Carlos Rodon was on the mound in live game action Saturday for the first time since going down with elbow inflammation.
The Yankees southpaw tossed 48 pitches (29 strikes) across 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out four batters for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
It was an inauspicious start for Rodon. Seaver King took Rodon deep to lead off the game. Rodon bounced back to get the next three batters out to end the first inning. After a 1-2-3 second inning, Rodon ran into trouble in the third. After striking out the first batter of the inning, four batters in a row reached base (a double, two walks and a triple) as Rochester pushed across two more runs.
After Rodon struck out his fourth batter to get the second out of the third, he was pulled.
Once Rodon recovers well from this rehab start, the Yankees will determine next steps for the veteran, but Boone said that they are considering using Rodon in a piggyback role since the rotation already has five starters (Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Ryan Weathers and Will Warren).
Rodon missed the first two months of the season while recovering from left elbow surgery, and pitched nine starts. In those starts, the left-hander went 4-2 with a 3.30 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 46.1 innings. The Yankees shut down Rodon and placed him on the IL on June 28 after he experienced inflammation in the same elbow.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 24: Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates a 5-4 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 24, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Justin Wrobleski was an All-Star this season but heads into Sunday with plenty of room for improvement after two forgettable starts in a row. Wrobleski allowed four home runs in each of his last two outings, matching his total from his first 17 games and 106 2/3 innings this season.
Fellow left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez is coming off a rough outing of his own, allowing an inconvenient seven runs on 11 hits in a Tuesday loss to the San Diego Padres. The Diamondbacks have won both of Rodríguez’s starts against the Dodgers this season, with him going six innings on both June 1and July 10 with a total of three runs allowed.
Wrobleski in his lone start against Arizona this season, on June 4, he pitched six scoreless innings at Chase Field.
Tempe, Phoenix, Arizona, Arizona State University ASU, ASU graduation banner, Congratulations graduates, Mill Avenue District. (Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Today’s Lineups
DODGERS
DIAMONDBACKS
Shohei Ohtani – DH
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Andy Pages – CF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Freddie Freeman – 1B
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Max Muncy – 3B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Mookie Betts – SS
Lars Nootbaar – LF
Kyle Tucker – RF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Tommy Edman – 2B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Teoscar Hernandez – LF
James McCann – C
Hunter Feduccia – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Y. Yamamoto – RHP
Brandon Pfaadt – RHP
Last night’s ninth inning heroics give the D-backs (as discussed yesterday) two chances to clinch the season series over the Dodgers, for the first time since 2018. For the first opportunity, we’ll turn to the man who arguably can be considered the staff ace of late, Brandon Pfaadt. It’s amazing how the year has turned around so dramatically for Pfaadt. After being outperformed by Michael Soroka, he was moved to long relief in the bullpen after just three outings, in order to make room for the return of Merrill Kelly. But his outings there were little if any better, with a 5.91 ERA as a reliever over 21.1 innings, and he was optioned to Reno in early June.
He came back at the end of the month, considered a better alternative than Jose Cabrera. And, boy, has Pfaadt been exactly that. Since June 30th, he is tied with Cristopher Sanchez for the major-league lead in wins – and save for that Thompson/Sewald meltdown, he’d be 7-0 in his seven starts. His 1.55 ERA is fourth best among qualifying starters over that time: with a FIP and xERA both under three, it’s hard to argue he other than deserves his success. The only concern might be the xFIP of 4.49. That’s a result of Pfaadt having faced 145 batters since he last allowed a home-run (to Luis Arraez, then a Giant, in his first outing back from Reno).
Pfaadt is the first starter for Arizona to not allow a home-run in six straight starts since Zac Gallen went seven in July-August of 2024. Gallen also went ten deep, both in 2022 and 2023. The franchise record is 11 starts without a home-run, shared by Patrick Corbin in 2018, and Miguel Batista over the 2002-03 seasons. Batista probably edges it, as he faced a total of 271 batters across those eleven outings, two more than Corbin. So Pfaadt has to keep the ball in the park for a good while longer before he’ll be able to match that pair. I just hope I have not jinxed him by bringing it up!
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 8: Pitcher Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox can't handle this infield hit as Jacob Wilson #5 of the Athletics scores behind him during the fourth inning at Fenway Park on August 8, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics faced the Boston Red Sox looking to even the series and force a rubber-game tomorrow. The A’s finally ended their nine-game losing streak, defeating the Red Sox 7-3. Starter Gage Jump turned in a terrific performance, the offense woke up against a good Red Sox pitcher and the bullpen sealed the deal, although not without some late-game drama.
Red Sox Strike Early
Jump, faced some early traffic, as the Red Sox got two runners on with one out in the bottom of the first. Following a double steal, shortstop Andruw Monasterio hit a two out, two-run single to put the hosts up 2-0 early in the game. Boston had a chance to add on in the second, but Jump stranded a runner at second base.
Meanwhile, Red Sox starter Jake Bennett eased through three scoreless innings. He needed just two pitches to record the first two outs of the third, as Lawrence Butler and Max Muncy both swung at the first pitches they saw.
A’s Come Back
Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson led off the fourth inning with a double, the visitors first hit against Bennett. With two outs, first baseman Tommy White hit an infield single, with Wilson holding at third base. Brian Serven followed with a high chopper in front of home plate that Bennett bobbled, allowing Wilson to score the visitors’ first run. Bennett kept his team in front by retiring Butler on a hard-hit lineout to end the inning.
With two outs in the fifth inning, Wilson hit his second double in as many at-bats, advancing Alika Williams to third. Designated hitter Jonah Heim hit a single off the Green Monster, driving in both runners and giving the A’s their first lead of the series. The Athletics had a chance to score more with two runners on, but Bennett got White to hit into an inning-ending groundout.
Pitching with the lead for the first time, Jump gave up a leadoff double to Jahmai Jones in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jump buckled down, stranding the tying run at third base. Through five innings, he had recorded a career-high tying nine strikeouts.
A’s Add On
In the sixth inning, with one out, Butler worked a walk after a 12 pitch at-bat. That was the last batter Bennett faced, as right-handed reliever Justin Slaten entered out of Boston’s bullpen.
Butler wasted no time, promptly stealing second and third. Jeff McNeil, who had walked as a pinch-hitter, moved to second on the double steal attempt. Fellow pinch-hitter Donovan Walton delivered, lining a ground-rule double into the gap to score both runners and put the A’s up 5-2.
The Red Sox threatened again in the bottom of the sixth, putting two runners on with one out against Jump. The A’s electric southpaw stopped the threat by striking out the next two batters to keep the visitors up three. Jump showcased his ace potential, allowing just two runs on six hits over six innings while striking out a career-high 11 batters.
Gage Jump strikes out Connor Wong with a 99-mph four-seamer, and Mark Kotsay is LOVING it 😁 pic.twitter.com/1P68EjrkJL
The Athletics kept the good vibes going. Facing left-handed reliever Raymond Burgos, left fielder Tyler Soderstrom hit his 19th home run of the season and second in as many games, a solo shot to right field that put his team ahead 6-2.
Right-hander Luis Medina replaced Jump in the seventh inning, firing a scoreless frame. In the bottom of the eighth, A’s reliever Seth Johnson ran into some trouble in his second appearance with the Green and Gold, allowing a walk and then a ground-rule double with two outs.
The A’s challenge on that hit proved huge, as it turned an RBI double into a ground-rule double, forcing the runner who had scored from first to return to third base. Left-hander Hogan Harris replaced Johnson and struck out Jarren Duran, stranding the two inherited runners.
Sensing the game still hung in the balance, A’s center fielder Henry Bolte led off the ninth inning with a 440-foot solo home run to center field, his fifth long ball of the season, increasing his team’s advantage to five runs.
Harris returned to the mound to pitch the bottom of the ninth, but the Red Sox did not go down quietly. With two outs, third baseman Caleb Durbin hit an RBI single, reducing the hosts’ deficit to four. Boston then loaded the bases against Harris, bringing the tying run to the plate. It would have been fitting had Harris allowed a game-tying grand slam. However, he earned his tenth save of the season by getting Eli White to hit a game-ending lineout right at Bolte.
Tomorrow, the Athletics will look to win their first series since June. J.T. Ginn will start the rubber match for the A’s, while Boston has yet to announce its starter, with signs pointing toward a bullpen game.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 07: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with Chase DeLauter #24 after hitting a grand slam off David Sandlin #54 of the Chicago White Sox (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Rate Field on August 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 2: Landen Roupp #65 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Petco Park on August 2, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for Game 2 in the three-game series between the San Francisco Giants and the Detroit Tigers.
Righty Landen Roupp takes the mound for San Francisco, as the 27-year old makes his 23rd start of the year. Roupp is 7-10 with a 4.34 ERA, a 3.47 FIP, and 120 strikeouts to 52 walks in 118.1 innings. Roupp, who has the most losses in the National League, gave up five runs in 4.2 innings against the San Diego Padres his last time out.
For the Tigers, it’s righty Jackson Jobe, a 24-year old taken third overall in 2021. Jobe is making his season debut in his return from Tommy John surgery. In 10 starts last year, he went 4-1 with a 4.22 ERA, a 5.18 FIP, and 39 strikeouts to 27 walks in 49 innings.
Aug 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch (14) in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (56-60) vs. San Francisco Giants (49-67)
Time/Place: 7:15 p.m., Oracle Park SB Nation Site:McCovey Chronicles Media: FOX, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup:Game 117: RHP Jackson Jobe (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Landen Roupp (7-10, 4.34 ERA)
DETROIT, MI - JULY 27: Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles examines a baseball while pitching against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on July 27, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles are back on national television for the second straight game. Last night was Apple TV. Tonight, it’s FOX. Perhaps it is my own neurosis, but it feels like the O’s rarely do well on the big stage. Hopefully that isn’t the case tonight.
If this team wants to stay close in the playoff race, they need to win these games with the Rangers. The short-term schedule will only get tougher with series against the Rays and Yankees looming.
Kyle Bradish will be on the bump. His last appearance was brief as the rain washed him out of the game against the Phillies on Sunday. He will be raring to go since he hasn’t turned in a “good” start since July 22, when he held the Red Sox to one run over six innings.
Jacob deGrom starts for Texas. That isn’t ideal for the Orioles. The veteran righty has dominated them in his career, to the tune of a 1.88 ERA over six starts. He has never taken a loss against the O’s and has piled up 46 strikeouts over 38.1 innings against them.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 27: Matthew Liberatore #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 27, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals 3-game series hosting the Colorado Rockies Saturday night. Matthew Liberatore will start for the Cardinals while the Rockies will give the ball to Kyle Freeland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15pm central time and the game broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JULY 28: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals looks on against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field on July 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 3-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals fell to the Cubs in the opener thanks to a terrific start from the Cubs’ newest acquisition, Kevin Gausman, but they get a chance at revenge against the Cubs’ newest acquisition, Clay Holmes, tonight.
I wrote about Holmes a bit last week when I pondered how the Royals could try to replace Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo if either or both were traded this year.
Clay Holmes is on the opposite side of the spectrum from most of the guys we’ve discussed so far. His 2.39 ERA is probably a performance a bit beyond his skis. That said, if you can pay him like the 4.00 SIERA guy he’s actually been, it could work!
I stand by that; his results have outpaced his efforts. But that doesn’t mean he can’t keep it going against the Royals tonight. Only time will tell.
Holmes threw six different pitches for the Mets this year ahead of the trade, though he only threw two four-seamers all year. He gets a fair amount of chase, but very few whiffs on anything but his sweeper. He throws his sinker more than half the time and gets a lot of groundballs with it. The Cubs have a tremendous defense, so the Royals will want to figure out how to avoid that fate.
Seth Lugo will go for KC in a matchup of former Mets now wearing blue who never played with each other. Lugo’s last start, against Colorado, saw him tie his career high in walks while also getting hit around. It ruined a stretch of three straight quality starts. He’ll try to get back on the horse against the Cubs tonight.
Lineups
Isaac Collins, cleanup hitter. Josh Rojas, Designated Hitter. Salvador Perez, a day off while slashing .280/.296/.480/.776 over the last week when he couldn’t buy one while OPSing in the .400s earlier this year. All you can do is laugh. To be clear, these aren’t criticisms. Salvy should get a day off; he hasn’t had one in about a month. Collins is as good a cleanup hitter as you’re likely to find in the current roster construction. And the remaining options for DH would be Luke Maile, Tyler Tolbert, and Starling Marte. They’re not really any better than Rojas.
It really just drives home, again, how laughable it is to me that the Royals are going to compete next year because they have a core. Sure, yes, they have Bobby Witt Jr., Jac Caglianone, Carter Jensen, and Maikel Garcia, plus Noah Cameron, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha as a core. But they have barely any supporting cast, and finding enough guys to do that competently in a single offseason sounds like sheer lunacy to me. I hope I’m wrong. Until then, I’ll be regularly checking out Zion Rose, David Shields, and friends in Quad Cities.
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 05: Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) swings and misses in the bottom of the first inning during the MLB game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros on August 5, 2026 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
TODAY’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (60-57) continue their six-game road trip with the second game of three-game series against the San Diego Padres (60-57) at Petco Park.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.06 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros for his 20th start of the season today, opposite RHP Michael King (6-8, 3.45 ERA) and the Padres.
THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 40-26 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.
THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in SLG (.418), and OPS (.740), while ranking second in runs scored (546), home runs (159), OBP (.323) and hits (976). In the Majors, the Astros rank third in homers, trailing only the Nationals (170) and Yankees (164).
THE LAMBO: Today’s Astros starter RHP Peter Lambert leads the club in wins (8), starts (19), innings (108.2) and strikeouts (108). Among AL pitchers with at least 100 IP, Lambert ranks fourth in opponent average (.206) and seventh in ERA. In July, he recorded a 1.88 ERA (6ER/28.2IP) with 32 strikeouts, a .204 opponent batting average and a 1.05 WHIP. Lambert pitched last year for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the NPB, posting a 3.98 ERA (55ER/124.1IP) with 111 strikeouts in 23 starts.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros continue a six-game West Coast road-trip with the second game of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. Following their series with Padres, the Astros will travel to San Francisco for a three-game series against the Giants. The Astros went 5-1 on their last road trip. Houston is also 23-13 (.639) on their last five road trips and are 29-19 (.604) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. Houston is 30-28 overall on the road in 2026.
THE LINEUP: The Astros have used 115 different lineups in their 117 games, repeating a lineup just twice on the season, which includes using the same lineup on Monday and Tuesday. DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 104 times.
VS. THE PADRES: The Astros and Padres have faced off vs. each other 616 times with the Astros leading the series 322-294. The Astros last faced the Padres in a three-game series at Daikin Park from April 18-20, 2025 (Astros went 2-1). The last time the Astros were at Petco Park was from Sept. 16-18, 2024 at SD (Padres went 2-1).
MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez leads the AL in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking first in batting average (.328), HR (35), and RBI (86). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.078), OBP (.442), SLG (.636), and TB (266). In the AL, he ranks first in hits (137), extra-base hits (59), and runs (79), and second in walks (82).
HEAVY TRAFFIC: DH Yordan Alvarez has reached base safely in 22 straight games (since July 10), batting .405 (32×79) with 17 runs, eight doubles, six home runs, 19 RBI, 23 walks, a .544 OBP and a 1.278 OPS during the streak. Alvarez also has on-base streaks of 25 games (May 22-June 19) and 22 games (April 4-28) this season.
STREAKING: 1B Christian Walker has hit safely in season-high 10 consecutive games at a .325 (13×40) clip with seven runs, four doubles, two home runs, six RBI and a .988 OPS during the streak. It is his second-longest hitting streak of his career, behind a 13-game hitting streak from June 16-29, 2023, as a member of the Diamondbacks.
DOWN ON THE FARM: The Astros 2026 first-round pick 1B Logan Hughes went 1×4 with two RBI in his minor league debut last night with Single A Fayetteville. SS Kam Durnin (0x2, 2 BB, R), LF Owen Nowak (2×4, 2B, R) and 2B Aaron Piasecki (1×4) also made their minor league debuts with the Woodpeckers.
MULTI-HOMER MADNESS: RF Cam Smith went 3×4 with two solo home runs last night at SD. Marked his fourth career multi-homer game (last, June 29 vs. MIN). Was also his second career multi-homer game against the Padres (also, April 18, 2025).
ON THE DEFENSIVE: 1B Christian Walker has not commited an error in his 111 games at first base this season, which is the longest errorless streak in the Majors this season.
HEART & HUSTLE: Yesterday, OF Cam Smith was named the Houston Astros 2026 Heart and Hustle Award winner. This prestigious honor, which is awarded by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA), is presented yearly to players who exemplify a passion for the game and who best embody the values, spirit, and traditions of the game.
BRYAN’S BACK: RHP Bryan Abreu has a 1.02 ERA (2ER/17.2IP) in his last 17 apps. with just seven hits allowed and 22 strikeouts in that span. Additionally, since May 1, he has a 1.93 ERA (7ER/32.2IP) in 34 apps., and is 6-for-6 in save opp. in that span. Prior to May 1, Abreu had a 12.54 ERA in his first 11 apps. of the season.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: 2B Jose Altuve went 2×5 with a solo home run on Wednesday vs. Toronto. This marked his 247th career home run as a second baseman, surpassing Joe Gordon and Ian Kinsler for the 8th-most home runs by a second baseman in MLB history.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1986 – In the Dome, longtime fan favorite Jose “Cheo” Cruz collects his 1,000th career RBI in a 5-0 win over the Padres. Cruz went 2×4 with 2 RBI on the night. RHP Mike Scott goes the distance for the CG shutout.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, August 8, 6:15 p.m. CT
Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
TV: SCHN
Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
Well before he became the San Francisco Giants' president of baseball operations, Buster Posey helped the club become recognized as one of the rare dynasties in baseball's modern era.
Posey, along with Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Joe Panik and Pablo Sandoval were enshrined into the club's esteemed Wall of Fame.
Inductions were held before the Giants' contest against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, August 8. The Wall of Fame ceremony began at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET), the team announced. The first pitch of the game is at 4:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. ET).
In a five-year span, the Giants captured three World Series pennants from 2010 to 2014, winning in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Here's everything you need to know about the Giants' Wall of Fame inductees.
Buster Posey career stats
Posey was the starting catcher, and played some first base, in each of his seasons in San Francisco, helping them to reach the pinnacle of baseball.
He played 12 seasons with the Giants, where he appeared in 1,371 games, posting a .302 batting average with 663 runs, 293 doubles, 158 home runs, 729 RBI, 540 walks, a .372 on-base percentage, and a .460 slugging percentage.
His defensive career includes .995 fielding percentage in 1093 games played as a catcher and a .995 fielding percentage in 229 games played at first base.
He really took off in postseason play with a .252 batting average with 18 runs, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 25 RBI and 23 walks.
Brandon Belt career stats
Belt wasn't a part of the 2010 championship, but was around in 2012 and 2014. He played first base and left field at times for San Francisco. He put together a 13-year career where he tallied a .261 batting average with 194 home runs, 681 runs, 627 RBIs, and 47 stolen bases. His hit splits were .357 on-base percentage and a .460 slugging percentage.
He played with the Giants from 2011 to 2022. His final season played in the MLB was with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2023.
Brandon Crawford career stats
Like Belt, Crawford was not a part of the 2010 title, but was on the team for the other two. He wasn't just on the team; he was a major part of the Giants' victory. He became a three-time All-Star in San Francisco.
After 14 MLB seasons, Crawford recorded 1,404 hits, 674 runs, 147 homers and 748 RBIs. His batting stats included a .249 average, .318 on-base percentage and a .395 slugging percentage.
Crawford played shortstop in all his prime years with the Giants. He remained in San Francisco from 2011 to 2023. He joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024.
Pablo Sandoval career stats
Pablo Sandoval, affectionately known as "Kung Fu Panda", or simply "Panda", put together a solid MLB career that spanned across 14 seasons and included two All-Star appearances in 2011 and 2012. He was named the 2012 World Series MVP.
He played third base, and sometimes first. Mostly third.
Sandoval recorded a career .278 batting average with 1,279 hits, 153 home runs, 548 runs and 639 RBIs. As for hitting numbers, Panda threw up a .330 on-base percentage and .443 slugging percentage.
Sandoval left the Giants after the 2014 title, joining the Boston Red Sox from 2015 to 2017. He returned to San Francisco for another four seasons from 2017 to 2020 and finished his career playing two seasons with the Atlanta Braves in 2020 and 2021.
Joe Panik career stats
Joe Panik spent time at second and third base in his eight MLB seasons. Panik wasn't around for the first two World Series wins, but he joined the Giants just in time to earn a ring in 2014, where he played a huge role and helped make one of the most spectacular World Series plays ever.
It was Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals where Panik made a diving stop on a ball up the middle. He flipped the ball using his glove, getting it to Crawford to tag the lead runner out in the bottom third inning. Crawford then threw to first to try to get a sliding Eric Hosmer out.
It was his only championship. Panik also became an All-Star in 2015 and won a Gold Glove award in 2016.
Panik suited up for the Giants (2014–2019), New York Mets (2019), Blue Jays (2020–2021) and Miami Marlins (2021).
His career stats include 733 hits, 42 home runs, 340 runs, 258 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and an overall batting average of .264. He carried a .328 on-base percentage and .372 slugging percentage.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 07: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres advances home to score a run during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Petco Park on August 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Houston Astros (60-57) at San Diego Padres (60-57), August 8, 2026, 4:15 p.m. PST
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DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 02: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies warms up on the mound prior to the first inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals at Coors Field on August 02, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
The Colorado Rockies (45-71) and St. Louis Cardinals (58-58) meet again tonight at Busch Stadium after the Cardinals took the series opener 3-2.
Colorado is tied for the worst record in baseball and sits four games behind the San Francisco Giants for fourth place in the NL West.
St. Louis has worked its way back to an even .500 despite carrying a minus-9 run differential. The Cardinals are 14 games behind in the NL Central, but remain just 3.5 games out of the final National League Wild Card spot.
The standings suggest a fairly wide gap between these teams. The matchup itself is a little more interesting.
Colorado has been the better offensive team, while St. Louis has been more complete and efficient defensively. Neither bullpen has been a particular strength.
The Cardinals frustrated the Rockies throughout Friday’s opener. Colorado finished with 10 hits but went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, allowing St. Louis to win despite collecting only four hits of its own.
That puts some added weight on a starting pitching matchup featuring two left-handers coming off excellent outings.
Kyle Freeland will try to even the series for Colorado.
Freeland enters at 3-10 with a 6.81 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 93 strikeouts across 108.1 innings.
Those numbers look nothing like his last start.
Freeland threw the first complete game of his career against the Kansas City Royals, allowing one run on five hits while striking out eight in an 8-1 victory.
The way he did it was also notable.
Freeland generated 19 whiffs on 55 swings, well above his season norm. His knuckle curve did most of the damage, producing eight misses on 12 swings and accounting for five of his eight strikeouts.
He also changed his pitch distribution.
Freeland threw his sinker 22% of the time after using it only 7% this season. His four-seamer and sweeper usage both came down, while the cutter remained his most frequently used pitch.
Freeland has used six pitches this season, mixing the four-seamer, cutter, sinker, knuckle curve, changeup and sweeper. His fastball results have been poor overall, but his command has remained a strength. His 4.7% walk rate ranks among the best in baseball.
The question tonight is whether some of what worked against Kansas City carries into St. Louis.
Liberatore enters at 5-8 with a 4.97 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 107 strikeouts across 108.2 innings.
He is also coming off one of his best performances of the season.
Liberatore held the Toronto Blue Jays scoreless for six innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven.
Like Freeland, the shape of the outing was a little different from his season-long profile.
Liberatore’s four-seam fastball has been one of his least effective pitches this year, but Toronto missed five times on 11 swings against it. Four of his seven strikeouts came on four-seamers.
He also leaned more heavily on his slider and convinced Toronto hitters to chase 40% of his pitches outside the strike zone, well above his 29.8% season chase rate.
Liberatore works with six pitches, led by a 94.4 mph four-seamer and slider. He also mixes in a curveball, changeup, sinker and cutter.
The arsenal gives him ways to miss bats, especially when hitters help him outside the zone. The season results have been less convincing. His fastball and breaking-ball results have both been poor, while his offspeed pitches have been the strongest part of his profile.
Liberatore’s arsenal can still make the Rockies uncomfortable, particularly if they expand the zone and let his secondary pitches dictate the at-bat. But his season numbers also suggest opportunities if Colorado can force him back over the plate and handle the fastball when it comes.
That was the missing piece Friday. The Rockies created traffic but could not turn it into enough offense.
Tonight, the larger question sits on the mound. Does Freeland look more like the pitcher who dominated Kansas City, or the one who has struggled for much of the season? And does Liberatore carry over the version that overwhelmed Toronto, or fall back toward the uneven profile his season numbers suggest?
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 18: Texas pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) reacts during the MLB game between the Texas Rangers and the Atlanta Braves on July 18th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
