SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 07: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres advances home to score a run during the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Petco Park on August 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Houston Astros (60-57) at San Diego Padres (60-57), August 8, 2026, 4:15 p.m. PST
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees reacts after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball’s a funny sport. Old-Timers’ Day activities had us awash in the nostalgia of past Yankee greatness. Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole were starting today, two of the defining pitchers of their rapidly-closing era. Yet as our attention turned to the past, then to the ever-fleeting present, it was the future of the Yankees that delivered a win today; George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, and Ben Rice paced New York to a Saturday afternoon victory over the Braves, 5-4 your final.
Trent Grisham got us started in the second, with a booming double over Michael Harris II’s head in center field. Spencer Jones knocked the Yankee centerfielder in to put the Yankees up early, the first of three strong plate appearances for the hulking rookie.
We really missed Cody Bellinger in this one, though. Heliot Ramos plays a very shallow left field as it turns out, and a soft fly ball off the bat of Mauricio Dubón leading off the fifth ended up over Ramos’ head. A more competent outfielder would make the catch, but Dubón was on and Atlanta followed with three more hits to go up 2-1. This isn’t to take the blame off Cole, who started to leave some pitches out over the zone and was hit hard all four times, but starting the inning with an easy out rather than a runner on is a significant difference.
The Yankees picked up their dad in their half of the frame though, with the kids on the squad acting as chaos agents. Lombard had a great plate appearance to lead off the bottom of the fifth, challenging two consecutive called third strikes to work a walk instead:
Up next, Spencer Jones, recalled to the plate after a challenge overturned what could have been a hit by pitch, drilled his first career triple to bring Lombard in:
Maybe that set something off in Sale — who famously plays with, uh, emotion — as the lefty balked to bring Jones in to score (much to the chagrin of both the ace and his skipper, Walt Weiss). Austin Wells knocked a double to left field with the bases empty, and while he was stranded, it was the kind of high-energy inning the Yankees have sorely been lacking over the last six weeks or so.
Given the lead again, Cole tossed consecutive eight-pitch shutout innings, although he was helped a little bit by defensive specialist Amed Rosario:
All told Cole threw seven innings, allowed a pair of runs, and struck out nine including getting slugger Matt Olson twice, the second time for his 1,000th Yankee strikeout. Unsurprisingly, doing it in his 139th game makes Cole the fastest in franchise history to do so. The Yankees have their three best starters lined up for this big series, and both Max Fried and Cole have delivered in their outings.
Lombard continued to impress, knocking his second home run of his short career to give the team an insurance run, going deep against his father’s original team.
It had been 11 games Rice was sitting on 31 home runs, and after breaking the RBI-less streak last night with that clutch single, you had to imagine a major weight is off his shoulders now. I’ve felt like Rice has been pressing for a couple of weeks as often the only representative MLB-level offensive threat, so maybe having contributions from guys hitting in the back half of the lineup has the lefty slugger a little more relaxed. If that’s the case, it’s a big plus for a Yankee team that finally looked like they could control their at-bats.
David Bednar had a bit of a rocky ninth, walking Mike Yastrzemski who later scored on pinch-hitter Dom Smith’s single. Stellar catcher Drake Baldwin put up a fight with two out, finally flying out to none other than Spencer Jones in right to end the game. The Yankees have taken two out of three against a very good, very likely playoff team, and it feels as though the momentum from Friday night’s heroics followed New York into this one — even if the last two innings were a little hairier than we’d like.
As they say, momentum is only as good as the next day’s starting pitcher, but the Yankees have a pretty good next day’s starting pitcher. Cam Schlittler will look to keep pace with Dylan Cease atop the AL Cy Young race, and managing an emerging home/road split will be key for him against a good Atlanta lineup (and opposing starter Grant Holmes). First pitch in tomorrow’s series finale comes at 1:35pm Eastern.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 8: Houston Astros GM Dana Brown is interviewed during the annual Houston Astros media luncheon at Minute Maid Park on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
As Dana Brown works through the final year of his current contract as Astros general manager, it’s fair to start evaluating his tenure the same way you would any executive in professional sports.
Create a ledger.
Put the good decisions on one side, the questionable ones on the other, and determine whether the positives outweigh the negatives.
There have certainly been positives.
Perhaps Brown’s biggest success came when the Astros realized they weren’t going to sign Kyle Tucker to the massive long-term contract he was eventually going to command. Rather than allowing another star player to simply walk out the door, Brown acted.
The Astros traded Tucker and received Isaac Paredes, Cam Smith and Hayden Wesneski in return.
Whatever you think about losing a player of Tucker’s caliber, Brown deserves credit for recognizing the situation and maximizing the return while he still could. Paredes has become an important piece, Smith has enormous upside, and Wesneski gave the organization another young arm with potential.
Put that one firmly in the win column.
Unfortunately, the other side of Brown’s ledger has become increasingly concerning.
After the Astros allowed Framber Valdez to leave in free agency, Brown suddenly had money available to reshape the pitching staff. Houston brought in six pitchers for the 2026 season.
Three have already been designated for assignment.
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of the organization’s offseason evaluation process.
Then there’s Tatsuya Imai.
At roughly $19 million per season, Imai was supposed to help stabilize the rotation after Valdez’s departure. Instead, his first season in Houston has been an absolute roller coaster.
Between adjusting to Major League Baseball, adapting to a new country and dealing with the cultural challenges that come with pitching in the United States, the transition clearly hasn’t been easy. But eventually, baseball becomes about production.
Imai has been erratic and largely ineffective, and now he’s pitching out of the bullpen.
That creates an even bigger question for the organization: What exactly is the return on that investment going to look like over the remaining years of his contract?
It’s one thing to miss on a short-term acquisition. It’s another when you’re talking about significant money committed for multiple seasons.
Then there’s Mauricio Dubón.
For several years, Dubón was one of the most valuable complementary players on the Astros roster. He could play virtually anywhere on the field, gave the team a professional at-bat, provided Gold Glove-caliber defense and was exactly the kind of versatile player championship teams need.
Yet Houston moved him, in part because of concerns about his salary and the flexibility the Astros believed they needed to add elsewhere.
Fast-forward to today.
The Astros reportedly have approximately $9 million in financial flexibility remaining, while Dubón’s roughly $6 million salary would have fit comfortably within that number.
Considering how inconsistent Houston’s offense has been and how frequently the Astros have searched for answers at multiple positions, wouldn’t Dubón look pretty good on this roster right now?
That brings us to the trade deadline.
For a team that fought its way back from a terrible start and put itself in position to contend for another division championship, the deadline was underwhelming.
The Astros did acquire center fielder Daulton Varsho, but the price was significant: Spencer Arrighetti, a starting pitcher with three additional years of team control.
Meanwhile, Varsho can become a free agent after the season.
Maybe the gamble works.
Maybe Varsho rediscovers the player he was a year ago, becomes a difference-maker down the stretch and helps Houston make another deep postseason run. Maybe he enjoys Houston enough to re-sign and becomes part of the team’s future.
If those things happen, the trade will look considerably better.
But that’s a lot of maybes.
Right now, Houston surrendered years of control over a starting pitcher for a player who could potentially be gone in a matter of months.
That’s not a sure thing.
That’s a gamble.
And when you combine that decision with some of Brown’s other recent moves, it’s fair to wonder whether a general manager working without a contract beyond this season is beginning to feel the pressure.
If Brown truly is fighting to keep his job, then he shouldn’t be finished.
The trade deadline may have passed, but other opportunities have emerged.
Marcell Ozuna, Jorge Soler and Austin Hays are among the veteran bats who could potentially provide more offensive upside than some of the options Houston continues to run into its lineup.
Are any of them perfect solutions?
No.
But we’re well beyond searching for perfect.
We’re searching for better.
If Houston can add a veteran hitter without sacrificing another prospect or young pitcher, why wouldn’t Brown investigate every possible avenue? Wheter his future is yet to be decided or already sealed, finish the job by finishing the year strong. Go for it! It’s in everyone’s best interest, even Brown’s, even if it’s not in Houston next season. This team deseves every opportunity to make a run and finish the season strong.
As always, Astros fans, I want to hear from you.
How do you evaluate the job Dana Brown has done? Have the good moves outweighed the bad ones? And with the trade deadline behind us, what, if anything, should he still do to give this team its best chance to win before it’s too late? Can he save his job?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 07: Kaelen Culpepper #12 of the Minnesota Twins reacts while crossing home plate after getting his first major league hit, a solo home run, in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on August 07, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch: 6:10 pm CDT TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN / WCCO 830 / The Wolf 102.9 FM / Audacy
Armed with their latest weapon — unstoppable rookie Kaelen Culpepper — the Twins aim to take the series against baseball’s best team. They already got one; what’s one more? After all, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching baseball, it’s that if something happens today, the exact same thing will probably happen tomorrow. The same is true for life!
Taj Bradley struggled to miss bats in his last outing, unless you count walks as missing bats. Either way, two strikeouts against the Mariners was a far cry from 10 strikeouts against the Royals, although both starts were quality and four of Bradley’s last five outings have met the same criteria. One of Bradley’s tougher recent tests will come in the form of Milwaukee’s first-place lineup, who showed everything they can do and then some in the first game of this set.
Milwaukee will start relative newbie Robert Gasser, a lefty making his 20th start tonight despite appearances in three big-league seasons. Gasser likes him his sweeper/sinker mix and has been able to limit hard-hit balls while staying in the zone, walking only three total hitters across his five most recent appearances.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 08: Home plate umpire Dan Merzel #3 talks to manager Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves after a balk call during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 08, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We were treated to a fun pitching matchup between Chris Sale and Gerrit Cole in the Bronx on Saturday.
Sale blinked first in the second, allowing a run on a double and a single, despite pumping upper 90s heat with his fastball. After a couple more quiet innings, the Braves flipped the script in the fifth, as doubles from Dubon and Yaz, followed by singles from Riley and Jarvis scored two runs, giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead. An Acuna liner nearly scored another two, but instead was caught for an out.
An ABS strikeout-turned-walk and a triple tied the game up in the bottom of the frame. Chris Sale struck out the next batter but was called for a balk to give the Yankees the go-ahead run. A fired-up Sale was arguing with the ump and Walt Weiss interdicted, getting ejected himself, but saving Sale from receiving what I would guess would have been an ejection. Things spiraled a bit with one out, as Sale allowed a double and issues a walk, but a double-play ended the inning with the one run deficit held at just that, as a visibly frustrated Sale walked to the dugout. The sixth held 1-2-3 frames for both starting pitchers, but spelled the end for Sale, while Cole remained in the game. Sale had 6.0 innings of 3 run ball on 8 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Mederos was first out of the bullpen for Atlanta after Cole shut down the Braves’ offense in the seventh. Mederos allowed short porch homer to lead off the frame. His command was shaky as he issued a walk and hit the next batter, but struck out the final two to end the inning there. Ronald Acuna crushed a solo homer against the Yankee’s pen on a full count after a long at-bat in the eighth.
Michael Harris reached with two outs, prompting a pitching change to prevent Ozzie from being able to bat right-handed. Ozzie fouled off a few pitches on a 2-2 count before ultimately grounding out and leaving the Braves with 3 outs and down 1 run. Danny Young gave back the run on a solo shot to dead center to lead off the ninth, as his existence on the roster continues to be perplexing. Young funnily enough ended up striking out the side, with a single and walk in there as well. Yaz walked to put the tying run at the plate with one out for the 8 and 9 spots. Riley struck out, but Dominic Smith brought Yaz home with a ground ball single up the middle, after Yaz took second on defensive indifference. That brough Drake Baldwin to the plate, representing the winning run. Baldwin struggled with Bednar’s splitter and ultimately lined out softly to right field, ending the game.
That’s a series loss and tomorrow will be a rough matchup, with Grant Holmes vs Cam Schlittler. Join us as the Braves look to avoid a sweep at 1:35 PM ET.
On a beautiful Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees beat the Braves, 5-4 the final score, to clinch the series victory.
Here are the takeaways...
-Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale faced off against each other for the third time in their illustrious careers.
-The Yankees opened the scoring in the second inning, when Spencer Jones singled home Trent Grisham - who had doubled a few batters earlier - with two outs. Sale wasn't fazed, however, and the southpaw retired each of the next seven Yankees batters he faced.
-The Braves roared back to take the lead in the fifth inning, scoring two runs before Cole could record a single out. The first RBI came off the bat of Mike Yastrzemski, who doubled over the head of an ill-positioned Heliot Ramos in left field to bring home Mauricio Dubon. Austin Riley then singled to put Atlanta runners on the corners, before rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis roped a line drive into right field to bring home Yastrzemski and make the score 2-1 Braves. Yankees skipper Aaron Boone kept the faith in his veteran right-hander, and Cole battled back to retire the next three batters in order to escape the jam, including two strikeouts. Cole's strikeout of Braves slugger Matt Olson was his 1,000th in just 139 games with the Yankees, making him the fastest to reach that milestone in franchise history.
-Leading off the bottom of the fifth inning, George Lombard Jr. successfully challenged two straight pitches to turn a strikeout into a walk. Jonesgot the best of Sale yet again, driving a front-door slider into the gap for a triple, which easily brought home Lombard to tie up the game. The next batter, much to the chagrin of Sale and Braves manager Walt Weiss, the umpire ruled that Sale balked, and Jones was allowed to walk home from third base. Weiss was ejected in the ensuing argument. Austin Wells kept the momentum rolling for the Yanks with an opposite-field double, but two batters later, Ramos grounded into a double play to end the inning with New York leading 3-2.
-Cole faced the minimum of nine total batters as he cruised through innings five, six, and seven. He finished his start having allowed two earned runs on six hits, tallying nine strikeouts and zero walks across 82 pitches.
-Sale was relieved by right-hander Victor Mederos in the seventh inning, who promptly surrendered a leadoff solo shot to Lombard, who clubbed his hanging cutter the opposite way and over the short porch in right field. Later in the inning, Wells was issued a strike after the umpire judged that Jose Caballero - who had just been walked - took too long to get to first base. The umpire got an earful from an irate Boone. Wells was subsequently hit by a pitch, and the Yankees baserunners executed a double steal to put two runners in scoring position, but Mederos struck out Paul Goldschmidt and Ramos to strand them both.
-Lefty setup man Brent Headrick relieved Cole in the eighth inning. Ronald Acuna Jr. launched a solo shot to cut the Yankees' lead to 4-3, and Michael Harris II slapped a two-out single to extend the inning and force the Yankees to call upon right-handed reliever Paul Blackburn to record the final out and hold the lead entering the final frame.
-Facing left-handed reliever Danny Young, Ben Rice broke his 11-game long ball drought with a leadoff bomb to straightaway center field. His 32nd homer of the season extended the lead to 5-3 for the Yankees. Lombard and Jones stayed hot to ignite a two-out rally with a single and a walk, respectively. They each reached base in three of their four at-bats on Saturday, combining for three of the team's five RBI.
-After issuing a one-out walk to Yastrzemski and a two-out RBI single to pinch-hitter Dom Smith, Yankees closer David Bednar persevered to seal the 5-4 win, his 26th save of the season.
Game MVP: Spencer Jones
The rookie right fielder notched the fourth multi-hit game and second multi-RBI game of his young career, a much-needed showing as the Yankees offense looks to get back on track.
Highlights
Spencer Jones gives the Yankees a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI single off Chris Sale, scoring Trent Grisham pic.twitter.com/F9bCS1Zzvs
A.J. Ewing – LF Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Jared Young – 1B Luis Robert Jr. – CF Brett Baty – RF Marcus Semien – 2B Jorge Polanco – DH Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Robert Stock (RHP)
Pirates lineup
Jake Mangum – CF Brandon Lowe – 2B Bryan Reynolds – DH Spencer Horwitz – 1B Nick Gonzales – 3B Endy Rodríguez – C Esmerlyn Valdez – LF Jacob Gonzalez – SS Ronny Simon – RF
SP: Bubba Chandler (RHP)
Broadcast info
First pitch: 6:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 03: Bubba Chandler #36 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field on August 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of a three-game set against the New York Mets at PNC Park this weekend.
Bubba Chandler is making his 22nd start for the Pirates this season. In his last appearance on August 3 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Chandler had one of his better outings of the season, pitching 5.2 innings and giving up two earned runs as the Buccos won 4-3 at American Family Field. It was his first win since June 25, and it was the Pirates’ only win in the four-game set.
The Mets are handing the ball off to 36-year-old right-hander Robert Stock, who is making just his second appearance for the team this season. In his last start on August 2 against the Miami Marlins, Stock pitched five innings, giving up three hits and one earned run, but his offense did not support him. The team lost 2-0 to the Miami Marlins at Citi Field.
Stock was a second-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2009 MLB Draft. He spent his first nine professional seasons in the minor leagues before being called up in 2018 by the San Diego Padres. He has pitched for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs and even had stints in Korea and Mexico before returning to the big leagues.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Robert Stock (0-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. Bubba Chandler (4-8, 4.49 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below for the game day thread. Enjoy!
Nov 28, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; General aerial overall view of Citizens Bank Park (top) and Lincoln Financial Field. The venues in the Philadelphia Sports Complex are the home of the Philadelphia Phillies of the MLB an the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Game Two in Philadelphia.
The news for the game is that Springer is scratched because of shoulder tightness. And Vlad is back in the lineup.
Beyond that, Zack Wheeler was whining about the Jays wanting him to, you know, follow the rules:
You know, they’ve lost a lot of games over there, so they’re probably trying to pick some things up to complain about.
Well, seemed to work, because they hit him pretty good. You know that teams are going to be pushing the umpires on this for the rest of the season. From Sportsnet:
According to the MLB rulebook, a pitcher must touch the rubber while beginning his throwing motion. However, Wheeler appears to pitch with his right foot on the front edge of the rubber, nearly off the mark.
Tonight, Max Scherzer tries to build on his best start of the season, against the Cardinals last week. Hopefully, tonight will be a step better. Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.55 ERA in 23 starts, leading the league with 28 home runs allowed). But then the Jays know how to make any pitcher look good.
Ahead of the Mets' game against the Pirates on Saturday evening, interim manager Andy Green spoke to the media and hit on a number of topics...
Brett Baty in right field
Baty is starting in right field for the second straight game and Green was asked whether he feels the utility player has improved his outfield defense.
"He’s played a very solid right field. There’s been a few tough, tailing plays that tend to get the spotlight when you’re a guy that moves around positionally," Green said. "Brett’s made a lot of good plays out there as well."
Green pointed out that when the plays Baty doesn't make happen to an outfielder like Tyrone Taylor who is known for his defense, it doesn't make headlines, but Baty has taken it in stride.
One reason for that is the pride Baty has in his defense and wanting to be better.
"He takes extreme ownership. Every single time something comes up short, he owns it, he knows it and moves forward and goes out and makes the best possible play the next time," Green said. " He’s done a nice job of bouncing all over the diamond and every team has players like that. And allowing somebody to evolve into a valuable, versatile player is important for us as well."
It's been somewhat of an adventure for Baty in right field this season. There have been misplays in the outfield this season, including a notorious one in right against the Brewers back in July that cost the Mets a win. But Baty was solid in right on Friday, and Green hopes it'll be the same on Saturday.
Gabriel Arias' role
The Mets made one roster move ahead of Saturday's game, calling up Arias and optioning Eric Wagaman to Triple-A.
Green was asked what Arias will bring to the team, and the skipper said simply Arias allows more defensive versatility, and with the return of Jorge Polanco, the number of 1B/DH opportunities -- which Wagaman was used for -- are limited.
"He provides us with a measure of defensive versatility than Wags does," Green said of Arias. "It’s hard to find him consistent opportunities. Gabriel gives us an opportunity to rest regulars on the left side.
"He’s a really good defender at a lot of positions. He’s done that really well for a long time, and he has some pop. Those are nice pieces to add to your team. How much opportunity he gets is predicated on how everyone else maintains his health and how well he plays when he gets his chances."
When asked if he'd use Arias in the outfield, Green said while he views Arias as an infielder first, if he had to, he'd use him in the outfield. In his career, Arias has played 27 games in the outfield.
The Mets claimed Arias earlier this week from the Guardians and, in 42 games this year, has hit five home runs, 11 RBI with a .244/.284/.386 slash line and a .669 OPS.
Wagaman, 28, hit two home runs and drove in four runs across 23 games while slashing .190/.291/.378 with an OPS of .669.
Aug 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) during pregame warmup before a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Twins beat the Brewers in the first game of this weekend’s series in a wild game, one in which Milwaukee took an early four-run lead but couldn’t hold on to it. Tonight, they’ll look to even the series, though the on-paper pitching matchup favors the Twins: Robert Gasser will take the mound for the Brewers, while Taj Bradley will be his opponent.
Gasser is working on a string of solid outings. He’s given up three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight outings, excepting only the stinker in the team’s last game before the All-Star break. Throw that one out, and in the other seven outings he’s got a 2.41 ERA in 41 innings going back to June 16th. Even with the bad one, Gasser has a 3.68 ERA and 3.41 FIP over what basically amounts to the last two months.
His opponent is no slouch, though, and with Joe Ryan on the injured list, Bradley slots in as Minnesota’s de facto ace. In 22 starts covering 126 2/3 innings this season, Bradley has pitched to a solid 3.69 ERA (114 ERA+) and 3.91 FIP, and while his walks are higher than you’d like (3.8 per nine), he’s striking out 10 batters per nine innings this season. Bradley, who was traded straight up for Griffin Jax at last year’s trade deadline, seems to be finding his own with the Twins in his age-25 season.
Speaking of pitching, the Brewers made a logical but still somewhat surprising move today: after pitching well in six outings for the Brewers, including three really good innings last night, Bryse Wilson has been designated for assignment. Recalled in his place is right-hander Lyon Richardson, who has made 41 mostly sub-par appearances for the Reds over the last four seasons (most of which came in 2025, when he had a 4.54 ERA in 34 outings). Richardson was designated for assignment by the Reds in early June and joined Triple-A Nashville; in 13 outings there since his acquisition, Richardson has a 4.20 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and a troubling 5.4 BB/9 in 30 innings.
It’s tough on Wilson, who did as well as one could’ve asked for in his short reunion with the Brewers. At this point, it’s a numbers game: the Brewers need fresh arms somewhat desperately during this run of 17 straight days with a baseball game, and Wilson is the sort of journeyman that is deemed expendable in a situation like this (the Brewers were already the third team he’d pitched for in 2026 alone). It should also be said that, for the most part, Wilson’s stats in every stop he’s made except for Milwaukee have been quite bad, so it does seem like the Brewers understand that whatever they’ve been getting from him has been at least partially aided by luck and/or good fortune.
Note also in that transaction: Sal Frelick is on his way to Nashville for a rehab assignment. Things are going to get a bit crowded when he returns, and Luis Lara’s good play has complicated things. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening, but Brandon Lockridge may find himself on the outside looking in.
BCB readers, rejoice! Joey Ortiz is starting at third base against a right-handed pitcher after David Hamilton had started five in a row at the hot corner against righties (Ortiz started the first of those five at shortstop). It is, of course, somewhat amusing that this is when Hamilton goes to the pine, given that he actually had a good game last night. (The Brewers say they have a plan with Ortiz, honest.) Andrew Vaughn also gets a start against the right-hander tonight, with Jake Bauers back in right field and Christian Yelich again playing DH; down in the seven spot tonight, this will officially be the lowest Yelich has started in the batting order since 2015.
First pitch tonight is at 6:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.
Aug 28, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Phillies Phanatic entertains fans from the top of the Philadelphia Phillies dugout during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
UNDER THE LIGHTS: The Cubs are 42-26 in night games, a winning percentage of .618. They finished last season 49-38, .563. At night on the road, they are 26-14, .650. They finished last season just 28-27, .509. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
SATURDAY IN THE PARK: At 11-7, the Cubs already have lost as many games on Saturday as they did all of last season, when they were 20-7. They are 5-3 on the road on Saturday this year. Last year, they were 11-2. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
NOT SCORING FIRST: The Cubs have given up the first run in six consecutive games, each in the first three innings, including the first inning of the the last three. They have not scored first in eight of nine games, after having done it in five straight, seven of eight and 11 of 13. The Cubs have taken the first lead in 55 games and fallen behind in 62. They are 40-15 when they score first and 28-34 when they do not. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jim Edmonds homers twice, including a game-tying blast in the seventh, and Henry Blanco’s walk-off single wins the game over the Cardinals 3-2 at Wrigley Field. It happened 18 years ago today, Friday, Aug. 8, 2008.
Clay Holmes was having a fine year with the Mets when he suffered a fractured fibula on this play against the Yankees May 15:
He has made three rehab starts. In the most recent one, Aug. 2, he threw 43 pitches for the Mets’ High-A affiliate. He’d thrown 59 pitches in the rehab start before that.
So I’d think he’ll be on a pitch limit tonight, maybe 75 or so? The Cubs do have Colin Rea and Javier Assad ready for long relief.
Below you’ll find Holmes’ pitch mix. As you’ll note, he relies on a sinker which, we hope, will induce lots of ground balls to the excellent Cubs defenders.
Seth Lugo was a big Royals free-agent signing before the 2024 season. He was very good that year (second in AL Cy Young voting), a bit worse last year, and not very good this year, especially over his last eight starts (5.82 ERA, 1.477 WHIP, eight home runs in 43.1 innings). He’s also walked a lot of guys in those eight starts (8.9 percent walk rate).
He has, however, held current Cubs to a .167 BA (14-for-84) with one home run (Seiya Suzuki). Hopefully Cubs bats are ready for him tonight.
Please visit our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review. If you do go there to interact with Royals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 02: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on August 02, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If ever the Cincinnati Reds are going to sneak their way into the playoff race, they’re going to need every last good thing than ace Chase Burns can give them – especially now that they’ll be without Hunter Greene for the remainder of the season.
Problem is, Burns is going to slam into an innings limit at some point in the very near future. He’s already at 118.2 IP so far in the 2026 campaign, already outpacing the 109.1 IP he threw across all levels just last year. Given that he only touched 100 IP exactly in his final college season, there’s not a ton of ‘build up’ on his prized right arm just yet, and letting him blow past 150 IP likely isn’t in the designs of the Reds front office this season.
So, they need to maximize his opportunities while they have them, and one comes around again on Saturday against the Washington Nationals.
Burns starts opposite Nats lefty Andrew Alvarez with first pitch slated for 6:45 PM ET, and the Reds have done what they can to stack the lineup against the southpaw accordingly.
Williams ranks in the 96th percentile in K%, thanks to elite extension and a filthy sweeper generating a 44.3% whiff rate. Since the All-Star break, he leads the majors with a 1.26 xFIP.
The Chicago White Sox are struggling against righties. Since the All-Star break, they rank 26th in BA (.218) and 25th in BABIP (.267) against RHP, with the fifth-highest K% (25.5%) of any team.
Add in their league-high 31.8% K% the past week, and it’s a great spot to back another strong outing from Williams.
I’m backing them to take victory down to -145.
COVERS INTEL: Gavin Williams leads the majors with a 48.4% K% since the All-Star break among SP with at least 70 batters faced—nearly nine percentage points higher than the next-best pitcher.
Guardians vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-126)
Anthony Kay is coming off a strong outing against the Rays, and has looked improved since the break. He’s also posted a home ERA of just 3.24 this season, compared to a 4.88 road ERA.
That’s largely driven by Kay’s home HR/9 of just 0.62 which is a full dinger less than his road metric.
The Guardians have hit the ball well the past week, but their ISO of .121 and HR/FB rate of 9.3% since the break make it unlikely they’re going to post crooked numbers.
Cleveland will win a lower-scoring contest.
Back the Under to -135.
Jason Ence's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 13-16, -4.66 units
Over/Under bets: 16-13, +2.01 units
Guardians vs White Sox weather
Hitters will be dealing with temps in the upper 70s and winds blowing from left field towards first base at up to 10 mph, which will help both pitching staffs limit the damage on big flys.
Guardians vs White Sox odds
Moneyline: Guardians -137 | White Sox +124
Run line: Guardians -1.5 (+134) | White Sox +1.5 (-148)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+114) | Under 7.5 (-126)
Guardians vs White Sox trend
The Cleveland Guardians have covered the Run Line in 9 of their last 12 away games (+5.55 Units / 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. White Sox.
How to watch Guardians vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Saturday, August 8, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Guardians starting pitcher
Gavin Williams (11-6, 3.56 ERA)
White Sox starting pitcher
Anthony Kay (8-5, 4.01 ERA)
Guardians vs White Sox latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
COVERS INTEL: Gavin Williams leads the majors with a 48.4% K% since the All-Star break among SP with at least 70 batters faced—nearly