LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 02: Wyatt Mills #58 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 02, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Playing some catch-up on roster moves in a busy week, we had resolution for three players were designated for assignment by the Dodgers in the last week.
Wyatt Mills was designated for assignment on Monday when the Dodgers needed to clear 40-man roster space after a flurry of trade deadline deals. On Thursday the right-hander was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals, who simultaneously optioned Mills to Triple-A Rochester.
The 31-year-old Mills pitched in six games for the Dodgers this season, his first time in the majors since 2022, after Tommy John surgery wiped out 2023 and 2024.
“A long road, it’s never a guarantee that you get fully healthy after that,” Mills told me after his call-up in May. “So it was more like a deep breath, kind of peaceful. I felt calm. I put in a lot of work, and my confidence came from that.”
Mills struggled in his stints with the Dodgers, with nine walks and five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings, with five runs allowed, four of them earned. He had a 2.41 ERA and six saves in 33 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City with 52 strikeouts and 18 walks in 37 1/3 innings.
Oklahoma City got a battery back this week after two more players were designated for assignment.
Cole Irvin, who pitched six bulk innings in a reset game at Dodger Stadium on July 31, got designated for assignment one day later. He cleared waivers an was sent outright to Triple-A on August 3. He started and won again for the Comets on Friday night in Salt Lake.
Robinson cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A on Friday. The 31-year-old is hitting .229/.333/.440 in 126 plate appearances for Oklahoma City this season, with 32 games started behind the plate.
MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 21: Jonah Bride of the Texas Rangers bats during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on February 21, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers today purchased the contract of infielder Jonah Bride, the team announced today. To make room for Bride on the active roster, the Rangers optioned outfielder Alejandro Osuna to AAA Round Rock. To make room for Bride on the 40 man roster, the Rangers transferred pitcher Jake Leiter from the 15 day injured list to the 60 day injured list.
Bride is a 30 year old who played for Skip Schumaker in Miami in 2024, when he had a career best season, slashing .276/.357/.461 while playing first, second and third base. He has an overall career .221/.311/.313 line, however, which is why he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers this past offseason and has spent the year at Round Rock.
Bride’s overall slash line for Round Rock is a rather pedestrian .282/.401/.425 in 431 plate appearances this season. However, he has put up a very impressive .388/.473/.669 slash line against lefthanded pitchers, which is why the Rangers, who are kind of desperate for a righthanded bench bat, have brought him up. Interestingly, Bride has reverse splits in the majors for his career, slashing .194/.295/.228 against lefties in 272 plate appearances in the bigs, against .238/.321/.367 against righthanded pitchers.
Osuna has played sparingly as of late, getting just one start in the month of April and mainly being used for pinch hitting duties. He’s not a good fit for the roster, as currently constructed, given that he’s a lefthanded hitting outfielder on the bench, and the Rangers need a righthanded hitting bench outfielder, not a lefthanded hitting one. It seems like this might have been an area the team would have wanted to try to address at the deadline, were it not for the fact that Ray Davis is apparently claiming that the team is po’ like Kenny’s family.
Bride will presumably fill in until Josh Jung returns, assuming Jung does return at some point this season.
The move of Leiter to the 60 day injured list is purely procedural in nature, given that he’s spent close to 60 days on the injured list so far on this stint. He still would seem to be on track to return sometime in late-August or early-September.
Jul 29, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After playing poorly in two straight losses, the Phillies will try to salvage the third game of their Alumni Weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Jesus Luzardo gets the start for the Phillies. The lefty is 10-5 with a 3.36 ERA.
Rangers have rejected an offer for striker Youssef Chermiti, with manager Derek McInnes confirming that it did not meet the Scottish Premiership club's valuation.
The 22-year-old striker, who went off injured after starting Saturday's match at home to Hibernian, joined the Ibrox club from Everton in September 2025 as he reportedly became their most expensive purchase since Tore Andre Flo in 2000.
"I'm led to believe the club's valuation of the player hasn't been met," McInnes told BBC Scotland when asked about reports that Turkish champions Galatasaray were the bidders.
"So, from our point of view, like everything else, when you get clubs looking at your players, it's business as you were."
Chermiti, capped at under-21 level by Portugal, has made 43 Rangers appearances, 30 of them starts, scoring 15 goals.
"It's no surprise that he's a player who's got a big tag on him and he's got high potential, but thankfully he's our player and that will continue to be the case," McInnes said.
"We're trying to build a team here at the minute and we're trying to still bring additions to the team that helps us add to the good players that we've got, including Youssef.
"So it's not something we would encourage at any point and, as I say, obviously news has broken today, but we're just trying to concentrate on the game today."
Rangers have made nine signings already this summer after the arrival of McInnes from Heart of Midlothian and he is hoping to add more.
"We've got a few bids in for several players and a few things are ongoing at the minute, but everything else, ideally a lot of these things would have came to fruition a wee bit quicker," he added.
"But hopefully, if there is any news to tell, it'll be in the upcoming days on a few of our targets."
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 08: Andrés Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with Abimelec Ortiz #81 after scoring in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Nationals Park on August 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After that brutal road trip, these last two wins have been a massive boost for the Nats. Now they will look for only their second sweep of the season this afternoon against the Reds. The only other sweep was against another NL Central team in the Brewers, so maybe that is a good luck charm.
The Nats actually have the same 9 players in the lineup today. However, the order is mixed up a bit. Jose Tena will be up in the 3 spot, while Dylan Crews moves down to the 5 hole. Keibert Ruiz will also move down in the order. The Nats have a bullpen game today which will be started by Brad Lord, but all hands are on deck.
The Reds are making a couple changes with a righty opener on the mound. Hector Rodriguez will return to the lineup. Tyler Stephenson will also be the catcher in this one. Left handed JJ Bleday will move up in the lineup while righties like Eugenio Suarez and Dane Myers will move down. The veteran sinkerballer Brady Singer is on the bump.
Getting a sweep would be a major statement for the Nats. It would show that this team has no plans of fading into oblivion. The Wild Card is a real long shot now, but with a real winning streak you never know. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 01: Dominic Smith #8 of the Atlanta Braves hits a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game against the Washington Nationals at Truist Park on August 1, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The stage is set as the Atlanta Braves look to avoid a sweep against the New York Yankees.
Let’s take a look at the lineups.
Dominic Smith has returned to DH for the Braves and is batting in the sixth spot. Other than that, the lineup replicates yesterday’s. The bat power is expected (or hoped) to show up in a big way today with Grant Holmes on the mound, but the Braves will have to strike while the iron is hot and get a head start in setting the tone.
Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisolm Jr. have been added back to the Yankees lineup. McMahon averages a 1.500 OPS against Holmes and a .400 batting average, while Luis García Jr. averages an OPS of 1.300.
Cam Schlittler, who will be leading the Yankees on the mound, is no joke and will be looking to bounce back from his off outing against St. Louis. The Braves are just looking for a win before they return home to face their division rivals, who also happen to be right across the subway.
A sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals may well be the last final final last death knell for the 2026 Cincinnati Reds season. The Nats found a way to beat even Chase Burns on Saturday in yet another game where the Reds offense failed to show up, and now the Reds are once again on the cusp of falling 5 games under the .500 mark and too far buried in the National League Wild Card standings to even make looking at them an enjoyable exercise in conjuring miracles.
Brady Singer gets the start for the Reds in Sunday’s series finale opposite Washington opener Brad Lord, who won’t be on the mound for long. First pitch is slated to be Lord-chucked at an early 12:15 PM ET, so I hope you got up and got your coffee in ya early this fine morning.
Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin this one:
It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! The Trade Deadline is in the rearview mirror, a top prospect has made his MLB debut, and the heavens opened up and brought a deluge to the Bronx. And while Yankees fans have certainly made their opinions about this week known — oh boy, they sure have — the players, coaches, broadcasters, and yes, even reporters have remained active on the feed. What have they been up to this week? Let’s find out!
Ave atque Vale
For those who opted not to take Latin in high school or college (shame, shame, shame), “ave atque vale” is the ending of Catullus poem 101, and translates as “hail and farewell.” While the line was originally composed as a funerary gift (the poem is addressed to the “mute ashes” of Catullus’s brother), it has taken on a life of its own, and has been used as the title of a now-lost British film from the 1930s, the name of a transfer-of-command military dinner, and several songs in multiple languages, all dealing with simultaneous greetings and farewells.
Thus, it is an appropriate title for the various “hellos” and “goodbyes” posted on social media at this year’s trade deadline.
Rather humorously, we learned from the Washington Nationals that Jack Cebert had DMed the Nationals back in middle school to suggest they trade for somebody (the original post was deleted, so, uh, we have no idea how good of a scout he is).
The trade deadline wasn’t the only way the Yankees added to their lineup. On August 4th, the Yankees promoted top prospect George Lombard Jr. to The Show — where he homered in his second big league at-bat…right around the same time his brother Jacob, making his professional debut, also hit a home run in his second minor-league at-bat. How awesome is that!
We have some big game belts this week, but perhaps none was as exciting as George Lombard Jr. receiving one in his MLB debut on Tuesday, thanks to a big home run that helped power the Bronx Bombers Pitchers to a 2-0 victory over the Cards.
Remembering Munson
Last Sunday marked the anniversary of the death of Yankees legend Thurman Munson. His former teammate Willie Randolph took some time to remember his captain on Instagram. Austin Wells wore some very 1970s throwback replica catcher’s gear in tribute to the late captain.
If you were in the Bronx on Friday night, you would have thought that Zeus and Thor had teamed up to destroy the city, as a thunderstorm ravaged the city and delayed the matchup between the Yankees and Braves until 9:00 pm ET (and somehow, the Yankees bats still showed up late, not arriving until midnight).
Oh you thought we were done with World Cup posts? Yeah, well, so was I. That is, until I was at Tuesday’s game, and who threw out the ceremonial first pitch but Ferran Torres — aka, the man who scored the game-winning goal for Spain last month.
The Houston Astros are short road underdogs against the San Diego Padres tonight, and I’m taking the plus-money price for two units.
Houston’s current hitting profile gives the Astros a better matchup against Randy Vasquez than the market is pricing.
Here are my Astros vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Aug. 9.
Who will win Astros vs Padres today: Astros moneyline (+105)
I'm backing the Houston Astros down to +100. It's a great price on the team in better form with the stronger matchup.
Randy Vasquez starts for the San Diego Padres with a profile that is all over the place. He is coming off his best outing of the season, six scoreless innings and two hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his underlying metrics still tell on him.
His barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and ground-ball rate all sit in the Bottom 25% of the sport. Houston attacks exactly that, ranking 12th in barrel rate and 10th in hard-hit rate over the last two weeks.
While that's not eye-popping, it's enough to make me buy against a poor pitcher at this price.
COVERS INTEL: Vasquez is in the midst of a third straight season with at least one run of differential between his actual ERA and expected ERA, a strong signal that negative regression is inevitable with more volume.
Astros vs Padres Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-112)
I’m playing the Over because both starters bring run-prevention concerns into a matchup with enough recent offensive pressure.
Vasquez’s low-strikeout profile gives Houston a path to sustained traffic, while Cristian Javier has allowed a 6.59 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 27 1/3 innings.
San Diego does not need to crush Javier to contribute here. Walks, elevated contact, and early bullpen exposure can get this game toward nine runs without requiring a full slugfest.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-40, +5.84 units
Over/Under bets: 46-37, +10.58 units
Astros vs Padres weather
Petco Park weather does not create a major betting adjustment. Unless the wind shifts closer to first pitch, there is no weather edge strong enough to change the side or total.
Astros vs Padres odds
Moneyline: Houston +109 | San Diego -118
Run line: Houston +1.5 | San Diego -1.5
Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5
Astros vs Padres trend
The Astros have hit the run line in 11 of their last 15 games (+9.15 Units / 48% ROI)
How to watch Astros vs Padres and game info
Location
Petco Park, San Diego, CA
Date
Sunday, August 9, 2026
First pitch
8:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Astros starting pitcher
Cristian Javier (1-2, 6.59 ERA)
Padres starting pitcher
Randy Vasquez (7-6, 4.19 ERA)
Astros vs Padres 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.
The Mets have optioned right-handed pitcher Xzavion Curry, who gave them three scoreless innings of relief last night Pittsburgh, to Triple-A Syracuse. And the team has called up fellow right-handed pitcher Jack Weisenburger to take his place on the active roster.
Curry joined the organization ahead of the 2026 season, and he’s gone back and forth between Syracuse and the big league club already this season. The 28-year-old has a 2.81 ERA and a 4.77 FIP in 16.0 innings with the Mets, while he has a 4.56 ERA and a 5.64 FIP in 51.1 innings in Triple-A.
As for Weisenburger, if he gets into a game, he’ll be making his major league debut. He’s also 28 years old, and he’s spent several years of his professional career in the Athletics’ minor league system. From there, he pitched in the Atlantic League and Mexican League before the Mets signed him. He’s thrown 52.1 innings in Syracuse this year and has a 7.22 ERA and a 5.37 FIP in that time.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 8: Brandon Pfaadt #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on August 8, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team News
Pfaadt continues to dazzle (7 IP, 0 R) despite D-backs’ extras defeat His changeup was dominant, generating six whiffs on 16 swings, while his sinker maxed out at 95.5 mph.
“[Catcher James McCann] did a good job calling the game, keeping them in between the fastball and changeup,” Pfaadt said. “When all six pitches are working, I feel like we’re able to have separate game plans with our pitch mix.”
Diamondbacks had Dodgers cornered, but they slipped away to set up season-series rubber match
“Tough loss,” Nolan Arenado said. “We feel like we could have won that game and took care of business. But, like I said, we battled. It just didn’t go our way. … There’s no doubt that when we get chances to capitalize against a good team, we got to do it.”
Nolan Arenado recognized for winning Diamondbacks’ Heart and Hustle Award
“That’s voted on by his teammates, by his peers, which speaks volumes about why he’s been doing it for so long at such a hard level,” manager Torey Lovullo said pregame on Saturday. “Well-deserved honor. He does it right. He’s very intentional with his day. He’s very open about what he’s coming to do for this team and his teammates, and everybody picks up on that vibe.”
Home plate umpire Emil Jimenez didn't allow an instant challenge from Julio Rodriguez which led to the ejection of Mariners manager Dan Wilson
The next inning Jimenez didn't see an instant challenge from Rays' Jonathan Aranda but the third base umpire Doug Eddings confirmed it… pic.twitter.com/d1JbwOrriP
The Los Angeles Dodgers (-138) wrap up a six-game road trip with Sunday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Boys in Blue finally got back in the win column Saturday, breaking a seven-game skid.
I'm betting they get the job done again with my Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 9.
Who will win Dodgers vs Diamondbacks today: Dodgers moneyline (-142)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting credit for hitting left-handed pitching well (112 wRC+), and they forecast to start eight right-handed bats.
That strength is mitigated by Justin Wrobleski's reverse splits. He limits righties to .220/.262/.354 at the dish, and his four-seamer and slider combination should work against an Arizona lineup with poor results against both offerings.
Eduardo Rodriguez was tattooed for seven runs on 11 hits in his last outing. The Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup has a .986 OPS in 184 previous at-bats against the veteran, so Wrobleski should get a decent amount of run support.
Play L.A. to -150.
COVERS INTEL: Wrobleski throws either his four-seamer or slider 78% of the time. Arizona ranks 23rd in runs above average per 100 four-seamers seen and 20th against sliders.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-121)
Neither starter's ERA is supported by their underlying metrics. Wrobleski's xERA (4.51) is a full run higher than his actual ERA (3.31), and Rodriguez's is two runs higher (4.88 xERA, 2.71 actual ERA).
Both lineups hit southpaws well, and hitter-friendly Chase Field is a great venue for the regression monster to feast on those ERAs.
L.A.'s bullpen has been in shambles (5.23 FIP in the last 14 days), and Arizona's hasn't been much better (4.71 FIP). The runs could come in bunches at any time during this contest.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-30, -4.9 units
Over/Under bets: 37-23, +12.6 units
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather
The roof will be more than likely be closed at Chase Field, given forecasted triple-digit temperatures.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds
Moneyline: Los Angeles -138 | Arizona +133
Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+122) | Arizona +1.5 (-127)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-117) | Under 8.5 (+113)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend
The Dodgers have won 12 of Justin Wrobleski's 18 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info
Location
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Date
Sunday, August 9, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
SNLA,DBacks.TV
Dodgers starting pitcher
Justin Wrobleski (11-3, 3.31 ERA)
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (10-4, 2.71 ERA)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks 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.
Led by the two favorites for the NL MVP, Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong, there are plenty of great bats in position to hit for power on Sunday, as my Aug. 9 home run props explain.
Let's take a closer look with my MLB picks and MLB player props.
Best MLB home run props today
Player to hit a HR
Odds
Pete Crow-Armstrong
+230
Alex Burleson
+290
Shohei Ohtani
+275
💲Today's HR parlay
+4726
Home run pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+230)
Pete Crow-Armstrong is hammering the baseball right now. He owns a .491 xSLG, 22.9% barrel rate, and 57.1% hard hit rate against right-handed pitching over the last 20 games.
He now finds himself playing in a very hitter-friendly ballpark with scorching hot conditions and high winds blowing out to boot.
The game conditions give a 33% boost to home runs today, which is extremely noteworthy for an elite player consistently hitting the ball hard.
Randy Dobnak has pitched well this season, but it only takes one mistake against PCA. Not to mention, the Kansas City Royals have an atrocious bullpen.
Play to +220.
Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MARQ, ROYL
Home run pick: Alec Burleson (+290)
Michael Lorenzen gives up a ton of power, particularly to left-handed bats. He ranks in the 19th percentile or worse in HR/9, xSLG, and average exit velocity.
He has crushed right-handed pitching this season, and consistently taken advantage of similar matchups.
Burleson has left the yard in 29.2% of his games against a right-handed starter ranking in the 30th percentile or lower in HR/9 vs. lefties. That implies +242 odds based on his success rate this season, making +290 an attractive buy.
I’d bet down to +270.
Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Where to watch: COLR, CARD
Home run pick: Shohei Ohtani (+275)
Shohei Ohtani has been as productive as anybody against lefties, hitting .405 with an .811 SLG and 17% barrel rate over the past month.
He has also excelled against the pitch mix of Eduardo Rodriguez. Isolating his five pitches, Ohtani owns a .457 ISO and .504 wOBA against lefties the last 25 games. Incredible numbers across the board.
Eduardo Rogriguez owns a career HR/FB rate of 11.4%, and has only ever dipped beneath 10% in a season once.
His 8% HR/FB is likely to regress down the stretch, and Ohtani is a great target to take advantage.
Bet to +250.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNLA, ARID
Today’s HR combo
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Trade Now +4726
Alec Burleson
Shohei Ohtani
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.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 4: Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox arrives to the home clubhouse before a game against the Chicago White Sox on August 4, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Adley Rutschman is playing baseball! Unfortunately he’s doing it in Worcester, not Boston. Still, it was nice to see him behind the plate for five innings, during which he went 1-2 for two walks and threw out a runner. It was also nice for him, given that he played in front of both his father and the family that hosted him during his season playing in the Cape league. “He was great to have. It was exciting, he was coming off being in the College World Series at Oregon State,” said his former host Bill Matta. “He’d play with my boys — they played wiffle ball, they’d go for ice cream. And then we’d watch him play.” (Matty Wasserman, Boston Globe)
Speaking of rehab, Marcelo Mayer hopes to finish his rehab soon and make his debut with the Giants. He doesn’t sound too upset about being shipped west. “It’s been, like, six months since I had a burger from In-N-Out, so had to go back,” he said. “That’s usually the first thing I do when I get home in the offseason. So I was able to get one two months early.” (Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic)
Rutschamn didn’t need to be worried about being booed by the fans in Worcester. But apparently Willson Contreras did need to worry about it at Fenway. In his first game after returning from an illness, Sox fans booed the team’s best player after he didn’t run out a grounder to lead off the eighth. Chad Tracy didn’t take isssue with his play, though. “I know how that looks,” he said. “But I’m also aware, more than others, that he’s a little beat up and told us before the game, ‘I don’t have everything today.’ So I’m fine. Especially with a guy that plays the game as hard as he does, and how hard he turns around first base all the time. I’m fine with him.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Contreras returned just in time to anchor the middle of the lineup on a day when Wilyer Abreu wasn’t able to, after he suffered some swelling as a result of hitting a foul ball off his leg on Friday. But he’s expected to be back in the lineup this afternoon. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Someone who won’t be back, though, is Raymond Burgos. Burgos had the unusual honor of pitching three innings in two consecutive games, as he saved the bullpen during yesterday’s loss. He’s been optioned back to Worcester, with Seth Martinez taking his spot. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Burgos played his part in the Red Sox historic streak. Just how historic was it? Here’s a look at the numbers. (Sarah Langs, MLB.com)
But despite the Red Sox playing better than just about any other team in the history of baseball over the past six weeks, they haven’t won over all the skeptics:
It is prudent by starting out with a big thank you to Al for filling in for me for the last week plus while I vacationed with my family. Midseason vacations are never optimal, but with one of my adult children and her significant other both deriving employment from Penn State University, summer was the only time to bring the whole family together for a trip.
Looking back, the last time I wrote was following the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the Cardinals. Does that feel like a very long time ago? I was out of the country, did I miss anything? I don’t have a lot of in-season vacation memories, but one of them involves Cole Hamels and a no-hitter. I still sometimes like to mentally pretend that the game happened in an alternate timeline that I’m not a part of.
I’m going to have some things to say about the trade deadline and this 17 straight game stretch that I had circled. Well, I and just about every other even remotely informed Cubs blogger or writer. Sometimes you may pick a certain landmark series or two for looking at a block of games, but this one was easy with them being 17 straight games. Coming into this game with the Royals, the Cubs were 11-4. By any objective measure, this has been a very successful string of games. This hiccup doesn’t make it any less impressive, though obviously after sweeping four games from the Dodgers and Blue Jays, you wanted to get greedy and run a winning streak out to seven. It wasn’t meant to be.
The start of the Clay Holmes era wasn’t a great success. David Peterson had that one terrible start and he’s been terrific as Cub, so let’s go ahead and not draw any conclusions, all right? There are still a ton of injured Cub pitchers rehabbing from various maladies. So the Cubs are no longer married to any one pitcher or group of pitchers. They have depth. Hopefully, Holmes had an off night and the pitching department will find a workable plan moving forward. If not, they can find another way to use him and give someone else a shot in that rotation spot.
Let’s hit a quick perspective check, did you miss me doing this? Four teams have a better record than the Cubs. I’m, of course, disappointed to see that didn’t change, even with a hot stretch of baseball. They are closing in on the Dodgers and Braves now, though that doesn’t have a lot of immediately apparent value. They’ve created a ton of space with the Phillies and Diamondbacks and are pretty comfortably the first Wild Card now. The Cubs appear to be the long shot in a two-horse race. The Cubs are on a better than 93-win pace and now, I feel there is a real chance to exceed that. This team, right now, is better than the one that set this pace. Though I will always concede that they were fortunate to win as many games as they did. All of the walk-offs and the lack of consistently good pitching might have suggested a few more losses.
I’m back, but I’m going to be a little bit brief here tonight. The standings will return in a day or two as I work backwards through the numbers. I will also have a longer form thought about the trade deadline. I was legitimately not tapped in to the BCB reaction, but I did see it on social media and in the national media. I’ll assume that, save for a little trepidation here or there about a prospect that moved, the feedback was wildly positive.
Three Positives:
I saw that we are trying to vote Ian Happ off the island as a fan base again. Pardon my overall lack of surprise that I return to him having a double and a homer, driving in a run and scoring one. Ian is one of the weirdest players ever. He is remarkably consistent year over year while having long stretches of unproductive offensive play. Never mind that he gets pretty hot between those stretches to maintain that productivity.
Michael Conforto got into the game, had one at bat and doubled. He’s been such an incredibly effective pinch hitter this year.
Carson Kelly had a two-run double.
Game 118, August 8: Royals 6, Cubs 3 (68-50)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Ian Happ (.088). 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI, R
Hero: Carson Kelly (.070). 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Sidekick: Michael Conforto (.043). 1-1, 2B
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Clay Holmes (-.211). 4 IP, 18 BF, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 ER, K (L 0-1)
Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.149). 0-4
Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.119). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Jac Caglianone’s second homer of the game off Colin Rea, extending the lead back to two. (.147)
Cubs Play of the Game: Carson Kelly’s two-out, two-run double in the fourth inning, cut the lead to two. (.134)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 117 Winner: Kevin Gausman received 79 of 98 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
This spot will return in a day or two.
Up Next: The third and final game of this series, the 17th and final game of this stretch before an off day Monday. Matthew Boyd (7-1, 3.59) starts for the Cubs. Matthew is 5-0 with a 2.66 over his last seven starts, though he did allow four runs to the Dodgers in his last start.
31-year-old righty Randy Dobnak (2-0, 1.16) makes the start for the Royals. He’s made six appearances to date, four of them starts. He’s been in the rotation since the break, recording the two wins and allowing only two runs, both earned, over 21.1 innings as a starter.
COVERS INTEL: Vasquez is in the midst of a third straight season with at 
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Alex Burleson 
Shohei Ohtani
