Friday's series opener between the Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates is in a rain delay in the top of the third inning.
Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski threw three pitches to A.J. Ewing to begin the frame before the umpiring crew made the call to roll the tarp onto the field.
New York is leading 1-0 after scoring in the first inning on Carson Benge's RBI single, which scored Ewing, who doubled to lead off the game and moved to third on a Bo Bichette infield single.
Mets starter Zac Thornton pitched two scoreless innings with a walk and a strikeout while dealing with the rain.
After a 36-minute delay, the game restarted and on the first pitch, Ewing lined a single off of Mlodzinski to lead off the third.
The tarp is being rolled out at the top of the third inning with no outs in Pittsburgh due to rain pic.twitter.com/dhR8vpZSoT
Munetaka Murakami and the White Sox have a big divisional clash ahead of them Friday night. | (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
After getting swept in a three-game series to the Boston Red-Handed Cheaters (seriously, does anyone believe they’ve gone 26-3 over their last 29 games legitimately?), the Chicago White Sox now find themselves in a dogfight in the AL Central. For most of the season, the race has been between the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago, and this series allows the South Siders a real chance to deal a devastating blow to Cleveland’s playoff hopes.
With every team in the division but the Kansas City Royals within four games of each other, every single game moving forward is absolutely crucial. While the White Sox are coming off a tough sweep, they aren’t the only ones struggling lately as Cleveland is also coming off of a sweep of their own, dropping three straight to the lowly New York Mets.
With the Minnesota Twins on the road against the best team in baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s not a stretch to believe this series will give the winning team a leg up on the rest of the division. With Chicago leading the season series over Cleveland four games to three with only six left to play, a series win would assure the White Sox a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker as long as they aren’t swept in the final series against the Guardians.
Somebody has to break their losing streak tonight, and the Guardians must feel pretty good about their chances with Parker Messick taking the mound. Although Messick has a record of just 1-3 over his last seven starts, he has posted an impressive 2.30 ERA during that time. Messick has been one of the best pitchers in baseball as of late and hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in a start since June 29 against the Texas Rangers.
In two starts against the White Sox this season, Messick has pitched just shy of 13 innings, allowing just eight hits and three earned runs. He has a vast repertoire of pitches and excels in limiting hard contact. While Messick’s past success against the White Sox is certainly not the greatest sign for Chicago, it is important to note that both of those starts were against the South Siders sans Munetaka Murakami. Fans have seen how much his presence alone boosts this team, so it’s anyone’s guess how Messick will perform against a stronger Chicago offense.
While the White Sox also come into this series cold, they also have to feel pretty good about their chances moving forward but for different reasons. This series against the Guardians kicks off an interesting quirk in the schedule that sees the South Siders play 16 of their next 19 games in Chicago. With the White Sox holding a 34-21 record at home, the long stretch inside city limits is a dream scenario. In a tight divisional race, the rest of the month of August provides a great opportunity to solidify themselves at the very top.
On the mound for Chicago tonight is Noah Schultz, who quite frankly will be heavily outmatched by Messick. I know advanced metrics aren’t everything, but the only metric Schultz has better than the 50 percentile is fastball velocity, at 60. There aren’t many things he’s done well lately, either, as seen by his 1-5 record and 6.82 ERA over his past seven starts. The other issue is that he doesn’t go late into games, which will put some extra strain on what will already be a tired bullpen after last night’s extra innings affair.
While on paper it certainly seems that the White Sox are outmatched, fans certainly thought the same thing last Friday before the team batted around Tampa’s Cy Young candidate Nick Martinez on its way to a 6-1 victory.
Here are the starting lineups for the Chicago White Sox:
Here are the starting lineups for the Cleveland Guardians:
Game time is 6:40 p.m. CT, available in all the usual places.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 05: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers celebrates a victory over the San Francisco Giants at Globe Life Field on August 05, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 01: Ryan Feltner #18 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Saturday, August 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Sometimes you’re the broom, sometimes you’re in the dustpan.
After sweeping the Kansas City Royals in a three-game series, the Colorado Rockies found themselves on the other end, dropping three straight to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Rockies enjoyed a nice Thursday off after the homestand and will try to turn their fortunes around under the shadow of the Gateway Arch as they kick off a weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rockies enter the series at 45-70, while the Cards sit in the middle of the NL Central at 57-58.
PECOTA projections at the beginning of the season had the Cardinals only reaching 66 wins. They are nearly about to eclipse that prediction and are four games out of the last Wild Card spot as they float around .500 on the year. St. Louis went 10-18 in July and are 3-2 to start August, going 4-6 in their last 10 games.
As for the pitching matchup, St. Louis will start Boulder, Colorado’s own Kyle Leahy. The Colorado Mesa University product is 7-4 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 21 starts. Leahy hasn’t logged a decision in his last four games but has three quality starts in that span. In his last start, he went six innings and gave up just one run on six hits as the Cardinals fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1.
The Rockies turn again to Ryan Feltner who has shown lots of resilience in his last starts as he’s struggled with command at times but found ways to battle back and keep the team competitive. After notching a win in his last start, a 12-6 victory over the Royals where he was shaky early but locked in late, he enters with a 4-5 record, a 5.75 ERA, and a 1.46 WHIP across 16 starts.
Both teams traded vets or expiring contracts for prospects at the deadline. With their rosters settled (for now…), each team continues their path into the backend of the season.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 22: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium on July 22, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Even these days, interleague matchups aren’t exactly common, making this the first time that Max Fried will face his former club since joining the Yankees. Obviously it isn’t as special as that first visit to Truist Park (which he made at the 2025 All-Star Game), but it adds a layer to this game—the unique context of it aside, a meet-up between the Yankees and Braves needs no propping up, as two of the strongest teams in the sport battle it out.
The Braves visit Yankee Stadium, sitting comfortably atop the NL East, with their biggest concern being the fight for a first-round bye with the Brewers and Dodgers. Meanwhile, the Yankees are trying to keep their heads above water, sharing the AL East spotlight with two of the hottest teams in the sport (in addition to Atlanta, which has won eight in a row). Prior to dropping two out of three against the Cardinals at home, the Yankees had not lost any of their last four series. And yet their place in the standings keeps looking worse thanks to the outstanding efforts of their opponents.
Looking to strengthen the backend of their rotation, the Braves added Tyler Mahle at the deadline, and he’ll be making his debut for Atlanta this Friday. One of the Yankees hitters with the most experience against the right-hander is Ryan McMahon, who has taken Mahle deep twice in just 18 plate appearances. McMahon drops one spot in the order as Aaron Boone rewards George Lombard Jr. for his impressive performance in his first two games as a big leaguer, moving the shortstop to the seven-hole.
Although the raw ability is there, Mahle comes as a lottery ticket of sorts. Before this trade, Mahle was having far from a solid season with the Giants, with an ERA above five, having suffered the loss in half of his 18 starts.
San Diego Padres’ newest starting pitcher Robbie Ray (Photo by Brendon Baranov/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
FriarWatch: August 7 Edition
The San Diego Padres return home for a crucial six-game stretch against two potential MLB playoff contenders. First up is the American League West-leading Houston Astros in a crucial three-game series for both teams.
The Padres trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by one game for the final berth in the National League Wild-Card standings. The Astros hold a slim 1.5-game advantage over their cross-state rival Texas Rangers.
Both clubs come into the weekend set hot, as each team is 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Friars will try to extend their three-game winning streak at Petco Park with a series sweep.
Taking the mound: Ronel Blanco (HOU) vs Robbie Ray (SD)
The Gaslamp Quarter should be rockin with anticipation of Robbie Ray’s (10-6, 3.08 ERA) first start with the Brown & Gold. He was a hot commodity at this week’s trade deadline. The left-hander would bolster any team’s starting rotation.
The Padres dealt for him hours before Monday’s trade deadline. Ray stated his case by shutting down the Friars on July 30 at Petco Park.
He has been on a hot streak, going 7-0 in his last 12 starts. How dominant is Ray? Well, the southpaw allowed one run or less in nine of those starts.
Career-wise, the Astros have Ray’s number, as he is 3-3 with a 6.86 ERA in nine starts. Jose Altuve is hitting .550 against him in over 20 at-bats. Ray must keep the ball in the yard, as he allowed 11 home runs in 42.1 innings pitched against the Stros.
Houston will send out Ronel Blanco (0-1, 7.36 ERA) in the series-opener. You can expect Astros manager Joe Espada to keep him on a short leash. Blanco has struggled since returning from Tommy John surgery.
No question, the right-hander has shown rust from the 14-month layoff. Blanco has failed to get past the fifth inning in his three July starts. He has been susceptible to giving up the long ball (five HRs in 14.2 IP).
Blanco will have to attack the strike zone (16 Ks) to keep the hitters off balance. But more importantly, he needs an extended outing tonight, so as not to tax the Astros bullpen in the series’ first game.
Today’s Game
8/7 ⚾ Astros Lineup is Out! Provided by mlbstartingnine (@DailyMLBLineups for link)
TAMPA BAY, - MARCH 16: Henry LaLane #58 of the New York Yankees pitches during the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in Tampa Bay, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Six games for the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates on Thursday. Not all six teams played, though, as AA Richmond had a doubleheader, while the Dominican Summer League Black squad had the day off.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
We officially have a draftee assignment! Outfielder Tanner Mally, the team’s 17th-round pick in last month’s draft, has been assigned to Low-A San Jose. That move bumped outfielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) up from San Jose to High-A Eugene, and outfielder Jose Astudillo from Eugene to AA Richmond. That’s extremely exciting for Astudillo, who only just got to Eugene … but fit in sensationally.
Also in exciting news, Richmond RHPs Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL) and Christian Alvarado have been promoted to AAA Sacramento!
AAA Sacramento (62-46)
Sacramento River Cats lost to the Round Rock Express (Rangers) 5-2 Box score
Not the most interesting game for the River Kitties, but some nice performances. Center fielder Jonah Cox continues to fit in just fine at the level he initially skipped, as he hit 3-5 with a double, though he was caught stealing twice. Cox is 7 games into his AAA tenure and he’s been a certified hit machine, going 15-32 with just 6 strikeouts. I’ll be curious to see how long he’s in AAA before the Giants bring him back to the Major; he was obviously promoted way ahead of schedule and his struggles showed that, but if he keeps hitting like this … presumably San Francisco will want to see how he handles some of the pitches he struggled with in the Majors (and even in his blistering AA stint) before making that decision. But seeing him collect hits is a great sign.
Speaking of collecting hits, left fielder Turner Hill only went 1-5 with a strikeout and an outfield assist, but that “1” was enough to push his hitting streak to 22 games. Phenomenal work!
Second baseman Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL) had a strong AAA debut on Wednesday, and he was even better on Thursday, hitting 2-3 with a double and a walk. It’s so great seeing the switch-hitter finally get a chance in AAA, and making the most of it … it’s easy to think of Velasquez as an older prospect because of how long he was in AA, so here’s your reminder that he was nearly 2 years younger than the average player when he was in AA this year. He’s still only 22!
Third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL) hit 1-3 with a double and a walk, boosting his OPS to .949 and his wRC+ to 145 through 18 AAA games. He’s slowed down a little since his blistering start, but my goodness has he taken beautifully to the highest level of the Minors. If you’re clamoring for a debut, I’d push back on it a little bit … not only will the Giants potentially want to keep him off the 40-man roster so he can play Minor League games in the event of a lockout, but Harber, for all his great numbers, is showing a lot to work on in AAA. He’s posting decent exit velocities, but not at the level of what we expect of him, and he’s having a hard time pulling the trigger and swinging as he adjusts to better pitchers: he’s just 5th percentile in in-zone swing rate. He’s perhaps patient to a fault at the moment.
Designated hitter Victor Bericoto (No. 35 CPL) made his 2nd rehab appearance and went 0-4 with a walk and 3 strikeouts.
Just 2 pitchers were used, and neither was particularly sharp. LHP Seth Lonsway had a nice game from an ERA standpoint, as he gave up just 1 earned run (plus 1 unearned run) in 6 innings … yet, despite that great run suppression, allowed 5 hits (including a home run) and walked 5 batters, while throwing just 48 of his 92 pitches for strikes.
Lonsway, a 6th-round pick in 2021 who turns 28 in October, has struggled in AAA this year, with a 6.07 ERA and a 6.27 FIP. He did have 6 strikeouts in this game, though, which was nice to see, as he normally doesn’t get many strikeouts.
Then it was RHP Will Bednar (No. 24 CPL), who made his AAA return. Bednar, who was an NRI this year (as well as a 1st-round pick in 2021), started the year with Sacramento but only pitched twice (and well, at that) before being returned to AA, had a re-introduction to AAA. Normally his issue is with walks, yet he didn’t issue a single free pass in 3 innings, and threw 35 of 47 pitches for strikes. Great to see! But living in the zone had its repercussions, as he gave up 6 hits and 3 earned runs, while only striking out 2. Unfortunately, the high-90s velo that Bednar found last year has really abandoned him this season. He sat 94-95 early in this outing, though he found more gas as the appearance went on … but only peaked at 97.
AA Richmond (61-42)
Game 1: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies) 6-4 (7 innings) Game 2: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Reading Fightin Phils 8-3 (7 innings) Game 1 box score Game 2 box score
Not the most exciting doubleheader for the Squirrels, who were playing a makeup of Tuesday’s lost series opener. Across the 14 innings, they only had 1 extra-base hit … but it was an exciting one, as shortstop/DH Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) went yard for the 1st time since getting promoted.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) August 6, 2026
Kilen, who hit 2-7 with 3 strikeouts over the pair of games, has cooled down a little bit following a red-hot start to his AA tenure. He set the world on fire when he first got to Richmond, but in his last 7 games is 7-27 with 2 extra-base hits, 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts. On the flip side, if that’s a slump, then you know things are going wonderfully, and things are, indeed, going wonderfully for last year’s 1st-rounder, who has an .860 OPS and a 121 wRC+ through 17 games at the level.
His fellow recent promotee, and last year’s 3rd-round pick, center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL), has been hotter than hot lately, but cooled off in this pair of games, as he went 0-8.
Left fielder Jack Payton had a nice pair of games, hitting 2-4 with 2 walks, while third baseman/right fielder Jean Carlos Sió (No. 44 CPL) had a painful outing, both literally and figuratively, hitting 1-4 with a strikeout, 2 hit by pitches, and 4 errors. Sió, a 22-year old who has a .732 OPS and an 87 wRC+ since getting promoted, had 0 errors in 45 AA games before this pair of contests and quartet of goofs. So it goes.
RHP Trystan Vrieling had a good start in Game 1, giving up just 4 singles and 2 walks in 5 innings, while striking out 8. Vrieling didn’t give up any earned runs, though Sió‘s rough defensive day resulted in 3 unearned runs.
Vrieling, a 3rd-round pick by the Yankees in 2022, has struggled with strikeouts this year (he has just 8.1 per 9 innings), so this was nice to see. He’s still walking too many batters (5.6 per 9), but a nice summer has brought his ERA all the way down to 3.99 (it was in the 6s after his 1st 3 starts, and at 5.00 after his 1st June start). His FIP still sits at 5.29, though. I’m curious to see how long the Giants keep the soon-to-turn 26-year old both in AA and in a starting role.
RHP Yunior Marte (No. 25 CPL) wasn’t so sharp, ceding 6 hits (including 2 home runs) and 4 walks in 5 innings, while getting tagged for 3 runs and striking out 4. The AA numbers aren’t great for Marte in 11 starts since getting promoted, as he has a 4.56 ERA and a 4.47 FIP. But there’s a lot for the Giants to be thrilled about, notably the 58 strikeouts to 20 walks in 53.1 innings and, quite simply, the sheer electricity and excitement of his pitches. He’ll be a very fascinating Rule 5 decision.
RHP Marques Johnson, recently demoted from AAA, had a great showing, throwing 1.1 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. A less successful day for RHP Manuel Mercedes, who got rocked to the tune of 6 hits and 4 runs in an inning of work.
A very exciting game for the Emeralds, who used a 5-run 10th inning to win. Eugene did it the old fashioned way: they had no home runs en route to 15 runs, settling instead for a parade of bases: 15 singles, 10 walks, and 3 doubles.
But the excitement began on the mound, where a pair of players acquired at the deadline made their organizational debuts. That began in the first inning, when LHP Henry LaLane got the start.
LaLane, a 6’7 southpaw who recently turned 22, was the headlining return piece from the New York Yankees in the Heliot Ramos trade. LaLane, who has been having a stellar season, had pretty good results, but it was firmly a case of the process looking way better than the results, even though the results were fine. LaLane finished the day with 4.2 innings pitched, and having allowed 5 hits, 3 runs, and just 1 earned run, with 5 strikeouts against 1 walk. He wasn’t efficient, as he needed 87 pitches, but he was heavy on the strikes, as 59 of those pitches were strikes.
That underscores it, though: our highly-esteemed community member HeyDay72 pointed out a whopping 10 called balls that were in the strike zone.
This was only LaLane’s 4th start in High-A, after he posted a 2.74 ERA and a 2.60 FIP in 13 Low-A games to start the year, before getting promoted. So far in High-A he has allowed just 17 his in 20.1 innings, with 22 strikeouts against 5 walks. The numbers are really good, but it’s the feel you get from watching him that should make you really excited about this acquisition. It’s extremely early days, but it’s hard not to feel like the Giants nailed the trade deadline, as much as I miss Heliot Ramos.
The pitching performance concluded with a dominant performance from another deadline pickup, RHP Marty Gair. The super-power righty faced 4 batters and retired all of them, 3 by way of strikes. Gair, who was acquired in the Luis Arráez deal, has some of the filthiest stuff in the entire organization. The just-turned 23-year old now has a staggering 69 strikeouts in 37.1 innings this year, his 2nd in the pros. He fairly easily hits triple digits, and hasn’t been slowed by his recent promotion to High-A, where he has 11 strikeouts in 4.1 innings. If he can cut back on the walks — he has 22 on the year — he could be a dominant and fast-moving relief option.
In between the new guys was RHP Niko Mazza, who served as the piggybacking starter and got lit up, allowing 14 baserunners and 7 earned runs in 4 innings. Sometimes it’s just not your day…
But it emphatically was the day for plenty of players on offense, namely a pair of exciting youngsters: shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) and center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL). Both players had sensational days, with Level hitting 4-5 with 2 walks, and Diaz going 5-6 with a double and a walk. Days to remember!!
Level hit a mini slump for a while, but has had a dominant 3-game stretch, hitting 8-11 with a homer, a triple, 6 walks, and 0 strikeouts. My goodness! With that, Level is already up to an .844 OPS and a 122 wRC+ since getting promoted to High-A, and it’s looking more and more likely that he opens the 2027 season in AA … right as he’s celebrating his 20th birthday. Be excited, friends. Be very excited.
As for Diaz, his numbers are really starting to round into focus. For much of the year the, the just-turned 21-year old had below-average numbers, despite being one of the most prolific home run hitters in the system. Now he’s above water, with an .811 OPS and a 106 wRC+. The wRC+ underscores his talent a bit, since it’s primarily the result of the fact that he never draws walks … he’ll have to be more selective as he climbs the ranks, but I’d hardly call that a concern now, especially since it comes with a very low strikeout rate.
Finally, first baseman Hayden Jatczak hit 3-6 with a double and a strikeout. The undrafted free agent, who is in his debut season but is about to turn 25, has an .807 OPS and a 115 wRC+ in 11 games since getting promoted.
3-3-3
Hayden Jatczak has gone 3 for 3 at the plate with 3 RBIs, including this double to deep center field!
San Jose Giants lost to the Stockton Ports (A’s) 19-6 Box score
This was a bad day for the Baby Giants, but it featured a very good moment: a grand slam of the bat of shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL). Sit back and marvel at the top prospect in the organization, and perhaps soon the top prospect in all of baseball. He is special, folks!!
Injuries are the only thing that have kept González from having a nearly perfect 1st season in the states. He hit 3-5 in this game (albeit with a strikeout and an error), which has brought him up to a .310 batting average in 8 games with San Jose, with a .934 OPS and a 132 wRC+. He’s playing awesome defense, he’s striking out less than 20% of the time, he’s running the bases very well, and, oh yeah … he doesn’t turn 19 until October. González hasn’t just lived up to expectations this year … he’s lived up to dreams.
Things have been a little bit slower for third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL), which is understandable, given that Hernández is more than a year younger, and is not just in his debut stateside season, but his debut season period. He hit 2-5 in this game with an error, and has just a .190 OPS in San Jose, with a .667 OPS and a 63 wRC+ through 10 games. I gotta say, it’s one of the most exciting and encouraging 63 wRC+ tallies I’ve ever seen!
The other great offensive day belonged to catcher Junior Barajas, who hit 3-5 with a solo home run and a strikeout. After an ice cold stretch, last year’s 11th-round selection has hit 6 home runs in the last 7 games. And in his last 8 games he’s hit 14-33 with 6 dingers, 2 doubles, and 2 walks. That’s brought him up to a .794 OPS and a 96 wRC+ in his debut season.
A brutal day on the mound, especially for LHP Ricardo Estrada and RHP Evan Gray, the 1st 2 pitchers to appear for San Jose. Each was only able to record 3 outs, with Estrada ceding 9 baserunners and 9 earned runs, and Gray 8 baserunners, 6 runs, and 5 earned runs. But RHP Chen-Hsun Lee continues to perform well since getting promoted, as he allowed 2 hits and 1 walk in 2 shutout innings, with 2 strikeouts. He’s yet to allow an earned run in 10 innings since joining the Baby Giants, though he has just a 4.11 FIP.
Really nice pitching performances from RHPs Abraham Utrera and Jhon Leon. Utrera, a 21-year old from Venezuela, struck out 5 batters in 2.2 shutout innings, with just 1 hit and 1 walk. Leon, a 22-year old from Venezuela, struck out 2 in a perfect inning. Utrera has a 4.75 ERA and a 3.58 FIP in his 2nd season, while Leon has a 4.50 ERA and a 4.20 FIP in his 3rd season.
Nice games in the batter’s box for left fielder Ricardo Crespo, a 19-year old from Venezuela, and catcher Deivis Colmenarez, a 17-year from Venezuela. Crespo hit 1-2 with a double, 2 walks, and a stolen base, giving him an .878 OPS and a 140 wRC+ in his 3rd season. Colmenarez went 1-1 with a double, a walk, a hit by pitch, a stolen base, and a caught stealing, and now has a .622 OPS and an 85 wRC+ in his debut season.
Home run tracker
12 — Junior Barajas — [Low-A] 10 — Gavin Kilen — [1 in AA; 9 in High-A] 4 — Josuar González — [2 in Low-A; 2 in ACL]
Friday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Round Rock (SP: Anthony Molina) Richmond: 4:05 p.m. PT vs. Reading (SP: Charlie McDaniel) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT at Spokane (SP: Cade Vernon) San Jose: 7:00 p.m. PT vs. Stockton (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be watched on MLB TV.
Uh-oh, it’s lefty time. Shane Drohan, a trade pickup for the Brewers this February, made his MLB debut this season, and has been a full-time member of the starting rotation since June. He’s primarily a fastball/sinker/cutter guy topping at about 95 MPH; he will throw a slider and some offspeed stuff, although that isn’t fabulous. He gets a good amount of strikeouts and isn’t prone to the long ball, so that sounds bad for the Twins, but we’ll see.
I don’t have a ton for you this week. Uh, if you want to, you can read this fawning SABR bio of Bud Selig by a longtime Brewers director of public relations. Which mentions Selig putting the team in a six-team NL Central for many years, but omits the reason why (the NL Central was weak at the time so that helped the Brewers). The post also lauds the glories of Miller Park, and does at least mention that three people died during construction.
Along those lines, as Neil deMause always tells us, stadiums don’t do crap for the local economy (and can actively hurt it). Sports economist J.C. Bradley has a new FAQ covering all the basic reasons why stadiums don’t do crap. Save it and bring up the points with your friends at parties! Like I do! This might be why I have no friends who would invite me to parties.
I found a strange/awful Brewers history post about this guy:
Dan Thomas was a first-round pick for the Brewers in 1972. Milwaukee author/historian Matthew J. Prigge has his story here.
Thomas struggled with the minors his first few years, and in one incident followed an umpire into the parking lot after the game and whomped on the guy. But Thomas did join the Brewers as a September call-up in 1976, and was expected to compete for a starting job the following season. He was sent to Venezuela for winter ball.
Something snapped in Thomas’s mind, and he ended up surviving an attempt to swallow too many pills; the team brought him back to Boston where he recovered in a hospital for three weeks (although at one point he wandered off and was picked up walking alongside a freeway). Thomas re-committed to the super-fundamentalist church his Mom had joined when he was a teenager; he hoped the church would help him stay clean from booze & drugs.
The only problem was, that church demanded strict observance of the Sabbath, which they defined as Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown. That’s missing two games a week. Unless you’re Shohei Ohtani or something, that’s not something a team can afford a roster spot on. And Thomas had shown some promise (an .820 OPS in his 54 games), but he was no Shohei Ohtani. The Brewers let him go, which Selig said he regretted: “It’s just a tragic story. I know a lot of people are mad at us because of what they think we’ve done to him… He’s really a nice kid who wants to do the right thing.”
The tragic part came later; because after making some stabs at independent ball, Tomas ended up broke, and died in jail at age 29, accused of a truly awful crime. Who knows what it was that snapped in his brain. People can be a mess sometimes.
Since that’s SUCH A FUN STORY, let’s transition to Wisconsin whacking.
I don’t mean bagging on Wisconsin, which did have a remarkably stupid governor for some years recently, but otherwise has a lot in common with Minnesota. When I moved here, I instantly recognized the kind of culture that my Wisconsin-reared Mom came from (and escaped as soon as she was old enough to join the Air Force).
No, when I mean Wisconsin whacking, I’m talking about Wisconsin’s greatest-ever band, or the Wisconsin band with the greatest debut album, the Violent Femmes. And one tune that every sports fan in America knows by heart, or at least knows the opening few seconds to: the debut album’s very first track, “Blister in the Sun.”
At any sports facility in America, if the P.A. system cues up the opening guitar riff, everybody knows you do the “clap-clap, clap-clap” in response. I see kids doing it. Which is funny, because that album is NOT appropriate for kids. I mean, the song’s about… well, Wisconsin whacking, isn’t it?
Actually, writer Gordon Gano said he never even thought of that until some fans mentioned it to him in the 90s. Which… I actually believe. I wouldn’t believe him if he said “Add It Up” was about math, but I believe his explanation here.
I hate most rock writing, but this short post about the song by “schill” on the wesbite HistoryOfMusic is really well done. Here’s a paragraph on what the song’s “about”:
‘“Part of its enduring appeal lies in its universality. It’s not just about being young—it feels young. It feels like the inside of your head when you’re sixteen and horny and anxious and trying to figure out if you’re cool or a complete freak. The song gives permission to be awkward, to be unsure, to not have the answers. It doesn’t romanticize youth—it captures its absurdity. “Blister in the Sun” is what you hear when you walk down a hot sidewalk in sneakers you hate, wearing a shirt that makes you sweat, headed to a party where you know no one wants to talk to you. But still you go. Still you walk. Still you strut your stuff. Because that’s all you’ve got.”’
Yeah — I mean, Gordon Gano wrote it in high school. So that makes perfect sense. Good post about a song, schill!
And OK, f**k Wisconsin, but only when the Twins are in Milwaukee.
It's been nearly a month since the Detroit Red Wings announced that GM Steve Yzerman was vacating his role and transitioning to a senior advisor to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.
However, there have been no official reports from the club regarding specific names being mentioned as potential Yzerman successors.
What are the chances that the Red Wings could be considering a familiar name already employed by the Detroit Tigers? According to top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, it's a distinct possibility.
While appearing on NHL Tonight, Friedman suggested current Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg as a potential candidate.
"(The new Red Wings GM) might not necessarily be a traditional 'hockey person' as we've come to define them. It might be different," Friedman said.
"There's one name I want to mention cause I don't think it's been out there a lot. It's a person with a bit of a different background. His name is Jeff Greenberg. He's the general manager of the Detroit Tigers. Jeff Greenberg worked for the Chicago Blackhawks a few years ago. I think it's wrong to say anybody is a lead contender or anybody's got the inside track."
"But I do think that he's somebody who's already in the organization who they have some interest in, and I think if he's interested in the job, it will be a factor."
Friedman then clarified that he wasn't saying Greenberg, who also previously worked for the Chicago Blackhawks, has become a favorite to land the position.
"I want to make it very clear, I'm not saying he's not the favorite or anything like that," he said. "But he's a name I haven't heard a lot about who will be part of this search if he's interested in the job."
As far as what the biggest priority for Detroit's new executive will be, Friedman pointed to the obvious goal of making the Motor City a free-agent destination once again.
"They've made it pretty clear they want whoever joins needs to come in with a plan," he said. "The candidate needs to show they can make Michigan and Detroit a destination."
Whoever takes over for Yzerman will have several challenges ahead of them, not the least of which is dealing with captain Dylan larkin, who requested a trade after the club missed the playoffs for the 10th straight year.
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Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has shockingly overtaken Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani as the favorite to win the MLB National League MVP.
Ohtani, who was on the verge of tying an all-time record with four straight MVPs, began the season at -105 and was -235 last week at BetMGM Sportsbook.
Key Takeaways
Crow-Armstrong is a two-time All-Star and has never won MVP.
Ohtani would tie Barry Bonds’ MLB record with four straight MVPs if he won this year’s award.
Dylan Cease passed Cam Schittler in AL Cy Young odds this week after a seven-inning shutout on Thursday.
Player
Opening Odds
Last Week
Aug. 4
Today
Pete Crow-Armstrong
+3,000
+185
+100
-120
Shohei Ohtani
-105
-235
-130
+100
CJ Abrams
+10,000
+12,500
+10,000
+10,000
Kyle Schwarber
+2,000
+5,000
+8,000
+15,000
Ohtani has dominated MLB with his wicked arm on the mound and enormous power at the plate. As of Tuesday, 34.6% of the money wagered in the NL MVP odds market at BetMGM was backing him to win his fourth straight piece of hardware.
That momentum came to a screeching halt this week, and Crow-Armstrong crept to -120 to become the new odds-on favorite. That came immediately after he went 6-13 with two home runs, five RBIs, and two stolen bases in a three-game series sweep against the Dodgers.
He also went 2-5 with a stolen base and two runs – including the game-winning run – in Thursday's walkoff win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Crow-Armstrong is up to .289 at the plate (15th), with 26 home runs (tied-ninth), 69 RBIs (tied-21st), 29 stolen bases (fifth), and a .937 OPS (second). He’s also an overwhelming favorite to win the Golden Glove.
Ohtani – around +100 – has been excellent, but not quite up to his recent MVP standard at the plate. He’s at .297 (10th) at the plate, also has 26 home runs (tied-ninth), 70 RBIs (tied-15th), and a .954 OPS (seventh).
Ohtani is having the best pitching season of his career. He’s 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, both career-bests, although he didn’t throw enough innings to qualify for the season leaderboard.
BetMGM bettors are backing Crow-Armstrong more than any other candidate. A leading 12.3% of tickets are supporting the Cubs’ star, while only 7.1% are backing Ohtani. Elly De La Cruz (+15,000; 7.4%) and Juan Soto (off the board; 7.3%) both have a larger share of bets than Ohtani.
Cease steals AL Cy Young lead
The other major awards market that changed this week was the American League Cy Young odds race. After New York Yankees ace Cam Schittler was a -135 favorite on Tuesday, Blue Jays star Dylan Cease (-115) crept ahead.
Player
Opening Odds
Last Week
Aug. 4
Today
Dylan Cease
+2,000
+135
+110
-115
Cam Schlittler
+10,000
-135
-130
-105
Sonny Gray
+3,000
+4,000
+5,000
+2,200
Drew Rasmussen
+8,000
+2,800
+2,200
+3,000
Gavin Williams
+3,000
+6,000
+4,500
+3,500
Cease is 7-5 with a 2.28 ERA (fourth), 184 strikeouts (second), and a 1.04 WHIP (ninth). Schlittler is 10-6 with a 2.26 ERA (third), 171 Ks (fifth), and a 0.95 WHIP (fourth). The odds change was influenced by Cease’s dominant start against the Cubs on Thursday, during which he only gave up two hits and one walk and struck out 10 batters in seven scoreless innings.
BetMGM bettors are hoping that Schlittler will surge back into the lead. A leading 9.2% of tickets and 22.4% of the handle are backing the 25-year-old, while 6.7% of bets and 11.7% of the pot are supporting Cease.
Former Detroit Tigers star Tarik Skubal is second in bets (9%) and handle (7.2%), respectively, although he is now in the NL after he was traded to the Dodgers.
Cease is easily enjoying the best year of his eight-year MLB career, crushing his previous-best marks that include a 3.47 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.
Schlittler is only in his second MLB campaign. He went 4-3 in 14 starts last year, producing a 2.96 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
MLB awards odds
Looking at other MLB awards races, Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez (-1,000) is easily favored in AL MVP odds. He had 17.2% of the handle but only 6% (fifth) of bets backing him.
Milwaukee Brewers fireballer Jacob Misiorowski is crushing NL Cy Young odds at -500 and 8.5% of bets (fourth) and 17.7% of the money (second) are in his favor.
Kevin McGonigle (-275) is running away with the AL Rookie of the Year race. He leads bets (24.1%) and handle (33.9%) in the market.
NL Rookie of the Year odds are closer, but still favor JJ Wetherholt (-160). He has 12.2% of wagers (third) and 15.7% of the pot (second) supporting him.
Jun 16, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A general view during the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I’m going to be in the car most of the afternoon, maybe getting home around game time, but never know. So getting the Thread together early.
There is a roster move:
Brett Bateman is up and will be on the active roster tonight.
Luis Urías is out with a quad strain. He didn’t look healthy yesterday.
Rudy Martin was DFAed (I’m thinking he clears waivers.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 05: Jacob Young #30 of the Washington Nationals high fives Brady House #12 after they both scored in the eleventh inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Trevor Hayes/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After a brutal road trip, the Nats are back home and finally playing a team from outside the division. They have actually had a good amount of success against the Reds in the past few years. However, the Reds are hot and the Nats are not.
Despite a righty being on the mound, Blake Butera is not going all-in on left handed hitters today. The likes of Dylan Crews, Brady House, Harry Ford and Jacob Young are all in the lineup. CJ Abrams will be the DH, something the Nats have been doing more often lately. That pushes Nasim Nunez to short and Jose Tena to second. Cade Cavalli will start this contest.
The Reds have a strong top 3 of Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and the resurgent JJ Bleday. Veterans like Eugenio Suarez and Tyler Stephenson also feature in the lineup. We will see young outfielder Hector Rodriguez for the first time. Another former top prospect in Chase Petty will be on the mound.
The Nats needed to come home badly. Despite not having a great home record, it will give them an opportunity to find their bearings. Hopefully they can get back on track and make the end of the season less of a slog. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 26: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after the final out of the the seventh inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on June 26, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Are we all alive from last night? How do we even top that?
⚾️ First Pitch: 7:10pm EDT – Fenway Park, Boston MA
Jan 17, 2023; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics general manager David Forst answers questions from the media as newly signed pitcher Shintaro Fujinami is introduced by the team at a press conference. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Today, the Athletics announced a mutual agreement to part ways with General Manager David Forst, who spent the past 27 years with the organization, serving as its general manager for the last 11 years. The A’s named Assistant General Manager Dan Feinstein as the Interim General Manager for the remainder of the season, while the team commences a thorough search for its next head of baseball operations.
Forst gradually ascended up through the team’s front office ranks, working as legendary general manager Billy Beane’s top lieutenant for many years. In November 2022, he took over as the A’s top baseball executive, as Beane shifted to a senior advisory role.
Forst’s Demise
Over the last few years, the duo of Forst and manager Mark Kotsey have failed to build and lead a winning team. Additionally, several of Forst’s trades and free-agent signings have failed to produce the desired results. For instance, this past offseason Forst signed free-agent pitchers Scott Barlow, Mark Leiter Jr. and Aaron Civale. Those three players are all no longer on the team’s active roster, with the injured Leiter Jr. the only one still employed by the A’s.
Yes, Forst’s job became difficult these past few years because of the challenge of convincing players to join a team playing in a minor-league ballpark. Much of the blame for that situation falls on Athletics owner John Fisher, who with the support of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, orchestrated the A’s move out of Oakland—bringing an end to the goodwill the franchise had built in a city where it won four World Series championships. However, as the owner, Fisher is far harder to replace.
Names to Watch
The Athletics should have no shortage of interested candidates, as the team already has a solid young core in place. With the addition of several quality pitchers and better luck on the injury front, the A’s could re-emerge as American League contenders sooner rather than later.
The organization could look in several directions to find Forst’s successor. One option is to promote from within, with Assistant General Manager of Player Personnel Billy Owens arguably the strongest candidate. Such a promotion would reward a longtime club executive while making him the first African-American to lead the Athletics baseball operations department.
Alternatively, the team could turn to a familiar face by bringing Farhan Zaidi back to the organization where he first established himself in baseball operations. His tenure as the San Francisco Giants President of baseball operations did not meet expectations, but perhaps a second stint in the same role would produce better results.
Last but not least, the Athletics could hire someone new to the organization. If they go this route, it would make sense to choose an executive from the Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, or Los Angeles Dodgers front office. Those four franchises have all demonstrated an ability to develop pitching and sustain long-term success.
What do you think of Fisher’s decision to part ways with Forst? Was it the right call, or should he have been given more time? Who do you think is the best candidate to replace him and help this team get back into playoff contention?
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 25: Hunter Greene #21 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on July 25, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
‘Getting a second opinion in Los Angeles from Dr. Neal El Attrache’ is thinly veiled code for a baseball player about to go under the knife for surgery. The only question at that point, of course, is the level of severity, but if it’s a second opinion odds are there has already been at least one medical professional who has recommended the deepest, darkest depths of surgical options.
That’s even more so when it’s a pitcher who’s undergone both Tommy John surgery once, already, as well as a ‘cleanup’ procedure within the last four months.
So, it should come as no surprise that the news about the prized right elbow of Cincinnati Reds starter Hunter Greene was not good on Friday afternoon. He’ll need elbow surgery, for sure, with the level between internal bracing and an outright second Tommy John surgery to be determined once the docs get in there.
MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed the initial news.
Either procedure will dent Greene’s chances of making any sort of impact on the 2027 season. Internal bracing may get him back in a calendar year, while TJ typically takes a month or two longer than that. His 2026 season, obviously, is now kaput.
In other words, the news today is that the Reds officially get to not only try to navigate through a sea of landmines towards an outside shot at the last National League Wild Card spot without one of their co-aces this year, they also get to spend all winter trying to legitimately put together another one of those shots on a shoestring budget without one of the two players in whom they’ve actually invested money in over the last handful of seasons.
It’s backbreaking in many ways, since 4-5 WAR pitchers just don’t grow on trees. Even if the Reds have Greene’s contract insured for 2027 for the $15.33 million he’ll be owed, you can’t just go sign those guys – and definitely can’t for just that little. So, the Reds get to completely alter the way they approach the 2027 season strategically with today’s news, and I have little faith they’ll be able to pull that off.
Hell, even keeping Brady Singer around on a Qualifying Offer for ‘27 will set them back some $24 million, if there isn’t a lockout to shut everything down accordingly.
The good news, if there is any, is that there have been several MLB pitchers who’ve had Tommy John surgery twice and come back just fine. The likes of Nathan Eovaldi and Jameson Taillon are two, while Chris Paddack’s career at least didn’t completely flatline after his. Dustin May, similarly, has managed to get back to being big-league caliber even though he hasn’t yet reached the heights of when he first broke in.
So, maybe this is just another blip on Greene’s radar, even though it’s yet another injury that’s going to set the Reds roster back years in the process.
