Rangers have lost four consecutive league matches for only the second time in the club's history, after a run of five successive defeats from October to November 1983.
Including the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, Rangers have only lost their final league game in one of the past 17 seasons (W9 D7), a 2-1 defeat at Kilmarnock in 2018-19.
Falkirk have lost just one of their past five home league games against Rangers (W2 D2), although that was their most recent, a 6-3 defeat in April.
Rangers have only lost one of their past 48 top-flight matches against Falkirk (W39 D8), a 1-0 defeat in December 2006 under Paul Le Guen.
Falkirk have lost four of their past five league games (W1), including both of their latest two. They are yet to lose three in a row in the league this season, last doing so in the top flight in March 2010.
In the Montreal Canadiens’ 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night, there were many heroes. Jakub Dobes bounced back after a shaky start, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky put up three points each, Cole Caufield found the back of the net at even-strength, and Ivan Demidov finally scored. Another performance was largely undetected: Phillipe Danault’s.
Some might have noticed that he missed a golden opportunity to score a big goal when the puck got to him in the slot, but he largely made up for it. Not only did he provide two assists on two of the first three goals, but he had a fantastic night at the faceoff dot.
Nobody took more faceoffs for the Habs in that game than Danault. The Quebecer took a total of 18 draws and won 14 of them for a 77.8% success rate. When Kent Hughes decided to acquire the struggling center from the Los Angeles Kings before the Christmas roster freeze, he didn’t do it to increase offensive production; he did it because he was fully aware of how important winning draws can be.
In the Canadiens two other wins over the Sabres, the centerman had a 66.7% success rate in the faceoff department. He took 15 draws in Montreal’s 5-1 win in Game 2 and nine in the Habs 6-2 win in Game 3.
To add: Danault Faceoffs: 13-2 (87%) so far.
ALSO - coming into tonight no line has been matched against Thompson/Tuch/Krebs more than Danault’s at 5on5
Shots 10-3 MTL Goals 1-0 MTL xGF 83.8% for Habs
He’s lookin like the star shutdown machine he was in 2021.
The Victoriaville native has played a key role for the Canadiens all through the first two rounds, not only because of how good he is in the faceoff department, but also because of his responsible two-way play. After 12 games, he averages 16:13, has won 61.9% of his faceoffs, has five points (all assists), and a plus-six rating, on top of playing big minutes on the penalty kill.
When the Canadiens are protecting a lead, Martin St-Louis often sends the 33-year-old veteran center onto the ice with Nick Suzuki, giving him two centers to take draws. If the linemen kick one out, the other one can take charge. Whichever way you look at it, Danault’s acquisition by Kent Hughes was a masterstroke; he has been more than worth the second-round pick he cost.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets is looked at by a trainer after being hit by a pitch during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citi Field on May 13, 2026 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees have been sputtering a bit of late, losing five of their last six games while also dealing with injuries, including one to Max Fried that the extent of is not known yet. However, it almost always could be worse, and we just need to look at this weekend’s opponent for an example of that.
This weekend, the Yankees are headed across the city, as they go to Queens for a three-game set against the Mets. Not only do the Mets currently sit in last in the NL East with one of the worst records in baseball so far, they’ve also been dealing with a mess of injuries. Expected regulars Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and Kodai Senga are all currently on the IL. Juan Soto has been one of the only regularly good bats for them, but he’s already had an IL stint and recently had another scare after fouling a ball of his foot (though he did homer yesterday).
However even with those struggles, the Mets always seem to get up for Subway Series matchups, and both fanbases certainly do, too. Before the action gets going tonight, here’s a look at this weekend’s expected pitching matchups.
Friday: Cam Schlittler vs. Clay Holmes (7:15 pm ET)
In his last outing, Schlittler had a gem wasted, as the Yankees’ offense and bullpen couldn’t hang on after the young ace allowed just two hits and no runs. There’s not much more you can say about Schlittler other than that he’s been awesome, leading the league in a number of statistics (namely ERA, FIP, WHIP, and H/9 entering play yesterday). We’ve seen how he gets up for the rivalry against the Red Sox, so let’s see what he does for this cross-city matchup.
The second year of the Holmes as a starter experiment is going … pretty well. The former Yankees closer has a 1.86 ERA in 48.1 innings across eight starts. He has yet to allow more than two runs in any one start, which is especially solid considering he’s made it through at least five innings in every start he’s made. Anecdotally, the Yankees also sometimes seem to struggle against pitchers who had down notes while a member of the Yankees, so we’ll see what happens this time around.
Saturday: Carlos Rodón vs. TBD (7:15 pm ET)
On Saturday, Rodón will be making his second start back off the injured list. His 2026 debut definitely saw some rust despite some good velocity, as he walked five batters in 4.1 innings. That partially caused him to give up three runs to the Brewers despite only giving up two hits. At least, hopefully that was only rust. You still can’t judge much on only two outings, but we’ll get a better sense of how he looks after this game.
At time of writing, the Mets haven’t announced who will be going in the second game. As mentioned, they’re a bit injured, and previous times at this spot in their rotation, they’ve gone with Huascar Brazobán as an opener. 2025 All-Star David Peterson lost his spot in the rotation with an awful start to 2026, but he’s been getting some work as a “bulk guy,” so he could follow Brazobán.
Sunday: Ryan Weathers vs. Freddy Peralta (1:40 pm ET)
Last time out, Weathers flirted with a no-hitter at Camden Yards, only for things to go to pieces after he left the game, leading to a Yankees’ loss to the Orioles. After an up-and-down start to his Yankees career, Weathers has been very solid in recent weeks. Over his last four starts, he has a 1.88 ERA and a 2.77 FIP.
Peralta was one of the biggest name pitchers to move over the offseason, as the Mets acquired him in a trade with the Brewers. He’s been good so far, especially of late, posting a 3.10 ERA and a 3.67 FIP over his first nine starts as a Met. As was the case in Milwaukee, he’s not the type of guy to go 7-8 innings, as his longest outings of the season have been 6.0 innings flat, without ever starting the seventh. However, he can still go out there and strike a bunch of batters out in bunches.
Cam Schlittler has been a dominant force for the New York Yankees this season, making up for the loss of two key arms and inserting himself in the AL Cy Young conversation in the process. The right-hander owns a 1.35 ERA while striking out 59 hitters in only 53 1/3 innings of work.
Schlittler has cashed the Over in Ks in two of his last four outings. The youngster collected six punchouts against the Minnesota Twins in his most recent start, and he also had eight Ks in his last road appearance.
The Yankees visit the New York Mets tonight. The Mets are one of the worst teams in the big leagues, and Schlittler has a mind-boggling 0.98 road ERA, striking out 42 in 36 2/3 frames.
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, SNY
Taylor Ward Over 0.5 runs (-115)
Taylor Ward has been a nice pickup for the Baltimore Orioles. In his first season with the team, Ward is hitting .265, coming across the plate 28 times in 43 games. The veteran has hit the Over in runs in back-to-back games, also registering three hits during that span.
The O's begin a series with the Washington Nationals tonight, and the matchup plays in Ward's favor.
The Nats send the struggling Zack Littell to the hill, who has a 6.94 ERA. Ward is 4-for-8 lifetime against the right-hander with two home runs and three RBI. Ward also has 20 of his runs versus righties, and Littell allows a lot of runs.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MASN, Nationals.TV
Edward Cabrera Over 5.5 strikeouts (-104)
The Chicago Cubs' rotation is led by Edward Cabrera, who owns a 3.88 ERA. He's struck out 43 in 46 1/3 innings of work, and he's cleared tonight's number in three consecutive starts.
Cabrera has been hit around a bit lately, but he racked up six Ks in his most recent outing, and eight before that.
The Cubbies take on the Chicago White Sox this evening, who struggle to make contact. They rank 28th in the MLB in strikeouts, and Cabrera is striking out more hitters than usual at the moment.
A matchup against a lineup who aren't swinging it well plays in the right-hander's favor.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, CHSN
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 29-50, +6.18 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Head to NBCSN and Peacock this Sunday for an exciting slate of MLB action. Coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET with an MLBSunday Leadoff showdown featuring the Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays. Then, at 7:00 PM ET, it's the San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
Last season, Clayton McCullough,in his first year as Miami's skipper, guided the club to its largest improvement from one full season to another, excluding the 2020 season that was shortened by COVID. Miami finished with a 79-83 record, a 17-win improvement from 2024. The Marlins, who now have the second-youngest active roster in the league, look to build off that success.
The Tampa Bay Rays have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The team, led by current AL Manager of the Year favorite Kevin Cash, looks to rewrite the narrative this season.
World Series champion pitchers Brian Anderson and Jeff Nelson will join play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian and reporter John Fanta on this week’s edition of MLB Sunday Leadoff.
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information visit, Peacock’s Help Center.
Negotiators for baseball players and owners began what figures to be lengthy and acrimonious collective bargaining negotiations Tuesday to replace their labor contract that expires Dec. 1
Head to NBCSN and Peacock this Sunday for an exciting day of baseball. The action starts at 12:00 PM ET with an MLBSunday Leadoff showdown featuring the Miami Marlins vs Tampa Bay Rays. Then, at 7:00 PM ET, it's the San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners on Sunday Night Baseball. See below for additional information on how to stream both games.
Last season was a monumental one for the Mariners. They captured their first AL West division title since 2001 and advanced to the ALCS, where they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. Seattle looks to build on that progress and end its World Series drought. The Mariners are the only MLB franchise that hasn't made a World Series.
The Padres, whose last World Series appearance was in 1998, are also in search of their first World Series title.
San Diego finished the regular season 90-72, winning at least 90 games in consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. They were eliminated by the Cubs in the NL Wild Card series.
2007 NL Cy Young Award Jake Peavy and former Major League pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith will join play-by-play voice Jason Benetti in the booth for this week’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. Ahmed Fareed will host the pregame show alongside Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
How to watch San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners:
MLB Sunday Leadoff is a weekly Major League Baseball showcase featuring live Sunday daytime games. It highlights marquee matchups throughout the regular season and streams primarily on Peacock, with some games also airing across NBC Sports and NBC.
MLB Sunday Night Baseball is a weekly primetime Major League Baseball showcase, featuring marquee matchups each Sunday night during the regular season. The games air on NBC and Peacock and anchor NBC Sports’ Sunday night programming lineup.
On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
NBC Sports will also stream one out-of-market game each day of the 2026 MLB season nationally on Peacock. Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
How to sign up for Peacock:
Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.
Why are some MLB games unavailable to stream on Peacock?
Due to territorial blackout restrictions, select regular season, special event, and Postseason games may be unavailable on Peacock. Television territory blackout restrictions apply regardless of whether a Club is home or away and regardless of whether a game is televised in that Club's home television territory. For more information visit, Peacock’s Help Center.
Negotiators for baseball players and owners began what figures to be lengthy and acrimonious collective bargaining negotiations Tuesday to replace their labor contract that expires Dec. 1
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MAY 9: A view of Sea Lions at Pier 39 of Fisherman's Wharf on May 9, 2026 as the San Francisco's Beloved Steller sea lion named as 'Chonkers' missing from Pier 39 in San Francisco, California, United States. Roughly 2,000-pound Steller sea lion became an internet sensation during his extended stay on decks at Pier 39 as visitors have continued to stop by in hopes of spotting him. The sea lions camped out in PIER 39âs West Marina have been endearingly coined The PIERâs âSea Lebrities.â The boisterous pinnipeds started arriving in droves in January 1990, shortly after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Hickory starter Aidan Deakins allowed two runs in 5.2 IP, striking out 5. Louis Marinaro struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings.
Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 5 with a homer and a sotlen base. Dewar Tovar was 2 for 4. Hector Osorio homered. Paulino Santana had a hit.
J’Briell Easley started for Hub City, allowing four runs, including a pair of home runs, in three innings, striking out three and walking two. Brock Porter struck out four and walked three in four shutout innings.
Malcolm Moore doubled twice and drew a walk. Maxton Martin was 3 for 6 with a walk. Rafe Perich had a pair of hits and a walk. Paxton Kling homered and walked twice. Gleider Figuereo drew a pair of walks. Yeison Morrobel had three hits and a walk. Chandler Pollard was 4 for 5 with a double.
2024 11th rounder Dalton Pence was promoted to Frisco and made his first start for the Roughriders, striking out three, walking two and allowing two runs. Bryan Magdaleno allowed a run in two innings, striking out two.
Jose Corniell struck out four in five innings for Round Rock, allowing two runs. Michel Otanez allowed faced five batters, walked four of them, gave up a hit, threw a wild pitch, and allow four runs. Ryan Brasier struck out two in a shutout inning. Dane Acker allowed 6 runs in 0.2 IP. Emiliano Teodo needed 10 pitches (9 strikes) to retire four batters, including one via strikeout.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MAY 10: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Chatting with a Timberwolves expert through this series has been a blast, and this might be the last Fraternizing with the Enemy post I get with Thilo this season. But nothing has been decided yet, so we talk though the rising and falling players, and the potential for lineup changes in Game 6.
J.R. Wilco
Before the series began, I was terrified of Anthony Edwards destroying my playoff hopes and dreams. And the more tape I watch of this series, the more I’m coming to feel like San Antonio is pretty lucky that he’s not 100%. The Spurs are throwing the kitchen sink at him, and he still regularly wins the play. I can’t imagine how frustrated with him I’d be if he was fully healthy.
Is it just me, or are some of the Timberwolves getting frustrated with Julius Randle? I’m not talking about how his scoring has fallen off, everybody goes through slumps. I’m talking about his effort level. Jaden McDaniels’ body language seems to be screaming something like, “Dude, we’re all trying out here. Want to join us?” Anyway, I haven’t been watching the team all year, maybe that’s just a dynamic you’re used to.
Leading up to Game 5, I was pretty concerned that Minnesota was going to try some bid for retaliation against Victor Wembanyama’s extracurricular elbow. And outside of the one play where Reid went up for a hook shot and chopped at Wemby’s neck, I didn’t see anything other than your basic psychological warfare. So, a couple of questions: were you expecting them to retaliate, and do you think anyone in the Minnesota camp actually thought that mind games would work with Victor?
Thilo
Despite his reputation as a bad boy conflict initiator, Jaden McDaniels has not really gone after anyone in a meaningful way outside of his own hand. If that’s the head of the “I want to fight” snake, I didn’t really expect anyone else on the roster to make that call.
I also think the Spurs haven’t built up enough hatred from the Wolves for them to try to start anything. The Nuggets deserve that animosity. The Lakers do as well. NBA on TNT (and its modern equivalent) did.
The Randle angle is the larger story. He is, with no exaggeration, playing to the standard of being one of the least valuable playoff players in the past 30 years of the NBA in this run. Especially after last year’s run had the inverse situation (Randle had a career best series against the Lakers as part of their gentleman’s sweep), I think the team is just hugely disappointed. They dragged him forward during the Nuggets series, but you can’t sport a negative star against a team this good.
Randle’s defense on Wemby remains the only silver lining of his play in this series. I feel I can’t accurately describe the level to which the eye test matches the numbers. Randle’s made field goals are keeping pace with his total fouls. His turnovers are doing the same to his assists.
Part of this is that Randle’s favorite passing partner, Donte Divincenzo, is out for the year with a torn achilles. But even that modicum of credit can’t undo all the bad.
In just a few words, Randle has been the Spurs second best player. And, with respect to Dylan Harper, it hasn’t been close. I fully expect Julius to be on another team next year. The question is if Rudy Gobert will join him.
However, let’s go back to that second best player question. It seems clear to me, as it does to most of Wolves twitter, that Harper is the second scariest player for the Wolves outside of that horrifying alien you guys call a center.
While DeAaron Fox and Stephon Castle continue to struggle with the defense looks they’re seeing, Dylan Harper was absolutely fantastic in Games 4 and 5. He was efficient, he got to the line, and in the fourth quarter, it was his constant driving that kept the Spurs in it when their shots went cold.
I’m curious if you think a move to the starting lineup is coming, as one is almost certainly in store for the Wolves. What would stop you from making that move? What scares you most about a potential Wolves rotational change?
J.R.
My kids are finally old enough and so I’m finally watching The Office with them. And right now I feel like Angela trying to choose between Andy and Dwight, because I really like Castle, but Harper is blowing up. I want to complement Dylan and talk about how awesome he has been and what his efficiency is doing for the Spurs in limited minutes, but I don’t want Stephon to know that I’m thinking all these things.
Fox is such a steady hand and his ability to manipulate the defense has been huge, but the rookie had that one-on-four fast break where Ayo tried to stop him, but he gave the double behind the back move (which I may not have even known was a thing) and took off to spam it on everyone’s head. Only none of the four guys in white jerseys even got off the floor, so it turned into a showboat dunk instead.
Stop asking me difficult questions because I don’t want De’Aaron to drive a Prius over to my house and drive me into the hedges. I could talk about this for much longer, but you’ve asked me other questions so I’ll just adjust my clothes as I come back from the warehouse and hope that nobody notices.
There’s no way Coach Mitch adjusts the starting lineup at this point of the season. The last time a difficult decision had to be made about the rotation, Johnson handled it perfectly, though it took some time. Now Keldon Johnson has a 6MOTY trophy to show for it and the team is excited for him following in Manu’s footsteps. But the playoffs are not the time to mess with touchy situations like that unless the end is nigh.
As far as what scares me about Minnesota changing things up, that’s easy. I feel like everything I’ve seen so far the series has led me to expect the Spurs to win Game 6. Everybody has shown their cards, tactically speaking, and so if all else remains the same, there isn’t much to keep the status quo from continuing. The Spurs are up 3-2, and so I like the status quo. If it’s all the same to you I’d prefer to keep things the way they are. Can we do that please?
Thilo
Can we? Maybe. Would I like us to? Absolutely not.
That being said, I’m sure this wasn’t the intention, but after back to back years of getting smacked by teams that are clearly in a different tier from these Wolves, I am more excited for this off-season than I should be considering it (likely) isn’t ending with a title and parade.
I am personally always in favor of tweaking things until the very end. Identity is found in continuity. Ceiling is found in change.
With that in mind, it seems unavoidable now to see that the Wolves are certainly a good playoff team, but not nearly good enough to win a title in the current Western Conference.
That leads us back to the question of where Randle and Gobert will be. And I am incredibly excited to see what Tim Connely and Co. will do with an off-season full of question marks and two teams that have clearly outpaced them.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 13: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after a double during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are lofty expectations for anyone that gets signed to a contract with an annual average value of $60 million. In the case of Kyle Tucker, it appeared as though the expectations were too tough to reach throughout the beginning of the season.
Tucker was performing at a below league-average rate over his first 33 games of the season, as he slashed .236/.322/.362 while having dropped in the lineup considerably from second on opening day to hitting routinely in the cleanup and five spots in the lineup. Since the Dodgers went into Houston to face Tucker’s old team, the outfielder has found a new gear at the plate and has been one of the Dodgers’ hottest hitters over his last 10 games.
Tucker has a .323 batting average over his last 10 games since the series opener against the Astros, and while the home run power hasn’t broken through, he has five doubles and as many walks as strikeouts. Dave Roberts knows that is still more to come from Tucker at the plate, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“Yes, I think Kyle has looked better the last week. Still not right, for me – and for him,” Roberts said. “I think he is taking much better at-bats. I think he’s been much more consistent controlling the strike zone and not chasing as much which has led to a lot more contact and some hits.”
Links
Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup for a second straight game on Thursday, but it didn’t matter too much in the Dodgers’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants to split the four-game set. Ohtani gave Dave Roberts the “ok” to sit out on Thursday in an effort to keep him fresh for the team’s upcoming nine-game road trip, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
Said Ohtani, through interpreter Will Ireton: “I talked to the team, and I’m good with it. My last at-bat as a hitter [Tuesday] was really good, so I want to continue that momentum whenever I get to hit again. … Tomorrow’s a day for me to work on that and make sure that that’s really my body, and to make sure that I can do that during a game.”
Kiké Hernández is in the thick of his rehab assignment, and that included a series against the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes— the former Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers. Expecting to receive boos, Hernández was thrown off by the amount of love he received from the Albuquerque fans, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
“A little bit shocked. Slightly embarrassed, but good,” he told reporters, including Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal, before the Comets’ 8-2 loss on Wednesday.
Quins’ resident New Zealander has some fascinating and forthright views, not least regarding England’s World Cup prospects
After 18 years it is almost time to say farewell to Harlequins’ resident Kiwi. Not every overseas recruit becomes part of the fabric of a team thousands of miles from home but that has long been the case with Nick Evans, a Prem winner with Quins as a player and a coach in 2012 and 2021 respectively. As the former All Blacks fly-half conceded this week: “It’s going to be really hard to let go of this club.”
And vice versa. During his playing days the skilful, popular Evans personified everything good about the way Quins approached the game. As a coach, he has been similarly positive, endlessly seeking fresh ways to crack opposition defences. Quins may have endured a disappointing season, but that should not tarnish the sizeable contribution that Evans, now 45, has made during his residency at the Stoop.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 09: A general view of the scoreboard before the San Francisco Giants play the Washington Nationals at Oracle Park on August 09, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants are on the “road” this weekend (I use that word very loosely, because they will be in Sacramento) so I think it’s time for another temp-check to see how we’re feeling about the team right now.
Every time I have to take time off during the season, I always feel the overwhelming urge to burst in here like Daveed Diggs in the opening of the second act of Hamilton, with a “What did I miss?”
Thankfully for all of you, this is not an audio or visual medium. But the sentiment stands.
I have been completely off the grid for nearly two weeks, and I’m thoroughly confused about what is going on. It feels like the last time I was here, Patrick Bailey was being celebrated for home run heroics against the Dodgers. Now I’m back, and the team is still playing the Dodgers (as of the time this is being written), and Bailey is gone.
Okay, then. I didn’t see that one coming. But I guess I’ll trust Buster Posey’s judgement on catchers. Given the fact that he is, in fact, Buster Posey.
Let’s see, what else have I missed? I see that they are still doing their absolute best to avoid even a .500 record, so clearly my early season predictions were a little too optimistic. But I guess it’s still early, and as we’ve established, I’ve missed a couple of weeks.
So I want to hear from you guys. How are we feeling about the team/season at the moment?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin their three-game series against the Athletics tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 03: Trey Gibson #43 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on May 03, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Trey Gibson started and limited Charlotte to one run over four innings. After a brief stint in the Orioles bullpen, the organization limited Gibson to 65 pitches. He threw 41 strikes. The 23-year-old allowed four hits, three walks, and struck out five.
Trace Bright piggybacked Gibson and ran into some trouble. The righty allowed three earned runs on seven hits. He struck out six, but was done in by three Charlotte homers.
The Tides failed to match the Knights power. The team loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but Sam Huff grounded into a double play. The contact led to Norfolk’s only run, but the twin killing ended any attempt at a rally. The team finished 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Thomas Sosa drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, but Chesapeake’s defense gave this one away at the end. The RubberDucks tied the game on a squeeze play. Akron got the winning run to second, and he came all the way around to score on an infield single to second base.
The outcome spoiled a solid outing by Juaron Watts-Brown. The former Blue Jays prospect limited Akron to only one hit over four scoreless innings. He struck out five and issued four free passes.
High-A: Frederick Keys 5, Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees) 4
Yeiber Cartaya kept his season ERA below one with 4.1 solid innings. Cartaya actually allowed two runs, but only one was determined to be earned. He struck out three and walked three.
Keagan Gillies, Chandler Marsh and Joe Glassey teamed up to pitch 4.2 innings of scoreless relief. The trio combined to allow only one hit and struck out eight.
Elis Cuevas smacked his sixth home run of the year during a five-run seventh. The blast capped a 3-for-4 night with four RBIs and two runs scored. Wehiwa Aloy finished 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Leandro Arias doubled in four trips, and Braylin Tavera went 1-for-4 with a run scored from the leadoff spot. Ike Irish went 0-for-4 with a walk and three strikeouts.
Christian Rodriguez added to a strong night of starting pitching on the farm. Rodriguez held Fayetteville to only one hit over 4.2 innings. He struck out eight and walked three.
Unfortunately, the Woodpeckers managed six runs against Delmarva’s bullpen. The Shorebirds attempted to battle back with three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but a two-run single by Stiven Martinez and a throwing error were not enough to get Delmarva back in the game.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 3: Pitching coach Alon Leichman (77) of the Colorado Rockies and catcher Hunter Goodman (15) of the Colorado Rockies come to the mound to talk to pitcher Michael Lorenzen (24) of the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of the Rockies' season home opener against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday, April 3, 2026, at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
I’ll be the first to admit that I was excited about the Rockies signing Michael Lorenzen this offseason.
With the new front office being high on him and the 34-year-old’s affinity for problem-solving and a seven-pitch mix, I bought into the hype. I even predicted Lorenzen, who signed a one-year deal worth $8 million in January, would record a career-high 10 wins this season.
Ten appearances — including nine starts — into the season, my optimism has worn thin. Lorenzen is leading MLB in hits surrendered with 67. And it’s not even close, as Cincinnati’s Brady Singer is second with 58. Minnesota’s Simeon Woods Richardson recently edged out Lorenzen for most earned runs given up at 36, while the Colorado RHP has 32.
Lorenzen has a 6.55 ERA in 44 innings — which is the worst in baseball among qualified players — and is 2-5 on the season. Lorenzen has not come close to solving Coors Field as he has a 9.64 ERA in four appearances there (18.2 innings) vs. a 4.26 mark in six appearances (25.1 IP) on the road.
Overall, opponents are hitting .347 with him with an xBA of .314. The xBA, his 114.2 max exit velocity, the .415 xOBA and 14.7% strikeout rate are all career-worsts for Lorenzen.
What’s most worrying about Lorenzen’s numbers is his high batting average on balls in play (BABIP) at .385, a hard-hit % of 50.3 and a barrel % of 9.3. The league average is around .300 for BABIP, 35-40% for hard-hit percentage and 6-7% for barrels. BABIP takes out homers, strikeouts, walks, and HBP and favors bloopers, line drives, poor defense, and ballpark gaps.
A high BABIP can be a mark of bad luck on its own, but paired with batters hitting the ball hard (at 95 mph or higher) and squaring the baseball up for barrels, it reduces the odds of bad luck and is more of an indicator of bad pitching.
In Lorenzen’s defense, he’s had some solid outings this season. His best game was his lone Quality Start when he gave up one run on seven hits in seven innings in New York against the Mets. Despite giving up 12 hard-hit balls, which is a season-high mark, Lorenzen’s curveball, sinker and cutter were working well.
He walked zero, struck out three and gave up only one double (six singles).
Lorenzen has two starts where he’s given up two runs or fewer, including the May 12 performance against Pittsburgh, where he was outdueled by Paul Skenes. In his five-inning outing, Lorenzen gave up two runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks, limiting the Pirates to three hard-hit balls. A big reason for his success was the command of his changeup and the steady 95-mph velocity of his four-seam fastball.
After the game, Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer was pleased with Lorenzen’s start.
“Breaking balls were good. I thought he was attacking very good. His fastball maintained velocity all night,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he was really good. He matched [Skenes]. Michael was good for us. That’s what we expect from him.”
Earlier in May, MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa documented Lorenzen’s high BABIP, especially at Coors Field, blaming bad luck. Lorenzen explained that he believes he is pitching well and his BABIP is bound to shrink.
“It’s kind of just challeng[ing] them to put the ball in play, and just a lot of bloops that are hit over second base on changeups, sinkers in that are jammed,” Lorenzen said. “I’m making good pitches, I’m throwing the right pitches. Just things aren’t going my way.”
Considering the elevated hard-hit % and barrels, this might be wishful thinking. At the same time, Lorenzen does have a low walk rate (6.6%) and a good ground ball rate (46.3%), which shows he is doing some things right. He’s proven he can have success, but it comes when his changeup, curveball, sinker and cutter are working and the four-seam fastball isn’t the go-to pitch.
However, Lorenzen has only made it to the sixth inning three times and is consistently getting shelled. After discussing Lorenzen’s early tenure with the Rockies with the wonderful Broomfield Baseball Club this week, it’s clear to see I am not the only one who’s doubting Lorenzen. The group, which meets monthly at the Broomfield Public Library, had several thoughts. Lorenzen might not have the durability to stay in the Rockies rotation, or, if he does, he’ll require a long reliever more often than not. He may have to move to the bullpen. Perhaps the front office will decide the Lorenzen experiment didn’t work and he’ll be shipped out of town by the trade deadline (if a team will take him).
After giving up seven runs on 11 hits with three walks, two strikeouts and 10 hard-hit balls on May 6 at Coors Field against the Mets, Lorenzen remained confident his numbers would even out.
“You just have to keep doing it and trust that baseball’s going to change,” Lorenzen told Randhawa. “You can’t have a .450 BABIP all year. So you just have to kind of hope that at some point it changes. … I feel like I’m making progress. Today’s the best I’ve felt in a really long time, mechanically. I’m happy with how I feel. And the numbers aren’t supporting it.”
His start in Pittsburgh supported that, but it was on the road. The next test will be when the Rockies return to Coors Field when Lorenzen is scheduled to start against the Diamondbacks on May 17.
The Isotopes scored nine runs in the last three innings, shrinking an 8-1 deficit, but the comeback still came up short on Thursday night. The late surge was powered by a three-run homer by Blaine Crim, who also doubled and scored another run. Vimael Machín hit a two-run double, while Cole Carrigg tripled and added an RBI single. Zac Veen and Braxton Fulford each chipped in RBI singles, and Drew Avans drove in a run with a sac fly.
Cole Messina homered, Andy Perez went 4-for-5 and Bryant Betancourt added two hits as the Yard Goats out-hit the Sea Dogs 10-7, but it wasn’t enough for Hartford. Portland jumped out to a 3-0 in the second inning by getting three hits, including a homer, against Sam Weatherly (0-2). Blake Adams took over for the next five innings, but gave up two more runs that ended up deciding the game. Jimmy Obertop added a double for Hartford, Zach Kokoska singled and scored a run and GJ Hill scored a run for the Yard Goats.
Spokane jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but it didn’t last long. The Hops tied it up in the bottom of the frame and continued to add one-run tallies in the second, third, fifth and seventh on their way to victory. Caleb Hobson started the game with a single for the Indians, stole second and reached third on an error. He came around to score on a Royneir Hernandez single to put Spokane up 1-0. Max Belyeu doubled to move Hernandez to third and a wild pitch allowed Hernandez to score to make up the Indians runs. Belyeu finished with three hits, while Kelvin Hidalgo added two. Lebarron Johnson Jr. took the loss, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in four innings.
Ethan Holliday hit his seventh homer of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, Carlos Renzullo hit a two-run triple in the seventh inning and Roldy Brito and Derek Bernard each recorded RBI doubles in Fresno’s 15-hit victory on Thursday night. Tanner Thach added three hits, drove in a run and scored a run and Clayton Gray went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Riley Kelly struck out eight batters, giving up two runs on two hits with five walks in 4.1 innings for the win. Jhon Medina allowed one run in 1.1 innings and Manuel Oliveras added 3.1 scoreless innings to help the Grizzlies win.
The young pitcher left in the second inning with right arm tightness. Dollander and the Rockies coaching staff aren’t saying a lot about the seriousness of the injury. Dollander will likely undergo imaging before more information is released. Read more about the game here.
Cristian Crespo dives into some of the successes of Rockies prospects like Cole Carrigg, Roc Riggio, Andy Perez, Jacob Humphrey and more across all four levels.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 13: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Red Sox are starting to pitch like the rotation they were built to be over the offseason. That’s even with Garrett Crochet still on the shelf as he strengthens his way back from left shoulder inflammation.
A big part of better turns through the rotation lately comes from a solid run of starts from Sonny Gray. His ERA didn’t jump off the page from his final years in St. Louis, but his metrics were encouraging to the point that the Red Sox made the move to trade for him this winter.
He didn’t have his rhythm immediately in April and spent some time on the injured list with a hamstring strain. Gray clearly found something in his return as he’s allowed just one earned run in 11 innings since his activation off the injured list.
The veteran right-hander is 4-1 with a 3.18 ERA through his first seven starts in a Red Sox uniform. He’s settled into a role without the pressure to lead a return. Crochet will be back and Ranger Suarez also started to throw the ball exceptionally well in recent weeks. As a result, Gray can be himself and go to work on the mound.
All the recent signs are encouraging for Gray as of late and nobody in the Red Sox community wants him to succeed more than the person who still plays his 2013 ALDS highlights on loop (wonder who that might be). With that said, two metrics for Gray are worth keeping an eye on if his production slips this summer.
Gray’s K/9 sits at 5.8 after his most recent start. For reference, he struck out at least 10 per nine innings in each of his final two seasons with the Cardinals. The Boston starter also holds an ERA-FIP gap of 1.01 (4.19 FIP). No need for real concern yet, just something to monitor as the season develops closer to hitter-friendly environments.
Obviously, none of the rotation growth matters if the Red Sox don’t start scoring more runs. In the meantime, the Gray trade looks strong for the health of the pitching staff in 2026.
Cam Schlittler
Taylor Ward
Edward Cabrera
D.J. Short
Eric Samulski
