly cramped gift store. Now, at least the team has uniforms with Sacramento on them. The team refuses to be called anything but “The Athletics,” which is a dumb slap in the face to the citizens of Sacramento. If one is expecting a different posture than in Oakland, one might be best served to wait until the A’s arrive in Sin City.

Once again, Mr. Drellich of The Athletic:

To Fisher, the local fan is “definitely a different customer” than the one who drops into the city for two nights.

To gain the trust of the former, the A’s are trying a grassroots approach: community outreach, donations to youth baseball leagues, and so forth. If a Dodgers fan living in Vegas has a 10-year-old who becomes an A’s fan, eventually, Fisher believes, the parents will jump on the same bandwagon.

“Over time we’re going to convert the people here who support the Brewers, who support the Dodgers, who support whatever the team,” Fisher said.

The A’s want to show they’re not “just another team from California that moved to Vegas,” Fisher said, making a reference to the Raiders’ relocation, but that they’re going to be “Vegas’ team.” He acknowledged that process would take time, however.

[Emphasis added.]

The Brewers fan in Vegas is the hypothetical person I’d like to meet. As for Dodgers fans in Vegas, all I can say is good luck with the conversion. Considering the efforts demonstrated so far in Sacramento, I would not hold my breath as to any competent outreach in Las Vegas.

Friends don’t let friends go to SHP (2. How should I get there?)

Los Angeles-based travelers could drive for eight to ten hours or fly into nearby Sacramento International Airport in what will feel like eight to ten hours, especially if one is flying from Los Angeles International. As with most regional stops (think Fresno, Milwaukee, St. Louis, or Cincinnati), it’s more expensive to fly to regional airports than to fly directly to major hubs. Regardless, the airport is on the outskirts of town, and one would be best served by getting a rental car for one’s visit to Sacramento.

SHP is about an hour to 90 minutes from San Francisco, so one could conceivably drive to Sacramento or take the Capitol Corridor rail service, which connects buses from San Francisco to nearby Emeryville (home of Pixar!) and is connected to Oakland, and get to downtown Sacramento by rail. The problem is that you will end up on the wrong side of the river from the ballpark.

Another thing to keep in mind for the first-time traveler is that there are some major freeway interchanges very close to the ballpark, as the freeways generally either empty into or exit downtown, or start heading into the mountains via U.S. 50. There are 5,000 parking spots near the ballpark, and the rideshare pickup is down the street. Combine these facts, and you have standstill traffic immediately after games. I sat with my windows down and read until the madness passed.

While Sacramento has modest public transportation for a city its size, it is worth repeating that SHP is just across the river in West Sacramento. Unless one is staying nearby, which is difficult for this venue, one is typically driving or enduring traffic in a rideshare to get to the ballpark.

No, you cannot stay with me. (3. Where should I stay?)

The Sacramento River divides West Sacramento and Sacramento. As you can see, there are a plethora of hotel options in Sacramento, and traffic is funneled towards the iconic Tower Bridge, which would make getting to Sutter Health Park rather easy.

One could stay in Old Town Sacramento (think by the Delta King Hotel on the map below), which has the venerable California State Railroad Museum, if you like trains. One could walk to Sutter Health Park from Old Town Sacramento, but again, the infrastructure is centered around the car, so be mindful and be careful.

The West Sacramento side has fewer options, but they are cheaper. However, the same problem arises: pedestrian access is more hypothetical than practical for this ballpark; the car rules West Sacramento. The area near Sutter Health Park on the West Sacramento side is more industrial, giving way to suburbs. There’s more to do in Sacramento than on the West Sacramento side, but the prices are more forgiving on the stadium side of the river.

Typically, the team’s accommodations are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and are usually at a luxury hotel like the Ritz-Carlton or Hotel Pfister in Milwaukee. Sacramento does not have a Ritz-Carlton, and I sincerely doubt the team is driving the 60 to 90 minutes one-way from San Francisco. My best guess is that visiting MLB teams have been using the hotel across the street from Golden1 Arena, where the Sacramento Kings play downtown, but I will be curious how the Dodgers navigate this hurdle.

Tickets are how much?!? (4. Where should I sit?)

Ah, the center of the shrubbery maze. You should watch these games from home. Otherwise, do you want to pay playoff ticket prices for a regular-season game in July? If yes, proceed. If not, you can skip to the end. There is absolutely no sugarcoating this one, so let us rip the bandage off in one motion.

$200 to $500 is an acceptable range of ticket prices for the NLCS or later, or a really good seat behind home plate anywhere in the league, but for a game in a minor league stadium? Utterly ridiculous and insulting.

I don’t blame the stadium or the regulars who call SHP their home away from home; I blame the avaricious ghouls perpetuating this fraud upon this region and the other cowards who own teams that enable this farce to continue.

Tickets for the Sacramento River Cats, the usual tenant of the ballpark, range from $11 to $44 the night before the Dodgers come to town. Those $11 tickets are for a seat on the lawn on the hill in right field.

But one might say that comparing the Triple-A River Cats to the Sacramento Athletics is unfair. Fair enough. The Miami Marlins start a series on July 3, immediately after the Dodgers’ series ends. Those tickets range from $28 to $250, with lawn seats on the hill being the cheapest option.

In our series, the $193 ticket is for a single seat on the first base side. Seats on the lawn were selling for around $150 from the team before the seating in this area of the event sold out.

For night games, if you have already committed to going, sit wherever you like. A recommendation from me cannot sink or salvage a doomed endeavor. But if you are going during the day, I do have one critical piece of advice.

I sat in section 108, Row 26, Seat 18 with a buddy from law school in seats that cost $40/ticket for my visit in 2025. It was Mason Miller bobblehead day. I needed pictures for this feature. The game started at 1 pm. Every row in front of me was in direct sunlight for virtually the entire game. The two rows behind me were also in the shade for the entire game. Unless you are sitting in the back, sunscreen and a hat are the orders of the day.

Now what? (Conclusion, as the question of a return trip in 2029 is likely moot.)

Here’s the kicker: I am quite fond of Sacramento. I spent three years going to law school at the now-University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. I graduated eighth in my class, which, honestly, I am a little sore at because one modestly shaky first semester kept me from cracking the top five.

I have friends who still live in Sacramento and who still regularly attend River Cats games. Is Sacramento a major league city? No, and that’s okay. It’s too small, too hot, and has inadequate facilities to host a major league team. The Athletics being in West Sacramento is a vanity project for a basketball owner who seemingly got bored with driving his NBA franchise into the ground.

As a minor league park, Sutter Health Park is fine. As a major league venue, it’s anything but.

I live about an hour from Sutter Health Park, and it would cost me $600 to $ 1,000 to attend these three games as a fan, unless I was willing to sit on the cramped hill overlooking right field. For that amount of money, I was able to go to the following venues, including airfare and hotel, during my travels so far:

• PNC Park, 2021
• American Family Field, 2021
• American Family Field, 2022
• Kaufmann Stadium, 2022
• Busch Stadium 3.0, 2021
• Guaranteed Rate Field, 2024
• Oakland Coliseum, 2017 to 2023
• Oracle Park, 2018 to 2024

Have I made my point yet? I don’t want to enable John Fisher’s folly. I would hope that this anti-Guide entry is the sole time I actively try to discourage you from enjoying Dodgers baseball in person. I could find nice things to say about the lesser major league venues on this list. If you need a final reminder of whose pockets you’ll line if you go to Sutter Health Park when the Dodgers visit, for a final time, Mr. Drellich:

Fisher maintains that the premise [that he could have stayed in Oakland and preserved his reputation], however, is off. He took the A’s out of Oakland and to Las Vegas, he said, for reasons that were not financial.

“Number one, I didn’t believe that money was going to solve the problem,” Fisher said. “Among other things, there was a high likelihood that we would have gone to a referendum, and referendums for sports teams don’t generally work out so well in California. And losing that referendum would have meant we were done. Like, not, ‘Oh, you can just start from this position, move forward’ — done completely.

“We had just run out of time, and we worked with Oakland for years and spent an enormous amount of money,” he continued.

“And the other thing was, honestly, that what we were doing, it was really important to me that this be a partnership. And that the partnership needed to be with the community and ourselves, and money can’t pay for a successful partnership.”

[Emphasis added.]

What does John Fisher know about spending his own money? He’s built a career spending other people’s money.

Following another terrible trip out to California, the Atlanta Braves are finally back at home and looking for any type of spark. Whether that comes from someone in the rotation not named Chris Sale or Martín Pérez delivering a standout performance or quite literally anybody in the lineup actually having a big day, it’s clear that the Braves are currently in desperate need of something going their way so that this slide can finally come to an end.

Atlanta will enter this week’s action with a much better record and outlook than both of their opponents but again, it’s hard to feel confident when the Braves have been in such terrible form as of late. At least when you look at things on paper, it sure seems like this week could provide some opportunities for this team to collectively get their confidence back. The Cardinals haven’t been doing so hot as of late. The Mets usually play the Braves tough regardless but this is still a team that the Braves have the talent to beat. It’s just a question of whether or not the Braves can actually figure out a way to get back to the levels they were at earlier this season against seemingly favorable competition.

Let’s go ahead and figure out what lies ahead for the Braves this week, y’all.

June 30-July 2: St. Louis Cardinals

Current Record: 43-38 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 82-80

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Cardinals and right now they’re in a bit of a valley after having gone 3-7 over their last 10 games and dropped a series against the Marlins heading into this series. With that being said, St. Louis has got some guys who can thump a baseball and that’s what Atlanta’s pitching staff will have to deal wiht outside of their own set of issues. Cardinals 2024 first-round pick JJ Wetherholt has arrived to the show and he’s been making his presence felt with a .265/.360/.411 slash line along with a .343 wOBA and 120 wRC+ over 77 games. Both he and Jordan Walker have paired up as an exciting 1-2 punch of young guns and they’ll very likely be the two biggest threats to the Braves this week.

Still, it’s a pretty well-rounded lineup as evidenced by their collective team wRC+ of 102 — good for a tie for 10th place in all of baseball with the Athletics when it comes to that particular metric. Alec Burleson figures to be a thread and Ivan Herrera can also do some real damage at the plate as well. Lars Nootbaar has also hit the ground running since getting his season started earlier this month. The easy outs against the Cardinals will be far-and-few inbetween for the Braves, so everybody on the staff will likely have to stay locked in if they’re going to hold the Redbirds at bay.

The pitching for St. Louis is less imposing but at this point with the way the Braves have been hitting, any progress from Atlanta on that front has to be seen before it’s believed. Therefore, probably not great to see that Atlanta’s going to have to deal with a couple of really good starters in the form of Dustin May and Michael McGreevy. May in particular has been pretty solid this season and while his ERA is somewhat high (4.30, ERA- of 106), his FIP (3.31, 81 FIP-) and his walk rate both indicate that as long as he can avoid the usual pratfalls, he’ll be tough to deal with. He’s also coming off of some back issues in recent days so we’ll have to see just how effective he is against the scuffling Braves.

Michael McGreevy has done a solid job of avoiding walks and he’s able to get plenty of ground balls as well so if the Braves fail to hit the ball hard against him, Atlanta could be in line for yet another long and quiet night at the plate. With all of that being said, the Braves could have an opportunity to do something against Matthew Liberatore, who has been struggling as of late. Ever since May 13, Liberatore has put up an ERA of 7.32 (180 ERA-) and a FIP of 5.17 (126 FIP-) and he’s given up thirteen runs (eleven earned) across his past two starts. He’s also given up at least one home run in six of his past eight starts Plain and simple, Tuesday’s game appears to be a golden opportunity for the Braves to potentially break out of their long and collective slump. If there’s no breakout here then this rotten run at the plate really might keep going into the weekend series.

Tuesday, June 30 at 7:15 p.m ET (BravesVision, Gray TV)
Wednesday, July 1 at 7:15 p.m ET (BravesVision)
Thursday, July 2 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)

July 3-6: New York Mets

Current Record: 35-49 Projected Record: 76-86

Yeah, this is a weird one where the series is wrapping around the weekend and into Monday by design. I guess they did it because of the holiday weekend? I can’t tell you but either way, it’s a rare four-game weekend series against a new-look Mets team. The new look comes from the fact that Carlos Mendoza is out of the managerial seat and replaced him with Andy Green on an interim basis.

If New York was looking for a quick ‘new manager bump,’ it didn’t materialize after they dropped a home series against a team that has very much benefited from a ‘new manager bump.’ Maybe they’ll make something happen against the still-sputtering Blue Jays but for now, there’s still plenty of upheaval going on with this team at the moment.

One thing that remains the same is that no matter where these two teams may be in the standings relative to each other, it’s going to be a hard-fought series. The Mets proved that they aren’t going to roll over for the Braves after they were pretty clearly the better team over three-games played between these two back in New York. That may be more indicative of this current extended slump that the Braves are on than anything that the Mets have going on but it’s also clear that at this point, the Braves are going to have to fight and claw for any wins that come their way — divisional foes or not.

As a matter of fact, the Braves and the Mets have the same amount of victories (3) since these two parted ways earlier this month. If that number remains the same heading into this series (whether it’s up or down) then I’d say that this could potentially be the series where we really start to see some red flags popping up when it comes to the Braves.

Anyways, Bo Bichette is likely to be a factor in this series as it appears that the previous series against the Braves did, in fact, revive his season. A.J. Ewing has also been getting the job done for the Mets at the plate since these two teams last locked horns. Francisco Alvarez and Carson Benge have also been faring pretty well since then and Juan Soto is Juan Soto. New York’s hitting has actually been fine over the past couple of weeks — it’s the pitching that’s been the issue for the Mets lately.

Since these two clubs last played each other, New York’s pitching staff has had the highest ERA- in the National League (142) along with a bottom-10 FIP- of 104. With that being said, the Braves have had baseball’s worst wRC+ since their last meeting (51) so this matchup might be a case of the stoppable force meeting a movable object. Atlanta’s offense has got to get going at some point and if they can’t get it done against this Mets pitching staff then it’ll be tough to figure out when this skid will end for the Braves.

Friday, July 3 at 7:15 p.m ET (BravesVision)
Saturday, July 4 at 8:08 p.m. ET (FOX)
Sunday, July 5 at 12:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Monday, July 6 at 7:15 p.m. ET (BravesVision)