Category: MLB

Saturday night, the Red Sox were down 2-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth against the Giants. The crowd had been anxious all game—understandably—but something shifted when Caleb Durbin led off the inning with a walk. The noise inside a 114-year-old stadium started to rise and crescendoed in a walk-off that encapsulates the luck and magic of the 2026 Boston Red Sox.

The walk-off itself wasn’t just something the crowd watched, though. It felt like something they willed into existence.

That’s what’s been happening at Fenway Park this summer. A building and a fanbase that has decided it’s part of this team.

Sellouts, near-sellouts, 37,000-plus on a regular Friday night in August. You can cite the attendance figures, but the number that actually matters is decibels. Jerseys are coming off—the tarps-off phenomenon sweeping the bleachers, people yanking their shirts over their heads and spinning them in the air like rally towels. People in apartments on Boylston Street are posting videos of themselves hearing the roar from inside their living rooms. That’s not a normal August at Fenway, or at least hasn’t been for quite some time.

I was at last Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks, and the crowd there had that same edge—that sense that nobody in the building was treating this as a casual summer night out. Even in a blowout, it’s beyond apparent how engaged and just purely fun the stands at Fenway are right now. Yankees Suckchants breaking out unprompted, everyone screaming their heads off at Mr. Brightside during a pitching change, every single person leaping to their feet the moment Sweet Caroline came on. It was infectious. The energy is different this year. You can feel it the moment you walk through the gates.

Friday night was the purest version of it. Rafael Devers walked out for his first at-bat back at his old ballpark and Fenway didn’t just boo—it rained boos on this man, 37,000 people making sure he knew exactly where he was and what this series meant. Whether you wanted boos or cheers, the crowd made its distain pretty well known, even to the chagrin of some other media pundits who were shocked there were so many jeers. Devers struck out. Later on, Willson Contreras hit one 450 feet over the Monster and the building became the loudest it’s been all year.

This is what a pennant race sounds like.

After a stretch of Red Sox baseball where the question was whether anyone was going to bother showing up—the pandemic years, the “rebuilding years” with Chaim Bloom, the quiet Septembers, the half-filled sections and the general sense of waiting for something to happen—this summer has felt like a reset, not just in the standings, but in the relationship between this team and this city. For the years of apathy that permeated from ownership and the front office on down to Red Sox Nation, there’s finally a well-earned feeling that everyone has bought in all at once.

The Red Sox are 25-11 since the All-Star Break, the best record in baseball over that stretch. They’re back over .500 at home for the first time since April 17th. They have strong footing in the Wild Card hunt. And Fenway has responded the way Fenway responds when it actually believes in something—which is with everything it has, every night, from the first pitch to the ninth inning comeback.

The crowd needs the team to keep giving them reasons. The team needs the crowd in September. Right now, both sides of that deal are holding up their end. And it has been one of the most raucous, engaged, alive stretches this ballpark has seen in a very long time.

Go outside and stand on Lansdowne Street some time. You’ll hear it.

In the Friday night game discussion, when the Colorado Rockies were being blown out by the Cleveland Guardians, there was some conversation about the effect the Rockies defense had on their overall record.

Although I lack the skills to make that correlation, I did wonder how this year’s defense compared to some of the teams we’ve seen. Are the Colorado Rockies really that bad defensively?

All caveats about the limits of defensive metrics apply here, though I would add that, regardless of accuracy, defensive metrics create a common measure by which to compare players. In this discussion, I want to explore a number of defensive metrics: errors, defensive runs saved, outs above average, and fielding run average. Also, keep in mind this this year’s numbers are a work in progress while the numbers from previous years are for a full season.

In terms of my comparison pools, I went with this year’s team, last year’s 2025 (historically bad) team, and the 2018 team, which was the last season the Rockies went to the postseason.

All numbers were current as of Saturday.

Errors

According to MLB.com, “A fielder is given an error if, in the judgment of the official scorer, he fails to convert an out on a play that an average fielder should have made.”

Team errors

In 2026, as a team, the Colorado Rockies have committed 84 errors, which ties them with the San Francisco Giants for second most errors in MLB. (The Boston Red Sox have the most with 90 errors, and the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs have the fewest with 48 while the Los Angeles Dodgers have slightly more with 52. Also worth noting, the Chicago White Sox are 12th with 69.)

For comparison, in 2025, the Rockies had the second-most errors with 110. (The Red Sox had the most with 116 while the White Sox were third with 100.)

And the 2018 team? That postseason-bound team had just 74 errors, the third fewest in MLB.

Individual errors

That leads to the question of which players are committing those errors, and for that, I went to FanGraphs.

Clearly, Hunter Goodman and Kyle Karros led the team in errors with 10. Willi Castro is on the leaderboard as well since the sum of errors he has committed is 10. Add to that Ezequiel Tovar’s nine errors, and those four players are responsible for almost half of the errors. (Connor Norby’s three errors in eight games seems like a bad sign.)

Defensive runs saved

Now consider defensive runs saved (DRS), another defensive metric. As a refresher, MLB.com defines DRS as “DRS quantifies a player’s entire defensive performance by attempting to measure how many runs a defender saved. It takes into account errors, range, outfield arm and double-play ability. It differs only slightly from UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) in its formula, but the concept is the same.”

Team DRS
This season in terms of DRS, the Rockies rank 25th with -11. (Notably, the Cubs are first with 89 followed by the Tampa Bay Rays with 61, which shows just how good the Cubs defense is this year. The worst DRS number goes to the Minnesota Twins with -37.)

Last year, the Rockies had -59 DRS, which was the worst number in baseball.

By this metric, the 2026 Rockies are significantly better than the 2025 squad.

And the DRS number in 2018? That would be 45, which was the eighth most in baseball.

Individual DRS

Here are the individual numbers, again per FanGraphs:

What’s notable here?

TJ Rumfield is the best in terms of DRS, and it’s not close. He has become a solid defender at first base. Meanwhile, Tyler Freeman looks on track to repeat as the Rockies worst defender as measured by DRS. This metric is less brutal on Karros and Goodman than errors, but the fact remains that only eight players have positive DRS numbers, and three of those where pitchers while Chad Steven’s only spent 63.0 innings with the Rockies.

In short, overall, this is not a very good team defensively.

Outs Above Average

According to MLB.com, “Outs Above Average (OAA) is a range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a player has saved.”

Team OAA

The 2026 Rockies are a bit more respectable by this metric by which they are ranked 20th with a -10. (Once again, the Cubs demonstrate this defensive dominance by putting up 62 OAA while the D-backs are second with 33, almost half as many.)

For comparison’s sake, the 2025 Rockies were 26th with -26 OAA. So, again, this is a better defensive team than the Rockies were last season. Believe it or not, the 2018 Rockies finished the season with -5 OAA, which put them at 18th.

Individual OAA

Below are the individual numbers for the Colorado Rockies, again courtesy of of FanGraphs.

This is another metric that indicates the deficiencies of the Rockies defense. Rumfield has a clear lead with six, but only five Rockies have an OOA score of higher than zero. Ten players have negative totals with Freeman and Edouard Julien tallying the lowest scores.

The good news is that 10 players have a zero OAA number, which means that they are average. A team with average defenders and improved hitters is a good trade off for a Rockies team that has struggled to get hits.

Fielding Runs Value

The final metric to consider is fielding run value, which MLB.com defines as follows: “Fielding Run Value (FRV) combines all of Statcast’s individual defensive metrics into one stat that measures a player’s overall defensive value.”

Team FRV

The 2026 Rockies are 25th at -19. Surprising no one, the Cubs are first with 63 while the Toronto Blue Jays come in second with 37.

Last season, the Rockies were 23rd with an FRV score of -20. It seems likely the 2026 squad will surpass that number before the season ends.

The 2018 team came in 10th with a four FRV score, which suggests the Rockies have never done very well by this metric.

Individual FRV

Here is how individual Rockies stack up:

Once again, Rumfield has surpassed his teammates, but having only five players with positive FRV’s seems like a bad sign. It is notable, however, this Tovar fares better by FRV.

Closing thoughts

So what does it all mean?

In compiling this, mostly I wanted to put together all of the numbers to provide a basis for a larger discussion.

But here are a few things I took away.

First, TJ Rumfield is as good defensively as we thought he is — and he is easily the best defender on this Rockies team.

Second, the defensive numbers are worse, but this team shows improvement over the 2025 Rockies. I suspect the still-below-average numbers are attributable to a few things. The Rockies have young players and new free agents who are learning the nuances of playing at Coors Field.

In addition, the Rockies are moving to a more “optionality-focused” defense, which is going to drive down numbers. So far, this front office is valuing a player’s utility over his expertise — though it’s worth noting that one of their defensive specialists, Rumfield, is the defensive leader.

Those are a few ideas I’m thinking through, and I look forward to reading your thoughts.

This week on the internet

This is just so cool.

On the farm

Triple-A: Las Vegas Aviators 10, Albuquerque Isotopes8

Former Isotopes pitcher Geoff Hartlieb escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the ninth by striking out the final two hitters, as the Las Vegas Aviators took the series-closing game 10-8 from Albuquerque on Sunday at Rio Grande Credit Union Field.  The Aviators claimed five of six contests in the set.

Sterlin Thompson led off the ninth inning with a single, then an out later, Vimael Machin roped a single off the wall in right, sending Thompson to third.  Hartlieb then fanned Chad Stevens swinging and caught Roc Riggio looking to end the ballgame.

Thompson was 3-for-4, the third time he has picked up three hits in the last eight games he has played. Meanwhile, Adael Amador was 2-for-4 with a double, and is slashing .333/.421/.636 with five doubles, five homers and 13 RBI over his last 15 games. Charlie Condon was 1-for-4 with a single and hit by pitch.  He is slashing .202/.311/.287 with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 16 RBI over his last 33 games.  Condon has been hit by 16 pitches this year, most in the Pacific Coast League.

The Isotopes issued at least nine walks in a game for the 11^th time this season.

With 24 games remaining in the season, Albuquerque must go a minimum of 14-10 down the stretch to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2013.

Double-A: Somerset Patriots9, Hartford Yard Goats 6

In the series finale, the Somerset Patriots scored five runs in the ninth inning to come from behind and defeat the Hartford Yard Goats 9-6 in Hartford. Although the Yard Goats had a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning and a 6-4 lead in the ninth inning, the Patriots rallied to win the series. Dyan Jorge mashed a two-run homer, his first of the season, and Jared Thomas and Skyler Messinger each had two hits.

The Yard Goats scored the game’s first run in the first inning against Somerset starter Sean Paul Linan. Thomas singled, stole second base, and scored on a hit by Jack O’Dowd to make it 1-0. Then the Yard Goats plates three more runs in the fourth inning to give them a 4-0 lead. After Jorge’s homer, Zach Kokoska scored on a wild pitch to give Hartford a 4-0 lead.

In addition, Yard Goats starter Konner Eaton allowed just two hits over the first five innings, completed six innings, surrendered two runs on three hits, and left with a 4-2 lead. Eaton retired the first five batters of the game before working out of bases-loaded jams in both the second and third innings. The lefty handled the fifth inning before allowing a two-out, two-run home run to Manny Palencia in the sixth inning make it a 4-2 game.

Somerset made it 4-3 on Jace Avina’s RBI single in the seventh inning against reliever Fidel Ulloa and then tied the game in the eighth inning on a throwing error. The Yard Goats took a 6-4 lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

But it wasn’t enough. The Patriots scored five runs in the ninth off reliever Victor Juarez to take a 9-6 lead. The inning began with back-to-back doubles and a walk to load the bases. Jace Avina then walked with the bases loaded to make it 6-5, and DJ Gladney’s sacrifice fly tied the game at 6-6. then, Manny Palencia’s RBI single scored Avina and Somerset grabbed a 7-6 lead. The Patriots added two more runs on an error and hit batsman.  

High-A: Hillsboro Hops15,Spokane Indians 6

Today, the Indians dropped their series finale with Hillsboro as the Hops pummeled the Indians.

The Hops hit four home runs, including two from Kenny Castillo and a grand slam from Carlos Virahonda. In the course of the game, Hillsboro batted around twice (first and seventh innings) and tallied 13 runs in those innings.

In the bottom of the second inning, Robert Calaz hit a solo homer to get the Indians on the board. It was his ninth of the season and fifth in his last eight games.

Spokane tried to mount a comeback in the fifth inning with no outs when they loaded the bases. With one out, Wilder Dalis singled followed by an Ethan Hedges walk that forced in a run, making the score 9-3. After a pitching change, Tanner Thach hit into a double play to end the inning.

The Indians tried again in the sixth and got the score down to 9-5. But things pretty much ended in the seventh when the Hops took a 13-5 lead on a pair of homers, including a grand slam.

Single-A: Fresno Grizzlies 10, Stockton Ports 9(F/11)

It was a back-and-forth affair, but the Grizzlies were the only Rockies affiliate to win their game today against the Stockton Ports (A’s).

Stockton got out to an early lead when they drew a bases-loaded walk in the second inning. They then tacked on in the second with a sac fly, and then an RBI single in the third to go up 3-0. Then, Gavin Turley hit a grand slam to put the Ports up 7-0. Fresno finally broke through in the fourth when Carlos Renzullo walked, Cristian Arguelles (No. 5 PuRP) singled, and then Daniel Jackson (No. 12 PuRP) singled to score Renzullo.

However, things got interesting in the sixth.

Renzullo singled to lead things off, and then Arguelles tripled to score him. Jackson ten singled to score Arguelles, and Ronny Ugarte doubled. A wild pitch moved up Ugarte, and then Jack Natili walked. Upon a pitching change, Juan Martinez grounded into a 4-6 force out, but Ugarte was able to score and put Fresno within two. Cort MacDonald popped out to short, but then Aidan Redahan singled to push Martinez to third. Ashly Andujar singled to score Martinez, and made the score 7-6. Renzullo flew out to end the inning.

In the seventh, Gavin Turley homered to make it 8-6. But then Fresno came alive again in the ninth when Arguelles walked and Jackson doubled to score him. Then, Ugarte singled and Daniel Jackson scored on a fielding error by the left fielder to tie the game 8-8.

It went back-and-forth in extras, but Fresno had the last laugh. In the 11th inning, Juan Martinez singled to move Jack Natili, the ghost runner, and then Cort MacDonald singled to walk it off 10-9.

Jackson went 4-for-6 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Arguelles went 3-for-5 with a triple, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk. And Ugarte went 3-for-5 with a double, a run scored and two strikeouts.

On the pitching side, Bryson Van Sickle took the brunt of it — pitching just four innings and allowing seven runs (five earned) on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Sam Larson and Tanner Sagouspe combined for two scoreless innings, while Wilmis Paulino gave up one earned run — a homer — in his one inning of work. Ethan Cole earned the win, pitching the final four innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Walker statue unveiled at Coors Field: “Guess that’s a way to slow me down” | MLB.com

Patrick Saunders (recently of the Denver Post) stood in for Thomas Harding today and covered the unveiling of the Larry Walker statue. “To have a statue outside of this ballpark, that’s an honor that’s pretty tough to put into words,” Walker said. “When I came here, my job was to keep moving — hit the ball, run the bases, chase fly balls in the gap, do anything I could to help us win. And now, here I am, frozen in bronze. I guess that’s a way to slow me down.”

FanGraphs Weekly Mailbag: August 22, 2026 | FanGraphs

The question is “Who is the worst player ever to hit three home runs in a major league game?” Do you know the answer?

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

Good morning.

• Commissioner Rob Manfred went on the ESPN broadcast of the MLB Little League Classic last night. Johnny Flores Jr. has three big points that Manfred made about the state of the game. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Kristie Ackert has some non-paywall summary of Manfred’s statements.
• The Braves beat the Brewers in the Little League Classic, by the way, thanks in part to a Michael Harris home run.
• Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski went head-to-head with a Little Leaguer and lost . . .in ping pong. Theo DeRosa with the story.
• Dayn Perry breaks down every at-bat of Misiorowski’s start on Friday to explain why he’s so dominating.
• Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo reacted to news that their injured star Ketel Marte was seen at a casino during a D-Backs game.
• That’s as good a place as any to start paying the butcher’s bill. Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is out for 4-to-5 weeks after surgery on a fractured hand after getting hit by a pitch. So that’s pretty close to the rest of the regular season.
• D-Backs righty Michael Soroka goes to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Sounds familiar.
• Yankees southpaw Ryan Weathers goes on the IL with a left flexor strain.
• And Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury and is probably out for the season. While recovering from a right calf strain, Stanton strained his left calf.
• Padres right-hander Casey Mize injured himself slipping on the dugout steps. Mize is hoping to avoid an IL stint.
• Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson is out for the year with a left shoulder injury.
• Good news and bad news for the Brewers. The good news is that right-hander Brandon Woodruff does not need shoulder surgery. The bad news is that Woodruff is probably out for the season anyway. But at least he should be ready for Opening Day, whenever that is.
• Theo DeRosa reports that Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet no longer has the option to opt out of his contract in 2030 because of how much time he’s spent on the injured list this year. The Red Sox also gain a team option on his contract for 2032.
• Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani hopes to pitch during the next Dodgers homestand. It will probably just be one-inning starts until he builds up more strength.
• This may or may not qualify as an injury, but Rockies pitcher Jimmy Herget got stung by a bee (or maybe a wasp or hornet) during Sunday’s game.
• Dennis Lin explains how the late Peter Seidler turned the Padres around and turned them into a team that just sold for $3.9 billion dollars. (The Athletic sub. req.) Lin also looks at the financial outlook for the Padres new ownership team.
• Dodgers team president Stan Kasten insists that the team is not for sale.
• Brent Maguire has ten players who got off to slow starts this year but are turning it on now. Yes, Alex Bregman is on the list.
• Mike Axisa has five formerly highly-regarded prospects who are running out of time to prove themselves in the majors.
• Matt Snyder looks at which of the worst teams from this year have a chance to be playoff contenders next year.
• Dan Szymborski is optimistic about the Mets’ chances of being good next year.
• Russell Dorsey believes that the Mariners are almost out of time to avoid being the most disappointing team of 2026.
• Travis Sawchik evaluates some interesting bullpens on playoff contenders.
• Tim Britton examines the hottest team in baseball since the Trade Deadline: The Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Mets’ Double-A team. (The Athletic sub. req.) The Rumble Ponies’ surge is led in part by former Cub Jefferson Rojas. Interestingly enough, Rojas said the Cubs told him that he was likely to be traded at the deadline, which I think is pretty classy of the Cubs.
• It’s the minor leagues, but this may be the home-run steal of the year.

• Sam Blum and Stephen J. Nesbitt explain the difficulties in making “fair/foul” calls on balls that go over the foul pole and why technology can’t currently solve the problem. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Bryan Horowitz introduces us to the custom cleats company run by former major league pitcher Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie’s cleats are all the rage among major leaguers at the moment.
• And finally, White Sox fan Emma Rodriguez caught Jake Rogers walk-off home run while at the same time spilling the entire contents of her purse while celebrating.

Welcome to week 22 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!

1. Milwaukee Brewers (81-50); 4-2 this week; 100.0% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)

The Brewers had another strong week with a pair of series victories over the Mariners and Braves, including a 22-0 romp of Seattle in Tuesday’s series opener. Milwaukee became the first team in the majors to guarantee at least a .500 season with their 81st win on Saturday afternoon.

Jake Bauers led the team with a pair of homers and a double this week, while William Contreras led the team with 10 hits this week. Luis Lara added nine hits, including his first career homer, and Garrett Mitchell had eight hits with a homer and two doubles. Joey Ortiz added six hits, including a homer and a double with five RBIs.

Logan Henderson, Kyle Harrison, and Jacob Misiorowski continue to shine atop Milwaukee’s rotation, as the three combined to allow just one run (by Henderson) across 17 innings in their appearances this week, striking out 18. DL Hall, Trevor Megill, Chad Patrick, and Bryse Wilson had scoreless weeks for the bullpen, totaling 13 2/3 innings with 16 strikeouts.

Milwaukee gets another off day on Monday as they head to New York to face the Mets for three games beginning Tuesday night. They’ll then return home to host the Rangers for three games over the weekend.

2. Chicago Cubs (75-56); 3-3 this week; 97.8% chance to make postseason

The Cubs had a .500 week, taking two of three against the White Sox behind a pair of walk-off wins before dropping two of three to the Mariners over the weekend in Seattle.

Pete Crow-Armstrong had another big week with five homers and two doubles as part of nine hits, while Alex Bregman also had nine hits with three homers and eight RBIs. Nico Hoerner picked up eight hits, and Ian Happ and Michael Busch both homered twice.

David Peterson and Clay Holmes turned in the best starts of the week for the Cubs, as Peterson went 7 1/3 innings across a start and relief appearance, allowing two runs and striking out nine. Holmes went 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed despite picking up just one strikeout. Aaron Civale shined out of the bullpen with four strikeouts and no runs allowed across 5 1/3 relief innings.

Chicago now heads down to Phoenix to take on the Diamondbacks for three games before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then host the Reds for three games over the weekend.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (66-66); 3-5 this week; 2.2% chance to make postseason

The Cardinals had a long, disappointing week, as they took three of five against the Reds before being swept by the Phillies, including a tough 6-4 walk-off loss after leading 4-0 in the ninth on Sunday.

Jordan Walker continued to rake, with 12 hits, including three homers and two doubles, driving in eight. Five other players also homered, including rookie JJ Wetherholt, who added a double as part of a nine-hit week. Alec Burleson added 10 hits, driving in six and picking up a pair of doubles.

While the starting rotation as a whole didn’t have a great week, Kyle Leahy shined. He made a pair of starts, totaling nine innings with no runs allowed on five hits and two walks, striking out a team-high 10 batters. Peter Strzelecki was solid out of the bullpen with five innings of one-run ball, striking out five, and Gordon Graceffo went 2 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances.

St. Louis gets Monday off before a homestand featuring matchups with the Orioles and Pirates begins on Tuesday.

4. Cincinnati Reds (62-69); 3-5 this week; 0.0% chance to make postseason

The Reds dropped three of five to the Cardinals at home this week before dropping two of three to the D-backs, and their once promising season is all but done at this point.

Matt McLain and Dane Myers both slugged a pair of homers, while Sal Stewart homered as part of an 11-hit week, driving in a team-high seven runs. Elly De La Cruz also had nine hits, and JJ Bleday added eight hits.

Chase Burns and Kent Emanuel had the best starts of the week for Cincy, as both pitchers went five innings with two runs allowed (Burns struck out eight and Emanuel struck out four). Tejay Antone, Julian Garcia, and Zach McCambley combined for 7 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing no runs and striking out four.

Cincinnati will continue the road trip with three games in San Francisco to begin this week. After an off day on Thursday, they’ll wrap up their trip with three games at Wrigley against the Cubs.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates (63-69); 2-4 this week; 1.0% chance to make postseason

The Pirates took two of three at home against the Tigers to begin the week but were swept by the Dodgers in L.A. to finish with another sub-.500 week.

Oneil Cruz and Rafael Flores both slugged a pair of homers to lead Pittsburgh’s offense, while Brandon Lowe led the team with six hits, including a homer and double in what was an overall down week offensively for the Pirates.

Braxton Ashcraft turned in another strong start, totaling eight innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts to pick up the win. Lake Bachar went three total innings in a start and a relief appearance, allowing one run and striking out a pair. Khristian Curtis, Camilo Doval, Antwone Kelly, Mason Montgomery, Luke Weaver, and Kirby Yates combined for 15 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out 16.

Pittsburgh continues the road trip with three games in San Diego before an off day on Thursday. They’ll then wrap up the trip with a three-game set in St. Louis.

Good morning, baseball fans!

A new week of San Francisco Giants baseball begins today, so it’s time to take a look at what’s on deck for the week.

The Giants head back to Oracle Park for the week, welcoming the Cincinnati Reds to town tonight to begin a three-game series. After that, the Arizona Diamondbacks come to town for a four-game series over the weekend.

Personally, I don’t really have a preference between the two opponents. But the Reds are sitting in last place in the NL Central. They’re still doing better than the Giants, but they might be the less formidable opponents. So I’ll go ahead and pick them as the series I’m most interested in this week. Since we only have to see them twice a year instead of the nine billion times we see the Diamondbacks.

Which series are you most interested in this week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants begin their series against the Reds tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT.

Michael Wacha continues to churn out quality starts, writes Jaylon Thompson.

“When you are giving up one run, you are going to have a pretty good chance to win,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And two runs yesterday. That’s usually the name of the game. When your pitching is solid, you’ve got a better chance to win.”

Wacha allowed just one run in seven innings. He scattered three hits while registering six strikeouts against the Tigers’ potent lineup. It was his seventh victory and 17th quality start — most in the American League.

“Wacha’s the best, man,” Perez said. “Wacha’s been doing that all season long. And every time he is going to pitch, he’s going to give everything he has for us.”

Anne Rogers writes about the Saturday win.

Isbel was just one of the heroes in the Royals’ win on Saturday. After Isbel put them on the board, Salvador Perez clobbered his 17th home run in the fourth inning to pad the lead. Jac Caglianone doubled in the sixth, moved to third on Perez’s groundout and scored on a wild pitch for insurance. By his celebration, Perez seemed more fired up for moving the runner than his home run.

“As soon as they changed the pitcher, Vinnie [Pasquantino] and I talked, like, ‘I’m going to try to move him,’” Perez said. “Bring him in by moving the other way. He threw me a curveball that backed up and jammed me a little bit, but I still hit it to second base. Sometimes things happen. Don’t have the opportunity to bring him in, but the wild pitch scored that run. We’re doing the little things like that, and it’s good for the team.”

On Sunday, Salvy had his first stolen base in five years.

Craig Kimbrel earned his first save with the Royals, the 441th of his career.

“You get the final out,” Kimbrel said, “I think that’s one of the things that’s so enticing and fun about closing out games. It’s when you throw the last pitch and the last out is made, you can take a breath and everybody gets to go home happy.”

Royals 2026 first-round pick Zion Rose hits his first pro home run.

Preston Farr checks in on 2026 Royals draftees.

Rose has been a mixed bag thus far. He’s made an immediate impact with his speed, stealing eight bases in his first ten games with the River Bandits. The power, however, has been absent, however. Rose did hit his first home run with the Bandits as I’m typing this on Saturday afternoon, but still mid-game action, it isn’t included in the above stat line. Rose has walked at a healthy rate and limited strikeouts enough, but in all it’s been a middling debut for the sixth-overall selection in this year’s draft. That isn’t to say it’s time to sound the alarm bells. Jac Caglianone posted just a 98 wRC+ with a .388 SLG in his small-sample debut with Quad Cities in 2024.

Latif Love at the Star writes about the stories that made Salvador Perez who he is today.

J.J. Bleday hits for the cycle for the Reds.

Randy Arozarena becomes the third hitter in MLB history with a first-pitch home run, walk-off homer.

Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow will return on Tuesday.

The Phillies win their ninth straight on a Kyle Schwarber walk-off homer.

The Yankees lose Ryan Weathers but get Cody Bellinger back in the lineup.

The Rangers designate outfielder Jarred Kelenic for assignment.

Mariners infielder Brendan Donovan lands on the Injured List after a batting cage incident.

Shohei Ohtani may pitch as soon as next week.

Dodgers reliever Edwin Diaz plans to tinker with his arm angle while on the Injured List.

MLB players give their advice to participants in the Little League World Series.

How the “Bat King” created custom looks for players.

A tight end cut by the Cleveland Browns will attempt to play for LSU.

Wyndham Clark avoids collapse to win the BMW Championship.

Robots break world human records at the Robot Games.

New 2D barcodes could help prevent the spread of the next foodborne-illness.

Why do hummingbirds hum?

Your song of the day is Frank Black with Headache.

Triple-A: Nashville Sounds (MIL) 2, Norfolk Tides 0 (Game 1 – makeup)

This will be super quick, because there was really little offense over Game One’s seven innings. The Tides got no-hit, alas, and only a walk to Rece Hinds with one out left in the game kept it from being a combined perfecto.

On a positive note, starter Michael Forret kept it scoreless through four innings, though he allowed two runs in the fifth on a homer, single, and a double. Cameron Weston and José Espada tossed clean innings after him.

Box Score

Triple-A:Nashville Sounds (MIL) 7, Norfolk Tides 1 (Game 2)

One bad inning sunk the Tides in Game Two of the makeup doubleheader. Starter Trace Bright (1-9, 7.46 ERA) threw just 1.2 innings today and allowed five runs in the second inning alone—on two walks and four hits, including a three-run homer to cap things off. After him, Dietrich Enns pitched a good 2.1 innings, followed by talented prospect Luis de León, Codi Heuer and Yosver Zulueta. De León gave up a run on a walk and a double, and Zulueta on a walk and a pair of singles.

The Tides’ lone run came on a double by catcher Silas Ardoin and a single, plus a run-scoring groundout, by Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Jeremiah Jackson, respectively. Bradfield, Ardoin and Jud Fabian had the Tides’ lone hits on the day.  

Box Score

Double-A: Richmond Flying Squirrels (SFG) 6, Chesapeake Baysox 5 (F/10)

A weird result, as Richmond scored three in the first inning, then nothing until the three winning runs in the tenth inning. Those initial three, by the way, come off a rusty Félix Bautista, making his first appearance on a gametime mound since August ’25. Yes, The Mountain faced just five batters and walked three of them. But who cares? Great to see him, although also a fun thought to imagine the Double-A hitters learning they’d be facing him. Anyway, Tyson Neighbors relieved Bautista, but did him no favors, allowing another run-scoring walk and a sac fly.

The Baysox evened up the score with a snazzy double steal in the second, Colin Tuft taking second and Vance Honeycutt scoring the Baysox’s first run. Later on, Chesapeake got back-to-back homers by Wehiwa Aloy and Aron Estrada.

Regrettably, Brock Moore allowed three runs in the tenth inning, on a single and a couple of walks. The Baysox made it interesting in the bottom half with a two-out rally: Honeycutt walked and Thomas Sosa singled him home, along with ghost runner Dom Keegan. But they fell just short. Still, Honeycutt, Aloy and Estrada each had two hits today, and all three are OPS’ing over .800 currently. All aboard the hype train.

Box Score

High-A: Frederick Keys 7, Wilmington Blue Rocks (WAS) 2

The lone winner on the day, the Keys racked up 17 strikeouts across five pitchers. That included opener Boston Bateman, who tossed three scoreless with six strikeouts (!!). The 6’8” lefty has a 3.63 ERA/1.39 WHIP with 107 strikeouts in 79.1 innings at High-A this season. Those K numbers will do! After him, Jack Crowder, Teddy Sharkey, Zac Lampton, and Cohen Achen combined for six innings of two-run ball, the two opponent runs scoring on a Wilmington home run off Lampton.

The Keys got big contributions from the middle of the order, especially in a five-run seventh inning. Enddy Azocar had three hits. Catcher Ethan Anderson doubled to put his team up 2-0. Leandro Arias and Jordan Sanchez each homered. And Braylin Tavera singled home a run.

Box Score

Low-A: Hickory Crawdads (TEX) 4, Delmarva Shorebirds 2

Delmarva got out to a 2-0 lead, courtesy of a Stíven Martínez home run and a throwing error by the Crawdads, but gave up the lead on a three-run homer in the fifth, surrendered by reliever Francisco Morao. Morao also let in a fourth run on a balk. Tough day. The 20-year-old lefty, called up from the FCL in late July, has a 4.67 ERA in just under a month at Low-A Delmarva.

As for the offense, Martínez, DH’ing, had a nice 2-for-4 line including that homer. Jhomnardo Reyes reached base three times. Miguel Rodríguez (C/1B), Carlos Sánchez (C) and Félix Amparo (LF) had a hit apiece. Ty Head and Jaiden Lo Re went hitless in the game.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

There are no scheduled games for today.

The Guardians swept the Rockies and will now try to keep their four-game win streak going in Anaheim.

Nicole has your game recap here. It is so great to win baseball games. But… the Rockies are awful. I am waiting to hope until I see how the Guardians do vs. two far more frisky teams in the Angels and Royals this week to get excited. The Royals, incidentally, have won eight in a row and are about to be listed in our wildcard update section soon.

AROUND MLB:

The Orioles, Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros and Twins lost, while the White Sox and Rangers won. The Guardians and Rangers are tied for the third wildcard (Rangers have the tiebreaker). The Astros are also tied with both teams but Houston holds the tiebreaker over both.

Iowa Cubs 4, Toledo Mud Hens 2 (box)

Iowa closed out the series with its fourth straight win after dropping the first two games in Toledo. The Mud Hens’ offense finally woke up in the eighth, but a four-run deficit proved too much to overcome.

Beau Brieske got the start on a planned bullpen day. He walked a pair in the first but ended up striking out the side. He ended his day after two scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no hits allowed. Brieske landed 20 of his 34 pitches for strikes, inducing six whiffs on 12 swings. The slider was the primary source of the swing-and-miss (4), while his four-seamer and sinker both averaged 95 mph.

Luke Taggart was next out of the bullpen. He went 1-2-3 in the third and worked around a one-out single in the fourth. Taggart drew eight whiffs, with six coming on his secondary pitches. He ended the day with three strikeouts.

Yilber Díaz took over in the fifth and surrendered the first run of the game. Jackson Cluff hit a two-out triple and came home on a Justin Dean single. Díaz worked around a pair of walks in the sixth to keep it a one-run game.

Eric Silva, transferred from Erie before the game, ran into trouble in the seventh. He walked the leadoff man, and Matt Shaw’s two-out double brought the run home. Chas McCormick hit a two-run homer right after, making it a 4-0 game. Silva worked through the eighth, finishing the day with three strikeouts — all coming on his curveball — but the damage made it an outing to forget.

The Hens couldn’t do much offensively against Braxton Garrett, striking out seven times over five scoreless innings. They finally put together a rally against Iowa’s bullpen in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough.

Max Burt opened the frame with a double, and Trei Cruz walked. Jace Jung advanced Burt to third with a flyout, and Max Anderson broke the shutout with a sacrifice fly. Justice Bigbie drove home Cruz with a double to left. Unfortunately, that’s all the scoring Toledo did on the day.

Andre Granillo pitched the ninth. He struck out a pair while working around a two-out walk and a single.

Anderson: 2-3, 2B (20), RBI

Bigbie: 1-4, 2B (2), RBI, K

Burt: 1-3, 2B (10), R, 2 K

Brieske: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Coming Up Next: The Mud Hens open a series in St. Paul on Tuesday at 8:07 p.m. ET.

Erie SeaWolves 6, New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3 (box)

Erie closed out a 4-2 series win with another power display Sunday. Izaac Pacheco homered for the second straight day, and Clayton Campbell launched his first Double-A home run in just his second game with the SeaWolves.

Pacheco opened the second with a 463-foot solo shot, his 17th Double-A homer of the year. Pacheco hit 17 last year with West Michigan, so it’s nice to see the power tool stay consistent up a level.

E.J. Exposito doubled to start the third, and Zyhir Hope walked — one of three on the day for him. A double steal set up a sac fly from Thayron Liranzo. Clayton Campbell led off the fourth with his first home run with the SeaWolves. It only took him two games.

Joe Miller held New Hampshire scoreless through 3 2/3 innings in his third start back from the IL. Miller wasn’t particularly efficient, using 73 pitches to record 11 outs. He walked three and struck out three while allowing two hits. Still, a goose egg is a goose egg.

Colin Fields got the final out of the fourth and went 1-2-3 in the fifth. Johan Simon wasn’t as fortunate in the sixth, giving up a solo homer to the first batter he faced. Alexis Hernandez followed with a single, eventually scoring on a passed ball. Simon escaped the inning with a 3-2 lead by striking out the last two batters.

Dariel Fregio held the one-run lead with a pair of perfect innings. The SeaWolves pulled away in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run single from Woody Hadeen. Campbell and Luke Shliger both scored after leading off the inning with back-to-back singles. Exposito grounded out to bring Patrick Lee home, too, making it a 6-2 game.

Wandisson Charles closed things out, but not before giving up a run on a pair of singles and a sac fly.

Campbell: 3-4, HR (1), 2 R, RBI

Pacheco: 1-4, HR (17), R, RBI, 3 K

Hadeen: 1-4, 2 RBI, BB

Hope: 0-2, 3 BB, 3 SB

Miller: 3.2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves open a series in Altoona on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

South Bend Cubs 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 2 (box)

West Michigan couldn’t escape South Bend with a series split, losing on a walk-off single in the ninth. The Whitecaps dropped four of six but still hold a half-game lead over Great Lakes in the Midwest League East with two weeks remaining.

Zack Lee got the bullpen-game start, hurling two perfect innings. He filled up the zone, landing 20 of his 29 pitches for strikes but came away with only one punchout.

Eliseo Mota wasn’t as sharp after taking over in the third. Mota walked the leadoff man, botched a pickoff attempt and gave up a run on a sac fly. The next two batters reached (walk, single), but Mota got out of it before allowing another run.

Beau Ankeney hit his eighth homer with West Michigan in the top of the fourth, a game-tying solo shot.

Mota returned for the fourth only to walk the bases loaded before recording an out. Fortunately, he induced a grounder for a forceout at home, buying enough time for Donye Evans to warm up. Evans gave up the lead on a sac fly, but the run goes on Mota’s record — and deservedly so. Mota threw just 15 of his 45 pitches for strikes. You don’t have to be great at math to know that throwing 2/3 of your pitches for balls is bad.

Evans worked through the fifth without any damage. Luke Hoskins was next out, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three through two scoreless innings.

Edian Espinal tied the game in the seventh, scoring on a wild pitch. He doubled with one out and tagged up to get to third.

The Whitecaps’ best chance to win came in the eighth. Andrew Sojka led off with a single, Carson Rucker walked and Nolan McCarthy doubled. That should have produced a run, but Sojka got picked off at first before the extra-base hit, and Rucker was thrown out at home. Jackson Strong walked to get Bryce Rainer to the plate, but he struck out to end the threat.

Jalen Evans worked around a walk in the eighth but couldn’t get an out in the ninth. Jose Escobar walked, Josiah Hartshorn singled to put men on the corners and Angel Cepeda ended the game with a walk-off liner to left. Rainer was also lifted from the game in the ninth.

Ankeney: 1-4, HR (8), R, RBI, K

Espinal: 2-4, 2B (2), R, SB

Lee: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, K

Hoskins: 2.0 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 3 K

J. Evans (L, 4-4): 1.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 2 BB, K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps host the Peoria Chiefs on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 12, St. Lucie Mets 2 (box)

Lakeland bounced back from Saturday’s walk-off loss with a blowout victory in the series finale. The Flying Tigers trailed 2-1 through five before scoring 11 unanswered runs to secure a 5-1 series win.

Grayson Grinsell gave up three doubles the first time through St. Lucie’s lineup. The last came from the No. 9 hitter, Wyatt Vincent, to open up the third. Grinsell walked Jeremy Rodriguez and gave up an RBI single to Bohan Adderley to put Lakeland behind.

Grinsell recovered, retiring the next three batters in a row, and Anibal Salas doubled home Zach MacDonald to tie the game back up.

The Mets rallied with back-to-back two-out singles in the fourth, retaking the lead, but that was the last run they scored. Jake Ogden singled with two outs and reached second on a throwing error by Salas before Wyatt Vincent drove him in with another single.

Grinsell prevented any further damage. He completed four innings, allowing two runs — one earned — on six hits and a walk while striking out five. St. Lucie jumped on his four-seamer, putting seven in play with an average exit velocity of 99.1 mph. His changeup drew some swing-and-miss, though, producing three whiffs at a 60% rate.

Yendy Gomez took over in the fifth and delivered two scoreless innings. Lakeland busted the game wide open with a six-run sixth, putting Gomez in line for the win.

Angel De Los Santos started the rally with a single and a pair of swiped bases. Jesus Pinto and MacDonald walked before a passed ball tied the game up. Salas drove in Pinto and MacDonald with a liner into right field.

The fun didn’t stop there. Enderson Delgado walked, and Hunter Dobbins homered, bringing the score to 7-2. Jack Goodman doubled later in the inning but didn’t score.

Carlos Rodriguez worked around a two-out single for a scoreless seventh. He spammed sliders and generated three whiffs.

The Flying Tigers added four more runs in the eighth. Javier Osorio and Delgado hit back-to-back doubles for the first run, and Goodman got the next RBI with a single. Pinto doubled in the remaining two runners, pushing Lakeland into double-digit runs.

The final run of the day came off the bat of Goodman as well. Osorio reached on an error in the ninth and moved into scoring position on a walk before scoring.

Johnathan Rogers finished the rout with two hitless innings. He walked two but struck out three as Lakeland’s bullpen combined for five scoreless frames.

Dobbins: 1-3, HR (7), 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K

Salas: 2-5, 2B (14), R, 3 RBI

Goodman: 3-5, 2B (7), R, 2 RBI

Pinto: 1-3, 2B (16), R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB

Gomez (W, 6-3): 2.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers host the Clearwater Threshers on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Lakeland won the series 5-1.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Kurt Miller, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1945 – Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from the Navy and attracts a home crowd of 46,477, who watch him strike out 12 and yield only four hits in a 4-2 win over Detroit’s Hal Newhouser. He will get nine starts during the remainder of the year, and his five wins will include a one-hitter and two four-hitters. With the war now over, fans are clamoring for entertainment and it is clear Feller is still baseball’s number one ticket seller, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1916 – Babe Ruth fires his seventh shutout of the year, stopping Detroit on three hits as Boston wins, 3-0.
• 1940 – In the Tigers’ 12-1 victory at Fenway Park, Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams pitches the last two innings against Detroit, allowing one run on three hits, in what will be the only pitching appearance of his career.
• 1945 – Cleveland ace Bob Feller returns from the Navy and attracts a home crowd of 46,477, who watch him strike out 12 and yield only four hits in a 4-2 win over Detroit’s Hal Newhouser. He will get nine starts during the remainder of the year, and his five wins will include a one-hitter and two four-hitters. With the war now over, fans are clamoring for entertainment and it is clear Feller is still baseball’s number one ticket seller
• 1965 – In the first inning against Pittsburgh, the Giants’ Willie Mays scoops up a double from Donn Clendenon at the base of the 406-foot sign, whirls and fires with the ball reaching catcher Tom Haller on one bounce. Haller then tags out the astonished Willie Stargell. What is described as the greatest throw ever made in ancient Forbes Field is a costly one as Mays hurt himself and leaves the game in the sixth with a pulled groin muscle.
• 1967 – While pushing a car, Philadelphia’s Richie Allen suffers a severe injury when he pushes his hand through the headlight. It will sideline him for the remainder of the season. The Phils will go 14-21 without him.
• 1975 – Lou Brock steals the 800th base of his career as the Cardinals beat the visiting Braves 6-2. Carl Morton is on the mound and Biff Pocoroba behind the plate when Lou swipes second base.
• 1980 – Nolan Ryan holds the Cubs to two hits in nine innings to give the Astros their tenth straight victory, 2-1, winning over Bill Caudill.
• 1982 – Royals catcher John Wathan steals his 31st base, breaking Ray Schalk‘s 1916 record for stolen bases by a catcher. The backstop will wind up with 36 for the season.
• 1996 – Atlanta defeats Chicago, 6-5, led by 1B Fred McGriff, who strokes five hits, including a double and two homers, and drives in four runs.
• 1999 – Mariner Ken Griffey, Jr. becomes only the seventh player to hit 40 homers in four consecutive seasons.
• 2012 – Matt Harrison has a no-hitter until Trevor Plouffe singles with two outs in the seventh, but it’s Adrian Beltre who ends up with a feat, hitting for the cycle for the second time of his career in the Rangers’ 8-0 demolition of the Twins.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1903 – The Cubs split with the Giants at the Polo Grounds, beating Joe McGinnity, 7-3, in the opener. Iron Joe is not helped by eight Giant errors, including five by SS Charlie Babb. The nightcap is called after Chicago’s at-bats in the seventh with the score 8-1. Christy Mathewson picks up the victory for New York over Jock Menefee.
• 1904 – In Chicago, Christy Mathewson blanks the Cubs on three hits and the Giants defeat Buttons Briggs, 3-0. The second game is called after 10 innings with the score 2-2. Chicago fans show their feelings towards the Giants by tossing bottles onto the field. RF George Browne is hit on the leg and is almost hit in the head while chasing a fly ball. John McGraw tells ump Bob Emslie that he will not allow his team to continue play until all the broken glass is cleared, and by the time that occurs it is too dark to continue play.
• 1905 – In Philadelphia, the Cubs defeat the Phillies in 20 innings, 2-1, with Ed Reulbach going the distance for Chicago.
• 1911 – The Cubs lose to Brooklyn, 6-5, in 10 innings to lose sole possession of first place. Doc Scanlan bests Mordecai Brown.
• 1914 – At Chicago, the Cubs trounce the Braves, 9 5, putting Boston back in second place.
• 1930 – New York’s Fred Lindstrom has his 24-game hitting streak stopped as the Giants lose to the Cubs, 3-2. The game is tied 2-all in the bottom of the ninth, when the Cubs load the bases with two out. With the count 0 and 2, Danny Taylor the runner on third, races safely home as surprised Giant reliever Joe Heving watches and then completes his deliberate windup with a wide pitch.
• 1947 – The Giants break the National League record for homers in a season, held by the Cubs, with their 172nd in a 4-0 shutout by Larry Jansen. Chicago’s Hank Borowy takes the loss. The Cubs take the nightcap, 8-3, led by Eddie Waitkus‘ inside-the-park grand slam. This is the third such slam this season and that won’t be matched till 1990.

Cubs Birthdays:Kurt Miller*, Dean Wilkins, Butch Benton, Frank Secory, Beryl Richmond, Jimmy Cooney, Art Williams, Frank Quinn, Lou Hardie. Also notable: Cal Ripken Jr. HOF. Harry Hooper HOF.

Today in history:

• 79 – Believed until 2018 to be the date of the massive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius which buried the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae, killing untold thousands, latest evidence suggests the eruption occurred after 17 October.
• 1853 – First potato chips are prepared by chef George Crum at Moon’s Lake House near Saratoga Springs, New York.
• 1891 – Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera.
• 1912 -Ticker-tape parade held in NYC for Jim Thorpe and victorious US Olympians.
• 1919 – Frank King’s daily comic strip “Gasoline Alley” is distributed nationwide by the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, appearing in The New York Daily News among other newspapers.
• 1979 – Rock band “The Cars” plays a concert at Wollman Rink in NYC’s Central Park.
• 2004 – Future 8-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt of Jamaica finishes 5th in his 200 m heat in 21.05 seconds, failing to qualify for the second round at the Athens Olympics.
• 2011–  Steve Jobs resigns as CEO of Apple Inc. and is succeeded by Tim Cook due to his illness

*pictured.

The Detroit Tigers have been struggling of late, having now lost five in a row and seven of their last eight after the Kansas City Royals completed a sweep at Kaufmann Stadium on Sunday afternoon with an 11-7 victory. There really is not much to say at this point as the team’s playoff hopes appear to be evaporating right before our eyes.

Things do not get easier this week, as the Motor City Kitties return home to host the American League East-leading Tampa Bay Rays for a three-game series starting on Monday. The Tigers swept the Rays in St. Petersburg to open up June to break out of their May funk, and maybe — just maybe — Detroit can find its groove again against their Sunshine State foes just like then.

Left-hander Framber Valdez, who has had two straight rough outings after posting a pair of quality starts to open up August, will get the start in the series opener after being pushed back a day. Over the 32-year-old’s last 11 1/3 innings, he has put up a 6.35 ERA and 5.47 FIP, allowing 11 hits (one home run) and nine walks while striking out eight, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.

For the Rays, right-hander Drew Rasmussen will take the hill on Monday night looking to improve on one of his worst outings of the season in his last appearance. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, the 31-year-old gave up five runs on seven hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five over five frames to take the loss in a 7-6 final.

This will be the first time either pitcher has faced the other team this season. Here is a look at how they match up for the series opener in the D.

Detroit Tigers (61-69) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (77-53)

Time (ET): 6:40 p.m.
Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
SB Nation Site:DRaysBay
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 131: LHP Framber Valdez (8-8, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen (13-5, 3.01 ERA)

VALDEZ

RASMUSSEN

Triple-A: Syracuse Mets (38-37/26-24)

Atypical for the International League, which has averaged 5.16 runs per game this season, we had ourselves a pitching duel between Raymond Burgos and Xzavion Curry, with both starters putting up goose eggs during their time on the mound. Both bullpens were also on point, with Syracuse just narrowly edging out the Woo-Sox thanks to a D’Andre Smith two-run homer in the seventh.

·  CF Nick Morabito: 2-4, SB (41)

·  2B Émilien Pitre: 1-3, BB, K, SB (1), E (1)

·  1B Billy Amick: 0-4, 3 K

·  3B Ronny Mauricio: 0-3, BB, E (11)

·  DH Nick Lorusso: 1-3, BB

·  RF Jose Ramos: 0-4, R, K

·  LF D’Andre Smith: 1-2, R, HR (2), 2 RBI, BB

·  C Shawn Ross: 0-2, BB, K

·  SS Zack Short: 1-3, 2B

·  RHP Xzavion Curry: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HBP

·  RHP Jack Weisenburger: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (2-5)

·  RHP Zach Franklin: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, H (5)

·  RHP Dylan Ross: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP, S (5)

ROSTER ALERT: Syracuse Mets activated RHP Jack Weisenburger.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (27-42/27-24)

BINGHAMTON 7, ALTOONA 3 (BOX)

Another win for Binghamton, their third in a row, their eighth in their last ten, and their eighteenth in twenty-one games in the month of August. The lead changed hands a few times early on, but Binghamton took the lead for good in the fourth on a three-run Corey Collins homer. In total, the Rumble Ponies hammered out 10 hits, with Mitch Voit, John Bay, and Collins all having multi-hit games. The blisteringly hot Rumble Ponies find themselves 2.5 games back in the Eastern League Northeast behind the Reading Fightin’ Phils, and wouldn’t you know it? They are playing those very same Reading Fightin’ Phils next week in a series that will have important playoff implications.

·  REHAB ALERT 1B Mark Vientos: 0-3, K

·  1B Jamari Baylor: 1-1, R, SB (2)

·  2B Mitch Voit: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K

·  DH Marco Vargas: 1-3, BB

·  SS Jefferson Rojas: 1-4, R, HR (4), 2 RBI, K

·  3B Jacob Reimer: 0-3, BB, K, E (6)

·  C Chris Suero: 1-4, R, 2B, K, 3 PB (12, 13, 14)

·  CF John Bay: 2-3, R, BB, K, CS (2)

·  LF Corey Collins: 2-3, 2 R, HR (6), 3 RBI, BB, K

·  RF JT Benson: 0-4, 2 K

·  REHAB ALERT RHP Justin Hagenman: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP

·  RHP Gabe Davis: 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, WP, BLK, W (1-0)

·  RHP Douglas Orellana: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Saul Garcia: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

ROSTER ALERT: New York Mets sent RHP Justin Hagenman on a rehab assignment to Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (25-40/28-25)

BROOKLYN 12, ASHVILLE 1 (BOX)

Daviel Hurtado logged another solid outing, allowing an unearned run over 5.2 innings, scattering 4 hits, walking two, and striking out 5. With this one in the books, the Cuban left-hander has lowered his ERA to 2.14, second in the South Atlantic League only to Jacob Kisting and his 1.67 ERA in 86.0 innings thrown with the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Yonatan Henriquez’ scorchingly hot week wrapped up with a nice bow, smacking his ninth homer of the season and his fourth this week, to put Brooklyn on the board and give them a lead they would not relinquish. The Cyclones supplementing Henriquez’ one run with eleven more, winning the game in a laughter and taking the series against the Tourists.

·  DH Sammy Stafura: 3-6

·  SS Elian Peña: 0-4, 2 BB, K, E (1)

·  RF John Smith III: 1-6, R, 3 K

·  LF Yonatan Henriquez: 2-5, 2 R, HR (9), RBI, BB, K

·  CF John Spikerman: 1-4, 3 R, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB (23)

·  2B Colin Houck: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SB (7), E (18)

·  3B Antonio Jimenez: 0-4, BB, 2 K, CS (3)

·  C Chase Meggers: 2-3, 3 R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB, E (5)

·  1B Eddinson Paulino: 1-3, 2 R, HR (1), 4 RBI, 2 BB

·  LHP Daviel Hurtado: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, WP, W (5-2)

·  RHP Elwis Mijares: 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (2)

·  RHP Calvin Ziegler: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, HBP, H (2)

·  LHP Luis R. Rodriguez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

·  RHP Juan Arnaud: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Single-A: St. Lucie Mets (33-33/18-35)

LAKELAND 12, ST. LUCIE 2 (BOX)

Another loss for St. Lucie, and this one was a rough one at that. Things actually started out fine, with Jose Lopez throwing 5 innings of one-run ball, but the game started going south for St. Lucie in the sixth. Lopez loaded up the bases before being removed from the game, and things didn’t get much better when the bullpen became a factor. All together, six runs scored in the sixth, and then an additional four in the eighth, and one more in the ninth for good measure. The narrow 2-1 lead that St. Lucie had coming into that doomed sixth inning was nowhere near enough, and the offense got shut down for the rest of the ballgame once the Flying Tigers took control of things. Thank God they won their Saturday evening contest, because if they hadn’t, St. Lucie would have a nine-game losing streak going right now; as it is, being 2-8 in their last ten isn’t much better, but at least it’s not a nine-game losing streak.

·  3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-4, 2B, BB, E (8)

·  CF Bohan Adderley: 2-4, RBI, K, HBP

·  RF Aiden Robbins: 1-5, K, E (1)

·  DH Ryan Tayman: 0-5, 3 K

·  C Yovanny Rodriguez: 0-4, 2 K, 2 PB (1, 2)

·  1B Julio Zayas: 1-3, 2B, BB, K

·  2B Vladi Gomez: 0-4, 3 K

·  SS Jake Ogden: 2-4, R, 2B, K, E (1)

·  LF Wyatt Vincent: 2-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB

·  RHP Jose Lopez: 5.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, L (1-3)

·  RHP Caden Wooster: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, BS (1)

·  RHP Tyler McLoughlin: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, WP

·  RHP Miguel Mejias: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, HBP

ROSTER ALERT: RHP Jean Brito assigned to St. Lucie Mets from FCL Mets.

Rookie: FCL Mets (24-33)

NO GAME (SEASON OVER)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

D’Andre Smith

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

Caden Wooster

Rays RHP prospect Ty Johnson was working as a starter for most of the season until he was placed on the Development list in mid-July. When he returned, Johnson was pitching out of the bullpen in anticipation of a big-league call-up later this season. Not only has his stuff ticked up when he transitioned to a relief role, but the command has been sharper too. Now, Johnson looks as ready as ever to contribute in the majors.

***

Johnson throws from a low three-quarter slot with fringy extension. His short, pushy arm action from a relatively low release height adds a layer of deception to his two pitches: a fastball and a breaking ball. The fastball gets above-average carry from his slot, and the breaking ball has a tight, cut-slider shape that tunnels well off the fastball. Since his move to the bullpen, Johnson has seen approximately a 2mph increase on the velocity of his shapes. His fastball now sits around 94mph (and he can reach back for 96-97 when needed) while his breaking ball sits around 86mph. The breaking ball plays more platoon neutral like a cutter than a traditional slider, helping him counter southpaws.

While the pure velocity on his fastball is unlikely to blow hitters away, Johnson creates a uniquely flat vertical approach angle (VAA) on it that helps him miss bats. In the month of August so far, he’s running a 50% whiff rate on the heater compared to just 28% heading into the month. Johnson has also seen a big jump in whiff rate on his breaking ball this month as it’s now over 55%. Of course, these rates likely aren’t sustainable across a full season, but that kind of swing-and-miss is something the Rays bullpen could use. At the major league level, the bullpen currently has the 6th lowest whiff rate during the second half. Some of this is skewed by their use of openers, but it’s still abnormally low for a Rays bullpen this late in the season.

Cleavinger, Baker, and Booser lead the way in whiff rate for Rays relievers so far this season, but even they all sit in the 25-26% range. Johnson and his 35% whiff rate this season would give Cash a relief weapon to help the team get out of a jam when even a ball in play could result in a run, in other words, he could certainly be pitching in high leverage pretty quickly.

The biggest barrier to him pitching meaningful innings in the majors is finding him space on the 40-man roster and in the current bullpen. Sulser, Jax, and Mesa Jr. all should be back from their respective IL stints relatively soon and should not be transferred to the 60-day IL. Ben Williamson, however, could be moved to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man spot for Johnson given the uncertainty of his hamstring.

The next step is finding a spot for him in the bullpen. This could be easier to do when rosters expand in September and they can simply add another chair in the bullpen. If the Rays wanted to get Johnson up sooner than that, they would likely need to DFA or option a current reliever. With Rodriguez back and Sulser and Jax due to return soon, it could be tricky to find a spot for everyone on the pitching staff and a tough decision might need to be made.

Regardless of how the Rays get Johnson into the Major League bullpen, I do expect it to happen before the postseason begins. His ability to miss bats and pitch to both sides of the plate makes him a valuable weapon to unleash on opposing lineups in September and October.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Orioles lost because they couldn’t score any runs for Shane Baz.

It’s becoming a running joke, although not a very funny one. When Baz is on the mound, absolutely everything seems to go wrong for the Orioles, and through very little fault of the hurler himself. Defensive lapses rear their ugly heads — like yesterday, when Jackson Holliday turned a potential inning-ending groundout into a single to spark a three-run Rays rally — and, most maddeningly, the O’s offense simply vanishes.

After yesterday’s 3-1 loss, in which the Orioles were held scoreless for the six innings that Baz was on the mound, the O’s have scored a grand total of 15 runs for Baz in his last 12 starts. Read that again! Fifteen runs in 12 starts. Brutal. Four of those came in one game in Minnesota, in which Baz coughed up a 4-1 lead, but in nearly every other case the Orioles’ bats never gave him a chance to win. The O’s have lost 11 of Baz’s last 12 starts even though he has a 4.02 ERA and seven quality starts in that span.

What did Shane ever do to his Orioles teammates to make them scorn him so? Does he chew with his mouth open? Does he talk on speakerphone in public? Does he do that thing where he’s going through a door and there’s somebody right behind him but he doesn’t hold it open and it just slams in their face? There’s got to be some explanation here.

In any case, the Orioles have completed their grueling 10-game stretch against the Rays and Yankees by going 5-5. Ten days ago, if you told me that the O’s would break even over that span, I’d have taken it. And I still will, even if the Birds’ method of getting there — dominating the Rays and getting swept by the Yankees — was a bit unexpected. But there’s no denying that the postseason math is getting harder. The Orioles now find themselves two games behind both the Rangers and Guardians, who are currently tied for the third wild card spot. The O’s are also a half game behind the Blue Jays, tied with the Twins, and just a game ahead of the Mariners and 1.5 up on the Tigers.

The Orioles’ schedule gets a lot easier for the next week and a half…in theory, at least. Tomorrow they begin a three-game series in St. Louis against the .500 Cardinals, who just got swept by the Phillies and are slipping out of the NL postseason race. Then the Orioles’ next six are against the two worst teams in baseball, the Athletics and Rockies. On paper, it’s a great opportunity for the Orioles to string together a bunch of wins and leapfrog a bunch of teams in the wild card race.

But who are we kidding? We’ve seen enough of the 2026 Orioles to know that they rarely seem to win the games they’re “supposed” to win, and that they continually squander every opportunity to build some positive momentum for more than a few days. Would anyone be surprised if the O’s end up with a worse record in this upcoming nine-game stretch than they had during this Rays/Yanks gauntlet? Inconsistency just seems to be the name of the game for this year’s Orioles club.

Links

Offense breaks again for Baz in Orioles’ 3-1 loss (updated) – School of Roch

The Orioles’ streak of drawing at least one walk in 121 straight games was snapped yesterday. The last time they didn’t walk was in their ninth game of the season, when Leody Taveras had a 1.171 OPS and Samuel Basallo .466. So yeah, it’s been a while.

Have the Orioles added effective fill-in players? | MAILBAG- BaltimoreBaseball.com

I would say no. Even the Orioles’ regular players aren’t that effective.

Bautista (shoulder) begins rehab assignment, pitches in 1st game in 13 months – MLB.com

If you were hoping to see a picture of The Mountain in his SpongeBob SquarePants Baysox jersey, you won’t be disappointed. As for his performance, well, let’s just say Félix looked rusty.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Only one Oriole was born on this day, but he was the greatest of them all: happy 66th birthday to Cal Ripken Jr.! The two-time AL MVP, 19-time All-Star, eight-time Silver Slugger, two-time Gold Glover, 1982 AL Rookie of the Year, 1983 World Series champ, and first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee also had a consecutive games streak that you might have heard about. Cal is now living his best life as a minority owner of the Orioles, frequently attending games at Camden Yards in seats right behind home plate. Enjoy your day, Cal!

Historically, Ripken actually wasn’t a very good hitter on his birthday. He batted .233 (17-for-73) in his career on Aug. 24, with one home run, four doubles, and eight RBIs.

Cal’s only birthday home run came in a crazy game in 1983 that’s best known as the Tippy Martinez Game. The O’s trailed the Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth before rallying for two runs to send the game to extras, but their bench maneuverings forced them to use infielder Lenn Sakata as their emergency catcher for the first and only time of his career.

The Jays reclaimed the lead in the top of the 10th before Martinez entered the game with a runner at first. Blue Jays baserunners, trying to get big leads off first against the inexperienced Sakata, were left flat-footed by the southpaw reliever. Martinez picked off Barry Bonnell, then walked Dave Collins and picked him off, and then allowed a single to Willie Upshaw and picked him off, too. Martinez was the first pitcher in MLB history to pick off three baserunners in one inning. The O’s immediately tied the game in the bottom of the 10th — on the aforementioned Cal Ripken home run — and won it on a walkoff three-run blast by (who else?) Lenn Sakata.

And on this day in 2012, Chris Davis crushed three home runs to lead the Orioles to a 6-4 win, again over the Blue Jays. Davis powered a pair of solo blasts off Toronto starter Carlos Villanueva and a two-run shot against reliever Steve Delabar, backing a quality start from Zack Britton.

Random Orioles game of the day

On Aug. 24, 2004, the O’s dropped a 6-2 game in Oakland, the Orioles’ ninth straight loss in a streak that eventually reached 12. Starter Sidney Ponson coughed up home runs to Jermaine Dye and Eric Chavez as the Orioles found themselves in a 4-0 first-inning deficit from which they never recovered. The Birds’ offense had four doubles in the game but only one other hit, and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The defeat further buried the Orioles, who had been within one game of .500 before the losing streak began.

Have to admit: I had turned off the Phillies yesterday for quite a while and watched the Little League World Series. I pivoted quickly back to the Phillies once I saw that they had gotten runners on base and had a chance, but even the bright eyed optimist in me didn’t think they had a shot.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Andrew Painter has his confidence again ($). It showed on Saturday night as he dominated the Cardinals once again.
• Jesus Luzardo has become one of the aces of the game. How he has done so is pretty worth your time on this deep dive.

MLB news:

• After getting hit in the head during batting practice, Brendan Donovan is going on the concussion list for Seattle.
• Tyler Glasnow is going to make his glorious return to the Dodgers starting rotation. How long he’ll last remains to be seen.
• Casey Mize had to leave his start early this weekend after slipping and falling down the dugout steps, but he should make his next start.