MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 04: Eric Haase #18 of the San Francisco Giants rounds first base after hitting a grand slam in the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on June 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball draws to a close today, so it’s time to pick our favorite highlights of the week!
If you know me, you know what I’m picking. I love a grand slam, if there’s a grand slam in the week I’m picking it. This week, Eric Haase did the honors in Thursday’s 12-9 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
What was your favorite highlight of the week?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants wrap up this series against the Chicago Cubs tonight at 5:30 p.m. PT.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Creed Willems #97 of the Baltimore Orioles poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at Ed Smith Stadium on February 18, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Christian Herberholz pitched four innings and allowed six runs, though just three were earned. The Tides made three errors in the game, including two in the three-run fifth inning. Once and future Oriole Dietrich Enns pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. They were winning until that inning.
Creed Willems and José Barrero both hit solo home runs, while Bryan Ramos and Jud Fabian had two hits apiece from the bottom of the lineup. Willems has an .889 OPS in the season. The Tides had 10 hits pretty evenly spaced out. The only player without a hit was Heston Kjerstad.
Through four innings, Juaron Watts-Brown allowed three walks and a hit. He allowed one run in the third, but held his own. Then things fell apart in the fifth when he allowed three hits, all for extra bases. That includes a two-run homer and three runs total.
The offense also struggled, waiting until the bottom of the ninth to score the team’s only run. That run came on a single by Frederick Bencosme followed by an Aron Estrada double. Bencosme and Estrada had two hits. combining for four of the team’s six hits.
High-A: Frederick Keys 8, Hudson Valley Renegades (NYY) 6
The Keys fell behind early, came back with a five-run third inning, blew the lead in the sixth, then went ahead for good in the seventh. A real back-and-forth affair!
Starter Yeiber Cartaya gave up three runs, one earned, in five innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. He gave up a solo home run in the second, then allowed two more in third after an error by Leandro Arias.
It was a good day for Victor Figueroa, who homered, doubled, and five RBI. Rehabbing Enrique Bradfield singled thrice and walked as the leadoff batter. Vance Honeycutt walked twice and didn’t strike out at all.
Low-A: Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Augusta GreenJackets (ATL) 3
Christian Rodriguez pitched six innings and allowed just two runs. He did allow eight hits but didn’t walk a batter.
The game was tied 3-3 until a four-inning eighth. Stiven Martinez, Braylon Whitaker, and Juan Ortega doubled in the game. It was a two-hit game for Ortega and Whitaker. Elvin Garcia walked four times! Edwin Amparo reached twice with a single and a walk.
Family members of former Dodgers Billy Bean and Glenn Burke pose in front of an exhibit honoring the LGBTQ+ pioneers that was unveiled at Dodger Stadiun on Friday. (Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times)
Let’s go Dodgers. High fives all around.
Because this time, with the newest historical exhibit at Dodger Stadium, the team got it right.
Amid all the historical installations and tributes in the open-air museum that is the Centerfield Plaza, and just a few feet from a Fernando Valenzuela mural, a new display honors Glenn Burke and Billy Bean, two former Dodgers outfielders who were the first and second professional baseball players to come out as gay.
It’s not a fleeting mention on Pride night, it’s a permanent record. A static reminder of progress made — and still to be made. And a much-deserved thank-you.
A wall inside Dodger Stadium honors former Dodgers and LGBTQ+ pioneers Billy Bean and Glenn Burke. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
“It’ll be here tomorrow, it’ll be here on the weekend and if you come next month, it’ll be here,” said the Dodgers’ team historian Mark Langill, who pointed to a spot just down the hall where in 1976 he was an 11-year-old getting Burke’s autograph.
Baseball is steeped in such history. The personal, the statistical, the societal. And the Dodgers’ is incomplete without their stories — Burke’s and Bean’s.
But the Dodgers have not, of course, always gotten this stuff right.
In 1978, they did Burke wrong, trading him — he believed — after management learned he was gay.
In his three seasons in L.A., Burke had proved himself a capable reserve outfielder who was popular with his teammates.
As far as we know, in 1977, he was the first guy to initiate a high five — spontaneously reaching above his head to slap hands with Dusty Baker after the home run that made Baker the fourth Dodger, along with Ron Cey, Steve Garvey and Reggie Smith, to hit at least 30 home runs that season, a MLB first.
Glenn Burke, left, goes to give a high-five to teammate Dusty Baker after Baker hit a home run in 1977. It is believed to be the first instance a high five was exchanged. (Los Angeles Times)
There’s a fantastic photo of the historic high five included in the tribute to Burke and Bean, which is situated on a hallway wall beneath the left-field bleachers, beside the “Dodger Dugout” augmented reality photo booth.
Burke was also the first guy in that Dodgers clubhouse to crack a joke when the team needed it, his former teammate Rick Monday said.
“When called upon, he could play really well,” Monday said before the Dodgers took the field against the Angels on Friday, when the Dodgers and many of their rainbow-sporting fans celebrated the team’s 13th annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night. “And when we needed a moment of levity, Glenn was not afraid to come forward and put a smile on people’s face.”
But shortly before he died of AIDS in 1995 at 42, Burke published an autobiography, “Out at Home,” in which he described the team’s management being “afraid of my sexual orientation, even though I never flaunted it. To this day, the Dodgers deny trading me because I was gay. But it was painfully obvious.”
“Oh, what he had to deal with and keep it hid,” said Joyce Burke-Henderson, one of Glenn’s sisters at Friday’s pregame unveiling, where family members of both players gasped and cried and cheered the installation’s reveal.
“But as time went on, people did know. And then I think he came to the point where he just didn’t care and he just told it like it was.”
Joyce Henderson, sister of Glenn Burke, speaks about her brother during a ceremony honoring the former Dodger and LGBTQ+ pioneer at Dodger Stadium Friday. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Burke came out in 1982, three years after playing his 225th and final big league game, in an Inside Sports article, “The Double Life of a Gay Dodger.”
“We just appreciate that now people are opening their eyes and just trusting in the Lord,” Burke-Henderson said Friday, “that things will go forward and work out and everybody will be loved regardless of their situation.”
The Dodgers first honored Burke in 2022, at their ninth Pride Night.
The next season, they made a mess of the Pride festivities, inviting and uninviting and then reinviting the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group known for its work in support of AIDS patients and whose members dress in drag, as nuns.
In 2023, the Dodgers also invited Bean — who was MLB’s senior vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He appeared in a pregame ceremony on the field while protesters gathered outside the stadium.
Bean died the next year, at 60, 11 months after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Greg Baker, husband of the late Billy Bean, wipes away tears during a tribute honor Bean as a LGBTQ+ pioneer at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Once a Northeast Santa Ana Little Leaguer, Bean became valedictorian at Santa Ana High, played for Loyola Marymount and went on to appear in 272 big-league games — including 51 for the Dodgers in 1989 — before abruptly walking away from baseball in 1995.
It got to be too much, he’d explain later, continuing to hustle to keep his baseball career afloat while keeping his sexuality secret, acutely aware of the blowback he’d get if it got out.
“For nine years,” he told the New York Times, “I felt as though I had one foot in the major leagues and one on a banana peel.”
“When he left baseball suddenly, I knew something was wrong,” Bean’s mother, Linda Kovac, said Friday, pausing to wipe away tears. “He was playing very well, it wasn’t like he was kicked out or anything. And it just didn’t make any sense.”
When Bean finally told his family he was gay, in 1996 — three years before clueing in an unsuspecting public via a Miami Herald article — none of his loved ones blinked. That included his stepfather, Ed Kovac, the homicide cop and former Marine who’d had a partner on the force who was gay.
“He worked with someone that he respected, side by side, on criminal cases,” Linda said. “We’re still friends with that guy.”
Linda and Ed Kovac, parents of Billy Bean, hold hands in front of a tribute dedicated to their son at Dodger Stadium on Friday. (Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Knowing someone — or of someone — who is gay or lesbian has long tended to dispel falsehoods and quell fears that might exist.
“One of the most important things any one of us can do in our community is be out, to be proud,” said Greg Baker, Bean’s husband. “The fact that someone can be out in a world that typically doesn’t have a lot of role models of the same ilk, it’s a brave thing to stick your neck out. It’s also very important.”
And it’s not a surprise, Baker said, that more athletes aren’t out in sports like baseball. Not with Gallup polling released last week telling us that with public acceptance of same-sex marriage and relationships in the U.S. has flattened after two-plus decades of growing support — down from 71% to about 65%.
“I want to thank the Dodgers organization,” Baker said. “It’s brave of them in this day and age to spotlight someone in our community when other organizations are trying to erase us.”
The Dodgers have done the opposite, putting up a permanent marker. A long time coming, a tribute to last.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 5: Relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after giving up a hit to tie the game in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field on June 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week was certainly a weird one as the Colorado Rockies kicked off the month of June.
The Rockies then returned to Coors Field on Friday to start their current series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Heading into the ninth inning the game had been a tightly contested 3-1 pitcher’s duel where the Rockies had the lead and the Brewers had just one hit. Then closer Antonio Senzatela spiked a double play ball and somehow the game ended with a 9-7 Rockies loss in ten innings.
With Tanner Gordon shelved with a hip injury, Zach Agnos was called upon to make his second major league start on Saturday. The game ended as a blowout, though Agnos gave up just two earned runs in his three innings of work. The game was unfortunately highlighted by Tyler Freeman taking a 98.2 MPH cutter to the head and leaving the game. While Freeman is expected to be fine, he will likely land on the 7-day concussion list. Could this mean someone like Zac Veen might get called up?
We’ll find out later today as the Rockies wrap up their series against the Brewers on Dinger bobblehead day.
With that being said, here’s what our staff here at Purple Row had to say this week:
The games over the last week have ranged from sloppy, to ugly, to bizarre. What are some of your favorite or most notable weird, wild, wacky, or downright stupid games that you have watched? They can feature the Rockies, but could also be any other team. Let us know in the comments!
Following a game like Friday’s where the Cubs were errorless on the field while seven pitchers combined for an 19-hitter, it’s refreshing to start off a Cub Tracks with Matthew Boyd’s story. And with the lineup changes and trade ultimatums discussed, it will be good to change those boos into cheers once and for all.
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Gordon Edes (Chicago Sun-Times): For Cubs pitcher Matt Boyd, relief is his true calling. “Boyd and wife Ashley treasure mission in Uganda, providing safe haven for potential child-traffic victims who previously lived with terror and despair.”
Hard to believe, but was it the boos that struck a nerve in Craig Counsell for Saturday’s lineup?
Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Boos rain down at Wrigley Field as Cubs continue to ‘muddle’ through the season. “Friday was an early sign that the Cubs won’t build off Thursday’s win. Things could actually get worse. The fans are getting restless and exceedingly tired of watching the same story unfold day after day.”
Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ roller-coaster season continues: ‘We have to play better. That’s the priority’. “When asked about the importance of a particular game or stretch within a season, Cubs manager Craig Counsell has more than once told the story of a teammate he had during his playing career who arrived each day with the same mantra.”
Something a little different from the Blues side: As it says below, Buddy Guy is going to name his 10 favorite guitarists.
(I can’t make this stuff up) — The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. celebrated the upcoming FIFA World Cup by organizing the world’s largest game of human foosball. The May 23 event at Humber Polytechnic Lakeshore Campus West in Etobicoke involved 254 participants holding onto giant horizontal poles and attempting to kick a soccer ball into an oversized goal.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 6: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
As the NBA Draft draws closer, the Dallas Mavericks have made it clear that Cooper Flagg is now their cornerstone, their primary building block.
That makes perfect sense. He’s coming off a spectacular rookie season, he is just 19 and will be 20 for most of next season, and he’s shown every sign of being able to carry the leadership burden.
Which puts teammate and fellow former Blue Devil Kyrie Irving in an interesting situation.
Now 34, and coming off of an ACL injury, his future is uncertain, and a lot of people are suggesting that Dallas should trade him as part of an overhaul.
Among other things, he’s due to be paid $39,491,282 this coming season.
We have no idea what Dallas is thinking, obviously, but if they moved Irving, they could free up a lot of money to pursue, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’s going to make a good bit more than Irving – about $58.5 million – and pairing him with Flagg would be incredible.
Or they could move Irving and spread that money around. They could sign, say, Luke Kennard for not that much, possibly Rui Hachimura, or Quentin Grimes.
The Mavericks also have two first-round draft picks to work with. They could sweeten the pot for an Irving trade and go for someone completely unexpected. Just imagine if they pulled off a trade for Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis, or, say, Darius Garland?
A lot goes into an NBA trade, and we have no idea what Dallas would have to do to make it worthwhile. First, you have to deal with the salary cap, and then you have to make sure the pieces fit together.
Here’s another thought that could be fun, if difficult: Ja Morant and Memphis are clearly at the end, and while he’s damaged goods at this point, given all his various issues with the Grizzlies, he’s still an extraordinary talent. It’s fun to imagine him with Flagg, and it would be nearly impossible to guard both.
The good news is that Memphis won’t be able to get very much for him. The bad news?
He’s still Ja Morant, and he’s clearly a risk. But if it works…wow.
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades:L, 6-8 at Frederick Keys
SS Kaeden Kent 4-5, 1 2B, 1 K 3B Core Jackson 0-5, 1 R, 1 K DH Eric Genther 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 K 1B Kyle West 1-3, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K RF Wilson Rodriguez 0-4, 3 K 2B Roderick Arias 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K, 1 SB — got on the board first with a second-inning blast C Josue Gonzalez 0-4, 1 K LF Josh Moylan 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K CF Camden Troyer 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Chase Hampton 3 IP, 5 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR Tanner Bauman 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K Thomas Balboni Jr. 1 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K (loss, blown save) Aaron Nixon 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 K Bryce Warrecker 1 IP, 0 R, 2 H
— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) June 7, 2026
Low-A Tampa Tarpons:W, 4-3 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals
SS Jackson Lovich 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K 3B Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek 2-4, 1 R, 2 K 2B Hans Montero 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB, fielding error RF Logan Maxwell 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB C Luis Puello 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K CF Willy Montero 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K LF JoJo Jackson 1-4, 1 2B, 3 K DH Ediel Rivera 0-2, 1 RBI, 1 K 1B John Cristino 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 K
Tyler Boudreau 7 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR (win) Luis Velasquez 1 IP, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (hold) Pedro Rodriguez 1 IP, 0 R (save)
Florida Complex League Yankees:W, 8-1 (7) vs. FCL Tigers
3B Richard Matic 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K CF Wilberson De Pena 1-3, 1 BB, 1 CS DH Queni Pineda 1-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K 2B Leni Done 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB C David McCann 0-1, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB PR-LF Diego Flores 1-1, 1 R RF Estivenzon Montero 0-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K SS Dexters Peralta 2-3, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R — grand slam in the first to put it to bed early, plus another homer late 1B-C Justin Capellan 0-1, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1 CS LF-1B Christofer Reyes 1-2, 1 BB
Sabier Marte 4.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 5 K Kevin Stevens 1.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 K (win) Alexander Almonte 1 IP, 0 R, 1 K
Dominican Summer League Yankees:L, 8-11 at DSL Rangers Red
CF Isaias Castillo 2-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 2 K, 1 SB 2B Stiven Marinez 1-5, 1 R, 1 SB, fielding error RF Yostin Pena 1-5, 1 RBI, 1 K SS Juan Torres 3-5, 1 2B, 1 R, throwing error C Cesar Lopez 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K 3B Abrahan Pichardo 0-3, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K DH Juan Martinez 3-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 R, 2 SB LF Eliezer Adames 1-4, 1 RBI, 3 K 1B Jose Peralta 1-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K throwing error
Victor De Leon 1.2 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB Freddy Lopez 2.2 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K Cesar Vivanco 1 IP, 3 R, 2 H, 1 BB (loss, blown save) Emanuel Vargas 2.1 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K Brandon Rodriguez 0.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 HR
Dominican Summer League Bombers:L, 14-15 (10) vs. DSL Mets Orange
2B Dariel Santana 1-4, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SB SS Mani Cedeno 0-5, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K DH Carlos Bello 1-4, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 K, 2 SB RF David Carrera 0-3, 1 RBI, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 CS C Alessandro Rodriguez 1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB C Jesus Guerrero 0-0 3B Germayhoni Beltre 1-4, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K LF Richard Meran 0-4, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 SB 1B Stalen Ramirez 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB CF Alfiery Matos 0-4, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 CS
Carlos Hampshire 2.2 IP, 7 R, 3 H, 4 BB, 3 K, 1 HR Jhon Castro 0.1 IP, 4 R, 2 H, 4 BB Lenin Caceres 1.1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 3 BB, 3 K Mauricio Vargas 2.1 IP, 0 R, 4 K Josue Silvestre 2.1 IP, 1 R, 2 BB, 3 K John Rosillo 1 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HR (loss)
Pitcher, Julian Garcia, St. John Bosco, Sr.: The Long Beach State commit threw a one-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts in the Southern Section Division 1 final and finished 9-1 with a 0.80 ERA.
Pitcher, Jordan Ayala, Norco, Jr.: Ayala was 8-2 with a 0.74 ERA, including a shutout of Orange Lutheran in the Division 1 quarterfinals.
Utility, Logan Schmidt, Ganesha, Sr.: In his only season playing high school baseball, the Louisiana State commit went 9-0 while allowing one earned run in 60 innings and batted over .500 in leading his team to a Division 2 title.
Catcher, Carson Sheffer, Oaks Christian, Sr.: The Oklahoma State commit batted .440 with 14 doubles and five home runs while also showing off strong defensive skills.
Infielder, James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.: The Vanderbilt commit had 52 hits, a .531 batting average and 10 home runs as the Mission League MVP.
Infielder, Dylan Seward, Norco, Jr.: The Tennessee commit batted .436 with 48 hits and 29 RBIs.
Infielder, Jack Champlin, St. John Bosco, Sr.: The UC Irvine commit and Trinity League MVP led the two-time Division 1 champions with a .390 batting average and 31 RBIs while repeatedly delivering clutch hits.
Infielder, Trey Ebel, Corona, Sr.: The Texas A&M commit got hot in the final month and finished with a .417 average, 45 hits and 47 RBIs.
Outfielder, Jared Grindlinger, Huntington Beach, Sr.: The expected first-round draft pick led the team with 42 hits, including 10 doubles, and also was an ace on the mound for the Sunset League champions and Division I regional champions.
Outfielder, Blake Bowen, JSerra, Sr.: The possible first-round MLB draft pick batted .360 with nine home runs and seven stolen bases.
Outfielder, Mattias Di Maggio, Dos Pueblos, Fr.: He set a school record with 11 home runs and struck out only once in 84 at-bats while batting .500 with 42 hits and nine doubles.
A look at the Los Angeles Times’ 2026 All-Star softball team:
Pitcher, Liliana Escobar, JSerra, Sr.: The Florida commit helped lead the Lions to their first Southern Section Division 1 title with a 1.25 ERA and 252 strikeouts in 146 innings.
Pitcher, Peyton May, Norco, Sr.: The Oklahoma State commit went 12-1 with 130 strikeouts in 83 innings.
Utility, Lily Hauser, Murrieta Mesa Sr.: The Arizona commit batted .542 with 52 hits and was 17-0 as a pitcher with a 0.25 ERA.
Catcher, Annabel Raftery, JSerra, So.: An A student and top defensive player, Raftery also hit .429 with 12 home runs for the Division 1 champions.
Infielder, Mia Camacho, Whittier Christian, Jr.: The Rutgers commit delivered clutch hits for the Division 2 champions, finishing with a .544 average, including 49 hits and 17 home runs.
Infielder, Kelsey Luderer, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, So.: The Mission League MVP batted .514 with 40 RBIs.
Infielder, Savannah Gonzalez, Norco, Jr.: The Cal Baptist commit batted .493 with four home runs and 20 RBIs.
Infielder, Riley Hilliard, La Mirada, Jr. : The Oklahoma commit helped her team reach the Division 1 final, finishing with a .568 average, 33 RBIs, 14 doubles and 10 home runs.
Outfielder, Shea Gonzalez, Villa Park, Sr.: The Washington commit had 59 hits, 40 stolen bases and was the Freeway League player of the year.
Outfielder, Aubrey McLaughlin, Eastvale Roosevelt, Sr.: The UCLA commit and left-handed power hitter batted .494 with 14 home runs and was intentionally walked nine times.
Outfielder, Zoe Justman, Granada Hills, Sr.: The UC Santa Barbara commit batted .521 with 49 hits and 40 RBIs for the City Section Open Division runner-ups.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 06: Tanner Bibee #28 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches during the fourth inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tanner Bibee finally got some run support and a win against the Rangers.
Zach has your recap here. The series rubber match today features Joey Cantillo vs. Jacob deGrom. Then, the Guardians come back home to play the Yankees again on Monday.
Michael Baumann has an interesting article for FanGraphs about how contracts formerly seen as immovable are probably no longer immovable.
AROUND MLB:
Josh Naylor has been doing silly things like throwing his sliding glove into the catcher and the Tigers responded by throwing a 97 mph fastball at his head.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 6: Andrew Painter #24 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the top of the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citizens Bank Park on June 6, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
That loss is the perfect embodiment of a loss. Everything kind of stunk, so they just move on.
Making a somewhat surprising trip across the pond, a former Philadelphia Flyers interim coach is jumping to the KHL, taking over one of the league's better teams.
After five years, former Flyers coach Scott Gordon has returned to the bench as the head coach of a professional hockey team, following his appointment as the new head coach of the KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk.
Flyers fans will remember Gordon, 63, as the coach who replaced the fired Dave Hakstol in the 2018-19 season, before returning to his post as Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach in the AHL.
Gordon coached the Phantoms for six seasons before he was succeeded by Ian Laperriere, and guided the Flyers to a 25-22-4 record in 51 games during his lone season in charge of the big club.
Previously, Gordon served as the head coach of the New York Islanders for parts of three seasons, amassing a dismal record of 64-94-23.
During his time with the Flyers organization, Gordon wasn't given the lay of the land to work with, but the former NHL goalie did help develop players such as Alex Lyon, Anthony Stolarz, Travis Sanheim, Phil Myers, Shayne Gostisbehere, Scott Laughton, Cam York, Morgan Frost, Tyson Foerster, and Joel Farabee over his six-year tenure.
Now in the KHL, Gordon takes over a Traktor team that is just one year removed from an appearance in the Gagarin Cup Final.
"We've had nothing but positive feedback about Scott Gordon from the start, both from his North American colleagues and the players he worked with. Everyone noted his high level of organization and culture in building key team processes: daily life, training, game preparation, and team relations," Traktor GM Alexei Volkov was quoted as saying by Championat.
"The number of players who graduated from his teaching and went on to play at a high level in the NHL is truly impressive. In daily conversations about Chelyabinsk and Traktor, Scott repeatedly emphasized his readiness to apply his vast experience to a new location and would gladly accept the club's offer. We are confident in his personal qualities and have already begun a great deal of work together."
Gordon and his new Traktor team will be seeing quite a bit of Flyers prospect Egor Zavragin, who was just traded to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on Saturday; Metallurg and Traktor both play in the Kharlamov Division in the KHL's Eastern Conference.
After leaving the Flyers organization in 2021, Gordon served as an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks from 2022 to 2024, went to be an assistant coach for the USHL Youngstown Phantoms, then took over as head coach of the USHL Waterloo Black Hawks.
Now, the one-time Flyers boss is going international for the first time.
On Saturday night, with Game 3 in Vegas after an emotional Game 2 win, the Carolina Hurricanes were looking to take a series lead in the Stanley Cup final.
The game started fairly similarly to the previous two. Carolina controlled most of the play in the first period, but in the second period, the Vegas Golden Knights flipped the script.
Through the first two games, the Golden Knights have outscored the Hurricanes 3-1, but in Game 3, they scored four goals, highlighted by a hat trick by Mitch Marner.
To start the third period, trailing by four goals, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour pulled goaltender Frederik Andersen out of the crease in favor of ex-Florida Panther netminder Brandon Bussi.
“There’s no reason to leave Freddie in there the way that game was going... (Bussi) gave us a chance,” said Brind’Amour. “The overtime winner is a tough break. I hate it for him, because he was playing great.”
Bussi was put to the test to stop a Marner penalty shot and succeeded. That changed momentum, as the Hurricanes pulled off a four-goal comeback, which included three goals in 39 seconds. The Hurricanes were able to send a second consecutive game to overtime, but luck wasn’t on their side.
The Hurricanes drove play to start the first overtime stanza, but their pressure slowly fizzled out. In the second overtime frame, Shea Theodore fired a slap shot from the point that missed the net but ricocheted off the boards, off Bussi’s foot, and into the goal.
With the tally, the Golden Knights took an emotional Game 3 victory by a score of 5-4.
Bussi turned away 18 of the 19 shots he faced, but it wasn’t enough. Although could it be enough for coach Brind’Amour to consider turning to Bussi for Game 4? Andersen hasn’t been as stoic as he was in the first three rounds, and the Hurricanes will need a spark in Game 4.
“We’ll figure all that out later,” said the Canes bench boss about the goaltending situation in Game 4. “We’ve got a couple of days to reassess how we’re going to go about the next game.”
It’s a difficult decision that Brind’Amour will have to ponder between now and Tuesday.
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There are some great options for the Chicago Blackhawks to think about when it comes to making the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. Some of it will depend on who is available to them following the selections of the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks.
If Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg falls to them, you can almost guarantee that they will take him. He is a highly skilled forward who projects to make an impact in the NHL right away.
Most have Stenberg as the second most skilled player in the draft, but other factors at play could lead him to Chicago. The Maple Leafs are almost surely going to take Gavin McKenna first overall.
Behind them is the San Jose Sharks, who truly need the best defenseman in the draft more than the second-best forward in the draft. Then there is the Vancouver Canucks, who may be the wild card here. They very well could go with Caleb Malhotra, the top center in the draft. Not only do they need centers more than wingers organizationally, but Malhotra’s dad, Manny, was also just named to be their new head coach.
It is not a guarantee, or even a likely scenario necessarily, but the door is open for Stenberg to come to Chicago. He is a great player who wants to excel in the NHL.
"I want to be over here and play in the best league in the world. That's my goal." Stenberg said at the 2026 NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.
Being drafted and playing in the NHL right away doesn’t happen much, but he has the tools to make that attempt. The Blackhawks could have the center depth needed if Anton Frondell and Frank Nazar work out at those positions, which makes a winger like Stenberg the perfect draft pick for them.
There is substance to Stenberg wanting to play in the NHL right away. He has played against grown men in the SHL and at the IIHF World Championships. He was a noticeable player in each situation, which is why he is projected to be drafted so high. If he ended up with the Chicago Blackhawks, he would absolutely push for a full-time role.
Having the right level of confidence is half the battle when trying to become a regular NHL player, and Stenberg has it. To say he sees himself as a day one NHL caliber player speaks volumes.
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PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 23: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs greets Tony Parker before the game against the Indiana Pacers on January 23, 2025 at The Accor Arena in Paris, France. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Spurs legend Tony Parker spoke regarding the time he discovered Victor Wembanyama had worn his #9 Spurs jersey and what it meant to him.
“Victor was with me in ASVEL, my team, the French team that I own. And the whole time you know he was with us I had a great time and we had great talks and we won a championship. When the Spurs drafted him number one, he put a picture on his social media with my jersey when he was ten-years-old. He had a picture of my jersey. And I saw that picture and I was like ‘wow,’ he never showed it to me when he was with me in ASVEL. And he waited that moment where when he got drafted to show that picture to the world. And I saw him with my jersey. I was like ‘oh, wow.’ So the way that Michael [Jordan] inspired me, I felt very proud that I inspire some one like that.”
It stands to reason. Parker was one of the players from France to make it into the NBA. He met unprecedented success with the Spurs earning a Finals MVP in 2007, one of his four NBA titles. He’s inspired so many players over the years. But for one of his proteges and members of his team to become the biggest player on the planet, that must be quite an honor.
N ow Victor is in the NBA Finals on the same team which Parker spent a majority of his career.
Victor and the Spurs landed in New York on Saturday. They meet with media on Sunday. Game 3 is Monday night. The Spurs are facing the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. With an 0-2 hole, they have their work cut out for them.
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