Category: MLB

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (46-48) and Washington Nationals (47-46), who share their Spring Training complex together in West Palm Beach, FL, will conclude their three-game series with a rubber game in the nation’s capital tonight.

RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-4, 3.81 ERA), who owns a share for the club lead with seven wins, will make his final start of the first half tonight opposite LHP Foster Griffin (9-2, 2.87 ERA) and the Nationals.

SPENCER’S GIFTS: RHP Spencer Arrighetti has been tough to hit this season, entering tonight’s start ranking fourth in the AL in hits per 9.0 (6.69) and seventh in opponent average (.208, 58×279) (min. 75IP). Arrighetti, who’s coming off a strong start his last time out vs. TB (1ER/6IP), is looking to regain his form from May, when he was the AL Pitcher of the Month after going 4-1 with a 0.93 ERA (3ER/29IP) in five starts.

SPINNING RECORDS: At 46-48, the Astros are two games below .500 for the fourth time in the last 10 days. A win tonight would move them to just a game below .500, a mark they have not been at since they were 6-7 on April 8.

THE SLOW TURNAROUND: After a slow start to the season, the Astros are 26-17 since May 21, which is the best record in the AL in that span. On that date, the Astros were 20-31, 11 games under, which is their low water mark for the season.

Winning Percentage since May 21, AL

1. Astros 26-17 (.605)

2. Mariners 23-18 (.561)

3. White Sox 22-19 (.537)

SERIES-LY SPEAKING: The Astros have six series victories in their last seven chances and can improve on that by winning tonight’s rubber game vs. the Nationals. The Astros have also won four of their last five road series.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros are 16-9 on their last four road trips combined and are 22-15 on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season. At 23-24 on the road this season, a win tonight would even the Astros road record at an even .500.

WINNING THE CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 9-6 in one-run games and 21-11 in two-run games. Prior to last night’s three-run victory, each of the Astros last nine wins and 14 of their last 15 victories had come by two-or-fewer runs.

GET ‘EM EARLY: The Astros and Nationals rank first and second in the Majors in first-inning runs, with the Astros leading the AL with 64, and the Nationals leading the NL with 70. Overall, the Astros rank third in the American League in runs scored (430), while the Nationals check in leading the Majors in runs scored with 500 on the season.

LAST NIGHT’S WIN: The Astros evened their series with the Nationals last night with a 6-3 win in Washington. The bottom of the Astros order picked up five RBI between SS Nick Allen (1×12, 3RBI) and C Christian Vázquez (1×3, 2RBI), which proved to be enough in the win. The Astros bullpen was great, tossing 5.1 innings on one-run ball.

ALL-STAR ALVAREZ:DH Yordan Alvarez has been voted by the fans as the starting DH for the AL AllStar team…this marks the fourth All-Star selection for Alvarez (2022-24, 2026) and the second time that he has been voted as a starter (also in 2024).

MVP-CALIBER: DH Yordan Alvarez has had a torrid first half to his season, currently leading all of baseball in OPS (1.041), OBP (.420), SLG (.621), and total bases (208). Additionally, he ranks first in the AL in extra-base hits (45), first in HR (29), first in hits (105), first in runs (62), first in RBI (67), second in batting average (.313), and fourth in walks (59).

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Announced on Monday, DH Yordan Alvarez was named the American League Player of the Week for the week of June 29July 5. For the week, Alvarez hit .435 in six games with four home runs and 11 RBI while posting a 1.418 OPS. This marks the sixth career AL Player of the Week Award for Alvarez and his third this season.

GOING FOR 200: 1B Christian Walker hit his 199th career double on Monday and now needs just one double to reach 200 for his career. Walker is also in pursuit of his 200th career homer, as he checks in with 194 career long balls entering play tonight.

TAP FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 68 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (62%). 3B Isaac Paredes (11-for-11) has the most successful challenges in the Majors without losing one. 2B Jose Altuve has been successful on 15-of-21 challenges (71%), ranking second in the Majors in challenges won.

WHAT A RELIEF: LHP Josh Hader is 3-0 with 10 saves (in 10 chances), has a 0.59 ERA (1ER/15.1IP), 25 strikeouts in 15.1 innings, a .061 (3×49) opponent average, and a 0.72 WHIP in 16 appearances. Prior to allowing an infield hit last night, Hader had not allowed a hit in eight straight appearances (8IP).

OUT ON ASSIGNMENT: The Astros have five players out on minor league rehab assignments:

• RHP Ronel Blanco (rt. elbow surgery) pitched in relief at Triple A last night, tossing 2.0 hitless innings on 27 pitches before the game was called due to lightning.

• RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (rt. shoulder inflammation) started at Triple A last night, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing two earned runs with four K’s on 77 pitches.

• LHP Bennett Sousa (lt. elbow inflammation) began a rehab assignment at Triple A on Sunday, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning on 10 pitches with one strikeout.

• RHP Hayden Wesneski (rt. elbow surgery) made a rehab start at Double A on Sunday, tossing 4.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts while tossing 46 pitches (29 strikes).

• SS Jeremy Pena (lt. calf strain) began a rehab assignment at Triple A last night, going 1×4 with an RBI double in a start at shortstop.

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1980 – RHP J.R. Richard becomes the first Astro to be the starting pitcher in an All-Star Game. He fans three in 2.0 scoreless innings of work in the NL’s 4-2 win at Dodger Stadium. Richard faces nine hitters, striking out three, including a 1st-inning strikeout of perennial Yankees All-Star RF Reggie Jackson.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Wednesday, July 8, 5:45 p.m. CT

Location: Nationals Park, Washington, DC

TV: SCHN

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

Finish strong.

⚾️: 5:45 PM CT
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 & 740 AM | Spanish: 102.9 HD2#ChaseTheFight x @reliantenergypic.twitter.com/v47OEeMXuq

— Houston Astros (@astros) July 8, 2026

here it is 👏

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/IHLTomzCPu

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 8, 2026

After winning the first game and dropping the second, the Nats are looking to avoid a repeat of what happened against the Pirates. They will look to secure the series win and stay above .500. To do so, they will lean on their reliable ace Foster Griffin.

The Nats are only making a couple of changes to the lineup. Dylan Crews will be back in center field, taking Jacob Young’s spot. Jose Tena will be the DH in this one. Keibert Ruiz is catching, but he is moving down in the lineup. With CJ Abrams back at short and Jorbit Vivas remaining at second, there will be no Nasim Nunez tonight. As mentioned, Foster Griffin will be on the mound.

here it is 👏

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/IHLTomzCPu

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 8, 2026

The Astros aren’t changing a ton. Yainer Diaz will be catching again, but that is the only change in personnel. There are a few tweaks in terms of the order, but nothing major. Spencer Arrighetti got off to a red hot start to the season, but has not been as sharp lately. Hopefully that trend continues.

Astros 7/8

J. Altuve 2B
Y. Alvarez DH
I. Paredes 3B
C. Walker 1B
C. Smith RF
Y. Diaz C
B. Matthews CF
Z. Dezenzo LF
N. Allen SS

S. Arrighetti SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) July 8, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

This feels like an important rubber match for the Nats, who look to avoid another home series loss. With Foster Griffin on the mound, Blake Butera will like his chances. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

After getting thumped, 8-1, in Tuesday’s series opener, the White Sox will get a shot at redemption and even the series against the Red Sox. Fortunately for the South Siders, Cleveland also lost, allowing Chicago to maintain its one-game lead atop the American League Central despite the lopsided defeat. It was an ugly loss, but the standings did not budge.

The Good Guys will hand the ball to Davis Martin, rolling in at 9-3 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. The book on Martin is simple — stay away from the heart of the plate. Opposing hitters have feasted on pitches left in the middle third of the strike zone, batting .356 or better across all three middle-zone locations. By contrast, Martin has been far more effective working the edges, especially at the top corners, where hitters are batting just .188 and .111. Against a Boston lineup that has been swinging the bats well of late, the key will be living on the corners. If Martin can establish the fastball on the edges, keep his secondary pitches below the zone to generate chase, and avoid catching too much of the middle, he’ll give himself a strong chance to navigate the Red Sox lineup and give Chicago a fighting chance.

Boston counters with rookie lefthander Jake Bennett, who made his major league debut in May after arriving in a December 2025 trade with the Nationals. Bennett has been impressive through his first seven starts, going 3-3 with a 3.10 ERA and 0.98 WHIP across 40 2/3 innings. The book on Bennett is do not chase up. He is untouchable up in the zone, where hitters are batting a big fat zero. The damage comes when he misses down or grooves one over the plate. Opponents are hitting over .400 in the middle and .333-plus low. The Sox need to ignore anything up, work the count, and capitalize on mistakes that leak down or catch too much of the plate.

If the Sox want to salvage this series, the bats need to wake up. Over the past seven days, Chicago has managed just six home runs while batting .220, ranking 22nd in Major League Baseball with a paltry .660 OPS. Reinforcements are on the horizon, with Munetaka Murakami starting his rehab in Charlotte, but he will not be back before the weekend. Until then, the South Siders have to scrape together enough runs to give Martin a chance.

Here’s how Will Venable sends them out to tackle Bennett.

And for the Red Sox.

First pitch will be at 6:40 p.m. CT. You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.

After dropping their series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the San Diego Padres put one back in the win column quickly. The club rode a resurgent start from Germán Márquez alongside a Jake Cronenworth three-run homer to a convincing victory over Arizona.

It felt like maybe the Padres’ recent tough streak would continue after Márquez loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning. That was due to Cronenworth making an error at first base, though Márquez would have been in trouble either way. With the bases loaded, he walked Max Kepler for the first run of the game before Sung-Mun Song made an unassisted double play to get out of it.

Cronenworth made it up immediately with a deep drive to right field off of starter Zac Gallen, putting the Padres ahead. The score wouldn’t change on either side for the remaining eight innings. It was a fantastic showing for the Friars after a tough shutout on Monday night. They’ll need to keep it up in the hopes of winning the series over the Dbacks.

Taking the mound

Jose Cabrera (AZ) v. Michael King (SD)

With the Dbacks dealing with injuries to their rotation, Cabrera was called up a few weeks ago to bolster the pitching staff. The righty has pitched just three games for Arizona and had looked decent. He debuted with five shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins but has since regressed, surrendering seven runs in his last 8 1/3 frames.

Cabrera is a pitcher the Padres should be all over tonight. His two primary pitches are a cutter and four-seamer, both of which feature below-average velocity (89.6 and 93.4 mph on average). Even though the Friars haven’t faced Cabrera before, he shouldn’t be difficult for them to solve.

There’s no other way to say it, King needs to rebound soon. It’s the right-hander’s last start before the All-Star break. It would certainly be much better to head into the break with a good outing in the minds of the Friar Faithful.

That said, King has been better lately than it’s seemed. In his last three starts, the righty has given up six runs across 17 1/3 innings, good for a 3.12 ERA. That’s considerably better than the 4.69 mark across his last seven outings (and a slight improvement from the 3.52 ERA King’s posted this season). If he can keep that recent uptick going by quieting Arizona’s bats, it could give San Diego some momentum.

Batter up!

After scoring four runs on three hits in the first inning, the Padres’ lineup went somewhat dormant. They scraped together three more hits but didn’t put any more runs on the board. They didn’t need it last night, but San Diego didn’t take advantage of as many mistakes from Arizona’s pitching staff as they could have. They’ll be more margin for error tonight against the rookie Cabrera, but only if King can rebound from his recent difficulties.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Jackson Merrill, CF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Gavin Sheets, 1B
5. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Miguel Andujar, DH
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Samad Taylor, LF

The new-look lineup paid off immediately despite looking quite interesting. After Cronenworth’s move to second in the order, the keystone position player shifted to the cold corner for the day. That went just about as well as could be expected, with Cronenworth making an error on the first ball hit his way. He mellowed out after that, but Sheets or Ty France should be back at first base tonight.

Relief corps

After Yuki Matsui struggled to record a second out in the sixth inning, newcomer Jhony Brito came in with runners on first and second base and just one out. He immediately induced a double play to end the trouble before pitching a perfect seventh inning. Brito has long been viewed as a hopeful addition for San Diego who has been derailed by injuries. Hopefully, he can finally put it all together.

Behind Brito, Bradley Rodriguez and Mason Miller pitched a perfect eighth and ninth. Miller nailed down his 23rd save of the year, putting him atop the National League in the statistic (third overall). Brito’s outing allows the Padres options tonight, with Kyle Hart, Ron Marinaccio, Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta available. Miller could also pitch if the Friars enter the ninth in a save situation.

After a rumor came out that Anthony Volpe refused to learn second base when the club asked him, the Yankees shortstop and the team defended the young infielder.

"It definitely caught me off guard. It's confusing because it's not true. It couldn't be further from the truth," Volpe told the media, including MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, on Wednesday. "From my end, from our perspective, that's been very clearly communicated to Boonie and the team, and I think it's just kind of B.S.”

The rumor began when Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay said on his radio show on Tuesday that he had heard from people that Volpe refused to learn a new position while he was optioned to the minors. Kay has since retracted what he said.

Volpe was asked if he felt playing shortstop was a part of his identity and pushed back on that assertion.

"No. When I was getting optioned, I told Boonie I'd play catcher. I'd do literally whatever the team needed, and that's the truth behind the story," Volpe answered. "I still have no problem [playing second]. I want to be here, and I want to help the team win the World Series. That's literally all I want. So for anything opposite to be put out there, it's kind of just confusing."

"He handles things incredibly well, and I don't think he is affected by the different things that can be said on whatever, social or -- he's a gamer. He's a tough, tough kid that loves the game and plays his butt off every single day," manager Aaron Boone said prior to Wednesday's game with the Rays. "I wish that was celebrated a little bit more."

Volpe's fourth season in the bigs has been a tough one for the 25-year-old. In 41 games, Volpe is slashing .240/.338/.326 with an OPS of .664. He's also not playing shortstop regularly, as Jose Caballero has performed well enough to take playing time away from Volpe.

The Yankees are starting Volpe at shortstop in Wednesday's game against the Rays with Caballero playing second. 

Mets lineup

A.J. Ewing – CF
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Lindor – SS
Carson Benge – RF
Jorge Polanco – DH
Jared Young – 1B
Brett Baty – 2B
Francisco Alvarez – C

Christian Scott – RHP

Royals lineup

Carter Jensen – C
Bobby Witt – SS
Jac Caglianone – 1B
Lane Thomas – CF
Salvador Perez – DH
Michael Massey – 2B
Nick Loftin – 3B
Isaac Collins – LF
Tyler Tolbert – RF

Randy Dobnak – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

After such a promising start to this pivotal four-game series against the Rays, the Yankees ceded that ground back thanks to a disappointing start from Will Warren in which he allowed three home runs in four innings. It means that the Bombers can no longer finish this series tied for the division lead – something that a four-game sweep would have accomplished. All the same, there is still a chance to take three of four from the division leaders, starting with a win tonight.

Hopefully Gerrit Cole can right the ship after Warren’s stinker last night. He’s coming off one of his better starts of the season — five innings of two-run ball with no walks and seven strikeouts against the Twins. His four-seam command was as good as we’ve seen it since his campaign started on May 22nd, but he’ll need to find a more consistent release point on his slider and changeup facing a Rays team that traditionally demolishes fastballs from Yankees pitchers. In eight starts, Cole is 3-3 with a 4.01 ERA (105 ERA+), 4.41 FIP, and 41 strikeouts in 42.2 innings.

Shane McClanahan is back to his best after missing all of the last two seasons to Tommy John surgery in 2024 and triceps surgery in 2025. The fastball velocity is down about a tick-and-a-half from his peak resulting in a slightly depressed strikeout rate, but he has more than made up for that by slashing his home run rate almost in half from his prior career average. That becomes important when you consider that the Yankees’ relative success against him — 4.70 ERA, 4.91 FIP, .507 SLG in eight starts — is largely down to the long ball. In 16 starts this year, McClanahan is 7-5 with a 3.05 ERA (141 ERA+), 3.29 FIP, and 77 strikeouts in 79.2 innings.

The Yankees make three changes to last night’s lineup. Trent Grisham gets the night off, meaning Max Schuemann slides over to play center and Jasson Domínguez comes in to play right. Anthony Volpe returns to play short moving José Caballero to second and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the bench. Austin Wells replaces Ali Sánchez behind the plate despite the latter’s two hits yesterday.

The Rays also make three changes from last night’s lineup. Victor Mesa Jr. and Hunter Feduccia both homered off Warren, but they are replaced by Jonny DeLuca in right and Nick Fortes behind the plate, respectively. Richie Palacios was pinch-hit for by Ben Williamson in the sixth and now its Williamson who gets the start at second.

How to watch

Location: Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg, FL

First pitch: 6:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: Amazon Prime Video, Rays.TV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM (TB)

Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Midweek Matchup. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/sVQ2Krfy0n

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 8, 2026

Right on cue

👀: https://t.co/QIZAuG9SjE
👂: 95.7 WDAE pic.twitter.com/LOVMShXqgN

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 8, 2026

The Royals are coming off of two wild games in a row. They have amassed 31 runs on 41 hits, and they are even on a winning streak of three games. We have to take small victories at this point. Tonight’s game is likely to have some scoring too, though baseball is weird, so you never know. The Royals will have Stephen Cruz as opener into Randy Dobnak the bulk man. That does not seem like the sort of thing that will keep run production down. Here are the lineups for the 6:10 central start in Queens.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

Midweek matchup#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/VcnivpjaML

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 8, 2026

For the Reds:

Burns Day on ESPN.

Powered by @PNCBankpic.twitter.com/9I7gu0dGE0

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 8, 2026

Let’s talk about it.

The Orioles will look to get back in the win column with Dean Kremer on the mound tonight against the Cubs. Baltimore will face right-handed starter Colin Rea after struggling last night against lefty Matthew Boyd.

Gunnar Henderson will be back in the leadoff spot tonight with Taylor Ward batting third. Adley Rutschman will bat second and catch Kremer, while Samuel Basallo takes the five-hole as the DH. Pete Alonso will bat clean up and play first base.

Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser will bat sixth and seventh while rounding out the outfield. Blaze Alexander (third base) and Jackson Holliday (second base) will complete the lineup.

Kremer tossed six innings of one-run ball against the White Sox in his first start since April 18. He’ll look to continue his success against Windy City opponents tonight.

Every game is crucial as the Orioles rapidly approach the All Star break and trade deadline. The Birds must win tonight if they hope to take the three-game series at Camden Yards.

Orioles lineup

1. Gunnar Henderson SS
2. Adley Rutschman C
3. Taylor Ward LF
4. Pete Alonso 1B
5. Samuel Basallo DH
6. Dylan Beavers RF
7. Colton Cowser CF
8. Blaze Alexander 3B
9. Jackson Holliday 2B

Starter: RHP Dean Kremer

The Atlanta Braves are on a three-game losing streak. There have been too many of those three game losing streaks lately. They’ll now be hoping to avoid tying their season-long losing streak of four games with another loss tonight. Hopefully Grant Holmes can deliver a solid start and the offense can keep on moving in the right direction so that we’ll have a win to talk about later tonight. Let’s get it.

• Preview
• Lineups

Last night, the Athletics’ losing streak reached four games, as the team fell to the Detroit Tigers 6-2 in the opening contest of this three-game series. The A’s had a chance to win after knocking Tarik Skubal out following five innings while trailing by just one run. However, miscommunication between two A’s players on a pop fly to shallow right field sparked a two-out rally for the Tigers, who extended their lead from 2-1 to 6-1 and effectively sealed the victory.

Left-hander Jeffrey Springs will start today for the A’s, who will look to even the series and force tomorrow’s finale to become a series decider. The 33-year-old southpaw enters his 19th start of the season with a 3-8 record, a 5.79 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and 80 strikeouts across 93 1/3 innings. Since opening the season strong, Springs has struggled significantly over the past few months. His ERA ranks as the fourth highest in the major leagues and he has surrendered more home runs than any other pitcher.

Much of these struggles can be attributed to pitching in the hitter-friendly confines of Sutter Health Park, a particularly difficult environment for a fly ball pitcher. The split is especially striking: Springs has allowed 16 home runs at home compared to just eight on the road. He gave up two more home runs in his last start, a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he allowed six runs on eight hits and four walks over 5 1/3 innings.

Comerica Park generally plays as a pitcher-friendly ballpark, meaning fly balls that might clear the fence at the A’s home stadium often turn into long outs in Detroit. Given how well the park suits Springs’ fly ball tendencies, this is an excellent opportunity for Springs to deliver a much-needed quality start and earn his first win since April.

The A’s lineup for this afternoon’s matchup:

Today's 9 👊 pic.twitter.com/DPnKh50d3O

— Athletics (@Athletics) July 8, 2026

Tyler Soderstrom makes his return as the designated hitter, a move that should help avoid putting immediate strain on his injured hip while the left fielder works his way back into action. Zack Gelof, who started in left field the past two games, shifts to third base with Max Muncy no longer on the major-league roster.

Joshua Kuroda-Grauer looks to continue his hot start offensively, but more importantly, he and right fielder Lawrence Butler need to improve their defensive communication tonight. The A’s also need more from Kuroda-Grauer’s middle-infield partner, shortstop Jacob Wilson, who went hitless yesterday in his first game off the injured list.

The A’s offense will face Tigers’ right-hander Troy Melton, who has gotten off to an excellent start this season. The 25-year-old enters his eighth start with a 4-1 record, a 2.05 ERA, a 0.80 WHIP and 32 strikeouts over 44 innings. In his previous start, Melton received a no-decision after holding the New York Yankees scoreless through 6 1/3 innings, only giving up two hits while striking out seven.

This will be Melton’s second time facing the Athletics, but first as a starting pitcher. Last August, he threw three scoreless relief innings against the “Green and Gold”. The A’s will hope for more success against the talented young right-hander tonight. Their hitters must capitalize on any mistake pitches Melton leaves over the plate, while working deep counts, a strategy they used last night to force Skubal to hand the game over to Detroit’s bullpen in the sixth inning.

And the Tigers’ starting nine:

92/162

⚾️ 6:40 PM ET
📺 @WatchDSN
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ Comerica Park pic.twitter.com/fMUUxGYYtV

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 8, 2026

Springs will need to be careful when pitching to the Tigers’ trio of All-Stars: catcher Dillon Dingler, left fielder Riley Greene and American League Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin McGonigle. Outside of those three players, the Tigers’ lineup does not look quite as intimidating, although their other hitters can still make A’s pitchers pay if they make mistakes.

Time to bounce back, snap this skid and get back in the win column. Let’s go Athletics!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, July 8, 2026, 6:40 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are back in action as they take on the Atlanta Braves in the second game of their annual series at PNC Park.

Grant Holmes is drawing the start for the Braves. He’s coming off a win in his last appearance against the New York Mets on July 3, pitching five innings and giving up five hits and one earned run in the 5-3 victory. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Holmes and gave him his first victory in a month.

The Pirates are giving the ball to Jared Jones for the eighth time this season. It’s Jones’s first start since July 2, when he faced the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Jones pitched four innings, giving up just two hits and one earned run, but wasn’t in the game long enough to be part of the decision.

Jones has been slowly working back from Tommy John surgery, which held him out of the entire 2025 campaign. Therefore, he has only pitched five innings in one of his seven starts so far this season, which came on June 4 against the Houston Astros in a 5-1 victory. The Pirates are 5-2 in games where Jones starts, which is a good omen for tonight’s matchup against the Braves, who lead the NL East with a week to go before the All-Star break.

Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Grant Holmes (5-4, 3.83 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (1-1, 5.28 ERA)

BD community, chime off in the comments section below.

Dedniel Núñez is one step closer to making his return to the Mets. 

The right-handed reliever had his rehab transferred to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. 

This comes after Núñez logged back-to-back scoreless appearances with Double-A Binghamton. 

He still likely has a couple more boxes to check off before making his way back to the big-league bullpen, as his velo has been down a few ticks in the early going. 

Núñez, of course, hasn't pitched in the majors since July 2025. 

The righty landed on the injured list at the beginning of the month with a right elbow sprain, and he ended up having to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career. 

At the time, Núñez was in the midst of an up-and-down season on the mound. 

The year before that, though, he had broken through as a weapon out of New York's bullpen. 

Núñez was able to build off his strong start to the Triple-A season, pitching to a 2.31 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 25 appearances after receiving a call up to the big-league level.  

If the Mets could get that version of the 30-year-old back down the stretch it would be a nice boost, especially with them potentially moving some of their high-leverage relievers ahead of the deadline. 

Joe DeMayo welcomes The Athletic's Will Sammon as guest co-host to deliver the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as the Mets stumble towards the All-Star break. 

Joe and Will recap another frustrating week of games, plus have a discussion about the relationship between Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. The guys then dive into a preview of a likely Mets trade deadline sale, including the value of potential returns for Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and other bullpen parts. 

Later, MLB.com's Jim Callis joins the show to preview the 2026 MLB Draft and pick options for the Mets, then the show wraps with the Mailbag, which answers questions about possibly trading Lindor, evaluating Francisco Alvarez, if there's a market for Bo Bichette, and chasing Japanese star Teruaki Sato.

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.