KANSAS CITY, MO - JUNE 14: Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) pitches in the third inning during a MLB game between the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals on June 14, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After an extremely rare Saturday off day, (thanks World Cup), the Royals, winners of three straight contests will try and sweep their in state rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. After the Cardinals won the first two matchups, the Royals have won the last three, already clinching a season series tie.
Stephen Kolek will get the start today for the Royals. Last Sunday, Kolek threw 7.1 scoreless innings against the Astros in a 4-0 victory. Over 8 starts with the Royals this season, Kolek has thrown 50.1 innings, with a 2.68 ERA and a 4-1 record. Kolek started the only game the Royals won in St Louis, going 6.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, no runs, 1 walk and striking out 3.
Bobby Witt Jr. is still out of the lineup, but Matt Quatraro said he is feeling and moving around better, he will be reevaluated before tomorrow’s game in Tampa Bay. Maikel Garcia is back in the lineup; he is batting second and playing shortstop.
Here is the rest of the Royals starters in today’s contest.
The Cardinals have lost three in a row, and 6 of their last 10 games. Dustin May will start for them today. May just threw a complete game shutout against the Padres, allowing just one hit. May did start against the Royals in St Louis, in that start he went 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 runs, walking 4 and striking out 3.
Both teams will be saluting to the Negro Leagues, wearing special hats, honoring their city’s negro league teams. The Royals are 32-45 on the season, they are 9 games back in the division, and 6 games back of the final wild card spot.
First pitch for today is set for 1:10 p.m. CT, the game can be watched on Royals.TV.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 09: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will return to Kauffman Stadium Sunday after a day off thanks to World Cup activities in Kansas City. The Cardinals will ask Dustin May to be the best version of Dustin May as he gets the start Sunday afternoon. He’ll be up against RHP Stephen Kolek who’s 4-1 on the season for the Royals. First pitch scheduled for 1:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 20: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the tenth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (39-36) at Texas Rangers (36-40), June 21, 2026, 11:35 a.m. PST
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Jun 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the field during the first inning between the Texas Rangers and the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 30: Starter Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the home opener at Chase Field on March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox
Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ERA)
Don’t look now, but catching prospect Kody Huff has quietly been having a great season in Columbus as well. Huff was perfect at the plate on Saturday, going 1-for-1 with a home run and three walks, raising his season OPS to .929, which is second on the team only to Cooper ingle.
Speaking of Ingle, he walked and had an RBI from a sacrifice fly.
Other standouts for the day were Ralphy Velazquez, who went 2-for-4, and C.J. Kayfus, who went 1-fo-3 with a walk.
This game saw the activation of top pitching prospect Yorman Gomez and he was solid, striking out eight batters and walking zero in 3.2 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits.
Trenton Denholm followed with one run allowed in 3.2 additional innings and Franco Aleman finished off the game with 1.2 perfect innings and three strikeouts to earn his eight save.
Akron RubberDucks 1, Altoona Curve 3 (F/10)
RubberDucks fall to 34-33
There wasn’t much to say about this one on the offense end. Juan Benjamin had the best game, going 1-for-3 with a double, a steal and a walk. Jose Devers also went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Starting pitcher Josh Hartle was excellent, allowing one run (zero earned) on just two hits in 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out four and walked three.
Jack Jasiak followed with 1.2 scoreless innings and four strikeouts and Jack Carey initially pitched a scoreless ninth inning, but then gave up two runs in the top of the 10th and Akron was unable to answer.
Hill City Howlers 10, Augusta GreenJackets 11
Howlers fall to 31-37
There was plenty of offense for Hill City, just not enough pitching on Saturday. Luis De La Cruz paved the way, going an impressive 4-for-5 from the field with a home run and a double, just missing the cycle by a triple. He also stole a base.
Dauri Fernandez singled, walked twice and stole two bases while Anthony Martinez doubled and walked twice. Martinez has a .945 OPS at Hill City and should be playing at Lake County right now. I expect a promotion by the All-Star break.
Johnathan Martinez also had an excellent game, going 2-for-4 with a home run.
Starting pitcher Will McCausland was knocked around for five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings pitched. Keegan Zinn allowed another three runs in just 0.2 innings.
Unfortunately, after Hill City rallied for four runs to take a 10-8 lead in the top of the ninth inning Ettore Giulianelli failed to get more than one out before giving up three runs to allow Augusta to walk it off.
ACL Guardians 11, ACL Royals 4
Guardians improve to 23-14
The ACL Guardians struck early and often in this one, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings and then adding another five runs the rest of the way thanks to 11 hits and seven walks.
Once again, the Guardians were paced by Alejandro Blasco, who has been a freaking revelation this season at the ACL. The kid does nothing but tattoo the ball, hitting .500 with a ridiculous 1.887 OPS in the rookie league.
Blasco blasted two more home runs on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with six RBIs and a walk. In 12 games played thus far, he has seven home runs, five doubles and 11 walks. Yes, he’s averaging at least one extra base hit and one walk per game.
Pedro Dalmagro also had a great game, going 4-for-5 with a triple. Steven Cruz reached base three times by going 1-for-3 with two walks and three stolen bases while Rodny Rosario went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.
Rehabbing pitcher Harrison Bodendorf allowed two runs on four hits in 2.0 innings. Erigaldi Perez stood out on the mound, allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings.
White Sox ace Davis Martin looks to get back on track in Detroit today. | John Jones-Imagn Images
The precipice of getting swept: a familiar, yet unfamiliar, circumstance on the South Side as of late.
Familiar because, hey, we watched this team in 2023, 2024 and 2025. It’s not like we didn’t see the brooms get broken out with more regularity than just about any set of fans, ever. Hell, they got swept three times in the first 19 games of the season just this year!
Now, just when we thought we’d broken free, all we can do is watch the Tigers creep back over the horizon like an eagle returning for another go at Prometheus.
Nonetheless, Davis Martin is probably the guy we want to see out on the hill to claw a game back and thwart the sweep. Despite Martin’s clunker against the Yankees earlier this week, he’s still giving them the best chance to win when he steps on the field, and this is the kind of game they need to get if they want to show that this magical first half hasn’t been a pure mirage.
I am going to be looking closely at Martin’s velocity early in the game. His four-seamer has slowed down incrementally in three straight starts now, going from a peak of 95.2 mph on May 16 to 93.8 mph last Tuesday, slowest since April. There’s a pretty strong argument that Martin’s start against the Yankees looks a bit differently if simple bad luck hadn’t let Ben Rice squib one against the shift in the third inning, or had Jacob Gonzalez not forgotten to cover his own base a few batters later.
That being said, Martin’s stuff was not at its sharpest on Tuesday, and when you factor in his six-run stinker against Minnesota a few starts back, it might begin to constitute a worrisome trend if it persists today. Martin threw just a single fewer inning in his first 14 starts last season than he has through his first 14 of this year, but it was after his 14th start of last year that he went on the IL with a forearm strain that wound up costing him a month. Going on the standard four days rest this afternoon, today could be a litmus test for where the budding ace is at right now.
Also, hey, Grant Taylor is available! Just like yesterday, and Thursday, and Wednesday and Tuesday. When asked about Taylor’s inactivity, Will Venable yesterday sounded frighteningly close to the precipice of simply walking back their preseason ramp-up goal of 100 innings pitched.
Venable on Grant Taylor: "He's available and fine and really just trying to find the right spot for him. With as special as Grant is and want to make sure we're using him in the right spots. Those just really haven't come up in the last few days."
Today marks just the second day off of the season for Miguel Vargas, who has earned a breather more than just about anybody else on this roster. Though he was still hitting the ball plenty hard, Vargas has run into some hard luck as of late, going just three for his last 27 without a walk over the last seven games.
The state of the Tigers offense is rough, and letting them complete the sweep would be quite a deflation in a way that no loss to the Yankees ever could be. I genuinely thought for a moment that this was a light getaway day lineup from A.J. Hinch before realizing that James Outman and Trei Cruz are actually near the top of their depth charts.
We’ve got an early one yet again, as first pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. CT at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio), like always!
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 29: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Coors Field on May 29, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time, as the San Francisco Giants finish off their South Beach series against the Miami Marlins with some Sunday day baseball. The Giants are sending ace Logan Webb (4-4, 3.46 ERA) to the mound, against right-hander (and Santa Rosa native) Ryan Gusto (0-2, 7.24 ERA).
Apr 20, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Fans look on during a rain delay before the Chicago Cubs game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
It’s raining in Chicago today, and the conclusion of the Jays’ seties with the Cubs has been preemptively bumped to August:
As Wilner notes, this is a really tough break. Instead of a pretty favourable matchup against Shota Imanaga [not Seiya Suzuki, who is a DH, apologies for the error in the original version of this post], with some momentum after yesterday’s big comeback, Dylan Cease will face a much tougher opponent in Hunter Brown tomorrow night. Resting the bullpen undoubtedly helps, but that 17 game stretch in August ia going to be a brutal slog right as the wildcard race really takes shape.
Plus, we all now have a Sunday afternoon to kill. On Father’s Day of all days.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 20: Curtis Mead #45 and Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals celebrate a win over the Tampa Bay Rays after a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 20, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Rays took game one, the Nats grinded out a one run win in game two of the three game set. That sets the stage for a rubber match this afternoon. The Nats will look to win yet another series, while the Rays look to stay hot at home.
Blake Butera made a few tweaks to his lineup. Jacob Young is out of the lineup after banging into the wall yesterday. The outfield will consist of Daylen Lile in left, Dylan Crews in center and James Wood in right. Jose Tena will be in the DH spot and Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Andrew Alvarez is on the mound, and the Nats will look for more length than usual from the southpaw.
With a lefty on the mound, the Rays are making a few changes. Ryan Vilade will make his first start of the series in right field. Jonny DeLuca will also be back in the lineup. Ben Williamson will play second base, while Nick Fortes gets his first start of the series behind the plate. Nick Martinez has been a great signing for the Rays, and will take the ball today.
Rays 6/21
Y. Díaz DH J. DeLuca CF J. Aranda 1B J. Caminero 3B R. Vilade RF B. Williamson 2B C. Simpson LF N. Fortes C T. Walls SS
This is a big rubber match for both teams. The Nats will look to enter a massive 4 game clash with the Phillies with some momentum. Another series win would be a massive boost for the boys on this Father’s Day. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
Elmer Rodriguez of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enters the field before a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
We were dazzled on Friday night, and disappointed yesterday. The Yankees, and certainly the readership, are hoping to be at least satisfied come Sunday afternoon, as the club looks to win yet another series, this time against the Reds. It’s not going to be easy — Chase Burns isn’t quite Cam Schlittler, but he is The Guy The Reds Turn To In Games Like This.
The 23-year-old Burns showed flashes of his potential last year, and is rounding himself into a damn good form this season, his first full in The Show. (This will actuallly be his second start against the Yanks, as he fanned eight Yankees in his MLB debut last year.) The second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, Burns features one of the best fastballs in the game and maybe the best slider, a hilarious pitch with a .192 wOBA against and a 52.6 percent whiff rate that made me laugh aloud when I looked it up. If a Yankee gets to two strikes today, you can have a pretty good idea what pitch Burns is going to turn to. The problem is most major-league hitters haven’t been able to help themselves even when they know what’s coming.
Rodríguez is a little bit of a different story. The org’s top pitching prospect at the start of the season, the righty has been more than respectable with Triple-A Scranton but has stumbled a little in his first three MLB starts. He has been used in times of semi-to-real emergency, which might explain part of it, but the big issue is his walks. He’s walked more big leaguers than he’s struck out, and at this level you’re just allowing too much traffic for anything to happen. Despite what we saw yesterday, the Reds aren’t typically a powerhouse offense — if you don’t give them chances, you can have a decent day on the mound.
Spencer Jones gets a taste of the cleanup spot today, and Jasson Domínguez finds himself batting in the two hole. The youngsters look to play a significant role in the game for at least one day. Also note that Austin Wells is back with the Yankees today, activated off the IL following a rehab assignment in Triple-A. J.C. Escarra was sent back to Triple-A with the Yanks electing to keep Ali Sánchez as the backup.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 12: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians doubles on a sharp line drive to right field in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on June 12, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Attention switches to England’s tour squad announcement as the Northampton and Exeter players patch up and press on
Of all the celebratory snapshots of Northampton’s Prem final triumph, perhaps the best was the morning-after picture of Henry Pollock and Fin Smith in bed with the trophy accompanied by backing vocals from Frank Sinatra. “That’s life, that’s what all the people say. You’re riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I’m going to change that tune, when I’m back on top, back on top in June …”
Talk about suitably perfect lyrics. Saints may have finished top of the regular-season table but when they were being smashed 41-17 at Leicester on 9 May they looked far from dead certs to collect a second title in three years. To have claimed it on the occasion of their captain, George Furbank, making his final Saints appearance made it all the sweeter for Pollock, Smith and all his other close compadres.
28-year-old is first US player to win at Halle since 1993
Tiafoe will climb to No 19 as Wimbledon nears
Frances Tiafoe beat fellow American Taylor Fritz 6-4 6-4 to win the Halle Open on Sunday, sealing the biggest title of his career and becoming the first American since 1993 to lift the ATP 500 grass-court trophy.
Tiafoe set the tone early, breaking serve in the opening set and remaining composed on his own delivery to keep Fritz from settling. He carried that momentum into the second set, again striking early and dictating from the baseline to wrap up the win and snap a seven-match losing streak against Fritz since his first victory in 2016.
One day after locking down Collin Gillespie with a new contract, the Phoenix Suns have done the same with another member of their guard rotation.
Jordan Goodwin and the Suns have agreed to a three-year, $19 million contract (with a player option on the final season), a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and since confirmed by other sources.
Goodwin found a home on the court last season in Phoenix after bouncing around the league for a few years and being waived by the Lakers (to create a roster spot to sign Marcus Smart). Coming off the bench (primarily) for the Suns, he played 70 games and scored 8.7 points a night while shooting 37.1% from 3-point range. He was part of a solid guard rotation in Phoenix. Along with Booker, Gillespie, Grayson Allen and Jalen Green, the Suns formed a quality guard rotation last season that helped lead the team to 45 wins.
Phoenix has now locked down two of its free agent rotation players and reportedly plans to do the same with center Mark Williams, a restricted free agent. With this signing, the Suns move into the luxury tax, reports Keith Smith of Spotrac, but this was expected. Owner Mat Ishbia is willing to spend, but he does not want to go into the second apron (as with nearly every other owner), according to reports.
