CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 15: Joshua Báez #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits his third home run during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For a long time, Americans thought baseball started around the middle of the 18th century near Cooperstown, New York, but in recent times, baseball historians have pushed the origins back to England, perhaps as early as 1744.
It has been documented in the United States since at least the 1830s, although not in the form we currently enjoy.
The National League was founded in 1876, and the American League in 1901.
More than 25,000 players have gone through the Majors, and we’re not sure if that counts the Negro Leagues, so it seems reasonable to add at least 5-10,000 to that.
In his first at-bat in the majors – shoot, in his first pitch – Baez launched a home run. Then he did it again in his second at-bat, and again in his third.
He could become a footnote. He could flame out like Raleigh native Josh Hamilton, who lost much of his career to cocaine and alcohol. Any number of things might keep him from reaching his potential.
Whatever happens, though, he will leave the game doing something that Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, and thousands upon thousands of other players never did. And that’s pretty cool.
We've got a full Sunday slate of MLB action to parse through, and whether you're looking to parlay every game or are searching for one best bet to make, my MLB moneyline picks are here to help.
See why my MLB picks for August 16 are topped by the San Diego Padres.
MLB moneyline picks for August 16
Matchup
Pick
Orioles vs Rays
-144
Diamondbacks vs Braves
+122
Red Sox vs Pirates
+100
Yankees vs Blue Jays
-108
White Sox vs Tigers
+104
Marlins vs Reds
-113
Padres vs Guardians
-104
Nationals vs Mets
-156
Phillies vs Twins
-104
Cardinals vs Cubs
-156
Rockies vs Giants
-122
Rangers vs A's
-127
Royals vs Angels
-117
Brewers vs Dodgers
+144
Mariners vs Astros
-127
Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-16.
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Expert MLB moneyline picks for August 16
Orioles vs Rays: Rays (-144)
Rays win probability: 59%
Rays SP Freddy Peralta rebounded with a quality start vs. the A's after getting roughed up by the Rockies at Coors Field in his Tampa debut.
Orioles SP Trevor Rogers coughed up seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings in his lone 2026 outing vs. the Rays, who are swinging it as well as anyone right now (third in OPS in August).
Diamondbacks vs Braves: Diamondbacks (+122)
Diamondbacks win probability: 45%
I'm more interested in playing the Over 8.5 in a battle of two mediocre starters with xERAs above 4.00, but I'll give the nod to the Diamondbacks. Their lineup has simply been better in August, ranking fifth in OPS vs. the Braves' 11th.
Red Sox vs Pirates: Red Sox (+100)
Red Sox win probability: 50%
Both bullpens should get plenty of work in, with Paul Skenes getting scratched late by the Pirates and Patrick Sandoval toeing the rubber for the Red Sox. Each relief corps is Top 5 by xERA in August, so the Under is worth a look.
The lineups will make the difference for moneyline bettors. Boston is second in OPS this month, while Pittsburgh is 21st.
Yankees vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (-108)
Blue Jays win probability: 52%
Both the Yankees and the Blue Jays are struggling at the dish right now, but only one team has a Cy Young odds candidate on the hill, and that's Toronto and Dylan Cease.
The Jays also have the bullpen advantage based on August xERA, so roll with the home side.
White Sox vs Tigers: White Sox (+104)
White Sox win probability: 49%
This is a tough one, but Chicago gets the call behind the arm of Sean Burke. He's authored a 2.47 FIP over his last 10 starts.
Marlins vs Reds: Marlins (-113)
Marlins win probability: 53%
The gulf in xERA between Eury Perez (3.65) vs. Nick Lodolo (6.18) is too large to ignore. Back the Marlins in a battle of two fairly punchless offenses.
Padres vs Guardians: Padres (-104)
Padres win probability: 51%
Tanner Bibee has a 6.00 ERA through two starts in August, and the Padres are batting .423 against him as a team all-time (65 at-bats). Casey Mize exits his first quality start in a San Diego uniform, and has both a terrific bullpen and a red-hot offense to back him up.
Nationals vs Mets: Mets (-156)
Mets win probability: 61%
Jake Irvin's ERA is 5.79 and climbing because teams are barreling him up early and often (third percentile). The Mets (sixth in barrel rate) will tee off on him and Washington's dismal bullpen, which ranks dead-last by xERA this month.
Phillies vs Twins: Phillies (-104)
Phillies win probability: 51%
Both Andrew Painter and Dean Kremer are due for some positive regression based on xERA, but I don't like Kremer's chances on Sunday afternoon. He faces a Phillies lineup that's Top 10 in both OPS in fewest Ks in August, and Kremer is reliant on fanning the opposition.
Cardinals vs Cubs: Cubs (-156)
Cubs win probability: 61%
I don't like the starting pitching matchup for the Cubs given Edward Cabrera's issues with hard-hit balls, but Chicago's got the edge in August OPS (sixth vs. 12th) as well as bullpen xERA (13th vs. 23rd).
Rockies vs Giants: Giants (-122)
Giants win probability: 55%
The Giants' lineup is nothing to write home about, but they should figure out Gabriel Hughes seeing him for the second time this season. Hughes sports an 11.57 ERA in August.
Rangers vs A's: Rangers (-127)
Rangers win probability: 56%
Jacob Lopez has been brutal for the A's this season, and the Rangers are seventh in OPS vs. lefties in 2026. Texas will also get a crack at the A's bullpen, which ranks 27th in xERA this month.
The Dodgers' lineup is in rough shape right now (17th by OPS this month), and Logan Henderson and his 96th percentile K-rate and walk-rate is not what the doctor ordered.
Back the Brewers and their third-ranked bullpen by xERA in August to lock down an upset win over Tarik Skubal.
Mariners vs Astros: Astros (-127)
Astros win probability: 56%
I think both Bryan Woo and Hunter Brown will have their way with the offenses early. However, the Astros have a huge edge in the bullpen battle (sixth vs. 24th in xERA in August) and at the plate (seventh in OPS vs. 28th).
Roll with the home team in the nightcap.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Well, unlike Major League Baseball games − which are typically nine innings long − Little League World Series games are normally six innings in duration for a regulation game.
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This makes every single pitch, hit and defensive play count as a game can have a dramatic turn of events at any moment. A game could be cut short due to the "run-rule" and a game can most certainly go to extra innings (if still tied after six regulation innings).
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In the Little League World Series, an opponent must advance after each game leading up to the overall championship game. So there is plenty of drama to see if you love watching youth baseball players give it their all on each play.
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While you are watching the Little League World Series games, here are some basic rules that every youth baseball fan should know.
A game becomes a standard regulation game when six full innings have been played, and the visiting team has completed its half of the sixth inning. If the home team is ahead, the game ends exactly when they secure the lead in the bottom of the sixth or after five and a half innings.
According to Rule 4.10(c) of the Official Little League Rulebook, a game is considered legally official if it is stopped early (due to weather, darkness, or curfew) after four full innings have been completed. If the home team is ahead, the game becomes official after three and a half innings.
If an umpire halts a game before reaching the exact thresholds described in Rule 4.10(c) of the Official Little League Rulebook, the game is declared a suspended game. It does not start over from scratch; instead, the rulebook requires the game to be resumed at a later date from the exact point of interruption, with all statistics, pitches, and lineups remaining intact.
Yes. If a regulation Little League baseball game is still tied after six innings, the game proceeds to a seventh inning and beyond until there is a winner. According to Little League, starting with that seventh inning, the tiebreaker will begin immediately in the seventh inning by placing the player who is scheduled to bat last in that respective half inning on second base to begin each extra inning.
A total of 20 teams compete in Williamsport, Pennsylvania each year.
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Those teams compete in identical brackets − one for the United States teams and one for the International teams − in a modified double-elimination format until those teams reach the United State championship game and the International championship game.
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The final two teams in each bracket play a single-elimination game to advance to the World Series, meaning even an undefeated team can be eliminated with one loss at that juncture of the tournament. Finally, the U.S. and International champions meet in a winner-take-all game for the world championship title.
The "Run Rule" is the rule Little League uses to shorten baseball games when the run differential gets too large to continue. It is often mistakenly called the "mercy rule" by fans, but you'll hear the TV broadcasters refer to its proper name as the "Run Rule." A Little League World Series game can end before the sixth inning under what Little League calls the “Run Rule." For tournament play the "15-Run Rule" and the "10-Run Rule" are observed.
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The 15-Run Rule: If a team has a lead of 15 runs or more after three complete innings (or two and one-half innings if the home team is ahead), the manager of the team with fewer runs must concede the victory, according to Little League.
The 10-Run Rule: If a team has a lead of 10 runs or more after four complete innings (or three and one-half innings if the home team is ahead), the game is officially ended and the trailing manager concedes, according to Little League.
Team managers get up to two unsuccessful video replay challenges during a regulation six-inning game in the Little League World Series. Also, managers are granted one additional video replay challenge specifically for use during extra innings, regardless of whether they used their challenge allocation during regulation play.
According to Little League International Tournament Play Guidelines, managers can challenge objective plays such as safe/out calls at a base, force plays, tag plays, catcher interference, and whether a ball was caught cleanly. Subjective calls like balls and strikes or check swings cannot be challenged.
Unlike Little League Softball, which takes a more innings thrown approach, Little League Baseball doesn’t have a strict per-game pitching innings limit.
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Instead, Little League does monitor how many pitches a player can throw in a baseball game and there are corresponding days of rest tied to how many pitches a player throws in each game. The maximum number of pitches a player can throw in a Little League World Series game is 85 pitches. However, a pitcher can go over the 85-pitch threshold to finish an at-bat that started under 85 pitches, but that batter would be the last one before the pitcher must be removed from the mound.
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Here's what the corresponding days of rest would look like depending on how many pitchers were thrown
The continuous batting order (CBO) in the Little League Baseball World Series is a tournament mandate where every eligible player on a team’s roster must be placed in the batting order to hit sequentially throughout the entire game. It replaced traditional 9-player baseball/softball lineups for all World Series divisions below the Senior Division level.
A courtesy runner is used strictly for the pitcher or catcher of record. That courtesy runner can enter only when there are exactly two outs in the half-inning. Also, the courtesy runner is in the continuous batting lineup and must be the player who made the last official out.
Anyone can check the Little League rule book for baseball or softball right from your phone by downloading the Little League Rulebook App.
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Sherlon Christie is a USA TODAY Sports senior trending editor and an expert on Little League Baseball and Little League Softball. You can reach him by email at schristie@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @sherlonchristie, on Bluesky at @sherlonchristie.bsky.social.
TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 15: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees celebrates after advancing to second base on his RBI single during the second inning of an MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre on August 15, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees’ ten-run outburst from Wednesday night is already feeling like a distant memory. The team’s moribund bats have gone back to sleep, registering three consecutive woeful efforts that have returned just two runs total. Their obstacle today as they attempt to avoid a sweep at the hands of the suddenly surging Blue Jays? A date with Dylan Cease, the Toronto ace locked in a battle with Cam Schlittler for the AL Cy Young award.
On the site today, Matt will get you caught up with this morning’s Rivalry Roundup, while Maximo will opine on the deleterious effects of unreasonable expectations on Ben Rice and George Lombard Jr. Later, John will recognize Gene Woodling, an unheralded figure from the Yankees’ golden years, before running the through the week in Yankee social media.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays
Time: 1:37 p.m. EST
TV: YES Network, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Venue: Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Questions/Prompts:
1. Can Ryan Weathers keep up his stellar run of form today?
2. Joshua Báez hit a home run in the first three plate appearances of his MLB career yesterday. Can you think of any comparable debuts in any sport?
The Mud Hens only needed three hits to win this one. Max Anderson’s three-run homer in the sixth was the most impactful. Louisville had a no-hitter up to that point.
Josue Briceno and Jace Jung had the other two hits, both coming in the eighth for the deciding run. Briceno got the RBI single after Jung hit a one-out double.
On the mound, Jackson Wolf was sharp through the first three innings. The only baserunner he allowed in that span came on a wild-pitch third strike, but everything fell apart in the fourth. Wolf gave up five hits in the inning, including three in a row to start. The Bats came out of the fourth leading 3-0.
Tyler Mattison faced the minimum in the fifth. Brenan Hanifee got five outs but came out for Beau Brieske in the seventh. Brieske gave up a double and intentionally walked a batter before ending the inning. He pitched through the eighth, and Dariel Fregio went 1-2-3 in the ninth for the save.
Briceno: 1-3, R, RBI, BB, K
Anderson: 1-4, HR (13), R, 3 RBI
Jung: 1-4, 2B (17), R, 2 K
Wolf: 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: Toledo leads the series 3-2 heading into a 1:05 p.m. ET start on Sunday.
Max Alba battled it out with Connor Staine to a 1-1 tie through five innings, but both starters had a shaky sixth. Thayron Liranzo broke the tie with a two-run double, but Hartford responded with four straight hits to take the lead in the bottom half. Erie’s earlier run came on an E.J. Exposito home run — his team-leading 21st of the season.
E.J. Exposito smashes his 21st home run of the year to tie the game for Erie in the 2nd. pic.twitter.com/ywb14Z6HMV
Alba may not have been able to get the win or quality start, but he was sharp for those first five frames. He struck out six and walked two before that. Eric Silvagno got the last two outs of the sixth and pitched through the seventh.
Two late runs in the eighth got Erie the win on Saturday. A pair of wild pitches brought the first one around, and Roberto Campos lined a single into left field to score Izaac Pacheco.
And Roberto Campos puts Erie ahead 5-4 in the 8th with a 2-out RBI single to left. pic.twitter.com/3RC5abS4Rl
Hayden Minton struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth, earning his second hold of the season. Yosber Sanchez got the save despite walking the leadoff man and allowing his pinch runner to steal second and third.
Hayden Minton (9th round, 2023) has been a starter until this week. He works a perfect inning out of the bullpen here, with 3 strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/eEUs4nwUUf
Coming Up Next: It’s a 1:10 p.m. ET start on Sunday with the SeaWolves holding a 4-1 lead in the series.
West Michigan Whitecaps 10, Lansing Lugnuts 6 (box)
The good news is that West Michigan scored 10 runs and won the game. The bad news is that Brady Smith, who came over from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal trade, left the game in the second with an apparent arm injury. It’s not worth speculating now, but while he didn’t appear to be in any extreme pain, it didn’t look great either…
Hate to see this. Brady Smith, acquired in the Tarik Skubal trade, appears to suffer some arm discomfort and leaves the game. pic.twitter.com/U0Cf2luv8C
The Whitecaps piled up runs in a hurry, scoring nine of their 10 in the first three frames. Bryce Rainer got things going with a solo homer in the first. Jackson Strong followed Carson Rucker’s double and Nolan McCarthy’s single in the second with a sac fly, making it 4-0.
Lansing had an answer in the top of the third, scoring three on a Little League home run. It was a tall fly ball off the wall in center and a couple of bad relay throws, so the official scorer ruled it a triple and a throwing error by Andrew Sojka. Eliseo Mota was charged with all three runs despite the error.
All was forgiven in the third when Sojka helped spark a five-run frame, hitting the second of four straight singles for Lakeland. Samuel Gil and Juan Hernandez got the RBIs — one and two, respectively. Strong made it 9-3 with a two-run single before the inning ended.
Ethan Sloan pitched and took over for Mota in the fourth. He gave up another three-spot in the fifth, allowing four consecutive hits, including two doubles. Ryan Harvey had to get the last out of the inning and pitched through the seventh. Harvey walked a pair and gave up just one hit while striking out three.
Sojka continued to make amends in the sixth with a solo home run, putting West Michigan into double figures.
Zack Lee worked around a pair of singles over the final two innings to close out the win.
Rainer: 2-5, HR (12), R, RBI, 2 K
Sojka: 2-4, HR (7), 2 R, RBI, BB, K
Strong: 1-3, 3 RBI, BB
Coming Up Next: It’s a 2 p.m. ET start in West Michigan on Sunday with the Whitecaps up 4-1 in the series. They remain tied with the Great Lakes Loons atop the East division standings.
Michael Oliveto had the only two hits for Lakeland in Saturday’s shutout loss to Bradenton. Nick Dumesnil and Angel De Los Santos both walked and Ronald Ramirez reached on an error, but they were the only other baserunners for the Flygers today.
Kelvis Salcedo worked 3.2 innings, which is the deepest he’s gone all year. Despite allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk, Salcedo’s stuff looked good. His cutter drew nine whiffs, and he landed five more called strikes for a 46.7 CSW%.
Salcedo gave up a solo homer in the second and watched the bases clear on a throwing error after a single in the fourth. It never should have gotten to that point, though. Salcedo induced an inning-ending grounder, but it hit the umpire to keep the inning going. The error just completed the minor debacle that cost him another inning of work.
He was pulled after that, but Leonardo Rossell put an unearned run on Salcedo’s record with a wild pitch before getting the final out of the inning.
Rossell pitched through the fifth in his Lakeland debut. He’s an international signee who has spent the last three years in the Dominican Summer League. He came over stateside to play with the FCL club this year and carried a 4.29 ERRA through 21 innings and 16 appearances. Rossell gave up two more runs in the fifth, but one of them goes unearned thanks to a catcher’s interference call.
Owen Hall continues to do good things. He struck out five and worked around three hits over three frames in relief. That first start meltdown continues to skew his numbers, but he has yet to allow a run or walk over seven innings in August.
Owen Hall with his 3rd consecutive scoreless outing. This time it’s 3 innings, with 4 Ks and 8 whiffs on 18 swings. pic.twitter.com/S0ETKEr5t5
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts has been on an upswing in the last nine games, and the team needs him to continue that pace to help deliver a World Series three-peat. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Program a reminder into his phone. Tie a string around his finger. Chant his name like a mantra: Moo-kie! Moo-kie! Moo-kie!
Whatever it takes to jog Mookie Betts’ memory, to remind him he’s Mookie freakin’ Betts.
Because this Dodgers’ three-peat campaign won’t succeed without his contributions at the plate.
The Dodgers lose the plot without the swagger they’re used to from the four-time champion in their midst.
They need Betts to be that right-handed hitter who will keep opposing pitchers honest in a lineup of lefty stars. To help them compensate without Will Smith’s dependable bat and without being able to depend on $240-million-man Kyle Tucker in games at home.
“I’m always trying to remind him who he is,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday before the Dodgers began a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. “The guy standing 60 feet, 6 inches from him understands the baseball card, knows who’s in the box. And it’s important that [Betts] can’t forget that, regardless of what the scoreboard might say.”
That scoreboard has really not been helping.
All it’s been doing is serving an oppressive, jumbo-sized reminder every time Betts goes to bat of how un-Mookie-Betts-like he’s been for much of this season. Going into Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, he has career lows in batting average (.239), on-base percentage (.295) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.709).
Unless, of course, this is Betts, now at 33, in his — unlucky? — 13th major league season and seventh as a Dodger? Father Time is inevitable.
But let’s remind ourselves: It’s better to be lucky than good, and that Betts has been unlucky, which is bad.
There was the oblique strain in early April that sidelined him for more than a month. Misfortune that brought back bad memories of last season’s mystery illness that caused Betts to lose nearly 20 pounds.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Royals on Wednesday. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
And there’s the data since his return this season, Baseball Savant’s evidence of Betts’ bad rolls: His .278 expected batting average — the Statcast metric measuring the likelihood that a batted ball will become a hit — is .039 points higher than his actual batting average. That’s the third-largest discrepancy in the big leagues.
Also, Betts’ HardHit% this season — measuring the rate of hard-hit balls — of 38.8%, nearly a 3% increase from last season. His exit velocity (90.5 mph) is a mile and a half more than last season.
The game honors you, and the game tests you.
Early this month, a dejected Betts had as tough a time explaining to reporters why, despite hitting the ball hard and stacking disciplined at-bats, he’d had little to show for it. He hit only .205 in July, with a slugging percentage of .313.
“I’m gonna have to help the team at some point,” Betts said on Aug. 4. “It’s really hard, I’ve just never done this so I don’t really know how to get through it. Everyday I show up and try to restore that hope meter.
“But this is very hard.”
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts throws the ball to first base for an out against the Royals on Wednesday. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
That’s why Roberts has stayed on him, he said, reminding him who he is. And who Betts is, of course, is a former MVP and eight-time All-Star, a seven-time Silver Slugger and former batting champion. He’s a scratch-level bowler who made a virtually unprecedented shift from right field to shortstop in Year 11. There’s not a lot Betts hasn’t been able to do.
We got a glimpse of that guy in this recent nine-game stretch, when Betts hit .387 (12 for 31) with a .645 slugging percentage.
“For me,” Roberts said, “it’s just kind of how he’s carrying himself, really. … He’s always been good with not swinging at balls, swinging at strikes. So those components have been consistent. But, yeah, for me, it’s just I like the swagger, the demeanor.”
More like Mookie.
“He’s crucial,” Roberts said. “He’s got the experience, the talent, and he’s an emotional guy. I say that in the sense that when he’s going well, guys feed off that energy. And, when he’s not, you’re sort of trying to find it in him and get it in him.
“So when he’s going well like he has been this past series, guys feel good about it. So, it’s important … that he’s kind of found something to kind of hang his hat on.”
Put a sticky note in Betts’ locker. Better yet, stick his baseball card in there. Because the guy in the box should understand who the guy in the box is — regardless of what the scoreboard might say.
BRONX, NY - AUGUST 04: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees in the dugout during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 4, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
New York Post | Greg Joyce: On a day where once again the offense looked lifeless, the New York Yankees finally got some good Aaron Judge news. This past Friday, the Yankees right fielder, out since the end of May with a rib fracture, was cleared to throw the baseball, nine days after imaging revealed that the injury had healed enough for him to start baseball activities. While Judge still has a ways to go before he can return to the diamond, at this point, any little bit of reassurance that he actually can make it back this season is welcome.
The Athletic | Tyler Kepner: (subscription required) Yankees starter Gerrit Cole sits at 159 career wins, just three short of a season’s worth of victories. While that is not exactly a famous milestone — 200, 250, and 300 wins are the real milestones we like to talk about — that would tie him for 226th all-time, and rather surprisingly, set the record for most wins by a first overall pick.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Between a couple of trades and some promotions, the Yankees minor league teams have seen their rosters shuffled quite a bit over the last two weeks. In light of that, Mike Fransoso, the hitting coach of the Somerset Patriots, the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, spoke with Miller about several of the hitters on his team. Most notably, this included Roderick Arias, the former top prospect who signed for $4 million in 2022 but who had struggled to find his footing in professional baseball.
The Guardian’s fans’ network looks ahead to the new season: fresh talent, weak links, and who will be sacked first
Having finally got the title monkey off our back, and with much of the competition in a state of flux, there’s plenty of optimism. Obviously the target is for Arteta to sustain the same appetite and intensity to mount a credible defence. The big questions are whether we can reproduce the same resilience at the back with Saliba on the long-term missing list, and will the introduction of Guimarães be the catalyst for the sort of midfield chemistry we’ll need to carve open opponents who plan to park the bus?
Lauren Price identified as preferred next opponent
Claressa Shields completed a remarkable descent from heavyweight to middleweight, stopping Australia’s Kaye Scott in the sixth round to capture the WBA and WBC titles in a fight that went off early Sunday morning at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The five-division world champion and double Olympic gold medalist dominated her outclassed opponent from the opening bell before dropping Scott in the sixth and overwhelming her against the ropes after the action resumed. With the 42-year-old champion unable to defend herself from another sustained barrage, Scott’s corner threw several towels into the ring and the contest was waved off after 1min 38sec.
Bangladesh win Test match on Australian soil for first time
Cameron Green century not enough to stave off nine-wicket defeat
Bangladesh have handed Australia one of their most humiliating and crushing Test defeats in 149 years, despite a career-saving century by Cameron Green.
The visitors bowled Australia out for 284 in their second innings in Darwin and polished off the 57 runs required for victory for the loss of one wicket to secure their first Test win on Australian soil.
He is a five-time All-NBA player, six-time All-Star and the 2003 Rookie of the Year who averaged 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds a game over 14 NBA seasons. He, along with fellow inductee Mike D'Antoni, was at the heart of the seven-seconds-or-less Phoenix Suns that changed the NBA game and put everyone on the path to the modern game.
At the podium Saturday night, he talked about how he started on the path to here.
“The first basketball I got was from my mom as a gift, and that basketball became my best friend, became my therapist.”@Amareisreal on the very first basketball he ever owned
The mystery around Paul Skenes' 2026 struggles just keeps growing. The reigning National League Cy Young winner will not start Sunday as scheduled. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly said that his ace will get three extra days of rest and will start Wednesday instead.
Pittsburgh is not calling it an injury, but there is no denying that something is clearly off with Skenes this year.
He threw just 65 pitches over five innings Tuesday in Miami and came out anyway, having allowed two runs, one of them earned, on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. His four-seam fastball averaged 95.7 miles per hour that night, the lowest single-game mark of his career and more than a full tick under his season average. Hitters put eight balls in play at 95 mph or harder and he got just four swings-and-misses.
The velocity has been a red flag. He is at 96.8 mph on the four-seamer, down from 98.2 last year and 98.8 as a rookie. Kelly said the bigger issue is command. The league is adjusting back, he said this week, and Skenes has to adjust with it.
Skenes had a 1.98 ERA in early May after back-to-back eight-inning shutout starts. In 16 starts since May 17 it is 5.00, with 10 home runs allowed in 84⅔ innings. (He gave up 11 home runs all of last season in 187⅔ innings.)
Pittsburgh is 3-13 in that stretch. His walk rate has climbed up to 6.8%.
Skenes, 24, has discounted the velocity questions all summer, and he did not argue with the early hook Tuesday. If he were the manager, he said, he would probably have made the same call.
The Pirates are 60-65, 6.5 games out of the last National League wild card and in last place in the National league Central. They were tied for a playoff spot four weeks ago. They don't get there without Skenes.
Aug 15, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Sacramento Athletics scored three runs.
After the Rangers missed out on delivering on an early RISP opportunity in the top of the first, an inning later someone named Henry Bolte, a person I’m not sure family could pick out of a lineup, hit a ball with two on that just barely glanced off the base of the left field foul pole at the A’s temporary minor league home.
Suddenly down 3-0, it would have been easy to think, “Here we go again.”
That feeling permeated as the lineup didn’t really get anything else going through the first handful of innings and, just when it seemed like the Rangers were headed for a fifth straight loss to the two worst teams in baseball, Nicky Lopez followed a Jake Burger double with an RBI single in the top of the fifth.
The Rangers have been desperate for anything from the bottom of the order and Lopez provided a run out of the nine spot. Maybe that helped lift the spell a little from this freefall that Texas has found itself in on the West Coast, or maybe pride finally gurgled up to put a purposeful taste in the mouths of the Rangers batters.
An inning later, down 3-1, the middle of the order was due and Brandon Nimmo, Corey Seager, and Wyatt Langford went double, RBI single, two-run home run to ambush the A’s and take a 4-3 lead in a matter of moments.
MacKenzie Gore allowed the three-run home run that put Texas in that early hole, so count that as his weekly Gore Inning. After that seemingly ruinous second inning, Gore eventually managed to make it through 5 2/3 innings with just the three runs allowed, just barely missing a quality start.
Thankfully, Chase Silseth cleaned up for Gore in the sixth and then Jakob Junis made his first appearance in over two weeks, a scoreless seventh inning. It was curious to see Junis come in in the seventh but that ultimately meant Jacob Latz was called upon for one of his patented two-inning saves.
The Rangers decided to wait all the way until the top of the ninth to score again and give Latz a little breathing room. Following an Evan Carter double, Jarred Kelenic came off the bench and provided the insurance with an pinch-hit RBI single.
Latz, who was pitching in just his fourth game all month, worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth but never allowed another baserunner. With his lead doubled by his second frame, Latz was able to comfortably claim his 24th save of the year to snap the losing skid.
Further good news, since Houston was walloped by Seattle earlier in the day, the Rangers gained a game in the standings where they now sit just two back of first place. Despite being two games below .500, the Rangers are also ahead of three other teams by a half game for the final American League Wild Card spot.
Weird year.
Player of the Game: The Rangers have really, really, really needed Langford to break out of his lengthy August slump and that finally came about tonight as he collected three hits including the big eventual game-winning two-run dong.
Up Next: The Rangers and A’s conclude this series in the road trip finale with LHP Cody Bradford next up for Texas opposite LHP Jacob Lopez for the Northern California squad.
First pitch Sunday’s finale is set for a more reasonable 3:05 pm CDT and you can watch it on the Rangers Sports Network.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 15: Reid Detmers #48 of the Los Angeles Angels throws a pitch in the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 15, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Michael Massey and Jac Caglianone powered the lineup last night. They did it again tonight, with the only two hits KC had – both singles – in a 1-0 loss to the Angels.
When your team falls by a score of 1-0, it would be easy to place the blame on the offense. But this was really Reid Detmers flashing some of that brilliance I wrote about before the game. When he’s on, there’s not a whole heck of a lot you can do, and baby, he was on tonight. Detmers struck out 11 over 8 scoreless innings and required only 92 pitches to do it. He didn’t walk anyone, and he allowed those two singles mentioned at the top. That’s it. The Angels asked closer Ben Joyce to finish it off and, wielding a fastball that easily tops 104 MPH, he did just that with a pair of strikeouts.
Randy Dobnak, known more for his sweeper, threw the Angels a healthy dose of changeups in his 5.2 innings tonight. He figured out early that the sweeper wasn’t working and the Angels could do nothing to the changeup, so he threw it more than any of his other pitches. Ultimately, he struck out six while allowing 4 hits and 2 walks in 5.2 scoreless innings. He had some good defense behind him, but Dobnak Time continues unabated as we inch ever closer to the end of the season.
Craig Kimbrel was tasked with escaping the sixth inning with two runners on and managed to do so when a deep flyball from Josh Lowe died just in front of the track, landing in Starling Marte’s glove. Kimbrel relied again on the marine layer as well as a fantastic play from Tyler Tolbert in the seventh.
Nate Pearson got the eighth and, unfortunately, his control issues from most of his career popped up again when he allowed a leadoff walk to Wade Meckler. Jose Siri pinch-ran for him and promptly stole second. Pearson got Mike Trout to pop out, but a groundball at 102.6 off the bat of Nolan Schanuel managed to deflect off of Caglianone’s glove into right, and that was all she wrote. Pearson recovered to get a strikeout and a groundout, but the winning run was already in.
Cags just missed a home run to center field in the first inning. According to Baseball Savant, it was barreled, the third-hardest hit ball in the game, and would have been a home run in 6/30 parks, including UNIQLO in Los Angeles. Jac’s single in the fourth was hit at 105.5, the hardest-hit ball for either team all night. When he stole second (his sixth of the season!) a few moments later, it was the first and only time a Royal made it past first all night. He did look pretty silly striking out in the seventh, but you can only do what you can do. The lack of offense meant he did not get a fourth at-bat.
That was the first time in five contests the Angels managed to beat the Royals. KC can’t have a .500 road trip anymore, but they could at least escape Anaheim of Los Angeles with a series victory if they can win tomorrow. Noah Cameron (4.45 ERA, 4.13 SIERA) will try to rebound from the off-kilter start in LA. The Angels will counter with a right-hander, thankfully, rookie Ryan Johnson (6.71 ERA, 5.17 SIERA). The game is the Royals’ last one on the West Coast this year and will start at 3:07 PM Central time.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 29: AJ Smith-Shawver #32 of the Atlanta Braves enters the dugout prior to the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Danny Young this season has an ERA over 8, a FIP over 7, and an xFIP over 6. He has at times in his 5 season, 73.0 inning major league career been an acceptable major league reliever and even has acceptable career numbers over that time, but he has simply not given the Braves a compelling reason to keep him on their roster this year. Meanwhile, the Braves are reportedly contemplating how to bring AJ Smith-Shawver onto the roster. My proposal is to simply get rid of Danny Young, perhaps bring up a stopgap arm for a few days and then have AJ replace Grant Holmes in the rotation. Holmes can be a good arm out of the bullpen and while he has done admirably to perform the job of a back end rotation starter, he can impact the Braves the best for the remainder of this season out of the bullpen.
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