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In his first offseason as the Angels’ owner, Arte Moreno landed the best player available in free agency: Vladimir Guerrero, the only player to wear an Angels cap on a Hall of Fame plaque.

Could Stan Kroenke do the same thing in his first offseason as the Angels’ owner?

Kroenke is not expected to be approved as Moreno’s successor until early next year. By then, players might be in spring training — or might still be sitting home, awaiting the end of a lockout and a subsequent free-agent signing frenzy.

The best player in this fall’s free-agent class is certain of one thing: Whenever Kroenke takes over, Anaheim instantly becomes a preferred destination for stars across the major leagues, with a new owner not just promising to spend to win but a demonstrated history of doing so.

Read more:Shaikin: What’s in a team name? In Anaheim, maybe the future of the Angels

“Absolutely,” Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal told The Times. “Not only an owner that has obvious financial backing, but an owner that has turned the Rams into what the Rams are. I think they’re the Super Bowl favorite this year. There’s an owner that cares about winning.

“The impact he brings to the Angels? You bring an owner that really cares about winning and is willing to do whatever it takes to win and invest, not only with players on the field but all the stuff behind the scenes, like clubhouse renovations. I’m sure there will be a lot of stuff there that changes to make it state-of-the-art, because all that stuff matters.”

Under Perry Minasian, the Angels’ general manager from 2021-26, the largest free-agent signing approved by Moreno: pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, for $63 million.

Kroenke would be the richest owner in baseball, with a net worth estimated by Forbes at $24 billion.

Skubal said he is focused on helping the Dodgers toward a third consecutive World Series championship and has not thought much about his free agency. Speaking generally, he said, it is likely that players that might not have considered signing with the Angels might now do so.

“You want to feel wanted,” Skubal said. “And you have an owner that is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Winning is the most important thing in sports. When you get yourself in that environment, I think guys do want to play there.

“Just look around the league: Guys tend to gravitate toward teams that are winning and teams that are in the playoff hunt every single year, with World Series aspirations every single year. I think free agents gravitate toward that in general. I’m sure that will be the case.”

From the players’ viewpoint, the successive sales of major league franchises at record values — the San Diego Padres at $3.9 billion, then the Angels at $4 billion — reflects good economic times. From the owners’ standpoint, the mid-market Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA just sold at a $4.5 billion valuation.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has cited lagging franchise values in baseball as a reason owners want a salary cap, which the NBA has. Yet the Padres and Angels sold before their owners found out whether they could secure the salary cap the league insists is a primary objective in collective bargaining.

“I think it’s pretty obvious what that says, right?” said Skubal, one of eight players on the union’s executive subcommittee.

Read more:Inside Stan Kroenke’s deal to buy the Angels: ‘Wherever he buys, he wins’

“If that’s the complaint that ownership and MLB is holding onto, I think they’re proving themselves wrong by selling these teams for record values. I think those clubs selling continues to support the argument that our game is in a really good spot.”

The owners also pitch a salary cap as a tonic for competitive balance, citing what they say is a $441-million gap between the Dodgers’ top-ranked payroll and the Miami Marlins’ bottom-ranked payroll.

The players point to franchise sales as another economic indicator. The Padres last sold for $800 million, in 2012. The Angels last sold for $183.5 million, in 2003.

“It’s a very profitable business venture,” Skubal said. “The sport itself is great. The product on the field is outstanding.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Cardinals come into the 2026 season not favored in every single game on the schedule and are more than a touchdown underdog in the majority of them. That is…not fun to see or read or hear.

At the same time, the Cardinals are an objectively better this year than last. Better players are on the roster and some of the promising young guys have more experience under their belt. With that in mind, I want to hear predictions from you all on how many games you foresee the Cardinals winning this season.

History usually says things aren’t always as bad as they seem, nor are always as good, either. Even if the Cardinals are unfavored in every game, they won’t go 0-16 (hopefully). And heck, the phrase “any given Sunday” exists for a reason, too. It’s more than likely the Cardinals will win a game or two they had no business competing in, and that’s just how it goes sometimes.

At any rate, go ahead and hop in the comments to give us your predictions!

Cardinals News:

Mike LaFleur is a “dream” for the Cardinals wide receivers (AZCardinals.com)

Some bad and some good news about Michael Wilson’s contract talks (Cards Wire)

The Cardinals and Michael Wilson have had “movement” on a new extension (Pro Football Talk)

NFL News:

The Raiders named Kirk Cousins their starting quarterback for Week One (ESPN)

These are the players, coaches, and GMs with the most at stake in 2026 (ESPN)

The Jets worked out Justin Tucker (CBS Sports)

Taking into account what happened in the first two games of this series against the Cardinals, carrying a certain pessimism into the final game of this series would be reasonable. Depending on the outcome of this matchup, this could qualify as the most frustrating series of the year—once being blown out and a second time seeing Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tanner Scott surrender a three-run lead with the Dodgers on their way to the first loss in extras this season. Then again, you look at the pitching matchup of Tarik Skubal against Quinn Matthews—a rookie making his fifth start—and that pessimism doesn’t feel as justifiable.

That’s the thing about the 2026 Dodgers, which defines this next game and plenty of other specific matchups amidst their worst moments—it doesn’t matter what the recent outlook is; once you get a glimpse of what’s on the horizon, most concerns naturally drift away. Skubal knew he was joining a powerhouse when he was traded to the Dodgers, but in actuality—at least up to this point—he has needed every ounce of his dominance to avoid a losing record in his first month at a new club. With the offense far from the height of its powers, Skubal has received a mere three runs of support per game across his five starts. And the Dodgers’ three wins in Skubal’s starts have all come in one-run games.

Beyond the excruciating losses, a theme of this series is the massive production both teams are getting from their shortstops. Who would have guessed that Mookie Betts would have four extra-base hits in this series and still be outslugged by the Cards’ ninth-hole hitter, Thomas Saggesse? Saggese is responsible for three of the Cardinals’ seven home runs this series—two more than he had in the entire 2026 season prior to visiting Dodger Stadium. Long-term, though, for the Dodgers, there are few more impactful developments than Betts kicking it up a notch or two.

Thursday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

The Mets are making an addition, claiming RHP Cameron Weston off waivers from the Orioles. 

Weston has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. 

The right-hander joined Baltimore as a 2022 eighth-round pick out of Michigan. 

He's been climbing his way through the system, and made his big-league debut at the end of May.

Weston was DFA'd by the O's this week to make room on the 40 Man roster, and now he lands in the Big Apple with hopes of receiving an opportunity out of their bullpen. 

The 26-year-old has had an up-and-down Triple-A season, striking out a career-high 11.57 batters per nine innings while also walking a career-worst 5.44 batters per nine. 

He's pitched to a 4.37 ERA  with 387 strikeouts across 105 minor league appearances. 

In a corresponding roster move, C Shawn Ross has been DFA'd. 

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Tarik Skubal takes the mound for Los Angeles tonight; we're riding with him as part of my Dodgers vs. Cardinals prediction.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are once again massive 73-cent favorites at Polymarket, so we'll stick to the run line tonight.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Thursday, Sept. 3.

Who will win Cardinals vs Dodgers tonight: Dodgers -1.5 (56%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Our win probability is elevated here due to the Tarik Skubal effect, but we're not going to go against the grain after the Los Angeles Dodgers watched two three-run leads slip away last night. They have a plus-matchup against the No. 8 prospect for the St. Louis Cardinals, Quinn Matthews, too.

The Dodgers own a .745 OPS against lefties this season, and shouldn't have an issue pulling away with Skubal on the mound. They'll get their licks back tonight.

I'd play this to 59 cents.

Looking for Thursday MLB expert picks for the entire slate today? The Covers team has you covered.

COVERS INTEL: Look for Skubal to have his way with the Cardinals tonight, owning a 37% K rate and 36% whiff rate in this spot. If he stays away from Jordan Walker (.920 OPS vs. lefties) we'll be fine.

Cardinals vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 runs (49%)

We're seeing a couple of the best Under teams in baseball this year, both hitting at a 54% clip, and with Skubal on the mound, runs for the Cardinals will be few and far between. The Dodgers ace owns a 7.6 barrel percentage, one of the lowest marks of his career, so I'm expecting some weak contact tonight.

While I believe the Dodgers will get to Matthews, his 3.32 xERA suggests he's been unlucky this year. Let's see a pitcher's duel.

I'd play this to 53 cents.

Cardinals vs Dodgers home run prediction: Teoscar Hernandez (21%)

Hernandez has been eating against lefties this season, owning a .822 OPS and hitting five of his 12 homers off southpaws. He's seeing the ball great right now, too, with six hits in his last three games. Although he missed all of June, Hernandez has lost some of his power this year, but he's in a great spot tonight against a young lefty. At this price, you almost have to hit the button.

Let's watch Teoscar go yard tonight.

Cardinals vs Dodgers weather

It's a perfect night for baseball in Los Angeles, with sunny skies and temperatures sitting at 77 degrees Fahrenheit prior to first pitch.

Cardinals vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Cardinals 28% | Dodgers 73%
• Run line: Cardinals 45% | Dodgers 56%
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 52% | Under 49%

Cardinals vs Dodgers trend

The Under is 7-0 in the Dodgers' last seven during game three of a series. Find more MLB betting trends for Cardinals vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Cardinals vs Dodgers and game info

Cardinals vs Dodgers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Travis MacGregor came within one pitch of an immaculate inning in the top of the first Aug. 23 at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania against the Charlotte Knights, Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

Forced to make a spot start for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the 28-year-old right-hander struck out Rikuu Nishida on three pitches leading off the game. Then, he fanned Junior Perez on three pitches. He threw two strikes to Edgar Quero before Quero spoiled the bid by flying out to center field.

It was part of a perfect three-inning performance with four strikeouts and helped send the RailRiders on their way to a 9-5 victory.

MacGregor is pitching after starting the season on the 60-day injured list due to a shoulder injury suffered early in spring training. Since being activated Aug. 13, he has appeared in five games for the RailRiders. He allowed a run in his first game Aug. 13 at Lehigh Valley, but has not given up a run in the other four outings. He has 13 strikeouts in 9.2 innings.

Signed by the Yankees to a minor-league contract in December as a free agent, the injury prevented MacGregor from showing his new team what he can do. He is trying to make up for lost time.

“Any time you come to a new organization, you want to be able to showcase what you’re able to do,” MacGregor said. “Having to sit out for this long a time certainly was a little frustrating. But I’ve got a month left in the season pretty much to try to showcase my abilities. We’ll see what happens for the rest of the year.”

At the same time, he has to be careful not to do too much lest he reinjure himself.

“When I say showcase my abilities, I mean going out there and playing the way I play,” he said. “They liked something. They brought me in for a reason. I just have to go out there and play my game and showcase me for the amount of time I have. You can’t put too much pressure on yourself to try to make anything happen. That’s out of your control. I just have to make sure I’m prepared for each game that comes.”

This is MacGregor’s ninth minor-league season and he has a career record of 20-37 with eight saves and a 4.62 ERA in 238 games with 552 strikeouts in 541.2 innings. He was selected out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second round (68th overall) of the 2016 MLB Draft. He was with the Pirates organization from 2016-18 and 2021-23, missing all of the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and the 2020 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He signed with the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent for 2024 and spent one season in their system. In 2025, he signed as a free agent with the Texas Rangers and pitched at Double-A before being released at the end of July. He was picked up by the Milwaukee Brewers in August and finished the season in Double-A. He again became a free agent and was signed by the Yankees.

“It’s been a fantastic experience,” MacGregor said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all the players and staff members, the coaches. Everyone’s been great. It’s the New York Yankees. They’re talked of highly and certainly met the standards they set for themselves. I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far.”

Unfortunately, his time with the Yankees got off to a rough start due to the injury in spring training. Beginning at the end of July, he made three rehab appearances with the Single-A Tampa Tarpons and one with the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades before joining the RailRiders.

“Anytime anybody comes off an injury, you’re wanting to try it out or feel it out for the first couple of pitches or outings,” MacGregor said. “But you’ve done so much preparation beforehand that you have to have confidence that you’re good to go. I’ve been throwing bullpens, throwing lives, stuff like that beforehand. I knew I was in good shape.”

This is not MacGregor’s first time in Triple-A. He made it to the highest level of the minors with the Pirates organization, as well as with the Angels. He has yet to make that next step to the major leagues, however.

“I wouldn’t say anything preventing me. Maybe just some unfortunate timing on things,” MacGregor said. “I’m just grateful to be playing any chance that I get. I’m confident my day will come. Until then, I’ll just be where my feet are and take care of business every day.”

Alexander Cornielle became the latest member of the RailRiders to earn an International League weekly award when the righthander was named Pitcher of the Week for the period of Aug. 24-30. He was honored for his shutout performance Aug. 28 at Worcester, going eight innings — a season-high for a RailRiders pitcher — and allowing just two hits with two walks and six strikeouts in a 2-0 win. It was the team’s ninth shutout of the season.

Since coming off the 60-day injured list and joining the RailRiders in June, Cornielle is 5-3 in 14 games (13 starts) with a 2.70 earned-run average and 59 strikeouts in 60 innings. However, in August, he was 2-1 in five starts with a 1.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Cornielle joins Brendan Beck as RailRiders to be named IL Pitcher of the Week this season; Beck won the award three times (May 11-17, June 1-8, July 20-26) and also was chosen IL Pitcher of the Month for June. Yanquiel Fernandez (May 18-24) and Tyler Hardman (July 6-12) were selected IL Player of the Week this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets wrapped up the final game of their season series on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Grifin Jax made his return to the mound after missing sometime with elbow issues. Unfortunately for him and the Rays, it was a rocky reentry to the rotation.

Early on, it appeared that the Mets would be leaving with a series win. Then, for a brief moment, the game was exciting, and it felt as though the Rays might erase a six-run deficit and defy the odds once again on this homestand. Then, in the seventh, this one was all but over again.

Jax, looking a bit rusty in his first start back, was tagged for three two-out runs in the first inning. Again, he was tagged for three two-out runs in the third. Both innings it looked like he might wiggle off the hook, but he was unable to do so and quickly, the Rays were down by six. Baty’s three run double in the third that cleared the bases was the final nail Jax’s coffin and he was replaced by Steven Matz after recording only eight outs on the day.

Jax finished with 2.2 innings of work and allowed six runs on seven hits. He struck out one and walked a pair.

Matz was able to toss 2.1 scoreless innings and keep the Rays in it long enough for them to claw their way back to within striking distance. They scored a run in the bottom of the third when Aranda single home Walls.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth Simpson scored on a Mullins RBI single to make it a 6-2 game. Palacios then left the yard on a line drive homer that just cleared the right field wall. In the blink of an eye, it was a two run game.

The Rays had all the momentum, but the game remained locked at 6-4 until the top of the seventh when the Mets tagged Cam Booser and Manuel Rodriguez for another three-spot. Booser left with one out and two men on. Rodriguez came on to face Simien and quickly hit him to load the bases. A.J. Ewing struck out and again the Rays were just a pitch away from escaping the jam. Instead, Nick Morabito hit a bases clearing double and gave the Mets a 9-4 lead. The next inning Juan Soto clobbered his 23rd homer of the season and extended the lead to six runs once again.

The 10-4 score would hold with the loss, the Rays dropped the series. With the Yankees extra innings win in Los Angeles, the Rays division lead is down to just 3.5 games.

They will look to rebound in the house of horrors that is Globe Life Field where they seemingly haven’t won a game since the 2020 World Series. Mac will be on the bump facing a desperate Rangers team hunting for a playoff spot.

As the home of the Dodgers, Dodger Stadium is great. As the home of the Angels, not so much.

The Los Angeles Angels moved into Dodger Stadium in 1962, their second season, after playing their inaugural season in a since-demolished minor league ballpark near the Coliseum.

The Dodgers billed the Angels for cleaning windows of offices that had no windows. The Dodgers charged the Angels half the cost of toilet paper even though the Dodgers attracted far more than half the fans.

The Dodgers called it enforcing the stadium lease. The Angels called it petty, and they searched for a home they could call their own.

They first looked to Long Beach, and the city said it would welcome the team under one condition: The team would be called the Long Beach Angels.

Gene Autry, the owner, said no. He turned to Anaheim, where city officials invited him to come on down and call his team whatever he wanted.

In 1966, the California Angels made their debut at the brand-new Anaheim Stadium.

In 2026, the Los Angeles Angels play at Angel Stadium: same team, same ballpark, different names for both.

Amid the euphoria over this week’s announcement that Rams owner Stan Kroenke would buy the last-place Angels — “Christmas in September,” Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken told me — elected officials reiterated their fervent desire that the team revert to the Anaheim Angels name.

“For 60 years, our community has filled Angel Stadium, raised a World Series banner as the Anaheim Angels, and shown up through every season,” Assemblyman Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) said.

Read more:Inside Stan Kroenke’s deal to buy the Angels: ‘Wherever he buys, he wins’

For 60 years, the city of Anaheim has failed its taxpayers.

Angel Stadium is surrounded by 130 acres of parking lots. The city owns the stadium and the lots. Every winter, and every other week during the summer, the lots sit empty.

The last time a team owner pitched a development plan for those parking lots — current owner Arte Moreno, in 2019 — the city estimated all the shops and restaurants and hotel rooms and offices and homes would generate $10 million per year in tax revenue. As part of that plan, the Angels would commit to stay in Anaheim through 2050.

More parks. More libraries. More police officers. More firefighters.

Over the years, Anaheim had considered a variety of opportunities for the site: An NFL stadium, but the NFL wasn’t interested. A Disney-run retail and entertainment center, but Disney wasn’t interested. The indoor surf and snowboard park could have been wild, but who wants to surf and snowboard inside a giant refrigerator when Huntington Beach and Mt. Baldy are a short drive away?

From this perspective, Kroenke could be a godsend for the city.

What Anaheim needs is what Kroenke already does: Anchor a new sports facility within a new community: in Inglewood, around SoFi Stadium; in Woodland Hills, around the Rams’ practice facility; in San Diego, around a planned arena.

With the Angels, Plan A for Kroenke is almost certainly building a new ballpark and community on the Angel Stadium site, the kind of large urban parcel that is rarely available, and better yet close to freeways and public transit.

That does not mean Kroenke would not consider a Plan B. On Wednesday, an industry official familiar with franchise sales, texting on condition of anonymity, said Kroenke had put himself in a “brilliant” spot: “Option to do small intimate ballpark at Sofi is really huge leverage.”

The Angels’ sale won’t be finalized until early next year, and Kroenke and his people aren’t likely to talk until then.

Read more:Shaikin: 'A big day for Anaheim.' Angels get a fresh start with Stan Kroenke, and much more

In Anaheim, however, the priorities set out in that proposed deal with Moreno should be the same today: Get the city out of the stadium business; anchor the Angels in town for decades to come; get the team to pay for a new ballpark; generate taxes from development on the stadium parking lots.

The Angels’ stadium lease — that would be Kroenke’s lease now — expires in six years. This might be Anaheim’s last, best chance at satisfying those objectives.

That would mean selling the site to Kroenke at a fair price — and with a publicly released assessment showing the market rate, rather than appearing to fit a predetermined sale price. And, thanks to a bill signed into law last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the city can help Kroenke make more money from the development, if he is willing to call the team the Anaheim Angels.

But what if he says no, just as Autry said no to Long Beach all those years ago?

Read more:Rams owner Stan Kroenke agrees to buy Angels, ending Arte Moreno's troubled tenure

If Kroenke is looking for immediate goodwill in Anaheim, pulling on an Anaheim Angels cap and announcing the return of that team name would do it. (Actually, please don’t pull on that cap. It was hideous.)

In the long term, perhaps Kroenke prefers the Los Angeles name the Angels have worn for 27 seasons, rather than the Anaheim name they wore for eight seasons.

The Rams played at Anaheim Stadium as the Los Angeles Rams. They now play in Inglewood under a Los Angeles name, just as the Chargers and Clippers do.

The Angel Stadium lease that Kroenke inherits requires the team name to “include the name Anaheim therein.” Under Moreno, the city bristled, the “of Anaheim” part of “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” had disappeared. The city could make that an issue anew. Or the city could sell the entire stadium site to the highest bidder, with no requirement that the winner keep a ballpark on the property.

Over the next year, we’ll see the directions Kroenke and Anaheim take in negotiations. For the city, the Anaheim Angels are Plan A. But Kroenke will have a Plan B, and Anaheim should, too.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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The Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers begin a four-game set at Globe Life Field on Thursday, Sept. 3, with tonight’s opening pitch set for 8:05 p.m. ET.

While Tampa Bay is a short road favorite, my top Rays vs. Rangers prediction and MLB picks call for Cal Quantrill to lead the way in a low-scoring Texas win.

Who will win Rays vs Rangers today: Rangers moneyline (46.5%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Texas Rangers are a sneaky underdog tonight because Tampa Bay Rays lefty Shane McClanahan has hit a snag to the tune of a 4.62 xERA and 4.66 xFIP, with his strikeout percentage dropping to 18.8 over his last six starts.

Texas also ranks second in wRC+ and fifth in wOBA against lefties, so I’m expecting the Rangers to have early success at the dish before Tampa has to turn to a bullpen that was leaned on for 12 innings and posted a confidence-shattering 5.19 xFIP in its latest series.

Turning to Rangers starter Cal Quantrill, he’s spun a tidy 2.96 xERA and 3.32 xFIP through his past six outings, so I’m happy to back Texas to 50% tonight.

COVERS INTEL: Quantrill has held opposing hitters to a minuscule .223 wOBA and .510 OPS across his past seven starts.

Rays vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (47.8%)

While I do expect Texas to put runs on the board, the Rangers are in a bit of an offensive funk with a 22nd-ranked xwOBA and an average of just 3.9 runs per game over the past 30 days.

Fortunately, Tampa Bay hasn’t been notably better and ranks 20th in the metric with 4.9 runs per game during the same stretch, and the Rays have played to the Under in 25 of their last 40 away games (+8.70 Units / 20% ROI).

So, with Quantrill’s highlighted run, Tampa isn’t positioned to put up many crooked numbers on the scoreboard, either.

Rays vs Rangers home run prediction: Justin Foscue (11.1%)

In addition to the highlighted struggles McClanahan has had over his past six starts, he’s also allowed a healthy 44.8% hard-hit rate to right-handed hitters, so Justin Foscue is a prime candidate to go deep for the Rangers. Foscue boasts a monster .304 ISO against lefties, and he’s sporting an .800 slugging percentage across his past 22 plate appearances.

Rays vs Rangers weather

The retractable roof will be closed at Globe Life Field tonight.

Rays vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Rays 56.5% | Rangers 47.6%
• Run line: Rays -1.5 (43.5%) | Rangers +1.5 (60%)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (53.5%) | Under 7.5 (51.2%)

Rays vs Rangers trend

The Texas Rangers have won 13 of their last 19 games at home (+4.70 Units / 16% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rays vs. Rangers.

How to watch Rays vs Rangers and game info

Rays vs Rangers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Red Sox have had a discouraging run of late, dropping back-to-back series and six of their last games. Boston still has a solid hold on the second American League Wild Card entering a four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles, who have managed to hang around in the postseason conversation. 

Losing three of four to the Yankees seemed to all but book a trip back to New York for the Wild Card series in a rematch of last year’s three-game set between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the AL. That still feels like the most likely outcome again, but if the Red Sox continue to falter while veterans get a breather and the pitching staff tires, could Boston get passed by, for example, the Cleveland Guardians (4.5 GB) and find itself as the No. 6 seed? 

To be honest, it actually may not be the worst thing to happen. 

If the Red Sox stay set as the No. 5 seed, they’d battle the Yankees in another war of a Wild Card series. Should they advance, they’d meet another demon in the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. Boston did conquer that path en route to an ALCS appearance in 2021, though this clash with one or both of those division rivals would be draining again in 2026. 

Consider the alternative if the Red Sox hold on for a playoff berth (which would be their first consecutive berths since 2016-2018, by the way) as the No. 6 seed, the path is undoubtedly less daunting based on competition. Boston would get the winner of the American League West. Entering Thursday, that would be the Houston Astros, who sit just two games above .500 at 71-69. Take the bat out of Yordan Alvarez’s hands when possible and Boston should take care of business in that series. 

From there, the Red Sox would face the AL Central champion Chicago White Sox. Chicago is a young team that performed above expectations this year with some familiar friends who would be extra motivated to eliminate Boston, the franchise that flipped multiple prospects in the Garrett Crochet trade two winters ago. In this ALDS hypothetical, the Red Sox are the better team again and should take care of business again. 

The Red Sox shouldn’t be looking to back into the playoffs simply for seeding’s sake. To be honest, that’s a bit of a loser mentality. With that said, that’s clearly not what they’re doing at the moment, at least during the Seattle series. Giving Willson Contreras a breather on the IL and pushing back Sonny Gray’s start was the right call. Those guys need to be fresh for a playoff run and the decent cushion is great to take advantage of. 

There’s something to say about real reinforcements for the Red Sox as well. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story are in rhythm at the plate since they reform while Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck are nearing closer and should factor into the playoff bullpen.

Not to say September is irrelevant, because there’s still games to be won to clinch a spot, but a trip back to The Bronx still feels relevant. If things go slightly wrong, have no fear for the path ahead for the Red Sox.

With the Cubs now nine games behind the Brewers in the NL Central — Milwaukee’s magic number to clinch the division title is 14 — let’s turn our upcoming schedule attention to the team’s competitors in the Wild Card race.

As you know, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over the three teams closest to them in the Wild Card race, the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres. What makes all of this more interesting is that the Marlins are sneaking up behind the latter two teams. Arizona now holds the third wild card spot, half a game ahead of the Padres. But the Marlins stand just two games behind San Diego.

The Cubs and Marlins have not yet met this year. They will play six times later this month, first with a three-game series in Miami that begins Friday. So the Cubs will have a big say in whether the Marlins can make the postseason or not.

Tankathon has the Phillies with the toughest strength of schedule (second). The Marlins are fourth, Cubs are fifth, Padres 20th and Diamondbacks 21st.

Here are the remaining schedules for all five teams. Home games in boldface.

Cubs, 22 games (10 home, 12 road)

Brewers (1), at Marlins (3), at Brewers (3), Pirates (3), Braves (3), at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)

That last grouping of games involves a lot of travel, a three-game trip, then a three-game homestand, then another three-game trip. Those last three games could be important for both the Cubs and Red Sox.

Phillies, 22 games (13 home, 9 road)

Braves (4), Astros (3), at Braves (3), at Nationals (3), at Mets (3), Brewers (3), Rays (3)

That’s 16 of 22 games against teams currently in first place. The Phillies are currently under .500 (32-33) against teams with winning records. That could help out the Cubs.

Also, while the remaining Phillies schedule begins with a homestand, Philadelphia has a slightly better road winning percentage (.569) than at home (.559).

Diamondbacks, 21 games (9 home, 12 road)

at Astros (3), at Royals (3), Rangers (3), Marlins (3), Yankees (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3)

A combination of teams fighting for postseason spots and teams way out of it.

The D-backs are under .500 (33-36) away from Chase Field so this might hurt them down the stretch.

Padres, 22 games (12 home, 10 road)

Yankees (3), Nationals (3), at Giants (3), at Rockies (4), Marlins (3), at Dodgers (3), Diamondbacks (3)

Those last three Diamondbacks/Padres games could help decide one of the wild card spots.

Marlins, 22 games (12 home, 10 road)

at Royals (1), Cubs (3), Mets (3), Dodgers (3), at Diamondbacks (3), at Padres (3), at Cubs (3), Braves (3)

The Marlins have a tough schedule, even with a nine-game homestand. Then they have a nine-game trip, including two out west. Miami is 29-42 on the road, so their postseason hopes are probably a longshot.

It should be a fun final three weeks. Fasten your seat belts!