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Dave Pavlas is a name many Yankees fans might have to double-take at and search deep into their brain folds to remember. Despite only being a footnote in the grand scheme of the illustrious Yankees history, the six-foot-seven righty made some headlines during his time with the club.

David Lee Pavlas
Born: August 12, 1962 (Frankfurt, Germany)
Yankees Tenure: 1995-96 

Pavlas was born in Frankfurt when its country was known as West Germany, but he was effectively raised in Texas. He graduated from Shiner High School and then went on to play baseball at Rice University in Houston. Upon leaving Rice, Pavlas went undrafted but was signed as an amateur free agent by the Chicago Cubs in December of 1984.

After being signed, Pavlas started working his way through the Cubs’ farm system. Pavlas had made it to Double-A in 1987 when he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Mike Mason. Pavlas kept grinding his way through the minors and would reach Triple-A for the Rangers. In January of 1990, the Cubs purchased Pavlas back from the Rangers.

The 1990 season would be Pavlas’ first taste of the majors as a September call-up. In 13 games, Pavlas recorded 21.1 innings, going 2-0 and posting a 2.11 ERA. Despite this relative success, Pavlas only appeared in one game for the Cubs in 1991, instead spending most of the 1991 and 1992 seasons playing for Triple-A Iowa.

Pavlas was out of the majors for the 1993 and 1994 seasons, instead playing in the Chinese Professional Baseball League for the Brother Elephants among other international teams and leagues. His return stateside was not without controversy, as the Yankees signed Pavlas as a replacement player during the 1994-95 Major League Baseball strike, on February 8, 1995.

Pavlas stuck with the organization once the big-league team returned, accepting an assignment to Triple-A Columbus. In July, the Yankees called up the former replacement player. After the harsh and bitter strike, the move was not received well by the players on the roster. Captain Don Mattingly told reporters that he would always see Pavlas as a scab. He largely ignored Pavlas in the clubhouse and would not interact with him outside of the lines of the field. Despite the drama, Pavlas did his job when called on out of the ’pen by Buck Showalter. In 1995, he had a 3.18 ERA over 5.2 innings in four appearances. He was not on the playoff roster but traveled with them to their heartbreaking ALDS loss to Seattle.

For most of the 1996 season, Pavlas was back in Columbus. However, the Yankees needed some innings and called him up in August for the last two months of the season. Pavlas appeared in 16 games, went 23 innings, and posted a solid 2.35 ERA.

The Yankees picked David Weathers over Pavlas on their playoff roster, and the move worked out with Weathers spinning a 0.82 ERA over 11 postseason innings during the 1996 championship run.

The players on the team voted not to give Pavlas a share of the postseason bonus. This infuriated owner George Steinbrenner, who paid Pavlas and two other players directly from the team and gave them World Series rings anyway. The vote was said to make Steinbrenner so mad that he traded* Jim Leyritz, who was allegedly the ringleader encouraging the vote against awarding the fringe contributors rings and a share.

*The presence on the wider 40-man roster of an up-and-coming backstop named Jorge Posada—a third-stringer in ’96—was more likely the primary motivator.

Following his last game with the Yankees in 1996, Pavlas would not appear in another big-league game (though he was at the ring ceremony in 1997). Chasing the dream, however, did not end, as Pavlas would play professionally internationally back in China and in Japan, including a short run playing with Hideki Matsui on the Yomiuri Giants prior to “Godzilla” becoming a Yankees legend. Then in 1999 he made another stop with the Yankees back in Triple-A Columbus, before spending a few more years pitching for the Pirates’ Triple-A club. 

In 2001, Pavlas officially retired from baseball. When it was all said and done Pavlas played professionally in seven countries and spent time in seven major league systems. His final line with the Yankees was a 0-0 record, a 2.51 ERA over 28.2 innings, and 21 strikeouts. If there were hard feelings over his involvement with the 1996 team, they at least somewhat subsided by 2016, as he was greeted warmly upon returning to the Bronx for the 20th anniversary celebration of the 1996 champions at Old-Timers’ Day.

Happy birthday, Dave!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Usually, there is no reason to focus on MLB free agency in August. It's three months away and there's playoffs to worry about.

Except this year, baseball's traditionally drawn-out free agency period is expected to be a frenzy, condensed into the three weeks between the end of the World Series and the end of the collective bargaining agreement.

The market opens five days after the World Series ends. The labor deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected the moment it does. The last one ran 99 days and froze every signing and trade in the sport. This one could be worse, because the owners want a salary cap and the union has spent decades saying that's not even in the conversation.

So, the players about to hit the market are looking at a narrow chance in November where deals can actually get done under the current CBA before the expected lockout.

These last two months will matter more than they normally would. Almost every name in this free agent class just changed teams at the deadline. Tarik Skubal is a Dodger. Freddy Peralta is a Ray. Luis Arraez is a Phillie. Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes are Cubs.

They're all auditioning somewhere new, right now, for a market that might slam shut before anyone gets their money.

The Cubs are now 8-2 in August after what was a really nice win in Washington. The Nationals are almost certainly going to miss the playoffs again, but they have a talented and young team. If you missed the stat, the Nats have had exactly one plate appearance by a player 29 or over, and that was by Miles Mikolas of all people. Even if that changes in September after roster expansion, they should set a nearly unbeatable record. The future is bright and the present isn’t all that dim. They stubbornly fought this game all of the way down to the last pitch.

Alas, the Cubs got just enough of everything to pull out yet another win. This was another team effort, with at least half a dozen players making significant contributions. This offense is relentless, this defense is excellent. They just need to pull together enough pitching to be able to hold the line when an opposing pitcher is going off and shutting them down. Can they do that? That is the question.

Let’s break out the perspective check before we further discuss this. Four teams with more wins than the Cubs. The Cubs now own a 6.5 game lead on the first Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks have caught the Phillies for the second spot. The Brewers got clobbered in San Diego and just like that, the Cubs are only four out in the division. I think it’s probably a little too early to get excited about that. But definitely time to start peeking over the fence a little. The Cubs are now on a 94.5 win pace. The Cubs are a season high 20 games over .500 and only need to split their remaining games to win 91. This team is starting to feel like the 2015 Cubs to me.

This was a game shaped a little unusual for this 2026 season. The Cubs fell behind early, trailing by two after each of the first two innings. But they scored in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings (and added an insurance run in the eighth). That turned a two-run deficit into a four-run lead heading to the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs have come from behind all across the map. They score so many runs that it isn’t terribly unusual for them to trail at some point and then bounce back. But usually once they get their offense going, they take off and leave the other team in the dust. I thought for a minute this one would go that way.

I thought wrong. That led to Jacob Webb being called upon for a four-out save. One of the fun things about a guy ascending to the closer role mid-season is that you sometimes end up with a multi-inning closer. Webb has seven saves to lead the team and in three of those he recorded more than three outs. He’d twice previously recorded six-out saves. That’s the benefit of Monday’s off day and having a very well-rested bullpen. Even with four relievers being used, there will be four other relievers with at least two days of rest heading into Wednesday’s game.

Offensively, the Cubs were fairly efficient. They had nine hits and drew five walks and had two HBPs. They turned that into eight runs. That’s a strong offensive output. Unsurprisingly, there were three homers and a couple of doubles. One of the walks scored, one of the walks drove in a run and one of the hit by pitches contributed to another run scoring. Free bases, they will kill you.

The Cubs survived a subpar start and a subpar evening out of the bullpen. That’s generally hard to do. But this team is playing exceptional baseball right now. Keep it rolling.

Three Positives plus Pete:

• Alex Bregman had another excellent night at the plate. He worked long counts all night, had a homer and a single, drew a walk and scored three times.
• Jacob Webb’s four out save was enormous.
• Seiya Suzuki had a double and a homer, he drove in two runs.
• Pete hit his 27th homer of the year. He’s had such a strong year that he homered and saw his wRC+ drop on the season. He already has 30 steals, so he’s just three homers away from back-to-back 30/30 seasons. At 24 years of age. Bobby Witt Jr. and Julio Rodriguez are two active players that got their second such season in their age-24 season.

Game 120, August 11: Cubs 8, Nationals 6 (70-50)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Jacob Webb (.177). 1.1 IP, 5 BF, H, 2 K (Sv 7)
• Hero: Alex Bregman (.145). 2-4, HR, BB, RBI, 3 R
• Sidekick: Nico Hoerner (.127). 2-3, 2B, HBP, SF, RBI R, SB

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Shōta Imanaga (-.189). 4.2 IP, 21 BF, 6 H, 0 BB, 4 ER, 5 K
• Goat: Ryan Zeferjahn (-.115). 0.2 IP, 6 BF, 3 H, BB, 2 ER
• Kid: Michael Busch (.090). 0-5

WPA Play of the Game: CJ Abrams hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first for the game’s first two runs. (.185)

Cubs Play of the Game: Nico Hoerner batted with a runner on first and no outs in the fourth, the Cubs down one. He doubled. (.134)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 119 Winner: Matthew Boyd received 58 of 91 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 +29
• Alex Bregman +19
• Carson Kelly +15.5
• Shōta Imanaga +14
• Trent Thornton +13.5
• Edward Cabrera -9.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Caleb Thielbar -19.5
• Dansby Swanson -21

Up Next: Game two of the series Wednesday night. David Peterson (6-7, 5.35) will pitch for the Cubs. Peterson is 3-1 with a 4.03 (38 IP) over his last seven starts. He’s had no decisions in his last two starts despite allowing two earned runs in 11. 1 innings. Jackson Kent gets the call for the Nats to make his MLB debut. The 23-year-old lefty is 9-4 with a 3.72 in 20 starts (94.1 IP) across two levels this season. He averages more than a strikeout an inning and has allowed opponents a .216 batting average. He’s done a little worse at Triple-A, so there is some question if he’s ready yet for this test. He was a fourth round pick out of the University of Arizona in the 2024 draft. He’s originally from Roselle, IL. So I imagine he has some thoughts one way or the other about debuting versus the Cubs. He was 13 when the Cubs won their championship.

Give the kid a warm welcome.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country.

The Rangers are fighting for a playoff spot, and are currently a half game back of Houston in the American League West and a half game up on the Detroit Tigers for the third Wild Card spot.

It seems to be a given that, if healthy, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi would be the top two starters in a playoff series. What we want to know this week is, who would you feel best about having the third starter spot?

Cast your vote below…

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George Springer loves what he sees from Ranger Suarez, so we’re riding with him as part of our Red Sox vs. Blue Jays predictions tonight.

The Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox for Game 3 of their four-game series tonight at the Rogers Centre as slight +105 underdogs at BET99.

They’ve shrunk their path to the Wild Card to just 2.5 games and are looking for a third straight win against the Red Sox with Jose Soriano on the mound.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 12, and win our third consecutive best bet.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays predictions

Red Sox vs Blue Jays best bet: George Springer Over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI (-105)

George Springer has cashed this play in two consecutive games against the Boston Red Sox, and we’re getting some tremendous value for him to do it one more time.

Now, Springer hasn’t seen a ton of Robert Suarez over the course of his career, but when he has, he’s found his way on base. The Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter is 2-for-5 lifetime against the lefty with an xBA of .344 and hasn’t struck out once, meaning we should see some balls in play tonight.

To take it a step further, Springer owns an above-average 105 wRC+ vs. lefties on the season.

His solid contact percentage is among the best of his career this year, and with Springer hitting in the four-spot routinely, we may only need one or two at-bats to build our bankroll.

COVERS INTEL: Springer has been one of the best hitters in the American League following the All-Star break, owning a .824 OPS since returning to action. And out of his 36 RBI this season, 15 have come from hitting in the four-hole. Yes, he's had 20 from the leadoff position, but with 164 more at-bats.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

We’ll keep Springer as the heart of our Blue Jays same-game parlay, but behind him, we’re rolling with the Blue Jays to keep things close, and for Jose Soriano and the now-rested bullpen to hold the Red Sox Under 3.5 runs.

Toronto has just found a way to scrape and claw themselves back into games against Boston, a big reason why they have won nine of their last 13 games and four straight series.

With Soriano on the mound making his home debut,I’m expecting him to hold the Red Sox bats at bay after allowing just three earned runs across his last 16 2/3 innings. Boston hasn’t scored more than three in four straight — let’s cash this one.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays SGP

• George Springer Over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI 
• Blue Jays +1.5 
• Red Sox team total Under 3.5 

Red Sox vs Blue Jays home run pick: Alejandro Kirk (+675)

The Blue Jays haven’t been hitting the long ball this season like in years past, but if anyone is going deep off Suarez today, it’s Alejandro Kirk.

The catcher owns a .599 xBA and a massive .714 xSLG against the lefty, leading me to believe he’s the man for the job. With his average exit velocity sitting at 98 MPH in this matchup, you should, too.

Let’s ride Kirky to go deep tonight.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Boston (-125) | Toronto (+105)
• Run line: Boston -1.5 (+140) | Toronto +1.5 (-160)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+105) | Under 7.5 (-125)

Red Sox vs Blue Jays trend

If you're looking for a play on the total, the Under is 6-0 in the Red Sox's last six games as a road favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Red Sox vs Blue Jays and game info

Red Sox vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Red Sox vs Blue Jays weather

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Worcester: L, 9-6 (BOX SCORE)

It was close, but in a game that featured twenty-seven hits between the two teams, the WooSox fell just short against the Bison (Blue Jays AAA) after a late rally. Mikey Romero had a two-RBI single to score Mickey Gasper and Franklin Arias (both of whom looked good Tuesday, obviously good enough to get within scoring position) to add to his sac fly. The former first rounder has hit .364 with an OPS of 1.072 in the month of August. This one was decided early in retrospect, though; John Holobetz finally looked a bit too human after an awesome start to his Triple-A campaign, was pulled early, and the bullpen (mostly Eduardo Rivera) didn’t help matters on a night where the offense certainly did enough to win most other games.

Portland: L, 16-4 (BOX SCORE)

By the time the Sea Dogs got a ball over the fence, Brooks Brannon’s 19th of the season that also scored Jack Winnay, the score was 16-4 and the expected winning percentage stayed securely at 0.1%. The Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) had an outstanding sixth inning off the mitt of Cooper Adams, beckoning seven runs and turning a 7-1 game into an absolute laugher. The game didn’t start off right as Dalton Rogers allowed a first-inning home run to Jefferson Rojas and the pitching staff then allowed two doubles to the young shortstop. That was just one indication of a night that would just not let up. 

Greenville: PPD in 3rd, Make-Up Today

The Drive have a pretty good handle on this one as the rain came down too quickly in Spartanburg (Astros High-A) to continue. They’re up 5-0 in the third, having jumped to an early lead thanks to Isaiah Jackson’s 16th of 2026. “First” pitch at 5:00.

Salem: L, 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

The bullpen held up their end of the bargain against Delmarva (Orioles A) on Tuesday night, allowing just one hit after the third, but the offense was extremely lackluster, getting just six total bases on the night and only drawing two walks. As a result, the RidgeYaks were unceremoniously walked off without recording an out in the bottom of the ninth. Franklin Primera had two hits as he and Skylar King remain maybe the two most intriguing batting prospects in Salem, but when you can’t get the ducks across the pond… I can’t think of an analogy to end this, but you get the point, it’s tough to win. 

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

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (59-55) lost 9-8 (BOX SCORE)

Hendrickson started for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 7 runs, 4 earned, over 6 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on an Alexander 3 run home run. They got 2 more runs in the 5th on a Biggio RBI triple and Ferreras RBI double. An Alexander double in the 7th brought Sugar Land within a run. In the 9th, Sugar Land tied it on a Brooks walk. The game went to extras and in the 10th, Salazar drove in a run on a sac fly. Unfortunately Santa wasn’t able to hold the lead as Sugar Land fell 9-8.

Note: Alexander has 20 home runs this season.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 2-for-6, R, 3B, RBI
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI
• Ray Delgado, 3B: 2-for-5, R
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB
• Collin Price, DH: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Cesar Salazar, C: 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI

• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Trey McLoughlin, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (52-57) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Dombroski started for the Hooks and tossed 2.2 scoreless innings. The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Call sac fly and Holy RBI double. In the 5th, Bush connected on a solo home run. Mancini went 2.1 innings in relief allowing 2 runs, 1 earned. He was followed by Perez who tossed 2 scoreless innings. The rest of the pen was solid as they closed out the 3-2 win.

Note: Bush has a .792 OPS this season.

• Will Bush, 1B: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Walker Janek, C: 1-for-3, BB, SB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 1-for-3, R
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-3, RBI, SB
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB

• Trey Dombroski, LHP: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Railin Perez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (37-70) won 14-9 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the first inning scoring 2 runs on a Moss RBI double and Garcia RBI single. They scored 5 more runs in the 2nd inning on a fielder’s choice, Neyens walk, Huezo walk, Moss sac fly and Walker sac fly. In the 3rd, the offense got 4 more runs on a Newman groundout and Huezo 3 run home run. Potter got the start and allowed one run over 3 innings of work. Santos pitched in relief and allowed 6 runs but the offense got another in the 4th on a Newman single and then 2 runs in the 7th on Newman and Thomas back to back home runs. Varela allowed a couple of runs in the 9th but held on as Asheville won 14-9.

Note: Huezo has a .839 OPS in High-A.

• Justin Thomas, RF: 1-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB
• Anthony Huezo, CF: 1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 SB
• Jack Moss, 1B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Kyle Walker, 2B: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
• John Garcia, DH: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
• Zach Daudet, SS: 0-for-2, 3 R, 3 BB, SB
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB
• DJ Newman, LF: 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI

• Nick Potter, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 3 K
• Joan Ogando, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Jose Varela, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (53-52) SUSPENDED

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 6:45 CT

CC: Brett Gillis – 6:35 CT

AV: Javier Perez – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

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Dinger Tuesday was good to me, with two of three cashing for +7 units and one step closer to digging out of what seemed like an impossible home run hole. MLB player props have been better for me in the summer months. Let's crush Wednesday.

It's not every week that I get to back two of the best NL bats at +EV prices, but why not get the two NL MVP frontrunners at good prices with plus matchups? The lefty-on-lefty situations are adding to the value and shouldn't concern bettors today in these two dinger props. 

These are my favorite MLB home run props for Wednesday, August 12.

MLB home run props for today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Shohei Ohtani	+276
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+344

Home run prediction: Shohei Ohtani (+276)

Shohei Ohtani for a homer at +250 or better is usually a price point for me, but it’s not something we see daily, with his average HR price closer to $2. I’m a Pete Crow-Armstrong guy all the way for NL MVP right now, but I’m willing to back Ohtani at this price against the Kansas City Royals and their bullpen.

Lefty Daniel Lynch is getting the start, which is why the price is higher with the lefty-on-lefty matchup. However, Lynch threw just 35 pitches and recorded five outs in his last turn, his first start of the season, before handing things over to the relievers. Kansas City currently has no left-handed options in its bullpen, which sets up well for Ohtani later in the game.

Since 2024, 71% of Ohtani’s home runs have come against right-handed pitching, so the matchup gets considerably better once the Royals go to their right-handed relievers.

Dodger Stadium is also a favorable home run environment, with some of the shortest fence distances in MLB. THE BAT has the fair price all the way down to +220.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Royals.TV

Home run prediction: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+344)

This is a huge outlier price at Polymarket. I hit this winner last night at +325, and tonight’s matchup is just as good, with a fair price of +260.

Pete Crow-Armstrong launched a 111-mph missile last night and has moved to -125 as the NL MVP betting favorite. He saw Jake Irvin last night but can do some damage against the Washington Nationals and rookie left-hander Jackson Kent, who is making his first MLB start.

The southpaw started the year at Double-A and is getting the promotion after Zack Littell was finally designated for assignment. Kent was a strikeout-per-inning pitcher at Triple-A this year but also allowed eight home runs over 63-plus frames. He’s tough on lefties from a batting average perspective, but left-handed hitters have taken him deep at a rate similar to righties.

Nothing cute here — just backing a great bat in a great spot at a great price with my MLB picks.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Marquee Sports Network

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The Los Angeles Dodgers took the first two games of this series against the Kansas City Royals, and they're -215 favorites to complete the sweep.

L.A.'s lethal offense is finally waking up, and I'm backing it to put forth another productive outing with my Royals vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks on Wednesday, Aug. 12. 

Who will win Royals vs Dodgers today: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-110)

Kansas City Royals pitching appears to be the elixir to the Los Angeles Dodgers' offensive struggles.

The Dodgers have scored at least five runs in each of the first two games of this series, and I project them to do so again tonight.

Daniel Lynch conceded three runs in less than two innings of work in his first start. He will not give the Royals much length, and he’ll be backed by the league’s worst bullpen in FIP.

Back Dodgers bats to lead the way in a one-sided affair. Play to -115.

COVERS INTEL:Lynch's 28th percentile K% will make it difficult to navigate a powerful Dodgers lineup.

Royals vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+120)

The Royals’ bullpen ranks dead last in HR/9, and that’s with Lynch, normally a staple out of the ‘pen, playing a regular role rather than starting things off.

The Dodgers sit second in OPS this season, and conditions are expected to provide a 14% boost to home runs.

I expect the Dodgers to score early and often in this game, and the Royals should chip in against Eric Lauer. 

He has pitched better with the Dodgers but has still conceded 2.15 HR/9. Favorable hitting conditions in the forecast won’t help his cause, either.

Back to -120.

Royals vs Dodgers home run prediction: Shohei Ohtani (+245)

Shohei Ohtani is as good as anybody when he’s on, and it looks like he’s starting to heat up.

Ohtani has hit .417 over the past 10 games with a .333 ISO, .503 wOBA, and team-leading 17.6% barrel rate.

He will face poor pitching in this contest, and winds blowing out should only highlight the crazy power Ohtani possesses.

Ohtani has homered in 29% of home games, and 34.5% when seeing a HR boost of at least 10%.

I like his chances of taking the Royals deep, and would back him to +215.

Royals vs Dodgers weather

The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid 70s with outward winds blowing near 10 miles per hour. Boost to the bats.

Royals vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Royals +175 | Dodgers -215
• Run line: Royals +1.5 (-115) | Dodgers -1.5 (-105)
• Over/Under: Over 9.0 (-120) | Under 9.0 (+100)

Royals vs Dodgers trend

The Over is 5-0-1 in Kansas City's last six games against teams with winning records. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Royals vs Dodgers and game info

Royals vs Dodgers latest injuries

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AJ Smith-Shawver has improved with every start he has made in Gwinnett, and reached new heights with his most complete outing yet in a dismantling of the Norfolk offense. Smith-Shawver’s improved command and ability to hold his stuff late into the game marked significant advances from his earlier games, and in total the Tides managed only one baserunner across 5 1/3 innings against Smith-Shawver.

(58-56) Gwinnett Stripers 3, (40-73) Norfolk Tides 4

Box Score

Statcast

• Patrick Clohisy CF: 3-4, BB .405/.479/.631
• Carlos Santana, 1B: 3-5, 2 RBI, .286/.385/.390
• AJ Smith-Shawver: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1.66 ERA
• Blake Burkhalter, RP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1.98 ERA

AJ Smith-Shawver is leaping towards his return to Atlanta and continues to up his performance with each start. Smith-Shawver had a bit of a buffer because he was facing the International League’s worst offense by scoring and OPS, and it was never really a fair matchup. Smith-Shawver dominated and allowed only one hard-hit ball, while managing to miss bats with all four of his pitches at a decent rate. Smith-Shawver didn’t have a huge peak velocity inning like in past starts but was able to hold his velocity across all 95 pitches, averaging 96.2 mph on his fastball in the first inning and 96.3 in the sixth. That and him holding his command for the full game checked off two significant boxes in feeling confident in his return, and the third came by him putting up his best work with his changeup to date. Smith-Shawver still had a problem with leaving the pitch to high up in the strike zone, but did well to land the pitch on his arm side consistently and the pitch featured heavily for him against this predominantly left-handed lineup. Smith-Shawver had some mid-zone misses with his fastball which is the biggest knock you could have on him from this game, but he really had success across the board and was able to move his pitches around the zone and hit spots for most of the outing. There is nothing you can point at in this outing and really criticize Smith-Shawver too heavily over, which is more a sign that he is finally showing off at the level he was prior to surgery. This start carries magnitude in getting Smith-Shawver over the hump and truly ready to contribute to the home stretch of the playoff run.

Patrick Clohisy continues to get on base at an extreme rate, though the conviction with which he is getting his hits continues to fall. He did somehow managed to hit a pitch well below the zone for a 105 mph single in the first inning, but that tendency to swing below the strike has been a consistent theme for him and pitchers are giving him fewer and fewer looks at fastballs. Clohisy is able to recognize and make solid contact with breaking balls and has been hitting them all over the place and finding holes, but in his last 13 games his only extra base hit is a lone double. His ability to make out of zone contact is bolstering his performance and it’s a repeatable skill for him, but there hasn’t seemed to be a shift on his part to adjust to the new approach from opposing pitchers yet. Behind Smith-Shawver the Stripers were able to take a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning of the game, and turned it over to Blake Burkhalter who coming into the game had yet to allow a run at Triple-A this season and only had a total of one earned run allowed all year. Since I’m mentioning all of that you can surely guess what happened next. Burkhalter really did not pitch poorly at least at the start of the inning. He jammed the leadoff guy with a fastball on the corner, but the hitter managed to fight off a bloop single into shallow center field. He then came back to get a strikeout and a soft tapper back to the mound that he made a play on despite slipping on the infield grass, but that slip may have thrown him off a bit. The trainer came out to check on him, and even though Burkhalter stayed in the game after a few tosses to home plate to check he was not the same guy after that. He could not locate anything and walked the next hitter, then left a fat fastball that got hit for a three-run home run. Burkhalter walked the next hitter on four pitches that all missed up and out of the zone and had to be pulled at that point. Burkhalter was cruising prior to the slip and it seems pretty obvious the culprit of the one bad game he has had all season.

Swing and Misses

AJ Smith-Shawver – 16

(50-54) Columbus Clingstones 2, (44-65) Birmingham Barons 3

Box Score

• Eric Hartman, LF: 0-3, 2 BB, .154/.333/.192
• John Gil, SS: 1-4, .280/.367/.360
• Owen Carey, RF: 0-4, .208/.345/.458
• Braden Scott, SP: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2.14 ERA

The refreshed Columbus offense didn’t get off to a hot start in Birmingham, where they got shut down for most of the game and then choked away a two-run lead late with the assistance of three errors. It didn’t take long for Eric Hartman to make his mark on the game when he led off with a walk in the first inning. He stole second base and advanced to third on the attempt to throw him out, putting him in position to score the first run of the game on a ground out. Unfortunately both John Gil and Owen Carey struck out in the inning and had two strikeouts each in the game. Hartman walked again in his second plate appearance but was stranded and didn’t make an impact for the remainder of the evening. Hartman had a hard hit ball in the fifth inning that got knocked down by the second baseman for an out, and while that was the best contact from the trio it wasn’t the only solid hit. John Gil hit a sharp grounder to lead off the next inning, and even though the shortstop made a diving play he couldn’t get up in time to throw out Gil and sailed the throw allowing Gil to move into scoring position. Gil would eventually score the game’s second run on a gapper from Jordan Groshans with two outs, and headed into the latter half of the game Columbus had a 2-0 lead. In the ninth inning Carey finally joined the party and reached on an error, but after getting to third base with one out Adam Zebrowski struck out and Luke Waddell flied out to strand a key insurance run in scoring position. In the tenth inning Hartman struck out to end the inning with no runs scored and Birmingham went on to walk the game off in the bottom of the tenth.

It was a shaky game for Braden Scott, but he somehow managed to make it work and keep the Barons off of the scoreboard for five innings. Scott ran into bouts of trouble with his control and he missed fewer bats than he’s accustomed to due to his locations not working for him, but he didn’t give up much hard contact and that made the difference. Scott has enough movement on all of his pitches that hitters aren’t able to get a good look at him, especially with his funky delivery, and for five innings in this game it worked and he allowed no hits. In the sixth inning the Barons managed to push across a run, but going into the ninth the Clingstones had to feel confident with Tyler LaPorte on the mound and a one run lead. That faith was dashed by an abhorrent defensive showing. Gil got a bit in between hops on a backhand play and had trouble wrangling it, failing to get a clean transfer which allowed the leadoff hitter to reach on an error. LaPorte then hurt his own cause, turning and firing a throw on a bunt attempt to second which sailed wide and pulled Gil off of the bag. Gil made a terrific play to keep the ball from going into center field, but with the damage done it was going to be hard for LaPorte to protect the lead. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, and LaPorte uncorked a wild pitch that tied the game and put the winning run 90 feet away. Columbus got bailed out by a hard grounder finding its way right to Groshans at third base who cut down the runner trying to score, and Zebrowski gunned down the runner trying to steal to end a tumultuous inning. After a terrible effort in the top of the tenth LaPorte had to try to strand the runner, and didn’t get off to a bad start when he fielded a comebacker and got the leadoff hitter at first base. LaPorte then hit the next batter and issued an intentional walk to load the bases, both of which probably helped the Clingstones cause, but he left a slider middle-middle and of course the next hitter burned Dalton McIntyre on a deep line drive for a walk off hit.

Swing and Misses

Braden Scott – 8

LJ McDonough – 6

(50-55) Rome Emperors 9, (37-70) Asheville Tourists 14

Box Score

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-5, .152/.152/.242
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 0-3, 2 BB, .185/.333/.333
• Alex Lodise, SS: 2-4, BB, .311/.429/.489
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 5.66 ERA

The Emperors are in Asheville this week, so even though they’re facing an awful team things are going to get crazy in a way that isn’t going to be fun for Rome pitchers. Ethan Bagwell got hammered, though the park really wasn’t fully to blame for his troubles. Bagwell couldn’t throw strikes and he didn’t last long into the second inning, finishing out with six runs allowed over one official inning of work. Bagwell was removed in the second inning after a meeting with the trainer, though there wasn’t an obvious reason for the trainer to be out there at least from what can be seen on MiLB tv. Bagwell doesn’t pitch this poorly ever, really, and he could possibly have been hurt, so there isn’t really anything meaningful to glean from this start. He’s going to come out the next time around and not have nearly the amount of command issues he did in this game when he couldn’t land anything, and it’s one of those days that every pitcher is bound to have at some point. Bagwell has been terrific at Rome otherwise and this is the first time he didn’t pitch into at least the fifth inning since his start in Augusta on May 22nd that was delayed by rain after two innings. Realistically it’s the only time this entire season he hasn’t pitched well enough to get at least into the fifth inning, which is remarkable consistency for a player this young that was seen as a project when he was drafted.

The game didn’t get any better once Bagwell was out of there. Logan Samuels walked five hitters in 1 2/3 innings of work so Rome was staring down an 11-1 deficit and a ton of relief innings after just three frames. Offensively they at least made some interest out of the game, and it’s worth just going through every guy one-by-one. Starting with Luis Guanipa, he did have an opposite field single in the game, but it’s more of the same and I really don’t like where he is right now at the plate. He’s tumbled back into bad habits and is slow getting to contact, shooting everything up the middle or away and not really hitting it hard when he does. It’s still early at this level but there hasn’t been a meaningful adjustment to his approach, and while he is making a ton of contact and always will even when he chases he is already running into pitchers who are good enough to make his approach untenable. Conor Essenburg had a solid game at the plate and looked great in terms of his approach, though he did get frozen for called strike threes on borderline pitches twice. Both of these were deep counts, however, and he drew two walks to boot. Essenburg is having a bit of an adjustment to the jump in quality between levels but overall has looked fine at the plate and I’d expect him to have at least a couple of good stretches at the plate intermixed with times he strikes out too much. Alex Lodise added two more hits and a walk to his ridiculous streak at the plate, and once again he didn’t have a strikeout. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player jump levels and suddenly stop striking out without really changing his approach or sacrificing power but Lodise is hitting everything and hitting it hard. He’s absolutely earning it and this is sort of who I expected him to be in Single-A where I was surprised pitchers at that level were able to get him to whiff so much. I don’t think he’s in the clear because this is a small sample and the approach issues are not going anywhere, but nonetheless these two weeks have been a huge positive development. Cody Miller had his first big day at the plate since being promoted, and he just missed a home run when he hit a double off of the top half of the wall to drive in two runs. Miller has not shaken the strikeout issues but the more patient approach at the plate he showed in Augusta has carried over and those swing decisions will hopefully lead to more consistent results from him in the final weeks of the year.

Swing and Misses 

Jacob Shafer – 5

Tanner Bauman – 5

Ethan Bagwell – 4

(57-50) Augusta GreenJackets 5, (61-48) Charleston RiverDogs 7

Box Score

• Carter Beck, CF: 0-5, .346/.414/.346
• Juan Mateo, 2B: 1-5, .254/.335/.347
• Parker Brosius, RF: 2-5, 2B, .333/.458/.556
• Derek Vartanian, SP: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 4.23 ERA

And we end the day with another ugly loss caused by a pitching implosion. Augusta pitchers shut out the RiverDogs through six innings of this game and held a 3-0 lead, then allowed seven runs in the final three innings. Derek Vartanian was decent in his start as it was one of the times he was able to find the strike zone with his sinker and get results early in counts. Charleston hitters were rolling over everything for six innings of this game, then in the seventh inning locked in and started mashing everything Vartanian had to offer. They had three line drive singles and a line out off of Vartanian, and even with this sudden increase in hard contact the GreenJackets didn’t budge and made Vartanian work it out. He did not do that. Vartanian threw one up in the strike zone at 88 mph, and even at this level you can’t make that mistake. Vartanian gave up a three run home run, and after six innings of dominance he walked off of the field trailing by a run. The bullpen didn’t help him much either, though the defense committing errors that led to three unearned runs didn’t help the team’s cause.

Surprisingly it was not Carter Beck doing a lot of the damage in this game, though Parker Brosius certainly had his say. Brosius had a two hit game and doubled, though his three strikeouts dampened what was an otherwise strong addition to his start of games. Mostly the offense just scraped together singles up and down the lineup, and when they had runners in scoring position they were able to come through with clutch hits. Beck had not gone a game without a hit prior to this, though there really isn’t anything worth taking away from his performance in Augusta. It has been nice to see him on the field and guys meeting expectations isn’t a small feat based on what the college hitters drafted last year have done, but Beck is just too good a pure hitter to not feast in Single-A. Beck is definitely going to have to get a primer on how to take more pitches out of the strike zone, but he can flat out hit and Single-A has not been a challenge.

Swing and Misses

Derek Vartanian – 9

Adiel Melendez – 4

Lehigh Valley 5, Scranton/WB 4

The IronPigs score 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th for the walk-off win. Gabriel Rincones Jr. had the winning two-run double. Charles King with another decent start, going 6 innings of 6 hit, 3 run ball with 4 strikeouts. Old friend Max Lazar picked up his 4th win of the season with a scoreless 9th. Keaton Anthony had a multi-hit game, including an RBI double in the 9th. Catcher Payton Henry hit his 5th HR of the season, a solo shot in the 3rd.

Reading 9, Chesapeake 5

Jean Cabrera was back on his BS, giving up all 5 run in 4 innings of work. It included giving up 7 hits (2 HR) and 4 walks. Thankfully, the bullpen combined for 5 shutout innings. Mavis Graves had a scoreless inning and has taken to his new reliever role after struggling as a starter. He has given up 0 runs in his last 4 appearances (6 IP). The offense exploded for 6 runs in the 3rd inning, including a grand-slam from Alex Binelas. Binelas would also add a two-run shot in the 5th inning. The 26 year old former 3rd Round Pick from the Brewers is up to 25 HRs on the season with a season slash of .291/.405/.556 in 351 at-bats.

Brooklyn 4, Jersey Shore 1

Cade Obermueller started the game and gave up all 4 runs in 3.2 IP. He has had a rough go of it since being promoted to High-A after mixed results with Clearwater. That is now 10 runs given up in 7.2 IP with Jersey Shore. The offense did him no favors collecting just 3-hits in their shutout. The only real highlight was the inning of scoreless relief from 23 year old Kevin Warunek who had 3 strikeouts. In his first 2 games since being promoted to Jersey Shore, he has 6 strikeouts in 2 innings of work.

Fort Myers 2, Clearwater 1

Breakout starter Brad Pacheco picked up the loss despite giving up two runs in 5 innings (he also walked just one and struckout 4). 2026 2nd rounder Caden Pogenpohl had a two-hit game, including his 2nd double of the season. 2026 6th round pick Macon Winslow added his 1st double and 6th RBI of the season, accounting for the Threshers only run of the game.

I have a client who just turned 104 years old. She was alive in the era of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby, Cool Papa Bell and Walter Johnson. She also would have been alive when the United States celebrated its 150th anniversary. It made me think how rare it is for someone to see three fifty-year anniversaries. I’ve witnessed the 200th and the 250th but won’t be alive for the 300th unless there is some yet-undiscovered medical miracle. Even if there is, I’m not sure I can stomach that much more bad Royals baseball.

Okay, that was kind of a cheap shot, but it is what it is. Watching the country celebrate the 250th anniversary got me thinking back to the glorious summer of 1976. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Were things better in 1976 than they are today? Probably not. I can only say that our music and the Royals were better in 1976. I’m probably overlooking something that you’ll tell me about, but nostalgia has a way of making your brain forget about the bad things.

Sometimes we forget or take for granted some of the glorious things that make our lives easier today, such as medical advances and modern technology. Our houses are better. Our automobiles are better. Our food choices are more plentiful and better. Jet travel is faster and safer. I could go on, but you get the idea.

I thought of this often as the country hosted the World Cup this summer. I must give the United States a round of applause for the World Cup. Everything I’ve read from our visitors has been positive, eye-opening and refreshing. I loved hearing about the surprises our visitors encountered. Buc-ee’s! Waffle House! Stores open 24/7! Biscuits and gravy! Walmart! Ice in our drinks! Unlimited refills! Air conditioning! So many choices of beer! Ranch dressing! Barbecue! Over a million people came to the US for the games, and many raved about how friendly and hospitable Americans were. That warms my heart and makes me proud to be an American. I hope they come back for another visit.

1976 was a special year for the country and for baseball. Who can forget Mark Fidrych and his goofball antics on the mound? He was a pretty darn good pitcher that summer, winning 19 games, and became a national icon. Henry Aaron hit the 755th and last home run of his career off former Royal Dick Drago. The White Sox played some games in shorts. With free agency looming, Athletics owner Charlie Finley began to sell players. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn vetoed the sales “in the best interest of the game.” Nolan Ryan struck out 327 batters.

It’s hard to believe it’s been fifty years. What a time to be alive. I was just 15, working that summer pumping gas at Jensen’s Standard station and thinking about my upcoming junior year in high school. Our Cookie League baseball team was still wearing wool jerseys, which made day games under the scorching Kansas sun a miserable event. The wool jerseys were a leftover remnant from the 1960s. In the summer of ’77, the city leaders found a little cash to outfit us in more fashionable and cooler polyester jerseys.

We were poor kids, living in an impoverished small town. We scrounged around for extra bats, and most of us used hand-me-down gloves. Spikes were rarely seen. We never gave it a second thought; the teams we played against looked a lot like us. We just loved playing the game.

The year kicked off with the Steelers dynasty beating the Cowboys 21-17 in an exciting Super Bowl X.

A couple of guys named Steve founded a company they called Apple on April 1st and eventually changed the world.

The NBA and ABA merged on June 17th.

The big local news in June was the passing of Les Milgram on June 19th. The Milgram family were grocers and at one time owned 61 stores in the metro and surrounding area. Les Milgram, a name unknown to many younger fans, was a noted civic leader who was influential in getting the Philadelphia Athletics to relocate to Kansas City. He also played a large role in getting the Dallas Texans to relocate to Kansas City in 1963. He could often be found sitting a couple of rows behind the Athletics dugout.

After the Athletics left town, Milgram persuaded his childhood friend, Ewing Kauffman, to become the owner of the city’s new expansion baseball team.

Milgram served on the Royals Board of Directors and, through his love of baseball, played a large role in keeping the Ban Johnson League afloat after World War II.

Today, the Royals reward their best player each season with the Les Milgram Player of the Year Award. Milgram was truly a titan on the local civic scene, and his passing at the age of 58 left a huge void. He was survived by his wife, Ann, and children Betsy, Nancy, Sally and Nat.

July was a big month in the States. The United States celebrated its 200th anniversary on July 4th, which seemed like a much bigger deal than the recent 250th anniversary.

Family Feud made its debut on July 12th.

Son of Sam murdered his first victim on the 29th, setting off a year of angst and anxiety among New Yorkers.

On July 30th, Bruce Jenner captivated the nation by winning the gold medal in the decathlon at the Montreal Summer Olympics.

In November, Jimmy Carter upset incumbent Gerald Ford to win the presidency. On November 29th, the New York Yankees sent shockwaves through the baseball world when they signed Reggie Jackson to a five-year, $3 million contract. Imagine that. Five years of a superstar for $3 million.

Rocky was the movie of the year, while MASH, All in the Family, and Happy Days were the hit television shows. Culturally, 1976 was probably closer to the 1950s. With no internet or cell phones, kids still cruised Main Street on the weekends and went to school dances. The swimming pool was the nerve center of the community in the summer months. Life moved at a slower pace.

1976 was also the first year that the Royals won the American League West and, in just their eighth season of existence, made their playoff debut. The Royals were a young team, with only two starters, Freddie Patek and Hal McRae, aged 30 or over. The Royals had accumulated an impressive array of young talent. Royal hitters had 6,199 plate appearances that summer. Only 1,522 were taken by players age 30 or over, and the bulk of those were taken by Patek (age 31), McRae (30), Bob Stinson (30) and Cookie Rojas, the gray beard of the Royals at the age of 37. Even the pitching staff was young, with Al Fitzmorris, Marty Pattin and Steve Mingori being the only three age 30 or over who collected significant innings. That’s how you build a winner.

Whitey Herzog was in his first full season as manager, and George Brett followed up on his strong 1975 season with a season that announced him as a superstar. It was a great time to be a Royal fan.

Brett won the league batting title in his last at-bat of the final game of the season, edging out teammate Hal McRae, .333 to .332. George also led the league in hits (215), triples (14) and total bases (298), put up a 7.50 WAR season and still lost the MVP vote to Thurman Munson. Munson was a great player and had a decent season, but the voters blew this one.

McRae, the Butch Cassidy to Brett’s Sundance Kid, had some bitterness about losing the batting title but still had an outstanding season, leading the league in on-base percentage (.407) and OPS (.868) and infusing the Royals with a hard-nosed style of play.

The Royals offense was clicking early in 1976. They had a three-game stretch in May in which they scored 37 runs. They dropped 14 runs on Texas on consecutive nights in late May. They peaked on June 15th when they jumped out to a 20-0 lead against Detroit before settling in for a 21- 7 win. They lashed the Tigers with 24 hits. Tom Poquette had five. George had four.

The Royals’ division lead swelled to 12 games after they swept a doubleheader from the White Sox on August 6th.

The Royals and Sox played another doubleheader on August 8. This was notable because Chicago wore shorts for the first game. They took a lot of heat for the shorts, but I thought they looked kind of snazzy, and why not? July and August can be crazy hot, and if the shorts are more comfortable, let them wear them.

After the August 6th sweep, the young team battled injuries and the pressure of a pennant race and slumped to the finish line by losing 32 of their last 58 games.

Pitching ace Steve Busby was lost early in the season. Doug Bird lost significant time to elbow soreness. Tom Poquette, who had emerged as a solid force in left field, missed 58 games after he crashed into the wall in foul territory chasing a fly ball. He was briefly knocked unconscious and had to be carried off the field on a stretcher.

Patek, Rojas and Otis all missed games during the season due to injury. Fortunately, the Royals had built some depth, with guys like Dave Nelson, Jim Wohlford and Jamie Quirk stepping in. Frank White covered shortstop during Patek’s absence.

The Royals made one huge trade during the season, when they sent catcher Fran Healy to the Yankees for pitcher Larry Gura. Gura had fallen into Billy Martin’s doghouse and desperately needed a change of scenery. Gura only pitched 62 innings, toggling between starting and relief.

The second acquisition flew under the radar but was just as important. On July 5, they purchased the contract of pitcher Andy Hassler from division rival California. Hassler gave them 14 starts and almost 100 innings of work, which was desperately needed.

On September 29th, with the Royals clinging to a 2.5 game lead, Herzog surprised everyone by giving the ball to Gura. In what has become known as one of the most clutch performances in club history, Gura shut down the hard-charging A’s with a four-hit, complete-game shutout. The win gave the Royals a 3.5-game lead with three games to play and clinched their first American League West crown. The Royals lost nine of their last 11 games but still managed to win the division by 2½ games.

Two future Royal Hall of Famers, John Wathan and Willie Wilson, made their debuts in 1976, as did Ruppert Jones, a 21-year-old phenom. After the season ended, the Royals lost Jones, Al Fitzmorris, Stinson and Tom Bruno in the expansion draft.

It was a sad departure for Fitzmorris, who had been an original Royal and a fan favorite. Fitz had a fantastic 1976 season, making 33 starts, pitching 220 innings with a record of 15-11.

From 1974 to 1976, Fitzmorris was nails, making 95 starts and posting a 44 and 27 record with a 3.17 ERA. Despite being the Royals’ best starter in the regular season, Whitey Herzog did not pitch Fitzmorris in the Championship Series. It was a puzzling move and left many fans questioning the wisdom. I loved Whitey and will always have a soft spot for him, but this was a bad piece of managing. When Herzog informed Fitz that he wouldn’t be pitching against the Yankees, it sparked a heated argument between the two. Fitzmorris’ time with the Royals was over.

The magical summer soon came to an end at the hands of the damn Yankees. The teams split the first four games and were tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the 9th, thanks to George’s titanic three-run blast in the 8th off Grant Jackson. After a five-minute delay while miscreant Yankee fans had their moment, Chris Chambliss hit the first pitch from Mark Littell over the right-field wall to send New York to the World Series.

I always felt bad for Littell, who’d had a fantastic season and was one of baseball’s good guys. I spoke to him a few months before his untimely death, and he made no excuses. He said he’d cooled off a little while Yankee fans rioted, which delayed the start of the inning. Of the pitch, he said, “It was a high fastball, out of the strike zone. Chambliss just did a great job of hitting it.”

Despite the bitter ending, it was a great summer. Due to my own heavy work and baseball schedule, I was only able to attend two games but remember them fondly. The first came in early June against the Orioles. We arrived late to the game, and there were four young men sitting in our seats. Pop asked them to move. They refused. An usher showed up, looked at our tickets and told the guys to take a hike. The leader of the group told the usher to bleep off. The usher grabbed him by the nape of his neck and his belt, yanked him from the seat and hurled him down the steps. The other three meekly filed out. I loved every second of it. Can you imagine something like that happening today? The game was notable for being one of Steve Busby’s last great starts.

For younger fans, it’s hard to describe Busby’s greatness. The fact that he has two of the Royals’ four no-hitters should be some clue.

The game was also highlighted by a three-run bomb off the bat of Reggie Jackson. Brooks Robinson, nearing the end of his illustrious 23-year career, made a late-game appearance as a defensive replacement. Brooks’ appearance was brought on when future Royal manager Tony Muser took a bad hop to the cup, off the bat of John Mayberry. Muser went down like he’d been hit with a deer slug. He was carried off on a stretcher to a round of polite applause while the ground crew raked up what remained of his shattered sack.

The second game came in early September and wasn’t notable for anything other than Bert Blyleven stifling the Royals’ bats. It was a beautiful late-summer Sunday. My friend Dennis and I had ridden the bus from Salina to the stadium on one of those package deals, which was a bargain. Our seats were in the lower bowl, halfway up behind third base.

Before the game, we soaked up the sun while the PA system blared hit music from the summer. One of the songs they played was “Moonlight Feels Right,” which featured a fantastic marimba solo. Every time I hear that song, it takes me back to that day.

What a great summer.

The Yankees were looking a little dire on Tuesday, getting blanked by Bryan Woo and his 6.71 road ERA for five innings and continuing those struggles against the Seattle bullpen until the seventh inning. After Ryan Weathers allowed a solo shot to Randy Arozarena in the sixth and it looked like that sole mistake was going to leave him with a loss, the offense rallied for four runs, Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham driving in a pair each on singles to pull ahead. That outburst got them back in the win column after dropping the finale of their Atlanta series, and they’ve needed every win they can get to keep pace in an AL East race that is turning into a pressure cooker.

Tampa Bay Rays (73-46) 12, The Athletics (47-73) 4

The Rays stormed back to take Monday’s game against the A’s, scoring eight runs in the eighth, and they kept rolling from the get-go in Tuesday’s bout to win their eighth in a row. They got started with an error giving them a leadoff baserunner and Junior Caminero cashed them in with his 35th home run of the season for a 2-0 advantage. In the third they tacked on one more, with two walks and a wild pitch putting runners on second and third before a fielder’s choice cut down the lead runner. Chandler Simpson got a rare sacrifice double play marked down when he lifted a fly ball to center, getting the run in before the cutoff throw to home was redirected to second base and gunned down the trailing runner.

By the fourth inning the makings of a blowout were setting in, with Taylor Walls and Yandy Díaz both hitting home runs to double the lead to 6-0. The A’s got on the board in the bottom half with Lawrence Butler launching a two-run shot, but it was all the A’s would get for a while and the Rays were just getting started. The sixth inning saw Walls hit his second homer of the night (the only two homers he’s hit all year by the way), the seventh brought home two more Rays on a Victor Mesa Jr. blast, and in the eighth it was Carson Williams’ turn to hit a homer as he brought in three runs. At the end of that run it was 12-2 Tampa Bay, and their starter was still going strong.

Nick Martinez was on the mound for the Rays and he went the distance in this outing on 101 pitches. Never one to punch out batters at a high rate, Martinez only struck out five but managed to scatter eight hits and didn’t walk a single batter. The A’s did give him a fight in the ninth, stringing a trio of hits together to push across two more runs, but Martinez buckled down and got a pair of grounders to wrap up the complete game, the 15th pitcher to do so this year.

Other Games

Boston Red Sox (64-55) 3, Toronto Blue Jays (58-63) 5: This game had the two results that Yankees fans wanted to see: Cy Young competitor Dylan Cease had a mediocre night, but the Red Sox still lost. Adley Rutschman made his debut for the Sox after coming over at the deadline from Baltimore and going through a short rehab assignment, and the Sox catcher had a solid day going 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. It was Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela who did the damage for Boston though, hitting solo shots in the fourth and fifth respectively to put them up 3-1.

Toronto responded in the bottom of the fifth, however, tying the game up on a Charles McAdoo sac fly and a Brett Bateman RBI single. The sixth saw them take the lead as George Springer led off with a walk, moved to third on a single, and scored when Ernie Clement beat out a potential double play ball up the middle. Myles Straw brought in an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI double, but the Sox would strand Masataka Yoshida at second base in the ninth to make it redundant. Boston has dropped four in a row since winning 27 of 30, now sitting three back of the Yanks and nine behind Tampa Bay.

Chicago White Sox (61-57) 4, Cincinnati Reds (57-61) 5 (10 innings): The White Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead powered by homers from Brenton Doyle, Edgar Quero, and Miguel Vargas, cruising behind Sean Burke as he pitched seven strong innings. The only blip on the radar came when Burke allowed a solo shot to Eugenio Suárez in the fifth inning, but he handed a solid lead to his bullpen just to watch it go up in flames. The Reds scored three in the eighth as soon as he left, Tyler Stephenson tying the game on a two-run single. In extras Elly De La Cruz lifted a sacrifice fly to drive in the Manfred runner, while Chicago was ineffective in the bottom half, striking out before lifting two weak pop ups and officially spoiling Pope Hat Night.

Texas Rangers (60-60) 2, Los Angeles Angels (46-74) 3: Cody Bradford lasted seven innings for the Rangers, but one inning would undo him. Up 1-0 in the third off of a Joc Pederson solo shot, Bradford was facing the bottom of the Angels’ order and allowed a leadoff single to Wade Meckler. Meckler got bunted over to second and then scored on a Zach Neto single to tie the game, before Mike Trout got aboard on a hit by pitch and the Angels ran a double steal to put them both in scoring position. Nolan Schanuel got Neto in on a sac fly and Vaughn Grissom scored Trout with a double out to left to give the Angels a lead they wouldn’t surrender. Texas got one back in the sixth as Jarred Kelenic singled a run in, but the backend of the Angels’ bullpen managed to strike out five of the last seven Rangers they faced to close the door on a comeback attempt.

Houston Astros (61-60) 1, San Francisco Giants (50-70) 4: In another case of no one being able to pull away with the AL West, Houston couldn’t capitalize on the Rangers’ downfall. Yordan Alvarez got the Astros a brief 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sac fly, but Drew Gilbert got it right back in the bottom half with an RBI single and from there it was all Giants. Drew Cavanaugh’s RBI single in the fourth put them ahead, Bryce Eldridge hit a solo homer in the fifth to extend the lead, and Christian Koss doubled in another run for good measure. As such, Houston remains half a game up on Texas for the AL West lead despite only sitting one win above .500.

While the Detroit Tigers’ offense is drawing most of the attention during their epic run from June 1 to the present, their much maligned bullpen has also played a part in turning the season around. Some credit for this has to go to the team at large, as good starting pitching and plenty of run scoring makes it far easier to keep a bullpen in order. Another crucial element to good bullpen work is team defense, and the return of Gleyber Torres, Javier Báez, along with Zach McKinstry swinging a hot enough bat to play most days, has really solidified them as a defensive unit as well. Adding in Max Clark to play above average center field has been the final piece of that puzzle. Even so, several key members of the bullpen have clearly pitched better over the last 10 weeks going back to June 1, and none more than veteran lefty Tyler Holton.

In 2023-2024, Holton was one of the most valuable relievers in baseball. One could scoff at his mediocre strikeout rates, but his extremely low walk rate, along with keeping home runs in check, lent plenty of support to the idea that Holton wasn’t just getting lucky on balls in play. He was an absolute workhorse for the Tigers, appearing in 125 games and throwing 179.2 innings with a combined 2.15 ERA. That’s an ace caliber season for a starting pitcher, but Holton managed it while pitching two to three games per week on short notice, occasioally spot starting, and otherwise never knowing when his number would be called, or for how long he’d have to pitch once he was on the mound.

In 2025, things finally started to slip. Holton’s strikeout to walk ratio remained excellent, but he had a few stretches in which teams got to him for a lot more home runs. After posting a 0.80 HR/9 mark across 2023-2024, that mark skyrocketed to 1.72 HR/9 in 2025, Holton’s age 29 season. Of course, he wasn’t alone as many of the Tigers relief options went down with injury or struggled to re-create their 2024 performances. While Holton managed to pull it together enough to pitch well in September, it seemed as though the lack of strikeouts had finally come back to bite him, and that his run as an unconventionally great reliever was at an end. That impression was only strengthened when Holton struggled early in 2026 as well.

Through May 31st, Holton had posted a 4.50 ERA/4.36 FIP for a bullpen that crumbled to dust in May. His strikeout and walk numbers were still solid, but still the home runs were coming more frequently than they used to as right-handed hitters continued to tee off on him.

Holton has long drawn attention for having two distinct three-pitch mixes depending on hitter handedness. Against lefties, he jams them with sinkers and bends sweepers down and away into the right-handed batters box, while mixing in fourseamers up to change hitters’ eye level. Against right-handers, Holton mainly features cutters, with a mix of changeups and fourseamers, along with a bit of curveball away to steal strikes on the outer edge. The pitch that was really betraying him even as his sweeper improved was the changeup.

Right-handed hitters posted a gruesome .452 wOBA, .462 ISO combination against the changeup prior to June 1 of this year. The pitch was averaging 12 inches of horizontal run, and two inches of vertical movement. Whatever adjustment Holton made to the changeup, since that point he’s added almost three inches of arm side run, and two inches of vertical movement. It’s fading away arm side more, and dropping a little less. As a result it seems to be harder to see out of the his hand with a bit flatter shape, but then fades away arm side more than expected. The result has been a lot more weak contact.

Right-handers have posted just a .187 wOBA and a .087 ISO against the changeup since June 1. Whether it’s the change in movement to accentuate the horizontal break, or whether Holton is just setting it up and commanding the changeup more effectively, it’s completely turned his season around. His main weapon against right-handers, his cutter, was also getting hit harder than usual this year, but that may have simply been because it was the only pitch working for him and hitters were able to sit on it. Since June 1 hitters have done absolutely nothing against the cutter, despite the fact that the average movement on it hasn’t changed at all. Fixing the changeup fixed his whole approach to attacking right-handed hitters and turned him back into the versatile reliever the Tigers relied so heavily on in 2023-2024. Once again, he looks like one of the better relievers in the game, and the struggles of 2025 now look like a single season blip in his career numbers.

Good to have you back, Tyler.

Holton isn’t all the way back to his 2023-2024 numbers just yet, but considering how rough the 2026 season started off for him, it’s remarkable that his numbers are once again lining up so well with his peak seasons. The strikeouts continue to trend up, and the home runs continue to trend down. If he can keep that up for the next seven weeks or so to finish out the season, everything should line up nicely once again with his career numbers, with only that home run spike in 2025 to remind us that he fought through a rough stretch for over a season before finally getting everything back in form.

The Tigers bullpen still badly needs a real ace reliever down there, one capable of turning out the lights on good opponents with strikeouts and weak contact. It’s hard to have faith in Kenley Jansen managing it, although Drew Sommers has certainly provided an overall boost in stuff for the high leverage crew. That lack may once again be their undoing down the stretch or in the postseason, and the disinterest in adding relief help at the trade deadline remains a baffling oversight. But with Tyler Holton back to dealing like he did in 2023-2024 it’s once again a deeper, more flexible bullpen for A.J. Hinch and Chris Fetter to deploy. Whether it’s enough to get them into October where they can use their starting pitchers more flexibly, and perhaps find ways to make it work, remains to be seen.