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MLB Preview: Tampa Bay Rays (41-19) at Boston Red Sox (30-28)

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MLB Preview: Tampa Bay Rays (41-19) at Boston Red Sox (30-28)

TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:

50/50 SPLIT — Tampa Bay went 1-1 in yesterday’s doubleheader at Fenway Park, dropping game one, 8-5, before winning game two of the twin bill, 4-2…in game one, the Rays held a 4-1 heading into the home half of the sixth inning, but Boston scored six runs in the frame and added an insurance tally in the seventh inning…RHP Tyler Glasnow started game two and did not factor into the decision after tossing 5.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts…CF Jose Siri (1-for-3, 2B, RBI, SB), entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI-double…LF Harold Ramírez (3-for-5, 2 2B, 2RBI, R, SB) broke a 2-2 tie in the ninth inning
with a two-run double.

Wander Franco extended his season-best hitting streak to eight in game one, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and one steal…Franco has an MLB-best five games with 2+ doubles, ahead of TOR Matt Chapman and LAD Freddie Freeman with four each.

Harold Ramírez went a combined 5-for-8 with two doubles, 4 RBI and two runs in the twin bill…his three hits in game two matched a career-high (24x, last 5/16 at NYM)…after batting .087 (2-for-23) in seven games from 5/19-26, he is 10-for-25 (.400) over his last six games since 5/27.

Jose Siri was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in his career as a pinch hitter before his go-ahead RBI-double in game two…the Rays are batting .345 (10-for-29) with a .472 on-base percentage in pinch-hit situations this season…their .472 OBP is best in the majors, while their .345 AVG is second best behind Washington (.385, 5-for-13).

RECENT TRANACTIONS — Following game one of yesterday’s doubleheader, the Rays reinstated RHP Shawn Armstrong from the 60-day IL and added him to the 26-man roster…additionally, RHP Robert Stephenson was added to the 26-man roster, RHP Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A Durham and LHP Joe La Sorsa was designated for assignment.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN — The Rays have stolen 29 consecutive bases without being caught dating back to 5/22, the longest streak in club history…they had achieved the previous mark of 21 straight steals on two separate occasions (6/3-27, 2007 & 7/1-23, 2010)…according to Elias, the last major league club to steal 29 straight bases was Cleveland (36SB) from 8/11-9/17, 2021…the Rays have been successful on 43 of their last 45 stolen base attempts (95.5%) overall since 5/14 after opening the season 38-for-52 (73.1%).

Tampa Bay’s 81 stolen bases are the most by any major league club through 60 games since the 2009 Rays (91SB).

On the season, Tampa Bay leads the majors in both steals (81) and stolen base attempts (97) while ranking sixth in stolen base pct. (83.5%).

The Rays have an MLB-best six players with seven or more stolen bases, including Wander Franco (21SB), Taylor Walls (15SB), Josh Lowe (13SB), Randy Arozarena (7SB), Manuel Margot (7SB) and Luke Raley (7SB)…the next closest teams are Cleveland and Milwaukee with four players each.

THE BOY WANDER — Wander Franco has hit safely in a season-best eight straight games, surpassing his seven-game run from 5/5-11…he is batting .484 (15-for-31) with two doubles, one triple, 6 RBI and five walks against four strikeouts during the eight-game stretch…he also has seven stolen bases during the eight-game streak, bringing his season total to 21, third most in MLB behind OAK Esteury Ruiz (28SB) and ATL Ronald Acuña Jr. (24SB)…Franco recorded his 20th steal in his 55th game of the season, becoming the fastest Ray to reach the milestone since Carl Crawford (29G) and B.J. Upton (55G) in 2009.

He is batting .312 (34-for-109) with nine doubles, four triples, 6 HR, 23 RBI and 15 walks against 16 strikeouts in 29 career games against Boston…in 12 games at Fenway Park, he is hitting .356 (16-for-45) with two doubles, two triples, 2 HR and 6 RBI.

Franco’s 3.6 bWAR lead the majors, ahead of TOR Bo Bichette (3.3) and TEX Marcus Semien (3.3).

In addition to ranking second among major league shortstops in average (.305) and third in OPS (.860), Franco leads all SS in defensive runs saved (9), ahead of CHC Dansby Swanson (8) and BAL Jorge Mateo (7), according to FanGraphs.

FRIENDLY CONFINES — Brandon Lowe is a career .323 (53-for-164) hitter in 50 games against Boston, tallying nine doubles, one triple, 16 HR and 36 RBI…in 19 games at Fenway Park, he is batting .391 (25-for-64) with five doubles, 6 HR and 16 RBI.

Since 2018, among batters with at least 100 PA against the Red Sox, Lowe ranks among major league leaders in OBP (1st, .440), OPS (2nd, 1.123), SLG (2nd, .683), atbats per HR (2nd, 10.25), HR (3rd), extra-base hits (T7th) and RBI (T8th).

THE BAY BOMBERS — The Rays have hit a major league-best 103 home runs, tied for the sixth-most long balls through a club’s first 60 games in MLB history (since 1901), trailing only the 1999 Seattle Mariners (123HR), 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers (118HR), 2019 Minnesota Twins (114HR), 2019 Milwaukee Brewers (104HR) and 2000 St. Louis Cardinals (104HR)…they reached 100 homers in their 54th game of the season, becoming the fifth-fastest team to reach the milestone in MLB history (since 1901).

The Rays have 30 multi-HR games, second most in the majors behind New YorkAL (31); they are 25-5 in those contests…this includes 16 games with 3+ homers, most in the AL and trailing only Los Angeles-NL (18G); the Rays had 13 games with 3+ HR in 2022.

SETTING THE TONE — The first three spots in Tampa Bay’s batting order rank among major league leaders in average (1st, .302), OBP (1st, .384), hits (2nd, 217), SLG (2nd, .522), OPS (2nd, .906), runs scored (3rd, 131), RBI (3rd, 122), HR (5th, 36) and hard-hit pct. (7th, 37.4%).

MAY FLOWERS — Tampa Bay went 17-12 (.586) in May after going 22-6 (.786) in April… Jose Siri had a team-best 8 HR in May, batting .254 (18-for-71) with one double, one triple, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored…Josh Lowe paced the club with 19 RBI while batting .271 (23- for-85) with five doubles, 6 HR and eight steals…Wander Franco had a team-best 32 hits, finishing the month hitting .296 (32-for-108) with three doubles, two triples, 2 HR and 12 RBI, including his current seven-game hitting streak.

At the conclusion of May, the Rays paced the majors in both home runs (103) and stolen bases (77)…per Elias, Tampa Bay became the first team since the since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers (61HR, 21SB) to lead the majors outright in both homers and stolen bases at the end of May.

BEANTOWN REPORT — The Rays and Red Sox meet for the seventh time this year, with Tampa Bay holding a 5-1 lead in the season series…Tampa Bay swept Boston in a four-game set at Tropicana Field from 4/10-13, outscoring the Red Sox 26-12.

Since the beginning of the 2019 season, the Rays are 47-26 (.644) against the Red Sox, including a 20-13 (.606) mark at Fenway Park during that span…it is the most wins by any team against Boston during that span, ahead of New York-AL (45-22)

TODAY’S STARTER: RHP TAJ BRADLEY (3-2, 3.60)
TALKIN’ TAJ — Tampa Bay’s No. 1 prospect and the No. 16 prospect in baseball (MLB.com) will make his seventh career start this afternoon vs. Boston, including his fourth on the road…went 7-4 with a 2.57 ERA (133.1IP, 38ER) over 28 starts between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham in 2022…was selected by the Rays in the fifth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft.

TOUGH LUCK — Fell to 3-2 on the season despite not allowing an earned run in Tampa Bay’s 1-0 Memorial Day defeat at Chicago-NL (5.2IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, BB, 8SO)…the lone run against him came around to score on a sacrifice fly following a throwing error by Taylor Walls.

Bradley joined Joe Ross (40SO, 4BB) as the only pitchers in MLB history (since 1901) with 40+ strikeouts and five or fewer walks through their first six career starts

WELCOME TO THE SHOW — Bradley earned the win in his MLB debut on 4/12 vs. Boston after tossing 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk with eight strikeouts…fanned Rafael Devers in the first inning for the first strikeout of his career…at the time, became the second Rays player to make their big league debut for the Rays in 2023, joining RHP Kevin Kelly on 4/1 vs. Detroit.

STRIKEOUT SAVANT — Bradley’s 42 strikeouts are the most through a pitcher’s first six starts as a member of the Rays in club history, ahead of Charlie Morton (39SO)…the last major league pitcher with more strikeouts through their first six career starts was MIL Freddy Peralta (46SO) from 5/13-7/6, 2018.

Since his debut on 4/12, Bradley’s 34.4 pct. strikeout rate is tied with LAA Shohei Ohtani for second highest among major league starters (min. 5GS), behind only ATL Spencer Strider (40.8%).

He is the first pitcher in Rays history to record 7+ strikeouts in four of his first six career games…the last major league pitcher to do so was Luis Castillo in 2017 (4G).

ROAD WARRIOR — He has pitched to a 1.13 ERA (16.0IP, 2ER) in three road starts, the second-lowest mark through a pitcher’s first three career starts as a visitor in club history, behind only Alex Colomé (0.57) from 5/30/13- 6/27/14…he is the first pitcher in Rays history to toss 5.0+ innings and allow two or fewer runs in each of his first three career road starts.

ONE TO REMEMBER — Bradley’s eight strikeouts on 4/12 vs. Boston were second most by a Rays player in his major league debut in club history, trailing only Wade Davis’ nine punch outs on 9/6/09 vs. Detroit…since the beginning of 2020, only Cleveland’s Triston McKenzie (10SO, 8/22/20 vs. DET) and Washington’s Joan Adon (9SO, 10/3/21 vs. BOS) have fanned more batters in their debuts.

After recording nine strikeouts over 5.1 scoreless innings on 4/18 at Cincinnati, Bradley became the first pitcher in American League history to strike out 8+ batters and earn the win in each of his first two career appearances.

BOSTON RED SOX NOTES:

STATE OF THE SOX: The Red Sox have won 2 of their last 3 games following a 3-game losing streak. The Sox are 4-8 in their last 12 games, losing 2 of their previous 3 series (0-3 at LAA, 2-1 at ARI, 1-2 vs. CIN). At 30-28 (.517), the Sox rank 5th in the AL East and are 4.0 games back from the AL’s 3rd Wild Card spot.

YESTERDAY’S NEWS: The Red Sox and Rays split a doubleheader yesterday to open their 4-game series… The Sox won Game 1 (8-5) and lost Game 2 (2-4). In Game 1, Justin Turner hit a bases-clearing double to give the Red Sox a 5-4 lead in the 6th inning. In Game 2, the Red Sox tied the score 1-1 in the 4th inning and 2-2 in the 7th inning, but did not lead at any point…TB scored 2 deciding runs in the 9th inning.

COMEBACK KIDS: In Game 1 yesterday, the Red Sox trailed 4-0 entering the bottom of the 5th inning…They scored a 8 runs between the 5th, 6th, and 7th innings to take an 8-5 lead. The Red Sox have 17 come-from-behind wins this season, tied for 3rd most in MLB (BAL-20, NYM-18). They have trailed in each of their last 3 wins.

THE BIG INNING: The Red Sox scored 6 runs in the 6th inning of Game 1 yesterday, turning a 4-1 deficit into a 7-4 lead. The Sox have scored 5+ runs in an inning 5 times in their last 15 games, beginning 5/17 vs. SEA.

SOX & RAYS: The Red Sox are 1-5 against the Rays this season…They’re 26-47 vs. TB since the start of 2019, their most losses to any opponent in that span. The Sox have won 4 of their last 5 home games vs. TB and 6 of their last 8…They’re 7-4 vs. TB at Fenway Park since the start of 2022. After this series, the clubs won’t meet until September, when they play a 3-game series in St. Petersburg from 9/4-6 and a 2-game series in Boston from 9/26-27.

EASTERN STANDARD: The Red Sox are 7-2 against AL East opponents at Fenway Park this season, compared to 1-6 on the road. The Sox have won both of their home series against AL East teams (2-2-0 overall)…They defeated BAL in a season-opening 3-game series from 3/30-4/2 (2-1) and swept TOR in a 4-game series from 5/1-4. In 2022, they didn’t win their 2nd series against an AL East opponent until 8/14 (began 1-11-1).

GETTING BUSY: After Friday’s game was postponed and rescheduled for tomorrow, the Red Sox will now play 13 games in 12 days, from 6/3-14. The Sox are currently in a span of 26 games in 27 days, from 5/30-6/25 (2-3 so far), including 23 games in 23 days from 6/3-25. 3 of the Sox’ next 5 series (10 of 16 games from 6/3-18) are against AL East opponents…Just 1 of their 9 series from 4/28-6/1 were within the division (5/1-4 vs. TOR).

TOUGH TEST: The Red Sox have won 20 games against opponents with a current winning percentage of .500 or better, tied for 4th most in MLB (TB-23, TOR-23, NYY-21). The Red Sox are 20-20 (.500) against teams that currently have a .500 winning percentage or better. 7 of the Sox’ 10 series from 6/2-7/6, are against opponents who are currently above .500 (vs. TB, at NYY, vs. NYY, at MIN, vs. MIA, at TOR, vs. TEX).

MACHO MAN: Through his first 50 MLB games, Masataka Yoshida has batted .314 with a .394 OBP/.505 SLG/.899 OPS. He leads the Red Sox with 22 multi-hit games…The only player in franchise history with more through 50 career games is Chick Stahl in 1901 (25). The only players with more multi-hit games than Yoshida this season are Freddie Freeman (25), Bo Bichette (25), Luis Arraez (23), and Ronald Acuña Jr. (23). This century, only 2 players have reached base 85+ times and struck out 25 or fewer times in their first 50 career games: Masataka Yoshida (2023), and Ichiro Suzuki (2001).

SLUGGING SOX: The Red Sox are tied for the MLB lead in doubles (126), and rank top 5 in runs (4th, 303), AVG (5th, .264), OBP (3rd, .335), SLG (5th, .433), and OPS (5th, .768). Red Sox batters have struck out 463 times, 3rd fewest in the AL and 6th fewest in MLB.

FOUR SCORE AND…: Prior to Game 2 yesterday, the Red Sox scored 4 or more runs in 4 consecutive games, matching their longest streak since 4/29-5/6 (8 games). The Sox have scored 4+ runs in 4 of their last 5 games, after doing so in just 1 of their previous 7 games. BOS has scored 4+ runs in 38 games this season (28-10 record), 3rd most in the AL behind TB (43) and TEX (40).

EXTRA, EXTRA: The Red Sox have hit 23 XBH in their 5 games so far during the current 7-game homestand, after hitting 21 XBH over their 9-game road trip from 5/19-28. BOS ranks T-2nd in the AL and T-4th in MLB in XBH (202). The Sox have hit 4 or more XBH in 29 games, 3rdmost in MLB behind LAD (35) and TB (31). HOME COOKING: The Red Sox are 17-14 at Fenway Park…They’re 4-7 in their last 11 games at the venue, after going 11-3 in their previous 14.

RED SOX IN HOME GAMES
Stat MLB Rank
6.0 R/game 2nd
10.3 H/game 1st
4.1 XBH/game 1st
122 wRC+ 4th
Stat MLB Rank
.293 AVG 1st
.360 OBP 1st
.482 SLG 4th
.841 OPS 2nd

RUNNIN’ RED SOX: The Red Sox rank 2nd in the AL and 3rd in MLB in SB% (84.6%, 33-for-39). The Sox ranked 22nd in MLB with a 72.2 SB% in 2022.

PITCHING IN: Red Sox pitchers have allowed 4 ER or fewer in 13 of their last 16 games, posting a 3.43 ERA and .217 opponent AVG in that span (53 ER/139.0 IP, 114-for-526). During that span, Sox relievers rank 4th in MLB in WHIP (1.08) and 5th in opponent AVG (.197).

CLOSE SHAVES: 6 of the Red Sox last 7 games have been decided by 3 runs or fewer, including 3 one-run games and 2 two-run games. The Sox have played 27 games decided by 2 runs or fewer (13-14 record). Boston’s 10 losses by 1 run are tied for 3rd most in the AL behind CLE (16) and SEA (12).

TODAY’S STARTER: 89 TANNER HOUCK – RHP
W-L ERA G GS IP ER HR BB SO WHIP AVG
2023 3-4 5.30 10 10 52.2 31 7 17 50 1.27 .250
CAREER 12-13 3.62 63 30 198.2 80 15 69 214 1.16 .223

Allowed 4 runs over 4.0 IP on Sunday at ARI (6 H, 4 SO, 2 HR)…Retired each of his last 9 batters faced. Has pitched at least 5.0 innings in 8 of his 10 starts this season. The Sox are 17-12 in his 29 career starts…Allowed 3 ER or fewer in 27 of those. Owns a 3.52 (3 ER/7.2 IP) with 12 SO in 3 career games (1 start) vs. TB. Has allowed 0 HR to his last 284 RHH faced (last: José Abreu on 9/10/21)…He is the only pitcher to face 150+ RHH since the start of 2022 and allow 0 HR. Has an expected ERA of 3.79 (based on contact quality and quantity).

MLB Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (25-34) at Pittsburgh Pirates (30-27)

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MLB Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (25-34) at Pittsburgh Pirates (30-27)

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:

RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals continue a six-game road trip through Pittsburgh and Texas with the finalé of a three-game series against the Pirates today at PNC Park. This is the Cardinals first of two visits to the Steel City, returning August 21-23. Earlier this season, the Cardinals split a four-game series with Pittsburgh at Busch Stadium (Apr. 13-16). Pittsburgh leads the season series 4-2 winning their last two home series vs. the Cardinals dating back to 2022. Following this morning’s game, the Cardinals will fly to Texas to play their first games at Globe Life Park, which was established in 2020.

FLIGHT PATTERN: Entering today, the Cardinals are in last place in the National League Central, 6.5 games behind first place Milwaukee and 1.5 games behind fourth place Cincinnati. St. Louis was a season-low 10.0 games out of first place eight days from April 29-May 6, before closing to 4.0 games back on May 27. St. Louis spent 24 days in last place from April 26-May 19 and 39 days of the 65 days in the cellar on the 2023 Major League schedule.

APRIL SHOWERS…MAY FLOWERS…JUNE…?: The Cardinals began their season 10-19 in March/April and took a five-game losing streak into May before exploding through the rest of the month from a 10-24 record to 25-32 at the end. From May 7-31, the Cardinals had the best record in the National League at 15-8 and nearly set a franchise record for May, hitting 44 home runs, one shy of the 2000 Cardinals who hammered 45.

BAKER SELECTED; BARRERA DESIGNATED : Prior to today’s game, the Cardinals selected the contract of 1B Luken Baker from Memphis (AAA). To make room on the 40-player roster, C Tres Barrera was designated for assignment. Baker’s first appearance will be his Major League debut, making him the 3rd Cardinal to make his MLB debut this season joining OF Jordan Walker and RHP Guillermo Zuñiga. Baker was batting .313 with 18 HR and 53 RBI through 54 games in Triple-A. He’s tied with Jo Adell (Salt Lake-AAA) for the minor league lead in home runs and 3rd in RBI.

WOODFORD REHABS IN MEMPHIS: RHP Jake Woodford (right shoulder inflammation) made his second rehab appearance last night in Omaha. He started the game and threw 3.0 hitless innings with a walk and two strikeouts over 35 pitches (21 strikes). The Redbirds won 4-2 over the Storm Chasers as Moises Gómez iced the game with his 15th home run of the season in the 6th inning. Gómez has hit 14 HR since May 6, the most in the Majors or Minors over that period edging Aaron Judge (NYY) with 13.

REDBEARD’S REDBIRD REVENGE: Of the Cardinals last nine losses at PNC Park dating back to 2018, eight have came after St. Louis held a lead.

FRIENDLY WATERS: Since the Cardinals began their current four-season postseason run back in 2019, they are 26-9 (.743) at PNC Park, the most wins and highest winning percentage at the ballpark of any team with more than two series played (Toronto 6-0, Seattle 3-0). Last season, the Cardinals were 6-3 at PNC Park.

HE’S NEVER GONE!: This morning’s game between the Cardinals and Pirates will be broadcast on Peacock. Making his debut as a broadcaster will be former Cardinals 1B Albert Pujols. Pujols will join Bob Walk of the Pirates broadcast team and Brendan Burke, a play-by-play announcer with the NHL Network and New York Islanders. Pujols is no stranger to PNC Park, holding the all-time record for home runs by a visiting player with 35. Last season, the Cardinals played at PNC Park on Peacock and Pujols blasted two of those home runs on May 22. The Cardinals are 3-0 on games streamed by Peacock (1-0) or Apple+ (2-0) since 2022.

ARCH CITY AVOIDANCE: Also working as a sideline host on the Peacock broadcast team is former OF Nick Swisher. Swisher has the unique distinctions of having the most career plate appearances in the Interleague Era (since 1997) to never play in the city of St. Louis, where his father Steve played three seasons of his career (1978-80). Swisher’s 6,308 plate appearances without one at Busch Stadium II or III, leads the list that also includes Shannon Stewart (6,143), Chris Davis (5,630) and Carlos Guillen (5,277). Elias Sports Bureau

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: The Cardinals are 12-6 in the final game of a series this season, including 5-4 on the road. Against the Pirates, this season, the Cardinals have been outscored 20-10 in the 6th inning and after.

TWO FOR THE ROAD: Following Tuesday night’s game with Kansas City, the Cardinals had a rare pair of off days with Wednesday and Thursday open. This marked the first time there were two consecutive scheduled off days (excluding the All-Star Break and rain outs) since September 27-28, 1978, following a trip to New York when the Mets had to allow the end of season conversion of Shea Stadium for the football Jets. After returning to St. Louis, the Cardinals dropped two of three to Montreal to conclude the season.

THE NEXT TIME WILL BE SOONER…: The next time the Cardinals have two scheduled off days on the schedule won’t be 45 years. When St. Louis leaves Washington D.C. for London later this month, they will have June 22-23 as off/travel/rest/media/practice days.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: RHP MILES MIKOLAS (4-1, 3.75)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Ranks: Games Started (12, T-1st), Innings Pitched (69.2, T-7th), Hits Allowed (75, 2nd), Walks/9 IP (1.94, 3rd).

  • The 2022 N.L. All-Star is making his team-high 13th start of 2023, 156th career appearance & 128th career start.
  • Is one win shy of 50 for his career and six strikeouts shy of 600 career.
  • Has won four straight decisions (4/27-present) while riding an NL-best active 16.0 scoreless inning streak (5/20-present) tied with the Phillies’ Hector Neris. Last won five straight decisions the final five starts of the 2018 season
  • Has walked one batter over his last 23.2 innings pitched.
  • Limited his opposition to one run or fewer in 5 of his last 7 starts (1.62 ERA, 44.1 IP) with the Cardinals posting a 6-1 record over that span. Has now allowed more than three runs in his last nine starts (April 16-present).
  • Finished May 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in six starts, ranking among MLB leaders in innings pitched (38.0, 2nd), ERA (5th), and wins (T-7th).
  • Is 3-0 with a 2.91 ERA (34.0 IP) and 25 strikeouts in six starts on the road.
  • Leads the Cardinals with four wins since April 27.
  • Has received no more than three runs of support in 10 of his 12 starts this season. Ranks 5th in the NL in fewest run support (3.75).
  • Has allowed eight of his 30 runs in the 1st inning (6.00 ERA, .358 BA).
  • Since joining the Cardinals in 2018, Mikolas ranks 2nd in MLB (min. 600 IP) in fewest walks (126) behind only Justin Verlander (115). His 1.62 walks/9 IP in that span ties Zack Greinke (1.62) for 2nd behind Verlander (1.60).
  • Was one of 10 MLB pitchers and two Cardinals (Wainwright) with a perfect 1.000 fielding pct. (31 total chances) in 2022. Hasn’t committed an error since 8/2/18 vs. COL, and he’s 9th among MLB pitchers in fielding pct. (.986) since 2018. (min. 100 TC).
  • Ranks 2nd behind only Adam Wainwright (2,593.2 IP) in most innings pitched (701.1) among active Cardinals.
  • Signed a two-year contract extension through 2025 on March 24.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Matched career high 10 strikeouts over 8.0 scoreless IP in Tuesday’s 2-1 win vs. Kansas City at Busch Stadium, his longest scoreless outing of the season and third overall.
  • Won his 4th straight decision while extending his scoreless inning streak to a team-high 16.0 innings (5/20-present)

DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
5/30 KC W 2-1 W-4 8.0 3 0 0 1 10 0 102-66

2023

  • Fired 7.0 scoreless innings of five-hit ball en route to a 2-1 win at Great American Ball Park (5/25). Was his 2nd straight 7.0-inning outing and has allowed one run or fewer in 3 of his last 4 starts.
  • Posted his second straight start of allowing one run as the Cardinals rolled to a 9-1 win in a three-game sweep of Boston at Fenway Park (5/14). Did not strike out a batter of a start of 6.0 innings or more for the first time in his career and the 3rd pitcher to do that in 2023 (Kyle Gibson & Rich Hill).
  • Allowed at least 5 runs and 9 hits in each of his first three starts – first pitcher in MLB to begin a season with three such starts since Alex Cobb (2018, BAL). Became the 16th pitcher in Cardinals history to start a season allowing five or more runs in his first three starts and first since Brett Tomko (2003).
  • Received a no decision on 4/11 at COL, departing the game after 5.0 IP and trailing 6-2 after allowing three HR’s tying his career-high. Tied his season-high with 10 hits allowed.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:

THE PIRATES: Have won four straight games since falling under .500 (26-27) following their loss on 5/29 (the first time the team was under .500 since 4/2)…Have four separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23, their longest winning streak since 2018 (11 games)…Are 0.5 game behind the first place Brewers in the National League Central coming into today.

ROSTER MOVE: The Pirates selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Chase De Jong from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to today’s game…Right-handed pitcher Yerry De Los Santos has been optioned to Indianapolis to make room on the 26-man active roster…There are currently 38 players on the 40-man roster.

CHECKING THE BROOM CLOSET: Today the Pirates will look for their fourth sweep of the season and first against the Cardinals here at PNC Park since April 27-29, 2018, which was also a three-game series…Pittsburgh’s last sweep came against the Reds in a four-game series from April 20-23 in Pittsburgh.

CENTRAL PERK: The Pirates have won six straight games against their own division, losing for the last time on April 16 when the team was walked off in 10 innings at St. Louis…The last time the Pirates won at least six straight games within their own division came in 2018 (nine straight from July 12-31).

RICH ON THE HILL: Rich Hill takes the mound for the 12th time this season and will pitch against St. Louis for the first time since 2021…Hill has won three of his last four matchups against the Cardinals coming into today… Hill will be looking for his first win since he went 6.0 innings and allowed just one hit in an 8-0 shutout at Detroit on May 17.

CUTCH THIS: Andrew McCutchen made his Major League debut on this day 14 years ago against the New York Mets batting leadoff while making the start in center field… McCutchen singled off Mike Pelfrey in his first at-bat and went on to have two hits while also recording an RBI and scoring three runs in an 11-6 win.

KE’S TO THE GAME: Ke’Bryan Hayes has gone deep in back-to-back games for the first time in the same season…Coming into today, Hayes ranks fourth among all National League third basemen with 21 extra base hits…The only National League players at that position with more extra base hits are Washington’s Jeimer Candelario (26), Los Angeles’ Max Muncy (22) and Atlanta’s Austin Riley (22).

THE HOT CORNER: Ke’Bryan Hayes has recorded 14 RBI since May 19…That’s tied for the fourth-most in the National League in that time behind J.D. Martinez (19), Ryan McMahon (16) and Fernando Tatis Jr. (15).

THE RENEGADE: David Bednar has picked up saves in each of his last three games after appearing in seven straight non-save situations from May 5-28…Bednar comes into today converting each of his last eight opportunities since being charged with his only blown save on April 11…He also ranks fourth in the National League with 12 saves, trailing San Francisco’s Camilo Doval (14), Cincinnati’s Alexis Diaz (13) and San Diego’s Josh Hader (13).

GO JOE: Connor Joe has knocked in a run in three straight games for the first time in his career, including his two-run double in the sixth inning on Saturday that broke a 1-1 tie against the Cardinals…Joe is now 6-for-16 with three doubles, a home run and four RBI in his last four games.

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – 44 – LHP RICH HILL
YEAR W-L ERA G GS CG SHO IP H R ER BB SO
2023 4-5 4.76 11 11 0 0 58.2 65 35 31 18 55

RICH HILL: The 43-year-old lefthander is making his 12th start of the season…He lost a 14-4 decision (6.0ip/6r) in his last start Monday afternoon at San Francisco.

vs. ST. LOUIS: 4-2 with a 4.50 ERA (44.0ip/22er) in 10 career appearances (nine starts)…Hasn’t faced the Cards since losing a 7-0 decision (5.0ip/3r) on 9/13/21 as a member of the Mets…His only relief appearance against the Cards came as a rookie in 2005 on 9/15 while pitching for the Cubs.

Atlanta Dream Waive Lorela Cubaj

WNBA Editor
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Atlanta Dream Waive Lorela Cubaj

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Dream have waived forward Lorela Cubaj, the organization announced today.

Cubaj averaged 2.3 rebounds in three games with the Dream this season, pulling down three in the Dream’s home win over Chicago (5/30).

Blue Bombers transactions

CFL Editor
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Blue Bombers transactions

WINNIPEG, MB.,  – The Winnipeg Blue Bombers today announce the following transactions:

Released from roster:
American quarterback Josh Jones
American receiver Manasseh Bailey
American receiver Sean Coyne
American receiver Braxton Westfield
American receiver Tavaris Harrison
American receiver Brendan Beaulieu
American receiver Gavin Garner
American running back Kevon Latulas
American running back Vance Barnes
American running back Jordan Salima
American offensive lineman Kelvin Ateman
American offensive lineman Desmond Bessent
American defensive end Joe Beckett
American defensive end DeJaun Cooper
American defensive end Aaron Sterling
American defensive tackle Keenan Agnew
American linebacker Barrington Wade
American kicker Chandler Staton
American defensive back Karon Delince
National kicker Marc Liegghio
National defensive back Jordan Veltri
National defensive back Jacob Janke
National defensive back Bret MacDougall
National linebacker Max Charbonneau
National offensive lineman Cole Adamson

Added to practice roster:
American running back Greg McCrae
American offensive lineman Drew Richmond
American offensive lineman Chris Ivy
American long snapper Damian Jackson
American defensive back Abu Daramy-Swaray
American defensive back/returner Matt Cole
American defensive tackle Caleb Thomas
American receiver Amare Jones
National offensive lineman Jakub Szott
National receiver Jeremy Murphy
Global offensive lineman Tomoya Machino
Global defensive back Souleymane Karamoko
Global punter Karl Schmitz

Added to suspended list (returning to school):
National defensive tackle Collin Kornelson

NBA Finals Game 2 Preview: Miami Heat (0-1) at Denver Nuggets (1-0)

NBA Editor
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NBA Finals Game 2 Preview: Miami Heat (0-1) at Denver Nuggets (1-0)

The Miami Heat find themselves in unfamiliar territory after a series opener in the playoffs, while the Denver Nuggets are all too comfortable with where they stand.

The Heat aim to level the NBA Finals against the Nuggets on Sunday when the teams reconvene in Denver for Game 2.

Miami entered the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, thereby starting each series on the road. The Heat, however, set the tone for each previous series by recording a 13-point win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and seven-point victories in each of the next two series openers.

Miami has lost four of its last five games overall and is facing a deficit for the first time in these playoffs. That’s foreign territory for the Heat, although now a reality after they dropped a 104-93 decision on Thursday in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

Credit Nikola Jokic for making certain that didn’t happen. Jokic recorded his ninth triple-double of the playoffs — and sixth in his last seven games — after collecting 27 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in Game 1.

Jamal Murray added 26 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets, who shot a blistering 50.6 percent from the floor (40 of 79). Denver also made 16 of its 20 free-throw attempts, which was significantly better than Miami’s all-too-brief performance at the line.

The Heat went to the charity stripe on just two occasions to set an NBA postseason record for fewest free throw attempts in a game.

Bam Adebayo collected 26 points, 13 rebounds and five assists and Jimmy Butler had 13, seven and seven, respectively. Neither player ventured to the foul line, however.

Red Sox and outfielder Rob Refsnyder agree on one-year contract extension

MLB Editor
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Red Sox and outfielder Rob Refsnyder agree on one-year contract extension

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today signed outfielder Rob Refsnyder to a one-year contract extension through the 2024 season, with a club option for 2025.

Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

Refsnyder, 32, signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent on December 1, 2021, and then as a Major League free agent on November 9, 2022. In 90 games with Boston, the right-handed hitter has batted .299 (70-for-234) with a .393 on-base percentage, .457 slugging percentage, and .850 OPS while making 20 starts in left field, 16 in right field, 15 in center field, and five as the designated hitter. In 33 games this season, Refsnyder has recorded a team-leading .408 on-base percentage with 17 RBI in only 81 at-bats; with runners in scoring position, he has hit .370 (10-for-27) with a .981 OPS.

Selected by the New York Yankees in the fifth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, Refsnyder has played in 322 Major League games, sixth most all time among players born in South Korea. He has hit .247 (190-for-770) with 13 home runs, 73 RBI, and a .689 OPS for the Yankees (2015-17), Toronto Blue Jays (2017), Tampa Bay Rays (2018), Texas Rangers (2020), Minnesota Twins (2021), and Red Sox (2022-23). Following the 2022 season, he earned the Heart and Hustle Award from the Boston Baseball Writers.

Against left-handed pitchers since the start of 2022, Refsnyder has batted .362 (42-for-116) with a .980 OPS. Among players with at least 100 plate appearances against left-handers in that time, he leads the American League and ranks second in the majors in on-base percentage (.437) behind only Paul Goldschmidt (.474). Against left-handed pitching this season, Refsnyder has hit .365 (19-for-52) with a .468 on-base percentage.

In 14 games this May, Refsnyder batted .400 (14-for-35) with a 1.014 OPS, four doubles, and nine RBI. He has reached base in four of his seven plate appearances as a pinch hitter this season, including in each of his last three. Refsnyder has a .500 on-base percentage in pinch-hitting situations since joining the Red Sox, going 5-for-17 (.294) with six walks and one hit-by-pitch.

Blue Jays conduct two Roster Moves

MLB Editor
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Blue Jays conduct two Roster Moves

The Toronto Blue Jays have made the following roster moves:

  • RHP Chris Bassitt has been placed on the paternity list
  • RHP Jay Jackson has been recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and will be active for today’s game

Colorado Rockies announce multiple transactions

MLB Editor
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Colorado Rockies announce multiple transactions

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have reinstated right-handed pitcher Nick Mears from the 15-day injured list and have optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Dodgers activate Michael Groves

MLB Editor
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Dodgers activate Michael Groves

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers activated Michael Grove from the 15-day injured list and optioned left-handed pitcher Justin Bruihl to Triple-A.

Grove, 26, returns from the injured list after missing 38 games with a right groin strain. He will make the start this afternoon and he is 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA (15 ER/16.0 IP) and 14 strikeouts in four starts this season. He made two rehab starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing two runs over 10.0 innings with 14 strikeouts. He has been with the Dodgers two seasons, and he is a combined 1-1 with a 5.96 ERA (30 ER/45.1 IP) and 38 strikeouts. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2018 First Year Player Draft out of West Virginia University.

Bruihl, 25, has appeared in 14 games with the Dodgers, posting a 4.41 ERA (8 ER/16.1 IP) and 13 strikeouts this season. In 59 games (two starts) for the Dodgers, he is 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA (24 ER/58.2 IP) and 37 strikeouts while limiting left-handed hitters to a .191 (21-for-110) batting average against with 20 strikeouts. The southpaw was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent on July 15, 2017 after finishing his collegiate career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Twins place Joey Gallo on 10-day injured list

MLB Editor
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Twins place Joey Gallo on 10-day injured list

Kyle Garlick recalled from Triple-A St. Paul

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Twins announced today that they have placed outfielder/first baseman Joey Gallo on the 10-day Injured List (retroactive to June 2) with a left hamstring strain.

Gallo has hit .188 (26-for-138) with five doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 23 RBI, 25 walks, 21 runs scored and a .321 on-base percentage in 46 games for the Twins this season. This is his second stint on the Injured List this season, after missing time from April 11-19 with a right intercostal strain.

To replace Gallo on the 26-man roster, the Twins have recalled outfielder Kyle Garlick from Triple-A St. Paul. Garlick, who will be making his third stint with the Twins this season, recently played in three games for the Saints, going 2-for-12 with two home runs, three RBI and one walk. In eight games for the Twins this season, he has hit .235 (4-for-17) with one double, two home runs, four RBI, two walks, two runs scored, a .316 on-base percentage, a .647 slugging percentage and a .963 OPS.

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