Major League Baseball's 2026 playoff race is heating up as the season enters its final month, with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the wide-open wild-card races, particularly in the American League.
Entering play Wednesday, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have the top two wild card spots all but locked up, but there's seven teams separated by less than five games for the AL's final postseason berth. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays try to fight off their AL East rivals for the top spot in the division.
It's time to get the dinger train back on the rails after a great August run that has made up a ton of ground. It's an afternoon getaway Wednesday with a lot of MLB player props and four-baggers to choose from.
The Nationals have to be on the card today, and CJ Abrams is the obvious choice at his current price. Plus, it's time to test the "day after theory" as I'm going back to Vinnie Pasquantino vs. the Jays' bullpen.
These are my favorite home run props for Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
CJ Abrams
+321
Vinnie Pasquantino
+588
Home run pick: CJ Abrams (+321)
CJ Abrams has the fourth-best probability to go deep today, and his home run price at +300 or better is a buy for me. He gets the best home run matchup in Colorado's Tanner Gordon, who has the worst HR/9 among all starters today since the beginning of last season.
Gordon is a fringe starter and is only in the rotation because the Rockies released Michael Lorenzen. As a starter (six games), he owns a 1.028 OPS against, with seven homers allowed in just 28+ innings. Batters are killing him the second time through the order, slashing .383/.453/.617. But even in the first plate appearance, hitters have a .673 slugging against Gordon.
The Nationals could put up seven runs today, and all their starters are live on the longball, but I'll take a soon-to-be 30-HR hitter at a price on the good side of three dollars. Nationals Park also ranks as the third-best park for home runs today, per Ball Park Pal.
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Rockies.TV
Home run pick: Vinnie Pasquantino (+588)
I want another piece of the Royals offense today in the second-best HR park, facing the Jays on a bullpen day after Toronto already used five bullpen arms in yesterday’s series opener.
Bobby Witt is +EV, but the Blue Jays intentionally walked him yesterday, which scares me a little. Losing 20-25% of your chances to go deep is not something I want to deal with, so I’ll get back on the Pasquatch today at a price a little shorter than yesterday.
Vinnie Pasquantino at +500 or better is the route I want after betting him at +600 yesterday. I had a fair price of +450 yesterday, and that number is maybe 20-25 points higher today. With Jac Caglianone banged up, Pasquantino is the best hitter in this lineup right now, posting a .656 SLG over the last 30 days with a 54.8% fly-ball rate that paces the club.
Walking Witt to get to Vinnie is going to backfire on the Jays today.
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Sportsnet, Royals.TV
Josh Inglis' 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 32-163, -10.7 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.
The Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks both rank Top-5 in win rate against left-handed starters.
Given the home team has the pitcher with a much better track record at suppressing runs, I'm backing Arizona with my Cubs vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Who will win Cubs vs Diamondbacks today: Diamondbacks moneyline (-115)
They rank near the top of the league in almost every major offensive category while also owning the best winning percentage when facing a southpaw.
Chicago Cubs starter Matthew Boyd enters this contest in poor form, sporting a 4.787 ERA and 5.47 SIERA over the past month.
Eduardo Rodriguez has allowed a barrel rate of just 3% and walked only 3.8% of opposing batters during the same stretch. That profile will help him limit Chicago’s offense.
Cubs vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-105)
The Cubs are a good offense, but they’re running a little hot against left-handed pitching. They lead the majors in wOBA this month despite sitting 19th in hard hit rate. E-Rod is capable of slowing them down.
Arizona’s lineup isn’t quite as potent without Ketel Marte, who leads their team in ISO while trailing only Corbin Carroll in wOBA against lefties.
His absence takes a healthy bite out of their lineup and gives Boyd a better chance of putting together a competent start.
I’d play the under to -113.
Cubs vs Diamondbacks home run prediction: Nolan Arenado (+540)
There’s a lot to like with Nolan Arenado in this matchup. He has hit for more power against lefties while Boyd has bled homers to right-handed hitters, allowing 1.82 HR/9.
Boyd attacks batters with a steady dose of fastballs and changeups. That’s music to the ears of Arenado, who owns ISOs of .452 and .304 against those pitches when thrown by southpaws.
Priced at +540 to leave the yard, there's plenty of value in backing Arenado this afternoon. Play this to +500.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 90-82, -10.35 units
Over/Under bets: 86-80-6, -5.80 units
Cubs vs Diamondbacks weather
This game will be played indoors.
Cubs vs Diamondbacks odds
Moneyline: Cubs -105 | Diamondbacks -115
Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+155) | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-180)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-115) | Under 8.5 (-105)
Cubs vs Diamondbacks trend
The Diamondbacks have cashed the moneyline in 29 of the last 50 games for +11.15 units and a 19% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Cubs vs Diamondbacks and game info
Location
Chase Field, Phoenix, Ariz.
Date
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026
First pitch
3:40 p.m. ET
TV
Marquee, Diamondbacks.TV
Cubs starting pitcher
Matthew Boyd (8-2, 4.15 ERA)
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (13-4, 2.61 ERA)
Cubs vs Diamondbacks 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.
ATLANTA — LeBron James’ growing passion for golf now includes a partnership with the PGA Tour announced Tuesday that will bring a two-day tournament to Firestone Country Club in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, next summer to connect youth with aspiring professionals.
The LeBron James Family Foundation Invitational will be played July 6-7 on the South course at Firestone, where the PGA Tour recently ended a 72-year run.
The event is to include mentorship that connect students from James’ “I Promise” program with players who advanced through the tour’s Pathway to Progression Pro-Bound Five that creates spots for college players in the Advocates Professional Golf Association circuit.
James, who signed a two-year deal to play with the Philadelphia 76ers, recently launched his own YouTube Golf channel, which began with a golf trip to Scotland with former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates.
“Golf has become a passion of mine, and I’ve seen firsthand how the game can open doors, build relationships and create opportunities that many kids don’t even know exist,” James said in a release. “This partnership with the PGA Tour gives my foundation a chance to introduce my ‘I Promise’ students and more people to the game at a young age, support talented athletes chasing their dreams, and continue investing in the city of Akron that means everything to me.”
The “I Promise” program serves Akron-area students and their families by providing them with the programs, support and resources to succeed in school and beyond. The idea behind the two-day tournament is to introduce them to golf through community programs while creating opportunities for those getting onto the APGA.
“The PGA Tour believes golf can create opportunity, change lives and bring communities together,” said Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour’s CEO and commissioner. “LeBron and the LeBron James Family Foundation have shown what is possible when that commitment is backed by action, and this partnership brings that shared vision to life.”
Rolapp also said the partnership gives the PGA Tour a presence at Firestone. The course had been part of the golf landscape dating to the 1954 Rubber City Open. It since hosted two PGA Championships, the World Series of Golf and a World Golf Championship that Tiger Woods won eight times.
It became a PGA Tour Champions major until announcing that it was leaving this year for California.
“The LeBron James Family Foundation is very proud to be part of preserving the PGA Tour’s presence in our community,” said Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. “With this event, we’re excited to not only support more diverse golfers getting into the game, but to also expose our ‘I Promise’ students and more youth in Akron to the world of possibilities that golf opens up.”
WICHITA, KS - AUGUST 16: Jason Schiavone #44 of the Corpus Christi Hooks rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Wichita Wind Surge at Equity Bank Park on Sunday, August 16, 2026 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Lathe Cobb/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (66-60) lost 6-5 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Biggio RBI single. They got another run in the 2nd inning on a Cole RBI single. Hendrickson started for Sugar Land and went 3 innings allowing 3 runs. In the 5th inning, Cole added a solo home run. Santos relieved Hendrickson and allowed 2 unearned runs. Sugar Land rallied late getting a run in the 8th on a Brooks groundout and a run in the 9th on a Biggio RBI single to tie it. The game went to extra innings and in the 10th, the Aviators walked it off as Sugar Land fell 6-5.
Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (57-64) lost 7-3 (BOX SCORE)
Dombroski started for the Hooks and allowed 4 runs over 4 innings of work. The Hooks got on the board in the 4th inning on a Schiavone solo home run. Leach relieved Dombroski and allowed 3 runs. In the 6th, Schiavone connected on a 2 run home run. The game was called in the bottom of the 6th due to rain as the Hooks fell 7-3.
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (41-78) lost 6-3 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville got a run in the first inning on a Moss sac fly. Potter started for Asheville but struggled allowing 4 runs over 3 innings of work. The offense got another run in the 5th on an error, but the Keys responded with 2 more in the 6th to extend their lead. Walker connected on a solo home run in the 8th but that was it from the offense as Asheville fell 6-3.
Nick Potter, RHP: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Yeriel Santos, RHP: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (65-53) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)
Smith started for the Woodpeckers and allowed 2 runs over 5 innings, with both runs coming in the first inning. The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 5th inning on a Flores solo home run. They scored another run in the 6th on a Piasecki double. Cassedy pitched in relief tossing 3 scoreless innings. The Woodpeckers took the lead in the 7th on a Nowak RBI double. Uebelhor struck out the side in the 9th inning as the Woodpeckers won 3-2.
Kinley Rasmus of Phenix City Little League, daughter of former Major League pitcher Cory Rasmus, has emerged as one of the breakout stars of this year’s Little League World Series. Shining as both a pitcher and a hitter, Kinley has delivered a series of record-breaking performances in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
At the plate in this LLWS, Kinley has tied the all-time tournament record for a girl with five total hits. She delivered a crucial RBI double to left field against California, becoming just the fifth girl in tournament history to achieve a multi-hit game. Against Tacoma, Washington, she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
On the pitching side, Kinley has 14 total strikeouts in the tournament, tying the all-time LLWS record for a girl set by Mo’ne Davis. She also recorded eight strikeouts in a single game, matching the single-game record during her debut against Washington.
With three straight wins under their belt, Phenix City has advanced to the elimination round and is set to face West Side Little League from Hamilton, Ohio, on Wednesday.
Kinley Rasmus is one of just two girls competing in the 2026 Little League World Series. The talented young athlete carries on a baseball legacy as the daughter of former Major League pitcher Cory Rasmus, who played for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels during his professional career.
Cory Rasmus himself once played for the very same Phenix City Little League team, helping them reach the LLWS championship game back in 1999.
Does Kinley have any other famous relatives?
Yes, Kinley's uncle is Colby Rasmus, a former MLB outfielder. The 10-year MLB veteran played for five teams from 2009 to 2018, beginning his career with the St. Louis Cardinals before moving on to the Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, and Baltimore Orioles.
Kinley Rasmus Little League World Series stats
Game 1 vs. Washington: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K (Pitching); 1 BB (Batting)
Game 2 vs. California: 2-for-2, 1 BB, 1 RBI double
Game 3 vs. Pennsylvania: 1-for-3, RBI single (Batting); 6 K (Pitching)
Game 4 vs. Washington: 2-for-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI (Broke the all-time hits record)
Promoter says negotiations are subject to a time limit
‘They won’t let it go past the end of next week’
Frank Warren believes that the tortuous negotiations surrounding the proposed fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are subject to a time limit which will run out by the end of next week. Conceding that he is unsure if the much-delayed bout will happen, Warren also said the decision now depends solely on Joshua and that Fury, whom he promotes, is already in training in the US and ready to fight an alternative opponent in November.
“Nothing’s been signed off as yet,” Warren said in regard to a revised contract for Fury and Joshua to fight in New York. “Everybody’s talking and talking rather than getting on with the business and getting it done. I think it will happen and if it doesn’t, and I think there’s a time limit on it, by the way, it will be one of those fights that slipped by.
The Philadelphia Phillies (73-60) and the Seattle Mariners (64-69) wrap up their three-game interleague series this afternoon at T-Mobile Park, with the Mariners looking for a sweep after winning the first two games.
Last night George Kirby was dominant, and Cal Raleigh went yard for the fourth time in the last two days as the Mariners secured the series last night with a 4-1 win.
The Phillies struck first in the second inning when rookie outfielder Justin Crawford delivered an RBI single that scored Bryson Stott. However, Seattle answered immediately when Raleigh crushed a solo homer to right field. The blast was Raleigh's 18th homer of the season and remarkably gave him homers in four consecutive at-bats, matching a Mariners’ franchise record previously set by Mike Cameron in 2002. After the early exchange of runs, Kirby took command. The Seattle right-hander worked 7⅔ innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out nine. The Mariners finally broke the tie in the sixth when Josh Naylor lined a run-scoring single to center, scoring Julio Rodríguez to give Seattle the lead for good. Dominic Canzone ripped a two-run single into left-center field in the seventh, extending the lead to 4-1. Philadelphia starter Aaron Nola deserved a better fate, allowing only two runs over six innings while striking out seven. But the Phillies' offense could not solve Kirby after the second inning and managed just three baserunners over the final seven frames. Seattle closer Andrés Muñoz recorded the save as the Mariners improved to 2-0 in the series.
The loss dropped Philadelphia to 4.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East and to just three games up on the Diamondbacks in the chase for a Wild Card spot. Seattle remains in third in the AL West but pulled to within 2.5 games of the Astros in the division and within three of the final Wild Card spot.
Philadelphia turns to Jesús Luzardo (11-5, 3.23 ERA) to try and salvage the final game of the series. The Phillies have won each of his last four starts. Last Friday, the southpaw allowed two earned runs over 5.2 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. Luzardo has allowed five earned runs this month over 27.1 innings. Seattle counters with Bryan Woo (9-8, 4.10 ERA. Woo is 7-0 at home with a 1.96 ERA this season. In his most recent start back on August 16 in Houston, the righthander allowed two runs over six innings in a 3-2 Astros win.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Phillies vs. Mariners
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The Latest Odds: Phillies vs. Mariners
The latest odds as of Wednesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Philadelphia Phillies (-124), Seattle Mariners (+116)
Julio Rodriguez is 3-7 including 1 HR in his career against Jesus Luzardo
Taylor Ward has struck out 7 times in 9 ABs against Luzardo
Josh Naylor is 3-5 in his career against Luzardo
The Phillies as a team are batting a collective .167 against Bryan Woo in their careers
Bryan Woo has struck out 5+ opposing hitters in each of his last 8 starts
Jesus Luzardo has struck out 9 or more hitters in each of his last 3 starts and in 4 of his last 6
Cal Raleigh has hit 4 HRs through the first 2 games of this series
J.P. Crawford picked up a hit last night after going without one the previous 3 games (0-11)
Bryce Harper has hit safely in 4 straight games (7-14) with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored
Trea Turner is 0-12 over his last 3GP and 2-21 over his last 5GP
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Phillies vs. Mariners
The Mariners are an MLB-worst 51-82 on the Run Line this season
The Phillies are an NL-worst 54-79 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 68 times in Mariners’ 133 games this season (68-58-7)
The OVER has cashed 61 times in the Phillies’ 133 games this season (61-64-8)
Expert picks & predictions: Phillies vs. Mariners
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s game between the Phillies and the Mariners:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Mariners on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
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Dodgers owner Mark Walter, left, and team president Stan Kasten meet before Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at American Family Field. (Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
TWG Global — the holding company of Dodgers owner Mark Walter — rejected allegations of financial impropriety in the purchase and operation of the Dodgers and reiterated the team is not for sale.
At a time insurance regulators and federal investigators are looking into allegations that insurance companies under Walter’s umbrella did not properly disclose and conduct transactions between other companies he controls, and after Walter sold his controlling interest in the Lakers at a record $12.5 billion valuation, potential bidders have monitored whether the Dodgers might be sold as well.
In a statement Tuesday, TWG Global decried “multipronged attacks against TWG … by unnamed sources with self-serving interests” and said no insurance policyholder has been hurt as a result of the company’s financial transactions.
“There is no victim here,” the statement said. “No one has been harmed, and no one has claimed they were harmed.”
In 2012, when Walter and his partners bought the Dodgers for $2 billion, The Times reported the use of $1.2 million from Guggenheim Partners insurance funds into the deal. At the time, rival bidders expressed concern over the unusual financing, but state insurance regulators cleared the deal and Major League Baseball approved it.
“The transaction was subject to a full investigation conducted by an outside law firm on behalf of insurance regulators from multiple states,” the statement said, “which identified no irregularities and resulted in no further action.”
Even with the Dodgers issuing over a billion dollars in deferred contracts and amid whatever transactions might have been conducted between TWG-related insurance companies and the Dodgers’ affiliates — including ones that hold the team’s television rights and ticket revenues — the Dodgers’ ability to fund player contracts is not at risk, according to the statement.
“The Dodgers have the highest revenue in baseball, and it significantly exceeds the team’s obligations to its players,” the statement said.
The statement reiterated that, as Dodgers president Stan Kasten has said, “the team is not being sold and no sale process has been initiated.”
The Dodgers, if sold, could likely command a price in the range of $10 billion to $13 billion, industry analysts have told The Times.
The Lakers sold at a record price for a North American sports franchise, although industry analysts have said a competitive bidding process likely would have resulted in an even higher sale price.
Said the statement: “Mr. Walter was approached by Josh Kushner and his team about this transaction and the agreement represents a 25% premium to the price paid by Mr. Walter less than a year ago (and an even higher premium to the $5.0 billion valuation Mr. Walter paid in 2021) — hardly a ‘fire sale.’”
The statement added: “TWG is not looking to sell its sports assets at ‘fire sale’ prices to raise capital for its insurance operations.”
TWG said it is “working cooperatively and in partnership with the Delaware Department of Insurance” to resolve the regulatory issues and “is committed to working with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve their inquiries.”
“TWG stands firmly behind the integrity of its business,” the statement read. “Despite what has been reported, there has been no fraud.”
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 25: Detroit Tigers center fielder Max Clark (15) rounds second base after hitting a two run homer in the fifth inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday August 25, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Yankees’ bullpen deserves a lot of credit for exceeding expectations in 2026. There was plenty of eye-rolling in the offseason when it became clear that they were going with pretty much the same bunch that ended 2026, minus Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. Minimal offseason improvements were made.
And yes, there were absolutely misses. Camilo Doval and Jake Bird were terrible; they’ve since been traded. But while David Bednar’s success was expected … Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, and Fernando Cruz 2: Electric Boogaloo? They’ve helped this pitching staff stand up and carry the team during a wretched stretch for the bats. The bad news is that because said bats were, again, so wretched for so long, the Yankees were always playing close ballgames, and Aaron Boone had to ride the bullpen’s best like mid-2000s Joe Torre or else risk close games falling into the hands of Doval, Bird, Ryan Yarbrough, or whoever the 26th man happened to be that day.
Well, now the worm has turned. It’s more apparent for Cruz, who has surrendered 11 runs and five homers across his last 13.2 innings, but Headrick got hit hard last night as well. There is very little wiggle room at this point in the AL East race for the Yankees to be giving away ballgames when the offense actually shows up, but that’s what happened. So … that’s swell.
Here’s what else was afoot while the Yankees beefed it on Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay Rays (78-53) 1, Detroit Tigers (62-70) 4
Yes, the Yankees could be 2.5 games back in the division now if they had held on to even one of their leads because the Tigers fully flipped the script from losing 4-1 to the Rays on Monday. The surrogate Bronx hero of the day was rookie Max Clark, the No. 3 overall pick from 2023 who debuted with Detroit just before they bid adieu to Tarik Skubal. The Rays were trying to steal a win with one of their Casey Legumina/Ian Seymour piggyback starts, but with the latter on for the fifth, Clark went yard in the Motor City for the first time:
A missed grounder by Jonathan Aranda allowed Gleyber Torres to scamper home with the Tigers’ third run, and they tacked on another in the seventh when Hao-Yu Lee drove in Javier Báez on a single to left.
Meanwhile, Detroit did a nice job of holding the Rays down. In his fourth start since his return from Tommy John surgery, Jackson Jobe kept them at one run in 4.1 innings on 86 pitches before Drew Sommers finished out the fifth (and the sixth). Jacob Waguespack, Tyler Holton, and Kenley Jansen made it a smooth night from the Tigers’ bullpen for a change, Jansen completing his 493rd career save.
Other Games
Boston Red Sox (73-59) 7, Miami Marlins (67-66) 3 (11 innings): The Fish had their shots in this one. They withstood a pair of solo shots from Baby Bomber alum Mickey Gasper to tie it up in sixth against Payton Tolle on a Heriberto Hernández homer, and they had 14 different at-bats with runners in scoring position on the night. But they only registered one hit in those 14 chances: an infield hit in the seventh where Jakob Marsee was thrown out at home (Connor Wong may have been overly blocking the plate, but the call held).
Boston Trade Deadline acquisition Erik Miller struck out the side in a perfect ninth to send it to extras in Miami. Marlins catcher Brian Navarreto allowed the Red Sox to score their zombie runner on a passed ball, but an Andruw Monasterio error helped set up a runners-on-second-and-third, one-out situation for Miami in the 10th. A clean hit from Javier Sanoja would have won it. He struck out, and though Wyatt Olds’ pitch sailed wide to plate the tying run and move the potential game-winner to third, Xavier Edwards grounded out against Alec Gamboa to strand it. Give too many chances to Boston, and they’ll take advantage. Enter Jarren Duran:
The 11th-inning slam broke it open, and that was all she wrote. Boston is within a game and a half of the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot, and five behind Tampa Bay for the AL East.
Chicago White Sox (69-63) 11, Texas Rangers (66-67) 7: When you match up with Jacob deGrom, you’re not normally expecting an 11-run game. But the Pale Hose and their Pontiff are living a blessed 2026, as evidenced by the sequencing of all this weak contact in an improbable six-run first:
The walks didn’t help and the Rangers were clearly sloppy in the field, but dang. The Rangers stayed in this one and eventually cut the deficit to 10-7 by the top of the sixth, but Chicago held on. Texas and Houston swapped places atop the ugly AL West, with the .500 Astros now leading by a half-game. Oh, and with the suddenly-surging Cal Raleigh homering in his fourth consecutive at-bat to kick off last night in Seattle, the Mariners’ 4-1 win over the Phillies has them two and a half back.
AL Wild Card Rock Fight
Cleveland Guardians (67-66) 8, Los Angeles Angels (52-81) 6 (10 innings): Cleveland continued to take advantage of a light August with their sixth win in a row to keep the pressure on Chicago, who they still trail by just two and a half games in the AL Central. The Guardians are now also a full game clear for the last Wild Card spot. Gavin Williams didn’t have it and fell behind 5-0 early, but fortunately for Cleveland, the Angels are still the Angels. A series of doubles and singles tied it back up at 5-5 in the fifth, and though Vaughn Grissom’s homer put the Halos up 6-5, José Ramírez hit a game-tying double in the eighth before burning The Big A again in the 10th with a two-run two-bagger that proved decisive.
Baltimore Orioles (64-68) 13, St. Louis Cardinals (66-67) 1: AL Player of the Month frontrunner Pete Alonso continued his surge with a three-run homer during a 4-for-4 night in St. Louis. The O’s obliterated Matthew Liberatore and company, plating eight in the fifth inning alone. They’re two and a half games back of Cleveland.
Minnesota Twins (64-69) 2, The Athletics (52-81) 4; Toronto Blue Jays (64-69) 3, Kansas City Royals (59-74) 5: A great way for me to pay even less attention to you as fringe Wild Card contenders is to lose to a garbage team! Despite an immaculate inning from Taj Bradley, the Twins obliged, as did the ever-sinking Jays (Max Scherzer has a 7.02 ERA; this is so depressing). They’re both three games behind, tied with Seattle. Kudos to KC on its ninth win in a row, but the Royals are firmly in JoJo Territory.
COLUMBUS, GA - AUGUST 18: Cam Caminiti #11 of the Columbus Clingstones pitches during the game between the Montgomery Biscuits and the Columbus Clingstones at Synovus Park on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in Columbus, Georgia. (Photo by Lyndon Terrell/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
The Columbus Clingstones are the most exciting team in the system and Tuesday night lived up to the billing in full. Cam Caminiti has had little trouble in making the jump to Double-A, with a couple of incredible starts consecutively and a pitch mix that has popped off of the page. Alex Lodise is having no trouble with the move either and has carried the momentum he had in Rome up a level thanks to his improvements in making consistent contact.
Owen Murphy, SP: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 3.42 ERA
Blake Burkhalter, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1.29 ERA
It was an off day for Owen Murphy, and in allowing only one run he had to feel fortunate after he left this outing. Murphy had a lot of trouble landing his fastball up in the strike zone, and across his arsenal he left way too many pitches in hittable locations. Murphy gave up a lot of loud contact, but Louisville didn’t get him squarely too often and he survived on fly outs for five innings. The one exception came in the second inning when Murphy through a middle-middle fastball that got tattooed for a 447 foot home run. This was quite a departure from where Murphy typically is on the mound and I’m inclined to chalk that up to a bad day for now. Over the past couple of months Murphy has been solid with his fastball location and has held his velocity deeper into games, so it could have just been an off day. He could also finally be reaching the ceiling of his stamina for the year, given that he’s well past his career-high and has made ten more appearances this season than in his prior two combined. Murphy’s velocity early in the game recovered a little bit from his prior starts but he couldn’t maintain that the second time through the order, and when combined with a drop in spin rate and command I’d suspect that fatigue wall to be coming up on him. Regardless of where the rest of the year takes him this has been a resounding success. He’s been healthy for most of the year and improved drastically, and anything beyond this point is icing on the cake. The biggest focus is keeping Murphy healthy, and I don’t see any reason to believe the Braves would take a risk if does start to wear down.
Gwinnett’s lineup has surged back to relevancy with the transactions over the past couple of weeks, and an eight-run opening to this series is nothing to sneeze at. Lizandro Espinoza put the exclamation on the game with a three-run home run to push his OPS over 1.000, though it wasn’t the most impressive of shots. He curled in a wall-scraper in the left field corner and otherwise had a bit of a rough day out there, but there is little to complain about what Espinoza has done so far. He’s definitely aggressive at the plate and is going to have to cool it a bit, but he’s shown the ability to adjust at the lower levels and I think he’s shown he can already handle being a depth piece as a utility player. David McCabe hasn’t played too many games since coming back but he has been a monster at the plate. He had two hits and four more hard hit balls in this game. The whiffs are there in a bad way and he just doesn’t seem to have enough overall value as a player to be valuable to keep at the major league level, but he has a good enough power/approach combination to keep some value as depth in the minor leagues. I’m also liking some of what we’re seeing from Patrick Clohisy. He’s not doing much damage on secondary pitches but has been a lot better the past week with his playte discipline and that showed with two more walks in this game. He’s shown a history in his career of being streaky with his power, but as long as he can make the adjustments to get on base and play defense as well as he does he’ll have a long professional future ahead of himself even if he’s never a starter-caliber option.
Cam Caminiti, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 2.33 ERA
If you’re not excited about what Cam Caminiti is doing you might be dead inside, because this has been an outstanding sequence of games from him. He has immediately kept pace with the Double-A level without even blinking, and has found a way to integrate his entire arsenal better and better with each start. The command issues were still apparent in this game and that will remain a running theme for him, but it’s so much better than it was at the start of the season. That was something that was expected coming in from Caminiti but the process is working and the hope is that eventually his athleticism will take over and allow him to find more consistency. It’s absolutely a point of emphasis and he will need to bring his walks down before he’ll get a shot at the Triple-A level, but the pitch quality itself is already good enough to make the jump. It’s rare to find a 20-year-old with confidence in three different pitches and even if there is plenty of room for development there has already been a massive improvement. Caminiti is taking all of the steps necessary to be make it yet another quick ascension for a young Braves pitcher.
Alex Lodise keeps doing his thing, and it’s massively impressive to watch. Lodise had some hard hit balls in this game and came away with three hits, but even though he faced a number of two-strike counts he never struck out. Lodise hasn’t had much chance to draw walks since being called up as pitchers are attacking him in the strike zone, but Lodise has handled it much better than he did early in the season. He’s showing that he’s not going to chase sliders below the zone nearly as often as early this season, and when he does get a tough pitch in the zone he is fouling them off instead of swing through them. Lodise has only 11 strikeouts in his past 24 games, which is a phrase I would not have thought possible even a month ago. I like where Eric Hartman is still, and of course the two home runs last week helps that evaluation quite a bit. Hartman is overly aggressive on secondaries out of the strike zone and needs to pare that back, but he’s getting to hard pull-side contact again and that’s the key to his profile. Owen Carey has gone the other direction as of late and is struggling with his swing. He’s had an inconsistent path to the ball highlighted by a tendency to dive in with his back shoulder, and it’s robbing him both of the ability to get the barrel on the ball consistently and the bat speed to hit the ball with force. It’s nothing he can’t work through quickly and he has shown flashes of good play, but dialing back the aggression and keeping himself on balance will help flip my views of his recent plate appearances. I have zero complaints on John Gil right now. His approach has been top notch and he is turning on pitches well the past few games. He had a hard hit double this game and has been exactly the image of an on-base first hitter with enough power to keep himself in an everyday lineup. Gil’s biggest nit is that he has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career, but 20 year olds are just like that sometimes. He’s undergone a number of swing changes that have made keeping a consistent level across multiple years difficult but he’s in his best form at the moment even if the numbers are lagging a half step behind his actual talent and progression.
Zach Royse, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3.86 ERA
Rome lost this game in tough fashion with a blown save and walk off in the ninth inning, though it’s hard to say they hit well enough as a team to deserve this game. The starter for Greenville had very little in the way of control and to Rome’s credit they did capitalize and put up three runs early thanks to his mistakes. They ended the game in a rut, however, as they weren’t finding solid contact in the strike zone. Connor Essenburg is in a small rut as of late with the walks and power drying up on him, though the command at the plate hasn’t gone away for him. He’s chasing a bit more in two-strike situations and that’s hurting him, but with as deep as he works into counts strikeouts are always going to be there. He isn’t elevating the ball on his pull side right now, which I really see as just sample size fluctation for him as he knows who he is as a hitter and will end up hitting for power in Rome. There was only a small flash of good news for Luis Guanipa last week, but that doesn’t mean that flash wasn’t backed up by real progress. Guanipa has had more good swings than bad, and even if that isn’t always coming with hard contact I think he’s still on the way. He’s been more forceful with his swings on mistakes in the strike zone and has been a bit more willing to let borderline pitches away from him go early in counts, and it’s leading to more swings that look like a Luis Guanipa who can have impact power. He’s due for one silly at bat every game it seems like, but I don’t think he’s stuck in the mud and he’s making the kind of adjustments that led to him going on a run in Augusta this season. Guanipa is getting a ton of breaking balls and he is not barreling them when they’re left in the strike zone, but I don’t see that as a pattern for Guanipa rather simply a fluctuation. He’s shown the ability to hit mistake breaking balls in the past and there is no reason to believe he won’t eventually start making High-A pitchers pay for bad locations.
Overall it turned out to be a solid start for Zach Royse. He threw a ton of strikes with his sinker, and with his velocity and the action of that pitch in the strike zone that predictably led to a slew of ground ball outs. Royse kept his momentum throughout the evening and had a never fell into bad counts, which kept the Drive having to swing at sinkers and pound them into the dirt. Royse didn’t have his slider in this game like he did last week, and it’s something I’ll have to take a closer look into because he’s been far more inconsistent with that pitch in High-A. This game he didn’t struggle to throw the pitch around the zone, but the electric bite it showed earlier this season isn’t coming through for him. That pitch is what made him an interesting relief option for me and maybe it’s just him being extremely deep into the season and showing signs of fatigue. He has had flashes of his peak form, like the seven strikeout performance last week, it’s just not a week-in and week-out spectacle like his stretch from May to June.
Swing and Misses
Zach Royse – 9
Tyler Schoff – 4
David Rodriguez – 3
(64-56) Augusta GreenJackets 4, (46-72) Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5
Derek Vartanian, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 4.14 ERA
This surge from Juan Mateo has been impressive. He started off his evening with a rocket liner for a double and then bookended a moonshot home run, and if this is the sort of power production that becomes standard for him that’s going to make a huge impact on his profile. Mateo has five home runs in his past 41 games after having one in his prior 176, and even with a severely repressed BABIP he has outperformed his overall season stats for the past two months. He’s done so without sacrificing the contact ability that is the cornerstone of his profile, and it’s all an approach change to just put the ball in the air more often. Mateo is going to face physical limitations in his profile, and of course the run environment factors in here so even this sort of home run pace is something I don’t think he’s capable of sustaining. However, hitting for even moderate power will make him a tenable option outside of the unlikely chance he develops into a major-league caliber shortstop. Mateo’s ball-strike approach could use a lot of work and he needs to add weight if and when he does shift off of shortstop, but seeing any power from him already creates more confidence in his future as a prospect. It was a rough game out there for Manuel Campos, which is unfortunate because he’s in the middle of a solid stretch of play otherwise. Like we’ve seen from other guys his age getting that first taste of full season ball Campos is a bit out of his depth right now because his approach is not at the level it needs to be. However he’s got some feel for barrel control and a chance to stick at shortstop so it will just take time to see the fruits of his development.
Derek Vartanian has had trouble consistently putting together a three-pitch arsenal this season, but when it’s working for him he can hang with anyone. His slider and splitter were both nasty this game and the Pelicans had an inconsistent time getting a read on Vartanian who was able to throw both of those pitches past the whole lineup. Vartanian was just in the strike zone a bit too much and gave up some hard hit balls, most notably a second inning home run. His curveball was a major weakness this game because he could not get it out of the top half of the strike zone, and even though it does have the potential to work well off of his splitter against left-handed batters he can’t make those mistakes especially on a pitch in the high-70’s. I’m surprised Vartanian hasn’t gotten a look at a higher level given his age, as his pitch quality and fastball command are good enough to warrant promotion even with him not often bringing his best game. He’s on a nice stretch here to end the season and has been a solid find for an undrafted guy, and I do think he’s got real back-end potential if he can find a rhythm across a full season.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - AUGUST 20: Shane Bieber #57 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch in the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on August 20, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone!
The Mariners have strung together series wins against likely playoff teams following a 4-1 victory against the Phillies last night. The M’s will look for the ever-elusive series sweep with Bryan Woo taking the ball today at 1:10pm PT.
Ben Clemens at Fangraphs provided his thoughts on the head-scratching move from the Astros to fire general manager Dana Brown.
Despite Brown’s firing, Astros owner Jim Crane says that manager Joe Espada will finish the season with the club. That’s not exactly reassuring for his long-term future with the organization, though.
We’ve got another Jeff Passan banger, this one on the scandal plaguing Dodgers’ majority owner Mark Walter.
In honor of the late Dolly Parton, go get yourself some merch.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 12: Henry Bolte #33 and Denzel Clarke #1 of the Athletics pose for a photo in the dugout before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Sutter Health Park on May 12, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
Last night, the Athletics evened the series against the Minnesota Twins with a 4-2 victory in the middle game of the three-game set.
With fewer than 30 games remaining this season and several of the team’s best players sidelined by season-ending injuries, the A’s goal should be to finish strong over the final month. As the club wraps up its fifth straight losing season, these final few weeks should focus on evaluating players for the future on the field and beginning the search for a new general manager off the field.
The A’s have an opportunity to play spoiler, as the Green and Gold have several series against playoff contenders over the next couple of weeks. Currently, none of the five teams in the American League West has a winning record, yet at least one will earn a playoff spot by finishing the season in first place. The last-place Athletics could play a major role in determining who wins the West, with seven games remaining against the Seattle Mariners, four against the Houston Astros and three against the Texas Rangers.
In the rotation, left-handers Jacob Lopez and Gage Jump, who started yesterday, will look to finish their respective seasons on a high note. Right-hander Kade Morris should also receive an extended opportunity to pitch in the majors, either in the rotation or out of the bullpen. Speaking of relievers, now is the time for those waiver claims to audition for a roster spot next season.
Switching to the offense, there is a slim chance rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer can return from his ruptured testicle before the end of the season. Outfielder Denzel Clarke is the injured A’s player most likely to return. Clarke, who badly needs reps to improve his offensive ability, has been sidelined for most of the season. In his place, rookie Henry Bolte, who has been on fire at the plate this month, has seized the everyday center field job. If Clarke can get his offense to match his Gold Glove-caliber defense, he could be an All-Star, but that is a big if given how far his bat is behind his glove.
Who else besides these players are you looking forward to watching as the season winds down? How can the Athletics give their fans hope as the team concludes another miserable campaign?
The A’s are one step closer to assembling an entire bullpen of relievers claimed off the waiver wire.
The A’s have claimed RHP Chris Roycroft off waivers from the Rays. To make room on the 40-man roster, SS Jacob Wilson has been transferred to the 60-day IL.
Another planned feature of the Athletics’ in-construction Las Vegas ballpark raises a question: With the Raiders already established there and an NBA expansion team likely to arrive in the near future, will Vegas residents care enough to fill the stadium on a nightly basis or will attendance dry up after the novelty period?
Introducing the Legends Lounge!
The Legends Lounge is a vibrant social destination featuring seats directly behind home plate and a lively setting designed to keep you connected to every pitch.
— A's Ballpark in Las Vegas (@VegasAthletics) August 21, 2026
The fact that the American League West is so awful makes the A’s collapse this season even more excruciating.
Facts. The Astros are mediocre, the rangers can’t keep a winning record for more than a week, the mariners are not consistent, the angels aren’t contenders and neither are the A’s https://t.co/e2AXRDmiGw
One of the A’s most iconic players celebrated a milestone birthday yesterday. Has anyone tried emulating his mustache?
Join us in wishing Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers a happy 80th birthday!
In addition to sporting one of the greatest mustaches of all time, the legendary relief ace won three World Series titles with Oakland and swept the 1981 AL MVP and Cy Young Awards.
Los Angeles, CA - August 14:Dodgers Will Smith throws before the start of the game against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, August 14, 2026. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
A rare player who has been here for all three championships in this run of success, Will Smith got off on the right foot in his rehab assignment with the Comets—it was the highlight of a Tuesday of close games in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
Player of the day
Without any standout performers, and despite his team ultimately losing, Will Smith gets the Player of the Day vote for showing no rust in his first game back. The standout catcher needed just three at-bats to leave the yard in his first appearance with the Comets this season.
It had been nearly three months since the last time Smith took the field, and his return could not come a moment too soon. The next step will be for him to play a full game, having left this one after five innings behind the dish.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Will Smith’s home run is far more important than a 4-3 defeat for the Comets, who still sit in first place in the East Division, dropping this close contest against the Chihuahuas. On top of leaving the yard, it should be noted that Smith also left his mark on the defensive side, throwing out Samad Taylor at second in one of two stolen base attempts against him.
By the time Smith homered in the fifth, the Comets already trailed in this one four to zip. Starter Landon Knack had his worst performance since getting demoted back to Triple-A, failing to finish three full innings, walking three and striking out just one.
Double-A Tulsa
Coming up to bat 15 times with at least one runner in scoring position and coming away with a mere two runs guaranteed a 5-2 defeat for the Drillers’ offense, leaving loads of chances on the table trailing right from the off. Starter Adam Serwinowski allowed a pair of runs in the first in what would be a troublesome outing, conceding five total in 5.2 innings.
Not recording a hit as the top two in the order reached base only once in 10 tries, Josue De Paula ended the evening with a .312 batting average on the season. It was only De Paula’s fourth hitless game out of 35 in which he had at least five at-bats. Equally impressive this season, Mike Sirota did record a knock and a walk but couldn’t make an impact on the scoreboard.
High-A Great Lakes
Doubling their opponents’ strikeout totals (16-8), the Loons narrowly beat out the Lugnuts thanks to a two-run eighth inning to come from behind and secure their 67th win. In a game in which extra-base hits were scarce, a wild pitch brought in the winning run for the Great Lakes, with Eduardo Guerrero crossing the plate in the eighth. The only Loons player to record multiple hits, Mairo Martinus carries on a seamless transition to High-A, with an .834 OPS in 19 games since the promotion.
After back-to-back six-plus-inning starts, Sterling Patick was held to a shorter appearance because of command problems, walking four in 4.1 innings. And providing the ultimate shutdown inning, the one right after taking the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, Davis Chastain earned the save, striking out the side to wrap up this victory.
Class-A Ontario
For the symmetry fans out there, the Tower Buzzers had the rare event of each one of their nine starting hitters recording exactly one hit. It was not enough for the win, as the Ports made more out of their six hits to beat the Tower Buzzers 5-4.
Two of those nine hits from Ontario were solo shots, including teenage shortstop Aidan West’s first home run in Class A, only making his 11th start after starting his season in rookie ball. The other home run came from a more experienced Tower Buzzers hitter in Ching-Hsien Ko, now one short of 20 on the year.
The loss was a harsh fate for reliever Mason Estrada, who allowed just one hit in three innings of work. Estrada let in the winning run on a sac fly to the Ports’ cleanup hitter, Gavin Turley, who struck out in his other three at-bats in that game.
Transactions
Will Smith began a rehab assignment with the Oklahoma City Comets. Right-handed pitcher Jonathan Hernández was assigned to the Comets. Righty Nick Putnam was assigned to the Tulsa Drillers.
Tuesday’s scores
Oklahoma City 3, El Paso 4
Midland 5, Tulsa 2
Great Lakes 5, Lansing 4
Stockton 5, Ontario 4
Wednesday’s schedule
2:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Gavin Stone) vs. El Paso (TBD)
Game 2: Oklahoma City (Christian Romero) vs. El Paso (Evan Fitterer)
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Will Gagnon) vs. Lansing (Jackson Nove)
4:30 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Aidan Foeller) at Midland (Nathan Dettmer)
7:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Stockton (Corey Braun)
CJ Abrams
Vinnie Pasquantino
COVERS INTEL: Over the last month, 
