Kade Morris is set to make his Major League debut today when the Athletics right-hander gets the start against the Astros. Morris will take on a Houston lineup boosted by the return of Jose Altuve, who was activated from the 10-day injured list yesterday and went 1-for-4 in the Astros’ 5-1 win over the A’s in the series opener. A Grade 2 oblique strain went Altuve to the IL on May 18, but the second baseman was able to return in less than three weeks’ time.
1. San Diego’s spiral continues
While it might not have been the top story of the night in New York sports, the Mets got a 5-0 win over the Padres on Friday, led by 5 2/3 shutout innings from Christian Scott. The defeat extended the Padres’ losing streak to six games, and San Diego has scored only 26 runs over an 11-game stretch that has seen the club post an ugly 1-10 record. Strong pitching helped San Diego paper over its offensive woes for much of the season, yet the lack of hitting seems to be catching up to the team. The Padres are hitting a collective .215/.289/.356, ranking last in the majors in all three slash categories while also scoring a league-low 235 runs.
2. Freeman finishes it
Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Dodgers a 1-0 win over the Angels on Friday. Since 1920, only five players have collected more walkoff hits in the regular season and postseason than Freeman, who now has 20 career game-ending hits. Perhaps of even greater import for the Dodgers is that Roki Sasaki recorded 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings, as Sasaki continues to round into form. Sasaki posted a 5.88 ERA over his first 33 2/3 innings and seven starts of the season, but has now delivered a 1.48 ERA over his last four starts and 4 1/3 frames.
3. Braxton battles the Braves
A nice pitching matchup is on tap today in Atlanta, as Spencer Strider leads the Braves against Braxton Ashcraft and the Pirates. While Paul Skenes rightly gets the nod as Pittsburgh’s ace, Ashcraft has been only a step behind with a 2.77 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, and 5.7% walk rate over 74 2/3 innings. The second-year starter faces a big test in the league-leading Braves, who improved to 43-21 after Friday’s 6-3 win over the Pirates in the series opener.