Category: Baseball

This whole stretch has been such a whirlwind, there has been no time really spent on narratives. Beginning April 17, the Cubs played 13 games in 13 days. That included a trip to Los Angeles and San Diego in there as well as series again the Mets and Phillies, both with playoff aspirations. They aced that test with a 10-3 record, audaciously starting it with eight straight wins to run a winning streak to 10 games before stumbling out west. But in addition to those 13 games in 13 days, they had just one day off and then 10 more games. They’ve now played seven of that 10 and won them all to run a winning streak to nine games.

Not just a 19-3 run, but a 19-3 run in 25 days. If it feels like this is a historic run, I do believe that is accurate. I believe the 19-3 stretch of 22 games runs all of the way back to 1935. None of us were alive for anything like this before. Even then, baseball was vastly different than what it is today. Somehow, some way this team finds itself chasing history of the best kind. Another test awaits as they set back out on the road. But the Cubs leave Wrigley riding a 15-game home winning streak that, again, none of us has ever seen. They leave with the best record in baseball (tied with the Braves and Yankees). This has been remarkable and a whole lot of fun.

Thursday, the script was a bit different. The team got a fairly dominant start from Shōta Imanaga. Imanaga was particularly sharp over the first four innings while the game was tight. He can probably be excused a little for getting out of the zone following a fourth inning that saw the Cubs bat seemingly forever. They tallied seven runs against two Reds pitchers, including a delay for an injured pitcher.

The only blemish on the game was the bullpen not being able to limp across the finish line without Daniel Palencia getting into the game to record the last out. The offense produced seven hits and drew seven walks and a hit by pitch. As was often the case in this series, the difference defensively between an elite Cub defense and a leaky Reds defense was on display. The Reds weren’t charged with any errors, but they definitely had some miscues, including one particularly absent-minded play that robbed Ke’Bryan Hayes of a nifty highlight reel (would have been) double play.

I’ve talked in years past about the Cubs getting greedy. They are playing the greediest baseball I’ve ever seen. They’ve definitely caught some teams at the right time. But they have pounced just about every time an opponent has faltered over these last 22 games. It’s breathtaking and a whole lot of fun. Soak it in, Cubs fans. It won’t always be this way. Enjoy the ride.

Three Positives:

• Michael Conforto crushed the ball all day long. Single, double, homer, walk, two runs, two runs driven in. He has just 45 plate appearances but a .361/.467/.667 line.
• Shōta Imanaga threw six innings and allowed one run on six hits and three walks while striking out 10.
• Miguel Amaya had a two-run single, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Game 38, May 7: Cubs 8, Reds 3 (26-12)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Shōta Imanaga (.221). 6 IP, 28 BF, 6 H, 3 BB, 1 ER, 10 K (W 4-2)
• Hero: Michael Conforto (.176). 3-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Sidekick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (.091). 1-3, BB, RBI, R, SB

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.094). 1-4, BB, RBI, R, DP
• Goat: Moisés Ballesteros (-.049). 0-4, BB
• Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.019). 0-3, BB, RBI, R

WPA Play of the Game: Michael Conforto’s solo homer in the second inning kicked off the scoring. (.115)

*Reds Play of the Game: With runners at first and second with no outs in the third inning and the Cubs up one, Rhett Lowder got Nico Hoerner to ground into an around the horn double play. (.089)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 37 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 223 of 242 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 3/Bottom 3)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Michael Conforto +12
• Shōta Imanaga +10
• Michael Bsuch +9
• Dansby Swanson/Jacob Webb/Caleb Thielbar/Phil Maton -6
• Matt Shaw -9
• Seiya Suzuki -14

A reminder that Imanaga was the 2024 Rizzo Award winner (nudging out Seiya Suzuki).

Current Win Pace: 110.84

Up Next: The Cubs travel to Texas to face the Rangers (17-20). The Rangers have lost seven of 10 and are just 7-8 at home. This feels like a little bit of a trap series at the end of a very long stretch of games and a closely contested series with the Reds. Ben Brown (1-1, 2.10, 25.2 IP) makes his first start after 12 relief appearances. He’s made 23 big league starts for the Cubs, including a few spectacular ones. He threw in the opener of the Reds series, so he’ll only be on three days rest. It’s hard to see him going any more than three innings. My guess is that they hope to get once through the order and then piggyback with Javier Assad. This is essentially a bullpen game with a highly depleted bullpen. Hopefully, the offense can jump out early.

26-year-old Kumar Rocker (1-3, 4.71, 28.2 IP) makes his seventh start of the year for the Rangers. Last time out, he allowed five runs on seven hits in just two innings against the Tigers in Detroit. The 3rd overall pick by the Rangers in 2022 had made 23 career starts with a 5.25 ERA. A couple of starts ago he held the Pirates to one run in six innings and he followed that with two runs over six against the A’s. Both of those starts were in Texas.

Find a way. Keep it rolling.

Go Cubs!

The San Diego Padres have put Jake Cronenworth’s 2026 season on hold.

The team announced they have placed their second baseman on the seven-day concussion injury list. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune (need a paid subscription), Cronenworth began experiencing bouts of fogginess and difficulty focusing during at-bats following the Padres’ road trip to Mexico City.

The slow burn of Cronenworth’s health condition

The medical staff misattributed his symptoms to the effects of playing at high altitude. But his physical troubles can be traced back to being hit in the jaw by a pitch thrown by Los Angeles Angels pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. 

At first, Friars manager Craig Stammen thought everything was going well. It kept Cronenworth out of the lineup for only one game, as initial baseline tests cleared him of a concussion. Slowly, his condition began to deteriorate, as headaches became more frequent. It was wise to get a medical explanation for his failing state. 

To his credit, Cronenworth kept playing without complaint, as his toughness is legendary in San Diego. He has been hit by a pitch 65 times, so Crone knows how to deal with pain.

A batting slump of major proportions

Unfortunately, his production at the plate took a major hit. He has endured the worst batting slump of his seven-year major league career. 

Cronenworth is batting .111 in 27 at-bats since the hit-by-pitch incident. The lefty has recorded only three hits, one RBI, four walks, with a .498 OPS. And for the season, Crone is hitting .144 with one home run and four RBI.

At times, it looked like he was swinging at pitches way too late in the strike zone. It is not a timing issue but rather a matter of failing to recognize the pitch coming out of the delivery.

Who is in at 2B?

With Cronenworth out of the lineup, the Padres have a few options to replace him at second. The team called up Sung-Mun Song from the minors to take his place on the roster and in the field. You may see Fernando Tatis Jr. start at second base periodically. It will depend on the pitching matchup.

Song carried his hot start in El Paso straight into the majors. He is hitting .500 with two RBI in two games. 

Baseball’s concussion protocol has come a long way over the last decade. Team doctors have made tremendous strides in diagnosing head injuries, but there is room for improvement. No one ever wants to see a player removed from the lineup because he sustained a concussion. 

It is no one’s fault that Cronenworth played with a head injury for an extended period. Everyone wishes the diagnosis had come sooner, but despite following all the correct steps, concussion symptoms often take time to surface.

The good news is that the Friars and Cronenworth know the cause of his struggles. Now, we wait for him to heal and return to form with the bat. Cronenworth will not be out of the woods until he puts together a couple of good games. 

Team doctors will monitor his progression before clearing him to play again. Do not be surprised if Cronenworth’s return to the lineup is longer than seven days.

In 2025, the Orioles and the Athletics were largely the same team. They finished within one game of each other (75 vs. 76 wins). They each sported young, promising stars—Gunnar Henderson for the O’s and Nick Kurtz for the A’s. And they were both largely undone by inconsistent pitching, with Baltimore finishing 26th in ERA at 4.60 and the City-less Athletics finishing 27th at 4.70.

Given the offseasons the two teams had, if someone had to guess which team would come into this series in first place, most would’ve guessed the Orioles. Instead, Baltimore comes in sporting a 17-21 record that has them in third in the AL East, while the Athletics are 19-18 and sit a game and a half ahead of the Mariners for first in the AL West.

Neither team has been great of late, with the Orioles going 4-6 in their last 10 and the A’s 5-5. Baltimore comes into Friday’s series opener fresh off a stinging, walk-off loss to the Marlins in Miami, while the A’s demolished the Phillies 12-1 in their series finale Thursday.

Despite the Sacramento residents coming into Baltimore with a winning record, they are largely a similar caliber team to the O’s. Heading into Thursday’s games, they had the 17th-ranked offense at 4.25 runs/game and the 24th-ranked pitching staff with a 4.67 ERA. The Orioles so far have been a better offensive team (11th with 4.62 runs/game) but a significantly worse pitching team (29th with a 4.88 team ERA).

Both the A’s and O’s have outperformed their expected W-L records by one game, and both come into Baltimore with something to prove. The Orioles want to prove they can beat good teams and solidify themselves as playoff hopefuls. The Athletics want to prove that their start isn’t a fluke and that they have staying power in an AL West that’s been largely disappointing.

The Orioles lost their season series to the A’s last year, 4 games to 2, with the Athletics winning both series. If Baltimore wants to avoid the same fate in 2026, they’ll need to slow down A’s catcher Shea Langeliers. The former first-round pick has been the A’s offensive catalyst the first six weeks of the season, slashing .336/.390/.627 while leading the Athletics with 45 hits, 10 home runs and 24 runs scored. Langeliers’ career record against the O’s—.197 average, .672 OPS—isn’t anything special, but he does have five homers in 16 games vs. Baltimore.

The artists formerly based in Oakland will need to try and slow down Oriole sluggers Samuel Basallo and Pete Alonso. Since the start of the Yankees series, the Polar Bear and the big backstop are a combined 17-for-49 (.347) with three homers, six doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs.

Game 1, Friday, May 8th, 7:05pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish (1-4, 5.03 ERA, 35 K) vs. LHP Jacob Lopez (2-2, 6.60 ERA, 23 K)

Bradish has easily been the Orioles’ most disappointing starter this season, with only one quality start in his first seven outings and a complete lack of sharpness in how he’s pitching. Bradish’s 21 walks are the sixth-most of any major league pitcher, and if he had enough innings to qualify, his 1.82 WHIP would be the second-worst mark in the bigs. His last start against the Yankees was his worst of the year, taking the loss after putting up 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 4 K and 2 HR.

Bradish dominated the A’s the only time he faced them, earning the W in a 12-1 Orioles’ win back in 2023. Perhaps better remembered as “the game Gunnar Henderson could’ve hit for the cycle, but decided not to,” Bradish pitched six scoreless innings that afternoon, allowing only two hits and punching out eight.

Opposing Bradish on Friday is one of the only pitchers currently pitching worse than him, A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez. The lefty has had some of the worst command in all of baseball, as his 6.6 BB/9 would be the worst mark in the big leagues if he qualified. Lopez is also coming off his worst start of the year, having surrendered six runs on eight hits over 5.1 IP in a 14-6 loss to the Guardians. Despite starting his career in Tampa, Lopez has faced the O’s only once before, tossing four innings and allowing just one unearned run in a 5-1 A’s win last season.

Game 2, Saturday, May 9th, 4:05pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: RHP Shane Baz (1-3, 4.99 ERA, 33 K) vs. RHP Aaron Civale (3-1, 2.95 ERA, 27 K)

Saturday afternoon’s matchup seems like a pitching mismatch on paper, as the struggling Shane Baz takes on the surging Aaron Civale in front of the Camden Yards faithful. Like Bradish, Baz was shelled in the Bronx in his last outing. The 26-year-old finished with a line of 5.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R (5 ER), 5 BB, 4 K and 1 HR in a game the Yankees won 12-1. We’ve seen more good from Baz this season than Bradish, but the lows are equally as low, with the former Ray struggling to generate the number of whiffs we expect from good Shane Baz.

Baz faced the A’s twice last year, going seven innings each time, putting up a 4.50 ERA and racking up a combined 18 Ks. The Orioles would love to get that kind of length and strikeout numbers, as they’ll need the Baz we saw against Pittsburgh and Houston if he’s going to out-duel Civale and the A’s.

The Northern California squad counters the Orioles’ former Ray with a former Ray of their own in the cutter-happy Civale. The 30-year-old has perhaps been one of the luckiest pitchers in baseball this season, posting a 2.95 ERA in seven starts, despite an expected ERA of 4.19 and one of the worst hard-hit rates in baseball. In his last start vs. Cleveland, Civale scattered seven hits over six innings, allowing only one run in a 7-1 A’s win.

The Orioles dominated the soft-tossing Civale in his Tampa days, tagging hime for a 5.81 ERA in five starts with eight home runs. The right-hander did have a solid outing the last time he pitched in Camden Yards, scattering six hits over 5.1 innings while limiting the Orioles to just one run. The O’s biggest weakness offensively is their propensity for strikeouts, which shouldn’t be an issue against Civale and his 6.6 K/9 rate.

Game 3, Sunday, May 10th, 1:35pm ET

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+

Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Bassitt (2-2, 5.91 ERA, 20 K) vs. RHP Luis Severino (2-3, 4.15 ERA, 43 K)

The Sunday matinee pits two veteran pitchers against each other, with one trying to rediscover his best form and the other enjoying a recent hot streak. It looked like the Orioles were finally getting good Chris Bassitt when the former All-Star pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball in a win over Houston eight days ago. However, the 37-year-old followed that up with a 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER performance against the Marlins, which once again had him looking like the 2026 version of Charlie Morton.

Despite being a former A, Bassitt has faced off against the California club plenty, sporting a 4.20 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 45 career innings vs. the Athletics. The right struggled in his last start vs. the A’s, allowing five runs over five innings last season in Toronto.

Opposing Bassitt will be a familiar foe in former Yankee Luis Severino. The right-hander’s last trip to Camden Yards was a memorable one for Orioles fans, as the O’s tagged Severino for seven runs in the 1st inning, eventually chasing him in the 4th after he gave up 10 hits and nine earned runs. Severino will hope his current hot streak can help him overcome his career 4.89 ERA at Camden Yards. The 32-year-old has allowed only one earned run in each of his last three starts, posting a 1.45 ERA over 18.2 IP while striking out 16.

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Can the O’s do what they failed to do in Miami and sweep the A’s out of Baltimore? Or will the City-less Athletics make themselves feel at home in Baltimore and push the O’s further away from .500? Let us know in the comments.

It’s not often you see a nine-run inning, but that’s exactly the kind of damage the Loons conceded on their way to splitting a doubleheader with Lake County.

Player of the day

Between the two games, Mike Sirota was the undeniable standout player, reaching base safely seven times, including all five in the Loons’ 15-13 defeat. Recently elected the Player of the Week, Sirota, showcased his patience by taking multiple free passes in each of these games, scoring four runs, and also driving in four.

Make it 5 homers in the past 6 games for Mike Sirota with the High-A @greatlakesloons ⚡️

The @Dodgers' No. 4 prospect has the highest OPS (1.213) among all qualified ranked prospects this year: pic.twitter.com/x5S3nrIb8i

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 7, 2026

The young outfielder is up to a .344 batting average on the season and an OPS of 1.219, easily putting him as one of, if not the most dangerous hitters in High-A right now, making a case for an early promotion in 2026.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

In a bit of a sloppy game with both sides committing multiple errors, the Comets managed to outlast the Bees by a score of six to five, thanks to a three-run shot by leadoff hitter Ryan Fitzgerald, driving forward what became a five-run rally for the Comets in the fourth.

Scoring in the sixth and eighth, the Bees made this a one-run game late—they had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth against Wyatt Mills, who had come in trying to fix the mess left by Jerming Rosario. Mills had in his way former Dodger Chris Taylor, who ended up flying out to left field.

Kiké Hernández had another solid performance, going up to the plate three times, securing one hit, and scoring a run, once again playing third base. Speaking of rehabbing big leaguers, Mookie Betts will be joining the Comets this Friday for a couple of games as he returns from injury.

Double-A Tulsa

The 3.1 scoreless innings delivered by the Drillers’ bullpen didn’t particularly matter, as more than enough damage to lose the game had been conceded by starter Patrick Copen, who took his first loss of the year, allowing nine earned runs to come across, a season-high for him.

Despite five different Drillers securing multihit performances, the offense wouldn’t get on the board until the sixth inning. Elijah Hainline’s and Joe Vetrano’s home runs weren’t enough to make this a game, as the Drillers fell 9-5 on the road.

High-A Great Lakes

Despite the nine-run inning the Loons conceded in the first game of this doubleheader, they led that one 13-12 heading into the final frame, but Reynaldo Yean couldn’t shut the door on Lake County—the one hit he allowed was a three-run shot to Jeffrey Mercedes that won the game for the home club. With that, the Loons wasted a marvelous performance from Sirota, who went three for three with a pair of walks, reaching base in all of his five plate appearances.

The second game was quiet in comparison as Logan Tabeling shut down Lake County with nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings as the Loons returned the favor, doing it so wth an unlikely source of power. Ninth-hole hitter Jose Izazza had the biggest knock of the game, hitting a three-run shot to cement a 7-2 win for the visiting club. Sirota didn’t record any hits on that one, but reached safely twice on a pair of walks.

Single-A Ontario

There was little to no offense to show for it as the Tower Buzzers lost 2-1 to the Quakes on the road. The two teams combined for just six hits and three runs. Ching-Hsien Ko, who had been one of the better hitters for the Tower Buzzers as of late, went 0 for 4 with three punchouts.

In a game with so little offense happening on both sides, it’s fitting that the winning run would come from a throwing error by second baseman Mairoshendrick Martinus. Striking out a combined 13 times as a team, the Tower Buzzers delivered one of their worst offensive showings of the year.

Transactions

Outfielders Landyn Vidourek and Brendan Tunink were sent by the Ontario Tower Buzzers to the ACL Dodgers for rehab assignments.

Thursday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 6, Salt Lake 5
• Arkansas 9, Tulsa 4
• Lake County 15, Great Lakes 13
• Lake County 2, Great Lakes 7
• Rancho Cucamonga 2, Ontario 1

Friday’s schedule

• 3:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Wyatt Crowell) at Lake County (Kade Anderson)
• Game 2 of doubleheader: Tulsa (Payton Martin) at Lake County (Nico Tellache)
• 3:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Zach Root) at Lake County (Franklin Gómez)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Christian Romero) vs. Salt Lake (TBD)
• 6:30 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Rancho Cucamonga (Trey Gregory-Alford)

It was a busy day in Yankee land, as the Bombers won an early afternoon game against the Rangers, while also calling up one of the franchise’s more exciting prospects in Spencer Jones. It was an all around good win against Texas, as the Yanks were able to maintain their narrow lead in the East. Despite the action on the home front, there was plenty to take in elsewhere as well. Here’s a look at what went down on Thursday around the American League.

Tampa Bay Rays (25-12) 8, Boston Red Sox (16-22) 4

Despite the final score, the Rays and Red Sox had a tight game going for much of the night on Thursday. After being knotted up for most of the game, late offense from Tampa Bay sealed the deal, as the Rays were able to keep pace with the New York.

The action started in the second inning, when the Rays kicked off scoring with a three piece, coming thanks to an RBI apiece from Ben Williamson, Cedric Mullins, and Yandy Díaz. But, with their backs against the wall early, the Sox countered with three of their own, due in part to some shaky Tampa Bay defense and a single from Caleb Durbin that tied the game. Not an ideal beginning for starters Jake Bennet and Jax Griffin.

Both hurlers, however, settled down in the middle innings, as the score remained knotted at three through the end of the fifth inning. The Rays made their move in the sixth, when the speedy Chandler Simpson poked a single up the middle that scored a pair of runs.

Two innings later, Simpson struck again, this time with a run-scoring triple to give Tampa Bay some insurance in the eighth. Boston countered with a quick run in the bottom half of the inning, but the Rays swung right back. With a runner on in the ninth, Junior Caminero pitched in with a rocket of a homer into center field. His 10th long ball of the season put them up 8-4.

With a four-run lead now in tow, the Rays sent out Cole Sulser to shut things down, and he promptly delivered a perfect ninth inning. With the win in Boston, the Rays keep up with the Yankees in the AL East, as they sit just a half game back.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (20-19) 8, Kansas City Royals (17-21) 5: The Guardians jumped out to an early lead and cruised to victory on Thursday. Kyle Manzardo was responsible for a two-run double in the first inning that saw Cleveland go up 3-0. They piled on later in the game, when Bo Naylor belted his second homer of the season in the seventh, a three-run shot. They also benefitted from a gritty start from Gavin Cecconi, who allowed 6 hits and three walks, but just a pair of runs in 5.1 innings.

Miami Marlins (17-21) 4, Baltimore Orioles (17-21) 3: After the O’s came back, they ultimately fell to the Fish in walk-off fashion on Thursday. The Marlins took an early lead thanks to a two-run shot from Liam Hicks, his ninth of the year. Down 3-1 in the middle innings, Baltimore eventually tied things up with an RBI from Tyler O’Neill and a two-run single from Pete Alonso a few innings later. Tied up in the ninth, it was the defense that failed the O’s as a throwing error from third baseman Coby Mayo allowed the walk-off run to score in the ninth.

Diamondbacks News

(Arizona Sports) The good and the not-so-good from Zac Gallen in Diamondbacks’ loss to Pirates

Gallen drew a season-high 15 whiffs (swings-and-misses), nine with his slider and six with the curveball (none with the fastball), according to Statcast. Gallen’s arsenal has changed this year. His curveball does not drop like it used to, and he has replaced it as his primary breaking ball with a slider that has been more effective.

Coming into Thursday, Gallen’s overall whiff rate on the year was 16.5%, way below his career and the league’s average (both at 25%). The slider has been his best pitch at missing bats.

(SI.com) What D-backs’ Rough Series Loss to Pirates Told Us — And What it Didn’t

It looked like an offensive breakthrough had occurred in game one, as the D-backs put together a patient, well-rounded offensive effort against Pirates righty Bubba Chandler in a 9-0 win. It was the largest margin of victory of the year for Arizona. Walks were taken, productive outs were utilized, and Arizona’s approach looked airtight.

But in game two, the approach went out the window. Granted, facing Paul Skenes is no easy task. When the Cy Young-winning Pirates ace is on, there’s often little that can be done to stop him.

But the D-backs employed an early-swinging approach, expecting a wealth of hittable strikes. When that approach was clearly flawed, no adjustment was made, and Arizona gave up quick out after quick out on the way to eight innings of Skenes dominance.

(Burn City Sports) Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall endorses Lovullo’s message to starters, but will it be enough?

“It’s the idea of getting everybody together and saying, ‘Hey, we’re relying on you,’” Hall said on Bickley & Marotta Mornings. “Our bullpen is doing its job. If you guys don’t get later and deeper into games, we’re going to hurt our bullpen. And our offense is keeping us in games. You guys are not. And get back to what you were doing at the beginning of the season.”

(CBS Sports) Diamondbacks’ Ryan Waldschmidt: Exits Tuesday after pitch to head

Waldschmidt was out of the lineup Wednesday for Triple-A Reno’s 9-5 loss to Sacramento after he was removed from Tuesday’s series opener when he was hit in the helmet by a pitch in the top of the first inning, Preston Salisbury of AZSnakePit.com reports.

MLB News

(Yahoo! Sports) The Ws keep flying: How Cubs have suddenly surged to the top of the baseball world

The Chicago Cubs are 26-12 after Thursday’s 8-3 victory against the Reds, a win that capped a four-game sweep of Cincinnati. The Cubs are tied for the best record in MLB. They’ve also won 15 consecutive home games, the second-longest streak since 1935.

It all looks as real as baseball-related things can look in May. Not since the Rizzo-Bryant-Baez curse-breaking heyday have the vibes been this immaculate on the North Side.

(Sporting News) Who will be traded at MLB trade deadline? Yankees, Phillies players among top-five likeliest players traded during MLB’s trade deadline

We’re still a few months away from Major League Baseball’s trade deadline at the beginning of August, though there seem to be a few obvious names regarding potential trade candidates. 

There are some players who need to be moved because their teams aren’t in a position to win anytime in the near future, and others because they don’t make much sense on their current roster.

Below, I’m looking at the five most likely players to be traded at the Major League Baseball trade deadline.

(NBC Sports) Cubs’ Matthew Boyd has surgery on knee that he injured playing with his kids

“It’s kind of the minor meniscus surgery so we know he’s going to miss a month, six weeks,” Counsell said ahead of his team’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. “Probably closer to six weeks with getting it ramped back up. That’s what we’re hopeful for. Obviously, we’ll see how it all goes and I think the important thing is how much time do we miss throwing. That’s probably the biggest thing right here. The knee is going to recover pretty quickly, but how much throwing down time do we have to take?”

(CBS Sports) Ted Turner dies at 87: Former Braves, Hawks and WCW owner shaped sports in Atlanta, nationwide

Ted Turner, the former owner of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks and World Championship Wrestling, has died at age 87. His company, Turner Enterprises, announced his death on Wednesday.

Turner shared in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with the progressive brain disorder Lewy Body Dementia, and in 2025, he was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Worcester Red Sox 10, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 8 (12 inn.) – BOX

The Woo Sox got a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning, which gave a position player the win as a pitcher on Thursday night over the RailRiders (NYY). Other than that, things were pretty uneventful. 

Worcester had two-hit efforts from Nick Sogard, Anthony Seigler, and Allan Castro, Thursday night’s hero. Seigler homered in the 4th. Castro’s two-run shot in the 12th walked it off. 

ALLAN CASTRO WALK-OFF HOME RUN IN WORCESTER!

The Boston Red Sox prospect has five homers and 23 RBI in Triple-A this season. pic.twitter.com/QhP6OL7Sb2

— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) May 8, 2026

Catcher/First baseman Nathan Hickey got the win after pitching the top of the 12th. Hickey has actually pitched in four games this season, allowing just one run in 3 ⅓ innings over those appearances. He spoke in the postgame about it being his first win as a pitcher since high school. 

Nathan Hickey went from being placed on the development list this afternoon with the WooSox to being put back on the active roster once Mickey Gasper was called up to Boston.

Then Hickey, who is not a pitcher, picked up the win on the hill in extras for AAA Worcester.

Wild day. pic.twitter.com/KtsFqnF17O

— Tommy Cassell (@tommycassell44) May 8, 2026

Seth Martinez got the start, allowing three runs in two innings, giving way to a slew of relievers, which the Woo Sox eventually ran out of. Braiden Ward had two walks and two stolen bases, his 15th and 16th of the season. 

Worcester has not announced a starter for the 6:05 ET game this evening. 

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 4, Portland Sea Dogs 2 (Game 1) – BOX

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 7, Portland Sea Dogs 5 (Game 2, 10 inns.) – BOX

The Sea Dogs played a doubleheader against the Fisher Cats (TOR), after a Wednesday rainout. For two years running now, Dean Roussel has a voodoo doll on me, where the Wednesday games get rained out, leaving me with an extra game on the Thursday write-ups. I won’t forget this, Dean. 

In Game One, the bats were cold for Portland, with both runs coming in the bottom of the ninth, neither of which was credited with an RBI. Marvin Alcantara and Brooks Brannon had two hits apiece. 

Blake Wehunt got the start, allowing three runs in three innings. He’s now 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA at Double-A. Max Carlson kept things in check, throwing the final four innings, without allowing an earned run. 

In Game Two, much like Worcester, the game went to three extra innings. With the doubleheaders being scheduled for two seven-inning bouts, this one went into ten, with the Sea Dogs coming up short. 

Center fielder Will Turner put Portland on the board in the first, with a two-run homer. Franklin Arias, Ronald Rosario, and Max Ferguson each had two hits on the day. Portland tied the game in both the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings, thanks to an RBI single by Miguel Bleis in the eighth and a FisherCats throwing error on a bunt in the ninth. 

Caleb Bolden struck out eight over 3 ⅓ innings, allowing just one earned run. In fact, only three of the seven runs allowed by Sea Dogs pitchers were earned, thanks to all of the unearned runs scored by the designated runner in extras. 

The Sea Dogs starter is TBD at 6:00 tonight. 

Greenville Drive 6, Greensboro Grasshoppers 4 (BOX)

The Drive hitters were raking on Thursday, totaling 16 hits on the day in the 6-4 win over the Grasshoppers (PIT). As seen in the box score above, basically the entire team had two hits. 

Things got started early (as early as possible) with Justin Gonzales homering on the first pitch of the game, his fifth. 

First pitch of the game? Let the Big Dog eat.

Justin Gonzales home run.

The fifth of the season for the Boston Red Sox prospect in High-A. pic.twitter.com/kA4qN8ihA3

— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) May 7, 2026

Henry Godbout was up next. He also went deep. 

The Henry Godbout power surge is here and not enough people are talking about it. pic.twitter.com/QaRoWFlz0X

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) May 7, 2026

As Tyler points out, Godbout’s power has arrived this year. A second-round pick a year ago, that was his fifth home run of the season. Fangraphs rates Godbout to have a 30-grade “present” power and 40-future, but with five doubles and five bombs in 22 games, that may be changing quickly. His slash line is .281/.390/.506 on the year with a 135 wRC+. 

Brandon Neely was the bulk guy on the mound in this one, gaining a win that he wasn’t particularly deserving of, allowing five hits and three runs in 3 ⅔. Matt McShane got the save. 

Neither team has announced a starter for tonight, at 7:00. 

Delmarva Shorebirds 6, Salem RidgeYaks 2 (BOX)

Christian Doutch got the start and allowed three runs (two earned) in 3 ⅓ innings and the RidgeYaks were barely able to muster anything offensively. They ended up with five hits, with Skylar King’s single in the first being the lone RBI, and Delmarva (BAL) won 6-2.

Barrett Morgan (1-0, 0.96) gets the ball on Friday at 6:35. 

It is time for the Guardians and Twins to play again.

The Twins are 16-22, 13th in wRC+ at 99, 12th in baserunning runs above average at 0.7, 22nd in Defense at -8.4, 15th in starting pitcher ERA at 4.12 (4.08 FIP), and 29th in bullpen ERA at 5.81 (4.71 FIP).

The Guardians are 20-19, 17th in wRC+ at 97, 25th in baserunning runs above average at -1.1, 13th in Defense at -4.7, ninth in starting pitcher ERA at 3.94 (4.33 FIP), and 16th in bullpen ERA at 4.12 (4.12 FIP).

Matchups:
Game One: Parker Messick, LHP 2.20 ERA (3.07 FIP) vs. Connor Prielipp, 3.86 ERA (4.14 FIP)
Game Two: Tanner Bibee, RHP 4.58 ERA (4.51 FIP) vs. Joe Ryan, RHP, 3.72 ERA (3.04 FIP)
Game Three: Gavin Williams, RHP 3.28 ERA (4.15 ERA) vs. Taj Bradley, RHP, 2.87 ERA (3.52 FIP)

As luck would have it, the Guardians will face the best of the Twins’ starters this weekend. All eyes will be on Joe Ryan after he left his last start with elbow soreness. It will be key to get the Twins’ starters out of the game as soon as possible and take advantage of their poor bullpen. Let’s get Bibee and Williams back on track and take a series.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers lost to the Yankees yesterday, 9-2.

Evan Grant writes about the slim margin of error the Rangers have to work with in order to get a win these days.

Kennedi Landry touches on MacKenzie Gore, who was in control through five innings before the wheels shot off.

Joc Pederson started in right field and it did not go any better than you’d think it would.

On the positive side, Zeke Duran stayed hot in the Bronx.

Elsewhere Cody Freeman had a setback while recovering from his back issue, never a good sign.

And Grant’s latest podcast guest is Jake Diekman.

That’s all for this morning. Happy Friday.

The Guardians somehow managed a split in Kansas City and now they return home to play the Twins. Finally, some sweet AL Central action.

Here’s our recap of yesterday’s 8-5 win over the Royals. Tim Stebbins reports that Slade Cecconi felt like his off-speed was the key for a better performance. He still gave up six hits and three walks, so I’m going to hold on to some skepticism, but I love Slade, so I hope it’s real.

I did a Disgusting Baseball Podcast with Mike Mahoney where we talked through six wins and six losses for the 2026 Guardians who look mostly like a .500 team so far.

Zack Meisel has another collection of great Guardians’ notes at the Athletic.

AROUND MLB:

The Twins lost.

The Yankees are going to call up Spencer Jones.

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. 

See why Adley Rutschman is featured in my favorite home run props for Friday, May 8.

Best MLB home run props today

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

Home run pick: Adley Rutschman (+575)

It’s a good time to buy into Adley Rutschman. He’s been on a tear lately with a .985 OPS since returning to the lineup 12 games ago, and he owns a 1.285 OPS at home during that stretch with four home runs.

Jacob Lopez is firmly on the fade list after making his first start following a bullpen move and allowing six runs and two home runs over 96 pitches against a light-hitting Cleveland lineup. Right-handed hitters have been punishing him, and Rutschman has done a lot of his damage batting right-handed this season.

It’s also an Athletics bullpen that ranks in the bottom five in baseball in HR/9 and lacks a defined closer. This sets up as a strong game environment for runs, and while I do want Pete Alonso exposure, I’m not paying +350 when a red-hot, matchup-friendly Rutschman is sitting at +575.

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

Today’s HR parlay

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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.

Gus Varland gets his 4th Save of the season as the Nationals win the series and push towards a .500 record

Varland now has a 3.07 ERA and 2.46 FIP with a 16/3 K/BB ratio pic.twitter.com/3c1K5gYD2d

— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) May 7, 2026

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 Varland in 17.2 innings this season:

0.51 ERA
1.02 WHIP
29 K pic.twitter.com/swy26Aocjw

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) May 6, 2026

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.

Gus Varland has been DFA'd four different times and not once did the Twins care to grab the St. Paul product.

He has a 3.07 ERA 16/3 K/BB and 4 saves for the Nats this year. https://t.co/KU2pYDAq8t

— Ted (@tlschwerz) May 7, 2026

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.

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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! 

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

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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.

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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.