Paul Skenes pitches Wednesday night at PNC Park on seven days' rest and the industry will be watching to see how he responds. He was supposed to start Sunday, but after scuffling for the last three months, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly said they wanted to give him extra rest. The Pirates and Skenes swear there is no injury or anything wrong with him, other than the normal wear and tear on a pitcher in August.
Five months after the World Baseball Classic, Team USA's hitters are fine for the most part, but the pitchers seem to be showing the effects of ramping up early.
Since April, every star on the injured list or in a slump who played in March has been Exhibit A that the WBC broke him. Team USA's roster is the easiest way to test that. Thirty guys who went through the same spring and there is very little evidence that the suggestions hold up.
But it doesn't exactly fall apart either. There's a toll on many.
Through May 12, Skenes looked like the defending Cy Young Award winner ready to contend for another. He had a 1.98 ERA through his first nine starts. Since then, it's 5.00. His four-seamer, which sat at 98.2 miles an hour, has dropped to an average of 96.8. Again, the Pirates and Skenes said he is not hurt.
But five other Team USA pitchers have been on the injured list with arm or shoulder issues.
Gabe Spier had a shoulder issue in April. Griffin Jax is on the injured list now with an elbow injury. Garrett Whitlock has twice had an elbow injury that put him on the IL. Brad Keller needed internal brace and flexor tendon repair in July and is done for the year. So is Will Vest, who had surgery on a stress fracture in his elbow.
Four other pitchers from Team USA have gone on the IL this season with injuries to a calf, a biceps, a knee and a broken leg.
In all, 15 of the 29 Team USA players have been on the injured list, including six of the 14 position players.
Even Tarik Skubal, who capped himself at one start and 55 pitches before heading back to Tigers camp, missed time to have a loose body removed from his elbow.
He's been fine since.
On the position player side, Pete Crow-Armstrong is the strong counterbalance.
He has a 30-30 season going, picking up his 30th homer Monday night as a walk-off against the White Sox. He's hitting .281 after a .247 mark last year. Kyle Schwarber leads the majors with 37 home runs. Byron Buxton, who did have a stint on the IL, has a 138 OPS+ at 32. All of them were in Miami in March, too.
Cal Raleigh is the glaring exception everybody has pointed to and his issues are real. He hit 60 homers in 2025 and finished second in the MVP voting. He's hitting .158 now with a .564 OPS, last among 165 hitters with at least 350 plate appearances. Six weeks on the IL with an oblique injury certainly did not help. Last week in the Bronx, he said his timing is just off.
Aaron Judge has missed almost three months with a fractured rib, but he can clearly dismiss any connection to the WBC. He did that diving for a catch in an April game.
Roughly 600 players went, and some of them are having bad years the way some player always do. So the sleuths looking for answers to Skenes' struggles don't have much evidence to go on. Sure, the early ramp up could have led to an early onset of fatigue, but three months is a long time to be tired.
There is no strong argument that the WBC is to blame, so Skenes and the Pirates have to keep searching.
Skenes gets the ball Wednesday night against Detroit. It's his 24th start of a season that started early in March for him. Maybe this time, the extra rest will be the answer to his struggles.
The Hens got another brilliant outing from Andrew Sears and added to a big lead all the way through this one.
Things did not start off so well. Brant Hurter was sitting 89-90 mph and couldn’t get out of the first inning, as he gave up a run and needed Nick Sandlin to clean up the inning.
Lefty Andrew Sears took over in the second and no-hit the Cubs for five innings, striking out seven against two walks. That’s a bit fitting, as Sears looks ready for a call-up to something like Hurter’s role with the Tigers. Sears got a whopping 16 whiffs in this one, 10 off his mid-90’s sinker, and racked up some whiffs with his high-80’s changeup as well. Sears typically has a good sinker-slider combo, so seeing growth from the changeup is excellent news. He might make a candidate for the rotation in 2027 as well and if the Tigers lose anyone else, Sears is probably the first number you’re going to call.
Here’s every called strike and whiff from Andrew Sears’ 5 no-hit innings tonight: pic.twitter.com/74hsdeKceo
As Sears silenced the Cubs, the Hens offense started clicking. Chris Meyers was promoted out of his rehab assignment up to Toledo for this one, and he doubled in his first at-bat. Andrew Navigato singled him to third and then stole second base. Bennett Lee stepped to the dish after Cal Stevenson struck out, and crushed a three-run shot for his first Triple-A homer.
In the bottom of the third, Max Anderson singled and Josue Briceño walked. Meyers singled in Anderson, and Navigato doubled in Briceño for a 5-1 lead.
Right-hander Hayden Minton, who we had ranked 33rd in the system prior to the season, has started to find the mid-90’s velocity we were hoping for on his low arm slot, running sinker, to pair with his solid curveball and cutter. The Tigers promoted him to Triple-A on Tuesday, moving him to a relief role, at least for now, and this is the way. They’ll need a lot more of this to start building good homegrown bullpens rather than paying through the nose for veteran relievers. Minton doesn’t really profile as the guy, but now that he can focus on short outings, we’ll see if they can squeeze a bit more out of the stuff.
Here’s Hayden Minton’s Triple-A debut. He hit a batter and walked a batter, but he also struck out two in a scoreless inning. Fastball topped out at 95.5 MPH. pic.twitter.com/HrV6OIYDmX
Things were quiet through the middle innings until Max Burt led off the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot. Tyler Mattison surrendered a run in the top of the eighth, but in the bottom half the Hens poured it on.
Justice Bigbie led off with a walk and moved to second on a groundout from Meyers. Navigato singled and Stevenson walked to load the bases. Lee was plunked to force in a run, and Jace Jung followed with a two-run double to make it 9-2.
Beau Brieske struck out two in the top of the ninth sitting 95-97 with his heater.
Navigato: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, SB
Meyers: 2-4, R, RBI, 2B
Briceno: 0-3, R, BB
Sears (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 7 K
Coming Up Next: First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
New Hampshire Fisher Cats 6, Erie SeaWolves 5 (F/11)(box)
Zyhir Hope had a huge game, but after tying this one up in the ninth and again in the bottom of the tenth, the SeaWolves couldn’t get it done in the 11th.
Hope doubled in the bottom of the first but was stranded.
Joe Miller got into some trouble in the top of the second, and a passed ball charged to Thayron Liranzo scored the game’s first run. The SeaWolves threatened in the second but failed to score. Finally in the bottom of the third, Woody Hadeen walked and rode home on a blast to right field from Hope. 2-1 SeaWolves.
Zyhir Hope crushes a 2-run homer to right to put the SeaWolves up 2-1. It’s his 2nd home run with Erie, and his 25th overall this season. @ZachSurdenik calls it. pic.twitter.com/QYnI9B0qoG
Unfortunately, Miller crumbled in the top of the fourth, allowing three runs. So it was 4-2 Fisher Cats until the bottom of the eighth. Hope led off with a single and took third on a Liranzo single. He then scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-3. Andrew Jenkins walked, but Izaac Pacheco struck out.
Tanner Kohlhepp took over in the top of the ninth and kept the Fisher Cats off the board despite a pair of singles. In the bottom half, Seth Stephenson was hit by a pitch and stole second as Hadeen struck out. Peyton Graham was snakebit in this one, and for the second time hammered a ball right to an outfielder in this one. Hope sprang eternal as he singled in Stephenson to tie the game and send it to extras.
Kohlhepp allowed the runner on second to score in the top of the 10th, but no more. In the bottom half, Jenkins singled in Liranzo from second to tie things up, and then stole second base. With three chances for a game winning knock, the SeaWolves went in order, and that was kind of the ballgame.
Yosber Sanchez gave up a run in the top of the 11th, and Stephenson, Hadeen and Graham all made outs to end it.
Hope: 4-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2B, HR, K
Jenkins: 1-4, RBI, BB, SB
Exposito: 2-5, 2B, K
Miller: 4.2 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 9 H, 0 BB, 5 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:05 p.m ET start on Wednesday. The SeaWolves still hold a 4.5 game lead in the Southwest division with a 31-15 second half record.
South Bend Cubs 5, West Michigan Whitecaps 1 (box)
A two-run shot late in Rayner Castillo’s outing spoiled it, but it mattered little as the Whitecaps got one-hit in this one.
The Whitecaps had trouble with starter Jostin Florentino, and their only hit came with one out in the first, and it was another monster shot to straightaway center field off the bat of Bryce Rainer. The talented shortstop has now homered in four straight contests, tying a Whitecaps record, according to Dan Hasty.
Bryce Rainer with a monster blast to dead center. It’s his 14th home run of the year, and his 4th straight game with a bomb. pic.twitter.com/DV5j1MTHBm
Castillo allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the second, but otherwise he was cruising, racking up a whopping nine strikeouts on the outing, a personal best. Unfortunately, they stretched things a bit too far, and the 22-year-old right-hander gave up a leadoff walk in the sixth, struck out the next hitter, and then surrendered a two-run shot to Josiah Hartshorn which kind of spoiled Castillo’s night. Still, we’ve been looking for him to get that easy 94-95 t97 mph sinker back and improve his breaking stuff and things are coming around after a rough season for him.
Preston Howey gave up a pair of runs in the eighth to complete the scoring.
Rainer: 1-4, R, RBI, HR, 2 K
Ankeney: 0-2, 2 BB
Castillo (L, 2-9): 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 K
Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps second half lead in the East division is just one game over Great Lakes. They’ll get back at it with a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
The Flying Tigers athletic young squad played excellent defense and pounded out 14 hits in this one while drawing eight walks to crush St. Lucie.
Caleb Leys got the start, and while he still isn’t missing many bats, he was effective for 3.2 innings of one-run ball. By then the Flygers were working with a nice lead.
Jude Warwick led off the top of the second with a walk and took second on a wild pitch. Maddox Molony lined an RBI single to center for a 1-0 lead.
In the third, Angel De Los Santos dumped a pop-up in for a speed double with one out. Nick Dumesnil struck out, but Jesus Pinto singled in the run. In the fourth, Anibal Salas singled with one out, and Brady Ballinger doubled him to third. Ballinger and Molony did a nice job repping the 2026 draft class in this one. Jordan Yost grounded one to second and then cut down Salas at the plate, but Yost stole second and Ballinger scored as the throw was wide of second base.
Congratulations to Brady Ballinger on his first professional hit, a 375-foot double that the St. Lucie announcers thought was a home run… pic.twitter.com/BBV2nBv7SQ
So it was 3-0 at that point. Leys allowed a run in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom half the Flying Tigers kept pouring it on. Dumesnil led off with a single and Pinto challenged a strike call correctly and walked. Warwick grounded out but advanced both runners. Molony then fought off a pitch into right field for a two-run single. 5-1.
Dumesnil challenged a strike call correctly in the top of the seventh and led off with a walk. He promptly swiped second and scored on a Pinto single. Pinto took second on a wild pitch and Warwick and Molony walked to load the bases. Salas struck out, but Ballinger walked to force in a run and Yost lifted a sac fly to make it 8-1. Michael Oliveto singled in Molony, and De Los Santos lined a single to left to make it 10-1.
Leonardo Rossell and Bryce Alewine were both a little wild in relief but gave the Flygers two scoreless apiece.
De Los Santos: 3-6, R, RBI, 2B, K
PInto: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Molony: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, BB, SB
Ballinger: 2-4, 2 R, RBI, 2B, BB
Oliveto: 2-4, RBI, 2BB
Leys: 3.2 IP, ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K
Coming Up Next: It’s a 6:10 p.m. ET start on Wednesday.
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 18: Trent Grisham #12 of the New York Yankees celebrates with teammate Ben Rice #22 after hitting a home run in the third inning during the game between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It was a day that ended in “y”, so the Yankees played a close game last night. It’s all nail-biters all the way down, but as long as they can score just enough to make their stellar pitching stand up, it’s a good enough formula. The Yankees prevailed in their series opener with the Orioles last night 3-1, and they’ll send Will Warren to the mound tonight with a chance to cinch a series victory and put together a three-game winning streak.
On the site today, Peter will recap a busy Tuesday night of action in the Rivalry Roundup, and he’ll also analyze Ben Rice’s huge home run against the Blue Jays over the weekend. Later, John has the latest entry in the Yankees Birthday series, which features one Bobby Richardson, a hugely clutch Yankee.
Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees at Baltimore Orioles
Time: 6:35 p.m. EST
TV: Amazon Prime Video, MASN, MLB Network
Venue: Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD
Questions/Prompts:
1. How confident are you that Carlos Rodón will be able to close out the season with the same level of production he showed early in the year?
2. Five division leaders (the Astros in the AL West are the exception) has a lead of at least four games right now. Which of those five teams is most likely to lose their grip in the division?
That's because Little League World Series games usually consist of six regulation innings. But there are a few circumstances why a game might end early. This means every pitch, hit and defensive play carries weight because momentum can change instantly and a game can end early or get extended.
During the Little League World Series, there will be plenty of drama as teams navigate the rules to perform at a high level with the games airing on the ESPN Networks and ABC. As you watch the Little League World Series unfold, here are some basic rules every fan should understand.
The "Run Rule" is the rule Little League uses to shorten baseball games when the run differential gets too large to continue. It is often mistakenly called the "mercy rule" by fans, but you'll hear the TV broadcasters refer to its proper name as the "Run Rule." A Little League World Series game can end before the sixth inning in the tournament, as the "15-Run Rule" and the "10-Run Rule" are observed.
The 15-Run Rule: If a team has a lead of 15 runs or more after three complete innings (or two and one-half innings if the home team is ahead), the manager of the team with fewer runs must concede the victory.
The 10-Run Rule: If a team has a lead of 10 runs or more after four complete innings (or three and one-half innings if the home team is ahead), the game is officially ended and the trailing manager concedes.
How many video replay challenges do teams get in the Little League World Series?
Team managers get up to two unsuccessful video replay challenges during a regulation six-inning game in the Little League World Series. Also, managers are granted one additional video replay challenge specifically for use during extra innings, regardless of whether they used their challenge allocation during regulation play.
What can be challenged by video replay in the Little League World Series?
According to Little League International Tournament Play Guidelines, managers can challenge objective plays such as safe/out calls at a base, force plays, tag plays, catcher interference and whether a ball was caught cleanly. Subjective calls like balls and strikes or check swings cannot be challenged.
What does 'continuous batting order' mean?
The continuous batting order (CBO) in the Little League Baseball World Series is a tournament mandate where every eligible player on a team’s roster must be placed in the batting order to hit sequentially throughout the entire game. It replaced traditional 9-player baseball/softball lineups for all World Series divisions below the Senior Division level.
When is a Little League baseball game considered official?
According to Rule 4.10(c) of the Official Little League Rulebook, a game is considered legally official if it is stopped early (due to weather, darkness, or curfew) after four full innings have been completed. If the home team is ahead, the game becomes official after three and a half innings.
What is a suspended game mean in Little League baseball?
If an umpire halts a game before reaching the exact thresholds described in Rule 4.10(c) of the Official Little League Rulebook, the game is declared a suspended game.It does not start over from scratch; instead, the rulebook requires the game to be resumed at a later date from the exact point of interruption, with all statistics, pitches and lineups remaining intact.
How can a game end early in the Little League World Series?
A Little League World Series game can end before the sixth inning under what Little League calls the “Run Rule." If, after three innings (or two-and-a-half if the home team is winning), one team is winning by 15 runs or more, the game will end. If, after four innings (or three-and-a-half if the home team is winning), one team is winning by 10 runs or more, the game will also end early.
How many innings are in a Little League World Series game?
A game becomes a standard regulation game when six full innings have been played, and the visiting team has completed its half of the sixth inning. If the home team is ahead, the game ends exactly when they secure the lead in the bottom of the sixth or after five and a half innings.
Is there extra innings in the Little League World Series?
Yes. If a regulation Little League baseball game is still tied after six innings, the game proceeds to a seventh inning and beyond until there is a winner. According to Little League, the tiebreaker will begin immediately in the seventh inning by placing the player who is scheduled to bat last in that respective half inning on second base to begin each extra inning.
How many innings can a Little League Baseball player throw in a game?
Little League Baseball doesn’t have a strict per-game pitching innings limit. However, Little League does monitor how many pitches a player can throw in a game and there are corresponding days of rest tied to how many pitches a player throws in each game. The maximum number of pitches a player can throw in a Little League World Series game is 85. However, a pitcher can go over the 85-pitch threshold to finish an at-bat that started under 85 pitches, but that batter would be the last one before the pitcher must be removed from the mound.
Here's what the corresponding days of rest would look like depending on how many pitchers were thrown
Number of pitches thrown
Corresponding days of rest needed
1-20
0 days
21-35
1 day
36-50
2 days
51-65
3 days
66+
4 days
What is the format of the Little League World Series?
A total of 20 teams compete in Williamsport, Pennsylvania each year.
Those teams compete in identical brackets − one for the United States teams and one for the International teams − in a modified double-elimination format until those teams reach the United State championship game and the International championship game.
The final two teams in each bracket play a single-elimination game to advance to the World Series, meaning even an undefeated team can be eliminated with one loss at that juncture of the tournament. Finally, the U.S. and International champions meet in a winner-take-all game for the world championship title.
How many players can a manager carry on a Little League World Series roster?
The minimum number of players on Little League World Series tournament roster is 12 and the maximum is 14.
What age are the players in the Little League World Series?
Baseball players must be ages 10-12 to participate in the Little League World Series.
What is a courtesy runner in Little League Baseball?
A courtesy runner is used strictly for the pitcher or catcher of record. That courtesy runner can enter only when there are exactly two outs in the half-inning. Also, the courtesy runner is in the continuous batting lineup and must be the player who made the last official out.
Sherlon Christie is a USA TODAY Sports senior trending editor and an expert on Little League Baseball and Little League Softball. You can reach him by email at schristie@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @sherlonchristie, on Bluesky at @sherlonchristie.bsky.social.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 07: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees takes the sign from the catcher during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, August 7, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
CBS Sports | Mike Axisa: The Yankees suffered another hit when they had to place pitcher Max Fried on the injured list on Monday. Between Carlos Rodón returning and other aspects of the team stepping up, here’s how the Yankees will have to do to withstand the injury to Fried.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: That being said, the Yankees are fairly optimistic that Fried will only miss the minimum amount of time with his current injury. The MRIs that Fried underwent came back good and he’s already resumed throwing. “We just kind of collectively decided it’s probably best to make sure we get this calmed down and hopefully keep it a smaller issue,” Aaron Boone said.
The Athletic | Sam Blum: When the Yankees moved into their current digs in 2009, the site of the old Yankee Stadium was converted into a park that would serve the local community. However years later, Macombs Dam Park has fallen into a state of disrepair. The team made financial and other contributions to the park’s opening, but people have become jaded at their — and the city’s — lack of care put into the park.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: We recently got the news that former Yankee pitcher Tommy John passed away over the weekend at the age of 83. Here several of his famous former Yankee teammates give their remembrances, with one common theme: they think he should be in the Hall of Fame.
Munetaka Murakami crushed his 29th home run of the season to tie the game in the third. | (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
There’s something about the Chicago Cubs (73-53) and rain delays, isn’t there? After waiting out the weather for nearly an hour-and-a-half, the White Sox (65-59) folded against their North Side rivals, getting walked off on back-to-back nights, 4-3.
Up until tonight, Bryan Hudson had just a 1.29 ERA across six opener starts and had allowed only two home runs in all 54 appearances this season (51 2/3 innings). While watching the events unfold in the first inning, I felt like I was having déjà vu as Pete Crow-Armstrong mashed a leadoff home run for the second straight game, giving the North Siders an early lead, 1-0. The main difference from last night was that it wasn’t Seiya Suzuki who tossed the second dagger, but Michael Busch, who blasted the second solo shot of the inning to make it 2-0. Despite the chaos of the inning, Hudson got out of it without any further damage, though his ERA jumped from 1.29 to 3.42.
On the other side of the ball, Kevin Gausman began his outing with a pair of walks to Sam Antonacci and Munetaka Murakami, immediately putting pressure on him even with the two-run lead. Sadly, the White Sox couldn’t capitalize on the scoring threat: Miguel Vargas grounded into a double play, and Andrew Benintendi struck out to end the inning.
While he was able to work out of the jam in the first, Gausman could not maintain the Cubs’ lead for much longer. The South Siders were able to snag a run back in the top of the second after Chase Meidroth sparked a two-out rally with a single. Tristan Peters followed with another base hit, and Drew Romo made it three in a row, driving in Meidroth to cut the Cubs’ lead to 2-1. Sure, Romo’s batting average is still frightening, sitting at a cool .139, but he’s slashing .190/.227/.476 with a .702 OPS, two home runs and five RBIs in his last seven games. We will always take what we can get.
Once the Good Guys had seen Gausman the first time through the order, they continued to work him deep into counts. After his first at-bat, it felt likely that the North Siders weren’t going to give Murakami anything good to hit. Still, the lefty power hitter worked a full count before blasting his 29th home run of the season to lead off the third inning, making a dent in the Wrigley Field jumbotron in left and tying the game, 2-2.
The Good Guys carried their offensive momentum into the fourth, and Colson Montgomery kicked the inning off with a two-bagger into the right-field corner. Colson has seemingly been seeing the ball a lot better over the last week or so and continues to sprinkle in some hits to get back into his groove. Meidroth wasn’t able to move Colson over on his ground out, but Peters backed him up with his second hit of the day, driving Colson in with an RBI double to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
With two outs, the lineup flipped back to the top, but Gausman took a minute to stretch and work out what appeared to be a cramp in his glove hand. After being checked by the trainer and tossing a few pitches, he opted to remain in the game, ultimately winning the matchup against Antonacci, who struck out on a pitch in the dirt to strand Peters on second.
Gausman was still having trouble with his hand in the fifth, and though he struck out Murakami, he left the game after Miguel Vargas reached on an infield single. This put the North Siders in a tough spot without anyone warming up in their bullpen, but Craig Counsell turned to righthander Javier Assad to jump in on short notice. Proper warm-up or not, Assad shut the South Siders down for three straight innings, allowing just two hits while striking out two.
Once Hudson had left the game, Erick Fedde allowed a pair of hits and a walk to load the bases but recovered to escape the jam without allowing a run. Following the second, Fedde was lights out and racked up three consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the third, fourth and fifth to hold on to the lead and keep the Cubs scoreless. The Sox righty took a stab at the sixth, putting two runners on but recording two outs before Will Venable called on Huascar Brazobán to face Ian Happ. Brazobán got Happ to fly out to end the inning.
Hats off to Fedde for a phenomenal outing, as he took over without surrendering a single run to the Cubs while eating a bunch of innings in the process. He had the Good Guys in a great position to win the game, but Brazobán had a rough outing in the eighth. The righty walked the first two batters he faced and forced Venable to go to Grant Taylor earlier than anticipated. Taylor looked sharp against the first two batters, striking out both PCA and Suzuki for two huge outs. He got within one strike of escaping the inning before losing a full-count battle to Alex Bregman, who tied the game at 3-3 with a single to left.
And just like that, the déjà vu was back as the Cubs tied it late once again, with the Sox handing over another lead. The run ended up being charged to Brazobán, and Taylor was charged with his fifth blown save of the season. In the next at-bat, it looked as if Busch blasted a base hit up the middle to take the lead, but Meidroth went into a full-extension dive to make an outstanding play to save the game for the moment.
The White Sox were down to their last couple of chances at the plate, with the heart of the order due up in the eighth. Andrew Benintendi couldn’t pull the clutch card tonight and struck out for the first out of the inning. Braden Montgomery then launched a towering fly ball that ended up being caught against the left-center wall, just a few feet shy of a go-ahead home run. Colson ripped a two-out double thanks to a weird defensive attempt by Busch at first, but Meidroth grounded out softly to third, and that was that.
Just as Taylor was about to stroll out for the bottom of the eighth, the Cubs grounds crew pulled out the tarp in anticipation of a storm rolling through northern Chicagoland into the city. In their defense, it did start to rain about 10-15 minutes later, but maybe they worked a masterclass to keep Taylor off the mound a second time. I guess we’ll never know.
After a 1-hour, 28-minute rain delay, Trevor Richards came in to replace Taylor in the bottom of the eighth. Given the situation, things felt more intense and dicey than they actually were, but he induced three straight fly outs to shut the Cubs down, handing the game back to the offense for the ninth frame. Naturally, they couldn’t scrape any runs across, so the North Siders went into the bottom of the ninth with a tie game and PCA due up third. The South Siders even tried to conjure up some more magic with Randal Grichuk, but it wasn’t in the cards tonight. Antonacci drew his second walk of the night, which brought up Murakami in a prime spot, but he grounded out softly on a ball back to the pitcher, and to the bottom of the ninth we went.
Richards returned in the bottom of the ninth, and while he couldn’t control his changeup whatsoever, the fastball seemed to be working well enough. Carson Kelly led off the inning with a double into the left-field corner, putting the winning run in scoring position. Richards recovered to catch Michael Conforto looking for the first out. In a near-repeat of last night, Will Venable made the decision not to pitch to PCA, putting him on first with an intentional walk and creating a force play with Suzuki coming up.
Seiya popped the ball up into foul territory on the first-base side, and Murakami made a clutch sliding catch, barely getting his glove under the ball but somehow managing to hang on to it. With two outs and Bregman at the plate, things didn’t feel great considering he’d already driven in the game-tying run in the seventh. It’s a shame that things didn’t end differently, but Bregman ripped the first pitch he saw up the middle to score Kelly and give the Cubs a 4-3 walk-off win.
Back-to-back walk-off losses to the Cubs certainly sting, especially when the Good Guys outhit them 10-8. Both teams struggled with runners in scoring position — the White Sox went 2-for-11 while the Cubs went 2-for-12 — but the South Siders also grounded into two double plays, killing any momentum they might have had. The pitching staff did a great job after the first frame but ultimately couldn’t hold on to the lead against a tough Cubs lineup.
If you stayed awake for that one, I’m sorry, but at least we were in this together. The Good Guys have one more chance to avoid the sweep at Wrigley tomorrow but have yet to name a starter for the series finale. A good night’s sleep might not fully wash away the last two losses, but the White Sox will need to wake up ready to fight back and end this year’s Classic on a high note.
MILWAUKEE — The long ball hasn’t been the Milwaukee Brewers’ strength this season, but the team with the best record in the majors put its power on full display on Tuesday night in a record-matching 22-0 rout of the Seattle Mariners.
The Brewers equaled baseball’s modern-era record for the biggest shutout with a power surge that included three-run homers from Christian Yelich, David Hamilton and Luis Lara and a two-run shot by Jake Bauers.
The Brewers have 117 home runs this season, the fewest in baseball, but as was pointed out by Seattle manager Dan Wilson, they have multiple players with the ability to go deep.
“They’ll put bunts down and put pressure on the bases and steal bags,” Wilson said before the game. “They also have the ability to hit the home run. You kind of have to prepare for all areas of the game.”
The Brewers also generated offense doing what they do best, pulling off a double steal in a five-run fifth inning that helped break open a tight game.
The 78-48 Brewers matched a franchise record for runs in a game, tying the 22 runs they scored at the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 28, 1992. The Brewers also had a season-high 22 hits.
“It’s one game but a pretty darn good performance,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I’d like to order that every night.”
The only other 22-0 victories since 1901 were by Pittsburgh over the host Chicago Cubs on Sept. 16, 1975 and by Cleveland at the New York Yankees on Aug. 31, 2004.
Yelich connected for his ninth homer of the season, a three-run shot off Bryce Miller in the fifth. The Brewers tacked on five more runs in the sixth.
“It’s kind of crazy. It happened fast,” Yelich said. “It’s always fun to be on this side.”
Bauers smiled as he struggled to find words to describe the Brewers offensive outburst.
“I’ve got nothing for you on that one,” Bauers said. “It was just good performance all around. Just good at-bats all night up and down the lineup.”
Bauers hit his team-leading 22nd home run of the season in the sixth inning and he’s now reached base safely in 20 consecutive games.
The Brewers tagged Mariners infielder Leo Rivas, who came on to pitch in the eighth, for nine runs, which included a three-run home run from 21-year-old rookie Lara, his first career homer.
Lara took some good-natured ribbing about whether the homer counted since he hit it off a position player, but he was in a celebratory mood.
“For me, it all counts,” Lara said through an interpreter. “But I understand that it may not be common to get your first (home run) against a position player.”
Bauers and Yelich backed their young teammate.
“It’s a hard game. Every bloop single, dribbler single, home run off a position player, they all count,” he said.
Yelich urged Lara to embrace the moment.
“The first career homer is always cool,” he said. “Anytime you get to jog around the bases in a major league game is always special. It was cool for him to get his first one and smile and laugh about it.”
The Brewers also used a position player on the mound, veteran catcher/first baseman Gary Sanchez, with a much different result. Sanchez pitched a scoreless ninth with many in the announced crowd of 36,870 standing and cheering.
It was the third career pitching appearance for Sanchez and second this season. He has tossed two scoreless innings in the pair of outings the season.
“He did great. He was a showman as always,” Bauers said. “The crowd was involved. They loved it. He loved it. We loved it. But I still think he’s a better catcher than a pitcher.”
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 18: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) motions to the dugout after hitting a 2-run single during the second inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the San Francisco Giants and Cleveland Guardians on August 18, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One week after his best start of the season, Carson Whisenhunt wasn’t fooling anyone on the Cleveland Guardians. Especially not Jo Adell.
Adell drove in six runs in his first three trips to the plate, setting a career high in the game’s first four innings. He hit Cleveland’s longest home run of the season (455 feet) to give the Guardians a 3-0 lead three batters into the game, delivered a two-run single in the 2nd inning, and hit another RBI single in the 4th as the Guardians cruised to an 8-1 win.
Whisenhunt gave up nine hits and seven runs in four innings, while walking two and striking out one. He just barely finished with more outs than baserunners, though only six runs were earned thanks to Drew Gilbert’s error on Adell’s third single that let Steven Kwan advance to third base.
Adell did this all despite fouling a ball off his knee in the first inning, which led to him leaving the game after seven innings.
One batter later, Angel Martinez added injury to insult by lining the ball off Whisenhunt for an RBI groundout. He stayed in the game to finish the inning, achieving a moral victory by being removed from the game for poor performance, not injury.
The Giants did get a very solid relief appearance from Trent Harris,. who struck out five Guardians in two innings. Reiver Sanmartin loaded the bases with no one out in the 7th, but should have escaped after inducing a popup and what would have been an inning-ending double play had Bryce Eldridge not dropped the relay throw.
All the same, all three Giants pitchers finished the game with ERAs north of 7, which is quite rare and impressive for the middle of August.
All the Giants scoring came off a second-inning home run from Bryce Eldridge, his 14th of the season.
Eldridge had two hits off of tough lefty Foster Griffin (14-4), who have up five hits and two walks in six innings, striking out five. His 4th-inning single kicked off an almost-rally where the Giants loaded the bases with one out, only for Andrew Knizner to hit a 4-6-3 double play to end the threat. The next nine Giants also made outs.
That ended the Giants’ best scoring threat and also ended the home plate umpire’s night by fouling a ball off his mask. It was 7-1 by the end of the inning, so he didn’t miss much.
The Giants got two hits in the last five innings, both of them doubles. The second was 27-year-old rookie Turner Hill’s first major-league double and his second career hit, delighting a large contingent of friends, family, and various Hill-Heads who made the 160-mile trip to Cleveland from his hometown of Marietta, Ohio.
Jonax Cox paid tribute to “MajorLeague” by finding success imitating Willie Mays Hayes. When he pounded the ball into the ground, he hit a single to left and legged out an infield hit. And like Hayes in the first half of the movie, he got picked off his first time on base and missed a diving catch by about eight feet.
But the main problem in the game was that Whisenhunt couldn’t miss bats. He threw 80 pitches in the game and the Guardians only swung and missed at five of them. He was a regular Eddie Harris out there, while his battery mate couldn’t deliver the same footspeed as a Jake Taylor.
Meanwhile Roger Dorn would have been out with season-ending surgery and Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn would have already been traded for a toolsy middle infielder who can’t stop swinging at breaking balls out of the strike zone. And the Giants will remain juuuuust a bit outside of the playoff picture.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 13: A locked padlock and chain against two official MLB baseballs representing a potential lockout between Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) for the 2027 MLB season, as photographed on May 13, 2026 in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Giants fans and fans across the country.
The 2026 season has been full of bad news for the San Francisco Giants and their fans. And if you’re an optimist who sees a light at the end of the tunnel, well … that light will be dimmed very quickly, and not even because of anything the Giants do.
Yes, baseball is headed for a lockout, and while the last one was short, everything we’ve heard going into this one suggest it will be very long. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending and dominance and the altered landscape of regional sports networks and streaming platforms are large factors, and it seems like both sides will get bloody arguing over whether or not a salary cap should be introduced.
It will be ugly. You’ll get sick of hearing about it. I’ll get sick of writing about it.
But as long as it’s ugly, you might as well take a chance to be right, right? So give us your predictions as to how much baseball we are deprived of while watching billionaires argue with their (mostly) well-compensated employees.
Feduccia was forced to leave the team’s 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night in the bottom of the seventh inning, after appearing to become ill behind the plate and throwing up in the dugout.
“He’s got this stomach bug or food poisoning, something like that,” manager Dave Roberts said afterward. “He was scuffling all game. So finally –– he went as long as he could go.”
Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia and relief pitcher Edwin Diaz celebrate after a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, August 17, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. (This asset – including all text, audio and imagery – is provided by Imagn Images. Reuters Connec) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Indeed, Feduccia was catching his second-straight game in this week’s series, and fourth in the last five days, when he finally gave way with one out in the seventh.
After catching a slider from reliever Edgardo Henriquez for a strikeout to begin the inning, Feduccia doubled over behind the plate and looked like he was about to retch.
He quickly raced off the field and back down the dugout stairs, but left behind a trail that required a stadium worker to later mop up near the team’s third-base bench.
“He gave us a great effort,” Roberts said, after Ben Rortvedt replaced Feduccia to complete the game.
Feduccia was part of a second-straight resurgent performance from the Dodgers’ offense, drawing two early walks in their eventual series-clinching win.
The victory was also keyed by Shohei Ohtani, who followed Feduccia’s first free pass with his 30th home run of the season in the third; Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández, who each had two hits and combined for three RBIs; and even Kyle Tucker, who snapped his career-worst 0-for-26 hitless streak with an RBI double in the fourth.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is congratulated by Hunter Feduccia after hitting a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. (2026 Getty Images) Getty Images
Just as important, however, was a five-inning, four-run start from Eric Lauer (a passing grade at mile-high altitude) and four innings of two-run ball from the bullpen (punctuated by a four-out save from Tanner Scott).
Feduccia was crucial to that effort early, displaying his growing comfort level with the Dodgers’ big-league pitching staff.
The former unheralded prospect –– who was traded by the team at last year’s deadline, then reacquired this year to bolster the team’s banged-up catching depth –– has become the team’s primary backstop lately, starting for the ninth time in the last 14 games on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, however, he’ll get a deserved break.
“I think we’re just trying to hydrate him,” Roberts said postgame. “He’ll be down tomorrow.”
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There's a certain know-it-when-you-see-it moment when a baseball team goes from underperforming to checked out, from disappointing to joylessly headed nowhere.
Their 22-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, Aug. 18 had it all: Managerial malfeasance, an embarrassing gaffe by a superstar and, in the end, an utter lack of fight that belies the fact the Mariners are actually in the playoff hunt.
Let's be clear: That doesn't mean they're a good team.
The Mariners are 59-67, have been outscored by 45 runs and have a 60-homer superstar batting .157 — nearly 50 points worse than the lowest-qualified hitter in the major leagues. In any other year, that would typically invite a housecleaning at the trade deadline and perhaps a few rolling heads in management.
In the American League in the year 2026, however, it gets you just four games out of first in the West and three games out of the wild card.
Yet Seattle's fortuitous positioning can't wash away how dismal this season has been, particularly since expectations were sky-high after the Mariners came within eight outs of their first World Series appearance ever in 2025.
That Game 7 loss — courtesy of George Springer's historic home run — would not be possible had Mariners manager Dan Wilson not pushed virtually every wrong button in the pivotal seventh inning. And 2026 has been one hell of a hangover.
The Mariners' location in the Pacific Northwest makes them the game's best-kept secret when things are going well. It can also serve to camouflage disappointments.
But you can't hide from 22-0.
The remarkable thing? It was just a 1-0 game going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when Mariners starter Bryce Miller got peppered — single-walk-single-walk-sacrifice fly — with a one-out rally. Even then, it was just 3-0.
Lefty reliever Josh Simpson was warming in the bullpen. Christian Yelich was striding to the plate. Wilson stuck with Miller, not unlike sticking with Eduard Bazardo to face Springer all those months ago in Toronto.
Like Springer, Yelich crushed a three-run homer. And then Wilson lifted Miller once again after the fact. But it was game over at that point.
The ignominy was just beginning, though, reaching a crescendo when position player Leo Rivas was peppered for nine hits and nine runs in the bottom of the eighth. Yet only seven were earned runs, because franchise center fielder Julio Rodriguez lost track of the outs, tossed the ball into the stands and two more runs scored.
Hey, brain farts happen. But combine that with all that's gone wrong with the squad — this was the Mariners' eighth loss in 11 games — and it's a massive spotlight on a bad team.
Up 22, the Brewers saw fit to throw their own position player on the mound — catcher Gary Sanchez — and still, the Mariners couldn't push across a run. So they joined the 2004 Yankees and 1975 Pirates for the worst shutout loss since 1888.
Nonetheless, they'll wake up Wednesday four games behind Houston in the West. The division is so bad that the Mariners' odds of winning it are 23.1%, per FanGraphs, compared to their 7.4% chance to snag the final wild card, which is just three games out of their reach.
But the Mariners would have to leapfrog six teams, not two, to claim the final wild card. That's just not happening.
Bad seasons happen, certainly. But this one seems like a continuation of all that went wrong when the Mariners held that 3-2 ALCS lead, only to go home empty-handed. It seems a lot likelier there will be consequences for this failure.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Willi Castro #3 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on August 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There just wasn’t enough LoDo Magic for the Colorado Rockies as their comeback effort fell just short in a 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite a solid offensive night and bullpen performance, the Rockies couldn’t overcome another difficult starting pitcher outing.
Another labored night for Feltner
Hoping to replicate his successful outing last time facing the Dodgers at Coors Field, Ryan Feltner faced a tough test against the Dodgers lineup.
Feltner worked through the opening frames, keeping the game manageable. The Dodgers manufactured a run in the first inning and added a Shohei Ohtani two-run home run in the third inning. The Rockies managed to answer back both times to tie the game 3-3, but the Dodgers’ potent order eventually broke through in the fourth inning.
The Dodgers kicked off the inning with three-straight doubles to score two runs, including Kyle Tucker’s to snap an 0-for-26 streak at the plate. Hunter Feduccia then drew his second walk of the evening against Feltner before Ohtani grounded into a fielder’s choice. Freddie Freeman capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to put the Dodgers up 6-3.
Feltner navigated another double in the fifth inning and came out to start the sixth inning but immediately gave up a leadoff triple that eventually scored after he departed to give the Dodgers a 7-4 lead.
“Not a lot of feel for the spin today,” said manager Warren Schaefer. “I thought he competed well, probably without all of his weapons.”
On the night, he ended up allowing seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Feltner filled up the strike zone, throwing 55 of his 83 pitches for strikes, but he struggled to locate within the zone and gave up a lot of contact
The offense tries to climb back
The Rockies offense did a good job answering back early on as the Dodgers took the lead. After Jake McCarthy led off the bottom of the first with a single and stole second, Cole Carrigg hit an RBI double to tie the game 1-1. Colorado made Eric Lauer labor through that first inning, throwing a season-high 29 pitches in the first inning.
After Ohtani’s home run in the third inning, the Rockies answered with a two-out rally in the bottom half of that inning. Willi Castro drew a walk and came around to score on a TJ Rumfield double. Connor Norby followed with a double of his own to score Rumfield and tie the game 3-3
The Rockies made it a two-run game in the bottom of the fifth when Castro hit his 14th home run of the season, a solo shot to make the score 6-4, before the Dodgers tacked on in the top of the sixth.
Despite the first-inning excess of pitches, Lauer settled in against the Rockies offense, allowing just four runs on six hits while striking out six and allowing just one walk. The Rockies put together some solid at-bats but Lauer’s crafty arsenal was enough to limit further damage and preserve the Dodgers’ lead.
Late game chances
After rough innings against Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez, the Rockies tried to chip away at the three-run lead in the eighth inning against Evan Phillips.
Castro led off the inning with a double and Rumfield followed with a bloop single. Zac Veen then came through with a pinch-hit single that dropped into right field, allowing Castro to score the Rockies’ fifth run.
Adael Amador was then called upon to pinch-hit but struck out, prompting the Rockies to turn to the red-hot Brett Sullivan off the bench. The Dodgers brought in Tanner Scott to face him, and he won the battle, getting Sullivan to ground out to third base.
Colorado then threatened in the ninth when McCarthy hit a one-out double. Unfortunately, Carrigg’s lengthy at-bat resulted in a stellar play by Max Muncy at third base for the second out, but Castro delivered another clutch hit with an RBI single to left field to make it 7-6. However, Rumfield then popped out to end the game.
Castro led the Rockies offense with two hits while scoring three runs, driving in two, and drawing a pair of walks.
“Willi’s consistent; he’s been consistent all year,” said Schaeffer. “He gives you strong at-bats, day in and day out; he’s reliable. That’s what you want out of a ballplayer.”
The Rockies matched the Dodgers in hits with 10, but struck out 11 times while going 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, the Dodgers struck out just five times and went 3-for-12 with RISP but had one more extra-base hit, the sixth-inning triple proving the difference maker.
The bullpen parade
The reason the offense had chances to chip away was because of a solid night from the bullpen. Parker Mushinski entered in the sixth inning and did give up a bloop single that scored the seventh run for the Dodgers, but was otherwise unscathed in that inning. Jimmy Herget and Zach Agnos both followed with 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, with each collecting a strikeout. Because the game was still close, Jordan Romano was called on to pitch the ninth inning and allowed just a single as he induced three fly balls.
Up next
The Rockies and Dodgers will close out the series with Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.27 ERA) taking the ball for Colorado and Roki Sasaki (5-5, 4.46 ERA) going for Los Angeles.
Jose Iglesias was back at Citi Field, back in Queens, where he enjoyed one of the most memorable seasons of his major league career.
The former Met threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Padres and was warmly greeted by the crowd, given a standing ovation.
The Mets played a highlight video on the big screen, accompanied by his hit song, “OMG.”
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“It’s great, extremely happy to see smiles everywhere and the way they opened the door for me was special one more time,” he said. “Extremely, extremely happy to be home. It’s a lot of emotions right now. Being in this part of the field, sitting on this bench reminds me of great moments.”
Iglesias, 36, threw the first pitch to Francisco Lindor. It was a strike.
He said it was a season he won’t forget and one he will cherish.
Former Met José Iglesias is greeted by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) after throwing out the first pitch before a game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at Citi Field. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Iglesias spent last season with the Padres and is now entering a new phase of his life, although he hasn’t closed the door on his baseball career.
“I did not expect that call at all. It was an automatic yes,” he said. “Coming back to New York and delivering the energy and now in this case representing Cuban music as an immigrant, it’s a privilege.
“I’m surrounded by great teammates. They support me on a daily basis, they know this is totally new for me. It’s a fun responsibility I have with my hands. I’m grabbing it with two hands like I would a ground ball and I won’t let it go.”
Former Met José Iglesias is greeted by Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor after throwing out the first pitch before a game against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Jason Szenes for the New York Post
Christopher Morel, called up Monday from Triple-A Syracuse, got the start Tuesday. The 27-year-old was hitting well in the minor leagues. He has bounced around after a hot start to his career with the Cubs, spending time with the Rays and Marlins. In 2023, Morel produced an .821 OPS and hit 26 home runs.
“I saw him be about as electric as any hitter in the game during a period of time,” interim manager Andy Green said, referring to the time Morel spent with the Cubs.“Ridiculous power, elite athleticism. I think we’re taking a shot to see if we can recapture, rekindle some of that.”
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Infielder Mark Vientos is nearing a rehabilitation assignment, according to Green. Vientos took batting practice and ran the bases ahead of the game Tuesday. He has been out since July 9 due to a fractured right hand.
A.J. Ewing’s struggles continued with three more strikeouts. He is now in a 3-for-37 stretch with 17 strikeouts.
“I’m confident he’ll come out the other side of it,” Green said.
But the game could have been very different if not for ABS.
In the second inning with the game still scoreless, the Orioles loaded the bases thanks in large part to a fielding error by Jazz Chisholm Jr. after the second base umpire screened him on a groundball. What could have been an inning-ending doubleplay turned into a massive jam for Carlos Rodon and the Yankees.
Rodon would wind up striking out Carlos Narvaez before Jackson Holliday stepped into the batter's box with two outs. After Rodon got ahead 0-2, the southpaw threw a fastball away and a bit high. Holliday didn't bite, but Austin Wells hopped up to head into the dugout but stopped once he realized homeplate umpire Will Little didn't ring up the young Orioles infielder.
After a few seconds, ABS confirmed that it was a strike and the Yankees escaped.
"I thought it was a little closer to the zone, but it was a strike. I was pretty confident," Wells said after the game. "It’s big time. ABS allows us to change the game both ways. Luckily, we have it and able to convert it there."
It was a risky challenge by Wells since the Yankees were down to their last one after an ill-timed challenge by Heliot Ramos in the first inning.
"I was confident it was a strike; it ended up barely clipping," Rodon said. "It was a great challenge in the situation since we were down to one. I was confident in the challenge and I’m gald he did to get out of the inning. It worked out."
Ramos wasn't the only ABS offender on Tuesday, as Spencer Jones wasted a challenge in the fourth. Manager Aaron Boone said they were not great challenges after the game, but had to praise Wells for his game-changing one earlier in the game.
"We might have had the best challenge of the season by Wellsy, if you think about it," Boone said. "Bases loaded, Jackson Holliday, we’re already down a challenge to get that one. It could be a completely different night if he doesn’t challenge that. And Jackson gets on and Rodon is shorter. A couple of not great ones, but one of the best ones of the season by Austin."
Tuesday was Rodon's first start since June after he was placed on the IL with elbow inflammation. While his pitch count was monitored -- Rodon tossed 66 pitches -- the southpaw gave the Yankees enough, allowing one run on two hits and two walks in four innings.
"Like to fill up the zone more, get ahead sooner. First-pitch strikes a little better, but I was able to compete," Rodon said of his start. "Limited pitch count, defensively we were good. Tough play by Jazz, getting screened by the umpire. It’s our job to pick each other up, he’s picked me up before. I was happy to be able to, to keep the game close."
"I thought he did really well and to give us four strong innings, hold them to one run there," Boone said of Rodon. "Set us up to win the game."
Kyle Tucker finally ended his lengthy hitless streak with a double against the Rockies on Tuesday. (David Zalubowski / AP)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called right fielder Kyle Tucker into the visiting manager’s office at Chase Field a week and a half ago, just to catch up.
Roberts had run into Tucker’s wife Samantha and their 5-month old baby that morning in Arizona. And he saw it as a good time to check in.
“When you start to struggle and you internalize … you find yourself going dark, and that’s a lonely place,” Roberts said Tuesday, before the Dodgers’ 7-6 win against the Rockies. “So I think that for me, trying to proactively pull conversations out of him, talk about life, talk about baseball, it just kind of opens things up, and I think that it’s freeing.
“He’s a cerebral guy by nature, internalizes a lot. But still, for me, he’s with a new ballclub, he’s scuffling, so I want to get that out of him.”
Scuffling is a mild way of describing Tucker’s struggles this season. He described it as the “first time in [his] life” that he’s had a season with so many offensive false starts. After being named an All-Star in each of his previous four seasons, Tucker is on pace for the worst offensive year since his 2018 debut season with the Astros.
On Tuesday, he finally ended his career-high hitless streak at seven games, with a double up the right-field line in the fourth inning (although he grounded out once and struck out twice in his other plate appearances). He’d gone 26 straight at-bats without a hit.
So much about Tucker’s year has been head-scratching.
Take his plate discipline, for example. Traditionally known for his strike-zone control, Tucker’s chase rate has been up this season. But even when he trimmed it to 21.6% in July (not as low as the last two years but even with his 2023 season), his production at the plate didn’t respond accordingly.
One of the biggest mysteries has been his extreme home/road splits. Entering Tuesday, he had a solid .822 OPS on the road and a paltry .558 OPS at Dodger Stadium.
Asked about the contrast earlier this week, he said he didn’t have a theory.
“If I knew, I’d probably have figured it out by now,” he said. “But that’s just kind of how it’s gone.”
Recently, his woes have followed him into the outfield. The day after he failed to reel in a flyball in the right-field corner at Dodger Stadium, he had a far worse drop Monday at Coors Field.
In the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 11-5 victory against the Rockies, Tucker seemed to camp right under a shallow fly. But as it fell, he twisted and put one knee down before dropping the ball.
“There’s indecision, and catching a baseball at your ankles kind of speaks to where his head is at right now,” Roberts said. “It’s not from lack of effort, or care. It’s just right now, I think he’s kind of fighting. So we’ve got to keep supporting him.”
Tucker isn’t the only player who’s struggling. Mookie Betts has been hot and cold at the plate. Teoscar Hernández hasn’t been slugging the way he’s accustomed to. And before arriving in Colorado, the team was in a collective slump.
Tucker, however, is in the first year of a four-year, $240-million contract. And so far the Dodgers haven’t seen the version of him that elevated the Cubs’ offense in the first half of last year and was a steady part of the Astros’ lineup during a run of sustained success.
“Whether it’s my first year or 10th year with a team, I think it’d be frustrating regardless,” Tucker said. “But it’s not like I’m frustrated just because I’m playing at home or anything. Whether it’s on the road or at home, it would be frustrating, just not helping the team win games.”
He slid into his most recent slump during the Dodgers’ last homestand, but the Colorado altitude didn’t immediately work its magic when the team went back on the road.
During Monday’s SNLA broadcast, analyst Eric Karros suggested sending Tucker to Arizona for a reset.
The less extreme version would be sitting Tucker for several games in a row.
“I’m not at the point where it’s like a three-day, three-game reset situation, something like that,” Roberts said Tuesday afternoon.
He did, however, give Tucker a day off Saturday, saying he saw Tucker’s frustration as he continued to struggle offensively at Dodger Stadium. And Tuesday, he said he hadn’t decided whether to start Tucker against Rockies left-handed starter Kyle Freeland the next day.
“It’s tough because, I mean, I feel like I’ve tried just about everything,” Tucker said. “And every time I feel like I’m turning a corner, I get hit with a roadblock. But, you can’t stop. You just got to keep going, try and at least pick out the positives, and just try and ride with that. Just keep on moving to the next day and hope for something to build.”
