May 18, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm (28) reacts with infielder Edmundo Sosa (33) after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Phillies (25-23) were without a couple of regulars to begin the night but still found a way to come from behind in the eighth inning to win their fifth consecutive ballgame by a score of 5-4 against the Cincinnati Reds (24-24) on Monday night.
Kyle Schwarber was out of the lineup with an illness and Brandon Marsh was rested, though he did enter as a defensive substitution later on.
Andrew Painter put together his second straight strong outing, going six innings and allowing only two runs.
The Phillies opened the scoring in the bottom of the first after a leadoff double by Trea Turner, a walk by Bryce Harper and a double steal put two runners in scoring position and a walk by Alec Bohm loaded the bases with no outs. Sacrifice flies by Edmundo Sosa and Adolis Garcia made it 2-0.
The Reds would get it right back in the top of the second with three straight singles and a sacrifice fly before KeBryan Hayes hit into an inning-ending around-the-horn double play.
Bohm broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth for his first of two hits on the night, a one-out solo shot to straightaway center field, his fourth homer of the year.
Alec Bohm go-ahead shot in the sixth as the Phillies are looking for their fifth straight win! pic.twitter.com/BRud6a0WEr
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 19, 2026
The Reds again answered back in the next half inning as Brad Keller, ahead 0-2 against his first batter in relief of Painter, surrendered a leadoff home run to Sal Stewart.
Jose Alvarado coughed up the lead in the top of the eighth inning with a two-out RBI double by Spencer Steer before Orion Kerkering induced a pop up by Stewart to end the threat.
With two outs and a runner on first, Bryson Stott flexed his power stroke once again with a go-ahead two-run homer to right field. After going homerless in March and April, Stott now has five in May and is averaging an RBI per game across his last 20 played.
May 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) connects for a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images
One cannot tell the complete history of the Boston Red Sox without considering the game they played tonight, Monday, May 18, 2026. I mean, one can, but they’d be doing the team a disservice. Tonight’s game counted and the record should reflect that. It doesn’t matter how wack the team has been and should be looking to the future in the both the near- and long-term. Like, Roman Anthony has suffered a setback and everything. And yet we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the next thing the Red Sox do. Fuck the past; how is the future? For one night, it seemed pretty rad.*
*(Just now, in writing this post, it occurs to me that I said Kyle Isbel was the starting pitcher. While objectively funny, that’s a very stupid thing to do. That’s a Monday special, folks.)
Anyhow, Sonny was great and outdueled Padres legend Seth Lugo, who got bit by a two-run Willson Contreras dong in the fifth to open the scoring.
Hey Seth: Why don’t you lu-go fetch the ball from the stands? Idiot.*
*We have no idea if Seth Lego is an idiot and one pitch cannot provide evidence one way or the other. It sounded cool tho and he got rocked so deal with it.
*Kalshi would disagree. And as much as I hate it I set up an account to bet $10 that JD Vance would *not* be the GOP nominee in 2028 at like 1:1 odds. It’s a win-win vote because he sucks so hard! If he’s the nom he’ll lose! That’s worth $10!
Outside of a brief Gray/Justin’s Laten hiccup in the 7th, the Sox’s pitching was immaculate, including an impressive ultimately shutdown inning from Garrett Whitlock in the eighth. The Sox faced old friend John Schreiber in the 9th and he got pulled after walking Jarren Duran, which serves him right for no longer being on the team, whether his fault or not.*
*It wasn’t.
I wish it would stop doing that. I’m just trying to—*
*But you’re doing it.
Fair enough.*
*Wrap it up!
Fine. Aroldis Chapman came out and finished the Royals off which was the dream of the French for hundreds of years. (They didn’t have the power of a failed Starling Marte challenge.) All that even if the early years of “England” as we know it was run by French people and the king didn’t speak English for a long, long time. The French hating the French? Mon dieu! That’s not what we’re here to talk about tho. Those kings are just as dead as KC was tonight. For (New) England! (England sucks too tho. That’s why they made a New one.)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - MAY 13: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers anticipates a pitch during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field on May 13, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager has been placed on the 10 day injured list due to back spasms, the team announced today. To take his place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled Michael Helman from AAA Round Rock.
Seager last played on Wednesday, and was 0 for his last 27. The Rangers were off on Thursday, and then Seager had a scheduled day off in Houston on Friday. He was out of the lineup Saturday and Sunday due to back spasms that reportedly cropped up after Friday, and president of baseball operations Chris Young said the team is choosing to be careful with Seager to avoid potential larger back problems down the road, as well as give Seager a “mental reset.”
With Helman up, the Rangers now have no position players on the 40 man roster who are not in the majors, be it on the active roster or on the injured list. Cody Freeman, who started the year on the injured list, is currently on a rehab assignment, and we could see Freeman come up at some point before too long.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26: Overall view of Barclays Center during the 2025 NBA Draft - Round Two on June 26, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the last two drafts, Phoenix has selected Ryan Dunn and Khaman Maluach in the first round, and could be looking to make their third-straight first round selection. With a thin, young core and a scarcity of future draft picks, it will likely take a significant offer for the team to reach the first round and make a selection on June 23rd. The class is considered strong, according to people in the NBA.
The Suns are starting to feel some of the consequences of sacrificing major draft capital that they needed to acquire both Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant without having any hardware to show for it, and teams that were viewed as a few years away from contention are already taking the league by storm, like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
While they had an unexpected playoff campaign this season, team president Brian Gregory has been tasked with building the team through free agency and player development around Devin Booker, juxtaposed with doing so mostly through the draft.
The team was able to acquire the rights to draft Khaman Maluach in the first round and Rasheer Fleming in the second of the 2025 NBA Draft when they traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets last offseason. However, outside of them, Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn appear to be the only young players the team could be keeping long-term. If the Suns do end up trading into the first round, it’s not a guarantee that all four of them will be kept if the team wants to acquire one. The team has only one unprotected first round pick they can trade, their 2033 first, which they can’t deal until draft day.
If Phoenix does acquire a first, potentially Grayson Allen or Royce O’Neale, could also be on the move. Both experienced veterans with years of playoff experience, the two had the best years of their careers this past regular season and have both been starters on teams that were the one seed. Both have two years left on their deals.
For the Suns to acquire a first in this loaded draft, they’re likely going to have to be at peace with dealing someone who made an impact for them during their surprising year, or someone who could help them in the future as they retool around Booker.
Noah Schultz will have to limit his walks in Seattle tonight. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Whew, baby! Exhale everyone, and take the remainder of this pregame to rest on the laurels of an electric Crosstown conclusion that was almost certainly the best such series from a South Side perspective since 2021’s roller coaster three-gamer at then-Guaranteed Rate Field. That one, you might remember, was also characterized by a lopsided win for each side and a dramatic, unlikely White Sox comeback to split the difference. There were also shades of 2019, when Eloy Jiménez’s ninth inning, game-winning bomb produced one of the iconic calls of Jason Benetti’s White Sox tenure and, just as importantly at the time, announced to baseball fans in Chicago that the Sox were once again worth paying attention to.
It remains to be seen what kind of trajectory the 2026 team will follow for the remainder of this summer, but while Benetti’s call might have been absent from Edgar Quero’s heroics yesterday, the image of pandemonium as he rounded the bases may similarly remain as a point of reference in the memory of this squad’s emergence from the abyss.
I’ve been calling it “Ricky’s Boys Don’t Quit: 2026 Version,” and it seems to keep holding true. That 2019 team was hovering around .500 as late as the All-Star Break before fading down the stretch to the tune of 89 losses. That 2019 team was also characterized by simultaneous, exciting and unlikely breakouts from Lucas Giolito, Yoán Moncada, and Tim Anderson, supplemented by Jiménez largely meeting expectations as a rookie, perhaps not dissimilar from what we’re witnessing out of Davis Martin, Colson Montgomery, Miguel Vargas, and Munetaka Murakami now.
What smells more promising this time around is that the major league roster in 2019 didn’t have a stream of incoming reinforcements anything near to what we’re expecting in 2026. Luis Robert Jr. and Nick Madrigal weren’t realistically expected to arrive until the following year, and Andrew Vaughn wasn’t even in the system until midway through the season. Dylan Cease and Zack Collins were the only prospects of note to graduate to the big leagues in 2019, and even if their meager contributions can’t be beat by whatever combination of Braden Montgomery, Jacob Gonzalez, Hagen Smith, Tanner McDougal, and perhaps even Rikuu Nishida makes it to Chicago this summer, there’s still the return of Kyle Teel to look forward to. I suspect the final fortunes of the 2019 team would have been better if they had been able to call upon Sam Antonacci early in the season instead of dedicated 400+ outfield plate appearances to Ryan Cordell and Charlie Tilson.
Tragically, that 2019 time never quite even made it above .500, peaking at 34-34 on June 18. Tonight, facing the Mariners for the second time in as many weeks, the Sox have a chance to make it three games above water, a feat they haven’t managed since Sept. 20, 2022. Here’s the lineup they’ll run out to try to get it done:
It’s probably fortunate that Noah Schultz missed Seattle when they came to town, because after averaging four walks per game over his last four starts, tonight might be the night that I start to worry about him just a little bit if he can’t show some progress at limiting the free passes.
If you’re noticing that Will Venable seems to have emptied the bench of lefties tonight, it’s because Seattle is set counter with Bryan Woo and his 100-point OPS platoon split.
Woo has been largely excellent this season, with only a two-start, 13-run aberration spiking his ERA to 3.91 on the aggregate. First pitch is a late one, of course, scheduled for 8:40 p.m. CT from T-Mobile Park. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio) like always!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 24: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Finally, the Dodgers and Padres meet for the first time in 2026.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 13: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Francisco Giants pitches during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants begin a three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Robbie Ray, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.04 ERA, 4.92 FIP, with 49 strikeouts to 20 walks in 50.1 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers last Wednesday, in which he allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks in four and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.02 ERA, 4.58 FIP, with 29 strikeouts to 14 walks in 43 innings pitched. His last start was in the Diamondbacks’ 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers last Tuesday, in which he allowed seven runs (four earned) on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks in four and two thirds innings.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Rebecca Leslie scored the winning goal with 56 seconds left on Monday night to give the Ottawa Charge a 2-1 win over the Montreal Victoire to force a Game 4 in the best-of-five Walter Cup Final.
The Victoire, with two overtime wins on home ice, lead the best-of-five series 2-1. Game 4 is Wednesday in Ottawa.
Leslie found Sarah Wozniewicz's rebound and fired it through traffic to beat Ann-Renee Desbiens, who made 26 saves.
Montreal challenged the goal for a missed stoppage in play but after a lengthy review the goal stood, sending the playoff record crowd of 16,894 into a frenzy.
Trailing 1-0 Ottawa tied the game when Peyton Hemp picked up a loose puck and beat a sprawled out Desbiens for her first of the postseason with 5:30 remaining in the third period.
Montreal opened the scoring at 7:32 of the third when Maureen Murphy rifled a shot off the back boards and Hayley Scamurra picked up the rebound and beat Gwyneth Philips, who stopped 27 shots.
Ottawa started the third on the power play but generated just one shot.
The teams exchanged chances minutes later with Hemp trying to beat Desbiens at the side of the net and then Montreal’s Kaitlin Willoughby trying to beat Philips from in close.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 06: Manager Dan Wilson #6 pats Bryan Woo #22 of the Seattle Mariners on the back against the Atlanta Braves at T-Mobile Park on May 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners played some dreadful baseball this weekend, getting swept by the Padres, and now have to face a Chicago White Sox team they just dropped a series to. My vibes, please, they are very sick.
Lineups:
Get called up, get to be in the lineup graphic.
News:
You’ve probably already seen the news about the Mariners calling up their top prospect Colt Emerson, but the team also made a slew of roster moves today, most notably optioning Leo Rivas to Tacoma and swapping him with infielder Patrick Wisdom. They also swapped a righty reliever in Domingo Gonzalez for a lefty, Robinson Ortiz. Finally, the Mariners added Brennan Davis to the 40-man roster. Davis had a clause in his contract where he was able to opt out if the Mariners didn’t put him on their 40-man by this weekend and sign with a different organization that would, but the Mariners wanted to keep the right-handed hitting outfielder in the organization.
As another note, today Dan Wilson confirmed that the Mariners will indeed be using a “piggyback start” with Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo. Miller will start, and Castillo will come in from the bullpen.
Today’s game information:
Game time: 6:40 PT
TV: Mariners.TV, with Aaron Goldsmith and Angie Mentink, with Ryan Rowland-Smith as field analyst (and Brad Adam is at least in the building. Vibes restored.)
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr.
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - MAY 08: A general view outside the arena prior to the season opener between the New York Liberty and the Connecticut Sun at Barclays Center on May 08, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As The Athletic continues to roll out data from its annual anonymous player poll, the Brooklyn Nets continue to make waves in it — sized somewhere between tidal and ripple.
Last week, Nets head coach Jordi Fernández and forward Michael Porter Jr. each were each top-of-mind among anonymous players voting in the survey conducted by the New York Times subsidiary. Today, it’s the fans and the city many of them call home.
The Barclays Center
Early in the survey, The Athletic asked players which arena has the most passionate and obnoxious fans. The word choice sure is interesting, as I’m sure most New York natives would describe any rambunctious Knick fan behavior as “passionate,” while someone in Beantown would prefer “obnoxious.” If you switch roles, you’ll get the same thing.
Nevertheless, the Barclays Center crowd wasn’t a top vote getter for either category, but it was mentioned to have received votes in each. The Brooklyn crowd earned 0.06% of the total votes casted for “obnoxious” and “passionate.” The TD Garden and MSG crowds were both top three in both categories.
Giannis & Trade Interest
The only question where Brooklyn polled as a top answer asked players what would be the first team on their hypothetical no-trade list. The Nets accumulated the fifth most votes (5%), trailing the Memphis Grizzlies (35.8%), Washington Wizards (11.7%), Sacramento Kings (10.8%), New Orleans Pelicans (6.7%). The Utah Jazz also earned 5% of the votes.
With those teams being six of the bottom-seven finishers this past season, it’s clear NBA players just want to be somewhere they can win and/or getter better tans or avoid taxes. There wasn’t any breakdown of reasons why.
At the same time, we can’t pretend like the poll wasn’t the greatest look for New York City. Even with the Knicks now in the Eastern Conference Finals, they were only a few pegs down from Brooklyn as a top-10 finisher, securing 3.3% of the votes.
The Nets and Knicks also received some attention when the survey asked players about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s next home. Most voters expect the Greek Freak to say in Milwaukee, which 45.7% of the votes. Miami came in second place with 23.2% of the votes, followed by New York at 16.6%. The Nets were again mentioned to have received votes, even if not a large percentage, which calculated to 0.07% this time.
The poll got responses between 120 and 161 players, around a quarter of the players on NBA rosters.
“I know that the third (win) is going to be the hardest,” the Montreal Victoire coach said after her team took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Walter Cup Finals. “That’s what we’re focused on right now. The girls are allowed to be happy until the puck drop of the Habs tonight and then we move on.”
The Walter Cup trophy was in the house for Game 3 of the best-of-five series and nearly six minutes away from being hauled out for the Montreal Victoire. But with their backs against the wall, the Ottawa Charge staged a late-game comeback, scoring two goals in the final 5:30 of regulation to beat Montreal 2-1 and stay alive.
For nearly 50 minutes, the game was deadlocked 0-0 as goalies Ann-Renée Desbiens and Gwyneth Philips turned over 40 shots aside.
But just moments after Ottawa killed off a third Montreal power play, Montreal forward Hayley Scamurra carried the puck up the middle of the ice, dished to Maureen Murphy and drove to the net, where Murphy’s shot bounced right off the end boards and onto Scamurra’s stick. Known as a reliable defensive forward, Scamurra jumped on the puck before Philips could finish her slide through the crease and banged home the opening goal.
Seven minutes later, Ottawa rookie forward Peyton Hemp tied the game with her first goal of the playoffs. Rebecce Leslie scored the game-winner with just 54 seconds remaining in regulation — her league-leading fourth of the playoffs.
The deafening crowd of 16,894 at Canadian Tire Centre was the largest of any PWHL playoff game. Game 4 will return to CTC on Wednesday night (7 p.m. ET).
May 13, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) celebrates after he hits a double and drives in the tying run against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
I am a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan (now in my sixth decade, thank you very much), but I’m also a baseball fan. Thanks to the massive overhaul that President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom successfully kicked off during the offseason, there are many former St. Louis Cardinals on new teams and several of them have found renewed success. The baseball fan that I am makes me want to keep up with these guys as they move forward with their careers.
A quick disclaimer: I don’t want to be like a creepy ex who just can’t stop thinking about their former partner. I briefly did a check in on most of these players very early in the season and this is my last planned revisit to see how they’re doing. I mean this to be my “fare thee well” former St. Louis Cardinals check-in finale.
Nolan Arenado – Arizona Diamondbacks
Nolan Arenado has not suddenly become the 2022 version of himself that was third place in the MVP voting. However, he’s trending back to the positive offensive contributor that he still believes he can be. Here’s his 2026 stat line as of today:
Batting Average (AVG): .273 Home Runs (HR): 6 Runs Batted In (RBI): 21 On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .801 Games Played (G): 43
Nolan got off to a very slow start in Arizona as he was under the .200 mark for the first couple weeks of the season, but he reportedly made a pre-game adjustment to his routine and is now enjoying a mini-career renaissance. Over his last 100 plate appearances, he hit 6 home runs and posted a formidable .998 OPS. Nice. His defense has gone from being elite to just barely above average.
Willson Contreras – Boston Red Sox
Willson Contreras is his usual fiery self in Boston and his offensive numbers have been decent for the Red Sox. Here’s his 2026 stat line as of today:
Batting Average (AVG): .253 On-Base Percentage (OBP): .362 Slugging Percentage (SLG): .468 On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .830 Home Runs (HR): 9 Runs Batted In (RBI): 25
Willson’s first base defense now ranks among the 98th percentile which has been a big boost for a Red Sox team that badly needs it. Unfortunately, Willson took a 94 mph fastball to the hand in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Red Sox are hoping he’ll avoid the injured list since the x-rays came back negative.
Brendan Donovan – Seattle Mariners
Brendan Donovan got off to a spectacular start in Seattle. Unfortunately, he’s been dealing with injuries that have limited his playing time for the Mariners. Here’s his current stat line:
A few days ago, Brendan went back to the IL with a groin strain just 10 days after he was activated from a previous IL stint. He’s been the Brendan Donovan we enjoyed in St. Louis…when he’s healthy which has not consistently been the case so far in 2026.
Sonny Gray – Boston Red Sox
After a poor Spring Training, Sonny Gray is off to a solid start for the Boston Red Sox. Here’s his stat line for the 2026 season so far:
There’s good news and bad news for Sonny if you look at the recent numbers. He threw 5 scoreless innings against Kansas City with 8 strikeouts and prior to that tossed 6 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies only allowing 1 run. The advanced metrics seem to reveal that Sonny has benefitted from favorable luck and strong defensive support. Considering the fact that the Red Sox are currently in the cellar of the American League East, they’ll need the best version of Sonny they can get, luck or not.
Ryan Helsley – Baltimore Orioles
If you’d like to look at Ryan’s situation as a glass-half-full type of thing, Helsley’s time with the Orioles has been much better than the second half of last season with the New York Mets. Ryan’s stat line as of today is a 2.53 ERA, 0-2 win-loss record, and 7 saves in 12 appearances. Ryan has had an injury setback which landed him on the IL on May 1, but the word is he’s started playing catch and is making progress toward getting back in the Oriole’s bullpen.
Harrison Bader – San Francisco Giants
Harrison’s bats did not successfully make the trip with him to the Bay area as his current 2026 stat line is .147 with 3 home runs, 5 RBIs, and an OPS of .478. The good news is Harrison had a strong game yesterday against the Athletics as he belted a home run. In fact, he may be trending up as 3 of his 4 home runs this season have come since May 12.
Miles Mikolas – Washington Nationals
How is Miles Mikolas faring with the Washington Nationals? The numbers show that Miles has seen better days:
Games Started: 6 (total of 9 appearances) WHIP: 1.49 Strikeouts (K): 28 Innings Pitched (IP): 41.2
Miles has a 1-3 record with a 6.91 ERA and 28 strikeouts. His role has shifted to being an innings eater in the games he hasn’t started. I’ve seen reports that there’s been an increase to his fastball velocity recently. He tossed a season-high 5.2 innings of relief against the Baltimore Orioles about a week ago.
Andre Granillo – Washington Nationals
I decided to include Andre in this roundup although few of us Cardinals fans ever really got to know him to compare how that George Soriano trade worked out. Here are Andre’s stats for Washington so far. He has a 0-0 record with a 9.64 ERA across 8 relief appearances and has recorded 3 strikeouts, allowed 9 hits, and has a 2.25 WHIP. When you compare that to George Soriano’s 1-0 record and a 3.66 ERA across 19.2 innings pitched and a WHIP of 1.27, feeling pretty good about one of Chaim’s smaller offseason moves.
I look at many of these former St. Louis Cardinals having good fresh starts with their new teams as a win-win. The Cardinals have been able to kick the youth movement into high gear and many of the players we cheered for while wearing birds on the bat have themselves in good career situations moving forward. I wish them all well except when they’re playing us.
In the bottom of the second inning, Brewers catcher William Contreras challenged a ball call on a pitch to Cubs designated hitter Michael Conforto from starting pitcher Brandon Sproat. Viewers on television saw the familiar ABS graphic confirming that the Brewers' challenge was successful. However, inside Wrigley Field, the ABS system appeared to freeze on the "MLB ABS" logo. Due to the in-stadium system malfunction, the pitch was ruled a ball and the Brewers retained their challenge.
Conforto struck out swinging as the Cubs went down 1-2-3 in a scoreless second inning.
ABS confirmed in #Brewers at #Cubs (Bot 2). Milwaukee Brewers challenged the ball call on Brandon Sproat's pitch to Michael Conforto. Ball confirmed. HP: Derek Thomas | Upheld 76.3% (29/38). Later: Michael Conforto strikes out swinging. pic.twitter.com/PtTX0ebIMa
The ABS lapse meant little to the competitive phase of the game. The Brewers cruised to a 9-3 win, thanks to home runs by Christian Yelich — his second in as many days — and Jake Bauers.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MAY 17: Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his double during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on May 17, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Los Angeles Dodgers (29-18) at San Diego Padres (28-18), May 18, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
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OTTAWA – Kori Cheverie saw Monday night coming.
