Category: MLB

Josh Hart and Donovan Mitchell are going after each other on X over MLB.

The Knicks guard started the interaction by shouting out the Cavaliers star in a tweet about the struggling Mets.

“Yo @spidadmitchell trade deadline coming up,” Hart wrote. “Yall might want to make a move…it’s looking dark at the bottom.”

Hart is referring to the Mets’ 45-62 record that has them at the bottom of the National League East, despite having one of the most expensive rosters in baseball.

Mitchell is a devoted Mets fan because his dad, Donovan Mitchell Sr., is a Mets executive, currently working as the senior director of community, inclusion, and player relations.

The basketball star grew up around the clubhouse and worked as a bat boy for the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor-league team affiliated with the Mets.

Mitchell has often been spotted at Citi Field donning the blue and orange.

“You from the DMV and a Yankee fan.” Mitchell responded on X. “… I’m not hearing it smh @joshhart.”

While the start of Hart’s Yankee fandom is not known, legendary Yankees catcher Elston Howard was his great-uncle.

Howard was the first Black player to play for the Yankees.

“I used him as a role model, just everything he was able to do: The first Black player to play for the Yankees,” Hart told NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2016, when he was playing for Villanova.

“The character that he had is something that I try to resemble. Dad was always telling me stories about when he used to go to the ballpark and watch him play and just learn from him.”

Hart played into Mitchell’s response, though, posting a picture of the NL East standings, which have his local team, the Nationals, 10 games in front of the Mets.

“You right…..Let’s see how the Nats are doing,” Hart wrote. “Surely the Mets are better than them.”

It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abraod. Come on in out of the heat. There’s no cover charge. We promise not to trade you. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last week I asked you which Angels’ starter you’d rather the Cubs trade for: José Soriano or Reid Detmers? The vote was reasonably close, but a clear majority of 56 percent of you said you’d rather the Cubs acquire Soriano.

Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. You’re free to skip ahead if you want. Or you’re free to read whatever parts you want. It’s your call.

Tonight I’m just not going to play around. Here’s some classic John Coltrane playing “Impressions” with his quartet: McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass and Elvin Jones on drums.

The one film I saw over the weekend was director Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. I’m not sure I have anything to say about it that hasn’t been said better elsewhere, but I thought tonight I would try to open things up for discussion on what is surely the biggest movie of the year and early favorite for all the Academy Awards.

First, I did not see the film in 70mm IMAX. The nearest 70mm IMAX theater to me was two-and-a-half hours away and I just wasn’t going to make that kind of an effort. I know that was the format that Nolan shot the film for and it’s certainly the format where it looks the best. I think it’s certainly questionable that you make a film designed to be shown in a format that only about 26 theaters in the US can handle. But even Nolan would say that you should just watch the movie and not obsess over the format.

I did see it in laser IMAX and it looked great. The panoramic overhead shots of the Mediterranean Sea were gorgeous. The shots from the ships as you saw the waves crash over the sailors are fantastic. In a world where Nolan mostly turns the Greek gods into the forces of nature, the format makes the humans look small compared to the power of the gods, even if their physical manifestations remain off-screen. Except Athena, and even that Nolan leaves open to interpretation.

But I’m sure that the film looks great in any format. I’ve read some claim that if you can’t get the 70mm IMAX, the second-best option is Dolby Cinema. (That would have only been a two-hour drive for me.) The sound quality of the film is huge and will probably make a bigger impact on your enjoyment of the movie than a minor decrease in picture quality. But the point is to see the film in the best theater you can find and not worry about some other showing having a slightly-better experience.

I watched the film with my wife who was a classics major as an undergraduate, so she clearly knows The Odyssey better than I do. She’s read the poem in ancient Greek, although that was a long time ago. I will defer to her on the quality of the translation to film. But she loved the movie and was untroubled by many of the criticisms of the film by some fans of the original work. The modern language didn’t bother her. She admitted that the “Nobody” pun just doesn’t work in translation and that Nolan was wise to leave it out. The changing of Odysseus from a hubristic trickster to a tortured anti-hero was something that she agreed needed to be made for the film to resonate with modern audiences. (Plus, she’s more into Latin literature than Greek and the Romans thought Odysseus was an out-and-out villain.) She also picked up on a lot of details that I didn’t, but I’ll leave those to you for you to discover on your own. Or not.

I found Nolan’s decision to tie the events of the Odyssey to the late Bronze Age collapse to be ingenious. Now the lines where people say “Our Bronze Age is coming to an end” are cringeworthy and indeed, the dialogue is the weakest part of the film. But while some would say that choice was ahistorical, I would argue that by Homer’s time, this story was around 400 years old and everyone knew that this “age of heroes” they were singing about was going to come to an end to be replaced by the “Greek Dark Ages” that they were only emerging from at the time of the composition. While Penelope wouldn’t say our current age is collapsing, Homer definitely would.

As far as the cast goes, I thought everyone did a great job. Matt Damon is a different kind of Odysseus and many have said he’s more of a soldier with PTSD than the guy in the poem, but every generation re-invents their heroes for a new era. That was true in the times of the ancients as well as modern times. Tom Holland has made a career out of turning his youthful looks into playing characters ten years younger than he is. But he’s believable as Telemachus. John Leguizamo steals some scenes as the blind, loyal Eumaeus.

It’s often been said that Nolan doesn’t write women characters well and certainly the women in the film aren’t as compelling as the men. But Samantha Morton is terrific as Circe and certainly Anne Hathaway manages to give some fire to Penelope.

To address the controversy, if you’re someone upset by the casting of Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page, just don’t watch the movie. It’s your loss, because Page in particular is terrific as Sinon. After having seen him, I can’t imagine anyone else in the role. From the box office numbers, it’s clear that the “controversy” is a bunch of far-right and terminally online characters whose fame and income derive from stirring up hatred and whose voices are constantly amplified by the richest man in the world. In any case, the “controversial” actors have less than ten minutes of screen time between them.

In some ways, The Odyssey is a follow-up to Nolan’s Oppenheimer: both are the stories of men who created world-altering events and then lived to regret it for decades to come. The other thematic point of The Odyssey is that societies collapse when people no longer feel bound to follow the rules. The film constantly goes on about the violations of “Zeus’s Law” and how there are consequences to either not following it or abusing it. Here, Nolan is arguing that what keeps us away from barbarism is a shared acceptance that we all need to follow the letter and the spirit of the rules, even if we don’t like the outcomes. The spirit is more important than the letter if they come into conflict. You can read into that what you will about the current state of the world.

So the bottom line is that you should go watch The Odyssey. It’s an old-fashioned movie epic with fantastic imagery, incredible sound and a plot that has stood the test of time. It’s also a surprisingly timely film. It’s also a heck of a lot of fun. If you don’t like The Odyssey, you probably don’t like movies.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and the movies.

The Cubs are unquestionably trying to land a starting pitcher before the Trade Deadline a week from today, but the Cubs could certainly add a reliever to the pen. The Padres are one of those teams on the fence between buying and selling. At the moment, San Diego is at exactly .500, 53-53, and just a game and a half out of the final playoff spot. But the problem is that there are four teams ahead of them at the moment just to get that final playoff spot.

I think it’s fair to say that how the Padres do this week against the Rockies and Giants will determine whether they buy or sell. It’s also possible that they’re one of those teams that does both, dealing from a position of strength and trying to fill in some other weaknesses.

It’s clear that the Padres biggest strength right now is their bullpen. They have Mason Miller, who is the best reliever on the planet. He’s probably the best relief pitcher since Eric Gagné‘s heyday and maybe even since the prime of Mariano Rivera. I tried to come up with a scenario where the Cubs could make a trade for Miller that the Padres might reasonably accept and I couldn’t do it. The best I could come up with was Ben Brown, Josiah Hartshorn and Jefferson Rojas, and even then I think San Diego says no, if only because Brown is hurt.

So the Padres may hang on to Miller. But Miller’s setup man, left-hander Adrián Morejón, is a quality 27-year-old pitcher who would be a closer for most other clubs. Morejón was an All-Star last year and while his ERA has dropped off this year (2.08 to 3.20), the underlying numbers are just as good or even better than last year. Morejón’s strikeout rate actually increased this year from 24.5 percent to 27.4. His walk rate is up slightly from 5.9% to 6.1, but that’s just a rounding error. If you look at expected ERA rather than his actual ERA, Morejón is even better this year than last. His fastball has even increased to an average of 99 miles per hour over last year’s average of 97. His slider velo is up too.

Morejón would instantly become the Cubs closer until the end of the year and through the playoffs.

He wouldn’t be the closer for anytime after that because Morejón is a free agent at the end of the season. That’s a bad thing because he would be a pure rental. But it’s a good thing in that it would keep his price down. No one gives up a top 100 prospect anymore for a rental reliever. But he’s not going to be cheap.

I don’t think the Cubs can acquire Morejón without giving up a top-ten prospect. They might have to toss in a lesser prospect from farther down the system, but that’s not really something the Cubs should worry about. It’s the headliner that I’m thinking about.

The Padres need help everywhere except the bullpen. Kane Kepley isn’t a great fit for the Padres because they already have Jackson Merrill in center field, but that’s the quality of prospect the Padres would want back in return. Owen Ayers might be another possibility, but the Padres have their catcher of the future in Ethan Salas in Double-A. Jaxon Wiggins might interest San Diego, especially if the Padres think he can stick in the rotation. Even if he can’t, he could be a reliever to replace Morejón in the pen.

I’m going to throw out Ethan Conrad as another possibility of a player the Padres might take for Morejón. The Cubs’ 2025 first-round pick has struggled with injuries, but he’s healthy now.

So would you deal any of those players for Adrian Morejón? Or would you rather just pass? I will remind you of the dangers of prospect-hugging and how most traded prospects don’t pan out. (Baseball America sub. req.) I think we’re all familiar with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Alvarez, but most traded prospects are more like Alexander Canario than those two.

Remember, a “none of the above” answer probably means the Cubs move on to a different pitcher.

Thank you for stopping by tonight. Stay cool out there. Get home safely. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.

Record: 55-52. Pace: 83-79. Change on 2025: +4.

The Diamondbacks dropped the opener of The Most Important Series of the Season™, losing 3-2 in ten innings to the Pirates. Merrill Kelly pitched well, and Max Kepler gave Arizona a 2-0 lead. But a throwing error by Kelly allowed a key Pittsburgh run, and Juan Morillo then gave up the tying score, which pushed the contest into extras. The Diamondbacks were unable to take advantage of a major Pirates gaffe, stranding the Manfred Man. A ball which was clanked off the glove of Ildemaro Vargas let the home team walk off, but the key stat tonight was the D-backs going just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. And one of those hits didn’t score a run either.

But to focus on the positives. Merrill Kelly continued his resurgence. He finished June with an ERA above six (6.11, to be precise). But since the calendar turned to July, he has been much improved. Tonight, he allowed only an unearned run over 5.2 innings, on four hits – all of which were singles. He walked one and struck out six. [That is still an area of concern. Through nineteen starts last year, he had 7 or more K’s eight times: he hasn’t gone past six at all this year] He did hit a batter, Pirates’ rookie Esmerlyn Valdez wearing a pitch around the wrist area, and having to leave the game in obvious discomfort. Hopefully, there’s no serious damage there.

Through five innings, both Kelley and his opposite number – confusingly, called M. Keller – were basically cruising. Each side has managed to advance only one runner past first-base to that point. In the top of the second, Max Kepler led off with a single, advanced to third on a pair of outs, but was stranded there when Ildemaro Vargas grounded out. For the Pirates, they got a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, and the runner stole second before being left there. Kelly even got a pick-off, ending the fourth by nailing the pinch-runner who had come in to replace Valdez. Rather embarrassing for them, I imagine.

Both pitchers were also being highly efficient. Through five innings, Keller had needed just 63 pitches, and Kelly less than a handful more at 67. I particularly enjoyed this strikeout by Kelly which ended the fifth inning. None of the six pitches in the zone, and zero contact by the batter on his three swings. However, my hopes of a quick recap foundered thereafter, as neither starting pitcher would make it through the sixth. Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo singled to lead off the top of the frame, though Gabriel Moreno would strike out looking, on a master-class of ABS by the Pirates catcher, which reversed two balls to strikes, by very narrow margins.

[Conversely, Moreno was 0-for-2 in his challenges tonight. Though it is worth noting that the team’s overall challenge rate when on defense is still 66.7%, significantly better than the MLB average of 58.1%.]

Ketel Marte then singled to load the bases. He’d probably be grateful if I left it at that, since this isn’t exactly the type of hit which he will be reposting on his Instagram feed. A squibber off the end of the bat, it had an exit velocity of just 27.5 mph, but was perfectly placed to the right-hand side of the pitcher. The only two lower exit velo by a D-back this year were both bunts, by Jose Fernandez and Kepler. The last D-back with a hit which came slower off the bat? Pavin Smith (remember him?) on this hit in September 2024, a whopping 25.8 mph. [And yes: it says “error” on the video, but it was a hit in the box-score] Anyway, it loaded the bases and Kepler doubled in two runs (above).

Unfortunately, that was all Arizona could do. Marte was easily out at home, trying to score on a contact play off the bat of Tyler Locklear, and Adrian Del Castillo grounded out. Still, a 2-0 lead to the D-backs. It didn’t stay that way. Kelly allowed a one-out single, and then on his third pickoff throw over made a terrible throw which skidded up the line towards right field. The runner easily reached third, and scored on a subsequent single. A two-out walk ended Kelly’s night. Juan Morillo ended the threat, leaving two on base, and got three further outs in the seventh to keep Arizona ahead. Jonathan Loaisiga: not so much, with a pair of two-out doubles (around the ejection of the Pirates manager for arguing checked-swing calls) locking things back up at 2-2.

The Arizona offense basically went overboard after Kepler’s hit. Ryan Waldschmidt had a one-out double in the sixth (and also had a very nice play at the wall), while Ildemaro Vargas singled in the ninth and moved to second on a balk. That was it. Even when gifted a runner at second in the tenth, the D-backs came up empty. Corbin Carroll had bad luck, lining into an out at 103 mph. Perdomo should have been the second out, but a throwing error put men on second and third with one out. However, Moreno took a called third strike and Kepler was unable to repeat his earlier magic. Though with three hits on the night, it’s hard to blame him specifically.

It drops the D-backs back into a tie with the Pirates for the third wild-card. On the other hand, the Phillies lost to the Marlins, and the Cardinals are losing to the Cubs. So we aren’t the only team with NL wild-card aspirations to lose to a rival tonight.

Click here for details, at Fangraphs.com
Captain Jack Sparrow: Juan Morillo, +19%
Long John Silver: Perdomo, +18%; Kelly, +16%
Blackbeard: Gabriel Moreno, -33%
Calico Jack: Loasiga, -19%; Carroll, -15%; Locklear, -12%; Barrosa, -11%; Del Castillo, -10%

Comment of the night to chwalter:

Same two teams tomorrow night, with Brandon Pfaadt on the mound for the D-backs. Another 3:40 pm start there, so see you for that. And don’t forget: nobody said it would be easy…

The Tigers ground crew took “how many people does it take to capture a squirrel” to a whole new level on Monday. 

A rogue black squirrel got loose on the field during the Tigers’ game against the Orioles at Comerica Park, leading to a wild moment in the middle of the seventh inning, as an army of staffers tried to corral the critter to no avail for several minutes before they finally captured it.

The four-legged trespasser made its way onto the field sometime around the sixth inning and managed to meander around until the middle of the seventh when the grounds crew made its move. 

At one point, the squirrel was positioned near Orioles’ third base coach Buck Britton, who decided to share a sunflower seed with it in a hilarious moment that was caught on the broadcast. 

At least a dozen grounds crew members ran onto the field in the middle of the seventh, giving chase to the squirrel in an attempt to get it off the playing surface. 

As the squirrel scurried around the outfield, the grounds crew comically gave chase, in what can only be described as something out of a “Looney Tunes” cartoon. 

In one instance, Orioles right fielder Leody Taveras attempted to help out by scooping up the critter and instead sent it flying through the air before it sprinted away — talk about an E9. 

The squirrel was eventually captured after one grounds crew member was able to throw a towel on it and pick it up. 

The capture elicited boos from the Comerica Park crowd, which had been enjoying the rodent’s elusive moves. 

Home plate umpire Bill Miller attempted to show his appreciation to the grounds crew for their effort and jumped on his mic to do so. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank the grounds crew. Let’s give ‘em a round of applause. The Detroit Tigers grounds crew, thank you!” Miller said. 

The Tigers have not publicly stated the squirrel’s condition, nor have they said if it will face any further disciplinary action other than being removed from the field. 

The Tigers lost the ballgame 8-5 to the Orioles.

Without the owner of the largest contract in MLB history, the Mets spread the wealth.

Coming off a second-half-best eight-run outburst — sans Juan Soto — in Sunday’s win over the Dodgers, the Mets set off more fireworks without their biggest bat Monday, tying a season high with 19 hits and scoring their second-most runs of the season in a 14-3 win over the Braves at Citi Field to claim their second straight victory over a first-place team, as well as their first back-to-back wins since July 8-9.

Every player in the lineup recorded at least one hit — combining for the most home hits in over nine years — and five players recorded at least three hits for only the eighth time in franchise history.

The Mets scored 11 times in their final three innings, finishing with their highest scoring output since a 16-7 win in Washington on May 18.

“Just quality up and down the lineup,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “Tyrone Taylor continues to do some impressive stuff. I thought Marcus Semien’s game was outstanding. Obviously [Francisco] Lindor … had a great game. Up and down the lineup we had really good at-bats. It was a team effort and a fun one.”

Lindor led the way, taking another leap toward ending his season-long struggles by stepping up in the absence of the team’s other superstar. The five-time All-Star went 3-for-5 with two home runs, a triple, a walk and six RBIs, giving Lindor his third three-hit performance in his past eight games.

“He’s one of the best players in baseball and it’s just a matter of time before one of the best players in baseball gets hot,” Green said. “I think [July 19] in Philly, when he went 3-for-3 and got on base five times, ever since that he’s been the guy we’ve always known him to be. We would’ve loved for him to be healthier in the first half of the season, but he can only take care of today. And he really took care of today.”

With the Mets trailing 1-0 in the first inning, Lindor hit a first-inning triple off the top of the right field wall, bringing home A.J. Ewing. In the third, Lindor hit a shot over the left field wall, giving the Mets a 3-1 lead on his seventh home run of the season.

Lindor added a three-run blast in the eighth for his first multihomer game of the season and the 23rd of his career, giving him his most RBIs since April 14, 2023.

“I’ve always had the same expectations,” Lindor said. “The beginning of the year sucked, but I gotta get better and I gotta continue to push myself day in and day out and try to find ways to be the best version of myself to help this team win.”

The Mets initially offered modest support for Zac Thornton (2-1), who threw 6 ¹/₃ innings to earn his second career (and consecutive) win. But the onslaught began in the sixth inning, when Semien broke a tie with a two-run homer — his third in the past five games — off Braves reliever Connor Thomas, who allowed 11 runs and 10 hits over 2 ²/₃ innings.

Taylor increased his trade value by homering for the second straight day — a three-run shot in the seventh — before the Mets tacked on another five runs in the eighth. Thomas exited with the most runs allowed by a major league reliever in more than five years, as the last-place Mets improved to 5-3 this season against the first-place Braves, buoyed by three-hit efforts from Ewing, Taylor, Semien and Bo Bichette.

“We learn from each other’s at-bats and we’re feeding off each other,” Lindor said. “We’re all human. We all try to make things happen when things aren’t happening. When things are happening, the weight is off your shoulders and you just play free. It sucks to be in the position we’re in, but we enjoyed today. We’re gonna play for each other, have fun, enjoy it and come back and try to do it again.”

Once upon a time (although it wasn’t just once), the Braves used Carlos Carrasco in a close game. Ronald Acuña Jr. got injured in that game and ended up missing about six weeks of play. The use of Carrasco turned sinister, the Braves lost that game, and then ended up mired in a funk that lasted for a good chunk of Acuña’s absence.

Tonight, Ronald Acuña Jr. made his return to the lineup. It could have been a triumphant time, building on the Braves’ recent strong run of results. Instead, amid some rain and another indifferent outing from Martin Perez, the Braves opted to insert Connor Thomas, the “last guy” in their bullpen, into a tie game. It went south almost immediately, and then it kind of ran out south to go, as the Mets just pummeled Thomas into oblivion. To the Braves’ credit, they let Thomas wear it and didn’t use another pitcher, avoiding a double-down mistake of using Thomas to save the rest of the bullpen but then not actually saving the rest of the bullpen. (Jorge Mateo got the last out in lieu of Thomas, after the score had ballooned to 14-3 in favor of the Mets.)

Before all that, though, the game was pretty cool. In his first major league PA in a while, Acuña fell behind 0-2 against Zac Thornton, battled back to 3-2, and then teed off on a pitch down the middle, knocking it 108 mph to center for a solid single. Drake Baldwin followed followed with a hard liner single of his own, and the Braves seemed to be in business. Unfortunately, Matt Olson hit into a double play, but Ozzie Albies, as part of a measure of personal revenge for possibly a career-worst game on Sunday, legged out an infield hit to plate his buddy for the first run of the game.

Martin Perez did not have a shutdown first inning. A hard-hit grounder went for a leadoff hit, and then Francisco Lindor got his arms extended on a cutter on the edge away and nearly hit it out of the park. The play ended up being kind of weird, as it looked like it was just going to be a double, but the ball bounced far enough off the wall that Lindor ended up getting an RBI triple. But, Perez pachinko also cuts the other way, as a grounder to third, a strikeout, and flyout to center kept the game tied at one run apiece.

Nothing much happened in the second or the top of the third. In the bottom half of the inning, after a leadoff single, Lindor again took a Perez pitch on the outer edge, this time a changeup, and pulled it into left for a two-run homer. Perez was hitting his spots, but it didn’t matter. That score didn’t last long: after Olson drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, Albies victimized Thornton by crushing an elevated fastball for a definitive non-cheapie homer. Michael Harris II singled and it looked like the Braves might’ve solved Thornton, but that didn’t end up being the case, as Mauricio Dubon popped out and Austin Riley hit into a double play.

With rain increasing in intensity, there was a respite in action for a little bit. Acuña hit into a double play to end the top of the fifth, jammed on an inner-portion fastball. (In his second PA, he struck out on a fastball up but in the zone.)

The bottom of the fifth was one of those ridiculous, “we’ve seen this too much already” things. With the rain becoming a serious downpour, Perez kept laboring. There were two quick outs, but then a bloop single, a hard-hit single, and a walk loaded the bases. Perez ended up falling behind 3-1 to Jared Young, but ultimately struck him out — Young swung at just one of seven pitches in the PA. That seemed like it was a middle portion of an exciting game, especially as the rain began to dissipate, but… nope.

After a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, in came Connor Thomas. Did the Braves have to use Thomas? They’ll probably say yes, but eh. Dylan Dodd pitched on Sunday but not in the two games before that, and only threw 11 pitches on Sunday. Danny Young had a crazy adventure on Sunday but ended up throwing fewer than ten pitches, and hadn’t pitched on Saturday. While “Martin Perez and then Connor Thomas” isn’t much of a plan, it doesn’t look like the Braves really cared. So, Thomas came in, and while there was a chance that it might work out okay, that’s not where the roulette wheel landed tonight. Far from it. First, a ball ate up Austin Riley. Then, Thomas threw a cutter down the middle, and Marcus Semien untied the game with a crush job homer. Thomas got out of the sixth after a few more hits by striking out Lindor.

The Braves chased Thornton in the seventh, but didn’t manage any damage. It didn’t really end up mattering. Walk-single-another massive homer against Thomas made it a rout. Then there were more walks, a double, a sac fly, yadda yadda yadda. Thomas stayed in for the eighth, which included walking in a run, and eventually a three-run homer by Lindor (whom Thomas was facing a third time, not that it really mattered at that point). I hope the Braves at least give Thomas a gift basket for basically being asked to wear a rout by himself, because it wasn’t exactly a positive experience for anyone but the Mets.

The Braves made 14 straight outs on their end to finish the game, but a lot of those happened when it was pretty irrelevant what they did. Perez did okay, with a 4/1 K/BB ratio in five frames, but he did give up the homer. Thomas’ line was really bad, but the Braves made this choice, and will ultimately live with it. On the plus side, the Phillies somehow bungled a two-run lead in the ninth in a game where they took the lead despite Zack Wheeler only lasting three innings, so the division lead remains intact at 5.5.

Acuña ended up going 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in his return. Other than Albies, no Brave reached base more than once on a soggy night.

The series theoretically continues tomorrow, but it’s gonna be rainy, so we’ll see.

Through the rain drops, the Mets poured it on against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night, winning 14-3 at Citi Field.

Here are the key takeaways...

-- It was a back and forth affair in this one with the Braves drawing first blood against Zac Thornton in the first inning. Ronald Acuna Jr. and Drake Baldwin had back-to-back singles to lead off the game and after a double play by Matt Olson looked like the rookie would be able to get out of the inning unharmed, Ozzie Albies had a two-out, two-strike RBI single to put Atlanta ahead.

-- But New York had an equally eventful first inning against Martin Perez with A.J. Ewing getting aboard with a leadoff single and coming around to score on Francisco Lindor’s RBI triple that just barely missed being a two-run shot. 

The ball hit the orange line at the top of the wall in right field and bounced back in play and after Acuna made a leaping grab for it he jogged to the baseball which was still in play seemingly assuming the ball left the yard. The lackadaisical play allowed Ewing, who had to hold up between first and second base to see if Acuna came down with the ball, to score.

With two outs in the inning and Lindor still at third base, Francisco Alvarez hit one deep to right field that Acuna did catch to end the inning.

-- After striking out the final batter to end the first inning, Thornton struck out two more in a perfect second and another in the third to retire seven consecutive batters.

-- The Mets’ top of the order was at it again in the bottom of the third with Ewing getting things started with a single before stealing second base in front of Lindor who hit another one, this one to left field, towards the wall that had a little more lift than the one he hit in the first and went for a two-run shot. 

The call was reviewed by the umpires and upheld which gave Lindor all three RBI of the night up until that point.

-- New York’s lead was short-lived, though, after the Braves scored two during the next half inning on Albies’ two-run homer of his own. Albies has been a Met killer in his career and the home run was his 24th against New York.

-- Thornton settled down and limited Atlanta from there, getting helped out with double plays in the fourth and fifth innings as rain started to fall heavily. 

-- Dealing with the rain, the Mets were able to load the bases with two outs in the fifth inning against a visibly shaken Perez, but Jared Young struck out as New York failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity with the game tied at 3-3.

-- The game continued even as the rain persisted and the Mets were able to re-take the lead in the sixth thanks to Marcus Semien’s two-run home run off of reliever Connor Thomas who just entered the game for Perez. The home run was Semien’s second in as many games and his 11th of the season. He finished 3-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and three runs scored.

-- After a 1-2-3 sixth inning, Thornton, staked to another two-run advantage, went back out for the seventh and after retiring Michael Harris II, the left-hander was pulled for Huascar Brazoban.

Thornton’s final line: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K on 81 pitches (54 strikes). His ERA rose from 1.93 to 2.43 but the 24-year-old’s magnificent run in the starting rotation continues and he earned his second career win in five major league starts.

-- New York blew the game open in the seventh inning with a four-spot with three of those runs coming off the bat of Tyrone Taylor who went yard for the second consecutive day and the sixth time this month. 

Since returning from the IL in late-June, Taylor is 16-for-39 (.410 average) and has gone from hitting .186 to .250 – completely turning his season around and raising his stock as a trade piece. In just 135 at-bats this year, the outfielder has nine home runs and 26 RBI after hitting just two home runs with 27 RBI in 310 at-bats last season.

-- The Mets poured it on their division rivals in the eighth by scoring five more runs, all charged to Thomas who allowed 11 earned runs on 10 hits and five walks in just his second appearance this season. 

The first two runs came around to score without a hit (bases loaded walk and sacrifice fly), but the final three came on Lindor’s second home run of the night, a three-run bomb to left field to give him six RBI on the night, one RBI shy of his single-game career high.

-- New York banged out 19 hits with five players getting three hits each. Every single hitter in the lineup had at least one hit and the Mets’ top three hitters in Ewing, Lindor and Bo Bichette went 9-for-15 with a walk, eight RBI and four runs scored.

-- Daniel Duarte finished the game for New York, pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. In six appearances spanning 10.1 innings this season, the right-hander has yet to allow a run.

Game MVP: Francisco Lindor

Honorable mention goes to Semien, whose two-run home run gave the Mets the lead in the sixth and at the time seemed like the biggest hit of the night, however in what ended as a blowout, Lindor's fantastic offensive night gets the nod.

Highlights

Francisco Lindor delivers an RBI triple to tie the game! pic.twitter.com/RJYPLKonaS

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 27, 2026

Tyrone Taylor fights through the rain and tracks it down at the wall pic.twitter.com/1Ai1lLnsqY

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 27, 2026

Francisco Lindor launches a two-run home run!

He's driven in all three Mets runs! 💪 pic.twitter.com/OVgK064r8J

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 27, 2026

Marcus Semien crushes a homer into the second deck!

His second straight day with a HR 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xPk8suz4ev

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 28, 2026

TYRONE TAYLOR CANNOT BE STOPPED 💥 pic.twitter.com/kLDTzIXxla

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 28, 2026

Second home run of the night for Francisco Lindor!

He's driven in 6 runs! pic.twitter.com/Jy7s5o1Njf

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 28, 2026

What's next

The Mets and Braves continue their three-game series on Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

RHP Christian Scott (3-2, 3.13 ERA) will face off against LHP Chris Sale (11-6, 2.19 ERA).

The Mets started a new series against the Braves at Citi Field on Monday, after losing the weekend series to the Dodgers. The Braves had veteran Martín Pérez starting for them, while Mets rookie Zac Thornton was taking the mound in the midst of a great first season in the major leagues.

The night started with some adversity for Thornton. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Drake Baldwin led off with back-to-back singles, and a Matt Olson double play almost got Thornton through the inning, leaving a runner at third with two outs. But Ozzie Albies hit a single to Francisco Lindor to drive in the game’s first run and put the Mets behind early. Thornton got a strikeout to end the inning but he had already put the Mets in a small hole early. 

The Mets offense was clicking from the word go, so they weren’t down for long. A.J. Ewing led off for the Mets with a single, and Lindor hit a triple (that was very nearly a home run) to drive him in and tie the game. Pérez was able to stop the Mets offense there and get three consecutive outs to end the inning, but the Mets had shown some fight in the first inning. 

The game was quiet for a little while, with both sides getting through their halves of the second inning without allowing a run. The Mets did the same in the top of the third, but Perez was not as lucky. Another Ewing leadoff single (and subsequent stolen base to put him on second) led to a Lindor home run (that nearly wasn’t) to put the Mets ahead by two runs. The Mets didn’t plate any more runs in the third but they had the lead.

Not for long, though, as an Olson walk to leadoff the fourth inning led to an Albies two run home run to tie the game. Thornton allowed a Michael Harris II single to follow the home run but settled down after and got out of the inning with the game tied once again. 

Both teams were quiet for the next few innings, with Pérez eventually leaving the game after five innings. Connor Thomas, brought in to replace Pérez, immediately gave up a single to Tyrone Taylor (which maybe should’ve been ruled an error instead), and a Marcus Semien two-run home run to put the Mets back in front by two runs. He had a bit more traffic in the inning, giving up two more singles, but eventually got out of it without allowing another run to score.

Zac Thornton was pulled after getting the first out in the seventh, having allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five, adding to a stellar rookie season. Huascar Brazobán was brought in to relieve him, and got through the inning unscathed. 

The Mets offense absolutely exploded in the bottom of the seventh. A Francisco Alvarez walk and Jared Young single put runners on the corners with no outs, and they were both driven in by Tyrone Taylor, who hit yet another home run to put the Mets up by five runs. After the bases were loaded with just one out, Bo Bichette drove in the Mets ninth run of the game with a sacrifice fly, adding even more insurance for a hopeful Mets win. Thomas got out of the inning after that, but the Mets opened up a wide lead with just two innings left.

The bottom of the eighth featured even more fireworks from the Mets lineup. They were able to load the bases with just one out, and Luis Torrens walked to drive in the Mets’ tenth run of the day. Then A.J. Ewing hit a sacrifice fly to drive in yet another run, putting the Mets up by eight runs. Francisco Lindor then hit his second home run of the game to put the Mets up by eleven runs and drive Thomas from the game in favor of Jorge Mateo (the infamous position player pitching). Mateo eventually got a strikeout to end the inning, but the Mets had to simply keep the Braves from scoring eleven runs in one inning.

Daniel Duarte pitched two scoreless innings to end the game, striking out three in those innings. The Mets beat a first place team for the second day in a row, more of a moral victory than one of any real importance given their place in the standings. Still, in a slog of a season, these games stick out as much needed bright spots. The Mets face the Braves again tomorrow, with Christian Scott taking the mound for New York and Chris Sale getting the ball for Atlanta.

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Win Probability Added

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Francisco Lindor, +28% WPA
Big Mets loser: Jared Young, -9% WPA
Mets pitchers: +7% WPA
Mets hitters: +43% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Marcus Semien’s two-run home run in the sixth, +23.0% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Ozzie Albies’ fourth inning game-tying home run, -19.6% WPA

The Orioles, fresh off a disappointing weekend series, hoped Kyle Bradish could play stopper this evening. Baltimore’s starter dealt with some uncharacteristic struggles, but the bats and bullpen picked him up in an 8-5 win over the Tigers.

The Birds jumped ahead by scoring in each of the first three innings. Pete Alonso punched a one-out double in the top of the first, and Gunnar Henderson followed with a base hit to right field. Alonso held up at third on the hard-hit single, but he came around to score on a soft grounder by Taylor Ward.

Jackson Holliday got the second started with a double to left, and Coby Mayo reached when third baseman Colt Keith failed to corral a bouncer at third. Jeremiah Jackson stepped in and delivered Baltimore’s second RBI groundout in as many innings, and Dylan Beavers plated the O’s’ third run with a base hit to right field. Alonso advanced Beavers to third with a two-out single, but Henderson flew out to end the threat.

Kyle Bradish danced around a pair of singles in the first, but Detroit broke through in the bottom of the second. Bradish was far from perfect tonight, but it’s difficult to blame him for the Tigers’ first run. Zach McKinstry punched what should have been a leadoff single to center, but Leody Taveras inexplicably made a diving attempt on the shallow liner. The ball fell in front of Taveras before skipping by him, and McKinstry raced all the way to third for a triple. The extra bases allowed Hao-Yu Lee drove in Detroit’s first run with a sacrifice fly.

Baltimore’s offense snatched the momentum right back in the next half inning. Taylor Ward worked a walk to start the third, and Holliday followed with his second knock of the day. Mayo stepped in with runners on the corners and delivered a base hit to left field to bring the lead back to three.

Holliday went first to third on Mayo’s single, and Jackson took a pitch off the hand to load the bases. The HBP brought up Chadwick Tromp with a force out available at every base, and you can probably guess what happened next. Tromp grounded into a 5-2-3 inning-ending double play. He finished 0-for-4.

Bradish used a double play to erase a leadoff single in the third, but the Tigers battled back in the fourth inning. The Tigers loaded the bases with a double, single and walk before Bradish managed to record an out. Lee drove in Detroit’s second run with an infield single that deflected off Holliday’s glove. The Tigers trimmed the lead to one with a sacrifice fly, but Bradish managed to strand runners on the corners to keep the game at 4-3.

With Bradish not quite looking like himself, it felt like the Orioles may regret leaving a few additional runs on the table. Instead, the offense responded with three runs in the fifth inning. Leody Taveras calmed the nerves with a LOUD solo home run to right field. Holliday chased Tigers starter Keider Montero from the game with his third hit of the evening, and Coby Mayo took right-handed reliever Brenan Hanifee deep to stretch the advantage back to four.

The insurance runs paid off as Bradish failed to deliver a shutdown inning. Dillon Dingler singled, Keith doubled, and Spencer Torkelson plated Dingler with a sacrifice fly. McKinstry followed with an RBI single, and Craig Albernaz came out to get Bradish with two outs in the fourth. Yennier Cano retired Lee to keep the game at 7-5.

Albernaz continued to make moves in the next half inning. The skipper sent out Tyler O’Neill to pinch hit for Dylan Beavers, and O’Neill delivered with a deep fly to left field. O’Neill’s seventh homer of the season made it 8-5 Baltimore.

The Orioles bullpen did the rest. Cano returned to record a pair of outs in the sixth, and Grant Wolfram recorded four outs without allowing a base runner. Andrew Kittredge allowed a single and benefited from a tremendous catch by defensive replacement Colton Cowser in the eighth, and Rico Garcia bounced back with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The win ensured that the MASN broadcast booth would have more to smile about than a rogue squirrel in the field of play. Kevin Brown and Ben McDonald tracked the black rodent for a half inning before home plate umpire Bill Miller instructed Detroit’s grounds crew to chase the animal from the field of play. Miller gave the crew a shoutout over the microphone, and the MASN booth met the moment with the type of humor we’ve come to expect from the duo.

The game marked a positive step for several Orioles players. Holliday, making a rare start at shortstop, recorded a hit in each of his first four at bats. Mayo watched newcomer Christian Encarnacion-Strand make an instant impact over the last week, but the third baseman had a big night against right-handed pitching. Taveras made up for some lousy defense with a loud home run, and Garcia notched his fifth save of the season.

The Orioles moved to 52-55 with the victory. Baltimore will attempt to win the series tomorrow Dean Kremer on the hill against Troy Melton.

Make your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Day in the comments below.

Blue Jays 3 Nationals 2

A lot happened in that game. But that Kazuma Okamoto stole a base was the biggest surprise to me. And it led to a run. He singled with one out. Stole second and scored on a Myles Straw single (yes, there was a Luis Urías walk that would have moved him up anyway). That made the score 3-1.

Max Scherzer started and….well….wasn’t great, but he only allowed one run to score in his 2.2 innings. 75 pitches in 2.2 innings tells you that it was a struggle. He allowed 4 hits and 3 walks, but he also struck out 4. He had the bases loaded in the first (but all stranded, even though Alejandro Kirk dropped an easy popup). Had a single, a walk, and a double in the second, but just one run scored. And in the third, he gave out a leadoff walk to CJ Abrams (who stole second and third), but he was stranded too.

Max’s ERA is under 10! (9.49).

Mason Fluharty got the last out of the third and pitched a quick fourth.

Adam Macko started the fifth. He gave up a solo homer while getting two outs.

Spencer Miles got the last out of the fifth. Then gave up a leadoff single in the sixth, but got a double play (just a terrific play by Urías, catching a soft line drive, then seeing that Daylen Lile wandered too far off second and made a nice throw to Vlad) and a strikeout.

Tyler Rogers had a quick seventh: ground out, strikeout, ground out.

Jeff Hoffman got the eighth, which didn’t scare any of us. He got two strikeouts, gave up a double (good pitch) and got another strikeout.

Louis Varland got the ninth. He got a popup on a 100.5 pitch to start the inning. Then a strikeout. But then it went single and walk to make us sweat (it’s 30 C here in Calgary, I didn’t need help). A long fly was just foul. Then he got a called strike three, but it was overturned on a challenge. But a 100 mph fastball, at the top of the zone, got swinging strike three.

On the offensive side….as always, it would have been nice to score more but:

• We got two in the third: Urías had a one-out homer. Then Myles Straw and Ernie Clement had back-to-back doubles. Nathan Lukes walked, but Vlad lined out (380 feet, and he needed 390), and Springer popped out.
• And one in the fourth, that was mentioned above (I have seen Kirk steal and Okamoto steal; I can die happy).

We had 7 hits and 4 walks. Straw had 2 hits. Lukes (with a walk), Kirk (with a walk) and Varsho had 0 fors.

There was some terrific defence from both teams. CJ Adams made an amazing play on a ground ball in the ninth.

Jays of the Day: Varland (0.20 WPA), Hoffman (0.14), Rogers (0.11), Fluharty (0.11), Miles (0.10), Straw (0.13) and Urías (0.12).

Other Award: Well, Varsho had a -0.10.

We used 7 pitchers, but gave up just two runs.

Tomorrow is another 6:45 Eastern start time. Shane Bieber (2-1, 4.70) vs. Cade Cavalli (7-, 3.58).

This one started with a Bryce Harper homer, of the two-run variety. The ball went off his bat, and towards center field in the space-age dome that is LoanDepot Park; Fish center fielder Jakob Marsee began to run towards it, then stopped. Perhaps he saw the inevitable, or perhaps he was distracted by the absence of the Red Grooms home run statue that had once graced the outfield. I will never forgive Derek Jeter for overseeing that change during his time as GM of the Marlins. That may not seem meaningful from a Philadelphia sports fan, but given that I was raised in a Yankees family in the Torre-led dynasty years, and still retain much affection for the pinstriped heroes of that era, I assure you that it is a serious criticism indeed.

Serious criticism, too, must be made of the Phillies defense, which had yet another ugly moment in this game. Otto Lopez, having made it to first by single, dashed for second. The throw from Realmuto was off, and bounced away from Bryson Stott’s glove, and to Trea Turner, who flung it wide of Alec Bohm. Lopez, having expected to burgle only a single base, found himself collecting much more, like a thief who breaks into a home to take perhaps a TV or a game console and instead finds a collection of Renaissance paintings. He scored, and so did Heriberto Hernández a moment later, when he sent a Zack Wheeler sinker soaring over the left field wall.

In the next inning, Griffin Conine sent a curveball barely over the right field wall, but fence-scrapers count the same as moonshots, and so the Marlins had a 3-2 lead. And not long after, it was 4-2, as Wheeler, plagued by unusually low velocity, continued to allow hard contact. Soon after that, it was 5-2, as Justin Crawford attempted a sliding catch on a ball from Otto Lopez that he couldn’t reach; Lopez ended up on third, though he was stranded there.

The Phillies put their first two batters of the fourth aboard, via single and walk. But J.T. Realmuto grounded into a double play, and a subsequent fly out ensured no runs would score.

Wheeler’s night ended after the third; Kyle Backhus was called in, and navigated his innings effectively. Meanwhile, the Phillies struggled to solve Marlins starter Tyler Phillips, posting just three hits through five innings. They reached the bullpen in the sixth, and soon started to put the Fish on the hook. Harper walked to lead off the inning, and scored on a Bohm single. A single from Stott and a ground rule double from Realmuto put the Phillies just one run back, and a single through the left side of the infield from Justin Crawford appeared to tie it— until it was determined that the ball, having slipped past the Marlins backstop, had lodged underneath the padding on the wall behind him. An illuminating conversation about ground rules ensued, and the result was that Realmuto was awarded home and the Phillies a lead.

They worked on adding to it in the eighth, when Bryson Stott led off with a triple, bouncing a ball off the right field wall and scampering to third as the Fish flopped around trying to get to it. He scored on a Realmuto sac fly.

Orion Kerkering took the eighth, allowing a leadoff single, and nothing else. Having come all the way back, the Phillies had earned the opportunity to let Jhoan Duran earn the save. He allowed a single up the middle to Jakob Marsee to start his attempt, then another to Otto Lopez, past the glove of a diving Harper. Lopez stole second, Duran hit the next batter, and the bases were loaded, with none away. The Marlins, riding a long losing streak, would either break it in spectacular fashion or continue it in an agonizing one. A Hernández hit up the middle tied the game, and Miami still had runners on first and second with none out. Then, after a bunt, the bases were loaded.

A 3-2 putout then put the game in that gloriously nauseous position where a single play could either doom the Phillies or redeem them; the next contact between bat and ball could be the game-winner sending Marlins fans happily to the exits, or the GIDP that sent the game to extras.

It was the former. Conine slapped one right over the glove of Stott, and the contest ended unhappily for the Phillies. The game was defined by uncharacteristic pitching from two of the Phillies’ very best. It can be hoped that the performances of Wheeler and Duran will be like the ball getting wedged under the padding: oddities that will not often recur.

The Phillies are 57-50, and will continue the series against the Marlins tomorrow at 6:40.

Not an ideal outcome to the series opener against the Orioles as the Tigers lost 8-5. But hey, there was wildlife!

After losing their last two games over the weekend to the Royals, the Tigers really needed to win some games. Unfortunately, they were facing off against the Orioles, a sub-.500 team struggling in the AL East, and we know from this season the Tigers just can’t seem to get it together when playing against other struggling teams. So this was going to be a tricky series, because baseball makes no sense and nothing is reasonable. The Tigers had Keider Montero on the mound against Kyle Bradish for the O’s.

Pete Alonso got a one-out double, followed by Gunnar Henderson with a single. This put runners on the corners, so when Taylor Ward hit into a force out, Henderson was eliminated but Alonso scored. The O’s would have to settle for just the one run, but they were on the board first. Kevin McGonigle started the home half with a single. Then, with one out, Colt Keith singled. Two outs followed, though, leaving the baserunners stranded and the Tigers scoreless.

Jackson Holliday opened the second with a double. Then Coby Mayo reached thanks to a fielding error from Keith. This bumped Holliday to third, so a Jeremiah Jackson groundout was all it took to score another run. With two outs Dylan Beavers singled to score Mayo. Alonso got a single, but no additional runs scored. In the home half, Zach McKinstry got things started with a triple. Then a Hao-Yu Lee sac fly brought in the first Tigers’ run of the game. Two outs followed, but the Tigers were on the board.

Taylor Ward walked to start the third but was then eliminated in a force out off the bat of Leody Taveras. Holliday singled, pushing Taveras to third. Mayo then singled to bring in another run for the Orioles. Jackson was hit by a pitch (allegedly), but Chadwick Tromp hit into a double play to end the inning. McGonigle got a leadoff single for the second time in the game, but a lineout, followed by a double play off the bat of Keith, swiftly ended the inning.

Montero got the first 1-2-3 inning of the game for the fourth, which was much-needed. Riley Greene got a leadoff double in the bottom of the inning. Spencer Torkelson singled, but it was only enough to get Greene to third. A wild pitch allowed Torkelson to advance to second, then McKinstry walked to load the bases. Lee came through again with a single to score Greene. With one out, Matt Vierling hit a sac fly, scoring Torkelson. The two runs helped put them within one run of tying at the end of the inning.

In the fifth, Taveras hit a one-out solo home run. Holliday then singled, and that was it for Montero for the game. Usually reliable, it was an unusually rough outing for him. Brenan Hanifee came out to replace him with a runner on first. Coby Mayo then homered, because the Tigers just want to make this last week before the trade deadline the most painful week of our lives. Hanifee got the next two outs, but the home run made Montero’s final line for the game 4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR on 80 pitches. Normally I can pull out some positives even from the most disappointing outings, but this one was just pretty bad. Dillon Dingler got a leadoff single to start the home half. Keith then doubled. With one out, a Torkelson sac fly scored Dingler. McKinstry then singled, scoring Keith. That was it for Bradish, who was replaced by Yennier Cano. Cano got the final out of the inning.

Tyler Holton came in and a pinch-hitting Tyler O’Neill won the battle of the Tylers with a leadoff home run. With one out, Henderson walked, and that was it for the short leash on Holton. Drew Anderson replaced him and got the final two outs of the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, a black squirrel took to the field and became the most appealing part of watching this game. Bless ya, little guy. The O’s made a pitching change while the squirrel ran around the outfield. Someone made a makeshift sign for the squirrel. Grant Wolfram was the new Orioles’ pitcher while the squirrel was joined by a mourning dove. The final out ended the inning which is a bummer because watching the squirrel was truly the most fun I’ve had for this whole game.

In the seventh, the squirrel settled between third and home. After Holliday got a leadoff single, the squirrel moved into the infield for a bit before making its way back to right field. With one out, Holliday got mowed down trying to steal second by some nice, accurate throwing by Dingler. After the O’s were out, the entire Tigers’ ground crew banded together, with help from Leody Taveras, and worked as a dysfunctional and barely capable unit to finally catch the squirrel in a towel and certainly relocate it to some nice patch of trees somewhere downtown. Be well, furry little buddy.

In the bottom of the inning the Tigers went 1-2-3 despite bringing in Gleyber Torres to pinch-hit for Keith.

Jacob Waguespack was the new pitcher in the eighth and gave up a one-out walk to Colton Cowser. Paws brought out a “Free the Squirrel!” sign that got a chant going, and we learned the squirrel escaped and was not free in the belly of the stadium. Cowser stole second, but the Tigers got out of the inning with no additional runs scored.

Andrew Kittredge came in against the Tigers in the bottom of the inning, giving up a leadoff single to Torkelson. A frustratingly incredible catch by Cowser got the first out of the inning. Torkelson advanced to second on a wild pitch. The Tigers weren’t able to take advantage of a runner in scoring position, though.

Taylor Ward walked to start the ninth but was swiftly eliminated in a double play from Taveras. Waguespack got the final out of the inning, and turned it over to the lineup to try to stage a comeback. Rico Garcia came on for the O’s in the bottom of the ninth. McGonigle got a one-out walk, in theory, but the O’s challenged the ball call and it was overturned for strike three. With that opportunity shot, there wasn’t much left in the tank, and Dingler was the third out of the game. The Tigers dropped their third game in a row.

Final: Orioles 8, Tigers 5

After playing a week and a half at home following the All-Star Break, the Brewers are on the road and spending a week on the West Coast. They will open their trip against the Giants, with game one of a three-game series tonight.

Brandon Sproat opens this road trip for the Brewers. He’s been pitching better over the last month and a half, posting a 3.46 ERA in June and a 3.86 ERA so far in July. One issue is that he hasn’t been pitching deep into games lately. In his last three starts, he’s only pitched 11 2/3 innings and pitched into the fifth inning just once. In his last start against the Mets, he allowed two runs on four hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 99 pitches in that start.

For the Giants, Tyler Mahle gets the start tonight. Similar to Sproat, Mahle struggled to start the season but has been pitching better in the last month after returning from a left hamstring injury. He has a 3.76 ERA and 3.72 FIP in his last five starts. In his last start, he allowed three runs in five innings against the Royals. He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out four.

There was one roster note prior to tonight’s game. After being designated for assignment on Sunday, the Brewers officially released Lance McCullers Jr. today. This ends his short stint with the Brewers, and he becomes a free agent.

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game. The Brewers are starting the series with their regular lineup, with Jake Bauers starting in right field and Andrew Vaughn at first base. First pitch is at 8:45 p.m.

A rogue squirrel grabbed the spotlight in a showdown of teams desperately trying to stay relevant in the American League wild-card race.

As the Detroit Tigers faced the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park on Monday, July 27, a black squirrel managed to make its way onto the field. There was also a dove, but the squirrel had more lasting power and provided unexpected entertainment.

A squirrel and a dove watch the Orioles and Tigers 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3aQu7YNhT2

— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2026

The squirrel navigated the warning track, displaying the kind of speed that would make a racing mascot proud.

Off to the races! pic.twitter.com/AwUIx5Oe4M

— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) July 28, 2026

Before the bottom of the seventh inning, the Comerica Park grounds crew went out on the field in full force and managed to corral and remove the animal from the field. Orioles right fielder Leody Taveras even lent a hand, getting his glove on the squirrel, launching it into the air.

It took the entire Tigers grounds crew and Orioles outfielder Leody Taveras to remove this squirrel from the field

Home plate umpire Bill Miller even asked the crowd for a round of applause for the grounds crew 😂 pic.twitter.com/v1230aOIvj

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 28, 2026

The squirrel's speed, ability to swiftly change direction and low center of gravity made it tough to round up. Tigers play-by-play broadcaster Jason Benetti gave an enthusiastic account of the situation.

The squirrel is breaking ankles out there 😭 https://t.co/VHSj8H0MbBpic.twitter.com/dkE6jld78m

— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2026

A rally squirrel it was not, however, as the Tigers fell 8-5, losing a third consecutive game.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Squirrel runs on field during Tigers vs. Orioles game at Comerica Park

The San Francisco Giants welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Tyler Mahle, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.31 ERA, 4.52 FIP, with 77 strikeouts to 33 walks in 83 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals last Tuesday, in which he allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk in five innings.

He’ll be facing off against Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat, who enters tonight’s game with a 5.09 ERA, 5.21 FIP, with 91 strikeouts to 43 walks in 86.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Brewers’ 4-0 loss to the New York Mets last Tuesday, in which he allowed two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and four walks in four and two thirds innings.

Game #106

Who: San Francisco Giants (44-61) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (66-39)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM