Over the summer, the San Jose Sharks addressed their blue line and improved significantly in that regard, despite some criticism concerning the moves they opted to make.
The Sharks now have quite a few veterans who are guaranteed to be on the opening night roster, some young players looking to find a spot for themselves, and some potential breakout candidates as well. Let's take a look at where each player falls.
Locks: Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, Michael Kesselring, Dmitry Orlov
To put it simply, if the Sharks weren't planning to play Nurse, Trouba, and Kesselring on their opening night roster, they wouldn't have acquired them. All three are guaranteed to have a spot on the team this September, unless something goes terribly wrong.
As for Orlov, it's hard to say whether or not he'll stay with the Sharks for the entirety of the 2026-27 season as he enters the final year of his contract, but he'll undoubtedly be a big part of their blue line to start the season, at the very least. If they're in the playoff hunt, as they hope to be, then he'll likely stick in the top-four for the majority of the season.
On the Bubble - Sam Dickinson, Luca Cagnoni, Nolan Allan, Eric Pohlkamp, Libor Hajek
I'd say it's fair to say that there's roughly a 95% chance that Sam Dickinson is on the Sharks' opening night roster. With that being said, now that he's eligible to play in the American Hockey League due to a change in the AHL's agreement with the Canadian Hockey League, if he underperforms at training camp, there's a possibility that he gets a short time with the Barracuda to start the season, similar to what the Blackhawks previously did with Kevin Korchinski.
That's a very unlikely outcome though, and as a result, the remaining four bubble players will be battling it out for two possible roster spots. Luca Cagnoni seems like a favorite to make the roster due to his ability on the powerplay and his play at the end of the 2025-26 season when given a chance in the NHL, but he's far from guaranteed to get a roster spot.
Nolan Allan and Libor Hajek are both on two-way contracts, so the Sharks won't be stuck with their full salary if they're sent to the AHL, but they do have the issue of waivers. Unlike Cagnoni, Allan and Hajek are both waiver-eligible. As a result, the Sharks may opt to side with keeping one, or both of them, in the NHL in order to retain them as assets. Of course, that only truly matters if Mike Grier feels that another team may try to claim them.
As for Eric Pohlkamp, he has the benefits of potential and handedness on his side. Pohlkamp likely has the highest ceiling of any of the bubble players and he's the only right-shot amongst them. With Nurse, Orlov, and Dickinson all being left-handed players, Pohlkamp would be a logical fit on the third-pairing if the Sharks wanted to keep an even number of lefties and righties. It may not boost Pohlkamp's chances of making the team much, but it's a factor that'll at least be discussed if it's a close call between two players.
Longshots: Mattias Havelid, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Phillip Sinn
Unless one of them has a tremendous showing at training camp, Mattias Havelid, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, and Phillip Sinn all seem to be bound for the Barracuda this coming season. While it wouldn't be unheard of for a player to overcome the odds and surpass multiple players on the depth chart, it doesn't seem likely in this case. At some point in the near future, we may see one of them make a case for an NHL role, but it probably won't be now.
Dodgers starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski delivers during the first inning of a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. (Norm Hall / Getty Images)
It’s no secret that the Dodgers haven’t played their best baseball over the last nine days. But during their 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, they exacerbated the trend.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski remained in a rut, giving up four runs (three earned) in 3⅓ innings. The two-run homer he surrendered to Diamondbacks switch hitter Ketel Marte in the first inning was the ninth home run he has given up in three starts.
Before his recent struggles, Wrobleski hadn’t surrendered more than three homers in a three-game span this season.
He left a fastball belt-high to Marte, who entered Sunday with a .913 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Marte lined it into the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in the left-field corner.
After Wrobleski’s last start, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers (70-48) would look into whether the left-hander might be tipping pitches, but he said before the game Sunday that those suspicions seemed “unfounded.”
“I’m just not good enough right now,” Wrobleski said. “It’s kind of what it comes down to. It’s really frustrating. Execution just hasn’t been as good. I feel like [Sunday] just wasn’t good enough. And, again, I’ve got to be better. … I’m not the type to give up. So I’m ready to bear down. This is kind of where you can go two ways, and I’m excited to keep working, and I’m excited for my next one.”
While Wrobleski clearly wasn’t at his best, giving up six hits and three walks, mistakes on defense didn’t help his cause.
Wrobleski could have gotten out of the first before giving up a home run, but baserunner Geraldo Perdomo successfully broke up a potential double play, crossing in front of shortstop Mookie Betts’ sight line as he tried to throw around him.
Kiké Hernández reacts after striking out in the first inning Sunday against the Diamondbacks. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
“Very weird play, but it’s not obstruction,” Roberts said. “But next time, I think we’ve just got to throw through because it wasn’t impeding, but it sort of was intentional.”
The next inning, Wrobleski fielded a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Waldschmidt, but his throw to first was high and wide, allowing a run to score and putting Waldschmidt into scoring position.
“That’s a play that he’s got to make,” Roberts said.
Later in the inning, though the run would have likely scored anyway, the usually strong relay combination of center fielder Andy Pages and Betts ended with Betts throwing over catcher Ben Rortvedt.
The Dodgers’ offense, in the meantime, went down in order in the first two innings. Betts made the best contact, but his opposite-field fly to the warning track found leather.
The rest of the way, the Dodgers tightened up their defense, and their bullpen shut down the Diamondbacks (63-56). The Dodgers’ lineup strung together hits to score on Pages’ third-inning double and Kyle Tucker‘s sixth-inning triple. But they still lost for the eighth time in nine games.
“This series it was very clear that we weren’t hitting the fastball and we were exposing ourselves to the changeup with the secondary, specifically,” Roberts said before the Dodgers left for L.A., where they’ll open a seven-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals. “Are the Royals going to exploit the fastball that we’re not hitting and the changeup below? I don’t know. But we have to make adjustments. I think for me that’s sort of what I see as a group — we’re just not making adjustments.”
Here are three other takeaways from the Dodgers’ 1-5 road trip:
Hitting into double plays
The Dodgers have grounded into an MLB-leading 99 double plays, including one in the eighth inning Sunday.
Part of that has to do with how often the Dodgers get on base. Entering Sunday, they led the majors in on-base percentage (.339). But hitting into double plays has been a major culprit behind the Dodgers’ recent offensive struggles.
“It’s not age,” Roberts said. “It’s not about putting guys in motion, because you start doing things just to do things. And when a guy swings and misses and gets thrown out by 10 feet, that’s a bad process.
“You have to layer it on who the hitter is, the contact ability; who the pitcher is, the swing-and-miss rate; who the runner is. So there’s a lot of people that can look at the rate that we hit into double plays and have thoughts, but they’re not thought through.”
Roberts pointed instead to the batter’s approach at the plate.
“My thought is our guys need to do a better job at understanding what the pitcher is trying to do,” Roberts said.
Back end of the bullpen
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz delivers in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks on Saturday. (Mike Christy / Getty Images)
Setup man Tanner Scott and closer Edwin Díaz were not available out of the bullpen after pitching Friday and Saturday.
Scott’s velocity has fluctuated over the past week, but Roberts said the Dodgers haven’t yet found an explanation for the trend.
Díaz recorded blown saves in each game. Still, Roberts noted his intensity Saturday, after Díaz gave up the lead with back-to-back triples.
“I don’t know if it’s just, you want to be perfect, you’re trying to get your feet under you, you’ve been in rehab mode a lot,” Roberts said. “But this is something I think can be a springboard for outings to come.”
For the Dodgers’ bullpen to function effectively, they need Díaz to turn around his injury-disrupted season (10.80 ERA in 12 appearances).
Home sweet home
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 4. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
For the first time, the Dodgers are set to roll out their new one-two punch of two-time Cy Young winners. Tarik Skubal is scheduled to make his home debut at Dodger Stadium on Monday against the Royals, followed by Blake Snell’s return from the injured list Tuesday.
“On one side of it, you feel it as the home team because you feel the confidence of who you’re running out there,” Roberts said. “But on the other side, it seems daunting when you look at the probables and you see these Cy Young guys back to back. It’s a lot to take in as an offense. So it feels really good to have those two guys on our side.”
Along with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto at the top of the rotation, the trio has the potential to be even more impactful in the postseason.
“I think you have to win with starting pitching,” Roberts said of the playoffs. “You really do. I know in ‘24 we did it a different way, but starting pitching is kind of your backbone.”
Aug 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski leaves the game in the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Unfortunately for the Dodgers there isn’t much you can do when good players don’t play well. Justin Wrobleski was an All-Star this season but of late has been nowhere close to that. The left-hander couldn’t finish the fourth inning in a 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday at Chase Field in Phoenix.
Wrobleski wasn’t the only culprit in the Dodgers’ demise on Sunday. The offense scratched and clawed all weekend, never scoring more than once in an inning, and plated only seven runs in 28 innings over the weekend. Despite the bad offense, the Dodgers nearly won the first two games after good starting pitching, but blew two ninth-inning leads and had to settle for a split.
On Sunday the Dodgers simply removed the good start portion of their weekend calculus, and played from behind all day.
Ketel Marte hit a two-run home run in the first inning of Wrobleski, the ninth home run surrendered by the left-hander over his last three starts and 13 2/3 innings, after eight total home runs in Wrobleski’s first 106 2/3 frames this year. Marte hit a four-seam fastball, the pitch from Wrobleski that has served up six of the nine home runs over his last three starts.
Wrobleski has allowed 17 runs over his last three outings, including four on Sunday, the two runs in the second inning exacerbated by his own throwing error. But that hasn’t been his only wildness of late.
Home runs have been the glaring weakness for Wrobleski of late, but he’s also walked three batters two starts in a row, after walking no more than two in his previous 13 appearances and entered Sunday with a 5.1-percent walk rate, third best in the majors and leading the National League.
Wrobleski’s last two outings — 4 1/3 innings last Monday at Wrigley Field and 3 1/3 innings on Sunday in Phoenix — are his two shortest starts of the season.
On the other side, Eduardo Rodríguez struck out a season-best nine, two more than he had in any of his first 23 starts. He left after seven innings and two runs against him, and in four starts against the Dodgers this season the veteran left-hander has allowed five total runs, four earned, in 23 innings for a 1.57 ERA with 22 strikeouts and six walks.
Arizona has won the last three of those Rodríguez starts.
The Dodgers in the last five games have scored five total runs in 30 1/3 innings against opposing starting pitchers, which is no way to live.
Dodgers relievers — Edgardo Henriquez, Evan Phillips, Kyle Hurt, and Jonathan Hernández retired all 14 batters they faced after Wrobleski exited. But the damage was already done, and the Dodgers have now lost three series in a row after winning their previous four.
The Dodgers are back home to face the Kansas City Royals on Monday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA), with Tarik Skubal making his first Dodger Stadium start since joining the team. Left-hander Noah Cameron starts for Kansas City.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 09: Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers gets dunked after hitting a walk-off single in the tenth inning for a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins at American Family Field on August 09, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On Jacob Misiorowski bump day, the Brewers are always feeling good about their chances to win heading into the game. They seemed well on their way to one through the first couple of innings. Misiorowski was electric as usual, and Jackson Chourio slugged his fourth homer of the homestand to lead off the game.
Misiorowski came into the day needing just five strikeouts to reach 200 Ks on the season. He reached that mark during the third inning. He becomes the ninth pitcher to have a 200 strikeout season in Brewers franchise history and also reached the mark in the second-fewest IP (129 1/3 innings) in MLB history, just behind Spencer Strider, who did it in 123 1/3 innings in 2023.
However, after four scoreless innings, Misiorowski ran into some barrels later in the game. He allowed a solo homer to Brooks Lee in the fifth to allow the Twins to tie it up. Then, after the Brewers scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Jake Bauers homer and David Hamilton RBI double, Misiorowski again allowed the Twins to tie it on a two-run home run by Kody Clemens.
Misiorowski got out of the sixth on an incredible leaping catch at the wall by Luis Lara, and that would finish the day for him. Miz went six innings, allowing four hits, three runs, one walk, and struck out nine.
The game stayed tied at 3-3 for a while. The Twins threatened with the bases loaded against Aaron Ashby in the seventh and Abner Uribe in the eighth, but couldn’t scratch a run across. The Brewers couldn’t either. So this game went to extra innings.
DL Hall got the call for the 10th inning with the runner starting on second base. He induced a Josh Bell pop-up to short for the first out of the inning. Then, Kody Clemens ripped a fly ball deep to right field that had trouble written all over it.
Lara crashed into the right-field fence but held on to make a spectacular catch and was able to get the ball in quickly to prevent the runner from tagging up to score. That catch swung the momentum back into the Brewers’ favor.
“I just knew, whatever happened happened, but I was going to find a way to make the play,” Lara said.
Hall closed out a scoreless top half of the 10th, setting up the heart of the Brewers order to deliver.
With Brice Turang as the Manfred Man on second base, Garrett Mitchell was immediately issued an intentional walk to bring up William Contreras. Contreras struck out, leaving one out and two on for Jake Bauers.
Bauers punched a single to left field; Turang was being waved home, the throw from Clemens was not quite in time to make the tag, and the Brewers survived with a walk-off winner.
“My first thought was ‘Oh my God, he’s gonna be out by a mile,” Bauers said postgame.
The Twins did challenge, but replay was quick to confirm, and the celebration was on at American Family Field.
“This was the best team win in a long, long time,” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers had contributions from up and down the lineup. Ashby and Uribe weren’t particularly sharp, but they each had scoreless innings. Hall secured his first decision of the season. Andrew Vaughn got his first start at third base in five years and performed well. David Hamilton had a big RBI double that allowed this game to get to extras.
Even Jihwan Bae, who just arrived in Milwaukee this morning, dropped down two perfectly executed bunts, one for a base hit and one for a sacrifice, as he made his Brewers debut.
The Brewers were able to secure the series win and a 5-2 homestand. Now they’ll head back out to California for a week-long road trip against the Padres and Dodgers.
The fifth edition of women’s version of the Tour de France featured 147 riders from 21 teams racing 1,175km, broken into three flat stages, three hilly stages, an individual time trial stage and two mountain stages which included a first visit to Mont Ventoux. Here are some of our favourite images from nine exhilarating stages
With the AFC West as intriguing as ever following a flurry of offseason moves and coaching changes, Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Hayden Winks broke down the division's spotlight players and X factors on a recent episode of "Football 301."
The hosts see the AFC West as a two-team race — the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers as likely playoff teams, with Kansas City's fragility a new story and Las Vegas laying the groundwork for relevance in 2027. The division's winner will likely be decided by whether Jaylen Waddle and Ladd McConkey prove to be difference-makers for their respective teams, and whose offensive line stays intact deep into December.
Below, Tice and Winks break down the win total for each squad:
Team
Tice's win total
Winks' win total
O/U line
Broncos
11
12
9.5
Chargers
11
11
9.5
Chiefs
9
9
10.5
Raiders
6
5
5.5
Denver Broncos
Win total predictions:
Hayden Winks: 12
Nate Tice: 11
Both Winks and Tice agree: Denver fields one of the league's most complete rosters, coming off an AFC championship game appearance. With the addition of Waddle, expectations remain high. While Waddle gives quarterback Bo Nix a new target, Tice pointed to a potential impact rookie as well.
"Jonah Coleman might be a really good fit in this offense," Tice said. "Being the guy that's the Mark Ingram for Sean Payton in this offense because he likes to have those running back kind of splits.
"If Bo Nix gets even just half a tier better, wow, this offense could be really good."
There's palpable excitement around new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel's arrival and the integration of his run concepts with Justin Herbert's rare arm talent. Herbert, WR Ladd McConkey and key additions like RB Omarion Hampton and C Tyler Biadasz with a scheme that should help stabilize the offensive line have Winks and Tice thinking a leap is possible if the Chargers stay healthy.
"I have a lot of expectations for Ladd," Winks said. "I think they're going to get him more involved this year without Keenan Allen."
Kansas City Chiefs
Win total predictions:
Hayden Winks: 9
Nate Tice: 9
The hosts are concerned with Patrick Mahomes coming off a torn ACL, and the lack of depth with the Chiefs’ pass-catching options. Kenneth Walker III adds backfield firepower, but injuries and question marks linger on both sides of the ball.
"I really don't think you can overstate how much the [Kenneth] Walker signing is going to be," Winks said. "I think they're going to be maybe a little more under center. I would draft him in the first round in fantasy."
Tice added: "They need someone outside Mahomes that can create something — that's why you bring in Walker."
Las Vegas Raiders
Win total predictions:
Hayden Winks: 5
Nate Tice: 6
The hosts pointed to new head coach in Klint Kubiak, a stabilized offensive line and No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza as giving the Raiders direction after a disastrous 2025 season. But the young roster, receiver weakness and a brutal schedule make a complete turnaround a 2027 proposition.
"My X factor is just normalcy. Kubiak is a pro, Mendoza is a pro, [Kirk] Cousins is a pro," Tice said. "They've really got guys in their head positions now."
The Mets’ offense quickly shook off their dud in Pittsburgh on Saturday night, coming back with a massive day at PNC Park Sunday to secure their second straight series win.
It was the first time they’d accomplished that feat since May.
“I thought there were really good at-bats overall,” interim manager Andy Green said. “They had some good stuff coming at us today, but I thought we took some really good swings and it was a good bounceback effort from yesterday.”
This continues what’s been an impressive stretch for the Mets’ offense.
After breaking double-digits on Sunday, they’ve now scored a total of 42 runs in the six games since the trade deadline, averaging the most in the National League over that span (seven).
Behind that, they’ve gone a strong 5-1 opening the road trip against a pair of contenders.
“It’s been nothing complicated,” Green explained. “Guys are grinding out at-bats -- those types of at-bats set you up to win baseball games, and it’s just good to see everyone fighting and competing during each of their at-bats.”
The Mets will now look to keep the momentum rolling into the final leg of their nine-game road trip as they head to Atlanta to face the NL East-leading Braves.
They’ll have the benefit of sending out their talented young arms, and won’t have to contend with All-Star Chris Sale.
New York is also 6-4 against their division rivals so far on the year, including a series victory over Atlanta at Citi Field in the closing days of July.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 09: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles runs the bases following a two run home run against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Globe Life Field on August 09, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Most things look easier when you score ten runs. The Orioles offense entered Sunday’s game with 11 runs scored total for the month of August. When all was said and done on Sunday, they’d nearly doubled that total, adding ten runs as they avoided a sweep at the hands of the Rangers with a 10-5 victory. The O’s exit the Lone Star State with a two game deficit for a wild card spot.
This was a nearly whole team effort. Every Oriole in the starting lineup got on base. Eight of the nine batters had at least one base hit, with only Gunnar Henderson missing out. Pete Alonso hit two homers for the first time as an Oriole, upping his total to 25 for the season. Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill homered. The team scored early and often, bringing runs across the plate in five of the game’s nine innings. They did not commit any errors. This was pretty good.
The game began with Henderson striking out. One of the few unfortunate things about this solid performance is Henderson was left out of it. Four of the next five Orioles after him got hits, with Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras each collecting an RBI on theirs, giving the O’s an early 2-0 lead as they squared off against Rangers starter Kumar Rocker.
Cowser led off the second inning with a home run. Henderson drew his walk with one out, then scored as Alonso hit the first of his two home runs. The Orioles lead ballooned out to 5-0. As you already know if you were paying attention to the opening paragraph of this article, that would not be enough for the Orioles to win the game.
Based on his major league career to date, Sunday’s Orioles starter, Cade Povich, is not a confidence-inspiring pitcher. He showed some more of why in this game, giving back three runs and making the game interesting again for a little while. Povich had two outs and only a man on first before giving up a walk and then a three-run home run to Brandon Nimmo, the Rangers right fielder. In a flash, the Orioles led by just a 5-3 margin.
The Orioles answered right back in the next half inning with Alonso’s second home run of the day, a two-run shot that scored Henderson and left the Orioles up by four runs. The shortstop ended up on base after a fielder’s choice; he also stole second base, his ninth steal of the season.
Six of these runs were charged to Rocker, who was unable to get an out in the fourth inning. Rocker entered the game with a 4.08 ERA for the season, a 94 ERA+ that leaves him below average. Even so, this wasn’t a case of the Orioles rocking a complete scrub. They had a respectable outing against a respectable major leaguer.
With the Orioles back up by four, manager Craig Albernaz delivered a vote of no confidence in Povich, pulling the O’s starter before the fourth inning began even though Povich had only thrown 61 pitches. I probably would have left him in for longer, especially given that Povich coming out meant quite a while with the Orioles relievers nobody wants to see.
To my surprise and delight, Yaramil Hiraldo pitched two scoreless innings Alex Hoppe and Andrew Kittredge each added one more. Hoppe’s inning had a bit of drama, as he allowed two hits, but nobody crossed the plate. Texas didn’t score again until the bottom of the ninth, in the second inning of work of Albert Suárez. By then, the Orioles led by seven runs, and it didn’t matter all that much that Texas got two back in garbage time.
Beyond this game, Povich’s early exit looks like a sign that the Orioles are going to bounce him back to the minors, or at least to the bullpen, in favor of Chris Bassitt. The veteran righty had a good rehab start on Friday night that, as far as the box score shows, looks like it puts him in a good position to rejoin the Orioles rotation after two months on the injured list. Whether or not this turns out to be a good thing is something we’ll see over the last six weeks or so of the season.
Alonso batted five times in the game and reached base all five times. In addition to his two homers, he had a single and two walks. Mayo collected three hits, including a triple – his third in his last several games. Cowser, Taveras, and Jackson Holliday each had multi-hit games as well. If these guys are able to break out of their funks, all of that will help the Orioles try to fight their way back up the standings.
The Orioles next travel to Minnesota for a series against the Twins. This is one of the teams they still need to pass in the wild card standings. They have the chance to help themselves. They just have to play well. The opening game in the series is set for Monday night starting at 7:40. Trevor Rogers pitches for the Orioles, while the O’s will see a familiar face, Dean Kremer. In their last possible “revenge game” against Grayson Rodriguez, Rodriguez pitched well and the Orioles still won. Run that one again, fellas.
It is a longtime tradition on Camden Chat to nominate a Most Birdland Player after each Orioles victory. What is Most Birdland? Each person must decide for themselves. Sometimes this is the same as the most valuable player and other times it is not. Let us know your pick in the comments below.
Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill (49) celebrates his walk-off RBI single during the twelfth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Phillies salvaged the final game of their three-game series with the Blue Jays thanks to Derek Hill’s walk-off single in the 12th inning. Hill’s heroics helped lessen the sting of a blown three run eighth inning lead that led to extras and having the winning run thrown out at home to end the 11th inning. This incredibly stupid ballgame wrapped up in a nice, crisp, three and a half hours.
The day started off well, with Jesús Luzardo not allowing a baserunner until the fourth inning and Kyle Schwarber finally ending his 17-game home run drought with a three-run shot in the third.
Luzardo surrendered a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Alejandro Kirk after a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double and wild pitch. The Blue Jays then climbed within one in the fifth, plating another run off of Luzardo with a Brett Bateman two out single with runners on the corners.
But Schwarber came through again, blasting his second homer of the game in the bottom of the fifth to push the lead to 4-2. Alec Bohm tacked on a fifth run in the sixth with a two out RBI single that scored Bryson Stott from second.
Luzardo went back out for the seventh at 87 pitches and a three-run lead and easily struck out the side on 13 pitches to end his day with 12 punch outs across seven innings with two runs allowed.
The fun began in the eighth, when Orion Kerkering was the first man tasked with holding the lead for Luzardo. He retired the first two hitters with relative ease before allowing back to back singles to Kirk and Kazuma Okamoto. Ernie Clement then took a 95 MPH sinker to deep left field for an RBI double, cutting the lead to 5-3. With lefty Brooks Raley warming in the bullpen, Don Mattingly elected to leave Kerkering in the game to face the lefty hitting Andres Gimenez. Gimenez promptly repaid that decision with a back breaking single to right, scoring two runs and tying the game at 5-5 with two outs in the eighth inning. Kerkering was able to get Myles Straw to groundout to end the inning, but the damage was done as the boos rained down at Citizens Bank Park.
Jhoan Duran worked around a walk and a single to pitch a scoreless ninth, thanks to a double play turned by Luis Arraez and Trea Turner. But the Phillies failed to score in the ninth, sending the game to extras yet again. Tim Mayza entered for the tenth and stranded the ghost runner, giving the Phillies a golden opportunity to win in the bottom of the tenth. Stott bunted ghost runner J.T. Realmuto over to third before Toronto elected to intentionally walk Brandon Marsh to face Bohm. He promptly popped out in foul territory before Hill lined out to right to send the game to the 11th.
That’s where yet again the Phillies bullpen was able to strand the ghost runner, this time it was Raley entering the game three innings after he originally warmed up. Bohm somewhat redeemed himself on a great sliding play to catch a popped up bunt before Raley was able to retire the next two hitters, once again stranding the ghost runner. The Phillies half of the 11th started with Schwarber being intentionally walked and Turner popping up a bunt attempt. But Blue Jays pitcher Braydon Fisher dropped the ball, yet still recovered to throw Hill out at third to leave runners on first and second and one out. Bryce Harper then worked a walk to load the bases and the Phillies elected to use Garrett Stubbs as a pinch runner for Schwarber at third. Arraez lofted a ball to shallow right field, and Stubbs broke for home but was gunned down by Nathan Lukes, sending the game to the 12th.
This time the Phillies bullpen could not strand the ghost runner, as Caleb Killian allowed a single to Bateman that gave Toronto runners on the corners with no outs. Jesús Sanchez grounded into a double play that was upheld after a review despite a Turner bobble, but the go ahead run scored on the play. Killian then got Kirk to pop up to end the inning with the Phillies now down a run.
The bottom of the 12th started with a single from Realmuto, putting runners at the corners with no outs. After a lengthy on-field transmitter related delay, Stott worked a 3-0 count before Jays pitcher Lazaro Estrada battled back to make it full. But Stott won the battle, singling to right to score ghost runner Arraez and re-tie the game at 6-6.
Marsh was able to move Realmuto to third with a deep fly ball, setting the Phillies up once again to win the ballgame if they could just get a ball out of the infield. With Bohm due up, Toronto manager John Schnedier elected to intentionally walk the struggling Bohm to load the bases with one out. Hill made him pay by singling up the middle on the second pitch he saw, delivering a walk-off win.
San Diego Padres SP Randy Vásquez (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sunday’s game between the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres is a battle between two starting pitchers who are finally finding their footing in the rotation. Cristian Javier and Randy Vasquez have both looked sharper after a recent rough stretch.
Both teams come into tonight’s game looking to secure a series win. The Astros won the opener 6-3, and the Padres took Saturday’s affair 3-2. The Houston bats took the night off as Michael King silenced them for six innings.
Scoring opportunities have been limited, as each game has been tightly contested.
Taking the mound: Cristian Javier (HOU) vs Randy Vasquez (SD)
The Astros will send Javier (1-2, 6.59 ERA) to the hill in the series finale. The club has been dealing with starting pitching depth all season. Javier spent time on the injured list with a shoulder strain. But he is healthy and beginning to pitch better after a slow start following his activation off the IL in July.
Javier posted a 3.79 ERA in July while splitting time between the bullpen and the starting rotation. At first, the right-hander was shaky with his control and velocity, which is a bad combination for a pitcher.
However, Javier began throwing in the mid-90s, as opposing teams could make solid contact off him. Astros manager Joe Espada was desperate for a pitcher to step up under pressure following multiple injuries to his starting rotation. His choices were limited, but he chose Javier for a spot start in late July.
He delivered an outstanding performance that earned him another start. Javier limited the damage by showcasing great command with his cutter. He kept the ball low in the strike zone.
Slowly, the Padres have revamped their starting rotation, as Vasquez (7-6, 4.19 ERA) has fortified his place with several quality outings in late July. The hope is he can provide added support in the chase for the final Wild-Card berth.
Friars manager Craig Stammen is hoping for an extended outing from Vasquez, who has trouble pitching deep into games. If not, it will put a tax on the bullpen that may have limited options for tonight’s game. Let’s hope Vasquez can duplicate his six-shutout-inning performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week.
Keep in mind, he is not a power pitcher. Vasquez must avoid contact, with only 65 strikeouts in 101.0 innings pitched. The right-hander relies on ground-ball outs and the field’s dimensions to keep a deep drive in play.
Vasquez should be aided by the early evening start. Once the sun sets, the marine layer coming off the bay should temper how far flyballs will travel in Petco Park.
Both starting pitchers have found their game, so do not be surprised if we witness a well-pitched game this evening. Each starter wants to take advantage of the pitcher-friendly environment.
If Javier or Vasquez revert to their former self, you can expect a high-scoring affair. Both lineups are built to draw walks and fill the bases. One mistake to a power hitter could put a crooked number on the scoreboard.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: Home plate umpire Dan Merzel #3 talks to manager Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves after a balk call during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite the fact that the Atlanta Braves were hot coming into this wekeend’s series with the New York Yankees and also that the Yankees themselves continued to be mired in a rut at the plate since losing Aaron Judge, this was still going to be a tough series up there in the Bronx. It always tends to be tough for Atlanta no matter which part of New York that they’re visiting and this weekend’s results proved to be another example.
Despite the offensive woes, the Yankees are doing some serious pitching and it was on full display over the course of this weekend. Every run that the Braves scored was either scraped-and-clawed for or just a moment of brilliance via the homer. As such, Atlanta’s pitching staff needed to match New York’s level or this could’ve gone sideways. We ended up getting a series that was tight, tense and also weird at times. Let’s get into it, shall we?
This one was (relatively) fun until it wasn’t! The story in the early portion of this contest was Tyler Mahle showing Braves Country just what he had to offer as a starting pitcher. Mahle proceeded to throw six shutout innings while striking out nine batters and going stride-for-stride with old friend and current Yankees starter Max Fried. The game stayed scoreless through seven innings largely because these two dominated while they were out there.
Circumstances changed in the eighth inning and initially it seemed like it would be the Braves starting the series off with a statement win. The deadlock was broken in the eighth inning by none other than Austin Riley, whose leadoff dinger broke the deadlock and then Matt Olson seemingly provided some insurance in the ninth inning when he led off that frame with a dinger of his own. Life was good, life was grand!
Then Raisel Iglesias entered the game for the save and the shakiness that he dealt with against the Marlins earlier this week followed him up to New York City. Iggy did get the leadoff man out which should’ve elicited a sigh of relief but instead, he ended up with George Lombard Jr. at third base thanks to a throwing error that was nobody’s fault but his own after he attempted to throw out Lombard at first instead of eating what would’ve been a tough play. Still, Iglesias was one out away from escaping with the save until he stumbled against Austin Wells for a double that put the Yankees on the board. Amed Rosario got on with a walk and then the recently-struggling Ben Rice came through with an RBI single to make it 2-2 and eventually send us to extras once Dylan Dodd finally put out the fire.
After Luis García Jr. decided to torment the Braves as a Yankees player (after doing so as a Nationals player not too long ago) by making a spectacular running catch to end Atlanta’s half of the tenth inning, Ryan McMahon went ahead and delivered the final blow by hitting a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out to end a game that the Braves seemingly had in their back pocket. Blah.
Let’s fast-forward to the fifth inning. It’s 2-1 Braves heading into the bottom half of the inning and Chris Sale is moving along merrily. That changes immediately after George Lombard Jr. gets on with a leadoff walk after he managed to get two straight pitches overturned that home plate umpire Dan Merzel had initially called strikes. Sale’s dander was already up as a result of that and it was surely high after the light-hitting Spencer Jones picked this moment to hit his first big-league triple in order to plate Lombard and tie the game at 2-2.
Then, while Sale was dealing with Austin Wells with one out, Merzel called a balk on Sale and that allowed Jones to score the go-ahead run from third base. Sale was absolutely livid and Walt Weiss did his job by making sure that he went out there and got ejected instead of Sale. The apparent reasoning was that Sale didn’t declare that he’d be pitching out of the windup after having declared for the batter before Wells. Weird, but okay!
Anyways, Sale was done after six solid innings (which he ended with a 99.2 mph heater) and the Yankees celebrated his departure by giving Victor Mederos a very rude welcome to the game in the seventh. George Lombard Jr. once again made his presence felt as he hit an opposite-field blast to make it 4-2. Ronald Acuña Jr. countered with a dinger of his own in the eighth inning but then Ben Rice continued his unfortunately-timed revitalization by homering off of Danny Young to lead off the eighth. Atlanta nearly got something going in the ninth after Dominic Smith plated Mike Yastrzemski with a single but that was as close as they got and the series was dropped.
This one got off to a hilarious start because Chris Sale decided to let Dan Merzel hear some more of his thoughts about what happened during the previous afternoon. In a genius (and deranged) move, Sale got himself thrown out before Sunday’s game even started. Better to get thrown out of a game you’re not playing in than to have gotten the ol’ heave-ho while he was pitching on Saturday, right?
Anyways, I highly doubt that this fired up the Braves or anything like that but Grant Holmes apparently must still have a massive chip on his shoulder because he delivered another strong start. Fresh off of mitigating the Marlins for six innings earlier this week, Holmes proceeded to blank the Yanks as well for another six scoreless innings.
Holmes only struck out two batters but he only gave up three hits while he was out there. Considering how much of a problem the home runs have been for Holmes this season, the fact that he was able to keep New York so quiet (their own offensive struggles, aside) in that ballpark made for very impressive viewing.
The Braves needed Holmes to do what he did because Cam Schlittler was dealing while he was on the mound. Atlanta was left chasing ghosts until the seventh inning, which is when Matt Olson once again delivered a breakthrough blow. He turned around a 100-mph heater (Schlittler’s tenth pitch of the day that officially hit 100 on the gun — he had 12 other pitches that could’ve been rounded up to 100) and laser-beamed it into the seats in right field for a solo homer. Trent Grisham then responded with a dinger of his own off of Didier Fuentes in the bottom of the eighth inning and just like that, they were bound for extra innings in the Bronx. Raisel Iglesias did bounce back with a very quiet ninth inning that got the Braves to extras and that’s got to be mentioned.
The tenth inning ended up being pretty straightforward! Michael Harris II brought home Ha-Seong Kim with a leadoff single and was called upon to make sure that that one run stuck. This time, Tyler Kinley got the call to finish things off and this time, there was no drama or issues as he mowed down the Yankees in order to salvage a win for the Braves in the Bronx.
The best way that I feel like I can describe this series is that it felt like it was a big-time boxing match where it went the distance and was decided by the judges. There was very little separating these two ballclubs over the course of the weekend and it was extremely easy to envision a world where the Braves could’ve come out of the Bronx with the series win. It also could’ve gone incredibly poorly with the Braves getting swept, so I’d say that despite the disappointment from the first two games, Atlanta shouldn’t feel terrible about at least avoiding the sweep.
With that being said, this was definitely a frustrating one to watch. Iggy’s meltdown on Friday, the ump show on Saturday (and right before Sunday) and then the pitchers’ duel on Sunday definitely made for some tense viewing throughout and one of those series where it felt more like a grind than anything filled with thrills. Still, you’ve got to give props to the pitching staff for making sure that the Braves stayed in it while New York’s pitching staff seemingly dictated things throughout the week.
Tyler Mahle made a strong debut in a Braves uniform, Chris Sale was Chris Sale and Grant Holmes has continued to pitch like he’s got a chip on his shoulder. If Holmes in particular can continue to pitch like this then that’d be huge for the Braves. Now would certainly be the ideal time for Holmes to continue being able to get deep into games and maybe all the speculation surrounding the rotation could provide plenty of motivation for Atlanta going forward.
We’ll see if that’s the case as we start to get into the middle portion of July. Bryce Elder will be getting the ball to start the series against the New York Mets and hopefully he’ll be able to pick up where he left off and the Braves will be able to show that they can beat the other New York team for once. For now, Atlanta’s coming back home after an eventful three days in the Bronx and looking to put their feet back on the gas.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 9: Michael Lorenzen #24 of the Colorado Rockies expresses his frustration on his way back to the dugout against the St. Louis Cardinals in the second inning at Busch Stadium on August 9, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies dropped yet another rubber match—putting their record in such contests at 3-13 this season—in their series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. After a solid win last night, the Rockies were looking to win their second series of the second half. However, lack of clutch pitching and hitting kept that goal out of reach.
Lorenzen labors
Right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen—riding a string of difficult starts—wasn’t at his best today. Lorenzen yielded four runs—only two of which were earned—and was fortunate to have not given up more. The veteran pitcher gave up eight hits and three walks while only striking out one batter.
Lorenzen gave up a walk and two singles in the first inning to let the Cardinals get on the board. He gave up another two runs in the third inning, but both were considered unearned due to a fielding error by Willi Castro. The third would be the most difficult inning for Lorenzen. After giving up a leadoff single to Iván Herrera—who reached second due to the aforementioned fielding error—he gave up a walk, back-to-back flyouts to advance and score a runner, and a double.
“He was inefficient with his pitches, not a ton of command with the fastball,” concluded manager Warren Schaeffer after the game. Lorenzen had thrown 85 pitches going into the fifth inning.
Lorenzen started the fifth inning with his first pitch—a middle-middle sinker—getting taken deep on a no-doubt home run by Alec Burleson, followed by a single. He did record an out in the fifth, but after that his afternoon was over and Tanner Gordon was called into relief duty.
Tanner Gordon pitched admirably for most of his 3.1 innings of relief work this afternoon. He started his outing by inducing an inning-ending double play in the fifth to keep the Cardinals from pulling further ahead, and spent most of the rest of the afternoon keeping the game tied and the Rockies within striking distance. Gordon pitched a clean, 1-2-3 sixth inning and a scoreless seventh despite giving up two singles.
Unfortunately, things began to fall apart in the eighth inning. Gordon gave up back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt to put runners in scoring position with one out. After a three pitch strikeout using only changeups to record the second out of the inning, it looked like the Rockies might escape unscathed.
The Rockies then turned to the left-handed Parker Mushinski to end the inning. Unfortunately, Mushinski gave up a bases clearing double to Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt then reached third on what was ruled a fielding error by Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg. A single by Iván Herrera—his fourth hit of the game—would drive in the third run of the inning before the bleeding could be stopped.
Offense unable to take advantage of ten hits, two home runs
Much like their first game of the series, the Rockies were unable to take advantage of relatively plentiful baserunners. The Rockies had ten hits and drew three walks this afternoon while only striking out five times. However, six of those hits were singles and the Rockies went 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Jake McCarthy had another solid day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a leadoff double in the first inning. He came home as the Rockies’ first run of the day on a Hunter Goodman single.
The Rockies would not score again until the sixth inning. Willi Castro sharply doubled with two outs and was driven home by Brett Sullivan when the latter hit his fifth home run of the season.
Hunter Goodman led off the top of the eighth inning with a home run of his own—his 34th of the season. Mickey Moniak followed up with a single and Brett Sullivan drew a walk, but the Rockies were unable to pull ahead and entered the bottom of the eighth with a short-lived tie game.
Unfortunately, the Rockies went down quietly in the ninth after the Cardinals pulled ahead. With two outs it looked like TJ Rumfield might have been able to keep the inning alive, but a great catch by Cardinals left fielder Everson Pereira ended both the Rockies’ hopes and the ballgame.
The Rockies are headed to the desert for a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Right-handed rookie Gabriel Hughes will have the start tomorrow against a yet-to-be-announced Diamondbacks pitcher. First pitch is scheduled for 7:40 PM MDT.
Aug 9, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80) throws during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Texas Rangers scored five runs but the Baltimore Orioles scored ten runs.
Put that broom away, Herbie. There will be no sweeping today. The Rangers are forced to wallow in a thin layer of filth thanks to the pitching going sideways and the lineup pretty much being one and done in the series finale.
Today’s starter Kumar Rocker not only didn’t have it but he also shot himself in the foot by failing to cover first base on a first inning ground ball that would have ended an early Baltimore rally with no damage if he’d been there to beat the runner after Jake Burger had made a diving stop. Instead, the Orioles scored a run on the infield single and old friend Leody Taveras followed with a two-out RBI double to put the O’s up 2-0.
Unlike Jacob deGrom last night, Rocker didn’t settle in after his first inning hiccup. Instead, Rocker allowed three more runs in the top of the second on a couple of home runs. Even though the bullpen has seen some heavy usage of late, Rocker lasted just three innings and ultimately gave up six runs on seven hits and a couple of walks to pair with five strikeouts.
After a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth, Rocker gave way to Jordan Montgomery for his first appearance in a Rangers uniform since Game 2 of the 2023 World Series. The 2023 playoff hero returned to the mound for his first big league action overall since Sept. 2024.
Unlike Cody Bradford’s return earlier this week, the best you can say about Montgomery’s reappearance after a long rehab is that he absorbed four innings to help the Rangers manage the load that was placed on the bullpen. Otherwise Montgomery allowed three earned runs on two, two-run home runs with one of the runs placed on Rocker’s ledger.
It was nice to see Montgomery back regardless. The Rangers wouldn’t have won a World Series without him. Unfortunately, today, he was regulated to mop-up long relief duty in an otherwise lost cause partially of his own making.
It’s fair to say the Rangers rebounded from their miserable previous week but a sweep and extended winning streak felt like the kind of opportunity that could have spring boarded them to more sustained success with a couple of series against the bottom feeders in the division coming up. But these Rangers are allergic to sustained success so we will settle for a series win.
Player of the Game: That would be Brandon Nimmo, whose third inning three-run home run momentarily made it seem like perhaps the Rangers were back in this one until the Orioles quickly extinguished hope.
Up Next: The Rangers jet off for a two-series West Coast road trip starting with a four-game set in Anaheim beginning tomorrow night. The series opener will feature a couple of left-handers with LHP MacKenzie Gore expected to make the start for Texas opposite LHP Reid Detmers for the Angels.
The Monday night first pitch from the Big A is scheduled for 8:38 pm CDT and will be aired on the Rangers Sports Network.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 09: Brooks Lee #22 of the Minnesota Twins is congratulated by Luke Keaschall #15 after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on August 09, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After dropping last night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Minnesota Twins came into today’s game looking for a series win against MLB’s top team. The rubber match looked to be lopsided, giving the Twins an uphill climb towards a victory. However, it turned out to be a pleasant pitching duel to finish out the border battle.
Minus a rude welcome for Connor Prielipp courtesy of a Jackson Chourio homer to open up the home half of the first, the first handful of innings were pretty quiet. The first couple dozen of pitches from Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski were as advertised: hot, hot, hot – that is, north of 100 miles per hour. The Twins offense were held to one hit until the fifth inning, when Brooks Lee hit his 17th homer of the year to tie the game at one run apiece.
Prielipp held Milwaukee to a walk and a single over the next three innings, and both baserunners were wiped away, caught stealing by Victor Caratini. The Brew Crew got to Prielipp again in the bottom of the fifth, including a homer by Jake Bauers to lead off the frame and an RBI double from old friend Gary Sanchez to give them a 3-1 lead.
The Twins continued to chip away and start chasing The Miz in the top of the sixth. After Josh Bell drew a walk, Kody Clemens hit his 20th bomb of the season, making it a 3-3 tie. This chased Misiorowski from the game after the end of the inning: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, 9 K. Prielipp was essentially lock-step with The Miz throughout his appearance: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 B, 7 K.
Prielipp walked the first batter in the home sixth and was given the hook, making it a bullpen game from both sides here on out. Tommy Nance, A. J. Minter, and Andrew Morris each had scoreless outings for the Twins. Meanwhile, Minnesota batters wasted two prime scoring opportunities in the seventh and eighth. Aaron Ashby came in to pitch the seventh for Milwaukee. A fielding error, single, and walk (with a couple of strikeouts in there) loaded the bases with two outs for Royce Lewis, who struck out swinging. Abner Uribe made his own trouble in the visitor’s eighth, walking off the mound with the bases loaded after Austin Martin grounded out.
Trevor Megill, another old friend and now-closer for the Brewers, shut the Twins down in the ninth. Morris stayed in and walked Sanchez to start the home half of the frame. Derek Shelton decided to bring in Kody Funderburk who dragged the Brewers to extra innings, leaving two runners on base. D. L. Hall brushed away the Twins with help from Luis Lara, who made his second leaping, game-saving catch during the game. Yoendrys Gomez intentionally walked Garrett Mitchell, struck out William Contreras, but Bauers slapped a single to left field, driving in the winning run.
The loss was the Twins’ fourth walk-off loss of the year. Three of the walk-offs came during this road trip. This time, Minnesota batters left nine runners on base as a team and were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Same as it ever was.
W: D. L. Hall (1-0) L: Yoendrys Gomez (2-2)
STUDS
Connor Prielipp: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 B, 7 K
Brooks Lee: 2-4, HR
Kody Clemens: 1-3, 2-run HR
Victor Caratini: 2-3, BB, caught two runners stealing
duds
Royce Lewis: 0-5, 4 K, including one K with bases loaded
Austin Martin: 0-2, grounded out with bases loaded
COTG
Kirillofffan19 brings up a good point about Kreidler (which could be applied to most Twins batters right now)
The Twins finally head home and will host the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set. It’s another crucial series as the Orioles are also in the thick of the American League Wild Card race. Baltimore has southpaw Trevor Rogers scheduled to take the mound while Minnesota will counter with Dean Kremer. First pitch is at 640p Central. Thank you and have a great evening!
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 05: Casey Mize #32 of the San Diego Padres delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on August 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres approached the MLB trade deadline by winning five of six games against the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants. Altogether, they had won eight of nine and got themselves back into the fight for the final Wild Card playoff spot.
That allowed president of baseball ops, A.J. Preller, to do what he loves to do. Wheeling and dealing at the deadline, Preller kept all his major league talent and turned two top 10 prospects along with a top 15 prospect into two rental starters that made the “pitching chaos” approach over the past two weeks no longer necessary.
By adding right-hander Casey Mize and left-hander Robbie Ray, Preller solidified a starting rotation that was undeniably in tatters with injuries and poor performances. Both Mize and Ray boast sub-4.00 ERAs for the season and are also both performing at their peak for the year coming into the deadline.
After securing two of the better pitchers available for trade, the Padres asked Randy Vásquez to start their second game in the series against their main competition for the last playoff spot, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Vásquez followed rotation leader Michael King, who gave up three runs on five hits and four walks in the first game of the series. With the offense stymied by Dbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, King saw his record go to 6-8 for the season with a respectable 3.45 ERA in his 130.1 innings pitched.
Vasquez came in for game two, the day after the deadline, and threw a six-inning gem. He allowed no runs on two hits, and the offense supported him with seven runs before he departed.
Right-hander Casey Mize had a disappointing Padres debut, and it was the worst start of his career. After skipping his previous scheduled start because Detroit didn’t want to risk injury before the deadline, Mize changed teams and traveled before pitching for the first time in eleven days. He refused to use that as an excuse.
The Padres rebounded behind the game four starter, Walker Buehler, and a stellar bullpen outing to capture the last game and split the series.
Overall, it was a 7-3 record over the ten games, and that kept the Friars to within one game of the Wild Card standings.
Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta make rehab starts
While the Padres are fighting for playoff relevance, their two injured starters, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, made rehab starts for Single-A Lake Elsinore. Musgrove had a 2.2-inning outing, allowing a run and was reportedly fine after the game and the next day. He is scheduled to make another rehab start on Sunday.
Pivetta, on the other hand, walked off the field before the end of the first inning of his outing. He reportedly experienced discomfort or tightness in his elbow and left of his own accord. Padres manager, Craig Stammen, updated fans and the media with the report that Pivetta threw an additional 20-30 pitches in the bullpen after his outing, stating his arm felt better. He will be reevalutated before another rehab outing is scheduled. This could put his contract status at jeopardy as he has a player option for next season only if he returns from the disabled list before Aug. 22. Otherwise, that option becomes a team option.
Should Musgrove and/or Pivetta come back to the team this season, the rotation would look significantly better for a playoff run than when the “pitching chaos” approach was begun. Injury and poor performance dictated the strategy with the Padres starters frequently exiting games well before completing five innings, in many instances.
Roster changes and injury reports
Right-hander Matt Waldron was designated for assignment when reliever Jeremiah Estrada returned from the injured list. Estrada had been dealing with right knee inflammation since being placed on the IL on June 5. Waldron was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays,
RHP David Morgan was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso. He is working his way back from a June 29 IL stint for left knee inflammation.
Trading RHP Miguel Mendez opened up a roster spot to add trade acquisition Casey Mize. LHP JP Sears was optioned to El Paso to add Mize.
Catcher Rudolfo Durán was optioned to El Paso to add utility player Gage Workman, acquired from Detroit along with Mize.
RHP Germán Márquez was designated for assignment when LHP Robbie Ray, acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, was added to the roster. The seven day window to trade/claim Marquez opened on Aug. 5.
First baseman, outfielder and DH Gavin Sheets has been dealing with plantar fascitis and has seen minimal action for the last several days. It has been reported that he is wearing a boot when not in action and had his first start since July 26 on Thursday.
Worst to almost first
The Padres offense, which was ranked dead last in many offensive categories for two months, ended July with the second best batting average in baseball at . 269. They also had the second best OBP at .348. Their slugging percentage ended up at .429, eighth best. All that gave them the third best team OPS at .777.
Their 31 home runs were only good for 13th and their 125 RBI ranked fifth.
A remarkable turnaround that was necessary if the organization wanted to have a chance to reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
While that was going on, the team ERA ranked 25th at 4.77
If the two parts could come together in August with reasonable performances then the Friars figure to have a chance to overtake the Diamondbacks, at least.
Defense has been consistent
The defense is fourth in fielding percentage and eleventh in OAA (outs above average) in the MLB. First baseman Ty France leads all defenders on the Padres with six OAA.
Offensive inconsistency
The series against the Diambondbacks was just the latest example of the Padres offense having trouble adjusting to pitchers mid-game or taking advantage of an unfamiliar rookie.
Veteran Brandon Pfaddt had their number in the first game versus the D-backs. He has a 1.88 ERA in July.
The second game featured dominance by Randy Vásquez and the offense was efficient against Eduardo Rodriguez, who has a 3.45 ERA for July.
Then, in game three, the Padres went up against rookie Mitch Bratt. The 23-year-old came into the contest with an ERA of almost 6.00. He held the Padres to one hit in seven scoreless innings, his best performance as a professional. The Padres struck out nine times and didn’t score until the ninth inning. It ultimately wouldn’t have mattered due to the eight runs Mize allowed, but it is a recurring issue for this team.
On the last game of the series, the Padres faced a pitcher very similar to the rookie of the night before. Lefty Kohl Drake came into the game with a high ERA and little experience. He featured a similar pitch mix to Bratt. The difference seemed to be that the Friars looked passive and tentative against Bratt but were aggressive and more selective versus Drake.
As a result, they had 12 hits and five runs with only four strikeouts while securing the series split.
This is nothing new; the in game adjustments need to be more consistent if this offense wants to avoid more of these types of games.
Adrián Morejón is grateful
Padres’ lefty reliever Adrián Morejón made it clear he wasn’t interested in leaving the Padres, at the trade deadline or after the end of the season. It remains to be seen if the new ownership group will allow money to pay Morejón in the offseason. A.J. Preller agreed the organization needed to keep Morejón for the rest of the 2026 season.
The Padres would have had no chance to succeed this season without him. Kevin Acee, in his daily newsletter for Aug. 7, relayed the effort Morejón made to thank A.J. Preller for not trading him on Monday afternoon.
“And after that, now we continue winning,” Morejon was quoted as saying.
The four-pitcher effort to finish off the D-backs series is the perfect example of how Morejon and his fellow bullpen members have saved this team over the past two plus months.
