Things started really well for the Good Guys, denting the scoreboard in the second inning with a two-out rally: Chase Meidroth singled, and Braden Montgomery followed up with a double that sent Meidroth racing home.
And the Sox didn’t stop. Luisangel Acuña started the bottom of the third with a single and distracted Gavin Williams quite a bit by stealing second and taunting Cleveland. Sam Antonacci battled, earning himself a nine-pitch walk after Cleveland lost an ABS challenge. Miguel Vargas singled, and Acuña was waved home but called out. The White Sox challenged the tag and a blocking interference, but lost.
I sat and pondered if I knew anything about baseball after that call, because it was a clear block. Alas. Thankfully, Andrew Benintendi knocked Antonacci in, making it 2-0.
Kay continued to keep Cleveland off the board, but as his tank was emptying in the sixth, he gave up his second walk of the game with two outs, prompting the bullpen to get Grant Taylor warmed up. Kay dug deep for a career-high 101 pitches, but also got the much-needed, inning-ending punch out of Gabriel Arias. Kay tied his career high with his eighth K, and Arias was on his way to a platinum sombrero.
Tim Herrin replaced starter Gavin Williams for the Guardians, which prompted a Randal Grichuk pinch-hitting appearance. It would prove to be a great call by Will Venable, as Grichuk homered, again, against a lefty. That would be it for the frame, but the White Sox were now up, 3-0. Taylor, who entered the game for the seventh, struggled with his command early. He gave up a leadoff walk to Steven Kwan, a hit to Daniel Schneemann, and a wild pitch that would advance both. Another walk loaded the bases, and trouble surfaced when Kahlil Watson singled, sending two runners home. Ryhs Hoskins sent a ball up the middle to tie the ballgame and prompted a the hook for Taylor. Bryan Hudson ended the inning with a strikeout, but the lead was long gone.
Braden Montgomery led off the seventh with a double. With a broken bat, Antonacci snuck a hit past first base, sending Montgomery home to regain the lead. Antonacci promptly stole second, and then third on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, Miguel Vargas struck out to end the inning.
With the Sox still up, 4-3, Seranthony Domínguez came in for the ninth and promptly walked the leadoff batter. A stolen base and wild pitch got Travis Bazzana to third, putting the tying run 90 feet away with nobody out. Patrick Bailey singled, tying the game and giving Domínguez yet another blown save.
But it got worse, as Brayan Rocchio doubled to put ducks on the pond, and Domínguez lucked into a strikeout before being booed and yanked off the mound. A shallow fly ball to center would send the runner home after a successful challenge from the Guardians, putting them up, 5-4. But, with a runner on third and two outs, Arias waved at a third strike for his fifth K of the game.
Braden Montgomery started a ninth-inning rally with one out by picking up a walk, and Tristan Peters made up for an awful throw in the previous frame with a stand-up double that shouldn’t have even been a hit. After a strikeout by pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez, the White Sox were down to their last out, one batter away from dropping two games behind Cleveland in the AL Central.
But we had a guy there, my favorite guy, Antonacci, who stepped up and smacked a first-pitch fastball at his eyes for a single past matador-shortstop Brayan Rocchio, sending both runners home. The Guardians challenged the tag play with on Peters for the winning run, but the call was upheld — SAFE!
The Good Guys stormed the field, ripping Antonacci’s jersey off and baptizing him in Gatorade after his first career walk-off, as he took it all in while wearing the best shit-eating grin I’ve seen in my life.
The White Sox and Guardians are back to being tied for first place, with the White Sox technically ahead by .04 percentage points.
How big a spectacle? Well, the Marlins have played five Monday games this season, and averaged 8,404 fans. Yet on Monday, June 22, with Scottish fans needing to kill a couple nights before the big Brazil match, 20,008 kilt-wearing, lager-swilling, chant-crazy fans made the ballpark thump.
They were treated to a great game, the Rangers and Marlins going back and forth before the Rangers' two-run eighth-inning rally proved decisive for a 4-3 victory.
The action beyond the field was anything but typical, however.
"It was a really fun environment," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said in his postgame press conference. "That was a very raucous environment, especially the chants. We were proud to have been hosts for a real incredible evening.
"A chance for the fans to see some American baseball and some good action, so it was real fun."
Without the stress they'll have to endure trying to secure at least one point against Brazil, the Scots saw a home run from the Rangers' Ezequiel Duran and Miami's Xavier Edwards nearly leg out an inside-the-park home run before getting cut down at the plate by a perfect Rangers relay. And then there were the chants: They hit a crescendo before Marlins starter Tyler Phillips could even throw a pitch.
It had slipped Phillips' mind that the Scots were in town and then, on his drive to Marlins Park, "I saw all the kilts walking around everywhere. I was a little confused."
Soon, after bagpipers took to the field in a pregame ceremony, Phillips converted that activity into energy.
"Scotland, the Tartan Army – if it was up to me, I’d have us be paying those people to show up to the games. That was unbelievable," says Phillips, who gave up just two runs in six innings. "From the second I walked out the dugout, I felt it in my chest. They were unbelievable fans.
"I didn’t know they were going to show out like that. That was electric. If I’m driving around tonight and someone in a kilt is in trouble, I might stop and help them."
It's been quite a run through the USA for the Scots, who made their presence heavily felt at Boston's Fenway Park when they filled the yard for a nationally televised Sunday night game and sang and chanted along to "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and "Dancing Queen" and "Sweet Caroline" and so many others.
Yet the former Marlins Park provided an entirely different opportunity: A blank canvas.
While Fenway Park isn't the sellout machine it used to be, the Marlins' Little Havana ballyard plays more like a mausoleum on many weeknights. The largest crowd they got on a Monday last year was 15,000 for the defending champion Dodgers.
This year, the five Monday dates have ranged from 6,515 against the Chicago White Sox to 10,934 for a Passover at the Park promotion against Cincinnati on April 6.
For the Rangers, it was a welcome sight. They were the opponents for the Red Sox that night at Fenway and since, slugger Jake Burger told MLB.com, "I don't think we've stopped playing 'No Scotland, No Party," he said of the team's unofficial anthem for the '26 Cup.
"Even just warming up, they were so friendly," says Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker, who pitched five innings Monday "It was so much good energy. They were in good spirits. It was cool."
And by the time they counted them all, the Tartan Army brought a 138% increase at the gate for a typical Monday in Miami.
"That’s something I’d like to have," says Phillips, "every single outing."
Well, the Scots do have one more night to kill before Wednesday's match. The Marlins host the Rangers on Tuesday, June 23 at 6:40 p.m. ET.
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 1989: Influential British rockers New Order (L -R) bassist Peter Hook, keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, lead vocalist/guitarist Bernard Sumner and drummer Stephen Morris pose for an October 1989 portrait in New York City, New York. (Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Record: 39-39. Pace: 81-81. Change on 2025: -1.
I suppose we should have predicted a one-run game here, and it may not be the last in the series. Coming in, the D-backs and Cardinals were first and equal second (with the Dodgers) for the most one run games in the National League. Arizona were 13-12, and St. Louis 13-10. Both those numbers now tick up a point in the appropriate direction. The D-backs’ recent string of futility with runners in scoring position continued. While they pulled back from three runs down to close within one, they were unable to get the big when they needed it. The runs scored on a solo home-run by Tommy Troy, and a groundout by ex-Cardinal Nolan Arenado, but Arizona went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
I would not have bet on a one-run game three batters into the bottom of the first, however. With a possible bullpen game looming on the horizon, the last thing the Diamondbacks needed was a short outing from Merrill Kelly. It looked like one could be on the Cards (pun very much intended), as Kelly allowed back-to-back singles, followed by a walk, to load the bases before getting around to retiring a home hitter. However, disaster was averted in two pitches, as Jordan Walker (5th in the NL for homers coming in), lined out to Geraldo Perdomo and the next pitch saw Lars Nootbaar (1st in the NL for name that’s most fun to say) hit into a double-play.
Unfortunately, that basically used up all Arizona’s luck points for the evening. That much was spectacularly clear in the third inning, after Ketel Marte singled to lead things off. Perdomo then hit into what was a potential double-play, but Masyn Winn’s screaming throw to first skidded past the first baseman. Geraldo then tried to take second, but appears to have been blown over by the shockwave from Wynn’s throw (above). That’s the only way to explain him eating dirt, on his way to the old 4-6-3-6-2 double-play, where both of the outs were made at second-base. After that, it really didn’t feel like it was going to be the D-backs’ night.
The bottom of the third proved it. A lead-off single almost drilled Kelly, and the runner came around to score on a perfectly-placed infield hit with an expected batting average of just .060. That was the first of the Cardinals’ two hits with RISP tonight, and gave them a 1-0 lead. At least it was followed by another double-play, this one sweetly turned by Arenado. Speaking of whom, he got a very nice reception from the St. Louis fans when he stepped to the plate in the second inning. Perhaps a little surprising, considering how much their team is paying for him to be on the Arizona roster, this year and next. But they appear to be mostly intent on remembering the good times, like 2022 when he was 3rd in MVP voting behind some “Goldschmidt” guy.
The Cardinals added to their lead in the fourth, after a lead-off walk came home on a sacrifice fly, and a two-out RBI single followed for a 3-0 lead. That was the end of the damage against Kelly, who was able to deliver a quality start, by the bare minimum in both metrics: exactly six innings pitched, with precisely three earned runs allowed. He allowed seven hits, all of which were singles, but walked three and struck out just two of the 26 batters faced. That’s a K-rate of 5.23 per nine innings, one of the worst by any everyday pitcher in the majors this year. His K:BB ratio is 1.42, compared to 3.48 last season, and that’s surely one of the main reasons for his struggles.
The Diamondbacks were able to make something of a game of it. They got on the board on the sixth. Corbin Carroll led off with a double off the wall in right, which would have been a home-run in 21 parks. He scored anyway, on a pair of groundouts. There was no such doubt about Arizona’s second run, coming courtesy of Tommy Troy’s third home-run of the year (above) in the seventh inning. It was a no-doubter, estimated at 444 feet. That’s the third-longest by any Arizona batter this year, trailing a 448 ft Carroll shot (at Coors, so give it a *), and a 452 ft. monster by Marte in San Francisco. Not bad for a kid playing only his 25th major-league game.
That was more or less that last hoorah for Arizona. Marte singled and stole second, but a groundout by Perdomo started a run of the seven final D-backs being retired in order, ending the game with the one-run margin in favor of the Cardinals. Taylor Clarke and Johnny Lasagna kept St. Louis off the board the rest of the way. Arizona did outhit their opponents 8-7 and also prevailed 3-0 in the XBH column. But they didn’t draw a single walk and, along with the RISP failings, that was likely the difference maker here. [Wait till you see the Deserve To Win chart in the comments…] Arizona drops back to .500, at the beginning of a tough series of games leading into the All-Star break.
Click here for details, at Fangraphs.com The Perfect Kiss: Taylor Clarke, +6% World in Motion: Geraldo Perdomo, -22% State of the Nation: Lourdes Gurriel, -10%
Just shy of two hundred comments, which given the early start time here in Arizona, is quite respectable. There were some very respectable comments in the GDT, but the most rec’d ones tended to rely on GIF usage, which doesn’t translate very well to screenshots. So let’s give it to ChefAZ for this uplifting bit of news, on a night when our five-game streak of winning on Mondays came to an end.
Tomorrow sees another 4:45 pm first pitch (AZ time), with team ace Eduardo Rodriguez – nope, still sounds weird – taking the mound for the D-backs. Probably our best chance of victory in the series, so fingers crossed the team gets back above .500.
But after Monday night, the Yankees were left hoping he would not be out longer than that because of a right wrist injury.
The catcher, who has played well in limited starts since being called up earlier this month, left Monday’s 5-3 loss to the Tigers early after taking Drew Anderson’s 98 mph fastball off the right wrist, which caused him serious pain.
X-rays were negative, but Sánchez was headed for a CT scan postgame to determine if there was any damage.
“Initially, he was in a ton of pain, enough to take him out right away,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Hopefully we get clean on the CT and it’s just a day-to-day thing.”
Ali Sánchez gets hit by a pitch during the Yankees’ June 22 loss. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Sánchez had doubled home the Yankees’ only run off Tigers lefty Framber Valdez, snapping the club’s 0-for-23 skid with runners in scoring position.
The right-handed hitter has been productive across 10 games, batting .316 (6-for-19) with an .802 OPS and three RBIs.
Ali Sánchez exits after getting hit by a pitch during the Yankees’ June 22 loss. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Feel like he’s done a good job,” Boone said. “I think he’s more than held his own at the plate. Drove in our first run tonight with a really good at-bat. I thought both of his at-bats were really good and competitive and in control. That’s been good to see. Hopefully this is just a day-to-day scenario.”
With Sánchez planning to go on the paternity list any day, J.C. Escarra was already in Detroit with the Yankees on the taxi squad and would also replace him if an injured list stint is needed.
The game was delayed six minutes in the fourth inning after an infield dirt camera became exposed.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. tried to cover the camera in dirt or possibly remove it, to no avail, and the grounds crew eventually had to work on it as Gerrit Cole threw warmup pitches to stay loose.
“That’s just part of it, I guess, 2026,” Cole said. “I still made quality pitches coming out of the back of those delays, but not easy to deal with. Did the best we could.”
Trent Grisham is trending toward a return that may be even quicker than the Yankees had initially expected.
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The outfielder, who has been on the injured list since June 13 with a “moderate” right hamstring strain, was moving well in agility drills in recent days before the Yankees left town and is expected to meet them this weekend at Fenway Park, where he will ramp up to full baseball activities — running the bases, taking batting practice and shagging fly balls in the outfield — before potentially playing in rehab games next week.
“We don’t want to rush the ending of that,” Boone said. “It is encouraging how good he is moving, how well he’s moving. So we need to continue that trajectory and hopefully he’s back sooner rather than later.”
While Boone was mum on Aaron Judge, who is three weeks into a four-to-six-week timeline for reimaging on the stress fracture in his first right rib, he said that Giancarlo Stanton could “start to get ramped up a little bit” Tuesday, a little over a week after suffering a setback with his calf strain.
The Yankees called up Yerry de los Santos on Monday to fill the empty bullpen spot vacated by Jake Bird — with Elmer Rodríguez using the roster spot Sunday for a spot start before being sent right back to Triple-A.
Boone said a few relievers were in consideration — presumably including the hard-throwing Yovanny Cruz — but de los Santos was the choice because he was “in a good spot and fits the role well.”
The righty, who had a four-pitch outing Tuesday, had not given up a run in his last seven appearances.
Jun 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Curtis Mead (45) hits a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The Phillies offense struggled against another left-handed starting pitcher, as this time Foster Griffin of the Nationals shut down the Philadelphia lineup while a back breaking two-run homer from Curtis Mead in the seventh put the game out of reach in a 4-1 loss. Griffin flummoxed the Phillies hitters all night, racking up nine strikeouts in 7.1 innings, the longest outing of his MLB career.
Tim Mayza started the game on the mound for the Phillies as an opener in the first attempt to fill the fifth rotation spot vacated by the recently demoted Andrew Painter. He surrendered a leadoff double to James Wood before retiring Mead on a fly out that moved Wood to third. But Dylan Crews followed with a single off of Mayza to drive in the first run of the game. CJ Abrams then reached on an error by Trea Turner, his eighth of the season, before Mayza was able to end the inning with a pair of strikeouts.
It was then Alan Rangel’s opportunity to audition for that fifth spot, as he followed Mayza as the bulk pitcher. It didn’t start off too well, as he surrendered a home run to the second batter he faced in Luis Garcia Jr. to push the deficit to 2-0. Outside of that though, Rangel did just about as much as could have reasonably been asked of him. He finished five innings and allowed just that one run on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
Sólida actuación de Alan Rangel. El sonorense lanzó 5 entradas de una carrera y ponchó a cuatro rivales. pic.twitter.com/zYZo8tM12n
The Phillies bats meanwhile could not figure out Griffin, as the lefty held them in check with seven strikeouts through the first four innings, including striking out the side in the fourth. Rafael Marchán led off the third with a single, but Turner quickly grounded into a force out before Kyle Schwarber lined out to center and Bryce Harper grounded out to first. The best scoring chance came in the fifth when Derek Hill hit a line drive to left field and just narrowly beat the throw from Crews to be safe at second with a leadoff double. He then advanced to third with one out when Bryson Stott grounded back to the pitcher. But Marchán popped out softly to shortstop on two pitches and Turner grounded out on the first pitch to third base that was deftly picked by Mead whose throw just beat Turner to the bag at first.
The sixth brought another chance for the Phillies, but yet again, they failed to break through against Griffin. Schwarber reached base on an error from second baseman Nasim Nuñez to begin the inning, but Griffin needed just six pitches to retire Harper on a fly out and Alec Bohm on a spectacular double play started by Nuñez to end the threat.
It took until the seventh, but the Phillies did finally get a run across against Griffin thanks to a Brandon Marsh solo homer to right field for his 10th home run of the season. On the night, Griffin finished with 7.1 IP, four hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts. But Marsh’s homer brought the Phillies right back into the game, cutting the then 2-0 deficit in half. The comeback attempt wouldn’t last long though, as Seth Johnson allowed the two-run shot to Mead in the bottom half of the inning to put the Phillies down three.
The Phillies went down quietly in the eighth against another lefty in Richard Lovelady before Harper led off the ninth with a single against Clayton Beeter. But before you could even get your hopes up, Alec Bohm dashed them with a quick double play on the first pitch he saw. Justin Crawford had the honor of being the game’s last out, striking out after being used as a pinch hitter for Edmundo Sosa.
Tomorrow’s matchup
Jesús Luzardo (6-4, 4.20) will look to get the Phillies back on track against Zack Littell (6-6, 5.45) of the Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies hits a three-RBI triple for a walk-off 3-2 win in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field on June 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOL. LMAO even. The Sox never trailed until the final run crossed the plate, having built a 2-0 win methodically over the previous eight innings. This was a Little League-ass game (complimentary enough): Against starting pitchers neither team could do much, but the Sox eventually broke through on a sixth-inning RBI double by Willson Contreras. Caleb Durbin followed with another RBI the same inning. And that was all to write home about except a great start from Jake Bennett and an appearance by old friend Brennan Bernardino.
The first danger the Sox faced was in the eighth, when Garrett Whitlock gave up four straight one-out singles and escaped by the Sox throwing out guys at home and second. Just gnarly stuff, and the spider moment from Lord of the Rings, right? That one final major roadblock? Au contraire, because Aroldis Chapman gave up four straight hits — the first three were singles, the third was a bunt, the fourth a double to clear the bases and win it — and it was over in the blink of an eye, even after a short game (it was 2:20 in real time to play the whole thing). The first seven of the eight straight hits to end it were singles. Let tonight forever be known as the game the Red Sox gave up eight straight hits to end it to fall into a lead for the fewest wins in the league… tied with the Rockies. That’s some shit!
DENVER, CO - JUNE 22: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies hits a three-RBI triple for a walk-off 3-2 win in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Coors Field on June 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 18: Cade Smith #36 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What a stupid game baseball is. White Sox 6, Guardians 5. I can’t take much more of this.
The Guardians looked hopeless for six innings against a bad pitcher in Anthony Kay. The White Sox had a homer and scratched another run home off of Gavin Williams who went six. Tim Herrin gave up a homer to Randal Grichuk whom the Guardians could have had off waivers but couldn’t find room for because they have Stuart Fairchild. 3-0 White Sox.
Then, the Guardians somehow tied the game. Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneemann and Travis Bazzana got on base and Stephen Vogt pinch-hit Kahlil Watson for David Fry and it worked! Watson got his first major league hit and it scored two runs. Then Rhys Hoskins hit a single and I have no idea why third base coach Rouglas Odor held Watson at third but he did and so the Guardians only scored three runs. 3-3.
The White Sox got a hustle double on a groundball not hard hit by one of their Montgomeries off of Sean Armstrong. And then he scored on a stupid broken bat groundball that Hoskins misplayed either because he had bat shards flying at him or because of the English on the ball or because he is a bad defender. Or all of the above.
BUT the Guardians took the lead back on a Travis Bazzana walk, then two steals to get to third on a wild pitch, and a Patrick Bailey single, followed by a Brayan Rocchio double that (after a horrendous at-bat from Rhys Hoskins against a Seranthony Dominguez incapable of throwing strikes) resulted in Bailey barely scoring on a Kyle Manzardo sacrifice fly. 5-4 good guys.
Now, needless to say, Gabriel Arias, batting sixth, struck out to end this two-run 9th inning. Arias struck out five times, including one in the first where the catcher completely missed the ball and Arias could have made it to first and caused a run to score but he was too busy lazily making his way to the dugout. I have not despised a Guardians player as much as I have Arias in a good while.
Cade Smith had worked a scoreless eighth for some reason, so Stephen Vogt brought him out for the 9th. And of course he gave up a BABIP double who scored on a pitch that the one super Italian-sounding White Sox player hit for a single around his eyeballs to win the game. Yay, White Sox, you’re division leaders again.
Travis Bazzana was great, Brayan Rocchio was great. Congratulations to Kahlil Watson on your first major league hit. Now, I am going to try to go to sleep and try not to dread watching this team again tomorrow.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 22: Matthew Boyd #16 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field on April 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thank you for stopping by BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. We still have a couple of good tables available. The hostess will seat you now. 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 week I asked you who was the Greatest Living Cub, since the passing of Ryne Sandberg last year. Most of you went back to the great team that almost was in 1969, with Billy Williams earning 52 percent of the vote and Fergie Jenkins finishing second with 31 percent. Both are Hall of Famers, of course.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. As always, you’re allowed to pick and choose which parts you want to follow.
Tonight we’re honored to have saxophonist Kenny Garrett live in Tokyo earlier this year. Joining Garrett and his alto sax are Keith Brown on piano, Corcoran Holt on bass, Rudy Bird on percussion, Melvis Santa on vocals (and percussion) and the drummer is Ronald Bruner, Jr.
A few weeks ago I was asked by one of you what I thought of the various adaptations of Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe novels. I had to admit that I had never seen Dick Powell’s portrayal of Marlowe in Murder, My Sweet (1944), even though Powell is an actor that I generally like. I’ve now seen Murder, My Sweet and I can tell you that while I still like Dick Powell, Humphrey Bogart and Robert Mitchum are still the definitive Marlowes.
Powell became a big star in the thirties playing what’s known at the “juvenile lead” in musicals like 42nd Street and The Gold Diggers of 1933. While Powell enjoyed singing and dancing (and presumably kissing Ruby Keeler), by the 1940s he felt he was too old to play the young innocent in a musical romance anymore. He wanted something darker and tougher, and Chandler’s world-weary antihero was exactly what he wanted.
Murder, My Sweet is actually the first on-screen performance of Philip Marlowe, based on the novel Farewell, My Lovely. (Test audiences reportedly thought Powell in a movie called Farewell, My Lovely was another musical, thus the name change.) Powell’s performance of Marlowe predates Bogart by two years.
The Chandler novels were very popular, but there were some major issues adapting them to film during the Code era. The first is that topics like homosexuality, drug abuse, pornography and the like were all verboten, so they had to just be alluded to or written out of the script altogether. The other issue is something that everyone who has read Chandler (and I’ve read Farewell, My Lovely among others) is quite familiar with: Chandler sucked at plots. The Marlowe novels are all about the overall mood, atmosphere and Chandler’s punch-you-in-the-face prose. The plots are usually nonsensical if you think about them for more than a minute. That’s even before you have to take out the parts that don’t meet Code specifications. Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep also suffers from this same issues with a plot that just doesn’t hang together.
Murder, My Sweet director Edward Dmytryk was a B-movie director who yearned to direct A-pictures. He and cinematographer Harry J. Wild decided to borrow from what Orson Welles and Gregg Toland did in Citizen Kane: lots of long shadows and odd angles. In doing so, Murder, My Sweet was perhaps the most influential film in creating the look of film noir that lasted through the next two decades. As I watched Murder, My Sweet, I didn’t find the cinematography to be any more than a solid if unspectacular noir look. But it wasn’t until later that I realized how it seem imitative to me was because I’d seen too many films that imitated it.
The biggest source of controversy on Murder, My Sweet is Powell’s portrait of Marlowe. Some like it as very energetic and alive. I, along with others, don’t think it’s right for Chandler’s cynical, world-weary Marlowe who swims above the muck rather than in it. Watching Powell’s Marlowe made me think that Powell was giving a very good performance as Mike Hammer. Powell is much more action-oriented and emotional than Marlowe should be. Bogart’s Marlowe and his Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon can blur together. He played them pretty much alike, although the dialogue of Hawks and screenwriters Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman’s forced Bogart to correctly play Marlowe with a slightly lighter and more detached touch than Spade. That he was opposite Lauren Bacall instead of Mary Astor in The Big Sleep made a huge difference too. Powell isn’t bad, but he doesn’t quite capture Chandler’s antihero the way Bogart or Mitchum, thirty years later, would do.
Playing against Powell are Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley as Helen and Ann Grayle, stepmother and stepdaughter. One is supposed to be the heroine and the other one the femme fatale and we’re supposed to be guessing which one is which throughout the film. Unfortunately, casting Trevor as Helen and Shirley as Ann doesn’t leave much doubt as to which one is which.
I should mention that former pro wrestler Mike Mazurki is very good in the supporting role of the big but sensitive thug Moose Malloy.
There’s some things I almost forgot to mention. There’s a short drug-induced dream sequence in Murder, My Sweet that comes off as amusing and dated. I’m pretty sure that’s not the effect Dmytryk was going for. He also tries to recreate Chandler’s prose by having Powell narrate the entire film as a flashback. That effort is more successful, and Dmytryk wisely doesn’t overuse the narration.
Murder, My Sweet was rushed into production after the success of Double Indemnity, co-written by Chandler, earlier in 1944. The success of the two films are credited for kicking off the whole film noir craze that would run for the next 15-20 years in Hollywood. The Big Sleep, for example, was rushed into production right after Murder, My Sweet was a hit, although delays because of the war and a need to shoot more scenes with Lauren Bacall (after Bogart and Bacall become front page news on all the gossip magazines) meant that it wasn’t released to theaters until 1946.
Overall, Murder, My Sweet is a good but not great film noir that is more imporant for its role in kickstarting the genre than it’s actual quality. Powell is a bit off as Marlowe, although as I said, he’d have made a decent Mike Hammer. Dmytryk and Wild did a great job of recreating Chandler’s dark Los Angeles with lighting and angles. If the film seems a little derivative, that’s mostly because so many other filmmakers copied it.
Murder, My Sweet is on HBO Max.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
What wasn’t announced was who was going to leave the Cubs rotation after Boyd returns. Currently, the Cubs five-man rotation stands at Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera, Ben Brown, Colin Rea and Javier Assad. Yes, I know that only Imanaga and Cabrera were expected to be in the rotation at the start of the year, but Boyd, Jameson Taillon and of course, Cade Horton, are hurt.
With Boyd getting healthy, one of those five pitchers will have to move to the bullpen. Brown has been too good with a 1.70 ERA over eight starts to even think of moving him to the pen. Neither Imanaga nor Cabrera have any real experience pitching in the bullpen and the Cubs have always intended for the two of them to start.
So that leaves Assad and Rea, both of whom moved into the rotation because of injuries. Unless the Cubs decide to go to a six-man rotation (which is possible, I guess), either Rea or Assad will have to go to the pen. Luckily, both of them have a good amount of experience there. This season, Rea has made 12 starts and four relief appearances. He has an ERA of 4.99. His fielding independent pitching (FIP) is 4.83. Assad has made five starts and seven relief appearances with an ERA of 3.89 and a FIP of 4.42.
So Assad would seem like the natural one to stay in the rotation and Rea to the bullpen, right? Not so fast. For one, the FIP difference in the two pitchers is not nearly as great as the ERA, although there is enough of a difference that it’s fair to say that Assad has pitched better. But Assad also pitches better out of the bullpen than he does in the rotation (3.95 ERA to 3.78) and Rea pitches better in the rotation (4.92 vs. 5.29) than the ‘pen. Rea was also very good in his last start (six scoreless innings against the Blue Jays) while the bullpen imploded to cost the Cubs the game. Maybe the Cubs win that game if Assad is pitching out of the bullpen.
Assad also has minor league options that would allow him to be sent to Iowa to continue to start should they need him to fill in for another injured starter later on, although the Cubs are hoping to get Taillon and Justin Steele back sometime in July or August.
So which Cubs starting pitcher would you send to the bullpen to make room for Matthew Boyd?
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Heading into Monday's game against the Tigers, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole had made five solid starts since returning on May 22 and shown flashes of his former self pre Tommy John surgery.
But things didn't go as planned in Detroit.
Cole battled for 4.1 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits (the most he's given up this year) with five strikeouts and a walk. He avoided trouble after leadoff hits in the first and second innings, but a leadoff triple in the third inning caught up to him as the Tigers scored three runs in the frame. The righty gave up another run in the fourth before allowing a solo homer in the fifth inning, eventually ending his night.
"I sure made a handful of mistakes there," Cole said after the 5-3 loss. "A couple of them, the two-out two-run RBI to [Colt] Keith, the homer to [Riley] Greene, the double to [Spencer] Torkelson kind of put extra pressure on us from those mistakes. They hit a good amount of good pitches, but we just weren't able to respond with the type of quality pitches to get out of those situations from the extra pressure they put on us."
One of the issues Monday was that Cole gave up a hit to the Tigers leadoff man in all five innings he pitched, including Riley's fifth-inning home run. He said that while it "puts pressure" on him, the Yanks weren't able to overcome the adversity.
"Like I said, I certainly made some mistakes," Cole said. "The opposition is going to put pressure on you sometimes. The reality is, it's not the try-hard league, it's the get-it-done league, and we just didn't get it done tonight."
He added: "They got nine hits, they just put a ton of pressure on us and played overall just slightly better baseball. That's just the way it broke tonight."
Manager Aaron Boone thought Cole's stuff looked "alright" and credited the Tigers for making him work with consistent contact throughout the game.
"I thought stuff-wise was alright and he had some swing-and-miss going, had some strikeouts, they didn't really miss though," Boone said. "When he missed or was a little off with the fastball they were able to square it up. So probably there were some times where he was trying to go to a location and maybe pulled it or missed a little more in the middle or missed in when he was going away a handful of times and they capitalized on that. Probably had some opportunities.
"I thought he had a good slider going, probably some chances in some situations where he didn't get that down enough to get some swing-and-miss or weak contact. But overall, stuff-wise I thought alright. They pressured him with a lot of good at-bats. Even early, first couple of innings, held them off the scoreboard. They were able to get the leadoff batter on and pressure him and make him work real hard. They put some good swings on some pitches where they got a little bit in the heart and they got a chance."
With the box scoring looking the way it did, Cole was asked if his performance can be attributed to pitching post-Tommy John surgery, which he immediately disagreed with.
"I don't think it has anything to do with that," Cole said. "The reality is, pitches over the heart of the plate, there's three. There's three over the heart of the plate. Now pretty critical about some of the other stuff... I think just when it's all set and done, the real mistake that I jumped way ahead and just goosed a fastball to Keith there to cash the other two in. That would've been great to convert that out and keep that at a one."
And Boone agreed that Monday's outing had nothing to do with Cole's injury, saying the right-hander has performed to the level he expects.
"I think overall he's pitching very much in line with who Gerrit Cole's been throughout his career," Boone said. "I think he looks good, the stuff's there. It always comes down to how well you execute time in and time out. For the most part, he's been very good. They took advantage of some pitches that probably leaked into the heart of the plate on him today and put up some points on him."
Jun 22, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Myles Straw (3), center fielder Daulton Varsho (5), and right fielder Nathan Lukes (38) celebrate the win against the Houston Astros at the end of the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Astros 2 Blue Jays 4
We really should have scored more.
It is funny how that line just types itself at the top of recaps.
But we are back at .500, and, amazingly, hold the third Wild Card spot.
Dylan Cease had a nice night. 5.2 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned, 4 walks and 8 strikeouts. He had a tough first inning, single, walk, strikeout, single, walk and finally double play. All that added up to just 1 run.
Then he got the next 13 batters out. Cease had some trouble again in the sixth. With 1 out, he handed out 2 walks. After a line out (thanks for catching it, Jesús Sánchez. He never fills me with confidence in the outfield). After a visit from John Schneider, Jose Altuve hit a single (just cleared the infielders, but not hit hard enough to reach the outfielders). After that, Cease came out of the game. Unfortunately, that run cost Cease a W.
Dylan threw 110 pitches, which is a lot these days.
Braydon Fisher got the last out of the inning. And pitched a perfect seventh. Nice work, Braydon.
Tyler Rogers gave up a pair of singled to start the eighth, but then got a double play (very nicely turned, Ernie Clement to Andrés Giménez to Vladimir Guerrero. After a walk, another ground out ended the inning.
And Louis Varland, despite a leadoff walk, picked up his 16th save. Helped out by another nice double play, former Jay, Joey Loperfido ground to Giménez, who threw to Clement, who turned it to Vlad. A strikeout ended the game.
Offensively, we had 11 hits and 5 walks, which should have added up to more than 4 runs.
In the first: With 2 outs, Vlad and Kirk had singles, but no runs scored.
In the second: Kazuma Okamoto led off with a home run. Then, with two outs, Giménez was hit by pitch and George Springer singled…..but Nathan Lukes struck out to end the inning.
In the third: With two outs, we loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit batter, but didn’t score.
In the fourth: A Giménez single, a Springer walk and a Lukes sac bunt, that the Astros decided not to accept, allowing Nathan to reach on error, loaded the bases with no outs. Finally we were going to have our big inning. Vlad hit a sac fly, ok, starting with a run, no worries (with the worst throw from the outfield that we’ve seen all year, from Yordan Alvarez). A Kirk fly out (way too short to score a run. It was a rough at bat, swinging at the first pitch that was well outside and low, and then at another pitch off the plate for the fly out). And Daulton Varsho also flied out. Oh well, we were up 2-1.
In the fifth: A one-out walk (Sánchez) and single (Clement) were wasted with a Giménez double play ball.
In the sixth….we had our first three up, three down inning. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos looked terrific.
In the seventh: With one out, Varsho singled and Okamoton doubled him to third. A Myles Straw sac fly scored our third run. Then Clement walked (his second this month!). But Giménez struck out to end it.
In the eighth: Singles from Springer, Lukes, and Vlad loaded the bases. Kirk hit a sac fly to give us a 2-run lead. But, yet another double play ball ended the inning.
Springer, Vlad and Okamoto (with his 17th home run) had two hits each. Every starter reached base at least once. Sanchez was the only starter not to get a hit, but he walked and was hit by pitch.
Jays of the Day: Okamoto (0.24), Fisher (0.16) and Rogers (0.12) had the number. Let’s give an honorable mention to Varland for the save.
No one had the number for the other award. Kirk had the low mark at -0.08.
Tomorrow we have a 4:00 start time. I don’t understand why. It isn’t a travel day, the Astros are still here on Wednesday. Shane Bieber gets his first start of the season. Peter Lambert (6-4, 3.23) starts for the Astros. The Recap will likely be late, as I’ve got the MS Bike Ride this weekend and I have to get some riding in (if we can do without rain for a day) before hand. I plan to
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JUNE 22: Zebby Matthews #52 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of the game at Target Field on June 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s a big night when the reigning champs come to town. Anthony Banda got his championship ring, the Target Field concessions workers went on strike, and Zebby Matthews got to remind everyone that his real, government registered name is Zebulon. Unfortunately, it appears they forgot the bag labeled “runs” back in Phoenix as there was little offense to speak of for the hometown nine.
Things got off to an inauspicious start for Zebby Matthews in the Twins when Shohei “best player in history” Ohtani homered on the second pitch of the game. It was Ohtani’s 17th homer of the season and a terrible sign for a player as homer-prone as Zebby. Luckily, he really settled in from there with the only other run coming on a Freddie Freeman solo shot in the sixth.
And while the Dodgers have Ohtani, Will Klein forgot that the Twins have new AL home run leader Byron Buxton. Buck immediately answered Ohtani’s bomb with one of his own in the bottom of the inning, evening the score at one apiece. Unfortunately for the Twins, Buxton’s homer was Minnesota’s only run on the night. The Twins did follow with a couple of two-out singles in the first, but that was also the only other time the Twins got a runner past first base.
Listen. It’s not that losing to the Dodgers is a problem. They’re the best team in baseball and the World Series favorites even with all their current injuries. The problem is that they couldn’t manage anything of note against Eric Lauer who has been very bad this season. He was bad enough that the Blue Jays DFA’d him earlier this month to make space on their roster for Simeon Woods Richardson. You know, the guy the Twins DFA’d even with their starting pitching injuries because he couldn’t stop throwing meatballs down the heart of the plate. Lauer also joined this illustrious list of players to throw 6+ hitless innings against the Twins.
Eric Lauer is just the 11th opposing pitcher to throw 6+ innings and allow 0 hits vs. the Twins in team history.
And it's a helluva list:
Martín Pérez Justin Verlander Clayton Kershaw Jered Weaver Rich Harden David Wells Nolan Ryan Steve Stone Vida Blue Catfish Hunter
The Dodgers are a pitching factory who spin up quality starts out of nowhere which is why this was the game you really needed to win. With how well the Twins had been swinging in June, they had to feel good about their chances going in. Now they’ll need to take the next two against breakout lefty Justin Wrobleski tomorrow and Ohtani, the greatest baseball player ever, on Wednesday. This was the one to get, especially with Zebby limiting the damage as well as he did. Speaking of which…
This wasn’t one of Zebby’s best starts, but he largely limited hard contact and kept a stacked lineup to just two runs which is an absolute win. Despite all of the traffic the Dodgers had on the bases, tonight was also a good sign for Matthews’ long term outlook. No one would have blamed Zebby for getting rattled after that start, but on a night where his stuff wasn’t his best and he couldn’t induce as much swing-and-miss as he would like, Zebby turned in a quality start and ate up six innings for a bullpen that needed it. That’s how you go from a volatile prospect to a rotation mainstay.
One other notable moment was manager Derek Shelton’s interesting decision in the top of the 9th inning. Andrew Morris came in to face the bottom third of LA’s lineup, with Alex Freeland lacing a pinch-hit single out of the nine hole to bring the lineup back around to Ohtani. Rather than face Ohtani for a fifth time, Shelton opted to intentionally walk Ohtani, moving Freeland to scoring position with two outs. It worked out perfectly for the Twins, with Andy Pages striking out on three pitches immediately afterward, but on a night starved for offense and the Dodgers repeatedly threatening to break the game open, it’s easy to see how it could backfire.
That being said, I called Ohtani the greatest baseball player in history three different times tonight and I also wouldn’t want to see him bat for a fifth time. This is why I write blog posts and Shelton manages a professional baseball team.
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 20: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros fields a ball during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Saturday, June 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Eighty games are officially in the books. The Astros have been victorious in 37 of them, after dropping the opening contest of their 7-game road trip in Toronto by a score of 4-2.
Prior to exiting in the 6th inning with an apparent leg injury, Jeremy Pena would start off things on a positive note. Pena led off the game with a single, stole a pair of bases and eventually came around to score on a hit from Isaac Paredes. For Paredes it was his 38th RBI of the season. Houston would threaten further but Yainer Diaz grounded into an inning ending double play.
After the escape, Jays pitcher Dylan Cease would get on a roll, retiring the next 14 batters he faced. For the night, he’d strike out 8 in total.
In the bottom of the second, Kazuma Okamoto would notch his 17th home run of the year, tying the game at 1-1.
Hunter Brown would grind out three innings of work, delivering 85 pitches. Brown would strike out four, walk two and surrender four hits on the night.
AJ Blubaugh would take the reins in the fourth inning and immediately run into trouble. Andres Gimenez would single, George Springer would walk and then an error by Raynel Delgado would allow Nathan Lukes to reach safely, loading the bases. Vladimir Guerrero would hit a sac fly to bring in Gimenez, and with that the Blue Jays would take their first lead of the evening at 2 to 1.
Unfortunately for the Astros, Jeremy Pena would leave tonight’s game in the top of the 6th mid-at bat. After fouling a ball off, he was removed from the game. He was seen flexing his right leg, which is he same leg he had suffered a hamstring injury on earlier this year. After the game, manager Joe Espada said he had a cramp in his left leg and that was why he was removed.
However, in the top of the 6th, the Astros would tie things up at 2-2 and chase Dylan Cease from the game. Jose Altuve would work some two out magic, bringing home Yordan Alvarez who reached with a walk.
However, it would be short lived as in the bottom of the 7th, Okamoto would do further damage, with a double deep to left field which placed Daulton Varsho to third. Former Astro Myles Straw would then come up and bring in Varsho on a sac fly giving Toronto the lead once again at 3-2.
Brice Matthews and Yordan Alvarez would start the 8th with back-to-back singles, but that momentum quickly evaporated after Christian Walker grounded into a double play.
Toronto would add an insurance run in the 8th on a sac fly from Alejandro Kirk. That would represent their third sacrifice RBI of the game and bring the final result of 4-2. Louis Varland would come on to close things out. For Varland, it’s his 8th save of the month.
Odds & Ends:
Yordan Alvarez would play left field in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Peter Lambert will take the hill tomorrow afternoon with a 3:07 pm first pitch. The earlier start time is due to a World Cup match between Croatia and Panama taking place nearby.
MINNEAPOLIS – When Eric Lauer was on the Toronto Blue Jays, he said he “hated” pitching behind an opener.
So what did the Dodgers have him do on Monday?
You guess it: They had him pitch behind an opener.
Only this time, the results were different.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Eric Lauer delivers against the Minnesota Twins. AP Photo/Matt Krohn
They were better.
Replacing opener Will Klein after one inning, Lauer pitched six no-hit innings in a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
Pitching through the seventh inning, Lauer departed the game with a 2-1 lead the Dodgers built on solo home runs by Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
Shohei Ohtani celebrates as he runs the bases on his solo home run. AP Photo/Matt Krohn
Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Lauer was “all-in’” on the plan to deploy him behind reliever Will Klein.
Roberts made it a point to alert Lauer about how he would be used after the Dodgers’ series finale against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in Los Angeles.
“I just laid it out there,” Roberts said. “He received it very well.
“All players want, they want some clarity. I think for us he’s going to go into the game in the second inning, so he can do his preparation and be consistent with that.”
Ironically, the only problem with the plan turned out to be the inning pitch by the opener. The second hitter of the game, Byron Buxton, homered off him to tie the game, 1-1.
Freddie Freeman runs the bases after hitting a solo home run. AP Photo/Matt Krohn
What it means
This was potentially a costly game for the Dodgers.
Kyle Tucker drew a walk in the second inning and advanced on a single by Tommy Edman, only to appear to be in obvious discomfort once he reached second base.
The Dodgers later announced Tucker was removed from the game with lower back spasms. The injury could be a major blow for Tucker, who is batting .234 in his first 75 games with the Dodgers.
But Tucker wasn’t the only player to go down.
An inning later, catcher Dalton Rushing was replaced by rookie Chuckie Robinson. Rushing left the game to rule out a concussion, according to the Dodgers.
Rushing was hit on his mask by a foul ball on the first pitch of the first inning.
Who’s hot
Right-hander Brock Stewart was activated from the injured list, a move that could help a bullpen that recently lost Blake Treinen to elbow inflammation.
The 34-year-old Stewart has pitched in only 5 ⅔ innings since he was acquired from the Twins last year in a trade for outfielder James Outman.
Stewart pitched only two innings this season before he was placed on the injured list with bone spurs.
Who’s not
A day after Roberts ripped his team’s hitting approach, Ohtani led off the game with a home run – his 17th of the season.
But the Dodgers didn’t score again until the sixth inning when Freeman homered to center against Twins starter Zebby Matthews.
Matthews entered the game with a 4.78 earned-run average, but the right-hander limited the Dodgers to six hits and two runs over six innings. He struck out five.
Up next
On Tuesday, the Dodgers and Twins will play the second game of their three-game series at Target Field, with Justin Wrobleski (8-2, 2.72) starting for the Dodgers and Joe Ryan (5-3, 2.99) pitching for the Twins.
NEW YORK (AP) — MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a letter to Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley that the San Francisco Giants failed to properly explain to players that they were allowed to decline to wear rainbow-themed caps during the club’s annual Pride Night earlier this month.
Several members of the Giants, including starting pitcher Landen Roupp, added Bible verses to the themed cap, prompting a warning from the league that writing on the caps is a violation of league policy.
Hawley penned a letter to Manfred in which he expressed “grave concern” over the warning to the players. Hawley called the warning “dubious” because he feels MLB is already promoting a political viewpoint by having Pride-themed uniforms.
In it, Manfred noted that because some players aren’t comfortable wearing Pride-themed uniforms or caps, the league adopted a policy in 2023 of prohibiting clubs from using special uniforms, caps or equipment in their celebration days except under very narrow circumstances, such as special patches honoring deceased members of the baseball community.
That same year, the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have some of the largest LGBTQ+ communities in the U.S., were granted an exemption from the new rule and were permitted use of pride emblems on caps and uniforms on Pride Night “provided that no players or uniformed staff would be required to wear them, and that the team would speak to the players to make sure they were comfortable with the apparel.”
“Unfortunately, this year the Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear,” Manfred wrote in his letter to Hawley. “Some players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result.
“The Giants players were allowed to wear the hats with biblical references for the entire game. After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation — unfortunately, it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication,” Manfred added. “The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be.”
