Category: MLB

According to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, the Giants front office tried to negotiate a trade for Robbie Ray before his scheduled start on Thursday against the Padres. But no Kyle Harrison type deal materialized at the 11th hour, and the veteran southpaw suited up and took the mound with San Francisco stitched across his chest for likely the last time. 

For some, this was like tearing a Han Solo, Battle of Hoth collectible action figure out of its original packaging in the midst of an eBay bidding war. There was no benefit for the Giants, or for Ray, to have him pitch against the Padres. His value around the league was already high, especially after posting a 1.67 ERA over his last 9 appearances. Other than grabbing headlines with a no-hitter or perfect game, there wasn’t anything Ray could’ve done to really raise his trade value to contending teams. The risk far out-weighed the rewards. 

Luckily, his arm didn’t explode. And there will be some fans that will buy a Robbie Ray Giants jersey on the official MLB shop after his coming trade (heavily discounted, of course), because, amongst the fog of distractions, the veteran took the mound anyway, arm-combustion be damned. As Tony Vitello put it in his pregame presser: “There is the field of speculation, and the field of competing.” The future isn’t guaranteed. Legacies are made in the present. Throwing a baseball isn’t a risk, it’s what got him in this position in the first place. 

Right before he strode out onto the field in the 1st, Ray paused on the top step of the dugout and took one long final pull on his signature pre-start cigarillo. He shook out his mane of black hair, pulled the brim of his hat low over his eyes and growled so the whole team could hear: “I’m not a show pony. I’m a workhorse,” before trotting out onto the field. 

Ray didn’t throw a no-hitter, nor did he take a line-drive to his throwing elbow. The game went down without incident and as expected considering the 34 year old’s performance over the last two months: 6 innings pitched in which he allowed 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 6. He’s now 6-0 over his last ten games, his slightly lowered 1.65 ERA is the third lowest in the Majors since the beginning of June. 

The outing reflected Ray’s shifting approach on the mound. No longer is a grunt-and-heave type power arm, brazenly reliant on strikeouts bagged by his rising four-seamer and hard slider. Ray still grunts, but the heave part has become a little more nuanced. His 35% four-seam usage is the lowest point of his career. What’s filled in the gaps is a change-up and sinker. Those new adaptations, along with his somewhat goofy knuckle curve, were on full-display in San Diego. Of the 86 pitches thrown, only two of them were sliders. 

While his strikeouts have fallen (his 21% K-percentage is the lowest it’s been in his entire career), so has his hard-hit rate. Being okay pitching to contact, thanks in part to new pitch-types and heavier options like the sinker and change, has given him another exit route through tough innings. He’s more dynamic and harder for opposing hitters to pin down and box-in.

We saw this in the 2nd inning when the Padres threatened to load the bases with no outs.  A wayward four-seam hit Ty France to lead off the frame, then Jackson Merrill followed with an excuse-me bloop single off one of the only sliders thrown. With two on, Ray found himself in a 3-2 count to Luis Campusano. The inning had all the trappings of a Robbie Ray classic: one which would drag on and on, with many deep counts and four-seamers fouled away and away as Ray’s pitch count rises, effectively sinking his chances of pitching through the 5th. 

That didn’t happen here. While Ray didn’t use one of his newer offerings, the fact that he had shown Camusano three change-ups and had established his sinker in the zone earlier in the at-bat gave his signature four-seam more of a bite. The Padres’ catcher couldn’t just sit on the pitch. Perhaps if Campusano didn’t have to worry about covering the outside of the plate because of the sinker, or covering the possibility of another change-up, he could’ve turned on the straight fastball and launched it into the bricks of the Western Metal Supply building. Instead, it  jammed him and rolled into an inning-changing double play. 

Xander Bogaerts still punched in the run anyway by rolling a single away from a shifted infield — but it’d be all the Padres get. A run, but on one pitch. And on one more after that, Ray was out of the inning thanks to Christian Koss’s fine barehanded play on a Jake Croeneworth bunt attempt.

16 pitches in total. That proved to be Ray’s most laborious inning until his final inning of work in the 6th when he threw 20. Knowing that the inning would be his last, Ray wanted to end things as a Giant on his terms. After Luis Rengifo reached second with a one-out double — San Diego’s first and only extra base hit of the night — he shifted into another gear. He worked his way back from a 3-0 count to Manny Machado and got him to swing-through a challenge sinker over the heart of the plate. He then got Ty France helplessly digging after a 1-2 change-up in the dirt.

Runner stranded. Inning over. Outing over. Time as a Giant — most likely over. 

Ray was able to take home the win thanks to his battery mate Daniel Susac. After launching his first two career home runs in San Francisco, Susac clearly didn’t want to lose the feeling. A dinger is a dangerous drug. He probably took the red bat he used with him on the plane (“No, no, no, this isn’t a bomb,” he explained to the TSA agent. “It drops them.”), buckling it into the seat next to him, ordering it a complimentary beverage (club soda, please) on the brief flight down to San Diego. They probably spent some quality time together after checking-in at the hotel. A nice dinner in the Gaslamp followed by a moonlit walk along Harbor Drive, talking about everything, and nothing. 

By the time the 2nd inning rolled around and Susac’s spot in the order had come up, lefty starter JP Sears didn’t have a chance. A bond had been formed: Danny Susac and his red wooden bat were ready to take on the world. Sears recognized this and understood resistance was futile. “Here, destroy this 93 MPH fastball,” he said, and Susac and his red wooden bat obliged.

That two-run homer was really the only clear offensive statement the Giants could muster in a frustrating game for the line-up.

Opportunities to blow the game open were ripe for the picking, and would ultimately rot on the vine.At least two runners would reach base in 7 of 9 innings. The line-up were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving 11 runners stranded. 

It wasn’t completely their fault. The game started with Fernando Tatis Jr. rather annoyingly robbing Rafael Devers of a 3-run homer, which is, rather spookily, something he had done before…in San Diego…in the 1st inning…with JP Sears pitching.

Devers had to settle for a sacrifice fly — which became a theme. 

After Susac recouped the difference of the Tatis robbery, his sacrifice fly in the 5th was the only other run San Francisco would score. The kid had just 5 RBIs in all of April, 6 in May, and 3 in June — he’s got 7 in the last two games, and three home runs in his last 5 plate appearances.

Four runs were plenty with Ray on the mound.

And I guess, no matter how you think teams should manage trade-chip arms before the deadline, or who had the final decision, one should respect what Ray did: He pitched, and he pitched well, because that’s what he’s paid to do, and he just might like doing it too.  

Other guys (*cough* Blake Snell *cough cough*) wouldn’t have.

It was a busy day for the Phillies affiliates, with two doubleheaders thanks to Tuesday’s rainouts. And happily, most of those games ended up as wins for the good guys.

Buffalo 1, Lehigh Valley 0

The IronPigs pitchers allowed nine hits in the first game of their doubleheader, but just a single run. That run was scored in the first, giving the home team a full nine frames to catch up/ Unfortunately, they could not, as the Lehigh Valley batters were shut out. Dylan Moore had a pair of hits, making up half of his team’s total. The IronPigs also worked five walks, but to little avail. Starter Chuck King allowed the Bisons to scatter seven hits across his five innings of work, but walked only one batter. Kirby Snead pitched a pair of scoreless innings.

Lehigh Valley 5, Buffalo 3

The IronPig bats came alive in the second half of the doubleheader, though it took some time: they scored one run in the third, and four in the fifth. Felix Reyes and Christian Cairo had a pair of hits each. Kameron Misner reached base three times, with had a hit and a pair of walks, Otto Kemp did the same. Drake Fellows had a somewhat shaky performance, allowing five hits and three runs, along with five walks, in five innings. But he did enough to get the win; Michael Mercado got the save after two scoreless innings,

Reading 7, Binghamton 2

This one got off to a weird start, with the Rumble Ponies scoring on, of all things, a balk. But it ended in happier territory. Seven of the nine Fightin Phils starters had hits, with Wuilfredo Antunez leading the way on 2 for 3 batting. Reading scored three different ways in the sixth: by base hit, by wild pitch, and by bases loaded walk.

Luke Russo had the start, going 4 innings with two hits, one run, three walks and 4 Ks. Four Phils relievers would take the mound after him, allowing only one hit between them; Wen-Hui Pan got the win.

Jersey Shore 2, Hudson Valley 1

This was an abridged affair, as a rainout from this past Tuesday made a doubleheader last night. The BlueClaws thus ended up scoring the winning run in the eighth, which, here, was extra innings. Nathan Humphreys homered in the fifth, and Daunte Stuart drove in the winning run with a double. Starter Cody Bowker struck out 6 across 3.2 innings of work, though he allowed nearly as many hits; he walked none.

Jersey Shore 6, Hudson Valley 4

The finish to this one was even more dramatic than the one from the first half of the doubleheader. The Threshers came into the seventh, and final, inning down by two; they scored four. Devin Saltiban had two of the club’s six hits, and Luis Caicuto drove in two runs with a double. Griffin Burkholder had a rough night, striking out in all three of his at-bats, though he did work a walk as well. Cade Obermueller had the start and went three difficult innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, with four walks to go along with his four strikeouts.

Jupiter 9, Clearwater 0

The Threshers took another shark-themed club; the Hammerheads got the better of them. But despite the lopsided score, there was reason to be happy: 2026 draftee Caden Bogenpohl made his debut and smacked a double in his first at-bat; an auspicious beginning. Only two other Threshers had hits, however. Four Threshers took to the mound, and all allowed runs, three allowing multiple. Yordanis Guerra (3.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K) took the loss.

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Full Slate Friday has arrived, which means the weekend is officially here.

I have put together my thoughts for every matchup on tonight's slate, so without further ado, here are my MLB moneyline predictions for every game on the board.

See what teams need to be on your MLB picks on Friday, July 31!

MLB moneyline picks for July 31

Matchup	Pick
Yankees vs  Cubs	-144
Pirates vs Reds	+117
Phillies vs Orioles	-111
Cardinals vs Blue Jays	+160
Diamondbacks vs Guardians	-130
White Sox vs Rays	-135
Marlins vs Mets	+117
Nationals vs Braves	+108
Rangers vs Astros	+115
Royals vs Rockies	-104
Brewers vs Angels	-156
Tigers vs Athletics	-133
Giants vs Padres	+135
Red Sox vs Dodgers	-115
Twins vs Mariners	+160

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of July 31.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for July 31

Yankees vs Cubs: Cubs (-144)

Cubs win probability: 59%

If you've been following these daily moneyline articles, first off, thank you. Second, you know I'm usually not a fan of laying juice on moneylines. That said, I want no part of the Yankees right now. The way they've played over the last few days has been flat-out pathetic, from the mental mistakes to the sloppy baseball.

Plus, Will Warren has a 7.50 ERA over his last five starts, and the offense has a 67 wRC+. 

Give me the Cubs.

Pirates vs Reds: Reds (+117)

Reds win probability: 46%

Phillies vs Orioles: Orioles (-111)

Orioles win probability: 52%

The Phillies have been an ice-cold mess over the past week, posting just an 87 wRC+, .299 wOBA, and .672 OPS over their last six games. The Orioles have not been much better offensively during that stretch, but Brandon Young has quietly been pitching really well. Across his last three starts, he owns a 2.21 ERA, 2.91 xERA, and 1.03 WHIP.

In a matchup between two cold offenses, I'll gladly back the pitcher who has been throwing the ball better.

Give me the Birds.

Cardinals vs Blue Jays: Cardinals (+160)

Cardinals win probability: 38%

Diamondbacks vs Guardians: Guardians (-130)

Guardians win probability: 56%

With Mitch Bratt posting a 7.11 ERA, 2.13 WHIP, and a 14% walk rate over his last three starts, I want no part of backing the Diamondbacks tonight. On the other side, Tanner Bibee has started to turn things around, posting a 2.89 ERA across his last three outings.

The Guardians offense has been dormant, while Arizona has finally started to come back down to earth after its scorching two week stretch at the plate.

I'll simply side with the hotter arm in this one.

White Sox vs Rays: Rays (-135)

Rays win probability: 57%

It is hard for me to look at what Nick Martinez has done over his last three starts and want to fade him. During that stretch, he owns a 0.69 ERA, 1.64 xERA, and 0.85 WHIP.

The White Sox have also looked shaky this past week against the Yankees, and now they hand the ball to Eric Fedde, who owns a 5.40 ERA on the road this season.

Give me the Rays.

Marlins vs Mets: Marlins (+117)

Marlins win probability: 46%

Nationals vs Braves: Nationals (+108)

Nationals win probability: 48%

We're getting plus money with one of the hottest offenses in baseball and one of its best arms on the mound. On the other side is Bryce Elder, who owns a 5.97 xERA and 1.64 WHIP over his last five starts.

The Braves offense has also cooled off considerably, posting just a 72 wRC+, .274 wOBA, and .610 OPS over its last six games.

I'll gladly take the hotter lineup at plus money.

Give me the most electrifying offense in baseball.

Rangers vs Astros: Rangers (+115)

Rangers win probability: 46%

Hunter Brown has looked better over his last three starts, but I think Nathan Eovaldi is in the better spot tonight. The Rangers offense has been on an absolute tear over its last 21 games. Sure, the strikeout rate is a bit elevated, but they're also carrying a 120 wRC+, .342 wOBA, and .782 OPS during that stretch.

The Astros have been swinging it well too, but I have more concerns with their bullpen, and I'm not convinced Brown has completely turned the corner.

Royals vs Rockies: Royals (-104)

Royals win probability: 50%

Real quick and easy here: Tomoyuki Sugano is on the mound for the Rockies, and their offense is completely frozen.

That's really all I need.

If you want a little more, Michael Wacha has been very solid in his recent starts, while the Royals offense has continued to generate plenty of hard contact. This feels like a great spot for Kansas City to do some damage at Coors.

Brewers vs Angels: Brewers (-156)

Brewers win probability: 61%

Pay the juice. The Brewers are worth it.

Shane Drohan's underlying metrics over his last five starts have been outstanding, posting a 3.00 xERA while walking just 4.84% of opposing hitters. He also draws a favorable matchup against an Angels lineup that owns just an 89 wRC+, .297 wOBA, and .651 OPS over its last 12 games.

On the other side, Ryan Johnson enters with a 7.34 ERA on the season, and this Brewers offense has been mashing all year. With the way Milwaukee has been swinging the bats, this feels like another spot where they put up runs.

Pay the juice.

Tigers vs Athletics: Tigers (-135)

Tigers win probability: 57%

The Tigers are not my favorite team to back because of their inconsistency, but this feels like a spot where I have to side with the Kitties. The Athletics have gone ice cold, and Jeffrey Springs has been getting shelled, posting an 8.86 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, and allowing a 10.67% barrel rate over his last five starts.

On the other side, Casey Mize has been nails, recording a 2.20 ERA, 2.66 xERA, and 0.84 WHIP across his last five outings.

It is Tigers or nothing for me in this one.

Giants vs Padres: Giants (+135)

Giants win probability: 42%

Death. Taxes. Fade Germán Márquez.

Márquez has been a disaster at home this season, posting a 7.36 ERA, 5.83 xERA, and 1.77 WHIP. Luckily for us, the Giants offense has started to find its groove, owning a 114 wRC+, .329 wOBA, and .741 OPS over its last 21 games.

There is simply no chance I'm laying juice against a lineup this hot with Germán Márquez on the mound.

Red Sox vs Dodgers: Dodgers (-115)

Dodgers win probability: 54%

I completely understand that Ranger Suárez and the Red Sox have been rolling and continue to find ways to win, but getting the Dodgers at just -115 is a price I am not passing up.

Especially with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.

What?!

Give me the Dodgers.

Twins vs Mariners: Twins (+160)

Twins win probability: 38%

Sure, the Twins are coming off a massive walk-off win yesterday, but nothing is going to convince me to lay -163 with this Mariners team.

I know Zebby Matthews has struggled on the road this season, sporting a 7.58 ERA away from home. But Bryce Miller has not been much better over his last three starts, and Seattle's offense has been ice cold for weeks.

At this price, I'll happily grab the heavy underdog.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Hot stove season is well underway. Milwaukee has already made a few trades this year, acquiring pitchers Lance McCullers Jr. and Colton Gordon (though McCullers has already been released), infielder Braden Shewmake (also released), and reliever Joel Kuhnel.

And the Brewers certainly aren’t done yet. While they haven’t yet made the splashy move that’s been speculated over the last several weeks, there’s certainly the chance they do so this weekend.

Follow along below as rumors and news from around the league emerge.

7/31, 9:12 a.m.: Potential Brewer target Casey Mize, a right-hander on the Tigers, has been scratched from his start scheduled for Friday night. His next start is now scheduled for Tuesday, meaning he may have already pitched in his last game for Detroit.

7/31, 9:06 a.m.: Brewers reportedly among the teams showing strong interest in Mets reliever Luke Weaver.

Team News

Diamondbacks have more options to handle closer-by-committee than in the recent pasthttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/options-handle-closer-by-committee

How Diamondbacks’ 2025 trade deadline played out 1 year laterhttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/how-2025-trade-deadline-played-out

5 Rental Relievers for Diamondbacks to Target at the Trade Deadlinehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/5-rental-relievers-diamondbacks-target-trade-deadline

5 Potential Rental Bat Targets for the Diamondbacks at Trade Deadlinehttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/5-realistic-rental-bat-targets-diamondbacks-trade-deadline

Other Baseball

Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/latest-chatter-on-tarik-skubal.html

Padres, Diamondbacks Scouting Freddy Peralta
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/padres-diamondbacks-scouting-freddy-peralta.html

2026 MLB trade deadline rumors, news, live updates: Tarik Skubal trade loom; Curtis Mead fractures wrist after trade to Red Sox

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/live/2026-mlb-trade-deadline-rumors-news-live-updates-tarik-skubal-mason-miller-cj-abrams-joe-ryan-buyers-sellers-182640023.html

Twins’ Kody Clemens blasts walk-off grand slam vs. Royals https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49491240/twins-kody-clemens-blasts-walk-grand-slam-vs-royals

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/july-31

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/July_31

The average bear will have 42 teeth.

Each adult bear will have a total of 42 teeth. This includes 4 prominent and curved canine teeth, 12 incisors, 16 premolars, and 10 molars. The claws on the bears’ feet are relatively shorter than their teeth.

s are born without kneecaps. 

Turns out, babies are as soft and delicate as they look. Babies may have more bones than the average fully-grown human, but they definitely won’t be doing any stunts anytime soon. Babies are born with a cartilaginous structure in their knees that will eventually develop into kneecaps by the time they are four years old. 

The most commonly used letter in the English alphabets is E.

The second most common letters are T, A, I, N, and O. The least used letter in the English alphabets is the letter Q. 

If you’re a baseball history buff, you probably recognize the name Hank Bauer. While he was never the team’s main star, he had a very good career on some very good Yankees teams, winning seven World Series titles. However, so much about him gets overlooked if you just know that about him. Hank Bauer had quite the life in baseball.

Henry Albert “Hank” Bauer
Born: July 31, 1922 (East St. Louis, IL)
Died: February 9, 2007 (Lenexa, KS)
Yankees Tenure: 1948-59

Bauer was born in 1922 to immigrants from Austria-Hungary. It’s theoretically possible that the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand had some sort of butterfly effect that led to Bauer eventually playing for the Yankees. Hank was the youngest of nine children and had a bit of a hard scrabble life growing up. His father lost a leg in an accident, requiring the children to help bring in some income.

As for baseball, Hank followed his older brother Herman into the sport. Herman was signed by the White Sox and was a well-rated prospect, who got Hank a minor league tryout. The Oshkosh Giants signed Bauer out of that tryout, and he had a brief run with them in 1941.

However, Bauer’s run with Oshkosh was cut short, for reasons you might be able to deduce from the date. The United States entered World War II in December 1941, and Bauer enlisted in the Marine Corps soon after. In his time in the military, Bauer suffered a shrapnel injury and also battled malaria while serving in the Pacific Theater. However, his brother Herman suffered an even worse fate, as he was killed in action during the Normandy Landing in 1944.

Due to his wounds and injuries, Bauer had assumed his baseball career was over, but Yankee scout Danny Menendez remembered Bauer from before the war, signed him and got him a tryout with the Quincy Gems. There in 1946, five years after his last minor league game, Bauer returned to pro baseball. From there, he quickly made his way through the Yankees’ minor league system. By the end of 1948, the Yankees called him up for a September cup of coffee. The next year, the Yankees had some injury problems in the outfield, leading new manager Casey Stengel to give some chances to young players, including Bauer. He made the most of his opportunity with a solid season, locking down a place in the Yankees’ lineup for years to come.

In 1949, Bauer became a reliable bat for a Yankees team that won five World Series titles in a row starting that season. Over those years, Bauer steadily got better, posting his best career hitting seasons in the final years of that five-peat: a 132 OPS+ in 1952, and a 131 in ‘53. He also emerged as a favorite of Stengel as well as a leader in the clubhouse.

Throughout all that, Bauer also had some big moments. In 1951, his three-run triple in the sixth inning of Game 6 gave the Yankees the lead for good, as they won that game to clinch the series. Later that game, he made a sliding catch for the final out of the series, as the Giants threatened a comeback.

Later in his career, Bauer recorded a hit in 17-straight World Series games over the course of the 1956-58 series. In the ‘58 Series, he put up a 1.032 OPS with four home runs in a seven-game victory over the Braves. Were it not for Bob Turley’s heroics on the mound, Bauer could’ve been named MVP of that series.

Bauer was also known as someone who didn’t take much crap. Whitey Ford described one incident where after he came in worse for wear after a night out, Bauer pinned him against the wall and said that Ford was “messing with (Bauer’s) money.” Bauer was also one of the notable participants of the “Copacabana Incident.” While the outfielder always said he played no part in the brawl that happened that night, one person sued him claiming that Bauer had punched him. The charges didn’t stick, and Bauer was later proven correct decades after the fact.

Despite his World Series hit streak, Bauer had begun to fall off by the end of the 1950s. In 1959, he rated as a below average hitter for the first time since his 1948 big league cameo. The Yankees decided to move on, and Bauer was included in a trade with the Kansas City Athletics that brought a certain Roger Maris to the Bronx.

Bauer spent two seasons as a player in KC. In the second of those, the, uh, “eccentric” Charlie Finley named Bauer the team’s manager partway through the season. He led the team through the 1962 season before being let go, but the A’s were a mess at that time, as the Maris trade was hardly the only one they made that massively benefitted the Yankees.

After his departure from the A’s, Bauer joined the Baltimore Orioles coaching staff. Following a disappointing 1963 season, Baltimore elevated Bauer to the manager. In his first two years, Bauer led the O’s to 90+ win seasons, but third place finishes in the AL. Following the addition of Frank Robinson in 1966, Baltimore won the pennant and then swept the Dodgers in the World Series.

Injuries hampered the Orioles over the next couple seasons and Bauer was eventually let go in favor of Earl Weaver in 1968. Bauer took up the helm of the A’s again next year — with the team now in Oakland — but Finley fired him after a late season slump. Although Bauer managed in the Mets’ minor league system after that, he eventually gave that up after no other big league team was willing to give him a shot.

Bauer eventually rejoined the Yankees as a scout, but otherwise left baseball and settled down back in Kansas. He occasionally returned for Old-Timers’ Days at Yankee Stadium and lived in The Sunflower State until he passed away from lung cancer in 2007.

While he was a very good player for a long time, Hank Bauer wasn’t on a Hall of Fame level. However, he still had quite the life in baseball regardless.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (54-50) won 8-2 (BOX SCORE)

Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Whitcomb RBI single. Alexander started for Sugar Land and went 4 innings allowing 1 run. Sugar Land took the lead in the 6th inning on an Alexander 2 run home run. They got 2 more runs in the 7th on a Delgado RBI groundout and Loperfido RBI single. In the 8th inning, Brooks added 3 runs on a 3 run home run to extend the lead. The pen was solid as they closed out the 8-2 win.

Note: Loperfido is hitting .284 in Triple-A.

• Joey Loperfido, RF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, RBI, BB, SB
• Shay Whitcomb, LF: 1-for-4, RBI, SB
• CJ Alexander, DH: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• Jake Meyers, CF: 1-for-4, R
• Trenton Brooks, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Edwin Diaz, SS: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB
• Matt Thaiss, C: 1-for-3, R, BB

• Jason Alexander, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB,  K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Logan VanWey, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Sam Carlson, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (46-53) won 16-4 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on an error. In the third inning, Janek connected on a solo home run. Gillis got the start and went 4 innings allowing 1 run with 4 strikeouts. The Hooks extended the lead in the 5th inning on a Schiavone RBI double and Encarnacion walk. They blew things open in the 6th scoring 7 runs on a Schiavone RBI single, Encarnacion 2 run single and Call grand slam. They continued to score runs in the 7th on a Janek 2 run home run and a run on an error. Janek capped off an incredible night with a 2 run double in the 8th. The pen allowed a couple of runs but the offense did more than enough as the Hooks won 16-4.

Note: Gillis has a 3.59 ERA this season.

• Walker Janek, DH: 4-for-5, 4 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, BB, SB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Trevor Austin, 1B: 1-for-4, R, 2 BB
• Yamal Encarnacion, 2B: 1-for-5, R, 3 RBI, BB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 1-for-5, R
• Chase Call, LF: 2-for-5, R, HR, 4 RBI
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-5, R
• Kenni Gomez, CF: 3-for-4, 4 R, 2B, BB, SB
• Alberto Hernandez, 3B: 1-for-5, R

• Brett Gillis, RHP: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Alejandro Torres, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A+: Asheville Tourists (33-65)

Game One – lost 16-12 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board on a Moss walk in the first. In the second inning they scored 4 runs on a Frey 2 run single, Huezo RBI double and Moss RBI double. They got 2 more in the third inning on a Nunez solo home run and Neyens solo home run. Cruz got the start and allowed 5 runs before being relieved by Carr who allowed another 6 runs. Wells pitched in relief and allowed 5 runs. The offense got a few runs back including a 2 run double from Huezo in the 7th but the comeback fell short as Asheville fell 16-12.

Note: Neyens has a .829 OPS in High-A.

• Caden Powell, LF: 1-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 SB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-2, 2 R, HR, RBI, 2 BB
• Ethan Frey, CF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Kyle Walker, SS: 1-for-4, BB
• Freuddy Batista, C: 1-for-5, R, HR, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 2B: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB, SB

• Anthony Cruz, RHP: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Jordan Carr, LHP: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Jackson Wells, RHP: 2.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Game Two – lost 6-1 (BOX SCORE)

Oakes got the start for Asheville but struggled allowing 6 runs, 3 earned, over 3 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the third inning on a Huezo RBI groundout. The bullpen tossed 4 scoreless innings but the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 6-1.

Note: Huezo has a .884 OPS in High-A.

• Justin Thomas, LF: 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
• Anthony Huezo, RF: 0-for-3, RBI
• Jack Moss, 1B: 1-for-3

• Kellan Oakes, RHP: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Raimy Rodriguez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Garrett Apker, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Max Martin, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (50-47) won 11-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got the offense going early scoring 5 runs in the first inning on a Flores walk, Sierra 2 run double and Newman 2 run single. They got another run in the 2nd inning on a Ramirez sac fly. Beck got the start and was solid allowing 2 runs over 5 innings of work. In the 6th, Ramirez added another sac fly. The offense scored 2 runs in the 7th on an error and Newman RBI double and in the 8th, Sierra connected on a 2 run home run. Shoemaker closed it out tossing 4 scoreless innings.

Note: Flores has a .821 OPS this season.

• Waner Luciano, DH: 0-for-1, R, 3 BB, SB
• German Ramirez, SS: 0-for-3, 2 RBI
• Kevin Alvarez, LF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, C: 1-for-4, 2 R, 2B
• Arturo Flores, 1B: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB
• Juan Sierra, RF: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI
• DJ Newman, CF: 2-for-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Brandon Nigh, 3B: 1-for-5, R, 2B

• Jagger Beck, RHP: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Adam Shoemaker, LHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K (SAVE)

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: Ryan Weiss – 7:05 CT

CC: Nolan DeVos – 7:05 CT

AV: Andrew Taylor – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 6:05 CT

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The New York Mets have become the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market operator.

Key Takeaways

• The Mets named Novig their exclusive prediction market partner in the club's first deal of its kind.
  
  
• The partnership includes in-stadium branding at Citi Field, broadcast integrations, and social media activations.
  
  
• The agreement follows Novig's designation as an MLB authorized prediction market and reflects the growing presence of prediction markets in professional sports.

The Mets announced on Thursday a multi-year partnership with Novig, making the operator the club's exclusive official prediction market partner.

"Our mission is to build the home for sports trading," Jacob Fortinsky, CEO and cofounder of Novig, said. "Partnering with one of baseball's most iconic franchises allows us to bring that vision directly to fans in one of the greatest sports markets in the world.”

The partnership, which comes amid a Mets season of mixed results, will see Novig integrated across the ballclub’s home park in Flushing through Citi Field signage and branded in-game activations, as well as via the club’s broadcast and social media channels.

MLB previously made prediction market news thanks to a partnership with Polymarket announced back in March, following the National Hockey League and Major League Soccer’s similar deals within the prediction market space.

"We're proud to be the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market company, giving our fans a new and engaging way to connect with the game," said Lew Sherr, president of business operations for the Mets. "Innovation is a defining characteristic of our business, and this partnership is another example of our commitment to staying at the forefront of the evolving sports landscape. It reflects our broader goal of delivering unique experiences for our fans and continuing to attract industry-leading partners who want to grow alongside the Mets."

Teams embrace prediction markets

While the Mets have become the first ballclub to join in on the prediction market frenzy, they’re far from the first team across the major North American sports to form partnerships across a rapidly evolving landscape.

The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers previously announced partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, respectively. The NBA, meanwhile, has strayed from entering the marketplace, though Miami Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo announced he would join Kalshi as a shareholder in February.

As for the Mets partnership, the news follows Novig's recent designation as an MLB authorized prediction market, per the release, thus establishing “participation in MLB's integrity program, which includes collaboration on comprehensive market monitoring, reporting protocols, and restricting markets that present an integrity risk to MLB.”

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

We made it everyone. Happy Friday!

The club wrapped up its series with the Boston Red Sox last night with another close loss. It was a competitive series and if some things had gone a bit differently they could have been the ones to take three of four instead of being the ones losing three of four. The club now sits at 45-64 and are getting dangerously close to the Angels at the bottom of the division. If there should be one goal the rest of the year it should be to finish in fourth place.

Now that Boston’s left town the club will bring in an AL Central foe as the Detroit Tigers arrive in Sacramento for a three-game weekend series, the final one before the trade deadline. While Detroit started the year poorly they fought back and got into the playoff race briefly, thanks in part to sweeping our A’s right before the All-Star break. Alas, a tough week has dropped them to seven games under .500 and quashed any notion they had they could leapfrog half a dozen teams for a playoff spot, so they’ll enter Monday’s deadline as sellers.

With that development comes the addition of one of the best arms on the market in Tarik Skubal. The reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young winner is now officially on the table in trade talks with many in the business convinced that the left-hander is all but certain to be traded. He wasn’t lined up to pitch against the A’s either way during this series in Sacramento but monitoring the situation all weekend should cause some off-field drama in the other dugout. Skubal isn’t the only one likely to be traded but the entire baseball world is holding their breath to see where he ends up.

As for our weekend series, we have our starting pitching matchups all set. Tonight’s series opener features lefty Jeffrey Springs making possibly his last appearance for the A’s before Monday’s trade deadline. He’s had a tough season and his most recent start was cut short thanks to a tight hip but that seemed to be a precaution and he’s healthy enough for tonight’s start. Would a big outing make it more likely he finds himself on the move, or nothing will affect that equation now? Springs will be opposed by former #1 overall pick Casey Mize, who is himself having a fantastic year and will come into this one with a 2.70 ERA. Like Skubal he could find himself on the move over the next couple of days.

Saturday we’ll see a rematch from a couple weeks ago as rookie right-hander Jack Perkins goes up against the veteran Framber Valdez. Perkins made a “bulk” outing against the Tigers and it delivered mixed results. He’s gotten two traditional starts since then and looked much better so the hope is he can continue this mini roll he’s on right now. The A’s meanwhile will be looking for some revenge against Valdez after he quieted A’s bats for three hits and one run in a loss.

And then we wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon with Gage Jump getting the ball for the Athletics while the Tigers will send their own young arm to the bump in Keider Montero. Jump has had a solid start to his career overall but July has not been kind to the lefty. He seemingly righted the ship his last time out when he fired six shutout innings against the Red Sox on Monday and the A’s would gladly take more of the same. Montero meanwhile got a bit roughed up in his last start, allowing nine hits and four runs against the Orioles. This should be a good contest and a glimpse into the future for both clubs.

First pitch is at 6:40. Have a great weekend A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Late Collapse Costs A’s Chance at Series Split
• Red Sox Edge A’s 4-2 in Extra-inning Heartbreaker
• A’s Squeak by Red Sox 4-3
• Grand Slam Sinks A’s Against Red Sox
• Parity (Mediocrity) Could Make For An Interesting Trade Deadline
• Sources: A’s star Langeliers may miss rest of ‘26
• A’s Lose Finale (And Series) To Twins 11-8
• A’s Prevail 2-0 in Tightly Contested Pitching Duel
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• A’s place rookie Joshua Kuroda-Grauer on injured list with ruptured testicle
• Another ‘step in the right direction’ for Lopez in hunt to regain rookie form
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice
• What will the Athletics do leading up to Trade Deadline after cold streak?
• A’s Add Next Wave of Prospects in 2026 Draft
• Athletics Get Hitting Help by Claiming Hot Bat off Waivers

MLB News and Interest:

• Latest Chatter On Tarik Skubal
• Mets trade Minter to Twins, bringing son of fan favorite to Queens in return (source)
• Rays starter Shane McClanahan exits game due to back tightness
• Reds Getting Significant Interest In Hunter Greene
• Trade rumors: Skubal, Peralta, Greene, Goodman, Angels, more
• Padres, Diamondbacks Scouting Freddy Peralta
• Injury-hampered Orioles trade for Tigers catcher Jake Rogers
• They may not headline the Deadline, but these are 6 sneaky good trade options
• Florida collector pulls 1-of-1 Ohtani card, sells it for $11M
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Any chance he’ll get a quick cup of coffee with the big league team in September?

Good news, sounds like no tear down is imminent:

Oof:

Oof:

Unlike so many contenders, including the Miami Marlin team they beat Thursday night, the Mets had known the gist of their trade deadline plans for weeks. They had been sellers for as long as almost anyone, with plenty of time to evaluate exactly what they might want in exchange for the many players they made clear they'd be willing to trade.

But with less than 72 hours remaining until the deadline, they had not traded any of them -- in large part because no one else was trading anyone yet, either. A few minutes after A.J. Minter tossed his towel in the laundry bin and left the Mets’ clubhouse in street clothes late Thursday night, though, he became the first domino to tumble.

The Mets traded Minter to the Minnesota Twins for minor league infielders Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani -- son of Benny -- in a ceremonious start to what should be a busy few days.

Despite knowing his team’s fate for weeks, and a stated willingness to make deals earlier, the market offered no reason for David Stearns to hurry. The only deals that preceded Minter’s were the Angels’ surprising trade of catcher Logan O’Hoppe and Chase Silseth to the Rangers and the Tigers’ less surprising trade of catcher Jake Rogers to the Orioles. 

The relief market, like the market at large, should start to move now.

Whether the Mets’ deadline pace accelerates will likely depend on how willing they are to budge on their early standards for returns: Multiple members of contending front offices said the Mets have established noticeably high asking prices for their pitchers, particularly Freddy Peralta.

Selling teams often set prices high early and move them to fit the market as the deadline nears. Buying teams accusing those sellers of asking for the world is effectively a trade deadline tradition -- so in some ways, everyone is running the usual plays.

As of Friday morning, members of the Mets and front offices in touch with them believed the Mets will eventually trade all their other players on expiring contracts -- Peralta, Clay Holmes, Brooks Raley, and Tyrone Taylor. Of their players still under contract beyond this year, Luke Weaver seemed the likeliest to go. No one asked expected a deal to include Francisco Lindor.

Scouts from the White Sox, Padres, and others spent Thursday evening at Citi Field. Those teams have starting pitching needs, though the man who started for the Mets Thursday night, Nolan McLean, is one of the few players they have said is not for sale. 

Peralta is scheduled to start here Friday night, and manager Andy Green said the Mets still plan for him to do so. While starting him could risk injury, or waste bullets he might prefer to save for his next team, a person familiar with the right-hander's thinking said he is preparing to pitch Friday, in accordance with the Mets’ plans.

But the chances of Peralta actually taking the mound for the Mets then are not exactly 100 percent: A trade could materialize before then, and if it doesn’t, the Mets could still decide to hold him out to avoid injury or out of respect for suitors who would rather he make as many starts for them as possible.

Holmes is in a similar situation, having navigated a successful rehab outing earlier this week that left the veteran feeling ready to make his next outing in the majors. He will throw a bullpen Friday afternoon, at which point Green said the Mets will have more clarity about if or when they use Holmes next.

Holmes would be on turn to return from the injured list and start for the Mets on Sunday if he is not traded by then, though because he will likely draw an even wider market and larger return than Peralta, the Mets have little incentive to risk injury by starting him before a deal materializes.

As for what the Mets are hunting in exchange, Stearns has said publicly that they must be open-minded to the best talent available, whatever that is. Agbayani and Amick have different offensive profiles. MLB Pipeline ranked both among the Twins’ top 30 prospects -- Amick 21st and Agbayani 29th.

“I don’t think it makes sense for us to zoom in on a particular skill set or a particular player profile and say, that’s the type of player we need to acquire,” Stearns said in his meeting with the media earlier this homestand. 

“We see all over the big leagues that there are players who can impact winning in very different ways, and we have to recognize that in our evaluation of whatever deals may or may not be in front of us. We see different types of prospects traded in different deadlines. It’s very difficult to predict exactly the type of player that’s going to be traded, the type of player that’s going to be available at a deadline.”

That Stearns pointed to “prospects” in that answer might offer more specific insight. Multiple Mets decision makers have suggested their focus will be on acquiring the best prospects they can in these deals -- as they tried to in the Minter deal -- rather than the kind of big-leaguer-for-big-leaguer deals that similarly situated teams sometimes make to get a head start on their offseason priorities. But they also alluded to the need to be “creative,” which might be a relative term in the context of Stearns’ reputation for dealmaking discipline. 

The Minter deal qualified as a classic deadline swap. The Mets should have plenty more of those to come.

There’s been plenty of discourse around what the Brewers will do at the trade deadline over the last several weeks, so here’s a place to centralize that conversation.

Who would you like to see the Brewers add? Will Matt Arnold make a splash? What area of need should the Brewers address? Tarik Skubal? Casey Mize? CJ Abrams? Someone else? This space is open for all discussion on anything deadline!

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The Detroit Tigers head to Sacramento for a weekend series with the Athletics beginning on Friday. 

Casey Mize gives the visitors a leg up on the mound, making them the deserved favorite at -150 on the moneyline. 

Read on for my full Tigers vs. Athletics predictions and MLB picks for Friday, July 31.

Who will win Tigers vs Athletics today: Tigers (-142)

There's bad, there's ugly, and then there's the Athletics, who have lost 26 of their last 33 games.

Perhaps Jeffrey Springs will prove to be a difference-maker? Perhaps not - the southpaw has a 6.79 ERA at Sutter Health Park and is winless in his last 17 turns through the rotation. 

The Detroit Tigers have a much sounder option in Casey Mize, whose elite numbers (2.70 ERA, 2.58 FIP) give the Tigers a sizable advantage on the mound.

Detroit is fresh off a day of rest and is still fighting to gain ground in the AL Wild Card race. Neither can be said of the A's.

Play the Tigers to -165.

COVERS INTEL: Jeffrey Springs allows loud contact (19th percentile barrel rate), frequently in the air (10th percentile groundball rate). Detroit's lineup, which ranks sixth in both xSLG and xwOBA since the Break, can make him pay.

Tigers vs Athletics Over/Under pick: Under 10.5 (+108)

Playing the Under with Mize on the bump has been a profitable venture, as the Tigers are 2-11 to the Under in his last 13 outings. His superb 19.4% K-BB% should do the talking against an A's lineup that has scored four runs or fewer in six of their last seven.

It's difficult to forecast an explosive offensive performance from the Tigers given their recent struggles against southpaws. Detroit ranks bottom five in wOBA (.277) and wRC+ (74) against lefties in July. 

While it may be easy to envision a game in West Sacramento featuring runs in bunches, the A's have actually cashed the Under in five consecutive home games. 

Tigers vs Athletics weather

It will be hot and relatively humid, with light winds blowing toward center field. 

Tigers vs Athletics odds

• Moneyline: Tigers -138 | Athletics +133
• Run line: Tigers -1.5 (+108) | Athletics +1.5 (-113)
• Over/Under: Over 10.5 (-113) | Under 10.5 (+108)

Tigers vs Athletics trend

The Tigers have cashed the Under in 11 of Casey Mize's last 13 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Athletics.

How to watch Tigers vs Athletics and game info

Tigers vs Athletics latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The Milwaukee Brewers will close out July and open August with a visit to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this weekend, as the Brewers face their first interleague opponent in over a month. After dropping two of three to the Giants by the Bay, the Crew will look to bounce back as they wrap up their road trip in SoCal. The Angels, on the other hand, have had another dismal season (42-67, tied with Colorado for worst record in baseball) despite a few solid pieces on the roster. They’re expected to move several of those pieces at the trade deadline, so we’ll see what happens this weekend with the deadline set for Monday evening.

Milwaukee’s injured list currently consists of pitchers DL Hall (close to returning), Kyle Harrison (expected to make next start in the majors), Joel Kuhnel (early August), Rob Zastryzny (August), Brandon Woodruff (out for season), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Outfielders Brandon Lockridge (on rehab assignment) and Sal Frelick (early to mid-August) should also be returning in the next couple of weeks.

The Angels are currently without pitchers Yusei Kikuchi (mid-August), Ben Joyce (could return this weekend), Robert Stephenson (out for season), and Jack Kochanowicz (out for season). On the position player side, utility infielder Adam Frazier is on a rehab assignment and is expected to return as soon as next week, catcher Sebastián Rivero is slated for an early August return, and Known Baseball Lover Anthony Rendon, who had surgery just as the season was beginning, is expected to retire.

The Brewers have one of the more balanced offenses in baseball at this point in the season, with Jake Bauers, Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich, Andrew Vaughn, and rookies Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara all contributing regularly. Joey Ortiz has also shown signs of improvement over the last month or so, and Gary Sánchez still has plenty of power in the tank. David Hamilton and Blake Perkins round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .255/.337/.400 (.737 OPS ranks sixth), with 98 homers (last), 546 runs scored (fifth), and 107 steals (fifth).

Zach Neto, Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler anchor the Angels’ offense, as all four have double-digit homers this year. Tyler Heineman, Nolan Schanuel, Oswald Peraza, Denzer Guzman, and Josh Lowe are the other regulars, with Jose Siri, Wade Meckler, Vaughn Grissom, and Travis d’Arnaud rounding things out after the team traded catcher Logan O’Hoppe earlier this week. As a team, the Angels are hitting .239/.315/.386 (.701 OPS ranks 24th), with 116 homers (21st), 464 runs scored (20th), and 56 steals (tied for 21st).

Aaron Ashby continues to set the pace with 51 appearances for Milwaukee’s bullpen, spanning 60 2/3 innings with 83 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA. Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, and Chad Patrick have been the other “A” bullpen arms, with Craig Yoho, Bryse Wilson, and Grant Anderson filling things out as the Brewers currently have six arms in the rotation with the latest call-up of Thomas Pannone. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.51 team ERA (second), including a 3.38 starter ERA (second) and a 3.68 bullpen ERA (sixth). They’ve struck out 1,047 batters (second) over 965 2/3 innings.

Top reliever Chase Silseth was sent to the Rangers in the O’Hoppe deal this week, leaving the Angels without a clear top arm. Samy Natera Jr. leads the ‘pen with a 2.08 ERA over 21 2/3 innings this year, while Ryan Zeferjahn (3.78 ERA), Kirby Yates (3.76 ERA), and José Fermin (2.67 ERA) have also been solid. Former Brewer Legend Brent Suter (4.26 over 61 1/3 innings) hasn’t been quite as sharp this year, and Sam Bachman (4.26 ERA) and Mitch Farris (4.17 ERA) round things out. As a staff, the Angels have a 4.54 team ERA (24th), including a 4.67 starter ERA (26th) and a 4.40 bullpen ERA (24th). They’ve struck out 971 batters (eighth) over 960 1/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, July 31 @ 8:38 p.m.: LHP Shane Drohan (5-4, 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP) vs. RHP Ryan Johnson (2-5, 7.34 ERA, 6.28 FIP)

Drohan continues to have a solid rookie season, but he is coming off his worst start of the year against the Rockies. While he has a 3.51 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 82 strikeouts over 82 frames, he went six innings with a season-high five runs allowed on six hits and a pair of walks last Friday. The lefty has gone at least six innings in each of his last four starts, though. This marks his first career appearance against the Halos.

Johnson, 24 next week, is another fast-tracked player for the Angels, as he was drafted in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft before making his debut last year with 14 relief appearances. He’s made 11 appearances (eight starts) this season, and hasn’t yet had much major league success, with a 7.34 ERA, 6.28 FIP, and 34 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings this year. The right-hander got hit hard by the Giants in his last appearance, allowing eight runs on eight hits, a walk, and a hit batter while striking out four over 3 1/3 innings. This marks Johnson’s first career appearance against Milwaukee.

Saturday, August 1 @ 8:38 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (3-4, 4.71 ERA, 4.78 FIP) vs. RHP José Soriano (9-6, 3.29 ERA, 3.80 FIP)

Gasser hasn’t been quite as sharp this year as he was in his brief stints of 2024 and 2025, but he’s shown flashes of his potential. After allowing seven runs across three-plus innings to the Pirates in the last game before the All-Star break, he’s totaled 11 innings with just three runs allowed and nine strikeouts against the Marlins and Rockies in his last two outings. This will also mark Gasser’s first career appearance against the Angels.

Soriano, 27, is a common name in trade rumors, as he’s put together a solid year despite not being quite as fantastic as he was early in the season. Through 22 starts this year, Soriano is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 127 strikeouts over 123 innings, though he has also issued a league-worst 57 walks. He had a solid month of July, making four starts with eight runs allowed (seven earned) and 16 strikeouts over 23 innings (2.74 ERA). Soriano’s lone appearance against the Brewers came last September, when he allowed three runs on two hits and two walks over 1 1/3 innings.

Sunday, August 2 @ 2:15 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (11-4, 1.58 ERA, 2.04 FIP) vs. RHP Walbert Ureña (6-7, 2.70 ERA, 3.89 FIP)

Misiorowski continues to dominate opposing teams, and his last start was just another example of that. He struck out the first seven batters of the game and 12 of the first 13 against the Rockies on Sunday en route to his 11th win of the season, allowing just one run on a solo homer. He remains atop the league with a 1.58 ERA, 2.04 FIP, and 185 strikeouts this year. Like Drohan and Gasser, this is Miz’s first career appearance against L.A.

Ureña, 22, is a rookie right-hander who has turned in a solid season. His ERA (2.70) outpaces his FIP (3.89) by more than a full run and he’s made 19 appearances (17 starts) with 88 strikeouts over 93 1/3 innings. He’s looked great in his last four appearance, totaling 21 2/3 innings and allowing just three runs (1.25 ERA) with 19 strikeouts against the Mariners, Rangers, Cardinals, and Astros, though his team has just a 2-2 record to show for it. This marks Ureña first career appearance against Milwaukee.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, July 31: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, August 1: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, August 2: Exclusively on Peacock/NBCSN Extra; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

The Brewers have the advantage on the mound in this series, especially with Misiorowski starting in the series finale. Give me the Brewers to go 2-1 to finish with a .500 road trip in California.