Category: Baseball

The San Diego Padres approached the MLB trade deadline by winning five of six games against the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants. Altogether, they had won eight of nine and got themselves back into the fight for the final Wild Card playoff spot.

That allowed president of baseball ops, A.J. Preller, to do what he loves to do. Wheeling and dealing at the deadline, Preller kept all his major league talent and turned two top 10 prospects along with a top 15 prospect into two rental starters that made the “pitching chaos” approach over the past two weeks no longer necessary.

By adding right-hander Casey Mize and left-hander Robbie Ray, Preller solidified a starting rotation that was undeniably in tatters with injuries and poor performances. Both Mize and Ray boast sub-4.00 ERAs for the season and are also both performing at their peak for the year coming into the deadline.

After securing two of the better pitchers available for trade, the Padres asked Randy Vásquez to start their second game in the series against their main competition for the last playoff spot, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Vásquez followed rotation leader Michael King, who gave up three runs on five hits and four walks in the first game of the series. With the offense stymied by Dbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, King saw his record go to 6-8 for the season with a respectable 3.45 ERA in his 130.1 innings pitched.

Vasquez came in for game two, the day after the deadline, and threw a six-inning gem. He allowed no runs on two hits, and the offense supported him with seven runs before he departed. 

Right-hander Casey Mize had a disappointing Padres debut, and it was the worst start of his career. After skipping his previous scheduled start because Detroit didn’t want to risk injury before the deadline, Mize changed teams and traveled before pitching for the first time in eleven days. He refused to use that as an excuse.

The Padres rebounded behind the game four starter, Walker Buehler, and a stellar bullpen outing to capture the last game and split the series.

Overall, it was a 7-3 record over the ten games, and that kept the Friars to within one game of the Wild Card standings.

Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta make rehab starts

While the Padres are fighting for playoff relevance, their two injured starters, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove, made rehab starts for Single-A Lake Elsinore. Musgrove had a 2.2-inning outing, allowing a run and was reportedly fine after the game and the next day. He is scheduled to make another rehab start on Sunday.

Pivetta, on the other hand, walked off the field before the end of the first inning of his outing. He reportedly experienced discomfort or tightness in his elbow and left of his own accord. Padres manager, Craig Stammen, updated fans and the media with the report that Pivetta threw an additional 20-30 pitches in the bullpen after his outing, stating his arm felt better. He will be reevalutated before another rehab outing is scheduled. This could put his contract status at jeopardy as he has a player option for next season only if he returns from the disabled list before Aug. 22. Otherwise, that option becomes a team option.

Should Musgrove and/or Pivetta come back to the team this season, the rotation would look significantly better for a playoff run than when the “pitching chaos” approach was begun. Injury and poor performance dictated the strategy with the Padres starters frequently exiting games well before completing five innings, in many instances.

Roster changes and injury reports

Right-hander Matt Waldron was designated for assignment when reliever Jeremiah Estrada returned from the injured list. Estrada had been dealing with right knee inflammation since being placed on the IL on June 5. Waldron was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays,

RHP David Morgan was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A El Paso. He is working his way back from a June 29 IL stint for left knee inflammation.

Trading RHP Miguel Mendez opened up a roster spot to add trade acquisition Casey Mize. LHP JP Sears was optioned to El Paso to add Mize.

Catcher Rudolfo Durán was optioned to El Paso to add utility player Gage Workman, acquired from Detroit along with Mize.

RHP Germán Márquez was designated for assignment when LHP Robbie Ray, acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, was added to the roster. The seven day window to trade/claim Marquez opened on Aug. 5.

First baseman, outfielder and DH Gavin Sheets has been dealing with plantar fascitis and has seen minimal action for the last several days. It has been reported that he is wearing a boot when not in action and had his first start since July 26 on Thursday.

Worst to almost first

The Padres offense, which was ranked dead last in many offensive categories for two months, ended July with the second best batting average in baseball at . 269. They also had the second best OBP at .348. Their slugging percentage ended up at .429, eighth best. All that gave them the third best team OPS at .777.

Their 31 home runs were only good for 13th and their 125 RBI ranked fifth.

A remarkable turnaround that was necessary if the organization wanted to have a chance to reach the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

While that was going on, the team ERA ranked 25th at 4.77

If the two parts could come together in August with reasonable performances then the Friars figure to have a chance to overtake the Diamondbacks, at least.

Defense has been consistent

The defense is fourth in fielding percentage and eleventh in OAA (outs above average) in the MLB. First baseman Ty France leads all defenders on the Padres with six OAA.

Offensive inconsistency

The series against the Diambondbacks was just the latest example of the Padres offense having trouble adjusting to pitchers mid-game or taking advantage of an unfamiliar rookie.

Veteran Brandon Pfaddt had their number in the first game versus the D-backs. He has a 1.88 ERA in July.

The second game featured dominance by Randy Vásquez and the offense was efficient against Eduardo Rodriguez, who has a 3.45 ERA for July.

Then, in game three, the Padres went up against rookie Mitch Bratt. The 23-year-old came into the contest with an ERA of almost 6.00. He held the Padres to one hit in seven scoreless innings, his best performance as a professional. The Padres struck out nine times and didn’t score until the ninth inning. It ultimately wouldn’t have mattered due to the eight runs Mize allowed, but it is a recurring issue for this team.

On the last game of the series, the Padres faced a pitcher very similar to the rookie of the night before. Lefty Kohl Drake came into the game with a high ERA and little experience. He featured a similar pitch mix to Bratt. The difference seemed to be that the Friars looked passive and tentative against Bratt but were aggressive and more selective versus Drake.

As a result, they had 12 hits and five runs with only four strikeouts while securing the series split.

This is nothing new; the in game adjustments need to be more consistent if this offense wants to avoid more of these types of games.

Adrián Morejón is grateful

Padres’ lefty reliever Adrián Morejón made it clear he wasn’t interested in leaving the Padres, at the trade deadline or after the end of the season. It remains to be seen if the new ownership group will allow money to pay Morejón in the offseason. A.J. Preller agreed the organization needed to keep Morejón for the rest of the 2026 season.

The Padres would have had no chance to succeed this season without him. Kevin Acee, in his daily newsletter for Aug. 7, relayed the effort Morejón made to thank A.J. Preller for not trading him on Monday afternoon.

“And after that, now we continue winning,” Morejon was quoted as saying.

The four-pitcher effort to finish off the D-backs series is the perfect example of how Morejon and his fellow bullpen members have saved this team over the past two plus months.

The Royals have signed veteran closer Craig Kimbrel, according to New York Post reporter Jon Heyman. Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Rays last week, and was released by the Mets earlier this year.

Kimbrel is a potential future Hall of Famer with 440 career saves, fifth-most all-time. He has pitched in 17 seasons with the Braves, Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, Orioles, Astros, Mets, and Rays. He was Rookie of the Year in 2011, led the league in saves in each of his first four MLB seasons with the Braves, and is a nine-time All-Star.

But his last effective season came in 2023, when he was an All-Star with the Phillies. He has a 4.78 ERA in 104 games since then, and has a 4.81 ERA in 33 games this year between the Mets and Rays, with 32 strikeouts and 16 walks in 33.2 innings. Kimbrel’s fastball sits at 93.6 mph, and he also throws a sweeper, curve, and sinker.

The Royals have been desperate to find enough arms to cover innings as pitchers continue to populate the Injured List. But bringing in a 38-year-old seems a curious move for a team that should be auditioning arms for next season. Beggars can’t be choosers, though, and so far, many of the options they have acquired have not gotten the job done. Kimbrel’s numbers haven’t been good enough for two other teams, but they may be welcome for a team struggling to find anyone that can get hitters out.

The St. Louis Cardinals wrapped up a 3-game series on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies badly needing a series victory before they welcome the team they’re chasing in the Wild Card race, the Philadelphia Phillies, to town. Michael McGreevy had a rough start, a good middle and a not great finish, but the Cardinals provided him a little run support for a change although a late rally would be necessary.

Sunday’s game started out very similar to Saturday’s game at Busch Stadium as the Colorado Rockies got off to a fast start when Jake McCarthy hit McGreevy’s 2nd pitch into right field for a leadoff double. Carrigg followed that with a bunt single giving the Rockies two on with no one out to start the game. Michael McGreevy would fortunately get Rumfield to hit into a double play, but McCarthy would eventually score when Hunter Goodman came through with a two-out RBI single giving the Rockies another early lead of 1-0.

St. Louis would answer in the bottom of the first when JJ Wetherholt drew a leadoff walk followed by Iván Herrera who reached on an infield hit. Two batters later, Jordan Walker smacked a RBI single scoring JJ and tying the game 1-1.

As Michael McGreevy settled into the game and kept the Rockies off the scoreboard in the middle innings, the St. Louis Cardinals bats gave him a lead in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Iván Herrera singled to left and then Alec Burleson walked. Jordan Walker lifted a fly ball to very deep center for the first out, but both runners moved up on his out giving St. Louis runners at 2nd and 3rd with just one out. Jimmy Crooks then hit a sacrifice fly to right which scored Herrera before Masyn Winn was not fooled by an 83 mph changeup that he crushed off of the left-centerfield wall scoring Burleson and giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

One of the loudest contacts in Busch Stadium this season happened in the bottom of the 6th inning when Alec Burleson greeted a 91 mph sinker and launched it 441 feet deep into the right-centerfield stands increasing the Cardinals lead to 4-1. BOOM!

That 4-1 lead wouldn’t last long for St. Louis as Michael McGreevy got hit hard in the top of the 6th inning. With two outs, Castro ripped a double off of the wall in right which was followed by Brett Sullivan connecting with a 91 mph McGreevy sinker and depositing it over the right field wall for a 2-run homer reducing the Cardinals lead down to just one run at 4-3. Justin Bruihl would finish the 6th and also pitch the top of the 7th for St. Louis without allowing any more runs during his watch.

Many of the St. Louis faithful know the trepidation of the Cardinals entering the late innings with only a one-run lead. That’s why we were encouraged that the Cardinals bats threatened to increase that lead in the bottom of the 7th when JJ Wetherholt led off with a solid single to center followed by another from Iván Herrera giving St. Louis runners at first and second with no outs. No runs would be scored unfortunately after those two hits were wasted after a flyout and two groundouts.

That sinking feeling after missing a great scoring opportunity in the bottom of the 7th inning was realized in the top of the 8th inning when the Rockies Hunter Goodman connected with a 95 mph George Soriano sinker and sent it 394 feet into the left field stands tying the game at 4-4.

The St. Louis Cardinals seemed determined to not wait until the bottom of the 9th inning to overcome the Coloradoans. Masyn Winn and Nathan Church led off the bottom of the 8th with back-to-back singles and then José Fermín laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt moving Winn and Church up to scoring position and second and third with just one out. Unfortunately, Bryan Torres struck out on 3 pitches for the second out which left the Cardinals 8th inning fate in JJ Wetherholt’s hands. The Rockies went to the bullpen and brought in lefty Parker Mushinski. JJ made Colorado understand they made a mistake immediately as he unloaded on Mushinski’s first pitch which was a 92 mph four-seam fastball and blasted a triple (that the official scorer somehow declared a double and an error) off of the centerfield wall scoring both Winn and Church giving the Cardinals a 6-4 lead. Iván Herrera added another invaluable single into left-center scoring Wetherholt and upping the St. Louis advantage to 7-4.

The top of the 9th inning was Riley O’Brien’s responsibility as he had to face Cardinals killer Jake McCarthy first. He lined out to newcomer Pereira in left field for the first out. Carrigg was next up and he was robbed by a nice play from JJ Wetherholt up the middle that also included a nice stretch by Alec Burleson that was confirmed after a Colorado challenge. Rumfield was the Rockies last hope, but he lined out to Pereira who made a great diving catch in left to seal Colorado’s fate.

The St. Louis Cardinals begin a crucial 3-game homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies Monday night at Busch Stadium. Hunter Dobbins gets the start for the Cardinals while the Phillies will give the ball to Andrew Painter who’s returning from hamstring issues. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time and the game broadcast will be available through Cardinals.tv.

The Cubs finished up a stretch of 17 games without an off day with a 12-5 mark, which is likely better than any of us had hoped for when this run began.

And they did it emphatically, with yet another solid outing from Matthew Boyd and the bats going strong. All of that resulted in a 10-2 Cubs victory over the Royals, taking the series.

The Cubs wasted no time in taking the lead in this one. With one out, Michael Busch doubled and then the bases became loaded on infield singles by Alex Bregman and Ian Happ.

Michael Conforto’s sacrifice fly made it 1-0 Cubs [VIDEO].

Boyd breezed through the first two innings, recording his first six outs on just 15 pitches. Then the Cubs made it 3-0 in the third. Busch singled with one out, his second hit of the game. After a fly out by Alex Bregman, Happ also posted his second hit of the game, a single, with Busch stopping at second.

Conforto singled in the Cubs’ second run [VIDEO].

Happ stopped at second on that hit, and then scored on this single by Nico Hoerner [VIDEO].

In the bottom of the third, Bregman flashed some glove on this low line drive [VIDEO].

The Cubs made it 4-0 in the fourth. Miguel Amaya led off with a single. Tyrone Taylor attempted a bunt, which resulted in a force play at second. Pete Crow-Armstong also hit into a force play. Busch followed with his third hit of the game, a single, with PCA stopping at second.

Bregman’s second hit of the day, a single, scored PCA [VIDEO].

Boyd then made his only real mistakes of the day in the bottom of the fourth, a one-out single by Salvador Perez, followed by a ball hit by Starling Marte that was absolutely demolished for a 413-foot two-run homer.

In the fifth, Boyd had a chance to show off some defense. With a runner on first and nobody out, Kyle Isbel attempted a bunt. Boyd caught it and turned it into a double play [VIDEO].

The Cubs began to put the game out of reach in the sixth. PCA led off with a walk, which he got in part helped by this ABS challenge [VIDEO].

A ground out by Busch advanced PCA to second, where he scored on Bregman’s third hit of the afternoon [VIDEO].

Happ, who also had three hits on the day, then smashed his 20th homer of the year to make it 7-2 [VIDEO].

I really, truly hope this is the beginning of one of Happ’s patented late season hot streaks. He went 5-for-13 in this series with a double and two home runs.

The Cubs put the game away in the seventh. Hoerner led off with a double and Swanson walked.

Miguel Amaya then hit a three-run homer, his fourth [VIDEO].

Boyd completed seven innings, throwing 98 pitches (64 strikes), a really good performance on a very hot day in Kansas City (90 degrees at game time).

About Boyd’s outing, from BCB’s JohnW53:

Matthew Boyd’s quality start was his sixth of the season, tying Colin Rea for second most among Cubs pitchers. Shota Imanaga has 10. Seven others have a combined 17, for a team total of 39, about one of every three for the season.

Here’s more on Boyd’s outing [VIDEO].

Ryan Zeferjahn threw the eighth and struck out a pair, including getting Bobby Witt Jr. on a 99 mile per hour four-seamer. So far, Zeferjahn looks like an excellent acquisition by Jed Hoyer.

Royals infielder Josh Rojas threw the ninth and allowed a leadoff single to Tyrone Taylor, but that was it. The Cubs thus matched their season high with 18 hits. More on that from John:

They had 18 twice before, in an 8-7, 10-inning win over the Phillies on April 23 and in a 16-2 rout of the Jays on June 19. Both were at home.

Their most on the road before this game were 17, in a 10-2 win at St. Louis on July 28.

Javier Assad came in for the ninth to wrap things up. He retired the Royals 1-2-3 on just five pitches. Here’s the final out [VIDEO].

A few more game notes from John:

This is the Cubs’ 16th game of the season with at least 10 runs scored — about one of every 7.5. They had 22 last season, 11 in 2024 and 24 in 2023.

Today’s win was the Cubs’ 48th straight with double-digit runs, since a 12-11, 10-inning loss at Arizona on April 16, 2024. Before that, they had won 32 in a row, so now they are 81-1 since they were outslugged by the White Sox, 17-13, on Aug. 27, 2021.
…
The Cubs scored three runs in the sixth and three in the seventh, allowing none. They have scored 84 runs in the sixth, eight more than in their second-best inning: the seventh, with 76.

The Cubs are +34 runs in the seventh, their best, and +23 in the sixth, their second best.

Overall the Cubs left 11 runners on base — but at the same time, went 7-for-15 with RISP, which is a really good showing in that situation. Well done on all counts. The Cubs win another series and, as noted, went 12-5 in the 17-game stretch without an off day, just an outstanding performance. At this writing the Brewers and Twins are in extra innings, tied 3-3.

Lastly, as noted on the Marquee broadcast, the Cubs have now won eight straight road series — something not accomplished by the franchise since 1912 (!) — well done!

And so the Cubs will certainly enjoy their off day Monday, then will open a three-game series against the Nationals in Washington Tuesday. Shōta Imanaga will start the series opener Tuesday. At this writing the Nats do not have a starter listed at MLB.com, though it was mentioned on the Marquee broadcast that Jake Irvin will start for Washington on Tuesday. Game time Tuesday is 5:45 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

It was hard to tell which was hotter, the Kansas City August weather, or Cubs bats.

Cubs hitters rapped out 17 hits and 10 runs as Chicago took the series on Sunday with a 10-2 win over the Royals. The Randy Dobnak magic that had worked so well in his first four starts was put on hiatus for this start. The right-hander went five innings, giving up ten hits and four runs, but it was the bullpen that made it a laugher, giving up six runs in four innings of work.

The Cubs got to Dobnak with a run in the first on a Michael Conforto sacrifice fly. In the third, Dobnak gave up back-to-back two out RBI singles to Conforto and Nico Hoerner to make it 3-0. Alex Bregman had an RBI single in the fourth to give the Cubs a four-run lead.

The Royals would get some of those runs back on a two-run home run by Starling Marte off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. Michael Massey followed that up with a two-out triple, but Tyler Tolbert was unable to bring him home.

Starling Marte homers to get the Royals on the board! pic.twitter.com/UzrQ44STxO

— Royals.TV (@kcroyalstv) August 9, 2026

Easton McGee came in for the sixth and gave up six runs in just two innings of work. He allowed a two-run home run to Ian Happ in the sixth, and a three-run home run to Miguel Amaya in the seventh. Lucas Erceg worked around two singles to pitch a scoreless seventh, then it was infielder Josh Rojas on the mound for eighth to make this a true laugher. It was the sixth pitching appearance by a Royals position player this year, and the first by someone other than Tyler Tolbert.

The Royals managed just six hits on offense, going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. They lose the three game series to the Cubs an fall to 49-70 for the year. They head to Los Angeles to take on the Dodgers for a three game set beginning tomorrow evening.

The post-trade-deadline Mets are fun to watch.

Sean Manaea pitched a gem, and the Mets offense scored early and often as New York defeated the Pirates 11-1 Sunday in Pittsburgh. The Mets are 5-1 since their deadline selloff, taking back-to-back road series against teams that still have playoff hopes in the Guardians and now the Pirates.

Registering his fourth consecutive quality start, Manaea finished with a season-high 11 strikeouts, zero walks and just three hits allowed. Those 11 strikeouts also matched Manaea’s best mark in a Mets uniform.

Manaea came out with some of his best stuff of the season, striking out five Pirates batters in the first two innings, matching a career best. His fastball velocity was consistently in the low to mid 90s as the veteran continues his midseason turnaround. Manaea was mowing down batter after batter, recording six consecutive strikeouts before giving up a solo home run to Jake Mangum in the third inning.

While Manaea looked like an ace, the Mets lineup got RBIs from six different players, plating at least one run in four of the first five innings. Bo Bichette reached base six times, Jared Young had three hits, Luis Robert Jr. and Francisco Alvarez each homered, as the Mets have put up 42 runs on their current road trip.

Pirates pitching wasn’t up to the task against the suddenly surging Mets. They gave up 15 hits, seven walks, and two hit-by-pitches as the Mets consistently had traffic on the bases.

New York jumped on Pirates starter Jared Jones in the first inning with some good at-bats and a bit of luck. AJ Ewing led the game off by drawing a walk on seven pitches to lead off the game before Francisco Lindor took a pitch off the foot. Bichette lined a ball 110.9 MPH up the middle to load the bases and set up Carson Benge. The rookie outfielder missed Saturday’s game with a bruised wrist, but quickly made an impact with a check-swing single to score Ewing. Robert Jr. scored Lindor on a sacrifice fly to put New York up 2-0 and give Manaea a little cushion before even taking the mound.

New York added on in the third inning with Robert Jr.’s two-run home run. Young followed that up with a two-out triple, his second triple of the road trip. Marcus Semien singled Young home, contributing to Jones’ bad day at the office.

Jones’ implosion got worse in the fourth inning, when the Mets put the game out of reach. Jones hit Alvarez with a pitch, then walked Ewing and Lindor. The Pirates replaced Jones with Evan Sisk, but it didn’t help much. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Bichette launched a double to left field to clear the bases. Young knocked Bichette home to put the Mets up 9-1.

Alvarez shook off the hit by pitch, which he took off his oft-injured hands, and eventually crushed his solo home run in the fifth inning for good measure. The solo shot gave the Mets double-digit runs for the 12th time this season. Bichette and Robert Jr. couldn’t help but pad their stats in the seventh inning. Bichette doubled to left field before Robert Jr. got his fourth RBI of the day on a two-out single.

Bichette finished 5-5 with two doubles while everyone in the Mets lineup reached base at least once except Brett Baty, who went 0-5 with three strikeouts.

With the dust settling on Manaea’s gem and the lineup’s relentless attack, Jack Weisenburger made his MLB debut out of the Mets bullpen in the eighth inning. The 28-year-old had just gotten the call earlier today before pitching two shutout innings to close out the laugher. Weisenburger and Manaea’s effort helped interim manager Andy Green preserve the bullpen heading into a three-game series in Atlanta.

The Braves series starts Monday at 7:15 PM EDT with Christian Scott taking the mound for New York, and Bryce Elder starting for Atlanta.

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Bo Bichette, +13% WPA
Big Mets loser: Brett Baty, -3% WPA
Mets pitchers: +11% WPA
Mets hitters: +39% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Robert Jr. home run, +15% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jake Mangum home run, -4.7% WPA

The Mets had everything working in Sunday's series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates and won the rubber game, 11-1.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- A day after getting shut out, New York’s offense broke out in a big way and returned to its recent form on this road trip with an 11-run and 15-hit performance. 

Bo Bichette led the pack by going 5-for-5 (his second five-hit game of the season) with two doubles, a walk, three RBI and three runs scored. His bases clearing double was the big hit that blew the game wide open in a four-run fourth inning.

-- Before that, the Mets had already mounted a big lead thanks to two runs in the first and three more in the third where Luis Robert Jr., who entered the day as a career .406 hitter in 18 games against the Pirates, unloaded a two-run shot to put New York ahead, 4-0. The home run traveled 408 feet to right center field – a rare spot for a right-handed hitter at PNC Park.

Robert finished 2-for-5 with a game-high four RBI and a run scored. He drove in three of the Mets’ first four runs after lifting a sacrifice fly in the first inning and he knocked in the team’s final run with an RBI single in the sixth.

-- Jared Young also had a great day at the plate with a three-hit performance, including a triple (his second three-bagger of the road trip), that was aided by a defensive miscue. He also drove in a run and scored a run.

-- Carson Benge, back in the lineup after a day off on Saturday to recover from wrist soreness after crashing into the left field wall on Friday, seemed completely unaffected by the injury scare and stayed hot, getting things started for New York in the first with a bases loaded check-swing single through the massive hole on the left side of the infield.

The rookie went 2-for-5 and has had multiple hits in his last three games and at least one hit in every game he’s started on the road trip. He’s up to a .272 average on the season with a .744 OPS.

-- Francisco Alvarez got in the mix with a solo shot, his 13th of the year, in the fifth for his only hit of the game, although he walked and scored twice. Marcus Semien also drove in a run with a single and went 1-for-4 with a walk.

-- A.J. Ewing went hitless in six at-bats at the top of the lineup but scored two runs on two walks. Behind Ewing, Francisco Lindor also didn’t have a hit until he singled in the ninth, but like Ewing he scored twice. 

In the first inning, Lindor was hit by a pitch on the foot and was briefly looked at by trainers before being good to go.

-- On the mound, Sean Manaea pitched like an ace. The left-hander went seven innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out a season-high 11 batters and walking none. At one point Manaea struck out six in a row before it was broken up by Jake Mangum’s solo home run, the only run the Pirates scored.

It was Manaea’s best start of the season and he looked like the 2024 version of himself. The veteran southpaw has looked a lot better lately and lowered his season ERA to 4.13 in 25 games (11 starts).

-- Jack Weisenburger made his MLB debut and pitched the final two innings where he struck out two and allowed one hit.

Game MVP: Sean Manaea

Manaea gets the nod for his dominant performance and because the Mets offense split the vote between them.

Highlights

That'll play!

Carson Benge gives the Mets an early lead with an RBI single pic.twitter.com/dcC4EOTNrz

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

A Luis Robert Jr. sac fly puts the Mets up 2-0 pic.twitter.com/whUVfB7W7Q

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

Luis Robert Jr. goes boom! 💥 pic.twitter.com/zP47iSHa9V

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

Jared Young with a triple as the ball gets past Jake Mangum in center field pic.twitter.com/nbcpwVsbFe

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

Marcus Semien is swinging 3-0 and giving the Mets a 5-0 lead pic.twitter.com/nBOXWd8N5i

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

Bo Bichette clears the bases! pic.twitter.com/DcKRmgDJLH

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

Jared Young extends the Met lead! pic.twitter.com/ocZMk1kVej

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

Francisco Alvarez launches his 13th home run of the year! pic.twitter.com/IhlCzLI4Q9

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 9, 2026

What's next

The Mets continue their road trip on Monday night when they begin a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves starting at 7:15 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Christian Scott (3-3, 3.15 ERA) takes on RHP Bryce Elder (8-6, 3.69 ERA).

The Red Sox are playing a few men short, and it’s come at a difficult time. The 13-inning, marathon game on Thursday night required Brayan Bello to throw three innings, limiting his availability today. It also led to Greg Weissert being optioned to bring up Raymond Burgos to provide length, which he did for two days before being optioned for Seth Martinez. Martinez isn’t exactly a trusted arm at this point; bringing him in to a close game would only be done by necessity.

On Sunday (and Saturday), the lack of rotation depth caught up to the Red Sox. With no starter available, the Red Sox needed six pitchers to get 27 outs. It nearly worked, as the Red Sox led the game after eight innings. Unfortunately, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman are human, and both scuffled on Sunday. Whitlock nearly pitched a scoreless inning, but a bloop single and double just out of the reach of Jarren Duran tied the game. In the ninth inning with the game tied and two outs, Aroldis Chapman had Donovan Walton picked off, but Willson Contreras’ throw to second wound up in the outfield, and the inning continued. Max Muncy promptly doubled, and the Athletics had a lead. While the defense let Chapman down, he wasn’t particularly sharp. Whitlock and Chapman are each in the top five in appearances since the second half began, and pitch exclusively in high-pressure situations. Those two will continue to be effective, but the Red Sox need more length from the rotation to navigate a difficult stretch of the schedule.

Of course, the offense can bail out the bullpen on any given day. Today, that didn’t happen. They managed to score four runs on Sunday, but lacked any power and primarily moved station to station, taking extra bases with their speed. Small ball has shown up in big moments for the Red Sox, but it’s actually the home run ball that’s propelled the turnaround. Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox have 33 home runs, the third most in baseball over that span. Today, Wilyer Abreu hit a ball that looked like it had a chance, but was caught in right field for a sacrifice fly. Besides that, the contact was mostly weak, and Boston didn’t record a single extra-base hit. That meant the team couldn’t turn to Seth Martinez for a reprieve, and the high-leverage arms faltered on the same day, giving the A’s a 5-4 victory. It’s the first time the Red Sox have lost on back-to-back days since June 21st and 22nd, and the first series they’ve dropped since the end-of-June series against the Nationals.

Sonny Gray will go tomorrow against the Toronto Blue Jays. The next off day is still a week away, but Adley Rutschman could be returning to add some thump to the offense.

Three Studs

Brayan Bello (4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K)

Eli White (3-4)

Tyron Guerrero/Jovani Moran (2 IP, 0 ER)

Three Duds

Willson Contreras (0-2, 2 HBP, Error)

Jarren Duran (0-3)

Ceddanne Rafaela (0-5)

Milwaukee Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski struck out his 200th batter of 2026 Sunday, Aug. 9. Only one other pitcher has ever gotten there faster.

It took Misiorowski 129⅓ innings. Spencer Strider did it in 123⅓ in 2022.

The list of pitchers he joins is impressive. Strider again in 2023 (130 innings), Randy Johnson in 2001 (130⅔ innings) and Gerrit Cole 133⅓ innings in 2019.

It is also a red flag.

Strider had Tommy John surgery in 2024. Cole had a reconstruction with an internal brace in March 2025 and lost a season. Johnson is the only one who did this and stayed healthy, and he was 37.

Misiorowski is 24, and the Brewers have the best record in baseball. Milwaukee has never won a World Series. Down the stretch, the Brewers have to balance that drive versus keeping their star healthy.

He went six innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk with nine strikeouts. He punched out No.200 in the third inning, and that was the exact moment he surpassed his work load for last season.

Misiorwski threw 129⅓ regular-season innings last year between Triple-A and the big leagues, plus 12 more in October. He matched that Sunday in the third inning. There are seven weeks left and he's at 133 innings.

The Brewers have already flinched. They scratched him July 12 in Pittsburgh with arm fatigue. He skipped the All-Star Game after making the team for the second straight year. He came back July 21 following a 12-day layoff, and they pulled him after four inning and 65 pitches.

Traditionally, the process is to add 20% to 30% to last year's total to protect a young arm. That would get Misiorowski 12 more starts of five innings. The Brewers have said they will tailor it to how Misiorowski feels and it pitching.

What makes this unique is what Misiorowski can do with the innings he does pitch. Against the Rockies last month, 66 of his 83 pitches hit 100 miles an hour. He touched 104.7 mph. He threw 33 fastballs at 103 or better, more than twice as many as anyone had ever thrown in a game since tracking began.

Over his last 15 starts, he has a 1.05 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 94.1 innings.

The Brewers have their best roster in franchise history and arguably the best pitcher in baseball right now. Every inning they let him go this regular season is one they may want in October.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jacob Misiorowski reaches 200 strikeouts as Brewers watch innings grow

“Max Fried and Gerrit Cole combined to allow two runs through 13.1 innings in the opening contests. Should similar events unfold today, a sweep is tantalizingly close.”

So said the idiot who authored today’s game thread. And the monkey’s paw curled.

Similar events unfolded as Cam Schlittler delivered a masterful performance and the bullpen held Atlanta scoreless for the final two innings of regulation. Alas, you have to score runs to win baseball games. Today, like most days, New York strugged to do that. And it cost them in a 2-1 loss in 10.

“And I took that personally” were Michael Jordan’s infamous words from The Last Dance.

Judging by how Schlittler came out of the gate today, the fireballer was still umm … disgruntled, about his previous start. Touching 100 mph in the first inning with the fastball, Cam whiffed five of the first six Braves he faced. Entering today featuring his heat 90 percent of the time, through two frames Schlittler was also leaning on his curveball more than usual, with the hook accounting for 20 percent of his pitches.

Mike Yastrzemski led off the third with a double (no perfecto or no-no for Cam today). Showing he has more than just blow-away gas in his arsenal, Schlittler proceeded to pitch to contact to strand the grandson of the Red Sox legend. A pop out to first followed by a pair of fly balls. No harm, no foul.

The middle innings were more of the same from Cam, relying on his number one to hold down the Braves lineup. The Yaz double was the last time that Atlanta got to Schlittler for several innings. After surrendering the two-bagger, Cam retired 12 consecutive Braves, keeping them out of the run column and giving the beleaguered Yankee offense a chance to break through.

In the home sixth, the Yanks finally had a golden opportunity to get on the board. After an Austin Wells single, Trent Grisham ripped a double down the right field line to put runners on the corners with one out and the heart of the lineup looming.

Ben Rice then hammered a ball… directly at Ronald Acuña Jr. and his cannon of an arm. With Acuña coming in on the ball, sending Wells would have been an all-time bonehead decision. That left the job up to Heliot Ramos, who proceeded to strike out swinging. Just like that, the Yanks’ best chance to score to that point was extinguished.

Perhaps inevitably, New York’s failure to score immediately haunted them. Schlittler looked to catch a break on 3-1 pitch to Acuña, ultimately striking him out. Matt Olson, however, did not strike out. A rocket off his bat just cleared the fence in right field, putting Atlanta up 1-0. Schlittler recovered to escape without further damage.

His final line on the day: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 11 K. It was another brilliant outing as Schlittler and Dylan Cease trade haymakers in a heavyweight bout for the AL Cy Young Award. It was Cam’s 15^th start this season allowing one or fewer runs, best in the big leagues.

With Brent Headrick and David Bednar each having pitched back-to-back games, Aaron Boone needed to turn elsewhere for innings. For the eighth, he chose Kervin Castro. Castro rewarded his skipper with a clean eighth, keeping the deficit at one as the offense was quickly running out of chances.

With the Yankees down to four outs, “The Big Sleep” came through with a big swing. Trent Grisham obliterated a solo home run, his 11th high-leverage long ball since the start of last season, to tie the game and get Schlittler off the hook for the loss.

With the game knotted at one, Paul Blackburn came on for the ninth and retired Atlanta in order, punctuated by a strikeout looking of Olson. Unfortunately, Raisel Iglesias carved through the heart of the Yankee lineup like a hot knife through butter, sending the Yankees and Braves to bonus cantos for the second time this weekend.

It didn’t take long for the Manfred Man to score. Michael Harris II, leading off against Blackburn in his second inning of work, singled up the middle and plated the second Braves run of the day. And that was all Atlanta needed. Jazz Chisholm Jr. started the bottom of the 10th at second. He finished the inning and the game standing there, with Spencer Jones popping up, George Lombard Jr. grounding out, and Ryan McMahon going down on strikes. Whatever. You’re not getting many games to extras scoring only one run, let alone winning them.

The loss drops the Yankees to 7-6 this season when they have the chance to lock down a sweep. The only solace is that the Red Sox actually lost a series to the A’s at Fenway, so the game-and-a-half edge for the top Wild Card spot remains untouched.

The Yanks’ next opponent, Seattle, is currently playing the AL East-leading Rays. Once that’s decided, both the M’s and Yanks are off on Monday before convening in the Bronx on Tuesday night. It’ll be Ryan Weathers vs. Bryan Woo with first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm ET.

Box Score

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Yordan Alvarez is putting together an MVP-caliber season at the plate, and his success should continue on Sunday Night Baseball.

He headlines three bats I'm backing with my Astros vs. Padres props and MLB picks for Aug. 9.

Be sure to also check out our full Astros vs. Padres predictions ahead of first pitch at 8:20 p.m. ET. 

Astros vs Padres props for August 9

Astros vs Padres player prop picks

Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 0.5 RBIs (+120)

Randy Vasquez ranks in the third percentile in both xBA and xERA. He allows a ton of quality contact and bleed hits, which will lead to plenty of traffic on the bases.

This is a great spot for the Houston Astros as a whole to string together hits and keep the train moving. That won't afford opportunities to pitch around Yordan Alvarez.

He ranks third in the majors in RBIs and is a 100th percentile hitter in xwOBA, xSLG, and xBA.

Play to +110.

Jeremy Pena Over 0.5 singles (-155)

Jeremy Pena picked up at least one single in 60% of his games this season, and this is a prime spot to add to that output.

Vasquez owns a poor 1.41 WHIP despite strong walk suppression numbers because of his inability to limit hits. That sets up well for Pena, who owns an impressive .312 batting average against right-handed pitching this season.

Pena has hit .300 or better against each of Vasquez's three most-used pitches vs. righties, giving him few options to attack and get Pena out.

I'd bet Pena up to -170.

Fernando Tatis Jr. Over 0.5 singles (-110)

Cristian Javier has given up hits in bulk, allowing 10.28 per nine innings. He has struggled against righties in particular, allowing a .305 average.

That's good news for Fernando Tatis Jr., who has singled in 55% of his games this season and 65% when isolating home dates. 

While Tatis Jr. does have some barrel ability in his bat, he has struggled hitting for power against fastballs. His ISO sits at .073 facing four-seamers, and that is by far Javier's most-used pitch.

I like Tatis Jr. to pick up a single, and would bet this to -133.

How to watch Astros vs Padres and game info

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The A’s managed to string together a pair of wins! A day after snapping their nine-game losing streak the club made it two in a row as they won their road trip and series finale against the Boston Red Sox in a close 4-3 contest. They now sit at 47-71 and will stay out of the league cellar for another day.

The Athletics got out to a quick start in this one against a Red Sox club going with a bullpen game. A pair of hits started this game and the A’s were in early business. The club did well to cash in at least one run off an RBI groundout from Tyler Soderstrom, but it also felt like a minor wasted opportunity to give their starting pitcher some breathing room before taking to the mound.

It was right-hander J.T. Ginn on the bump today making his second start since getting activated off the injured list with a blister. He was looking good in this one, allowing just one run to score in the second to knot this game up at one apiece.

A couple innings later it was Soderstrom back up to bat and this time he hit a leadoff triple to start the fourth. He’d come in to score on the next pitch thanks to another RBI groundout, this one from rookie infielder Tommy White.

Boston would take the lead in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a throwing error from Ginn. He wasn’t charged with two runs on his final line but for all intents and purposes they were his responsibility. Ginn would pitch one more frame before departing this game, leaving down 3-2 and in line for a loss.

• J.T. Ginn: 6 IP, 5 H 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 95 pitches

Not the most dominant start we’ve seen from Ginn but he didn’t have his best stuff on the mound. He did well to battle through and give the club six solid innings and giving the offense a chance to make up the difference.

With their backs up against the wall and the final frames approaching the bats needed to push across just one run. They’d manage to do just that in the top of the eighth when catcher Jonah Heim smacked an RBI double to bring home Jeff McNeil and tie this game at 3:

Heim ties it in the eighth with a clutch knock 🙌 pic.twitter.com/BCBUlrFwEl

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 9, 2026

McNeil’s hit was also a special one for him as that was the 1,000th hit of his big league career. Congrats Jeff!

MCNEIL IS GRAND 🤩

Congratulations to Jeff McNeil on 1000 career hits! pic.twitter.com/0Ek7UillOW

— Athletics (@Athletics) August 9, 2026

Just one inning later the A’s would retake the lead for the first time since the fourth. A single off the bat from Alika Williams and then a pinch-steal from Donovan Walton set up the go-ahead run for Max Muncy. Facing the left-handed flamethrower Aroldis Chapman, Muncy connected on an RBI double to make it 4-3 A’s:

Muncy gives the A's the lead in the ninth 😤 pic.twitter.com/h3aT6ShdEd

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 9, 2026

Lefty Hogan Harris was called on in the ninth to seal the deal. He walked the tight rope as he put a the winning run on base, but he managed to nail down his 11th save and the team’s 47th win of the season.

Hung on for the win. Literally 😅 pic.twitter.com/xOdtnHClCn

— Athletics on NBCS (@NBCSAthletics) August 9, 2026

The road trip is over and the Athletics are likely already on a plane back home. The squad didn’t enjoy the greatest road trip, one that saw them go 2-4 but they ended it on a high note. The squad now welcomes the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays to town for the first of three games tomorrow night. Lefty Jacob Lopez is scheduled to take the ball for the home team, his fourth since rejoining the rotation. The results have been good so far as he’s allowed just five runs in 21 1/3 innings. Tampa has deadline acquisition Freddy Peralta going for them.

Not the flashiest way to end the series, but a win, nonetheless.

The Atlanta Braves might have been struggling waking their bats up, but somehow avoided being swept by the New York Yankees with a 2-1 win in extras.

A homerun knocked in by Matt Olson was the first run of the game in the top of the seventh and put the Braves on the board to kick things off.

Special delivery from Matt! 📦#BravesCountrypic.twitter.com/8Ysh4r7eMv

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 9, 2026

The Yankees wouldn’t accept a shut-out, however, and knocked a solo shot of their own—courtesy of Trent Grisham—during the bottom of the eighth to tie the Braves 1-1.

The problem with both teams during this series is the lack of offensive production to put themselves in a good spot early on. In this game specifically, there wasn’t any action from anyone until late in the game, which could’ve gone differently, considering that New York’s previous two wins in the series were low-scoring ones.

Grant Holmes came out and finished the job on his end (6.0 IP/ 3 H/ 0 ER/2 BB, 2 K), bringing his ERA to 3.47 and holding the Yankees off during his stint. It wasn’t until Didier Fuentes came in for Dylan Dodd that the Yankees would see some action with Grisham’s home run.

Michael Harris II singled to drive in Ha-Seong Kim (pinch runner for Olson on second base) for Atlanta’s second and final run in the top of the 10th inning, which sealed the deal offensively. Tyler Kinley shut down the Yankees’ offense in the bottom of the inning to get the save and end the trip on a high note.

Choosing to ignore discussing the Chris Sale ejection news that was broken before the start of Sunday’s game, the highlight is that pitching has, in general, been a solid showing on the Braves’ side. It has a lot to do with moments like these, where it can buy the offense time to get things together and see what’s working, while the defense can hold their opposers off for a while.

This, however, can’t be the case for long.

Now, the Braves are set to return to Truist, where they’ll face another New York team that hasn’t had a series of quiet bats as of late.

The Yankees fell to the Atlanta Braves 2-1 in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon.

Here are the key takeaways…

--This was a good old fashioned pitchers duel in the Bronx. Cam Schlittler, coming off a rare poor outing against St. Louis his last time out in which he walked five, was excellent. The right-hander overpowered the Braves, striking out seven over his first three innings alone. 

Schlittler’s armor finally cracked in the top of the seventh, as Matt Olson tagged him for a solo home run, blasting one 110.7 mph off the bat to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.

Still, it was a terrific day for Schlittler, who went 7.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and striking out 11 without a walk. He lowered his season ERA to 2.21.

--Braves starter Grant Holmes was just as good. Holmes went 6.0 shutout innings and held the Yankees to just three hits. He only struck out two and walked two, but he induced eighth groundouts and kept the Yankees off-balance.

--The Yankees had a prime opportunity to get to Holmes in the bottom of the sixth, putting runners at second and third with just one out. But Ben Rice hit a hard line drive out to right, and Heliot Ramos went down swinging to end the inning.

-- Trent Grisham, who had been hitting just .157 in his last 30 games, delivered in a huge way in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and nobody on, Grisham destroyed a solo homer off of Didier Fuentes, a no-doubt shot to right field to tie the game at 1-1.

-- Paul Blackburn kept the game tied with a scoreless top half of the ninth inning, including a strikeout. But he went back out there for the 10th, and Michael Harris II got to him right away with a leadoff single to score the free runner and give the Braves the lead. It was still a fairly good outing for Blackburn, who lowered his season ERA to 1.95.

-- The Yankees went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 10th, ending a frustrating day for the offense. The Yankees had just four hits as a team and went hitless with runners in scoring position. 

Game MVP

Holmes, who held the Yankees to three hits over his six shutout innings.

Highlights

Cam Schlittler cooking early pic.twitter.com/KZkgGvGahr

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 9, 2026

Trent Grisham brings the Yankees even! pic.twitter.com/TlEAVsX4Cp

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 9, 2026

Great strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play to hold the Braves to just the one run in the top of the 10th pic.twitter.com/zrouKqWTRk

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 9, 2026

Up next

The Yankees have a day off on Monday before hosting the Seattle Mariners for three games, starting on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.

Ryan Weathers is scheduled to start for the Yankees, while the M's have not announced a starter.

The rollercoaster that has been the 2026 Washington Nationals is one that has been defined by the pitching staff. Consistency has been incredibly hard to come by, and the highest highs have been paralleled by lows that often sit among the league’s worst.

Finding any sort of reliable pitching has been a year-long struggle, and one that has only been made more difficult by the recent trade of left-hander Foster Griffin, who was far and away the anchor of the rotation. Cade Cavalli has maintained an upward trajectory, pitching to a 3.57 ERA across a career-high 128.2 innings, but the revolving door of arms after that has seen concerningly low stability.

The search for reliable starters has led to the coaching staff and front office exhausting every possible avenue within the system, and that venture may have struck gold in southpaw Andrew Alvarez. The 27-year-old came into 2026 with just 23.1 career innings (all in 2o25) and began the season with AAA Rochester. His promotion to the big-league club came in mid-April, where he was utilized as a bulk reliever through the end of May.

Alvarez earned regular time as a starter to kick off June, and he’s gone out there every 5th day and shown that he deserves to stay there long-term. Despite his successes, questions have remained about his ability to work deeper into games and not just be a 4/5-and-dive type of arm. After working into the 6th inning just one time before the calendar flipped to August, he’s kicked things to a new level, right when the Nats need him the most.

With a playoff run still possible but time slowly ticking down, Alvarez has dazzled through 2 starts this month, throwing 6.1 innings of 2-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies and 5.1 innings of 1-run ball against the Cincinnati Reds. His ERA has dropped down to a 3.76 mark across a modest 69.1 innings, and he’s right there behind Cavalli in terms of confidence from the fanbase and coaching staff.

The former 12th round draft pick in 2021 has been an absolute revelation for a Washington team that is pushing for a postseason berth, something that most fans and analysts thought impossible just a few months ago. He’s attacking hitters instead of exclusively attempting to paint corners, he’s flashing some of the most efficient arsenals that the Nats have seen this year, and he hasn’t allowed a home run in his last 51.2 innings, a remarkable feat and one that currently ranks 8th all-time in Nationals’ history.

His changeup and slider have fabulously complemented his low-90s fastball and have looked deadly when he can locate the heater in the zone. He’s getting it done without relying on top-of-the-line velocity, a fantastic sign for his overall development and ability to carry this success moving forward.

Sitting 4.5 games back of the 3rd Wild Card spot as of the morning of August 9th, it’s going to take some big-time performances for the Nats to make an appearance in October. They’re going to have to place even more weight on Alvarez’s shoulder in the coming month and a half, and the southpaw has proven that he’s up for the challenge.