Worldwide Sports News

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (41-46) won 6-5 (BOX SCORE)

McCullers started for Sugar Land and went 4 innings allowing 4 runs, 2 earned, while walking 3 and striking out 4. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Meyers 2 run home run. After Rodriguez allowed a run in the 5th, Sugar Land rallied in the 6th for 3 runs to tie it on a Whitcomb RBI single, Meyers walk and Spence hit by pitch. In the 7th, Sugar Land took the lead on a Pena RBI double. Blanco tossed 2 scoreless innings in relief before the game was called due to lightning as Sugar Land won 6-5.

Note: Spence is hitting .300 in Triple-A.

• Jeremy Pena, SS: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• Joey Loperfido, LF: 1-for-4, R
• Shay Whitcomb, 3B: 1-for-3, R, RBI, BB
• Trenton Brooks, DH: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Jake Meyers, CF: 1-for-2, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB
• Lucas Spence, RF: 1-for-3, RBI
• Cesar Salazar, C: 2-for-3, 2 R

• Lance McCullers Jr., RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Ronel Blanco, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (WIN)

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (37-44) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Bush 2 run home run. Nezuh got the start and pitched really well striking out 11 over 5.1 innings allowing just 1 run. Swanson came on for the 8th but allowed 2 runs as the RoughRiders took the lead. The offense was unable to score again as the Hooks fell 3-2.

Note: Nezuh has 80 K over 65.2 innings this season.

• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-4, SB
• Trevor Austin, 3B: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Will Bush, 1B: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-4, 2B, SB

• Jackson Nezuh, RHP: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 11 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (28-53) won 11-3 (BOX SCORE)

Rodriguez started for Asheville and allowed a 1 run before getting out of the first. Asheville got the offense going early scoring 3 runs in the 2nd inning on a Nunez RBI single, Garcia groundout and Nigh RBI double. In the third, Moss added a solo home run. The offense got 2 more runs on a Garcia solo home run and Ochoa sac fly. In the 5th, Nigh added 2 more runs on a 2 run single. The offense got another in the 6th on a wild pitch and another in the 7th on a Powell RBI single. The pen allowed a couple of runs but the offense did more than enough as Asheville won 11-3.

Note: Moss is hitting .404 for Asheville.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Caden Powell, DH: 2-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
• Nehomar Ochoa, RF: 0-for-4, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 3-for-4, 3 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB
• Zach Daudet, SS: 0-for-1, 3 R, 4 BB
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 2-for-5, R, RBI
• John Garcia, C: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 3-for-5, R, 2B, 3 RBI

• Luis Rodriguez, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Garrett Apker, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (WIN)
• Conor Steinbaugh, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (41-40) lost 10-9 (BOX SCORE)

Forcucci started for Fayetteville but struggled allowing 4 runs while retiring just 2 batters. The offense got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Flores solo home run. The offense got a run in the 5th on a wild pitch and a run in the 6th on a Salas RBI single. After the Warbirds took a 5-3 lead, Wakefield tied the game in the 7th on a 2 run triple. The Warbirds took the lead in the bottom of the inning but in the 9th, the Woodpeckers rallied for 3 runs on a Luciano sac fly and Flores 2 run single. Fraide allowed 3 runs over 6 innings in relief. The game went to extra innings and in the 11th, the Woodpeckers got a run on a Wakefield RBI groundout. Saunier got the bottom of the inning but allowed 2 runs as the Woodpeckers fell 10-9.

Note: Neyens has a .460 OBP this season.

• Anthony Huezo, LF: 1-for-5, 2 R, BB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-2, 2 R, 4 BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 0-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB
• Waner Luciano, DH: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
• Josh Wakefield, RF: 1-for-3, 3B, 3 RBI, 3 BB
• Arturo Flores, C: 2-for-6, R, HR, 3 RBI
• Carlos Cauro, 1B: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB
• Hector Salas, 2B: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 BB
• German Ramirez, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB

• Ryan Forcucci, RHP: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Juan Fraide, RHP: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Leomar Rosario, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Grayson Saunier, RHP: 0.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Josh Hendrickson – 7:05 CT

CC: Bryce Mayer – 6:35 CT

AV: Yeriel Santos – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 10:05 CT

Trea Turner’s issues at shortstop have officially become too troubling to put off any longer.

In Monday’s get-away game in Kansas City, another Turner error, his 12th of the season, opened the floodgates to a 6-run Royals outburst in the first inning of what would eventually become a 15-1 boat-racing of the Phillies.

To be fair, Turner’s error prevented the inning from ending, but Sanchez was every bit as responsible for the deluge of runs scored by a heretofore anemic Kansas City offense. The Phils’ ace left-hander clearly didn’t have it on Monday, and the Royals took advantage.

It was additionally damaging to Sanchez in that all the runs were earned, despite the throwing error. Scoring rules dictate one cannot “assume a double play.” The runner was safe at first not on an error, but on a fielder’s choice. The error allowed the runners already on base to move up. So when those runners came in to score, they were all earned, as the scorers could never assume the third out would have been recorded.

I’m here to tell you, you CAN assume a double play. But let’s move on.

One year after having a rennassiance defensive season at short, Turner is once again one of the worst defenders in baseball. His -9 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) is last and in terms of Outs Above Average (OAA), his mark of -6 is 4th-worst among 17 qualified shortstops in MLB.

The time has come. However they want to go about it, the Phillies’ brass must sit Turner down and tell him a transition to the outfield is beginning now.

Turner is as fast as ever and should be able to make the transition, but it won’t be easy. It may be impossible for them to make the switch mid-season, although Bryce Harper worked out at first base once Rhys Hoskins got hurt and made the transition in the middle of the year. Why can’t Trea?

And it’s not just that Turner is committing errors. He’s failing to finish routine plays. His 22 ground ball double plays turned this year is tied for last among MLB shortstops, despite the Phillies leading the league in ground ball rate (45.2%). His 196 assists are tied for 6th-most, and yet, only 22 double plays.

A temporary double play combination of Edmundo Sosa and Bryson Stott would be an improvement, and Turner’s addition to the outfield would negate the need for the Phillies to trade for one over the next few weeks. As has been noted repeatedly, there is a dearth of quality right-handed hitting outfielders available.

On our latest Hittin’ Season podcast, we discussed the Turner situation and whether the transition can take place now, or must wait until later.

The great fear is that we will gaze in horror this October as Turner commits an error in a key situation in the postseason. Imagine Game 3 of the NLCS and Turner boots a grounder with runners on base that leads to a big inning and costs the Phils a playoff game. It’s a real worry.

Can the Phillies make the switch over the next few weeks? Can they re-make the roster on the fly with Turner in the outfield? How much better would the pitching staff be with the speedy Turner in the outfield and a solid double play combo of Sosa and Stott in the middle of the diamond? While Sosa is not built to play every day, one would think a platoon situation with Stott and some mixing and matching at second base could improve the Phils’ run prevention.

Either way, it’s time for these conversations to begin taking place. If it doesn’t happen this year, the Phillies almost certainly can’t go into 2027 with Turner penciled in as the starting shortstop.

So, why wait? Don’t wait to make an improvement if it can be made sooner rather than later.

Congratulations to Caden Scarborough, who has been named the #3 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving over 60% of the vote.

Our list so far:

1 — Sebastian Walcott

2 — Caden Scarborough

Moving on…

Because there has been a history of vote-spamming shenanigans in the rankings, I used Google Forms for the last several of community rankings, and it worked out well, so we will use it again. You will need to include your LSB user name when you vote. If you don’t have an LSB user name, you need to use some sort of identifier. While this won’t eliminate the possibility of vote spamming, it will make it harder.

So who is the #3 prospect in the Rangers system right now?

Cast your vote below…

Round 1

The Mets ended the 2024 season with an 89-73 record, making them eligible to make the 28th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Because their 2024 payroll exceeded the competitive balance tax threshold by more than $40 million dollars, their first selection dropped by 10 picks, meaning that their first selection instead was the 38th overall pick, which came in Competitive Balance Round A. With the 38th overall pick, the Mets selected Mitch Voit, a two-way player from the University of Michigan. He signed for $1,750,000, below the MLB-assigned slot value of $2,569,400, and was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets for the remainder of the season, hitting .235/.343/.294 in 22 games with 1 home run, 20 stolen bases in 21 attempts, and 13 walks to 24 strikeouts. Over the winter, he was ranked the Mets’ 9th top prospect by Amazin’ Avenue. He began the 2026 season with High-A Brooklyn and through July 1 hit .250/.356/.417 with 11 doubles, 9 home runs, 26 stolen bases in 30 attempts, and 28 walks to 57 strikeouts.

Rounds 2-10

Due to their signing of Juan Soto, the Mets were not eligible to make a second-round draft selection.

With their third-round pick, the 102nd overall selection, the Mets selected Antonio Jimenez, a shortstop from the University of Central Florida. He signed for $564,000, under the MLB-assigned slot value of $752,000 and was assigned to Single-A St. Lucie. Appearing in 26 games, he hit .263/.345/.274 with 0 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and drew 12 walks to 15 strikeouts. Over the winter, he was ranked 18 on the 2026 Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Mets Prospect list. He began the 2026 season with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and hit .124/.181/.206 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 3 stolen bases in 4 attempts, and 5 walks to 30 strikeouts. In mid-May, because of his poor performance, he was placed on the Developmental List for roughly a week, and then was assigned to Single-A St. Lucie, where he hit .194/.344/.333 though July 1 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 stolen bases in 13 attempts, and 13 walks to 29 strikeouts.

With their fourth-round pick, the 133rd overall selection, the Mets selected Peter Kussow, a right-handed pitcher from Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland, Wisconsin. He signed for $897,500, above the MLB-assigned slot value of $555,800, and was assigned to the FCL Mets, but did not appear in a game. Over the winter, he was ranked 25 on the 2026 Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Mets Prospect list. He underwent season-ending labrum surgery on his right shoulder just prior to the start of the year.

With their fifth-round pick, the 163rd overall selection, the Mets selected Peyton Prescott, a right-handed pitcher from Florida State University. He signed for $197,500, below the MLB-assigned slot value for the 163 overall pick, $415,100. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a game, because he underwent Tommy John surgery after injuring his elbow while playing in the NCAA Super Regionals against Oregon State. He remains recovering from the procedure and has not yet pitched as a professional.

With their sixth-round pick, the 193rd overall selection, the Mets selected Nathan Hall, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Central Missouri. He signed for $297,500, below the MLB-assigned slot value of $322,300. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a single game. He was placed on the FCL Mets 7-Day Injured List on May 1, when their season began, and recently came off of it, appearing in a pair of games through July 1, throwing two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking none, and striking out 1.

With their seventh-round pick, the 223rd overall section, the Mets selected Cam Tilly, a right-handed pitcher from Auburn University. He signed for $397,500, above the MLB-assigned slot value of $254,000. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a single game. He was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets when the 2026 season began and though July 1 has a 4.64 ERA in 54.1 innings over 12 starts with 51 hits allowed, 22 walks, and 52 strikeouts.

With their eighth-round pick, the 253rd overall selection, the Mets selected Camden Lohman, a right-handed pitcher from Fort Zumwalt North High School in O’Fallon, Missouri. He signed for $797,500, above the MLB-assigned slot value of $213,200. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a single game. He remained with the FCL Mets when the 2026 season began and though July 1 has a 5.79 ERA in 28.0 innings over 9 appearances- 7 starts- with 25 hits allowed, 23 walks, and 34 strikeouts.

With their ninth-round pick, the 283rd overall pick, the Mets selected Anthony Frobose, a shortstop from Lakeland High School in Westchester. He signed for $3990,000, above the MLB-assigned slot value of $196,800. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a single game. He remained with the FCL Mets when the 2026 season began and through July 1 hit .228/.352/.406 in 34 games with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts, and 17 walks to 44 strikeouts.

With their tenth-round pick, the 343rd overall pick, the Mets selected Tyler McLoughlin, a right-handed pitcher from the University of Georgia. He signed for $7,500, below the MLB-assigned slot value of $196,800. He was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and appeared in 2 games, allowing 2 runs in 2.1 innings, giving up 1 hit and walking 2 while striking out 4. He remained with the St. Lucie Mets when the 2026 season began and though July 1 has a 8.10 ERA in 23.1 innings over 19 appearances with 26 hits allowed, 23 walks, and 33 strikeouts.

Rounds 11-20

With their eleventh-round pick, the 343 overall selection, the Mets selected Wyatt Vincent, an outfielder from Nixa High School in Nixa, Missouri. He signed for $272,500, above the $150,000 cut-off for selections made after the 10th round, meaning that $122,500 of his bonus counted against the 2025 bonus pool. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a single game. He remained with the FCL Mets when the 2026 season began and though July 1 hit in .256/.358/.511 29 games with 5 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, 5 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and 14 walks to 30 strikeouts.

With their twelfth-round pick, the 373 overall selection, the Mets selected Truman Pauley, a right-handed pitcher from Harvard. He signed for $400,000, above the $150,000 cut-off for selections made after the 10th round, meaning that $250,000 of his bonus counted against the 2025 bonus pool. He was assigned to the FSL Mets and appeared in 3 games, allowing 1 run in 4.1 innings, giving up 0 hits, walking 4, and striking out 3. On January 20, 2026, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox, along with Luisangel Acuna, in exchange for Luis Robert Jr.

With their thirteenth-round pick, the 403rd overall selection, the Mets selected Frank Camarillo, a right-handed pitcher from the University of California: Santa Barbara. He signed for a sum below the $150,000 bonus threshold and was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not get into game action in 2025. He began the 2026 season with Single-A St. Lucie and appeared in 7 games for them, all starts, posting a 4.35 ERA in 31.0 innings with 27 hits allowed, 11 walks, and 28 strikeouts. He was promoted to High-A Brooklyn in late May made three starts for the Cyclones before having his season paused due to injury; in those three starts, he allowed 7 earned runs in 17.2 innings, good for a 3.57 ERA, allowing 17 hits, walking 4, and striking out 8.

With their fourteenth-round pick, the 433rdoverall selection, Mets selected James Smith IV, a two-way player from the University of Memphis. He elected to not sign with the Mets and returned to Memphis.

With their fifteenth-round pick, the 463rd overall selection, the Mets selected Conner Ware, a left-handed pitcher from Louisiana State University. He signed for a sum below the $150,000 bonus threshold and was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a single game. He was promoted to Single-A St. Lucie for the 2026 season and though July 1 has appeared in 13 games, making 9 starts, posting a 5.36 ERA in 47.0 innings with 41 hits allowed, 24 walks, and 54 strikeouts.

With their sixteenth-round pick, the 493rd overall selection, the Mets selected Zack Mack, a right-handed pitcher from Loyola Marymount University. He signed for a sum below the $150,000 bonus threshold and was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, where he appeared in two games, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings, walking one batter. He remained with the St. Lucie Mets when the 2026 season began and though July 1 has appeared in 15 games, posting a 2.08 ERA in 21.2 innings with 20 hits allowed, 8 walks, and 24 strikeouts.

With their seventeenth-round pick, the 523rd overall selection, the Mets selected Sam Robertson, a shortstop from Northwest Shoals Community College. He signed for a sum below the $150,000 bonus threshold and was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, where he hit .172/.294/.172 in 20 games with 9 stolen bases in 10 attempts, 9 walks, and 27 strikeouts. He remained with the St. Lucie Mets when the 2026 season began and prior to being placed on the 7-Day Injured List in early June hit .246/.390/.297 in 43 games with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 24 stolen bases in 30 attempts, and 30 walks to 49 strikeouts.

With their eighteenth-round pick, the 553rd overall selection, the Mets selected Dillon Stiltner, a right-handed pitcher from Trinity Christian High School in Sharpsburg, Georgia. He signed for $222,690, above the $150,000 cut-off for selections made after the 10th round, meaning that $72,690 of his bonus counted against the 2025 bonus pool. He was assigned to the FCL Mets but did not appear in a game. He remained with the FCL Mets when the 2026 season began and though July 1 has appeared in 7 games, making 3 starts, with a 12.06 ERA in 15.2 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 11, and striking out 7.

With their nineteenth-round pick, the 583rd overall selection, the Mets selected Joe Scarborough, a right-handed pitcher from Jacksonville State University. He signed for a sum below the $150,000 bonus threshold and was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, where he appeared in a single game and pitched two-thirds of an inning, allowing 2 runs on 1 hit and 3 walks. He remained with the St. Lucie Mets to begin the 2026 season and through July 1 has appeared in 22 games, posting a 5.47 ERA in 24.2 innings with 28 hits allowed, 23 walks, and 23 strikeouts.

With their twentieth-round pick, the 613th overall selection, the Mets selected Garrett Stratton, a right-handed pitcher from Rice University. He signed for a sum below the $150,000 bonus threshold and was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, where he appeared in a single game and pitched a single inning, allowing 2 hits. He was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones for the 2026 season and appeared in 21 games, posting a 2.73 ERA in 29.2 innings with 25 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 44 strikeouts. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-July and has appeared in 4 games with the Rumble Ponies since, allowing 2 earned runs in 6.1 innings, good for a 2.84 ERA, with 5 hits allowed, 0 walks, and 6 strikeouts.

In Blake Butera’s pre-game press conference yesterday, there were two big topics of conversation. One was his decision to use Cole Henry for a second inning and the other was discussing the ongoing player planning meetings, which take place a few times a season. Honestly, the way Butera discussed both really impressed me. He showed his hands-on approach, as well as his ability to be accountable.

After Cole Henry imploded in his second inning of work, and allowed four runs, Butera took full blame for the situation. Henry had not thrown more than one inning in any of his AAA outings since being sent down. Butera said that he and the team did Henry a “disservice” for not properly preparing him for this situation.

He also said he would 100% wear Henry’s bad outing. All managers make mistakes, but I appreciate the fact that Butera is willing to take it on the chin. It is hard to manage a bullpen without a whole lot of proven options. Sure, Butera has made some big mistakes along the way, but it is no easy task. When Butera feels he has made a mistake, he is willing to hold himself accountable.

By holding himself accountable, it is easier to hold players accountable as well. After all, trust is a two way street. If you call out the players, but never acknowledge your own mistakes, why would the players trust you? It felt like that was going on at times towards the end of the Davey Martinez era.

Martinez openly said it was never on coaching, which in turn shifted all of the blame on the players. If it is never about coaching, why are the coaches even there? For Blake Butera, he spends every day trying to make himself and his players better.

One of the things he talked about during the presser was the player planning meetings. Butera, the coaching staff and members of the front office meet one on one with every player about three or four times a season. Right now, they are in the second round of these player planning meetings.

In these meetings, the players and coaches openly talk about what they are doing well and how they need to improve. This is the kind of one on one teaching that is so important to this new regime. After the last round, Keibert Ruiz exploded offensively after further embracing pulling the ball in the air. I wonder who the breakout for this round will be.

Blake mentioned that he met with James Wood yesterday. He said that the meeting was fairly short because Wood does not have a ton to work on at the moment. Some of the meetings can go a bit longer like Ruiz’s last time.

These player planning meetings really seem like an integral part of the new regime’s philosophy. Everyone in the player development space talks about individualizing and tailoring things to the player, but that is hard to do in practice and is very time consuming. There is a reason many teams just have overarching models. The Nats want to tailor things to the individual as much as they can though.

While Blake Butera has a warm exterior, and truly wants what is best for the player, he is not always Mr. Nice Guy. Last night he was clearly upset with Andrew Alvarez’s performance and his inability to find the zone. He did not like how Alvarez was nibbling and really did not like the fact that he threw a 3-0 breaking ball. Butera said he pitched scared, which is not the first time he has used that line.

This is a lot of Butera praise, but it is deserved. He is very good at controlling the clubhouse and fostering an environment that helps players get better. Do his bullpen decisions and insistence on pinch hitting Andres Chaparro for Luis Garcia Jr. frustrate me? Absolutely, but he is still a first year manager who has a near impossible task on the bullpen side of things.

The most important part of being a manager is leading and setting the culture. Right now, I feel like Butera is doing a great job of that. Hopefully the in game decision making sharpens up as he gains experience. Overall, I have been a fan of the Blake Butera experience.

His hands-on style and willingness to hold himself and his coaching staff accountable is a breath of fresh air. Butera and his coaching staff have been a massive upgrade and have helped make this team better. There is simply no way this team would lead baseball in runs with Darnell Coles as the hitting coach. It is not perfect, but Blake Butera has brought new life to this Nationals team.

Morning, all!

Josh Jung expects to return to the lineup today, saying his knee feels fine and that the fluid that accumulated has gone down.

Jacob deGrom had some hip soreness during his start yesterday but doesn’t think it will interfere with his next scheduled start.

The hip issue is something that has bothered deGrom between starts before.

Corey Seager, on the other hand, has no idea when he will return to the lineup but he hasn’t swung a bat so it will likely be after the All Star break.

Jordan Montgomery threw 40 pitches in his latest rehab start as his return from Tommy John surgery continues apace.

It is time to make hay while the sun shines, as the Rangers are in the midst of a stretch where they will be playing 16 of 19 games at home.

This year’s draft class includes a couple of DFW high schoolers that are expected to go in the first round.

The DMN is reranking their top 30 prospects midway through the season.

Jacob Latz lost out on the fifth starter role but turned that into an opportunity to earn another high profile role.

Justin Foscue had his first pinch hit home run in last night’s win over the Angels.

Perspective check: Just four teams with more wins than the Cubs, 91-win pace. For now, I’m just going to keep reminding us. This team has its flaws. We know them intimately because we follow them every day. The rest of the teams, with maybe one or two exceptions, have flaws as well. We don’t know them quite as well because we don’t follow those teams as in depth. Do I think this a top 5 (or even 6) team? Probably not. Though I do believe that their performance to date is fair at about top 5. Even with the slumps in the equation, this team overall has played very well.

Last year the Cubs were fifth in baseball at 92 wins. That was good for the top Wild Card spot. They are on pace for 91 wins. That would get them the top Wild Card spot if everything stayed the same as it is now. So regardless if there are some smoke and mirrors in the results to date, the results are quite good. We all suspect that the team tails off somewhat in the second half due to the large number of injuries. Or if we don’t think they will tail, we at least recognize that there is a distinct possibility of a tail off. So far this team has treaded water through all of the injuries. There is always the chance that they could do so.

As blasphemous as it is to say, Tuesday night was one of my favorite wins of the year. Yeah, 10 walk-offs. Yeah, almost as many games with double digit runs scored, including one with 23. There’s Pete Crow-Armstrong’s cycle game and several other really fun wins. But for me? I’ll take this one. Some timely hitting against a pretty decent pitcher. There was a strong outing by the starter. Hand in hand, that turned a lead over to the bullpen. The pen struggled early, letting the Orioles sneak back into the game. And then the bullpen came together, stacked outs and closed out a win.

There haven’t been a ton of these for the Cubs. A lead handed to the bullpen for the final three innings to protect. To be sure, the pen allowed two runs in three innings. If the starting 10 turned a lot of leads over to the pen and the pen consistently allowed two runs, there wouldn’t be a metric ton of wins. Two runs blows a lot of leads. But they had five to protect and after two early runs out of the pen’s work, they came together and locked it down. Dare I say, the team managed to make a competitive game look a little like an easy win. A good, clean hard fought win. The kind you need to have some of. A win against a good pitcher on a bad team on the road. Check.

What this team hasn’t had a ton of this year are wins based around key contributions from Alex Bregman. Or from Matthew Boyd. Two players with the words All-Star on their resume. They are paid well to be good. One has been healthy and under producing and the other spent time hurt but has under produced when healthy. Tuesday night, the team got strong contributions from both. With Monday’s off day, this week feels a little like it belongs to the second half, rather than being the last week of the first half. This felt like the start of the race to the finish. The kind of win you stack to get into the top spots of the playoffs.

Mission accomplished in the first of the final 72. One might not break it up that way. If you prefer, you could look at it as the 17th win in the last 23 games. Or just plain old 51st win in the 91st game. That’s why I enjoyed this win. At the end of the day, it is a mundane, forgettable win in what is a long season. There won’t be anything particular that stands out down the road looking backwards. They just took care of business. A good day as another day falls off of the calendar.

Go Cubs.

Three Positives:

• I think I’d be remiss if I didn’t start with Matthew Boyd. While the Cubs scored first, they didn’t score right out of the gate. Boyd held the line while they settled in offensively. Six scoreless innings. Very solid.
• Alex Bregman had two hits and two runs batted in. The two runs batted in came in two separate plate appearances. He came through twice with runners in scoring position.
• Miguel Amaya was the table setter supreme. He got the offense going with a two out walk in the third, leading to a run scoring rally that gave the Cubs some momentum. He would score two more times.
• Obligatory Pete Crow-Armstrong update: A pair of singles, one continuing the above mention rally and another driving in a run later. .293/.383/.525 (wRC+ 150) on the year. This was a subpar game. He’s been that good, a two hit, one RBI game is below average (though a tiny positive bump to batting average on the season, it wasn’t enough to raise his on base and his slug actually dropped).

Game 91, July 7: Cubs 5, Baltimore 2 (51-40)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Matthew Boyd (.331). 6 IP, 23 BF, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 7 K, HBP (W 4-1)
• Hero: Alex Bregman (.155). 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI
• Sidekick: Miguel Amaya (.127). 2-3, 2B, BB, 3 R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.147). 0-4, DP
• Goat: Ian Happ (-.062). 0-4
• Kid: Michael Conforto (-.047). 1-4

WPA Notes: Neither Ryan Rolison nor Jacob Webb appears on the goat podium because Rolison dug the hole but Webb allowed the runs, splitting the negative between them. Webb’s is mitigated by getting the third out and preserving the lead. That out was worth .107 and was one of the biggest plays of the night. The Cubs had an 87 percent chance of winning once they escaped that inning. To be fair, it was 93.5% before that seventh inning.

WPA Play of the Game: Adley Rutschman’s two-run single with two outs in the seventh cut the Cubs four run lead to two. (.141)

Cubs Play of the Game: Alex Bregman had an RBI-single with two outs and runners on first and second in the third, for the first run of the game. (.124)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 90 Winner: Javier Assad received 63 percent of the 67 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +21
• Carson Kelly +14.5
• Michael Busch +14
• Ben Brown +13.5
• Trent Thornton +12.5
• Dansby Swanson -9
• Edward Cabrera -9.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Caleb Thielbar -13
• Seiya Suzuki -16.5

Up Next: Game two of the three-game set Wednesday night in Baltimore. Colin Rea (6-5, 4.74) vs. Dean Kremer (1-1, 3.18). Rea is in a bit of a good groove lately, just three earned runs over his last three starts (15.1 IP). That’s what Craig Counsell is looking for from him. Keep the team in the game through five innings. Kremer has made only three starts, two of those were back in April when he was 0-1 with five runs allowed in 11 innings. He made four minor league starts with a 1.83 ERA before coming back to the team. In his return, he won while allowing one run on four hits and a walk in six innings against the White Sox in Baltimore. The time away was due to a right quad strain.

Kremer has been a pretty solid starter for the Orioles for a number of years. He’s 1-1 in his career against the Cubs with a 6.00 ERA in nine innings of work. The most recent of those games was in 2024. Almost two years to the day. Michael Busch and Ian Happ each homered against him that day. For Busch, it was part of a four hit day.

This is another one that is not a gimme. Hopefully, Rea keeps them in it and the team can find a way to win another one and keep this rolling.

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The Cincinnati Reds welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to Great American Ballpark tonight, with Chase Burns taking the hill. 

Behind their ace, my Phillies vs. Reds predictions and MLB picks are targeting Cincy to take the second game of this series. 

Who will win Phillies vs Reds today: Reds moneyline (-131)

The Cincinnati Reds send the dominant Chase Burns to the mound this evening. The hard-throwing right-hander owns a 3.08 FIP across his last five outings, surrendering just 0.99 HR/9. 

During that span, Burns has limited opponents to a 33.3% hard-hit rate. Opposing hitters are batting just .222 off his primary offering, the four-seam fastball, and his second-most-used offering — the slider — has been a real issue for several Phillies hitters, most notably Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. 

The Philadelphia Phillies are likely to go with an opener, and that's good news for the Reds. Philadelphia's bullpen sports a 4.87 FIP and 7.20 ERA across the last week. While Cincinnati isn't in great form offensively, it's an opportunity to jump on a Phillies relief corps giving up 1.35 HR/9 right now. 

Burns deals, and the Reds do some damage off Philly's pen. I'll play this pick up to -150. 

COVERS INTEL: The Phillies have been substantially worse offensively on the road, posting 78 wRC+ compared to 106 wRC+ at Citizens Bank Park. 

Phillies vs Reds Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-131)

Tonight's total is set quite high at 9.5 runs. The Phillies are not exactly thriving offensively on the road, and Burns' ability to keep opponents at bay is a clear strength for the Under. The Cincinnati bullpen has also been impressive lately. 

Across the last week, they own a 3.63 FIP, and the penhasn't allowed a single home run. That's promising against a Phillies team that's sixth in the big leagues in home runs. 

While Philadelphia's relievers aren't pitching great, the Reds have just 74 wRC+ in their last six contests. I do expect them to score some runs behind Burns, but this will not be a high-scoring matchup. 

I'll play this pick up to -150. 

Phillies vs Reds weather

Conditions will be warm and relatively calm at Great American Ball Park tonight, with temperatures in the mid-80s at first pitch before falling into the upper 70s later. Winds will be very light at around 1-to-2 mph, while rain chances stay low. Overall, the weather should have minimal impact on the game.

Phillies vs Reds odds

• Moneyline: Phillies +119 | Reds -131
• Run line: Phillies +1.5 (-168) | Reds -1.5 (+146)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (+131) | Under 9.5 (-131)

Phillies vs Reds trend

The Phillies have cashed the Under in 22 of their last 30 road games for +13.30 units and a 40% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Reds.

How to watch Phillies vs Reds and game info

Phillies vs Reds latest injuries

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Some players are so talented at both hitting and pitching, they are good enough to be drafted either way. Some scouts flirted with the idea of Bret Saberhagen or Zack Greinke playing shortstop (Greinke may have wanted to be a two-way player at one point) but ultimately decided that staying on the mound was best for their respective careers. In recent years, there was some question on where Royals picks like Khalil Lee, Trevor Werner, and Jac Caglianone might end up on the diamond, but all three ended up in the batter’s box.

California prep player Jared Grindlinger is the best two-way player in this draft, with scouts mixed on where he will end up playing. He is the rare player that offers enticing potential both ways, as a legitimate first-round talent both as a left-handed pitcher and as a hitter.

Jared Grindlinger, LHP/OF, Huntington Beach High School (CA)

Bats: Left

Throws: Left

Draft rankings:

• The Athletic: #12
• Baseball America: #18
• ESPN: #11
• MLB Pipeline: #18
• Perfect Game: #16

Grindlinger is one of the youngest players available after reclassifying from the 2027 class earlier this year. He won’t turn 18 until well after the draft, making him younger than nearly every other prospect in the class. That youth gives him a lot of projectability. At 6’3”, 185 lbs., Grindlinger is still growing into his frame. Most evaluators believe there is significantly more strength and power to come, which explains why teams are willing to bet on his long-term upside despite an already accelerated timeline.

Keith Law ultimately believes the bat is where his future lies. As a hitter, Law praises his “outstanding bat-to-ball skills” while noting that his bat speed still has room to improve. Even so, the ball already carries well off his bat, and as he adds strength, many scouts expect considerably more power to emerge.

Baseball America echoes that assessment, highlighting Grindlinger’s elite contact ability. Despite possessing long levers and a naturally large strike zone, he “almost never swung and missed” during last summer’s showcase circuit. Because he projects as either a first baseman or corner outfielder, developing more over-the-fence power will be critical. He is a below-average runner and will likely not be a defensive asset in the outfield.

His offensive profile is why many clubs prefer him as a position player, but his value is boosted by the fact that he also offers legitimate upside on the mound. As a left-hander, Grindlinger has already touched 96 mph with his fastball, though he generally sits between 90-94 mph. His arsenal also includes a pair of promising offspeed pitches: a slider around 80 mph that he can manipulate into different shapes and a low-80s changeup with excellent arm speed. MLB Pipeline notes that some scouts believe his loose arm action and physical projection could eventually produce a plus fastball as he matures.

There is still plenty of refinement needed. Law points out that Grindlinger’s delivery gets him off the rubber too quickly and causes him to spin off his front side, while Baseball America notes that none of his current pitches grade as true plus offerings. Still, the combination of youth, athleticism, arm strength, and feel for pitching gives him significant long-term upside.

Grindlinger is committed to Tennessee, where he would join his older brother Trent, a former highly regarded prep prospect himself. That commitment provides plenty of leverage, but most evaluators expect a team to select him in the first round rather than allow him to reach campus.

Jim Callis at MLB Pipeline reports that while most teams like Grindlinger as a hitter, the Royals prefer him as a pitcher. The Nationals and Red Sox have been the most-linked teams to him, although Callis thinks the Royals could be “bold” and draft him to let him play both ways.

For a club like the Royals, Grindlinger represents the ultimate upside gamble. There is risk in betting on one of the youngest players in the draft, especially one whose body and tools are still developing. But they seem to love young, athletic players who can go both ways.

The Loons and Drillers won close matchups, while the Comets and Tower Buzzers were both defeated at home, with none of these teams playing in a game decided by more than three runs.

Player of the day

When the most impressive and most impactful performances of the day line up to be the same, the choice is rather obvious; in this case, it was Zach Root making an absolute mockery out of the Dayton lineup to lead the Loons to a close win at home.

Root needed just 81 pitches to reach double-digit strikeouts, 11 to be precise, which represents a season-high, letting absolutely nothing across and lowering his season ERA to 2.37, earning a third win in 13 starts.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

For the third consecutive start, Charlie Barnes allowed exactly seven runs, ending this one shortly after it began as the Comets couldn’t contain the Chihuahuas, losing 8-5 at home. OKC even put up a fight towards the end with a four-run eighth inning, but when you only secure three hits in the whole game, any chance of a win virtually goes out the window.

Responsible for two-thirds of the Comets’ hits was the second baseman Hyeseong Kim, while Zach Ehrhard scored two runs in the leadoff spot, walking a couple of times. For Kim individually, this was a much-needed boost, hitting .158 in his last 15 games. Other than Kim, though, the only hitter to record a base hit was Alek Thomas.

Double-A Tulsa

In a similar fashion to the Comets game, but with a better outcome, the Drillers owe a ridiculous percentage of their 4-3 win to Kendall George, and not just because the leadoff batter secured the walk-off hit in the ninth inning. George was responsible for four of his team’s six hits.

This game could’ve been over earlier had Jake Gelof capitalized on a bases-loaded opportunity in the seventh with the score tied at three all, but he struck out, one of his three on the game. In fact, all hitters between the second and fifth spots in the lineup didn’t record a single knock, leaving the heroics to George and the bottom of the order.

Christian Zazueta and Wyatt Crowell provided quite the deadly combo on the mound, combining for 14 strikeouts to properly handle the Cardinals, who landed a few blows, including two solo shots. Covering the last four innings, Crowell earned his seventh win of the season.

High-A Great Lakes

Minor league and major league outings seldom get much better than what Zach Root delivered to lead the way on a 4-2 win for the Loons, striking out 11 over six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. It’s the second time in a row that Root begins the month with a one-hit start—he hadn’t yet pitched in July.

Unlike the Drillers, the Loons scored all of their four runs first and survived a small bullpen scare once Root left the mound. Leadoff batter Charles Davalan was responsible for the team’s only home run. Despite striking out three times, switch-hitter Logan Wagner managed an RBI as well in his sole hit.

Single-A Ontario

Trailing from the top of the first until the very last pitch of the game, the Tower Buzzers fell victim to their own subpar defensive work, allowing three unearned runs in a 5-2 loss to the 66ers. Those errors were committed by reliever Luis Carias and shortstop Joendry Vargas, the latter of whom had a great game at the plate, going three for three with one RBI.

Starter Brady Smith doesn’t have the most appealing of ERAs at 4.08, but that number also doesn’t deserve an 0-6 record that’s been handed to him, suffering yet another loss this season. Three of the game’s five runs were scored when reliever Carias was on the mound.

Transactions

The Dodgers sent catcher Chuckie Robinson to Triple-A. Shortstop Jose Izarra moved from the Drillers to the Loons, and Tulsa shortstop Sean McLain was placed on the IL.

Tuesday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 5, El Paso 8
• Tulsa 4, Springfield 3
• Great Lakes 4, Dayton 2
• Ontario 2, Inland Empire 5

Wednesday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Aidan Foeller) vs. Dayton (Reynardo Cruz)
• 5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) vs. Springfield (Brandt Thompson)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (TBD) vs. El Paso (Jackson Wolf)
• 6:35 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) vs. Inland Empire (Aiden Butler)

There were some impressive performances from two of the Braves pitching prospects on Tuesday night, even if some of the results didn’t match up in the end. Drue Hackenberg looked as good as he has in a long time for the first five innings of his outing, showing a combination of command and stuff that has only come in flashes the last two seasons Cedric De Grandpre crossed the 100 strikeout mark with another strong performance for Columbus, and he has fully situated himself in the names to watch category for the second half as he continues to put up impressive whiff numbers.

(42-44) Gwinnett Stripers 6, (53-35) Memphis Redbirds 11

Box Score

Statcast

• DaShawn Kiersey Jr., CF: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI, .259/.311/.372
• Drue Hackenberg, SP: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, 5.68 ERA
• Blake Burkhalter, RP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA

Drue Hackenberg delivered one of his best starts of the season, and though it fell apart late in the game there was still plenty to take away from the first five innings of this outing. Hackenberg’s command slipped severely in the sixth inning and it led to him allowing three walks and runs prior to being pulled from the game, but going into that frame he had limited the Redbirds to one run and walk while striking out seven batters. One of the major issues that Hackenberg has faced throughout his career is his inability to consistently locate his curveball — the pitch with the most strikeout potential in his arsenal. This game was an example of how effective that pitch can be when he can keep it around the strike zone, with 10 of the 14 whiffs he produced on the day coming form his curveball alone. He kept going back to the well and used the 42% of the time overall without allowing a hard hit ball. In addition to his command woes Hackenberg also lost some steam on his fastball late in that outing, but this is also the deepest Hackenberg has pitched into a game by innings this season and his second-highest pitch total. Working on his stamina will be critical for him, but given the injuries he’s faced it’s not hard to see how that’s hurting his ability to be effective late in starts. His cutter and curveball are his two best pitches and he located those both well, and this outing is an example of the potential he does flash as a pitcher to be effective. His injury troubles have taken a lot of steam out of the momentum from two seasons ago, but Hackenberg is clearly a capable prospect if he can stay on the field for the rest of the season.

To no one’s surprise the Stripers weren’t lighting up the ball in this game, but they found a lot of batted ball luck throughout the evening and managed to string those hits into early runs. The first four hitters of the second inning reached base with the best hit ball being a hard single from Brewer Hicklen, and the Stripers continued to capitalize and put up three runs. Adam Zebrowksi missed a home run but was able to get the second run home on a sacrifice fly and Cal Conley capped the scored in the inning off by shooting a ball through the right side of the infield for an RBI single. Another RBI single from Conley in the fourth inning extended the Stripers lead to 4-1, and the DaShawn Kiersey Jr. followed with the lone extra base hit to keep the rally moving and bring Conley home. Much of that lead was chiseled off by the three run home run Hackenberg allowed in the sixth inning, but going into the ninth inning the Stripers had Rolddy Munoz and a one-run lead to work with. Munoz was as nasty as always but wild out of the strike zone, allowing a leadoff walk and a wild pitch to put the tying run into scoring position with no outs yet recorded. Munoz then missed with a hanging slider that got smacked for a go-ahead home run. Munoz continued walking hitters but escaped further damage, and the Stripers had their chance in the ninth inning. Adam Zebrowski drew a walk to lead off and was lifted for Luke Williams, who advanced on a sac bunt and a balk before Keirsey sent the game into extra with a base hit. Unfortunately in the 10th inning it was shown to not be meant for a Stripers win. Hayden Harris got chipped to death, allowing four singles and hitting a batter before Gwinnett waved the white flag and inserted Conley to pitch with one out

Swing and Misses

Drue Hackenberg – 14

Hayden Harris – 4

Rolddy Munoz – 4

(36-41) Columbus Clingstones 4, (31-51) Birmingham Barons 3

Box Score

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 1-4, HR, BB, .260/.341/.445
• Dalton McIntyre, RP: 2-3, HR, BB, RBI, .240/.424/.360
• Cedric De Grandpre, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 5.00 ERA
• Luis Vargas, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 4.97 ERA

Cedric De Grandpre is on a great run since his promotion to Columbus. That first outing is putting a damper on his numbers, but in his last three outings De Grandpre has managed 22 strikeouts and only three runs allowed in 16 2/3 innings, with this marking his high at the level in strikeouts and whiffs in a game. De Grandpre allowed a home run to the second batter of the game to put the Clingstones in a small early hole, but that was all of the trouble he had in the game. He whiffed the next two guys and though his own command issues did work him into a jam in the third inning the Barons never found an answer for his terrific pair of breaking balls. The Barons just couldn’t lay off his curveball when it tumbled out of the strike zone, and the high chase rate on his pitches helped mitigate that this was not an outing where he was even throwing his fastball in particularly good locations. It’s great to see De Grandpre fully healthy and already at his high in innings since 2023, and it’s already worth considering this season a success for him even if he takes a dive at some point in the second half due to fatigue. De Grandpre has established himself as a guy with multiple MLB-quality pitches, and though his command is still holding him back there is progress being made on his ability to land those two breaking balls effectively. That’s really the key to his arsenal, with his sinker mostly serving to try to get him ground balls, and he’s asserting himself as one of the guys to watch on a weekly basis. With these eight strikeouts De Grandpre is the first Braves prospect to cross the 100 strikeout mark, and with Owen Murphy in Atlanta for the time being and the next highest guy nearly 30 strikeouts behind he has a high likelihood of finishing the season as the system’s K leader.

Patrick Clohisy made sure the offense would answer back in support of De Grandpre. He led off in the bottom of the first inning with a home run out to center field, which extended his on base streak to seven games. Clohisy has been racking up walks in recent weeks despite not quite having the same success with getting hits as he was during his hot streak, with an even strikeout-to-walk ratio over his past 13 games. One of those walks came at a key time for the Clingstones. With two men on base in a one run game in the ninth inning the Barons were not playing around with Clohisy, giving him little to hit and allowing him to work a walk that loaded the bases with one out. Luke Waddell put a charge in a fly ball, and though it fell short it was plenty deep to score the speedy Dalton McIntyre from third base and tie the game. With two outs the Barons had a chance to send the game into extra innings, but Archer Brookman made sure to win the game in regulation. He hit a shot out to right center field that burned the gap, winning the series opener in walkoff fashion to ease the sting of two other games in this system that were lost late. McIntyre has been a real list to the Columbus lineup in his few games thus far, drawing a ton of walks and running a .424 OBP. He was the catalyst of that two run ninth inning with a leadoff walk, but also had a big hit in the fifth inning. McIntyre faced a left-on-left matchup but got a fastball he liked on the inner half of the plate and smoked a go-ahead home run.

Swing and Misses

Cedric De Grandpre – 17

LJ McDonough – 7

Luis Vargas – 6

Shay Schanaman – 5

(40-39) Rome Emperors 2, (38-42) Hudson Valley Renegades 3

Box Score

• Tate Southisene, SS: 2-4, BB, RBI, .209/.357/.352
• John Gil, 2B: 0-4, BB, .254/.351/.403
• Eric Hartman, CF: 0-5, .285/.360/.547
• Owen Carey, RF: 0-4, BB, .258/.331/.453
• Aiven Cabral, SP: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0.82 ERA

Aiven Cabral just keeps getting outs for the Emperors, and though a late comeback from Hudson Valley took away his chance for another win it was still another promising outing. Few pitchers at this level have command of multiple pitches good enough to consistently sequence up batters, but Cabral was relying on his deception and nipping corners to get his six strikeouts in this game. Cabral wasn’t even at his best early on and allowed a couple of walks, but the deeper the game went the more he locked in and the Renegades were off balance often throughout the late innings of his start. Thus far Cabral’s approach has translated well to his promotion to Rome, with hitters still falling behind him early and not having the approach to really key in on his fastball that could be a vulnerability at upper levels. Cabral executes better than most anyone High-A hitters are going to face and that’s taking him a long way so far, and though the Double-A jump could be a steep one for him he has done enough to prove himself at the lower levels that he shouldn’t be long before being ready for the challenge.

It was a bit of a stinker on the offensive end for Rome. The top of the lineup had a lot of 0-fers, with Tate Southisene being the only one of the top prospects to make a serious contribution at the plate. Southisene shot an opposite field single to lead off the game, and with John Gil drawing a walk behind him the Emperors had a chance to open up a good lead before Hudson Valley even got a swing in. Unfortunately they didn’t have the clutch hit at their disposal. Owen Carey drew a walk and Southisene was able to score on a balk, but the bats fell short and one run felt a little weak for such a big chance. In the next inning the Emperors had two men on base with one out and the top of the order, and Southisene did come through. He lined a single into left field for the lone Rome RBI in the game, though that was all Rome got in the game. John Gil struck out and though Hartman hit it hard the right fielder had him shaded well and was able to track the line drive down. After the fourth inning Rome’s lineup didn’t manage another hit. A leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning tied the game and in extra innings and error at first base gifted Hudson Valley the win.

Swing and Misses 

Brody Fowler – 9

Aiven Cabral – 7

David Rodriguez – 4

(46-36) Augusta GreenJackets 6, (46-34) Hickory Crawdads 3

Box Score

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 0-3, BB, .304/.365/.460
• Alex Lodise, SS: 0-3, BB, .252/.338/.467
• Michael Martinez, LF: 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, .240/.325/.452
• Kendy Richard, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 6.33 ERA

It was a huge power day for the team, and the bottom of the order was the driving force with six RBI, six hits, three walks, and three extra base hits coming out of the six through nine spots in the order. Michael Martinez got it started with a home run in the second inning, crushing a long home run to give Augusta an early lead. Martinez’s contact and defensive home are significant questions to evaluation his profile, but there can be no doubt that the man can absolutely crush a baseball. Across two levels he now has 10 home runs in his first 40 games this season. Four of those have come in his last eight games, and over his last two seasons he has 32 extra base hits in 67 games. The next big hit was in the next inning when Junior Garcia smacked a two-run double into the right field corner to score Alex Lodise and Tanner Smith. Cooper McMurray capped off the scoring with a two-run bomb in the sixth inning, narrowly clearing the high wall in right field to ice the game in favor of Augusta. Despite an 0-3 performance from Luis Guanipa and a rough patch at the plate so far in July I have been impressed with some of the at-bats he is putting up. Guanipa has shown more patience on breaking balls in recent weeks and worked a great walk in this game, and though taking more pitches has led to an increase in strikeouts it’s a necessary adjustment in the long run. Guanipa is still too much of a free-swinger, but even if it’s slow this is progress that has to happen for him to catch up and get to Rome successfully. In the middle of that walk he had a great swing where he jumped on a pitch inside and hit it hard in the air, though he was just a bit ahead of it and yanked it foul. That’s the exact swing that was unlocking more success early in the season and one I’ve been longing to see more often, and if he can combine a bit more patience with that ability to jump on anything on the inner part of the plate he could unlock a new level in the later months of the year.

It was not a particularly impressive pitching day for anyone in the Augusta greens, and they should consider themselves lucky to have only allowed three runs as a team. The committee approach can be tough when the entire committee can’t throw strikes, though somehow Luis Arestigueta managed to get away with it for 3 2/3 innings. Despite only throwing a tick over half his pitches for strikes Arestigueta got the Crawdads to make bad swings in hitter-friendly counts and left with only one run allowed and one walk allowed. Styven Paez looked fine, and his walks were at least competitive deep count plate appearances, though he did make the game a lot tighter in the ninth inning than it needed to be. Paez’s velocity/low release combo along with his tight slider does make for an interesting combination in terms of getting whiffs, and that’s made him one of the most reliable relief arms the GreenJackets have, but the command needs to improve drastically for him to be an MLB arm. There is something to like there without a doubt, and he’s better than the strikeout numbers suggest, but a 16% walk rate for a 21 year old at this level isn’t the most promising thing.

Swing and Missesa

Luis Arestigueta – 6

Kendy Richard – 4

Styven Paez – 4