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Happy Father’s Day! Before we turn the day over to Dad, let’s review the best of yesterday’s slate. Saturday had a lot of everything. What it had in spades, though, was razor-thin margins. Of the 16 games played yesterday, nine were decided by just one run. That’s it. One bad pitch was the separating line between the winners and losers. That was especially true in four games that ended with a walk-off. The Astros put themselves ahead late while Texas trumped the White Sox late. Out west, the Diamondbacks spoiled what looked like a surefire win for San Diego, and Seattle stole one from Cleveland.
Don’t forget to watch every game with the Pitcher List community on Playback!
Today’s Headlines
The Rivalry’s Yet to be Renewed
Baseball’s biggest rivalry hasn’t lived up to the billing so far this season. The Boston Red Sox once again took it to the New York Yankees, this time beating the Bronx Bombers 4-3. That’s now four straight wins against the Yanks for the Sox, and there’s plenty to thank. Hunter Dobbins especially dominated, pitching six scoreless innings and surrendering only two hits and a walk while striking out five. Trevor Story, who endured a hellish May, is sprouting wings in June. With two more hits yesterday – one being an RBI double – he’s now hitting .319/.360/.532 with an .892 OPS this month. There’s also a Jasson Domínguez baserunning blunder that blew up a potential seventh-inning rally to thank. Yet even without it, the truth is this: This season, the Red Sox, even with all their faults, own the all-powerful Yankees right now.
More than just another win, this latest gets the Sox back to .500 for the first time since May 24. On the one hand, it’s a positive sign. The team is 8-4 in June and showing signs of its potential. On the other hand, getting back to even midway through June is far from where this team expected to be. For now, though, taking two straight series from the Yankees will do.
Arizona Dub, San Diego Disaster
It’s the bottom of the ninth. The Arizona Diamondbacks are losing by four. They are down. They are not out. Rebellion started quietly. Pavin Smith singled, and Gabriel Moreno and Alek Thomas followed suit to load the bases. Those bases stayed loaded when Ketel Marte singled home a run two batters later. Then, they emptied when Geraldo Perdomo pulverized a game-tying triple. With Perdomo on third and one out, the D-Backs didn’t even need a hit to end the drama. Josh Naylor delivered the death blow to San Diego, dicing a weak grounder to allow Perdomo to slide past the tag and score. The never-say-die D-Backs win 8-7.
Pitching Duel Yields to Late Game Drama
Saturday’s draw between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins promised a pitcher’s duel, and boy, did it deliver. Hunter Brown and Joe Ryan were marvelous, both pitching seven innings, striking out at least seven, and allowing just two runs. The two sang the show tune, “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better),” on the diamond, and it was sterling. Unfortunately, neither club rewarded its pitcher with a win. And even more unfortunate is how the curtain closed on the Twins. With two on in the bottom of the ninth, Astros outfielder Cam Smith poked a Jhoan Duran splitter into the outfield for a walk-off single. Astros win 3-2.
Seattle Steals One From Clase, Cleveland
Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase was a hollow imitation of his usual All-Star self on Saturday. Ahead of the Seattle Mariners by two runs in the bottom of the ninth, Clase collapsed. He’d allow a single, walk, sacrifice bunt, and a walk to load the bases with just one out. Then, to make matters worse, Clase threw a wild pitch, scoring Seattle’s Dylan Moore from third and evening the affair. And just when Clase started to look himself, striking out Julio Rodriguez for the second out, Jorge Polanco got the better of him. The veteran second baseman belted a 100-mile-per-hour cutter up the middle to seal a wild 4-3 win.
St. Louis Gets Off the Schneid
For the first time in nearly a week, the St. Louis Cardinals have won a baseball game. This win, an 8-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, wasn’t the prettiest or the easiest. Their first few runs came thanks to a successful challenge and a Milwaukee miscue. Their next few came off one Nolan Gorman swing, a punishing, deep shot to make it 7-1. And that’s when the troubles started. St. Louis’s bullpen leaned toward the edge inning after inning, almost daring Milwaukee to get itself back in the game. Milwaukee, though, never made that final jump over the cliff, stranding 11 runners and saving St. Louis from its seventh-straight loss.
Strider Strut His Stuff
Everything fell into place for Spencer Strider for once this season. Atlanta’s erstwhile and maybe still ace stormed through the Rockies. And while they’re still… well, the Rockies, the numbers don’t lie: Thirteen strikeouts, 23 swinging misses, a heater back to its high 90s temps, just three hits, and a walk allowed over six scoreless. It was Strider’s first double-digit strikeout performance since Sept. 19, 2023, and his first scoreless start since August 18 that same year. In other words, Strider looked every bit like the Cy Young challenger from years past. Atlanta’s bullpen was just as good. Its six strikeouts combined with Strider’s total pushed Atlanta toward a franchise-best 19 strikeouts and a 4-1 win.
Adolis Ices It
The bad news for the Texas Rangers? They struggled to beat the 2025 Chicago White Sox. The good news? They got the job done. And by they, we mean Adolis García. The slugger came through in the clutch, cranking a Tyler Alexander fastball 383 feet. Evan Carter, who stood on third, trotted home while the Rangers stormed out of their dugout to devour García with hugs and douse him in water. It was a troublesome 4-3 win, but it counts all the same.
Big Red Beatdown
Yesterday’s match between the AL-best 46-26 Tigers and the 36-35 Reds was a blowout – Just not in the way anyone expected. Instead of a Tigers trouncing, the Reds brought ruin to Detroit. Cincinnati catcher Tyler Stephenson and shortstop Matt McLain pillaged Detroit’s shores, racking up three hits and seven RBIs. Stephenson’s half of the bounty was especially plentiful, a first-pitch grand slam to hand Cincy a 6-1 lead they’d only build on. By night’s end, expectations were unset, and the Reds walked away with the 11-1 victory.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Shohei Hits 250
Shohei Ohtani is officially a quarter to a thousand dingers.
Shohei muscled this one out for his 250th career home run! 💪
(MLB x @BudweiserUSA) pic.twitter.com/EDLNcVS3an
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2025
Elly Makes It Look Easy
Let’s make sure this 98-mile-per-hour seed from Elly De La Cruz isn’t lost amongst Cincy’s conquest of Detroit.
Jake Fraley ➡️ Elly De La Cruz ➡️ Jose Trevino
The @Reds save a run on this relay 💪 pic.twitter.com/nrJzQoVjOK
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2025
Acuna’s Achieved Lift-Off
Ronald Acuña Jr. is hurdling toward the stratosphere. It’s just a shame the Rockies got in his way. He’s now hitting .387/.471/.707 with seven home runs, 13 RBIs, and a 1.178 OPS.
Ronald Acuña Jr. got all of this one! 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/tH9pOiHvpv
— MLB (@MLB) June 14, 2025
Give a Dog a Bat
Bruce the Bat Dog made his Big League debut yesterday. He did a pawsome job.
INEFFICIENT ROUTE, BUT BRUCE THE BAT DOG GETS IT DONE
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 14, 2025
Not So Fast
Underrated moment: When Marlins catcher Agustín Ramírez realizes where Ronny Henriquez is going and motions him back toward the mound.
Marlins pitcher Ronny Henriquez thought he was out of the inning but it was only the first out pic.twitter.com/XwOQWEHEIq
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 14, 2025
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ This might sound familiar, but Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis is headed to the 10-day IL. This latest ailment, a hamstring strain, might not be as severe as it sounds. Currently, the Twins are calling it a mild strain, something that might indicate Lewis’s return sooner rather than later. Regardless, it’s not the type of news the Twins or Lewis, who’s played just 182 MLB games since his 2022 debut, wanted to hear.
⚾ The Los Angeles Dodgers are finally getting pitching reinforcements in the form of Emmet Sheehan. Sheehan, who’s spent most of the season on the 60-day IL, is expected to join the Dodgers’ rotation upon his activation. The move should provide some form of stability for an ever-evolving one through five.
⚾ The Houston Astros had a busy start to their weekend. Outfielder Jacob Melton landed on the 10-day IL with an ankle sprain, while utilityman Shay Witcomb was optioned. Defensive extraordinaire Luis Guillorme and veteran catcher Cooper Hummel will replace the pair on the active roster. And to make it all work, the Astros transferred Spencer Arrighetti to the 60-day IL.
⚾ The Washington Nationals will be without left-hander Andrew Chafin for a while. The veteran reliever succumbed to a hamstring strain and will spend at least the next two weeks on the 15-day IL. While not the biggest blow, it’s still a loss. In 16 games this season, Chafin sported a 3.18 ERA. Ryan Loutos, a recent addition from the Dodgers, will take Chafin’s place.
⚾ If it’s not one thing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, it’s another. The Snakes announced yesterday that right-hander Christian Montas De Oca will likely miss the rest of the season following back surgery. And though Montas De Oca is largely untested, it only heightens concerns for a D-Backs bullpen that’ll now be without closer Justin Martinez due to an elbow injury.
⚾Before their game in Commerica yesterday, the Cincinnati Reds made a couple of moves. The club claimed utilityman Ryan Vilade off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. Vilade failed to fit into St. Louis’s flock, hitting just .077 with a .277 OPS in seven games. To create roster space, the Reds DFA’d outfielder Jacob Hurtubise. Finally, the Redlegs acquired right-hander Brian Van Belle from the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations. Van Belle has yet to appear in the Majors this season but boasted a 2.47 ERA in Triple-A Worcester.
⚾ As for the Cardinals, they’re also making changes. Outfielder Jordan Walker is back with outfielder Michael Siani being optioned.
⚾ The Baltimore Orioles aren’t exempt from changes, either. The team activated catcher Gary Sánchez on Saturday while demoting Maverick Hundley back to Triple-A.
⚾ Despite being selected by the Los Angeles Angels in last year’s Rule 5 Draft, the club and Garrett McDaniels are parting ways. McDaniels, thankfully, doesn’t have a far move as he’ll now return to the Dodgers.
Articles You Should Read
8 Father’s Day stories that make us thankful for dads – MLB.com
Sunday Notes: Tampa Bay’s Jake Mangum Is An Old-School Baseball Player – David Laurila, Fangraphs
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