Category: Sports News

Where to watch: MASN/MASN+ or FS1 (National)

Probable pitchers: RHP Chris Bassitt (3-2, 5.21 ERA, 26 K) vs. RHP Cade Cavalli (1-2, 4.02 ERA, 44 K)

After an incredibly unlucky night for the offense on Friday, the Orioles look to even this season’s first Battle of the Beltways series tonight in DC. Most of Birdland doesn’t want to hear luck as an excuse for another Orioles’ loss, but it was an undeniable part of last night’s 3-2 loss in the District. Baltimore put up a staggering 16 hard-hit balls against Zack Littell and the Nationals’ bullpen—only to be rewarded with six hits and two runs.

Strikeouts and clutch hitting were still ever-present problems for Baltimore in the loss. The O’s struck out 10 times to raise their season total to 414—the fourth-worst mark in baseball. The Birds also went 1-f0r-6 with RISP, as they failed to raise their mediocre season average of .246 with runners on second or third (16th in MLB). Still, their frequency of quality contact would have yielded more runs on a different night and possibly have helped the O’s steal Game 1.

Baltimore will look to right those offensive wrongs tonight against a relatively unknown opposing pitcher. The Nats send 2020 1st-round pick Cade Cavalli to the mound, looking to limit the talented-but-inconsistent Orioles order. The 27-year-old right-hander made his debut in 2022, but only has 20 Major League appearances since then, thanks to two separate Tommy John surgeries.

The Orioles will want to attack Cavalli early and sit on the Oklahoma natives’ big fastball. Cavalli is averaging just 4.5 IP per start this season, and has only completed 5+ innings in four of his starts. The 6’4” righty’s best pitch this year has been his changeup vs. lefties, but his fastball has been hit so hard that it’s hard for him to set up the offspeed pitch. Left-handed batters are hitting .525 with a .750 slugging percentage against the four-seamer that sits in the upper 90s but has below-average movement.

Opposing Cavalli is the frustratingly inconsistent Chris Bassitt. The 37-year-old right-hander has four starts this season in which he has allowed one or fewer earned runs. In his other four starts, he’s allowed 19 combined earned runs and an opponent batting average of .382.

Despite his inconsistent nature, the Orioles seem to win a lot with Bassitt on the mound. Baltimore has won six straight Bassitt starts while scoring an average of 6.8 runs/game in those outings. Bassitt has made two career starts in Nationals Park, both in 2022 with the Mets. The now-Orioles right-hander dominated in those outings, tossing 13 combined shutout innings, while limiting Washington to nine hits and striking out 12. In 21 career innings vs. the Nats, Bassitt has yet to allow a run.

Orioles lineup

1. Gunnar Henderson (L) SS
2. Taylor Ward (R) LF
3. Adley Rutschman (S) C
4. Pete Alonso (R) 1B
5. Samuel Basallo (L) DH
6. Tyler O’Neill (R) RF
7. Leody Taveras (S) CF
8. Coby Mayo (R) 3B
9. Jeremiah Jackson (R) 2B

Nationals lineup

1. James Wood (L) RF
2. Luis García Jr. (L) 1B
3. José Tena (L) 3B
4. CJ Abrams (L) SS
5. Daylen Lile (L) LF
6. Nasim Nuñez (S) 2B
7. Keibert Ruiz (S) C
8. Jorbit Vivas (L) DH
9. Jacob Young (R) CF

Last night was tense at the end, but the Nats pulled out the win thanks to Daylen Lile and solid pitching. Now they will have a chance to get back to .500. The last 15 times they were in this position, they have come up short. Hopefully, the 16th time can be the charm.

The Nats are rolling out a lefty heavy lineup against Chris Bassitt. Jose Tena will get the start at third base and hit third. Nasim Nunez will be back in the lineup at second base. Jorbit Vivas stays in the lineup as the DH. Keibert Ruiz will get the nod behind the plate in this one. Cade Cavalli will be the man on the mound as the Nats attempt to reach that .500 milestone.

The O’s are only making one change to their lineup. Leody Taveras will be in center field over Colton Cowser. Other than that we are seeing the same O’s squad as last night. Gunnar Henderson had a couple hits last night, so hopefully that is not the start of an explosion for the O’s struggling star. Veteran right hander Chris Bassitt will be on the mound this afternoon.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 4:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV and FS1

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This is a big game for the Nats. Not only is it a chance to get to that .500 mark, it is also a chance to get a series win over the O’s. The crowd was great last night and it should be packed again today. Hopefully the boys put together another good performance. Follow along down below in the comments and let’s go Nats.

The Mets officially placed starter Clay Holmes on the 15-day IL after suffering a fractured fibula in last night’s game against the Yankees. To take his place on the roster, the Mets called up right-handed reliever Joey Gerber from Triple-A to take his spot on the roster.

Holmes suffered the fractured fibula in the fourth inning after taking a comebacker off the bat of Spencer Jones. The ball was hit 111.1 mph off the bat and led to a visit from Carlos Mendoza and the trainer. Holmes was able to stay in the game for the fifth inning, which seems improbable now given the diagnosis. Mendoza didn’t mince words after the game, saying that the team’s de facto ace and ERA leader “be down for a long time”.

The team has not yet given a timeline for Holmes’ return to action, though it seems safe to say it would come after the All-Star Break. The team won’t need a replacement starter until Wednesday’s game against the Nationals. Until then, they will roll with Huascar Brazobán (as an opener) and David Peterson as the bulk arm today, Freddy Peralta in tomorrow’s series finale, Christian Scott on Monday, and Nolan McLean on Tuesday.

The options to replace Holmes in the rotation include moving Tobias Myers or Sean Manaea from the bullpen to the rotation, or exploring some of the young arms in Triple-A, including Jack Wenninger, Zach Thornton, and Jonah Tong. For now, they will go with Gerber, who will likely stick around until Tuesday. Gerber, who was acquired in a trade with the Rays over the offseason, has made one appearance for New York this season. In that relief appearance, he tossed two scoreless innings, recording five of his six outs via the strikeout. He walked one and allowed two hits.

The Mets have recalled right-hander Joey Gerber from Triple-A Syracuse, the club announced Saturday.

The move is the corresponding move to officially placing right-hander Clay Holmes on the 15-day injured list after the starter sustained a fractured fibula in Friday night's 5-2 loss to the Yankees.

Gerber made one appearance with the Mets earlier this season. He allowed two hits and a walk while striking out five over 2.0 innings on April 13 before he went on the IL himself with a right finger blister. For his career, the righty has appeared in 20 big league games, with 17 of them coming in his debut season of 2020 with Seattle. 

Gerber, acquired in an offseason deal for cash with Tampa, has a 3.27 ERA and 1.091 WHIP over 22 innings with 15 strikeouts to six walks over three seasons.

The 29-year-old has surrendered 10 runs (nine earned) on 13 hits and four walks and nine strikeouts over 10.0 innings and nine bullpen appearances at Triple-A this season

The injury to Holmes occurred when a Spencer Jones hard-hit liner up the middle struck the starter's leg. The veteran was shaken up, but remained in the game and recorded one out in the fifth inning before he was removed.

"He's going to be down for a long time," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game, adding the injury was a "huge blow" for the club.

In other roster news, veteran reliever Luke Jackson is opting out of his minor league deal with the Mets, according to a report from Will Sammon. The Mets signed the 34-year-old in early April.

It was a pretty standard night for the San Diego Padres. Starter Randy Vásquez pitched six shutout innings (and probably could have gone deeper), the high-leverage relievers covered the seventh and eighth innings before Mason Miller closed out the game for his MLB-leading 14th save. All signs pointed to a 2-0 win for the Friars.

It wasn’t nearly as simple as that. The bullpen made it a little more difficult than they needed to, allowing the tying and go-ahead run to reach the plate multiple times for the Seattle Mariners. It was an uncharacteristic night in that regard. But, each time, they worked themselves out of the jam.

The gem from Vásquez rested the majority of a somewhat beleaguered bullpen. That will certainly help to back up Walker Buehler in tonight’s game, as well as Lucas Giolito in his debut Sunday.

Taking the mound

Logan Gilbert (SEA) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Since 2022, Gilbert has been one of Seattle’s aces, posting an ERA below 3.50 in all but one year. That ability to take the mound consistently and pitch to solid results has marked his career as a valuable pitcher for the club. He’s been off to a similarly good start this season, pitching to a 3.78 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 50 innings.

But he’s been even more dominant in his last seven starts, posting a 2.97 ERA and averaging 5 2/3 innings. The Padres will have to take advantage of the few mistakes that Gilbert makes if they hope to take Game 2.

Buehler has been a solid back end option for the Friars, but hasn’t impressed enough to ensure his roster spot. His performance has been the lesser of two evils more than its stood out from the rest. He owns a 5.20 ERA in 36 1/3 innings.

His last start against the St. Louis Cardinals was solid. He gave up two runs over six full innings against the Cards. Buehler has yet to find a consistent rhythm on the mound. If he can do that tonight it would be a major relief for any rotation concerns that popped up with starter Griffin Canning’s tough performance on Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers (6 ER, 1.2 IP).

Batter up!

The majority of the Padres’ lineup doesn’t have an abundance of experience against Gilbert, but some have produced well in their careers against him. Xander Bogaerts, Nick Castellanos and Gavin Sheets each have a batting average over .270, with Castellanos batting .375 with a 1.125 OPS against the right-hander. Expect those three to be in tonight’s lineup.

1. Jackson Merrill, CF
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., 2B
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, 1B
5. Xander Bogaerts, SS
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Ramón Laureano, LF
8. Nick Castellanos, RF
9. Rodolfo Durán, C

It’s unlikely to be the offensive blowout the Friars need, but they should be able to scratch some runs across the board to back Buehler up. The Padres didn’t face Gilbert in their last series against Seattle, they’ll need to solve him to ensure a series win tonight.

Relief corps

It was somewhat of a surprise for Vásquez to exit after the sixth. He had been efficient, needing just 79 pitches to get through the first six frames. But a trio of left-handed batters were due up in Luke Raley, J.P. Crawford and Dominic Canzone.

Manager Craig Stammen decided to go with lefty Adrian Morejon for the more favorable matchup. The Mariners countered by pinch-hitting with righties Connor Joe and Rob Refsnyder, but Morejon made it out of the inning.

Setup man Jason Adam pitched a shaky eighth inning. After allowing two runners to reach base on a single and a walk, Adam was relieved for Miller who would pitch a four-out save.

Miller had to work to get out of the eighth, throwing 12 pitches to do so. He loaded the bases when Randy Arozarena singled on a broken-bat infield single. But he struck out Joe in a seven-pitch battle to end the threat. He gave up a walk and a single in the ninth but achieved all three outs via the strikeout to slam the door on Seattle.

Tonight, that means Miller will likely be unavailable since he threw 34 pitches. But Jeremiah Estrada, Alek Jacob, Ron Mariaccio, Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez. The Friars have a nine-man bullpen until Giolito is activated to the roster Sunday, so Jacob will likely be used in tonight’s game before he is sent back to Triple-A.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, May 16, 2026, 4:05 p.m. ET

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet

Pitching Matchup: Cristopher Sanchez (4-2, 2.11 ERA) vs. Bubba Chandler (1-4, 4.62 ERA)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home hosting the Philadelphia Phillies today at beautiful PNC Park.

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Bucs Dugout is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
• The commenting system was updated during the summer. They’re still working on optimizing it for Game Day Threads like ours. If you don’t like clicking “Load More Comments”, remember that the “Z” key can be your friend. It loads up the latest comments automatically.

BD community, this is your thread for today’s game against the Phillies. Enjoy!

It’s hard to read too much into all of two games, but the Dodgers have scored 11 runs over their last two games, more than any three-game stretch of the previous six games. They’ve scored four, five, and six runs over the last three games, and you don’t need Disco Stu to see this is a positive trend.

The Dodgers scored at least five runs in consecutive games for the first time since April 25-27, while averaging only 3.43 runs in the 14 games in between, which included nine losses. And they did so while Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman each got rare nights off.

Three straight wins have also lined up with two shutouts by the pitching staff, sandwiching a two-run game during which the only runs came on a weird bounce and a misplay on what turned into an inside-the-park home run. Had the Dodgers lined up those three pitching performances over any of the previous four-game losing streak, they would have won at least two games, if not three. But of course, baseball doesn’t really work like that.

The Dodgers’ two longest streaks of scoring at least five runs this season are four games (April 3-6 at Washington and Toronto) and three games (April 25-27 at home vs. Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins). They go for a third straight game on Saturday while facing Angels right-hander José Soriano, who has allowed zero or one run in seven of his nine starts this season.

The day after a bullpen game is always a day in which a team could use a starting pitcher going deep into a game, and to that end that’s what Justin Wrobleski has been doing since joining the rotation, even in his one bad start out of six, when he went 8 2/3 innings. Wrobleski has lasted six innings in each of his last five starts, including starts of eight and seven innings in addition to last Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Angels
• Ballpark: Angel Stadium, Anaheim
• Time: 6:38 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA, KCOP channel 13 (Angels broadcast), MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Welp, I’m glad I decided to check the baseball scores. For I was under the impression this was another evening game. But turns out it’s effectively a little after noon, so I am scurrying to assemble a quick GDT. Nice to see the bullpen get another day off. The past week has been largely a holiday for them. Jonathan Loaisiga hasn’t pitched at all since May 8th, while Brandyn Garcia and Juan Morillo have thrown only seven and ten pitches. Paul Sewald is the only guy with more than two appearances in that time, having taken the mound on three occasions. Not often any bullpen get an entire day off in Denver.

As noted yesterday, the D-backs’ bullpen ERA for May is currently the best in the majors at 1.99. If that is sustained for the rest of the month, it’ll be among the very best in franchise history. The only other times it has been below two for a calendar month, were in July 2015 (1.78 over 81 IP) and the start of 2018 (1.92 over 98.1 IP). The most recent “best” month was the last month of 2023, which you may remember as we rode the bullpen into the post-season, and on to the World Series. There, the Arizona bullpen posted an ERA of 2.31 over 117 innings, going 6-1. We’ll see what happens the rest of the month.