ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 17: San Francisco second baseman Luis Arraez (1) and shortstop Willy Adames (2) celebrate after a home run by Arraez during the MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves on June 17th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans.
Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to a close today, so let’s pick our favorite highlights from the week that was.
I’m going with the three home run inning from the second game of Wednesday’s double-header against the Atlanta Braves in which Willy Adames, Luis Arraez, and Bryce Eldridge all hit home runs.
What was your favorite highlight of the week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants wrap up this road series against the Miami Marlins this morning at 10:40 a.m. PT.
When I included a link to a background story about Justin Dean in Saturday’s Cub Tracks, I never expected that he would be in the headline of today’s column. Congratulations on the first hit, Justin!
Carson Kelly has to be one of the best free-agent signing of Jed Hoyer’s term as president. His elite work behind the plate is supplemented by a solid bat that has occasional pop. That was clear in Friday’s game.
Ben Brown’s outing wasn’t an overpowering performance, but he seemed show some veteran-level maturity Friday in that he induced a lot of weak contact, using his defense instead of strikeouts to stack up outs for the win.
Oh, and go vote for PCA for the All-Star game. Now.
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Jared Wyllys (AllChgo.com): Cubs offense could be shrugging off collective slump. “An offense that can still get guys on base consistently is bound to bust out at some point. In the last week, the Cubs offense has shown signs that their collective slump could be ending.”
Mike McGraw (Daily Herald): Dean’s milestone moment highlights Cubs’ 16-run outburst. “Dean, 29, has earned a World Series ring, but he was still searching for his first major-league hit when he stepped to the plate for the first time with the Cubs”
Rodney Knuppel (Sporting News): Pete Crow-Armstrong is forcing baseball to pay attention. “For much of the 2026 season, Pete Crow-Armstrong looked like a talented young player still trying to put everything together. Now, he’s becoming something much more dangerous.”
There have been over 5 million total 18-game spans by players in MLB's modern era.
In none of them did a player have as many hits, doubles, triples, homers & steals as the @Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong over his last 18 games:
The Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul described Thornton by saying: “Her booming voice, sometimes 200-pound frame, and exuberant stage manner had audiences stomping their feet and shouting encouragement in R&B theaters from coast to coast from the early 1950s on”. Thornton’s strong and important vocal style and her confidence on stage made her a huge influence on early blues and rock and roll, even though she rarely received proper credit and compensation for her work.
Thornton was the first to record Leiber and Stoller’s “Hound Dog”, in 1952, which was written for her. It became Thornton’s biggest hit, selling over 500,000 copies and staying seven weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart in 1953.[5] According to New York University music professor Maureen Mahon, “the song is seen as an important beginning of rock-and-roll, especially in its use of the guitar as the key instrument”.
Though later recordings of her songs by other artists sold millions of copies, she was denied royalties by not holding the publishing copyrights to her creativity. Thornton died in July 1984 of a heart attack and liver disorders, penniless in a boarding-house in Los Angeles, California. Thornton was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2024 under the Musical Influence category.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
The end of another busy MLB week is here, and we have a robust, 15-game MLB Sunday slate to consider.
There is always value in the prediction markets, and I've scoured the board to find the most value for all 15 games.
Read on for my Sunday MLB moneyline predictions and MLB picks for June 21.
MLB moneyline picks for June 21
Matchup
Pick
Reds vs Yankees
-138
Brewers vs Braves
+122
Nationals vs Rays
-122
White Sox vs Tigers
-127
Giants vs Marlins
+108
Cardinals vs Royals
-100
Guardians vs Astros
-122
Blue Jays vs Cubs
-100
Padres vs Rangers
-138
Pirates vs Rockies
-133
Twins vs Diamondbacks
+156
Angels vs Athletics
-133
Orioles vs Dodgers
+233
Red Sox vs Mariners
+127
Mets vs Phillies
-150
Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 6-21.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for June 21
Reds vs Yankees: Yankees (-138)
Yankees win probability: 58%
The Yankees are absolute money right now, hammering the ball to a top-3 ranking over the last two weeks with a 144 wRC+. Cincinnati is frozen at the plate with a cold 86 wRC+, and their tired relievers are handing out free passes at a 4.47 BB/9 clip. Back Gerrit Cole and the Yankees to dominate at home.
Brewers vs Braves: Brewers (+122)
Brewers win probability: 45%
We are catching solid plus-money value on a mismatch. Atlanta has completely bottomed out offensively, sitting dead last in baseball over the past 14 days with a miserable 74 wRC+. Milwaukee is swinging a red-hot stick at 144 wRC+, meaning they'll knock Bryce Elder out early and cash this ticket.
Nationals vs Rays: Rays (-122)
Rays win probability: 55%
Lock in the Rays at a short price before this line moves. Washington's bullpen is a flat-out disaster right now, failing to miss bats with a bottom-tier 5.31 K/9 over the last two weeks. Tampa Bay's solid bullpen counters at a sharp 9.36 K/9, giving them the weapon needed to lock down the late innings.
White Sox vs Tigers: Tigers (-127)
Tigers win probability: 55.9%
Detroit owns the night. While the offenses are close, Detroit’s 102 wRC+ slightly edges Chicago's 99; the Tigers boast a brilliant, lockdown 1.93 ERA out of the bullpen over the past 14 days. Chicago's relief unit is highly vulnerable, coughing up hard contact at a 4.96 xERA.
Giants vs Marlins: Marlins (+108)
Marlins win probability: 48.1%
Do not miss the boat on this home underdog. Miami holds the better offense right now (115 vs. 110 wRC+) and pairs it with the single most dominant bullpen in baseball over the last 14 days, pitching to a pristine 2.40 ERA and an electric 10.91 K/9. The Marlins are the easiest prediction on the board.
Cardinals vs Royals: Cardinals (-100)
Cardinals win probability: 50%
At a flat pick'em price, the edge goes directly to St. Louis. The Cardinals feature a highly functional, top-10 offense over the last two weeks with a 124 wRC+. Kansas City's bullpen is a ticking time bomb, surrendering a heavy 4.80 BB/9 and a dangerous 5.51 xFIP. Take the better bats.
Guardians vs Astros: Astros (-122)
Astros win probability: 55%
Houston is probably the safest prediction on the afternoon slate. Cleveland’s hitters are completely lost, averaging a bottom-three 80 wRC+ over the last 14 days. They don't stand much of a chance of mounting a late comeback against an elite Astros bullpen that is sporting a stellar 2.11 ERA and a 3.25 FIP over the past two weeks.
Blue Jays vs Cubs: Cubs (-100)
Cubs win probability: 50%
We get the Cubs at even money at Wrigley Field. Chicago's bats are completely outclassing Toronto right now, checking in with an elite 127 wRC+ compared to the Blue Jays' mediocre 108 wRC+. Expect Shota Imanaga to get plenty of run support to secure an easy win.
Padres vs Rangers: Rangers (-138)
Rangers win probability: 58%
Lay the short price on Texas with supreme confidence. The Padres' offense has run completely dry over the past two weeks, plunging down to a sub-par 92 wRC+. Texas brings a far steadier, above-average 112 wRC+ lineup to the plate to crack Lucas Giolito early and often.
Pirates vs Rockies: Pirates (-133)
Pirates win probability: 57.1%
This is a classic "bet against Coors Field catastrophe" spot. Colorado features the absolute worst bullpen in the majors over the last 14 days, bleeding runs to a 5.55 ERA and walking everyone with a 5.36 BB/9. Pittsburgh’s hot 112 wRC+ bats will blow this open late.
Twins vs Diamondbacks: Twins (+156)
Twins win probability: 39.1%
The markets have made a massive mathematical mistake here. Arizona's offense is anemic, sitting near the bottom tier at an 89 wRC+. Minnesota is a top-4 club over the same stretch, hammering the ball to a 133 wRC+. Grab the heavy plus-money on the superior team.
Angels vs A's: Athletics (-133)
Athletics win probability: 57.1%
Ride the hottest team in baseball. The Athletics offense has morphed into a terrifying monster, ranking 1st in the majors over the last 14 days with an elite 147 wRC+ and a massive .275 ISO. They are going to obliterate Reid Detmers and out-slug the Angels this afternoon.
Orioles vs Dodgers: Orioles (+233)
Orioles win probability: 30%
We are passing on the heavily inflated juice to grab a massive plus-money payout on the Orioles. Brandon Young matches up against Emmet Sheehan here, giving us a distinct starting edge to exploit. Back the massive underdog while avoiding the highly restrictive -245 vig.
Red Sox vs Mariners: Red Sox (+127)
Red Sox win probability: 44.1%
This is the ultimate late-inning ambush play. Logan Gilbert is tough, but Seattle’s bullpen has completely imploded over the last 14 days, putting up a disastrous 6.03 ERA and an uncontrollable 5.54 BB/9. Boston's bats can steal this one on the road.
Mets vs Phillies: Phillies (-150)
Phillies win probability: 60%
Zack Wheeler is on the mound at home, and he’s backed by a massive late-inning pitching advantage. Over the last two weeks, Philadelphia’s relief core has been locked in with a sharp 3.58 FIP. They will easily outclass a Mets bullpen that is actively bleeding runs with an ugly 4.23 FIP.
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.
It’s time for one of the best times of the year for NBA fans, the NBA Draft, where teams have the opportunity to draft new, exciting young players to join their team! The first round and second round will be aired on ESPN, with the first round airing only on ABC.
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft will take place on Tuesday, June 23, while the second round will take place on Wednesday, June 24. The event will begin at 8 p.m. ET on both nights at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Then, on May 10, a lottery was held to select the first 14 picks in the draft. The first overall pick went to the Washington Wizards, who had the worst record in the league, so they won the lottery. Utah will pick second, followed by Memphis, Chicago, and the Los Angeles Clippers (in a pick obtained through a trade with the Indiana Pacers.
Like previous years, the Rockets will be hosting a draft party. This year’s draft party will be hosted at Karbach Brewery on Wednesday, June 23rd, starting at 6:00.
This season, Houston holds two picks in the NBA draft, with both picks being in the second round (pick 39 and pick 53). It is largely unknown what Houston will do with these two picks, and it is possible that they could trade the picks or trade up into the lottery; it all just depends. Historically speaking, second-rounders have a lower ceiling, but sometimes turn into great players (think Nikola Jomic, Isiah Thomas, Jalen Williams, Neemias Queeta, Jeremi Grant, and Khris Middleton, to name a few).
With all the information given, how do you all feel about the draft? Do you have any players you are after? Any moves you are predicting, let me know, and as always, be sure to check back here at the Dreamshake for all things Houston Rockets.
Date: June 23-24, 2026
Time: 7:00pm CST
TV channel: ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and more
When is the 2026 NBA draft?
The 2026 NBA draft is on June 23 and 24, starting at 7:00pm CST
Where to watch the NBA draft:
The NBA draft will air on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes on June 23, and on ESPN and ESPN Deportes on June 24.
Where to stream the NBA draft:
This year’s NBA draft will stream on ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo, Sling and YouTube TV.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 20: J.T. Ginn #35 of the Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on June 20, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not a great night for our guys. The team fell this evening, losing to the Angels 7-0.
On Monday, the Hockey Hall of Fame will announce its latest crop of inductees, and one former Montreal Canadiens player should keep his phone within reach. Goaltender Carey Price was eligible to enter the Hall last year, but he didn’t get the call then; the selection committee instead opted for Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Joe Thornton, Alexander Mogilny, Brianna Decker, and Jenniffer Botterill on the players’ side and Daniele Sauvageau and Jack Parker on the builders’ side.
While Price’s contract comes to an end this season, he hasn’t made an official retirement announcement, but being officially retired is not a criterion for entry; a player only needs to have not played professional hockey for three years to be eligible. The former face of the franchise last manned the Canadiens’ net on April 29, 2022, in a 10-2 rout of the Florida Panthers’ “C-team”, since the Cats rested most of their regulars.
The goaltending great's resume leaves little doubt that he should be in the Hall. From an individual standpoint, Price won every trophy he was up for in 2014-15, netting the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player for his team, the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed, and the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted by the members of the NHLPA. In 2021-2022, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Trophy for his dedication to the game and his perseverance. Price overcame substance abuse with the help of the Player Assistance Program and fought through numerous injuries in his career.
The one blemish on his record is that he couldn’t bring a 25th Stanley Cup to Montreal; that wasn’t on him, though. From the 2013-14 season onward, Price was clutch in the playoffs, posting brilliant numbers and achieving save percentages of .919, .920, .933, .936, and .924, along with goals-against averages of 2.36, 2.23, 1.86, 1.78, and 2.28. He came up just short in 2021, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the final. If the Canadiens never won the Cup with him in net, it was no fault of his own; it was down to Montreal’s anemic offense. Price and the Tricolore might have reached the Cup Final in 2013-14 as well had it not been for the infamous Chris Kreider incident. The goaltender was dominant that year, but when Kreider crashed into him in Game 1 of the Conference Final against the New York Rangers, the Canadiens’ dream of a 25th Stanley Cup came crashing down as well.
This year, there are a few big names who will be in their first year of eligibility, including Boston Bruins mainstays Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, and Stanley Cup Champions Phil Kessel and Eric Staal. The likes of Rod Brind'Amour, Vincent Damphousse, and Keith Tkachuk are still waiting for their turn as well. The official announcement will take place on Monday, June 22, at 3:00 PM ET. Watch this space to find out if Price made the cut.
Matt Henry ripped through England on the final morning to finish with career-best figures of 11 for 109
49th over: England 184-5 (Root 76, Cox 1) Henry sets the agenda with a perfect first delivery on off stump that is defended awkwardly by Root. After Root takes a single later in the over, Jordan Cox gets off the mark from his 15th delivery. Can’t imagine that has happened too often.
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been withdrawn from the remainder of Durham and Surrey’s ongoing County Championship matches at the request of the England and Wales Cricket Board [ECB].
Matt Henry took four wickets for no runs in just 12 balls as New Zealand thrashed England by 253 runs in the second Test at the Oval on Sunday for a series-levelling win.
Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance, trying to secure a rebound against Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr., is likely to be drafted late in the first round Tuesday, possibly by the Lakers, who have the 25th overall selection. (Vasha Hunt / Associated Press)
The Lakers will seek to use their 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft on a player who fills a need on a roster that could have up to nine free agents this summer. Yet the Lakers also are aware that picking that late in the round could leave them selecting the best player available.
They probably will be in search of a center who can be a lob threat or an athletic wing who can play defense and knock down three-pointers, two positions the Lakers crave as they try to build a team around star Luka Doncic that fits best with his style of play.
The Lakers spent time in Spain looking at 20-year-old guard Sergio de Larrea, but many NBA scouts see him going later in the first round or even in the second. According to people not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers were impressed by their workout with Purdue point guard Braden Smith. But he’s on the smaller side (6 feet) and played four years in college, leading scouts to believe his upside is not that high and that he’ll be drafted in the second round.
The Lakers don’t have a pick in Wednesday’s second round.
After the Lakers were swept by a deep and athletic Oklahoma City team in the second round of the playoffs, president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka outlined what it takes when trying to compete in the uber-tough Western Conference against the likes of the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, who became the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals.
Pelinka looked at how Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell was drafted in the second round and how he flourished in just his second season, especially in the playoffs, in which he averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists in 11 games.
“Depth is really important, athleticism and youth. We have a lot of components of that on our roster, but we need to add to it,” Pelinka said last month during his exit interview with the media. “I think those are some of the key North Stars that we need to look at.
“One of the players that they had who played really well, Ajay Mitchell, they got in the second round. So there’s ways to add to your roster if you commit to doing the hard work and commit to the process of adding the right pieces. … We’ll be doing that through the draft and free agency and through trades. We’ve gotta find a way to have a roster that will compete with any team in the NBA. That’s what we do here.”
The Lakers do have three tradable first-round picks — 2026, 2031 and 2033 — but the latter two can’t be moved until after the draft.
Lakers star LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent and is looking for a deal from the Lakers, while Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his $14.8-million deal so he can sign a contract with them for up to five years and about $241 million.
Still, the Lakers have to proceed with the draft to find a player.
Texas forward Dailyn Swain, left, vies for a loose ball against Purdue guard Braden Smith during an NCAA tournament game in March. (Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)
Swain (6-7) and Evans (6-6) are the kind of athletic wings the Lakers could use, but both might be chosen before the Lakers make their pick.
The 6-9 Quaintance could slide to the Lakers because of health concerns. He played in only four games last season at Kentucky because the team was being cautious following knee surgery after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament when he played at Arizona State.
Scouts still view him as mobile, athletic and young enough — he turns 19 next month — to develop. But, Quaintance will need to rehab his knee and probably won’t be ready for the upcoming season. When healthy, scouts said, he can be the lob threat and defender that Doncic yearns to have.
New Zealand made very short work of claiming the five England wickets required to secure victory in the second Test on Sunday.
Matt Henry removed four England batters, including Joe Root for 77, in a ferocious 25-minute spell at the Oval. The hosts began the day on 182-5 but added just 10 runs for the first four wickets lost, slipping to 192-9 as the Black Caps showed no mercy.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 6-3 at Columbus Clippers
2B Oswaldo Cabrera 2-5, HR, RBI, K, throwing error — second homer in as many days! DH Marco Luciano 1-4, K RF Yanquiel Fernández 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, K — 16th homer of the year for Yanquiel LF Garrett Martin 1-4, K 3B Tyler Hardman 2-4, SB 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-3, 3 K SS Jonathan Ornelas 0-4, 3 K C Payton Henry 0-4, 2 K CF Duke Ellis 1-4, K
Don Hamel 4.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R (1 ER), 5 BB, 4 K (loss) Will Brian 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR Yerry De Los Santos 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K Rafael Montero 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
Double-A Somerset Patriots:L, 7-6 at Portland Sea Dogs
LF Jackson Castillo 0-5, 3 K RF Jace Avina 2-4, HR, RBI, K — 15th homer of the year 3B Kevin Verde 0-1 CF DJ Gladney 3-5, HR, RBI 1B-RF Nicholas Torres 2-5, 3 K, throwing error 3B-1B Coby Morales 3-4, 2B, RBI, K C Miguel Palma 0-3, GIDP DH Manuel Palencia 1-4 2B Connor McGinnis 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB SS Owen Cobb 1-3, 2B, RBI, K, SAC, fielding error
Kyle Carr 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR — after a rough April Carr has been pretty sharp Chris Kean 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (hold) Ben Grable 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (hold) Matt Keating 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (hold) Hayden Merda 0 IP, 3 H, 4 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 0 K (loss, blown save) — entered with a 6-3 lead, exited with a 6-6 tie and zero outs, yikes Tony Rossi 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K — gave up the winning run on an error, leading to this strangely empty line
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:W, 3-2 at Rome Emperors
SS Kaeden Kent 0-4, BB, K 3B Core Jackson 1-5, HR, RBI — homer in the first got HV ahead C Eric Genther 5-5, 2 2B 1B Kyle West 2-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 K — two-run shot was the difference in the game LF Wilson Rodriguez 0-4, K 2B Roderick Arias 1-3, BB, K DH Enmanuel Tejeda 1-4, K CF Camden Troyer 1-4 RF Luis Durango 0-4, K, fielding error
Rory Fox 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR (win) Jack Sokol 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K (hold) Thomas Balboni Jr. 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (hold) Wilmy Sanchez 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (save)
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 21, 2026
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:L, 13-11 vs. Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
SS Jackson Lovich 0-4, RBI, BB, K CF Brando Mayea 4-5, 3 RBI, K LF Luis Puello 4-6, K 3B-1B Hans Montero 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K RF Logan Maxwell 2-4, 2 RBI, BB C Engelth Urena 1-6, K DH David McCann 3-5, 2 RBI, K 1B Austin Green 3-5, 2 RBI, K 3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 1-1, BB 2B Luis Escudero 2-3, 3 RBI, 2 BB
Tyler Boudreau 5 IP, 4 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR Jose M. Rodriguez 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K Pedro Rodriguez 0.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 0 K Matthew Tippie 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K Jordarlin Mendoza 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Florida Complex League Yankees:L, 3-2 (8) vs. FCL Blue Jays
3B Richard Matic 2-4, RBI, K, SB, throwing error RF Wilberson De Pena 0-4, 3 K C Queni Pineda 0-3, K SS-2B Leni Done 0-3, K CF Jose Castro 0-3, 2 K LF Robbie Burnett 1-3, fielding error DH Francisco Vilorio 0-2, BB 2B-SS Dexters Peralta 1-2, BB, K, SB 1B Justin Capellan 0-1, BB, K 1B Christofer Reyes 0-1
Sabier Marte 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 5 K Austin Breedlove 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 3 K (loss, blown save) Jorge Luna 0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K — came on with two on and allowed the ghost runner to score, but doesn’t actually get credited with the loss
Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 8-5 vs. DSL Bombers — some Baby Bomber vs. Baby Bomber action
CF Isaias Castillo 3-3, RBI, 2 BB, SB — keeps the OPS at a tidy 1.289 SS Stiven Marinez 0-4, BB, 2 K DH Yostin Pena 0-4, RBI, K, SF 2B Juan Torres 1-3, 2 BB, CS RF Manuel Aguilar 1-3, 2 BB 3B Abrahan Pichardo 1-4, RBI, K C Cesar Lopez 1-4, K 1B Jose Peralta 0-2, 2 BB, K LF Kendry Diaz 1-2, 2 BB, fielding error
Dominican Summer League Bombers:W, 8-5 vs. DSL Yankees
SS Mani Cedeno 1-3, RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, SB, fielding error DH Carlos Bello 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB — doubled his season home-run total in the third and fourth innings C Alessandro Rodriguez 1-2, 3 RBI, 2 BB RF David Carrera 0-2, 2 BB, K 3B Germayhoni Beltre 1-5 CF Alfiery Matos 1-5 2B Adrian Feliz 1-4, BB, 2 K 1B John Rosillo 0-5, 3 K LF Eddison Charles 0-3, BB, K
Brandy Luis 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K Sebastian Castillo 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 4 K (win) Diego Carrillo 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 0 K Josue Silvestre 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K (hold) Ronald Tejada 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K (save)
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Kevin Parada #95 of the New York Mets hits a double during the fifth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Jonah Tong made another awful start, and his defense – which made three errors in total – did him no favors. Jonathan Pintaro was quite poor as well. The Mets chipped away, but seemed destined to lose. Then with one out out in the ninth, a Kevin Parada double put the tying run in scoring position. A triple from Sam Biller tied it. and finally, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Yonny Hernandez drove in the game winning run. Love a walkoff win.
Binghamton trailed going into the late innings, then exploded. Three in the sixth, four in the seventh, two more in the eight, and a 10-2 win in the end. All three of Nick Lorusso, Jaylen Palmer, and Kevin Villavicencio went deep in the win.
This Brooklyn team just doe snot have the juice this year. There’s not a ton of notable prospects, nor are there any minor league performers driving wins. Much like the major league side, feels like a very blah season.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 17: Kyle Bradish #38 and Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles look on after the fifth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on June 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Kevin Ng/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads of Birdland.
This article is being written before the result of Saturday’s game against the Dodgers is settled, though of course you’ll know what happened by the time you read these words. They were winning and Trevor Rogers was looking great at the time I set this to publish. I sure hope that continued!
As is unfortunately typical for the Orioles this season, there was some bad news even before the game began on Saturday. The team has placed catcher Adley Rutschman on the concussion injured list, following his being hit in the head by an errant throw while running to first base in Thursday’s loss to the Mariners.
It is rotten luck to lose one of the better hitters on the team so far this season to a freak injury like that. Hopefully he is able to bounce back from the concussion symptoms quickly. The team certainly needs him. Though I also hope the Orioles don’t rush him back in desperation. That won’t help anyone in the short term or the long term.
Since the Orioles already had third catcher Sam Huff on the roster, the corresponding move to the Rutschman injury was to add an outfielder, Michael Siani. If you are not an Orioles 40-man roster sicko, you have not had much occasion to note him since his arrival by waivers about a month ago. Siani was OPSing .659 for the Dodgers Triple-A team when he was claimed and has put up a .109/.208/.217 batting line for Norfolk. Maybe he will be a better late-inning defensive replacement than Tyler O’Neill. If he ends up being more, things have probably gotten weird, and probably not the fun kind of weird.
Without the benefit of knowing what happens on Saturday, I am thinking about some glum math. Winning on Saturday only would do so much to change the math. One of the things about this season up to this point is the general weakness of the AL Wild Card field. That combined with Rob Manfred’s ongoing quest to reward mediocrity with more playoff teams has had below-.500 teams in wild card spots up to this point. I still think that will change eventually, though maybe something like 83 wins will let a team slip in.
The Orioles brought a 35-42 record into Saturday. Getting to 83 wins would mean they need to go 48-37 from that point onward. Do they have that kind of stretch in them? For almost two full years now, they haven’t! This year, they have yet to win more than three games in a row. It’s hard to stack up wins without a big streak.
Something is going to change for them to make this thing happen. We have all in our own ways spent the last two months, two years, or whatever, trying to bargain this into existence. It continues to not happen. The Orioles are not good enough, no matter how much I want them to be!
The Frederick Keys are the first half division champions (Steve on Baseball) Steve Melewski with some recent coverage of the one Orioles affiliate that’s been playing well so far this season. They’ve been playing very well, in fact!
The most recent Orioles victory on June 21 happened over a decade ago. The 2015 team beat the Blue Jays, 13-9, to improve to 36-33 on the season. Chris Tillman was staked a 7-0 lead after the top of the second inning and gave up six runs while failing to finish the bottom of the second. Jimmy Paredes and Ryan Flaherty each drove in three runs on the way to a victory. The only player in the organization now who was in the organization that day was Ryan Mountcastle, who signed his pro contract five days prior.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2006 pitcher Sendy Rleal, 2000 pitcher Luis Rivera, 1992-93 pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, and 1955 pitcher Eddie Lopat.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: author Ian McEwen (1948), author Andrzej Sapkowski (1948), actor Chris Pratt (1979), golfer Scottie Scheffler (1996), and singer-songwriter Rebecca Black (1997).
On this day in history…
In 217 BC, Carthaginian general Hannibal won one of his great victories, pulling off an army-level ambush of a Roman force in the Battle of Lake Trasimene, which led to Carthage controlling much of modern-day Southern Italy for some time afterwards.
In 1582 AD, one of Japan’s historic legendary daimyo, Oda Nobunaga, was forced to commit suicide by a rebelling general.
In 1791, French king Louis XVI attempted to flee the captivity of revolutionaries along with his family. The royal family was captured during the flight, and the king and queen were eventually sent to the guillotine.
In 1898, the United States captured Guam from Spain during the opening of the Spanish-American War, with the Spanish defenders not yet knowing about the war having begun.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on June 21. Have a safe Sunday. Go O’s!
The Detroit Tigers took the second of this weekend’s three-game series against the Chicago White Sox with a 4-1 victory at Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon. Troy Melton bounced back from a leadoff home run to settle in for six innings of one-run ball while Dillon Dinlger led the way on offense with a 2-for-4 effort that included a home run and a pair of RBIs.
On Sunday, the Motor City Kitties have a chance to sweep the South Siders for their third series win against a first-place team this month. Justin Verlander had been scheduled to return from the injured list for his second start of the season, but was scratched on Friday with a hamstring injury, which may have accelerated his retirement plans.
Instead, right-hander Keider Montero, who was relegated to the bullpen after Verlander’s return was initially announced earlier in the week, will toe the rubber for the Olde English D looking to complete the sweep of ChiSox. The 25-year-old’s most recent outing was his only relief appearance of the year — a lackluster one at that — in which he tossed 1 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs (one earned) on two hits and no walks while striking out two Houston Astros to earn his fifth loss of 2026 in a 4-2 final.
However, the last time Montero saw Chicago earlier this season on the final day of May, he gave Detroit six frames of shutout ball on two hits and no walks while striking out four in a game his team eventually lost on the road, 2-1.
The White Sox will send fellow righty Davis Martin to the mound looking to salvage the final game of the series in what has been a breakout campaign for him so far. However, June has been rough for the 29-year-old, with a six-run effort over 4 2/3 innings and a nine-run thumping in just 3 1/3 frames bookending six innings of shutout ball in between.
Davis did not face the Tigers when they met earlier this season. Take a look below at how the two Sunday starters match up.
Detroit Tigers (32-44) vs. Chicago White Sox (39-36)
Time (ET): 1:40 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 77: RHP Keider Montero (3-5, 3.67 ER) vs. RHP Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31 ERA)
Keaton Wagler of Illinois, left, and Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas are two potential draft prospects the Clippers might select in the first round Tuesday night. (Associated Press photos)
Even during an early start to their offseason, the Clippers got one major win in May.
The Clippers were the quiet winners of the NBA draft lottery, where, with coin-flip odds, they swiped the Indiana Pacers’ first-round pick in a loaded draft class. The No. 5 pick can add an immediate rotation player for the Clippers while also being a potential fulcrum for what experts consider one of the deepest draft classes ever.
The top four prospects are locked. The only question is in what order Brigham Young forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson will hear their names called Tuesday night at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Washington, which picks first, Utah, Memphis and Chicago have the first shots at those potential franchise-defining players.
The first round then could turn with the Clippers’ pick.
“It puts the Clippers in an interesting spot at five,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo said on a conference call with reporters. “They’ve got options, including trades.”
After the top tier of primarily wing prospects, four guards are likely to go in the next wave of picks. Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. broke former No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg’s Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record with 45 points in a game, but did not play in the NCAA tournament because of a back injury after averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists for the Cardinals.
Kingston Flemings (16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 1.8 turnovers) became the first freshman at Houston to earn All-America honors, named a consensus second-teamer last year while leading the Cougars to the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16. But Houston’s bid for consecutive Final Fours ended against Illinois and guard Keaton Wagler.
The 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 turnovers as a freshman. Coming out of high school, Wagler was the lowest-ranked prospect out of the four guards jockeying for draft position between picks five and eight, but he could be the first of the group off the board.
“He has the size, and he has this brain where you see how quickly he’s improved,” Woo said. “And that, to me, is the biggest thing. But I just think people will continue to learn more about him. He’s not someone NBA teams knew about really coming into the year. … It just happened faster than we all expected.”
Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. has the attention of scouts after averaging 23.5 points while shooting 44% from three-point range, but the 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard could create a defensively challenged pairing next to Clippers point guard Darius Garland.
Garland was acquired in a midseason move that signaled a significant pivot in the team’s plans. The Clippers sent 36-year-old James Harden, who was having his highest-scoring season in six years, to Cleveland in exchange for the 26-year-old Garland and a 2028 second-round selection.
Two days later, the Clippers got even younger by sending starting center Ivica Zubac and third-year guard Kobe Brown to Indiana for 23-year-old guard Bennedict Mathurin, backup center Isaiah Jackson, two first-round picks and one second-round pick. One of the first-round picks turned into this year’s selection after the Pacers, who finished with the second-worst record, slipped out of the top four in the draft lottery.
Zubac, 29, was the Clippers’ longest-tenured player and top rebounder. He and Harden were two of their top three scorers.
Houston guard Kingston Flemings goes for a layup during an NCAA tournament game in March. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
“When we traded James and when we traded Zu, those were incredibly hard and difficult situations,” Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters after the season.
“But it requires that you must be honest about yourself and honest about where you’re at as a team. Usually teams, when you study team building, if they’re in this contender status, they usually take this huge drop to rebuilding. We’re not going to do that.”
The Clippers have had 15 consecutive winning seasons, the longest active streak. But they have not won a playoff series since their Western Conference finals run in 2021. Last season ended with a play-in game collapse, the Clippers squandering a 13-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Golden State Warriors at home.
The midseason trades helped the Clippers start replenishing their draft capital after the blockbuster move that brought Paul George and Kawhi Leonard to L.A. in 2019 hamstrung their assets. Because of the Cavaliers trade, the Clippers also have the 52nd overall pick in Wednesday’s second round, along with the 36th pick. The moves also helped reset the roster from the oldest in league history to one with six rotation players who are an average of 25.7 years old.
Leonard, who turns 35 the week after the draft, is entering the final year of his contract. The superstar forward averaged a career-best 27.9 points while playing 65 games, just the second time with the Clippers that he appeared in 60 or more in a season.
But the franchise still is waiting for the results of a league investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention involving Leonard and former team sponsor Aspiration. The punishment levied could include multimillion-dollar fines, a loss of future draft picks or voiding Leonard’s contract with the team.
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