Category: Sports News

The San Francisco Giants had a few things to cheer about in their 16-3 blowout win against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, July 29.

First off, it was a milestone game for Giants catcher Daniel Susac, who hit his first pair of home runs in his young MLB career.

Susac got his first-career homer on a three-run blast in the second inning that flew 411 feet across center field and out of the park, bringing in Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames.

But he wasn't done. He added his second career homer in the eighth inning, going yard 379 feet to left center field to extend the San Francisco lead to 14-3. Susac ended the game going 2-for-4 accounting for two home runs, three scores and four RBIs.

The Giants went on tp win the game and the three-game series, as well as a season-series win over the NL Central-leading Brewers.

Susac, 25, made his MLB debut with the Giants on April 1.

He already looked to establish himself as a consistent base-hitter. In his first career start against the New York Mets, Susac recorded a hit in his first at-bat, going 3-for-3 in the game. He started out with two hits in his next start and became the first player in Giants' modern history to go 5-for-5 in his first five plate appearances. He finished that game against the Philadelphia Phillies 3-for-4 with a two-run RBI triple that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It was one of the rare high moments for the Giants this season.

San Francisco routed Milwaukee by taking command in the sixth inning, ripping seven runs on four hits and two errors.

Heliot Ramos and Luis Arraez both ripped off four hits in the contest, going 4-for-5 on the day.

Arraez became the MLB batting average leader when he singled to center at the bottom of the seventh inning, which resulted in an RBI bringing home Drew Gilbert. His batting average improved to .331 in the Giants' 16-3 win.

Arraez is a three-time batting champion and could very well win his fourth this season with the Giants.

San Francisco won consecutive series for the first time since late June when they took 2-1 series wins against the A's and Atlanta Braves at Oracle Park from June 23-28.

The Giants improved to 46-62, but still have the second-worst record in the National League and the West division. Their next series is a divisional four-game bout against the San Diego Padres. Their series will be at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The first game begins Thursday, July 30 at 6:40 p.m. PT.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Giants catcher Daniel Susac hits first career home runs in blowout win

Well, that game was one to forget.

The worst loss of the year also gives the Brewers their first series loss since before the All-Star Break as they are pummeled 16-3.

To begin, today was already one of those games you didn’t know what to expect as Thomas Pannone made his first start on a Major League mound since 2019. Frankly, it didn’t go quite the way manager Pat Murphy had envisioned as he was looking to give his pitching staff rest.

Pannone was pulled after three innings, during which he threw 56 pitches and allowed two earned runs on two walks and three hits. The bummer of the outing was allowing Daniel Susac to achieve his first career home run. Pannone’s issue throughout his three innings wasn’t necessarily the hits he allowed but rather the number of times he fell behind early in counts.

After Susac gave the Giants a 3-0 lead, the Brewers began their attempt at coming back as the game was officially turned over to the bullpen following the third inning. After David Hamilton and Cooper Pratt both reached base via the single, an RBI groundout occurred from the bat of Brice Turang to cut the deficit down to 3-1. Jackson Chourio quickly ended any other scoring chances as he grounded into an inning-ending double play.

An inning later, Jake Bauers proved that his broken toe was no issue as he led off with a triple into right field. After a Christian Yelich walk, Garrett Mitchell drove in another run on a groundout to bring the game within one at 3-2. That would be the closest the Brewers got the rest of the way, as the bullpen imploded.

Chad Patrick was the first out of the bullpen and threw two scoreless innings before things got away from him in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he proceeded to allow two runs. Aaron Ashby came into the game and only recorded one out before being pulled, as he went on to allow four runs himself on three hits and a walk.

Ashby’s outing was the worst of the bullpen pitching, but it still didn’t look great for the bullpen as we advanced. Bryse Wilson saw his worst outing since rejoining the Brewers as he allowed three runs himself on six hits. After seven innings, the Brewers were down 10, and there was no sense in burning another arm as they called upon Andrew Vaughn to finish out the game.

The Giants’ offense compiled 17 hits on the afternoon as they got four-hit games from Luis Arraez and Heliot Ramos. On top of that, Susac had a career day: not only did he hit his first career home run, but he also smashed two, driving in four runs.

Overall on the season, the Brewers are now 2-4 against teams based in the state of California on the road. Despite the favorable schedule, the games on the road against Californian teams continue as the Brewers will enjoy an off day tomorrow before taking on the Los Angeles Angels. After their next homestand, they’ll be right back out west taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres as well.

Taking a look at the series against the Angels, the Brewers will send Shane Drohan to the mound for game one, Robert Gasser in game two, and Jacob Misiorowski in game three. Until then, perhaps today’s game opens some eyes in terms of what the Brewers need to do come trade deadline.

[Ed. Note] These questions were written and answered last weekend, but… circumstances delayed their publishing until now. Anything that doesn’t quite add up more than likely relates to that.

As of writing, the Diamondbacks are six games over .500 and in a Wild Card spot. Have they convinced you to buy?

Makakilo: Yes for two reasons. First, being in a Wild Card spot. Second, they can increase the odds by winning the Pirates series (this week). In the Pirates Series Preview, I will include an updated table showing my view of the Wild Card race.

1AZFan1: Absolutely. There are 8 games until the deadline (at time of my response) and we are 2 clear of our closest competitor. I suppose if we go 0-8 and the Pirates go 8-0 that would put us outside of a comfortable buying position, but a slightly more realistic worst case of 2-6 for us and 6-2 for Pittsburgh would still only put us 2 games back of them in the Wild Card, or effectively 3 back assuming they had clinched the season series against us at that point. Diamondbacks are in a prime position and it would take a DRASTIC fall to knock them out of a buying position.

Spencer: Yes. Tepidly. There’s no reason to go out and waste future value on a Skubal (yikes for the team that does), but a backend innings eater and a bat make sense. As would a Hazen Special of swapping someone like Waldy for a controllable arm on no one’s radar.

I’m going to say something controversial for this fandom as one who projected the team for no more than 79 wins before the season: it’s a testament to the franchise health and savvy moves made by Mike Hazen over the last ten years that this team is currently holding a Wild Card spot with next-to-zero or negative contributions from the likes of Perdomo, Burnes, Gallen, Kelly, Martinez, Puk, and Gurriel. That’s the majority of this core. Despite putting out a lineup with names like Tawa, Pavin, ADC, etc., Torey’s Team has remained good. And they’ve been good for years now (no playoffs has sucked immensely…). Previous iterations of our boys in Sedona Red (or Arizona? Purple) could never have withstood this level of misfortune and won more than 50 games.

DBacksEurope: Beats me how they have been able to go that many games over .500, but here they are. I still think this team has too many flaws and they are nothing more than a wild card contender, but the Diamondbacks could make some acquisitions, eyeing the next season. If they were to focus on rentals, I’d call Hazen nuts but trying to pry away a guy like Detmers, like some FanPosts have suggested, make a lot of sense.

Justin27: Yes, I think so. I am writing this after Saturday’s loss to the Nationals, but I still think that. I will stand by my assertion 2 weeks ago that I do not want to see them do anything crazy.

Preston: Under normal circumstances, I’d say no. But with the number of players coming back, there’s a chance for a formidable pitching staff in October. It was the pitching that let them down in 2023. With Corbin Burnes due back, as well as Soroka and Ryne Nelson, AND a true top rental starter on the market, there’s no time like the present.

Tyler Locklear has made quite the impression in his return from the minors. What are the odds he is the solution at first base?

Makakilo: His odds are high. What Has Recently Changed at First Base will post on Tuesday. This will be the link: https://www.azsnakepit.com/e/95150

1AZFan1: I’m glad he’s finally getting his shot and he’s currently making the most of it, but I can’t say that he’s for sure our long term solution at first. We’ve been here before with hot starts from recent call-ups. I will say it’s very important for Tyler Locklear’s personal career that he makes it work at first base. He’s the only one of our potential first base solutions that has to make it work at first. Groover can play third. Tawa can play a competently anywhere but catcher. Vargas is a classic utility man. Even Pena is getting reps in left field in AAA. Locklear’s only chance is making it work at first.

Spencer: I’m not sold on him as the overall solution, but I’m ready willing and able to give him all the opportunities to prove he could be. If he isn’t? Oh well, let’s go back to the DFA heap and hope to find another Christian Walker….

DBacksEurope: There aren’t many alternatives there so why not, he was acquired as a possible player that could step in. I don’t believe he will be the first base Messias we need, but the bar is so low… Paul Goldschmidt obviously would have been the best solution, so if it is either bad blood created or lack of interest, your first base situation is presented by Mike Hazen.

Preston: He’s yet to reach 20 plate appearances and we’ve seen stretches like this before. (Seth Beer was slashing .438/.486/.625 through 35 plate appearances in 2022. He batted below .100 with no extra base hits in the remaining 91 plate appearances of his career.) Locklear has a higher floor than Beer, and his .417 BABIP isn’t as sky high as Beer’s was, but this looks more like a case where we need to ride the hot hand, but still be prepared to add (at least) the other half of a platoon.

The Owners have taken to airing commercials during Dbacks broadcasts promoting their CBA proposals. Is this as sleezy and icky as I feel like it is?

Makakilo: Politics can be sleezy & icky. Could be worse, such as personal attacks against MLBPA representatives, or …(Wisdom tells me to stop my answer).

1AZFan1: It was jarring the first time I saw it. I mean, I don’t know why I need to see an ad for how one side is right and the other is wrong in a labor battle that I have zero vote in, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s sleazy. If anything, I’d say it’s smart by them to get some counter-programming out there because almost universally the MLB talking heads are pushing the Players’ narrative that having the Dodgers as currently run is better for baseball than a salary cap would be.

Spencer: It is gross. And at the same time it’s smart. They are tying the cap/floor to the great changes they’ve made in recent years on game time and pace of play. They are pandering to the newest fans who likely follow another league more closely with that has a cap/floor already. And they’re also targeting 25 fanbases that give up on 1 April each year when the slow methodical and boring “race” to massive market payroll teams winning divisions/home field advantage begins. How can MLBPA compete with that? They have no direct avenue to reach those casual fans and their argument is far weaker: “let us millionaires have even more millions by watching your favorite player go don pinstripes or Jackie Robinson Blue because we can!” Woof.

DBacksEurope: Yes. MLB should not allow this or take sides, but it seems that conflict of interests is becoming a normality in the United States, so it does not surprise me at all.

Justin27: Yes. Right now I don’t have DbacksTV, so I haven’t actually seen the commercials, but it sounds like it. Related: June and July hours suck.

Preston: Absolutely. It’s not the most sleazy and icky thing I’ve seen recently (that would be the commercials disguised as news reports trying to get old people to sign up for scam life insurance) but it’s pretty bad.

Players have historically taken the blame for any work stoppage. It’s apparent the owners are concerned that they will be the ones blamed this time around, and they’re trying to get out ahead in the public opinion battle.

What is your favorite giveaway you’ve gotten at any ballpark?

Makakilo: A small red towel that I waved during the game.

1AZFan1: I haven’t gone to a ton of giveaway games. I don’t go to a ton of games in general, and the games I do go to are not usually planned around giveaways. When I do go to games, I actually plan them around fireworks. The last 3 games that I’ve been to in the past year (in AZ, San Diego, and LAA) were all intentionally chosen as fireworks nights. That may not be an answer to the question asked though haha.

Spencer: Man there are so many. I’m a sucker for a bobble head or a T-shirt. The 2023 replica ring is definitely high though. And I’m jealous of folks who got the OG Haboob Globe and/or will get the new one. My Crew is giving away a garden gnome this year. That’s going to be a quirky one

ISH95: The Diamondbacks did that once! It was a Wade Miley Garden Gnome! I wanted one but couldn’t make it to the game. And not to rub it in to Spencer, but my favorite has got to be the OG Haboob Globe. It was odd having to wait after the game to get our giveaway since it was made of glass.

DBacksEurope: I’ve never gotten one because I’ve never visited an American ball park. I’d love a themed bobble head, like Zack Godley’s Game of Thrones’ I wrote about some years ago.

Justin27: Probably the Justin Upton bobble head I got at a SnakepitFest 15 or 16 years ago. I would say the Serpientes hat I got with my best friend in 2023. It was against the Cubs in September of that year. I unfortunately lost that hat, otherwise that would be my favorite. I sent Blake the one that my best friend got because she didn’t want it.

Preston: I’m not a real giveaway person. I have some prized items that were giveaways, but I’ve acquired them after the fact. (My favorite would be a set of pins from the 1998 season.)

My favorite that I’ve gotten in person was probably the Serpientes jersey in 2023. I also lucked out to get that. I was part of a ballpark tour group and our guide made sure to get us the jerseys so we didn’t have to wait outside in the heat and then probably not get one because the line was already incredible long.

The Dodgers activated Edwin Díaz from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday as expected, getting their closer back in a bullpen suddenly in need of stability from its right-handed relievers.

Díaz last pitched for the Dodgers on April 19, and missed the last 100 days after arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. The right-hander allowed one run though his first five appearances this season, striking out eight of his 21 batters faced, a 38.1-percent strikeout rate. But then he allowed three runs in back-to-back performances, separated by eight days off with concern over diminished velocity, before landing on the injured list.

Though he missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury suffered during the World Baseball Classic, Díaz’s five previous seasons were dominant, with a combined 2.36 ERA, 2.33 xERA, and 40.8-percent strikeout rate, tops in the majors from 2020-25 in xERA and strikeout rate among pitchers with at least 250 innings, and fourth in ERA.

That earned Díaz a three-year, $69 million contract from the Dodgers in December, breaking his own relief pitcher contract record for highest average annual value. Díaz during his rehab assignment pitched in seven games, three with Class-A Ontario, one in the Arizona Complex League, and three with Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a combined 3.18 ERA in 5 2/3 innings and 11 strikeouts among his 22 batters faced.

The Dodgers designated Charlie Barnes for assignment, which created space on both the active and 40-man rosters for Díaz’s activation from the 60-day injured list.

Barnes, who was claimed off waivers from the Cubs on May 9, has pitched in four games for the Dodgers over his three stints in the majors, including pitching an inning on Sunday against the Mets in New York. The left-hander allowed seven runs in 10 innings with five strikeouts and four walks.

For Triple-A Oklahoma City, Barnes had a 5.65 ERA in seven starts with 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in 28 2/3 innings. This is the second time the Dodgers designated Barnes for assignment, along with July 11. That previous time, Barnes cleared waivers then elected free agency before re-signing with the Dodgers on a minor league deal. He was called back up to the majors on July 21, and pitched in one of the six games for which he was active.

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs will play again Wednesday night with hopefully better results (for the Cardinals) than the previous two nights. According to MLB.com, Dustin May will make the start for the Cardinals while LHP Matthew Boyd will take the mound for the Cubs. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium. Game TV broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.

With the Trade Deadline fast approaching and a final sprint looming when it passes next Monday, the Yankees are back to playing winning baseball, coming out victorious in 11 of their last 15 games after a 4-14 death spiral shook them to their foundation. While most of the American League struggles to figure out what they want to be, the Bombers are persevering through injuries to stay afloat, taking the first two games against a first-place White Sox team with an opportunity to take the series tonight.

Cam Schlittler will get the start, looking to further bolster his Cy Young candidacy. The exhilarating 25-year-old leads the Junior Circuit with a 2.07 ERA (202 ERA+) and is third with a 2.59 FIP in 130.1 innings. His combination of volume and production has him ahead of Toronto’s Dylan Cease in the current AL Cy Young odds, and he’ll look to follow up his 7.1 brilliant innings against the Phillies last Friday. In his one prior career game against the White Sox in late August 2025, he allowed one run in six strong innings.

On the other side, Davis Martin is looking for redemption after getting absolutely pummeled by a weakened Yankees offense in the Bronx last month. The fourth-year righty is having a strong season, pitching to a 3.49 ERA (123 ERA+) and 3.07 FIP in 111 innings, but gave up a season-high nine runs in 3.1 innings to the Yanks on June 16th, allowing three of the six home runs he’s allowed all season through 20 starts.

Martin’s peripherals tell the story of a season that should be much worse, as he allows too much hard contact with middling whiff, strikeout, and ground ball rates. He’s great at getting batters to expand the zone and doesn’t walk a lot of batters. He’s overhauled his arsenal since last season, throwing less four-seamers and changeups at the expense of his sinker and cutter. His slider to righties and his curveball to lefties are his money pitches, where he gets a majority of his swings and misses.

The Yankees will be happy to finally see a righty in a six-week stretch where they’ve seen more LHP than anyone in the sport. Trent Grisham will lead off, followed by Ben Rice and Jasson Domínguez. Paul Goldschmidt, who homered off Martin in June, will clean up, followed by Spencer Jones and Jazz Chisholm Jr. Ryan McMahon draws his first start of the series, while José Caballero takes over at shortstop with Austin Wells batting ninth behind the plate.

Sam Antonacci leads off for the ChiSox, followed by a dangerous trio of Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Yankee killer Colson Montgomery. Andrew Benintendi and Braden Montgomery follow, with Tristan Peters, Chase Meidroth, and Drew Romo rounding out the lineup for the current AL Central leaders.

How to watch

Location: Rate Field — Chicago, IL

First pitch: 7:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: Chicago Sports Network, WCIU TV, MLB Network (out-of-market only)

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM, 107.9 La Ley (CHW)

Online stream: Amazon Prime Video, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Just in case the Detroit Tigers needed further clarity on what to do with Tarik Skubal, his teammates determined his fate Wednesday in an excruciating loss that was a microcosm of their season.

The Tigers led 7-0 entering the seventh inning and blew it.

It not only resulted in a 10-9, 12-inning loss to the Baltimore Orioles, but left the Tigers no choice but to trade the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

It leaves the Tigers five days to find the best trade partner for Skubal before the Aug. 3 deadline.

It will be a painful move, but a necessary one.

The way the Tigers’ front office views it, if they can lose with Skubal, they can certainly lose without him.

The Tigers find themselves with a 51-58 record, 5½ games out of first place in the AL Central, 4 games back in the AL wild card race, and going nowhere.

The Tigers are done. They know it. Their rivals know it. And Skubal knows it.

“I don't even know the final score,’’ Skubal told reporters in front of his locker, “but to end up losing that. It’s tough for sure. That one hurts.’’

A separate injury has derailed Spencer Horwitz’s return from the injured list. 

The Pirates first baseman returned to Pittsburgh this week to be evaluated by the training staff after being hit in the head with a pitch.

Horwitz was hit while playing for the Bradenton Marauders on a rehab assignment on July 25. 

The Pirates announced that Horwitz is dealing with a concussion.

Horwitz has been out a month with a left hamstring injury and was placed on the 10-day IL on June 25. 

In 74 games, Horwitz is slashing .280/.386/.455 with 11 doubles, 10 home runs, and 33 RBIs in 295 plate appearances.

His on-base percentage is the highest of his career and was one of the top in the National League for a large stretch of June. 

Horowitz has also walked and struck out an even 40 times. 

The Pirates offense is first in baseball in hits per game (9.1) and tied for second in runs per game (5.2).

Horwitz has been a big reason why the Pirates offense took off, and the team has done a solid job in his absence.

The Bucs got Endy Rodriguez back against Arizona, and Oneil Cruz may return in two weeks. 

Pittsburgh lost two of three to Arizona at PNC Park and is currently two games out in the wild card.

After a thrilling back-and-forth affair on Tuesday night, the Colorado Rockies hoped to snag a win in San Diego to wrap up the road trip. Unfortunately, the bats fell silent as strikeouts were abundant and Colorado fell 3-1.

The Rockies also went 0-7 when playing in San Diego this season.

Another day at the office for Hughes

Similar to his last outing against the Washington Nationals, Gabriel Hughes was dominant through the first three innings of the game. After giving up a leadoff double to Fernando Tatis Jr in the bottom of the first, Hughes retired nine batters in a row with two strikeouts.

The Padres cracked through their second time through the order in the fourth inning. The first three batters in the inning reached to load the bases. Jackson Merrill then singled into center field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead and keep the bases loaded. Luis Rengifo drove in a run with a ground ball to first, followed by Gavin Sheets’ sacrifice fly to right field to give the Padres a 3-0.

San Diego continued playing small ball in the fifth as Freddy Fermin had an infield single, Tatis walked, and Jake Cronenworth dropped a sacrifice bunt to put two men in scoring position. Manny Machado looped a ball out to left field that looked like a surefire sacrifice fly. However, Mickey Moniak came running in to make the catch and fired a bullet to home plate to cut down Fermin with an inning-ending double play. He came out to start the sixth but a leadoff single for Ty France ended his afternoon.

Hughes ended up going five innings, allowing the three runs on six hits with one walk. He managed just two strikeouts as San Diego was effective putting the ball in play, recording five ground outs and six flyouts

While it was another decent outing for Hughes, he did struggle getting ahead of hitters, and the amount of contact kept finding the holes.

“I thought Gabe was good,” manager Warren Schaeffer said, noting some traffic in the fourth. “It’s a huge learning experience for a young pitcher.”

He added, “Gabe is doing a great job.”

Struggling against Hart and Canning

The Rockies struggled to get things going offensively like they had done Tuesday night. Left-handed reliever Kyle Hart served as the opener for San Diego, and while they hoped he could just get through three batters, he ended up recording eight outs. The Rockies threatened with two runners in the first inning with two outs, but a strikeout of Willi Castro ended the threat. Hart ended up going 2.2 innings, giving up just two singles while striking out three and walking one.

He gave way to the veteran right-hander Griffin Canning, who continued to dominate the Rockies offense. Canning cruised through nine outs, collecting four strikeouts while giving up just one hit, a Moniak single in the fifth. Canning hit Cole Carrigg with a pitch to start the sixth inning but promptly picked him off first base for the first out. He then got Hunter Goodman to fly out to left field to end his afternoon. Wandy Peralta then entered the game and quickly struck out TJ Rumfield to end the sixth inning.

Lackluster offense

The Rockies finally got something going in the seventh inning. Castro and Tyler Freeman led off the inning with back-to-back singles against Peralta. Moniak popped out, and the Padres turned to Bradgley Rodriguez out of the bullpen to face pinch-hitter Troy Johnston. He struck out Johnston, but then Brett Sullivan came through with an RBI single to get the Rockies on the board. McCarthy had a chance to do more damage, but flew out on the first pitch he saw.

After Carrigg drew a walk to start the eighth inning, Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada struck out the next three batters, all swinging. Then, Mason Miller shut the door in the ninth with two strikeouts.

The Rockies offense couldn’t get anything done. Despite matching the Padres in hits with six, they struck out 14 times with just two walks. They couldn’t manage an extra-base hit, and the heart of the order went 2-for-11 with seven strikeouts. When the Rockies did have runners in scoring position, they went 1-for-5. Despite the Padres also going 1-for-9 with RISP, they put the ball in play and good things happened.

Bullpen boys step up

Pitching has been rough for the Rockies of late, particularly on this road trip, but not for Brennan Bernardino. He continued his dominant stretch this month after replacing Hughes. Despite the runner on first, Bernardino retired the next three batters with relative ease.

He then gave way to Zach Agnos, who worked quickly in his two innings. He retired all six batters he faced on just 20 pitches, 13 for strikes. Overall, the pitching was good for Colorado as the relievers were perfect alongside Hughes’ solid start.

Up next

The Rockies are off tomorrow and will open up a six-game homestand on Friday. The Kansas City Royals come into town first and will face Tomoyuki Sugano (10-4, 4.69 ERA) on the mound for Colorado. No pitcher has been announced for Kansas City.

First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm MDT.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are sizable -160 favorites to get back in the win column tonight.

Nine of Seattle's last 10 losses have come by multiple runs, and my Mariners vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks expect that to be the case once again.

Who will win Mariners vs Dodgers tonight: Dodgers -1.5 (+120)

Emerson Hancock has several red flags masked by a 3.16 ERA. He ranks in the 40th percentile in xERA, the 21st in barrel rate, and the 16th in hard-hit rate.

That is not ideal heading into a matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lead the majors in OPS and rank second in hard-hit percentage against right-handed pitching.

Eric Lauer doesn’t exactly have a spotless profile, but the Seattle Marinersrank 25th in road OPS vs. left-handed pitching. It’ll be hard for them to keep up with a loaded Dodgers offense.

Bet this to +110.

COVERS INTEL:Emerson Hancock's struggles getting hitters to chase will make it difficult to avoid contact against a Dodgers offense loaded with power.

Mariners vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 9.5 (-110)

This total is too high. Hancock has not pitched as well as his ERA suggests, but he's still done some good things. He has limited homers effectively, and he ranks in the 82nd percentile in walk rate.

Opponents will have to string together hits against him, and the Dodgers rank 21st with a .239 average vs. righties in July.

The Mariners rank 29th with a putrid .084 ISO when facing lefties this month. Their lack of power will make scoring runs in bulk a big challenge.

I see real value here, and would bet the Under to -125.

Mariners vs Dodgers weather

The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-70s with winds blowing outward. Slight boost to bats.

Mariners vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Mariners +135 | Dodgers -155
• Run line: Mariners +1.5 (-145) | Dodgers -1.5 (+125)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-115) | Under 9.5 (-105)

Mariners vs Dodgers trend

The Dodgers have stayed Under the total in 29 of the last 50 home games for +6.15 units and a 11% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Mariners vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Mariners vs Dodgers and game info

Mariners vs Dodgers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the Reds lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

It’s getting late early for the 2026 Cincinnati Reds, who still sit at just 50-56 with less than a full week remaining before the August 3rd trade deadline. While the club is all but out of it and almost certain to be sellers any day now, they do deserve at least a bit of credit for not throwing up the white flag completely.

The Reds won each of their three road series as the season’s second half opened up, a 6-3 road trip that showed there’s still at least a bit of competent fight within them. They also split yesterday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians, setting the stage for a fourth straight series victory if they can just pull another rabbit out of a hat tonight in Great American Ball Park.

Brady Singer will take the ball in a Reds uniform, perhaps for the final time. The free agent to-be has pitched alarmingly well over the last two months and given that and the back of his baseball card he’s going to be a coveted piece by most every team needing pitching depth who’s in the hunt for a playoff spot.

[SPOILER ALERT: That’s every good team in baseball not named ‘Seattle Mariners]

Lefty Joey Cantillo will get the start for the Guardians, and manager Terry Francona has tweaked his lineup to attack the southpaw. JJ Bleday will start on the bench, for instance, as the Reds will field perhaps the most punchless outfield and bottom of the order ever recorded in human history instead.

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET. Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:

Every 12U baseball team has the same types of players. There’s the chunky first baseman who hits like Mark McGwire but has the speed and agility of a 70-year-old version of himself. There’s the coach’s son, who hits leadoff and plays shortstop, even though he just flat-out sucks. Then there’s the slap hitter: often undersized, blessed with excellent bat-to-ball skills, yet cursed with a swing that can hardly generate a cool breeze. These kids were always lightning fast and a nightmare for GameChanger parents everywhere, somehow going 4-for-4 with four infield singles, two of which were probably errors, but generously scored as hits anyway.

Players like this tend to dry up as they grow up. By junior year of high school, most of the talented ones add power as they grow into their bodies. As for the rest, they usually fade out of baseball in favor of a sport that more directly rewards their speed and athleticism.

By the time they reach college or pro ball, the few pure contact hitters who persist often see their swing changed into something more analytically viable. The highly paid stats nerds behind the modern front office are quick to erase .030 points of batting average in exchange for some more extra base hits. It’s just optimal baseball nowadays, and now that most teams have come to that same conclusion, many of them aim to trot out rosters that are strategic carbon copies of one another. 

Yet one player in MLB can still be called a true slap hitter, bucking nearly every trend of modern offensive efficiency while serving as the everyday outfielder for the American League’s top team: Tech alum Chandler Simpson.

Simpson had a brief yet productive stint on the Flats, slashing .433/.506/.517 with 25 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in his sole season. He was subsequently drafted with the 70th pick of the 2022 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays have always been unafraid to balk at league conformity, running what can only be described as a modern-day Moneyball scheme. Their greatest exploits have been on the mound, turning castaway arms into bona fide aces year in and year out. Their system valued Simpson higher than most, picking him some 50 spots ahead of where some outlets had him. So far, that bet has paid off, as Simpson sits on a .294 batting average with 70 stolen bases in his first 207 MLB games.

Yet these surface-level numbers don’t even begin to tell the story. In reality, Simpson is more of a crusader against modern three-true-outcome baseball. He doesn’t strike out much, with the third-fewest among qualified hitters. He also doesn’t take many free passes, with the 13th-fewest walks. The coup de grâce? Simpson is the only qualified hitter in the MLB not to hit a home run this season. Remarkably, Simpson has actually never hit a true over-the-fence home run in a post-high school baseball game.

Now, technically Simpson has three home runs. Personally, I don’t believe any count. In reverse order, there was one earlier this season, but that was in spring training, and any league where the likes of Will Ferrell and Russell Wilson see the field shouldn’t statistically count.  Then there was an inside-the-park home run when Simpson was playing for the Montgomery Biscuits, the Rays AA affiliate, but since that ball didn’t leave the park, that doesn’t count either. Finally, there was a game on the Flats against Gardner-Webb. Simpson pulled a ball down the right field line, which, if undisturbed, would’ve bounced off the top of the wall and landed in play, likely for a triple. Instead, the Gardner-Webb outfielder tries to catch the ball at the track and winds up volleyball-setting it over the wall. That, for obvious reasons, shouldn’t count either.

This playstyle produces a Baseball Savant page that is simply a thing of beauty. It looks like a min-maxed RPG build rather than an actual baseball player. He is either last or wrestling for last in nearly every imaginable offensive statistic, except those related to the mechanics of his swing or low K rate. Yet, it’s obvious that he isn’t the worst offensive player in the league, so what gives? Well, Baseball Savant just doesn’t have the metrics to convey the value of Simpson’s ultra-small-ball playstyle, because there is no other player like him.

In search of a contemporary, the closest thing you’ll find is Luis Arraez, another ultra-contact hitter. But Arraez isn’t very fast and has the upside for 5-10 home runs per season. Simpson trades this power upside for being, according to Baseball Savant, the best baserunner in MLB. While Simpson is quite good at swiping bags, his best value comes in taking extra bases: turning doubles into triples and scoring from first on shallow doubles. This alone has generated 6 extra runs this season, a league best.

In his rookie campaign, the biggest knock on Simpson was his defense, as he graded as one of the worst fielders in MLB. His issue was his range, marked as 11th percentile in outs above average, confounding for such an athletic player. He drastically improved within the next season, going from 11th to 95th percentile, a meteoric rise that shows his adaptability.

All of this goes to show why Chandler Simpson fascinates me. In a game that analytics gurus have deemed all but solved, Simpson shows there still are multiple ways to not only survive in the league, but thrive. To many players, Simpson’s results would be treated as a fault, an inefficient bug waiting to be squashed. To him, it’s a feature, and one that he’s using to become a top outfielder in MLB. There is simply no other player like him, and with how the sport is trending, I doubt there will be one for a very long time. But, who knows? Maybe there’s a 14-year-old somewhere watching Simpson that’ll ditch the Muscle Milk and squat racks in favor of peppering endless ground balls up the middle. Sure, it’s not glamorous, but it certainly gets the job done.

After a blown save ruined game one of the series, the Royals head back onto the field to face the Twins again this evening. It is still fun to watch games, but the looming trade deadline is really the star of this week unless it continues to be near radio silence across the league. The injury train keeps rolling in KC as well, with Vinnie Pasquantino going back on the IL with wrist soreness.

Luckily for the Royals, they have their ace going tonight. Since joining Kansas City, Randy Dobnak has only given up 3 runs across four outings for a sparkling 1.42 ERA. He certainly won’t keep that up over the long-term, but hopefully he can keep it rolling for tonight. It will be frequent foe Joe Ryan going for Minnesota.