OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Oakland Athletics mascot Stomper greets fans during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on Wednesday, September 25, 2024 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Nine straight series wins was just what the doctor ordered. And every Red Sox fan. They’re pitching, hitting homers, playing defense. They look like the best team in baseball. And for the last month or so, they’ve been the best. They won two of three against the Athletics in Sacramento, possibly hindered by the sun angles, and will get three games to test themselves against the team at Fenway Park. This weekend will help answer if it was the Athletics pitching – which hasn’t been great – or the batter’s eye that proved challenging for the Sox in that series.
Jack Perkins allowed just 2 runs in 5.2 innings to Boston as part of a three-game stretch where he allowed 8 runs over 13.2 innings. Which isn’t great but he gave up 7 to the Marlins before that stretch and 6 to the Tigers right after. Now the righty faces Boston again. Payton Tolle rolled out a 6.0 inning, 7K, 2 run outing against the Dodgers last time out. Almost the same as he put up against these Athletics. Let’s see the rematch!
Gage Jump provided the lone win for the A’s in Sacramento. He went 6.0 innings, struck out 7, didn’t allow a run. But surrounding that start: 4.2 innings and 6 runs against the Diamondbacks and 3.2 innings and 6 runs against the Tigers. Jake Bennett, like Tolle, just keeps rolling along. Around 6.0 innings per start, 3 runs or fewer. What a steal from the Nationals.
J.T. Ginn missed Boston when they were in Sacramento. A righty, he’s been all over the place in the last month. But an 8-run outing against the White Sox sticks out the most. The Red Sox will feature a bullpen start to close out the weekend. The exact makeup of this game isn’t known at the moment so it could be an opener and Bello or it could be a more traditional 1-2 inning per guy event.
Shea Langeliers, Nick Kurtz, and Zack Gelof are all on the IL now.
Since the win against Boston the A’s have lost 8 straight games. Boston has won 8 straight.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, August 7: Jack Perkins (6.72 ERA / 4.61 FIP) vs. Payton Tolle (3.30 ERA / 3.41 FIP)
Saturday, August 8: Gage Jump (4.59 ERA / 3.80 FIP) vs. Jake Bennett (2.90 ERA / 3.23 FIP)
Sunday, August 9: J.T. Ginn (3.51 ERA / 4.22 FIP) vs. TBD Bullpen (— ERA / — FIP)
American baseball player Don Larsen poses in the uniform of the New York Yankees, mid 1950s. (Photo by Phil Burchman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The imperfect man pitched a perfect game yesterday.
So read Joe Trimble’s lead on October 9, 1956 in the New York Daily News. The day prior, a man who was an afterthought on a team in the midst of winning its seventh championship in 10 years, a man known more for his carousing off the field than his performance on it, had achieved the unthinkable. He’d held a Brooklyn Dodgers lineup stacked with five Hall of Famers to 27 plate appearances, permitting none to reach base safely in the first and last perfect game in World Series history.
Don James Larsen Born: August 7, 1929 (Michigan City, IN) Died: January 1, 2020 (Coeur d’Alene, ID) Yankees Tenure: 1955-59
Don Larsen grew up on the Indiana side of Lake Michigan. His father, James, played sandlot baseball and passed along the game to young Don, who began playing ball with his father at the age of four. While he was in high school, the family moved to San Diego, where Larsen made the All-Metro Conference basketball team at Point Loma High and garnered several college basketball scholarships. The fun-loving Larsen declined. “I was never much with studies, and I didn’t really have an interest in going to college and studying my life away,” he would later say of his decision.
Instead, Larsen signed a contract with the St. Louis Browns, spending four seasons in their minor-league system before he was drafted into the Army in 1951. He played baseball for an Army team at Fort Shafter on Oahu for two years, returning to the mainland in time for spring training in 1953. The 23-year-old pitched well enough to earn a spot out of camp, an achievement he likened to “Christmas in springtime.”
Larsen was a bright spot on the 100-loss Browns as a rookie, tossing a team-high 192.2 innings with a 4.16 ERA. His teammates gave him a delightfully ’50s nickname that would stick with him throughout his career: Gooney Bird. Depending who you ask, the origin of the moniker was either Larsen’s gangly appearance or his outside-the-lines antics.
The Browns moved to Baltimore for the ‘54 season. The newly christened Orioles once again lost 100 games, with Larsen taking the decision in an MLB-high 21 of them. He won only three games but two came against the mighty Yankees, drawing the attention of the team’s manager, Casey Stengel.
Following the season, he was traded to New York in a mammoth 17-player deal that also netted the Yankees future Cy Young Award winner Bob Turley. Larsen was injured to start the year but pitched well once recalled, going 9-2 in 19 games (13 starts) to help his new team to the pennant. He drew the start in Game 4 of the World Series against the Dodgers. With the Yankees up two games to one and the chance to stake them to a commanding series lead, Larsen faltered, allowing five runs — including two long balls — in four innings as the Dodgers coasted to victory. After the Yankees lost to their chief NL rivals in Game 7, Larsen remained positive about his experience. “I had stretched beyond my childhood dreams by playing for the Yankees in the World Series,” he would later recount. “Even though we lost the championship to the Dodgers, I was thankful to have been even been there in the first place.”
The next year shaped up similarly. An 11-5 record in the regular season as the Yankees repeated as AL champs, followed by an even more frustrating World Series outing against the Dodgers in which he walked four in 1.2 innings as the Yankees coughed up an early six-run lead.
This is where reality and myth start to become inextricable. There’s as much lore around Larsen’s perfect game as any event in Yankees history. New York Daily Mirror writer Arthur Richman later relayed that Larsen told him the night before on the way back from the bars that he would pitch a no-hitter. This was likely impossible given Stengel’s habit of informing pitchers whether they would start on game day, employing his coach, Frank Crosetti, to place a baseball in the starter’s shoe. Much like David Wells, the next Yankee to reach perfection, there’s been much written about the extent of Larsen’s hangover that game day as well.
Whatever the merit of these stories, Larsen took the mound at Yankee Stadium on October 8 prepared to face a lineup that had twice torn him to shreds. The outcome would be different that day, with the 27-year-old needing just 97 pitches to carve up one of the most potent lineups ever assembled. After throwing his improbable perfecto, Larsen jogged off the mound and was intercepted by a euphoric Yogi Berra, the catcher who he hadn’t shaken off a single time all day. Yogi jumped into Larsen’s arms, and a piece of Americana was born.
Larsen would pitch for 10 more seasons but, naturally, never match the majesty of his finest achievement. He embraced the narrow scope of his baseball legacy. “I have thought about that perfect game, more than once a day, every day of my life since the day I threw it,” he said in 2012.
Larsen spent three more years in New York, mostly serving as a mediocre swingman but making four more October outings. In the ‘58 Fall Classic, he held Milwaukee off the board for seven innings in an eventual 4-0 victory and pitched 2.1 more innings of one-run ball in the decisive Game 7 to earn his second ring. He’d pitch for six more teams after departing New York at the conclusion of the ‘59 season, including a return to the World Series as a member of the Giants in 1962, pitching back at Yankee Stadium in Games 3 and 4. Larsen made his last appearance with the Cubs in 1967, weeks before his 38th birthday.
After the conclusion of his playing career, Larsen moved to San Jose, where he worked for many years as a paper salesman. After retiring, he moved to Idaho, though he was always a safe bet to return to the site of his former glory each Old-Timers’ Day. Larsen also formed a kinship with the two other pitchers who spun perfect games for the Yankees in the 20th century: David Wells, who coincidentally also went to Point Loma High, and David Cone, whose gem Larsen actually attended since there were pregame festivities celebrating the return of Yogi Berra to Yankee Stadium. Larsen threw the ceremonial first pitch to Berra, and Cone threw the last to Joe Girardi.
Larsen died on the first day of 2020 at the age of 90. Please join us in remembering perhaps the most unlikely of Yankee legends, the everyman who for one day was perfect.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Theo Gillen #14 of the American League Futures team looks on during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Baseball America updates their Top-100 MLB prospects list with some regularity throughout the year, but the most meaningful mid-season update follows the conclusion of both the MLB Draft and MLB Trade Deadline. Now that the dust has settled, the Rays have seven prospects ranked in the new Top-100, including two in the top twenty.
5. Theo Gillen, OF
The jump in Power has turned Gillen’s profile into one of the best in baseball. This morning in the Slack chat Cole Mitchem comped Gillen’s current profile to Brewers CF Garrett Mitchell or Phillies CF from 2023-2025 Brandon Marsh. Gillen is 8 years younger than both.
A prep short stop was a prototypical Rays selection at No. 2 overall, but the offensive profile at 17-years young made this the obvious choice as well.
The 30th overall selection of the 2025 draft, Bodine might be the star of the loaded Shane Baz trade return, having already rocketed up to Double-A after demolishing the A and A+ levels.
The team’s 2nd round pick from last season (53rd overall in 2025) boasts a 130 wRC+ in Low-A, outpacing fellow draftees SS Daniel Pierce (100 wRC+, 14th overall in 2025) and OF Brendan Summerhill (98 wRC+, 42nd overall), and in lock step with…
… last season’s third round selection, the switch hitting Gray (128 wRC+, 86th overall in 2025). He’s a bit positionless at the moment, and needed a minor elbow surgery to clean up loose bodies, but the bat is real at 18 years young.
The key return in the Randy Arozarena trade (now that OF Aidan Smith — who was not a Top-100 prospect — has been traded), Hopkins has seen his walk rate spike to 22% in 85 innings at Triple-A while the Rays try to simplify his delivery mid-season, but the quality of his stuff is still respected.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 10: The San Diego Padres mascot Swinging Friar and the mother version of swinging Friar pose on the field for Mother's Day before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Petco Park on May 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
They’ve played three series this season. And, after the Padres’ 5-1 victory Thursday night, they’ve split all three of them. It sure looks like this race might go down to the wire — a season-ending three-game series between the two NL West rivals at Petco Park.
“We’ve played these guys pretty even all year round,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “We’ll see them again later in the year in a three-game series. Could be the decider of it all.”
But then the magnitude also shrunk in the shadow of the 46 games that remain.
“Uh, yeah, probably,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said Thursday afternoon when asked if he viewed that night’s game as having added consequence. “I mean, right now, the space that we’re in, we’re two games behind these guys. So the best way to get closer is to beat them. So I think that’s the number one priority today.”
The Diamondbacks (61-55) and Padres (60-56) remain neck-and-neck in a race for the third NL Wild Card spot with 46 games left. Their final series will close the regular season at Petco Park to determine the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Over the past two seasons, the D-backs took on the Padres at the end of the campaign with their playoff fate in the air. The chance of that happening again is legitimate.
“It started with Bryce Harper,” Dombrowski said of the bold Arraez trade. Stark noted that, “But Harper opened the door to the Arraez trade by telling Dombrowski multiple times he’d make that move, from first base to right field, if they needed him to.”
Well, it wasn’t to acquire a first baseman, but rather a new second baseman. But the shift for Harper was all the same.
By adding Arraez, Harper would have to move from first base to the outfield, back where he played the majority of his MLB career.
In addition to the usual Stock Watch measurements, I’ve taken a stab at looking how complete each team’s roster is, expressing it as a percentage. The basic details are in the methodology box. The idea is that for contenders, it’s a look at how well-situated a team is for the playoff push and a potential October run. For the noncontenders, it’s a glimpse at just how much work they have to do so that their future Augusts and Septembers are a little more dramatic.
Spencer Arrighetti, who the Blue Jays acquired at the Trade Deadline for outfielder Daulton Varsho, made his first rehab appearance in Toronto’s system on Thursday, but he left early with an apparent injury.
The 26-year-old Arrighetti, who has been on the injured list since July 25 with right foot nerve irritation, was removed after 2 1/3 hitless innings with Triple-A Buffalo. He threw 39 pitches before he was lifted from the game.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 29: Chase Petty #61 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park on July 29, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cleveland defeated Cincinnati 6-1. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a free spot on the team’s 40-man roster (and another freed up by the move of Blake Dunn to the 60-day IL), the Cincinnati Reds made a pair of roster claims on Thursday afternoon.
Right Ron Marinaccio was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the club also announced the addition of righty Chase Solesky off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays. Solesky was officially optioned to AAA Louisville after the moves, while Marinaccio was held on the active roster as a potential starter for Friday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals in the wake of Hunter Greene’s move to the 15-day IL.
As it turns out, though, that won’t be the case. Marinaccio will be on the roster as a depth option, but it will be another Chase – Petty, in this instance – who’ll get the nod for the Bottom of the 1st for the Reds on Friday night in Washington. That’s according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.
Petty, long considered a starting pitching prospect, has mostly worked as a reliever in his time with the Reds so far this season. That’s also been the case in his most recent outings with AAA Louisville, as he hasn’t pitched more than 2.1 IP with them since back on June 4th. So, the Reds will effectively be employing a bullpen game on Friday, with Petty leading the line first among the troupe.
The Reds will take on the Nationals at 6:45 PM ET on MLB.tv this evening.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 14: Brett Gillis (78) of the Houston Astros pitches against the New York Mets during a Minor League spring training game on March 14, 2026 at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (58-52) lost 5-3 (BOX SCORE)
Alexander started for Sugar Land and went 4 innings allowing 3 runs. He was relieved by Weiss who allowed one unearned run over 2.1 innings. The offense got on the board in the 8th inning on a Delgado RBI double, Loperfido groundout and Whitcomb sac fly. The pen allowed one more run and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 5-3.
Ryan Weiss, RHP: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (50-55) lost 9-4 (BOX SCORE)
Gillis started for the Hooks and pitched well allowing 2 runs over 5.2 innings while striking out 7. The offense got on the board in the third inning on a Holy solo home run. In the 5th they scored 2 runs on a Call RBI double and Hernandez RBI single. The pen struggled allowing 7 runs as the Drillers took the lead. The offense got one back in the 8th on a Whitaker RBI single but that was it as the Hooks fell 9-4.
Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (34-69) lost 14-7 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville got on the board in the first inning scoring 2 runs on an error. Oakes started for Asheville and went 3 innings allowing 5 runs. The pen struggled too allowing another 7 runs as the Dash opened up a big lead. Asheville got 4 runs back in the 7th on a wild pitch, Powell groundout, Frey sac fly and Monistere RBI single. Batista added an RBI single in the 9th but the deficit was too much to overcome as Asheville fell 14-7.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (53-50) won 10-9 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first on a Wakefield groundout. They got 2 more runs in the third inning on a Wakefield 2 run double. Beck got the start and went 4 innings allowing 3 runs. In the 5th, Wakefield added a sac fly. The pen allowed a few runs but in the 7th, the Woodpeckers rallied for 6 runs on a Cauro hit by pitch, Flores 2 run single, Fielder RBI single and Ramirez 2 run double. The pen was able to hold on as the Woodpeckers won 10-9.
Note: Luciano has a .889 OPS in Single-A this season.
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 20, 2025: Émilien Pitre #4 of the Tampa Bay Rays takes batting practice prior to a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 20, 2025 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Now that the dust has settled on the trade deadline and we’ve had some time to reflect on the Mets’ deals, let’s put a grade on how well they did.
Revising our priors
We discussed what the value on the Mets’ pieces was likely to be in our trade deadline primer in the week before the deadline. By and large, those assessments held up and serve as a good baseline for what the Mets should have received, with two notable exceptions.
Both Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter returned well below what was suggested in the primer, where I floated a lighter version of the Ryan Helsley deal from 2025. Upon further digging and conversations with other experts, that was far too aggressive a position. Neither Minter nor Raley rate well in either contact suppression or – more importantly – in-zone whiff generation at this juncture. Smarter teams were likely not valuing either as more than a 2nd lefty option, and the return for both players reflects that.
This deal obviously came several weeks before the deadline, but it merits mention here as part of the Mets’ broader sell off. Peterson was absolutely terrible in New York this season, and that includes his peripherals. He was trending towards being DFA’d in order to clear room for better / more interesting / more long term-relevant arms. Somehow, the Mets managed to pull a legitimately exciting prospect in return for making Peterson available early, taking the risk on Cole Mathis’s injury history to capture the upside. Very nice move.
Freddy Peralta to the Rays
Mets receive: 2B Émilien Pitre RHP Gary Gill Hill OF Aidan Smith
This is not a slam dunk return, but it’s a very nice one for what Peralta is. Pitre in particular has become significantly more interesting this year, improving his EVs despite no clear uptick in home run total (somewhat akin to A.J. Ewing in the minors). It’s quite possible the public consensus rankings are lagging behind a real improvement in true talent level. Aidan Smith might not be able to hit and Gary Gill Hill has an ugly ERA, but both have promising underlying traits of their own.
So again, not a robbery, but a nice package of players, and one that is indeed more valuable than what the players the Mets gave up have turned out to be for the Brewers. Not a bad place to wind up.
As discussed above, this return is broadly appropriate return for a reliever of A.J. Minter’s caliber. The shape of this return, however, is not something I’m a fan of. Billy Amick has far more name value than actual and isn’t actually much of a prospect. Agbayani is equivalent to your stereotypical, overslot mid-round prep pick. It’s not awful, but an interesting DSL flier (such as Jhomnardo Reyes, who was moved for 1+ years of Dean Kremer) or an intriguing traits arm (such as personal cheeseball Matt Barr) would’ve been more both better and potentially attainable.
Huascar Brazoban has not fundamentally changed as a pitcher, suggesting that his stronger top-line this year is more a small sample size aberration than a true jump. Getting a guy like Zach Franklin who has arguably better stuff and is a decade younger as well as a recently interesting college arm in Gabe Davis is a very nice move. There’s a reason the Mets linked up with the White Sox for this deal and not, say, the Dodgers or Brewers. Read into that what you will.
As stated above, this is a fine return for what Brooks Raley is. Throw another interesting trait arm in the dev machine and let it churn, and add a gamble on an elite defender to boot.
This deal didn’t get a breakdown, but it was one of the better deals the Mets made even if it was a small magnitude one. Rortvedt is a 4th catcher the Mets’ had no utility but who is familiar with the Dodgers’ staff and clubhouse. McDermott is a few years removed from being a top pitching prospect and still has some crazy spin capacity. The Dodgers don’t have the playing time available to give McDermott the runway to iron out his control, but the Mets clearly do and he’s already up in the major league bullpen. He’ll either figure it out and become a potentially valuable relief arm or he’ll walk 8 batters per 9 and help the Mets’ tank – a win either way, and it cost nothing.
Nice bit of work by the Mets here, and kudos to them for being willing to pay down some of Weaver’s contract to get a better return. Stafura has serious contact concerns that really lower the floor, but has the power, speed, and defensive abilities – as well as recent minor league performance – where you can dream on a really exciting player. He’s in the right range of prospect quality for a reliever of Weaver’s quality too.
Repeating a bit of what we covered in the breakdown, Jefferson Rojas is a decently rated prospect that I suspect is overhyped publicly. There is no standout tool here, nothing exciting to hang your hat on, and guys like that often cap out as second-division regulars. This is also a broadly appropriate return for what Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor (who remains a marginal platoon bat on an expiring deal, recent HR binge notwithstanding) are. Totally fine, no real drama in either direction.
Conclusion
The overarching theme of the Mets’ deals is that they broadly aligned with the value they should have received. Yes, that value was often a bit lower than what fans might’ve expected (who can blame us for having rose colored glasses at times?), but that doesn’t change the reality of how major league teams evaluate players.
There were certainly a couple nice wins. David Peterson returned a better prospect than he had any right to. Scooping up Chayce McDermott was a tidy bit of business. The Peralta return looks good. All of these wins were either marginal or in smaller magnitude deals, however, meaning the impact on the overall grade is not huge.
It is also important to consider the broader market context, against which the Mets’ returns again look fairly reasonable. Most starters and relievers of similar quality were traded for similar packages, and the Mets’ arguably did a bit better in spots by targeting less intelligent teams. There is one notable exception, that being the Cardinals receiving at least one and likely two top-100 prospects from the Brewers in exchange for Dustin May and JoJo Romero. Now, Dustin May is a more valuable starter than either Peralta or Holmes, but it’s worth wondering if the Mets could’ve snagged one of those top-100 names (Josiah Ragsdale in particular would’ve been very exciting) by packaging one of their lefty rental relievers with a starter and routing them to Milwaukee.
Dinging the Mets because of one outlier deal this deadline is a bit unfair, particularly when we don’t know what conversations were had behind the scenes or what preferences other teams had. However, the bottom line is that the Mets did not do anything particularly creative, nor did the score any huge wins. By and large, they got what they were supposed to.
Coming home from a successful roadtrip going 6-4 against some tough competition, the Diamondbacks found themselves a couple of even tougher divisional opponents on the horizon in the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. While the trade deadline didn’t go as most Dbacks fans had envisioned, they had to put that behind them and look ahead towards the rest of the season with as much optimism as we possibly can. This team is still a very talented group and with reinforcements on the horizon in the likes of Michael Soroka, Corbin Burnes and even Justin Martinez, the snakes would need to continue to play the same style of ball that had them go 15-10 throughout the month of July in hopes of staying in playoff contention and returning to October for the first time since their magical 2023 World Series appearance.
The Friar Split
Entering play on Monday the Diamondbacks and Padres found their season matchup tied even at 3 wins a piece, with a big 4 game set on the horizon. A series victory or even a sweep of the Padres would have been the most ideal outcome for the Snakes, splitting the series is far from the worst thing we could have asked for, as the fellas and I agreed that it might not be the most satisfying outcome, they avoided losing any ground in both the NL Wild Card race but also in the NL West standings.
There were some very good things to come from this series like Brandon Pfaadt continuing his dominant stretch or Mitch Bratt getting his first career MLB win behind a 10-Run offensive outburst, there were also some moments that were frustrating to witness like the sloppy defense (especially in Tuesday’s Game 2 defeat) or Kohl Drake failing to reach 5 innings for the third outing in a row.
Noot Noot De-boot
The Dbacks lone move from Monday’s trade deadline in Lars Nootbar got to have an impact throughout this whole series and immediately felt like he was going to fit this Dbacks scheme well and improve the team in ways that might not be the flashiest, but effective none the less.
Gabe and Brandon both mentioned that while the .200 batting average (only 10 at bats so obviously not anything to dive deep into) doesn’t appear on paper to be the most impactful, the 3 walks Nootbar worked along with the actual tape showed that Nootbar brought a refreshing approach from a DBacks hitter that we don’t really get to see outside of Geraldo Perdomo. Lars showed off his plate discipline and ability to make the pitcher really work to earn his out, especially in his first inning at-bat against Walker Buehler where he worked it full and made Buehler throw 8 pitches to him alone. The 3 of us agreed that he might not be the slugging bat that we all wanted at the deadline, if he can be a .250 hitter with an OBP around .350 or better then he will be a very solid addition to a lineup that at times has a tendency to have quick and unproductive outs that can lead to the opposing pitchers settling in and going deeper into games.
It’s A Bratt Summer
The fellas and I wanted to focus on the more positive results from this series split, and yes the big offensive outburst that saw the Dbacks spoil Casey Mize’s Padres debut and chase him before he could even finish the 4th inning, we agreed that the Player of The Game and one most deserving of praise was Mitch Bratt. Not only was this the most efficient outing in Bratt’s young MLB career (92 Pitches in his 7 IP of work), it was also his first (of hopefully many) career wins as a Major Leaguer!
The thing that was most impressive to us was the difference in fastball location in this start compared to the other starts in Mitch’s career. Brandon mentioned that his near perfect pinpoint location of his fastball helped his breaking stuff play more effectively and lead to the Padres offense being caught off guard by that low 90’s fastball multiple times, as even the Padres Manager Craig Stammen would admit to in his post game presser.
Gabe also brought up Bratt’s age (recently turned 23) and how with him being so young still, he still has so much potential to grow as a starter and this outing could be the spring board he needed to build that confidence and show himself that he has the stuff that will play at the big league level. Age is a big factor to keep in mind as young arms aren’t always going to break into the bigs on a Paul Skenes type of level and dominate, sometimes it takes them a few years to find their footing and what really works for them. Take new Dodgers lefty Tarik Skubal for example, the Kingman native’s first full season came in 2021 as a 24 year old and didn’t become a well known name to even the most casual baseball fans until his 1st CY Young season in 2024 at the age of 27. I’m not saying Bratt will be a Skubal 2.0 (Bratt doesn’t throw nearly as hard as Skubal) but just that young arms can sometimes need a year or two to really blossom into their true potential.
The Enemy in Blue
The fellas and I wrapped up our show with a look ahead as they have what could be a very important 3 game series against the NL West leading Los Angeles Avenge- uhhh I mean Dodgers come to town. Normally around this time of year we look at the divisional standings and see the Dodgers have a double digit plus lead and can basically just wrap up another divisional title for them, but this year it is not the same story. A mixture of both the Padres and Dbacks playing well alongside the Dodgers going on a season long 6-game losing streak and coming off a sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, the Dbacks find themselves only 8.5 games behind the Dodgers for the NL West lead.
While the possibility of dethroning the Dodgers as NL West champions isn’t very high, it’s most definitely not zero and if there was ever a year to do it, this might be the best shot. It’s going to be a hostile environment this weekend at Chase and the matchups lean more in favor of LA, as the Dodgers not only have 2 splitter heavy starters in Roki Sasaki and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting games 1 and 2 (The Dbacks struggles against the splitter have been well documented this year), The Dodgers also have had their way against the Mainstay Merrill Kelly in their matchups, with Merrill being 0-11 with a 5.56 ERA in 17 regular season starts against LA.
Even with a tough matchup ahead of the Snakes, Gabe believes that even if they don’t end up taking the divisional crown from LA, making the race to win the West take as much of the 162 game slate to do it could pay dividends in October as the Dodgers might not have the opportunity to rest their stars in hopes to keep them as fresh for their quest for a 3-peat.
Its A Dispatch Giveaway
We also revealed at the end of the show that the fellas and I have a special giveaway planned that includes bobbleheads, jersey giveaways, Dbacks trading cards and even a baseball bat signed by a DBacks legend and fan favorite. So make sure to stay till the end to get a sneak peak and also hear how and when to enter!
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 12: Manager Terry Francona #77 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on from the dugout during a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on July 12, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds took down the A’s yesterday by the score of 6-5, in doing so wrapping up a series sweep at home. The win also dug them out of last place in the National League Central for the first time since the Republic of Sienna surrendered to the Florentine-Imperial army, and it clawed the club back to within 4.0 games of the final NL Wild Card spot.
They’ve won 5 of 6 series out of the gate after the All Star break. They have rediscovered the ridiculous form they had in 1-run games through the first electric month of the season. Elly De La Cruz is playing at an MVP level, Sal Stewart simply cannot miss, and the duo of Brady Singer and Rhett Lowder have gone from the afterthought 5th starters they performed like earlier in the season to viable, if not dependable upper-tier starting pitching options again. Even Tyler Stephenson has emerged as a legitimate force in the lineup again, the veteran backstop shrugging off weeks of trade rumors to blast his way back into a deserving role in the middle of the order.
The Reds are, quite simply, on a roll. All this despite being moderate sellers during this week’s trade deadline and realizing they’ll likely be without starter Hunter Greene for an extended period once again.
It is still a very imperfect club, to be sure. They’re also about to head out on a 6-game road trip, one that will test the very resolve they’ve displayed in the season’s second half thusfar.
Still, that’s a road trip where they could well find themselves with the upper hand. The Washington Nationals are up first, and they’ve stumbled to just a 2-8 record over their last 10 games while dealing starter Foster Griffin away at the deadline earlier in the week. Then, they head west to face a Chicago White Sox club that’s nominally a first place club (albeit in a sluggish AL Central), one that saw deadline addition Joey Bart hurt immediately after being acquired and who has also stumbled to just a 4-6 record out of the gate.
The Reds, as currently constructed, still aren’t a fully put together team. Thing is, there are still a ton of teams out there who can be described the very same way, yet the Reds have found a way to simply play a lot better baseball than the rest of them for several weeks in a row now. The results have been good enough to drag them back into the periphery of The Discussion, something that’s a direct byproduct of the playoff system being so damn inclusive these days.
I don’t expect this Reds club to go hang a banner this year. Let’s make that point quite clear. But if you can find a way to sneak into the playoffs at all, well, you technically have a chance to make a miracle happen, and the Reds have inched their way back to within screaming distance of the chance to do just that.
It’s been admirable, if nothing more, but the Cincinnati Reds have reeled us in just enough to break our hearts again, something that didn’t even seem on the table when they rolled into the All Star break at 9 games under .500 and buried in every standings available.
We’re fading Texas Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi in my Orioles vs. Rangers prediction tonight - he’s struggled mightily against this Baltimore lineup over the course of his career.
The Baltimore Orioles walk into Globe Life Field as massive +133 underdogs at Polymarket, and while I think they have an opportunity to win, we’re going to keep it safe on the run line (-163).
Let’s get right into my MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 7, and try to fatten that wallet before the weekend.
Who will win Orioles vs Rangers today: Orioles +1.5 (-168)
The Baltimore Orioles have had an underwhelming season against expectations, but they’re in a solid get-right spot against Nathan Eovaldi and the Texas Rangers in a series they have to win.
Eovaldi has regressed this year, and it won’t get any easier against the Orioles, who own a .316 xBA (.447 AVG) and .386 xwOBA against him across 43 plate appearances. If you’re looking for damage, Pete Alonso is a good place to start - he’s a career 3-for-4 against the righty with a .852 xSLG.
On the other side is Shane Baz, and while he has a limited sample size against the Rangers (19 at-bats), he’s dominated, limiting the offense to a .173 xBA and .267 xSLG, which includes a 2-for-10 line between Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford.
Baz is on an absolute heater, too, allowing just five earned runs across his last 20.1 innings pitched. With the Orioles just one game back of the Wild Card, expect them to bring their best.
COVERS INTEL: Nathan Eovaldi has a problem with Gunnar Henderson, too. The stud shortstop is 7-for-13 with an xBA of .368 against the righty over the course of his career. If the Orioles win, he'll be the reason why.
Orioles vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 runs (-120)
Baz is coming off his best outing of the season against a potent Phillies offense (6.1 IP, 1 ER), and should be able to stifle the bats of the Rangers, a team he’s found tremendous success against.
When looking at the MLB trends, it’s easy to see why the Under is a must-bet today - it’s hit in all six games when the Orioles play AL West opponents, and is 6-1 in Baltimore’s last seven road games.
Globe Life Field is one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the bigs, coughing up just 94 long balls this year - good for 21st in baseball. Let’s sweep the board before the weekend, shall we?
Dustin Saracini's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 0-4, -4 units
Over/Under bets: 1-3, -2.9 units
Orioles vs Rangers weather
Globe Life Field is a climate-controlled dome - the weather won't have any impact on playing conditions tonight.
Orioles vs Rangers odds
Moneyline: Orioles (+129) | Rangers (-142)
Run line: Orioles +1.5 (-168) | Rangers -1.5 (+146)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+114) | Under 7.5 (-120)
Orioles vs Rangers trend
All signs are pointing toward the Under today - it's hit in the Rangers' last four games against the American League East, and six of seven in the Orioles' last seven road games. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Rangers.
How to watch Orioles vs Rangers and game info
Location
Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Date
Friday, August 7, 2026
First pitch
8:15 p.m. ET
TV
Apple TV
Orioles starting pitcher
Shane Baz (4-10, 3.86 ERA)
Rangers starting pitcher
Nathan Eovaldi (10-9, 4.31 ERA)
Orioles vs Rangers 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.
Carter Kieboom of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs signs autographs before a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on June 28, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
How did the kids do?
Worcester 10, Lehigh Valley4
Remember Tommy Pham? I completely forgot that that guy was in Lehigh Valley with the Phillies. I know that they needed solid depth to help in the minors in case whatever they had at the major league level had a problem. Well, Pham homered last night, so he’s still got it apparently. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough as the pitching was bad enough (Drake Fellows: 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R) that any offense simply wasn’t going to be enough to overtake it.
Reading 6, Richmond 4 Reading 8, Richmond 3
Caleb Ricketts and Bryan Rincon had two hits a piece in game one, leading the offense to the win. Luke Russo had a solid pitching performance to help preserve a bullpen that had a doubleheader ahead of them, throwing 5 1/3 innings and only giving up four runs. In game two, the offense was a little bit better, Ricketts and Aroon Escobar have three hits a piece, Escobar sneaking a home run in there. Alex Binelas continued his solid season by homering as well while on the mound, Andy Seminaris had six innings in which he allowed only the three runs that Richmond scored. Sweeping a doubleheader is always a good day.
Frederick 9, Jersey Shore 7
Home runs by Robert Phelps and Mark Kolozsvary weren’t enough on this day as the Keys tagged a leaky BlueClaws bullpen for six runs, blowing a solid effort from Cody Bowker on the start of the game to give it away. The bullpen, in five innings, allowed six runs on only four hits thanks to nine walks allowed, something close to incomprehensible.
With the dominant Parker Messick taking the bump, the Cleveland Guardians sit as a clear -138 moneyline favorite tonight against the Chicago White Sox.
With a vulnerable starter on the other side, my Guardians vs White Sox predictions and MLB picks expect Cleveland to walk away with a win here.
Who will win Guardians vs White Sox today: Guardians (-137)
Parker Messick continues to have a terrific campaign. He owns an impressive 1.35 FIP across his last two starts, and he has not allowed a single barrel during that span.
As for Chicago, it hands the ball to Noah Schultz. He has a 4.64 xERA over the last month, which isn't horrible. However, Schultz has given up a 45.6% hard-hit rate during that span.
The Guardians also enter in good offensive form, collecting a 104 wRC+ over the last week. Cleveland has the clear edge behind Messick.
I’ll play this pick up to -150.
COVERS INTEL: Chicago owns just an 89 wRC+ over the last two weeks, well below its season-long 102 mark. That cold stretch gives Messick a favorable matchup as he looks to keep missing barrels.
Guardians vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-112)
This total sits at just 7.5, and the Over has the better path. Cleveland is already swinging it well, and Schultz’s hard-contact issues give the Guardians a chance to create early offense.
Chicago’s lineup is also more dangerous at home, producing a 106 wRC+ compared to a 97 mark on the road. That matters against a Cleveland bullpen that has been awful lately, posting a 6.44 FIP over the last week while allowing 1.95 HR/9.
The White Sox bullpen has been steadier with a 3.88 xERA during that same span, but Cleveland’s current offensive form gives them enough of a path to contribute late.
With both lineups having realistic scoring lanes, I'd lean to the Over.
I'll play this pick up to -130.
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 44-55, -17.06 units
Over/Under bets: 54-42, +5.96 units
Guardians vs White Sox weather
The weather looks solid at Rate Field tonight, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures falling from the mid-80s to the upper 70s. Winds should sit around 7–8 mph, and rain chances remain low throughout most of the game. Conditions are warm enough to slightly help carry, but nothing extreme.
Guardians vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Guardians -138 | White Sox +133
Run line: Guardians -1.5 (+122) | White Sox +1.5 (-127)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-112) | Under 7.5 (+101)
Guardians vs White Sox trend
The Chicago White Sox have hit the Game Total Over in 23 of their last 40 games at home (+5.35 Units / 12% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. White Sox.
How to watch Guardians vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Friday, August 7, 2026
First pitch
7:40 p.m. ET
TV
CleGuardians.TV, CHSN
Guardians starting pitcher
Parker Messick (8-6, 2.57 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Noah Schultz (3-8, 5.82 ERA)
Guardians vs White Sox 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.
WICHITA, KS - JULY 01: Mike Sirota #53 of the Tulsa Drillers looks on prior to the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Wichita Wind Surge at Equity Bank Park on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Lathe Cobb/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Splitting four games on the road, the two higher levels took the win while the Loons and Tower Buzzers were both beaten.
Player of the day
Getting better at a higher level isn’t normal, at least not unless your name is Mike Sirota, who has taken his in-season promotion to Double-A in stride, absolutely thriving as one of the Drillers’ most dangerous hitters.
Sirota was heavily involved in an 8-4 win on the road, reaching base safely a team-high five times, including hitting his 10th home run in only 56 games with the Double-A squad.
Leaving all of their scoring until the final third of the game, the Comets came from behind to beat the Bees 6 to 3. This win came with crucial contributions from the bottom of the order, particularly shortstop Hyeseong Kim and designated hitter Ryan Fitzgerald, each with two RBI.
Returning from such a lengthy absence, nearly two full years without appearing in a game, Gavin Stone lasted only an inning and two-thirds, but he encouragingly punched out three batters.
Veteran reliever Charlie Barnes, who pitched three scoreless innings near the end of this game, ended up with the win. Recently acquired reliever Seth Halvorsen earned the save, punching out the side in the ninth to power his way past a hit and a walk.
Double-A Tulsa
Much like the Comets, the Drillers also left most of their scoring for the seventh and eighth innings—a grand slam from Jake Gelof and a solo shot from Frank Rodríguez helped them easily handle the Hooks in a victory away from home.
Making his second start in Double-A, Zach Root vastly improved on a short outing he had last time out, delivering six innings of three-run ball with double-digit strikeouts.
High-A Great Lakes
Should is a dangerous word in sports, but at the very least, a team loses a lot of sympathy when it commits an absurd six errors. Even though the Dragons didn’t fully capitalize on all of those gifts, the Loons hardly produced enough offensively to avoid an 8-to-2 loss away from home.
Half of those six errors came from first baseman Jose Meza, who had a miserable day on both sides of the ball, going 0 for 4 with the bat and striking out three times. Charles Davalan, who also committed an error, didn’t score a run or drive one in despite reaching base three times out of the leadoff spot.
For the third time this season, Jacob Frst had a 5+ BB performance, ultimately leading to a rally in the third inning that chased him out of this game, allowing six runs in 2.1 innings.
Single-A Ontario
When your leadoff batter strikes out three times and doesn’t reach safely once in five at-bats, that’s probably as big a sign of a lousy offensive performance as one might find—the case for Kellon Lindsey in a 5-2 loss against the Storm.
One of the few Tower Buzzers who had a productive day at the plate was ninth-hole hitter Javier Herrera. The right fielder recorded three hits in four at-bats and is now up to an .856 OPS in 46 games in Single-A.
While Luis Gamez had a great performance as Ontario’s starter, allowing just two hits, reliever Luis Carias couldn’t command the baseball and gave out five free passes to take the loss.
Transactions
Right-handed pitcher Gavin Stone began a rehab assignment with the Comets, who also activated veteran left-hander Cole Irvin. The Tower Buzzers were assigned shortstop Caleb Johnson and right-handed pitcher Devin Bell while releasing right-hander Jhonny Jímenez and Peter Bonilla.
Thursday’s scores
Salt Lake 3, Oklahoma City 6
Corpus Christi 4, Tulsa 9
Dayton 8, Great Lakes 2
Lake Elsinore 5, Ontario 2
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Sean Patick) at Dayton (Edgar Colon)
4:35 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Christian Zazueta) at Corpus Christi (Nolan DeVos)
5:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Cole Irvin) at Salt Lake (TBD)
6:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Lake Elsinore (Kruz Schoolcraft)
ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 04: Cody Bradford #61 of the Detroit Tigers stands for the national anthem prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Saturday, July 4, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers activated infielder Cody Freeman from the 10 day injured list on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, and optioned him to AAA Round Rock. In addition, on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the Rangers activated Cody Bradford from the 60 day injured list. To make room for Bradford on the active roster, pitcher MacKenzie Gore was placed on the paternity list. The 40 man roster had an open spot, so no move was necessary to put Bradford back on the 40 man roster. The 40 man roster is now full.
This is just catching up on a couple of transactions from earlier this week. Freeman had been placed on the major league injured list due to a herniated disc in his neck, which he underwent surgery for on June 29. He started a rehab assignment with the ACL Rangers on July 20, played three games there, and then had the reahab assignment moved to Round Rock on July 25, where he’s been playing since.
Freeman started the season on the injured list due to a stress reaction in his lumbar area, which kept him out until mid-May. That resulted in him spending four days with the ACL club on a rehab assignment in mid-May, then playing three games for Frisco later in the month before joining Round Rock. He was called up and appeared in one game in early June before being sent back down, then was called up again a week later, playing in six games for the big league club before being put on the injured list on June 25 for the herniated disc.
Its been a frustrating season for Freeman, who was in the mix for a job on the Opening Day roster this spring before being sidelined by the injury. He’s appeared in just 32 games between the ACL, AA and AAA this year, accumulating 137 plate appearances, along with seven games in the majors.
Bradford’s return provided a much-needed boost to the Rangers, as he went 4.1 scoreless innings in his starts on Wednesday against the Giants in what was a 6-0 Rangers win, a game I attended (and thus wasn’t able to post about when the move happened, since I was driving to the Shed). Its been a long road back from internal brace surgery for Bradford, who was initially anticipated to potentially be back as soon as early May. However, after a rehab appearance for Round Rock on April 2, he reported soreness in the elbow and was shut down for a period of time.
The Rangers having MacKenzie Gore go on the paternity list gave them the ability to carry an extra arm and put off the decision on who to remove from the active roster for a brief period of time. A player can spend up to three days on the paternity list, so Gore will have to be activated either today or tomorrow. Assuming there are no injuries out there we aren’t aware of, Nolan Kingham would seem likely to be the guy dropped from the active roster.
The Rangers also have a decision to make in regards to Jordan Montgomery, who made his eighth rehab start for Round Rock this past Sunday, August 2, throwing 86 pitches over five shutout innings. I would assume that Montgomery would be activated for this weekend’s series rather than making another rehab appearance. Skip Schumaker has said that Montgomery could be used either in the rotation or in a relief role, and my guess is that he’ll be working out of the bullpen, at least initially, given there’s not currently an open spot in the Rangers’ rotation, and given that Montgomery’s stuff in his rehab appearances has been down compared to where he was pre-injury.
Montgomery will need a 40 man roster spot when he is activated, which could result in Kingham getting designated for assignment rather than simply optioned if the Rangers send down one of their relievers with options, such as Ben Peoples, Peyton Gray or Robby Ahlstrom, to make room for Montgomery. Cal Quantrill and Cole Winn are both out of options, so should the Rangers opt to cut loose one of them to make room for Montgomery, that would open up a 40 man roster spot, which would allow the Rangers to option Kingham, should they choose, rather than designate him for assignment.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 12: Cam Caminiti #11 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game Presented by Nike at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Cam Caminiti had a matchup with Jesus Made and the Biloxi Shuckers in his first taste of Double-A action, and he rose to the challenge nicely with a solid start. Caminiti’s pitching helped the Clingstones stay in position for a walk-off win. In Single-A Davis Polo kept his magnificent run of pitching going with six innings despite being pushed back due to a rain delay, and Owen Murphy only allowed one hit over 4 2/3 innings for Gwinnett.
Owen Murphy, SP: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 3.56 ERA
Ray Kerr, RP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA
It was an interesting start for Owen Murphy. He was effective on the box score, allowing one hit and no runs, but this was absolutely not his best start. To kick it off his velocity was (narrowly) his lowest in any Triple-A outing this season, bucking a trend of rising velocity in recent games, and that was particularly notable when he fell off of a cliff in the fourth inning. It was across the board for his pitches so it wasn’t a case of him taking a bit off to try to throw strikes, though he also had his worse game command-wise since his very early outings in Gwinnett. He was not himself and it turned into him not being able to get whiffs on his fastball and allowing loads of hard contact in the game, though no one ever quite squared him up and made him pay. Health-wise Murphy seems fine, and his fastball spin rates were in their normal range, he just was not throwing well and the drop in velocity just compounded a poor command outing. Murphy is, in fairness, already well past his career high in innings (101 2/3 vs 89 2/3 in 2023 and 30 1/3 last season), so him pitching at all this late in the season really is a boon to his development. Seeing some fatigue-related struggles happen on and off shouldn’t be a surprise and that’s really what it seems like for Murphy as this game is out of character based on recent weeks. Ray Kerr made his first appearance in Triple-A after successful rehab starts at the lower levels, and he looked fine. He got a bunch of whiffs on his curveball and pitched well for four batter, though unsurprisingly his velocity and spin are way down at the moment. Kerr will need to regain that velocity to be a real candidate for major league action again, though for right now the focus is health and that will be something more likely discussed next spring rather than in the final month of the Triple-A season if he stays with the organization.
This is the first time Patrick Clohisy has had a game that you can reasonably call bad, and he still had his moments, kind of. Clohisy got a solid swing on the ball in the first inning but flew out to the opposite field warning track, and landed himself on base in the seventh inning with a bloop hit into right field. He then got picked off, though that did not deter Gwinnett from stringing together a rally and scoring the only two runs of the game. Clohisy’s other three at-bats were strikeouts. Clohisy had to face off with lefty Dax Fulton and he was struggling a bit as the Jumbo Shrimp were not giving him many fastballs to work with. He attacked those as well he could but only had the first inning solid contact and couldn’t make due with any of the others. When they got him down in the count he had trouble making contact with secondaries, and also chased three sliders out of the strike zone.
Cam Caminiti, SP: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 3;38 ERA
Cam Caminiti got a welcome to Double-A moment on his very first pitch at the level, but bounced back with a solid, though unfinished outing. Caminiti tried to groove a fastball to the leadoff hitter, Brewers #5 prospect Josh Adamczewski, and the dude was sat back waiting on it, and hit a nuke out to right field for a leadoff home run. That’s not an ideal start, but Caminiti really didn’t let it get to him. Caminiti had three matchups with Jesus Made in this game, and he got the best of those at bats every time. Caminiti got Made to expand and tap a grounder back to the mound immediately after that home run, and got a ground out and routine fly out in the other two matchups. Caminiti fanned Adamczewski swinging in their next matchup and then got him on a called strike three in the fifth inning, and outside of that home run Caminiti was in control early in this game. Caminiti didn’t have his best slider and left a few too many up in the zone, a refrain common to the games Caminiti has been rough this season, but his fastball location was on point and he was able to mix his pitches well and handle a great offense. His command fell off a bit late in the game and he labored without his slider to really seal at-bats quickly after getting to two strikes, but for the first four innings of the game he was fully himself and did a great job of tackling a strong lineup and a new level without even having his best stuff. Caminiti has impressed with his resilience this season and his ability to make adjustments and improvements, and he looked prepared to take on Double-A in his first outing even if his numbers don’t completely reflect that.
It was a great thing that Caminiti was the headliner of this game, because the position player prospects gave us nothing. The trio of top players combined to get zero hits, and they didn’t look particularly threatening with their contact either. The best of them was definitely Eric Hartman, who first made an appearance with a walk and a stolen base. Later in the game Hartman hit a sharp ball to left field, and the defender gave it a few twists and turns and seemed to have trouble tracking it but it was too direct on to really escape him and turned into a fly out. Hartman hasn’t made a huge impact in his first three games but he hasn’t looked bad at the plate at all, taking some good at bats and at least stressing the other team by getting on base and stealing bags. Hartman’s progression in his approach this season has been promising to watch, and those sorts of adjustments are the things that really separate successful prospects from hitters who flame out in the upper levels, and so far Hartman looks like he is just a half step away from turning it back to 100 in Columbus. The team ended up taking a one run deficit into the ninth inning, where they potentially lost another player to hit by pitch on the wrist. Carson Taylor, who has been terrific for the Clingstones in limited action, took one off the hand and had to leave the game, but that would spark a game-winning rally. A two out error kept the inning going before a walk loaded the bases, bringing up Ambioris Tavarez in a dream situation with a chance to tie or win the game. Tavarez gapped a hard line drive for a walk off single, winning the game for Columbus.
Luke Sinnard, SP: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 3.32 ERA
It’s return start number two for Luke Sinnard, and it was a massive improvement over a shaky first start even if he didn’t maintain his best throughout the evening. Sinnard had on-and-off issues with his location throughout the outing, and for a guy who typically has great body control despite his large statue he had some trouble repeating his delivery in this game. Sinnard was consistently missing on the glove side and had many occasions where he got in front of himself and pulled pitches well out of the strike zone, but found some rhythm the more the game went on. He seemed to figure out the mechanical troubles even with a few bad mistakes coming in later innings, and both his fastball and slider missed bats. He ended up not doing a great job in 0-2 counts and didn’t finish off plate appearances efficiently, and the second time through the order turned into trouble as a result. Sinnard issued a walk and then got burned by the BABIP gods on a soft pop up down the first base line, but got ahead of the next guy quickly with a chance to end his day with a big out. He failed to make an effective pitch in that situation, and wound up hanging a 2-2 slider right over the heart of the plate that got bashed for a three-run home run. Sinnard is absolutely not as sharp with his pitches as he was early in the season and it may take a few more for him to really work back, though this is still a massive step forward from where he was last week. The goal now is just to stay healthy through the end of the season and prove he is ready to make the jump to Columbus next year, something that seemed destined after his first five starts before going down with injury.
It has been quite refreshing to watch Alex Lodise since his promotion to High-A. Lodise has suddenly been making a lot more contact since his promotion, and over the past two games the power has started to come out as well. He hit his first High-A home run last night and followed it up in the first inning of this game by ambushing a first pitch fastball and hitting a laser into the Rome bullpen. Lodise is still getting most of his results on fastballs and will likely always be that guy, which is fine as long as he limits the amount that he chases after breaking balls out of the strike zone. He did go after a slider off of the plate in his second at bat, but it was a close pitch in a 2-2 count so it’s hard to fault him for that. Overall he has made somewhat better swing decisions since being promoted, and progress is all you’re looking for from him right now. Conor Essenburg had a terrific game with three hits, and he really hasn’t seemed to be having trouble with the increase in level of pitching. Essenburg didn’t really get any of the pitches he had hits on squarely, but the process to get to his swings was sound and he did end up making solid enough contact to get results. Among the big trio of prospects Essenburg is definitely the one you would expect to have the least trouble adjusting and that has held true so far. That is not at all the case for Luis Guanipa. He has struggled and even when he is making good swing decisions he isn’t really attacking with the mindset to do damage. Of course he is still expanding the strike zone, but even on pitches inside the strike zone he is doing a lot of just punching at the ball even in favorable counts. One example came in the fourth inning when Guanipa went after a first pitch slider that spun high and over the inside corner of the plate. In and of itself that’s not a bad swing decision, especially for a player like Guanipa who we’ve seen demolish pitches on the inner half, but instead of looking to drive the ball on his pull side he just stayed closed and did that a push swing he likes when he is trying to shoot singles into right field and he popped the ball up to second base. For Guanipa it’s not just what he swings at but what he is looking to do when he does swing and it doesn’t really feel like he has a good idea of who he wants to be as a hitter despite having flashes of brilliance this season.
Swing and Misses
Luke Sinnard – 8
Riley Frey – 7
Drew Christo – 5
(57-46) Augusta GreenJackets 3, (61-41) Hickory Crawdads 2
Nick Montgomery, DH: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, .190/.335/.387
Juan Mateo, SS: 2-3, 2B, RBI, .251/.332/.342
Davis Polo, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 3.34 ERA
Daniel Brooks, RP: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 0.98 ERA
This game had a lengthy rain delay before it could even get underway, and when it did start it quickly became a game the GreenJackets might have wished to avoid despite them earning the win. It has been a nightmarish start for Manuel Campos in his first chance to play full season ball and in the first inning it got even worse for him. On a chopper up the middle he and Joe Olsavsky collided, and after both stayed on the ground for a length of time they had to be removed from the game likely for fear of head injuries . Olsavsky chased the ball low and ran into Campos’s outstretched arm, and though he had direct contact he ended up being the first off of the ground though he did not remain in the game. The collision itself did less damage to Campos, but it spun him around awkwardly and he fell backwards and hit the back of his head on the infield dirt. Campos remained down getting tended to for nearly five minutes, though he and Olsavsky both were able to get up and walk off under their own power.
The game itself took a bit of time to unravel, and much of that had to do with terrific pitching from the Augusta staff. Davis Polo has been one of the outstanding pitchers in the system throughout this season and kept his month and a half long streak of terrific pitching going with his cleanest outing of the season, even if things got a bit shaky for him later in the game. Polo worked with a heavy dose of sinkers in this game, somewhat eschewing usage of his slider, though at times throughout the game he was able to work all three of his pitches to force whiffs. Polo generated mostly ground balls when the Crawdads did make contact and little of that came off of the bat solidly, and Polo pounded the strike zone and worked through the lineup efficiently. Likely the only thing that kept Polo from pitching at least one inning deeper into this game was the rain delay interrupting his routine as he ended the day with only 78 pitches thrown. He did have a shade of inconsistency sneak in during the sixth inning, but given the contact he produced he should have gotten out of the inning much more quickly. A grounder into the hole was too far away for Juan Mateo to really get a good chance at leading to an infield single, then a bouncer over to third got away for an error and Mateo hit a batter to load the bases. Polo locked in and leaned into his slider once the going got tough, immediately recording a strikeout for the second out, but ended up not escaping as a hitter was able to scoop a low sinker into right field for a two-run single. Outside of the laborious sixth Polo had no real issue at all and even at his worst made solid pitches in that inning and should be commended for another great outing. Daniel Brooks has been outlandishly good for Augusta this season but somehow keeps taking his outings to new levels. He absolutely ripped through this lineup without a hint of trouble, striking out a season high seven batters while not allowing a single baserunner in three innings. Brooks produces such a severe downward tilt and his breaking ball tumbles out of the hand in a way that hitters at this level don’t really have a great answer for. He has 21 strikeouts to only two walks over his past 11 innings of work.
Offensively the GreenJackets didn’t have much success, but with pitching like they saw they didn’t need but a couple of clutch hits to take over this game. In the second inning Juan Mateo, who was pressed into the shortstop role after Campos had to leave the game, came up to bat with an opportunity with two runners on base. Mateo hit a soft liner out to right field for a base hit, giving Augusta an early lead and one which they wouldn’t relinquish. Mateo added a double in the fifth inning when he scooped an outside curveball into the corner, but that wasn’t the biggest hit of the game by any stretch. In the sixth inning Parker Brosius, who was only in the game due to being Olsavsky’s replacement, led off with a sharp base hit for his lone hit on the day. Nick Montgomery came up with two outs and got a hanging breaking ball that he did not miss, crushing a no-doubt two run home run to break the game open. Montgomery hasn’t had consistent playing time since coming off of the injured list in July, but despite the loads of strikeouts still marring his performance he has managed to be one of the lineup’s most productive hitters. He’s calmed down his tendency to chase out of the strike zone and has drawn a lot more walks as a result, and since really getting back into action with the Salem series he has three home runs in nine games.
COVERS INTEL: Nathan Eovaldi has a problem with Gunnar Henderson, too. The stud shortstop is 7-for-13 with an xBA of .368 against the righty over the course of his career. If the Orioles win, he'll be the reason why.
