The streaming platform displayed a new scorebug for the 2026 MLB Field of Dreams Game, won 7-1 by the Phillies on Thursday night, one that was noticeably larger than the one used during coverage in March.
Their original graphic was lambasted on social media for being outlandishly small, with many fans saying that they could not see any of the text displayed.
Netflix made a change to its scoreboard for the Field of Dreams game on Aug. 13, 2026. Netflix
Netflix’s updated scorebug now takes up the entire bottom right corner of the screen, with the text appearing much larger and resembling a traditional on-screen graphic.
Despite the updated scorebug, fans still took to social media to voice their grievances.
“Genuinely hideous scorebug,” one user posted to X. “Looks like they got it from a graphics package from like 2007.”
“Netflix logo bigger than the players’ names,” quipped another.
Outside of their updated graphics, Netflix also brought on Matt Vasgersian to do play-by-play coverage, with ex-MLB stars CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence serving as the color analysts.
Thursday brought the third installment of the Field of Dreams Game after the first match was held between the Yankees and White Sox during the 2021 season.
Netflix was criticized for its smaller scorebug on opening night between the Yankees and Giants.
The Phillies got off to a hot start thanks to two home runs by Kyle Schwarber, bringing the four-time All-Star to an MLB-best 37 blasts on the season.
Headed into Thursday’s game, Schwarber told reporters that he was elated to be playing at the Field of Dreams.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Schwarber said, according to MLB.com. “I’ve never been out there before, so I’m excited to see the corn, see the field they actually filmed it at. Just to be in that atmosphere, I think it’s going to be really cool.”
The Phillies and Twins take the field prior to a game at Field of Dreams on Aug. 13, 2026 in Dyersville, Iowa. Getty Images
“I know they’re going to have a lot of different activities and things before the game that’ll make it a little bit nostalgic and make it feel like you’re playing back in the day,” he added.
“So I feel like it’ll be a really cool thing, and hopefully, we have a great time.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 09: Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after hitting a walk-off single in the tenth inning for a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins at American Family Field on August 09, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Milwaukee has had a rough start to its seven-game West Coast road trip, suffering a sweep at the hands of the Padres in a series that included two one-run losses. It won’t get any easier this weekend as the Brewers take on the back-to-back defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers for a four-game set. With a win tonight, the Dodgers would move into a tie with the Brewers for the best record in the NL (the Rays are currently a half game up on Milwaukee).
Starting tonight for Los Angeles is Roki Sasaki, who seems to be finding his footing in his second year since coming over to Major League Baseball from Japan. The 24-year-old right-hander was talked about as the next Japanese star in the vein of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but injuries and rough on-field performance limited him to just 10 regular-season appearances in 2025. He has a 4.54 ERA this year, but don’t let that deceive you — he’s finally starting to pitch like many thought he would when he came to Los Angeles. Sasaki has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts.
On the hill for the visiting Brewers is Shane Drohan, who’s coming off probably his worst outing as a Brewer. Despite that start, a six-run blowup against Minnesota, Drohan has been a valuable piece at the back of the rotation, going out every fifth day and putting the Brewers in position to win more often than not.
Run prevention is easier said than done against the formidable Dodgers lineup, but Drohan does a solid job of limiting hard contact and should be able to keep Milwaukee in the game. The bigger issue recently has been figuring out how to score enough runs to win; the Brewers have scored more than four runs in a game just twice this month.
That task gets even harder tonight with Brice Turang, the team leader in hits, RBIs, and doubles, out of the lineup. Per Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat reporter Curt Hogg, Turang is “day-to-day” with left knee pain. An MRI earlier today didn’t reveal anything serious, and according to Brewers manager Pat Murphy, there’s a “chance he plays this series.”
With Turang out, David Hamilton will play second base and bat ninth. Jackson Chourio gets the nod in the leadoff spot ahead of Garrett Mitchell, Gary Sánchez — playing first base tonight — and right fielder Jake Bauers. Hitting fifth and playing third base is Andrew Vaughn. Rounding out tonight’s lineup are designated hitter Christian Yelich, catcher William Contreras, shortstop Joey Ortiz, and Hamilton.
Tonight’s game will be available on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 9:10 p.m.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 21: Ethan Holliday #2 of the Colorado Rockies prepares to bat during the seventh inning of the Spring Breakout game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 21, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s that time of year. The longest days of the summer are behind us—though the heat is not—and the Major League Baseball season is about to enter the final stretch. It’s also that magical time of year where Purple Row’s mid-season PuRPs prospect rankings hit the website. These are the very same rankings that you, the delightful Purple Row readers and commenters, voted on!
The PuRPs top 30 rankings will begin tomorrow while, perhaps coincidentally (or maybe they’re trying to compete with our powerhouse rankings!), MLB Pipeline has updated their own top 30 prospect rankings for each team. Let’s take a look at how the cards fell.
The Top Ten
SS Ethan Holliday
CF/2B Roldy Brito
1B/OF Charlie Condon
SS Tyler Bell
OF Cristian Arguelles
C Daniel Jackson
RHP Logan Reddemann
RHP Jackson Cox
C Jack Natili
OF Jared Thomas
The top ten list isn’t two surprising. Hopeful franchise savior and Holliday scion Ethan Holliday remains the team’s No. 1 overall prospect while a healthy dose of 2026 draft selections have been given quite favorable rankings. It’s also nice to see breakout star and potential Arizona Complex League MVP Cristian Arguelles in the top five.
An interesting move is 2023 first round pick Charlie Condon dropping to No. 3 despite having a very solid season so far with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. Taking his place at No. 2 is last year’s Arizona Complex League MVP Roldy Brito in a testament to how good he was last season and how good he continues to be this season. It’s hard to believe the 19-year-old was an unranked prospect just one year ago.
The Rest of the Rankings
No. 11: OF Zac Veen
No. 12: OF Sterlin Thompson
No. 13: 2B Roc Riggio
No. 14: RHP Gabriel Hughes
No. 15: OF Max Belyeu
No. 16: RHP Brody Brecht
No. 17: SS Andy Perez
No. 18: 1B Tanner Thach
No. 19: LHP Konnor Eaton
No. 20: RHP Tyler Putnam
No. 21: RHP Mason Adams
No. 22: LHP Sean Sullivan
No. 23: LHP Welinton Herrera
No. 24: OF Robert Calaz
No. 25: RHP JB Middleton
No. 26: 3B Ethan Hedges
No. 27: INF Juan Martinez
No. 28: INF Wilder Dalis
No. 29: C Bryant Betancourt
No. 30: RHP Angel Jimenez
The rest of the rankings are more of a mixed bag. Many prospects who have already made their debuts are included here, such as Zac Veen, Sterlin Thompson, Gabriel Hughes, and Sean Sullivan. Also included are two of the Rockies’ newest trade acquisitions in Mason Adams—part of the Brenton Doyle trade—and Juan Martinez—part of the Antonio Senzatela trade. Multiple players in the bottom 20 have suffered season-ending injuries such as Welinton Herrera and JB Middleton.
The ranking that stands out to me the most is infielder Wilder Dalis all the way down at No. 28 when I believe he should be ranked much higher. Dalis—much like his teammate Roldy Brito—exploded onto the scene last season in the Arizona Complex League and has continued to establish himself as a quality prospect this season.
Final Thoughts
It always seems like these prospect rankings always differ from site to site. Baseball America’s recently published top 30 rankings are likely quite different from MLB Pipeline, and as they trickle out, the mid-season PuRPs are bound to be fairly different as well.
What do you think MLB Pipeline got right? What did they get wrong? How would you compare this list to your own rankings and how do you think it will compare to the PuRPs? Let us know in the comments!
Jul 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rōki Sasaki (11) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Brewers visit Dodger Stadium for the first time since the Game 4 loss in last year’s NLCS. Each team is without a key middle infielder, as Mookie Betts gets a scheduled day off, while Brice Turang, the Brewers’ top position player, is out with right knee pain.
Jul 29, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants top draft pick Jackson Flora (second from right) greets team president Larry Baer before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I can’t help but try to get into the psychology of the poll respondents with these SB Nation Reacts surveys, and since these are supposed to be strictly Giants fans polled, I am fixating on the 1% who graded their 2026 amateur draft a “D.”
As Brady posted yesterday, Baseball American has ranked the Giants as a Top 5 farm system, a stunning development I just figured I’d never live to see. They’re barely a top 5 team in their division these days, and so seeing them in the upper echelon of anything other than being a staggering embarrassment of historic proportion with a mostly hopeless future guaranteed is not just a welcome surprise but a perspective-altering development.
Could the Giants actually be on their way to opening a competitive window thanks to their f-f-f-farm system? Buster Posey’s (currently) tanked legacy is counting on it. A plausible worst record in franchise history to cement their worst 5-year stretch ever isn’t something he’ll be able to come back from, reputationally, without some sort of extended run of success or an outright World Series win within the next few years — but then again, he’s been graded on a curve, hasn’t he?
Still, for as much as Buster Posey comes off as a dilettante in press gaggles and profiles (with an on-field result to match), this player development success is undeniable. It’s not just broken clock luck where the team has gotten things right because of high draft standings or someone falling into their lap. They’ve managed to bring their international scouting and signings up from afterthought to competitive with the typical frontrunners. They seem to have joined the pack leading the change from Three True Outcome type draft profiles to contact suddenly being important again.
About a month before the draft, I was agog at how much the farm system had risen. Just like the SB Nation Reacts polling, there’s a decent amount of vibes baked into things like farm system rankings and prospect scouting. That makes sense since it’s betting on an uncertain future with only personal experiences and some player comps to go on. The Giants’ draft felt right. Their minor league win-loss record looks right. The players are performing in the way you’d hope to see actually developing players perform.
With Bryce Eldridge’s graduation (formerly, a 55 Future Value player, per FanGraphs), the Giants still have six 50+ FV players, with Jackson Flora rated the #2 overall prospect. 4 of their 33 players with a projected floor of a minimum 40 Future Value (bench player) were drafted this year, 1 came from an international signing (Luis Hernandez) this season, and 1 from their trade with the Paadres (Joniel Hernandez).
So, the data is overwhelmingly in support of the opinion that the Giants had a great draft on top of a good trade deadline. Their farm system is in very good shape. Maybe still missing upper level pitching and that one true prospect who is far and away the best like Eldridge was… but I’m still stuck on that 1%. Automatic f*** the Giants voting? I can respect that. Maybe Bolemon & Waechter don’t do it for some. Reasonable.
I’m not going to let it bother me anymore, actually. The Giants are finally doing what needs to be done in order to become a competitive franchise again: prioritizing player development. The dream of the championship era was that the operation had been modernized and would be able to produce a steady-ish supply of position players and pitchers. That didn’t wind up being the case and was pretty far from the truth, in fact, as one of Farhan Zaidi’s first tasks upon taking over the front office was revamping player development to bring it in line with 21st century practices. The franchise also committed many millions of dollars to building a new training facility in Arizona. The fruits of that labor seem to be blossoming, finally. Can Buster Posey & Zack Minasian actually deliver on the promise of farm to table baseball?
That’s a question for a separate poll. For now, it’s enough to enjoy this fantastic success.
With the big league Mets off on Thursday, all eyes were on the farm system, and it was a busy day for several of New York’s top prospects.
At Triple-A, Nick Morabito started the game at the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp off with a bang, slamming a 408-foot home run to left. The Mets' 15th-ranked prospect in Joe DeMayo's latest rankings got a 2-0 slider over the plate and the knees and teed off with a 109 mph exit velocity for his 12th-round tripper of the campaign and second in the last three games.
The center fielder finished the day 1-for-2 with two RBI and a sacrifice bunt at the plate.
JonathanSantucci was on the mound for Syracuse for his third start at Triple-A, and the left-hander had a rough night, failing to get out of the first inning. However, he got no help from his defense in getting him into trouble.
On the first batter, Christopher Morel got a slow bouncer at second and never threw the ball to first for an infield hit. After a walk put two aboard, a grounder to first bounced over the glove of Ryan Clifford for a run-scoring error to cover the corners with nobody out.
After an eight-pitch walk, Santucci got a strikeout on a slider before walking in a second run as his command continued to fail him. He did rebound to get a strikeout on three pitches, but with his pitch count at 36 in the inning, he was pulled.
His final line: two runs (one earned) on one hit, three walks, and two strikeouts with just 19 strikes. When he was in the zone, he was rather good with five whiffs on 12 swings (42 percent), but it has been a rough start for DeMayo's No. 2-ranked prospect as he's issued 12 walks in his first 10 innings with Syracuse since his call-up in late July.
At the plate, Clifford, the Mets' No. 14 prospect, went 0-for-2 at the plate.
The game between Syracuse and Jacksonville was suspended in the fifth inning and will be resumed on Friday.
Double-A Binghamton was getting the treat of spending an August week in Maine, and the Portland Sea Dogs gifted them with six errors in the Rumble Ponies' 6-2 win. But it was a bit of a tough night for most of the Mets' top prospects.
The lone bright spot was No. 8 prospect Jacob Reimer, who smacked a three-run homer in the seventh as he was 2-for-4. Reimer got a 1-0 breaking pitch that hung in the middle of the zone and cranked it high over the mock Green Monster in left for his seventh homer of the year.
Top prospect Jefferson Rojas, who was 4-for-8 with two doubles and a homer and six RBI the first two games of the series, went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a run scored (got aboard on a catcher's interference).
Mitch Voit, the 5th-ranked prospect who went 2-for-5 with a double and a walk on Wednesday and entered the game 24-for-45 (.533) in his first 12 games at Double-A, went hitless in five times up with three strikeouts.
Chris Suero has gotten off to a slow start average-wise in August, entering the game 6-for-34 (.177), but had two homers, two doubles and six RBI for a .721 OPS. The No. 23 prospect had an uneven game, going 0-for-2 with two walks and a strikeout.
Billy Amick had a rare rough night, going 0-for-4 wth three strikeouts. The 27th-ranked prospect entered Thursday's game just scorching hot: 11-for-32 (.344) with six home runs and 17 RBI in his first nine games with Binghamton.
Los Angeles, CA - August 12: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Hunter Feduccia (46) celebrates with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack (96) after closing out the ninth inning of an baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. The Dodgers won 4-2. (Photo by Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Landon Knack was called up to eat innings and reset a very busy Dodgers bullpen, and he filled his role with aplomb on Wednesday night in finishing off a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. On Thursday, Knack was sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City in favor of another fresh arm in Jonathan Hernández.
Knack got the final eight outs on Wednesday, relieving Eric Lauer in the seventh inning, and pitched scoreless baseball the rest of the way to earn the save of the Dodgers’ 4-2 win. The third save of Knack’s career was the longest save of the season for the Dodgers, and their first save of exactly eight outs since Brian Holton in 1987.
Hernández is back with the Dodgers for a third time this season. Signed to a major league deal on May 18 after opting out of a minors deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, Hernández has been designated for assignment twice by the Dodgers. Both times he cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City. This time, after getting DFA’d on Monday, Hernández elected free agency but re-signed on a major league deal with the Dodgers on Thursday.
In between all those movies, Hernández pitched in 15 games with the Dodgers, nine of them finishing out either a loss or a lopsided win. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 6.45 ERA and 4.66 xERA this season with 18 strikeouts and 12 walks.
To make room for Hernández on the 40-man roster, Charlie Barnes was sent outright to Oklahoma City, two days after getting optioned. It’s the third time Barnes has been sent outright to the minors since the All-Star break.
As the Mets return to Citi Field on Friday to open a series against the Nationals, they’ll open a stretch of four of their next five series will be in Queens.
That’s hardly good news as they entered Thursday with the third-worst home record in the sport, ahead of just the A’s and their minor league park in West Sacramento, Calif., and Washington.
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And with the team hopelessly out of playoff contention, Mets fans could certainly be forgiven for avoiding the ballpark — and the TV — for the rest of the season.
But for those willing to venture to the ballpark for the rest of the summer and (early) fall, here are some things to keep an eye on:
Stay or Bo?
Bo Bichette was among the reasons the Mets got off to a season-sinking start, as he basically didn’t start hitting until early June after signing with the team in the offseason.
Two-plus months later, Bichette has looked more like the star he was for most of his time with the Blue Jays.
He has still remained significantly more productive on the road than at Citi Field, with an OPS of .643 at home and .730 away from home, but the concerns that his move from shortstop to third base would have a long-term impact on him at the plate have so far proven not to be true.
And there’s still the subject of his opt-out.
Bichette has a player option for $42 million for both next season — if and when it’s played — as well as 2028.
When he was in the throes of his early season slump, an opt-out seemed almost unfathomable, considering he wouldn’t have fetched nearly that much on the open market.
Bo Bichette has hit better after a slow start to the season, but is still struggling offensively at Citi Field. David Richard-Imagn Images
Despite his improved play, though, it has been a struggle in his first season in New York and the team has wildly underachieved.
But perhaps with better health from Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto next season, Bichette could see a strong lineup and the chance to put together a complete season offensively.
Lindor back?
Bichette isn’t the only veteran hitter who has gotten better as the year has gone on. Since July 19, only eight players have a higher OPS than Lindor’s .961.
There have still been too many odd mental (and physical) errors by the shortstop this season, but after the switch-hitter underwent hamate bone surgery in the spring, it was expected he might need some time to return to form at the plate.
If the Mets have any hope of getting themselves right next season, Lindor will have to continue his recent play.
Francisco Lindor has started to hit better as the season has gone on, but his defense has been an issue for the Mets. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
His defense has been the worst of his career, basically by any measurable metric — including watching the games.
And at 32, it’s unlikely to improve.
Center of attention
A.J. Ewing, like his fellow rookie Carson Benge, has continued to impress on both sides of the ball. And while many people were surprised to see Ewing in left field even after the trade deadline just to accommodate Luis Robert Jr. in center, many scouts aren’t bothered by it.
“He’s just an athlete and I don’t think moving him around [defensively] will impact his development,’’ one American League scout said. “He didn’t play there much in the minors and now they know they can put him in left and he’ll be fine.”
A.J. Ewing has the Mets’ highest home OPS (.810) among qualified hitters, other than Juan Soto. Getty Images
His bat has been a bit more inconsistent than Benge’s, but both rank among the top five among rookies in stolen bases since Ewing was called up in May.
Ewing has also has the team’s highest home OPS (.810) among qualified hitters, other than Juan Soto.
Young guns
For now, Christian Scott, Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton are lined up to pitch Saturday, Sunday and Monday, respectively.
The trio of young pitchers has shown promise, although there have been bumps along the way:
Scott has a 5.30 ERA in his last four starts.
McLean has allowed five homers in his last four appearances after not given up a homer in nine of his 10 previous outings.
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Thornton, the least-heralded of the group, despite striking out just seven batters over his last three starts.
In the bullpen, after the trade deadline left it gutted by the departures of Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Huascar Brazobán — and now the shoulder injury to Devin Williams — the Mets will be hoping someone emerges as a candidate to be a reliable arm the rest of the way.
Could one of them be Kodai Senga?
It seems unlikely, given his track record.
Nate Lavender has struck out five batter and allowed just three baserunners in 3 ¹/₃ innings so far. The 26-year-old was a 14th-round pick by the Mets in 2021.
Chris Devenski, who appeared in 13 games — including a start — for the Mets a year ago, is back in the organization and pitched a scoreless inning with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.
The right-hander, 35, was designated for assignment by the Pirates last week.
ANAHEIM, CA - AUGUST 12: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers rounds the bases during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Tony Macon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided some encouraging news, if only a glimmer of it, regarding Shohei Ohtani’s ability to resume pitching.
Though the Dodgers have indicated they expect Ohtani to pitch again this season, the team has offered no timeline. It would be most critical to get him back when the playoffs start.
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3 because of inflammation in his left knee. He’d been brilliant on the mound until the knee issue surfaced.
The knee problem hasn't kept Ohtani out of the lineup as the team’s designated hitter. He leads the Dodgers with 26 home runs, a slugging percentage of .544 and an on-base percentage of .393.
Roberts indicated he expects Ohtani to play all four games against the Brewers and will evaluate him before the Dodgers start a three-game series at Colorado Aug. 17.
Los Angeles, CA - August 10, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) watches the action against the Royals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers and Brewers continue their long weekend series on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes the mound on Friday, coming off his 5 2/3 scoreless innings last Saturday in Arizona. That game needed extra innings to decide thanks to Edwin Díaz’s blown save, which snapped a streak of 14 consecutive starts for Yamamoto with a decision, the longest streak by a Dodgers starter since Chad Billingsley in 2012.
Rookie left-hander Robert Gasser starts for the Brewers. Milwaukee has won his last four starts, with Gasser allowing seven runs in 20 2/3 innings, with 18 strikeouts against four walks.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 13: Cade Cavalli #24 of the Washington Nationals high-fives teammates in the dugout in the eighth inning after allowing only one hit in eight innings pitched against of the Chicago Cubs at Nationals Park on August 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Coming off of two losses where the pitching got shelled, the Nats needed a great performance from Cade Cavalli, and boy did they get it. The right hander flirted with a no-hitter and dominated one of the best lineups in baseball. It was a masterclass by a pitcher who is coming into his own.
Cavalli has been solid all season long, but lately he has taken things to a different level. Across his past 10 starts, Cavalli has a 2.43 ERA. Even more impressive to me is the fact he has gone at least 7 innings in his past 7 starts and in 9 of his past 10 outings. His transformation into a front of the rotation arm has come.
The story of this game was Cavalli’s flirtation with a no-hitter. He threw 6.2 innings without allowing a hit, before giving up a bloop single to Michael Busch. The idea of a no-no was actually on Cavalli’s mind very early in the game for a funny reason.
A couple days ago Jake Irvin gave Cavalli his notes on the Cubs hitters, something they don’t normally do. Cavalli said he told Irvin, “If I throw a no-hitter, I am going to need these from you every time”. Of course that was in a joking manner, but as Cavalli and Irvin saw each other in the tunnel they shared a big smile according to Cade. I would venture to guess that Cavalli will be looking at Irvin’s notes again before his next start even though he did not get the no-hitter.
Overall, it was just pure domination from Cavalli. He had such great feel for his breaking balls and was bullying Cubs hitters with them. His curveball and sweeper were actually his two most used pitches on the afternoon.
Cavalli got a good, but not spectacular 14 whiffs on the day, with 8 of them coming on his breaking balls. However, he was able to get 21 called strikes, which is an extremely high number. A bunch of those came on his two breaking pitches which the Cubs could not pull the trigger on.
Fittingly, his outing came to a climax in the 8th inning when he froze Michael Conforto on a 3-2 sweeper. Cavalli was fired up coming off the mound, screaming into his glove as he completed the best start of his career. It was a moment of pure jubilation for the righty who turns 28 tomorrow.
As the season has gone along, Cavalli has matured so much as a pitcher. Keibert Ruiz talked about how impressed he has been with Cavalli’s command and the way he can move his pitches around the zone. Blake Butera also lauded his ability to go deep into games.
However, this game was not just about Cade. After a slow start by both offenses, the Nats were the group who was able to figure things out. They were getting flummoxed by Kevin Gausman’s fastball/splitter combination the first time around. As they faced him a second time though, the group adjusted.
That started in the 4th inning when the Nats got on the board thanks to an RBI double by Dylan Crews. However, the 5th inning was when the Nats really broke things open. They got one run across thanks to a sac fly, but with two outs and a runner on 1st, it seemed like that would be it.
The boys had other plans though. CJ Abrams snuck a single through the hole which brought up the Nats new star Abimelec Ortiz. The breakout slugger launched his third homer in the last four games out to right field. That blew the game open and made it 5-0 Nats.
To say Ortiz has had an instant impact with the Nats would be an understatement. The rookie is hitting .333 with 4 homers and a 1.122 OPS through his first 11 games. I thought Ortiz would not take long to acclimate to the big leagues, but this is just out of this world. He just looks like the complete hitter so far.
The Nats may have lost the series, but it was good to avoid the sweep and finish the home stand on a high note. With that win, the Nats secured a 4-2 homestand which sets them up nicely moving forward. They are now 4.5 games out of the Wild Card, and the schedule sets up nicely the rest of the month, at least on paper.
After a tough start to the month, this group has found their bearings again. Now it is time to build off of this and head to New York ready to roll. Today was a Cade Cavalli masterclass with some Abimelec Ortiz lighting strikes mixed in. That is something all Nats fans love to see.
He'll be batting cleanup when the Dodgers open their four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium starting Thursday, Aug. 13.
“He just texted me this morning and said he was good to go,'' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media before the game. "A little sore, but won’t compromise his performance today. Which was very encouraging.’’
Freeman fell while chasing a foul ball in the top of the eighth inning and stayed in the game until the bottom of the eighth.
“Kneecaps are sore, shoulders are sore, wrist is sore,’’ Freeman said Wednesday after the Dodgers beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-2. “I mean, I fell.
“I didn’t hit my head, so that was the key part there.’’
Both teams are vying for the best record in the National League and for the No. 1 seed.
The lineup shows Freeman will be batting in the four-spot. He's hitting .306 with a team-best 27 doubles and 15 homers and 74 RBIs, second only to Andy Pages.
“I think it’s one of those things where Freddie’s just of the mind where he just doesn’t give himself an out. He’s played through worse and he’s signed up to play and there’s just no other options," Roberts said.
The Dodgers appear to be back on track after sweeping three games from the Royals and winning four of their last five games. That followed a stretch during which the Dodgers lost eight of nine games.
The Brewers had the best record in baseball, but they lost that distinction after getting swept by the San Diego Padres earlier this week.
Other notable changes in the Dodgers lineup: Mookie Betts and Max Muncy start the opener on the bench with Miguel Rojas getting the start at shortstop and Kiké Hernández getting the start at third base.
Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki will face off against Brewers starter Shane Drohan.
New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) reacts on the dugout fence in the 6th inning in The Bronx, New York.
In the small sample size of 29 plate appearances, Spencer Jones has gone 8-for-25 with two home runs, two doubles, a triple and a 1.134 OPS against left-handed pitching.
The lefty slugger will have to prove more to remain in the game when matched up with particularly tough southpaws.
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In a one-run game in the eighth inning Thursday, manager Aaron Boone lifted Jones for righty-hitting Heliot Ramos against Seattle lefty José Ferrer, who is one of the game’s best relievers at neutralizing lefty hitters.
“That’s one of the reasons we brought Heliot Ramos in was his presence against [lefties],” Boone said of the trade-deadline pickup, who grounded out and has not started well with the Yankees (2-for-25).
Entering play, Ferrer held fellow lefties to a .553 OPS with zero home runs in 109 plate appearances while righties (.913 OPS with five home runs) have crushed him.
In that way, Boone said Ferrer is “unique” because he has “really struggled with right-handed hitters.”
This was the type of scenario GM Brian Cashman may have envisioned in acquiring the former Giant, Ramos entering the at-bat hitting .271 with a .795 OPS against southpaws, and became Boone’s choice over Jones and Paul Goldschmidt.
For one August game, it didn’t work.
Spencer Jones looks on from the dugout during the sixth inning of the Yankees’ 1-0 loss to the Mariners on Aug. 13, 2026 at the Stadium. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
After going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored Wednesday, George Lombard Jr. was moved up to fifth in the lineup and went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He had batted from sixth through ninth in his first seven major league games.
Boone downplayed the ascension, chalking it up to his “obsession with trying to create a little balance.” The righty swinger hit between lefties Luis García Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr. for a lineup that alternated handedness from Nos. 4-9.
Regardless, Boone needed a righty to bump up and chose Lombard over José Caballero and Ali Sánchez.
George Lombard Jr. fields a ground ball during the Yankees’ loss to the Mariners. Robert Sabo for New York Post
“His approach has been excellent,” Boone said of Lombard.
Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger, who both had run the bases — typically a significant step that leads to a rehab assignment — the past two days, came through fine, Boone said.
Pitching with Double-A Somerset, Rodón struck out seven while allowing two hits and a walk.
Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodón. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Yerry De los Santos (1 ²/₃ scoreless innings, three strikeouts) has not allowed an earned run in seven of eight appearances this year.
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The Yankees held a ceremony before the game honoring Goldschmidt, who is this season’s club nominee for the Heart and Hustle Award, which “is presented annually to an active player who demonstrates a passion for the game of baseball and best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.”
Seattle Mariners rookie shortstop Colt Emerson watches from the dugout during a Major League Baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, June 27, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won, 4-3, as Emerson drew a walk in four at-bats. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Mariners are shaking things up with their lineup, sending struggling shortstop Colt Emerson back to Triple-A and selecting longtime super-utility infielder Brock Rodden to take his place, per Ryan Divish.
It’s a tough but necessary step for the 21-year-old shortstop, who has been struggling of late on both sides of the ball. Never one to strike out much – his career strikeout rate in the minors is around 17% – Emerson has been struggling to adjust to big-league pitching, striking out at double the rate he was in the minors. He’s been especially susceptible to high fastballs, frequently expanding up, but has also struggled with catching up to big-league fastballs on the plate. He’s striking out on fastballs over 50% of the time; his Statcast bat-tracking data shows how often he’s late on fastballs, and how often he’s swinging under them rather than on-plane.
Emerson is also struggling on breaking and off-speed pitches, although maybe not as much as one might expect; however, the fastball issue isn’t getting better, and pitchers continue to exploit his weakness there. It’s a big ask of a 21-year-old who is also playing the most demanding position on the field – non-catcher division – but it’s become apparent that Emerson hasn’t been able to make an adjustment, even when the attack plan for opposing pitchers is clear. He’s simply being overwhelmed at this moment by big-league pitching, which is not an uncommon thing for a rookie getting their first taste of the big leagues, especially those who were pulled up to fill in for injury, as Emerson was to patch over the injured left side of the Mariners infield. But Emerson’s defense has also been an issue.
Always a steady-handed shortstop in the minors, Emerson’s defense has been inconsistent at the big-league level. Athletic, fast, and rangy, Emerson is capable of making highlight-reel plays, and has logged a few of those, but he’s also booted several routine ones – as Perry Hill calls them, the plays “in the box”, the ones that have to get made. There’s a certain degree of learning curve that’s to be expected for young infielders – big-league infields play much faster than minor-league ones between the quality of contact off big-league bats and the maintenance of the fields themselves – but Emerson has noticeably scuffled, even on routine plays. From the vantage point of someone who has watched Emerson play infield for years, he’s made mistakes with footwork or transfers that he simply wasn’t making in the minor leagues, perhaps feeling the pressure of needing to produce on at least one side of the ball.
It reminds me of the level of defense we saw at times out of Cole Young last season, another steady defender in the minors who initially struggled with the transition to a big-league infield. Like Emerson, the Mariners gave Young a blow as he struggled down the stretch on both sides of the ball, replacing him with Jorge Polanco for the playoff run. Unlike Emerson, Young had a team of offensive producers around him and was able to slip quietly into the background, while Emerson’s struggles have unfortunately been magnified by the struggles of the team as a whole.
Moving Emerson back to Triple-A will hopefully slow the game back down for him and allow him room to breathe and adjust and get back to the player he is. For someone who has always prided himself on sticking to his plan at the plate and not striking out, it’s been a frustrating and unfamiliar experience for Emerson to struggle at this level, even as he’s worked hard to maintain a positive attitude every day.
Giving Emerson a blow is the best move for the player, but it’s also the best move for the team. With the rest of the Mariners lineup failing to produce consistently, Emerson’s bat is too much of a liability right now to be a consistent zero out of the nine-hole. And with some porous infield defense, especially on the left side, if Emerson’s bat is holding him back from being his best self defensively, then both sides are well-served by a change. With J.P. Crawford still on the shelf with wrist soreness with no timetable for his return, the Mariners have called up superutility infielder Brock Rodden.
Rodden, a long-time favorite here at LL where he’s known as “The Brocket Ship”, was a fifth-round draft selection in 2023 out of Wichita State; his ascent has been slowed by some unfortunately-timed injuries, but he’s produced at every level in the minors, consistently running an OBP of around .350. For fans of scrappy lil’ players like Dustin Pedroia or the Mariners’ own Shawn O’Malley, the 5’9”, switch-hitting Rodden – whose jersey is always dirty – will be a quick favorite. Rodden can also play all over the infield, and won a minor league Gold Glove at second base in 2024. Despite his short stature, Rodden also has some sneaky pop – he has 19 homers at Triple-A this season already, beating the 14 he notched in Double-A in 2024, his last fully-healthy season. Standard PCL caveats apply, but he’s hit some that are decidedly not cheapies:
With J.P. Crawford still out, Leo Rivas will likely get the bulk of Emerson’s starts, but Rodden will certainly be given an opportunity to show what he can do. For a team that’s lacking offensive consistency and continually struggling to put runners on base, Rodden’s on-base skills will hopefully help lengthen the lineup (and did I mention he’s a switch-hitter?). If nothing else, he’s a fun player to watch, hustling out every single infield grounder and playing with the kind of high energy many have noted this team to be lacking of late. It will also be interesting to see how the team slots him in defensively – second base, not short, is Rodden’s natural position, and Cole Young is capable of playing short, but Rodden could also be used at third to spell Brendan Donovan. He’s played second, third, and short for Tacoma this season, offering Dan Wilson flexibility in penciling his name into the lineup. If Rodden’s on-base skills from the minors transfer to the bigs, he could be a boon for a struggling ballclub on both sides of the ball.
