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NWSL Match Preview: North Carolina Courage (3-3-2) at Racing Louisville FC (2-2-4)

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NWSL Match Preview: North Carolina Courage (3-3-2) at Racing Louisville FC (2-2-4)

Lynn Family Stadium | Louisville, Kentucky – Saturday, May 27 at 8:00 PM ET

Players to watch:

Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo has been on fire this season and scored and collected an assist against Kansas City on Saturday, bringing her to three goals and two assists in seven games this regular season. In 22 games in her rookie year last year, DeMelo contributed six goals (4 scored, 2 assists) and never had more than one goal contribution in a game. At the back, goalkeeper Katie Lund is still holding it down between the posts and leads the league in saves (35) and sits second in saves per game (4.38).

North Carolina forward Tyler Lussi attempted seven shots against Angel City on Saturday but failed to score. The only other player in NWSL this season to attempt at least that many shots without scoring in the game is Chicago Red Stars rookie Penelope Hocking against Racing Louisville earlier in May (8 shot attempts with no goals). In goal, shotstopper Casey Murphy has helped the Courage defense to allow just nine goals over its eight games, giving her a GAA of 1.19 that stands fourth-best in the league. 

Match facts: Racing Louisville FC faces the North Carolina Courage in what will sure to be an entertaining matchup, as new Racing stars Abby Erceg and Carson Pickett will line up against their former side and Louisville looking to extend a two-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Courage enter riding a four-game unbeaten streak (W2 D2) in which forward Tyler Lussi has scored twice, both times netting the winner. Racing currently sits in 7th place with 10 points (W2 D4 L2), while North Carolina sits in 6th place with 11 points (W3 D2 L3).

Racing Louisville is on a three-match winning streak in all competitions, the longest in franchise history. Two of those wins have come in league play, matching the teams’ longest regular season winning streak, done just twice before. The hosts have performed well at home, too, where they remain unbeaten through three games (W1 D2).

Meanwhile, the Courage are unbeaten in five straight in all competitions (W2 D3), with all four matches in May taking place at home. North Carolina’s last match on the road was April 28 in Houston, a 1-0 victory in a match that ended after 52 minutes due to inclement weather. That result was also the Courage’s only road win in all competitions this season (D1 L2). 

North Carolina has won all six meetings with Racing Louisville since Louisville joined the league in 2021: all five league matches and a Challenge Cup match. There is one other matchup in that time in which one team has won every game: Portland over Racing (min. 5 meetings).

NWSL Match Preview: Angel City FC (2-3-3) at OL Reign (4-3-1)

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NWSL Match Preview: Angel City FC (2-3-3) at OL Reign (4-3-1)

Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington – Saturday, May 27 at 3:30 PM ET

Players to watch:

OL Reign forward Jordyn Huitema scored OL Reign’s lone goal against Gotham on Sunday in the 77thminute. Ten of the Reign’s 15 goals in all NWSL competitions this year have been scored in the final 30 minutes of matches, as they’ve outscored opponents, 10-1, after the hour mark this year. Huitema is now tied for the team’s lead in the scoring department with forward Bethany Balcer and midfielder Jess Fishlock with three goals each, but only Balcer has also added an assist as she leads the club with four total goal contributions. 

Angel City won 62.1 percent of its aerial duels against North Carolina on Saturday (18/29), with forward Katie Johnson winning 10 of her 15 aerial duels in the match. Johnson’s 10 aerial duel wins are the most by any player in an NWSL math this season and the most by an Angel City player in club history. Though Angel City are led by forward Alyssa Thompson in scoring with three to her name in her first professional season, one of the club’s challenges will be finding the back of the net for the first time in what is eclipsing 225 minutes of play. 

Match facts: OL Reign welcomes Angel City FC for the first of three Saturday night encounters across the league, with OL Reign looking to reverse their fortunes after two straight league losses, while Angel City’s task is different after two consecutive shutouts who instead produced a draw against North Carolina in its last time out (L1). OL Reign currently sit 5th in the league table on 13 points (W4 D1 L3), while Angel City sits 9th on 9 points (W2 D3 L3).

OL Reign conceded three goals before halftime of a home match for the first time in club history in its 4-1 loss to Gotham on Sunday. That pushes the side to two straight losses, one of which was at home to end the club’s three-match winning streak at Lumen Field to start the year. The Reign have lost three straight regular season matches just once since the start of the 2014 season, doing so in May-June 2021.

Angel City is unbeaten in its last four away matches in all NWSL competitions (W1 D3), including drawing each of the last three. Since last August, Angel City has lost only three of its 11 road games (W2 D6) in all NWSL competitions, as only the Reign and Dash (2 each) have fewer road defeats in that time.

OL Reign has never lost to Angel City, winning the first five meetings in all competitions before Angel City earned a scoreless draw on May 3 in a Challenge Cup match. The Reign (D1 L5 in 6 games) are one of two NWSL teams Angel City is yet to defeat in all competitions, along with the Dash (D2 in 2 meetings).

NWSL Match Preview: Portland Thorns FC (4-1-3) at San Diego Wave FC (5-3-0)

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NWSL Match Preview: Portland Thorns FC (4-1-3) at San Diego Wave FC (5-3-0)

Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California – Friday, May 26 at 10:00 PM ET

Players to watch:

San Diego forward Alex Morgan recorded a goal and an assist in San Diego’s win over Houston on Saturday, her 12th regular season game with at least one of each, surpassing Lynn Williams for second-most in league history behind only Sam Kerr (16). Morgan leads her side in goals with five, with forward Jaedyn Shaw the only multi-goal scorer on the year (3) despite six other players having found the back of the net for the Wave this year.

17-year-old Olivia Moultrie has recorded a goal contribution in four straight games (2 goals, 2 assists), the second player to do so this season alongside teammate Sophia Smith. Moultrie now has 12 career regular season goal contributions at a younger age than any other player has recorded one. Smith currently sits second in scoring for her side with four goals, with teammate Crystal Dunn sitting atop the Thorns’ goal-scoring charts with five goals. 

Match facts: A blockbuster Friday night matchup pits San Diego Wave FC against the Portland Thorns FC, with the hosts San Diego winning two of their last three against the visitors. It’s a matchup with plenty of implications for a packed top of the league standings as well, with San Diego currently third place with 15 points from eight games (W5 L3) while Portland sits in second place, tied with San Diego on 15 points (W4 D3 L1) but edging them out on goal differential (+12 to San Diego’s +5).

San Diego recorded consecutive shutout wins at Kansas City and Houston in its last two NWSL matches. This is the sixth time the Wave have won consecutive matches in all NWSL competitions, though they only managed to make it three in a row once, doing so in their first three regular season games last year.

The Thorns scored three times in the first 16 minutes in their win over Chicago last weekend, the third-fastest a team has reached three goals from kickoff in NWSL history behind two other Thorns performances. Portland’s 22 goals through eight games are five more than any team has had at this stage of a season before.

As mentioned, the Wave have won two of their last three meetings with Portland in all NWSL competitions, including a victory in the Challenge Cup in April. Portland has won only one of its first three visits to San Diego, recording a 1-0 victory in last season’s Challenge Cup in March 2022. 

NWSL Match Preview: Houston Dash (2-3-3) at Kansas City Current (2-6-0)

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NWSL Match Preview: Houston Dash (2-3-3) at Kansas City Current (2-6-0)

Children’s Mercy Park | Kansas City, Kansas – Friday, May 26 at 8:00 PM ET

Players to watch:

Kansas City forward Kristen Hamilton, who made her season debut on Saturday, has scored 10 goals against the Dash in all NWSL competitions, more than any other player against Houston in league history. Hamilton hasn’t found the net in any of her last three matches against the Dash, however. Hamilton has yet to find the back of the net this season as well, with midfielder Debinha leading the team in scoring with four goals and forward Cece Kizer just behind her with three of her own.

Houston forward Ebony Salmon scored her first goal of the regular season when the side earned a 2-1 win over Portland at home on May 13. Salmon’s scoring record since her trade from Louisville to Houston last July has her sitting amongst the best in the league now, though teammates María Sánchez and Joelle Andersonare the only other players to have scored non-penalty goals through the club’s eight games played. Forward Diana Ordóñez is the only Dash player to have scored from the spot though, converting her attempt against Chicago back on April 1. 

Match facts: The Kansas City Current kick off a full slate of games across the league’s regular season this weekend as they host the Houston Dash at Children’s Mercy Park for a Friday night matchup. Kansas City currently sits 11th in the league standings, having collected 6 points from 8 games, while the Houston Dash sit one place above them in 10th place having collected 9 points from their 8 games.

The Current have lost four straight matches in all competitions following a three-match winning streak in April. Beginning with last season’s Championship match against Portland, Kansas City has lost eight of their last 11 games (W3) after losing just two of their previous 19 (W12 D5). At home, the Current have won two and lost three – including their last two, both of which were 2-0 losses to San Diego and Louisville, respectively. 

Meanwhile, Houston is winless in its last three road matches (D2 L1) and has scored just one goal over the three games. The last time the Dash scored fewer goals in a three-game span on the road was in September 2019 when the team was held scoreless in three straight. However, Houston has also only lost one of their four road matches this year to date (W1 D2), giving them hopes when heading to Kansas City on Friday. 

Between the two, Kansas City has won three straight matches in all competitions against the Dash, all in Houston, including a 2-0 victory in the Challenge Cup in April. The last time these teams met in Kansas City in May last year, Houston were the victors with a 2-0 result. 

MLB Preview: San Francisco Giants (24-25) at Milwaukee Brewers (27-22)

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MLB Preview: San Francisco Giants (24-25) at Milwaukee Brewers (27-22)

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Giants open a four game set in Milwaukee tonight as they continue their two-city trip after taking two of three games in Minnesota earlier this week… despite yesterday’s loss, San Francisco has won of seven of its last nine games.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS: After going 11- 15 (.423) in April, the Giants have gone 13-9 (.591) over 22 games in May, which is the third-best winning percentage in the National League behind the Dodgers (15-7, .682) and Diamondbacks (13-8, .619).

OPENING ACT: LHP Scott Alexander will start the game for the Giants tonight…he’s 4-0 with a 4.42 ERA in 21 appearances out of the ‘pen and has allowed just one earned run over his last nine outings, posting a 1.08 ERA and a 0.48 WHIP…last season he served as the opener for San Francisco four times and held opponents scoreless in all four games (4.1ip)…it marks his first time opening this season and it’s the Giants fourth time using an opener this year…Brebbia opened each of the other three games with the Giants going 2-1 in those contests.

RISP MANAGEMENT: The Giants struggled with runners in scoring position yesterday going 2-for-16 and left a season-high 15 men on base…it marked the most men they have left on base in a game since leaving 17 runners on base on September 3, 2021 vs. Los Angeles-NL…according to SIS, yesterday marked the first time in 38 years that the Giants left 15 men on base and scored only 1 run in a 9-inning game…the last time it happened was against the Astros in 1985 with Joe Niekro beating Bill Laskey.

KEEP THE RUNS COMING: The Giants have not been shutout by the Brewers in their last 71 meetings, their longest active such streak against any opponent…the last time San Francisco went 70 straight games or longer without getting shutout against a single opponent was against the Diamondbacks between 2010 and 2014 (74 games straight) (Stats, LLC).

BE LIKE MIKE: OF Michael Conforto became one of four Giants players in the modern era (since 1901) to have at least 10 HR and 20 walks in his first 44 games with the team joining Moises Alou (11 HR, 28 BB in 2005), Barry Bonds (11 HR, 39 BB in 1993) and Willie Mays (10 HR, 24 BB in 1951) (Stats, LLC)…the homer was Conforto’s sixth in his last 13 games, tied for the third-most homers in MLB since May 10 behind NYY’s Aaron Judge (8)and CHC’s Christopher Morel (8)…in this run, Conforto is slashing .320/.364/.720 with 14 RBI.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING: According to Stats, LLC, San Francisco has hit at least three doubles in four straight games and looks to do so in five straight for just its fifth time in the modern era (most recently August 26-31, 2016; five times)…only two other teams this season have a four-game streak with at least three doubles: D-Backs (twice) and the Dodgers (once).

TOO MANY MISCUES: The Giants committed a season-high three errors yesterday and now have 35 overall this season, which ranks as the most in the Majors.

FEW RUNS ALLOWED: San Francisco’s pitching staff has allowed four earned runs or fewer in 10 straight games entering today, the second-longest active streak in MLB (see chart below)…during that 10-game stretch the Giants have posted a 7-3 record with the starting staff posting a 4.02 ERA…it marks the Giants’ longest such streak since April 9-20 of last season when they had 11 straight contests (Stats, LLC).

MLB, Longest Streaks w/ 4 ER Allowed or Fewer, 2023
Team Games Date
White Sox 11 5/13 – 5/24*
Pirates 11 4/13 – 4/23
Giants 10 5/14 – 5/24*
*indicates active streak
Team Games Date
Marlins 10 4/11 – 4/22
Twins 10 4/9 – 4/19

BULLIES: The Giants have won seven of their last nine-games, a stretch that comes after dropping six of their previous eight contests…this excellent stretch is in part due to SF’s bullpen, who’s sporting a 1.13 ERA, the third-best figure in the Majors, and holding opposing teams to a .180 average during the run… since May 15, the ‘pens 52 strikeouts are second-most of any bullpen in the Majors behind the Dodgers’ 53 while their 40.0 innings pitched are fifth-most.

Giants Bullpen, Last 9 games vs. Previous 8
Last Ninw # Ranking
Team Record 7-2 T-1st
ERA 1.13 3rd
Strikeouts 52 2nd
Innings 40.0 5th
Opposing Avg. .180 3rd
Saves 7 1st

Previous Eight # Ranking
Team Record 2-6 27th
ERA 5.67 26th
Strikeouts 19 T-27th
Innings 27.0 11th
Opposing Avg. .299 28th
Saves 1 T-16th

ALL ABOUT THAIRO: IF Thairo Estrada is the first Giants player since Barry Bonds in 1995 to have at least 55 hits, 30 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in the team’s first 50 games of a season…Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays are the only other Giants to do so over the past 100 years (Stats, LLC).

IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE: Overall, SF’s pitching staff has posted a 2.81 ERA since May 15, the second-best figure in the Majors behind the White Sox (1.58)…the Giants’ offense averaged 4.1 runs-per-game despite homering just five times over the nine-game span…after slugging an NL-leading 46 home runs in April, SF hitters have just 21 homers this month, tied for 19th in MLB.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME: Is game 4 (2-1) of a 7-game homestand against Houston (2-1) and San Francisco (4g)…..following this homestand and an off day on Monday, the team takes a 7-game road trip to Toronto (3g) and Cincinnati (4g)…..their next homestand will cover 6 games vs. Baltimore (3g) and Oakland (3g) from June 6-11.

IN THE TRAINER’S ROOM: RHP Jason Alexander (right rotator cuff), LHP Aaron Ashby (left labrum), RHP JB Bukauskas (neck), RHP Matt Bush (right rotator cuff), LHP Eric Lauer (right shoulder), LHP Wade Miley (left lat), OF Garrett Mitchell (left shoulder), INF Luis Urías (left hamstring), 1B Luke Voit (neck), LHP Justin Wilson (left elbow) and RHP Brandon Woodruff (right shoulder) are on the injured list…..Alexander, Ashby, Mitchell, Urías, Wilson and Woodruff are on the 60-day IL.

IN THE STANDINGS (56 days): The Brewers have spent the following number of days alone or tied at each position in the NL Central standings: FIRST: 35, SECOND: 19, THIRD: 2, FOURTH: 0, FIFTH: 0…..the team is currently in first place, leading the second-place Pirates by 2.0 games.

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Brewers are 8-8-0 in series play.
Game 1: 7-9, Game 2: 10-6, Game 3: 9-7, Game 4: 1-0
Sweep Wins (3): vs. NYM (3g, 4/3-4/5), at SEA (3g, 4/17-4/19), vs. KC (3g, 5/12-5/14)
Sweep Losses (1): at COL (3g, 5/2-5/4)

AT HOME: The Brewers are 15-9 at home, going 5-3-0 in series play…..are 5-1 over their last 6 games and have won their last 2 series…..the team went 46-35 at home last season, going 15-8-4 in series play.

ON THE ROAD: The Brewers are 12-13 on the road, going 3-5-0 in series play…..are 3-9 over their last 12 games and have dropped their last 4 series…..the team went 40-41 on the road last season, going 9-12-5 in series play.

LET’S GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE: The Brewers have made nine replay challenges this season, going 5-4…..their last challenge (lost) came on May 21 at Tampa Bay as a hit by pitch (Randy Arozarena) stood.

TONIGHT’S STARTER: #49 – RHP JULIO TEHERAN (season debut)
TEHERAN AT A GLANCE: Julio Teheran, 32, is making his Brewers debut…..Teheran signed as a free agent today after opting out of his contract with San Diego on Monday….. his last Major League appearance came in a start with Detroit on 4/3/21 vs. Cleveland…..after pitching in the Atlantic League and Mexican League last season, Teheran signed with San Diego in December as a non-roster invitee…..he went 4-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 8 starts at Triple-A El Paso this season (40ip, 51h, 26r, 25er, 16bb, 45k, 7hr)…..he last pitched on 5/17 at Round Rock, earning a 10-4 win (5ip, 2h, 1r, 1er, 2bb, 4k, 1hbp, 71 pitches)…..name is pronounced “teh-RON.”

LAST SEASON: Teheran began his 2022 season with the Staten Island FerryHawks of the independent Atlantic League and went 1-1 with a 1.60 ERA in 6 starts…..he held opponents to a .198 batting average with 35 strikeouts in 33.2 innings…..he then pitched in the Mexican League for Toros de Tijuana (6gs) and Sultanes de Monterrey (1gs), going a combined 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 7 starts…..he had 35 strikeouts in 32.2 innings in the Mexican League.

CAREER: Is 78-77 with a 3.80 ERA in 240 games/236 starts (1396.1ip, 590er)…..is in his 12th Major League season with Atlanta (2011-19), Los Angeles-AL (2020), Detroit (2021) and Milwaukee (2023)…..the two-time All-Star (2014 and 2016) made 30+ starts in seven consecutive seasons from 2013-19…..he was the Braves’ Opening Day starter in six straight seasons from 2014-19.

CAREER AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD: Is 0-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 3 starts (19.1ip, 7er)…..last pitched in Milwaukee in 2015 with the Braves.

CAREER ON THE ROAD: Is 40-41 with a 3.95 ERA in 114 games/112 starts (665.1ip, 292er).

CAREER vs. GIANTS: Is 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 8 games/7 starts (47.1ip, 21er)…..he last faced the Giants with the Angels on 8/20/20 at Oracle Park, pitching in relief in the team’s 10-5 loss (5ip, 6h, 4r, 4er, 2bb, 2k, 1hr).

MLB Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (23-26) at Atlanta Braves (30-19)

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MLB Preview: Philadelphia Phillies (23-26) at Atlanta Braves (30-19)

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES NOTES:

GAME #49 RECAP: The Phillies defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-5, in a thriller at Citizens Bank Park … Starter Ranger Suarez (ND) went 5.0 innings and allowed 5 runs on 5 hits with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts … Down 2 runs with 2 outs in the 9th, Bryson Stott singled before Trea Turner tied it with a 2-run home run … Alec Bohm walked it off in the 10th with a game-winning single to right … Five Phillies relievers made scoreless appearances in relief of Suarez.

REMEMBER THE FIGHTINS: Yesterday, the Phillies were down 5-0 through the first 5.0 innings before coming back to win via walk off in the 10th … It marked the first time the Phils were down by five runs at any point in a game and came back to win since June 5, 2022 vs LAA (Harper grand slam, Stott walk-off HR) … It also marked the first time the Phils were down 5-0 through 5.0 innings and came back to win since Sept. 2, 2021 at WSH (down 6-0 through 5.0 inn., won 7-6).

PRESSURE COOKERS: In yesterday’s eventual Phillies win, the Diamondbacks had a 98% win probability in the 6th inning following Pavin Smith’s walk to load the bases … It later reached 99% in the bottom of the 9th following J.T. Realmuto’s ground ball out that brought Bryson Stott to the plate with two outs and nobody on … Stott singled to center before Trea Turner smashed the first pitch he saw into the seats in left to tie the game at 5-5 … It marked Philadelphia’s first win when they were down to their final out with no one on base and trailed by at least two runs in the 9th inning or later since Aug. 1, 2011 at COL … In that game, the Phillies were down 3-1 with two outs and nobody on in the 9th at Coors Field before Carlos Ruiz doubled and John Mayberry Jr. hit a pinch-hit two run homer to send it to extras … Shane Victorino would then homer in the 10th to send the Phillies to a 4-3 win.

ON THE DOORSTEP OF HISTORY: Right-hander Craig Kimbrel picked up his 399th career save in Sunday’s 2-1 Phils win … Kimbrel is one save away from becoming only the eighth player in the history of Major League Baseball to reach 400 saves … His next appearance will be the 730th of his career – of the seven previous pitchers to reach 400 saves, only three did so in under 800 career appearances: Mariano Rivera (697 G), Trevor Hoffman (706 G) and Kenley Jansen (778 G) … Billy Wagner reached #400 in his 813th career game, John Franco in his 837th, Lee Smith in his 847th and Francisco Rodriguez in his 878th.

TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE: Craig Kimbrel’s first ever major league appearance came at Citizens Bank Park on 5/7/10 with ATL against the Phillies – the first batter he faced was Jayson Werth, who doubled … Kimbrel would then strike out Raul Ibanez (1st career strikeout) and Carlos Ruiz before getting Wilson Valdez to ground out to end the inning … Kimbrel’s 1st career save came on 9/19/10 at NYM – he struck out the side (Carlos Beltran, David Wright & Chris Carter) … Kimbrel’s 100th career save came on 5/9/13 at SF … His 200th career save came on 6/8/15 at ATL (with SD) … His 300th career save came on 5/5/18 at TEX (with BOS).

IN COMPANY WITH COOPERSTOWN: One save away from #400, Craig Kimbrel also ranks 11th since at least 1893 with 1,128 strikeouts as a reliever … He trails Hall-of-Famers Trevor Hoffman (1,133) for 10th place and Mariano Rivera (1,135) for 9th place … Additionally, in the 399 instances when he has converted a save, Kimbrel has a 0.64 ERA (28 ER, 396.2 IP) – here are the ERA’s (in saves) for the seven current members of the 400-save club when they reached #400: Rivera (0.67), Billy Wagner (0.75), Lee Smith (0.83), Hoffman (0.84), John Franco (0.88), Kenley Jansen (0.94) and Francisco Rodriguez (1.05).

OTHER RECENT MILESTONES BY PHILLIES: With Craig Kimbrel one save away from #400, we thought it would be fitting to look back at other recent milestones achieved by Phillies players: Roy Halladay’s 200th win: 4/14/2013 at MIA and his 2,000th strikeout came on 7/29/12 at ATL (David Ross) … Jim Thome’s 400th career home run: 6/14/2004 vs CIN (Jose Acevado) … Mike Schmidt’s 500th career home run: 4/18/1987 at PIT (Don Robinson) … Steve Carlton’s 300th career win: 9/23/1983 at STL and his 3,000th strikeout came on 4/29/1981 vs MTL (Tim Wallach).

HARP ON IT: Phils designated hitter Bryce Harper enters today’s game with 4,998 career at bats, two shy of reaching 5,000 … Harper has 614 extra-base hits and 891 walks in his career – in the modern era (since 1900), only 12 players have had as many extra-base hits and walks when reaching 5,000 career at bats as Harper … They are Babe Ruth (1928), Ted Williams (1951), Mike Schmidt (1982), Barry Bonds (1995), Mark McGwire (1998), Frank Thomas (2000), Jeff Bagwell (2000), Jim Thome (2003), Brian Giles (2006), Lance Berkman (2009), Adam Dunn (2011) and Mike Trout (2022).

GO NOLES: Phils starter Aaron Nola has gone at least 6.0 innings in each of his last seven starts (since 4/16) and eight of his last nine (since 4/5) … Nola has eight starts this season of at least 6.0 innings which ranks T-5th among all pitchers in MLB … Since 2018, Nola has gone 6.0 innings in 101 of his 153 total starts (66.0%) … His 101 games of at least 6.0 innings pitched since 2018 ranks 3rd among all pitchers in MLB – he trails only Gerrit Cole (115 such starts) and teammate Zack Wheeler (104 such starts) … Since 2018, the Phillies are 63-38 in those 101 games when Nola goes at least 6.0 innings (.624 win %) and when given two runs or more of support in those games when he goes at least 6.0, the Phillies are 58-16 (.784 win %).

TONIGHT’S STARTER – AARON NOLA  RHP #27
2023: 4-3, 4.31 ERA Career: 82-65, 3.64 ERA

LAST START: 5/20 vs CHI: W, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 SO, HR (98 p, 68 s) … Nola vs Taillon … The Phillies beat the Cubs, 12-3 and snapped a 5-game losing streak and a 7-game streak against Chicago … Recorded a season-high 10 SO (5 called) for his 28th career double-digit SO game … Faced the minimum in 5 of his 7 innings … A Kyle Schwarber grand slam highlighted a 6-run 1st inning for the Phils, who totaled 13 hits on the day.

TODAY’S START:
Philly Value: Since 2018, Nola is the only pitcher in baseball to accrue more than 20.0 fWAR (22.8) and pitch for only one team … In that span, he ranks 5th overall in fWAR behind only Jacob deGrom (27.1), Max Scherzer (25.8), Gerrit Cole (24.7) and Zack Wheeler (23.9) … His 31.1 fWAR as a Phillie is 8th-most in franchise history among pitchers and he trails Hall-of-Famer Jim Bunning (31.2) for 7th place.

Gone Streaking: Nola enters tonight’s start at ATL having worked 6.0 or more innings in each of his last 7 starts … As of today, only 3 pitchers (SEA’s Kirby, CWS’s Giolito and SF’s Webb) have longer active streaks, all with 8 … TEX’s Eovaldi is also at 7 … In Nola’s last 7 starts (5-2 team record), he has gone 4-1, 3.42 ERA (18 ER, 47.1 IP) with 10 BB and 38 SO

2023 NL Ranks: Quality starts (T-5th; 6), IP (T-5th; 62.2), BB/9.0 IP (5th; 1.87), WHIP (7th, 1.07) and SO/BB (10th; 4.08)

Caught Lookin’: Entering play today, Nola ranks T-2nd among all ML pitchers this year in called strikeouts with 23 (NYY’s G. Cole also has 23, MIN’s M. Keller has 34) … Since the start of the 2018 season, Nola’s 321 backwards K’s are the most for any pitcher in baseball … Cole has 318 and the next closest pitcher on that list is Sonny Gray who has 247 … Since 2018, 30.3% of Nola’s strikeouts have been called (321 of 1,060)

Top of the Class: Since 2018, Nola leads all ML pitchers in starts (153) and ranks 2nd in IP (934.1) and is 3rd in SO (1,060)

Walk Talk: Nola has not walked a batter in 3 of his 10 starts this season … His 1.87 BB/9.0 IP ranks 5th among NL pitchers … Since the start of last season, Nola’s 4.0% walk rate (42 BB, 1,056 BF) is 2nd lowest among all pitchers (SEA’s Kirby is 1st at 3.5%)

vs NL East: 36-34, 3.49 ERA (244 ER, 628.2 IP) in 104 starts

ROAD:
2023: 2-2, 4.62 ERA (19 ER, 37.0 IP) in 6 starts

Career: 36-40, 4.08 ERA (289 ER, 637.2 IP) in 108 starts

2023 SEASON:

Recorded the 28th double-digit SO game of his career on 5/20 vs CHI … Needs 1 more 10+ SO game to tie Cole Hamels (29) for the 3rd most in club history

Recorded his 1,400th career strikeout on 4/21 vs COL, the 5thyoungest to reach the mark among the 20 active pitchers to do so at the time

Made his 6th straight Opening Day, extending his MLB-best active streak of Opening Day starts

Was the first pitcher in baseball to make 6 straight Opening Day starts since Julio Teheran in made his 6th consecutive for ATL in 2019, and joins Robin Roberts (12) and Steve Carlton (10) as the only Phillies to do

ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Braves and Phillies tonight open a four-game series in what is the first of 13 scheduled meetings between the clubs this season… Atlanta and Philadelphia next meet from June 20-22 in a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park.

  • Atlanta went 11-8 against Philadelphia last season to win the season set, and has won the season series with the Phillies in each of the last two years…The Braves went 10-9 against the Phillies in 2021, and have now won the season set with Philadelphia in consecutive years for the first time since a five-year \run, 2012-2016.
  • The Braves and Phillies met in the 2022 postseason, with Philadelphia winning the NLDS, three-games-to-one, to eliminate the defending World
    Series champions…Philadelphia outscored Atlanta, 24-13, in the series.
  • Atlanta and Philadelphia have played 49 games here at Truist Park since the facility opened in 2017, and the Braves are 32-17 (.653) here at home versus the Phillies…Atlanta went 6-3 against Philadelphia here last season, and has won 11 of the last 14 with the Phillies here dating to 2021.
  • LH Dylan Dodd was recalled today from Triple-A Gwinnett and is set to make his fourth career start…He has never faced the Phillies…The 6-foot2, 220-pound left-hander is 2-1 with a 6.46 ERA (11 ER/15.1 IP) in his first three career turns, and last pitched for Atlanta on May 4 at Miami…He allowed eight hits and three runs over 6.0 innings in that start to earn the win.
  • RH Aaron Nola has made more starts against Atlanta than any other club, and tonight faces the Braves for the 31st time in his career…The 6-foot2, 200-pound native of Baton Rouge, LA, is 15-10 with a 3.39 ERA (71 ER/188.2 IP) in his career against Atlanta, however since the start of the 2019 season he is 8-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 18 starts versus the Braves…In 10 turns this season, he has gone 4-3 with a 4.31 ERA (30 ER/62.2 IP).

WIN: Ozzie Albies lifted a sacrifice fly with one out in the ninth inning last night to plate Austin Riley and give the Braves the walk-off win, 4-3, over the Dodgers…The win was Atlanta’s fourth walk-off victory of the season.

  • Atlanta’s four walk-off wins are tied for the most in baseball, equal to Boston, New York (A.L.), Oakland and Toronto…Four of the Braves’ 13 wins (31%) here at Truist Park this season have come via walkoff.
  • Albies’ sacrifice fly marked the fourth walk-off RBI of his career…Each of the previous three had been home runs, with his last coming on August 11, 2021 vs. Cincinnati.
  • The win moved Atlanta to 27-7 (.794) this season when scoring at least four runs…When scoring three or fewer, the Braves have played to just a 3-12 (.200) record.

FIFTY GAMES: Atlanta tonight plays its 50th game of the season, and the Braves’ 30-19 (.612) record stands as the best mark in the National League…Just three teams – Tampa Bay (36-15, .706), Baltimore (32-17, .653) and Texas (31-18, .633) – have been better than Atlanta to open the season.

  • The Braves have won series against both Baltimore and Texas this season, and have yet to play Tampa Bay.
  • This season marks the 15th time in the modern era (since 1900) that the franchise has won at least 30 of its first 50 games, and the 13th time since moving to Atlanta in 1966…The club last did so in 2013, going 30-20 over its first 50 games.
  • With a win tonight, this club would become just the ninth in franchise history to win at least 31 of its first 50 games…No Braves team has done so since 2003.

HARD HITS AND HOMERS: Matt Olson drove his team-leading 14th home run of the season last night, a solo shot in the fourth inning…The homer had an exit velocity of 115.9, making it the second-hardest homer of his career.

  • He connected on a 118.6-mph homer on April 11 earlier this season, the hardest-hit ball to date in the majors this season.
  • Three players in baseball have multiple home runs with exit velocities of at least 115 mph, and two play for Atlanta…Ronald Acuña Jr. also has two such home runs this season, as does the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton.
  • Acuña Jr. (95.1) and Olson (95.1) rank first and second, respectively, in average exit velocity in the National League, and third and fourth in the majors.
  • As a team, Atlanta’s 91.0 mph average exit velocity is highest in baseball…Tampa Bay ranks second with a mark of 89.9.

Tonight’s Starting Pitcher – #46 Dylan Dodd LHP
2023 Record: 2-1, 6.46 ERA • 2023 Record (MiLB): 1-3, 6.67 ERA
vs. RHB: .346 (19-55), 2 HR • vs. LHB: .455 (5-11) 1 HR
Home: 0-1, 14.54 ERA (7 ER/ 4.1 IP) • Away: 2-0, 3.27 ERA (4 ER/11.0 IP)

Today’s Game

  • Set to make his fourth major league start.
  • Earned the win in Miami after pitching 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs, three walks and a home run in Atlanta’s 6-3 victory during his last start on May 4.
  • Became the 10th pitcher in Atlanta franchise history to earn two wins in their first three career starts and first since Ian Anderson 2020.
  • Was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on April 10, recalled to Atlanta on May 4 and later optioned again to the Stripers following his start.
  • Went 1-3 with a 6.67 ERA in six starts with the Stripers.
  • Ranked by MLB.com as Atlanta’s No. 10 overall prospect, he has compiled a 13-14 record and a 4.28 ERA (87 ER/183.0 IP) over 36 career starts in the minors.
  • Originally selected by Atlanta in the third round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, Dodd attended Southeast Missouri State University which is located just 115 miles from Busch Stadium.
  • Played his first full professional season last year, and split the year between High-A Rome, Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett.
  • Pitched to a 12-9 record and a 3.36 ERA over 26 starts, fanning 153 in 142.0 innings.

2023 Recap

  • In his major league debut held the Cardinals to one run and six hits over 5.0 innings pitched while earning his first career win.
  • Dodd was the 10th Braves pitcher since 1900 to debut with a start against the Cardinals, but the first to do so in nearly 30 years…Brad Woodall was the last to start against St. Louis in his debut, doing so on July 22, 1994 in the second game of a doubleheader.
  • Joined Tom Tuckey as the only other Braves pitcher in franchise history to beat the Cardinals in their debuts.
  • Tuckey pitched a seven-hit shutout for the Boston Doves on August 11, 1908. against St. Louis.
  • Made his major league debut on April 4, while LH Jared Shuster made the first appearance of his own major league career the following day.
  • The Braves franchise dates to 1876, and the club has never had two starting pitchers debut within the first five games of a season.

Brewers sign right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran

MLB Editor
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0
Brewers sign right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran

Veteran Starter Agrees to One-Year Contract

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Brewers have signed right-handed pitcher Julio Teheran (teh-RON) to a one-year contract. He will make his debut with the team tonight in a start at American Family Field against San Francisco, wearing No. 49. The announcement was made by Senior Vice President and General Manager Matt Arnold.

Updated 40-man roster is attached here (RHP Jake Cousins optioned to Triple-A Nashville). 

Teheran, 32, is 78-77 with a 3.80 ERA in 240 career games (236 starts) over 11 seasons with Atlanta (2011-19), Los Angeles-AL (2020) and Detroit (2021). He made 30+ starts in seven consecutive seasons from 2013-19. He was the Braves’ Opening Day starter in six straight seasons from 2014-19. The two-time All-Star (2014 and 2016) last pitched in a Major League game in a start with the Tigers on April 3, 2021 vs. Cleveland. It was his only outing that season.

After pitching in the independent Atlantic League (Staten Island) and Mexican League (Tijuana and Monterrey) last season, Teheran signed with San Diego in December as a non-roster invitee. He went 4-2 with a 5.63 ERA in 8 starts at Triple-A El Paso this season before opting out of his contract on May 22.

The Cartagena, Colombia native founded the Teheran Foundation in 2016. The foundation provides activities and games as well as financial support to children in need.

Cubs activate RHP Kyle Hendricks off 15-day IL, option INF Nick Madrigal to Triple-A Iowa

MLB Editor
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0
Cubs activate RHP Kyle Hendricks off 15-day IL, option INF Nick Madrigal to Triple-A Iowa

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today activated right-handed pitcher Kyle Hendricks off the 15-day injured list and optioned infielder Nick Madrigal to Triple-A Iowa.

Hendricks, 33, will make tonight’s 6:40 p.m. CT start against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.

Hendricks opened this season on the 15-day injured list while continuing to recover from a right shoulder strain that sidelined him for the second half of last year. In five injury rehabilitation starts with Iowa from April 27-May 20, Hendricks was 2-1 with a 5.75 ERA (13 ER/20.1 IP), six walks and 20 strikeouts. That includes a 1.69 ERA (3 ER/16.0 IP) spanning his final three starts beginning May 9, a stretch that included a .232 opponent average, two walks and 14 strikeouts.

Hendricks last season was limited to 16 starts for the Cubs due to a right shoulder strain that landed him on the 15-day injured list July 6. He was 4-6 with a 4.80 ERA (45 ER/84.1 IP), including three outings of at least 7.0 shutout innings. He made his final start of the season, July 5 at Milwaukee, allowing two runs in 3.0 innings before departing due to right shoulder soreness.

Since making his major league debut with the Cubs in 2014, Hendricks is 87-61 with a 3.46 ERA (504 ER/1,312.2 IP) in 223 career games, all but one as a starter. He ranks 10th in franchise history with 1,079 strikeouts and his 222 starts rank 17th while his 87 victories rank 25th. Hendricks has four seasons of at least 20 starts and a sub-3.50 ERA, and in 2016 finished third in the N.L. Cy Young vote after leading the majors with a 2.13 ERA and setting career marks with 16 victories and 170 strikeouts.

Madrigal, 26, has batted .247 (23-for-93) with three doubles, one triple and nine RBI in 34 games for Chicago this season. He has played 19 games (16 starts) at third base, nine games (four starts) at second base and has had four starts at designated hitter.

NFL Transactions 5-25-23

NFL Editor
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NFL Transactions 5-25-23

The following are the NFL transactions for Thursday, May 25. Transactions will be published each day after they are circulated to NFL clubs. This public version will include waiver requests, assignments via waivers, terminations, free agent signings, reserve list and practice squad additions and deletions, and trades. 

WAIVER SYSTEM TRANSACTIONS


WAIVER REQUEST (NO RECALL)

DETROIT
    Thompson, KeytaonWRVirginia   


    CLAIMING DEADLINE: 4:00 p.m., N.Y. Time, Tuesday, 5/30/23


TERMINATIONS VIA WAIVER SYSTEM

DENVER
    Thedford, HunterTUtah   

DETROIT
    Darkangelo, IsaacLBIllinois   

INDIANAPOLIS
    LaChance, HarrisGBrigham Young   



TRADE 
No. 58JACKSONVILLE TRADES:    Patterson, RileyKMemphisDETROIT TRADES:   Selection Choice–Round 7, 2026 (Conditional)  
ACTIVE LIST ADDITIONS


FREE AGENT SIGNINGS

JACKSONVILLE
    McManus, BrandonKTemple   

NEW ENGLAND
    Firkser, AnthonyTEHarvard   

NEW YORK JETS
    Kapp, JeromeWRKutztown   

PITTSBURGH
    Chrest, CodyWRSam Houston State   
    Golden, MarkusLBMissouri   


SELECTION LIST SIGNING

TENNESSEE
    Spears, TyjaeRBTulane(3-81)*  


    *Round and Overall Selection Number in 2023 Draft.



RESERVE LIST ADDITIONS

CLEVELAND
    Weston, IsaiahWRNorthern Iowa   
         Reserve/Retired

NEW ENGLAND
    McMillan, RaekwonLBOhio State   
         Reserve/Injured; Does Not Count Against 90 Limit

NEW YORK JETS
    Anae, BradleeDEUtah   
         Reserve/Injured; Does Not Count Against 90 Limit

MLB Preview: New York Mets (25-25) at Chicago Cubs (22-26)

MLB Editor
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0
MLB Preview: New York Mets (25-25) at Chicago Cubs (22-26)

NEW YORK METS NOTES:

METSCELLANEOUS: The Mets fell to the Cubs, 4-2, on Wednesday night…The Mets have lost back-to-back games after winning five straight…New York continues a six-game road trip (0-2) to Chicago-NL (0-2) and Colorado (three games)…Following this road trip, the Mets enjoy Memorial Day off before beginning a six-game homestand against Philadelphia (three games) and Toronto (three games).

HOMER HAPPY: After the Mets went five straight games without a home run, the Mets have homered in season-high eight straight contests, hitting 15 home runs in that span…The Mets are 20-11 when hitting a home run this season and 9-5 when hitting multiple homers…In 2022, the Mets longest home run streak was nine games (September 9-17)…The team hit 14 home runs in that span.

ATTABOY ALVAREZ: Francisco Alvarez has homered in three of his last four games…He is batting .462 (6-13) in that span with four runs, three home runs, seven RBI, a walk with a .533 OB, a 1.154 SLG and a 1.687 OPS…His six home runs are tied for the fifth-most by a rookie in the majors and tied for the third-most in the National League…The backstop is batting .290 (18-62) with four doubles, six home runs, five walks with a .353 OBP and a .645 SLG against right-handed pitching this year…In 17 games in May, Alvarez is batting .294 (15-51) with eight runs, four doubles, five home runs, 11 RBI, six walks with a 1.046 OPS.

STEAL THIS BASE: The Mets rank fifth in the majors and second in the National League with a 84.2% stolen base rate this season… Starling Marte has swiped 13 bags this year, tied for 10th in the majors and fifth in the National League…His 327 career stolen bases rank second among active players…Elvis Andrus is the active leader with 340 steals.

18, I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT: Pete Alonso has homered in five of his last eight games…Overall, he has hit 18 home runs this year, which leads the majors leagues…His 43 RBI are fourth in The Show and lead the National League…Alonso ranks 12th in franchise history with 423 career RBI…Next up is Kevin McReynolds (456) and Keith Hernandez (468)…Alonso has appeared in 49 games this year…See the chart below for the fastest Met to reach 20 home runs in a season and the fastest to 50 RBI…Courtesy of Elias.

NAME YEAR GAMES
Dave Kingman 1976 51
Mike Piazza 2000 59
Pete Alonso 2019 59
Darryly Strawberry 1987 63
Carlson Beltran 2006 65
Courtesy of Elias
NAME YEAR GAMES
Carlos Beltran 2006 53
Pete Alonso 2022 55
Todd Hundley 1996 57
Mike Piazza 2000 57
Gary Carter 1986 61
Bernard Gilkey 1996 61

FASTEST METS TO 2O HOME RUNS – FASTEST TO 50 RBI

I RALEY LIKE YOU: Since his return from the 15-Day IL, Brooks Raley has appeared in five games, allowing only one hits, three walks and striking out five in 5.0 innings…He has been unscored upon in 17 of his 19 appearances this season…Overall he is 1-0 with a 3.31 ERA (6 ER/16.1 IP) with four walks and 16 strikeouts.

FOGO POWER: Eduardo Escobar is 12-32 (.375) with a triple, three home runs, six RBI, five runs scored and a 1.147 OPS over his last 14 games.

ROAD WARRIOR: Brandon Nimmo is batting .342 (39-114) with 13 runs, eight doubles, two home runs, 15 RBI, 11 walks with a .400 OBP and .465 SLG in 29 games on the road this season…His .342 road average ranks sixth in the majors.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: New York has played 29 games on the road this year, the most in the majors…New York is 13-16 with a 4.72 ERA away from Citi Field in 2023…The team’s 248 strikeouts on the road is the most in the majors.

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: The Mets continue a three-game set at Wrigley Field tonight…New York took three of four in the Windy City in 2022…Franciso Lindor is a lifetime .310 (18-58) hitter with nine runs, four doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and 12 walks with a .429 OBP and a .483 SLG in 15 games at the ballpark…Brandon Nimmo has hit .304/.347/.435 in 12 career games at the ballpark… In 68 career contests, Starling Marte has hit .267/.322/.451 with 44 runs, 12 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 34 RBI and 18 walks.

THREE NIGHTS IN CHICAGO: The Mets are set to play three consecutive night games in Chicago…The last did that from April 20-23, 2021…Prior to that, the team played three straight night games at Wrigley Field from September 12-14, 2017.

EIGHT IS GREAT: The Mets are 22-0 when leading after eight innings this season…The last time the Mets lost a game when they were ahead after eight innings was on September 6, 2021 at Washington…The Mets were up 3-2 and lost 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth…Since then the Mets have won their last 117 games when ahead after eight, the longest active streak in MLB…It’s the tied for the longest streak in franchise history….From October 1, 1990- September 2, 1992, the Mets also won 117 straight games when ahead after eight innings.

D-FENCE: The Mets have committed 17 errors in 50 games this year…That gives the team a .990 fielding percentage….Their .990 fielding percentage ranks fourth in the majors and second in the NL…Their 17 errors are the second-fewest committed in the Senior Circuit…Only the Padres (15) have committed fewer.

STARTING PITCHER – CARLOS CARRASCO RHP #59
2023 STATS: 0-2, 8.68 ERA

CARRASCO’S PITCH ARSENAL
Pitch Type Usage Rate vs. LHB vs. RHB Avg. Velocity
Four-Seam Fastball 33% 38% 28% 91.5 mph
Changeup 26% 34% 18% 86.8 mph
Slider 20% 6% 33% 83.7 mph
Sinker 14% 11% 17% 90.8 mph
Curveball 7% 11% 4% 79.2 mph

LAST TIME OUT: Threw 5.0 innings in his first start back with the Mets since returning from his 15-day IL stint due to right elbow inflammation…Allowed five earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters in a 10-9 Mets walk-off win in extra innings.

COOKIE VS. THE CUBBIES: Tonight, Carrasco will face Chicago-NL for the fourth time in his career…In his last start against the Cubs on July 14, 2022, Carrasco threw 6.0 scoreless innings at the Friendly Confines, during which he allowed five hits and two walks while fanning six batters…Throughout his career, Carrasco has made three starts against Chicago-NL, pitching to a 1-1 record with a 3.31 ERA (6 ER/16.1 IP)…Carrasco has made two starts in his career at Wrigley Field, during which he has pitched to a 2.25 ERA (3 ER/12.0 IP) in two starts.

HE’S GOT THE MONTH OF MAY: In 39 appearances and 32 starts in the month of May, Carrasco has pitched to an 18-8 record with a 4.31 ERA (102 ER/213.0 IP)…His .692 winning percentage in May is the best mark of any month during the season…In those appearances, Carrasco has thrown three complete games, including one shutout, and has tallied 201 strikeouts compared to 48 walks.

CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:

The Cubs and Mets play six games spanning two series … following this three-game set at Wrigley Field the teams will meet for three games at Citi Field, Aug. 7-9 … Chicago has won the last five season series against the Mets dating to 2017.

CUBS SECURE SERIES WIN: Marcus Stroman allowed two runs in 8.0 innings, Nico Hoerner belted a solo homer and scored twice, and Seiya Suzuki and Mike Tauchman also drove in runs as the Cubs last night won their second-straight game against the Mets 4-2 to secure a series win, the team’s first series victory since taking two of three vs. the Marlins, May 5-7.

The Cubs tonight look to sweep the Mets in a three-game series at Wrigley Field for the first time since the 2021 season, April 20-22 … Chicago has won its last six regular season games against the Mets dating to July 17 of last year … the Cubs last won seven-straight games against the Mets June 23, 2019-April 22, 2021.

Including six free passes last night, Cubs hitters have drawn six or more walks in each of their last five home games since May 8 vs. St. Louis … the team last coaxed at least six walks in five-straight home contests, July 27-Aug. 11, 2009 .. the Cubs have never had six-straight games of six or more walks drawn at Wrigley Field.

Speaking of walks, the Cubs have drawn 185 free passes this season, third-most in the majors behind the Dodgers (220) and Padres (203).

WELCOME BACK, KYLE!: The Cubs are expected to activate Kyle Hendricks to make his first start of 2023 after starting the season on the 15-day injured list while recovering from a right shoulder strain … he last pitched July 5, 2022, in Milwaukee … this will be his first Wrigley Field outing since June 30 of last season vs. the Reds.

Hendricks ranks 10th in franchise history with 1,079 strikeouts … Larry Corcoran is ninth with 1,086 … Hendricks 222 starts are 17th in franchise history, two behind Grover Alexander for 16th.

SOMETHING OF QUALITY: Marcus Stroman’s 8.0 innings with two runs allowed last night marked Chicago’s 24th quality start of the season, the second-most in the N.L. (Pittsburgh, 25) and tied for fifth-most in the majors.

The Cubs starting rotation has posted a 1.19 WHIP, sixth-best in the majors, while its 3.88 ERA (109 ER/253.0 IP) is fourth in the N.L. and ninth in baseball.

SO STINGY: The Cubs have allowed two or fewer runs in 15 of their last 16 victories dating to April 14 … the lone win in that span in which Chicago allowed more than two runs came in a 10-4 win vs. the Cardinals on May 10.

Chicago this season has surrendered two or fewer runs in 21 games, tied for the second-most such games in the majors behind only Tampa Bay (22).

PLAYING THE MARGINS: Chicago is 17-11 (.607) in games decided by three or more runs, the ninth-best record in the majors … however, the team is just 5-15 (.250) in games decided by two or fewer runs, the lowest winning percentage in the majors in those contests … that includes a 2-10 (.167) mark in one-run games.

CURRENT EVENTS: Tonight marks the third contest of a nine-game homestand that continues tomorrow with the first of three games against the Reds before Chicago hosts the Rays beginning Monday.

Following play on April 21, Chicago was 12-7 and 1.5 games behind the division lead … since, the club is 10-19 and enters tonight 4.5 games behind the division-leading Brewers, sitting at 27-22.

I MEAN, WHAT CAN YOU SAY?: Christopher Morel has hit safely in each of his first 13 games this season and in a career-high 14 games dating back to his final contest of 2022 … the last time a Cub had a longer hitting streak was when Javier Baez hit in 15-consecutive games, May 1-17, 2019.

Morel recorded a hit and scored a run in each of his first 12 games this season, just the second time since 1901 a Cub has done that anytime in a single-season (Hank Sauer, 12 games in 1954).

Morel’s stretch of 12-straight games with a run scored was the second-longest in franchise history since 1900, joining Hank Sauer (13 games in 1954).

Morel recorded nine homers in first 12 games of the season, becoming one of just four players to accomplish that feat … he joined: Luis Gonzalez (9 HR in 2001), Larry Walker (9 HR in 1997) and Mike Schmidt (11 HR in 1976).

CROSSING THE PLATE: The Cubs have scored at least one run in each of their first 48 games in 2023, and in 58-straight games dating to Sept. 25 of last season … this 58- game run is the club’s longest since scoring in 70-consecutive contests from Aug. 12, 2021-May 4 of last year.
© The team has scored in each of its first 48 games to start a season for the first time since way back in 1898, a season in which that team plated a run in each of its first 91 contests.

IN THE FIELD: Dansby Swanson has gone 31-straight games since April 20 without committing an error (105 TC) and his seven defensive runs saved are tied for the major league lead among shortstops, with Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco, according to Fangraphs.

AT THE PLATE: The Cubs rank second in the majors in OBP (.339), tied for third in walks drawn (185), sixth in OPS (.768) and eighth in average .262 (432-for-1,652) and slugging (.429).

Ian Happ’s .409 OBP is fifth in the N.L. and sixth in the majors … his 35 walks are tied for third-most in baseball.

Nico Hoerner’s .295 batting average is 10th in the N.L. while his 12 stolen bases are tied for sixth in the Senior Circuit.

Starting Pitcher – #28 RHP Kyle Hendricks (2023 Debut)
Last Time Out
Kyle made his fifth and final rehab start with Triple-A Iowa May 20 at Indianapolis … tossed a season-high 6.0 innings, allowing one run on five hits … marked his second rehab start with no walks (also May 9 vs. Toledo) … recorded a season-high six strikeouts … threw a season-high 82 pitches.

Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
5/201 @IND W, 2-1 6.0 5 1 1 0 6 82-60 2-1

2023 Splits and Season Notes (w/Triple-A Iowa)
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 1-0 6.17 3 3 11.2 14 8 8 3 11
Road 1-1 5.19 2 2 8.2 7 5 5 3 9
AVG vs. LHB: .216 (8-for-37) / AVG vs. RHB: .325 (13-for-40)

Kyle will be activated from the 15-day injured list today to make his first start in the major leagues since July 5, 2022.

Made five rehab starts with Triple-A Iowa, going 2-1 with a 5.75 ERA (13 ER/20.1 IP) … allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last three rehab starts, posting a 1.69 ERA (3 ER/16.0 IP) during those outings.

Began the season on the 15-day injured list, as he rehabbed from a capsular tear in his right shoulder that he suffered in July 2022.

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