ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 19: Jesús Sánchez #12 of the Toronto Blue Jays misses a fly ball from Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays (not pictured) which bounced over the fence for a ground rule double during the first inning of the baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 19, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jays 6 Rays 7
So, the game changed on two fly balls to left.
In the bottom of the first, with one out, Junior Caminero hit a fly down the left field line, Jesús Sánchez was going into foul territory to get it, then it landed fair. Very weird, because a ball going foul will spin/slice further foul. Apparently it hit one of the lovely catwalks or something, landed fair and bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. It was weird. Not so much Sánchez’s fault, but it looked so strange.
A homer followed and it was 2-0 Rays.
In the fourth, after Max Scherzer loaded the bases on a walk, single, and walk, Richie Palacios popped one up to left. Sánchez was coming in on it, all looked good, and ummm he sort of ran by it, missing where the ball landed by 5 feet. Replays showed him glancing at at Andrés Giménez as he came in. Perhaps, he couldn’t find the ball again when he looked back. It is a white roof, and it would be hard to find the ball again. But…..it didn’t matter what Giménez was doing, it was Sanchez’s ball all the way. He should have been ignoring Andrés, calling him off, taking charge. There was no sign that he was calling the ball, and it almost looked like he was letting Giménez take it.
The inning went down hill from there, the Rays scored five, making it 7-1.
It seemed to put Scherzer off, there were a couple of run scoring bunts in the inning.
Scherzer went 4 innings, allowed 5 hits, 7 earned, 3 walks and 1 strikeout. I hate how baseball is scored. That Sanchez play should have been called an error, but it was too big a mistake to be called an error. Baseball scoring is stupid.
Braydon Fisher pitched a quick fifth with a strikeout.
Brendon Little got the first two outs of the sixth, giving up a ground ball single and getting a strikeout.
Paul Sewald got the last out, Junior Caminero on a strikeout.
Mason Fluharty pitched a clean eighth.
Tyler Rogers gave up a single in the ninth.
We tried for a come back:
One in the fourth: Alejandro Kirk homered.
Four in the fifth: With one out in the fifth, Josh Smith, Brandon Valenzuela and Charles McAdoo all singled getting us a run. Myles Straw (in for Brett Bateman, who seemed to picked up a hamstring issue, I hope it isn’t serious) walked. Nathan Lukes hit a sac fly. Kirk singled in our third run of the inning. And Kazuma Okamoto singled in one more and it was 7-5.
One in the sixth: Daz Cameron (pinch hitting for Sánchez, because a lefty was in, not as punishment) hit a leadoff single. Two outs later, Charles McAdoo double bringing in one. It was 7-6, and we three innings.
But we only managed one walk the rest of the way. It was nice to see the comeback. Too bad it came up short.
We had nine hits. McAdoo, batting ninth, had three. Kirk had two. Okamoto, Cameron, Smith and Valenzuela had one each.
As well as Bateman coming out of the game with an injury (he will get an MRI tomorrow), Smith, after scoring, was down on the field in pain, but he stayed in the game. Apparently it was cramping.
Jay of the Day: McAdoo (0.34 WPA).
Other Award: Scherzer (-0.36, some of that ), Giménez (-0.19), Springer (-0.11), and Valenzuela (-0.09). And, of course, Sanchez for the fielding. I try to be fair, the Trop is an awful place for outfielders. And there have been many many fly balls lost in that roof, but he should have never taken his eyes off the ball. Once you do, you’ll never find it again.
Tomorrow we finish with Tropicana for the season. It is a 1:00 PM start time, eastern.
Aug 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland (21) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland left today’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers with two outs in the top of the fourth inning.
Freeland threw 66 pitches, 43 for strikes while allowing four runs (all earned) on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Three of the four runs came on two homers — a solo shot by Mookie Betts and a two-run homer by Kiké Hernández.
Recently-recalled Mark Manfredi entered in relief to make his MLB debut against Shohei Ohtani. He walked the Dodgers’ DH and gave up a single to Andy Pages, but got Teoscar Hernández to fly out and end the inning.
The reasons for Freeland leaving the game are not known at this time, but Purple Row will continue to follow this developing story.
After coming inches away from giving up a late go-ahead home run, the Yankees scored two runs with two outs the next half-inning in the eighth to beat the Orioles 5-3 in Baltimore on Wednesday night.
New York improved to 71-55 and sunk Baltimore to 61-66. The Bombers went just 2-for-11 with RISP and left seven on base, but held the AL East bottom feeders to 0-for-6 with RISP and left seven Birds stranded
Here are the takeaways...
- George Lombard Jr., in the biggest spot of the night with the bases loaded and two down with the score tied in the eighth, came through with a swinging bunt RBI single to third off Yennier Cano, as the speedy rookie gave the Orioles no chance at first. On the very next pitch, O's catcher Yohel Pozo blocked a ball in the dirt but didn't react to it bouncing away, allowing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to dash in from third to give the Yanks their two-run cushion back.
Lombard finished 2-for-3 with a strikeout and two RBI.
- Down a run in the top of the second, Chisholmworked a walk and Spencer Jones grounded a base hit through the right side to put runners on the corners and nobody out against veteran Chris Bassitt. Ryan McMahon dropped an RBI single to right, but was gunned down at second on a good throw from Leody Tavarez. Lombard tacked on a sacrifice fly to put the Yanks ahead, but the baserunning error capped what could have been a big inning.
- Ben Rice, who had just five hits in 52 at-bats (.096) in August entering Wednesday’s game, looked much better as he annihilated a Bassitt fastball 431 feet to right-center (110.2 mph off the bat) for a solo home run in the third to make it a 3-1 ballgame. He finished 2-for-5 with two strikeouts.
- Needing 15 outs from the bullpen and protecting a one-run lead, Tim Hill got the first four with ease, including a strikeout. Fernando Cruz got the first man he saw swinging, but after a 3-0 pitch below the zone was called a strike, Cruz left a sinker down and Dylan Beavers launched an opposite-field blast 389 feet to left to tie the game. Cruz surrendered a double on his splitter before getting the final out on a strikeout, but the damage was done.
Brent Headrick got the first two men in the bottom of the seventh, but his first-pitch slider right over the plate was clobbered by Pete Alonso down the left-field line well over the foul pole, but it was called foul. The call stood after a review despite many replays showing the ball to be fair, giving the Yanks a huge break and robbing Alonso of a possible go-ahead homer. Headrick recovered to get the slugger swinging to keep the game tied.
Looking to protect a two-run edge, Paul Blackburn allowed a one-out single and a two-out walk, but got a first-pitch pop-up to end the threat.
David Bedner, who needed eight pitches to get two strikeouts in a save on Tuesday, needed just 12 pitches with a strikeout to earn his 29th save of the season with little hassle.
- Will Warren got the start and walked two of the first three batters he faced in the first. After a blistering liner to deep center put runners on the corners with two down, the O’s stole the first run thanks to an ill-advised throw to second by Austin Wells on a double steal as Jackson Holliday glided home in the process. The catcher’s throw down to second proved costly as Warren got his second strikeout looking to end the frame.
Warren, who struck out two in the second, left a full-count fastball on the outside part of the plate to Alonso, and the slugger smoked it 423 feet (109.9 mph) to right-center for a one-out solo homer in the third. Warren then allowed a Gunnar Henderson double and hit Basallo to put two aboard, but got Coby Mayo fishing and Beavers to hit a lazy fly to strand two.
Warren got his first 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, but that was all for the right-hander. He flirted with a lot of danger, leaving many pitches over the plate that the O’s couldn’t capitalize on. Warren’s final numbers: two runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts on 90 pitches (52 strikes).
- In the first, the Yanks appeared to have something cooking instantly as Trent Grisham and Rice grounded singles to the right side to start the first. But Luis Garcia Jr. bounced into a 4-6-3 double play and Heliot Ramos bounced out to second.
Garcia and Ramos tabbed back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the third to give the Yanks a third chance for a big inning. And Chisholm nearly got the big hit, but Samuel Bassallo made a diving grab down the first-base line to nab the sinking liner that was destined for the right-field corner and Jones went down swinging to strand two.
Garcia hit the ground running since coming over at the deadline, going 2-for-4 with a homer in his debut, but is now 9-for-47 (.191) with just one RBI in the 12 games since, after going 1-for-5 with a strikeout. Ramos is now4-for-42 (.095) in pinstripes after going 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a HBP.
- Wells tried to bunt for a hit his first time up, but Mayo made a great throw from third to get him by a half stride. He went 0-for-4.
- Chisholm finished 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base, 33rd of the season.
- Jones went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts, including one swinging with two on and one out in the eighth.
- Grisham finished 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout looking on a 3-2 pitch he would have been smart to challenge. He was also caught stealing to end the ninth.
- McMahon finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Jose Caballero got hit by a pitch as a pinch-hitter for McMahon in the eighth.
- During the game, the MLB replay center issued a statement on the Alonso home run that wasn't: “After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official could not definitively determine that the ball left the playing field in fair territory. The call stands, and it is a foul ball.”
A fan let Willson Contreras have it — and the Red Sox first baseman returned the favor.
Contreras was booed by the Fenway Park crowd after getting thrown out jogging to first base in the bottom of the 10th inning in a 7-6 loss to the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old antagonized the home crowd by putting his hand to his ear and was among the Boston players to engage in a longer altercation with a fan behind the dugout.
Boston Red Sox’s Willson Contreras throws down his bat during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Boston. AP Photo/CJ Gunther
Contreras continued his back-and-forth with the fan after the final out, getting security involved as tensions escalated.
It’s the latest testy moment of the season for him.
On April 8, during a loss to the Athletics, he was booed for not running out a grounder. He was suspended seven games for his helmet-throwing role in a benches-clearing brawl with the Nationals in July — not long after challenging a fan to fight on Instagram.
Contreras has been battling a nagging hamstring injury, which he has been upfront about.
“If you’re a smart fan, you know what’s going on,” he said of getting booed. “I’m not going to make any excuses because it’s not an excuse. It’s real. I just want to play through it.
“It’s just part of the game. I’m not gonna get hurt running on a ground ball. If you’re a real fan and you know baseball, there’s no case for me to hustle out of the box. I’m not 100 percent. We never are, but I’m taking care of my leg. If I have to run, I push it a little bit. If I don’t, my manager has my back. I talked to him and he gave me permission to do whatever it takes to take care of my legs and that’s it.”
Despite the incidents with fans, Contreras, who came to the Red Sox in an offseason trade with the Cardinals, is enjoying his first year in Beantown.
“I won’t change my mind about Boston or the fans,” Contreras said. “I think it’s the best place to play baseball. If I was 100 percent, they wouldn’t boo me because I was gonna hustle down the line. But that won’t change my perspective about being a Red Sox and being in Boston. I get goosebumps every time I think about Boston and I’m in the right place.”
The Red Sox sit at 68-59 in a tight American League East race, third in the division and 5 1/2 games ahead of the Twins for the second wild-card spot. They get a day off on Thursday after 16 straight days of games in which they went 8-8.
Contreras appears to be among those in need of the respite.
LAKE ELSINORE, CA - AUGUST 4: Tyler Glasnow #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game against the Lake Elsinore Storm at the Lake Elsinore Diamond in on August 4, 2026 in Lake Elsinore, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tyler Glasnow continued to run roughshod through his minor league rehab assignment, including nine strikeouts and pitching into the sixth inning in his likely final start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday night in Sugar Land, Texas.
Glasnow needed only 77 pitches to get through 5 1/3 innings, of which 54 were strikes. He allowed a one-out double to designated hitter Zach Dezenzo in the second inning but stranded him. Then Collin Price worked a walk to open the sixth inning, but that was it against Glasnow, who retired 16 of 18 batters.
Glasnow on rehab struck out 41.7 percent of batters faced, including a whopping 54.8 percent over his last two starts, both in Triple-A.
What’s likely next for Glasnow is rejoining the Dodgers rotation on next week’s road trip, especially now that Justin Wrobleski is on the injured list, likely lining up to start against the Atlanta Braves in a series that runs Tuesday to Thursday.
Wednesday night was Jonathan Santucci's fourth start since being promoted to Triple-A, but it was his worst with Syracuse.
Going up against Worcester, the Mets' No. 2 prospect allowed six runs on six hits and four walks across four-plus innings while striking out three. In his first three starts in Triple-A, Santucci allowed a combined six runs.
But the night started well for Santucci. The southpaw worked around a leadoff walk in the first and another walk in the second. After a 1-2-3 third inning, the Red Sox would get to Santucci for the first time. Nate Eaton led off with a double before Romy Gonzalez moved him over with a groundout. Allan Castro followed with a groundout of his own, but it pushed Eaton across.
The wheels fell off for Santucci in the fifth. The first three batters reached (walk, single, double) as the Red Sox pushed across two more runs before a couple of major leaguers got to the left-hander. Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled before Trevor Story singled to drive in a run, and Santucci was pulled.
Chris Devenski came in and allowed two of Santucci's runners to score as the Red Sox pushed across six runs in that fifth inning.
On the offensive side, Santucci had plenty of run support. Ronny Mauricio went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run, and MJ Melendez smashed a two-run shot. But on the prospects front, Nick Morabito finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, while Emilien Pitre (Mets' No. 13 prospect) and Billy Amick (No. 27) went a combined 0-for-9 with a walk in their second games with Syracuse.
Offensive outburst in Double-A
The Rumble Ponies scored 10 runs on Wednesday night and a pair of prospects did a lot of the heavy lifting. Jacob Reimer (No. 8 prospect) went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored while Marco Vargas (unranked) drove in three runs on three hits, including blasting his third home run of the season.
Vargas has been on a tear since returning from the IL. In his last 10 games, Vargas is 18-for-44 with three home runs and 13 RBI.
Jefferson Rojas, the Mets' No. 1 prospect, went 0-for-5.
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) August 19, 2026
Tucker is in the midst of a disappointing first season with the Dodgers, hitting .230 with 11 home runs, 55 RBIs and a .693 OPS. He is the team’s $240 million man, which is why fans have been especially critical of the All-Star.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has earned a reputation as a player’s manager. Getty Images
Despite Tucker’s struggles, Roberts hasn’t lost faith in the outfielder. While there have been calls to rest or demote Tucker, the Dodgers have stuck by their guy and continued to do so Wednesday in Colorado.
Roberts penciled in Tucker for the series finale against the Rockies with left-hander Kyle Freeland on the mound. The Dodgers skipper insisted the move was the best thing he could do for Tucker at this point in the season.
“I think the easy thing for me to do is to not play him. But for me, what I can do, a way of showing support, is by playing him,” Roberts said. “I think he gives us the best chance to win.”
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Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker hasn’t turned a corner amid his ongoing struggles at the plate. Jessie Alcheh for CA Post
While Roberts may believe that is the case, Tucker’s numbers haven’t relayed the same belief. He has accrued a 0.1 bWAR this season.
The Dodgers haven’t been able to pinpoint Tucker’s season-long struggles, but it’s clear the team has continued to show support for the outfielder this year.
The San Diego Padres promoted catching prospect Ethan Salas from Double-A San Antonio to Triple-A El Paso on July 29. Since then, the Padres’ top prospect has made up for the lack of extra-base hits that he had while in San Antonio. If a confidence boost was the goal for the promotion, that goal was achieved.
Salas has destroyed the baseball since arriving with the Chihuahuas. Over the past week, Salas hit .471/.524/.765 with eight RBI. Since his promotion, he has a .377/.453/.698 slash line with a 1.151 OPS, which includes six doubles, a triple, and three homers for 20 RBI. He is the youngest player in the league by four years.
The small sample size should temper expectations, but he has definitely announced his presence with authority. The league will adjust, given enough time, but with only a month left in the season, he could do real damage.
His bio lists Salas at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. In a recent interview with MadFriars.com, Salas reported that his growth over the past year has contributed to his power surge and stated that he is now 6-foot-3 and 210-215 pounds. The 20-year-old also reworked his approach during his time away from the field due to a back injury that robbed him of almost all of the 2025 season.
More roster moves
There were more adjustments made to minor league rosters over the past week. After sending Gage Workman to Triple-A, the Padres released pitcher Misael Tamarez from the El Paso roster. Infielder Dylan Grego was activated and sent to Fort Wayne.
Newly signed draftees were activated and infielder Joe Trioly and first baseman Chris McHugh were placed on the Lake Elsinore roster. Catcher Robbie Lavey was activated and assigned to Fort Wayne, a highly unusual skip of the first A-level for a new draftee.
LHP Miguel Cienfuegos was released from the El Paso roster.
RHP Michael Salina, who was removed from his first start after one inning, was placed on the injured list for Lake Elsinore. He will probably see work in Arizona for the rest of the year.
Free agent RHP Brent Honeywell was signed to a minor league and deal and placed on the El Paso roster.
Outfielder Alex McCoy, 24, the 6-foot-6, 275-pound undrafted free agent from 2024, was promoted from Single-A Fort Wayne to Double-A San Antonio on Aug. 14. After signing, McCoy missed much of the 2025 season with injuries. He had a short run with Lake Elsinore at the end of the year and McCoy started 2026 with Fort Wayne. He has had slumps but always bounced back after making adjustments.
Since his promotion to San Antonio, McCoy has played in three games and is making a memorable first impression. Over his minor league career, he has 158 games played with 24 homers and 101 RBI. For those who would like to get to know this outfielder, who can also play first base, MadFriars.com had an interview on their site earlier this month.
El Paso Chihuahuas (49-70 record, last in PCL East)
Salas has been the highlight for this team since his promotion. They also hosted Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove for his past two rehab starts.
Otherwise, the team has been underwhelming. The past week showed a 2-4 record with some lopsided losses. After acquiring RHP Hunter Stratton in exchange for Andrew Moore at the trade deadline, the Chihuahuas have benefited from five good outings from the reliever. He has six innings pitched and allowed no runs with only four hits.
RHSP Jhony Brito continues to do well with El Paso. He has a 2.70 ERA in 33 innings pitched with 24 strikeouts to nine walks.
The Triple-A season ends on Sept. 20.
San Antonio Missions (51-63 record, last in Texas League South)
Outfielder/first baseman McCoy was promoted on Aug. 14 and has played in three games with 14 plate appearances. He has two doubles and two home runs with six RBI since his arrival. His pattern over the past two levels has been a hot start and then a slump when the league gets a book on him and adjusts. He then struggles for a period of time but then gets hot again as he adjusts to the way he is being pitched. It will be interesting to note if that pattern repeats with Double-A San Antonio. The season ends Sept. 18, leaving a month to watch how this plays out.
RHRP Tucker Musgrove began the season with Fort Wayne and was promoted to Double-A at the break. He has pitched 15.1 innings with a 2.93 ERA and 28 strikeouts to 12 walks. For the season, Musgrove has 34.1 innings pitched with a 3.41 ERA and 68 strikeouts to 25 walks. He still needs a little more work on his command after his return from Tommy John surgery in 2025, but his fastball tops out in triple digits. He is expected to be added to the major league roster this offseason, as he will be Rule 5-eligible in December.
LHSP Luis Gutierrez, 23, is returning from a lat strain and has pitched in three games for the Missions. In his 12 innings pitched, he has a 3.75 ERA. For the season, after returning from injury, Gutierrez has appeared in games for the ACL and Lake Elsinore teams before being assigned to the Missions to complete his rehab. When complete, he will likely need to see more work after the season ends. He is Rule-5 eligible again this year after going unclaimed last December at the age of 22.
Outfielder Jake Cunningham went on the 7-day injured list on Aug. 14.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (46-65 record, last in Midwest League East)
Outfielder Kasen Wells leads the TinCaps with a .264 batting average, with first baseman Luke Cantwell hitting .262. Cantwell has a .404 OBP while outfielder Kavares Tears leads with a .471 slugging percentage. Tears also leads with 13 home runs, and infielder Rosman Verdugo has 49 RBI. This explains the poor record (they were 0-5 this week), but they have had many issues with their pitching.
After Kash Mayfield was traded at the deadline, RHP Carson Montgomery is the most effective starter. He has a 4.58 ERA in 78.2 innings pitched in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. Allowing 45 walks to 67 strikeouts shows a lack of command that could improve after more work. He is Rule-5 eligible this offseason.
Outfielder Ryan Wideman continues to struggle after being a breakout performer in Lake Elsinore. He is hitting .258 with a .275 slugging percentage after 39 games and has only three doubles as extra-base hits. Wideman had a known issue with holes in his swing when drafted, and the toolsy outfielder will need to make adjustments
The Padres made the rare decision to start a college-level drafted player in the High-A level. Catcher/DH Robbie Lavey was drafted in the fourth round last month. He had an evaluation period in Arizona with the bridge league and was assigned to Fort Wayne when all the rest of the assigned draftees went to Lake Elsinore. The lefty-hitting catcher has an advanced approach with the bat but needs development behind the dish. In his four games and 15 plate appearances, Lavey has two home runs, including a homer in his first at-bat.
Lake Elsinore Storm (61-53 record, first in California League South)
Lake Elsinore has benefited from the infusion of players after the draft. The arrival of outfielder Alex Conover, third baseman Nu’u Contrades, first baseman Chris McHugh, and second baseman Joe Tiroly has injected some energy and production into the team.
Catcher Augie Lopez has also been getting some playing time but has not had much success with the bat.
McHugh is hitting .409 with a 1.117 OPS in 5 games with three doubles and a homer. Tiroly is hitting .364 with a .937 OPS in 5 games. Contrades is hitting .324 with a .972 OPS, two doubles, two homers, and eight RBI in 10 games. Conover is hitting .235 with two doubles and two homers with nine RBI.
The Storm have two starters that are worth watching as they move through the system. Cameron Nohos, 23, is an undrafted free agent signed in 2025. He had a brief showing with Lake Elsinore at the end of last season and pitched in the ACL to start this year. The 6-foot-8, 235-lb righty was promoted to Lake Elsinore after the ACL season was completed.
In five games/three games started, Nohos has a 4.58 ERA in 19.2 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts to 10 walks. In his last start with the Storm, he struck out nine in 5.2 innings with three hits and an earned run allowed. He also walked four in the outing. Over his last three starts, Nohos has allowed four earned runs with 22 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched.
Jesus Castro, 19, is a right-handed pitcher signed as an international player out of Mexico in January of 2025. He played for the DSL Gold team in the Dominican Republic last season, winning the DSL championship. He had a 2.91 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched.
He hasn’t been quite that dominant with Lake Elsinore, but the 3.96 ERA over 77.1 innings is still a good result for a teenager. Castro has made 18 starts in his 19 appearances and has 88 strikeouts to 28 walks.
RHP Tyler Schmitt, 22, was drafted in the 17th round of the 2025 draft. He has quietly put together a good first pro season as a Padre. In 20 games/17 starts, Schmitt has a 4.76 ERA in 87 innings with 94 strikeouts to 46 walks.
DSL Gold and Brown
The Gold team has a 40-15 record, first in the Northwest Division. First baseman Sebastian Nadales has a .429 average in 78 plate appearances. C/1B/RF Dayquer Alfonzo is hitting .337/.470/.542 in 219 plate appearances and leads the team with four homers and 49 RBI.
LHP Carlos Alvarez has a 3.25 ERA in 44.1 innings pitched with 37 strikeouts and 20 walks.
Reliever Albert Perez leads all the pitchers with 40 strikeouts in 36.1 innings pitched.
The Brown team has a 11-43 record, last in the West Division. 1B/LF/2B Gabriel Teran remains their best hitter. He has played in 23 games with a .382 batting average and 1.106 OPS. He leads the team with three home runs. IF/DH Osmy Osorio has a .653 OPS but leads the team in RBI with 23.
The pitching for the Brown team has struggled, with only one pitcher having an ERA below 4.00. Righty reliever Angel Gamarra has a 3.44 ERA in 18.1 innings, striking out 16 and walking 22. The strikeout leader, reliever Dioscaride Sarit, has 27 strikeouts and 39 walks with a 11.48 ERA. RHP Raudi Perez has the most innings with 37 IP but has a 6.81 ERA with only 19 strikeouts.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 19: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 19, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the St. Louis Cardinals to have a good chance of taking down the Cincinnati Reds and their All-Star starter Chase Burns Wednesday night, they’d need the best version of Matthew Liberatore. They got that and some clutch two-strike hitting, too. Well, they got that for 5 innings. The 6th inning was a different story entirely. By the time the late innings arrived, even the Cardinals were helping to defeat the Cardinals. Let’s sort out this mess that eventually became a very dramatic ending.
Both pitchers were shutting down the opposing lineups for the first 3 innings, but the St. Louis Cardinals finally broke through in the top of the 4th inning. They almost scored in the top of the 3rd inning when JJ Wetherholt ripped a double to center with Blaze Jordan running on the pitch, but he did not live up to his first name and was easily thrown out at the plate. I’m not one to talk, but Blaze seriously looked like he was running in slow motion. The 4th inning would be different, though, as Alec Burleson drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Burns. He would fortunately run a lot faster (so to speak) than Blaze Jordan and scored when Nathan Church singled on a two-strike count giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
After Masyn Winn walked which moved Church up to second, Bryan Torres also singled with two strikes to score Church doubling the St. Louis lead to 2-0.
Matthew Liberatore accomplished many things Wednesday night. First, his game management was stellar as his pitch count was only in the 60’s by the time he reached the bottom of the 5th inning. He also surpassed his career high for strikeouts in a season. The one thing he did not accomplish was getting through the 6th inning without allowing damage. It all started innocently enough when McLain hit a one-out double to left. Next up was Elly De La Cruz who hit a shot up the middle that a leaping JJ Wetherholt could not snatch as it glanced off of his glove into centerfield giving the Reds runners at first and third with just one out. Matthew then unfortunately grooved a 94 mph four-seam fastball to Sal Stewart who blasted it 422 into the grass above the centerfield wall for a 3-run homer giving the Reds their first lead of the game at 3-2.
Matthew Liberatore’s night could be separated into the first 5 innings when he was the lights out shut down pitcher we all hoped he would become. He struck out 9 and didn’t walk anyone, but since he was allowed to enter the bottom of the 6th, we have to count that against him. Just a couple of meatball pitches, but that was enough to allow the Reds to takeover the lead which is a crying shame.
The Cardinals threatened to strike back in the top of the 7th when Herrera and Walker drew walks, but José Fermín popped out with runners at first and third to end the St. Louis 7th with no runs to show for it. Manager Oli Marmol brought in Luis Gastelum to handle the Reds in the bottom of the 7th. He was up to the task and set the Reds down 1-2-3.
The Reds removed Chase Burns after 5 innings as his pitch count hit 104. Moll, Burke and Mey were their relievers Wednesday night with Mey facing the Cardinals in the top of the 8th. He struck out Masyn Winn to start the inning. Next up was Joshua Baez who had a great at-bat where he drew a very patient walk. Blaze Jordan was unable to advance Baez into scoring position when he struck out after a wise ABS challenge. Baez did steal second on the second strike to Jimmy Crooks to get himself into scoring position, but it would be all for naught when Crooks struck out to end the Cardinals 8th.
The Cardinals apparently decided to help the Reds defeat them in the bottom of the 8th inning when Trevino led off with a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch by St. Louis reliever Justin Bruihl that he threw to the backstop. McLain then laid down a nearly perfect sacrifice bunt that Blaze Jordan double-pumped on and then threw the ball past Burleson at first into right field scoring Trevino and giving Cincinnati a 4-2 lead. Elly De La Cruz flew out to center which advanced McLain to third with just one out. The Cardinals intentionally walked Sal Stewart which was smart, but also ended up being useless when Myers laid down a sacrifice bunt that resulted in him at first when no one covered first scoring McLain and giving (literally) the Reds a commanding 5-2 lead. It could have been worse. If not for the pop-out by Friedl with the bases loaded, the game could have really gotten out of control.
The top of the St. Louis Cardinals order would need to dial up some heroism to make a comeback in the top of the 9th to salvage the dumpster fire that was the bottom of the 8th inning. JJ Wetherholt, who had 2 hits on the night, lead off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Iván Herrera flew out to left for the first out as the rain started to pick up again. Alec Burleson ripped a ball down the first base line, but his bat broke and the ball was grabbed by Stewart who stepped on first base for the second out. The Cardinals were not quite done as Jordan Walker blasted a pitch to the opposite field over the wall for a 2-run homer getting St. Louis within a run at 5-4.
José Fermín then ripped a double down the left field line to give the Cardinals the tying run at second base and the potential winning run coming up to the plate in the form of Masyn Winn. The Reds seemed interested in helping the Cardinals as Pagan threw a wild pitch that moved Fermín to third. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Masyn Winn grounded out weakly down the third base line that Pagan managed to grab and throw him out at first. So freaking close.
The St. Louis Cardinals wrap up the Cincinnati part of their road trip Thursday afternoon as they take on the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Michael McGreevy will start the game for the Cardinals while the Reds will turn to RHP Brady Singer. First pitch is scheduled for 11:40am central time and the game broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.
And on Wednesday, the Cavaliers seemingly took themselves out of contention by instead acquiring Peyton Watson in a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
Jonathan Kuminga is running out of options in free agency, giving the Lakers a better chance of signing the forward. Getty Images
The Lakers have always been the most logical fit for Kuminga, but the two parties haven’t been able to reach an agreement all summer long. The Lakers initially offered the forward a deal for around $10 million annually under the framing that he’d be starting alongside Luka Doncic in Hollywood.
But Kuminga and his camp wanted double that amount, which has since created an ongoing stalemate between the 23-year-old and the Lakers.
Another possible outcome is a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks to bring Kuminga to LA.
There’s even a chance the Lakers acquire Kuminga on a cheaper deal because the other contender in the mix, Minnesota, can only offer him a $6 million taxpayer mid-exception.
The forward has spent a majority of the summer weighing his options, and now one of Kuminga’s best alternatives in the Cavaliers pivoted and landed Watson.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was aggressive throughout the first few days of free agency. Getty Images
The Lakers still need a versatile wing defender.
A few days into free agency, general manager Rob Pelinka had already spent a majority of the team’s cap space on free agent additions like Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes.
That left the Lakers with little money to spend on a backup center and a versatile wing defender.
Jonathan Kuminga was traded from the Warriors to Atlanta last season. NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers already took care of the former by signing Kevon Looney, but the squad is still missing a key piece of its roster with less than two weeks before September.
Kuminga would solve that problem for the Lakers, and it’s clear his market is quickly shrinking.
Baltimore designated hitter Pete Alonso reacts in frustration after what appeared to be a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning was ruled fouled after a review in the Orioles' loss to the Yankees.
BALTIMORE — The Yankees certainly seem to have caught a break against the Orioles.
Pete Alonso, along with all of his teammates in the Orioles dugout, was sure he’d hit a dramatic, go-ahead homer in the bottom of the seventh of a tie game Wednesday night against the Yankees at Camden Yards.
In near Carlton Fisk-fashion after crushing a pitch from lefty Brent Headrick, Alonso watched the ball as he walked down the first base line.
The ball seemingly sailed over the left field foul pole.
He flipped his bat away, convinced he’d just hit his 30th homer of the season — and second of the night.
Instead, home plate umpire Ryan Wills called the ball foul, much to Alonso’s disgust.
After a lengthy replay delay, the call stood and to make matters worse for Baltimore, the Yankees scratched out two runs in the eighth en route to a 5-3 win.
Pete Alonso rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Orioles on August 19, 2026, in Baltimore. AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough
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A livid Alonso, who’d homered in the third inning off Will Warren, was forced to continue the at-bat.
He eventually went down swinging to keep the game tied.
As he walked back to the dugout, Alonso had words with Wills, but remained in the game.
The Peyton Watson saga has reached its conclusion.
The Denver Nuggets are trading the 23-year-old wing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a multi-team deal that sends Max Strus to the Los Angeles Clippers, and a 2031 Cleveland first-round pick and 2032 Kings second-rounder back to Denver, two people with direct knowledge of the transaction confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The people spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss terms of the deal.
Watson, a restricted free agent, will sign a four-year, $88 million contract with the Cavs.
The Clippers are also sending a 2027 second-round pick to Cleveland, acquiring Strus via a trade exception. The Cavaliers are then flipping that second rounder and Tre Mann, who they acquired via trade last week for Dennis Schröder, to the Washington Wizards for Cam Whitmore while Julian Reese heads to the Nuggets. The Schröder deal will also be part of this transaction, per ESPN.
Watson is coming off a breakout season in 2024-25 in which he started 40 games in the prolonged absences of Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon. Already known for his defense, the Long Beach Poly High School alum emerged as a versatile, athletic wing on the offensive end of the floor as he averaged 14.6 points, shooting 49.1% from the floor and 41.1% from long range, 4.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 steals − all career-highs − and 1.1 blocks per game.
The trade puts an end to months of speculation regarding Watson's future with the Nuggets as he was heavily linked to teams with cap space in need of length and athleticism, such as the Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers, among others.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 19: Parker Messick #77 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on August 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
(Editor’s note: Welcome, Jake Brahney, to the CTC writing team!)
OK, we won a game yesterday. If we win today, it’s called ‘two in a row’. If we win again tomorrow, it’s called a ‘winning streak’. It has happened before.
The Guardians entered Wednesday night looking for back to back wins for the first time since July 21st. They would need to do so well shy of full strength, as Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell were out of the lineup nursing injuries, and David Fry (fresh in from Columbus for injured Rhys Hoskins) just got back to Cleveland today. Unfortunate that 3 of our “best” options vs Lefties aren’t in the lineup, but that’s baseball, Suzyn…
A shorthanded lineup vs a LHP making his debut; what could go wrong?!
In any event, fans were treated to a Big Lefty Headliner of a Pitching Matchup tonight, as Cleveland’s Rookie All Star Parker Messick faced off against a former Guardian prospect making his MLB debut; Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson. To those familiar with Cleveland’s Farm System (or at least “Guards Twitter”), Wilkinson is hardly a new name. A 10th round pick in the ‘23 Draft, “Tugboat” had made waves in MiLB going from JUCO to dominating A/A+ ball in just a year. After a somewhat down 2025 (and knowing that Wilkinson would be Rule 5 eligible this upcoming Winter), the Guardians traded him and a Compensatory Draft pick to the Giants for Captain Clutch and Catching Savant, Patrick Bailey.
So far, it would appear that everyone is happy with the trade, as Bailey has shown his value behind the dish and at many times, at it, while Wilkinson has gone from AA to an MLB debut in just 3 months.
And how did that debut go?
I would call it “effectively wild”. Wilkinson struggled getting ahead in counts, but when he did get the Guardians to swing, he induced a lot of weak contact, often jamming guys inside and getting infield popups as a result. Tugboat left after 2 successful innings, facing 7 batters and giving up 1 hit. He was far from the story in game as many pumped him up to be beforehand.
Meanwhile, if Wilkinson is a Tugboat, Messick is an Aircraft Carrier. Through 3 innings he had 5 strikeouts on 9 swings and misses. He was cruising early, and it looked like another night where he might just need 1.
Unfortunately, the Guardians lack of focus this season reared its ugly head in the 4th. Devers lead off the inning with a double that could’ve been a single had Halpin picked up the ball cleanly (or not taken his time getting it in). Add in a Wild pitch that Hedges couldn’t get in front of, and the Giants had a man on 3rd without much doing. Messick was able to induce weak outs, however, with 2 outs, Rocchio couldn’t come up with one in the hole and the Giants took a cheap 1-0 lead. A quick double and fly out ended the threat at just 1, thanks in part to some great defense (or at least the threat of it) from Steven Kwan.
So the Guardians were trailing even though they had a great pitcher on the mound. Stop if you’ve heard this before. Would they do anything about it? Would the offense pick up the defense?
Well, in the bottom of the 4th, Cleveland started a 2 out rally when Angel Martinez squeaked under a glove and Bazzana rocked a double down the line in right. Bazz maybe hit it a little too hard (not a criticism, just an unfortunate happening) as the ball bounced right back to the RF, holding Martinez at 3rd. It was up to Angel Genao, who would hit a laser to LF but was caught on a dive by Victor Bericoto. A 2 run catch keeps the lead for San Fran after 4.
The deeper we went into the game, the more important that catch would be. The Guardians would threaten again in the 7th, thanks to a 2-out error by Adames, but couldn’t take advantage. With 2 on and 2 out and a 2-0 count, Brayan Rocchio popped one up on the infield and the Guardians would head to the 8th down 1-0.
They would “threaten” one more time (threaten like a toddler with a knife is technically a threat, maybe more to themself but by definition, it’s a threat) in the 8th. To everyone’s surprise, Houser stayed in to start the 8th, quickly walking Steven Kwan. Next pitch was a pass ball and just like that, all we needed were productive outs or hits from Jose/Lowe/Martinez…. I’m sure you know how this story ends. All 3 would strike out and the Guardians would continue their struggles to even make contact with men in scoring position.
Like so many other games over the past few months, the pitching did everything they could to keep the Guardians in the game, but the offense just couldn’t string together anything meaningful. Adrian Houser fit the mold of a classic 2026 Guard Killer, throwing 5 shutout innings out of the bullpen, earning himself the Win. Messick was the tough luck Loser tonight, going 6.2 IP with a career high 10 strikeouts on just 6 hits and 0 walks.
The Guardians will go for the series Win tomorrow afternoon (1:10 PM) when Gavin Williams takes the mound vs Landen Roupp.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 29: Peyton Watson #8 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on November 29, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 130-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers have finally made their big move of the offseason. After a month and a half of speculation, the Cavs now have an answer at small forward: Peyton Watson.
The soon-to-be 24-year-old, 6’8” wing is coming off the best season of his career with the Denver Nuggets. Watson averaged 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 54 contests. Those 14.6 points per game were six and a half more than he averaged the year before. That jump is mostly due to his growth as a shooter.
Watson connected on 41.1% of his 3.6 three-point attempts last regular season and 36.8% of them in the playoffs. This included converting 52% of his three-point looks from the corner (97th percentile).
That three-point shooting is coupled with being an outstanding defender for his position. Watson does a great job of using his size and athleticism to effectively guard one through four. This should make him an incredibly good fit in a frontcourt anchored by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
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The Cavs had to pay a premium for getting Watson to come to Cleveland.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that the Cavs will be sending out Max Strus, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, Tre Mann, cash, and a second-round pick to complete the deal. This will end up being a three-team deal with the first-rounder going to Denver and Strus reuniting with Darius Garland on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Watson is also signing for a four-year, $88 million deal in Cleveland, which includes a player option.
Strus spent three years with the Cavs and was a starting small forward for most of that time. He played a large role both on and off the court. Strus averaged 11 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 132 games with the Cavs over the last three seasons.
Cleveland doesn’t own their 2027, 2029, and now 2031 first-round picks. They also still owe a pick swap for their 2028 first as part of the Donovan Mitchell trade with the Utah Jazz.
The Cavs have been looking for a permanent answer at starting forward for years. They thought they had something with De’Andre Hunter when they traded for him in 2025, before dealing him the following season. We’ll see if Watson ends up being the long-term solution.
It didn’t work out that way, at least this time around.
Skenes lasted just 4 1/3 innings and 81 pitches on Wednesday, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks with five strikeouts, though Pittsburgh did secure a 4-3 win over the Tigers at PNC Park.
Paul Skenes walks off of the field after being removed from the game in the fifth inning of the Pirates’ 4-3 win over the Tigers at PNC Park on Aug. 19, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Skenes did throw 21 pitches at 97 mph or harder, which was better than the 96.5 mph high-water mark he hit in his last outing — a 65-pitch effort — against the Marlins on Aug. 11.
The right-hander was originally slated to pitch Sunday against the Red Sox, but was instead pushed back to face Detroit in the middle of the week. Manager Don Kelly clarified that Skenes was not dealing with an injury but was intended to give him a “few more days to recover.”
Skenes did last 15 more pitches this start, but the four free passes he issued matched a season high.
“I think there’s been a lot of good,” Skenes said, according to MLB.com. “I think there’s some stuff, the walks. It’s frustrating. Nobody wants to go out there and walk anybody. Nobody’s trying to. … Felt good. Just a little out of sync, I guess, kind of the whole outing, which probably makes sense a little bit with the longer rotation. But nice to be back.”
Skenes, the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young winner in 2024 and 2025, respectively, has a 3.95 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 139 innings this season. That stands in contrast to his first two seasons, in which he recorded a 1.96 ERA and 0.95 WHIP.
Infielder Brandon Lowe said sky-high expectations had people far too worried about Skenes’ results in 2026. If Skenes finishes the year, he should break the 200-strikeout threshold again after he notched 216 last season.
“I think the world’s been spoiled on who Paul Skenes really is,” Lowe said, according to the Associated Press. “He had probably the best starting stretch to a career ever.
Paul Skenes pitches in the third inning of the Pirates’ win over the Tigers. Getty Images
“And now he’s not the greatest pitcher on the face of the planet for a few months, and people were worried and freaking out a bit.”
Skenes added that getting things on track will come down to making sure he’s taking a look at “objective” things.
“Just objective numbers, watching the game, execution, all that stuff,” he said. “Not anything from the outside.”
