Aug 28, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter prior to the game against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Baltimore Ravens left nothing on the field on Friday night, dominating the Washington Commanders start to finish and leaving with a 41-3 victory to close out an undefeated preseason. Here are Baltimore Beatdown’s reactions to the win:
This was about as dominant of a performance that you will ever see. Baltimore’s defense was absolutely suffocating for the third game in a row this preseason. With so many quality players on defense, the Ravens are going to have to make several difficult decisions to get the roster down to 53 players. It was encouraging to see the rushing attack come alive on offense after struggling to get going in the first two games. Joe Fagnano had another excellent outing, making a strong case for Baltimore to carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. The lone negative from this game is of course the performance of Tyler Loop. Loop entered this game on shaky ground and may have forced the Ravens to go to the street to find another kicker after two more misses tonight. – Dustin Cox
If there’s one thing that I take away from this game, it’s part of a larger whole: this defensive staff looks like they’re going to do great things.
This game wasn’t even close, and much of that was owed to the defense being disruptive early and often. You saw PBUs in big spots, several plays where the ball-carrier was blown up in the backfield, and Ethan Burke with another impressive play as he forced a fumble. Even with the grain of salt that Washington’s O-line is in terrible shape, having this defense allow only a single touchdown across the entire preseason with their second and third team defenses out there is a testament to how organized Coaches Minter and Weaver have this bunch. If that side of the ball is as organized as it looks and the offense can keep LJ upright, this team is going to be a squad to be reckoned with. – Kevin McNelis
It was a dominant preseason debut for Jesse Minter’s Ravens, finishing 3-0 and only allowing one score in each of their three games. It’s hard to tell what roster questions were answered. Both Adam Randall and Rasheen Ali played well enough to justify carrying three or four backs. There’s no clear winner on the center starter. Even with Jenkins and Washington sitting out this game, they could still get traded with Peebles, Okoye, Benny and Olajiga all making plays to make the roster. Fagnano certainly made his case for keeping three quarterbacks but can the Ravens truly do that with how massive the roster crunch is this year? All three of Burke, Rucker, and Isaac made plays. In fact, with how many questions weren’t answered, we had another question added: will Tyler Loop make this roster? Loop only went 2/4 and his struggles from distance continued after going 1/5 last year from 50+. The Ravens should really consider signing a free agent. – Zach Canter
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - AUGUST 28: Cam Miller #15 of the Miami Dolphins slides after a run against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Miami Dolphins closed out their preseason schedule on Friday night, losing to the Atlanta Falcons in South Florida’s Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins played well for much of the game, at least well enough to not be blown out like they were in their first two preseason games.
Miami did not play their starters in the game, giving the roster bubble, depth, and developmental players a bigger opportunity to make their final pitch for a roster spot. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, they now finish the preseason without a win in three tries.
Next on the NFL calendar are roster cuts, which are due by 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. Waiver claims and practice squad signings will happen early next week, then the team will start their preparations for the regular season. Miami opens the season on September 13 at the Las Vegas Raiders.
Final Score
Falcons 17 – 12 Dolphins
Dolphins second-team defense stands up to Falcons starters
Miami elected to sit all of their starters for this game, using the final preseason game as a chance to get an extended look at the depth players one last time before cutdown day on Sunday. The Falcons played their starters, using the game to tune up the first team and prepare for the regular season. A philosophical coaching difference put a tough task in front of Miami’s second-team defense – but they stepped up to the test.
After Miami punted to end the opening drive of the game, the Falcons were able to drive down the field and score on a three-yard run from Brian Robinson, Jr., but the Miami defense stiffened after that.
After Miami kicked a field goal, Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, making his return to South Florida after six seasons with the Dolphins, fumbled the first snap of Atlanta’s second drive, with Miami linebacker Willie Gay, Jr., recovering. Miami was unable to score on the resulting possession, having a long field goal attempt blocked, but the defense again made something happen. On a 1st and 10 from the Miami 18-yard line, linebacker Tyrel Dodson hit Robinson on the ball and forced a fumble, with linebacker Jackson Woodard falling on the loose ball.
The first quarter ended during Miami’s possession and the Falcons pulled their first team on the next possession. Atlanta’s starters were only able to score a touchdown on three drives against Miami’s second-team defense, with the Dolphins getting two takeaways during the period. Tagovailoa finished the game 7-for-8 for 95 yards, 59 of them to tight end Kyle Pitts who had a 37 yard gain on the opening drive, and Robinson picked up 15 yards on five carries, including the touchdown push, so it was not perfect. But, overall, Miami’s second defense was able to stand up against the Falcons’ first-team offense.
Special teams could be key to making or missing the roster
Making an impact on special teams is an easy way to stand out among the crowd of players hoping to make it to the 53-man roster. Cornerback Ethan Bonner, who is likely already locked onto the roster, was flying downfield on the first punt from the team – he overran the tackle, but he was moving out there. Cameron Goode was in on the tackle on that punt, and he likely needs to get noticed on special teams to claim a roster spot.
Wide receiver Jalen Reagor had one catch for 17 yards for his offensive production, but his return work on kicks and punts is what makes him likely to stick around this year. He had one punt return for 10 yards and he returned three kicks for 96 yards, giving him a 32-yard average; his long return was 46 yards.
On the other end of the spectrum, punter Bradley Pinion continues to make me nervous for the season. Miami is going to need its punter to be consistent and a field-position-changing weapon, and Pinion has not been that this summer. He has some good kicks, but he shanks them just as often. After the Preseason Week 1 game against the Washington Commanders, I wrote, “Punter Bradley Pinion is a concern, with some of his kicks tonight seeming off. He may work off the rust and be ready by the regular season, but his performance tonight didn’t instill confidence.” Nothing tonight changed any of those concerns. I would not be surprised if the Dolphins start shopping for a punter – and given the adventure that was field goal attempts tonight, breaking up the long snapper to punter/holder to the kicker battery is not going to be a major issue.
Chris Bell makes impact
Rookie wide receiver Chris Bell, who was on the non-football injury list for much of the summer as he recovered from an ACL tear he sustained in his final year at Louisville, made his debut with the Dolphins on Friday night. He was targeted often early in the game, catching two passes for 22 yards.
The coaches rightfully got him out of the game fairly quickly, giving him just enough time to take some hits and play at the NFL speed, but then got him to the sideline and protected him for the regular season. It was a solid debut for the receiver.
Miami is proving to be allergic to the endzone
The Dolphins scored a touchdown on the opening drive of their first preseason game, the only drive the Miami starters played this summer. Miami did not score again in that game. Last week, they kicked a second-quarter field goal, their only points in the game. This week, they had a field goal in each quarter.
The Dolphins cannot find the end zone. Hopefully, their allergy to touchdowns is only a depth issue and not something the starters have developed as well.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski at least created a discussion
The Miami Dolphins will likely head into the regular season with Malik Willis as the starting quarterback and Quinn Ewers as the backup. Cam Miller started the game, then gave way to Mark Gronowski for the second half. Both players are likely to be waived in the roster cuts that are coming, but Miami could consider bringing one back to the practice squad – and Gronowski made an argument that he could stick around as a developmental option.
The undrafted rookie finished 4-for-8 for 97 yards, giving him a 94.3 passer rating. That is fine, but it was his ability to run for chunk yardage that could make him an interesting project. He rushed four times for 28 yards and looked fast. He may not stick around, especially since the Dolphins already cut him once this summer only to bring him back when Ewers was injured, but there might be enough there to warrant a practice squad spot.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - AUGUST 28: Jack Velling #84 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts to his touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium on August 28, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Falcons turned the ball over twice and still went into halftime with a 17-6 lead, which says a lot more about the Dolphins than it does the Falcons. Then things got predictably slow and ugly.
Atlanta’s offensive gameplan seemed to be heavily predicated on screens and short passes, and that had the dual effect of not revealing much of what Atlanta plans to get up to on offense this year and making this something of a slog. Tua Tagovailoa’s fumbled snap, Brian Robinson’s fumble, and a comically tipped and bobbled Jack Strand pass that was intercepted made for an ugly night, even if the Falcons were very obviously if narrowly the better team against Miami’s reserves. The defense got plenty of pressure and did a nice job against the run all night, but saw the cornerbacks implode a bit to give Miami a real shot at climbing back into this one.
Ultimately, the defensive effort up front and just enough offense combined to give Atlanta a 17-12 win, but that’s the less important result. The more important one is that the Falcons have enough information between these games and training camp to make the roster decisions they must make before Sunday at 6 p.m., especially at spots like running back, inside linebacker, and cornerback where the decisions might have been tougher before Friday night.
Here’s the drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.
1st Quarter
Jalen Reagor took the kickoff to about the 25 yard line, but an illegal formation call on the Dolphins backed them up immediately. A quick pass to Chris Bell picked up about five yards on a comeback route working against A.J. Terrell. A handoff to Carlos Washington Jr. (former Falcon sighting!) lost multiple yards after Samson Ebukam hit him. Cam Miller scrambled for a first down, but a penalty backed the Dolphins up 10 yards. Miller then ran backwards away from pressure and threw it away, with Brandon Dorlus almost getting him. The punt saw a nice return from Zachariah Branch that got the Falcons close to midfield.
Tua Tagovailoa took the field as the starting quarterback and hit Jahan Dotson for a first down. Brian Robinson Jr. was swallowed up on the secnod down carry for no gain. A penalty backed the Falcons up to 2nd and 17, and then Tua hit Kyle Pitts over the middle for six yards. On 3rd and 11, Pitts took a screen almost to the 10 yard line for 37 yards. Robinson then took it about seven yards through contact. Robinson then took it again and picked up the first down. On first down, Tua rolled away from pressure but had to throw it away. On second down, though, Robinson pushed his way through to the end zone to make it 7-0 Falcons.
Miller hit Jalen Tolbert, who made an impressive 19 yard leaping grab. Cameron Thomas then sacked Miller on first down. Miller then ran up the middle and slid to gain back the lost yardage. Miller then hit Bell over the middle for 18 yards. Washington then picked up three yards. Miller then threw it too low for Reagor, and then Mike Hughes and DeMarcco Hellams combined to knock out a pass to Bell. The field goal attempt was good to make it 7-3 Falcons.
The kick went out of bounds, giving the Falcons the ball at the 40. Unfortunately, Tua couldn’t get his hands on the snap and fumbled it, giving the Dolphins the ball around the 35.
Miller threw a floater that Bell nearly reeled in on the sideline, with CJ Henderson working in coverage. A quick pass to Tolbert picked up six or so yards but Henderson was there to wrestle him out of bounds. Miller then almost threw a pick as Mike Hughes and DeMarcco Hellams arrived. The field goal was blocked by Chris Williams, who made a hell of a leap.
A quick Tua pass to Brian Robinson went for eight yards. Then he hit Pitts over the middle and Pitts high stepped away from a tackle for a first down and much more. A quick sideline ball to Jahan Dotson went for about seven yards, and a penalty on Miami was declined. A false start on Jawaan Taylor backed the Falcons up. A quick pass from Tua to Dotson went for another first. Unfortunately, Robinson fumbled on the next carry and the Dolphins recovered.
Miller missed badly on first down. Washington got six yards on second down. Miller then tried to run and did not make it to the first down marker.
2nd Quarter
Dylan Drummond returned the punt for a handful of yards. Then a quick pass from Cooper Rush went for five yards, and a handoff to Tyler Goodson went nowhere. The Falcons did not pick up a first down on the next play. Punt.
A false start backed the Dolphins up. Miller then tried to roll out and Jammie Robinson got him. Washington then took a toss and got upended after about four yards. Miller held on to the ball too long and Harold Perkins Jr. got him with the sack as the ball squirted out of bounds. Punt.
Cooper Rush got away from pressure and hit Jack Velling for a first down. Goodson was stymied on first down. Then Rush hit Nick Muse just short of a first down, and the run was stuffed. A fourth down pass to Chris Blair was good for a first down. Rush then hit Nate Carter for a very small gain. Rush under pressure threw it very low and Blair scooped it for a first down. A quick pass to Goodson picked up five yards. Rush then folled out and hit Vinny Anthony for a first down. Goodson then pushed his way down to the three yard line. Rush then threw it a little behind a tumbling Drummond for an incompletion. On third down, though, Rush hit Jack Velling over the middle for a touchdown to make it 14-3 Falcons.
Reagor then got back to almost midfield on the return. Miller then completed a pass over the middle for a first down. A toss to Washington went for about two yards. A quick throw to Tolbert picked up four yards. Miller then had the pass dropped with Henderson hitting him. Riley Patterson juuuuust hit the 45 yard field goal try to make it 14-6 Falcons.
Goodson took it across the 30, but a penalty backed up the return. Rush patted it and then hit Drummond for about five yards. Rush then ran away from pressure and just missed Velling to the sideline. Rush under pressure tried to hit Blair and just missed him. Punt, and it was a beauty from Bailey to prevent much of a return.
Miller was almost sacked on first down by Christian Harris. Miller was under a ton of pressure on second down and then nearly threw a pick. Another incompletion followed, and then it was punt time. Bradley Pinion’s punt went out of bounds.
Cooper Rush then threw a low pass that Anthony tried to reel in but just couldn’t. Rush then got Velling for about eight yards over the middle. Rush then hit Blair again for a first down. Then Rush finally uncorked one after a lot of short passes, hitting Goodson in stride, with Goodson hitting a nice spin move and spiking it to set up the field goal try Nick Folk easily hit. 17-6 Falcons.
3rd Quarter
The punt was muffed, but recovered. Jack Strand handed it to Nate Carter for a good pickup, but a penalty on Atlanta backed things up. Strand then hit Keelan Marion for about six yards. Strand followed that up with a very quick pass to Muse for a couple of yards. Strand then tried to get away from pressure and was sacked on third down. Punt.
Washington made it nowhere on first down. Under pressure, new quarterback Mark Gronowski rolled away and threw it away. Gronowski then threw a pretty downfield ball and Terrace Marshall simply got leverage on Cobee Bryant to make the big grab. Gronowski then hit Tolbert for another first down, this one against Clark Phillips (who also got called for a pass interference call). Washington then picked up about six yards. Washington then almost picked up the first down and then almost got it again. On fourth down, Washington powered through before Phillips finally got him. Washington then tried to get a touchdown but was stymied at the one yard line. Then Washington was hit by Josh Woods and Carlos Allen Jr. on second down. Gronowski then threw it a bit low and the receiver couldn’t get it. A false start by the Dolphins backed them up, and they settled for the field goal. 17-9 Falcons.
Carter picked up three yards, and then made a couple defenders miss en route to another six yards. Strand then tried the sneak and came up just short. Punt, but a five yard penalty brought Bailey back out.
Gronowski got Reagor for a first down. That was followed by a one yard run. Gronowski then got blocking and went for a first down. Then Gronowski had a pass simply doink off a receiver’s hands, followed by a one yard run. Gronowski then ran for a first down again. The Dolphins then picked up a yard.
4th Quarter
Gronowski then threw for about seven yards. A faked handoff and scramble was stopped cold after a yard or two. Then there was a fumbled snap that Josh Woods recovered. Falcons ball.
A two yard gain beget a Strand pass to Cash Jones for seven yards. The third down carry went nowhere, and the team punted again.
A quick loss was offset by Falcons’ defensive holding. The subsequent first down run went nowhere, and a quick pass over the middle picked up six yards that moved back owing to an illegal formation call. A quick screen then went for a huge gain after multiple Falcons missed their shots. A fake handoff and deep shot fell incomplete after Reagor lost it, though he handily beat Malcolm DeWalt IV on the play. A quick run only picked up three yards. GroThe nowski was run out of bounds after losing a yard on a run. Punt.
Strand hit Antwane Wells Jr. for a first down, but a penalty backed things up. Strand then hit Anthony for about six yards over the middle. His next pass went off Nate Carter’s hands, was tipped off another Miami defender’s hands, and ultimately picked off.
On first down, Gronowski tried to run and James Pearce Jr. got him for no gain. Washington then got a yard or two. Gronowski then tried to run again and was taken down by Pearce again. The field goal try was good, making it 17-12 Falcons.
Vinny Anthony had a huge return, getting past midfield and further cementing his case for a spot. After a nothing first down, Strand then slid for a yard with nobody open and hit Wells for a first down. The Falcons then picked up nothing on the first down handoff to Jones. Strand then rolled out and hit Velling for about seven yards. Strand then faked the handoff and ran it for a first down. The Falcons then kneeled it out.
Aug 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches against the New York Mets during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Though the Mets struck first in this game, they ultimately fell to the Astros 3-1, as Hunter Brown out-dueled Christian Scott, who was let down by the usually solid Nate Lavender in the sixth.
Technical difficulties with both television broadcasts due to a power outage in the truck meant that just like everybody else, I did not see the first four outs of this game, but both teams went quietly in the first inning. This repeated itself in the second inning; Christian Scott induced three ground ball outs in the top of the frame and Francisco Lindor made a very nice play to his right on one of them. Hunter Brown struck out six Mets in the first three innings, while Scott still had no strikeouts through four, but was still efficient.
The Mets finally managed to break through against Hunter Brown in the bottom of the fourth. Francisco Lindor led things off with a single. Bo Bichette was then retired on a fly out, but Carson Benge then doubled off the center field wall and Lindor scored on an aggressive send by Tim Leiper. Luckily for the Mets, the relay throw was off line to an almost absurd degree and Lindor scored easily, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead. Brown avoided further damage in the inning and then wriggled his way out of a jam in the fifth when Marcus Semien hit a leadoff single and Luis Torrens advanced him to third with one out. This was another situation where the Astros had a chance to nab a Met on the base paths with an accurate throw, but again the throw—this time by Daulton Varsho from center—was comically inaccurate. But Brown rendered this irrelevant by getting A.J. Ewing, who continues to struggle mightily at the plate, to ground into a double play, as his month without any runs batted in continued.
The sixth turned out to be the decisive frame for the Astros. Scott, who had been cruising, struck out Jeremy Peña to lead off the inning, but then issued three straight walks, the third of which to Jose Altuve on nine pitches. That ended Scott’s evening just shy of 100 pitches and Andy Green turned to Nate Lavender to navigate out of the bases loaded jam. Unfortunately, Lavender—who had been so steady since being called up—cracked this time. Daulton Varsho muscled a low pitch into right field for a single to give the Astros a 2-1 lead. Yanier Diaz followed with a single of his own off the end of the bat to plate the third run of the inning. All three runs were charged to Scott, but they ended Lavender’s spotless record with inherited runners.
Jonathan Pintaro pitched a scoreless seventh for the Mets, thanks in part to an excellent stab by Bo Bichette on an Isaac Paredes hot shot to third, which Bichette was able to convert into an inning ending double play. In the bottom of the frame, Marcus Semien laced a single with two outs, which finally ended Hunter Brown’s night. Brown did what other Astros pitchers have mostly been unable to do this season: go deep into the ballgame. He made way for Bryan Abreu, who allowed Semien to advance into scoring position on a wild pitch, but he bounced back to strike out Brett Baty to end the threat.
Both Dedniel Núñez and Kodai Senga kept the Mets within striking distance with dominant innings in the eighth and ninth, respectively, each notching a pair of strikeouts. But the Mets were retired in order in the eighth by Abreu and in the ninth by Josh Hader, who earned his 20th save of the season.
Big Mets winner: Christian Scott, +12% WPA Big Mets loser: Nate Lavender, -26% WPA Mets pitchers: -6% WPA Mets hitters: -44% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Carson Benge’s RBI double in the fourth, +14.7% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Daulton Varsho’s go-ahead RBI single in the sixth, -24.4% WPA
The 2026-27 season is almost here for the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs are entering this campaign with the goal of taking another step forward from their very successful 2025-26 season.
The Canadiens also have multiple pending free agents heading into the new season.
Due to this, here is a complete list of the Canadiens' pending unrestricted free agents and pending restricted free agents heading into the 2026-27 season.
Canadiens' Pending UFAs
Josh Anderson, F
Kirby Dach, F
Phillip Danault, F
Alexandre Carrier, D
Samuel Montembeault, G
Alex Belzile, F
Lucas Condotta, F
Reilly Walsh, D
Kaapo Kahkonen, G
Samuel Poulin, F (Group 6 Pending UFA)
Canadiens' Pending RFAs
Alex Newhook, F
Oliver Kapanen, F
Brett Berard, F
Jayden Struble, D
Florian Xhekaj, F
Filip Mesar, F
Owen Beck, F
Sasha Pastujov, F
Jared Davidson, F
Hunter McKown, F
Adam Engstrom, D
Ethan Samson, D
Maksymilian Szuber, D
Canadiens Have Some Notable Players Entering The Final Years Of Their Contracts
When looking at the Canadiens' pending UFAs and RFAs, there are a few notable names. Among the most notable are Newhook, Anderson, Dach, Kapanen, Carrier, Danault, Struble, and Montembeault. With that, the Canadiens will have some decisions to make, but especially with their pending UFAs.
It will be interesting to see how these players can perform during their contract years from here.
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 28: Dylan Cease #84 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre on August 28, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite working with some of his worst stuff of the season, Dylan Cease carved through the Mariners’ lineup tonight. The Cy Young frontrunner did it the same way he did when he faced Seattle two months ago: sliders and changeups tumbling, pushing the Mariners to chase the fastball high. The meanest pitch was the one sinker he threw, a beauty that started out of the zone and snuck back in, freezing J.P. Crawford like a statue. Frankly, it was excessive.
Across two starts against the Mariners this season, Cease now has 17 strikeouts in 13 innings, against two walks and seven hits. For a guy who’s more of a whiff generator, the 33 called strikes stand out as a master class in getting what should be a good offense utterly puzzled as to what’s happening.
But even while he’s been locked in, he has not mastered his own humanity. And a classic human failing is hubris. So when he got Dominic Canzone to just stare helplessly at a middle-middle fastball in the first inning, Cease thought he could do no wrong. He tried it again. It didn’t go as well. A 113-mph rocket to right field gave Dom his 20th home run of the season. He’s gone yard off of four-seamers, two-seamers, cutters, sliders, curveballs, changeups, and splitters. He’s hit ‘em on the road and he’s hit em’ at home, on native soil and abroad, against righties and against lefties. It’s been a minute since we got a Dom bomb, but he’s been looking just fine, and you cannot sneak the same pitch by him twice, even if you’re one of the best pitchers in the game. This big fly, essentially the Mariners only offense in a blowout, and a salve from the barrage of hits off the bat of George Springer, gets Canzone his third Sun Hat Award.
The Mets offense couldn't muster much of anything in a 3-1 loss in the team's home series opener against the Houston Astros.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Right-handed flamethrower Hunter Brown didn't allow a single Mets baserunner until the third inning, when Marcus Semien drew a walk to lead off the frame.
-- Francisco Lindor led off the following inning with a single to notch the first Mets hit of the night. With one out, Carson Benge drove Lindor all the way home from first base with a double which clattered off the wall in center field. Benge moved up to third base on a Luis Robert Jr. ground out, but Jared Young flied out to left field to leave him on base with the Mets leading 1-0.
-- Brown escaped a jam in the fifth, with the Mets putting runners on first and third with one out. A.J. Ewing grounded into a double play.
-- Mets starter Christian Scott held the Astros to just one hit through five innings. However, in the sixth inning, after striking out Jeremy Pena to open the inning, Scott lost control, walking three straight batters to load the bases. Interim skipper Andy Green took the ball from his starter and called in lefty Nate Lavender from the bullpen. Lavender allowed his first runs (inherited, not earned) of 2026 when Daulton Varsho golfed a low breaking ball on an 0-2 count into right field to drive in two runners. The Astros tacked on a third run in the inning after Yainer Diaz poked a soft line drive into right field to beat New York's defensive shift. The inning ended with the Mets trailing 3-1.
-- After the wheels fell off in the sixth inning when all three Astros batters he walked came around to score, Scott's final line was stamped in as 5.1 IP, one hit allowed, five walks allowed, two strikeouts, and three earned runs across 96 pitches.
-- Semien's second single of the night finally knocked Brown out of the ballgame in the seventh inning. Houston's ace pitched to the tune of 6.2 innings, 10 strikeouts, one walk, five hits, and one earned run allowed. Bryan Abreu came in to relieve Brown with two outs away, and his wild pitch allowed Semien to advance to second base, but Abreu battled back to strike out Brett Baty and end the seventh inning.
-- Astros closer Josh Hader notched his 20th save of the season to put the nail in the coffin on a 3-1 Mets loss.
Game MVP: Hunter Brown
Brown was dominant all night, delivering a much-needed performance for an Astros team that is clinging onto a narrow lead in the AL West.
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 28: George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during a game against the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre on August 28, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Blue Jays 8, Mariners 1
Notes from a secret admirer: Dominic Canzone, +0.03 WPA Keeping secrets: Emerson Hancock, -0.26 WPA
TAMPA, Fla — The Tampa Bay Rays got county approval Friday on a financing plan that will allow them to build a new stadium, a day after city officials approved their part for the $2.3 billion ballpark project that will replace the domed Tropicana Field.
The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 on Friday to approve its $796 million share of the mixed-use entertainment district that includes a new 31,000-seat stadium that will be near Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rays’ new stadium is expected to open in 2029. The Tampa City Council city voted 4-3 on Thursday to approve $80 million.
Rays CEO Ken Babby said the team’s partnership with the county and city on the project secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay.
“We now look forward to celebrating before breaking ground with Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa on a future that has long been doubted, but will indeed happen,” Babby said. “By making the Forever Home a reality, the Rays are now home forever in Tampa Bay.”
The Rays have committed to contributing at least $1.3 billion, plus any cost overruns. Another $30 million will come from federal disaster recovery funds.
The Rays ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and entertainment district on the campus and to renovate some of the school’s buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across a highway from the NFL stadium.
Since the team’s inception in 1998, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, except for moving home games to the Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025 following hurricane damage at the Trop. The Rays’ lease runs through at least the 2028 season. The team returned to the Trop last month for the start of this season.
A proposed $1.3 billion redevelopment deal for a new ballpark adjacent to the Trop fell through last year, raising new questions about the future of the team, which was bought last September by Patrick Zalupski’s ownership group.
“This has been a long and challenging process, and we know that transformational projects rarely come easily,” Zalupski said Friday. “Today’s vote represents an extraordinary milestone, not simply for the Rays or for a ballpark, but for the future of Tampa and the entire Tampa Bay region.”
The 2026-27 season is right around the corner. The Columbus Blue Jackets are entering this season with the hope of taking a step forward and getting back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Blue Jackets are also entering this season with multiple players who are pending free agents, both unrestricted and restricted.
Because of this, here's a full list of the Blue Jackets' pending free agents ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Blue Jackets' Pending UFAs
Danton Heinen, F
Isaac Lundestrom, F
Erik Gudbranson, D
Jake Christiansen, D
Elvis Merzlikins, G
Pheonix Copley, G
Owen Sillinger, F
Blue Jackets' Pending RFAs
Kirill Marchenko, F
Dmitri Voronkov, F
Kent Johnson, F
Luca Del Bel Belluz, F
Denton Mateychuk, D
Joshua Eernisse, F
Riley Bezeau, F
Max McCue, F
Jordan Dumais, F
James Malatesta, F
Guillaume Richard, D
Caleb MacDonald, D
Corson Ceulemans, D
Nolan Lalonde, G
Marchenko Headlines The Blue Jackets' Pending Free Agents
When looking at the Blue Jackets' pending free agents, it is clear that Marchenko is the biggest one. The star pending RFA winger has been the subject of trade speculation this summer, and it will be interesting to see if Columbus can convince him to stick around.
However, the Blue Jackets have other notable players like Johnson, Voronkov, and Mateychuk who will be due for new deals after this season.
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 22: Blade Tidwell #46 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the game at Fenway Park on August 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants continue this four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight from Oracle Park.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Blade Tidwell, who enters tonight’s game with a 3.58 ERA, 3.51 FIP, with 27 strikeouts to 12 walks in 32.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, in which he allowed just three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five and two thirds innings.
He’ll be facing off against Diamondbacks left-handed rookie Kohl Drake, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.40 ERA, 5.48 FIP, with 13 strikeouts to six walks in 16.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Diamondbacks’ 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on August 6th, in which he allowed three runs on six hits with one strikeout and one walk in three and two thirds innings.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 28: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a first inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers (81-54) snapped their mini losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Tigers (62-72) Friday night in Detroit.
Tarik Skubal wasn’t involved in the decision, but his return to Comerica Park was a success. He allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks over six innings of work.
The Dodgers had tons of traffic all night, but they failed to cash in a whopping 15 men left on base. Skubal and the bullpen did a solid job in taming the bats of some good young players in the Detroit lineup.
Skubal returned to the mound at Comerica Park to a mixed response and weak ovation. Gleyber Torres welcomed him back with a booming double to center field to start things off for the Tigers.
Skubal struck out the side in the bottom of the fourth, picking up six strikeouts. Max Clark whiffed against the change to open the third. Skubal came back to strikeout Javier Baez with his fastball for strikeout no. 5, and Gleyber Torres looked at a changeup for strike 3 and another Skubal strikeout.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, chasing Anderson from the game a bit early. Teoscar Hernández opened the inning with a single, and Ohtani walked.
Drew Sommers relieved his fellow Drew (Anderson) out of the Detroit bullpen to face Muncy with the bases loaded. Sommers got the job done, striking out Muncy with the four-seamer to strand another three runners. The Dodgers already left seven men on base through five innings to that point.
Skubal was perfect after the leadoff Torres double to start the game, but Eduardo Valencia broke up the streak with a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh.
The Tigers’ No. 1 prospect Clark figured out Skubal in his second at-bat against him. His RBI triple lit up the crowd and put the Tigers ahead 1-0 against their old friend Skubal and his new team.
Kiké Hernández singled to right after Tucker reached second on an error, but Dino Ebel gave Tucker an aggressive wave home. Ben Malgeri threw him out at the plate from right field. Even when they managed a hit with runners in scoring position, the Dodgers failed to score.
Miguel Rojas was the one who came up with the game-tying pinch-hit single against Sommers.
The Dodgers loaded the bases in the seventh against the Detroit bullpen, but they failed to capture the go-ahead run.
Evan Phillips took over for Skubal out of the Dodgers bullpen and struck out the side on 10 pitches. Phillips has been back on track in his last 4-5 relief appearances.
Teoscar opened the eighth inning with a single and advanced to second on a Ben Rortvedt sac bunt. Teoscar moved to third on Ohtani’s groundout.
Freeman’s two-out base hit to center finally gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
The Dodgers finally put together a key double play of their own in the bottom of the eighth behind Brock Stewart. It got Stewart off the hook for a leadoff walk to Clark and Brett Callahan base hit.
Tanner Scott got the ball in the ninth and shut the door on the Tigers for his 20th save of the season and halted the mini losing skid.
Friday particulars
Home runs: none
WP — Evan Phillips (2-2): 1 IP, 3 strikeouts
LP — Jacob Waguespack (1-2): 1 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run
S — Tanner Scott (20): 2 strikeouts in 1 IP
Up next
The Dodgers and Pirates continue the series on Saturday (10:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Blake Snell (2-1, 2.57 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) counters Keider Montero (9-8, 3.30 ERA, 1.00 WHIP).
In his first game back in Detroit since being traded to the Dodgers, Tarik Skubal held the Tigers to four hits and one run in the Dodgers' 2-1 victory. (Paul Sancya / Associated Press)
As Tarik Skubal crossed the field from the bullpen, he had to crane his neck to catch part of the tribute video playing on the massive screen behind him.
By the time he reached the Dodgers dugout, the crowd rose to give him an ovation. Skubal controlled his expression and wiped his face with the towel draped over his neck.
Less than four weeks ago, he said goodbye to the only organization he’d known — the Detroit Tigers drafted him in 2018 out of Seattle University. Now, he was back in the ballpark he’d called home for six years.
In the Dodgers’ 2-1 win Friday, Skubal showed why he was widely considered the best player available at the trade deadline, holding the Tigers to one run and four hits over six innings. The Dodgers’ offense continued to scuffle but did just enough to bounce back from a three-game sweep in Atlanta — the 14th time this month they played a game decided by a single run.
Skubal’s reception included some boos (and “Scuuuub”s) as he took the mound. Even though the trade was out of Skubal’s control, a faction of the Tigers fan base — including this reporter’s rideshare driver from the airport — was upset Skubal never reached an agreement for a contract extension with Detroit (62-72).
The Tigers’ last publicly discussed extension offer was four years and $75 million at the end of 2024 — which drastically pales in comparison to the contract he’s expected to garner in free agency this offseason.
The mutual affection between the player and Detroit, however, took center stage Friday, even as Skubal tamed the Tigers’ offense.
He quickly reined in his emotions. After a delay for a PitchCom malfunction, Skubal gave up a leadoff double to Detroit’s Gleyber Torres on a fastball down the middle. But then the left-hander retired the next 12 batters.
Skubal struck out the side in the third inning, getting Max Clark to swing through a changeup, Javier Báez to chase a high fastball and Torres to watch an off-speed pitch clip the bottom of the zone.
That streak ended with a double up the left-field line from Eduardo Valencia, who turned on an inside slider to lead off the fifth. Then with two outs, Clark stayed back on an outside fastball and sent it the other way for a triple that drove in the game’s first run.
Skubal induced Báez to fly out to center field and punched the palm of his glove on his way off the field.
The Dodgers (81-54) missed a chance to tie with one out in the sixth, when Kyle Tucker was thrown out at home trying to score on a pinch-hit single by Kiké Hernández. But they salvaged the inning when Teoscar Hernández drew a walk and Miguel Rojas smoked a single through the infield to tie the score.
In the seventh, the Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs and failed to squeeze in a run.
Evan Phillips took over on the mound in the bottom of the inning. Skubal’s pitch count stood at only 83, but he had thrown 100 pitches in each of his previous two starts.
The Dodgers finally took the lead in the eighth, manufacturing a run with singles from Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman on either side of a sacrifice bunt from Ben Rortvedt.
Jets rookie running back Chip Trayanum was injured on the final play of the first half in Friday night's preseason game against the Giants.
Giants linebacker Trace Ford reached Trayanum just as quarterback Cade Klubnik handed the ball to Trayanum on the final play of the first half. Ford trucked Trayanum, who remained on the ground as medical personnel worked on him for several minutes.
Many of the Jets remained on the field, taking a knee and watching with concern.
Rich Cimini of ESPN reports that Trayanum appeared to be wearing a neck brace as he was strapped into the cart.
Trayanum had 12 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown and caught two passes for 25 yards in the first half.
The Jets report that Trayanum is headed to the hospital, but is awake, alert and has movement in his extremities.
They have ruled out sixth-round rookie guard Anez Cooper (shoulder).
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 28: Starting pitcher Michael Wacha #52 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
What is there to say about Michael Wacha at this point? Do you think any teams are regretting not blowing the Royals away with an offer for him at the trade deadline? All I can say for sure is that the Royals and Royals fans can be very happy he’s still in KC, as he led the team to a 3-0 victory over the Guardians tonight.
Prior to tonight, Wacha’s best start of the season was back on April 11 when he pitched eight shutout innings against the White Sox. Tonight he matched that but struck out more, walked fewer, and allowed the same number of hits. To be specific, he gave up four hits (all singles), walked none, and struck out ten. Pretty damn good.
Early on, he looked fine but not utterly dominant. He got the first six outs in order, but only struck out one. The third inning was the first (and, as it turns out, only) inning he allowed multiple baserunners. In the bottom of the fourth, that all changed when he got José Ramírez to pop out to Carter Jensen, then struck out Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe. From then on, he struck out six while allowing only two more baserunners, including a strikeout looking of Steven Kwan to record his final out in the eighth. That made the first time Michael Wacha had struck out double digits in a game since he struck out 11 against KC for the Padres back in 2023.
The Royals’ offense appreciates the heck out of him for it because it was not a good night for them. They had multiple scoring opportunities, but struggled to get any of them home. Tanner Bibee got a lot of soft flyouts and popouts. The Royals’ only run of the night was scored in the fifth inning. Bobby Witt Jr. torched a ball over 110 MPH off the top of the high wall in left field. Jac Caglianone had gone 2-for-2 with a pair of singles prior to that point and hit a jam shot into right that Petey Halpin managed to run down, advancing Bobby to third. Then Salvy smoked a grounder that required Bryan Rochio to dive for it to keep it on the infield, but allowed Bobby to score easily.
The ninth inning was shaping up to be a disaster for the offense. Isaac Collins led off with a line drive into right that clanked off the glove of Jo Adell. Josh Rojas bunted him over to third, then the Royals pinch-ran Tyler Tolbert for him. The broadcast speculated that Kyle Isbel might attempt to squeeze him home, but instead Kyle swung away and struck out on a nasty Craig Yoho changeup. With two strikes, Carter Jensen seemed doomed to offer an encore of Isbel’s performance, and longtime Royals fans could just feel the Guardians gearing up for a walk-off win in the ninth off of Steven Cruz. But Yoho chose to offer a cutter to Carter instead of the changeup, and Carter got just enough of it to get it off the top of the wall and over.
The Missile still came on for the save in the ninth. He allowed two singles and a hit by pitch, but struck out a pair, including Ramírez, and got a soft ground out to end the game. So no harm was done.
Coming into tonight, both teams had been extremely hot and hitting the tar out of the ball. So naturally we had a low-scoring contest. But the good guys came out on top, and that’s what matters. They’ve got two more games in Cleveland and in August. Winning both of them would go a long way toward letting the dreamers dream.
The Royals will have a very tough matchup tomorrow afternoon. Seth Lugo (4.61 ERA, 4.51 SIERA) will go for KC. Foster Griffin (3.19 ERA, 3.86 SIERA) will go for Cleveland. The game will be at 3:10 Royals time. See you then.
