Category: MLB

The Twins beat the Brewers in the first game of this weekend’s series in a wild game, one in which Milwaukee took an early four-run lead but couldn’t hold on to it. Tonight, they’ll look to even the series, though the on-paper pitching matchup favors the Twins: Robert Gasser will take the mound for the Brewers, while Taj Bradley will be his opponent.

Gasser is working on a string of solid outings. He’s given up three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight outings, excepting only the stinker in the team’s last game before the All-Star break. Throw that one out, and in the other seven outings he’s got a 2.41 ERA in 41 innings going back to June 16th. Even with the bad one, Gasser has a 3.68 ERA and 3.41 FIP over what basically amounts to the last two months.

His opponent is no slouch, though, and with Joe Ryan on the injured list, Bradley slots in as Minnesota’s de facto ace. In 22 starts covering 126 2/3 innings this season, Bradley has pitched to a solid 3.69 ERA (114 ERA+) and 3.91 FIP, and while his walks are higher than you’d like (3.8 per nine), he’s striking out 10 batters per nine innings this season. Bradley, who was traded straight up for Griffin Jax at last year’s trade deadline, seems to be finding his own with the Twins in his age-25 season.

Speaking of pitching, the Brewers made a logical but still somewhat surprising move today: after pitching well in six outings for the Brewers, including three really good innings last night, Bryse Wilson has been designated for assignment. Recalled in his place is right-hander Lyon Richardson, who has made 41 mostly sub-par appearances for the Reds over the last four seasons (most of which came in 2025, when he had a 4.54 ERA in 34 outings). Richardson was designated for assignment by the Reds in early June and joined Triple-A Nashville; in 13 outings there since his acquisition, Richardson has a 4.20 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and a troubling 5.4 BB/9 in 30 innings.

It’s tough on Wilson, who did as well as one could’ve asked for in his short reunion with the Brewers. At this point, it’s a numbers game: the Brewers need fresh arms somewhat desperately during this run of 17 straight days with a baseball game, and Wilson is the sort of journeyman that is deemed expendable in a situation like this (the Brewers were already the third team he’d pitched for in 2026 alone). It should also be said that, for the most part, Wilson’s stats in every stop he’s made except for Milwaukee have been quite bad, so it does seem like the Brewers understand that whatever they’ve been getting from him has been at least partially aided by luck and/or good fortune.

Note also in that transaction: Sal Frelick is on his way to Nashville for a rehab assignment. Things are going to get a bit crowded when he returns, and Luis Lara’s good play has complicated things. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening, but Brandon Lockridge may find himself on the outside looking in.

BCB readers, rejoice! Joey Ortiz is starting at third base against a right-handed pitcher after David Hamilton had started five in a row at the hot corner against righties (Ortiz started the first of those five at shortstop). It is, of course, somewhat amusing that this is when Hamilton goes to the pine, given that he actually had a good game last night. (The Brewers say they have a plan with Ortiz, honest.) Andrew Vaughn also gets a start against the right-hander tonight, with Jake Bauers back in right field and Christian Yelich again playing DH; down in the seven spot tonight, this will officially be the lowest Yelich has started in the batting order since 2015.

First pitch tonight is at 6:10 p.m. on Brewers TV and the Brewers Radio Network.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Blue Jays:

Today’s roster move: Here

Saturday notes…

• UNDER THE LIGHTS: The Cubs are 42-26 in night games, a winning percentage of .618. They finished last season 49-38, .563. At night on the road, they are 26-14, .650. They finished last season just 28-27, .509. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• SATURDAY IN THE PARK: At 11-7, the Cubs already have lost as many games on Saturday as they did all of last season, when they were 20-7. They are 5-3 on the road on Saturday this year. Last year, they were 11-2. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• NOT SCORING FIRST: The Cubs have given up the first run in six consecutive games, each in the first three innings, including the first inning of the the last three. They have not scored first in eight of nine games, after having done it in five straight, seven of eight and 11 of 13. The Cubs have taken the first lead in 55 games and fallen behind in 62. They are 40-15 when they score first and 28-34 when they do not. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jim Edmonds homers twice, including a game-tying blast in the seventh, and Henry Blanco’s walk-off single wins the game over the Cardinals 3-2 at Wrigley Field. It happened 18 years ago today, Friday, Aug. 8, 2008.

Cubs lineup:

Royals lineup:

Clay Holmes, RHP vs. Seth Lugo, RHP

Clay Holmes was having a fine year with the Mets when he suffered a fractured fibula on this play against the Yankees May 15:

He has made three rehab starts. In the most recent one, Aug. 2, he threw 43 pitches for the Mets’ High-A affiliate. He’d thrown 59 pitches in the rehab start before that.

So I’d think he’ll be on a pitch limit tonight, maybe 75 or so? The Cubs do have Colin Rea and Javier Assad ready for long relief.

Below you’ll find Holmes’ pitch mix. As you’ll note, he relies on a sinker which, we hope, will induce lots of ground balls to the excellent Cubs defenders.

Seth Lugo was a big Royals free-agent signing before the 2024 season. He was very good that year (second in AL Cy Young voting), a bit worse last year, and not very good this year, especially over his last eight starts (5.82 ERA, 1.477 WHIP, eight home runs in 43.1 innings). He’s also walked a lot of guys in those eight starts (8.9 percent walk rate).

He has, however, held current Cubs to a .167 BA (14-for-84) with one home run (Seiya Suzuki). Hopefully Cubs bats are ready for him tonight.

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Kauffman Stadium.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Royals site Royals Review. If you do go there to interact with Royals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

If ever the Cincinnati Reds are going to sneak their way into the playoff race, they’re going to need every last good thing than ace Chase Burns can give them – especially now that they’ll be without Hunter Greene for the remainder of the season.

Problem is, Burns is going to slam into an innings limit at some point in the very near future. He’s already at 118.2 IP so far in the 2026 campaign, already outpacing the 109.1 IP he threw across all levels just last year. Given that he only touched 100 IP exactly in his final college season, there’s not a ton of ‘build up’ on his prized right arm just yet, and letting him blow past 150 IP likely isn’t in the designs of the Reds front office this season.

So, they need to maximize his opportunities while they have them, and one comes around again on Saturday against the Washington Nationals.

Burns starts opposite Nats lefty Andrew Alvarez with first pitch slated for 6:45 PM ET, and the Reds have done what they can to stack the lineup against the southpaw accordingly.

Here’s how both clubs will line up to begin:

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Coming off an 8-2 beatdown on Friday, the Cleveland Guardians look to pull within one game of the AL Central lead on Saturday. 

While Friday’s win was just their second in seven tries, my MLB picks are laying the juice on the road favorites.

Read on to see why Gavin Williams is primed for a dominant outing in my Guardians vs. White Sox predictions for Saturday, Aug. 8.

Who will win Guardians vs White Sox today: Guardians moneyline (-137)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams has been a strikeout machine this year.

Williams ranks in the 96th percentile in K%, thanks to elite extension and a filthy sweeper generating a 44.3% whiff rate. Since the All-Star break, he leads the majors with a 1.26 xFIP. 

The Chicago White Sox are struggling against righties. Since the All-Star break, they rank 26th in BA (.218) and 25th in BABIP (.267) against RHP, with the fifth-highest K% (25.5%) of any team.

Add in their league-high 31.8% K% the past week, and it’s a great spot to back another strong outing from Williams. 

I’m backing them to take victory down to -145.

COVERS INTEL: Gavin Williams leads the majors with a 48.4% K% since the All-Star break among SP with at least 70 batters faced—nearly nine percentage points higher than the next-best pitcher. 

Guardians vs White Sox Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-126)

Anthony Kay is coming off a strong outing against the Rays, and has looked improved since the break. He’s also posted a home ERA of just 3.24 this season, compared to a 4.88 road ERA.

That’s largely driven by Kay’s home HR/9 of just 0.62 which is a full dinger less than his road metric.   

The Guardians have hit the ball well the past week, but their ISO of .121 and HR/FB rate of 9.3% since the break make it unlikely they’re going to post crooked numbers.

Cleveland will win a lower-scoring contest. 

Back the Under to -135.

Guardians vs White Sox weather

Hitters will be dealing with temps in the upper 70s and winds blowing from left field towards first base at up to 10 mph, which will help both pitching staffs limit the damage on big flys. 

Guardians vs White Sox odds

• Moneyline: Guardians -137 | White Sox +124
• Run line: Guardians -1.5 (+134) | White Sox +1.5 (-148)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+114) | Under 7.5 (-126)

Guardians vs White Sox trend

The Cleveland Guardians have covered the Run Line in 9 of their last 12 away games (+5.55 Units / 32% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Guardians vs. White Sox.

How to watch Guardians vs White Sox and game info

Guardians vs White Sox latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

The enterprise of selecting the top 50 Seattle Mariners in the franchise’s history is a fun and challenging one. As such, we let our staff take a few cracks at it. Some folks leapt at it, while others are more eager to pick through the official list in the next few days when it’s revealed Saturday night. Below, we’ve got a few lists, each with variable criteria, along with some explanations and tiers from a few members of the staff, and we’ll be glad to hear your thoughts as well.

Grant:

So here’s the thing: if you’re reading this, you know that the Seattle Mariners just haven’t been that good over 50 seasons. We’ve had three different high points (1995, 2001, 2025), a few other playoff seasons, and lots of mediocrity sprinkled in.

Perhaps, then, it doesn’t surprise you that putting together a top 50 list leans on the nostalgia. There are some genuinely great players on this list; there are also some who played 3 seasons with the team or who have <= 8 WAR. We have five different batting title winners, and we have kinda mid second basemen/utility men.

My list isn’t in order outside of my top 10, and if you try this on your own, you will also find out how challenging it is once you hit #30 or so. But as you go down this list, no matter what, you’ll stumble across some players who make you smile, who lifted your spirits on summer weeknights driving home after a long shift, who drove you just a little crazy, who made you stand and applaud, who made you cry. You might find your kid’s first ever favorite player or the one who you’d bond over with your parents.

Yes, this team has been bad for much of its existence, and yes, baseball is nearly unbearable right now if you’re a Mariners fan. But as Dave Niehaus said, it fills our days and brightens our nights, and these 50 folks epitomize this team.

Welcome back, baseball. Stay forever.

Top 10

1. Ken Griffey Jr.
2. Ichiro
3. Felix Hernandez
4. Edgar Martinez
5. Randy Johnson
6. Dave Niehaus
7. Alex Rodriguez
8. Rick Rizzs
9. Julio Rodriguez
10. Lou Piniella

Honorable Mention

11. Kyle Seager

Amazing, but not known as elite for the Mariners

12. Robinson Cano
13. Edwin Diaz
14. Adrian Beltre

Close but no cigar…yet

15. Cal Raleigh
16. Logan Gilbert
17. George Kirby
18. Bryan Woo
19. Andres Muñoz
20. Jerry Dipoto

Simply, Truly Good Players

21. Mitch Haniger
22. Nelson Cruz
23. Hisashi Iwakuma
24. James Paxton
25. Marco Gonzales
26. J.P. Crawford

Early Days

27. Mark Langston
28. Alvin Davis
29. Mike Moore
30. Phil Bradley
31. Harold Reynolds
32. Floyd Bannister
33. Bruce Bochte
34. Dave Valle

2001 Immortality

35. Jamie Moyer
36. Bret Boone
37. Freddy Garcia
38. Kazuhiro Sasaki
39. Mike Cameron
40. John Olerud

1995 Immortality

41. Jay Buhner
42. Dan Wilson
43. Jeff Nelson

Nostalgia in Some Way or Another

44. Jose Lopez
45. Franklin Gutierrez
46. Mike Zunino
47. Mark McLemore
48. J.J. Putz
49. Luis Castillo
50. Diego Segui

John:

I love a list. It’s one of the delightful parts of prospect writing, gathering all the names together to consider what sets one player apart from another and whether they deserve clear demarcation. For my list, I’ve only selected players, and while I considered exclusively ruling on players I’ve seen myself, I ultimately opted to follow my heart and those I’ve read about enough to feel a connection to. I’ve broken them out in tiers that made sense to me in the moment, but they are hardly steadfast in terms of their true ordering.

The Hall of Famers

1. Ichiro Suzuki
2. Edgar Martinez
3. Félix Hernández
4. Ken Griffey Jr.
5. Randy Johnson

Seattle Royalty

6. Kyle Seager
7. Jamie Moyer
8. Jay Buhner
9. Julio Rodríguez
10. Alvin Davis

Meteoric

11. Alex Rodríguez
12. Cal Raleigh
13. Mike Cameron

Held it Down When Things Were Grim

14. Harold Reynolds
15. J.P. Crawford

Me and Félix’s Favorite Pitcher

16. Freddy Garcia

Era-Defining Stars With Warts

17. Bret Boone
18. Robinson Canó

Game 161

19. Nelson Cruz

Game 163 (sorry Mark, you were great here too but it was too easy)

20. Mark Langston

Boron Rods in the Reactor

21. Dan Wilson
22. Logan Gilbert
23. Raúl Ibañez

Free Agents That Worked Out

24. John Olerud
25. Adrian Beltré
26. Hisashi Iwakuma

Mike Zunino

27. Mike Zunino

Pitchers I Never Saw But Made the Early Mariners Less Awful

28. Mike Moore
29. Erik Hanson

The Guys Who Were Luckier Than Kyle Lewis

30. Mitch Haniger
31. Franklin Gutierrez

Relievers Who Fuck

32. Arthur Rhodes
33. Kazuhiro Sasaki
34. Andrés Muñoz
35. J.J. Putz
36. Edwin Díaz
37. Mike Jackson

Era-Defining Starting Pitchers

38. Luis Castillo
39. James Paxton
40. Marco Gonzales

Hitters I Never Saw But Made the Early Mariners Less Awful

41. Phil Bradley
42. Tom Paciorek
43. Ken Phelps
44. Bruce Bochte

Good Vibes Iron Men

45. Eugenio Suárez
46. Dave Valle

I Am Tired Of Everyone Trying To Trade You

47. George Kirby

The First Mariner (Julio Cruz should get to be here too)

48. Ruppert Jones

Relievers I Joked About Putting On But No, They Actually Deserve It

49. Jeff Nelson
50. Tom Wilhelmsen

Kate:

This is a vibes-based list, hand-written and transported with haste to the world wide web for you all to enjoy. It leans on going through year after year and seeing the top performers in each individual season, which was an interesting exercise in seeing what had to sustain many, many years of this club.

1. Griffey
2. Ichiro
3. Edgar
4. Felix
5. Randy Johnson
6. Alvin Davis
7. A-Rod
8. Jay Buhner
9. Ruppert Jones
10. Dan Wilson
11. Nelson Cruz
12. Kyle Seager
13. Dave Henderson
14. Ken Phelps
15. Freddy Garcia
16. Hisashi Iwakuma
17. Mark Langston
18. Harold Reynolds
19. James Paxton
20. Julio
21. Cal
22. Bret Boone 
23. Jamie Moyer
24. Kaz Sasaki
25. Brandon League
26. Norm Charlton
27. Logan Gilbert
28. Mike Moore
29. Phil Bradley
30. J.P. Crawford
31. Julio Cruz
32. Robinson Canó
33. Mike Cameron
34. Franklin Gutierrez
35. Spike Owen
36. Bruce Bochte
37. Tom Wilhelmsen
38. Adrian Beltre
39. Tom Paciorek
40. Joel Pinero
41. Joey Cora
42. Scott Bankhead
43. Erik Hanson
44. Kenji Johjima
45. Mark McLemore
46. Bill Swift
47. Dave Valle
48. Henry Cotto
49. Raúl Ibañez
50. Eugenio Suárez

The San Diego Padres looked to upgrade their depleted starting rotation at Monday’s trade deadline. In the final hours, the front office acquired Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers.

However, both pitchers were less than impressive in their first start in new surroundings. Ray’s control betrayed him in last night’s 6-3 defeat. The southpaw allowed four runs on seven hits, walked five batters and struck out two in five lackluster innings.

With this loss, the Padres fall two games behind in the National League Wild Card race.

Taking the mound: Peter Lambert (HOU) vs Michael King (SD)

San Diego will turn to Michael King (6-8, 3.45 ERA) to get the team back on their winning ways in the second game of the three-game set. He has been solid all season, but King put together his best statistical month in July. 

In five starts, he went 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA. But one stat that should bring a smile to the Friar Faithful is that King went six innings in four of the five starts. His pitching repertoire is finally coming together and becoming an effective arsenal. 

King’s mix of the changeup, four-seam fastball, and sweeper has kept batters off balance during at-bats. You can tell the right-hander is pitching well when he induces ground-ball outs. King is near his normal career rate (43.3%).

If he can generate swing-and-misses or weak contact, it will be a long day for the Stros hitters.

The Astros are sending out Peter Lambert (8-5, 3.06 ERA) to secure a series victory today. The right-hander has been the one constant in an ever-changing starting rotation, as Spencer Arrighetti, Lance McCuller Jr., and Tatsuya Imai were either dealt away or shuffled out of the rotation this season.

The road to becoming a quality starting pitcher has not been easy for Lambert. He struggled with the Colorado Rockies after they drafted him in the second round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draft. The right-hander went 8-19 with a 6.28 ERA before the organization released him after the 2024 season. 

His return to the majors began with a season in Japan. Lambert made some adjustments to his delivery and began working from a different spot on the rubber. He has been outstanding, as lowering his arm angle has made his sinker and cutter more effective in the strike zone. 

The results increased his innings pitched, from 89.1 with the Rockies to 124.1 in Japan, and improved his strikeout numbers (111 batters in 24 starts). In 2026, Lambert has struck out 108 batters and held opposing teams to a .206 batting average in 19 starts. 

His signing may have been the best under-the-radar move this winter. 

Today’s lineup

The Mets and Carson Benge received the results of the imaging on his wrist Saturday and things look encouraging.

Although Benge isn't in the Mets' starting lineup for the second of their three-game set with the Pirates, the youngster gave an update on his status and how he's feeling.

"Everything came back positive. Should be back in there within a few days," Benge said. "Nothing too serious, thankfully."

Benge said he's still a little sore, but is feeling better than he did in Friday's series opener. And who could blame him?

In the third inning, Benge made a feet-first slide into the left field corner at PNC Park. Benge stuck his glove out and caught the ball, but jammed his wrist against the wall. Benge was hunched over for a few seconds before finishing up the half-inning. 

Benge said he knew something didn't feel right, but after about 10 seconds the pain went away and he was able to finish. But once he got back to the dugout, the adrenaline was gone and he felt the pain again. The Mets then pulled Benge from the game and the X-rays after came back negative.

"He’s in a good spot. He has a bone bruise, don’t believe it’s significant," interim manager Andy Green said Saturday. "We’re going to let him breathe today, see where he’s at tomorrow. Make determinations on how quickly we can get him back. We do believe at this point in time we’ve avoided an IL stint. That can change once he starts hitting again and feels it more, but we expect him to be in a good spot in a day or so." 

Benge was already 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI before he was pulled and has picked up his offense of late.

Over his last 15 games, Benge is slashing .328/.371/.517 with two home runs and eight RBI. 

So while he wants to be in the lineup, he understands he can still help the team in other ways.

"I always want to be in there every single day…I feel like this isn’t going to be something that’s going to take me a long time to come back from," Benge said. "Everyone plays a part, no matter who it is; if you're on the bench, just being a good teammate. Everyone feeds off each other. Being able to pick up on that is pretty big."

Carson Benge makes the catch at the wall and gets the out! 😱 pic.twitter.com/gaS5jMgp2O

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 8, 2026

Earlier today, the Mets added Gabriel Arias to the big league roster. The newest Met will wear number 25, which was most recently worn by the since-traded Brooks Raley. To make room on the roster, the club sent Eric Wagaman down to Syracuse.

The Mets claimed Arias off waivers from Cleveland on Friday after his former club designated for assignment earlier this week. The 26-year-old has appeared in parts of five seasons for the Guardians and has experience at all four infield positions, making him a versatile option for New York. In 42 games this year before being DFA’ed, he hit .244/.284/.386 with five home runs, 13 runs scored, an 84 wRC+, and 0.5 fWAR.

Wagaman has been on the big league roster since being recalled to replace Juan Soto when the team’s star was placed on the IL back on July 26. However, he has only appeared in two big league games since then, going 1-for-3 in the team’s 1-0 loss to the Braves back on July 29 and picking up a hit and a run in two at-bats in the team’s 13-6 win over the Guardians on August 6. Wagaman is hitting .190/.277/.333 with a 74 wRC+ and -0.1 fWAR in 23 games for New York this season.

Friday, the Cubs got an excellent outing from one of their new starting pitcher acquisitions, Kevin Gausman.

Today, they will hope to get another such start from Clay Holmes, who was acquired from the Mets Monday. Holmes was activated from the 60-day injured list and added to the 26-man active roster to make the start against the Royals Saturday evening.

To make room for Holmes on the active roster, Braxton Garrett was optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Garrett was acquired from the Marlins in a deadline deal and had been added to the active roster Thursday, but did not appear in a game. Garrett is coming off Tommy John surgery and has not appeared in a major league game this year. The consensus is that Garrett will compete for a rotation spot in 2027.

The Cubs’ 40-man roster is now full, and as always, we await developments.

How bad are the Los Angeles Dodgers right now? Let us count the ways.

Los Angeles has now dropped seven consecutive games, which coincides with the team making a huge acquisition in pitcher supreme Tarik Skubal.

This streak is the longest since the team dropped seven in a row back in July 2025. As a reminder, the Blue Crew lost 11 consecutive games in September 2017. But there is no way this iteration of the team can slide so far, right?

With so much promise on the mound and stars in the lineup, the Dodgers look perfectly inoculated from such a slump. But let's diagnose the issues from least troublesome to most glaring.

Dodgers slump: Panic time for Dodgers? Losing streak reaches 7 after Edwin Diaz blows save

Texas Rangers lineup for August 8, 2026 against the Baltimore Orioles: starting pitchers are Jacob deGrom for the Rangers and Kyle Bradish for the O’s.

Texas will try to make it four games in a row and get back above .500 against the Orioles this evening.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Langford — LF

Seager — SS

Nimmo — RF

Duran — 3B

Carter — CF

Burger — 1B

Wynns — C

Lopez — 2B

6:15 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -145 favorites.

The Texas Rangers have activated pitcher MacKenzie Gore from the paternity list, the team announced today. To make room for Gore on the active roster, the Rangers have optioned relief pitcher Ben Peoples to AAA Round Rock.

Today was the deadline for Gore to be reinstated from the paternity list, so the only question was in regards to who would be bumped to make room for him. Peoples ends up the odd man out, due in large part, I imagine, to the fact he can be optioned.

Peoples has appeared in 12 games since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for A ball catcher Ben Hartl. In 12.1 innings he’s put up an impressive 2.19 ERA, though with a 6.25 FIP and 3.82 xERA. He has done a very good job avoiding walks, but he has just 6 Ks on the year, resulting in a 12.2% K rate, which is way below average. He’s also allowed three home runs this season.

I am sure that there will be complaints that the Rangers should have designated Cole Winn, who is out of options, for assignment. However, sending Peoples down allows the Rangers to keep both players in the organization for the time being, which is not insignificant, given the depth issues the Rangers have been dealing with in regards to their pitching staff.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that such a fiery and tumultuous personality as Ozzie Guillén will have his No. 13 jersey retired by the White Sox on the heels of Chicago’s first four-game losing streak of the season.

You almost have to wonder whether Ozzie will ask to speak to the team before he hits the field for his honor, because he’s not being immortalized by the White Sox today for his hitting or even his stellar defense, but his leadership and inspiration.

Because tonight is a Fox national broadcast, CHSN is throwing its full weight into honoring its pre- and postgame analyst. Kicking off at 3:30 p.m. CT is Honoring Ozzie, followed by Ozzie the Legend at 4:30 p.m and the retirement ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

Ashley Sanders will be writing up tonight’s game, but also providing coverage of Ozzie’s big day.

As someone who followed Ozzie as a player and covered him as a beat writer, allow me to share some memories. (All of you are encouraged to do the same, in the comments below.)

When Ozzie was acquired by the White Sox prior to the 1985 season, those of you who were around recall it was quite the controversial trade: Giving up a pitcher one year removed from the Cy Young, and a workhorse at that, for a scrawny, unknown shortstop who’d yet to sniff the bigs. But my enduring memory, as a young baseball player just entering his high school career, was my father highlighting a Tribune feature about Ozzie before he ever set foot on the field for the White Sox. The original may be lost, but here’s a microfilm version:

My dad became a White Sox fan because he chose Chico Carrasquel as his first baseball hero. (Carrasquel, of course, would become the first of a “Venezuelan connection” of shortstops on the South Side.) So perhaps seeing this young shortstop from the same country as Chico and Luis Aparicio stirred something in him, because he highlighted all of Ozzie’s quotes about the passion he has for the game. The effort my dad made, and Ozzie’s own words in the story, did inspire me, and I think I was a better player as a result.

Many years later, I wrote a book about Ozzie, after the 2005 title season. He was kind enough to contribute an introduction, although later in the process he asked me to hold it back. Given all the requests that were flooding his desk, he didn’t want to play favorites, certainly not to a relative unknown in the baseball writing world.

But I got to know Ozzie more as a person by covering him as part of the relentless march of the baseball season, where you are together with the players and even more so the manager for upwards of eight months of the year. For a man who was “the show” at all times, the leader of the White Sox despite no longer stepping between the lines, he had depth and caring. His surprising embrace and encouragement at the open of the Winter Meetings after the 2010 season I will never forget. His consideration of the work I was charged with doing on the beat (juggling quite a bit more than mere pregame notebooks and postgame recaps so common among my peers) was obvious. And his departure at the end of 2011, painful and still today a struggle to understand, was capped by an honest embrace, a promise to stay in touch, and an small exchange of gifts.

I have been lucky to engage with hundreds of athletes and coaches across baseball, basketball and hockey, among them a great many of my heroes. It’s fair to say that none of them impacted me professionally and connected with me personally more than Ozzie.

It is wonderful that Ozzie, with a nomadic personality but a heart that is all White Sox, receives this honor today.

As for the main feature tonight, Hagen Smith and Tanner McDougal will be in uniform on the South Side after getting the call from Charlotte late after Friday night’s game, with Noah Schultz and David Sandlin the corresponding demotions. To make room on the 40-player roster (Smith needed to be added), the White Sox designated Triple-A reliever and fourth piece of the Garrett Crochet trade Wikelman González for assignment.

Charged with snapping the season-long four-game losing streak will be Anthony Kay, and he’s got a mother of a matchup facing Cleveland’s Gavin Williams:

Here’s the lineup that the White Sox will roll out against Williams:

Here’s Cleveland, who cares, as a team they suck, they lost three straight at home against the Mets! (And yes, what does that make the White Sox, after the Guards manhandled them, but ease up, it’s Ozzie Day lemme rant.)

It’s a Fox national game tonight, so coverage there begins with a 6 p.m. CT pregame, followed by a first pitch at 6:15. ESPN 1000 AM has the radio broadcast, as usual.

This has to be the latest I’ve been at T-Mobile Park in years, if not ever. It’s 11 pm, and I’m in my Yes We Canó t-shirt circa 2015, and people around me are cheering Stefen Romero.

It isn’t heaven, nor is it hell. Baby, it’s the Mariners Alumni Home Run Derby.

The whole thing is a fever dream, fueled by the fact they have yet to close the drink stands and DJ Pleno AKA Julio Rodríguez out in the ‘Pen. Many people, like me, have taken tonight as an opportunity to dig deep into their closets; I spot a Furbush jersey, a rogue Zunino, a DMo, multiple Ichiros and Randy Johnsons and Dave Valle himself, weaving lackadaisically through the concourse in the 4th inning. Between the 2-1 lackluster offense loss to the Rays and all these throwback tributes, it might as well be the early 2010s. Credit to the crowd, though, who seemed to almost universally hang around for the pomp and circumstance of the derby.

And say what you will about the Mariners on-field production, but they’ve always known how to put on a show. No expense was spared on pyrotechnics, with every homer getting the full home run treatment, alongside newly-installed flashing lights attached to all the walkway railings. The crowd roared increasingly loud for each contestant, coach and, of course, the commissioner (because obviously every derby needs a commissioner). My only quibble? No opportunity to stand and holler my head off for Nelson Cruz, one of said coaches. To call the assortment a who’s who of Mariners legends would do some a disservice, but it was definitely Some Guys of Remembering fame – Bucky Jacobsen, Stefen Romero, RyOn Healy, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Austin Nola – alongside legends like Mike Cameron and Ichiro.

The Derby itself was well-structured. Jacobsen was one of three pentagenarian participants, whose pro career was derailed by injury two decades ago. The one-time Banner Bank advertiser made good, scraping past the left field wall twice. It set the tone in the crowd and on the field, a combination of anxiety and relief coursing through the light-hearted nature. The fear of seeing true embarrassment from any of the participants was quelled one-by-one, with different standards for each hitter. For Jacobsen, a homer was enough, but he managed three big flies including an additional in the “Jackpot Round” where each homer was worth double.

For Nola, Healy, and Romero there were actual expectations. Nola was a big leaguer a season ago, and opted to coach the M’s bullpen instead of taking a minor league deal this spring. His swing looked much the same as it did nearly a decade ago in Seattle, lashing tasteful line drives over the fence with just enough pop to advance to the final round. Healy played in Korea in 2021 and was the youngest participant at 34, but was undermined in one of the night’s great surprises. Seeking an edge against a southpaw, the crowd erupted in delight as James Paxton trotted in to throw BP for what was quite clearly the first time in his life. Dealing in jeans, The Big Maple managed to generate a full whiff from Healy to the good-natured Oregonian’s chagrin. For his part, Romero was still a good hitter in the Mexican League in 2023, and is younger than current Triple-A Tacoma starter Casey Lawrence. As DJ Pleno grooved in The Pen, an increasingly giddy crowd delighted in big flies from the less-star-studded swingers. Sprinkled in was Crocodile Hunter cosplayer Ryan Rowland-Smith, who hammed it up to the extreme, tackling a stuffed crocodile on his way out and bat flipping two buzzer-beating homers to the glee of all attendees and his fellow broadcasters. He echoed the refrain so many of the contestants light-heartedly echoed: the joy of being able to do this in front of their families, including for many their children who’d been too young to see their playing careers. Mike Cameron has quite a different experience, having been able to watch his own son Daz reach MLB himself, but the 53 year old good-naturedly came up short.

The stage was set for the man everyone had stuck around to see, and Ichiro did not disappoint. Clubbing homers into the right field seats with the crowd willing every ball deeper, Ichiro came up just a single point short of advancing. And yet, even as many streamed to the exits while the final fly ball fell short, most stayed. The moment had earned itself. So often, Seattle has been denigrated rightly for drawing on nostalgia to a cloying, cynical degree. Empty rehashings of the magic of 1995 until the sweetness wears off like a cheap stick of gum. But silly as it felt, disappointing even, with a final between two role players from eras not likely to make many highlight reels, this event exceeded expectations. Bread and circuses get a bad rap, but this was at least bread, and folks, you can eat bread. With his back against the wall at a barrage of big flies by Nola, Stefen Romero ripped off homer after homer, building a crescendo of joy at something new from something old. No time taken, no bonus round needed, the former Oregon State Beaver elated his Portland-area youth team as they blasted through their bed-times to watch their coach take home the title.

As they presented Romero with his trophy, even I, who had held a grudge due to once being chastised by him on Twitter for saying he was bad, couldn’t help but cheer. It was a perfect distillation of what has always drawn me to the ballpark, regardless of the team’s record; the camaraderie and community of baseball.

Was it a perfect Home Run Derby? No, but it was a perfect(ly) Mariners night.