NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 21: Former Baseball pitcher CC Sabathia (2R) attends Game Two between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 21, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! This wasn’t one of the best weeks of the season, as the Yankees decided to start their June Swoon early this year with a couple of bad stretches of baseball in the month of May. Thanks in part to the Knicks’ success, however, social media has remained buzzing within the Yankees Universe. With so much to do, let’s get started!
Eastern Conference Finals
During the offseason, members of the New York Yankees, both past and present, spend quite a bit of time at Madison Square Garden to catch the Knicks and the Rangers. The regular season, of course, brings this to a grinding halt, as the players have a few more important things to worry about, but a deep playoff run causes a lot of former players to forego Yankee Stadium for a trip to the world’s most famous arena. This week, Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia were in attendance for the Knicks’ Game 2 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Speaking of third basemen, Alex Rodriguez took to Instagram to post a video on the art of the stolen base. While more known for his power, A-Rod did have some wheels, stealing 329 bases over the course of his career.
During the Mets' three games in Miami, they managed to score just two runs, culminating with getting shut out in Sunday’s series finale to finish off a sweep at the hands of the Marlins who began the series in the NL-East cellar.
Despite at least one baserunner in every inning on Sunday, New York, without Juan Soto because of an illness, couldn’t get the big hit and finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position while leaving 10 men on base.
The Mets’ lack of offense looked eerily similar to how it looked when Soto was out with a calf injury and when they were losing 12 in a row.
“We’re scuffling,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We got a lot of guys that are going through it right now, we’re not grinding [out] at-bats. … We gotta figure it out because you gotta be able to score runs.”
While nobody in the lineup is safe from criticism, one player, in particular, who had a tough series and a rough road trip was Marcus Semien.
Semien finished the weekend series 0-for-10 after an 0-for-4 performance on Sunday and has struggled all season long in his first year in Queens after coming over in an offseason trade with the Texas Rangers.
Now in his age-35 season, Semien is hitting .214 with a .560 OPS, tied for the eighth-worst mark in MLB among qualified hitters. Right behind Semien is his teammate Bo Bichette (.581 OPS).
“What I’m feeling is I’m putting the ball in play but not driving the ball,” Semien said. “Like I said, that's a good pitching staff over there so just trying to do everything I can to be on time, be ready for high velocity and be able to handle the offspeed they throw.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get anything really in the air or in the gaps this series and ended up with a tough series.”
Asked if he was concerned that age is starting to catch up with the veteran, who had even struggled in the past few seasons with the Rangers, Mendoza pointed to Semien’s track record and work ethic “behind the scenes” as reasons why he still believes in his second baseman.
“This is a guy that continues to show up and continues to put the work in, day in and day out,” the skipper said. “You hope that at some point he’s gonna come out of it. He’s been in this league for a long time and there’s a reason why and we’re gonna continue to run him out there.”
Where exactly the Mets go from here remains to be seen.
Even with some injured players possibly on their way back soon, New York’s offense has been a problem all season, even at full strength.
“We gotta find a way,” Mendoza said. “We gotta keep going here, we gotta continue to make adjustments because what we’re doing right now is not good enough. It’s as simple as that.
“We got a few guys that are having a hard time, we’re having a hard time creating traffic, we’re having a hard time squaring the ball up and we gotta figure it out.”
Mendoza added: “We can’t be making excuses because of the players that aren’t here. We have 26 MLB players who are capable of executing, but right now we’re going through a tough situation offensively. Obviously we can’t score runs and we’ve got to get back to the basics which is compete, have good at-bats and trust in the guy behind you. We have to create opportunities and right now we’re not doing that.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 23: Christian Walker #8 of the Houston Astros hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 23, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Sage Zipeto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Christian Walker continued his hot streak with a 3-run homer, and Nick Allen went 3-for-3 with a solo HR and 2 RBI as the Astros (23-31) held off the Cubs (29-24) 8-5 to complete a 3 game sweep in Chicago.
Peter Lambert (W, 3-4) survived a tough 2nd inning in which he allowed 3 ER before settling down to get through 5 innings without allowing any additional damage. Lambert finished with 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 4 BB and 5 K.
Nate Pearson (S, 1) pitched a scoreless 9th for his first save as an Astro and his 4th career save. It was his first save since 2024.
The Astros struck first in the second inning, when Jake Meyers drove the first pitch he saw from Cubs SP Shota Imanaga (L, 4-5) 388 feet to left for his 2nd HR of the season to give Houston a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, the Cubs would take the lead. Moises Ballesteros drew a 1-out walk before Carson Kelly singled to center, putting runners on the corners with one out. Pedro Ramirez then doubled to right center past a diving Meyers to drive in Ballesteros to tie the game at 1. Pete Crow-Armstrong then hit a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Kelly to make it 2-1 Cubs, with Ramirez advancing to third. Nico Hoerner then singled to right to drive in Ramirez and make it 3-1 Chicago.
After a mound visit from Astros pitching coach Josh Miller, Lambert walked Michael Busch and hit Alex Bregman with a pitch to load the bases. Lambert finally escaped the inning by striking out the next batter, Michael Conforto, to end the inning.
Lambert, who appeared frustrated with his inability to consistently throw strikes in the inning, was pumped up after striking out Conforto, and it seemed to rejuvenate him. Over the next 3 innings, Lambert would not allow a run or a hit, and struck out 4. That effort helped an already overtaxed bullpen from being grossly overexposed, as Bryan King, Enyel De Los Santos and Steven Okert were all unavailable after pitching back-to-back days.
In the top of the 3rd, Nick Allen would get one back for the Astros, sending a 3-2 fastball from Imanaga over the wall in left for a solo HR to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Astros would break the game open in the 5th. Cam Smith (1-3, BB, 2 R) doubled to lead off the inning, followed by a walk by Zach Dezenzo. After a failed bunt by Vazquez led to a pop out, Allen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After a Brice Matthews infield pop up for the second out, Jeremy Pena singled to center to score Smith and Dezenzo, giving the Astros a 4-3 lead and runners on the corners with 2 out for Christian Walker.
Walker blasted a 2-0 pitch from Imanaga 426 ft to left center for his 14th HR of the season and a 7-3 Houston lead.
A.J. Blubaugh, who has not allowed a run when pitching only one inning since April 8, breezed through a 1-2-3 6th, but because of a shorthanded bullpen was asked to go a second inning. In his second inning of work, Blubaugh allowed a 2-run HR to Michael Busch that cut the lead to 7-5.
Bryan Abreu came on to pitch the 8th and it was a white knuckle ride the whole way. After getting Seiya Suzuki to ground out to start the inning, Abreu walked Ballesteros on 4 pitches, none of which were close. He then went 3-0 to Kelly before surrendering a single, giving the Cubs 1st and 2nd with 1 out.
Josh Miller then came out to the mound, and seemed to be trying to settle Abreu down with some positive reinforcement. To this point, Abreu had thrown 12 pitches, only 4 fastballs, with none of the fastballs exceeding 93.9 MPH.
After the meeting, Abreu would find a little extra on the heat, and on a 95.6 MPH fastball Abreu got Ramirez to bounce into a 6-3 double play to end the inning and hold the lead at 7-5.
In the 9th, the Astros would tack on an insurance run, as Allen knocked a 2-out single to right to score Smith and extend the lead to 8-5.
Nate Pearson would lock it down in the 9th, and the Astros completed the sweep of the Cubs at Wrigley. It’s the Astros second series sweep of the season, and first since their second series of the year against the Boston Red Sox.
Houston currently sits 4 games out of first place in the AL West. Hunter Brown, Josh Hader, Joey Loperfido and Taylor Trammell are all scheduled to play today for Corpus Christi on rehab assignments.
Tomorrow the Astros start a 4-game series in Arlington against the Rangers.
May 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) second baseman Brice Turang (2) and third baseman David Hamilton (6) celebrate after the Brewers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are set to host the St. Louis Cardinals this week, beginning with an afternoon game on Memorial Day Monday. Milwaukee, who leads the NL Central at 30-20 on the season, swept the Cubs earlier in the week but dropped two of three to the Dodgers over the weekend. The Cardinals are coming off a rough weather weekend in Cincinnati, as they had a pair of rainouts on Friday and Sunday, wrapped around a 1-1 doubleheader on Saturday. They currently sit in second place in the Central, 1.5 games behind Milwaukee.
The Brewers’ injured list is primarily occupied by pitchers, with right-handers Quinn Priester and Brandon Woodruff shelved along with lefties Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, and Jared Koenig. Zastryzny, Koenig, and Woodruff are all pretty close to returning, while Priester is aiming for a June return. Zerpa is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. On the position player side, outfielders Akil Baddoo and Brandon Lockridge are both out, with Baddoo currently rehabbing at Triple-A Nashville and Lockridge out until mid- to late June.
St. Louis’ injured list is fairly short, with three position players making up the whole group. Outfielders Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church are both out, with Nootbaar aiming for a June return after double heel surgery — he’s currently rehabbing at Triple-A Memphis. Church was placed on the IL with a left shoulder strain over the weekend, with his return currently TBD. Infielder Ramón Urías rounds out the IL, as he’s also TBD with a right elbow injury that has kept him out since May 5.
Jake Bauers and Brice Turang sit atop Milwaukee’s home run leaderboard with seven each, while William Contreras has been one of the better hitters over the last month or so, boosting his season line to .303/.371/.410 with four homers, eight doubles, 30 RBIs, and 28 runs. With a healthy offense, Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Gary Sánchez, and Andrew Vaughn are also regularly in the mix, with Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Blake Perkins, and Luis Rengifo rounding things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .246/.333/.361 (.694 OPS ranks tied for 18th), with 34 homers (last), 246 runs (eighth), and 54 steals (tied for second).
The St. Louis offense is led by Jordan Walker, who is turning in a career year with 15 homers, 11 doubles, seven steals, and a .302/.372/.594 line through 50 games. Rookie JJ Wetherholt is second on the team with nine homers and is a perfect 6-for-6 on the basepaths, while Alec Burleson has seven homers. Pedro Pagés, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn, Victor Scott II, and Iván Herrera round out the regulars for the Cards, with Bryan Torres, José Fermín, César Prieto, Thomas Saggese, and Yohel Pozo providing the depth. As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .242/.323/.393 (.716 OPS ranks 11th), with 60 homers (tied for 10th), 233 runs (tied for 11th), and 34 steals (tied for 18th).
Aaron Ashby anchors the Milwaukee bullpen with a 2.61 ERA and a perfect 8-0 record across 23 appearances, totaling 31 innings with 46 strikeouts. Grant Anderson and DL Hall are right there with Ashby with ERAs below 3.00, while Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill round out the “A” bullpen. Jake Woodford, Shane Drohan, and Carlos Rodriguez give Milwaukee plenty of depth in the innings-eater category. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.31 team ERA (fourth), including a 3.19 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.47 bullpen ERA (10th). They’ve struck out 488 batters (fourth) over 445 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals’ bullpen has been less than great thus far, though they’ve had a pretty group, as seven players have 23 or more appearances. Justin Bruihl leads the bullpen with 25 appearances, though he has a 5.56 ERA over 22 2/3 innings. Riley O’Brien, JoJo Romero, and Gordon Graceffo are the best of the bunch, as O’Brien leads the way with 13 saves in 17 tries and a 2.96 ERA, Romero has a 2.92 ERA, and Graceffo has a 1.65 ERA. George Soriano (3.32 ERA over 21 2/3 IP), Ryne Stanek (6.00 ERA over 21 IP), Matt Pushard (6.23 ERA over 4 1/3 IP), and Brycen Mautz (no MLB appearances) round out the group, after Mautz was recalled on Sunday to replace Matt Svanson, who was optioned. As a staff, the Cardinals have a 4.20 team ERA (22nd), including a 4.07 starter ERA (13th) and a 4.39 bullpen ERA (21st). They’ve struck out 380 batters (29th) over 462 2/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Monday, May 25 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (4-2, 1.89 ERA, 2.13 FIP) vs. LHP Matthew Liberatore (2-2, 4.70 ERA, 4.85 FIP)
Misiorowski has simply dominated in May. Over his last four starts, dating back to May 1, he’s totaled 24 1/3 innings with no runs allowed on just nine hits and five walks (0.575 WHIP), striking out 37 to maintain his lead atop MLB’s leaderboard with 88 this season. He went six scoreless with eight strikeouts on just 74 pitches in his last outing against the Cubs, a 5-2 win as part of a three-game sweep. Including his MLB debut last June, Miz has made three career starts against St. Louis, with a 3.95 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings, though all of those appearances came last season.
After a rainout in Sunday’s series finale against the Reds, the Cardinals pushed their probables back a day. That means Matthew Liberatore gets the ball in the series opener opposite Misiorowski. Liberatore, 26, hasn’t quite panned out as the top prospect he once was, with a 4.64 ERA and 4.28 FIP over 385 2/3 career innings. He’s made 10 starts this year, with a 4.70 ERA, 4.85 FIP, and 43 strikeouts over 51 2/3 innings. He went 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision his last time out, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with nine strikeouts against the Pirates. A common opponent for Milwaukee, Liberatore has made 11 career appearances (four starts), spanning 28 2/3 innings with a 1.26 ERA, 31 strikeouts, and a perfect 4-0 record.
Tuesday, May 26 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (5-1, 1.77 ERA, 2.48 FIP) vs. RHP Michael McGreevy (3-3, 2.40 ERA, 4.03 FIP)
As good as Miz has been, Harrison has been about as good. He’s made nine starts this season, with a sterling 1.77 ERA, 2.48 FIP, and 59 strikeouts across 45 2/3 innings. He’s won each of his last four decisions, and the Brewers have won in each of his last six starts, dating back to early April. He went seven scoreless against the Cubs in his last outing, allowing just two hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts at Wrigley. This marks Harrison’s first career appearance against the Cardinals.
McGreevy, 25, is in his third MLB season with the Cardinals after being drafted in the first round out of UC Santa Barbara in 2021. Though he has a 2.40 ERA, his underlying 4.03 FIP is less than sterling, though that’s at least in part due to low strikeout numbers, with just 37 across 56 1/3 innings. He went five innings in a loss against the Pirates in his last start, allowing three runs on 10 hits and a walk, striking out just one. This marks McGreevy’s first career start against Milwaukee.
Wednesday, May 27 @ 12:40 p.m.: TBD vs. RHP Dustin May (3-5, 5.00 ERA, 3.90 FIP)
Assuming the Brewers are following their recent rotation, this would be Logan Henderson’s game. Henderson has made five starts this season, totaling 23 innings with seven runs allowed (2.74 ERA, 2.39 FIP), striking out 30. The 24-year-old righty went five scoreless against the Dodgers his last time out, allowing three walks and two hits with seven strikeouts. This would mark Henderson’s first career appearance against St. Louis.
May, 28, is now with his third team in St. Louis after agreeing to a one-year, $12.5 million contract in the offseason. A former third-round pick by the Dodgers, May has made 10 starts for the Cards this year, with a 5.00 ERA, 3.90 FIP, and 42 strikeouts across 54 innings. He took the loss in his last appearance, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks, striking out seven over 5 1/3 innings against the Pirates. May’s only career appearance came all the way back in 2021 while with the Dodgers. He went just 1 2/3 innings in that one, allowing a run on one hit (a solo homer) and a walk, striking out three.
How to Watch & Listen
Monday, May 25: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Tuesday, May 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, May 27: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Brewers hit a bit of a roadblock with the Dodgers over the weekend, but I expect they’ll bounce back against the Cardinals at home this week. Give me the Crew to take two of three.
May 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Victor Caratini (37) tags out Boston Red Sox pinch runner Connor Wong (12) during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
The conditions at Fenway Park were sloppy for Sunday’s series finale between the Red Sox and Twins. It rained at various intensities from the first pitch to the last, and while the grounds crew did an excellent job keeping the field playable, the conditions were a factor. For the Red Sox, that manifested in the form of sloppy baseball.
It first appeared in Sonny Gray’s performance. He managed just four innings, allowing three runs on 75 pitches. The outing wasn’t a disaster, but he clearly had a difficult time spinning the baseball, couldn’t land his cutter in the zone, and didn’t execute with two strikes. In the first inning, he failed to back up a throw home from Wilyer Abreu. It ultimately didn’t matter, but good teams get those details correct. In the third inning, the Twins took advantage of two infield singles — one of which looked like an easy double play ball that deflected off of Gray’s foot — and grabbed two runs to retake the lead.
Later on, in the sixth inning with the Red Sox in the lead, Tyron Guerrero gave up two singles on jam shots through the infield. Garrett Whitlock took over and surrendered a hit to plate a run. Jarren Duran fielded the ball at the wall and made an out-of-control, high-arching throw to third base that allowed the hitter to easily take second base. The next hitter singled, Duran threw home, and Carlos Narvaez couldn’t handle the throw. Two runs scored on the play, the second being the runner who took an extra base on Duran’s throw.
Skipping ahead to the ninth inning with the Red Sox trailing by two, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa doubled off the wall with runners on the corners. Third base coach Chad Epperson tried to have Connor Wong score from first on the play, and he was cut down at the plate. The send came with one out, and the rain was so bad at that point that the grounds crew came out to work on the field. After the delay, Twins pitcher Yoendrys Gomez balked and then hit Jarren Duran with a wild pitch. Neither of those things is guaranteed to happen with Wong on first base, but they’re both evidence that the send was reckless.
Ceddanne Rafaela flew out for the final out after a pitching change, and the Red Sox lost 6-5. After sweeping the Royals, the Twins do the same to the Red Sox. It’s one step forward and six steps back this season, seemingly.
Three Studs
Masataka Yoshida
He hit an absolute bomb of a home run. I really wish he were better.
Willson Contreras
Two more RBIs for Willson, who continues to put the offense on his back.
Grounds Crew
I thought there was no way this game was played, but the grounds crew somehow kept the field in good enough shape. Time to go walk my dog in the rain. Maybe they can help.
Three Duds
Chad Epperson
Hindsight is 20-20, but that send was terrible.
Tyron Guerrero
He got tagged with two runs, although I think he was unfortunate. He was in the zone, and the two hits weren’t hit hard. With his velocity, if he’s in the zone as he was today, he’ll be successful more often than not.
Carlos Narvaez
0-3, two strikeouts, and he dropped the ball when he should have been able to tag a runner out at the plate to prevent a run.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 9: Gavin Collyer #65 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on May 9, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have placed pitcher Cole Winn on the 15 day injured list due to right arm fatigue, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled pitcher Gavin Collyer from AAA Round Rock.
Winn rattled off eight scoreless appearances in a row to start the 2026 season but in 14 appearances since then he has allowed 12 runs in 11.2 IP, including two runs in an abbreviated outing yesterday.
Collyer was called up in mid-April and, for his part, he had 11 straight scoreless appearances before an ugly three run, three walk and a hit while facing four batters appearance on May 12. He was sent down earlier in the week when Chris Martin was activated from the injured list. With the Rangers now needing a replacement for Winn, Collyer re-joins the big league team and will be part of the middle relief mix.
May 24, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez (13) hits an RBI single during the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Through 4 and half innings, the Royals looked like they were bound for a disappointing, low scoring loss, which many fans have been accustomed to this season. But Michael Massey battled back from a 1-2 count to earn a walk to start the bottom half of the 5th. Kyle Isbel bunted on a 2-2 pitch, Mariners pitcher Bryan Woo fielded and wildly threw it away down the line, 2nd and 3rd nobody out with the top of the order coming up.
Woo did get two unproductive outs from Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr., but after falling behind 2-0 to Vinnie Pasquantino, the Mariners decided to intentionally walk him. On the first pitch, Salvador Perez smashed a two-run single into left to put the Royals in front, 2-1.
Carter Jensen smacked a high fly ball to deep left, that just keep carrying, and went off the top of the wall, scoring 2 more runs, Royals up 4-1, and at the same time, forcing Woo out of the game.
Isaac Collins led off the 6th inning with a double and came around to score on an Isbel sacrifice fly, putting the Royals up 5-1. Seth Lugo was really good today, going 6.1 innings, giving up 6 hits, 3 runs, walking 2 and striking out 3. Outside of a solo homer to Julio Rodríguez, Lugo was efficient and rather untouchable until the 7th. After three straight hits, Daniel Lynch IV replaced Lugo, allowing an inherited runner to score, but retired the next two hitters, 5-3 going to the bottom of the 7th.
Pasquantino hit a one out double, and came around to score on Perez’s third hit of the day, and his third run batted in. 6-3 KC.
John Schreiber worked a scoreless 8th inning, allowing just a two out single. The Royals tacked on two more in the bottom of the 8th, on a two out single from Garcia.
Lucas Erceg made his first appearance since last Sunday, and it was a mixed bag. Erceg got two quick outs with a double mixed in. A bloop single, some defensive indifferences and a couple more hits, and it was 8-6 with the tying run at the plate, but Erceg buckled down, getting a groundout to Salvy to end the game. The concerning thing is Erceg threw 32 pitches, his availability for the next couple days will be something to monitor.
The Royals take the series from the Mariners, they finish the year, 5-1 against Seattle. The Royals are now 5-12 this season in series finale games, and 1-4 in rubber match games. The Yankees come to town for three to finish the homestand. The Yankees have won 11 straight games against the Royals. Tomorrow, the game is on ESPN, first pitch is set for 2:40 p.m. CT.
MILWAUKEE — If such a thing as a textbook win exists, the Dodgers’ performance Sunday afternoon was it.
In the series rubber match against the previously red-hot Brewers, the Dodgers produced a decisive 5-1 victory at American Family Field, flashing all the factors that have underscored their own recent return to form.
Dodgers starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was dominant Sunday, tossing seven strong innings of one-run ball. Getty Images
It started on the mound, where in his first trip back to Milwaukee since last year’s complete game in the National League Championship Series, Yoshinobu Yamamoto was once again dominant, pitching seven strong innings of one-run ball in which “he was in complete control,” manager Dave Roberts said.
It was bolstered by a big inning at the plate, with the Dodgers breaking the tie score with a four-run outburst in the top of the fifth; keyed by a two-run triple from Kyle Tucker, then a two-run home run from Andy Pages.
It was locked up by a history-making bullpen, which extended its franchise-record scoreless streak to 38 innings.
It was even aided by good defense, highlighted by two double plays and an MLB-leading fifth outfield assist from Pages in center that helped flip the momentum.
At no point did the Dodgers seem stressed, not even after the Brewers opened the scoring with an RBI grounder in the bottom of the second.
At no point did they ever come close to looking lost, even while facing hard-throwing Milwaukee rookie Brandon Sproat for the first time.
A few weeks ago, that wasn’t often true of the two-time defending champions, who struggled to consistently put the pieces together during an extended 9-14 slump.
Since then, however, they have gone 9-2, finished this nine-game road trip with seven wins and three series victories, and made displays such as Sunday’s feel like the expectation once more.
“The pitching staff has done a great job all year, just giving us the opportunity to stay in games,” Tucker said. “And then our offense has come through when we needed it, too. It’s been nice.”
What it means
Winners of 11 of 13 games entering this weekend, the Brewers had been the hottest team in baseball.
But now, the Dodgers might have reclaimed that distinction.
They have also won three consecutive series for the first time since early April, maintaining first place in the NL West (by one game over the Padres).
The Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker smashes a two-run triple in the top of the fifth inning Sunday against the host Brewers. AP Photo/Kayla Wolf
Who’s hot
Tucker has had underwhelming numbers for basically the entirety of the season.
More games like Sunday, however, could help him turn a corner.
The $240 million offseason signing went 2-for-5 with his two-run triple in the fifth and a two-out double in the first. It marked only his second game this season with multiple extra-base hits and the second straight day he tripled into the right field corner.
“I feel like my approach and swinging has gotten a lot better recently,” said Tucker, who is batting .251 on the season with a .767 OPS. “I’d like to stay inside of the ball a little bit better, but as long as I’m getting some walks and hits, and especially with guys on base and getting some RBIs, just take them.”
Indeed, since moving down the batting order a month ago, Tucker has been better, with a .233 average before the drop and a .268 average since. Power swings, however, have still been inconsistent. Whether Sunday helped spark something, time will only tell.
Who’s not
With Kiké Hernández set to rejoin the Dodgers on Monday, a roster move is coming.
Hyeseong Kim is making it more interesting than he would want.
For weeks, the expectation has been that Santiago Espinal will be cut to make room for Hernández, who would be an upgraded option in Espinal’s right-handed-hitting utility role.
Kim, however, has picked the wrong time to begin struggling mightily, striking out three times in an 0-for-4 performance Sunday to extend what is now a 6-for-40 slump.
“He’s back to chasing,” Roberts said. “He’s passive when he shouldn’t be, and then he’s getting into bad counts. I don’t know if it’s a mechanical thing. But he’s been grinding the last — quite honestly, the last month it’s been kind of tough for him.”
Kim provides value as a left-handed hitter, as well as with his speed and defense. But Roberts said he will nonetheless be in the conversation to get sent down to the minors when Hernández is activated Monday. The team’s other choice would be cutting veteran utility man Santiago Espinal, which seemed like the logical move prior to Kim’s struggles since he serves a repetitive right-handed utility role off the bench.
“Obviously, we’ve got to make a decision,” Roberts said.
Up next
The Dodgers return home Monday for a three-game series against the Rockies. Emmet Sheehan (3-1, 4.93 ERA) will be on the mound for the opener, which is an early 6:10 p.m. start for Memorial Day.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 07, 2026: Michael Helman #23 of the Texas Rangers hits a single during the seventh inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for May 24, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore and Reid Detmers.
The last game of the road trip. Its a spring training split squad looking lineup today.
The lineup:
McCutchen — LF
Foscue — 2B
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Duran — 3B
Jansen — C
Haggerty — CF
Higashioka — DH
Helman — SS
6:20 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +105 underdogs.
May 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (22) makes a catch for an out during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Based on the forecast when this holiday weekend began, it did not look like baseball would be played this Sunday afternoon. But with the rain hewing closing to drizzle than downpour, “play ball!” was called! “Tarps off”, as the kids would say.
It proved to be a good development for the Minnesota Twins, who swept the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park for the first time since the early Clinton Administration!!
The Twins jumped on old friend Sonny Gray early—top 1—when a Trevor Larnach HBP & Josh Bell BB turned into a run after Kody Clemens knocked a clean RBI single to right field. 1-0 MIN.
That slim advantage didn’t last long. In B2, Masataka Yoshida wrapped a sphere around the Pesky Pole in RF off of Twins SP Bailey Ober to tie the game.
Boston’s momentum lasted even a shorter duration. In T3, Brooks Lee drove a double to the stubby RF Fenway wall and was immediately plated by a Larnach RBI single. The Twins would go on to load the bases with zero outs and score—on a Victor Caratini GIDP and nothing further. The bare necessities. 3-1 MIN.
Alas, once again the Bearded Nightmare could not hold the lead for long. In B4, a Wilyer Abreu double off the Monster was immediately followed by a Willson Contreras home run over it to tie the contest again at 3-3. A Marcelo Meyer RBI single would later give the BoSox their first lead of the day. 4-3 BOS.
But as has happened this entire series, Twins’ bats fought back. In T6, singles from Orlando Arcia & Evan Kreidler brought the “good Sox” bullpen—in the form of RP Garrett Whitlock—into the contest. That proved to be a misnomer, as Whitlock was immediately greeted by an Austin Martin 2B to tie the game and a Lee 1B to put the visitors in front! 6-4 MIN.
After a bunt single put a leadoff Bostonian on in B8, Martin made a tremendous catch—Willie Mays basket-style over his head—to calm the waters for a bit. Despite further Red Sox rallying off Taylor Rogers, Yoendrys Gomez would enter and polish off the frame unscathed.
Gomez would stay in to try and close out the contest—a feat never easy for this bullpen crew. A leadoff triple and a BB upped the degree of difficulty further. With one out, former Twin-for-a-blink Isaiah Kiner-Falefa banged a ball off the Monster to score one and send the tying run in Connor Wong wheeling towards home plate—only to be thrown out on a nice relay from Larnach to Caratini!
There was, of course, still one out needed with a BOS runner standing on second base. Gomez would proceed to fall off the mound for a balk on pitch attempt #1, then hit a batter in pitch attempt #2 before being removed in favor of Travis Adams.
Adams’ first pitch to Ceddanne Rafaela: a scorching liner—right into the glove of RF Martin. Phew!!!!
Your Final: Minnesota Twins 6, Boston Red Sox 5
Ladies and gentlemen, YOUR Minnesota Twins have swept BoSox and are now a game away from being able to call themselves a non-losing baseball club! Truly one of the most engaging Twins series in quite some time.
Zach’s Zealot
Mia the Goldendoodle: While dog-sitting my sister’s Goldendoodle this weekend, we watched all the games together and she has a perfect Twins record: 4-0, including Bark at the Park night when Ober tossed his complete game shutout gem.
Zach’s Zombie
Not when the Twins sweep the Sawx at Fenway for the first time since Scott Erickson (W) & Rick Aguilera (SV) closed out a Beantown broom-fest in 1994 behind home runs from Kent Hrbek & Shane Mack!
For the first time in 2026, the Twins clash with the Chicago White Sox in four games on the South Side (Mon. afternoon, Tues. night, Wed. night, Thurs. afternoon).
May 24, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) is unable to catch a double hit by Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Royals 8, Mariners 6
Going 1-5 against the Royals: Bryan Woo, -.22 WPA; Luke Raley, -.11 WPA
At least it ended fun: Colt Emerson, +.14 WPA
Game thread comment of the day:
(Kids, Google him if you don’t understand that reference. Also, to be fair, the entire defense looked sloppy today. Our thoughts and prayers to Perry Hill.)
MIAMI — Their season ended at loanDepot park last year, and Sunday sure seemed like déjà vu for the Mets.
Of course, there are still four months remaining — plenty of time for a change in course — but finding hope for this beleaguered bunch is a challenge, especially as the tougher part of the schedule awaits in the coming weeks.
On Sunday, with their best hitter sidelined, the Mets went from sluggish to comatose in a 4-0 loss that completed the Marlins’ three-game sweep. The loss was the Mets’ fourth straight and moved them 2 ½ games behind the Marlins for worst in the NL East.
Heriberto Hernández’s walk-off grand slam against Devin Williams sent the Mets to a fourth straight loss as they completed a 2-5 road trip. The Mets, who began the day ranked last in MLB with a .642 OPS, scored only two runs in getting swept three games in South Florida.
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“We ran into some good pitching and we ourselves are not at our best,” Marcus Semien said. “We were in position to win this game. We had a couple of chances. We couldn’t come through with two outs.”
The futility included the Mets going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on a day they totaled only five hits against six pitchers in essentially a bullpen game for the Marlins.
“We’re scuffling,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We have got a lot of guys that are going through it right now. We’re not grinding at-bats. When you look at it we had two hard-hit balls. Other than that we have got to figure it out. We have got to be able to score runs.”
Heriberto Hernández of the Miami Marlins rounds the bases after hitting a grand slam home run against the New York Mets during the ninth inning at loanDepot park on May 24, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
The lineup change removed one of the few productive players in the Mets lineup. Soto has a 1.342 OPS with six homers over his last 10 games. MJ Melendez took his spot.
Christopher Morel’s leadoff double against Williams, who had a streak of 10 straight scoreless appearances snapped, began the winning rally. After a sacrifice bunt moved the lead run to third and Liam Hicks walked, the Mets loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Xavier Edwards. Hernández cleared the center field fence on the second pitch.
Christian Scott had his best outing this season, allowing only four hits and two walks over 5 ²/₃ scoreless innings. The right-hander struck out five and departed with the game scoreless after Jakob Marsee’s two-out single in the sixth.
“It’s part of baseball,” Scott said of the phantom run support. “But we have got the utmost faith and confidence in these guys going forward and I feel like we’re one little step away from turning something on here.”
Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mets put multiple runners on base in the second, fourth and fifth innings but did not score. In the second, Hayden Senger was retired for the final out after a two-out walk to Tyrone Taylor. Semien started the inning by reaching on Javier Sanoja’s throwing error. In the fourth, Brett Baty singled and Melendez walked before Taylor was retired for the final out. Bo Bichette and A.J. Ewing reached on consecutive singles in the fifth before Vientos became the final out.
In the sixth, Baty drew a leadoff walk before Semien grounded into a double play. Melendez got hit by a pitch before Taylor was retired.
Carson Benge walked and stole second in the seventh, but was left stranded at third when Ewing struck out to conclude the frame.
Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) bats against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Ewing threw a strike to the plate in the bottom of the inning to nail Sanoja attempting to score from second on Xavier Edwards’ single through the middle against Brooks Raley. The Marlins loaded the bases with two outs on Caissie’s infield single before Raley retired Stowers.
Melendez singled leading off the ninth, but pinch runner Nick Morabito got thrown out attempting to steal second.
“What we’re doing right now is not good,” Mendoza said. “We have got a few guys that are having a hard time. We’re having a hard time creating traffic, a hard time squaring the ball up and we have got to figure it out.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MAY 24: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two run RBI triple against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at American Family Field on May 24, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers gave Yoshinobu Yamamoto ample run support on Sunday, as they took the finale against the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 to cap off their first winning road trip since their first of the season.
The last time Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched in the regular season in Milwaukee, he allowed six runs and failed to get out of the first inning. This time around, he faced the minimum on just nine pitches.
The Brewers once again took an early lead, this time coming in the bottom of the second inning. After Yamamoto plunked Jake Bauers and allowed a single to Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick drove home Bauers on a fielder’s choice to give Milwaukee a one-run lead.
Rookie Brandon Sproat had the Dodgers scuffling at the plate over the first three innings, holding them scoreless while striking out five. He started the fourth with his sixth strikeout, but singles from Teoscar Hernández and Dalton Rushing put the tying run in scoring position. Sproat racked up his career-high seventh strikeout against Hyeseong Kim, but he plunked Miguel Rojas on the knee to load the bases and let the lead slip with a wild pitch to score Hernández.
A leadoff single from Mookie Betts and a walk from Freddie Freeman knocked Sproat out of the game in the top of the fifth inning, with the lefty Shane Drohan coming in to face Kyle Tucker. The lefty-lefty matchup backfired for Milwaukee, as Tucker roped his second triple in as many games, plating both Betts and Freeman to give the Dodgers the lead. He is the first Dodger to have a tripled in two straight games since Gavin Lux in 2021. Tucker now has nine hits in his last 17 at-bats (.529 average) against left-handers since May 4.
Andy Pages immediately followed Tucker on the very next pitch with a two-run shot to extend the lead to four runs. His 45 RBI on the season are once again tied for the most in baseball, joining Washington National shortstop C.J. Abrams. The Dodgers as a team subsequently went hitless over their next nine at-bats against Drohan and failed to get another baserunner until a ninth inning walk to Shohei Ohtani.
Those five runs were the highest amount of support the Dodgers gave Yamamoto since May 4 against Houston, and Yamamoto responded by keeping the Brewers scoreless over his next five innings of work. Although the strikeouts were sparse— with his three being the second least in any start this year— and the seven hits he allowed were a season high, he was able to rely on soft contact as he induced a career-high 11 ground ball outs— two being ground ball double plays. Sunday was the first time all season that Yamamoto got a winning decision while tossing at least seven innings.
Will Klein and Tanner Scott kept up the impressive work from the Dodgers bullpen, as they now extend their franchise record scoreless streak to 38 innings.
The Dodgers have won their first series in Milwaukee since July 2024. The Dodgers finish their nine-game road trip with a 7-2 record, averaging 6.3 runs per game while taking every series.
The Dodgers are back at home as they begin a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Monday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Emmet Sheehan goes for the Dodgers, while the Rockies have yet to announce their starter.
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan (55) watches Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages (44) round the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of their game Sunday, May 24, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Brewers collected seven hits off Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but couldn’t string enough of them together to score more than one run. After today’s loss, the Brewers have now dropped two straight as they head into a series against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals.
Unlike in the first two games of this series, the Brewers couldn’t put a run on the board in the first inning. Milwaukee broke through in the second against Yamamoto, who opened the frame by running a fastball in on Jake Bauers’ hands. The pitch was initially ruled a foul ball, but Bauers challenged the call. Replay clearly showed the ball hit his hand, sending Bauers to first with nobody out.
After Andrew Vaughn struck out for the first out of the inning, Garrett Mitchell lined a single into center to put runners on the corners. Sal Frelick followed with a slow chopper to second that wasn’t hit hard enough to turn two — or even elicit a throw from shortstop Mookie Betts, who was covering the bag. Mitchell was thrown out at second, but Bauers crossed the plate with the game’s first run.
Despite walking three batters and allowing a double to Kyle Tucker, starting pitcher Brandon Sproat managed to escape the first two innings unscathed. He retired Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Tucker in order in the third. However, as has happened in a few different starts this season, Sproat started to fall apart after that. Despite tying his career high with seven strikeouts in the fourth inning, he allowed two singles and hit Miguel Rojas, then gave the Dodgers a run on a wild pitch.
Sproat managed to escape the fourth by inducing a groundout off the bat of Shohei Ohtani, but the fifth would be a different story. Betts led off with a single, then Sproat walked Freeman. At 89 pitches, that would be all for the rookie right-hander. Brewers manager Pat Murphy brought in Shane Drohan to face Kyle Tucker, who ripped a grounder down the right-field line and into the corner for a two-run triple.
Drohan’s very next pitch was a 92-mph cutter up and in to Andy Pages, who made him pay, launching it deep into the left-field seats for a two-run homer. Drohan retired the next three batters, but the damage was already done, as the Dodgers extended their lead to 5-1.
Meanwhile, Yamamoto settled in after the second inning and cruised through the middle frames. He didn’t allow another run and entered the seventh inning at just 74 pitches. The Brewers weren’t completely overmatched — they collected seven hits off Yamamoto — but every one of them was a single. Milwaukee also went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position against Yamamoto and grounded into a pair of double plays, which usually isn’t enough to keep pace with the formidable Dodgers lineup.
Reliever Will Klein came in for the eighth and retired Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras in order, and the Brewers fared no better against Tanner Scott in the ninth.
Looking on the bright side, Milwaukee won’t have to wait long to try and get back in the win column. They’ll welcome the Cardinals to American Family Field for a rare Monday day game on Memorial Day. First pitch for tomorrow’s series opener is set for 1:10 p.m.
