Category: Baseball

Sometimes the universe — and especially the baseball universe — just lines things up in beautiful, unexpected ways. Today, Payton Tolle is starting on Mother’s Day because the most powerful mother of all — Mother Nature — decided the Red Sox and Rays weren’t going to play their game yesterday when Tolle was originally schedule to pitch.

Now, instead of pitching on the two year anniversary of his mother’s death, he’ll throw on the best day possible to celebrate her life. Tolle’s mother was an enormous inspiration to his baseball career, as Alex Speier detailed in his column today, and now in the first Mother’s Day since his big league debut, he’ll be the main character of the show.

As far as the baseball goes, this is a chance to back up his seven shutout innings last time out against the Tigers on Monday. If he does something spectacular again, it will also be on top of Connelly Early’s seven shutout innings on Friday, and given the Red Sox still haven’t seen the Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez part of the rotation click together yet, we actually may be on the verge of unlocking an incredibly special rotation over the summer months if those guys get healthy and Early and Tolle keep growing into rotation regulars.

On the flip side of the “is it real?” starting pitching questions, the Rays are sending 35-year-old Nick Martinez to the mound. For most of his career, Martinez has been the very definition of mediocrity, bouncing back and forth between bullpen and starting rolls as well as MLB roles and time in the Japanese League. However, even since putting on a Rays uniform this year he’s been borderline unhittable, allowing two runs or fewer in all seven of his starts this season. He now leads the team with the best record in the American League in WAR.

Lineup wise, it’s mostly what we’ve been seeing since Roman Anthony went on the IL, but with one key change. Mickey Gasper, the guy who replaced Anthony on the roster gets the start at catcher.

I actually really like using Gasper here. With the rainout yesterday and the off day tomorrow, it’s the rare opportunity to give both Narvaez and Wong three straight days off by sitting them for just one game. (And it can really be four days off if you start Wong on Tuesday since Narvaez started on Friday.) That stuff matters in the marathon.

⚾️ First Pitch: 1:35pm — Fenway Park, Boston MA

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

Toledo Mud Hens 13, Memphis Redbirds 6 (box)

The Toledo Mud Hens put up a baker’s dozen to beat the Memphis Redbirds on Saturday and take control of the series.

Toledo led from start to finish, scoring in the first inning and pulling away by the second. Max Clark scored the first run of the game, coming home on a Gage Workman sacrifice fly. Workman drove in Clark again in the second, but it shouldn’t have gone that way. Clark nearly had a grand slam, but a fan interfered and kept the ball in play. The umpires convened and ruled it a ground-rule double.

Clark’s double drove in two of the Mud Hens’ five second-inning runs. Jace Jung homered on the first pitch, and the broadcast almost missed it. Workman’s two-run single made it 6-0.

Troy Watson got the start for Toledo. He was great for three innings, working around a pair of leadoff walks, but things got hairy in the fourth. Memphis opened the frame with a double, single and triple, plating a pair of runs. Watson got two outs, but that was the end of the day for him — at 69 pitches; nice. He was responsible for the third run in the inning, but it went unearned thanks to a throwing error from Andrew Navigato at third.

The Redbirds pulled within a run in the fifth on a Jimmy Crooks homer. Konnor Pilkington hit a batter later in the inning, but he got out of it with his third and final strikeout of the day.

Toledo answered immediately to reestablish its lead. Tyler Gentry (bloop) singled in Eduardo Valencia, Navigato drove in Jung on a groundout, and Cal Stevenseon drove in Gentry on a liner to left. Just like that, the Mud Hens are back on top, 9-5.

Scott Effross took over for Pilkington after that, working around four hits over two innings for a hold. Memphis scored on him in the sixth, but it was another unearned run thanks to catcher’s interference, allowing the runner to reach.

Workman doubled in Clark for a third time in the bottom of the sixth, with a double, but Paul DeJong got thrown out at home.

Tyler Gentry drove in a pair with a triple to make it 12-6 in the sixth.

Drew Sommers got the eighth and ninth for Toledo. He was nearly perfect, retiring six of the seven batters he faced, including three strikeouts.

Eduardo Valencia tacked on another run for good measure in the form of a solo home run to left field.

Clark: 2-4, 2B (10), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB

Workman: 2-4, 2B (15), 4 RBI, K

Jung: 3-5, HR (3), 3 R, RBI, K

Gentry: 4-4, 3B (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

Valencia: 2-5, HR (5), 3 R, RBI, K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 2:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday; Toledo leads the series, 3-2.

Harrisburg Senators 6, Erie SeaWolves 5 (box)

The Erie SeaWolves pushed for their 10th-straight win on Saturday, but the Harrisburg Senators walked them off, 6-5, in the bottom of the ninth to end the streak.

Erie took an early lead, scoring two runs in the first off an Andrew Jenkins single. Jenkins drove in Brett Callahan and Peyton Graham. Callahan and Jenkins each had three-hit days, accounting for the bulk of Erie’s 11 hits on the day. Graham also reached base three times. He walked twice and then was hit by a pitch in the head, forcing him to leave the game.

Kenny Serwa got the start for the SeaWolves. He struck out three of the first four batters he faced, but things deteriorated after that. An error extended the second inning for him, leading to a single but no runs. The third is when things really went wrong. He got the first two outs of the inning and then went double, RBI single, walk, walk, two-run single.

It’s just one bad inning, but teams seem to figure out Serwa after a couple of innings these days. His 8.51 ERA on the year is pretty ugly. Fortunately, Erie scored a third run in the top of the inning. E.J. Exposito walked with the bases loaded.

The SeaWolves loaded the bases with one out in the fourth but couldn’t make anything happen. Serwa returned for the bottom of the fourth, but he was pulled after recording two outs around a single. Dariel Fregio took over and pitched through the fifth. A pair of singles in that frame put Harrisburg on top, 4-3.

Erie responded by tying the game up in the sixth. John Peck drove in Callahan, who reached on a base hit with two outs. The see-saw continued back and forth in the bottom half of the inning, as Johan Simon took over for Fregio and gave up an RBI triple.

Things kind of settled down from there. Simon got through the seventh and Tanner Kohlhepp did the same in the eighth, despite both dealing with a pair of baserunners.

The lone extra-base hit of the day for Erie came in the ninth, when Justice Bigbie doubled and set up a game-tying RBI single from Jenkins. Kohlhepp couldn’t force extra innings, though. Cortland Lawson took him deep with one out to end the game.

Callahan: 3-5, 2 R, K

Jenkins: 3-4, 3 RBI, BB, K

Serwa: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 1 p.m. ET start on Sunday; Erie leads the series, 4-1.

Dayton Dragons 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (box)

West Michigan extended its losing streak to 13 games with a 5-3 loss to the Dayton Dragons on Saturday.

The Whitecaps have gotten close to snapping this streak, but something always seems to go wrong. This time it was a two-run ninth inning from the Dragons to break a 3-3 tie that held since the sixth.

West Michigan did all of its scoring early. Samuel Gil drove in Cristian Santana on a sacrifice fly in the second, and Bryce Rainer and Santana each had RBI doubles in the third. Dayton scored twice in the first off starter Max Alba, both runs coming on RBI singles. Alba only went three innings and struck out five with just one hit allowed after the first.

The Whitecaps held that 3-2 lead until the sixth. Luke Stofel pitched the fourth and fifth, giving up just one hit and a walk. Inohan Paniagua wasn’t as good in the sixth, blowing the save on the third pitch he threw. Yerlin Confidan took him deep to tie the game. Paniagua was fine after that, working around two walks and lasting through the seventh.

The only West Michigan hit after the third came in the seventh when Ricardo Hurtado singled with two outs. Dayton walked six batters, including three free passes in the eighth to load the bases, but the Whitecaps never took advantage.

Logan Berrier faced the minimum in the eighth to hold the 3-3 tie, but Thomas Bruss couldn’t do the same in the ninth. He gave up a one-out double after walking a batter, and a wild pitch on ball four scored the runner. Another single made it a two-run game, and all three Whitecaps hitters struck out in the bottom of the ninth.

Things are bad, bad, bad for this club right now.

Rainer: 1-3, 2B (3), R, RBI, BB, K

Santana: 1-1, 2B (2), R, RBI, 2 BB

Alba: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 2 p.m. ET start on Sunday; West Michigan is looking to avoid a second straight sweep.

St. Lucie Mets 3, Lakeland Flying Tigers 2 (box)

Beau Brieske got another opener start and looked good against the four batters he faced. There was plenty of contact but no hits. He lost an eight-pitch at-bat with Edward Lantigua, which ended in a walk. Everything else was hit in the air or to an infielder.

Caleb Leys took over in the second and retired six batters in a row after giving up a leadoff single. He wasn’t as lucky in the fourth, when a leadoff double came back to bite him. Chase Meggers broke the scoreless tie with a two-out RBI single.

Leys saw another run cross in the fifth, but it was unearned thanks to a throwing error from Jack Goodman at short. Still, back-to-back base hits made it feel like an earned run.

Luke Hoskins took over for the sixth. He worked around a baserunner in each inning he threw, lasting through the seventh. Anibal Salas helped cut into the lead with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the sixth. Jordan Yost drove him in with a sac fly to make it 2-1.

Lakeland had a chance to tie it in the seventh, with Edian Espinal on third base, but Salas grounded into a double play. Espinal got his chance in the eighth with the bases loaded, but a balk brought the run in. Espinal ended up striking out on a foul tip to leave the score tied at two.

Yendy Gomez took the loss. He gave up a leadoff single in the ninth and saw the run score on a double right after. Lakeland went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth.

Yost: 1-3, RBI

Brieske: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 0 K

Leys: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, ER, 0 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a noon ET start on Sunday; Lakeland leads the series, 3-2.

That was a really tough loss for the Guardians. They had so many opportunities to win that game and they just could not do it. I look back at the bottom of the 10th, Chase DeLauter had a lineout with an expected batting average of .520. Then Daniel Schneeman lined out with an expected batting average of .670, then with two outs Travis Bazzana lined out to the left fielder with an expected batting average of .380. They had plenty of other opportunities to win this game, but this one hurts the most considering all three of them put good swings on the ball and it hit hard with the winning run in scoring position. Sometimes the baseball gods just don’t want you to win the game.

There were some positive takeaways in this game. First and foremost being that Tanner Bibee easily had his best start of the season. That was great stuff from him, if he can continue to pitch anything close to that level for the rest of the season, The Guardians will be in good shape. Hunter Gaddis also had a clean inning of relief which is huge for this bullpen.

The offense in general got super unlucky in this game, we hit the ball hard plenty of times against Joe Ryan and got no results to show for it. I still feel good about this offense and this team overall. Game 3 against the Twins will be Sunday at 1:40 pm ET. It will be Gavin Williams vs Andrew Morris.

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Sunday night baseball greets us with the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers wrapping up a weekend series. 

Two concerning pitcher profiles will be on display, but one stands out significantly more than the other.

Read all about it in my Royals vs. Tigers predictions and MLB picks for Sunday Night Baseball on May 10.

Who will win Tigers vs Royals today: Tigers (+110)

This is all about the Kansas City Royals' pitching. 

Noah Cameron has a 6.32 expected ERA for a reason. The biggest reason is he’s survived pretty much exclusively on his fastball, with several underlying metrics screaming he’s overperforming even his already bad ERA. Given these factors, the Detroit Tigers should punish him. 

This presents a strong opportunity for Detroit. Riley Greene (.385 xwOBA), Dillon Dingler (.396 xwOBA), and Kevin McGonigle (.390 xwOBA) are all capable of doing real damage against this profile. I’d play this to -110.

COVERS INTEL:Noah Cameron's .455 xwOBA in 2026 is one of the worst marks among active starters

Tigers vs Royals Over/Under pick: Over 8 (-118)

I projected this total at 9.4, would play it to 9.0, and I’m making this my fourthtwo-unit play of the year. 

Hanifee is likely an opener for a presumed bullpen game, but he’s already shown this season he can go multiple innings. Either way, he’ll eventually turn things into a bullpen that isn’t the most rested. 

Circling back to Cameron, his pitching run value ranks in the 5th percentile, and his breaking ball sits in the 2nd. That makes him too overly dependent on a fastball-cutter combination against a Tigers lineup that knows how to manufacture runs. 

Tigers vs Royals odds

• Moneyline: Tigers +109 | Royals -121
• Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-155) | Royals -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (+105)

Tigers vs Royals trend

The Detroit Tigers have hit the team total Over in 13 of their last 20 games (+5.50 Units / 23% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Royals.

How to watch Tigers vs Royals and game info

Tigers vs Royals latest injuries

Tigers vs Royals weather

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.

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The red-hot Kansas City Royals go for the sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Sunday Night Baseball on Peacock at 7:20 p.m. ET.

What’s in store for star hitters Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino, and starting pitcher Noah Cameron?

Let’s break down my favorite Tigers vs. Royals props and free MLB picks for Sunday, May 10. 

For the full game breakdown, check out our Tigers vs. Royals predictions.

Tigers vs Royals props for May 10

Pick	Odds
Bobby Witt Jr. to record an RBI	+155
Noah Cameron Over 15.5 outs recorded	-108
Vinnie Pasquantino Over 1.5 H/R/R	-135

Tigers vs Royals player prop picks

Bobby Witt Jr. to record an RBI (+155)

Bobby Witt Jr. is a man possessed when he plays at Kauffman Stadium, posting a career 145 wRC+ while slashing .313/.365/.550.

He rarely strikes out, owns a 15.2% K-rate, and brings plenty of power with a .236 ISO. That makes him an appealing target in the player prop market, especially with a large enough home sample size to fully buy into the production boost.

This season, 13 of Witt’s 19 RBIs have come at home. Detroit is also turning to another bullpen game with its rotation wrecked by injuries, making this a very manageable matchup for Witt to drive in a run.

Noah Cameron Over 15.5 outs recorded (-108)

The Tigers are slumping, dropping five straight games while scoring only four total runs through the first two matchups of this series.

Detroit has also struggled badly away from home with a 6-16 road record, and the lineup is dealing with injuries to Kerry Carpenter, Gleyber Torres, Javier Baez, and Parker Meadows.

That sets up well for Kansas City starter Noah Cameron, especially against a Tigers lineup that owns just a 92 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. Cameron has cleared this outs recorded number in 20 of his 30 career starts and has been effective at Kauffman Stadium with a 3.31 ERA, giving him a strong path to work deep enough to cash this prop.

Vinnie Pasquantino Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs (-135)

Vinnie Pasquantino is heating up after a very slow start to the season, making this a good time to target his bat while the production is climbing.

After finishing April with a .165 average, Pasquantino is batting .263 in May and averaging 2.1 Hits, Runs, and RBIs this month.

The underlying metrics back up the improvement, with his hard-hit rate climbing 10 percentage points to 41.4%. Hitting in a premium lineup spot, usually third, Pasquantino is well-positioned to take advantage of Detroit’s pitching chaos approach.

How to watch Tigers vs Royals and game info

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.

Yesterday was a missed opportunity for the Nats, but they still have a chance to get the series win this afternoon. They have an early game today that is nationally televised. It will be a good chance for the boys to show what they have. Hopefully they can secure yet another road series win.

The lineup will look a little different today. After a couple shaky games at shortstop, CJ Abrams will DH today. Nasim Nunez will move over to short and Jorbit Vivas will play second. Outside of that, the lineup will be the same as yesterday. They have scored early against the Marlins this series, but have taken their foot off the gas. Cade Cavalli will get the ball looking to bounce back from a rough outing.

The Marlins have a couple new faces in the lineup. Javier Sanoja will get his first start of the series and Christopher Morel will be in the DH spot after not playing last night. Liam Hicks will actually be sliding over to first base today and is hitting second. Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara will get the ball, and he looks better than he did last year as he is further removed from his Tommy John Surgery.

Game Info:

Stadium: loanDepot Park

Time: 12:15 PM EST

TV: NBCSN and Peacock

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

After coming up short yesterday, the Nats need to get back on the horse and bounce back. They face a tough pitcher, but this lineup has proven they can handle that. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

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The Pittsburgh Pirates look to notch their seventh win in nine games when they face the San Francisco Giants this afternoon

Our MLB odds have the Giants favored to win despite the hosts having lost nine of their last 11 games.

My Pirates vs. Giants predictions and MLB picks explain why the Patrick Bailey trade makes the home pitching staff even more vulnerable to a rough outing. 

Who will win Pirates vs Giants today: Pirates (+102)

The Pittsburgh Pirates 20-hit outburst on Saturday wasn’t a fluke. The Pirates rank fourth in xwOBA over the past two weeks with a .339 mark while sitting third in MLB in wRC+ over that span.

It also came immediately after the San Francisco Giants traded Patrick Bailey, arguably the best pitch framer in baseball. The Giants' pitching staff looked noticeably more vulnerable without him behind the plate.

That’s bad news for Tyler Mahle, who enters with a 4.50 BB/9 ratio and now loses an elite catcher who consistently stole strikes for his pitchers.

The Pirates have also dramatically improved their plate discipline lately, carrying just a 5% strikeout rate over the past two weeks — a major boost against a pitcher prone to issuing walks.

COVERS INTEL: Eric Haase, San Francisco’s projected catcher for Sunday, owns a 63% called strike rate on pitches 1-2 inches inside the zone — 25% lower than the league average.

Pirates vs Giants Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-115)

Saturday’s matchup produced 16 runs, and another high-scoring game is very much in play Sunday afternoon.

The Pirates are slugging .416 over the past two weeks while posting a 37% hard-hit rate that ranks second in baseball during that stretch.

Bubba Chandler has also been far less effective on the road, allowing opponents to slug .448 with four home runs surrendered in just 18 2/3 innings away from Pittsburgh.

Mahle’s control issues should continue giving the Pirates free baserunners, and the weather conditions only help the Over case further, with winds expected to blow out to left field at more than 10 mph.

Pirates vs Giants odds

• Moneyline: Pirates +104 | Giants -108
• Run line: Pirates -1.5 (+178) | Giants +1.5 (-186)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+113) | Under 8.5 (-117)

Pirates vs Giants trend

The Pittsburgh Pirates have hit the Moneyline in 11 of their last 18 away games (+5.20 Units / 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Pirates vs. Giants.

How to watch Pirates vs Giants and game info

Pirates vs Giants latest injuries

Pirates vs Giants weather

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.

Most days during our Yankees Birthday series have been highlight a player who was born on that particular day. While the players are the ones we watch on a day in and day out basis, it takes more than them to make a baseball team go, and today we’ll look back on someone who had a major impact in franchise history off the field.

You can make an argument that Ed Barrow is one of the single most important people in franchise history. While in the front office, he played a key role in the Yankees finally getting over the World Series hump, and then them winning a bunch more, as they became the preeminent MLB franchise.

Edward Grant “Ed” Barrow
Born: May 10, 1868 (Springfield, IL)
Died: December 15, 1953 (Port Chester, NY)
Yankees Executive Tenure: 1920-45

Barrow was born in Springfield, IL in 1968, but his birth came as his family was moving to Nebraska in search of farmland. His family settled there for a couple years, but the Barrows would later move to Iowa, where Ed spent much of his youth.

As a teenager, Barrow began working as a mailing clerk for a Des Moines, IA newspaper, eventually working his way up to a reporter job with the Des Moines Leader. He used his higher position to create a local baseball team, which featured future Hall of Famer Fred Clarke among others.

Barrow later moved to Pittsburgh and worked in some other industries before returning to baseball. He bought pieces of several minor league teams, including the Patterson (NJ) Silk Weavers, eventually also managing the team. He ended up signing a young Honus Wagner from the team, giving the future Hall of Famer his start in pro baseball. After holding a number of positions around baseball, he bought a share of the Toronto Maple Leafs (the baseball version) of the Eastern League, also eventually becoming their manager. He managed to help turn them around from a struggling franchise to the EL pennant winners in 1902. That quick turnaround led to the Detroit Tigers hiring him as manager for 1903.

In Detroit, Barrow helped improve the Tigers’ spot in the standings in his first season. However that offseason, new owners bought the team and Barrow soon found himself at odds with some of the new brass and resigned partway through 1904. He returned to the minor leagues for a while after that, eventually getting the position of president of the Eastern League. Under him, the league was redubbed the “International League,” which it still exists as today in Triple-A. Later in his run, he tried to build up a third major league with some IL franchises, leading him to clash with some of the league’s owners and them eventually ousting Barrow.

By this point, Barrow’s reputation in baseball had grown enough that he was then quickly hired to manage the Boston Red Sox. Boston had finished in second in the AL the previous season, but with some savvy additions, Barrow took them to the AL pennant in 1918. However, the savviest move was putting to use the hitting ability of the young Red Sox pitcher Babe Ruth. In addition to hitting a league-leading 11 homers, Ruth then won two games on the mound in the World Series as the Red Sox won the title. As we Yankee fans once liked to point out, it would be Boston’s last for a while.

The Red Sox fell under .500 the following two seasons, and against Barrow’s wishes, Ruth was famously sold to the Yankees after 1919. His frustrations eventually boiled over, and the Yankees’ owners gave him an opportunity to become the team’s business manager. He took that opportunity, resigned from Boston, and jumped to New York. With the Yankees, Barrow’s position morphed into something resembling the general manager job of today. He was generally in charge of contract negotiation and player acquisition, while acting as an intermediary between ownership and on-field manager Miller Huggins.

While Ruth’s move to the Yankees did predate Barrow, almost every other move in the 1920s through the next couple decades, many of which led to championships, can be traced back to Barrow in some way. He hired scout Paul Krichell, who quickly discovered Lou Gehrig, and then also scouted and signed the likes of Tony Lazzeri, Phil Rizzuto, and Whitey Ford. Barrow stuck by Huggins despite internal and external pressure, who eventually led the Yankees to their first couple titles, and then later hired Joe McCarthy. He played a role in helping the Yankees secure their move to Yankee Stadium. He signed a young Joe DiMaggio out of the Pacific Coast League. His protégé, George Weiss, later became Yankees GM and led the team to a host of even more World Series titles. During Barrow’s tenure from 1920-45, the Yankees won 10 World Series titles, never mind the ones that came after that he deserves an assist for.

In 1945, the estate of Jacob Rupert, who had hired Barrow, sold the Yankees to Larry MacPhail, Dan Topping, and Del Webb. The new owners moved Barrow to a ceremonial position and advisor, and Barrow eventually retired from baseball in 1946. MacPhail briefly held the GM position for a couple years before Weiss took over and continued on with the franchise’s dominance.

After leaving the Yankees, Barrow was offered the position of commissioner, but declined, citing his age. He remained in the New York area until he passed away in 1953. Shortly after his passing, he was voted into the Hall of Fame and given a Monument Park plaque by the Yankees. Beyond what his teams did on the field, Barrow was the innovator of putting numbers on players’ uniforms, as well as retiring them, as he did initially with Lou Gehrig’s No. 4. He was the first to let fans keep foul balls. There’s so much about the Yankees and baseball that you can trace back to Ed Barrow in some form.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

The Cincinnati Reds are an absolute wreck.

The Cincinnati Reds are 1.5 games out of a playoff spot.

The Cincinnati Reds pitching staff owns the single worst xERA in baseball (5.21).

The Cincinnati Reds are two games over .500.

The Cincinnati Reds have a team wRC+ of 87, fourth worst in baseball and ahead of only the 17-22 Boston Red Sox, last place New York Mets, and last place San Francisco Giants.

The Cincinnati Reds just lost eight straight games, including three straight as walk-offs.

The Cincinnati Reds just won yesterday, ending that losing streak.

The Cincinnati Reds have Chase Burns.

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The Cincinnati Reds have been without ace Hunter Greene all season, and without #2 Nick Lodolo for all but one start this year. They’ve lost their closer in Emilio Pagan and rotation depth with Brandon Williamson. Big slugging Eugenio Suarez has been out two weeks with an oblique, and wasn’t exactly their 49-homer superstar when healthy.

Andrew Abbott looks woefully mediocre.

The bats of Ke’Bryan Hayes and TJ Friedl look hopelessly washed as they near 30, the hope that Matt McLain ever regains his 2023 form has almost completely evaporated. So, too, has much of the expectation that Noelvi Marte will figure it out at the big league level, with him now firmly in the same AAAA bucket as Rece Hinds.

Despite that – despite all of that – the Reds have made it through one-quarter of the 2026 season with their heads above water, two games over the .500 mark on a Sunday morning with a chance to win a series against the Houston Astros on their docket for the afternoon.

And they owe a gargantuan portion of that to young Chase Burns.

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Burns, still just 23, has been the single most valuable pitcher in the National League so far in 2026 according to Baseball Reference (2.1 bWAR). His 2.11 ERA ranks 3rd in the NL among qualifying pitchers, his 47.0 IP perhaps even more valuable (and 10th overall in the league) given the troubles the rest of the Cincinnati rotation has heaped upon its overworked bullpen.

Most recently, though, you’ve seen a Burns that wasn’t just good, he was rise to the occasion good. When his team was bruised and battered after two bad losses to the Pittsburgh Pirates last weekend, he poured in a career-best 7.0 IP of scoreless ball for his club (even though the offense didn’t hold up their end of the bargain). One full turn of the rotation later, the Reds still hadn’t found a way to win a single game, and he poured in another gem with 6.0 IP of ER ball against Houston to help them finally, mercifully get back into the win column.

That’s a rock on which this team can lean. That’s a bona fide stopper within the rotation. That’s precisely the kind of part of a team that can almost singlehandedly redirect a team’s momentum, a cog this iteration of Reds need so badly right now it’s hard to understate.

If that proves to also make him a human reset button, perhaps yesterday is what gets the rest of this team out of the gutter. Perhaps him showing up unfazed, uninterrupted yesterday will help remind the dugout that they, too, can shelve the poor form of the last few weeks and walk into the 1st inning of today’s game with a clean slate.

And if Burns can continue to do that for another turn in the rotation, these Reds are going to get Geno back in the lineup. If Burns can do it for another handful of turns, they’ll get Pagan back, too. If he can help bridge them to early July, this Reds club will have Burns and Greene atop their rotation and not a team in the sport is going to want to face them back to back.

Saturday’s outing by Burns is a microcosm of just how vital to this team he has already become just 16 – yes, just sixteen – starts into his big league career. And if he keeps it up, he might just save this Cincinnati Reds season.

Texas Rangers lineup for May 10, 2026 against the Chicago Cubs: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Cubs and Jameson Taillon for the Cubs.

Texas will try to make it a two game winning streak this afternoon, and win the series against the Cubs.

The lineup:

Nimmo — RF

Duran — 2B

Seager — SS

Jung — 3B

Carter — CF

Pederson — DH

Osuna — LF

Jansen — C

Foscue — 1B

1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -125 favorites.

Hickory’s Saturday and Sunday games have been cancelled due to a fire in the visitor’s clubhouse.

Hub City starter Ismael Agreda allowed allowed a homer to Devin Fitz-Gerald to lead off the game, then allowed just one more run in five innings, walking one and striking out seven. With Hickory not going, A.J. Russell, who was slated to pitch for Hickory on Saturday, made his high-A debut for Hub City. He struck out four in three perfect innings. Joey Danielson struck out two in a scoreless inning.

Gleider Figuereo tripled. Maxon Martin was 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Malcolm Moore had a pair of hits. Paxton Kling had a hit.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter Dylan MacLean allowed three runs in 4.2 IP, striking out four and walking two.

Dylan Dreiling homered twice. Ian Moller had a hit and a walk. Keith Jones II had a pair of hits.

Frisco box score

For Round Rock, Robbie Ahlstrom struck out two in a shutout inning. Dane Acker struck out one and walked one in two scoreless innings.

Aaron Zavala homered and walked.

Round Rock box score

The San Diego Padres really needed a win. They’d take it any way that they could get it, eking out a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals after failing to score a single run in 21 consecutive innings until Ty France’s fifth inning home run.

It was all the runs that they would need, with starter Randy Vásquez pitching five solid innings of one-run ball and Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Mason Miller each pitching scoreless appearances in relief. However, Adrian Morejon did allow a run in 2/3 of an inning in the top of the eighth.

Miller regained the MLB lead in saves by pitching his 12th of the season. He was briefly tied for the lead with Cards closer Riley O’Brien and Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians.

Miller pitched a four-out save for just the second time this season, and struggled with command in the ninth inning, issuing back-to-back walks to the first two batters. Miller worked out of the jam by striking out four (yes, that’s right) and secured the win for San Diego.

The Friars will need their offense to produce a little more if they hope to take the finale and salvage a split with St. Louis after dropping the first two games.

Taking the mound

Kyle Leahy (STL) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

In doing so, they’ll face Leahy. The young right-hander has yet to find any legitimate success in his MLB career. He’s spent his career in the St. Louis bullpen and was stretched out before this season in order to bolster the Cards’ rotation depth.

Leahy has been a serviceable back-end starter in the rotation with a 4.93 ERA across his first seven starts. His lasting outing against the Milwaukee Brewers was one of his best, pitching 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Heading into his eighth start of the season, he’ll look to continue that bounce back against the Friars.

The Padres will have Buehler on the bump for them, who has also struggled with consistency in his 2026 with San Diego. He’s pitched to a. 5.64 ERA across 30 1/3 innings.

But Buehler is likely pitching to save his spot on the roster. If he can’t turn things around, he’ll soon be supplanted by the recently-signed Lucas Giolito. Should Buehler stumble in today’s finale against the Red Birds, that decision would be even easier for the Padres’ front office to make.

Batter up!

The Friars haven’t faced Leahy very much before, with him only working out of the bullpen prior to this year. But what they have seen of him has been difficult, with only two hits across a combined 17 at-bats. But that was before Leahy transitioned into a full-time starter role. Now that he’s in that role, the Padres should fare much better against the righty.

1. Jackson Merrill, CF
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, LF
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Ty France, 1B
8. Sung-Mun Song, 2B
9. Rodolfo Durán, C

Tatis was raised to the second spot in the lineup after batting fifth for the last few games. He rewarded skipper Craig Stammen for that faith immediately, hitting a two-run, go-ahead single in the fifth to win the game for the Friars.

Durán had a tough MLB debut, though he caught starter Michael King incredibly well (and was lauded by King after the game). At the plate, the catcher went 0-for-3 and will hope to improve in today’s contest.

Machado’s home run in yesterday’s contest was an encouraging sign that the third baseman may be heating up. He’s been solid to start the year, but has struggled to find a consistent rhythm at the plate. If he can turn that around it would be a huge development for the Padres’ offense.

Relief corps

The Padres used all of their high-leverage relievers to finish out yesterday’s win. Estrada and Adam each pitched hitless inning before Morejon hit some trouble. He allowed a run and only record two outs in the eighth before Miller was called upon to get a four-out save.

He did so swimmingly, though Miller made it more interesting than the Friar Faithful would have liked. After walking the first two batters, he struck out the next three. But catcher Freddy Fermin dropped the third strike to Yohel Pozo, allowing him to reach first base and load the bases. With the top of the order now up, Miller struck out JJ Wetherholt in four pitches to end the rally.

In today’s finale, the Friars will have to hope that Buehler can pitch better than he has lately. Ron Marinaccio, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez represent mostly lower leverage options who could easily give up the lead in a close game.

That being said, all of them are able to cover multiple innings. If Buehler falters, they’ll easily cover the remaining innings for San Diego.

The road back from injury has reached its final stop for Carlos Rodón, who was activated this morning by the Yankees on the day of his season debut against the Milwaukee Brewers, adding talent to an already stacked rotation. To make room for Rodón’s addition to the MLB roster, the Yankees will send down right-hander Kervin Castro, whose time with the big league club was short-lived.

Utilizing a window in between different “starters” as Brendan Beck filled in as the bulk man in a Ryan Weathers illness-caused bullpen game before Rodón was ready for his first start, the Yankees added Castro to deepen their bullpen for a few games. Castro ended up covering two innings, allowing one run and striking out two in Friday’s shutout loss to the Brewers, and now returns to Triple-A. It was his first big-league action for any team since 2022.

Moving up gradually through the Yankees’ minor league system, Rodón makes his season debut with the big league club, having completed exactly one start in High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A—the latest of these covering 6.1 innings for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. It wasn’t the most efficient of outings, with Rodón allowing six runs, but all that matters is that he is healthy and ready to go.

Bobby Cox passed away yesterday, just a few days short of his 85th birthday.

Cox became our third manager after Roy Hartsfield and Bobby Mattick. After five losing seasons, fans were frustrated and eager for change. Cox was the first manager who appeared focused on winning.

Cox had managed the Atlanta Braves for the previous four years, working to turn them into a contender. Progress was being made, but the 1981 season was disrupted by a players’ strike, resulting in a strange, split season where the Braves struggled in both halves. Back then, the team was owned by Ted Turner (who died just a few days before Cox), who loved the spotlight and wanted to be associated with a winning club. Turner didn’t want a losing team—he wanted admiration. Even so, he never seemed entirely convinced that firing Cox was the right move:

Asked at a press conference who was on his short list for manager, Turner replied, “It would be Bobby Cox if I hadn’t just fired him. We need someone like him around here.”

The Blue Jays moved quickly to hire Cox, recognizing the opportunity. It proved to be an inspired decision.

Bobby quickly identified players with limited ability and put them in platoon roles, maximizing their contributions.

In 1982, he implemented a platoon at catcher, dividing playing time between Ernie Whitt—who had hit just .236/.307/.297 the previous season—and Buck Martinez, a long-time backup whose on-base and slugging numbers were typically modest. Cox also paired two backup middle infielders at third base, left-handed hitter Rance Mulliniks and right-handed Garth Iorg, creating an effective left-right platoon.

In 1983, Cox devised an elaborate outfield platoon system: Dave Collins played left field against right-handed pitchers, while Jesse Barfield took over right field against left-handers, with George Bell shifting between the two positions as needed.

In 1984, Cox continued his platoon approach at designated hitter, using Cliff Johnson against left-handed pitchers and Willie Aikens against right-handers. The following season, Al Oliver became the primary DH versus right-handed pitching.

The catcher and third base platoons worked very well. 1983 Whitt and Martinez hit 27 home runs and drove in 89 runs between them. Cox doesn’t deserve all the credit. In 1982, Cox brought in Cito Gaston to be the hitting coach. Cito taught Whitt and Martinez to pull the ball, which they took to well, especially Whitt, whose swing became an all-out pull.

Arguably, one of the most important contributions Bobby Cox made was bringing in coaches Cito Gaston and John Sullivan. Cito’s story is well known, and the organization owes Cox a great deal for introducing him to the Blue Jays. Sullivan, meanwhile, remained with the team as bullpen coach until after the 1993 season.

In Bobby’s 4 years with the team, a number of our best players became regulars: Willie Upshaw, Jesse Barfield, Rance Mulliniks, George Bell, Jimmy Key, Jim Acker, Tony Fernandez and Tom Henke, to name a few.

His time with the Jays wasn’t an instant success. The Jays went 78-84, finishing 6th in 1982, but Cox had a lot of the parts in place that would move the team up the standings.

In 1983, the Blue Jays made a significant leap, finishing 89-73, though it was only good for fourth place. Ernie Whitt discovered his power, hitting 17 home runs in 123 games, while Willie Upshaw and Jesse Barfield each contributed 27 homers.

Cox benefited from the Jays’ farm system, which finally began producing major league-calibre players.

The Blue Jays matched their win total in 1984, finishing 89-73 for the second straight year. This time, they placed second, though they remained 15 games behind the Tigers, who dominated the league with a 104-58 record. George Bell became a full-time player for the first time, hitting 26 home runs and driving in 87. Rance Mulliniks broke through at the plate, batting .275/.373/.467, while Lloyd Moseby enjoyed his first standout year, hitting .315/.376/.499 with 18 home runs.

After four years under Cox’s helm and in our ninth MLB season, the Blue Jays finally reached the playoffs in 1985. Sadly, we fell to the Royals in a dramatic seven-game ALCS. Cox’s platoon strategies, which had been so effective, were ultimately exploited by Royals manager Dick Howser. With the Jays up three games to one, Howser countered by starting a right-hander and then bringing in a lefty during the middle innings, prompting Cox to remove his left-handed bats from the lineup. This allowed closer Dan Quisenberry—a submariner who was dominant against right-handed hitters but vulnerable to lefties—to avoid facing our left-handed threats. Coupled with the challenge of containing George Brett, who torched the Jays with a .348/.500/.826 line and three home runs, these tactical moves cost the team the series. Nevertheless, Bobby was named AL Manager of the Year for his efforts.

After the playoff loss, the Braves offered Cox their general manager position. He accepted and remained with Atlanta until 2010. The Blue Jays stayed playoff contenders for the next eight years and, of course, eventually won the World Series twice. It’s hard to imagine those championships happening without Bobby Cox’s influence—especially considering he was responsible for bringing Cito Gaston into the organization. Many of the players and coaches who played key roles in those playoff runs got their start under Cox.

Cox had a 2195-1698 record as a manager, the fourth-most wins in baseball history. He also holds the MLB record for most ejections, generally in an effort to keep his players from being ejected.

I always admired Bobby Cox. His commitment to platooning was remarkable. With today’s eight- or nine-man bullpens, it would be much harder to platoon at so many positions. I valued how everyone on his bench knew their role and had a purpose. Cox wasn’t afraid to put his faith in young players, giving them meaningful chances to prove themselves rather than moving on too quickly. With young pitchers, he often started them in the bullpen, letting them gain experience against big-league hitters in less stressful situations. I thought he was our first real manager; the previous ones seemed more like caretakers. There was no expectation of winning, and they didn’t do much to push the team towards it.

If Bobby Cox had stayed on after the 1985 season, it’s hard to say how much would have truly changed—and it’s probably not worth dwelling on. The Blue Jays got their World Series wins, and Cox enjoyed a remarkable run in Atlanta. I like to imagine he could have prevented the sudden decline after 1993, but in reality, he likely wouldn’t have stayed on as manager under Gord Ash. By that point, he probably would have wanted a general manager role instead.

Cox’s achievements with the Braves earned him a place in the Hall of Fame, but his time with the Blue Jays laid the foundation for the Blue Jays’ later success as well.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (18-20) won 11-10 (BOX SCORE)

Bielak got the start and allowed 2 runs in the first inning. The offense responded with 3 runs in the 3rd on a Biggio walk, Winker walk and Unroe hit by pitch. Bielak allowed another 5 runs in the 4th, as he went 4 innings allowing 7 runs total. The offense battled back getting 2 runs in the 5th inning on Sacco and Biggio solo home runs. They scored 3 more runs in the 6th on a Johnson solo home run and Alexander 2 run home run. The pen allowed 3 runs as the Isotopes took the lead. Sugar Land tied things up in the 8th on a Sacco run single. The game was tied in the 9th but in the bottom half, Sacco walked it off with an RBI single as Sugar Land won 11-10.

Note: Santa has a 1.69 ERA this season.

• Daniel Johnson, CF: 4-for-6, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, SB
• James Nelson, LF: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, SB
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 2-for-5, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Carlos Perez, C: 2-for-5, R, 2 2B, BB
• Tommy Sacco, 3B: 3-for-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB
• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Jack Winkler, DH: 0-for-2, RBI, 3 BB
• Riley Unroe, SS: 0-for-3, RBI, BB

• Brandon Bielak, RHP: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Josh Hader, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Nate Pearson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Anthony Maldonado, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• J.P. France, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (WIN)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (15-17) lost 7-5 (BOX SCORE)

Gillis started for the Hooks and allowed 5 runs over 4.2 innings, with 4 of those runs coming in the first inning. The offense got on the board in the 5th scoring 2 runs on a Hernandez groundout and Bush RBI single. The offense chipped away getting a run in the 6th on an Encarnacion groundout, a run in the 7th on a Hernandez RBI double and a run in the 8th on a Sullivan solo home run to tie it. The Cardinals got 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th to take the lead and the Hooks was unable to respond as they fell 7-5.

Note: Sullivan has 6 home runs over his last 10 games.

• Will Bush, C: 2-for-4, RBI, BB
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 1-for-4, 2B
• Joseph Sullivan, CF: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Garret Guillemette, 1B: 1-for-4, R
• Luis Baez, LF: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 2B
• Alberto Hernandez, 2B: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Derek True, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (8-24) lost 17-13 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville but really struggling allowing 9 runs over 3 innings. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring 4 runs on a Schiavone solo home run, Batista solo home run, Walker RBI double and Thomas RBI groundout. They got 3 more runs in the third on a Batista 2 run double and Powell RBI double. The offense would continue to rally scoring 5 runs in the 4th inning on a Schiavone walk, Brutcher RBI single, Batista groundout and Daudet 2 run double. Walker would add an RBI double in the 6th. Carr pitched in relief and was doing well until the 8th where he allowed 6 runs as the Emperors took the lead. The offense was unable to score again as Asheville fell 17-13.

Note: Thomas is hitting .307 this season.

• Justin Thomas, RF: 2-for-5, R, RBI, BB
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-6, R
• Ethan Frey, CF: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Jason Schiavone, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
• Freuddy Batista, C: 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
• Caden Powell, LF: 4-for-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 SB
• Zach Daudet, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Kyle Walker, SS: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 3.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (12-20) lost 8-6 (BOX SCORE) 

Forcucci got the start and had his best outing as a pro allowing 1 run, which came in the first inning, over 3 innings. The offense responded with 2 runs in the first inning on an Ochoa RBI double and a run on a balk. MacRae relieved Forcucci and allowed 3 runs over 3 innings. Next in was Varela who allowed 4 more runs as the Woodpeckers found themselves down 8-2. They battled back getting a run in the 7th on an Ochoa RBI single. They got 2 more runs in the 8th on a Vasquez 2 run double. The offense got one more in the 9th on a Huezo groundout but that was it as the Woodpeckers fell 8-6.

Note: Ochoa is hitting .322 this season.

• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 0-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-4, R, BB
• Nehomar Ochoa, 1B: 4-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Camilo Diaz, DH: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• German Ramirez, SS: 1-for-4, R, BB, SB
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI

• Ryan Forcucci, RHP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Cole MacRae, RHP: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ryan Weiss – 2:05 CT

CC: Trey Dombroski – 1:15 CT

AV: Nolan DeVos – 12:05 CT

FV: TBD – 4:05 CT