Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas is the top hitter in baseball now that he has reached the qualifying threshold, but that might not mean the kidding will stop.

Vargas raised his batting average to a major-league-leading .404 with a four-hit game in the Diamondbacks’ 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday, extending his season-opening hitting streak to 24 games and his overall streak to 27.

As the streak built, D-Backs’ teammates jokingly told Vargas, “Hey, you haven’t done anything yet.”

Look at him now.

Vargas will look to extend both streaks when the D-backs send right-hander Ryne Nelson (1-2, 7.71 ERA) to oppose left-hander Shota Imanaga (2-2, 3.15) in the second game of a three-game series at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon.

Vargas’ 27-game hitting streak dating to last September is the longest active streak in the majors and three short of Luis Gonzalez’s team record set in 1999.

“I try not to think about it too much,” Vargas said through an interpreter. “The goal is to go through the day as routinely as I can, as if it isn’t happening. The priority is to help the team, and that takes pressure away from me.”

His streak is the longest in the majors since Trea Turner’s 27-gamer in 2021-22, and the longest season-opening streak since Ron LeFlore’s 30-gamer to open 1976.

“He’s a great piece for a manager to have,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said of Vargas. “He’s very versatile. He’s engaged. He’s shown a high baseball IQ. Right now he’s on a heater, and we’re going to enjoy that.”

The D-backs have scuffled recently despite Vargas’ contributions, having lost seven of their past 10 games. They have not had a starting pitcher throw seven innings since Michael Soroka went seven to beat Toronto 6-3 on April 17.

Zac Gallen gave up six runs and lasted only 3 2/3 innings in the loss Friday. A defensive misplay also cost the D-backs a run, and another scored on a wild pitch.

“We’ve got to be better,” said Lovullo, who spoke harshly to the group in the dugout early in the game. “We have to do things up to our standard. We should have probably given up three runs today, and we gave up six.”

The Cubs are streaking the other way. They have won nine straight at Wrigley Field and 13 of their last 16 overall.

Michael Busch had two hits and a two-run single to continue his upward trajectory after a slow start, and the bullpen limited Arizona to one hit after Geraldo Perdomo’s three-run homer brought the D-backs within 6-5 in the sixth.

“A very, very good day for Michael,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said.

Jacob Webb became the sixth Cub pitcher to record a save this season. He went two innings, struck out three and allowed a walk. He walked Vargas to open the ninth before getting two strikeouts and a weak grounder.

Imanaga gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 6-0 loss Sunday at the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last time out, halting a streak of three quality starts and four starts in which he gave up one run or less. The Cubs have been shut out in two of his starts.

Imanaga is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two career starts against the D-backs, giving up only five hits in 14 innings. Ketel Marte is 0-for-6 against him, and Perdomo is 0-for-4.

Nelson gave up six runs, including two homers to Manny Machado, in five innings on Sunday in his last outing, a no-decision in which the D-backs rallied for a 12-7 victory over San Diego in the Mexico City Series.

Nelson is 2-0 with a 6.88 ERA in five appearances, three starts, against the Cubs. He was roughed in two relief appearances against them last season, giving up nine runs in 2 1/3 innings. Ian Happ is 3-for-7 with a homer against him.

–Field Level Media

Two decades ago, the young-teen version of Rhys Hoskins could be found on the right-field lawn at what is now called Sutter Health Park, hoping a home-run ball would come his way.

The Sacramento, Calif., native did himself one better on Friday night by sending a souvenir into the small set of seats in left field in his first major league game at his hometown ballpark.

Hoskins, a designated hitter and first baseman for the Cleveland Guardians, finished with three RBIs, also smacking a two-run double to deep right-center, in an 8-5 victory over the Athletics.

Hoskins will look to repeat his feats Saturday afternoon when the Guardians and Athletics play the middle contest of the three-game series in West Sacramento.

Hoskins, now 33, frequently attended games at the Triple-A ballpark and later was a college star at nearby Sacramento State.

At that point, nobody envisioned hitting big-league blasts at Sutter Health Park. But the Athletics vacated Oakland and are playing for the second straight season while waiting for their ballpark in Las Vegas to open in 2028.

“This is home,” Hoskins told reporters. “I have a lot of 12-, 13- and 14-year-old memories here. It was just a cool moment for me and my family. To get a win in that situation is even better.”

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt could see it was a special deal for Hoskins.

“It’s so cool when guys get to play in their hometown in front of their family, and obviously this is a unique one for Rhys,” said Vogt, who played in the park as a minor leaguer. “(He) never played in Sacramento before. So really fun for him to come through with some big hits, big at bats. Really happy, fun night for Rhys.”

Friday’s blast was his 188th since reaching the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017.

The Athletics were pleased to see Brent Rooker go 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs. The two-time All-Star went 0-for-13 with five strikeouts in his first three games since returning from an oblique injury he sustained on April 9.

But the two-run homer in the first inning of Friday’s game might get Rooker going.

“I thought ‘Rook’ had solid at-bats,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “Looked a lot better. That’s the ‘Rook’ we’re used to seeing, and we’ll continue to start seeing.”

A’s slugger Nick Kurtz was hitless in four at-bats but drew a walk in the seventh inning to reach base for the 26th straight game.

Kurtz has walked in 20 consecutive games, tying Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants for the second-longest streak in major league history. Bonds accomplished the feat spanning the 2002 and ’03 seasons. Roy Cullenbine of the 1947 Detroit Tigers holds the record with walks in 22 games in a row.

“You don’t really want to go up there looking for a walk,” Kurtz told reporters. “It’s kind of something that happens with being aggressive to the right pitches and laying off the other ones.

Facing Kurtz and the A’s will be Guardians right-hander Slade Cecconi (0-4, 6.23 ERA), who is looking for his first win in start No. 7. Cecconi fell to the Toronto Blue Jays last Sunday when he gave up four runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings of a 4-2 game.

Cecconi, 26, is 2-0 with a 4.19 ERA in three career starts against the Athletics. Shea Langeliers (4-for-6, one homer), Kurtz (3-for-7) and Rooker (4-for-9, one homer) have fared well against Cecconi.

The Athletics will turn to left-hander Jacob Lopez (2-1, 5.84 ERA), who has walked 21 batters in 24 2/3 innings. Lopez, 28, will start for the first time since beating the Seattle Mariners 5-2 on April 21. He gave up two runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Lopez pitched one inning of relief against Texas last Sunday and gave up one run in one inning in the 2-1 A’s win.

He has never faced the Guardians. Hoskins (0-for-2) is the only Cleveland player who has batted against him.

–Field Level Media

Fresh from snapping their five-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates will look for back-to-back wins when they host the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday afternoon.

The Pirates hit four home runs in Friday’s 9-1 rout of the Reds, including two by catcher Henry Davis, who scored three times and drove in three runs.

Bryan Reynolds, who was 2-for-4 for a second straight game, continues to tear up Cincinnati pitching, homering Friday night to give him three home runs this season against the Reds, and 19 for his career against them.

Reynolds extended his on-base streak to five straight plate appearances with the home run in the first inning and triple in the third before striking out in the fourth.

Saturday’s pitching matchup will feature Cincinnati’s Rhett Lowder (3-1, 3.18 ERA) and Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2, 4.13) in a battle of right-handers.

Following a lost 2025 season plagued by oblique and elbow injuries, Lowder, 24, has emerged as a crucial anchor in the Cincinnati rotation through his first six starts.

Lowder’s performance is a major boost for a Reds team navigating early-season injuries to Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and most recently this week Brandon Williamson.

Lowder is coming off an effective outing against Detroit last Sunday when he allowed two runs and six hits in five innings and left with a 3-2 lead against the Detroit Tigers. But the bullpen failed and the Reds lost 8-3.

“I’m just trying to keep getting better and be the best pitcher I can be,” Lowder said. “I’m getting stronger each week, and it’s just fun to be on a routine and just focus on getting guys out.”

Against Detroit, Lowder struck out a season-high seven batters, with his only two runs allowed coming in the first inning with two outs. He retired 10 of his last 11 batters. In one career appearance against the Pirates, Lowder pitched five shutout innings and allowed five hits in September 2024.

The Reds have been exceptional away from home this season, with 10 wins in their first 14 road games, a feat achieved just four times by the club since 1900.

TJ Friedl, 8-for-23 in his last six games, was the lone Cincinnati star of Friday’s loss in Pittsburgh, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run.

The Pirates’ woes have often stemmed from starting behind, as they are 15-6 when scoring first, but only 2-10 when opponents score first.

“Every team is going to have skids,” Pirates ace Paul Skenes said. “Just got to get back to who we are, just our game, not try to do too much. Just got to be us.”

Through six appearances (five starts), Mlodzinski has 30 strikeouts over 28 1/3 innings. His season began with promise, as he posted a stellar 1.77 ERA in his first four starts. This stretch was highlighted by a six-inning, scoreless performance against the Washington Nationals on April 15 and 5 1/3 shutout frames against the Chicago Cubs on April 10.

However, late April has been a different story, as he has allowed nine earned runs over just eight combined innings against the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.

“I’m just trying to be better this year than last year, learn from some great guys in our rotation, and play a part in all of us trying to one-up each other,” Mlodzinski said.

Mlodzinski is 0-2 with an ERA of 3.45 in eight career appearances vs. Cincinnati.

-Field Level Media