Category: MLB

MLB News

Posted on

Tigers’ Troy Melton continues run of dominance to start post-Tarik Skubal era in Detroit with a win

SEATTLE — It’s only fitting that the last Detroit Tigers starter to match Troy Melton’s most recent feat no longer is on the team.

Melton’s latest strong outing, which came in an 8-0 victory against the Seattle Mariners, made it back-to-back starts of seven innings with three or fewer hits allowed. The previous Tigers starter to do that before Melton was Tarik Skubal, who now is employed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Melton doesn’t have the résumé as Skubal, the two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. But since coming off the injured list in late May, Melton has been even better than his former teammate, and again looked like one of baseball’s best pitchers.

Even after Detroit dealt away Skubal and former No. 1 overall draft pick Casey Mize, Melton said he hasn’t felt any added pressure to step up in the starting rotation.

“I’m just trying to get people out,” Melton said. “Yeah, obviously (we) lost two pretty good players. So, got to find a way to replace them however we can.”

But if Melton can keep this up on the mound, the Tigers’ rotation might be just fine — even without Skubal and Mize. Since May 24, Melton has the second-lowest ERA (1.58) in the majors, trailing only Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski (1.41).

With a six-pitch mix, Melton has myriad ways of getting opposing hitters out. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Melton is still learning how to use his full repertoire, too, which was an assessment the 25-year-old agreed with.

“I feel like recently, I really haven’t had my best stuff and command,” Melton said. “It’s just finding a way to grind through and get swing and miss when I need to get swing and miss and get weak contact early in counts. It’s been interesting.”

Melton has been dominant, similar to how Skubal mowed down hitters for years in the Motor City. A sluggish start to the season, though, nearly buried the Tigers, and in part prompted Detroit to deal Skubal before the trade deadline.

Even so, the Tigers (55-58) have rattled off four straight wins to move within 1 1/2 games of Cleveland for the final American League wild card. Despite Detroit parting ways with Skubal and Mize, Melton is confident his team can still qualify for the postseason for the third consecutive year.

If the Tigers are to do so, it would be in no small part due to Melton’s success.

“I think we definitely have the people here to be able to make a run,” Melton said. “I don’t think anybody in this room would ever question that. Losing two good players (stinks), but we have some players here to fill some shoes.

“And, it’s not going to be one guy that takes over and is going to be Skoob. It’s going to be an effort of all of us.”

Posted on

Clay Holmes says he is looking forward to pitching in front of the Cubs’ stellar defense

CHICAGO — Clay Holmes is looking forward to pitching in front of all those Gold Glove winners on the Chicago Cubs.

Holmes is joining a new-look staff in Chicago after the Cubs bolstered their rotation and bullpen ahead of the trade deadline. The veteran right-hander and Kevin Gausman, who was acquired in a deal with Toronto, are expected to start at Kansas City.

The 33-year-old Holmes has a 55.3 groundball percentage in nine major league starts this year, and Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson and second baseman Nico Hoerner each have two Gold Gloves. Third baseman Alex Bregman won a Gold Glove in 2024 with Houston.

Center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of baseball’s best defensive players at any position, and left fielder Ian Happ is a four-time Gold Glove winner.

“People around the league, you know the Cubs have got a really good defense,” Holmes said. “Obviously, you see them play and it’s special. So you know a guy like me, that’s what I do. I’m a sinkerball guy, rely on the quality of contact and just to be able to trust the defense like that and know that’s what you have behind you is a freeing thing.”

Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor were acquired from the New York Mets for touted infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. Relief pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn and left-hander Braxton Garrett also came over in two other deals.

Taylor started in left field against Tarik Skubal and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout in Chicago’s 5-1 victory.

Zeferjahn worked a perfect eighth inning in his Cubs debut. Outfielder Kevin Alcántara was optioned to Triple-A Iowa and right-hander Jake Woodford was designated for assignment.

Taylor, 32, hit .354 (17 for 48) with seven homers and 14 RBIs in his last 24 games with New York.

“The energy in here is awesome already,” Taylor said before his first game with his new team. “I feel very welcomed by all the guys. I met a lot of people, so I’ve got to really lock it in and learn some names. But yeah, it’s exciting.”

With Gausman and Holmes joining the Cubs, manager Craig Counsell said the plan is to skip Colin Rea’s next turn in the rotation. There was no word from Counsell on any further changes.

Rea “is going to be in the bullpen for the next turn around,” Counsell said. “Past that I don’t know what’s going to happen and we’ll just go from there.”

Javier Assad pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in Chicago’s second straight win over Los Angeles. The Cubs lead the NL wild-card standings with a 65-49 record.

Holmes has been sidelined by a broken right leg since mid-May. He was 4-4 with a 2.39 ERA before getting hurt.

He made his third minor league rehab start, throwing 73 pitches over 5 1/3 innings of four-run ball for Class A Brooklyn.

“Feeling good,” Holmes said. “I got six ups and 75 pitches last time. So yeah, I feel healthy.”

Holmes has a $12 million player option for 2027 that he is expected to decline in order to become a free agent. He was an All-Star reliever with the New York Yankees before signing with the Mets ahead of the 2025 season and successfully converting to a starting role.

Holmes said he is open to working out of the bullpen if needed down the stretch or in the playoffs.

“I just love being out there when big outs are needed and whenever that is, I’m all for it,” he said.

Posted on

RUMOR: Guardians to Designate Gabriel Arias for Assignment

CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 02: Third baseman Gabriel Arias #13 of the Cleveland Guardians waits for a play during the sixth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field on August 02, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Covering the Corner has heard from a source that the Guardians will designate Gabriel Arias for assignment when calling top prospect Angel Genao up for tonight’s game.

This comes after a particularly frustrating night for Arias in which he made an error that led to a three-run homer and struck out twice and left a small village on base. Overall, this season, Arias has an 85 wRC+ – compared to his career 76 wRC+ – and has played mostly solid defense at third and shortstop.

Overall, Arias’s arm was not enough to compensate for mental lapses in the field and, most of all, for his propensity to miss pitches in the zone and smack the few pitches he did hit directly into the ground. A career groundball rate of 52% and a zone-contact rate of only 72% is just not sustainable, no matter how hard you hit the ball… especially when your defense is just good and not excellent. I wish Arias well on whatever comes next. Perhaps he will make it through waivers to Columbus or try his wares at another organization hungry for shortstop options.

The most interesting part of this news is that with José apparently not going on the IL, I wonder where Angel Genao will get everyday at-bats as one would assume the organization wants for him. He will play third base when José DH’s and has a day , of course, but I also wonder if he could see reps at second base while the team lets Travis Bazzana DH, pushing Nate Lowe and Rhys Hoskins to mainly a platoon first base role (Hoskins not being able to hit lefties this year doesn’t seem to be something the Guardians believe is meaningful data). Arias going does remove the idea of him replacing Lowe and Hoskins defensively at first base late in games which is my only qualm… and it’s a small one.

The best news here would be if José is able to tolerate the pain to continue to play.

Good for the Guardians for continuing to be aggressive with their best bats as their offense continues to flounder. Feels like it has to pay off one of these days.

Posted on

Guardians’ new additions happy to be part of postseason push

CLEVELAND — Manager Stephen Vogt lauded the Cleveland Guardians’ front office for adding three players during the trade deadline.

Now it’s up to Vogt and the new-look Guardians to capitalize on the addition of outfielder Jo Adell, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and pitcher Foster Griffin for a postseason push.

“Now it’s our turn to go out and let’s go perform. Let’s go win some games,” Vogt said before a 5-2 loss to the New York Mets.

Adell, who batted second and played right field, reached base three times in his Guardians’ debut with two hits and a walk. Lowe came in during the seventh inning and went 0 for 2.

Griffin will pitch the final game of the series, keeping him on his usual amount of rest.

“It was awesome to come in and find a way to execute. I was excited to get out there and get started,” Adell said.

Adell, Lowe and Griffin were in the clubhouse before the game, introducing themselves to their new teammates and getting up to speed before the start of a three-game series.

“I was pretty fired up about it. I think our front office did everything that we could have ever wanted from him — two impact bats and an impact starter. That’s all you can ask for,” catcher Austin Hedges said. “I think it sets us up to be right where we want to be at the end of September.”

Cleveland (57-57) is 6-11 since the All-Star break, but has a one-game lead over Minnesota for the American League’s final wild-card spot. The Guardians are three games behind the first-place White Sox in the AL Central.

Adell will be part of a postseason chase for the first time in his seven-year career. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft by the Angels, who haven’t finished over .500 since 2015.

With the front office changes in Los Angeles, Adell had a feeling that that he might be part of a sell off of players with one or two years left on their contracts.

“It’s really cool to be wanted and this team’s been playing really good baseball,” Adell said. “I’m excited to kind of be a part of that and be a part of a chase and something that is bigger than ourselves and going out trying to win a ball game every night. You can’t ask for anything more than that.”

Adell’s arrival makes him Cleveland’s leader in home runs (16) and RBIs (62) for a team that
offensively has been challenged for most of the past two seasons.

José Ramírez is 8 for 41 in the 10 games since he returned from the injured list following left hand surgery. Ramírez was out of the lineup due to left hand inflammation.

One of the few bright spots has been Steven Kwan, who was batting .212 at the end of June but has raised his batting average 46 points since July 1 to .258. He has also hit safely in 23 of his last 28 games.

Adell and Chase DeLauter will platoon between right field and designated hitter. Lowe will be in the lineup when the Guardians face right-handed pitchers, while Rhys Hoskins primarily will face left-handers.

“The talent’s all here. It’s just about execution for the next two months. We need to get ourselves in the strongest position possible to make a deep run and make something happen. And when the guys start believing that, anything could happen,” Lowe said.

The Guardians will still go with a five-man rotation. Griffin’s addition means Slade Cecconi is moving to the bullpen. Tanner Bibee has been moved up to start on four day’s rest.

“I feel like you never have enough pitching, especially going into a playoff race. So any part I can be in that department, I’m excited about,” Griffin said.

Posted on

Game 115 Game Day Thread – San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers

Left-handed pitcher Cody Bradford signs a baseball card for a fan during the Texas Rangers Winter Caravan stop at Lithia Toyota Wednesday Jan. 31, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co

San Francisco Giants @ Texas Rangers

Wednesday, August 05, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

The Shed

LHP Carson Whisenhunt vs. LHP Cody Bradford

Today’s Lineups

GIANTSRANGERS
Bryce Eldridge – 1BWyatt Langford – LF
Jung Hoo Lee – RFEzequiel Duran – 3B
Willy Adames – SSBrandon Nimmo – RF
Rafael Devers – DHJake Burger – 1B
Osleivis Basabe – 2BJustin Foscue – DH
Buddy Kennedy – 3BElias Diaz – C
Grant McCray – CFNicky Lopez – SS
Eddys Leonard – LFCam Cauley – 2B
Drew Cavanaugh – CEvan Carter – CF
C. Whisenhunt – LHPCody Bradford – LHP

Go Rangers!

Posted on

Diamondbacks News

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 04: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres scores on a single by Jackson Merrill #3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field on August 04, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Diamondbacks News

Carroll and Marte Struggle at Plate, in Field, Rodriguez Stumbles as Padres Narrow Gap
Corbbin Carroll continued struggling at the plate. So did Marte. Marte also had a rare defensive blunder that exacerbated a rough inning for Rodriguez. Roderiguez had a bumpy outing but gutted out 5.2 innings of work to save the bullpen for today and tomorrow.

Grading Arizona’s Relatively Quiet Deadline
One of many upcoming deadline grade pieces.

Other Baseball News

The 2026 Deadline Awards
The winners. The losers. The head-scratchers. All of them looked at here.

Marcel Ozuna Released
That it took so long is actually the most surprising part.

WPBL Week One: The Queen’s List
The inaugural week of the Women’s Professional Baseball League is in the books.

Cincinnati Rudderless at Deadline
Two days later and essentially the whole world is trying to figure out what Cincinnati was doing on Monday.

Posted on

Luis Arraez grateful to be in playoff race and thanks new Phillies teammate Bryce Harper for changing positions

PHILADELPHIA — Newly acquired Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez is excited to be in Philadelphia and in a playoff race. He’s also grateful that two-time MVP Bryce Harper was willing to make a position switch.

“I was surprised, but I’m really excited to be here,” Arraez said ahead of his Phillies debut.

A three-time batting champion and four-time All-Star, Arraez was slotted into the cleanup spot behind Harper for the game against Washington. He singled, doubled and drove in two runs to help the Phillies beat the Nationals 5-0.

“I was excited, especially when fans gave me that ovation,” Arraez said of his debut. “That was beautiful.”

Arraez boosted his NL-best batting average to .325. Including his 105 games with the San Francisco Giants, he has just 21 strikeouts in 468 plate appearances this season.

“I love to put the ball in play,” he said. “I hate strikeouts.”

Arraez’s acquisition for a pair of minor leaguers required Philadelphia to revamp its defensive lineup, most notably with Harper moving back to right field from first base. Harper last played the outfield on April 16, 2022, and moved to the infield after he suffered an elbow injury on a throw that led to Tommy John surgery. He consented to the switch to help the team, he said.

“That’s a pro,” Arraez said of Harper. “A lot of respect from me."

Interim manager Don Mattingly said that while Harper will need to ramp up to full arm strength, there are no issues with his throwing.

“No restrictions on how he plays,” Mattingly said.

Alec Bohm moved from third base to first, and Bryson Stott vacated second base for Arraez and shifted to third.

“There may be some bumps and bruises with this, but these guys are baseball players and they’re going to be fine,” Mattingly said.

Mattingly considered batting Arraez in the leadoff spot but ultimately decided to put slugger Kyle Schwarber at the top of the lineup and Arraez in the cleanup role, which is not typical for a contact hitter. Arraez, who has four homers this season, said he doesn’t worry about where he bats in the order.

“I just want to go there and try to help the team,” he said.

The Giants are 18 games under .500, while Philadelphia is in position for an NL wild card.

“I can’t wait,” Arraez said.

But he won’t try to change his game, which is a throwback to a bygone era when there wasn’t such an emphasis on power.

“It’s not my game,” Arraez said. “If I change it, I’ll be in my house watching the guys play baseball.”

Posted on

Jays @ Astros Game Thread

HOUSTON - APRIL 2: General view from right field of batting practice prior to the opening day game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Houston Astros on April 2, 2007 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Pirates won 4-2 in 10 innings. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

I almost forgot that there was an afternoon game. It’s a busy day. I’m going to post this early, so I don’t forget to.

There were a couple of roster moves:

  • Trey Yesavage to the IL.
  • Chad Dallas to Buffalo. Might as well use up the five times you can send a guy down. And he won’t be able to pitch today.
  • Chase Lee is back.
  • As is Lazaro Estrada, who can come back because Yesavage is going on the IL.

Also Vlad is getting the day off. He looked like he was dealing with pain yesterday. They say it is just a day off, but I think there is a let’s rest the hamstring component to it.

Today’s Lineups

BLUE JAYSASTROS
Nathan Lukes – RFJeremy Pena – SS
Kazuma Okamoto – 1BYordan Alvarez – DH
Jesus Sanchez – LFJose Altuve – 2B
George Springer – DHDaulton Varsho – CF
Brandon Valenzuela – CTaylor Trammell – RF
Josh Smith – 3BChristian Walker – 1B
Ernie Clement – 2BLaMonte Wade – LF
Andres Gimenez – SSYainer Diaz – C
Myles Straw – CFNick Allen – 3B
Jameson Taillon – RHPHunter Brown – RHP
Posted on

Astros vs. Blue Jays Game Discussion: 8/5/2026

HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 31: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros reacts during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Park on July 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

TODAY’S GAME: The first-place Houston Astros (59-56) will host the Toronto Blue Jays (53-61) today for a matinee rubber game in the finale of their three-game series in Houston.

Astros ace RHP Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.42 ERA) will get the start for the Astros today opposite the Blue Jays and RHP Jameson Taillon (2-6, 5.92 ERA), who was named today’s starter just prior to last night’s game.

WINNING WAYS: The Astros have won 12 of their last 14 games dating back to July 20. This streak has put the Astros at a season-high three games over .500, a mark they’ve been at twice this season at 6-3 (April 4) and 58-55 (Aug. 2).

THE TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 39-25 since May 22, which is the second-best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

Winning Percentage since May 22, AL

1. Red Sox 39-24 (.619)

2. Astros 39-25 (.609)

3. Tigers 35-27 (.565)

THAT’S OFFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in runs scored (536), SLG (.416), and OPS (.738), while ranking second in home runs (156), batting average (.246), OBP (.322) and hits (955). In the Majors, the Astros rank third in homers, trailing only the Nationals (166) and Yankees (164).

THE LINEUP: The Astros have used 113 different lineups in their 115 games, repeating a lineup just twice on the season, which includes using the same lineup on Monday and Tuesday. DH Yordan Alvarez has the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 102 times.

ASTROS-JAYS: The Astros have played just 90 games against the Blue Jays in their franchise history, which are their fewest against any single opponent. Their .567 all-time winning percentage against the Blue Jays is their second-highest against any opponent, bested only by their record against the Angels (144-92, .610).

DIESEL POWER: RHP Hunter Brown will make his 11th start of the season and his ninth since returning from a lengthy stint on the IL with a right shoulder strain. He has shown some rust upon his return, going winless in his first six starts back, but has rebounded to go 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA (2ER/12.2IP) in his last two starts.

YESTERDAY’S TRADE: The Astros made one trade on Monday, acquiring OF Daulton Varsho and cash from the Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Spencer Arrighetti. Varsho, 30, was activated on Monday and started the first two games of this series for the Astros, batting cleanup in both contests.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez leads the AL in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking first in batting average (.329), HR (35), and RBI (84). Additionally, he leads MLB in OPS (1.087), OBP (.443), SLG (.644), and TB (264)…in the AL, he ranks first in hits (135), extra-base hits (59), and runs (78), and second in walks (80).

HEAVY TRAFFIC: DH Yordan Alvarez has reached base safely in 20 straight games (since July 10), batting .423 (30×71) with 16 runs, eight doubles, six home runs, 17 RBI, 21 walks, a .559 OBP and a 1.348 OPS during the streak. Alvarez also has onbase streaks of 25 games (May 22-June 19) and 22 games (April 4-28) this season.

STREAK SNAPPED: SS Jeremy Peña had his career-high 15-game hitting streak snapped last night, in which he hit .422 (27×64) with three doubles, one triple, seven homers, 15 RBI and a 1.292 OPS. Peña’s streak was the longest streak by an Astro since 3B Alex Bregman had a 16-game streak from May 28-June 15, 2024.

VENEZUELAN HIT KINGS: 2B Jose Altuve went 3×4 last night and has multiple hits in each of his last three games, raising his career hits total to 2,473, which now ranks fourth in Major League history among Venezuelan-born players.

Hits Among Venezuelan-born Players (MLB history)

1. Miguel Cabrera: 3,174

2. Omar Vizquel: 2,877

3. Luis Aparicio: 2,677

4. Jose Altuve: 2,473

CHIPPING IN: Several Astros are on mini hot streaks, including OF Taylor Trammell, who’s hit three homers with seven RBI and a 1.068 OPS in his last nine games. C Yainer Diaz has hit safely in five of his last seven games, batting .500 (13×26) with two home runs, four RBI and a 1.231 OPS in that span. RF Cam Smith has hit safely in six straight games, batting .385 (10×26) with two doubles, one triple, four RBI and a .945 OPS during his streak.

STALKING 500: RHP Bryan Abreu has 499 career strikeouts, needing just one strikeout to reach 500 for his career…he would become just the fourth reliever in franchise history to record 500 strikeouts with the club, joining LHP Billy Wagner (694), RHP Brad Lidge (557) and RHP Dave Smith (529).

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1994 – 1B Jeff Bagwell goes 3×4 with a double, homer and five RBI in the Astros 12-4 win over the Giants at the Astrodome. That night, Bagwell records homer number 38, extra-base hit number 69, and RBI number 112 on the season, all new single-season club records at the time. Bagwell would play another five games that season before a broken hand and the players strike ended his year.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, August 5, 1:10 p.m. CT

Location: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: SCHN, SCHN 2

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Posted on

Tigers vs Mariners Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight's MLB Game

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

It’ll be up to Bryan Woo of the Seattle Mariners to put an end to the Detroit Tigers’ four-game winning streak at T-Mobile Park tonight, with Detroit coming into this one as a +140 underdog at Polymarket.

However, the Mariners ace owns the worst xERA of his career, and his recent struggles are the reason I’ll be backing the Tigers on the road.

Let’s get into my Tigers vs. Mariners prediction as part of my MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 5.

Who will win Tigers vs Mariners tonight: Tigers moneyline (+140)

The Seattle Mariners have a Bryan Woo problem — he’s given up 10 earned runs across his last 10 innings — and it won’t get any easier against a Detroit Tigers team that has put up 63 runs over their last six games. To put it mildly, it’s the hottest offense in baseball, ranking seventh-highest in WRC+ during the season — we’ll take that to the bank.

Woo is coming into his bump day with a career-high xBA, xSLG, xwOBA, and xERA (3.54). It gets even worse against a Tigers lineup that rocked him for five earned runs on nine hits back in June. I’m expecting a ton of traffic on the base paths as a result.

Detroit counters with opener Drew Anderson, who’s limiting the Mariners to a .375 xSLG across a smaller sample size (14 at-bats). I’d price the Tigers closer to +120, so I'll take this value and run with it.

Covers COVERS INTEL: When Bryan Woo gets hit, he gets hit hard. His 42.5% hard-hit rate is in the 22nd percentile of all qualified MLB starters. He's served up four homers across his last four starts as a result.

Tigers vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-103)

We’re taking a shot at Woo’s struggles, Detroit’s bullpen, and riding recent MLB trends to get the job done for us tonight.

There are just too many variables pointing toward another short outing from Woo. While the strikeout numbers are still average this season, his career-high 42.5% hard-hit rate is impossible to ignore against an offense as hot as Detroit’s. On the other side, expect the opener in Anderson to last a maximum of two frames before turning the ball over to the bullpen — that’s just far too many innings to cover.

The Tigers and Mariners are a combined 17-3 to the Over across their last 10 games played, with Seattle ranking as the eighth-best Over team in baseball (hitting at a 53.3% clip). And the icing on the cake? The Over is 6-0 across Woo’s last six starts.

Tigers vs Mariners weather

It's shaping up to be a perfect night of baseball in Seattle tonight, with clear skies and temperatures sitting at 68°F come first pitch. We'll see little to no impact on game conditions as a result.

Tigers vs Mariners odds

  • Moneyline: Tigers +140 | Mariners -150
  • Run line: Tigers +1.5 (-150) | Mariners -1.5 (+144)
  • Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-100) | Under 7.5 (-104)

Tigers vs Mariners trend

To say the Tigers are heating up would be an understatement. Across their four-game winning streak, they lead MLB in runs, hits, RBI, XBH, and OPS. The bandwagon is loading up — hop on in. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Mariners.

How to watch Tigers vs Mariners and game info

LocationT-Mobile Park, Seattle, WA
DateWednesday, August 5, 2026
First pitch9:40 p.m. ET
TVDetroit SportsNet, Mariners.TV
Tigers starting pitcherDrew Anderson
(4-4, 4.24 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcherBryan Woo
(7-8, 4.56 ERA)

Tigers vs Mariners latest injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Posted on

Pittsburgh Pirates release DH Marcell Ozuna amid offensive struggles

The Pittsburgh Pirates are moving on from one of their major offseason acquisitions. 

Broadcaster Mike Rodriguez reported Aug. 5 that the team has released designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who signed a one-year deal worth $12 million in February. The two sides had a mutual option for 2027. 

Ozuna, a 14-year MLB veteran, consistently struggled at the plate this season, hitting .203 with eight home runs, 29 RBI and a .612 OPS in 70 games. He became a weak point for an offense that’s become one of the best in baseball. The Pirates enter action Wednesday with the MLB lead in hits at 1,027, and they rank third in runs scored (584) behind just the Washington Nationals (610) and Chicago Cubs (585.) 

Required Reading: Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers odds, picks and predictions

Accompanying offseason additions by GM Ben Cherington have been a major reason for the offensive surge. Second baseman Brandon Lowe was acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and has hit 23 homers so far this season. Injured first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn has added 17 blasts after signing a two-year deal.

Hopes were high that Ozuna could perform similarly. He hit 39 homers and earned an All-Star nod with the Atlanta Braves in 2024 and was still a reliable hitter in 2025, when he hit 21 homers and posted a .756 OPS. However, his numbers improved only modestly from a .181 batting average in April, and he’d skidded to a .216 mark in July. 

In the corresponding roster move, outfielder Ronny Simon is expected to be promoted from Class AAA Indianapolis. He’s performed well in the minors this season, hitting .330 with seven homers, 53 RBIs and an .889 OPS. 

The Pirates enter Aug. 5 3.5 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s final wild-card playoff spot. They have not reached the MLB postseason since 2015 and have not posted a winning record since 2018. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pittsburgh Pirates release DH Marcell Ozuna amid offensive struggles

Posted on

Padres’ new-look rotation takes shape with Casey Mize, Robbie Ray set to make starts

PHOENIX — The San Diego Padres’ new-look rotation is starting to take shape, with right-hander Casey Mize scheduled to start against the Arizona Diamondbacks while lefty Robbie Ray will make his team debut against the Houston Astros.

San Diego manager Craig Stammen said it was good to have such quality reinforcements after the Padres were one of the trade deadline’s big buyers. San Diego has a 59-55 record, one game behind Arizona for the third National League wild card.

“It’s always nice to improve your roster and like (general manager) A.J. (Preller) says, we’re here to try to win,” Stammen said. “Adding those guys is a part of that process.”

Mize had a 4-6 record with a 2.70 ERA through 16 starts with the Detroit Tigers this season despite managing a groin injury. Ray — the 2021 AL Cy Young Award winner — was 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA for the San Francisco Giants.

Mize said he knew there was a “50-50” chance he would be traded at the deadline. He added that leaving the Tigers was emotional, but he’s excited to join another quality organization.

“It wasn’t like I was trying to get out of there — that place means a lot to me,” Mize said. “But I couldn’t be more excited and happy for this opportunity. I landed in a great situation. So some mixed emotions, but I’m happy with how everything turned out.”

The Padres also hope veterans Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta will be able to rejoin the team’s pitching staff soon. Both had a rehab outing at Class A Lake Elsinore, with vastly different results.

Musgrove threw 2 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run and striking out three. The 33-year-old hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since having Tommy John surgery in October 2024.

Pivetta threw just 14 pitches in relief before abruptly walking off the mound. Stammen said Pivetta experienced some tightness in his elbow, but recovered to throw a roughly 30-pitch bullpen in the batting cage a few minutes later.

“Take that for what it’s worth — we’ll find out how Nick feels tomorrow, same with Joe,” Stammen said. “We’ll find out how they feel tomorrow, reassess, then go on from there.”

Pivetta went on the injured list April 14 because of elbow inflammation.

Posted on

Padres vs Diamondbacks Prediction: Odds, recent stats, trends, and best bets for August 5

San Diego (59-55) erupted in a 9-4 win over Arizona (60-54) thanks to Manny Machado's four RBI performance. The Padres tied up the season series at four games apiece and continued their winnings ways stretching their record to 9-2 over the past 11 games.

Arizona has been hot too, going 5-2 over the past seven games and 11-7 to start the second half of the year. The Diamondbacks have scored the second-most runs in the previous 14 days (76) and 13 games. Arizona's offense is hitting .271 (5th) with the fourth-most doubles (24) and second-most walks (51).

The Padres are hitting .286 to start July (7th) with the sixth-most runs scored (21) despite only two of those runs coming on homers (T-22nd). San Diego has the second-best batting average over the past 14 days and 13 games (.288) and the fifth-most runs (67). The Padres are one game back of the final NL Wild Card spot, which is owned by the Diamondbacks.

Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.

Game details & how to watch Padres at Diamondbacks

  • Date: Wednesday, August 5, 2026
  • Time: 9:40 PM EST
  • Site: Chase Field 
  • City: Phoenix, AZ
  • Network/Streaming: MLB TV / ESPN

Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.

Odds for the Padres at the Diamondbacks

The latest odds as of Wednesday:

  • Moneyline: San Diego Padres (-119), Arizona Diamondbacks (+112)
  • Spread: Diamondbacks +1.5 (-156), Padres -1.5 (+129)
  • Total: 8.5

Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Diamondbacks 

  • Wednesday's pitching matchup (August 5): Casey Mize vs Micah Bratt
  • Diamondbacks: Micah Bratt

2026 stats: 20.2 IP, 0-1, 5.23 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, 12 K, 15 BB

  • Padres: Case Mize

2026 Stats: 86.2 IP, 4-6, 2.70 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 85 K, 19 BB

Who’s Hot? Who’s Not

  • The Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno is hitting .298 with 89 hits, 8 home runs and 47 RBI over 299 at-bats
  • The Diamondbacks’ Tim Tawa is hitting .218 with 32 hits and 35 strikeouts over 147 at-bats
  • The Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .280 with 123 hits, 8 home runs, and 49 RBI over 439 at-bats
  • The Padres’ Jake Croneworth is hitting .220 with 45 hits and 51 strikeouts over 205 at-bats

Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Diamondbacks

  • San Diego is 62-52 ATS, ranking fourth-best
  • Arizona is 61-53 ATS, ranking tied for seventh-best
  • San Diego is 61-52-1 to the Under, ranking eighth-best
  • Arizona is 60-48-6 to the Under, ranking fourth-best
  • San Diego is 31-24 ATS on the road, ranking third-best
  • Arizona is 29-24 ATS at home, ranking fourth-best

Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Diamondbacks

Rotoworld Bet Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.

Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.

Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday's game between the Padres and the Diamondbacks:

  • Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Diamondbacks on the Moneyline.
  • Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Diamondbacks at +1.5.
  • Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 8.5

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
  • Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
Posted on

BreakingT has some merch for Luis Arraez and Derek Hill

He has injected energy and contact ability into the Phillies lineup already and it’s only been one game. Luis Arraez is a player straight out of the 1980’s with the ability to put the bat on the ball and should be a player that is loved in this city. Here is some merch that you can grab to celebrate his arrival.

You can find that shirt by clicking here.

Maybe you’ve been swayed by Derek Hill and his endless supply of huge hits for the Phillies. Seems as though we can’t talk about the trade deadline without talking about Hill and how much of a lift he has given the team. You can grab some merch for him as well.

You can grab that piece here.

Posted on

Yankees Rivalry Roundup: Rays withstand Rockies’ rally with Coors comeback of their own

DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 21: Jordan Romano #68 of the Colorado Rockies looks on before a pitch against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field on July 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)

Tuesday night was destined to be the George Lombard Jr. Show in the Bronx once news broke that he would be promoted following an ugly loss on Monday to St. Louis. The 21-year-old made an immediate impact, showing off some slick defense while also belting his first career homer off Hunter Dobbins in a still-all-too-familiar, tight 2-0 Yankees win. As it turned out, the Yanks needed what Lombard and the pitching staff provided because their biggest opponents kept the heat on them. The Rays remain 3.5 up on New York and Boston is a mere couple games behind.

Here’s what was going on around the Junior Circuit yesterday.

Tampa Bay Rays (67-46) 9, Colorado Rockies (45-69) 7 – 11 innings

Ah Coora, you beautiful bastard, you’ve done it again. The Rays were sitting pretty early on Tuesday night in Denver, thanks to in-state Trade Deadline acquisition Liam Hicks. Making his debut for Tampa Bay, the catcher crushed a pitch from Gabriel Hughes 402 feet for a grand slam that changed the score from a 1-1 tie in the third to 5-1, Rays.

View Link

Hughes did at least get back on track to get through 5.1 innings without surrendering another run, and then the odd trio of Brennan Bernardino, Parker Mushinski, and Juan Mejia held the Rays off the board into the ninth.

That was swell for Colorado because Freddy Peralta did not have nearly as good a debut as his batterymate. Perhaps it was just a tough draw for him to start a new chapter at Coors or perhaps he isn’t that different yet from the offseason prize who was awful for the Mets. Regardless, his 2026 ERA inflated to 5.37 as the Rockies mounted a comeback, hanging seven runs on nine hits off Peralta, who recorded just 11 outs. Ezequiel Tovar chipped away with an RBI knock in the home half of the third before the just-extended Mickey Moniak (alrighty then, Rockies) tied it up with a three-run bomb.

View Link

The next inning, Willi Castro put Colorado ahead with a two-run homer to make it 7-5, Rockies. Thanks to the yeoman work of the bullpen, the score stayed their until the ninth. Unfortunately, the Rockies’ closer is apparently Jordan Romano, who Yankees fans know all too well and has also been run out of town as a high-leverage guy in Toronto, Philadelphia, and Anaheim within the past few years.

A walk, an infield hit, two stolen bases, and a Jonathan Aranda laser later, the game was tied at 7-7. Romano did fan Junior Caminero and get a groundout by Ryan Vilade to strand Aranda in scoring position and keep the score even. The Rockies had multiple chances to walk this off. Tovas doubled against Kevin Kelly with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Jake McCarthy hit a comebacker to force extras.

View Link

Jimmy Herget’s scoreless 10th opened the door for an easy game-winner. Tyler Freeman bunted the winning run to third with one out for All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, who could win it with a hit or a deep fly ball. He didn’t hit it far enough to right, and the zombie runner McCarthy had to hold at third. T.J. Rumfield then lined out to left and it went to the 11th. There, the Rays stopped playing with their food and won the damn thing. A bunt and a wild pitch plated their zombie runner, and they tacked on insurance with a Yandy Díaz double and Caminero RBI single. Bryan Baker pitched a perfect 11th to put the Rockies away.

Other Games

Boston Red Sox (61-51) 14, Chicago White Sox (59-53) 2: This all-Sox battle got bad for the Pale Hose in a hurry. The Regression Monster continued to do a number on Davis Martin, as those scalding-hot Red Sox obliterated him with a six-run first inning that featured back-to-back homers from Caleb Durbin (a grand slam) and Jarren Duran. Wilyer Abreu hit one out off Martin as well, and he had nine runs to his name by the time he left the mound. Abreu homered again in the eighth, and he was one of seven Red Sox to register a multi-hit game. Cripes! Since losing a series in Coors in mid-June to fall to 32-46, Boston is 29-5. I don’t care for it, personally.

View Link

Cleveland Guardians (57-57) 2, New York Mets (48-66) 6: Don’t look now, but the Guardians might be squandering not only their absolutely-coveted spot in this daily feature, but also playoff position. The AL Central in general (see the White Sox score above) has been sagging to the point where it could be neck-and-neck between them and the AL West down the stretch for MLB’s worst division. A universe exists where there could be two sub-.500 division winners in October. I don’t think it will happen, but it’s quite sad that it’s plausible.

Despite getting José Ramírez back on July 21st, Cleveland has played horribly since then, dropping 9 of 12 games. You can’t be losing home games to the post-sale Trade Deadline Mets, and yet they did just that. Luis Torrens clobbered a three-run homer against Joey Cantillo to start the scoring in the second, and Bo Bichette played long ball in the third. A resurgent Sean Manaea spun six innings of two-run ball to hold off the Guardos. Cleveland is .500 but remains three games behind the White Sox in the AL Central, but they’re now only one up on the Twins and Rangers and a game and a half ahead of the Orioles and Tigers (yes, really to both) for the final Wild Card spot.

View Link

Houston Astros (59-56) 7, Toronto Blue Jays (53-61) 2: With an assist from the Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee, Baby Bomber alum Ezequiel Duran walked it off for the Rangers on Tuesday night, so the heat was on Houston to bounce back from a loss to Toronto on Monday and maintain their 2.5-game AL West lead. The Astros were up to the task, aided by the unfortunate news of Trey Yesavage leaving the mound for Toronto with left knee discomfort (an MRI is on deck). Perhaps appropriately, Houston was not intimidated by his replacement, Chad Dallas. The ’Stros scored six runs on seven hits in three innings against Dallas, with Taylor Trammell launching a three-run homer as part of the attack. One-time Yankees pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski tossed six innings of two-run ball in the win, his second MLB start since returning from Tommy John surgery.

View Link