It’s been an ugly season for the San Diego Padres, but it turned into a nightmare during Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago Cubs.
Walker Buehler, who was coming off of a five-inning performance of one-run baseball against a loaded Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, was torched. The right-hander gave up nine earned runs across four innings at Wrigley Field.
Buehler gave up seven hits and issued four walks in a performance that led to a 23–3 loss for the Padres. It marked the most runs given up by the franchise since 1977, tying the record.
Dansby Swanson hit three homeruns in the victory over the Padres. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
Each Padres pitcher in Wednesday’s game gave up five or more runs during their time on the mound. Reliever Kyle Hart allowed five runs across two innings of work.
Manager Craig Stammen didn’t waste any more bullpen arms with 28-year-old rookie catcher Rodolfo Durán taking the mound for the final two innings of the game. Durán allowed eight more runs against the Cubs lineup.
Chicago hit eight homers against San Diego, including three from infielder Dansby Swanson. He also recorded eight RBIs. Even Dodgers castoff Michael Conforto hit two homers off the Padres Wednesday.
The Cubs outscored the Padres 35-12 in their three-game sweep of the Padres in what is surely one of the San Diego’s worst games in its history.
Walker Buehler had his worst start of the season Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Though currently tied for second in the NL West with the San Francisco Giants, the Padres have emerged as one of the worst offensive teams in Major League Baseball this season. San Diego’s lineup is hitting at a .224 clip, ranking dead last in batting average.
What’s next for the Padres remains a mystery as president of baseball operations A.J. Preller is expected to make a move at the trade deadline next month.
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Jun 24, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan (55) throws against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Winners of 50 of their last 69 games against the Cincinnati Reds, the Milwaukee Brewers will look to keep on rolling on Wednesday night. The Crew has taken the first two games of this series and a win tonight would secure a series victory.
Just like the first game in this series, it’ll be a battle of left-handers on the mound. The Brewers will have Shane Drohan as their hurler, he’ll be making his seventh start of the season and sixth since being inserted into the rotation at the beginning of June.
Drohan pitched against the Reds his last time out, throwing 4.1 scoreless innings, scattering five hits. He was not very efficient, using 98 pitches to get through those 4.1 IP, but he kept the Reds off the board in what ultimately ended up as a 6-5 Brewers win. His ERA on the season dropped to 3.12.
The Reds will counter with Andrew Abbott and his 3.90 ERA on the season. The Brewers did not face Abbott during their series last week. Abbott last pitched against the Pirates on Friday and gave up three home runs in 5.1 IP.
The Brewers lineup will have some of the usual adjustments they make against left-handers. Gary Sanchez gets the start behind the plate and is batting seventh. That pushes William Contreras to the DH spot and Christian Yelich gets the night off. Yelich has been scuffling a bit at the plate lately and has struggled against lefties a bit more than usual.
Brice Turang, Jake Bauers, and Garrett Mitchell are the only left-handed hitters in the lineup for the Crew. Bauers is playing right field in place of Sal Frelick, who is coming off an incredible month of June. Cooper Pratt is also back in the lineup after getting a day and a half off to help him reset a little bit following some recent struggles. Joey Ortiz mans the hot corner.
The Reds will have their big boppers at the top of their lineup once again with Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart providing a 1-2 punch. Spencer Steer, Eugenio Suarez, and Robert Stephenson make up the meat of their order.
The Brewers will be celebrating America’s 250th anniversary tonight, since they won’t be playing at home on the 4th of July. We’ll see if the Brewers offense can provide some fireworks tonight against Abbott and the Reds pitching staff. First pitch is at 7:10 PM with ESPN having the TV broadcast.
At times, I’ve promoted the idea that MLB should have a mercy rule – down 10 runs or more after seven innings, the two managers should be able to just say, “We quit.”
It’s games like this that might make me reconsider that idea. On a very hot and windy afternoon at Wrigley Field, Dansby Swanson smashed three homers, giving him five in two games, tying the MLB record for such things. That led an eight-homer demolition of the Padres, 23-3. The eight homers tied the Cubs franchise record, set last July 4 against the Cardinals. That, my friends, was fun, even if the last eight runs came off a position player.
There is a lot of stuff to unpack about this game, so let’s get started!
After a scoreless top of the first, the Cubs got right to work in the bottom of the inning. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled and Alex Bregman walked. After Michael Busch struck out, Seiya Suzuki launched a home run [VIDEO].
For Suzuki, that was his 100th career home run. More on that from BCB’s JohnW53:
Seiya Suzuki is the 27th batter to hit at least 100 home runs as a Cub. He is tied with Keith Moreland. Next up: Shawon Dunston, 107; Willson Contreras, 117; Kyle Schwarber, 121; and Jody Davis, 122. Andy Pafko is 20th, at 126, 12 behind Leon Durham’s 138.
Colin Rea got into a bit of trouble in the third on a double and two hit batters, loading the bases, but ended the inning with a ground ball.
Then the Cubs blew the game open in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Suzuki walkwd and Ian Happ doubled. One out later, Michael Conforto was intentionally walked so Walker Buehler could pitch to Miguel Amaya.
If you’re keeping count, that’s four homers for Swanson in a game (yesterday) plus three innings (today) and four RBI already. It’s 9-0 Cubs. Incidentally, Buehler had been on a pretty good run, with a 2.64 ERA over his last nine starts. This game marks the first time in Buehler’s career where he allowed nine runs. His season ERA went from 3.81 to 4.61 with his four-inning outing.
Rea made it through the fifth inning, allowing a pair of runs in that frame to make it 9-2. You could tell he was running out of gas in the heat, issuing two walks to load the bases after the two runs had scored, but he struck out Jake Cronenworth to end the inning. Earlier in the fifth, Rea had some defensive help from Happ [VIDEO].
Rea turned 36 today. Fun fact from John about that:
Cubs starters on their birthdays have won six consecutive decisions: Rea today, Jordan Wicks in 2024 and 2023, Justin Steele in 2024, Marcus Stroman in 2022 and Randy Wells in 2010. The last to lose was Carlos Zambrano, who gave up seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits (no homers) and two walks in 5.0 innings on June 1, 2007. Rea’s start is the 11th since then. Since 1901, Cubs starters on birthdays are 21-15, with 17 no-decisions.
Now it’s 13-2 and the fun isn’t anywhere near done!
Trent Thornton threw a 1-2-3 sixth on only six pitches, and then the Cubs tacked on two more in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Happ walked. One out later, Conforto went deep for the second time [VIDEO].
If you’ve lost count, that’s six Cubs homers and a 15-2 lead.
Jordan Wicks was given the ball for the seventh and he retired the Padres in order. He allowed a run in the eighth to make it 15-3, and that’s when the position player pitcher fun began. Padres catcher Rodolfo Duran had thrown the seventh and retired the Cubs 1-2-3 – the only Padre to do that in this game.
He wasn’t so fortunate in the eighth, but Cubs fans enjoyed the show. Michael Busch, who had been 0-for-4, singled leading off the inning. Suzuki doubled him to third. A single by Kevin Alcántara scored Busch [VIDEO].
Oh, we have SO MANY fun facts about that! First, as noted above, that matches the MLB record for most home runs in a two-game span. But also:
Dansby Swanson has 26 RBI in a 10-game span. The only players to do this in a 10-game span within a season since RBI became official in 1920: Swanson in 2026 Joe DiMaggio in 1939 Jimmie Foxx in 1933 Lou Gehrig in 1931 Lou Gehrig in 1930 Mel Ott in 1929
Pretty good company, I’d say. Also, from John, who I asked, “Who’s the last Cub to have back-to-back multi-homer games?”
Patrick Wisdom, Aug. 27-28, 2021, at White Sox. Three-run shot in first inning and solo in ninth of first game, then solos in fourth and fifth of second gam
And at Wrigley Field?
Javier Baez, April 10-11, 2018, in 8-5 loss and 13-5 win over Pirates. Only six such earlier pairs at Wrigley: Bill Williams, Sept. 9-10, 1968 Andre Dawson, June 1-2, 1987 Sammy Sosa, June 19-20, 1998 and Aug. 20-21, 1999 Derrek Lee, May 27-28, 2005 Alfonso Soriano, May 16-17, 2008 Note that Williams had a day off between games.
Swanson had eight RBI in the game. That also accomplished something rare:
Dansby Swanson's 8 RBI are 2nd most by any player batting 9th in a game since RBI became official in 1920, trailing only Tony Cloninger (9 RBI at Giants on July 3, 1966)
Since Wicks threw three innings and finished up, he gets a save – with a 20-run lead!
More facts about this crazy game from John:
This is the 43rd game since 1901 in which a Cub has hit three home runs. None has hit four.
Michael Busch was the last to do it, on July 4 of last year, when the Cubs set the franchise record of eight home runs that they tied today.
Sammy Sosa did it six times; Ernie Banks, four; Dave Kingman and Aramis Ramirez, three; Kris Bryant, Hank Sauer and Alfonso Soriano, two.
The Cubs are 31-12 in the three-homer games.
…
The Cubs had hit at least five homers in back-to-back games only twice before:
Aug. 10-11, 2002, at Colorado: six, then five, in 15-1 and 12-9 wins
Aug. 1-2, 2023, at home vs. Reds: seven, then five, in 20-9 and 16-6 wins
…
This is just the sixth game since 1901 in which the Cubs scored at least 23 runs.
The last was a 26-7 win at Colorado on Aug. 18, 1995.
The last at home was 23-6 over the Padres on May 17, 1977.
They beat the Cardinals at home, 23-13, on April 17, 1954; the Braves at Boston, 24-2, on July 3, 1945; and the Phillies at home, 26-23, in the highest-scoring MLB game ever, on Aug. 25, 1922.
…
This is the Cubs sixth series sweep of the season: three games vs. the Diamondbacks, Mets and Padres; four games vs. the Mets, Phillies and Reds.
In all other series they are 6-13-2, including three straight losses vs. the Astros and Brewers.
A note on that 23-6 game from 1977 – this game matches that one as the most runs allowed in a game in Padres franchise history.
Saving the best for last from John:
This is just the third game ever that the Cubs won by at least 20 runs!
24-2 at Boston on July 3, 1945
21-0 at home vs. Pirates on April 23, 2022
Lastly, I thought you might like to have a look at my scorecard:
Whew! What an afternoon at Wrigley Field. Oh, and almost lost in all this: The Cubs have won five straight and 15 of their last 19.
The Cubs have a well-earned day off tomorrow and will open a three-game series against the Cardinals Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field. The Cubs don’t have a starter listed yet but it should be David Peterson’s turn to make his Cubs Wrigley debut. The Cardinals are going with Andre Pallante. Game time Friday is 3:05 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JUNE 26: Andrew Abbott (41) of the Cincinnati Reds delivers a pitch during a MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 26, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have lost three games in a row. They are just 19-34 over their last 53 games played, which is abysmal. They are the owners of an impossibly bad 4-19 record within the National League Central, and they have lost all five games in which they have played the Milwaukee Brewers so far this year.
On Wednesday night, they once again will be tasked with tackling the beast that is Milwaukee, and they’ll send out lefty Andrew Abbott to try to do it. Abbott has settled in rather nicely after a rough first few weeks of the season, and the Reds will need his unique blend of precision and deception to help keep this smack-hitting Brewers lineup on its heels.
Shane Drohan will get the start for Milwaukee. He just faced the Reds last week and held them scoreless over 4.1 IP. He has pitched in both the rotation and bullpen for the Beers so far in 2026, so odds are he won’t be in there much longer than that even if he’s being as effective as he was last time out, so Cincinnati will inevitably be required to take on a Milwaukee bullpen that’s been mostly a Top 5 unit in the game all season for an extended period.
First pitch is set for 8:00 PM ET as ESPN will carry it nationally.
Lineups for both clubs are listed below, with the Reds once again stacking righties against a left-handed starter. That includes the switch-hitting Ivan Johnson, who’ll start in LF for the first big league appearance of his career.
Jul 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Sean Keys (20) gets the water bucket poured on him against the New York Mets at the end of the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Mets 3 Blue Jays 9
One of those, very very rare days, where the offense and the pitching both were great for the Jays.
We scored early, we scored often:
One in the first: Nathan Lukes started things with a single. Vladimir Guerrero followed with a double (very well hit ball). Kazuma Okamoto had an infield single, bringing the run. Course, runners on first and second with no outs, we should have scored more. But Daulton Varsho fly out, Alejandro Kirk walk, Yohendrick Piñango pop out and Ernie Clement strikeout, ended the fun and had us thinking “here we go again”.
Four in the third: Oka walked, an out later, Kirk singled and another out later Clement doubled, scoring out second run. Sean Keys hit his first MLB home run to make it 5-0.
Four in the seventh: Vlad walked, Oka singled but was thrown out trying to turn it into a double. Varsho singled, scoring Vlad. Kirk singled. And then Myles Straw, pinch hitting homered.
12 hits, 2 home runs, 5 for 9 with RISP. All the things we’d like every game. Lukes, Okamoto, Kirk and Clement had two hits each. Piñango and Andrés Giménez had o fors.
All-in-all a good day for the bats.
Pitchers?
Braydon Fisher opened and gave up just a walk in his inning. I was all for having him go another, after just 14 pitches, but then the coaches are closer to the game than I am. Vlad made a terrific play on a ground ball down the line on the first at bat of the game.
Spencer Miles went three innings, giving up just a hit and a walk, with five strikeouts. Excellent job. He also made a terrific play grabbing a line drive and a nice play on a roller down the first base line.
Patrick Corbin, after being demoted to the bullpen, threw the last five innings. He did give up a couple of home runs, and four hits in all, but had five strikeouts and no walks. Honestly, though the two home runs didn’t look good, he knew the assignment, fill up the strike zone. I thought is was a success. Five innings on 46 pitches. He got the save.
Vlad made a nice play on a line drive and a nice play on a ground ball, going to his right and making a great throw to the pitcher at first. Nathan Lukes made a terrific throw to second on a ball off the netting in right field. Giménez had a nice play at short too.
Jays of the Day: Miles (0.13 WPA) and Keys (0.13). Lets give Honourable Mention to Kirk, Vlad, Oka and Corbin.
Jul 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Sean Keys (20) celebrates hitting a three run home run against the New York Mets during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
On Canada Day, the Mets dropped the rubber game of their series with the Blue Jays, 9-3. The Mets have now lost ten of their last twelve, and are 2-4 in the Andy Green era.
Certainly, the Mets hoped that Freddy Peralta’s most recent start was the beginning of a turnaround for the veteran free agent-to-be. But the Blue Jays had other plans, as three straight hits to start the game led to a run. A one-out walk loaded the bases, but Peralta was able to escape with just the 1-0 deficit, but threw entirely too many pitches in the first frame.
After a low-stress second inning, the wheels came off for Peralta in the third. A walk to Kazuma Okamoto started the inning and a single by Alejandro Kirk put two on, but Peralta managed to get two outs and almost got out of the inning. Ernie Clement doubled to score Okamoto.
Not to be outdone, Sean Keys drove a ball over the left-field wall for a three-run jack, and all of a sudden the Mets were down 5-0. Peralta would pitch a scoreless fourth, but that was merely to give the Mets a little (wait for it) relief for their bullpen. Joey Gerber was first out of the ‘pen, and he pitched an inning and a third of scoreless ball before leaving the game in the sixth with an apparent hand injury. Cionel Pérez was next up, and he went got through the sixth without incident, but had his first truly bad outing as a Met, allowing four runs to score in the seventh, including a Myles Straw three-run jack.
Anyone who has been watching the Mets know that offense has been hard to come by at points for the Mets, and they were stymied today by opener Braydon Fisher, bulk man Spencer Mills, and the unexpected 2026 relief debut of Patrick Corbin. Corbin looked about as good as he has in this decade, although with the way most of the team was swinging the bat today, they could’ve put Corbin at his worst out there and he may’ve looked like May 2021 Jacob deGrom.
Defensive was how Vlad Guerrero Jr. contributed to this game, making three excellent plays at first base. Despite his offensive skills in free fall this year, Guerrero looked almost Keith Hernandez-esque in the field today. On the Mets’ side, A.J. Ewing threw an absolute bullet off the wall to throw out Okamoto trying to stretch a single into a double. Tyrone Taylor, also in the seventh, threw out Clement on a replay-confirmed call later in the inning. Taylor made another fantastic diving catch in the eighth; this outfield construction is maybe the best defensive outfield the Mets have put out in at least a decade.
A.J. Minter came in with two outs in the seventh and quickly dispatched Keys on a held foul-tip for a strikeout. The Mets added two runs in the top of the eighth on a home run from Carson Benge. The only real consequence of this was that Luis Torrens was going to pitch the bottom of the eighth but could not because the Mets were only down by seven, not eight. Francisco Lindor hit a one-out solo home run in the ninth, but it was too little too late, as has been most Met action in 2026.
Only Unnaturally Rude Homers Operate Mercilessly, Enjoying Agonizing National Days. No Agita Toronto, IVery Enthusiastically Laud And Naturally Decree: Happy Canada Day.
The Mets are off tomorrow before traveling to Atlanta for a three-game series with the Braves. Christian Scott will go for the Mets, with our old pal TBD going for the Barves.
Freddy Peralta had another rough outing and the Mets bats went down meekly outside some late homers in a 9-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.
New York starters had a 5.46 ERA during June, which saw them go 10-17 in the month, and it was more of the same on the first day of July as Peralta couldn't make it back-to-back good outings and was dinged for five runs on seven hits while managing just 12 outs.
The Blue Jays' (41-46) trio of Braydon Fisher (one inning), Spencer Miles (three innings), and Patrick Corbin (five innings) tallied 11 strikeouts and limited the Mets (36-51) to five hits, with three coming in the final two innings.
Here are the takeaways...
- Peralta got out of the first inning, only allowing one run, but needed 28 pitches. The trouble began fast, as he lost a nine-pitch battle with Nathan Lukes getting an infield hit to deep short and left a 2-0 curveball over the plate that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. laced (112.2 mph off the bat) for a double to left, before Kazuma Okamoto grabbed an RBI infield hit. He left the bases loaded, getting Ernie Clement swinging on a fastball, his fastest pitch of the season at 98.8 mph.
After a bounce-back second, with two more strikeouts coming on good breaking balls, Peralta couldn’t escape danger in the third as, with runners on first and second and two out, Clement took a good Peralta 99 mph fastball to right for an RBI double over the head of Carson Benge, who was playing on the shallow side. Sean Keys then smacked a 96 mph fastball on the outside corner the opposite way for a 349-foot three-run shot as the ball just kept on carrying for the Long Island native’s first big league homer.
After throwing 77 pitches to get nine outs, he got his first 1-2-3 frame on 14 pitches, closing his account: five runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts in his four innings of work.
- Benge was robbed of a double down the line when Guerrero made a diving stop on the game’s second pitch. Benge got his revenge, doubling past Guerrero with two down in the third.
Benge put the Mets on the board with a two-out, two-run home run off Corbin in the eighth. He got a 91 mph fastball on the outer-half of the plate and smashed it 406 feet (103.8 mph) to left-center for his 10th long ball of the year.
- Francisco Lindor clobbered a letter-high sinker for a 408-foot solo shot off Corbin with one down in the ninth, his fourth of the year. He finished 1-for-3, going down looking at a back-door slider to end the first and working a walk in the fourth.
- Juan Soto flied out to the wall in deep right-center, but it went for a 388-foot out his first time up. He hit a weak dribbler down the first base line to strand a runner at second in the Mets’ first RBI chance of the game. Soto was 0-for-4 with a strikeout swinging.
- Bo Bichette was 0-for-2 with a four-pitch walk and a strikeout looking.
- A.J. Ewing went 0-for-3, including striking out swinging at a breaking ball and having a hit robbed from him as Guerrero made a leaping grab on a liner.
- Francisco Alvarez went hitless in four at-bats, as he struck out looking at a low-and-away 99 mph sinker, struck out swinging at a high 97 mph heater, and struck out swinging at a soft cutter below the zone.
- Jared Young, the lone Canadian Met in the lineup on Canada Day, was hitless in three at-bats with a pair of strikeouts looking.
- Brett Baty went 1-for-3 with a strikeout swinging and a single on a first-pitch fastball in the eighth.
- Tyrone Taylor, making his second start off the IL, dropped a hit down the right field line his second time up, but Lukes made a fantastic throw to second and nailed Taylor at the bag to end the fifth. He finished 1-for-3, but made a pair of great plays in the outfield, including a diving grab on a sinking liner for the second out of the ninth.
- Ronny Mauricio struck out swinging in the ninth after entering to play defense the previous half inning for Bichette.
- Joey Gerber was first out of the bullpen and worked a clean fifth and got the first man in the sixth before he exited with an apparent hand injury. Cionel Perez entered and got back-to-back strikeouts to end the sixth.
After walking Guerror, Okamoto ripped a ball into the right-center gap and was digging for second, but Ewing played the bounce off the wall perfectly and made a perfect throw to nail him at second. Back-to-back singles saw Toronto tack on another run, and with two men on base, Myles Straw got a hanging Perez breaking pitch and drilled it 397 feet over the wall in left. Perez allowed a fifth-straight hit, but Taylor made a great throw from left and nailed Clement, with Baty making a fine tag for a second outfield assist of the inning.
A.J. Minter got all four batters he faced with a strikeout.
Highlights
A.J. Ewing makes a BEAUTIFUL throw to gun down Kazuma Okamoto at second base! pic.twitter.com/6LmYIxAaIr
It was 96 degrees when Zack Wheeler threw his first pitch Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Like the old song says: Hot town, summer in the city.
Or maybe it should be: Hot team, summer in the city.
Fresh off 18 wins in June – second-most in the big leagues – the Phillies opened the month of July with a 10-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Phillies, now a season-high 11 games over .500, took it to defending National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, lighting him up for a career-high eight runs in four innings.
Wheeler, a two-time runner-up in the Cy Young voting, labored through his most difficult start of the season. His stuff was good, as evidenced by his 10 strikeouts, but his command was unusually poor as he threw 104 pitches before exiting with two outs in the fifth. He gave up nine hits, eight singles and a solo homer, over 4 2/3 innings. It was his shortest outing since June 16, 2024 when he lasted just 4 1/3 and gave up eight runs in a loss at Baltimore. After that, Wheeler reeled off 53 straight starts of five innings or more, entering Wednesday night.
Wheeler came into the game with an ERA of 2.03. He exited with an ERA of 2.36, still exceptional for a man coming off surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. Wheeler has made 13 starts since returning from the injured list. The Phils are 11-2 in those games.
The right-hander picked the right night to be off his game. The Phillies scored 153 runs in June, second-most in the majors. They kept piling up runs on the first night of July. They scored five times against Skenes in the second, added another one in the third and two more in the fourth.
Skenes has had his problems with the Phillies. They tagged him for five runs in a 6-0 win in Pittsburgh on May 17. A season after leading the majors with a 1.97 ERA, he is 6-8 with a 3.62 ERA. Amazingly, the Pirates are winless in his last nine starts.
Surging Trea Turner continued to swing a potent bat for the Phillies. He lashed a three-run homer on a hanging breaking ball against Skenes in the second inning. Turner is hitting .350 (21 for 60) over his last 14 games.
Brandon Marsh continued his trek to the All-Star Game with a solo homer, his 15th, in the third inning against Skenes.
Bryce Harper added a two-run double against Skenes in the fourth. Harper has driven in at least a run in seven straight games and has overtaken Kyle Schwarber for the team lead with 56 RBI.
Alec Bohm capped the scoring with a two-run homer against reliever Dennis Santana in the ninth.
Before that, the Pirates had made it a two-run game in the seventh. Orion Kerkering did an excellent job quieting things down before Jhoan Duran closed it out.
On the way to the win, Bohm and Harper both made terrific defensive plays behind Kerkering.
The Phils have won two of the first three in the series, which wraps up Thursday afternoon with Alan Rangel scheduled to pitch against Jared Jones.
May 15, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Charlie Barnes (57) delivers during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images
The fresh arm express continued for the Dodgers on Wednesday, as they optioned Tuesday call-up Wyatt Mills for Charlie Barnes to get recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Barnes has been starting in Triple-A, with a 3.67 ERA in six starts, with 27 strikeouts and 11 walks in 27 innings. He last pitched last Thursday, which makes him perfectly rested for what figures to otherwise be a bullpen game for the Dodgers in their series finale against the A’s, after the rotation was shuffled to move Shohei Ohtani from Wednesday in West Sacramento to Friday at home against the San Diego Padres.
Barnes, claimed off waivers by the Dodgers from the Cubs on May 9, has pitched two games in relief for the Dodgers this season with a pair of scoreless innings against the Angels in May in Anaheim.
Mills was called up just Tuesday, and pitched a scoreless ninth inning with three strikeout at the end of a blowout win over the A’s.
Feb 18, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Gabriel Hughes (43) poses for Photo Day at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Hughes, 24, was selected 10th overall in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft out of Gonzaga University. The right-handed pitcher made it as far as Double-A Hartford in his first two professional seasons, but missed the entirety of the 2024 regular season after needing Tommy John surgery.
After returning to baseball activities for the 2024 edition of the Arizona Fall League, Hughes started 2025 with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats. With Hartford he posted a 3.29 ERA with 35 strikeouts over nine starts and 41 innings of work. He was promoted mid-season to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, where he held his own in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 5.11 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 14 starts and 61.2 innings.
Hughes started the 2026 season back with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he dazzled in his first two starts with a combined three earned runs allowed and 14 strikeouts over 10.1 innings. However, he was unable to make it through five innings in any of his next three starts. He finished April with a five inning, eight strikeout start against the El Paso Chihuahuas, but also with an 8.64 ERA.
The Rockies organization placed Hughes on the injured list with side and shoulder discomfort on April 30th, causing him to miss most of May. After two rehab starts with the High-A Spokane Indians, he returned to the Isotopes and has been utterly dominant.
Over Hughes’ last five starts and 21.2 innings of work, he has not allowed a single earned run while allowing just six hits and eight walks. During that stretch he has struck out 26 batters.
Hughes will wear no. 43 and is expected to make his Major League debut out of the bullpen rather than the rotation. He will be the eighth rookie to make his debut with the Rockies this season.
In a corresponding roster move, right-handed pitcher John Brebbia has been designated for assignment.
Brebbia, 36, spent spring training with the Rockies and signed a second minor league contract with the team earlier this season. He made three appearances out of the bullpen in late June, the first two of which were scoreless. In his third appearance, he gave up five earned runs on five hits—including two home runs—in 1.1 innings against the Miami Marlins.
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - MARCH 04: Thayron Liranzo #49 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the 2026 World Baseball Classic exhibition game presented by Capital One between Detroit Tigers and Team Dominican Republic at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rosters were announced on Wednesday for the All-Star Futures Game, featuring top prospects from all around the league in a showcase game as part of All-Star Week. The Detroit Tigers’ representative will be catching prospect Thayron Liranzo, currently working at the Double-A level. He’ll be behind the plate for part of the Sunday, July 12 contest at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The game will be broadcast at noon E.T. on NBC.
The sole selection of Liranzo was a little bit of a surprise. The All-Star Futures Game tends to draw on prospects that haven’t reached the Triple-A level yet. So it was expected that neither Max Clark or Max Anderson would be selected for the midseason battle of top prospects. On the other hand, the lack of Bryce Rainer is an oversight. The young shortstop is scorching hot with 8 homers, 10 stolen bases, and a .394 on-base percentage for the West Michigan Whitecaps, and generally draws 55 FV grades from national prospect rankings. Instead, Liranzo will be the Tigers only representative.
The switch-hitting, 22-year-old catcher—he’ll turn 23 in a week’s time— has really come on strong in his second season with the Erie SeaWolves. Most of that development has come behind the plate, so he’s not exactly lighting it up offensively, but right now that defensive progress is more important anyway. Liranzo has nine homers and a .337 on-base percentage in 44 games this season. He’s still walking a ton, holding a 16.3 percent walk rate in the Eastern League. Of course, while he’s starting to trim the strikeouts, he’s still holding a 28.6 K-rate as well.
It took Dillon Dingler three tries to really break out of Double-A, so there’s still plenty of time for Liranzo, and his defensive improvements now have him looking like much more of a lock to catch at the major league level, even if he’s still tracking like a backup who plays some first base, and gets looks at DH and as a pinch-hitter to access his raw power.
The Dominican born catcher was the key piece of the trade that sent Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline. With Trey Sweeney largely flaming out, Liranzo is both the key piece, and potentially the only piece acquired in that deadline selloff that looks like it could work out very well for the Tigers. Of course, Sweeney already contributed by helping get the Tigers into the playoffs that year with Javier Báez down for surgery on his hip. It’s been bleak since for Sweeney, and he’s out for the year after shoulder surgery.
Liranzo doesn’t chase out of the zone much, but his pretty grooved swing as a left-handed hitter says he’ll always whiff quite a bit. The key is to keep taking walks and doing damage while continuing to develop well as a defender. Things are well on track now in that regard. He’s earned the nod to the Futures Game, and it’s a really fun event where the younger talent in the game get to play together and against each other while enjoying the All-Star Week’s other festivities. Congratulations to Thayron on his selection.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 26: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on June 26, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, July 1, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to end their disastrous run of Paul Skenes starts as he takes the mound for the Buccos in Game 3 of their four-game set in the City of Brotherly Love.
The Pirates have dropped their last eight games in which Skenes pitched. During that stretch, Skenes is 0-5.
In his last start against the Cincinnati Reds on June 26, he pitched five innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs in a 6-4 loss to their division rival. The game that began this streak came back on May 17 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Skenes pitched five innings, giving up six hits and five earned runs in a 6-0 shutout loss against Philly at home.
Meanwhile, the Phillies will turn to Zach Wheeler, who is enjoying another stellar season and could be on route to his third consecutive All-Star appearance. In his last start against the New York Mets, he pitched seven innings, giving up four hits and one earned run in a 2-1 victory at Citi Field. He also pitched against the Pirates earlier in the year, pitching seven innings of shutout ball in that 6-0 win on May 17 at PNC Park.
Perhaps Skenes and the Pirates can turn things around against the Phillies.
Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (6-7, 3.10 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (8-1, 2.03 ERA)
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The San Diego Padres would like to forget about Wednesday afternoon.
The Padres got run out of Wrigley Field by the Chicago Cubs 23-2, a blowout so lopsided that San Diego handed the ball to catcher Rodolfo Duran for the final two innings rather than burn another arm.
It capped a three-game sweep by the Cubs and sent the Padres to Los Angles for a four-game series against the Dodgers on the sourest of notes.
The box score looks like a video game. Eight home runs, 23 RBI, 17 hits. The Cubs went 8-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left just two on base all day. It was more like batting practice for Chicago, especially Dansby Swanson.
The shortstop hit three home runs and drove in eight runs. Michael Conforto added two home runs and four RBI. In all, the Cubs had eight homers out of 17 total hits.
Padres' starter Walker Buehler gave up nine runs and three home runs in four innings. Kyle Hart came out of the bullpen and gave up six runs, five earned, on three hits - all home runs - over two innings. Duran gave up eight earned runs on seven hits, including two home runs.
San Diego avoided a shutout on Sung-Mun Song's first MLB home run and a Samad Taylor triple, which could have been an in-the-park home run if not for the ball getting stuck in the ivy and stopping the play.
The Padres head into a National League West series against their rival Dodgers having lost five straight and sitting at 43-42.
With the Mets’ 2026 season having gone completely off the rails, the owner of the team is standing by his president of baseball operations. Steve Cohen was a guest on a podcast, and while being interviewed, he offered up a variety of responses that offered support to Stearns just a few days after the organization fired manager Carlos Mendoza.
In supporting Stearns, Cohen highlighted the need for the organization to be able to commit to a long-term plan and mentioned that it would be tough to attract people to the club if he were to fire someone like Stearns for short-term plans. He also made a point that Stearns was in charge when the Mets made it to the National League Championship Series in 2024.
Stearns is in the third season of a five-year, $50 million contract as the team’s head of baseball ops. The Mets are 208-202 thus far in the regular season under his leadership.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 29: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Bryce Harper #3 after hitting a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park on June 29, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
