Two-Time World Series Winner Nathan Eovaldi and Texas Rangers Visit Boston Red Sox and Rookie Pitcher Connelly Early on Sunday Night Baseball at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
2025 NL Cy Young Award Winner Paul Skenes Squares Off with MLB Hits Leader Otto Lopez in Marlins-Pirates on MLB Sunday Leadoff at Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN
Jason Benetti to Call Rangers-Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball Alongside Former Texas Pitcher Mike Bacsik and Nine-Year MLB Infielder Lou Merloni
Ahmed Fareed Hosts Sunday Night Baseball Pregame with 2016 World Series Champion and Four-Time Gold Glove First Baseman Anthony Rizzo, who will also Provide “Inside the Pitch” Commentary from Batter’s Perspective
All-Star First Baseman Gaby Sánchez and 1980 World Series Champion Pitcher Bob Walk Join Matt Vasgersian to Call MLB Sunday Leadoff; Ashley ShahAhmadi Serves as Sideline Reporter
Sunday Stretch Whip-Around Show to Immediately Follow MLB Sunday Leadoff; Peacock “Game of the Day” Features One Out-of-Market Game Streamed Nationally Each Day
STAMFORD, Conn. – June 9, 2026 – All-Star pitchers Nathan Eovaldi and Paul Skenes headline NBC Sports’ all-day MLB coverage this Sunday, June 14, as the Texas Rangers visit the Boston Red Sox on Sunday Night Baseball (7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock) and the Miami Marlins face the Pittsburgh Pirates on MLB Sunday Leadoff (Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN).
SUNDAY NIGHT BASEBALL: RANGERS-RED SOX (7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock)
Two-time World Series champion pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and the Texas Rangers visit rookie starter Connelly Early and the Boston Red Sox under the lights at Fenway Park this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Jason Benetti will be joined in the booth by former Texas pitcher Mike Bacsik and former Red Sox infielder Lou Merloni to call Rangers-Red Sox during this week’s edition of Sunday Night Baseball.
Ahmed Fareed will host the pregame show alongside Anthony Rizzo, who will also provide “Inside the Pitch” commentary from the batter’s perspective during the game.
The second-place Rangers (2 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the AL West) will make their third appearance on Sunday Night Baseball this season. Texas’ pitching staff has the third-best ERA (3.66) in the American League. Eovaldi, who is scheduled to start for the Rangers on Sunday, ranks second on the team in ERA and is 16th in the AL in strikeouts (74). Offensively, third baseman Josh Jung leads the Rangers with a .313 batting average (2nd in the AL), 16 doubles (T-6th in the AL), and 72 hits (T-6th in the AL). Early has impressed in his rookie season, as he leads Boston with 71.0 innings pitched and 69 strikeouts, to go along with a 3.30 ERA. First baseman Willson Contreras leads the club in slugging (.532), OPS (.921), home runs (13), and RBI (39).
Bacsik made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 2001 before playing for the Mets, Rangers, and Nationals, compiling 10 wins in 51 games (35 starts). In 2007, he won a career-high five games with the Nationals and surrendered Barry Bonds’ 756th home run that broke Hank Aaron’s all-time career record. Bacsik’s cap from that game is on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. Bacsik has served as a television color analyst for Rangers’ games on the Rangers Sports Network since 2024. Previously, the southpaw was a member of pre- and post-game coverage on Rangers telecasts from 2014-2023.
Merloni, who made his MLB debut in 1998, spent 5+ seasons with the Red Sox before making stops with the Padres, Cleveland, and the Angels. In his first at-bat at Fenway Park, Merloni hit a three-run home run off All-Star Jose Rosado. The former infielder finished his career with a .271 batting average, 294 hits, 67 doubles, and 125 RBI. Since 2023, Merloni has served as an analyst for Red Sox games on the New England Sports Network (NESN).
A three-time MLB All-Star and four-time Gold Glove-winning first baseman, Rizzo caught the final out of the 2016 World Series for the Chicago Cubs, breaking the team’s 108-year championship drought. In 2016, Rizzo set a career high in RBI (109), was awarded a Gold Glove, earned a Silver Slugger, and won the Platinum Glove as the NL’s best overall defensive player. Over 14 seasons with the Padres, Cubs, and Yankees, the lefty slugger hit 303 home runs and had four seasons with at least 100 RBI. Rizzo will serve as an analyst for NBC Sports’ MLB coverage throughout the regular season and its exclusive MLB Postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN.
MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF: MARLINS-PIRATES (Noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN)
2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates square off against MLB’s hits leader Otto Lopez and the Miami Marlins at PNC Park on Peacock and NBCSN at Noon ET. Play-by-play voice Matt Vasgersian will call Marlins-Pirates alongside 2011 NL All-Star first baseman Gaby Sánchez, 1980 World Series champion pitcher Bob Walk, and reporter Ashley ShahAhmadi during this week’s presentation of MLB Sunday Leadoff.
Skenes, who is the Pirates’ projected starter on Sunday, has dominated on the mound and ranks second in the NL in WHIP (0.91), fifth in strikeouts (82), 10th in wins (6), and 11th in ERA (3.09). Center fielder Oneil Cruz leads Pittsburgh with 21 stolen bases (4th in MLB), 45 runs scored (T-8th in MLB), and 44 RBI (T-11th in MLB), while third baseman Nick Gonzales is sixth in the NL with a .309 batting average. Miami’s Lopez and Xavier Edwards have two of the hottest bats in the Majors, as Lopez leads the league with 86 hits and a .336 batting average, while Edwards is seventh with 74 hits. Marlins’ catcher Liam Hicks is tied for sixth in MLB with 47 RBI.
Sánchez made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2008 and spent more than four seasons with the club before being traded to the Pirates in 2012, where he finished his career. In 2011, Sánchez earned NL All-Star honors after batting .266 with 152 hits, 35 doubles, 19 home runs, and 78 RBI for the Marlins. He joined the Marlins broadcast team in 2018 as a pre- and post-game studio analyst and is now in his fifth season as an in-game analyst for the team’s telecasts on Marlins.TV.
A 1980 World Series champion, Walk played for the Phillies (1980) and Braves (1981-83) before a 10-season tenure with the Pirates (1984-1993). During his rookie year with Philadelphia, he was the starting pitcher in Game 1 of the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. Walk represented the Pirates as a 1988 National League All-Star, finishing the season with a 2.71 ERA, 12 wins, 81 strikeouts, and a complete game shutout across 32 starts. Walk is now in his 33rd season as an in-game analyst for Pirates games on SportsNet Pittsburgh, and previously was a game analyst for Peacock’s MLB Sunday Leadoff in 2022 and 2023.
ShahAhmadi will make her debut as a reporter on MLB Sunday Leadoff on Sunday, after serving as a courtside reporter for NBC Sports’ NBA coverage this past season. Previously, she covered the NBA on TNT and college football with ESPN.
SUNDAY STRETCH WHIP-AROUND SHOW
NBC Sports’ Sunday Stretch whip-around show will stream live on Peacock immediately following Marlins-Pirates on MLB Sunday Leadoff. Produced in collaboration with the Emmy Award-winning MLB Network, the show will feature look-ins at all the compelling live action around Major League Baseball in real time and on replay every Sunday, so viewers don’t miss a single run or key play.
Peacock will feature a dedicated MLB Hub, a one-stop destination for fans to access live games, team hubs, and highlights. This season, baseball fans will also be able to enjoy popular Peacock features, such as Catch up with Key Plays, if they are tuning in late; Live in Browse, which displays the live game on the Peacock home page for instant context about the matchup and allows viewers to immediately join the live game presentation; and MLB Live Picks, a mobile mini-game for fans to predict the winners.
The Sunday Stretch whip-around show will stream live on Peacock this Sunday, June 14, following MLB Sunday Leadoff, providing viewers with the most compelling action in real time and on replay so they won’t miss a single run or key play. In partnership with Telemundo and Universo, Peacock will provide extensive Spanish-language coverage.
Peacock “Game of the Day” (June 9 – June 17)
One out-of-market game will be streamed nationally* on Peacock nearly every day of the season. Tonight, three-time AL MVP outfielder Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels host three-time All-Star designated hitter Yordan Alvarez and the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium with first pitch set for 9:38 p.m. ET on Peacock.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game |
| Tues., June 9 | 9:38 p.m. | Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels |
| Wed., Jun 10 | 6:40 p.m. | Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers |
| Thurs., June 11 | 1:10 p.m. | St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets |
| Fri., June 12 | 7:05 p.m. | San Diego Padres at Baltimore Orioles |
| Sat., June 13 | 3:07 p.m. | New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays |
| Sun., June 14 | 1:40 p.m. | Atlanta Braves at New York Mets |
| Mon., June 15 | 6:40 p.m. | Miami Marlins at Philadelphia Phillies |
| Tues., June 16 | 9:40 p.m. | Los Angeles Angels at Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Wed., June 17 | 7:15 p.m. | San Francisco Giants at Atlanta Braves |
(*Note: The Peacock “Game of the Day” will not be available in the competing team markets, where it will be presented by the local rightsholder)
National Baseball Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Ahmed Fareed star in NBC Sports’ new weekly digital video series, MLB According to CC. On each episode, Sabathia and Fareed will discuss big picture storylines and spotlight the week’s most exciting and intriguing events around baseball. Among the unique segments featured in the series: “CC’s Clubhouse” will highlight anecdotes from his playing days, while “Show Me Something” will preview MLB’s weekend slate of games and highlight key players across the league. The show’s “newstalgia” storytelling will bridge legends of baseball’s past with today’s rising stars.
New episodes are available to stream every Wednesday on the Peacock MLB Hub, NBC Sports YouTube Channel, NBCSports.com, and all major podcast platforms.
NBC SPORTS’ MLB TRADITION
NBC Sports has a distinguished history with Major League Baseball. The first-ever MLB television broadcast was a 1939 Cincinnati Reds-Brooklyn Dodgers doubleheader on W2XBS (the precursor to WNBC-TV) in New York. NBC Sports was a home to the first World Series broadcast in 1947, the first All-Star Game nationally broadcast in 1952, and has televised 39 World Series – more than any other network.
From 1957-2000, NBC Sports was home to a wealth of baseball programming, including Game of the Week and Monday Night Baseball telecasts, more than 30 All-Star Games, and countless iconic Postseason moments. For the 2022-23 seasons, Peacock was the exclusive home of MLB Sunday Leadoff, a first-of-its-kind Sunday morning presentation featuring a unique three-announcer broadcast booth with one analyst with expertise on each team joining the play-by-play voice.
--NBC SPORTS--
