NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 04: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees smiles after hitting his first career home run during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Matthew Ritchie: George Lombard Jr. has impressed since his call-up last week, not just with his tools on the field, but the way he’s comported himself through all the hoopla. The rookie himself credited the wide range of voices he can seek in the Yankees clubhouse. There are, of course, numerous veterans, MVPs and champions across the roster that a player like Lombard can seek out, but Lombard also noted the importance of the Yankees’ other young talents in making his transition to the majors easier. “Having Spencer [Jones] and Ben [Rice], guys that have come up through the org and you’ve played with someone coming up, they both have helped a lot”, Lombard said. “Like just getting different perspectives, asking them a bunch of things… They’ve definitely made me feel more comfortable.”
Lombard didn’t cross over that much with Jones and Rice during their respective routes through the minors, but both have very recent experience with rising through the Yankee farm system and earning a spot on the biggest stage, experience that must prove invaluable to others going through the same process.
New York Post | Mark Suleymanov: The Yankees need bats, but the next bit of reinforcement they’re likely to receive comes in the form of even more pitching. Carlos Rodón, working back from elbow inflammation, made his second rehab start this week and looked sharp, striking out seven over 4.1 innings with Double-A Somerset. His next outing very well may come in the majors. It’s possible the Yankees will look to piggyback Rodón with someone like Will Warren the next time out to continue to slowly build up Rodón’s workload, something Rodon said he’d be fine with. “I’m willing to do whatever to help our team win,” Rodón said. “If they think that’s the avenue they want to go, I’m ready to perform and help our team win.”
SNY | Phillip Martinez: Thankfully, it looks like Cody Bellinger isn’t far behind Rodón on the recovery train. Bellinger did some more on-field work ahead of Friday night’s game in Toronto, and Aaron Boone said Bellinger could be in line for a rehab assignment some time next week. Everything appears to be lining up for a return around the end of the month for Bellinger.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s struggles have been a hot topic lately, with the second baseman mired in another slump as part of a career-worst campaign. Chisholm said this week that he’s at a loss, and that he’s tried everything. “I swing up. I swing down. I’ve tried to fix it a couple of different ways. When I fix it, it’s still unlucky.” Chisholm doesn’t feel that a spell on the bench would help, telling reporters “I think if I was to sit for a couple days, I don’t think that would help. Just play through it.” That said, perhaps a more aggressive platoon could be in order; Chisholm’s 74 wRC+ against lefties has been a liability this year.
MLB.com | Maria Guardado: MLB announced yesterday that the San Francisco Giants would host the 2028 MLB All-Star Game at Oracle Park. It has not yet been decided if MLB players will be able to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but the league decided that planning for a Midsummer Classic elsewhere in California would help keep that possibility open. It will be the fourth time San Francisco has hosted the All-Star Game, and the first since 2007, the year Ichiro Suzuki won MVP thanks to an inside-the-park home run:
And some minor-league roster news: Angel Chivilli, currently with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders has been placed on the 7-day IL, while Scranton has signed reliever Justin Topa to a minor league deal. Also, Mitch Garver, the veteran catcher signed after his release from the Mariners, has joined the RailRiders.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 14: Robert Gasser #54 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after giving up a home run to Tommy Edman #25 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second straight night, the Brewers fell behind and needed a late rally. They loaded the bases in the ninth, but couldn’t break through this time and lost to the Dodgers, 3-1.
Early on, the Brewers made Yoshinobu Yamamoto work. Even though they only managed one baserunner — a Jake Bauers walk — in the inning, Yamamoto needed 26 pitches to get through it. Meanwhile, Robert Gasser was efficient for the Brewers, needing just 14 pitches for the first inning. However, the Dodgers hit three singles in that inning, the last of those a Mookie Betts single to drive in a run. That put the Brewers down 1-0 after one inning.
From there, the two starters matched each other with scoreless innings in the next three frames. The Brewers had a scoring chance in the third after Joey Ortiz hit a one-out double, but he was left stranded there after Garrett Mitchell and Jackson Chourio both struck out. The Dodgers had a scoring chance with two outs in the bottom of the inning after Andy Pages singled and stole second, but he was stranded there.
The Brewers’ offense broke through in the fifth inning. Luis Lara led off the inning with a long double that just barely stayed in the park. It did set up the offense. David Hamilton went for the bunt, and it was a good one that went for a single. Ortiz brought in the run after that, hitting a sharp line drive but right at Kyle Tucker. It was more than deep enough to score Lara, and the Brewers tied the game at 1-1.
Unfortunately, that was all the offense could manage that inning. Mitchell struck out again, and Chourio grounded out to end the inning.
That tie didn’t last long. In the bottom of the inning, Andy Pages hit a two-out solo home run to left field, and the Brewers were down again, 2-1. One inning later, Tommy Edman added another solo home run to center, extending the deficit to 3-1.
Gasser pitched into the seventh, starting the inning by getting a line out from Hunter Feducia. After walking Shohei Ohtani, his day came to an end. It was a solid day for Gasser overall. He allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and one walk while striking out seven. It was also the most pitches he has thrown in a game, as he finished the day with 102 pitches thrown.
Meanwhile, Yamamoto mostly kept the Brewers in check, but the Brewers managed to get him out of the game after six innings. He allowed just one run, four hits, and two walks, and struck out nine Brewers.
The bullpens kept both offenses in check for the next two innings. Evan Phillips and Tanner Scott pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings for the Dodgers. Grant Anderson finished out the seventh inning scoreless and worked around a walk. Bryse Wilson pitched the eighth inning and struck out the side.
Once again, the Dodgers brought in Edwin Díaz to close in the ninth inning. It started out looking like it could be a repeat of last night. Andrew Vaughn led off the inning and worked a full count before getting hit by a pitch. He was replaced by pinch-runner Jihwan Bae, who stole second on a 1-1 count. It put a runner in scoring position, but Christian Yelich struck out for the first out of the inning.
William Contreras was up next, and Díaz was struggling heavily as he threw five pitches all out of the strike zone, walking Contreras. His first pitch to Lara was high and inside as well, then he threw a slider right down the middle. Lara hit it sharply on the ground, but Edman made a running grab to rob Lara of a base hit. It wasn’t quick enough to turn a double play, so Edman took the sure out of Lara at first.
That moved both baserunners up to second and third, putting the tying run in scoring position. Hamilton was up next, and Díaz continued to struggle to throw strikes. Hamilton didn’t swing once and drew a five-pitch walk. Ortiz was up next with another chance with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, he couldn’t complete the rally for the Brewers, grounding out to Betts to end the game.
The offense remained subdued again, managing just one run, five hits, and four walks. Those hits were scattered among five different Brewers, with Bauers and Hamilton the only two Brewers on base twice. They had their scoring opportunities tonight, but went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.
With the series tied 1-1, the Brewers will send their ace to the mound tomorrow night. Jacob Misiorowski will face Justin Wrobleski in Saturday’s game, which will be a national broadcast on FOX. First pitch is at 6:15 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 14: Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies dives to make a catch to take a hit away from Bryce Eldridge #8 of the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning at Oracle Park on August 14, 2026 in San Francisco, California. The Rockies won the game 5-2. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kyle Freeland worked eight strong innings, Zac Veen put a baseball into McCovey Cove and the Rockies got contributions from all over the roster in a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants Thursday night at Oracle Park.
Colorado improved to 49-73 with the win, while San Francisco fell to 50-72. The Rockies are now just one game behind the Giants in the NL West.
Freeland earned the win to improve to 4-10, allowing one run on four hits over 8.0 innings. Landen Roupp took the loss and fell to 7-12 after allowing four runs over 5.2 innings.
Veen supplied the biggest swing with a two-run splash homer in the sixth, but the Rockies did not win on one swing alone. TJ Rumfield extended a two-out rally, Troy Johnston drove in the first run, Brett Sullivan helped manufacture another, Connor Norby drew two walks and stole a base, Willi Castro added a ninth-inning sacrifice fly, and the defense came up with several important plays behind Freeland.
It was a solid win all the way around.
Freeland keeps the Giants on the ground
Freeland gave the Rockies eight strong innings without needing many strikeouts to get there.
He allowed one run on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 8.0 innings. He threw 95 pitches, 66 for strikes, and recorded 13 ground-ball outs.
Freeland leaned most heavily on his sinker and knuckle curve, throwing 27 sinkers and 26 knuckle curves. He also mixed in 14 cutters, 12 changeups, 11 four-seam fastballs and five sweepers.
The sinker averaged 90.4 mph with 16 inches of horizontal movement. The knuckle curve averaged 82.2 mph and produced three whiffs, including one of Freeland’s two strikeouts.
His first strikeout offered an early look at how he would mix those pitches. Freeland opened Rafael Devers with an 89.7 mph sinker for a called strike, followed with an 82.5 mph sweeper for another, then showed an 82.6 mph knuckle curve below the zone. With Devers still in a 1-2 count, Freeland went back to a 91.2 mph sinker and got the swing-through.
San Francisco averaged 91.8 mph on 24 balls in play and produced 11 hard-hit balls. Bryce Eldridge did the only damage that reached the scoreboard, driving an 86.0 mph cutter 104.3 mph and 409 feet to dead center for his 13th home run in the fourth inning.
Osleivis Basabe singled with two outs later in the fourth, but Freeland picked him off before the inning could develop any further. In the fifth, Freeland issued his first and only walk, then got Christian Koss to hit a sharp grounder to short for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Freeland retired the Giants in order in the sixth and started doing a little more with the knuckle curve in the seventh. He opened Victor Bericoto with consecutive knuckle curves for a called strike and a whiff, showed him a fastball above the zone, then went back below the zone with an 81.9 mph knuckle curve for strike three.
Two groundouts followed.
Freeland carried the same rhythm into the eighth. Buddy Kennedy grounded out to first, Andrew Knizner popped out to first, and Basabe became Freeland’s 13th and final ground-ball out.
That last at-bat was another example of the mix. Freeland opened Basabe with an 81.8 mph knuckle curve for a strike, moved between the sinker, cutter and curve as the count reached 2-2, then got Basabe to roll an 82.7 mph knuckle curve to third for the final out of his night.
Freeland did not miss many bats, and the Giants did hit several balls hard.
They never turned that contact into sustained pressure.
Freeland worked quickly, stayed around the zone and kept putting the ball on the ground. Eight innings later, Eldridge’s solo homer was the only run San Francisco had managed against him.
Rockies make Roupp work, then make him pay
Roupp’s movement was real from the beginning.
He struck out five over 5.2 innings and generated 14 whiffs on 46 swings. His curveball led the way at 36% usage, averaging 76.7 mph with 19 inches of horizontal break and 3,100 rpm. Roupp also generated six whiffs on eight swings against his four-seam fastball.
For the first three innings, the Rockies had trouble doing much with it.
That began to change with two outs in the fourth.
Roupp struck out Mickey Moniak and Castro to start the inning before Rumfield fell behind 0-2. Rather than giving Roupp an easy third out, Rumfield fouled off a sinker and changeup, laid off two pitches outside the zone and eventually served a 76.4 mph curveball into left for a soft two-out single.
Johnston supplied the hard contact.
He got an 85.5 mph changeup and drove it 102.1 mph at a 28-degree launch angle into Triples Alley. The ball traveled 410 feet for Johnston’s first triple of the season, scoring Rumfield and giving Colorado a 1-0 lead.
Norby walked, stole second for his seventh stolen base of the season and Veen came to the plate already having seen Roupp’s stuff once.
Veen quickly fell behind 0-2. He then laid off a fastball above the zone, two changeups below it, fought off a curveball with the count full and finally took an 89.4 mph cutter outside for ball four.
The Rockies left the bases loaded when Ezequiel Tovar grounded out, but Roupp had gone from cruising through two quick strikeouts to laboring through an extended two-out rally.
Colorado came back with another run in the fifth.
Sullivan led off by driving a 92.6 mph sinker 104.0 mph and 413 feet off the wall in right-center for his 11th double. Jake McCarthy moved him to third, and with the infield in, Moniak hit a hard grounder to Koss at short.
Sullivan broke on contact.
The throw arrived home just as Sullivan slid his hand across the plate, putting the Rockies back in front 2-1.
Then Veen changed the game.
Norby drew his second walk of the night with one out in the sixth and moved to second on a wild pitch. Roupp started Veen with a fastball above the zone, and Veen expanded and swung through it.
Veen stepped out of the box.
He appeared to reset.
Two pitches later, Roupp left a 76.5 mph curveball where Veen could handle it.
Veen hit it 111.3 mph at a 32-degree launch angle and sent it 406 feet into McCovey Cove.
The two-run homer was Veen’s second of the season and extended Colorado’s lead to 4-1.
It was also the fifth splash homer by a Rockies hitter and the first since Charlie Blackmon on June 7, 2022. Veen became the fourth Rockie to do it, joining Blackmon, Cory Dickerson and Carlos González, who did it twice.
Rockies add insurance before the defense finishes it
The Giants bullpen quieted Colorado for a while after Roupp departed.
JT Brubaker worked a clean seventh, including a 95.4 mph sinker that ran back over the edge to freeze Moniak. Harris followed by striking out the side around a Johnston walk in the eighth.
Colorado had a chance for more in the ninth.
Tovar walked and Sullivan singled before McCarthy grounded into a force at third. Moniak then walked to load the bases, bringing San Francisco manager’s bullpen back into action with Jason Foley replacing Harris.
Castro got one run home with a sacrifice fly to left. An errant throw allowed Moniak to advance to second, and Rumfield walked to reload the bases before Johnston grounded out.
The Rockies had an opportunity to break the game open, but settled for an important insurance run.
Brennan Bernardino replaced Freeland for the bottom of the ninth and immediately found trouble. Jonah Cox tripled and Devers followed with an RBI double, cutting Colorado’s lead to 5-2 with nobody out.
Then the defensive substitution paid off.
Cole Carrigg had entered in center field before the eighth, with McCarthy moving to right. Eldridge lined a ball toward center, and Carrigg charged in and made a terrific catch just above the grass.
Devers had already broken toward third.
Carrigg got the ball back in, Norby completed the play at second and the Rockies suddenly had two outs and nobody on. The Giants challenged whether Carrigg had trapped the ball, but the ruling was upheld.
Bericoto followed with a single, but Castro ended the game with another strong defensive play, ranging from third into foul territory and making the catch up against the railing.
Carrigg and Castro made sure it did not stay that way for long.
Final thoughts
Oracle Park produced one of the stranger statistical details of the night.
Eldridge’s fourth-inning home run traveled 409 feet.
Johnston’s triple traveled 410.
Sullivan’s double went 413.
Johnston’s drive produced the Rockies’ only two-out RBI. Sullivan’s double started the fifth-inning rally that put Colorado back ahead. Both were significant swings even if Oracle Park kept them from becoming home runs.
The Rockies also got considerable value from players whose box-score lines do not immediately jump off the page.
Norby finished 0-for-2 but walked twice, stole a base and scored ahead of Veen’s homer. Rumfield had one hit, but that hit came after he fought back from 0-2 and kept the fourth inning alive. He also walked in the ninth.
Colorado finished with only six hits but drew seven walks.
The Rockies went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners aboard, so there were opportunities to score more. But they also found several ways to produce runs without simply waiting for a home run: Rumfield’s two-out battle, McCarthy moving Sullivan to third, Moniak’s fielder’s choice, Norby’s walks and Castro’s sacrifice fly all played a part.
The defense mattered too.
Tovar helped the Rockies escape a messy third inning by turning Devers’ grounder into a double play after Colorado failed to complete a rundown. He later started the 6-4-3 double play that erased Freeland’s only walk.
Carrigg’s ninth-inning catch was the biggest defensive play of the night.
And Veen supplied the biggest swing.
Freeland supplied the rest.
It added up to one of Colorado’s more complete wins.
Up next
The Rockies and Giants continue the series Friday afternoon at Oracle Park, with first pitch scheduled for 2:05 p.m. MDT.
Colorado will send Michael Lorenzen to the mound. The right-hander enters the game 3-10 with a 6.83 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
San Francisco will counter with Logan Webb, who comes in 7-7 with a 3.59 ERA and 103 strikeouts.
LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 14: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Friday, August 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers (74-49) bounced back and evened the series against the Brewers (75-48) Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Edwin Diaz got another shot at a save to redeem himself after Friday’s ninth-inning collapse.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched six dominant innings with nine strikeouts. The offense supported him with three big scoring hits including two solo home runs from Andy Pages and Tommy Edman.
Even the bullpen, including closer Diaz, preserved the lead in late innings.
The Dodgers pulled a Brewers with one out in the first inning when they strung together three consecutive singles. Pages and Teoscar Hernández singled, and Mookie Betts drove in the first run of the game with a base hit down the left field line.
Joey Ortiz doubled with one out in the top of the third, the first base hit allowed by Yamamoto on the night.
The Brewers used their speed to get runners on the corners with nobody out against Yamamoto in the top of the fifth. Luis Lara nearly hit one out, but he barreled into second base with a double. David Hamilton, another speedster, bunted perfectly down the third base line. Hamilton and his wheels secured the infield single and easily moved Lara to third.
A sac fly from Ortiz tied the game, but the Dodgers struck back in the bottom of the inning.
Pages blasted a go-ahead solo home run, his 20th of the season, to put the Dodgers back in front 2-1 with two outs in the fifth.
The Dodgers All-Star outfielder took a Gasser sweeper for a ride over the left field corner wall.
Hunter Feduccia continues to contribute behind the plate while Will Smith and Dalton Rushing are out on injury. Feduccia mowed down Jake Bauers on an attempted steal of second after he managed a leadoff single against Yamamoto.
Edman added to the lead with another solo home run versus Gasser to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead.
Evan Phillips took over for Yamamoto in the top of the seventh and completed a 1-2-3 inning. His sweeper looked a lot sharper, a good sign for the Dodgers bullpen.
Tanner Scott took the ball for the Dodgers in the eighth and continued the bullpen’s solid night with a scoreless eighth. He gave up an infield single, but he hit 98-mph. That’s another good sign for the bullpen.
After the epic ninth-inning collapse by Diaz in Thursday’s series opener, the Dodgers’ closer got another shot for the save. The horns blew, and everyone collectively held their breath.
Diaz hit Andrew Vaughn to start off shaky. He reared back to strike out Christian Yelich.
Then William Contreras walked. Edman snared a Lara grounder for the second out. Hamilton also walked to load the bases for Ortiz. Mercifully Mookie Betts made the final out on a grounder to complete the win and tie the series.
Justin Wrobleski ( 11-4, 3.44 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) makes his 20th start of the season for the Dodgers in game three Saturday (4:15 p.m., FOX). The Dodgers will have to face Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski (11-5, 1.76 ERA, 0.74 WHIP).
SACRAMENTO, CA - AUGUST 14: Jeff McNeil #22 of the Athletics doubles in the eighth inning during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Friday, August 14, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Don Collier/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Athletics faced the Texas Rangers in the series opener of this intradivisional three-game series at Sutter Health Park. This evening, the A’s exorcised some home demons, defeating the Rangers 8-3. Starter Gage Jump delivered a solid performance, while infielder Jeff McNeil led the offense with a four-hit night and the bullpen protected a lead—something that has not happened often this season.
Early Action
Jump worked out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning, although he threw 30 pitches, a total that likely would have been lower if second baseman Donovan Walton had not committed a fielding error that extended the inning.
The A’s went to work immediately against Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker. After Jacob Wilson was hit by a pitch, he advanced to third on Tyler Soderstrom’s single.
With two outs and the bases loaded, designated hitter Carlos Cortes cleared the bases with a double into the right-center gap, putting the A’s up 3-0 in the bottom of the first.
In the bottom of the inning, with McNeil on second following a two-out double, Alika Williams pinch hit for Wilson, who exited with a left hand contusion. The Athletics failed to capitalize on the runners-in scoring-position opportunity, stranding two runners on base.
Jump responded by pitching three straight scoreless innings, maintaining the A’s momentum while keeping the Rangers out of the hit column through four innings. One pitch after Rangers center fielder Evan Carter recorded his team’s first hit of the game, Jump got the next batter to ground into an inning-ending double play, completing five scoreless innings.
A’s Waste Chance to Add On
Rocker issued two straight walks to begin the bottom of the fifth inning. The Athletics failed to capitalize, as Rocker retired the next three hitters. For the second time tonight, right fielder Lawrence Butler had an unproductive at-bat with runners in scoring position and fewer than two outs.
Brand New Game
The Rangers threatened in the sixth, putting two runners on base with one out. First baseman Jake Burger tied the game on Jump’s 101st and final pitch of the night. Burger’s 20th home run of the season, a 428-foot three-run blast to center, made it a 3-3 ballgame.
Jump pitched well until that final inning. He allowed three runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking four while striking out just one. Unlike in his last start, Jump pitched to contact, accumulating six groundouts and seven flyouts.’
Right-hander Luis Medina, who earned the win, entered from the A’s bullpen and recorded the final two outs of the inning, keeping the game tied.
Have a Game Jeff!
The Rangers likewise turned to their bullpen in the sixth, with right-hander Chase Silseth replacing Rocker. With two outs, McNeil recorded his third hit of the game. His fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to right field against Silseth, put the hosts ahead 4-3. That swing left McNeil only a triple shy of the cycle.
Facing Rangers left-hander Robby Ahlstrom, Butler hit his 10th home run of the season and third in as many games. The two-out, 411-foot solo shot to center field extended the A’s lead to 5-3.
Medina and left-hander Drew Rom combined for a scoreless seventh inning, protecting the Athletics’ one-run lead. In the top of the eighth, A’s right-hander Elvis Alvarado replaced Rom after the southpaw allowed Ezequiel Duran’s one-out double. Alvarado escaped the jam as the Rangers stranded two runners on base.
A’s Get Insurance
Up by two, the Athletics sought more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth against Rangers reliever Tyler Alexander. Pinch-hitter Tommy White led off with a single and then Jonah Heim walked.
Henry Bolte led down a sacrifice bunt that was ruled a fielder’s choice. The Rangers catcher fielded the bunt, but his throw to third baseman Duran was wide, allowing the lead runner, White, to race home with the A’s sixth run of the game.
McNeil followed with his fourth hit and second double of the game, bringing home two more runs to put the A’s up 8-3. He was looking for the triple to complete the cycle, but wisely stopped at second, avoiding a likely out at third. The A’s could have scored more with the bases loaded and one out; however, Butler grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris pitched a scoreless ninth to close out his team’s series-opening victory and its first win at home this month.
The Green and Gold will look to win their second straight game and claim a long-awaited home series victory tomorrow evening. Breakout right-hander J.T. Ginn will start for the A’s, hoping to continue his stellar season. He will be opposed by Rangers left-hander Mackenzie Gore in what should be an enticing pitching matchup.
Aug 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners shortstop Brock Rodden (90) hits a RBI double against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After the faceplant against the Rays and the slide through the Bronx this week – where even the lone win felt lackadaisical – I had convinced myself I was beyond caring about the 2026 Mariners. There have been so many bad losses, and bad series, and overall bad baseball that it’s tough to get worked up about any one game. But tonight’s crushing extra-inning loss to the Astros seemed designed in a lab by an evil baseball god scientist to find that one last neuron in my fan-brain capable of feeling pain, and then went ahead and dragged a white-hot knife right down the middle. A recipe for a cocktail of pain: an unheralded prospect making his debut; a meltdown from my favorite Mariner Andrés Muñoz; and the Houston Astros, shaken and spread out over nine innings. Congratulations, evil baseball scientist. You got me.
The image of Ralph Wiggum, heart rended, is a slide that plays on a rotating carousel on the projection screen in my brain. To be Ralph – to dare to hope to love, to be brave in love, and then to be made foolish by that love – is to be embarrassed, with his round face and too-tight suit and cheap paintbrush hairline. Why bother loving anything at all, ever? It’s easier when the Mariners make themselves unlovable, efficiently, efficaciously unlovable, which they’d been doing a pretty good job of for the past week or so.
Once again the Mariners got off to a quick start in this one, starting with a one-out double from Randy Arozarena; Randy would then be knocked in on an RBI single from Dominic Canzone, and then a Julio Rodríguez double and a sac fly from Josh Naylor made it 2-0 as the Mariners put early pressure on Astros starter Peter Lambert.
But this is a story we’ve seen before, and George Kirby wound up giving up one of those runs right back in the most predictable fashion, hanging a changeup that Yordan Álvarez predictably knocked over the fence. But it was in the second inning where things went sideways, with the Astros tying it up and then pulling ahead. Kirby got two quick outs but then couldn’t find the third, falling behind Christian Walker 3-0 before allowing a single, and then giving up an unlucky triple to Cam Smith that got past a diving Brendan Donovan at third base, allowing the slow-footed Walker to score all the way from first and tying the game.
That was unlucky. But Kirby continued to struggle, going to a full count against nine-hole hitter Christian Vázquez before walking him on the eighth pitch of the at-bat and turning the lineup over for Jeremy Peña, who yanked a little weak-contact single right past Josh Naylor for the go-ahead run and bringing up the ever-dangerous Álvarez. In a 3-1 count, Kirby balked, moving the runners over and triggering an automatic walk for Álvarez, but that left Isaac Paredes now in position with the bases loaded. Paredes chopped a ball toward Donovan at third, who couldn’t complete the throw, allowing two runs to score, and Donovan lost his mind for a little, thinking the ball was foul. It was pretty close but: fair seems to be the right call, even as we admire Donovan’s fight.
Things didn’t get much easier for Kirby after that, pushing well past the 30-pitch mark for the inning – usually when a pitcher gets pulled – after going to yet another full count against Taylor Trammell, but Kirby was able to get a groundout and end the bleeding there. Yes, lots of fluky bad BABIP luck in that inning, but also some poor process from Kirby in not getting the third out, falling behind hitters, and committing the balk. At least at 5-2 it felt safe tuning this one out and setting to work on a themed recap (written in the voice of Sister Michael from Derry Girls, thanks to commenter 12arods for the idea).
Playing from behind, the Mariners did what they usually do in these losses that are becoming intimately familiar: they became overly aggressive in the box, chasing pitches despite him issuing a pair of early walks, making weak contact or quick outs, failing to stack baserunners, and allowing Lambert to finish five innings despite his earlier shakiness.
But here is where the story of the typical Mariners loss starts to shift. The Mariners bullpen, which has been so porous lately, was actually nails during the back half of the game despite Kirby only making it through not-quite-five innings himself after his early elevated pitch count. Michael Rucker delivered the final out of the fourth, getting Kirby out of a jam, and then a perfect fifth; Gabe Speier looked the sharpest he has in a while with a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout, and Eduard Bazardo turned in two perfect innings with two strikeouts, showing some nasty movement on the sweeper.
The other part that changes the narrative: the Mariners actually added on against the Houston bullpen, which has had its own issues this year. The Mariners were able to claw one back in the sixth after Lambert departed, taking advantage of a leadoff Josh Naylor double; Victor Robles then came up with the rare clutch base hit to score him from third. Unfortunately, they couldn’t add on with two outs and Brock Rodden, making his major league debut, up, as he struck out, which is okay because it was his major-league debut.
And here is where things get dangerous, because hope is dangerous, like love is dangerous; hope can leave you wandering about like an astronaut on the moon, alone, which is not an unfamiliar way to consume these 2026 Mariners. They added another one in the eighth, this time small-balling around a run after a leadoff Julio walk, stolen base, and then two groundouts; Cal Raleigh walked to extend the inning and Robles beat out an infield hit for his second two-out hit of the day, but again that brought up Rodden, who again, and this part is important, [Gonzo as Charles Dickens voice] was making his major-league debut.
But because life isn’t a movie, this ball didn’t quite have enough to make it over the fence, but did have enough to hop said fence and keep the speedy Robles from scoring from first. On a night when the ball quite literally didn’t bounce the Mariners’ way on multiple occasions, this one might have hurt the most.
No, that’s a lie, because what happened next hurt the most. The Mariners couldn’t get anything across against Josh Hader in the ninth – although props to Dominic Canzone, who did work a hard-hit left-on-left single against him, creeping those R/L splits ever-closer together, and then Josh Naylor took back some bad batted ball luck from earlier when he reached on a little check-swing infield hit that rolled about a foot in front of home plate, but that brought up another lefty in Brendan Donovan. Donovan worked himself a full count – partially thanks to a clever ABS challenge – and fought for eight pitches, but stung a ball directly at Trammell in left field. Bad luck balls, all around.
Bazardo, as mentioned, held it down for a second inning of work, and the Astros brought on Enyel De Los Santos for extras. Robles greeted him with his third hit of the ballgame, this time a one-out triple scoring Donovan, the ghost runner, from second, and then Rodden came through again with a sac fly, working an eight-pitch plate appearance where he got the bat to a changeup off the plate and punched it just deep enough to left to score the speedy Robles. With a two-run cushion and Andrés Muñoz still to come, it felt like victory would, improbably, be within the Mariners’ grasp.
It was not. Muñoz gave up a one-out RBI single to Isaac Paredes, then got his second out, then gave up an extremely bad luck hit to Altuve, who, in a two-strike count, lunged after a slider in the opposite batter’s box and somehow blooped it into right field to put runners at the corners. That was followed by a game-tying single from Astros deadline acquisition Daulton Varsho, still around to hurt the Mariners, on a similar BABIP-fueled ground ball single. Trying to just get that final out and move the game along, Muñoz then made his one real mistake of the inning, hanging a slider in a 1-0 count to Christian Walker for a game-winning home run.
Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz, right, celebrates with catcher Hunter Feduccia following a 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Darkness engulfed Dodger Stadium. Then flashing lights ushered in Timmy Trumpet’s “Narco” over the speakers. And the ballpark sat in uneasy anticipation.
Edwin Díaz’s walk-in music once had been a rallying cry for fans thrilled to see the Dodgers’ newest star take the mound. But with his shaky return from arthroscopic elbow surgery leading to three blown saves in four appearances, the crowd tempered their enthusiasm appropriately.
On Friday, however, as the Dodgers evened the series with a 3-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers, history didn’t repeat itself.
“It was a tough one,” said Díaz, who turned in a scoreless ninth inning despite two walks and hitting a batter. “But at the end of the day, I made my pitches, got the three outs, got the W. So that’s the most important thing.”
The four-game series against the Brewers set up a compelling battle for the top record in the National League. It’s a matchup between two teams with opposing identities.
The Dodgers are the large-market powerhouse loaded with star power seeking their third straight World Series trophy. The Brewers are the small-market overachievers, who somehow have retained their little-engine-that-could persona despite owning the best regular-season record in baseball last year.
With the victory, the Dodgers (74-49) trimmed the Brewers’ (75-48) lead to one game.
The more pressing problem for the Dodgers’ postseason outlook, however, is getting their closer back on track. Díaz, who likely won’t be available for the rest of the series after pitching consecutive days, at least was pleased with his progress.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto delivers during the first inning of a 3-1 win over the Brewers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“It wasn’t pretty,” said manager Dave Roberts, who has kept Díaz in the closer role despite his struggles. “I watched the inning too. But he found a way to make a pitch when he needed to.”
Díaz’s focus in his early work Friday was fixing his posture. He’d been leaning to the side and wanted to be more upright. He sees that as the root of his change in arm angle, which has dropped four degrees this season compared to last year, according to Statcast.
“One of my years in New York, I think I had that problem, and it was difficult for me to fix it,” he said. “But now I’m more mature, I know what I have to do.”
Andy Pages flips his bat after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of the Dodgers' win over the Brewers on Friday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Of course, he didn’t stumble upon a magic fix Friday. By his second pitch, a ball well off the plate that put him behind 2-0, the crowd was feeling déjà vu and made it known with a smattering of boos. Five pitches later, he hit Andrew Vaughn, and the boos intensified.
First baseman Kiké Hernández stepped in to give Díaz a quick pep talk.
“He told me, ‘You’re the best pitcher in the world. We’ve got you, we’ve got your back. Make pitches, go slowly,’” Díaz recounted.
He was right, Díaz realized, he was rushing. Díaz bounced back by striking out Christian Yelich. But then he walked William Contreras.
Díaz gave up a rocketed ground ball to Luis Lara, but Tommy Edman, manning second base, went to a knee to snag it for the second out. Díaz then walked David Hamilton to load the bases.
“For me personally, I prefer to miss glove side than miss right in the middle like I was missing [Thursday],” Díaz said. “So I think I’m going in a good direction right now.”
Díaz, teetering on the edge of another disaster, threw three straight fastballs to Joey Ortiz: one down the middle for a called strike, one well inside, and one on the inner edge of the plate to induce him to ground out to shortstop Mookie Betts to end the game.
“Hopefully with a couple days kind of off to work through [adjustments], we’ll see a better version going forward,” Roberts said.
Shohei Ohtani just took a big step forward in his pitching progression.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way superstar threw 34 pitches in a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Friday, Aug. 14, in his most significant ramp-up since July 22, when he experienced a setback that caused the Dodgers to "dial back" his rehab from left knee soreness.
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3 as he's managed discomfort in his left knee and right bicep, but he began playing catch on Saturday, Aug. 8, in Arizona and threw on the field every day over the past week before taking his first bullpen session in almost a month on Friday afternoon.
"A lot of it, we just need to take our time and see if he comes in feeling good tomorrow, and then OK, what’s the next step?" Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. "A lot of it is just how he’s bouncing back, and do we think it’s prudent to keep progressing?"
Ohtani reportedly mixed both his fastball and off-speed stuff in his session on Friday. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters earlier in the week that Ohtani's bullpen program will likely consist of "a few" full sessions throwing off the mound before he progresses to face live hitters. Once he's at that point, it's entirely possible that Ohtani could only throw one simulated game before making his return to in-game action.
If he were to pitch again sometime in September, the Dodgers could opt to build Ohtani's workload back up slowly, one inning at a time like they did a year ago when he returned from a second major elbow surgery. But more than anything, they want to be sure his knee is comfortable enough to the point where it's manageable.
"Rather than rush the progression of this, I would rather make sure we’re headed in the right direction,” Ohtani told reporters through interpreter Will Ireton on Aug. 5. "But making sure we’re taking the right steps."
Aug 14, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Texas Rangers left fielder Wyatt Langford (36) steals second base against the Athletics during the third inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Texas Rangers scored three runs but the Northern California Athletics scored eight runs.
Top of the first inning, the Rangers loaded the bases with two outs. They did not score.
Bottom of the first inning, the A’s loaded the bases with two outs and hit a bases-clearing double.
Ballgame, and the story of this club this season in a nutshell.
The Rangers didn’t actually have a hit until the top of the fifth and tied the game in the sixth but the inability to ever do damage with the bases loaded remains a baffling failure point for what is quickly becoming a deserved lost year.
Of course, the Rangers still should have won this game. They were playing the A’s, a team who came into the night with the worst record in baseball (but only because the Rangers lost three in a row to the formerly-worst Angels).
Instead, Texas allowed a couple of solo home runs and then fell completely apart in the bottom of the eighth to remove all doubt. Overall, the Rangers collected just four base hits on the night whereas the first five batters reached for the A’s in the blowout-forging eighth alone.
By the way, the Angels lost tonight. They were beaten at the Big A by the terrible 49-73 KC Royals. They’re now the worst team in baseball again because the A’s jumped them in the standings by beating the Rangers.
Player of the Game: Jake Burger hit a three-run home run in the top of the sixth to tie the game and very briefly provide hope, but hope is not a friend when it comes to the 2026 Texas Rangers.
Up Next: The Rangers and Athletics play another late night baseball game with LHP MacKenzie Gore expected to make the start for Texas against RHP J.T. Ginn for the formerly-Oaklands.
The Saturday evening first pitch from Sutter Health Park is scheduled for 8:40 pm CDT and will be available to view on the Rangers Sports Network.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 14: Jac Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals hits a two-run home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 14, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jac Caglianone had three hits, one gave the Royals an important cushion, one gave the Royals a short-lived lead, and the last one tied the game in the late innings. The Royals won 7-6.
Grayson Rodriguez had an interesting night for the Angels in this one. He got two of the worst swings I’ve ever seen from John Rave and Carter Jensen, but also allowed three runs in four innings. The first was a Michael Massey home run on a pitch that absolutely would have bounced if Michael hadn’t blasted it to left.
In the top of the third, the Royals loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks in front of Jac Caglianone. For a minute, I felt in my heart that we were about to see our first Jac slam. Instead, with two strikes, he took a defensive approach and managed to sneak a soft liner into center to drive in two.
On the other side, Lugo retired the first seven batters he faced and looked dominant in doing so. Then he allowed a double on a soft grounder that beat the shift into right field, and things went crazy. He hit the Angels catcher, Tyler Heineman; Wade Meckler bunt singled to load the bases. Lugo had an epic 11-pitch at-bat with Mike Trout before striking him out on a foul tip. However, as we have seen so many times over the last two years, just when the Royals put themselves in position to escape a dangerous inning, they implode. Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel ripped a double into left, tying the game. Then scored to give the Angels the lead when Zach Neto ripped a single to right.
Neither team scored in the fourth, and the Angels decided they couldn’t afford to send Rodriguez back out for the fifth. They turned to left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta. Peralta has a career 5.29 ERA in parts of four seasons and entered tonight’s game with an ERA over 7.00; it didn’t get any lower. Bobby Witt Jr. walked, and Jac came to the plate again.
Nick Loftin and Michael Massey each singled, and it looked like the Royals could have a big inning. But the Royals attempted a double-steal of second and home with Isaac Collins at the plate. Heineman faked a throw to second, and Loftin was fooled, then thrown out.
Lugo blew the lead again in the bottom of the inning. A Heineman single, a Trout double, and another Schanuel line drive to right field tied the game. John Rave made a good throw home to nail Trout, who doesn’t run as well as he used to, at home plate. Jose Cuas came in and managed to stop the bleeding despite a wild pitch and a passed ball on back-to-back pitches.
Isaac Collins led off the sixth with a double; John Rave was tasked with bunting him to third, but still facing the lefty, Josh Rojas and Kyle Isbel both struck out. Alex Lange-xiety got the bottom of the sixth. He struck out Vaughn Grissom on some nasty pitches to start the inning but immediately allowed Josh Lowe to launch a go-ahead home run.
In the top of the seventh, it was the Witt-Caglianone show again. With one out, Witt singled to right. Then Jac smoked one into right and made what looked like a calculated decision* to make the turn and head for second. That drew a throw while at the same time, Bobby had never slowed down around third. Neto was forced to rush a throw home and couldn’t get the job done. Jac ended up going to second anyway on a bad throw. That set a new career-high with his fifth RBI of the night. He advanced to third on a good read of a groundout to short, and then scored on a Michael Massey single.
*Jac said it wasn’t planned during the postgame interview, but why would Bobby be going first-to-home on a routine single to right otherwise?
Holding a fresh lead, Matt Quatraro turned to John Schreiber out of the bullpen. When I am checking a box score for a reliever, I want to see at least one strikeout per inning if I am going to believe it was a strong outing. John got two soft groundouts and a weak infield pop-out to retire the side in order. The box score won’t say it was impressive, but it looked it to me. Nate Pearson got the eighth and continued the dominance he has shown since the Royals acquired him. He struck out a pair while throwing sinkers at 98 and even hitting 100.6 MPH with a four-seamer. Steven Cruz got the ninth and allowed an infield hit to pinch-hitter Jose Siri but otherwise got a pair of soft grounders and struck out Mike Trout looking with 98.5 at (or just above) the top of the zone to earn his fourth save.
I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but Jac Caglianone, halfway through August, is reminding me of Bobby Witt Jr. in July of 2024, when Bobby announced to the league that he wasn’t just a good hitter but a great one, capable of carrying a team. Jac has more or less single-handedly carried the Royals to each of their last two wins. Bobby had a 276 wRC+ that month, and Jac had a 229 wRC+ heading into tonight’s game, and it went up, though we won’t know by how much until tomorrow. It raised his season wRC+ by four points, for what that’s worth.
If he can keep this up, and you can count on Pearson and Cruz to be good relievers in next year’s bullpen, maybe it becomes more plausible that the Royals could compete after all. Of course, Seth Lugo is going to have to pitch better than a 4,59 ERA, or the Royals will have to replace him and his $20M salary in the rotation.
We’ll be back at it tomorrow when Randy Dobnak (2.00 ERA, 4.90 SIERA) will face off against Angels ace Reid Detmers (4.00 ERA, 3.46 SIERA). It’s another late West Coast game, but the last one of the season, thankfully. See you then.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 14: Cleveland Guardians first baseman Nathaniel Lowe (46) singles to right to die in a run during the third inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the San Diego Padres and Cleveland Guardians on August 14, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
(Editor’s note: Tonight marks Nick’s last recap for us. He is moving on to law school and bigger and better things! We thank him for his hard work).
It started off fun, at least! Nate Lowe started off the scoring with an oppo tank off Michael King.
That would be where the fun ended. As you’ve assuredly seen countless times this season, a Guardians pitcher immediately imploded the second the offense scored. Gavin gave up a 2-run bomb to Xander Bogaerts in the top of the 4th, and then a solo missile 115 miles per hour off the bat of Fernando Tatis, jr. in the 5th.
Then, a 2-run double to Luis Campusano in that same 5th inning made the score 5-3 Padres.
Halpin drove in a run on an RBI-double in the 6th, but Colin Holderman gave up 2 more runs in the 7th to make it 7-4 Padres.
Guardians tacked on a run in the 8th on a wild pitch, but that would not be enough. They lost the same game they’ve played a billion times this year. When the offense hits, the pitchers can’t do their job. When the pitchers pitch, the offense couldn’t hit a beach ball with a PVC pipe.
The Guardians fall to 59-64 in what is my last (for at least a while) article here on CTC.
It’ll be Cantillo vs. Randy Vasquez tomorrow night.
Since overhauling the roster at the trade deadline on Aug. 3, the Mets have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games.
And surprisingly, the rebuilt bullpen has been a catalyst during this recent stretch of success.
New York's relievers stepped up again during Friday's 4-1 win over the Washington Nationals, holding the MLB's highest-scoring offense to just two hits over the final 4.2 innings of the game. After starter Robert Stock's day was done in the fifth inning, Nate Lavender, Jonathan Pintaro, Daniel Duarte, and Kodai Senga kept the Nats off the scoreboard.
After the win, interim manager Andy Green said Stock had a "really good" bounce-back outing and then highlighted the bullpen's impressive performances, including Lavender for getting two big outs and Pintaro's journey up to this moment.
"I think excited for all of them," Green said. "What Nate has done in a short time here is enter dicey situation after dicey situation and gotten big outs for us. he comes in, it's harder than it looks, too, because you have an elite base-stealer at second base. He was able to control that and get two quick outs for us. Lot of credit to him. Early on in his big league career, he keeps a low pulse rate and goes out there and does what he does.
"And then Pinto gives us two huge innings. When you think about his journey from indy ball and getting picked up last year. Our scouts doing a nice job finding him, him coming through our development system. And now he's won a baseball game in the big leagues, that's pretty impressive. It's pretty impressive the scouting group that they found the guy in indy ball, we got a couple of them in the bullpen that didn't come the conventional route, but they came because our scouts are grinding. Pinto deserves a lot of credit for what he's done. I think Duarte's just been sensational."
Pintaro, who was pitching in just his ninth career game, earned his first win after throwing two scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts. The 28-year-old spoke on what the accomplishment felt like and how he and the other relievers are taking advantage of the new opportunities in the bullpen.
"It's amazing. This is everything every baseball player ever dreams of," Pintaro said. "Just being able to go out there and compete and give everything I have for my teammates, it's amazing."
He added: "Pretty much all we want to do is we want to go out there and compete. Just do everything we can to show the world that we deserve this chance and that we have a great opportunity here to compete and help our teammates do everything they can to get the wins."
And it's not just journeyman players like Pintaro who are taking advantage of the new opportunities, as Senga has been solid in a high-leverage role and is 2-for-2 on save opportunities. Green said Senga won't always pitch in the ninth going forward, but is happy with what he's seen from the former starter.
"He'll continue to get those opportunities," Green said. "I do think there will be times we flip it and pitch him in the eighth inning because he matches up really well at the right point in time. But he's going to continue to get the high-leverage opportunities. Like I just said, he's really controlled his pulse rate, and he's throwing plus-stuff out there."
Senga even told reporters that he's been able to adjust quickly to the new role and feels more prepared taking the mound when he knows the specific situation.
"It's certainly easier to prepare knowing that you're going later in the game, easier to prepare, easier to get ready and warm up," Senga said via an interpreter.
He, Pintaro, and the rest of the Mets bullpen will now look to keep it going as they continue their home series against the Nats this weekend and throughout the final stretch of the regular season.
Aug 14, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson, left, and third baseman Brendan Donovan (33) argue with umpire Alex MacKay, left, and umpire Tyler Jones (39) after Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (not pictured) hit a two run RBI single in the second inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Astros 10, Mariners 7
shoulda stuck with the Derry Girls themed chart I made in like the fourth
Top dogs: Victor Robles, .39 WPA; Brock Rodden, .27 WPA; Eduard Bazardo, .24 WPA
Dog days: George Kirby, -.36 WPA; Cole Young, -.20 WPA Andrés Muñoz -.80 WPA
Game thread comment of the day:
Michael Arroyo Threat Level: Victorian Parlor Green (much to the chagrin of one John Trupin)
Twelve-year-old Noah, starting on the mound and batting leadoff for Sweetwater Valley Little League out of Bonita, struck out six batters through four scoreless innings. But it was the fifth where he had his best moment.
Sweetwater Valley had opened up a 5-0 lead, but Kirk gave up back-to-back singles to start the penultimate inning before Waika Doctolero took him deep for a three-run home run that cut SoCal's lead down to just two runs. Rush Pegeder walked the next at-bat, and it looked like Kirk was spiraling with his pitch count creeping closer to the 85-pitch limit.
He responded by striking out Shane Schoettler for his seventh K of the game. Now at 83 pitches, Kaikea Saiki was all but guaranteed to be the final batter Kirk would face, and Kirk made it count. Kirk fell behind 3-1 in the count but managed to work it back full before getting Saiki to hit a comebacker to the mound. Kirk fielded the ball, threw Pegeder out at second, and Mateo Ruiz fired it to first baseman Jesus Cuadra to get a crucial inning-ending double play.
Knoxville Smokies outfielder Carter Trice (29) hits the ball during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Biloxi Shuckers at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Another strong start from rising prospect Luis Martinez-Gomez, who gave up a solo home run in the first inning and not much else. Martinez-Gomez got the win after going five innings and allowing just one run on three hits. Martinez-Gomez struck out four, walked three and hit one batter.
The Smokies held a 5-1 lead heading to the top of the ninth, but Marino Santy couldn’t find the plate at all. He allowed three runs on one hit, three walks, one hit batter over just one-third of an inning. So Grayson Moore got summoned from the bullpen to get the save. Moore faced two batters and got two weak groundouts to get the save.
Left fielder Carter Trice connected with the bases empty in the sixth inning for his 14th home run of the season. Trice went 3 for 3 with the home run and a sacrifice fly for two overall RBI. He scored twice.
Center fielder Kane Kepley had a two-run double in the fifth inning. Kepley was 1 for 4.
Starter Alfredo Romero gave the Cubs five scoreless innings on just three hits. Romero got the win while striking out three and walking no one.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda, the second hitter of the game, hit a solo home run in the top of the first. It was Cepeda’s fifth home run this year and fourth with South Bend. Cepeda went 1 for 4 with a walk. He scored twice.
Second baseman Michael Hallquist hit his sixth home run with the bases empty in the sixth inning. Hallquist went 1 for 4.
Right fielder Jose Escobar was 2 for 5 and scored one run.
David Avitia gave the Birds a chance to win, as he did not allow a hit over his five innings of work. He did allow one run in the first inning (walk, steal, ground out, sac fly). Avitia walked two and struck out five.
The wheels came off for the Pelicans with a five-run seventh inning by the Howlers. Hayden Frank took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits over 1.2 innings. Frank walked two and struck out one.
Right fielder Derik Alcantara hit his first Myrtle Beach home run with a man on in the eighth inning. It Alcantara’s only at-bat of the game.
Third baseman Derniche Valdez was 2 for 3 with a two-run triple in the second inning. Valdez scored once.
Center fielder Ethan Conrad was 1 for 2 with three walks. He scored twice.
