Category: MLB

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 (66-59) lost 1-0 (BOX SCORE)

Mayer started for Sugar Land and pitched really well tossing 5.1 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts. The pen pitched well as the game went to extras and in the 10th, the Comets got a run to take the lead. The Sugar Land offense was unable to get anything going as they fell 1-0 in the series finale.

Note: Mayer has 112 K over 83.1 innings this season.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 0-for-3, BB, SB
• Collin Price, DH: 2-for-3, 2B, BB, SB

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
• Bryan King, LHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Alex Santos II, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Christian Roa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Michael Knorr, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (57-63) won 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Hooks got on the board in the first inning on a Bush RBI single. Hicks started for the Hooks and went 5 innings allowing 1 run while striking out 5. The game stayed tied until the 8th inning with Thomas connected on a 2 run home run. The pen was great tossing 4 scoreless innings as they closed out the 3-1 win.

Note: Thomas has 19 HR/36 SB this season.

• Justin Thomas, RF: 1-for-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SB
• Will Bush, C: 1-for-4, RBI
• Alejandro Nunez, 3B: 1-for-3, R, SB

• James Hicks, RHP: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Andrew Marrero, RHP: 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Colby Langford, LHP: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)

A+: Asheville Tourists (41-77) lost 12-1 (BOX SCORE)

Howard started for Asheville and went 5.1 innings allowing 3 runs, 1 earned, while striking out 7 batters. Asheville got on the board in the 6th scoring a run on an error. The pen struggled allowing 9 runs over the final two innings and the offense was unable to score again as Asheville fell 12-1.

Note: Howard has 77 K over 88 innings this season.

• Kyle Walker, 2B: 2-for-4, 2B, BB
• Kenni Gomez, LF: 1-for-4, R, SB
• Nick Monistere, DH: 0-for-2, 2 BB, SB
• DJ Newman, RF: 1-for-4

• Dylan Howard, RHP: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
• Grayson Saunier, RHP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K
• Francisco Frias, RHP: 0.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Jose Varela, RHP: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (62-53)

Game One – won 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

Ardines got the start and tossed 4 innings allowing 2 runs while striking out 5. The offense got on the board in the 4th on a Piasecki 2 run single. In the 5th, the offense added 2 more runs on a Hughes bases loaded hit by pitch and a De Leon steal of home. The offense got 2 more runs in the 7th inning on a Hughes RBI double and Nowak RBI single. Carrera tossed 3 scoreless innings as he closed out the 6-2 win.

Note: Ardines has 74 K in 64.1 innings this season.

• Kam Durnin, SS: 0-for-1, 2 R, 2 BB, SB
• Logan Hughes, RF: 1-for-2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Owen Nowak, CF: 2-for-4, R, SB
• Aaron Piasecki, 2B: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
• Rashawn Galloway, DH: 0-for-2, R
• Luis De Leon, C: 1-for-3, R

• Adrian Ardines, RHP: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 1 K (WIN)

Game Two – won 6-1 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got the scoring started in the first inning on a Cauro sac fly. Weber started for the Woodpeckers and pitched well allowing 1 run over 4 innings while striking out 5. In the 4th inning, Alvarez connected on a solo home run. The offense would break it open a bit in the 6th inning scoring 4 runs on a Hughes solo home run, run on a wild pitch and a Soto 2 run double. The bullpen pitched well tossing 3 scoreless innings as they closed out the

Note: Hughes is hitting .360 this season.

• Logan Hughes, 1B: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR, RBI
• Kevin Alvarez, CF: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI, BB, SB
• Carlos Cauro, C: 0-for-1, R, RBI, BB, SB
• Owen Nowak, RF: 1-for-3, 3B
• German Ramirez, 3B: 0-for-2, R, BB
• Petey Soto, 2B: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI

• Charlie Weber, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
• Brady Thomas, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (WIN)
• Jank Pichardo, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: OFF

CC: OFF

AV: OFF

FV: OFF

Which players does one choose when the entire team doesn’t lose a game all week? It doesn’t just mean those who had good weeks. It also applies to those that had a rough stretch as well as there weren’t many.

It was just a really good stretch of baseball.

Three up

Luis Arraez – It’s kind of impressive what adding a hitter like Arraez can do for a lineup. Since his trade from the Giants, he has injected some new kind of life into the lineup that has really changed this season. A moribund offense prior, they all seem to have taken what he does at the plate and adapted it for themselves. There will be talk of giving him an extension once the season is over and there is some fairness to thinking that might be a good idea, but let’s just enjoy these two months remaining before getting into all that.

Bryce Harper – Harper’s stated desire to have somewhere between 140-150 walks on the season might have sounded foolish at the time, but it sure seems like he is going for it now. His OBP of .500 for the month of August has given the Phillies a boost. His getting on base (and more importantly, the production behind him) have paced the offense these last few games.

Andrew Painter – There have been multiple stories written since Saturday about how good Painter actually was in his start, but it’s the stuff modeling gurus that really turned out. Check anyoneyou want on social media and they’ll all pretty much agree – it was the best his stuff has looked this year both from the naked eye and from a data point of view.

Three down

Jonathan Bowlan – The trade that the team made this offseason to get Bowlan from the Royals in exchange for Matt Strahm truly could not have gone better. Bowlan has been excellent for the Phillies, discovering some zip on his fastball, executing a truly dominant slider and elevating himself to being one of the team’s trusted setup men. As for Strahm, all of the things that he was defying in Philadelphia (giving up home runs, lack of strikeout stuff) all caught up to him in Kansas City, leading to a disastrous season in which he found himself DFAed. Even as Bowlan struggled a bit this week (maybe he’s getting a little tired this late in the year), it’s hard to find this season anything but an unmitigated success.

Jesus Luzardo – Listen, I’m grasping at straws here. His last start this week wasn’t all that great, but he’s been awesome this year and was due a clunker.

Bryson Stott – You can’t have everyone clicking on offense at the same time. Pretty sure there is some kind of baseball law against that. This week, it was Stott’s turn to struggle, going 2 for 22 on the week, then having the rumbly tumblies on Sunday while Kyle Schwarber was walking the Cardinals off the field.

The Cincinnati Reds used the 18th overall pick of the 2026 Major League Baseball draft on shortstop Justin Lebron from the University of Alabama, and the early returns from his selection sure do look promising.

The Reds brass assigned Lebron to High-A Dayton of the Midwest League in lieu of sticking him in the hitting abyss that is the Florida State League with Daytona, and the newest Dragon has hit the ground sprinting. He had a 2-hit debut nearly two weeks ago, and he’s somehow managed to get even hotter ever since.

Through 11 games and 49 plate appearances, Lebron is hitting a robust .333/.388/.733 (1.121 OPS), with much of that coming via a power outburst that has seen him sock 5 homers already. That has helped the overall Dragons surge to 153 homers for the season already – a new franchise record.

Lebron, who struggled more than most anyone expected against Southeastern Conference pitching during his final campaign in Tuscaloosa, once again looks completely locked in. His most recent dinger came on an inside heater in a 2-strike count, one he turned on with his patented quick hands and elite bat speed to pull over the wall in left field.

He has also sent balls over the wall in center…

…while waiting patiently on an 83 mph slider, at that.

It’s about as good of a start as anyone could have hope to see. It sure feels like the Reds got a good one here.

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to face the Mets in New York this week, as the Crew looks to continue their winning ways. The Brewers, at 81-50 this season, sit firmly atop the NL Central after winning each of their last three series against the Dodgers, Mariners, and Braves. The Mets, at 59-72, sit at the bottom of the NL East with the sixth-worst record in baseball. They’ve actually been a bit better the last couple of weeks, with a 6-3 record against the Nationals, Padres, and White Sox.

Milwaukee’s lone position player on the IL is outfielder Sal Frelick, who is expected to return for this road trip. However, the team suffered a pair of injuries in Sunday’s Little League Classic, as outfielder Garrett Mitchell exited after being hit by a pitch with what was categorized as a right forearm contusion, and first baseman Jake Bauers, who has been playing with a toe fracture this season, fouled a ball off his leg/foot, though he remained in the game. It’s unclear if either player will miss more time, but overall, not the worst news on that front. On the mound, the Brewers are without Brandon Woodruff (potentially back before the end of the year after not needing surgery), JoJo Romero (late August), Abner Uribe (could be activated on Wednesday), Rob Zastryzny (TBD), Joel Kuhnel (late August), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), Quinn Priester (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season).

The Mets are without first baseman Mark Vientos (on rehab assignment), outfielder Juan Soto (September), and infielder Jorge Polanco (out for season). Old friend Devin Williams is on the injured list with a shoulder strain that will keep him out until at least September. Fellow pitchers Cionel Pérez (September), Justin Hagenman (TBD), Tylor Megill (out for season), and Reed Garrett (out for season) are also out.

Jake Bauers leads the Brewer offense with 23 homers, 19 doubles, and 75 RBIs this season, as he’s slashing .273/.382/.503 in the best season of his career. Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, Joey Ortiz, and Andrew Vaughn are among the other key contributors in recent weeks, while veteran Christian Yelich continues to suffer from the bad-luck bug. Gary Sánchez, Garrett Mitchell, David Hamilton, Cooper Pratt, and Luis Lara are also in the regular mix, with Jonathan Ornelas serving as some infield depth. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .254/.337/.396 (.733 OPS ranks seventh), with 120 homers (last), 650 runs scored (fifth), and 129 steals (third).

With Soto out, Carson Benge, Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Francisco Lindor, and Francisco Alvarez lead New York’s offense. Benge has 16 homers, 17 doubles, 53 RBIs, and 19 steals in what has been a solid season overall, while Bichette, Semien, and Lindor are all have down years by their standards. Jared Young, A.J. Ewing, Luis Robert Jr., and Brett Baty are also in the regular mix, with Christopher Morel, Luis Torrens, Eric Wagaman, and Cristian Pache rounding things out. As a team, the Mets are hitting .236/.307/.391 (.698 OPS ranks 26th), with 161 homers (ninth), 546 runs scored (23rd), and 68 steals (tied for 21st).

Aaron Ashby’s 61 appearances pace the Brewer bullpen, as he has a 3.33 ERA and 102 strikeouts over 73 innings this year. Trevor Megill has had the closer role on lock over the past few months, with a 2.34 ERA and 24 saves in 26 opportunities, and Uribe’s expected return will be a welcome site for the backend of the bullpen. Grant Anderson, Chad Patrick, and DL Hall also fit in the regular rotation of bullpen arms, with Antonio Senzatela and Bryse Wilson rounding the group out. The Brewers, who have been rolling with a six-man rotation for the last several weeks, may also add a new name to that group — likely either Robert Gasser or Shane Drohan — in the next week or so. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.42 team ERA (second), including a 3.48 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.33 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,269 batters (second) over 1,171 1/3 innings.

With Williams injured, Kodai Senga, who started his career as a solid starter, has taken over the closer role, going 4-for-4 in that role. While Senga’s 7.79 season ERA looks terrible, he’s been much better of late, with a 2.45 ERA in eight August appearances (7 1/3 innings). Austin Warren (4.30 ERA), Daniel Duarte (1.17 ERA), and Jefry Yan (4.26 ERA) have also been in high-leverage roles since the team unloaded most of their bullpen at the deadline. Chayce McDermott (5.40 ERA over 3 1/3 IP), Nate Lavender (0.00 over 7 2/3 IP), Dedniel Núñez (7.36 ERA over 7 1/3 IP), and Jonathan Pintaro (4.05 ERA over 20 IP) round things out. As a staff, the Mets have a 4.07 team ERA (12th), including a 4.37 starter ERA (19th) and a 3.71 bullpen ERA (sixth). They’ve struck out 1,183 batters (sixth) over 1,165 2/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Tuesday, August 25 @ 6:10 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.84 ERA, 3.23 FIP) vs. LHP Zac Thornton (3-4, 3.04 ERA, 4.09 FIP)

Harrison, who has a 2.84 ERA and 3.23 FIP with 122 strikeouts over 98 1/3 innings this season, bounced back from a rough outing in San Diego to go five shutout frames against the Mariners on Tuesday, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight in Milwaukee’s 22-0 blowout victory. Harrison’s only appearance against the Mets came while with the Giants in 2024, when he got roughed up for five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks, striking out six over five frames.

Thornton, 24, has turned in a solid rookie season with New York, making nine starts with a 3.04 ERA, 4.09 FIP, and 36 strikeouts across 50 1/3 innings. The left-hander went five innings in his last outing, taking the loss as he allowed three runs on six hits and a walk, striking out seven. Thornton picked up a win against Milwaukee in July, going six scoreless innings on three hits and a walk, striking out two.

Wednesday, August 26 @ 6:10 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (6-8, 4.57 ERA, 3.36 FIP) vs. RHP Robert Stock (0-2, 5.40 ERA, 4.10 FIP)

May has now made three starts in a Brewer uniform, and while the first two appearances were very good (13 total innings, three earned runs, 11 strikeouts), he got roughed up in a major way against the Mariners on Wednesday, allowing seven runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, striking out one over just two innings in Milwaukee’s 7-5 loss. May has four appearances (three starts) against the Mets in his career, with a 3.38 ERA and 14 strikeouts over 18 2/3 innings. That includes six scoreless frames with six strikeouts in a win while with the Cardinals in June.

Stock, 36, is a former second-round pick who spent some time with the Brewers organization back in 2023 (also appearing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic that year). After debuting in 2018 with the Padres, he appeared with the Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets for brief stints through 2021 before spending some time overseas. He then made a pair of appearances with Boston last year before returning to the Mets this year. He’s made four starts thus far, with a 5.40 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and 19 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings, though eight of the 10 earned runs he allowed came in a 9-0 loss to the Pirates in early August. Stock made two appearances (one start) against the Brewers in 2018 with the Padres and 2021 with the Mets, totaling five innings with two runs allowed and six strikeouts.

Thursday, August 27 @ 6:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (13-5, 1.68 ERA, 2.14 FIP) vs. LHP Sean Manaea (4-5, 4.31 ERA, 4.53 FIP)

Misiorowski continues to shine, with a 13-5 record, 1.68 ERA, and 2.14 FIP with 216 strikeouts over 145 innings this season. The big right-hander worked six scoreless innings against the Braves on Friday afternoon, allowing four hits and two walks while striking out six in a 2-1 win. Miz has made two starts against the Mets, going 0-1 with six runs allowed (five earned) over 7 2/3 innings, striking out eight, though he went four innings with just an unearned run and six strikeouts in a no-decision in July.

Manaea, 34, is in his 11th MLB season with his fourth team. He’s made 27 appearances (13 starts) this season, with a 4.31 ERA, 4.53 FIP, and 117 strikeouts over 117 innings. The left-hander allowed four runs on five hits and two walks, striking out four over six frames in a no-decision against the White Sox his last time out. Manaea has made six career appearances (five starts) against Milwaukee, with a 6.00 ERA and 29 strikeouts across 27 frames.

How to Watch & Listen

Tuesday, August 25: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Wednesday, August 26: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Thursday, August 27: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

The Mets have had a truly dismal season, and the Brewers will be coming off a well-deserved off day to begin this series. Give me the Crew to win two of three once again.

Last Week’s Results

• Tuesday: Brewers 22, Mariners 0
• Wednesday: Mariners 7, Brewers 5
• Thursday: Brewers 7, Mariners 4
• Friday: Brewers 2, Braves 1
• Saturday: Brewers 4, Braves 1
• Sunday: Braves 4, Brewers 2

Division Standings

• Brewers 81-50
• Cubs 75-56 (6 GB)
• Cardinals 66-66 (15.5 GB)
• Pirates 63-69 (18.5 GB)
• Reds 62-69 (19 GB)

Last Week

• Brewers: 4-2
• Cubs: 3-3
• Cardinals: 3-5
• Pirates: 2-4
• Reds: 3-5

Top Pitching Performance of the Week

It was a good week for the Brewer pitching staff: six different pitchers threw at least three innings without allowing a run, which included scoreless starts from Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison and a nice six-inning, one-run outing from Logan Henderson. But let’s put a little shine on DL Hall. Over three appearances out of the Brewer bullpen, Hall didn’t allow an earned run, and allowed an inherited runner to score on Sunday only when Andrew Vaughn misplayed a weak ground ball that should’ve been the third out. In 5 1/3 innings, Hall struck out seven, walked two, and didn’t allow a hit.

Top Hitting Performance of the Week

When a team scores 22 runs in one game, there are going to be some candidates here, but let’s highlight Garrett Mitchell. He only came to the plate 13 times this week, but in those 13 plate appearances Mitchell was 8-for-12 with a walk, a homer, two doubles, and three RBIs, giving him a not-too-shabby .667/.714/1.083 batting line for the week.

Let’s also highlight Luis Lara, who hit his first pro homer (who cares if it was against a position player) and had a clutch RBI triple on Sunday; David Hamilton, who was 5-for-12 with a homer and a double; William Contreras, who led the team with 10 hits in 21 at-bats this week; and Jake Bauers, the only Brewer to homer multiple times this week.

Injury Notes & Roster Moves

• Speaking of Mitchell, he had to leave Sunday’s game after being hit on the forearm/wrist by a pitch. The official word was “right forearm contusion” and x-rays were negative, so it doesn’t sound like it’s anything serious.
• Cooper Pratt completed his short stint on the injured list and was activated Wednesday. He replaced Brandon Lockridge on the roster, who was optioned to Triple-A Nashville.
• Jihwan Bae, who was designated for assignment when the Brewers signed Jonathan Ornelas, was outrighted to Triple-A Nashville.
• Bo Naylor very briefly made his “debut” with the Brewers on Sunday, when the team was allowed a 27th man for the “special event” Little League Classic. He did not play.
• Sal Frelick continues to get at-bats at Triple-A; according to manager Pat Murphy, he is likely to be activated for the series with the Mets from Tuesday-Thursday this week.
• In a shocker, news came out that Brandon Woodruff, in a major twist, does not need another surgery on his shoulder, and he’ll even begin a throwing program this week that could, conceivably, make him available to pitch before the season ends. Unlikely, but possible.
• JoJo Romero, one of the Brewers’ deadline pickups, threw live batting practice on Friday and could start a rehab assignment this week.
• Abner Uribe threw a bullpen on Tuesday and could be on track to rejoin the Brewers on Wednesday, when his minimum IL stint is reached.

On Deck

• Monday: Off Day
• Tuesday: @ Mets (6:10 p.m.)
• Wednesday: @ Mets (6:10 p.m.)
• Thursday: @ Mets (6:10 p.m.)
• Friday: vs. Rangers (6:40 p.m.)
• Saturday: vs. Rangers (6:15 p.m.)
• Sunday: vs. Rangers (1:10 p.m.)

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The surging Philadelphia Phillies have won nine consecutive games and are -115 favorites to reach double digits tonight.

With a more in-form offense and an ace-caliber arm on the mound, my Phillies vs. Mariners predictions and MLB picks believe the value lies with the road team on Aug. 24.

Who will win Phillies vs Mariners today: Phillies (-115)

The Seattle Mariners own a putrid .259 wOBA vs. righties at home over the past month, ranking dead last in the majors.

They now have to contend with Zack Wheeler, who slots in the 96th percentile in Pitching Run Value. Not ideal.

Logan Gilbert is the more attackable arm. He’s a 66th percentile arm in xERA, and has allowed three runs or more in six of his last nine starts.

The Philadelphia Phillies have hit righties well the past month, ranking fifth in OBP and 12th in ISO. They’re more likely to provide run support.

Back Philadelphia to -125.

COVERS INTEL:The Phillies have struck out at the league's lowest rate (14.7%) against right-handed pitching this month.

Phillies vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 6.5 (+100)

The Mariners have faced eight arms who profile similarly to Wheeler, including Chase Burns, Cam Schlittler, and Dylan Cease. They scored five earned runs against the eight starters fitting the criteria.

They’ve had a miserable time going up in class against ace-caliber pitchers, and that should continue against Wheeler tonight.

Philadelphia has not hit for anywhere close to the same level of power on the road, besting only the Royals in OPS. 

Gilbert should be able to limit the home runs in pitcher-friendly conditions, and that will help avoid bulk scoring.

Bet the Under to -113.

Phillies vs Mariners home run prediction: Bryce Harper (+475)

Gilbert combines to throw the fastball and slider more than 60% of the time against left-handed hitters. That sets up well for Bryce Harper, who hits those pitches extremely well.

Harper is sporting a ridiculous .552 ISO against right-handed fastballs, and he’s no slouch facing sliders (.382 wOBA, .229 ISO).

Nobody on the Phillies comes close to Harper’s outputs vs. that combination, making him an appealing buy at +475.

Bet to +450.

Phillies vs Mariners weather

Temperatures are expected to sit in the low 70s with winds blowing southeast. Favorable pitching conditions.

Phillies vs Mariners odds

• Moneyline: Phillies -115 | Mariners -105
• Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+160) | Mariners +1.5 (+190)
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-120) | Under 6.5 (+100)

Phillies vs Mariners trend

Philadelphia has cashed the game total Under in 30 of their last 50 away games (+10.35 units, 19% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Mariners.

How to watch Phillies vs Mariners and game info

Phillies vs Mariners latest injuries

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Hey, I did say in my Up Next for this game that I liked the pitching matchup. I think I probably envisioned a stronger performance from Shōta Imanaga. I’ll hat tip Aaron Civale for his performance in this one, saving a lot of bullpen and also being very effective. I understand and respect that he’ll seek out an opportunity to continue starting somewhere next year. That’s surely the right move, but if he ever wanted to embrace a swing man role for the Cubs organization, I’d welcome it.

I always love when I can physically feel my opinion on something changing as I’m watching a game. For so many years, I was so much about the sanctity of 162 games and for trying to make as many of those games be complete games as possible. Part of the experience of baseball are the milestones, be it single season or career. And also, they let an extended stretch of history be marred by steroids. Numbers were shattered. Hitting records fell to the way side. Players extended their careers and put up historic numbers.

Now in this new era, starters throw a continually dwindling number of innings. The roster shuffle has dozens of players in and out of roster spots. There appears to be an increase of the incidence of what I’ll call soft injured list time. A kind of soft fraud type of manipulating roster limits and trying to save bullets for the postseason. More and more every pitch is a max effort pitch and so almost all counting pitching stats are drifting towards unbreakable.

With this era of max effort, it is clearly a waste of precious ammunition to have a guy throwing batting practice fastballs while they run out the game. Well, at least having an ordinary pitcher do so. Now, we see a larger and larger number of position players pitching. And, they also don’t want those guys getting hurt, so we aren’t seeing guys who were pitchers at some point earlier in their career throwing some reasonable effort pitches at 60-75 miles per hour. Nope, we’re seeing the kind of pitches you’d see thrown to your seven-year-old child’s team seeing live pitching for the first time.

This has now contorted to the point where Carson Kelly was called on to throw an inning of relief, rather than tax anyone to try to protect a 17-run lead. I don’t think before the last year or two I could remember a position player getting action on a team winning by a large margin.

Just like that, I wouldn’t be disappointed if a team were allowed to throw up the white flag and put an end to the game. I don’t think there is an urgent need to do so or anything, but I have no need to ever see these late-inning situations where there is nothing vaguely competitive happening. I certainly don’t think ending a game early is any more of an abomination than the ghost runner in extra innings.

While on the one hand, customers pay to see a whole game, also you do sometimes end one due to weather. Also, if I’d paid to see this game, I’d have probably left no later than middle of the eighth when it was clear there was nothing competitive left to happen.

For me, I find it unfortunate. The Cubs are trying to prepare themselves to try to make a deep run in the playoffs. You could feel the Mariners pulling back in the middle inning of this game and there were some pretty poor attempts at fielding that contributed to the lopsided score.

Yawn. At least it was another win. The Cubs have posted an amazing number of these one-sided games. With the outburst, the Cubs ended the night with the most runs scored in baseball, nosing ahead of the Nationals who have played one more game. They’ve also sneaked into the OPS lead for all of baseball. This has been a really special group this year. It would have been terrific if they had a healthy pitching staff. Hopefully they can pull a respectable group together from this scrap heap to try to make a playoff run.

Three Positives:

• Ian Happ had the big blow of the game, a grand slam. He had two hits, a walk, drove in five and scored two. Season line now at .218/.327/.420 (109 wRC+)
• Pedro Ramirez did take advantage of silly baseball, but I’ll still hat tip three hits, three runs and five driven in. He did most of that damage in silly ball.
• Pete Crow-Armstrong had two hits and a walk. Stole a base, hit another homer. Drove in three and scored two. When all is said and done this is going to be the greatest season in the history of baseball’s oldest team. For all of the things the Cubs haven’t been through the years, they still have some really magnificent baseball seasons in their history and he appears headed to blow past all of them.

Game 131, August 23: Cubs 19, Mariners 2 (75-56)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Ian Happ (.352). 2-4, HR, BB, 5 RBI, 2 R, DP
• Hero: Aaron Civale (.256). 4 IP, 13 BF, H, 2 K (W 1-0)
• Sidekick: Michael Conforto (.096). 1-2, HR, RBI, R

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Shōta Imanaga (-.229). 2 IP, 14 BF, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 R (1 ER), 4 K
• Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.066). 1-4, DP
• Kid: Carson Kelly (-.047). 1-5, RBI, R, DP

NOTE: Carson Kelly’s WPA is solely reflective of his batting and does not include his pitching. 23 of the 96 “events” in this game scored .000 WPA, including all of those while Kelly was pitching. The first of those was Seiya Suzuki’s single in the eighth. Ian Happ’s bases-loaded walk a few batters later was the last one that scored any WPA.

WPA Play of the Game: Ian Happ’s grand slam in the third inning. (.390)

Mariners Play of the Game: Josh Naylor batted with a runner on first and no outs in the third inning, the Mariners down three. He singled, ending the day of Imanaga. (.065)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 130 Winner: Tyrone Taylor 16-14 over Alex Bregman (37 total votes). Apologies for not listing David Peterson, who was a valid choice.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +28
• Alex Bregman +25
• Trent Thornton +13.5
• Carson Kelly +12.5
• Javier Assad +12
• Seiya Suzuki -11
• Edward Cabrera -12.5
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Dansby Swanson -17
• Caleb Thielbar -18.5

Scoreboard Watching: Phillies win (two back of Cubs). Marlins win (eight back). Dodgers win (five up). Padres win (four back). Diamondbacks win (six back). Braves win (one up) over Brewers (six up). So the Cubs gain one back on Milwaukee to end the week. One impressive weekend for the top half of the NL. Only the Cubs and Braves lost their series and the Braves lost theirs in Milwaukee (and Williamsport).

Up Next: On to Arizona to face the Diamondbacks who I noted are six back. They are fourth in the Wild Card chase, two out of the last spot. They’ve split their last 10 games and have a +9 run differential. This one is a battle of two guys who most of us expect to be better. Kevin Gausman (6-11, 4.58) makes his fourth Cub start. He’s failed to escape the fifth in his last two. He actually beat the D-backs as a Blue Jay back in April. He allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk over six innings.

Merrill Kelly (8-11, 5.37) starts for Arizona. The eighth round pick of the Rays in 2010 (251st overall) is 1-3 with a 5.35 over his last seven, so he’s been pretty consistently bad. He’s allowed six earned runs in each of his last two starts and he hasn’t finished six innings since July 9. The Cubs beat him back in May, putting up six earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. Michael Busch had two hits, including a triple, drove in four and walked in that one.

Diamondbacks relievers have thrown the fourth fewest innings and in turn have the least number of strikeouts. But even if you look at K/9, they are still 27th out of 30. They are 22nd out of 30 in WHIP. So this isn’t a great bullpen. That said, despite the low number of innings (and moderate number of wins), their bullpen is tied for the 11th most holds. They can be beat late, but are no pushover.

Let’s make it two straight wins against a pitcher having a rough year.

The Nats once fearsome offense is now searching for answers. They only scored 20 runs across their 9 game road trip. The team is in desperate need of any spark. If they don’t want to bring up Seaver King, Trey Lipscomb is another player who deserves a shot. 

Entering the 2024 season, Lipscomb had a lot of hype going into the year. He had a solid year in the minors and was pushing Luis Garcia Jr. for the starting second base job out of camp. Lipscomb did not make the team, but quickly got promoted following an injury.

Simply put, Lipscomb fell on his face in his first MLB stint. He hit just .200 with a .500 OPS in 61 games. After that disastrous spell in the show, Lipscomb faded into oblivion. He only posted a .697 OPS in AAA last year. That resulted in the then 25 year old being DFA’d and going unclaimed.

Having gone unclaimed, Lipscomb was back in the Nats system. However, as Rochester manager Matt LeCroy put it, Lipscomb had suffered a setback. This offseason, Lipscomb worked on becoming twitchier and more athletic. That work has really paid off as he is swinging the bat faster and hitting the ball harder.

The improvements in Lipscomb’s quality of contact is pretty crazy. Last season, his average exit velocity was 86.2 MPH, his 90th percentile EV was 103.6 and his max EV was 109.7. This year those numbers have jumped to 89.9, 105.4 and 114.4, a truly remarkable increase for a player who is not that young. 

Predictably, the increase in exit velocities has come with a serious boost in power. Lipscomb has 27 home runs in 110 games this season, the most in the Nats system. Before this year, he had 30 homers in 339 MILB games. The 26 year old has just added a whole new element to his game.

With the way the Nats infielders are hitting right now, I think it is worth giving Lipscomb a shot even if there are some concerns. When you look at his profile, there is one pretty massive red flag. Lipscomb’s chase rate this year is 43.2%, which is really bad. For context, even the free swinging Luis Garcia Jr. is only chasing 38.4% of the time.

There is a pretty good chance that this flaw is just totally debilitating at the MLB level and Lipscomb is just one of those Quad-A guys. However, the Nats are in a position to find this out for sure down the stretch. We know what Jorbit Vivas and Nasim Nunez can do, why not give Lipscomb a shot. With his massive increase in power he has certainly earned it.

Lipscomb might be the most extreme example, but the Nats have done a phenomenal job unlocking power in the minor leagues this season. By my count, the Nats have 5 minor leaguers who are already at 20+ homers, which is very impressive. It really feels like this new regime specializes in adding power.

However, at the big league level it just feels like the Nats are stuck in the mud. With James Wood and CJ Abrams out, the Nats are in need of new blood who can energize this weary team for the last few weeks of the season. The Nats need to avoid total collapse, and calling up red hot and confident hitters like Trey Lipscomb could be part of the solution.

Dana Brown is out as general manager of the Houston Astros.

Brown – who has held the position for just over 3 ½ years – was coming to the end of his contract at the conclusion of the season, but he and the team announced on Monday, Aug. 24, that they have "mutually agreed to part ways."

"Over the past four seasons, Dana has helped our organization win two division titles and has led our baseball front office through key scouting, draft and development efforts," team owner Jim Crane said in a statement. "On behalf of the Astros, I want to thank him for his commitment, energy, and contributions to our organization."

Blake Treinen continued his minor league rehab assignment with a scoreless inning on Sunday for Oklahoma City, his fourth scoreless outing in four tries, first with Ontario and the las three contests in Triple-A.

Treinen struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning on Sunday, working around a leadoff single. The right-hander pitched on one day rest, after having two days of res before his previous wo games. Treinen is on the 60-day injured list with right elbow inflammation and last pitched for the Dodgers on June 19.

Player of the day

Emmet Sheehan seemed to find his groove again in Triple-A, including six scoreless innings on Sunday with nine strikeouts, allowing only a double and two walks. Sheehan induced 14 swinging strikes, including seven with his slider and five with the four-seam fastball.

Sheehan on Sunday retired 14 straight at one point before a two-out double in the fifth for Sugar Land’s first hit of the game. Sheehan faced three hitters with a runner in scoring position on Sunday and retired them all, with a strikeout and two balls that never left the infield.

It was the first game in 11 days for Sheehan, who was called up to the Dodgers for two games last week for relief coverage but was not used. Sheehan’s last two starts with the Comets (August 12 vs. Albuquerque, Sunday at Sugar Land) have totaled 11 2/3 scoreless innings and 17 strikeouts,

Triple-A Oklahoma City

After nine innings of zeroes on both sides, Matt Gorski singled home the free runner in the Comets’ 10-innings win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros).

The game was scoreless so long thanks in part to plays like this from Zach Ehrhard in right field.

Double-A Tulsa

Three crooked-number innings cooked the Drillers in Sunday’s loss to the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Diamondbacks).

Tulsa tried to come back with home runs in each of the final three innings. hat included a solo shot from Josue De Paula, one of his three hits on the day. De Paula’s 25 home runs and 59 extra-base hits this season are right around double his previous career highs (30 extra-base hits in 2024, 12 home runs in 2025).

After missing seven games on the injured list, Mike Sirota returned Sunday to play all nine innings in center field. Sirota walked and was hitless in three at-bats.

High-A Great Lakes

Samuel Munoz hit a two-run home run in the 10th inning for the only scoring in the Loons’ win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres). That followed nine innings of excellent, scoreless pitching, just like for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

For the second day in a row, a 2025 Dodgers draftee struck out seven in three-plus innings for Great Lakes. After Cam Leiter on Saturday, on Sunday it was Jacob Frost, who walked three and allowed two hits in his 3 1/3 innings of relief.

Starter Tyler Gough struck out four in two scoreless frames. In two months since joining the Loons, Gough has a 1.96 ERA and 34.2-percent strikeout rate in 36 2/3 innings.

After struggling mightily with Double-A Tulsa — with a career-questioning 30 walks and 14.94 ERA in 15 2/3 innings — former first-round draft pick Maddux Bruns spent 11 weeks on the development list before returning to game action in High-A on Sunday. Bruns followed Gough with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings, allowing only a single and walk.

Class-A Ontario

Kellon Lindsey showed off his power and speed on Sunday night in the Tower Buzzers’ rout of the Inland Empire 66ers (Mariners). Lindsey had four hits, including a home run, drove in four, and scored three runs. He also stole two bases, the third time this season the former first-round draft pick had a home run and stolen base in the same game.

Luis Gamez struck out nine in four scoreless innings of relief for the win, allowing only a single and walk.

Joendry Vargas, playing third base on Sunday, had three hits, including a double, with three RBI.

Sunday scores

• Oklahoma City 1, Sugar Land 0 (10 innings)
• Amarillo 7, Tulsa 4
• Great Lakes 2, Fort Wayne 0 (10 innings)
• Ontario 11, Inland Empire 1

The week ahead

• Oklahoma City vs. El Paso (Padres)
• Tulsa at Midland (A’s)
• Great Lakes vs. Lansing (A’s)
• Ontario at Stockton (A’s)

Good morning.

Evan Grant writes that the Texas Rangers are turning to Ezequiel Duran to be The Solution in a year of consistent inconsistency for the under .500 AL West leaders.

Kennedi Landry writes that the Rangers were able to claim a series and winning homestand behind yet another solid effort from Cal Quantrill.

Grant writes about the return to the big leagues for Logan O’Hoppe, whom the Rangers are hoping will be a change-of-scenery addition.

Landry writes about deadline acquisition O’Hoppe arriving after finding confidence following a month-long stint in Triple-A.

Jeff Wilson writes that, with the lineup going even quieter than usual, it was the rotation that held it down for the Rangers to win a homestand.

Grant notes that Jake Burger avoided an IL stint after taking a heater flush to the wrist that knocked him out of Saturday’s game.

And, with Sebastian Walcott leading the way, Jim Callis ranks the Rangers just inside the top ten among farm systems with the best infield prospects.

Have a nice day!

Sean Murphy is not having a great time — he apparently suffered through a debilitating hip injury for years, and finally decided to call it quits in a lost season and get surgery. He returns, and a week later, has his finger fractured by a swing. Fast forward right about three months, and he’s re-activated, but this time to serve as a very platoon-y bat amidst a stretch of the team not facing that many southpaws.

On top of that, his stats this season are super-gross: a .138 wOBA and a .159 xwOBA. It’s only 42 PAs, but it’s probably not helping him have a great time.

To say that he’s not in any sort of rhythm is an understatement. In those 42 PAs, he’s running by far the highest chase rate of his career, but also the lowest rate of swinging at strikes. Put those together and woof. But, I also noticed something else, partly due to the fact that Murphy only has one hard-hit ball in his last 11 balls in play. To summarize:

That’s a… very slow swing now. It’s been declining as it is, amid injury, but in this tiny-sample 2026 we have so far, that’s a collapse.

I can think of three big-picture reasons:

1. There’s still some lingering injury-related stuff that’s preventing him from taking the hacks he used to, except in limited situations.
2. Either in combination with his lack of “sync” and horrible pitch recognition thus far, or separately for whatever reason, he’s slowing things down (to little avail).
3. The bat speed collapse isn’t deliberate, but just an extreme reflection of Murphy not being “ready” at the plate. (The thing I don’t like about this one is that his swing rate on pitches nowhere near is so high that it doesn’t seem to make sense, but it’s a possibility.)

If Murphy were doing his usual massive cuts thing, and missing the pitch by a bunch, that’d be one thing. And, if he were doing that while not really recognizing balls versus strikes, yeah, okay, he’s had a long layoff and is barely playing these days. But the lack of bat speed suggests something physical or deliberate, and that’s on its own plane of concern.

I will also say, unrelated to this, that even if bat speed concerns were allayed, he’s got a long road to go, as evidenced by his looking strikeout last night. Two outs, some guys on base, Murphy takes four pitches and gets a 3-1 count. Walking won’t help that much because the Brewers can make a pitching change to preserve the platoon advantage. Murphy has already seen the sinker from Grant Anderson, it was two of the last four pitches. There’s another one on 3-1, and it’s a good pitch on the bottom edge, but… Murphy takes it. And then, on 3-2, Anderson changes to a four-seam grip and fires a ball in the exact same location and… Murphy takes it. Yeah, that’s not bat speed, but it might be related — why isn’t Murphy swinging on 3-1, but also not on 3-2 when he gets a very similar pitch?

Anyway, what do you think?

A lot can change in 427 days, especially if your name is Kade Anderson.

That’s exactly how many days were between his final collegiate start and his MLB debut. Since that final appearance in a Tiger uniform, Anderson won a national championship, got drafted #3 overall, breezed through AA baseball to become the top prospect in baseball, and then got called up to the Seattle Mariners to make his MLB debut.

Waiting for him at T-Mobile Park was the Chicago Cubs with a record of 74-55. With a lineup full of good right-handed hitters, they would present one of the toughest matchups possible for a rookie to debut against.

If there was one thing that we learned about Kade Anderson in his time at LSU, he’s the last person to shy away from competition. This is the same guy who sat in a press conference following a 16-9 game 1 victory vs West Virginia in a Super Regional with a face that was beet red with frustration for his own performance because he allowed 7 runs on 9 hits.

He has a high standard for himself and that’s why he didn’t even spend a full season in the minors. The lefty told everyone that he was going to be much better the next time and he did just that. Anderson showed up to the College World Series in Omaha and, between two starts, combined for 16.0 innnings pitched, 6 hits, 1 run, and 17 strikeouts.

He’s a competitor and there was no doubt that he’d be ready for the moment on Saturday afternoon in Seattle.

In his 1st inning, Anderson got through Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki fairly easily. Then, former LSU shortstop Alex Bregman stepped in to the batter’s box. After 2 balls, the southpaw fought back with back-to-back strikes to even the count. Bregman then fouled off 3 straight pitches and they were in the midst of a Tiger-on-Tiger battle. Anderson threw a beautifully executed changeup on the outside corner to get a swing and a miss and took round 1 in a matchup that made all of Baton Rouge proud.

After getting through the 2nd and 3rd innings with only a walk allowed, Anderson finally gave up his first hit on a bloop single to Suzuki to lead off the 4th. It didn’t phase him, as he retired Bregman, again, followed by another strikeout and a ground out.

Chicago finally got to him in the 5th, as they began the inning with a walk, a steal, and a single to set up runners at 1st and 3rd and no outs. A sacrifice fly would bring in Anderson’s first run allowed, but that was followed by a double play and as we saw him do numerous times in purple and gold, he pitched out of trouble.

With a reliever warmed and ready in the bullpen, the Mariners sent him back out there with just 72 pitches. Crow-Armstrong doubled to lead off the inning, but another double play quickly erased the danger. So we thought. It was time for round 3 with Bregman. The Golden Spikes finalist, World Series champion, and 11-year veteran is just too good to see the pitch that Anderson threw him. A first pitch changeup that was dead center of the zone quickly got turned around for a 415 foot homerun and that was part 1 the “welcome to the big leagues moment”. Part 2 came on the very next pitch when Michael Busch clobbered a 408 foot hanging slider out to center field and that would be it for the debut of Kade Anderson.

He walked off of the mound shaking his head and frustrated with his final two pitches, but as he looked up, all of the Mariners fans in the stadium were on their feet to give a rousing ovation. Regardless of how the debut ended, it was well-deserved.

The smiles returned later that night, though. Anderson looked poised to get the loss on his record as Seattle went to the bottom of the 9th down 4-2 and recorded two quick outs to start the inning. Following a double and an RBI single, Randy Arozarena stepped to the plate having already homered in the 1st and robbed a homerun for Anderson in the 3rd. On his second pitch of the at-bat, the veteran left fielder deposited a ball over the center field wall, won the game for the Mariners, and let a cheerful Anderson off of the hook.

After the game, he was asked how were his jitters going in to his debut, despite having pitched in some huge games across his collegiate career.

Anderson said, “I feel like I’ve had opportunities to pitch in some pretty big games. I’ve used those games to help me through this one. Obviously, there’s going to be some jitters, but I feel like I controlled them pretty well.”

While LSU isn’t the MLB and Charles Schwab Field in Omaha isn’t T-Mobile Park, it’s hard to argue that Kade Anderson could have been any more prepared for that moment based on his time as a Tiger. It’s a testament to him, his family, his work ethic, attitude, etc., but it’s also a massive nod to Jay Johnson and the staff at LSU for the work they do to prepare their athletes for the big leagues.

Anderson is just the latest example. Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, Grant Taylor, Tommy White, Gage Jump, and Paul Gervase are all currently on active MLB rosters and each played for Johnson. That’s 7 players in the MLB in just 5 years as the Tigers head coach.

Sitting there in a post-game presser following LSU’s national championship in 2025, Johnson delivered delivered one of his most viral quotes.

“If you’re a pitcher and you don’t want to come here right now, you’re out to lunch. You’re not thinking clearly, because that’s three dudes that pitched in the series that are all going to be in the Major Leagues within 18 months.”

Those three dudes were Kade Anderson, Anthony Eyanson, and Chase Shores.

Scratch one off of the list, because Kade Anderson has arrived.

His next start, assuming Seattle follows the typical 5-man rotation schedule, looks to be on Friday night against the Blue Jays in Toronto, but that is very subject to change.

Stay locked in with ATVS to follow Anderson’s young journey, as the 22 year old now looks to settle in to a routine.

Late August, early September. The Phillies are headed out west to have three series in which they are playing teams that have given them trouble in the past. First, to Seattle to face the Mariners, then down the Pacific coastline to see the Los Angeles Angels, followed by their own house of horrors in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks.

Of these three, which one worries you the most? The obvious answer is Arizona since they have rarely played well there, but they are coming off a big time high, traveling across the country and play a game in Seattle this evening. It screams of a letdown series even if the Mariners have been disappointing this year. Maybe it’s the one we’re all overlooking in Anaheim.

If they can get through this going at least winning four of the nine, I’ll be happy.