Category: Baseball

Those who were at Dodger Stadium on a gorgeous Friday night seemed to be in for an all-nighter.

They have Tommy Edman to thank for getting home a bit earlier.

With two outs in the 10th, Kiké Hernández on third and Kyle Tucker on first, the second baseman hit a walk-off single against Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Gregory Soto, earning the Dodgers a 5-4 win.

“Just tried to get something up,” Edman said in an on-field interview after the game.

That’ll work.

The Dodgers have won four consecutive games for the first time since late July and are inching closer to playing like a first-place team after enduring a worrisome 5-11 stretch that ended with their sweep of the Colorado Rockies this week.

“I think our guys are kind of reinterested, you know, collectively,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Friday’s win.

Read more:Dodgers president Stan Kasten reiterates 'Dodgers are not being sold'

Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up five hits and two runs over 6⅓ innings, striking out nine and walking one in his latest strong outing.

And the Dodgers’ offense continued to look disciplined at the plate, especially after outscoring the Rockies 24-15 over three games.

“Well, I think that our overall swing percentage, [I’m] guessing, was considerably lower; our chase percentage, I’m guessing, [was] considerably lower; quality of contact, considerably higher, which makes sense,” Roberts said of the promising stretch in Denver.

“So, those are components for me that I think are sustainable.”

All the Pirates could score against Yamamoto was a pair of RBI singles — one in the first and one in the third — from Pirates designated hitter Nick Gonzales.

Muncy gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the first after launching a 100-mph sinker from Pirates right-handed starter Bubba Chandler 392 feet to right, also scoring Shohei Ohtani, who was on after a walk. And with two outs and the bases loaded in the third, Betts delivered an RBI single up the middle to score Hunter Feduccia from third and Ohtani from second.

Chandler, who gave up four hits and four runs with six strikeouts, was pulled after four innings.

The Pirates gave the Dodgers a scare after right-handed reliever Kyle Hurt gave up a tying two-run homer to center fielder Oneil Cruz in the eighth, which was enough to send the game into extras.

But Edman, as he’s done well throughout his Dodgers tenure, stepped up when needed. And in the top of the 10th, Evan Phillips earned the win after getting Henry Davis to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.

Read more:If Dodgers are put up for sale, previous runner-up Patrick Soon-Shiong is interested

Injury updates

Will Smith faced live pitching for the first time since June, and Roberts said that the plan is to activate the catcher during the first week of September.

“Today was a good day for Will,” Roberts said. “Taking at-bats. He’ll catch a couple bullpens today. He’ll do a couple more lives. ... He still needs to get his legs back under him before we feel confident that he can take down a major league game and feel good coming out of it.”

Roberts added that Smith is “gonna play in the postseason” and that there is enough time for him to reach 100% strength.

Tyler Glasnow will likely be activated during the Dodgers’ upcoming road trip to Atlanta.

“I just saw him. He had a great outing — his last rehab outing,” Roberts said. “I’m not sure which day we’re gonna pencil him in against the Braves, but if all of things check out, it’ll be that [series].”

Ohtani will return to the mound at some point this season.

“It’s gonna happen,” Roberts said. “[Ohtani] threw another bullpen. ... I think that there’s going to be a live or two, and then he’ll be on the mound. I just don’t know when we’re going to do that with the scheduling.”

Dalton Rushing is “pain-free” and close to facing live pitching, according to Roberts, but the catcher is “unlikely” to return to catching this season.

“I hope I’m wrong,” Roberts said. “But he’s determined to go through the process, the progression, the build-up and get back. And we’ll see where we’re at.”

Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility of Rushing being activated as a designated hitter down the line.

And Andy Pages was replaced in center field by Kiké Hernández in the fifth after being beamed in the left hand by Chandler in the third. In the seventh inning, the Dodgers announced Pages had a left-hand contusion.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Tommy Edman helped power the Dodgers (78-51) to a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates (63-67) Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched another gem, striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings. Kyle Hurt blew the lead in relief, but Edgardo Henriquez and Even Phillips preserved the tie long enough for the offense to come back for the extra-innings win and fourth straight win for the Boys in Blue.

The Pirates captured a 1-0 lead very quickly in the first against Yamamoto. Brandon Lowe singled just past Freddie Freeman at first base, and then Bryan Reynalds was hit by a Yamamoto cutter. Nick Gonzales jumped on a first-pitch splitter for a RBI single to center.

Max Muncy continues to clobber baseballs at Dodger Stadium. After all, he is the Dodger Stadium home run king. He took a Chandler high fastball for a ride, and the go-ahead home run gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first.

Ahoy, Max! pic.twitter.com/hZiWEWpLAJ

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 22, 2026

Yamamoto struck out the side in the second utilizing his repertoire of pitches masterfully including his four-seam fastball, splitter, and sinker.

Yoshinobu strikes out the side. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GF4w0i5aHq

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 22, 2026

The Dodger fans roared in support for Kyle Tucker when he stepped into the batter’s box in the bottom of the second. The struggling outfielder went 0-for-4 with a walk on the night.

The Pirates tied it up in the third with two outs thanks to the same culprits who scored in the first. Lowe hit a ground-rule-double, and Gonzales brought him home with another RBI single.

The Dodgers opened the bottom of the third with back-to-back hits against Chandler from Hunter Feduccia and Shohei Ohtani. With runners at the corners, the Dodgers didn’t test the arm of Oneil Cruz on a Freeman liner.

Andy Pages got hit with a 100-mph pitch on his left hand to load the bases. He stayed in the game at first, but Kiké Hernández replaced Pages in center field in the fifth inning due to a left hand contusion.

Update:

X-rays showed a fracture in Pages' hand, Dave Roberts said. It's not expected to be a season-ending injury, but he's expected to be out for at least four weeks. https://t.co/F8QnainysK

— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) August 22, 2026

Mookie Betts gave the Dodgers back the lead with a two-out two-RBI single to center.

Mookie knocks in a pair! pic.twitter.com/8hk3bu8ruA

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 22, 2026

The Pirates got their first base hit against Yamamoto since the third inning when Jake Mangum led off with a double in the seventh.

In the top of the 8th inning, the relief corps faltered once again, allowing the Pirates to strike back and tie the game at 4–4, officially wiping away Yamamoto’s chance at a well-deserved win.

The Pirates didn’t go down easy and continued to apply pressure to the Dodgers bullpen. Reynalds opened the eighth with a double against Hurt. Cruz evened the game with one swing of the bat. He crushed a four-seamer right down the middle for a two-run shot.

Mason Montgomery retired the Dodgers in order in the ninth including two strikeouts to send the game into extra innings.

Reynalds led off the 10th for Pittsburgh with a single against Phillips. Gonzales struck out after a battle of an at-bat. Cruz is intentionally walked to load the bases with one out for Henry Davis. Dave Roberts looked like a genius after David grounded into a double play to preserve the 4-4 tie.

Alex Call got the call to pinch-hit for Muncy and bunt over the ghost runner in the bottom of the 10th. This time Roberts’ strategy failed. Call struck out and failed to move the runner over. It was easily Call’s worst at-bat of the season.

Betts was intentionally walked by Gregory Soto, but Tucker chopped a force out thereafter.

Edman got the job done. He came up huge with a clutch walk-off hit to left field on a two-strike count to give the Dodgers the win.

Tommy Edman's 10th-inning base knock wins it for the @Dodgers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/moaw6nU8VA

— MLB (@MLB) August 22, 2026

Friday particulars

Home runs: Max Muncy (26); Oneil Cruz (16)

WP — Evan Phillips (1-2): 1 IP, 1 hits, no runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeouts (18 pitches)

LP — Gregory Soto (5-4): 2/3 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk, 1 strikeout (14 pitches)

Up next

The Dodgers and Pirates continue the series on Saturday (4:15 p.m. PT, FOX). Tarik Skubal (7-7, 2.85 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) takes the ball for the Dodgers. Jared Jones (2-5, 4.78 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) starts for the Bucs.

Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages suffered a left-hand fracture during the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, Aug 21, manager Dave Roberts revealed after the Dodgers' 5-4 win in 10 innings.

Pages was hit by a 100.2 mph sinker thrown by Pirates right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler in the third inning.

Pages did not initially leave the game after he was visited by Roberts and a trainer. The All-Star remained in the game before officially leaving in the fifth inning. He was replaced in center field by Kiké Hernández.

Andy Pages has exited the game and is being replaced in center field by Kiké Hernández.

Pages was hit by a pitch on his left hand back in the 3rd inning.

He initially stayed in the game but has now been removed, hopefully as a precaution.

Hoping for the best for Andy! 🙏💙… pic.twitter.com/18kneCujVY

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 22, 2026

Andy Pages injury update

Roberts told reporters postgame that Pages has a hand fracture.

"X-rays unfortunately came up as a fracture so he'll be out for a while," Roberts said.

Roberts said Pages' injury is "not season ending" but he expects Pages to be out 4-5 weeks.

"... I would expect him back. Knowing him, on the earlier side. But it's going to be four weeks but there's still time in the season for him to be back," Roberts said.

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andy Pages injury update: Dodgers All-Star suffers hand fracture

Game Summary

The Diamondbacks came back into town with a cloud hanging over their clubhouse, but they showed up and executed at a high level in all phases of the game to deliver one of their most dominant wins of the season.

It all started with the offense tonight because they were all over Reds’ southpaw Nick Lodolo. The Diamondbacks plated at least 1 run in each of the first 4 innings and then were able to add on in their final 2 frames, as well. Contributions came from up and down the lineup with only Ildemaro Vargas not registering a hit on the night, but even Vargie contributed with a sac fly RBI. Five D-backs had multiple hits on the night, led by Jordan Lawlar’s career high 3 hits and 3 RBI including a 2-run homer. The Snakes also posted 4 SB, utilizing the blazing speed of their youngsters to keep the pressure on the Reds and not let them come up for air.

On the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez was calm and cool, even if he wasn’t the sharpest we’ve seen him. The Reds did a good job laying off pitches and extending at bats, but Eduardo did a better job when it came to the most important stat: runs allowed. E-Rod was rarely in trouble in this game, but his high pitch count kept him from completing 6 innings and logging a Quality Start. It was great downhill pitching, maximizing the cushion his offense provided.

The bullpen didn’t play a huge role in this game thanks to the lopsided score, but it was good to see Dennis Santana and Justin Martinez have clean outings. Both had a touch of wildness in their appearances, but they both were very effective. I’m very much looking forward to watching these two as we get into the stretch run of the season.

Finally, I’ll end this with a Happy 26th Birthday note to Corbin Carroll, who has fully emerged from his horrendous midseason slump and is back to playing the fun brand of baseball that we love to watch. Here’s to many more years entertaining us, Corbin!

Win Probability and Box Score

Outside the Box Score

• ERod started off the game with a ꓘ of Elly De La Cruz. The pitch appeared to land below the zone according to the TV’s box and Elly lifted his hand to eye level looking like he was about to challenge, but then decided to stop and just stared off into the outfield.
• In the first inning, Corbin Carroll got a 1-out walk then stole second on the first pitch of the next AB. First, that seemed pretty aggressive against a LHP, but also the throw from the Cincinnati catcher was right where coaches tell you to throw it, first base side of second and around knee-high. Corbin just got too good of a jump and was too fast and he slid in safely.
• In Geraldo Perdomo’s first AB, he rocked a sinking line drive into the left-center gap, but the Reds left fielder made a superb diving grab, but injured his arm or shoulder on the landing because he immediately grimaced and just rolled the ball from his glove to the center fielder and stayed on the ground until the trainer could come out and check him. He ended up getting pulled from the game and walked back to the dugout with the staff holding his arm in place.
• Geno Suarez made his first return to Chase after being traded away at last year’s trade deadline. The fans gave him a warm ovation and Geno returned the welcome taking his helmet off and saluting to the crowd. Well deserved!
• Jordan Lawlar made a great driving catch on a ball hit into shallow center in the second inning. Lawlar was a little late to break on the ball, but balls hit right at you can be tough to read, especially if you were an infielder until about 9 months ago. Still, his athleticism won the day and he secured the snow cone catch.
• ERod had a quick, 9 pitch first inning, but then needed 26 pitches for the second. 
• Tim Tawa got a single to lead off the second inning and took off on the first pitch the Reds’ Lodolo threw, just like Corbin. The Reds’ catcher made another great throw but Tawa just snuck in to second. The Diamondbacks must have a really good tell on Lodolo. 
• The extra 90 feet Tawa gained on the steal ended up not being that consequential since Jordan Lawlar ripped a home run into the first row of the left field bleachers a couple pitches later.
• Jose Fernandez single to center in the 2nd inning was the first Diamondbacks ball in play that wasn’t Hard Hit. Fernandez followed that up with a steal of his own, then advanced to third base on a wild pitch. That allowed Ildemaro Vargas to plate him with a sac fly to medium-depth center. Great job by Fernandez utilizing his speed to put him in sacrifice range.
• The Reds got their first hit of the game leading off the 4th inning with a swinging bunt toward third. Jose Fernandez made a great barehand grab and throw followed by a nice scoop by Tawa at first, but the ball was hit just a little too shallow and slow for the Snakes to get the out. Still, great defense.
• Despite the cushy, 5-run lead, ERod had really been throwing a bunch of pitches after that efficient first inning. He crossed the 70-pitch mark with 2 outs in the 3rd inning and runners at the corners. In that stressful situation, with a full count, Rodriguez dialed up a picture perfect changeup that dove just out of the zone and away from the flailing Reds’ hitter for an inning ending strikeout. 74 pitches after 4 innings isn’t ideal though.
• Corbin Carroll’s double in the 4th was a hustle double into the right-center gap.
• The Reds catcher hit a soft fly ball toward the RF corner and off the bat, it looked like a sure base hit, but as the camera followed the ball’s flight, Corbin could be seen in the background streaking toward the ball. Carroll laid out reaching for the ball but it hit the ground just before skipping into Corbin’s glove as Corbin did a full somersault. Corbin’s hustle and slick defense kept the hit from rolling to the wall and putting a runner in scoring position which proved to be critical when the next hitter singled to center. 
• ERod couldn’t quite complete 6 innings, but he was able to keep the Reds off the scoreboard and the fans rewarded him a standing ovation has he walked off the field during the pitching change in the 6th. 
• Jordan Lawlar’s nice night was capped off with an RBI line drive single in the 7th off a curveball.  Lawlar’s problem was always spin, but I’m glad he didn’t take the excuse of winning big late in the game to take an AB off and just swing at whatever. Combine that with Fernandez following Lawlar up with his second walk of the night and third walk in his last 5 PA really makes me feel good about the young guys moving forward.
• Geraldo Perdomo reached second base on his single in the 8th thanks to a pretty horrific misplay by the Reds’ RF. Domo hit a clean single into right but the RF charged to far in and let it short hop him, the bounce hit off his legs and caromed all the way to the now-vacated centerfield since the CF was moving to right to back up the initial play. 
• Nolan Arenado scored from first on Tim Tawa’s 8th inning double. I doubt he wanted to be sprinting home when the team already had an 8-run lead in the 8th inning. 

Comment of the Game

An engaged GameDay Thread tonight with a total of 298 comments at time of publishing. COTG is awarded to AzDesertLovr by popular acclaim shouting out the suddenly very youthful looking lineup:

Coming Up

The Diamondbacks face the Reds for the second game of this 3-game home set tomorrow evening with a 5:10pm first pitch Arizona time. Right-hander Rhett Lowder (4-8, 5.17 ERA) is the probable starter for Cincy and our Michael Soroka (8-3, 2.93 ERA) will get the ball for the good guys.

Scoreboard Watching

Not a great night on the NL Wild Card scoreboard:

• Cubs are tied with the Mariners in Seattle in the 10th inning. A loss would bring the Phillies within 3 games of the #1 WC and put them 6 games ahead of the Snakes.
• Phillies beat the Cardinals in extra innings. The Phillies remain in the 2nd WC and are 3 up on AZ. The Cardinals are 2.5 back of AZ.
• Padres beat the Twins and remain 1 game ahead of AZ and retain the final WC.
• Marlins beat the Nationals and remain 3 GB of AZ.

Some things just can’t be unseen. Certain horrors that slash across one’s field of vision scar the irises. Blink, and they are there. Blink…still there.

Logan Webb, as he closes his eyes tonight, will see such a fright: a baseball, once so intimately held in his hand made completely foreign: a golf ball, a satellite, a dead exploded star tattooed across the Boston sky, careening through the late-summer air, over the Green Monster, over its luxury seats, over the billboards to land down on Lansdowne Street. No…that 450 feet estimate feels a little rushed. Check the traffic report. Single car crash on I-90, Eastbound. Caused by projectile through windshield. 

That fast-disappearing blip will blot Webb’s vision for who knows how long. It will haunt his subconsciousness: a 3-run monster that will lurk under the bed, in the closet, at the other end of a dark clubhouse hallway. Turn off the lights and there it goes all over again: His change-up, the flower of his palm, beloved, well-located at the bottom of the zone, then…blossom KA-BOOMED, petals everywhere. 116 M.P.H. off Willson Contreras’s bat and into oblivion. 

Sometimes the cruelest task of a pitcher is having to throw the next pitch. The one after the blast, when the last thing on earth they want to do is wrap their fingers around another baseball and offer it up for slaughter. Webb is a better man than me — I would’ve tried to chuck my shoe at Adley Rutschman. Instead, a shell of the man he once was five minutes prior, actively processing the fact that he was one out away from getting back to the dugout with a lead still in-tact, the veteran right-hander tried to put on a brave face and stumble out of the rubble. He did eventually — though he had to be guided out by his manager after five more Boston batters reached base, and two more had scored.

Five Boston runs crossed home plate in the 3rd. All with two outs, and all were surprising considering Webb’s quality as of late. Contreras’s 3-run shot was the first homer he had allowed in 5 starts since the equally-shocking 3-run job he gave up in the 7th inning in Seattle. It was the first time in nearly a year that one of his dense change-ups got lifted over an outfield wall. 

What was worse than witnessing the blow landed was how Webb wobbled after contact. Equilibrium was shot. Location had become guesswork. He teetered and flailed. After Rutschman and Caleb Durbin singled, he hit Jarren Durran with an inside cutter to load the bases. Just four times in his career had Webb walked or hit a batter with the bases loaded (3 BB, 1 HBP). Four of 63 prior plate appearances with the bases loaded did he hand out a run-scoring free pass. But on Friday night, the echo of Contreras’s mash reverberating in his brain, Webb succumbed twice. Two times: a non-competitive walk to Andruw Monastario before he sent a sinker into Mickey Gasper’s leg.

2 ⅔ innings pitched is Webb’s shortest outing since 2023. In three career starts at Fenway, he’s now given up 12 earned runs in 11⅓  IP. 

The HBP RBI proved to be the winning run though down 5-1 after the 3rd, the offense put together a spirited rebuttal against Red Sox starter Sonny Gray in the following frame. With two-outs already bagged, Christian Koss doubled and lead-off man Drew Gilbert yanked a 2-run homer to right, and on the next pitch, Rafael Devers, making his first return to Boston after being traded, launched a fastball 412 feet over the center field wall to get the Giants back within one. 

The knock helped even out his batting line, matching the muddled mix of boos and cheers Devers received throughout the night. A pre-game tribute video earned its deserved appreciation. The hisses became more apparent when he stepped into the box in the 1st. A roar of relish sounded when he struck out just as there was some reflexive applause after he cleared the wall. All in all, Devers delivered a classic: he pissed some Bostonians off by breathing, he made others nostalgic when he smiled, he got his licks in without shoving it in the faces of the home crowd.    

Two pitches, three runs — that kind of efficiency is pretty hard to maintain for any offense. Obviously, for the 2026 Giants, the blip in production couldn’t be sustained. Gray settled in after a rough 3rd and 4th in which he allowed 4 earned runs and lasted through the 6th. Ex-Giant Erik Miller, traded for yet-to-be-seen Marcelo Mayer, struck out the side in the 7th. The one-run lead doubled, becoming all the more daunting, after Jung Hoo Lee misplayed a liner off the bat of Wilyer Abreu, allowing Boston’s sixth run to score. That extra security wasn’t needed. After Devers’ homer, Red Sox pitching delivered dominance, retiring 14 Giants hitters in a row.  San Francisco’s only baserunner after the 4th came on a one-out walk to Buddy Kennedy in the 9th. That little coup brought the tying run to the plate but didn’t seem to cause much consternation for closer Aroldis Chapman. He shooed Christian Koss and Jonah Cox away like flies, ending the game with Devers on deck.

Cleveland, if you’re reading this, you already know. The Guardians have won 9-1. They pitched, they hit, they did everything. They play again tomorrow, a chance to win 3 straight. I love you. -Jake

After their first series win in a month, the Guardians were looking to finally get on a Winning streak by heading to Coors Field. And while some would look at the Rockies and think it’s time to win some easy games, keep in mind that Colorado had won 5 of the 9 matchups over the last 3 years, and the Guardians lost the last series at Coors 2-1 (they did, however, score 13 in their Win).

On paper, the pitching matchup favored Cleveland. Tanner Gordon has been lit up in Colorado to the tune of a 7.82 ERA, while Cantillo has started to go on a nice streak, with a 3-flat ERA in just 12 August innings. That paper, however, was quickly crumpled up and thrown aggressively at my pile of theoretical papers that don’t matter. As Joey Cantillo was a Wild Man (not a compliment) early and often tonight.

When Hawaii Joe is on, he’s arguably the most fun pitcher to watch on the staff. And when he’s off, it’s like a teenager going on his first date: awkward early and you know you just gotta end it before it gets really messy, (but I’m still awake at home proud of you for trying!). JC started the game with a 31 pitch 1st inning thanks to 2 Walks and 2 strikeouts (yes K’s are good but these cost him 6 & 7 pitches a piece). One of those walks scored on a grounder up the middle by former Cleveland farmhand Willi Castro.

Fortunately, Joey found a rhythm after the RBI single, putting down 9 straight and getting the pitch count under control. But with 2 outs in the 4th, he ran into trouble and then did so again 2 outs in the 5th, so Vogt pulled the plug after 4.2 IP of 1 run ball. Certainly not what JC the Sunshine Man wanted, but a good night from the ‘pen made this doable.

Meanwhile, as long as you’re not a crazy overreactive fan, you had a really fun night watching the Guardians lineup. First time thru the order the message was clear: Attack Tanner Gordon early. Kwan had a patient 6 pitch single, but CDL had a 1st pitch pop up and Jose GIDP after 2 pitches. The 2nd wasn’t much better; Adell would leadoff with a single but the next 3 guys went down in 4 total pitches.

Again. Someone not so cool would panic. After a Bailey pop-up, Petey Halpin Baja Blasted one to tie the game at 1 and the Guardians never looked back.

Petey "Petey" Halpin gets the scoring started on #PlayersWeekend!#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/GbBtmXnQz2

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 22, 2026

And before I get into ~how~ they did that, I just wanted to say I really appreciate the opportunity to write here for all of you. I’ve been a Cleveland sports fan all of my life, and even in some very not-fun times, I always have a lot of fun talking about the Guards. A special thanks to Quincy Wheeler for the opportunity, can’t wait to prove him wrong after he told me I’d never amount to anything (thats what we in the biz call a “joke”, QW is a great guy, he is not the Principal from Back to The Future).

One thing you should know about me is that I love lists, especially doing a Top 5 or 10. So to round up the offensive explosion tonight, let’s celebrate with a special Top 5 things I loved watching tonight…

#5-Jo Adell SMOKING the ball, A LOT;

Adell had singles that went 106 & 108 off the bat, the second bringing home a run. He’s been a great addition and super fun to watch. THIS writer would not mind giving him some money to stay here (more on that this winter).

#4-Steven Kwan getting on base, again:

Boy is it great to have Kwany back. He’s followed up his 1.000+ OPS July with an August over .850 thus far. His OBP since the All Star game has been over .470(!). We got our Leadoff Man back.

#3-Angel Genao

His name should be enough. This Dude is Lightning personified. Swings hard, runs fast, defends well, and has a million dollar Smile at Shortstop (yes, I still think about “him”). The way he flew around 3rd on Bazzana’s single, then followed it up with a full inning of defensive highlights, that’ll make you fall in love with Baseball… I don’t think I have to say much else: I love watching him play ball.

Angel Genao is putting on a defensive clinic tonight in Denver!#GuardsBallpic.twitter.com/d8pksWskwb

— GuardsTV (@GuardsTV) August 22, 2026

#2-Bazzana’s Slump Buster;

It’s been a rough stretch for Travis recently. And while some want to write his obituary for his career, I am not one of them. It was really great to see him battle for a 9 pitch AB and deliver a 2 run hit to take the lead. Also, maybe that at bat was a huge weight off his shoulders? Kinda feels like it might’ve broken the door down, as he followed that hit with 3 more. His 2nd 4 Hit game of the year. Take a load off, Travvy!

#1-Takin Care of Business

If I had told you that Jose would go hitless and leave 7 on base while Joey would have a 31 pitch 1st inning and not finish the 5th, you’d assume we lost pretty easily. Especially the way this team hasn’t taken advantage of opportunities this year… But every other starter had a hit. Patty & Petey Homered, The Thunder Down Under, The Jo Show, Get Lowe and King Kwan all reached multiple times and the Bullpen was great. It’s the type of stuff we saw from this team last September. It’s what you just gotta do.

Takin’ Care of Business

Amongst perfect weather, a world-renowned zoo, and a gem of a ballpark, the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, CA is a 16-block bastion of bars, eateries, shopping, and nightlife. Alas, the Minnesota Twins won’t be enjoying any of those spoils tonight. Instead of Gaslamp, they were gaslit by the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park.

The Padres continued the troubling trend of first-inning runs off Twins SP—this time Connor Prielipp. After Manny Machado dumped a single into LF, Twins legend Ty France didn’t do his usual thing of getting plunked by the pill—instead pounding it 421 feet over the LCF fence. 2-0 SD.

Prielipp’s second frame went better than the first, ending with a tremendous Superman-dive catch from a streaking-in-towards-the-dirt Byron Buxton. Slow to get up—and with a wince—collective breath would be held in Twins Territory.

Fortunately, Buck would return to his CF post in B3 (no kryptonite in the PETCO grass). Then, he’d find himself the first MN cleat to touch the irregular pentagon in B4! After a Buxton fielder’s choice eliminated a Luke Keaschall leadoff walk, Josh Bell’s pant leg was grazed by a seam and an ugly rally was brewing. It turned pretty when Klobberin’ Kody Clemens cranked a ball off the RCF wall for a triple, bringing in Buxton & Bell. 2-2 tie.

Despite pitching in the city of no precipitation, when it metaphorically rained it metaphorically poured on Prielipp in B5. A single from seventh-batting Austin Hayes and a walk to 9-batting Jake Cronenworth set up San Diego for the third time through against Connor. It didn’t go well…

• Fernando Tatis Jr RBI single
• Luis Rengifo RBI single
• Machado RBI single

When the infield dirt settled: 6-2 SD.

After that odd fourth inning rally, the Twins’ offense completely cocooned. Needing some work in a non-save situation, dominant SD closer Mason Miller made mincemeat out of Keaschall, Buxton, and Bell to send Friar fans into a frenzy.

Your Final: San Diego Padres 6, Minnesota Twins 2.

There goes the winning streak. The American League isn’t getting any better, though, so flush it and find the combination to the lumber safe tomorrow.

Zach’s Zealot

• Twinkie Town’s own Brandon Brooks: In attendance for this late (at least here back home) evening West Coast clash. Crossing another ballpark off the list!

Zach’s Zombie

• One might think Prielipp here, but I’m going with the entire offense: two hits?! Did the team golfing outing yesterday ruin all the swings?!

Egg-cellent Elocution

• Imakesandwichesforaliving’sscathing scatalogic summation of tonight’s events.

Who’s Got Next

• Two more with the Friars at odd West Coast times (Sat. 7:40 PM CST & Sun. 3:10 PM CST).

Mets interim manager Andy Green and some players discussed the pivotal moments of the team's loss to the White Sox on Friday...

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Yan's premature celebration

In a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, Jefry Yan was called on to hold the line and send it into extra innings. However, the left-hander could not, ultimately allowing a walk-off two-run shot to catcher Jake Rogers.

But that inning started rather oddly. Going up against left-hander Colson Montgomery, Yan threw a slider down in the zone on a 1-2 pitch. The Mets southpaw was convinced he just struck out Montgomery and did his signature celebration. But it was called a ball and the at-bat continued. Two pitches later, Montgomery was on with a walk. 

"Jefry will learn not to jump before the play is over," Green said after the game. "That’s something he’s still working through. The emotions of the moment got him there."

To Yan's credit, he got the next two batters out and was one out away from stranding Montgomery on third. But a 0-1 fastball down in the zone was taken deep by Rogers. 

"I went out there with a plan to do what I always do. To execute, to compete," Yan said via an interpreter of the Montgomery at-bat. "That at-bat, I threw a pitch a little prematurely. I still don’t let my guard down at that point and I was trying to execute my pitches there, but I walked him."

Green said that the premature celebration didn't affect Yan, and chalked it up to being a rookie who has a lot of enthusiasm but is still learning. 

"We encouraged him very strongly to wait til the play is over. The emotions got to him," Green said. 

"That’s one of those that becomes a learning experience," Yan said. "Can’t go out there and lose the goal, which is execute pitches. It won’t happen again. Once the job is done, you can celebrate the way you want to."

Yan also said his celebration didn't affect him, and he was just bested by Rogers.

"In the at-bat to Rogers, I threw the ball but I was trying to attack him and he got it," he said. "It’s the first home run I’ve given up in the major leagues. It’s something to learn from -- learn how to execute better. I wouldn’t say it affected me."

Jefry Yan did his strikeout celebration in the 9th inning on a pitch that was called a ball.

After the game, Andy Green said that the emotions got to Yan and that he will learn not to jump before the play ends. pic.twitter.com/S5TOnDQ4JC

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 22, 2026

Manaea's tough sixth

Sean Manaea was on the verge of another fantastic start. He cruised through the first five innings without allowing a run and entered the sixth with a comfortable 4-0 lead.

That changed very quickly.

After allowing a one-out walk to Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery took the Mets southpaw deep to tie the game at four apiece. 

"The sixth inning got away from me," Manaea said before later explaining what changed the third time through the order.

"I was throwing a little more sweepers than I was, and ultimately, fastballs home runs to two of them. Yanked them down instead of getting them up. Earlier in the game, I felt like I did a better job getting the ball up... Don’t know if I’ve ever given three [home runs] back-to-back."

"He was pitch-efficient throughout most of the day," Green said of Manaea. "He struggled to get the fastball up today. Got a lot of deep flyballs for outs." 

Green admitted that the team didn't "love" the part of the order that had Vargas and Grichuk for Manaea, but it was hard to take out his starter when he was cruising to that point. 

The interim manager was asked if he considered taking Manaea out after giving up the first two home runs, and Green said that he liked the favorable matchup against the lefty Montgomery.

Manaea has given the Mets some much-needed length of late. This is the sixth game in a row that he's gone at least six innings, but it's the second consecutive start he's allowed four runs. Prior to these two starts, Manaea had allowed two or fewer runs in four consecutive starts. 

In welcoming the Cleveland Guardians to Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies hoped to break a six-game losing streak that involved being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

That did not happen as they dropped their seventh consecutive game, losing to the Guardians 9-1.

The offense: Mostly MIA

There were some walks and some scattered hits, but mostly, the Rockies were flummoxed by the Guardians pitching.

The Rockies were off to a quick start in the first inning. Jake McCarthy got things started with a lead-off walk, and two batters later, TJ Rumfield followed suit. Willi Castro (looking good in some “Rugrats” cleats) hit an RBI single to bring home McCarthy and give the Rockies a 1-0 lead.

Tanner Gordon cruised through the second inning, but in the third, surrendered a solo homer to Petey Halpin (3) to tie the game at one.

The Guardians scored again in the fourth with a Travis Bazazzana two-RBI single, and the score was 3-1 Guardians.

The Rockies threatened in their half in the fourth after a Jordan Beck single and Mickey Moniak walk, but Braxton Fulford flew out to left field to end the inning with the Guardians still boasting a two-run lead.

Having found a groove, the Guardians kept building on it in the fifth as Gordon allowed a lead-off walk followed by a single (that was the result of Cole Carrigg losing the ball in center field). Jo Adell singled to bring home the runner, making the score 4-1 Guardians with two on and one out.

Gordon finished the inning without any additional damage.

Back from concussion protocol, Kyle Karros singled with two outs in the fifth, and Carrigg followed that with a double as Rumfield stepped to the plate and walked to load the bases.

With that, Stephen Vogt went to his bullpens, and Joey Cantillo’s night was over.

Cantillo’s final line was 4.2 IP allowing four hits and one run (earned). He struck out five and issued four walks on 89 pitches. He relied most heavily on his curveball (39%) and his changeup (26%).

However, Castro grounded out to end the inning, and the score remained 4-1 Guardians.

Gordon returned to the mound for the sixth inning. He allowed one hit to Travis Bazzana and then walked to move the runner to second. After getting a fly out, Gordon was done for the evening, and Mark Manfredi entered in relief.

Bazzana welcomed Manfredi to the game by stealing third, and then Manfredi walked the first batter he faced, Halpin. Steven Kwan grounded out but brought the run home, which made the score 5-1 Guardians. After walking Chase Dalauder, Manfredi struck out José Ramírez looking, and the inning was over.

The Rockies failed to make any headway in the six, and Zach Agnos entered the game to handle the seventh inning.

It did not go well.

After getting an out, he walked Matthew Lowe and surrendered to Bazzana his his third hit of the evening. Then Patrick Bailey stepped to the plate and hit a three-run homer.

The score was 8-1 Guardians.

In their half of the seventh, the Rockies got two outs before Karros and Carrigg managed to walk. But Rumfield grounded out to short to end the threat.

Neither team scored in the eighth inning

Nathaniel Lowe kicked off the ninth with a double, and Bazzana hit an RBI single to bring him home and make the score 9-1. (For those keeping score at home, it was a monster night for Bazzana, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI.)

And with that, Brett Sullivan — the Rockies answer to Shohei Ohtani — entered to get the last two outs. He started by issuing a ground-ruled double to Bailey, but the Guardians did not score.

The Rockies finished the night one run (earned) on six hits. They walked seven times and had nine strike outs. In addition, they were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

“It’s all about scoring runs, and we just couldn’t come through with the big hit,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game.

Tanner Gordon: Started strong but then struggled

Gordon got off to a brisk start in the first and second innings on just 15 pitches. However, he began to slow down in the third and labored in the fourth, when his pitch count was at 57 pitches. It did not improve from there.

His final line was 5.1 IP allowing five runs (all earned) on nine hits. Gordon walked two and struck out two as well on 82 pitches. (Given that this was his first start since moving into the rotation from the bullpen, leaving the game after five innings made sense.)

According to Baseball Savant, Gordon relied primarily on his four-seamer (51%), followed by his changeup (36%), and slider (15%) with an occasional curveball (4%).

His ERA is 5.66.

“I thought TG was good,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he was efficient through the first couple of innings and then he gave up that hit to Bazzana.”

The bullpen: Couldn’t stop the slide

The Rockies bullpen has had better games.

Mark Manfredi threw 0.2 innings with a final line of two walks and one strikeout with no hits or runs allowed.

As for Zach Agnos, he went 2.1 IP giving up four runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out three on 48 pitches.

Brett Sullivan continues to gain innings in his quest to be recognized as a two-way player. (I believe he needs 19 more innings to qualify.) His final line was 0.2 IP allowing no hits, runs, or walks. He has a 4.70 ERA.

Golf: Discussed

The mandated “golf talk” took place in the top of the fourth inning and involved Mike Trout’s golf course with some analysis of Jo Adell’s swing.

Up next

Join us tomorrow for Game 2 when Tanner Bibee will face Gabriel Hughes.

First pitch is at 6:10 pm.

See you then.

Oh, one more thing.

Here’s a Purple Row After Dark-esque question: It’s Players’ Weekend, so we’ve seen lots of personalized bats and cleats. If you were an MLB player, how would you personalize your bat?

Let us know in the comments.

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Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs fried the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 8-3.

Andrew Wantz got the start and gave the I-Cubs four innings and gave the Mud Hens two runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out five.

Hoby Milner pitched the fifth inning in a rehab assignment. Milner gave up a one-out single, but nothing else. He struck out one.

Grant Kipp threw the next three innings, allowed no runs, and got the win because Wantz didn’t go five innings. Kipp surrendered two hits. He struck out seven and walked just one.

Matt Shaw played six innings at second base and went 2 for 4 with a two-run single in the fourth inning.

Catcher Owen Ayers was 2 for 4 and scored twice.

Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit.

Shaw’s two-run single.

Matt Shaw drives in a pair! pic.twitter.com/CVzWGGThNp

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 22, 2026

Good game for Kipp.

Fourth straight strikeout for Grant Kipp! pic.twitter.com/qCWf5u1r2P

— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 22, 2026

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were extinguished by the splash of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Marlins), 6-3.

Jackson Brockett turned in a solid start, giving up just one run on four hits over four innings. The one run came on a fourth-inning home run. Brockett struck out five and walked just one.

Grayson Moore has had better days. Moore came in to pitch the fifth inning and he got hammered for four runs on five hits in his one inning. Moore struck out two and did not walk anyone.

Left fielder Carter Trice was 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI double.

Right fielder Alex Ramírez went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez was 2 for 4. He scored one run and drove in one.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs’ levees held against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers), 7-5.

Cole Reynolds pitched the first four innings and kept the Whitecaps scoreless on four hits. It helped that Reynolds struck out six and walked no one.

Alfredo Romero pitched the next 2.2 innings and got the win because Reynolds didn’t go five, but Romero did not pitch especially well. Romero gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. One of those hits was a two-run home run. Romero struck out four.

Ethan Bell pitched the ninth inning and got into trouble immediately with a single and a walk. But he retired the next three batters in order to end the game and collect the save. Bell struck out one.

Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit his first South Bend home run with the bases empty in the fourth inning. It was Lumpuy’s eighth overall home run. Lumpuy was 2 for 3 with the home run, a walk and a stolen base.

In the seventh inning, first baseman Brennan Hudson hit a three-run home run, his second on the season. Hudson was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Left fielder Kade Snell was 2 for 4 with a double.

Third baseman Matt Halbach was 2 for 4 and scored once.

This was ruled a triple bu Angel Cepeda. Cepeda went 1 for 4 with a walk.

The bats are BACK!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/FO4t73Q1a7

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 21, 2026

Lumpuy’s home run.

First High-A home run, Alexey Lumpuy!@HoosierLottery Home Run | #SBCubspic.twitter.com/PTblgwf28w

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 22, 2026

Hudson’s home run.

Brennan Hudson's first Four Winds Field homer is a big one!@HoosierLottery Home Run | #SBCubspic.twitter.com/kiAwxVJJKe

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 22, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans got their eyes pecked out by the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (Astros), 12-3 in a game that ended in the ninth inning because of rain.

Starter Luis Mata got the loss after surrendering three run on four hits over 3.2 innings. Mata walked three and struck out two.

Most of the Pelicans offense came on a two-run home run by second baseman Juan Cabada in the third inning. It was Cabada’s second Pelican’s blast and fourth overall. Cabada was 2 for 4.

First baseman Ivan Cespedes was a perfect 2 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored.

Cabada’s home run.

This one just kept on SAURing! 😏 pic.twitter.com/LRnkizxcAt

— Myrtle Beach Pelicans (@Pelicanbaseball) August 21, 2026

The Texas Rangers scored two runs while the Anaheim Angels scored one run in ten innings.

Down to their last strike after wasting endless chances in a game that was 0-0 through nine innings, the Rangers got a two-strike Wyatt Langford double to tie the game and enjoyed a walk-off victory on Ezequiel Duran’s fourth hit of the night.

It took the Angels throwing the ball away for Langford to score the winning run but whatever. We deserve our point and laugh at the Angels moment.

Was it frustrating to see the Rangers get only one hit — a bunt that did not score a run — with RISP in seven opportunities and out-hit the Angels 9-2 through the first nine innings only for them to trail 1-0 with two outs and two strikes in the tenth? Sure. The Rangers are often frustrating. We know this. It’s baked into the experience.

Nevertheless, they pulled it out so we can be happy for like 20 hours until the next one.

Player of the Game: Aside from Duran, tonight’s starter MacKenzie Gore gave Texas six innings of shutout ball allowing just a couple of hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Gore has had his ups and down this season but with Angels’ starter Reid Detmers keeping the Rangers off the board, even one Gore Inning would have been a killing blow for Texas tonight but Gore avoided trouble which gave the Rangers a path to an eventual win.

Up Next: The Rangers and Angels play the second game of this series with LHP Cody Bradford next up for Texas opposite RHP Ryan Johnson for the Anaheim squad.

The Saturday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 6:05 pm CDT and the telecast will be back on the Rangers Sports Network.

The Athletics opened a three-game series against the Houston Astros, hoping to get back in the win column in the first game of Players’ Weekend. In a matchup between two teams desperate for a win, the Astros emerged victorious, winning the series-opener 4-0 in a game where the A’s never posed a threat.

Both Teams Squander Early Chances

After Astros starter Hayden Wesneski worked a scoreless first inning, the hosts immediately threatened to score as A’s starter J.T. Ginn failed to retire either of the first two batters he faced. The A’s right-hander escaped the jam, leaving Houston unable to capitalize on its golden opportunity to take the lead.

With one out in the third inning, shortstop Donovan Walton singled to record the Athletics first hit of the game. Walton stole second with two outs, putting himself in scoring position. Wesneski escaped the jam by getting Jeff McNeil to pop out, stranding two runners.

Astros Strike First

A leadoff walk followed by a double put the Astros in position to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. First baseman Christian Walker’s sacrifice fly scored Isaac Paredes, putting the Astros up 1-0. Ginn limited the damage by retiring the next two hitters. A’s left fielder Carlos Cortes made a nice catch at the wall, robbing Astros catcher Yainer Diaz of a potential RBI extra-base hit.

The Astros scored two more runs against Ginn in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nick Allen, who had walked, scored on Yordan Alvarez’s two-out RBI double. Paredes followed with an RBI double of his own, extending the Astros’ lead to 3-0.

A’s Offense No Show

The Athletics’ injury-depleted offense did not give Ginn any run support. Wesneski tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and three walks. The right-hander consistently got A’s hitters to chase pitches outside the zone, resulting in four groundouts, several popouts and four strikeouts.

With a three-run cushion, the Astros turned to their bullpen, with left-hander Bennett Sousa replacing Wesneski. Singles by McNeil and Cortes brought Lawrence Butler to the plate as the potential game-tying run. Butler, who has struggled since signing his contract extension, struck out on three pitches.

Bullpen Time

Ginn allowed three runs on six hits over five innings. The two batters he walked both scored, spotlighting the importance of limiting free passes. Right-handed reliever Elvis Alvarado replaced him and tossed a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning.

RISP Difference Key to Score

Facing Houston reliever Bryan Abreu, Heim and Walton drew back-to-back walks with one out in the seventh. For a second straight inning, the A’s offense failed to capitalize. In the last of the seventh, A’s left-hander Drew Rom gave up Alvarez’s second two-out RBI double of the game, which put the hosts up 4-0.

Shoutout Complete

The Athletics had one final chance to get on the scoreboard in the ninth inning, but Walton grounded out to end the game, stranding Heim at second. The A’s recorded just three singles in the shutout, completing a winless week for the 49-80 club. The team struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-5 and leaving eight runners on base.

The Green and Gold will look to snap their five-game losing streak tomorrow afternoon. A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez is scheduled to face Astros right-hander Hunter Brown. Will the team ever get above 50 wins, or will this misery last through the end of the season?

For a young team like the Chicago White Sox, where most of the players haven’t experienced a playoff race much less a wining season, the dog days can be too much for some teams to handle. With plenty of time left in August, no one game gives reason to push the panic button, but the first half of the game on Friday night showed that the White Sox had some growing up to do.

But the finishing kick of the contest — three straight homers in the sixth, and a two-out, walk-off home run by Jake Rogers to win, 6-4 — may have provided the burst of maturity that churns the White Sox to a division title.

After falling behind with some listlessness, 4-0, the White Sox got to work. Better late than never.

As they say, “Mets gonna Met” and Sean Manea absolutely unraveled in the bottom of the sixth inning. After a Meidroth fly out, the White Sox went white-hot at the plate. Munetaka Murakami was originally called out on strikes until he realized umpire Ramon De Jesus was having a terrible night behind the plate and challenged the call. It was overturned because of course it was, and Murakami got his free pass to first base.

The next batter was Miguel Vargas, and after benefiting from another bad De Jesus call, took a 3-1 count yard to trim the lead in half:

The next batter was Randal Grichuk. He could smell a pending Mets collapse like a shark can smell blood, and hit a laser of a home run out to left-center:

With a 4-0 deficit now cut to just one run, up stepped Colson Montgomery. Let’s just say it was clear that during the mound visit, New York’s pitching coach forgot to tell Manea to stop giving up nukes:

Unfortunately, all good things come in threes, so the White Sox could only string together three homers. But the score was now tied, 4-4, so it became anyone’s ballgame.

With the game now back on like Donkey Kong, it seemed almost a given what was going to transpire. After Marcus Semien singled to start off the seventh inning, nine of the next 10 Mets were retired in order. To their credit, New York limited Chicago’s offense as well, but they faltered at a key time.

Down 1-2 early in the count thanks to two awful swings, Colson Montgomery worked his way to a walk despite Mets reliever Jefry Yan hopping in misplaced delight after each one of his missed pitches. A sacrifice bunt and a ground out later, the White Sox had a runner 90 feet from a win … with defensive specialist (accents on both “defensive” and “specialist”) Jake Rogers coming to the plate:

It took just one swing to help etch Rogers onto the list of legends that is getting a little bit crowded on the South Side in 2026. He turned on a fastball that caught just too much of the plate and deposited it just far enough over the center field fence to sent everyone watching into a frenzy.

It was another incredible comeback for the South Siders, and there is plenty of reason to celebrate. There were certainly some cracks in their play, and there have been for long stretches of this season, but the club has proven resilient enough to snap into focus when needed. Here’s to hoping they can play like they did at the end of the game more consistently over the last month of the season.

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MVP
Miguel Vargas: 2-for-3, R, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K

Runners-Up
Jake Rogers: 1-for-4, GW 2-run HR, R, K
Randal Grichuk: 2-for-3, HR, R, RBI
Colson Montgomery: 1-for-3, HR, R, RBI, BB, K
The Bullpen (Hicks, Hudson, Taylor): 3 IP, H, BB, 5 K, 29-of-41 strikes

Cold Cat
Brenton Doyle: 0-for-3, SAC, K, CF misplay leading to two runs

Runners-Up
Sean Burke: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 K
Luisangel Acuña: 0-for-4, K
Tristan Peters: 0-for-3, K

The Mets got off to a 4-0 lead, but the White Sox erased that lead with back-to-back-to-back home runs in the sixth and then hit another home run in the bottom off the ninth to walk it off.

Both starting pitchers, who both happened to be named Sean (Manaea and Burke), pitched scoreless innings to kick things off, but Manaea gave up a double off the wall and a couple of deep fly balls, which ended up being a harbinger of things to come with the wind blowing in at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Mets got on the board first in the top of the second. Carson Benge sparked the rally by dunking a single over the shortstop’s head with two strikes after a really nice at-bat. Jared Young lined out to center for the first out and Luis Robert Jr. then struck out swinging on three pitches in his first at-bat back on the South Side. But Brett Baty and Marcus Semien then notched back-to-back singles to score Benge and plate the game’s first run. Manaea then settled into a groove, retiring seven White Sox hitters in a row.

In the meantime, the Mets were gifted a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Jared Young singled with one out and then Luis Robert Jr. hit an easy fly ball to center field, but Brenton Doyle lost the ball in the lights and it dropped beside him for a double, advancing Young to third. Brett Baty then doubled down the right field line to score both runners and extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0. While the deep fly balls off the bats of White Sox hitters had mostly been to right and center field at this point and thus knocked down by the wind blowing in from right field across to left field, Bo Bichette launched a ball to left field with two outs in the fifth that sailed over a leaping Randal Grichuk and over the wall for a solo homer. That extended Bichette’s on-base streak to 11 games and gave the Mets a 4-0 lead.

Sean Manaea ran into his first jam in the bottom of the fourth when yet another fly ball to the warning track was followed by a Miguel Vargas walk and a Randal Grichuk single. Both runners tagged and advanced on yet another deep fly ball to center by Colson Montgomery, but then Manaea got a huge strikeout of Brenton Doyle to navigate through the inning unscathed.

Manaea retired the White Sox in order in the fifth and the Mets similarly went down 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth. But things escalated very quickly for Manaea in the bottom of the sixth. He issued a one-out walk to Munetaka Murakami and then Miguel Vargas cut the Mets’ lead in half with a two-run homer. Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery followed with a pair of solo homers and in the blink of an eye, the game was tied. The White Sox had been threatening against Manaea all night and in the sixth they finally broke through.

The bullpens took over from there with both starting pitchers having surrendered four runs in six innings of work and held firm through the late innings. Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless seventh for the White Sox and Nate Lavender recorded four consecutive outs with Daniel Duarte recording the final two outs of the eighth. Bryan Hudson retired the Mets in order in the eighth and Grant Taylor worked around a leadoff walk to Luis Robert Jr. to keep the Mets off the board in the ninth. Jefry Yan was called upon to pitch the bottom of the ninth and thought he had Colson Montgomery struck out for the first out and prematurely leaped into the air, but the pitch was just off the plate and he ended up issuing a leadoff walk instead. Brenton Doyle laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the winning run to second. Luisangel Acuña then bounced out to short to bring Yan within an out of sending the game to extra innings. But Jake Rogers rendered Doyle’s sacrifice useless by blasting a two-run walk-off home run to end the game.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Luis Robert Jr. and Nate Lavender, +13% WPA
Big Mets loser: Jefry Yan, -36% WPA
Mets pitchers: -32% WPA
Mets hitters: -18% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty’s fourth inning RBI double, +11.6% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jake Rogers’ walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off Jefry Yan, -37.3% WPA

Noah Cameron pitched five scoreless, and the Royals swatted three home runs as KC beat Detroit 5-2.

Almost a month ago on July 23rd, the Royals faced Troy Melton and the Tigers in Detroit. Randy Dobnak did Randy Dobnak things, not allowing any runs, but not pitching deep into the game. Troy Melton did Troy Melton things, but gave up a two-run home run to Isaac Collins in the sixth. Unfortunately, once the bullpen got involved, the Royals blew the lead in the seventh, tied it again in the eighth, and then blew it again before Kenley Jansen shut them down.

So when the Royals, clinging to a three-run lead, saw the bullpen give up two runs in the seventh inning, you could absolutely see the team falling to same issues that cost them the previous game. The Royals, however, have made a variety of changes to the team since then, despite a quiet trade deadline. In that first game, the reliever parade included Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, and Steven Cruz. Without Strahm in this one, Cuas managed a scoreless inning before Schreiber gave up the two. Steven Cruz managed to not allow any of his own runners to score, and Nate Pearson was brought in for his second Royals save. It would be correct to say that none of the Royals relievers made it easy, but ultimately they got the job done.

There were some fears, I think, with Noah Cameron making his first start after throwing 115 pitches against the Angels. And, its true, he didn’t look nearly as sharp tonight. For one thing, he gave up his first hit of the game in the first inning. But he also walked three while striking out only two. But he battled and battled and made it through five innings on 84 pitches without giving up a run.

The Royals first run was a bit of a silly one. Vinnie Pasquantino, red hot since coming off the IL, doubled down the first base line with one out in the bottom of the fourth. He was able to score when Michael Massey smoked a groundball up the middle that evaded Melton and shortstop Kevin McGonigle’s attempts to corral it and ricocheted off of McGonigle into left field. From there, it was time for some dingers. Kyle Isbel got one in the bottom of the fifth, Vinnie heated up even more in the sixth, and then Carter Jensen came through in the seventh after the Royals’ lead had dwindled to just one.

Jensen’s and Pasquantino’s were no-doubters. But they were all beautiful in their own way.

In the bottom of the eighth, Michael Massey doubled into right field and Kyle Isbel lashed a double into left to give the Royals another insurance run. The Royals could have made it easier on themselves, but 10 hits and 5 runs will win a lot of games. Especially when the other team gets fewer hits and runs. That’s not to say they have all the answers they need for next year; they especially need pitchers to throw more strikes as they finished the night combining for seven walks and five strikeouts.

The Royals have won six in a row for the first time this year. Earlier this week I saw a social media post that made me chuckle. It suggested that the Royals would reach .500 if they won 28 of their last 35. Now they only need to win 25 of their last 32.

They can keep shoving that boulder up the hill tomorrow night. The game will be at 6:15 PM Central Time. It will be Drew Anderson (4.01 ERA, 3.38 SIERA) up against Michael Wacha (3.58 ERA, 4.38 SIERA). See you then!