Category: Baseball

San Diego Pardes starting pitcher Michael King deserved better than what he got. The right-hander has returned to form as the ace of the staff, especially with Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, on the injured list and he delivered a six-inning performance allowing one run on one hit before he was removed from the game after 86 pitches. When King walked off the mound, the game was tied, 1-1 but the Padres allowed another run to the St. Louis Cardinals in the top of the seventh inning and lost the game, 2-1 to open a four-game set at Petco Park.

King’s one hit allowed was a solo home run off the bat of Alec Burleson in the top of the fourth inning, which tied the game at 1-1. King was dominant throughout the game and looked to be in control recording six strikeouts, while allowing two walks. Bradgley Rodriguez took the mound for King in the top of the seventh inning and allowed a leadoff double to Jordan Walker. He struck out Nolan Gorman, but then allowed a triple to Masyn Winn, which gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead. To his credit, Rodriguez stranded Winn at third base, getting the next two batters to strikeout and groundout to end the inning.

San Diego got on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a check swing flyball off the bat of Xander Bogaerts that sailed over the infield and dropped into right field for a single that allowed Manny Machado to score to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. The San Diego offense could not get anything going after that, scratching out just four hits against St. Louis pitching. Two of those hits came from Fernando Tatis Jr. who opened the bottom of the seventh inning with a single to right field. Tatis Jr. then stole second base, or so it appeared, but he was called out. The play went to review, but the call was upheld although it was clear his right foot contacted the base prior to him being tagged. There was no way to know at the time, but Tatis Jr. would be the last Padres batter to reach base in the game.

San Diego will continue searching for offensive consistency today against St. Louis at 6:45 p.m.

Padres News:

• Luis Campusano fractured a toe and was placed on the IL, giving Rodolfo Duran a chance to join the big-league club. He made his MLB debut in the loss and finished 0-for-3 at the plate, but he did throw out a runner.

• Jase Bowen impressed in Spring Training and he continues to do so in El Paso as the outfielder slugged his eighth home run of the season for the Chihuahuas.

Baseball News:

• The Chicago Cubs keep winning at Wrigley Field and knocked off the Cincinnati Reds, 8-3.

• The New York Yankees are reportedly calling up outfielder Spencer Jones to replace Jasson Dominguez who was injured when he hit the wall in their 9-2 win over the Texas Rangers.

• Craig Kimbrel allows eighth-inning grand slam, which allowed the Colorado Rockies to avoid a sweep by the New York Mets.

• Mookie Betts is starting his rehab assignment and could be ready to join the Los Angeles Dodgers next week.

• Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony lands on IL with wrist injury.

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It was a welcome winning day on the dinger market yesterday, and I’m asking the four-bag gods for some Friday home run luck and a little more love from the MLB player props.

I don’t think bettors put enough value into attacking bad bullpens, especially when paired with short-leashed starters, and that’s the approach I’m taking today. The Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros might be the best targets on the board.

These are my favorite home run props for Friday, May 8.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Sal Stewart	+420
Brent Rooker	+475

Home run pick: Sal Stewart (+420)

This is shaping up to be a high-scoring affair. The wind is blowing out at Great American Ball Park, both bullpens have ERAs north of 7.00 over the last two weeks, and neither starter is likely to go deep.

The Cincinnati Reds should be able to hit around Mike Burrows, who owns a Bottom-30 HR/FB rate among MLB starters. There aren’t many great prices on the board, but getting Sal Stewart at +380 or better projects as +EV.

He homered yesterday at Wrigley, is up to 10 on the season, and the bat-tracking numbers are strong. Nothing elite, but his fast swing percentage, square-up percentage, and ideal attack angle all grade out positively.

Cincinnati will also get a crack at a Houston Astros bullpen that owns the second-worst HR/9 among MLB relief corps over the last week.

The Reds have the worst mark themselves. This game could turn into a shootout.

• Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Reds.TV, Space City Home Network

Home run pick: Brent Rooker (+475)

Someone finally blew the dust off Brent Rooker this month. Entering May, he was slugging just .288, but he’s found his swing with a .600 SLG over his last six games while hitting .320 with two home runs.

It comes at the perfect time for bettors because his +475 price to go deep is too long in a matchup against Kyle Bradish, who has been prone to the long ball and rarely works deep into games. That should force Baltimore to lean on a bullpen that owns the fourth-worst ERA over the last two weeks while also logging the second-most innings during that stretch.

Rooker’s fair price today is around +410, and it’s tough to find an Athletics bat above +380 that’s worth backing on this Friday slate.

He may be the player who has sold me the most over the last two seasons, but the streaky slugger is a buy right now, and both the matchup and setting work in his favor.

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, NBCSCA

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Like so many of these Nats relievers, Gus Varland has bounced around a lot in his career, and is no stranger to the waiver wire. However, it really feels like the 29 year old has finally found a home in the back of the Nats bullpen. He has become the Nats closer, and has become a trustworthy presence in that role.

When Blake Butera needs big outs at the end of games, Varland is the man he turns to. That is what he did yesterday against the Twins. He called on Varland to get four big outs against his home town team. After allowing a single to Byron Buxton in the 8th, Varland blew away the next four batters he faced, getting his 4th save of the season.

In a game where expanding arsenals are becoming all the rage, even for relievers, Varland keeps things simple. He throws a mid-90’s fastball with a lot of carry at the top of the zone and a high 80’s bullet slider that plays well off the heater. Varland throws each pitch about half of the time, and dares hitters to beat him.

Both of Varland’s pitches are good, but neither is a truly elite pitch. That means the right hander has to execute and control his arsenal. Varland absolutely fills up the zone, which can be rare to see from a reliever. He is only walking 1.84 batters per 9 innings, an elite number. Lately, he just has not been walking anyone at all. The last time Gus Varland issued a walk was on April 14th. 

Varland can be hittable at times, with a .276 batting average against. However, as long as those hits are staying in the ballpark, it is not a big deal. You know Varland will not beat himself with walks, so allowing a couple hits here and there is not the end of the world. 

Right now, Gus Varland has a 3.07 ERA and an even lower FIP at 2.46. Even when Clayton Beeter comes back, it is clear that Varland should be the main man in the bullpen. While Beeter’s fastball/slider mix is nastier, his control is nowhere near as good as Varland’s. Gus Varland has become the first Nats reliever of the year where you don’t have to hold your breath at all times when he is pitching.

Pitching is a family affair for the Varland’s. If you have been following baseball this year, you would know that 2026 has been the year of the Varland family. While Gus has been a big asset in the Nats bullpen, he is not even the best reliever in his own family. His brother Louis has been one of the best relievers in baseball for the Blue Jays this season.

Louis is like a turbo charged version of his brother. His fastball is harder, he has a deeper mix, but still has good control. The rise of the Varland brothers is almost unfathomable. Both went to Concordia University in Minnesota and were picked in the 14th and 15th rounds respectively. Now, both brothers are closers and have been two of the better relievers in the sport.

It was not meant to be like this for the Varland’s. Both making the big leagues, let alone being good big leaguers was against the odds, but here we are. The kids from Minnesota are kicking ass and taking names right now. 

I remember talking to Gus, and he was telling me about what a privilege it is to pitch in the big leagues. After some rough outings in Spring Training, Varland worked on the mental side of the game, and it really seems like something has clicked for him. He is throwing the ball the best he has in his career.

Gus Varland has had to work for everything he has gotten. This is a 14th round pick who has been DFA’d four times in his career. That hard work looks like it is finally paying off in a big way. After mowing down the Twins yesterday, fans of his hometown team were upset that they did not give the local kid a shot. Like the rest of the league, they had many chances to claim Varland, but decided not to.

While this is the best he has pitched, this is not the first time Gus Varland has had success in the big leagues. Back in 2024, Varland posted a 3.42 ERA and 3.13 FIP in 26 outings with the Dodgers and White Sox. However, just as he was gathering momentum, he was hit with the injury bug in 2025. He only pitched in 8 games, none of them in the big leagues.

Like a lot of pitchers these days, Varland has dealt with a lot of injuries. He told me that he has had four surgeries in his career, but now he is healthy again. As he has shown in his past couple stints at the MLB level, a healthy Gus Varland is an effective big league pitcher.

Paul Toboni made a lot of bets on the waiver wire this offseason, and Varland was one of them. Not all of the moves have worked out, but there have been some hits. Those moves are a big reason why the Nats bullpen has improved so far this season. Guys like Varland, Richard Lovelady and Paxton Schultz have been reliable pieces for this bullpen. The other two have not been as good as Varland, but they have been solid, and that is exactly what the Nats need.

When building a bullpen, you do not need to splash the cash. Sure, a couple free agent additions can be helpful, but you can build a good bullpen with lesser known guys. Instead of paying stale veterans like Lucas Sims and Jorge Lopez, Paul Toboni has built the bullpen a different way. He is trying to find undervalued talent and cycle through guys until he finds the right mix. Gus Varland has been the biggest success story so far.

1912
Pitching most of his career in the dead-ball era, it’s no shock that all-time hurling great Walter Johnson allowed just 97 home runs over his 802 career games and 5,914 1⁄3 innings. But you might be startled to know that in a 7-6 loss to the White Sox, Johnson surrendered two home runs (2.1% of his career home runs allowed) — and they were the only homers he allowed all season!

White Sox third baseman Harry Lord and center fielder Ping Bodie victimized The Big Train in this one.

Because game accounts and box scores from more than a century ago are incomplete, and Washington committed one error in the game, there is no earned run count in the game record for Johnson, who entered action having surrendered just one in the three prior starts with full stats available from 1912. But box score logic dictates that the White Sox slapped at least five earned runs on Johnson in this game, which almost assuredly would place this as one of the worst efforts of his career.

The win powered the White Sox to their 16th win in 21 tries to start the season, and the third win in an eight-game winning streak, as they sat atop the AL by 3 1⁄2 games over second-place Boston. The White Sox pushed their record to a gaudy 21-5 and their league lead to as many as 5 1⁄2 games before tumbling down to an eventual fourth place, 28 games out, at 78-76-4.

1966
New White Sox manager Eddie Stanky gave a real indication that the season was not going to be like any other, and that he was a lot different from former skipper Al Lopez.

On this date, the Sox dropped a 3-1, 11-inning game to the Tigers. Stanky was asked by reporter Watson Spoelstra of the Detroit News what pitch Bob Locker threw to Detroit’s Gates Brown in a key situation (Brown stung a two-run double in the 11th inning off of the pitch.) Stanky, who was preparing to change into his street clothes, went temporarily crazy. He launched an abusive tirade at Spoelstra, while ripping his jersey to shreds. Then he took off his spikes, and threw them crashing against the wall! 

1967
White Sox outfielder Ken Berry was part of the cover shot for Sports Illustrated for a story describing “The Tangled American League” race.

1995
Among 16,485 fans who saw a 4-2 White Sox win over the Minnesota Twins, one was the 10 millionth fan to cross the turnstiles at the new White Sox Park.

2021
How do you hit .000 in a game and match Babe Ruth in the record books? If you’re White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal, you walk four times in a 9-1 win over the Royals in Kansas City. That gave him 13 walks in four games, tying an American League record first set by Ruth in 1930. If you add in the National League, Bryce Harper (2016) is the only other player to accomplish this feat.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Diamondbacks play a three-game series in Arizona starting on Friday.

5 things to watch

Mets showing signs of life

The Mets have won four of six games on their current road trip, taking two of three from both the Los Angeles Angels and the Colorado Rockies. In truth, they could have and maybe should have won all six games against two bad teams, but after their disastrous April, they’re at least playing a little better in May.

Yet as of Friday, they still are tied with the San Francisco Giants for the worst record in baseball at 14-23, but the Mets have a chance to do more damage on the final leg of this nine-game trip against an Arizona Diamondbacks team that has lost six of its last seven games to fall to 17-19, mainly because of poor pitching, especially from their starters.

A chance to beat up on bad pitching

The Diamondbacks rank 26th in the majors in ERA at 4.78, and their starters are worse, ranking 28th with a 5.09 ERA. And that’s despite Eduardo Rodriguez having an All-Star season so far, pitching to a 2.50 ERA in seven starts covering 39.1 innings. 

Unfortunately for the Mets, Rodriguez, who pitched a strong game at Citi Field to beat New York in April, is lined up to pitch the Sunday finale of this series. But there’s no excuse for the offense not to make some noise in the first two games, against Ryne Nelson (1-3, 6.61 ERA) and Merrill Kelly (1-3, 9.95 ERA). 

Can Nolan McLean's dazzling stuff produce a win?

With a record of 1-2, McLean hasn’t earned a win in over a month, going back to April 3 against the Giants. Obviously, some of that is due to a lack of run support, but as dominant as he looked in most of his starts, McLean also has had some trouble getting through the fifth and sixth innings, facing a lineup for a third time.

He goes into Friday night’s start coming off perhaps his worst outing of the season, as he was pulled after only four innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk. Overall, though, McLean has been very good, holding opposing hitters to a .184 batting average while pitching to a 2.97 ERA.

Carson Benge figuring it out?

Benge has provided a spark for the Mets on this road trip, playing some brilliant outfield defense while coming to life with the bat. With five hits in his last four games, including a home run and a double, as well as three walks, the rookie has raised his batting average to .208 while having much better at-bats overall than he did in his first month in the big leagues.

Benge actually has been making significant progress for a few weeks, going back to March 22 when he was hitting just .136 and looking overmatched. The Mets desperately need him to blossom into the impact hitter they envisioned, and the sooner the better.

Ildemaro Vargas

One of the surprise stories of the season so far is Vargas, a journeyman infielder who is off to the start of his life, leading the majors with a .360 batting average to go with a .995 OPS while playing first base for the Diamondbacks. Vargas actually has cooled off slightly in the last few days, after his 27-game hitting streak, extending back to late last season, ended last Saturday. He was hitting .404 until then.

His early-season success is remarkable considering the 34-year-old Vargas has never been able to earn regular playing time in his 10-year career, during which he has been designated for assignment seven times while playing for five different teams.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Juan Soto

It’s not the boldest prediction, and Soto cooled off against the Rockies, but in this lineup, he has to hit for the Mets to win the series. Thus, the pick. 

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Clay Holmes

At 1.69, Holmes has the second-best ERA in MLB among qualified starters, behind only Shohei Ohtani. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs in any of his seven starts this season. 

Which D-Backs player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Ildemaro Vargas

How can I pick against the guy who’s leading the majors in hitting with a .360 average? 

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Our MLB picks for Friday are picking on the Astros, as we love the value on both fading Houston and the total in that game, based on prices from Polymarket.

See why our baseball experts are backing both angles of that game — plus an Under in the South Side of Chicago.

MLB expert picks for today

Pick	Odds
Josh Inglis: HOU/CIN o9.5	+108
Jon Metler: CIN ML	-133
Joe Osborne: SEA/CHW u8.5	-122

Prices courtesy of Polymarket.

Josh Inglis' expert pick: Astros/Reds Over 9.5

Price: 48¢ (+108) at Polymarket

The wind is blowing out at Great American Ball Park, and this sets up as a battle between two of the worst bullpens in baseball — that are likely to be heavily involved today. The Cincinnati Reds are sending out Nick Lodolo, who is making his first start of the year after throwing just 79 pitches in his last rehab outing (while dealing with a blister). On the other side, for the Houston Astros, starter Mike Burrows has allowed 8+ hits in four of his seven starts, and he's much worse on the road. Late scoring is also a likelihood, with the Reds bullpen carrying a 7.79 ERA over the last 14 days — and also taxed after getting embarrassed in Chicago — and Houston not far behind at 7.44.

Jon Metler's expert pick: Reds moneyline

Price: 57¢ (-133) at Polymarket

Mike Burrows has been struggling to locate his four-seam fastball, which is a dangerous problem heading into a start at Great American Ballpark. In a bigger stadium (like Houston's Daikin Park), those mistakes might turn into harmless fly balls — in Cincinnati, they can quickly become home runs. Burrows has allowed a .341 batting average and a 1.016 OPS against lefty hitters, and four of Cincinnati's first five projected hitters bat from the left side, including switch-hitter Elly De La Cruz, giving the Reds ample opportunity to pressure him early. The market has Cincinnati priced as 57-cent favorite on Polymarket, but I make them closer to 62 cents, which gives me enough value to back the home side.

Joe Osborne's expert pick: Mariners/White Sox Under 8.5

Price: 55¢ (-122) at Polymarket

A pair of emerging starters, backed by bullpens in rock-solid form, sets the stage for a low-scoring game in Chicago. Emerson Hancock gets an extra day of rest after striking out 14 in his last outing, and he’s been excellent on the road with a 2.41 ERA. Sean Burke has been equally as sharp at home, posting a 2.66 ERA and allowing zero earned runs in back-to-back starts. Add two offenses ranked 24th or worse in home/road scoring — plus the wind blowing in — and the Under looks like a great way to kick off the weekend.

More MLB best bets for today

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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Brewers in a three-game series starting Friday...

Carlos Rodon's season debut

It's been a while, but the Yankees are finally ready to welcome Rodon back to the rotation.

The veteran southpaw is set to start Sunday's series finale after offseason elbow surgery had him missing the start of the regular season. How Rodon pitches in the big leagues after so many months away is unknown, but he had his up and downs in the minors during his rehab assignment.

Across three minor starts, one in High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, Rodon allowed seven runs (six earned) across 16.0 innings pitched while striking out 20 batters. His last start was by far Rodon's worst outing, when he allowed five earned across 6.1 innings pitched.

Should we glean anything from those starts? We'll find out on Sunday.

Spencer Jones' MLB debut

The Yankees placedJasson Dominguez on the IL and called up Jones, one of their top offensive prospects, to the club on Friday.

How manager Aaron Boone plans to use Jones is unknown, but the athletic outfielder can play the field very well and run the bases. The everyday outfield of Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger and Aaron Judge is pretty set, but Jones could slide in as the DH against right-handers this weekend, which the Yankees will see two of -- more on that later.

The potential for Jones to receive at-bats is there and the Yankees could see what they have. In 33 Triple-A games, Jones smashed 11 home runs and drove in 41 runs to go with seven stolen bases while batting .258.

Going up against the Miz

One of those right-handers is Jacob Misiorowski. The flamethrowing starter will start opposite Max Fried in a blockbuster matchup on Friday night. 

The 24-year-old has a 2-2 record with a 2.84 ERA across seven starts this season. Of course, it's his strikeout rate that's eye-popping. He has 59 punchouts across 38.0 innings pitched, including at least eight in five of his seven starts, including in three straight. 

Misiorowski had to leave his last start (May 1) after 5.1 innings with cramps, so we'll have to see how he bounces back and if the Yankees can hit him.

Will Ben Rice return to the lineup?

Rice has missed four games since exiting Sunday's game after being hit in the hand with a pitch. The Yankees haven't put the slugging first baseman on the IL, so it seems he's close to returning. But will he finally return to the lineup? 

Could the Yankees change course and just put Rice on the IL? 

The Yankees are 3-1 in the games Rice has missed, and Paul Goldschmidt has filled in admirably, but New York needs Rice, who is arguably the team's most consistent hitter this season, batting .343 with 12 home runs and 27 RBI. 

Will Cody Bellinger stay hot? 

While the Yankees wait for word on whether Rice can return to the lineup, the others have picked up the slack, including Bellinger. The outfielder enters the weekend series on a nine-game hitting streak. During that streak (since April 28), he's batting .471/.525/.971 with six runs, seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 14 RBI.

Bellinger has played 25 games in Milwaukee in his career and has hit .320 with five home runs. 

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Aaron Judge

Judge already has 15 homers and will continue to show off his power.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Max Fried

Fried has been great and will solidify his place at the top of the early Cy Young race with another strong start.

Which Brewers player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?

Jackson Chourio

The talented young outfielder has returned after missing the start of the season with a hand fracture. Entering Friday, he's 6-for-9 with three extra-base hits in the two games since coming back. 

Columbus Clippers 4, Iowa Cubs 2

Clippers improve to 19-17

Cooper Ingle returned from injury recently and he hasn’t missed a beat. The top catching prospect blasted off on Thursday, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run and a walk. He’s now batting a ridiculous .432 with a 1.445 OPS on the season.

Additionally, Angel Genao has been off to a slow start in Columbus, but he connected for his first Triple-A home run and stole a base, which was great to see.

Kahlil Watson went 1-for-4 with a walk and two steals and Juan Brito doubled and stole a base.

Former innings eater Pedro Avila had one of his best outings of the season as a starting pitcher, allowing two runs on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings.

Will Dion followed with a scoreless inning and Trenton Denholm closed out the victory with 3.0 scoreless innings of long relief.

Akron RubberDucks 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels 5

RubberDucks fall to 16-14

Akron’s late rally fell short as the RubberDucks lost their fourth straight game Thursday.

Ralphy Velazquez led the way on offense, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk.

Alex Mooney had the only other multi-hit game, going 2-for-4, while Connor Barstad homered and Nick Mitchell went 1-for-3 with two walks and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Matt Wilkinson was solid, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 4.2 innings. Jack Jasiak was outstanding in long relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames with three strikeouts, although he allowed an inherited runner to score.

Unfortunately, Jay Driver gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, which stunted Akron’s comeback attempt.

Lake County Captains 15, Great Lakes Loons 13 (F/8) Game 1
Lake County Captains 2, Great Lakes Loons 7 (F/7) Game 2

Captains move to 14-16

Game one was one hell of a wild ride as Lake County blasted off for 15 runs on 14 hits and 11 walks.

Every single player in the lineup reached base at least twice.

Leading the charged was Jace LaViolette, who went 2-for-5 with a massive home run and four RBIs.

Ryan Cesarini also had a monster game, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and a walk.

Bennett Thompson went 2-for-5 while Garrett Howe went 2-for-3 with a walk. Dean Curley went 1-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base, Nolan Schubart went 1-for-2 with three walks, Tommy Hawke went 1-for-3 with two walks and Aaron Walton went 2-for-4 with a walk.

The craziest moment, however, didn’t involve any of those players. Trailing 13-12 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Lake County called on Jeffrey Mercedes to pinch hit and despite having a .146 batting average on the season, he blasted a walk-off three-run bomb.

I’m only going to mention starting pitcher Braylon Doughty, because he was fine, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in two innings.

Game two wasn’t much to write home about. Luke Hill pretty much accounted for all of the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and a walk.

Dean Curley also went 1-for-3 with a walk and Mercedes went 1-for-2 with a hit by pitch.

Starting pitcher Rafe Schlesinger was tagged for four runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and three walks in 4.1 innings.

Hill City Howlers 2, Fredericksburg Nationals 4

Howlers fall to 18-12

The first seven players in Hill City’s lineup all had a hit, but no one had a multi-hit game. Yelferth Castillo and Cannon Peebles both doubled while Robert Arias and Jose Pirela both went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Starting pitcher Joey Oakie was fine, albeit a bit wild, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and four strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

Zane Petty was excellent in long relief, allowing one more run on three hits with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings. The game stayed tied until the ninth inning, when Aaron Savary allowed two runs.

Bill Dawley would appear in 275 games as a reliever during his major league career.    He’d make his debut with the Astros on April 15th and set ablaze the first half of the 1983 season, winning 5 contests while posting a 1.88 ERA.  That start would culminate with an All-Star Selection at Old Comiskey Park in the Mid-Summer Classic in Chicago.   

Here’s the 12th installment of our continuing legends series.    

Q:  Did you have any idea you were going to be dealt during spring training in 1983?   

A:  I had obviously been with the Reds for years and I thought that year I would make the club, but I didn’t make the starting five.

On one of the very last days of spring training, they demoted me, but back then you had 72 hours to report to the minor leagues.  I was disappointed, but then I received a phone call from Chief Bender who was the man responsible for building the foundation for the Big Red Machine. He told me he about a trade to the Astros, so I get optioned to Tucson, AZ and now I’m in their system but not with the main club. 

As fate would have it, the Astros started the year 0-9 and they brought me up.    

Q:  And then upon being brought up, you catch fire immediately and start paying dividends.  What do you remember most from your first game?

A:  I’m brought up and we’re playing the Expos.  The first batter I faced, I actually hit in the ribs, that was Chris Spiers. 

So, he’s on first and then Terry Francona comes up next and bunts into a double play with a hard ground ball to Phil Garner.  I get the next guy out, we score a run the next inning, and all of sudden, I have my first win.     

The team is 1-9 and I’m 1-0! (laughs) It happens again a few nights later, I get another win after the team loses a few, and I’m 2-0, but the team is 2-11.  They quickly gave me the nickname “The Vulture”.

Q:  All told the first half is so impressive, that you are named to the All-Star Team.  What was that experience like?

A:  I was sitting in a hotel in Atlanta, and back then the managers and coaches picked the pitching staff so Whitey Herzog calls and says “Congrats! You’re an all-star.”    

It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to think about it.  Ironically, I had grown up a huge Red Sox fan, and the first guy I faced that night was Jim Rice.   

Q:  You get Rice, you face George Brett, Lance Parrish, and Manny Trillo.  You got all of those guys out.   What was that experience like?

A:  I was pumped.  I was on cloud nine.  I struck out Parrish, I got Brett to foul out to third base.   After Brett, Dave Winfield came up and I made him look silly on two sliders to start things, and thought I could get a fastball by him, but he hit it into right field and then I got Trillo.   I still remember what I threw those guys and it sometimes feels like yesterday.

Q:  Toughest hitter you ever faced?

A:  Andre Dawson.  When he was with the Expos, I think I got him out every single time.    When he was traded to the Cubs, he just owned me.  He hit three home runs against me, a fastball, a slider, and a change up.  He was my toughest out by far.

Q:  Pitching in the Dome.  What comes to mind?

A:  I loved it.  You know my first 10 or 11 innings; I hadn’t given up a run.  So, one night, the count is 2 balls and no strikes on Dale Murphy, and I just thought because the dome was so massive that I’d throw him a fastball on the outer half, because no one in the Dome hits a homerun to center field.    

Well, I was wrong (laughs).  Dale hits it over the fence and that was the first run I ever gave up.   It was a great place to pitch, and I actually liked the AstroTurf because you rarely got any bad bounces along the way.   

I definitely have much more negative feelings reserved for the feelings. I don’t really even have strong feelings, including negative feelings, for the Dodgers — but I know a lot of others do. So, let’s hear it.

For these Orioles, after the rotten 2025 they had, one thing was supposed to be true this year: this would be a lineup that could weather bad injury luck. Mike Elias signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal, added competent veteran outfielders in Taylor Ward and Leody Taveras, and supplemented the infield depth.

That plan sounded fine, in theory, but in truth, these signings could never fully compensate for the bottom falling out when it comes to homegrown players. There are a few places you could point to, but no hiding the ugly truth: Colton Cowser and Coby Mayo are, at the moment, the team’s most conspicuous weak points. Mayo holds a .152/.218/.283 line, while Cowser sits at .179/.282/.209. Those are brutal numbers, and for two bat-first players, they demand scrutiny.

As prospects, both Cowser and Mayo crushed minor league pitching, but the transition to MLB has been rough for both. A first-round pick in 2021, Cowser hit .300 (.916 OPS) in three MiLB seasons, then came out guns a-blazing as a rookie, slashing .242/.321/.768 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs over 153 games in 2024. But in 2025, the Milkman suffered a fractured thumb, broke some ribs in a wall collision, and sustained a concussion that limited him to 92 games. His numbers have gotten worse since. Mayo, meanwhile, signed well above slot for $1.75 million after scouts saw elite raw power in his 6’4” frame. Mayo tore through the minors, a career .905 MiLB hitter, but his early MLB exposure has not been encouraging—he’s batted .193 in 134 games while playing a ham-handed third base, the position he came up playing.

Both Cowser and Mayo hit Triple-A pitching for the same fundamental reason: they have plus raw power and can punish mistakes. Triple-A pitchers make mistakes frequently—they leave fastballs over the plate, hang breaking balls, and miss spots on offspeed pitches. A hitter with Cowser’s bat speed or Mayo’s raw power can feast in that environment even with significant swing-and-miss in their profiles, because the mistakes are frequent enough to keep the barrel busy.

But at the major league level, the margin for error disappears. Cowser handles fastballs well, but he’s posted a whiff rate north of 40% against breaking balls in each of the past three seasons. Predictably, opposing pitchers have fed him a steadily mounting diet of breaking and offspeed pitches, down and away. For Mayo, the challenge is slightly different: scouts have long noted that his plus-plus raw power requires a swing that is sufficiently short and smooth to make contact. Perhaps for that reason, he’s selling out on fastballs right now, to the detriment of his ability to hit offspeed pitches.

Are things as bad for both hitters as the data seems? Peripheral data complicates the story for one hitter, not the other. Cowser’s expected numbers are barely better than his actual, with a wOBA of .213 but an xwOBA of .249, and batting average of .189 versus an expected average of .204. His batting average on balls in play (BABip, a test of luck) is .279, meaning that his hitting about as well as he should. Meanwhile, Mayo has a .244 wOBA against an xwOBA of .277, and an actual batting average of .164 versus an expected average of .221, a 57-point gap that is one of the largest on the entire roster. His BABip, .186, is terrible. That is the kind of statistical disparity that suggests bad luck on balls in play, which for him is good news.

One more comparative angle to note is the teamwide one. The Orioles, as a unit, are the sixth-most strikeout-prone unit in baseball: in the AL, only Chicago, Seattle and Los Angeles whiff more than them. This is problematic, to say the least. So there could be an approach problem not the fault of either hitter. Cowser and Mayo strike out closer to as many times as Gunnar Henderson (all between 30-31%), with Blaze Alexander and Samuel Basallo (25.9%) close behind. On the other hand, when it comes to isolated power, Basallo, Henderson, Adley Rutschman and Pete Alonso all exceed .200, an excellent mark. Meanwhile, Mayo sits at .130 (below average) and Cowser’s .030 mark is what Fangraphs calls “Awful.” A 30% strikeout rate with little power is not doing much in the lineup, to state the obvious.

So should these two youngsters get ticketed for the Norfolk shuttle? I’m not sure, frankly. For Mayo, the case for patience is twofold: one, the demonstrated gap between his actual and expected results, and two, the absence of realistic options at third base, with Jordan Westburg still working back from a partial UCL tear in his right elbow with no timetable, and Blaze Alexander confirming that he’s utility piece, not an everyday answer. Jeremiah Jackson has hit well this season, but he’s primarily a middle infielder.

For Cowser, the case is getting tougher, but he is a high-ceiling prospect deserving of some margin. At the same time, his hitting data here suggests he’s not underperforming; he’s just not hitting. A team trying to salvage its season can’t exactly give him infinite rope. Dylan Beavers is not exactly knocking on the door, but while Leody Taveras has essentially been a backup since 2024, he’s producing positive value right now, and may be worth riding as a CF option for as long as the team can.

In the end, it seems that optioning Cowser and Mayo wouldn’t solve anything, because there aren’t great replacements for them at any level in this organization. What this roster really needs is for Henderson and Alonso to heat up, for the balls Mayo is hitting to start falling in, and for Cowser to spend lots of time in the cage on his timing. Probably, at the present time, the team will give it another few weeks. If Mayo is still in the .160s and Cowser is still whiffing at breaking balls with no power in sight, then the conversation changes. Right now, sending Mayo and Cowser down just means Blaze Alexander starts at third base and Leody Taveras starts in center. That could be an upgrade in the short-term, but does little to answer this team’s larger questions.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Orion Kerkering was probably the biggest story from the end of the 2025 season. His gaffe that sealed the Phillies’ elimination at the hands of the Dodgers in the NLDS loomed like a specter over the entire offseason. But as we sit in May 2026, Kerkering has been in the background amid the team’s early struggles and feels as though he’s a forgotten man in the discussion at this point.

An injury in early spring training delayed Kerkering’s season debut until shortly after Opening Day, but he’s been quietly effective in his limited work. He’s appeared in 14 games entering play on Thursday and owns a 2.08 ERA through 13 innings pitched. Kerkering has collected nine strikeouts but also has six walks and surrendered nine hits including a home run. His underlying metrics paint a good picture, as his xERA of 2.01 is currently in the 97th percentile of all pitchers. Meanwhile, his expected batting average of .142 and average exit velocity of 80.5 MPH are among the best in all of baseball.

Despite his strong quality of contact numbers, Kerkering has once again struggled to generate swings and misses. He finished 2025 with a 24.4% strikeout rate that was only slightly above average and felt lacking considering the stuff Kerkering possesses. His whiff rate of 23.3% was well below league average and is down to 19.8% in the early going of 2026. He has however begun to experiment with throwing a splitter, a pitch he never utilized in the past. It’s only been thrown ten times, nine of which were to lefties, but Kerkering’s splitter has already generated six whiffs. The high number of walks in 2026 isn’t new either, as his 10.2% walk rate in 2025 was the highest among qualified relievers in the Phillies bullpen.

So, what do you make of Orion Kerkering’s season so far? Do you feel as though his error to end last season still lingers in his head? Or do you think he’s put it behind him?

Yankees 9, Rangers 2

• Well that sucked.
• I’m going to cut the offense some slack on this one, though. The Rangers had a number of hard hit balls that ended up finding gloves, starting with the first batter of the game, when Brandon Nimmo ripped a shot to deep left that Jasson Dominguez made a great play on.
• Dominguez crashed into the left field wall and had to leave the game, resulting in Ryan McMahon coming into the game and the Yankees doing a bunch of defensive shuffling.
• The Rangers followed things up in the first with an Ezequiel Duran walk, an Ezequiel Duran caught stealing, a Corey Seager walk, a Josh Jung HBP, and a Joc Pederson ground out.
• What one would have thought would’ve, could’ve, been a productive inning resulted in nothing.
• The bottom of the first featured two triples by the Yankees, both to right field, where Joc Pederson was getting his first start in the outfield since 2023.
• The first triple was by Paul Goldschmidt. It was his sixth triple since the start of the 2019 season.
• This was the second of the two triples:

• See, a reasonable person would have seen how the first inning shook out and said, nope, it ain’t happening today.
• We aren’t reasonable people, though. We’re Rangers fans.
• Still, the Rangers stayed in it for a while. They took the lead, even, putting one up on an Ezequiel Duran homer and getting another run on a Duran RBI ground out.
• It was all a ruse, though, a way of sucking us in, thinking that they’d take the final game in New York, come home with a .500 road trip.
• Things finally went to pieces in the sixth, though, when MacKenzie Gore, Jalen Beeks and Cole Winn each retired one (1) batter, and six runs came across.
• Oh, and Peyton Gray gave up his first run of the season, with two outs in the ninth, on a comebacker that hit him in the wrist and knocked him out of the game.
• I had a dream last night that the Rangers blew a game by sending Ezequiel Duran out to pitch the top of the ninth inning with a lead, and he allowed 14 runs (though just 13 were earned) before Peyton Gray came in to retire the last batter of the inning.
• I woke up before the Rangers batted in the bottom of the ninth, though, so I don’t know if they rallied for a comeback win.
• MacKenzie Gore’s fastball topped out at 97.0 mph, averaging 95.0 mph. Jalen Beeks touched 94.3 mph with his fastball. Cole Winn’s cutter maxed out at 92.1 mph. Tyler Alexander’s sinker hit 90.8 mph. Peyton Grey reached 93.1 mph with his fastball. Gavin Collyer threw one fastball, which was 96.2 mph.
• Jake Burger had a 110.9 mph fly out. Brandon Nimmo had a 108.6 mph single, a 104.8 mph single, and a 101.0 mph fly out. Evan Carter had a 108.2 mph fly out. Corey Seager had a 107.7 mph fly out and a 100.0 mph fly out. Joc Pederson had a 107.3 mph single and a 106.7 mph ground out. Josh Jung had a 103.5 mph GIDP. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.0 mph ground out.
• The road trip is over. Back to the Shed.

The playoff-bound Red Sox posted three All-Star selections in 2025 with Alex Bregman, Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman. The trio of offseason additions stood among the game’s top performers, though the closer was the only Boston player to suit up for the midsummer classic in Atlanta. 

Baseball sits just over two months from the All-Star break, which this year will be held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia as part of America 250 celebrations across the country. The star-spangled celebration of the country’s national pastime should be a memorable installment. 

While Boston remains under .500 to start the season, the Red Sox could still have legitimate representatives in the game.

Here are three Red Sox hopefuls who could find themselves in Philadelphia in mid-July:

Willson Contreras

2026 Stats (Entering Thursday): .264/.376/.481, .856 OPS, 8 HR, 23 RBI

Previous All-Star selections: 3 (2018, 2019, 2022)

Boston really can’t ask for much more from the veteran first baseman so far in a Red Sox uniform. He’s the lone source of true power in the lineup and his energy is a rare sparkplug for a clubhouse that’s needed exactly that time and time again. 

Wilyer Abreu

2026 Stats (Entering Thursday): .299/.381/.467, .848 OPS, 5 HR, 16 RBI

Previous All-Star selections: N/A

Abreu already has a pair of Gold Gloves to his name. A strong start offensively could put Abreu in the All-Star conversation and earn more deserved national attention as a standout in Boston’s outfield log jam. 

Aroldis Chapman

2026 Stats (Entering Thursday): 0-1, 0.77 ERA, 12 G, 9 SV, 14 K, 3 BB 

Previous All-Star selections: 8 (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025)

The Red Sox have had some lengthy stretches without Chapman pitching this season. Nonetheless, he’s done the job when his number gets called. The lefty put together a resurgent 2025 campaign where he was nearly unhittable for the Red Sox.

He may be a tick below that this season, but he’s still one of the better relievers in the sport.