NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 28: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies watches the flight of his seventh inning two run home run against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Imagine getting to 30 home runs before the calendar even flips to July? Kyle Schwarber just did that, becoming the fastest player in team history to do so.
It’s just so impressive how each season, he seems to be getting better. The strikeouts are high, but who really cares when he hits for this much power. I feel like another high finish in the MVP vote is in the offing.
Jun 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz (55) watch his team play in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the O’s just lost a series that they absolutely should have won, all because they did a whole lot of dumb stuff.
The Birds’ latest embarrassment came against their regional rival Nationals, who completed a season series win, four games to two. The O’s dropped yesterday’s rubber game because Kyle Bradish couldn’t throw strikes, Coby Mayo couldn’t throw the ball to first, and the Orioles couldn’t figure out how to hit a guy with a 5.40 ERA. Your 2026 Orioles, ladies and gentlemen. Alex Church recapped the fruitless O’s effort.
The O’s have won just one of their last seven series — against the Dodgers, oddly enough — and are 9-13 in that span. Their defeat yesterday clinched their third consecutive losing month. They’re one loss away from matching their season-low of eight games under .500. At 39-46, they’re also just two games better than the 2025 Orioles — the gold standard of underachieving O’s teams — were at the same point of the season. And the Orioles are 0-2 since Mike Elias told reporters that he intends for the team to be buyers at the trade deadline. He’s got a little over a month to change his mind.
Three months into the season, the Orioles haven’t gotten any better. Elias and the players continue to talk a big game about how a turnaround is just around the corner, how the team just needs more time for things to click, and they’ll soon become a force to be reckoned with. There is, unfortunately, no evidence that such a thing is ever going to happen. They haven’t cleaned up their sloppy play and poor fundamentals at all; if anything, they’ve only gotten worse throughout the season. And with each passing day, the Orioles’ chances of putting together an extended winning stretch are getting slimmer and slimmer. They’ve passed the halfway mark of the schedule and are only sinking deeper into quicksand.
Adding an extra layer of pain is watching the Orioles get passed in the standings by teams that weren’t even supposed to be contenders this year, like these Nationals. The Nats were thought to be a rebuilding club that was a year or two behind the Orioles’ progress; instead, they’re an above-.500 team that has thoroughly outclassed the Birds this year.
Then there’s the Orioles’ next opponent, the White Sox, who are coming off of three straight 100+ loss seasons, including a historically abysmal 41-121 just two years ago. This year the White Sox are the most out-of-nowhere success story in baseball, leading the AL Central with a 43-39 record, 5.5 games better than the Orioles. The White Sox had barely started to rebuild and are already an exciting, hungry team full of promising young players. The O’s, meanwhile, have completely flatlined in what was supposed to be their window of contention. It’s sad.
The Orioles are overdue for a brutally honest assessment of their organization and the many mistakes that have led to this point. That kind of thorough accounting might not take place until the offseason, which means we’re stuck watching this team in its current form for the next few months.
I know that Jeremiah Jackson hasn’t hit much since his hot April, but what exactly is the thought process that leads the Orioles to send him down instead of a completely unnecessary third catcher?
Says Gunnar: “It sucks. It’s baseball.” The motto of the 2026 Orioles, everyone!
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 25th birthday to Gunnar Henderson. The O’s shortstop has already racked up quite a few accolades in his young career, including AL Rookie of the Year in 2023 and fourth place in the MVP voting in 2024. His 2026 season, as we all know, hasn’t gone quite as well. But what better day than his birthday to start turning things around?
Former Orioles born on this day include infielder Emmanuel Rivera (30), left-hander Pedro Viola (43), and righties Travis Lakins Sr. (32) and the late Dizzy Trout (b. 1915, d. 1972).
On this date in 2007, the Orioles’ Aubrey Huff hit for the cycle in a 9-7 loss to the Angels. At the time he was just the third player in the 54-year history of the Orioles to accomplish the feat, but the O’s have since done it four more times.
And in 2013, Chris Davis bashed his league-leading 30th homer of the year in just his 82nd game, part of a two-dinger day against the Yankees. He ultimately finished the season with an MLB-best 53 home runs. Man, vintage Chris Davis was something else.
Random Orioles game of the day
On June 29, 1990, the Orioles defeated the Twins, 6-2, at the Metrodome. Baltimore’s own Dave Johnson earned the win with 6.2 innings of two-run ball, and Curt Schilling — yes, that one — finished things off with 2.1 scoreless frames to earn his first career save. The O’s offense collected 12 hits, including three by Ripken brothers Cal Jr. and Billy, and catcher Bob Melvin drove in two runs. Despite the win, the Orioles remained well under .500 at 33-41.
Jun 27, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA;Chicago Cubs/ designated hitter Seiya Suzuki (27) is tagged out by Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Last Week’s Results
Monday: Brewers 2, Reds 1
Tuesday: Brewers 2, Reds 0
Wednesday: Brewers 6, Reds 5
Friday: Brewers 6, Cubs 2
Saturday: Cubs 8, Brewers 2
Sunday: Cubs 4, Brewers 3
Division Standings
Milwaukee Brewers: 50-31
Chicago Cubs: 46-38 (5.5 GB)
St. Louis Cardinals 43-38 (7.0 GB)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 42-42 (9.5 GB)
Cincinnati Reds: 39-43 (11.5 GB)
Last Week
Brewers: 4-2
Cubs: 6-1
Cardinals: 2-4
Pirates: 3-3
Reds: 2-4
Top Pitching Performance of the Week
The Brewers weren’t short on solid pitching performances this week, so we’ll make this a “Brandon” award for Brandon Sproat and Brandon Woodruff. Sproat went six scoreless frames with just one hit and one hit batter while striking out 10 in a strong showing against the Reds, while Woodruff made a pair of scoreless starts, totaling 11 2/3 innings against the Reds and Cubs with 16 strikeouts and just two hits and two walks allowed. Those two helped contribute to this crazy pitching stat:
Honorable mentions go to Shane Drohan (4 1/3 scoreless innings in his start), Trevor Megill (four scoreless innings over four appearances), Abner Uribe (4 2/3 scoreless innings over four appearances), Jacob Misiorowski (six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts), and Kyle Harrison (five innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts).
Top Hitting Performance of the Week
There were no clear standouts for the Brewer offense this week, as Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio tied for the team lead with seven hits, though both batted just .269 (26 at-bats each). William Contreras had the best all-around week, though, as he went 6-for-18 with a pair of homers, four RBIs, three runs, and four walks for a solid .333/.455/.667 line.
The Brewers officially activated RHP Brandon Woodruff from the injured list ahead of Monday’s series opener in Cincinnati, and his return could not have gone smoother. Across six scoreless frames, he allowed just one hit and no walks, striking out 10. Left-handed reliever Drew Rom was optioned to Triple-A Nashville as the corresponding move.
After officially clearing waivers, third baseman Luis Rengifo was released by the Brewers on Tuesday.
Reliever Abner Uribe, who was given a one-game suspension for his WWE-style crotch chops toward the Cardinals’ dugout in late May, dropped his appeal and served his suspension on Wednesday after pitching the two nights before.
Reliever Peter Strzelecki, who opted out of an outright assignment to Triple-A Nashville in late May, re-signed with the Brewers on a minor league deal on Wednesday after being released by the Yankees (who had signed him to a minor league deal). He’s now back in Nashville, where he picked up the save in a scoreless inning of work on Thursday night.
Left-hander Jared Koenig, who missed more than two months with a left elbow sprain, was activated from the injured list on Friday. Right-hander Craig Yoho was optioned to Nashville as the corresponding move.
The Detroit Tigers failed to split their four-game weekend series against the Houston Astros on Sunday, falling 7-5 in 10 innings after taking a 3-0 lead into the seventh. Jack Flaherty gave his team five frames of shutout ball with a whopping nine strikeouts, but the trio of Tyler Holton, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen failed in their tasks out of the bullpen.
With the 10-game homestand now in the books, the Motor City Kitties hit the road for their next six matchups starting in the Bronx against the New York Yankees on Monday. Right-hander Casey Mize, who has struggled in his two games since returning from the injured list, will open things up on the mound.
The 29-year-old has put up a 6.10 ERA and 4.46 FIP over his last two starts, which includes his most recent outing against the Yankees at Comerica Park in which he surrendered four runs on eight hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out six in 5 2/3 frames of work. That stretch saw Mize add two losses to his total and extend the streak to four defeats over his last four decisions.
Up against him is left-hander Ryan Weathers, who has found a groove over his last two starts to the tune of a 1.46 ERA and 2.62 FIP stretching across 12 1/3 innings for a pair of quality starts. That includes the last time he saw the Tigers, in which the 26-year-old allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out six across six innings for his fifth win of the 2026 campaign.
Here is a look at how the two hurlers match up in the series opener on Monday night.
Detroit Tigers (35-49) vs. New York Yankees (48-35)
Time (ET): 7:05 p.m. Place: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York SB Nation Site:Pinstripe Alley Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 85: RHP Casey Mize (2-5, 2.95 ERA) vs. LHP Ryan Weathers (3-5, 3.95 ERA)
Happy birthday to Frank Schwindel, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 2004 – At Bank One Ballpark, the Diamondbacks’ 40-year-old fireballer Randy Johnson records his 4,000th career strikeout to become the fourth player in major league history to reach the plateau. The “Big Unit” needs fewer innings (3,237.1) than Nolan Ryan (3,844.2), Roger Clemens (4,151) or Steve Carlton (4,991.1) to accomplish the feat, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1905 – At Brooklyn, the Giants tally seven runs in the first three innings off Mal Eason to coast to an 11-1 victory. Christy Mathewson leaves after five innings of shutout ball. Dan McGann paces the offense with a triple and homer, while Moonlight Graham, in his only game in the majors, takes over in right field as a late-inning replacement. Graham will have no at-bats. bat, but he will be immortalized by W.P. Kinsella‘s book Shoeless Joe and the movie based on the book, Field of Dreams.
1968 – In the first game of a doubleheader, Mickey Mantle ties the score with a two-run homer in the sixth, but rookie Reggie Jackson breaks the tie in the 8th with his ninth homer of the year.
1969 – Tony Oliva collects eight straight hits in the Twins’ twinbill split with the Royals. Kansas City takes the opener, 7-2, behind homers by Mike Fiore and Bob Oliver. Oliva flies out his first time up, then strokes three singles. In the Twins’ 12-2 win in the second game, Oliva hits two homers, a double and two singles, driving in five runs.
1984 – In Los Angeles, Steve Sax hits a first-inning triple, then swipes home, and Orel Hershiser scatters nine hits to lead the Dodgers past the Cubs and Rick Sutcliffe, 7-1. Sutcliffe will not lose again in the regular season.
Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) dunks during the second half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Former Kentucky basketball star and fan-favorite Otega Oweh had his dreams come true when he heard his name called in the second round of last week’s NBA draft.
He was taken 41st overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, a pick which OKC acquired in a trade with the Miami Heat.
Oweh joins former Wildcats Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace in Oklahoma City, where he’s sure to carve out some playing time on the wing for the 2025 NBA champions.
The creative team at UK Athletics always does a phenomenal job with their work and gave their absolute best effort in putting together an incredible behind-the-scenes look at Oweh’s dream coming true and what Draft Day was like for the former Wildcat.
"Today's the day I've been working and waiting for my whole life."
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) June 28, 2026
While Oweh could have rolled the dice last summer and turned professional, he decided to commit to one more year at Kentucky to improve his game but also do his best to lead the program as far as he could for one more season.
It’s easy to speak for all of Big Blue Nation in saying that Oweh is loved and will always be appreciated for his two years in Lexington.
Feb 4, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
The 2026 NBA draft finished on Wednesday, so all the names have been called, and the teams have made their selections. So, now we must do the natural, immediate next step: Look ahead to next year’s draft!
As Kentucky Basketball fans, we got to hear two former Wildcats get their names called during the 2026 draft: Jayden Quaintance and Otega Oweh. Now, we look towards next year and talk about which players may be the next to leap to the next level. Hopefully, many players from the 2026-27 team will be selected next year, following what hopes to be a special 2026-27 season.
The name that we are already seeing people believe will be selected highly next year is Malachi Moreno. One Sam Vecenie even went on the record to say he believes Moreno will be drafted in the lottery next year, at pick No. 11.
“On the plus side, Moreno is a good shot-blocker and has potential to be a solid rim protector at 6 feet 11 with a 9-foot-3.5 standing reach,” Vecenie wrote. “Offensively, he’s an excellent passer who averaged 1.8 assists per game and can act as something of a hub at the top of the key because of his comfort with the ball.
“Moreno needs to get stronger and more willing to play with physicality on the interior. He has an immense amount of potential to be the kind of big teams are looking for in the Isaiah Hartenstein mold, but he has work to do to round out his game.”
Moreno went through the draft process this year before ultimately deciding to pull his name out and return to Lexington for his sophomore season. Now, the Bluegrass product will look to make a big splash as a leader and a star for Kentucky next season.
This year’s class of 2026 for the NBA draft was viewed as one of the more elite groups we’ve seen in a while, but next year, not so much. That makes his decision a little easier, on top of certain skills needing work, knowing that it could be a reality that even though he’d be a year older, he would likely get drafted higher than he would have this year.
One other thing that numerous people believe Malachi Moreno could do to help him grow into a great modern big, on top of what he has already sharpened up, is 3-point shooting. Here is a clip from this offseason where Malachi Moreno worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers, and within the clip, you’ll notice some threes being taken.
Will we see a new, more versatile offensive Moreno this upcoming season?
Malachi Moreno getting some work in at the Lakers’ facility. 👀
He has until Wednesday night at 11:59 PM ET to announce if he will return back to CBB or keep his name in the NBA Draft. ⏳ pic.twitter.com/1RV16nJkUF
Kentucky fans know that Moreno was lifted into a role that not many expected him to be in during his true freshman season: the starting center for the team for most of the year. Moreno ended up starting 30 of 36 games last season after showing that he was capable of playing at a high level immediately.
Growing up in Georgetown (KY) as a Wildcat fan, Moreno heard many names called on draft night over the years that once wore the blue and white before him. Now, after many years of working towards this and hearing his teammates get drafted, he will get ready to make his way to the next level following a sophomore campaign in Lexington.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 27: (L-R) Markus Ruck, 39th overall of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Liam Ruck, 22nd overall of the Pittsburgh Penguins, pose for a photo during Day Two of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center on June 27, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Over the weekend, the Pittsburgh Penguins added six new prospects to the organization at the 2026 NHL Draft. Those prospects will not have to wait long to make an impression on the fans in Pittsburgh as they make their way to the city this week to take part in the Penguins annual development camp set to open today at the team’s UPMC Lemieux facility in Cranberry.
Which of the draftees will be in attendance at development camp has yet to be announced, but the Ruck twins Liam (22nd overall) and Markus (39th overall) are both expected to participate. They will be joining 22 others who were previously announced by the Penguins, including defenseman Jake Livanavage who signed as a college free agent in April and made his NHL debut in the final game of the season against the St. Louis Blues.
Other prospects on the development camp roster for this week include forwards Will Horcoff* (2025 24th overall; University of Michigan) and Travis Hayes (2025 105th overall, brother to Avery Hayes), defensemen Peyton Kettles (2025 39th overall) and Quinn Beauchesne (2025 148th overall, Boston College commit), and goaltender Gabriel D’Aigle (2025 84th overall).
All full camp roster, minus 2026 draft picks and any late additions, can be found here, courtesy the Penguins. There is expected to be a full development camp roster released once the final skaters have been confirmed by the team.
As for the development camp schedule, action begins bright and early on Monday morning and runs through Friday, with four days of practice on and off the ice for the prospects, all culminating in a tournament set for Friday between the participants.
You can find the full schedule from the team’s website below.
All sessions are held at the UPMC Lemieux team facility in Cranberry. Each session is open to the public and is free of charge to attend so if you’re itching for some Penguins hockey, consider heading up to Cranberry to see the prospects in action because it will be your last chance to see live hockey in Pittsburgh until September.
Development camp serves as an opportunity for fans to see and learn about some of the prospects in the Penguins system, especially the new players drafted this past weekend. There will be some well deserved buzz surrounding the Ruck twins, but it will also be a showcase for players like Jake Livanavage to put on a show and make an early case to push for an NHL roster spot.
The team announced prospects including 2025 first round pick Will Horcoff and Melvin Fernstrom will not take part in on ice activity due to undisclosed injuries.
So if you have some free time this week, maybe consider on spending some of that time at UPMC Cranberry to check in on the talent in the Penguins system that got a new infusion of prospects from the draft over the weekend and see what lies in store for the franchise in the future.
Toledo couldn’t finish off the sweep and dropped its first game in a week, 3-1, against Worcester on Sunday.
After 15 runs on Saturday, there wasn’t much offense to speak of for the Mud Hens in this one. Toledo had only five hits, none going for extra bases. Two of those came in the second inning from Eduardo Valencia and Brett Callahan. Tyler Gentry grounded into a double play for the only Mud Hens run of the day.
Brett Callahan with a sharp liner off a lefty that fooled Kristian Campbell in right, though he probably wouldn’t have been able to catch it anyway. pic.twitter.com/dCNR3pktau
Callahan had the only multi-hit day, singling again in the fifth. Andrew Navigato hit safely in the eighth, and Max Anderson got his in the ninth. The WooSox only walked two batters, so it was a pretty boring day on that side of the ball.
It’s a shame because the pitching staff was solid for most of the afternoon. Troy Watson got the start, going five inning and allowing one run on two hits and a walk — a first inning homer was the only real issue. Watson struck out five and left with the score tied 1-1.
Ricky Vanasco took over in the sixth and gave up three singles to break the tie. The third drove in both runs and ricocheted off his foot. The training staff checked him out, but Vanasco stayed in the game.
Woo-Suk Go got the seventh and worked around a pair of singles. Jack Little went 1-2-3 in the eighth, but the bats couldn’t make it a competitive finish.
Anderson: 1-4, K
Callahan: 2-4, K
Valencia: 1-2, R, 2 BB
Watson: 5.0 IP, 2 H, R, ER, BB, 5 K,HR
Coming Up Next:The Mud Hens are at home next week against the Iowa Cubs, starting on Tuesdayat 12:05 p.m. ET.
Erie won in walk-off fashion 6-5 in the 10th inning to finish the series with Binghamton 5-1.
Things got off to a rocky start with Lael Lockhart on the mound. The Rumble Ponies took the lead three batters in thanks to a leadoff double and single through the left side. Lockhart also balked in the first, but he didn’t give up any more runs.
The command was in and out for Lockhart. He plunked the leadoff man in the second, balked again and threw a wild pitch. Again, no runs scored, but it’s not a pretty inning by any means.
Binghamton got to him again in the third with a leadoff walk and an RBI double. Lockhart came back out for the fourth, but he finally got the hook after hitting another batter with two outs.
Fortunately, Chris Meyers tied the game up with a two-run homer. Thayron Liranzo drew the walk right before that.
Meyers had three of Erie’s nine hits on the day, including a go-ahead double in the fifth. This time, the bases were loaded, so Binghamton had to pitch to him. Credit to E.J. Exposito and Seth Stephenson for singling earlier in the inning. Liranzo was hit by a pitch for his second free pass of the day, loading the bags.
Yosber Sanchez and Johan Simon got the SeaWolves through the sixth, recording four and three outs, respectively. Both walked a batter, and Simon gave up a hit. Simon also had two strikeouts to Sanchez’s one, though.
Exposito homered in the sixth to give Erie some valuable insurance. Without that bomb, the SeaWolves don’t make it to extras.
Wandisson Charles got the seventh. He gave up a leadoff double, the runner stole third and Charles went too far inside for a wild pitch and an easy score. Charles was better in the eighth, striking out the side in order.
Tyler Owens couldn’t convert the save — his first blown save of the season. After the first out, Binghamton went single, walk, RBI single to make it a one-run game. Owens got a short chopper to third base, but Exposito didn’t have time for a play at home. He traded a run for an out instead. Tie game.
Erie had the winning run in scoring position in the ninth, but Stephenson and Peyton Graham couldn’t follow up on Joe Campagna’s one-out double.
Eric Silva took the mound in the 10th and almost gave up the go-ahead run, but a great throw from Meyers got to home plate in time for the tag.
Meyers basically won this one for Erie single-handedly. Of course, it was him who came up clutch in the bottom of the 10th with a one-out single to drive Graham in from third base. Walk-off wins are always sweet.
🚨SeaWolves Walk-Off Win🚨
Chris Meyers picks up his 5th RBI of the night with a sharp single through the infield and Erie wins 6-5 in the 10th. @ZachSurdenik on the call. pic.twitter.com/cbPxTIgZ3z
Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves are on the road next week against the Akron RubberDucks, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.
Dayton Dragons 10, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (box)
A rough day on the mound for West Michigan led to a lopsided 10-4 loss against Dayton on Sunday. The Whitecaps and Dragons end the series tied, 3-3.
The day started off nice, with Woody Hadeen walking and Bryce Rainer blasting a two-run homer. Clayton Campbell singled to give the Whitecaps three straight hits, but West Michigan only found four more hits the rest of the game.
Rayner Castillo didn’t have it today. He walked the first three batters he faced to load the bases, and that got the bullpen up and working. Castillo struck out a batter and induced a popout, but the decision was already made to pull him. Jalen Evans took over and immediately gave up a two-run single to tie the game.
Dayton took the lead in the second off Evans, who was arguably worse than Castillo. After getting the first out, Castillo allowed a single, walked two batters and gave up a two-run double. He walked one more before getting out of the inning.
Inohan Paniagua got the third. A bad pickoff attempt turned into a run, and a throwing error from the catcher made it 6-2.
Stephen Hrustich gave the Whitecaps new life in the fourth, hitting a two-run homer to cut the four-run deficit in half.
Stephen Hrustich cranks a 2-run homer to left to get the Whitecaps right back in the game. pic.twitter.com/ZgkqaMR3Am
Eliseo Mota was next out of the bullpen. He worked around a two-out single in the fourth but gave up a leadoff homer int he fifth. Luke Stofel faced the minimum in the sixth, inducing an inning-ending double play to erase a single. He came back out for the seventh and worked around a two-out single, giving the best performance for any Whitecap pitcher on the day.
CJ weins had a rough ninth, walking the bases loaded before recording the first out. A pair of singles brought all three of those baserunners home, and the Whitecaps went down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth.
Rainer: 1-3, HR (8), R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
Hrustich: 1-4, HR (3), R, 2 RBI
Campbell: 2-4, 2 K
Stofel: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are at home next week against the Lake County Captains, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.
Despite losing the series, 4-2, the Lakeland Flying Tigers ended the week in Daytona on a good note, with a 3-1 win over the Tortugas.
Connor Fenlong made his organizational debut after being signed on Friday out of the American Association Independent League. He previously pitched in the Kansas City farm system, making it up to High-A in 2024 before being released.
Fenlong gave Lakeland 4 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, working around five hits and a walk while striking out eight. It’s a shame he couldn’t get one more out to qualify for the win, but the numbers are solid.
The Flying Tigers only had one hit through the first three innings, but they broke through in the fourth to score all three of their runs. Edian Espinal led off with a single, Nick Dumesnil also singled and Hunter Dobbins crushed a three-run homer.
Hunter Dobbins mashes a 2-out, 3-run homer to left to put Lakeland on top in the 4th. pic.twitter.com/Byd6IvUv1g
Xiomer Guacache finished out the fifth for Fenlong, stranding the bases loaded. Guacache worked around a two-out double in the sixth before turning it over Luke Hoskins in the seventh. Hoskins walked a batter, but there was no harm done.
Bryce Alewin went 1 2/3 innings, but Lakeland brought in Jan Caraballo with two on and two outs in the ninth. Caraballo gave up the first run of the day and walked a batter before getting the final out.
Great work from the bullpen today, but it was kind of a boring game. Still, a W is a W.
Yost: 0-4, BB, 2 K
Dobbins: 1-4, HR (5), R, 3 RBI, 2 K
Espinal: 2-4, R, K
Fenlong: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K
Coming up Next: The Flying Tigers are at home next week against the Palm Beach Cardinals, starting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees slides safely into second base past Javier Báez #28 of the Detroit Tigers during the game at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
That series sucked. The last time the Red Sox swept the Yankees in a four-game set was 2018, which was very annoying but in hindsight more understandable because that was legitimately the best team in Boston history (108 wins, 11-3 record in October). They were a powerhouse. These Red Sox doing it when they entered with–no joke–the worst record in the American League is appalling. Awful, awful.
Can’t dwell on it though. Spit it out like an awful drink, cleanse the palate, and move on with Detroit coming to town.
Today on the site, Estevão will preview the upcoming three-game set against the Tigers, Kevin tackles the Rivalry Roundup, and Jonathan celebrates the 138th birthday of a man who was actually a longtime Tiger but also became a Yankee near the end: Bobby Veach. Later, Jonathan will return to run through the Yankeees’ top Trade Deadline priorities as that aspect of the season heats up, Peter breaks down his At-Bat of the Week, and Madison issues the mailbag prompt.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Time: 7:05 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Detroit SportsNet
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Questions/Prompts:
1. Are there any Triple-A promotions you’d consider to try to jolt some life back into the Yankees’ lineup? Or is there so little there at the moment (especially with George Lombard Jr. hurt) that they’re probably best just riding it out at the moment?
2. Now that almost every team has hit the 81-game halfway point of the regular season, which do you think has been the biggest surprise?
The Toronto Blue Jays are on the verge of a disastrous 10-game homestand, now losers of six in a row with old friend Bo Bichette and the directionless New York Mets coming to town.
Yet Vladimir Guerrero's failings at Rogers Centre have been a seasonlong affair.
With the season more than halfway over and the calendar flipping to July, Guerrero has yet to hit a home run at Rogers Centre this season - a span of 42 games and 181 plate appearances. His home slugging percentage is .300, down from .436 a year ago, while he's hit just seven home runs overall with an adjusted OPS of 94.
And the Blue Jays - after finally reaching .500 following a month in the red - dipped right back underwater following a four-game sweep by the Texas Rangers - an outcome that may have significant ramifications come season's end.
"It's no secret we're going to need Vlad," Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Sunday, June 28, "if we want to be good."
The defending division and AL champs are now 10 1/2 games behind East-leading Tampa Bay and 9 1/2 behind the Yankees. At 39-45, they are deep in the thicket of mediocrity in the AL - Texas passed them just this weekend - and tumbled four spots to No. 20 in USA TODAY Sports' power rankings.
You wonder if Temporary Adult In The Room John Mozeliak will hire a GM before the lockout or if the owner will save a few bucks with the industry shuttered.
UNITED STATES - MAY 08: Willis Reed of the Knicks (foreground) and Wilt Chamberlain of the Lakers as time runs out in game at Madison Square Garden. (Photo by Dan Farrell/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images) | NY Daily News via Getty Images
New York Knicks legend Willis Reed is most famous for courageously taking the court in Game 7 of the 1970 Finals despite a very serious leg injury, and scoring the first two baskets.
However, there was much more to him than that.
At 6-10 and 240, by the standards of his day, he was a big, powerful center. And to be clear, he was a big, powerful center.
In 1970, the Finals went to seven games, but Reed battled Wilt Chamberlain on relatively even terms until his injury.
Like Bill Russell, Reed was born in Louisiana, about 35 miles away from Russell’s hometown. And like Russell, he grew up in a racist environment that forced him to learn to be relentlessly tough.
He was always a tier below Chamberlain, Russell, Nate Thurmond and, later, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talent-wise, but his will and his desire made him the equal of all of them. He remains the archetypal Knick to this day, largely because of games like this.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 03: DeAndre Jordan #9 and Kevon Looney #55 of the New Orleans Pelicans warm up before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center on April 03, 2026 in Sacramento, California. 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 Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With free agency a few hours away, the New York Knicks are seemingly working on contingency plans already, given the inevitable departure of their best pending free agent in backup center Mitchell Robinson.
With the growing league-wide expectation that Robinson will depart in free agency, if only because of the stupid financial restrictions James Dolan has placed on the front office’s operations, the Knicks can’t just sit idle and hope for Ariel Hukporti to make a leap and turn into a beast.
According to NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Knicks are among the teams with interest in Kevon Looney, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
Looney has an $8 million team option in his two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, but, according to Chris Haynes, the franchise will decline it, effectively making the three-time NBA champion an unrestricted free agent.
As is obvious, the report links New York’s pursuit of Looney directly to Robinson’s situation and expected exit, noting that the Knicks’ level of interest in any veteran center will depend on how free agency unfolds for Robinson, even though his departure looks set in stone now. The Celtics, per the same two, are also looking to make Looney their “first splash in free agency.”
“If Robinson does, in fact, depart New York amid the Knicks’ well-chronicled financial constraints as the dreaded second apron closes in, sources say that the newly crowned champions are expected to try to bring on a veteran center with plenty of playoff experience: Former Warriors big man Kevon Looney.
“It’s believed that Looney is also on Boston’s list of center targets, which is likewise known to feature former Celtics big man Robert Williams III. Yet don’t forget that Knicks coach Mike Brown has a pre-existing relationship with Looney thanks to their time together in Golden State.” — Marc Stein and Jake Fischer
Already 30 years old, Looney spent a decade with the Golden State Warriors and won three titles with the Dubs—one of them as the starting center—before joining New Orleans before last season. Too bad for Looney, his role diminished significantly, with the veteran only appearing in 21 regular-season games and missing the playoffs entirely.
Looney averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds with the Pels last season while logging 14.7 minutes of playing time, but he can easily be considered one of the best backup bigs this free agent cycle as a reliable rebounder and screen-setter with a veteran presence.
On top of that, there’s a legit connection between Looney and Knicks head coach Mike Brown, who worked with Looney in Golden State during the latter’s time there as an assistant coach.
We all know by now that the Knicks are unlikely to retain Robinson, largely due to owner James Dolan’s refusal to cross the second apron, and the aftermath of such a decision is already being felt in New York. The franchise traded out of the first round of last week’s draft and avoided adding salary to their books in all sorts of ways. The Knicks have only re-signed Jose Alvarado and Mo Diawara to manageable, low-money deals, preparing for what’s coming.
With Mitch on his way out, and as things stand before the start of free agency, the Knicks do not have any depth center signed for the upcoming season. Among their pending free agents, only Ariel Hukporti seems capable of filling one of the bench spots, but it’s a bit of a stretch to trust him to take over Robinson’s sixth-man role, considering what we’ve seen from him up to now.
In any case, there’s simply no way that, even if New York brings back Huk, they get into next season with a two-man center rotation alongside Karl-Anthony Towns and no third-string backup to use in case of emergency.
According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger and his BORD$ estimations, Looney is worth around $4.1 million, although he envisions the veteran signing a minimum deal.
Jun 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) watches from the dugout in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Sportsnet: Let’s start with the worst news. Prior to Sunday’s series finale against Boston, manager Aaron Boone revealed there is no timetable for re-imaging injured slugger and three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge’s ribs. I guess the good news is that Boone mentioned Judge is doing some work in the weight room and has ramped from when he initially went on the IL in early June. Having Judge nowhere near returning is less than ideal. Entering Sunday night, the offense had thrice managed at least four runs in its last 10 games, winning all of them. They lost each of the other seven. With last night in the books, we can also note that they’ve been no-hit through four in each of the last three games (with Sonny Gray going 7.1 hitless last night).
Come back healthy, Cap. We need ya.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Speaking of offensive ineptitude, Ben Rice is going through it the last little while. In his last six contests prior to Sunday night, Rice was 2-for-23 with a .174 OPS. Those figures only got worse with an 0-for-4 as the Red Sox finished their four-game sweep. Boone noted that Rice is pressing at the plate, saying “No doubt he’s grinding a little bit right now… there’s going to be weeks where it’s not easy, where you go through it a little bit.”
Baseball is hard, so it shouldn’t be a shock that even someone as good as Rice is slumping. Hopefully he figures it out sooner rather than later.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Austin Wells has not figured it out. On the eve of Sunday’s finale against Boston, the Yankee backstop is, by one measure (wRC+), the worst qualified hitter in all of baseball. His .510 OPS is the worst by a Yankee since 1975. But, if you want reason to hope, Wells and the Yankees think it is there. Wells noted he felt more comfortable in the batter’s box Saturday than he has in a while. Moreover, in June, his groundball rate is decreasing, perhaps indicating desired contact. Gerrit Cole also spoke to what Wells bring as a defensive-minded backstop. With Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Trent Grisham all hurt and Rice scuffling, Wells being even a league-average hitter would be a giant boost to the offense.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 03: Ziaire Williams #1 of the Brooklyn Nets gestures during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center on April 03, 2026 in 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 Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets on Sunday declined their $6.25 million team option on Ziaire Williams, making him an unrestricted free agent and calling into question his future in Brooklyn. While, the Nets could re-sign him, there’s also a possibility that he could sign elsewhere and Brooklyn would lose him for nothing.
Indeed, not long after the news broke, there was report out of Los Angeles that the Lakers may have interest in the 6’9″ small forward who Jordi Fernandez used as a 3-and-D forward last season.
Mike Scotto was first with the news…
The Brooklyn Nets will decline their $6.25 million team option on Ziaire Williams, league sources told @hoopshype. The 24-year-old forward averaged 10.2 points in 56 games played for Brooklyn last season. Williams will become an unrestricted free agent. pic.twitter.com/OkQe5sfU7T
The Nets signed Williams — along with Day’Ron Sharpe — to identical two-year $12.5 million deals last summer, each with a team option for the second year at $6.25 million. While the Nets and Sharpe mutually decided on Saturday to extend the decision on his team option through Monday, suggesting perhaps the two sides were working on an extension, there was no such agreement with Williams.
Seen in the best light for the California native, the team could simply be preserving cap space to add to its flexibility prior to the start of free agency Tuesday when teams can start talking to free agents on other teams. One they dealt with other issues, they could return and sign him using Bird Rights or work him into the $9.4 million MLE the Nets are likely to have. In the worst light, it means the team will be moving on from him.
Yossi Gozlan explained the Nets cap situation in a tweet Sunday…
Brooklyn Nets salary cap situation after declining the team option of Ziaire Williams.
They project with $40 million in cap space pre-Randle trade, an increase of $6.25 million.
Although he finished with a career high 10.2 points and 1.4 steals in 22.9 minutes last season, he displayed inconsistency and early in the season it led to him getting a DNP for a game. In late November, Jordi Fernandez kept him out of game in hopes of encouraging him to more consistent and show more energy. The Nets coach was public in his reasoning.
When asked if he would play the next game, Fernandez was non-committal.
“It’s a very abstract question because I just talked to him and didn’t play him last game,” Fernández told Brian Lewis. “So if — whenever he has the next opportunity to play — he consistently does it, then we will see if I was successful or not. If not, it’s not on him; it’s on me to try to find ways for him to perform consistently.
“Energy is not a subjective thing. … What we need is his ball pressure to be elite, his deflections to be elite, his pick-and-roll defense to be elite, his iso defense to be elite. … Last year, he was above average, one of the top players in the NBA. We need that to be the same or better because I know he can do it.”
Following that decision, Williams played with more consistency. Assuming he returns to Brooklyn, he’s likely to once again back up Michael Porter Jr. at small forward or the newly acquired Julius Randle at power forward. The Nets have a number of young forwards as well, including Danny Wolf, Drake Powell and perhaps even first round pick Joshua Jefferson. None are at Williams defensive level.
According to a league source, one player the Lakers could take a look at in free agency is Brooklyn small forward Zaire Williams, who had his team option declined by the Nets on Sunday. The Lakers have desires to get younger and more athletic on the wing, and Williams is coming off back-to-back seasons in Brooklyn where he averaged more than 10 points and shot better than 34 percent from 3-point range.
The Nets declined his $6.25 million option for next season while dealing with a roster crunch.
The bet for the Lakers would be that at 6-9 with a nearly 40-inch vertical leap, that Williams could be an impact defensive player with room for growth on the offensive side of the ball. He has fans inside the Lakers’ facility.
There are local connections too — Williams was a teammate of Bronny James at Sierra Canyon.
Williams is one of four players with team options. As noted, Sharpe also has a $6.25 team option. In addition, Josh Minott, acquired from the Celtics at the deadline, has a $2.5 million option and Malachi Smith, called up from Long Island late in the season has a $1.1 million option.
With Sean Marks facing the media Monday afternoon, he’s likely to be fielding questions the team options as well as introducing the team’s three draft picks.
