It was hardly pretty − and even ugly at times − but, hey, a win is a win.
The Dodgers won, 2-1 in 10 innings over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
“Oh man, that was a tough one,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said in his office. “It wasn’t pretty.’’
The powerful Dodgers, who had been averaging just 3.5 runs a game during their losing streak, needed 38 plate appearances just to score two runs on this night. They got a run on $60-million-a-year man Kyle Tucker’s homer in the eighth inning. They survived $23-million-a-year closer Edwin Diaz’s blown save in the ninth inning. And they got a run on $700-million-man Shohei Ohtani’s infield single in the 10th inning.
They produced just six hits, one extra-base hit, drew four walks, and somehow won.
“Offensively, we’ve just got to get going,’’ Roberts said. “You know, it’s just hard to win games when you know your margin for winning is a razor’s edge. It’s not like guys aren’t trying, but it’s a tough way to pitch and have to be perfect.
“... We got to be better. To score one or two runs to win, it’s just a hard quality of life, you know? I understand hitting’s hard. But we got a lot of talent in there.’’
While the Dodgers keep waiting for their powerful offense to awaken, the Dodgers pitching staff, behind ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, was nearly flawless. Yamamoto pitched 5⅔ scoreless innings. Five relievers pitched 3½ shutout innings. And even when Diaz blew his second save in 24 hours, giving up back-to-back triples to open the ninth inning, he settled down and retired the next three batters, leaving Corbin Carroll stranded at third base.
“That was the first game I saw this year where he had some real intensity,’’ Roberts said. “I think you saw that once they scored the run. Man on third base, nobody out, you saw the intensity pick up. The fastball got better. The slider got better. Talking to him after the game, that’s how we have to be from the first pitch.’’
The most outward emotion shown the entire night was by the Dodgers’ seventh pitcher of the night, Jack Dreyer, who picked up his first save of the season. He entered the game in the 10th, struck out Tim Tawa, gave up an infield single that catcher James McCann beat out by a half step, and then induced a double play bouncer from rookie Ryan Waldschmidt.
Dreyer stood on the mound and screamed into the night, pounding his fist into his glove.
“I’ve never done that before,’’ Dreyer said. “I’m typically not like an emotional guy. I think it was the most emotion I’ve ever shown. … But it was huge from us. Especially, with the seven straight (losses), we need to get back on track.’’
The Dodgers (70-47) can exhale again. Their NL West Division lead is back up to 8½ games. They’re tied with Atlanta for the second-best record in the National League, which comes with a first-round bye. And yes, they know they can survive a losing streak, which has become part of their tradition since the start of their dynasty 13 years ago.
Let’s see, they endured a 12-24 stretch last season, blew their nine-game division lead ... and then still won the division by three games, and wound up celebrating their second consecutive World Series title.
They had an 8½-game lead in August 2024, which was slashed to two games ... but they still won the division by five games, and were the last team standing in October.
And, there was the 2017 season, when they had a 1-16 meltdown from Aug. 26-Sept. 20 ... only to still win the division by 11 games, and still wind up in the World Series.
“I remember that vividly,’’ Roberts tells USA TODAY Sports. “I didn’t think we were going to win a game. And we were zeroing in on the playoffs. We were playing for the best record and I was like, 'I don’t think we’re going to make it.'"
Does a winning streak or losing streak mean anything in a pennant race when you already have a postseason berth all but mathematically clinched?
“There’s no correlation,’’ Roberts says. “That’s why a lot of people go, 'Oh, you haven’t played well going into the postseason, does that mean you’re going to play bad?’ No. 'If you play well, does that mean you’re going to win the World Series?' Clearly not.
“That’s what’s great about our game. You can talk about it. You can philosophize on it. Debate it. There’s just not one way. You’ve got to go out there and play.’’
Well, certainly it helps the ol’ confidence by sprinkling in a few victories, and who knows, maybe a few hits, too.
The Dodgers also have an influx of help coming on the mound. Skubal will make his home Dodgers debut on Monday. Blake Snell, who has pitched only three innings this season, is scheduled for Tuesday. And Ohtani threw a bullpen session for the first time in 17 days, vowing to return to the mound, likely in September.
Ohtani, who last pitched on July 3 because of an inflamed left knee, didn’t even tell Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior that he planned to throw. He began throwing plyos in the visitor's bullpen before the game, before playing catch from about 90 feet on the field.
It’s no secret that Ohtani, 8-2, 1.79 ERA, wants to return to the mound this season to not only claim a spot in the rotation for the postseason, but perhaps to clinch his fifth MVP award while he’s at it.
“I do think that him getting out there and playing catch,’’ Roberts said, “is a step in the right direction.’’
So was the Dodgers’ victory, no matter how much it may have lacked in style points.
The losing streak is over.
The Dodgers are back to being baseball’s Evil Empire.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - APRIL 10: Rick Rizzs Voice of the Seattle Mariners gives a thumbs up to the audience before the unveiling of the Ichiro Suzuki statue before the game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on April 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In a move that surprised no one yet still wrung a fair amount of waterworks out of the assembled crowd – and the man himself – the Mariners announced that Rick Rizzs will be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame next season. Rizzs will be just the twelfth member of the Mariners Hall of Fame, joining fellow broadcaster Dave Niehaus as the only two non-uniformed members of the Mariners HOF (and this is why it’s important that managers wear uniforms).
It was an especially apt announcement as the team celebrated 50 seasons, 41 of which Rizzs has called, albeit non-consecutively. Joining the organization in 1983, Rizzs spent nine years in Seattle as Dave Niehaus’s broadcast partner before going to Detroit for an opportunity to be the lead broadcaster for the Tigers. Rizzs returned to Seattle in 1995 and has been with the club ever since, taking over as the lead radio voice after the passing of Niehaus prior to the 2011 season. His 41 years of service make him the longest-tenured broadcaster in Mariners history; as John Stanton put it during his speech, for generations of fans, the voice of Rick Rizzs is the voice of the summer.
In addition to his work on the field, Rizzs has also been a pillar of the community, jumping in to support Mariners charities while founding his own, the Toys for Kids charity established in 1995. Initially started to give kids in need a special toy during the Christmas season, the charity has expanded to include college scholarships, support unhoused mothers, assist children experiencing challenges with food scarcity, and provide baseball equipment to needy kids who want to play the sport.
The team has yet to announce when the ceremony will occur – gotta have something fun to look forward to in the off-season – or if there will be a statue to echo the one of Niehaus in centerfield (but there’s gotta be a statue, right?), but it seems like a safe assumption it will probably be in August, which is when the team tends to do these kinds of things. If you’re really intent on making sure you don’t have conflicting plans, the Mariners are at home the weekends of August 13th and August 27th, so do with that information what you will.
Given the ceremony today – where Rizzs gave a heartfelt, tearful speech, managing to make a joke even as he was clearly overcome with emotion – you won’t want to miss it. The team might be failing in their job to send Rizzs off with an exciting playoff run in his final season, but the fans will have a chance to properly honor the longtime voice of the Mariners. It’s especially poignant given that that’s something Mariners fans never got a chance to do with Dave Niehaus, whose career was cut short by a heart attack before he had an opportunity to be given the full treatment by the club and the fanbase.
Aug 8, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Bryan Baker (47) reacts to the final out of the game against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rays started slow with some awkward last minute changes. Griffin Jax had to be scratched with elbow discomfort, while Taylor Walls was removed from the initial lineup still dealing with back soreness.
The loss of Jax (and hopefully not for too long) changed the strategy shifting towards a full on bullpen game. Combine that with it being a road game in Seattle, on a night the Mariners celebrated their 50th anniversary with an all star cast of former players returning to the park, the vibes were were extremely bleak for the road club.
However, while the Rays pen has not been a strength this year overall, they have worked towards improving and lately have been performing extremely well. Tonight was no exception, and without this amazing work, by the relievers chosen and by Kevin Cash’s gameplan and sequencing of arms, the Rays were able to overcome all the cards stacked against them.
7 guys were called upon and aside from two one inning lefties, they made like a NIMBY and didn’t let Seattle build anything.
Starting it off was Casey Legumina, returning back to the team he started the season with, and getting a bit of revenge for his former club. 1.1 IP and just a hit given up.
Both Booser and Cleavinger struggled and matched their lines: 2 hits 1 HR served up lefty on lefty to Josh Naylor, and a walk. Booser was able to wriggle out and finish the inning for his 2nd out, while Cleavinger needed Kevin Kelly’s help to escape.
Outside of those two, the rest of the pen was nails. Tyler Wells and Steven Matz were able to give some length, 2 innings apiece, with just 1 hit no walks and 3 Ks combined. Excellent job shortening the middle innings.
On the backend it was the dynamic duo of Kevin Kelly and Bryan Baker again. First Kelly was able to clean up Clev’s inning, finishing 1.1 IP and just a single hit yielded. Baker would slam the door shut to finish (more on that later).
On the other side of things, this was a bit of a stolen game from the offensive perspective. The Rays bats worked good counts and fought hard against a very good George Kirby tonight. And while they weren’t able to generate much (just xBA of 1.64), they did force a short night for Kirby and held serve with the Mariners keeping things close.
Victor Mesa Jr got the Rays on the board to tie it up at one apiece with a mammoth blast going 412 ft on 105.7 MPH exit velo.
Rays had some good opportunities but Mariners were able to escape several jams, including a spectacular catch from Cal Raleigh.
Eventually though, when you keep putting guys on base, eventually you are bound to break through. Richie Palacios had a fantastic night overall, being a total pest running up the count and spoiling pitches, was able to be the bat to finally break through with a 2 RBI double to give the Rays a 3-1 lead.
Palacios would finish the game 2-3 with that double and added a walk for good measure. Big game for Richie to pick up the top of the lineup who were held well in check.
Weird scene in the 6th, where on an 0-2 pitch Julio Rodriguez took a close pitch at the top corner of the zone. Could have gone either way, framed nicely by Hicks, and called strike 3. Julio, wisely, challenged. But home plate umpire Emil Jimenez refused the challenge, saying Julio waited too long. To my eyes and the eyes of several thousand at T-Mobile Park, disagreed and saw Julio challenge fairly quickly. Dan Wilson, perhaps in an homage to Sweat Lou Pinella in attendance for the Mariner’s 50th anniversary celebrations, got his money worth before getting tossed.
Jimenez was on a collision course for a double manager booking when the very next inning he wasn’t paying attention when Jonathan Aranda challenged a strike call (that ended up being out of the zone). Thankfully the 3rd base Ump was able to run in and was paying attention to force the hand. Just strange stuff overall, and ultimately didn’t change the outcome of the game, but certainly changed the vibes for the last several innings as Seattle fans continued relentless booing.
The one bat in the M’s lineup the Rays struggled to contain, at the plate and on the bases, was Josh Naylor. After going 43 games without a HR, Naylor foudn the long ball again. First on a fairly cheapy HR just over the RF wall. His 2nd bomb however was well and clearly tagged for the hardest hit ball of the night.
In the 9th, after a J-Rod leadoff single, Naylor stepped to the plate vs Bryan Baker. Baker looking for his 23rd consecutive save, which would break a Rays franchise record with a closer familiar to both these teams: Fernando Rodney.
Best bat tonight for Mariners vs the guy the Rays want on the mound with a lead. Naylor got a changeup up, gave it a ride, but died on the track in Cedric Mullins glove. Brendon Donovan up next got 3 straight fastballs, and then Baker pulled the string on him finally giving the change-up to induce the game ending double play.
Another save for Baker, and well earned place in Rays history books. This one giving the Rays a series win in the Pacific Northwest.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 08: Alex Rodriguez reacts during the Seattle Mariners 50th Season Celebration at T-Mobile Park on August 08, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rays 3, Mariners 2
Remembering the Mariners: Josh Naylor, +0.20 WPA Remembering the Mariners: Michael Rucker, -0.27 WPA
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 06: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves hits a solo home run in the eighth inning of a game against the Miami Marlins at Truist Park on August 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It sure looks like Ronald Acuna Jr. is back to his all-world self and that is huge news for the Braves. Outside of the obvious massive upgrade in talent on offense, that also balances out the lineup that has been very left-handed heavy in his absence and with Austin Riley floundering. As we enter the stretch run and the playoffs, Acuna bringing a huge bat back to the lineup and protecting some of his left-handed teammates from being vulnerable to endless left-handed bullpen options makes Atlanta that much more secure in the division, that much more likely to secure a first round bye, and that much more dangerous in October.
Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer celebrates after the final out of a 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in 10 innings Saturday at Chase Field. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer let loose a shout, balling his hands into fists as he released the tension of the last several minutes — or, from a team perspective, over a week.
The Dodgers had just pulled off a 2-1 win against the Diamondbacks in the 10th inning, and, mercifully, snapped a seven-game losing streak. It was their longest such streak since July 2025. They haven’t had a losing streak longer than seven games since September 2017 (11).
“I think that was the most emotion I’ve ever showed,” said Dreyer, who picked up his first save of the season. “It was nice because I knew I wouldn’t go back out for the next inning. ... The game was over. So kind of let the emotions take over for a little bit.”
Before this latest streak, the Dodgers had done an admirable job of not piling up losses. They hadn’t lost more than four straight games until this week. But the Dodgers were swept in two straight series, against the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs heading into the weekend against Arizona (62-56).
The Dodgers’ National League West lead over the second-place Diamondbacks moved up to 8½ games.
Many of the Dodgers’ recent problems still flared. The offense is slumping, and the back end of the bullpen has been shaky. But at least the streak was finally over.
The Dodgers’ offense has been all but silenced in two games against Arizona. A day after Merrill Kelly kept the Dodgers hitless through his first five innings, Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt gave up only a pair of infield hits to Andy Pages through seven innings.
“I think each individual, there’s a different component,” Roberts said. “But I think collectively, we just gotta come together. We’re just better than this. As we always say, it’s not a try league. We gotta get it done. We gotta be better, and again, to score one or two runs to win, it’s just a hard quality of life. I understand hitting is hard. I did it, but we’ve got a lot of talent in the room.”
Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto was nearly as effective, holding the Diamondbacks to three hits. But he wasn’t as efficient and exited with two outs in the sixth inning, his pitch count up to 107.
The game remained scoreless until Kyle Tucker, whose bat has been hot this road trip, hit a solo home run to right field off Diamondbacks reliever Jonathan Loáisiga in the eighth.
Dodgers reliever Kyle Hurt retired the first two batters in the eighth before giving up a single and back-to-back walks to load the bases. Tanner Scott replaced him and got out of the jam by inducing Waldschmidt to fly out.
In the ninth, Díaz, who gave up a walk-off home run Friday, blew it again, but he at least managed to keep the score tied.
Díaz gave up back-to-back triples to Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll to tie the score. He retired three of the next four batters, with an intentional walk in between, to send the game into extra innings.
“You saw once they scored the run, man on third base, nobody out, you saw the intensity pick up, the stuff picked up,” Roberts said. “The fastball got better. The slider got better. Even talking to him after the game, that’s how we have to be from the first pitch. That was the first game I saw this year where he had some real intensity.”
Tucker served as the Dodgers’ automatic runner on second base to start the 10th inning, and with two outs, he advanced to third base on a wild pitch, as Feduccia took first on a walk.
That put runners on the corners for Ohtani. He hit a sharp groundball to the right of Diamondbacks first baseman Tim Tawa, who made a diving stop. But the ball rolled away from him as he went to flip to first, giving Ohtani time to reach first and Tucker time to score the go-ahead run.
“I guess that was the game right there,” Tucker said. “So it was a great at-bat out of him and being able to get down the line was huge.”
Clinging to a narrow lead, the Dodgers turned to Dreyer. He struck out Tawa. And then he got James McCann to hit a soft grounder up the middle, but McCann beat second baseman Tommy Edman’s throw to first by a split second.
With runners on the corners, Waldschmidt hit a bouncing comebacker that Dreyer snagged and threw to second before Edman quickly threw to Freddie Freeman to end the game.
“It helps when you have some of the best defensive players in the game behind you,” Dreyer said. “I knew that all I needed to do was get the ball to Tommy and he would take care of the rest. I don’t know if I had too much velo on the throw to him, but once it got to him, he made the play.
“That was fun to watch.”
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani hits an RBI single in the 10th inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
Ohtani plays catch
Fans consolidated in the right field stands as Ohtani warmed up by throwing a weighted plyo ball against the back wall of the visitor’s bullpen and then returned to the outfield to play catch.
It was the first time Ohtani, who threw on flat ground from about 90 feet, has been spotted playing catch before a game since July 22, when he threw a 31-pitch bullpen in Philadelphia. According to the team, he has been keeping his arm moving with plyo ball drills.
Ohtani declined to comment through a team representative.
“It’s sort of Shohei and the training staff driving it, more Shohei,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s throwing schedule. “So I don’t know if he’s going to come back out there [Sunday] and pick up a baseball, or if it’s going to be Monday, but I do think that him getting out there and playing catch is a step in the right direction.”
PHOENIX, AZ - AUGUST 08: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Brendon Baranov/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers are finally back in the win column, as they came away with a 2-1, 10-inning win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
It was another dormant showing from the Dodgers offense, as Brandon Pfaadt worked around a one-out walk from Andy Pages in the top of the first by getting a ground ball double play from Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers would go down quietly until the top of the fourth inning, when Pages singled to reach base for the second time. Freddie Freeman lined out to third with Pages on the move, and the center fielder was doubled up at first. Pfaadt would retire the next six hitters in order, facing the minimum over six shutout innings while tossing 74 pitches.
As for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, he worked around a pair of two-out baserunners in the bottom of the first inning by getting his former WBC teammate Lars Nootbaar to ground out. Yamamoto allowed just one walk over his next three innings, but Arizona would threaten with two men on with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Yamamoto froze Geraldo Perdomo for the second out before Corbin Carroll met a similar fate to get the Dodgers out of trouble.
Both Gabriel Moreno and Ketel Marte reached against Yamamoto for a second time to begin the bottom of the sixth inning, and after getting two crucial outs, the right-hander’s day was done after 107 pitches. Evan Phillips came in relief of Yamamoto, and kept Arizona off the board by getting Tim Tawa to line out to right field.
After allowing three runs over eight innings against the Boston Red Sox in his last start, Yamamoto was able to toss his first scoreless start since tossing seven shutout innings against the San Diego Padres on July 4. Although Yamamoto was not able to get his first quality start since May 31, his six strikeouts were the most he’s had in a start since punching out seven during his complete game against the Yankees on July 19.
Pages reached on his second infield single against Pfaadt in the top of the seventh, and put the Dodgers in scoring position for the first time with a stolen base. Even though they managed to put two men on, Pfaadt got Mookie Betts to ground out to short complete seven shutout innings on the mound.
Alex Vesia came in to keep the game scoreless, but lost his command by walking two over his first three hitters. After getting Carroll to foul out, Vesia won a 10-pitch battle against Moreno by striking him out to strand the two runners and keep the game scoreless.
Two pitches were all Kyle Tucker needed to break the scoreless ice, as he launched a solo home run against Jonathan Loásiga to put the Dodgers on top by a run. It’s the second home run Tucker has over his five-game hitting streak, where he’s managed to hit .389 over that time.
Teoscar Hernández and Hunter Feduccia added a pair of one-out singles, but Loásiga struck out both Shohei Ohtani and Pages to limit the damage at one run.
After Kyle Hurt got two quick outs on three pitches, he promptly allowed a single to Nolan Arenado before walking Tawa and James McCann to load the bases. Tanner Scott was called on to fan the flames, and he got the rookie Ryan Waldschmidt to fly out to center and keep Arizona off the scoreboard.
The Dodgers failed to get any insurance in the top of the ninth inning, and Edwin Díaz was called on to try to get the save. Perdomo laced a leadoff triple to put the tying run 90 feet away from scoring, and Carroll followed suit with a triple of his own to give Díaz his second blown save in as many games. Díaz got Moreno to line out to third for the first out before getting Marte to pop out to Mookie Betts. The Dodgers walked Nootbaar intentionally to put runners on the corners, and Díaz sent the game to extra innings by striking out Ildemaro Vargas.
After the first two hitters failed to get anything going in the top of the 10th, Hunter Feduccia drew a two-out walk, but the pitch sailed past McCann and allowed Tucker to take third. Shohei Ohtani hit a ground ball to first, but the ball trickled out of Tawa’s glove, allowing both Ohtani to reach safely and Tucker to score as the Dodgers regained the lead.
Jack Dreyer took over for the Dodgers in the bottom of the 10th inning, and after he struck out Tawa for the first out, McCann reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners. After playing hero last night, Ryan Waldschmidt grounded right back to Dreyer, who turned a 1-6-3 double play to put the losing streak to bed.
With the Dodgers coming away with the win, they regain an 8 1/2 game lead over Arizona in the NL West standings.
The Dodgers wrap up their road trip on Sunday in Arizona (1:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading back home to open a three game series against the Kansas City Royals on Monday. Justin Wrobleski faces Eduardo Rodriguez.
Former Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg is still on the free agent market, despite being a solid depth option for essentially any team.
Blankenburg, who spent parts of two seasons with the Predators, was traded to the Colorado Avalanche ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
In 109 games with the Predators, Blankenburg's level of play took a major step forward from what he had previously done with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He established himself as an effective player on both ends of the ice and recorded 37 points (10 goals and 27 assists) during his time in Nashville.
While Blankenburg likely isn't an ideal everyday player for a playoff team, he could fill that role for a rebuilding team or could serve as a strong depth option for a contender due to his ability to play on both sides of the blue line.
As a 5-foot-9 undrafted player, Blankenburg has had to overcome the odds considerably to even be in the conversation for an NHL job. At this stage though, it seems that he should get at least a professional tryout with a team heading into training camp.
WASHINGTON – Chase Burns was on the ropes. And deep down in his heart, Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona did not want to throw the towel.
The Reds are grooving at the moment and Burns, by far, is the best thing they’ve had going all year. On this Saturday, Aug. 8 evening, he was aiming to become the first Reds pitcher in 70 years to win 13 straight decisions.
Yet in a tie game in the sixth inning, Burns mislocated three fastballs that resulted in hits for the Washington Nationals, the major leagues’ highest-scoring offense this season. After a walk and strikeout, Burns needed just one more out to escape with a one-run deficit.
In the dugout, Francona stewed. And sighed. And fetched reliever Sam Moll, who’d give up a two-run, game-breaking double to pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro. The Reds would lose consecutive games for the first time since July 11.
Yet Saturday’s 8-2 defeat at Nationals Park created a win of a different sort: Burns got one start closer to the finish line of his first full season, one in which he hardly takes a back seat to Jacob Misiorowski or Chris Sale or any of the National League pitchers having Cy Young-caliber seasons.
The birth of the ace is nearly complete. Even if setbacks are inevitable along the way.
“The hope was have a nice, good inning, get him through six, tie game, go to our bullpen,” said Francona, ruminating on the decisive sixth inning, which Burns started at 72 pitches and a 2-2 tie. “And it just ended up being a long inning and he couldn’t get through it. And I got uncomfortable. That’s my biggest concern with him right now, at the end of his outing, trying to reach back for more when he’s near 100.
“That’s, to me, where it starts to…"
Francona paused momentarily, the pitfalls of growing and sustaining a young starting pitcher seemingly caught up in that brief silence.
“Starts to get a little iffy. I actually think he could’ve got out of it. I always feel like that with him. It’s just, there’s more to balance than the sixth inning of today’s game.
“And that’s a responsibility I take very serious.”
For so many reasons.
Chase Burns contract: Reds commit $105 million
It took Burns exactly a year from his June 25, 2025 major league debut to earn a berth to the All-Star Game. And in the days after rubbing elbows with the game’s elite, his life would change in a far more drastic fashion.
Even after his loss at Washington, Burns ranks third in the National League with a 2.61 ERA, and his 13-2 record leads NL starters in both wins and winning percentage. Entering Saturday he’d gone 12-0 over 17 starts and allowed two or fewer runs in 17 of his 22 starts, tied for most in the majors.
The gaudy statistics come wrapped in what’s largely a two-pitch package, a fastball that averages 97.7 mph and a slider he leans on to put hitters away or induce weak contact.
He’ll show a changeup here and there, but his two moneymaking offerings largely comprise his 32% whiff rate, ranking in the 92nd percentile in the majors.
It’s very impressive, and also easy enough to get lost in the haze of what The Miz is doing up in Milwaukee, or what Paul Skenes pulled off his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, winning Rookie of the Year and then the 2025 Cy Young Award.
Perhaps not for long.
“People underestimate Chase a little bit,” Reds veteran catcher Jose Trevino tells USA TODAY Sports. “This dude is prepared. This dude is very strong-willed, strong-minded.
“He is the aggressor. He’s ready to go at all times.”
It is all that and more than what the Reds expected when they drafted him second overall out of Wake Forest in 2024, a draft in which the top 15 may rank among the most valuable dozen-plus picks ever.
His 2025 baptism was predictably uneven, striking out eight Yankees in five innings of his big league debut, then recording just one out against the Red Sox in his second start. He made six starts and then worked out of the bullpen to keep his innings count low, producing a 4.57 ERA.
A solid base to grow on, albeit over just 66 innings between Cincy and three minor league levels. The goal this year: Go pole-to-pole in the big leagues.
“It’s been a grind. But I’m loving it,” Burns tells USA TODAY Sports. “I’m loving the growth and process. I’m at the most innings I’ve ever thrown. I’m feeling great.
“I’m excited how far I’ve come and how far this team’s come.”
After Saturday’s start, Burns is at 124 innings this season, 24 more than he threw in his junior season at Wake Forest. The Reds, though, have been very thoughtful in deploying him.
He has worked on the standard four days’ rest in just seven of his 22 starts. He’s received five days’ rest before nine of them and six or more six times.
The Reds used the All-Star break to give him 13 days between starts, and he responded by giving up just two earned runs over his next three outings.
“We want to get him to a certain point,” Francona said. “You don’t want to go into next year thinking, 'we need to slow play this.' There’s common sense involved, but I think he’s doing fine.
“You can’t expect someone who hasn’t done something to know. But he’s a very intelligent, very thoughtful kid. He’s aware of where he is. He asks good questions.”
Digging deeper
There remains no formula for how to best handle young pitchers. Every arm is different, and even the industry’s well-established best practices can’t produce healthy, let alone ideal, outcomes.
Burns was the Reds’ highest draft pick since 2017, when they used the No. 2 overall pick on two-way prep superstar Hunter Greene. He went the pitching route, and the Reds took great care to limit his innings and build him up as best as possible.
Yet two years later, Greene underwent Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer. He did the hard work of getting back to the majors, made the 2023 All-Star team and signed a $53.5 million extension.
So little is guaranteed, though. Friday, Reds general manager Nick Krall announced Greene would have elbow surgery next week, perhaps a second Tommy John procedure but at least, odds are, an internal brace procedure.
Greene likely won’t figure in the Reds’ rotation plans until 2028. It is Burns, then, who’s the undeniable ace and whose competitive spirit evokes love from his teammates and that concern from Francona he may try to do too much.
“Like any ace in the big leagues, a runner gets on, we’re trying to win this game, he digs his spikes in a little bit deeper into the ground and gets going,” says Trevino. “He knows the important thing is winning.
“And he doesn’t like to give up runs.”
Good thing he doesn’t give up many, then. While the Reds are among nine teams within five games of an NL playoff berth, the focus figures to lean more toward 2027 with each week. If all goes well, Burns will enter that campaign as their undisputed ace, with few if any innings limits.
And a sense of security that can only come when a club commits a significant sum to his – and their – future.
“I’m super thankful for the Reds and the organization and the front office to have faith and confidence in me to see me here long term,” says Burns. “It takes a lot of pressure off me with the money and the other variables.
“Just being able to forget all the other stuff and build roots here and be a great leader for this team.”
If there's one thing that Pittsburgh Penguins' head coach Dan Muse proved last season, it's that being a rookie head coach comes with its ups and downs, but the best coaches are able to endure.
The Penguins ended the season as the NHL's second-highest scoring team. He and the rest of the staff brought together a squad of players in many different career stages with different tiers of experience and skill, and he was able to get the most out of all of them.
So, after a relvatively successful first season, what should folks expect out of Muse in his second season as Penguins' head coach? Here are four storylines to watch in 2026-27.
1. Is special teams success repeatable?
For most of the 2025-26 season, the Penguins were the only NHL team with both a top-five power play and top-five penalty kill. Both units fell off ever-so-slightly near the end, with the power play finishing seventh at 24.1 percent and the penalty kill finishing sixth at 81.4 percent.
Of course, Muse can't be credited entirely for the success of both units, as Todd Nelson was the power play coach and Mike Stothers and Nick Bonino largely ran the PK. But, as has been stated several times over by Muse himself and by the entire coaching staff, they all work as a collective unit, even if certain areas of focus are delegated. Muse and the others were able to get the buy-in from both units, and even players who don't traditionally kill penalties such as Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson were used pretty heavily in those roles.
The Penguins were a high-scoring five-on-five team last season, and they were a below-average defensive team five-on-five. Their special teams were a primary reason they were able to make the playoffs.
If their special teams remain first-class in the league, they should remain playoff contenders - and that will require the same level of buy-in from the players as last season, even as Muse and company have plenty of new faces on both the forward front and the blue line.
But, if last season is any indication, opportunities will be given by Muse and the staff if earned.
A young 18-year-old at the time, center Ben Kindel made the team out of training camp last season, as did 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke. With each passing game - and, even more impressive, every passing game at the center position - Kindel kept proving why he should stick around. He got better and better throughout his nine-game trial run, and even if it was a very unexpected development, Kindel earned his stay past the 10 games and was the team's regular third-line center the rest of the season - a sign of Muse's trust in Kindel.
Brunicke, meanwhile, didn't show as much and displayed signs of struggle early on in the season, so Muse and the staff adapted, and the blueliner was eventually sent back to junior hockey in the second half after the NHL stint, an AHL conditioning stint, and the World Junior Championship. They made the most of Brunicke's time at the NHL level last season, though, and he came back to the AHL playoffs looking like a much better player.
If guys like Koivunen, Brunicke, Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz, or Owen Pickering earn their opportunities, there's no reason to think Muse won't reward them - even if there is a logjam of both forwards and defensemen who are, presumably, slated to be on the NHL roster at the start of the season.
The Penguins need to push younger. Muse knows this, and his strength in development is one of the primary reasons he was hired. So, how much runway will he give these players to prove themselves at the NHL level when their opportunity knocks, and how will these guys continue to respond to him?
3. Can Muse elevate this team with respect to the Metro?
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Muse and his team next season will be matching up to the rest of the Metropolitan Division.
Of course, no team is the same year-to-year, and that includes the Penguins. On paper, the Penguins appear to have marginally more talent on their roster, so theoretically, they should improve. Their young goaltending tandem might be the biggest x-factor there.
But other teams also improved, and some more drastically. The Carolina Hurricanes are the class of the division and the defending champs for a reason. The Washington Capitals went out and had themselves an offseason, adding Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Boone Jenner to their already-formidable forward group. The New York Islanders got Matias Maccelli. The New York Rangers snagged sniper Pavel Dorofeyev, forward Oliver Bjorkstrand, and defenseman Marcus Pettersson.
Washington and Carolina look like the frontrunners. Others put themselves in the mix with Pittsburgh. So, can Muse work some magic and get the most out of this year's squad, same as he did last season?
Can Declan Carlile or Kaedan Korczak be the next Parker Wotherspoon? Can Andrei Kuzmenko get to Anthony Mantha's level? Can Erik Karlsson have a repeat of last season under this coaching staff again? Can Nicholas Robertson hit another level in Pittsburgh under Muse? Hendrix Lapierre?
Simply put, like last season, Muse will play a big role in helping coin-flip players maximize their potential. If those players can turn out - or, even if most turn out - they should be able to stay within arm's length of the top of the division.
We'll keep this short and sweet: Last season, Muse challenged nine calls for goaltender interference. Zero ended up going in his favor.
Was this a rookie head coach phenomenon, an issue with the Penguins' front office, an issue with Muse's judgment, or just a league-wide phenomenon? Muse and the Penguins were disproportionately affected last season, even if goaltender interference is a league-wide concern as far as inconsistency.
Will he get any kind of benefit in 2026-27? Will he be more calculated in his decisions to challenge? Although it literally can't get any worse, seeing how officiating responds to Muse next season in comparison to his first behind the bench will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow.
Anthony Kay stopped the bleeding and helped put the White Sox back in the win column. | (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images)
After dropping the opening game of this fight for first place yesterday, the White Sox honored Ozzie Guillén in his No. 13 retirement ceremony this afternoon — and that turned out to be a perfect time to bounce back and complement the ceremonies with a win.
Early on, Kay found himself in the middle of a jam in the second inning. With runners on the corners, Austin Hedges bunted back to Anthony, who scooped and threw the ball home in one swift motion. Drew Romo caught a Rhys Hoskins pivoting back to third base and threw a perfect bullet to Miguel Vargas. Initially called safe by third base umpire Austin Jones (who was not in the best position to view the tag and the bag), a Will Venable challenge quickly confirmed Vargas tagged Hoskins’ back before his foot returned to the bag safely.
The Chicago defense stayed locked in during the following inning. A diving Chase Meidroth stole a base hit from Chase DeLauter, who was running side-by-side with Kay but lost the race, as Kay located the bag and caught Chase’s accurate bullet:
Joining his battery mate, Romo stayed hot on defense as well (a sentence I did not have on my bingo card entering tonight’s game), as he threw out Angel Martínez trying to steal second to send the Sox to the home half of the third inning.
From there, Kay and Gavin Williams would each swap goose eggs until the sixth inning.
Rhys Hoskins, looking to amend his bad baserunning, launched a two-run shot 392 feet to the left-field stands to break open the scoring and give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
While the FOX broadcast was eating the Muneshot sushi push-pops during the home half of the sixth, Munetaka Murakami found the left-field foul pole and hit his second home run in as many games, cutting Cleveland’s lead in half, 2-1.
Soon after, Miguel Vargas snuck a hit past a diving Angel Genao. Williams would stay in the game to strike out Colson Montgomery, but he would not stay in the game to finish the inning.
Reliever Colin Holderman, with two outs, hit Andrew Benintendi (1-2 count) and Braden Montgomery (2-2 count) to load the bases. Tristan Peters, with six hits in his 59 at-bats since the All-Star break, broke through and flipped a ball to left-center field, bringing home Vargy and Benny and giving the Sox their first lead of the night, 3-2.
That closed the book on Williams, with this final line: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K.
Chase Meidroth, complementing his Gold Glove-caliber defense, continued the two-out, two-RBI hit parade with a bloop single down the right-field line, extending the Sox lead to 5-2.
With Kay in now in line for the win, Jordan Hicks replaced the southpaw in the seventh. Working through some trouble, Kay notched back-to-back quality starts: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 K.
Hicks sat down Patrick Bailey, pinch-hitting for Austin Hedges, with four pitches, but that would be his only easy batter of the night. He proceeded to give up Genao’s first career homer and allowed back-to-back hits from Steven Kwan and Jo Adell to put ducks on the pond with only one out.
Sean Newcomb, a face Sox fans were dying to see in their 13-inning spar against Boston, replaced Hicks. Ice in his veins, he struck out DeLauter looking. Then, on a 0-2 count to Martínez, Newcomb was taken to the deepest part of the ball park, but we had a man there! Peters chased down a 101.1 mph baseball 395 feet in left-center for the final out of the top half of the seventh.
Bryan Hudson pitched the eighth and worked around just one hit.
Looking for some daylight, Colson Montgomery singled on a full count to open the home half of the eighth. Luisangel Acuña pinch-ran for Colson, stole second and advanced to third on a bad throw all in one play. Braden Montgomery, reminiscent of his first career hit, slapped one the opposite way to drive in Acuña and extend the lead, 6-3.
Aiming for his sixth save in his ninth attempt, Grant Taylor was successful behind Vargas, who making a tough pick on a ground ball, and Murakami diving for the final out of the ball game. Sox win!
The Good Guys evened up the series against the Guardians and regained their three-game lead in the AL Central, with the Minnesota Twins taking a loss against the Milwaukee Brewers (shout out old friend, Andrew Vaughn, for the game-winning hit!).
Catch the rubber match at 1:10 p.m. CT tomorrow, back on the usual CHSN for your viewing pleasure.
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MVP Anthony Kay: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 4 K
Runners-Up Tristan Peters: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB Chase Meidroth: 1-for-4, 2 RBI Munetaka Murakami: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R Sean Newcomb: 0.2 IP, 1 K, stranded runners on second and third
Cold Cat Jordan Hicks: 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 K
Runners-Up Sam Antonacci: 0-for-4 Colson Montgomery: 1-for-4, 3 K Drew Romo: 0-for-4, 1 K
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 8: Jake McCarthy #31 of the Colorado Rockies rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on August 8, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies needed a little bit of everything Saturday night in St. Louis, and Jake McCarthy provided most of it.
McCarthy went 4-for-5 with two home runs, three RBI, four runs scored, and two stolen bases as the Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6. Colorado improved to 46-71, while St. Louis fell to 58-59.
It was not a particularly clean win. The Rockies ran themselves into two early outs on the bases, Kyle Freeland had to navigate traffic without the swing-and-miss stuff he showed in his previous start, and the bullpen spent much of the second half protecting a shrinking lead.
But Colorado also turned 11 hits into eight runs, went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position and kept finding ways to answer.
McCarthy’s two home runs supplied the loudest moments. His speed might have supplied the most important one.
Freeland battles without the whiffs
Freeland’s encore to his first career complete game looked very different.
After holding Kansas City to one run while generating 19 whiffs in his previous start, Freeland worked 4.1 innings against St. Louis, allowing five hits and three runs, only one earned, with three walks and three strikeouts. He needed 101 pitches to get there.
The pitch mix was more balanced this time. Freeland leaned most heavily on his knuckle curve at 29%, followed by the four-seam fastball at 22%, cutter at 20%, sinker at 13%, and sweeper and changeup at 8% each.
The sinker remained more prominent than its 7% season usage, but this was not the same kind of outing that overwhelmed Kansas City.
Most notably, the misses were not there.
Freeland generated eight whiffs on 44 swings. Five came against the cutter, while his knuckle curve produced only one whiff on 10 swings. Without many empty swings, his margin for error became smaller whenever his command wavered.
For much of the night, he compensated by limiting the quality of contact.
The first inning illustrated both the effectiveness and frustration of his outing. Freeland retired the first two Cardinals and appeared to have Alec Burleson struck out for the third out, but the pitch got past Hunter Goodman for a passed ball. Iván Herrera, who had doubled earlier in the inning, advanced to third while Burleson reached.
José Fermín then pulled a full-count knuckle curve down the third-base line for a two-run double, turning what looked like a scoreless inning into a 2-1 St. Louis lead.
Freeland settled down from there. He worked a clean second inning, and Kyle Karros helped him in the third by charging Jordan Walker’s slow roller and making the throw across the diamond on the move. Freeland later struck out Burleson after showing him four different pitch types, finishing him with a knuckle curve below the zone.
The fourth was where things began to get more difficult.
A walk, a single, a groundout and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs. JJ Wetherholt then hit a 104.6 mph liner to center, but Cole Carrigg was positioned well enough to make the catch and end the inning.
That was an escape, not necessarily evidence that Freeland had rediscovered the dominance of his previous start.
His command deteriorated further in the fifth.
Herrera drove an 0-2 sweeper 106.4 mph for a double that deflected off Karros’ glove. Burleson followed with a nine-pitch walk, fouling off four consecutive two-strike pitches before finally reaching.
Freeland then got Fermín into a 1-2 count but could not finish him either. Fermín eventually walked on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, loading the bases and ending Freeland’s night at 101 pitches.
His stuff did not completely disappear as his workload climbed. His fastball velocity largely held. What eroded was his ability to consistently locate and finish hitters.
Freeland had to gut this one out.
For four-plus innings, he mostly did.
Rockies make Liberatore come to them
If the question entering the game was whether Colorado could avoid chasing Matthew Liberatore’s secondary pitches, the Rockies answered it pretty clearly.
Liberatore allowed five runs on nine hits over five innings, walking two and striking out three on 94 pitches.
Colorado chased just 22% of his pitches outside the zone. The Rockies did not allow Liberatore’s secondaries to dictate the at-bats. They made him come back toward the zone, and when he did, they did damage.
McCarthy required no such patience to begin the game.
He attacked Liberatore’s first pitch, a 95 mph four-seam fastball, and drove it 104.0 mph and 420 feet to right-center for his 12th home run of the season.
Colorado then spent two innings doing a pretty good job of undoing the early advantage.
Karros walked and stole second in the first, then started toward third on Goodman’s liner to shortstop. He was caught too far off the bag and doubled up as he dove headfirst back into second.
In the second, TJ Rumfield walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch before taking off on Castro’s soft flare to shallow right. JJ Wetherholt made the catch on the outfield grass, but Rumfield had already reached third before realizing his mistake.
Two innings, two bad reads and two outs given away.
The third inning was where Colorado’s aggression started working for them instead of against them.
McCarthy beat out a chopper for an infield single, and Karros was hit by a pitch. The pair then executed a double steal, putting runners on second and third.
Carrigg followed by getting an 88 mph changeup from Liberatore and driving it 100.7 mph and 378 feet to center for a two-run double.
Carrigg immediately stole third and scored when Goodman dropped a single into right, giving Colorado a 4-2 lead.
The changeup continued to give Liberatore problems. Colorado put six of them in play, collected four hits and produced three hard-hit balls against the pitch.
Carrigg doubled again in the fifth, this time shooting a 94.8 mph ground ball down the third-base line. Rumfield followed with one of the better two-out at-bats of the game.
He took a cutter away, watched a slider bounce to get ahead 2-0, fouled off another slider and then handled a 93 mph sinker through the left side at 95.2 mph to score Carrigg.
The contrast with Friday was hard to miss. Colorado collected 10 hits in the series opener but went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies generated traffic again Saturday, but this time they converted enough of it.
Liberatore’s velocity also declined as his outing progressed. His four-seam fastball averaged 94.9 mph in the first inning and 92.3 mph in the fifth.
That does not automatically mean fatigue was the reason Colorado got to him. But the Rockies made him work, rarely expanded the zone, and were ready when he came back over the plate.
McCarthy helps the Rockies finish it
Colorado added separation in the sixth because Ezequiel Tovar did something that does not always come naturally to an aggressive hitter.
With two outs and nobody on, Tovar worked Luis Gastelum to a 3-0 count. He took a strike, then held up on an 86.4 mph sweeper that finished well below and away from the zone for ball four.
That turned the lineup over.
McCarthy needed one pitch.
Gastelum threw a 94.1 mph four-seamer, and McCarthy launched it 105.3 mph and 417 feet to center for his second home run of the night.
His first homer left the bat at 104.0 mph, traveled 420 feet and carried a 29-degree launch angle.
The second came off at 105.3 mph, traveled 417 feet and also had a 29-degree launch angle.
Both came on first-pitch fastballs.
The second made it 7-3, and Colorado eventually needed most of that cushion.
Juan Mejia inherited Freeland’s bases-loaded jam in the fifth and allowed one of the runners to score on Masyn Winn’s sacrifice fly. Carrigg nearly erased the run with a 97 mph throw home, but the one-hop throw presented Goodman with a difficult short hop that he could not secure.
Mejia then made his own inning more difficult with a wild pitch and a walk before Nathan Church hit a 104 mph grounder toward second. Castro handled the hard hop and recovered to throw to Rumfield for the final out.
Jimmy Herget allowed another run in the sixth before Parker Mushinski entered to face Burleson and got him to pop out in foul territory.
Mushinski stayed in for the seventh and had to work around more traffic after Fermín walked and Winn singled to open the inning. He retired the next three hitters without allowing either runner to score, stranding both and preserving a 7-4 lead.
Brennan Bernardino surrendered the biggest hit of the late innings when Walker demolished a changeup in the eighth.
Walker hit it 107.3 mph and 432 feet to left-center for his 23rd home run, cutting Colorado’s lead to 7-5.
Rumfield handled a 104 mph one-hop grounder from Herrera, and Bernardino eventually struck out Burleson with one of the better sequences of the night.
He threw Burleson five consecutive curveballs. Then, with the count full, Bernardino changed the look completely with a 90.7 mph sinker and froze him for strike three.
That sent the Rockies to the ninth with a two-run lead.
Then McCarthy showed why the two home runs only tell part of his story.
He dropped a drag bunt and beat Peter Strzelecki’s throw for his fourth hit. He stole second for his 20th stolen base of the season, then started creating problems simply by refusing to stay put.
McCarthy danced off second, shuffling farther toward third and forcing Strzelecki to account for him. The pressure eventually helped produce a balk that moved McCarthy to third.
“I love it. I absolutely love it. If that’s part of your game, we need to put pressure on teams and be able to do that. And really, nobody’s better than Jake at that” said Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer after the game.
Karros followed by driving a 92.5 mph sinker 101.5 mph and 370 feet toward left-center. Everson Pereira made an excellent leaping catch, but McCarthy jogged home on the sacrifice fly.
A few minutes later, it looked much more important.
Jordan Romano allowed a 101.6 mph leadoff single to Fermín in the bottom of the ninth. Fermín stole second essentially uncontested and eventually scored when Church singled to right with two outs.
The lead was down to 8-6.
Without the run McCarthy helped manufacture in the top half, Colorado would have been protecting a one-run lead with the tying run on base.
Instead, Romano still had room.
He went right after pinch-hitter César Prieto. Romano landed a 92.4 mph four-seamer for a called strike, got a swing-through on a 94.8 mph four-seamer, then buried an 84.3 mph slider below the zone for the chase.
McCarthy’s power will deservedly lead the highlights. Two first-pitch home runs totaling 837 feet will do that.
McCarthy has swung at 47.3% of first pitches this season, a significant jump from 30.2% last season. His career rate is 37.8%, while the MLB average this season is 30.3%.
McCarthy beat out an infield hit in the third and stole third as part of the double steal that preceded Carrigg’s two-run double. Then, after Walker’s homer tightened the game in the eighth, McCarthy manufactured the most important insurance run of the night in the ninth.
Bunt single. Stolen base. Pressure that helped create a balk. Sacrifice fly.
Schaeffer pointed to more than one night when discussing McCarthy after the game.
“I mean, Jake’s been good for a long time for us here this year,” Schaeffer said. “He’s been one of the main catalysts for our wins and pushing us forward. He just looks awfully comfortable, and I’m happy that he’s having a good time playing baseball right now.”
Carrigg had a strong all-around night of his own. He doubled twice, drove in two runs, stole third, made the bases-loaded catch behind Freeland and nearly threw out a runner at home with a 97 mph throw.
Rumfield continued to show why there is more to his offensive game than a simple box-score line might suggest. He collected two hits, delivered the two-out RBI in the fifth and made several useful defensive plays at first.
Karros also had one of those games where the hit column misses much of what happened.
He reached base twice before taking his first swing, stole two bases and scored a run. Later, he hit two balls well without recording a hit, including the 101.5 mph sacrifice fly that provided Colorado’s final run.
And after going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position Friday, the Rockies went 3-for-8 Saturday and stranded only four runners. St. Louis went 3-for-16 and left 12 aboard.
Colorado did not play a perfect game.
Instead, they played a good one.
Up next
The Rockies and Cardinals will wrap up their three-game series Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium.
Colorado will send Michael Lorenzen to the mound. The right-hander enters the finale 3-10 with a 6.94 ERA and 80 strikeouts this season.
St. Louis will counter with Michael McGreevy, who comes in 4-9 with a 3.59 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 08: Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after drawing a walk during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at T-Mobile Park on August 08, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dang, was there some kind of ceremony before the game or something?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 08: Andrew Vaughn #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts to hitting a single after reaching second base to drive in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at American Family Field on August 08, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tonight, Andrew Vaughn reminded Twins Territory why any player whose career has involved only the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers is bad news for a team based in Minnesota. Vaughn’s tiebreaking eighth-inning single sealed the deal on a Brew Crew win, evening the series and handing the loss to recent acquisition Jeff Hoffman.
The Twins isolated their offense to the second inning tonight, rallying against Brewer starter Robert Gasser after a plethora of baserunners made it 1-0 Milwaukee in the home first. Luke Keaschall led off the inning with a double, then watched as Kaelen Culpepper filled first behind him on a HBP (the first of two tonight for the newcomer.) After a pair of quick outs, the threat was threatened (the heat was hot), until another bout of loose command — an Austin Martin HBP to load the bases, and a Ryan Jeffers walk to spin the carousel — tied things up for the Twins.
Then, it was a 3-1 lead, with Royce Lewis roping a double to left that plated a pair. Despite the concentration of runs, Gasser would still fail to make it through five innings, giving way after 90-some-odd pitches and seven hits allowed by the fifth inning, paired with two walks and two hit batsmen. The Milwaukee bullpen would go 4.1 shutout innings, and the Twins would not record a hit after Gasser’s exit.
Meanwhile, a two-out Brice Turang single tied the score in the fourth, as Bradley — who hit a man and walked two of this own — was unable to get past five innings.
As mentioned, the winning run was manufactured in the eighth; with Hoffman on the mound, William Contreras led off with a single, then gave way to pinch-runner Brandon Lockridge, who stole his way into scoring position and came home happy on Vaughn’s ground-ball single. And while Trevor Larnach gave one a ride to right in the ninth, there would be no more joy for Minnesota’s side, as a fired-up Brewers squad locked down their 73rd win with a perfect ninth.
There’s still time for the Twins to win this series, although it will require Connor Prielipp to outduel the Miz tomorrow. We’ll see how that goes!
Aug 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Nathan Lukes (38) runs the bases after hitting a two RBI home run during the eleventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Phillies played awful baseball on Saturday night. Manager Don Mattingly made questionable decisions, they made poor plays on defense, the offense struggled against a 42-year-old pitcher, and the bullpen broke down. The result was that for the second straight night, they turned a very winnable game into a well-deserved loss to the Blue Jays, this one by a score of 7-5.
The early part of the game was a flashback to 2018 in that it was somewhat of a pitcher’s duel between Aaron Nola and Max Scherzer. Never mind the fact that Nola is just a serviceable back of the rotation starter these days while Scherzer is a 42-year-old who entered the game with an ERA over 7.00.
Sure, Nola gave up the obligatory home run – Vlad Guerrero, Jr. in the first – but he limited the Blue Jays to two runs before being pulled after one batter in the sixth after taking a line drive off the leg. He also recorded the 2,000th strikeout of his career.
Unfortunately, the Phillies’ habit of providing Nola with zero run support continued. For five innings, they were completely stifled by Scherzer.
Finally, the Phillies broke through when Trea Turner and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth. They added two more against reliever Spencer Miles, and all they needed was for the bullpen to protect a two-run lead for three innings. Easy, right?
Brooks Raley (why isn’t he one of the main setup guys?) finished off the sixth after Nola’s exit, and Jonathan Bowlan did his part with a scoreless seventh.
Then came the eighth when Mattingly called on Jose Alvarado. As he often does, Alvarado walked two batters, but with two outs, he had a good chance to get out of the self-inflicted jam when he got to a 0-2 count on Andres Gimenez. At that point, the announcers mentioned that Alvarado didn’t necessarily need to throw a strike. Alvarado went a different route and laid a ball right in the strike zone.
Based on his other pitches in the inning, I have to think he didn’t actually want to throw a strike, but he can’t even throw the ball out of the zone when he wants.
The teams traded zeroes in the ninth, and with a dearth of available relievers, the Phillies turned to Chase Shugart to pitch the tenth. Shugart got the first out, and after a walk, coaxed a ground ball to first base. Unfortunately, the ball apparently melted the brain of Alec Bohm who had been put into the game as a defensive replacement for Kyle Schwarber. Bohm couldn’t decide what to do with ball until it was too late, allowing the runners to reach first base safely.
That meant that Gimenez’s subsequent fly ball was a run scoring sacrifice fly instead of the third out of the inning.
The Phillies actually played fundamentally sound baseball in the bottom of the innings, using a ground ball to the right side and a fly ball to the outfield to score the ghost runner and tie the game at five. (Note: This is why the ghost runner kind of sucks. The pitcher gets two routine outs but blows the lead.)
Shugart was sent back out for the eleventh and got the first two outs relatively easily. The third out proved more elusive, when Nathan Lukes hit a 3-2 pitch into the stands in center.
The Phillies had no answer in the bottom of the inning and suffered their second straight avoidable loss to the Blue Jays.
They’ll try to salvage the finale on Sunday behind Jesus Luzardo. It would be beneficial if Luzardo could pitch effectively and deep into the game, and the Phillies could help further that cause if they stop playing such mistake-prone baseball.
