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The Blue Jays beat the rays tonight, walking off in the bottom of the tenth inning thanks to a grand slam homer.

Winning this game felt like a tough challenge even before the game started. Apart from a poor start against the Red Sox, the Blue Jay’s Dylan Cease has been very effective. And the Rays countered with something of a bullpen day, as the effort to turn Griffin Jax into a starter continues. Jax has been good in that starter role but as he gets stretched out he’s been largely a 4-5 inning pitcher.

So I didn’t expect a win tonight. But I also didn’t expect to lose in quite this fashion. I didn’t expect to see a reliever who until two weeks ago had been pitching in the Mexican League come in (unsuccessfully, obviously) for the save. I certainly did not expect the Rays pitching staff to give up ten walks.

Unsurprisingly, Cease was very good. It took the Rays until the fourth inning to get their first baserunner, in the form of a Junior Caminero single.

Jax was, perhaps uncharacteristically, flailing a bit with his control. Prior to tonight, he’d given up ten walks in 18 innings, but tonight he gave up three walks in just five innings, and had base runners every inning. His performance was definitely not pretty, but you can’t argue with giving up no runs. He was aided by several double plays, like this one:

After five innings, he gave way to Hunter Bigge.

Cease lost some of his sharpness in the seventh inning and the Rays took advantage. Two Rays hitters walked, and with one out Richie Palacios came through with a single, Aranda charging around the bases to score.

Hunter Bigge was replaced by Garrett Cleavinger, and his outing did not go very well. He did get one out, but also gave up a single, and then hit a Jays batter on the wrist. (Were you thinking that the Rays would be trying to get payback after Aranda had been hit on Monday? Well, I don’t think you avenge your hit batter by putting a guy on base when you have just a one run lead). Kevin Kelly came into the game and miraculously he got Sosa to hit a liner to Walls, which turned into an inning ending double play.

The Rays loaded the bases in the eighth inning, but failed to score, which was fortunate for the Blue Jays both for the obvious reasons, but also because they misplayed a ground ball — with runners on first and second, Diaz grounded to first base, the Jays’ pitcher never went to cover the base and everyone was safe. Unfortunately Jake Fraley popped up the first pitch he saw and ended the inning.

Bryan Baker took over for the bottom of the eighth inning, and walked the leadoff batter. And the second batter. And the third batter.

The Blue Jays were then able to tie the game with a sac fly. But Baker then walked yet another batter, and in a strange turn of events, Cash brought in Cole Sulser, the man who blew last night’s lead, to get out of the bases loaded jam. Which he did.

The game went into extra innings with the score tied 1-1. The Rays were able to start the scoring in their half of the tenth. Ben Williamson singled home the so-called “ghost runner” from second to take a 2-1 lead.

Williamson stole second, and Diaz then drove him in with another single, give the Rays a two run lead.

That would seem to be a fairly comfortable position, but the next Rays pitcher was a fellow named Aaron Brooks, someone I’d didn’t realize existed on the Rays roster but he was apparently promoted recently from Durham, and before he was with the Bulls he had been playing in the Mexican League.

Apparently he decided to use Bryan Baker as his role model, but not Bryan Baker the effective closer but rather Bryan Baker who couldn’t find the strike zone, and he walked the bases loaded with no outs.

His misery ended quickly thereafter, however, when he gave up a grand slam home run to Daulton Varsho, ending the game with a 5-3 Blue Jays victory. Maybe this is 20-20 hindsight, but I swear that once he had loaded the bases that grand slam seemed inevitable.

So the Rays have to settle for a series win, and can enjoy a day off tomorrow before starting a home stand against the Marlins.

Let’s just hope the Bryan Baker we saw today was an aberration, and that the next time we see Aaron Brooks it will be with the Rays ahead by ten runs.

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson destroyed a ball for a grand slam in the Bottom of the 1st inning tonight in Great American Ball Park, the blast giving the Reds an early 5-0 lead. This, of course, came just a day after they were run ragged by a rebuilding Washington Nationals club 10-4 in the series opener at home, and it sure looked like the lineup – revamped by manager Terry Francona before the game – was finally there to put its foot down.

About that…

Despite handing the ball over to Nick Lodolo, who struck out the side in a brilliant Top of the 1st inning, the Reds completely imploded. Lodolo fumbled the lead almost as quickly as it was given to him, allowing a 4-spot in the Top of the 2nd fueled by a 2-run homer from Keibert Ruiz and later yielding a game-tying run in the Top of the 3rd to make this game square.

The Reds and Nats forged a stalemate for awhile thereafter, but the sad trombone fireworks were hardly over. Elly De La Cruz led off the Bottom of the 7th in a 6-6 game with a double, yet the Reds failed to drive him in. Then, in the Bottom of the 9th, Matt McLain similarly led off with a double, only for the Reds to a) botch a bunt attempt and b) also fail to get him around to score.

That sent the game into extra innings, where the fail horn kept right on a-honkin’.

Tony Santillan immediately served up a meatball to Daylen Lile, who smoked it for what feels like the 77th homer of the series for the Louisville, KY native. Santillan has now allowed 7 homers already this season in just 17.0 IP, and that’s going to make for a bad time for all parties involved.

Down 8-6 in the Bottom of the 10th, things once again got spicy for all the wrong reasons. Spencer Steer, who’s been mashing lately, worked a deep count off lefty reliever PJ Poulin before smashing a 102.7 mph laser that seemed to be a magnet to the yellow line atop the wall in LF. Before we had the chance to see if it was a homer, a double, an odd-bounce triple, or god forbid an inside-the-park homer, a fan reached over and caught the ball and the umpires rendered it a dead ball double.

Replay could not overturn it, and what could have been the game-tying play – or a play that left a Red on 3B instead of 2B – was undone, and Cincinnati remained trailing at 8-7.

Despite Stephenson working a walk, Blake Dunn couldn’t pull off the magnificent this evening on the game’s final play, and the Reds fell in the kind of frustrating fashion that make you despise all fashions altogether.

The Rockies entered today struggling on offense. Losers of three straight, they had scored just four runs during that stretch. Last night they were humbled by one of the best pitchers in the league, and early tonight it looked like more losing was on the menu.

However, Mickey Moniak led a resurgent Rockies offense to a much needed victory despite a shaky and confusing start by José Quintana.

A unique start for José Quintana

Left-handed veteran José Quintana entered today’s game as a potential steady hand after doing well in his last three starts.

What followed was an… odd outing.

Quintana wasn’t at his sharpest, lasting just four innings. However, he did keep the game close enough for the Rockies to stage a comeback.

Quintana walked Oneil Cruz to leadoff the game in the first inning. With one out, Rockies fans were treated to something they had never seen before. Jake McCarthy recorded an unassisted double play in left field to end the inning. Per the Rockies, it was the first time such a play had happened in franchise history.

Then things went off the rails was the second inning.

With one out, Quintana issued a double and back-to-back walks to load the bases. He then struck out the next batter on three pitches, and it looked like the Rockies might escape the jam with no harm done.

Pirates catcher Henry Davis hit the ball sharply, but a diving stop by third baseman Kyle Karros looked to have the inning over. Karros threw to second instead of first without recording an out and a run scored. Edouard Julien then initiated a rundown that should have ended at home plate. Nick Gonzales veered into Quintana and pushed him, but Quintana was called for obstruction, and the run was granted.

This allowed the Pirates to take a 2-0 lead.

Quintana looked to be in trouble again in the third when he gave up a double and two singles to let the Pirates score another run, but a well-executed double play helped keep the damage to a minimum. Quintana then pitched a scoreless fourth inning, but his night was done.

Bats arrive fashionably late, but with gusto

You’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a repeat of last night’s game over the first four innings.

Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller had been perfect through four innings. With a three-run deficit, the Rockies needed to get something going to avoid further déjà vu.

TJ Rumfield kicked off the fifth inning with a single for the first of five straight hits. Single-single-single-double-single. Suddenly the game was tied with no outs and runners still on base.

Then came along Mickey Moniak. The Birthday Boy.

Moniak slugged a three-run home run—the first of the season for the Rockies—to complete a six-run fifth inning and give the Rockies the lead. He would continue to hit well throughout the game with a double later on and a bases-clearing triple in the top of the ninth. Moniak finished a single shy of the cycle with five RBIs in a 3-for-5 evening.

His seven games with multiple extra-base hits is tied for the league lead and his 12 home runs is a team high for the Rockies.

TJ Rumfield also continued to play a substantial role. The rookie first baseman went 3-for-4 and scored twice. He also hit his sixth home run of the season in the top of the eighth. Rumfield leads all rookies in three-hit games this season.

The bullpen locked it down

Antonio Senzatela—who’s resurgence is still one of the best Rockies stories so far this season—pitched three almost-perfect innings in relief of José Quintana. He gave up just one earned run on one hit: a solo home run by Ryan O’Hearn off a fairly well-located pitch inside right on the hands. It was the first home run Senzatela has allowed this season. He also struck out two batters and allowed no walks.

Jaden Hill, who has quietly been one of the Rockies’ better relievers this season, lowered his ERA to 3.60 thanks to a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. Lefty Brennan Bernardino wrapped things up in the ninth on nine pitches to seal the Rockies’ victory.

Coming Up Next

The Rockies will wrap up their road trip tomorrow morning with an early 10:35 AM MDT start time.

Chase Dollander—once again sans opener—will take the mound for the Rockies with righty Carmen Mlodzinski going for the Pirates.

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Turns out there is still plenty of room for the human element even with Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. 

Now, it is all in the interpretation.  

Just ask Brett Baty. The New York Mets infielder slightly raised his right hand in the sixth inning on Tuesday night at Citi Field. He never touched his helmet, though it looked like he was going to touch the bill, not tap it.  

It didn’t matter. Homeplate umpire Junior Valentine saw the arm go up and immediately signaled for a challenge. Baty argued, but Valentine didn’t budge. The strike stood, the Mets were out of challenges.  

The reviews on SNY showed very clearly Baty never touched his helmet. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza came out to argue, it still didn’t matter. It was the umpire’s discretion.  

The Mets are out of ABS challenges tonight after home plate umpire Junior Valentine determined Brett Baty called for a review.

Baty never touched his helmet. pic.twitter.com/rusKZJIxpq

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2026

Sound familiar? 

That was the reasoning on Sunday when home plate umpire Carlos Torres denied a challenge from the Orioles and another from the A’s.  

In March, we got ahead of things with way-too-early 2026 MLB All Star Game roster predictions. With that pace, it’s just about time to chat about the potential moves you’re expecting or hoping to see by the early August trade deadline.

Even though we’re still a few months away, trade talk might not actually feel too premature. There has been a ton of buzz among Colorado Rockies fans over the past few weeks about potential trade candidates given the vision for the future that the front office is committed to and given strong performances from assets who might not be a part of that long-term vision.

A lot of the chatter has centered around Mickey Moniak, in particular. The former #1 overall pick has found his stride since becoming a Rockie and is having a career year. As a 28-year-old on a team working towards a rebuild, he’s right on the bubble of being a must-sell asset or being a veteran piece to complement a younger squad.

Blake Street Banter put together a wonderful look at Moniak as a trade candidate or as a player to extend, breaking down his production and examining a potential return that could be expected for him. Mickey’s home and road splits may strongly influence what his value would be outside of Coors.

Trending further towards the “must-sell” side of the spectrum are a handful of older players, especially pitchers, who don’t align with the long term future of a club that’s still has a few years to go in the rebuild. There’s always a strong market for relief arms at the trade deadline, so Brennan Bernardino and Michael Lorenzen (both 34-years-old), as well as Antonio Senzatela (31), would make sense for the Rox to move. And, as fun as he’s been after signing with Colorado this offseason, the front office may see what they can get back for 36-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano. A handful of position players could be in the mix, as well.

In recent history, the Rockies have been quiet at the trade deadline (and that’s a vast understatement). They’ve held onto prospects that they valued much more highly than the rest of the league and saw their returns diminish as they fizzled out. They also held onto players at the end of their contracts and saw them walk in free agency.

If the front office’s transactions and comments are any indication of how they’ll move this club forward, we should expect more of a “strike while the iron’s hot” approach as we near August. There will be big decisions to make as the Rockies look to recoup value, clear the way for prospects, and continue the move forward.

Who do you expect to see moved by August 3rd? Who do you hope the Rockies lock up for a few more years? And what other big trade predictions do you have, not just for the Rockies but around the league? Let us know in the comments!

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LOS ANGELES — For the first time in 2026, Shohei Ohtani will not start at either designated hitter or pitcher for the Dodgers in their series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani has slumped for several weeks, which coupled with the need to manage his two-way workload as both starting pitcher and lineup-anchoring hitter necessitates finding rest opportunities whenever possible. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made the decision prior to Tuesday’s game to have Ohtani not hit on either Wednesday (when he’s pitching) or Thursday, the latter more of a mental reset day in which he will be available to pinch-hit later if the game is in the balance.

The call was made beforeOhtani homered on Tuesday night, his first in 17 days, a decision Roberts had no intention of changing after the fact.

“I talked to him and said that was my thought, and we were both good with it,” Roberts said Tuesday night. “I don’t like the bait and switch.”

Emmet Sheehan starts on the mound for the Dodgers on Thursday, with right-hander Landen Roupp going for the Giants.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

As the Dodgers look to snap a four-game losing skid, Shohei Ohtani faces Robbie Ray.

WEDNESDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
• Stadium: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

It was a bit of a quiet game to start tonight’s midweek matchup, but the Atlanta Braves pulled it off against the Chicago Cubs 4-1.

The first run was a solo-shot by Drake Baldwin in the bottom of the fourth, and the only run scored by the team until the bottom of the eighth.

Brett Baty was involved in a puzzling moment for the Mets in their 3-2, 10-inning win over the Tigers on Wednesday night at Citi Field as he was charged with a phantom ABS challenge.

The third baseman struck out looking in the bottom of the sixth inning and glared in the direction of umpire Junior Valentine before quickly raising his arm in the air.

The gesture fell well short of the required helmet tap to challenge a call, but Valentine nonetheless ruled that Baty had contested the strike, and the pitch was officially reviewed.

The home plate umpire assumed Brett Baty was going to challenge, but Baty never actually tapped his helmet.

The Mets are now out of challenges. pic.twitter.com/lZqlSOFhze

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) May 14, 2026

The called strike was quickly confirmed, as a confused Baty could be seen pleading his case to the umpire.

The bizarre sequence cost the Mets their final challenge of the game, and manager Carlos Mendoza wasted little time entering the field and arguing with Valentine’s interpretation of the moment.

“He saw that he went to the helmet. I think Junior is gonna go back and take a look at the film, and pretty sure he missed it, because he wasn’t even close,” Mendoza said after the game.

Liam Hendriks is getting another chance to work his way back to the majors.

The veteran reliever signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Wednesday after being let go by the Twins before Opening Day, giving Chicago a low-risk opportunity to evaluate whether the former All-Star closer still has something left in the tank.

Hendriks, 37, struggled during a brief stint with Minnesota in spring training, allowing three earned runs while surrendering nine hits and five walks across seven appearances before his release.

“It’s, you know, essentially, just depth right now and taking a shot at somebody who’s had a lot of success and see what happens,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said, per MLB.com. “He’s going to have a ways to build up.”

The signing marks another chapter in one of baseball’s most remarkable comeback stories.

Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after the 2022 season and made a triumphant return to the mound in 2023 after completing treatment.

That comeback was short-lived, however, as Hendriks underwent Tommy John surgery after making just five appearances that season, sidelining him for most of 2024.

He returned to the majors last year with the Red Sox but struggled to regain his old form, posting a 6.59 ERA across 14 appearances.

At his peak, Hendriks was one of baseball’s most dominant relievers, earning three All-Star selections while recording 114 saves from 2019-22 with the A’s and White Sox.

The Cubs’ bullpen has been hit hard by injuries, with Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey and Riley Martin all currently sitting on the IL.

Chicago’s rotation also hasn’t been healthy.

Justin Steele (elbow) and Matthew Boyd (knee) are both on the IL, while Cade Horton will miss the rest of the season after Tommy John.

Despite injury troubles, the Cubs are sitting at 27-15 in first place in the NL Central heading into Wednesday’s play.

The New York Mets experienced another scare with Juan Soto's health, but he seems to have escaped serious injury.

Soto exited Wednesday night's game against the Detroit Tigers in Queens in the seventh inning when MJ Melendez pinch hit for him. In the third inning, Soto had fouled a ball off his own leg that appeared to cause him considerable pain, but he remained in the game.

Soto, serving as the designated hitter, hit again in the sixth inning but grounded out to Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez.

MJ Melendez is pinch-hitting for Juan Soto in the 7th inning.

Soto fouled a ball off his ankle in the 3rd inning but completed his at-bat, and also took his at-bat in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/1BFVDufczS

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2026

He was then lifted in the seventh, finishing his night 0-for-3 with a strikeout. He was seen on the SNY broadcast back in the dugout following his removal from the game.

The Mets won Wednesday's game 3-2 in 10 innings on Carson Benge's walk-off single.

Juan Soto injury update

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that X-rays came back negative for Soto.

"So, we got good news there. He's day-to-day," Mendoza said.

Mendoza said the Mets would see how Soto was doing Thursday and determine if he can be in the lineup.

Carlos Mendoza says x-rays were negative on Juan Soto's ankle and he's day-to-day pic.twitter.com/5bjP6a94kv

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 14, 2026

The injury update seems like positive news for the now 17-25 Mets. They floundered without their $765 million man when Soto was out from April 4-21, losing 12 straight games at one point.

This story was updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juan Soto injury update after he exits Tigers-Mets game early

The San Francisco Giants continue this four-game road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Robbie Ray, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.76 ERA, 4.52 FIP, with 47 strikeouts to 18 walks in 45.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, in which he allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in six innings.

He’ll be facing off against Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani, who enters tonight’s game with a 0.97 ERA, 2.52 FIP, with 42 strikeouts to nine walks in 37 innings pitched. His last start was in the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss to the Houston Astros on May 5th, in which he allowed two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings.

Game #43

Who: San Francisco Giants (18-24) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (24-18)

Where: UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California

When: 7:10 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM