One of the batting stalwarts of the team that reached Test No 1 a decade ago says the current side’s woes go far deeper than this tour of England
As a pillar of the Pakistan team that climbed from the nadir of the Lord’s spot-fixing scandal in 2010 to the top of the Test rankings six years later, all while playing overseas for security reasons, Azhar Ali knows a bit about overcoming a crisis.
But for all that Misbah-ul-Haq’s side offered hope back then – a reminder of Pakistan’s innate ability to overcome hardship and defy expectations – Azhar is currently looking on in despair at the state of their cricket and a tour of England that has pretty much imploded this past week.
Flyhalf sustains injury in weekend’s draw with Argentina
Expected to miss Springboks Test and Bledisloe Cup series
The Wallabies are bracing to be without first-choice playmaker Carter Gordon for the Bledisloe Cup and a clash with world champions South Africa in the latest injury blow for the flyhalf.
Gordon fell to the ground in agony after attacking the line late in the weekend’s 28-28 draw with Argentina in Mendoza.
Umpires had to intervene as a brutal onslaught from wonderkid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in Indian domestic cricket prompted a heated on-field interaction with a rival captain.
Slammin’ Sammy led the Sox to another key victory. | Getty Images
Call it a winning streak!
Not for the White Sox. Taking two of three from an AL Central rival in what wound up being emphatic 10-1 fashion is always satisfying, but it wasn’t two in a row. No, folks, I’m celebrating me and my absolute heater of 10 wins in 11 recap tries. Put me in every day, Brett!
The box score does betray the tension that underlined the majority of this one. Hosting their first Sunday Night Baseball broadcast as a first place team since 2008, the tone of the game was lively early, though the bulk of the early action was a straightforward redux of the frustrating offensive play the Sox have produced since the All-Star break. They rank near the bottom of the league with a .240 batting average with RISP since then, and it feels like that average should be a lot lower, because getting runners in from the basepaths without the longball has been like pulling teeth lately.
The theme continued with verve for what I’d call the majority of the game — though ultimately, and fortunately, not the entirety of it. Sam Antonacci led off the first and fifth innings with a double, sandwiching back-to-back free bases from the non-brothers Montgomery to open the second frame and preceding Tristan Peters’ own leadoff double an inning later. They even queued up a rally in the third inning, when Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi reached base before Colson Montgomery’s second punchout of the game ended the threat. Colson finished with a golden sombrero, bringing him to 197 on the season. When he presumably reaches the ignominious 200-K milestone, he’ll make the White Sox the only team to have three separate players break the 200 strikeout threshold in a season. Yoán Moncada did it most recently, and I don’t think I need to type the name of the one who did it first.
If you’ve been following the team as of late, it won’t be surprising that almost none of those White Sox rallies resulted in any runs, as Twins starter Bailey Ober labored through 4 1/3 innings with highly-diminished stuff. Still, when the Minnesota pen got the call, only one Sox run had been stuck on the board, as Antonacci did make his way around in the fifth, after Murakami shot a single through the right side:
Remarkably, and I should say unfortunately, it’s the first time since August 9 that Murakami has knocked in a run with a hit that didn’t leave the yard. That day was also the last time until this evening that he had driven in runs on back-to-back days. Ideally, a September recharge will be in the books when the team needs it the most.
On the White Sox pitching side, a motley crew of bullpen arms strung together a masterpiece, seemingly without the use of a premeditated bulk man. Bryan Hudson opened with aplomb, his sixth scoreless outing in eight first-inning tries. But the star of the effort was once again rookie Hagen Smith, who delivered three brilliant innings that bought the offense just enough time for the BABIP gods to begin taking mercy.
After the Peters double in the sixth and subsequent Chase Meidroth walk, Kyle Teel’s fielder’s choice in the infield made it, effectively, a whopping 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position before the two-thirds point of the action. Perhaps Smith’s electricity on the hill gave the offense the jolt they needed. Smith is now up to nine scoreless outings out of his first 10 tries in the majors. With the way he filled up the strike zone and made hitters look silly, ultimately going nine-up nine-down with four outs via punchie, you would truly have no feel for the roiling roller coaster that Smith’s prospectdom took us on for a two-year run.
The jolt finally exploded into a lightning blast after that Teel sixth-inning chopper. Antonacci solidified his charge at Smith for player of the game honors with his third double, tripling the South Siders lead to 3-0.
Some things in baseball remain simple. Tonight, much of it came down to the fact that Twins relievers just couldn’t throw any strikes. Seven walks in 2 2/3 innings from any combination of pitchers isn’t going to cut it, and it eventually led to an additional run in the seventh. A five-run cascade in the eighth put the game away, courtesy of Randal Grichuk’s 12th blast of his comeback summer, Peters’ second double of the game (and 30th of the season) and a comeback blast of his own for Kyle Teel (whose 406 foot blast to dead center was probably the best batted ball we’ve seen from him all season).
Peters is now four extra-base hits shy of 50 on the year, which would make him the 11th Sox rookie to ever reach that plateau, most recently Eloy Jiménez in 2019. It also seems likely that Peters will finish with handily the least home runs of that group (the modern group at least, with all due respect to Willie Kamm’s stellar 1923 effort).
The platoon of Benintendi and Grichuk, who went 2-for-2 with that aforementioned homer after pinch-hitting for the former in the fifth inning, continues to be comically effective. Through roughly a full-season’s worth of 566 at-bats, they’ve reverse-osmosised into a .261 batting average with 68 extra-base hits and 106 driven in.
The Twins did manage to dent the scoreboard on Grant Taylor for a second straight outing, as Brooks Lee became the sixth hitter to go ding-dong-johnson on the Sox relief ace. Taylor looked sharp as ever otherwise, striking out three over what I was happy to find was another two-inning outing. If you want to be a little dishonest and include the 8 2/3 Spring Training innings Taylor posted, he’s now on the precipice of 85 innings in total on the season. Somewhere in the realm of 82-85 regular season innings seems like a reasonable late guesstimate, and if you can pencil in a few more postseason reps, we find ourselves right on the edge of the 100-inning goal that Brian Bannister set out for the LSU product at the season’s outset.
Taylor’s three punchouts tonight also brought him to 97 on the season, putting him on the edge of being the fifth pure reliever in team history to break the century mark. It was most recently accomplished by Liam Hendriks and Michael Kopech in 2021, following Keith Foulke’s legendary (in the SSS slack) 1999 campaign and Terry Forster’s 1972.
The Sox finish their season series against the Twins with an 8-5 record, a repeat of 2025. With Cleveland’s voodoo magic having struck yet again in Detroit this afternoon, that’ll only be good enough to keep pace at 2 ½ games ahead in the Central. But the magic number is 17, and continues steadily dropping.
The squad gets to enjoy a breather at home tomorrow, getting a rest day before the Pirates come to town. Sean Burke is lined up to take the ball on Tuesday opposite flamethrowing rookie Bubba Chandler, and while Wednesday’s Bucco of the day has yet to be announced, it seems like the Sox will be fortunate enough to miss Paul Skenes this time around. One can never be sad about this, even accounting for his recent troubles. First pitch on Tuesday is at 7:10 p.m. CT, and we’ll see you there!
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 06: Daniel Schneemann #10 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single during the tenth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on September 06, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Guardians defeated the Tigers 3-2. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sorry for the late recap, but the Guardians won yet another walk-off game from the Tigers, besting them 3-2 in the 10th inning.
Shoutouts to Steven Kwan and Travis Bazzana who had two hits a-piece, to Brayan Rocchio who found a way to hit a game-tying home run into a stiff breeze,
Shoutouts to Gavin Williams, who had a bad first inning but shut the Tigers out for the next five innings, striking out 11, and to the electric bullpen of Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and CADE SMITH WHO WAS AS DOMINANT AS I HAVE EVER SEEN HIM STRIKING OUT FIVE OF SIX BATTERS.
This was a great series. They need, now, to find a way to win a series in Baltimore starting tomorrow and then in Minnesota following that. The Blue Jays lost so the Guardians, again, lead in the wildcard and the White Sox won, so they are still 2.5 back for the division.
A good day for our Guardians who have one more homestand this season… UNLESS October has something different to say.
CHICAGO (AP) — Randal Grichuk and Kyle Teel homered in a five-run eighth inning, Chicago’s bullpen combined on a four-hitter and the White Sox rolled past the Minnesota Twins 10-1 on Sunday.
Sam Antonacci added three doubles and two RBIs for the White Sox, who maintained their 2 1/2-game lead in the AL Central over Cleveland.
Brooks Lee homered and singled for the Twins, who have lost three of four.
Chicago used Bryan Hudson as an opener and he and four fellow relievers — Jordan Hicks, Hagen Smith, Grant Taylor and Tyler Davis — combined for 15 strikeouts and a walk. Smith (3-1) pitched three hitless innings before Taylor allowed Lee’s leadoff homer in the seventh.
Twins starter Bailey Ober (7-5) worked 4 1/3 innings and left after yielding Munetaka Murakami’s RBI single that gave Chicago a lead it never lost. The right-hander allowed four hits, struck out six and walked three. He’s gone eight starts since his last victory.
Antonacci extended the lead with a two-run double in the sixth and Grichuk tacked on an RBI double. Miguel Vargas drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh and the White Sox turned the game into rout in the eighth, when Grichuk led off with his 12th homer, Tristan Peters smacked an RBI double and Teel added a three-run drive.
Up next
The Twins had not announced a starter for Monday afternoon’s series opener at Detroit. RHP Troy Melton (7-4, 2.20 ERA) is scheduled to pitch for the Tigers.
The White Sox get Labor Day off, then begin a three-game series Tuesday night against visiting Pittsburgh when Sean Burke (8-6, 3.20 ERA) faces fellow right-hander Bubba Chandler (6-9, 4.30).
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 6: Ty Johnson #55 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Texas Rangers during the seventh inning at Globe Life Field on September 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Johnson is playing in his major league debut. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Globe Life Field has been a house of horrors for the Rays in recent years, so walking away from this four-game road set with a split should be seen as a blessing. The Rays are still four games up on the Yankees in the race for the AL East, and could clinch a postseason berth by the middle of next week. So why do I leave this series with such a bitter taste in my mouth?
The pitching staff took some hits this weekend, with IL stints for Shane McClanahan, Garrett Cleavinger, and Manuel Rodriguez announced. Bryan Baker left Friday’s game, although it was said he was dealing with an illness, but did not pitch for the rest of the weekend. To deal with these injuries, the Rays pitching depth will be put to the test for the remainder of the regular season, and potentially into October.
Well, when the Rays took a 4-0 lead when they batted around in the second, it seemed they might be cruising into a series victory. They got contributions from hitters at the bottom of the lineup like Victor Mesa Jr. and Nick Fortes, with Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda also coming through with timely hits to build their lead.
The lead would evaporate in the fourth when the Rangers tied it at five.
On Sunday, we saw a mixed bag from a parade of arms. Ian Seymour got the start and didn’t have his normal strikeout stuff, and didn’t record an out in the fourth before being pulled.
Steven Matz gave up two runs in his lone inning of work.
We did see pitching prospect Ty Johnson’s MLB debut. He was ranked 14th in the Rays system by Fangraphs, and has pitched as a starter and reliever for AAA Durham this season. He went one inning, allowing no runs on a walk and two strikeouts. There’s a clearing for him to lock down a role on the staff this month.
All in all, this result isn’t the most disappointing. You scored six runs on the road, saw a couple of rough outings from relievers you won’t rely on much in high leverage, and got to see Johnson take the mound for the first time. It’s a good time for an off day, where the team will be getting ready for their three-game series in Atlanta against the Braves.
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 30: Catcher Brett Sullivan #26 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Coors Field on June 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last week, Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs wrote about the increasing popularity of position players pitching.
With (Andrew) Monasterio’s appearance, every team has now used a position player to pitch in a nine-inning game at least once this season; the Yankees have also only used one, while the Rockies have used a major league-leading nine, and the A’s and Diamondbacks eight apiece.
The Athletics Carlos Cortez has thrown the most (8), but given that the utility player had some experience as a closer in high school, the move makes some sense.
That is not the case for the players with the second-most innings — Colorado Rockies backup catcher Brett Sullivan with seven appearances on the mound this season. In 7.2 IP, Sullivan has a respectable 4.70 ERA.
Troy Johnston has also taken the mound twice this season. In 2.0 IP, he has a sparkling 0.00 ERA.
For Johnston, his brief experience as a two-way player stands as a season highlight.
“One of the one of my favorite things was that I did get to pitch a little bit, and it was so much fun because I throw like this air cutter that just kind of goes across the plate, and I don’t throw it very hard,” Johnston said. (Sullivan also throws an “air cutter.”)
Today in USA Today, Bob Nightengale noted that the trend is receiving MLB’s attention. As he notes,“ Major League Baseball, proposing that teams be permitted to have 14 pitchers on their 26-man rosters instead of 13 in the next collective bargaining agreement, will also discuss modifying the rule on when position players can be used as pitchers in the game.”
How does Nightengale feel about this trend?
“In what once was a bit of comic relief in blowouts has become a disgusting display that’s more suited for the Savannah Bananas than actual major league games,” he writes.
So tonight, we turn it over to the Purple Row Night Owls?
Should MLB adjust the rules regarding position players pitching?
Los Angeles, - September 01: Relief pitcher Justin Wrobleski #70 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to the plate against the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh inning of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Justin Wrobleski faces Andrew Alvarez as the Dodgers look to sweep the Washington Nationals.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Nasim Nunez #26 of the Washington Nationals in the dugout before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 05, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a couple of close losses, the Nats are now looking to avoid a sweep. Earlier this year, the Nationals were excellent at avoiding sweeps but that has not been the case lately. Hopefully the boys can change that in this late night showdown.
With a lefty on the mound, there are a few changes to the lineup. Andres Chaparro, Harry Ford, Nasim Nunez and Jacob Young all check in. Dylan Crews also goes from the 9 hole all the way up to the 2 spot in this contest. Andrew Alvarez is on the bump hoping to get more run support than he usually does.
The main attraction Shohei Ohtani is still out of the Dodgers lineup. However, the Nats will still have to deal with Freeman, Smith and Betts in the middle of the Dodgers order. With a lefty on the mound, Max Muncy is all the way down in the 8 hole. Justin Wrobleski is on the hill for the Dodgers.
The Nats have not been awful in this series, they just have not made enough plays to take down an elite team. This game will be a good chance to try and do that. They have not beaten the Dodgers all year and this will be their last chance to change that. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 02: Emmet Sheehan #80 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, August 2, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Get ready to see a lot of Cincinnati Reds baseball over the next week and a half. Through their first 143 games of the season, the Dodgers have not played the Reds, but will play their longtime National League rivals seven times in the next 11 days.
Up first is three games at Dodger Stadium, beginning Monday night, followed by four games next week at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Emmet Sheehan will be called up to fill-in on Monday with bulk innings, but whether he starts or follows an opener remains to be seen.
Stud second-year right-hander Chase Burns pitches for the Reds.
Monday is Labor Day, which brings a start time an hour earlier than usual.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 6: Taylor Rogers #55 of the Minnesota Twins is pulled from the game during the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on September 6, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If the Minnesota Twins are finally featured on Sunday Night Baseball but the game is on a streaming service (Peacock) at an extremely odd (5:20 CST) time so very few people can watch it, did it actually happen?
Philosophical cud-chewing aside, I can confirm—as a subscriber to the plumaged bird—that the Twins did indeed close out their series with the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field tonight. It was perhaps a mercy this one wasn’t available to the majority of the viewing public.
Pitching-wise, it was an odd assemblage to start. The Pale Hose went with a bullpen game, while the Twins sent Bailey “might struggle to get the DeLorean back in time” Ober to the bump.
So what happened to this mishmash against the top two offenses (by runs/game) in the American League? Well: four and a half scoreless innings. Of course!
Alas, it was the ChiSox that kick-started the offensive portion of the ballgame in B5. After Sam Antonacci doubled off Ober to begin the frame, Sox stalwart Munetaka Murakami followed suit with a similar two-base hit. 1-0 CWS.
Protecting Ober’s 80 mph repertoire from seeing the South Side’s sluggers too many third times, MN manager Derek Shelton banished Bailey in favor of Kody Funderburk, who—despite walking the first batter he faced—cleaned up nicely the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, the MIN offense through six innings: two measly base knocks.
Fundy stuck around to start B6 and was greeted by a Tristan Peters double doinked into LF. Andrew Morris would enter and walk Chase Meidroth to stimulate a Sox scoring chance. After a terrific play from Royce Lewis at 1B, Antonacci would render the point moot with a dribbler up the middle past Kody Clemens, plating two foot-warmers. 3-0 CWS.
After issuing Murakami an intentional pass to the first sack, Randal Grichuk would take that personally with a whack a single to LF, scoring Antonacci. 4-0 CWS.
The Twins did get on the board before the 7th inning stretch when Brooks Lee sent a sphere 425 feet into the RCF seats. 4-1 CWS.
Lest any positive momentum be carried over to the other side of the stretch break, Taylor Rogers would enter with the bases clear and exit with them all jammed up. Enter Garrett Acton and his immediate four balls to Miguel Vargas. 5-1 CWS.
Further Acton meltdown in B8: Grichuk homer—Peters ground-rule double. 7-1 CWS.
Enter Tommy Nance: 3-run homer from Kyle Teel. 10-1 CWS.
Your Final: Chicago White Sox 10, Minnesota Twins 1.
The even fringe-hopeful competitive portion of the Twins’ 2026 season ends the night before Labor Day.
Zach’s Zealot
Lewis: One hit and a number of really nice plays at 1B. Good to see him finding a home on that side of the diamond (it bodes well for the rest of his Twins tenure).
Zach’s Zombie
Morris’ Meltdown: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 ER. I know I have to keep in mind we were—just earlier this year—seeing Morris’ parents cheering on his Major League debut and how good he was in the middle months. But these blowups are far more frequent as the year folds up.
The Mets' No. 1 prospect was at it again on Sunday for Double-A Binghamton and hit another home run, his ninth for the Rumble Ponies and 24th of the season. It was also the second straight game Rojas has left the yard after he crushed a solo shot on Saturday night.
The latest long ball was part of a 4-for-5 day for the 21-year-old acquired from the Chicago Cubs which also included a double, three RBI and two runs scored in a 7-6 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Rojas took LHP Mason Olson deep in the bottom of the seventh inning on an 0-1 pitch that traveled 407 feet and got out in a hurry with an exit velocity of 107 mph.
Rojas raised his batting average to .286 in 26 games with Binghamton and now has a .961 OPS.
Batting behind Rojas was the Mets' No. 7 prospect Jacob Reimer who also had a good day at the plate, going 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 23. The Dodgers hope Ohtani can return to the lineup Monday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Though Shohei Ohtani was out of the Dodgers’ lineup for the fourth straight game Sunday, manager Dave Roberts gave a promising update.
“[Saturday] was a good day,” Roberts said. “Came out of it feeling well. So if nothing else changes, or continues to trend, I see him in there [Monday against the Reds].”
Ohtani hit in the batting cage Saturday, and Roberts received positive reports from his hitting coaches, training staff and Ohtani about the work and his recovery. Both his right biceps problem, which flared Wednesday, and his left knee injury, have “calmed down” with the time off, Roberts said.
“Just a handful of days ago, where he was at, talking to him the day after, it just felt that a few days could potentially be of benefit,” Roberts said. “Fortunately that’s how it’s played out.”
The Dodgers have not yet officially taken Ohtani’s return to pitching off the table for the season, but it seems unlikely.
“Not officially,” Roberts said, “but obviously, if you’re looking at the calendar, how much he’s thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math.”
The calendar is also working against catcher Dalton Rushing’s initial hopes of returning behind the plate.
Rushing returned to the injured list (sprained right elbow) Sunday, after catch play went poorly the day before. In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled catcher Eliezer Alfonzo.
An MRI scan showed “more of the same,” according to Roberts. The Dodgers activated Rushing last Tuesday after just shy of a month on the IL.
Rushing had been serving as a left-handed bat off the bench and a designated hitter option with Ohtani out, while also building up on the throwing side.
The plan is for Rushing to shut down swinging for a few days, Roberts said, and then restart a hitting progression that, this time, will include a rehab assignment.
