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There was a lot going on Sunday, on the field and off it, Father’s Day-related and not, so it made coming up with one thing to write about in this brief segment challenging. I settled on what is happening with the Washington Nationals. On Saturday, manager Dave Martinez responded to a question about the team’s offensive struggles following a 4-3 loss to the Miami Marlins and whether the responsibility lies with the players or the coaches. Martinez said: “It’s never on coaching” and expounded from there. But in doing so, he basically threw his players under the bus. “We can’t hit for them,” he said of the coaching staff. On Sunday, Nationals beat writers followed up during their pregame chat on Martinez’s postgame comments from the previous day and the manager said he spoke with the team. “Hey, it wasn’t on them, right? My comments was nothing about them. They know that,” Martinez said. The Nationals lost their eighth straight Sunday and there appear to be fractures in the clubhouse over what Martinez said. At least the Colorado Rockies come to town now for four games.
Full Q & A from Nationals Manager Dave Martinez on where the blame lies for the offensive swoon. "It's never on coaching. It's never on coaching. Coaches work their asses off every single day."
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum.bsky.social) 2025-06-14T21:00:08.624Z
Asked Dave Martinez about his comments yesterday and how he believes his players will respond. Here’s what he said:
— Andrew Golden (@andrewgolden.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T16:29:25.461Z
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Today’s Headlines
Devers Dealt To Giants In Stunner
In a thoroughly surprising yet not that unexpected of a move, the Boston Red Sox dealt star third baseman-designated hitter Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for a package of four players, headlined by left-handed starter Kyle Harrison. The Giants are paying the remainder of Devers’ 10-year, $313.5 million contract that went into effect with the 2024 season. Devers, the Red Sox’s best and highest-paid player, had caused several stirs this spring and early in the season following the Red Sox’s acquisition of another star third baseman, Alex Bregman, in the offseason. Devers, a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger, at first said he was not moving from third base, then acquiesced and settled in at DH. Then, when first baseman Triston Casas went down with a season-ending ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, Devers added more fuel to the fire when he refused to even attempt to try grounders at first base to fill Casas’ void. Meanwhile, Devers continued to produce at the plate as a full-time DH, putting up a .272/.401/.504 slash line, hitting his 15th and final homer with the Red Sox on Sunday to go along with 58 RBIs. Devers is expected to continue in the DH role with the Giants, who have former Platinum Glove winner Matt Chapman at third base. Chapman is on the 15-day injured list with right hand inflammation, but Devers has basically not touched his glove since spring training. The 28-year-old Devers gives much-needed juice to the Giants’ lineup as they look to chase down the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. He will have a chance to show the Red Sox what they are missing when Boston visits San Francisco this weekend for three games.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox received two MLB arms in the 23-year-old Harrison and hard-throwing 28-year-old right-hander Jordan Hicks as well as two prospects, 22-year-old outfielder James Tibbs III and 20-year-old right-handed reliever Jose Bello. Harrison was slated to start Sunday, but was scratched due to the trade, which happened just minutes before the Giants faced the Los Angeles Dodgers. In eight games this season, including four starts, Harrison has a 4.56 ERA with nine walks and 25 strikeouts in 23⅔ innings. Harrison was for the moment optioned to Triple-A when the trade was announced. Hicks has struggled as a starter, so much so that the Giants sent him back to the bullpen. In 13 games and nine starts, Hicks posted a 6.47 ERA with 20 walks and 43 strikeouts. Tibbs was the Giants’ first-round draft pick (13th overall) last year out of Florida State and the No. 3 prospect in the system by Baseball America and No. 4 by MLB Pipeline. Bello is a wild card who was pitching in the Arizona Complex League.
The #SFGiants have acquired Rafael Devers from the Boston Red Sox
Ohtani To Start Today Vs. Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani will make his much-anticipated return to an MLB mound tonight as the Dodgers open a key series agains the San Diego Padres. It had been thought Ohtani would take one more shot at facing live batters, but that plan was scuttled when the team announced Sunday he would officially regain his status as a two-way player. The NL home run leader is expected to pitch just one inning today. Ohtani faced Dodgers minor-leaguers in a three-inning sim game Tuesday. Tonight’s start will be the first since he injured his right elbow late in the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Angels and required a second reconstructive surgery. In other Dodgers pitching news, rookie right-handed starter Roki Sasaki has halted his throwing program as his right shoulder is not responding the way he wants.
Pages’ Blast Boosts Dodgers
While all of the attention was focused on the other dugout due to the blockbuster trade, the Dodgers did what they have been doing for the last decade. They won. This one came thanks to Andy Pages, who crushed a three-run homer in the fifth inning as the Dodgers turned back the Giants 5-4. This is the second series against an NL West rival in which the Dodgers took two out of three games. There is one more series in this crucial 11-game stretch, with the Padres visiting Dodger Stadium for four games. The Giants had pulled into a tie for first place with the Dodgers after winning the opener, but L.A. won the last two games to remain atop the division. Pages matched his total from his rookie season of 2024 with his 14th homer of the year, turning a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. After six solid innings from right-hander Dustin May, three Dodgers relievers held the Giants to one hit over the last three innings, including left-hander Tanner Scott striking out all three batters he faced to earn his 13th save.
Red Sox Sweep Away Yankees
If the New York Yankees are the AL East’s Superman, does that make the Red Sox kryptonite? Just ask Yankees left-hander Max Fried. Romy González tripled and scored in the first, Devers hit a solo homer and right-hander Brayan Bello tossed seven shutout innings as the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the rival Yankees at Fenway Park. The first sweep of the Yankees by any team this season leaves the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays as the only teams not to drop an entire series this season. The Rays avoided joining the Yankees by beating the New York Mets 9-0. It was the fifth win in a row for the Red Sox, who even with the sweep remain in fourth place in the AL East, but now only 6½ games behind the first-place Yankees. Bello allowed just three hits, while walking three and striking out eight during a career-high 114 pitches.
Priester, Brewers Topple Cards
When the Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-hander Quinn Priester, they were desperate to fill a hole in the starting rotation. Consider that hole more than adequately shored up. Priester has rewarded the Brewers with several standout performances, including six innings of one-run ball in a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Priester allowed four hits and didn’t issue a walk while punching out three, lowing his ERA to 3.46 in 13 games. Christian Yelich homered, newcomer Drew Avans hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly and Sal Frelick drove in a run on a grounder to put the Brewers up 3-1. The Brewers took three of four from the Cardinals during an important stretch. Since Memorial Day, the Brewers have gone 13-6 against the Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta and the Cardinals. Now the second-place Brew Crew (39-34) hit the road to face the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs (44-28) in a three-game series beginning Tuesday.
De La Cruz Sparks Rolling Reds
Speaking of the NL Central, the Reds have inserted themselves into the thick of the division race, much of that due to star shortstop Elly De La Cruz. Thanks to De La Cruz hitting a homer in his fourth straight game, the Reds upended the Detroit Tigers 8-4. Cincy has won seven of nine and three straight series and are tied for third place in the NL Central at 37-35. The Reds scored four runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth to knock off the AL’s best team. De La Cruz’s blast was an opposite-field shot in the ninth inning, his 16th homer of the season. De La Cruz got the rare day off from shortstop and was the Reds’ DH, going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs. That prompted Reds manager Terry Francona to quip that his star player would make a terrific DH.
Here Come The Orioles?
Slowly but surely, the Baltimore Orioles are getting back to what was expected of them entering the season. Gary Sánchez cracked a grand slam as the Orioles finished off a three-game sweep of the Angels with an 11-2 triumph. The win pulled the Orioles to 30-40 and have won 11 of their last 15 games, including three sweeps. Sanchez, who came off the injured list Saturday following a seven-week absence due to a wrist ailment, homered for the second day in a row, delivering his grand slam in the seventh inning. Jordan Westburg, who just returned Thursday from his own IL stint, added a two-run homer in the eighth inning. This hot streak also pulled the O’s within six games of an AL wild-card spot.
Holmes K’s 15, But Atlanta Falls To Rockies
It was a great day for Grant Holmes. It just wasn’t a great day for his Atlanta teammates. Holmes struck out a career-high 15, but the Atlanta bullpen imploded yet again as the Colorado Rockies came away with a 10-1 victory. Holmes did his damage in 6⅓ innings, allowing three runs on just two hits while walking a pair. But Atlanta’s notorious bullpen struck again, surrendering seven runs in the rest of the sixth and all of the seventh innings. Holmes had reached nine strikeouts in two of his previous three starts and three times total this season, but had never gotten double digits until Sunday. Rockies catcher Braxton Fulford drove in five runs with a sacrifice fly, a bases-loaded walk and a three-run triple.
Best Moments From Yesterday
Homer For You, Dad
Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays did what every player wants to do for a dad they love: Hit a home run and point him out on the crowd.
Playing Catch With Dad
Just an MLB player and his dad playing catch on an MLB diamond. Seattle Mariners first baseman Rowdy Tellez is one of the good guys.
Cute moment alert: Rowdy Tellez and his dad having a postgame catch
— Lookout Landing (@lookoutlanding.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T23:04:33.304Z
Adames Approves
Giants shortstop Willy Adames had the honor of the team’s first on-the-record comments about the Devers trade thanks to being mic’d up.
Willy Adames is on the mic and is excited about the reported trade that will bring Rafael Devers to the Giants.
A Grand First
As a first-time father, Seattle Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford had all the feels for his first Father’s Day. That included hitting a grand slam for daughter Korra.
J.P. Crawford has his daughter’s name inscribed on his bat for his first #FathersDay 🥹
Dad power 😤On his first #FathersDay since becoming a dad, J.P. Crawford launches a grand slam!
A Winning Feeling
While it wasn’t a grand slam, it was a game-wining hit for another first-time dad, Mauricio Dubón of the Houston Astros, beating the Minnesota Twins 2-1 in 10 innings.
On his first #FathersDay as a dad, Mauricio Dubón walks it off for the @Astros 😤
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill went on the seven-day concussion list. Merrill was injured while sliding into second base in Saturday’s game.
⚾ The Nationals are calling up top hitting prospect Brady House to make his MLB debut. A third baseman, House had a .304/.353/.519 slash line with 13 homers in 65 games at Triple-A this season. He is the No. 3 prospect in the Nationals’ system, per MLB Pipeline.
⚾ Texas Rangers right-handed starter Tyler Mahle was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder fatigue. Right-hander Kumar Rocker was brought up from Triple-A.
⚾ Colorado Rockies left-handed starter Kyle Freeland went on the 15-day IL due to stiffness in his lower back. The Rockies also activated left-hander Austin Gomber (left shoulder soreness) to start Sunday.
⚾ The Arizona Diamondbacks signed right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani to a major-league contract. DeSclafani had been in the minors with the Yankees before opting out of his deal Thursday.
⚾ Catcher Wilson Ramos, a two-time All-Star who played 13 seasons with seven teams, retired. The 2016 Silver Slugger winner with the Washington Nationals had not played in the majors since 2021.
⚾ Right-handed reliever John Brebbia was designated for assignment by the Detroit Tigers. He had a 7.71 ERA in 18⅔ innings this season.
⚾ Outfielder Eddie Rosario, the 2021 NL Championship Series MVP during Atlanta’s World Series run, opted out of his minor-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.
⚾ Philadelphia Phillies right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler said he will retire after the 2027 season when his current contract expires.
Articles You Should Read
Anthem singer Nezza goes against Dodgers’ wishes with Spanish rendition — Fabian Ardaya, The Athletic
Why a chat with Yankees’ Hill about losing our dads to cancer was therapeutic for both of us — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News
When did you become a better player than your dad? Cardinals have answers — Jeff Jones, Belleville News-Democrat
Blue Jays’ Gausman a beloved ace and a girl dad — Keegan Matheson, MLB.com
How Boyd’s pickoff move has been a weapon for Cubs — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune
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