Category: MLB

Since the Phillies are playing the Angels over the weekend, let’s go all the way back to the 2024 trade deadline. Remember those days? The offense was good but everyone hated it, Johan Rojas and Christian Pache were platooning in center field before Pache was dealt to Baltimore, and Jeff Hoffman didn’t think about Miguel Rojas in his sleep yet.

During the 2024 MLB trade deadline, the Phillies shipped prospects George Klassen and Sam Aldegheri for Carlos Estévez to give Rob Thomson one more leverage guy for October. Despite giving up the grand slam to Francisco Lindor to end the Phillies season, he put together a very respectable two months as the Phillies closer.

In 20 games, Estévez pitched to a 2.57 ERA while recording six saves. His best performance came against the Braves on September 1, pitching two full innings of scoreless baseball, one of them being in extras with the ghost runner, to allow Nick Castellanos to walk it off on Sunday Night Baseball in the 10th.

He, like the entire Phillies bullpen against the New York Mets in the NLDS, choked in the biggest moments but for what it’s worth, he was the best option Rob Thomson had during that series.

George Klassen was the headline piece from this trade and was finally called up earlier this season and has made six starts with the Angels, pitching to a 3.67 ERA over six starts. He has promising talent with a 96 mph four-seam fastball, a tantalizing slider that hitters have struggled against, and full mix around it.

With that said, Klassen has struggled to find the zone and limit walks, a problem that has existed since his college days. Just in his big league sample size, he has 24 strikeouts to 21 walks in only 27 innings of work. There is plenty of reliever risk with the profile because of his control issues. Something to monitor moving forward.

Sam Aldegheri has not quite found solid footing with the Angels, pitching a handful of times in each of the last three seasons but never getting significant run either as a starter or reliever. Across 60.1 innings in the big leagues, Aldegheri has a 5.67 ERA with 44 strikeouts to 37 walks as a soft-tossing left hander.

There are arguments from opportunity cost, maybe Klassen would’ve helped land someone better in a different trade down the line, or just keeping them as starting pitching depth.

However, given the lack of success from either arm has had, would you make the Carlos Estévez trade again?

Late last night, while you were sleeping, Edmundo Sosa did it again.

Sosa didn’t start last night’s thrilling 5-3, come-from-behind win over the Angels in Anaheim last night, but he sure did finish it. Brought up to the plate as a pinch hitter for Brandon Marsh in the top of the 9th, Sosa slammed a two-out grand slam off left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta over the left center field wall.

The blast delivered the Phillies a shocking and much-needed victory for the Phils, who moved to within one game of the Chicago Cubs for the NL’s top wild card spot.

The slam was the Phils’ first in the 9th inning with two out since Shane Victorino hit one in 2009. And it was the first pinch-hit 9th inning grand slam since Ozzie Virgil in 1983.

It’s the latest monster run-producing hit for Sosa in the month of August, helping boost what had been an abnormally down year for him at the plate. Overall, Sosa’s .235/.275/.388 slash line and .663 OPS are below his career average .255/.306/.412, .717 OPS.

In five of his last seven games dating back to August 10, Sosa has recorded multiple RBIs. And generally speaking, those run-producing hits have been impactful, such as his key 3-run double in the Phils’ incredible 9th inning comeback against the Cardinals last Sunday.

When Sosa came to the plate last night, the Phillies’ odds of winning were 14%. Following his grand slam, they jumped up to 92%, and increase in Wins Probability Added (WPA) of 78%. His bases loaded double last Sunday against St. Louis bumped their WPA from 10% to 42%, a jump of 32%.

It’s one of the reasons why Sosa has the fourth-most WPA on the Phillies, despite his part-time role.

• Kyle Schwarber: 2.8 (578 PAs)
• Bryson Stott: 1.5 (506 PAs)
• Bryce Harper: 1.4 (576 PAs)
• Edmundo Sosa: 1.3 (214 PAs)
• Derek Hill: 1.2 (96 PAs)

Each percentage of Wins Probability Added, up or down, amounts to 0.1 WPA, so a jump of 78% in win probability is worth 0.78 WPA. So a big moment like last night obviously has a dramatic effect in a positive way.

Conversely, a player who routinely fails to come through in high leverage situations lowers their team’s win probability, negatively affecting their WPA. The worst WPA on the Phillies probably won’t surprise you.

• Trea Turner: -2.6 (579 PAs)
• Rafael Marchan: -1.6 (92 PAs)
• Adolis Garcia: -0.9 (259 PAs)
• Brandon Marsh: -0.7 (502 PAs)
• Garrett Stubbs: -0.6 (52 PAs)

Sosa has a 1.392 OPS with two outs and runners in scoring position, and in “high leverage” situations, his OPS is .923. It is .583 in medium leverage and .604 in low leverage situations.

His fellow bench running buddy Derek Hill has also been quite adept in coming through in the clutch, with an .832 OPS in late and close situations and an .893 OPS in high leverage spots. You may remember some of them.

In case you’re wondering, yes, the Phillies have had an inordinate number of down-and-not-out, 9th inning comeback dingers this year. Sosa’s slam was their fourth go-ahead home run with two outs in the 9th inning, tied for 2nd-most by any team in a season since 1901. Only the 2022 Gints had more (5), and no team in baseball has hit three. The other NL East teams have hit two combined.

Prior to Sosa’s heroics were some excellent at-bats by a team that continues to show improved discipline at the plate. Alec Bohm was hit by a pitch with one out. Justin Crawford worked a terrific at-bat and drew a walk.

It felt like the fates were against the Phils when Bryson Stott was robbed of a three-run home by Wade Meckler for the 2nd out.

But then J.T. Realmuto drew a five-pitch walk to load the bases before Sosa went deep.

A hit-by-pitch and two walks. Ducks on the pond.

All of it leading up to yet another 9th inning home run by a Phils bench player in an August of fun that no one wants to see end.

The cat distribution system is functioning in Lawrenceville, Georgia this week. The Gwinnett Stripers were blessed with a little baby orange furball yesterday.

Check out that third from the last panel. My word, I don’t need anything else to take care and shelter at the moment, but I’m finding a blanket for this handsome fellow if he shows up at my door. They have requested names for the little one. The finalists are:

• ChiPurr Jones
• Parker
• Cracker Jack
• Dinger

Come on, y’all. What are we doing here? After all, do you remember the last time Gwinnett named anything? It was back in 2017. People were allegedly super confused about having two teams named the Braves, Gwinnett and Atlanta. They were buying tickets to the Triple-A team and very disappointed to find not-the-Atlanta-Braves take the field. In the mid-2010s, it was super easy to tell them apart. One was 75% composed of players that were never going to succeed long term in Major League Baseball, and the other one was Gwinnett.

But no matter, they were going to solicit names from the public. The name that got the most attention was the Buttons, named after Founding Father and former Governor of Georgia Button Gwinnett. The Buttons quickly opened a huge lead in the voting. Then the social team leaked the Buttons as the winner. That was pulled down almost immediately. Gwinnett went forward with the Stripers with their booger-green Bass-Pro-Shop-inspired uniforms.

Call the team whatever, but we’re talking something important here. This cat is going to answer to this name for the rest of its life. Well OK, they’ll call it that and he’ll ignore them. But this is an important matter. So what should we name this kitty? They have proven that they aren’t beholden to the final list anyway. We have been workshopping Martin Purrez, Martin Purrado (or Martin Gato), and Meowchal Harris II internally. What say you guys?

Yeah, it’s cats today for your question, but the Braves are 25 games up right now when this time last year they were 61-76 last year and about to be walked off by the Phillies on the 30th. Let’s pump the brakes a little.

It has been a tough week for the Cardinals with a five-game losing streak plunging their playoff odds below two percent. The season has been more competitive and fun than expected, but the fall from contention stings nonetheless. I am a reasonably logical person, but there is an irrational part of my brain that has spent most of the season expecting the Cardinals to make the playoffs. For most of the year, it felt like everything was breaking right. The Walker comeback story. Wetherholt became an instant star. The rotation was exceeding all reasonable expectations. There were problems, but a leaky bullpen and lack of a third baseman would surely not be enough to undermine a magical playoff run. Well, the aforementioned losing streak snapped me back to reality and motivated me to do a more objective check-in of how the team is performing relative to preseason expectations. 

To do this, I will compare the January ZiPS projections, position by position, to the team’s actual production thus far. The ZiPS overview graphic is based on the Depth Charts projection at that point in time, so I will use that to reference the players’ expected playing time. 

Catcher 

Projected WAR: 2.8

Current WAR: 1.6

It will take a hot finish for the catching cohort to catch up to the preseason ZiPS projection. Depth Charts had pegged Pedro Pages for over half the catcher playing time with Herrera, Pozo, and Crooks slated for about 100 plate appearances each. Pages has underperformed slightly and Herrera’s poor defense has allowed him to accrue only 1.1 WAR at catcher despite a 129 wRC+ when behind the plate. The biggest driver of the miss is Crooks’ 0.1 WAR in 45 games. 

You do have to give the Cardinals credit for sticking to the Herrera experiment all season. I do not have a developed enough eye for scouting catcher defense to say if he has improved throughout the year, but his season defensive stats leave much to be desired. My hope is that there is clear communication going into the offseason regarding Herrera’s defensive home in 2027. This will go a long way toward clarifying the catcher logjam. As far as the remainder of this season, it would be great to see Crooks finish strong with the bat. He has been difficult to watch at times, but with his track record of minor league performance, he still has plenty of upside to dream on. 

First Base

Projected WAR: 1.9

Current WAR: 2.1

Our first “exceeds expectations” grade! Depth Charts properly pegged Alec Burleson as the primary first baseman, accruing most of the value to drive the solid 1.9 WAR projection. Gorman, Pozo, and Brendan Donovan were penciled in for 250 plate appearances at first as well. Burly has racked up 2.6 WAR to offset the -0.5 contributed by Blaze Jordan, Jose Fermin, and Ramon Urias.

I don’t think we have too much to learn about the first base situation for the remainder of the year. Burleson is established as one of the best hitters in baseball against righties. He has hit lefties better as the season has progressed, but most of that improvement is BABIP-driven, so he still looks like he could benefit from a strong platoon partner. We will have plenty of time to discuss if and how Burleson fits into the long-term plans, but regardless, he has increased his value substantially with his continued improvement.

Second Base

Projected WAR: 2.8

Current WAR: 4.4

Another huge win! And this one in spite of losing Brendan Donovan after the projections came out. Donovan was slated for the majority of the playing time at second base. In fact, Wetherholt was projected for only 70 plate appearances. Wetherholt has, of course, taken the majority of the second base playing time, accruing 4.2 WAR. Saggese, Torres, Urias, Prieto, and Fermin have all filled in occasionally and managed to hold serve with a collective 0.2 WAR. 

The only drama that remains is whether Wetherholt can claim his rightful title of Rookie of the Year, but the Cardinals are set at the keystone for the next decade or so. 

Shortstop

Projected WAR: 3.5

Current WAR: 2.0

Winn was projected for 90% of the shortstop playing time and is likely to fall a bit short due to his recent injury. This has been the second straight season of offensive decline for Winn, but his defense remains incredible enough to soften the blow. His underlying offensive metrics are in line with his career averages, if not a bit better, so I am not too worried about him moving forward. Still, another season without taking a step forward decreases the probability that he has another gear to his offensive game. 

JJ Wetherholt has been the only other positive contributor at the position with 0.3 WAR while Saggese, Urias, Fermin, and Prieto have given back all that value and then some (-0.6 WAR) in just 35 plate appearances combined. 

It would be great to see Winn come back from his injury and finish strong and then sign a long-term extension in the offseason. 

Third Base

Projected WAR: 3.2

Current WAR: -0.1

No surprises here as we are all painfully aware of the hole at third base. The preseason projection had Wetherholt taking the majority of his reps at third base, so this is really where the Donovan-sized hole shows up. Gorman (0.5 WAR) and Blaze Jordan (0.3 WAR) have pitched in positive WAR contributions thanks to their solid defensive numbers, but Prieto, Fermin, Urias, and Torres have torpedoed any hope of cobbling together reasonable team-level performance with -0.9 WAR combined. 

With Jordan’s injury, it looks like we could be in for Gorman’s last stand down the stretch. It is hard for me to imagine the Cardinals being willing to pay Gorman a second-year arbitration salary this offseason, but they have stuck with him this long, so you never know. Jordan has shown me enough that I would like to see him get an extended run to start next season while we wait for potential challengers from the minor leagues to emerge. 

Left Field

Projected WAR: 2.6

Current WAR: 0.7

Left field has been yet another underperformance, but you can give the team a partial mulligan due to trades. The projections coming into the year were based on about half a season of Lars Nootbaar and 140 plate appearances from Donovan giving above-average production. With Nootbaar missing the first couple of months and being dealt, the position has been a complete revolving door with seven players getting at least 11 appearances. Fermin, Torres, Pereira, Nootbaar, and Church have combined for a solid 1.7 WAR, but truly terrifying performances from Saggese and Velazquez have given back more than half that value. 

Joshua Baez is going through an adjustment period, but at least there is finally someone in place that has a real chance at being a long-term solution. 

Center Field

Projected WAR: 2.3

Current WAR: 0.2

Another clunker… I had completely forgotten how solid Victor Scott’s projections were coming into the year. He was projected for the majority of the playing time with Lars Nootbaar and Nathan Church filling in the gaps. Nathan Church is a fun guy to root for and does have some tools, but he is a long shot to ever be a starting-caliber player on a true contender. 

I still like Chase Davis as a potential delayed breakout lottery ticket, but he is certainly not someone you project as a starter. Josiah Ragsdale and Tai Peete are both getting center field time in Springfield but are likely at least a year away. Scott has been on a nice run in Memphis over the last month, so perhaps he will be given another chance in September. There are a lot of names who could step forward, but it is unclear if any of them will be able to hit enough to stick.

Right Field

Projected WAR: 0.4

Current WAR: 2.6

The second big win of the 2026 campaign courtesy of Jordan Walker. I don’t think anyone has forgotten how poorly Walker was projected coming into the year. His ZiPS projection was actually below replacement, so the only reason the position WAR was projected above zero was because Nootbaar and Church were expected to contribute above-replacement value in 30 games. Walker has posted 3.1 WAR, while his occasional backups have given back about half a win.

Designated Hitter

Projected WAR: 2.8

Current WAR: 0.6

The DH position has been a massive disappointment. Herrera has only managed 0.2 WAR while putting up a 100 wRC+ in his non-catching time. Gorman also snuck in and sabotaged the overall positional value for 15 games of -0.6 WAR “production.” The only things keeping the position positive overall are the production of Burleson and Walker in limited playing time and a red-hot seven-game stint from Nelson Velazquez with three home runs. 

While the 0.6 WAR looks bad, it is important to put it into context. Because of the positional adjustment penalty, that total actually ranks 12th in all of baseball. If Herrera is relegated to DH only next season, he should still project as one of the best in baseball. 

Starting Pitchers

Projected WAR: 9.6

Current WAR: 10.8

Outside of Liberatore’s underperformance and Richard Fitts’ injury, the starting rotation has been a bright spot for most of the year. Dustin May, Kyle Leahy, and Andre Pallante have already sailed past their full-season projected WAR totals and McGreevy still has a chance to get close with a strong finish. 

Down the stretch, you really just want to see no more injuries. Quinn Mathews throwing strikes would be a nice added bonus if I get a second wish. The Cardinals will have impressive major league depth heading into next season with an absurd concentration of starting pitcher talent at Springfield and Memphis. Whether they can develop a true ace remains an open question, but the backbone of a great rotation is coming into focus. 

Relief Pitchers

Projected WAR: 1.9

Current WAR: 0.2

The less said about the bullpen, the better… I remember being extremely confident that the bullpen would outdo the already bad 1.9 WAR projection, so this really just serves as another reminder that bullpens are impossible to predict. Luis Gastelum is on an incredible heater in his last nine games with a 20-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and only one run allowed. Perhaps Cade Winquest will be able to provide some added juice down the stretch, but regardless, we are likely to enter 2027 viewing the pen as a huge question mark. 

For how well this season has gone, it is surprising how many positions have underperformed projections this year. Only three of the nine positions are likely to finish better than expected, and much of the overperformance from the rotation has been given back by the bullpen. That is how baseball goes, though: every Wetherholt and Walker breakout has to be accompanied by a disappearing center fielder or a burning bullpen. I would still absolutely take the results and development that the Cardinals have had relative to expectations. Finding star players is the hardest and most expensive thing for any franchise to do, and the Cardinals may have finally found two in Walker and Wetherholt. 

The Yankees’ offense was up to its old tricks on Friday, mustering a mere solo shot by Paul Goldschmidt and three hits in total against the middling Patrick Sandoval and the Red Sox bullpen. They even had extra chances granted due to four walks, but still never came up with the big hit when runners were on. Thankfully, the superior part of the New York operation stood up, with Cam Schlittler firing 5.2 scoreless while Brent Headrick, Paul Blackburn, and David Bednar handled the rest. Cody Bellinger’s pivotal outfield assist to throw Ceddanne Rafaela out at the plate as the potential tying was the play of the game, and the Yankees won, 1-0. Now they must play two and ideally come up with more support for Carlos Rodón and Max Fried.

There was plenty of notable Junior Circuit activity on Friday night, so let’s get into it!

Tampa Bay Rays (80-54) 9, San Diego Padres (72-63) 4

Casey Mize has not had the best time since joining the Padres at the Trade Deadline, though tonight five of the seven runs scored against him were unearned in a sloppy fourth inning. After Yandy Díaz opened the scoring with a solo shot in the third, the Dads committed a pair of errors after Junior Caminero was hit by a pitch and Jonny DeLuca drew a walk, resulting in a run scoring and the bases loaded with one out. A wild pitch plated another, followed by a Jorge Mateo sac fly, and consecutive RBI singles by Taylor Walls and Díaz.

San Diego scored two each in the fifth and sixth to cut into that lead, Jackson Merrill crushing a two-run bomb in the sixth. However, the Rays kept the pressure on scoring one each in the fifth, sixth, and seventh. DeLuca added an RBI single in the fifth, Caminero an RBI single in the sixth, and Mullins a solo shot in the seventh to make sure the Padres always remained at arm’s length. The Rays become the first team in the AL to reach 80 wins (the Brewers, Dodgers, and Braves already got there in the NL), and maintain their four-game lead over the Yankees in the East.

Other Games

Chicago White Sox (71-63) 7, Minnesota Twins (64-71) 4

The promotion of top prospect Walker Jenkins wasn’t enough to lift the Twins over their AL Central rivals. There was a flurry of scoring early, Chicago plating four with two outs in the first on three straight singles by Miguel Vargas, Andrew Benintendi, and Braden Montgomery, capped off by a Colson Montgomery three-run bomb. The Twins responded with three of their own in the bottom half on a two-run homer by Brooks Lee and a solo shot by Kody Clemens before tying the game in the second on an RBI single from Lee after Trevor Larnach led off with a double.

Only the White Sox kept their foot on the accelerator. Benintendi added an RBI double in the third before a passed ball allowed another run to score in the fourth and a wild pitch the final run in the eighth. With the win, the White Sox extend their surprise lead atop the Central to three and a half games over Cleveland.

AL Wild Card Rock Fight

Toronto Blue Jays (66-70) 8, Seattle Mariners (64-71) 1

Both AL Cy Young frontrunners pitched on Friday and Dylan Cease matched Cam Schlittler stride for stride, allowing a run on four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in six innings. George Springer went 4-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. Kazuma Okamoto went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs while Nathan Lukes also left the yard. Dominic Canzone’s solo shot in the first was the Mariners’ only run.

Houston Astros (68-67) 3, New York Mets (60-75) 1

Hunter Brown pitched his best start of the year, allowing a run on five hits and a walk while striking out 10 in 6.2 innings. The Astros scored all their runs in the sixth, Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Paredes, and Jose Altuce drawing three straight walks before Daulton Varsho and Yainer Diaz cleared the bases with a pair of singles. This was after Carson Benge gave the Mets the lead with an RBI double the inning prior. Houston is two games ahead of Texas in the AL West, plus four up on fading Seattle.

Kansas City Royals (61-75) 3, Cleveland Guardians (68-67) 0

Michael Wacha was simply untouchable, twirling eight scoreless innings allowing four hits an no walks while striking out 10. Salvador Perez opened the scoring in the fifth with an RBI groundout. Carter Jensen gave the Royals some late insurance with a two-run blast in the ninth.

Milwaukee Brewers (84-51) 6, Texas Rangers (66-69) 1

Brewers rookie Logan Henderson logged one of the best starts of his young career, allowing a run on one hit and no walks with seven strikeouts in seven innings, that lone hit a Danny Jansen solo shot in the third. While the Rangers would manage just one more hit on the contest, the Brewers ended with 14. Christian Yelich went 3-for-5 with an RBI double, William Contreras 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Jake Bauers 2-for-2 with three walks.

Baltimore Orioles (66-69) 4, The Athletics (53-82) 3

A’s starter Jacob Lopez was at fault for both Orioles runs in the second, committing an error after a HBP, walk, and single. The Athletics tied it up on a Jonah Heim solo shot in the seventh and Lawrence Butler RBI single in the eighth. Both teams had runners thrown out at home meaning this one went to extras. The O’s scored two in the top of the tenth on two-out singles by Coby Mayo and Christian Encarnacion-Strand to win it.

How about an overall picture of the hectic Wild Card race?

Cleveland Guardians (68-67)
Texas Rangers (66-69, 2 GB)
Baltimore Orioles (66-69, 2 GB)
Toronto Blue Jays (66-70, 2.5 GB)
Seattle Mariners (64-71, 4 GB)
Minnesota Twins (64-71, 4 GB)

Cleveland remains in front, nearly by default, but we still have just under a month of regular season play to go.

I am repeating some things to myself.

Winning streaks don’t last forever.

The Royals haven’t lost 75 games by accident.

Michael Wacha cannot pitch again tonight.

The Guardians lost 3-0 to the Royals yesterday as Jakhob covered here. They got shutout again. Craig Yoho pitched 1 and 2/3rds scoreless then hung a cutter and gave up a two-run homer. Angel Genao got up 2-0 in the count with the bases loaded then topped a good pitch to hit back to the pitcher to end the game. Should someone else have pitched the 9th for Yoho? I don’t know. Probably he should have executed that last pitch better. Should Patrick Bailey have hit with Genao saved to bat for Halpin? I don’t know. Bailey getting two hits against Wacha is admirable but doesn’t mean he is a good hitter.

They need to flush this one quickly and get after it this afternoon. Griffin needs his best performance in a Guardians uniform.

AROIND MLB:

Tigers, Rangers, Twins lost. White Sox, Astros, Blue Jays, Orioles, and Mariners won. Guardians still have a 2 game lead in the Wildcard race.

The Atlanta Braves received some unfortunate news on the pitching front Friday, as two starting pitchers will be undergoing surgery. Right-hander Hurston Waldrep will undergo Tommy John surgery, requiring him to miss all of the 2027 season. Fellow righty Spencer Schwellenbach will undergo surgery on the same elbow he fractured last year. There has not yet been a timetable for his return. 

Waldrep last appeared in the majors in early July before he was optioned to the Gwinnett Stripers. Schwellenbach has yet to make his 2026 debut, and it will likely be some time before he is on the mound again.

The Atlanta pitching staff continues to take hit after hit, but hopefully all goes well on the recovery front for Waldrep and Schwelly.

More Braves News:

The Braves kicked off the series against the Colorado Rockies with a 6-4 win. 

Luis Guanipa homered for the Rome Emperors on Thursday. More in the minor league recap.

MLB News:

After hitting the injured list on August 17, the New York Yankees are activating lefty Max Fried today.

From the Feed:

Cast your vote for Braves Player of the Game below.

The Dodgers aren’t sure how long Roki Sasaki will be on the injured list with his middle-finger blister, and while he’s expected to pitch in the bullpen during the postseason, they might also want him to start games in September to give the rest of the rotation rest days. Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register has more.

Combining Mark Walter’s company TWG Global releasing a statement this week saying the Dodgers are not for sale with the Atlanta Braves ace dominating the Dodgers in a 1-0 shutout on Thursday, please enjoy this headline for The Windup newsletter by Spencer Nusbaum on Friday at The Athletic.

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN this week unveiled updated ranking of MLB farm systems, based on a monetary calculation of future value of every prospect. The Dodgers come in at a virtual tie for second-best system, along with the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays:

Their outfield depth was mentioned a lot leading up to the trade, and Zyhir Hope was dealt from that surplus, but there are still eight outfielders in their top 15 prospects along with two third basemen who might end up moving to a corner outfield spot.

On the pitching side, the rise of Christian Zazueta and Zach Root make up for dealing River Ryan and seeing Jackson Ferris take a step back this season.

Dodgers minor league infielder Daniel Mielcarek on Thursday was named an Arizona Complex League All-Star at second base after the 20-year-old hit .292/.428/.525 with seven home runs, seven doubles, a 135 wRC+, 18.4-percent walk rate and 36.2-percent strikeout rate in 42 games this season. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $400,000 in 2023, the 6’3 Mielcarek this season played 21 games at second base, 10 games at shortstop, one game apiece at third base and left field, plus nine starts as designated hitter.

Jon Becker at FanGraphs wrote about the Monday night (August 31) deadline for teams to add players who would be eligible for the postseason.

Today’s Reflections

I wanted to wax more poetic, on and on, about the enjoyment of watching four pitchers perform at their very best.

Instead, the headlines all talked about PCA’s angry reaction to a balk that wasn’t called. Turns out he was right. Quintin Berry was right. Craig Counsell was right. Even myself, from 22 rows up, was right.

From an ESPN article: “After the game, crew chief Alfonso Márquez confirmed that the balk call, which was not reviewable, was missed. We just didn’t see it,” he said. “After looking at the video, it looked like [Rodriguez] stepped off.”

Thanks, Alfonso.

Matthew Boyd nearly matched Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes (as well as Eduardo Rodiguez) pitch-for-pitch. Except for one, the CSPSHR*. Outside of that pitch, Boyd pitched six innings, allowed two other hits, two walks and struck out five.

Boyd’s performance was plenty enough to put the Cubs on the right track for a win. But the hitters only managed two hits — PCA’s lazy double off the top of the first baseman’s glove, and a nondescript single by Tyrone Taylor — and were struck out 10 times (nine by Rodriguez). There are a number of situations where a RISP of 0-5 wouldn’t be much of an issue. But it was huge Wednesday. PCA was standing on third with one out. That’s really all I have to say.

Complimentary Starting Pitcher Solo Home Run*

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

Wednesday’s Game Stories:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): ‘It’s obvious to anybody’: Umpires’ missed balk call costs Chicago Cubs in 2-0 loss to Arizona Diamondbacks. “Two hours after the Chicago Cubs’ 2-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, Pete Crow-Armstrong was still fuming about a costly missed balk call.”

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs fume over umps missing balk: ‘They find new ways to screw something up every day’. “For the second time in a week, the Cubs were fuming over balk-related drama after a tough loss, with Crow-Armstrong’s emotional outburst coming after umpires missed a balk call that could have earned the Cubs a run.”

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong furious after blown balk call, blasts umpires for missing ‘obvious play’. ““I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play,” Crow-Armstrong told reporters at his locker afterward.“

• Andrew Joseph (For The Win): What a livid Pete Crow-Armstrong said to the umpires after a blatant missed balk: “MLB umpires should never miss a call like that.”

Assorted Pitching Stories:

• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Craig Counsell debunks erroneous Hoby Milner report that raised eyebrows. “A tough look for a national MLB writer. Here’s what it means.”
• Zachary Draves (ClutchPoints): Edward Cabrera’s expected role once he returns to Cubs. “Edward Cabrera will be sent into the bullpen as he makes his return to the Chicago Cubs rightt before the playoffs.”
• Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib): 3 Cubs relievers who need to step up with Ben Brown’s season in jeopardy. “These Cubs pitchers need to deliver with Ben Brown likely done for the season.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic’s {$}): This next month is all about the Cubs figuring out who they can trust in their bullpen. “So much will happen over these next 28 games. Players can wear down, bounce back and make adjustments. The performances of relievers are inherently volatile. The key is peaking at the right time.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs May Have Bullpen Saviors After Updates on Hoby Milner, Shelby Miller. “The Chicago Cubs’ bullpen could be getting some much-needed help in the coming days and weeks.”
• Brian Kelder (North Side Baseball): The Cubs Will Go As Far As the Bullpen Allows. “Was the Cubs’ sad swing out west a preview of October?”
• Casey McAleer (DaWindyCity): The Brewers have not seen the best version of the Cubs yet. “Chicago was piecing together a battered pitching staff the last time it faced Milwaukee, and the next seven meetings could look very different.”
• Mike Axisa (CBS Sports): Five top prospects who could be called up to help contending teams when rosters expand in September. “The stuff is very lively.”

Assorted Hitting Stories:

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): A Very Positive Visual Dansby Swanson Recovery Update. “The Cubs are getting Matt Shaw back today, and have a number of very good, very interchangeable pieces to cover the positional group while starting shortstop Dansby Swanson is out.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Shaw returns from lengthy stay on IL; Alcántara optioned. “One of the ideas behind moving Matt Shaw into a super utility role this season was that it enhanced the Cubs’ bench, improving the team’s overall depth and manager Craig Counsell’s in-game maneuvering. ”“He just makes the roster better,” Counsell said of Shaw.“
• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Seiya Suzuki Is Hitting His Way to a Massive Payday. “Since coming over to Major League Baseball from Japan, Seiya Suzuki has been one of the best and most consistent players in the game.”
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN): Inside Nico Hoerner’s unique path to stardom with Cubs. “In an era of big-money youth baseball, the Cubs’ second baseman took an unusual route to stardom.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago baseball report: Pedro Ramírez filling void for Cubs — and how Grant Taylor stays fresh for White Sox. “Pedro Ramírez’s calm demeanor and preparedness is paying off with his sudden increase in playing time as the Chicago Cubs’ everyday second baseman.”
• Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): Cubs fans can’t ignore Pete Crow-Armstrong may have fixed Mariners’ Cal Raleigh mystery. “You’re welcome, Seattle.”

Assorted Stories:

• Alexander Rosquez (Last Word On Sports): Cubs Loss to D-Backs Exposes Their Thin Margin for Error. “When Jordan Lawlar broke the tie with a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, the Cubs were suddenly chasing a game they had been in position to control.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Losing trip out West can’t ding Cubs’ confidence in championship chase: ‘Everybody knows what the mission is’. “The Cubs dropped four of their six games during a swing out West, losing three times in walk-off fashion. But despite Pete Crow-Armstrong throwing his equipment all over Chase Field, the team’s confidence in their championship ability wasn’t damaged.”
• Sarah Langs (MLB.com): Here are 6 fun facts in celebration of Cubs’ 150th anniversary. “With the Cubs celebrating their 150th anniversary as a National League franchise this weekend, it’s a great time to take a look back at the rich history of the team.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): MLB Proposes Free Agency Dead Periods to Compress Signing Windows. “Rob Manfred has long been jealous of the way other leagues are able to essentially weaponize free agency to generate huge media buzz, which stands in stark contrast to baseball’s drawn-out winter slog.”
• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Anthony Rizzo takes next step in broadcasting as booth analyst for Reds-Cubs on NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Baseball’. “Rizzo will be the Cubs analyst alongside Reds analyst Jeff Brantley and play-by-play voice Jason Benetti. Former Reds first baseman Joey Votto will be the “Inside the Pitch” analyst.“

Food For Thought:

Celebrating 30 years of his career, Big Chico is considered one of the most complete blues artists in Brazil with his excellent voice, harmonica and guitar. His recent album demonstrates the range of influences, including traditional Blues, the sophistication of Jazz and all the energy and Swing of Soul, always interpreted with great charisma and emotion. Big Chico has participated in many Blues and Jazz festivals in Brazil and the United States.

D.K. Harrell was born D’Kieran Harrell in Ruston, Louisiana in 1998. He first heard B.B. King at age two and responded by singing along. He sang in his church choir as a boy while continuing to be drawn to the blues. He received his first guitar at 12, and by 16 was writing his own songs. Initially inspired by B.B. King, the youthful Harrell spent hours studying every video of King he could find, learning not just King’s licks but ultimately his tone, his finesse, his stage craft, and his band leadership skills. Harrell’s first paying gig was as an invited guest to the B.B. King Symposium in Indianola, Mississippi—where he played The Thrill Is Gone on King’s iconic guitar, Lucille—backed by members of King’s touring band.

In 2022 Harrell won the B.B. King Of The Blues Award for Preserving Traditional Blues Heritage from the Jus’ Blues Music Foundation. In addition to B.B. King, Harrell fell under the spell of blues masters including Albert King, Freddie King, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and others, and made their styles part of his musical vocabulary. People all over the world can’t get enough of D.K. Harrell’s high-energy and always unpredictable live shows. In 2024 alone he performed across the U.S. and Canada, and toured all over the European continent.

EDIT: I saw D. K. Harrell in January and he was fantastic. The B.B.-connection is quite evident, down to the suit, the guitar almost tucked under his arm and playing it across his slightly-ample belly. But he’s more than B.B. and a fantastic artist on his own to see. As an aside, I met one of the many B.B. King’s grandsons, Christopher, at that concert — just a little plus to the night.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to an end this weekend, so it’s time for us to make our picks for Player of the Week!

My pick for this week will likely come as no surprise, but it is Rafael Devers! Over his last six games, Devers has had seven hits, three home runs, six RBI, and scored seven runs. That’s a strong contender in any week! Good job Devers! Lets take a look at one of the dingers he hit in his return to Fenway Park last weekend.

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

Today is a full day of Giants baseball, as they begin a double-header against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first game starts at 1:05 p.m. PT, and the second game starts at 7:05 p.m. PT.

Triple A: Syracuse Mets (65-63)

LEHIGH VALLEY 6, SYRACUSE 4 (BOX)

Three ‘cuse pitchers, six earned runs. Only Zach Franklin, one of the Mets’ trade deadline acquisitions , didn’t allow an earned run in his time on the mound. Jose Ramos hit a solo shot and MJ Melendez drove in two in the Syracuse loss.

• LF Nick Morabito: 1-5, R
• 2B Émilien Pitre: 1-3
• 3B Mark Vientos: 0-2, R, BB, K, E
• 3B Nick Lorusso: 0-1
• SS Ronny Mauricio: 3-4, R
• DH MJ Melendez: 1-4, 2B, RBI
• 1B Billy Amick: 1-4, 2 RBI, 2 K
• RF Jose Ramos: 1-3, R, HR, RBI, BB
• C Hayden Senger: 1-3
• CF D’Andre Smith: 1-4, SB
• P Justin Hagenman: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• P Jack Wenninger: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• P Zach Franklin: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• P Ben Simon: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Double A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (55 – 68)

BINGHAMTON 5, READING 1 (BOX)

Chris Suero drove in four runs and the Bingo bullpen was perfect over six innings. Marco Vargas went 3-5 with a double and triple, along with a stolen base.

• SS Marco Vargas: 3-5, R, 2B, 3B, K, SB
• 2B Jefferson Rojas: 0-4, R, BB
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB
• CF Chris Suero: 2-4, R, HR, 4 RBI
• DH Eli Serrano III: 0-4, RBI, 3 K
• LF John Bay: 0-3, BB, 2 K
• 1B Corey Collins: 0-4, 2 K
• C Kevin Parada: 1-4, 2 K
• RF JT Benson: 1-4
• P Will Watson: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• P Bryce Jenkins: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• P Gabriel Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• P Douglas Orellana: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• P Carlos Guzman: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• P Garrett Stratton: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (55 – 67)

HUDSON VALLEY 5, BROOKLYN 2 (BOX)

Local boy Sammy Stafura hit a double and drew a walk in the Cyclones’ 5-2 loss. Yonatan Henriquez went three for four with two RBI, while the Brooklyn bullpen allowed two runs over four innings, striking out five and walking three.

• SS Sammy Stafura: 1-4, R, 2B, BB, K
• 2B Trey Snyder: 0-4, BB, 2 K
• 1B Ronald Hernandez: 0-2, R, 2 BB
• CF Yonatan Henriquez: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• RF John Spikerman: 0-4, BB, K
• DH Daiverson Gutierrez: 2-4, BB, 2 K
• 3B Antonio Jimenez: 1-5, 2 K
• C Chase Meggers: 1-4, 2B
• LF Heriberto Rincon: 1-4, 3 K
• P Jose Chirinos: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• P Luis R. Rodriguez: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• P Calvin Ziegler: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• P Hunter Hodges: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

Low-A: St. Lucie Mets (53 – 70)

DAYTONA 6, ST. LUCIE 5 (BOX)

Jonathan Jimenez gave up four earned runs on five hits in two and a third innings pitched, as St. Lucie dropped a close one to Tortugas. Yovanny Rodriguez provided most of the offense, driving in three, with Branny De Oleo adding a solo home run.

• CF Vladi Gomez: 1-4, BB, 3 K, SB
• 2B Jake Ogden: 2-5, 2 R, SB
• C Ryan Tayman: 1-4, R, 2B
• RF Kuhio Aloy: 1-2, R, 3 BB, SB, E
• DH Yovanny Rodriguez: 1-4, 3 RBI, K
• 1B Julio Zayas: 0-4, 2 K
• SS Dylan Carey: 0-4
• 3B Branny De Oleo: 1-3, R, HR, RBI, 2 K
• LF Wyatt Vincent: 1-3
• LF Jack Toomey: 0-1, K
• P Aidan Keenan: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• P Nate Isler: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• P AJ Krodel: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• P Jonathan Jimenez: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• P Brett Banks: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• P Ernesto Mercedes: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Marco Vargas

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Jonathan Jimenez

If you’ve checked the standings anytime recently, you’ve probably noticed the Yankees sitting a couple games back of the Rays in both the AL East and the Junior Circuit in general. The exact number they’ve been behind has gone back and forth, but they still haven’t been able to completely erase the deficit. Meanwhile, thanks to the Red Sox hot last couple months, they’re within reach of the Yankees.

At time of writing, those three teams have the three best records in the American League. Yet due to the playoff structure that MLB currently has in place, if that holds, those three would all end up on one side of the AL bracket. Whoever ends up winning the AL East seems fairly certainly to get the No. 1 overall seed. Plus, if second and third in the division end up being the second and third best in the AL too, then they would be the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds, respectively. That would lead to them facing each other with the winner then guaranteed to face No. 1. The AL Central and AL West have both been fairly mediocre this season, yet there’s a decent chance one of those teams would be guaranteed a spot in the ALCS.

On one hand, it’s somewhat random that the top three in the East have ended up as far ahead as the rest as they are. The postseason is also fairly random, and it’s entirely possible that a Central/West team goes into the ALCS and just beats the East team straight up, and we’ll just have to shrug it off. However, as a fan of a team currently in this jam of potentially being stuck in this AL East playoff gauntlet, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated that the Yankees would have to deal with at least one of the Rays/Red Sox, even if they play extremely well down the stretch.

Not that I expect that MLB would immediately hop on and change their format after one wonky season, but I decided to brainstorm some potential fixes.

Seeding done by record, regardless of division winner status

This is the main one fans of all sports turn to when trying to change their sports’ playoff format. In this one, you would just seed the teams by straight record one through six. If the standings going into the week held, the Yankees would be the No. 2 seed, get the bye, and play the winner of the Red Sox and Astros/Rangers/Guardians in the ALDS. (The AL West/final Wild Card standings are a bit of a mess, hence not knowing who Boston’s opponent would be exactly.)

On its face, doing that seems completely fair. The one drawback is that the schedule is still unbalanced with teams playing a good chunk of games against the other teams in their own divisions. While it’s not the case with the AL East this year, there have been seasons in the past where a team’s record got a bit inflated by beating up on a truly terrible team in their own division. Letting the champion that comes out of each division get preferential seeding makes some degree of sense, but doing this could offset scenarios like this year where things get really wonky the closer you get to the bottom of the playoff picture.

Reseeding

A six-team bracket with reseeding was how the NFL playoffs worked for many years. The idea here would be that if the No. 6 seed takes out the No. 3, the No. 1 is rewarded with playing them instead of the No. 4/No. 5 winner. This wouldn’t necessarily change the issues with this year’s AL mess, but if the last team in manages to knock off the No. 3 seed, the Yankees/Red Sox/Rays wouldn’t all have to immediately face each other.

Reseeding with a twist

This one might be a bit confusing, but it’s something I brainstormed up and kinda like. Under this plan, here’s what would happen. The Wild Card round of the playoffs would be exactly as it is now. The top two division winners in each league get byes. The third division winner still gets to play the No. 6 seed, while the top two Wild Cards have to face each other.

However after the first round is complete, the seeding for the LDSes are then done by records. For example, if we take the AL standings going into Monday, and then assume the higher seed won, the seedings for the ALDS would then go like this:

1. Rays
2. Yankees
3. White Sox
4. Astros/AL West winner

The Rays would face the Astros/AL West winner in the ALDS, while the Yankees would jump up to the No. 2 seed and get home-field advantage over the White Sox, who they have a much better record than at time of writing. This may be needlessly confusing, but it would still give each division something to play for in the unbalanced schedule era. However, if two teams (in this year’s case three) teams from one division separated themselves from the pack, they can still get some sort of advantage in the later rounds. It’s probably dumb, but I came up with it while in the shower and thought it might work.

Get rid of divisions, balance the schedule, shrink the playoff field so only the cream of the crop makes it and teams have to actually spend to try and competeto make the playoffs

Rob Manfred just appeared outside my window wearing a Michael Myers’ mask. I gotta go.

Good morning Birdland,

You may not have been dreaming, but while you slept the Orioles did win their opener in Sacramento and gained a game in the AL wild card standings.

The 4-3 win on Friday night required extra innings and a pair of clutch hits from Coby Mayo and then Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the 10th. That was after Brandon Young twirled yet another gem, and Rico Garcia had his first slip up in a few weeks.

Young was great. Over seven innings he gave up just one run, which came on a solo homer in his final frame. The month of August has been something of a slog for the big right-hander. It seemed like maybe he was hitting a wall this late in the season, but then he delivers an outing like that and wipes those concerns away. When the season is all said and done, Pete Alonso is likely to be named “Most Valuable Oriole,” but Young will deserve serious consideration all the same.

Alex Hoppe earned his first career big league save. He has been a nice addition, huh? 8.1 innings, no earned runs, five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Taylor Ward has been…less good for the Mariners, who are now two games behind the Orioles in the AL standings.

Blaze Alexander returned to the lineup for the first time since July 12, playing shortstop and hitting out of the lead-off spot. He went 1-for-5 as Gunnar Henderson’s stand in. Henderson sat the bench for most of the evening, only stepping in as a pinch runner in the 10th inning. A day off here and there might be a welcome development for a player that continues to struggle at the plate.

Up in Cleveland, the Guardians lost for the first time in more than a week, dropping their series opener to the Royals 3-0. The Rangers fell for the third time in a row, following up a pair of L’s against the White Sox with another to the Brewers. Those two results, paired with the O’s win, puts our guys just two games back of the Guardians for the final AL wild card spot. If they can keep on winning on this road trip they have a chance to head home in command of that playoff spot. Fingers crossed!

More late night baseball awaits us. The O’s and Athletics face off at 10:05 p.m. tonight in Sacramento. Shane Baz (4-14, 4.04 ERA) is on the mound, so we should expect the Orioles to score very few runs, even though A’s starter, Jack Perkins (3-9, 6.68 ERA), hasn’t had the best season.

Links

Mancini to retire as an Oriole, to be honored Sept. 19 | Orioles.com
It’s difficult to find an athlete that is more universally adored than Trey Mancini. I’ve never heard a bad word spoken about him, and I don’t think I will. This should be a special night at the Yard.

Why does Albert Suárez keep re-signing with the Orioles? ‘I like it here.’ | The Baltimore Banner
The quotes here are from Suárez, but they are a few months old. Why? Because he has bounced on and off the Orioles roster several times this season, and keeps coming back for more anyway. It sounds like he also gets a little more padding on his minor league salary every time it happens, which doesn’t hurt. The Orioles have to be happy about it too. He’s a useful veteran arm capable of going multiple innings, and doesn’t cause a fuss when he has to ride the bus between minor league cities every month or so.

Orioles’ options for adding September players | Baltimore Baseball
Félix Bautista will be back at some point, but right on September 1 feels a bit rushed given his lengthy absence, even for a reliever. I would like to see Enrique Bradfield Jr. up here. The hitting numbers at Triple-A have not been great, but he offers plus defense and speed, which would come in handy late in games, and you wouldn’t have to worry about growing pains as much in those two facets of the sport.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Eddie Rogers turns 48 today. He was an occasional utility option with the Orioles for parts of three seasons in 2002 and then again from 2005-06.
• Doug DeCinces is 76 years old. From 1973-81, he was a dependable third baseman for the Orioles. His best season in Baltimore came in 1978 when he hit .286/.346/.526 with 28 home runs and a 149 OPS+ while playing superb defense at the hot corner. He was inducted into the team Hall of Fame in 2006.
• The late Frank Zupo (b. 1939, d. 2005) was born on this day. The catcher appeared in 16 games for the O’s, spread across three seasons (1957-58, ‘61).
• A posthumous birthday for Dave Nicholson (b. 1939, d. 2023). His big league career began in Baltimore, where he played parts of two seasons (1960, ‘62) in the outfield.

This day in O’s history

1954 – The Orioles beat the Senators 5-0, led by their glasses-wearing catcher Clint Courtney, who goes 5-for-5 at the plate.

1979 – Eddie Murray hits three home runs (two right-handed, one left-handed) to drive in all of the Orioles runs in a 7-4 win against the Twins.

1996 – Third baseman Todd Zeile and outfielder Pete Incaviglia are traded from the Phillies to the Orioles in exchange for two players to be named later

1999 – Albert Belle ties a major league record with four doubles, leading the Orioles to an 11-4 win over the Tigers.

The Detroit Tigers dropped the weekend home series opener to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night, 2-1. Tarik Skubal threw six frames of one-run ball for the visitors, but that was all the offense would score, leaving no room for error for the relief corps — and of course with this group, there is always a hiccup or two.

Taking the mound for the Tigers on Saturday afternoon looking to even the series is right-hander Keider Montero, who has produced mixed results in his seven games since returning to the starting role. Cumulatively, the 26-year-old has put up a solid 3.22 ERA along with a 4.46 FIP, but three of those outings saw him get tagged for three or more runs, resulting in all three of his losses over that stretch.

Most recently, Montero gave up three runs on four hits (one home run) and a walk while striking out three Pittsburgh Pirates in a 4-1 loss at PNC Park.

For the Dodgers, left-hander Blake Snell will make his fifth start of the season after missing three months following surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The 33-year-old was roughed up in his first appearance of 2026, but since then has thrown three straight six-inning quality starts, posting a microscopic 1.00 ERA along with an impressive 2.08 FIP on seven hits and walks while striking out 21, along with a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch.

Here is what Saturday’s matchup between the two hurlers at Comerica Park looks like on paper.

Detroit Tigers (62-72) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (81-54)

Time (ET): 1:10 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:True Blue LA
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 135: RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.30 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Snell (2-1, 2.57 ERA)

MONTERO

SNELL

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Saturday’s MLB slate is a loaded one, with two doubleheaders adding even more opportunities to a card featuring a strong mix of short favorites and massive underdogs in appealing individual and team matchups.

Read on for my MLB moneyline predictions and MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 29.

MLB moneyline picks for August 29

Matchup	Pick
BOS vs NYY	54%
LAD vs DET	62%
CWS vs MIN	46%
PIT vs STL	54%
CIN vs CHC	65%
SEA vs TOR	51%
MIA vs  WAS	49%
ARI vs SF	56%
COL vs ATL	66%
HOU vs NYM	46%
KAN vs CLE	57%
SD vs  TB	54%
BOS vs NYY	56%
TEX vs MIL	60%
ARI vs SF	52%
BAL vs ATH	58%
PHI vs LAA	71%

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-29.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for August 29

Red Sox vs Yankees Game 1: Yankees (54¢)

Yankees win probability: 54%

Taking the Yankees here. Two teams are basically mirror images record-wise, but NYY's bats have been a touch hotter, and Rodon's got the better recent stuff than Bennett. Not a blowout, just a small, real edge in a tight one.

Dodgers vs Tigers: Dodgers (62¢)

Dodgers win probability: 62%

Dodgers, easily. Detroit's offense has been an actual disaster the last week, ranking dead last in baseball. Doesn't matter that LA's bats are cold too; this gap is too wide to ignore. Honestly surprised it's not higher given how badly Detroit's swinging it.

White Sox vs Twins: White Sox (46¢)

White Sox win probability: 46%

Going against the room on this one and rolling with the White Sox. Chicago's had the best bats in baseball this week, and Minnesota's bullpen has completely fallen apart, with an ERA north of 11. I think their bullpen collapse gets exploited today, so I like the underdog here.

Pirates vs Cardinals: Cardinals (54¢)

Cardinals win probability: 54%

I like the Cardinals here. Pittsburgh's pitching depth is fine, but their lineup has been historically bad lately, posting the league's worst wRC+. Hard to score zero runs and win baseball games. Feels like a fair number for St. Louis, maybe even a little light.

Reds vs Cubs: Cubs (65¢)

Cubs win probability: 65%

I'm rolling with the Cubs. Hot bats, sharp bullpen, and a clean matchup edge with Gausman on the mound. Cincinnati's respectable but not special. Everything in the recent numbers backs Chicago here, and nothing about this matchup surprises me.

Mariners vs Blue Jays: Blue Jays (51¢) 

Blue Jays win probability: 51%

Sliding with Toronto here. Records are almost identical (65-70 vs 64-70), and both offenses have been mediocre lately, but TOR's wRC+ sits a touch higher (98 vs 95) and their bullpen has been just as sharp. This one should be close, but every input points in the same small direction, so I'm not fighting it.

Marlins vs Nationals: Marlins (49¢)

Marlins win probability: 49%

I like Miami and am going against the room. Better record, and Washington's bullpen has been rough this week, posting an ERA over 6. I like the Marlins' pitching depth enough here to take the slight underdog and run with it.

Diamondbacks vs Giants Game 1: Diamondbacks (56¢)

Diamondbacks win probability: 56%

Arizona in both games. Season-long, they're just the better team with a much better record, sharper bullpen numbers, and that holds up even with San Francisco's bats running a little warm lately. I think that quality gap shows up today in Game 1. 

Royals vs Guardians: Guardians (57¢)

Guardians win probability: 57%

I'm going with Cleveland. Their bullpen has been the best in baseball this week, full stop, with a sub-1 ERA territory. That kind of shutdown relief covers for a lot, and this number tracks with just how dominant that pen's been lately.

Astros vs Mets: Astros (46¢)

Astros win probability: 46%

I'll roll with Houston, and fade the public again. They boast a better record, better recent bats, and a real gap in bullpen quality that favors Houston. I think that pen edge is the difference-maker in a tight one. 

Padres vs Rays: Rays (54¢)

Rays win probability: 54%

I'll roll with Tampa Bay. Both squads have nasty bullpens right now, so this comes down to overall team quality, and TB's record and ability to manufacture runs are just a level up. A modest number for how consistent the Rays have been all year.

Red Sox vs Yankees Game 2: Yankees (56¢) 

Yankees win probability: 56%

I'm going with the Yankees again in the nightcap. Same story as the opener; the Yankees' recent bat production and starting pitching depth tilt slightly in their favor. A touch higher number than the day game, which makes sense given how the roles and rest shake out between games in a doubleheader.

Rockies vs Braves: Braves (66¢)

Braves win probability: 66%

I'll take the Braves. Atlanta's a legitimate contender with a strong recent bat (95 wRC+) and a much better season record (79-55), while Colorado's been scuffling all year (52-82) and their pen has been shaky too. The gap in team quality is wide enough that I'm honestly a little surprised the price isn't higher.

Rangers vs Brewers: Brewers (60¢)

Brewers win probability: 60%

I'm taking the Brewers here. They've got the best record in baseball for a reason (83-51), and I'm not fading that at home even with Texas swinging it well lately (136 wRC+ last week). Their bullpen's been shakier than the Brewers' during this stretch, so I'm sticking with the more complete team.

Diamondbacks vs Giants Game 2: Diamondbacks (52¢) 

Diamondbacks win probability: 52%

I'll go with Arizona again in the nightcap. Same read as Game 1; they boast the better overall roster, better bullpen depth, and a close price on the board. I'm sticking with the better team in both matchups today rather than overreacting to San Francisco's recent hot stretch at the plate.

Orioles vs Athletics: Orioles (58¢)

Orioles win probability: 58%

I'll roll with the Orioles. They clearly have the better roster on paper, and their bullpen's been more reliable this week too. Lines up with the gap in overall team quality here. Nothing fancy, just the better team winning.

Phillies vs Angels: Phillies (71¢)

Phillies win probability: 71%

I like the Phillies to win. Better record, sharper bullpen, hotter bats; the Phillies check every box. Highest number on the whole slate, and nothing about the recent numbers makes me want to argue with that.

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.