Category: MLB

We have an afternoon game today, 3:00 Eastern. The Jays now have a 15.6% chance of making the playoffs, which is almost double than what it was a couple of weeks ago. The next couple of weeks well tell us a lot. After today’s game, they play six games (home and road) against the Yankees and three game in Tampa against the Rays.

There isn’t all that much for Jays’ news.

Brendon Little is off on Paternity Leave, on his birthday yet.

Lazaro Estrada is back. I think he’s been optioned five times this year, which is the limit. But I don’t know if it works the same when you are up for a Paternity Leave. And I’m not sure that the Jays would be worried about having to put him on waivers.

And there is this.

Well, ok. Let’s see how long it lasts until they complain they can’t hear each other.

Today’s lineups. Okamoto is back playing third. Springer is back as DH. And McAdoo is still leading off. No Bateman against the lefty.

Cynicism is very much in this summer. If it were an ice cream flavor it would be flying off the shelves in the midst of the late-summer humidity—which has only exacerbated everybody’s foul moods. Every lighthearted mention of something cool or good that took place in the world tends to be habitually followed up with a grouchy “yeah, but have you heard…?”

For instance, hey, the Yankees keep winning more often than they lose despite not having many of their most impactful players. Yeah, but did you see that the Rays have won nine straight games? Yeah, but did you see Will Warren’s dud of a start? That guy can’t be relied upon! Yeah, but did you know we’re out of milk? The HORROR!

But the fact remains: the Yankees remain good despite it all. They even added another come-from-behind victory to their stash last night, overtaking the Mariners ahead of the final bend and switching on the turbo thrusters in a 10-5 series-clinching triumph. And what’s more, the Red Sox are crashing down to earth, giving the Bombers additional breathing room in the top Wild Card spot as they try to burn some sage or do whatever it takes to stop the white-hot Rays.

Never lacking for starting pitching, the Yankees get the luxury of turning to Max Fried in the finale as they aim for a sweep of Seattle. Fried was a bit bumpy in the first two innings of his previous start, in which he faced his former friends in Atlanta for the first time. But after allowing a leadoff single in the third, he didn’t allow a single baserunner the rest of the way, twirling a scoreless 6.1-inning performance which proved instrumental in allowing the Bombers to complete an invigorating rally later in the evening. (As an aside: I was there for that game, and you can see me on the broadcast amongst a sea of fired-up fanatics in the right field seats after Ben Rice’s game-tying hit.)

The Mariners also never lack for starting pitching—though several of their top-flight arms have underachieved this year. Not so with Logan Gilbert, who remains among the most consistent right-handed starters in MLB. Gilbert did the best he could to stifle those incendiary Rays last time up, notching a quality start with two runs over 6.2 innings (Tampa won anyway). His previous time out he completed seven full innings against a Minnesota team that can really hit, permitting three runs on five hits. The M’s are in a massive funk, but if New York completes the sweep, the 29-year old is not likely to be the main reason why.

Trent Grisham won last night’s game belt in the clubhouse, and for good reason. New York’s leadoff man stepped up with a three-hit, two-homer, 4-RBI night which helped the Yankees reach double-figures in the run column for the first time since a 12-4 win on July 9th over none other than Tampa. Naturally, he’s back in that leadoff spot this afternoon ahead of Ben Rice and Spencer Jones, who doubled twice out of the three-hole last night. Luis Garcia Jr. bats cleanup, then George Lombard Jr. hits fifth, the highest up in the order he’s gone so far. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits sixth ahead of José Caballero who will play right field—he, Ryan McMahon and Ali Sánchez bring up the rear.

With Fried on the mound, the Mariners will give lefty-hitting infielder Cole Young the day off. Young has been among the M’s most reliable starters, but he will sit along with rookie shortstop Colt Emerson (a more understandable decision there; Emerson has not had the same caliber of start as his 21-year old shortstop counterpart in the opposite dugout). Leo Rivas and Weston Wilson, two guys hitting below the Mendoza Line, draw in. No complaints here.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium — The Bronx, NY

First pitch: 1:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Mariners.TV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), Seattle Sports 710 AM (SEA)

Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

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PHOENIX — These skids have happened virtually every year he has managed the Los Angeles Dodgers and although Dave Roberts should be numb to it by now, knowing they’ll ultimately wind up on the other side, it doesn’t make the pain any less tolerable.

“I hate it," he tells USA TODAY Sports, “I absolutely hate it. I just wish it didn’t happen at all, but it always does."

The Dodgers, who just came off a seven-game losing streak, dropping 15 of 24 games and were 42-42 over six weeks, hope to be coming out of their funk at the right time.

EXCLUSIVE: Roberts sounds off on anti-Dodgers hate and LA legacy

The begin a four-game series Thursday night at Dodger Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers, who are once again perched with the best record in the National League – but were swept by the Dodgers in last year’s NLCS.

Now, they meet again for the battle for the No. 1 seed, with the Dodgers entering Wednesday night two games behind the Brewers, who also had the best record in MLB last year.

Roberts implored his team to wake up Monday before they played the Kansas City Royals, reminding them that if they don’t finish with the top two records in the National League, they’ll be without a first-round bye and forced to play at least two extra postseason games.

It happened last year, too, but had no ill effect.

Detroit Tigers (59-61) vs. Cleveland Guardians (59-62)

Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Covering the Corner
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Keider Montero (8-7, 3.38 ERA) vs. LHP Parker Messick (9-6, 2.57 ERA)

The next “biggest game of the year” starts now:

Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:

Here’s the Tigers’ lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!

We are about two months out from the North Carolina Tar Heels’ heartbreaking loss in the finals at the College World Series. In the weeks since, the 2026 MLB Draft was also held, and a number of UNC players have since begun their professional careers. With some time having passed from that, let’s take a look in on how the Diamond Heels are now fitting into their new homes.

In total, six Tar Heels were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, all six of them opted to sign and begin their minor league careers.

The first two Heels off the board were both selected by the Boston Red Sox. Shortstop Jake Schaffner went 20th overall and came to terms on a $2 million signing bonus. His first taste of pro ball has come with the High Single-A Greenville Drive in the South Atlantic League, where he’s put up a .797 OPS in six games through Monday. Meanwhile, Boston then took Super Regional hero Owen Hull 67th overall and inked him to a $1.2 million bonus. Hull is also in Greenville and has also played in six games, putting up a 1.014 OPS. He’s shown a good eye, drawing five walks in six games, continuing on one of his calling cards from college. More notably, they both rank among the Red Sox top ten prospects according to one outlet that covers that aspect.

The third round saw two Tar Heels picked, the first of which was pitcher Jason DeCaro, who went 80th to the Pirates, signing with them for $1,297,500. As teams sometimes tend to do with pitchers, they’ve taken it slowly with DeCaro, as he hasn’t appeared in a minor league game yet. Fellow UNC rotation member Ryan Lynch went a little bit later to the Padres at the 97th pick, and he also has not taken the mound in a live game yet.

A couple rounds later, catcher Macon Winslow was selected by the Phillies and came to terms with them. In six games so far, he has just three hits, but one of them was a home run and he’s also shown a pretty good eye, drawing three walks. That has his OPS sitting at .754 in that small sample size.

The final UNC player picked this year was reliever Matthew Matthijs, who went in one of the last rounds of the draft, the 17th at 520th overall, going to the Mariners. Like the other pitchers on the list, he hasn’t appeared in a real game as of yet.

Among the undrafted free agents, pitcher Joe Charles has struggled in the Mets’ system so far, while catcher Colin Hynek didn’t record a hit in his first two games with a Cubs’ affiliate.

Other than the fact that all six Tar Heels ended up signing with their teams, there wasn’t a lot substantial to talk about just yet. We’ll be sure to check in on this year’s drafted Tar Heels towards the end of the season as they have a little more time to play in their various organizations. Best of luck to those six, and any other former UNC players around the minor leagues over the rest of the 2026 MiLB season.

Thanks to their mostly poor play since the All-Star break, the Phillies currently find themselves out of a playoff spot. While there’s still plenty of baseball left to be played, it certainly isn’t early anymore.

The last two opponents they’ve faced have been mediocre, but that didn’t stop the Phillies from dropping both series. They’ll move on to play another mediocrity in the Twins, who may be without their best offensive player in Byron Buxton (currently on the IL, but he is close to a return) and best pitcher in Joe Ryan. Then again, mediocrity would be a step up from what we’ve seen from the Phillies in recent weeks.

The series will be a bit wacky with Thursday night’s opener being the Field of Dreams game (hope you have Netflix), and we’ll have yet another Friday night without a game. Then again, this entire season has been a little wacky for the Phils, so they should be used to it.

Opposition research: Kody Clemens

I understand why the Phillies sold Kody Clemens to the Twins in early 2025. They had a glut of lefthanded hitting outfielders, and while he had been a nice enough bench piece, you never really got a “they have to give this guy a chance to play every day” vibe from him.

He put together a solid season for the Twins in 2025, serving as a utility player who mostly played against righthanded pitching. He wasn’t spectacular, but he was better than Max Kepler who the Phillies handed the left field job to last year.

This season, he’s been an everyday player, and while his on-base percentage is unideal (.280) he’s got a solid .747 OPS with 20 home runs. He also hit an “ultimate grand slam” this year. (Matt Strahm has had a tough time of it this season.)

He’d still be an awkward fit in the Phillies’ outfield alongside fellow lefties Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford, but it’s frustrating to see a player they basically gave away succeeding elsewhere.

Hating on the Twins

After winning World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, it has been a rough few decades for the Twins. Since 1991, they’ve won a total of two playoff series and haven’t gotten past the ALCS. For a while there, they couldn’t even win a single playoff game, dropping 18 in a row.

The Twins rarely sign big free agents, and one of their most notable signings was Carlos Correa, who only chose them because he failed a physical with two other teams. Their current franchise player is Byron Buxton who has been really adamant about staying with the Twins, perhaps because anyone trading for him would likely become enraged when he takes his annual trip to the Injured List.

Trivia

Last week’s answer: Roberto Alomar tied Paul Molitor’s 12 hits in the 1993 World Series. MG77 was correct.

This week’s question: The Phillies defeated the Twins in the 2025 regular series finale by a 2-1 score in ten innings. Who drove in the winning run via a sacrifice fly?

Additional thought about the series

John Stolnis went into more detail about Thursday’s Field of Dreams game, but I’m just hoping the Phillies can play non- embarrassing baseball in this showcase. Maybe they can avoid any horrid fielding mistakes, and Aaron Nola can somehow limit his home runs allowed to one or fewer.

The Twins have Josh Bell on their roster, and we think of him as a Phillie-killer, but they’ve actually kept him in check in recent seasons. Over the past two seasons, he’s batting just .190 with two home runs against them in 23 games. He did take Nola deep once last season, but these days, only hitting one home run off of Nola is probably below average.

Luis Castillo did his best executioner impression last night, slicing up his old squad, and now Chicago heads into the rubber match with a chance to boot the Reds out of town licking their wounds. For that to happen, though, the Sox need Davis Martin to show up as someone other than the batting practice pitcher he’s been lately.

Martin’s season has taken a pretty ugly turn since June, and the recent numbers aren’t doing him any favors. Over his last seven starts, he owns a 7.80 ERA and 1.77 WHIP, and his outing in Boston was especially brutal. Martin was tagged for nine runs over five innings in the 14-2 loss, with the White Sox later saying he had been tipping pitches. Hopefully that explains at least some of the carnage, because Chicago desperately needs him to get back on track. With Castillo giving the bullpen a much-needed breather by tossing seven scoreless innings last night, Martin’s job today is simple: keep the Reds from putting up a crooked number early and give the offense a chance.

Cincinnati counters with lefthander Andrew Abbott, who enters the afternoon 6-7 with a 3.92 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. Those numbers certainly aren’t terrifying, so this feels like an opportunity for the Sox offense to build on last night rather than making another opposing pitcher look like a Cy Young candidate. Abbott has been hittable, and Chicago needs to make him work, get traffic on the bases and — this is always the important part — actually do something with it.

Here’s how Will Venable will send them out against Abbott:

This is how the Reds will line up versus Martin:

Last night belonged to Castillo. Today, the spotlight shifts to Martin. A solid outing would go a long way toward quieting some concerns about his miserable pitching of late, and more importantly, it would give the South Siders a chance to take two of three from Cincinnati. Win the rubber match, take the series and move along. Sounds easy enough, right?

First pitch has been moved up an hour to 12:10 p.m. CDT due to weather. The game will be televised on CHSN and can be heard on ESPN Chicago 1000.

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The Chicago Cubs put on an absolute show yesterday.

Following a 12-run outburst, Kevin Gausman is in the perfect spot against the Washington Nationals to help the blue and white win their fourth straight, so we're running back Chicago on the moneyline (-138 at Polymarket) as part of my Cubs vs. Nationals predictions.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 13, and sweep the board once more.

Who will win Cubs vs Nationals today: Cubs moneyline (-142)

The Chicago Cubs' offense is simply on another level right now. They've scored 30 runs across their last three games and own the highest wRC+ in baseball as a result. In other words, they've been pretty unstoppable.

Enter Washington Nationals starter Cade Cavalli, who's had issues limiting the long ball this season. Over his last five starts, he's surrendered seven homers, and his 40.6% hard-hit rate ranks in the top 20 among qualified starters.

Cavalli's going to play right into the Cubs' power stroke, so expect more traffic on the base paths for Chicago tonight.

I'd play this one up to -150. 

Looking for more plays? Tap into Colby Marchio's MLB moneyline picks for Thursday.

COVERS INTEL:Kevin Gausman's 3.84 xERA is among the best of his career, and he's finding his home in Chicago quite quickly following his trade from the Blue Jays. In his lone start with the Cubs, Gausman tied a season-high seven innings, allowing just two earned runs and four strikeouts. 

Cubs vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 runs (-116)

With the Cubs' offense going up against Cavalli, who's prone to the long ball, the Over is the only play today. Not only has the ball been flying off his arm, but Nationals Park is home to the 10th-most homers and third-highest xwOBAcon this year.

Look for Pete Crow-Armstrong to also continue his blistering pace in the NL MVP odds; he's now recorded 12 hits (three homers) over his last eight games.

Cubs vs Nationals home run prediction: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+365)

Crow-Armstrong enters today cruising toward the NL MVP, owning an elite 12.3% barrel rate, a career-high 48.6% hard-hit rate, and a .473 xSLG. His 8.8% solid contact rate is not only a career high, but reflects the offseason adjustments he's made to get to this spot. 

Meanwhile, Cavalli relies heavily on a 97 MPH four-seam fastball, a pitch that PCA has been able to eat up this season. Adding to the case are PCA’s splits — he’s hit 20 of his 27 homers against righties this season.

More home run prediction for Thursday can be found with our resident expert Josh Inglis.

Cubs vs Nationals weather

The weather will be perfect for baseball tonight, with temperatures reaching 89F prior to first pitch, giving the ball a little extra air under it.

Cubs vs Nationals odds

• Moneyline: Cubs (-142) | Nationals (+133)
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+122) | Nationals +1.5 (-127)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-116) | Under 8.5 (+108)

Cubs vs Nationals trend

I'm loving the Over tonight, which is 6-0-1 in the Cubs' last seven games as a road favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Nationals.

How to watch Cubs vs Nationals and game info

Cubs vs Nationals latest injuries

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.

TV: NESN

First Pitch: 3:07 p.m. ET

It’s not time to panic yet. Regression was due, but the Red Sox are on the verge of dropping six consecutive games immediately following a nine-game winning streak. Payton Tolle is the guy the team would love to see put the ballclub back on track as he takes the mound fresh off career-best 14 strikeouts against the Athletics. 

Here’s who the Red Sox will send to the plate behind him Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre. 

The Blue Jays send the aging Max Scherzer to the hill. While he’s certainly ready for Cooperstown when he hangs up his cleats, he’s never fared well against Boston with a 5.77 ERA in 14 regular season starts against the Red Sox in his career. 

The Cincinnati Reds were completely shut down by the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night in Guaranteed Rate Field, foiled by their old friend Luis Castillo. The offense was miserable, the bullpen couldn’t keep it within slam range, and from start to finish things just looked like a team simply out of gas.

The beauty of baseball, though, is that there’s another chance the very next day.

Andrew Abbott toes the rubber today in the series finale opposite Chicago righty Davis Martin as the Reds look to get back in the win column and take the series. This game will go off at 1:10 PM ET today due to concerns about weather later in the afternoon, as the original start time was slated for 2:10 PM ET. Make sure you don’t accidentally miss an hour of 2026 Cincinnati Reds baseball, folks!

After all, Ke’Bryan Hayes is in the lineup!

Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin:

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It was a winning day here yesterday for +1.7 units, and there are plenty of pitcher and MLB player props on tonight's shorter slate. 

Despite a 14-strikeout performance in his last start and numbers that stack up with some of the best in baseball, Payton Tolle's K total still isn't as high as it should be. Jacob deGrom could be dealing with an innings cap, making his Over a tough climb, and Roki Sasaki might finally be turning a corner with his outs market on the rise.

These are my favorite pitcher strikeout props and MLB picks for Thursday, Aug. 13.

Best MLB strikeout props and starting pitcher picks today

Player	Pick	Odds
Payton Tolle	Over 5.5 strikeouts	-111
Jacob deGrom	Under 6.5 strikeouts	+101
Roki Sasaki	Over 16.5 outs	+101

Strikeout prop: Payton Tolle Over 5.5 strikeouts (-115)

I hate backing a pitcher after a monster game, and Payton Tolle is coming off a career-best 14-strikeout outing. However, even with his 90-pitch leash, 48% of his outs since June 26 have come via the strikeout. He has the third-highest K/9 over that stretch and the fourth-best K% behind some heavy hitters in Dylan Cease and Jacob Misiorowski.

He has shown he can get to this Over even on abbreviated outings, and the Over is a perfect 6-0 on this total over his last six starts.

The Jays aren't a K-heavy team, but their strikeout rate has climbed of late, and this lineup could have five hitters with a K% of 25% or higher this month.

The juice is moving on this Over despite the projections liking the Under. This could close at -135/-140, and I'd buy it down to -120/-125.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN

Strikeout prop: Jacob deGrom Under 6.5 strikeouts (+101)

The Texas Rangers are keeping the lid on Jacob deGrom, and getting to seven punchouts is going to be damn hard.

The veteran right-hander might have a 15-out cap on him, as he has not gotten over that number in five straight starts. He was at just 88 pitches after five innings in his last game and didn't come back out. To me, that sounds like a blueprint for an oft-injured pitcher the Rangers need healthy if they are going to make the playoffs.

The throttle started in July, and since then, he has 29 Ks in 23 innings. However, he has gone Over this total just twice in five starts and has thrown 88, 91, 90, 97, and 80 pitches. He's going to have to be mighty efficient to get seven of his 15 outs via the K.

At plus money on the Under, the risk is low to see if he has an innings cap. I'm betting this down to -115.

• Time: 10:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: ABTV, Rangers Sports Network

Pitcher out prop: Roki Sasaki Over 16.5 outs recorded (+101)

The market is moving heavily toward this Over, and I wouldn't be surprised if it closed at 17.5.

Roki Sasaki, the roller-coaster Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher, has gone four straight starts allowing two or fewer runs, which is his best four-game stretch of the season. He's a K-per-inning guy who doesn't allow many hits. Command can be an issue, but pitching on his own mound is always an advantage.

When Sasaki is on, it's a beautiful thing, and I think the market moving toward the Over, coupled with his recent form, makes this the right side at this price and down to -115. The Milwaukee Brewers offense has hit a lull and ranks in the Bottom 10 this month, which only helps.

Sasaki's arrow is pointing up, and we're taking advantage.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Brewers.TV.

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.

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How about another 2-1 SU day for over 10 units last night? The dingers are dinging, and the MLB player props are popping this week. Let's stay hot and get on the good side of zero for the season.

In addition to targeting a pair of bats vs. homer-prone veterans, I'm adding Jake Bauers to go deep in the nightcap against Roki Sasaki and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

These are my favorite MLB home run props for Thursday, Aug. 13. 

MLB home run props for today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Ceddanne Rafaela	+550
Royce Lewis	+450
Jake Bauers	+450
💲Today's HR parlay	+20239

Home run prediction: Ceddanne Rafaela (+550)

Max Scherzer has pitched above expectations since returning to the rotation, but he is still giving up plenty of homers and has the second-worst HR/9 among MLB starters with at least 30 innings. His HR/FB rate is also near the basement of the league. The Red Sox have a great long-ball matchup, and my money is going on Ceddanne Rafaela at +550.

The price is the most appetizing thing here, with other top-end bats shorter than +350 today. Rafaela has five of his 16 homers over the last two weeks, is slugging .632 over those 14 days, and handles righties, meaning likely three plate appearances vs. Scherzer near the top of this order. 

Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras might be the higher-volume picks on a short slate, but getting more than 200 points with Rafaela is my move, and one I'd play to +450.

• Time: 3:07 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, NESN

Home run prediction: Royce Lewis (+450)

It’s a small slate, but HR bettors get Aaron Nola, who has allowed the most dingers in baseball this year, at a makeshift MLB stadium with short fences and nothing but corn in the outfield. Nola is the best home-run target today, as his fall has been spectacular. He’s allowed 10 homers over his last 33 innings across six games, just took a 105-mph laser beam off his knee in his last start, and today’s setting might not help him.

The Iowa Cubs and St. Paul Saints played on this field Tuesday and ripped four combined dingers — the only extra-base hits of the game. In the other two "Field of Dreams" games, played on a different diamond but with a similar layout, there have been seven total homers.

Royce Lewis is the hottest stick in the Minny lineup. He has three homers over the last two weeks and leads the team in slugging (.667), ISO (.278), wOBA (.461), and HardHit% (47.4%). His 76.3-mph swing speed over that stretch is also a Top-25 mark in all of baseball.

Send it to the maize, Royce.

• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Netflix

Home run prediction: Jake Bauers (+450)

The Milwaukee Brewers have only two hitters in their lineup who are actually producing right now: Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio. I'm avoiding the latter today, as he's dealing with a thumb issue and has been pinch-hit for recently.

That leaves Bauers, who is 100 points longer and gets a good HR matchup against Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki. Sasaki is pitching well, but he's still giving up long balls. 

Much like Shota Imanaga earlier this week, when Sasaki does get hit, he gets hit hard — and Bauers can do damage against righties.

The 10-mph winds blowing out to his pull side are just another layer of confirmation. I'd play this to +420 today.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Brewers.TV, SportsNet LA

Best home run combo for Aug. 13

Ceddanne Rafaela	Trade Now +20239
Royce Lewis
Jake Bauers

Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!

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Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers, August 13, 2026, 1:10 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing in a Thursday matinee for the series finale against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.

Getting the start for the Pirates is All-Star Braxton Ashcraft. He is coming off a frustrating game against the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start on August 6th. He gave up four hits and four earned runs in five innings of action as the team lost 5-2 at American Family Field. Now he hopes to get back on track for the Pirates as they close out the road trip.

Countering Ashcraft is Tyler Phillips, who is making his 14th start of the season. Phillip started the season in the bullpen, but he has consistently been part of the rotation since the middle of June. In his last start on August 7, he went four innings, giving up five hits and one earned run in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

As both teams sit on the outside looking in on the NL wildcard race, games like this could have a lot of weight when the regular season comes to an end. Grabbing wins even when teams are tired at the end of a road trip could be what separates the good from the great.

Location: loanDepot Park, Miami, FL

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (11-5, 4.08 ERA) vs. Tyler Phillips (3-5, 3.47 ERA)

BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.