Category: Baseball

The Tigers had Monday off to catch up on their errands, and on Tuesday night they opened up a six-game home stand and a three-game series against the Don’t-Call-Them-Sacramento Athletics. Their opponents made a giant mistake which ended up being the difference in a 6-2 win.

Tarik Skubal made his twelfth start of the year. He’s been good since returning from the Injured List, but very uncharacteristically he’s given up quite a few more home runs. Heck, on June 24 at home against the Yankees, he gave up a trio of taters in a losing effort. His previous start, also against the Yankees but in New York, was more in line with what we’re expecting from him: six innings, one hit, one earned run, nine strikeouts. Who would show up tonight?

Facing the Tigers for the A’s was JT Ginn, whose name I like a lot. (His “JT” and mine stand for different things; his stands for “John Thomas” which, if you know your Cockney rhyming slang, is pretty funny.) The right-hander’s left-right splits for batters has been vast: lefties are hitting .251 with a .740 OPS, righties are .169/.520. That’s why AJ Hinch stacked his lineup with lefties…

…and it paid off in the bottom of the first: Kevin McGonigle walked and Colt Keith followed with a long home run to right for a 2-0 lead.

The A’s got a pair of runners into scoring position in the top of the second with two outs, but Skubal got out of trouble with a top-rail strikeout of Max Muncy (the young one, not the older one with the Dodgers; there are two).

The very speedy Henry Bolte — not known for his home-run power, but see above regarding Skubal — hit a solo home run in the third to narrow the gap to 2-1. Apparently he has the highest sprint speed in Major League Baseball.

In the top of the fourth the A’s got two on with two out again with a single and a walk, but a soft line drive was easily handled by Zach McKinstry for the third out. By the end of four innings, some long at-bats had driven up Skubal’s pitch count to a not-so-svelte 78. His night would indeed be done after five innings and 96 pitches, and the only quibble I’d have with it is that it was short: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 9 K.

After four innings the A’s made a pitching change, going with lefty Jacob Lopez to face the lefty-heavy top of the order in the bottom of the fifth. Lopez is usually a starter, so perhaps the A’s were looking for some length from him. He was just called up from Triple-A Las Vegas today, presumably and particularly to face a bunch of Tigers lefties.

Kyle Finnegan took over from Skubal in the sixth, and he gave up a two-out single to rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, his third hit of the night. Kuroda-Grauer thought he’d try for his first stolen base in the bigs, but he ended up getting picked off first by Finnegan to end the inning.

The Tigers would add four surprising runs with two outs in the bottom of the sixth: Zach McKinstry walked and Spencer Torkelson followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Ben Malgeri pinch-hit for James Outman; he swung on the first pitch and popped it up high behind first base, and some major A’s miscommunication resulted in the pop-up dropping, McKinstry scoring, Torkelson standing on third and Malgeri perched on second with a so-called “double.” As Malgeri’s first major league double, we’ll take it, but that may be reversed by the scorekeepers.

Matt Vierling followed with a two-run double to the right-field corner for a 5-1 lead. McGonigle followed with a single to centre to plate Vierling, pushing the score to 6-1. What a costly miscue that was!

Drew Anderson took over in the seventh and he hit Bolte with one out, and Bolte wasn’t exactly getting out of the way of it; let’s face it, he was taking a page out of Coach Ernie Pantusso’s book on that one. After a strikeout and an error at second base, a single scored the speedy Bolte to make it 6-2. Anderson plunked Jonah Heim to load the bases; he went 3-0 on Jacob Wilson, and the Tigers looked to be in big trouble. What did Anderson do? Perfect fastball on the outside corner, foul ball for strike two, rung him up looking on the corner because, of course, we just can’t do things the easy way, can we?

Jacob Waguespack came in for the eighth, and every time I recap a game with him in it, it takes me about three attempts to spell his name correctly. Three was also the number of batters he faced, retiring all of ‘em. In the bottom of the inning the Tigers got two runners on with one out, but a pair of strikeouts prevented any more runs from being scored.

Waguespack carried on into the ninth and he had no trouble dispatching the A’s there either, as the Tigers coasted to the victory.

Final score: Tigers 6, A’s 2

Little League Home Run Alert

Usually it’s the Mets making this happen, but sometimes the tables get turned.

Notes and Nibbles

• In case you missed it, the Tigers parted ways with third-base and infield coach Joey Cora. I know some people don’t like his windmilling ways, but let’s also not forget how good the Tigers have been on the basepaths for the past few years: constantly taking extra bases, to the tune of several extra runs per year over the average.
• Don’t look now, but with the victory tonight, the Tigers are 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. Wild, indeed!
• Despite being very fast, Henry Bolte’s last name is not said the same as Usain Bolt’s. If we were being fancy, we would add an accent: Bolté.
• Did you see the game Ryan O’Hearn had for the Pirates tonight? Grand slam, three-run home run, three-run home run; he added a single in the eighth for good measure. Ten RBI is a Pirates record, and that franchise has been around quite a while.
• Happy 98th birthday to sliced bread! The first pre-sliced bread was sold on this day in 1928 in Ohio. A lot of people out there are saying it’s the greatest thing since… something.

For all the ink that has been (rightfully) spilled about a struggling Yankees’ offense, the once-dominant starting rotation has gone under the radar in the blame game for the team’s poor play over the past two weeks. While injuries to Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have certainly thinned things out, the results speak for themselves over the last 11 games:

• 6.45 ERA
• The Yankees have scored first just one time
• Their starting pitcher allowed a run in the first seven times
• They’ve trailed before coming to bat five times
• They’ve allowed 4+ runs in the first four innings six times

Will Warren did not do anything to improve any of these numbers. He allowed six runs across four bad innings, failing to follow up Cam Schlittler’s brilliance last night. For once, he got real run support on an early three-run home run by Ben Rice, but the six he allowed would ultimately be too much, as the Rays took two big innings and beat the Yanks, 6-4, behind a whole lot of strikeouts by the Yankees and some huge pop from the bottom of their order. By fanning 17 times for the second consecutive night, the Yanks set an ignominous franchise record with 34 in a two-game span.

Seymour set the tone early with five strikeouts over the first two innings, giving up only a single to Rice in the first inning. While Warren started strong with two strikeouts in the first, the Rays got to him in the bottom half. Victor Mesa Jr. jumped all over a high fastball with one out in the second to open the scoring with a solo homer, but it didn’t end there.

With two out and the bases empty, he lost a pair of long at-bats to Richie Palacios and Hunter Feduccia, allowing a single and a walk. Doing that against the bottom of the order, especially in the Rays’ lineup, will bite you. Yandy Díaz caught up to a sinker on his hands to make it 2-0 after two on an RBI single.

Needing a response, they got to Seymour in the third. Max Schuemann laid down a beautiful bunt, and Trent Grisham dunked a double to left field to put two in scoring position with one out. Paul Goldschmidt struck out, but it was Rice to the rescue, as the first-time All-Star blasted his 26th home run of the season to the opposite field to make it 3-2 Yanks. That’s a good preview of next week’s Home Run Derby in Philly.

Warren recovered to retire the heart of the order in a row in the third, while Seymour struck out two more in the fourth. The game seemed to get a real pace to it with one out and an 0-2 count on Taylor Walls in the fourth, but things quickly spiraled after that for the Yankees’ right-hander.

Warren threw three uncompetitive pitches in a row before giving in on a sinker and giving up a single. That would be no biggie, but then he grooved a 1-1 sinker to Richie Palacios for a smoked RBI double to right-center field to tie the game. Two pitches later, the light-hitting Feduccia obliterated a bad 0-1 fastball to give them the lead. Three pitches after that, Warren hung a sweeper on 1-1 to Díaz and, yep, he gave up another homer, making it 6-3.

Warren has objectively not been good in the last month, but most of the time, he’s allowed three earned runs or fewer. This was a disaster in terms of location and velocity. His four-seamer and sinker are both sitting under 93, and for a guy who doesn’t rely on overpowering you, I’m concerned. He hasn’t missed a start since becoming a full-time major leaguer at the beginning of 2025, and I wonder if it’s catching up to him.

Now pitching with a lead, Seymour was dialed in. He struck out three more in the fifth to notch a career-high 12 strikeouts and eventually ended his day with one out in the sixth. It’s the second straight day that a guy who’s fairly average in strikeouts has logged a lot of them against the Yankees, who’ve seen their plate discipline tank across the board over the last three weeks. It’s not what you want.

Tim Hill got five quick outs across the fifth and sixth to keep the game in striking distance before Paul Blackburn took over and got four of his own. The Yankees tried to rally in both innings but didn’t get the big hit. In the sixth, Ryan McMahon notched a pinch-hit single with one out, and Bellinger had one of his best swings of the month to get him to third on one of his own, but he inexplicably got caught off of first after taking a wide turn. Of all the guys on the team, his play of late has been the most bizarre.

In the seventh, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and pinch-hitter Jasson Domínguez singled off Kevin Kelly to get the tying run to the plate, but they scratched just one run across on an Ali Sánchez sac fly. Grisham ripped a ball to deep right-center off Cam Booser on the first pitch he saw, but none of the five ballparks that would’ve been a game-tying homer in were this one. Goldschmidt completed the golden sombrero with a strikeout to end the threat (José Caballero later joined Goldy with four K’s on this unfortunate night).

Garrett Cleavinger came on for the eighth and worked around a leadoff single by Rice with two strikeouts. Brent Headrick did his job to get this to the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning, but All-Star closer Bryan Baker finished the job for the Rays, locking down a 6-4 win for the AL East leaders. If you want to find some solace from this one, the Yankees recorded double-digit hits for the first time since June 17th.

The Yankees will look to take a 2-1 lead in this pivotal four-game set tomorrow night at 6:40 pm on Prime Video. It’s a battle of the aces, as Gerrit Cole squares off against a finally healthy Shane McClanahan.

Box Score

The Athletics took on the Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit today, hoping to end a three-game skid. J.T. Ginn got the start today against reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarek Skubal for Detroit.

After a walk to lead-off batter Kevin McGonigle, Colt Keith homered to deep right center field giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

After Skubal struck out five of the first eight batters he faced, Henry Bolte launched his third homer of the season into left field bleachers. That cut the Tigers lead to 2-1.

zap ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/W3s9k2gUsV

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 7, 2026

Through four innings, both pitchers have allowed base runners, but since each gave up a homer, they’ve battled through, keeping the opposing team from scoring. Skubal left the game after five innings. He gave up just one earned run on five hits and two walks. He struck out nine.

Jacob Lopez replaced J.T. Ginn in the bottom of the sixth. Lopez was recalled today from AAA Las Vegas. Zach McKinstry walked and Spencer Torkelson singled. Pinch hitter Ben Malgeri doubled on a misplayed fly ball to right fielder Lawrence Butler. McKinstry scored. Matt Vierling doubled to right field, driving in Torkelson and Malgeri. Kevin McGonigle followed with a single, that drove in Vierling. When the inning was finally over, the A’s trailed Detroit 6-1.

With one out in the top of the seventh, Bolte was hit by a pitch, and Nick Kurtz singled. Shea Langeliers then singled, scoring the speedy Bolte easily from second. Jonah Heim was struck by a pitch with two outs loading the bases for Jacob Wilson. Wilson worked the count full but struck out looking on a borderline (but ABS-confirmed) four-seam fastball. Lopez set the Tigers down in order in the bottom of the seventh.

The A’s went quietly in their half of the eighth inning, and Elvis Alvarado entered the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth. While he gave up a hit and a walk, he also struck out three to keep the Tigers off the board.

The A’s could not muster any baserunners in the ninth and fell for the fourth consecutive game, 6-2 to the Tigers.

Given a chance at major league history under suboptimal circumstances, Ryan O'Hearn shortened up, rolled a single into right field, took his team-record 10 RBIs and went home.

Four home runs would have to wait for another night after O'Hearn began his night with a grand slam, followed by a three-run homer — and then another three-run homer in a 12-4Pittsburgh Pirates win against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, July 7 at PNC Park.

Yet given a chance to tie a major-league record with his fourth home run, O'Hearn strolled to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning and discovered he'd be attempting the feat against a position player.

Not only that, but Braves infielder Jorge Mateo was a former O'Hearn teammate in Baltimore. So after flailing at Mateo's first pitch, O'Hearn shortened his stroke and sent a little single into right field. Upon reaching first, he nodded at Mateo and grinned.

No history. But still plenty to smile about.

O'Hearn has been the best buy for the Pirates this year, now with 16 homers, 64 RBIs and an .820 OPS. On Tuesday, he victimized Braves starter Hurston Waldrep for a grand slam and three-run homer in the first and third innings, and then popped a third homer off reliever Connor Thomas.

And now, he holds the club record for RBIs for a franchise that began play in 1882. It's the first 10-RBI game in the majors since Shohei Ohtani did it in 2022; slugger Mark Reynolds had the previous feat, in 2018.

MORE: The Pirates finally spent some money. You'll never guess what happened next.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan O'Hearn's epic night: 10 RBIs, three homers - but he passed on a fourth

The Atlanta Braves traveled to PNC Park in hopes of picking up a much needed win after two heartbreaking losses in a row. Hurston Waldrep made his second start of season for the Braves and Paul Skenes was on the mound hoping to rebound from the worst stretch of his young career.

The Braves got on the board first when Matt Olson hit a double and Mauricio Dubón hit a sharp single to center field to make the score 1-0, but that was the only offense for the Braves outside of a Baldwin walk. Things went south shortly after that. Waldrep hit the first batter he faced, then Lowe, who hit a HR against Waldrep last time they faced off, hit a single. Waldrep then walked Reynolds to load the bases with zero outs. After Valdez struck out, Ryan O’Hearn then wasted no time and blew the game wide open with a grand slam to put the Pirates up by three. Gonzales also singled which prompted a mound visit. Waldrep finally was able to get the final two outs of the first inning after that.

In the second inning, the offense went just as you might expect with the bottom of the order. Riley and Jarvis both struck out, and Yastrzemski flied out. Waldrep looked to have settled down in the bottom of the second. He was able to induce a pop up followed by two groundouts.

The Braves struck again in the third inning to put them within two runs when Harris hit a double followed by an Albies single that scored Harris. That would be the only offense in the third though as Skenes retired the next three hitters. The third inning for Waldrep was almost identical to the first. He walked Reynolds, then gave up a single to Valdez, and then O’Hearn took him deep yet again to make the score 2-7 for the Pirates. O’Hearn had seven RBI in three innings. Waldrep then got two groundouts but then struggled a bit again when he Triolo singled followed by a Davis walk. After yet another mound visit Waldrep got the final out of the third with another groundout.

The fourth inning saw the bottom of the Braves order again. Smith popped out, but Riley was able to get a single, but that momentum was squashed when Yastrzemski hit into a double play to end the top of the inning. Waldrep stayed in the game for the fourth inning. He was able to strike out Lowe but then walked the next two hitters he faced which finally got him pulled for newly promoted Connor Thomas. Waldrep ended his night with seven earned runs on six hits to include two HRs, five walks, and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings pitched. Thomas then forced two groundouts to end the inning.

It looked like the Braves may get something going in the fifth when Jarvis and Harris had back-to-back singles, but then Albies popped out and Olson hit into a double play. Thomas stayed in the game to pitch and retired the side on five pitches.

In the sixth Dubón had a double, but that was the only offense for the Braves. You will never believe this, but in the sixth inning Ryan O’Hearn hit a HR again. This time it was a three-run HR again which gave him his tenth RBI of the game. That is not a type. Ten RBI in a single game that all came from HRs.

Skenes was finally replaced in the seventh inning, but that did not matter because the Braves were sat down in order. The subs came in for the Braves in the bottom of the seventh signaling the white flag. Thomas stayed in the game and gave up yet another run by issuing two singles and a walk in the inning, but he did pick up two strikeouts.

The eighth did not go any better for the Braves. The subs were in and Kyle Farmer grounded out, Matt Olson struck out, and Joey Bart grounded out. Jorge Mateo, obviously a position player, came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. He walked the first batter he saw, then O’Hearn finally got stopped from hitting a HR, but singled. Gonzales then singled to make the score 2-12. Callihan singled to load the bases but then Mateo was able to get Davis to ground into a double play.

José Azócar was now in the game in the ninth and singled. Dom Smith hit into a fielder’s choice and then Austin Riley had his second hit of the game with a double. Yastrzemski hit a two-run single that brought the Braves’ run total to four. That was it for the game though because Jarvis grounded out and Harris popped out.

There is no sugar coating it. The Braves looked totally defeated. They need an All-Star break real bad. Hopefully they can end the losing streak tomorrow.

Arizona Diamondbacks (45-45) at San Diego Padres (44-46), July 7, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Márquez on the mound. pic.twitter.com/zIXnIHsKEU

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 7, 2026

Another one in the sun 🏝️

Take 50% off https://t.co/epBmrbYHsx this week! pic.twitter.com/wcW8VkjbPg

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) July 7, 2026

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Will Warren gave up three home runs and the Yankees bats struck out 17 times in their 6-4 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night.

The Yankees have struck out 34 times in the first two games of the series, a franchise record for a two-game span. The loss undoes Monday's series-opening win as New York (50-41) is back to being 4.0 games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East.

Here are the takeaways...

-After an easy first, Warren pitched into trouble in the second. After allowing a one-out homer to Victor Mesa Jr., which wrapped around the right field foul pole, Warren allowed a single, walk, and a single with two outs, allowing the Rays to take a 2-0 lead.

The Rays would get to Warren again in the fourth. Richie Palacios hit an RBI double before No. 9 hitter Hunter Feduccia slammed a two-run shot to give Tampa a 5-3 lead. Yandy Diaz followed up with a solo shot.

Warren went 4.0 IP (75 pitches/48 strikes), allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three. He allowed three home runs.

-The Yankees bats struggled mightily. But a big moment in the game came in the sixth. After Cody Bellinger hit a one-out single and Max Schuemann went first-to-third on the hit, Bellinger got hung up between first and second for the second out. Jose Caballero struck out to strand the runner at third.

In the seventh, back-to-back singles from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and the pinch-hitting Jasson Dominguez put runners at the corners with no outs. Ali Sanchez pushed across a run with a sac fly. Trent Grisham flew out and Paul Goldschmidt struck out -- after Dominguez reached third on a two-base throwing error on a pickoff attempt -- to end the threat.

-Ben Rice, who announced his participation in this year's Home Run Derby, gave the Yankees the lead in the third with an opposite-field three-run shot. His 26 homers are tied with Junior Caminero for second in the AL. Rice went 3-for-4.

Caballero started at shortstop for the second straight game. Caballero went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts.

-The Yankees bullpen behind Warren kept the team in the game. The combination of Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick allowed just one hit and one walk in 4.0 innings pitched.

Game MVP: Ian Seymour

The Rays southpaw's only mistake was the three-run shot to Rice, but Seymour struck out 12 Yankees in his 5.1 innings of work.

Highlights

DERBY READY.

Ben Rice's 26th home run! pic.twitter.com/M7MkmTt5XH

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) July 7, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Rays continue their four-game series on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM.

Gerrit Cole (3-3, 4.01 ERA) will take on Shane McClanahan (7-5, 3.05 ERA).

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays tonight from Oracle Park.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Trevor McDonald, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.42 ERA, 3.74 FIP, with 50 strikeouts to 19 walks in 57 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit with five strikeouts in six innings.

He’ll be facing off against Blue Jays right-handed rookie Spencer Miles, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.83 ERA, 2.98 FIP with 55 strikeouts to 17 walks in 54 innings pitched. His last appearance was in the Blue Jays’ 9-3 win over the New York Mets on Wednesday, in which he allowed just one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in three innings.

Game #91

Who: San Francisco Giants (38-52) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (42-49)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

In Game 1, the Colorado Rockiesfell just short of beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener.

Tonight, they will look to even up the series.

The Rockies have gone 4-2 in July, are 9-8 in their last 17 and 13-13 in their last 25 since June 9, outscoring opponents 166-147 over that span. Colorado has gone 5-6 in their current 17-day stretch without an off day heading into the All-Star break.

The team’s calling card has become its fashionably late arrival.  The Rockies 126 runs in the eighth inning or later are the most in baseball. As a club, Colorado is slashing .295/.363/.487 with 42 doubles, four triples and 27 home runs in the eighth inning or later. They also have the highest average, most extra-base hits and second-most homers in the Majors in the eighth or later in the Majors.

As for the bullpen, it has not allowed an earned run in five-straight games, with the total streak running to 22.1 innings since the eighth inning of their game against the Marlins on July 1. Their 22.1 innings streak without an earned run allowed is the second longest streak in franchise history, trailing a 34.2 inning stretch in 2013. This month, have allowed four runs total (one earned) across 24.1 innings.

Starting for the Rockies is California native Michael Lorenzen. This will be his 20th start for the Rockies in 2026. He has thrown at least five innings in four of his last five starts, posting a 4.26 ERA (25.1 IP, 12 ER) with 10 walks and 19 strikeouts across that span. In addition, Lorenzen has struck out at least five batters in four of his last six starts overall.

The righty has a 6.91 ERA in 86.0 IP. He’s struck out 67, walked 32, and given up 13 home runs. Lorenzen has a 1.81 WHIP. 

Taking the mound for the Dodgers will be LHP Justin Wrobleski.

One of his calling cards as a Dodger is his ability to work deep into games, a quality they will be hoping is evident tonight given that the Dodgers had to go deep into their bullpen in Game I due to Tanner Scott’s blown save.

In his last two starts, Wrobleski has gone seven-inning starts, and if he can manager one tonight, he will reach 100 innings on the season.

Currently, he has an ERA of 2.80 in 93.1 IP. He’s struck out 64 while giving up 18 walks and eight home runs with a 1.01 WHIP.

And now to the details.

First Pitch: 8:10 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

SB Nation site: True Blue LA

Lineups:

For the visiting Rockies:

And the home Dodgers:

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Let’s see if the D-backs can continue the Padres’ free-fall. On May 18, they beat the Dodgers 1-0, Michael King and two relievers combining on five-hitter. Consequently, the Padres took over first place in the division, with a record of 29-18. It looked possible that we could see a battle for the NL West, the likes of which haven’t happened since 2021, when LA won 106 games, and it still wasn’t enough. Except, since then, the two teams have gone in sharply different directions. The Dodgers have won at a better than .700 rate, going 31-15, while the Padres have been the worst team in baseball, going 15-28, and with the worst run differential over that time to boot.

Consequently, the Dodgers now have a 14-game lead in the division. That’s twice what it was on the same date last season, and the largest on this date since the pre-COVID times in 2019. The division is basically over. Fangraphs gives Los Angeles a 99.9% chance of winning the division, and that may be underselling them. But what happened to the Padres? Their rotation has fallen off a cliff. Over those 43 games, the Padres’ starters have won just seven times – tied for fewest in the majors – with an ERA of 5.29 which ranks 27th in the league. Their offense hasn’t been much better, a .679 OPS ranked 28th (albeit five points better than Arizona!).

It’s certainly not what you’d want given a cash payroll north of $230 million, which is $46 million more than the D-backs. But since San Diego really started spending, entering the top ten in 2020 (where they’ve been every season since, bar 2024), they have finished an average of fourteen games back, and have a losing post-season record at 13-15. If that continues, one wonders how much patience the team’s new owners will have with GM A.J. Preller. He has been in the position since 2014 – longer than anyone save the Yankees’ Brian Cashman – but the team has only made it past the Division Series once in that time.

It’s another night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest hole-in-the-wall for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. The dress code is casual. We’re always glad to see you. We’ve still got a few tables available. Enjoy a cool drink. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night, I asked you what was the best first-round pick in Cubs history. There was a clear winner in Kris Bryant, who got 53 percent of the vote. That makes sense as he was tied for the second-lowest pick in Cubs history as the second overall pick in the draft. Shawon Dunston was the only first overall pick in Cubs history and Mark Prior and Joe Carter were also second picks in the Draft. Also some guy named Terry Hughes in 1967.

On Tuesday nights I don’t do movie stuff, but I always have time for jazz. Now is that time.

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Tonight we’re featuring Grammy Award-winning vocalist Samara Joy singing “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” in New York on June 28 of this year.

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Welcome back to those who skip the music.

As we approach this Saturday’s MLB Draft, I thought I’d ask you who you think the Cubs should select in the first round with the 23rd pick. Of course, I can’t promise any of these players will be available at 23, but all of them are ranked between the 25th- and 37th-best draft prospect by Baseball America and between 17th- and 40th-best by MLB Pipeline. All of them are college players, because the Cubs only very rarely take a high school draft prospect in the first round.

Those lists, of course, do not match the lists that the Cubs or any other team have drawn up in their draft room. Some of these players also have “helium,” meaning that either BA or Pipeline thinks they’re higher on some draft boards today than when these lists were first published. So don’t take any “rankings” as gospel.

All of these players probably won’t be available at 23, but at least one of them should be and likely more than one.

Additionally, when a team’s first pick is at 23, they aren’t going to get a player who doesn’t have flaws or question marks. Any high-ceiling, low-risk player will be taken in the first five picks. So what I’m asking is what kinds of flaw are you willing to accept? How much risk will you take on?

Because I don’t think that most of you are familiar with these players and to keep the players anonymous. However, I’m guessing that those of you who follow the college game will be able to guess who they are in the comments.

So here are the choices:

Player one is a left-handed pitcher from a Big Ten school. After two years of both starting and relieving, he had a breakout season as a starter his junior season. His best pitch is his nasty curveball but he also has an above-average change. He’s not a high-velocity pitcher with his fastball topping out at 93. He’s a pitchability lefty who could move to the majors quickly. He also has a clean injury history.

Player two is a tall hard-throwing, lefty at an SEC school. He missed almost all of his freshman and sophomore seasons with a stress fracture in his elbow. He returned his junior season and dominated with one of the highest strikeout rates in college ball. His fastball averages 95 mph can touch 98, but his best pitch is a hard, power slider. He has an OK curve but he needs to work on his change. Player two has a high upside, but a lot of injury risk and bullpen downside.

Player three is an ACC outfielder with some terrific contact and hard-hit rates. He makes good decisions at the plate, leading to fewer strikeouts and lots of walks. He’s also a very good athlete with plus speed and lots of stolen bases. Despite that, his arm is weak and is likely to end up in left field, where he played in college, although center field is a possibility. While he is big enough and strong enough to hit for power, his current swing path doesn’t get much lift on the ball, so his power potential could be quite limited. Player three could move up the system quickly, as long as the Cubs don’t try to adjust his swing for more power.

Player four is an SEC catcher. He was a monster at the plate, winning the SEC triple crown. He has easy power to all fields. Player four also has good speed, not just for a catcher, but good speed overall. He was the first Division I catcher to ever have 25 home runs and 25 steals in a season. The downside on player four is that there is an above-average amount of swing-and-miss in his game and that weakness could be exploited by better pitching. Player four also struggled in the wooden-bat Cape Cod League. He only moved behind the plate full-time his junior year, so he’s still quite raw and inexperienced back there. Many doubt that he can stay behind the plate as a pro, although most think he can play left field in that scenario. Leaving him at catcher would likely mean a slower trip through the minors.

So knowing what you know, if these were the Cubs’ four options at 23, which one would you take?

Thanks a lot for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need one. Please stay cool out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Start of a new one.#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/Zokf6AuAba

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) July 7, 2026

Here’s the Twins lineup:

Back home!

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUxpic.twitter.com/CZDyVka1Uo

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 7, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

It took a few days longer than it should have, but Braxton Ashcraft is an All-Star.

The Pirates’ best starting pitcher in 2026, Ashcraft has burst onto the scene in his first full year as a major leaguer.

In 18 starts, Ashcraft owns a 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 108.1 innings.

⭐️SHCRAFT. pic.twitter.com/h0HPCYEXd3

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 7, 2026

Ashcraft originally wasn’t voted to the National League All-Star roster, but was named as a replacement for Paul Skenes.

Skenes was the only Pirate initially selected to the Mid-Summer Classic on the other side of the state in Philadelphia.

Ashcraft, 26, owns a 10.14 K/9 and has been one of the biggest surprises of any NL pitcher.

The strong right-hander is fourth in the National League in strikeouts (122), fourth in innings (108.1), 11th in ERA (3.24), and tied for ninth in wins (9-3). 

The Pirates are 12-6 in games that Ashcraft starts. 

Ashcraft owns two starts this season with 10 or more strikeouts and not allowing a free pass.

He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 14 of his 18 starts. In the midst of an unstable rotation, Ashcraft has been the anchor that Pittsburgh has relied on. 

The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will commence on Tuesday, July 14, at 8 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

The St. Louis Cardinals will play game 2 of their day/night doubleheader Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers with Hunter Dobbins getting the start for the birds. The Brew Crew will assign night pitching duties to Robert Gasser who’s 1-3 with a 4.54 ERA. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm central time with the game broadcast available again on Cardinals.tv.