⚾️ MLB 6/26: SM Daily Notes 🏟️
A daily report of everything you need to know for today's MLB slate
Happy Thursday! We will be doing a game-by-game preview of today’s slate of baseball plus everything else you need to know … lets dive in!
Game Previews
⚾️ Athletics vs. Detroit Tigers – [1:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Jeffrey Springs vs. Dietrich Enns
Last Time Out: The A’s won on the back of a great pitching performance from Jorge Lopez (7 IP, 3 H, 6 SO) and Nick Kurtz’s mammoth day at the plate (3-3, HR, 3 RBI). After the Tigers took the first game on Tuesday, this will decide the series.
Game Notes: Kurtz is slashing .293/.349/.655 with four homers over the last week … Detroit starter Deitrich Enns is making his first appearance in the big leagues since 2021 with Tamp Bay … Brent Rooker has an OPS of 1.055 over the last 15 games … Riley Greene has an OPS of 1.216 over the same time … Springs gave up just one earned run in 7.1 IP in Cleveland last time out
💡 Player to Target:
Gleyber Torres: Is hitting .346 over his last seven games … .994 OPS vs left-handed pitching this season … batting average of .317 at home
⚾️ Toronto Blue Jays vs. Cleveland Guardians – [1:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Kevin Gausman vs. Tanner Bibee
Last Time Out: Jose Ramirez moved into 4th in all-time games played for Cleveland and walked-off the Blue Jays in extra innings. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had a walk and home run. Lane Thomas had two hits including a home run. Max Scherzer pitched five innings with four strikeouts in his return.
Game Notes: Ernie Clement is batting .458 over his last 12 games … Lane Thomas has back-to-back multi-hit games … Tanner Bibee had 10 SOs last time vs. Athletics, but gave up 11 hits … Kevin Gausman has a 5.13 ERA in his last seven games … Cleveland has 5th-worst batting average over last two weeks
💡 Player to Target:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: Had a home run last night and is slashing .316/.409/.561 over the last two weeks … Elite ranks in xBA (.324), xwOBA (.413), and bat speed (76.3)
⚾️ Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins – [1:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Emerson Hancock vs. Simeon Woods Richardson
Last Time Out: Twins won 2-0 thanks to Joe Ryan’s 6 IP, 8 SO performance. George Kirby pitched well going 6 innings, but allowing one earned run. Kody Clemens had a solo HR and Willi Castro supplied a RBI single as the only runs on the night.
Game Notes: Both starting pitchers have ERAs above 5 this season … Byron Buxton has seven home runs in his last 13 games … Brooks Lee is hitting .373 over the same time … Donavan Solano has an OPS of 1.374 in his last eight games with three home runs … Cal Raleigh has six home runs in the last 13 games … Mariners’ pitching has the league’s best WHIP (0.97) and BAA (.199) over the last two weeks
💡 Player to Target:
Byron Buxton: Has a .998 OPS at home this season … top 4% of league in hard-hit % (54.5) … 1.107 OPS in the month of June
⚾️ Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals – [2:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Shane Baz vs. Michael Lorenzen
Last Time Out: Rays shoutout the Royals in Kansas City thanks to five IP from Drew Rasmussen with no earned runs and five strikeouts. The Rays used four different pitchers to complete the game. Jose Caballero and Danny Jansen both had RBIs in this game.
Game Notes: Brandon Lowe is batting .331 over the last month and has a 12 game hitting streak … Baz has a 3.57 ERA on the road this year … Lorenzen has a 6.30 ERA in June … Maikel Garcia is hitting .320 over his last 13 games … Caminero has 1.005 OPS with four home runs over the last two weeks … Rays have third-best team WHIP this season
💡 Player to Target:
Yandy Diaz: 1.417 OPS vs. Lorezen in his career … Slashing .347/.401/.565 over the last 30 games … top 2% in hard-hit % (55.3)
⚾️ Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros – [2:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Christopher Sanchez vs. Hunter Brown
Last Time Out: Colton Gordon lead the charge with five shutout innings as four different Astros relievers combined to complete the shutout. Victor Caratini hit his 6th home run of the season and Isaac Paredes drove in his 46th RBI in the win. Zack Wheeler pitched six innings with eight strikeouts.
Game Notes: Paredes has a 2.200 OPS vs. Sanchez in his career … Sanchez has a 2.84 ERA in his last seven starts … Hunter Brown has a 1.19 ERA in home games this season … Philadelphia and Houston rank second and third in team ERA in the last two weeks … Mauricio Dubon has an OPS of 1.035 in his last 14 games … Kyle Schwarber has a .936 OPS in his last 13 games
💡 Player to Target:
Christoper Sanchez: 2.87 ERA with 92 Ks this season … 4th best road ERA in NL this year (2.54) … Only has allowed six earned runs in four starts in June
⚾️ Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals – [2:15 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Shota Imanaga vs. Andre Pallante
Last Time Out: The Cubs won 8-0 thanks to a 6 IP, 3 SO performance from Matthew Boyd. Ian Happ, Reese McGuire, and Kyle Tucker all homered for the Cubs. Erick Feede took the loss giving up seven runs in 3.2 IP.
Game Notes: Shota Imanaga makes his first start for the Cubs since May 4th … Nico Hoerner has a 1.185 OPS vs. Pallante … Kyle Tucker has an OPS of 1.061 in his last 13 games … Reese McGuire has three home runs in seven games … Alec Burleson has a .556 SLG over the last two weeks … Pallante pitched a six-inning shutout last time vs. Cincinnati.
💡 Player to Target:
Ian Happ: Multi-hit game yesterday with a home run … 1.138 OPS in 10 ABs vs. Pallante … career .912 OPS in Busch Stadium
⚾️ Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Colorado Rockies – [3:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Clayton Kershaw vs. Austin Gomber
Last Time Out: Yamamoto pitched 5 spectacular innings in a rain-shortened start, giving up just one hit and recording six strikeouts. Max Muncy had a grand-slam and six RBIs and Michael Conforto hit his second home run in as many nights.
Game Notes: Ohtani has a 1.455 OPS vs. Gomber with two home runs in his career … Kershaw has a 2.49 ERA in June … Dodgers have second best OPS in last two weeks … Hunter Goodman has four home runs and a .978 OPS in his last 12 games … Michael Toglia has three HRs in his last nine games and a .903 OPS
💡 Player to Target:
Andy Pages: One home run and a 2.467 OPS vs Gomber … batting .341 with six home runs this month … .849 OPS at Coors Field
⚾️ Miami Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants – [3:45 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Janson Junk vs. Hayden Birdsong
Last Time Out: Heriberto Hernandez had four RBI and Otto Lopez had three of his own as Miami prevailed in extra innings to win 8-5. Edward Cabrera had six SOs in 5.1 IP. Logan Webb pitched six innings with six strikeouts in the loss. Mike Yastrzemski hit his 7th home run of the season.
Game Notes: Hayden Birdsong has a 2.73 ERA at home this season … Casey Schmitt is slashing .364/.440/.591 in his last 13 games … Yas has a .829 OPS at home this year … Xavier Edwards is batting .313 in his last 12 games
💡 Player to Target:
Janson Junk: 2.60 ERA in 27.2 IP this year … 5 IP with five strikeouts last time out vs. Atlanta … Giants second-worst home batting average in NL
⚾️ Atlanta Braves vs. New York Mets – [7:10 ET]
Pitching Matchup: Grant Holmes vs. Griffen Canning
Last Time Out: Juan Soto hit two home runs in his 27th multi-homer game and Ronny Mauricio went 3-4 with a home run in the Mets 7-3 win. Jeff McNeil and Brett Baty each had two hits in the game. Braves rookie catcher Drake Baldwin hit his ninth home run on the season.
Game Notes: Marcell Ozuna has two home runs and a 2.833 OPS vs. Canning … Ronald Acuna Jr. has a 1.182 OPS in his 30 games played this year … Soto has six home runs and an OPS of 1.147 in his last two weeks … Brandon Nimmo is hitting .320 over his last two weeks
💡 Player to Target:
Matt Olson: Slashing .345/.464/.564 over the last two weeks … two home runs in 18 ABs vs Canning … Canning has a 5.97 ERA in his last seven games … Olson has two multi-hit games in a mini three game hitting streak