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It's hard to imagine it being much better for the Detroit Tigers entering Wednesday night's game against the host Baltimore Orioles.
The Tigers hold a 44-24 record, putting them 20 games above .500 for the first time since 2013.
Detroit manager AJ Hinch's team didn't have a letdown following an intense weekend series at home against the Chicago Cubs. The Tigers won two of three games in the battle of division leaders.
In Baltimore on Tuesday, the Tigers won 5-3 in the series opener, sending the Orioles to their third loss in the last four games. Detroit has won three of its last four outings.
Every time since May 25 that the Tigers have scored at least three runs, they've won the game.
And they have first baseman Spencer Torkelson putting up big offensive numbers. He homered for the 16th time this season on Tuesday night, giving him the most long balls among American League first basemen.
"I just want to attack every single day and win every single day," Torkelson told The Detroit News on Tuesday.
The Orioles could be encouraged by a couple of developments with third baseman Jordan Westburg and outfielder Cedric Mullins coming off the injury list at the beginning of the homestand. Westburg homered to lead off the bottom of the ninth following his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Norfolk.
"I was really happy to see him have success up here," Baltimore shortstop Gunnar Henderson said. "And yeah, glad to see it right off the start."
Westburg said it feels different this June with the Orioles in a big hole in the standings -- last place in the American League East. But he's taking an optimistic approach.
"I'm pretty confident in this group," he said. "I'm going to try to focus on the positives and try to stack one day at a time, and we'll see what happens at the end of the year. It's a long season. I know I've said that, and I'm sure you all are tired of hearing that, but it is and there's a lot of things that can change."
Mullins said he's hoping for an encouraging stretch for the Orioles because many roster regulars are getting back in action.
"Guys coming back healthy, especially this early in the season," he said. "We're hoping for good things out of ourselves."
Looking to stay in a groove, right-hander Zach Eflin (5-2, 4.47 ERA) will draw the pitching start for the Orioles on Wednesday. He has won his last two starts, covering a total of 13 innings and allowing three runs with 13 strikeouts and one walk.
In his most recent start, last Thursday at Seattle, Eflin pitched six innings, giving up three runs and eight hits in Baltimore's 4-3 victory.
He has faced the Tigers twice in his career, going 1-1 with a 1.54 ERA.
The Tigers will send right-hander Casey Mize (6-1, 2.91) to the mound. After a sizzling start to the season, he has gone three consecutive outings without a decision.
Mize has made three career starts against Baltimore, going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA. In his five-season career, he has won more games against only the Kansas City Royals (three times).
More must-reads:
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- The 'National League MVPs' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Yankees only willing to part with top prospect for one specific player
The New York Yankees (59-49) have already been quite busy as buyers ahead of the July 31 (6 p.m. EST) trade deadline. Third baseman Ryan McMahon, infielder Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater have all been added to the fold over the last week as Brian Cashman looks to push his roster over the top in pursuit of a World Series. While the Yankees have been active, they've done so without giving up any of their top prospects. Outfielder Spencer Jones continues to be a hot commodity around baseball, though New York is hesitant to deal him. Unless that is for Pirates superstar starting pitcher Paul Skenes, that is. MLB insider Jon Heyman shared the report on Thursday afternoon. Cashman and the Yankees clearly hold Jones in very high regard, which makes sense given he's lit up both AA and AAA in 2025. The 24-year-old is batting an impressive .402 with 13 HRs and 25 RBI in just 21 games since getting called up to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. His 6'7, 240-pound frame and skillset as a left-handed hitter are tantalizing, and he'll be ready to make an impact at the big league level sooner rather than later. Despite that, there's no question the Yankees should and would be willing to put him on the table in a trade for Skenes. The 23-year-old has been absolutely dominant to start his MLB career, with a 1.89 earned run average through his first 45 starts. He's already emerged as one of, if not the best, pitchers in baseball, with plenty of room to grow. The Pirates (47-62) have shown zero inclination or willingness to move on from Skenes, though you have to figure that teams like the Yankees will continue to call as long as Pittsburgh continues to struggle. It feels like a pipe dream for now, but holding out hope for Skenes to one day become available could be worth the wait, and no prospect would be excluded in such a deal.
Raiders staff 'changed their mind' on Jackson Powers-Johnson
First-year head coach Pete Carroll is tinkering with the Las Vegas Raiders' offensive line early in training camp. On Tuesday, second-year offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was moved to the second-team unit at center, with Jordan Meredith handling the first-team reps, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic. On Thursday, Powers-Johnson was moved to the first-team right guard. The Raiders initially wanted Powers-Johnson to play at center in the upcoming season, but "changed their mind" when they released veteran Andre James in March. "Powers-Johnson started games at guard last year, but the intent was for him to lock in on center after the team released Andre James this offseason," Reed wrote. "That was the case through OTAs, but the staff changed their mind once training camp got rolling. "According to coach Pete Carroll, the logic is Meredith is too small to play guard but holds up well at center. They signed Alex Cappa to start at right guard, but Powers-Johnson is a superior option there." Meredith, a six-foot-two, 300-pound athlete, is decidedly much smaller than the six-foot-three, 328-pound Powers-Johnson. Carroll believes the competition between Meredith and Powers-Johnson this summer will ultimately make the team better. "It's the heart of everything," Carroll told reporters on Thursday regarding the battle at center between Meredith and Powers-Johnson, via video from Taylor Rocha. "These guys are battling for their playing time... JPJ is working his tail off, and both those guys are battling, so it just makes us better." It's hard to see the Raiders benching Powers-Johnson if Meredith earns the starting center job. He should at least earn the starting right guard job after he made the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2024. He is too talented not to start for Las Vegas.
Trade Idea Sees Leafs Acquire Sabres Sniper at Trade Deadline
With Mitch Marner gone and several names added by general manager Brad Treliving, the Toronto Maple Leafs may be pressing pause on any further moves. That said, depending on how the season unfolds for several teams, action could pick up midseason, with the NHL trade deadline becoming an important time for Toronto. One report suggests the Maple Leafs could make a major push for Alex Tuch. The Buffalo Sabres winger is legit, but often underappreciated in a market where the team has struggled for years. He’s on the final season of $4.75 million deal and set to hit free agency with a hefty pay raise coming. According to NHL analyst Matteo Giuluano of EditorInLeaf, Tuch is the ideal rental for the Maple Leafs. Why Would the Leafs Go After Tuch This Season? Tuch, a 6-foot-4 winger entering the final year of his contract with the Buffalo Sabres, a team that often surprises everyone by the decisions they make. On the surface, there would be no reason to get rid of Tuch. However, the Sabres often run counter to conventional wisdom. Tuch adds a strong mix of skill and physicality to Buffalo’s top six. He could easily do the same in Toronto. He’s coming off a 67-point season and could slot perfectly alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the top line—offering a power-forward presence well-suited for Craig Berube’s system. The Sabres have said they don’t plan to trade Tuch, but as Giuluano notes, feelings may change if the team falls out of contention or Tuch hints he’s set to explore the market. Tuch would then become one of the most affordable and valuable rentals in the NHL. For the Maple Leafs, the deal wouldn’t be about extending the forward. Frankly, they probably couldn’t afford to do so. Still, landing Tuch would address their need to find a top offensive producer with Marner out and add someone with playoff experience (he as 66 games on his NHL resume). If he hits the market, Toronto should be ready to pounce.
Why Tigers' startling trade for Kyle Finnegan might quickly backfire
Tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League at 64-46 before Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Detroit Tigers were looking to make a splash that could put them over the top. Overnight, one of their key trade targets, third baseman Eugenio Suarez, was abruptly snatched by the Seattle Mariners. The Tigers quickly responded by trading for right-hander Kyle Finnegan from the Washington Nationals. The 33-year-old reliever is in his last year of club control. While Finnegan was acquired to shore up the Tigers’ bullpen, which had been their main weakness with a 4.16 ERA, it isn’t clear if he can do that. He has a career-high 4.38 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 39 innings this season, which towers above the 3.68 ERA he posted just last year in his first All-Star season. Finnegan started the year looking to build off his success in 2024, finishing June with an ERA of just 2.61 and maintaining an ERA of 2.36 as recently as July 10. Shortly after, the wheels came off and ballooned his ERA. In all fairness, it was three very bad appearances that ruined his otherwise stellar numbers, but this doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t get worse. And if history serves as a precedent in this case, then it almost certainly will. Throughout his career, Finnegan has been a first-half stud (3.25 career first-half ERA, 1.254 WHIP) and a second-half disaster (4.43 career ERA, 1.393 WHIP). This makes him a bit of a second-half risk, but that’s not all. Finnegan has also struggled outside of Washington, D.C., where he has pitched for his entire six-year career. At home, he maintained a career 3.35 ERA compared to his 4.02 career ERA on the road. Despite this, Finnegan is still a very talented arm, giving his new team something to work with if they can iron out the kinks. And when ignoring his bloated ERA, the other metrics seem to signify that he is better than this year’s results. Finnegan’s 1.282 WHIP is the second-lowest of his career, and his 0.7 HR/9 (home runs per nine innings) ties his rookie-year lows. However, for a team like the Tigers, this gamble on a scuffling high-leverage reliever is coming at the wrong time. If Finnegan’s downtrend continues — as it historically has — Detroit could be in for a bumpy ride. With their World Series aspirations on the line this year, it would seem an addition such as this may be counterproductive to their efforts.
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