Category: MLB

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could see the kind of inning right-hander Tyler Glasnow had to begin his start Tuesday, plagued by soft contact and bad luck, derailing a younger version of him.

“That’s an outing that a couple years ago I think might have gotten away,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Braves, ending a six-game winning streak. “And I don’t think he would’ve been as efficient getting through the fifth like he did. But there’s just a lot of growth with Glas. Just can’t wait to see more. Like I told him after the start, it’s just really good to have him back.”

Glasnow’s return was a major step for the Dodgers as they assemble their postseason pitching staff. The next will be two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching — which could happen as soon as this weekend.

Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday or Friday, pitching coach Mark Prior said. Then Ohtani and the Dodgers will finalize next steps. But Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility of Ohtani making a short start Sunday in Detroit.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Read more:How two decades of friendship have shaped Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward

Tuesday marked Glasnow’s first start since May 6 in Houston, when back spasms cut his outing short after one inning. He’d been pitching so well to start the year (2.72 ERA in seven starts) that the Dodgers hoped he could avoid the IL, even for precautionary reasons.

Instead, he did have to go on the IL and had to halt his throwing progression multiple times for flare-ups, prolonging his time on it.

Even so, in Glasnow’s last two weeks on the IL, he seemed “at peace” to Roberts. So, the manager was confident that the growth in mindset that the Dodgers had witnessed over the last year would carry through the down time.

“I felt that he just got to a place — and I don’t know if it was last year’s postseason or what — but the game slowed down,” Roberts said. “Nothing spiked him. I think there was just a maturity in how he went about things. Coming out of the [bullpen], something he’s never done … in the postseason, and performing the way he did. And then coming into this spring training, he just seemed like another level of confident, that I just felt it was palpable.

“So that translated into the season. And I was so bummed, like we all were, to see him go down.”

The Dodgers’ rotation weathered the loss of Glasnow and Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgery) admirably. And both are back in time for the stretch run.

“It felt like a long time,” Glasnow said. “I think any time you’re out that long, just doing rehab the whole time, it definitely sucks. So it’s exciting to be able to get back. But I’m glad, too, my body’s in a spot where I felt like I was before.”

His stuff followed suit.

“Even with all the talent that we have on our roster, [Glasnow] might surpass it with his raw stuff, and the ability to shut down any team at any time,” Prior said before the game. “Do we expect that to be Day 1, today, who knows? We’re facing, obviously, one of the best teams in baseball. But it’s really good to have him back because he changes a lot of things with our personnel.”

Though Glasnow gave up four hits and three runs in the first inning, only one of those hits, Drake Baldwin’s leadoff single, was hit hard. The rest were simply hit where the Dodgers’ defense couldn’t field them.

He finally escaped by striking out Braves No. 7 hitter Mike Yastrzemski, with the help of a successful ABS challenge.

In that 35-pitch first inning, Glasnow threw the kitchen sink at the Braves. But that included a lot of first-pitch four-seam fastballs — and six straight fastballs to Baldwin.

“Coming out in the second, I just felt more in rhythm,” Glasnow said, “and slider was working a lot better, and just felt a lot better.”

Glasnow leaned on that slider, making sure to throw it at different points in the count — “just trying to not be so predictable,” he said — pairing it with his four-seamer and sinker.

It took him just 13 pitches to strike out the side. He retired three straight batters in the third with roughly the same plan of attack.

In the fourth, he started mixing in his knuckle curve again, even ending the inning on that pitch and Austin Riley failed to check his swing on a curve that broke into the dirt, for strike three.

After that first inning, Glasnow gave up only two more hits. And in five innings, he recorded seven strikeouts.

“I thought all night long, he threw the ball fantastic,” Roberts said. “The stuff, the strikeouts, swing and miss, how he navigated that first inning to not let it spiral, reset. He did everything he could to prevent runs tonight.”

Glasnow left with the score tied. The bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup evened the score, with RBI singles from Alek Thomas, Hunter Feduccia and Alex Call.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Previewing an important series with the Braves

The score remained knotted until the eighth inning, when Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott gave up a leadoff double to Matt Olson — the first extra-base hit of the game — and a two-out RBI single to Ozzie Albies to give the Braves the lead.

“We’ve had to lean on our ‘pen, man, the last two months really,” Roberts said. “The last two months we’ve played a lot of one-, two-run ballgames. There’s no margin. I thought we pitched well enough to win tonight. Unfortunately it just didn’t happen.”

To open the ninth inning, Ohtani struck back with a triple off the left-field wall. But the Dodgers stranded him there against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Washington Nationals had plenty of puppers in attendance at Nationals Park as they welcomed the Colorado Rockies in for Game 2 in a four-game stint. It was, you see, an opportunity to celebrate the Nats mascot, Natty — which is very cool.

In keeping with the spirit of the day, fans brought their furry friends to the ballgame.

Coming off a seven-game losing streak, the Rockies were ready for the occasion as they brought their big dog, Hunter Goodman, to the park. Back off the Injured List after dealing with a shoulder issue, clearly, Goodman was ready to run as he hit a homer in the fourth to get the Rockies offense, well, howling again.

Add to that a weird score that involved interference by Brady House, the Nationals third baseman, and it was enough to give the Rockies a 3-1 win.

“It’s good to be back in the win column,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game.

Treats for everyone! The losing streak is over.

Hunter Goodman and the Rockies offense gnawed out a win

It was a slow start for the Rockies as Andrew Alvarez moved quickly through the first and second innings facing the minimum and on just 23 pitches.

Jordan Beck gave the Rockies their first hit in the third inning with one out, and Ryan Ritter followed that up with a walk. However, Jake McCarthy and Cole Carrigg struck out to end the threat.

Hunter Goodman had seen enough, and when he stepped to the plate to lead off the fourth, he sent the ball over the left field wall in his seventh home run in 13 games against the Nationals.

For all the Coors skeptics, in hitting his 35th home run, it was also his 20th road homer.

“It’s good to have him back in the lineup,” Schaeffer said, noting the catcher’s contributions on both sides of the plate.

TJ Rumfield followed that up with a walk, his 52nd. As Evan Lang pointed out, “Rumfield needs two more walks to pass Todd Helton’s rookie mark. There’s a solid chance he sets the Rockies’ all time rookie walk record set by Dexter Fowler at 67.” So that’s something to watch for.

Willi Castro got on base, and Connor Norby hit an RBI-double, giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead. (He was also thrown out trying to stretch that double into a triple.)

However, the Nationals would soon answer back when Daylen Lile hit his 17th homer, a single shot that made the score 2-1 Rockies and went down in the books as the first MLB home run allowed by Rockies pitcher Mason Adams (No. 17 PuRP).

In the fifth inning, Beck started things off with a single. With one out, McCarthy added a single of his own to place runners at first and second.

And then things got a little weird.

Carrigg struck out, and catcher Harry Ford lost the ball, which spurred the runners to action. As Beck was rounding third, third baseman Brady House obstructed his forward progress. This moved Beck to home plate to score the run.

That was it for Andrew Alvarez who finished the evening with 4.2 IP on 81 pitches. He allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits. Alvarez walked two and struck out six. Manager Blake Butera went to the bullpen with two out and McCarthy on third as Goodman stepped to the plate. He struck out, but the Rockies finished their half of the fifth with a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth inning, Schaeffer went to the bullpen and turned the ball over to Mark Manfredi after Adams allowed a double to start the inning. Manfredi retired the side and did not allow Jacob Young to score, even after he stole third.

It was a quiet sixth inning for the Rockies with Connor Norby managing a walk but no other action with the score still 3-1 Rockies.

Manfredi faced one batter in the sixth, Lile, who hit a single. However, Jimmy Herget entered in relief to get two outs. Hunter Goodman threw Liles out as he was attempting to steal second, and the inning was over.

The Rockies went quietly in the top of the seventh, but Jaden Hill answered back with a 1-2-3 inning to retire the Nationals.

For those keeping score at home, Rumfield walked again in the eighth — #53 — and Castro followed that with a double to move Rumfield to third with two outs. But Norby struck out to retire the side, and the score remained 3-1 Rockies.

LHP Brennan Bernadino handled the eighth for the Rockies and did not allow a run.

And then Nationals manager Blake Butera sent out old friend Jake Bird to face the Rockies in the ninth.

Bird got through Moniak and Beck before Ryan Ritter hit a single, his first hit since returning to the Rockies last week. McCarthy, though, flied out to right field to finish off the inning.

That brought in Rockies closer Jordan Romano. He managed two quick outs, but the third was a challenge. First he walked Ford. Then Butera went to Keibert Ruiz as a pinch hitter for the tying run.

After one pitch, Ruiz flew out to right.

Ballgame over.

The Rockies finished the evening with three runs (two earned) on seven hits. They had four walks and struck out 11 times.

Mason Adams howled (complimentary)

For his MLB debut, Maston Adams had a solid first inning in which he ran the gamut: a flyout, a single, a walk, and two strikeouts, one swinging and the other looking, on 19 pitches. Still, he did not give up a run, which was a promising beginning.

Take a moment to appreciate this beauty:

He had some traffic in the second, but, again, no runs scored. However, he struggled to get the third strike, and Adams’ pitch count was at 40 when the second inning concluded. As Cory Sullivan noted at the top of the third, of the batters he faced, Adams got five of them to two Ks relatively quickly, but he ultimately threw 16 pitches to get the out.

However, the third inning was stellar with Adams facing the minimum and throwing just eight pitches.

He started the fourth by giving up a one-run homer to Lile, but after that, he walked one and struck out three.

Schaeffer sent Mason out in the bottom of the fifth to face Jacob Young, who hit a double, that was it for Adams.

Adams is on a limited pitch count, so he was done early, but it was solid work for a pitcher making his MLB debut. He went 4.0 IP with one run (earned) on three hits. He walked three and struck out five on 75 pitches (with 48 for strikes). Currently, Adams has a 2.25 ERA.

In terms of pitch usage, Adams relied primarily on his four-seamer (35.1%) followed by his curveball (23%), his sinker (18%), and his sweeper (16%).

“I thought he did a great job out there. He looked really composed out there,” catcher Hunter Goodman said.

As Schaeffer noted, “He was poised for his debut. I thought he looked totally in control. He was great.”

The bullpen chewed up the rest of the outs

It was another excellent outing from the Rockies arm barn.

Mark Manfredi continues to be solid in relief. In 1.0 IP, he allowed on hit but no runs and struck out two. He threw 18 pitches, 11 for strikes.

The sixth inning went to Jimmy Herget, who also went 1.0 IP. He did not allow a hit on seven pitches, three for strikes.

It was another dominant inning for Jaden Hill: 1.0 IP with five pitches for five strikes.

Brennan Bernadino continued to be excellent and allowed one hit but no runs in the eighth inning, throwing 13 pitches, 10 for strikes.

As for Jordan Romano, he walked one but did not allow a hit or a run.

In the end Rockies pitching allowed the Nationals to get one run on five hits. They issued four walks and struck out 10. The Nationals have one of the best offenses in baseball, but thanks to Rockies pitching, not tonight.

“Quite the performance from the bullpen,” Schaeffer said.

Up next

Join us tomorrow afternoon at 4:45 pm when the Rockies will meet the Nationals for Game 3.

Tanner Gordon will face a pitcher yet to be named.

See you then.

But in the meantime, feel free to take a walk (either with or without your four-legged bestie).

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

Ozzie Albies singled home Matt Olson with two outs in the eighth inning, giving the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 win over the Dodgers in Tuesday night’s series opener at Truist Park. The Dodgers got the tying run on third base with nobody out in the ninth, but couldn’t bring home the equalizer.

The run came off Tanner Scott, who allowed the leadoff double to Olson but got two infield outs before Albies singled in the go-ahead run, just the third run scored off Scott in his last 18 appearances, dating back to before the All-Star break.

We both know I’m not what you need

Shohei Ohtani tripled to the wall in left field to open the ninth with the heart of the order following. But Freddie Freeman struck out against closer Raisel Iglesias and Mookie Betts grounded out. After Max Muncy was intentionally walked, Tommy Edman harmlessly flew out to center to end the game.

It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it

Tyler Glasnow’s first major league start in over three and a half months got off to a frustrating start with four batted balls finding grass for singles in the first five batters of the game, only one of them hard hit. That led to three runs but more importantly 35 pitches in a tiring opening frame.

Tide’s gonna turn and it’s all gonna roll your way

Glasnow immediately got things in order in the second inning, inducing seven swinging strikes in that frame alone as he struck out the side. That was part of a run of five straight strikeouts for Glasnow, who struck out seven on the night and got through five innings.

After 35 pitches in the first inning, he only needed 54 to get through the next four frames, and only allowed two singles and no runs after the first. After inducing only two swinging strikes in the opening inning, Glasnow got 13 whiffs over those final four innings. Overall, this was a good first game back for Glasnow, who didn’t walk a batter.

Here you come again

The Dodgers called up Thomas to help fill in for the loss of Andy Pages because of his superlative defense in center field. But so far, Thomas has played in all three games since getting called up from Triple-A, and he has an RBI single in all three games, including a second-inning hit that game the Dodgers’ their first run on Tuesday.

I may have just what you’re looking for

Thomas batted eighth on Tuesday, just ahead of catcher Hunter Feduccia, two players who weren’t in the organization to open the season. Batting seventh was Alex Call, making his third start in the last 29 games, having batted only twice in the team’s previous seven games.

The bottom third of the lineup drove in all three Dodgers runs, and combined for five hits in nine at-bats — what a way to make a living — plus two walks, reaching base a convenient seven times in 11 plate appearances.

Message is clear, this could be the year for the real thing

The Dodgers are a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the top seed in the National League, with Milwaukee owning the tiebreaker. But Tuesday was the third win in four tries against the Dodgers for the Braves, who now are just three games behind Los Angeles for the two seed. The top two division winners in each league get byes into the Division Series, while the division winner with the third-best record has to play during the best-of-three wild card round.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: none

WP — Dylan Dodd (4-1): 1 up, 1 down

LP — Tanner Scott (1-4): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run

Sv — Raisel Iglesias (28): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 intentional walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

Roki Sasaki is on the mound as the Dodgers try to rebound on Wednesday (4:15 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), while right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver starts for Atlanta.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the Angels lineup

Lets go, Guardians!

ATLANTA –– In the past, the Dodgers might have been more worried.

About how Tyler Glasnow would return from yet another injury. About whether he could rediscover his dominant form from early season. About how he would handle the latest physical setback in a career that has been full of them.

“Things that were really out of his control got to him more than they should have,” manager Dave Roberts said of the old Glasnow, the one who could never seem to consistently live up to his potential.

Now, however, Roberts and the Dodgers have developed renewed faith in their former $136.5 million signing –– a belief that was put to the test immediately in his return from the injured list on Tuesday night.

After missing the last 3 ½ months with a back spasms problem that lingered far longer than initially expected, Glasnow was dealt early adversity in his comeback start against the Atlanta Braves, getting BABIP’d to death with four softly-hit singles in a three-run first inning.

It was the kind of sequence that, in the past, might have sent Glasnow spiraling.

“That’s an outing that a couple years ago, I think might have gotten away,” Roberts said.

This time, though, the newly-turned 33-year-old settled down, found a groove and didn’t allow any further damage over a five-inning, seven-strikeout outing.

It helped the Dodgers get back in the game, on RBI singles from Alek Thomas, Hunter Feduccia and Alex Call, before a late run against Tanner Scott and wasted leadoff triple from Shohei Ohtani in the ninth ultimately doomed them in a 4-3 loss at Truist Park.

“I just think that he’s come of age,” Roberts said of Glasnow. “He’s kind of coming into his own right now.”

Roberts has felt that way since last October, when Glasnow overcame another long-term injury (shoulder inflammation that cost him almost three months) to play a leading role on their postseason pitching staff.

During the World Series run, Glasnow had a 1.69 ERA in six outings. He came out of the bullpen three times, including for a save in Game 6 of the World Series. He maintained a level of consistency that had too often eluded him over his decade-long big-league career –– one in which he has never made more than 22 starts in a regular season (and even that was in 2024, when he missed the playoffs because of an elbow problem).

“The game slowed down [for him],” Roberts said. “Nothing spiked him. I think there was just a maturity in how he went about things. Coming out of the pen, something he’s never done really, certainly in the postseason, and performing the way he did. And then coming into this spring training, he just seemed like another level of confident that I just felt it was palpable.”

That indeed showed during the opening month of this season, when Glasnow went 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA in his first six starts.

He spoke repeatedly then of the comfort level he had with his delivery. 

He had hoped it was priming him for a potentially career-best year.

Instead, another campaign was quickly sidetracked again, after Glasnow left a May 6 start in Houston when his back started spasming.

The injury wasn’t believed to be serious at first. Glasnow even voiced optimism of being able to avoid the injured list altogether.

But when his discomfort lingered, the Dodgers opted for a conservative recovery process. Glasnow didn’t resume a throwing program until midway through the summer. He only went on a minor-league rehab assignment at the start of this month.

“It felt like a long time,” Glasnow said. “I think anytime you’re out that long, just doing rehab the whole time, it definitely sucks.”

Then again, all that really matters for the Dodgers is having Glasnow at full strength for the postseason –– when he could either be a traditional starter, or provide a swing option out of the bullpen again if the rest of the team’s rotation (including Shohei Ohtani, who is a “possibility” to start on Sunday, per Roberts) enters October fully healthy.

And after he impressed on his rehab stint, which was punctuated with eight- and nine-strikeout performances with triple-A Oklahoma City the last two weeks, he rejoined the Dodgers bristling with his early-season confidence.

“It all feels feels the same,” Glasnow said of his delivery. “Feel healthy and feel strong.”

“I was so bummed, like we all were, to see him go down,” Roberts added pregame. “But even in the last couple weeks, seeing him coming into today’s start, he just seemed at peace.”

Tuesday didn’t begin easily, with Glasnow needing 35 pitches to get through his three-run first inning.

After that, however, he showcased his improved mentality.

He struck out the side in the second. He retired nine in a row before stranding singles in the fourth and fifth. And while a limited pitch count forced an early hook from Roberts, he gave himself something to build on entering the stretch run of the season.

“There’s just a lot of growth with Glas. Just can’t wait to see more,” Roberts said. “Like I told him after the start, it’s just really good to have him back.”

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The Mariners look to make it back-to-back wins and back-to-back series wins.

After getting smacked around by the Cubs on Sunday, the Mariners smacked around the Phillies on Monday night. Cal Raleigh hit three home runs, and Julio and Cole Young each got one as well. It was a lot of fun, which was much needed after the last… five months or so. They’ll look to keep it going.

George Kirby gets the ball. He’s hoping to bounce back from a pair of true clunkers his last turns out. I’ve written so many times that it’s been a weird season for Kirby, but that’s a lot different from “it’s been a bad season,” because even though that’s been true at times, he’s turned in several excellent performances. The Mariners will certainly hope that’s the case today.

Facing him will be Austin Nola’s brother, Aaron. “It’s been a bad season” does largely apply here, for the second year in a row. He’s still a former ace — and not just in the way people say “ace” to mean good — so the Mariners will have to show up, as they say. But for a lineup looking to stay hot, the guy with -32 run value allowed on the fastball (which appears to be pretty close to a record in the Statcast era) figures to be as a good a choice as any for a tee.

And hey, they’ll have some extra help today. The Mariners activated J.P. Crawford from the injured list today, who’s been out since July 30 with wrist inflammation. He slots back into the lineup at third base, with Brock Rodden sticking at shortstop.

Lineups

Game Info:

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m.

TV: Mariners.TV

Radio: Ol’ Reliable

Pitcher Tyler Glasnow made his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking the mound for the back-to-back World Series champions on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

He was activated Tuesday after dealing with back spasms since May.

“I like where he is at; he had a good rehab and threw the ball really well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told SportsNet LA before the road game against the Atlanta Braves. “Seeing him get into the sixth inning is our goal. Our bullpen is in a good spot, and I know Tyler’s anxious to get back.”

Glasnow allowed five hits and three earned runs while striking out seven in five innings pitched.

He quickly got reacquainted with the big-league setting, allowing three runs in the first inning. He settled in, though, and left the game with the score tied at 3.

Glasnow made four rehab appearances, including his last with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. The right-handed pitcher allowed one hit, one earned run and a walk while striking out nine in 5.1 innings that game.

Tyler Glasnow stats vs. Braves

• Innings: 5
• Hits: 6
• Runs: 3
• Earned runs: 3
• Walks: 0
• Strikeouts: 7
• Home runs: 0
• Pitches: 89 (55 strikes)

Tyler Glasnow's impact for Dodgers

Glasnow will help bolster a star-studded pitching rotation that includes Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The pitching core will try to lead the organization to a third straight World Series title.

Glasnow did not have an opportunity to participate in the 2024 World Series run due to right elbow tendinitis, but he played a vital role in winning the title in 2025.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did Tyler Glasnow do in return? Dodgers vs. Braves box score

The last time Clarke Schmidt was on the Yankee Stadium mound before Tuesday, he cut his live session short because of forearm cramping.

Three weeks later, he got through an 18-pitch live session feeling good, with a rehab assignment up next if he recovers well in the coming days.

At a time when the Yankees have taken some hits in their pitching department with injuries to Max Fried and Ryan Weathers, Schmidt’s potential return — albeit in a bullpen role — from Tommy John surgery looms large if he can make it to the finish line without any setbacks.

“I think he could really help us,” manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday. “Obviously he’s been a really good starter in this league. He’s not going to get back to that this year, but to get him, when he’s on his game, he’s got a lot of weapons that could really land him a role down there, whether it’s an inning, a couple innings, whatever it may be.”

There will be a delicate balance ahead for Schmidt, whose rehab assignment will likely be more about shortening the period between his outings than building up his pitch count.

He is coming off major elbow surgery, so there will still be guardrails in how the Yankees use him.

But he is also coming back to a playoff race, so there will not be much margin for error as he tries to settle back in on the fly.

“There’s a little bit of training wheels at first, but I’m coming in in big situations right here, in a pennant race, so I understand that,” Schmidt said. “I kind of embrace that pressure of, ‘Hey, there’s expectation. I know you’re coming off of surgery, but we got to get outs here.’ I’m trying to get outs, trying to compete and be competitive and be a guy they can rely on.

“You see it’s working for Gerrit [Cole], and he puts his pants on just like I do.”

Pitching coach Matt Blake indicated that at some point, the Yankees will need to see Schmidt pitch with only one day between outings.

“Having an extra body in September helps to provide some flexibility, but it’s hard to protect one-inning guys like that,” Blake said. “I think we want to feel comfortable with him managing the up-downs and pitch-off-pitch. But the stuff looked good today.”

Fried’s stay on the 15-day injured list might actually end up being just the minimum.

The lefty, again dealing with a left elbow bone bruise, threw four innings and 60 pitches of live batting practice Monday, putting him in play to possibly be activated Saturday — the first day he is eligible — for one of the doubleheader games against the Red Sox.

“Potentially,” Boone said. “But we’ll see where we are as these next couple days unfold.”

In the meantime, Elmer Rodríguez had a locker in the clubhouse Tuesday and could be part of Wednesday’s pitching plan in some form — as a starter or bulk reliever — depending on how the first game of the series against the Astros went.

In a move that could have been made at any time over the past two months without much repercussion, the Yankees transferred Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list Tuesday to make room for reliever Justin Topa on the 40-man roster.

The procedural move comes roughly two months after Stanton eclipsed 60 days on the injured list, dealing with two strains in his right calf and now one in his left.

The Detroit Tigers looked to stop their six-game losing streak in their Tuesday-night tilt against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. They did exactly that by hitting a timely home run and taking advantage of some shaky defence in a 4-1 win to even the three-game series at a win apiece.

Jackson Jobe made his fourth start of the year for the Tigers. The previous three had alternated good, bad and good, and the pitch count has been gradually ramping-up; his previous start saw him throw 86 pitches. He hasn’t been striking out many so far — heck, Framber Valdez didn’t strike anyone out on Monday night — but, like Valdez, he succeeds when he gets hitters to bash the ball into the ground.

Casey Legumina, a lefty, opened for Ian Seymour, a lefty. Both Legumina and Seymour have started some and relieved some, although Legumina is more of a reliever and Seymour is more of a starter and/or “bulk guy.” Seymour has generally been pretty solid, mostly in a starting role for the past two months. Strikeouts are not a problem for him; he tends to get more fly balls hit than the average pitcher, although he generally limits hard contact and has kept his hard-hit percentage below average. Would that play out well in cavernous Comerica National Park? Mostly, but not entirely; decidedly, even.

Things started off pretty quietly for both teams, with Jobe looking generally good but having trouble with his control. As we’ve discussed before, the recovery from Tommy John surgery often sees pitchers taking a little longer to get that control back… and that’s what’s happening here. Gleyber Torres made a nice play, though.

In the bottom of the third, Spencer Torkelson led off with a double, and after Javier Báez flew out, that was the end of Legumina and Seymour took over, who got another pair of flyouts and Torkelson was left on second.

The top of the fourth brought trouble for Jobe and the Tigers: a leadoff single and double put runners on second and third, and after a foulout, an infield single to Hao-Yu Lee at third base which carried him into foul territory allowed the first run to score. A walk loaded the bases as Jobe’s pitch count was rising, and the Rays were one solid base hit from really opening up a lead, but fortunately a called third strike and a soft grounder to first limited the score to 1-0.

In the bottom of the inning Dillon Dingler singled sharply with two out, and Eduardo Valencia did the same, putting runners on the corners for Zach McKinstry. Alas, he struck out and the Tigers stayed off the board for the time being.

Jobe stuck around to get the first out of the fifth inning and then exited in favour of Drew Sommers. His final line: 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K. Conceringly, Jobe threw 86 pitches but only 49 were strikes (57.0%). Sommers has been a force out of the bullpen lately, though: he had a 1.56 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings coming into tonight’s game, dating back to early July. Sommers came in and got a swinging strikeout and an infield popup, which is pretty much exactly what you’d expect of him these days, isn’t it?

The Tigers took the lead in the bottom of the fifth: Torkelson led off with a single, and a Báez grounder forced Torkelson at second base. No matter, though: Max Clark turned on a sweeper and deposited it into the seats for his second career home run, putting Detroit up 2-1. Nice to see that off a lefty in particular.

Some uncharacteristically sloppy play gifted the Tigers another run: a Torres pop-up to short right field fell between a pair of fielders, and he was balked over to second. Kevin McGonigle’s grounder to first base clanked off Jonathan Aranda’s glove and into right field, with Torres scoring on the play for a 3-1 lead. I’ll take it!

Sommers carried on into the sixth and got three gloriously-uneventful groundouts in that all-important shutdown inning. You love to see that… and, you know what else I’d love to see? Sommers pitching late in games, in higher-pressure situations. Jacob Waugespack came on for the seventh; with two outs he gave up a walk but got Yandy Díaz to ground out to shortstop for the third out.

Báez led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple to the wall in right-centrefield, and was still there with two out. Would he be stranded ninety feet (roughly 380 Big Macs, stacked vertically) from home? As the French would say, “Non!” Lee singled to left to let Báez score and make it 4-1.

Tyler Holton entered the game in the eighth and gave up a single, but it was an otherwise easy inning for him and the fans. After a quiet bottom of the eighth…

…yep, Kenley Jansen came out for the save. It was a pretty tough outing last time, but this one? Flyout, strikeout, foulout. No problem! Career save #493 for the veteran, and a Tigers win.

Final score: Tigers 4, Rays 1

Numbers and Remembrances

• Starting play today, the Tigers were 4.5 games behind Cleveland for the final Wild Card in the American League. Nice!
• Five teams were between Cleveland and Detroit in said Wild Card standings. Ouch.
• Entering tonight’s play, the Tigers still had a +70 run differential, third-best in the American League. That means an expected won-loss record of 73-58, as opposed to their actual 61-70. Oof.
• I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the passing of the legendary Dolly Parton at age 80 earlier today. She was impossible not to like, and has fans with as broad a spectrum, any way you care to measure it, as anyone else you’d ever find. A true gem, and probably one of the best liked people on Earth. Rest in peace, Dolly.

The San Francisco Giants continue this three-game home series against the Cincinnati Reds tonight.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be right-hander Adrian Houser, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.08 ERA, 4.59 FIP, with 73 strikeouts to 34 walks in 108 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 1-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians last Wednesday, in which he allowed just four hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.

He’ll be facing off against Reds right-hander Brady Singer, who enters tonight’s game with a 4.72 ERA, 5.16 FIP, with 107 strikeouts to 43 walks in 131.2 innings pitched. His last start was in the Reds’ 10-9 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals last Thursday, in which he allowed four runs on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

Game #132

Who: San Francisco Giants (53-78) vs. Cincinnati Reds (62-70)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: n/a

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

The words “national treasure” get thrown around a lot, and not just in reference to the Nicolas Cage movie of the same name (a film for which I harbor a deep hatred). There are a few people who likely deserve the label. Mel Brooks in the US. Sir David Attenborough in the UK. But today we lost one person for whom the label is entirely appropriate, with the sad announcement of Dolly Parton’s passing. Now I am as far from a country music fan as can be imagined (and do not get me started on “New Country”). But even I have an affection for its undeniable queen. That the “Philanthropy” section on her Wikipedia page is almost as long as that about her career says all you need to know.

Anyway, back at Chase Field, the D-backs will be hoping for better performances all round compared to last night, where just about every single aspect of the team’s game was found wanting. Though I’m also curious to see whether Merrill Kelly will be back on the top step at the far end of the dugout, staring at the Cubs third-base coach… Though it appears Torey Lovullo apologized to Craig Counsell today for the spat, after getting clarification that the Cubs were within the rules. The fix will be to stop Kelly giving away pitches: “It’s up to us to fix it, and we’re doing that right now.”

Another dose of scoreboard watching in prospect, with the Padres and Phillies games both getting under way at exactly the same time as the D-backs. Hopefully, Brandon Pfaadt will be able to put some pressure on them, rather than us being left to cross our fingers and hope the Pirates and Mariners will do us a favor. Brandon’s renaissance hit a bit of a bump in Boston as his eight-game homerless streak came to an abrupt end with a trio of long balls. Arizona still scratched out the win in extras, but if he can get back to form, that’d be helpful. He did pitch against the Cubs earlier in the season but that was 2.2 innings in relief, so hard to say if that’s relevant.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. San Diego Padres, August 25, 2026, 9:40 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking for a chance to win their series against the San Diego Padres in the second game of the three-game set at Petco Park.

The Pirates won 3-2 in 12 innings late last night, and they used seven pitchers. This means the Pirates would love to have Paul Skenes go pretty deep in this start. Skenes has been up and down all season long, but he has not pitched more than five innings in any of his last four starts. In his most recent appearance against the Detroit Tigers on August 19, Skenes pitched 4.1 innings, giving up four hits and three earned runs. The Pirates went on to win 4-3, but Skenes did not factor into the decision.

Skenes won in his last start against the Padres back on April 7, when he pitched 6.1 innings, giving up two hits and one earned run in a 7-1 victory.

The Pirates are going with Michael King, who is making his 27th start of the season. In his last appearance on August 19 against the New York Mets, King pitched 6.2 innings, giving up four hits and two runs in a 4-2 loss at Citi Field.

Location: Petco Park, San Diego, CA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.95 ERA) vs. Michael King (8-9, 3.38 ERA)

BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.

First Pitch: 8:40 PM CDT

TV: Twins.TV

Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App

Know thine enemy:Athletics Nation

For game two in Sacramento the Twins will send out Taj Bradley against the Athletics’ rookie lefty Gage Jump. Will the mostly right handed lineup of the Twins make Gage Jump look like Chris Sale? Almost certainly.

Pittsburgh Pirates (64-69) at San Diego Padres (71-61), August 25, 2026, 6:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Last night, the Athletics fell to 19-39 at Sutter Health Park after dropping the series-opener against the Minnesota Twins, 9-6. Starter Jeffrey Springs struggled once again, and the offense’s last-ditch rally came a few runs short. Tonight presents an opportunity for the last-place A’s to earn their 20th home win and force a rubber match tomorrow.

Rookie left-hander Gage Jump will be on the bump this evening for the home team. The 23-year-old enters his 17th start of the season with a 5-8 record, a 4.83 ERA, a 1.51 WHIP and 88 strikeouts over 82 innings. Jump has endured some turbulence lately, going 2-4 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP over his past seven starts. In his most recent outing against the Kansas City Royals, Jump took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits over four innings.

This evening, the A’s would greatly appreciate a quality start from Jump in his first career appearance against the Twins. Through his first several MLB starts, Jump has alternated between stellar outings that have the team envisioning a future with him near the top of the rotation and poor performances that highlight the youngster’s areas for growth as he adjusts to major league hitters. It would be beneficial for Jump to finish the season strong, although the team must be mindful of his workload to avoid increasing the southpaw’s injury risk.

Here’s the Athletics’ lineup tonight:

From the jump, this lineup sets the A’s up well defensively. Tommy White is a better fit at first base, as last night’s bunt debacle showed he is a bit stretched at the other infield corner.

The top four hitters in the A’s starting nine all recorded multi-hit games yesterday. Right fielder Lawrence Butler and center fielder Henry Bolte are both scorching hot, with Butler batting .417 and Bolte hitting .357 over their past seven games.

It was nice to see Zack Gelof snap out of his slump with two hits in the series opener. Speaking of slumps, struggling catcher Jonah Heim is on the bench, with Brian Serven behind the plate for this game. Birthday boy Max Muncy is also on the bench, with shortstop Alika Williams making his first start of the series.

As for the visiting Twins, they have right-hander Taj Bradley going for them today. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a solid season in his first year with this franchise. Bradley enters his 26th start of the season with a 9-5 record, a 3.90 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP and 158 strikeouts over 140 2/3 innings. He received a no-decision in his last start against the Atlanta Braves after allowing one run on two hits over five innings.

The Athletics have limited history against Taj Bradley, as he did not pitch when these teams squared off in Minnesota around a month ago. The right-hander is 0-1 with an ERA of 4.35 and 13 strikeouts in two starts against the A’s, both of which came when he with the Tampa Bay Rays. Will the Twins starter add another quality start to his resurgent campaign, or will the A’s offense get to him?

Here’s how the Twins look tonight:

Minnesota’s offense will look to take advantage of these hitter-friendly conditions for a second straight night following Monday’s offensive explosion. It is noteworthy that Josh Bell is not playing after his strong performance yesterday.

Jump will need to be especially careful when facing superstar center fielder Byron Buxton and one of Minnesota’s top prospects, shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, as they combined for seven hits last night. Will Jump shut down the Twins’ bats, or will it be another early exit for an A’s starting pitcher?

We can do this. A win tonight plus some help from the Guardians down south in Los Angeles and we can climb out of the cellar of the league. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics -Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast