The Toronto Blue Jays will try to gain some traction during a six-game homestand that starts Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians.

The Blue Jays completed a 4-5 road trip with a 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday as they continue to seek the magic of last season.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak that came after the Blue Jays had dropped four straight.

“I thought we played way better as the trip went on, obviously, and taking some positives out of the first two games here, even (Wednesday),” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said.

The Guardians also lost on Wednesday, 2-0, in the rubber match of a three-game series with the Houston Astros that completed their 4-3 homestand.

“This series in particular could have gone either way,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We could have swept, but ‘could haves’ don’t count. So we’ve just got to continue to work every day.”

The Blue Jays and Guardians both had Thursday off. The Guardians had played 13 consecutive days and were 6-7 in that stretch.

“This 13-game stretch was long and these guys worked really hard and we’re going to enjoy this off day and get ready to go Friday night,” Vogt said.

The Guardians will face Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer (1-2, 7.16 ERA) on Friday. Scherzer is 9-5 with a 4.10 ERA in 22 career starts against Cleveland.

Cleveland will start right-hander Gavin Williams (3-1, 2.12) in the opener. He has a 2.76 ERA with no decisions in three career starts against Toronto.

Schneider said he would use the off day to consider how to deal with struggling closer Jeff Hoffman, who gave up a run on two hits Tuesday before being rescued by Louis Varland.

“We’ll re-evaluate everything, talk with him, see how he’s doing,” Schneider said. “He’s going through it, obviously, a little bit.”

Schneider said he will continue to support Hoffman and try to use him where he can have success.

“He’s a big boy,” Schneider said. “He understands that the spotlight is on him a little bit, and rightfully so. So it’s like, ‘How can we be there to support you? How can we help you get ahead of hitters? Is it mechanical? Is it between the ears a little bit? What’s going on here, and how can we help?”

Varland could be used as closer, but he has also been valuable in the seventh or eighth. “Sometimes the game could be won or lost in the eighth, top of the order,” Schneider said. “How do you weigh where to use Louis?”

Guardians infielder Brayan Rocchio, who has had a solid start to the season, was 0-for-4 Wednesday to end a career-best eight-game hitting streak. He was 13-for-27 (.481/.517/.778) with two home runs and nine RBIs in that span.

“Brayan’s growing up,” Vogt said on Tuesday after Rocchio’s single ignited a six-run eighth. “Brayan is figuring out who he is. He’s on a nice little run right now, and we want to keep that going as long as we can. I think for Rocchio, it’s just go play. He knows what his role is. His role is to get on base, whether that’s taking a walk (or) getting something he can handle to hit.”

Rocchio is staying grounded.

“As a baseball player, you never have to feel comfortable at the plate because this sport can humble you,” he said.

–Field Level Media

The Colorado Rockies lost their starting pitcher and second baseman to injures in the first three innings of Thursday’s home game with the San Diego Padres in Denver.

Right-hander Ryan Feltner departed after two innings with right triceps tightness. Feltner, 29, worked a 1-2-3 first inning before allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in the second. He is 1-1 in five starts with a 6.30 ERA and was replaced by right-hander Zach Agnos.

Willi Castro went 0-for-1 with a walk in the second inning before being replaced by Tyler Freeman before the top of the fourth inning. Castro, who turns 29 on Friday, was diagnosed with right knee soreness. He is batting .246 with a homer and nine RBI this season.

At the time of both players’ departures, Colorado owned a 5-2 lead in the rubber game of the three-game series.

–Field Level Media

Tyler Glasnow allowed just one hit in eight shutout innings, Tanner Scott threw a scoreless ninth and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a three-game series sweep with a 3-0 victory over the host San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon.

Max Muncy scored twice, while Dalton Rushing and Hyeseong Kim drove in runs for the Dodgers, who completed a 3-4 trip to Colorado and San Francisco.

Glasnow (3-0) improved his record to 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five career starts in San Francisco in dominant fashion, striking out nine before handing the ball to Scott after throwing 105 pitches.

The Giants’ only hit off the right-hander was delivered by Luis Arraez leading off the fourth inning. He was immediately erased when Glasnow got Matt Chapman to ground into a double play.

San Francisco’s only other baserunner in the game came in the first inning when Arraez walked. He stole second with one out, but was stranded there when Chapman and Rafael Devers struck out.

The Dodgers opened the scoring off Giants starter Logan Webb (2-3) in the second when Muncy walked, took second on an infield out and raced home on Rushing’s two-out single to center.

Los Angeles made it 3-0 in the fourth when Kyle Tucker doubled and scored on a throwing error by Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert after fielding a double by Muncy. Two outs later, Kim singled home Muncy.

Glasnow walked just one in his eight innings.

Scott needed just 13 pitches to record a 1-2-3 ninth and pick up his first save. Between the two pitchers, they faced just 28 batters – one over the minimum.

Tucker and Kim had two hits apiece for the Dodgers, who went the entire series in San Francisco without a home run. In fact, the visitors had only one extra-base hit — a double — in series-opening 3-1 and 3-0 losses before the back-to-back two-baggers by Tucker and Muncy.

Webb worked seven innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out five.

–Field Level Media

Andrew Benintendi hit a three-run homer with one out in the ninth to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix on Thursday afternoon.

Chase Meidroth walked off Paul Sewald (0-3) to open the ninth and took second on a sacrifice bunt before pinch-hitter Edgar Quero walked, bringing up Benintendi. His 410-foot homer landed near the pool area in right-center.

The White Sox had eight homers while winning two of three in the series and have 15 homers in the last five games.

White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami was 1 for 5 with a single, ending his five-game home run streak. He struck out three times, the last on a 99 mph fastball from Juan Morillo to end the seventh.

Arizona first baseman Ildemaro Vargas extended his season-opening hitting streak to 18 games, a franchise record. It is the longest active streak in the majors and the second-longest such streak since 2012, after Pablo Sandoval’s 20-gamer in 2012.

Vargas has a 21-game hitting streak dating to 2025.

Colson Montgomery had three hits and Meidorth had two hits for the White Sox, who had 10 hits, nine singles until Benintendi’s homer. They have won four of six.

Seranthony Dominguez struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save in seven chances.

Ketel Marte had two of Arizona’s eight hits. Geraldo Perdomo extended his hitting streak to seven games.

The Diamondbacks lost their first series since being swept at the Los Angeles Dodgers to open the season.

Grant Taylor (1-0) gave up two hits and struck out three after relieving Davis Martin with one out in the seventh. Taylor struck out pinch-hitter Jose Fernandez on a 100 mph fastball with runners on second and third to end the seventh.

Martin gave up one run and six hits in 6 1/3 innings, his fourth straight quality start. He struck out a season high seven and walked one.

Arizona starter Michael Soroka gave up one run on seven hits, all singles, in five innings. He had six strikeouts and walked one.

Marte singled and scored on Adrian Del Castillo’s double for a 1-0 lead in the first.

The White Sox tied it at 1-1 in the third on Miguel Vargas’ one-out single.

–Field Level Media

Gavin Sheets’ three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning Thursday capped a five-run rally enabling the San Diego Padres to outslug the host Colorado Rockies 10-8 in Denver.

Sheets’ third homer of the year, all against Colorado pitching, scored Xander Bogaerts and pinch runner Bryce Johnson. It slapped a blown save on Victor Vodnik (0-2), who fanned Fernando Tatis Jr. as the potential tying run to end the eighth.

But Vodnik gave up a leadoff walk to Jackson Merrill, followed by a single to Manny Machado. Bogaerts and Miguel Andujar then supplied RBI singles that preceded Sheets’ dramatic blast on his 30th birthday.

Ron Marinaccio (1-0) picked up his first MLB win in two years by pitching two innings in relief. Closer Mason Miller locked down his ninth save with a scoreless ninth, enabling him to tie Cla Meredith for the franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings with 33 2/3.

Wasted in the loss for the Rockies was Mickey Moniak’s second two-homer game of the year against San Diego. Moniak went 4-for-5 with three runs to lead a 14-hit attack.

The Padres’ rally took starter Matt Waldron off the hook after he was roughed up for eight hits and six runs in five innings with three walks and three strikeouts. Colorado starter Ryan Feltner, who left after two innings with right triceps tightness, allowed two runs and two hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

Moniak’s solo blast in the first started the scoring, but Andujar lined a two-run double in the second. The Rockies scored four two-out runs in their half of the inning, sandwiching RBI singles from Edouard Julien and Troy Johnston around TJ Rumfield’s two-run double.

Ramon Laureano’s run-scoring triple in the fourth got San Diego within 5-3, but Tyler Freeman’s squeeze bunt plated a run in Colorado’s half of the inning. Bogaerts belted a solo homer in the fifth, his fourth of the year, for a 6-4 deficit.

Moniak drilled his second homer in the sixth and Johnston tacked on his second RBI single in the seventh. Laureano singled home a run in the eighth to get the Padres within 8-5.

Laureano collected three of the Padres’ 13 hits and Andujar drove in three runs.

–Field Level Media

The Texas Rangers placed left-handed reliever Robert Garcia on the 15-day injured list on Thursday due to left shoulder inflammation.

The move is retroactive to Monday. In other moves, the Rangers selected right-hander Peyton Gray’s contract from Triple-A Round Rock and designated catcher Willie MacIver for assignment.

Garcia, 29, has not played since April 16, when he retired the only batter he faced in a 9-6 road win against the Athletics. He is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA, seven walks and six strikeouts in eight innings over nine games in his second season with Texas.

Opposing left-handed batters are 0-for-13 with four strikeouts against Garcia this season.

For his career, Garcia is 9-17 with nine saves, a 3.57 ERA, 57 walks and 182 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings over 177 games, all in relief, for the Miami Marlins (2023), Washington Nationals (2023-24) and Rangers (2025-26).

Gray, 30, is 1-0 at Round Rock with two saves, a 0.00 ERA, two walks and 15 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings over seven relief appearances. Opponents are batting .186 (8-for-43) against him.

If he makes his major league debut, Gray will be the oldest player to do so with Texas since left-hander Hyeon-jong Yang at age 33 on April 26, 2021, per the Rangers.

MacIver, 29, batted .186 (19-for-102) in 32 games last season with the Athletics. The Rangers selected him off waivers from the Athletics on Nov. 5, 2025. He was batting .170 (8-for-47) in 14 games with Round Rock this season.

The move was made to create room on the club’s major league roster. The team has seven days to trade, release or outright MacIver to the minor leagues.

–Field Level Media

Dansby Swanson laced a walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the Chicago Cubs an 8-7 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and extend their winning streak to nine on Thursday.

Philadelphia lost its ninth straight game and now owns the worst record (8-17) in the National League.

Javier Assad (2-1) threw a perfect top of the 10th, before Tanner Banks (0-2) pitched the bottom of the frame for the Phillies. Banks intentionally walked Seiya Suzuki and allowed Carson Kelly’s single to load the bases.

After Michael Busch struck out, Swanson’s single to right ended it.

Busch homered and drove in four, while Suzuki went deep and joined Kelly in producing three hits apiece. Chicago tallied 18 hits in the win.

With the score tied 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Suzuki launched his third homer in as many games, turning on a fastball from Philadelphia reliever Brad Keller.

The Phillies answered in the top of the ninth, as pinch hitter Adolis Garcia hit his third homer of the season, knotting the score at 7-7 against Chicago’s Caleb Thielbar.

Edward Cabrera allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, striking out five and walking none in seven innings for Chicago, which stamped a four-game sweep of Philadelphia and extended its longest winning streak since an 11-gamer in 2016.

Cristopher Sanchez started for the Phillies, allowing six runs on 12 hits across 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two. Brandon Marsh went 3-for-4 with two homers in the loss.

The Phillies grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Marsh’s third home run of the season.

Kelly and Busch reached to begin the bottom of the second for Chicago, before Swanson’s sac fly knotted the score.

In the third, Suzuki and Kelly singled and Busch launched a three-run homer, giving the Cubs a 4-1 edge.

Bryce Harper’s one-out single in the fourth was followed with Marsh’s RBI base hit, pulling the Phillies within two.

Chicago got the run back in the home half of the fourth, as Ian Happ hit his seventh of the year to push the lead to 5-2.

After allowing Happ’s one-out single in the sixth, Sanchez was replaced by Chase Shugart. Suzuki singled and Kelly was hit by a pitch, before Busch’s RBI groundout made it 6-2.

Marsh continued his stellar day with a one-out homer in the seventh to slice the deficit to three. Bryson Stott singled and Alec Bohm doubled, before Alex Bregman’s throwing error allowed Stott to score from third. The visitors continued to inch closer, as Garrett Stubbs’ sac fly pulled the Phillies within a run.

In relief of Cabrera, Hoby Milner walked a pair in 2/3 of an inning in the eighth. Jacob Webb entered with runners on first and second and allowed Edmundo Sosa’s game-tying single.

–Field Level Media

Spencer Torkelson blasted a solo homer with one out in the ninth to give the host Detroit Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon.

Torkelson, who hit his first homer of the season on Wednesday, ripped a 3-1 sinker from Abner Uribe (1-1) over the left field wall as the Tigers took two of three games in the series.

Riley Greene had a two-run homer and pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones supplied a tying solo homer in the eighth.

Detroit starter Tarik Skubal was charged with four runs and seven hits in six-plus innings while striking out five. Brant Hurter (2-0) got a key double play in the ninth and wound up with the win.

Blake Perkins drove in two runs for the Brewers. Gary Sanchez had two hits, a run and an RBI while David Hamilton added two hits and an RBI.

Starter Brandon Sproat gave up three runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first. Kevin McGonigle led off with a double and advanced on a groundout. Greene then ripped a curveball 406 feet to the opposite field for his second homer of the season.

Milwaukee’s first 11 batters were retired by Skubal. The Brewers then scored a run as William Contreras and Sanchez hit consecutive doubles.

Skubal got out of a sixth-inning jam with a double play and the Tigers made it 3-1 in the bottom of the inning. Colt Keith drew a one-out walk and moved to third on Greene’s single. Dillon Dingler then bounced into a fielder’s choice as Keith scored.

Sanchez’s bloop single started Milwaukee’s rally in the seventh. Luis Matos’ single put two runners on for Perkins, who smacked a double down the left field line to bring in both runners. Skubal was then removed in favor of Tyler Holton. He retired the first batter he faced but the next two singled, with Hamilton driving in Perkins.

Jones tied it at with one out in the eighth when he clubbed an Angel Zerpa pitch over the left field wall.

–Field Level Media

JR Ritchie threw seven strong innings in his major-league debut and Ozzie Albies collected three hits and four RBIs, fueling the visiting Atlanta Braves to a 7-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon.

Aside from his very first pitch, which James Wood sent 387 feet to right field for his 10th home run, little went wrong for Ritchie (1-0). He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out seven batters.

Albies belted his fifth homer of the season in the ninth inning off Julian Fernandez.

Michael Harris II went 3-for-4 and plated two runs before leaving the game after the top of the seventh inning in what the Braves called a precautionary move due to tightness in his left quad.

Matt Olson also had three hits and scored twice for the Braves, who finished with 14 hits on Thursday and captured three of the four games in the series.

The Braves snapped a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning against the Washington bullpen.

After getting the first out, Cionel Perez (1-3) walked Drake Baldwin, allowed a single to Olson and loaded the bases by walking Austin Riley.

Gus Varland relieved Perez and threw a wild pitch that scored Baldwin and moved the other runners up a base. Albies ripped a two-run single and scored on Harris’ RBI double.

Perez yielded three runs on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning.

CJ Abrams homer belted a solo homer off Ritchie in the fourth inning.

That blast tied the game at 2-2 after Albies and Harris gave Atlanta the lead in the top of the frame. Albies’ sacrifice fly scored Olson, who doubled to start the inning. Harris followed with a run-scoring single that brought Riley home.

Dylan Lee pitched a perfect eighth and Carlos Carrasco followed suit in the ninth to secure the win.

Cade Cavalli struck out a career-high 10 batters for the Nationals. He went five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits.

Daylen Lile went 2-for-2 with a walk for the Nationals, who ended the seven-game homestand with just two wins.

–Field Level Media

The Philadelphia Phillies released veteran starter Taijuan Walker on Thursday despite $15 million remaining on his contract.

He signed a four-year, $72 million contract with Philadelphia in December 2022.

At 8-16, the Phillies are tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in the National League, and Walker was a contributor to those woes.

The 33-year-old pitched in five games (four starts) and was 1-4 with a 9.13 ERA. He allowed 25 runs (23 earned) in 22 2/3 innings on 36 hits and 11 walks. Eight of those hits were home runs.

Staff ace Zack Wheeler is scheduled to return to the pitching rotation on Saturday after a lengthy recovery from surgery to treat a blood clot in his shoulder last September.

Walker was a first-round draft pick in 2010 by the Seattle Mariners, one of his five major league stops. He had been with the Phillies since 2023 and appeared in 89 games (71 starts), posting a 24-25 record and a 5.12 ERA in his three-plus seasons in Philadelphia.

In his career, Walker has pitched in 256 games (234 starts) with the Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Mets and Phillies. He has a 78-75 record and a 4.27 ERA.

The Phillies also announced a swap of right-handed pitchers with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday. They recalled Nolan Hoffman and optioned Alan Rangel.

–Field Level Media