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Let's see how the Red Sox affiliates fared on Sunday afternoon. Triple-A Worcester Red Sox Series vs. Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers): 1-5 Season Record: 37-40 The WooSox avoided the series sweep and snapped a five-game skid, winning 3-1. Patrick Sandoval, who is finally nearing a big-league return after missing two years due to elbow surgery, turned in a quality start on Sunday afternoon. The veteran shoved four frames, giving up one run on three hits and recording three strikeouts. Jovani Morán, who is also nearing a return from a short stint on the injured list, took the fifth and sixth innings. Morán was perfect, striking out three and earning the win for a dominant performance. Alec Gamboa got the ball next, allowing one hit and striking out three over two innings. Joe La Sorsa took the ninth inning and converted a save opportunity. He allowed one hit and walked one but sealed the much needed win for Worcester. Worcester’s offense leaned on Jason Delay as he propelled the WooSox to victory with two-late RBIs. It was Vinny Capra that kicked off the scoring, launching a solo home run in the first inning to give Worcester an early lead. With the ballgame tied and two runners on in the sixth, Jason Delay hit a groundball back to the pitcher. The ball ricocheted off the pitcher's leg, bouncing into shallow right field as Capra and Braiden Ward raced home. The single gave Worcester the push it needed to grab its first win in five days. Double-A Portland Sea Dogs Series @ Hartford Yard Goats (Colorado Rockies): 4-2 Season Record: 39-35 Portland’s pitching staff lifted the Sea Dogs to a win as they shut out Hartford 6-0. Blake Wehunt excelled in the starting role, turning in six frames of one-hit ball. Wehunt allowed just one baserunner as he sent eight batters down on strikes in one of his best starts of the season. Jeremey Wu-Yelland redeemed a poor performance earlier in the weekend with a perfect inning of relief. Wu-Yelland struck out the side before Max Carlson took over. Carlson allowed only the second baserunner for Hartford, but sent the Yard Goats packing with ease. Patrick Halligan took the ninth, adding a perfect inning and sealing an excellent afternoon for the Sea Dogs staff. Portland allowed just two baserunners and racked up a combined thirteen strikeouts. Franklin Arias carried his recent hot streak into Sunday, contributing an RBI and two hits. The real story of Portland’s offense, however, was Miguel Bleis. Bleis homered again, his fourth in the past three games amidst a torrid offensive streak. Bleis’s homer came in the first inning, putting the Sea Dogs up early. Arias raced home on a wild pitch in the third, before knocking in an RBI of his own two innings later. Arias hit a groundball single to center field, driving home Nelly Taylor. In the ninth, Jack Winnay and Matt Frazier put an exclamation point on the shutout win. With Johanfran Garcia aboard, Winnay hit his first homer of the season to left center. Matt Frazier stepped into the batter’s box next, going back-to-back with Winnay with his first homer of the season. High-A Greenville Drive Series vs. Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros): 2-3 Season Record: 30-41 Greenville fell for the fourth straight game as the pitching staff let up three runs in the top of the ninth, losing 8-5. Marcus Philips took the mound to start the afternoon for Greenville, looking to find his groove amid a rough season. Philips struggled through just 1⅓ innings, allowing three runs on two hits and walking three. Griffin Kilander entered in the second, taking the next three innings. He allowed two more runs on three hits before Matt McShane took over. Despite allowing three hits over 2⅔ innings, McShane fended off Asheville’s offense as he struck out four. P.J. Labriola took the ball in the eighth and pitched into the ninth. Disaster struck for the left-handed reliever as he allowed three unearned runs on three hits. Hudson White limited the damage as he came in for Labriola, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss for the fourth straight night. Gerardo Rodriguez and Isaiah Jackson led the offense with two RBIs apiece, and Luke Heyman added an RBI of his own. Heyman’s RBI kick-started the offense’s afternoon as he drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning. Later in the inning, Rodriguez hit an infield single to second base, as Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar scored as the throw to first was misplaced. To cap off the five-run inning, Jackson smoked a groundball to center, driving home Heyman and Rodriguez as Greenville took a two-run lead. It was a short-lived lead, however, as the Drive couldn’t muster any more offense, falling 8-5. Low-A Salem RidgeYaks Series vs. Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs): 1-3 Season Record: 28-45 Salem split the series with Myrtle Beach on a walk-off single from Starlyn Nunez, prevailing 7-6. Jason Gilman got the start for Salem on Sunday, pitching very well over four and ⅔ frames. He allowed one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked four. Jose Bello has quietly had a great season so far in Low-A and he continued to pitch well on Sunday afternoon. Over 2⅔ innings of relief, Bello allowed two runs (one unearned) on three hits. While it was far from his best appearance this season, he was able to stave off Myrtle Beach. Nicolas De La Cruz took the ball in the eighth inning and was able to earn the win on Sunday, but not without some struggle. Over 1⅔ innings, De La Cruz allowed three runs (one unearned), one hit and three walks. It was a rough outing, but De La Cruz didn’t concede the lead as Salem’s offense won the game for the RidgeYaks. Salem’s bats went back and forth with Myrtle Beach throughout the afternoon and surged late in the game, propelling the Yaks to victory. In the bottom of the first, Skylar King skied a double off the wall in right field, scoring Andrews Opata and putting Salem on the board. Tied 1-1, Anderson Fermin regained the lead for Salem in the fourth, driving Kleyver Salazar home on a sac fly. Down by one in the seventh, Ilan Fernandez shot a double to left field, scoring Fermin and D’Angelo Ortiz as Salem got ahead again. Fernandez then scored on a wild pitch later in the inning. In the eighth, Salazar added to the lead with a double of his own, scoring Opata. After the Pelicans tied the game in the top of the ninth, Salem’s offense got in the box with work to do. Givian Sirvania and Fernadez drew two walks on eight straight pitches before Justin Barry drew the third walk in a row for Salem. Nunez, Salem’s leadoff batter, stepped into the box with the bases loaded and no outs. Nunez played the hero for the second time this season, hitting a line-drive single to right field as Salem walked off the series finale. View the full article

New York Mets Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 1-6 Runs Scored Last Week: 28 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 42 Standings: 5th in NL East (35-49) 15 GB of 1st Place, 9.5 GB of a Wild Card Transactions: 6/24 New York Mets activated SS Francisco Lindor from the 10-day injured list. 6/24 New York Mets designated SS Zack Short for assignment. 6/25 New York Mets placed 2B Marcus Semien on the 10-day injured list. Left hip flexor strain. 6/25 New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. 6/25 New York Mets recalled SS Ronny Mauricio from Syracuse Mets. 6/25 New York Mets recalled RHP Daniel Duarte from Syracuse Mets. 6/25 New York Mets traded LHP David Peterson to Chicago Cubs for 3B Cole Mathis. 6/25 New York Mets optioned RHP Jonathan Pintaro to Syracuse Mets. 6/26 New York Mets activated CF Tyrone Taylor from the 10-day injured list. 6/26 New York Mets optioned DH MJ Melendez to Syracuse Mets. 6/26 New York Mets recalled LHP Zach Thornton from Syracuse Mets. 6/26 New York Mets optioned RHP Daniel Duarte to Syracuse Mets. 6/27 New York Mets sent 1B Jorge Polanco on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. 6/27 New York Mets sent SS Zack Short outright to Syracuse Mets. 6/27 New York Mets optioned LHP Zach Thornton to Syracuse Mets Scores: Game 78: NYM 6, CHC 9 Game 79: NYM 3, CHC 10 Game 80: NYM 5, CHC 10 Game 81: NYM 3, CHC 4 Game 82: NYM 1, PHI 2 Game 83: NYM 6, PHI 2 Game 84: NYM 4, PHI 5 Series Breakdown/Highlights Cubs Series: The Mets came home after their trip to Philly to take on the Cubs for four games. Little did they know what would transpire by the end of the series. The Mets kicked off the week on a frustrating note, as Kodai Senga suffered a major mechanical collapse, laboring through just 3.2 innings and putting New York in an early grave by walking five batters and surrendering seven earned runs. The Cubs jumped all over Senga in a five-run second inning, highlighted by a crushing three-run homer from Pete Crow-Armstrong. Cubs starter Edward Cabrera kept the Mets mostly at bay early on. Outside of the second inning, New York’s offense mounted a late-inning threat against the Chicago bullpen. Bo Bichette provided the biggest spark of the night, going 2-for-4 and drilling a clutch two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, but the early deficit proved too massive to overcome. The opening game of Wednesday’s doubleheader turned into a late-inning nightmare for the Flushing faithful after Nolan McLean initially kept the team competitive against Cubs starter Javier Assad, including the Mets taking a 3-0 lead, but it did not last. McLean imploded as the game went on and was later completely blown open in the later frames by an absolute masterclass from Dansby Swanson, who dismantled the Mets' bullpen during a historic seven-RBI afternoon. Swanson pulverized two home runs, including a grand slam that turned a close contest into an absolute rout. In the second game of the doubleheader, we had a full-on "Oh no, the Mets" game. In a winnable affair, the Mets' infield defense committed six errors, one by each player and multiple by some, which contributed to a high pitch count for Sean Manaea. The Mets were able to get to Cubs starter Shota Imanaga for four runs, but the errors completely erased that advantage. Five of the Cubs' 10 runs were unearned in the game. The Mets played a much tighter, more disciplined ballgame in the series finale early, but the ultimate result remained the same as the Cubs completed the four-game sweep. Freddy Peralta turned in a strong bounce-back performance for New York, keeping Chicago's hitters off-balance until the Mets defense betrayed him in the sixth inning, leading to three Cubs runs. Matthew Boyd matched him with a gritty performance. The Mets' bullpen kept it close going to extra innings, where Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a go-ahead double, and the Cubs bullpen locked it down to sweep the series. Phillies Series: Fresh with a new manager, the Mets meet the Phillies for the second week in a row, and the results were the same. An old-fashioned divisional pitching duel unfolded at Citi Field as Zach Thornton took the hill for the Mets against Phillies starter Zach Wheeler. Thornton, after a rough first inning, was absolutely magnificent, limiting a high-powered Philadelphia lineup to just one run over six dominant innings of work, but Wheeler was just a tiny bit better, keeping the Mets' hitters completely off-balance all night. The decisive blow of the contest came off the bat of Trea Turner, who hit an RBI single in the eighth inning against Huascar Brazoban. The Mets offense had no answers for the back end of the Philly bullpen. In game two, the Mets snapped their seven-game losing streak for Andy Green's first win as a Mets manager. Christian Scott was very good, giving up two runs over 4.2 innings of work. The Mets offense came alive against bulk reliever Alan Rangel, scoring four runs against him in the sixth inning. The Mets added two more runs in the seventh inning against Kyle Backus to secure the win. In the rubber game of the series, a bullpen game for the Mets would go better than others but still result in a loss. The pitching was not a big problem in this game because the Mets offense had chances. The offense was 2-16 with runners in scoring position against Jesus Luzardo and the Phillies bullpen that was struggling to throw strikes at times. A.J. Ewing hit a pinch-hit game-tying two-run home run in the sixth inning as he continues to impress for the Mets, with another run tacked on with a force-out. Kodai Senga, who made one bad pitch, gave it right back on a two-run homer off the bat of Kyle Schwarber. It was Senga's best outing of the season, but hit still resulted in a loss. Website Highlights Three Mets Players Who Deserve the Most Blame for Carlos Mendoza's Firing Carlos Mendoza's Dismissal Leaves Mets With A Future-Defining Choice Pre-Lockout Cole Mathis Scouting Report: What to Expect From Newest Member of the Mets Looking Ahead June 29: @ Blue Jays June 30: @ Blue Jays July 1: @ Blue Jays July 2: Day Off July 3: @ Braves July 4: @ Braves July 5: @ Braves View the full article

Depending on your age, you probably have some level of reverence for Disney sports movies. The feel-good tales, which reached ubiquity in the 1990s and early 2000s, feature scrappy but capable underdogs who inevitably—despite the daunting odds—triumph in the end. None of those fictional clubs had to deal with the injuries the Cubs are saddled with, though. Doing his best Gordon Bombay impression, Craig Counsell and his team stacked up a heartening string of much-needed wins, which left the rest of us wondering whether or not this squad really can pull off a Hollywood ending worthy of those beloved films. Threatening weather in Wrigleyville and Queens, respectively, gave the North Siders an unexpected two-day gap in competitions before kicking off their four-game set with the Mets at Citi Field last Tuesday. A resurgent Dansby Swanson and his squad's offense made it worth the wait. Feeding off the offensive energy of teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong, Swanson hammered a two-run shot to left field off Mets starter Kodai Senga, pushing Chicago's lead to 7-2 at the time. The standout shortstop collected four RBIs on the day to add to the three provided by Crow-Armstrong, whose excellence has become routine. While seizing a 9-6 victory in the opener, the squad once again had to reckon with crushing injury news, as starter Edward Cabrera suffered a multi-muscle leg strain while making a tough play covering first base. With gleeful supporters of Norway's men's World Cup soccer team looking on, Chicago's North Side Baseball club notched a cathartic sweep of the Mets in Wednesday's doubleheader. Javier Assad took the ball in Game One of the twin bill and, as he's been all year, was remarkable in 5 full innings of work. The story of this contest, however, was the way the whole club worked together, seeing strong showings from the offense and the pitching staff. Swanson's two-home run day set the tone for a team quickly rediscovering its potent offense at a time when it's an absolute necessity. Chicago's bullpen was magnificent, shutting down New York's brightest stars with a two-hit, zero-run combined outing from Ryan Rolison, Caleb Thielbar, and Tyler Ferguson. That allowed the visitors to cruise to a 10-3 win. Game Two of the doubleheader treated Cubs fans to excellent performances from Nico Hoerner and former All-Star starter Shota Imanaga. Length in starting pitching is not a luxury this squad has enjoyed at any point throughout this season, but with Imanaga's 5 1/3-inning outing serving as the latest example, they're starting to put things together a little more on the mound. Fans had waited too long for Hoerner's return to form, and that he found his way back in this contest earned the Cubs a hard-fought, high-offense sweep. His three-hit day kept his squad's offense on the field longer and allowed key rallies in the 10-5 win. With the series win secured, the North Siders turned their attention to a four-game sweep. Thanks to a cinematic go-ahead double into deep right field from Crow-Armstrong, they delivered. During the club's slow climb back into the division race, clutch at-bats from their biggest names have them building the momentum needed for long-term success. Instances such as Alex Bregman's RBI double point to a whole lineup of players getting back to their winning ways at just the right time. The 4-3 victory marked Chicago's seventh win in nine contests, earning it a winning record on this seven-game road trip. To ascend to the game's highest heights is to accept certain undeniable truths. The Chicago Cubs, like it or not, are chasing the class of big-league baseball, Pat Murphy's Milwaukee Brewers, and must thwart them to summit the peaks on which their gaze is fixed. Facing Jacob Misiorowski (arguably the best pitcher in the game), they began that long, hard job the only way one can: with a first step. A solo shot from the piping-hot Seiya Suzuki briefly had the Cubs out in front of the Cy Young-contending fireballer. Alas, Ian Happ's failure to come through in a two-out, bases-loaded scenario against "The Miz" let the Brewers off the hook, ultimately escaping with a 6-2 win in the opener of a three-game set in which the Cubs pen showed its weakness. One day later, the Cubs earned their first win of the season against Milwaukee, in a fifth try. Recently acquired starting pitcher David Peterson settled in wonderfully after surrendering a first-pitch solo shot to Jackson Chourio to start the game. Peterson was locked in from that point, getting through 5 2/3 innings of work, while his new team's offense did the rest. Joined by long flies from Ian Happ and Michael Conforto, Suzuki went deep for the second-straight day, assisting his squad to a relatively pain-free 8-2 victory. With rising temperatures set to ignite summertime in Chicago, the Cubs delivered the statement win of the year Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee. Ryan Rolison's two innings kicked off a bullpen day versus the Cream City's best. Chicago's depleted bullpen rapidly became a glaring weakness for a squad that had labored, falling short of solutions around every corner. But in front of a screaming crowd of over 45,000, the squad's relievers (led by a remarkable 4 1/3-inning outing from Bryse Wilson) demonstrated it deserves mention among the league's most resourceful. A wild pitch allowed the Cubs to tie the game late, leading to a pulse-pounding extra frame that will have supporters clad in Cubby Blue talking for weeks to come. As he has done so often in recent games, Seiya Suzuki came up big. He pumped a two-run single into left field, putting his club up 4-1. Three grueling, high-blood-pressure outs later, the North Siders emerged with their best series win of the year by a final score of 4-3. Believing in the unimaginable is taxing for each sports fan, but if you belong to Generation Underdog, you can still do it. With the San Diego Padres coming to Wrigley Field next for a three-game set, the North Siders are (arguably) right back in the race for the NL Central, sitting just 5.5 games back of Milwaukee. While their proximity to the top is of paramount importance, what Chicago did this past week—going 6-1 on a marathon road trip amid injuries that could have scuppered their hopes for good—would make a good turning point montage in one of those films. Now, to see whether art can really inspire life. View the full article

Chicago Cubs Minor League Report Affiliate Overview Triple-A Iowa Cubs Series vs. Buffalo Bisons (Toronto Blue Jays): Bisons win, 4-2 Season Record: 32–46-1 Double-A Knoxville Smokies Series at Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox): Smokies win, 5-1 Season Record: 43–32 High-A South Bend Cubs Series vs. Quad Cities River Bandits (Kansas City Royals): Cubs win, 4-2 Season Record: 44–27 Single-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans Series at Salem RidgeYaks (Boston Red Sox): Tied, 3-3 Season Record: 31–42 Affiliate Highlights Triple-A: Iowa Cubs Season Record: 32–46-1 Series Opponent: Buffalo Bisons (39-42) Series Standing: Lose, 4-2 June 28: The Iowa Cubs fell to the Buffalo Bisons, 8-5, on Sunday at Principal Park, dropping the series. The Bisons raced out to an 8-0 lead, scoring twice in both the first and second innings before adding four more in the third. Scott Kingery (1-for-4) halted the scoring run in the bottom of the third with a solo shot, his second of the season. James Triantos (1-for-4) picked up an RBI-single in the fourth and Jonathan Long picked in the fifth, which was followed by a bases-loaded walk from Triantos four batters later to make it 8-4. Moisés Ballesteros (1-for-3) collected an RBI-single in the fifth to make it 8-5 but that would be as close as the Cubs would get in the ballgame. Kenten Egbert got the start for Iowa and took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season. Egbert allowed eight runs, five earned, over 2 2/3 innings of work, walking five batters compared to striking out two. Corbin Martin turned in three scoreless frames in relief, whiffing one and walking one, and catcher Christian Bethancourt worked two shutout innings on the bump, allowing one hit to go along with two walks and one strikeout. Double-A: Knoxville Smokies Season Record: 43–32 Series Opponent: Birmingham Barons (27–48) Series Standing: Win, 5-1 June 28: The Knoxville Smokies had their five-game winning streak snapped in Sunday’s 10-5 defeat to the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field. Alex Ramírez (2-for-5) gave the Smokies the lead in the first with an RBI-double but the Barons responded with two runs in their first trip to the plate to take the lead. Birmingham made it 3-1 with a run in the second but Andy Garriola’s (2-for-4) RBI-double in the third cut the lead to one. Edgar Alvarez (2-for-5) launched a three-run shot in the fifth, his eighth of the season, to give Knoxville the lead at 5-3 but Birmingham grabbed two of those runs back in the bottom of the inning to tie it up at 5-5. The hosts delivered the decisive blow in the ballgame with four runs in the sixth and would later tack on another run in the eighth to make it 10-5, eventually handing the Smokies the loss. Koen Moreno got the start for Knoxville and took no decision. Moreno allowed three runs, two earned, over four innings of work, walking two and striking out four. Offensively, eight of the nine Smokie starters recorded a hit in the contest, with five posting multi-hit efforts, highlighted by four-hit performances from Carter Trice (4-for-5) and Owen Ayers (4-for-4). Despite the 17 hits on the day, Knoxville would go 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 runners on base. High-A: South Bend Cubs Season Record: 44–27 Series Opponent: Quad Cities River Bandits (32–39) Series Standing: Win, 4-2 June 28: The South Bend Cubs dropped Sunday’s series finale to the Quad City River Bandits, 7-2, at Four Winds Field. Both teams were held scoreless through the first six innings of the contest, with Cubs starter Alfredo Romero working five of those innings. Romero, who took no decision, allowed just one hit and struck out five with just one walk issued. Kevin Valdez followed with two scoreless frames in relief, allowing one hit and whiffing one, and Eli Jerzembeck worked a scoreless eighth, retiring all three of the batters he faced. Kane Kepley’s (1-for-3) fourth homer of the season in the sixth gave South Bend the 1-0 lead, which was doubled when Dilan Granadillo (1-for-3) scored on a wild pitch. In the ninth, the River Bandits took the lead with a seven-run outburst and would hand the Cubs the loss. South Bend was held to just four hits in the ballgame, going 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, leaving four on base. Single-A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans Season Record: 31–42 Series Opponent: Salem RidgeYaks (29–45) Series Standing: Tied, 3-3 June 28: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were walked off by the Salem RidgeYaks, 7-6, in Sunday’s finale to split the series. The RidgeYaks scored a run in their first trip to the plate before the Pelicans tied the game on Logan Poteet’s bases-loaded walk in the third. Salem pushed a run across in the fourth and Myrtle Beach would make it 2-2 in the sixth on Henniel Alcala’s (1-for-4) RBI-single. Poteet picked up his second RBI of the ballgame in the seventh to give the Pelicans the lead but the RidgeYaks plated three after the stretch to take a 5-3 lead. Both teams traded runs in the eighth, with Myrtle Beach getting its tally on a passed ball. With the Pelicans down to their final out, Yahil Melendez (1-for-4) crushed a two-run blast, his second of the season, to even the game at 6-6. In the bottom of the ninth, Myrtle Beach would walk the bases loaded to begin the inning and Salem would then single in the game-winning run. View the full article

Twins System Recap: The Mussels were Mighty this weekend. Teen slugger Luis Fragoza flexed in particular, crushing two homers on Sunday. His teammate Murphy Hernandez brings the speed, as he's averaging nearly a stolen base per game, but he also homered in a big game. On the mound for the Mussels, Jason Reitz pitched the longest outing of his young career while not surrendering a run. Also, the Saints got two big names back from the IL in Hendry Mendez and Kaelen Culpepper. View the full article

San Diego Padres Weekly Snapshot Record last week: 4-2 Runs scored last week: 25 Runs allowed last week: 28 (season run differential: minus-13) Scores Game 77 (Monday): Padres 1, Atlanta 0 Game 78 (Tuesday): Padres 7, Atlanta 6 (10 innings) Game 79 (Wednesday): Padres 5, Atlanta 2 Thursday: Off Game 80 (Friday): Padres 7, Dodgers 1 Game 81 (Saturday): Dodgers 15, Padres 3 Game 82 (Sunday): Dodgers 4, Padres 2 Week in Review and Highlights Atlanta series Game 1: Right-handed starter Michael King got ticked off at himself. That was good news for the Padres. King turned in the best start of the season by any Friars starter, going seven shutout innings, and Manny Machado homered for the second straight game as the Padres opened a big homestand with a 1-0 victory over Atlanta. The reason why this was the best start for the Padres is that it came at a time when the Padres needed a big win and needed a starter to go deep in a game. Coming off a 4⅓-inning outing against the St. Louis Cardinals and five straight subpar outings, King went seven shutout innings for the second time this season (May 18 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers), allowing six hits and no walks with five strikeouts. The Padres' offense didn't do much, but also didn't need to. Machado had two of the Friars' four hits and also walked. He took right-handed starter Grant Holmes deep leading off the fourth inning, boosting his team-leading homer total to 14 and RBI total to 42. King never had more than one runner on an any inning and handed things over to left-hander Adrian Morejon, who retired all three hitters he faced before yielding to right-handed closer Mason Miller. Miller did run into a little trouble in the ninth, but it came with two outs. Austin Riley singled and pinch-runner Eli White stole second. Miller then walked Dom Smith on a 3-2 pitch before striking out Mike Yastrzemski for his 21st save in as many chances. Game 2: In a game that started with a bit of deja vu from the Texas Rangers series opener, it came to a conclusion with a reminder from Machado: He is still dangerous. Machado lined the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th inning to center field to score Jackson Merrill from second base for a 7-6 victory over Atlanta to clinch a series victory. Machado had the biggest hit in the game for the third time in four games as he also had a two-run homer in a three-run top of the 10th inning Saturday vs. the Rangers in 6-4 win. But as Machado said after this game, this one was "madcap." After a scoreless inning by left-hander Wandy Peralta as an opener, right-hander Griffin Canning couldn't even finish the second inning, coughing up four runs on four hits and a walk. He began the second with two singles and a hit batter, then a strikeout and a two-run single by Rowdy Tellez and a second strikeout. But a Michael Harris II double and another walk spelled doom and the end of his day. But the Padres turned the tables on what happened Friday and scored five runs in the bottom of the first with the bottom of the order getting things going, then Samad Taylor putting the Padres ahead with a two-run single for a 5-4 lead. Despite each allowing a run, left-handers Kyle Hart and Yuki Matsui followed Canning and settled things down over the next 4⅓ innings to give the Friars a chance despite giving up the lead. This had the feel of those April wins as Tatis hit his second Petco Park homer and third of the season in the seventh, a solo drive to center. Miller, who threw 20 pitches Monday, came back and needed only 11 pitches to strike out two of the three hitters in the ninth, so he came back for the 10th, getting another strikeout as he finished that inning in 11 pitches again. Atlanta right-handed closer Raisel Iglesias tried to pull a Miller, but only got one pitch into the 10th when Machado walked it off, with the throw home too late to get Merrill. Game 3: This was the most surprising series of the season. A sweep of the team that had the best winning percentage in MLB? Yeah, it happened. Now, what do the Padres do with this momentum? Buoyed by a surprise start by left-hander JP Sears, the Padres dumped Atlanta 5-2 win sweep the three-game set. Ty France homered and drove in two runs, while Taylor had a pair of RBIs as the Friars bounced back from losing two of three on the road to the Rangers. Sears was relegated to Triple-A in spring training and posted a 7.99 ERA in the offensive elements of the Pacific Coast League. But Sears put that behind him and, needing some length as he made his season debut with the Padres, and he responded with 5⅔ innings, just the third time in 15 starts this season he had gotten an out in the sixth inning. He allowed two runs on five hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts. As it was, Sears turned in the fourth start in the Padres' last 35 games in which a pitcher went that long and allowed three runs or less. It would seem to have earned him another start after right-hander Lucas Giolito (right elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day injured list. Facing a crafty veteran in left-hander Martin Perez, the Padres' offense came through. France staked the Friars to a 2-0 lead with a solo homer in the third, his ninth of the season, and a sac fly in the fourth. The Padres manufactured another run in the fifth as Tatis walked, Taylor had a bunt single and, following a double steal, Xander Bogaerts singled home Tatis. It could have been more, but Merrill and Miguel Andujar couldn't come through. Atlanta trimmed it to 3-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth on a Joey Bart homer, but the Padres got both right back in the bottom of the sixth. France doubled and was bunted to third by Freddy Fermin. Jase Bowen walked and, after a pitching change, stole second. Taylor came through again, singling with two outs to plate France and Bowen. The bullpen did bullpen things after Sears exited, with right-hander David Morgan going 1⅓ perfect innings, Peralta one hit in one inning and right-hander Jason Adam closed things out with Miller unavailable, pitching a perfect ninth for his second save of the season. Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town. Dodgers series Game 1: Walker Buehler just does Walker Buehler things when the Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers get together. But for the first time, Buehler did it while wearing a Friars jersey. The right-handed starter was really good for 5⅓ innings and France hit an early three-run homer that helped carry the Padres to a 7-1 victory over their rival. It was the fourth straight victory for the Friars, all coming against teams that entered the series with the best winning percentage in MLB. Buehler helped set the tone by allowing just three hits and a run, while walking three and striking out five. In 10 starts since the beginning of May, Buehler has been very solid, going five innings in all but one. In six of those, he got at least a single out in the fifth, which significantly increases a team's chances of winning that game. Buehler was lifted in the sixth after a walk to Andy Pages and with Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts coming up. Matsui came in and gave up a double to Freeman, with Pages only able to advance to third. After walking Betts intentionally, Matsui got Max Muncy to pop out and Kyle Tucker to fly out to end the threat unscathed. The Padres' offense continued its recent good work. Machado and Sheets drew leadoff walks in the second inning off right-handed starter Roki Sasaki. After Bogaerts flew out to center, Sheets drilled his opposite-field three-run blast deep into the left-field stands to erase an early 1-0 deficit. While the Padres weren't able to further take advantage of Sasaki's wildness (five walks), that did lead to an early exit and got the Friars into the bullpen. It took until the eighth inning for that work to pay off. Sheets had a one-out single, Bogaerts and France walked to load the bases and Sung-Mun Song broke it open with a two-run single. Rodolfo Duran doubled home another and Tatis capped the four-run rally with an RBI single. Meanwhile, the bullpen kept the Dodgers at bay, with Adam, Morejon and Peralta tossing scoreless innings. And it made Buehler 7-1 in the Padres-Dodgers series. Game 2: All you really need to know about this one is that Duran, the 11-year minor-league catcher who made his MLB debut last month, pitched the top of the ninth inning. The Padres gave up their biggest inning of the season and the most runs in a game as the Dodgers steamrolled their way to a 15-3 victory on the strength of a nine-run sixth inning. Right-hander Randy Vasquez took the brunt of the damage. He followed Hart, who served as an opener with two innings and one run, and gave up seven runs (five) earned while only getting one out in the sixth. It didn't help that second baseman Will Wagner booted a ball that trickled into right field. Instead of being the second out of the inning, Freeman scooted home from second with the go-ahead run to make it 2-1. Two batters later, it was 5-1 on Tommy Edman's RBI triple and Tucker's two-run homer. Dalton Rushing and Mookie Betts also homered in the frame as the Dodgers sent 12 batters to the plate. Vasquez has allowed seven runs in back-to-back outings and at least four runs in three of his last four. Sheets was about the lone offensive highlight, with three hits, including a solo homer, his 13th long ball of the season. The game marked the halfway point of the season, with the Padres at 43-38, just one game off last year's mark at this time. Game 3: In what was a winnable swing game, even entering the series, the Padres just didn't capitalize on the few opportunities to score that they did have. As a result, the Dodgers came away with a 4-2 victory, taking two out of three games. After looking very good in his start vs. Atlanta to begin the week, King ran into trouble in the fifth inning and his day turned sour. The Dodgers got three runs against King, who allowed four of the first five hitters to reach on a hit batter and three walks to put L.A. up 2-1, then Betts had a two-run single. While it was a catastrophe like the nine-run outburst the day before, it was just as damaging against a team such as the Dodgers, whose bullpen rivals that of the Padres. Machado continued his excellent run by hitting his team-best 15th homer of the season, a solo shot to left field that tied the game in the fourth inning. After the Dodgers' rally in the fifth, Merrill led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, stole second with one out and scored on Bogaerts' ground single to right to make it 4-2. In the eight, Machado had a leadoff double and France was hit by a pitch, but Bogaerts struck out and Andujar hit into an inning-ending double play. Fermin drew a one-out walk in the ninth, but like the eighth, a double play ended the threat, this time on a Tatis grounder to short. While the homestand ended with a bit of a thud, the Padres continue their stretch of 17 games in 17 days with a seven-game road trip, with the first three at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs in a rematch of the NL Wild Card Series from last year, before the Padres and Dodgers meet again in L.A. for four games. Marvelous Mason Miller Some of the amazing stats for the Padres' closer: Season stats: 2-1, 0.79 ERA, 32 games, 21 saves (21 chances), 34 IP, 14 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 13 BB, 66 K, .122 opponent average His two-inning outing Tuesday was the first since joining the Padres and first since Sept. 6, 2024, with the A's. Has 21 saves, which is tied for second in MLB with Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays. Cade Smith of the Cleveland Guardians has an MLB-best 26 saves. Of his 32 appearances, he has 22 with multiple strikeouts. Random Stats The Padres 1-0 win over Atlanta was not only their seventh shutout of the season, but their third of the 1-0 variety. The Padres have eight 1-0 wins since the beginning of 2025, the most in MLB. Samad Taylor's 12-game hitting streak came to an end with an 0-for-3 Monday. It was the longest by a Padre this year and was tied for the third-longest active streak. Jason Adam's perfect ninth inning Wednesday was his first since May 27. Friday's 7-1 triumph over the Dodgers gave the Padres a positive run differential (316-315) for the first time since May 29. Saturday's result, however, changed that. The Padres turned four double plays Friday, tying the single-game high in MLB this season. The Friars last turned four DPs on June 4, 2024, vs. the Los Angeles Angels. Nine of Gavin Sheets' 13 homers this season have either tied the game or put the Padres ahead for good. Of the Padres' 44 games at Petco Park, 35 have been sellouts, including all six games on this homestand. Saturday's attendance of 45,159 was the third-largest crowd this season The Padres honored Spanish-language radio broadcaster Eduardo Ortega for 40 years with the team by having him throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Transactions Tuesday: Placed RHP Lucas Giolito on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation. Tuesday: Recalled LHP JP Sears from Triple-A El Paso. Tuesday: Activated C Freddy Fermin from the 7-day concussion list. Tuesday: Optioned C Blake Hunt to Triple-A El Paso. Thursday: Sent 1B Nick Solak outright to Triple-A El Paso. Solak elected free agency. Thursday: Sent 2B Jake Cronenworth on a rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso. Sunday: Signed free-agent 1B Nick Solak to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A El Paso. Website Highlights Vasquez's command woes have taken on a new form — Randy Holt Padres' 2025 draft class rundown: How every pick has fared thus far — Steve Drumwright Reranking Padres' 2025 trade-deadline moves one year later — Brendan Dentino Padres are stuck between a rock and a hard place with Marquez and Canning — Randy Holt Padres farm system update: Breaking down Padres Mission's new Top 20 prospect list (June) — Steve Drumwright Check out the newest Padres Mission podcast: Is Manny finally back? Looking Ahead Monday: Padres (Griffin Canning) at Cubs (Shota Imanaga), 5:05 p.m. Tuesday: Padres (JP Sears) at Cubs (Matthew Boyd), 5:05 p.m. Wednesday: Padres (Walker Buehler) at Cubs (Colin Rea), 11:20 a.m. Thursday: Padres (Randy Vasquez) at Dodgers (Roki Sasaki), 7:10 p.m. Friday: Padres (Michael King) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), 7:10 p.m. Saturday: Padres (Griffin Canning) at Dodgers (Emmet Sheehan), 7:10 p.m. Sunday: Padres (JP Sears) at Dodgers (Eric Lauer), 4:20 p.m. View the full article

The Twins' offense has looked noticeably different over the past month, and it isn't just because the runs have started to come in bunches. Even after striking out 14 times on Wednesday night, Minnesota has become one of the best contact-hitting teams in baseball during June. Through Sunday's games, the Twins have struck out just 159 times this month, the fewest in the big leagues. That's a dramatic shift from where they stood earlier in the season. Back in May, Minnesota's lineup was one of baseball's most swing-and-miss-heavy groups, tying for the fourth-most strikeouts in the majors with 252. During March and April, they tied for ninth with 279 strikeouts. The change hasn't happened by accident. Whether it's a philosophical adjustment, better swing decisions, or simply healthier hitters settling into their seasons, the Twins have made putting the ball in play a clear priority. For a lineup that has often lived and died by the home run over the past several years, becoming more difficult to strike out adds another dimension. It creates more pressure on opposing defenses, leads to longer innings, and gives Minnesota more opportunities to capitalize on mistakes. No player better represents Minnesota's offensive evolution than Brooks Lee. The former first-round pick has always been praised for his advanced hit tool, but this season, he's turning those scouting reports into elite major league production. Among all American League hitters in June, Lee owns the lowest strikeout rate at just 7.8%. Looking across all of baseball among players with at least 70 plate appearances this month, only four hitters have struck out less frequently: Luis Arraez (4.0%), Sal Frelick (5.6%), Nico Hoerner (7.0%), and Jung Hoo Lee (7.2%). That's elite company. Perhaps even more impressive is that Lee isn't simply putting the ball in play. He's doing damage when he makes contact. Only two qualified hitters in baseball have hit at least 14 home runs while maintaining a strikeout rate below 16% this season: Juan Soto, who has 17 home runs with a 13.1% strikeout rate; and Lee, who has 14 home runs while striking out just 15.0% of the time. That combination is incredibly rare in today's game. Modern baseball has largely accepted higher strikeout totals as the cost of generating power. Lee is proving that the two skills don't have to be mutually exclusive. He's consistently finding the barrel without sacrificing contact, allowing him to impact games in multiple ways. It's also a testament to the hitter many evaluators believed the Twins were drafting when they selected him eighth overall in 2022. Lee showed exceptional bat-to-ball ability throughout his amateur and minor-league career. The power has continued to develop, making him an increasingly complete offensive player. If this version of Lee is here to stay, Minnesota may have found one of the most complete young hitters in the American League. Indeed, he's batting .255/.311/.475 since the frigid, weather-beaten first fortnight of the season., and over his last 150 plate appearances, he's slugging .522, even while putting the ball in play exceptionally consistently. The Contact Improvement Extends Throughout the Lineup Lee may be leading the way, but he certainly isn't alone. Among qualified Twins hitters in June, Luke Keaschall ranks in the top quartile with a 14.8% strikeout rate, while Kody Clemens sits close behind at 15.8%. Minnesota has also received excellent contact production from several players who haven't accumulated enough plate appearances to qualify. Ryan Kreidler owns an outstanding 5.9% strikeout rate this month, Trevor Larnach has cut his strikeouts to just 11.7%, and Victor Caratini has posted a solid 15.9% mark. That type of production throughout the lineup changes the complexion of an offense. Rather than relying on one or two hitters to carry the attack, Minnesota is forcing opposing pitchers to work through nearly every at-bat. More balls are being put in play. More runners are reaching base. More innings are being extended. Even on nights like Wednesday, when the strikeout totals spike, the overall trend remains encouraging. A Sustainable Formula The Twins don't need to become a team that completely eliminates strikeouts. That's unrealistic in today's game. What they have done is find a healthier balance. Power will always be an important part of Minnesota's identity, but combining that power with improved contact gives the offense a much higher floor. The lineup no longer has to wait for the three-run homer. It can manufacture offense through competitive at-bats, consistent contact, and pressure on opposing defenses. No player embodies that balance better than Lee. His ability to pair elite contact skills with legitimate power has placed him among some of baseball's best hitters statistically. More importantly, his approach appears to be shaping the team's offensive identity. If Minnesota continues making this much contact over the season's second half, the Twins won't just be harder to strike out—they'll be much harder to beat. Can the Twins continue their improved approach at the plate? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot Record Last Week: 5-2 Runs Scored Last Week: 34 Runs Surrendered Last Week: 22 Standings: 5th in AL East 12.5 GB 1st Place Transactions: 06/23/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent C Andrew Knizner to a minor league contract. 06/23/26: Boston Red Sox sent LHP Patrick Sandoval on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. 06/23/26: Boston Red Sox sent 1B Romy Gonzalez on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. 06/25/26: Boston Red Sox sent LHP Jovani Morán on a rehab assignment to Worcester Red Sox. 06/26/26: Boston Red Sox recalled SS Tsung-Che Cheng from Worcester Red Sox. 06/26/26: Boston Red Sox placed 2B Marcelo Mayer on the 10-day injured list. Bone stress reaction to the left ulna. 06/28/26: Boston Red Sox optioned C Mickey Gasper to Worcester Red Sox. 06/28/28: Boston Red Sox transferred LF Roman Anthony from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. 06/28/26: Boston Red Sox activated 1B Romy Gonzalez from the 60-day injured list. Scores: Game 76: BOS 2, COL 3 Game 77: BOS 5, COL 2 Game 78: BOS 6, COL 8 Game 79: BOS 6, NYY 3 Game 80: BOS 6, NYY 1 Game 81: BOS 4, NYY 1 Game 82: BOS 5, NYY 4 Series Breakdown/Highlights Rockies Series: Do we really even want to talk about this series? Yes, the Red Sox won the middle game, but their awful defense and inability to come through with runners in scoring position was the biggest news story out of Colorado when the series was over. The Sox were up in the seventh in both the first and third games, a situation in which they were undefeated going into the series, and managed to lose both games. In game one, Jake Bennett dazzled over six innings, striking out nine and giving up four hits. Tyron Guerrero continued to show why he needs to be flying up other team’s trade boards. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman combined for eight straight hits over two innings, with Chapman taking the loss after giving up three earned runs. Offensively, Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin supplied both RBIs. In game two, Wilyer Abreu hit a mammoth home run while Ceddanne Rafaela and Nate Eaton provided the other four RBIs. Sonny Gray worked around a shaky first inning where he gave up his only earned run on the night. He proceeded to toss six more innings of six-hit, 11-strikeout baseball en route to the win. If you watched the game, you saw an absolute masterclass in how to pitch at elevation. The trade for Gray may be the thing that Craig Breslow can hang his hat on more than anything else; the man knows how to identify pitching. Justin Slaten and Whitlock both worked clean innings to put the game away. Game three, on the other hand, was just awful. The Red Sox looked like a junior varsity team playing in a big-league ballpark. Andruw Monasterio hit his second home run of the season while Connor Wong finally sent one over the wall for the first time in almost two years. Ranger Suarez tossed six innings of one-run baseball, striking out nine. The starting pitching wasn’t the problem in this series at all, the bullpen and the defense gave it away. The Rockies scored eight runs in this game, but only three of them were earned. Yankees Series: Who is this team? Seriously: Where has this version of the Red Sox been all season? It wasn’t perfect, as we’ll get to in game four, but this was the most complete series the Red Sox have played all season. Game one saw the Yankees boot the ball around like crazy and the Red Sox took full advantage. Caleb Durbin stayed hot by hitting another home run while Connelly Early tossed six innings of two-earned-run, nine-strikeout baseball. Both Whitlock and Chapman looked to avenge their Rockies series and mostly did so. Chapman, curiously, had no strikeouts in this appearance though. Game two was mostly domination by the Red Sox, who chased Will Warren after giving up five earned runs over 5.2 innings. Tsung-Che Cheng was called up after Marcelo Mayer went on the injured list and knocked his first big-league hit. Connor Wong contributed two RBIs while Contreras hit an absolute moon bomb that cleared the Green Monster by quite a few feet. Payton Tolle pitched a gem of a start, especially considering he had been sick the whole day prior. He tossed seven scoreless innings, striking out seven while giving up only one hit late in the outing. The young core of this rotation is going to be fun to watch for a long time. Game three was another impressive outing for the Red Sox against Gerrit Cole, who threw 5.1 innings while giving up four earned runs. Jake Bennett threw 6.1 innings of one-run, three-strikeout baseball. Chapman notched another save and looked more like himself in this game. Masataka Yoshida hit his second home run of the season while rookie Anthony Seigler hit his first career homer off Cole. No matter what happens in Seigler’s career, that will be a moment he never forgets. If you were anywhere but the edge of your seat during the second half of game four, we had to be watching different games. Gray was amazing, again. He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning while striking out nine. His final strikeout was also number 2,000 for his career. This start gave the Sox their 11th quality start in a row, showing just how bad the previous series had to go in all other areas for the team to not be riding a seven-game winning streak right now. Chapman likely hurt his trade value a bit with this game, but the defensive lapses by Abreu in right field are the main reason the game went to extras. In a season where the Red Sox have continually rolled over late in games when they’ve been losing, Sunday night was a breath of fresh air. The names you’d expect to get it done, didn’t. The game was won by Seigler, Monasterio, Yoshida, Cheng, and Duran in the bottom of the tenth. What a game, what a sweep. Website Highlights Justin Slaten is More Useful as a Red Sox Trade Chip Than Reliever by Jordan Leandre Red Sox’s ABS Ineptitude is Clearest Proof Yet of Organizational Failures by Yirsandy Rodriguez Evaluating Chad Tracy’s First 50 Games as Red Sox Interim Manager by Gottie Chavez Red Sox’s Craig Breslow Era is Set to End with a Whimper by Alex Mayes Looking Ahead 06/29/26: Nationals (Miles Mikolas) @ Red Sox (Ranger Suarez): 7:10 PM EDT 06/30/26: Nationals (Cade Cavalli) @ Red Sox (Connelly Early): 7:10 PM EDT 07/01/26: Nationals (Andrew Alvarez) @ Red Sox (Payton Tolle): 1:35 PM EDT 07/02/26: Off Day 07/03/26: Red Sox @ Angels: 9:38 PM EDT 07/04/26: Red Sox @ Angels: 9:38 PM EDT 07/05/26: Red Sox @ Angels: 9:30 PM EDT View the full article

Sunday was a mixed day for the New York Mets' full-season minor-league affiliates. Syracuse edged Lehigh Valley 5-4, with Ben Rortvedt's eighth-inning double proving to be the game-winning hit. The S-Mets got five innings out of bulk reliever Jack Wenninger. Binghamton lost 6-5 in 10 innings at Erie despite a big game from leadoff hitter Chris Suero. Brooklyn continued to roll, beating Jersey Shore 5-1. Yohairo Cuevas and Ronald Hernandez homered, and Nicolas Carreno tossed four scoreless innings. St. Lucie continued to stumble, losing 6-5 at Fort Myers. The Mets' ninth-innjng rally came up short. Conner Ware fanned six in long relief. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Rortvedt Double Lifts Syracuse Past Lehigh Valley Ben Rortvedt delivered the key hit as the. Mets rallied for a road win. His double brought home Yonny Hernandez with the go-ahead run after Lehigh Valley had tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Hernandez had another big game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He collected 12 hits in the series. Lehigh Valley took a 3-1 lead against Jack Wenninger, who was working behind opener Dan Hammer. Wenninger allowed three runs, four hits and four walks over five innings, striking out four. hits, Ryan Lambert was credited with the win despite allowing the tying run in the seventh. Nate Lavender threw a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the save. Syracuse Mets Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Vidal Bruján 5 0 1 1 0 3 Nick Morabito 5 0 1 1 0 1 Jihwan Bae 3 1 0 0 1 0 Ryan Clifford 2 0 0 0 2 1 Yonny Hernández 4 1 2 1 0 0 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 1 1 0 1 Grae Kessinger 3 2 1 0 1 1 Hayden Senger 3 1 1 0 1 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 1 0 0 2 Syracuse Mets Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dan Hammer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jack Wenninger 5 4 3 3 3 4 1 Ryan Lambert 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 Nate Lavender 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 Binghamton Rally Goes For Naught In Loss At Erie The Rumble Ponies saw their ninth-inning rally go to waste as Erie pushed across a run in the bottom of the 10th. Jose Ramos singled home Kevin Villavicencio, and Nick Lorusso drove in a run with a groundout to knot the game 5-5. Suero set the tone from the leadoff spot, reaching base four times, scoring four runs, drawing two walks, and adding a stolen base. Lorusso drove in three runs. His run-scoring single in the first and RBI double in the third, both plating Suero, gave Binghamton a 2-0 lead. Starter Bryce Conley worked six innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, and one walk while striking out five and giving up two home runs. Douglas Orellana and Garrett Stratton each tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Zach Peek took the loss in relief. Binghamton Rumble Ponies Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 3 4 2 0 2 0 Jose Ramos 4 0 1 1 1 1 Nick Lorusso 4 0 2 3 1 1 JT Schwartz 5 0 0 0 0 3 Vincent Perozo 5 0 0 0 0 4 Matt Rudick 4 0 1 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 5 0 1 0 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 2 0 0 0 1 1 Kevin Villavicencio 4 1 1 0 0 1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryce Conley 6 7 5 5 1 5 2 Douglas Orellana 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Garrett Stratton 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Peek 1 1/3 2 1 0 0 0 0 Cuevas, Hernandez Power Brooklyn Past Jersey Shore Yohairo Cuevas broke the game open in the sjxth with a three-run homer, giving him homers in back-to-back games. He went deep Saturday as well. Ronald Hernandez opened the scoring in the third with a solo homer. Colin Houck drove in the other Cyclones run with a double in the sixth, bringing home John Bay. Starter Nicolas Carreno turned in four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and four walks while striking out one. Cristofer Gomez and Hunter Hodges each struck out two in a scoreless frame, Brooklyn Cyclones Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 3 0 2 0 1 1 Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 3 1 1 1 1 1 John Bay 3 1 1 0 0 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Corey Collins 3 1 0 0 1 1 Colin Houck 4 1 1 1 0 3 Yohairo Cuevas 3 1 2 3 1 1 Sam Biller 4 0 0 0 0 3 Brooklyn Cyclones Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nicolas Carreno 4 2 0 0 4 1 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Cristofer Gomez 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 Hoss Brewer 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Juan Arnaud 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 Hunter Hodges 1 0 0 0 3 2 0 St. Lucie's Ninth-Inning Rally Comes Up Short St. Lucie scored twice in the top of.the ninth before falling at Fort Myers. The Mets got a two-run single from Trey Snyder to cut the gap to a run, but Branny De Oleo flied out and Antonio Jimenez grounded.out to end the game. Chase Meggers paced the offense with three hits, an RBI and a run scored. His run-scoring.double in the second put the Mets on top early. Jeremy Rodriguez reached base three times with two hits and a walk, De Oleo went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Ethan Lanthier started and recorded five outs, allowing two hits, two runs, a walk, and a home run. He struck out one. Conner Ware provided bulk with 3 2/3 innings of long relief. He allowed two runs but also struck out six. New York reliever Dedniel Nunez threw another inning as his rehab stint continued. He allowed a run and two hits. St. Lucie Mets Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Trey Snyder 5 0 1 2 0 1 Branny De Oleo 4 1 2 1 0 0 Antonio Jimenez 5 0 0 0 0 1 Julio Zayas 3 0 0 1 0 1 Simon Juan 4 1 1 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 1 3 1 0 0 Taylor Darden 2 1 0 0 1 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 1 2 0 1 1 Jackson Hauge 4 0 2 0 0 1 St. Lucie Mets Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Lanthier 1 2/3 2 2 2 1 1 1 Christian Rodriguez 1 1/3 3 1 1 0 0 0 Dedniel Núñez 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Conner Ware 3 2/3 3 2 2 2 6 1 Elwis Mijares 0 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: DNP Jack Wenninger: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR Ryan Clifford: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, K Mitch Voit: 2-for-3, BB, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 4 R, 2 BB, SB Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-5, K R.J. Gordon: DNP View the full article

Carter Jensen's 16-game hitting streak isn't the story. The story is what happened before it. What changed for a hitter who endured one of his worst offensive months in May to suddenly own the longest active hitting streak in the majors? He answered the first adjustment major league pitchers made against him. Jensen spent April punishing fastballs, posting a .602 expected slugging percentage (xSLG) against them in 52 plate appearances. The league adjusted quickly. Rather than challenging him with velocity, pitchers shifted toward breaking balls and offspeed pitches, forcing him to prove he could produce once his best pitch disappeared. That approach worked in May. Breaking balls became the centerpiece of every game plan. Jensen hit just .116 against breaking balls and offspeed pitches combined, and 58% of his strikeouts came against those offerings. His production collapsed because pitchers dictated the terms of the at-bat instead of allowing him to attack pitches he handled best. The important question wasn't whether Jensen could snap out of a slump. It was a question of whether that weakness would become part of his long-term offensive profile. June has started to answer that question. Carter Jensen Performance vs. Breaking Balls Month AVG SLG Exit Velocity Whiff April .133 .133 87.4 mph 37.5% May .139 .194 87.0 mph 29.2% June .265 .529 94.8 mph 26.7% The numbers point to something more important than a higher batting average. Jensen is making more contact against breaking balls and hitting them much harder. His average exit velocity has jumped by nearly eight mph, while his whiff rate has continued to fall. The pitch that controlled his at-bats a month ago is no longer producing the same outcome. Pitchers haven’t abandoned their plan, either. They’re actually throwing Jensen more offspeed pitches than they did in May. He’s responded by cutting his whiff rate against those pitches from 42.1% to 14.3%. He’s also gone 3-for-11 against them this month, and every hit has gone for extra bases—two doubles and a home run. His average exit velocity has climbed from 75.5 mph to 96.6 mph over that span. The sample remains small, but the adjustment is visible. Jensen isn’t succeeding because pitchers have changed their approach. He’s succeeding because he changed his response. Jensen Monthly Offensive Production Month AVG SLG K% wRC+ Mar./Apr. .256 .478 29.1% 124 May .198 .309 28.3% 55 June .277 .518 21.7% 126 That adjustment reaches beyond his production against specific pitch types. Jensen's strikeout rate has dropped by nearly seven percentage points from May to June, a sign that he's losing fewer plate appearances against the pitches that exposed him earlier in the season. Those aren't independent trends. They're different outcomes of the same adjustment. Kansas City has responded, too. The Royals have hit Jensen near the top of the lineup throughout much of June. That's less about rewarding a hitting streak than recognizing better plate appearances. His .359 wOBA and .311 BABIP this month support what the underlying changes already suggest: he's making pitchers work under different conditions than he did just a few weeks ago. That's the value of this hitting streak. It doesn't prove Jensen has solved major league pitching. It doesn't guarantee the league won't find another weakness. It does suggest something every organization wants to see from a young hitter. When major league pitchers identified Jensen's first offensive vulnerability, he adjusted before it became part of his identity. The streak may end tomorrow. That adjustment is what Kansas City should remember. View the full article

When the Milwaukee Brewers got Brandon Sproat, they gave up their 2025 ace in Freddy Peralta. The idea of having a primary option who could give Pat Murphy’s squad a chance to win every fifth day hung in the balance, though those questions were answered by megastellar starts to the season from Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison. Sproat doesn’t need to be the team’s ace, but he does need to be a consistent contributor in a rotation that is being jostled by injuries and the unsteady development of young arms beyond his own. Let’s break down the things Sproat needs to harness to become the presence Milwaukee needs. One of the major sources of appeal with Sproat’s game is his varied pitch arsenal. While some starters get by with three or four options, the University of Florida product rolls with six different pitches: the sinker, cutter, four-seam fastball, curveball, sweeper and changeup. The more options a hitter has to choose from, the better the odds for a pitcher. As we know, the Brewers love guys with multiple fastball shapes, in particular. So far, Sproat’s four-seamer, which rolls in at an average velocity of 96.4 miles per hour, is his most productive pitch. Opposing hitters are managing just a .204 batting average against it. The trick will be to tap into more value from one of his breaking balls. Sproat is yet to see a lot of his potential turn into results, but he does have a few above-average metrics through the first half of the season. As a byproduct of having a firm fastball and a varied pitch arsenal, he’s running an above-average 24.7% strikeout rate. He's fresh off a six-inning, scoreless outing against the Cincinnati Reds on June 23. In order to make starts like this more consistent, the former Mets starter still has a few wrinkles to iron out. For one, not all of Sproat’s pitches are landing as effective parts of his arsenal. While the four-seamer has worked, Sproat’s cutter, which he uses 25.3% of the time (second-most of any of his six options) is being mashed. He’s allowed his opponents to hit .341 against it, the highest opposing batting average of any pitch. With a larger sample size than his brief big-league stint last year, he’s also being hit harder on average. In 2025, Sproat gave up an average exit velocity of 87.9 miles per hour. This year, that mark has spiked to 90.2. He’s also running into more barrels this year, seeing a spike from 3.4% to 9.0% of the batted balls he allowed be hit at dangerous exit velocities and launch angles. The Key Adjustment Where can someone with Sproat’s ability improve? The strikeout rate is there, but a high average exit velocity and spiked launch angle can lead to extra bases. Sproat’s ground ball rate is at just 42.9%, so it's been easier to elevate him than you'd like for a guy who features the cutter and sinker. If he can keep more of his pitches down and get opposing hitters to roll over on the ball, this could keep more balls in the infield. But the big change, of course, needs to be filling up the zone more consistently. Sproat has walked almost 11% of the batters he's faced this year. He's making big progress on that front, with just five free passes issued in his last five starts, but he's still worked behind in some counts and put himself in position to get hit hard. That's the final adjustment he needs to make: attacking in ways that remain unpredictable, but staying in the zone. We may have seen him turn the corner on that front already—and if so, the Brewers might now have one of the best rotations in baseball. View the full article

The San Diego Padres — sweep of Atlanta last week be damned — are a team with a rotation in shambles. Aside from Michael King at its head, the remainder of the team's starting five is full up with questions ranging from concern to outright despair. Randy Vásquez has regressed mightily after a strong start. Walker Buehler has been toeing the line of being perfectly adequate but nothing beyond it. Griffin Canning and his command woes went from starter to bulk guy and then forgot the bulk in a less-than-one-inning outing last week. Lucas Giolito is on the injured list with elbow inflammation after his own issues with volume. Germán Márquez has been out since May 1, though his own impending return to the mix will add yet another wild-card element. Each of Joe Musgrove and Nick PIvetta remain out without a timeline. That's quite a bit of mess for one rotation. Considering the lack of certainty just about everywhere, it's entirely possible that JP Sears can now play a role in a much shorter term than would have been expected. The reason for such thinking stems from the singular start that Sears has made in 2026. On the heels of Giolito's IL placement, Sears became a surprise call-up for Wednesday's series finale against Atlanta. For a pitching staff with a dire need for volume, Sears provided it in the form of a 5.2-inning start in which he scattered five hits & two walks while keeping a first-place team off the scoreboard. It was an encouraging outing for Sears that bordered on shocking. He had an ERA over eight in spring training that led the team toward their more established options for rotation spots (though his ability to be optioned certainly played its role there as well). Then, with El Paso, he posted a 7.92 ERA through 14 starts. Even considering the hitter-friendly environment that the Pacific Coast League represents, there was very little reason to expect that Sears had the ability to stave off a thriving Atlanta team in the way that he did. Yet, what manifested out of Wednesday's start was something quite encouraging. Sears garnered whiffs at a 22 percent clip, utilizing his changeup as the secondary pitch while his sweeper — the pitch we saw him lean on as a No. 2 last season — took on a tertiary role that helped to increase its effectiveness. He generated a swing-and-miss with the sweeper 43 percent of the time, nearly doubling the amount induced with either his fastball or his change. It's difficult to draw too many conclusions after one start, especially for a pitcher who had experienced his share of struggles since being acquired at last season's trade deadline. However, there's also a real opportunity for Sears to latch onto a gig in relatively short order. This is a rotation that is now down Giolito in addition to two of its stalwarts in Pivetta & Musgrove. Canning has struggled to the point where his roster spot is in question, with Márquez sharing a similar track record prior to his IL stint. At this point, only King & Buehler feel like safe bets to remain in the big-league rotation, with Vásquez's June woes beginning to soften the ground on which he stands. This isn't a situation where Sears needs to be perfect in order to latch on as the No. 5 starter; being merely adequate would be a godsend, Keep in mind that the thing the Padres need most out of their starting staff is volume. Given its assembly, the team is not expecting dominant performances out of their rotation. It's about remaining afloat for five or six innings until the dominant bullpen can take charge. If the Friars feel that Sears offers them that kind of volume, then it's not even a question as to whether or not he could hold down a spot. He did it in start No. 1. The challenge now becomes doing it in start No. 2. If he can hold steady, the Padres likely would not hesitate to give him an extended run in such a role. View the full article

Byron Buxton is on pace for nearly 50 home runs this season. The main problem has been his availability, as he has played in 100+ games in just three of his first 11 seasons. In this video, we'll break down his intangibles and how he can stay on this rapid pace to finish out the 2026 campaign strong. View the full article

Aaron Sabato has spent most of his professional career trying to convince the Twins that he could become more than organizational depth. Now, he's finally doing everything they could reasonably ask from a first baseman. The problem? It may have come too late. Lightly recruited out of Connecticut, Sabato transformed himself into one of college baseball's premier power hitters at the University of North Carolina. He announced his arrival by setting the Tar Heels' freshman home run record with 18 long balls in 2019. Shoulder surgery prevented him from playing summer ball, but he returned in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and launched seven home runs in just 19 games. That performance was enough for the Twins to select him with the 27th overall pick in the first round of that shortened draft. Minnesota didn't select Sabato because of his defensive versatility or athleticism. They drafted him because they believed the bat would carry him to the big leagues. That has always been the challenge. First base is the most unforgiving position in baseball when it comes to prospect evaluation. Teams can tolerate a light-hitting shortstop because of premium defense. Catchers can stick around thanks to their work behind the plate. Center fielders can survive offensive slumps if they save runs defensively. A first baseman doesn't have that luxury. If the bat isn't playing, there's nowhere else to hide. For much of Sabato's professional career, the offensive production simply wasn't good enough. He spent parts of four seasons with Double-A Wichita, posting a .749 OPS while struggling to stay above the league-average line. It felt like he might need a permanent mailing address in Kansas. Everything finally clicked in 2025. Before earning a promotion, Sabato dominated Double-A pitching by slashing .305/.399/.574 with 14 home runs in just 39 games. His .973 OPS translated to a 165 wRC+, forcing the Twins to see whether the breakout was real. The results after his promotion were considerably more modest. The International League has earned a reputation as one of the most hitter-friendly environments in affiliated baseball, yet Sabato hit just .245/.288/.453 with a .741 OPS over his final 65 games. Fourteen home runs showed the power remained intact, but with an 86 wRC+, he wasn't exactly knocking down the door to Target Field. Entering his age-27 season, it became easy to view him as little more than experienced organizational depth. Instead, he's responded with perhaps the best sustained stretch of his professional career. After opening the season in a part-time role, injuries throughout the St. Paul roster created regular opportunities. Sabato has taken full advantage. Through 57 games, he's hitting .284/.346/.581 with 14 home runs, 20 doubles, and a .927 OPS. His 129 wRC+ ranks comfortably above average, and there are encouraging signs beneath the surface that suggest this isn't solely a product of favorable hitting environments. Perhaps most importantly, he's making more contact. Sabato has trimmed his strikeout rate from 28.7% last season to 25.0% this year. That's still higher than ideal, but every percentage point matters for a player whose value depends almost entirely on his offensive production. At the same time, his .298 isolated power is the highest mark he's posted since the lower levels of the minors, showing that the power hasn't disappeared despite the improved contact. Interestingly, his hard-hit rate has actually declined by 4.2 percentage points compared to last season. Rather than hitting the ball harder, Sabato appears to be hitting it better. His average launch angle has increased by 2.5 degrees, helping him elevate the baseball more consistently and maximize the raw power that made him a first-round selection in the first place. Minnesota has spent years cycling through veteran first base solutions. Carlos Santana, Ty France, Josh Bell, and Kody Clemens have all received opportunities while the organization searched for consistent production at the position. The Twins have generally preferred experienced options because Sabato never forced the issue with his minor-league performance. Now, he finally is. The timing could prove interesting. If Minnesota falls further out of contention, veterans like Bell or Clemens could become trade candidates before the deadline. Even Royce Lewis could draw interest if the front office decides to reshape the roster. A combination of those moves would create an obvious opening for Sabato to receive his first extended major league opportunity. Under normal circumstances, a 27-year-old first baseman tearing up Triple-A might earn that chance. But baseball doesn't always reward timing as much as talent. Sabato has spent six years trying to prove he belongs in the Twins' long-term plans. He's playing some of the best baseball of his career, and the numbers suggest this version is more complete than the one that reached Triple-A a year ago. Whether that's enough to change Minnesota's opinion may be the biggest question of all. Will Sabato get a chance with the Twins? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Sean Keys just recently made his major league debut, not even two full years removed from having his name called in the 2024 MLB Draft. What led to Keys' call-up, and how will he perform in Toronto? In this video, we'll dive into the Blue Jays' 14th-ranked prospect's potent power and where he needs to improve to round out his game. View the full article

The New York Mets have had a first half to forget. A team that recently acquired Juan Soto and Bo Bichette finds themselves well below .500 and without their original manager in Carlos Mendoza. In this video, we'll break down what Bichette, Freddy Peralta and Marcus Semien need to improve on to turn the team's season around before it's too late.View the full article

A 25-year-old 19th-round pick out of Marshall, Owen Ayers has broken out in a big way in 2026, looking like a potential piece for the Cubs and a top 100 prospect. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers have one of the best rosters in Major League Baseball, but they're lacking some much-needed rotational depth. In this video, we break down just how elite the front end of the rotation has been while also highlighting the holes down the line in varying capacities.View the full article

Let's get this out of the way first: the Brewers have not permanently forgotten how to hit with runners in scoring position. During the course of a 162-game regular season, teams go through ebbs and flows, especially on offense. The Brewers still have an .800 OPS with runners in scoring position this year, the third-highest in baseball. Last year, they ranked ninth. The year before, they ranked second. Before last Monday, the Brewers still had an .842 OPS with runners in scoring position in June. It's been one bad week. They'll bounce back sooner than later. "We're just going through a rough stretch of it," Christian Yelich said. "We've been really good at it at times. Right now, we're in one of those times where we're really bad at it, but we'll come through on the other side of it, and I think we'll start getting back to normal." It truly has been an abysmal week, though. Since the start of their series in Cincinnati, Milwaukee hitters have slashed .118/.216/.230 with runners in scoring position. The Brewers managed to go 4-2 during that stretch, but the lack of timely hits proved costly on Sunday, when they dropped a 4-3 contest to lose a three-game series to the Chicago Cubs. Performance with runners in scoring position is a particularly fickle stat, especially in such a small sample. However, the quality of the Brewers' at-bats in run-scoring situations has been much worse lately. As their lack of production has continued, they're getting jumpy in the box. "Sometimes guys maybe try to do too much, and that's where we try to preach you've got to take what the game gives you," offense and strategy coordinator Jason Lane said postgame on Sunday. "And that might be taking pitches and handing it to the next guy. But there weren't too many mistakes in those situations, from what I saw. Just, we offered at some pitches on the edges that got a couple ground balls, a pop-up, and a strikeout in those situations." The numbers bear out what Lane is saying. During this stretch, the Brewers have chased significantly more pitches outside the strike zone with runners in scoring position. RISP Split Avg LA Under% K% Z-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Swing% O-Contact% Thru 6/21 7° 20.3% 21.3% 65.9% 85.5% 29.3% 59.0% Since 6/22 13° 33.3% 31.7% 64.1% 72.0% 34.8% 50.0% That's not the full story, though. The Brewers have also whiffed at an alarming number of in-zone pitches, and they're making more contact underneath the ball. It goes without saying that striking out and hitting pop-ups with runners in scoring position is a poor recipe for success. It's not worth looking further into those chases. Pitches outside the zone are much harder to reach, so those swings will never be lined up with the ball particularly well. Swinging at those pitches in the first place is the problem, not the quality of swings at those pitches. Instead, the question is what the Brewers are doing differently on more hittable pitches. Once again, the answer is that they're too jumpy. According to Statcast, on pitches in the heart of the strike zone, they've been more on time, but for the wrong reason. The Brewers want many of their hitters to let the ball get deep, so the fact that they're late less often means they're cheating to pitches in attempts to force damage. As a result, they're pulling off the ball and flailing at more pitches, running out of bat to make contact. Split Late% (Fastballs) Late% (Breaking) Late% (Offspeed) Flail% (Fastballs) Flail% (Breaking) Flail% (Offspeed) Thru 6/21 24% 10% 6% 10% 13% 22% Since 6/22 19% 4% 0% 15% 17% 33% In other words, the hitters are feeling pressure to deliver. They're trying too hard to make something happen, and it's leading to more chases and whiffs. "Trying harder and wanting it more isn't going to make it happen," Yelich said. "Obviously, you want to get the job done. Everybody wants to get the job done. There's no right answer for how to do that. It's just, oftentimes, you've got to slow that down and try to focus." Look no further than a few key at-bats on Sunday. With runners on first and third and one out in the third inning, Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang stranded them with back-to-back strikeouts. Chourio chased a high fastball for strike three, while Turang expanded the zone on a pair of fastballs during the middle of his at-bat. In the fourth, after Andrew Vaughn's leadoff triple, Jake Bauers rolled over a 2-1 changeup on the outside corner, and Gary Sánchez popped up an up-and-in curveball. Sal Frelick hit a 100-mph groundout, but it was already too late; no more productive outs were available. With runners on first and second in the ninth, Cooper Pratt and Joey Ortiz chased several high fastballs to abruptly extinguish a potential walk-off rally. The Cubs would score three runs against Joel Kuhnel in the top of the 10th, and the Brewers fell short of a comeback in the bottom half of the inning. That was too many brutal at-bats in one game, the latest entries in what has become an unfortunate recent trend for the offense. "You feel like you kind of left one out there today, but it is what it is," Yelich said. "Part of the season, and you've just got to keep grinding through it." Given the Brewers' track record, it's safe to assume they will round back into form. That must happen sooner rather than later, though. For this particular lineup, which lacks the tremendous in-game power to sell out for damage on too many pitches, less is often more. "Maybe we could have waited for a better pitch, but that's the battle of driving in runs," Lane said. "It's the hardest thing to do at the plate sometimes, and it's where your discipline has to show up, and we didn't do a great job of that today." View the full article

It hasn't been a season to remember for the Kansas City Royals. Even though the AL Central has been one of the weaker divisions in baseball. As of Sunday, the Royals are 35-50, good for last in the division. They are 9.5 games behind in the division and are seven games behind in the AL Wild Card race. According to Fangraphs, their playoff odds are 2.7%. Only the Los Angeles Angels have worse playoff odds at 1.5% (they are actually better with a 36-49 record). Thus, with the Royals likely looking toward next year, it will be important for them to take advantage at the Trade Deadline and bring in assets who could provide long-term value. This Trade Deadline will look more like the 2023 one, where they traded some veterans for prospects and young players, than the ones in 2024 and 2025, when they added to improve their outlook for the remainder of the season. Here are some candidates the Royals President of Baseball Operations, JJ Picollo, could trade at the Deadline this season. Definitely Traded OF Lane Thomas Team Control Through 2026 2026 Stats: 214 PA, 87 wRC+, .660 OPS, 0.3 fWAR The Royals signed Thomas to a one-year, $5.25 million deal this offseason, hoping that he could be a platoon bat with Kyle Isbel at the very least. He's had to take on a bigger role with Isbel on the IL due to plantar fasciitis. Thomas has been solid this month with a 98 wRC+, .318 wOBA, and four home runs in 89 plate appearances. The 30-year-old outfielder has been solid against lefties this year. He has a 95 wRC+ with a .314 wOBA and 0.80 BB/K ratio in 98 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers. That is much better than his 81 wRC+, .293 wOBA, and 0.52 BB/K ratio in 116 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. There's been a lack of competent right-handed bats available recently, especially in free agency. Thus, he could fit easily on a competing roster, especially in a platoon role. The Royals do not need him, especially with him likely leaving Kansas City in free agency at the conclusion of the season. OF Starling Marte Team Control Through 2026 2026 Stats: 101 PA, 85 wRC+, .664 OPS, 0.1 fWAR The 37-year-old outfielder hasn't been a huge impact player for the Royals this year. He's barely cracked the 100 plate appearance mark, and he's been mostly utilized as a DH against left-handed starting pitchers. The power has gone, as he has only one home run and an ISO of .079, his worst mark in that category since 2023 with the Mets (.076 ISO). While Marte won't be a starter for an MLB club, he is cheap ($1 million deal), and he brings a veteran presence to the clubhouse and lineup. At his age, he doesn't fit in the Royals' long-term plans, so it would be best for Kansas City to trade him, even if he doesn't command a lot in return. RP John Schreiber Team Control Through 2026 2026 Stats: 33 IP, 3.27 ERA, 5.08 FIP, -0.3 fWAR The Royals' bullpen has been a disaster, as they rank 30th in reliever ERA, WHIP, H/9, and HR/9. Schreiber has been the lone positive reliever of this group, with a 3.27 ERA. Unfortunately, his FIP hasn't fared as well, with a lower K/BB ratio (2.17) and a higher HR/9 (1.64) than usual for him. He could be due for regression in the second half, which doesn't help an already bad bullpen. While Schreiber's numbers may not impress another team, he's a dependable reliever who has posted an ERA under 4 every season since 2022. Schreiber is in his last year of team control with the Royals and will be a free agent after this season. The Royals would benefit from trading Schreiber sooner rather than later, especially after a rough outing in the Royals' blowout loss on Friday against the White Sox. SP Kris Bubic Team Control Through 2026 2026 Stats: 50.1 IP, 4.11 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 0.8 fWAR Bubic is currently on the IL, but he made a rehab appearance last week and is expected to make another on Wednesday. He is only pitching one inning at a time in each outing, so it appears that the Royals are easing him in. These early results prove that he may be on the verge of a return to the Majors soon, even if it may result in a transition to the bullpen. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as Bubic thrived in 2024 in the bullpen, posting a 2.67 ERA and 1.95 FIP in 30.1 IP. Due to his injury issues over the past two years and the fact that he will be a free agent after this year, Bubic's trade value has likely deflated. Still, he's an arm with some upside, and a team may acquire him to solidify their bullpen. He could also interest a team that may want to sign him after the season to a team-friendly deal with the hope that he can bounce back and be a starter again in 2027. RP Matt Strahm Team Control Through 2026 2026 Stats: 25.2 IP, 5.96 ERA, 7.00 FIP, -0.9 fWAR Strahm was acquired from Philadelphia with the hope that he would solidify the Royals' bullpen. Unfortunately, that's backfired, with Strahm posting an ERA of nearly 6 and an FIP of 7. He will be a free agent this offseason, and he could thrive in a new change of scenery. He posted a 1.87 ERA in 66 outings in 2024 and a 2.74 ERA in 66 outings in 2025. Thus, a team may be convinced that Strahm could channel that again with a winning ballclub. The Royals are probably kicking themselves for trading away Jonathan Bowlan to Philadelphia to acquire Strahm. The former Royals righty has a 3.70 ERA and 2.70 FIP in 24.1 IP. While Kansas City can't get Bowlan back, they could perhaps acquire another arm with long-term value similar to him by trading Strahm by the Trade Deadline. Probably Traded SP Michael Wacha Team Control Through 2027 (Club option for 2028) 2026 Stats: 108.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 2.0 fWAR Wacha has been the Royals' best starting pitcher for arguably a second season in a row. He has a 2.0 fWAR already this year, and ZiPS predicts him to accumulate another 1.3 fWAR by the end of the season. While he's not a strikeout artist, he's crafty and can eat innings when he's on, as was the case in Saturday's outing when he threw 7.2 IP of one-run ball. The Royals are in a dilemma with Wacha, as they not only signed him as a free agent before 2024 but also signed him to a 2025 extension. Kansas City trading a free-agent pitcher who wanted to stay in KC isn't a great precedent, especially for a club that has struggled to attract free-agent starting pitchers in the past. Thus, Picollo may be tempted to keep Wacha for at least one more year, to save face with other potential free agents this offseason. SP Seth Lugo Team Control Through 2027 (Vesting option for 2028) 2026 Stats: 90.1 IP, 4.18 ERA, 4.05 FIP, 1.2 fWAR The situation with Lugo is similar to Wacha's. They signed Lugo to an extension before the Trade Deadline rather than trading him away, which most experts thought the Royals should've done. Lugo has been fine this year, with a 4.18 ERA and 1.2 fWAR in 90.1 IP. That's not quite as good as Wacha, but it's solid for a 36-year-old starting pitcher. His 4.05 FIP is also nearly a run better than a year ago (5.09). Thus, Lugo is showing some progress over his mediocre 2025 campaign (0.5 fWAR). The issue with Lugo is that he's WAY more expensive than Wacha, even though their contract situations are similar. Wacha is due $14 million next year and has a $14 million club option for 2028. Lugo is due $21.5 million in 2027 and has a $20 million vesting option for 2028. Thus, the Royals would need to kick in some money in any trade involving Lugo, which may be too much for them, especially if they're already planning on trading Wacha. RP Daniel Lynch IV Team Control Through 2028 2026 Stats: 34 IP, 2.65 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 0.5 fWAR Lynch has had a strong season and has been one of the few bright spots of this Royals bullpen. He's faded a bit in June, with a 4.61 FIP this month after posting a 3.36 FIP in May and a 1.87 FIP in April. That said, he's been one of the Royals' more dependable relievers. Furthermore, his 21.7% K% is 5.8% better than a year ago, and his fWAR is already 0.7 higher than his 2025 mark. The Royals still hold control of Lynch for two more seasons after 2026, so there is no need to rush him, especially with him transitioning to a higher-leverage role this year. Furthermore, he is the third-longest-tenured Royals player behind Salvador Perez and Bubic, so he brings some leadership value to the clubhouse. Nonetheless, if the Royals can get an enticing package for Lynch, they may be forced to part ways with their former 2018 competitive round pick by this year's Trade Deadline. RP Alex Lange Team Control Through 2028 2026 Stats: 36.1 IP, 4.95 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 0.1 fWAR Lange was designated for assignment by the Tigers this offseason and ascended to the role of Royals closer this season. That wasn't the plan when they acquired him, but he's been a nice pickup, making less than $1 million this year. On Sunday, he collected his seventh save of the season, retiring the White Sox in order in the ninth on three groundball outs. Lange has control issues still (1.76 K/BB ratio), but he's done a good job of keeping the ball in the yard (5.6% HR/FB%). He may not be a closer for another organization, but he could boost any bullpen thanks to his strong ability to generate swing-and-miss. Lange has a 27.2% CSW and 12.2% SwStr%. His 44.7% zone rate is also a career-best, showing the progress he's made since coming over from Kansas City. While trading away Lange leaves the Royals in a deeper hole, and it would suck to lose a local kid (he grew up in Lee's Summit), his value has never been higher, and they could use a return of prospects. RP Lucas Erceg Team Control Through 2028will 2026 Stats: 31.2 IP, 5.40 ERA, 4.84 FIP, -0.1 fWAR Erceg has been awful this year, even though he produced a scoreless outing on Sunday in the Royals' 5-4 win. His K/BB ratio has gone from 4.50 in 2024, to 2.67 in 2025, to 1.32 this year. His CSW has seen a similar trend, going from 31.3% in 2024, to 26% in 2025, to 23.4% this season. It's been a rough year for Erceg, and he's lost the closer's job, even though he leads the Royals with 12 saves. While the lackluster strikeout, walk, and CSW numbers don't bode well for his trade value, the fastball velocity is still good at 97.3 MPH. That's only 0.5 MPH less than a year ago. Thus, it's not a matter of stuff with Erceg, but command. Another organization could find a way to tap into Erceg's command again. If they do, they will have him for two more years. That long-term value could net the Royals something decent in exchange for Erceg at the Trade Deadline, though Kansas City won't give him away for nothing. Unlikely to Be Traded OF Kyle Isbel Team Control Through 2027 2026 Stats: 183 PA, 79 wRC+, .651 OPS, 0.4 fWAR Isbel would've been a great trade candidate if healthy. However, while he's only on a 10-day IL, it's unlikely he'll be 100 percent by the Trade Deadline. Even with a full more year of team control, teams likely won't be interested in Isbel, especially if his defense, his best tool, is affected by this foot injury. 1B Vinnie Pasquantino Team Control Through 2028 2026 Stats: 291 PA, 81 wRC+, .660 OPS, -0.1 fWAR After hitting 32 home runs and 113 RBI last year, the Royals inked the Pasquatch to a modest two-year extension in the offseason. The move hasn't worked out, as he is down in nearly every category and is currently on the IL with a hamate injury that required surgery. The recovery from hamate injuries isn't good, especially for power hitters like Vinnie. Thus, the interest may not be there, even with Pasquantino still having two more years of team control after this season. Still, Jac Caglianone has emerged as a solid piece for this team's future, which could make Vinnie's future in Kansas City hazier. The Pasquatch could get traded, but it likely won't be until the offseason or the 2027 Trade Deadline. C Salvador Perez Team Control Through 2027 2026 Stats: 327 PA, 52 wRC+, .573 OPS, -1.4 fWAR The Salvy regression has finally come, and boy, did it come fast. After being such a dependable power bat since 2021 (20+ HR each season), he's struggled immensely. He has 10 home runs, but just a .131 ISO, and the rest of his numbers are putrid. The Marlins have shown interest in Perez before, and their catching situation isn't great, so a veteran like Salvy could make sense in an abbreviated role. However, the Royals want Salvy to retire as a Royal, so he's unlikely to be traded either this year or next. View the full article

The Cubs' 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday in extra innings was a game the visitors didn't deserve to win, but they won it, anyway. No shade to the Brewers, but in many ways, the Cubs managed to out-Brewers them. Chicago was outhit (in terms of actual hits and expected hits) and got performance after performance from a cast of randoms and leftovers from other organizations. Milwaukee has used what can only be called "Brewers magic" for years to do this to other teams; they seemingly manifest pitchers out of thin air and do just enough offensively to get wins. On Sunday, it was the Cubs that used this formula to great effect. The catalyst in that formula was a pitcher who knows Brewers magic very well: Bryse Wilson. Wilson, 28, was designated for assignment on June 22 by Philadelphia. The Cubs, desperate for any human being with a pulse and an arm, claimed the right-handed pitcher on waivers. It's probably safe to say that there were little in the way of expectations, as their new addition has accumulated -0.4 fWAR over his career in 463 IP at the big-league level. It's been years and years since he was a top-100 prospect, so any pedigree has long been forgotten. Little was expected. The message (probably encoded a bit more hopefully) was surely along the lines of "please eat some innings". The Cubs didn't even trust Wilson to start the game, instead going with Ryan Rolison as the opener. They also called up Jordan Wicks for a "break-in-case-of-Bryse-emergency" bulk inning role. The burly pitcher, however, had different ideas. When the 6-foot-2, 255-pound Wilson entered the game in the top of the third, the Cubs were already down 1-0. Instead of getting walloped, all he did was battle. The tone was set for his entire performance in that third inning—though the inning did not start well for the North Siders. The Brewers were quickly able to get runners on both first and third, with only one gone. Cue the music: Cub-killer extraordinaire Jackson Chourio was headed to the plate, perhaps the last Brewer you'd want to see there. The game felt like it was about to get out of hand; the tables were set for Milwaukee to break the game open. Then, it felt like a switch flipped for the man on the mound, and the game flipped on its head. One of the most important things for a pitcher is getting ahead of hitters. It changes the at-bat significantly, and Wilson went right after Chourio by firing in a show-me 89-mph cutter through the zone for strike one. Coming back 0-1, he threw a 92-mph sinker at the top of the zone (though to be fair, I don't think he meant to throw it up there) for a second straight strike. Now up 0-2, Wilson reared back and got every bit of his body behind a 95-mph heater right at the top of the zone, which got the young slugger to give a big swing... and an even bigger miss. It was a statement moment from an unlikely hero. Wilson ended up getting out of the jam, but that single at-bat felt like it began to give the pitcher the confidence he needed. On the day, Wilson pounded the strike zone with that confidence. He started two-thirds of the hitters he faced with a strike, and kept the ball in the zone nearly 60% of the time. This is a big change from what he's done in the past; his career in-zone rate is under 50%. His fastball had some extra juice as well, as it averaged over 94 mph for the first three innings of his appearance (though it dipped below in the fourth, he was clearly gassing out). It was a bulldog-like performance. It's true that he only got five swing and misses on the day; you'd hope that he'd throw a few more over four innings. It makes the four strikeouts a little less impressive, but it's easy to forgive that after throwing four scoreless frames on the road, all things considered. Another thing to note going under the hood; Wilson used his arsenal a little differently than normal. He threw more four-seam fastballs (23%) than his 2025 (17%) and barely utilized his curveball (just three curves were thrown all day despite him using this pitch 16% of the time last year). Are these little flourishes the Cubs installed? Hard to tell in such a small sample size. It could also just be random happenstance or Brewers-specific matchup things—or Wilson consciously altering his plan to confound a team that knows him well. Regardless, Wilson didn't really look like the guy he had been before. Interestingly enough, the only real success Wilson has had in his career came in 2023 and parts of 2024 when he was mostly a reliever with Milwaukee. His keys to success? Over 60% first-pitch strikes and being in the zone over 50% of the time. He relied heavily on the sinker, cutter and four-seam fastball—pitches he leaned into Sunday. This could be a good example of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". The reality of the Cubs' situation is that their bullpen is beat to death right now. The team had to call upon Wicks in extra innings with the bases loaded and no outs to bail them out of the game. Trent Thornton was the only pitcher who wasn't used, but he had pitched three of the last four outings and the Cubs are going to need someone capable of coming out of the pen this week. Hell, they're going to need someone to come out of the bullpen Monday night. To do that, the team may have to make the hard choice to designate Wilson for assignment to bring up someone, because it's likely that the right-hander will be down for the next few days after throwing 61 pitches Sunday afternoon. Sadly, four innings cannot erase 164 games of futility, and the Cubs know what he's been in the past. Wilson, though, may have bought himself a little time. Ethan Roberts was terrible in relief; he could be optioned to Iowa instead. Frankly, Roberts (sporting an xFIP of 5.17 on the year entering Sunday) has been terrible all year. He deserves the demotion. Craig Counsell looked absolutely miffed and exhausted coming to yank him after he loaded the bases. I'm not sure there's a lot of trust there after that performance. It might just be best for everyone involved if he takes a break from the parent club, opening up the chance to Wilson (whom Counsell managed and liked in 2023) to stick around. For a team who's short on middle relief options right now, that could give Wilson a window to seize some extra innings. Regardless of what happens to him, successful teams find innings from people like Bryse Wilson throughout the year. The Cubs have used 30 pitchers on the year (not counting Carson Kelly), and beggars cannot be choosers. Last year, the Cubs rode Chris Flexen for 43 innings. Flexen was terrible in terms of almost every statistic except for ERA, but those 40 innings were key for a team in the middle of the year who needed someone to throw strikes. The Cubs need to add some talent to this roster. They need at least one starter and one or two relievers, without much help coming internally—meaning it's going to come via trade. Teams really aren't open for business yet and the Cubs would prefer to wait some of these prices out—probably two weeks or so, if not longer. They're going to need these kinds of performances from someone. Even if they do DFA the righty before he makes a second appearance with the Cubs, his four innings with the club were incredibly important in the moment. The Cubs won an emotional series in Milwaukee that they probably didn't deserve to win. Many players contributed to that win, and Wilson played a starring role. If the Cubs are going to stick around until reinforcements come, they're going to need a few no-name guys to find those innings. On Sunday, Bryse Wilson reminded us that he can be a hero, even if it's just for one day. What did you make of Bryse Wilson's first appearance? Do you think he can keep it up? Let us know in the comment section! View the full article

We had a first this weekend. Luke Keaschall, who had spent basically his entire major-league career playing second base, was penciled into the lineup as the Twins' starting right fielder. Meanwhile, Kody Clemens handled the starts at second base, as the two kind of flip-flopped. If you've been paying close attention over the last few months, it wasn't a huge surprise. Keaschall’s eight errors at second base this season are the second-most, behind only Nasim Nuñez of the Nationals, and there have been misplays and non-plays beyond those. His performance there essentially compelled a change. Additionally, it felt like Derek Shelton and the Twins had been preparing for this possibility since spring training, when Keaschall started getting a fair amount of work in the corner outfield. At the time, it looked like they were simply adding another position to his résumé. Now, it looks like they were laying the groundwork for something they always knew could become a legitimate option. Whenever an infielder moves to the outfield, though, there's almost always going to be a learning curve. It's one thing to shag fly balls during batting practice. It's another to do it under the lights in a major-league game, especially with runners on base. The encouraging part is that the Twins already know that. Shelton acknowledged it before Friday's game. "I think it's going to be a work in progress, I think we're aware of that, and there's probably going to be some growing pains with it," he said. That's exactly the right mindset to have. There are going to be some tough moments as Keaschall gets comfortable in right field, and you could argue we saw one of those on Saturday. Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy ripped a ball off the right field wall, and Keaschall didn't play it particularly well, allowing the ball to get past him. McCarthy was able to take an extra base, and the misplay ultimately led to a run crossing the plate later in the inning. M3k2MnlfWGw0TUFRPT1fQlFFRVZGTUZWMVlBRGxNQlZ3QUhBbE1DQUZoUlZnUUFWZ05SVlFFSFZBUlhCUUFE.mp4 Obviously, Target Field offers a new right fielder some unique challenges. But Keaschall got that play wrong in every way. He got too close to the wall, especially on a ball he clearly didn't read well. Had it hit off the limestone overhang, it would have caromed even farther beyond his reach. As it was, it hit about 15 feet up on the wall, above the padding, which made for a sharp bounce of its own. Keaschall had initially gone back uncertainly, then turned his shoulders toward the foul pole, forcing him to pivot again as the ball bounced past on his other side. If he's in position to collect the ball quickly, that's a double, not a triple. It certainly wasn't his finest defensive moment. In fact, McCarthy also beat Keaschall on Friday night, with a double that could have been caught—although he played this one much better, all things considered. MTZOVllfWGw0TUFRPT1fVlZkVFZRRlhVZ1lBV3dFR0F3QUhDRlFGQUFBQ0JsSUFDZ01OVlFCUkJGWldVZ1pl.mp4 On both plays, it's the same error. Misreading either the initial trajectory off the bat or the likely spin and wind influences that would act on the ball, Keaschall turned the wrong way. See this? This isn't good. This loss of visual contact with the ball (not to check on the wall or make up ground, but because he'd turned the wrong way and needed to swing around) happened on both plays, and was a problem both times. As is made clear by the closeness of the ensuing play, McCarthy hit that ball hard enough that it should have been possible to hold him to a single, even for an outfielder not quite fast or familiar enough to charge back and stab it before it short-hopped the wall. That Keaschall was still circling the wagons when he fielded the rebound slowed down his release. But we've also seen some positives. Keaschall made a really nice sliding catch in that same Saturday loss, and outside of McCarthy playing wall ball, he's actually looked pretty comfortable in right field. He's moved around well, looked athletic, and hasn't appeared completely overwhelmed by the position change. On two other plays (easier ones, admittedly), he even negotiated successfully with the wall. That shouldn't come as a huge surprise, either, especially when you hear what Twins first base coach Grady Sizemore had to say. Sizemore, who was a three-time All-Star and one of the better defensive outfielders while he was playing, offered a pretty interesting perspective. "Honestly, I think the best outfielders are former infielders. I think for an infielder, it's probably going to be an easy transition. You’re going to have more time; you’re going to have a little bit of—you’re just [farther] away. Your reaction, you don’t have to be as immediate. You can be a hair late or have an extra step to get the right read or the right direction." Those are some pretty telling words coming from someone who made a career out of playing the outfield at an elite level. But even with that, we also have to acknowledge that there will be bumps in the road. Second base doesn't exactly require a rocket launcher for an arm, but Keaschall's average arm strength of 76 MPH leaves quite a bit to be desired. In my opinion, that's going to be the biggest question mark throughout this entire transition. Most major-league right fielders have above-average throwing arms; it's one of the defining traits of the position. Keaschall simply doesn't. If runners begin taking extra bases because they know his arm isn't much of a threat, that's something the Twins will have to weigh moving forward. But despite that concern, I still find myself thinking this experiment has a legitimate chance to work. The biggest reason is Keaschall's overall athletic profile. He's described himself as a "tight athlete," and I think that's a really interesting way to look at his game. There's a difference between being twitchy and being tight. A twitchy athlete relies on explosive first-step quickness. They're able to go from zero to one hundred almost instantly without losing dexterity at their extremities, which is incredibly valuable in the middle infield, where reaction time is everything. A tight athlete is a little different. They might be equally explosive, but the control of that explosiveness is more confined to their core. They need a bit more margin for error when it comes to great feats of hand-eye coordination. That profile feels like a better fit in the outfield. There's a little more time to react. Keaschall's straight-line speed should allow him to track baseballs down in the gaps, and when he gets to balls, he should be better able to do what's needed with them. There's no need to rush an exchange or contort your body to get the ball out immediately. You're freer (and, again, have more time) to move your glove late to get it around the ball, and an outfielder's glove is itself bigger than a middle infielder's. The arm strength is still going to be worth watching, because that can’t magically improve overnight. (Most players throw harder from the outfield than on the infield, because the throws must be longer and the proper technique therefore involves taking a hair longer to load up and fire. Relatively speaking, though, Keaschall won't throw harder as a right fielder than as a second baseman.) But outside of that, Keaschall might actually be a natural fit in right field. There are almost certainly going to be rough patches along the way. There will probably be another misplay or two before everything starts feeling comfortable. That's part of learning a brand-new position at the highest level. Still, when I look at Keaschall's overall athletic traits, I honestly think they line up more with a corner outfielder than they do with a full-time second baseman. And it's not like this has to be a permanent move, either. If there's one thing we've learned about the Twins this year, it's that they value defensive versatility. Keaschall can still move around the diamond. He can still play second base when the matchup calls for it. Maybe this experiment ends up sticking for years, or maybe it doesn't. But I applaud Derek Shelton and the Twins' coaching staff for being willing to find out. Sometimes, the only way to discover what a player can become is by giving him the opportunity to try something new. View the full article

For the week, Wisconsin (5-1) and Biloxi (4-2) were series winners, while Nashville (3-3) and Wilson (3-3) managed to split their respective series. Transactions: INF/OF Jett Williams activated AAA Nashville’s temporarily inactive list RHP Logan Henderson sent on rehab assignment to AAA Nashville RHP Will Childers transferred to Development List from AAA Nashville (from credible sources) OF Josiah Ragsdale promoted to AA Biloxi from High-A Wisconsin Game Action: Nashville Pre-Game Media Notes Game One Final: Gwinnett (Braves) 8, Nashville 5 Box Score Game Two Final: Nashville 7, Gwinnett 0 Box Score Via a Sounds’ press release, doubleheader details: Sounds Blank Stripers to Secure Series Split The clubs resumed Saturday’s rain-suspended game with the bases loaded and nobody out, with RHP Jake Woodford inheriting that mess and initially doing a beautiful job to limit the damage: K, RBI ground out, 5-3 ground oh no it’s a run-scoring error by 3B Brock Wilken. After that, 7 of the next 10 Gwinnett batters reached base (5 singles, 1 triple, 1 everybody’s safe fielder’s choice) against Woodford (2 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 4 Ks) as they built an 8-0 lead just 1 ½ innings into the contest. From that point, the afternoon and evening belonged entirely to the Sounds, as 9 pitchers combined to toss 14 consecutive scoreless innings, led by rehabbing RHP Logan Henderson who tossed the first 3 innings of the second game of the doubleheader (0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 7 Ks – 11 batters faced, 50 pitches, 32 strikes). In fact, all 7 of Henderson’s strikeouts are captured here, a fine outing in his first game since May 22. Sounds’ batters did claw back to 8-5 by the 6th inning of Game One, highlighted by C Andrick Nava’s 3-run blast (his first career homer above the High-A minor league level). However, the final 11 Nashville batters of that game went 0-for-10 with 1 walk. 3B Jett Williams (1-for-2, double, 2 walks, RBI, SB) returned to action without missing a beat, leading off the bottom of the 1st inning of Game 2 with a double and scoring on OF Tyler Black’s sacrifice fly, which was already enough scoring for the stout Sounds’ staff. Black (3-for-6, HR, HBP, 4 RBIs across the 2 games) then popped out with the bases loaded and the Sounds leading 3-0 in the 2nd inning, before letting loose with his 342-foot solo homer in the 5th inning and his 2-RBI single in the 7th frame. Back to the dominant pitching, let’s recognize LHP Drew Rom (2 IP, 0 R, 3 Ks), RHP Reiss Knehr (2 IP, 0 R, 1 K), RHP Craig Yoho (2 IP, 0 R, 1 K) and RHP Blake Holub (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K). Sounds’ Extras: Others with relatively productive offensive days: C Darrien Miller making his AAA debut (1-for-3, run scored), 2B Ethan Murray (2-for-6, RBI), OF Luis Lara (1-for-5, double, 3 walks, 2 RBIs). Other relievers with one scoreless inning of relief each: RHP Junior Fernandez, RHP JB Bukauskas, LHP Mark Manfredi, RHP Peter Strzelecki. Next week’s outlook: Nashville remain at home for a 6-game battle against Marlins’ affiliate Jacksonville, with the first game set for Tuesday evening. Biloxi Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Montgomery (Rays) 4, Biloxi 3 Box Score Via the Shuckers’ website, game details and we encourage readers to review affiliate write-ups as part of their Link Report routine: Homer Happy Shuckers Fall Short in Series Finale Losing while limiting your opponent to two hits may appear like the main story here, but it’s more likely the injury delay and exit of RHP 25-year old RHP Tanner Gillis after issuing a full count walk to open the bottom of the 4th inning with the Shuckers leading 3-0. Pitching on 4 days’ rest, Gillis had held the Biscuits scoreless over 9 innings this week, including 3 innings in this contest (3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 Ks). While we don’t have news on the exact nature of Gillis’ exit, we will share when we do. Four of Biloxi’s five hits came before Gillis’ exit, including the homers for 1B Mike Boeve (2-for-4, HR, RBI) and DH Andrew Fischer (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBIs), as well as OF Josh Adamczewski’s double which extended his hitting streak to 10 games. LHP Anthony Flores (1 2/3 IP, 3 R, 2 Ks) retired the first 3 batters he faced in relief of Gillis, but things went awry for him and RHP Ryan Birchard (1 IP, 1 R, 1 K) as they issued 9(!) free passes in the 5th and 6th innings alone (8 BB, 1 HBP). For their part, Biloxi drew zero walks in the entire game, which proved the fundamental difference in this late afternoon contest. RHP Sam Garcia came through in a big way in relief of Birchard, striking out Brayden Taylor with the bases loaded the Biloxi trailing 4-3 in the 7th inning, but 19 of the final 20 Biloxi batters were retired by the solid Montgomery pitching staff (exception: Boeve’s 2-out single in the 9th inning). Shuckers’ Extras: Fireballing RHP Cam Wagoner tossed yet another scoreless inning of relief: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 Ks; 2.21 season ERA. 3B Jheremy Vargas saw his first action in 9 days, though he was one of five Shuckers’ batters who failed to reach base by hit, walk or HBP. The team went 1-for-2 with runners in scoring position, stranding just 2 baserunners (vs. 0-for-8 and 9 LOB for the Biscuits). Next week’s outlook: Biloxi return home to take on Reds’ affiliate Chattanooga for six games, with the series commencing Tuesday evening. Wisconsin Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wisconsin 8, Cedar Rapids (Twins) 4 Box Score Via the Timber Rattlers’ website, game details: Bitonti Slams Kernels For our viewing pleasure, Wisconsin’s media team have captured the exciting video highlights, including 1B Eric Bitonti’s walk-off grand slam with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning: Chris Mehring and Jonathan Timm 20-minute post-game podcast, featuring walk-off hero Bitonti, RHP Garrett Hodges, 2B Daniel Dickinson and Manager Nick Stanley. As you’ve read, seen and heard, the Timber Rattlers were in control (leading from the 2nd inning) until they weren’t (trailing 4-3 from the 6th inning), then saved the best blast for last for the 4,813-strong home crowd. Starting RHP Braylon Owens (5 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) was his customary solid self, even on 4 days’ rest, handing the bullpen a 3-2 advantage, but was unfortunately denied his 2nd win of the week when RHP Tanner Perry struggled in relief (1 IP, 2 R, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 Ks). While Bitonti (2-for-5, HR, 4 RBIs) deservedly gets the headlines, there were numerous contributions including solid days for OF Josiah Ragsdale (2-for-3, HR, walk, HBP, 2 RBIs), OF Braylon Payne (2-for-5, double), DH Marco Dinges (2-for-4, double, walk, RBI), 2B Daniel Dickinson (2-for-4, double, RBI, 2 SBs) and winner-of-record RHP Garrett Hodges (2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 Ks). Timber Rattlers’ Extras: Payne also gunned down a baserunner at home to end the 3rd inning with Wisconsin still leading 3-2, as you’ve seen in the video. SS Luis Pena exited after 6 innings, though there was no indication of any physical setback. 24-year old RHP Yerlin Rodriguez is who he is at this point: 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 wild pitch, 2 strikeouts, 0 runs to keep the game close in the 7th inning. Next week’s outlook: Wisconsin travel down to battle Cardinals’ affiliate Peoria for 6 games, with RHP Josh Knoth expected to start Tuesday’s series opener. Wilson Pre-Game Media Notes Final: Wilson 10, Fredericksburg (Nationals) 7 Box Score Via the Warbirds’ website, game details: Big Innings Guide Wilson to Sunday Victory Wilson led wire to wire on the road on Sunday, starting with OF Juan Ortuno’s RBI single just three batters into the contest. Ortuno (2-for-4, double, 2 walks, 3 RBIs) drove home or scored 5 of the team’s 10 runs and also threw out an aggressive baserunner at second base to end the game. The contest was tight at 4-3 until the top of the 6th inning, when five straight Wilson batters reached base with 2 outs, the first four coming aboard without a hit: 3 walks, a 2-run error, then 3B Filippo Di Turi’s 2-run single. 10 hits, 10 walks, 10 runs and 13 left on base for the Warbirds – that’ll generate some solid stat lines – e.g. DH Handelfry Encarnacion (2-for-5, walk, SB), Di Turi (1-for-3, walk, HBP, 2 RBIs, SB), OF Jose Anderson (2-for-5, double, walk), SS Brady Ebel (1-for-3, 3 walks, SB). On the mound, starting LHP Joey Broughton tossed 66 pitches, but only made it through 2 2/3 innings (3 R (2 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 1 K), with RHP Jarrette Bonet (5 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks; 73 pitches) doing the heavy lifting on this Sunday afternoon. Warbirds’ Extras: Ortuno’s RBI double to extend the lead to 9-4 in the top of the 7th inning was apparently too much for the opposing manager to bear, as he was ejected at that point. 18-year old C Kevin Garcia will need to turn the page on this contest: 0-for-5, 2 errors – although he did throw out 1 of 3 attempted basestealers. Anderson’s 2-for-5 game inched his season batting average up to .195 (OPS .732 for the Carolina’s League’s home run leader), so a 2-for-4 game on Tuesday would get him up to .200. Next week’s outlook: Wilson will host White Sox affiliate Kannapolis for six games this week, with the series commencing on Tuesday. We hope that you enjoy the Minor League Link Report. On Monday, three rookie level games are scheduled, with the two Dominican Summer League squads playing their respective games at 10:00am CST. ACL Brewers host ACL Cubs at 8:00pm CST. The Milwaukee Brewers also host the Reds at 6:40pm CST. Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

Brett Squires homered and tripled with four RBI, but the Omaha Storm Chasers fell 13-11 in ten innings. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals wasted Felix Arronde's six innings in a 7-6 walkoff loss. Tanner Jones spun five scoreless innings, and Trevor Werner's three-run homer keyed a seven-run ninth as the Quad Cities River Bandits won 7-2. Darwin Rodriguez took the loss as the Columbia Fireflies dropped a 4-1 decision despite nine hits. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals recalled RHP Eric Cerantola from Omaha Storm Chasers. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Mitch Spence to Omaha Storm Chasers. Storm Chasers' Early Outburst Wasted In Extra-Inning Loss The Omaha Storm Chasers built an early lead and then watched it disappear in a 13-11, ten-inning loss to the Columbus Clippers. Squires carried the offense, going 3-for-4 with a triple, a home run, a stolen base, two runs, and four RBI. Brandon Drury added a home run, two RBI, and two runs, while Rudy Martin Jr. reached base three times from the leadoff spot. Omaha put up six runs in the second inning to seize control. The affiliate loaded the bases on two walks and a hit by pitch, then pushed across the first run on Kevin Newman's bases-loaded walk that scored Drury. A run came around on a strikeout, Squires followed with a two-run triple, and Abraham Toro and Gavin Cross each delivered an RBI double to cap the rally. The Clippers chipped away over the middle innings, scoring five in the fourth and adding single runs in the sixth, eighth, and ninth. Squires' two-run homer in the ninth tied the game and forced extra innings, but Columbus answered with four runs in the top of the tenth, including a two-run home run that brought home the zombie runner. Omaha managed only two runs in the bottom of the tenth on Drury's two-run homer and fell short. Starter Bailey Falter worked 3 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on two walks with four strikeouts. Génesis Cabrera took the loss after surrendering four runs in the tenth. The Storm Chasers stranded seven runners and went 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position. They are 36-44 this season. Omaha Storm Chasers Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Rudy Martin Jr. 6 2 2 0 0 1 Peyton Wilson 6 0 1 1 0 3 Brett Squires 4 2 3 4 1 0 Abraham Toro 4 1 1 1 1 1 Gavin Cross 4 1 1 1 1 0 Brandon Drury 4 2 1 2 1 1 Luca Tresh 4 1 0 0 1 0 Andrew Velazquez 4 1 1 0 0 1 Kevin Newman 2 1 0 1 1 0 Matthew Lugo 2 0 1 0 0 0 Omaha Storm Chasers Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bailey Falter 3 1/3 6 4 4 2 4 0 Andrew Pérez 2/3 1 2 2 1 0 1 Mason Black 3 2 1 1 1 3 1 Jose Cuas 2/3 1 1 1 1 0 0 Anthony Gose 1 1/3 1 1 1 0 2 1 Génesis Cabrera 1 3 4 3 1 1 1 Naturals Squander Lead In Walk-Off Loss To Springfield The Northwest Arkansas Naturals carried a lead into the late innings but fell 7-6 on a walk-off home run against the Springfield Cardinals. Sam Kulasingam led the way, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a stolen base, two runs, and two RBI. Jack Pineda reached base three times with two hits, a walk, a stolen base, and two RBI, and Connor Scott homered. The decisive frame for the Naturals was a five-run third inning. Scott opened the scoring with a solo home run, Pineda laced a two-run single, Kulasingam followed with an RBI single, and Colton Becker doubled home another run. That outburst, added to a run in the first, gave Northwest Arkansas a 6-3 lead. The advantage did not hold. Springfield trimmed the deficit with a run in the sixth, tied it with two runs in the seventh, and ended it with a leadoff home run in the ninth. Royals Keep's No. 14 prospect Arronde turned in a strong start, working six innings and allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Oscar Rayo took the loss after allowing the walk-off home run. The Naturals left four runners on base and went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Northwest Arkansas is now 30-43. Northwest Arkansas Naturals Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 4 1 1 0 1 1 Jack Pineda 3 1 2 2 1 0 Sam Kulasingam 4 2 2 2 0 0 Jorge Alfaro 4 0 0 0 0 1 Spencer Nivens 4 0 1 0 0 1 Colton Becker 4 0 1 1 0 1 Omar Hernandez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Connor Scott 4 1 1 1 0 1 Alberto Rodriguez 4 1 1 0 0 0 Northwest Arkansas Naturals Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Felix Arronde 6 5 4 3 1 4 1 Frank Mozzicato 1/3 1 2 2 2 0 0 Oscar Rayo 1 2/3 1 1 1 0 1 1 River Bandits Erupt For Seven In Ninth To Stun South Bend The Quad Cities River Bandits broke a scoreless tie dramatically, plating seven runs in the ninth inning to beat the South Bend Cubs 7-2. Werner provided the biggest swing, a three-run home run, and finished 1-for-4 with three RBI. Ramon Ramirez, Royals Keep's No. 6 prospect, went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI, and Tyriq Kemp added a hit, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base from the leadoff spot. The ninth inning told the whole story offensively. Ramirez started the rally with a two-run double, Connor Rasmussen brought home a run on a groundout, Werner crushed his three-run homer, and Kemp capped the scoring with an RBI single. The seven-run frame turned a 2-0 deficit into a comfortable win. Starter Jones was dominant, working five scoreless innings and allowing just one hit with one walk and five strikeouts. The Cubs scratched across single runs in the sixth and eighth, but Quad Cities steadied things out of the bullpen. Kamden Edge, Royals Keep's No. 19 prospect, earned the win with two innings of work, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts. The River Bandits left four runners on base and went 3-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Quad Cities improved their record to 32-39 after the victory over the Cubs. Quad Cities River Bandits Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Tyriq Kemp 4 1 1 1 1 1 Asbel Gonzalez 4 1 0 0 1 0 Blake Mitchell 4 0 0 0 0 2 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 2 2 0 0 Nolan Sailors 3 1 1 0 1 1 Erick Torres 2 1 0 0 2 0 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 0 1 0 2 Trevor Werner 4 1 1 3 0 1 Angel Acosta 4 1 1 0 0 0 Quad Cities River Bandits Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tanner Jones 5 1 0 0 1 5 0 Aiden Jimenez 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 Max Martin 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 Kamden Edge 2 1 1 1 0 2 0 Fireflies' Bats Stranded In Loss To Kannapolis The Columbia Fireflies collected nine hits but managed only one run in a 4-1 loss to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Roni Cabrera led the offense, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. Ivan Sosa also notched two hits, and Stone Russell doubled, but the affiliate repeatedly failed to bring runners home, stranding eight in the contest. Kannapolis built its lead early. The Cannon Ballers scored once in the first and then put up three runs in the third inning, a frame aided by a throwing error. Columbia could not respond until the seventh, when Cabrera singled home Yandel Ricardo, Royals Keep's No. 10 prospect, for the team's lone run. Starter Rodriguez took the loss, working five innings and allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. The bullpen was sharp behind him, as Brandon Herbold, Yeri Pérez, and Andy Basora combined for three scoreless innings of relief. The Fireflies' inability to cash in with runners aboard, eight left on base, proved the difference. Columbia Fireflies Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Hammond 4 0 1 0 0 0 Sean Gamble 4 0 1 0 0 1 Stone Russell 4 0 1 0 0 0 Jhosmmel Zue 4 0 1 0 0 0 Yandel Ricardo 4 1 1 0 0 0 Roni Cabrera 3 0 2 1 1 0 Josi Novas 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ivan Sosa 4 0 2 0 0 0 Gabriel Silva 4 0 0 0 0 2 Columbia Fireflies Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Darwin Rodriguez 5 5 4 3 1 2 0 Brandon Herbold 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Yeri Pérez 2/3 0 0 0 2 1 0 Andy Basora 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: DNP Josh Hammond: 1-for-4 Blake Mitchell: 0-for-4, 2 K Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI Drew Beam: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, SB, K Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-4, BB Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-4 Michael Lombardi: DNP Ben Kudrna: DNP Justin Lamkin: DNP Felix Arronde: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K Blake Wolters: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Austin Charles: DNP Daniel Vázquez: DNP Kamden Edge: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K Warren Calcano: DNP View the full article

Phase 1 of fan voting for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game closed on Thursday. Just one New York Mets player (Juan Soto) advanced to Phase 2, which begins Monday. He's in the running for a place in the National League's starting lineup. But even if Soto doesn't get enough votes to be named a starter, he's the most likely Met to represent the club in Philadelphia on July 14, based on his stats and the Mets’ overall poor play. He would be a first-time Met All-Star after being passed over last year. It's quite likely that Soto will earn multiple All-Star berths during his Mets tenure and escape the fate of more than 30 players who have made the Midsummer Classic just once while wearing orange and blue. Grand Central Mets is taking a look back at those players in a three-part series. Part 1 covered the period from 1962 to 1981; Part 2 covers the period from 1982 to 2006. Ron Darling (1985) Darling was the sidekick to Dwight Gooden while the two headed the Mets’ rotation in the mid-'80s. That was especially true in ‘85 as Doc was putting together his season for the ages. But Ronnie was having a terrific year himself, and so he and Gooden both made the trip to Minneapolis for the All-Star Game. Neither man pitched in the game — Darling had thrown nine innings four days earlier, while Gooden had thrown a shutout two days prior. They watched the National League prevail, 6-1. When they rejoined the Mets for the second half, they were ready to lead a furious pennant drive. In the end, the Mets fell short, finishing second to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL East despite winning 98 games. While Gooden dazzled with his 24-4 record and 1.53 ERA, Darling went 16-6 with a 2.90 ERA in 248 innings pitched. After battling for a pennant, they were ready to dominate in “86. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox that year, it was Darling who filled the No. 1 role. He started Games 1, 4 and 7 — two gems followed by an early exit. He posted a 1.53 ERA for the series and, more importantly, collected a ring. John Franco (1990) Franco had been a Met for about half a season when he got his All-Star invite. New York acquired him in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in December 1989. Fellow reliever Randy Myers was the big get for the Reds in the deal. It's safe to say the trade worked out for both teams from the start. Myers became one of the “Nasty Boys” in Cincinnati with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton, while Franco excelled as the closer for his hometown team. The Brooklyn native had 17 saves at the break in ‘90, good for a trip to Wrigley Field in mid-July. Franco threw a scoreless ninth in a 2-0 NL loss, coming on after Myers and Dibble. He finished the year with a league-high 33 saves, but the Mets faltered in September and finished second in the division to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Out of that failure came the “Worst Team Money Could Buy,” a franchise crash, and then a turnaround capped by an NL pennant in 2000. Franco was there for all of it, and then some. He was given the title of team captain later in his career. Franco lasted 15 seasons with the Mets in all. He became the franchise's all-time saves leader and the first left-hander in baseball history to collect 400 saves. Twenty-one years after throwing his last big-league pitch, Franco is still seventh all time with 424 saves. Bret Saberhagen (1994) Saberhagen was one of the big-name players who joined the Mets right as their run as contenders was ending. New York got him in a trade with the Kansas City Royals at the close of the 1991 Winter Meetings. They sent franchise villains Gregg Jeffrerie and Kevin McReynolds, plus Keith Miller, to KC. Sabes brought championship pedigree to New York — he shut out the Cardinals for the Royals in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series — but his body was betraying him. Injuries limited him to 15 starts in 1992 and 19 starts in 1993. He stayed healthy in ‘94, though, and he was stellar that year. A 10-4 record and a 3.15 ERA (3.03 FIP) got him to Pittsburgh for the All-Star Game. He pitched the previous Sunday, so he did not take the mound for the NL's thrilling 8-7 win at Three Rivers Stadium. A month later, the players went on a season-ending strike as the owners pushed for a salary cap in baseball. Saberhagen ended the year 14-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 177⅓ innings. He allowed 13 walks, meaning he had more wins than bases on balls. The health issues returned in 1995. Saberhagen began experiencing shoulder soreness in May after a compressed post-strike spring training, and then he strained a muscle in his side in July. He pitched through everything. On July 31, New York traded him to the Colorado Rockies, who were pursuing a wild-card berth in their third season. Lance Johnson (1996) Johnson made the most of his first season in Queens. He played every day in center field, he led off, and he gave the team a jolt of energy. The “1 Dog” quickly became a fan favorite, so much so that he was voted an All-Star starter. Johnson was in center field, flanked by Barry Bonds and Dante Bichette, as the National League took the field at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. He ended up playing all nine innings. He led off, naturally, and did his thing at the plate. He went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. The hits kept coming for Johnson in the second half. By season's end, he led the majors with 227 hits, good for a .333 average. He also topped baseball with 21 triples, a Mets franchise record. For good measure, he had 50 steals. Johnson couldn't repeat his success in 1997, thanks to shin splints that kept him on the disabled list for six weeks. His numbers were still OK, though. Johnson was at .309/.385/.404 through Aug. 7. Then came a bizarre twist. On Aug. 8. Johnson was traded to the Chicago Cubs for center fielder Brian McRae and relievers Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell. Right-hander Mark Clark and infielder Manny Alexander were heading to Chicago days later. All six players had to clear trade waivers because the deal was made after the July 31 deadline. Johnson was 34 and hobbled. The deal worked out for the Mets because Wendell became a huge part of the bullpen from 1998 to 2000. Bobby J. Jones (1997) This Bobby Jones is not to be confused with Bobby M. Jones, who pitched briefly for the Mets. Bobby M. was a left-handed swingman. Bobby J. was a durable right-handed starter drafted in the first round by the Mets out of Fresno State in 1991. In 1997, he was also an All-Star. Jones earned a spot on the NL staff with a 12-5 record and 3.08 ERA at the break that year. He worked a scoreless eighth inning in the NL's 3-1 loss at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. His work in the second half wasn't as good, and by season’s end, he was at 15-9, 3.63. It was the beginning of a downward career spiral. His one shining moment over the next three years, and it was as bright as possible, was a game in the 2000 NLDS. Jones shut out the San Francisco Giants on one hit in Game 4 to clinch the series. Edgardo Alfonzo (2000) “Fonzie” was one of the top second basemen in the game when he made his lone All-Star team. A year earlier, he had moved to second from third with the arrival of Robin Ventura. Those two, plus John Olerud and Rey Ordonez, formed one of the finest all-around infields in franchise history. Around the same time, Alfonzo found his power stroke as offense throughout the sport was exploding. By 2000, he was a middle-of-the-order threat who also had elite bat control. He claimed his place as an All-Star reserve with a .316/.417/.538 slash line, 13 home runs, a 14.7 walk rate and a 9.8 percent strikeout rate at the break. He replaced Jeff Kent midgame at Turner Field, going hitless in two at-bats as the NL lost 6-3. The All-Star appearance would not be Alfonzo's last big stage of the season. The Mets won the NL wild card and then advanced to face the Yankees in the Subway Series. Alfonzo went 3-for-21 as the Amazins lost in five games. That disappointment aside, he was riding high in 2000. He received MVP votes after posting 6.0 bWAR, his third season of 6 or more in a four-year span. He was a star at 26. But then injuries hit hard. His 2001 campaign was marred by back, elbow, hand and leg ailments. He bounced back in 2002 with 5.0 bWAR, but then he left the Mets after that season to sign a four-year, $26 million contract with the NL champion San Francisco Giants as a free agent. Al Leiter (2000) Leiter's left arm might still be sore from those 142 pitches in Game 5 of the 2000 Series. But Leiter had earned the trust of manager Bobby Valentine, who kept him on the mound for 8⅔ innings until the Yankees took the lead. He was the leader of the rotation. In July, he was leading the way with a 10-2 record and 2.99 ERA (3.97 FIP). He made the NL All-Star staff off those numbers. He took the loss in the game after allowing a two-run single to Derek Jeter in the fourth inning. Ominous foreshadowing there. Leiter ended the season with 16 wins, a 139 ERA+ and 200 strikeouts. He stayed a Met through the 2004 season. He ended his career in 2005 with two of his former teams, the then-Florida Marlins and the Yankees. Armando Benitez (2003) Benitez played a major role in the 2000 World Series drama, too. He blew the save in Game 1 and the Yankees ended up winning in 12 innings. It was all downhill for the Mets after that. But Benitez saved a lot of games for the club, as well, and by 2003, he was long past the Subway Series failure. He wasn't at his best that season, though. In fact, he was having a tough year when he made the All-Star team. He was just 21-for-28 in save opportunities at the break. Benitez was spared an appearance in the game at then-U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Billy Wagner and Eric Gagne gave it up in a 7-6 NL loss. The next day, he was a Yankee. The Mets traded him to the Bronx Bombers on July 16 for three prospects as their deadline sell-off continued. Benitez was in the last year of his contract. He left having recorded 160 saves as a Met. Paul Lo Duca (2006) Lo Duca was an All-Star at his two stops before New York, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and then-Florida Marlins. He hit the trifecta with the Mets in ‘06 when he was voted an NL starter. His .302 average at the break, the Mets’ place in the standings and the team's popularity at the time helped a lot. In fact, he was one of three Mets to start the game. David Wright and Carlos Beltran were the others. He went 0-for-2 in the NL's 3-2 loss. Lo Duca finished the season with a .318 average, but he had just five home runs and 49 RBIs. The Mets won the East that year, but famously lost the NLCS to the Cardinals in seven games. In Game 7, Lo Duca walked with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to load the bases for Beltran. An Adam Wainwright hook from hell buckled Beltran's legs for strike three and sent the Redbirds to the World Series. The next year, Lo Duca was in the middle of the Mets’ “up seven with 17 to play” collapse that gifted the Phillies the division. That's some bad stretch running. And Lo Duca would know all about that as someone who has been involved in horse racing for decades. View the full article