Category: Sports News

While Dylan Crews only went 1 for 4 with a single yesterday, it still felt like he was in the middle of everything for the Nats. His impact in the field and on the bases was very loud in the Nationals 8-3 win over the Mariners. Crews pretty much sealed the win with his mad dash from first to home on a single up the middle.

Seeing Crews fly around the bases like that and watching him pop up when he slid in safely was so much fun to watch. Plays like that are part of the reason fans want the Dylan Crews thing to work out so badly. He is just one of those players that is consistently making winning plays out there.

However, it is tough to be a winning player when you are hitting .192 with a .562 OPS. Crews was seen as one of the safest and most polished hitting prospects in a long time when he came out of LSU. That offensive profile has not translated to the big leagues so far, especially not the 70 grade hit tool that was talked about out of the draft. 

At this point, I think we have a large enough sample size to say that a 70 hit tool is never coming. Crews has a .208 career average and .623 OPS in nearly 500 at bats now. He is never going to be the hitter he was supposed to be out of college. That does not mean he cannot improve and become a productive big leaguer. 

Crews still has some intriguing offensive tools, and I think he can become an average hitter with a couple adjustments. While Crews has struggled at the plate, fans have often pointed to his underlying data to suggest improvement could be on the horizon. After a while, it gets annoying because he has underperformed his expected stats for years now.

However, when you look at the data, there is no way he should be this bad. His xwOBA is .333, which is over 80 points higher than his wOBA of .252. For his career, Crews has underperformed his xwOBA by 40 points, so there must be something in his profile some of the expected stats don’t see. Part of it is likely the fact he hits a lot of ground balls and does not pull balls in the air.

When Crews does get a hold of a ball, it can be pretty to watch. He is not some massive guy like James Wood, but he can generate a ton of force and power. Crews has always hit baseballs hard, but they are usually ground balls or low liners. The other night, he elevated and then celebrated in the dugout.

There are some encouraging signs that Crews could be lifting the ball with more regularity. His average launch angle is up from 8.5 degrees to 12.1 degrees. Crews’ ground ball rate has also gone from over 50% to 42.6%, which is a major improvement.

I think Crews is due for a hot streak at the plate, but there are still plenty of holes in his profile. He has been chasing pitches more than ever, and his 37.2% chase rate is higher than Keibert Ruiz. For Crews to have more offensive success, he needs to keep the ball in the air and find the right pitches to swing at. He also needs to find a way to get into count leverage because it feels like he gets down 0-2 in about half his at bats.

There are still a lot of big picture offensive things Crews needs to work on, but his heart and hustle will never be in doubt. I think Crews is one of the best base runners in the sport. He is not afraid to swipe bags and is always trying to take the extra base. Crews is a man possessed out on the bases and we saw that yesterday.

I think base running is the best part of Crews’ game right now. However, he is also a good defensive outfielder. When you look at the metrics, Crews is a good but not elite defensive outfielder. After all, there is a reason Jacob Young is the center fielder when the two are playing together. If Crews was a Young level defender, there would be less pressure on the bat.

While Crews is not elite on defense, he is very good. He showed that yesterday when he got a chance out in center field. The 24 year old made a really nice catch at the wall to rob Victor Robles of extra bases. Like when he is running the bases, Crews has a reckless abandon in the field that I love to watch.

At this point, we know Crews can do the little things. He is constantly looking to take the extra base or run into a wall to make a catch. The secondary tools are fantastic for the former LSU star. However, there is still one big question that looms over his future. That question is can Dylan Crews hit? So far the answer has been no, but Crews still has time to figure it out, though that time will not last forever.

It has been an up-and-down week for the Milwaukee Brewers. It feels as though they’ve continued playing their best baseball, but it’s been a sequence of close losses. But through it all, the offense has been looking stellar, and that’s promising enough as the Crew heads into another tough slate of games ahead of them this week.

This afternoon’s rubber match is one for the ages as two of the best southpaws in baseball are handed the rock. For the Brewers, it’s Kyle Harrison who is in desperate need of a bounce-back game after last Monday. Against the Athletics, he gave up eight runs on eight hits, including three home runs. It was not only an outlier performance on the season but also his career, as eight runs were the most he had given up.

The reigning National League Pitcher of the Month, Cristopher Sánchez, will face the Brewers for the first time since 2024. In all of his outings against the Crew, he has allowed only one run, enough for him to have a 2.03 ERA through 13.1 innings. After not allowing a run throughout May, Sánchez has come back down to Earth a little, as he has allowed three runs in his first two starts in June. With that, he has pitched seven innings in both starts this month and has accumulated 18 strikeouts during that span with just two walks.

For the Brewers, this lineup has seen Sánchez a handful of times. The lone hitters that will be seeing him for the first time will be Jake Bauers, Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn. Outside of our core hitters, Blake Perkins has hit the best against Sánchez, as he’s gone 4-for-4 with two RBIs. Christian Yelich has faced him seven times and is batting .286, while William Contreras has faced him six times and is batting .167.

First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m., and you can catch the game on Brewers.TV and WTMJ 620.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (30-38) won 5-1 (BOX SCORE)

McPherson started for Sugar Land and pitched well striking out 5 over 5 innings allowing just 1 run. The offense got on the board in the 5th on a Brooks RBI double. In the 6th, the offense blew it open scoring 4 runs on a Ferreras 2 run double, Salazar sac fly and run scoring on a fielder’s choice. The bullpen was solid tossing 4 scoreless innings as they closed out the 5-1 win.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .457 in Triple-A.

• Trenton Brooks, DH: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 1-for-4, R
• Zach Dezenzo, RF: 2-for-3, R, BB
• Pascanel Ferreras, 2B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Cesar Salazar, C: 0-for-1, R, RBI, 2 BB
• Tommy Sacco, 3B: 1-for-4, RBI

• Brandon McPherson, RHP: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• J.P. France, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Tom Cosgrove, LHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (28-34) won 12-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Brutcher RBI double. They scored 3 more runs in the 2nd inning on a Whitaker solo home run, Spence RBI triple and a run on an error. Gillis got the start and was solid allowing 2 unearned runs over 4.2 innings while striking out 5. The offense picked up 2 runs in the 6th on a Williams RBI double and Austin RBI single. The Hooks blew it open in the 7th scoring 5 runs on a Brutcher solo home run, Sullivan RBI single and Spence 3 run double. The Hooks picked up another run in the 9th on a wild pitch.

Note: Brutcher is hitting .327 in Double-A.

• Lucas Spence, CF: 3-for-6, R, 2 2B, 3B, 4 RBI
• Trevor Austin, 2B: 1-for-6, RBI
• Jason Schiavone, DH: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, SB
• Drew Brutcher, 1B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-5, R
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 2-for-4, 4 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB
• Jeron Williams, LF: 3-for-3, R, 2 2B, RBI
  • Joseph Sullivan, LF: 1-for-2, 2 R, RBI
• Jax Biggers, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Jack Dashwood, LHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (16-45) lost 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

DeVos got the start for Asheville and went 5.1 innings allowing 4 runs, with all 4 runs coming on a grand slam in the 2nd inning. Asheville got on the board in the 4th inning on a Nunez solo home run. They got another run in the 8th on a Call RBI single, but the Spartanburgers responded with 2 runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead. The offense was shutout in the 9th as Asheville fell 6-2.

Note: Nunez is hitting .372 in June.

• Caden Powell, CF: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-4, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 2-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-3, BB

• Nolan DeVos, RHP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (29-32) won 4-3 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Diaz steal of home. Perez got the start and tossed 4 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts, throwing just 38 pitches. They got another run in the 5th on a Vasquez RBI double. Weber relieved Perez and went 3 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned. The Woodpeckers took the lead in the 8th on a Huezo solo home run and a run on a groundout.

Note: Huezo is hitting .381 with 4 home runs over his last 11 games.

• Anthony Huezo, LF: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Xavier Neyens, SS: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 1-for-4
• Camilo Diaz, 2B: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, SB
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB, SB

• Javier Perez, RHP: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Charlie Weber, RHP: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 6:35 CT

CC: Trey Dombroski – 1:00 CT

AV: Dylan Howard – 3:35 CT

FV: TBD – 3:05 CT

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Cristopher Sanchez has slid to second in the NL Cy Young race after a marvelous Jacob Misiorowski start earlier this series.

My Phillies vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks are backing Sanchez to respond with an exceptional outing of his own, leading Philadelphia to a series win this afternoon. 

Who will win Phillies vs Brewers today: Phillies moneyline (-120)

Cristopher Sanchez has given up just three runs and one homer over seven starts since the beginning of May.

The Milwaukee Brewers have hit grounders against lefties at the league’s highest rate while sitting 25th in ISO during that span. It’ll be difficult to muster up offense.

As well as Kyle Harrison has pitched, the Philadelphia Phillies will be tough to slow down. They’ve hit lefties well, slotting fourth in ISO and third in wOBA since May 1.

Harrison has allowed four homers over his last two starts, and he doesn’t have the margin for error going against Sanchez. Back the Phillies to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Cristopher Sanchez ranks in the 100th percentile in Pitcher Run Value this season.

Phillies vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 6.5 (+100)

Excluding Top-10 offenses in OBP vs. left-handed pitching, Sanchez has allowed three runs over seven starts while pitching an average of 7 2/3 innings. His ERA sits at 0.53 in such matchups.

The story is nearly identical for Kyle Harrison. Take out Top-10 opponents in OPS vs. lefties, and he's conceded just five runs over eight starts, sporting an ERA of 1.05.

I think it’ll be difficult for either team to score four runs, making the Under look appealing at a plus-money price. I’d play Under 6.5 down to -110.

Phillies vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Phillies -120 | Brewers +100
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+150) | Brewers +1.5 (-175)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-120) | Under 6.5 (+100)

Phillies vs Brewers trend

The Phillies have stayed Under the total in 15 of their last 22 road games for +8.5 units and a 35% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Brewers.

How to watch Phillies vs Brewers and game info

Phillies vs Brewers latest injuries

Phillies vs Brewers weather

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On The Greg Hill Show on June 11, I believe that my favorite truth-twister, Sam Kennedy, actually treated us to more truth than lies. I’ll supply the quotes in question, then let’s render a verdict.

Quote #1

“I think it’s important here at the outset, Greg, just to acknowledge…how embarrassing and unacceptable, maddening, frustrating, whatever words you want to use, the past two and a half months have been. There’s no way to sugarcoat it.”

Verdict: TRUTH

Of course it’s the truth! We know this deep in our bones. He went on to describe the season to date as “awful” and “incredibly frustrating” and there’s not much else to add.  

Quote #2

“But look, let’s be honest, unless things change dramatically, we may have to pivot here from what our initial planning was [regarding plans to buy at the trade deadline].”

Verdict: TRUTH

The Sox are performing far too poorly not to at least introduce this option as a possibility. It might be rephrased as “Positioning the organization for the future,” “Stating the obvious,” or even “Not throwing good money after bad.”

Personal note to the front office: unlike past years, choose one lane and stay in it. No more simultaneous Buying and Selling so we can call it a wash. Go all in.

Quote #3

“[Craig Breslow] is working as hard as anybody in terms of getting things back on track.”

Verdict: TRUTH

No one ever accused Breslow of not being a hard worker. I have no doubt that he’s working overtime to prove that his method of team building works, that his approach deserved to win out over Cora’s—and to save his job.

Quote #4

“Look, I fully understand and appreciate questions regarding Craig Breslow and his job security and all that, but the issue of a change there, just to be clear, that’s not even on the table.”

Verdict: LIE

Maybe Sam Kennedy had his fingers crossed behind his back where no one could see them as he said this. Maybe in his head, he silently added “today” or “not this week, anyway” at the end of the sentence.

There’s a lot of chatter lately about Breslow’s job security, which is why Kennedy has been forced to make statements like these. Most of what I’m seeing and hearing says that FSG won’t fire Craig Breslow because the organization doesn’t want to be seen as “unstable” after so recently firing Alex Cora and six coaches. The argument goes like this: they hoped that firing the coaches might work, but it didn’t, so they want to give Breslow time to do things on his terms. Not honoring this gentleman’s agreement would make them look like an even bigger dumpster fire, the story goes.

I don’t think Breslow is safe, and I don’t think Kennedy thinks he’s safe. That’s not how FSG operates in a crisis. The organization likes to lean into data, process, and finances, rather than individual loyalty.

I’m not going to look in John Henry’s wallet and discuss finances today, but as far as the rest, that’s not what I see when I look at FSG through the years. The organization has ruthlessly made changes at or near the top, no matter the optics.

• Firing Brendan Rodgers as manager of Liverpool F.C. in October 2015, a little over year after Liverpool finished in second and Rodgers received a four-year contract.
• Firing Dave Dombrowski in September 2019, less than a year after Dombrowski created the team that brought home a World Series trophy and landed in the record books.
• Firing Chaim Bloom in 2023, though it wasn’t exactly shocking after consecutive last-place finishes.
• Firing Alex Cora and six of his coaching staff in April 2026. No need to rehash that again right now, but in terms of optics it was spectacularly messy. The season was still young, the terminations happened after a blowout victory, and Red Sox legend Jason Varitek was part of the purge.

That doesn’t look like an ownership that’s particularly mindful of stability or optics.

Speaking of optics, John Henry has earned a reputation as not caring about the fans. Despite not engaging much with the media, or having a steady presence around the team, as some owners do, I tend to disagree. I think he does care what fans think, desperately, even if it’s not in ways that we can always appreciate. Just for fun, my pop psychologizing is torn between turning the lens on Henry (even though he’s been at the pinnacle of success for years, he still brings that try-hard energy in ways that can be kind of cringey) and turning it on ourselves (the cold father figure can be super distant and has a hard time showing affection, but he often comes through in the end when he realizes what a shit he’s been). It’s clear he’s aware of what fans think, and I do think that will influence some of the decision making when it comes to Breslow’s eventual exit.

Remember that widely shared Instagram story from February 2025, of good ol’ John Henry smoking a congratulatory cigar all by himself?

It was actually his wife’s story, but don’t tell me that he didn’t okay it. It was right after the Sox signed Alex Bregman. This is the weird kind of way he occasionally engages with fans, but it proves he cares.

In the interview he gave to Sports Business Journal in May, he spoke extensively about fans. He recalled a plane that flew over a Liverpool match, trailing a banner that called for FSG to sell the team. “Fans get frustrated…It doesn’t mean you ignore them, it means you work harder – you don’t settle for mediocrity. You have to win.”

Looking back at Bloom’s firing, our old friend checked too many boxes: he provoked very negative fan reactions (I personally wanted him gone, and said so) – but he also didn’t win.

The SBJ article notes that Henry was at Fenway on April 6 when the hometown fans started chanting for FSG to sell the team. (For the record, I don’t want FSG to sell the Sox.) It was clear Henry got the message; he was caught on video repeating the phrase, as though to clarify what was being said. I don’t think it was entirely a coincidence that the big purge happened not long after, on April 25.

Buster Olney at ESPN tweeted that someone from the ownership group—so, not Craig Breslow, who’s not part of ownership—has been personally reaching out to other front offices, to try to get a trade done. If that doesn’t show how much Henry cares right now, I’m not sure what does. If true, it also shows that Henry doesn’t have faith in Breslow to do his own job. That alone makes this arrangement unsustainable.

Verdict: Breslow’s Gone

Fan reaction and team performance are aligning against Breslow. For me, the main questions are:

• When? Will Breslow handle the upcoming trade deadline? If he’s a dead man walking, as I suspect (note that I’m not advocating for it, simply reading the writing on the wall) why keep him in place to run the table one more time? Despite the occasional rout this season when the bats wake up, the Sox performance certainly isn’t buying Breslow any time.
• Who would the successor be? The Red Sox famously had a hard time even gathering a respectable slate of interviewees the last time the position was open. Too soon to talk about this, but FSG had better be ready to pay—and pay well—and to have a heart-to-heart about what they want to do differently moving forward, and why they’re not as “unstable” as things might appear right now.

One Yankee rival lost early on Saturday as the Yanks took down the Blue Jays 3-1, with Paul Goldschmidt providing a clutch game-winning, two-run bomb in the ninth. Goldy’s heroics meant that Cam Schlittler’s start, wherein he held the Jays down outside of a Kazuma Okamoto solo home run, didn’t go to waste.

All told, Saturday was a good day for New Yorkers. The Knickerbockers capped a magical run to win their first NBA championship in 53 years. And José Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels had the good sense to hang an L on the Tampa Bay Rays, giving the Yanks a full game lead in the American League East.

Tampa Bay Rays (40-27) 0, Los Angeles Angels (29-42) 8

Griffin Jax was really good for Tampa Saturday. He gave up a run in the first, unearned thanks to a Taylor Walls error. Other than that, however, the Angels could not touch Jax. Alas, he couldn’t throw all nine frames for the Rays and they went to their bullpen in the sixth.

And once that happened, the Angels went to work. They scored three runs in the sixth, including putting one on Craig Kimbrel who, in his 17th season is pitching for this 11th club. In the seventh, more of the same. Four more runs, led by a Jose Siri two-run shot, doubled the Angels’ lead.

An eight-run lead is generally pretty insurmountable. It is even more so when you’re facing José Soriano. The Angels’ ace has scuffled of late, but on Saturday night he was nails, throwing five shutout innings before giving way to the bullpen. Unlike Tampa’s pen, LA’s relievers were up to the task, continuing the shutout and providing four innings with just two hits.

Other Games

Seattle Mariners (37-35) 3, Washington Nationals (36-35) 8: Luis Castillo has had a rough 2026 season. Saturday was more of the same, except his defense did him absolutely zero favors committing three errors in the first five innings. Of the five Nationals runs on Castillo’s ledger, only one was earned thanks to the shoddy glovework behind him.

Seattle fought back from an early 3-0 deficit to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately for the M’s, Castillo couldn’t deliver a shutdown inning. A two-run Luis García Jr. home run broke the tie and gave Washington a lead they never surrendered. The Nats put the game out of reach in the home seventh when they plated three more runs. The win nudges them back above .500, something I doubt many fans thought they’d see from the Nationals this year, fresh off a 66-96 record last season.

Cleveland Guardians (39-33) 3, Detroit Tigers (29-42) 1: Tarik Skubal underwent surgery on his throwing elbow to remove loose bodies on May 6th. On June 13th, he took the mound for the Tigers — an absolutely wild recovery timeline. Understandably, he was not at his best in his return, but it’s still incredible how quickly he made it back to the big leagues. He threw 80 pitches Saturday, giving up three runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings. Skubal hit 99.9-mph on the radar run with the heater, so apparently the arm is fine.

It’s not all good news for Cleveland, however. Rookie Chase DeLauter crashed into outfield wall in the top of the first inning and departed the game in the bottom half after a single. Hopefully he’s okay. His replacement, Daniel Schneemann, provided the big blast off Skubal though, with a two-run home run in the third that broke a 1-1 tie.

Good morning and happy Sunday everybody! Nick links are back which means injury news is back too. I want to think it’s not my fault but the evidence is getting overwhelming at this point. I’m heading out of town for a week and I’m hoping that that can help stem the tide. I suppose time will tell.

The Mariners lost a bruiser to the Nationals yesterday 8-3, and need a win this morning to avoid dropping back-to-back series. They go in just a few hours at 10:35 PST.

In Mariners news…

• The emergence of Colt Emerson’s power has been one of the very best parts of the 2026 season so far.
• The Mariners are bringing back Michael Plassmeyer, who was originally drafted by the Mariners in the 4th round of the 2018 Amateur Draft.

Around the league…

• The year of the hamate continues, it’s most recent victim being Guardians super star José Ramírez, who broke the bone during an at-bat in the fifth inning of yesterday’s win over Detroit.
• The losing pitcher in the Guardians win yesterday was one Tarik Skubal, just 38 days after elbow surgery, back on the mound throwing 99 mph.
• Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day IL by the Atlanta Braves after only making it through three full innings on Friday. Strider started the season on the IL and has only pitched in eight games, and his right elbow continues to be a massive concern.
• Reporting on Garrett Crochet earlier this week resulted in mixed messaging surrounding his rehab, so it fell to Crochet himself to clear the air and announce that he likely won’t be back until after the All-Star break.
• Colorado Rockies pitcher Chase Dollander, who has been on the 15-day IL for a month, is expected to get surgery on his right elbow and will miss the rest of the 2026 season.
• New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham exited Friday’s game early and was placed on the IL yesterday morning with a right hamstring strain. Jasson Domínguez was reinstated from his rehab assignment in the corresponding move.
• Speaking of the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton was expected to return to the team during their next homestand, but may instead may need to go for imaging on his calf after tweaking it while running the bases this week.
• While some pitchers on the Giants choose to embarrass themselves and their organization, I think it’s important to ignore them and instead remember the life of a man who devoted a significant part of his life to bettering his community. Meet Rod Beck.

Nick’s pick…

• The New York Knicks once again staged a big comeback, albeit smaller then Wednesday’s, to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 and win their first NBA Finals in 53 years!
• Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals is tonight at 5:00 PST in Las Vegas. Vegas needs to win to force a game 7, and Carolina wants to secure their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. and their first in 20 years.

Saturday afternoon was the offensive showing that the Friar Faithful have been waiting for. The San Diego Padres erupted for nine runs against the Baltimore Orioles. It’s the most the team has scored since their 10-5 rout of the San Francisco Giants on May 5. More than that, it forced their third consecutive rubber game after a dismal Game 1 to the O’s.

Starter Randy Vásquez pitched well despite some early trouble. He surrendered two runs in the first inning but settled in for the next four. The ‘pen took over from there, allowing just one run and four hits between five relievers.

But the offense stole the show. Baltimore starter Trey Gibson struggled to get through the first, surrendering four runs on two homers before the O’s had even batted. Samad Taylor was one of those home runs (the first of his MLB career). Unfortunately, Xander Bogaerts and Freddy Fermin exited the game after being hit by pitches. The two were removed as a precautionary measure but will be monitored closely.

Taking the mound

Trevor Rogers (BAL) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Rogers hasn’t had exactly the season that Baltimore hoped he would. He’s pitched to a 6.15 ERA with just 44 strikeouts through 60 innings pitched. His 1.48 WHIP is ridiculously high, even when compared to his 1.32 career WHIP.

The lefty has pitched even worse in his last seven games, with an 8.04 ERA and 1.63 WHIP across his most recent 31 1/3 innings. His last start was decent, pitching 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball against the Seattle Mariners, but Rogers will need to do much more to best the Friars.

Buehler has been on the other side of that pendulum, looking much better in his most recent starts than the rest of the season. Across his last seven outings, the righty owns a 3.62 ERA compared to a 4.33 mark through the season. His last three outings have been spectacular, giving up just four runs in 16 innings.

The right-hander hasn’t had much success against this Baltimore lineup in the past. The club boasts a combined .283 career batting average against Buehler (53 at-bats). He’ll need to limit them if San Diego hopes to take the rubber match.

Batter up!

It almost felt like the recent woes of the San Diego offense disappeared immediately as the team unloaded on the Orioles’ starting pitcher. The lineup went deep five times. Jackson Merrill and Taylor in the first inning, Gavin Sheets in the seventh, Rodolfo Durán in the eighth and Manny Machado in the ninth to cap a nine-run victory.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Xander Bogaerts, SS
5. Gavin Sheets, 1B
6. Samad Taylor, LF
7. Will Wagner, DH
8. Nick Solak, RF
9. Freddy Fermin, C

Only five of the Padres have faced Rogers before, and none of them to much success. The new additions have certainly stepped up. Taylor is having the best week of his MLB career. Wagner has gone 4-for-8 at the plate with a 1.292 OPS. Nick Solak had a 1-for-2 debut on Saturday with an RBI. They’ll need that to continue to win their second consecutive series for the first time since April.

Relief corps

Plenty of relievers toed the rubber for the Padres on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore. Much of that is due to Vásquez’s inability to pitch deep into games. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez and Jason Adam each pitched an inning of work.

Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the ninth and recorded two outs before being ejected for hitting Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. It was likely unintentional, but Marinaccio and manager Craig Stammen were both ejected nonetheless. Adrian Morejon recorded the final out, inducing a ground out by Pete Alonso.

Morejon will likely still be available in today’s game, having only thrown two pitches. The same is true for Marinaccio, who threw four. Behind them remains Mason Miller, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta. Hopefully, San Diego will gift Miller with a lead in the ninth to take the rubber match.

Another day, another Eric Hartman homer down in the Atlanta Braves farm system. The day also had Owen Murphy record double digit strikeouts and see Drake Baldwin begin his rehab assignment. However Saturday wasn’t all positive, as Luke Sinnard exited after just one inning. We are still awaiting word on why Sinnard left his start early, but when a player with his injury history leaves a start that early, it is something worth monitoring closely.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 3, Gwinnett Stripers 2

• Drake Baldwin, C: 1-3, HR, R, RBI
• Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-4, .301/.395/.435
• Owen Murphy, SP: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 4.43 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

You may have missed this one as a rain delay kept this one from starting until after 9 PM, but if you saw it then you got to witness Owen Murphy carving up the Jumbo Shrimp. After allowing a first inning run on three hits, Murphy settled in to allow just one unearned run on no hits and a walk over the next five innings. He also added 10 strikeouts and 24 swings and misses, including 14 on his fastball alone. The next inning and a third went to Hunter Stratton, who would allow the walkoff run to score in the bottom of the eighth, via a sac fly.

It was just his first rehab game, but Drake Baldwin certainly seemed ready to get back to Atlanta when he came up in the top of the sixth down 2-1 and smashed a 110.4 MPH exit velocity homer to tie the game at two. Baldwin finished his day one for three before leaving early, which is normal for a player’s first game on rehab assignment. The rest of the offense had a fairly quiet day as they managed a combined five hits and three walks. With a two walk game DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was the only player to reach base more than once, and Baldwin’s homer was the lone extra base hit. Jim Jarvis ended up one for four in the loss, while Brewer Hicklen singled and scored the Stripers other run.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos 4, Columbus Clingstones 0

• Luke Waddell, SS: 1-4, .218/.335/.328
• Julio Robaina, SP: 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3.38 ERA
• Shay Schanaman, RP: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 5.63 ERA

Box Score

Julio Robaina turned in four innings of three run ball, though only two of the runs were earned. Robaina only struck out three, but did have 11 whiffs. Shay Schanaman followed him with three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk. Jacob Wallace went the final two innings, and allowed an unearned run but did strike out three hitters.

The Columbus hitters just couldn’t get anything going in this one, managing just three singles and one walk. It is actually even tougher than that as they had just one hit through five innings, and only added the walk over the next two innings. It wasn’t until the final two innings where they were able to record the other two base hits. Luke Waddell, Drew Compton, and Keshawn Ogans had the singles, and Will Verdung took the lone walk.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 5, Rome Emperors 1

• Eric Hartman, CF: 2-4, HR, R, RBI, .311/.377/.601
• Tate Southisene, SS: 1-4, .217/.357/.348
• John Gil, 2B: 1-4, .266/.365/.432
• Luke Sinnard, SP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2.30 ERA
• Isaac Gallegos, RP: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1.99 ERA

Box Score

Luke Sinnard started and only went one inning, being removed for still unknown reasons. During that inning he allowed one hit and one walk, and struck out one with four whiffs. Sinnard threw 23 pitches, 12 of which for strikes, and also hit a batter. We now await an update on a talented prospect who has had a troubling injury history. Mathieu Curtis took the ball from Sinnard and allowed four runs over two and a third innings. Riley Frey was next, and he allowed one run over two and two thirds as the next man up. The final two innings went to Isaac Gallegos, and he was dominant. Gallegos allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out five and picked up a remarkable 11 swings and misses in the 28 pitches he threw.

Once again Eric Hartman was the biggest storyline, as he went two for four with his 17th homer of the season – a solo shot in the eighth inning. Besides Hartman the bats were pretty much nonexistent, as singles by Tate Southisene and John Gil accounted for all of the hits, and one walk to Mason Guerra was the only other player to reach base safely. It is worth noting that Tate Southisene did get the start at short, his second straight day there but only his 10th start of the season there.

Augusta GreenJackets 4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3

• Conor Essenburg, CF: 1-4, BB, R, RBI, .262/.415/.512
• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-3, BB, R, RBI, .280/.328/.345
• Zach Royse, SP: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 4.42 ERA

Box Score

Zach Royse had another solid outing on Saturday, going one out shy of the quality start. Royse allowed two runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts and 15 whiffs to pick up his third win of the season. Kendy Richard followed and allowed a run over his inning and two thirds, before Daniel Brooks pitched a scoreless inning and two thirds to pick up his first save.

Despite scoring four runs the Augusta lineup managed just three hits, all singles. Conor Essenburg, Juan Mateo, and Tanner Smith each singled and walked, with Essenburg and Mateo each scoring a run and batting one in. Both Alex Lodise and Luis Guanipa were hitless, but drew walks, and Lodise came around to score.

FCL Rays 9, FCL Braves 5

• Manuel Campos, DH: 2-5, SB, .272/.380/.417
• Arlenn Manzanillo, C: 2-4, BB, 3 R, .163/.229/.209
• Wuilinyer Tovar, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 5.75 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

The continuation of Friday’s suspended game saw the FCL Rays beat the Braves squad 9-5. Starter Wuilinyer Tovar battled his command, allowing four runs (three earned) over three and a third innings, walking four and striking out five. After two thirds of an inning from Melvin Hidalgo, Victor Duarte allowed a pair of runs in his inning. Will Eldridge was next and kept the Rays off the board for two and two thirds, before Cesar Rodriguez allowed the final three runs to come in during his inning and a third.

Manuel Campos continued showing his hit tool in this one, picking up a pair of hits and stealing his 15th base of the season, while Arlenn Manzanillo had a pair of singles and a walk, scoring three of the Braves five runs. Caden Merritt also reached base three times, walking twice and hitting a single, and also stealing a base. Top prospect Diego Tornes was hitless in four at bats, but did steal a base.

FCL Braves 3, FCL Rays 2

• Diego Tornes, DH: 1-4, RBI, .190/.269/.250
• Manuel Campos, SS: 1-3, R, SB, .274/.379/.415
• Gensi Angeles, SP: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1.99 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

In the second game team ace Gensi Angeles was on the mound and went four and a third, allowing two runs (only one earned) on two hits and three walks. Angeles also struck out four and had seven whiffs as he moved his ERA to 1.99 on the season. Jorge Nunez went the next inning and two thirds and struck out three hitters to pick up the win, while a scoreless seventh inning got Juan Olmos the save.

Manuel Campos collected yet another hit and another stolen base in the second game, giving him a combined three hits and two steals. The lone multi-hit game came from outfielder John Estevez, who picked up a pair of singles in three at bats. Diego Tornes also broke into the hit column and batted in a run.

DSL Braves 7, DSL Royals Fortuna 4

• Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez, LF: 3-3, 2 RBI, .440/.563/.800
• Edelson Cabral, DH: 2-3, 2 R, .250/.382/.321
• Jose Manon, SS: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, .320/.471/.560
• Cesar Navarro, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 3.68 ERA

Box Score

The DSL Braves squad pulled off just their second win of the season thanks to one of their better pitching performances. Starter Cesar Navarro allowed a run over three and a third innings, while Charlis Medina followed with two and a third scoreless. Matthew Luna allowed three runs in his inning of work, and they needed Yostin Pinales to come in to pick up the final out and collect the save.

The fun lineup down here had a strong performance as well. Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez led the way, going a perfect three for three with a pair of runs batted in, while Edelson Cabral and Osmar Torrealba each went two for three. Durban Arnedo walked, singled, stole two bases, and scored a pair of runs, while Jorwin Pulido and Jose Manon each recorded a double in the win.