Toronto Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage has baffled batters all season, and I expect the same result against a Detroit Tigers lineup that struggles with the splitter.
Read on to see why with my Toronto Blue Jays vs Detroit Tigers predictions and MLB picks on Friday, May 15.
Blue Jays vs Tigers predictions
Blue Jays vs Tigers best bet: Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts (-110)
He owns a 0.68 ERA, allowing just one run in 13.1 innings. The strikeout rate has been impressive too, going Over the number in back-to-back starts, racking up 10.15 K/9 in that stretch with a 36% chase rate.
When Yesavage is pairing his fastball with that deadly splitter, he becomes nearly unhittable.
He has a .176 batting average against this season on his splitter with a 38% whiff on the pitch.
The splitter is Yesavage's put-away pitch, and it’s one that has troubled the Detroit Tigers' bats all season, posting a 39% strikeout rate and 41% whiff rate.
Tigers starter Ty Madden throws a heavy dose of the sinker to right-handed batters. That’s a pitch that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has hit well this year with a .366 avg. I’ll bank on him bumping the slump in a plus-pitching matchup.
For the final leg of my SGP I’ll bet on Yohendrick Pinango to go Over 0.5 hits. He’s been red hot with the bat, recording at least one hit in nine of his 13 career outings.
Blue Jays vs Tigers SGP
Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts
Vladimir Guerrero Over 1.5 total bases
Yohendrick Pinango Over 0.5 hits
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Blue Jays vs Tigers home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+350)
I’m making this a half-unit wager.
Madden doesn’t throw hard, averaging just 92.7MPH on his pitches, which ranks in the 23rd percentile.
His primary pitch to righties is a sinker, four-seamer combo.
Enter Kazuma Okamoto, who has a team-high 10 home runs this year, while ranking in the 94th percentile in hard-hit rate.
He also owns a .596 xSLG with six homers against those two pitches this season.
Mike DiStefano's 2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 17-25, -4.60 units
SGPs: 8-34, -0.70 units
HR picks: 8-34, +6.15 units
Blue Jays vs Tigers odds
Moneyline: Toronto -125 | Detroit +113
Run line: Toronto -1.5 (+140) | Detroit +1.5 (-160)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+105) | Under 8.5 (-125)
Blue Jays vs Tigers trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the Game Total Over in 4 of their last 5 games (+2.90 Units / 53% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Tigers.
How to watch Blue Jays vs Tigers and game info
Location
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Date
Friday, May 15, 2026
First pitch
6:45 p.m. ET
TV
AppleTV
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Trey Yesavage (1-1, 0.68 ERA)
Tigers starting pitcher
Ty Madden (0-0, 2.45 ERA)
Blue Jays vs Tigers latest injuries
Blue Jays vs Tigers weather
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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 24: Bob Myers looks on during game three of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Celtics defeated the 76ers 108-100. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Sixers decided to part ways with former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, there was plenty of debate amongst the fanbase as to whether a new front office group would really change all that much. When plenty of blame falls at the feet of ownership, it’s easy for the wires to get crossed of which specific places blame should go.
Now that Bob Myers, the president of sports for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, has made his first public appearance for the Sixers alongside governor Josh Harris, their quotes offered a little more insight into what problems will leave with Morey, and which ones might be potentially here to stay.
One of the biggest topics that came up in the press conference at the team’s practice facility Thursday, one that Harris wanted to get out in front of and address, was the luxury tax. The topic of “ducking” the luxury tax has become a hot one in Philly, with the Sixers not having paid it for their roster since 2022.
The vitriol really kicked into gear after the front office not only ignored Joel Embiid’s pleas to not duck the tax, but traded away Jared McCain for no rostered players in return. Harris was happy to field a question about this, wanting a chance to give his thoughts publicly.
“The front office absolutely has the green light to go into the luxury tax — in fact we’ve been in and out of the luxury tax,” Harris said. “It’s just not an issue.”
He went on to describe the money they’ve put into the team like a new practice facility, arena and the several max contracts they’ve shelled out since he bought the team. Myers went a step further, saying that if Harris shot down a proposed transaction because it would put them over the tax, he wouldn’t want to work for Harris.
No one should expect the Sixers to shoot up into the second apron next year, but Harris has backed up those words in the past. On top of the new facilities, he has given out max or near-max money to Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. The Sixers did pay the luxury tax in 2021 and 2022, two years of Embiid’s MVP contention.
There of course have been some penny-pinching as well, most notably ducking the tax in the 2023 season, the best year in terms of regular season wins since Harris took over the team. There was also attaching multiple second-round picks to salary-dump KJ Martin at last year’s deadline.
What this ownership has shown over their time in charge is that they will spend the money for a team they believe to be true title contenders. Injuries likely played a major part, but it doesn’t seem like Morey was able to sell them on an idea that would do so.
The public defense of Morey for the McCain trade was that ownership forced his hand to get over the tax. It’s worth repeating again that those were not mutually exclusive ideas. Thanks to the Paul George suspension, the salary dump of Eric Gordon alone would have gotten them under the tax. Not paying the luxury tax for 2025-26 might have been a mandate from Harris, but trading McCain was Morey’s call — with ownership’s approval.
Speaking of those big contracts handed out, a criticism often given to both Morey and Harris was their proclivity to big game fishing. For Morey, this was more centered around his roster construction, as one built around Embiid, George and Maxey would indicate.
Whether the Sixers still believe in that model is for a new hire to decide.
“Well, we didn’t get it done this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done,” Myers said about the Big 3 model. “Depth may be more important than it’s ever been… Not to say this model doesn’t work, but we have to look at this year and be honest about it.”
The big fish criticism has applied to Harris on more of a macro-sense. The label on him is that he will get the most well-known name available rather than leading a search to find the next new thing. Myers represents those concerns in a lot of ways for Sixers fans.
As the president of basketball operations in Golden State, he helped acquire Kevin Durant and saw the team win four titles in his time. He also missed on big draft picks that failed to bring the Warriors “two timelines” plan to fruition.
That concern over Harris’ thought process still looks valid. Several times during their press conference, Harris said something along the lines of, “that’s why you bring in the guy who’s won four championships.”
Myers’ shaky draft record was a big reason even Morey’s biggest detractors were nervous about moving on from him. If there’s any hope on that front, it’s that the Sixers’ scouting department hasn’t seen any changeover just yet.
There were several mentions made to the scouting staff currently being in Chicago for the draft combine, including general manager Elton Brand. Myers says he hopes to hire a new president before the draft in late June. Even if he’s able to do so, there is not a lot of time left to put together a strategy for this year.
It might just be a matter of timing and logistics, but the Sixers may have a lot of the same scouting infrastructure that they had under Morey. If that’s the case, that’s a reason to feel optimistic about the Sixers’ pick at No. 22 this year.
One mistake this group needs to steer clear of is not making the power structure clear. Brand’s first two seasons as general manager were notorious for being a collaborative front office without one clear vision for the team. That regime also changed after two bad contracts were handed out and they were swept out of the playoffs in 2020.
How exactly everything unfolds is still unclear after this press conference. Myers said he won’t be involved in day-to-day operations of this team, but will have a voice in big decisions. With the Sixers also retaining Brand for the moment and head coach Nick Nurse, there will already be a lot of high-paid chefs in the kitchen this new president of basketball operations will be running.
Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton (6) beats the throw to San Diego Padres second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. to steal second base during the third inning of their game Thursday, May 14, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
San Diego Padres starter Griffin Canning walked the bases loaded and eventually walked in the first run of the game in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Thursday. Canning allowed three runs in the first and three more in the second before he was taken out of the game after just 1.2 innings of work. It was obvious from the start that Canning was going to struggle. Too many pitches were uncompetitive, and the near misses were not close enough to entice the Brewers batters to swing. When Canning was forced to put the ball over the plate Milwaukee took advantage and drove in runs. San Diego was down 6-0 after two innings and as exciting as the ninth inning that led to a Padres win was the night before, there was never a feeling San Diego had a chance in the 7-1 loss to Milwaukee. The feeling that the game was over before it started was not solely on Canning, although he was a big part of it, the lineup had a lot to do with it. The top three in the order, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado combined to go 1-for-11 in the game. Tatis Jr. struck out in three of his five at-bats. The four through eight batters in the San Diego lineup combined to go 6-for-19 with Nick Castellanos leading the group and the team with two hits. The Padres bullpen performed well allowing just one run over the final 6.1 innings and they gave San Diego a chance to get back in the game, but the rally never came. The Padres are on the road in Seattle today to take on the Mariners at 6:40 p.m.
Padres News:
Matt Waldron started the series against the Brewers on Tuesday but came out of the game after just 58 pitches due to ineffectiveness. He was given the opportunity to face Milwaukee for a second time in the series when he came out of the bullpen in the final game of the set. It is possible that was the final appearance for Waldron in a Padres uniform.
The New York Mets beat the Detroit Tigers, 9-4 and earned their first series sweep of the season. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch was not there to see it after he was thrown out of the game for arguing a play at third base,
He’s been playing through a painful knee injury suffered in the first round yet is still pacing the T-Wolves offense. Edwards will be the healthiest he’s been in a long time and carries that weight again with Minnesota facing elimination at home.
Edwards is coming off his quietest day beyond the arc in Game 5, making just one of his three 3-point attempts. The shooting guard had knocked down three triples in each of the past two games and is shooting much better from distance at home during the postseason (36% vs. 28.6% away).
The San Antonio Spurs’ interior defense is pushing the Timberwolves to the perimeter and game script has Minnesota playing from behind, prompting plenty of 3-point attempts.
Edwards’ projections all sit north of three treys with some models as high as four makes from downtown.
Game 6 Prop #2: Julius Randle Over 10.5 rebounds + assists
+110 at bet365
Julius Randle has come under a lot of fire in this series.
He’s been ice cold shooting the ball, firing at 36.6% from the floor in the past five games. But he’s found other ways to contribute, with 18 rebounds and four assists in the last two outings.
The T-Wolves could roll out a smaller rotation with Randle at center in hopes of drawing Victor Wembanyama away from the rim. That will open up space and make Randle a conduit for cutters.
He’s been actively passing in the series with 28 potential assists but his teammates haven’t converted those dimes into buckets, with just eight total assists from Randle the past five games.
He’s getting after it on the glass as well, transforming 71 rebounding chances into 39 boards. If Randle draws more defensive assignments on Wemby, he’ll be stationed closer to the rim and in prime rebounding space.
Projections for Randle have a ceiling of five assists and seven rebounds, which gets up Over his combo prop of 10.5 rebounds + assists — a bar he’s topped the past two games.
Game 6 Prop #3: Stephon Castle Over 5.5 rebounds
+120 at bet365
There haven’t been too many rebounds to go around with Wembanyama cleaning the glass like a Costco-size jug of Windex. That could change in Game 6.
The Timberwolves flirted with a smaller lineup in Game 5 in an attempt to stretch the Spurs’ interior and drag Wemby away from the rim. With the 7-footer having to check Randle, Jalen McDaniels, or Naz Reid on the perimeter, Stephon Castle could see extra opportunities on the boards.
So far in the series, the Spurs' 6-foot-6 guard has been in position for 44 rebounding chances and converted those into 23 rebounds — 4.6 per game. He’s deferred seven of those rebounding chances, meaning he let Wembanyama swoop in and snatch up the miss.
His game models range from 5.1 to 6.15 rebounds tonight with the bulk of those models leaning to six boards.
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James Harden might be past his prime, but the 36-year-old still has some game.
Harden put up a postseason-high 30 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Game 5 win, while chucking up a team-leading 21 field goal attempts and getting to the charity stripe 14 times.
Harden has scored Over 19.5 points in two straight games, and three of five contests against the Detroit Pistons.
He’ll be relied on heavily again in Game 6 as the Pistons continue to clamp down on Donovan Mitchell, who dropped just 21 points last time out.
Game 6 Prop #2: Cade Cunningham Over 27.5 points
-110 at bet365
Cade Cunningham delivered in Game 5 with 39 points while shooting 48% from the field and 60% from 3-point range. He’ll likely need a similar performance in Game 6 to help the Pistons avoid elimination.
The former first-overall pick clearly has the clutch gene — he scored 32+ points in all three must-win games during the Conference Quarterfinals against the Magic.
Tobias Harris is the only other Pistons player averaging more than 12 ppg, and Duncan Robinson is questionable for Game 6. Expect Cunningham to get a ton of touches — and points — tonight.
Game 6 Prop #3: Jarrett Allen Over 1.5 blocks
-130 at bet365
Jarrett Allen has been a defensive beast this postseason, ranking third on the team in defensive rating and second among all players in the NBA with 24 blocks.
Defense doesn’t always show up on the box score, but in Allen’s case it often does. The Cavs center has logged Over 1.5 blocks in three straight contests, and nine of his last 11 outings.
Detroit is averaging 86.6 field goal attempts per game in the series — third most among all teams in the Conference Semifinals. The Pistons will get their looks, but Allen will be there to shut them down in the paint.
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The season is no longer new. Lineup patterns are emerging, early-season plans are being abandoned, and a plethora of rookies are taking center stage this week. Here's everything to know for all 30 lineups.
⚾️ Baseball is back! MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
Ryan Waldschmidt has started five straight games after sitting in his first contest since being called up from Triple-A. He's primarily manning center field, which is where Alek Thomas lined up before his DFA. Nolan Arenado has moved up to cleanup with Adrian Del Castillo dropping to seventh. Ildemaro Vargas has been in the lineup for 27 straight while Carlos Santana (groin) suffered a setback on his rehab assignment and Tyler Locklear is remaining in Triple-A.
Athletics
Zack Gelof has started 14 of the past 15, including eight straight at third base while Max Muncy (hand) has yet to resume baseball activities. Darell Hernaiz has filled in at shortstop with Jacob Wilson (shoulder) sidelined. Henry Bolte has drawn two consecutive nods in center field, including one against a righty that Lawrence Butler sat for.
Atlanta Braves
Drake Baldwin hits leadoff vs. righties and second against southpaws, when Mauricio Dubón bats first. Ha-Seong Kim is back and manning shortstop, shifting Dubón to left field and Mike Yastrzemski to right in the absence of Ronald Acuña Jr. (hamstring). Perhaps we see a Dubón/Yaz platoon once Acuña returns.
Baltimore Orioles
The O's have a lengthy injury list and yet Colton Cowser is barely seeing the field against right-handers. Tyler O'Neill plays more than him, but he looks like an expensive platoon bat at the moment. Adley Rutschman is settling into the three-hole in his bounce back campaign. Coby Mayo continues to get significant run compared to some of their other young hitters, but he'll need to start producing for that to continue in all likelihood.
Boston Red Sox
Roman Anthony (wrist) has yet to resume baseball activities, so Jarren Duran is in the lineup every day and leading off. Wilyer Abreu has established himself in the three-hole. Masataka Yoshida is getting the nod versus all righties with Anthony sidelined. Marcelo Mayer remains in a strong side platoon role.
Chicago Cubs
Moisés Ballesteros is up to two appearances at catcher and bats second against most right-handers. Michael Conforto has mixed in for some starts against righties, batting second occasionally while swinging a hot bat.
Chicago White Sox
Sam Antonacci is the leadoff hitter vs. all righties while Chase Meidroth fills the role against southpaws. Jarred Kelenic has taken the right field job against righties.
Cincinnati Reds
JJ Bleday has been in the lineup for all but one game since being recalled on April 26th, batting cleanup against the last righty they faced. Sal Stewart has now made 31 starts at first base, five at second, and five at third. Will Benson is beginning to receive leadoff opportunities against righties. That had previously only been TJ Friedl's role.
Travis Bazzana has hit as high as fifth in the order recently, and he's started against four of five lefties since being called up. Patrick Bailey has appeared in two of five games since joining the team. Brayan Rocchio is holding down the everyday shortstop role.
Colorado Rockies
TJ Rumfield continues to bat in the middle of the lineup while Troy Johnston is starting against most righties. Willi Castro is moving all over the infield. Edouard Julien is the leadoff hitter vs. righties and Jordan Beck against southpaws. Jake McCarthy is chipping away at more consistent at-bats against righties.
Detroit Tigers
Colt Keith is in the three-hole vs. righties. Dillon Dingler is a near-everyday middle-of-the-order bat. Zach McKinstry is at second base against righties with Gleyber Torres (oblique) sidelined, and Hao-Yu Lee fills the position vs. lefties.
Houston Astros
Jeremy Peña (hamstring, neck) looks to resume his rehab assignment on Friday, and the leadoff role is waiting for him whenever he returns to Houston. Yordan Alvarez has been in the lineup every game.
Kansas City Royals
Carter Jensen is glued into the five-hole against righties. Jac Caglianone bats behind him, and neither starts vs. lefties. Things are very consistent here otherwise.
Los Angeles Angels
Zach Neto hit sixth on Wednesday, which was the first time he wasn't at leadoff this season. Vaughn Grissom hit first against a lefty that day, and the Angels might get two southpaws vs. the Dodgers this weekend. Yoán Moncada is losing some run lately to Grissom.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani hasn't been in the lineup as a hitter in four of the Dodgers' past 15 games. That time frame is cherry picked, but at this point fantasy managers shouldn't expect max volume at the plate. Hyeseong Kim has shifted from shortstop to second base with Mookie Betts back. Alex Freeland wound up being optioned as a result.
Miami Marlins
Kyle Stowers has established himself as the current cleanup hitter vs. righties. Jakob Marsee is down to sixth while starting much less frequently vs. lefties compared to the beginning of the season.
Milwaukee Brewers
Christian Yelich is dealing with a back issue right after returning from a groin injury. In the one game he appeared in, it was Andrew Vaughn sitting against a second consecutive righty, but he should receive more regular run if Yelich winds up on the IL. Jackson Chourio is bouncing between leadoff and the two-hole since returning, as expected.
Minnesota Twins
Austin Martin began the year primarily hitting against lefties but is mixing in nods against most righties now too. More right field opportunity is freed up with the team optioning Matt Wallner to Triple-A.
New York Mets
Juan Soto is back to the three-hole after a six-game cameo as the leadoff man. A.J. Ewing has hit eighth and patrolled center field in all three games since being called up from Triple-A, including against a lefty. Carson Benge hit leadoff in all three contests against Detroit. Mark Vientos has been at first base for 20 of the team's past 23 games, primarily batting cleanup of late.
New York Yankees
Anthony Volpe is up from Triple-A, but José Caballero is expected to regain the everyday shortstop job once his finger heals. Spencer Jones has been in the lineup for five of six since his call-up, sitting versus one of two lefties. Amed Rosario only starts vs. left-handers.
Philadelphia Phillies
Brandon Marsh has gotten the nod against four straight southpaws. Otherwise, plenty of consistency.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Konnor Griffin hit second against a lefty on Wednesday and fifth vs. a righty on Thursday. His lineup ascent has begun. Marcell Ozuna was dropped to seventh against the righty.
San Diego Padres
Fernando Tatis Jr. is up to 11 appearances at second base, but with no homers. His infield work opens up more right field run for Nick Castellanos, while Sung-Mon Song has manned the keystone when he's in the outfield.
San Francisco Giants
Bryce Eldridge has logged starts in six of 10 since being recalled, all of which have been versus right-handers. Casey Schmitt and Matt Chapman have each sat twice during that stretch as a result. Jung Hoo Lee is maintaining the leadoff role against righties while Heliot Ramos has the gig vs. lefties.
Seattle Mariners
Cal Raleigh (oblique) is on the IL, which means Mitch Garver is in line for a starting role. Luke Raley and Dominic Canzone are moving up in the order vs. righties with Raleigh out. Cole Young has still appeared in every game.
St. Louis Cardinals
Nathan Church is a true everyday player at this point, which has hurt Victor Scott's run. Plenty of consistency here while Lars Nootbaar (heels) aims to begin a rehab assignment this weekend.
Tampa Bay Rays
Jake Fraley and Richie Palacios platoon with Jonny DeLuca and Ben Williamson, respectively. Cedric Mullins continues to hold onto the primary center field job, but not vs. all lefties.
Texas Rangers
Joc Pederson has hit leadoff in two straight, dropping Brandon Nimmo to second. Evan Carter is receiving plenty of run lately, having drawn 24 straight starts entering the weekend.
Toronto Blue Jays
Addison Barger was only off the IL for one game, which means Yohendrick Piñango is back from Triple-A and hitting second against righties. Things have otherwise been status quo. George Springer still hasn't appeared in the field this year.
Washington Nationals
Such a fun lineup. Daylen Lile has been on fire as an everyday player. Luis García Jr. is also hot at the plate and bats second vs. righties. Curtis Mead spells him at first base vs. lefties.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 13: A detailed view of the glove of Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the dugout prior to the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Only the Tulsa Drillers lost as the Loons and Tower Buzzers executed comeback wins, and the Comets outlasted the Isotopes in a shootout.
Player of the day
At twenty-six years of age, catcher Eliezer Alfonso already has vast experience in the minors, and early on in 2026, he’s putting up the best numbers he has ever had with performances such as this four-hit game yesterday against the Isotopes in a 12-10 win.
Eliezer Alfonzo ties his career-high with four hits…
Alfonso now has a .312 batting average across 77 at-bats, significantly better than the .247 mark he showcased through two levels last year. How much of this he can sustain remains to be seen, but his production helps deepen this Comets lineup.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
A normal game that had a 2-1 score in favor of OKC after five innings turned out to be a dazzling slugfest on both sides, with the Comets getting the last laugh in a 12-10 win on the road. Given that the bullpens were responsible for all of the fireworks, Comets starter Christian Romero delivered quite the performance, allowing just one run in six full innings.
Offensively, the production was rather evenly distributed, with seven different batters recording multihit games and the same number getting at least one RBI. Out of all of them, catcher Alfonso gets the biggest praise as the only hitter to record four knocks on either side, but ninth-hole hitter Zach Ehrhard was also key with a pair of doubles and three RBI.
Double-A Tulsa
It’s difficult to overcome 12 free passes, as the Tulsa Drillers came to know in a 7-2 loss at the hands of the Cardinals. For the third time this season, left-hander Wyatt Crowell conceded at least four walks, moving to a 2-4 record with a whopping 2.01 WHIP.
As if the walks alone weren’t problematic, the Drillers also saw their opponents be successful in five out of six stolen base attempts, whereas Tulsa’s only stolen base came from shortstop Elijah Hainline. Speaking of onlys, Kendall George was alone in his multi-hit effort, scoring a run.
High-A Great Lakes
Without swinging the bat in the tenth inning, the Loons overcame a 2-1 deficit to beat the Whitecaps in walkoff fashion by a score of 3-2. Well, to put it more clearly, the Loons set up a situation in which a walk and a wild pitch were all they needed to take the win at home. They did so with the only hit, not even leaving the infield—a bunt single.
Allowing the two runs scored by the Whitecaps, both of them unearned, Nicolas Cruz finished the game with a blown save as he failed to protect a 1-0 lead, but also earned the win, his second of the season. The biggest performance from the bullpen, though, came from Matt Lanzendorfer, covering 3.1 scoreless frames in relief of starter Zach Root, who didn’t even finish the third.
Class-A Ontario
Maximizing your opportunities was the theme of the Tower Buzzers’ 8-4 win over the Giants, stranding fewer than half of the baserunners that their opponents did. For the fourth time this month, Ching-Hsien Ko left the yard, and he did so in a crucial spot, hitting a three-run bomb in the fourth back when the Tower Buzzers trailed this one four-zip.
— Ontario Tower Buzzers (@towerbuzzers) May 15, 2026
Ko was also involved in the five-run rally in the eighth, scoring one of the runs as Ontario took the lead for the first time, capitalizing on Luis Carias’ performance, who delivered five scoreless innings in relief with 16 punchouts.
Transactions
Right-handed pitcher Logan Tabeling was placed on the 7-day IL by the Great Lakes Loons. Right-handed pitchers Tyler Gough and Alvaro Benoa were sent on rehab assignments to the ACL Dodgers by Ontario.
Thursday’s scores
Albuquerque 10, Oklahoma City 12
Tulsa 2, Springfield 7
Great Lakes 3, West Michigan 2
Ontario 8, San Jose 4
Friday’s schedule
3:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Jakob Wright) vs. West Michigan (Carlos Marcano)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Payton Martin) vs. Springfield (Liam Doyle)
5:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (River Ryan) at Albuquerque (TBD)
6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (Hyun-Seok Jang) vs. San Jose (TBD)
Not many people know Draymond Green better than Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
So during the 2025-26 NBA season, when Golden State’s fiery forward was struggling on the court, Kerr took it upon himself to privately reach out to Green.
The old-fashioned way.
ESPN’s Wright Thompson, who spent a lot of time with Kerr throughout the season, detailed, in his recent profile story, Kerr’s gesture for Green after a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 14.
“Steve sat down at his computer and typed out a letter to Draymond Green,” Thompson wrote. “Green had been in a spiral. Draymond’s plus-minus stats in one stretch were -17, -10, -12, -10, -6, -5, -9. The team performed better when he wasn’t on the court, after a decade of being the Warriors’ emotional center. To prove to himself, and the team, that he mattered, he forced things on offense.”
What exactly did Kerr write to Green?
“He told Dray how much he meant to him,” Thompson continued. “He talked about the turnovers, how the Warriors were 9-2 when they turned the ball over less than their opponents, and 3-11 when they turned it over more. He talked about aging, about how all great players adapted at the end of their career.
“Magic Johnson learned how to shoot threes, he wrote, and Steph Curry got stronger, and Michael Jordan learned to dominate the low post. Your superpower, he told Green, is your brain and your defensive instincts. He told him he loved him. Most of all, he told him he understood him.”
Both Green and Kerr have been vocal about how they view themselves as similar people, with similar levels of fire and passion that sometimes get them both in trouble.
Their personalities have clashed numerous times over the years, including this season, when both were seen yelling at each other on the Warriors bench during a timeout huddle in a Dec. 22 win over the Orlando Magic.
That altercation led to a private meeting between the two, where they apologized to each other and likely reiterated some of the things Kerr addressed in the letter he wrote just one week prior.
With Kerr returning to coach the Warriors for two more seasons, it likely won’t be the last time the two have a heart-to-heart discussion.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - MAY 12: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves warms up before Game Five of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center on May 12, 2026 in San Antonio, 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. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. San Antonio Spurs Date: May 15th, 2026 Time: 8:30 PM CDT Location: Target Center Television Coverage: Prime Video
The Minnesota Timberwolves are out of runway.
After dropping Game 5 in San Antonio in embarrassing fashion, the Wolves now find themselves down 3-2, wounded, staring at elimination, and trying to convince themselves that the season still has one more pivot left in it.
And honestly? It might.
That’s the part that makes this so agonizing. This series has not felt like some inevitable Spurs coronation. The Wolves have had chances. Real chances. They stole Game 1. Game 3 was a one-possession game heading into the final five minutes. They capitalized on a golden opportunity in Game 4 after Wembanyama’s ejection. They tied Game 5 in the third quarter after falling behind by 18 early. That’s the generous interpretation of the series.
The realistic version, the one that has them trailing 3-2 and on the brink of elimination, reveals that every time that Minnesota has put itself in position to seize this series, it has found a new and creative way to let go of the rope. Game 2 was a total no-show. Game 3 started with nearly seven minutes of offensive malpractice before the Wolves finally remembered that the ball is supposed to go through the orange circle. Game 4 required a late Anthony Edwards miracle against a Spurs team missing its centerpiece. Game 5 was the most painful version of all. The Wolves clawed back, tied the game at 61-61, had a chance to take their first lead since the opening minutes, watched Anthony Edwards’ shot rim out, and then immediately gave the whole thing back in a blur of turnovers, transition buckets, missed rebounds, defensive breakdowns, and second-chance points.
That’s not a bad break. That’s a pattern.
And now the pattern has led them here.
On Friday night at Target Center, the Wolves are facing elimination. The situation is not hopeless, but the margin for error has disappeared. There is no “clean it up next time.” There is no “we’ll respond.” There is no “we still control our destiny” in the normal, comfortable sense. Their destiny now has a 7-foot-6 Frenchman standing in front of it, swatting away shots, inhaling rebounds, and waiting to end their season.
The injuries are real. Donte DiVincenzo’s shooting, toughness, and hustle would matter in this series. Anthony Edwards is clearly not at full force. Naz Reid’s shoulder, Ayo Dosunmu’s calf, and the cumulative toll of 94 games all matter. This Wolves team that looked so deep on paper is suddenly a battered playoff survivor trying to patch together enough healthy bodies and enough clean possessions to force a Game 7.
But the Wolves can’t hide behind injuries, because the mistakes have been too self-inflicted. They have turned the ball over. They have started slowly. They have allowed San Antonio to run wild in transition. They have wasted good defensive possessions by failing to secure the rebound. They have made Wembanyama’s life too comfortable for too many stretches.
Now they get one choice.
They can drift into the offseason, fade into the cold dark night, and spend the summer replaying all the missed chances from this series in their heads. Or they can take on the identity of their leader. Take the hit, feel the pain, stagger backward, and then heal like Wolverine and come back swinging.
They’ve done this before. Two years ago, in this same round, against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the Wolves defended their home floor in Game 6 and sent the series back to Denver for a Game 7.
When you reach Game 7, in the immortal words of Kevin Garnett, “anything is possible.”
But before they can dream about San Antonio on Sunday, they have to survive Friday. And with that, here are the keys to Game 6…
Keys to the Game
1. Stop Digging Yourself a Hole
The Wolves cannot spend the opening minutes of Game 6 treating offense like a rumor. Slow starts have been an issue for this group for years, and while they have often shown a strange ability to find life after falling behind, this is not the time to test that trick again. Not against a Spurs team this young, this energized, and this close to breaking through. Minnesota cannot spot San Antonio an early lead and spend the rest of the night trying to claw its way out of a pit it built with its own hands.
Game 5 was the warning. Wembanyama dropped 18 points in the first quarter, San Antonio built a 13-point lead, and although the Wolves eventually cut it to four, the whole game was played on Spurs terms. Minnesota was reacting, chasing, and patching leaks, hoping each run would finally become the run. That is not a sustainable way to survive an elimination game.
From the opening tip, the Wolves need to draw first blood. They need to be the aggressor. They need to light the building on fire early and make San Antonio feel the pressure of a Target Center crowd that knows the season is on the line. The Spurs cannot be allowed to settle in. Wembanyama cannot be allowed to walk into another monster first quarter. Fox, Castle, Harper, and Vassell can’t be gifted rhythm because Minnesota is still stretching its legs.
The Wolves need urgency immediately.
2. Run the Floor
Desperate times call for desperate legs. If Minnesota has to run wind sprints for 48 minutes to survive, then that’s what this moment demands. The Wolves need to push pace offensively before Wembanyama and the Spurs defense can get fully set, and they need to sprint back defensively so San Antonio does not feast in transition the way it did in Game 5.
That was one of the defining failures in San Antonio. The Spurs got too many easy buckets before Minnesota could organize. Turnovers led to runouts. Misses became fast breaks. The Wolves’ defense, which can be excellent in the half court, was too often forced to defend from a compromised position.
Minnesota has to flip that script. Secure the rebound and run. Force the Spurs to retreat. Make Wembanyama cover ground. Make San Antonio’s young legs work both ways. And when the Spurs get the ball, the Wolves need to get back with the kind of urgency that says every possession might be their last.
They cannot get outhustled in an elimination game. Not at home. Not with this much on the line.
3. Dominate the Glass
Second-chance points are the lifeblood of this Spurs team right now, and the Wolves have donated far too many of them.
Wembanyama is going to get some putbacks. That’s just math and anatomy. But what cannot happen is San Antonio guards like Dylan Harper outworking Minnesota for offensive rebounds and creating extra possessions that extend leads, kill momentum, and make the Wolves feel like they have to win the same defensive possession two or three times. That was backbreaking in Game 5.
Minnesota has the size to control this part of the game. Between Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid, the Wolves should be able to punish a Spurs team that usually plays one true big at a time, whether it’s Wembanyama or Luke Kornet. But size only matters if it comes with force. The bigs have to vacuum the glass. The guards have to crack down and help, because the Spurs have proven they will attack the offensive glass from everywhere.
Possessions are everything now. The Wolves need to maximize theirs and minimize San Antonio’s. That starts with rebounding.
4. No Self-Inflicted Wounds
The Spurs are going to pressure the ball. They are going to crowd Minnesota’s handlers. They are going to put the Wolves in awkward situations and try to turn every lazy pass or loose dribble into an instant track meet going the other direction.
Minnesota has to be smarter than it was in Game 5. Turnovers don’t just waste offensive possessions. Against San Antonio, they become kindling. They let the Spurs run. They let Fox and Harper and Castle attack in space. They prevent Minnesota’s defense from getting set, which is the one place the Wolves have a real chance to control the game.
Cooler heads have to prevail. Mike Conley needs to steady things. Edwards needs to be aggressive without being reckless. Randle cannot try to bully through traffic while losing sight of the ball. Everyone has to understand that the simple play is often the right play.
Make San Antonio earn its points in the half court. Do not serve them layups on a silver platter because you couldn’t take care of the ball.
5. Someone Has to Rise
This playoff run has been a tremendous team effort. Jaden McDaniels has taken over games defensively. Gobert has battled Jokic and Wembanyama in consecutive rounds. Ayo authored a 43-point masterpiece. Mike Conley has defied Father Time for important stretches. Terrence Shannon Jr. has given this team real downhill juice. Naz has fought through pain.
But with Edwards hobbled, Game 6 cannot rest solely on his shoulders.
He needs help.
Even if Ant throws on the cape and gives Minnesota 40, the Wolves still need a 1B. And the most obvious candidate is Julius Randle.
This is exactly the kind of game Randle was brought here for. He is supposed to be the No. 2 option. He was the centerpiece of the Karl-Anthony Towns trade. He has shown that he can be a primary scorer, a physical tone-setter, and a facilitator who bends a defense with his strength. Against this smaller Spurs team, there is no excuse for him not to impose himself.
If Randle scores in the high 20s, gets downhill, controls his turnovers, punishes mismatches, and creates for others when help comes, the Wolves have a real recipe. Pair that with Edwards doing Edwards things, and suddenly Game 7 becomes much more than a fantasy.
And if it’s not Randle, then it has to be someone. Does Ayo find another heater? Does Jaden stay out of foul trouble and attack offensively while locking things down defensively? Does Naz catch fire? Does Shannon become a force again? Someone has to rise to the size of the moment.
Someone has to grab Game 6 and drag this team to San Antonio.
The Edge of the Cliff
It has been a long road. Ninety-four games. A brutal and costly Denver series. A chaotic San Antonio battle. Injuries, comebacks, collapses, heroic performances, missed opportunities, and now one final stand at Target Center.
The Wolves have no choice but to win if they want a 95th game.
Game 7 in San Antonio would be daunting. Frost Bank Center has largely been a house of horrors for Minnesota in this series. Wembanyama would be waiting to defend his home floor. The Wolves would still be battered, bruised, and definitely not favored.
But if they win Friday night, they give themselves a chance.
That’s all this is about now. A chance.
A chance to take this series to the limit. A chance to summon one more road miracle. A chance to keep alive the pursuit of a third straight Western Conference Finals. A chance to prove that this team, wounded as it is, still has another bite left.
But they only earn that chance by playing their best basketball now. Not eventually. Not after falling behind. Not when desperation finally kicks in midway through the second quarter. Now.
The Wolves need collective focus. They need defense. They need rebounding. They need discipline. They need someone to rise. They need to treat every possession like the season is hanging from it, because it is.
This is what the hunt is all about.
The Wolves are wounded. They are backed into a corner, but they are not dead.
Friday night is their chance to strike back on their home floor, to land one more bite, to drag this fight into a final showdown.
FORT MYERS, FL - MARCH 21: A detail shot of the shadows of fans lining the dugout tunnel prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s Rivalry Weekend or whatever — 15 matchups that I guess link two teams that are supposed to be rivals together.
Sometimes, this is inherently fun, like when the teams in question are basically co-located and it’s a battle-for-the-jurisdiction of sorts (Mets-Yankees, Cubs-White Sox, and I guess even Angels-Dodgers, sorta). Sometimes, it’s a bit weirder, a la Twins-Brewers. And then there are the leftover teams, including Braves-Red Sox, Diamondbacks-Rockies, and maybe Blue Jays-Tigers (though maybe you feel that one is more justified).
Would you change any of these? Keep in mind that if you do, you have to find a new set of partners as needed.
Mar 6, 2026; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Rafael Marchan (13) slides as Pittsburgh Pirates short stop Alika Williams (37) waits for the ball in the fourth inning during spring training at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Rivalry Weekend begins tonight. Some of the matchups are obvious: you needn’t ask why the Cubs and White Sox have beef with each other (not Italian beef. Disliking each other, they would not likely share a meal of that delicious Chicago specialty). Some are not: Detroit and Toronto may be close to each other, but there’s no real rivalry between the Tigers and Blue Jays. And some are somewhere in between. The Phillies will play the Pirates at PNC Park tonight, in a matchup that was once a ferocious rivalry, but now has become a less vicious affair. But rivalry never really dies. Or does it? That’s for you to decide and debate. Today’s question is: do you consider the Pirates a rival?
May 13, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (21) hits a single and drives in the tying run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 27: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox leaves the field during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Monday, April 27, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Back on Wednesday, with evening showers threatening to spoil the Orioles’ series finale against the Yankees, the mounting clouds parted, and out from the mound shone a sliver of light: Kyle Bradish and his six scoreless innings. I jest, but Bradish had started this season with an ERA above five in his first seven starts, and this return to form was a massive bit of good news.
One good outing from Bradish doesn’t change the larger picture, though, which, for this starting rotation remains rather bleak. Presumptive ace Trevor Rogers, who carried a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts last season, has a 5.77 ERA. Three other O’s starters carry an ERA above five: Shane Baz, Cade Povich, and Chris Bassitt. Three starters are on the IL, for that matter: Povich, Zach Eflin, and Dean Kremer.
The rotation’s failure is especially galling because the front office set expectations high this winter. O’s GM/president of baseball operations Mike Elias touted an ownership group “that’s really enabling us to invest,” and promising that “Plan A” would be finding a top-tier pitcher. Top tier meant, according to our best intel at the time, an arm ike Dylan Cease, Michael King, Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez. The Orioles were confirmed to be in hot pursuit of multiple impact starters at the winter meetings in December.
Well, Plan A turns out to have belonged to someone else. Michael King took a hometown discount to stay with the San Diego Padres, accepting three years and $75 million. Suárez landed with the Boston Red Sox on a five-year, $130 million deal. Cease went to the Toronto Blue Jays for seven years and $210 million. Valdez signed with the Detroit Tigers on a three-year, $115 million deal. After watching all four opportunities disappear, the Orioles pivoted to veteran reliability. Chris Bassitt, 37, one of the last established veterans on the free-agent market, signed a one-year, $18.5 million deal with Baltimore in mid-February.
Not to dwell, but the gamble hasn’t gone great. The Orioles starting rotation’s numbers since Opening Day tell a tough story. They have the AL’s lowest WAR and a 5.04 ERA, worse than everyone but Houston and Colorado (Houston also due to injuries, Colorado due to being Colorado). Bradish can be an ace, but he can’t lift a bottom-quartile rotation producing bottom-quartile results into a contending outfit, right?
An analysis piece about the potential for improvement held by guys like Shane Baz and Trevor Rogers would be interesting; I wanted to write instead about the pitchers the Orioles didn’t sign. Maybe that’s just sour grapes. I thought it was a question worth asking, anyway.
Snapshots of the road not taken leave some room for jealousy. Start with the best. Which makes him the worst. Dylan Cease has been superb for Toronto: a 2.41 ERA, career bests in ground ball rate and strikeout rate—and on top of that, 75 K’s to lead all qualified AL starters. Cease is, in a word or two or several, everything the Orioles could use right now.
Michael King has been a very good acquisition for San Diego in parts of three seasons. He had an excellent first year in 2024—a 2.95 ERA, 3.33 FIP, and 173 innings. And although injuries limited him to just 15 starts in 2025, the righty is on track for what may be his best season yet. The right hander has a 2.63 ERA over 51.1 innings so far, and what BaseballSavant considers one of the best changeups in the game. To be sure, there are signs of overperformance that suggest King’s numbers will settle in around his career 3.18 ERA: a somewhat inflated FIP (3.69) and mediocre strikeout numbers (50). But with his 1.6 WAR, King would lead all current Orioles players in value.
The 30-year-old Ranger Suárez started off slow for Boston, posting a 5.02 ERA through his first three starts. But now he has a 2.44 ERA and what is considered one of the best fastballs in the game. In three of eight starts so far he’s tossed a stinker, allowing four runs apiece to Houston, San Diego and New York. But two of those three are great offenses, and he’s pitched a shutout in his last three starts.
Finally, Framber Valdez. The 32-year-old lefty has been less glowing for Detroit, with a 4.32 ERA and other indicators trending in the wrong direction. He posted a 3.67 ERA in six starts in April, but he got absolutely rocked in Boston a week-and-a-half ago, allowing seven runs in three innings. In particular, there’s evidence of concerning velocity dips on Valdez’s heaters. Based on ERA+, this is the first time since 2019 that Valdez is a below-average pitcher.
Would one of them have fixed Baltimore’s rotation? Yes, and it’s not even a hard question. Put it in terms of WAR. Cease, King, Suárez and Valdez each has a bWAR between 0.4 to 1.8. Right now, the only O’s starter who’s healthy and has a positive WAR is Kyle Bradish (0.1): all the rest are in the red. Thus, in WAR-terms, each of the four sought-after candidates would have made the rotation better; more, each would be the best starter on the staff.
Would the Orioles have paid this kind of money for any of them? This notoriously tight-fisted team really stretched itself over the offseason with $60-plus million extensions for Shane Baz and Samuel Basallo. Only King, whose team-friendly deal was probably only possible given his injuries the season before, would have been in the ballpark, so to speak.
Maybe that shows the limitations of this team’s approach to signing pitching. Maybe the Orioles were true players for these arms, and saw things they didn’t like. Maybe it was reasonable for them to presume, after Trevor Rogers’ ace-like season last year, that he and Bradish needed only a supporting cast to lead this outfit. But the rotation thus far has been in desperate need of someone who can give the team a reliable win every five days and keep the bullpen from working itself into the ground. As currently constructed, the rotation has room to grow, and a much higher ceiling than they’ve shown so far, but an ace might have papered over some of those cracks, and given this team room for error.
May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) runs to second base against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Happy Friday, everyone! Well, it’s been a dismal week to be a Tigers fan, that’s for sure. They were swept by the Mets, which is the first time all season the Mets have swept anyone. But they’re home again, they’re facing the Blue Jays this weekend, and hopefully they have some wins ahead.
If we want to look at the positive, though, we’re spotlighting our choice for Rookie of the Year, Kevin McGongile below, who continues to amaze us and prove he’s no fluke. In terms of broader baseball news, we discuss the CBA, the Rays stadium deal, jail time for Yasiel Puig, and Cy Young chatter around Shohei Ohtani.
Let’s just get right into it.
Detroit Tigers News
This kid is good.
Kevin McGonigle is the first player in Tigers history with at least 45 hits and 24 walks in his first 40 big league games. He is only the second Tiger in franchise history, age 21-years-old or younger, to tally 45 hits in his first 40 major league games, joining Travis Fryman who… pic.twitter.com/4oruaPZCck
There's an update regarding the delay in the 4th inning. A fan fell into the visiting team bullpen. That fan has now been transported to the hospital for treatment.
The Cubs are still having trouble scoring runs, as you likely saw in the team’s 2-0 win over the Braves Thursday evening in Atlanta.
But with Ben Brown’s second straight excellent start and solid work from the bullpen, two runs was enough to win the game and end the Cubs’ four-game losing streak.
The Cubs had their chances off Chris Sale in the early innings, with two singles in the first and second innings. But all that did was add to their RISP woes.
They had five hits over the first four innings, but nothing doing. Brown, though, was holding the Braves down even better than that — just one hit and one walk over four innings, with seven strikeouts. Brown threw 65 pitches (40 strikes) and just two runners got past first base.
The last Cubs starter to depart after four scoreless innings was . . . Ben Brown, last week at Texas. He gave up no hits in that one; tonight, one.
Shōta Imanaga gave up no hits in a four-inning start on Opening Day of 2025 against the Dodgers at Tokyo.
Brown allowed one hit in 4.0 at home vs. the Braves on May 23, 2024, after Imanaga had yielded two at home vs. the Dodgers on April 7.
Javier Assad (four hits) and Marcus Stroman (two) turned the trick in 2022, for a total of seven such games in the last five seasons.
There had been 14 in all of 1901-2021.
The Cubs finally broke through against Sale in the sixth. Ian Happ led off with a walk. Seiya Suzuki hit a ground ball on which Ha-Seong Kim made an error, and the runners wound up on first and third.
Jacob Webb, who has been very good lately, threw the eighth, and like his predecessor relievers, allowed one hit, a single. Webb, last 10 games: 1.69 ERA, 12 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. He’s definitely going up in Craig Counsell’s circle of trust.
Thus Daniel Palencia got the save opportunity. He struck out the first two Braves in the ninth on six pitches, then allowed — you guessed it! — a single.
I concur with Counsell on his thoughts about Brown. As you know, I’ve been skeptical of Brown as a starter, but these two starts have certainly given Brown a lot of confidence, and adding new pitches has definitely helped him. It gives the Cubs the possibility of choosing Brown to do this again, and if they continue the rotation in order, his next turn would come up Tuesday against the Brewers at Wrigley Field.
Everyone in the NL Central won on Thursday, so the Cubs’ lead remains 2.5 games over the Brewers and Cardinals. This was a solid team effort, especially from the bullpen. Here are some shutout notes from John:
This shutout, the Cubs’ third of the season, was their…
1,465th in the regular season since 1876 656th on the road in the regular season since then 183rd vs. the Braves 76th vs. the Braves on the road 34th vs. the Braves since 1966, their first year in Atlanta 13th at Atlanta, in 291 games there
The last had been July 18, 2015, by 4-0. Jon Lester gave up two hits in 7.1 innings, Hector Rondon retired two batters to end the eighth and Jason Motte walked one in the ninth.
Lastly, the Cubs pitchers did a pretty good job of holding down a really good Atlanta offense, giving them just nine runs in three games. The Cubs, though, scored just five runs in the three-game series. They’ll have to do better than that going forward.
The Cubs returned home to Chicago after this win and will take on the White Sox this weekend on the South Side in the first of two three-game series against their crosstown rivals (the other, at Wrigley Field, will be in August). The teams will open the three-game series Friday evening. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Sean Burke goes for the Sox. Game time is 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and CHSN with the Sox announcers).
COVERS INTEL:The Tigers rank in the bottom five in strikeout and whiff rate against the splitter this season. 
Anthony Edwards
Stephon Castle
James Harden
Cade Cunningham
