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The action in the Atlanta Braves system on the 4th of July was nearly cut in half due to rain and power issues cancelling three of the seven games on the slate. Of the four games on the schedule to get played the Braves teams lost the first three, and needed a late inning comeback to win the game that finished last. Still we got to see Herick Hernandez and Davis Polo look dominant, as the two combined for 34 whiffs on the day, and homers from Brewer Hicklen along with the first of Edelson Cabral’s young career.

Durham Bulls 7, Gwinnett Stripers 2

• Brewer Hicklen, RF: 1-3, HR, BB, R, 2 RBI, .301/.370/.509
• Brett Wisely, 2B: 0-1, 3 BB, R, .296/.408/.440
• Hayden Harris, RP: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 4.13 ERA
• Rolddy Munoz, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2.30 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

Durham got to Elieser Hernandez early in this one, scoring two in the first and another in the second, though he was able to get the Stripers through two more innings without giving up any additional runs. Anderson Pilar followed, and was hit hard – giving up four runs on three homers in his inning of work. That’s when the bullpen finally showed some life in this one. Hayden Harris was the third pitcher and over two scoreless innings he stuck out five batters, before Rolddy Munoz struck out the side in the eighth and final inning. Harris picked up eight whiffs, while Munoz had five.

After the Bulls scored early the Stripers were never able to get back into this game, as the offense just didn’t show up. A two-run homer by Brewer Hicklen, his 14th of the season, was able to cut it to 3-2 in the top of the third – but the team managed just three hits. Hicklen’s homer and walk and Brett Wisely’s three walks and run scored were the only real standouts, though Luke Williams picked up a double and Jose Azocar added a single.

Columbus Clingstones 4, Knoxville Smokies 3

• Ambioris Tavarez, 2B: 2-5, 2B, R, .194/.311/.327
• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 0-4, BB, R, 2 SB, .259/.336/.437
• Herick Hernandez, SP: 5 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 2.80 ERA

Box Score

Herick Hernandez’s stuff was dominant in this win for the Clingstones, though they needed to come from behind in the seventh to earn that win. Hernandez went five innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks. He also struck out eight with 16 swings and misses, bringing his ERA to 2.80 and K/9 up to 12.0. Owen Hackman picked up the win in two scoreless innings of relief, with the save going to Luis Vargas after two scoreless frames of his own.

The Clingstones had plenty of offense in this one, and it’s a little surprising that they only scored four runs – other than the fact that they left so many runners on base. As a team they had 10 hits, six walks, and three stolen bases. Ambioris Tavarez went two for five with a double and scored a run, while he was joined by Tyler Tolve (2-3, 2B, BB, RBI), Luke Waddell (2-5), and Jordan Groshans (2-5, R) with a multi-hit game. Will Verdung also walked, doubled, batted in two, and scored a run in the win. While Patrick Clohisy didn’t come up with any hits, he walked, stole two bases, and scored a run.

Rome Emperors vs Jersey Shore BlueClaws – Cancelled

The day after the Friday night game was called early due to issues with power, Saturday’s game was cancelled altogether.

Salem RidgeYaks 1, Augusta GreenJackets 0

• Juan Mateo, 3B: 1-3, BB, SB, .277/.355/.375
• Alex Lodise, SS: 1-4, .255/.340/.475
• Davis Polo, SP: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 3.72 ERA

Box Score

Davis Polo threw a gem on the 4th, going five and two thirds and allowing a run on just four hits and a walk. Polo struck out eight and racked up a total of 18 whiffs in his 83 pitch outing. Cristobal Abreu followed, and quickly got himself into a little trouble with a pair of walks before finishing off the final out of the sixth inning. After two scoreless innings from Logan Forsythe, Daniel Brooks pitched the final inning without allowing any more damage.

The offense never got going in this one, picking up just two hits in the shutout. Juan Mateo had one of those hits, and a walk and a stolen base – but also got picked off as well. Alex Lodise had the only other hit in the loss. Among the other notable prospects Luis Guanipa and Cody Miller were each hitless in four at bats, while Conor Essenburg was hitless in one at bat before leaving the game two innings after being hit by a pitch.

FCL Braves vs FCL Rays – Suspended

This one was suspended in the top of the second, tied 0-0. The game is set to be finished on July 10th. Of note Manuel Campos singled in his first inning at bat, then stole second – his 22nd steal of the season.

DSL Rays 18, DSL Braves 7

• Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez, LF: 1-5, 3B, R, RBI, .338/.451/.585
• Edelson Cabral, DH: 1-4, HR, BB, 2 R, RBI, .294/.429/.397
• Geowin Gomez, RP: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1.64 ERA

Box Score

This was a rough pitching performance by the Braves squad. The final line was 9 IP, 11 H, 18 R, 9 ER, 17 BB, 10 K – yes that is accurate, 17 walks in this game. It also didn’t help to see three errors, four wild pitches, and a hit by batter, but the Rays squad was constantly on base. The bright spots for the pitching staff was three and a third one run innings from Geowin Gomez, two and a third scoreless from Wilmer Almonte, and two scoreless from Giovanni Medina.

The big story here would have to be the first career homer from Edelson Cabral, who also walked and scored twice while running his OPS up to .826. Sherrintely Da Costa Gomez continued his strong season by adding a triple, run scored, and one batted in, while Jose Nelo was three for five with a double and two runs batted in. Durban Arnedo added a double, while Jose Manon was hitless in four at bats, Elioberto Mondesir went one for three with a pair of walks, and Jorwin Pulido walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.

DSL Braves vs DSL Rays – PPD

The actual game for Saturday was cancelled due to lightning.

The Mets promoted reliever Guillermo Zuñiga from Triple-A Syracuse ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves, SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes confirmed.

In a corresponding move, RHP Joey Gerber was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Zuñiga, 27, signed a minor league contract with New York on May 5 and has pitched to a 3.29 ERA over 14 appearances in Double-A and Triple-A.

He was dominant with Binghamton over nine games (1.93 ERA), but had a 6.23 ERA in five games (4.1 IP) with Syracuse. 

The right-hander last played in the majors in 2024 with the Los Angeles Angels. He appeared in 15 games with the Angels, owning a 5.09 ERA with two saves over 17.2 IP.

For his MLB career, including two games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2023, Zuñiga has a 5.03 ERA with 16 strikeouts and two saves over 19.2 IP.

Gabriel Hughes (PuRP No.12) was back in his hotel room in Round Rock, Texas, done for the night, when his phone rang. It was 11:30 p.m. On the other end was Pedro Lopez, his Triple-A manager in Albuquerque, calling with news that would change the trajectory of Hughes’ summer – and maybe his career.

“He said, ‘Hey, I need you to head back to the stadium and start packing your bags. You’re going to the big leagues,’” Hughes recalled.

He called his parents. He called his brother. By the next morning, he was on a flight out of Austin, landing in Denver around 10 or 11 a.m. — hours before he’d put on a Rockies uniform for the first time.

A setback that became a reset

It was the conclusion of a monthlong stretch that began, of all places, on the injured list.

Hughes missed time earlier this year with a left oblique injury, and while no pitcher wants to lose time to the IL, he says the setback doubled as a reset button.

“Every time it happens, it’s always an opportunity to kind of take stock of where you’re at,” Hughes said. “It was an opportunity for me to go back to Arizona, talk with a lot of the people there, get ideas on mechanics, on pitch usage, on kind of a bunch of things, and then come back with a lot more ideas and things to try out.”

He returned by way of a rehab stint with High-A Spokane before rejoining Triple-A Albuquerque’s rotation, and whatever he found in Arizona worked. Over his final three Triple-A starts, Hughes didn’t allow a run.

The sweeper that changed everything

The centerpiece of that stretch has been a pitch that Hughes has thrown for only a few months. He picked up a sweeper in the middle of spring training — almost on a whim, after asking veteran Michael Lorenzen how he grips his own version on a back field one day. Hughes started experimenting in his next bullpen session, with mixed early results.

“I threw the first one about 10 feet over the catchers head and said ‘Hey, I’m done with it,” Hughes said, laughing.

Assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas encouraged him to throw a few more, and the pitch stuck.

Hughes said learning any new offering comes with a learning curve — getting comfortable with the grip, the thought process, locating it for strikes — and this one was no exception, especially since he went straight from picking it up to using it in games. He credited Rockies Director of Pitching Matt Daniels with helping him refine the shape when it wasn’t quite where he wanted it.

Beyond the swing-and-miss value against right-handed hitters, Hughes said the sweeper has given him a new way to tunnel his other pitches. He described most of pitching as changing speeds, locations, and looks — and said the sweeper lets him do exactly that, playing off his two-seamer, curveball, changeup, and traditional slider to give hitters a different picture out of the same release.

Simplifying the game

The approach has been shaped as much by a mental shift as a mechanical one. Colorado’s new pitching staff this year installed a simplified three-part framework.

Get ahead. Stay ahead. Kill.

“Pre-two strike, I’m filling up the zone. Two strikes, I’m getting a little outside the zone for swing and miss, and for weak contact,” Hughes said. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing. It’s just really simplified my thinking. I’m filling up the zone, and then I can’t control anything that happens after that.”

Hughes has also leaned on that same instinct for simplicity to manage the mental side of pitching — staying in the moment rather than replaying the last pitch or bracing for the next one. He pointed to an outing this spring against Team USA in Scottsdale as an early proving ground. Facing a lineup that included Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, and Kyle Schwarber, Hughes said the nerves the night before gave way to a simple realization once he took the mound.

“I don’t know what better lineup I’m going to face than that one,” Hughes said. “So it’s always in the back of my mind, knowing, hey, I’ve already done that, and I’m going to take that for where I’m going.”

Learning altitude, and learning to rest

Altitude, too, has become less of a mystery.

Hughes said the bigger adjustment isn’t how his pitches move differently in the thinner air — he doesn’t throw anything with the kind of movement that would create a drastic split — but simply learning where he has to locate the ball to be competitive at altitude compared to sea-level parks.

“I think a big part of it is understanding how your pitches are going to move and working with that, instead of wishing you had something else,” he said. “It’s just learning what you have and then working to maximize it the best you can.”

He’s also revamped his between-starts routine, trusting recovery as much as work. After a lesson learned late last season, Hughes says he’s scaled back the instinct to fill every day with extra reps in the gym, instead balancing high-output days with some genuinely light ones.

“Sometimes doing less is more,” he said. “I’m always the guy who wants to be in the gym, wants to be doing a ton of exercise. I think something I learned really at the end of last year is that sometimes the best thing to do is take a step back and let your body recover”

A new role, and a familiar face

Now that routine gets rebuilt on the fly.

Hughes has started 48 of his 50 minor league appearances, but he’ll begin his major league career in the bullpen, working as a length option for a Colorado relief corps that is often thinned out.

It’s uncharted territory — outside of a handful of spring training outing, he’s never really come out of the pen — and he say’s he’s leaning on teammates who’ve made the same jump, including Antonio Senzatela, with whom he trained this offseason.

“A lot of it’s just keeping it the same — it’s the same game, keep doing what I’m doing, and just go out there, have fun, and be loose, don’t over complicate it,” Hughes said of Senzatela’s advice.

As for who he wanted to see first walking into the Coors Field clubhouse, the answer came without hesitation: Jaden Hill, who’d known Hughes going back through the system, ran across the room and pulled him into a hug.

Hughes debuts with a save

On Friday night, the wait ended. Hughes was summoned from the bullpen in the seventh inning of what had become a rout, and tossed three scoreless innings, closing out a 15-3 win over the Giants. Under the rule that credits a reliever who finishes a game with three or more effective innings, it went down as a save — the first of his career, in the first game of his career.

“I didn’t know that was a save until after the game, honestly,” Hughes said. “I’m not really familiar with the rules for saves, but hey, I’ll take it. Senza just told me it took him 10 years to get one. I got mine in my first game.”

He could not, he said, have drawn it up any better.

“There’s no way to describe it,” Hughes said. “It seemed packed, and I could not draw up a better scenario for my first big league game than tonight. There are no words to describe the experience. It was incredible. It was life-altering. And I’m so excited that I was able to debut here at home, in front of so many people.”

Chills under the lights

The moment that stayed with him came in the ninth. With the game long decided and a crowd of over 47,000 people on hand, the Coors Field lights dimmed and the stands filled with the glow of phone flashlights on a fireworks Friday. Hughes, going through his pre-inning routine, looked toward center field and stopped.

“Can confirm that’s the first time that’s ever happened in my life,” he said. “The lights are going, everyone’s waving their flashlights, and I got chills. I took a second to be like, oh my gosh, I cannot believe how much this is affecting me right now — in such a good way, in such a positive way.”

He’d been active since Wednesday, waiting for the opportunity, and had spent each pregame the same way.

“Every day I’ve been on the mound before the game, doing some visualization, doing some breath work,” Hughes said, “because I knew when the moment got here it was going to be big. And I thought I was prepared — and I got out there, and it was still, wow.”

A collective endeavor

The people he wanted there most had made it just in time. Hughes found out about the call-up so late Tuesday night that none of his family could reach Denver for Wednesday. His father and grandparents arrived Thursday, and by Friday the whole group — his mother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and his girlfriend — was in the stands.

“Knowing that I would not be here without my parents and my entire family, the support system that they’ve given me — I’m getting emotional now just thinking about it,” Hughes said, his eyes welling. “This was absolutely a collective endeavor. I’m so excited to go out and see them, and just thank them.”

There was one rite of passage waiting before that reunion. Asked whether his teammates had given him the traditional postgame ambush, Hughes grinned.

“It was a lot more than shaving cream,” he said. “It ended with an ice bucket being dumped on me. I’m very glad it was in the shower when it happened.”

One word, he said, kept surfacing for all of it.

“Special. That’s the word that keeps coming to mind.”

To Read: Rockpiles

• Monday:Making an All-Star case for Hunter Goodman | Sam Bradfield
• Tuesday:Sorry, St. Louis, but Tarps Off happened at Coors Field first — and the fans and players love it | Renee Dechert
• Wednesday:The Rockies have revived that late-game “LoDo Magic” | Skyler Timmins
• Thursday:Contextualizing the Rockies trade deadline motivations | Cory Cohen
• Friday:Who is the real Ezequiel Tovar? | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday:Under the hood, Charlie Condon is making patience matter | James Riggenbach

To Read: News

• Weekly Pebble Report:Charlie Condon isn’t a finished product — and doesn’t want to be | Eli Whitney
• Rockies prospects:Charlie Condon and Roldy Brito named to 2026 Futures Game roster | Evan Lang
• Rockies roster:Rockies to call up RHP Gabriel Hughes | Evan Lang
• Rockies news:TJ Rumfield selected as NL Rookie of the Month for June | Renee Dechert
• Rockies injuries:Rockies place Sugano, Halvorsen on IL; recall Sullivan and Romano | Evan Lang
• Rockies news:Hunter Goodman named to the National League All-Star team | Renee Dechert

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

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The Minnesota Twins can win a series on the road against the New York Yankees for the first time since 2014 with a win this afternoon. Minnesota blew out New York yesterday, sending the Yankees deeper into a spiral.

The Twins have an All-Star on the mound and yet are still the underdogs. My Twins vs.Yankees predictions and MLB picks look for a Minnesota win.

Who will win Twins vs Yankees today: Twins moneyline (+119)

The Minnesota Twins scored 11 on Saturday, two days after plating eight in Houston. Minnesota has won two of three and four of six, while the Yankees have lost eight of nine.

The New York Yankees have the better overall record, but they're just 13-16 since Aaron Judge went down and had four or fewer hits five times this week. The Yankees are also struggling on the other end, giving up 27 unearned runs in the last 14 games.

I’d take the Twins at anything above +100. They’re starting newly named All-Star Joe Ryan, who's in the 95th percentile in pitching run value.

COVERS INTEL: In addition to struggling against left-handed pitchers, the Twins are unfamiliar with Ryan Weathers. Only four players on the Twins roster have ever faced him, and they’ve combined for just 11 plate appearances and one RBI.

Twins vs Yankees Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-107)

The Yankees scored five runs in Friday’s win. That’s the only time in the last 13 games they’ve reached that mark, despite playing Red Sox, Tigers, Reds, and Twins, all sub-.500 teams, including two last-place squads. Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt are all hitting below .150 over the last two weeks.

Ryan is in the 85th percentile in strikeout rate, and only four A.L. teams have whiffed more than the Yankees.

New York starter Ryan Weathers has struggled lately, but he’s a southpaw. Minnesota hits 36 points lower with 101 points less OPS against left-handers and has an OPS+ 11% below league average.

Twins vs Yankees weather

Twins vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Twins +117 | Yankees -122
• Run line: Twins +1.5 (-178) | Yankees -1.5 (+170)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-104)

Twins vs Yankees trend

The Yankees have cashed the Under in 10 of their last 16 games for +3.45 units and a 20% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Yankees.

How to watch Twins vs Yankees and game info

Twins vs Yankees 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.

After a dismal June, July has started pretty well for the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves have started the month with three wins in four games, clinching at least a split of their four-game series against the New York Mets with a 14-3 demolition Saturday night.

But considering Atlanta lost six of its last seven series before this one, it’s safe to say just a split isn’t what anyone is looking for. It can clinch the series in Sunday afternoon’s series finale (12:30 p.m. EDT) at Truist Park.

The Braves turn to Martín Pérez (6-5, 3.27 ERA), who has been amongst the team’s most consistent starters but is looking to bounce back from one of his worst starts of the season. The fact that he gave up a season-high-tying four runs on five hits over five innings speaks to how effective the southpaw has been this season for a rotation desperately in need of exactly that.

He gave up two homers in his last start, as many as he had allowed in his prior six starts combined.

Pérez faced the Mets less than a month ago, giving up one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings in Atlanta’s 3-1 road win on June 13. In fact, he’ll put his perfect 5-0 record and 2.94 career ERA over 11 appearances (seven starts) against New York on the line Sunday afternoon.

The Mets will counter with rookie righty Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78) on the hill. Like Pérez, McLean has never lost to the Braves. However, he’s just 1-0 in two starts, winning his second career start against Atlanta last August.

The last time he faced them didn’t go as well as he gave up two runs on three hits, striking out six but also walking four as the Braves forced him to throw 93 pitches to get through nine innings in New York’s 7-5 win on June 12. That was his only June start that wasn’t six-plus innings.

Facing McLean could be a test of sorts for the resurgent power the Braves have discovered in this series, hitting nine total homers in the first two games. After McLean allowed six home runs in as many May starts, he allowed just two homers in five June starts.

This early Sunday start will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock instead of the usual TV and streaming places you can find the Braves. Matt Vasgersian will be on play-by-play, joined by Braves legend Andruw Jones — mere weeks before he’s set to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame — and former Mets infielder Todd Zeile as color commentators.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Sunday, July 5, 12:30 p.m. ET

Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA

TV: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Meet the Mets

The Mets were clobbered by the Braves 14-3 in another all-around embarrassing effort on national television that included poor pitching, poor defense, and poor hitting. The Mets are now 17 games under .500 and have lost 12 of their last 14, as they continue to free fall, despite a managerial change.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, New York Daily News, New York Post

After being snubbed in 2025, Juan Soto has been selected via fan vote as the starting left fielder for the National League All-Star team, surging at the last minute to come in second among outfielders in fan balloting. It is his fifth career All-Star nod and his first as a Met. “They really voted a lot. Mets fans are unbelievable,” Soto said when he heard the news. “I really appreciate everything that they’ve done for me…I think it’s great seeing where I (started) I the votes and then seeing where I finished is incredible.”

Soto also said he is considering participating in the Home Run Derby this year.

The Mets’ very first All-Star, Ron Hunt, is currently in hospice care, per Jay Horwitz.

John Harper of SNY gave out his midseason grades for the 2026 Mets. To state the obvious, they aren’t pretty.

Though the Mets are in free fall, the rehabbing Clay Holmes doesn’t want out at the trading deadline.

Speaking of Clay Holmes, interim manager Andy Green gave a positive update on Holmes prior to last night’s game, saying that he is “doing well” and will throw a bullpen on Monday in Atlanta as the Mets wrap up their series against the Braves. Green also provided updates on Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert, who are both on rehab assignments. Though he said that nailing down an exact return date for Polanco is “premature,” he continues to take “big steps forward” as he continues to play in rehab games for Triple-A Syracuse. Meanwhile, Robert went hitless yesterday in the third game of his rehab assignment in Syracuse.

Freddy Peralta was supposed to provide stability to the Mets’ rotation, but has been anything but consistent. So what gives? Mario Delgado Genzor of Baseball Prospectus looks into some possible reasons behind Peralta’s struggles in 2026, which don’t have a straightforward answer.

Around the National League East

The Braves and Phillies are each sending a crop of five players to the All-Star Game.

Jesús Luzardo threw a gem as the Phillies beat the Royals 6-1.

Jackson Stone of MLB.com explores what is going wrong for Phillies reliever José Alvarado, who currently holds a career-worst ERA north of six, and what the Phillies can do to fix it.

The Phillies traded minor league right-hander Ryan Degges to the Guardians in exchange for $250,000 in international bonus pool money, which helped them to sign 17-year-old right-hander Ho Hua out of Taiwan.

The Pirates scored early and often to soundly defeat the Nationals 7-1 in Washington DC on Independence Day.

But in a full circle moment, the two players that headlined the Juan Soto trade for the Nationals are now All-Stars themselves.

Sandy Alcantara threw eight brilliant innings in the Marlins’ 7-2 victory over the A’s.

The Braves placed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the 10-day injured list retroactive to July 1 with right middle finger inflammation. Infielder Kyle Farmer was activated from the injured list and recalled to take Kim’s place on the roster. The Braves also optioned righty Anthony Molina to Triple-A and recalled JR Ritchie.

Veteran Rowdy Tellez, who the Braves designated for assignment on Thursday, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A. Tellez has enough service time to reject the assignment and elect free agency if he chooses.

Around Major League Baseball

The full All-Star rosters for the NL and AL were announced last night. Juan Soto is (unsurprisingly) the Mets’ sole representative. The Braves, Dodgers, and Phillies have the largest representation with five players each. Mike Trout leads all players with his 12th time being selected.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, MLB.com is featuring one baseball story from every U.S. state.

“One thing that I want to add on the record for you guys,” an emotional Willson Contreras said through interpreter Daveson Pérez before Saturday’s Red Sox game against the Angels, “is just an apology for all of the events from last week. All of the things that occurred with the Nationals are things that were very hard and a very emotional time for me.”

This Date in Mets History

On July 5, 1962 the Mets signed Cleon Jones for $1,000. Jones went on to be one of the most valuable members of the 1969 championship squad.

Tigers 3, Rangers 0

• That was not exciting.
• Or fun.
• Three hits, a walk, and an HBP. That was the extent of the runners on base that the Texas Rangers had.
• Evan Carter got on base three times — he had the walk and HBP, as well as one of the three hits.
• And see, the problem with that is that, if you’re going to have this paltry number of baserunners, then, if you’re going to score runs, you are generally going to have to bunch them together.
• The same player getting on base three times, and the rest of the team just twice, pretty well means you aren’t bunching the “getting on base” events together in an inning. That’s just science.
• It is unfortunate because the Rangers pitchers did an awfully good job overall. They allowed just nine baserunners, with one of those nine being the result of an error by Alejandro Osuna.
• Alejandro Osuna has had a series of unfortunate events in the outfield this year. I’m not entirely sure as to why — his reputation coming up in the minors was that he was a good corner outfielder who could play center if need be.
• The numbers back up the eye test on Osuna in the outfield this year — he’s at -6 fielding runs for the year, per Statcast, and both his range and his arm value are in the bottom 10%.
• An error in the second by Osuna led to the Tigers scoring an unearned run, which would be more angst-inducing if it weren’t for the fact that the Rangers did nothing offensively, and Riley Greene had already hit a two run homer in the first inning, giving Detroit all the runs they would need in the game anyway. That third run was just something a little extra to upset us with.
• Credit to the Rangers pitchers, who generally did their jobs. Cal Quantrill gave the Rangers five innings on 66 pitches, and but for the Greene home run pitched quite well.
• Tyler Alexander threw a scoreless inning. Ben Peoples made his major league debut and logged a couple of shutout innings, so that’s cool.
• Chris Martin made his triumphant return from the injured list with a scoreless inning. He went strikeout, hard hit single, hard hit ground out, soft flare to shortstop.
• I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the Rangers’ bullpen has a lot of guys injured right now. If Chris Martin could be a functional, decent bullpen arm going forward, that would be extremely helpful.
• Is hoping for Chris Martin to stay healthy for the next few months unrealistic? Is it too big of an ask? Might as well I be asking for rainbows and butterflies to shoot out of my butt?
• Maybe, but hope springs eternal, at least until mathematical elimination.
• Hope springs eternal even when the Rangers offense does its doodle bug routine and curls up into an impenetrable ball until we walk away and leave it alone. Joc Pederson singled to lead off the first, which is always an encouraging way for things to start.
• Leadoff hits make it more likely you’re going to win the game, right? Than if there’s not a leadoff hit?
• The Rangers had just two more hits the rest of the game.
• The only Ranger batter to reach second base was Josh Jung, who had a two out double in the sixth. Brandon Nimmo ended up being the only Ranger to hit with a runner in scoring position when he came up after the Jung double. He grounded out.
• So that was no fun. And the Mariners won, so the Rangers are back in second place, and we don’t like that, either. Let’s do something about that.
• Cal Quantrill touched 94.9 mph with his fastball, averaging 94.0 mph. Tyler Alexander reached 92.4 mph with his fastball. Ben Peoples topped out at 96.8 mph with his fastball. Chris Martin’s fastball maxed out at 95.1 mph.
• Elias Diaz had a 104.6 mph groundout. Joc Pederson had a 104.0 mph single and a 103.3 mph groundout. Josh Jung had a 102.9 mph double and a 101.9 mph groundout. Brandon Nimmo had a 102.4 mph fly out. Josh Smith had a 101.1 mph fly out.
• Let us set this aside now.

The Mets continue their four-game series in Atlanta against the Braves on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

• Nolan McLean (5-5, 3.78 ERA) looks to win second straight outing after tossing six scoreless innings against the Blue Jays on June 30
• Juan Soto, who earned his first All-Star selection as a Met on Saturday, is slashing .320/.460/.580 with three HRs and seven RBI in his last 15 games
• Prior to Sunday's game, the team promoted reliever Guillermo Zuñiga from Triple-A and optioned RHP Joey Gerber to Syracuse

Today's Lineups

What channel is NBC?

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The Atlanta Braves will look to make it three in a row over their divisional rivals as they host the New York Mets this afternoon.

Atlanta is a -113 favorite heading into this game, and I’m backing the home team to continue New York’s misery in my Mets vs. Braves predictions. Read on for a complete analysis of this matchup and to get my free MLB picks for Sunday, July 5.

Who will win Mets vs Braves today: Braves moneyline (-116)

The already poor New York Mets offense has been floundering lately, averaging just 2.6 runs per game over their last five outings.

New York can hit the ball hard when they make contact, but Atlanta Braves starter Martin Perez has an excellent 48.2% ground ball rate while only allowing batters to barrel the ball up 6.8% of the time.

The Braves hit Nolan McLean well the first time they saw him this year. While Atlanta has an issue with chasing bad pitches, McLean only generates a 27.9% chase rate. I’m taking the Braves at -120 or better.

COVERS INTEL: The Mets pull balls in the air just 10.8% of the time against sinkers and changeups thrown by lefties — the fourth-worst mark in MLB — pitches that Perez throws 64% of the time.

Mets vs Braves Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-131)

While I do think the Braves are better equipped to take advantage of this pitching matchup, McLean does a lot of things well. He’s striking out 28.5% of batters, ranks in the 95th percentile of qualified pitchers in fastball run value, and is coming off six shutout innings against the Blue Jays. He won’t let this game get out of hand.

Meanwhile, the Mets only managed one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings the last time they faced Perez. I’m backing the Under, and I’d be willing to do so at a flat 9-run total as well.

Mets vs Braves weather

Mets vs Braves odds

• Moneyline: Mets -108 | Braves -116
• Run line: Mets +1.5 (-200) | Braves -1.5 (+165)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+105) | Under 9.5 (-127)

Mets vs Braves trend

The Mets are just 2-12 over their last 14 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Braves.

How to watch Mets vs Braves and game info

Mets vs Braves latest injuries

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Last place teams don’t really have the right to complain about All-Star snubs. Nevertheless, Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Sonny Gray are free to feel at least a little aggrieved in being left off the American League All-Star team, the roster of which was revealed last night. Ranger Suárez and Aroldis Chapman — both worthy enough selections — will represent the Sox. Rafaela, though, is second in the American League in fWAR amongst all centerfielders, just a shade behind Byron Buxton, who was elected as a starter. Contreras leads American League first basemen in that category. Sonny Gray is just 20th in fWAR among AL starters, but is second in ERA. Here are the full rosters. (MLB.com)

And given that he’s a veteran who has seen it all at this point, you might be wondering whether Sonny Gray even cares about going to the ASG. But he absolutely does. “I was disappointed for sure,” he said. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

Contreras may or may not be disappointed about the All-Star snub, but he’s got other things on his mind: mainly, the seven-game suspension he’s facing. And, yesterday, he spoke through tears in offering an apology. “Those situations could have been avoided and controlled and handled better,” he said. “It’s been a really tough week, emotional week for me. I hope that they understand how emotional it has been, and I’ll prove myself with my actions on the field from here moving forward and show the kind of person that I truly am.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

No one can complain about Aroldis Chapman’s selection, particularly in light of the fact that he just set the all-time strikeout record for relievers. “That’s great, that reflects on what I’ve done throughout my career,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “On the other side, just want to be out there every time I can to help the team win and to save games.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)

In light of the record — but acknowledging the very short tenure — the question must be asked: where does Chapman rank on the list of all-time Red Sox relievers? (Daniel Yanofsky, NESN)

This is a simple question of the day: who is your favorite all time Phillies player and why?

I’m interested in the mix that we get with current and former players.