Category: MLB

With Carlos Rodón scheduled to make a second rehab start this week, one of the the biggest questions among Yankees prognosticators is whether Will Warren or Ryan Weathers should bounce to the bullpen once he returns. It’s a delightful rarity in the modern game to have a glut at starting pitcher. Still, as close as the Yankees seem to be to having too much starting pitching, the injury bug is always lurking. As the Yankees make their playoff push, it’s still within reason that they could need to call on support from Triple-A, as they did last year when Cam Schlittler emerged late as a vital force in their October rotation.

In the event that the team needs a replacement, let’s take a look at the reinforcements available to them down at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Elmer Rodríguez

Rodríguez has been the Yankees’ default spot starter all year, filling in four times across three stints in the big leagues. He’s been consistent, tossing between 4 and 4.2 innings and allowing between 1-3 runs each time out. His xERA of 5.77 implies he’s pitched into some good luck, though, as does his untenable 10:11 K:BB ratio, making him a dodgy choice to fill in for an extended period.

Rodríguez has been down at Triple-A for nearly two months since his last call-up and has pitched well, posting a 2.62 ERA with just one home run allowed in his last seven starts, though his 21 free passes in 34.1 innings demonstrate control is still an issue. The rookie is also stretched out to throw as many as 90 pitches, which could prove valuable in a pinch.

Brendan Beck

Like Rodríguez, Beck has been called up to provide some length this year, first in a bulk outing behind Paul Blackburn and then as a true starter. That second outing was a disaster in which the Stanford product allowed five runs (including three home runs) in 3.2 innings, looking overmatched against the Twins’ offense.

Beck has been much more effective down at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he’s posted a 1.33 ERA at 35:8 K:BB ratio over his last five starts. He’s stretched out as well, throwing a season-high 94 pitches his last time out. That should be enough to keep him in the mix should a need arise, though he hasn’t shown much upside as a long-term play.

Bullpen Day!

Everyone’s favorite — the placeholder approach. In the event only a single spot start is needed due to a doubleheader, a desire to give each starter an extra day of rest, or a short-term injury, the Yankees may choose to use one reliever as an opener and another as a bulk guy. Ryan Yarbrough — the only Yankee stretched out for a long relief role now that Blackburn is a back-end reliever — would be the obvious choice for the latter role.

Elmer Rodríguez and Brendan Beck are viable depth options with the potential to provide big league-caliber innings if needed. Neither is likely to contribute in a regular capacity this year. Should the rest of the group remain healthy upon Rodón’s return, the Yankees might consider sending Warren, whose performance has been uneven but who has had stretches of excellence over the past two seasons, down to Triple-A instead of bouncing him to the bullpen, keeping him stretched out as a rotation option down the stretch.

The Nationals avoided a sweep with a dominant 7-0 victory over the Cubs on Thursday afternoon, finishing their six-game home stand with a 4-2 record. Cade Cavalli carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with eight scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out 10.

Abimelec Ortiz provided the biggest swing with a three-run home run, his fourth of the season and third in four games. The win improved the Nats to 60-63, three games below .500 and five games out of a Wild Card spot.

Starting tonight against the Mets, the Nats’ next 17 games are against teams not in playoff position, with the only club above .500 in that stretch being the Marlins, sitting at 62-60. If the Nats are going to shock the baseball world and be a playoff club this season, their best opportunity to throw their name firmly back in the mix begins now.

Despite their record, the Mets recently completed a 6-3 road trip and have produced one of baseball’s best offenses since the beginning of August. The Mets lost their final two games in Atlanta, including a 6-3 defeat on Wednesday, but Luis Torrens, Luis Robert Jr., and Bo Bichette all homered in the series finale. The Nats currently lead the season series 4-3 over the Mets, with two series still to be played.

Game One – Friday 7:10 PM ET

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-3, 3.76 ERA)
NYM: RHP Robert Stock (0-2, 10.13 ERA)

Alvarez looked sharp in his last start against the Reds, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 5 ⅓ innings. He extended his home-run-free streak to 51 ⅔ innings and will look to keep it going tonight against a Mets lineup with some pop.

The 36-year-old Stock struggled badly in his last start against Pittsburgh, allowing eight runs on nine hits and five walks over three innings in a 9-0 loss. He had previously held Miami to one run across five innings in his first major-league appearance since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery, but his command disappeared as he became fatigued against the Pirates.

Game Two – Saturday 4:10 PM ET

WSH: TBD
NYM: LHP Sean Manaea (4-5, 4.13 ERA)

The Nationals have not yet announced a starter for Saturday afternoon. Trevor Williams or Brad Lord could be options based on the rotation schedule, but the Nats will likely wait until after Friday’s game before confirming their plans.

Manaea delivered his best start of the season Sunday against Pittsburgh, allowing one run over seven innings while striking out 11 in an 11-1 Mets victory. The veteran left-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in four consecutive starts and has recorded a 3.03 ERA with 32 strikeouts across 29 ⅔ innings since the All-Star break.

Game Three – Sunday 1:40 PM ET

WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (2-6, 5.79 ERA)
NYM: RHP Christian Scott (3-3, 3.45 ERA)

Irvin struggled in his last start against the Cubs, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks over 3 ⅓ innings. He needed 88 pitches to record 10 outs and took the loss in Chicago’s 8-6 victory. Irvin will look to provide more length in the series finale for the Nats.

Scott allowed four runs over four innings against the Braves on Monday, surrendering two home runs while striking out six, though the Mets still earned an 8-5 victory behind an early offensive outburst. The Nats will look to rough up Scott in a similar manner in the series finale.

It’s hard to believe after losing their series in New York, but the Mariners actually gained half a game in the Wild Card standings after salvaging a win on Thursday. The division is still the clearest path to the playoffs for Seattle since there are only two teams to leap frog in the AL West instead of six in the Wild Card race. That makes this series against the Astros a huge make-or-break moment for the M’s. A series win would be a big step forward. A sweep would catapult the team back into the thick of the division race. No pressure.

The Astros have managed to scramble to the top of the thoroughly mediocre AL West standings by going 15-9 since the All-Star break, the fourth best record in the AL during the second half of the season. Combined with a solid month of June, they’ve more than made up for their dismal start to the season. The team’s underlying metrics don’t really support such a strong effort, even during this hot streak over the last few weeks. Perhaps sensing the precarious state of their roster, they only made one move at the trade deadline, trading Spencer Arrighetti to the Blue Jays for Daulton Varsho. It was a bit of a surprise to see them neglect their pitching staff, though they have gotten a bunch of pitchers back from injury recently.

With so many warts across the roster, it certainly seems like the Astros will only go so far as Yordan Alvarez can carry them. And to be honest, he might just drag the team into the playoffs by himself. He has a very good chance to win the first AL Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2012 and possibly even an extremely rare MLB Triple Crown, leading all of baseball in batting average, home runs, and RBI. His supporting cast is filled with familiar names, though many of them are diminished from their peaks during Houston’s heyday. Jeremy Peña is the one guy who has significantly improved over the past few years, though a few minor injuries have limited him to just 74 games this season. Varsho was a very smart pickup since the team’s outfield has been a huge weakness all season long. Unfortunately, he’s collected just four hits in nine games as an Astro.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

From a previous series preview:

After struggling to make much of an impact with the Rockies to start his career, Peter Lambert signed a one-year deal with the Yakult Swallows of NPB last year. He didn’t exactly excel, but he showed enough promise outside the oppressive environment in Colorado to earn a minor league deal with the Astros this offseason. He’s been pressed into service thanks to all the injuries Houston has dealt with and he’s looked pretty solid across four starts this year. He developed a straight cutter in Japan and that pitch has been a solid addition to his repertoire. He’s also got an excellent changeup to round out his deep arsenal. 

Against all odds, Lambert has been one of the Astros’ most consistent starters this year. Back in May, he held the Mariners to three runs in seven innings while striking out six.

The Astros picked up Hayden Wesneski in the Kyle Tucker trade with the Cubs a few years ago. He promptly blew out his elbow just six starts into his time with the Astros and missed more than a year rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. As a prospect in Chicago’s organization, his huge sweeper stood out as his best pitch but he struggled with a pretty mediocre fastball. Houston has asked him to emphasize his sinker and cutter at the expense of his four-seamer and that’s been a useful trade-off so far. He’s made three starts since returning from his elbow injury in late July and his command has been a little shaky so far.

Hunter Brown missed two months of the season with a shoulder injury and he hasn’t looked like his dominant self since returning in mid June. His command has regressed significantly and he’s developed a bit of a home run problem despite running the highest groundball rate of his career. His issues all stem from his rusty command. He’s having trouble locating his secondary pitches around the zone and he’s leaving too many of his fastballs in the middle of the zone instead of getting them up where the pitch is much more effective. The Astros have needed him to anchor their injury riddled rotation so he’s been forced to figure out his issues on the fly.

The Big Picture:

The Rangers lost their four-game series to the Angels this week, losing three straight to finish the series and drop out of the final Wild Card spot. They’re playing in Sacramento this weekend. The Tigers now hold that third Wild Card spot after beating the Guardians this week. Another divisional matchup is on deck for them this weekend against the White Sox.

In the Tampa Bay Rays’ tradition of extracting unexpected value from overlooked arms, Bryan Baker stands tall as a textbook success story.

Acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on July 10, 2025 in exchange for a competitive balance draft pick (No. 37 overall), which the Rays would later re-acquire in the Shane Baz trade, the 6-foot-6 right-hander arrived as a solid but unspectacular middle-to-late reliever with limited closing experience. By mid-August 2026, he has become MLB’s leading closer with 34 saves, an All-Star, and the holder of a new franchise record for consecutive saves.

Baker’s path to Tampa Bay was circuitous. Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 11th round out of the University of North Florida in 2016, he debuted with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, spent several seasons with the Orioles after a waiver claim, and posted a 3.52 ERA in 42 appearances for Baltimore in 2025 before the trade. His initial stretch with the Rays was uneven (4.75 ERA in 30⅓ innings), but the organization did what it does best: lean into his strengths.

Under the Rays’ pitching development staff, Baker significantly increased usage of his changeup — like most Rays pitchers this year — making him essentially a two-pitch pitcher. Out of 729 pitches thrown, he’s tried the slider just 26 times all season.

The results have been dominant, with his sky high release point giving shades of Pete Fairbanks while his closely mirrored change up benefits from what FanGraphs called “a devastating tunneling effect.” As a result, through early August, he owns a 1.55 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 34 saves (leading MLB by three SV) in 46⅓ innings, with a 96th percentile chase rate.

On August 8, 2026, Baker converted his 23rd consecutive save opportunity against the Seattle Mariners (video above), surpassing Fernando Rodney’s franchise record set in 2012. After the game, mlb.com reported that the players demanded Baker slant his hat to the side in homage to Rodney (he declined), and Kevin Kelly declared him “Mr. Consistency” to the press. In the televised post game interview, the childhood Rays fan Baker said it was an honor to be counted alongside a player he grew up watching regularly, and shrugged off the accomplishment calling saves a “team stat.”

The Rays’ all-time saves list is led by Roberto Hernández (101), followed by Alex Colomé (95), Pete Fairbanks (90), and Fernando Rodney (85), while the franchise’s single-season leaders are Rodney (48 – 2012), Colomé (47 – 2017), and Rafael Soriano (45 – 2010). Baker’s current tally of 35 total saves and 34 in 2026 both rank ninth overall in franchise history for a career and single season, respectively.

Baker will reach eighth on the franchise leaderboard when he ties Esteban Yan’s 42, and then it could be a quick shot up the leaderboard for the single season record held by Fernando Rodney.

With 42 games left in the regular season, Baker is 15 saves shy of the all time record.

Looking back, Rodney’s 2012 season—48 saves, a 0.60 ERA, and Cy Young consideration—remains the gold standard for a Rays closer’s peak, while Fairbanks provided perhaps the most multi-year high-leverage reliability. Baker’s current trajectory puts him in conversation with both, and that’s not even accounting for what reputation the playoffs could bring, where the record for post season saves is a meager three (tied between Fairbanks and Diego Castillo, 2020 playoffs).

For now, he is the reliable ninth-inning presence for a competitive Rays club, the record-holder for consecutive saves, and an All-Star for his childhood club. That combination already secures him a meaningful chapter in Rays history. How long and how brightly that chapter continues will determine whether he joins the upper tier of the franchise’s all-time greats like Fairbanks or a one-season phenomenon like Soriano. Either way, the Rays’ latest pitching alchemy has produced something special.

Toledo Mud Hens 5, Louisville Bats 3 (Gm1)(box)(F/7)

Sawyer Gipson-Long and Ricky Vanasco shut down the Bats offense long enough for their teammates to build a lead and hang on in this makeup game from yesterday’s postponement.

Gipson-Long walked five hitters over 3.2 innings but didn’t allow a hit or anyone to score. Vanasco cleaned up the fourth and the fifth innings, as the offense got to work after wasting a good opportunity in the second inning.

Bennett Lee led off the third with a double and moved to third on a Jace Jung ground out. Max Anderson scored him with a sacrifice fly.

In the fifth, Jung doubled with one out, and Josue Briceño drew a two-out walk. Brett Callahan smoked an RBI double 111 mph off the right field wall, and Briceño scored on an infield single from Justice Bigbie. That made it 3-0, and they weren’t done as Cal Stevenson walked and Max Burt came up with a two-run single and a 5-0 lead.

Luke Taggart got into trouble in the eighth and allowed a three-run shot that made things a little sketchy, but he handled the seventh to collect the save.

Stevenson: 2-3, 2B, BB, K

Callahan: 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, K

Briceño: 1-3, R, BB, K

Jung: 1-3, R, 2B, BB

Gipson-Long: 3.2 IP, 0 R, H, 5 BB, 3 K

Louisville Bats 4, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (Gm2)(box)(F/8)

The Bats got their revenge in the nightcap as the two teams played a close one that ultimately went to Louisville in walkoff fashion.

Recent pickup RHP Andre Granillo, formerly of the Cardinals, whom the Tigers succesfully outrighted to Toledo at the end of July, got the start in this one and he struggled. Granillo gave up two homers in the first inning, one off a 94 mph fourseamer and the other off his curveball. Both pitches where right over the heart of the plate, and the second was a two-run shot. So the Hens were down 3-0 early in this one.

Granillo worked the second without issue and the bullpen took over from there, and really shut down the Bats the rest of regulation. Of course, the Hens weren’t exactly swinging it either. It’s been a weird series with rain and postponements already, and the pitchers weren’t exactly punching tickets left and right either. Neither team could find grass for much of the game.

Josue Briceño had another solid game, lining a sharp double in the first and later fighting through a nine-pitch at-bat to draw a walk.

The Hens answered back in the top of the third. Max Burt reached on a bunt to start the inning and catcher Seby Zavala cracked a two-run shot. Jace Jung immediately followed with a solo homer to right center field, and it was tie ballgame at 3-3.

Tyler Mattison and Jack Little each handled two innings of relief with little traffic, and Yilber Diaz fired a 1-2-3 fifth in between them. This headed to the 8th, which was extra innings for this one. The Hens failed to get the runner on second in, but the Bats did not, as Dariel Fregio walked the leadoff hitter and then wild pitched them 90 feet. They intentionally walked the bases loaded…and Fregio walked Michael Chavis to end it in anti-climactic fashion, though Bats fans would probably disagree.

Jung: 2-4, R, RBI, HR, K

Briceño: 1-3, 2B, BB, K

Zavala: 2-2, R, 2 RBI, HR, BB

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:15 p.m. ET start on Friday with the Hens holding a 2-1 lead in the series.

Erie SeaWolves 3, Hartford Yard Goats 1 (box)

A brilliant start from lefty Carlos Peña highlighted this victory.

Peña has a start every month like this where he’s in total command and just carves up an opposing lineup despite barely topping 90 mph. He scattered five hits with no walks over 5.2 innings in this one, striking out seven as his breaking ball and changeup were sharp.

In the top of the second inning, Robert Campos reached on an error and Stephenson smoked a double to center field to make it 1-0. Stephenson then snatched third base for his 53rd stolen base of the season, and scored on a passed ball.

The SeaWolves got two on in the fourth but couldn’t score. However, in the top of the sixth, E.J. Exposito doubled and Luke Shliger walked. Stephenson came through again with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

Yoniel Curet allowed a run in the seventh, but Tyler Owens survived some traffic in the eighth, and Zane Barnhart shut the door in the ninth to earn the save.

Stephenson: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, 2B, K, SB

Shliger: 1-2, 2 BB, K

Pena (W, ): 5.2 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K

Coming Up Next:

West Michigan Whitecaps 7, Lansing Lugnuts 5 (box)

Beau Ankeney continued his reign of terror since being promoted to High-A, racking up four hits and crushing a two-run walkoff homer in the ninth to break a tie game open.

Win Scott got the start, and he struggled, allowing three runs in three innings, though they were all unearned. Still, one error on a ground ball led to a run on a double, and Scott allowed a two-run shot before getting out of the third. Maddox Long took over and gave up two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

However, in the bottom of the fourth the Whitecaps offense started gaining ground. Stephen Hrustich singled with one out, and Andrew Sojka singled with two outs. Cristian Santana then hammered a three-run shot to center field to make it a 4-3 Lansing lead.

Jackson Strong led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot, and later in the inning, Samuel Gil doubled in Ricardo Hurtado to tie the game 5-5.

Logan Berrier and Jalen Evans did nice work to blank Lansing over the final three frames. In the bottom of the ninth, Hurtado singled with two outs. Ankeney got a juicy pitch to hit down and in with a 1-0 count, and he did not miss. That is his fifth homer in 13 games with the Whitecaps, and the 20th on the year for the Tigers 2025 14th rounder out of Loyola. There are a lot of swing and miss concerns with Ankeney, but good grief is he mashing in his first pro season.

Ankeney: 4-5, R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

Gil: 2-4, RBI, 2B

Santana: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR, BB

Hurtado: 2-5, 2 R, K

Scott: 3.0 IP, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:35 p.m. ET start at LMCU Park on Friday with the Whitecaps up 2-1 in the series. They remain a half game back of the Great Lakes Loons for the East division lead in the second half standings.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 3, Bradenton Marauders 0 (b0x)

The Flying Tigers got a strong outing from Cale Wetwiska to take a 2-1 lead in the series on Thursday.

Wetwiska battled his control at times in this one, but he blanked the Marauders for five innings, scattering five singles and four walks, while punching out three. He averaged 95.6 mph with his riding fourseamer, and mainly used it and the slider to manage the Marauders. Pedro Garcia did a great job in relief, spinning four scoreless innings with just two hits and no walks allowed, while striking out four.

The Flying Tigers opened the scoring in the bottom of the second. Brady Ballinger drew a walk in his second pro game, and Ronald Ramirez singled to center field. A balk advanced both runners and Enderson Delgado singled to score them both.

In the bottom of the fifth, Zach MacDonald doubled, stole third, and the throw got away, allowing him to score. The Flying Tigers only managed three hits on the day, but it was enough as the pitching and defense were sharp.

Ramirez: 1-2, R, BB

MacDonald. 1-3, R, 2B, K, SB

Delgado: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 K

Wetwiska (W, 2-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 4 BB, 3 K

Garcia (S.1) 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:30 p.m. ET start scheduled for Friday night.

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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has absolutely owned Gerrit Cole in his career, so we're rocking with him as the centerpiece of our Blue Jays vs. Yankees predictions.

The Toronto Blue Jays enter tonight as +130 underdogs at BET99 and sit just two games back in the Wild Card race. Are they live dogs with the New York Yankees’ ace on the mound?

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 14, and cash a same-game parlay, shall we?

Yankees vs Blue Jays predictions

Yankees vs Blue Jays best bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases (+135)

If Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is trying to get right, facing New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Not only is Vladdy seeing the ball well right now (he's on a six-game hit streak), but the Toronto Blue Jays superstar owns a 1.043 OPS in this specific matchup and has six extra-base hits against Cole across 35 at-bats.

The historical numbers are there; now it's on Vladdy to execute the way we know he can. I'd price this closer to +120 tonight, so let's take this value and run with it.

Vladdy against Cole in his career 📈

⭐️ 12-for-35, 4 2B, 2 HR
⭐️ .323 xBA
⭐️ .590 xSLG
⭐️ 6-game hit streak overall

Is tonight the night he hits his first bomb at home? I'm starting to believe ... pic.twitter.com/FQ0AzvSxch

— Dustin (@DustinSaracini) August 14, 2026

COVERS INTEL: While the power numbers aren't there (Vladdy has yet to hit a home run at home), he's still making strong contact this season. Guerrero's .281 xBA is near elite, and his 13.5 K rate is the lowest of his decorated career. 

Yankees vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

We already know how great Vladdy's numbers are in this matchup, but coming off a shutout, the Blue Jays should be able to keep this close.

Overall, Toronto owns a .277 xBA and .423 xSLG against Cole across 160 plate appearances, a sample size we absolutely love to see.

We're going to see some balls in play here, too, as the Yankees ace is rocking a minuscule 17% K rate against this lineup. Let's cash one.

Yankees vs Blue Jays SGP

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Blue Jays +1.5
• Gerrit Cole Under 5.5 strikeouts

Yankees vs Blue Jays home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+575)

If you've been paying attention, you probably know where this was going.

Vladdy owns an elite .590 xSLG against Cole over the course of his career, and has already taken him deep twice.

It's the perfect storm for Toronto's boy to hit his first homer at the Rogers Centre.

Yankees vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: New York (-150) | Toronto (+130)
• Run line: New York -1.5 (+115)  | Toronto +1.5 (-135)
• Over/Under: Over 8 (+100) | Under 8 (-120)

Yankees vs Blue Jays trend

Toronto is 8-0 in its last eight games following a loss. Find more MLB betting trends for Yankees vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Yankees vs Blue Jays and game info

Yankees vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Yankees vs Blue Jays weather

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.

Friday notes…

• KEEPING THE BAD STREAKS AWAY: The Cubs have not lost back-to-back games since July 9-10, at Baltimore and Cincinnati. They are 19-9 since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• HOME GAME NOTES: The Cubs are 35-24 at home, but only 4-6 in first games of home stands. They finished 11-2 in such games last season. They are 10-10 in first games of series at home. They finished 19-8 a year ago. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• UNDER NATURAL LIGHT: The Cubs are 26-24 in all day games, but 19-12 at home. They are 11-12 in the second of back-to-back day games at all sites. They finished 24-13 a year ago. But they are 11-7 in such games this year at home; they were 22-12 last season. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• FRIDAY ON MY MIND: The Cubs are 3-6 on Friday at home. Last year, they finished 10-4. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs lead the Dodgers 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth of the second game of a doubleheader in Los Angeles, blow that lead, then score two in the 10th on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to defeat the eventual pennant-winning Dodgers 12-10. It happened 60 years ago today, Sunday, Aug. 14, 1966.

The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.

Cardinals lineup:

Clay Holmes, RHP vs. Matthew Liberatore, LHP

Clay Holmes struggled in his first Cubs start — but then, it was also his first start back after he fractured his fibula back in May. He did get a large number of ground ball outs, which is his signature.

He faced the Cardinals March 30 in St. Louis as a member of the Mets, throwing 5.2 innings and allowing four hits and two runs. Nolan Gorman, who the Cardinals sent to Triple-A in June, homered off him.

Hopefully, this will be a better outing.

Matthew Liberatore has had an up-and-down year. In his first August start, Aug. 2 vs. the Blue Jays, he threw six one-hit innings. But then Aug. 8 vs. the Rockies — nine hits and five runs in five innings. (Not the Coors Field effect — that game was in St. Louis.)

He has faced the Cubs three times this year and allowed 14 hits, five walks and six runs in 14 innings. Alex Bregman homered off him July 27 in St. Louis, and of course Bregman’s a hot hitter right now.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Wrigley Field.

Today’s game is on Apple TV (how to watch).

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos. If you do go there to interact with Cardinals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The Red Sox losing Garrett Crochet after the first month would’ve once seemed to be a season-tanking injury. Given how Boston played the first three months of the season, it certainly appeared as such. 

Then came the 27-3 run of July. 

Among the brightest stars of the turnaround was Payton Tolle. The hype around the 2024 second-round pick (TCU) has always been there after his electrifying MLB debut at Fenway Park last August. His fastball is real, though his brief big-league introduction showed the desperate need to fill out his arsenal with legitimate secondaries. 

That improvement is on full display a year later as he’s emerged as one of the most important players on the roster, especially given the recent timing of his starts. In back-to-back outings, the Red Sox needed innings from the lefty and at times became the stopper of the group. 

His brilliant eight innings yesterday against Toronto followed a career-best 14 strikeouts against the Athletics last time out. Over his last three starts, while shutting down workload concerns, Tolle has allowed just three earned runs in his last 20 innings of work with 25 strikeouts.

Tolle continues to dominate with his big-league personality, a fastball-defined yet improved arsenal, and consistent production when the team needs him most. What’s most encouraging about Tolle’s campaign (2.97 ERA in 20 starts, 10.0 K/9) is answering a key question about a potential October run. 

The Red Sox definitely upgraded the rotation in the offseason, headlined by the additions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, who have been excellent as advertised. But for as deep as Boston’s pitching was at the break of camp and how productive the group still is in-season, the Red Sox still faced a nagging question given Crochet’s uncertain status for the rest of the year: Who would start a decisive Game 3 of a playoff series?  

Tolle has answered that question and, after this stretch, the Red Sox should feel great about this trio in a Wild Card series: 

Game 1: Sonny Gray
Game 2: Ranger Suarez
Game 3: Payton Tolle

If the Red Sox advance, they can reassess Crochet’s health or turn to potential options in Jake Bennett or Brayan Bello.

But that’s a long ways away, so focus on the task at hand. 

The Red Sox are in the thick of a playoff race and Payton Tolle is a massive, massive reason why.

It is funny how things work. Going into the series with the Red Sox, I would have been thrilled with the Jays winning three of four. There is something about losing the last game of the series. If we lost the first game and won the last three, I’d be thrilled. If we just lost the second game, I’d be thrilled. But I convince myself that we should sweep when we win the first three. But it was a good series for us.

We now have a 12.5% chance of making the playoffs. The next nine games will be pretty telling—six against the Yankees, home and away and three on the road against Tampa. Winning five of nine would be a good result. I don’t know if that would be enough to improve our chances of making the playoffs.

Tonight’s game is on Apple TV. We are out with friends tonight, so I spent time this morning making sure I can get the game on my phone. There is a Sun story calling this the ‘most-anticipated game of the season’, which feels a bit like overkill. For me, the most anticipated game is always opening day, after a long winter of staring out the window waiting for baseball to return.

Why is it the most anticipated game?

The latest Apple TV intervention couldn’t come along at a worse time for all kinds of reasons, including the marquee pitching matchup between former Cy Young Award winners Gerrit Cole of the Yankees and Shane Bieber of the Blue Jays.

I don’t know if that is the marquee matchup that it once was. Shane seems to bounce from good start to bad start. A 5.48 ERA doesn’t fill me with a sense of confidence. But he has had some good starts. Cole has been on a nice little run of late, but hasn’t been the ‘Cy Young’ type, coming back from injury.

After today’s start, we have Cam Schlittler against TBD on Saturday. I’d guess it will be SWR. Sunday it is Ryan Weathers against Dylan Cease. No pressure, Cease; we really need that game.

In their first 11 games this month, the Yankees are 6-5.

The plate umpire had a rough day yesterday (as did Brandon Valenzuela, wasting a challenge in the first inning on a pitch that wasn’t all that close). The early miss seemed to cause Brandon to miss out on challenging pretty obvious mistakes later.

I don’t know what a manager can do. Tell the catcher, ‘No challenges in the first inning; I don’t care if the ball was dead center in the strike zone; don’t challenge.‘ You do have to trust your players some, but that first inning….. It would be nice if players could stay away from challenging in low-leverage spots, but I suppose, when you see that a pitch you want to challenge, it would be hard to also think about whether it is a high-leverage spot.

Anyway, the Umpire Scorecard:

The Houston Astros haven’t played the Seattle Mariners since May 14. Seattle won 8-3. It clinched the season series for the Mariners, who have won 7 of the 8 games the two teams have played this season.

That May 14 loss was significant on several fronts. Not only did the Mariners clinch the season series and hold the first tiebreaker between the two teams, but it sent Houston to it’s season low 11 games under .500. Houston was reeling, and in danger of crashing out of the season early.

Embarrassed by their performance, the Astros rallied. They won 2 of 3 in the next series against the Texas Rangers, then took 7 of 10 on a road trip to get back to 6 under and stave off the Grim Reaper for the time being. Slowly but sure, the Astros would chip away at their record, getting closer to .500 without a sustained winning streak through the rest of May and through June.

That Mariners series had a chance to bury the Astros. They were 11 under, losers of 5 of 6 and 7 of 10. The pitching was a wreck. Houston showed their tenacity and toughness, and fought itself out of the hole.

Today, the Astros and Mariners will meet under very different circumstances.

Houston now sits atop the division at 62-60, having gone from -11 to +2 over the three months since these teams last played. Seattle finds itself in 3rd place, 57-65. They are 8 games under and 5 out in the division. They are 6-15 since July 21, when they entered play at 51-50.

Houston now has a chance to do to Seattle what the Mariners failed to do to Houston back in May.

Bury them.

On Hall of Fame Weekend at Daikin Park where the Astros will honor former players Alan Ashby and the late Phil Garner in to the Astros Hall of Fame, Houston can slam the door on the Mariners season. Send them to 11 games under .500, blast them 8 games out of the division with only 37 games left on their schedule. Drop them so far beneath the water it would take an Act of God for them to resurface.

Yes, the Mariners would still be alive in the Wild Card race technically. They are currently 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, but there are also 6 teams in between them and the 3rd Wild Card. Being swept this weekend would likely put the nail in the coffin for them there as well.

It was after that loss to Seattle that the national media really started leaning in heavy to “the Astros are done” and trying to sell off the parts of the team to various contenders with mock trades. They underestimated the Astros resilience.

As the creator of the phrase “No one gets off the mat like the Houston Astros”, I have learned to have nearly unwavering faith in Houston’s ability to rebound from hideous losses, losing streaks, slumps, etc. Even I lost enough faith in the team after they were swept by the Orioles after the All Star break, falling back to 7 games under .500, undoing so much of the hard work and grind the team had put in the previous two months to crawl out of a very dangerous 11 games under .500 hole. It looked like they were running out of gas.

The Astros then went Super Saiyan the next two weeks, going 11-1. It was their first real run like that in a full calendar year. Not since they wrapped a 29-10 stretch with an 11-2 run culminating with a 3-game sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers in LA to move to a season high 20 games over .500 have the Astros had that kind of run.

Houston had not shown at any time this season they had that kind of performance in them. Yet they found it, and leapfrogged both Seattle and Texas to the top of the AL West. The phrase rang true yet again, even when I thought it couldn’t.

Being 1-7 against the Mariners right now means absolutely nothing for the Astros. Being 3-0 against them this weekend could mean everything, and make the division a two-team race between Houston and the Rangers in which the Astros already have a 2 game lead.

Mariners broadcaster Ryan Rowland-Smith told our Craig Larson Jr. that its now or never for Seattle in his series preview https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-analysis/77330/astros-vs-mariners-series-preview-with-seattle-broadcaster-ryan-rowland-smith . He knows that his team is on life support.

Several times this season it has seemed the epitaph on the Astros season could be written. Now they can write it on the Mariners season, chiseled in stone.

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Friday night action is packed, and the dog-friendly board is screaming value—starting with a sharp play on the Royals at a sweet price tag. 

Check out our expert MLB moneyline predictions and MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 14.

MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 14

Matchup	Pick
Cardinals vs Cubs	+167
Marlins vs Reds	+106
Red Sox  vs Pirates	+117
White Sox vs Tigers	+138
Orioles vs Rays	+150
Nationals vs Mets	+106
Padres  vs Guardians	-122
Yankees vs Blue Jays	-141
Diamondbacks vs Braves	+182
Mariners vs Astros	+113
Royals vs Angels	-104
Rangers vs Athletics	+102
Brewers vs Dodgers	+170
Rockies vs Giants	+120

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of Aug. 14.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 14

Cardinals vs Cubs: Cardinals (+167)

Cardinals win probability: 38%

This is simply a fade on Clay Holmes, who owns a 6.43 ERA, 4.41 xERA and 1.71 WHIP while allowing a 50% hard-hit rate to opposing hitters over his last three starts. Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore has some strong underlying metrics that point toward improvement, which I feel safe leaning on here.

St. Louis' offense has also been pretty decent over its last 12 games, posting a 105 wRC+, .321 wOBA and nearly a 10% walk rate. Chicago has been scorching hot, but if Liberatore can keep the Cubs' offense in check, the Cardinals should be just fine.

Marlins vs Reds: Marlins (+106)

Marlins win probability: 48%

The Marlins as an underdog here feels like a steal!

For starters, their offense has been humming, led by Griffin Conine, who has been barreling the hell out of the ball over his last 10 games. Overall, as a team over their last six games, they own a 122 wRC+, .344 wOBA and .772 OPS. The Reds, during that stretch, have just a 56 wRC+, .255 wOBA and .567 OPS.

Chase Burns has been very impressive this season, but Sandy Alcantara has been just as good. Over his last five starts, the former Cy Young winner has a 1.64 ERA, 2.96 xERA and 0.97 WHIP.

Trust the fish!

Red Sox vs Pirates: Pirates (+117)

Pirates win probability: 46%

Let's take a stab at the Pirates at home as a slight underdog against the cooling-off Red Sox.

Red Sox left-hander Jake Bennett has struggled a tad over his last few outings, but he has some strong expected numbers pointing toward progression. However, as mentioned, the Red Sox offense has gone cold over the last week, posting a 91 wRC+, .675 OPS and .106 ISO over their last six games.

Taking the plus money on the Pirates feels right with the Red Sox coming back to reality.

White Sox vs Tigers: White Sox (+138)

White Sox win probability: 42%

Massive series for both AL Central teams, but this feels bigger for the Chicago White Sox, who have struggled on the road this season. They draw Jackson Jobe, who looks great coming back from injury, while Sean Newcomb takes the mound for Chicago in his second start of the season.

The White Sox luck into taking on the Tigers when their offense has been cold over the last week, posting an 85 wRC+, .287 wOBA and .625 OPS. Meanwhile, the White Sox have a 126 wRC+, .351 wOBA and .794 OPS during that stretch.

At +138, it will be a fun sweat!

Orioles vs Rays: Orioles (+150)

Orioles win probability: 40%

Rays right-hander Jesse Scholtens takes the mound this evening with a 5.54 xERA and 1.44 WHIP while allowing nearly a 20% barrel rate to opposing hitters over his last five outings. The Orioles have started to heat up over their last six games, sporting a .795 OPS and .209 ISO while generating a 47% hard-hit rate and 10.5% barrel rate.

The Rays' offense has been solid for more than a month now, but in terms of price, the Orioles offer a ton at +150.

Nationals vs Mets: Nationals (+106)

Nationals win probability: 48%

I'm not sure how much we can hold Mets starter Robert Stock to his current 10.13 ERA through just eight innings, but the Nationals as an underdog here feel like the side to be on. Even without James Wood, the Nationals' offense has maintained a 134 wRC+, .362 wOBA and .828 OPS over the last week.

The Mets have been very consistent over their last 21 games, but Andrew Alvarez has been very sustainable on the road, posting a 3.10 ERA while limiting hard contact and barrels.

Padres vs Guardians: Guardians (-122)

Guardians win probability: 55%

With how well Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams has been pitching over his last five outings, fading him sounds terrifying. The $1.22 price tag is concerning, but Williams and the Guardians' bullpen should be able to hold down the Padres' bats.

Michael King has looked great over his last five outings, but his 4.19 xERA against left-handed hitters is concerning, especially with the Guardians only having one true right-handed hitter in their lineup.

Yankees vs Blue Jays: Yankees (-141)

Yankees win probability: 58%

It is very hard to trust the Blue Jays even after coming off a pretty solid week against the Red Sox, but they still have a 74 wRC+, .277 wOBA and .619 OPS across their last 12 games. Plus, with Shane Bieber on the mound this evening, owning a 5.48 ERA, 6.26 xERA and 1.66 WHIP on the year, the Yankees have to be the play.

Diamondbacks vs Braves: Diamondbacks (+182)

Diamondbacks win probability: 36%

Are we not aware of how well Brandon Pfaadt has been pitching over his last five starts? The Diamondbacks right-hander has a 1.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over that span. All while the offense has been on fire, as Arizona has a 122 wRC+, .349 wOBA and .793 OPS over its last 21 games.

The Braves, on the other hand, do send out Chris Sale, but their offense is the concern, posting just a 94 wRC+, .304 wOBA and .691 OPS over that same stretch.

Price-wise, the Diamondbacks are the move.

Mariners vs Astros: Mariners (+113)

Mariners win probability: 47%

Short and sweet, both offenses have been abysmal. Why pay juice for a team that has a .127 ISO, 61 wRC+ and a 36% hard-hit rate over its last six games? Take the plus money!

Royals vs Angels: Royals (-104)

Royals win probability: 51%

Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has been pretty decent over his last three starts, owning a sub-4.00 ERA, but his expected numbers are still brutal. On the other side, Seth Lugo has maintained a 3.88 xERA over his last five starts.

Neither team's offense has been great over the past week, but the Royals do not strike out nearly as often as the Angels, plus they draw more walks. Take the Royals.

Rangers vs Athletics: Athletics (+102)

Athletics win probability: 50%

Fade Kumar Rocker day!

The Rangers right-hander enters Friday with a 6.08 ERA over his last five starts, along with a Rangers offense that has regressed as the days go by. Over their last 21 games, Texas has an 83 wRC+, 75 over its last 12 and 63 over its last six, along with a .259 wOBA and .076 ISO.

The Athletics have been slightly better, and Gage Jump has been pretty serviceable for them. Take the home dog.

Brewers vs Dodgers: Brewers (+170)

Brewers win probability: 37%

Do not force yourself to back the Dodgers and pay the Yoshinobu Yamamoto tax.

Sure, the Brewers have not been too hot as of late, but neither have the Dodgers' bats. Over their last 12 games, they have a .145 ISO and .691 OPS.

Getting one of the more well-rounded teams in baseball at +170 is worth dabbling on.

Rockies vs Giants: Rockies (+120)

Rockies win probability: 46%

It is shocking to see the Rockies as underdogs in San Francisco when they have been playing some great ball as of late. Over their last 12 games, they have posted a .787 OPS, .190 ISO and .342 wOBA. On top of that, veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland has a 3.27 xERA over his last five starts. Meanwhile, Giants right-hander Landen Roupp has a 6.59 ERA, 4.40 xERA and 1.76 WHIP over his last three.

San Francisco's offense has been pretty lifeless as of late, and I would not advise trusting them.

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.

If you build it, they will come. And Royals fans may be headed to Iowa next year.

MLB announced today that the Royals will face the Red Sox in the “Field of Dreams” game in Dyersville, Iowa on August 12, 2027. The Phillies defeated Twins in this year’s event, held last night. The game will air exclusively on NBC Sports, with the Royals serving as the home team. Next year will be the fourth year MLB has hosted the event, commemorating the 1989 baseball film Field of Dreams starring Kevin Costner.

Past Field of Dreams contests

2021 – White Sox 9 Yankees 8

2022 – Cubs 4 Reds 2

2026 – Phillies 7 Twins 1

“We are thrilled to showcase our athletes through one of Major League Baseball’s most cherished events and help to grow the game to a worldwide audience,” Royals President of Business Operations Cullen Maxey said. “Royals territory already covers the Midwest, including Dyersville, so this is a natural fit that provides Royals fans a chance to cheer on the home team in a magical setting.

The Royals will play the game on a Thursday, followed by a Friday off-day, before they resume their series against the Red Sox on Saturday and Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

A permanent Field of Dreams ballpark opened this year featuring 3,000 seats that can expand to 8,000 seats temporarily. The dimensions are 335 down the lines, 380 to the alleys, and 400 to center with any ballpark references to old Comiskey Park in Chicago. In the past, tickets have been subject to a lottery with registration available only for Iowa residents, with some ticket allotments to each participating team.

According to Royals historian Curt Nelson, this is the third neutral site game played in club history. They played the White Sox at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1969, and the Tigers at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha in 2019.