Jun 17, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Cole Carrigg (16) makes a catch on Chicago Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner (not pictured) during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies are fast approaching the midpoint of the 2026 season.
It’s clear this is a team doing some serious rebuilding, and with that comes moments of greatness and some moments of despair.
Here at Purple Row, we’re beginning work on our mid-season “State of the Position” series, which you can expect to roll out during the All-Star Break.
But we’re curious to hear from you as to the players who have most surprised you so far this season. You can decide if that surprise is a good thing or a not so good thing.
After splitting the first two games, the Mets failed to win the series-clinching game against the Phillies on Sunday night, 6-2 the final at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
The Mets record is now 34-43, last in the NL East division by 5.5 games and 6.0 games out of an NL Wild Card spot.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Former Met Zack Wheeler was on the bump tonight for the Phillies. The righty has been on fire lately, and he wasted no time getting to work on Sunday evening, generating swinging strikeouts to sit down Carson Benge and Bo Bichette before putting away Juan Soto on a groundout.
-- Mets southpaw David Peterson was handed the ball for this rubber match in Philadelphia. He opened the bottom of the first by walking Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, but hung tough to strike out Bryce Harper on a 3-2 count. Mets third baseman Brett Baty cleanly fielded a sharply hit ground ball by the foul line, but his off-balance throw was wild. Alec Bohm reached first base safely and the speedy Turner took advantage of the misplay and came around to score. Moments later, Phillies utility player Edmundo Sosa legged out an infield single on a dribbler to Mets shortstop Bo Bichette. The first inning ended with the Phillies leading 2-0 after Peterson struck out Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto lined out.
-- First baseman Jared Young batted cleanup for the Mets tonight, and started off the second inning with a single up the middle. A.J. Ewing kept things rolling by punching a Wheeler sinker into right field, moving Young to second base. Six pitches later, Wheeler and the Phillies defense were jogging back to their dugout with no harm done to the scoreboard. Third baseman Bohm recorded all three outs, handling a soft lineout from Marcus Semien, a pop out in foul territory from Baty, and a groundout from Francisco Alvarez.
-- With two men on and one out in the bottom of the second, Schwarber blasted a hanging breaking ball from Peterson 418 feet to deep right field. Schwarber's 29th home run of the season extended Philadelphia's early lead to 5-0. This was Schwarber's fourth homer in his last five at-bats, all of which came against the Mets during this series.
-- Benge cut into the lead with an opposite-field solo shot in the third inning. Soto singled to right-center field, but was gunned trying to stretch the hit into a double by Philadelphia center fielder Derek Hill for the third out.
-- After surrendering a double to Harper one batter after Schwarber's three-run blast, Peterson put away each of the next eight batters he faced, before being relieved ahead of the fifth inning by Austin Warren.
-- Peterson's final line of five runs allowed (four earned) on six hits in four full innings represents yet another rough outing for the lefty veteran, and his ERA climbs to 6.09 on the season as a result. He struck out five batters and walked two across 79 pitches.
-- The first batter Warren faced was Harper, who mashed a sweeper into the right field bleachers to make it a 6-1 ballgame. The right-handed reliever rebounded to get through the inning without allowing any further damage to the scoreboard.
-- Wheeler walked the bases loaded in the sixth inning while recording just one out. Phillies manager Don Mattingly called time to meet with his pitcher on the mound, giving him some words of encouragement and a pat on the back. Wheeler responded by getting Ewing to ground into a fielder's choice, with Benge scoring from third base on the play to make the score 6-2 Phillies. Ewing was the final batter Wheeler would face, and he was relieved by Jonathan Bowlan, who struck out Semien to end the inning.
-- Wheeler's solid start was 5.2 innings and 104 pitches long. He struck out seven and walked three, allowing two earned runs on four hits against his former ballclub.
-- Eric Wagaman was summoned as a pinch hitter in place of Baty. He was struck out by flamethrowing lefty reliever Jose Alvarado.
-- Brooks Raley handled the bottom of the seventh for the Mets. He got into some trouble in the inning, allowing a single to Harper and plunking Sosa with a pitch that got away from him, but he escaped unscathed after Brandon Marsh flied out to center field. A.J. Minter relieved Raley, and the lefty a conducted a clean eighth inning, retiring the side in order.
-- Bichette was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Sunday night. The shortstop struggled mightily across the entire series in Philadelphia, tallying just one hit in 12 at-bats.
-- The Mets offense couldn't come to life in the eighth and ninth innings, shut down by Orion Kerkering and Jhoan Duran, and the game ended 6-2 Phillies.
Game MVP: Bryce Harper
One game removed from a historic cycle, Bryce Harper notched everything but the triple on Sunday night, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - JUNE 21: Rafael Devers #16 of the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on June 21, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rafael Devers went from an 0-2 hole to working a key lead-off walk in the 9th.
He hadn’t done his job, per se. Devers didn’t knock a game-tying shot through the roof of Miami’s Loan Depot Park, a shot with the force and consequence of a pair of proton torpedoes colliding with a main reactor, effectively blasting that awful surf n’ turf fish bowl off the face of the earth while absolving thestar of his many sins at the plate so far. No, Devers did not hit a walk-off, 2-run homer with no one on base as a member of the visiting team — but he did get on base.
For the fourth time over the final five frames, San Francisco’s leadoff batter reached base. The previous three times, the offense did nothing with the opportunity. The 5th, 6th, and 7th innings ended with that runner standing in the same place he started, on first, twiddling his thumbs. The last time a Giants runner reached scoring position was way back in the 3rd inning.
Down 2-1, down to their final three outs, someone needed to make something happen. The issue of scoring had to be forced. So after Devers worked an admirable walk, Tony Vitello signaled for speedster Jonah Cox to take his place as a pinch runner.
That’s when the finger got wagged.
Seeing Cox make his way out onto the field, helmet on, Devers emphatically gestured back to Tony Vitello, trying to get his manager’s attention to tell him that he was staying put. The rookie slowed his trot down first, looked back to the dugout and back to the veteran Raffy, like a kid caught between two parents in an argument. Devers gave Cox a thumbs up, told him I’m good, I’m good as he nodded sheepishly, not wanting to impose himself on the base Devers had earned, nor wanting to return to the dugout against the wishes of his manager. Eventually the first base umpire stepped in, and Devers acquiesced, covering his face in the hollow of his helmet as he walked back to the dugout, muttering words meant for no soul to hear. In an attempt to calm himself, he stretched his arms out and exhaled. Bench coach Jayce Tingler greeted him with a butt tap that Devers rejected with a shimmy and squirm.
He was pissed.
Rafael Devers didn't want to be removed for a pinch runner after a leadoff walk to start the ninth pic.twitter.com/PR3DCOFd3M
Pissed about what exactly? As someone who notoriously does not talk to the media, we might never know. There was possibly a misunderstanding in which Devers, who had been dealing with some leg soreness over the weekend, felt healthy enough to run. I’m sure there’s an emotional cocktail of pride mixed with frustration rearing its ugly head here too. No, Raffy didn’t punch a hole through the roof. In fact, he had gone hitless in three official at-bats and flew out to center with two runners on in the 3rd. Zooming out a bit, yes, the team stinks, and he’s partially to blame for this stinkiness considering how off-and-on-and-off-again he’s been in what is shaping up to be the worst offensive season in his career. Devers wants to be a competitor, and neither he, nor his team, are competing. He worked a walk, but some pitches got by that he wanted back. He wanted a do-over, probably at all of it. Staying on the field was his way of getting a second chance at changing the game. Vitello said as much when asked about it after the game: he’d rather have players arguing to remain on the field than begging to be taken off of it (maybe we’ll get to that point sometime soon).
That’s a diplomatic approach to what many on the outside perceived as a dollar diva on a bad team showing up a rookie manager. We nearly witnessed a mutiny.
Tony Vitello addresses the odd situation with Rafael Devers in the ninth inning pic.twitter.com/DQnQkm3YRS
In terms of strategy, there isn’t much of an argument for Devers to stay at first. Sacrificing Devers’ bat for some basepath speed makes sense, especially if the plan was to steal second. From that vantage point, any hit that finds its way to the outfield would surely allow Cox to tie the game. If he advances on that first at-bat, the Giants heart of the order has three chances to force a bottom of the 9th.
Based on what Vitello said, that was the thinking. The only problem: Cox never broke for second. Jung Hoo Lee saw three pitches, flying out on the third, and the runner never even flinched towards second. Two pitches to Willy Adames, same deal. No attempt. Cox stayed at first and was routinely forced out on a game-ending double play. Devers could’ve done that! Maybe that’s what he was saying when he shooed away the pinch runner: It doesn’t matter. You ain’t going anywhere. You or me, we’ll both just be standing here when the game ends.
Considering what occurred, it’s only fair to question what happened. Was there a signal given on a specific pitch, a more general green light given, and the kid just couldn’t shift into gear? Or was the plan to see if an opportunity to swipe second presented itself, and if not, feel good about Cox’s ability to score from first on a double in the gap? Or was there no real plan at all? Just vague suggestions from the coaching staff that sound too much like wishes and hopes: Wouldn’t it be cool if you stole a base here? If only we could figure out how…
I guess this is the problem of a team in the middle of a long downward spiral — you can’t make heads-or-tails out of reality. Devers wagged his finger in the face of logic. He poo-pooed it. Then Cox took over and got stuck in a similar stagnancy. He had trouble remembering the number of outs before, this time, he touched first and blacked out.
It’s a sorry state of affairs made all the more sorry when next to excellence.
Logan Webb was excellent. Maybe not excellent excellent, but way better than a lot of other things we’re seeing done in a Giants uniform. Webb limited Miami to 2 runs (the most he’s allowed in a start since his return from the IL) on five hits while striking out 5 over 8 innings pitched.
Webb has gone 8 innings in each of his last three starts, becoming the first Giant to do so since Madison Bumgarner in 2015. He was nearly the first Giant since Juan Marichal in 1966 to throw 8 innings in three consecutive starts without giving up a walk, but Kyle Stowers broke his streak at 21.2 innings with two outs in the 4th.
A rare free base from Webb, and in keeping with the weekend trend, one that came back to haunt him when Otto Lopez punched a low liner past Luis Arraez into right-center. What looked like a simple single, setting up runners at the corners, just took forever to get wrangled and returned to the infield. Centerfielder Drew Gilbert, positioned towards left, had to sprint a long way and slide to keep the ball from getting past him. He overthrew his first relay man in his haste and Adames’s throw home was rushed and offline. Stowers scored easily from first to put Miami up for good.
It was probably this play that Vitello had in mind when he swapped Devers for Cox. A well-placed, hard-hit ball that doesn’t even need to roll to the wall can score a run — only for Miami, only if you’re Stowers. While the rest of his team scuffled against Webb, the lefty bat bested him twice. Before the walk, he ambushed a first pitch sinker in the 2nd for the first run of the game.
Casey Schmitt was the Giants’ off-brand Stowers, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. He’s now logged multiple hits in six straight games and gone 14-for-27 across his last seven. He punched in San Francisco’s only run off Miami starter Ryan Gusto with two outs in the 3rd.
With two outs in the 8th, he torched a Michael Petersen fastball 399 feet to dead center that most people in the building had thought tied the game. But the ball died at the warning track, knocked down by the stiff breeze of the stadium’s A/C.
Schmitt thought he had got all of it and then some. Shocked at the unfortunate turn, all Schmitt could do at inning’s end was hang his helmet and gloves on first base coach Shane Robinson and cry out in disbelief.
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) drives to the basket against Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
A few final notes before the draft:
With only 2 days to the NBA draft, the Suns have been playing things incredibly close to the vest, with rumors they might want to move up into the first round, and Gambo saying they’re more likely just to move up into the 30s.
Pavle Backo, whom I covered in my last article as a dark-horse candidate at 47, withdrew from the draft and will return to Europe.
Kellan Olsen of the Arizona Republic mentioned two more names I hadn’t covered as possibilities: Braden Smith and Nick Martinelli, who both make some sort of sense. They’re covered here.
I’ve continually been updating my mock draft tracker, and we’re up to 17 mock drafts included in the data set.
There are X players in the Suns range that I like for the team, and have some reasonable possibility of being at 47 right now: Jaden Bradley (6.5%), Trevon Brazile (10%), Ugonna Unyenso (26%), Braden Smith (21%), Izaiyah Nelson (44%), Nick Martinelli (49%), Bruce Thornton (56.4%). I expect the Suns will take one of them if they keep the 47th pick, unless someone else falls precipitously and unexpectedly (Baba Miller, Karaban Jefferson are possibilities)
I’ll be putting out a final article before the draft that you can use while watching it to see the results of the draft tracker, and see what players are likely to be available at higher draft positions if the Suns trade up.
My final draft articles will be after the draft to scout the players selected, and mathematically determine which mock drafts were the most accurate.
Nick Martinelli (Northwestern, Senior, SF/PF)
Nick Martinelli is a highly productive, polished, and physical 6’6.5″, 225-pound forward who emerged as a standout scorer and Big Ten standout at Northwestern. Projected as an early-to-mid second-round pick, he is highly regarded for his high basketball IQ, interior craftiness, and ability to score through contact without relying on elite athleticism.
Elite Scoring Touch: Martinelli is a craft left-handed scorer who thrives in the mid-post and short corners. He uses fluid footwork, fakes, and a reliable floater to score efficiently inside the arc, making him a major mismatch for slower defenders.
Physicality & Contact: Built with a strong, broad frame, he actively seeks contact and excels at drawing fouls, getting to the free-throw line nearly seven times a game.
Rebounding Gravity: He boasts a strong offensive rebounding percentage for a perimeter player, utilizing his motor and instincts to punish opponents on the interior.
Improved Shooting: He significantly improved his three-point shot throughout his college career, culminating in a highly efficient 41.7% from deep on respectable volume as a senior.
Weaknesses
Athletic Ceiling: He lacks an elite first step or explosive vertical pop, relying instead on a deliberate, “herky-jerky” pace. Translating this style to the NBA will require him to speed up his shot release and decision-making against longer, quicker defenders.
Defensive Versatility: There are questions about his ability to defend true wings or quicker guards on the perimeter, as well as how his frame will hold up against true NBA power forwards.
Offensive Creation: Lacks a highly creative handle and struggles to generate his own offense in isolation, relying mostly on set plays or put-backs.
Draft Range
Between 40 and undrafted, with a mean of 46.8 and a median of 45. He only went undrafted in one mock (CBS). There is currently a 49% chance he will be available at 47.
Why the Suns Should Take a Look
Martinelli knows how to score in multiple ways and has a high motor. His three-point shooting is likely to translate to the pros, and I think there’s a high probability he can latch on somewhere. Unfortunately, he doesn’t give the Suns the things the team desperately needs: size, rebounding, and defense at the 4. He’s a tweener forward who doesn’t rebound particularly well overall and is a slow-footed defender. Too slow to guard small forwards, too small to guard power forwards.
He’s basically Royce O’Neale. However, he’d be Royce O’Neale at one-tenth the cost. If the Suns want to dump O’Neale and want a much cheaper replacement, Martinelli fits that description. Overall, Martinelli seems like a high-floor, low-ceiling sort of player that will carve out a niche somewhere.
NBA Comparison
Georges Niang. Jaime Vasquez Jr. Royce O’Neale.
Braden Smith (Purdue, Senior, PG)
Braden Smith enters the 2026 NBA Draft as a highly polished, historic collegiate floor general after finishing his four-year career at Purdue as the NCAA men’s basketball all-time career assist leader with 1,103 assists. Standing at 5’10.25″ barefoot and weighing 166.6 pounds with a 6’3.25″ wingspan, he is a consensus second-round projection valued heavily for his elite playmaking, pick-and-roll IQ, and winning intangibles.
Elite Playmaking & Floor Generalship: Smith is an exceptional manipulator out of the pick-and-roll. He possesses masterful vision, consistently orchestrating modern half-court offenses and maximizing his teammates’ efficiency with an excellent 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Dangerous Pull-Up Scorer: Defenses cannot simply drop against him; Smith is a lethal mid-range operator who converted 51.7% of his 147 pull-up two-point attempts in college. He features a quick, high-pacing release that helps offset his size.
Defensive Anticipation: Despite major physical limitations, he functions like a “cornerback” off the ball. He reads passing lanes cleanly, boasting a high 3.5% steal rate to generate vital extra possessions.
Intangibles & Polish: A two-time First Team All-American and Big Ten Tournament MVP, he brings a mature, mistake-free approach, superb leadership, and a competitive edge to second units.
Weaknesses
Severe Size Outlier: Barely scratching 5’10”, Smith faces a significant physical uphill battle in today’s NBA. He lacks the ideal size, vertical explosion, and length typical for modern guards, making him an automatic defensive target for isolation and switching schemes.
Lack of Rim Pressure: Smith struggles heavily to penetrate the teeth of elite defenses. He lacks the burst to consistently get downhill, recording zero career dunks and only 90 field-goal attempts at the rim across more than 1,300 minutes in his final collegiate season.
Below-Average Finishing: When he does attack inside, his lack of height and length creates high variance; his floater and touch around the basket took a noticeable efficiency step backward as senior-year length contested him.
Draft Range
Between 37 and 52, with an average of 42.8 and a median of 40. There is a 21% he will still be on the board at 47.
Why the Suns Should Take a Look
Smith has a lot of the intangibles the Suns are looking for: winning pedigree, toughness, motor, team-minded, and high IQ. He’s also got one elite-level skill that translates to the NBA: in this case, passing, ball handling, and decision-making. Smith’s a decent three-point shooter, which will keep defenses somewhat honest if he plays off the ball. He’s a pick-and-roll general and has the stop-and-pop mid-range game to make defenses pay if they use drop coverage. Despite his lack of size, at the collegiate level, he was at least an average, if not willing, defender.
It’s an open question if someone of his size still has a place in the game. However, Jose Alvarado played a key role in the Knicks’ championship run, standing only 5’11” in socks. If anyone has the savvy, basketball IQ, and work ethic to make it as a 5’10 PG in the NBA, it’s Smith. If he’s still at 47, he’s worth the risk. At the very least, he seems like a viable second or third-string PG who can give you 12 minutes of hustle and smart plays per night, which is a very Jordan Ott kind of player.
NBA Comparisons
Tyler Kolek. TJ McConnell. Tyus Jones. Chris Paul’s feel for the game
And that’s where we stand with only a few days remaining until draft night. Whether it’s a polished floor general like Braden Smith, a productive scorer like Nick Martinelli, or one of the other names still hovering around Phoenix’s range, there are viable options on the board. The bigger question may not be who the Suns like at No. 47, but whether they’re still picking there when the clock starts. Recent history tells us Brian Gregory is rarely content sitting still, and that uncertainty is what makes this draft so fascinating heading into next week.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JUNE 19: Mike Soroka #34 of the Arizona Diamondbacks (right) talks to a trainer during the second inning of the MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Chase Field on June 19, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. Soroka left the game in the second inning due to a leg injury. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The injury bug struck again and Nelson is out. Who would you like to see be first in line to replace him?
James Attwood: Brandon Pfaadt. Pfaadt’s future is as a starter, whether that is as a #3 or as a #5, he’s still a starter for now. Pfaadt has also had some modest success at the MLB level, where the other candidates have not yet had the chance. Given that the team’s injury issues have gone critical, Pfaadt goes from mop-up duty in blowouts to mop-up duty in the rotation. They need a pitcher who can go 5-7 innings and they need him now.
samath: I think we’ll have seen Nelson’s spot in the rotation come up by the time this publishes, so it’s kind of a moot point.
Makakilo: In the minors, Brandon Pfaadt had time to stretch out and make minor tweaks to his pitching. It will be exciting to see his progress, even if his first starts are short.
DBacksEurope: “Like” is a push. Despite the ERA he has, I’m pretty high on Ryne Nelson. He has been a good rotation arm the past few years and between all those multimillion dollar arms we’ve seen the past seasons, probably one of the most reliable though not spectacular. I think it is a hard loss. He might get back at the end of the season, but with Nelson gone, an important member of the team is gone and it might costs us wins. Who do I want to see? Right now Yilber Diaz is the one. The most logical option is Pfaadt though I think Pfaadt is a sunk cost. Let’s see what the young arms have to offer.
Ben: I would like to see Corbin Burnes replace him, but that’s obviously not happening. I would have guessed that Brandon Pfaadt would be in line to replace him, but he’s only up to around 50 pitches in his last start. The same goes for Mitch Bratt, the highest pitching prospect who could reasonably step up, but is also coming back from injury.
Soroka left Friday night’s game early (ultimate result unknown at time of question writing). If he misses time, who should be the second in line to take over a rotation spot?
James Attwood: Soroka is headed to the IL. It’s just a matter of how long he will be there. If it is going to be for more than two or three starts, then it will be time to promote Mitch Bratt or Kohl Drake. Drake has been getting shelled in Reno, but that is not necessarily indicative of his talent. At the same time, if he has low confidence from getting shelled, he may need some more work.
samath: Wasn’t the point of sending Pfaadt down to Reno to get him stretched out so he could start again? If that’s really not possible, bullpen games until he’s ready?
Makakilo: If he misses time, I hope that Diamondbacks have been developing an out-of-sight but very talented pitcher in the minors that they can call up.
DBacksEurope: I think Soroka will be fine, that is what he said and what I want to believe. If we lose him too, well, the Diamondbacks are doomed.
Ben: In the alternate world where Burnes is still available, I’d pick him. Instead, it looks like it will be Jose Cabrera, who has made just three starts with Reno, who will at least initially take Soroka’s start. Maybe the team’s plan is to use Yilber Diaz in some kind of piggyback situation with someone else?
Is there a point where you would believe that the Diamondbacks need to reevaluate how they train their players due to ongoing injury, or does it all just come down to bad luck?
James Attwood: I think there is probably an argument to be made that the team needs to make some adjustments when it comes to rehabilitating players. This is far from a new phenomenon for Arizona. With the excessive pressure on the front office to win this year, and the lacks of organizational depth across the board, it may be that some timetables have been pushed forward a bit more than they should have been. Some of that is on players trying to get back or push through. Some of that is on the team for allowing them to.
samath: Eh, pitchers get injured all the time, MLB-wide.
Makakilo: First, an unsurprising fact. Then let’s consider three top-level views on team injuries.
UNSURPRISING FACT: The Dodgers lead the Majors in days lost to the injured list. “The Dodgers, who have had the oldest average age of MLB hitters in that span [2024 to 2026], and the game’s biggest payroll, unsurprisingly led the league in days missed on the big-league IL.” Per the following linked article.
VIEW ONE. Injuries are correlated to team age. Two 2026 facts from SpoTrac back that up that view. FACT 1. The Diamondbacks’ team age of 29.3 years ranked as 9th oldest (SpoTrac) FACT 2. The Diamondbacks’ cumulative injury cash payroll of $25.8 Million ranked as the 10th highest in the Majors (SpoTrac). VIEW TWO. Consistency over time enhances the effectiveness of procedures to minimize injuries. Backing that up are the following facts.
FACT 1. From 2024 to 2026, the Cardinals had the least days lost to the injured list per this article.
FACT 2. Roster Resource shows that 8 of the 9 players in the Cardinals batting lineup were drafted by the Cardinals. My conclusion is that whatever they are doing to prevent injuries has been consistently done over many years.
VIEW THREE. My view is that in 2025, the Diamondbacks had an injury problem. It may be obvious, but I strongly suspect the same will be said about 2026. Supporting that view: In 2025, the Diamondbacks lost 11.9 WAR, which was the 6th highest in the Majors, per this link to a FanGraphs article. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/which-teams-have-suffered-the-most-from-injuries/
DBacksEurope: It is probably a case of bad luck but the problem is that there is no strong starting pitching in the pipeline unless we acquire it from elsewhere. That is the problem the Diamondbacks need to address.
Ben: If Mike Hazen and the entire coaching staff is fired at the end of the season – a definite possibility if the team misses the playoffs again – then I’m sure everything about the staff will be reevaluated. But outside of that extreme situation, I think it has more to do with bad luck than anything else. I understand that these are athletes at the height of their capabilities, but Jordan Lawlar’s run down first base that eventually resulted in an IL-worthy hamstring pull looked about as routine as one could be. He even jogged off the field with no support. Afterwards, Torey remarked that Lawlar’s body might have some uniqueness to its soft tissue. I don’t quite know how the training and conditioning staff could have done anything differently that would have prevented an injury on that play.
The Owners took another big swing and announced their desire to change the MLB Amateur Draft (LINK). Thoughts?
James Attwood: I can think of few suggestions coming from the owners or the Commissioner’s Office that would be worse for the game than this proposal. It’s almost like the owners are actively trying to tear everything down.
samath: The owners are very straightforwardly trying to exploit the mess at the top of MLBPA to their own advantage, aiming to take a greater slice of the economic pie themselves. They’re ramping up their ask in these lesser-publicized areas like the draft in the hopes that MLBPA doesn’t have its act together in time, can’t contest all of these fronts, and is forced to give in somewhere. Whatever wisdom there is in things like an international draft, it’s swamped by a clear attempt to stop paying as much to the players, particularly young superstars.
Makakilo: My concern is that athletes without academic talent or inclination, will be forced to struggle in college, where they have no chance of success.
DBacksEurope: Unless you blow up the arbitration process, every proposal is bollocks. Players need to earn money when they are at their best I.e. the early years. We don’t want to see players into well of their 40s just because they got their fat contract when they were already over their top. Players and clubs should make sure that players get paid when they deliver value for money. So, that proposal isn’t addressing the real issue.
Ben: It’s a bit of a mixed bag leaning towards a bad deal in my opinion. On the positive side, the owners’ proposal to institute an international draft is badly needed. There’s not only blatant corruption throughout the current system, but there’s also significant abuse of children that has caused irreparable harm to innumerable families and communities.
But that’s pretty much the only positive I see in it. Every other part of the proposal seems geared towards reducing labor costs and minimizing the opportunities for players to earn a megadeal. I think I’ve pretty definitively demonstrated that I land on the side of labor for most of these discussions and this proposal does little to change my stance.
PHOENIX (AP) — Alex Jackson’s single tied the game in the seventh and the go-ahead run scored on an error, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
The rally spoiled the major-league debut of Arizona’s José Cabrera. Called up to make the start Sunday, the 24-year-old Dominican held the Twins to three hits in five-plus innings, including a strikeout of Byron Buxton with two on and two out to end the third inning. He struck out three.
Cabrera threw 62 pitches, 42 for strikes, and was pulled after Jackson’s bunt single leading off the sixth.
Royce Lewis led off the seventh with a single. Juan Morillo (2-4) retired the next two hitters, then Ryan Kreidler singled with Lewis going to third. Pinch-hitter Josh Bell singled to drive in Minnesota’s first run, then Jackson singled to right to make it 2-2. Corbin Carroll’s throw to third hit Bell as he slid and got past Nolan Arenado, which allowed Bell to score.
Cody Laweryson (1-0) pitched the sixth and picked up his first major-league victory. Anthony Banda pitched the ninth for his second save.
Trevor Larnach added an RBI double in the ninth. Kreidler had three of the Twins’ 11 hits, following up a three-hit, four-RBI performance Saturday in a 16-8 win over Arizona. The Twins have won six of their last seven games.
Ketel Marte drove in both Diamondbacks runs in the second with a double, one of six hits off Twins starter Mike Peredes. He walked three and struck out one in five innings.
Up next
Twins RHP Zebby Matthews (3-4, 4.78 ERA) starts Monday to kickoff a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (5-6, 5.81 ERA) takes the mound Monday in the opener of a four-game series in St. Louis.
Jun 21, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers center fielder Wyatt Langford (36) celebrates after he hits a three run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Rangers 4, Padres 3
That was a good game that the Texas Rangers should’ve won, and did won.
I like when that happens.
Especially given how down the vibes were coming into the game.
Nathan Eovaldi was scratched from his start on Saturday, then the Ranger bullpen blows a lead and the Rangers lose a winnable game in demoralizing fashion.
Then, before this game, we learn that Jack Leiter is headed to the injured list. The bullpen is struggling, Eovaldi’s health is up in the air, and now Leiter is on the i.l.? Might as well start fielding phone calls from buyers in anticipation of the deadline…
But Nathan Eovaldi, once again, came up big when the team needed him.
Eovaldi went six innings, five of them very good, one problematic. Eovaldi allowed seven hits in the game, with six of them coming in the top of the fourth, when the Padres scored three runs, and could have scored more, had Gavin Sheets not been thrown out at home on a one out Xander Bogaerts single.
Eovaldi had given up a single to start the game, then retired the next nine batters in a row before things went sideways in the fourth. He retired the side in the fifth and issued a two out walk as the only baserunner in the sixth.
Eovaldi struck out nine batters in all. His splitter was especially effective — he got 10 swings and misses on it, while his curveball generated another 5 whiffs.
Peyton Gray and Robbie Ahlstrom got the Rangers to the ninth, where Jakob Junis allowed a pair of singles to start the inning, prompting all sorts of nail biting and glue sniffing, though Junis retired the next three batters to secure the win.
Offensively, the Rangers were having good enough at bats that you feel like they should have put more than four runs and five hits up on the board.
Wyatt Langford accounted for three runs with a three run homer in the third, his sixth of the season. He also had a single as part of a 2 for 4 afternoon.
One of the very positive things from this weekend is that the “what’s wrong with Wyatt Langford” discussions we’ve been having the last week or so on here should die down, at least for a while.
Langford is currently slashing .271/.311/.479, good for a 119 wRC+. As a point of reference, last year, Langford had a 118 wRC+.
Josh Jung, Jake Burger and offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez all had two hit games, with Jung driving in Lopez with a fourth inning single for what was ultimately the winning run.
On the flip side, the 5th through 8th spots in the order went 0 for 12 with a pair of walks.
One of the walks was by Justin Foscue, pinch hitting for Alejandro Osuna. Jarred Kelenic was sent in to pinch run for Osuna, and promptly got caught stealing to end the inning.
Not the way to impress upon management the need to keep you up with Corey Seager and Evan Carter return.
Nathan Eovaldi topped out at 94.9 mph with his fastball, averaging 93.6 mph. Peyton Gray reached 95.4 mph with his fastball. Robby Ahlstrom’s fastball maxed out at 95.2 mph. Jakob Junis got to 94.8 mph with his fastball.
Brandon Nimmo had a 108.9 mph GIDP. Wyatt Langford had a 105.4 mph home run and a 103.2 mph single. Joc Pederson had a 104.9 mph GIDP. Jake Burger had a 102.5 mph single. Josh Jung had a 101.9 mph single and a 101.5 mph fly out. Nicky Lopez had a 101.2 mph single.
The Rangers now start a ridiculous road trip that will see them play 10 games in 10 days, followed by a one game at home before their next off day, on Friday, July 3 (thank the World Cup for that Friday off day).
Jun 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert (36) waves to the crowd after being relieved for against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
A day after being left behind by some more lefty pitching from the Red Sox, the Mariners righted the ship and escaped being swept by Boston thanks to the righteous contributions of three of their lefties: Dominic Canzone (actual lefty), Cole Young (actual lefty), and Logan Gilbert (spiritual lefty).
Gilbert – who does everything except throw a baseball with his left hand – was masterful today over six innings and change, holding down the Red Sox. He struck out eight, and lit up the radar gun with some extra zip on his four-seamer, averaging 96.8 mph on the pitch today. Gilbert leaned heavily on his heater, throwing it almost 70% of the time, using it to get ahead in counts and then putting the Red Sox hitters away with a combination of his curveball and later, splitter. Gilbert praised his catcher (who gets half-credit as a lefty as a switch hitter) Cal Raleigh for calling that particular combination of pitches.
“Cal did a good job – like, [with two strikes] I think slider right away, probably. And he went to curveball a few times with two strikes. I think that was smart, looking back afterwards. If guys are kind of in-between bat speed you don’t really want to give them a gift, something at 90 or whatever. So the curveball at 81, if you’re keeping the same hand speed and everything. I think it does a good job fooling them.”
The Mariners made some loud contact early against Red Sox starter Payton Tolle, but didn’t get anything for it until Dominic Canzone laced an opposite-field home run to put the Mariners up 1-0. It was a nice at-bat by Canzone overall against the lefty, fouling off a couple pitches, refusing to chase a cutter outside, and then putting a good swing on a 98.4 mph fastball on the plate to push it right over the left-field wall, territory usually reserved for the Mariners’ right-handed hitters.
“That was a wall scraper,” said Canzone, who usually doesn’t hit those, as he is enemy number one of the glass panes at the Hit it Here Café in right field.
Unfortunately, the Red Sox got that run right back in the top of the third. Nine-hole hitter Nate Eaton jumped on a fastball up and crushed it well into Edgar’s for his first home run of the season (and second-ever career home run). While that outcome falls squarely in the “sometimes they’ll get their hits too” bucket, it was nonetheless disheartening given the Mariners’ recent dearth of offense, especially when facing lefty starters.
The Mariners actually had a chance in the bottom of the fourth, as Tolle lost the handle on his command and issued back-to-back walks, but Rob Refsnyder, right on cue, went after the first pitch he saw and grounded into a double play. But they were able to make a little two-out noise in the fifth inning, when Weston Wilson jumped on a first-pitch cutter in the middle of the plate for a single; the certified large lad Weston (6’3”, below 50th percentile sprint speed) then surprised the Red Sox by stealing second base, bringing up the lefty Cole Young.
Young has quietly had a very grueling 2026: he’s the only Mariner who’s played every day, and because of the Mariners’ struggles to hit left-handed pitching, he’s also had about a third more at-bats facing lefties already than he had all of last season (67 in 2025; he would come in just under the century mark today). So as impressive as Canzone’s at-bat was earlier, this at-bat from Young is my Play of the Day. Tolle threw him the same pitch twice, the four-seamer on the plate, and Young took the first one for a strike, but was ready for it the second time he saw it, while working the count at-bat in between those two pitches; on pitch eight, he scalded an opposite field single right past a diving Marcelo Mayer.
The Mariners were able to scrape another run off Tolle in the sixth, when Julio Rodríguez led off with a single and was able to move to third on a mistake play where Mayer mishandled a routine-looking grounder from Refsnyder. Dominic Canzone brought Julio home on an RBI groundout, but at a cost, as he came up pulling at his hamstring after running to first and had to leave the game.
But three runs looked very robust next to Logan Gilbert’s outing. Aside from the fluky solo homer, Gilbert was never really in trouble on the mound today, and his few mistakes were quickly rectified: when he did give up a bad-luck base hit in the fourth, it was erased with a double play; a leadoff single in the fifth was erased thanks to a rare pickoff from Gilbert; and a leadoff walk in the sixth was again erased with a double play, this one courtesy of some strong defense from Canzone, who dove for a flyball and then doubled off Eaton, who erroneously ran too far off second.
“I feel very comfortable coming in and diving,” said Canzone, aiming to prove he’s the right man for the everyday right fielder job. “Going back is a little bit of a different story, but it felt pretty good today.”
Gilbert made it into the seventh, and he should have had two outs but Josh Naylor mishandled the throw on a routine groundout, causing poor Logan to take a tumble past first base (because Josh Naylor likes to be oppositionally defiant and refused to join the parade of Lefties Doing Good Things). With one on and one out, Gabe Speier came in to face the lefty Jarren Duran and struck him out on some high and inside heat, but righty Caleb Durbin was able to get to a 97 mph sinker on the bottom right corner and laced it into left for a double. The Red Sox pinch hit righty Andruw Monasterio for the lefty Mayer and Speier excommunicated Monasterio on three straight pitches – 98.1, 97.8., and 97.1 mph respectively, with two of those setting new season highs in velocity for Speier. Eduard Bazardo pitched a clean 1-2-3 inning in the eighth to move the game right along to the ninth.
It’s been a while since Andrés Muñoz has looked right, and he wasn’t perfect today, allowing a single to the second hitter he faced, but he was able to quell any Red Sox threat in the ninth and deliver his 13th save of the season. Encouragingly, Muñoz’s stuff was up a tick: he averaged 99.9 mph on his heater, touching as high as 101.1, and 88.3 on the slider, which tempted swings on back-to-back strikeouts from Contreras and Duran to end the game and seal the victory.
Happy Andrés, happy Cal, happy Logan, happy dance, happy fans in a sellout crowd, the third straight sellout of the weekend. This team still faces injury issues and roster construction questions, but for today, at least, all is right in Mariners-land.
The Florida Panthers sent shockwaves across the NHL on Sunday when they acquired Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
Adding Tkachuk to Florida’s already deep and skilled roster puts them squarely back into place as one of the league’s elite teams and Stanley Cup contenders.
There is still one glaring hole on the roster that needs to be filled, though, and it comes at perhaps the most important position in hockey.
Of course, we’re talking about the goaltender.
At the moment, the Panthers do not have any NHL goalies signed for the 2026-27 season.
That will change in the coming days and weeks, but after acquiring Tkachuk, it puts Florida in a more precarious spot in terms of the amount of money they have to spend on their goaltending.
With longtime Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and the two sides reportedly far apart on contract negotiations, Florida General Manager Bill Zito may have to look outside the organization to fill the team’s need.
The good thing for Zito is that he’s got an ace up his sleeve: Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department.
Headed by Roberto Luongo, Florida’s goalie guild has helped the team find several solid tendies who have either played well in the team’s systems or turned into a valuable trade asset, including Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz, Devon Levi, Vitek Vanecek and Daniil Tarasov.
They also targeted Brandon Bussi last summer, but the Panthers lost him to the Carolina Hurricanes after trying to sneak him to AHL Charlotte on waivers.
So what will Zito and his goalie experts choose to do with the team’s need between the pipes and relatively limited resources?
It’s been widely reported that a pair of high-end netminders may be available by trade: the Winnipeg Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck and St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Binnington.
Hellebuyck’s contract pays him an average annual value (AAV) of $8.5 million through 2030-31 and Binnington makes a $6 million AAV, though he’s entering the final year of his deal.
After using their first-round picks to acquire Tkachuk, it’s unlikely the Panthers would be willing to part with the kind of NHL-level assts it would take to pry Hellebuyck away from Winnipeg.
Depending on the price, Binnington may be a possibility, though Florida would likely need to shed some additional salary in order to leave room for any addition depth adds or call-ups, and/or have St. Louis retain some of his salary.
Another potential trade target that would be more in-line with a team looking for a bargain in goal could be Devin Cooley of the Calgary Flames.
In addition to being Calgary’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy last season, the 29-year-old enjoyed his longest stretch in the NHL of his career, posting a 2.69 goals against average and .909 save percentage for a Flames team that wasn’t particularly good defensively.
Cooley also features the kind of size (6-foot-5, 192 pounds) and agility that Florida has appeared to target when shopping for goalies, and he makes a very reasonable $1.35 million AAV through the 2027-28 season.
There is also the likelihood that the Panthers take a good look at this year’s class of expiring contracts, with several interesting names set to hit free agency, including the aforementioned Vanecek and Tarasov.
Don’t be surprised to see Florida take a good look at another familiar name who will be looking for a new contract on July 1 in former Edmonton Oilers and Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Aside from his playoff experience and reputation as a positionally sound goaltender who moves well laterally for someone with his size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), Skinner would also likely come on the inexpensive side.
If Florida’s goalie guild signs off on Skinner or Cooley or any other goaltender’s ability to perform, the way they had previously with Vanecek and Tarasov, it would make sense that a Panthers team operating at full strength would be comfortable with either of those gentlemen stopping pucks for the Cats.
It would also allow Zito and his staff some additional financial flexibility under the cap, which is never a bad thing.
We’ll see how things play out over the next week, as the NHL Draft is set for Friday and Saturday in Buffalo, and free agency set to open four days later on July 1.
Photo caption: Nov 22, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends his net against Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Fifteen-year-old cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stunned with the fastest half-century in List A history, smashing the milestone in just 11 balls on Sunday.
Jun 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during seventh inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
The Orioles entered today’s series finale against the Dodgers fresh off a pair of late-inning affairs. Wisely, the Birds decided not to leave anything to chance this afternoon. Baltimore scored in each of the first four innings and kept its foot on the gas for the remainder of the contest.
The Dodgers put together rallies in the ninth inning on Friday and Saturday. Today, they sent a position player to the mound for the final frame. The Orioles topped Los Angeles 12-1 to secure a series victory at Dodger stadium.
Baltimore tallied 15 hits and scored double digit runs for the first time since June 5. Colton Cowser and Blaze Alexander both finished 3-for-5 with a homer, and the Birds added long balls from Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso. The laugher allowed the Orioles to empty the bench with Sam Huff and Michael Siani getting some run, while Grant Wolfram and Keegan Akin spared an overworked bullpen.
The number 12 jumps off the page, but Brandon Young did his part to earn the victory. Both Young and Los Angeles’ starter Emmet Sheehan saw their pitch count climb early in the contest, but only Young was able to keep the traffic from reaching home plate
Baltimore got things started with a single, a double, and a walk by its first three hitters. Samuel Basallo drove in the first run of the game with an single up the middle, and Cowser drove in another with a bloop single to left. The Birds nearly struck for more, but Coby Mayo failed to check is swing with the bases loaded and the count full. Alonso failed to get a good read on Cowser’s single, and the first baseman remained at third when Alexander popped out to end the inning.
Briefly, it felt like the missed opportunity could come back to hurt the Orioles. Young walked Shohei Ohtani in his first at bat. The MVP advanced to second on a single by Freddie Freeman and came around to score on a two-out single by Max Muncy. Young failed to deliver a true shutdown inning in the first, but he preserved the lead by retiring Kyle Tucker to leave a man in scoring position.
Taylor Ward doubled the lead with a solo shot in the second. Young walked Alex Freeland and gave up a single to Ohtani in the bottom half, but he struck out Andy Pages to post his first zero of the day.
Young went on to post three more donuts. He limited Los Angeles to a single in the third and a double in the fifth. He needed 95 pitches to do it, but he completed five frames to put himself in position for his sixth win of the season.
The Birds tacked on two more in the fourth. Ward, Alonso and Mayo all walked to give Cowser an opportunity with two outs and the bases juiced. The Milk Man muscled a base hit up the middle against lefty reliever Jack Dreyer, and the Orioles led 6-1.
Fans couldn’t quite relax with a five-run lead after six, but the Orioles allowed all the dads out there to recline and start to doze after a four-run seventh. Alexander and Jeremiah Jackson both doubled to plate the seventh run. The Dodgers walked Henderson to setup a force against Alonso, and the veteran stepped to the plate with bad intentions. Alonso launched a towering fly to right center to give Baltimore its eighth, ninth, and tenth runs of the day.
Leody Taveras tripled in the eighth inning, and Alexander capped an impressive day with a two-run blast off of former Oriole Chayce McDermott.
Wolfram and Akin combined for four hitless innings to bring the game to a close.
It’s crazy to think that the Orioles were one bad inning away from sweeping the World Series favorites in their building. The team should take some confidence from today’s result, and the O’s will look to inch closer to the .500 mark tomorrow against the last place Angels.
Young kept the Orioles afloat while the game was still up for grabs. Alexander and Cowser both delivered big time performances at the dish, and Alonso’s big fly provided the explanation point. Who is your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Day? Let us know in the comments below.
TCU baseball has nabbed UW-Milwaukee transfer Dominic Kibler, who slashed an impressive .300/.451/.537 with 61 hits, 13 doubles, 11 home runs and 60 RBIs during his junior season with the Panthers in 2026. Kibler stole 13 bases, drew 43 walks and started all 60 of his team’s games this spring. The left-handed-batting, right-handed-throwing junior had previously played at Kent State, where he made 59 starts and played in 73 games.
Frogs pickup a commit from Milwaukee C/OF @D_Kibbs per his Instagram
– Kibler slashed .300/.451/.537 in a very impressive season for Milwaukee baseball pic.twitter.com/Fhweywdgxx
As a freshman at Kent State in 2024, Kibler started 40 games and posted seven doubles, four home runs, 18 RBIs, 19 runs and a .376 on-base percentage. The following season, Kibler made 19 starts hit .203 and hit six home runs with 28 RBIs. He had an on-base percentage of .402, scored 18 runs and stole a base in 2025.
The addition of Kibler, a New Berlin, Wisconsin native, continues a nice run of position players for the Horned Frogs, who’ve added Midland College teammates Bammer Maes and Caleb Eagar as well as Coastal Carolina’s Trace Mazon, Mississippi State’s James Nunnallee and Flagler College’s George Gilson.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 20: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run home run in the ninth inning during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Truist Park on June 20, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This’ll be another quick opening in the series recap department since we’ve got another rain-shortened series recap that fell through the cracks. It’s also very similar to last week’s rain-shortened recap to where it was pretty miserable to sit through as a fan. The Atlanta Braves continued their skid by looking flat for the majority of the doubleheader against the Giants. It would’ve been reasonable to expect disaster against the NL Central-leading Brewers but baseball has a funny way of being unpredictable, doesn’t it? Let’s get into the action.
When this game started in a downpour on Tuesday, Drake Baldwin hit the longest homer in MLB so far this season but the game ended up being suspended and restarted at 2:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Baldwin’s two-run dinger was the high point as this ended up being a miserable afternoon tilt for Atlanta. The light-hitting Giants ended up hitting three balls over the fence in this one, which made my series prediction look pretty foolish. Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee went back-to-back in the fifth inning and then Willy Adames cracked one out to make it 6-2. It eventually ended 6-2 with the Braves largely staying quiet at the plate.
The nightcap provided largely more of the same, as the Giants hit another three dingers. Adames led off the second inning with his second homer of the day that made it a 2-0 game and then San Francisco went back-to-back for the second game in a row. This time, Bryce Eldridge and Luis Arraez (!!!) combined for the dingers and Eldridge’s homer was the fifth and final run that JR Ritchie would give up in five innings of work.
The Braves finally showed some life in the sixth inning with Austin Riley and Dominic Smith picking up RBIs but a two-RBI single in the ninth from Arraez off of Carlos Carrasco (who admirably tossed four innings in this one) proved to be the death knell. Atlanta did rally in the ninth for three runs (with two of those coming off of one swing from Mauricio Dubón) and the tying run was actually at the plate but Austin Riley could turn his good night at the plate (three hits) into a great night. He struck out swinging to end the game as the Braves had to suffer the ignominy of dropping two games in one day to a Giants squad that went on to get swept by the Marlins over the weekend. Yikes!
Considering the run of form that the Braves were in heading into this series, Atlanta’s chances against early Cy Young candidate Jacob Misiorowski looked extremely bleak. Sure enough, the first five innings of this game went about as you’d expect as the Braves had very little success against the Miz. A second-inning rally came and went without a run scored and it surely felt like Atlanta was about to suffer a similar fate to what happened to the Phillies during Misiorowski’s last start.
Then the sixth inning rolled around and Mauricio Dubón got a chance with the bases loaded and two outs. Whatever two-out magic Dubón has going on ended up trumping Miz’s dominance as Dubie somehow kept up with a 101-mph heater inside and pulled it into left for a two-RBI single that gave the Braves the lead. As if being relieved not to be seeing absurd heaters all night, Mike Yastrzemski then followed that up with a leadoff homer in the seventh off of Abner Uribe on a hanger that gave Atlanta a two-run lead.
Martín Pérez may not have been bringing the heat, himself, but he still delivered another six strong innings and was actually in line for the pitcher win — which was a feat considering who his opposition was on this night. The high-leverage bullpen arms held steady and it was time for Raisel Iglesias to close things out. Yaz’s homer ended up being extremely valuable as the Brewers rallied in the ninth with a one-out walk and a double. Iggy had seemingly given up the game-tying hit right after Jackson Chourio’s double but Eli White came up with a huge throw home on a hit from Brice Turang that saw Chourio get tagged out at the plate. Instead of tying things up, the Brewers had to watch as Raisel Iglesias struck out old friend William Contreras to give the Braves a sorely-needed win to get this series going.
This was looking like it was going to be yet another case of the Braves squandering a solid Chris Sale start — something that had been growing a bit too common for our liking around here. By the time Sale had left this one, he had struck out seven batters and only given up two runs through 5.2 innings. Those two runs were enough for Milwaukee. to be leading at the time, as Ozzie Albies was having an up-and-down game at the time. He had hit a homer in the fifth to put the Braves ahead but his poor decision-making in the field in the sixth had helped contribute to the Brewers taking the lead in the sixth.
In fact, it was 3-1 in the seventh after Jackson Chourio’s productive out gave Milwaukee a two-run lead. Fortunately, a productive out from Austin Riley after Brewers starter Kyle Harrison was finally chased from the game brought the Braves within a run, which set the stage for another fantastic finish in the ninth inning. Aaron Ashby struck out Drake Baldwin for the first run of the ninth and that ended up being the only out he’d get on his line for his appearance. With Matt Olson on first, Ozzie Albies came up to the plate and hit a deep fly ball that hung in the sky similarly to his first dinger of the day. Sure enough, it stayed fair and hung up in the air long enough to make it into the Chop House for a walk-off homer — ensuring that the Braves ended up snatching a series win seemingly out of thin air.
Unfortunately, I think the chariot has turned into a pumpkin as far as Bryce Elder is concerned. In his past six starts dating back to May 16, Elder’s ERA- heading into this game was 127 and his FIP- was 118. For comparison’s sake, he had an ERA- of 43 and a FIP- of 75 in the nine starts before that date. Those recent numbers are going to look a lot worse now after Elder got lit up for eight runs (8!) in the second inning of this game, alone. Milwaukee went single-single-ground out-double-ground out-double-walk-single-single-three run homer-strikeout against Elder in the second game and that was basically it as far as the result was concerned.
Atlanta actually had a 1-0 lead after the first inning after Ozzie Albies hit a sacrifice fly to put the Braves ahead early but that ended up being the peak for the home team in this one. Atlanta did get on the board later on thanks to a pair of newcomers — Joey Bart picked up his first RBI as a member of the Braves with a productive out that brought in Michael Harris II following a leadoff double in the fourth inning and then Rowdy Tellez lit up the crowd with a two-run shot in the ninth inning that brought us to the final score of 9-4. Interestingly enough, Elder still ended up going six innings and Reynaldo López dusted off the final three innings with just one run allowed so the rest of the bullpen did catch a bit of a break in this one. Other than that, an impressive series win ended on a downer. C’est la vie.
This week really did serve as another example of just how unpredictable baseball can be. The Braves had just got done playing through (what will hopefully be) their worst stretch of baseball all season with a very dangerous foe looming in the horizon. As it turned out, we another example of the resiliency and never-say-die attitude of this ballclub as they apparently used the rainout on Thursday to wash away the past three series before rising to the occasion against a Brewers team that looked primed to do some serious damage this weekend. The imposing 1-2 punch of Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison cast a large shadow on this weekend’s series.
Instead of rolling over, the Braves rose up and pulled off two of their most exciting finishes of the season. Credit has to be given to Martín Pérez for coming up huge on the mound on Friday and the rest of the pitching staff essentially kept the Brewers at bay for large parts of this series. Bryce Elder’s wobble was the only real slip-up during the Milwaukee series, as the results were otherwise outstanding for the Braves against a potent Milwaukee lineup. It wasn’t like this was easy for the Braves, either — both of the wins came in dramatic fashion and could’ve gone either way. Instead, Mauricio Dubón continued to come up big in clutch situations, Eli White is proving to be an extremely valuable role player any time he gets to take the field and Ozzie Albies has continued to bounce back following two rough seasons in ‘24 and ‘25.
There is potential for a slip-up, though. West Coast trips are always tricky for the Braves — particularly when they go to California, which is where the Padres and Giants await. The Padres have definitely slowed down a bit but that team is still one that should be taken seriously and hopefully the Braves will be looking to set the record straight once they head over to the Bay Area for a series. Hopefully, we’ll see more of what we saw from Atlanta during the Brewers series and if that’s the case, this could be a very productive trip to California for the Braves. For now, sometimes you just have to play your way through a funk and the Braves did so with the series win over the Brewers.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 21: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers has a mound visit with Chuckie Robinson #52 during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After five consecutive one-run games, the Dodgers on Sunday closed out the homestand with a literal one-run game on offense. Unfortunately for them, the Baltimore Orioles scored a dozen runs, romping through Los Angeles in a 12-1 victory.
Emmet Sheehan allowed half of those 12 runs while recording only 10 outs. The big blows were solo home runs by Taylor Ward and Colton Cowser.
Relievers Jonathan Hernández and Chayce McDermott also each allowed a home run and combined to allow the other six runs.
Not much else to say about this one, other than it’s the first time the Dodgers lost consecutive games since May 9-12.
Sunday particulars
Home runs: Taylor Ward (4), Colton Cowser (8), Pete Alonso (18), Blaze Alexander (3)
The Dodgers continue their dalliance with the American League, heading to Minneapolis to face the Twins beginning Monday night (4:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), the fourth consecutive interleague foe for Los Angeles. Left-hander Eric Lauer starts on the mound for the Dodgers in the series opener.
Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the third inning of a 12-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium on Sunday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
An eye-watering, cough-inducing thick stench of burning plastic permeated Dodger Stadium on Sunday morning. The smoke from the Boyle Heights warehouse fire had spread into every crevice and corner of the facility, inescapable despite the masks handed out to staff.
“It’s a little dark out there, little Gotham City when I was driving up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Major League Baseball approved the Father’s Day game to be played, according to Roberts. Still, the ominous atmosphere was hard to miss. When rolling up Vin Scully Avenue, a white smoke hung like a curtain behind the small hills on the other side of outfield walls, obscuring the normally scenic view of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Smoke from a structure fire in nearby Boyle Heights shrouds Dodger Stadium before Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
Perhaps that should’ve been the first sign things wouldn’t go as planned for the Dodgers, who lost 12-1 to the Orioles. The loss marked the first time the Dodgers (49-29) have lost consecutive games since May 12.
“It just wasn’t a great start for our team, and offensively we weren’t very good,” Roberts said. “Feel fortunate we won a game this series.”
By the time Emmet Sheehan took the mound, the smell had diluted, and the sunshine broke through the haze. The 26-year-old hasn’t won in more than a month, despite what at the time appeared to be a bounce-back performance against the Chicago White Sox last week. Sheehan lasted 3 1/3 innings against Baltimore, none particularly worse than the first.
Sheehan (3-5) loaded the bases, and Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo put Baltimore (37-42) on the scoreboard with a softly hit ball that split first baseman Freddie Freeman and right fielder Kyle Tucker. A two-out single by Colton Cowser put the Orioles up by two. With the bases loaded, Sheehan worked out of trouble with two strikeouts and a pop out. But the inning cost him four hits and nearly 30 pitches.
“At this point, my coaches, my teammates deserve better,” Sheehan said.
Sheehan struggled the most with his slider. Normally, the pitch elicits about a 43% chase rate, though against Baltimore it plummeted to 18%. The nosedive, mainly caused by his inability to throw the slider in the zone, made his other pitches look less competitive, and the Orioles started connecting with his fastball. He gave up two home runs on the pitch to Taylor Ward in the second and Cowser in the third.
“He wasn’t sharp,” Roberts said. “The slider wasn’t in the zone, they were seeing him well, he wasn’t efficient.”
Meanwhile, Max Muncy drove in the Dodgers’ only run in the first with a line drive to left field. Shohei Ohtani, who had reached first on a walk and took second on Freeman’s single, slid home as the throw came in. However, the ball bounced off Basallo’s gear and ricocheted away from the plate.
Baltimore's Pete Alonso scores after beating a throw to Dodgers catcher Chuckie Robinson during the fourth inning Sunday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Orioles scored runs in four consecutive innings before Edgardo Henriquez threw a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth. The team tacked on four runs in the seventh, when, with a man on, the Dodgers reliever Jonathan Hernández intentionally walked Gunnar Henderson, who had gone two for four. He then threw a belt-high sinker down the middle of the plate that Pete Alonso smashed into the right-field bleachers for a three-run homer. Hernández could only watch the ball soar, hunched over.
Blaze Alexander hit a two-run homer in the eighth. But position-player pitcher Miguel Rojas dealt a 1-2-3 ninth inning, one of the team’s three innings it held the Orioles scoreless. By then, the skies had cleared enough for the faint outline of the San Gabriel Mountains to appear. The Dodgers, though, finished the game as uncompetitive as it had started.
“It’s everywhere in baseball, to be quite honest, but my concern is our team,” Roberts said of the Dodgers’ recent performances. “I don’t know the answer. It happens sporadically with all teams.”
Catcher Will Smith will not travel with the team this week as they take on the Twins and the Padres, Roberts said before the game. Smith is expected to participate in some baseball activities and will have a better estimate of his return depending on how he feels after.
Teoscar Hernández is slated to play in a rehab assignment Tuesday with the triple-A Oklahoma City Comets before joining the team for its final June series against the Athletics.
Reliever Blake Treinen, on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, got some good news. The MRI did not show any structural damage, only inflammation that Roberts attributed to the wear and tear of the season. “I don’t think it’ll be a long thing,” Roberts said. “Obviously, he’s on the IL, so it’s going to be two weeks, but hopefully it’s not much more beyond that.”
