Category: MLB

Toledo Mud Hens 4, St. Paul Saints 2 (box)

The Hens built an early lead and held on in a contest that featured a lot of traffic on the bases, but not a whole lot of run scoring.

The Hens missed an opportunity in the second, but in the third they opened the scoring in this one. John Peck drew a walk with one out and stole second. Trei Crus doubled him in and Max Anderson launched a two-run homer to center field for a 3-0 lead. That shot was Anderson’s 14th of the season to go with his .894 OPS and improved plate discipline. Hopefully we’ll see him up in September.

Austin Gomber got the start, and he was pretty solid, allowing just a run in the fourth before leaving the game in the fifth. Enmanuel de Jesus gave up a solo shot to Walker Jenkins in the sixth, But Brant Hurter, Ty Madden, and Luke Taggart locked it down the rest of the way, with Taggart earning his first Triple-A save.

They got a little help in the eighth, when Bennett Lee was hit by a pitch and Cal Stevenson, pinch-hitting for Peck, singled. Cruz stepped to the dish for another RBI double to make it 4-2 where it ended.

Anderson: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Cruz: 2-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 2B, K

Gomber: 4.1 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s an 8:07 p.m. ET start on Thursday with the series tied up.

Altoona Curve 6, Erie SeaWolves 1 (box)

The bats were quiet in this one, while Lucas Elissalt struggled through a long first inning and was lifted early for pitch count reasons as Altoona cruised to victory.

Elissalt got the first out of the game, but needed 15 pitches for the next two hitters, surrendering a walk and a single. A pair of singles followed to score a run, and then Elissalt punched the next hitters and got a pop-up to end the inning. Unfortunately he was over 30 pitches and the Tigers have a strict policy of shutting down a starter after an inning that long.

Yoniel Curet took over and he was rocked for three runs in the second and one in the third. Meanwhile, veteran lefty Nick Dombkowski was cooking through the SeaWolves lineup with six perfect innings and six strikeouts. He finally left the game in the seventh, and Woody Hadeen and Zyhir Hope singled with one out before Thayron Liranzo ground into an inning ending double play.

In the eighth, E.J. Exposito led off with a double, and a pair of ground outs were enough to score him, but that’s all the SeaWolves could manage.

Exposito: 1-3, R, 2B

Hope: 1-4, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:00 p.m. ET start in Altoona on Thursday with the SeaWolves down 2-0 in the series.

Peoria Chiefs 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 4 (box)

Ben Jacobs was brilliant once again, but the bullpen blew a slim lead in the eighth to lose on Wednesday.

The lefty’s rapid rise toward the top of the Tigers’ farm system didn’t miss a beat in this one, as Jacobs pounded the zone for five innings of scoreless ball. He allowed just two hits and a walk, while punching out seven hitters on the night. He threw 47 of 66 pitches for strikes, and with the ‘Caps fighting for a playoff spot, they should’ve let him keep going.

The ‘Caps opened the scoring in the third. Stephen Hrustich drew a leadoff walk, and Carson Rucker and Jackson Strong drew one-out walks to load the bases. A passed ball scored a run, and then Bryce Rainer was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Beau Ankeney and Edian Espinal struck out to end the threat and that would come back to haunt them.

Lefty Juanmi Vasquez allowed the Chiefs to tie it up in the sixth. Carson Rucker untied it with a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, Ryan Harvey gave up four runs, three earned, in the top of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead.

Espinal and Ricardo Hurtado singled with one out in the eighth, and Espinal scored on a wild pitch. Rucker cracked another solo shot in the bottom of the ninth, his third homer since his promotion, but that was as close as they’d get to a comeback.

With the loss, the Whitecaps are now a game behind Great Lakes in the East division. Also, longtime Whitecaps’ play-by-play man Dan Hasty announced on Wednesday that he’ll be leaving the position at season’s end. We’ll discuss this more as the season comes to an end, but for now we wish Dan well in all his future endeavours. He’s been the voice of the Whitecaps for 12 years now.

Rucker: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 HR, BB, K

Espinal: 2-4, R, K

Rainer: 1-4, 2 K, HBP

Jacobs: 5.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start in Comstock Park on Thursday.

Lakeland Flying Tigers vs. Clearwater Threshers (suspended)

Cameron Flukey, the Tigers first round pick back in July, was overpowering in this one before rain suspended play in the fourth inning. They’ll look to finish it at 4:00 p.m. ET on Thursday before playing their normally scheduled game.

Flukey averaged 95.5 mph and a whopping 20 inches of IVB in this one. He got five whiffs on nine swing on the heater, and got a whiff with both curveball and cutter as well. He threw 26 of 44 pitches for strikes, allowing a hit and a walk, but no runs, and striking out four. Flukey hasn’t allowed a run through three short pro appearances.

The Flying Tigers scored three in the first when Jude Warwick singled and Jordan Yost doubled to lead off the inning. Jesus Pinto struck out, but Zach MacDonald walked to load the bases. Cris Rodriguez smoked a two-run double, and MacDonald scored on an Anibal Salas sacrifice fly.

Paul Wilson handled the fourth inning, but his outing, as the Tigers look to finally stretch him out after a pair of injury plagued seasons, was interrupted by the standard August rains in Florida.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, so what was it that I said about the Yankees’ bullpen yesterday morning before we knew of the latest roster moves?

The Yankees’ bullpen deserves a lot of credit for exceeding expectations in 2026. There was plenty of eye-rolling in the offseason when it became clear that they were going with pretty much the same bunch that ended 2026, minus Luke Weaver and Devin Williams. Minimal offseason improvements were made.

And yes, there were absolutely misses. Camilo Doval and Jake Bird were terrible; they’ve since been traded. But while David Bednar’s success was expected … Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, and Fernando Cruz 2: Electric Boogaloo? They’ve helped this pitching staff stand up and carry the team during a wretched stretch for the bats. The bad news is that because said bats were, again, so wretched for so long, the Yankees were always playing close ballgames, and Aaron Boone had to ride the bullpen’s best like mid-2000s Joe Torre or else risk close games falling into the hands of Doval, Bird, Ryan Yarbrough, or whoever the 26th man happened to be that day.

Well, now the worm has turned. It’s more apparent for Cruz, who has surrendered 11 runs and five homers across his last 13.2 innings, but Headrick got hit hard last night as well. There is very little wiggle room at this point in the AL East race for the Yankees to be giving away ballgames when the offense actually shows up, but that’s what happened.

A few hours after that posted, the Yankees announced that Cruz was going on the IL with ominous right elbow discomfort. Annnnnd a few hours after that, Aaron Boone told reporters in the postgame that Cruz had a partially torn UCL. Zoinks. Cruz and Headrick were two of the 18 relievers in MLB to reach 60 appearances already, and barring a miracle, it doesn’t sound like the former will be adding to his total for the remainder of 2026.

Suddenly, here’s what the Yankees’ bullpen looks like at the moment:

RHP David Bednar
LHP Brent Headrick
RHP Paul Blackburn
LHP Tim Hill
RHP Yerry De los Santos
RHP Michael Fulmer
RHP Justin Topa
LHP Ryan Yarbrough

So that’s different! Further tweaks could be on the horizon, as Clarke Schmidt and Ryan Weathers are working their way back from injury as relievers and the team is tentatively expecting both to play a role. Luis Gil and Angel Chivilli could make returns from the minors as well. But even with Cruz’s recent scuffles, that group seems less reliable without him. There’s reason for optimism with Matt Blake’s apparatus here, but it’s hard to predict how, say, Schmidt and Weathers fare when neither have been relievers for a hot minute.

I think Schmidt and Weathers are talented enough to make it work if they are healthy enough to return to the big-league roster, and even Gil could provide some innings now that he’s been converted. Maybe it’s just a one-game one-off, but hell, even Fulmer looked good in his Yankees debut on Monday night. It’s hard to strike out a hitter as gifted as Triple Crown threat Yordan Alvarez on accident.

I go back and forth on this topic. I have enough confidence in the overall operation that I’ll say I’m not too worried yet. On a scale of 1-5, I’ll say about a 3.5 in terms of confidence. If neither Schmidt nor Weathers can be effective in a relief comeback, then it’s certainly dropping to a three or worse.

Regardless, I am still worried at how much Headrick and Bednar have had to pitch in 2026, and as alluded in the earlier excerpt, I am forever scarred by the playoff impact of Torre’s overuse of guys like Tom Gordon, Paul Quantrill, and Scott Proctor. Yes, it’s been a very long time since then, and even at their apex, Aaron Boone does not use his arms quite as freely. Hopefully, the 24 runs scored across the last few games portend a long-awaited offensive rebound and the bats can give the most-used arms at least a couple extra days off here and there.

Today on the site, Andrés will profile new Yankees reliever Justin Topa, Sam will run through the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate what would have been the 80th birthday of forgotten catcher Ed Herrmann, Peter will break down his Sequence of the Week, and Michael will recall some niche Yankee killers in recent memory.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, Space City Home Network

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a handful of young pitchers with a lot of potential, and Khristian Curtis is one of them. The 24-year-old has only pitched in two games so far but both outings were very impressive.

His first outing was on July 18 against the Cleveland Guardians, where he threw for five innings. The right-handed pitcher allowed just two hits and struck out four batters allowing no runs. 

His second outing was on August 23 against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched three innings, allowed no runs, struck out a batter and allowed only one walk. To have a scoreless game against the defending champion and one of the best teams in the league like the Dodgers is really impressive. 

Even though Curtis has only thrown eight innings, he did so against two playoff-caliber teams and didn’t allow a single run. That’s a really promising sign for someone that could easily be a part of starting rotation in the future. 

Curtis was just optioned back down to Triple A Indianapolis but is expected to be called back up when the rosters expand in September. Curtis started 12 games for Double-A Altoona before earning his Triple-A promotion on June 9 and has pitched in nine games, making five starts.

Even though Curtis was called back down I still think the righty can see some more action before the season is over. To throw eight scoreless innings as a young inexperienced 24-year-old is impressive, and I think he could be a nice piece to have especially for the start of the 2027 season. 

The young pitcher was ranked as the 21st prospect in the MLB pipeline before getting called up. Curtis was selected by Pittsburgh in the 12th round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State (Tempe) University. 

MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The Yankees will be without one of their most trust bullpen arms for at least a little while, as Fernando Cruz was placed on the 15-day IL with right elbow discomfort. That was part of a series of pregame moves yesterday that saw veteran arm Michael Fulmer sign a big-league deal, reliever Bradley Hanner demoted, Elmer Rodríguez promoted for the spot start, and Kervin Castro open up a spot on the 40-man roster by going to the 60-day IL.

The news got worse in the postgame, though. Like Castro, Cruz is now staring down the possibility of season-ending elbow surgery. Per manager Aaron Boone, imaging showed that he had a partially torn UCL. He’ll be getting a second opinion, but there’s a very real chance that he winds up getting Tommy John or something along those lines, which would also all but doom his 2027 as well. Cruz will already be turning 37 in March, so while he’s under team control through 2028, he may have already thrown his last pitch in pinstripes. It’s a shame, as Cruz had a sterling 2.20 ERA through mid-July, but the wear and tear of heavy use in the first half (due in part to the Yankees’ offense struggling to break close games open) seemed to get to him. We wish him well.

New York Post | Joel Sherman ($): Heading into a big four-game set with the Red Sox this weekend, the Yankees face a near-unique problem: Boston is looking to start three lefties against them, plus another portsider in an opener role. It would be just the second time in my lifetime that New York faces four consecutive southpaw. If it feels like this happens more than usual, you’re right, as the team has seen the third-most PA against left-handed pitching in baseball this year, and critically since June 1st they’ve managed just an 87 wRC+ against ‘em. Boston is setting the table for the Yankees to be at a distinct disadvantage in this series, and while Cody Bellinger is back and hits lefties well, he can’t do it on his own.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Gerrit Cole’s Hall of Fame case was hurt somewhat by his time recovering from Tommy John surgery, as that year and a half cut away shots at many of the milestone numbers we see at necessary for enshrinement. The shortened COVID-19 season in 2020 did the same, especially considering what a peak Cole was coming off of after 2019. Still, while The Baseball Culture does need to adjust expectations for what a Hall of Fame pitcher looks like, he’s done everything he can to continue to build his case for Cooperstown in 2026, and remains a likely candidate depending on how he declines from his Cy Young form.

MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: It’s never too early to think about free agency, specifically the high end of a very soft class this year. Lefty Tarik Skubal is atop anyone’s list of the best available, but the rest doesn’t inspire very much. Randy Arozarena is probably the best position player of the crop, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. having lost a tonne of potential money with his performance this year.

Yahoo Sports | Teddy Ricketson: We close with a bit of a fun one, as Yankees Assistant Director of Baseball Operations Mike Pinsky will try to outwit, outplay and outlast the competition on the 51st season of Survivor this fall. Just don’t get voted out first, Mike.

The Yankees moved Fernando Cruz to the 15-day injured list Wednesday before even scanning his elbow, concerned enough that they felt he would require a break regardless of the MRI exam results.

The results represented a worst fear.

Cruz has a partial tear of his UCL, manager Aaron Boone said, and will seek further opinions.

But Tommy John surgery is on the table, which typically follows such a diagnosis.

The 35-year-old Cruz is out of the picture for 2026 and potentially for all of 2027, too, a blow to the team and a blow to a reliever who has both found himself and a home in The Bronx.

Something had clearly been wrong with Cruz, who was often dominant in his first year in pinstripes (striking out 72 in 48 innings) and was enjoying an even better follow-up season before hitting a wall in mid-July. After letting up the two-run home run to Jeremy Peña on Tuesday, he had given up nine earned runs in his previous 13 ²/₃ innings.

After the loss, Cruz met with trainer Tim Lentych at his locker and walked out with Lentych after talking with media. At the time, Cruz denied that there was any physical issue.

This offseason Cruz will enter his second season of arbitration and is under team control through 2028. If he successfully returns in 2028, the righty would be playing at 38.

Ryan McMahon is eligible to be activated from the IL on Sunday and could be ready then, but it is possible the Yankees wait until Tuesday, when the club can add a position player and pitcher.

“We might take it a couple extra days just with September 1st being around the corner,” Boone said before the Yankees’ 9-3 win over the Astros at the Stadium. “He might even play in a couple of rehab games prior to that. “But he’s trending in a good way.”

McMahon ran in the outfield before the game and has been taking ground balls at third.

Even on the day the Yankees placed him on the IL, McMahon had taken swings indoors with a Grade 2 thumb sprain.

An excellent defender, McMahon had started the season as an offensive liability but improved, posting a .731 OPS with seven home runs in his previous 61 games before the injury.

Without McMahon, José Caballero, who went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in the Yankees’ win on Wednesday, has received the bulk of work at third base and is just 2-for-21 in six games in the span.

Max Fried remains an option for one end of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox, which would mean he would have been sidelined for the minimum 15 days.

Fried is scheduled to throw a side session Thursday, and the Yankees will wait to see how he handles that before making a decision.

Aaron Judge, who hit Tuesday and has begun ramping up his baseball activity, threw in the outfield before the game.

Among the many roster moves the Yankees made on a day Cruz was placed on the IL and Elmer Rodríguez was activated, the club optioned Bradley Hanner, who allowed three runs in his first four major league innings.

Before the game, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at 80.

I have a confession to make. This whole season, I have been waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop for Eduardo Rodriguez. I had a difficult time believing the same pitcher who had posted consecutive seasons with ERAs north of five could somehow transform himself into a legitimate Cy Young candidate. There were some legitimate reasons for that doubt too between his whiff percentage, strikeout rate, and chase rate all leave something to be desired – to say nothing of expected stats that paint an even worse picture. But at some point, you have to throw out all the other pieces of evidence and recognize that however he’s doing it, Rodriguez is putting together one of the best pitching seasons in franchise history. And at a time in the season where every win is crucial, he delivered once more with an absolute gem against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday afternoon. In seven innings of scoreless work, Rodriguez racked up nine strikeouts and allowed just five baserunners all game, inducing a whopping 18 swings and misses along the way.

It was a fairly dominant performance for the veteran lefty, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In the visiting half of the sixth, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who was mostly contained in the series, stroked a leadoff double down the line and then moved over to third on Seiya Suzuki’s groundout. After a shallow flyout from Alex Bregman wasn’t deep enough for PCA to score, he decided to take matters into his own hands and bluffed a straight steal of home by sprinting halfway down the third base line. That move unsettled Rodriguez enough for him to shuffle off the pitching rubber before delivering to James McCann behind the plate. The entire Cubs dugout clamored for a balk call, but after a quick umpire consultation, it was declared not a balk – much to PCA’s chagrin as he charged directly at the third base umpire and had to be held back by his coaches. After a few replays of the incident, I do think (as does Bob Brenly) that it probably was a balk. E-Rod clearly takes his left foot off the rubber before coming home with the ball, which would be very deceiving to a baserunner and which has always been the intent behind the balk rule. The play also highlighted the fact that every play should be reviewable as other angles show enough that the Cubs at least had an argument and when the margin is so thin, the call should be correct. It’s worth watching the whole sequence for yourself to see where you fall on the decision:

For what it’s worth, Chicago starter Matthew Boyd nearly matched Rodriguez zero for zero as the veteran journeyman allowed the same number of baserunners (five) in six innings of work and continued the excellent starting pitching the Cubs had in the series. His only mistake was a hanging changeup that Jordan Lawlar just lifted over the right field fence for the only run allowed by a Cubs starting pitcher. The D-Backs added an insurance run in the eighth when consecutive leadoff singles from McCann and Lawlar put the former at third with less than two outs for Ryan Waldschmidt who proceeded to drive a ball deep enough for McCann to lumber his way in to score. As a result, the team had the unique privilege of failing to record a single at bat with a runner in scoring position while still securing the win.

We’re now fully into the section of the season where every single victory is desperately needed. This team is all too familiar with the experience of missing the playoffs by a single game and this season looks like it will again be decided by a small margin. Victories like this could easily be a huge difference when the end of the season arrives.

Mark Vientos continued his rehab stint with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday and had his best game with the club.

The young Mets slugger went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. He also hit a home run against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. 

Vientos' first hit came in the first, smashing a single to score Emilien Pitre from second and give Syracuse an early 1-0 lead. His longball came in the fifth with the bases empty. He smashed a changeup in the middle of the plate 409 feet to give Syracuse a 6-1 lead at the time.

It was a great offensive day for Vientos, who started at DH, and he needed it. He was hitless over his first three minor league games in his current rehab assignment and Mets interim manager Andy Green had some pointed things to say about the slugger and his future role on the team. 

"I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs," Green said Wednesday. "Still think there’s a very bright future for him out there if he wants to grab a hold of it. That’s on him."

An RBI single for Mark Vientos on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/OxyvA3b2wy

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 26, 2026

Aside from Vientos, the rest of the Syracuse Mets lineup exploded offensively. 

Up and down the lineup, Syracuse received contributions from prospects, former big leaguers and more. The team hit four home runs, one from Vientos, one from catcher Shawn Ross and two from Billy Amick.

Amick, acquired from the Twins in the A.J. Minter deal at the deadline, has shown incredible power in Triple-A. His two blasts Wednesday give him five in seven games since he was promoted. He finished 3-for-5, but his average still sits at .192, so there's still development to be had. 

Other contributions from the lineup include Pitre going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Ronny Mauricio driving in a run with his two hits, and MJ Melendez driving in a run in Syracuse's 11-1 rout. 

Billy Amick - acquired from the Twins in the A.J. Minter deal - hit two home runs for Triple-A Syracuse tonight pic.twitter.com/srrjUFqB3j

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) August 27, 2026

Clippers 3, Indians 4

It’s been a tough season for Yorman Gomez, and that continued today. He allowed four earned runs on six hits including three home runs. His ERA on the season is up to 7.19. Steven Perez, Connor Brogdon, and Carlos Hernandez combined for 4.2 scoreless innings of relief.

It wasn’t a great day for the offense but Daniel Schneemann went 2-4 with a HR. Kyle Manzardo went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI double, and Kody Huff went 1-4 with an RBI double.

RubberDucks 7, Patriots 5

Jake Fox and Bennett Thompson were the story of this game. Jake Fox went 3-3 with three RBIs and a triple. He is now hitting .311 with an .878 OPS on the season. Bennett Thompson went 3-4 with an RBI double.

Ryan Degges had a solid outing today. He allowed two earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched while striking out three and walking two. His ERA for the RubberDucks is now at 2.41.

Captains 8, Kernels 7

The showtime Captains were at it again today. Welbyn Francisca went 2-5 with a HR and three RBIs today, he continues to impress a ton as a 20 year old in High-A. He is now hitting .289 with a .937 OPS on the season. We also saw multi hit games from Tommy Hawke, Anthony Martinez, and Jose Pirela. Cannon Peebles went 1-4 with a walk and a HR of his own.

Howlers 0, Cannon Ballers 5

It was a rough game all around for the Howlers as they were shut out on just four hits with one walk to six strikeouts. Alejandro Garza and Deiten Lachance both went 1-4.

Ryan Desanto had a solid outing where he allowed just two runs in 5 innings with 5 strikeouts. His ERA is down to 4.37 on the season.

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.

Braves News

The Braves claimed RHP Ricky Vanasco off waivers as intriguing org depth, sending him to AAA.

Ha-Seong Kim walked the Dodgers off in a tremendous Wednesday night matchup.

MLB News

The Dodgers will place Roki Sasaki on the IL with a blister on his pitching hand.

Yankees’ star reliever Fernando Cruz will hit the IL with a partially torn UCL of severity to be determined.

The Astros are expecting Carlos Correa to return to the field sometime in September, after previously expecting his season to be over.

Elmer Rodríguez stepped into a big Yankees moment and delivered the best outing of his young career.

The Yankees called up Rodríguez, their No. 3 prospect, to start Wednesday, and he provided them with a quality outing at a time when their injury-riddled pitching staff’s depth is being tested amid a two-front race in the standings.

He tossed six innings and gave up three runs in the 9-3 win over the Astros in The Bronx, striking out six batters and walking just two.

It was the 23-year-old’s fifth start — and first since June 21 — in the big leagues this year. After four shaky starts — he entered Wednesday with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings pitched — he returned and provided the Yankees with a needed lift.

“That’s what we get excited about right there,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he got [the Astros’] attention right away — you’re seeing 97, 98, 99 [mph] sinkers filling up the zone, spinning a good breaking ball. That was really encouraging, to see that. And to see him, it felt like, a little bit more settled, too.

“That’s the electric arm that we know is in there. I thought he threw the heck out of the ball.”

Rodríguez came back out for the seventh inning but was pulled after walking Jose Altuve to start the frame. He left to loud applause from Yankees fans.

His final line also would have looked a bit better if it weren’t for some rough fielding in the first inning, when Trent Grisham misplayed a fly ball to hand the Astros their first run.

Rodríguez’s velocity was noticeably a few ticks higher Wednesday than it was across his first four starts. And Wednesday was the deepest he’s pitched across his five starts — he had never gone further than 4 ²/₃ innings previously.

“Just trusting myself,” Rodríguez said. “Something that I’ve been building up since my first couple of starts. Each time, I felt better. I’ve been working on a couple [of things] down there [in Triple-A] and I feel like it’s been working.”

The Yankees rotation has been hit by injuries recently, opening the door for Rodríguez to return to the big leagues — for the moment, at least. Ryan Weathers was placed on the injured list earlier this week with a low-grade flexor strain that will likely keep him sidelined for several weeks.

And Max Fried hit the injured list earlier this month with a bone bruise in his left elbow, though he could return as soon as Saturday. The bullpen, particularly with Fernando Cruz now dealing with a partial UCL tear, has been hit, too.

Rodríguez’s performance came at an important time for the Yankees even beyond the injuries — they remained 3 ½ games behind the Rays atop the AL East and extended their lead to 2 ½ games above the Red Sox for the top wild-card spot.

“That’s by far,” Boone said, “the best stuff he’s had since he’s been up here with us.”

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

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.

South Bend right-hander Jose Romero was released.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs evaded the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), 7-3.

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.

Franklin’s seventh strikeout.

RBI single for Shaw.

It’s a grand slam in our hearts, Justin.

Shelby Miller with 96 mph for the strikeout. He was as high as 98.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies were extinguished by the Biloxi Shuckers (Brewers), 4-3.

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.

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs skinned the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), 13-6.

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.

Hartshorn’s RBI double.

Cepeda’s first home run.

Cepeda’s second home run was more impressive.

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were stung by the Augusta GreenJackets (Braves), 6-1.

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.

The only Pelicans hit of the game.

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!

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!

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