PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 05: Alek Thomas #5 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
All four Dodgers affiliates lost on Saturday.
Player of the day
Alek Thomas drove in four runs on Friday, then plated another four runs on Saturday for Oklahoma City. He tripled, doubled, and had two singles against Salt Lake.
The Comets were on the wrong end of an offensive battle, falling 14-13 to the Salt Lake Bees (Angels). Each team had one five-run inning, one three-run frame, and two two-run innings. Salt Lake had two one-run innings to Oklahoma City’s one to come out on top.
This was the highest-scoring game of the series that has thus far seen a combined 82 runs through five games.
Ryan Ward had three more hits and a walk. Eliezer Alfonzo had two hits, a walk, and drove in three runs.
Emmet Sheehan’s first start back in Triple-A was a planned short outing, as Jerming Rosario was already warming up to follow Sheehan when Sheehan was pulled after two outs, 22 innings, and two runs in.
Jackson Ferris started pitching in the second inning and allowed nine runs in 4 2/3 innings.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers scored just once in a close loss to the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros).
Shortstop Elijah Hainline had two of Tulsa’s four hits. Josue De Paula singled and walked.
Left-hander Luke Fox returned after nearly 16 weeks on the injured list to strike out two in his three innings. He allowed a run on a solo home run, his only hit given up, and also walked a batter.
Chinakhov had only played junior hockey in Russia before being drafted, and he would make his KHL debut during the 2020-21 season for Avangard Omsk. In his first pro season in the KHL, he scored 10 goals and had 17 points. Chinakhov played so well that he was elevated to Avangard Omsk's top line. After one season in the KHL, Chinakhov was signed to a three-year NHL ELC in May of 2021.
Savard won a Stanley Cup after he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021. He then left to sign a contract with his hometown Montreal Canadiens in 2021, where he would play for four seasons. Although his Habs teams weren't very good, Savard remained a steady presence on the Montreal Blue Line. He had 76 points over four seasons while blocking 646 shots over those four years.
Heinze was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, grew up in North Andover, Massachusetts, and played college hockey at Boston College. It was only right, then, that he played the first nine years of his career for the Boston Bruins after being chosen 60th overall in the 1988 NHL Draft.
Daňo made his NHL debut in 2014 and played 35 games. He scored 8 goals, totaled 21 points, and was a plus-12 in his first NHL season. It seemed that Marko Daňo had arrived and was ready to be a good player for Columbus. That was until the following season.
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen - Drafted out of Norway in 2002, Tollefsen was known for his heavy fists. In his first season with Columbus, he played in 70 games and had a whopping 123 PIMs. In his second season, he played in 51 games and had 111 PIMs. After those two years, he would only play another 19 games for Columbus and another 18 for the Philadelphia Flyers. He returned to Europe in 2010 and retired in 2017. Tollefsen is now the head coach for the Norway U20 team.
Columbus originally drafted McQuaid in the 2nd round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. McQuaid would never play for the CBJ, though. While he was still in the OHL, he was traded to Boston by Columbus for Boston's 5th-round pick in the 2007 NHL Draft on May 16, 2007. The pick the Jackets sent to Boston turned out to be Jamie Benn.
Adam Foote had a private plane waiting for him, and everything he needed was waiting for him in Calgary. Some say Foote got nasty because everyone knew his plans, and when the CBJ didn’t want to accommodate those plans, that’s when it went off the rails.
During this past season with the Calgary Flames, Lomberg threw 129 hits. This marked the fifth season in a row that the 5-foot-9 forward recorded over 100 hits. He also threw 90 hits with the Florida Panthers in 2020-21, but that was only in 34 games played.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk was undoubtedly a nice bright spot during the 2025-26 season. In 75 games this past campaign with the Blue Jackets, the 2022 first-round pick set new career highs with 13 goals, 18 assists, and 31 points.
Two Columbus Blue Jackets forwards are continuing to be viewed as trade candidates as the summer rolls on. In his most recent trade board for Bleacher Report, Lyle Richardson included Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko and Kent Johnson.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be aligning themselves with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, per a CBJ announcement. The agreement is for two years through the 2027-28 season.
Former Cleveland Monsters right winger Hudson Fasching has signed with Skellefteå AIK in the SHL. The deal is for one year. The team plays in Skellefteå, Sweden.
Following being traded to the Blue Jackets, Garland recorded five goals and seven points in 21 games. This was after he had seven goals and 26 points in 50 games with the Canucks before the trade.
Former Cleveland Monsters defenseman Ole Julian Bjørgvik-Holm has signed a deal to play with the Graz99ers of ICEHL in Austria. The team plays in Graz, Austria.
Now that it is August, NHL free agents should soon be signing professional tryout (PTO) agreements with teams. When looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets' roster, it is fair to wonder if they will sign anyone to a PTO before the start of training camp.
Bayreuther has launched the Bayreuther Hockey Club. The club will be designed to develop complete hockey players and to "help every player become the best version of themselves."
The Detroit Red Wings may have found a market for Dylan Larkin, but they apparently haven’t found a team willing to pay their asking price.
According to longtime Detroit Free Press journalist Helene St. James, the Vegas Golden Knights are among four teams that have expressed interest in acquiring the Red Wings captain, with the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars also involved in discussions. That sounds like the makings of a bidding war.
There’s just one problem: Detroit reportedly wants a first-line center in return for Larkin.
And suddenly, it’s easy to understand why nobody has taken the bait.
Vegas Doesn't Need Dylan Larkin
From a Golden Knights perspective, this should be a relatively easy decision for general manager Kelly McCrimmon.
Vegas already has a legitimate first-line center in Jack Eichel, and he isn’t going anywhere.
Eichel recently signed an eight-year, $108 million contract extension that runs through the 2033-34 season. He is one of the best centers in hockey, a proven playoff performer and the kind of player Vegas built its championship window around.
Why would the Golden Knights trade him for Larkin?
They wouldn't.
And if Detroit's expectation is that Vegas should surrender Eichel while somehow adding more to the package, the Red Wings can probably stop calling McCrimmon.
Larkin is a good NHL player. He's been a good NHL player for a long time. He's also the captain of one of the league's most historic franchises and has earned plenty of respect throughout his career.
But none of that makes him more valuable than Eichel.
That distinction matters.
The Other Three Teams Have Problems, Too
Vegas isn't the only team that should have serious reservations about Detroit's asking price.
The Panthers aren't trading Aleksander Barkov. Florida's captain is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, one of the best defensive centers of his generation and arguably the most important player in the franchise's history.
The Stars aren't trading Wyatt Johnston, either.
Johnston is already an elite young scorer and represents exactly the type of player Detroit should want if it is serious about moving Larkin for a first-line center. But Dallas would have to be completely out of its mind to give up a player with Johnston's trajectory for a 29-year-old center who isn't in the same class.
Then there's Minnesota.
The Wild may be the most logical fit of the four because they failed to add a center during free agency and desperately need to find more help down the middle. There is a path where Larkin makes sense alongside Kirill Kaprizov.
But even Minnesota has a significant reason to hesitate.
Danila Yurov, the Wild's 2022 first-round pick, just completed his first full professional season in North America, recording 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points in 73 games while averaging just over 13 minutes per night.
Those numbers don't jump off the page.
But if Yurov gets the opportunity to play alongside Kaprizov, his role could change dramatically. Twenty-plus minutes per night would not be surprising, and the Wild clearly believe there is considerably more offense waiting to emerge from their young forward.
If Minnesota believes Yurov can eventually become the type of first-line player Detroit is asking for, why would it surrender that potential for Larkin?
That's the problem the Red Wings have created for themselves.
Maybe Detroit Doesn't Actually Want To Trade Larkin
There is another possibility here, and it's one Vegas should keep in mind.
Maybe the Red Wings don't actually want to trade Larkin.
Perhaps Detroit is simply keeping the door open while waiting for the perfect opportunity to materialize. The franchise is still working through its front-office transition, with Shawn Horcoff serving as interim general manager following Steve Yzerman's departure.
That makes the timing even more curious.
Detroit can tell teams it is listening. It can hear offers. It can explore Larkin's market.
But if the asking price is essentially, "Give us your first-line center," the Red Wings aren't exactly making it easy for anyone to say yes.
And maybe that's intentional.
Larkin Isn't The Player Vegas Needs
There is nothing wrong with Dylan Larkin.
But Vegas doesn't need another good center.
The Golden Knights need players who have already demonstrated that they can elevate their game when the stakes are highest.
That's an important distinction.
Larkin's value shouldn't be based on what he accomplished for Team USA at the Olympics or on the fact that he has spent years wearing the captain's "C" for an Original Six franchise.
The Golden Knights aren't building Team USA.
They're trying to win another Stanley Cup.
And the most recent evidence we have of Larkin leading Detroit came at the end of the 2025-26 season, when the Red Wings suffered a historically ugly collapse after putting themselves in position to make the playoffs.
Larkin wasn't solely responsible for that. Obviously.
But that's the point.
Vegas shouldn't be looking at the name on the back of the jersey or the résumé accumulated over the years. It should be asking whether Larkin represents a significant enough upgrade to justify surrendering a premium asset.
The answer appears to be no.
Vegas Should Let Detroit Keep Its Captain
If Detroit eventually lowers its asking price, perhaps the conversation changes.
But the Golden Knights should have absolutely no interest in helping the Red Wings solve their problem by overpaying for a player they don't need.
Eichel is better.
Vegas knows what it has in Eichel, and more importantly, it knows what Eichel can do when the games matter most.
Larkin is a good player. He's a talented player. He's a respected player.
He's just not an elite first-line center in the same class as the players Detroit would apparently need to acquire him.
And that's why this could ultimately be a blessing for Vegas.
Let Florida keep Barkov. Let Dallas keep Johnston. Let Minnesota decide what it wants to do with Yurov. And let Detroit figure out what it actually wants to do with Larkin.
The Golden Knights don't need to take the bait.
They need to keep their best assets, trust their own roster and find players who can help them win in the postseason.
If Detroit wants to trade its captain, that's its problem.
The AL Central-leading White Sox snapped a four-game losing streak on Saturday to even the three-game weekend series with the second-place Cleveland Guardians.
The Guardians have lost seven of their last 10, yet are -108 moneyline favorites in the MLB odds.
My Guardians vs. White Sox predictions and MLB picks will back Chicago at home on Sunday, Aug. 9.
Who will win Guardians vs White Sox today: White Sox moneyline (+101)
The Chicago White Sox continued a streak of erratic offense on Saturday. Over the last 11 games, they’ve scored six or more five times, and two or fewer six times — none in between.
Facing curveball-happy (28.8%) Joey Cantillo on Sunday, there’s a good chance the hard-hitting Sox appear. Five members of Chicago’s lineup hit at least .348 with a .530 SLG or better against the curve.
The Cleveland Guardians have made their run in the AL Central by beating up on weak teams. The Guardians are 24-33 against foes with a winning record.
Chicago is 35-22 at home, making them an easy underdog pick. I’d take Chicago to -120.
COVERS INTEL: Cantillo is throwing the curve more, but that may be out of necessity, as the other pitches haven’t been effective. Foes are hitting .297 and slugging .531 against the fastball, up 60 and 70 points, respectively, from last season.
Guardians vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-103)
While Chicago against Cantillo seems likely to help push this game Over, the White Sox against Cleveland’s pen may provide even more offense.
Cantillo has averaged 4 2/3 innings since the start of July and hasn’t made it into the sixth over that span. The Guardians pen has a 10.80 ERA and 2.60 WHIP over the last three games and has allowed more earned runs (12) than the starters (nine).
Chicago starter Davis Martin has a 10.64 ERA and 1.727 WHIP over the last month, rising to 16.20 and 2.400 in the last two weeks, leading to concerns that he’s tipping his pitches.
Shawn Krest's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-37, -4.68 units
Over/Under bets: 40-21, +6.64 units
Guardians vs White Sox weather
82F and sunny, with winds blowing from right to left at 11 mph. Fairly neutral conditions.
Guardians vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Cleveland -108 | Chicago +104
Run line: Cleveland -1.5 | Chicago +1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Guardians vs White Sox trend
The White Sox have hit the moneyline in 31 of their last 45 games at home (+18.25 Units / 36% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. White Sox.
How to watch Guardians vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Sunday, August 9, 2026
First pitch
3:10 p.m. ET
TV
CleGuardians.TV,CHSN
Guardians starting pitcher
Joey Cantillo (8-7, 3.87 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Davis Martin (9-6, 4.13 ERA)
Guardians vs White Sox latest injuries
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.
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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 06: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Jarren Duran #16 and Ceddanne Rafaela #3 after hitting a walk off RBI single against the Chicago White Sox during the thirteenth inning at Fenway Park on August 06, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For years the Red Sox hoarded prospects the way my old upstairs neighbor hoarded newspapers. Piles and piles of newspapers, each one somehow too precious to part with. But after a stunning hot streak legitimately vaulted the Sox into the playoff race, the front office flipped the script. Ownership finally remembered they’re a big-market team, and pushed their chips into the middle of the table.
Was Craig Breslow’s performance at the deadline a shock? You bet. Pre-deadline, I predicted in this very space that Breslow and John Henry would run back a tired line from recent years: they’d do some buying, some selling, and wait for reinforcements to return from the Injured List.
In my entire life, I’ve never been so happy to be wrong.
A Massive Philosophical Shift
Craig Breslow didn’t just nibble around the edges of the trade market, either; he blew up the entire narrative that Boston is afraid to make big trades. Because others have already written in depth about it, I won’t analyze what has been called the “blockbuster” trade for catcher Adley Rutschman—other than to say I’m in favor of it. I won’t lament the departure of Marcelo Mayer because personally, I never warmed up to him—but I won’t talk about that right now either. We wanted the front office to do something, and they did it. This is what doing something looks like.
And it’s glorious.
The front office and the clubhouse have turned what looked like a bad hand into a hot hand. Contrast where they were in June with where they stand now.
What a Difference a Month Makes
They recently wrapped up a sweep of the White Sox, scoring 12 runs on Thursday and coming back five times from scoring deficits to finally win in walk-off fashion in the 13th inning. All this after having swept the Dodgers—the Dodgers! I also wrote that there was no way (I literally wrote “No way.”) that they could out-play the Dodgers. But the Red Sox showed it can be done. They provided such a teachable moment that the Cubs went and swept the Dodgers in the very next series; how about that?
After the 12-11 win to sweep the White Sox, they came in hot against the Athletics, kicking off that series on the following night with a resounding 13-1 win. What happened to the team that couldn’t hit to save their lives in March, April, May, and June?
They just ended a nine-game winning streak and are aiming for a tenth consecutive series victory—a feat the franchise hasn’t accomplished since 1912.
This team is historic in so many ways. Let’s revel in it for a moment (again), shall we?
15-Game Winning Streak: which tied the franchise record for consecutive wins, matching the mark set 80 years ago when the team was led by Ted Williams.
Nine Consecutive Series Wins: Boston has clinched nine straight series victories—a feat not accomplished by the franchise in 114 years, matching a stretch last seen during their 1912 World Series championship season. With Friday’s win against the A’s, they’re working on their tenth. (With Saturday’s loss, they will need to win on Sunday.)
Sweeps of First-Place Teams: The 2026 Red Sox became the first team in the modern expansion era (post-1961) to sweep six series against teams who entered the series at the top of their division. Notably, the Rays in their own AL East, the Dodgers who are heavily favored to three-peat in the World Series, and most recently, the White Sox.
Record Monthly Win Percentage: They posted a ferocious 21–4 record in July, with the highest monthly winning percentage (.840) in team history.
Historic Across Leagues: With Friday’s win, the Sox became the first team across the MLB, NHL, and NBA to win 27+ games in a 30-game stretch, while entering that stretch 10+ games below .500
And then maybe my favorite:
The @RedSox are the only MLB team in the modern era to score in 5 separate innings in the 9th inning or later in the same game.
They are the best team in baseball! But they got thereby relying on players who were never supposed to be out there.
Superstar IL and Other Chaos
It’s absurd that this team is succeeding despite an IL that is chock-full of players who were supposed to be real contributors. The team had expectations (to varying degrees of course) of Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, Johan Oviedo, Triston Casas, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Zack Kelly, and formerly Marcelo Mayer. All of them are on the shelf. Romy González began the season there too before coming back quickly, then heading back to Worcester. Am I forgetting anyone? It’s hard to keep track of.
Even newcomer Curtis Mead, who was supposed to be a timely offensive upgrade, took less than a couple of hours to sustain an injury that allowed him to claim his spot on this elite roster we now call the IL. These injuries have allowed players like Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio, and Nick Sogard to shine. Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett have stepped up in a big way, but without the unforeseen depletions to the pitching staff, they may not have been given such an opportunity at this point in the season, or in their young careers. Caleb Durbin, another new hero, felt almost like an afterthought when he joined the team, a reaction to the need to fill the Alex Bregman-sized hole at third base rather than a well executed plan.
For all the chaos this club has been through—including offseason hits like Bregman’s departure, beginning the season 32-46, and the firing of Alex Cora and five coaches before the end of April—they sure have become rock-steady.
The deadline deals and the complete philosophical shift have sent a huge message to a clubhouse that was declared dead in June: the front office believes in them. They added players who could help tip the scales and ensure there’s October baseball in Boston.
But here’s the paradox. Boston traded for a very good catcher who, at the time of the trade, was sidelined with wrist inflammation. [He has since debuted for Worcester on a rehab assignment, hitting a double and throwing out a runner on Saturday.] The 2026 Red Sox are playing so insanely well that they have the luxury of looking on this All-Star addition to the roster as a simple reinforcement, rather than a savior. Inconceivable!
This team has learned to thrive in chaos, amid injuries, and the depths of the off-season and early going of 2026 have accidentally engineered the most resilient locker room in modern Boston history. Are they next-gen idiots? They have come off the bench or otherwise—seemingly—out of nowhere to win games and hearts. They have been explosive, fun, team-first, and unpretentious.
The Sox finally have a roster that works, with or without Adley Rutschman, who will be joining the big-league team soon. Let’s go.
It’s a busy day in Major League Baseball, with 15 games on tap.
MLB’s most explosive arm — and one of my top MLB player props — is up in Milwaukee, as Jacob Misiorowski is seeking his fourth straight game with 10+ Ks.
Read below for the rest of my favorite MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 9.
Best MLB player props today
Player
Pick
Odds
Jacob Misiorowski
Over 8.5 strikeouts
-133
Luis Arraez
Over 1.5 total bases
+123
Wilyer Abreu
Anytime home run
+265
Jacob Misiorowski Over 8.5 strikeouts (-133)
Just three Twins have stepped into the batter’s box to face the fireballer Jacob Misiorowski, and that should be a huge advantage for the Brewers.
The 24-year-old fanned 10 Angels on just two hits in seven innings of work last time out, and he’s recorded at least nine punchouts in five of his last six starts.
Misiorowski is just consistently dominant. In 21 starts this year, he’s failed to reach the 8K plateau only four times.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Twins.TV, Brewers.TV
Luis Arraez Over 1.5 total bases (+123)
It’s been a stellar start in Philadelphia for trade deadline pickup Luis Arraez, who’s hitting at a .333 clip in five games.
He’s had three games with at least two total bases, and now he draws Shane Bieber, a guy he’s hitting .290 against in 31 at-bats.
Bieber bounced back from a dud against Washington, where he failed to get out of the first inning, to beat the Astros. Still, he was tagged for nine hits.
Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSP, SN
Wilyer Abreu anytime home run (+265)
Baseball’s best power hitter last week was Boston’s Wilyer Abreu, who belted an MLB-best four long balls with an exceptional 1.222 SLG.
Can he keep it up against A’s starter JT Ginn? The stats show a favorable matchup for Abreu, who will be facing Ginn for the first time.
Over his last 10 starts, Ginn has served up seven home runs. Of the 13 bombs he’s given up on the season, nine have been to left-handed batters.
Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBCSCA, NESN
Eric Rosales' 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 5-8-0, +1.63 units
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.
One day after Kevin Gausman had a strong debut in a Cubs uniform, Clay Holmes hoped to match that effort against the Royals.
Welp. Back to the drawing board. Holmes allowed four runs in four innings, including a home run by Jac Caglianone, and the Royals evened up the series by defeating the Cubs 6-3, ending the Cubs’ winning streak at five.
Caglanone’s homer off Holmes gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the first inning. But you know what? The Cubs’ opponent had scored first in all five games of the winning streak, so perhaps this could be another come-from-behind win?
Unfortunately, no. Holmes got touched up for two more runs in the second and another in the third, and overall it wasn’t a great outing. He threw 70 pitches (44 strikes). Remember that Holmes is coming off a fractured fibula. It could be that he’s still not 100 percent from the injury. Hopefully, his next start — which should come up next weekend at Wrigley Field against the Cardinals — will be better.
The Cubs did make attempts to get back into this game. In the fourth, Michael Busch led off with a single. He was forced at second by Alex Bregman, but one out later Nico Hoerner singled Bregman to third.
This is the 28th of Happ’s 1,253 career games in which he had a homer and a double.
It was the fourth this season. He did it May 2 at home vs. the Diamondbacks, adding a triple, then May 29 at St. Louis and June 4 at home vs. the Athletics.
He also did it four times last season, six in 2024 and four in 2023. He had 10 in 2017-22, with a high of three in 2021.
Unfortunately, that one-run deficit didn’t last long, as Caglianone smacked a two-run homer off Rea in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-3. About Caglianone’s two-homer, two-double game, from John:
Jac Caglianone is just the seventh player since 1901 to hit multiple home runs and multiple doubles against the Cubs.
The previous one was Luis Urias of the Brewers on Aug. 12, 2021. The one before that was Matt Carpenter of the Cardinals, on July 20, 2018. He hit three homers and two doubles, the only one of the seven with a third homer.
The first five were Les Bell of the Cardinals in 1925, Jim Russell of the Braves in 1948, Paul O’Neill of the Reds in 1991 and Nick Castellanos of the Tigers in 2015. All six earlier games were at Wrigley Field.
Bell and Urias had six plate appearances; the others, five. Caglianone had only four.
And that was it for the Cubs, made a bit worse when former Cub Nate Pearson entered to close the game for the Royals. Michael Conforto led off the ninth with a double, but that was it off Pearson, who struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong to end the game. Pearson now has one more save for the Royals than he had in his season and a half and 30 games with the Cubs. (That’s one save for KC, as he had none for the Cubs.)
One point Counsell makes in that clip is, I think, very important — Rea went four innings and so no other relievers even got up in the pen. That helps save the bullpen for future games.
This one, I think, just comes in the category of “You can’t win ‘em all.” The Cubs lost a game in the NL Central standings to the Brewers, who won Saturday, and now trail by 5.5 games. The Phillies and Diamondbacks both lost Saturday, so the Cubs lead both by six games in the wild card race.
The Cubs will once again go for the series win Sunday afternoon in Kansas City. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and Randy Dobnak goes for the Royals. Game time is 1:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network. The BCB game preview will post at 11 a.m. CT.
The St. Louis Cardinals made it back to .500 thanks to the Colorado Rockies being in town and did so with the help of Kyle Leahy. A quick hook (5 innings) for Leahy brought up some questions with him only having thrown 82 pitches, but Jeff Jones dove into the workload topic for the rest of us.
I asked Marmol this afternoon if they were approaching some innings limitations with Leahy, who pitched 88 innings last season and entered tonight with 107.1, and he said they were working through it. Could be skipped starts, could be shorter outings. Done tonight after 5/82.
Thanks to Jones’ reporting, we know that Leahy is on some type of an innings limit in his first year of starting and he is unlikely to be the only one on some restrictions. With 112.1 innings, he is third on the team behind Andre Pallante and Michael McGreevy, who are also nearing the mid-100s of frames this season. Pallante has maxed out at 162.2 and McGreevy hit 153 last season, so the workhorses have done their job in this transition year.
An innings limit may not be needed for the Cardinals this season
After Matthew Liberatore’s latest bummer of a start, the demand for a move to the bullpen has increased in volume and aggression. In getting the loss against the miserable Rockies, Liberatore moved to 5-9 with a 5.15 ERA on the season. For the Opening Day starter, a total bummer. With 113.2 innings pitched on the season, Libby is on pace to slightly exceed his 2025 total unless a move to the bullpen is in order. There is one starter who does not need an innings limit, but rather a demotion due to inconsistent performance. Enter Quinn Mathews into that spot?
The other four spots in the rotation are filled by Pallante, McGreevy, Leahy, and Hunter Dobbins. Dobbins is two seasons removed from a 125 inning season and has worked just over 100 innings between the majors and minors. The first two rotation options, in my opinion, have no reason to have a cap on their pitching this year. That leaves Leahy, who is on track to double his workload in his first year in the rotation.
Leahy has matched or exceeded Pallante in most stats, trailing in the wins and ERA categories but meeting or beating him in others. All that comes in yet another attempt for the Cardinals to move one of their trusted bullpen arms to the starting rotation rather than spend on the market, and the results have been solid if unspectacular. For the 29-year-old, the transition to the rotation has come along well after some bumps in the early part of the season.
I added the age not to be mean, but to add context into my next point being: Why does Kyle Leahy need an innings limit?
As a 35-year-old who can sometimes lift his arm over his head, I am in no way saying that Leahy is on the back nine of his career as a major league baseball player. He has shown that he has the ability to fill a role in most any pitching staff in an effective way. As Leahy enters his first season of arbitration, he has pitched his way into a solid salary track for the next few seasons of his major league career, assuming he remains healthy.
His durability has been spectacular, not hitting the injured list at any point during his professional career according to MLB’s transaction page. After being driven to the ground with 62 appearances last season and another 22 starts so far this year, Leahy has proven his worth to major league managers and deserves to get another full season of work.
Also working into that thought is that, besides Mathews, who else is there to take Leahy’s spot in those skipped starts? One answer is Brycen Mautz, but he has been working in the bullpen and been mostly effective as a relief option. Not sure if you’ve tuned into some big league games this second half, but the relief corps needs some help. After Mautz, the starting options are fine, but it may be too early to expect Jurrangelo Cijtnje, Pete Hansen, or Mason Molina to jump to the bigs, even in a spot start.
Tekoah Roby has been nearing full health and Cooper Hjerpe has looked solid in his rehab and progressed up to Triple-A. Out of those two, Hjerpe would be my choice to get a shot at the bigs, but only as a relief option despite working as a starter in his return from injury. For now, the fifth or sixth rotation spot looks to be an opener or bullpen game with Hjerpe or Mautz working in a short stint and another arm providing a look in bulk relief. To me, that does not do much for me in a rebuild season.
Mautz probably should and will get another start or two before the end of the season, but another long audition spot is not really showing up for anyone else to get an extended look. While it was already announced that Leahy will get his starts skipped or shortened, I guess I do not really see the point.
In other news, the vibe was a bummer at the game last night. I made the trip down since school starts Monday and hoped to see an energized offense against the Rockies. Instead, I got 11 men left on base and a five-run start from Libby. At least I got my hands on Jordan Walker’s home run ball and I promise I’m giving it to a kid (my Walker superfan nephew) despite some ugly looks from some bleacher fans.
As far as Cardinals on My Time goes, I hope to be back on a semi-regular posting schedule shortly. School starts again Monday (gross) so I will actually somehow have more time with a consistent schedule. Thanks for all the support here and on socials as the season comes to a close.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 22: Alex McFarlane #71 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in his Major League Baseball debut during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Chase Shugart blew another game for the Phillies on Saturday and it brought up a topic that I think the Phillies deserve some scorn over.
I know every team needs to have someone to soak up some innings here and there. Shugart has mostly been that guy this year with cameos by Seth Johnson, Kyle Backhus and others. However, with a bullpen that is performing this poorly, there has to be a reason an arm with the kind of stuff that Alex McFarlane possesses isn’t in the majors over a Shugart to have those kinds of innings. That way, when a game gets to extra innings like last night’s, where a runner is on second, at least McFarlane has the stuff to get outs on his own rather than depending on defenses to help him.
So I ask: why isn’t McFarlane in the majors over someone like Shugart?
MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara struck out eight in seven innings, becoming the Miami Marlins’ career leader in innings pitched, and Xavier Edwards had three RBIs in a 7-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.
Alcantara (13-6) broke the record in the third, working his 1,226th inning and passing Ricky Nolasco, who pitched 1,225 2/3 innings for the Marlins from 2006-13. He gave up three hits and walked one. Reliever Pete Fairbanks struck out all three batters in the ninth to end the game.
Edwards hit an RBI double as Miami took a 2-0 lead in the third, followed by Otto Lopez’s two-run single to double the Marlins’ lead. Jakob Marsee tripled to lead off the fifth, and Edwards singled to send him home.
Griffin Conine singled and Heriberto Hernández doubled in the fifth to make it 7-0.
Angels starter Walbert Ureña (7-8) pitched the first 2 1/3 innings. He allowed four hits and four earned runs. He walked three and struck out two. Brett Kerry pitched the final 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking one. He gave up six hits.
Up next
RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-4, 7.24 ERA) will start on the mound for the Angels in the series finale on Sunday. RHP Ryan Gusto (0-3, 4.80) will start for the Marlins.
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola was hit by a line drive and exited Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth inning due to a right knee contusion. X-rays were negative.
Jesús Sánchez hit a leadoff comebacker, estimated at 104.8-mph off the bat, that ricocheted off Nola’s left leg. Nola crouched to his knees behind the pitcher’s mound and tried to throw practice pitches before he left the game.
In the second inning, he became the 94th pitcher to reach 2,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Brandon Valenzuela. He gave up two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and walked two.
PHILADELPHIA — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer moved into 10th place all-time in strikeouts, passing Hall of Famer Walter Johnson in the Blue Jays’ 7-5 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night.
The 42-year-old Scherzer, making his ninth start of the season, has 3,516 career strikeouts, one more than Johnson, and is second to Justin Verlander (3,554) in strikeouts among active pitchers.
Scherzer struck out Kyle Schwarber leading off the sixth to move past Johnson before giving up consecutive home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper that tied the game at 2 and ended his night.
Scherzer cruised through five scoreless innings against Philadelphia, scattering just three hits, and had retired nine in a row before the consecutive drives by Turner and Harper. He allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and lowered his ERA to 7.25.
Scherzer was selected in the first round (No. 11 overall) by Arizona in the 2006 draft. He has won three Cy Youngs, made eight All-Star teams and won two World Series titles.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 08: Corey Seager #5 of the Texas Rangers is congratulated by teammates following a three run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on August 08, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rangers 5, Orioles 1
That was a fulfilling win.
Jacob deGrom mowing guys down. The bullpen keeping the opposition off the board. Corey Seager with a big home run.
What more could you want from a game?
Yes, deGrom gave up the first inning homer that seems to be such a bugaboo this season, but that was the only run given up in five innings.
And with nine Ks in the game, deGrom moved past Red Ruffing, Johan Santana and Kevin Appier to take the #95 spot on the all time strikeout list.
Once again, the Rangers didn’t have a ton of baserunners, but they made them count.
Half of the Rangers’ six hits on the game came in the second inning, when a couple of Orioles errors contributed to the Rangers taking a 2-1 lead.
Texas looked for most of the game like it might be needing to win its second straight 2-1 game, before Corey Seager provided the breathing room.
In the bottom of the eighth, former Ranger farmhand Grant Wolfram issued back-to-back two out, full count walks to Justin Foscue and Wyatt Langford, then fell behind 2-0 to Seager.
The third pitch of the at bat, Seager turned on, crushing a three run homer to make the game a little less tense.
The homer allowed Skip Schumaker to stay away from Jacob Latz, who was warming in anticipation of coming into the game in the ninth to protect a one run lead a day after picking up a two inning save. Cal Quantrill came in to finish things off instead.
That’s now four in a row for the Rangers, who are just a half-game back of Houston in the American League West, and who have a 1.5 game edge on the Guardians and Twins for the third Wild Card spot.
Jacob deGrom’s fastball topped out at 99.0 mph, averaging 97.5 mph. Peyton Gray hit 93.3 mph with his fastball. Chase Silseth touched 96.5 mph with his fastball. Cal Quantrill reached 94.0 mph with his fastball.
Corey Seager’s homer was 107.7 mph. Joc Pederson had a 104.5 mph groundout. Ezequiel Duran had a 101.2 mph GIDP. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.3 mph single.
Let’s finish the sweep on Sunday and break out Herbie.
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 07: Carson Benge (3) of the New York Mets makes a diving catch against the left field wall during the MLB game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 07, 2026 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Robert Stock’s second start for the Mets this season didn’t go nearly as well as his first, as the Mets were soundly defeated 9-0 by the Pirates, ending their short-lived winning streak.
Before yesterday’s game, the Mets added Gabriel Arias, who the Mets acquired off waivers from the Guardians, to the active roster and optioned Eric Wagaman to Triple-A as the corresponding move.
The Mets got very good news on Carson Benge yesterday, who has a bone bruise on his wrist but nothing more after smashing it into the wall making an incredible catch in Friday night’s game. Andy Green said Benge is not going on the injured list as of right now and is considered day-to-day.
The group of prospects the Mets acquired at the trade deadline have strings of connections that date back to before their time in pro ball. Maybe this will help the Mets replicate some of that Nova Knicks magic, writes Laura Albanese of Newsday.
Around the National League East
The Phillies fell to the Blue Jays 7-5 in eleven innings. Of note in this game besides Nathan Lukes’ thrilling go-ahead homer in the eleventh: both starting pitchers reached milestones. With his strikeout of Brandon Valenzuela in the second inning, Aaron Nola became just the seventh active player to notch 2,000 strikeouts for his career. Unfortunately, Nola was struck on the knee with a 104.8 mph comebacker in the sixth inning, which forced his exit from the game, but luckily X-rays were negative. Ironically enough, Nola’s opposition last night was one of the other active pitchers with 2,000 or more strikeouts; Max Scherzer passed Walter Johnson for sole possession of 10th place on Major League Baseball’s all-time strikeout list when he struck out Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning for the 3,516th punchout of his career.
The Marlins shut out the Angels 7-0 behind seven scoreless innings from Sandy Alcantara.
Gerrit Cole struck out nine in the Yankees’ 5-4 victory over the Braves on Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium.
Tommy John, the first to receive a revolutionary elbow surgery that now bears his name, shared an emotional message for fans on Old-Timers’ Day at Yankee Stadium, which he had to miss due to health issues.
Bryan Hoch of MLB.com recounted all of the festivities at yesterday’s star-studded event at Yankee Stadium, which included some father and son duos.
After retiring Ozzie Guillen’s No. 13, the White Sox notched victory number 60 on the season with a 6-3 victory over the Guardians—significant because it matches their win total from all of 2025.
COVERS INTEL: Cantillo is throwing the curve more, but that may be out of necessity, as the other pitches haven’t been effective. Foes are 
Jacob Misiorowski
Luis Arraez
Wilyer Abreu
