AT ST. LOUIS: Last season, the Cubs lost the last of three games at St. Louis after having lost the first and won the second, just as they have the last two nights. They won the rubber game in 2022, after winning, then losing. They lost, won and won in 2021. This is the Cubs’ sixth three-game series at St. Louis since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SUNDAY IS NOT FUNDAY ON THE ROAD: The Cubs have lost on every Sunday they have played on the road this season. They won the opener of a doubleheader at Cleveland on April 5, then lost the second game, followed by losses at Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers on April 26, at Texas on May 10 and on the South Side vs. the White Sox on May 17, making their record 1-4. They are 3-2 on Sunday at home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
WINNING WHEN NOT SCORING FIRST: Last night’s win was the Cubs’ 12th of the season in which their opponent scored first. They have lost 21 such games. Their previous win had been on April 6, when they walked off the Reds for the third straight game, 7-6 in 10 innings. That had been their fourth such win in a row. They are just 4-10 when they have given up the game’s first run on the road. The previous win had been April 24, at Los Angeles, when they beat the Dodgers, 6-4, for the final win of their first 10-game streak. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HAPP-ENSTANCE: Ian Happ is on a five-game hitting streak in which he is batting .417/.417/.917 (10-for-24) with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.
Jordan Wicks’ first 2026 start was awful. Not going to dwell on it. Turn the page.
I will say that Wicks threw three solid innings in that first start after a horrid first inning, before falling apart again in the fifth. So… maybe there’s something there to build on.
His last appearance vs. the Cardinals was three shutout innings at Wrigley Field in the last game of the 2025 regular season. A throwaway game, to be sure, but… channel that today, Jordan.
Matthew Liberatore was part of an important trade six years ago when he came to the Cardinals from the Rays in the deal that sent Randy Arozarena to Tampa Bay. He was the first-round pick of the Rays in 2018 out of high school in Arizona and already a Top 100 prospect at age 20 at the time of the deal, and stayed on those lists for several years.
His MLB numbers have been lukewarm, given that prospect profile. He has a 4.65 career ERA in 131 games (64 starts) and it’s right around that level this year (4.76 in 11 starts). His last start against the Cubs was July 5, 2025 in St. Louis, and he allowed two runs in five innings, which is better than a lot of his outings this year.
Current Cubs are a small sample size .273 (15-for-55) against him with two home runs (Michael Busch, Ian Happ).
Today’s game is on NBC (full national broadcast, no blackouts). It’s also streaming on Peacock. NBC announcers: Jason Benetti, Jim Deshaies and Albert Pujols.
Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos. If you do go there to interact with Cardinals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
May 31, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Alejandro Osuna (19) dives to home plate to score a run against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers scored six runs while the Kansas City Royals scored three runs.
The Royals appear to have been just what the doctor ordered for a Rangers squad that had been having trouble making good on an alleged manageable portion of their schedule.
After dropping a four-game set three to one to the Houston Astros in the first leg of this final stint at home in May, the Rangers required a sweep of KC to come away with a winning homestand. That didn’t seem particularly likely considering the Rangers had gone just 4-9 against teams below them in the standings in their four most recent series, including two series losses to Houston bookending a disappointing series loss to Anaheim last weekend.
The prospect of a sweep seemed even less likely when you consider that the Rangers had won at least three games in a row just once this season and that came all the way back in early April when they swept the Seattle Mariners.
Nevertheless, the Royals were just the team for the job having dropped 15 of 25 games this month coming into the series while challenging the Detroit Tigers for the cellar in not only the American League Central but the American League overall.
After nearly blowing their chance at a sweep yesterday before a three-run ambush in the ninth inning produced their second walk-off win of the year, the Rangers opened up today’s finale on a mission by scoring four first inning runs.
Maybe Jack Leiter is the good luck charm for the first inning. In his last outing, a day after Texas was no-hit in the first game of this homestand, Leiter received eight runs of support in the first frame.
While that was halved today, it was no less welcome as the Rangers sent eight batters to plate and in between a Josh Jung double that started the rally with one out, and the Nicky Lopez strikeout to end it, every Ranger reached (or at least probably should have) with Ezequiel Duran tripling in two runs following a Jake Burger walk, Alejandro Osuna singling in a third run, and Kyle Higashioka doubling in Osuna to make it 4-0.
All of those runs came with two out because No. 3 hitter Brandon Nimmo was bafflingly called out by foul tip despite replay showing the ball barely clipping the fringe of his batting mitt. The replay center in New York chose to be kind to KC but the ball don’t lie.
With ample wiggle room to work with, Leiter turned to swing-and-miss stuff to collect ten strikeouts in his 5.2 innings of shutout ball. Leiter allowed just three hits and a couple of walks as he kept KC off the board. He potentially could have stayed in to collect a quality start but at 101 pitches, he was lifted after his second walk of the game in the top of the sixth.
Meanwhile, the Rangers had added to their lead in the fourth when Jung singled in a couple of runs with the bases loaded. Up 6-0, and with Leiter out, the bullpen ended up making things closer than it appeared by allowing a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth, but the Rangers had a fairly easy go of it today and get to leave the month of May on a positive note with that winning homestand.
Player of the Game: Leiter is certainly worthy after following up a couple of rough starts with a scoreless outing, but Jung was again a catalyst for the outburst from the lineup today, as he so often has been when Texas actually scores runs.
Today Jung went 2-for-4 with a walk, double, run scored, and two RBIs while hitting second in the lineup. The nice day at the plate elevated Jung to an impressive .316/.372/.495 slash line on the year while he also contributed his team-leading 23rd extra base hit with the first inning double.
Up Next: The Rangers open June on the road in St. Louis as they take on the Cardinals with RHP Jacob deGrom looking to move past a dinger-prone May opposite RHP Michael McGreevy for the NL squad.
The Monday evening first pitch from Busch Stadium is scheduled for 6:45 pm CDT and will be carried on the Rangers Sports Network.
Facing a Marlins team that replaced them at the bottom of the division, the Mets won their fourth straight game — matching a season high — with a 10-1 rout.
The offense, dormant for an ugly stretch on the road, scored 25 runs in the series against Miami.
That production, they hope, follows them to the West Coast, where the Mets open a six-game trip Monday in Seattle, with three against the Mariners followed by three in San Diego.
“For us to get where we want to get, we need to play well here and on the road — especially with the position we’re in,” Carlos Mendoza said. “It’s an important road trip here.”
Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) tosses his bat after he hits a grand slam in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
And that’s because the Mets at least woke up following a lost weekend in Miami just a week ago, when they were limited to two runs in a three-game sweep that went the other way.
“We’re showing signs of who we are as a team,” Mendoza said of a lineup that was sparked by good at-bats up and down the order, with the biggest blow a Juan Soto sixth-inning grand slam.
Even after this series, it’s hard to know just what this team is because just as they start to tease that they might right themselves, they fall off a cliff.
Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) celebrates with first baseman Mark Vientos (27) after they score on his two-run home run in the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field, Sunday, May 31, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets are just 11-18 away from Queens and have lost seven of their last nine on the road and it likely won’t be as easy in Seattle as it was against these Marlins.
On Sunday, they took advantage of Miami, loser of five in a row, being forced into a bullpen game when scheduled starter Janson Junk was scratched and put on the injured list with right shin inflammation.
Nolan McLean, coming off the two worst starts of his young career, gave up just one run in five innings, but he walked a career-high five batters — and hit another — in his 94-pitch outing.
It didn’t take the Mets long to pounce, as Carson Benge hit a home run to center to open the bottom of the first.
The 418-foot shot was the rookie’s first leadoff homer and came against lefty John King, who was used as an opener.
It was also Benge’s first homer against a left-handed pitcher. He’s put up impressive numbers so far versus lefties, with a .757 OPS entering Sunday’s game.
Marcus Semien greeted Miami’s next pitcher, Anthony Bender, with a two-run shot in the second.
The Mets added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. They loaded the bases with two outs and Luis Torrens singled through the right side to drive in Ewing and Brett Baty for a 5-1 lead.
Soto’s grand slam in the sixth put the game away. It was the only hit in the inning, as the Mets walked four times and Torrens was hit by a pitch.
“I feel everybody knows what to do,” Soto said of the offensive turnaround. “We have a plan we executed through the whole series. The whole lineup came ready to attack and we attacked as a team.”
Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field, Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Soto has stayed hot, with nine homers in his last 15 games. That’s the most in the majors during that stretch.
And with a bullpen game set for Monday in Seattle, David Peterson’s ability to throw four scoreless innings to finish the game sets the pen up well.
Of course, the Mets thought the end of their previous homestand would alter the course of their season, when they took two of three from the Yankees in the Subway Series.
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That didn’t happen.
“The way we set ourselves up this year, we need as many wins as we can [get],” McLean said. “There’s definitely some good momentum.”
CORAL GABLES, FL - APRIL 11: Wake Forest pitcher Troy Dressler (19) pitches in the sixth inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on April 11, 2026, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The season has officially come to an end for the Deacs. Wake Forest was eliminated on Sunday afternoon after falling to the hosting West Virginia Mountaineers by a score of 10-5. They finish the season with a 39-21 record.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 31, 2026
This one was mostly just a combination of all the issues the Deacs had during the regular season: costly errors, wild pitches, and an inability to generate offense on anything other than home runs. Things started to go south in the 2nd inning, where a wild pitch from starting pitcher Troy Dressler brough in the first run of the game, and then an error from RF Luke Costello allowed 2 more runs in the inning to give the Mountaineers a 3-0 lead.
Wake tied things up a couple of innings later on a 2-run homer by Matt Conte.
— Wake Forest Baseball (@WakeBaseball) May 31, 2026
It was basically all WVU from there. The Mountaineers scored 7 unanswered run—6 in the 6th inning—to put this one out of reach. The Deacs got a couple of runs on an Andrew Costello home run in the 6th inning and a wild pitch that brough in Dalton Wentz in the 8th, but they ultimately just couldn’t generate enough offense to catch up. The Deacs finished the game with just 5 hits—3 outside of the 2 homeruns—to West Virginia’s 13. Wake also finished with 4 wild pitches, 4 walks, and allowed a run on a failed pick off attempt at 2nd base that sent the ball sailing into center field.
Last weekend, the Mets were swept by the Marlins in Miami, scoring a grand total of two runs in three games.
One week later, against the same Miami team, the Mets swept the Marlins and scored 25 runs in three games, capped off by Sunday’s 10-1 win at Citi Field.
While the Mets’ bats have been inconsistent for much of the season, manager Carlos Mendoza believes what the Mets did in this series can be sustainable.
“I think if we keep controlling the strike zone and stay aggressive with pitches in the strike zone [it can be sustainable],” Mendoza said. “We had a tough series against the same team last weekend, when basically we didn’t do anything offensively. For us to make the adjustment quickly and put up that type of performance the whole weekend, it was just good to see our ability to make adjustments and respond.
“Good to see it. Finally, you started to see some of the guys in the lineup every day playing with some confidence.”
In Sunday’s win, the big blow came, as it so often does, from Juan Soto, who demolished a grand slam as part of a five-run sixth inning.
Soto’s third career grand slam was the Mets’ first of the season, and Soto said after the game that the entire lineup came into the series with a plan to attack.
“I feel like everybody knows what to do. We have a plan and we executed throughout the whole series,” said Soto. “I think the whole lineup came ready to attack with a plan. We all did the same thing and we attacked as a team.”
After dropping the first two games of this six-game homestand, the Mets have built some momentum by winning four straight. Now, they must keep that momentum as they head out west for six games against the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.
"For us to get to where we want to get, we’ve got to play well here and play well on the road, especially in the position that we’re in," Mendoza said. "But the mentality is continue to take it one day at a time. Important road trip here, celebrate today. We got out of the gate on this past homestand 0-2, and for us, winning the last four was huge. But now we’ve got to go, and we’re playing two good teams, but we’re starting to see some signs of who we are as a team as well."
May 31, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after hitting a grand slam home run against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images
The Mets kept the good train rolling on Sunday afternoon, as they finished off the series sweep of the Miami Marlins by a score of 10-1. The Mets, now winners of four straight ball games, sit at 26-33, six games out of a Wild Card spot.
The Mets offense was the star of the show today, as they put ten runs on Miami, who had to pivot to a bullpen game due to expected starter Janson Junk’s surprise trip to the injured list this morning. They treated opener John King rudely, as Carson Benge greeted him with his first career lead off home run. The offense did a great job of keeping up the pressure, as they scored runs in four different innings. Marcus Semien hit a two run home run, as part of a game that saw the veteran reach base four times, to make it 3-0 in the second. They added two more in the fourth, when Luis Torrens hit a clean little opposite field single with the bases loaded, making it 5-1 at the time.
The big inning for the Mets came in the sixth inning, when they faced off against right hander Josh White, who was making his Major League debut and was treated very rudely. White looked good through the first two batters, striking out A.J. Ewing and getting Brett Baty to fly out. It fell apart for White from there, as he walked Semien, hit Torrens with a pitch, and walked Benge to load the bases for Bo Bichette. Bichette also worked a walk, pushing the lead to 6-1, and getting Juan Soto to the dish. Soto, who is on another planet right now, hit his ninth home run over his last 15 games, taking a cement mixer slider 109 ft. to the bullpen. The grand slam is the first for the Mets this season, and gave the Mets a 10-1 lead.
Nolan McLean got the ball to start and had a very strange game. He only surrendered two hits and one run, but he walked five and only struck out two (and he hit a batter!). He only had two 1-2-3 innings, as one would imagine with the five walks and a hit batsman, but he was able to consistently wriggle out of jams of his own creation. He also got some pretty timely defensive plays that helped prevent bigger innings on top of that, namely from Brett Baty and A.J. Ewing.
After the grand slam, the game was all but over. The Mets got two on with two out singles by Semien and Torrens in the seventh but did not cash them in, and went quietly in the eighth against utility man Javier Sanoja. David Peterson, who was recently swapped with Sean Manaea as the bulk reliever out of the pen, got his first save of the season. The lefty was excellent over the final four innings, surrendering just a hit and a walk, striking out three. The Mets, who need to just stack wins and see what happens, will look to do so on the West Coast (again), as they fly to Seattle for a three-game series starting tomorrow night.
Big Mets winner: Marcus Semien, +19% WPA Big Mets loser: Honestly? Nobody. The lowest was -2% WPA for A.J. Ewing. Mets pitchers: 17% WPA Mets hitters: 33% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien’s two run home run in the second inning, +10.4% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jakob Marsee’s walk in the fourth inning, -6.2% WPA
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Dreyer (86) throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jack Dreyer is back in the Dodgers bullpen for Sunday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, activated off the injured list on his first day eligible to return.
“I got to put eyes on Jack, I think he threw around 20-25 pitches. It came out good, he used his whole pitch mix, got a couple of grounders and a strikeout,” manager Dave Roberts said on Friday. “I do know that on the 16th day he’s hoping to be active, so we should be in a good spot.”
That came to fruition on the 16th day, and the Dodgers bullpen got one of its stalwarts back in Dreyer, who last season as a rookie was one of only two Dodgers pitchers to remain on the active roster for the entire regular season and postseason. At the time when Dreyer was placed on the injured list this year, he led all Dodgers relievers in appearances (20, tied with Tanner Scott) and innings pitched (21 2/3) with an effective 2.08 ERA, 2.74 xERA, and 24 strikeouts against only six walks.
To make room for Dreyer, right-hander Paul Gervase was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Gervase was recalled on May 17 when Dreyer was placed on the injured list, and in his second stint in the majors this season, Gervase pitched once in his 12 games active, tossing two scoreless innings on May 22 against the Brewers in Milwaukee.
May 31, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jake Bauers (9) is congratulated by first baseman Andrew Vaughn (28) after hitting a two-run home run to left field against the Houston Astros during the fourth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers completed another series win on Sunday afternoon, sneaking away with a 2-0 victory over the Astros behind a Jake Bauers homer and another strong showing from Jacob Misiorowski.
After the Brewers went down in order against Tatsuya Imai in the first, Misiorowski returned the favor with a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 frame in the bottom of the inning.
The teams traded 1-2-3 innings in the second, and David Hamilton became the first baserunner of the afternoon in the third with a single to center. He proceeded to steal a pair of bases while Joey Ortiz walked to put runners at the corners with one out for Christian Yelich, though Yeli struck out and Garrett Mitchell grounded out to help Imai escape the jam.
Misiorowski got into a bit of trouble himself in the bottom of the third, allowing a pair of singles and hitting Yordan Alvarez with a pitch to load the bases with two outs, but he was able to get out of it with a groundout by Christian Walker.
The Brewers were first on the scoreboard, as Andrew Vaughn hit a single the other way with one out before Bauers — who fouled a pitch deep to right earlier in the at-bat — slugged one over the wall in left for a 2-0 lead on his ninth homer of the season.
Now staked to a lead, Misiorowski worked around a one-out double by Isaac Paredes in the fourth to maintain the lead.
Hamilton drew a walk to start the fifth for Milwaukee and stole another base before moving to third on a sac bunt by Ortiz — Ortiz was originally ruled safe on the play, but it was overturned upon review. In a repeat of the third inning, Yelich came up with a runner at third and less than two outs but failed to bring him home as he struck out. Mitchell followed with a flyout, and Imai was out of the inning.
Both teams then traded 1-2-3 innings until the ninth inning, when Vaughn slugged a one-out double to left-center. Vaughn was replaced on the basepaths by pinch-runner Blake Perkins, who proceeded to be caught by pitcher Nate Pearson in no man’s land.
Trevor Megill entered for the save in the ninth. He recorded Milwaukee’s fifth consecutive 1-2-3 inning, picking up a pair of strikeouts for a relatively low drama 2-0 victory and series win in Houston.
Bauers was the star on offense thanks to his two-run homer, while Vaughn was the only player with multiple hits (a double and a single), and Hamilton reached twice on a single and a walk, tying his career-high with three steals to give him 13 for the year.
On the pitching side, Misiorowski closed out a historic month of May with seven scoreless innings, striking out eight and allowing just three hits and no walks to lower his May WHIP (0.543 to 0.522) and ERA (0.29 to 0.23). He also finishes the month with 57 strikeouts over 38 1/3 innings. With Cristopher Sánchez (0.00 ERA, 0.718 WHIP, 45 K over 39 IP) also in contention, is Miz the NL’s Pitcher of the Month? We’ll have to wait until later this week to find out.
Abner Uribe and Megill took the final two innings to close things out, as Uribe picked up his sixth hold of the year and Megill collected his eighth save of the season.
Now at 35-21 on the season, the Brewers are set to return home for a four-game set with the Giants. First pitch on Monday night is at 6:40 p.m., with Shane Drohan slated to start for Milwaukee opposite Landen Roupp for San Francisco.
May 31, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Keider Montero (54) delivers a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Rinse and repeat. Keider Montero was brilliant on Sunday, but the Tigers’ offense did nothing after scoring a run in the first. An early hook and a brutal performance from Drew Anderson blew the game late, and the Tigers have now lost 21 of their last 25 games.
The kitties jumped out to a slim early lead in this one against right-hander Sean Burke. Colt Keith led off with a ground out, but Kevin McGonigle jumped on a Burke fastball and pulled a single through the right side of the infield and then scored when Spencer Torkelson doubled into the left field corner. Kerry Carpenter made his return to the Tigers’ lineup after two rehab games with the Toledo Mud Hens, but he struck out and Riley Greene flew out to center field. 1-0 Tigers but as usual, the big inning escaped them.
Still it was a lead, and Keider Montero took the mound locating his fastball really well. Sam Antonacci, Miguel Vargas, and Andrew Benintendi all quickly grounded out to end the first.
Burke struck out Matt Vierling to start the second. Wenceel Pérez grounded out and Zach McKinstry flew out to finish the frame. Montero continued to show off a particularly lively fourseam and sinker, popping up Colson Montgomery and then dusting Chase Meidroth with a perfect high sinker that he swung through awkwardly. Montero got ahead of Jacob Gonzalez as the rookie made his major league debut, and the rookie fought off a few breaking balls before lifting a drive out ball to Vierling in center.
Jake Rogers punched out to open the third. Keith grounded out to shortstop for the second out. McGonigle got a heavy dose of breaking balls and fought his way through another long at-bat and won with a walk. Burke shook his head twice in the at-bat as the Tigers rookie spat on or calmly fouled off his best stuff. McGonigle promptly stole his ninth base in nine attempts. Torkelson took a 97 mph heater right down the middle to squander the opportunity.
The fear for Montero in this one was his fly ball tendencies on a day, and in a park, where the ball tends to fly on warm summer days. He continued to defy these concerns in the bottom of the third. Triston Peters popped up a fastball and Drew Romo reached for a changeup and poopped up as well, both to Keith at third. Rikuu Nishida reached on an infield single, but Antonacci got jammed on a perfectly located heater and he popped out to Torkelson at first. Pretty good start from Montero despite the minimal whiffs.
Kerry Carpenter led off the fourth and he too got a little jammed by Burke, but flared a single into shallow right field. So the Tigers were set up with another opportunity, but Riley Greene chased a fastball away and struck out. That brought Vierling to the dish, and he popped out on a high fastball. This felt familiar, and Pérez quickly got behind 0-2, fought off a few pitches at the top of the zone, but ultimately took a fastball down and away on the corner for a called strike three as Dan Dickerson talked about Michael Brdar’s philosophy of moving baserunners and situational hitting. Implementation of said philosophy not included.
Montero carved up Vargas to start the fourth with a nasty slider down for a whiff. That bigger bending slider does draw some chase. A first pitch slider to Benintendi got a quick grounder to McKinstry at second, and Montero locked up the left-handed Montgomery with a perfect backdoor slider on the corner for strike three.
If this was all feeling familiar—the Tigers score an early run, do nothing while their starter pitches well, ultimately give up the lead, don’t get into the weak half of an opponent’s bullpen, and eventually lose—well we’re all thinking the same thing.
McKinstry and Rogers grounded out to open the fifth, and Colt Keith flicked a fly ball to Antonacci in left to send us to the bottom half.
Fortunately, Montero was conserving his energy, starting the inning at 44 pitches thrown. He quickly got Meidroth to ground out to McGonigle at shortstop. A 2-1 slider on the outer edge to Gonzalez was a strike but the umpire missed it and Rogers didn’t challenge. Montero came right back with a challnege pitch down the middle, and fortunately the rookie lifted a 3-1 fastball out to Pérez in right field for the second out. Montero fell behind against Peters, and he pulled a grounder past Torkelson for a double down the right field line. A changeup drew a chopper from Romo and Montero made a nice leaping play to snare it and fire to first to end the inning on his 56th pitch of the outing.
Burke himself was at 80 pitches to open the sixth against Kevin McGonigle. In a 3-2, Burke tried a front door sinker for a called strike three, but a smart challenge after a bit of a delay got the call corrected and McGonigle was on for the third time, here with a leadoff walk. Torkelson immediately got down 0-2, but McGonigle was dancing off first to distract Burke and while he didn’t run, Burke missed twice to even the count. It was good that he didn’t run, as Torkelson eventually lined out to Vargas at third.
The broadcast was discussing the Tigers penchant for taking an early lead and neither building on it nor holding it, noting that the Tigers are just 17-17 in games in which they have the lead. Leaguewide the win percentage is closer to 70 percent in those scenarios.
That was the end for Burke, and lefty Chris Murphy took over. That prompted Hinch to hit Jahmai Jones for Kerry Carpenter. Last year that meant the Tigers had the advantage. This year, managers can put in a lefty and get one of the Tigers bats out of the lineup in favor of Jones, who is doing nothing. This time, Jones avoided ruining the plan with a long at-bat that resulted in a walk. Instead it was Riley Greene who ripped a hot ground ball right to Meidroth to start an inning ending double play.
To the eye, Montero’s slider looked improved throughout this one, with more depth and less sweep. A check of the Statcast data showed no additional depth, but half as much horizontal sweep, and the adjustment, assuming it lasts, certainly looks like an improvement.
The Tigers’ right-hander came back out with his pitch count still in outstanding shape, and he didn’t nothing to change that. Nishida struck out on a knuckle curve to start the frame. Another slider popped up Antonacci, and Vargas grounded out sharply to Keith at third. The efficiency continued despite it being the third time through the White Sox’s order. Montero was still only at 65 pitches through six.
Murphy walked Vierling to open the seventh inning. Once again the leadoff man was on. Could the Tigers capitalize? Pérez did not, driving a fly ball to left while hitting right-handed. Murphy then picked off Vierling, who was looking to run. Spectacular. Ah well, it doesn’t matter unless someone hits outside of the top 3-4 hitters in the lineup.
McKinstry fought off a few pitches and drew a two-out walk, and Will Venable emerged from the shadows of the White Sox’s dugout to make a pitching change to another lefty, Brandon Eisert, as Jake Rogers stepped in. This move was made easy by the fact that Keith and McGonigle were due up after Rogers did whatever it is Rogers does at the plate. Dillon Dingler was getting a much needed full day off, and so the backup dug in, and eventually struck out.
Despite the minimal pitch count, Montero’s day was done as AJ Hinch went to Drew Anderson in the bottom of the seventh. Bad idea. Trying to get three scoreless innings from this bullpen when you don’t need them is madness. I wrote this, Benintendi grounded out, and then Colson Montgomery went yard to right field on a hanging changeup. 1-1 game. The third time through the order penalty is real, but so is the “Scott Harris couldn’t build a bullpen if his life depended on it,” penalty.
Chase Meidroth followed with a single to left, and Gonzalez got another floating changeup away and paddled through the left side of the infield for a single. Peters got down 0-2 and he flicked a curveball about three inches foul down the left field line. Eventually, another kick changeup that stayed up and away was paddled through the left side of the infield for an RBI single. 2-1 White Sox, and still only one out in the inning. The changeup just did not have its usual good depth and the White Sox were just serving it out there at will. Romo hit a deep drive to center field for the second out, but it was deep enough for Gonzalez to tag and take third.
That was it for Anderson, as Hinch brought in Tyler Holton to face Nishida. That got Venable to pinch hit Randal Grichuk, but he didn’t get to hit as Holton picked off Peters and McKinstry ran him down to end the inning.
Venable continued to dip into his pool of left-handers, pulling Eisert and going to lefty Bryan Hudson instead to start the eighth. Hinch then pinch-hit Hao-Yu Lee in for Colt Keith. He took a called strike three and McGonigle popped out. Torkelson grounded a single through the right side of the infield with two outs, but a drive from Jones was run down by Antonacci where the warning track and foul territory converge in the left field corner.
Brenan Hanifee took over in the bottom of the eighth, and quickly racked up three outs on contact.
Venable stuck with Hudson to face Riley Greene in the top of the ninth. He popped out on a nice play from Vargas running from third base into foul territory, tumbling over the tarp. His work done, Hudson was pulled for right-hander Tyler Davis to pick up the last two outs. He had no trouble doing so. Vierling lined out to left, and Pérez popped out.
Another fine outing from Keider Montero was wasted. 6.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K. The early hook blew up Hinch’s face immediately, and once again the Tigers couldn’t add on runs and barely even threatened to do so.
The Tigers are 22-38, and officially the worst team in baseball. We’ll see if the Rockies can re-tie them for that dubious honor later on today.
The Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Miami Marlins with a 10-1 win at Citi Field on Sunday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways...
-- While he only allowed one earned run over 5.0 innings of work, it was a tough afternoon for Nolan McLean. Right from the jump, McLean dealt with traffic on the bases, walking and hitter a batter in the first. While he danced around traffic for most of the afternoon, his command was once again off, as he hit a batter and walked five. The only run he allowed came on an Owen Caissie double in the fourth that landed just inside the left field foul line, but it was clear that McLean was not at his best.
-- The Marlins were scheduled to start righty Janson Junk on the mound, but he was placed on the IL with shin inflammation before the game. Instead, lefty John King got things started in a bullpen game, and Carson Benge jumped on him for a leadoff home run to give the Mets a quick 1-0 lead. Benge has been terrific lately, as he's now hitting .293 over his last 30 games.
-- King pitched into the second inning as an opener, but the Marlins went to righty Anthony Bender with two outs and Marcus Semien coming to the plate. Semien greeted Bender by slamming a two-run home run on his very first pitch of the afternoon, putting the Mets up 3-0 with his fifth homer of the year.
-- With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Luis Torrens came up big in the clutch, lining a two-run single to right field to double the Mets lead from two to four runs. Torrens came into the game hitting over .400 with the bases loaded for his career, and he delivered again when it mattered.
-- Marlins reliever Josh White made his major league debut in the sixth, and it was rough going for the young right-hander. After walking Bo Bichette to force in a run, White allowed a Juan Soto grand slam, the first of the season for the Mets and the third of Soto's career.
White walked four, threw 43 pitches, and didn't make it out of his first major league inning.
-- David Peterson, back in the bullpen after a brief stint in the rotation, came on to pitch in the sixth inning. He ended up giving the Mets exactly what they need out of him, going 4.0 shutout innings to earn the unconventional save.
Game MVP
Soto, who clubbed a grand slam and had two hits on the afternoon.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 31: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits a home run against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sunday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds couldn’t have started much better for the Atlanta Braves.
From there, though, it was a relative disappointment compared to the two strong wins to begin the weekend.
Although Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the game with a first-pitch homer — his fifth in the last four games — the Braves fell 6-4 at the Great American Ballpark Sunday afternoon, failing to come away with their first sweep since the Colorado series May 1-3.
The top of the lineup produced in a big way. Acuña homered for the fourth straight game and tacked on an RBI single in the ninth, finishing 2-for-3 with two walks.
Michael Harris II, hitting in the two-hole, also reached base with two hits and two walks, his first multi-walk game since last May.
But Matt Olson was 0-for-5 and the bottom seven hitters in the lineup had a combined three hits.
The lead off Acuña’s homer didn’t last long, as Spencer Strider allowed a JJ Bleday RBI double after Elly De La Cruz’s single one out into the bottom of the first to tie the game at 1.
The Reds then took a 2-1 lead in the third on another RBI double by Bleday — his fifth RBI of this series — and added on with Will Benson’s fourth-inning RBI double which made it 3-1.
The way the game played out from there proved frustrating for the Braves. They cut the deficit to 3-2 in the top of the fifth on Jorge Mateo’s second homer in as many days, but Cincinnati got the run right back on a Eugenio Suarez sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.
Atlanta again made it a one-run game, 4-3, on Austin Riley’s sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth, but that proved to be the only run the Braves got out of their bases-loaded, one-out situation.
Again, the Reds got the run right back, extending their lead to two on P.J. Higgins’ RBI double in the bottom of the inning.
Cincinnati then tacked on an insurance run in the seventh on a Suarez solo homer.
It wasn’t a bad outing by Strider (3-1) by any means. And yet, it was quite possibly his worst of the season and resulted in his first loss of the campaign. He allowed a season-high seven hits and four runs (three earned), albeit while tying his season low with two walks while striking out eight.
Didier Fuentes and Dylan Dodd didn’t help matters by allowing a run apiece in the sixth and seventh innings.
For Fuentes, Higgins’ run-scoring double snapped a streak of eight scoreless appearances and 9 2/3 innings without a run allowed.
For Dodd, Suarez’s homer was the first run he ha allowed in his five relief appearances since rejoining the major league squad.
Reynaldo Lopez worked a scoreless eighth to keep it remotely in reach for the Braves’ offense and they nearly took advantage.
After a Dom Smith walk and a Mike Yastrzemski pinch-hit single, Acuña made it a 6-4 game with an RBI single to center.
Harris then worked a walk — his second of the game along with two hits — to load the bases for Olson, who grounded out to the left side on the first pitch he saw to leave the tying run on second base.
The Braves had just five total hits and were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position through eight innings. They were 1-for-3 with two hits in the ninth to finish with seven and 1-for-5.
Reds starter Nick Lodolo (2-1) didn’t have the flashiest line (6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 4 K) but he did enough to keep the Braves at bay as his team gradually built a lead and held on in the final frame.
The Cincinnati Reds announced Sunday, May 31 that shortstop Elly De La Cruz left their game against the Atlanta Braves with right hamstring tightness in the fifth inning.
De La Cruz lined a ball into right-center field for what would usually be an extra-base hit for the speedster. Instead, he seemed to pull up and hobble a bit as he neared first base and then left the game with a trainer.
The timing is concerning.
De La Cruz has a well-documented history with his hamstring. He played through a torn quad in the second half of 2025 before the Reds revealed the extent of the damage after the season. The Reds held him out of the World Baseball Classic because of concerns about the injury and to protect him for 2026.
At 24 years old, De La Cruz is the engine for the Reds. A two-time All-Star and one of the most electric players in baseball, he has 147 career stolen bases. The 6-foot-6 switch-hitting shortstop is hitting .274 with 12 home runs and nine stolen bases this season.
The team did not announce further information or a timeline. The Reds, who lost three straight heading into Sunday’s game, rely heavily on De La Cruz and any extended loss of their leader would set the already reeling team further back.
The Reds entered Sunday’s game in last place in the National League Central. They had won just nine of their last 26 games.
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One of baseball’s biggest rivalries takes center stage tonight as the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs clash for a high-stakes Sunday Night Baseball showdown on May 31.
With the weekend series locked at one win apiece, tonight’s finale is a winner-take-all battle for NL Central bragging rights.
The series opened on May 29 with a high-scoring affair that saw the Cardinals edge out a 6-5 victory.
The Cubs quickly answered back on May 30, evening the series with a dominant 6-1 win. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a clinic with a spectacular four-hit night, capped by a huge 444-foot home run.
Cubs vs. Cardinals: what to know
When: May 31, 7:20 p.m. ET
Where: Busch Stadium (St. Louis, Missouri)
Channel: NBC
Streaming: Peacock
Following today’s contest, the Blue Jays will begin a homestand with three against the Athletics, while the Cardinals will continue their homestand with three games against the Rangers.
Cubs vs. Cardinals start time
Tonight’s (May 31) Cubs vs. Cardinals game is scheduled to begin at 7:20 p.m. ET.
How to watch Cubs vs. Cardinals on Sunday Night Baseball
Tonight’s Cubs vs. Cardinals matchup is streaming on Peacock and airing on NBC, but if you don’t have cable, Peacock is the best way to stream the game.
Peacock currently offers two subscription types: Premium with ads and Premium Plus ad-free. Peacock Premium costs $10.99/month, while Premium Plus costs $16.99/month.
SUBSCRIBE TO PEACOCK FOR $10.99/MONTH
You can also save a bit by subscribing to one of Peacock’s annual plans, which give you 12 months for the price of 10. These cost either $109.99 with ads or $169.99 without ads.
Cubs-Cardinals probable pitchers
Jordan Wicks (0-1, 16.62 ERA) starts for the Cubs. Matthew Liberatore (2-3, 4.76 ERA) will be on the mound for St. Louis.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball 2026 schedule
MLB Sunday Night Baseball airs on NBC and Peacock this season. Check out the full season slate below.
May 31 at 7 p.m. — Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals (NBC and Peacock)
June 7 at 8 p.m. — San Francisco Giants at Chicago Cubs (NBC and Peacock)
June 14 at 7 p.m. — Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox (NBC and Peacock)
June 21 at 7 p.m. — New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies (NBC and Peacock)
June 28 at 7 p.m. — New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox (NBC and Peacock)
July 5 at 12:30 p.m. — New York Mets at Atlanta Braves (NBC and Peacock)
July 5 at 7 p.m. — San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers (NBC and Peacock)
July 19 at 7 p.m. — Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Yankees (NBC and Peacock)
July 26 at 7 p.m. — New York Yankees at Philadelphia Phillies (NBC and Peacock)
August 2 at 7 p.m. — Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Dodgers (NBC and Peacock)
August 9 at 8 p.m. — Houston Astros at San Diego Padres (NBC and Peacock)
August 16 at 7 p.m. — Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (NBC and Peacock)
August 23 at 3 p.m. — San Francisco Giants at Boston Red Sox (NBC and Peacock)
August 30 at 3 p.m. — Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (NBC and Peacock)
August 30 at 7 p.m. — Houston Astros at New York Mets (NBC and Peacock)
September 6 at 3 p.m. — Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (NBC and Peacock)
September 6 at 7 p.m. — Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals (Peacock)
September 7 at 8 p.m. — St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants (NBC and Peacock — special Labor Day MLB presentation)
September 13 at 7 p.m. — San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants (Peacock)
September 20 at 7 p.m. — Milwaukee Brewers at Baltimore Orioles (Peacock)
May 31, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton (left) has words with home plate umpire Jordan Baker (71) against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Before this game started, the Minnesota Twins placed SP Bailey Ober on the IL with elbow inflammation (this being just two days after the same fate befell Kendry Rojas). Byron Buxton was also not in the starting nine this afternoon in support of Zebby Matthews.
It all proved too much to overcome as the Twins were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates today to officially lose every ounce of momentum/optimism from last weekend’s sweep of the Red Sox in Boston.
Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the mood of the morning, the Pirates struck first at PNC. In the bottom of the second inning, a Ryan O’Hearn homer started the scoring and the Buccos weren’t done yet. After a walk, a hit, and a stolen base, Jared Triolo’s base knock brought Oneil Cruz across home plate. 2-0 PIT.
As MN bats continued to be stymied by PIT SP Braxton Ashcraft, the Bucs extended their lead to 4-0 in B3 off a two-run bomb from Nick Gonzales.
The yellow and black were back in B5, with Spencer Horowitz doubling and coming home on a Brandon Lowe single. This chased Zebby from the bump and brought in new call-up Mike Paredes. After a walk to load the bases, Paredes free-passed another Buc to let the merry-go-round spin. A Mangum sac fly scored another safety, which was quickly followed by a two-run base knock from Henry Davis. 9-0 PIT.
The Twins finally dented Ashcraft in T6 when Alex Jackson singled and came around to score on a Brooks Lee bomb into the RF bleachers. 9-2 PIT.
The score wouldn’t change again until T9 when Lee again put one out of the field of play.
But it was far too little, far too late to salvage anything on the banks of the Allegheny River.
Your Final: Pittsburgh Pirates 9, Minnesota Twins 3
Hard to know what to say as the month of May comes to a close. Every time this team makes a push towards .500, injuries barge their way in and make the way forward seem impossible.
Zach’s Zealot
Lee: HR provided the only scoring for the visitors.
Zach’s Zombie
The general vibes around this club right now. Just wretched. All optimism of being one game under .500 five scant days ago has dissipated as quickly as the elbow ligaments of various MN hurlers.
Matt Monitto expressing a desire to have stayed amongst the windmills and obstacles of the mini-golf course instead of checking in on this contest.
Who’s Got Next
The longest road trip of the year finally comes to an end with the Chicago White Sox coming into Target Field for a three-game set (Mon. night, Tues. night, Wed. afternoon).
The St. Louis Cardinals hold an annual event for “non-traditional” media types who cover the team, including yours truly, where we have the opportunity to have access to whoever the current sitting POBO of the team is. Historically, that’s been John Mozeliak, but this year we had our first opportunity to ask Chaim Bloom about his thoughts on the current state of affairs. He did not disappoint. Chaim Bloom was very thoughtful and engaging with his style of answer, and even after his obligation concluded, he stuck around for about an hour afterwards to talk with and elaborate further on his thoughts with anyone who wished to hold court with him.
Unfortunately, this event does not allow for video recording, but we are allowed to audio record the conversation and some of the topics included: extensions, trade talk, roles of new front office personnel, and how they are providing the Cardinals with an additional edge as they continue to try and rebuild the franchise, how the team can utilize AI, the process he uses when determining a players readiness for promotion, and so much more!
I will look to finalize June’s podcast schedule this week and announce ASAP. Be on the lookout for this announcement, as I have some VIP level Cardinals guests lined up.
