WILLIAMSPORT, PA - AUGUST 23: Didier Fuentes #72 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the 2026 Little League Classic presented by New York Life between the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field on Sunday, August 23, 2026 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hailey Leonard/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Didier Fuentes was a main character in Wednesday night’s epic win over the Dodgers for Atlanta. He worked two scoreless innings, escaping two bases-loaded jams (one of his own creation). This highlighted how good he has been this season, producing 1.8 fWAR, the 10th most of any reliever in baseball. His 2.37 FIP and 3.10 xFIP illustrate how dominant he has been out of the pen as the youngest pitcher in baseball. Perhaps the highlight of his night was striking out Max Muncy to end the eighth inning and escape a bases-loaded jam. This is particularly interesting since he used his splitter to put Muncy away, which is his third pitch. Didier is still incredibly young and already very good, but his ability to develop and use a third pitch like his splitter will play a major factor in when or if he gets a chance to try his hand at being a starting pitcher again or if the Braves are content for him to be a dominant reliever for a long time.
Five games, five homers. Tristan Peters is officially Bananas. | (Zoe Davis/Getty Images)
Boy, oh, boy, do these guys need Thursday’s off-day.
Chicago’s (70-63) arms are cooked. Sean Burke lost the strike zone, and the Rangers took 10 free passes. Not that it mattered. The South Siders just kept swinging, Tristan Peters kept launching balls into orbit and somehow the Good Guys walked away with a 10-4 win and the series in hand.
Was it tidy? Absolutely not. Was it fun? You bet.
Burke had nothing from pitch one. He fell behind the first four hitters and handed Corey Seager a free pass with one out, while his fastball velocity was down 0.4 mph. Four pitches into Wyatt Langford, Burke tried to pick off Seager. The ump called him safe, but Will Venable challenged and got the out. The successful challenge did nothing to fix Burke’s control, as he walked Langford with two outs. Fortunately, the Rangers bailed him out. Langford got greedy on a 2-2 pitch to Brandon Nimmo, and Jake Rogers gunned him down at second to end the mess.
Burke needed 22 pitches to survive the first, throwing only 10 for strikes. Buckle up.
The bottom half was less chaotic but equally frustrating. Miguel Vargas worked a six-pitch walk, his 20th free pass of August, but Munetaka Murakami pounded a 3-1 pitch into the ground for a double play. Randal Grichuk followed with a strikeout, and MacKenzie Gore escaped without breaking a sweat.
Burke continued searching for the strike zone in the second. He issued a one-out walk to Ezequiel Duran and surrendered a single to Evan Carter, although he appeared to find a little more feel for his fastball toward the end of the inning. He retired the next two batters to strand both runners, but his pitch count had already ballooned to 52.
Thankfully, the offense decided to give him some breathing room.
Chase Meidroth opened the bottom of the second with a double, and Braden Montgomery immediately drove him home with an RBI double to right. Brenton Doyle kept the line moving with a single to left that scored Braden, although Doyle was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Rogers restarted the rally with a base hit to center, and after Peters flew out, Luisangel Acuña bounced a ground-rule double into the stands to put runners on second and third. Texas intentionally walked Vargas to pack the sacks for Mune, but Murakami struck out to leave them loaded.
Still, the Sox had a 2-0 lead. That lasted approximately five minutes.
Burke opened the third by walking Cody Freeman, and Joc Pederson promptly launched a two-run homer to tie the game. After Seager flew out, Burke walked Langford for the second time, balked him to second and appeared to get strike two on Nimmo on a 3-1 pitch. Nimmo was already halfway to first when he challenged the call, and the automated system agreed with him. Ball four.
Somehow, Burke pulled himself together long enough to punch out Ezequiel Duran and Evan Carter, escaping with the score still tied. It took him 81 pitches to record nine outs, though, which is generally not the preferred ratio.
The Sox did not give Burke much time to contemplate his life choices. Grichuk lined out, Meidroth walked, Braden flew out and Doyle struck out to send him right back to the mound.
For some reason, Venable allowed Burke to come back out for the fourth. He walked the first two batters, because of course he did, and FINALLY the skipper went to the bullpen.
Burke’s night ended after three-plus innings, two hits, two earned runs and a career-high eight walks. If Texas were a competent baseball team, those eight free passes might have buried the Sox.
Instead, Sean Newcomb came riding to the rescue.
Newcomb got Freeman on a sacrifice bunt before coaxing a pop out from Pederson and a fly out from Seager. Two inherited runners, zero runs. What an enormous job by Newcomb to bail out his teammate and keep the game tied.
The Sox rewarded him immediately.
Peters ripped a one-out double in the fourth, and Acuña followed with a single to center to put runners on the corners. Vargas worked his way into a 3-0 count before dropping a duck snort just inside the first-base line, driving in Peters and moving Acuña to second.
It was not majestic, but it counted all the same. The Sox had reclaimed a 3-2 lead.
Acuña was caught stealing third with Mune at the plate, but Murakami eventually worked a walk to end Gore’s night. Venable then sent Sam Antonacci up to pinch-hit for Grichuk, and Antonacci delivered a clutch RBI single to make it 4-2.
Newcomb returned for the fifth and surrendered a pair of singles, but Braden made an outstanding play in right to end the threat and preserve the two-run cushion.
Then it was time for the Tristan Peters Show.
Rogers worked a huge two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, and Peters promptly shot a laser over the right-field wall for his fifth home run in as many games.
Yes, five.
The two-run blast gave the White Sox a 6-2 lead and put Peters alongside Murakami and Ron Kittle as the only rookies in franchise history to homer in five consecutive games. Peters also tied the White Sox record and the MLB rookie record for consecutive games with a home run.
Bananas Bonds strikes again.
Newcomb finally delivered the first 1-2-3 inning by a White Sox pitcher in the sixth, and the offense responded by putting the game away.
Vargas led off with a single and took off for second. The throw sailed into center field, allowing him to scamper all the way to third. Murakami walked to put runners on the corners with nobody out, and Antonacci did what Antonacci does, sneaking a grounder between short and third to drive in Vargas.
After Meidroth flew out and Braden hit into a force out, Doyle stepped in with two aboard and two down.
Boom.
Doyle crushed a three-run homer to stretch the lead to 10-2 and turn the rest of the evening into something resembling a bullpen rehabilitation assignment.
Newcomb’s night ended after three magnificent scoreless innings. The southpaw allowed only two hits, did not issue a walk and struck out one. On a night when Burke could not locate anything and the pitching staff desperately needed length, Newcomb could not have been much better.
Jonathan Cannon took over in the seventh for his first major league appearance since April 12 after spending the past several months refining his mechanics in Charlotte. He struck out Seager before allowing a walk, a double and a single that brought home two runs. Cannon then walked old friend Nicky Lopez — he’s from Naperville, you know — but recovered with a fly out and a strikeout to escape the inning.
Peters led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, leaving him a triple shy of the cycle for the second consecutive night. Apparently, homering in five straight games is not enough for him. Unfortunately, Acuña followed with a double play, and Vargas struck out to end the inning.
Cannon made things interesting again in the eighth when Jake Burger doubled and Langford singled, but Texas failed to capitalize. Meidroth added a two-out single in the bottom half, giving the White Sox 15 hits on the night, and the Rangers never mounted the miraculous comeback necessary to spoil the party.
It was not exactly a pitching clinic, but who cares? The South Siders survived Burke’s eight walks, received three enormous innings from Newcomb and battered Texas pitching for the second consecutive night. Antonacci drove in two off the bench, Doyle collected four RBIs, Vargas reached base four times and Peters finished 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.
On the out-of-town scoreboard, the Tigers and Twins lost while the Guardians won. The White Sox maintain their 2 1/2-game advantage atop the AL Central and, mercifully, have Thursday off before opening a three-game series in Minnesota on Friday.
Get these pitchers some ice, a comfortable pillow and strict instructions not to pick up a baseball for at least 24 hours.
MVP Brenton Doyle: 2-for-4, R, 4 RBI, HR
Runners-Up Tristan Peters: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B Miguel Vargas: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB, K Sam Antonacci: 2-for-3, 2 RBI Chase Meidroth: 2-for-4, R, BB, 2B Luisangel Acuña: 2-for-4, 2B, CS Sean Newcomb: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
Cold Cat Sean Burke: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 8 BB, 3 K, PO
Runners-Up Jonathan Cannon: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K Randal Grichuk: 0-for-2, K Munetaka Murakami: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K
South Bend shortstop Angel Cepeda waits for the pitch during a Minor League Baseball game between the South Bend Cubs and the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Four Winds Field on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Right-hander Luis Rujano moves from the High-A South Bend Cubs to the Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Right-hander Jackson Kirkpatrick joins the South Bend Cubs from the ACL Cubs.
It was a terrific start for Kohl Franklin who allowed no runs on two hits over 4.2 innings. Franklin struck out seven and walked just one.
Luis Peralta got the final out of the fifth inning and got the win. Peralta faced one batter and gave up a single, but then that batter was thrown out trying to steal second.
Shelby Miller struck out the first two batters of the sixth inning swinging, but then he struggled with control as he walked the next two. So with two on and two outs, Miller was relieved by Connor Noland, who gave up a three-run home run to the first batter he faced. So two of those runs were charged to Miller.
However, Noland stayed in the game after that and actually got the save by pitching the final 3.1 innings. Noland surrendered one run (of his own) on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.
The I-Cubs exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth off former Cub Luke Little. The highlight was a “Little League grand slam” by right fielder Justin Dean, which officially went into the scorebook as a two-run single and a three-base error. Dean was 1 for 4.
Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. He scored one run.
Center fielder Chas McCormick went a perfect 1 for 1 with three walks and a stolen base. He scored on the “grand slam” and singled home a run in the seventh inning.
Matt Shaw played the entire game at third base and went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth. He then scored on Dean’s single.
Brody McCullough started and took the loss. McCullough gave up three runs in the first inning, including a two run home run and then settled down until the fifth inning when he allowed one more. McCullough’s final line was four runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked one.
First baseman Miguel Useche went 3 for 4 with one run scored.
Third baseman Edgar Alvarez was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Brayden Spears pitched the first three innings and allowed two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out five.
Braylon Myers relieved Spears to start the fourth inning and got the win because Spears didn’t go five. Myers pitched 4.1 innings, giving up four runs on three hits, two of which were home runs. Myers walked two and struck out five.
Shortstop Juan Cepeda cranked two home runs tonight: a solo home run in the fourth inning and a three-run home run in the ninth. That gives Cepeda eight South Bend home runs and nine overall. Cepeda was a tough out all night, going 4 for 5 with the two home runs and a walk. He scored three times to go with the four RBI.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn also had four hits tonight, going 4 for 6 with a double and two RBI. That gives the teenager 77 RBI in South Bend and 102 overall this year.
DH Reginald Preciado played in his first game since April and was 2 for 3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch to reach four times. Preciado scored twice and had three RBI.
Catcher Logan Poteet was 2 for 4 with a double and two walks. Poteet drove home one run and scored twice.
Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit an RBI triple in the fourth inning. Lumpuy went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He had two total RBI and scored twice.
Left fielder Kade Snell went 2 for 6 with a double. He scored one run.
Starter Hayden Frank took the loss after he allowed four runs on four hits and three walks over 3.1 innings. Frank struck out three and also hit a batter.
The Pelicans had one hit in this game and it was a third-inning home run by center fielder Darlyn De Leon. De Leon now has three home runs this year. He was 1 for 3.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 26: Christian Encarnacion-Strand #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting the game-winning RBI double against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on August 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, this game was like a rollercoaster. And when it ended, I felt much like I do after a real rollercoaster: happy but mildly nauseous.
The Orioles jumped out to a huge early lead in this game, big enough to make us relax a bit. The vibes were good, and the offense was cooking. But then they missed some opportunities to add on. And Kyle Bradish, who had battled throughout the first part of the game, fell apart. The Cardinals came all the way back. It took ninth-inning heroics from Christian Encarnacion-Strand and a gutsy performance from closer Andrew Kittredge to secure an 8-7 win.
Before all the drama, we had a very fun first two innings. With two outs in the first, Gunnar Henderson slapped a ball to the opposite field for a single. Samuel Basallo worked a walk, setting up back-to-back RBI singles by Encarnacion-Strand and Dylan Beavers. Both hits went to right field and the Orioles were up, 2-0.
Cardinals’ starter Michael McGreevy went to a 2-2 count on Leody Taveras, then threw a curveball that Taveras did not miss. It also went to right field, only it landed on the other side of the fence. It was his 8th long ball of the year and gave the Orioles a 5-0 lead. Wow, a five-run lead in the first inning! What could go wrong?
In the second inning, Pete Alonso decided to get in on the action. As he does. With Carlos Narváez on base from a HBP, Alonso once again took the ball to the opposite field. Note to McGreevy: don’t throw Pete Alonso a fastball down Broadway. That made the score 7-0. Uunfortunately, the offense cooled off after that.
They still got plenty of runners on base, but they could not get them in. In the third inning, they had first and third with no outs, then bases loaded with one out, and got bupkis. In the fourth, Basallo legged out an infield single with two outs and moved to third on a double by Encarnacion-Strand. It was CES’s third hit in four innings! But they were both stranded as well.
They had just one baserunner in the fifth, a single from Colton Cowser. And when the bottom of the fifth rolled around, you can bet the Orioles regretted stranding all those runners.
Bradish got off to a rough start in the game, but as I said, he battled. He pitched a scoreless first, but gave up two hits and threw 28 pitches. In the second, he allowed a home run to .190 batter Nolan Gorman, plus another single. The home run made the score 7-1, which still felt quite comfortable.
He settled in after that, getting help from a slick double play in the third to erase a single. And in the fourth, Bradish had a quick and easy 1-2-3. He went into the fifth inning looking stronger than he did at the start of the game. He had a pitch count of 69 and a six-run lead. What could go wrong? Well…about that.
Bryan Torres jumped on the first pitch he saw for a single, then after a fly out, Bradish issued back-to-back walks. The first walk, to JJ Wetherholt, went to a 3-2 count, but none of the balls were particularly close to the plate. The second walk, to Iván Herrera, was similar. Alec Burleson smoked a ball to center field and two runs scored, making it 7-3.
After that, things got a little ridiculous/unfair/weird for Bradish. Jordan Walker chopped a ball down the third base side that looked to almost everyone to be foul. It did not look foul to the third base umpire, and it wasn’t a challengeable play. Another run scored. Then Nathan Church hit a ball into deep left field, close to the foul line. It was a long run for Beavers, but he got there. He attempted to make a sliding catch but slid right past it. It was called a double; two more runs scored. 7-6.
That ended Bradish’s night. He was bad, but he was also a little unlucky and had a little bad defense. It’s a bad combo. Alex Hoppe replaced Bradish, and Church promptly stole third. That set up an RBI groundout for José Fermín to tie the game. Bradish’s final line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
This was Bradish’s second struggle in a row, though last time he kept the run scoring down. After tonight, he has thrown 144 innings this season. Last year, when he came back from Tommy John surgery, he threw a combined 54 innings between rehab and the majors. In 2024, before he went out with injury, he threw 39.1. It could be an issue.
In the sixth inning, the Cardinals also went to their bullpen, and things got quiet on both sides. The Orioles went 1-2-3 in the sixth, then wiped out a baserunner on a double play in the seventh. They had a chance in the eighth. Cowser singled, then move to second on a bunt by Narváez. But Holliday grounded out and, after an intentional walk to Alonso, Gunnar did the same.
Josh Walker started the sixth inning for the Orioles and allowed the first batter, Torres, to reach on an infield single that he bobbled. Torres stole second on a pitch, then moved to third on a groundout. That prompted Craig Albernaz to go to Rico Garcia. Garcia has been better of late, and that held true tonight. He stranded the runner and followed with a scoreless seventh. Grant Wolfram did the same in the eighth, which took us to the top of the ninth inning.
Finally, the Orioles got another run on the board. Basallo hit a soft ground ball that snuck into left field. In the olden days we could have said he went against the shift. He was replaced at first by the newest Oriole, Luis Vázquez. Cardinal pitcher Riley O’Brien did the Orioles a solid, throwing a wild pitch that put Vázquez in scoring position. Up came our hero, Encarnacion-Strand. With a 2-2 count, he saw an outside pitch and he went with it. He drove the ball to right-center field, easily scoring the go-ahead run.
It was a double for Encarnacion-Strand, his fourth hit of the day. I hoped they might bring him in for insurance, but neither Beavers nor Taveras could get the job done. Luckily, one run held up.
Andrew Kittredge came in to get the save, and he did. But whew, was it dicey. Herrera, the tying run, singled. Then Burleson hit a hard, low liner to Encarnacion-Strand at first base. He could have caught it, but he didn’t. Wait, why was Encarnacion-Strand at first? He had been playing third the entire game, but moved over after Basallo was pinch-hit for. He did get the out at first, at least. But Herrera moved to second.
Kittredge followed with a walk to Walker, but Jackson Holliday made a very nice diving stop on the next batter to get the second out. Finally, Kittredge got an easy out to end the game. A routine pop out to Holliday and the win was secured.
Orioles win, 8-7! That game was fun, then terrible, then exciting, then stressful, then happy. . But it all worked out in the win. They go for the sweep tomorrow at 2:15 with Trevor Rogers on the mound.
As is Camden Chat tradition, every win means selection of the Most Birdland Player award! Who is your choice? It could be Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who had four hits, including the game-winning RBI in the ninth. Maybe Pete Alonso and his 32nd home run. Perhaps even Rico Garcia for 1.1 clutch innings in relief. Let us know in the comments!
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 2: Adam Ottavino #0 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the National League Wild Card game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
As part of the celebration for America 250, MLB’s content team has been putting together 25 top-10 lists to honor the history of the game. Today’s list featured 10 of the nastiest pitches in MLB history. The list featured pitches like Nolan Ryan’s fastball, Clayton Kershaw’s curveball, and Mariano Rivera’s cutter. It’s a fun trip down baseball memory lane, but what about the Colorado Rockies?
The pitching history of the Rockies is obviously not that great and mostly forgettable. Still, some pitchers have had a signature pitch that comes to mind when they are mentioned.
For example, whenever I think of sliders, my thoughts immediately turn to Adam Ottavino. The absolute frisbee he would sling across the zone, particularly in 2018, will be etched in my memory forever. To this day, I consider him the gold standard for sliders in Colorado.
For tonight’s point of discussion, I want to know: what pitches in Rockies history do you consider iconic? What offering from a pitcher always impressed you with its movement, effectiveness (or even lack thereof), and so forth?
If you don’t have a Rockies pitcher in mind, I’ll also accept any pitcher in MLB history.
Sound off below, and if you can, leave a link to one of the pitches!
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 26: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third base after hitting a home run against the New Baltimore Orioles in the second inning at Busch Stadium on August 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
How can two baseball games start out so similar, but end so differently? I present to you Tuesday night’s Cardinals/Orioles game as Exhibit A and Wednesday night’s Cardinals/Orioles game as Exhibit B. Very similar games as the Orioles brought out their bats and put the Cardinals down big early. St. Louis Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy suffered much of the same fate as Matthew Liberatore did the night before. There was one key difference, though. Wednesday night, the St. Louis Cardinals fought back after going down big. It would unfortunately not end up being enough at the end, though.
The trouble for Michael McGreevy started with two outs in the top of the 1st inning. Gunner Henderson singled, Basallo walked and then Encarnacion-Strand did damage again as he hit a RBI single scoring Henderson and giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Beavers followed that with a single of his own scoring Basallo and upping the Baltimore advantage to 2-0. Leody Tavaras would be the one to give the Cardinals flashbacks to Tuesday night’s game as he crushed a 78 mph McGreevy curve into the right-centerfield seats for a 3-run homer and 5-0 Orioles lead.
It would get worse in the top of the 2nd inning when Narvaez was hit by a McGreevy pitch leading off and he would score two batters later when Pete Alonzo hit a 2-run homer to right giving the Orioles a seemingly insurmountable 7-0 lead. It felt like it was going to be another one of those nights for the Cardinals, but it only seemed that way. This time, the Cardinals flipped the script and came roaring back.
It started in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Nolan Gorman did something that Nolan Gorman hasn’t done in a long time. He hit a home run at Busch Stadium to get the Cardinals started Tuesday night. He caught up with a 96 mph Kyle Bradish sinker and sent it 410 feet into the Cardinals bullpen making it 7-1 Orioles. However, the best was yet to come.
The 5th inning has been a perilous one for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. I’ve lost track of how many games have gotten away from us as opposing teams punished us in the 5th. Well, the tables turned Wednesday night at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals came all the way back from a 7-run deficit by plating 6 in the bottom of the 5th inning. It all started with a Bryan Torres single. Two batters later, JJ Wetherholt had a great 8-pitch at-bat drawing a walk. Ivan Herrera followed that with a walk of his own to load the bases. Alec Burleson smoked a single up the middle scoring both Torres and Wetherholt reducing the Orioles lead to 7-3 and the Cardinals weren’t done. Jordan Walker and Nathan Church hit back-to-back doubles scoring 3 more runs to bring St. Louis to within 1 run. After a pitching change, Jose Fermin grounded out to short scoring Church and tying the game at 7!
This was not a good outing by Michael McGreevy, but he did give the Cardinals 5 innings. He also rebounded from a disastrous start in the first 2 innings to holding the Orioles scoreless for the other 3 he was responsible for. He gave St. Louis some innings and didn’t allow any more damage and that allowed the offense to make the comeback. Luis Gastelum was brought into the game to relieve Michael in the top of the 6th inning and he shut the Orioles down 1-2-3 and he did it with ATTITUDE. He was pumping his fist and screaming after he got the last out. Love it!
Ryne Stanek kept the fire going in the top of the 7th inning as he struck out Encarnacion-Strand then walked Beavers, but then got out of the inning as he got Tavares to ground into an inning-ending double play. The Cardinals offense unfortunately could not take advantage of the bullpen holding the Orioles at 7 runs after Bryan Torres reached on a bunt single and then stole second on a play that Baltimore unwisely challenged which eliminated their challenges for the rest of the night. Torres advanced to third on a ground out from JJ Wetherholt, but he would be stranded when Ivan Herrera struck out. Nathan Church walked in the bottom of the 7th inning, but he didn’t even make it into scoring position.
George Soriano had to pitch out of a mini-jam in the top of the 8th inning when Cowser singled to lead off the inning. He was moved into scoring position on a successful sacrifice bunt. The Cardinals intentionally walked Pete Alonzo after Jackson Holliday grounded out advancing Cowser to third base, but Soriano got Henderson to ground out to Wetherholt at short who stepped on second base to end the Orioles 8th inning.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the bottom of the 8th, it was Riley O’Brien’s game in the top of the 9th inning. It didn’t start out well as Basallo hit an excuse me ball past Blaze Jordan at third base for a leadoff single. The Orioles pinch-ran Vasquez as he represented the go-ahead run. Riley did not help his cause by winging a wild pitch to the backstop allowing Vasquez to take second which proved crucial as Encarnacion-Strand blasted a double into the right-centerfield gap giving the Orioles their lead back at 8-7. It could have been worse, but O’Brien managed to get flyouts from Beavers and Tavaras and a groundout from Cowser to end the top of the 9th.
The Cardinals had the heart of the lineup in the bottom of the 9th inning against former Cardinal Andrew Kittredge for the Orioles. Ivan Herrera was first up for St. Louis. Herrera smoked a single to left to give the Cardinals a chance. One of the MLB’s top RBI men, Alec Burleson, was up next for St. Louis. He lined a ball off of the first baseman Encarnacion-Strand which allowed Herrera to move up to second, but he recovered quick enough to tag first to get Burleson out. Jordan Walker was unintentionally intentionally walked by Kittredge putting the potential winning run at first base. Nathan Church had the chance to put on the hero cape. He ripped a ball deep into the hole at 2nd base, but Jackson Holliday made a great play getting Church out at first, but the tying run was only 90 feet away at third and the potential winning run was standing tall at second base in the form of Jordan Walker. Jose Fermin was the Cardinals last hope. Sadly, he popped out to Holliday at second to end the Cardinals night.
I’ll credit the Cardinals for doing something Wednesday night that they did not do Tuesday night. They put up a fierce fight, but the closer was unable to close again and that’s the way baseball goes.
The Cardinals will try to salvage their series against the Orioles in a Thursday afternoon contest at Busch Stadium. St. Louis has not formally announced their starter as of this moment, but Baltimore will send LHP Trevor Rogers to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 26: Ha-Seong Kim #7 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Mauricio Dubon #14 following a walk off single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers saw another Atlanta Braves comeback against Tanner Scott on Wednesday, this time walking them off in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-5 final score.
Roki Sasaki was one strike away from completing a perfect bottom of the first inning, but Matt Olson attacked a low slider and struck the foul pole to put the Braves on top for a second consecutive game. Sasaki promptly allowed two consecutive two-out baserunners, but he was able to escape further damage by getting a weak groundout from Ozzie Albies.
The Dodgers had their second leadoff extra-base hit over their last three innings, as Tommy Edman led of the top of the second with a double to right center field. A.J. Smith-Shawver managed to get two consecutive outs, but after a walk to Teoscar Hernández, Hunter Feduccia kept his solid month of August going with an opposite field single to left field, plating Edman and tying the game.
Freddie Freeman made it three leadoff extra-base over the Dodgers’ last four innings with a double to begin the top of the third. Smith-Shawver once again retired the next two hitters after being down in the count 2-0, but Edman decided to take the 2-1 pitch for a called strike 1. That decision paid off, as Edman turned on the very next pitch to right field, scraping the outfield wall and giving the Dodgers their first lead of the series. It was Edman’s second home run from the left side of the plate and his fourth away from home.
Sasaki was able to keep Atlanta scoreless over the second and third innings, but they found their stride offensively in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ozzie Albies worked a leadoff walk and stole second base before Mike Yastrzemski moved him over to third with a single up the middle. Austin Riley drove home Albies on a sacrifice fly to reduce the lead to one before Sean Murphy cracked a double to put runners on second and third— just his second extra-base hit of the season. That double was the final pitch for Sasaki on the night, as he would leave the game early due to a blister to his right middle finger.
Wednesday was the shortest outing of the second half for Sasaki, as he could only complete 3 1/3 innings while tossing just 66 pitches.
Edgardo Henriquez came in relief of Sasaki to try and get the Dodgers out of the jam, but an awful route from Teoscar Hernández on a fly ball to left field from Drake Baldwin allowed both runners to score, helping Atlanta regain their first lead since the first inning. Eric Lauer came on for the fifth inning, making his second relief appearance as a Dodger, and the left-hander managed to complete two full innings. In doing so, he allowed the first home run of Sean Murphy’s season to pad the Atlanta lead to two.
The Dodgers were left struggling to find any answers against Smith-Shawver and Dylan Dodd after the third inning, but they managed to kickstart a seventh-inning rally against southpaw Dylan Lee. Shohei Ohtani led off the inning with a double before a single from Freeman moved him over to third. Mookie Betts drove home Ohtani with a single up the middle, and a walk to Max Muncy loaded the bases with nobody out, chasing Lee out of the game.
Didier Fuentes was called on to preserve the lead, but a walk to Tommy Edman took Sasaki off the hook for the loss and evened the score a 5. Kyle Tucker’s lineout to left field was too shallow to bring home Betts, and Fuentes needed one pitch to ignite a 4-6-3 double play from Alek Thomas.
The Dodgers once again loaded the bases against Fuentes in the top of the eighth inning, but the Dodgers couldn’t capitalize as Max Muncy went down swinging to end the threat. Atlanta responded by immediately putting two runners in scoring position with nobody out against Brock Stewart in the bottom of the eighth inning. Stewart managed to hold both runners on a weak ground ball to Freeman off of Ronald Acuña Jr., and after an intentional walk to Olson, a nifty 6-4-3 double play kept Atlanta quiet and got Stewart out of the bases-loaded jam.
The Dodgers went down in order against right-hander Victor Mederos in the top of the ninth inning, while Tanner Scott was one out away from doing the same in the bottom half when Lane Thomas sent a double down the right side to put the winning run in scoring position. The Dodgers decided to put Austin Riley on base intentionally to put the force at any base, but a pinch-hit single to left from the struggling Ha-Seong Kim sunk the Dodgers, allowing Atlanta to walk them off and officially take the season series.
Freddie Freeman’s double against Smith-Shawver in the third inning was the 578th of his career, tying him with Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs for 24th on the all-time doubles list.
With the Milwaukee Brewers defeating the New York Mets on Wednesday, the Dodgers now sit two games back for the best record in the National League. They still maintain a two-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the two seed.
Game particulars
Home runs— Matt Olson (37), Sean Murphy (1): Tommy Edman (5)
The Dodgers look to avoid being swept by Atlanta on Thursday (4:15 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading out to Detroit for a weekend series against the Tigers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto faces Chris Sale.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 26: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers leaves a game during the first inning against the New York Mets with head trainer Brad Epstein at Citi Field on August 26, 2026 in New York City. May was hit by a batted ball on his first pitch of the game. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Brewers starter Dustin May left Wednesday night’s Brewers-Mets game in New York after just one pitch, as he took a 106-mph liner off his back on a comebacker off the bat of outfielder A.J. Ewing.
The line drive got May in the back. Behind the right shoulder. After a long check with the medical staff, he's coming out of the game. Robert Gasser in. pic.twitter.com/LCwTPC9KMF
Dustin May is coming out of the game after one pitch after he was hit in the back by a line drive at 106 mph. Robert Gasser is coming in from the bullpen.
UPDATE 7:44 p.m.: Official word from the Brewers is that May left the game with a right scapula contusion. X-rays were negative. We’ll hear more after the game.
UPDATE 9:51 p.m.: After the game, May sounded relieved that the injury is nothing more than a bruise and said he’ll see how he feels tomorrow.
After a dramatic win last night, the Atlanta Braves were looking to secure a series win against the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers tonight behind AJ Smith-Shawver who took the mound for just the third time this season against the struggling Roki Sasaki.
With the Braves win last night it gave the Dodgers a losing record against teams above .500, showing that maybe those power rankings you see all over the internet may just be skewed a little bit.
Smith-Shawver started the game off with a statement by striking out the reigning MVP, Shohei Ohtani on four pitches to include a 98.4 MPH putout pitch. He then followed that with forcing a groundout to former MVP Freddie Freeman, but then walked another former MVP, Mookie Betts. He settled down and got 2026 All-Star Max Muncy to ground out as well. Sasaki struck out Baldwin and got Acuña to ground out, but then Matt Olson launched a 1-2 pitch into orbit for a 1-0 lead to put him three HRs away from forty. This put him 130th all-time in MLB for career HRs and second all-time in the amount of HRs in a player’s first five seasons with the Braves franchise behind the great Eddie Mathews.
It looked like the Braves might get more offense when Dubón singled and stole second followed by a rare Harris walk, but Ozzie Albies grounded out to end the inning.
The second inning did not go quite as well for Smith-Shawver. He gave up a leadoff double and after a pop up and fly out he walked Teoscar Hernández on five pitches. Hunter Feduccia then tied the game with a single. Fortunately, he settled down and got Ohtani to fly out. The Braves continued to put pressure on in the second but could not cross the plate. Riley and Baldwin both singled, but it did not result in runs.
Smith-Shawver struggled again in the third. He gave up a leadoff double to Freddie Freeman, and retiring the next two hitters, Tommy Edman hit a two-run shot to put the Dodgers up by two runs. Smith-Shawver settled down, and got Tucker to ground out. The Braves could not return the favor in their half of the inning as they were retired in order.
The fourth was shaky as well for Smith-Shawver. He was able to retire the first two hitters to include a strikeout, but then walked Hunter Feduccia followed by an Ohtani single to put runners on the corners. Ohtani stole second, but Freeman flied out. The Braves struck back in the fourth inning. Albies walked and then stole second. Yastrzemski singled to put runners on the corners. Riley then hit a sacrifice fly to bring the Braves within one. Sean Murphy finally started to look like Sean Murphy again tonight starting with a double here. Sasaki then was removed from the game due to a blister. Drake Baldwin took advantage of the pitching change and bad defense to hit an opposite field double off of Teoscar Hernández’s glove to score two and give the Braves the lead before Acuña struck out.
Matt Olson then lined out hard to end the inning, but some serious damage was done.
In his longest start of the season thus far, Smith-Shawver pitched the fifth inning and retired the side to include striking out Edman, who hit a HR off of him, on a failed ABS challenge. Smith finish his night with 5.0 innings pitched that included three earned runs on five hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Eric Lauer came in to pitch for the Dodgers and Dubón led off with a single. Harris then moved him over with a rare sac bunt. Albies hit a hard line out and then Lane Thomas then came in the game to replace Yaz. Unfortunately, the Thomas sub did not work with him grounding out.
Dylan Dodd came in to pitch the sixth. He retired his first two hitters but then gave up a single to Teoscar Hernández. He was able to get the next out easily with a fly ball. In the Braves’ half of the sixth Riley struck out, but then Sean Murphy hit his first HR of the season to give the Braves a two-run lead.
Baldwin and Olson both walked, but they could not be scored.
Dylan Lee came in to pitch the seventh, and he had a rare bad night. He gave up a leadoff double to Ohtani, followed by a singled from Freeman and then a single to Betts to bring the Dodgers within one run. He then walked Muncy to load the bases with zero outs. This led to Didier Fuentes coming in. He unfortunately walked in the tying run, but then looked great for the rest of the inning and came in super clutch. He got Kyle Tucker to line out and then got Thomas to ground into a double play to stop anymore damage.
Evan Phillips came in to pitch the seventh for the Dodgers. Michael Harris hit one deep but was caught by a leaping Teoscar Hernández at the wall. Albies singled, but was out at second on a force out when Lane Thomas hit a force out. Thomas stole second, but it did not result in a run when Riley struck out. The eighth got scary for Fuentes. Teoscar Hernández singled and was moved over on a sac bunt by Hunter Feduccia. Ohtani then moved the runner to third on a ground out. This led to the decision to intentionally walk future HOFer Freddie Freeman. Fuentes then clearly pitched around Mookie Betts which led to loading the bases yet again. This led to an epic showdown with Max Muncy where after nine pitches to include five fouls, Fuentes was able to strike him out to end the inning with no runs scored.
Brock Stewart then came in to pitch eighth inning. Sean Murphy hit a single, putting him a triple shy of the cycle, and then Drake Baldwin hit his second double of the night to put runners on second and third with no outs. Somehow, the Braves squandered this opportunity. After an Acuña groundout and a Matt Olson intentional walk to load the bases, Dubón grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Victor Mederos came in to pitch the ninth inning and was able to strike out Edman after getting to a full count. He then got the the most hyped free agent of this past off-season, Kyle Tucker, to pop out to third. Medoros likely gained even more hearts of the fans tonight with a clutch strikeout to Alek Thomas to bring the game into the bottom of the ninth tied.
Tanner Scott came in for the Dodgers to face Michael Harris. Harris grounded out, Albies struck out, but Lane Thomas was able to stretch out a double to bring up Austin Riley who was intentionally walked. Because of the swaps earlier it resulted in Ha-Seong Kim coming in to hit in the ninth spot currently held by Mederos. This led to one of the most hilariously awesome walk-off wins of the season with Kim battling an eight pitch at-bat that resulted in a walk-off single to secure a series win for the Braves. As Brandon Gaudin said so beautifully, the unlikeliest of heroes.
The Braves only scored six runs, but if they continue to hit like tonight, their offense may be back. They had fourteen hits, and six walks to equal twenty base runners. They did leave thirteen runners on base, but we won’t dwell on the negative. The Dylan Lee struggled, but the rest of the bullpen pitched with ice in their veins.
Aug 26, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Rockies second baseman Connor Norby (35) celebrates with Colorado Rockies third baseman Willi Castro (3) after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Colorado Rockies came into this game having just ended their longest losing streak of the season by narrowly beating the Washington Nationals 3-1 on Tuesday. A magnificent start from Tanner Gordon combined with a home run parade from the Rockies lineup made for a remarkable tone shift compared to just two days ago with the Rockies winning 13-1.
Gordon efficient and steady
After rejoining the rotation just last week, Gordon had his best outing of the season.
When the game began, it did not seem like Gordon would last nearly as long as he did as Washington hitters came out of the gate with hard contact. In the first, Dylan Crews notched a triple into deep right field where he was stranded thanks to a groundout by Daylen Lile.
In the second, though, the Nationals got on the board with a leadoff home run from Andres Chaparro.
For a brief moment it seemed like the Nationals had Gordon figured out, and he was in danger of a short outing.
Instead, he quietly got the next seven straight batters out to silence any thoughts of bringing the bullpen in early.
In the bottom of the fourth, Chaparro would again get a hit, but was limited to a single this go around. Then came the play that could have thrown Gordon off of his rhythm and unraveled the entire outing.
With two outs, Cole Carrigg lost sight of what should have been an easy fly out from José Tena, and it instead turned into a double. Carrigg did not react quickly enough to communicate to Jake McCarthy, who was backing him up, that he could not see the ball and it ended up dropping between the two of them. Tena would end up on second base and the lead runner would advance to third.
Carrigg was bailed out of the mistake by Gordon unflinchingly getting Nationals catcher Harry Ford to softly ground out to end the inning.
He would go on to throw another three uneventful innings. When Zach Agnos replaced him before the eighth inning, Gordon had a sparkling line of only one run on six hits and no walks while striking out five.
After the game, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer attributed Gordon’s success on the night primarily to his early count approach: “It all starts with him getting ahead. He got ahead, and then 0-1 he was 14 out of 15 strikes, which is elite.”
In the end, Gordon earned his first win of the season and allowed the bullpen to largely rest after a taxing five-reliever day on Tuesday.
Early trouble in the clutch
The early innings for the Rockies lineup were defined by getting players into scoring position and then failing to drive them in.
McCarthy led off the first inning with a double and was followed by a TJ Rumfield walk and three soft contact outs. He would fail to score despite advancing to third on a stolen base.
Ezequiel Tovar led off the third inning with a single that chased Nationals starter Matt Waldron. After he advanced to second on a groundout from McCarthy, both Carrigg and Hunter Goodman struck out to end the threat.
The fourth inning again opened up with a runner in scoring position as Rumfield doubled. He would then be thrown out trying to advance on a fielders choice hit into by Willi Castro.
After the fourth, though, the Rockies lineup decided to put that frustration to bed and simply start hitting dingers.
When in doubt just hit it out
In the fifth inning, Connor Norby walked to lead off before being driven in when Troy Johnston took a cutter to right field.
After a quiet sixth inning, the Rockies continued the home run parade in the seventh.
A couple of singles from Goodman and Rumfield followed by a rare Castro walk would load the bases against Nationals pitcher Luis Perales, who was making his Major League debut. Mickey Moniak struck out for the third time in the game before Connor Norby came to the plate and earned some grand slam taco’s for Denver.
That home run parade by Rockies hitters was enough for the Nationals. After a couple more walks they raised the white flag in the top of the eighth.
Position Player pitching shenanigans
While the Rockies went to Zach Agnos to close out the last two frames of this blowout the Nationals instead turned to utility infielder Jorbit Vivas to get the final four outs.
Vivas came in with two outs and two runners on base. His mid-40’s looping eephus not only lacked velocity but also missed the strike zone. He allowed a couple of singles to Norby and Tovar but then managed to hit both Johnston and Moniak.
Eventually, Carrigg mercifully flew out to center field to end the inning.
The ninth came around, and the Nationals stuck with Vivas. Amusingly, a two-out single from Ryan Ritter was the only additional baserunner Vivas would allow as Goodman flew out and both Rumfield, and Moniak grounded out.
Up Next
Tomorrow the Rockies will face off against the Nationals for the final time this season.
On the mound for the Rockies will be Gabriel Hughes facing Jake Irvin of the Nationals.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 24: Manager Tony Vitello #23 of the San Francisco Giants talks to President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Oracle Park on July 24, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country.
The San Francisco Giants pitching has been miserable this year. Buster Posey’s self-proclaimed plan to win with pitching and defense has fallen on its face, from top to bottom. Entering Tuesday’s epic collapse, the starting rotation is 22nd in the Majors in ERA (4.43), 15th in FIP (4.11), 11th in innings (693.1), and 20th in fWAR (8.2). The bullpen? 18th in ERA (4.13), 18th in FIP (4.17), and 24th in fWAR (1.0).
On top of it all, the team traded two of their starters and two of their best relievers at the deadline, so there’s even more work than meets the eye for fixing the pitching in 2027, and that’s before accounting for the fact that Carson Whisenhunt and Trevor McDonald will miss the entirety of the year with Tommy John surgery, with Adrian Houser potentially joining them.
The Giants will, thankfully, have some money to spend to fix this issue. But is it more critical to spend it on the rotation, or on the bullpen? A better rotation makes for a better bullpen but, then again, a better bullpen tends to make for a better rotation, too.
Hopefully they address both. But if they go all-out fixing one, which should it be?
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 25: Daulton Varsho #18 of the Houston Astros runs to first after hitting an RBI single in the fifth inning during the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jonathan Pensiero/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the end, Bennett Sousa just wasn’t up to the task. Yankees 9 Astros 3.
The Astros would once again get on the board first. Isaac Paredes drew a two out walk and scored on a Jose Altuve double. However, the lead was short-lived as in the bottom of the same frame, Ben Rice would hit a solo shot.
The Yankees weren’t done. Luis Garcia singled, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Christian Walker. George Lombard Jr brought him in giving the New York their first lead of the night, 2-1.
That remained the score until Daulton Varsho launched his 10th homer of the season, a solo shot to center field to tie the game at 2.
In the bottom of the fourth the Yankees were active. Chisholm, Wells, and Caballero each singled which generated a 3-2 lead.
That remained the score until the 7th. Jose Altuve walked, Varsho doubled moving him to third and moments later, Walker would reach on an error which scored Altuve. Unfortunately, that was all the runs the Astros could generate that inning. Varsho was thrown out at home, and Vazquez and Pena struck out swinging with runners on.
The night would get away from them after that. New York’s first four batters in the 7th inning would all score. By the time the damage was over, it was a 7-3 deficit. Sousa’s final stat line was abysmal: 0.1 IP 5 hits allowed, 4 ER, and a walk. All nine Yankees batted in the 7th.
The Astros in the 8th sent Alvarez, Paredes & Altuve to the plate but Michael Fulmer set them down in order. Any hopes of making it close at that point went out the window as in the home 8th, Luis Garcia would launch a two-run shot to right, scoring Ben Rice. That made things 9-3, and that would be your final.
The only Yankees player without a hit was Lombard Jr. He did record an error for a fifth straight game.
For the night, the Yankees outhit the Astros 13 to 4.
Odds & Ends:
With the loss, the Astros have dipped below the .500 mark once again. They now sit at 66-67.
Thursday’s rubber match at 6:05 pm CDT will pit Hayden Wesneski against Gerrit Cole. Rain is expected in the forecast.
With his two-hit performance on Wednesday, Daulton Varsho now has a 6-game hit streak.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 25: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting an RBI single in the eighth inning during the game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Right out of the gate, it looked like this could be a repeat of last night’s back and forth slug fest, the two sides trading the lead as early as the first inning. That pattern continued until the seventh, when the Yankees broke the game open scoring four runs on five hits. In total, New York collected 13 hits, their highest outlay since August 12th against the Mariners, to level the series with a 9-3 victory.
Elmer Rodríguez impressed in his nine Triple-A starts since his last MLB appearance, pitching to a 2.13 ERA thanks to an uptick in sinker velocity and curveball usage rate. We saw both trends on display in the first, ERC striking out Jeremy Peña on a filthy curveball and freezing Yordan Alvarez on a 98 mph front door sinker after starting that AB off with a 99 mph heater. Unfortunately, we also saw the command issues which plagued his four previous big league appearances. Isaac Paredes drew a two-out walk after falling behind, 1-2, and Jose Altuve drove him home on a first pitch sinker that caught to much zone. Trent Grisham was principally at fault for the Altuve double, however, getting an awful read on the fly ball and breaking in before getting turned around on a ball that flew over his head.
Fortunately for ERC, his offense immediately responded in the bottom of the frame. Ben Rice lasered a 1-2 fastball from Peter Lambert into the seats in right for his 35th home run of the year to join Aaron Judge and Don Mattingly as the only three draft picks in franchise history to reach that milestone. It was the first run scored by the Yankees in the first inning in 23 games, that streak falling one short of the all-time franchise record.
They followed up that blast with some old fashioned small ball. Luis García Jr. reached on a soft line drive single to center. Cody Bellinger then pulled what looked like the inning ending double play ball to first, but Christian Walker hit García in the right shoulder with the throw, the ball trickling far enough into center to allow both runners to advance to second and third. George Lombard Jr. then hit a soft grounder to the right side on a sinker that shattered his bat to bring García home as the go-ahead run, 2-1.
Credit to ERC, he did not let the first inning misfortune get him off his stride. He tallied another pair of strikeouts against Taylor Trammell and Cam Smith, the sinker impressively holding its velocity at 97-98. The bats kept generating traffic in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with two outs on a single by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and walks by Austin Wells and Rice. García came within inches of hitting the Yankees’ first grand slam of the season, his line drive hooking just the wrong side of the right field foul pole. He hit a lazy fly ball to left on the following pitch to strand all three runners in place.
After a brief lull in the third, we saw a pair of lead changes in the fourth. Daulton Varsho somehow managed to muscle a solo home run into the Yankees bullpen on a decently located changeup from ERC that got the hitter unbalanced on his front side. The tie game would not last for long, the Bombers again loading the bases. This tie they did so with nobody out on three straight singles from Jazz, Wells, and José Caballero. Grisham’s nightmarish day continued with a ground ball double play, the silver lining being that it plated Jazz to retake the lead, 3-2. However, Rice flew out to end the inning and it was hard not to feel like they squandered an opportunity against a flagging Lambert.
ERC rebounded nicely with a 1-2-3 fifth, collecting his fifth strikeout on a nasty sweeper to Christian Vázquez. He’d face the minimum in the sixth against the top of the order to position himself for a deep start with the pitch count at just 83. In the bottom half, Jazz walked for his third time on base and attempted his second steal of the game. He was ruled out on the field, and despite video replay appearing to show his hand contacting second base before the tag was applied, the replay center decided to stick with the call on the field. A Wells single knocked Lambert from the game with two outs, but Kai-Wei Teng got Caballero to hit his second pop out to end the frame.
ERC came back out for the seventh but issued a leadoff walk to Jose Altuve to prompt Aaron Boone from the dugout. It was without question ERC’s best start in the bigs, completing six-plus innings after failing to make it out of the fifth in his previous four. The sinker velocity obviously stood out, ERC still firing at 97 mph against Altuve in the seventh, and the curveball looks like a real weapon inducing a gaudy 55-percent whiff rate on 11 swings, but it was his ability to paint the glove-side edge of the zone with sinkers that impressed me most. He departed having allowed three runs on three hits and two walks with a career-high six strikeouts on 88 pitches.
Paul Blackburn came in and immediately gave up a double to Varsho to put runners at second and third with no outs. Lombard then committed his fifth error in the last five games, booting a sharp grounder from Walker to allow Altuve to score the tying run. Blackburn then made a brilliant heads-up play on a grounder right at him by Trammell. Seeing Varsho had strayed too far off third, he ran right at the runner and tagged him out to keep the score tied. A walk of LaMonte Wade Jr. loaded the bases, but Blackburn stranded all three ducks on the pond with clutch strikeouts of Vázquez and Peña on a pair of disgusting breaking balls.
That seemed to turn the tide of momentum in the Yankees’ favor, because the bats truly came alive in the bottom of the seventh. Grisham singled, Rice walked, and García singled to again load the bases with no outs. This time, Bellinger made sure to capitalize on the golden opportunity, his two-run double securing a 5-3 lead. They weren’t finished, Spencer Jones singling to plate García and Jazz doubling to plate Bellinger to give him his third hit of the game and the Yankees a 7-3 lead.
This extra breathing room allowed Boone to go to Michael Fulmer for the eighth. Signed to a major-league contract just hours before first pitch as added cover for Fernando Cruz’s trip to the IL, the Mets’ former first round pick worked a 1-2-3 inning as he tries to revitalize his major league career after pitching just 9.1 innings since the end of 2023 following a long road back from 2024 Tommy John surgery.
Seemingly discontent with a four-run lead, the Yankees saved a final flourish for the eighth. Rice reached on a one-out walk and García roped an elevated 1-0 changeup from Enyel De Los Santos over the short porch in right for a two-run tank. It’s García’s 28th on the year and fourth in his last six games, giving him at least three hits in back-to-back contests.
Tim Hill set the side down in order in the ninth to secure the win, 9-3. Don’t look now but the Yankees have now scored at least seven runs in three straight games. With García staying hot and Jazz and Wells joining him, the lineup looks to be turning it around at just the right time.
The Yankees go for three straight series wins in the rubber game tomorrow, Gerrit Cole taking on former Yankee farmhand Hayden Wesneski. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm ET with the broadcast returning to YES.
Given how often Andy Green talks about staying in the present – and frankly, no manager in baseball talks about it more – asking him about his future on Aug. 26 seemed likely to yield a predictable answer.
And indeed, when asked Wednesday whether his team’s recent success and the accompanying groundswell of enthusiasm for his work as manager is making his plan to return to the front office at season’s end more fraught for him, Green said exactly what anyone who has listened to him carefully would expect him to say.
“The most honest answer is you can’t live 45 days out in the future and be helpful to anybody,” Green, who has managed the Mets to a 26-26 record, said. “You can’t be a good player worrying about how the season ends on August twenty-something. So you have a lifetime of conditioning for being in the moment, not thinking about those things, not worrying about what happens or doesn’t happen – and being present for people. That gets the best version of players, staff, anybody. [The future], if you give it time, can occupy anybody’s mind.”
As of this moment, that plan to return to the front office remains intact. Last week, Steve Cohen said the team still plans to conduct a managerial search this offseason, one in which Green would be included should he throw his hat in the ring, though he says he will not do so. Ten days ago, David Stearns said: “My expectation, and I think Andy’s expectation, is that he is going to rejoin the front office, and I have no reason to believe otherwise right now.”
People familiar with the Mets’ internal deliberations affirm the plan remains for Green to return to the front office, though not necessarily in the player development role he held previously. One role those people floated as a potential fit: General manager, a position Cohen has talked about filling during Stearns’ tenure but never has.
Exactly how likely it is that Green fills that role – or even that the Mets fill that role soon at all – remains unclear. But Green makes sense for multiple reasons.
Optically, he is an uncomplicated pick at a benign moment. He has a close working relationship with Stearns over multiple years that would temper any awkwardness – real or perceived – around the power dynamic between a President of Baseball Operations and a second-in-command. And since he is not returning as manager, the Mets need a new job for him, which would explain away any notion that another disappointing season was the reason Stearns suddenly needed a second-in-command.
Logistically, Green knows the players in the organization better than anyone. He already built clout with players who came up in the Mets system. Carson Benge, for example, called him “an easy person to respect.” But his tenure as interim manager has given him a chance to understand clubhouse dynamics and build relationships with key Mets veterans. To a man, they say he has done so gracefully.
New York Mets interim manager Andy Green (center) stands in the dugout with bench coach Kai Correa (left) and third base coach Tim Leiper during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
“Initially, we sat down and we had a conversation, and other than that, it’s been very natural. Whenever we find each other around or have a minute to talk, we have a chat. He’s been great,” Bo Bichette said. “He has a pretty good idea of how to create conversation without it feeling forced, which I think is definitely important. He’s genuine. I think there’s a lot of characteristics about him as a human I think a lot of us can respect.”
Exactly what a general manager’s duties consist of varies from organization to organization. Practically, it is just a title – though one that does affirm a certain organizational weight to the opinions of the person holding it.
Whether in that position or another, Green will almost certainly remain a crucial voice moving forward, particularly because of his experience in a variety of on-field roles. People familiar with higher-ups’ thinking say this year led to the conclusion that they could use more people with major league experience in their operation, though whether that means hiring a manager with playing experience, adding voices to their front office, or both remains to be seen.
Stearns, meanwhile, has Cohen’s full public support entering his fourth year in the POBO role. People in the Mets front office, as well as his colleagues in other front offices, describe Stearns as someone who trusts the Mets’ internal projection models and is matter-of-fact about his decision-making. That combination, not unique among this generation of data-driven heads of baseball operations, can create a distance between front offices and the clubhouses they create.
After an offseason spent purging veterans while navigating an owner-acknowledged rift between the two remaining superstars, all while replacing a coaching staff, followed by a disastrous April and early June firing of the manager… one can understand why the Mets might seek more connective tissue between baseball operations and the clubhouse.
Publicly, at least, Green has already created some. His daily managerial press conferences have provided new insight into the Mets player development philosophies with first-hand perspective of someone who spent the last few years shaping them. He has communicated a desire to get more out of this Mets roster without ever suggesting that his predecessor, Carlos Mendoza, should have gotten more. The Mets’ offseason and early season were largely shaped by decisions that sometimes felt clinical and detached. Green’s brief tenure has helped the Mets feel more human and more self-aware.
“He is very honest. He’s not afraid to push people to get better, but at the same time, he’s very encouraging and uplifting. He has a way of letting people know how good they are, and it’s not fake,” Bichette said. “I don’t think he’s saying it just to give someone more confidence. I think he says it because it’s true in his mind, and obviously, that’s going to have more impact on us. He genuinely sees what we could be better at and our potential and lets us know that. And that’s powerful.”
Presented with the hypothesis that whatever his title, Green’s role with the Mets will always include handling the human element, he demurred.
“I wouldn’t define it that way. We have a lot of good people that understand that these are 26 guys trying to be the best version of themselves and it’s our job to get the best version out of them,” Green said. “That’s the most important thing any of us do. So the culture is hugely important to everyone here, and I don’t see myself as any different than anyone else.”
Green did say, however, that he is treating this managerial stint far differently than his first try with San Diego, when he went 274-366 over four seasons with the Padres.
“I used to think strategically, tactically, I probably saw that part of the game as 90 percent of what a manager did,” Green said. “Now I probably see it as 10 percent of what a manager does. These guys are really special athletes. They don’t need to be taught as much as they need to be reminded about how good they are, but you have to be connected enough to have that land.”
So far, so good – though everyone from Stearns to Green and his coaches are willing to admit it can be hard to know what exactly to learn from how the Mets are performing with postseason pressure long since off their shoulders. Still, the turnaround is a more favorable testimonial to the Mets’ revamped coaching staff – a coaching staff Green helped assemble this winter – than what the first two months offered. While the Mets plan to have a new manager next year, multiple coaches are under contract beyond this year and could therefore return as part of a reshaped dugout staff.
Either way, because the Mets have improved under Green’s watch, questions will persist about whether Green and the Mets should ditch their front office plan and name him next year’s manager. He said that while the questions are flattering, that does not mean they should shape his answer.
“There’s not a person in the world who doesn’t want people to think highly of them. So any person who holds an opinion in that regard, you appreciate that,” Green said of fans and others pushing for him to stay as manager after two strong months. “But you can’t let your actions be dictated by the opinions of others. You just want to do right by people, as much as possible. That’s what we’re trying to see every guy on the team do. What’s the next right thing? And how do we go do it together?”
Knicks television voice Mike Breen made a surprise appearance on SNY's Mets pregame show and during Wednesday's Mets and Brewers broadcast as a special guest in the booth alongside Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez.
Breen talked about his Mets fandom, calling Knicks games and much more.
Here are five memorable moments from the broadcast...
Keith is Breen’s favorite
Breen was giddy sitting between Cohen and Hernandez, especially Hernandez, whom the longtime Knicks broadcaster said was his favorite player of that era.
“I’ve been a Met fan since I was seven, that’s 1968. Every era you have a favorite player. Bud Harrelson was and always will be my favorite," Breen said. "But each era I had a favorite player, and the ‘86 championship, you were my favorite. We've met a number of times, but I've never told you."
And in classic Keith fashion, he wanted to hear more praise from Breen.
"Tell me why, I want to hear it," Hernandez said.
Keith's defense is why he was Breen's favorite, and he even called Keith the best defensive first baseman in MLB history.
Mike Breen tells Keith that he was his favorite player on the 1986 Mets
Mike: "We've met a number of times, but I've never told you"
Before becoming the voice of the Knicks in 1991, Breen worked for WNBC radio and covered the Mets during the 1986 playoffs.
"I called you Mr. Hernandez, which I realize was a mistake at the time,” Breen told Hernandez and Cohen.
Breen revealed that Keith didn't answer his questions when approached and that some of the beat writers were happy since they didn't want the radio guys in the locker room.
"Usually you were a great quote back then. The writers loved you," Breen said of Hernandez.
"I know," Hernandez quipped.
Breen also told a story of when he had to watch Game 6 of the 1986 World Series from the Red Sox booth since there wasn't room in the press box.
"I was in the back of the Red Sox radio booth when the ball went through [Bill] Buckner's legs, and I’m embarrassed to admit, I lost any kind of professional conduct... I'm jumping up and down," Breen said.
Mike Breen says he tried to interview Keith during the 1986 playoffs when he was a reporter for WNBC radio:
It's hard to talk about Breen's history with the Knicks without including Walt "Clyde" Frazier.
Breen explained that he had a poster of Clyde in his room where he lived in Yonkers, so it was a treat to get to work with him.
"It's been one of the gifts of my life," Breen said of working with Clyde. "As a 10-year-old, this is a guy I idolized and now it's a lifelong friendship."
Hernandez also had a somewhat working relationship with Clyde. The two former athletes famously appeared in Just for Men commercials and he spoke about that experience.
"They put so much dye, you can see. So much fun working with Clyde," Keith said. "We did that for about seven years, that was the gift that kept giving... Walt, with his poetry. I had a big thrill. I was in high school when the Knicks won with Willis Reed… we loved Clyde and to have to work with him. Such a kind man and such a class act."
"It's been one of the gifts of my life."
Mike Breen talks with Gary Cohen and Keith Hernandez about working with Clyde Frazier 🫶 pic.twitter.com/G9bvvs3BDO
The 2026 Mets season has been a disappointment, even to Breen, who says he's the "optimistic" one out of his Met fan friends. But although this season hasn't gone how many expected, Breen is optimistic about what he has seen from the youngsters.
"Clearly, this year was so rough. I didn't really know what was going to happen, but it was disappointing early. But I love what I'm seeing now," Breen said. "You see young players that you can tell have a chance to be here for a while. That's a part of it. Fans, we care so much and there's nothing better when they're winning.
"Two years ago was one of the great times for me as a Met fan. This is disappointing, but it's what makes the great moments special."
Breen put it into perspective. He called Knicks teams that won just 17 games, and now he's called the first Knicks championship in over 50 years.
He also shouted out A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge and Zac Thornton on the broadcast.
Mike Breen says it's "so much fun" watching the Mets' young players and talks about being a Mets fan:
"There's nothing better when they're winning. Two years ago was one of the great times for me as a Met fan. This is disappointing, but it's what makes the great moments special" pic.twitter.com/zqjQS3Aql5
For 21 years, Gary, Keith and Ron have graced the SNY airwaves. During Mets pregame, Breen called him being in the SNY booth on Wednesday a "bucket list" moment. And when he finally got to the booth, Breen wanted to acknowledge them.
"There's no booth that's been better. And I'm not talking local, any booth in the history of baseball broadcasting," Breen said. "I speak for many Met fans, this is 21 years of sustained excellence. It's just such a treat to have you guys night in and night out."
Mike Breen says it's a "bucket list" moment for him to be in the booth for part of tonight's Mets game:
