Jacob Lopez takes the mound today against the White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago. | David Frerker-Imagn Images
The 41-52 Athletics take on the 47-45 Chicago White Sox at Rate Field in Chicago today. The Southsiders are in the midst of the most dramatic turn-around from last season, currently sitting in first place in the American League (AL) Central, while the visiting A’s are mired in a six-game losing streak and open the day in fourth place in the AL West.
Taking the mound this afternoon for the A’s is Jacob Lopez. The 28-year-old lefty is 4-3 in thirteen appearances with a 7.04 ERA. He has had forty-two strikeouts in 53.2 innings this year. He’ll go up against 26-year-old righty Sean Burke for the Pale Hose. Burke is 5-4 with a 3.56 ERA over the course of eighteen appearances this season. The White Sox will be thrilled to see rookie phenom Munetaka Murakami return to their lineup today after more than a month on the Injured List (IL) with a right hamstring strain.
Burke will face off against this lineup for Mark Kotsay’s Athletics:
Lopez will battle this lineup for Will Venable’s White Sox:
KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 19: Luinder Avila #58 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during warm ups prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, June 19, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I really wish I could find a shirt like the one Luinder Avila is wearing in the photo I’ve attached to this piece in my size. If y’all see anything like that somewhere in a 4XL or 5XL and could let me know, I’d super duper appreciate it.
Oh yeah, we’re here to talk about baseball. The Royals are playing the Orioles in Baltimore tonight. Luinder Avila is going to start for KC. To say that his results have been mixed since he joined the rotation following a variety of pitching injuries would not be an overstatement. He has a 5.04 ERA, thanks in no small part to his wimpy 6.2% K-BB%. He needs to strike more guys out and walk fewer while starting. The curveball that was his bread and butter coming up through the system is now his fourth-most-used pitch out of five. His sinker and slider have been the only pitches he’s been able to throw with much effectiveness, but he still struggles to get them – or any – of his pitches in the strike zone. When a hitter chases a lot, he’s going to be streaky (see: Salvador Perez). When a pitcher struggles to throw strikes, even with stuff as good as Avila’s, he will also be streaky, and that’s what we’re seeing here. He’s going to need to improve if he wants to have a career as long as teammates Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, and the easiest way for that to happen is probably to move him to the bullpen, where he can simplify things. But the Royals are already relying on Randy Dobnak as a bulk reliever, so he’s stuck in the rotation for now.
The Orioles will use Brandon Young and I’ve got to be honest, I’d never heard of the guy before today. Young and Avila are remarkably similar in many respects, though Young’s stuff isn’t quite as good. Young throws a splitter instead of a changeup, and he’s been slightly better at getting it in the strike zone, so he’s generated a fair bit more chase when he leaves the zone. Young leans a lot heavier on his four-seam fastball than Avila. Despite its lower velocity and spin rate, it gets drastically more movement, which has allowed him to keep hitters from squaring it up as well. Oddly enough, they share an identical xwOBA, so Young has probably been on the luckier side. But he walks significantly fewer batters, so that helps too.
Lineups
As you likely saw earlier today, Vinnie Pasquantino has rejoined the Royals less than a month after suffering a hamate bone injury. That usually keeps guys out for longer, but he’s Vinnie, so he’s back. Inexplicably, he’s not in tonight’s starting lineup. Why is he back if he’s not playing? Salvador Perez is starting at first, and he is a downgrade both defensively and offensively. Nick Loftin is DHing and while he’s been hitting better the past few days, he’s not exactly you would usually see a manager feel like he has to get into the lineup. All in all, this makes pretty much no sense to me. Baseball!
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 27: Brandon Young #63 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 27, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles and Royals are both bad. Remember when they were both good? Those were the days. Well, until the playoffs came anyway. But let’s talk about something else.
Brandon Young is pitching for the Orioles tonight, AKA the Orioles ace. His last start against the Reds wasn’t great, but everyone’s allowed to have a bump in the road. Hopefully, he’s back on track after that.
Luinder Avila is starting for the Royals. He has a 5.05 ERA and a 1.587 WHIP, which makes me oddly nervous. You know what I mean. Avila started the year in the bullpen but has been in the rotation since June 1st. He doesn’t generally go more than five innings. Again, that makes me nervous. It’s hard being an Orioles fan.
Orioles lineup
Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Adley Rutschman (S) C Taylor Ward (R) LF Pete Alonso (R) 1B Samuel Basallo (L) DH Dylan Beavers (L) RF Colton Cowser (L) CF Blaze Alexander (R) 3B Jackson Holliday (L) 2B
Royals lineup
Carter Jensen (L) C Bobby Witt Jr. (R) SS Jac Caglianone (L) RF Lane Thomas (R) CF Michael Massey (L) 2B Salvador Perez (R) 1B Josh Rojas (L) 3B Nick Loftin (R) DH Isaac Collins (S) LF
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander, right, congratulates shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) for scoring a run against Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Friday, June 26, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers (43-50) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (52-42)
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:The Good Phight Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Jack Flaherty (2-8, 4.60 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (3-6, 5.87 ERA)
Jul 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates his solo home run against the Kansas City Royals with teammates in the dugout during the seventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – CF
Juan Soto – LF
Francisco Lindor – SS
Carson Benge – RF
Jorge Polanco – DH
Jared Young – 1B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Brett Baty – 3B
Zack Short – 2B
Nolan McLean – RHP
Red Sox lineup
Anthony Seigler – 2B
Ceddanne Rafaela – CF
Wilyer Abreu – RF
Romy González – 1B
Masataka Yoshida – DH
Caleb Durbin – 3B
Jarren Duran – LF
Connor Wong – C
Tsung-Che Cheng – SS
Sonny Gray – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:15pm EDT TV: Apple TV Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Comerica Park on June 24, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At last we have arrived at the final series of the first half. In the Aaron Boone era we have generally been happy to see the All-Star break coming, and 2026 has been no different. The Yankees managed a split of their recent four-game battle with the Rays, for now their betters in the AL East. But the past month has seen a plethora of injuries, underperformance, and quite a bit of generally dull baseball.
It’s hard to believe this weekend series with the Washington Nationals will be dull. The young Nats, led by 34-year-old manager Blake Butera, ooze pure entertainment value. Their games are what a hockey fan might call ‘high-event’: they score a ton of runs while allowing just as many to come home. Their record entering this series is 48-46—a massive step forward from the Dave Martinez lame-duck period. Speaking candidly as a guy who was born in DC, readers, it warms my heart to see good vibes around that team again. Now let’s dive into this pitching matchup.
I saw a melodramatic post on Twitter—well, I wasn’t on Twitter, it was shown to me against my will—showing similarities in the recent performances of both the Yankees and Mets. That post labeled Ryan Weathers as a “failed pitching acquisition,” which caused me to roll my eyes and move on with my day. It is true that Weathers has been inconsistent in his first 17 starts, but his noisy ERA belies the fact that he has had plenty of dominant starts when he’s dialed in.
Now, when Weathers gets hit, he gets hit hard. xwOBAcon (expected weighted on-base average on contact) is a helpful little stat which shows just how hard pitchers get hit when hitters connect: his .425 xwOBAcon is a bottom-five-percent mark in MLB. At the same time, he has received little run support from his offense. The Yankees haven’t scored more than five runs in a game Weathers started since May 18th.
What makes the first point more worrisome: the Nationals have a 116 team wRC+ against lefty pitching, which ranks second-best in baseball behind the Cubs (117). Weathers will really have to thread a needle in DC tonight.
Carson Palmquist is a former Rockies draftee in 2022 who joined Washington after Colorado designated him for assignment in late May. Palmquist has appeared in four games, twice as the nominal starter, but has only thrown 6.1 innings in those combined appearances, allowing five runs on eight hits. In the last game he started, he served as an opener for Zack Littell, allowing four early runs in an eventual loss to the Pirates. That seems likely to be the Nats’ strategy again tonight.
Littell has had a rough year in Washington so far, pitching to an ERA just north of 5 this season. Struggles in April and June have overshadowed what was by all accounts a solid month of May in which he went 5-0 with a 2.35 ERA. His mop-up duty for Palmquist was quite strong though—he pitched six quality innings against Pittsburgh in that aforementioned loss.
With the southpaw Palmquist starting, Aaron Boone has opted to place Amed Rosario in the leadoff spot ahead of Ben Rice, shifting Trent Grisham to the three-hole. Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger will follow, with Jasson Domínguez getting bumped down to sixth. Jazz Chisholm, José Caballero, and Austin Wells make up the bottom of the order. Rice will DH; Goldschmidt plays first. Everyone else is playing where you’d expect.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 05: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, June 5, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Did the Red Sox actually make it to Queens?! That was an ordeal a la Doug Mirabello over here!
Can Sonny Gray make another statement before the All Star break or will Nolan McLean send a hoard of Grimaces Boston’s way?
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 06: The Washington Nationals celebrate with after a 12-11 victory against the Houston Astros at Nationals Park on July 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats have had a very successful first half. They have a chance to close it out in style against the New York Yankees. The Yankees have not been playing their best baseball lately, but did manage to split a series against the Rays. However, they still have a powerful lineup that will be tough to contain.
Blake Butera put together an interesting lineup against a left handed starter. Luis Garcia Jr. is in there, but he is hitting 8th. Dylan Crews is all the way up in the 3 spot and Jacob Young is hitting 5th. Andres Chaparro will serve as the DH and Daylen Lile will get the day off. Carson Palmquist will open for Zack Littell.
With the lefty opener, old friend Amed Rosario will be in the leadoff spot. Aaron Judge is hurt, which makes Ben Rice the main man for the Yanks. Rice is coming off a homer-filled series against the Rays. The Yankees have a lefty heavy lineup despite Palmquist opening. Southpaw Ryan Weathers will get the start in this one.
This is a high profile series for the Nats who head into the All-Star break with their best record in years. A series win against the Bronx Bombers would be a great way to cap off a stellar half of baseball. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JUNE 28: Jeremy Pena #3 of the Houston Astros swings the bat in the ninth inning during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/IOS/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros announced today that they have reinstated All-Star SS Jeremy Pena from the IL.
Pena is batting .295 this season with a .356 OBP and .799 OPS. He has 6 HR, 21 RBI and 34 runs scored.
Pena has dealt with 3 separate injuries so far this season. When healthy, he has been an offensive catalyst for a team that very much needs his bat and speed in it’s lineup.
The team designated IF Braden Shewmake for assignment to make room for Pena on the active roster. Shewmake is hitting .256 this season with a .272 OBP and .695 OPS. Should he clear waivers, he seems like a logical candidate to be brought back into the system with Triple-A Sugar Land. Shewmake’s defensive versatility has been an asset for a team that has been without it’s starting 3B for months and has twice put it’s start SS on the IL.
Ryan Clifford of the Syracuse Mets swings the bat during a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ryan Clifford will be the Mets system’s sole representative at the 2026 All-Star Futures Game on Sunday afternoon.
Acquired with Drew Gilbert in exchange for Justin Verlander at the 2023 Trade Deadline, Clifford entered the season ranked the Mets’ No. 8 prospect by Amazin’ Avenue. He is currently ranked No. 2 by MLB Pipeline after the graduations of players like Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and A.J. Ewing.
The 22-year-old first baseman has spent the entire season at Triple-A Syracuse, where he’s hitting .198/.286/.399 with 16 homers and 47 RBI through 85 games played. Clifford has also seen time at the corner outfield positions this season, getting 16 starts in left field and 13 in right to go with 48 starts at first base and six at designated hitter. But his calling card is his power, with 88 homers over the past four seasons. If Clifford goes deep in the Futures Game, he would be the first Met to homer in the event since Francisco Alvarez in 2021.
First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, and the game will air on NBC.
Oct 27, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) celebrates after hitting home run during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game six of the 2020 World Series at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Last year at about this time, the Mariners got stomped by the Yankees and looked ready to limp into the All-Star break with a final series against the best team in baseball. Then they went to Detroit and beat the pants off the Tigers, setting up one of the most important second halves in team history. The Mariners will hope to find a bit of that do-or-die magic again in 2026, after getting swept by the Marlins earlier in the week and now facing the first-place Rays before the pause.
The biggest change for the Mariners today is Colt Emerson is not in the lineup. J.P. Crawford will instead play shortstop and Buddy Kennedy will play third base. Luke Raley also gets a day off in favor of Miles Mastrobuoni in right field.
Julio Rodríguez is not joining the team in Tampa Bay. Brendan Donovan is in Arizona getting ready for a rehab assignment.
Spencer Steer has played just about everywhere across his college and professional careers. One place he has never played, though, is in CF.
On the same day that news broke that Matt McLain would be heading to the 10-day IL with a calf strain he picked up shagging balls in CF as a player who hadn’t played and CF since college, the Reds are going to roll out Steer as their CF in Friday’s series opener in Great American Ball Park against the Chicago Cubs.
That’s right!
Despite the Reds brass having touted Noelvi Marte’s athleticism and natural instincts as capable of playing some CF, Marte will instead start in RF on the night, with the decision to shoehorn Steer into CF the latest in a long, crumbling line of decisions made by the powers that be in Cincinnati. This all also coincides with the return of Ke’Bryan Hayes at 3B, so perhaps the front office is so convinced that Hayes’ defense is transformative at the hot corner that where anyone else plays defensively truly doesn’t matter.
That’s the headline, tonight, or at least the co-headline. The other is that Hunter Greene will make his second start since returning from elbow surgery with hopes that literally anything other than what happened in his first start is what we get to see.
First pitch against the Cubs is set for 7:10 PM ET. Starting lineups for both clubs are listed below.
TONIGHT’S GAME: The Astros and Rangers will renew their rivalry tonight in Arlington, TX, with the first game of a big three-game weekend series at Globe Life Field.
Astros ace RHP Hunter Brown (1-0) will get the start for Houston in what is his seventh start of the season and his first in 2026 opposite the Rangers.
He’ll be opposed by reliever turned starter RHP Cal Quantrill (3-1).
THE SILVER BOOT SERIES: The Astros are 5-2 vs. the Rangers thus far in the 2026 Silver Boot Series, which includes winning three of four in Arlington earlier this season from May 25-28.
Since the start of the 2017 season, the Astros have won or split nine straight season series against the Rangers, going 98-53 against the Rangers in that span.
THIS WEEKEND’S TELECASTS: All three games this series will be televised by Space City Home Network with Kevin Eschenfelder, Geoff Blum and Lauren Callender on the call.
Shelby Coppedge and Brian Bogusevic will host the pre and postgame shows from the SCHN studio.
SUPPORT FOR VENEZUELA: The Astros Foundation held incredibly successful relief drives last week to support Venezuela after devastating earthquakes hit the country on June 24.
With combined efforts from the Astros Foundation, several of the Astros partners and many Astros fans, the group put together 115 pallets of non-perishable food items, household needs, hygiene items and more, which will make their way to Venezuela.
THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 26-18 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span.
On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are 16-10 on their last four road trips combined and are 22-16 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season.
The Astros have won four of their last six road series dating back to May 22.
WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-6 in one-run games and 21-11 in two-run games.
Nine of the Astros last 10 wins and 14 of their last 16 victories have come by two-or-fewer runs.
The last time the Astros won a game by four-plus runs was on June 19 vs. CLE, in a 9-3 win.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!: The Astros would like to wish a Happy Birthday to LHP Steven Okert, who turned 35 yesterday.
Despite being the eldest member of the Astros bullpen, Okert leads the club and ranks third in the AL in appearances (44).
WEDNESDAY IN WASHINGTON: The Astros dropped the rubber game of their three-game series in Washington on Wednesday night by a score of 8-2.
3B Isaac Paredes (2×4) and LF Zach Dezenzo (2×3) both picked up two-hit games in the contest.
1B Christian Walker (1×4) reached a milestone, hitting his 200th career double.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: The Astros have reinstated SS Jeremy Peña from the 10-day IL and have designated IF Braden Shewmake for assignment.
Additionally, RHP Kai-Wei Teng began a minor league rehab assignment for the FCL Astros today, pitching 1.0 scoreless inning.
BROTHER BROWN: RHP Hunter Brown will make his seventh start of the season tonight and his fifth since returning from a lengthy stint on the IL with a right shoulder strain.
He has shown some rust upon his return, but has been effective on the seaon, posting a 3.38 ERA (11ER/29.1IP) while allowing 23 hits in 29.1 IP (.213 opp. avg.) with 35 strikeouts.
ALL-STAR ALVAREZ: DH Yordan Alvarez has been voted by the fans as the starting DH for the AL All- Star team.
This marks the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he has been voted as a starter (also in 2024).
MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez is a strong MVP candidate, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.030), OBP (.416), SLG (.614), and total bases (208).
Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in HR (29), first in RBI (67), tied for first in XBH (45), second in hits (105), second in batting average (.310), third in runs (62), and tied for fourth in walks (59).
THE LONG BALL LIST: DH Yordan Alvarez has hit 199 career homers and is looking become the sixth player in club history to reach the 200-homer mark.
SECOND HOME: DH Yordan Alvarez had a huge four-game series in Arlington earlier this season, hitting .400 (6×15) with five homers, eight RBI, six runs scored and three walks in the four contests.
In just 34 career games at Globe Life Field, Alvarez ranks 12th all-time at the stadium in home runs (17), just ahead of the Rangers DH Joc Pederson (15 HR in 93g) and 1B Jake Burger (11 HR in 94g).
BEST IN TEXAS: 2B Jose Altuve has 38 home runs and 101 RBI in his career vs. the Rangers, which are his most vs. any opponent.
All-time in MLB history opposite the Rangers, Altuve ranks fifth in runs scored (144), seventh in homers (38), and eighth in hits (242).
CONGRATS JV!: The Astros would like to congratulate RHP Justin Verlander on an incredible career after he announced on Wednesday that he would retire following the season.
Verlander pitched parts of seven seasons with the Astros (2017-19, 2021-24) and had some of his best years, winning two World Series titles (2017, 2022), being named an All-Star three times (2018-19, 2022), and earning two Cy Young awards (2019, 2022) in an Astros uniform.
FEELING DRAFTY: The first day of the MLB Draft begins tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. CT and will include rounds 1-4 of a scheduled 20.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, July 10, 7:05 p.m. CT
Location: Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Jul 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Update: the start of the game has been delayed by 10 minutes due to weather. (I’m not convinced that’s the only delay we’ll deal with tonight, nor, apparently, is Curt Hogg.)
It’s the start of the last series before the All-Star break (weather permitting) and the Brewers are in Pittsburgh to wrap things up with a three-game set with the Pirates. Brandon Sproat takes the mound for the Brewers, while first-time All-Star Braxton Ashcraft will pitch for the Pirates.
Before we get to tonight’s starters, we’ve got a transaction to tell you about. Since time is, as they say, a flat circle, the Brewers have signed Bryse Wilson to a major league deal. To make room for him, they’ve sent Drew Rom to Triple-A Nashville and they’ve designated Easton McGee for assignment.
Wilson pitched for the Brewers in 2023 and 2024, serving mostly as a long-relief, semi-mop-up option. In 2023 he had quite a nice year: in 53 outings, Wilson pitched to a 2.58 ERA and went 6-0. He struggled more in 2024, but he pitched over 100 innings in a swingman role and was slightly above league average via ERA+. However, in both seasons Wilson vastly outperformed his peripheral numbers, and since leaving the Brewers, things have been a struggle. He made 20 appearances for the White Sox in 2025 and had a 6.65 ERA in 47 1/3 innings; in three big-league appearances in 2026 (two with the Cubs, one with the Phillies) he’s allowed seven runs, all earned, in 9 2/3 innings. Wilson’s role with the Brewers, for however long it lasts (likely not long), will surely be similar to what it was when he last pitched for them in 2024: mop-up duty. (For those who are optimists, Wilson is generally good at not walking guys, but he doesn’t really strike them out, either, and over the last couple seasons he has been eminently hittable, with about 12.5 hits per nine innings.)
Back to tonight’s action. Sproat will look to get into the break on a high note. Sproat’s last outing was a mixture of good and bad: he was not pitching well, needed 92 pitches, and allowed eight baserunners to get through just four innings pitched. But the good news is that he was mostly able to work his way out of trouble, too, and he somehow allowed just one run in those four innings, a game which Milwaukee eventually won 3-2 against the Diamondbacks. It was an encouraging sign of maturation that he didn’t just implode when things weren’t going well. Since the beginning of June, Sproat has a very solid 3.30 ERA in 30 innings pitched and the team is 5-1 in his starts, a stark contrast to his 6.24 ERA and 5-6 team record prior to last month.
Ashcraft has been quite good for Pittsburgh, as evidenced by his status as an All-Star injury replacement. He’s just 26 and in his second season, and he’s done nothing but pitch well since his debut in late May of last season. This year, Ashcraft is 9-3 with a 3.24 ERA (134 ERA+) and even better 3.16 FIP. He’s got sterling peripherals (10.1 K/9, 2.1 BB/9) and is a hard thrower who plays a curveball and sinker off a four-seamer that sits around 97 mph. The curveball, especially, is one of the better ones in the league.
The Brewers continue to rotate through their position players as they reach the end of this 18-games-in-17-days stretch. Christian Yelich is back in the leadoff spot, while the outfield goes Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, and Sal Frelick from left to right. William Contreras is behind the plate, while the infield is Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, and Jake Bauers.
As I hinted at above, there’s weather moving through Pittsburgh over the next couple of hours. I wouldn’t be surprised if this one doesn’t start on time, though it looks like they should be able to get it in tonight. First pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. CT, so we’ll see what happens. Find the game on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: Pitcher Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates fields the ball and throws to first base to get the out of Henry Bolte #33 of the Athletics in the bottom of the third inning at Sutter Health Park on June 17, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are still at PNC Park for a weekend series as they host the NL Central leader Milwaukee Brewers for a three-game set.
The Pirates hope to start the series off strong with a win by handing the ball to Braxton Ashcraft, who is arguably Pittsburgh’s best starter this season. Ashcraft has won his last four starts and is coming off a win against the Washington Nationals on July 4. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and one earned run, and earned a 7-1 victory on Independence Day.
The Brewers will counter with right-hander Brandon Sproat, who is making his 16th start of the year. Sprote is coming off a short start against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 5, where he pitched four innings and gave up five hits and one earned run. He was not part of the decision because he did not pitch long enough, but the Brewers picked up a 3-2 win. Milwaukee has won each of Sprote’s last four starts, so they hope to continue their hot streak with him on the mound.
It’s the final series before the All-Star break, and with the Pirates sitting at .500, this weekend is critical for Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes.
