The Chicago White Sox entered their Tuesday matchup against the Atlanta Braves with a 34-31 record.
Not bad, but they needed someone to give them a spark, an extra push as they are in a battle with the Cleveland Guardians for the top spot in the AL Central.
On Tuesday, an unlikely hero emerged. His name is Braden Montgomery.
The White Sox called up the 23-year-old outfielder from their Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights, just in time to face the Atlanta Braves, the best team in MLB, record-wise.
Montgomery proved that he’s ready for the show. In his major league debut, Montgomery had himself a game to remember. He registered two hits in five at-bats, and accounted for three RBIs. But his moment of glory came when the lights were brightest — Chicago down a run, 5-4, in the 10th inning.
Andrew Benintendi was on base when Montgomery came to the plate. He delivered, in walk-off fashion, smashing a homer 343 feet into left field. With his two-run home run, Montgomery became the fifth player ever to hit a walk-off homer in his MLB debut.
“Just how we drew it up,” Montgomery said as he was all smiles, relishing and celebrating his historic debut. “That was … I still don’t know what to say. That was unreal.”
He was speechless, at least that’s how he described the feeling when he got the hit.
“I had no clue,” Montgomery said. “I hit it and I thought that it would at least get over his head so I was excited that at least we didn’t lose. That was, yeah, that left me speechless.”
As he rounded the bases and made it back home, he was embraced by his teammates and met with a Gatorade bath.
“That was just surreal,” Montgomery said. “I mean, I couldn’t even hear anything. Obviously I was told the crowd was pretty loud.”
Montgomery saw the pitch coming.
“It was a change up,” he said. “A pretty good swing on it and the rest is history.”
It was an all-around magical night for Montgomery as his first at-bat in the majors led to an RBI. He placed a ball into left field, bringing home Jacob Gonzalez in the fourth inning.
All in a night’s work, he tallied his first career hit, RBI, home run, walk-off and walk-off home run.
Montgomery didn’t just make his debut, he made his name known across baseball. This is what you love about sports.
Braden Mongomery calls game with a walk-off home run in his MLB debut. | (Getty Images)
Wow.
What an incredible game from the South Siders, who never gave up regardless of how many times their safety squeeze failed to score a run, or how many home runs Matt Olson hit against them (two, by the way). This game had everything: solid pitching, drama, home runs, extra innings, an extended hit streak, and a rookie debut for the ages.
The White Sox (35-31) defeated the best team in MLB, stealing an extra-inning W against the Braves (45-22), 6-5. Braden Montgomery went 2-for-4 in his debut and checked many firsts off the list: first hit, RBI, home run, and walk-off. On top of that, Miguel Vargas flashed his power yet again, Chase Meidroth extended his hit streak from nine to 10, and the South Siders went 4-for-12 (.300) with runners in scoring position. Could have done without the bunts, however.
Because of course, the Good Guys went with their trusty opener, as Brandon Eisert was slated to man the first inning, but he only threw strikes roughly half of the time (11 of 21 pitches), gave up two runs, and forced Erick Fedde to enter the game in the first anyway. Eisert was somehow able to strike out Ronald Acuña Jr. after falling behind in the count, 3-0, to start the game, but a base hit from Michael Harris III began the madness before the lefty ceded a two-run bomb to Matt Olson, making it 2-0, Atlanta. Before Fedde came in, Eisert recorded one more out before putting another pair of runners on base, but Fedde thankfully struck out Austin Riley to end the threat.
Fedde made it through the second (mostly) unscathed, not without hitting Ronald Acuña and instigating some Acuña on Acuña crime, as Ronald was thrown out attempting to steal, tagged out by his brother Luisangel to end the inning — later confirmed by review. Unfortunately, Ronald later left the game with hamstring tightness, and hopefully it’s not a serious injury that sends him to the IL.
And listen, it’s not a Fedde outing without him giving up at least one homer, so of course Matt Olson mashed his second of the game; a solo shot to left to extend the Atlanta lead to three, 3-0. Fedde dug the hole deeper on his own, surrendering the fourth run for the Braves on what should have been an inning-ending double play. He was unable to catch the ball for the final out, so it rolled to the dugout, and the Braves scored a run, 4-0. Despite being responsible for one of his two runs allowed with the error, only one was earned on the six hits he relinquished while striking out four.
On the offensive front, it took a few innings for the bats to get heated up, and they did bunt themselves out of some scoring situations, but they never counted themselves out and eventually found ways to score and tie the game at four. With two outs in the third, Sam Antonacci kept the inning alive by drawing a walk, just for Miguel Vargas to blast his 16th home run of the season to cut the lead in half, 4-2.
The Good Guys grabbed another back in the bottom of the fourth, beginning with Jacob Gonzalez ripping a base hit to right, and Meidroth getting hit by a pitch to put a runner in scoring position for Montgomery’s second at-bat. It’s possible many rookies would fold in this situation, but Montgomery isn’t just any rookie. He waited back and went with a hanging, middle-outside fastball to drive a 107 mph single out to left for his first MLB career base hit, killing two birds with one stone by also knocking in his first RBI, bringing the Sox within one, 4-3.
Now, let’s talk about that bunting again. Sure, have the Good Guys succeeded in small ball in some situations this year? Yes. Does that mean they should do it every single chance they get? No! Not once, but twice, the South Siders batted and ran themselves out of innings by attempting to execute a safety squeeze. Completely killing the rally after Montgomery’s RBI, Luisangel bunted with Meidroth on third, but it didn’t go far enough, so the catcher was able to tag Meidroth with several steps to spare.
Just a couple of innings later, the Sox once again had runners on the corners with one out, and Drew Romo laid a bunt down towards the first base side, but since Olson was already charging in, he had Grichuk dead to rights, ending with him getting tagged out in a rundown. Antonacci ended up driving a ball out to right in hopes of tying the game, but Derek Hill was thrown out at the plate, later confirmed by review. A much better situation would have been potentially not sending Hill and handing bases loaded over to Miguel Vargas — you know, the guy that hit a line drive home run just a couple of at-bats ago — but hindsight is always 20/20.
Eventually, they were able to strike with runners in scoring position. It took nine pitches, but Vargas drew a walk to leadoff the seventh, and Andrew Benintendi poked a base hit to right, allowing Miguel to advance to third. Jacob Gonzalez came through in the clutch and scored Vargas for his fifth run batted in this season, 4-4.
It’s good news that the White Sox bullpen was on point today, as the Braves didn’t score after the third until the ghost runner was in effect in the 10th. Tyler Gilbert completed the sixth for Fedde, and the seventh and eighth were clean as both Tyler Davis and Seranthony Domínguez did not give up a hit. The ninth was also solid with Grant Taylor navigating the inning with one hit given up, but keeping the game tied for the Good Guys into the bottom of the ninth. Naturally, the bats could not ignite, and to extra innings we went.
Now responsible for the ghost runner in the 10th, Grant Taylor gave up a leadoff base hit to Mauricio Dubón that allowed Atlanta to take the lead back, 5-4. Taylor was able to work through the jam even with the added pressure with the help of some much-needed defense, and the Braves’ rally ended with one run while the damage could have been way worse. On a ground ball to third from Austin Riley, Miguel Vargas made a heads-up play by throwing Dubón out at the plate, and Mike Yastrzemski flew out to give the South Siders a chance to tie or win the game.
With Benintendi starting at second in the bottom of the 10th, Gonzalez came close to tying the game with a ball down the left-field line, but it was ruled foul, and he struck out. Benintendi advanced to third on a ground out from Meidroth, bringing the White Sox down to their final out with Montgomery up to bat. The ending of this game felt magical, not only because of the drama, but because you could tell he felt confident being in this position. The moment was no match for the rookie, who checked off his first career home run and walk-off, blasting a two-run shot to the opposite field to win the game. The emotion from him, his family, the fans, hell, from me in my living room! It’s a moment that Braden, or any of us, will not be forgetting for quite some time.
Ball. Game.
He was the number two prospect for a reason, folks. It’s been one game, but the fact that he can rise to the moment against the best team in baseball might just be a glimpse into how special a player Montgomery can be. The homer also secured the second win of the season for Taylor, also giving some credit where it is due.
As Tuesday’s games come to a close, the White Sox will head into Wednesday just a half-game behind the Cleveland Guardians, who lost to the New York Yankees, allowing the Good Guys to snag a full game. I don’t think I’ve ever been happy about a Yankees win, but I will take it. And it also brings me joy to know that the Guardians are probably super annoyed upon seeing the glorious Montgomery bomb. Despite being without their best hitter and having to piecemeal the starting rotation and bullpen, they continue to fight and find ways to win, and if they can keep it up, a division title doesn’t sound so crazy after all.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Darryn Peterson looks on during the game during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. 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 (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On the Sean O’Connell Show, Krysten Peek joined the show to talk about all things NBA Draft, and she brought some incredible insight and intel. If you haven’t listened, make sure you do here:
If you don’t have a chance to listen, here are the different insights she brought:
Wouldn’t surprise her if AJ Dybantsa goes #1 and Darryn Peterson goes #2
Darryn Peterson is going in this week, if not already, to work out with the Utah Jazz
She says it’s like an 85-90% chance that AJ Dybantsa goes #1
The fact that nothing has been leaked from all 30 teams who have Darryn Peterson’s medicals points to him being A-okay, him being fine.
She’s a big Darryn Peterson believer, and what she knows personally about him as someone who loves basketball. If he’s not the #1 pick, he is the clear-cut pick for the Jazz at #2. He fits well with Keyonte George. Both are ultra competitors.
The Jazz brass have done an incredible job of improving players’ perception of the Utah Jazz and the city. They have brought in a lot of players to help with that and to build relationships for future opportunities to bring them on.
The White Sox prospect whacked a walk-off homer in the 10th inning on Tuesday night to send host Chicago to a 6-5 win over the Braves.
After Atlanta grabbed a 5-4 lead in the first half of extra innings, the White Sox made consecutive outs without scoring, with free runner Andrew Benintendi only moving to third base.
Montgomery, with an RBI single in the fourth inning already on his ledger, stepped in against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias with a chance to either tie or win the game.
He did the latter when he crushed a second-pitch changeup over the left field wall that bounced off of the home bullpen and into the jubilant stands of White Sox fans.
Making the game even more special, legendary sports voice Bob Costas was on play-by-play duties for Chicago Sports Network as part of a throwback broadcast.
Braden Montgomery hits a walk-off, two-run home run in the 10th inning of his MLB debut in the White Sox’s 6-5 win over the Braves on June 9, 2026 in Chicago. Getty Images
“Sends it in the air to left, it is back near the wall — it is over the wall for a game-winning home run!” Costas said. “How about that, talk about drama, talk about theater.”
Montgomery smiled around the bases as fireworks went off before his White Sox teammates piled on him at home plate, giving him a Gatorade bath to boot.
The White Sox celebrate a walk-off, two-run home run by Braden Montgomery in the 10th inning at Rate Field. Getty ImagesWhite Sox rookie Braden Montgomery celebrates after hitting a walk-off two-run home in the 10th inning of the White Sox’s win over the Braves. AP Photo/Paul Beaty
Montgomery finished his roaring debut with two hits and three RBIs.
Montgomery, the 21st overall prospect on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100, was a key piece in the trade that sent ace Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox before the 2025 season.
He hit 10 homers with a .970 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A this year before his first call-up to the South Side.
Prime minister and governor general join family and football greats to remember the life and achievements of the Australian football legend and MND crusader
Neale Daniher was best known as an AFL legend and motor neurone disease crusader but his family have used his state funeral to remember him for his laugh, sweet tooth and love of music.
Jun 5, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) breaks his bat on the ground after a pop fly against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves suffered another blow on the injury front, and yet again, Ronald Acuña Jr. is the subject. Acuña exited Tuesday night in the fourth inning after limping on his way to first base.
Ronald Acuña Jr. was limping after running hard down the first base line.
The club later reported that he exited the contest with hamstring tightness. Best case scenario for Atlanta is that he is considered day-to-day; however, this is the same hamstring he strained earlier this season.
The bad news doesn’t end there, as the Braves went on to suffer an extra-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox, 6-5.
In some ways, it is quite hard to believe that it's already been 17 years since Jordan Staal scored a key shorthanded goal in Game 4 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings to help turn the tide of the series and lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to their third Cup in franchise history.
That moment proved that Staal - already an elite two-way center at 21 years old when the Penguins won that year - had that clutch gene in him. It proved that, on the NHL's biggest stage, he had the ability to come through for his team and be the catalyst it needs.
Fast forward to 2026, and Staal might be wearing a different uniform. But he is doing the same exact thing.
In the four games to open the Stanley Cup Final this season, Staal has scored in every one, and he netted two in Game 4 - including the game-winner during the third period - to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights and tie the series. The 37-year-old center is now up to seven goals and 11 points in 17 playoff games this postseason, which include five goals and six points in the Final series alone.
Of course, anyone who has followed Staal's 20-year NHL career knows that he's always had a knack for coming through in big moments. He seems to have ice in his veins when the stage becomes the biggest, and that has always been the case.
JARVIS MISSES A GOLDEN CHANCE, BUT THEN STAAL WITH A DIVING GOAL TO TAKE THE LEAD 😱🚨
During the Stanley Cup Final in 2009, the Penguins went down in the series, 2-0, and they managed to pull off a win in Game 3 at home. They were back at home for Game 4, and they found themselves on the penalty kill and trailing, 2-1, midway through the second period.
And that's when Staal - already well-known for his impact shorthanded - took the puck up ice on a shorthanded opportunity, splitting the 'D' and bodying his way around all-time great defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom to power one past Red Wings' goaltender Chris Osgood and tie the game.
The last time Jordan Staal played in a Stanley Cup Final was 2009! 17 years later, the age of 37 has 3 goals in the last 4 games! Let’s go Canes pic.twitter.com/ON41o8BM3T
Staal finished with two goals and three points in that series. The Penguins went on to win that game, 4-2, and they won the series in seven games. This also capped off a revenge tour for the Penguins, as they were beaten by Detroit in the Final in 2008.
And Staal had already played a part in that revenge tour earlier in the season, when the Penguins played the Red Wings on Nov. 11, 2008, for the first time since they had lost the Cup Final to them the spring before. Staal put his team on his back, recording a third-period hat trick and pickpocketing Pavel Datsyuk in overtime to set up Ruslan Fedotenko's game-winner in what was one of the more memorable individual performances of Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby era.
He was, ultimately, dealt to the Hurricanes in the summer of 2012 - during his wedding, nonetheless - and has spent the last 14 years of his NHL career in Raleigh, registering 22 goals and 48 points in 106 playoff games since. He had 23 goals and 36 points in 73 post-season games with the Penguins, and he has 318 goals and 747 points dispersed across 1,403 regular season games in his NHL career.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound center's play for the Hurricanes in this year's final serves as a reminder to Penguins' fans just how important Staal was to the Cup run back in 2009 and to the Penguins' former core of players that helped build their foundation for success in the mid-late 2000s. Without Staal to anchor down that third-line center position during those years - and without him as a suitable injury replacement for Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for pockets during that time - the Penguins may never hae reached the pinnacle they were able to during the Crosby era.
In the present, Staal is enjoying the best playoff performance of his career. And if the Hurricanes are going to win two of these last three games in the Cup Final, he will need to find a way to continue elevating himself when the stakes are the highest.
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) celebrates a three run home run against Minnesota Twins with second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) and shortstop Zach McKinstry (39) at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Byron Buxton kicked the game off with a homer, his 19th of the year, to put the Twins up 1-0. Taj Bradley had a really rough start again, as Dillon Dingler tied the game in the bottom of the first with a solo homer of his own. Then, in the 2nd, Riley Greene hit a solo shot to make it 2-1, Detroit.
Josh Bell tied the game at 2 with a solo blast in the top of the 3rd inning, and that’s home run number 200 for his career. But, a lead-off walk from Taj scored on Greene’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half, putting the Tigers back on top.
After both teams took a pass on scoring in the 4th, Brooks Lee and Kody Clemens hit solo home runs in the 5th to give the Twins a 5-4 lead. It would be the last lead the Twins would get tonight, as Kerry Carpenter’s two run shot in the bottom of that inning would put the Tigers up for good. A 3-run homer by Dingler in the 6th off of a Taylor Rogers down-and-in sweeper would let us all go to bed early, pretty much.
In the 7th, the Twins had Royce Lewis at the plate with the bases loaded, representing the tying run, but he flew out to the warning track in left. That was the Twins last gasp, and the Tigers tacked on 2 more in the 7th, giving us our 10-4 final score.
Studs:
Brooks Lee: 2-4, HR, BB
Josh Bell: 2-5, HR
Royce Lewis: 2-4, 2B
Buxton and Clemens: Hit a homer, you get a stud, it’s my rule.
Duds:
Taj Bradley: 4.1, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3 HR
Victor Caratini: 0-5, K
Tristan Gray: 0-4, 3 K
The bullpen except for Cody Laweryson: 2.2 IP, 5 ER
Jun 9, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) reacts to his two run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Few things are more satisfying for the Colorado Rockies than trouncing the Chicago Cubs, and tonight, they got to bask in the glow of the Cubs flying the L as the Rockies hit their way to a 7-3 win.
Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) gave the Rockies five good innings with the bullpen sealing the deal and putting the Rockies back in the win column.
Their Cubs have lost 21 of their last 28 games.
The Rockies offense comes alive
The Rockies got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first when Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer (18) to score TJ Rumfield, and the Rockies had a nice 2-0 lead.
By the time the second inning ended, the Rockies had a 5-0 lead.
The Cubs got on the board in the third after Sugano loaded the bases with one out, and Alex Bregman hit a sacrifice fly. However, Sugano managed to limit the damage, and the Rockies left the field with a 5-1 lead.
In the third inning, the Rockies scoring continued, starting with a Goodman lead-off walk, a Troy Johnston double, and a Kyle Karros walk. After that, Julien singled to make the score 7-1.
taco’s anyone?
Things settled down after that.
However, it would be negligent not to show you Cole Carrigg’s first MLB hit, a triple.
He was the first Rockies to have a triple and a walk in his major-league debut.
“Just pure joy, and it couldn’t have been a better hit for a young player like that,” Warren Schaeffer said. “That was vintage Cole Carrigg.”
After Carrigg’s triple and Kyle Karros ground out, Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea was removed from the game. He finished the evening with 4.2 IP, allowing seven runs (earned) on seven hits. He walked through and struck out two.
The Cubs offense made an appearance in the sixth inning as Michael Busch hit a home run (7) followed by a Bregman single.
And that was it for Sugano. Seth Halvorsen finished the inning, allowing one run to score, but he got the job done with the Rockies leading 7-3.
And then, there was no more scoring.
The Rockies finished the game seven runs (all earned) on 12 hits. They walked six times and struck out four. (You read that correctly: more BBs than Ks.)
Willi Castro had three hits, but did not score while Julien went 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Schaeffer noted that Tovar is taking better at-bats, and he pointed to Goodman’s walks as well.
He also praised Castro: “It seems like he always finds his way on base.”
Tomoyuki Sugano does Tomoyuki Sugano things
In a starting rotation wracked by injuries and underperformance, Sugano has been a mainstay, and tonight’s game was no different until the sixth inning when a Busch home run followed by a Bregman single chased him from the game. It was his fifth start of giving up no more than three runs.
Even though that was the 12th home run he was surrendered, Sugano yet this year to give up a multi-run homer.
His final line was 5.0 IP, allowing three runs (earned) on six hits. He struck out three and walked two on 93 pitches. Sugano has a 4.08 ERA.
For those keeping score at home, he relied primarily on his four-seamer (34%) followed by his slider (19%) and splitter (16%).
“Maybe some abnormally deep counts, but he made pitches when he had to,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he battled without getting ahead like he normally gets ahead.”
After the game, Sugano said, “It’s been a while since I last pitched at Coors, but I was able to keep my pitches down.”
He added, “I definitely felt like they were taking the splitter down.” But he was able to compensate with his four-seamer. He also noted that his slider was “moving really well.”
He gave the Rockies a chance to win.
The bullpen finishes the job
A well-rested bullpen picked up where Sugano left off.
Halvorsen entered the game in relief of Sugano and got the job done after walking the first batter he faced. His final line was 1.0 IP with one walk, one strike out, and no runs. Halvorsen has a 2.35 ERA.
The seventh went to Brennan Bernardino as the left-handed part of the Cubs order came to the plate, but he handled them with ease, retiring the side on 11 pitches. He currently has a 4.44 ERA.
Antonio Senzatela entered the game in the eighth inning He allowed one hit but no runs, striking out one and walking one. He has a 1.93 ERA.
For the ninth inning, Schaeffer turned to Jaden Hill who allowed a lead-off hit, but then shut the Cubs down. He currently has a 5.01 ERA.
Up next
Tomorrow night, the Rockies will meet the Cubs in Game 2 with first pitch at 6:40 pm. Shonta Imanaga will pitch for the Cubs while Michael Lorenzen toes the rubber for the Rockies.
Alarm bells will be sounding in the Australian camp following a crushing loss to Bangladesh in Dhaka, where the tourists were torn apart by a tall speedster exceeding 150km/h.
Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler (13) celebrates a three run home run against Minnesota Twins with second baseman Gleyber Torres (25) and shortstop Zach McKinstry (39) at Comerica Park in Detroit on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Storms moving through southeastern Michigan delayed the start of the opener of a three-game home series against the visiting Minnesota Twins, who’d swept the Tigers in a frustrating four-game series in April. Well, the Tigers got a fair amount of revenge on Tuesday night as homers flew fast and furious over various fences for both teams, with the home team prevailing by a 10-4 score. Apparently all that needed to happen was a flip of the calendar to June. Who knew?!
Troy Melton made his fourth start of the season for the Tigers, and he’d been sensational so far. His previous outing, an eight-inning, four-hit, tw0-run victory against the Rays, built on a seven-inning start against the White Sox. By this trend he should be going about thirteen innings per start by the All-Star Break, and no, I’m not a mathematician, thank you.
Facing the Tigers tonight was Taj Bradley, who started off this season with a great stretch of starts but has run into trouble recently. In his previous two starts he didn’t finish the fifth, giving up four runs each time. But he was very successful against Detroit in a start on April 7 during that four-game sweep, striking out ten in 6 1/3 innings.
Byron Buxton turned Melton’s first pitch of the night around and deposited it into the visitors’ bullpen for a 1-0 lead. Dillon Dingler didn’t like that too much, so he took a middle-middle curveball just inside the left-field foul pole for a solo home run to tie the score at one in the bottom of the first.
In the second Melton got into enough hot water with one out to make a Jacuzzi envious: a hit-batsman followed by a couple of singles loaded ‘em up with Twins. Chris Fetter paid Melton a visit, mumbled some secret, ancient incantation and gently waved his arms; Melton then struck out the next two batters, including the aforementioned Buxton, to get out of trouble.
Riley Greene saw what Dingler pulled off, and did exactly the same thing to lead off the bottom of the second with an up-and-away fastball to put the Tigers up 2-1. Josh Bell returned the favour by smashing a line-drive home run to straightaway centre in the third to re-tie the score. The balls seemed to be flying out of the park; the warmer, humid weather was partly to blame, I’d imagine.
Starting in the second and carrying into the third, Bradley’s control seemed to elude him; the first pitch of the bottom of the third soared over the home-plate umpire. Kevin McGonigle walked to lead off the inning, and Dingler followed with a single to put runners at the corners; with one out Greene hit a liner to left that was deep enough to score McGonigle and put the Tigers up 3-2.
(When I was a kid, Global TV had this half-hour nightly sports-highlights show called Sportsline, and it was great for someone like me that didn’t have cable. On that show, Jim Tatti used to sardonically refer to a sacrifice fly as “the most exciting way to score a run” or something along those lines. I think about that line a lot.)
The Tigers got runners on second and third with one out in the fourth via a walk, a single and a wild pitch in the dirt. But Gleyber Torres struck out and McGonigle ripped a line drive right at the shortstop, and that was that.
Brooks Lee hit a slider for the fifth solo home run of the game to knot the score at threes. On the next pitch Kody Clemens hit his own solo home run to put the Twins up 4-3.
The slugfest continued in the bottom of the fifth: Dingler doubled to lead off, and Kerry Carpenter hit a non-solo home run to right to put Detroit up 5-4.
After Greene smoked a 112-mph line drive that was caught by Buxton, Bradley and his multiple splitters-to-the-backstop departed. Melton did the same after five innings, and his final line was pretty weird: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 HR, 0 BB, 5 K.
Brenan Hanifee was brought in for the sixth and it wasn’t great: with one out a fly ball was misplayed by both Carpenter and Matt Vierling. The next batter got plunked, and that was the end of Hanifee, who was replaced by Drew Anderson. He threw a great full-count changeup to strike out Tristan Gray for the second out, bringing the dangerous Buxton up — who also struck out on a changeup. That was one gutsy performance by Anderson there.
Zach McKinstry hit a one-out triple to right-centre on the ninth pitch of his sixth-inning at-bat. Torres was plunked to put two runners on, and Dingler stepped to the plate with two outs and he didn’t miss an inside sweeper from Taylor Rogers.
He needed a triple for the cycle at that point, but I think we’re all satisfied with his result. That was his fourth hit of the night, and the Tigers were up 8-4.
Tyler Holton came into the game after Anderson walked a batter to start the seventh, and his outing didn’t turn out so hot either: Clemens struck out, but a single and yet another hit-batter loaded the bases. Holton handed this hot mess off to Kyle Finnegan, who struck out Victor Caratini for the second out. Royce Lewis lifted a fly ball to left and Greene caught it at the wall — on a night on which balls were flying out of the yard everywhere.
The Tigers started the bottom of the seventh with a pair of walks. With two out McKinstry walked to load the bases, and Torres’ grounder to the left side went right past two infielders to score a pair of runs and put the Tigers up 10-4 there, good buddy.
Enmanuel De Jesus, who was last seen finishing up a game in Tampa in which he went four innings, pitched the ninth, which was pleasantly boring, as ninth innings in such games should be.
Riley Greene leads the Tigers with an OPS of .844 (.305 batting, .396 on-base, .448 slugging). That’s an OPS+ of 136, or 36% above league average.
The interesting thing about that is that he’s nowhere close to the team lead in home runs: he has six, but Dillon Dingler had 14 coming into tonight (and added another pair, as you well know). Greene’s 16 doubles certainly helped his cause.
Johann Galle was born on this day in 1812; he was the first person to identify the planet Neptune, after a suggestion about where to look was given by fellow astronomer Urbain Le Verrier. That’s nice, but have you seen Venus and Jupiter in the western sky after sunset lately? Holy moly, are they close to each other!
June 8, 2026 2026 NBA Finals – Game 3: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden – San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle #5 defends...
The number is somewhat stunning, considering how well Karl-Anthony Towns has performed up until recently in the NBA Finals.
He has logged 30 minutes across the fourth quarter of the three games of the series, and the Knicks center hasn’t scored a point.
Not a single field goal or free throw. He has only taken six shots and tallied one assist.
Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns drives with the ball against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“It’s extremely important that he’s getting touches, that he’s involved, not just in the fourth quarter, but obviously throughout the ballgame,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. “I got to continue trying to do a better job of getting him involved throughout the course of the game, as well as late.”
Lately, Towns hasn’t been involved much, taking just 11 shots over the past five quarters. In that span, the Knicks have been outscored by 12 points.
When asked about his fourth-quarter donuts, Towns mostly sidestepped the question.
“We have a game plan, and we want to execute it,” he said. “So just trying to execute our game plan, especially when we get in the fourth, is vital, and just doing what I can to execute it at the highest level.”
Towns’ emergence has been a major storyline of the postseason for the Knicks, ever since Brown tweaked the offense to run more through Towns midway through the first round against the Hawks. The Knicks are 12-1 in the playoffs when Towns has four or more assists.
Spurs forward Julian Champagnie defends against Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
In Game 3, he had only one assist. An involved Towns typically means a productive Knicks offense. Their attack was not at its best in that loss, too stagnant and overreliant on isolation. They shot 36 percent from the field in the second half and notched a playoff-low 18 assists.
On Monday, the Spurs went away from using Victor Wembanyama on Towns and guarded him with smaller defenders. It worked for them. Now the Knicks have to adjust.
“Execute our game plan and get back to what’s made us special — that ball movement and getting the ball zipping around the court, and allowing it to judge who shoots the ball,” Towns said. “So I think we have to get back to the details and our fundamentals that made us special in the 13-game winning streak.”
Jun 9, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen (23) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Dbacks dropped the series opener in Miami on Tuesday 10-6 as the Arizona pitching was unable to keep any momentum this whole game long. The Dbacks offense would score, and then the pitching would immediately cough the lead right back up. The offense would come back, and then the pitching would give the lead right back.
Zac Gallen started the game for the Dbacks and he looked very much just ok. Certainly not the player the Dbacks spent 20 million dollars on this offseason, and certainly not a player who is raising his stock and betting on himself to get a big contract. He was just ok going 5.1 innings allowing 4 ER and getting just 3 strikeouts. Despite just the 3 strikeouts, the one positive from this outing was Gallen was able to get 14 swings and misses which is a good sign. However, his struggles to put guys away with 2 strikes persisted as he would dance around the corners of the zone hoping for chase and the Miami hitters much like every other team were simply not fooled.
The Dbacks offense tonight was much improved with Ketel Marte, Carroll, Gabi, and Perdomo going a combined 7-15 with 6 RBI. These are the guys that this team needs going and it is kind of a shame that when you got this kind of production from this core tonight, you still weren’t able to come away with a win. Carroll hit a big home run in the first inning to put the Dbacks on the board that went 400 feet and hit off of the upper deck. Gabi also launched a long ball going 417 feet, a really encouraging sign after the team really needed him to step up into the 3 hole. Perdomo looks much like the move down in the order has gotten him back on track as he was able to look much more like the Perdomo we all know working 3 walks and getting 2 hits. Just great at bats all game long from him, a really encouraging sign. It is also worth noting that Ketel responded to the drama in a big way tonight going 3-5 with 3 RBI as he continues to prove to everyone that he is a leader of this offense and of this team.
Unfortunately even after all of this offense, the bullpen was also not able to maintain any of the momentum. Taylor Clarke came in in relief of Gallen and immediately allowed his inherited runner plus 2 more to score. A guy that usually can spot the ball almost anywhere and had only walked 5 guys all season proceeded to walk the 9 hole batter for the top of the order. Hopefully this is just another weird 1 off like he had in the Dodgers series to start the season and he locks it back in and goes on another run. Garcia also had an uncharacteristic clunker as he gave up some contact on some fastballs that just caught way too much of the center of the zone giving up the lead again to a 7-6 ballgame. Torey brought in Ginkel in the middle of the inning to try and get out of it, and Ginkel proceeded to give up a single and a double allowing Garcia’s runs to score and for the Marlins to blow open the game for a final time in the 8th inning. A rare clunker for these guys and hopefully a strange blip on the radar for a couple of guys who have been really solid lately.
The Dbacks will look to get back on track tomorrow and even the series by sending Ryne Nelson to the mound. Getting Meyer out of the way the rest of the Marlins starters for the rest of the series look to be gettable, but this pitching needs to rebound in a big way and maintain momentum.
The five-time All-Star and former NL MVP exited in the fourth inning after appearing to suffer an injury while attempting to make it safe to first base.
Atlanta led 4-2 at the time of his injury but lost 6-5 in extra innings. The White Sox won on a walk-off home run from call-up Braden Montgomery, who was making his MLB debut.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is exiting the game after suffering an injury running to first base pic.twitter.com/iJfDcF1BCV
Braves manager Walt Weiss addressed the Acuña injury with reporters after the tough loss. He indicated the Braves think they lucked out with their star’s injury, saying Acuña's previous hamstring injury earlier this year (suffered on May 2 against the Colorado Rockies) was worse.
With that, Weiss said that Acuña won’t be placed on the injured list and his status remains “day-to-day."
Ronald Acuña will not be placed on the injured list at this time. He’s day-to-day for now. Walt Weiss also added that they don’t think it’s “as bad as the last one” (referring to his hamstring injury earlier this year)
The Braves have the best record in baseball at 45-22. Acuña has contributed to their success, hitting .254/.373/.798. He has 49 hits, 22 RBIs and seven home runs so far through the 2026 season. Through nine seasons with the Braves, he’s compiled 193 home runs and is nearing his 1,000th hit with 962 total. His career splits are .287/.383/.901.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 09: Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies runs the bases during his Major League Debut during the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
