Category: MLB

The Yankees have enjoyed one of the best pitching runs I can remember this team providing, each and every starter taking their turn in the rotation and delivering while the bullpen holds their own in the backend of games. Unfortunately, it has coincided with one of the most futile offensive performances I can remember from a Yankees team, rivaling the days of the 2013-2014 squads that had no business winning as many games as they ultimately did. Unlike them this year’s Yanks are meant to be contenders, and still can be if they get more outings like Wednesday’s 10-run outburst or even the four runs they put up on Sunday with an extra frame.

Reinforcements are finally beginning to show up on the horizon, Cody Bellinger set to start his rehab assignment later this week. Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t have a definitive timeline yet, but he appears to be the second-closest starter while Aaron Judge remains in limbo. Can Bellinger return back at full strength, or will he continue his summer struggles? Will the deadline additions start to heat up, or have they added to the collective struggles on offense? Is Ben Rice about to turn a corner after his big two-run blast? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of August 20th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Since the All-Star Break, Bryson Stott has been one of the better hitters in the game. His 1.6 fWAR is third in the game amongst hitters, behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jackson Merrill, his 163 wRC+ tenth among all qualified hitters during that same time. It has made his overall numbers look much better on the season and brought about another round of an interesting question:

The chances of teams offering extensions prior to a CBA coming together are probably nil as teams want to see what the financial landscape of the future looks like, yet locking up Stott could also offer a modicum of financial stability for that future. Getting into comparisons would be foolhardy as there aren’t really many comps to what Stott can offer, but dig hard enough and you could probably find one.

We’ll check back on the results later in the week.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phillies fans and fans across the country.

Louisville Bats 5, Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

Toledo and Louisville tied the series 3-3 with Sunday’s result.

Dylan File wasn’t too sharp, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk. The big swing — a three-run homer — came in the third from Juan Brito. Louisville took a 3-0 lead and never looked back. The Bats tacked on insurance runs in the fourth and fifth, the latter coming on a solo home run off Yilber Diaz in relief.

Diaz wasn’t great either. He walked a pair in the sixth and needed Jack Little to get out of the inning. Little worked through the seventh, navigating his way around a double and a walk. Ricky Vanasco was the only Toledo arm to not allow a base hit, but he did walk the leadoff man in the ninth. A 4-6-3 double play allowed him to face the minimum, however.

The Mud Hens didn’t do a ton at the plate, mustering just five hits on the day. Zebby Zavala was the only one with multiple hits, including his first double with the team. Zavala has slashed .467/.619/.733 over six games with Toledo. He’s also walked (5) nearly as much as he’s struck out (6).

Jace Jung delivered the only run of the game for the Hens. Jung doubled in Jack Goodman in the fifth. A better left fielder would have tracked this one down, but it was still a well-struck ball.

Zavala: 2-4, 2B (1), K

Jung: 1-4, 2B (18), RBI, K

File (L, 6-8): 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 H, BB, 3 K, HR

Coming Up Next: The Mud Hens host the Iowa Cubs next week, starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Erie SeaWolves 5, Hartford Yard Goats 4 (box)

It was a 5-1 week for Erie, but things got hairy in the final inning of the series on Sunday. Four of the nine runs scored in this one came in the ninth, and the difference ended up being an error by the Yard Goats.

Kenny Serwa was excellent, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks over seven innings. He only had two strikeouts, but knuckleballers are going to have those soft-contact kind of days. Erie built up a 4-0 lead for him before Hartford finally got on the board in the seventh.

Thayron Liranzo got the scoring started for the SeaWolves in the fourth with a solo home run, his 13th of the year. Seth Stephenson and Zyhir Hope both singled in runs in the fifth to put Erie ahead by four.

Colin Fields tried to close out the final two innings, but he ran into trouble in the ninth. A leadoff walk and a single turned dangerous after a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position.

Which base the runners were on ended up being inconsequential, however, when Cole Messina hit a three-run homer to make it a one-run game. Fortunately, Patrick Lee scored in the top of the ninth on a bobbled grounder by the second baseman.

Tyler Owens took over for Field and got the final two outs, ending it on a strikeout.

Hope: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K

Liranzo: 1-5, HR (13), R, RBI, 2 K

Serwa (W, 6-8): 7.0 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K

Coming Up Next: The SeaWolves host the New Hampshire Fisher Cats next week, starting Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. ET.

West Michigan Whitecaps 12, Lansing Lugnuts 6 (box)

West Michigan also took the series 5-1, and it ended with a 12-run barrage.

The Whitecaps hit four homers in this one, including a pair in the first. Jackson Strong and Bryce Rainer opened the game going back-to-back. It’s Rainer’s third game in a row going deep. The kid is on fire once again.

Clayton Campbell also hit a solo shot in the fourth, and he drove in the first two of eight runs in the fifth.

After Campbell’s two-run single, Lansing walked three straight batters, resulting in two more runs. Then, Nolan McCarthy hit a grand slam to make it 11-0. The best part about this rally is that it all came with two outs on the board. Sure, it took a bit of a meltdown from the Lugnuts’ pitching staff, but one mistake stops the big inning from happening completely.

Rainer notched another RBI with a single in the seventh, getting West Michigan to a clean dozen runs. Connor Fenlong comfortably left the game after six innings of shutout ball. Fenlong struck out six and allowed just three hits and one walk.

Moises Rodriguez got the seventh. He gave up a leadoff single but induced a double play to stop Lansing from scoring. He walked the next batter and gave up a single, which definitely would have resulted in a run, before getting the third out.

Rodriguez couldn’t make magic happen two innings in a row, though. A leadoff double ended up scoring in the eighth. Jalen Evans took over for Rodriguez with a man on second and one out, but he gave up a two-run homer that put a run on both of their records.

Evans came back out for the ninth, but he loaded the bases with just one out. Logan Berrier had to close it out, but not before allowing all three runners to score on back-to-back hits. At least, the Whitecaps had a big enough cushion that six runs over the final two frames didn’t really matter.

Rainer: 2-4, HR (13), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, K

Campbell: 2-4, HR (8), 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

McCarthy: 2-4, HR (2), 2 R, 4 RBI

Fenlong (W, 3-1): 6.0 IP, 0 R, 3 H, BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next: The Whitecaps are in South Bend next week, starting Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

Lakeland Flying Tigers 4, Bradenton Marauders 1 (box)

The Flying Tigers secured a 4-2 series win on Sunday, beating Bradenton comfortably in the finale. Timely hitting and good pitching led the way.

Grayson Grinsell got the start, and he delivered four innings of one-hit ball for Lakeland. Grinsell has been solid this month, allowing just two runs on four hits over nine innings. His walks are a bit high at nine, but he’s still struck out 12.

Carlos Rodriguez made his third appearance — and second of the week — for Lakeland in relief of Grinsell. He worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning with a strikeout.

Xiomer Guacache was next out of the bullpen. He gave three innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and walking as many. Frenny Grant made his second appearance of the week in the ninth, but he couldn’t finish off the shutout. A walk and a couple of singles got Bradenton on the board, but Grant had four runs to work with.

Two of those four runs came early for Lakeland. Javier Osorio doubled in Jesus Pinto in the second, and Jordan Yost brought Osorio around right after.

Michael Oliveto scored an insurance run in the sixth, leading off the inning with a double and coming home on a Nick Dumesnil single. Pinto added the fourth run in the eighth, singling with Dumesnil on base.

Yost: 2-4, RBI

Oliveto: 2-4, 2 2B (4), R, K

Grinsell: 4.0 IP, 0 R, H, 2 BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: The Flying Tigers are in St. Lucie next week, starting Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. ET.

Astros fans, let me start by saying I sincerely hope I’m wrong.

Maybe I’m overreacting to one series. Maybe losing two out of three to the Mariners was nothing more than a disappointing weekend against a division rival.

But I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen this movie before.

As impressive as the Astros have been in fighting their way out of another enormous early-season hole and climbing all the way back into first place, watching this weekend’s series against Seattle gave me some of the same uncomfortable vibes I had a year ago.

The Astros spent so much energy digging themselves out of trouble that you have to wonder whether they have enough left in the tank to finish the job.

That’s what happened last season.

Houston fought, scratched and clawed its way back into contention and eventually put itself in position to control its own destiny. But after expending so much energy just getting there, the Astros couldn’t finish the job. They ran out of gas down the stretch and ultimately fell short of the postseason.

Could we be watching it happen again?

That’s the concern.

Losing two of three to Seattle isn’t a disaster by itself. The games were competitive, the series was close, and nobody should be hitting the panic button because of one weekend in August.

It’s what we’re seeing underneath those losses that’s troubling.

The bullpen suddenly looks shaky.

Starting pitchers who performed well for much of the season aren’t consistently pitching deep into games or commanding the strike zone the way they did earlier in the year. That puts additional pressure on a bullpen that has already shown signs of vulnerability.

One problem starts feeding another.

Then there’s the offense.

Yordan Alvarez may very well be on his way to winning the American League MVP award, and we’ve watched him put this offense on his back repeatedly throughout the season.

But opponents aren’t stupid.

They know what Yordan can do, and increasingly they’re deciding they’re simply not going to allow him to beat them. They’ll pitch around him, take their chances with the hitters behind him and force somebody else in the Astros lineup to make them pay.

That’s where the problems begin.

Jeremy Peña has cooled off after playing at an incredibly high level. Isaac Paredes has certainly produced, but Houston needs more consistency from him. Christian Walker had a strong first half but has fallen off considerably.

And then there’s the outfield.

How many different ways can we describe the same problem?

It’s been a revolving door of mediocrity for much of the season, with the Astros seemingly waiting for somebody, anybody, to get hot and take control of an everyday job.

That hasn’t happened.

The trade for Daulton Varsho was supposed to help solve the problem, but so far it hasn’t produced anything close to the return Houston needs after giving up a starting pitcher like Spencer Arrighetti, who came with several additional years of team control.

There’s still time for Varsho to turn things around and make an impact.

But the Astros don’t have unlimited time.

That’s what makes the next couple of series so important.

Houston has two very winnable series coming up. This is an opportunity to create some separation in the division, rebuild momentum and perhaps put some of these concerns to rest.

It’s also an opportunity to prove this team has learned from what happened a year ago.

Because we’ve seen the other version of the Astros, too.

We’ve watched them play down to the level of their competition far too often. Instead of taking care of teams they’re supposed to beat, they’ve dropped series—and sometimes gotten swept—by clubs like the Angels and Athletics.

Those are the losses that come back to haunt you in September.

At this point in the season, you can’t give games away.

The Astros have already done the hard part.

They survived the terrible start. They survived the injuries. They survived stretches where it looked like the season might be slipping away. They fought all the way back and put themselves in first place.

Now they have to finish.

That’s why this weekend against Seattle bothered me more than perhaps it should have.

It wasn’t simply losing two out of three.

It was the feeling that came with it.

The feeling that the pitching isn’t quite as sharp. The bullpen isn’t quite as reliable. The offense is leaning too heavily on Yordan Alvarez, and too many other hitters aren’t producing consistently enough around him.

It felt familiar.

Maybe too familiar.

The good news is the Astros have plenty of time to prove that feeling wrong.

The next two series provide the perfect opportunity.

Beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. Create some distance in the division. Take pressure off yourselves heading into September and prove that all the energy spent climbing back into this race hasn’t emptied the tank.

I’ll be watching closely this week with my fingers crossed, hoping this team puts my concerns to rest.

Because after everything the Astros have overcome this season, it would be incredibly disappointing to watch them climb all the way back to the top only to stumble again before reaching the finish line.

So Astros fans, where are you right now?

Are you confident this team has enough left to win the division and get back to playoff baseball?

Or did this weekend against Seattle leave you with that same uneasy feeling that we’ve seen this story before?

The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting one of their biggest power hitting threats back for the stretch run. 

Outfielder Oneil Cruz has been activated from the 60-day injured list on Monday, Aug. 17 after he was seen with the team at PNC Park over the weekend, according to team reporter Jason Mackey. He has not played since June 6 because of fractures in his left hand. 

GM Ben Cherington was cautious about expectations for the outfielder Sunday.

“It’s possible, for any player who had [left hand fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures], it might not feel 100% even until the offseason,” Cherington told reporters.

“It’s really a matter of listening to Oneil about where he is. You can imagine, for Oneil specifically, the amount of trauma that he creates with how fast he swings the bat and what happens at contact.” 

Required Reading: Are Pirates signaling a Paul Skenes shutdown? Or a more actively managed workload?

The San Diego Padres have been slugging their way to victory lately. Yesterday afternoon was no different. After a three hour rain delay in Cleveland, the Friars faced the Guardians and outdueled them, 5-0, in the rubber match. The Friars slugged four home runs, with Luis Rengifo and Gavin Sheets going back-to-back for the first time this season.

If the club can accomplish a similar feat in their series opener against the New York Mets, they’ll continue on their march toward the postseason. The club shares the final Wild Card spot with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the Phils own the tiebreaker over San Diego. They’ll need to keep their feet on the gas in order to stay in the playoff hunt.

Taking the mound

Nolan McLean (NYM) v. Walker Buehler (SD)

Despite being on a struggling Mets club, McLean has been quite good in his rookie year. He owns a 3.42 ERA through 24 starts and has stabilized an awful New York rotation. He’s been even better lately, with a 2.41 ERA across his last 41 1/3 innings pitched.

McLean faced the Padres in June in a no-decision. He still owned the Friars’ lineup, pitched six innings and allowing just one run. Whether or not he’s still able to dominate against the new-look Padres’ offense remains to be seen, though McLean will seek to stymie San Diego for the second time this season.

Buehler has struggled a bit after what was an incredibly resurgent month of June. After giving up 20 runs in his first three starts of July (11.0 IP), he has since surrendered no more than three runs in a single outing. Buehler has given up a total of nine earned runs across his last 25 1/3 innings. It’s been a return to the breakout starter that the Padres had come to know at the beginning of the season.

The right-hander has done a good job limiting damage as of late and will need to continue it against New York. The Friars faced the Mets back in June and struggled against them. But this Padres team is much better than they were when they last faced them. If the offense looks anything like it has lately, Buehler won’t need to do much to earn the win.

Batter up!

The San Diego lineup has been downright dominant since coming back from the All-Star break. It’s surprisingly not an exaggeration to call this offense the best in MLB right now. That was on full display against Cleveland and should be against a Mets’ pitching staff that has consistently proven to be awful.

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

The stars have been out with Tatis and Merrill posting some of the best offensive numbers in baseball lately. France has also proven his value again and again alongside contributions from Rengifo and Campusano. The Friars have a massive opportunity to add ground in the playoff race over the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phillies. If they can keep up that offensive success, that will go a long way.

Relief corps

Starter Casey Mize has rebounded well in his last two starts after a tough debut with the Padres. He pitched six shutout innings against Cleveland before the bullpen took over. That allowed the Padres to turn to just three of their relievers in Jeremiah Estrada, Adrian Morejon and Yuki Matsui. The three pitched the final three frames of the game, not allowing a single hit.

That leaves Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Mason Miller, Wandy Peralta and Bradgley Rodriguez working out of the ‘pen. If Buehler stumbles early, the Friars will likely turn to Canning or Hart first. Both have the ability to work deeper into the game if they have their stuff working for them. After a rough stretch in July, Buehler has rebounded and should perform well against New York.

When the Oakland Athletics released Max Muncy before the 2017 season, the then-26-year-old didn’t know if a baseball career was for him anymore, let alone a future at third base.

“Man, there’s a lot with that,” Muncy told The Times. “It’s just a lot.”

Then, the Dodgers came calling, signing Muncy to a minor-league contract in late April 2017.

And now — nine seasons, three All-Star nods and three World Series championships later — Muncy just eclipsed 10 years of service time on Sunday against the Brewers, eight days before his 36th birthday.

Read more:Swanson: Tarik Skubal's gritty starts would pay off if slumping Dodgers would wake up

“It’s special. It’s a rare accomplishment in baseball,” Muncy said of the feat that fewer than 10% of all MLB players reach. “It’s something that I’m extremely proud of. There’s not many things that I take personal pride in when it comes to, you know, personal accomplishments. For me, it’s always about winning rings and doing things as a team.

“But this is one of the few that I’m really, really proud of, and I’ll definitely cherish.”

No one could’ve foreseen the unobtrusively great career that Muncy has carved out for himself, specifically over the past nine seasons in Los Angeles since getting called up in 2018.

Entering this week’s three-game series in Colorado against the Rockies, Muncy is the Dodgers’ all-time playoff home run leader with 16 and is fifth on the franchise’s all-time home runs list with 233. He has slashed .234/.357/.486 over 1,039 regular-season games with the club, anchoring lineups alongside countless big-name teammates while evolving into a trustworthy defender.

Even someone who’s seen Muncy’s journey up close like Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart, who was also vying for a big-league opportunity in triple-A Oklahoma City during that forever-ago 2017 season, is still moved by his ascent.

“He’s always been a good teammate [and] always been a good human,” Stewart said. “I don’t know if he always believed in himself, and I can relate to that, because I didn’t believe in myself all the time … But to see him and how he persevered through that feeling [or] that self-doubt and became what he is now [is] super special.

“And, man, to know that he’s now the Dodger [Stadium] all-time home run leader? Whatever it is … after being an older guy in triple A with me and then getting called up … special.”

In retrospect, though, this was always Muncy’s destiny.

He’s long been a manager’s dream, a status that is timeless and priceless.

“I remember a guy that just got DFA’d that was sort of kicked to the curb by an organization that didn’t believe in him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy. “He was close to being out of baseball … He’s one of the leaders on our ballclub, the longest-tenured Dodger currently. So I just have nothing but praise.

“The ability to kind of adapt, start, come off the bench and still [do] whatever it takes to help the team win — he’s all -in. ... He does everything you want as a manager — everything. He’s cut from the same Freddie Freeman cloth.”

Muncy is as team-first as it gets.

Although some stats might occasionally catch his eye, Muncy doesn’t put much thought into individual accomplishments. Recently passing Eric Karros, for example, for first in career homers at Dodger Stadium — Muncy currently has 132 to Karros’ 130 — doesn’t light up Muncy as one might think.

“There’s not much when it comes to me, personally, that I care about,” Muncy said. “But three rings is definitely what I [cherish] most.”

That selfless approach is what MLB’s premier organization and latest dynasty loves most about Muncy.

“He’s a guy that is always going to show up for the team and do whatever it takes to put the team in a good position,” said Miguel Rojas, Dodgers infielder and veteran leader. “That’s what I believe is a sign of a leader without talking much. … Every time he goes out there and he breaks a record, you feel good for the guy because he’s been working really hard toward the things he has right now in his power.

“I’m so happy and proud that I can say I was a teammate with him because he was one of the first guys that kind of opened his arms to me when I got back here in 2023. … He’s a guy you always can root for, especially in this organization full of stars. He always gets [overlooked] a little bit, but I feel like he’s one of the leaders of this club, and he will be until he retires.”

Read more:Dave Roberts hopes dropping series to Brewers 'doesn't come back to bite' Dodgers

L.A. has borne witness to nothing but stars over the years.

Since Muncy has called L.A. home, he’s suited up alongside several future Hall of Famers, from Clayton Kershaw to Shohei Ohtani, mainly at the hot corner, where the bar is high after the trails blazed by Justin Turner, Ron Cey and others.

But if Muncy’s 10 years of service represent anything, it’s that he has become a Dodgers great too — even if he hasn’t fully embraced the label yet.

“Surreal. It’s crazy. I definitely don’t see myself as that,” Muncy said of his growing place in Dodgers history. “But maybe one day, when I’m done, I’ll be able to sit back and kind of reflect on that. But for me, it’s just all surreal.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

By the time this missive goes live, Mom, Adric, and I will be in Denver, Colorado, on our annual trip. She is over the moon on the eve of going, and I look forward to adding to our growing travelogue of annual adventures while updating the Colorado portion of The Guide.

The Dodgers ran a dress rehearsal of the postseason over the past couple of weeks. When you barely sweep one of the worst teams in baseball, it should be no surprise to be found severely wanting in series against Milwaukee, Arizona, and Chicago.

Nothing cures terrible play like spending three days in Denver, he said, tempting fate. But what ails the Dodgers is an ongoing question for another day.

The Wisdom of Lester Freamon

The thing no one warns you about when you finish your MLB chase is how you will feel afterward. Some folks spiral into depression, some accept the completion with grace and pride, and some fall somewhere in between.

As for me, I did enough emotional prep work to keep myself from the worst outcomes of grief or mania. There was a line from the classic The Wire I heard many years ago and resonated strongly: “The job will not save you.”

Mindless devotion to a task at the expense of one’s life, the thing you fill while you wait for moments that never come, never seemed like the best idea. With the Chase to 30, I knew and accepted early on, especially after that scare in Miami in July 2021, that this trek was more about the journey and the memories than the actual destination.

If I am being honest, the Bronx was a bit of a bust.

In retrospect, the storm that caused the doubleheader was a major reason, but on a subsequent visit, I would follow the advice I give in the entry for Citi Field: stay in Manhattan or Brooklyn. I live in Vallejo, CA, these days, which is the northern part of the Bay Area and has a lot of problems that people attribute to San Francisco (crime, prostitution, drugs, etc.), which is really soulless and suffering from past decisions to cater to Big Tech.

Every big city has places one should not go unless they are looking for trouble. That fact said, at multiple points while staying in The Bronx, I thought “Well, I could avoid squalor/crime/drugs at home, except here I have access to a better transit network, which is just Tokyo but infinitely worse.”

Plus, my Tour got rained out, but the staff was super kind and accommodating. I know I will have to return to Yankee Stadium to tick this Tour off my to-do list, but preferably I can pair it with another stop along the way.

The real draw to this field report was Philadelphia and Citizens Bank Park (CBP). Originally, I had planned to visit CBP in 2022, but I could not because of an injury. I am glad that I was finally able to go. Yes, folks chirped at me, and 99% of them were respectful. I’d usually say something right back, smile, and tip my cap, as I tend to do.

The Mayor of Baseballtown

On the night I reached 30, the game itself was a turkey. Trea Turner suddenly regained All-Star form with his bat, while dealing with the possible yips with his mitt, and lit the Dodgers’ pitching staff up like a Christmas tree in March. Emmet Sheehan was roughed up on his eventual way to Oklahoma City. Mookie Betts showed pyrite-like promise of regaining some measure of his old form.

It didn’t matter.

I met a fellow traveler, David, who was staying at the same hotel as me, and we shared a rideshare to the game. I learned a long time ago that if I obsess over how the team is doing, I have significantly less fun on the road, which defeats the purpose of traveling. It was fun chatting with everyone, mentioning at every possible opportunity that I was at my 30th and final new MLB ballpark (until Nashville, Las Vegas, and hopefully Vancouver go online).

Having the staff give me extra swag apart from the First Game Certificate was a nice touch. I was worried that no one cared that I finished the MLB stadium circuit. Everyone I spoke to in Philadelphia made those worries seem silly, and I felt like the de facto mayor of baseballtown as I talked about my past adventures.

During this series, it was fun goofing off with Stephen Nelson, who was in my literal blind spot for most of the proceedings. I did get to finally chat with Nelson properly without bellowing before Game 3 and chat at Rick Monday for a moment, before someone came to interrupt us wanting to talk about “the flag incident.”

I will admit I did have a bit of an existential crisis a few months back when I learned I am older than Nelson, but that crisis ended when I learned he had one more ballpark to go, and as far as final parks go, it’s a good one. Moreover, because the announcers travel with the team, the one part that he could potentially goof up is ungoofable, since announcers travel with the team and friends don’t let friends stay near The Mall of America.

For five seasons now, I have walked the line between serious baseball writer and goofball hardcore fan. In one breath, I am excoriating the team for the litany of stupid things that they do. In the next breath, I am talking about the history of foul balls, the Jumbo Jacks promotion, or what the best way to get to Tropicana Field is (there isn’t one unless you stay near the ballpark; otherwise, stay at home). In the last breath, I wonder whether I should cover Tim Neverett’s Japanese holiday or how best to present bus ridership numbers for Dodger Stadium Express.

The Cost of Experience is Wonder

For five years, I have walked the line between respectable columnist and hardcore fan. At times, being in the middle has allowed me to tackle sensitive topics with respect and compassion. At times, being in the middle has led to my being treated less seriously by fully serious baseball journalists.

The San Francisco Chapter of the Baseball Writers of America: What do you mean YOU want to join?!?

MJE: Yessum.

TSFCoftBBWAA: But you even don’t cover the Giants!

MJE: Only mockingly so. I prefer to cover a baseball team that tries.

Kidding aside, I did have the oddest sense of deja vu upon being politely rejected.

I suppose I could try the Los Angeles Chapter at some point, but that attempt is beside the point. I am asked what my endgame is. I don’t have an endgame. I have fun, go to baseball games, and chew bubblegum; unfortunately, I am usually out of bubblegum.

I am not putting on airs or trying to replace anyone. The world already has an Eric Stephen, and in my book, he’s irreplaceable. I travel, write long-form essays, and generally have fun doing something I am pretty good at. I want to see how far I can go.

I remember something I wrote last year that occurred to me after watching the players warm up in Arlington, while chatting with a couple of fans who were in awe: the cost of experience is wonder.

I took the VIP Tour at CBP, which was just code for “Do you want to spend three bills to watch batting practice on the field?” There is nothing wrong with that fact, but I wish the marketing were a bit clearer on the subject.

That said, I was watching folks get agog over Mookie Betts and Roki Sasaki, who both took the time to sign items for fans. Generally, these sorts of events in my travels have been so swamped; even if players were inclined to sign, there are too many people to make any meaningful dent.

I was filled with two emotions. First, melancholy. Everyone around me was generally happy and in awe, and it’s a bit of a bummer to not feel that. Word has gotten through the grapevine back to me that Betts knows, or at the very least is aware, of who I am. And I am not everyone’s cup of tea, which is fair.

Five years in the trenches, being honest for a living without fear of gaining or losing access, has a price. And here it is. I am not the story, nor should I ever be the story, except when writing field reports and missives, because I have a habit of showing up and interesting things happening. I can’t feel that awe that others do, because I know too much, or rather, I have learned too much regarding how the figurative sausage is made.

The second feeling was annoyance. The CBP staff present mistook Sasaki for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, prompting me to go, “Um, actually…” and correct them on the spot. I do note the irony of this behavior, considering that I once had an awkward social interaction with Stan Kasten at the Tokyo Dome last year, because my brain defaulted to identifying him as Mark Walter. Everybody goofs sometimes.

I passed along the photos above and others to our own Lindsay Adams before I had the chance to chat with Kirsten Watson, as everyone was escorted off the field because of a passing storm, which eventually opened with great aplomb.

Confessions from the road

Can I make an honest confession or two before wrapping up this milestone recap?

I think Panda Express is middling at best; I think The Habit is just In-N-Out, and Five Guys had an expensive, disappointing baby (an apt metaphor for the Dodgers’ bullpen and offense as of late); and I generally dislike Jack in the Box.

I would not recommend learning Japanese from Duolingo, but it works in a pinch. The app makers keep editing the course and adding words and concepts in a seemingly haphazard fashion, while assuming you already know what they just added. Think about learning to drive a car while it is being built and edited while you are in motion. Still, the ongoing conversations I have had with Japanese Dodgers fans are something I deeply enjoy.

As to what’s next? I think I’ll try getting really good at chess. There are still plenty of things to cover from my vantage point this season. Maybe my pessimism about the future of the sport is unwarranted; what a glorious thing that would be.

The White Sox have been one of the surprise teams of MLB this year after a 102-loss season in 2025, holding first place in the AL Central much of the year and taking two of three from the Cubs on the South Side back in May.

As I noted last month, the Cubs and Sox have been in the postseason in the same year just three times — 1906 (when they met in the World Series), 2008 and the pandemic 2020 season. This very well could become the fourth such year.

It’s been a good year for Chicago baseball.

For more on the White Sox, here’s Chrystal O’Keefe, managing editor of our SB Nation White Sox site South Side Sox.

The White Sox extended their lead in the AL Central to 5.5 games over the weekend after sweeping the series against the Tigers. While this division could be anyone’s, the White Sox have stayed consistently in the top spot for most of the season. The team picked up pitching help at the deadline and has refined Luis Castillo, giving him the role of a much-needed veteran starter. Brenton Doyle was also acquired, giving the outfield another good option for what will hopefully be a deep playoff run.

While Colson Montgomery is slowing down, the fresh batch of rookies have stepped up. With Munetaka Murakami back, the offense is picking up. Miguel Vargas is mashing, and Braden Montgomery and Sam Antonacci are hitting for power in clutch situations. Most notably, Chase Meidroth has been a threat at second base, and is also the hottest hitter on the team. He’s batting .333/.423/.622 with three home runs in 12 games so far in August.

There are still rookie errors, but this White Sox team is having quite a magical year, with or without the Pope and some wands from Amazon.

Fun facts

The Cubs have won six straight games at home vs. the White Sox: the last in 2023, then two in 2024 and three a year ago. The win in 2023 snapped a six-game losing streak at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs are 11-2 in all games of the rivalry the past three seasons. They won the first game this year, 10-5, on the South Side on May 15, then lost the second, 8-3.

In the rubber game, the Cubs scored three runs in the ninth to tie the score at 7, then tallied a run in the 10th, only to give up a walk-off two-run homer by Edgar Quero off Ryan Rolison.
…
The Cubs lead the regular-season rivalry, 78-77, including 38-38 at home.

Today’s game will be the 606th of all kinds between the teams. The Cubs are 284-309-12, a winning percentage of .479.

The Cubs are 2-4 vs. the Sox in the World Series and 204-228-12 in exhibition games, including 60-91-3 in the City Series from 1903-42, 25-26 in pre-season games in Chicago, 103-89-7 in pre-season games elsewhere and 16-22 in exhibition and benefit games played during the regular season.

In all games in Chicago, the Cubs are 181-220-5, .452.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Monday: Shōta Imanaga, LHP (8-9, 3.74 ERA, 1.100 WHIP, 4.56 FIP) vs. Luis Castillo, RHP (1-0, 4.09 ERA, 0.909 WHIP, 2.35 FIP in two games with White Sox; 4-9, 4.96 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 4.34 FIP in 22 games overall)

Tuesday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (1-1, 6.17 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, 3.94 FIP in two starts with Cubs; 6-11, 4.53 ERA, 1.273 WHIP, 3.53 FIP in 25 starts overall) vs. TBD

Wednesday: Clay Holmes, RHP (1-1, 3.38 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, 4.39 FIP in two starts with Cubs; 5-5, 2.56 ERA, 1.074 WHIP, 3.40 FIP in 11 starts overall) vs. TBD

Times & TV channels

Monday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, CHSN/WCIU-Ch. 26 (Sox announcers)

Tuesday: 7:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, CHSN/WCIU-Ch. 26 (Sox announcers), TBS (national broadcast outside the Cubs/White Sox shared market territory)

Wednesday: 1:20 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, CHSN/WCIU-Ch. 26 (Sox announcers)

Prediction

The Sox have been good, but are just 28-34 away from Rate Field. Thus I feel pretty confident that the Cubs can take two of three here.

Up next

The Cubs have Thursday off, then travel to Seattle for a three-game series against the Mariners beginning Friday evening.

The Wild Card Race

The Red Sox are solidly in position to enter the playoffs as the second AL Wild Card.  As of the morning of 16 August, they were 5.5 games ahead of the Orioles and the Rangers, who are competing for the third Wild Card.

The Diamondbacks are fighting for a Wild Card. As of the morning of 16 August, the Diamondbacks were tied with the Padres and Phillies for the second and third NL Wild Cards. 

Let’s compare the teams.

The Obvious. Per Roster Resource, the Red Sox have four prospects in the top 112 in baseball.  This compares to the Diamondbacks who have zero or one prospect (zero per FanGraphs or one per MLB com).   That prospect is Demetrio Crisantes. 

Obvious and worth noting are two Diamondbacks prospects who recently graduated from top-100 status:  Jordan Lawlar and Ryan Waldschmidt. 

A Little Less Obvious.  James Attwood, SB Nation, wrote that Tommy Troy (getting ready for a rehab stint) was too-soon removed from prospect status; that he ranked Troy as the number one Diamondbacks prospect, putting him ahead of Crisantes.  That view bumps the Diamondbacks up to two top-100 prospects. 

The Subtle. On their 40-man roster, the Red Sox have 5 home-grown players, which is less than any other team. The Diamondbacks have 16 home-grown players.

Despite being in the bottom eight teams in number of trades, the Red Sox currently have players who were drafted with nearly every team (all 30 teams except the Diamondbacks and Tigers).  That included the Rockies who rarely trade (25 trades from 2017 to 2022, which is the least trades of any team). 

No player drafted by the Diamondbacks or Tigers is playing for the Red Sox.  Why not?  Perhaps the reason is meaningful.  Perhaps the Diamondbacks & Tigers drafted each player with a specific team-need to meet (eschewing the ideas of draft the best athlete or best talent), thereby lowering the likelihood of any drafted prospect being traded. 

The Difference that Matters.  The Diamondbacks are a younger team than the Red Sox per ESPN and Statistica.  Younger teams tend to be higher energy, and lower cost.  One view (perhaps a view held by a minority of fans) is that having a younger team, the Diamondbacks have more skill at drafting and developing needed players.

Team skill at drafting and developing players matters.

Red Sox Player to Watch.

This season, shortstop Andruw Monasterio has negative 12 Outs Above Average (OAA).  This compares negatively to Geraldo Perdomo with positive 9 OAA.  Poor defense at shortstop has the potential to tip the series to the Diamondbacks. 

Mitigating his poor defense at shortstop, he hit well from 1 July to 12 August.  His OBP/SLG/wOBA of ,412/.554/.412 compared positively to league averages (same dates) of .317/.403/.316.

Pitching Matchups.

Monday, 4:10 PM MST. Mitch Bratt vs Alec Gamboa. In July/August, Bratt’s ERA was 3.81. In July/August, Gamboa’s ERA was 1.76, but that was as a reliever averaging less than 2 innings per game. Gamboa will make his first start in the Majors. Perhaps he pitches 3 innings and the bullpen continues the game.

Tuesday, 4:10 PM MST. Merrill Kelly vs. Ranger Suarez. In July/August, Kelly had the better ERA (3.74 vs 4.66) and more quality starts (1 vs 0).

“Coming into the day with a fastball that ranked in the league’s sixth percentile for velocity, Suarez’s stuff was even slower than normal Friday, with his four-seamer down 0.9 mph from his season average — it topped out at 92.5 mph — and his sinker down 1.3 mph. — Josh Kirshenbaum, June 2026

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Wednesday, 1:10 PM MST. Brandon Pfaadt vs Payton Tolle. In July/August, Pfaadt had a much better ERA (1.28 vs 3.30).  In July/August, each pitcher had 4 quality starts. Tolle currently has a streak of 3 consecutive quality starts.

“[Tolle:] He’s pitching really well. He’s on a heater right now. It was quick outs and not a whole lot of contact quality, so you have to give him credit. He was living up and in on righties. When you’re aggressive, you’ve got to make something happen with the pitches you’re swinging at. That was it. We were trying to hunt the heater, we just didn’t do much with it.” — John Schneider, Manager of Blue Jays, 13 August

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

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The New York Mets will look to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the San Diego Padres tonight at Citi Field.

Nolan McLean gives the Mets an edge on the mound, and that has me picking New York in my Padres vs. Mets predictions.

Keep reading to see my full MLB picks for Monday, Aug. 17.

Who will win Padres vs Mets today: Mets (-121)

The New York Mets are coming off a home sweep over the Washington Nationals, and now send their best starter to the mound against the San Diego Padres.

Nolan McLean rates in the 98th percentile in fastball run value and strikes out 28% of the batters he faces.

The Mets should find success against Walker Buehler, who lets opponents hit the ball hard.

Buehler has allowed an average exit velocity of 89.4 mph, while New York ranks third in MLB in hard-hit percentage (41.5%). 

I'm betting on the Mets tonight at -130 or shorter.

COVERS INTEL:Buehler has allowed opponents to barrel up on a relatively high 8.4% of batted balls, a dangerous number against a Mets team that has the sixth-highest barrel percentage in MLB (8.7%).

Padres vs Mets Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-121)

While both teams have bad offensive reputations, they have improved a bit as the season has worn on. While both rank below average in run scoring, they've gotten well out of the basement: The Padres are 21st (4.28 runs per game) and the Mets 22nd (4.18).

The underlying data looks even better, with New York ranking sixth in xwOBA (.320) and San Diego right behind them at .318.

These offenses are being undervalued against decent but far from overwhelming pitching tonight. 

I'm betting the Over at -125 or better.

Padres vs Mets home run prediction: Carson Benge (+820)

Carson Benge has shown solid power for the Mets in his rookie season, hitting 14 homers in 492 plate appearances. That includes three homers in August, with one coming over the weekend against the Nationals.

After an awful start through April, Benge has shown massive improvement — slugging .560 in August — by far his best month yet.

Buehler has allowed 14 homers in 114 1/3 innings of work this year, and has allowed 1.13 homers per nine innings for his career.

I like Benge as a home run pick tonight at +800 or better.

Padres vs Mets weather

Clear and warm with a slight wind in from center, the weather should have little impact on tonight's game.

Padres vs Mets odds

• Moneyline: Padres +113 | Mets -117
• Run line: Padres +1.5 (-186) | Mets -1.5 (+178)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-117) | Under 7.5 (+113)

Padres vs Mets trend

The Mets are 9-3 straight up in their last 12 games overall. Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Mets.

How to watch Padres vs Mets and game info

Padres vs Mets latest injuries

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Ryan Weathers carried on his improved form this weekend by dominating the Blue Jays lineup in what turned out to be a Yankees win in extras. Weathers has found superior results by adjusting his arsenal to minimize the damage he allows and maximize his potential. And those changes are so meaningful that they warrant multiple focal points of discussion.

Earlier in the month, fellow Pinstripe Alley writer Andrés Chávez came here to talk about the root behind these changes; Weathers’ fastball was getting tattooed regularly, and he needed to do something about it. Long story short, he started throwing it less and less, a decision that has been paying dividends, with the rest of his arsenal carrying the load.

Weathers wasn’t the first and won’t be the last pitcher to deal with problems from a fastball that, despite having good velocity, doesn’t possess any outstanding characteristics to consistently perform well. What has allowed Weathers to more appropriately handle this challenge has been his ability to quickly transition into relying increasingly on the sinker, which was already a pretty important part of his arsenal.

No matter how appealing his offspeed stuff is, any starting pitcher needs at least one fastball they can somewhat consistently go to in order to thrive in that role. For Weathers, that has been the sinker, and it was more evident than ever in Sunday’s win over the Blue Jays. Notice the very few red dots down below.

After the first two starts of the 2026 campaign, Weathers had been consistent about not overexposing any of his pitches. Before his latest appearance, the most Weathers had thrown any of his pitches was a 36 percent four-seam fastball usage in late April against the Astros. Well, against the Blue Jays, he set a season high, featuring the sinker 41 percent of the time as the four-seamer was nowhere to be found apart from a rare surprise look above the strike zone.

With such an adjustment, you can forget about the high strikeout rates of early in the season, but the hard contact will also be limited in a more efficient manner. In this particular game against the Blue Jays, for instance, Weathers didn’t record a single whiff on 11 swings against his sinkers — he made a living out of earning called strikes to get ahead, and when contact was made, only singles were given up. The two extra-base hits the Jays had against Weathers both came on poorly located changeups.

For Weathers, ditching the four-seamer doesn’t directly correlate to just hammering sinkers regardless of feel for his other pitches. If that were the case, his sinker would be dominant enough that all of these adjustments wouldn’t even be needed in the first place. There will be games such as the July 20th win over the Pirates in which the changeup is the go-to offering for Weathers. What matters is that the existence of the sinker as a reliable hard offering allows Weathers to take this approach in the first place.

Although it has been present for a few starts already, it’ll be important to see how the opposition reacts to these adjustments and if we start seeing a different approach against the Yankees lefty. For now, the consistency he has found rounds out this Yankees rotation quite nicely.

The Athletics had three consecutive 90+ loss seasons, but appeared to be improving with a 76-win season last year built on a core of solid hitters like Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Lawrence Butler, and Jacob Wilson. They got off to a good start and were at .500 in mid-June before injuries hit their lineup and their pitching fell apart. They have lost 37 of their last 48 games, costing GM David Forst his job.

Athletics (49-75) vs. Kansas City Royals (51-74) at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, MO

Athletics: 4.35 runs scored/game (20th in MLB), 5.76 runs allowed/game (30th)

Royals: 4.10 runs scored/game (23rd), 4.99 runs allowed/game (26th)

Who’s hot:

• Zack Gelof is hitting .318/.375/.568 with eight home runs in his last 35 games.
• Jac Caglianone is second among all hitters with a 259 wRC+ in August, hitting .407/.429/.759 this month.

Who’s not:

• Jacob Wilson has drawn just one walk in his last 19 games and is hitting .178/.211/.260 over that time.
• John Rave is hitting just .189/.231/.324 in 15 games since being recalled.

Interesting splits:

• Lawrence Butler got off to a dreadful start this season, but is hitting .242/.307/.506 since the All-Star break.
• Michael Massey is hitting .316/.342/.526 against lefties this year.

Former Royals prospect Mason Barnett has given up six home runs in his last two games. Jeff McNeil is 4-for-9 (.444) with a double in his matchups against Michael Wacha. Jack Perkins gave up 12 hits against the Rays in his last start, the third-most hits any pitcher has given up this year. Gage Jump struck out a career-high 11 hitters against the Red Sox on August 8, but struck out just one in his last start against the Rangers. J.T. Ginn has a 45 percent groundball rate, 14th-highest among qualified pitchers.

The A’s have the worst pitching staff in baseball with a 5.48 ERA, with a 5.70 bullpen ERA. Their 24 blown saves are the third-most in baseball. Luis Medina has not allowed a run in five games in August, with eight strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Hogan Harris has 12 saves, but 5 blown saves.

The A’s have the second-worst record in baseball, behind only the Angels, who the Royals just defeated in a series. They took two of three from the Royals earlier this year, but their pitching is in shambles and they are missing four of their best hitters – Rooker, Kurtz, Soderstrom, and Langeliers. The Royals have a chance to get their homestand off to a good start and score some runs off the worst pitching staff in baseball.

In May, the San Francisco Giants made an interesting trade, sending veteran backstop and defensive mastermind Patrick Bailey to the Cleveland Guardians.

Bailey is one of the best defensive catchers in baseball, but his lack of offensive production left some fans frustrated while younger players like Jesus Rodriguez and Daniel Susac waited in the wings.

Other fans weren't sold on the trade though, believing Bailey's defensive prowess and clutch factor made him a valuable asset. To only get one prospect and a draft pick in return seemed too little.

Well this week, fans should get to see part of what they got for Bailey.

On Monday, Aug. 17, the Giants called up left-handed pitcher Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson, the prospect they acquired in the trade, from the minors. Ironically, it's just in time for the Giants to face the Guardians in a three-game series between Tuesday, Aug. 18 and Thursday, Aug. 20.

Here's what to know about the latest member of the team.

More: MLB power rankings: Cardinals back in race as Joshua Báez arrives with bang