Aug 23, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Victor Robles (10) steals second base against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Mariners start this series today against the Phillies of Philadelphia fame (the city, not the cream cheese), coming off of a huge series victory over the Chicago Cubs. Granted, the victory also included a more-than-15-run loss in game three, but it was a series victory nonetheless. The Phillies come into today’s series on a huge 9-game winning streak, including three sweeps. The Mariners are still very much in play for the division and the Wild Card, so a couple of back-to-back series victories over two of the best teams in the NL could be just the momentum the Mariners need heading into the last month of the season. With the lowest-rated strength of schedule for their remaining games, the Mariners could easily put themselves back in the playoff picture.
Randy hit his 20th home run of the season in yesterday’s game, recording his 6th consecutive 20+ home run, 20+ stolen bases season, becoming the 11th player in MLB history with at least 6 such seasons and the 5th to do it in at least 6-consecutive seasons, joining Barry Bonds (1990-98), Bobby Bonds (1969-75), Bobby Abreu (1999-2005) and Willie Mays (1955-1960).
Logan Gilbert has registered a quality start in his last 6 home starts (June 16-c), going 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA (40.1 IP, 9 ER), 9 walks and 47 strikeouts during that span.
Julio Rodriguez is six RBIs away from reaching the 400 career RBIs mark
The Mariners announced Rick Rizzs will be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame during the 2027 season, becoming the 12th member and joining longtime broadcast partner Dave Niehaus as the only non-uniformed members of the Mariners Hall of Fame.
Aug 24, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) attempts a catch hit by Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (not pictured during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After being shaken up on a diving play in the fifth inning, Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar left tonight’s game against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning.
Prior to exiting, Tovar had a solo home run and a double in two at-bats.
The club confirmed that Tovar sustained a left wrist strain. Tovar was replaced by Ryan Ritter at short.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 18: Carson Whisenhunt #88 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 18, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series.
Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who enters tonight’s game with a 7.03 ERA, 5.65 FIP, with 23 strikeouts to 20 walks in 32 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 8-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians last Tuesday, in which he allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with one strikeout and two walks in four innings.
He’ll be facing off against Reds right-hander Chase Burns, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.51 ERA, 3.07 FIP, with 159 strikeouts to 48 walks in 136 innings pitched. His last start was in the Reds’ 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Wednesday, in which he allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings.
Late Memphis Grizzlies player Brandon Clarke had cocaine, heroin, oxycodone and multiple other prescription medications "within therapeutic levels" in his system at the time of his death, according to an autopsy report released by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner on Monday, Aug. 24.
The full autopsy, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, attributes Clarke's cause of death to effects of heroin and cocaine with the combined effects of the other prescription medicines in his system listed as contributing factors. The medical examiner classified Clarke's death as an accident, confirming an earlier statement from Aug. 7.
Kratom was also found in Clarke's system.
Just six weeks before his death on May 11, Clarke, 29, allegedly led Cross County Sheriff's Office deputies on a miles-long chase on April 1, with speeds reaching more than 100 mph, and was found with more than 230 grams of kratom in his possession, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Also found in Clarke's bedroom and attached bathroom were "vape devices, cannabis products, prescription medications, injectable peptides, syringes, a box of Narcan, blister packets of medications, vitamins and other medical evidence."
A plate with an "unknown powdery white substance" and hotel keycard were found in the kitchen, according to the synopsis.
Clarke's agent allegedly reached out to his roommate at approximately 5 p.m. local time on May 11 after he had been unable to get a hold of him, per the summary. The roommate had recently returned home and went into Clarke's bedroom, where he found the Grizzlies forward unresponsive. Clarke was pronounced dead 15 minutes later.
The roommate told the Medical Examiner that Clarke had "a history of drug use with prior stints at a rehabilitation facility" and was last seen by him alive at their Woodland Hills residence around midnight the previous night.
An investigation of his home included in the report found no evidence of foul play.
Clarke was drafted out of Gonzaga by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and was immediately traded to the Grizzlies, where he spent all seven years of his career. At the time of his death, he was tied with Ja Morant as the team's longest-tenured player. In October 2022, he signed a four-year, $52 million contract extension to remain in Memphis, but his career became derailed by injuries shortly after.
He tore his left Achilles tendon in March 2023, and the lengthy rehab process from that limited him to just six games in the 2023-24 season. The following year, Clarke played in 64 games until suffering a high-grade right PCL strain that ended his season and forced him to miss the beginning of 2025-26. He made his season debut in December and played two games before being shut down with a right calf injury. Clarke never appeared in an NBA game again.
Clarke's contract was reportedly protected by a life insurance policy and his estate will receive the remaining $12.5 million owed to him in full, according to USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 12: Walker Jenkins #23 of the Minnesota Twins on the American League Team high-fives Leo De Vries #12 of the Athletics on the American League Team during the 2026 MLB Futures Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):8:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Athletics Nation
Today in my weekly game thread pontification, let’s look at the Twins’ two top prospects in St. Paul who are banging down the door to get a shot: Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Rodriguez had his best game as a pro with a two homer effort on Saturday. Aidan dove deep on him last week so I won’t spend too much time there. Jenkins is coming off his second multi-homer game in the past week and third this month. He is hitting .415/.493/.800 in August with 7 homers, 6 stolen bases, and an insane 225 wRC+, meaning he is hitting 125% better than league average. The only real remaining question for the 21 year old was his in-game power and fair to say that has arrived. Jenkins is beyond ready.
The common argument against Jenkins or Rodriguez getting the call is, “where would we play them?” Well, that was a valid argument a month ago, not so much these days. For one or both of these outfielders to get time it will come at expense of one of the following players: Keaschall, Clemens, Lewis, Lee, Larnach, Bell, or Buxton. The outfielders are the most straightforward solution, but any of the infielders could be moved around with Bell getting more time at first base (ie: Lee to the bench, Lewis to 3B, Bell to 1B, DH opens up for one of the outfielders).
Since July 1, here are the relevant batting figures for each of that group.
Keaschall: .953 OPS, 169 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR
Bell: .806 OPS, 127 wRC+, 0.7 fWAR
Lewis: .755 OPS, 109 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR
Clemens: .733 OPS, 99 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR
Lee: .712 OPS, 97 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR
Larnach: .674 OPS, 88 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR
Buxton: .471 OPS, 35 wRC+, -0.4 fWAR
Larnach has already had his role diminished. After leading off for most of the past three months, he has hit sixth, seventh, and then was benched yesterday for Roden, who deserves an extended look of his own. But honestly, I would be totally comfortable benching anyone below Lewis on the list above.
Unfortunately, the best answer right now is that Buxton needs to, at a minimum, play less often and potentially head back to the IL. He has been very clearly hurt for the past two months and while he deserves praise for fighting his way back and playing through pain, he’s hurting the team. They have two top prospects banging down the door in St. Paul who play Buxton’s position and it’s past time to give them a shot.
Even if Buxton doesn’t go on the IL, they’re wasting a roster spot on Alex Jackson who hasn’t sniffed the field since being re-added to the roster last week. Use that spot on Buxton who can still play 2-3 times per week and be used as a lefty pinch hitter late in games the rest of the way. The whole point of a manager is building relationships to have these tough conversations with your players. It’s time for Derek Shelton to earn his keep.
The Twins are slated to face lefties in their next two games, so maybe it doesn’t make sense to add either Rodriguez or Jenkins to the roster today. But if we don’t see one of them by this weekend, I would be very surprised at this point.
For now, let’s win this series against the worst team in baseball who is missing nearly their entire starting lineup and pitching numbers that even the Rockies scoff at. Nothing like some late night, late summer baseball in the beautiful city of Las Oakramento, Calivada!
Vintage illustration of Cattle Punching, 1950s. (Photo by Found Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images) | Corbis via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
CUBS
DIAMONDBACKS
Pete Crow-Armstrong – CF
Lars Nootbaar – DH
Seiya Suzuki – RF
Corbin Carroll – RF
Michael Busch – 1B
Gabriel Moreno – C
Alex Bregman – 3B
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Ian Happ – LF
Max Kepler – LF
Nico Hoerner – SS
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Pedro Ramirez – 2B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Michael Conforto – DH
Ildemaro Vargas – 2B
Carson Kelly – C
Ryan Waldschmidt – CF
Kevin Gausman – RHP
Merrill Kelly – RHP
After having scratched our way to a series win against the Reds, albeit with the need of a late comeback, another NL Central team, in the shape of the Cubs come to town. They currently occupy the first NL wild-card spot, and with the Brewers enjoying a healthy lead (six games), the Cubs will probably be looking to solidify that position as we head toward the final month of the season. In the NL wild-card standings, they are two games up on the recently unstoppable Phillies, with the almost as immortal Padres two games further back, then the D-backs two more behind, and currently out of a playoff spot.
Of these teams, Arizona definitely has the toughest first half of the week. Philadelphia are in Seattle, who had an… interesting week. They went 3-3, but were outscored 24-62, due to 22-0 and 19-2 losses. With the Phillies on a nine-game winning streak, including that astonishing comeback yesterday to preserve the run (overturning a 0.66% Win Probability), they have all the momentum imaginable. Still, if the Mariners could do us a solid… Meanwhile, San Diego host Pittsburgh, who are basically the Reds. The Padres will have to face Paul Skenes tomorrow, but with his 3.95 ERA that’s not the same scary proposition it would have seemed on Opening Day.
Merrill Kelly starts. After an excellent July, with a 1.95 ERA across five starts, the regression has been strong in August. As in 0-3 over four starts with an ugly 8.24 ERA, so I’m approaching this recap more in hope that expectation. The three losses saw Kelly throw fourteen innings, and give up seventeen earned runs. As well as too many home-runs (four over 19.2 innings in August), he has walked more people (15) than he has struck out (13). For a command/control artist like Kelly, that’s uncharacteristic. His K:BB has cratered this year to 1.47, compared to 3.48 last year, and 3.04 for his career before this season. The Cubs are probably the last team you want to put on base.
Except for PCA. I’m probably fine with walking him…
Oakland Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs (59) throws during the first inning of their game against the Milwaukee Brewers Sunday, April 20, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Back at home in West Sacramento. The A’s escaped Houston with the series win and are riding high on a two-game winning streak. Can they make it three in a row with a victory in the series opener tonight against the Minnesota Twins?
It’ll be Jeffrey Springs on the bump this evening for the home team. The left-hander looked sharp in his return from the IL last week, pitching into the sixth inning and allowing just a pair of runs to the Kansas City Royals. He’s likely in the last stretch of his A’s career so hopefully he can wrap his tenure up on a high with a strong final month to end the season.
As for the visiting Twins, they have right-hander Zebby Matthews going for them this evening in the series opener. Outside of several implosions earlier this year Matthews has been a solid backend type of starter for the Twins. He comes into this contest on a high note as he pitched into the sixth last time out against the Braves, allowing just one run on five hits against the NL East leaders.
We can do this. A win tonight plus some help from the Guardians down south in Los Angeles and we can climb out of the cellar of the league. Let’s go A’s!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 22: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres throws to first base during the fourth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Petco Park on August 22, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pittsburgh Pirates (63-69) at San Diego Padres (71-60), August 24, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 18: Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Detroit Tigers at PNC Park on August 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are continuing their nine-game road trip, as they travel to San Diego to take on the Padres in a three-game series.
The Pirates were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend, so they are hoping Braxton Ashcraft can help pick them out of their slump. Ashcraft has gone at least eight innings in each of his last two starts, including a win against the Miami Marlins on August 13 and a victory against the Detroit Tigers on August 18. In his last appearance, he gave up five hits and one earned run in a 4-1 victory for the Buccos.
Countering Ashcraft is Robbie Ray, who is making his fourth start with the Padres after being acquired in a trade from the San Francisco Giants earlier this month. Ray is coming off his first Padres victory in his last start against the New York Mets on August 18. He pitched six innings, giving up three hits and one earned run in a 5-2 victory.
The Padres have a two-game lead for the third wild card in the National League, so this is a big series for them as they look to build off of the momentum they got from sweeping the Minnesota Twins over the weekend.
Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (13-5, 3.68 ERA) vs. Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.20 ERA)
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.
PHOENIX (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks hope three-time All-Star Ketel Marte will return to their lineup next week, roughly two weeks after his unexpected disappearance from the team before a game in Boston.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said Monday the team’s plan is for the second baseman to return for a home series against the Philadelphia Phillies, which starts on Aug. 31. Marte was initially put on the restricted list after his disappearance, but then moved to the 10-day injured list with mild inflammation in his left knee.
“That’s what we’re thinking about,” Lovullo said. “I think that will be the 10th day or the 11th day, so there is definitely a strategy to get him back on the field, get him healthy.”
Lovullo said Marte started taking batting practice Monday at the team’s facility in Scottsdale and hitting coach Joe Mather was encouraged by the veteran’s progress.
The 32-year-old Marte still hasn’t addressed his teammates about why he left them in the middle of a playoff race. The D-backs came into Monday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with a 69-62 record, two games behind the San Diego Padres for the final National League wild-card spot.
It’s the second straight year Marte has gone AWOL from the team. Last season, he went on the restricted list when his home in Arizona was broken into during the All-Star break. He missed three games after flying back to his home in the Dominican Republic and later apologized for his absence.null
Lovullo said Marte is very private and the team would figure out the right time for him to address his teammates.
“We’re trying to create the softest space for him to re-emerge back in this environment,” Lovullo said. “That’s up to him however he wants to do it. I cannot force a human being to do something that I want to do, or anybody in this room wants to do, or a fan wants to do.
“One of the things that makes Ketel such an extraordinary player is he goes to the beat of his own drum. I respect that.”
Lovullo also addressed the concern that Marte might receive a less-than-warm reception from D-backs fans when he returns.
“Ketel is a very loving young man,” Lovullo said. “I don’t want (booing) to happen. I understand it’s a possibility it could happen, but we’ll all rally around him.”
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 08: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds continue their West Coast road trip with big eyes on the permanent basement of the National League Central within reach.
Chase Burns will do his best to stem that tide in the opener between the Reds and San Francisco Giants, while the G-Men will send a lefty to the mound to start in the form of Carson Whisenhunt.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 09: Colt Emerson #4 of the Seattle Mariners throws out the runner during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at T-Mobile Park on August 09, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Justin Hollander met with the media today to provide an update on Colt Emerson, the Mariners’ young shortstop. Shortly after Emerson, who was hitting .190 at the time, was re-assigned to Triple-A, it was announced he’d instead go on the IL with a wrist injury that had been nagging at him in Tacoma but dated back to spring training. Emerson will have surgery on that wrist, performed by Dr. Donald Sheridan, an orthopedic hand and wrist surgeon, this Wednesday, ending his 2026 season.
The surgery will move a tendon in Emerson’s wrist which has slipped out of place back to where it belongs, an injury known as a subluxation in the wrist. Warning: Gory Medical Details ahead. Skip to the next paragraph if this makes you squeamish. Most commonly in a wrist subluxation, the extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) tendon, which runs along the outside of the pinky side of the hand, slips out of alignment – the “groove” on the bone it’s located in. The most common symptom is a “popping” or “clicking” sound during movement, and in acute cases, swelling and inflammation. Since the ECU tendon is fundamental in actions like gripping and twisting, a severe injury clearly poses a problem for a professional baseball player.
It’s a fairly common injury, and one that is often managed without surgery – J.P. Crawford has been dealing with a similar injury – depending on where the tendon is and what it’s resting on. The soreness first popped up this spring in Arizona, and Emerson saw Dr. Sheridan at that time, whose diagnosis was that Emerson could elect to have surgery, but that he didn’t have to have the surgery if he didn’t want to. With a wide-open road to playing time with the incumbent shortstop Crawford dealing with a shoulder injury, and feeling like he could manage the occasional soreness, Emerson elected to continue to play.
“Different guys have different pain thresholds,” said Hollander. “My belief is that Colt Emerson has a really high one, and he played to the point until he felt like it has crossed the threshold of being smart for him to continue.” Hollander also says there are “no concerns” with Emerson being ready for next year.
It’s hard to remember given how badly he slumped down the stretch, but Emerson got off to a strong start initially, hitting for average and power in May and June, with seven homers and five doubles. However, as his time in the big leagues wore on, pitchers found they could get Emerson to expand up out of the strikezone and chase the high fastball; by the time he was sent down in August he was striking out over 40% of the time.
It could be argued that a sore wrist was causing Emerson to be late on the fastball. His bat speed on Statcast is listed at 72 mph, which is about average, whereas his prospect numbers had him more around 75, classified as “fast” by Statcast. However, the sore wrist was likely a minor contributing factor in the biggest issue facing Emerson: his swing decisions. Never a free swinger in the minors, in the big leagues Emerson chased more than he ever had as a prospect, swinging 60% of the time in the Shadow zone (compared to MLB average 54%) and 34% of the time in the Chase zone (compared to MLB average 26%). He showed swing and miss vulnerabilities on all pitches, not just fastballs, whiffing 38% of the time on curveballs and 40% of the time on sliders.
As tough as Emerson’s season was offensively, he also scuffled at times defensively, which could be related to the deteriorating pain in his wrist, especially as the ECU tendon plays such a role in gripping and twisting. Emerson was assessed eight errors at shortstop, six of them throwing errors.
The good news about all of this is there’s nowhere to go but up for Seattle’s young infielder, inked to an eight-year contract extension this year. Hopefully he’ll follow in the footsteps of another young infielder for Seattle, Cole Young, who struggled in his debut but applied himself with specific energy this off-season and has been reaping the rewards of the off-season work he put in on both sides of the ball all season long. In a season that’s not been very lucky for Emerson nor the Mariners, he’s fortunate to have a role model to follow right in his own clubhouse.
One final note: As mentioned above, this is a similar injury to the one J.P. Crawford has been dealing with this season. Crawford, who has been rehabbing with Triple-A Tacoma, is with the team today and will probably be activated tomorrow depending on clearing pregame activities without incident, although Hollander called it “likely” he’d be activated.
Heading into his second year in the NHL, the San Jose Sharks would undoubtedly love to see Michael Misa take a massive step forward in his development.
Misa, 19, had the disadvantage of great expectations heading into his rookie season. As the second-overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft, it's easy to get caught by a whirlwind of expectations which can lead to disappointing performances. Luckily for Misa, the Sharks were no stranger to top prospects as they had Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith break into the NHL during the prior season.
Misa followed a similar plan to Smith's rookie season, as the Sharks allowed him to adjust to life in the NHL without wearing him out with the insane schedule that comes as a part of it. They'd sit him as needed, which allowed him to rest and learn by watching his teammates.
The Sharks likely would've preferred to see Misa on the ice more than 45 times last season, but injury, the World Junior Championships and some early contractual issues on the organization's side of things led to him being limited even more than expected.
Assuming Misa is able to stay healthy during his sophomore season, it seems safe to assume that the Sharks are going to aim to play him in all 84 games this time around. So, assuming he's able to do that, what would a successful season look like for the young centerman?
While offensive production is a key part of Misa's game, and it will be his biggest asset in the long run, the Sharks need to get him to a point where he can match up against other teams' top players if necessary. Misa will likely slot in as the Sharks' second-line center of the future, behind Celebrini of course. In the event that Celebrini suffers an injury at some point down the line, which the Sharks will need to be able to rely on Misa to cover all of his duties, which will include playing against the NHL's elite centers.
Misa will likely never be a candidate for the Selke Trophy, but they'll want him to be solid in his own zone and that side of his game needs a considerable amount of work at the NHL level. He was a reliable two-way player in the Ontario Hockey League, now he needs it to translate to the NHL.
On the offensive side of things, it's unrealistic to expect him to have a season like Celebrini did in his sophomore campaign. For Misa, a realistic target would likely be between 50-60 points in an 84 game season. Given his natural goal-scoring ability as well, roughly 20 of those should be goals.
All-in-all, the most important thing Misa needs to do for a successful season is to establish himself as the Sharks' second-line center as soon as possible. With the team aiming to push for a playoff spot this time around, Ryan Warsofsky and company will need Misa to surpass Alexander Wennberg for that spot. Even though Wennberg is a fantastic third-line center, he shouldn't be on the second line of a playoff team.
Expectations are undoubtedly going to be high for Michael Misa heading into his second NHL season, but that's nothing new for him. While there's always the possibility of a sophomore slump, he has all the tools to be a key player for the Sharks this season if he's able to put things together.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 22: Samuel Basallo #29 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Jackson Holliday #7 after hitting a two-run home run in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 22, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will be able to enjoy a brief stint of home cooking as they’ll kick off a 2-series homestand Tuesday night as the Baltimore Orioles arrive in town. Both teams are in a similar situation with both still in the running for a Wild Card spot. The Cardinals, however, are reeling after a stunning defeat on Sunday after Riley O’Brien could not protect a 4-run lead in the 9th as they were swept by the Phillies.
The Baltimore Orioles are an interesting animal. Despite the fact that they’re near the bottom of the American League East, they’re only 1 game back of the final Wild Card slot. Similar to the Cardinals, they have several teams in front of them as there are currently 5 teams in the AL within a game of each other. The Cardinals starters are still a bit of a mystery, but MLB.com says these will be the starters for the Orioles:
Tuesday, August 25 – Chris Bassitt (RHP 4-4, 5.08 ERA, 46 SO)
Chris Bassitt is winless in his last 3 starts. His most recent effort was August 19 against the Yankees where he tossed 5 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 8 hits in a no-decision. Kyle Bradish is also winless in his last 3 starts. On August 20, he took the loss as he threw 5 2/3 innings against the Yankees allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits while striking out 5 and walking 3. Trevor Rogers has won 2 of his last 3 starts. On August 21, the threw 7 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays allowing 6 hits, 3 earned runs while striking out 6 and walking just one as he got the victory.
I’ve heard some speculate that Tuesday night’s game will see Matthew Liberatore start for the Cardinals, but I have yet to find any confirmation of that at this point. Same with Wednesday and Thursday’s games vs the Orioles.
Who are the Baltimore Orioles players to watch?
Pete Alonso (1B): Leads the team in batting average (.271), hits (131), home runs (30), and RBIs (85).
Gunnar Henderson (SS): Gunnar is a major part of Baltimore’s offense with 20 home runs and 76 runs scored.
Samuel Basallo (C): Emerging strongly with 16 home runs and regular clutch performances in the lineup.
Coby Mayo (3B): Adds middle-of-the-order power with 17 home runs.
Whose on the Baltimore Orioles injured list?
Blaze Alexander (3B) – 10-day IL (fractured left hand; targeting a late-August return)
Ryan Mountcastle (1B) – 60-day IL (left foot fracture and significant oblique strain)
(3B) – 60-day IL (season-ending Tommy John surgery)
Félix Bautista (RP) – 60-day IL (recovering from right shoulder surgery; beginning a rehab assignment)
Ryan Helsley (RP) – 60-day IL (right elbow inflammation)
The Cardinals/Orioles series should be a fascinating one. Baltimore is coming off of a strong weekend performance against the Tampa Bay Rays while the Cardinals are returning home after getting swept by the Phillies. Injuries to Hunter Dobbins, Andre Pallante, Masyn Winn and Everson Pereira have given St. Louis big challenges on managing roster spots and lineups. The Cardinals are fighting with the Marlins, Diamondbacks and Padres for the final NL Wild Card slot. The homestand with the Orioles and then Pirates coming to town should give St. Louis an opportunity to make up some ground. It’s put up or shut up time regarding any playoff dreams this young Cardinals roster has. Let’s hope it’s the first option.
