Jul 1, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner (7) reacts as he runs the bases on a three RBI home run during the second inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
I think it’s safe to say that the Phillies have Paul Skenes’ number this season. They roughed him up for the second time this season after teeing off on him in Pittsburgh back in the end of May. Take a gander at this stat from friend of the site Paul Boye:
That’s what we like to call “being owned”.
On to the links.
Phillies News:
The Phillies will have two representatives at the All-Star Futures Game to be played at Citizens Bank Park: Gage Wood and Wei-Hui Pan.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 9-5 vs. Norfolk Tides
3B Jonathan Ornelas 1-4, BB, K C J.C. Escarra 3-5, 2B, K 2B Marco Luciano 2-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI, K — has had a hell of a year, 15 homers and .957 OPS across two levels RF Yanquiel Fernández 1-4, 2B, BB, K 1B Tyler Hardman 0-4, BB, 3 K, SB DH Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-4, BB, 3 K LF Kenedy Corona 1-3, BB, K CF Duke Ellis 0-3, RBI, K, SF SS Owen Cobb 0-4, K, fielding error
Don Hamel 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (loss) Eric Reyzelman 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR Angel Chivilli 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K — has been sharp in Triple-A this season Dylan Coleman 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:W, 5-3 vs. Hartford Yard Goats
CF Trent Grisham 1-3, 2B, BB — hard double in the fourth inning 1B John Cristino 0-1, K DH Jace Avina 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB — great year continues, 16 dingers RF Jackson Castillo 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB LF DJ Gladney 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI 3B Coby Morales 1-4, 3B, 2 K C Miguel Palma 0-3, BB, K 1B Josh Moylan 1-4, 2 K, GIDP SS Kevin Verde 0-4, K 2B Connor McGinnis 2-4, K , fielding error
Xavier Rivas 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 4 K — Somerset pitching combined for 19 (!) strikeouts, a franchise record Miguel Arias 1.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR Trent Sellers 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K Hayden Merda 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (win) Chris Kean 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K (hold) Tony Rossi 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K (save) — first save of the season for Tony
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 5-3 vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks
2B Kaeden Kent 0-4, BB, K SS Core Jackson 1-4, 2B, K RF Wilson Rodriguez 1-4, RBI, K, CS C Eric Genther 2-3 1B Kyle West 2-4 3B Roderick Arias 1-2, 2 RBI, BB, K, SF DH Enmanuel Tejeda 1-3 CF Camden Troyer 0-4 LF Robbie Burnett 0-3, BB, K
Luis Serna 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR (loss) Andrew Landry 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
SS Jackson Lovich 3-5, RBI, K 2B Hans Montero 1-4, BB, K C Luis Puello 0-3, BB, 2 K RF Logan Maxwell 3-4, 3 RBI, BB, K 3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 0-3, 2 BB, K CF Brando Mayea 0-4, BB, K LF JoJo Jackson 1-2, BB PR-RF Isael Arias 0-1 1B David McCann 1-4, RBI, 2 K DH Ediel Rivera 1-4, 3 K
Thatcher Hurd 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (win) — 2024 third-rounder had a ten-run disaster start in May, but has been nails since Brian Hendry 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K Jose Martinez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K Jordarlin Mendoza 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 9-8 (9) vs. FCL Tigers — game was called with none on and two out in the top of the ninth due to inclement weather
3B Richard Matic 0-4, BB, 2 K CF Wilberson De Pena 0-3, 2 K, SB DH Queni Pineda 1-1, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB 2B Leni Done 1-2, BB, 2 SB LF Jose Castro 1-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SB RF Francisco Vilorio 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K SS Dexters Peralta 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 SB — ten steals for the Yanks in this one C Justin Capellan 0-4, 2 K, SB, CS 1B Diego Flores 0-3, 3 K
Sunayro Martina 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K Marco Manzano 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K (win) Brian Arias 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K Jorge Luna 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 0 K Rafael Arias 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K Austin Breedlove 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (save)
Milwaukee Brewers general manager Matt Arnold participates in a panel discussion during a tailgate-themed celebration marking the completion of “Mr. Baseball,” a new 80-by-100-foot mural by artist Mauricio Ramirez depicting longtime Milwaukee Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on June 30, 2026. | Jovanny Hernandez / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s July — the trade deadline is in sight!
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to publish a series of articles that survey the league’s trade landscape as it relates to the Brewers. We’re going to start by looking at the team’s needs and surveying the league to see who might be selling before the August 3 deadline. In the following weeks, we’ll look at specific targets that could be available at the Brewers’ positions of need.
So — what are those positions of need?
Need #1: a high-leverage reliever
The most obvious place, and in my opinion, the most realistic place, that the Brewers could upgrade is the bullpen. Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe have both turned it around after shaky starts to the season, but beyond them, the Brewers can’t feel great about the state of this group.
Aaron Ashby leads the league in wins, but he’s being worked hard and hasn’t been as effective as he has been the previous two years. Ashby has 39 appearances, tied for the second-most in the National League, and his 50 innings pitched are sixth in the league among players who’ve primarily relieved this season. Given Ashby’s swingy history, he might be able to keep up this pace, but he’s been plagued by command issues this season; Ashby currently has his worst ERA, FIP, WHIP, H/9, HR/9, and BB/9 since he missed the 2023 season with shoulder issues (though it should be acknowledged that his strikeout numbers are the best of his career).
Chad Patrick’s recent issues are troublesome. After he looked so great in last year’s postseason, it looked like he was ready to be a high-leverage reliever, and he excelled in that role after moving back to the bullpen in early May. But the last three weeks have been bad; in six outings between June 10 and June 27, Patrick allowed 14 runs, all earned, in just 9 2/3 innings. His meltdowns contributed directly to two losses in those six games. Whether Patrick finds it again could be a sneaky harbinger of the Brewers’ success this season, and his last two outings have been scoreless, so we’ll see.
There are more questions. Grant Anderson doesn’t profile as a high-leverage guy. Shane Drohan has pitched well out of the bullpen, but he’s more of a long-relief guy than a high-leverage one. DL Hall looked good early but is again injured. Jared Koenig is back in the big leagues, but he’s working with diminished velocity and is a huge question mark. Craig Yoho may or may not be ready to contribute at the major league level, but it doesn’t look like he’s going to be given enough leash to prove anything. Joel Kuhnel is not the answer.
The Brewers have two high-leverage relievers, Megill and Uribe, even if their numbers this season aren’t as good as previous years. (I’m particularly unbothered by Megill’s “step back” — he struggled early but has a 1.33 ERA and 0.84 FIP (!) since April 14.) Depending on how you feel about Ashby, they might have three. At this point, there are too many questions around the other guys for me to consider them reliable.
This is certainly an area worth upgrading, but it’s tricky. Relievers are notoriously fickle, and the Stearns/Arnold Brewers’ track record on relievers acquired at the deadline — of which there are quite a few — is bleak. While the current front office has not shown a ton of aggression in the mid-season trade market, they have traded for at least one relief pitcher every trade deadline since 2017, barring the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
The stakes feel higher this season, and the proverbial cupboard is loaded. This feels to me like the most realistic place to make a meaningful upgrade to the roster.
Need #2: another starter?
It seems almost silly how much starting pitching major league teams need in 2026. Milwaukee started the season with 11 guys who could reasonably compete for a starting job with the Brewers, and that doesn’t include Ashby or Hall.
Well, here we are in early July, and nine of those 11 guys have started a game in the big leagues, the 10th is out for the season, and the 11th has pitched in long relief in the majors and is currently on the IL. The front office correctly identified that you need that many guys to get a pitching staff through a whole season, and their recent offseason moves have reflected that.
But do the Brewers need more? Quinn Priester is out for the season. Logan Henderson has missed time and will need to prove he can stay healthy. Carlos Rodriguez wouldn’t be much help even if he were healthy. Coleman Crow doesn’t quite look ready to contribute to winning yet, and he’s on the IL, too.
That leaves seven of those 11 guys healthy, but Chad Patrick is pitching out of the bullpen at the moment, Shane Drohan has been better from the bullpen (and probably belongs there, if not for all the injuries), and another, Robert Gasser, has yo-yoed between Nashville and Milwaukee this season. Brandon Sproat has looked great his last few times out, but he has a lot to prove. Brandon Woodruff looks healthy, but that will be a question all season.
Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison have both been excellent. But Harrison, at least, will need to prove that he can keep up his excellent level of play through a whole season, and particularly in the postseason when high-powered opponents will have scouted the crap out of him. Both of these pitchers —and this is also true of Henderson, Drohan, and Crow, too — will be running into innings pitched issues.
There are two ways the Brewers could go here if they choose to make a move. They could make a huge swing for one of the top arms available, or they could look for an innings eater to take some of the pressure and innings from the young guys. Both approaches have their merits and their risks.
Need #3: offensive help
It feels like a broken record to say that the Brewers need a power bat, so I’m not exactly going to say that they need a power bat. I’m instead going to suggest that they should at least explore the possibility of acquiring someone who will help offensively. The Brewers are not a bad offensive team, but they are a team that can look bad, and they are definitely a team that can have a three-hitter black hole in the lineup. That might be a big problem in the postseason.
The question here is how you go about upgrading the offense in a manner that is both a) realistic and b) logical, from a fit perspective.
One truth needs to be spoken: the Brewers are not going to bury Christian Yelich, at least not in the regular season. After a good first couple of weeks, Yelich has been alarmingly poor at the plate for most of the last two months. Since April 7, which was just the 11th game of the season, Yelich is batting just .225/.313/.350 with only four home runs in 40 games. Worse, his Statcast page is the worst it has ever been; he’s not only not driving the ball with authority, but he’s also swinging and missing a ton. Yelich continues to be generally disciplined about not swinging at balls, but he’s whiffing way more than he ever has.
Moving Yelich into a strict platoon could help, though he’s barely been better against right-handed pitching than he has been against left-handed pitching in 2026. (His career numbers indicate a platoon could be beneficial.) But we probably need to accept the fact that Yelich — who makes about $24 million dollars a year for two more years after this one — is going to be around and will be in the lineup more often than not. This is ironic, as one of the most interesting ways in which the Brewers have exceeded expectations relative to their peers over the last few years has been by not playing players who aren’t helping, an action which is directly related to the fact that they don’t have many older, highly paid players. But it’s hard for me to see a scenario where Yelich’s playing time is reduced to anything other than a strong-side platoon role, and who knows — a couple of adjustments could get him right again.
Figuring out where this new bat would fit in is a challenge. The obvious answer would be third base: the single easiest way to upgrade the offense would be to acquire a third baseman who can hit, regardless of the side of the plate, but more likely as a right-handed hitter. The pickings are quite slim, which we’ll look into in a later installment.
Another option could be an outfielder. Milwaukee has been playing Blake Perkins frequently against left-handed pitching, and while he’s borderline competent from the right side of the plate and good in the field, that could certainly be upgraded. (Brandon Lockridge’s return could change this a bit, but while Lockridge is likely an upgrade on Perkins and is an overall useful player, he’s not exactly “short-term offensive upgrade” material. The same could be said for Luis Lara.) Jake Bauers has been getting starts against left-handed pitching, but has been just slightly above average; a good platoon bat would be an upgrade. It would also prevent you from situations where the lineup against a left-handed starter would include both Joey Ortiz and Perkins, plus one of Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, or Sal Frelick in a platoon disadvantage.
Given the numbers on the roster, a right-handed bat makes the most sense for an upgrade. Positionally, it looks like that would need to be either an outfielder or a third baseman, unless you were okay with acquiring an Andrew Vaughn-type that would be used essentially strictly as a soft-side platoon option with Yelich.
Who’s selling?
Now to the part that makes everything complicated: the league has kind of sucked this year. The Brewers, at 53-31, are one of just seven teams league-wide with a win percentage above .550. Right now, the leaders of the AL Central, the White Sox, are just 45-40. The leaders of the AL West, the Rangers (did you know that the Rangers were leading the AL West?) and Mariners, are both just 44-43.
This means a lot of bad teams still have hope. The Royals are last in the American League with a 35-52 record, but even they are only nine games back of a Wild Card spot. Only four teams in the AL — the Tigers, Red Sox, Royals, and Angels — are more than 5.5 games back of a Wild Card spot:
The Tigers are in their last year with Tarik Skubal. They’ll probably trade him, but they might also decide to keep him and make a run at it.
The Red Sox have an interim manager (and fired most of the rest of their coaching staff, too).
The Royals will probably sell, but they’re not going to do anything that meaningfully damages their immediate future, given that they have one of the brightest young stars in the league.
The Angels are interesting because they’re now under the management of John Mozeliak. It’s unclear how much power he has to reshape the team, given his “interim” role, but the Angels seem to think they’re in it every year, so I don’t see them selling off any major pieces. Beyond those, there’s not much here.
There are a few other AL teams that could sell if they don’t see their place in the standings improve in the next month. The Orioles, like the Red Sox, are way back in their own division and are eight games under .500, but again, they sit just 4.5 games back in the Wild Card. Minnesota has also hardly inspired confidence, and they are five games under .500, but the AL Central is totally up for grabs, especially with José Ramírez missing from the Guardians’ lineup. The Astros and Athletics, likewise, could turn into sellers with a bad July.
The National League is a little bit different; each division has at least one team that’s clearly ahead of the rest. But there’s a bit of a gap between the second and third Wild Card in the NL, and there are currently six teams separated by just three games in the running for the third and final Wild Card.
The NL teams likely to be sellers if nothing improves dramatically in the next month are:
The Reds, though they also have a lot of pieces worth building around.
The Giants, who are a high-priced disaster.
The Mets, who are an even-higher-priced, bigger disaster.
The Rockies, a perpetual disaster that could finally be ready to make smart decisions.
The teams that could go either way include:
The Cardinals, who currently sit tied for the last Wild Card spot but who have a -10 run differential.
The Marlins, who are overperforming expectations (and are always eager to get rid of anyone who might cost them anything), but were the best team in baseball in June.
The Padres, another team firmly in the mix but with a negative run differential.
The Pirates, who will probably not sell because this is the closest they’ve been to competing in a long time.
The Nationals, about whom you could say the same.
The Diamondbacks, who are playing roughly .500 baseball despite a -24 run differential.
There’s one other consideration that could affect the market: the CBA situation. If low-payroll teams think there’s a chance that there’s a salary floor in 2027, they could figure it makes sense for them to keep higher-priced veterans rather than trading them for more minor league or league-minimum contracts, rather than face the prospect of filling out their rosters by giving a bunch of money on a one-year deal to a lower-tier free agent just to get to the floor.
We’ll have to watch and see how the next month plays out to know for sure who will be available, but in the coming weeks we’ll look at some possible targets.
It’s a lot easier than it used to be putting together rosters for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. That doesn’t mean quality can’t slip through the cracks.
This year’s exercise, in advance of the July 14 affair in Philadelphia, will benefit greatly if, appropriately enough, America rallies in the final round of voting in this, her 250th year of existence.
See, in this era of online balloting, The Fans generally do pretty well. It’s just that this time around, six Toronto Blue Jays have been named as “finalists” for the American League, with a handful of them not deserving of the nod based on cold, raw data. Conversely, the Midsummer Classic is all about the zeitgeist of the game at the time. And Canadians’ fervor for their team – 44,000 jam into Rogers Centre, night after night – is worth celebrating, particularly as an example that almost any team can follow in these uncertain times of crying wolf.
Yet whether a handful more Jays join the top AL vote-getter, the beloved Ernie Clement, in Philly, there will certainly be a few All-Stars you might not have thought about. Here are six of them, all hoping the roster breaks their way when it’s released the evening of Saturday, July 4:
Juan Soto, OF, Mets
Remember this guy? Easy to lose him in the haze of all the misery in Flushing, yet Soto, still just 27, remains every bit as generational as we imagined. Though limited by injury to 66 games, Soto has nonetheless slugged 17 homers with a .298/.408/.563 line and leads all major leaguers with a 166 wRC+ and the NL with a 170 adjusted OPS.
This seems like a Captain Obvious pick but it’s also a clarion call to not take greatness for granted. Soto is among the outfield finalists in fan voting, but with the Mets’ 2026 debacle slowly unfolding, we can’t imagine he’ll outpoint worthy reps from contending teams. Perhaps the player vote will rescue him. But another All-Star shutout for Soto would be silly.
Otto Lopez, SS, Marlins
If your kids are clamoring for Luis Arraez, just tell them, “We have Luis Arraez at home!” That would be Lopez, who entered July 1 with six more hits than Arraez, a microscopic edge in batting average (.333 to .331) and an identical (.366) OBP while also stealing 16 bases. Oh, and he’s second in the NL with 3.6 fWAR. Most important, the Marlins are coming off a 20-6 June to place themselves in the thick of the NL wild card dogfight. They certainly deserve more than just a courtesy rep, which would figure to be starter Max Meyer. Second baseman Xavier Edwards would also be a fine option.
Hunter Goodman, C, Rockies
Good gravy: This dude has 26 home runs and a 119 adjusted OPS at the halfway point. As a catcher. Coors Field be damned.
Goodman seems a lock for Philly, but here’s where the roster vagaries come into play. The two “finalists” at catcher are the Dodgers’ Will Smith and Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin. Smith is never a bad choice but is having a league-average season at the plate and is on the IL with a neck injury. Baldwin is having a fantastic season, but injury has limited him to 60 games.
It would stand to reason that if Smith gets elected, Goodman would be added as an injury replacement. But the point here is that Goodman has that look of perennial All-Star – he earned his first nod last year – and deserves to be regarded as such. And as a foundational player for a franchise that looks more serious each month, Goodman is proof positive to the greater baseball world that the Rockies do, in fact, exist, a big reason why the All-Star Game is held, anyway.
Luis Garcia Jr., 1B, Nationals
A second baseman by trade, Garcia is in a tough spot, math-wise, now that he's primarily a first baseman and listed as such on the NL ballot, where he finished 10th. That belies a first half in which he smacked six homers over six games recently and a major league-leading 13 since May 22. Overall, he's at .281 with an .850 OPS and 16 homers.
A great year for a key cog of the major leagues' surprise leader in runs scored. Yet as a first baseman, Garcia gets rather easily overshadowed by finalists and All-Star stalwarts Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman. And they have to find a way to get Bryce Harper on the squad in Philly, right?
It all adds up to what figures to be a tough break for Garcia, even as he's one of the league's most productive players.
Michael Wacha, SP, Royals
Here’s a stat that actually doesn’t exist, but perhaps it should: Wacha is the only starter in the AL to average 19 outs per start. Wonky, huh?
But it’s also a rare and underappreciated skill. In an era when teams aren’t allowing many, or all, of their starters to face a lineup three times through, Wacha is actually getting them out three times a game, plus one more. As such, he leads the AL in innings pitched while ranking eighth in ERA (3.31) and 13th in WHIP (1.14) and averaging 6.39 innings per start.
And any manager exhausted from juggling openers and followers, and reliever shuttles from Class AAA and back, would absolutely appreciate what Wacha does for them: Finding just 10 more outs, on average, the nights he pitches.
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Yankees
On paper, it might look a little obnoxious to include Goldschmidt. After all, Ben Rice is the club's primary first baseman and has a shot to win the fan balloting at the position. Two first basemen from the same team?
Yeah, those optics aren’t great at all, but at some point we need to make concessions to the modern game. And part of that is acknowledging the import of platoon players, even those on the short side of the equation. Goldschmidt falls 30 plate appearances shy of qualifying for league leaders, yet with 14 home runs, 41 RBIs and an .867 OPS in just 233 plate appearances, he’s kept the Yankees afloat at times this year. Against lefties: A .371/.456/.730 line, with eight homers in 103 plate appearances, helping the Yankees go 19-13 against left-handed starters. Goldschmidt lacks the gravitas of a Kershaw or Pujols or Miggy Cabrera to be a “commissioner’s special” pick or whatever they call it, but at 38, he’s still a borderline Hall of Famer and ex-MVP. Would be cool to see him in Philly.
Grant Taylor, RP, White Sox
For better or worse, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will debut the “reliever of the year” award for the AL and NL after this season. Recognizing All-Star relievers for a half-season of work can be even more volatile, particularly in this era when true closers are scarce.
So let’s consider Taylor: Tied for third in fWAR (2.1) among AL relievers, ranks fourth with 13.38 strikeouts per nine innings, a 1.98 FIP and has entered in high- or medium-leverage situations 19 of 28 games. It’s nothing that will get him a plaque at year’s end, but for an emerging club like the White Sox to post a 17-10 record in one-run games, a lot has to go right. Taylor – who has 16 outings of more than one inning pitched – is often a part of that.
Jul 1, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) reacts after striking out to end the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Yankees are agony right now. They flirted with winning yesterday, going so far as to look as though they were about to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, erasing a 2-0 ninth-inning deficit against the Tigers. Instead, they welcomed defeat like an old friend yet again, the seventh-consecutive game that they’ve done so. They drift three games back of the Rays, and we will sit through this off-day licking our wounds and hoping that, once some players start to come of the IL this weekend, maybe the team will be able to stabilize.
In any event, we’ll have lots on the site today to get you through the off-day. Our monthly check-in series continues, as Matt profiles the NL Central, Michael takes a look at the NL East, and Sam runs down the NL West. Also, Sam recaps the day that was in the American League yesterday, John continues our trade deadline preview with an analysis of the Angels as a potential trade partner, and Matt remembers Jose Canseco’s wild career on the occasion of his 62nd birthday.
Today’s Matchup:
Off-day.
Questions/Prompts:
1. Will the likely returns of Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon do anything to turn the tide right now?
2. Did you watch Team USA’s World Cup win last night? How do you think they’ll fare playing Belgium next week without their best scorer, Folarin Balogun?
The Hens bounced back with a solid victory on Wednesday night.
The Hens jumped out to a big lead in the bottom of the first. Max Clark led off with a walk, and Max Anderson doubled him to third. Eduardo Valencia walked to load the bases, and Corey Julks drew a walk to force in the game’s first run. Trei Cruz singled in Anderson, and Tyler Gentry drew a walk to force in the third run. Tomas Nido reached on an error to score another run, and the Cubs wild pitched in one more before the inning ended.
Nido would double in the bottom of the third, and score on an Andrew Navigato single for a 5-0 lead.
Sawyer Gipson-Long cruised for three innings, but allowed a pair of runs before wrapping up the fourth. Enmanuel de Jesus allowed a two-run homer in the sixth to make it a 6-4 game, but in the bottom of the sixth, Valencia launched his 15th home run to make it 7-4.
Scott Effross was good out of the pen in the seventh and eighth, striking out four. Woo-Suk Go continues to dominate out of the pen, and he picked up his second save in this one.
Anderson: 2-5, R, 2B
Clark: 1-4, R, 2B, BB
Nido: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B, K
Gipson-Long: 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start in Toledo on Thursday.
The SeaWolves pounded out 22 hits and drew six walks to crush Akron on Wednesday.
Max Alba got the start, and he gave up a run in the bottom of the first.
In the top of the third, the SeaWolves tore the RubberDucks apart. E.J. Exposito, Seth Stephenson, and Peyton Graham singled to start the inning, loading the bases for Thayron Liranzo. The catcher smoked a one-hopper through the right side for an RBI single.
Chris Meyers then singled in two runs. Garrett Pennington singled to load the bases, and there were still no outs as Justice Bigbie walked as well, forcing in a run. A disengagement violation pushed across the fifth run of the inning, and then Andrew Jenkins followed with a two-run single. Max Burt singled as well, this was just a parade of singles, when finally Exposito struck out for the first out in the frame. Peyton Graham would single in Jenkins before the inning ending, stealing his 44th base of the season before Liranzo finally grounded out to end the inning.
So it was 8-1 SeaWolves, but Alba allowed four runs in the bottom half to make it 8-5 SeaWolves.
Stephenson singled in Burt and Exposito in the top of the fifth. Two more walks and a Pennington double made it 12-5.
Reliever Yoniel Curet allowed two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Peyton Graham doubled in Stephenson in the sixth. Tanner Kohlhepp allowed two runs in relief in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Bigbie tripled and scored on a Burt sacrifice fly. That got us to 14-9 SeaWolves.
They’d add on four more in the top of the ninth, with Graham’s sixth hit on the day plating their 17th run. Graham has nine hits and four doubles in the past two games. Bennett Lee’s RBI single completed the scoring.
West Michigan Whitecaps 10, Lake County Captains 7 (box)
Ben Jacobs was knocked around badly in this one, but the offense stormed back with a late rally to win on Wednesday.
Jacobs wasn’t wild in this one, but everything seemed to find a hole as he surrendered four runs on 10 hits, without allowing a walk. He did punch out five along the way, but couldn’t get out of the fourth inning.
The ‘Caps got a run back when Stephen Hrustich led off the bottom of the third with a single, and Bryce Rainer smashed a double to right field to plate him. In the bottom of the fourth, Clayton Campbell led off with a single. With two outs, Andrew Sojka launched a two-run homer. That made it 4-3 Captains.
A Sojka sacrifice fly in the sixth scored Campbell after he’d singled to lead off the inning.
Unfortunately, that 4-4 tie didn’t survive long. Preston Howey allowed two runs in the seventh, and Jalen Evans allowed one in the eighth.
So it was 7-4 Captains heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Luke Shliger led off the frame with a walk, but was erased on a fielders choice as Samuel Gil reached first. Sojka walked and Hrustich was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Juan Hernandez struck out, but Jackson Strong, Rainer, and Ricardo Hurtado all walked to force in runs and tie the game. Campbell came up and singled in two runs, knocking the second Captains reliever out of the game. The new reliever walked Shliger for the second time in the inning, and it was on a wild pitch, scoring Hurtado to make it 10-7.
Evans locked down the ninth, earning the victory.
Campbell: 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Rainer: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 BB, 2 K
Sojka: 1-2, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR, BB
Jacobs: 3.1 IP, 4 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start on Thursday, with the series tied up 1-1.
Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (postponed)
They’ll play two on Thursday, starting at 4:00 p.m. ET after they were rained out on Wednesday.
For the second straight start, Jhonan Coba was mauled on Wednesday as he struggled to find the strike zone. He gave up eight runs between the first and the second inning, and didn’t make it out of the latter.
Marco Jimenez tossed a perfect inning of relief with two strikeouts in his rehab assignment.
Cristian Perez and Enderson Delgado each homered for the Tigers.
BATON ROUGE, LA - APRIL 17: Alex Box Stadium during a game between the LSU Tigers and the Texas A&M Aggies on April 17, 2026, at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Less than a week after receiving the surprising news of Marcos Paz’s departure, Jay Johnson and his staff brought in RHP Kaden Smith from South Florida. He took to Instagram to announce his decision.
In his sophomore year, Smith posted a 4.24 ERA in 46.2 innings pitched. He struck out 52, while walking 25. Of his 16 appearances, 8 of them were starts. He allowed less than a hit per inning with his total of 41, which suggests that command is his biggest issue. Hitting 17 batters further solidifies that conclusion.
As a freshman in 2025, Smith began his collegiate career at TCU and made 14 appearances for the Horned Frogs. He threw 12.0 innings with a 5.25 ERA, while striking out 12 and walking 6.
Following Landon Hood and Diego Velazquez, Smith becomes the third pitcher that Johnson and co. have added in the portal, along with incoming freshman Braxton Beaty. It w0uld appear that the to-be junior is coming in to bolster a bullpen that is seeking drastic improvement after a disastrous 2026 season, but the starting experience is certainly a plus.
Smith mostly deploys a 3-pitch mix, including two different breaking balls and a fastball that can get in to the mid-to-high 90s, according to Jacob Rudner of Baseball America.
Righty Kaden Smith is in the portal after one season at USF, where he split his time between the rotation and pen. Mid-90s cut-ride FB up to 97. Throws a big low-to-mid 80s CB and mid-to-high 80s SL both of which drew whiff rates north of 35% in 2026. pic.twitter.com/iSlNmy7oOZ
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on June 30, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankees’ sidelined captain delivered a pointed analysis of the team’s recent performance in his absence. “Well, it’s not great,” Aaron Judge said said before Wednesday’s game. “Just a little lack of focus. We just gotta dial it in.” His public comments, the first since he landed on the IL on May 31, serve as a rare critique of not just performance but motivation amidst a now-eight game losing streak. Manager Aaron Boone was more measured, acknowledging a “terrible week” but giving a vote of confidence that “the group’s in a good place, as far as their preparation goes.”
New York Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees have been hit with another setback, this time of a more tangible variety. Several Bombers have been afflicted by food poisoning or a stomach bug, including Spencer Jones, who was scratched from Wednesday’s game, and Ryan McMahon, who had to sit out a rehab game. Boone declined to reveal all the Yankees affected, but made clear the issue was widespread. “We got IVs going and everything today,” Boone said. “Yeah, it’s been an interesting week on a lot of fronts. I had a lineup [Tuesday] night and kind of had to make some tweaks to it. Hopefully as the day unfolds, we got everyone available.”
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: ($) The malady taking its toll on the Yankees played a role in Boone’s decision-making during Wednesday’s loss. With Max Scheumann fully unavailable, he chose to stick with Oswaldo Cabrera with a chance to win the game in the ninth instead of inserting Paul Goldschmidt. The skipper’s reasoning was that he did not want to be forced into using the 38-year-old at second or third (though relinquishing the DH and moving Amed Rosario to third would have been another option). After the defeat, Jazz Chisholm Jr. echoed his captain’s comments from earlier in the day. “I feel like we’ve got to lock in, do all the small stuff,” the second baseman said. “We make a lot of mistakes, and I feel like we beat ourselves.”
MLB.com | Sam Dykstra: Two Yankees prospects have been selected to the 2026 All-Star Futures Game roster. Shortstop George Lombard Jr., the team’s top prospect, and fireballer Carlos Lagrange, who slots in at number four, will have the opportunity to participate. The exhibition, held the Sunday before the All-Star Game, is an opportunity for MLB to showcase its most promising young talent still working their way through the minors.
We close with a couple housekeeping notes. Trent Grisham is on his way back to the Yankees after being sidelined with a hamstring strain. He was activated for a quick rehab assignment last night by the Double-A Somerset Patriots, playing center and going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. Since he wasn’t gone from the team that long, it sounds like he should be back in a Yankees lineup that could really use him by tomorrow.
Following today’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Yovanny Cruz to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
And Yovanny Cruz went back to Triple-A following yesterday’s loss. David Bednar missed the Tigers series on paternity leave and should be back with the Yankees for their next game.
Justin Campbell’s awaited AAA debut wound up ending before it could even start. He was scratched from his start after injuring his oblique in warmups. As someone who was waiting all week to watch this start, it was very disappointing but I am also very glad that it appears we avoided the worst case scenario here. Trent Denholm got the start in place of Campbell and pitched pretty well considering the circumstances. He tossed 6 innings and struck out 8 batters and allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits. Franco Aleman lowered his ERA to 0.32 after striking out the side and recording his 9th save of the season.
The offense was powered by Angel Genao’s 4-5 performance that included an RBI single and a double. He is now hitting .283 with an .823 OPS since being promoted to AAA. P:etey Halpin also had a big game, going 3-5 which included a triple and an RBI double. Juan Brito and Dayan Frias also had multi hit performances.
This was the other debut I was excited to watch tonight, as Braylon Doughty had his first start in AA! It went better than Campbell’s debut, but not by too much, as he allowed 8 runs over 2.1 innings pitched. Welcome to AA kid! Doughty is an extremely talented prospect who I have no doubt will bounce back from this and I can’t wait to see his next start.
Alfonsin Rosario just keeps trucking along, going 2-4 with his 14th HR of the season. He is now hitting .260 with a .913 OPS on the season. He is starting to prove that he may be ready for a promotion to AAA. Jaison Chourio and Jose Devers also had multi hit performances. Bennett Thompson made quite a bang in his AA debut! He recorded just one hit but that hit happened to be a grand slam in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
Despite losing tonight’s game, the Captains still recorded 15 hits on offense. Welbyn Francisca continues to be scorching hot at the plate, going 2-4. Nolan Schubart went 2-5 with his 17th HR of the season. Both him and Welbyn have OPS’s over .900 on the season. We also saw multi hit performances from Tommy Hawke, Jeffrey Mercedes, Esteban Gonzalez, and Tyler Howard.
Jacob Zibin fared much better in his second High-A start, allowing three runs in 5 innings and striking out four.
We saw multi hit performances from Jonathan Martinez and Gabriel Rodriguez in this one. Juneiker Caceres went 1-4 with a walk. Cannon Peebles went 1-3 with a walk and a 2 RBI double.
Ryan Prager didn’t have his best stuff tonight, but was still able to limit the damage to just two runs over 3.2 innings pitched. He wound up walking five batters and striking out four, which is not what we are accustomed to seeing from him.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 01: Starting pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks walks off the field after a pitching change in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on July 01, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ve always loved the idea of a “stopper” in a baseball rotation – a guy who can be counted on to stop a losing streak or provide a much-needed win in a crucial part of the season. In my mind, it’s a different role than an ace who might be expected to provide a specific type of run-prevention performance rather than one that gives the team a chance to win on their night to pitch. Unfortunately, Zac Gallen has seemingly taken on the role of an “anti-stopper” where instead of blunting negative momentum, he blunts positive momentum. Entering tonight’s play, the team has gone a discouraging 6-11 in Gallen starts which isn’t all that surprising given his 6.15 ERA and 1.575 WHIP on the season. He’s not the only player fulfilling that role as fellow veteran Merrill Kelly has also been a net drag on the team, going just 5-9 in Kelly’s turns in the rotation. But it is frustrating to see just how far away Gallen is from the pitcher who came in the top-five of Cy Young voting in consecutive years back in 2022 and 2023.
Through the first four innings of tonight’s game though, he looked exactly like that pitcher with a biting slider and a four-seamer that found its way past hitters and just one two-out single on his ledger. But he got ambushed in the fifth with four straight hits, including two home runs – a solo shot from Heliot Ramos to lead off the inning and a two-run shot from Victor Bericoto that gave the Giants a three-run lead. Gallen looked back in control in the sixth, collecting two easy strikeouts before committing the ultimate pitching sin: a two out walk, this one to Rafael Devers who quickly came in to score on a deep drive from Ramos that nearly left the yard and was just beyond a leaping Corbin Carroll. Ramos himself would be driven in four pitches later when Jung Hoo Lee shot a ground ball through the infield to end Gallen’s night as Torey Lovullo opted to bring in Ryan Thompson to face Bericoto. The pitching move did not pay off as Thompson gave up consecutive singles to Bericoto and Drew Cavanaugh to plate San Francisco’s sixth and final run of the night before mercifully ending the inning.
To their credit, after looking completely lifeless against Giants starter Trevor McDonald – making just his 13th career start but managing to surrender exactly one baserunner over six innings – the D-Backs finally managed to find some traction amidst the woeful San Francisco bullpen in the home half of the eighth. Nolan Arenado led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a sharp single from Pavin Smith, but Ketel Marte’s 18th double of the season was the biggest blow – plating Smith and allowing Tommy Troy to reach third. But a poor relay throw from Christian Koss doinked off Troy and out of play, scoring Troy and advancing Marte all the way to third with no outs. Sadly, Geraldo Perdomo and Carroll could only muster up a sacrifice groundout between them to score Marte for the D-Backs’ fourth and final run.
Tonight’s loss returns the team to .500 – a mark the team has struggled to escape since they swept these same Giants back at the end of May. Since then, the team has gone a dismal 12-19, the third-worst record in that time in the major leagues. While this team is clearly talented and has plenty of potential, I find myself lacking much confidence in their ability to play up to their opponents. They have feasted on bad teams with a 29-10 record against teams with sub-.500 records compared to just 14-32 against winning clubs. That does not feel like a team that is capable of making a run towards the playoffs and might find themselves overmatched if they did. They will need to find another gear if they hope to force Mike Hazen’s hand in adding to this team rather than subtracting from it with the Trade Deadline just over a month away.
In this week's Closer Report, Jacob Latz is one of the biggest risers as he led baseball in saves in June. The Reds got their closer back, activating Emilio Pagán. And the Orioles could see their closer sidelined once again after Ryan Helsley experienced some elbow discomfort on Wednesday.
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Mason Miller - San Diego Padres Jhoan Duran - Philadelphia Phillies Cade Smith - Cleveland Guardians Louis Varland - Toronto Blue Jays Josh Hader - Houston Astros
Miller made one appearance this week, recording two outs against the Cubs in a non-save situation. He's posted a 0.78 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 66 strikeouts over 34 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, Duran locked down two more saves this week for the Phillies. He's up to 21 with a 1.52 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts over 29 2/3 innings in what has been a career season so far.
After giving up four runs in two appearances last week, Smith bounced back with a pair of saves against the Mariners on Saturday and Sunday. He leads baseball by a good margin at 26 saves to go with a 3.05 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings.
Varland pitched a scoreless inning against the Rangers on Friday, then allowed a run on a wild pitch in a tie game on Sunday to take the loss. He bounced back on Monday, striking out two to pick up his 17th save against the Mets.
Hader added two more saves and a win with three scoreless appearances this week. He's now 8-for-8 in save opportunities with just one run allowed and a 21/5 K/BB ratio across 13 innings.
▶ Tier 2
Aroldis Chapman - Boston Red Sox Raisel Iglesias- Atlanta Braves Bryan Baker - Tampa Bay Rays Andrés Muñoz - Seattle Mariners David Bednar - New York Yankees Jacob Latz - Texas Rangers Tanner Scott - Los Angeles Dodgers Trevor Megill - Milwaukee Brewers
Chapman made three appearances against the Yankees, picking up a save on Thursday, followed by a scoreless inning for his 16th save on Saturday. Then, pitching for the third time in four games, he gave up one run on Sunday to blow a save chance. With Boston in last place in the AL East, there's a good chance Chapman will be on the move before the end of the month.
Iglesias worked a clean inning to pick up a save against the Giants on Friday, then worked a perfect frame in a non-save situation against the Cardinals on Tuesday. The 36-year-old right-hander is up to 16 saves with a 1.27 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 31 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings.
Baker tossed a clean inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday for his 21st save of the season in his only appearance this week. Meanwhile, Muñoz has put together one of his better stretches this season, with three straight perfect outings. He added his 15th save against the Guardians on Friday.
Bednar pitched two scoreless innings against the Red Sox on Sunday before starting the week on the paternity list. The 31-year-old right-hander has tossed 14 scoreless innings with a 15/3 K/BB ratio since May 22.
It was a busy week for Latz, who made four appearances in six days, collecting four saves to give him 18 on the season with a 1.71 ERA, 0.62 WHIP, and 43 strikeouts over 42 innings. The 30-year-old left-hander has emerged as a legitimate top saves option.
Scott recorded the final out in the seventh against the Padres on Sunday before tossing a scoreless eighth. Edgardo Henriquez then took over in the ninth and closed out the game for his first save. Despite being the primary option for saves in Los Angeles, this usage will suppress Scott's save total. And in Milwaukee, Megill ends June with four scoreless appearances this week, picking up his 12th save with a scoreless inning against the Reds on Wednesday.
▶ Tier 3
Riley O'Brien - St. Louis Cardinals Devin Williams - New York Mets Ryan Helsley - Baltimore Orioles Emilio Pagan - Cincinnati Reds Paul Sewald - Arizona Diamondbacks Kenley Jansen - Detroit Tigers
O'Brien worked two scoreless appearances, picking up saves against the Marlins and Braves on Sunday and Tuesday. He's up to 21 with a 3.82 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts over 35 1/3 innings. The Cardinals entered the season in a bit of a rebuild but find themselves in the hunt for the playoffs. It'll be interesting to see which direction they go at the trade deadline, as they could be a candidate to add to the back end of the bullpen.
Williams made two scoreless appearances in non-save situations, then converted a save with a scoreless inning against the Blue Jays on Tuesday for his 12th of the season. While Williams has been much better after an abysmal April, it hasn't necessarily led to more saves on a disappointing Mets team.
Helsley was supposed to make an appearance against the White Sox on Tuesday, but was held out with elbow discomfort. It's not a good sign after Helsley missed time with elbow inflammation. He'll undergo further evaluation, but it would be no surprise if he lands back on the injured list. Fantasy managers could speculate on Yennier Cano, Andrew Kittredge, or Rico Garcia in the event Helsley misses time. Garcia previously recorded four saves in Helsley's absence, but never made him the primary option. And recent usage suggests Cano and Kittredge remain high in the leverage hierarchy.
The Reds got their closer back this week, reinstating Pagán following a nearly two-month absence with a hamstring strain. Manager Terry Francona confirmed Pagán will slot back into the ninth-inning role.
Sewald made one appearance this week, giving up two runs against the Giants on Monday before holding on for his 19th save. He's allowed six runs in his last four outings, giving him a 4.50 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 33 strikeouts over 30 innings.
It wasn't Jansen's best week, either. He gave up a run in a non-save situation against the Astros on Thursday, then surrendered three to Houston on Sunday to take a loss. Still, the Tigers are short on alternatives, with Will Vest landing on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.
▶ Tier 4
Gregory Soto - Pittsburgh Pirates Pete Fairbanks - Miami Marlins Alex Lange - Kansas City Royals Yoendrys Gómez - Minnesota Twins Kaleb Kilian - San Francisco Giants Clayton Beeter - Washington Nationals
In Pittsburgh, Soto's freefall continues as he gave up five more runs over two appearances, including a blown save against the Reds on Saturday. Fantasy managers could speculate on Mason Montgomery or Dennis Santana. Meanwhile, Fairbanks gave up one run in a non-save situation in his only appearance for the Marlins this week. And Lange had a meltdown against the White Sox on Friday, giving up five runs while recording one out, then bounced back with a scoreless inning for a save on Sunday. Lange is up to seven saves with a 4.95 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts over 36 1/3 innings.
Gomez has run away as the primary closing option for the Twins. He picked up two more saves this week against the Rockies and Astros. The 26-year-old right-hander is up to nine with a 3.57 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts over 40 1/3 innings. While he may be worthy of a pickup for saves in deeper leagues, I wouldn't expect this success to last all season. His 4.82 FIP and 5.30 xFIP suggest he's been incredibly fortunate so far.
Kilian blew a save last Thursday against the Athletics, giving up four runs. He gave up another run on Sunday, but held on to convert a save, then bounced back with a scoreless inning on Wednesday against the Diamondbacks for his seventh save.
Beeter was charged with a blown save last Thursday in the seventh inning, walking two batters and allowing an unearned run to score. He then bounced back with a clean inning against the Orioles on Saturday, striking out two batters to pick up a win.
▶ Tier 5
Grant Taylor/Seranthony Domínguez - Chicago White Sox Jacob Webb/Caleb Thielbar - Chicago Cubs Sam Bachman/Kirby Yates - Los Angeles Angels Antonio Senzatela - Colorado Rockies Elvis Alvarado/Hogan Harris - Athletics
No saves for the White Sox this week. Taylor did pick up two wins with a pair of scoreless two-inning appearances. Despite having only two saves, he's the only reliever worth rostering in the bullpen, with a 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts across 43 1/3 innings.
Bachman appeared to have worked his way into the primary closer role, but he worked the eighth inning on Saturday against the Athletics before Yates stepped in for a save. If it's a committee situation for the Angels, it's not one worth chasing.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 01: Manager Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros takes Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros out of the game as Yainer Diaz #21 looks on against the Minnesota Twins during the second inning at Daikin Park on July 01, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s never a good sign when your first mile feels like you’ve already run a full marathon. For Tatsuyi Imai, the outing was quick and ugly. Twins 8 Astros 3.
Imai’s early game struggles were on full display before an announced crowd of 29,179. In the opening several minutes, Trevor Larnach would double and Josh Bell would hit a ball to dead center that’s still traveling. Bell’s blast would officially become the fifth longest ball hit to center field since the ballyard at 501 Crawford Street opened its doors in 2000. Just like that, it was a 2-0 lead, and the following inning Minnesota would continue the assault.
Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee would reach on walks, and then Kody Clemens would do his version of a deep shot to center, and the Twins had put five runs on the board. Clemons has now hit 14 homeruns this season. For good measure, Imai would issue another walk to Josh Bell and mercifully the curtain would come down. Imai’s final line would read: 1.1 IP with 5 earned runs, 5 walks and 4 hits allowed, including 2 HR. In sharp contrast was his counterpart Taj Bradley would record a season high 11 strikeouts, at one point mowing down five in a row.
The Astros scored their initial run thanks to Jose Altuve’s leadoff walk of the game. Altuve would advance to third on Yordan Alvarez’s first hit of the night, eventually scoring on a double play groundout by Isaac Paredes.
The next time there would be signs of life would be in the 6th. Brice Matthews (who replaced Christian Walker, who left the game with lower back stiffness) and Cam Smith would reach base in consecutive fashion to start things. Then Joey Loperfido and Nick Allen would each notch RBI’s singles, cutting the deficit to 7-3 but that would be as close as they’d get.
The final Twins run would come on Luke Keaschall’s second homer of the night in the 8th inning.
Odds & Ends:
SS Nick Allen would relieve Raynel Delgado who exited in the top of the fifth inning with a dislocated right pinky finger while attempting to field a ball. Delgado was attempting to field a ball that would have been an inning ending groundout, but the ball hit the second base bag and took n awkward hop. Delgado attempted to adjust to the ball with his bare hand, but the ball deflected off his hand, dislocating his pinky.
In his latest rehab start, Lance McCullers pitched four innings of one hit ball in OKC on Wednesday Night. 41 of his 60 pitches were strikes.
After an off day on Thursday, Spencer Arrighetti will attempt to notch his 8th win of the season on Friday night when Tampa comes to town to complete this current homestand. The last time Arrighetti registered a win was back on May 28th.
May 16, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks (31) throws against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images
South Bend first baseman Josiah Hartshorn and right-hander Mason McGwire were named to the Futures Game roster.
Right-hander Kenten Egbert went back from Triple-A Iowa to High-A South Bend.
Right-hander Eduarniel Núñez, whom the Cubs designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and was assigned to Iowa.
The Cubs signed third baseman Michael Hallquist from the Milwaukee Milkmen of the independent American Association and assigned him to South Benc.
Starter Doug Nikhazy didn’t make it out of the first inning. Nikhazy got pummeled for five runs on two hits and four walks while just retiring one batter. At least that one out was a strikeout.
Aaron Bummer made his Cubs debut in this game, pitching the sixth inning. Bummer faced four batters and retired three of them. The other one hit a solo home run. Bummer did not have a strikeout.
Liam Hendriks made his Cubs debut in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed a single and a walk, but no runs in his one inning of work. Hendriks struck out two.
Left fielder BJ Murray hit his tenth home run of the year with the bases empty in the sixth inning. Murray went 1 for 3 with a walk. He scored twice.
Right fielder Ben Cowles was 3 for 4 with a steal. He singled home Murray in the fourth innning.
Second baseman Owen Miller went 2 for 4 with a double and two steals, one of which was a steal of home as part of a double steal with Cowles. He drove in one with an RBI groundout. Miller also scored one run.
Brooks Caple gave the Smokies a good start, but he ended up getting the loss anyways. Caple allowed two runs on three hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out three.
This game 2-1 Columbus until Frankie Scalzo Jr. gave up six runs in the top of the ninth.
Center fielder Andy Garriola hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, his 17th on the season. Garriola went 1 for 4.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez was a perfect 3 for 3 with two doubles and a walk. He drove in one run.
Mason McGwire threw the first three innings and surrendered one run on three hits. McGwire struggled with control as he walked three and hit two batters. McGwire struck out two.
After the Cubs failed to score in the top of the tenth, Grayson Moore entered the game, trying to send the game to the 11th inning. Instead, he gave up a walk-off two-out RBI double. Moore’s final line was one run on one hit over two-thirds of an inning. The run was earned—the automatic runner was doubled off of second on a lineout. Moore did not walk anyone but he did hit a batter who turned out to be the winning run.
South Bend blew a 7-1 lead in this game after five-and-a-half innings.
In his affiliated baseball debut, second baseman Michael Hallquist hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat in the second inning. Hallquist went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.
Catcher Logan Poteet hit his first South Bend home run in the sixth inning with the bases empty. It was Poteet’s 15th overall home run. Poteet went 2 for 4 with a walk. He scored two runs and had two RBI.
DH Jose Escobar connected on a solo home run in the top of the seventh. It was his fourth home run with South Bend and sixth overall. Escobar went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored.
David Bracho started, gave up one run in the first, three in the second and two in the third. Bracho’s final line was six runs on seven hits over three innings. He walked three and struck out two.
Yoendris Gonzalez and Anhuar Garcia then each threw three innings of no-run, no-hit baseball. Both of them struck out five. Gonzalez walked one. Garcia hit one batter. It was Garcia’s Myrtle Beach debut.
Catcher Jairo Diaz hit an RBI double in the bottom of the ninth. He was 1 for 4.
Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) doubles (16) on a sharp line drive to Cincinnati Reds center fielder Matt McLain (9) during the fifth inning of the game at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 1, 2026. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Garrett Mitchell had just 10 starts against a left-handed pitcher all season long coming into the night. He had just a .547 OPS against lefties coming into the night, so it has been fairly understandable why. But Pat Murphy gave Mitchell the start on Wednesday night against Reds southpaw Andrew Abbott and he had a career night helping deliver the Crew a 4-2 victory.
Mitchell started the night with a single against Abbott in the first inning after the Brewers had already scored a pair of runs on an RBI groundout by William Contreras and a sac fly from Jake Bauers.
Then in the 3rd, Mitchell dropped in a one out double just barely fair down the left field line. Controversy later struck in that inning when Mitchell was running home on a safety squeeze bunt from Cooper Pratt. Spencer Steer glove flipped the ball to Tyler Stephenson and Mitchell was ruled out at the plate. After a lengthy review in which multiple replay angles seemed to show Mitchell beat the tag, the call somehow stood and he was ruled out. But was Mitchell out?
“No. Absolutely not.” Mitchell said.
“Our guy that does video, he’s the best there is and [Mitchell]‘s safe in his mind and he has a picture of him being safe….There is a picture of him touching the plate. We can see it from the angle we have, and I’m sure they have that angle.” Pat Murphy said.
The game remained tied at 2-2 and it stayed that way until the 7th inning. Andrew Vaughn ripped a two-out double to center past the diving Matt McLain to start the rally. Garrett Mitchell, after just missing a home run in the 5th inning and having to settle for another double, then ripped a triple off the angled wall out in center, his fourth hit of the night. It scored Vaughn to give the Crew the lead. Mitchell then scored a few pitches later on a wild pitch and this time there was no controversy at the plate.
Mitchell finished the night 4-for-4 at the plate, just inches away from a cycle. He raised his batting average on the season to .264 after coming into the night hitting .251. Mitchell’s OPS now sits exactly at .800.
“Take any other player in baseball that’s been missing for four years, to have him play this way particularly tonight. The four at-bats, the baserunning, the whole thing, I mean, I didn’t think it could happen. I didn’t expect anything close to this for this kid. I’m really happy for him. He’s just played every day, done whatever, hitting against lefties tonight, that’s something that he’s just gotten better and better. I commend his teammates for welcoming him back and seeking to understand what he’s been through, watching us play for four years. So it’s a great story” Murphy said.
Shane Drohan had another strong performance out of the rotation, even though he was pitching against the Reds in back-to-back outings.
“We worked on some stuff in the bullpen a couple days after the start in Cincinnati. Really just feeling out the direct line we wanted for the slider, it felt like in Cincinnati that was where I came up short, just not throwing good sliders late in counts. So we worked on that in the bullpen the other day and threw it well tonight, but I think it still goes back to that fastball.” Drohan said.
Drohan exited after 5.2 IP, allowing six hits and two runs while striking out seven. Coming on in relief of Drohan was Aaron “The Vulture” Ashby. Ashby pitched in parts of three scoreless innings and was the pitcher of record when Mitchell gave the Brewers the lead in the 7th.
As a result, Ashby was able to earn his major league-leading 12th win of the season and improve to 12-1. Abner Uribe, who was feeling under the weather and a little dehydrated, was able to lock down the 8th after the Brewers were unsure if he’d be available tonight. Then Trevor Megill closed things down in the 9th.
The Brewers have a chance to completely sweep the Reds in this four game series on Thursday afternoon and they’ll have their ace on the bump in Jacob Misiorowski.
Jul 1, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Jonah Heim (15) rounds the bases after hitting a one run home run during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
The Athletics managed to salvage the final game of their tough series against the Dodgers, winning 7-1 in Sacramento on Wednesday night. It took a huge start from our ascendent young right-hander, paired with an offensive outburst, but they managed to get the job done tonight to snap the four-game losing streak and get back on the right track. The team has its 41st win of the season and will now get the day off tomorrow before a weekend series with the Marlins. They deserve it.
Ginn dominates star-studded Dodgers’ lineup
Coming into tonight the Athletics’ pitching had been torched for 18 runs over the first two games against these guys. The club needed a stopper to end this streak desperately or else who knows how long this losing streak could go. We saw how long last year.
Enter J.T. Ginn. Whenever the A’s have needed a big start it always feels like it just happens to be his turn in the rotation, and that was certainly the case yet again tonight against the reigning World Series Champions.
It wasn’t always easy. Los Angeles threatened right out of the gates, loading the bases against Ginn. But with two down all the righty needed was a groundball, which he got to himself. Then, he went on a roll. The 26-year-old fired off five more innings of strong pitching. The right-hander only made one big mistake, a solo home run off the bat of future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman. It happens, and if that was the worst of it we will take that every single time. Ginn departed with the lead well in hand and on his way to a victory after finishing the sixth.
Considering that was all that the vaunted Dodgers’ lineup could muster against Ginn, it goes to show how well he’s pitched in what is really his first full year as a major league starter. The walks were a bit of an issue at times, especially early on, but he did well to not let those start a rally and snowball. Ginn’s next start is lined up to be on the road facing the Detroit Tigers.
Bats back up their starter
On the other side of things, the Athletics’ offense, down several big bats, was facing a Dodgers’ bulk game. Lucky us, it was originally scheduled to be against Shohei Ohtani, but the playoff-bound Dodgers decided to push him back a day for extra rest.
After seeing the 1-2-3 hitters strike out in the first ahead of him against the opener, tonight’s catcher Jonah Heim came to the plate against a the bulk arm, right-hander Charlie Barnes (who would end up pitching the final seven innings for the Dodgers tonight). On the first pitch he saw, Heim took the new reliever deep to center field for a solo blast, the A’s first hit and run of the evening to make it 1-0 A’s:
That was Heim’s eighth of the year and seventh with the A’s. He’s not getting on base at a great clip but boy is he bringing the power, something the club will be missing with Brent Rooker done for the year.
After a wasted opportunity in the third, the A’s managed to push two runs across in the fourth. A leadoff walk to Heim followed by Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s second career double put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Lawrence Butler brought home Heim with a productive groundout, then it was Bolte’s turn to get in on the action:
That RBI single made it 3-0 A’s and they wouldn’t be done there for the night. They got right back to work in the next frame and this time it was Shea Langeliers getting in on the fun with his own solo blast, his 20th of the year:
That’s this year’s starting American League catcher right there! That was just the start of the inning, too. Fellow All-Star contender Nick Kurtz singled then immediately came around to score, courtesy of an RBI double off the bat of tonight’s left fielder Colby Thomas:
Thomas will be getting a lot more reps with Tyler Soderstrom on the shelf. That was his lone hit tonight as he went 1-for-4, but that was a big hit and his third straight with an RBI extra-base hit.
Then it was Heim’s turn again, and again he came through, this time with an RBI single to make it 6-1 A’s:
Great way to cap off the scoring. It’s been a small sample but Williams has been holding his own. We’ll see if he can continue so for the next three months.
Bullpen finishes things off
A lead like this can sometimes feel like a formality. Can’t think like that against these Dodgers though. Luckily tonight the relief unit was nails. Luis Medina handled a clean seventh, then ran into some trouble in the eighth. Switching things up to a lefty seemed to work as Hogan Harris struck out the final batter to end the Dodgers’ final comeback attempt in its tracks. The lefty was given wrap up duties and he completed the job with a clean ninth to finish off Los Angeles and send the fans home happy.
Now that’s how you snap a losing streak. Everything came up A’s today. From Shohei Ohtani being pushed back a day, to Mookie Betts being a late scratch, to Ginn pitching his butt off, to the offense waking up and collecting 12 hits, three of which were home runs. The A’s secured their 41st win of the season tonight and thanks to the Rangers’ loss earlier tonight the team climbs a game in the standings to just three games out of first place.
We got an off-day tomorrow as the club will prepare for the arrival of the Miami Marlins to town for a three-game weekend series. Miami has yet to announce its starting schedule against the Athletics but we may be seeing their staff ace kick off the series as righty Max Meyer’s next start lines up for tomorrow. The A’s will counter whoever Miami sends with right-hander Jack Perkins. He’s coming off his best start so far after firing five innings of two-run ball against the Angels last time out. Hopefully he can build on that on Friday night in Sacramento.
