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Continue reading...San Diego Series Split: Padres 5, Dbacks 1
The San Diego Padres split the series and evened the season series tonight at 5 wins a piece as the Padres bullpen really shut things down.
Kohl Drake was getting almost no swing and miss tonight as his stuff was simply not playing against this Padres lineup. Drake didn’t even have good command tonight as he pitched to a lot of 3 ball counts. Drake was only able to get through 3 2/3 innings tonight needing 80 pitches to do so as he was simply not effective. It honestly felt like he should’ve given up more than the 3 runs he gave up, but some good outfield defense which we will get to later bailed him out on some balls that were smashed.
Phillip Abner struggled over 3 innings, but atleast he was able to give this team 3 innings. Abner threw 52 pitches which Lovullo acknowledged in the post game was probably a little bit above what his limit likely was, however getting those extra outs definitely put this bullpen in a better position heading into the big weekend series against the Dodgers.
Ryan Waldschmidt who consistently has been getting replaced deep in games defensively had 2 phenomenal catches earlier in this game. Both of them crashing into the CF wall and traveling more than 80 feet to catch both. Maybe this will allow him to stay in games?
The Dbacks offense plated a run in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by the hottest catcher in baseball Gabi Moreno who would go on to record 3 hits on the night. The Dbacks were able to load the bases with 2 outs in the inning, but unfortunately Nolan Arenado flew out and the Dbacks offense was unable to score more runs. The red hot Tim Tawa would then single in the 4th inning, and that would be the last base hit for this offense until 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th. Pretty tough to win many games with that little of offensive production. Not much else to report on the offense however it is probably fair to note that the Padres bullpen has really carried this team, so maybe we just chock it up to that.
The Dbacks will now gear up for a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers as they will look to Merrill Kelly to rebound in a big way from his last start. After the series split, the Dbacks will keep just a 1 game lead over the Padres for the final wild card spot as the Phillies won tonight. The Dbacks will square off against the Padres for 3 more games on the final 3 games of the season in San Diego to see who wins the season series, and potentially to decide who gets to go to the playoffs.
White Sox lose a 13-inning heartbreaker in Boston
I guess you can say the White Sox refused to go down without a fight, but the Red Sox wouldn’t die. In a 13-inning game that lasted more than four hours, the White Sox fell short in the finale in Boston, falling victim to a late-night sweep.
Luis Castillo debuted with a much-needed nine-pitch inning and kept the Red Sox quiet again in the second. Ranger Suárez plunked Joey Bart in the second, but that was the only baserunner for the White Sox through two innings.
Suárez went well over the 30-pitch mark in the third inning, with the bullpen up and warming by the end of his frame after 70 total pitches. His nightmare inning started with a walk to Braden Montgomery and a two-run homer well over the Monster by former Red Sox minor leaguer Chase Meidroth.
With two outs, Suárez picked up a pitch clock violation to walk Miguel Vargas. Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery had back-to-back singles. Colson’s knock sent both Vargas and Grichuk home, with Grichuk scoring on a throwing error by center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Bart would end the inning, but the White Sox had exhausted Suárez and taken a 4-0 lead.
The Red Sox answered in the bottom of the third. With one out, Anthony Seigler walked and came home on a Connor Wong home run. Nick Sogard singled, but Rafaela grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, preventing further damage.
Greg Weissert replaced Suárez for the fourth inning and quickly gave up a single to Brenton Doyle, who then stole second. Doyle got to third when Wong couldn’t squeeze the pitch after Braden struck out. Doyle started the frame by beating out the throw to first, then winning a challenge after stealing second. Moments later, pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci drove in Doyle with a double. Meidroth picked up a walk with Munetaka Murakami looming, prompting another meeting at the mound. Weissert would luck out by striking out both Murakami and Vargas. Thankfully, though, a lead was still intact at 5-2.
Castillo ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth, surrendering three straight hits. Andruw Monasterio doubled, sending Caleb Durbin home. Then Seigler doubled, tying the game.
Andrew Benintendi and Colson started the fifth with back-to-back singles. With two outs, Braden singled, beating out the throw and then getting to second as a plethora of bad throws sent two runs in, making it 7-5, Good Guys.
Bryan Hudson came on to replace Castillo. Rafaela singled with one out, and Wilyer Abreu struck out right after. Rafaela tried to steal second, but Bart threw a dart to second, and Meidroth tagged him out when he stepped off the base, ending the threat and the inning.
Jordan Hicks gave up back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the sixth, allowing another Red Sox run to score. Grant Taylor came in for the final out and shut the Red Sox down.
For the second time in the game, Bart was hit by a pitch with two outs in the seventh. Unfortunately, the newly acquired catcher left the game with a trainer after taking the hit. It was all in vain via a failed bunt from Tristan Peters. Taylor stayed in for the seventh and put two straight batters aboard, one on a walk and the other on a hit-by-pitch. The righthander somehow escaped the jam with a strikeout, keeping the game within one run.
During the eighth inning, the broadcast announced that Bart suffered a fracture in his fifth metacarpal, so see you again soon, Edgar Quero. Two runners got on base, but the White Sox failed to make anything happen. With two outs in the bottom half, Jarren Duran reached on a throwing error. Seigler singled to put two on, driving Taylor out of the game. After an overturned challenge, Drew Romo managed to catch Duran stealing third for a massive out to end the inning.
With the game on the line, Colson picked up a one-out walk and was rewarded second after a balk. Peters picked up the second free pass of the frame with two outs, but Braden hit the ball right to second on the first pitch. Huascar Brazobán stayed in the game to pitch for the bottom of the ninth after coming in for the last batter in the eighth. Wong started the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Sogard. Two outs and two strikes later, the Red Sox tied up the game with a single from Abreu. Will Venable challenged another safe call, and it was overturned, sending the already-stressful game into extras.
Known terrible person Aroldis Chapman gave up a beautiful home run to Meidroth in the top of the tenth, his second two-run homer of the night.
Trent Richards, on for the bottom half, issued a walk to Masataka Yoshida and an RBI double to Monasterio to put the game within one run with only one out. Duran was intentionally walked to load the bases as the bullpen started moving. Seigler’s sac fly sent another run in to tie it 9-9 with two runners still on base. Richards walked yet another hitter to load the bases, but Sogard hit into force out.
With a wild throw and a sac fly, the White Sox reclaimed the lead in the 11th. Rafaela started the bottom half of the inning with a single, and Abreu would tie the game once more at 10-10. Richards walked yet another batter, putting two runners on base with only one out. Jahmai Jones singled to load the bases, putting five players in the infield for the White Sox. A fly out from Monasterio kept the bases loaded, and Richards was finally pulled from the game. Duran ended the inning with a fly out.
Once again, the White Sox took the lead, now in the 12th. Peters singled, and with one out, Antonacci singled to send the ghost runner Romo home. Meidroth snuck one under the glove, prompting Justin Jirschele to send Braden home, but he was thrown out. Murakami was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs, and Vargas hit into a force out. A sac fly from Rogers tied the game for the fifth time, as we’re in hour four of this game.
The Good Guys couldn’t get it done in the top of the 13th. Erick Fedde came out to try and hold the tie, but four-plus hours of torture finally ended when Durbin walked it off with a single, handing the White Sox a 12-11 loss and a sweep.
MVP
Chase Meidroth — 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 H, 4 RBI, 2 BB, E
Runners-Up
Colson Montgomery — 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SF
Sam Antonacci — 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B
Cold Cat
Munetaka Murakami — 0-for-6, 1 BB, 3 K
Braves blow Marlins out of the water for eighth straight win, 11-3
Baseball is a funny game. It’s hard to win a lot. You win seven straight, sweep one team, win a series against another, Martin Perez is on the hill, it’s rainy — you figure, no one can win ‘em all, we’ll get ‘em tomorrow, we’re in a good place, yadda yadda yadda. Well, turns out, the Braves can get ‘em tomorrow and today, as they showed no signs of letting up in an 11-3 rout that granted them a sweep of the Marlins as well as their eighth straight win. The victory extended their longest winning streak of the season so far, while extending the stretch of three or fewer runs given up to six games, and the stretch of four or fewer runs given up to nine.
Overall, this game featured one of the silliest homers you’ll ever see, and then descended into silliness basically everywhere else, as the Braves walloped Miami pitching. In the end, it was a stat-padding laugher, which was kind of a nice change of pace amid a stretch of fairly tight games.
Things were pretty quiet for the first few frames; Matt Olson hit a ringing double in the bottom of the first, but Michael Harris II grounded out. Perez issued a leadoff walk in the second, but a double play ball allowed him to have a 1-2-3 frame.
The first bit of silliness came in the bottom of the second. Mauricio Dubon hit a soft liner to right for a single, and decided to try to stretch it into a double, where he was handily thrown out. That wasn’t all that remarkable in and of itself, except that two batters later, Dominic Smith dunked an even softer liner to left, and was also thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. That was a nice appetizer for the bottom of the third, where, with two outs and a runner on first, this happened:
It wasn’t the ball going off Jose Canseco’s head. It wasn’t even Tim Hudson’s adventure with Bryce Harper. But, nonetheless, it was very silly, and helped repay Ronald Acuña Jr. for at least some of the heinous xwOBA underperformance he’s experienced this season.
And then, perhaps as a result of some skybound deity laughing so hard they cried at the Marlins own-goaling the Braves two runs, the rains came. Said rains lasted for quite a while, knocking both Perez (3 IP, 3/1 K/BB) and Janson Junk (3 IP, 1/1 K/BB, one “homer” allowed) out of the game.
Tyler Kinley had few issues in the fourth. The Braves had a scoring chance in the bottom of the inning, as Mauricio Dubon walked against Tyler Zuber, and eventually stole second and took third on a throwing error. However, Smith grounded out, and Austin Riley stared at a Zuber strike three down the pipe for some reason. Victor Mederos followed Kinley with two quiet frames (2/1 K/BB ratio). John King matched Mederos for one frame, but the game got completely away from the Marlins in the bottom of the sixth.
Olson started the inning by nearly homering on a ball just foul. Five pitches later, he found a changeup just above his ankles and scoop-bliterated it into center to make it 3-0. Harris followed with a double, and Dubon bounced a curve below the zone for a single. Given that King throws with his left hand, the Braves then pinch-hit Lane Thomas for Mike Yastrzemski. Thomas swung at a first-pitch get-me-over slider from King and yanked it down the left-field line for his first hit with his new team, pushing the score to 4-0. The Braves then proceeded to rouse Ozzie Albies from his team-enforced slumber; he drew a walk to re-load the bases. Out went King, in came onetime Braves farmhand Victor Vodnik, and Riley greeted him with a sac fly to center. Two groundballs against Vodnik suggested that the inning end, but Xavier Edwards bobbled the second one, allowing another run to score. Things could’ve gotten even zanier, but Acuña’s hard liner was hit right at the center fielder to end the inning.
Danny Young came in for the seventh and was really the only Brave (other than Jim Jarvis, who went 0-for-4) to not have a good game. Young started his night with a strikeout, but then a walk and a few singles made it 6-2. Young could’ve gotten out of the frame by retiring backup catcher Brian Navaretto, but instead, he hit him on the shin with a sweeper. That forced Dylan Lee into the bases-loaded situation, and Lee got out of it as Otto Lopez weakly lifted an 0-1 changeup to center. I feel for Young, who is not that far removed from Tommy John Surgery, but you figure that the Braves won’t keep him on the roster too much longer if he doesn’t find some feel for his arsenal sooner rather than later.
With the Miami rally thwarted, the game then descended into something more farcical. Walk-triple-single against Vodnik in the bottom the seventh got those two runs right back. Brent Suter made his Braves debut in the eighth, and picked off a batter he walked. Cade Gibson was Miami’s last pitcher-slash-victim, and he gave up Acuña’s second longball of the night. It wasn’t really fielder-aided this time, but it was also just a routine fly ball that happened to float all the way towards the right-field corner and across the very generous wall out there in front of the Chop House. As a result, Acuña now has his second two-homer game of the year… and maybe the most unique one of his career. That may have been a good place to shut this one down, but it was not to be. Olson hit a liner to center that smashed out of the center fielder’s glove; a Harris single then scored Olson, and a Dubon double then scored Harris to make it 11-2. Dubon’s double actually came against Sanoja, who was “punished” for whiffing on Olson’s liner by being forced to pitch and get the final Braves out of the game.
Suter went back out for the ninth and was basically just lobbing it in there to get the game over with. The Marlins ended up collecting three hits on letter-high, sub-90 mph fastballs in the process, but eventually they ran out of BABIP and outs, and the game ended.
It was a fun one in the box score here:
- Acuña had the two homers;
- Olson would’ve been perfect but for the liner-that-turned-into-an-error, with two walks to go with his homer and double (and “double”);
- Harris finished a homer short of the cycle, with his triple somehow his first of the season; and
- Dubon went 4-for-4 with a walk and a double.
Meanwhile, Braves pitching had an 8/4 K/BB ratio and avoided any Marlins longballs — by my count, they haven’t allowed a homer in five games now, which is wild (and very helpful).
Stay tuned for tomorrow, when the Braves rumble into Yankee Stadium to face old pal Max Fried.
Red Sox secure stunning walk-off victory in marathon vs. White Sox
I can’t believe they did it again…
The Red Sox pushed their winning streak to eight games with a 12-11 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, overcoming five separate deficits to secure their third walk-off victory of the season in the 13th inning at Fenway Park.
Boston received contributions from almost every single person on the roster, deploying everyone who was available in the bullpen and on the bench. Connor Wong, Jake Rogers, and Erik Miller all left their mark on the contest, though things were punctuated by Caleb Durbin.
I’ve got you covered with the game’s studs and duds:
STUDS
Durbin: I’ve learned to love this young man…
Durbin almost definitely broke his pinky again, but still left the game with three hits — including the game-winner — and played stellar defense at third base. Dirt. Dog.
Miller: The Red Sox leaned heavily on their most-recent addition to the bullpen, and he delivered with two scoreless innings that kept the game in reach. Miller has now struck out four of the nine batters he’s faced in his new uniform.
DUDS
Jarren Duran: Boston had the game-tying runner in scoring position with two outs in the eighth inning when “captain chaos” decided to do something completely idiotic and advance to third base on a ball in the dirt — he was thrown out rather easily. 0-for-5 on the night, as well.
Ranger Suarez: If this team is going to make noise down the stretch, they’ll need more out of their veteran starting pitchers.
Suarez has gone 4.2, 4.0, and 3.0 innings, respectively, in the three starts that he’s made since coming off the injured list on July 26 — which quite frankly isn’t going to get the job done. It’s imperative that he turns things around and stretches back out…
“OH MY GOD, FENWAY PARK IS COMING UNGLUED” MOMENT OF THE GAME
Anthony Seigler.
No, Wilyer Abreu.
NO, ANTHONY SEIGLER AGAIN!
NOPE! CALEB!!! DURBIN!!!!!
How about this team?
NBA Basketball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2026-08-07 03:14:55
Flyers' Maksim Sokolovskii Lifts 1,000-lb. Tire in Offseason Training Video
We all knew the Philadelphia Flyers drafted a big, strong, defenseman when they drafted Maksim Sokolovskii in the 2026 NHL Draft, but we may have underestimated how strong the 18-year-old already is.
As a 6-foot-7, 240-pound rearguard who scored only eight points last year, that is the strength of Sokolovskii's game, after all.
But he's a young, developing prospect who won't really be working out and doing significant amounts of training until next year, when he joins the University of Maine at the NCAA level.
In the meantime, the OHL London Knights had Sokolovskii flip a... 1,000-pound tire in an offseason training video as part of their promotion for their tickets, which go on sale on Friday, according to their post.
1000 lbs? Light work for Soko 💪😤
— London Knights (@LondonKnights) August 5, 2026
TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY!@NHLFlyerspic.twitter.com/6g5lePXVYQ
The Russian Flyers prospect was only 17 when he was drafted by Philadelphia in the 2026 draft at the end of June, for some context. Imagine how strong Sokolovskii will be in six, seven, or eight years from now?
Obviously, other parts of Sokolovskii's game will need to come along as he progresses in his development. He does have some puck skills and flair, but his puck handling and passing are inconsistent and reduce his ceiling as a player.
If nothing else, though, Sokolovskii's training eliminates any concerns, if there ever were any, about being able to handle competition against older players at the collegiate level next year, since he can already bully anybody he faces in the OHL.
Following an impressive showing at Flyers development camp early last month, Sokolovskii is the undisputed top Flyers prospect at the left defense position, and this only cements his place further.
What a bummer: Royals bullpen blows another one
The Minnesota Twins rallied late to defeat the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night, 4-3. In doing so, the Twins snapped their four-game losing streak to get within a half-game of the final American League Wild Card spot while the Royals fell back to 20 games under .500.
\nThe Royals led for most of the evening. The scoring started in the bottom of third when, with two outs, Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr. singled. After Witt stole second for his 31st stolen base of the year, Jac Caglianone, on an 0-2 pitch, lined a single to right, scoring both baserunners.
\nMichael Wacha pitched 5-and-2/3 innings and, while he didn’t have his best stuff, kept the Twins in check aside from a home run allowed to Royce Lewis in fifth. He only allowed three hits but walked three compared to only one strikeout—the first batter of the game. The Twins consistently worked long counts against Wacha, forcing him to throw a ton of pitches. He left with the Royals leading 2-1 and Lewis once again at the plate.
\nJose Cuas ultimately retired Lewis in a 12-pitch battle. I guess I’ve never seen Cuas pitch because, wow—that was an experience, one I didn’t like. But hey, he got the job done, unlike some other relievers. #Foreshadowing
\nWitt scored again in the bottom of the sixth to extend the Royals lead back to two runs. For the night, he went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a stolen base. Since returning from the Injured List, he’s 6-for-12 with two doubles, three runs, a stolen base, and two RBIs.
\nIn the seventh, Alex Lange worked around a two-out walk when he struck out Tristan Gray swinging. Combined, Cuas and Lange threw 24 pitches, but neither appeared in multiple innings.
\nThings went awry in the eighth when Aaron Bummer entered the game as the Royals’ fourth pitcher. Bummer, who somehow has a worse pitcher’s name than the recently traded Bailey Falter, certainly lived up to his moniker. He induced a groundball out against Austin Martin to begin the inning, but then gave up a single to Luke Keaschall, walked pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers, and gave up a run-scoring single to Josh Bell to make it 3-2. He left with one out and responsible for the runners on first and third.
\nNate Pearson, yet another reclamation project, because why not, replaced Bummer, and immediately plunked Lewis. Neat. Bases loaded. Brooks Lee followed with a two-run single to right, giving the Twins a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish thanks in part to boneheaded baserunning by the Royals.
\nSalvador Perez, who had earlier singled home Witt, led off the bottom of the ninth inning by working a walk. Tyler Tolbert replaced him on the basepaths with Michael Massey at the plate. Tolbert took off once and probably had the base stolen, but Massey, facing a two-strike pitch, fouled it off. Back on first, Tolbert then proceeded to get picked off so easily that the Royals didn’t even bother challenging it.
\nMassey struck out swinging before Isaac Collins concluded the evening by lamely watching strike three catch the corner. He challenged it, but the call was confirmed. Ballgame. Twins win, 4-3.
\nThe loss drops the Royals record to 48-68. Goodness, that’s bad. What’s worse: Bummer’s ERA is now a staggering 10.26.
\nKansas City next plays host to the Chicago Cubs who arrive on a four-game winning streak. Game one is tomorrow night at 7:10 P.M.
\nCubs Minor League Wrap: Smokies power past Lookouts, 7-3
Right-hander Andrew Wantz re-signed with the Cubs, three days after he declared free agency. Wantz was assigned back to Iowa.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs lost to Indianapolis (Pirates), 3-2.
Connor Noland made his first start for Iowa since June and kept Indianapolis scoreless over three innings. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out two.
Gabe Klobosits gave up a two-out triple and an RBI single inthe bottom of the ninth to take the loss. Klobosits’ final line was one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out one and walked one intentionally.
Left fielder Hayden Cantrelle went 3 for 4. He scored once.
Third baseman Ben Cowles was 2 for 5.
Knoxville Smokies
The Knoxville Smokies got in the eyes of the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 7-3.
Brody McCullough started and got the win after five innings of work. He gave up three runs on three hits. All three runs scored on two home runs allowed by McCullough. He walked two and struck out two.
Connor Schultz did not allow a run or a hit over three innings of relief. Schultz struck out six and walked one.
The Smokies hit four home runs tonight. The first one was by DH Miguel Useche, who connected with the bases empty in the fourth inning. It was Usche’s third-straight game with a home run, his fourth for the Smokies and 11th overall. He was 1 for 4.
Second baseman Drew Bowser hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, his second with Knoxville and seventh overall. Bowser was also 1 for 4.
First baseman Edgar Alvarez cranked his ninth home run with the bases empty in the seventh inning. That sets a new career-high for home runs for Alvarez. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.
Finally, left fielder Andy Garriola hit his team-high 19th on the year in the eighth inning with a man on. Garriola went 1 for 4.
Center fielder Karson Simas 3 for 4 with a double and a steal. He had one run scored.
Useche’s home run.
Drew Bowser goes deep.
The Alvarez home run.
Garriola’s blast.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs split a doubleheader with the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), winning the continuation of yesterday’s suspended game 4-1 and losing the regularly-scheduled game 4-2.
Braylon Myers started game one yesterday and lasted three innings before the rains came. Myers gave up just one run on one hit, a solo home run in the second inning. Myers walked four and struck out three.
JP Wheat threw the next two innings and did not give up a run or a hit, but Wheat did walk three while striking out one.
Brayden Spears pitched the final four innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and got the win. Spears struck out one and walked no one, but he did hit two batters.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI single. Hartshorn went 2 for 2 with a walk and a first-inning sacrifice fly. Hartshorn also scored later in the eighth on a double by center fielder Alexei Lumpuy. Lumpuy went 1 for 4.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda went 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. He scored twice.
Second baseman Jose Escobar was 2 for 4 with a steal.
Diving catch for Lumpuy in center.
RBI single for Hartshorn.
Lumpuy’s double was his first South Bend hit.
Nazier Mulé started game two and allowed only one run on four hits over five innings. Mulé struck out six, walked two and hit one batter.
Adam Stone went the rest of the way, gave up three runs inn the sixth inning and took the loss. Stone’s final line was three runs, two earned, on two hits over two innings. Stone struck out two and walked no one, but he did hit two batters.
Left fielder Kade Snell hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his seventh on the year. Snell was 1 for 3.
Snell’s home run.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Pelicans were rained out in Columbia. Doubleheader on Friday.
Twins 4, Royals 3: Late hits with RISP? It’s true! (Not a trap.)
The Minnesota Twins desperately needed a win tonight against the Kansas City Royals for a variety of reasons. One reason: to win a game in August. Another couple reasons: to keep pace in the American League Central and Wild Card races. One more reason: to see if the offense is alive.
Bailey Ober kept the Twins in the game as best as he could, shaking off the Kauffman Stadium curse that has haunted him throughout his career. He extended the “clean first inning by Minnesota Twins starting pitchers” streak to two games and even got through the second and two outs in the third before allowing any runs. Back-to-back singles followed by a stolen base by Bobby Witt Jr, brought Jac Caglianone to the plate. He also stroked a single to right field, scoring both Carter Jensen and Witt Jr to give Kansas City the lead in the game.
Minnesota’s bats stayed relatively quiet as usual, this time against K. C. starter Michael Wacha. An Alan Roden double to open the third inning did not spark the offense. A bases-loaded opportunity with two outs in the fifth lead to nada, but not before Royce Lewis hit a bomb 421 feet and over the left-field wall to cut the Royals’ lead in half:
Witt Jr smacked a double to center field to start off the home sixth, advancing to third on a ground-out and scoring on a Salvador Perez single. Ober was able to induce a double-play to end the inning and his outing. It was a fine outing for Ober – 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, no walks – yet odd considering he did not notch any strikeouts. Kody Funderburk took over pitching duties in the seventh, allowing a hit and notching a strikeout, but not allowing any runs.
Jose Cuas finished up the sixth inning for Wacha – who turned in 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, K – while Alex Lange turned in a scoreless seventh. Aaron Bummer was called in for the eighth and he lived up to his last name for Royals fans. With one out, Luke Keaschall singled, Ryan Jeffers walked, and Josh Bell singled to bring in Keaschall, bringing the score to 3-2. Bummer was yanked in favor of Nate Pearson, who hit Lewis with a pitch. Brooks Lee singled, scoring two Twins and giving them a 4-3 lead. Although Roden walked, Victor Caratini and Tristan Gray couldn’t do their part to keep the line moving.
Andrew Morris and Easton McGee traded zeroes for their respective teams in the bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth. Yoendrys Gomez issued a walk to Perez to start the bottom of the ninth. Perez was replaced by the speedy Tyler Tolbert. After two disengagements, Gomez stepped off a third time and picked Tolbert off for a big first out. The next two outs were on Ks and the door was closed with a final score of 4-3 in favor of the Twins.
With their first win of the month, Minnesota snaps a four-game losing streak, pulls alongside the Cleveland Spiders for second place in the A. L. Central (with both under .500), and only half-game behind the Texas Rangers for the last Wild Card spot.
W: Kody Funderburk (3-1)
L: Aaron Bummer (1-2)
S: Yoendrys Gomez (15)
STUDS
- Royce Lewis: 1-4, HR
- Brooks Lee: 1-4, 2 RBI
- The Twins pitchers: keeping it together
duds
- no duds – t W I M s
COTG
- tWIMs and snap the losing streak, so everyone in the game thread as of right … now! … gets COTG.
The Twins will enter a border battle, travelling to Milwaukee to face the red-hot National League Central-leading Brewers. First pitch is slated for 640p Central. The Brew Crew is slated to send out southpaw Shane Drohan (6-4, 3.48 ERA) while the Twins currently have TBD. It’s anticipated that Minnesota will put Joe Ryan on the I. L. with a bum butt and call up Zebby Matthews for the start.
Series Preview: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Minnesota Twins
The Milwaukee Brewers, winners of three straight, are set to host the Minnesota Twins for a three-game set this weekend. At 72-43 on the season, Milwaukee has the best record in baseball, a full 2.5 games ahead of the Braves, who currently boast a 69-45 record after rattling off seven straight wins (paired with six straight losses for the Dodgers, who are now 69-46).
On the other side, the Twins were somewhat surprising buyers at the trade deadline, though they’ve lost four straight and sit three games under .500 entering Thursday. Even so, they’re just four games back in the AL Central and one game back in the AL Wild Card race, as the entire league looks wide open and for the taking with less than two months to go.
Milwaukee’s injuries currently include first baseman Jake Bauers (day to day with abdominal soreness), outfielder Sal Frelick (close to a rehab assignment), and several pitchers, including new acquisition JoJo Romero (mid- to late August return after undergoing an emergency appendectomy), Joel Kuhnel (on a rehab assignment), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season).
The Twins’ only position player currently injured is Byron Buxton, who went on the IL at the end of July with a right hip strain. He received an injection and his timetable for return is TBD. On the mound, Minnesota is without Cole Sands (out for season), David Festa (out for season), Mike Paredes (TBD), Mick Abel (TBD), Anthony Banda (out for season), Pablo López (out for season), and Joe Ryan, who had general lower-body discomfort after his last start and is currently listed as TBD for his next start (he would normally be slated to pitch in Sunday’s series finale opposite Jacob Misiorowski).
Offensively, Bauers leads the Crew with 20 homers, with Brice Turang at 16 homers and Jackson Chourio at 15 homers after a solid series against the Pirates. Cooper Pratt, Andrew Vaughn, and Garrett Mitchell have also been solid producers over the last few weeks, and William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Gary Sánchez have shown some semblance of their All-Star selves lately. David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara, and Brandon Lockridge round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .253/.336/.398 (.734 OPS ranks seventh), with 106 homers (last), 571 runs (fifth), and 115 steals (fourth).
With Buxton shelved, Kody Clemens, Brooks Lee, and Josh Bell lead the Twins’ offense in homers, as Clemens has 19, Lee has 16, and Bell has 14. Ryan Jeffers and Trevor Larnach lead the team in batting average at .283 and .280, respectively, and former Brewer Alex Jackson has also been solid in limited opportunities, hitting .308/.338/.415 across 27 games. Fellow former Brewer Victor Caratini rounds out the catching depth, and Luke Keaschall, Royce Lewis, Ryan Kreidler, and Wisconsin native Alan Roden are also regulars. Tristan Gray and Austin Martin are depth pieces for Minnesota. As a team, the Twins are hitting .243/.317/.405 (.722 OPS ranks tied for 12th), with 136 homers (tied for 13th), 535 runs (ninth), and 69 steals (17th).
Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, and Chad Patrick anchor Milwaukee’s bullpen, with DL Hall, newly acquired Antonio Senzatela, and Bryse Wilson rounding the group out as the Crew is currently rolling with a six-man rotation and seven-man bullpen amid a stretch of 17 games in 17 days. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.44 team ERA (second), including a 3.36 starter ERA (first) and a 3.54 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,128 batters (first) over 1,027 2/3 innings.
The Twins have had one of the most inconsistent bullpens in baseball. Just look at their monthly splits:
March/April: 5.15 ERA
May: 4.40 ERA
June: 6.94 ERA
July: 2.86 ERA
August (through Wednesday): 7.15 ERA
Figure that one out. Taylor Rogers leads Minnesota in appearances at 47, but he has a terrible 5.09 ERA over 40 2/3 innings. Andrew Morris has a 3.25 ERA, Yoendrys Gómez leads the Twins with 13 saves and a 1.93 ERA, and Travis Adams (5.67 ERA) and Kody Funderburk (3.18 ERA) sit at the bottom of the depth chart. The team also added A.J. Minter (2.49 ERA between Mets and Twins) and Jeff Hoffman (3.86 ERA between Blue Jays and Twins), and Tommy Nance (3.46 ERA between Blue Jays and Twins) at the deadline. As a staff, the Twins have a 4.63 team ERA (26th), including a 4.43 starter ERA (22nd) and a 4.93 bullpen ERA (26th). They’ve struck out 942 batters (19th) over 1,014 1/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Friday, August 7 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (6-4, 3.48 ERA, 3.02 FIP) vs. TBD
Originally scheduled to pitch in Thursday’s series finale against Pittsburgh, Drohan has reliably pitched six innings the last month or so, as each of his last five appearances have totaled at least six innings. He has a 3.48 ERA, 3.02 FIP, and 89 strikeouts this season, and across six starts in July, he totaled 36 innings with a 4.00 ERA and 37 strikeouts. This marks Drohan’s first career appearance against Minnesota.
The Twins have only announced a starter for Saturday night’s game, but this would be Connor Prielipp’s day to pitch if he remains in the rotation. Prielipp, a left-handed rookie, has made 15 starts this season with a 3-5 record, 4.75 ERA, 3.87 FIP, and 81 strikeouts across 77 2/3 innings. He’s allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last four outings, totaling 22 innings with nine runs allowed (3.68 ERA) and 26 strikeouts. Prielipp made a start against Milwaukee back in May, taking the loss but pitching six solid innings with two runs allowed (one earned) and eight strikeouts.
Saturday, August 8 @ 6:10 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.48 ERA, 4.54 FIP) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.69 ERA, 3.91 FIP)
Gasser, who has had a few blow-up starts this season, has been a bit more consistent in his last three outings. In wins against the Marlins, Rockies, and Angels, Gasser totaled 16 innings with four runs allowed (2.25 ERA) and 15 strikeouts. Gasser’s lone appearance against Minnesota came earlier this season, when he went four innings in Minneapolis, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks, striking out three in a no-decision.
Bradley, a former top prospect of the Rays, was traded for Griffin Jax at last year’s deadline. While he never quite panned out in Tampa (4.70 ERA, 4.35 FIP over 354 innings across three seasons), he’s turned in his best season yet here in 2026. Across 22 starts, Bradley is 9-4 with a 3.69 ERA, 3.91 FIP, and 141 strikeouts over 126 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old righty has faced the Brewers once, back in May of last season while with the Rays. He took a no-decision in that one as he allowed two runs and struck out five over six innings.
Sunday, August 9 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (11-5, 1.63 ERA, 2.05 FIP) vs. TBD
Misiorowski, who has made 21 starts this season, is looking at potentially crossing the 200-strikeout threshold in the series finale on Sunday. At 195 strikeouts across 127 innings this season, the big righty leads the league in ERA, FIP, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/BB ratio. He took a tough luck loss in his last appearance against the Angels, as he worked seven innings with two runs allowed (via a two-run homer) on two hits and a walk, striking out 10 in Milwaukee’s 3-0 loss. Misiorowski’s only appearance came against the Twins last June, when he went six-plus perfect innings before allowing a walk and a homer to begin the seventh, striking out six in a win.
As mentioned above, this would be Joe Ryan’s regular day to pitch assuming he’s feeling better as he currently is day to day with lower body soreness. The 30-year-old veteran righty has made 23 starts this year, with a 6-8 record, 3.65 ERA, 3.42 FIP, and 138 strikeouts across 125 2/3 innings, earning his second consecutive All-Star selection. He’s been roughed up in his last few outings, though, allowing 17 runs (16 earned) over 15 1/3 total innings in losses against the Guardians and Royals (x2). Ryan has made five career starts against Milwaukee, with a 2.83 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 28 2/3 innings. That includes a no-decision back in May, when he went six frames with one run allowed and seven strikeouts.
How to Watch & Listen
Friday, August 7: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Saturday, August 8: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Sunday, August 9: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Brewers have had Minnesota’s record over the last couple of seasons, as they’re 9-4 since the start of 2024. I think that trend will continue here — give me Milwaukee to win two of three.
Today in sports history, August 18
Aug. 18
Today in sports history
Today is Aug. 18. On this date in:
1915: Braves Field opened before more than 46,000 spectators as the Boston Braves defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1.
1922: Gene Sarazen, 20, defeated Emmet French at Oakmont Country Club to win the PGA Championship, his second major of the year and the first of three PGA Championships.
1924: Cincinnati reliever Tom Sheehan pitched 15⅔ innings as the Reds overcame a six-run deficit and defeated the New York Giants 8-7 in 17 innings.
1931: Lou Gehrig played his 1,000th consecutive game for the Yankees.
1947: Rockford Peaches star Dottie Kamenshek went 5-for-5 with two home runs in an All-American Girls Professional Baseball League victory.
1956: The Cincinnati Redlegs and Milwaukee Braves combined for 10 home runs, tying the major league record.
1958: Heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson retained his title with a 12-round victory over previously unbeaten Roy Harris in Los Angeles.
1960: Milwaukee Braves right-hander Lew Burdette threw the only no-hitter of his career, facing the minimum 27 batters in a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
1967: Boston Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro suffered a fractured cheekbone and severe eye damage when struck by a Jack Hamilton fastball, an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season and all of 1968.
1973: Atlanta’s Hank Aaron hit his 1,378th career extra-base hit, passing Stan Musial for the most in major league history.
1982: Philadelphia’s Pete Rose made his 13,941st career plate appearance, moving past Hank Aaron for the most plate appearances in major league history.
1983: The Kansas City Royals completed the protested “Pine Tar Game,” defeating the New York Yankees 5-4 in a four-out resumption at Yankee Stadium 25 days after George Brett’s disputed home run.
1992: Boston Celtics great Larry Bird announced his retirement after 13 NBA seasons, three championships, three consecutive Most Valuable Player awards and 12 All-Star selections.
2002: Rich Beem held off Tiger Woods by one stroke to win the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National for his first major title.
2004: Lisa Leslie scored 25 points as the United States defeated South Korea 80-57 in Olympic play at Athens.
2016: Usain Bolt won the Olympic 200 meters in 19.78 seconds, becoming the first man to capture the event at three consecutive games.
2016: American Ashton Eaton won his second consecutive Olympic decathlon championship, with a score that tied the Olympic record.
2016: Argentina defeated Belgium 4-2 to win its first Olympic gold medal in men’s field hockey.
2019: Daniil Medvedev won his first ATP Masters 1000 championship, defeating David Goffin 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the Cincinnati final.
2019: Madison Keys defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 7-6 (5) to win the Cincinnati title, the fifth WTA singles championship of her career.
2021: Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman hit for the cycle for the second time of his career in an 11-9 victory over the Miami Marlins.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Today in sports history, August 18
Today in sports history, August 16
Aug. 16
Today in sports history
Today is Aug. 16. On this date in:
1893: Baltimore’s Bill Hawke threw the first major-league no-hitter from the modern pitching distance of 60 feet, 6 inches, beating Washington 5-0.
1920: Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman was struck in the head by a pitch from New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays; Chapman died the next day and remained the only player to die from an on-field Major League Baseball injury.
1924: Helen Wills successfully defended her U.S. Women’s National Championship title, defeating Molla Bjurstedt Mallory in the final.
1927: Babe Ruth hit the first home run to clear the roof at Chicago’s Comiskey Park as the Yankees defeated the White Sox 8-1.
1947: Pittsburgh’s Ralph Kiner blasted three consecutive home runs in a 12-7 victory over St. Louis as the teams combined for a then-major league record 10 homers in a game.
1948: Babe Ruth, who revolutionized baseball with his home-run hitting and retired with a record 714 homers, died of cancer at age 53.
1964: Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood collected eight consecutive hits during a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the most remarkable single-day hitting performances in MLB history.
1965: The American Football League awarded an expansion franchise to Miami owners Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas, creating the Miami Dolphins.
1976: The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Diego Chargers 20-10 in a preseason game in Tokyo, the first NFL game played outside North America.
1992: Nick Price captured his first major championship, winning the PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club by three strokes.
1996: The San Diego Padres and New York Mets played in Monterrey, Mexico, in the first regularly scheduled Major League Baseball game staged outside the United States and Canada; Fernando Valenzuela started for San Diego in a 15-10 victory.
1998: Vijay Singh won the PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club for his first major title.
2001: Barry Bonds hit his 52nd and 53rd home runs of the season, surpassing Willie Mays’ Giants single-season record of 52.
2003: Eighteen-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo made his Manchester United debut as a substitute and helped spark a 4-0 Premier League victory over Bolton.
2006: Bruce Froemming worked his 5,000th major-league game as an umpire, reaching the milestone at Fenway Park.
2008: Michael Phelps won the Olympic 100-meter butterfly by 0.01 seconds for his seventh gold medal at the Beijing Games, tying Mark Spitz’s record for most gold medals at a single Olympics.
2008: Usain Bolt stormed to Olympic gold in the 100 meters in a world-record 9.69 seconds at the Beijing Games.
2009: Y.E. Yang defeated Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, becoming the first Asian-born man to capture a major golf championship.
2009: Usain Bolt lowered his own 100-meter world record to 9.58 seconds while winning the world championship in Berlin, a mark that remained the event’s world record.
2010: The Washington Nationals signed Bryce Harper, the No. 1 overall selection in that year’s MLB draft.
2015: Jason Day won his first major championship, finishing at a record 20 under par to capture the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
2016: Houston’s José Altuve recorded his 1,000th career hit and became the fastest player in Astros history to reach the milestone.
2016: Simone Biles won the Olympic floor-exercise title in Rio for her fourth gold medal of the games, tying the record for most gold medals by a woman gymnast at a single Olympics.
2018: The New York Mets routed Philadelphia 24-4, setting a franchise record for runs in a game.
2019: Cincinnati rookie Aristides Aquino became the fastest player in Major League Baseball history to reach 10 career home runs, accomplishing the feat in just 16 games.
— USA TODAY Network
This story was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Today in sports history, August 16
Purple Row After Dark: The Rockies in relation to Spider-Man
Longtime readers of Purple Row may recall a silly little article I did back in 2022 while we waited for the MLB lockout to end. I’m very much an enjoyer of superhero movies, and I was eagerly waiting for the release of The Batman at the time. I also love Rockies baseball, so I married the two concepts and researched how the Rockies did each year a new Batman movie was released.
I recently went to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day and thoroughly enjoyed my time watching Tom Holland swinging around New York doing whatever a spider can. So, while I have to wait until 2028 for the sequel to that Batman movie to come out, tonight I figured I could look back on another one of my favorite superheroes, Spider-Man, and see how the Rockies have done each year a new theatrical movie has come out.
Spider-Man (2002)
The film that catalyzed the rise of the modern era of superhero films into the cultural zeitgeist, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire, earned a massive $825 million globally in 2002. As far as origin stories go, this is pretty good as we hit all the notes of Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man while he ends up facing off against Willem Dafoe’s incredible performance as the Green Goblin.
As for the Rockies, they went 73-89 during the 2002 season. Hall of Famers Larry Walker and Todd Helton each delivered seasons worth over 6.0 bWAR to carry the team offensively. Jason Jennings also won the first, and so far only, Rookie of the Year award in franchise history after he posted a 4.52 ERA in 185.1 innings over 32 starts. Mike Hampton also won the pitcher Silver Slugger award.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Raimi’s second Spider-Man film is still considered one of the best superhero films ever made, and earned $797 million globally. Based on the Spider-Man No More! storyline from 1967, our titular hero finds himself struggling with a conflict of being Spider-Man but also wanting to have a normal life as Peter Parker. This causes his powers to malfunction while he also has to deal with the threat of Doctor Octopus.
The Rockies weren’t as successful in 2004, posting a record of 68-94. This season marked more of a transition for the Rockies as “Generation R” started to take form with the arrival of players like Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, and Brad Hawpe. Helton did his thing, putting up 8.3 bWAR, while the Rockies traded Walker to the St. Louis Cardinals. Often forgotten, Jeromy Burnitz hit 37 home runs and drove in 110 RBI during his lone season in Colorado at the age of 36.
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
The end of the Raimi trilogy was a huge financial success, earning $890.9 million at the box office, while receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Spider-Man is dealing with a troubled relationship with Mary Jane Watson while facing multiple threats on the villain front, including the Venom symbiote that enhances the rage he’s been feeling. It’s looked at more fondly nowadays, like the rest of the trilogy, partly because of meme culture like Bully Maguire.
The Rockies also had a great time in 2007, despite not exactly being the best overall team on paper, as they made a run to the World Series, where they were unfortunately swept by the Boston Red Sox. Troy Tulowitzki burst onto the scene as a rookie, Matt Holliday put up an MVP-caliber season, and Jeff Francis was an unlikely ace on the mound. It was a well-rounded team that just ran out of steam, but it is still one of the greatest stories in Rockies history.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Sony decided to reboot the Spider-Man franchise after they couldn’t agree on a story for another Raimi-directed Spider-Man film. So, they turned to director Marc Webb and cast Andrew Garfield as the new titular hero. The movie wanted to focus on Peter Parker’s feelings as an outcast and add more drama into the story, while rehashing his origin story. He ends up having to face off against the Lizard while courting Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. The film earned $758 million at the box office.
For the Rockies, 2012 was a forgettable season. Injuries decimated the team while pitching was some of the worst in team history. Despite strong campaigns from Carlos González, Dexter Fowler, and Michael Cuddyer, the team lost 98 games, and it remains one of the worst seasons ever for Colorado, even if things would get much, much worse in the future.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
If people thought Spider-Man 3 was messy with too many villain plotlines, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 turned that dial up to 11. Despite making $716.9 million globally, the film wasn’t well received, as its plot was a mess and Sony tried too hard to launch an expansive cinematic universe with it. Despite Garfield and Stone being excellent in their roles, the film just didn’t have the legs to sustain further installments, and a deal was cut to share character film rights with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reboot the character again.
The Rockies also had a bad time in 2014, losing 96 games. Overall, the offense was solid, but not always great, while the pitching struggled quite a bit as usual. Injuries also played a part in forcing the Rockies to throw anything and everything at the wall to see what stuck, and it just didn’t pan out.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
After making his MCU debut in Captain America: Civil War, Holland’s first solo film as Spider-Man kicked off an extremely successful era for the character. The film follows a young Peter Parker doing everything he can to impress Robert Downey Jr.‘s Iron Man and prove he should be an Avenger. This causes him to cross paths with Michael Keaton’s Vulture and forces him to learn that the suit isn’t what makes the hero. The movie earned $880.9 million worldwide.
The Rockies also had a coming-of-age story as well in 2017 as they went 87-75 and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, Colorado faced off against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Wild Card one-game playoff and lost in a back-and-forth affair. Led by a rookie starting rotation and an incredible core of position players, the Rockies seemed to finally have the makings of a team that could compete for years to come.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
In 2018, Sony released an animated film that would focus on fan-favorite character Miles Morales as he becomes Spider-Man and ends up interacting with other multiverse variants of Spider-Man. The film was meant to rehabilitate the Sony Spider-Man brand after The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s failure. It grossed $395 million worldwide against a $90 million budget and became the first non-Disney film in seven years to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.
Building on the success of 2017, the Rockies won 91 games in 2018 and almost won their first division title with a Game 163 playoff against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They lost and settled for a Wild Card spot, heading to Chicago to face the Cubs in a marathon victory. They were then swept in three games in the Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The offensive core continued to mash while the young rotation, led by an incredible year for Kyle Freeland, delivered on the mound all season. Unfortunately, they just ran out of steam.
Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
Holland’s second solo venture as Spider-Man served as the epilogue to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. It sees Peter Parker feeling the pressure of following in the footsteps of Iron Man and just wanting a simple European vacation with his friends. He ends up running into Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, who appears as a friend at first but turns out to be a disgruntled former employee of Tony Stark. Spidey saves the day, but Mysterio has the last laugh, revealing Spider-Man’s identity to the world. This movie became the first Spider-Man film to gross $1 billion at the box office.
The Rockies fell from grace in 2019 as they lost 91 games. Failure to improve in the offseason and major regressions from the pitching staff negated any positives that the offense was able to provide throughout the season. Nolan Arenado belted 41 home runs and finished sixth in MVP voting at least.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
There is reason to believe that the third Tom Holland-led Spider-Man truly helped save the movie theater business in 2021. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, theaters were struggling as studios started putting things directly on streaming services on release day. Spider-Man: No Way Home became the highest-grossing film of 2021 with a box office take of $1.910 billion. The film focuses on Peter Parker enlisting the help of Doctor Strange to make the world forget that he is Spider-Man; however, the spell goes awry and inadvertently draws in legacy villains from the previous Sony Spider-Man films as well as the previous iterations of the hero. Spidey saves the day by making everyone forget that Peter Parker exists, setting the scene for his next adventure in 2026.
2021 was another lackluster season for the Rockies as they were never quite in contention, but not bad enough to inspire change. They ended up going 74-87. Arenado had been traded before the season, and both Jon Gray and Trevor Story would be free agents after the season. The offense had its moments, but the pitching was mediocre enough that it just didn’t move the needle enough in either direction.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
The sequel to the 2018 animated film ended up grossing $690.9 million and also won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. It follows Miles Morales as he struggles with figuring out who he is supposed to be and also forging his own destiny. He runs into more multiverse shenanigans with other Spider-people while the villain The Spot poses a big threat to the multiverse. The sequel to this film is supposed to come out next summer.
The year 2023 is etched in the mind of every Rockies fan as it was the first time the team had ever lost 100-games in a season. Going 59-103, the Rockies couldn’t hit, and they couldn’t pitch. Despite drastic changes needing to be made, the plan was to stay the course and hope the players just played better. They would not play better, and things would get worse over the next two seasons.
Keep swinging
Across the board, I’m sure the Rockies would love to have the financial success of every Spider-Man movie that has come out. It’s a beloved character that has featured in generally solid films as well as other types of media. I wish I could say a good Spider-Man film correlates with a good Rockies team, but that just isn’t the case, especially over the last couple of years. The newest film is doing quite well at the box office, and the current Rockies have been improved, but there is still a long way to go in Colorado.
So tonight, let’s shift away from baseball for a second and talk Spider-Man. What is your favorite Spider-Man movie? Do you have a favorite comic book storyline? Is there any other piece of Spider-media that is near and dear to your heart?
Have some fun chatting about it below!
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Chris Finch explains why Minnesota felt it needed LaMelo Ball to unlock Anthony Edwards
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a massive pivot this offseason — they went from a big, defense-first team hoping to get enough offense from Anthony Edwards to win, to becoming a high-flying offensive team hoping they can get enough defense to win big. It was a pivot the Timberwolves had to make — they had hit the ceiling with the current construction. If they were going to break on through, it was going to require big changes.
Enter LaMelo Ball.
After a blockbuster offseason trade, the Timberwolves may have the most dynamic backcourt in the NBA with Ball and Edwards. In an appearance on the Road Trippin Podcast with Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Kendrick Perkins, Minnesota head coach Chris Finch laid out why the franchise felt it had to do this (hat tip Bleacher Report).
"We probably did Anthony a disservice last year, at times, playing him as a point guard. It caught up to us. He did a really great job, but in the playoffs it was just double team after double team. We got to get him back to his natural position off the ball. We didn't create enough catch-and-shoot threes for him and when you look at the numbers with LaMelo on the floor with his teammates and the efficiency and the production, I mean Kon Knueppel shot seven percent higher from the three-point line with LaMelo on the floor than he did without... And obviously LaMelo's a phenomenal talent all by himself. We needed the connective tissue. We needed the point guard play."
Edwards is poised for a massive season, for my money maybe getting into the top five in MVP voting. Finch is spot on that teams last season — especially in the playoffs — could absolutely load up on Edwards and not fear repercussions. That is not the case now. Plus, with Ball, the Timberwolves should play much faster, leading to more easy buckets.
There are a lot of questions. Ball himself is not playoff-tested (he had 30 points in the play-in game against Miami but needed 31 shots to get there, then struggled in a play-in loss to Orlando). There is the defense, which is going to ask a lot of Gobert. This is a very different team than we had seen in Minnesota before, what will be its personality?
What the Timberwolves will be is very fun to watch. And LaMelo in town is going to be good for Ant. Very good.