Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

It just keeps on going. The Cubs complete another walk-off win. Consecutive walk-off wins, consecutive PCA lead-off homers. I could get used to this. That’s 13 of them and that ties 1932 and 2015 for the second most in franchise history (14 in 1930). I keep seeing echoes of that 2015 season. That’s a really special season for what it was and what it led to. I’d be over the moon if this season is either part of or a bridge to the next Cub championship. But it won’t tarnish the fun that this summer has been. The walk-offs. The further ascendency of Pete to baseball royalty. A really gutsy trade deadline. So much to love this season. (Even if those trade deadline moves have so far produced uneven, at best, results.)

Before we dissect another fun win, let’s rewind a bit. There is a lag now between the WPA numbers I see at the time I’m writing and what is there when Al edits and posts what I write. So it is hard for me to put in perspective the season long implications of a WPA score. That is doubly true with extra-inning games. When the ghost runner became a thing, it broke the standard WPA calculators. I’m not a coder, so I don’t understand why there isn’t some “easy” fix for that runner. But the initial numbers always get confused as to how that baserunner is there. I’m imagining some casual fans are too, right? Trying to understand why baseball changes its rules at the end. I mean hockey and football also have different rules in their overtime. So it’s not insane. But still. It’ll always be weird to me.

Nico Hoerner’s .797 WPA for the Monday night game was indeed the highest WPA score of the season. Noting back to the prior paragraph, it originally posted over the .800 mark. As we get into that rare air, when was the last higher score by a Cub? In 2018, the Cubs produced two scores higher. One is essentially impossible in the modern game. Who remembers Eddie Butler? I remember him throwing a ball to my daughter in spring training of 2017. On March 30, 2018 Butler threw seven innings of one run ball. In relief. That one run? It lost the Cubs the game 2-1.

But that wasn’t even the highest WPA score of that season. That belongs to the ultimate WPA event. On August 12, 2018 David Bote batted with the bases loaded and two outs, the Cubs down three. He hit an ultimate grand slam, flipping a 3-0 loss to a 4-3 win. As it was pinch hitting, his WPA game score was the whole .901 event. That nudged out Butler’s .898.

One other fun WPA note. They tweak it. All of the time. I assume between seasons, but I’m not really sure. While the Butler game was .898 at the time I recorded it, it’s a mere .850 now. As they tweak it, it effects what you’ll see on a site like baseball reference. David Bote’s now shows as .904. So even a little more remarkable with time. That’s the ultimate event score. In theory, you could register a game score over 1.000. If you kept getting clutch hits and your pitching kept giving it up, you could amass a lot of WPA. An easy example for Cub fans is the “Sandberg game.” Homer to tie it in the ninth, homer to tie it in the 10th, five hits and seven RBI in total. That was a 1.088 WPA game.

So needless to say, Nico’s game was an almost once in a decade WPA score. If you said that PCA absolutely HAD to be the Player of the Game, I think you probably are underselling Nico’s game. I always hesitate to tell someone their opinion is wrong. But if you don’t see the two of those as 1 and 1a for the game, you are probably under valuing Nico a bit.

For this game, Tuesday night, Alex Bregman appears to have checked in with the fourth highest WPA score of the year. Alex isn’t what he once was as a player. We’re talking about a guy who was a real decisive offensive force in the game for a while. He’s not that anymore. But his defense is exceptional, guys who are often credited as leaders on this team look to him for leadership and the bat is slowly coming around to be pretty darn productive. I tend to like hitters who were first round picks and have been All-Stars before. Even when you get them in the twilight of their career. To be fair, I don’t think Alex (or Dansby Swanson) have reached their twilight. But, I love guys like them, because they don’t shy from the big moment. To use basketball language, they used to be the guy who hit the shot. Granted almost all of these guys were THAT guy in high school. But I think it is something different when you’ve done it on the biggest stage. I’ve seen Dansby be in a horrid slump, stand in with the game on the line and have a super high quality plate appearance. And now I’m seeing Bregman do it. Obviously, if you could get an army of this year’s Pete Crow-Armstrongs, you’d do that. I mean, how fun would it be to see him playing all over the diamond. But seriously, you grab in their prime stars when you can. But guys who have well rounded skillsets and aren’t one foot into retirement yet are pretty darn valuable too.

My last narrative of the game is going to be about Javier Assad. Can a player both be overrated and underrated? I think Cub fans tend to over rate Javier. The Cubs know he’s a valuable piece but also one that can be overexposed if he’s given a very long leash. Non Cub fans probably significantly under rate Javy. That guy has accepted every role they’ve given to him and he’s clearly pouring his heart out with every appearance. There aren’t many guys on the team that I want to see succeed more than him. I can’t think of too many guys in recent years who have gotten more of a percentage of their possible production than him. The last one I can think of was the run Albert Almora Jr. got on for a while until he was ultimately overexposed. And he didn’t do it for as long as Assad has. I truly don’t believe you could hand him a major role and have it work. But he’s really excelled in two long stretches over different seasons for this organization. I love that he’s under control for at least one more year. He’s so valuable in that utility role.

One last, last note. Jacob Webb. He threw a scoreless ninth to set up the heroics. There he is collecting both wins in this series. Between Webb and Michael Conforto, they’ve really carried last off-season’s acquisition class. Oh heck, why don’t I give everyone a hat tip. This is a good handful of huge runs I can remember Kevin Alcántara scoring for this team. The bat hasn’t worked yet, but the wheels play.

Three Positives:

• Sure, why not sneak in another one here. One at bat for Carson Kelly, he doubles and scores the winning run off of the bench. I was a little scared with a catcher running on a line drive single with the outfielder charging it.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong, just the one hit. But leading off the game with a homer is a big deal. He did draw two walks, though one was intentional. He had to start picking up intentional walks eventually.
• I’m going to give a little love to Michael Busch here too. He had a solo homer in the first off of a lefty. He added a walk. He missed two homers by maybe 10 total feet on Monday. Feels like he’s getting the power stroke going for the stretch run. Sure would love to see him get on a heater.

As is always the case in a one-run win, there are a number of guys who played a key role in the win. I think I hit most of them somewhere along the way.

Game127, August 18: Cubs 4, White Sox 3 (74-53)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Alex Bregman (.537). 2-5, 2 RBI
• Hero: Javier Assad (.214). 3 IP, 10 BF, 2 H, 2 K
• Sidekick: Carson Kelly (.173). 1-1, 2B, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.289). 0-5
• Goat: Kevin Gausman (-.129). 4.1 IP, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 R, 5 K
• Kid: Pedro Ramirez (-.112). 1-4

WPA Play of the Game: Alex Bregman’s walk-off single in the ninth inning. (.390) For the second straight night, the same Cub was responsible for the two biggest plays of the game. His game-tying single in the seventh was the second. (.233)

White Sox Play of the Game: Tristran Peters doubled with a runner on second and one out in the fourth, giving the Sox the lead. (.125)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 126 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 84 of 115 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 +30
• Alex Bregman +22
• Shōta Imanaga +14
• Trent Thornton/Carson Kelly +13.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Edward Cabrera -12.5
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Dansby Swanson -17
• Caleb Thielbar -19.5

Notes: Javier Assad is now sixth at +12 and Seiya Suzuki is next on the negative at -9.

Scoreboard Watching: Phillies win (five back). Diamondbacks lose (eight back). Padres win (six back). Braves lose (even). Brewers win (4.5 up). Dodgers win (two up). So, at least for one day, there are only three teams in baseball with better records than the Cubs and one of those is the Rays in the AL, just one ahead. Regardless of what you think of them, this Cub team isn’t going away. They are on a 94-win pace. 94 probably doesn’t win the division.

Up Next: An afternoon game Wednesday as the Cubs go for a sweep. It was fortunate catching the White Sox at the back of their rotation while the Cubs were in good position. We’ll take it. Clay Holmes (5-5, 2.56) starts for the Cubs. His last Wrigley start was awesome. One hit, one walk over 6.2 innings against the Cardinals. It’ll be interesting to see how he bounces back from that. Sean Newcomb will be the opener for the Sox, followed by José Urquidy as the “bulk guy.” Urquidy is 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA and was the bulk pitcher behind an opener last time through. He threw 3.2 innings against the Tigers and picked up a win in doing so. He hadn’t actually started games at the major league level since 2023 with the Astros. There’s no way he’s fully stretched. The Sox bullpen isn’t crazy taxed out of these first two games though, getting good work from the main pitcher in each game.

Get greedy and finish the sweep. Deliver the bitter pill to a pesky young team and worry about them in a year or two as they develop.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up high-scoring victories in each of their first two games against the Colorado Rockies, and I'm expecting a similar formula from the -200 favorites tonight.

Their offense is well-positioned to score early and often against Kyle Freeland, which is why I'm targeting the road team to win by a margin with my Dodgers vs. Rockies predictions and MLB picks on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Who will win Dodgers vs Rockies today: Dodgers -1.5 (-125)

Roki Sasaki has posted a 3.5 xERA or better in six of his last seven starts, with the lone exception coming against the league-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

His strikeouts are up, his hard-hit rate is down, and he’s held opponents to a 28.6% fly-ball rate over the last month. That will play well at Coors, where keeping the ball on the ground is crucial.

The Los Angeles Dodgers scored 18 runs over the first two games of this series, and should provide Sasaki with all the support needed against Kyle Freeland and a bad Colorado Rockies bullpen.

Play the RL to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Freeland sits in the ninth percentile in barrel rate, which is a recipe for disaster in favorable hitting conditions at Coors.

Dodgers vs Rockies Over/Under pick: Over 11.5 (+105)

The Dodgers have averaged nine runs over the first two games of the series, and I trust them to do some serious lifting for the total in this one.

Freeland has gotten crushed by quality offenses all season long. He has posted an abysmal 10.85 ERA and allowed 2.91 HR/9 over seven starts vs. Top-10 offenses in ISO against left-handed pitching.

The Colorado Rockies are a very good offense at home — it’s hard not to be — and they won’t need to score much to push this total Over.

Play to -115.

Dodgers vs Rockies home run prediction: Andy Pages (+365)

Andy Pages is a beast against left-handed pitching, hitting .288 with a .252 ISO and eye-popping .911 OPS in the split.

He not only draws a lefty tonight, but a poor one at that. Freeland has bled power to righties, ranking in the fifth percentile in xSLG and 11th percentile in HR/9. The matchup is about as good as it gets.

When you factor in that this game will be played at Coors, with the environment projected to provide a 26% boost to homers, and it’s hard not to get excited about Pages in this spot.

I’d back him to +340.

Dodgers vs Rockies weather

With temperatures comfortably in the 80s, the hitting conditions will be very favorable at Coors.

Dodgers vs Rockies odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -200 | Rockies +165
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-125) | Rockies +1.5 (+105)
• Over/Under: Over 11 (-120) | Under 11 (+100)

Dodgers vs Rockies trend

Colorado has hit the Game Total Over in 14 of the last 21 games (+6.10 units, 26% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Rockies.

How to watch Dodgers vs Rockies and game info

Dodgers vs Rockies latest injuries

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The Seattle Mariners were one game away from a trip to the World Series last season. This year, everything has fallen apart. Catcher Cal Raleigh went from baseball’s best power hitter with 60 home runs to someone with a .570 OPS this year. Raleigh’s struggles are emblematic of an entire team that just can’t seem to get right. Seattle is dead-last in baseball in runs per game (3.88), and no amount of pitching skill is going to save a team when the offense is that bad.

The Mariners were already out of the playoff race when they came to Milwaukee for a three-game series this week, but Tuesday night will be remembered as the low-point in their lost season. The mighty Brewers pounded Seattle, 22-0, in a game that was actually more embarrassing than the final score.

Seattle was only down 13-0 when third baseman Leo Rivas came on to pitch the eighth inning. He gave up nine runs in his one inning of work, but only seven of them were earned. Star outfielder Julio Rodriguez contributed the most humiliating error possible in baseball when he caught a long fly ball for the second out of the inning, and tossed it in the stands like it was the third out. Watch the video here:

If that doesn’t sum up the Mariners’ season from hell perfectly, I don’t know what does.

This is the worst mistake you can make on a baseball field, I think. There’s no excuse for not knowing how many outs there are. Obviously, Seattle was already getting blown out when this happened, and maybe it’s understandable in this situation for Rodriguez to let his mind wander. It immediately went viral, and made an awful game even worse. This is no way to be a professional, and someone as good as Rodriguez simply can’t make this error.

Larry Walker did this in 1994, and it’s still talked about.

This season has reached “sim to end” status for the Mariners. When fans think back to the disappointment of the 2026 campaign, Rodriguez throwing the ball into the stands with two outs, down 19-0 in Milwaukee, will be one of their first and worst flashbacks.

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Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for tonight's slate, which include the Tigers at plus money on the road against Paul Skenes

Before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 19.

MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 19

Matchup	Pick
Tigers vs Pirates	+147
Padres vs Mets	-127
Braves vs Twins	-104
White Sox vs Cubs	-141
Diamondbacks vs Red Sox	+153
Marlins vs Phillies	+117
Yankees vs Orioles	+113
Giants vs Guardians	-208
Cardinals vs Reds	+133
Blue Jays vs Rays	-194
Athletics vs Royals	-135
Mariners vs Brewers	+117
Nationals vs Rangers	+122
Angels vs Astros	+144
Dodgers vs Rockies	-186

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-19.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 19

Tigers vs Pirates: Tigers (+147)

Tigers win probability: 60%

With how terrible right-hander Paul Skenes has been over his last five starts, and with the books continuing to give us the "Skenes Tax," the Tigers are the play.

The Tigers' offense has been fantastic across the last few weeks, sporting a 130 wRC+, .354 wOBA and .804 OPS over their last 21 games. Meanwhile, the Pirates' bats have gone cold, just like their star pitcher.

Padres vs Mets: Padres (-127)

Padres win probability: 56%

Michael King takes the mound for the Padres this evening, owning a 3.72 ERA over his last five outings while limiting opposing hitters to just a 29% hard-hit rate. The Padres' offense has been scorching hot over the last month, posting a 122 wRC+, .340 wOBA, and .767 OPS.

The Mets' bats have gone cold across their last six games, with just a 96 wRC+, .303 wOBA, and .682 OPS. Additionally, Robert Stock is on the mound for them, and he's posted a 6.57 ERA through three outings this season.

At -127, taking the Padres is a great price.

Braves vs Twins: Braves (-104)

Braves win probability: 51%

Minnesota Twins starter Taj Bradley has been great this season at Target Field. But he's fallen off a cliff over his last three starts. The right-hander owns a 6.60 ERA and 1.93 WHIP during that stretch while walking hitters at a 13.33% clip. Bradley looked like he was turning a new leaf, until he wasn't.

Atlanta's bats are still cold, but taking on a pitcher who relies heavily on his fastball could be exactly what the lineup needs to get back on track.

White Sox vs Cubs: Cubs (-141)

Cubs win probability: 58%

The Cubs just have the White Sox's number in this series. It's clear the Cubs are looking to get their revenge after losing the initial series a few months back.

The White Sox send out Jose Urquidy, who owns an 8.10 ERA this season. He owns a 14.40 ERA and a 3.00 WHIP over his last three appearances. His arm won't instill much confidence in this White Sox team.

The only way the White Sox have a chance is if they pounce on Clay Holmes early and get to the Cubs' bullpen. That seems like an unlikely scenario given how well Holmes has been pitching.

Diamondbacks vs Red Sox: Diamondbacks (+153)

Diamondbacks win probability: 40%

The Red Sox at $1.50 doesn't feel like an attractive price to pay when the Diamondbacks have been just as good. Arizona sends out Brandon Pfaadt, who looks as good as he did during the 2023 postseason. The young right-hander has posted a 0.00 ERA over his last three starts while limiting hard contact and barrels.

The Diamondbacks have been maintaining a 117 wRC+, .779 OPS, and .190 ISO over their last 12 games.

On the other side, Boston left-hander Payton Tolle is on the mound, and he's been unbelievable. The club's bats look great as well, but with how well both sides have been performing, the dog carries more value.

Marlins vs Phillies: Marlins (+117)

Marlins win probability: 46%

Aaron Nola has looked better in his last few starts, but Sandy Alcantara has been lights out. The Marlins' right-hander owns a 1.59 ERA and 0.94 WHIP over his last five outings while allowing minimal hard contact and barrels.

The bats have been hot for the Fightin' Fish, and they're well worth trusting against a skittish arm.

Yankees vs Orioles: Orioles (+113)

Orioles win probability: 47%

The Yankees own a 73 wRC+ over their last six games, while the Orioles have posted a 139 wRC+ during that same stretch. It's extremely hard to overlook how poorly the Yankees' offense has been, and getting a team this hot at the dish as an underdog is a gift.

Will Warren has been struggling too, producing a 6.41 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP over his last three starts. Orioles right-hander Chris Bassitt at least has a 3.77 ERA in the same span.

Take the dog!

Giants vs Guardians: Guardians (-208)

Giants win probability: 68%

No chance we try to back the Giants against a left-handed arm, especially one as good as Parker Messick. San Francisco against left-handed arms owns just a 91 wRC+, .294 wOBA and .661 OPS.

Of course, the price is horrible, but Messick has been nearly untouchable, posting a 2.82 ERA and 1.12 WHIP at home this season. Meanwhile, Adrian Houser has an expected road ERA of 5.06.

Guardians or nothing here.

Cardinals vs Reds: Cardinals (+133)

Cardinals win probability: 43%

Snagging the Cardinals as a +133 underdog with how poorly the Reds' bats have been is a gift. Sure, right-hander Chase Burns has been unhittable, but the Reds still have to manage to score runs. Matthew Liberatore has been very solid in his most recent outings, owning a 2.80 xERA and 0.98 ERA over his last three.

The Cardinals have a 116 wRC+, .182 ISO and .334 wOBA over their last six games, while the Reds have an 88 wRC+, .678 OPS and a 25% strikeout rate.

Give me the dog!

Blue Jays vs Reds: Rays (-194)

Rays win probability: 66%

This is written every day here: HOW CAN WE TRUST THE BLUE JAYS? You can't!

The Blue Jays are ice-cold offensively, while the Rays have posted a .807 OPS, .174 ISO, and 132 wRC+ over their last 12 games. Max Scherzer has looked solid in his last few outings, but Father Time is on his tail. Plus, Drew Rasmussen has been nails, owning a 1.20 ERA across his last five starts while allowing little to no hard contact.

Rays or nothing.

Athletics vs Royals: Royals (-135)

Royals win probability: 57%

Death. Taxes. Fading Jeffrey Springs on the mound.

Even after the walk-off win last night, the Royals are the play here. Springs has posted a 9.00 ERA, 6.09 xERA, and 2.15 WHIP over his last five outings. Royals right-hander Seth Lugo hasn't been much better, but he owns a 3.70 xERA over his last five.

Kansas City's bats have been slightly cold, but Springs can bring that offense to life.

Mariners vs Brewers: Mariners (+117)

Mariners win probability: 46%

With how weak the Brewers' bats have become over their last 12 games and how hot the Mariners have been over the last week, snagging Seattle at +117 feels like the move.

The Mariners have a 121 wRC+, .338 wOBA, and .766 OPS over the last week, while owning a walk rate of almost 11%. On the other hand, the Brewers have a wRC+ under 80, .282 wOBA, and .082 ISO over their last six games.

Logan Gilbert has been great on the road this season, with just a 2.25 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. Dustin May has been solid as well, but with how cold Milwaukee has been at the dish, the Mariners offer some value as road underdogs.

Nationals vs Rangers: Nationals (+122)

Nationals win probability: 45%

Are the Nationals as an underdog one of the biggest mispriced teams of the day? Kumar Rocker has gone back to his old ways, posting an 8.10 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, and 12.86% walk rate over his last three starts.

On top of that, Cade Cavalli has been soaring over his last five starts, owning a 1.97 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while allowing just an 8% barrel rate.

At +122, trust the Nationals.

Angels vs Astros: Angels (+144)

Angels win probability: 41%

The Los Angeles Angels offer a lot of value tonight against the Astros, especially with how well Walbert Urena has been pitching over his last few starts. He's put up a 2.05 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across his last five outings. The right-hander is allowing just a 2.9% barrel rate.

Sadly, neither offense has been instilling much confidence, so we'll lean heavily into Urena to get the job done at +144.

Dodgers vs Rockies: Dodgers (-186)

Dodgers win probability: 65%

Kyle Freeland has been reliable recently, but the Dodgers will surely turn it up once the Rockies go to the bullpen. Additionally, the Rockies' offense has been lifeless, posting just a 78 wRC+, .299 wOBA, and .670 OPS over their last six games. The Dodgers own a 107 wRC+, .319 wOBA, and .214 ISO during the same stretch.

It's the Dodgers or nothing here with how cold the Rockies have been.

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The Mets are placing designated hitter Jorge Polanco back on the 10-day IL due to left ankle bursitis -- an injury that cost him significant time earlier this season and will now require season-ending surgery.

Interim manager Andy Green said the surgery will happen in the "near-term," adding that a recent MRI on Polanco showed it was necessary.  

"It's gotten to the point where he just can't get freedom from the pain," Green noted, adding that it's his belief that playing through the injury impacted Polanco mechanically at the plate. 

Polanco had struggled badly since returning from the IL in July, slashing .127/.169/.190 with one home run and two doubles in 84 plate appearances while being limited to designated hitter duties due to the lingering bursitis.

Before that, he spent roughly three months on the IL because of the issue, which resulted in a slow recovery and led to his rehab assignment being shut down at one point as it became a matter of pain tolerance.

As Polanco was working his way back, and shortly after he received a PRP injection, he said he wanted to get to a point where he had "more good days than the days I don't feel so good." That was in the middle of May.

After being activated from the IL on July 7, Polanco talked about how he was feeling.

"I was getting more consistent days feeling good," he said. "I think that's what I needed."

But Polanco added that he was expecting to have to manage the issue for the rest of the season, noting at the time that he wasn't sure if he would require surgery after the season.

Overall this year, Polanco hit .148/.201/.230 in 145 plate appearances over 37 games.

A deeper dive into Polanco's numbers doesn't really reveal anything positive to grasp onto, with him near the bottom of the league in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, barrel percentage, walk rate, and bat speed.

Polanco is under contract through 2027, when he'll earn $23 million and count for $20 million toward the luxury tax payroll. 

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

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (63-57) lost 6-3 (BOX SCORE)

Hendrickson started for Sugar Land and went 5 innings allowing 5 runs while striking out 7. The offense got on the board in the 3rd inning on a Salazar solo home run. They got 2 more runs in the 7th inning on a Cole 2 run home run. Santa allowed a run in the 8th and the offense was unable to get anything else going as Sugar Land fell 6-3.

Note: Ferreras is hitting .327 in Triple-A.

• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 1-for-4, 2B
• Jake Meyers, CF: 2-for-4, R
• Zach Cole, RF: 1-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
• Cesar Salazar, C: 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, BB

• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (54-61) lost 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Dombroski started for the Hooks and allowed 2 runs over 3.1 innings. He was relieved by Torres who allowed a run. Leach pitched in relief and was solid tossing 2 scoreless innings. The Hooks got on the board in the 8th inning on an Austin solo home run. The offense got a run in the 9th on a Thomas sac fly but that was it as the Hooks fell 3-2.

Note: Austin has 16 home runs this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 0-for-3, RBI, BB
• Trevor Austin, LF: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI, BB
• Walker Janek, DH: 4-for-5, SB
• Max Holy, SS: 0-for-3, R, BB
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 2-for-4

• Trey Dombroski, LHP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Ramsey David, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Andrew Marrero, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (39-74) lost 9-1 (BOX SCORE)

Potter started for Asheville and allowed one run over 2.1 innings while striking out 6 batters. Asheville got on the board in the 2nd inning on an error. Santos relieved Potter and allowed 3 runs over 4.1 innings. Cruz allowed 4 runs in relief as the Cyclones extended their lead. The offense was unable to score again as they fell 9-1.

Note: Newman is hitting .433 in High-A.

• Anthony Huezo, DH: 1-for-4, R, SB
• DJ Newman, LF: 2-for-4

• Nick Potter, RHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (58-53) won 10-7 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the second inning on a Sierra 3 run home run. Smith got the start and went 3.2 innings allowing 4 runs, all in the 4th, as the Pelicans took the lead. The offense responded in the 6th scoring 4 runs on a Piasecki RBI single, Hughes 2 run double and Alvarez sac fly. After the Pelicans scored a couple in the bottom of the 6th, the Woodpeckers grabbed another run in the 8th on an Alvarez groundout. The Woodpeckers got 2 more runs in the 9th inning on a Sierra 2 run single. Butler allowed a run in the 9th but held on for the 10-7 win.

Note: Nowak is hitting .381 in Single-A.

• Kam Durnin, SS: 0-for-4, 2 R, 2 BB
• Logan Hughes, DH: 2-for-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 0-for-3, 2 RBI, SB
• Waner Luciano, 3B: 0-for-3, 2 BB
• Ben Tryon, 1B: 0-for-4, R, BB
• Luis De Leon, C: 1-for-4, 2 R, BB
• Owen Nowak, LF: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2B
• Juan Sierra, RF: 2-for-5, R, HR, 5 RBI
• Aaron Piasecki, 2B: 3-for-5, R, RBI, 3 SB

• Aubrey Smith, RHP: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Brandon Cassedy, RHP: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Mick Uebelhor, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Taz Butler, RHP: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Jason Alexander – 7:05 CT

CC: Cole Hertzler – 6:35 CT

AV: Javier Perez – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

The San Diego Padres may have won tonight, but it was Fernando Tatis Jr. who stole the show. The superstar outfielder has majorly turned things around after his historic home-run outage to begin the season. The right fielder hit his 14th homer to lead off the game before hitting his 15th to increase the Friars lead. If that weren’t enough, he robbed Francisco Lindor of a grand slam in the second inning. It would have won the New York Mets the game.

Instead, it was Tatis who got the flowers in the Padres’ victory. Hopefully, that momentum will push them forward into a series win in this afternoon’s rubber match against New York. The Friars will need their offense to continue marching forward in order to stay in the playoff hunt.

Taking the mound

Robert Stock (NYM) v. Michael King (SD)

Stock doesn’t have much to go off of in 2026. The former Padre has been working out of the Mets bullpen lately and hasn’t been particularly effective. The righty owns a 6.57 ERA through 12 1/3 innings pitched. The strikeout numbers are sold but he has been ineffective at limiting baserunners (1.86 WHIP).

It’s likely that New York is planning to have a bullpen game, rather than have Stock as the primary starter. It’s possible that someone could pitch in bulk relief, with Stock as an opener. Though that won’t be made clear until after the game begins Wednesday afternoon.

King has continued to be the guy that the Padres need him to be day in and day out. The 3.41 ERA isn’t exactly awe-inspiring, but King has done much more than prevent runs. He has served to stabilize a rotation that has so desperately needed it.

That being said, there was a point in which King looked shaky. He’s regrouped since then, turning in a 3.15 ERA in his last seven games. The right-hander will seek to do the same against a Mets team that roughed him up the last time they faced off (4 ER, 6.0 IP).

Batter up!

If the stars look like this, there’s no stopping San Diego. Manny Machado went 3-for-4 with a walk in yesterday’s game while Tatis looked every bit the star that the Friar Faithful have grown to love. The right fielder went 2-for-5 with two homers. Not to mention his incredible robbery of Lindor’s grand slam.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Luis Campusano, C
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Xander Bogaerts, SS
9. Jase Bowen, LF

Bowen had a productive day at the plate after pinch-running for Luis Rengifo late in the game. The young outfielder went 1-for-1 and scored a run for the Friars. He could give Rengifo a break in the outfield after the recent addition to the Padres has been without rest for some time.

Relief corps

The bullpen was mostly solid in yesterday’s win over the Mets. After Robbie Ray went six solid innings, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller locked it down. Rodriguez and Morejon struggled a bit, though the former could have been allowed to work through the trouble a little more than he was.

Morejon pitched the second-longest outing of his 2026, throwing 38 pitches across 1 2/3 innings. He allowed a run, but got it back when Machado homered in the ninth inning. That set the stage for Miller to close it out with his 31st save of the year. That leaves Griffin Canning, Jeremiah Estrada, Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta available for tonight.

Heading into the Toronto Blue Jays series, the Nationals were 54-52 and only one game back of a Wild Card spot. They were coming off a thrilling series win against a fellow playoff hopeful in the D-Backs. However, things have come off the rails since then with trades, injuries and position changes causing the season to spiral. The Nats are 6-15 since the start of that Blue Jays series.

It really feels like the air has come out of this team and the once trademark resilience has vanished. Last night’s 5-0 loss to a mediocre Rangers team was their most lifeless of the season in my opinion. That looked like what we saw towards the end of the Davey Martinez era and for much of Miguel Cairo’s tenure last season. It was a team that was ready for the season to be over.

To come out like that after being swept by a divisional opponent was very alarming to me. The Nats had some bad series and some agonizing losses. However, one thing that you could count on was that they would come back the next game and do whatever it took to win.

That push back has disappeared, and there are a couple potential reasons for this. One that is being discussed a lot right now is the trade deadline. I am seeing a narrative going around that Paul Toboni quit on the team at the deadline and in turn the team has thrown in the towel for the season.

That take is a bit extreme in my view, but it is easy to see where those folks are coming from. With the Nats firmly in the hunt, Toboni traded his best right handed bat for an injured pitcher that has yet to return. Connelly Early is very talented and this could easily look like a great move in a year or two. However, Mead clearly meant a lot to the clubhouse and losing him was a big blow.

At the deadline, two of the team’s leaders got moved in Luis Garcia Jr. and Foster Griffin. With Abimelec Ortiz on the way and the team’s need for pitching depth, the Garcia move made a lot of sense in a vacuum. However, his presence was crucial in keeping the locker room loose and is needed now more than ever. I still like the trade, but it certainly hurt the vibes for this season.

From an on field perspective, the Griffin trade was the most damaging in my opinion. The Nats had a 17-5 record with Griffin on the mound this season. He consistently gave the team quality starts and his wisdom really helped the young pitchers. Now those starts are gone and have been replaced by Jackson Kent, who has not looked ready so far.

This is not meant to necessarily pile on Paul Toboni. The moves make sense, but they essentially stuck a fork in the 2026 Nats in ways that he did not even anticipate. This team was never built to make a deep run so looking to the future is smart. However, it really deflated this clubhouse.

The group had already gone through so much and has had to be so resilient. After all the bullpen meltdowns, the Nats always got off the deck and kept on chugging. With a historically inept bullpen, this team had to be strong, but the deadline sell-off was the one of the dominos that caused this team to fall apart.

Another factor in this team’s collapse has been the loss of their best player James Wood. For a little while, the offense kept humming, but his absence has really been felt lately. Wood’s presence in the lineup makes others around him better. With teams circling CJ Abrams in the lineup, his production has slipped. Dylan Crews has also been unable to step up at all. Lately, the only thing the Nats offense has going for them is that first base platoon.

The offense has been the lifeblood of this team all season. However, with Mead and Wood no longer in the lineup, this team is a lot easier to pitch to. Those two consistently worked counts and did not chase. Now, the Nats have a lot of players with similar chase-happy profiles.

It has put so much pressure on CJ Abrams, who now is suddenly dealing with a position change. With all this going on, it really feels like this was not the right time to move Abrams off shortstop. The move had to happen eventually, but this is just an odd moment to unsettle your best healthy player. It is yet another move that has hurt the vibes of this clubhouse.

The Nats dismal showings against divisional opponents are a final thing that has doomed them. They are 2-16 in their last 18 divisional matchups and 11-27 on the season. Getting owned by your rivals takes a toll. Along with all the other drama, that has helped sink the 2026 Nats.

There is always a chance that this team can emerge from their slumber, but it does not feel likely. I expect a limp to the finish of what was once a promising season. It is a real shame but I do think this is still a successful season. However, it could have been so much more. Nats fans got a taste of competitive baseball. Now it is up to the front office to deliver that on a consistent basis.

Happy Wednesday A’s Fans!

Yesterday, the Athletics dropped a second straight game against the Kansas City Royals, giving up three runs in the bottom of the ninth to cement their status as the worst team in the league. Left-hander Hogan Harris fits as a late-inning left-handed reliever, but his command issues would prevent him from being a closer on most other teams. At least the A’s fared better than the Seattle Mariners, who lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 22-0.

Injuries have played a big part in the team’s rapid fall from grace. The A’s are currently trotting out lineups without injured designated hitter Brent Rooker, catcher Shea Langeliers, first baseman Nick Kurtz or left fielder Tyler Soderstrom. Meanwhile, Opening Day starter Luis Severino suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at the end of May.

Starting shortstop Jacob Wilson could join them on the season-ending injured list if his shoulder soreness does not subside sooner than later. Then there is rookie infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, who got his MLB career off to a hot start before fouling a ball off his balls and rupturing his testicle.

Entering the season, an extreme number of injuries was the last thing the A’s could afford, given the team’s limited depth. However, injuries are not the only factor contributing to the Green and Gold’s fifth straight losing season.

Even before players began dropping like flies, the A’s pitching staff was struggling, allowing opposing teams to seemingly score runs in bunches every night. As a result, it was not surprising when the losses started piling up in June and July, every defeat dragging the Athletics further away from contending in a wide-open mediocre division.

While Jacob Lopez’s second-half resurgence has been a bright spot, the opposite can be said of right-hander Luis Morales, whose regression has been arguably the team’s biggest disappointment this season, especially after he broke preseason camp with a spot in the rotation.

It will be up to the team’s next general manager to assemble an improved pitching staff capable of keeping the Athletics in more games and preventing the blowout defeats that have happened far too often this season. The bullpen, in particular, should be a priority after its league-worst performance.

Whoever succeeds David Forst will also need more investment from A’s owner John Fisher, particularly in the analytics and strategy departments. The A’s are one of the few MLB teams yet to obtain the Trajekt Sports Arc pitching machine. The Trajekt analyzes extensive data to mimic any pitcher’s delivery and replicate their pitches from the same arm angle. In contrast to the A’s, the Los Angeles Dodgers own multiple Trajekt machines.

Additionally, according to The Athletic reporter Ken Rosenthal, the depth of the A’s analytic and research department pales in comparison to other small-market teams like the Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers. Ultimately, Fisher’s cheapness is holding the team back, something that is nothing new to longtime fans of this historic franchise.

What should the A’s do moving forward to build a consistent contender?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Blow Late Lead, Fall To Royals 4-3
• A’s Drop Road Trip Opener 9-5
• A’s Take Series Against Rangers, Win 5-2
• A’s place Soderstrom on 10-day IL with left hip impingement; Hernaiz recalled
• Where Each A’s Player’s Contract Stands Entering Offseason
• Red-hot Bolte looking to build on lessons from rookie season
• A’s prospect Winkler thriving in ‘fresh start’ with Aviators
• Late Blast Lifts Rangers Over Athletics
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• 111 games, zero errors: Wilson sets MLB record at shortstop
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• A’s Top Prospect Jamie Arnold Sets Career High in One of His Best Double-A Starts
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season
• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Could last-minute buyer purchase rights to Bally’s project around A’s Las Vegas ballpark?
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice

MLB News and Interest:

• After two inspirational comebacks, Mancini announces retirement
• Padres minor league catching coordinator detained by ICE
• Why Tommy John’s legacy will forever live on across baseball
• Marte heading for MRI on knee after placement on restricted list (source)
• Dodgers closer Díaz heading back to IL (reports)
• MLB unanimously approves sale of San Diego Padres
• Yankees activate Carlos Rodon, place Max Fried on 15-day IL
• Cubs Place Edward Cabrera, Dansby Swanson On Injured List
• PCA 1st since 2010 with leadoff, walk-off home runs
• AL, NL Cy Young races seem all but decided as Schlittler, Miz dominate latest poll
• Two straight runners tested him at home. He fired 99 mph, 103 mph to nail them both!
• Mariners, Andy Ibáñez Agree To Minor League Deal
• Here are the current top prospects at each position
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

The Athletics’ offense takes another hit. Hopefully, Tyler Soderstrom returns next season fully healthy and with this hip issue behind him.

This podcast is worth a listen:

A’s Opening Day center fielder Denzel Clarke, who has been on the injured list since April, is finally nearing a return to the majors.

Dixon Williams recorded an inside-the-park home run for the Emperors in their win, giving his a ridiculous stretch of six home runs in his past three games. However, it was not hitting that carried the weight on the farm. At every level the pitching showed out for Braves prospects, notably with incredible outings from Cam Caminiti and Luke Sinnard.

(60-59) Gwinnett Stripers, (54-65) Durham Bulls PPD

(53-57) Columbus Clingstones 4, (61-54) Montgomery Biscuits 10

Box Score

• John Gil, 2B: 2-5, .320/.407/.440
• Eric Hartman, LF: 1-4, .245/.393/.265
• Alex Lodise, SS: 0-3, BB, .000/.250/.000
• Owen Carey, LF: 1-4, RBI, .220/.304/.420
• Cam Caminiti, SP: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2.51 ERA

The Double-A debut of Alex Lodise and the dominant start from Cam Caminiti is unfortunately lost to time for those not in attendance due to streaming difficulties from the Clingstones. After a hugely disappointing first half of the season Lodise got himself back on track with a torrid stretch in High-A and deservedly is getting a chance to close the season with Columbus. His first at bat didn’t got well as he was struck out quickly, but he did end up getting on base with a walk in the sixth inning. That up-the-middle combination with John Gil makes a talented team, and Gil may have taken over Lodise’s place as the hottest hitters among the top prospects in the system. Gil netted two more singles in thi game to extend his hitting streak to eight games, and he is far and away the player who has made the quickest adjustments among those that were part of the wave of movement. Gil’s swing decisions have been terrific, even a step above what he was doing in High-A, and he hasn’t yet had any major issue handling the increase in pitch quality at the level.

It’s taken just three starts and already Cam Caminiti has a breakthrough outing at Double-A. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t much to go off of in terms of breaking down exactly what made him click in this game, but even in his first two Double-A appearances Caminiti was showing signs of being ready for the level. Caminiti had some struggles with consistency, which has been somewhat of an issue for him in the early stages of his development, but showed the ability to miss the bats of even the most talented of Double-A hitters and he put together a full outing in this one. Almost all of Caminiti’s trouble came in the second inning when he walked two batters and allowed a hit over a four batter stretch, and from there the Biscuits were unable to muster any sort of success against him. The moment Caminiti left the game Montgomery started putting it on Columbus, scoring four runs in the seventh inning and then five more in the ninth inning.

Swing and Misses

Cam Caminiti – 17

Shay Schanaman – 3

(54-57) Rome Emperors 5, (52-62) Hub City Spartanburgers 4

Box Score

• Carter Beck, CF: 2-4, RBI, .500/.500/.500
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 0-2, 2 BB, .227/.460/.341
• Luis Guanipa, LF: 0-4, .200/.212/.308
• Dixon Williams, 2B: 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, .235/.338/.474
• Luke Sinnard, SP: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 2.73 ERA

Luke Sinnard is regaining his form as he is finally making starts down the stretch, and if he can only stay healthy he should have a ton of fun starts ahead of himself at this level. For the first couple of innings Sinnard was basically untouchable even with a few flaws in his game. His fastball was popping and sat in the low-to-mid 90’s throughout his outing, and he did a good job of elevating the pitch to keep it off of the barrel of Hub City hitters. As the game dragged he had more of a tendency to spray the pitch and miss out of the strike zone which led to a couple of walks late in the game, but even the run he allowed didn’t come on a solidly hit ball. He utilized both the slider and the curveball in this game during strikeout situations, but both had different effects. He had some sliders that slipped out glove side and did not look good at all, but for the most part when he went to that pitch with two strikes he was able to retire the batter. They tried to implement his curveball more earlier in the game, but even though he got some whiffs with the pitch and the shape and change of pace serves his arsenal well he didn’t have the best command of the pitch. Sinnard wasn’t able to consistently bury the curveball and it led to him extending at bats and not getting strikeouts efficiently, which hurt him until they made near full switch to using the slider for strikeout situations. He only had a couple of cutters early in the game that he didn’t really land. This outing was as good as Sinnard looked all season even with the command slips late in the game, but there hasn’t really been a single point at which his quality has been in question. Sinnard is too good for this level, but he really needs to finish the year on a stretch of healthy outings.

Carter Beck had two singles in his High-A debut, and looked solid patrolling center field in the limited action he had out there. Beck has been ultra-aggressive on fastballs in the zone and got both of his hits off of fastballs this game, and that’s not a bad trait at all as long as it’s paired with some discretion on other pitchers. Beck has shown the ability to spit on secondary offerings out of the zone, which is a great sign early on for a player whose profile will be driven by his on-base ability, though in this game he didn’t get many looks at non-fastballs. Beck has been impressive in the early going with his ability to make contact, though he does seem to struggle on pitches that are outside of his natural swing path. Beck is a bit stiff in his swing and with his current mechanics I expect him to only be able to produce consistent pop on the pull side, though he does have the ability to shoot line drives in all directions. He still hasn’t been challenged yet, but High-A will be a step up for him and will be more of a test of his patience once pitchers start feeding him breaking balls. Conor Essenburg looked good at the plate as he has the entire time he has been in Rome, and even the strikeout in this game I wouldn’t pin on him. Essenburg got rung up on a fastball that did not catch the corner despite the call of the umpire, and this has ben an incredible run for him. He has 13 walks in a five game streak with walks, and I’m honestly anxious to see him swing more and actually face more breaking balls. He has been ahead in the count so often he isn’t really being challenged much. We’ll skip over the Luis Guanipa at bats other than to say they were mostly ugly, which is unfortunate because I felt he looked better late last week. He did have a singular at bat when he got a third look at the same pitcher and was able to adjust to and handle his slider, and even if it ended in a fly out I liked the process behind his approach that time up. Dixon Williams had a home run for a third straight game, though this one wasn’t as happy an affair as his recent work. Williams hit the ball hard on the pull side, and the defender made a great play to track the ball down but crashed into the wall. Upon hitting the wall he lost the ball and stayed down on the track, giving Williams time to come around for an inside-the-park home run. You absolutely can’t take away that Williams smoked that ball, and fortunately the right fielder was able to get up and walk off of the field under his own power though he seemed shaky.

Swing and Misses 

Luke Sinnard – 12

Jacob Kroeger – 4

Tanner Bauman – 4

(61-52) Augusta GreenJackets 5, (56-57) Columbia Fireflies 3

Box Score

• Manuel Campos, SS: 2-3, HR, BB, .167/.211/.306
• Parker Brosius, RF: 0-3, .273/.390/.485
• Derek Vartanian, SP: 7 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 4.12 ERA

(62-52) Augusta GreenJackets 3, (56-58) Columbia Fireflies 0

Box Score

• Juan Mateo, SS: 1-3, 2B, .255/.332/.358
• Parker Brosius, RF: 1-2, 3B, BB, RBI, .273/.390/.485
• Daniel Brooks, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 0.65 ERA

The GreenJackets got Manuel Campos back from the injured list and he immediately had the best game he has had this season at any level. Prior to hitting the injured list Campos was really struggling at the plate, but he looked absolutely terrific in the first game of the double header. He started by slicing a single the other way, then in the third inning mashed a low fly ball out to right field for a home run. He drew a four pitch walk the next time up and ended his day with a solidly hit fly ball to give him three well-hit balls this game. Campos has struggled and the approach is worth questioning, but he is a young player that clearly has enough pop in his bat to be a legit big leaguer and has plenty of room to add strength to his frame without needing to move out of the middle infield. Campos has a good swing, smooth and quick with the athleticism to make adjustments where needed, though he is a low ball hitter and probably always will be without major swing changes. It’s nice to see him finally look good enough at the plate to feel like we’re seeing the best of him. The pitching staff also brought it in both halves of the double header. It’s been awhile since Derek Vartanian really put together a complete outing, and it wasn’t entirely clear he was going to do so early on. He cruised through the first inning but he could not buy an out in the second. Vartanian allowed some solidly hit singles on pitches left a bit too far over the play, but also had a potential inning-ending double play dropped by the third baseman on what should have been a routine turn along with some soft contact that found a gap in the defense. Vartanian has struggled at times this season to avoid runaway innings and he couldn’t keep this inning from getting out of hand, but he was magnificent the whole rest of the way. The game could have spiraled further in the second with two runners on and no outs with three already in, but Vartanian closed out the inning with no further damage. Vartanian kept that momentum rolling and ended his day by retiring 18 straight hitters. In the eighth inning Lewis Sifontes broke the streak by issuing a walk, but got a huge strikeout of the second batter of the inning and was able to prevent Columbia from scoring and close out the comeback win.

Daniel Brooks may just deserve a full time starting role at this point, because even with the increase in workload this month he has only continued to set an already lofty ball even higher. Brooks struck out the first batter he faced in the game and that was a preview of what was to come as he cruised to a career-high 10 strikeouts and never really blinked. The carry on Brooks’s fastball is as explosive as I’ve seen a pitch look even if the velocity is below average, and mixed with a hammer slider hitters at this level just have no chance. Brooks finished the day off with three consecutive swinging strikeouts all on sliders, and it only took him 58 pitches. He pounded the zone all game and the Fireflies had absolutely zero chance against him, but that’s been the story of the entire league this season. Augusta put up a run on a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and given how well Brooks pitched that was all they needed. Parker Brosius added on with his lone hit of the double header in the third inning, though it was a huge swing. Brosius officially has an RBI triple, but that was 100% a two-run home run to the opposite field that hit off of the fence above the wall that counts as a home run at this park. In the end Brosius would score on a sacrifice fly so it all turned out the same, and the GreenJackets need for hitting is really the only thing even driving Brosius being in Single-A. Brosius has had quite a lot of strikeouts so far but he’s not swinging and missing enough to sustain a near 30% K mark, and given his age and how well he has hit the ball he has nothing to really prove at Augusta.

Swing and Misses

Daniel Brooks – 17

Derek Vartanian – 13

Logan Forsythe – 3

Lewis Sifontes – 2

Worcester: L, 1-5 (BOX SCORE)

The WooSox got just two hits on the first night in Syracuse (Mets AAA) and did not draw a walk, with a rehabbing Trevor Story going hitless. Only Romy Gonzalez and Allan Castro notched base hits, and that happened in back-to-back at bats where Romy would score. It’s tough to win baseball games with that offensive output, but the dreadful part is they probably could have with how serviceable the pitching was. And let’s not put makeup on a pig here: the WooSox staff is suffering from supplementing the Red Sox’s sudden lack of depth (maybe the other way around, too, as the Major League club has used a slew of mop up guys from the Triple-A club as of late…) and any other viable option for a promotion was dealt in the Adley Rutschman trade, as Rutschman starts to emerge as an offensive positive point. But Jedixson Paez going four (solid) innings had the WooSox marching out Patrick Halligan for three innigs in relief and veteran John Brebbia immediately after him. They pitched great, and maybe this just wasn’t a winnable game. But this is still a peculiar place for a team’s pitching depth to be in just a month after the trade deadline, despite Craig Breslow making several good moves for more offense.

Portland: W, 7-5 (BOX SCORE)

The biggest headline of the farm on Tuesday was the Sea Dogs starting a promoted Justin Gonzales, who’s still just 19, and Roman Anthony, who’s back after a lengthy finger injury, and placing them 1-2 in the batting order. This would come back to benefit the Sea Dogs in spades as they beat the Fightin Phils (Phillies AA) by two runs, thanks to Roman Anthony’s absolute mammoth shot that could have ended up in Presque Isle or Old Orchard Beach, whichever locale you prefer. Anthony also got on base in his other three plate appearances via a single and two walks.

Gonzalez looked pretty good too, going 2-for-5. A struggling Henry Godbout even got his first home run since his promotion to Double-A, and Brooks Brannon and Yoelin Cespedes both chipped in doubles (Cespedes’ first since being promoted.) This battering of the Reading pitcher allowed Dalton Rogers the flexibility to pitch into the sixth inning and strike out eight. I know Anthony’s presence on the Portland squad is not going to be long-lived and he’ll be back up at Fenway shortly, but even without him, Portland is about to be an exciting team to watch for the last month of 2026 and starting 2027.

Greenville: L, 4-7 (BOX SCORE)

While Greenville was not afforded particularly good pitching Tuesday facing the Dash (White Sox High-A), the Tar Heel duo from this year’s draft, Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull, reached base six combined times (three a piece) and the team had ten hits. However, it did take until the seventh inning for Greenville to drum up some runs, and by then, they were fighting an uphill battle, a 7-0 battle, to be exact.

Salem: W, 21-4 (BOX SCORE)

No, my keyboard didn’t accidentally hit the 2 instead of the 1 twice. The RidgeYaks put up 21 runs on the Warbirds (Brewers A) on 23 hits and 8 walks on the night where Wilson’s Major League club put up 22 runs of their own. They had all of this offense by the end of the fifth, benefitting from eleven hits with runners in scoring position. The scary part is, this game could have been even more lopsided had Salem not stranded eleven. I’d like to insert cliche saying about saving some runs for the next night here, but you get the point. Franklin Primera drove in seven runs including a home run, and Starlyn Nunez had 5 RBI’s including a home run of his own. The Salem pitching held the ball in the park for the entire game, which is impressive given that from Salem’s side of the box score, you’d think the game was played on the moon.

A recent business trip took me to San Diego for a few days, and I was able to squeeze in several baseball experiences.

First, we got a look at the site of old Lane Field, which is on the waterfront west of downtown. There’s nothing left of the old ballpark, which was home to the Pacific Coast League’s San Diego Padres from 1936 to 1957. There’s a marker where home plate once stood, as well as markings where the batter’s boxes were. The old ballfield is now a city park, and there are some hotels and other business buildings situated in what used to be right field. Lane was an oddly shaped park, 329 to left, 330 to right and 426 to dead center. It’s also the park where Ted Williams got his start, and in October of 1945, Jackie Robinson worked out for scouts from the Brooklyn Dodgers. You must use your imagination to picture the old park wedged into this space, back in a time when San Diego was a much smaller city.

The second baseball item was hearing a motivational talk by Jesse Cole, the founder of the Savannah Bananas. It was an energetic and moving speech as Cole talked about the sacrifices and risks he took to establish the Bananas. To call Cole energetic is a disservice. The guy has enough juice to power a couple of city blocks. Cole knows how to work a crowd as well as any entertainer or politician I’ve ever seen. His story about his relationship with former player Reggie Smith is one of the most heartwarming stories I’ve heard, and just another reason why we love this game so much.

In short, when Cole was a youngster, his parents divorced, which caused the already shy kid to become even more withdrawn. In an effort to pull him out of his shell, Cole’s father arranged for him to try out for a Red Sox bat boy job for a game. A withdrawn Cole sat in the Red Sox dugout, too afraid to move, when Smith noticed the youngster and spent over 20 minutes chatting with him. Cole showed a picture of the two together taken that day, then another taken recently. When Cole received an award from the Baseball Hall of Fame, who introduced him? Reggie Smith, of course. Very heartwarming stuff.

This made me think more about Smith, an outstanding player known as “the other Reggie.” More about Smith in a future story. It was the interaction with Smith that convinced Cole he wanted to become a major league ballplayer. His first stop was T-ball, where he could hear his father shouting, “Swing hard in case you hit it!”

That has become Cole’s business mantra: Swing hard in case you hit it. A few days later, Cardinal rookie Joshua Baez hit home runs in his first three at-bats, including one on the first pitch he saw. That brings up another story I once heard. I may have some of the characters wrong, so forgive me. A rookie’s father said the same thing to his son: “You only see one first pitch in the majors. Swing hard at it.”

The rookie did and also hit a home run.

Cole ended the speech by talking about Bananas Foster, the foundation that provides financial and educational support for foster children. If you’re looking for places to donate this year, take a look at Bananas Foster.

The third leg of this baseball journey was my wife and I taking in an excellent game between the Padres and the Milwaukee Brewers, two teams the Royals would be wise to emulate. I used to be a critic of Padres GM A.J. Preller, but no more. Love him or hate him, he works his tail off to keep the Padres competitive with the Dodgers, no easy task.

Over 40,000 Padres and Brewers fans packed the ballpark for a Monday night game. As I watched it unfold — two playoff teams, downtown stadium, high-energy scene — I thought, “Kansas City could have this if they play their cards right.”

The game gave me a chance to see one future Hall of Famer, Manny Machado, and another who is probably on the outside looking in: Christian Yelich. Both players are showing their age, though Machado is still stroking some home runs and his glove work remains as good as ever. Machado is currently at about 63 WAR and closing in on 400 career home runs. And Padre fans love the guy.

Casey Mize, a trade deadline acquisition, got the start for San Diego and did his job, only giving up two runs in six efficient innings of work.

Those two runs came off the bat of former MVP Yelich, who cranked an opposite-field home run in the second. People have talked about Mize being an offseason target for the Royals. He’d be an excellent addition, but I’d be surprised if San Diego lets him get away.

Down 2-0, the Padres answered back in the bottom of the inning when the Royals’ daddy, Ty France, smoked one into the left-field seats. France’s ball never got more than 15 feet off the ground. There’s something impressive about seeing a line-drive home run that’s absolutely ripped.

The score stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the seventh, when France hit a one-out single. Jackson Merrill, who has been blistering the ball since the All-Star break, blasted one 435 feet to dead center to put the Pads up 3-2 and send the locals into fits of hysteria.

One thing about San Diego fans: They dig their baseball.

Same for Brewer fans. I saw dozens of fans sporting Brewer garb and spoke to a couple that was spending their summer following the Brewers around the country, Grateful Dead groupie style. You gotta love baseball, right?

Once San Diego had the lead, they channeled the 2015 Kansas City Royals blueprint. First out of the pen was Yuki Matsui, a diminutive lefty who retired the side on 15 pitches.

The eighth belonged to Adrian Morejon, and wow, this guy was impressive. He hit 100 on the radar and rolled through the Brewers with just eight pitches.

The ninth, of course, went to Mason Miller. With Korn’s song “Blind” blaring, the stadium lights flashing and “The Reaper” on the scoreboard, Miller walks to the mound. Padre fans are absolutely losing their minds, and Miller didn’t disappoint, hitting 102 on the gun. He struggled a bit with his control, needing 19 pitches to get just two outs. You read that right, a two-out save.

Miller walked William Contreras with two outs, bringing the dangerous Yelich to the plate. Brandon Lockridge ran for Contreras, and with the count 1-1 on Yelich, broke for second.

Former friend Freddie Fermin gunned down Lockridge to end the game.

It was great to see Freddie playing again. He’s had a bit of a tough year, hitting in the .190s for most of the season, but on this night, he had a double and threw out two would-be base stealers. And the locals love him.

The game was clean, with neither team recording an error, and the only miscues were the Brew Crew running themselves out of two innings (and the game) with caught stealing. I had to check my scorecard to make sure it wasn’t the Royals on the field.

Royals brass would be well served by spending a week in San Diego taking notes on how the Padres do it. The concourses were packed prior to the game, but foot traffic before and after the game flowed easily. San Diego’s train system is as good as any in the nation, and that’s one area of concern for the Royals’ new stadium. Will Kansas City’s cutesy tourist rail system be able to handle game traffic without snarling pedestrian or motorist flow? I have my doubts.

Petco opened for business in 2004, and that blew me away. I would have never guessed the park was 22 years old. I spent one morning walking around the construction site in the summer of 2002. The stadium was just a hole in the ground with some beams being erected at the time. There was a chain-link fence surrounding the construction site. That part of town, just south of the Gaslamp Quarter, was kind of rough in those days. It’s since been transformed, with shops, bars, restaurants and multiple condo buildings taking root around the ballpark.

The visit got me excited for downtown baseball in Kansas City. I will miss the K. We all will. The K is a very special place and holds some great memories for most of us.

Downtown baseball is a different animal, and Kansas City needs to do this right. It won’t be an easy job for John Sherman and company. There will be community and political classes to satisfy. They must build a memorable stadium, one that’s better than the one we already have.

The city must get the infrastructure to work. And the biggest thing is the Royals must put a good product on the field. Nothing will kill downtown momentum like watching a rudderless team on its way to 100 losses. It’ll be an interesting few years as this develops.

It was a night of close games and late comebacks across the Phillies system last night. Some were successful in overcoming deficits and snatching victory while the valiant efforts of others fell short.

Lehigh Valley 5, Buffalo 1

It was a good night for Iron Pigs pitching, as they combined to allow one run on seven hits. Chuck King was most responsible, as the righty went six shutout innings and allowed just three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Rafael Marchán started at catcher and went 0-4 with a walk and a strikeout as he works his way back to the Phillies on a rehab assignment. Kameron Misner launched a two-run homer in the fifth that put Lehigh Valley up 3-0. It was the 17th long ball of the year for the recent trade acquisition.

Reading 5, Portland 7

The Fightin’ Phils had two late rallies, but neither was enough to fully erase a 5-0 deficit. Luke Rosso started the game and was charged with five runs over five innings, including surrendering a home run to the rehabbing Roman Anthony. Raylin Heredia of Reading went 3-5 with a two-run homer and a two-run single, with the latter coming in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate. But Alex Binelas lined out to center to end the potential comeback.

Clearwater 8, Dunedin 4

A huge five-run eighth inning lifted the Threshers to victory, erasing a 4-3 deficit. The damage primarily came from back-to-back home runs from Nolan Beltran and Will Vierling, with the former giving Clearwater the lead. They totaled six hits in the inning, four of which were for extra bases. One player that wasn’t involved in the offense however was second round pick Caden Bogenpohl, as the big outfielder went 0-5 with a strikeout.

Jersey Shore 5, Hudson Valley 10

The Blue Claws found themselves in a tight, seesaw contest that went into extra innings. However, they came up short after a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice allowed the Renegades to take the lead in the tenth off of Gabe Craig before they exploded for four more runs. Jersey Shore had a golden opportunity in the ninth, as Griffin Burkholder reached second base on an error as the winning run with no outs, but the next two hitters struck out before Robert Phelps lined out to send the game to extras where the Blue Claws went down quietly.

DSL Phillies 6, DSL Tigers 11

A five run fifth inning wasn’t enough for the DSL Phillies to hold off the Tigers, as the latter erased a 6-4 deficit in the sixth with a seven-run inning that included two home runs and a grand slam. Filippo Sabatini was charged with five of those seven runs and was saddled with the loss. Offensively, right fielder Elian Adames had a nice day with two hits including a double and two RBIs. Star prospect Francisco Renteria did not appear in the game, as it was the final on the schedule for the DSL regular season, but the Phillies had already clinched a berth to the playoffs by winning the DSL East title. The playoffs will begin on Thursday.