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MLB Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (25-33) at Pittsburgh Pirates (29-27)

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MLB Preview: St. Louis Cardinals (25-33) at Pittsburgh Pirates (29-27)

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS NOTES:

RECENT REDBIRDS: The St. Louis Cardinals continue a six-game road trip through Pittsburgh and Texas with the second 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 3-2 following last night’s come-from-behind 7-5 win. Following tomorrow morning’s game, the Cardinals will fly to Texas to play their first games at Globe Life Park, which was established in 2020.

MUTINY!: Prior to last night’s 7-5 loss to the Pirates, in which St. Louis held a 5-0 lead, the most recent time the Cardinals blew a lead of five runs or more after the 6th inning was July 13, 2022, when they led the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-0 after six innings at Busch Stadium and fell 7-6, as the Dodgers scored two in the 7th, three in the 8th and two in the 9th.

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

REDBIRD RESURGENCE: Since May 7, the Cardinals have posted the 2nd-best record in the National League at 15-9, tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers and trailing the Arizona Diamondbacks (16-9, .640).

VICTORY BLUES: The Cardinals play their fifth game this season while wearing their Victory Blue Uniforms. Since the beginning of last season, St. Louis has an MLB-best 26 wins on Saturday (26-11, .702), including a 12-6 mark on the road (10-5 in blue uniforms). This season, the Cardinals have posted wins at Boston (5/13) and Cleveland (5/27) in the blues and lost at Seattle (4/22) and Los Angeles-NL (4/29).

FLIGHT PATTERN: Entering today, the Cardinals are in last place in the National League Central, 5.5 games behind first place Milwaukee and one game behind fourth place Chicago. St. Louis began the season 10-24 before going on its current 15-9 run. They spent 24 days in last place from April 26-May 19 and 38 days of the 64 days in the cellar on the 2023 Major League schedule.

STRANDED!: Last night, the Cardinals left 12 runners on base including the bases loaded in three consecutive innings (5th-7th). The 12 LOB matched their season high for the 3rd time. St. Louis ranks 7th in MLB in left on base. In their 11 games stranding double-digit runners, the Cardinals are 3-8, with their last win at Boston (May 14, 10 LOB) and previous 10+ LOB game at CIN (5/22).

THE FULL MONTY: Jordan Montgomery is attempting to break a streak of nine straight starts without recording a win. His last win was came on April 8 at Milwaukee in which he fired 7.0 scoreless innings at American Family Field. Montgomery has never gone 10 consecutive starts without a winning decision and tied his longest streak matching the nine to begin the 2022 season with the Yankees, before earning a win vs. the Angels on May 31. Steven Matz currently holds the longest active streak of winless starts at 10, but current Pirate and former Cardinal Johan Oviedo, holds the Cardinals record at 19 with Daniel Ponce de Leon.

FRIENDLY WATERS: Since the Cardinals began their current four-season postseason run back in 2019, they are 26-8 (.765) 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.

21-GUN SALUTE: Jordan Walker has recorded his first 21 career hits off 21 different pitchers, matching José Rondón, who accomplished
the feat in his only season in St. Louis in 2021. The highest mark for any MLB player to debut in the Expansion Era (since 1961) is 38
established by Peter O’Brien, whose first 38 hits while playing for Arizona and Miami (2015-19) came against 38 different pitchers

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER: LHP JORDAN MONTGOMERY (2-6, 4.48)
TODAY’S GAME
NL Leaders: Losses (6, T-2nd); Hits (70, T-3rd)

  • Makes his 12th start of the season and his 120th career (23rd as a member of the Cardinals).
  • Needs six strikeouts for 600 career.
  • Is trying to snap a career-high six-game losing streak, although the Cardinals have been shut out in three of his six losses. He has had three quality starts among his six defeats.
  • The Cardinals have lost nine straight starts by Montgomery dating back to April 13 vs. Pittsburgh. He has never gone 10 consecutive starts without a winning decision in his MLB career (9 starts without a win to begin 2022 season w/NYY).
  • Posted a 6.04 ERA in the month of May, his highest of any month in his career with more than one start and highest since a 5.90 ERA in five starts with the Yankees in September 2020.
  • Has yet to throw 6.0 or more innings in his last four starts after tossing 6.0 or more in 5-of-his-first-7.
  • Went seven consecutive starts (4/13-5/16) with three runs of support or fewer and three with zero (4/13, 4/24, 4/29).
  • Is 8-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 22 starts as a member of the Cardinals. St. Louis won 10-of-his-first-14 starts, then has gone 0-9 since.
  • Leads all Cardinals pitchers with 116 strikeouts since being acquired at the 2022 Trade Deadline (8/2/22); Miles Mikolas ranks 2nd with 106.
  • Has not walked a left-handed batter since being acquired by the Cardinals (75 total batters faced). Is the only pitcher in MLB who has faced 70+ left-handed batters without a walk to a LHB since 8/1/22.
  • Has held his opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 78% (93-of-119) of his career starts.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Allowed a pair of runs in a no-decision in last Sunday’s road trip finale at Progressive Field as Cleveland scored two in the bottom of the 9th for a 4-3 loss. Exited with 3-2 lead and runner on second base with no outs.
  • Cardinals lost for the 9th straight start by Montgomery dating back to April 13 vs. PIT.
    DATE vs. RESULT DEC IP H R ER BB SO HR NP-S
    5/28 @CLE L 4-3 — 5.0 7 2 2 1 3 0 91-60

2023

  • Allowed just two home runs in his first seven starts and back-to-back games with two home runs each at CHI (5/10) and vs. MIL (5/16). His streak of four straight starts with a home run is the 3rd-longest streak of his career (longest: 8, June 9-July 10, 2017).
  • Has lost six straight decisions, surpassing his career-long of four prior to 2023. Last win came on 4/8 at MIL, tossing 7.0 scoreless innings of three-hit ball in a 6-0 win.
  • Prior to his 5/10 start at Wrigley, he’d allowed just one earned run in three road games this season, fanning 22 in 19.2 IP. In seven career road starts with St. Louis, he’s allowed zero earned runs in three of those games.
  • Took his first no-decision of the season as the Cardinals fell, 5-4, to the Detroit Tigers on 5/5. It was his team-leading 5th quality start, and 3rd-straight.
  • Locked horns with Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers on 4/29 at Dodger Stadium… allowed just one run across 6.2 IP, but was handed his 4th-straight loss (1-0).
  • Threw a season-high 107 pitches and limited the SF Giants to just one unearned run over his 6.0 IP on 4/24, but took the loss as Alex Cobb blanked the Cardinals, 4-0. It was just the 2nd road loss for Monty as a member of the Cardinals.
  • Established a new career-high with a 15.0 inning scoreless streak from 4/2-13, surpassing his previous high of 14.2 IP.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:

THE PIRATES: Erased their 5-0 deficit with a 7-5 comeback win last night…Have won three 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)…Won seven straight games 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.

KE’BOOM: Ke’Bryan Hayes’ three-run homer last night was his second career go-ahead home run in the seventh inning or later (his other three-run blast came in the ninth inning on May 28, 2022, at San Diego)…It was the fifth time a Pirate hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning or later this season.

LIVE BY THE SWORD: Ke’Bryan Hayes’ three-run homer followed by Josh Palacios’ first career blast was the 17th time this season the Pirates have connected for multiple home runs in a game…The Pirates are 15-2 when going deep multiple times in a game this season…The team’s only two losses came on May 10 vs. Colorado and May 29 at San Francisco.

ROSTER MOVES: The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Angel Perdomo (pronounced AHN-hell) from Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled right-handed pitcher Yerry De Los Santos…Chris Owings has been designated for assignment while Cody Bolton has been optioned to Triple-A…Perdomo will wear uniform No. 68…De Los Santos will wear uniform No. 57.

KEEPING UP WITH CUTCH’S MILESTONES: Andrew McCutchen is just one double shy of 400 in his career (his next double will also be his 300th as a Pirate)…McCutchen ranks seventh all-time in Pirates history in doubles (Hall-of-Famer Pie Traynor is sixth with 371).

CLOSING IN ON 2000 HITS: Andrew McCutchen also comes into today just three hits shy of 2000 in his career…McCutchen has recorded 1512 of his 1997 hits with the Pirates organization…McCutchen’s 1512 hits with Pittsburgh ranks 12th in team history…Hall-of-Famer Roberto Clemente is first with 3000 while Tommy Leach is 11th (1603).

GETTING TO KNOW YOU: Angel Perdomo went 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA (22.2ip/8er), 35 strikeouts and .167 batting average against (13-for-78) in 20 relief appearances this season with Indianapolis…He posted an 0.82 ERA (11.0ip/1er) and 15 punchouts in eight outings in May…Perdomo’s 35 strikeouts were tied for the 10th-most among International League relievers at the time of his promotion today.

37 BUCS: Angel Perdomo and Yerry De Los Santos will become the 38th and 39th different players to appear in a game this season for the Pirates when they make their season debuts…The A’s have used a Major-League leading 45 players this season while Houston and Toronto have used the fewest (32)…Last year the Pirates used a Major-League high 68 players.

AND THE WHIFF: Pittsburgh’s starting rotation has recorded 293 strikeouts this season…That ranks third in the National League and 11th in MLB…The only two National League teams with more strikeouts from its starting rotations are the Braves (321) and Marlins (316)…Last year Pittsburgh was tied for second-to-last in the National League with 655 strikeouts from its starting rotation.

LOVING LEFTIES: Rodolfo Castro comes into today ranked fourth in OPS (1.147) and slugging (.690) and seventh in batting (.362) among all National League players against left-handed pitchers (he’s 8-for-16 against southpaws since May 17)…Connor Joe ranks 10th among all National League players in slugging (.630) vs. lefties.

EARLY RISERS: Tomorrow the Pirates and Cardinals will be featured on Peacock at 11:35 a.m. in the game of the week… Pittsburgh had one 11:35 a.m. game last season that also came against the Cardinals on May 22.

BULLISH PEN: Pittsburgh’s bullpen has tossed a combined 12.2 scoreless innings in the last three games and comes into today ranked second in the National League in ERA (3.63)…The only team with a lower bullpen ERA are the Padres (3.21)… David Bednar is tied for the second-lowest ERA (1.23) among NL relievers while Yohan Ramirez ranks sixth (1.40), Dauri Moreta ranks 11th (1.80) and Colin Holderman is tied for 15th (2.08).

STARTING PITCHER – 48 – RHP LUIS ORTIZ
LUIS ORTIZ: The 24-year-old righthander will be making his fifth start of the season today…He was promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on 5/9…He had a no-decision (5.0ip/3er) in his last start on Sunday at Seattle…He earned his first big league win in his start on 5/22 vs. Texas after allowing two runs in 7.2 innings of work…Entered 2023 as Pittsburgh’s No. 4 prospect by Baseball America.

vs. ST. LOUIS: 0-1 in one career start…Allowed six runs in 0.2 inning and lost a 13-3 decision against Jordan Montgomery on 10/1/22 at Busch Stadium.

MLB Preview: Detroit Tigers (26-29) at Chicago White Sox (24-35)

MLB Editor
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MLB Preview: Detroit Tigers (26-29) at Chicago White Sox (24-35)

DETROIT TIGERS NOTES:

TIGERS SHUT OUT IN OPENER IN CHICAGO: The Tigers lost the series opener to the White Sox, 3-0, last night. Making his Major League debut, Reese Olson threw 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Mason Englert pitched 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, while Will Vest threw a shutout inning. Offensively, Javier Báez had two hits, including a triple, while Miguel Cabrera, Eric Haase, Andy Ibáñez and Spencer Torkelson each had one hit.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT: Alex Lange was named American League Reliever of the Month on Friday, earning the award for the first time in his career and becoming the second Tiger to win the award, joining Shane Greene (April, 2019). Lange made 10 appearances during May, posting a 2-0 record with seven saves, a 0.84 ERA (10.2IP/1ER) and 17 strikeouts. He ranked tied for second in the AL in saves during the month, while he was third in opponent batting average (.091) and eighth in ERA among AL relievers (min. 10 innings pitched).

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Reese Olson was impressive in his Major League debut last night, giving up two runs on two hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 5.0 innings. Olson carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning until allowing a single to Romy Gonzalez. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Olson became the first Tigers pitcher to throw at least 5.0 no-hit innings in his debut since Bill Slayback pitched 7.0 hitless innings on June 26, 1972 vs. New York (AL). Olson became the second Major League pitcher to do so in 2023, joining Seattle’s Bryce Miller, who worked 5.1 no-hit innings on May 2 at Oakland.

MIGGY NEARING DAVE WINFIELD ON ALLTIME HITS LIST: Miguel Cabrera went 1×2 with a walk in last night’s game. Cabrera’s hit was the 3,107th of his Major League career. He enters today’s game just three hits shy of tying Dave Winfield for 22nd on the all-time hits list.

MLB All-Time Hits List
Rank Player Hits

  1. Robin Yount 3,142
  2. Tony Gwynn 3,141
  3. Alex Rodriguez 3,115
  4. Dave Winfield 3,110
  5. Miguel Cabrera 3,107

TIGERS AND WHITE SOX: The Tigers and White Sox continue their season series today. Detroit has won three of the first five meetings from Chicago (AL) this season. The White Sox went 12-7 against the Tigers last season, but the two sides split 10 meetings at Guaranteed Rate Field.

AGAINST THE AL CENTRAL: The Tigers continue divisional play today against the White Sox. Detroit is 9-5 against American League Central teams so far this season, winning all four of its series against divisional opponents. The Tigers have finished below .500 against AL Central foes in each of the last five 162-game seasons, including a 34-42 record last season.

ON THE ROAD: The Tigers are 0-1 on their current six-game road trip, which includes three games at Chicago (AL) (0-1) and three games at Philadelphia (June 5-7). Detroit is 12-16 on the road this season, but has won four of its last five road series. As a team, the Tigers are hitting .224/.298/.344 away from Comerica Park, while the pitching staff has a 4.41 ERA (243.0IP/119ER).

TIGERS ON THE IL:

  • RHP Beau Brieske (right upper arm discomfort, 60-day IL on March 30, retroactive to March 27)
  • OF Kerry Carpenter (right shoulder sprain, 10-day IL on April 29, retroactive to April 28)
  • OF Riley Greene (left fibula stress reaction, 10-day IL on May 31)
  • RHP Matt Manning (right foot fracture, 60-day IL on April 12)
  • OF Austin Meadows (anxiety, 60-day IL on April 8, retroactive to April 7)
  • RHP Casey Mize (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on February 17)
  • RHP Freddy Pacheco (right elbow sprain, 60-day IL on March 27)
  • LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (left index finger pulley rupture, 15-day IL on May 30, retroactive to May 29)
  • LHP Tarik Skubal (left elbow strain, 60-day IL on March 14)
  • RHP Spencer Turnbull (neck discomfort, 15-day IL on May 12, retroactive to May 7)
  • OF Matt Vierling (low back soreness, 10-day IL on May 30, retroactive to May 29)
  • RHP Trey Wingenter (right biceps tendinitis, 60-day IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19)

TODAY’S TIGERS STARTING PITCHER

21 Michael Lorenzen • 2-2, 3.50 ERA (46.1IP/18ER)

  • Lorenzen will make his ninth start of the season today at Chicago (AL).
  • Did not factor into the decision in his most recent start last Saturday against the White Sox, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing two unearned runs on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts…carried a perfect game until two outs in the sixth inning when Romy Gonzalez singled to center.
  • Allowed one earned run or less in four of his five starts during May, compiling a 2-1 record with a 1.95 ERA (32.1IP/7ER) and 20 strikeouts…among qualified Major League pitchers in May, he ranked tied for sixth in ERA and ninth in WHIP (0.87).
  • Has faced the White Sox seven times in his career, including four starts, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.79 ERA (29.0IP/9ER) and 19 strikeouts… in three career outings, including two starts, at Guaranteed Rate Field, he has a 1-0 record with a 3.60 ERA (15.0IP/6ER) and four strikeouts.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:

WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have lost five of the last eight games but won 11 of 19 and 17 of 31 as they continue a six-game, seven-day homestand this afternoon vs. Detroit.

RHP Dylan Cease, who has won 10 of his 14 career starts vs, the Tigers, is scheduled to start this afternoon’s game.

The White Sox opened the homestand losing two of three to the Angels, including a 12-5 defeat in Wednesday’s decisive game.

Following tomorrow’s series finale vs. the Tigers and Monday’s off day, the White Sox will take a brief three-game trip to Yankee Stadium from 6/6-8 before returning to Guaranteed Rate Field for a three-game series from 6/9-11 vs. Miami.

The White Sox are in fourth place in the AL Central, 4.0 games behind second-place Detroit and 7.5 behind first-place Minnesota.

The Sox went 3-4 on their last trip from 5/22-28 at Cleveland (2-1) and Detroit (1-3) and 6-3 on their last homestand from 5/12- 21 vs. Houston (1-2), the Guardians (2-1) and Kansas City (3-0).

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The White Sox are 17-14 in the last 31 games since 4/30 following a 7-21 start … Sox pitchers own a 3.34 ERA (69 ER/186.0 IP) in 21 games since 5/11, the fourth-best mark in MLB.

Chicago starters own a 3.67 ERA (46 ER/112.2 IP) and .216 average with 110 strikeouts in the last 21 games (11 QS).

The Sox are hitting .232/.278/.359 with just 10 homers and 64 runs scored (4.3 R/G) over the last 15 games.

The White Sox are 13-8 vs. Detroit at home since the start of 2021 … they have outscored the Tigers by a 90-63 margin.

Dylan Cease is 10-1 with a 2.09 ERA (18 ER/77.1 IP), .219 average, .656 OPS and 96 strikeouts lifetime vs. Detroit (14 GS).

Eloy Jiménez is 20-52 (.385) with three doubles, three homers, 14 RBI and four multihit efforts during his 13-game hitting streak.

LAST NIGHT’S RECAP
The White Sox snapped a scoreless game with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, and five pitchers combined for a six-hitter, in their 3-0 win over the Tigers.

Andrew Benintendi broke the tie with a RBI single in the sixth and Eloy Jiménez added a RBI single later in the frame.

Tim Anderson capped the scoring with a single in the seventh.

Mike Clevinger allowed just three hits with six strikeouts in 5.0 scoreless IP … four relievers combined to work 4.0 scoreless IP … Sox pitchers held Detroit hitless in nine at-bats with RISP.

Jiménez (1-4, RBI) extended his hitting streak to a career-high tying 13 games, Anderson recorded Chicago’s only multi-hit effort and Andrew Vaughn (1-3, BB) reached base twice.

THE TIGER KING
Dylan Cease is 10-1 with a 2.09 ERA (18 ER/77.1 IP), .219 opp. average, .656 OPS and 96 strikeouts over 14 career starts vs. Detroit … seven of the starts have been quality.

His 2.09 ERA is the second-lowest among active pitchers vs. Detroit (min. 75.0 IP) … Mike Clevinger ranks first (1.63).

Cease won his first eight career starts and was unbeaten in his first 11 vs. the Tigers … he received a ND in his last two.

Cease is 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA (7 ER/41.1 IP) and 46 strikeouts (10.02 per 9.0 IP) in seven career outings at Guaranteed Rate Field.

CEASE AND DESTROY
Dylan Cease has gone 13-9 with a 2.57 ERA (57 ER/200.0 IP), .196 opponents average and 224 strikeouts (10.08 per 9.0 IP) over his last 35 starts (19 QS) dating back to 5/29/22.

Since the start of the 2022 season, Cease has allowed one or zero earned runs 27 times, the most in MLB (Ohtani and Urías tied for second with 24) … he set a MLB record with 14 straight starts allowing one earned run or less from 5/29-8/11/22.

ELOY’S GONE STREAKING
Eloy Jiménez is 20-52 (.385) with three doubles, three homers, 14 RBI and four multihit efforts during his 13-game hitting streak.

The streak is tied for the longest of his career (third time, second-longest active in the AL and third-longest active in MLB.

The last White Sox with a 13-plus game hitting streak was Luis Robert Jr. from 7/12-2-8/24/22 (14 games).

RISING TO THE TOP
Following tomorrow’s game, the Sox will play seven consecutive series (22 games) from 6/6-29 vs. teams with winning records.

The stretch of games includes 13 on the road at the Yankees, Dodgers, Seattle and the Angels and nine vs. Miami, Texas and Boston at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Chicago this season is 11-21 vs. teams with a record at or above .500 at the time of the game.

WHITE SOX VS. DETROIT TIGERS
The Tigers have won three of the first five games this season… following this series, the White Sox and Tigers do not play again until 9/1-3 in Chicago and 9/8-10 in Detroit.

The White Sox are hitting .227/.272/.349 with three home runs, own a 4.12 ERA (20 ER/43.2 IP) with one quality start and have outscored the Tigers by a 25-23 margin this season.

The White Sox went 12-7 last season, going 5-5 at home and 7-2 on the road, and outscored the Tigers by a 100-59 margin.

Chicago is 47-24 since the start of the 2019 season and 35-18 since the start of the 2020 season vs. the Tigers.

CENTRAL DIVISION DYNAMICS
Chicago is 13-11 vs. the American League Central, including an 8-2 mark at home … the White Sox have won six of the last seven home games and won all three series in Chicago.

Following this series vs. Detroit, the Sox will not play an AL Central club until after the All-Star break (7/21-23 at Minnesota).

The White Sox went 37-39 in 2022 and 69-47 from 2020-21.

HOME BODY
Jake Burger is hitting .356/.392/.849 (26-73) with four doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 22 RBI, five walks and a 1.242 OPS over 24 games at home this season.

He ranks among the MLB home leaders in home runs (T1st), RBI (T6th), total bases (T7th, 62) and extra-base hits (T11th, 15).

Burger has hit 13 of his 20 career home runs, and 30 of his 42 extra-base hits, Guaranteed Rate Field.

ANDREW, ANDREW … HE’S OUR MAN!
Andrew Vaughn is slashing .383/.446/.872(18-47) with nine doubles, four homers and 34 RBI with RISP and .471/.591/1.000 (8-17) with a homer and 12 RBI with RISP/two outs in 2023.

Vaughn ranks among MLB RISP leaders in slugging pct. (2nd), OPS (4th, 1.319), RBI (T5th), and average (13th).

Vaughn is tied for second in MLB with seven GW RBI, trailing Aaron Judge (nine), and tied for third with 13 go-ahead RBI.

ROTATION SENSATION

White Sox starters own a 3.67 ERA (46 ER/112.2 IP), .216 opp. average and 110 strikeouts over the last 21 games since 5/11 … they rank second in MLB in average and fourth in OPS (.682).

Starters have allowed three runs or less 15 times, two or less 11 times and one or less seven times … the rotation since 5/11:
W-L ERA WHIP QS IP H R ER HR BB SO SO/9.0 AVG OPS
9-6 3.67 1.21 11 112.2 89 50 46 15 47 110 8.8 .216 .682

POSTING PUNCHOUTS
White Sox pitchers rank third in the major leagues with 544 strikeouts in 2023, trailing Minnesota (564) and Houston (559).

Sox starters rank second in MLB with 332 SO, 20 behind the Twins (352) … relievers rank eighth in the AL (212 SO).

LONGBALL LOGISTICS
The White Sox have hit 34 homers in their last 31 games since 4/30 and 37 in the last 34 contests (10 multihomer) since 4/27

Chicago is 18-21 when homering, 7-8 when hitting multiple homers and 6-14 when going homerless this season.

SOUTHPAW SUCCESS
Chicago is hitting .318/.373/.521 in the last 22 games vs. LHP.

The White Sox are batting .273/.339/.444 vs. left-handed pitching since the start of the 2019 season … during that span, the Sox lead MLB in average, rank second in on-base percentage and OPS (.783) and fifth in slugging percentage.

Tim Anderson (.350) and Hanser Alberto (.344) rank 1-2 in MLB in average vs. left-handers since the start of 2019.

SEARCHING FOR HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE
The White Sox are 14-15 (.483) at home this season after going 37-44 (.457) in 2022 … by comparison, the Sox were 53- 28 (.654) at home in 2021, the best record in the AL.

Through 29 home games this season, the White Sox have been outscored, 156-127, and outhomered, 49-31.

Jake Burger (10), Luis Robert Jr. (seven) and Andrew Vaughn (five) have combined to hit 22 of the Sox 31 home runs.

STARTER – #84 DYLAN CEASE RHP
CEASE AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his 13th start of the season, seventh at home and second vs. the Detroit Tigers.

Needs one win for 40 in his career.

Has allowed one run or less while tossing 5.0-plus IP in 24 starts since 2022 … the 24 starts are the most in baseball ahead of the Dodgers’ Julio Urías (23) and the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani (21).

Is 1-3 with a 6.02 ERA (31 ER/46.1 IP) and .285 (53-186) opponents average in his last nine starts.

The White Sox are 6-6 in his starts this season … has recorded five quality starts.

According to STATS, he is the fastest White Sox pitcher to reach 600 career strikeouts (495.1 IP).

Ranks fifth in MLB since 2021 in strikeouts (521) and SO/9.0 IP (11.37), is tied for fifth in wins (30) and ranks 11th in opponents average (.212).

Was the 2022 AL Cy Young Award runner up and has been named American League Pitcher of the month twice in his career (June and July 2022).

LAST START
Received a no decision on 5/28 at Detroit, allowing four runs on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts over 4.0 IP … surrendered a grand slam to Akil Baddoo in the fourth inning.

Departed the game in the fifth with the White Sox trailing, 4-1 … threw 102 pitches (64 strikes) … the Sox took a 5-4 lead after scoring four times in the seventh, but the Tigers would tie the game in the ninth … Chicago would go on to lose, 6-5, in 10 innings.

Owned a 70.0 first-strike percentage and 7.8 swinging-strike percentage (nine swing and misses) vs. 20 batters … threw 44 four-seam fastballs (95.7 mph avg; 97.3 mph max), 35 sliders (86.9 avg; 89.6 max), 19 knuckle curveballs (80.3 avg; 81.7 max) and four changeups (75.3 avg; 78.2 max).

35TH AND SHIELDS
Is 5-5 with a 2.21 ERA (28 ER/114.0 IP), .195 (80-411) opponents average and 121 strikeouts in his last 19 starts at home dating back to 5/29/22 … his 2.21 ERA is the eighth-lowest by a White Sox pitcher over a 18-start span in Guaranteed Rate Field history.

Owns a 15-9 record, 2.99 ERA (83 ER/249.2 IP), .202 (183-904) opponents average and 300 strikeouts in 45 starts (23 quality) at Guaranteed Rate Field since 2020.

Ranks among American League home leaders since 2020 in strikeouts (2nd), ERA (5th), opponents average (5th) and wins (T9th).

LIGHTS OUT IN THE SUN
Is 10-5 with a 2.04 ERA (31 ER/136.2 IP), .188 (94-500) opponents average and 166 strikeouts (10.93 per 9.0 IP) over 24 day starts since the start of last season.

His 2.04 ERA in day games since 2022 is the seventh-lowest among MLB pitchers (min. 10 day starts).

UNDER PRESSURE
Opponents are hitting .245 (13-53) with RISP, .207 (6-29) with RISP/two outs and .222 (2-9) with the bases loaded this season.

Owns a career .212 (93-439) opponents average with RISP, the fifth-lowest mark in the majors since 2019.

THE 2023 OPENER
Was the 70th pitcher and 41st right-hander to start on Opening Day for the White Sox.

Became the first White Sox to start OD following a Top 2 Cy Young finish since Jack McDowell in 1994 … McDowell won the American League Cy Young in 1993.

Tied a franchise OD record with 10 strikeouts (also McDowell in 1991).

Joined Walter Johnson (1916), Mike Mussina (1998) and Jared Weaver (2012) as the only pitchers in MLB history to record 10-plus strikeouts and no walks on OD.

VS. DETROIT TIGERS || A.L. CENTRAL
Is scheduled to make his 15th career start against the Detroit Tigers and eighth at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Has allowed three runs or less in all seven of his starts vs. the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field and two or less in six.

Went 10-0 over his first 11 starts against the Tigers … per Elias, is one of three pitchers in Sox history to win his first 10-plus decisions against a team, joining Red Faber (12 vs. St. Louis-AL, 1914-16) and Gary Peters (10 vs. Kansas City, 1963-65) … went 8-0 in his first eight starts, becoming the first Sox pitcher to win his first eight starts against an opponent, and the first in MLB to accomplish the feat since Jamie Moyer won his first 10 against Florida from 2006-08.

Is 2-2 with a 6.03 ERA (21 ER/31.1 IP), .250 (31-124) opponents average and 32 strikeouts in six starts vs. the American League Central this season.

MLB Preview: Tampa Bay Rays (40-18) at Boston Red Sox (29-27) Double-Header

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MLB Preview: Tampa Bay Rays (40-18) at Boston Red Sox (29-27) Double-Header

TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:

BATTLING BACK — Tampa Bay avoided its first series sweep of the season on Wednesday afternoon at Wrigley Field, defeating the Cubs, 4-3, with a late-inning comeback win… trailing 2-0 with two outs in the seventh inning, 2B Brandon Lowe (1-for-4, HR, 2RBI) tied the game with a two-run homer…after Tampa Bay surrendered one run in the bottom of seventh frame, CF Jose Siri (1-for-3, HR, 2RBI, BB) put the Rays ahead, 4-3, with a two-run homer of his own…LHP Jalen Beeks inherited a bases-loaded jam with one out in the ninth inning, but struck out 2B Miles Mastrobuoni and got C Yan Gomes to fly out to left field, securing the 4-3 victory.

Jose Siri has 10 HR on the year, including seven in his last 15 games dating back to 5/12…Siri hit 7 HR in 104 games in 2022 between Houston (3HR, 48G) and Tampa Bay (4 HR, 56G).

Brandon Lowe has a team-best four game-tying/go-ahead home runs in the seventh inning or later this season (5/17 at NYM, 4/21 vs. CWS and 4/10 vs. BOS)… the four such homers are tied with STL Nolan Gorman and MIA Jorge Soler for the MLB lead.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS — Yesterday, the Rays acquired RHP Robert Stephenson from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for INF Alika Williams.

DOUBLE DIP — Today’s series-opening doubleheader at Boston marks Tampa Bay’s first twin bill of the 2023 season…the Rays last played a doubleheader in Boston on 6/8/19, splitting the twin bill…today marks the ninth time in franchise history the Rays have played a doubleheader at Fenway Park (6/8/19, 5/1/14, 6/18/13, 8/16/11, 9/13/09, 4/29/04, 7/23/02 and 9/21/98); they have gone 6-10 in those games.

Tampa Bay played two doubleheaders last season, both coming in Toronto at Rogers Centre…Tampa Bay took both games on 7/2 and notched a split on 9/13.

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.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING — With Wednesday’s win over the Cubs, the Rays avoided their first sweep of the season…they were last swept from 10/3-5, 2022 at Boston…the Rays are 12-5-1 in series play this season, including 9-1-0 at home and 3-4-1 on the road…have gone 0-3-1 over their last four road series dating back to 5/8, posting a 5-8 mark overall as a visitor in that span.

The Rays are currently the only major league club that has not had a losing streak of 3+ games in 2023.

CLOSE SHAVES — Nineteen of Tampa Bay’s last 27 games have been decided by two or fewer runs, including 16 one-run games in that span…this comes after just six of Tampa Bay’s first 31 games were decided by two or fewer runs.

On the season, Tampa Bay is 11-10 in one-run games, tied with Cleveland (11-16) for the most one-run wins among AL clubs…the Rays have played in five straight one-run games, their longest such streak since 6/15-19, 2022 (5G).

FRIENDLY CONFINES — Brandon Lowe is a career .335 (52-for-155) hitter in 48 games against Boston, tallying nine doubles, one triple, 16 HR and 36 RBI…in 17 games at Fenway Park, he is batting .436 (24-for-55) with five doubles, 6 HR and 16 RBI.

Since 2018, among batters with at least 100 PA against the Red Sox, Lowe ranks among league leaders in OBP (1st, .435), OPS (1st, 1.169), SLG (2nd, .716), at-bats per HR (2nd, 9.69), HR (3rd), extra-base hits (T7th) and RBI (T8th).

THE BOY WANDER — Wander Franco has strung together a seven-game hitting streak, matching his longest of the season (also: 5/5-11)…he is batting .462 (12-for-26) with one triple, 6 RBI, five walks and only three strikeouts in that span…he also has six stolen bases during the streak, bringing his season total to 20, third most in MLB behind OAK Esteury Ruiz (28SB) and ATL Ronald Acuña Jr. (23SB)…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.

Franco’s 3.5 bWAR leads the majors, ahead of TOR Bo Bichette (3.3).

In addition to ranking third among major league shortstops in average (.298) and OPS (.844), Franco leads all SS in defensive runs saved (9), ahead of CHC Dansby Swanson (7) and COL Ezequiel Tovar (7), according to FanGraphs.

CAN’T CATCH ME — The Rays have stolen 25 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 25 straight bases was San Francisco (28 SB) from 6/18-8/24, 2022…the Rays have been successful on 39 of their last 41 stolen base attempts (95.1%) overall since 5/14 after opening the season 38-for-52 (73.1%).

Tampa Bay’s 77 stolen bases are the most by any major league club through 58 games since the 2009 Rays (91SB).

On the season, Tampa Bay leads the majors in both steals (77) and stolen base attempts (93) while ranking seventh in stolen base pct. (82.8%).

THE BAY BOMBERS — The Rays have hit a major league-best 103 home runs, tied for the fourth-most long balls through a club’s first 58 games in MLB history (since 1901), trailing only the 1999 Seattle Mariners (118HR), 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers (113HR) and 2019 Minnesota Twins (109HR)…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, tied with New York-AL for the MLB lead; 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.

BEANTOWN REPORT — The Rays and Red Sox meet for the fifth time this season and for the first time at Fenway Park…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 46-25 (.648) against the Red Sox, including a 19-12 (.613) 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).

GAME 1 SCHEDULED PITCHER: RHP COOPER CRISWELL(1-1, 6.46)
OPENING ACT — RHP Trevor Kelley will start the first game of today’s doubleheader as an opener with RHP Cooper Criswell scheduled to follow…will mark his third career start, including his second on the road (also 5/12 at NYY)…will be making his first career appearance against the Red Sox…has pitched to a 2.25 ERA (4.0IP, 1ER) in his two starts compared to a 6.43 ERA (7.0IP, 5ER) in six relief appearances.

KELLEY CHRONICLES — Over his first three games with the Rays, Kelley recorded a 9.00 ERA (5.0IP, 5ER)…over his last five outings since, the righty has a 1.50 ERA (6.0IP, 1ER), with his only blemish in that span being a solo homer by Miguel Vargas on 5/27 vs. Los Angeles-NL…on the season, four of the six runs he’s allowed have come via the 3 HR against him.

Has held opponents to a .185 average (5-for-27) in plate appearances that end with his sweeper, including three strikeouts.

CALLING ON CRISWELL — The right-hander is scheduled to make his seventh career appearance today, including his fifth of 2023…was recalled earlier today as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader, his third stint with the Rays this season (also: 4/17-22, 5/21-27)…opponents are batting .207 (6- for-29) against him the first time through the order, compared to .394 (13- for-33) the second and third times through…opposing hitters are 3-for-32 (.094) against him in two-strike counts.

IN THE WIN COLUMN — Earned his first major league win on 5/26 vs. Los Angeles-NL after tossing 4.0 innings of one-run ball in relief during Tampa Bay’s 9-3 victory (4.0IP, 4H, 1ER, 3BB, 4SO)…allowed his only run of the evening on a third-inning RBI-single by J.D. Martinez…three of his four strikeouts in the outing came via his sinker; entering the day, only two of his 11 punchouts this season had been produced on the pitch.

BEANTOWN RUNDOWN — Today will mark Criswell’s first career appearance against the Red Sox…he has made one previous appearance against an AL East club, allowing one run over 3.1 innings of work on 9/12/22 at Toronto (3.1IP, 2H, 1ER, BB, 4SO).

K’S FOR COOPER — In his season debut on 4/17 at CIN, Criswell entered in the fifth inning and fanned seven batters with zero walks (4.0IP, 4H, 4ER, 7SO, 2HBP)…he became the sixth Rays reliever to strike out 7+ batters without a walk, including the first since Robert Dugger on 5/1/22 vs. MIN (7SO, 0BB).

2023 RECAP — Criswell received a non-roster invitation to Rays Spring Training, turning in a 0.79 ERA (11.1IP, 1ER) over six appearances (2 starts) during Grapefruit League play…began the season with Triple-A Durham, going 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA (11.2IP, 4ER) in three appearances before the Rays selected his contract on 4/17…he made a pair of major league appearances before being optioned to Durham on 4/22…he was recalled again from 5/21- 27 before re-joining the Rays today as the 27th man for today’s twin bill.

GAME 2 STARTER: RHP TYLER GLASNOW (0-0, 6.23)

ALL G(L)AS NO BRAKES — The right-hander makes his second start of the season in today’s nightcap at Fenway Park, including his first road outing of 2023…made two regular season starts in 2022 after recovering from Tommy John surgery before earning the starting nod in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series at Cleveland…suffered a left oblique strain during a Spring Training practice on 2/27 and was placed on the 15-day injured list on 3/29 (retro 3/27) before being reinstated on 5/27.

HE’S BACK — Made his first major league start of the season and his first home start since 6/8/21 in Tampa Bay’s 6-5 loss to Los Angeles-NL on 5/27 (4.1IP, 5H, 3ER, BB, 8SO, HR)…yielded a lead-off HR to Max Muncy in the second frame before the Dodgers added a pair of runs in the fourth on an RBI-double and a wild pitch…he recorded a 45.4 pct. whiff rate in the outing

SHIPPING UP TO BOSTON — In eight career starts against Boston, Glasnow is 2-1 with a 3.83 ERA (42.1IP, 18ER), holding Red Sox hitters to a .217 average (34-for-157) while recording 11.91 SO/9.0 IP…this includes a 1-1 mark and a 4.00 ERA (27.0IP, 12ER) in five starts at Fenway Park.

Following his recovery from Tommy John surgery, he made his second and final start of the 2022 season on 10/3/22 at Boston, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings (3.2IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 7SO).

Glasnow is 8-6 with a 4.03 ERA (147.1IP, 66ER) in 29 career starts against AL East clubs, recording a 32.7 pct. strikeout rate, his second-highest mark against any division, behind the AL West (38.2%).

ROAD TRIPPIN’ — Today’s outing marks Glasnow’s first road start of the campaign; his most recent outing on the road also came at Fenway Park on 10/3/22…has held opponents to a .196 batting average in his career as a visitor, fourth-lowest among active pitchers (min. 200.0IP on the road) behind KC Aroldis Chapman (.179), PHI Craig Kimbrel (.183) and BOS Kenley Jansen (.183).

BOSTON RED SOX NOTES:

STATE OF THE SOX: The Red Sox defeated CIN on Thursday to avoid being swept and snap a 3-game losing streak. The Sox are 3-7 in their last 10 games, losing 2 of their last 3 series (0-3 at LAA, 2-1 at ARI, 1-2 vs. CIN). At 29-27 (.518), the Sox rank 5th in the AL East and are 3.5 games back from the AL’s 3rd Wild Card spot.

BANGED: Last night’s game vs TB was postponed due to persistent rain and thunderstorms in the Fenway area. The game was rescheduled for Monday, 6/5, at 4:10 p.m. It was the Red Sox’ 1st postponement since Opening Day 2022 (4/7 at NYY)…It was their 1st postponement at Fenway Park since 8/22/21 vs. TEX. 6/5 was a scheduled off-day for the Sox…They will now play 13 games in the next 12 days, through 6/14, and 23 games in the next 23 days, through 6/25.

LET’S PLAY TWO: Today marks the Red Sox’ 1st scheduled doubleheader since 8/30/1978 vs. TOR…That year, they played 4 scheduled doubleheaders (also 4/23, 5/28, 7/16). The Red Sox are 5-7 in doubleheader games since the start of 2022, splitting 3 of their 6 twin bills since then. The Sox’ last swept a doubleheader on 4/14/21 at MIN…They were last swept on 8/17/21 vs. NYY. The last time the Red Sox swept a doubleheader at
Fenway Park was on 6/18/13 vs. TB.

SOX & RAYS: The Red Sox were swept by the Rays in a 4-game series at Tropicana Field from 4/10-13. 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. BOS went 6-3 at home vs. TB last season…They swept the Rays in a 3-game series here from 10/3-5/22.

EASTERN STANDARD: The Red Sox are 7-7 vs. AL East opponents this season, including 6-1 at Fenway Park. 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: The Red Sox are currently in a span of 26 games in 27 days, from 5/30-6/25 (1-2 so far). 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 19 games against opponents with a current winning percentage of .500 or better, tied for 3rd most in MLB (TB-22, TOR-22). The Red Sox are 19-19 (.500) against teams that currently have a .500 winning percentage or better. 7 of the Sox’ next 10 series, through 7/6, are against opponents who are currently above .500 (vs. TB, at NYY, vs. NYY, at MIN, vs. MIA, at TOR, vs. TEX).

UPS AND DOWNS: The Red Sox are 16-13 in their last 29 games, beginning 4/29…That span includes the Sox’ 2 longest winning streaks of the season (8 games, 4/29-5/6 and 4 games, 5/15-20) and 2 season-high-tying 4-game losing streaks (5/12-15 and 5/21-24).

WHERE WE LEFT OFF: The Red Sox beat the Reds Thursday night, 8-2, scoring 6 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning. In the 8th inning, Rafael Devers hit an RBI double, Kiké Hernández hit a 2-run single, and Connor Wong hit a 2-run HR…Hernández also hit a solo HR in the 7th. Red Sox relievers allowed 1 R over the final 5.1 innings (2 H, 2 BB, 5 SO) after Chris Sale (3.2 IP, 5 H, R, B, 6 SO) was removed due to left shoulder soreness.

SERIES BUSINESS: The Red Sox lost their 3-game series vs. CIN to fall to 11-6-1 in series play, including 6-3-0 at home. The Sox are 3-3-1 in their last 7 series, beginning 5/9. They are 7-3-0 in series against AL opponents.

PITCHING IN: Red Sox pitchers have allowed 4 ER or fewer in 12 of their last 14 games, posting a 3.27 ERA and .208 opponent AVG in that span (44 ER/121.0 IP, 94-for-452). Over that 14-game span, beginning 5/16, the Sox own MLB’s 2nd-best opponent AVG and 4th-best ERA. During that span, Sox relievers rank 2nd in MLB in WHIP (0.99) and 3rd in opponent AVG (.178), while Sox starters rank 5th in ERA (3.42) Red Sox starting pitchers have allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 11 of their last 13 games.

SLUGGING SOX: The Red Sox rank in MLB’s top 5 in runs scored (4th, 293), AVG (5th, .264), OBP (3rd, .333), SLG (5th, .436), OPS (5th, .769), doubles (2nd, 126), and XBH (4th, 195). BOS has hit 2 HR in each of the last 2 games following a season-long streak of 9 games without multiple HR. With RISP, the Sox lead MLB in SO% (18.2) and rank 2nd in AVG (.297) and OBP (.377).

SOX STRIKEOUTS: Red Sox batters have struck out 446 times, 2nd fewest in the AL and 5th fewest in MLB. The Sox struck out 10+ times in each of their 9 games vs. ARI, ATL, and TB (11.4 SO/game) but have done so just 5 times in their other 47 games (7.3 SO/game).

HOME COOKING: The Red Sox are 16-13 at Fenway Park…They’re 3-6 in their last 9 games at the venue, after going 11-3 in their previous 14. The Sox have averaged 10.4 hits per game at home, 0.8 more than the closest team (COL-9.6).

RED SOX IN HOME GAMES
Stat MLB Rank
6.1 R/game 2nd
10.5 H/game 1st
4.1 XBH/game 1st
123 wRC+ 4th
Stat MLB Rank
.296 AVG 1st
.360 OBP 1st
.489 SLG 4th
.849 OPS 1st

ON THE MEND: Christian Arroyo (SS) and Adam Duvall (CF) both played the entirety of Triple-A Worcester’s game last night at Louisville…Duvall went 1-for-3 with a solo HR and a walk. Arroyo has played in 6 games for the WooSox, making 3 starts at 2B and 2 as the DH, and 1 at SS and going 5-for-23 (.263 AVG, 2B, RBI). Duvall has made 2 starts in CF and 1 as the DH for the WooSox, going 1-for-9 (HR, BB).

TODAY’S STARTER: 22 GARRETT WHITLOCK – RHP
W-L ERA G GS IP ER HR BB SO WHIP AVG
2023 2-2 5.14 4 4 21.0 12 5 3 15 1.19 .278
CAREER 14-8 3.02 81 13 172.2 58 21 35 178 1.08 .233

Earned the win on Saturday at ARI (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 SO, HR)…It was his 1st MLB outing since 4/22 at MIL…Was reinstated from the 15-Day IL prior to the game (right elbow ulnar neuritis). Threw a career-high 35 changeups on last Saturday at ARI…In at-bats ending with the pitch, opponents were 2-for-12 with 3 SO. Allowed 5 runs over 5.0 IP in his last start vs. TB on 4/11 (L, 8 H, 5 SO, 3 HR). Has walked only 3 of his 83 batters faced (3.6%)…Ranks in MLB’s 94th percentile in BB%, as well as in the 99th percentile in extension. Among Red Sox pitchers in the Live Ball Era (min. 150.0 IP), ranks 11th in ERA (3.02) and 5th in SO/BB ratio (5.09) behind only Koji Uehara (7.86), Chris Sale (6.25), Pedro Martinez (5.45), and Curt Schilling (5.31).

NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 Preview: Florida Panthers (0-0) at Vegas Golden Knights (0-0)

NHL Editor
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NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 Preview: Florida Panthers (0-0) at Vegas Golden Knights (0-0)

FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:

BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT

  • F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 16
    Total Playoff Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 27
    Total Regular Season Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 239

LAST GAME
Panthers 4, Hurricanes 3 – May 24 – FLA Live Arena
FLA Goals: Duclair (3), Tkachuk (8-PPG), Lomberg (1), Tkachuk (9-PPG)
CAR Goals: Stastny (4), Teravainen (1), Fast (6)
FLA Goalie: Bobrovsky (W) – 36 Saves
CAR Goalie: Andersen (L) – 20 Saves
FLA Shots: 24
CAR Shots: 39
Notes: Matthew Tkachuk became the first Panthers skater to score 2 PPGs in a playoff game since Stephen Weiss (ECQF G2, April 15, 2012 vs. NJD) including at 19:55 of the 3rd period (tying the NHL record for latest series-clinching regulation goal) to propel the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1996…Florida swept an opponent for the first time in franchise history, and captured a series win at FLA Live Arena for the first time since the club relocated there from Miami Arena… The Panthers became the third team in NHL history to eliminate three of the NHL’s top four teams in the same postseason…The Cats extended their win streak to five games, all of which have been won by Sergei Bobrovsky…Bobrovsky owned a 4-0 record, .966 save percentage and 1.12 goals against average in the ECF against CAR…Tkachuk extended his point streak to four games (4-1-5)…Sam Reinhart notched an assist to extend his point streak to three games (1-2-3)…Ryan Lomberg scored his first goal of the postseason…The game marked Florida’s eighth consecutive contest decided by one goal…FLA PP: 2-4, FLA PK: 4-4

RECENT TRANSACTIONS:

  • May 8: F Mackie Samoskevich agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract

PANTHERS vs. GOLDEN KNIGHTS
ALL-TIME vs. VGK: 4-5-1
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. VGK: 0-4-1
2022-23 vs. VGK: 1-1-0

ROUND 1 – FLA (4) vs. BOS (3)
GAME 1 – FLA 1, BOS 3
GAME 2 – FLA 6, BOS 3
GAME 3 – BOS 4, FLA 2
GAME 4 – BOS 6, FLA 2
GAME 5 – FLA 4, BOS 3 [OT]
GAME 6 – BOS 5, FLA 7
GAME 7 – FLA 4, BOS 3 [OT]

ROUND 2 – FLA (4) vs. TOR (1)
GAME 1 – FLA 4, TOR 2
GAME 2 – FLA 3, TOR 2
GAME 3 – TOR 2, FLA 3 [OT]
GAME 4 – TOR 2, FLA 1
GAME 5 – FLA 3, TOR 2 [OT]

ECF – FLA (4) vs. CAR (0)
GAME 1 – FLA 3, CAR 2 [4OT]
GAME 2 – FLA 2, CAR 1 [OT]
GAME 3 – CAR 0, FLA 1
GAME 4 – CAR 3, FLA 4

BACK TO THE FINAL
The Florida Panthers return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in franchise history and first since 1996. Four skaters on the Panthers roster have competed in a Stanley Cup Final previously – Eric Staal (2006 w/ CAR, 2021 w/ MTL), Marc Staal (2014 w/NYR), Carter Verhaeghe (2020 w/ TBL) and Patric Hornqvist (2016 & 2017 w/ PIT). Eric Staal (’06), Verhaeghe and Hornqvist (’16 & ’17) captured the NHL’s championship. Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice coached the 2002 Carolina Hurricanes to the Cup Final. Panthers Assistant Coach Jamie Kompon won the Cup as an assistant coach with LAK in 2012, and Sylvain Lefebvre captured it with COL as a player in 1996. Eric Staal is expected to skate in his 100th NHL playoff game tonight.

ROAD WARRIORS
The Panthers enter the Stanley Cup Final on an eight-game road win streak dating back to Game 2 at BOS, the longest playoff road win streak in club history and the second-longest in NHL history, behind only the 2012 LAK’s 10-game streak. Over their eight-game road win streak, the Cats have outscored their opponents 29-18, including overtime wins in Games 5 and 7 at Boston, Game 5 at Toronto, and Games 1 & 2 at Carolina. Sergei Bobrovsky has started and won each of Florida’s past seven road games. Matthew Tkachuk leads the team with 12 road points (4-8-12) over the club’s nine away games this postseason, while both Brandon Montour (5-0-5) and Carter Verhaeghe (5-6-11) have each produced a team-high five road goals.

KEEP IT ROLLING
Florida owns an 11-1 record in its past 12 games, with wins in each of its past five contests since Game 5 of Round 2 at TOR. Over that span, the Panthers became the third team in NHL history to eliminate three of the NHL’s top four teams in the same postseason; Matthew Tkachuk has posted 16 points (7-9-16) including four game-winning goals; and Sergei Bobrovsky has registered an 11-1 record, .942 save percentage and 1.95 goals against average. The Cats have won 12 of their 16 contests in the 2023 postseason.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS NOTES:

2023 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – STANLEY CUP FINAL – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. FLORIDA PANTHERS
Golden Knights 2022-23 Regular Season Record: 51-22-9, 111 points (25-15-1 at Home, 26-7-8 on Road)

DATE OPPONENT TIME (PT) TELEVISION RADIO SPANISH RADIO
June 3 vs. Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
June 5 vs. Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
June 8 at Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
June 10 at Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
*June 13 vs. Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
*June 16 at Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
*June 19 vs. Florida Panthers 5 p.m. TNT Fox Sports 98.9 FM/1340 AM Deportes 1460 AM
*If Necessary

VGK/FLA – Regular Season Recap
The Vegas Golden Knights split the regular season series with the Florida Panthers 1-1-0. Vegas and Florida first met in January at TMobile Arena where the Golden Knights erased a 2-1 deficit in the third period to claim a 4-2 win. Nick Cousins and Nicolas Roy each scored to keep the game level but Sam Reinhart scored in the second to give Florida a 2-1 lead heading into the third period. In the final frame, it was all Vegas as Jack Eichel, William Carrier and William Karlsson sealed the 4-2 victory for the Golden Knights. In their second meeting, Florida came out on top and pounced to a 1-0 lead on a Ryan Lomberg goal less than five minutes into the contest. Florida added to the lead four minutes into the middle frame as Aleksandr Barkov made it a 2-0 game. Shea Theodore got the Golden Knights on the board with a power-play goal at 13:23 of the middle period and Vegas went into the third period trailing by a goal. The third passed without a goal as the Panthers captured the 2-1 win.

2022-23 Season FLA Series: 1-1-0 (Home: 1-0-0, Road: 0-1-0)
Date Location Result Goaltenders G

The Road to the Stanley Cup Final
Round 1: Winnipeg Jets (4-1)
The Vegas Golden Knights faced the Winnipeg Jets in the opening round of the 2023 postseason. This was the second time in franchise history the Golden Knights and Jets met in the playoffs and first since Vegas defeated Winnipeg in the Western Conference Final in 2018. After dropping Game 1, 5-1, the Golden Knights bounced back with four straight wins including a thrilling 5-4 double overtime victory on the road with Michael Amadio’s game-winning goal and an explosive 4-1 win in Game 5 to eliminate the Jets from the playoffs.

VGK Series Point Leaders:

  1. Chandler Stephenson – 8 (4G, 4A)
  2. William Karlsson – 5 (4G, 1A)
    Jack Eichel – 5 (3G, 2A)
    Alex Pietrangelo – 5 (0G, 5A)
  3. Brett Howden – 4 (2G, 2A)
    Michael Amadio – 4 (1G, 3A)

Round 2: Edmonton Oilers (4-2)
For the first time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers faced off in the postseason. In a back and forth series, Vegas was victorious in Game 1, seeing scoring from five different skaters to overpower Leon Draisaitl’s four-goal contest. Edmonton took Game 2 by limiting the Vegas to hit the road with the series tied 1-1. Adin Hill stepped in net 12 minutes into Game 3 in relief of Laurent Brossoit due to injury to earn his first career playoff victory. Both teams continued to battle in Edmonton as the
Golden Knights split the road trip, 1-1, and outscoring the Oilers 6-5. Vegas’ three goal period in Game 5 propelled the Golden Knights to a 4-3 victory. In Vegas’ 5-2 win over Edmonton in Game 6, all five goals were scored by original members of the Golden Knights.
Reilly Smith opened the scoring 24 seconds into regulation. In the second period, it was all Jonathan Marchessault as the forward netted three goals to send Vegas ahead, 4-2, into the final period. Then, William Karlsson was able to give the Golden Knights some insurance when he skated to puck to the empty net to make the final score, 5-2.

VGK Series Point Leaders:

  1. Jack Eichel – 9 (3G, 6A)
  2. Jonathan Marchessault – 8 (5G, 3A)
  3. Ivan Barbashev – 6 (3G, 3A)
  4. Reilly Smith – 5 (2G, 3A)
  5. Mark Stone – 4 (2G, 2A)
    Nicolas Roy 4 (1G, 3A)

Western Conference Final: Dallas Stars (4-2)
Vegas burst out to a 3-0 series lead over Dallas have consecutive overtime victories in Games 1 and 2 thanks to the heroics of Brett Howden and Chandler Stephenson. The Golden Knights took over in Game 3 in Dallas as Vegas jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first period and Adin Hill shut the door with his first career playoff shutout to give Vegas the 4-0 victory. The Stars were able to force the Golden Knights to Game 6 with back-to-back wins but Vegas’ offense took over, defeating Dallas 6-0 to become Western Conference Champions for the second time in club history.

VGK Series Point Leaders:

  1. Jonathan Marchessault – 7 (4G, 3A)
  2. William Karlsson – 6 (5G, 1A)
    Ivan Barbashev – 6 (2G, 4A)
  3. Nicolas Roy – 5 (0G, 5A)
  4. Chandler Stephenson – 4 (2G, 2A)
    Keegan Kolesar – 4 (1A, 3A)
    Jack Eichel – 4 (0G, 4A)

Familiar Territory
The Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in their six seasons as a franchise. Vegas is the eighth club in NHL history to advance to the Stanley Cup Final four times in their first six seasons and the third in the past 90 years. The Golden Knights two trips to the Stanley Cup Final since 2017-18 is the second most in the league during that span (Tampa Bady Lightning 3x).

Welcome to Las Vegas
For the first time in postseason history, the Golden Knights will meet the Panthers with Game 1 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. In the five all-time meetings at T-Mobile Arena, Vegas is a perfect 5-0-0 when welcoming Florida to The Fortress.

Magic Number
Vegas is 44-3 all-time when scoring at least three goals in the playoffs, including wins in each of the last 32 such instances. In all four losses this postseason, the Golden Knights have been held to one or two goals.

In the Winning Business
Vegas (50-33 in 83 GP) has a postseason winning percentage of .602, leading all NHL franchises. The Golden Knights’ 50 playoff wins are the second-most in the NHL since 2017-18, trailing only Tampa Bay’s 61 victories.

Comeback Season
The Golden Knights completed their eighth comeback win of the postseason on Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals and became the sixth team in NHL playoff history to do so in four straight games. Vegas has allowed the first goal in 10 of their 17 playoff games this year and holds a record of 7-3 after allowing the first goal in the game.

WNBA Preview: Seattle Storm (0-3) at Los Angeles Sparks (2-2)

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WNBA Preview: Seattle Storm (0-3) at Los Angeles Sparks (2-2)

The Seattle Storm will go on the road Saturday night for the first time in the 2023 season, seeking their first win, when they visit the Los Angeles Sparks.

Home has been anything but friendly for the Storm (0-3), who head into the game looking to reverse an early-season trend of surrendering pivotal runs by their opponent.

After a disastrous opening-game loss to the Las Vegas Aces by 41 points, Seattle has dropped its past two by single digits after falling behind due to big outbursts from its opponents: a 15-6, third-quarter spurt from the New York Liberty on Tuesday, and a 17-0 first-quarter outburst from the Dallas Wings in a May 26 loss.

In their first season following the departures of Sue Bird (retirement) and Breanna Stewart (free agency), the Storm are led by Magbegor and Jewell Loyd. Magbegor leads the team in rebounds (10.3 per game) and steals (2.3), while Loyd tops the team in points (26.0), assists (2.7) and blocks (1.7).

Stewart went for 25 points and 11 rebounds to help hand Seattle its third consecutive loss on Tuesday.

Los Angeles (2-2) won the first leg of its consecutive weekend games, outlasting the host Phoenix Mercury in overtime on Friday, 99-93.

Lexie Brown scored a career-high-tying 26 points, including both the game-tying lay-in with 12.2 seconds remaining in regulation to send the contest to overtime and a clutch 3-pointer with 1:03 to go in the extra frame to extend the Sparks’ lead to four points.

Nneka Ogwumike had 21 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the Los Angeles win, a bounce-back for the Sparks after losing consecutive games to Las Vegas.

Los Angeles also got 16 points and five assists from Jordin Canada, and 11 points from Layshia Clarendon, both of whom returned to the lineup Friday after missing the team’s 93-65 loss at Las Vegas on May 27.

WNBA Preview: Minnesota Lynx (0-6) at Washington Mystics (3-2)

WNBA Editor
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WNBA Preview: Minnesota Lynx (0-6) at Washington Mystics (3-2)

After taking their sixth consecutive loss to begin the season, the Minnesota Lynx are running out of answers ahead of their Saturday road matchup against the Washington Mystics.

Collier dropped a career-best 30 points against the Sun, but her offensive showcase couldn’t override another feeble team defensive effort that has plagued Minnesota’s sluggish start.

In the Thursday loss, the Lynx surrendered season-highs in made field goals (36) and field goal percentage (50.7 percent) and let Sun forward Alyssa Thomas set a Connecticut franchise record with 16 assists.

Minnesota’s porous defense allows 87.8 points per game, the second-worst figure in the WNBA.

The Lynx also will be without No. 2 pick Diamond Miller for the foreseeable future after the rookie sprained her right ankle in the Tuesday game at Dallas. The team announced Friday that Miller, who was averaging 10.4 points per game, “will be re-evaluated in the following weeks.”

Fellow rookie Dorka Juhasz started in Miller’s place against Connecticut and logged seven points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 37 minutes, with all of those figures representing career highs.

Juhasz and her teammates will catch a opponent that is on short rest after Washington held off the visiting Dallas Wings 75-74 on Friday.

The Mystics (3-2) trailed 64-58 with less than seven minutes remaining but used a pair of Elena Delle Donne 3-pointers and crisp free-throw shooting to eke out their second straight win.

Delle Donne, who finished with a game-best 23 points, hit her second 3-pointer in just over a minute to put the Mystics ahead 66-65 with 2:44 remaining after they had coughed up an 11-point, third-quarter lead.

Dallas fought back to tie it at 68 and again at 70, but Ariel Atkins sank all three free throws after she was fouled on a 3-point attempt, putting Washington ahead for good with 25.3 seconds to go.

The Mystics shot 29 of 31 from the foul line overall, including 9 of 9 in the final quarter to seal the game.

NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – June 3, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate: Stanley Cup Final Edition – June 3, 2023

* After 32 teams battled through 1,395 total games – inside 34 arenas, including Prague and Tampere, and outdoors at baseball and football stadiums – the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will leave it all on the ice in a best-of-seven championship showdown to determine which club will hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time.

* The drastically different paths the Golden Knights and Panthers took to the Stanley Cup Final will converge for Game 1 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, but before they take the Las Vegas spotlight GRAMMY-nominated artist and producer Marshmello will perform for fans outside on Toshiba Plaza. The concert begins at 2:45 p.m. PT and will be free and open to the public.

* Golden Knights fans packed the club’s practice facility Friday before the focus shifted to Media Day at T-Mobile Arena ahead of the 66th unique Stanley Cup Final matchup in NHL history, which begins at 8 p.m. ET on TNT, TBS, truTV, Sportsnet, TVAS and CBC.

“JUST GET IN”: GOLDEN KNIGHTS, PANTHERS BLAZE DIFFERENT PATHS TO FINAL

While the Golden Knights and Panthers share a few commonalities – both in the Final for the second time, both in search of their first Stanley Cup and both led in scoring by U.S.-born stars who are in their first season with the club – they reached the championship series via vastly different trajectories.

* Vegas spent 87% of the season as the first-place team in the Pacific Division, including 72% as the top team in the Western Conference and 11 days as the No. 1 team in the entire NHL. They were the first Western Conference club to secure a playoff berth (March 30) and spent all but two of the final 45 days of the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the West. After winning their season opener on a go-ahead goal by Mark Stone with 26 seconds remaining in regulation – scored against now-teammate Jonathan Quick – the Golden Knights maintained a top-three spot in the Pacific for the rest of the season en route to their third division crown and first conference title.

* Florida sat outside the top 20 in the overall NHL standings for nearly as many days as it held a playoff spot in 2022-23 (45 outside top 20, 54 in playoff spot) and slipped as low as 24th in the League standings (during the first five days of January). They sat as many as nine points outside the playoff picture – on Dec. 28, with a record of 15-16-4 (34 points) – but a late surge helped them become the second-last Eastern Conference club to secure a playoff spot. The Panthers, who won the Presidents’ Trophy last season, are the only team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to reach the Final after spending less than 30% of the season in a playoff spot.


FLORIDA SEEKS FIRST-EVER WIN IN BOTH LAS VEGAS AND STANLEY CUP FINAL

Vegas enters Game 1 of its second Stanley Cup Final with a perfect home record against Florida, winning all five head-to-head contests at T-Mobile Arena since 2017-18. The Panthers, meanwhile, take a five-game overall winning streak into their first Final game in 27 years – along with an eight-game road winning streak that stands as the second longest in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. The only other team without a regular-season win in Las Vegas is Washington, though the Capitals do have two victories in Sin City, including a Stanley Cup-clinching win claimed June 7, 2018.

* Vegas goaltender Adin Hill will head into his Stanley Cup Final debut – and his 12th career playoff game – with an active shutout streak of 67:58 dating to the third period Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. A period of perfect play would catapult him into the top eight longest stretches in franchise playoff history.

* While Vegas has gone an entire game without allowing a goal, Florida has gone all of five seconds of game time without one following the late series-clinching tally by Matthew Tkachuk in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final 10 days ago. Tkachuk, who has factored on four straight winning goals and eight overall this postseason (4-4—8), will look to help the Panthers pick up where they left off as they search for their first-ever victory in the Stanley Cup Final.

A QUICK LOOK BACK AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO GAME 1

The only Stanley Cup Final victory between these two franchises came in a Game 1 played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas five years ago. Check out the June 3 edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates for detailed Game 1 trends in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final.

* On May 28, 2018, a back-and-forth opener to the Stanley Cup Final saw the Golden Knights and Capitals trade the lead four times with “Mr. TNT” Ryan Reaves and teammate Tomas Nosek scoring the final three goals of the contest to rally Vegas to victory. It was the first game in Stanley Cup Final history with four lead changes (a feat that has not since been repeated in the round). The Golden Knights improved to 7-1 at T-Mobile Arena in the 2018 Playoffs with that victory, outscoring opponents 31-16 at the time – they now top the NHL with a 6-3 home record (.667 W%) in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* On June 4, 1996, three days after winning Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final against Mario Lemieux and the Penguins, the Panthers descended on McNichols Sports Arena in Denver for their first-ever Stanley Cup Final game. Facing a top-four team from the NHL regular-season standings for the third consecutive series, Florida opened the scoring with a goal by Tom Fitzgerald at 16:51 of the first period but surrendered three tallies in a span of 3:49 during the middle frame. Patrick Roy (25 saves) shut the door the rest of the way – and for the rest of the series, allowing only four goals in 284:31 of total game time – as Colorado came out victorious in what was then the second Stanley Cup Final in the NHL’s modern era (1943-44) to feature two franchises looking for their first championship.

LIVE FROM MEDIA DAY WITH #NHLSTATS

With kids playing street hockey outside and signs cheering on the Golden Knights pressed against the glass inside, Vegas players and coaches took the ice Friday for… practice. The devotion of Golden Knights fans was on full display at the club’s practice facility where they flocked to watch their club skate ahead of Stanley Cup Final Media – their second time hosting in just six NHL seasons.

* Back at T-Mobile Arena, site of three Stanley Cup Final games to date, the Golden Knights and Panthers made the rounds with media ahead of Game 1. For just the second time in NHL history, both teams in the Final are led in scoring by a U.S.-born player: Vegas by Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford, Mass.) and Florida by Matthew Tkachuk (Scottsdale, Ariz.).

* Check out the June 3 edition of #NHLStats: Live Updatesfor more trends, stats and storylines ahead of the second Stanley Cup Final to feature two franchises born since the start of the 1990s.


QUICK CLICKS

* 2023 Stanley Cup Final Trailer

* ‘Quest For The Stanley Cup’ sees Panthers, Golden Knights clinch

* Adin Hill unfazed for Golden Knights entering Cup Final against Panthers

* Matthew Tkachuk enjoying role as face of Panthers heading into Stanley Cup Final

* Marshmello, Lil Jon, Flo Rida to perform in Cup Final concert series

Pirates acquire Alika Williams from Tampa Bay Rays

MLB Editor
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Pirates acquire Alika Williams from Tampa Bay Rays

The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired infielder Alika Williams (pronounced a-LEEK-uh) from the Tampa Bay Rays organization in exchange for right-handed pitcher Robert Stephenson. Williams has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. 

The 24-year-old Williams was hitting .237 (37-for-156) with 11 doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 23 RBI in 42 games with Double-A Montgomery at the time he was acquired by Pittsburgh. Williams received a 65 grade in fielding in MLB Pipeline’s August, 2022, rankings for the Rays organization.   

Tampa Bay selected Williams 37th overall in the Competitive Balance A round of the 2020 First-Year Player out of Arizona State University. He attended Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego where he was teammates with Cal Mitchell. 

The right-handed hitting Williams has a .254 career average (209-for-824) with 39 doubles, four triples, 20 home runs and 131 RBI in 211 games in the minor leagues since making his professional debut in 2021. He has also made 174 appearances (172 starts) and 29 appearances (28 starts) at second base in his minor league career. 

To fill Stephenson’s spot on the 26-man roster, INF Mark Mathias has been recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis. The 40-man roster is now at 37.

Red Sox place left-handed pitcher Chris Sale on 15-day injured list

MLB Editor
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Red Sox place left-handed pitcher Chris Sale on 15-day injured list

Club Reinstates Right-Handed Pitcher Corey Kluber from Paternity List

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Red Sox today placed left-handed pitcher Chris Sale on the 15-Day Injured List due to left shoulder inflammation. In addition, the club reinstated right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber from the Paternity List.

Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom made the announcement.

Sale, 34, has made 11 starts for the Red Sox this season, going 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA (30 ER/59.0 IP). In yesterday’s start against the Cincinnati Reds, he allowed one run on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts in 3.2 innings, before exiting the game in the fourth inning due to left shoulder soreness. The left-hander is 45-27 with a 3.23 ERA (225 ER/627.0 IP) in 106 career games with the Red Sox, and is 119-77 with a 3.08 ERA (370 ER/1,737.0 IP) in 334 career games (254 starts) with the Chicago White Sox (2010-16) and Boston (2017-23).

Kluber, 37, has made nine starts for the Red Sox this season, posting a 6.26 ERA (29 ER/41.2 IP). He last pitched on May 21 in San Diego, allowing five runs (one earned) in 2.1 innings. The right-hander is 115-77 with a 3.39 ERA (613 ER/2,628.1 IP) in 265 career games (260 starts) with Cleveland (2011-19), Texas (2020), the New York Yankees (2021), Tampa Bay, (2022), and Boston (2023).

USFL Game Preview: Michigan Panthers (3-4) vs. New Orleans Breakers (4-3)

UFL Editor
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USFL Game Preview: Michigan Panthers (3-4) vs. New Orleans Breakers (4-3)

Despite boasting one of the best offenses in the USFL, the New Orleans Breakers have lost their last three games after winning four in a row to start the season.

They’ll look to bring that losing streak to an end when they play the Michigan Panthers at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Breakers and Panthers are each fighting for playoff spots in their respective divisions heading into Week 8. New Orleans (4-3) is a game behind South Division leader Birmingham and tied with Memphis and Houston for second place. But the Breakers would not make the playoffs under the USFL’s tie-breaking rules if the season ended today.

A win against the Panthers would not only keep them in the hunt for the playoffs but keep them within striking distance of the Stallions with two games to play in the regular season.

But the Panthers (3-4) have plans of their own, and a playoff bid would be Michigan’s first since the prior version of the league in 1984. After losing four in a row, the Panthers earned their first win since Week 2 with a 25-22 victory against the Generals last week.

They were aided by solid performances from quarterback Josh Love and running back Reggie Corbin, plus a kickoff return for a touchdown from Kaden Davis.

Defensively, the Panthers continue to lean on defensive end Breeland Speaks, who has notched 39 tackles, including seven sacks, through seven weeks of play.

It will be up to Speaks and the defense to try to slow down McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Wes Hills, Sage Surratt and one of the most explosive offenses in the league.

Bethel-Thompson (passing yards), Hills (rushing yards), Surratt (receiving yards) lead the league in three major offensive categories. The Breakers also average a league-leading 342 yards of offense per game, but they have had a hard time scoring points over the last three weeks.

After scoring 20-plus points in each of the first four weeks of the season, the Breakers have averaged just 13.3 points per game over the last three. Alternatively, the Panthers have scored at least 24 points in every one of their wins this season and averaged just 10.75 PPG in each of their four losses.

This might simply be a game where the first team to score 20 points wins as they chase the chance to play in the postseason.

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