Samwise MLB Newsletter
Saturday, May 16, 2026
Schwarber hits 20th homer as Phillies rally from six down to beat Pirates 11-9 in extras
Kyle Schwarber smashed two home runs to push his MLB-leading total to 20 and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a six-run deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-9 in ten innings Friday. Schwarber connected off Braxton Ashcraft in the fifth and Mason Montgomery in the seventh, tying the Phillies franchise record set by Cy Williams in 1923. Down 8-5 in the ninth, Schwarber drew a walk and Bryce Harper followed with a two-run single to tie the game at 8. Brandon Marsh doubled to break the tie in the tenth, and Rafael Marchan added a two-run single to seal the comeback win for Philadelphia.
Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · MLB.com
Schlittler dominates as Yankees win Subway Series opener 5-2; Holmes fractures fibula on comebacker
Cam Schlittler carried a one-hit shutout into the seventh inning as the New York Yankees defeated the Mets 5-2 in the Subway Series opener Friday at Citi Field. Schlittler, now 6-1 with a major-league-best 1.35 ERA, struck out nine in 6 and two-thirds innings. Jazz Chisholm Jr. had three hits, and Ben Rice added a ninth-inning homer. The night was overshadowed by a serious injury to Mets reliever Clay Holmes, who fractured his right fibula after being struck by Spencer Jones' 111.1 mph comebacker in the fourth inning. Holmes continued to pitch before being removed, and manager Carlos Mendoza said he will be out for a long time.
Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · MLB.com
Arrighetti carries no-hit bid into eighth inning as Astros blank Rangers 2-0
Spencer Arrighetti held the Texas Rangers hitless through seven innings before a hit broke up his bid in the eighth, and the Houston Astros completed a 2-0 shutout Friday at Daikin Park. Arrighetti generated weak contact throughout, and Houston's defense supported him cleanly. Isaac Paredes supplied the game's first run with a solo home run, and Braden Shewmake added an RBI single. The win gave Houston a much-needed bright spot in what has been a difficult season, with ace Hunter Brown sidelined on the injured list and the team sitting near the bottom of the AL West standings while awaiting the return of several key contributors.
Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · MLB.com
Yankees place Max Fried on IL with bone bruise in left elbow
The New York Yankees placed left-handed starter Max Fried on the 15-day injured list Friday with a bone bruise in his left elbow, potentially sidelining the ace for several weeks. Fried departed Wednesday's start in Baltimore after three innings, citing difficulty getting loose and reaching his release point. The Yankees said he will be reevaluated in a few weeks, and no structural damage to the ulnar collateral ligament was mentioned. Fried said he does not believe surgery will be necessary. The injury compounds a rough week for New York, which lost five of its last six games heading into the Subway Series weekend at Citi Field.
Sources: MLB Trade Rumors · ESPN · NBC Sports
Strider delivers again as Braves edge Red Sox 3-2 in extras
Spencer Strider allowed just one run in five and a third innings in his third start back from the injured list, and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in extra innings Friday at Truist Park. Strider surrendered an RBI single to Michael Gasper in the sixth but kept Boston quiet otherwise, while catcher Sandy Leon threw out two Red Sox runners attempting to steal. Atlanta, the first team in baseball to reach 30 wins this season, continues to build its lead in the NL East. The Braves have now gotten strong early outings from Strider in each of his three appearances since rejoining the rotation this month.
Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · MLB.com
Pages, eight relievers combine to blank Angels 6-0 in Freeway Series opener
Andy Pages hit a three-run homer in the third inning and eight Los Angeles Dodgers relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Dodgers defeated the Angels 6-0 Friday in the Freeway Series opener at Angel Stadium. Pages' 407-foot blast was his tenth home run of the season, and Max Muncy followed three pitches later with his twelfth. Kike Hernandez also homered, ending a 23-game streak without one. Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz gave up seven hits and six runs in six innings. It was the Dodgers' fifth shutout of the season and second in three games. Los Angeles has won three straight after dropping four of six earlier this month.
Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · MLB.com
Cubs snap White Sox winning streak with 10-5 win in Crosstown Classic opener
Carson Kelly delivered a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and drove in four runs overall as the Chicago Cubs snapped the Chicago White Sox's five-game winning streak, winning 10-5 Friday night in the Crosstown Classic opener at Rate Field. The Cubs, who entered May's Rivalry Weekend with the second-best record in the National League, broke open a close game with a four-run rally in the seventh. Chicago's offense, which had been quiet in recent weeks, produced ten runs against a White Sox pitching staff that had been one of the AL's better units this month. An announced crowd of 38,723 filled Rate Field for the interleague rivalry matchup.
Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · MLB.com
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh placed on IL with oblique strain
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday with a recurrence of right oblique discomfort, the first IL stint of his major league career. Raleigh exited Thursday's game against the Astros and was held out Friday as the team assessed the injury. Oblique strains in catchers frequently extend beyond the minimum IL stay, often requiring three or more weeks of recovery. The loss of Raleigh, one of Seattle's most consistent offensive contributors, is a significant blow to a Mariners team already below .500 in the AL West. The club called up a replacement catcher from Triple-A to fill the roster spot.
American League
AL East
1. Tampa Bay Rays — 28–14, —
2. New York Yankees — 27–17, 2.0
3. Baltimore Orioles — 23–20, 5.5
4. Boston Red Sox — 20–22, 8.0
5. Toronto Blue Jays — 19–24, 9.5
AL Central
1. Cleveland Guardians — 25–18, —
2. Chicago White Sox — 22–21, 3.0
3. Kansas City Royals — 21–22, 4.0
4. Detroit Tigers — 19–25, 6.5
5. Minnesota Twins — 18–26, 7.5
AL West
1. Oakland Athletics — 23–21, —
2. Texas Rangers — 21–22, 1.5
3. Seattle Mariners — 22–23, 1.5
4. Houston Astros — 17–28, 6.5
5. Los Angeles Angels — 14–30, 9.0
National League
NL East
1. Atlanta Braves — 30–14, —
2. Philadelphia Phillies — 22–23, 8.5
3. Washington Nationals — 19–24, 10.5
4. New York Mets — 18–25, 11.5
5. Miami Marlins — 16–27, 13.5
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs — 28–16, —
2. Pittsburgh Pirates — 26–17, 1.5
3. Milwaukee Brewers — 25–18, 2.5
4. St. Louis Cardinals — 24–19, 3.5
5. Cincinnati Reds — 23–21, 5.0
NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers — 26–18, —
2. San Diego Padres — 25–18, 0.5
3. Arizona Diamondbacks — 19–24, 6.5
4. San Francisco Giants — 15–28, 10.5
5. Colorado Rockies — 13–31, 13.0
Curated by JD · samwise.agency