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

After a huge momentum building series victory over the West leading Los Angeles Dodgers, the Dbacks looked to build upon not only their momentum but also their Wild Card lead over the Padres by taking advantage of a matchup against one of the weaker teams in baseball in the Colorado Rockies. The fellas and I discussed last episode that sweeping the series would be the most ideal outcome, but sweeping even the worst teams in baseball is no guarantee (they are still professional ball clubs so they aren’t just automatic wins) but a series win over the Rockies would be the minimum requirement since they are starting to run out of “easy” opponents on their schedule.

Merrill’s Rocky Road

The Diamondbacks went into the Mainstays start on Wednesday needing him to continue his stretch of solid outings and bring home a series victory for the snakes and end the homestand on a high note, unfortunately that would not be the case as Merrill surrendered 6 earned runs across 5 innings of work with most of the damage coming from Brett Sullivan’s 3-R bomb in the 2nd and Zac Veen’s 2-R pool shot in the 5th for the 24th and 25th home runs surrendered by Merrill in 2026 (most since allowing 29 HR in his rookie season in 2019).

Gabe, Brandon and I all agreed that the biggest issue that we saw from Kelly in this outing was mostly the lack of control on most if not all of his pitches. Merrill is the kind of pitcher who won’t blow the doors off many hitters, so location being as pinpoint as possible is always the best recipe for success for Kelly. When he is missing either over the heart of the plate or so far outside that the hitters can spit on it right out of the hand, leading to a lack of swing and miss and weak contact.

The Dbacks will need the Mainstay to get back to the kind of pitcher he was in July if they want to have any hope of making this push for October a success.

When Does Noot Get the Boot?

The Dbacks lone move from the deadline has been talked about endlessly by not only us here at Dbacks Dispatch, but by other writers and twitter accounts, and for understandable reasons. We all knew that we wouldn’t be getting a big power bat in lars Nootbar and that his best quality at the dish would be his plate discipline and ability to work the count and work walks. WHile that part has been as advertised in the first 8 games of his Dbacks tenure (7 walks to only 4 K’s so far), the lack of hits from the Noot has had us and other fans start to get frustrated and maybe even a bit worrisome with what we’ve been seeing.

It’s no secret that the Snakes have had a lack of offensive production from some key areas in their lineup, mostly at 1st base (.609 OPS, worst in baseball) and at DH (.621 OPS, 2nd worst in baseball) and it’s mostly why the fan base was so frustrated with the lack of moves to address those areas at the deadline. Lars wouldn’t have been the option first 1st base, but seeing as he has seen a majority of his starts in the desert as the Designated hitter it makes his .120/.313/.160 slash even more frustrating to watch, especially when the offense puts up a performance like they did in Wednesday’s loss.

Dbacks when they load the bases pic.twitter.com/RabLk1aZXo

— DBacks Dispatch (@DbacksDispatch) August 12, 2026

The fellas and I discussed just how long of a leash we should give Nootbar and when we should really start to worry about what we are seeing. Granted its only been 8 games and just 25 AB’s, but this isn’t like an early season struggle like what we saw from Nolan Arenado where we at least have time to see him work his way out of it, this is a critical part of the season and having a black hole in the lineup as the DH isn’t the best plan for success in the tight Wild Card race. 

Gabe brought up the similar numbers that Lars Nootbar (.240 AVG and a .738 OPS in 1800+ career AB’s) and Pavin Smith (.241 AVG and .719 OPS in 1400+ career AB’s)  have career wise in saying that we moved on from Pavin (another black hole in the lineup during his time in 2026) just to trade our #5 prospect for a different version of Pavin Smith. Even just using their numbers as Diamondbacks in 2026 (Yes Lars has about 1/3rd the amount of AB’s Pavin did so not a 1 to 1 comp), Lars has even worse numbers than what we saw from Pavin (.141/.236/192 slash in 78 AB’s) before his eventual DFA, so it doesn’t seem unfair from us or other fans to say that our frustrations could start to reach a boiling point and start to ask if there is any other options we have over Noot Noot.

Ups and Downs

While the Snakes were unfortunately unable to even win the series over the Rockies, mostly due to a lack of clutch hitting in the two defeats (especially Wednesday’s historically bad performance), there were still some positive moments that the crew wanted to highlight from this final series of the homestand.

Gabe was yet again impressed from what he saw from the bullpen, as the lone run the pen allowed in their 11.2 innings of work was off of Kevin GInkel in the 7th inning of Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat. Zack Littell provided some much needed length in relief of Soroka on Monday, leading to his first win as Snake, and Gerardo Carrillo continues to impress with his disgusting arsenal of pitches as he had 4 K’s in his 2 shutout innings on Wednesday thus lowering his ERA to 0.71. Adding Justin Martinez to the mixture of available arms out of the pen could make this bullpen one to truly fear come October (as long as we get there that is).

Brandon wanted to give his praise to the performance that Mitch Bratt turned in on Tuesday. Yes it ended up a no decision and a 2-R HR from Kyle Karros ended his impressive scoreless inning streak, it was back to back starts of Bratt going 6+ innings which is something that the 3 of us agreed is very important to see more of as he continues to adjust to Major League hitters and develop as the big league level.

All 3 of us also wanted to make sure Corbin Carroll got his praise as well for what he did in Wednesday’s frustrating loss. Corbin not only added another triple to his tally (14 on the season) but also continued to smash left handed pitching, sending a Brandon Bernardino sinker the opposite way for his 18th home run on the season, and the 100th of his young career. With that homer in the 8th Corbin became just the 2nd player in MLB history to have 50+ Triples, 100+ HR and 100+ SB within 650 games, joining the legend WIllie Mays.

From @dbacks

Corbin Carroll is the only player in MLB history to reach 50+ triples (57), 100+ homers (100) and 100+ stolen bases (139) within 650 career games.
 
Is the second player in MLB history to do so within 700 career games, joining Willie Mays (55 3B, 169 HR and 108…

— Jody Jackson (@Jody_Jackson) August 12, 2026

Heading to Hotlanta

The Diamondbacks head into Atlanta to face the 2nd best team in the NL record wise in the East leading Braves for the first time these teams since their series split back in early April. Brandon, Gabe and I were all in agreement that this is a series where you really have to pick your poison whether its Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuna Jr, Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson or even Austin Riley, there is a lot of names in the lineup that can do some damage and put up crooked numbers.

This series is the start to a pretty tough stretch of ball clubs the Snakes will have in their way for the rest of the month of August, so getting a series win and starting off the last half of August on a high note is very crucial to this team regaining momentum and keeping up with the Phillies, Padres and even Cubs for 1 of the 3 NL WIld Card spots.

When I first met Blake Butera, we were in his small Spring Training office in West Palm Beach. The main thing I remember is the scented candles, a sign of his youth.

Over the last few weeks, through a series of questions before and after games, I’ve tried to get a better sense of how Butera thinks about the job.

Butera has become a more seasoned and experienced manager since arriving in Jupiter, Florida for Spring Training, but fundamentally, he is still the same person. He still has the same goals and mentality, but Butera, who turned 34 last week, has learned about the realities of managing a big league club.

As Butera put it, he has “been able to see things through a different lens” as he has gained experience. From bullpen management to knowing when to pull starters, Butera feels like he is learning something every game.

For this whole organization, they are constantly thinking about the process. That is something being done from the top down, and something Butera is constantly trying to do.

But it can be challenging for him. His head knows that he needs to be process oriented, but his heart lives and dies with every result.

With how the Nats season has gone, that has surely been on his mind often. There have been plenty of meltdowns this year, but Butera said, “As long as the process is good, you can live with the outcome, at least that is what I tell myself.”

That last part was telling. Butera may be the same person every day, but losing is something that clearly pushes him to the edge.

That combination of consistency and competitiveness is part of what has endeared him to his players. Jake Irvin told me that Butera is “very focused and diligent in his work.” He also mentioned that his new manager is the same guy every day.

But more importantly, Irvin pointed to the trust Butera has built. “The best managers I have had put trust in their players and communicate well,” Irvin said. “Blake has done both those things.”

Butera is a hands-on presence in a clubhouse that desperately needed that. He is constantly asking how to put his players in the best position to have success. That can even mean delivering hard truths to players. Irvin told me that Butera “tells you the truth whether you want to hear it or not.”

Butera is someone you would firmly characterize as a new school manager. However, Thursday revealed an old-school side of him that still matches with his player-first mentality.

He told me that if Cade Cavalli still had a no-hitter going, he would have been out for the ninth inning even if he was above 100 pitches.

For a few years now there have been a lot of debates about whether to let guys throw well over 100 pitches in pursuit of history. Earlier this season, the Marlins pulled Eury Perez after seven perfect innings.

Butera made it clear that was not his philosophy.

“If there was still a no-hitter, Cade would be pitching until he said he could not pitch anymore.”

Despite being a young, analytically minded manager, Butera appreciates the history of the game. He made it clear that he was not the type of manager to stand in the way of a no-hitter.

There have been times where Butera’s bullpen management has been questionable. It is something where he may even second guess himself. He is constantly thinking about the process and how he can get better. But there is another side to that.

You could see how desperate he was to get a victory during the team’s recent seven-game losing skid. That frustration boiled over when the normally even-keeled Butera got his first ejection as an MLB manager.

In a presser, Butera told a story about how his wife was upset that there wasn’t anything “juicier” that led to the ejection. She asked him what the umpire said that made him so mad, and Butera explained that he was just yelling at the dugout.

His wife was confused about how that made him so mad.“You don’t get it,” Butera told her. That angry side of Butera is not the norm. Most of the time he is calm and calculating. But it gets at the tension that has become more apparent as his first season has gone along.

Butera may not cut the most imposing figure and still looks at least five years younger than your average 34-year-old, but the competitive fire is burning.

He is a fresh-faced 34-year-old who loves talking about cutting-edge analytics in his office with scented candles. However, he is not the type to pull someone from a no-hitter and had the loud endorsement of a Hall of Famer in Mike Piazza.

Blake Butera is a process-oriented manager, or at least he tries to be. In a 162 game season, you can’t live or die by every result. But that can be tough for Butera, who leaves no stone unturned in his goal of winning as many games as possible.

Maybe that is why the most revealing thing Butera said was not that he can live with a bad outcome when the process is good. It was what he added afterward. “At least that is what I tell myself.”

The Kansas City Royals dropped a series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco find plenty worth discussing in both the struggles and the small victories along the way.

Jac Caglianone remains the most compelling storyline on the roster right now. He is hitting for average and looking increasingly comfortable at the player while playing first base, and Jacob and Jeremy dig into the ongoing debate about which position actually maximizes his value to this team. It is a conversation about more than just defense but where he plays affects the entire lineup construction moving forward.

Carson Roccaforte is making waves with legitimate home run power, and Sean Gamble continues to impress in his second-half turnaround. The headline name, though, is Angeibel Gomez at just 17 years old and already drawing comparisons to Juan Soto. Jacob and Jeremy place his early performance in the context of the Royals’ historically uneven track record developing outfielders, while acknowledging that the depth and quality of this farm system feel different than in years past.

Injury updates round out the roster conversation, with Vinnie Pasquantino back from injury and Maikel Garcia’s status also addressed. Statistical trends across the roster get a look as well, including the team’s surprising leader in OPS.

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

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– Podcast: @RoyalRundownPod

Worcester Red Sox 10, Buffalo Bisons 3 (BOX)

The Woo Sox pounded out 10 runs and 13 hits on Thursday night in an emphatic victory over the Bisons (TOR). Franklin Arias led the way with three hits, three runs, two RBI, and his fourth home run at Worcester. He has 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 90 games combined in the minor leagues this season.

Franklin Arias solo shot.

The Boston Red Sox prospect is 3-for-4 with a double (4), a homer (4), and two RBI (17) in Triple-A tonight. 23 total homers on the season. pic.twitter.com/VIufQuVx7G

— Hunter Noll (@Hunter_Noll) August 14, 2026

The chirping is getting louder on social media, asking for Arias to get the call in 2026. Unfortunately, with the looming lockout, it’s difficult to see top prospects who are not on the 40-man roster getting the call this season. Minor leaguers will still be able to play next year if the lockout spills into the season, and Arias doesn’t need to be protected from the Rule Five draft until after 2027.

I know that we don’t shout out the Triple-A players in their thirties too often, but it’s easy to forget how recently Mickey Gasper played a significant role with the major league team. Gasper had two doubles and an RBI on Thursday, and his slash line in 233 plate appearances at Worcester this year is .340/.451/.571, with a 161 wRC+. The guy shows up for work every day and will be ready for the call when needed. I expect to see him hitting .300 somewhere at the age of 40.

Kristian Campbell also had a couple of doubles to stay hot, and Nathan Hickey had two hits, three RBI, and finished the game on the mound (allowing two runs).

Gage Ziehl (1-0, 0.00) will get his second start since being promoted to Worcester on Friday at 6:45.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies 6, Portland Sea Dogs 2 (BOX)

I’ve looked at quite a few line scores in my day. It’s not often that I see a “6” in the final column of a professional baseball game.

That seems suboptimal when trying to win a ballgame. Believe it or not, five of the six Binghamton (NYM) runs were unearned, with starter Hayden Mullins allowing one earned over five innings and striking out eight. Miguel Bleis and Johanfran Garcia each hit solo homers, with Brooks Brannon contributing three doubles on the day.

The Sea Dogs have yet to name a starter on Friday at 6:00.

Hub City Spartanburgers 6, Greenville Drive 3 (BOX)

The Drive were never really in this one, as the Spartanburgers (TEX) went out to a 6-0 lead after six innings. Starter Jacob Mayers allowed one earned run over 3 2/3 innings but was saddled with the loss.

DH Ronny Hernandez homered in the loss, his twelfth, and had both of the team’s RBI. Yophery Rodriguez contributed two hits as well.

Jason Gilman (0-1, 5.40) gets the ball on Friday at 7:05.

Delmarva Shorebirds 7, Salem RidgeYaks 3 (BOX)

The RidgeYaks got off to a tough start against the Shorebirds (BAL), who tallied five runs in the bottom of the first to chase starter Williams Montero from the game. Reliever Berny Ortiz calmed things down in relief, throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings.

At the dish, Andruw Musett had two doubles and three RBI, accounting for all three of the Salem runs on the day.

On Friday, Leighton Finley (6-4, 4.87) will take the mound at 7:05.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (61-55) won 4-1 (BOX SCORE)

Alexander started for Sugar Land and pitched well allowing one run over 6 innings while striking out 8. The offense got on the board in the 6th inning on RBI doubles from Brooks and Cole. In the 7th, Alexander added a 2 run double to extend the lead. The bullpen was solid tossing 3 scoreless innings as they closed out the 4-1 win.

Note: Alexander has a .882 OPS this season.

• Ray Delgado, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2 SB
• Joey Loperfido, DH: 0-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
• Trenton Brooks, LF: 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB
• Zach Cole, RF: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• Braden Shewmake, SS: 1-for-4, 2B

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (WIN)
• Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

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AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (52-59) lost 5-1 (BOX SCORE)

Gillis started for the Hooks and allowed a run retiring just two batters before being pulled. He was relieved by Swanson who allowed 3 runs over one inning of work. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Janek RBI double. The bullpen allowed another run and the offense was unable to score again as the Hooks fell 5-1.

Note: Santos has a 3.60 ERA this season.

• Trevor Austin, LF: 2-for-4, R, SB
• Walker Janek, DH: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, SB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 0-for-3, BB, SB

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
• Alex Santos II, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

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A+: Asheville Tourists (37-72) lost 8-3 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the first inning on a Thomas lead-off home run. After the Emperors scored two runs in the second inning, Asheville responded with one on a Powell RBI single. Shoemaker tossed two hitless innings as the starter, but allowed two runs as he walked five. Cruz struggled in relief allowing 5 runs over 2.2 innings. Asheville got a run back in the 7th on a Powell RBI single but that was it as Asheville fell 8-3.

Note: Thomas has a .869 OPS this season.

• Justin Thomas, CF: 1-for-3, R, HR, RBI, 2 BB
• Caden Powell, LF: 2-for-5, 2 RBI
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 2-for-5, 2B
• Jack Moss, 1B: 2-for-4, SB
• Freuddy Batista, DH: 1-for-2, 2 BB
• John Garcia, C: 2-for-4, R, 2B, 2 SB
• Hector Salas, 3B: 1-for-3, R, BB, SB

• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 1 K
• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 2.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• Grayson Saunier, RHP: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

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A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (56-52) won 7-4 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning scoring two runs on a Luciano 2 run double. They got two more runs in the 2nd inning on a Ramirez RBI single and a run on a fielder’s choice. Verdugo got the start and pitched well, allowing three runs, two earned, over 5.1 innings while striking out six. The offense responded with three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning on a walk to Ramirez and two runs scoring on wild pitches. The bullpen was solid allowing one run over 3.2 innings as they closed out the 7-4 win.

Note: Fielder is hitting .278 with the Woodpeckers.

• Kam Durnin, SS: 2-for-5, R, SB
• Logan Hughes, LF: 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, SB
• Waner Luciano, 3B: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Carlos Cauro, C: 1-for-3, R, BB
• Ben Tryon, 1B: 1-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Jadyn Fielder, RF: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB
• German Ramirez, SS: 1-for-3, R, 2 RBI, BB
• Aaron Piasecki, DH: 0-for-3, RBI, BB

• Ryan Verdugo, RHP: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K (WIN)
• Carson Estridge, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Brady Thomas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Brandon Cassedy, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

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Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Jackson Nezuh – 7:05 CT

CC: TBD – 6:35 CT

AV: Kellan Oakes – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

This series wraps up Cubs vs. Cardinals for this year (barring an unlikely postseason matchup). After struggling vs. the Cardinals in their first two series of 2026, the Cubs took three of four in St. Louis last month and so the season series is tied at five wins each.

For more on the Cardinals, here’s Doc Holliday, manager of our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos.

Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy have emerged as top of the rotation talent. Pallante may be the most effective arm on the staff right now after May got traded and Michael McGreevy had a couple of less-than-ideal starts. Meanwhile, Matthew Liberatore has been a dumpster fire and he’s the scheduled starter on Friday. Major control issues. He had one start out of his last four that was strong when he had everything working. That has been the exception and not the rule. He’s the weak link which again is why Friday afternoon’s game is crucial.

Riley O’Brien has gotten his control back and has been effective in his most recent save attempts. Caleb Ferguson was a mistake pickup at the trade deadline who might not be on the roster by the time the Cardinals arrive in Chicago.

The Cardinals’ offensive story is a mixed bag. Alec Burleson has returned to his Silver Slugger-level self and has been a RBI monster this past week. He had three home runs a few games ago and was key to the victory over the Phillies on Wednesday. Jordan Walker hit his first home run since the All-Star break recently. He has not regressed to 2025 Jordan Walker and continues to make hard contact. JJ Wetherholt has been struggling at the top of the lineup as his average is now down in the .240’s, but there were signs today that he might be coming out of the slump. Ivan Herrera has also become red-hot. He’s horrific as a defensive catcher, having not thrown out even one runner this year, but as a DH he’s amazing. Newcomer Everson Pereira, who the Cardinals claimed a few days ago from the White Sox, has made a great first impression. Made one of the best plays we’ve seen this year in center field Tuesday night as he slammed into the wall at full stride to rob the Phillies of a scoring chance. Then he hit a solo blast in the late innings to ice Tuesday night’s victory.

St. Louis will arrive in Chicago with momentum. There’s a vibe similar to what the team had early in the season, but I suspect Friday’s game will be key. I’m expecting an exciting weekend. The Cubs have the chance to torpedo the Cardinals chances at making a run at the third Wild Card spot. If St. Louis can somehow manage to win the series against Chicago, could be the springboard to a serious September run.

Fun facts

After losing two of three games when they hosted the Cardinals for the first time this season, July 3-5, the Cubs were 50-40 and the Cards were 47-40.

Since then, the Cubs are 21-11; the Cardinals, 14-20. Instead of leading the Cards by 1.5 games, the Cubs are up by 9.0.

The ancient rivals have played 2,536 games, the second most the Cubs have played against any opponent, behind 2,631 against. the Pirates. Their 1,286 wins over the Cards are their second most, too, just five fewer than their 1,291 vs. the Pirates. 716 of the Cubs’ win have come at home, their most vs. any guest. They have won 700 against the Braves and 691 against the Pirates.

The Cubs have split 10 games against the Cards this year. They won the series, 8-5, a year ago, by sweeping the last three games of the season at Wrigley, by 12-1, 7-3 and 2-0. They had won two of three earlier in the year and three of four in the second series of 2024, so the Cubs are 9-4 in their last four at home in the rivalry. 

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Friday: Clay Holmes, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2.000 WHIP, 7.33 FIP in one start with Cubs; 4-5, 2.86 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 3.48 FIP in 10 starts overall) vs. Matthew Liberatore, LHP (5-9, 5.15 ERA, 1.522 WHIP, 4.70 FIP)

Saturday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-1, 3.50 ERA, 1.218 WHIP, 3.95 FIP) vs. Michael McGreevy, RHP (4-9, 3.64 ERA, 1.222 WHIP, 4.25 FIP)

Sunday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (8-9, 3.74 ERA, 1.100 WHIP, 4.56 FIP) vs. Hunter Dobbins, RHP (2-3, 3.40 ERA, 1.311 WHIP, 4.21 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Friday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Apple TV (how to watch)

Saturday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Sunday: 2:15 p.m. CT, ABC-TV (full national broadcast, no blackouts). Also available streaming on the ESPN App (subscription required).

Prediction

The Cardinals just took two of three from the Phillies at home, but the Phillies have been in a slide in general lately, while the Cubs have been hot. That should be enough for the Cubs to take two of three here.

Up next

The Cubs host their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, in a three-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Monday evening.

Major League Baseball officially awarded the 2028 All-Star Game to Oracle Park in San Francisco, diverting from its loosely rotational plan of taking the Midsummer Classic from city to city to facilitate the possible use of its players in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The game returns to San Francisco for the first time since 2007, and commissioner Rob Manfred has acknowledged the relatively quick return to the Bay Area for the big game would boost the chances MLB players could toggle from the All-Star break to the Summer Games in Los Angeles, with the baseball portion held at Dodger Stadium.

Creating a multiple-week block of high-ratings exhibition baseball will result in a longer midseason shutdown, but players have expressed interest in participating in Olympic ball. Their participation has become a bargaining point in negotiations with the league ahd the MLB Players' Association during collective bargaining talks.

This will mark the fourth All-Star Game in San Francisco, with the first two held at Candlestick Park. The 2027 game will be at Chicago's Wrigley Field, while Toronto, Baltimore and Boston have expressed significant interest in hosting games in the near future.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2028 MLB All-Star Game awarded to San Francisco with eye on LA Olympics

A season after the Mets (and every other team but the White Sox) passed on slugging Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, New York is showing interest in reigning NPB MVP Teruaki Sato.

The Mets are "scouting and considering" Sato, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. 

It hasn't yet been confirmed that the star third baseman will be posted by the Hanshin Tigers this offseason, but Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported in May that teams are "preparing" for Sato to be available.

Sato, 27, hit .278/.345/.579 with 40 home runs, 34 doubles, and 102 RBI in 139 games in 2025 for Hanshin.

He's taken it up a notch this season, slashing .318/.404/.622 with 27 homers and 28 doubles in 103 games, though he has struck out 116 times.

Sato would very likely have to slide over to first base in a world where he lands in Queens and Bo Bichette doesn't opt out of his contract.

New York's current in-house options at first base for next season include Jared Young and Jorge Polanco. But Polanco has been abysmal at the plate this season, with his Achilles issue limiting him to DH duties since he returned from the IL.

Regarding Bichette, he has opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season. However, it's difficult to envision him exercising it this offseason, with him set to get an AAV of $42 million in both 2027 and 2028.

Bichette has been a lot better since his tough start, hitting .307/.349/.458 (.807 OPS) with seven homers and 11 doubles in 232 plate appearances dating back to June 11. But his OPS for the year is still just .690.

As far as Sato, Heyman notes that the Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies are also "linked" to him.

Sato continued his huge season on Thursday night, when he crushed a 480-foot homer.

Teruaki Sato destroys a 480 ft MOONSHOT 🚀

111.9 mph off the bat for his 24th bomb 💣 pic.twitter.com/2L2hDxEI3k

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) August 11, 2026

It was a day of high-scoring wins across the three highest levels of the Dodgers minor league system and a blowout loss for the Tower Buzzers.

Player of the Day

It had been a while since the name of James Tibbs III was mentioned in the running for Player of the Day. Yet here he is once again, the standout player in the Comets’ blowout win at home, hitting two home runs.

So nice Tibbs does it twice☄️ pic.twitter.com/2uKmVsbUsT

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) August 14, 2026

Tibbs hadn’t hit multiple long shots in the same game since the end of May, and with his four RBI, the corner outfielder moved to a team-leading 88 on the season.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

In one game, James Tibbs III hit more home runs (2) than he had since the start of July, commanding a great Comets effort in a 9-to-3 win over the Isotopes. Also pitching in on the power department, Zach Ehrhard and Ryan Ward both left the yard in this win.

Settling in nicely after nearly two years away from the mound, Gavin Stone was terrific, with a solo homer being the only hit he allowed in three innings of work, punching out five. Kyle Hurt and Ben Casparius also had scoreless appearances, with the former earning the win.

Gavin Stone strikes out his final four batters to end his second rehab start🔥

3.0 IP | 1 H | 1 R | 1 ER | 1 BB | 5 K pic.twitter.com/P9g84xZUdY

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) August 14, 2026

Double-A Tulsa

Capitalizing on big rallies of seven and four runs in the third and sixth innings, respectively, the Drillers beat the Travelers 11 to 8 despite getting out-homered two to nothing. Elijah Hainline was a key factor in both of those innings, driving in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth.

Elijah Hainline with a clutch 2-run single and the Ranch Dippers have taken back the lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5CxrZQkzLV

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) August 14, 2026

Tulsa starter Zach Root’s six earned runs allowed were the most he has had all season long, coughing up a 7-1 lead alongside reliever Myles Caba. However, Carson Hobbs, Kelvin Ramirez, and Lucas Wepf were able to shut things down in the backend of the bullpen with a combined 5.1 scoreless innings to give the offense enough time to retake the lead.

High-A Great Lakes

Scoring seven of their eight runs in the first two innings, the Loons built enough of a cushion early on to earn the win over the Cubs. Leadoff hitter Charles Davalan started things off with a solo shot and added another one in the fourth, the only two homers that the Loons hit.

Adjusting well to his time in High-A, Mairo Martinus was another key performer offensively with a pair of doubles—the only Loons player with multiple RBI besides Davalan. Across two levels this season, Martinus has a .890 OPS in 102 games.

The Cubs slowly but surely built a comeback effort against Sterling Patick and Justin Chambers, but Davis Chastain got the job done in the ninth to earn the save, his fifth of the season.

Single-A Ontario

When your leadoff hitter strikes out three times in just four at-bats, that’s probably a sign of a struggling offensive effort, such as it was in the Tower Buzzers’ 10-2 loss against the Quakes. Ontario’s offense was dominated by starter Derek Clark, who struck out 12 through seven innings of two-run ball.

Take the contributions of Brayan Vergara to close the game as well, and the Tower Buzzers struck out 17 times. On a positive note, though, Joendry Vargas left the yard for his 10th homer of the season; no surprise it was a solo shot given the Tower Buzzers’ offensive struggles in this one.

Transactions

The Loons activated catcher Anson Aroz off the injured list and placed right-hander Hyun-Seok Jang on the IL. The Tower Buzzers activated right-hander Mason Estrada off the IL. The Dodgers sent righties Jonathan Hernández and Landon Knack to Triple-A, and the Comets were also assigned catcher Chadwick Tromp.

Thursday’s scores

• Oklahoma City 9, Albuquerque 3
• Tulsa 11, Arkansas 8
• Great Lakes 8, South Bend 6
• Rancho Cucamonga 10, Ontario 2

Friday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Isaac Ayon) vs. South Bend (Alfredo Romero)
• 5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Luke Fox) vs. Arkansas (Kade Anderson)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Tyler Glasnow) vs. Albuquerque (Mason Adams)
• 6:30 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Rancho Cucamonga (Mikey Cascino)

The Mariners have been on the ropes lately.   With a sweep, the Astros could deliver a knockout blow, finishing them off once and for all.     If accomplished, it would set the stage for a two-team race between Houston and their interstate foes who reside 250 miles north.       

Ryan Rowland-Smith has been part of the Mariners broadcast team since 2017.   He first gained notoriety by striking out Ken Griffey Jr in his MLB Debut.    Today he dishes for us, exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes.  

Q: Is it now or never for Seattle in this upcoming series in Houston? 

A: Yes, especially after these losses to the Yankees. I compare this to 2025 when the Mariners were trailing the Astros late in the year, they were coming off a tough series against the Royals but they were in a completely different place. They had offensive threats and really good pitching.

They have gotten to this stage going into Houston up against Yordan Alvarez (he was not in the lineup last year) and really struggling to score runs. This road trip, in my opinion, with decide the season for the Mariners.

Q: When it comes to Cal Raleigh, do you think it’s just a case of him pressing too much and putting too much pressure on himself to make something happen?

A: All of the above. He is carrying the weight of the entire team. He is the team leader but taking the weight of everyone’s struggles on his shoulders. I think the struggles have just layered on from the expectations to be similar to last year, the WBC and no prep, to the injury and to the team struggles. He is really going through it.

 

Q: We saw Julio Rodriguez moved to the five spot in the order.    Do you think that trend will continue?   

A: I think the Mariners are in a position where they have to try different combinations in the lineup as well and put righties in slots to break up lefties. There have been so many variations of lineups this year. Last year it was pretty set in stone, but you have to try something different until something clicks. 

Q: One bright spot has been Randy Arozarena.    What does he bring to the table for Seattle’s offense?

A: More consistency. He used to put up numbers but it was so streaky. He is wearing out the opposite field. He has always had a ton of contact to right field but not this kind of slug. He’s cut down on the chase also. He’s also a free agent at the end of the year, so good time for him to be the most complete hitter in our lineup.

The Bombers took a painful 1-0 loss on Thursday at the hand of the Mariners. They mustered just one hit against Seattle, wasting a very solid effort from Max Fried, as they drop to 6.5 games out of first place in the East. As something resembling a silver lining, they were far from the only contender in the AL to be shutout on Thursday, as quality pitching was abundant around the league on a short day. With a disappointing contest for the Yankees behind us, let’s take a look at some of the other action around the Junior Circuit.

Boston Red Sox (65-56) 7, Toronto Blue Jays (59-64) 0

The Red Sox scored in the top half of the first inning on Thursday, and never looked back. Willson Contreras’ RBI double had them up early, and it was left-hander Payton Tolle’s game from that point on.

Boston’s 23-year-old lefty enjoyed one of the best starts of his season against Toronto, as he tossed eight strong shutout innings, striking out four batters and surrendering just two hits. Until the offense broke out late in this one, it was Tolle’s excellence on the mound that had Boston rolling.

The Red Sox lead remained at just 1-0 until the eighth inning, when they loaded the bases with a pair of singles and an intentional walk. Caleb Durbin made the absolute most of the opportunity, when he belted a grand slam into the Jays’ bullpen in left field.

Now up-5-0 in the ninth, Boston added some insurance thanks to a sacrifice fly from Masataka Yoshida, and another RBI off the bat of Durbin. Greg Weissert finished things off on the mound after Tolle’s eight innings of work, as the Jays a pair of hits in the scoreless affair. With the win, the Sox maintain their cushion in the wild card race.

Other Games

Detroit Tigers (60-61) 3, Cleveland Guardians (59-63) 0:

Despite all of the selling taking place at the deadline, the Tigers netted another win on Thursday, and actually have hold of the final wild card spot in the American League. They took the lead in the third inning, thanks to a timely ground out, but would later add on to their total with a homer from Eduardo Valencia and an RBI from Spencer Torkelson. Most importantly, starter Keider Montero worked 6.1 scoreless frames, while the Detroit bullpen continued that trend to keep the Guardians out of the run column for the day. With no Tarik Skubal or Casey Mize, the Tigers still find themselves very much involved in the playoff hunt.

Cincinnati Reds (58-62) 9, Chicago White Sox (62-58) 8:

Elsewhere in the Central, the White Sox dropped a tough one in a slugfest at home. The Reds jumped out early, with homers from Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suárez putting them up three runs in the first inning. The White Sox countered with help from some big hits off the bat of Randal Grichuk, whose double gave them the lead in the second inning, but the Cincinnati bats would not be silenced. The Reds plated six more runs between the third and the sixth, which included another long ball, this one from Tyler Stephenson. Chicago did what they could to stage a comeback, initially down 9-5, when a pair of big hits in the ninth cut the lead to just one, though they couldn’t ultimately complete the comeback.

Los Angeles Angels (48-74) 7, Texas Rangers (60-62) 0:

The Angels jumped on the trend of tossing shutouts, doing so against Texas late on Thursday. All nine Los Angeles hitters tallied a hit in this one, including three each from Mike Trout and Denzer Guzman, who played big roles in the seven-run output. All the while, Walbert Ureña and the Angels’ bullpen kept things in check and the Rangers out of the run column. With the Tigers winning, the Rangers drop to a half-game out of the wild card with their loss.

Entering the season, the Athletics hoped to take the next step toward division and playoff contention. The team got off to a promising start, spending a couple of weeks atop the American League West. However, the Green and Gold could never break free from a .500 record. That proved to be the high point of the season, as everything has gone downhill since.

From the middle of June, the club has nosedived to the bottom of the league, seemingly unable to escape a nightmare of its own making. A horrid pitching staff, coupled with injuries to several of the A’s key position players, has doomed the Green and Gold to another frustrating and embarrassing campaign.

In the modern era, the worst run differential belongs to the 2025 Colorado Rockies, who finished at −424. It would not be surprising if the 47-74 A’s came close to that mark—or even their own franchise record of -339, set by the 2023 club. Entering this weekend’s series against the Texas Rangers, the A’s have an MLB-worst -180 run differential.

Outfielder Carlos Cortes has pitched eight times this season, a testament to how often the A’s have found themselves down double-digit runs. Half of the team’s bullpen consists of guys claimed off other teams’ waiver wires, which helps explain why the group has posted the worst ERA in the majors.

Right-hander Luis Severino signed the largest free-agent contract in A’s history two winters ago, a decision that has turned into a bust. He spent last season complaining about his working conditions. This year, Severino has barely been able to work, as he has been sidelined since late May with a shoulder injury and shows no signs of returning anytime soon.

Speaking of right-handers with electric stuff, the team has also failed to unlock Luis Morales’ potential. The Cuban native showed his immense ability in his MLB debut last year but has struggled to replicate that success this season, both in the majors and at Triple-A.

The problems go beyond the players on the field. The Tampa Bay Rays have a lower payroll than the A’s, yet have the best record in the sport. While the A’s have fallen behind in the analytics and baseball development stuff because of owner John Fisher’s penny-pinching ways, the Rays have continued to invest in those areas to compete with bigger-market clubs.

That is why the club must not only hire the right general manager this offseason but also give that person the resources to bolster this roster by any means necessary. Hopefully, the two sides will figure out a new CBA deal in time to have a full 2027 baseball season. The Athletics need to show signs of progress next year. After everything the remaining A’s fans have endured, they deserve to cheer for a winning, playoff-contending team before this Sacramento era ends.

A’s Coverage: 

• The A’s expected to be better than this by now – here are 3 ways to fix them
• A’s Swept Again in 8-4 Series Finale Loss
• Athletics Outright Jonathan Ornelas
• Perkins confident he can be the pitcher he wants to be in season’s final weeks
• Pair of Waiver Claims Could Become Key Pieces of A’s Bullpen
• A’s Blown Out By Rays 12-4
• Wilson’s errorless streak survives a scare after further review
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• Almost Everything Has Gone Wrong for the Athletics
• Feinstein discusses new role as A’s interim GM
• Sage-burning A’s cope with departure of GM as spiraling season continues
• Mason Edwards Headlines Athletics’ Pitching Play In 2026 Draft
• Late Comeback Helps A’s Beat Red Sox 4-3
• Athletics Claim Taylor Rashi
• 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
• A’s First-Round Pick Drew Burress Already Showing Prodigious Power in Single-A
• 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
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club

MLB News and Interest:

• NEW Top 100 and Top 30 Prospects lists are here!
• Everything to know about tonight’s MLB at Field of Dreams Game on Netflix
• Benches clear, Martin ejected after hitting Stewart in the helmet with a pitch
• Buster Posey’s Giants legacy is on the line as adulation is shifting to anger
• Reds’ Greene could miss 2027 season after Tommy John surgery
• Paul Skenes exits after 65 pitches amid latest velocity drop
• MLB Farm System Midseason Talent Rankings For August 2026
• Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List
• Blue Jays claim Paul Sewald after veteran DFA’d by Diamondbacks
• Freeman smiles through ‘total body soreness’ after scary tumble into opposing dugout
• Alex Bregman’s first 3-homer game helps Cubs rout Nationals
• Yandy Díaz Reaches Vesting Option Threshold
• Rays, Jorge Mateo Agree To Major League Deal
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

A’s minor-league left-handed pitcher Corey Braun and outfielder Breyson Guedez are two players standing out at the lower levels of the A’s farm system.

A’s minor-league LHP Corey Braun has pitched 6 no-hit frames with 10 Ks for the Ports. Fastball sits low-90s. Great command. Deserves promotion to Lansing.

2025 8th round pick out of USF.

Since June
9 starts, 40 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
11 walks, 36 K pic.twitter.com/nARbGprBmk

— BK (@athleticBsK) August 13, 2026

There is a ton of similarities to Rafael Devers in his swing and setup https://t.co/jko4YIDRGD

— Straight A’s (@StraightAs123) August 13, 2026

This season has taken an unfortunate but predictable turn for the worse. Hopefully the A’s can turn things around and start winning more games during the final stretch.

I truly think that if you can sit through this 2026 A’s season, then you can sit through any season.

The way that they have lost so many games in truly heartbreaking fashion, the very predictable pitching disaster outings, especially when the bullpen comes in. Countless…

— Athletics Rants (@AthleticsRants) August 12, 2026

What a special scene. Imagine the Athletics playing in a showcase game like this one year.

Phillies and Twins emerge from the corn field for the Field of Dreams Game pic.twitter.com/StGF6OCbZI

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 13, 2026

Fresh off their best road trip of the 2026 season, the New York Mets (53-69) return home to take on the Washington Nationals (59-63). The Mets have dropped four out of the seven games they’ve played with the Nats so far this year, including dropping two out of three to conclude the month of April. The two sides also split a four-game set in D.C. back in May. They’ll square off one more time after this, in the final series of the season.

The Mets had a somewhat disappointing end to their road trip, dropping the final two games to the Braves to finish off their trip 6-3 after starting off with wins in six of their first seven games. Nevertheless, they fared quite well against three teams that one could reasonably say are in contention (the Braves moreso than the Guardians and Pirates at the moment). They burst out for five runs in the first inning of this last series, punctuated by a Brett Baty grand slam, and then held on for an 8-5 win on Monday.

Beyond that, after scoring seven runs in the first three innings in Atlanta, they managed just four in the final 24 frames, and ended up dropping the last two games, 4-0 on Tuesday and 6-3 on Wednesday. In the latter, the club managed three solo homers, one apiece from Luis Torrens, Luis Robert Jr., and Bo Bichette, but could not piece much together after getting shut out in their Tuesday loss. On the bright side, their young pitching held up quite well in the heat of Atlanta, historically one of the toughest places for the Mets to play. After an uneven outing from Christian Scott in Monday’s win, both Nolan McLean and Zach Thornton offered up quality starts in defeat.

But beyond the pitching, the offense was really the story on this road trip. It was really a tale of two sets of games for New York, which I suppose is not surprising: In their six wins, they plated 50 runs, and in their three losses, they scored just three, which included shutout losses in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Since August 4, the Mets have scored hit the most home runs of any club (17), have the second-highest wRC+ (130), own the third-highest OPS (.830), and have scored the third-most runs (53). Much like last August, the bats have heated up with the warmer weather.

There were three players who really shined on this most recent trip, starting with Luis Torrens. While only playing five games, he led the club with three homers and slashed .462/.563/1.154 (tops in each category) with a team-best 346 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR. Unsurprisingly, Carson Benge has been the catalyst for the club, hitting .394/.444/.667 with two homers, seven runs scored, six runs batted in, and a 207 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR across eight games. Bichette, who homered in yesterday’s loss, also had himself a nice trip, hitting .361/.439/.451 with two homers, six runs scored, eight runs batted in, a 192 wRC+, and 0.6 fWAR while playing all nine games.

The Nationals have shocked everyone by having one of the best offenses in all of baseball despite only one plate appearance from someone over the age of 29. They are incredibly young with some incredibly talented bats, though their pitching has kept them out of the race for much of the season. However, yesterday’s 7-0 win against the Cubs was a combination of solid hitting mixed with stellar pitching, as Cade Cavalli took a no-hitter into the seventh before relinquishing a hit. The victory helped Washington avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cubs. The Nats have won four of six heading into this series.

The Nationals lead all MLB teams in runs scored (622), home runs (177), and stolen bases (134), while their .769 OPS is also tops in baseball. It’s something that very few people could have reasonably predicted heading into this season, but the Nationals, with their young core, seem to have a bright future. CJ Abrams has led the charge, especially following the All-Star break, when he’s hit .311/.376/.642 with nine homers, 20 runs scored, 24 runs batted in, nine steals, a 175 wRC+, and 1.4 fWAR. Needless to say, he leads the club in every one of those categories since mid-July. James Wood, on the other hand, has struggled since the break and recently landed on the IL with an oblique strain. It was revealed that he won’t return this week, meaning the Mets won’t see him this weekend. Before his injury, he was hitting .191/.296/.324 with a 70 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR since the break.

Friday, August 14: Robert Stock vs. Andrew Alvarez, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX

Stock (2026): 8.0 IP, 8 K, 5 BB, 1 HR, 10.13 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 251 ERA-

Stock’s second start with the Mets this year did not go quite as well as his first. After allowing just one earned runs on three hits in five innings against the Marlins on August 2, he was tattooed for eight earned runs on nine hits over three-plus frames against the Pirates. Besides the nine hits, the big difference between the two starts can be found in the ‘walks’ column, as he issued five free passes against Pittsburgh after not walking a single batter against the Marlins. Andy Green noted that he would remain in the rotation, though another start like his last one likely will test that resolve.

Alvarez (2026): 69.1 IP, 65 K, 32 BB, 2 HR, 3.76 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 90 ERA-

After posting a 2.31 ERA in five starts for Washington last year, the 27-year-old Alvarez has been strong yet agains for Washington. He’s made 17 appearances, including nine starts, and has a respectable 3.76 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 69 1/3 innings. He’s also been strong in August, allowing just three earned runs on six hits over 11 2/3 innings in his two starts against the Phillies and Reds. He’s faced the Mets twice in his career—he picked up his first loss against New York after allowing six runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings last September, and he earned his first career save against New York after going four innings and allowing two earned runs on two hits back on May 20 of this season.

Saturday, August 15: Sean Manaea vs. TBD, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY

Manaea (2026): 104.2 IP, 106 K, 35 BB, 14 HR, 4.13 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 102 ERA-

Manaea turned back the clock in his last start, giving the team an incredible outing the likes of which they had not seen since 2024. The left-hander struck out a season-high 11 over seven one-run innings. The best part was that he did not walk a single batter, only the second time this season that he accomplished this feat in a start. velocityHe has now struck out 18 and allowed three earned runs over 13 innings in his last two starts. He also has experienced an uptick in his velocity, which is a great sign. He threw 13 pitches of at least 94 mph in his last two starts after not doing so at all this season and routinely topping out below 90 mph in the early stages of the year. In a lost season, Manaea’s resurgence has been a really nice story to watch.

TBD

Sunday, August 16: Christian Scott vs. Jake Irvin, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY

Scott (2026): 78.1 IP, 98 K, 33 BB, 7 HR, 3.45 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 85 ERA-

Scott’s last start was a bit up and down. He only lasted four innings and ran up a pretty high pitch count, which resulted in him getting lifted early. He was charged with four earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one. Over his last two starts, he’s allowed seven earned runs in nine innings, though the Mets have won both contests. On the bright side, he’s struck out 13 while only walking three in these two outings. Scott’s development over the past few weeks of this season will be one of the most important things to watch for the Mets.

Irvin (2026): 65.1 IP, 66 K, 28 BB, 11 HR, 5.79 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 138 ERA-

Irvin is making his fourth start after returning from a two-month long IL stint with a right shoulder strain. It’s been a rough go of it since his return, as the righty has allowed 12 earned runs on 10 hits over 13 2/3 innings. He’s struck out eight in these three outings while walking six and surrendering four home runs. Irvin had a really rough season even before hitting the shelf in May, and will look to get back on track and end the year on a high (and hopefully healthy) note.