With another full slate across the Majors, I've found value in my MLBsame-game parlay predictions.
Dylan Cease will carve up the Texas Rangers this afternoon, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto will help the Los Angeles Dodgers bounce back after a tough loss to their rivals, the San Diego Padres.
Dylan Cease has been one of baseball's premier strikeout pitchers this season, recording 118 strikeouts in 78.2 innings.
He's cleared 7.5 strikeouts in six of his last seven starts while averaging 12.66 K/9 across his last two outings. The Texas Rangers are also striking out 8.93 times per game on the road.
The Toronto Blue Jays hold the edge on the mound, as Cease continues to dominate while Cal Quantrill enters with an 8.46 FIP and a 59.1% hard-hit rate over his last two appearances.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is also swinging the bat well, hitting .280 over his last six games while cashing the Over on total bases in three of those contests
Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, Rangers Sports Network
See full analysis of this game in our Rangers vs Blue Jays predictions.
Reds at Pirates SGP: Burns Leads Reds to Victory
Cincinnati Reds starter Chase Burns sports a 12.66 K/9 mark over his last four starts, and he's cashed the Over in strikeouts in every single outing dating back to May 14. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 28th in team strikeouts.
Burns also has an impressive 2.78 FIP across the last month, allowing just 0.84 HR/9 and a 32.7% hard hit rate. Bucs starter Jared Jones has a 6.11 FIP over his previous two outings, allowing 2.57 HR/9.
Tyler Stephenson carries a .333 average over his last four games into this contest and, most importantly, a 66.7% hard hit rate. Stephenson has cashed the Over in hits in three of his last four appearances.
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Reds.TV
See full analysis of this game in our Reds vs. Pirates predictions.
Dodgers at Padres SGP: Yamamoto Silences San Diego
Yoshinobu Yamamoto continues to pitch like the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace. He owns a 2.17 FIP over his last four starts while limiting opponents to a 27.5% hard hit rate and 2.9% barrel rate. The righty has also allowed Under 1.5 earned runs in five of his last six appearances.
Randy Vasquez takes the ball for the San Diego Padres, and he's struggling. The right-hander has compiled a 6.84 xERA over the last month while posting an alarming 46.2% hard hit rate. It's a clear opportunity for the Dodgers to do damage and ride the wave behind Yamamoto.
Freddie Freeman is one of those hitters who should benefit. He's cashed the Over in total bases in four straight, and Freeman has finished with two hits or more in every single game during that span. The veteran has a 73.3% hard hit rate in his previous six games, and he's 3-for-7 lifetime against Vasquez.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MLB Network
See full analysis of this game in our Dodgers vs. Padres predictions.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
SGP picks: 0-6, -6.00 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Jun 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep (64) walks off the mound during the bottom of the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images
Hurston Waldrep was pulled out of Nashville on Thursday afternoon and put on a flight to San Francisco. He had worked himself up to 4 2/3 innings five days before this appearance. He is 16 weeks removed from his surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow, and admitted that this is his Spring Training. So what can we make of Hurston Waldrep at this point?
The slider looked good. (All the videos here are from last year because last night’s video is not available at time of writing.) The spin rate was about on par with last year. He was able to get a strikeout with it, which is actually one more than he had with it last year. This generated two whiffs last night. The splitter was working as well. Hurston felt that he had a good feel of it. The spin rate didn’t match last year. But otherwise, it was effective and he felt in was “in his back pocket”.
The bad part is that he has not found the sinker. The walk rate in his rehab appearances and last night bear that out. He didn’t really get hit at all. One of the two hits was a 57 MPH swinging bunt that likely glanced off the plate and meandered about 40 feet. But he was all over the place, which is not what you want to see in a bulk role.
So, what are we doing here? He’s pitched every fifth day like clockwork in his rehab. Does this mean we will see him again in a permanent role on Wednesday at home versus the Cardinals? Does he return to Gwinnett and recover his sinker? The Braves have already ripped the seal on his last option year. So if they want to return him for a single inning reliever they can do it. It was so good to see him and his breaking pitches last night. But he’s likely undercooked for now and probably needs another week or two to continue rehab.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Brayden Burries after he is drafted tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Brayden Burries had his name called at the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, one of the people he hugged immediately afterward was Tommy Lloyd. Dressed in a tan blazer and slacks, while the rest of Burries’ family donned black, Lloyd looked like as much like a proud parent as anyone else in the room.
Burries was the first of three Wildcats drafted this week, along with Koa Peat and Jaden Bradley, while two others—Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso—signed free agent deals. All ended up in great spots in the opinion of Lloyd, who was as much in the dark about how the draft would play out as anybody.
“There’s a lot of intel flying around, sometimes you don’t know what’s true, what’s not true,” Lloyd said Friday via Zoom.
Burries went 10th overall to the Milwaukee Bucks, while Peat was the last pick of the 1st round and ended up getting picked by the Phoenix Suns. Bradley was a second-round pick of the Toronto Raptors, while Awaka signed a 2-way deal with the Chicago Bulls and Dell’Orso inked a deal to play for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League next month.
Burries became the 18th lottery pick in program history, third in five seasons under Lloyd. And while a few teams before Milwaukee were considering Burries it was a pretty good bet he wouldn’t have lasted much longer had the Bucks passed on him.
“There might have been a certain guy that has a lot of interest in Arizona basketball that was picking right after the Bucks,” Lloyd said, eluding to the Steve Kerr-coached Golden State Warriors, who picked 11th and ended up taking Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
Peat, who many draft experts thought should have returned to Arizona for his sophomore season, almost fell out of the first round before the Suns made a last-minute trade to get him. He was technically drafted by the New York Knicks, who had gotten the pick via trade from the Dallas Mavericks, but they selected Peat and then swapped him to Phoenix for three 2nd-round picks.
“We’re thankful for the Suns for choosing him in the first round,” Lloyd said. “I know they started to try to work trades for Koa a lot earlier than the 30th pick. They really wanted him.”
Bradley, who was the 50th selection, ironically was the only played drafted in the second round by a team that was using its own pick. All 29 other selections that round had been swapped at least once, some two or three times.
Lloyd said he’d thought Awaka was going to get picked by the Bulls in the 2nd round, with the 38th pick, but Chicago ended up trading that choice to the Indiana Pacers (who took Purdue’s Braden Smith). After that didn’t happen, though, conversations began about signing Awaka to a free agent deal that will have him split time with the Bulls and their G League team.
“He didn’t get drafted there but he ended up in a situation where I felt he was at the top of their board in the second round,” Lloyd said.
Lloyd said situation can often matter more than draft number, and he feels each of those players ended up in a place where they were both wanted and needed. Burries is going to a team that prior to the draft traded face of the franchise Giannis Antetokounmpo and thus are going in a new direction, which often means focusing on its younger players.
“It’s kind of a restart there,” Lloyd said of Milwaukee. “Brayden’s a guy that we think is ready to play in the NBA, and he ended up in a situation where they have a need.”
Lloyd believes Toronto took Bradley because they feel he can contribute immediately. Immanuel Quickley started 70 games at point guard last season, with Jamal Shead starting the other 12, but minutes should be there for Bradley.
“Jaden is a ready-to-play guy,” Lloyd said. “He impacts winning. Toronto feels like he can come in and carve out a role for him for a long time. All the success that JB’s had and will have in the future is a testament to him.”
The least likely to immediately get into the NBA as a rookie is Dell’Orso, who has no guarantees beyond playing exhibition games this summer. Lloyd doesn’t know if the Australian native plans to try and make a go of it in the G League or head overseas to carve out a career, as have so many other former UA players. Whatever Delly does, though, Lloyd expects it will be successful.
“I know this: Delly is someone I would never bet against,” he said.
Well, come on. You didn’t really think the Cubs would defeat Jacob Misiorowski, did you?
The thing is, though, that they did pretty much hold Misiorowski and the Brewers even while the Milwaukee fireballer was still in the game. Then the Cubs had another bullpen meltdown and Milwaukee won the game 6-2. For anyone who thinks the Cubs need starting pitching help above anything, yes they need starting pitching help but if they don’t fix the bullpen soon…
Colin Rea’s outing against Misiorowski was admirable. He matched zeroes for four innings with the Brewers starter, though he did allow four hits in that span. He got helped out by his defense.
The Cubs had just one baserunner through four innings, a one-out walk by Shaw in the third. Shaw was erased when Swanson hit into an inning-ending double play.
But also, that was the first time Misiorowski had allowed a home run since April 14, when both Andres Gimenez and Daulton Varsho of the Blue Jays went deep off him. That’s a span of 75.1 innings and 278 batters in between home runs allowed. Including last year’s division series, when Suzuki hit a homer off Misiorowski, that makes Suzuki the only player to homer off him more than once.
A 1-0 lead wasn’t likely going to be enough no matter how well Rea threw. Rea had reached 89 pitches after allowing a leadoff single to William Contreras and walking Jake Bauers.
As you can see on the clip, that came really close to being a triple play. Too bad it wasn’t, because two pitches later Garrett Mitchell homered off Roberts to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead. Okay, that’s likely not insurmountable now that Misiorowski’s going to be out of the game (he’d thrown 107 pitches, a season high, through six). But Roberts then walked Cooper Pratt and David Hamilton’s triple scored him to make it 3-1 Milwaukee.
Jayden Murray replaced Roberts in the seventh, and allowed a leadoff double to Jackson Chourio. One out later Contreras homered off Murray to make it 5-1.
The Cubs did get one of those runs back. In the eighth, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman led off with walks. PCA took third on a fly ball, and scored on this sac fly by Suzuki [VIDEO].
The Brewers scored another run off Murray in the eighth on an RBI double by Christian Yelich that PCA nearly made a spectacular catch on.
Seriously: Jayden Murray is not a major league pitcher. I can only assume Craig Counsell left him out there for a second inning of work because Sunday’s a likely bullpen game and he’s trying to save arms (and he basically confirms that in his postgame comments, see below). I’d think there could be a roster move to replace Murray for Saturday’s game, though who that might be — I have no idea. The Cubs really are running out of useful bullpen arms. To circle back to what I noted earlier, this team needs bullpen help, and fast.
About the two home runs allowed in this game, from BCB’s JohnW53:
The two homers off Cubs pitchers Friday raised the total for the season to 125 — most surrendered by any team, and also the most the Cubs ever have served up through 82 games.
They allowed 121 in 1999 and 2000, 116 in 2006, 110 in 20022, 109 in 1966 and 101 in 1956. From 2023-25, they had given up 80, 90 and 97.
Newly-acquired left-hander David Peterson will make his Cubs debut in the second game of this series Saturday evening in Milwaukee. He’ll face Brewers lefty Kyle Harrison. Game time is 6:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
BRONX, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 21: A Burmese python in its enclosure at the Bronx Zoo, February 21, 2024 in the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
I went to sleep yesterday with the Knicks having nine players on their roster, and I woke up to the news that we now have ten. S/o mi hermano Jose Alvarado.
Jose Alvarado officially welcomed himself back to New York after declining his player option on Friday, only to reportedly sign a three-year, $14-plus million deal with the Knicks. Hooray, José!
If you can’t wait for Knicks basketball, you’re just two waits away from enjoying it. The NBA released the 2026 Summer League schedule, with games beginning July 10 in Las Vegas. Games against the Nets, Spurs, Pistons, and Warriors are guaranteed, with the semis and the finals potential extra matchups.
Assuming everyone sticks around, I expect all of Jack Kayil, Tyler Nickel, Pacome Dadiet, Ariel Hukporti, Tyler Kolek, Mohamed Diawara and Kevin McCullar Jr. to get ample Summer League minutes. Kolek and Hukporti (maybe Mo too?) might be too much for SL players already, however, and might not even feature more than once for a few minutes of playing time. We’ll see how that goes.
We spent the damn day covering the latest on Mitchell Robinson’s free agency and his likely exit from New York yesterday. Shouts out to everybody who posted in the comments section!
In one of the updates I featured in the article I linked to a story published by The Athletic’s Fred Katz on Friday afternoon which shed some very serious and bright light on the second-apron saga. Katz reports that the front office wants to exceed the second apron to keep the championship roster together, but James Dolan still prefers staying below it.
“The Knicks’ front office understands that dipping below the second apron would lead to much of its depth flocking elsewhere, which is why, despite Dolan’s desires, it wants to go over the second apron, according to league sources, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. But so far, Dolan has not changed his mind.”
Katz’s point is pretty simple. If the Knicks don’t spend, they’ll lose the depth that brought them the championship with almost no realistic way of replacing it. It’s probably the strongest case yet for simply paying the bill, and I think most fans (although nearly all of us are far from understanding all details about the CBA as Leon does) agree.
Guerschon Yabusele keeps talking about his brief time with the Knicks. What I found most interesting and stressful at the same time was his comment about being offered the exact same deal by the Denver Nuggets, only for him to choose New York. Remember who (virtually) went the other way in the Jose Alvarado trade? Yeah, you guessed it right. Scary thoughts.
Joseph Antonio Cartagena dropped a new track with Yung Miami and Jadakiss titled “Victory Lap,” with the clip filmed at the parade.
One of the cooler Knicks-related reads I found today came from ClutchPoints, where hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash talked about finally seeing the Knicks win another title after waiting more than five decades for it. Born in 1958, the renowned DJ saw both the 1970 and 1973 titles and patiently waited for the third one. A sample:
“(Jalen Brunson) talks very low. If you’re sitting next to him and you don’t say nothing, he ain’t saying nothing to you. He’s very prolific if he knows how to write. Brunson and Rakim are almost the same. They’re not s–t poppers. They’re not braggadocious. It’s just I am who I am. When Brunson has a ball in his hands, when Rakim has a mic in his hands, it’s like, okay. Very dangerous, very dangerous, but very quiet.”
Kevin Durant weighed in on the Knicks’ championship, although he couldn’t resist adding a little jab. Alas.
Around the NBA, Jaylen Brown rumors keep escalating. Shams Charania says Boston has asked some teams for at least four first-round picks, while every insider seems increasingly convinced Brown eventually gets moved. Marc Stein says the Blazers are “actively pursuing” Brown.
The Kings included a “make the NBA Finals” guarantee on DeMar DeRozan’s contract. The Kings are also expected to waive-and-stretch his deal. Not even sure what to make of this whole thing.
Elsewhere in the rumor mill, LeBron James’ future looks murkier than ever, with Jake Fischer saying there are people around the league who believe leaving the Lakers may now be more likely than staying. Shams says the Lakers haven’t offered anything to LBJ for now, with FA kicking off in less than a week.
I keep banging updates on the Mitchell Robinson post as I get them, so don’t hesitate to bring them to my attention in the comments section so everybody can read them. Go outside, sunbathe, take some fresh air, enjoy the day.
Mets: last in their division, six-game losing streak, just fired their manager
San Antonio TX, - June 25, 2026: Maliq Brown of the San Antonio Spurs Talks to the media during the San Antonio Spurs Rookie Press Conference on June 25, 2026 at Victory Capital Practice Center, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We’ve said for a long time that it’s probably better to be drafted later by a team with a great culture than it is to be taken earlier by a team with a lesser culture.
So we were really excited for Maliq Brown when the former Blue Devil was taken by San Antonio in the second round of this week’s NBA Draft, because he’s with perhaps the best-managed franchise in the modern NBA.
But that’s almost certainly Brown being polite, because that’s very much how Duke works, too.
This week, Cooper Flagg was in town to get some runs in. Jayson Tatum is Chief Basketball Officer. Quinn Cook, Nolan Smith, Jahlil Okafor and Carlos Boozer, former champions all, were in town during the Coach K Fantasy Camp. Former players are in the stands at every home game. Jay Bilas stops by to talk to the team every so often.
For a lot of rookies, having guys like Duncan and Ginobili around would be mind-blowing, but for Brown? Pretty cool, but it also makes perfect sense. It’s probably familiar.
It reminds us of something Shane Battier said during his senior year. Duke had briefly fallen out of first place, and for virtually all of his time as a Blue Devil, Battier had been on teams that were at the top of the standings.
So when a reporter asked him what it was like to be back in first, Battier just smiled and said one word.
“Normal.”
It’s not at most places, but for the Blue Devils and the Spurs, normal is different. Brown should feel right at home.
Jun 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets interim manager Andy Green (center) stands in the dugout with bench coach Kai Correa (left) and third base coach Tim Leiper during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets kicked off the Andy Green era with a 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Pride Night at Citi Field. Zach Thornton had a really impressive second major leagues start, pitching six innings of one-run ball, but the offense couldn’t do much against old friend Zack Wheeler. New York has now lost seven in a row and dropped to 34-48 on the year.
A segment of Mr. Met dancing behind Steve Gelbs while he talked about Mendoza’s firing during yesterday’s pregame show has gone viral for its awkwardness. And honestly, it was pretty funny to watch in real time.
Prior to the game, the team activated Tyrone Taylor and Zach Thornton and optioned Daniel Duarte and MJ Melendez to Triple-A.
In happier Mets news, the team has revealed their new service dog in training, Howie, and people are obsessed.
Infielder Nicky Lucky got a call from his Indy Ball manager alerting him that the Mets were signing him to join their Double-A affiliate.
Around the National League East
Derek Hill made a jaw-dropping catch to rob Soto of a homer, and he stunned his teammates in the process.
The Braves have placed reliever Robert Suarez on the IL with right forearm tightness.
The Marlins will be giving Jonah the dog his dream day at loanDepot park on July 12.
The Nationals fell 3-1 to the Orioles for their fourth straight defeat.
The Braves won their game against the Giants 3-1.
The Marlins blanked the Cardinals 4-0.
Around Major League Baseball
Thomas Harrigan explored whether some big names will end up on the trade block this year.
The Angels dismissed GM Perry Minasian and announced that John Mozeliak has been brought in as a consultant.
The Tigers blanked the Astros 8-0.
The Reds picked up two runs in the eighth to skate past the Pirates 6-4. In the loss, Konor Griffin hit a 435 foot, 108.9 mph home run in his first at-bat off the IL.
The Rays topped the Diamondbacks 6-1. In the win, Junior Caminero strengthened his All-Star case with his 20th home run of the season, and his fourth in two games.
Benches cleared in last night’s Red Sox vs. Yankees game after Will Warren buzzed Willson Contreras, and warnings were issued following the scuffle. The Red Sox got the last laugh, topping the long-time rival Yankees 6-1.
The Mariners clipped the Guardians 3-1.
The Rangers outlasted the Blue Jays 5-4.
The White Sox put up 10 in the third inning and roasted the Royals 22-1.
The Brewers beat the Cubs 6-2. In the game, Jacob Misiorowski fired a pitch to Pete Crow-Armstrong that registered at 105.5 mph.
The Twins walked off the Rockies 9-8.
The Athletics defeated the Angels 9-3.
The Padres beat up the Dodgers 7-1. Walker Buehler, who tormented San Diego for years as a member of the Dodgers, enjoyed the chance to return the favor to his old club.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
I introduced you to Andy Green, the team’s interim manager.
I previewed the team’s series against the Phillies.
On the latest episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Chris McShane and Brian Salvatore discussed the team moving on from David Peterson and other things going on around the team.
Joe Sokolowski brought us the latest edition of This Week in Mets Quotes.
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 22: Kyle Schwarber #18 of the Boston Red Sox warms up on deck before game six of the 2021 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on October 22, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Given the disaster the Red Sox have gotten themselves into this season, let’s take a look back on how the ballclub could have been in a better position to compete, both in 2026 and other recent seasons with just two playoff appearances in the 2020s.
Boston currently ranks last in baseball with just 67 home runs as a team. Guess which player leads the sport in long balls?
That would be Kyle Schwarber, the three-month power boost the Sox acquired at the 2021 trade deadline in a swap with the Washington Nationals that’s among the larger wins of Chaim Bloom’s complicated tenure as chief baseball officer.
The 2016 World Series champion didn’t immediately hit the field after the trade as he worked back from injury. Once he did take the field, he elevated an already talented lineup. Schwarber hit .291 with seven homers in a .957 OPS in 41 regular-season games for Boston. Finding a brand new role at first base, he also elevated the inconsistent Bobby Dalbec to the best two-month stretch of his life with 15 homers in 49 games in the last two months of the year.
Schwarber also popped three dingers in the postseason, with memorable moments from his solo shot off Gerritt Cole in the American League Wild Card Series to blowing open a raucous Game 3 of the ALCS off Jose Urquidy.
That was really the end of the fun on an unexpected run. Boston’s bats fell quiet from there on out and eventually fell to the Astros in six games that series. Schwarber headed to free agency and Boston chose not to bring him back given that designated hitter J.D. Martinez was still there for another season, Dalbec was available to play first, and the eventual arrival of touted power prospect Triston Casas.
The Red Sox never should have let him walk out the door. Keeping him paired with Martinez (at least for part of 2022), Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers would’ve made for a lethal lineup with a cemented core, even after the Mookie Betts trade in 2020.
Boston had options to make that work. The front office could’ve traded Martinez to clear the way for Schwarber on a longer deal. They could’ve let him ride out first base until Casas or Dalbec truly forced the issue, at least defensively to an extent. But that never happened.
Instead, Schwarber walked to the Philadelphia Phillies on a four-year, $79 million deal. That’s a pretty good bargain for someone who led the league in home runs twice during that contract. And the Red Sox should’ve matched it.
After four playoff appearances and a trip to the World Series with the Phillies, Schwarber hit the market again this past winter. The Red Sox had an open chance to right their wrongs and add real power to a lineup that truly needed it in its modern construction.
The Red Sox never made him an offer. Once again, he signed on with Philadelphia, this time for five years and $150 million. Don’t like that number for a 33-year-old? Too bad, he continues to back it up.
There’s obviously several “what if” personnel decisions to look back on over the last half-decade in Boston. For the Red Sox, Schwarber continues to play to a level worthy of topping that list.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 26: Texas Rangers Relief Pitcher Jacob Latz (67) celebrates the win with Texas Rangers Catcher Elías Díaz (35) after the MLB regular season game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays on June 26, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Rangers 5, Blue Jays 4
Its a two game winning streak, y’all.
And a win that is thanks in large part to our man Nathan Eovaldi.
In the first game against Toronto, MacKenzie Gore allowed four hits and a walk in seven innings, but clustered most of them together in one inning, resulting in three runs scoring.
Nathan Eovaldi was similar to Gore in terms of allowing baserunners — five hits and a walk — but wily veteran that he is, he made sure they were more scattered.
Through five innings Eovaldi had allowed just a walk and a single. He allowed a pair of hits in the six and two more in the seventh, but left them all stranded, ultimately leaving the game with no Blue Jays runs on the board.
The Jays did their damage off the pen in the eighth, with Robby Ahlstrom and Jakob Junis each getting dinged with two runs apiece in the inning before Junis finally struck out pinch hitter Alejandro Kirk with the tying run on first.
And Jacob Latz decided to walk the leadoff hitter in the ninth just to alarm us a little before retiring the next three batters on foul pop outs.
Eovaldi’s most effective pitch for once wasn’t his splitter. Instead it was the curveball that was keeping the Jays off-balance, generating 8 of the 14 swings and misses he got on the day.
Eovaldi threw his cutter and curveball a combined 49 times and didn’t allow either a hit or a hard hit ball off of either of them. Eovaldi only allowed three hard hit balls all game, per Statcast, with two coming off of his fastball and one on his sinker.
That’s pretty good, I think.
Eovaldi logged nine strikeouts against the Jays, which moved him past Kerry Wood, Yovani Gallardo, Woodie Fryman and Todd Stottlemyre for 204th on the all time strikeout list, with 1588. If he can strike out seven his next time out he’ll move into the top 200.
Looking at the guys ahead of him on the all time list, guys he could pass this year if he stays healthy and effective, you see an odd combination of names. The next three are Ron Darling, he of the awful Lee Mazzili trade, Steve Trachsel, and Hall of Famer Rube Marquard. Guys Eovaldi could be passing later in the year include Hall of Famer Vic Willis, who is sandwiched between J.A> Happ and Rick Wise. Freddy Garcia, Jack Powell, Steve Rogers and Jered Weaver are all tied at #186, with 1621 Ks.
Much like the series opener, the Rangers jumped on top early, then rode that out despite having to sweat a little late.
The Rangers jumped on Patrick Corbin for three runs in the first inning, then two more in the third.
I’m like, oh, yeah, Patrick Corbin was in the Rangers’ rotation most of last year. It feels kind of embarrassing.
Justin Foscue, looking to securely lock down his role as short-side platoon DH, went 2 for 4, driving in a run in the first with an RBI single, and then both the third inning runs with a two run homer.
Foscue is currently slashing .382/.462/.735 in 39 plate appearances against lefties, and I think that will play.
For the season he’s slashing .268/.330/.500 in 91 plate appearances. I’m not going to provide his splits against righties because I don’t want to harsh my mellow.
Wyatt Langford went 3 for 5 with a double, continuing to silence the critics. He also stole a base, though he was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double as well.
Langford is slashing .278/.324/.500 on the season. His 1.7 bWAR is the second-highest on the team, despite playing in just 40 games so far this year, and he has a 138 OPS+. He has a 1.5 fWAR and 128 wRC+, if you prefer Fangraphs to B-R.
Coming into this game, the Rangers were in a four-way tie for WC3 with the Astros, A’s and Jays. The Jays lost to the Rangers, of course, and the Astros lost, but the A’s won, so the Rangers are now in a tie for WC3 with the A’s, one game up on the Astros and Jays, a game and a half up on the Twins and the Orioles, a game and a half back of Seattle in the A.L. West, and two games back of Cleveland for WC2.
Nathan Eovaldi reached 96.3 mph on his fastball, averaging 95.6 mph. Robby Ahlstrom topped out at 96.4 mph with his fastball. Jakob Junis’s sinker reached 94.6 mph. Jacob Latz touched 95.9 mph with his fastball.
Alejandro Osuna had a 105.6 mph groundout. Justin Foscue had a 104.8 mph homer and a 101.6 mph groundout. Wyatt Langford had a 104.2 mph double and a 103.0 mph single. Nicky Lopez had a 103.3 mph single. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.2 mph groundout.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 26: Richie Palacios #1 (L) and Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees were asleep at the wheel last night, getting retired in order through five innings before finally getting a hit in the sixth, and losing a 6-1 dud in Boston. I will be upfront in that I had other plans and was spared from watching it, but from what I’ve gathered and reviewed, I sure as hell didn’t miss much. Anyway, read Peter’s recap if you’re daring and interested in more.
Here’s some of what else was going on around the Junior Circuit on Friday night.
Tampa Bay Rays (46-33) 6, Arizona Diamondbacks (41-40) 1
The Yankees haven’t won since Wednesday and the Rays haven’t lost since then either. That includes a Yankees offday on Thursday, but it still means that Tampa Bay has made up ground in a hurry. The 3.5-game lead from Wednesday night is down to one after the Rays welcomed the D-backs to the Trop with a pretty comfortable win.
The Rays prolonged Zac Gallen’s nightmare return to Arizona following an unsuccessful free agency. On the one hand, he only gave up four hits and got into the seventh, but Tampa Bay made the knocks (and two walks) hurt. Geraldo Perdomo had led off the game with a solo shot before Gallen toed the rubber. He walked Yandy Díaz, plunked Jonathan Aranda, and then got smoked for a three-run homer by Junior Caminero that sailed 437 feet.
Gallen actually retired the next 15 batters in a row, but the damage was costly. And when he ran out of steam in the seventh, he allowed a homer to Cedric Mullins before departing in wake of a two-out double from Hunter Feduccia. Díaz singled him in to close out Gallen’s line, and Aranda hung a run on reliever Juan Burgos with a two-bagger to plate Yandy. That was enough to back Nick Martinez (unscored upon for 5 2/3 after the Perdomo dinger) and the Tampa Bay bullpen.
Hope you didn’t use any mental energy on this game either! It was a dud for anyone who doesn’t happen to also be a St. Pete partisan.
Other Games
Cleveland Guardians (42-40) 1, Seattle Mariners (42-41) 3: The Cantillo/Castillo Bowl ended in a 1-1 stalemate after six with both Joey and Luis gone from the ballgame after six, though the former looked sharper with nine K’s and two hits allowed. One of those knocks was a homer by rookie Colt Emerson, and Seattle actually ended up giving Castillo the win by scoring right after he departed. Cal Raleigh and Dominic Canzone drew back-to-back walks to begin the seventh, and once Raleigh went to third on a double-play ball by Josh Naylor, he scored when J.P. Crawford beat out an infield hit on a ball that Travis Bazzana couldn’t handle. Julio Rodríguez added insurance in the eighth on an RBI single of his own; the José A. Ferrer/Gabe Speier/Andrés Muñoz trio spun three innings of perfect relief to nail it down.
The M’s are a game and a half up on the Rangers in a crowded AL West that also has the A’s two back and the Astros 2.5 games behind. The ever-hapless Angels fired their GM and are back to square one with former Cardinals head honcho John Mozeliak suddenly popping up to be their interim leader. What an org. Meanwhile, Cleveland fell one behind Chicago, who, uh, quite frankly annihilated the Royals:
Toronto Blue Jays (39-43) 4, Texas Rangers (40-42) 5: With all due respect to our late pal John Sterling, sometimes you can predict baseball — at least when the starting pitching matchup is Nathan Eovaldi vs. Patrick Corbin. Brandon Nimmo’s RBI double kicked off a three-run first for Texas against Corbin and Justin Foscue belted a two-run homer to make it 5-0 by the third. Eovaldi fired seven scoreless, and though his bullpen nearly gave it all back in an awful eighth that featured a clout by Kazuma Okamoto, Jakob Junis struck out Alejandro Kirk with one man on to finish the inning. Jacob Latz worked around a leadoff walk to retire the next three Jays in order, closing it out despite Toronto having three cracks at walking it off.
San Diego, California - June 26: San Diego Padres' cap with the initials VZ in a symbol of support for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Venezuela before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park on Friday, June 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Two massive earthquakes rocked Venezuela on Wednesday. Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas and reliever Edgardo Henriquez both have family in the country who are safe, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, who caught up with both players. From Rojas:
“They’re in a place where they have power, they have connection, they have everything we need to stay in contact and we talk every day. But I still really feel that I’m so far from them right now,” he said.
“Literally two blocks away from where my family was two buildings collapsed, the whole building. And the building where my family was was shaking really bad and they had to go away from that place to stay someplace else that night. They were lucky to get away before everything else happened and the building stayed in some kind of good shape to go down the stairs and get out of there. I’m lucky to be honest with you guys. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and with me. I’m not taking this for granted.”
Dodgers and Padres players are wearing the letters VZ on the sides of their caps this weekend, per Maddie Lee at the Los Angeles Times:
The Dodgers and Padres are wearing VZ on their hats to show support for the victims of the earthquake in Venezuela this week. pic.twitter.com/An6H0G3fS4
“Coming to the park every day and knowing there’s going to be 25 or 30 guys that walk into that clubhouse that I feel responsible for. I’m at the age now where I could be their grandfather, some of them, and I feel like I’ve got a job to do to treat them like I was treated as a kid. … That they were taught how to become a professional, how to work hard and what it meant to be a Dodger.”
Lorenzo Bundy managed six seasons in the Dodgers minor leagues between 2007-13 and was also on the major league staff as third base coach and outfield coach in 2014-15. Part of his time with the Dodgers included managing the Albuquerque Isotopes from 2011-13, and he’s being honored this weekend with induction into the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame. Geoff Grammer at the Albuquerque Journal has more.
The Vancouver Canucks doubled up on OHL prospects to start the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Vancouver first drafted center Caleb Malhotra third overall before selecting winger Adam Novotný 24th. Malhotra played last season with the Brantford Bulldogs, while Novotný spent his first OHL campaign with the Peterborough Petes.
Leading up to the draft, many experts predicted that Malhotra would be selected third overall by the Canucks. Listed at 6'2", 185 lbs, the 18-year-old dominated the OHL this year with 84 points in 67 games before producing 26 points in 15 playoff games. Described as a two-way center, Malhotra was clearly excited to be joining the organization.
"I had no clue or no hands from anybody, so I was just as blind as everybody else was," said Malhotra after being drafted. "So just to hear my name get called at all, and then especially to this organization, it's got a personal connection and big emotional meaning for me. I'm just so grateful, and I guess this could not have been more perfect for me."
Drafting Malhotra is going to come with an interesting challenge, as his dad, Manny, was recently named Vancouver's head coach. While it may take a few years for the two to unite at the NHL level, there will be questions, especially early on, about how this relationship will work. After the pick was made, Manny Malhotra spoke to the media and detailed his plan to ensure there are no issues moving forward.
"Obviously, see the aesthetics at times are not ideal," said Malhotra. "What this comes down to, ultimately, is player and coach. You know, I say it, and I know people will kind of roll their eyes and say, you can't say it, and we'll be that way, but when we get to the arena, he knows he's treated as I would any other player. And that dynamic has worked for us. When we leave the arena, and there's a very clear line that we're not talking shops. I'm not coaching you anymore. It's just the dad conversations that take place. So we understand the dynamic of it and perhaps the aesthetics, how people will perceive the situation. But when it comes to the hockey, it's all about getting better."
As for Novotný, it was a little surprising that he was available at 24th overall. Listed at 6'1", 205 lbs, the winger from Czechia was projected by most experts to go before 20th overall. Novotný dropping based on projected draft position is the Canucks, as he is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft.
"I don't know how to describe this, said Novotný after being selected. "Such a great feeling, and such a great organization. Just so happy that I got drafted by the Vancouver Canucks. This feeling is just unbelievable. To share this with my family, so it just feels great."
Novotný has developed into a dynamic, two-way forward. He recorded 65 points in 58 games while also winning a Silver Medal with Czechia at the 2026 World Juniors. A combination of size, skill and grit, Novotný showed this year that he is a pain to play against.
Vancouver enters day two of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft with eight remaining picks. Ryan Johnson and his team will be on the board first in the second round as the Canucks hold the 33rd overall pick. Once the draft is complete, the newly-drafted prospects will head to Vancouver for development camp.
Jun 26, 2026; Buffalo, New York, USA; Adam Novotny reacts beside NHL commissioner Gary Bettman after being selected with the twenty fourth pick in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
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Buster Posey, the president of operations for the San Francisco Giants, makes a statement ahead of an MLB game against the Athletics at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Protesters are expected to gather outside Oracle Park to demonstrate against four pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and opted out of wearing the team's Pride-themed gear during the Giants' Pride Night celebration on June 12. (Photo by Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Good morning, baseball fans!
We have reached the point of this San Francisco Giants season where it’s not really worth finding the silver linings. Everything about this season is crap in a crap sandwich that someone left outside in the heat.
So instead of highlights of the week, this week I thought we’d all pick our favorite lowlights. Because there have been plenty, both on the field and off.
But the one that has made the franchise the laughingstock of the rest of the sports world would have to be the press conference that Buster Posey called early in the week, in which he promptly refused to answer any questions or give any actual information, all while looking defeated and extremely out of his depth.
“Baseball questions only” has become a meme among the sports fans of social media. And rightly so. It was a pathetic display from a pathetic organization and they should be mocked for it. Both MLB and the Giants seem hell-bent on moving on. And that’s great for them, but I’m not interested.
So if you haven’t read Brady’s post from earlier this week, I highly recommend it. I haven’t weighed in on the topic this week because I have been ill, but Brady really hit the nail on the head. So instead of highlighting anything else that might have happened this week, I want us to revisit that excellent post and keep talking about this issue. Because they clearly don’t want us to.
What was your favorite lowlight of the week?
What time do the Giants play this weekend?
The Giants continue this weekend series against the Atlanta Braves, with Saturday’s game starting at 6:05 p.m. PT and Sunday’s game starting at 1:05 p.m. PT.
It was a cool morning in Jupiter, Florida, this past February, and as was his custom, Brant Brown had arrived at the Cardinals training facility early enough to get in a workout before the chaos of spring training ensued. As Brown was about to enter the team’s redesigned weight room, he heard a faint thud in the distance. He stopped to listen and there it was again… An uneasy feeling washed over Brown as he set down his gym bag and cautiously made his way toward the mysterious sound. It seemed to be coming from the batting cages. As he got closer, the sound got louder and more distinct. Wishhhhhh, thud…. Then about 8 seconds of silence and another wishhhhh, thud.
As Brown turned the corner, he was relieved to see the familiar face of Ivan Herrera standing in the batting cages facing the pitching machine. Before Brown could alert Herrera to his presence, another pitch was whistling toward Ivan. To Brown’s shock and dismay, the ball, traveling at over 90 MPH, slammed into his star pupil’s shoulder, producing that thud sound that had been echoing through the abandoned training facility.
“Ivan!” Brown shouted. “Are you ok, man?”
Herrera, obviously thinking he was alone, startled at the sight of the still sleepy bald man rushing toward him. “Oh, hey, coach,” he said, once he recognized it was Brown who was the cause of the interruption. “I didn’t hear you coming. Just trying to get some work in before the boys get here.”
Brown, relieved that Herrera was ok, said, “My bad, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. You aren’t cleared for BP yet. If Oli and the training staff find you in here, you are gonna be in big trouble!” It was then that Brown had a chilling realization… Herrera wasn’t even holding a bat and did not seem to have even brought one with him to the cages. Brown felt a cold shiver run up his spine and instinctually took a step backward, wanting to put a little distance between himself and the now slightly menacing-looking slugger.
“Are you in here practicing letting pitches hit you?” Brown asked, incredulous.
Herrera stood silently for a moment like he was trying to think of a way out of this conversation. The seconds ticked by and finally, Herrera spoke. “Not practicing exactly… I…. I enjoy getting hit by pitches.” Seeing the look of confusion and concern on his coach’s face, Herrera continued. “When I was a kid, all my friends wanted to be major league baseball players. Some dreamed of hitting a walk-off home run in the World Series. Some dreamed of throwing no-hitters. All of them wanted to be stars in the big leagues. I never cared about any of that. I loved, and I mean, LOVED, getting hit by pitches. It didn’t matter if it was a fastball, slider, curveball, whatever. The feeling of getting a free base and knowing that my wRC+ was going up was all I thought about. The only reason I even wanted to keep playing baseball was the thought that one day I could get hit by the fastest fastballs and the wickedest breaking balls in the world…”
Herrera’s voice trailed off and Brown noticed that tears had started to form in his eyes… Tears of joy. Herrera had a far-off look in his eyes as he quietly wept, thinking about all the baseballs that would hit him in the upcoming season.
Brown was so shaken by the conversation that he could not formulate a response. He slowly turned and started walking back to the gym. As he left, he heard that sound again. Wishhhh, THUD.
Ok, now that I have that out of my system, let’s get to the nonfiction portion of today’s program.
Ivan Herrera is getting hit by pitches at an absurd rate. His 22 HBPs is six more than the next highest player in baseball. He is currently on pace for 45 HBPs, which would place him fifth all-time and second since 1900. The Cardinals’ record is 31 (as a reminder it is still June). Herrera’s mark is already the tenth most in a single season for any Cardinals player.
The major league record for hit-by-pitches in a season is 51, set in 1886 by Hughie Jennings, and the post-1900 record is 50 by Ron Hunt of the Montreal Expos in 1971. While these lofty totals may be out of reach, Herrera is getting hit A LOT.
What is the impact of Ivan’s hit-by-pitches on his production? Currently, his xwOBA of .371 ranks 24th in baseball. If you were to normalize his HBP rate to the league average, it would drop to .356, which would rank 44th in MLB.
Setting aside Herrera’s other wonderful qualities as a ballplayer and a human being, his willingness to endure this battering makes him one of my favorite players. As a fan, it is enraging to watch a batter dance out of the way of a pitch with the game on the line and the team badly needing a baserunner. Now, this isn’t a moral judgment against players who make more of an effort to avoid projectiles hurled at their bodies. Obviously, beyond the pain, getting hit introduces the risk of injury, so it is not a free lunch. I am not saying that my fondness for players who are willing to “wear it” is totally rational, but it is what it is.
Appreciating the fact that Ivan gets hit so often is not sufficient. I want to know if there is an obvious reason as to why he is drawing so many HBPs. Perhaps he crowds the plate more than normal? Are pitchers throwing him an inordinate amount of pitches inside? Or maybe something with his exaggerated stance and stride toward the pitcher makes it harder for him to get out of the way?
Baseball Savant has some very granular data on batters’ positions in the box that you can play with here. Looking at this data, there are a few things to note. Herrera starts with the third most open stance of any right-handed batter in baseball at 48 degrees. As he loads, his front foot goes from the back chalk of the batter’s box to hovering over the front chalk closest to the plate and then he strides forward opening back up to become almost perfectly square to the pitcher. He is essentially diving toward the plate as the ball approaches. The combination of a high leg kick and momentum coming toward the plate could make it harder for him to back away from pitches running inside.
Baseball Savant also tracks batters’ distance from the plate defined by where each player’s center of gravity is while in their stance. On average, right-handed hitters stand 27.8 inches from the plate. Herrera is a little closer at 26.7. This is the 111th closest (out of 354 batters) among righties, so he crowds the plate a little but not in some outlier fashion. All things considered, Herrera’s setup and approach might have a little something to do with his HBP total, but it definitely isn’t the whole story.
What about how pitchers are attacking him? Is he simply being pitched inside at a ridiculous clip? Fortunately for us, there is a wealth of data available at Baseball Savant that breaks down the exact location of each pitch.
Location Matrix
This location matrix is from the catcher’s perspective so the left side is inside to a right-handed hitter. The Heart zone (1-9), as you would expect, are pitches in the middle of the plate. The Shadow zone (11-19) includes pitches just on or just off the plate. Chase and Waste are self-explanatory.
I pulled all pitches thrown to right-handed batters that were inside in the Shadow, Chase, and Waste zones. Ivan Herrera has seen the fourth most pitches of any right-handed batter in these zones so far this year. Here is how the top five rank with HBPs added for context.
20.5% of the pitches Herrera has seen this season have been in the inside zones compared to the leaguewide average of 16.2% (again, righties only). While Herrera has gotten more than his fair share of inside pitches, comparing his HBP totals to the other top-five players shows the stark contrast. Junior Caminero somehow avoiding a single HBP is truly impressive. He stands about 2.5 inches farther off the plate than Herrera, but his dodging ability is still truly remarkable.
All right, let’s go a level deeper and see which specific zones are hotspots for HBPs and if Herrera is just being pitched in those zones more aggressively. To do this, I looked at all 33,821 pitches that have been thrown in the inside zones to righties this year and calculated the percentage of pitches that resulted in the 576 HBPs that they absorbed. Here is what the breakdown looks like:
Percentage of pitches that hit batter
There are virtually no HBPs in the Shadow zone, although shoutout to Mike Trout who accounts for the .01% in the middle Shadow zone by virtue of being hit by a pitch that was actually a strike. In total, 14 HBPs have occurred in the Shadow zone. The Chase zone accounts for 135 HBPs with the majority coming on pitches up and in. As you would expect, the majority of hit batsmen are on pitches in the Waste zone where 427 have occurred.
Here is how Herrera stacks up.
Percentage of pitches that hit Ivan Herrera
I have included Ivan’s total HBPs by zone in parentheses. Like the rest of the league, he is racking up most of his HBPs on pitches up and in. He has not done anything heroic like leaning into the Shadow zone, but on wasted pitches inside, he is getting hit two to six times more frequently than the league average. Just to be sure, I checked the types of pitches he is being attacked with, and the mix is essentially in line with the rest of the league.
I will leave you with one statistic that quantifies just how much Ivan likes a free base. If you apply the league average HBP rate by zone to the number of pitches Ivan has seen in each zone, you get an expected HBP total of… 6.7. There you have it. Ivan Herrera is a certified lunatic.
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