Category: MLB

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 40.

• Reinstated from the 10-day injured list: INF Ketel Marte (left knee inflammation)
• Optioned to Triple-A Reno: INF Jose Fernandez

Well, there is is. Not exactly the best-kept secret as far as roster moves go, but after the initial drama, followed by the resulting ripple of shock-waves through the organization, media and fandom, here we are. Marte is back. He spoke to the media before the game. I don’t have much to say in regard to his comments. They basically sound like what I would want to hear: “I’m going to stand in front of my teammates like a man. I don’t want any of my teammates to go through what I went through that morning… I’m going to stand up in front of them, ask for forgiveness. We’re human, we all commit mistakes.” But actions speak louder than words.

Some folk (on Twitter, natch) are Shocked and Appalled™ that Marte didn’t have anything to say to fans. I’m entirely unbothered by that. He didn’t “wrong” me, so I do not feel he needs to apologize. Torey Lovullo and his team-mates? Absolutely. But the amount of impact Marte’s actions had on me, personally? You would need an electron microscope to spot that. I was more bothered this weekend by putting together an elliptical machine, which took “Some assembly required” to previously unknown heights. If the company would care to offer an apology for that, my DMs are open. But Marte? Nah. We’re good.

It will, however, be very interesting to see what kind of reaction he gets from the crowd, when he comes to the plate in the first or second inning tonight. I’ve a feeling it’ll be a mix: if I had to make a prediction, probably equal amounts of cheers and boos, but a majority of polite applause and/or indifference. It’s going to be difficult to draw much conclusion, especially as I’ve a feeling there will be a lot of Phillies fans at Chase tonight, whose opinions on the topic are not exactly relevant. [Last time Philadelphia played here, the series averaged around 36,500, although that was a weekend set.] Hitting a home-run will probably help soothe any ruffled feathers!

Phillies close out an awesome August with a tight win in the desert originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

PHOENIX – August is over. What a month it was for the Phillies.

They completed it with a tight, 2-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Monday night.

The victory left them with a final August record of 21-7, the best in the majors. What could have been better than that, especially after the team sputtered to a 9-15 record in July?

“Twenty-two and six would have been all right, too,” manager Don Mattingly joked.

Entering the final month of the regular season, the Phils are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the top National League wild-card spot and are just four games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves in the NL East with 24 games to play. The Phils and Braves play seven times in the next two weeks, starting with the opener of a four-game series Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

While the Phils hope to chase down the Braves, they remain focused on the step in front of them and that meant Monday night’s series opener against the Diamondbacks, who are right in the thick of the wild-card chase.

“It’s day-to-day business at this point,” Mattingly said. “You can’t worry about tomorrow. Just take care of today. Arizona is a difficult club. We have to win games. It’s as simple as that. We can’t look past anyone.”

The Phils earned Monday night’s win with a solid start from Aaron Nola, excellent bullpen work and a couple of big hits from Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper.

Stott belted a 464-foot home run, the longest of his career and the eighth-longest in the majors this season, in the second inning, and Harper extended his on-base streak to 33 games with an RBI double in the third.

That was the extent of the Phillies’ scoring, but the pitching made it all stand up.

Nola picked up the win with five innings of one-run ball. He has a 2.50 ERA in his last seven starts.

The right-hander threw 92 pitches through five innings. He took the mound in the sixth with a one-run lead and quickly gave up a single and a walk. Mattingly went to Alex McFarlane in a pressure situation and the 25-year-old rookie right-hander delivered three outs to keep the lead intact.

McFarlane was most impressive coming back from a 3-1 count to strike out Nolan Arenado on a 99-mph fastball and a sweeper for the second out.

“For a kid who debuted a month ago, the demeanor he has on the mound in a situation like that is pretty incredible,” catcher Garrett Stubbs said. “Arenado’s a really good hitter. You want to attack him and not be afraid of him. In that moment, you look out at him on the mound and he didn’t show anything but wanting to attack the zone.”

Nola was impressed by McFarlane’s work.

“That’s pretty special right there. Pretty awesome,” Nola said. “I left him in a tough spot, two guys on and no outs. He navigated through it really nicely. The strikeout of Arenado was pretty awesome. He’s got a lot of composure out there. He doesn’t really pitch like a rookie. He fills up the zone. I know he had a couple of three-ball counts, but that didn’t faze him. He’s electric.”

McFarlane knew who he was facing.

“Seeing Arenado in the box is a great thing,” he said. “The respect I have for that guy, watching him over the years. He’s a great hitter and Hall of Fame player. I love the opportunity to face those guys. It was great.”

McFarlane has allowed just one earned run in his first 10 1/3 innings in the majors. He has pitched four times in the first seven games of this road trip and racked up four scoreless innings. He hasn’t allowed a hit. He’s walked two and struck out five.

“He’s handled everything we’ve thrown at him,” Mattingly said. “We’ve put him in some tough spots lately. That was probably the toughest spot tonight. His stuff plays. When he’s in the zone and attacking, he’s pretty good. He doesn’t seem to be overwhelmed by anything at this point.”

As the games get bigger, McFarlane could be a serious factor for the Phillies.

“This was a big game,” Mattingly said. “He was a factor tonight. He’s got stuff. He’s throwing strikes for the most part. He’s got weapons. When you throw 102 (mph) with a good slider and can sink it, as well, you’ve got weapons.”

After McFarlane, the Phillies got a scoreless seventh from the tandem of Orion Kerkering and Brooks Raley. Jose Alvarado walked a tightrope but put up a zero in the eighth and Jhoan Duran survived two infield hits in the ninth to notch his 29^th save. He got the final out with the potential tying run on third.

The Phils have won 14 of their last 16.

Now, it’s on to September. Jesús Luzardo gets the ball Tuesday night.

ROSTER ADDITIONS

Rosters expand to 28 on Tuesday. The Phillies will add two players, catcher Rafael Marchan and right-handed reliever Grant Holman. Marchan, who went on the injured list in late July with left knee tendinitis, had been on a rehab assignment at Triple A Lehigh Valley.

Holman, 26, was claimed by the Phillies off waivers from Detroit in May. He pitched in 20 games at Lehigh Valley and had a 3.12 ERA with 25 strikeouts and five walks in 26 innings.

Holman, who has big-league time with the Athletics, has packed a lot of suitcases in 2026. The Phillies are his fifth organization this year. He was waived four times.

And so it ends…

Just as the Atlanta Braves were on a hot streak, the San Francisco Giants took the power back in this makeup game with a 7-3 win.

The Giants’ Rafael Devers set the tone with a home run in the top of the first inning. Matt Olson answered right after in the bottom half with an RBI groundout to bring Drake Baldwin in and put the Braves on the board.

A Michael Harris II home run then gave the Braves a 2-1 lead in the second inning.

San Francisco wouldn’t let them have the last word, however, after knocking in an RBI single of their own in the top of the fifth to tie things back up.

A back-and-forth matchup formed right after, as the Braves reclaimed the lead with an RBI single from Baldwin to drive in Sean Murphy. But then the Giants answered back in the very next inning with a homer to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth.

A pattern was forming here… but who would break it?

Unfortunately, Braves Country, it was the Giants.

San Francisco drove in four more runs to shut the Braves down, turning what had been a competitive back-and-forth matchup into a 7-3 final. More importantly, the loss snapped the Braves’ seven-game win streak just before they head out on their road trip to Washington.

You can’t win them all, and it was a decent showing from the Braves’ offense early on as they tried to regain their lead every time San Francisco answered back. And they almost had a promising ninth inning, opening the frame with two runners on base and no outs.

It just wasn’t enough to force a comeback, however, as the Braves ultimately fell into the losing column.

But what about the defense?

Pitching through 5.1 innings, Bryce Elder allowed eight hits and gave up five runs, along with three walks and three strikeouts. His ERA climbed to 4.11, and Elder is showing a different version of himself than the one Braves Country was getting adjusted to seeing at the beginning of the season.

So now, it’s a question of what exactly the problem is: Is it mechanics? A lack of confidence? Or is it something completely different that encompasses all of the above?

At this point, one could just hope that Elder figures it out before his next outing and that he and Greg Maddux can come up with a new plan of attack on the mound.

The Braves had a seven-game win streak going into this one, so while the loss stings, it doesn’t erase what they were able to build over the past week. Now, the focus shifts to Washington and finding a way to get back to the version of this team we witnessed just a week ago.

Until then, Braves Country, look forward to a series in Washington and the Braves’ chance to bounce back.

On September 1st, major league rosters expand to 28-players, and tomorrow the Mets are reportedly calling up right-handed pitcher Justin Hagenman and right-handed outfielder Nick Morabito.

The plan for Hagenman is to have him start on Wednesday against Tampa Bay, giving an extra day of rest to the Mets’ young trio of Christian Scott, Nolan McLean, and Zac Thornton heading into the weekend series with the Giants.

Hagenman appeared in nine games for the Mets in 2025, starting one game, and did not pitch vey well, putting up a 4.48 ERA over 23.2 innings. Hagenman fractured a rib during spring training and has been on the shelf all year. Wednesday’s start will be only his fourth game of the 2026 season, getting one rehab start in St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Syracuse, giving up home runs in two of those games.

Hagenman was not promised any starts beyond Wednesday, according to Gary Cohen on the Mets’ broadcast.

Morabito appeared in five games for the Mets earlier this season, before A.J. Ewing emerged as the Mets’ everyday center fielder, and was hitless in 11 plate appearances. At Triple-A Syracuse, Morabito hit .254/.355/.388 with 13 home runs and 42 stolen bases.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Diamondbacks:

Let’s talk about it.

The Yankees are getting closer and closer to receiving their captain back.

Aaron Judge traveled with the team for their West Coast trip against the Angels and Padres so that he can continue ramping up his baseball activities. 

Manager Aaron Boone said prior to Monday’s opener that the team feels good about where he’s at, and a potential return for New York’s next homestand appears to be on the table.

“It’s possible,” the skipper said. “I’m not gonna put a date on it, but those things are in play, it’s just getting the durability and workload build up on him is the biggest thing now.”

Judge has been sidelined since late-May due to a stress fracture in his rib. 

The slugger has been progressing steadily in his recovery over the past few weeks, and he recently told reporters that he hoped to not require a minor league rehab assignment. 

He also skipped the assignment when he missed 42 games to a toe injury two years ago, but did briefly appear in Triple-A coming back from an oblique strain in 2019. 

Judge had 17 homers, a .375 OBP, and a .907 OPS over 59 games before going down. 

The Yankees' offense has been up-and-down with him sidelined, but they enter play on Monday coming off a strong series in which they broke through for 26 runs to take three out of four from the rival Red Sox. 

Folks, Orioles baseball is getting quite interesting of late. The Birds have been playing capable, credible baseball, and now they’re within one game of the last Wild Card. The offense is, maybe not humming, but it’s providing thump and interest. And lots of power: the Orioles have 31 home runs in their last 18 games.

That shouldn’t change as they head to Coors Field in Denver, notorious for its thin air and propensity for dingers. Also because the Rockies are the worst team in the league, to include their pitching.

Colorado’s starter today looks to fit this mold. Tanner Gordon is a 28-year-old righty who’s been in the league since 2024 and has just 42 games under his belt (30 starts). He’s posted an ERA of 8.65, 6.33 and 5.38 in parts of three seasons thus far, this year being his best. Gordon is considered to have a nice changeup, and not a ton else. His four-seamer has a run value of -4; his slider -5, his curveball -6, and his sinker -3. I know which one I’d want to hit. He doesn’t walk too many batters, though, so that’s nice.

To face this right-handed behemoth, the Orioles are sending up a lot of lefties, as you’d guess: six, in fact, in Holliday, Henderson, Beavers, Basallo, Cowser, and Taveras. Holliday bats leadoff, followed by Iron Man Pete Alonso, who refuses to miss time with his sore calf. Coby Mayo, hitting .308 with 8 RBI in his last week, is batting cleanup. It’s also good to see Basallo getting the start at catcher, since he’d just recently taken a foul ball to his throwing hand.

For Baltimore, and giving a tired-looking starting rotation something of a breather, is Cade Povich, called up today for this start. (To make room for Povich, the Orioles optioned right-hander Anthony Nunez, who’s 3-2 with a 4.29 ERA in 44 games.) In six games (five starts) with the big-league club this year, Povich is 2-1 with a 4.45 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. His walks, usually a problem, are slightly down from last season (3.45 per game to 3.18).

Will the balls be flying out of Coors Field tonight?

Orioles lineup

1. Jackson Holliday 2B
2. Pete Alonso 1B
3. Gunnar Henderson SS
4. Coby Mayo DH
5. Dylan Beavers LF
6. Samuel Basallo C
7. Blaze Alexander 3B
8. Colton Cowser CF
9. Leody Taveras RF

LHP Cade Povich

Rockies lineup

1. Jake McCarthy CF
2. Connor Norby 2B
3. Hunter Goodman C
4. TJ Rumfield 1B
5. Willi Castro 3B
6. Mickey Moniak RF
7. Jordan Beck LF
8. Troy Johnston RF
9. Ezequiel Tovar SS

RHP Tanner Gordon

Another successful week saw the Guardians go 4-2 including a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, and they find themselves back in second place.

DeLauter Has Near Cycle

In Cleveland’s 11-1 blowout win of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, Chase DeLauter was the star of the show. He went 4-4 with three hits, a single, a double, and a triple. Just a home run shy of the cycle, he earned his 60th RBI of the season with a double in the bottom of the fourth inning. Because of his big night, he is now hitting .293/.365/.454 with 125 hits and 50 walks. He has the chance to show what he can do in the postseason this year since his “debut” came in the Wild Card series in 2025.

José Finally Homers

For the first time since June 6th, José Ramírez did what he’s expected to do nearly every time he’s at bat. He hit a home run. What was shocking was that it had been almost two months since the last time he did that. It marked his 296th home run as the countdown to 300 inches ever closer to its end. He is currently second on the franchise home run leaders list, just behind Jim Thome who has 337.

Martínez Web Gem

In the eighth inning of Wednesday’s game, the Guardians were tied 6-6 with the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels had a runner on first with two outs, and Mike Trout was at the plate. It looked like a recipe for disaster as he launched a ball into center field. That was until Angel Martínez locked eyes on it. He tracked the ball to the warning track, leaped into the air, and caught the ball to end the inning and save the game. The Guardians went on to win that game 8-6 in what would eventually be a sweep of the Halos.

Social Media Spotlight

I hate to use my own Tweet here, but I have to show it off. The Guardians offered a special ticket package on Sunday that included a bobblehead of Big Bird wearing a Guards jersey and hat while waving a Guards flag. Bird is my absolute favorite Muppet/Henson character, so I knew I needed this item.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Freddy Peralta can’t pinpoint the root of his failed Mets tenure, but he’s willing to discount the idea the pressure of pitching in New York buried him.

“I don’t see pressure,” the Rays right-hander said Monday at Tropicana Field. “It’s a way bigger market and there’s a lot more fans, people there, and everybody is paid to win for every day. I enjoyed those kinds of moments when I was in New York, but I don’t see it as pressure.”

After an initial ugly start for his new team, Peralta — whom the Mets traded Aug. 3 for prospects Aidan Smith, Gary Gill Hill and Émilien Pitre — has brought value to the Rays. Over his last four starts, he’s pitched to a 3.80 ERA, which included six scoreless innings against the Tigers in his last outing.

He is Tuesday’s scheduled starter for the Rays in yet another appearance against a team that traded him during the last year; Peralta, with the Mets, faced the Brewers on July 20 and allowed seven earned runs over 5 ²/₃ innings.

In his 22 starts for the Mets, he pitched to a 4.99 ERA and too often failed to complete even five innings.

“It was the first time I struggled like that, but I never gave up,” Peralta said. “I was always trying to find a way to feel better, to pitch better and I knew what I can do and I was feeling good physically too and healthy, but I couldn’t make the adjustment. But the good thing is now that I feel different, I am ready to keep going to the World Series, hopefully.”

Peralta said he’s again getting extension during his delivery and that has helped add life to his fastball.

“[The Mets staff] was really good and they tried to help me all the time,” Peralta said. “But for some reason when I got here, for some reason it was probably the time that everything just changed like that.”

The Rays began the day with a 4 ½-game lead in the AL East, allowing Peralta to at least dream of such October moments. It’s a chance he wasn’t going to receive with the Mets, whose many shortcomings beyond Peralta’s struggles buried the team before the All-Star break.

Peralta arrived to the Mets last winter in a deal that sent prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to the Brewers. The Mets viewed the deal as one that had brought an ace — albeit one entering his last season before free agency — to the rotation.

What was Peralta’s reaction when he was told he had been traded to the Rays?

“I felt good because I was going to a team that was playing really well, in first place, competing all the time,” Peralta said. “I love the stadium here, too. When the season started, I wasn’t expecting to be traded because I was going to a whole new team. I thought I would be there the whole year, at least. But in time it wasn’t a secret I was going to be traded, and I was just hoping to go to a team like this one.”

Peralta, after a light throwing session Monday, ventured to the visitors dugout, where he caught up with several former teammates and Mets staff members. Peralta cited his friendship with Juan Soto as one of his strongest during his Mets tenure.

“Most of the guys, we were really close,” he said. “The American guys, too, we were very close and we created a good relationship.”

The White Sox continue their road trip with a stop in Houston to see the Astros, before they come back home to see another division rival. With the Guardians trying to steal first, a series win is needed as we enter September.

First, a few White Sox announcements:

Prior to tonight’s series opener at Houston, the Chicago White Sox reinstated left-handed pitcher Tyler Schweitzer from the Paternity Leave List and optioned lefthander Tyler Gilbert to Triple-A Charlotte.

Per Jeff Passan, the White Sox are acquiring outfielder Tommy Pham from the Philadelphia Phillies, with Pham expected to join the team when rosters expand on September. 1. The 38-year-old veteran of the 121-loss debacle rejoins the Sox after spending parts of 2026 with the Mets, O’s, and Phils. Watch out, Michael Kopech, you’re next!

Anthony Kay will be on the mound tonight, with Jake Rogers behind the plate. Otherwise, the lineup is what we’re used to, with Sam Antonacci leading off.

Peter Lambert (8-7) will be on the mound tonight for Houston, bringing a 3.66 ERA and 125 strikeouts.

First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. CT. The game is available on CHSN or ESPN Chicago 1000.

After losing four games in a row, the Colorado Rockies (52-85) return to Coors Field for a six-game homestand starting with a showdown vs. the Baltimore Orioles (68-69) tonight.

The Rockies will then play the Cardinals to complete the homestand, which will be the second-to-last one in the 2026 season.

Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.38 ERA) will be on the mound for Colorado. Gordon has gone back and forth from the bullpen and the starting rotation in 19 appearances this season since being called up on April 14. In seven starts, Gordon has a 1-3 record and 5.60 ERA.

His last two appearances have been starts, filling the rotation spot when the Rockies released Michael Lorenzen. After getting beat up by Cleveland on Aug. 21, when he gave up five runs on nine hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 5.1 innings, Gordon bounced back with a quality start against the Guardians when he held Washington to one run on six hits with no walks and five strikeouts in seven innings.

LHP Cade Povich (2-1, 4.45 ERA) will get the start for Baltimore. The 26-year-old third-round pick from the 2021 MLB Draft made his big league debut in June of 2024 and has yo-yoed between the Orioles and the farm system, along with juggling injuries, since. He’s made six appearances this season for the Orioles and was just recalled earlier on Monday to make the start.

He had mixed results in August so far, throwing a six-inning shutout with seven strikeouts, one walk and seven hits against the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 4 before Texas scored three runs on him in three innings with two walks and two strikeouts on Aug. 9. Monday will mark Povich’s first appearance at Coors Field.

The Rockies have fared well in interleague play so far this season, going 16-17. However, the Orioles are coming off a three-game sweep of the A’s.

It will be worth watching the weather as it’s been cloudy in Denver and there’s a chance of rain this evening.

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network; KNRV 1150 AM (Spanish)

Orioles SB Nation Site: Camden Chat

Lineups:

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Go get ‘em, xxxxxxxx

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (69-68), who will be wearing their City Connect uniforms, will open a crucial week-long homestand tonight as they welcome in the Chicago White Sox (72-64) for the first game of four-game series in Houston, TX.

RHP Peter Lambert (8-7, 3.66 ERA) will open the homestand for the Astros starting opposite LHP Anthony Kay (9-6, 4.09 ERA) and the White Sox.

SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 49-37 (.570) in their last 86 games (since May 22). That is the second-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Red Sox (52-36).

MEASURING UP: The Astros are beginning a streak tonight of playing four straight teams with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). The Astros are a Major League-best 25-14 (.641) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. Some clubs that they have winning records against include BOS (5-1), CHC (3-0), CWS (2-1), CLE (4-2), MIA (3-0), and TB (2-1).

VS. THE WHITE SOX: The Astros are 2-1 against the White Sox on the season, winning two of three in Chicago from July 24-26. The Astros are 22-14 vs. CWS over the past six seasons (2021-26), posting winning records in each of those years. Houston is 55-47 all-time vs. the White Sox.

BAGGY IN THE BOOTH: Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell will be on the Space City Home Network telecast for the first three games of this series, alongside play-by-play man Todd Kalas and sideline reporter Julia Morales. Geoff Blum will return to the telecast for Thursday’s day game.

WALL OF HONOR NOMINEES: Earlier today, the Astros announced the three 2026 nominees for induction into the Houston Baseball Media Wall of Honor, which are all longtime Houston-area radio personalities: Ralph Cooper, David Dalati, and Matt Thomas.

SUNDAY FUNDAY: The Astros won the rubber game of their three-game series in New York yesterday, downing the Mets by a score of 6-3. RHP Ethan Pecko (3ER/5IP) earned his first Major League win after being backed by a stellar bullpen group that tossed 4.0 scoreless innings of relief. SS Jeremy Peña hit a leadoff homer, but the biggest swing came from PH LaMonte Wade Jr., who hit a pinch-hit, go-ahead, two-run homer in the 6th to put the Astros ahead for good.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are coming off a 4-2 road trip to New York, in which they went 2-1 against both the Yankees and Mets. Since posting a 1-9 record on the first road trip of the 2026 season, they have gone 35-24 (.593) on the road since April 14, which is third-best in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 19-12 (.613) on their last five road trips combined.

ON THE MEND: The Astros have four players on the Major League Injured List. Here are updates on three:

• RHP Mike Burrows (rt. elbow neuritis) has made three minor league rehab start at Triple A Sugar Land, last pitching on Wednesday at Las Vegas, tossing 4.1 innings and 77 pitches.

• IF Carlos Correa (lt. ankle tendon injury) is participating in baseball activity, including a hitting and a running progression. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated by doctors in Houston this week.

• OF Brice Matthews (lt. knee sprain) is participating in on-field baseball activity and a running progression.

ON THE OFFENSIVE: Among AL teams, the Astros rank first in total bases (1,888), first in slugging (.410), second in HR (182), fourth in runs scored (624), and fourth in OPS (.726).

TRIPLE THREAT: DH Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently owns at least a share of the lead in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters tonight leading the AL in batting avg. (.317) and RBI (93), while ranking tied for first in HR (37).

Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).

MATCHING HIS BEST: DH Yordan Alvarez has matched his career high by smacking 37 home runs on the season, reaching his total from 2022. His career-high in RBI is 104, set in 2021 (currently has an AL-best 93 RBI).

THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert has been the most consistent starter for the Astros this season, as he leads the club in wins (8), starts (23), innings pitched (128) and strikeouts (125). He’s allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 17 of his 23 starts on the year and has done so in nine of his last 10 starts.

HADER’S HEART: LHP Josh Hader will host a group from BEAR (Be A Resource) at tonight’s game as a part of his Hader’s Heart program. The group will also get to experience BP and talk with Hader on the field prior to the game.

THE CLOSER: With yesterday’s scoreless 9th inning, LHP Josh Hader extended his scoreless innings streak to 19.0 innings (18 apps.). His is the longest streak by an Astros hurler this season and the third-longest active streak in the Majors. Opponents are just 5×62 (.081) during the streak. Hader is also now 21-for-21 in save opportunities in 2026. Hader in August: 1-0, 13 G, 0.00 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 15 SO.

CONGRATS WOODPECKERS!: Class A Fayetteville swept a doubleheader yesterday to extend their winning streak to a franchise record 13 games. With just one regular season series remaining, the Woodpeckers (71-53, 39-20 2nd Half) have already clinched the second-half title in their division, which earns them a place in the best-of-three North Division Championship Series, which will begin in Fayetteville on Sept. 8 vs. Fredericksburg.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2017 – The Astros acquire Tigers ace and future Hall of Famer RHP Justin Verlander with minutes to spare ahead of the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline. Verlander went on to go 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five regular season starts with Houston, before winning ALCS MVP honors and leading the club to its first World Series title.

Game Info

Game Date/Time:  Monday, August 31, 7:10 p.m. CT

Location:  Daikin Park, Houston, TX

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Detroit Tigers (63-72) vs. Minnesota Twins (65-72)

Time/Place: 7:40 p.m., Target Field
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-1, 3.93 ERA) vs. RHP Taj Bradley (9-6, 3.97 ER)

The Texas Rangers have placed relief pitchers Peyton Gray and Cole Winn on the 15 day injured list, the team announced today. To replace them on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled righthanded relief pitcher Ben Peoples and lefthanded relief pitcher Robby Ahlstrom.

Winn, who last pitched on the 25th, was put on the i.l. retroactive to August 28 (you can only make an i.l. move retroactive up to three days). The Rangers say he has a rotator cuff strain, which is the type of thing that could keep him out the rest of the season. Winn has a 5.63 ERA in 48 innings over 51 games, with a 4.00 FIP.

Gray last pitched on the 29th, and was put on the i.l. retroactive to the 30th, with elbow inflammation. That, again, is a worrisome diagnosis, and one that could keep him out the rest of the way, potentially. Gray has a 3.93 ERA and 4.14 FIP over 55 innings covering 48 games this season. However, he has had a rough go of it of late, allowing 8 runs over 7 innings in his last 7 appearances, including 4 home runs allowed.

Peoples has a 2.51 ERA and 6.15 FIP in 14.1 IP over 14 appearances in the majors for the Rangers this season. Acquired at the end of June from the Chicago White Sox for minor league catcher Ben Hartl, Peoples was in the Rangers’ pen from that point until early August, when he was sent down, only to be recalled two days later, then sent down again four days after that.

Ahlstrom had just been sent down a few days ago after allowing five runs in an inning of work, part of a 6 game stretch that saw him allow 10 runs in 5.1 innings. Prior to that stretch, he had a 3.81 ERA and 3.31 FIP on the year, but those last six games saw those numbers blow up to 6.03 and 4.42, respectively.

Rosters expand tomorrow, and the Rangers will be able to add another pitcher and another position player to the active roster, though the pitching options aren’t that exciting. The only healthy pitchers on the 40 man roster currently, who are not already in the majors, are Gavin Collyer, David Davalillo, Leandro Lopez, Winston Santos and Emiliano Teodo. The Rangers have two open 40 man roster spots currently, though, and so could opt to add someone not currently on the 40 man roster, either from Round Rock or from another organization.