2026 PLAYER / PITCHER OF THE WEEK #9

W: H. Brazoban (1-0)
L: G. Whitlock (2-3)
S: R. O’Biren (1)

starters –
Fremont B. Ober 6.1IP 7H 3R 3K
Gainesville Z. Gallen 5.2IP 4H 3R 9K

W: C. Rodon (6-3) 7IP 3H 2R 7K
L: P. Messick (1-3) 4.2IP 5H 7R 6ER 3K

W: R. Suarez (3-0)
L: H. Strickland (0-1)

starters –
Fremont S. Alcantara 5.1IP 6H 4R 6K
Gainesville J. Flaherty 5IP 7H 4R 3ER 7K

W: K. Senga (4-1) 7IP 3H 2R 4K
L: Z. Eflin (2-5) 6IP 7H 4R 4K

W: T. Skubal (5-3) 7IP 4H 1R 8K
L: L. Evans (2-4) 5IP 6H 4R 5K
S: R. Suarez (7)

W: Z. Gallen (2-7) 6IP 6H 4R 3ER 6K
L: B. Ober (0-1) .1IP 7H 8R

Not much hitting for the Defenders. Straw gets the first hit for Alamo after it’s 3-0 Columbus. The Defenders fight back with one run and can’t get more runs in a bases loaded situation. Peterson is 3-5. Uribe with his 9th save. Arias, Hernandez, and Grisham hit homers for Columbus.

Columbus 3 Alamo 1

Pivetta gives up two solo blasts to Grisham and Hernandez. Rafael Devers hits a 2 run homer for the Defenders. He adds another RBI. Pivetta goes the distance.

Alamo 4 Columbus 2

Game goes to the 10th inning. Meidroth knocks in the winning run. Lukes and Rojas hit homers for Columbus. Santana with a solo homer for Alamo.

Columbus 4 Alamo 3

Walker gets knocked out early, but the Defenders hang around. The bullpen gives up no runs. Mangum with 2 RBI. Varsho with a 3 run homer for Columbus.

Alamo 6 Columbus 5

Warren pitches 6.2 innings and gives up 1 run. He earns his first win for Columbus. Schneeman hit the solo homer for Alamo. Pages with 2 RBI for Columbus as the Explorers win easily.

Columbus 6 Alamo 1

Peterson throws 7 scoreless innings for Columbus. Donovan and Torrens with 2 RBI each.

Columbus 6 Alamo 0

TIJUANA — The Bottle Rockets drew first blood in the six-game set, riding a four-run second inning to a 7-3 victory. Corbin Carroll was the offensive star, lacing a two-run double in the first before adding a two-run homer in the sixth to finish with four RBIs. Trea Turner collected four hits for Tijuana, while Reese Olson (3-1) worked five innings for the win. Dallas committed three errors, including two by starter Valente Bellozo (2-3), who was tagged for five runs (two earned) in 5.2 innings.

TIJUANA — In a tense pitcher’s duel, the Bottle Rockets scratched out a 2-1 victory. Cedric Mullins launched a solo homer in the second inning off Cole Ragans, and Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s two-out RBI single in the sixth proved the difference. Caleb Thielbar (2-3) earned the win with two scoreless innings, and Justin Lawrence locked down his seventh save. Ragans (2-3) was sharp in defeat, fanning seven over six innings. The Cougars’ only run came on Sal Frelick‘s RBI single in the fifth.

TIJUANA — Dallas broke through emphatically behind Lucas Giolito (3-4), who spun six innings of one-run, three-hit ball. Brooks Lee provided the big blow with a three-run homer in the fifth inning, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. Josh Jung added a two-run single in the eighth to put the game away. The Cougars collected 11 hits while holding Tijuana to just three. Framber Valdez (2-3) took the loss.

TIJUANA — In a marathon thriller, Ian Happ‘s walk-off two-run homer in the 13th inning sent the hometown fans home happy. The teams traded solo shots earlier — Ramon Laureano homered for Dallas in the second, and Happ answered with a solo blast in the sixth to tie it at 2-2. Both bullpens were magnificent until Happ finally ended it off Victor Vodnik (0-1). Caleb Thielbar (3-3) earned the win with two scoreless frames. Corbin Carroll extended his on-base streak to 25 games.

TIJUANA — Jarren Duran broke open a close game with a three-run homer in the sixth inning, his fourth of the season, as Dallas evened the series. Emerson Hancock (2-2) was superb, allowing two runs on four hits over seven innings. The Cougars jumped ahead early on Sal Frelick‘s two-run triple in the third and added a run on a wild pitch. Spencer Strider (2-5) was knocked out in the fifth after allowing three runs. The Bottle Rockets committed two errors and left 10 men on base.

TIJUANA — The Bottle Rockets closed out the series in style, erupting for four runs in the seventh to blow open a close game. Corbin Carroll delivered a two-run homer in the third and an RBI double in the fifth, finishing with three RBIs. Jahmai Jones and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each added run-scoring singles in the big seventh inning. Reese Olson (4-1) earned his fourth win, allowing one earned run over five frames. Valente Bellozo (2-4) took the loss.

The first-place Tijuana Bottle Rockets (35-17) proved why they sit atop the standings, taking four of six from the visiting Dallas Cougars (27-25). Tijuana’s offense was powered by Corbin Carroll, who homered twice and drove in seven runs over the series while extending his on-base streak to 25 games. Ian Happ also came up clutch with two homers, including a walk-off in Game 4.

The Cougars showed resilience, winning two games behind strong pitching from Giolito and Hancock, but their defense let them down at critical moments — Dallas committed seven errors in the series. Brooks Lee and Jarren Duran provided occasional pop, but the Tijuana bullpen (Thielbar, Lawrence, Miller) was nearly untouchable in high-leverage situations.

Cal Raleigh goes three-for-five, with two doubles and two RBI.

Connor Norby homered for Baltimore.

Vinnie Pasquantino led off the tenth with a walk-off homer for Cincinnati.

Bailey Falter worked eight innings of scoreless baseball, scattering two hits, walking two, and fanning nine.

Randal Grichuk delivered a sac fly to left field for the walk-off win.

The Fighting Chihuahuas scratched and clawed their way to a gritty 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Expos, with a balanced offensive attack and just enough pitching to hold on down the stretch.

The Offense Did the Heavy Lifting Detroit’s lineup came to play, collecting 12 hits and working 7 walks to keep constant pressure on Tampa Bay. The star of the night was R. McMahon at third base, going 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored and a double — quietly one of the best lines on the field. W. Contreras (c) matched that with a 3-for-5 effort, knocking in a run and scoring one himself. With 12 strikeouts on the board, the Chihuahuas left some runs on the table (13 LOB), but they got what they needed when it counted.

Abbott Gets the Win, but Not Without Drama A. Abbott earned the W going 6.1 innings, surrendering 3 earned runs on 7 hits. The bullpen was a bit of a rollercoaster — R. Garcia let a run in, but R. Rodriguez slammed the door with a clean save, his 7th of the season, securing the final out and keeping the Expos at bay.

Tampa Bay Couldn’t Find a Spark The Expos had some bright moments — T. Gray went 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, and T. d’Arnaud added a solo shot — but starter S. Baz couldn’t make it out of the 4th, giving up 4 earned runs in just 3.2 innings to sink Tampa Bay early. The offense mounted a late push in the 6th and 7th but never fully closed the gap.

Bottom Line: Detroit’s depth won this one. No single hero, just a team that ground it out over 9 innings.

Ouch. The Chihuahuas got housed in this one, dropping a lopsided 12-2 decision to the Expos in a game that got ugly early and never got better.

The Wheels Fell Off Fast Tampa Bay hung 6 runs on starter R. Lopez before he could even get through the 3rd inning. Lopez lasted just 2.2 innings, giving up 6 earned runs on 7 hits including 2 home runs — his ERA ballooning to a brutal 13.50 on the season. The bullpen didn’t help matters either. M. Scherzer came in and got tagged for 3 more, and G. Taylor surrendered another 3 in his lone inning of work. All told, Detroit gave up 5 home runs and 17 hits. That’s a tough night for any pitching staff.

Detroit’s Offense Had No Answer The Chihuahuas managed 8 hits but drew zero walks — zero — and were held to just 2 runs all game. J. Wilson and W. Contreras (dh) were the only ones doing damage, each going 2-for-4 with a solo homer. Everyone else? Pretty quiet. B. Lowe went 0-for-4 and H. Ramos was 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tampa Bay Went Off This was an Expos party. M. Muncy went absolutely nuclear — 3-for-4 with 2 homers and 4 RBI. T. d’Arnaud continued his hot streak with a 3-for-4 night including a homer and 3 runs scored. J. Soto added a big 2-for-4 with 4 RBI. Starter B. Walter cruised through 6 innings giving up just 2 earned runs, and S. Barlow closed it out with 3 clean innings for the save.

Bottom Line: Nothing to sugarcoat here — Detroit got beat in every phase of the game. The pitching needs to regroup and the lineup needs to find some patience at the plate

Revenge served ice cold. After getting shellacked 12-2 in Game 50, the Chihuahuas came roaring back with an emphatic 11-1 beatdown of the Expos to take the series. Detroit wasn’t just better — they were dominant from the jump.

Langford Wakes Up W. Langford had been quietly struggling at .179, but he picked the right night to go off — 2-for-4 with a homer, 3 runs scored, and 4 RBI. That’s the kind of performance that silences doubters. J. Wilson continues to be the most consistent bat in this lineup, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and pushing his average to .340. And W. Contreras (c) chipped in with another big night — 2-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored.

The 7th Inning Put It Away Detroit already led 3-0 heading into the 7th, but then they exploded for 3 more runs followed by a massive 5-spot in the 8th to blow the doors off completely. Fourteen hits, 5 walks, and a balanced attack up and down the order — this wasn’t a fluke.

Suarez Was Untouchable R. Suarez pitched a gem — 7 innings, 6 hits, zero earned runs, 8 strikeouts. Just locked in. He drops his ERA to 3.06 and picks up his 3rd win. The bullpen handled the rest with ease.

Tampa Bay Had Nothing The Expos’ pitching staff got lit up for 11 earned runs on 14 hits. G. Ashcraft took the loss, lasting just 5 innings. Things got worse from there — J. Misiorowski came in and gave up 5 runs in a single inning with an ERA now sitting at 12.05. Ugly night all around for Tampa Bay.

Injury Note: Keep an eye on E. Carter, who’s heading to the IL for 12 days. He had a solid game tonight — 2 hits, 2 runs, an HBP and a stolen base — so his absence will be felt in the outfield.

A rough one for the Expos. Detroit came out swinging early and never looked back, handing Tampa Bay a tough 8-2 loss to close out the series.

Morton Couldn’t Survive the First Two Innings This game was over before it really started. C. Morton was tagged for 7 earned runs in just 1.2 innings — a 3-run first and a 4-run second buried the Expos in a hole they never had the firepower to climb out of. His ERA now sits at a troubling 12.15. The bullpen did its job after that — S. Barlow threw 3 clean innings and M. King tossed 2 more scoreless — but the damage was already done.

The Offense Left Too Many on Base Tampa Bay drew 9 walks — nine! — and still only managed 2 runs. That’s a brutal efficiency number. The Expos had chances all game but stranded 13 runners. J. Soto drew 3 walks and C. Vazquez came through with a 2-RBI single, but with V. Brujan going 0-for-5 out of the DH spot and J. Berti hitless, there just wasn’t enough punch when it mattered.

Detroit’s Wilson and Langford Were Unstoppable Give credit where it’s due — J. Wilson went 4-for-5 and W. Langford also went 4-for-5 with 4 RBI and a pair of doubles. Those two were a nightmare to deal with all day.

Injury Note: Keep tabs on H. BADER — he’s out 3 days for Detroit, which is a small silver lining heading into the next series.

Bottom Line: The Expos lost the game but showed some grit. The pitching rotation needs some serious attention — Morton and Misiorowski both have ERAs north of 11. If Tampa Bay can stabilize the rotation, this lineup has the potential to do damage. Time to regroup. 

The Expos saved their best for last. In a tight, low-scoring pitcher’s duel, Tampa Bay walked off with a 3-1 victory to close out the series on a high note.

Gray Locked It Down This was S. Gray’s game from the start. He went 7 full innings, giving up just 1 earned run on 5 hits with 8 strikeouts. For a guy sitting at 2-6 on the season, this was a statement outing — the kind of performance that reminds everyone what he’s capable of. G. Ashcraft and P. Fairbanks finished it off cleanly, with Fairbanks picking up his 7th save of the year.

Wood Delivered the Knockout Blow The Expos scratched across 2 runs in the 6th to take the lead, then J. Wood put it away with a clutch 2-run homer in the 9th to make it 3-1. He finished 2-for-3 on the night and is quietly hitting .266 — one of the more consistent bats in this lineup. J. Soto also worked a walk and scored a run, doing the little things that matter in a close game.

Burnes Took a Tough Loss C. Burnes pitched well enough to win — 5.2 innings, just 2 earned runs, 8 strikeouts — but the Expos’ offense couldn’t give him any support. One run on 5 hits against a guy with a 2.83 ERA just isn’t going to get it done. Hard luck loss for him.

Detroit Had Nothing Going The Chihuahuas managed only 5 hits and C. Walker’s solo homer was their lone run. J. Wilson — who had been on an absolute tear — went 0-for-4 and was held hitless for the first time all series.

The pitching showed real promise today, and if the offense can get more consistent run support, this team has plenty of upside. Wood and Soto are starting to find their rhythm — that’s a good sign heading into the next series.

Final Series Result: Southwest Detroit wins 3-2

It was a back-and-forth series that had a little bit of everything — blowouts, bounce-backs, and a tight series finale.

Game-by-Game Breakdown

Game 1 — Detroit 6, Tampa Bay 4: The Chihuahuas ground out a gritty win behind a balanced offense and Rodriguez’s 7th save.
 Game 2 — Tampa Bay 12, Detroit 2: The Expos exploded for 17 hits with Muncy going nuclear — 2 homers, 4 RBI.
Game 3 — Detroit 11, Tampa Bay 1: Detroit’s revenge game. Suarez was untouchable and Langford finally woke up.
Game 4 — Detroit 8, Tampa Bay 2: Morton couldn’t survive the 2nd inning and 9 walks went to waste for Tampa Bay.
 Game 5 — Tampa Bay 3, Detroit 1: Gray’s gem and Wood’s walk-off homer sent the Expos home with their heads held high.

Series MVP: J. Wilson (Detroit) — .355 average across the series, consistent threat every single game. The Chihuahuas don’t win this series without him.

Expos Bright Spot: J. Wood — Saved his best for last with the go-ahead homer in Game 5. Trending up at .266 heading into next week.

The Storyline: Detroit’s pitching staff was the difference. When it held, they won. When it didn’t (Game 2 gave up 5 homers), Tampa Bay feasted. The Expos’ biggest issue all series was stranding runners — 13 LOB in Game 4 alone is just not going to get it done.

Looking Ahead for Tampa Bay: The rotation needs Morton and Misiorowski to stabilize. If Gray can build on his Game 5 performance and Wood keeps swinging like this, the Expos have a real shot next week.