Worldwide Sports News

The Yankees broke their losing streak on Tuesday, narrowly defeating the Tigers 4-3 thanks to a timely two-run shot from Jazz Chisholm Jr. to go ahead for good in the sixth inning. Carlos Rodón did enough to keep them in the game, pitching into the sixth inning and allowing all three of Detroit’s runs, and the bullpen was lights out as David Bednar secured his 15th save of the season. With the win, they put the pressure on the rest of the American League to keep up, so let’s see who managed it.

Tampa Bay Rays (43-33) 5, Kansas City Royals (34-46) 12

Kansas City started off strong early, and then they ran up the score late. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to home runs from Nick Loftin and Jac Caglianone, but Junior Caminero got one of them back in the bottom half on an RBI single to cut the deficit in half. The game stayed in a stand-still from there until the fifth inning, when Shane McClanahan finally buckled. Michael Massey led off with a double and got advanced to third on a bunt, but McClanahan threw the ball away allowing the batter to reach and Massey to score. McClanahan got two more batters to make outs to get on the verge of escaping without a crooked number on the board, but Loftin ripped an RBI single and Caglianone hit his second homer of the game to make it 6-1. All of the runs were unearned due to the error, but given it was McClanahan himself who committed it they might as well have been earned.

We entered pour-it-on territory in the eighth inning, now facing the Rays’ bullpen. A pair of run-scoring doubles, a sacrifice fly, and a wild pitch brought five more runs home and made it an 11-1 blowout. Caminero continued to be the offense for Tampa, this time lifting a solo shot, but Josh Rojas got it right back in the top of the ninth with an RBI double. The Rays finally got their offense cooking in the bottom half, scoring three runs on four hits and a walk, but the rally came nowhere close to closing the gap.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (39-40) 7, Houston Astros (38-43) 9 (11 innings): Houston jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning thanks to homers from Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith, and Taylor Trammell, but Toronto tied it by the seventh thanks to homers of their own from Luis Urías and Daulton Varsho. The Jays then took the lead in the eighth on a two-run single from Kazuma Okamoto, only for the Astros to tie things back up in the ninth thanks to a bases-loaded catchers’ interference and a sacrifice fly.

That brought us to extras, where nothing of note happened in the 10th with both sides going down in order. In the 11th though, Houston finally cashed in with a three-run Joey Loperfido blast.

Toronto got their ghost runner across in the bottom half, but only after a flyout to begin the inning. Two more groundouts closed this one out as Houston continues to crawl closer to the rest of the AL West while Toronto dips back under .500.

Cleveland Guardians (41-39) 1, Chicago White Sox (41-37) 2: The middle innings decided this one, as all the scoring occurred within the fourth through sixth. Colson Montgomery got Chicago on the scoreboard first, flipping a two-out RBI single out to right field. Cleveland countered in the fifth inning with a Kahlil Watson solo shot, but the White Sox recovered their lead in the sixth with a solo blast of their own, this one off the bat of Miguel Vargas. That was all the damage done against Parker Messick as he pitched 7.2 phenomenal innings striking out 10 batters, but it saddled him with a hard-luck loss as the White Sox remain in first place in the AL Central.

Seattle Mariners (41-39) 3, Pittsburgh Pirates (39-40) 2: George Kirby didn’t have his sharpest stuff, scattering eight hits with two walks over six innings, but he managed to limit the damage to just two runs (and only one of them earned). The Pirates built a 2-0 lead by the third inning, but Seattle chipped away with a Cal Raleigh homer in the fourth before Cole Young put them ahead with a two-run shot.

The big club had a truly thrilling night as they shocked the Nationals, but the affiliates had one that produced emotions of a rather different sort. All of the Phillies affiliates lost last night, and the pitchers faced particular trouble, with only the Threshers allowing fewer than eight runs. The season is long, and memory is short: the affiliates will put this behind them.

Syracuse 9, Lehigh Valley 6

The IronPigs took a lead with a grand slam in the fourth, courtesy of Dylan Moore, but allowed the Mets to score in every inning from the fourth onwards. Christian Cairo went three for five with 2 runs, and Keaton Anthony contributed two hits of his own. All of the IronPig pitchers allowed runs, and all but one allowed multiple. Starter Tucker Davidson struck out nine, but walked three and allowed five hits and three runs.

Altoona 9, Reading 4

The Fightin Phils scored in four consecutive innings, but just one run in each, and none in any other frame. It wasn’t enough to defeat the Curve, who put up nine runs on ten hits. Luke Ritter worked three walks, and Pedro León and Alex Binelas each had a homer and another hit to add to it. None of the four Phils pitchers who took the mound walked away without allowing a run: starter Braydon Tucker allowed four (three earned) through 3.2 pitched.

Brooklyn 8, Jersey Shore 7

The BlueClaws were in pole position after a five run fifth that gave them a 7-2 lead. Unfortunately, they surrendered three in the bottom of the inning, then were held scoreless the rest of the night as the Cyclones walked them off on a single in the 10th. Only Tyler Pettorini had more than 1 hit. Nick Biddison contributed two RBI. All three BlueClaw pitchers had somewhat rough nights, with Cody Bowker allowing three runs and five hits in four innings, Sam Highfill allowing three runs and six hits in three innings, and Gabriel Barbosa allowing two runs, including the winner, across two innings.

Jupiter 6, Clearwater 5

The Threshers kept the Hammerheads from scoring in eight of nine innings. But a six-run eighth for the visitors gave Jupiter the victory in this shark vs. shark showdown. Griffin Burkholder, Juan Villavicencio, and Alirio Ferrebus had two hits apiece. Jonathan Hogart had a rather satisfiying line, with two walks, two runs, a hit, an RBI, and no strikeouts. Starter Cade Obemueller allowed the Hammerheads to scatter six hits over four innings, but, aided by his 8 Ks, he allowed no runs. Tyler Bowen struggled, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks in 0.2 innings.

DSL Rockies 15, DSL Phillies 11

The DSL Phillies fought back furiously, putting up five runs in the seventh and four in the eighth as they tried to catch up to the Rockies. 11 runs, and all scored the hard way: no homers. A valiant effort, but not enough to secure victory thanks to the Rockies’ scoring in six of their eight frames. Juan Parra, Francisco Renteria, Sebastian Saenz, Dayber Cruceta, and Jose Tovar contributed two hits each. The Phillies had four pitchers, each taking two innings, and each allowing multiple runs. They had only five strikeouts on what proved to be a rough night.

The Loons were the only team to secure a win in a day of limited action in the Dodgers’ minor league system.

Player of the day

The lack of support around Jaron Elkins shouldn’t devalue what was, by all accounts, an impressive performance, particularly on the basepaths. The Tower Buzzers center fielder reached base three times and was responsible for all three of his team’s stolen bases in a 5-3 loss, without getting caught once.

Elkins is right in the middle of his finest run of form this season, having recorded at least one hit in 15 of his last 16 games. It was his second appearance stealing at least three bags, and the first one since the beginning of April.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Even the temporary reinforcement of having Teoscar Hernández in the heart of the batting order wasn’t enough to help the Comets overcome the Aces in a 5-4 loss. Hernández homered on the first day of his rehab assignment, and OKC threatened with the go-ahead run in scoring position in the top of the eighth inning, but Jack Suwinski struck out to strand a pair.

Pitching-wise, it was a game of command struggles for the Comets, with Ryder Ryan and the bullpen combining to walk 12 batters, seven more than the opposition. Ryan took the loss, allowing three earned runs in just as many innings pitched.

Double-A Tulsa

By all effects, this one was over for the Drillers well before the end of the third inning, having allowed nine runs to the Hooks, all of them charged to starter Patrick Copen, who had his worst performance of the season, conceding not one, not two, not three, but four home runs.

One of the side effects of such a large deficit so early is that the offense can check out, at least to a certain extent. In this particular game, that was transparent, with six of the Drillers’ nine starting hitters finishing the game with multiple strikeouts. Their only run came on a Mike Sirota solo blast in the bottom of the third, his only hit, reaching base for a 59th straight game.

High-A Great Lakes

Six was the number here. The Loons beat the Lugnuts by six runs in a 7-1 win. They recorded six doubles to account for all of their extra-base hits, and they were six for 17 with runners in scoring position. It was truly a collective effort with a special shout-out to the bottom of the order: Samuel Munoz and Victor Rodrigues, hitters eighth and ninth, were the only ones to record at least three hits in this performance.

Tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, reliever Jacob Frost recorded his seventh win of the season since starter Zach Root was unable to complete five full innings, still pitching a solid game, allowing just the one earned run.

Single-A Ontario

Three unanswered runs to begin the game gave the Tower Buzzers an ideal start; the only problem was that the offense fell flat after that, and the bullpen struggled with walks to eventually cough up the lead in the eighth, losing the game 5-3. These late struggles meant that Ontario couldn’t properly take advantage of a good outing from its starting pitcher, Mason Estrada, with five one-run innings.

Individually, although his performance didn’t carry an impact on the game, unable to drive in a run or score one himself, Elkins now has 22 stolen bases on the year. The center fielder stole three bases in a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, which also included a walk. First baseman Easton Shelton hit his 22nd homer of the year.

Tuesday’s scores

• Reno 5, Oklahoma City 4
• Tulsa 1, Corpus Christi 10
• Lansing 1, Great Lakes 7
• Visalia 5, Ontario 3

Wednesday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) at Lansing (Steven Echavarria)
• 5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Peter Heubeck) vs. Corpus Christi (Bryce Mayer)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) vs. Reno (TBD)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Visalia (Junior Ciprian)

Happy Wednesday A’s fans!

The Athletics remain stirred in mediocrity at the big-league level. The “Green and Gold” have been unable to establish a foothold above .500 and take control of a division whose expected pace-setter, the Seattle Mariners, have fallen short of preseason expectations.

The situation is unlikely to improve unless the team receives more consistent pitching performances from both its starters and relievers to complement its potent lineup. At the moment, starting pitchers J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump are the only two starters the A’s can reliably count on every time they take the mound.

Meanwhile, the A’s bullpen comprises several talented relievers, but no true shutdown guy has emerged since the franchise traded Mason Miller last July. Left-hander Hogan Harris is solid, yet he is overworked and finds himself in trouble more often than not. On Father’s Day, he could not protect his team’s lead, giving up a game-tying three-run home run in the eighth inning.

Dominican right-handers Luis Medina and Elvis Alvarado have the flame throwing stuff to become lockdown arms at the end of games. Both pitchers have flashed their potential at times this season, but remain inconsistent, as evidenced by Alvarado surrendering the Angels’ game-winning home run in the ninth inning of Sunday’s series and homestand finale. Last but not least, Mason Barnett, whom the A’s recalled earlier this month, has been a pleasant surprise, pitching well over his last five relief appearances.

The A’s finally designated veteran right-hander Scott Barlow for assignment rather than waiting for him to blow the lead in another game. The team did not do a good enough job to address its bullpen weakness this offseason, as Barlow did not even last till the All-Star Break and fellow offseason signing Mark Leiter Jr. recently landed on the injured list with a hip injury.

Down on the farm, the options are scarce. A few days ago, the A’s promoted Geoff Hartlieb and Matt Krook, giving these two journeymen relievers another chance to compete in the major leagues.

Yunior Tur, a 26-year-old Cuban right-hander holding his own at Triple-A, could receive his first MLB promotion soon as the A’s continue trying to put together the right mix of bullpen arms. On the other hand, pitchers such as Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales and Michael Kelly performed so poorly for the Athletics earlier this season that they are now trying to rediscover their form in the minors.

Will the team’s bullpen continue to struggle, or can the group turn things around? What is your goal for the Athletics as the end of June nears?

A’s Coverage:

• Robbie Ray Stymies A’s as Giants Take Game No. 1
  A’s Squander Chances, Fall to Pirates in Series Equalizer
• As a ballpark rises in Las Vegas, owner John Fisher is pitching his A’s — and himself
• What’s next for the Oakland Coliseum? The future is ‘not bright’
• Alvarado’s return so dominant, he’s inviting a lofty comparison
• Why Front Office And Manager Should Be Embarrassed By Today’s Game
• Some Easy Fixes Rocket Science Aren’t
• Athletics’ Devin Taylor Emerges As All-Around Talent
• From celebratory pool dip to the A’s, Meneses’ journey back to Majors a memorable one
• Athletics Could Deal Hottest Triple-A Bat This Summer
• Status Report: Uncertainty Persists In 5 Places On The Diamond
• Why A’s Williams Deserves Spot Past Jacob Wilson’s Return
• 7 wild facts from a Vegas show for the ages
• A’s $2 Billion Las Vegas Ballpark Shows Progress With First Roof Truss in Place
• A’s interested in Kris Bubic
• Korach reflects on A’s history in Las Vegas, upcoming move
• Three Things To Watch For The Athletics In June
• Las Vegas is ‘dying for a baseball team.’ Will its locals adopt the A’s?
• The A’s Inability To Play Well At Home Is Embarrassing
• Arnold and Jump are both slinging … anyone else reminded of another A’s duo?
• Three Dark Horse Trade Candidates for Athletics This Summer
• Two Draft Candidates Who Could Transform Athletics This Summer
• Athletics Early MLB Draft Preview

MLB News and Interest:

• What if MLB built its Draft system from scratch?
• Passan’s unique 2026 MLB midseason awards
• Biggest strengths for top current 2026 MLB playoff contenders
• On cusp of season’s halfway point, here’s what we’ve learned
• Newcomb’s 2 2/3 hitless frames lock down White Sox spot atop AL Central
• Royals’ Cole Ragans likely to have surgery on left elbow
• Sonny Gray “Open” To Discussing No-Trade Clause If Red Sox Sell
• Boomer Sooner! Oklahoma wins 1st MCWS title since ‘94
• Manfred: Giants’ communication to players over Pride caps ‘not clear’
• ‘Unrealistic’ to expect Steele starting for Cubs in 2026, Hoyer says
• Mauricio Dubón Open To Extension Talks With Braves
• Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff gets 900th K in return from IL
• Brewers release former starting third baseman Luis Rengifo
• Rangers Sign Marco Gonzales To Minor League Deal
• Angels Designate Nick Madrigal For Assignment
• Reds Designate Chris Paddack For Assignment
• 5 takeaways from the latest All-Star voting results
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Keep voting for Nick Kurtz. Given the season he is having, he deserves to represent the Athletics at the All-Star Game in the state where he grew up.

Well-deserved honor for A’s outfielder Colby Thomas.

This past weekend, the A’s Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators clinched the first half Pacific Coast League championship. They will host the second half champion in the best-of-three LCS beginning on Tuesday, September 22.

This is an interesting breakdown of how Tyler Soderstrom has snapped out of his early-season slump to become a consistent contributor in the middle of the A’s lineup.

Larry Andersen’s playing career spanned across portions of three different decades.    He’d appear in a pair of World Series with the Phillies, and in 1986 he’d join the Astros several weeks into that magical season, which would culminate in their classic playoff series with the Mets.    

Larry joins us for our 28th installment of the Legends Series, exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes.    

Q:  I want to start with 1986.    Can you believe it’s been 40 years?     That doesn’t seem possible.

A:  It’s remarkable.   The memories are still there and of course Game 6, I appeared in and I’ll never forget that.    The intensity was incredible.     I pitched three innings that game and the noise in the Astrodome was deafening and I’m actually deaf in one ear completely since birth and it was still the loudest thing I’ve ever heard.     I thought my nerves were going to jump out of my body.     That was a game for the ages, I just wish it had turned out differently for the fans.    

Q:  How was it that the Phillies would release you in May and you’d land in Houston a few days later?

A:  I was released while in Houston, so I knew what kind of team they had.   They were good.    

The Hendricks brothers were my agents, and they wanted me to play for the Astros, so they set it up where I went and did a side pitching session in the bullpen for Hal Lanier.    They immediately saw that there was nothing wrong with me.   I was completely healthy.     They were completely baffled with the release.

Q:  So, what happened?

A:  The Phillies had made a trade and had acquired Gary Redus and relief pitcher Tom Hume for John Denny.    So, it came down to keeping me or Tom Hume.    

I felt like my stuff at the time was just as good as his, but he was making $800,000 and I was making $300,000, so it was an easy choice.    

It was easier for the Phillies to eat $300,000 of salary.    I understood that.     It’s a business.    

I waited a few days for the waiver deadline to pass, and then I was playing for the Astros.    

Q:  There were so many great characters on the Astros back then.     Who comes to mind?

A:  Doctor Death, Danny Darwin (laughs).    He really helped solidify our pitching staff.

It’s funny, Danny had issues with the Montreal Expos.   I was facing Spike Owen, and I threw a pitch inside and it created a brawl.   In that brawl, Spike Owen came to the mound and came for me, but the rest of the Expos went after Danny Darwin.   He had broken Hubie Brooks’ hand earlier in the year, and they were after him even though I threw the pitch that started it.     

I don’t know if Danny ever forgave me for that, because he got absolutely pummeled.     

Q:  If you guys had prevailed in Game 6, is there any doubt in your mind that Mike Scott would’ve won Game 7, advancing you to the World Series?

A:  I think it’s easy to say, absolutely.    The Mets knew they were done.    They were so hellbent on saying Scott was cheating and were always checking the ball and trying to question the nature of his splitter.    It was amazing, they were a mess.

Good morning everyone!

Pittsburgh native Cole Young had a homecoming to remember last night, delivering the go-ahead homer in a 3-2 Mariners victory over the Pirates.

Importantly, Andrés Muñoz also looked electric last night. How are you feeling about our closer after his dominant showing?

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, Randy Arozarena returned from the injured list last night after a brief stint with a hamstring issue.
• A legal appeal has been filed to prevent the construction of housing in a plot of land near T-Mobile Park.

Around the league…

• Rangers right-hander Jack Leiter will miss significant time after undergoing ankle surgery.
• Royals ace left-hander Cole Ragans will likely require elbow surgery, which would almost certainly end his 2026 season.
• The Royals placed third baseman Maikel García on the injured list with a muscle strain in his left hand.
• Cubs starter Edward Cabrera was carted off the field last night with an apparent hamstring injury.
• A’s infielder Zack Gelof exited yesterday’s game against the Giants after being spiked by Matt Chapman’s cleats.
• The Twins shut down any speculation that they might trade outfielder Byron Buxton this summer.
• Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara became the all-time franchise leader in strikeouts with his 1,002nd last night, unseating Ricky Nolasco.
• David Appelman released the 2026 State of Fangraphs on the 21st anniversary of the website.
• Davy Andrews at Fangraphs tried to figure out why Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan suddenly stopped producing.
• Jeff Passan at ESPN handed out some mid-season awards – just not the ones you’re expecting.

Welcome back to the mailbag!

Most of the responses I got this time were centered around prospects and the state of the farm so far this year, so that will be the theme of this mailbag article.

pdawd (@JeannotShowYo on Twitter/X): Who in the farm has been the most pleasant surprise and what have they added to their game to make unexpected strides?

Nathan Flewelling has been a pleasant surprise on the defensive side. There aren’t many questions about his offensive impact, but his receiving and throwing have noticeably improved.

This year, he’s doing a better job on the receiving end by showing late glove movement when framing pitches compared to last season. It looked “stabby” last year because Flew would hold his glove in the zone too early in the pitcher’s delivery before grabbing it and bringing it back toward the zone. Now he’ll flash the glove early in the delivery, drop it down to the dirt, and then wait until the pitcher is releasing the ball before gliding his glove to catch the ball and bring to into the zone, all in one motion.

But it’s not just his glove. His improved throwing starts with his footwork. Flew’s arm has always been above average, but his exchange and release needed improvement. Last season, he almost always would catch the ball and then jump up into a throwing position. Now, Flew is consistently getting his feet into a throwing position as he’s receiving the ball. The result is a quicker release and more accurate throws to the 1B side of the 2B bag. His caught stealing rate has improved from 13.9% in 2025 to 34.6% in 2026 so far. Some of that improvement could be driven by High-A pitchers doing a better job of varying their delivery times, but the data coupled with Flew’s observable improvement in his defensive actions signal meaningful growth. Like all teenage prospects, he’ll need to continue to work on his consistency – especially as the physical demands of his position challenge him later in the season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him as a consensus top 50 prospect by the end of the season.

Dhaffa Ghiffari (@dapuik_ on Twitter/X) and Dylan Hood (@DylanHood69 on Twitter/X): What is a reasonable expectation for Carson Williams and his future? Will the Rays ever commit to him, or will he be traded at the deadline?

Carson still looks like an every day SS thanks to his near 70-grade glove and plus power. He has done a nice job cutting down on the whiff compared to last season by using the whole field a bit more – especially with two strikes. There’s impressive impact on both sides of the ball, and now it’s just a matter of opportunity.

I don’t think he would be traded this season because he’s 3rd on the SS depth chart for the ML side. Maybe they’d trade him if they received a SS in return, for him or in some other trade, but it doesn’t seem likely.

Taylor Walls is having a good season by his standards as he’s leaning into his small-ball skillset, and he’s arguably the best defensive SS of this century. Ben Williamson has shown he’s a competent ML utility guy, but lacks the impact defensively at SS and at the plate. Carson should have an opportunity to compete for the starting job after this season (Editor’s Note: How many times have we said that? – DR), but the 2026 draft and trade deadline could change that.

Flappy Gilmore (@FlappyGilmore on Twitter/X): Do you see a spot on the roster for Tre’ Morgan coming, or is he more valuable as a trade chip at this point?

Tre’ Morgan has had an unfortunate run of injuries over the last couple seasons. He looked solid in AAA last year when he was able to stay on the field, and he has adjusted his approach this season in an attempt to unlock more impact but has missed a lot of time already. He’s back in AAA now after showing some impressive bat speed gains during his rehab assignment, so I’m interested to see what he could look like in a larger sample. The defense is 80-grade at 1B as advertised, and his average hit tool should allow him to carve out some sort of role at the ML level.

The experiment with him in the OF seems to have come to an end, so it’s most likely 1B only – which is fine because the defense really is that good. Unfortunately, I’m not sure the Rays could roster Tre’, Yandy, and Aranda in the majors at the same time. I don’t think Tre’ will be traded this season, and I expect him to get protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason. His health and availability of reps at 1B in the majors will determine if and when he will have an opportunity to contribute.

Sad Rays Fan (@rays4403 on Twitter/X): Which prospects do you realistically think can make an impact this season?

I don’t think he counts as a prospect anymore, but Jacob Melton could really help this roster. He’s a plus defender at all three OF spots and has near 70-grade power. His adjustments to his approach have helped him unlock more damage by elevating the ball. His injury in early May unfortunately set him back, but he’s healthy now and back in AAA. I think he will be up relatively soon once he gets up to speed in Durham.

Most of the prospects who could impact the ML roster this season are relievers. Alex Cook has a combination of solid stuff and command, and he has been dominant after a couple rough outings to start the year in Durham. Alexander Alberto has plus stuff and deception, and his command year-over-year command gains have earned him a recent promotion to AAA. He’s going to be a minor league free agent if he’s not added to the 40-man roster by the end of the year. Ty Johnson looks like he could be an impactful high-leverage reliever or bulk guy capable of going one time through the order in the majors. I’m not sure how he’d look as a starter given his average stuff and command of just two pitches, but his deception should allow him to carve out a valuable relief role in some capacity.

Also in Durham is Carson Williams who has the makings of an everyday SS, but just needs an opportunity. As long as Taylor Walls is in the organization and healthy, Carson won’t find too many reps at SS. He has been learning 2B and 3B this season, and his tools should translate and allow him to be a plus defender at both positions. His opportunity will likely won’t come until next season.

I would love to say Brody Hopkins could help the team this year, but I don’t think it will happen until 2027. He struggled early on to adjust to the AAA baseball, but has been looking much better over his last handful of starts with more reps using that baseball and some small adjustments to his delivery. His shapes have been sharper with more movement like they had last year, and his strike throwing has started to improve. I’m really excited to see him in the majors next season.

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The Chicago Cubs should be well-rested for Wednesday’s doubleheader opener. Two of Chicago’s last three games have been rained out, so it'll be playing for just the second time since Saturday. 

The New York Mets could be without Juan Soto following his early exit last night, and my Cubs vs. Mets predictions are taking advantage of that.

Find out more in my MLB picks for June 24.

Who will win Cubs vs Mets today: Cubs (-126)

The Chicago Cubs have been streaky all season and are on another hot stretch, winning seven of 10 — including Tuesday’s series opener against the New York Mets. The Mets have lost three straight and five of seven.  

New York's bullpen worked more than five innings last night and has a doubleheader today, so starter Nolan McLean needs to go deep. He’s gone past five just twice in his last three starts, and McLean has a 6.75 ERA late in games with a .294 average against.  

The Cubs are favored, but at the upper limit of when I’d take them. If it gets to -130, I’d cut bait.

COVERS INTEL:Batters are hitting 80 points higher against McLean late in games with an OPS increase of 90 points. 

Cubs vs Mets Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-115)

The Cubs are being coy about their pitchers for the doubleheader. Shota Imanaga and Javier Assad could start, but they weren’t specifying the order.

Both pitchers are coming off back-to-back strong outings, and the Cubs' pen has pitched four innings since Saturday. Chicago has been hitting, but the last thing a hot team wants is to sit out days.

New York has scored three or fewer runs in five of the last nine games. The offensive boost the Mets hoped to get from Francisco Lindor’s return for the first time since April 22 got muted when Juan Soto left Tuesday’s game with back trouble. 

Play this down to 8.

Cubs vs Mets weather

Sunny skies and temps in the mid-80s ensure no weather delay today. The hot weather could add some more pop to balls, but the wind of 10 mph shouldn't play too much of a factor.

Cubs vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Cubs -124 | Mets +106
• Run line: Cubs +1.5 (-290) | Mets -1.5 (+215)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-124) | Under 8.5 (-158)

Cubs vs Mets trend

The Chicago Cubs have hit the game total Under in seven of their last nine away games (+4.85 Units / 50% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Mets.

How to watch Cubs vs Mets and game info

Cubs vs Mets latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Manny Machado said it best in his postgame interview – this was a team win.

The San Diego Padres got a walk-off win thanks to a single back through the middle of the infield by Machado that allowed Jackson Merrill to score from second base to give the Padres a 7-6 win over the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings. The winning RBI-single by Machado is another example of the third baseman coming through in the clutch recently. Machado homered in the first game of the series in the bottom of the fourth inning and that led to a 1-0 win for San Diego. He also homered against the Texas Rangers in the top of the 10^th inning last Saturday to give the Padres a 6-4 win. There is no doubt, Machado has not been the offensive player the Friar Faithful have come to expect him to be so far this season, but recent performances could indicate that is about to change.

There was a lot that happened prior to Machado getting his game-winning hit in the 10^th. The Braves jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning only to watch the Padres jump back in front in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 5-4 lead. Atlanta not only tied the game in the top of the fourth but took the lead in the top of the fifth on a solo home run from Mauricio Dubon. Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, 6-6 and the San Diego bullpen put up zeros in the final three innings, two of which were thrown by closer Mason Miller.   

The Padres employed an opener once again for Griffin Canning, but the results against the Braves were not as good as they were the last time out against the St. Louis Cardinals when he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed one run. Canning lasted just 0.2 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts against Atlanta. Kyle Hart then pitched two innings and allowed a run, followed by Yuki Matsui, who pitched 2.1 innings and allowed a run. David Morgan pitched a scoreless inning and Adrian Morejon and Miller covered the final three innings to get the win.

The Padres will go for a sweep of the Braves today at 5:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• JP Sears has joined the Padres rotation and Lucas Giolito was placed on injured reserve. Sears is expected to start the final game of the series against the Braves.

• Gavin Sheets has been a pleasant surprise for the Padres and has become a fan favorite. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball looks at why he has been so important to the San Diego lineup.

• Freddy Fermin is done with his stint on the seven-day concussion IL and has rejoined San Diego.

• Robert Suarez, the former Padres closer, was recognized by the team and fans upon his return to Petco Park. Now in a setup role with Atlanta, he says he looks back fondly at the time he spent in San Diego.

Baseball News:

• The Philadelphia Phillies mounted a two-out, eight-run rally in the ninth to beat the Washington Nationals.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong hit his fifth home run in his last six games to lead the Chicago Cubs over the New York Mets.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers dominated the Minnesota Twins en route to a 12-3 win.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals went down to the wire before the Diamondbacks got the win.

• Sonny Gray recorded 11 strikeouts to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Colorado Rockies.

• The San Francisco Giants beat the Athletics, 3-1.

Jac Caglianone had a huge two-homer night playing near his hometown, writes Jaylon Thompson.

“It was pretty cool,” Caglianone said. “I had one of my best friends pretty close to home plate. So no, I hit it and I knew he was pretty fired up about it. It’s cool. You can see like on the video, he was in the background filming and stuff. So that was a pretty cool moment. Yeah, just knowing I got a bunch of family and friends here is pretty special.”

Nick Loftin also had a good game, writes Brian Murphy.

“We believe in our abilities and what we are capable of doing,” Loftin said. “We’re going to continue to do that every single day, one pitch at a time, one day at a time, and when they come back into the lineup, it’s going to be pretty scary.”

Maikel Garcia landed on the Injured List.

The Royals mulled placing Garcia on the injured list last week. At that time, they opted to give him a few rest days to see if the pain might subside.

“I mean, we kind of set the goal of giving him those three or four days off and see if he could respond to it,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “… We were hoping that if the medicine kicked in and took the pain away and the rest helped a little bit.— we were hopeful for that. But it didn’t happen that way. He’s still in pain.”

Garcia recently noted it’s tough to play at less than full strength.

David Lesky thinks John Schreiber could become a trade asset.

He struck out a batter on May 10 against Detroit, and it was the first strikeout he’d recorded in 27 batters. Since and including that game, he has a 1.62 ERA with 19 strikeouts and four walks in 16.2 innings with just 10 hits allowed. He has given up some home runs, so there are blemishes, but the 19 strikeouts are good for a rate of 31.1 percent, which puts him in elite reliever territory. He is very likely to be traded, and if this velocity and these strikeouts keep up, there’s a good chance he returns more than expected. And I will warn you right now that there’s also a good chance the Royals pursue him as a free agent this winter. So just be ready for that. But if he’s found this new gear, maybe it’ll work out.

Mike Gillespie at Royals Keep writes about the trade deadline risks the Royals cannot take.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits a go-ahead home run and celebrates with lollipops.

Rafael Devers apologizes to Giants manager Tony Vitiello for balking at a pinch runner.

The Phillies were down to their last strike and score eight to come back against the Nationals.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell is irked by a rainout decision.

How ABS has propelled a resurgence for left-handed hitters.

Is a Braves slump a sign of things to come?

Who could the Red Sox trade if they become sellers?

The Giants do not plan to trade pitcher Logan Webb.

Dan Szymborski looks at how MLB’s CBA proposal would cost top players.

MLB clears Dodgers doctor Neal ElAttrache after an alleged PED link to fighter Conor McGregor.

The winners and losers from Day 1 of the NBA draft.

Goals are being scored at a record pace at the World Cup, and it may be because of the ball.

Wendy’s stock soars after a new CEO hire, but is it because of meme traders?

Kansas City restaurants added World Cup gratuity charges, but some now say it hurt more than helped.

Why do only humans sleepwalk?

Your song of the day is Pantera with Walk.

Here's what happened in Mets Land on Tuesday, in case you missed it...

• Kodai Senga got tattooed, allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings to bury the Mets in an eventual 9-6 loss to the Cubs at Citi Field
• After the game, an exasperated Carlos Mendoza discussed Senga's uncertain future in the rotation
• Juan Sotois day-to-day after leaving Tuesday's game early due to back tightness
• David Stearnsdiscussed the struggling starting rotation
• Stearns also talked about the approaching trade deadline, and when New York might make a determination on how to proceed
• SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes wrote that there's a path, albeit a difficult one, for the Mets to validate Stearns' patience
• Francisco Lindor's impending return is a positive the Mets desperately need right now
• Christian Scott is expected to come off the IL to start this weekend against the Phillies
• Luis Robert Jr. has resumed baseball activities as he works toward a return
• On The Mets Pod, Jim Duquette joined Joe DeMayo to talk starters, selling, and more
• WATCH: What can the Mets get for Freddy Peralta if they become sellers?