Baseball News
Emmet Sheehan faces José Soriano as the Dodgers look to win every contest against the Angels this year.
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Last week the Cubs were the Sunday Night game of the week on NBC against the Cardinals. It did not go well for the North Siders with the Cardinals winning 5-1. But the broadcast was pretty good, albeit a little crowded sometimes. And it turns out that Bingo is good on any network for a weekly showcase, so with that in mind, here’s another edition of Cubs Sunday Night Baseball Bingo!
Jason Benetti is always on point and NBC is fortunate to have one of the best in the business anchor this Sunday Night showcase. The Cubs’ own Jim Deshaies gets a chance to shine on national TV. JD has been a gem on the Cubs broadcasts for years with his deadpan humor, well-timed one-liners and knack for spotting an egregious strike call or quality baby from the press box. Add in a loved player from both teams and you’ve got yourself an excellent combination of commentary. Last week we heard from Albert Pujols on the Cardinals side plus Cubs World Series Champion Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo will join again tonight and pair his always great vibes with the eccentric musings of Giants World Series Champion Hunter Pence.
All in all, it should be a fun night at the Friendly Confines. As always, if you really want to challenge yourself make it a blackout game. I don’t recommend making it a drinking game unless you are personally trying to black out.
There was a Tarik Skubal party in Comstock Park on Sunday. The Detroit Tigers’ ace took the mound for a rehab outing against the Dayton Dragons, the Cincinnati Reds’ High-A affiliate. Huge crowds turned out on a beautiful, sunny day, and Skubal did not disappoint. He appeared fully on track to rejoin the Tigers’ rotation for his next start, which should be on Friday or Saturday at Progressive Field against the Cleveland Guardians. All that’s left is to recover normally from the outing, throw a bulllpen this week, and make sure all systems are go.
A rehab start from a major leaguer is generally a good day for the team. Skubal took care of the boys, getting a mobile coffee bar for the clubhouse, and planning to treat them all to a nice dinner after the game. Meanwhile, Dan Hasty and the Whitecaps’ staff got a break from a brutal six-week stretch of baseball with the Tigers’ High-A affiliate to call a Skubal game and see the park packed to the gills.
This whole recovery story has been pretty incredible. Skubal felt some discomfort in late April, and during a start against the Atlanta Braves in early May, his elbow was locking up on him. The diagnosis was bone chips in the elbow, which typically requires arthroscopic surgery to remove the loose bodies from the joint. Instead, Dr. Neal ElAttrache offered Skubal the option to try a new nanoscope procedure that could cut the recovered time in half. Everything went well in the May 6 surgery, and almost exactly a month later, Skubal took the mound for his first game action.
He looked 100 percent. Skubal punched out two in the first inning, sitting 96-97 mph with his fastball. He needed just nine pitches. A flyout and another pair of strikeouts followed in the second, and by then Skubal was reportedly up to 99 mph per Jason Beck. A two-run shot from Tigers’ center field prospect Jackson Strong, Strong’s third homer in as many days, gave him an early lead to work with, but he wouldn’t need much assistance.
Victor Acosta got a single off of Skubal in the third, earning bragging rights among his Dragons teammates. Otherwise, Skubal cruised through the third and fourth innings, needing just 46 pitches and punching out six to that point. The goal was to get him through five innings to show he’s 100 percent ready to rejoin the Tigers’ rotation, and Skubal managed that without breaking a sweat.
He collected the first two outs of the fifth and was still only at 50 pitches. Jacob Friend reached on an infield single for the second hit against Skubal. Third baseman Alfredo Alcantara hit the hardest ball of the day as the next hitter up, but Jackson Strong hauled it in to end Skubal’s fifth inning of work.
That was all that Skubal needed to accomplish. He threw 44 of 54 pitches for strikes, and there was really just one hard hit ball. He struck out six without a walk, and appears set to return on schedule. The Tigers will see how Skubal recovers, and have him throw his usual bullpen mid-week, and as long as nothing goes wrong, we should see him back on the mound next weekend in Cleveland.
Here’s hoping.
Huascar Brazobán – RHP
Randy Vásquez – RHP
First pitch: 4:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
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New York Mets (28-36) at San Diego Padres (33-30), June 7, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
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Sweeps have been hard to come by for the Nats in recent years. They only have one this season, and that was back in April against the Brewers. The boys have a chance for their second sweep of the season this afternoon against a D-Backs team they have beaten comfortably in the first two games.
With a righty on the mound, Blake Butera is making some lineup adjustments. Luis Garcia Jr. is back in at first base to nobody’s surprise. James Wood is moving from DH to left field, trading places with Daylen Lile. Jose Tena will get the start at second base this afternoon. Cade Cavalli will look to lead his team to a sweep.
The Diamondbacks actually have the same nine players as yesterday. There are a couple tweaks in the actual order, but it is almost an identical lineup. The Snakes have been quiet, but Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte are constant threats. Old pal Michael Soroka will be on the mound, and he is actually having a very good year in the desert. Soroka has a 3.49 ERA in 67 innings this season.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Chase Field
Time: 3:15 PM EST
TV: Peacock and NBCSN
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Finishing off a sweep on a national broadcast would be a big statement for the Nats. It would show that they have the killer instinct and can truly finish a team off. The D-Backs will be desperate today, but if the Nats play like they have, this is a winnable game. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Discuss the Guardians-Rangers rubber match below
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.
Abner didn’t exactly cover himself in glory, during his brief stay on the big-league roster. When he came into Friday night’s game, it was already out of hand, the D-backs trailing 7-1 in the top of the sixth. Seventeen pitches from Phil later, it was really out of hands, the Nationals have scored five runs on two home-runs, one of them a grand-slam. He has pitched 3.2 innings in the majors this year, with an ERA of 17.18. That kind of performance is more likely to get you a ticket to DFAville. To be fair, Abner only turned 24 last month and being a lefty, also gives him a longer leash. His 5.12 ERA over a large sample size in Reno is also better than team average (5.56).
But to illustrate something I said in the GDT yesterday: the performances of Abner, Kade Stroud and Drey Jameson since getting called up illustrate\ the lack of depth in the D-backs bullpen. All told, Arizona’s relief corps is firmly in the middle of the pack. Their overall 4.13 ERA ranks 16th, and at the risk of flogging a deceased equine, that’s considerably better than we’ve managed in most of Mike Hazen’s tenure. But there’s a huge gulf between the regular guys and the ones we’ve asked to fill in. Below is a breakdown of all the relievers used by Arizona this season, in descending order of innings pitched.
Excluding Brandon Pfaadt – who was only in the bullpen as a failed starter, and is now down in Reno – the top eight all have an ERA below 3.50. Small sample sizes, but the ones below them have all have an ERA of 5.40 or worse: and the best among them is actually third-string catcher Adrian Del Castillo. If you add up all the work by those two groups, here’s what you get:
A-bullpen: 157.2 IP, 111 H, 50 R, 44 ER, 11 HR, 43 BB 142 SO, 2.51 ERA
B-bullpen: 30.1 IP, 48 H, 41 R, 38 ER, 8 HR, 23 BB, 23 SO, 11.27 ERA
Obviously, every bullpen is going to have its weak links. But it’s striking that if you exclude the position players from the B-bullpen, the overall ERA of the remaining pitcher would go up. So far, we’ve been remarkably lucky in terms of the A-pen being almost entirely healthy. If that doesn’t continue, it could pose major problems over the next few months.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering. This is not an early Gameday Thread, it’s an early game. A 12:15 pm start, because it’s on Peacock. I wonder how many people will show up at Chase expecting the usual 1:05 pm first pitch?
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The Dodgers are off on Monday before opening a road series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Tuesday night, and will face off against Paul Skenes in the first game.
Skenes has a 3.09 ERA and 2.29 xERA this season, though has allowed 15 runs (13 earned) in 20 innings over his last four starts, all Pirates losses. Pittsburgh has won only six of Skenes’ 13 starts this season, though he’s left with a lead eight times.
We narrowly missed a Skenes vs. Shohei Ohtani pitching matchup in this series, with Ohtani starting on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. Left-hander Eric Lauer starts for the Dodgers. We’ll still get to see Skenes vs. the Ohtani the hitter, one of the sport’s best individual matchups.
When the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers came to Denver for the weekend, common sense would say the rebuilding Colorado Rockies could—with a little luck—win perhaps one game in the series. They came tantalizingly close on Friday but a disastrous collapse in the ninth and tenth innings sealed their fate. On Saturday the loss was more traditional with a 7-1 blowout. Now as thousands of fans flock to Coors Field to receive a bobble-headed facsimile of our beloved mascot Dinger, the Rockies have one more chance to salvage a win and avoid a sweep.
On the mound for the Rockies is the left-handed Kyle Freeland, who is having a season he’d probably like to forget with an 8.06 ERA through his first ten starts. He has given up at least five earned runs in five of his seven starts since returning from the injured list and has gone five or more innings just three times in that span.
Freeland is having an odd season. He’s getting batters to chase his offerings and his strikeouts per nine innings currently sits at a career high 8.1. However, he’s getting hit and hit hard. He’s already given up 13 home runs this season. His last time out against the Los Angeles Angels he gave up six runs—five earned—on seven hits with a home run over 5.2 innings of work.
On the bump for the Brew Crew is left-handed rookie Shane Drohan. Originally a fifth round pick out of Florida State by the Boston Red Sox, Drohan was obtained via trade by the Brewers this off-season and is off to a strong start following an April Major League debut.
Drohan currently has a 2.87 ERA in 12 appearances with the Brewers, two of which were starts, with a save and 33 strikeouts over 33.1 innings. He made his second career start against the San Francisco Giants his last time out, going 4.0 innings with two earned runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. It was his first start since making his debut on April 8th.
Drohan’s primary pitch is a four-seam fastball with a surprising amount of armside horizontal movement that averages 95.1 MPH. He is able to generate whiffs at 33.8% rate on the pitch. He backs the fastball up with an arsenal of breaking pitches that get batters to chase and whiff, especially his curveball and slider. He also throws a cutter with vertical drop, a sinker, and a changeup.
First Pitch: 1:10 pm MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
BrewersSB Nation Site: Brew Crew Ball
Lineups:
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The St. Louis Cardinals will wrap up a long homestand on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Michael McGreevy is scheduled to make the start for the Cardinals while RHP Rhett Lowder will take the mound for the Reds. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm central time at Busch Stadium and the broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv. Note that JJ Wetherholt is back in the lineup leading off.
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Today is Toy Story Day at Target Field. Great timing considering that a slate of blockbuster flicks are scheduled to hit theaters this month and the next (the unofficial kickoff to summer movie season being Memorial Day weekend’s The Mandalorian & Grogu, which I alas found thoroughly mediocre).
Each of these upcoming films has a baseball connection somewhere—even if it takes a little digging to find them. Here’s your shovel…
Let’s see if the Twins can produce some cinema of their own this afternoon by taking the final game from KC!
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TODAY’S GAME: The Houston Astros (30-36) will complete their nine-game homestand this afternoon as they play the second game of a three-game series against the Athletics (30-34) at Daikin Park.
RHP Mike Burrow (3-7, 5.66 ERA) will make his 13th start of the year for the Astros this afternoon opposite the A’s and LHP Gage Jump (1-1, 3.75 ERA), who’s making his third start of the year.
VS. THE A’S: The Astros are hosting the A’s in Houston for their first series in the Bayou City since last July. The Astros are 3-2 vs. the A’s in 2026 and are looking to reverse their luck vs. the A’s this season after going 5-8 against them in 2025. That marked the Astros first season series loss to the A’s since the 2020 season (3-7).
ABOUT BURROWS: The 26-year old RHP Mike Burrows has been the only starting pitcher in the Astros Opening Day rotation to make every scheduled start this season, which has given him the team lead in starts (12), innings (68.1) and strikeouts (57)…Burrows is new to the organization in 2026, having been acquired from the Pirates this offseason as part of a three-team, six-player trade in which the Astros sent OF Jacob Melton and minor league RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, while the Rays sent IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP
Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.
WITH A WIN: The Astros need a win today to secure a winning homestand as they enter today’s game
4-4 on the current ‘stand…a win would also give the Astros their first sweep of the A’s since sweeping a
four-game series in Houston from May 13-16, 2024.
YESTERDAY’S ROSTER MOVES: Announced yesterday, C César Salazar accepted his outright
assignment to Triple A Sugar Land and OF Rhylan Thomas was unconditionally released…both players were designated for assignment on Thursday.
Game Date/Time: Sunday, June 7, 1:10 p.m. CT
Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
TV: Space City Home Network, SCHN2 (Spanish)
Streaming: SCHN+
Radio: KTRH 740 AM, KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
SS Jeremy Pena
DH Yordan Alvarez
1B Christian Walker
3B Isaac Paredes
RF Cam Smith
CF Jake Meyers
C Christian Vazquez
LF Brice Matthews
2B Nick Allen
1B Nick Kurtz
RF Carlos Cortes
C Shea Langeliers
LF Tyler Soderstrom
DH Brent Rooker
CF Lawrence Butler
3B Zack Gelof
2B Jeff McNeil
SS alika Williams
Cleveland Guardians @ Texas Rangers
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
LHP Joey Cantillo vs. RHP Jacob deGrom
Go Rangers!
Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site: Lookout Landing
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (1-7, 5.31 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Castillo (2-5, 5.53 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flaherty | 13 | 57.2 | 25.8 | 11.8 | 31.3 | 4.40 | 0.7 |
| Castillo | 12 | 55.1 | 22.4 | 8.8 | 36.6 | 4.18 | 0.6 |
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