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One of baseball’s most telling traits as a fan happens when players from your youth start retiring. Yesterday, it happened when Chris Taylor announced his retirement, following an unremarkable ending in 2025 with the Angels. Even as he finished his career with the Halos and started as a Mariner, he will always be remembered as a Dodger. His claim to fame in this recent golden era for the Dodgers will always be as a glue guy in the middle of many superstars, as Taylor carved out a nice career, playing in 10 seasons with LA and being part of two championships.
His career-defining year came in 2021, as he earned his lone All-Star nod and then won the Wild Card game with a walk-off homer, setting up the epic Giants-Dodgers NLDS. Taylor was ultimately known for his clutch gene in the postseason, and he will be remembered fondly by Dodgers fans. Enjoy retirement, Chris.
Chris Taylor has announced his retirement after 12 Major League seasons spent across the Mariners, Dodgers and Angels. He won two World Series rings with the Dodgers (2020 and 2024), was an All-Star in 2021 and was named co-NLCS MVP in 2017. pic.twitter.com/tODUSnWtyi
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
Today’s Headlines
New York State of Mind
The return to the mound of Gerrit Cole was a big deal for the Yankees, especially as other rotation members have landed on the IL. Cole kept his end of the bargain in his season debut, limiting the Rays to two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He was clearly off his vintage form, but still provided plenty of optimism that he can regain his top billing as New York’s ace. Opposite Cole, Nick Martinez somehow kept avoiding damage all game long, with only a solo homer allowed over six innings despite having traffic around him every inning. Martinez would depart with nine hits and a walk allowed over six frames, but the Yankees could never deliver the knockout punch. This became crucial late in the game, as Tampa Bay shocked the New York crowd with an out-of-nowhere four-run rally in the eighth. It all started with a fielding error by José Caballero, as the next four Rays reached and then hit a sac fly to give Tampa the lead. While the Yankees got a run back and Aaron Judge came up as the tying run in the ninth, closer Bryan Baker held the fort for the 4-2 win. The Rays have now won 22 of their past 26 games, and have gone 14-2 against the AL East, including a 4-0 record against the Yankees.
A come-from-behind win in the Bronx for @RaysBaseball! pic.twitter.com/cdiMiLbS4r
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
The W in Wisconsin
While the Dodgers have been Milwaukee’s ultimate playoff tormentor, the Brewers have found a way to dominate in the regular season, as evidenced by last season’s 6-0 mark over LA. Things continued to go Milwaukee’s way in 2026, as the Brew Crew donned their City Connect uniforms to open a series against the Dodgers, cruising to a 5-1 win that was decided early. With an unproven Logan Henderson on the mound, the Brewers were quick to provide run support, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the first, highlighted by a William Contreras three-run blast. Henderson also did his part, though, pitching five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. LA was limited to only three singles and six walks, going 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. As the rest of the NL Central starts to tumble a bit, the Brewers are in the middle of a four-game winning streak and have finally started to create a bit of separation at the top.
William Contreras hits a 3-run homer as the @Brewers take down the Dodgers! pic.twitter.com/jHk1XK4uPh
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
Silencing the Crowd
Cleveland-Philadelphia was definitely the game of the day in MLB, as Gavin Williams and Cristopher Sánchez were stellar. Sanchez battled with his command at times, but was still able to extend his scoreless streak by going eight innings with only four hits and two walks allowed, albeit with only six strikeouts. Williams did him one better, matching the eight zeroes but with eleven Ks and no walks. As Sanchez was removed at 96 pitches to start the ninth, closer Jhoan Duran immediately got in trouble, allowing a hit to José Ramírez. However, Ramirez tried to stretch the single into a double and was thrown out, as Citizens Bank Park erupted. Just one pitch later, though, pinch-hitter Kyle Manzardo subdued the crowd in a hurry, with a shocking opposite-field homer that finally opened the scoring. Cade Smith would preserve the 1-0 win for Williams, with a perfect ninth that left Philadelphia stunned. The Guardians have now won seven straight.
Kyle Manzardo comes off the bench in the 9th and drills a go-ahead homer 🤯 pic.twitter.com/kF3eHeUfHw
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
Kevin the Man
Kevin Gausman may no longer be a legit ace or battle for Cy Young consideration, but he may still be the most important player for the Blue Jays, especially as they try to climb back into contention. This was evident as Toronto opened up its series against the Pirates. Gausman ran into early trouble, but limited the damage to one run, and that would set the tone for a game in which Pittsburgh threatened constantly but could not break through. Gausman only had a couple of clean innings, but he made all the necessary pitches to avoid trouble, as he would end his night with only a run allowed to earn his fourth win of the season. Meanwhile, Toronto’s offense could only total five hits but made the most of them, with George Springer and Yohendrick Piñango driving in two runs apiece for the 6-2 final score.
Make it five wins in their past seven games for the @BlueJays! pic.twitter.com/XU9WVI1Wrm
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
Quite the Chad
As Atlanta has climbed to 20 games above .500, the scariest part of their ascent has been how they continue to find unsung heroes to win and win. Last night, backup catcher Chadwick Tromp became the latest unlikely star for Atlanta. This was especially important as Ronald Acuña, Jr. and Matt Olson combined to go 0-for-9 with a walk, while star set-up man Robert Suarez blew a late lead by allowing a solo homer. That was all deemed irrelevant with RBI contributions from Ha-Seong Kim, Mauricio Dubón, and Domonic Smith, as Atlanta had to first come back from a two-run deficit in the tenth. As Atlanta managed to hold the Nationals scoreless in the 11th, the stage was set for Tromp, who had entered the game with only four at-bats and zero RBI for the season. He now has two, including this walk-off single that gave Atlanta a hard-fought 5-4 win.
Chadwick Tromp CALLS GAME in the 11th 🔥 pic.twitter.com/u5MvNhxHjY
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
By The Numbers
37⅔ With eight zeroes against the Guardians, Cristopher Sánchez extended his scoreless streak to 37⅔ innings. This is now the longest single-season mark in the Phillies franchise history.
52 With three homers in a victory against the A’s, the San Diego Padres reached 52 long balls as a team, good for 17th in the majors. Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to be part of that number.
6 With two homers allowed in only three innings against the Angels, Jacob deGrom has now allowed six long balls in his past two starts, despite only allowing 11 total hits in that span.
1/1 In a fact that seems hard to believe, the Guardians won for the first time in franchise history with a 1-0 score in which the only run came on a pinch-hit homer. They have been part of MLB since 1901.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Proud Papa
A few years ago, Fenway Park gave us a heartwarming first pitch when the visiting Mike Yastrzemski tossed a ball to grandpa Carl, a Red Sox legend. Last night, another member of Boston royalty provided a memorable first pitch, as Roger Clemens welcomed his son Kody, playing for the visiting Twins. The nice family moment served as a perfect preamble for an exciting game, as the Red Sox jumped to a 4-0 lead but could not stop a late rally from Minnesota, as homers from Byron Buxton and Austin Martin completed the comeback for an 8-6 Minnesota victory. Alas, the young Clemens went 0-for-5 in this contest.
7x Cy Young Award winner and 1986 AL MVP Roger Clemens threw out the first pitch to his son, Kody Clemens, at Fenway Park ❤️ pic.twitter.com/KXXfdQpV4F
— MLB (@MLB) May 22, 2026
If We Took a Holliday…
The sheen of Jackson Holliday as a prospect has dwindled following an underwhelming stint in MLB so far. However, he was a key contributor in Baltimore’s 7-4 win over Detroit, adding two runs and two RBI to his ledger. The key moment in the game came when Holliday broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run homer, with said long ball landing in one of the most improbable spots imaginable. The ball did not hit the foul pole; it went inside the foul pole, as shown in the picture below. As Detroit’s outfielders looked befuddled, it was yet another dark turn in a season full of them.
Look where this home run landed 👀 https://t.co/OX2PTKbENm pic.twitter.com/hZtt7AMvW6
— MLB (@MLB) May 23, 2026
Nice Sarape
In what continues to be a miserable season in San Francisco, the Giants took yet another embarrassing loss, falling 9-4 to the White Sox as Chicago scored all of their runs in one inning. That did not prevent one San Francisco fan from looking awesome, though. Draped in a team-branded sarape/poncho to battle the cold, this guy was not content with his looks only, as he also displayed some awesome moves when he realized he was on the jumbotron. Mad respect.
"any plans this weekend?"
me:(Cut4 x @CoronaUSA) pic.twitter.com/2TtMkwiYlE
— Cut4 (@Cut4) May 23, 2026
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ After being placed on the IL last week, Boston infielder Trevor Story has undergone sports hernia surgery. This becomes the latest injury setback for Story in his Red Sox tenure, as he has only once played over 95 games in a season since arriving at Fenway Park in 2022. According to the team, his recovery timeline is expected to last between six and ten weeks.
⚾ The Rockies have placed Mickey Moniak on the 10-day IL with right ankle tendinitis, marking his second IL stint of 2026. His recent slump is probably a product of this setback, as Moniak had started the season hitting well. In his absence, Colorado recalled rookie outfielder Sterlin Thompson.
⚾ The Mets have promoted prospect Jonah Tong, as veteran Craig Kimbrel was designated for assignment. The former top closer had been mostly awful for New York, posting a 6.00 ERA in 15 innings. While he could still be picked up by other teams desperate for bullpen help, this is probably a step closer to retirement. Tong’s role with the Mets is unclear as of now, as he could be a long relief option or start games.
Articles You Should Read
Jose Bautista Still a Toronto Icon — Zach Worden, MLB.com
How Don Mattingly Has Helped the Phillies Rebound — David Laurila, Fangraphs
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