Category: Baseball

Hi there!

As you know, Thomas Smith is away on vacation.

To keep this feature going, I’m going to post simply the WPA numbers and plays of the game, and a poll so you can vote on your choice for Player of the Game. Thomas will update the Rizzo Award standings when he returns.

Game 109, July 30: Cubs 4, Cardinals 2 (62-47)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Jacob Webb (.213). 1.1 IP, H
• Hero: Alex Bregman (.209). 2-4, 2 2B, 2R
• Sidekick: Aaron Civale (.116). 0.2 IP, K, SV

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Michael Conforto (-.157). 0-4.
• Goat: Caleb Thielbar (-.145). IP, R, HR
• Kid: Carson Kelly (-.133). 1-4.

Ian Happ’s RBI double in the 10th has him at .102, good for fourth place for this game.

WPA Play of the Game: JJ Wetherholt’s game-tying homer off Caleb Thielbar in the seventh (.243).

Cubs Play of the Game: Michael Busch’s RBI single in the top of the seventh (.191).

The two plays above were the top two WPA plays of the entire game. Bregman’s RBI double in the 10th was next at .165.

Up next: The Yankees visit Wrigley Field. Shōta Imanaga will throw the series opener Friday against Yankees right-hander Will Warren.

As Thomas would say: Keep stacking wins.

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The first-place Tampa Bay Rays open their series against the Chicago White Sox tonight as -144 favorites at home, with veteran right-hander Nick Martinez getting the start.

Martinez has been one of Tampa Bay's most reliable arms this season, and my White Sox vs. Rays predictions back the Rays to extend their winning streak to three games.

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, July 31. 

Who will win White Sox vs Rays today: Rays moneyline (-142)

The Tampa Bay Rays continue to play well, and they will be confident with Nick Martinez on the hill. The righty is in impressive form, posting a 3.21 xERA across his last four appearances.

During that span, he's allowed just 1.19 BB/9 and 0.79 HR/9 while limiting opponents to a 27.4% hard-hit rate. The Chicago White Sox aren't exactly thriving offensively either, posting a 92 wRC+ over the last week. 

As for Erick Fedde, he is having real trouble lately. Fedde sports a 7.78 FIP in his previous two outings, giving up an alarming 4.32 HR/9. The Rays aren't lighting it up at the dish right now, but their home wRC+ sits at 114, compared to a 97 mark on the road. 

Martinez throws another gem, and the Rays capitalize on Fedde's vulnerabilities. 

I'll play this pick up to -160, but no higher. Given Fedde's issues with the long ball, the runline offers value as well. 

COVERS INTEL: Erick Fedde has allowed a 55.6% hard-hit rate over the last month, compared to his season average of 40.5%. This is a clear opportunity for the Rays to jump on him. 

White Sox vs Rays Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 runs (-116)

The Under feels like the logical play tonight. Even though the Rays swing it much better at home, they have produced just a 92 wRC+ over their last six games, matching Chicago’s recent mark. Both bullpen profiles also point to fewer late-game runs once the starters depart.

The Tampa Bay relief corps owns a solid 1.88 xERA over its previous 25.1 frames while holding opponents to a mere 1.6% barrel rate. As for the White Sox pen, it has posted a 3.85 FIP over the last week while surrendering just 0.56 HR/9.

I do expect Fedde to give up some runs, while Martinez should keep Chicago quiet. But once both starters exit, runs could be difficult to come by considering the current form of these bullpens.

I’ll play this pick up to -130.

White Sox vs Rays weather

Outside conditions around Tropicana Field look warm and humid tonight, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-80s. There is some shower risk in the area, but Tropicana Field’s indoor setup means weather should not affect scoring, ball carry, or delay risk.

White Sox vs Rays odds

• Moneyline: Chicago +133 | Tampa Bay -138
• Run line: Chicago +1.5 (-156) | Tampa Bay -1.5 (+150)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+108) | Under 8.5 (-113)

White Sox vs Rays trend

The Under is 5-0 in Rays' last 5 games as a home favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for White Sox vs. Rays.

How to watch White Sox vs Rays and game info

White Sox vs Rays latest injuries

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The Nats are now 110 games into the season, and sit at an even 55-55. As we all know, the offense has been electric, even if they have struggled late in games lately. However, the pitching staff, especially the bullpen has been holding this team back. When you add it all up, you get a perfectly average team.

With the third Wild Card in place, being mediocre means you are right in the middle of the playoff race. Before last night’s loss, the Nats were only two games out of a Wild Card spot. With everyone around them losing, the Nats are still only 2.5 games out, in a cluster of five teams that are all within a game of each other.

Should the Nationals put their chips in with the goal of claiming that third Wild Card spot, or should the front office continue to build for the future? Right now, prognosticators give the Nats around a 10% chance of making the playoffs. However, this next week will give us a lot more clarity.

Between the deadline and this 8 game run against the Braves and Phillies, we will learn a lot about where the Nats truly stand. The Nats certainly have a chance to make the playoffs, but this is definitely not a year where I would go all in. There are so many teams clustered together, and the Nats will have to play better than all of them down the stretch to make it in. Is that possible? Sure, but I do not think it is very likely.

There are experienced teams like the Padres, D-Backs and Phillies that the Nats will have to contend with. History tells us that it takes somewhere between 83 and 89 wins to get that third Wild Card spot. Right now, the Phillies and D-Backs are on pace for 85. It is worth pointing out that the Nats have the tiebreaker over the D-Backs.

To get to that mark, the Nationals will need to truly make a run down the stretch. With their offense, you would think that they have the capability to do that. After all, this team does lead all of baseball in runs, homers and steals, joining an illustrious group.

However, the Nats have not really shown the ability to go on long win streaks. The longest win streak of the season is only 4 games, and they only have one sweep all year. This just feels like a team that will hover around .500, but never go on that run because that is who this team has been all season long.

After years of terrible teams, a mediocre one looks amazing in contrast. However, this still is a deeply flawed baseball team. For one, the pitching is not where it needs to be. While the Nats could make moves at the deadline for pitching, this staff is more than just one arm away. There has also been plenty of talk about the Nats trading one of their best arms in Foster Griffin.

While you can make a very strong argument that trading Griffin is good process, it would also be waving the white flag. We have seen how vital Foster Griffin is to this team. He is not someone who can easily be replaced, especially in this pitching starved organization.

This will be something Paul Toboni has to keep in mind at the deadline. There have been conflicting reports on a Foster Griffin extension, but if that could happen, it would be fantastic. However, if that cannot be done, it is likely that Griffin is moved, and it would probably be the right move if you get a good return.

These last four games have shown us that the Nats are just probably not quite ready to go on a run. They are still too young and green. The pitching has not even been the biggest problem in this stretch. Lately, the Nationals have been putrid in high leverage situations and have not been playing clean baseball.

It is probably too premature to say this outright, but last night was a strong indication that this team does not have what it takes to make the playoffs. They were too sloppy, not good enough with RISP and got outfoxed by the Braves. It really looked like a veteran team who has seen it all against a group of green youngsters.

At just 2.5 games back, the Nats are still in the hunt. However, they need to start winning games again, or they will play themselves out of the race. It is painful, but the Nats should trade pieces such as Foster Griffin and Luis Garcia Jr. if the right offer presents itself. If the Nats can snag a controllable reliever though, I would be for that in addition to selling.

I would not trade CJ Abrams though. The goal for this front office should be to do whatever it can to win in 2027 and 2028. This season has shown us that the Nats are close. They just need a lot more pitching and a little bit more experience. Once the offseason rolls around, it is time for the Nats to start going all in.

 However, it is starting to look like buying could be a futile exercise in 2026. 2.5 games does not seem like a lot, but with all the teams the Nats need to pass, it is harder than it looks. 2026 is just the appetizer, these next few years will be the entree.

While teams are finally starting to fully engage in trade talks, with a few still trying to decide whether they are legitimate buyers or should be realistic sellers, they realize that Monday is right around the corner.

And while the MLB trade deadline action has been painfully slow, there still is that large elephant sitting in the middle of the room:

Tarik Skubal.

The Detroit Tigers, as of late Thursday night, still had yet to officially inform teams that they are definitely trading Skubal, their two-time Cy Young winner.

It’s almost impossible to find an executive who believes the Tigers will hang onto Skubal, but they sure wish they would get the official word. Even if they can’t afford Skubal, suitors will pounce on starter Casey Mize and late-inning relievers Kenley Jansen and Kyle Finnegan.

“I keep waiting, but nothing yet," one GM said. “It’s getting late."

Here’s what GMs and executives are hearing as the Monday, 6 p.m. ET deadline lurks:

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: With the Trade Deadline fast approaching and no major moves as of yet, the question remains about what the Yankees will do this go around. It seems pretty obvious that the Yankees are looking for catching help, at least one additional arm in their bullpen, and possibly even an outfielder now that Cody Bellinger is also hurt. While they do have a dream scenario of depth in their rotation, don’t be surprised to see them trade from that depth to address some more pressing needs, similar to trading Jordan Montgomery a few years ago when they decided he wouldn’t make their playoff rotation.

Apparently, the Yankees have had conversations with various teams around the league asking about the likes of Jo Adell with the Angels or Lane Thomas from the Royals. They’ve also been connected to Hunter Goodman, Ryan Jeffers, and Tyler Stephenson on the catching front, though Jon Heyman says they’ve recently checked in on the Orioles’ Adley Rutschman (though that seems like the least likely possibility). Mason Miller remains their top bullpen target. Let’s see what gets done over the next few days.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: While Wednesday night’s game did not end the way one would’ve thought after handing Cam Schlittler a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Schlittler at least did his part to secure the win, striking out eight across 6.1 innings and only allowing a single run. While the win wasn’t there, he keeps padding his season numbers and making a legitimate case to be this year’s American League Cy Young recipient. Cy Schlittler? Cam Cylittler? What’re we thinking here?

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Ever the optimist and never the quitter, The Captain has spoken and expects the Yankees to be “all in” with the trade deadline approaching. While steering clear of mentioning any specifics, he knows the team needs help if they’re going to make a run in the playoffs and he’s hoping Brian Cashman and company make the necessary moves. Of course, he’s the captain of this team so he’s never going to be screaming for them to stand pat or sell, as Judge echoes similar sentiments every year around this time.

Baseball reminds us of our capacity for change. Not just incremental shifts that drip from the faucet at a glacially accelerating pace until one day they’ve reshaped the surface beneath them. Rapid, sudden changes in a sport notorious for its meandering heart. In roughly the time a new human being requires to gestate and be born, the Mariners have gone from one pitch away from a World Series matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers to pitching wildly in rough waters, with no port in sight.

Tonight’s 6-2 loss wasn’t the most excruciating, and resulted from Bryan Woo leaving one pitch on the heart of the plate to Mookie Betts with runners on and two outs, and then a slider on the corner that Dalton Rushing managed to stay on and club for a three-run homer, saddling Woo with yet another rough road outing. I’m always going to stick up for a starter who goes deeper into a game and be firmer on one who is inefficient or incapable of working longer. I’ll tell you that tonight, Woo was not his sharpest, but struck out eight and was utilizing his whole repertoire of secondaries in a way I found impressive, including showcasing his brand new curveball more than ever before. In a stretch where every change seems to be for the worse, Woo has been remarkable in his consistency in process, even if the outcomes have been poor. The changes he’s endeavored are tweaks, efforts to continue improving on a roster that is careening for the rocks and cannot seem to find the balance to weigh anchor, much less turn the sails.

The winds blew in the M’s faces all afternoon and evening once more, with the exception of the top two hitters in the M’s lineup. Both Cole Young and Randy Arozarena put up stellar plate appearances against Roki Sasaki, who sat 98-101 with his fastball and broke off a revolting combination of splitters, sliders, and forkballs that make any frustrated, seated observer grateful they don’t have to get up and give it a try.

If this is the final year of Randyland in the Pacific Northwest, I will treasure a player who came in a difficult campaign and found ways to improve it, sparked a magical season a year ago, and found ways to continue improving instead of simply succumbing to a standard aging curve. And Young, whose battles early allowed Seattle to get Sasaki’s pitch count elevated and spurred his deterioration in the sixth inning and the M’s best scoring opportunity. Tripling to lead off the sixth and scoring on an Arozarena double, it’s how rallies start, and so many times this season if anything has been going well for the Mariners, these two have been the heart of it.

But measured against a superpower, these Mariners are not yet cohesive. The Dodgers winning today ensured them a one game lead on the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. If Seattle were in the NL West, they’d be 16.5 games back of the division, but by forces of tradition and fortune, they merely trail Texas by 2.5. They will need every bit of it to avoid turning 2026 into a cautionary tale that costs many more in the organization their jobs.

SAN DIEGO — A late-night scooter accident, the details of which remain hazy, will be the lasting memory of Harrison Bader’s otherwise forgettable first season in San Francisco.

Despite indicating otherwise just last week, manager Tony Vitello confirmed Thursday afternoon that the offseason free-agent addition had played his final game this season.

“I think that would have been a longshot to begin with,” Vitello said of Bader’s chances of returning this season after he crashed his scooter in the wee hours Sunday morning in one of San Francisco’s premier nightlight districts.

The 32-year-old center fielder had been limited to only 30 games in his first season since signing a two-year, $20 million contract with the Giants this past offseason. He was first sidelined by a hamstring strain but more recently has been dealing with plantar fasciitis.

Bader, who hasn’t appeared in a game since May 29, was scheduled to fly to Indianapolis to see a specialist for the persistent issue with his left foot. On Friday, Vitello said Bader was “frustrated” by “some setbacks” that had stalled his rehab efforts.

Before he could make it to the foot specialist, he suffered a different kind of setback. In an update Tuesday, the team said Bader had “further injured his same foot” in a “scooter accident on Saturday night/early Sunday morning.” By Thursday, more details had begun to emerge.

According to statements from the San Francisco Fire and Police departments, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Bader was transported to a local hospital around 2 a.m. Sunday morning with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred in the Marina district, the authorities said.

A witness who spoke to SFist anonymously shed more light on the incident, telling the publication that it took place outside the famed Balboa Cafe, a popular drinking hole owned by Governor Gavin Newsom, and involved a San Francisco Fire Department vehicle.

Per SFist, Bader rode his scooter into the back of a fire truck, which then ran over the same foot that was already injured, “causing major injury.” Additionally, local TV affiliate KPIX cited multiple witnesses who said Bader was seen drinking at bars across the city proceeding the incident.

The Giants have not provided any more details besides their initial statement, which said that Bader’s scheduled meeting about his plantar fasciitis was “complicated” by the crash and that the “impact of the injury changed the nature of his evaluation.”

The team said Bader was set to undergo an MRI on Tuesday to reveal the full extent of the damage caused by the crash, but Vitello said Thursday those results weren’t available yet.

Despite the persistent setbacks that caused Bader to seek outside medical help, Vitello had said as recently as Friday that he expected the center fielder to return this season.

The manager’s tone had changed by the time a week had passed.

“I said that? I did?” Vitello said Thursday.

Vitello said he first received word that something had happened involving Bader on Sunday, a day before he was set to fly to Indianapolis, but “he didn’t provide a lot of details to me.”

Vitello didn’t get into specifics after the team released the news Tuesday and said he was more concerned with Bader’s well-being but seemed to have come to terms that his outlook had changed.

“Obviously he’s not better than he was prior to that,” Vitello said. “It’s gonna delay — there’s a chance it could delay whatever the recovery process is for him. But even prior to it, we’re looking at a pretty frustrating and long runway before he could get on the field again.

Bader was signed to upgrade the Giants’ outfield defense and lengthen their lineup with an experienced right-handed bat expected to be in there on a regular basis. That hasn’t played out, as Bader posted career-lows in batting average (.170) and OPS (.557) in 111 plate appearances, though five of his 18 hits went for home runs and two of those were grand slams.

There’s reason to believe the Giants are considering taking further disciplinary action. Some contracts include language prohibiting the use of motorized scooters, though they have become common modes of transportation in big-league clubhouses, including San Francisco’s.

While it’s not yet clear if alcohol was involved in this incident, Bader was allegedly inebriated when he crashed a scooter into a parked car when he was at the University of Florida, resulting in a 19-game suspension. 

Regarding any potential discipline, Vitello said “it wouldn’t be up to me.” But, he added, “I don’t know the circumstances. Depending on what those are, I wouldn’t rule any of that out. … The front office is sorting through all that other stuff.”

The whole saga has done nothing to change Vitello’s views on a method of transport utilized on occasion by his predecessor, Bob Melvin, and many others to pass through the Giants’ clubhouse in recent years. He would warn his players at Tennessee of David Hamilton, the current Brewers outfielder, who tore his Achilles when his scooter hit a pothole.

Now, he’s got another cautionary tale in Bader.

“I’m just not a fan,” Vitello said. “I spend a lot of time in Nashville. Nashville’s become a fun place for a lot of people. If you’re on a scooter around those people, you are risking your life. So, not a fan.”

Dodginga motor vehicle successfully: Randy Arozarena, 0.07 WPA

Regina George in Act 3: Bryan Woo, -0.23 WPA

Game Thread Comment of the Day

Thank you for the theme music to the upcoming recap, OldPeculiar.

The Dodgers are now on a winning streak at home, as they defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-2 at Dodger Stadium on Thursday.

Roki Sasaki managed to avoid trouble after allowing a one-out baserunner by completing a scoreless first inning on 20 pitches. Bryan Woo was one strike away from completing a scoreless first inning on 21 pitches, but Mookie Betts delivered a two-strike, two-run double to give the Dodgers a third consecutive first inning lead over Seattle.

The Dodgers would struggle to get anything going against Woo over the next two innings, but a one-out walk to Kyle Tucker ignited a rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. Teoscar Hernández reached on an infield single, and Dalton Rushing added his biggest swing of the series with a three-run home run into the Seattle bullpen, giving the Dodgers their largest lead against the Mariners at five runs.

The Mariners were able to get to Sasaki in the top of the sixth inning, as Cole Young led off with a triple before Randy Arozarena drove him in on a double. After a four-pitch walk to Dominic Canzone, Julio Rodriguez lined out to Max Muncy on the first pitch he saw for a crucial first out. Josh Naylor singled to left field to load the bases and bring up the potential tying run in the form of Cal Raleigh.

Sasaki allowed a five-pitch walk to Raleigh to bring home Arozarena to cut his night after 5 1/3 innings. Although he allowed the two runs in the sixth inning, the 24-year-old right-hander has continued to show improvements on the mound, as his seven strikeouts against Seattle were the most he had in a home start since his 10-strikeout gem against the Angels on June 5. His season ERA now sits at 4.64, as he has allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts. Jack Dreyer managed to strike out pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder before getting a groundout of Weston Wilson to get out of the bases-loaded jam unscathed.

The Dodgers added some insurance against reliever Alex Hoppe in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Teoscar Hernández socked his first home run since July 3 against his old team to bring the lead back to four runs.

After two quick outs from Dreyer in the top of the seventh inning, Edgardo Henriquez let Seattle rattle with two consecutive baserunners. Henriquez won an eight pitch battle against Julio Rodríguez, getting him to ground out to leave both men on.

Tanner Scott almost let things slip away, as he allowed two walks in the top of the eighth inning, but he managed to get rookie Colt Emerson to fly out and maintain the Dodgers’ four-run lead. The Dodgers left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Edwin Díaz secured his second consecutive save since returning from the injured list.

Andy Pages had another multi-hit game against Seattle, as he finished 2-4 with a pair of singles and collecting multiple hits in consecutive games for the first time since July 10-11 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Freddie Freeman brought his hitting streak to nine games as he singled against Cole Wilcox in the bottom of the eighth inning. Freeman is now hitting .459 (17-37) over his last nine games.

Kiké Hernández returned to the starting lineup for the first time since May 26, finishing 0-3 and having his season average drop to .429.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Dalton Rushing (12), Teoscar Hernández (9)
• WP—Roki Sasaki (5-5): 5 1/3 IP, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 7 strikeouts
• LP—Bryan Woo (7-8): 5 IP, 5 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers cap off their homestand with a three-game weekend series against the Boston Red Sox beginning Friday (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Ranger Suarez goes for Boston, while the Dodgers have yet to announce Friday’s starter.

The Athletics closed out this four-game series against the Boston Red Sox on a warm summer night in West Sacramento. It was déjà vu all over again for the A’s, as they carried a late lead only to watch another reliever blow the save in a 5-4 loss that prevented them from salvaging a series split.

A’s Strike First

The Athletics’ struggles with runners in scoring position showed up immediately. Facing Red Sox starter Sonny Gray, designated hitter Jacob Wilson lined a one-out double in the bottom of the first, only to be stranded at second as the next two hitters grounded out.

A’s right fielder Carlos Cortes drew a leadoff walk in the third inning. He advanced to second on a groundout and then moved to third on Red Sox’ shortstop Andruw Monasterio’s fielding error. Unlike last night, Wilson came through with a runner on third and fewer than two outs, lining an RBI single to center to put the A’s up 1-0.

The hosts had a chance to score more, but Gray escaped without further damage by getting left fielder Tyler Soderstrom to ground into an inning-ending double play. Through three innings, the A’s were 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position, wasting opportunities to do more damage against Boston’s starter.

A’s Add On

Seeking to extend the A’s lead, catcher Jonah Heim led off the bottom of the fourth with his 11th double of the season. He scored the A’s second run on center fielder Lawrence Butler’s one-out RBI double to right. Jeff McNeil followed with a single, advancing Butler to third.

With two outs, shortstop Donovan Walton came through, grounding an RBI single to right that brought Butler home and extended the A’s lead to 3-0. Once again the A’s had a chance to add to their lead, but Gray got Wilson to pop out, stranding the bases loaded.

Red Sox Tie Things Up

A’s starter Mason Barnett got off to a good start, throwing four scoreless innings. However, he unraveled in the fifth inning.

The Red Sox scored their first run of the game on Monasterio’s RBI single against Barnett. The visitors were not done, tying the game at 3-3 on Rafaela’s two-run double down the left-field line that got past a diving White at third base. Barnett kept the game tied by retiring Wilyer Abreu to end the inning.

The A’s starter had been pitching well until that inning, which was likely due to it being his deepest outing in a major league game this season. He allowed three runs on four hits over five innings, striking out six in an outing that was going well until his fifth and final inning of work.

Blewett Does Not Blow it

Right-handed reliever Scott Blewett pitched the sixth inning, making his A’s debut in a tie game. His first appearance with the team did not start well, as two straight singles and a sacrifice bunt set Boston up to take the lead for the first time this evening. Blewett kept the game tied, as the Red Sox failed to take advantage of that golden opportunity.

Butler Comes Through Again

Butler led off the bottom of the sixth with his second double of the night off Gray. He tagged up and advanced to third on McNeil’s flyout before scoring the go-ahead run on Cortes’ sacrifice fly.

Blewett kept the A’s in the lead, throwing a second straight scoreless inning of relief. Unfortunately, the A’s bullpen could not keep things going.

Familiar Fate

Right-hander Luis Medina, whose daughter threw out the first pitch before the game, blew his fourth save of the season. Abreu and Willson Contreras hit back-t0-back home runs in the eighth inning to put the Red Sox ahead 5-4, turning the game on its head.

The A’s continued to hurt themselves by swinging at first pitches. The latest example came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when White grounded into a first-pitch double play, instantly erasing speedster Henry Bolte from the bases.

Up one, the Red Sox brought in closer Aroldis Chapman for the save opportunity. With one out, pinch-hitter Alika Williams just missed a game-tying home run, settling for a double off the wall. Chapman recovered, striking out pinch-hitter Colby Thomas and Nick Kurtz to save Boston’s 5-4 victory, wrapping up their seventh straight series victory and sending the Athletics to their tenth straight series loss.

Series Wrap-up

This four-game series perfectly encapsulated the A’s 2026 season. The “Green and Gold” had a chance to complete the sweep, but their leaky bullpen and inability to deliver with runners in scoring position cost them three games of the series, dropping the team’s home record to an awful 24-31.

With the trade deadline looming on Monday, something has to change. There is too much dead weight on this roster, from Thomas to the inconsistent bullpen to manager Mark Kotsay, who has yet to lead the Athletics to a winning season since replacing Bob Melvin in 2022.

The A’s will continue this homestand this weekend with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Friday’s pitching matchup features left-hander Jeffrey Springs against right-hander Casey Mize. The A’s will look to return the favor after the Tigers swept all three games between the teams in Detroit before the All-Star break.

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Twins have acquired left-handed reliever AJ Minter from the New York Mets. The Twins are sending prospects Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani in return.

Minter, 32, has spent plenty of time on the injured list the past few seasons, but has been relatively healthy of late, posting a 2.35 ERA/4.02 FIP in 23 innings so far this year. His strikeout rate is lower than ideal at just 21.7% but he’s also walked only two batters all season, leading to an elite 2.2% walk rate. He uses his cutter and fastball almost exclusively, but will mix in an occasional changeup against righties and sinker against lefties just to keep hitters off balance. Minter is owed around $3.5M for the rest of 2026 and will be a free agent after the season.

Minter will essentially step into the role vacated by Anthony Banda’s season ending injury: a high leverage lefty who will be occasionally asked for more. Minter is still a clear tier below Yoendrys Gomez and Andrew Morris, but gives them another solid, if unspectacular, relief option at the end of games. While that may seem underwhelming, it’s important to remember that the Twins have been forced to turn to waiver wire pickup Jack Anderson in high leverage spots multiple times in the past week.

Between Minter, the acquisition of Tommy Nance a few weeks ago, and major strides forward from Travis Adams and Kody Funderburk in July, the Twins finally have the makings of a real, Major League-caliber bullpen. I would still expect them to be active on the pitching market to shore things up. That could mean another reliever, but I still think a starter is necessary for this team to make a real run at the postseason. Especially if, as expected, Connor Prielipp will have to pitch out of the bullpen over the final few weeks of the season since he flew past his career high in innings a few weeks ago.

Amick and Agbayani are the prospects heading to New York. Amick is ranked as the Twins’ 21st prospect by MLB Pipeline while Agbayani is 29th. Neither are ranked in the post-draft top 50 prospects from FanGraphs, with their prospect group having serious questions about both players’ ability to make contact. Our own Aidan O’Brien has Amick at 29 and Agbayani at 32 in his July Top Prospects ranking.

Amick, 23, was the Twins’ second round pick back in 2024. Amick was a prolific college hitter but concerns about his swing path and lack of hit tool have proven to be correct. At AA Wichita, he has hit .217/.338/.482 with 23 home runs and a rough 28.5% strikeout rate. Without other tools to make up for it (like say, Emmanuel Rodriguez) it’s tough to see a scenario where Amick makes enough contact to be a valuable contributor. But he was drafted highly for a reason and the Mets clearly saw things they liked.

Agbayani, 19, was drafted in the 6th round in 2025. Son of former Big Leaguer Benny Agbayani, the Twins took a swing on him last year thanks to his advanced hit tool and approach at the plate. Unfortunately, injuries have kept him to just 15 total games since being drafted. Agbayani is a bigger name than some Complex League-level wildcard prospects that get tossed into trades, but he should probably be viewed equivalently at this point in his career.

Welcome to the team, AJ!

The Mets have traded left-handed reliever A.J. Minter to the Twins for a pair of prospects: infielder Billy Amick and fellow infielder Bruin Agbayani. The latter is the son of Mets cult hero Benny Agbayani.

Signed to a two-year, $22 million deal ahead of the 2025 season, Minter suffered a lat injury early in his first season with the Mets that cost him the remainder of the year. But he made it back to the major league mound this year, and in total, he threw 34.0 innings in his time with the Mets with a 2.12 ERA and a 3.35 FIP.

As for the return, Amick has hit .217/.338/.482 with 23 home runs in his age-23 season in Double-A this year. He was drafted by the Twins in the second round in 2024, and he’s logged significant innings at first and third base.

Agbayani has spent his age-19 season this year in Single-A, and he’s hit .268/.412/.342 in 51 plate appearances. He’s logged innings at second base, third base, and shortstop.

The Mets made what could be the first of several bullpen trades Thursday as they sent A.J. Minter to the Twins for a pair of prospects.

As confirmed by The Post’s Jon Heyman, the Mets received Minnesota prospects Billy Amick and Bruin Agbayani — the son of former Met Benny Agbayani — in exchange for the talented lefty.

Amick and Agbayani are the No. 21 and No. 29 ranked prospects in the Twins system, according to MLB.com.

Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine told Heyman: “I like him a lot. He is a ballplayer. Left-handed hitter. Can run and has power.”

Valentine managed Benny both with the Amazin’s and Chiba Lotte.

Minter, 32, put together an impressive Mets tenure, as he finished with a 2.12 ERA in 36 appearances for the club dating back to last year.

He was always a strong candidate to be traded, though, given his strong performance and the team’s poor record this season — and that came to fruition following the team’s 4-2 win over the Marlins at Citi Field.

Agbayani, an infielder, was a sixth-round draft selection last year and has spent this season in Single-A ball. He has slashed .268/.412/.342 at that level this year.

His father, Benny, is known for his clutch playoff contributions for the Mets, including a memorable walk-off home run during the 2000 playoffs against the Giants.

Amick was a second-round pick in 2024 and also plays in the infield. He has spent this season with Double-A Wichita and has 23 home runs there.

The Mets previously traded pitcher David Peterson in June, with relievers Luke Weaver and Brooks Raley widely expected to follow Minter out the door.

The Red Sox had to overcome some obstacles in order to secure their series victory over the Sacramento Athletics at Sutter Health Park on Thursday.

It’s safe to say some of them were self-inflicted, though we’ll talk about that later…

Boston didn’t play cleanly — the defense added two more errors to its series total of six, the offense put together some truly putrid plate appearances that included several early-count pop flys to opposite field, and on several occasions the whole group failed to take advantage of mistakes made on the other side of the diamond — but got the job done thanks to a pair of clutch home runs from Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras.

It’s not about how it looks. It’s about getting the job done, and that’s exactly what they did.

STUDS

Contreras: If you hit the game-winning home run, you make this list. If you hit the game-winning home run while playing tremendous defense, reaching base three times, and stop yourself from killing one of your teammates, you also make this list.

Abreu: The Red Sox need this young man to get going, and while he has a long way to go before we can say that he’s back on the right track, this was one hell of a way to start!

DUDS

Jarren Duran: How many times are we going to do this?

Duran added yet another temper tantrum to his growing list on Thursday, shouting in the direction of both Willson Contreras and third base coach Chad Epperson for failing to tag up on a lazy fly ball that landed in the glove of Athletics outfielder Tyler Soderstrom. WEEI’s Will Flemming then spilled the beans that the ill-tempered outfielder slammed a tablet in the dugout and continued his tirade until taking the field for the bottom half of the inning.

It’s one thing to try and climb into the stands at Kauffman Stadium, or to have someone removed at Progressive Field, or to flip somebody off at Target Field, but this?

I just can’t accept this.

I’ve been critical of the guy for a long time, and that certainly isn’t going to change any time soon, but what does need to change is the perception of these common occurrences. Duran just doesn’t seem to be a very good person, and has used his well-known mental health struggles as an excuse for his piss-poor behavior while totally ignoring how that behavior impacts others.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy refuted what we all saw after the game, saying that his left fielder was actually “cursing himself” for not getting the run — which completely crosses the line of backing your player and falls into the category of enablement.

If that’s not just as much of an issue as the behavior itself, it’s pretty damn close.

Duran, as he’s always one to do, also skirted taking responsibility by calling the incident “nothing” before saying that it was “within the team” and “had nothing to do” with members of the media — all but shutting down further questioning right then and there.

Gross.

I don’t necessarily know where the needed change is going to come from, which is super disappointing because watching this team should be an absolute blast and is instead really frustrating. I find myself just kind of bummed out by the way they choose to approach things.

For lack of a better phrase, it’s icky.

If they’ve proven anything, this will die out with time and become just an example to look back upon for the next time that he acts like an asshole.

Inspiring stuff.

“DURAN IS BEING AN A-HOLE” OF THE GAME

If you want to see the incident, you can click here.

The Mets are trading A.J. Minter, who excelled for New York this season as part of their main left-handed relief tandem at the end of games.

According to SNY's Chelsea Janes, Minter will be dealt to the Minnesota Twins. The Mets will receive prospects Bruin Agbayani and Billy Amick in the trade. 

Agbayani, the Twins' No. 29 prospect according to MLB Pipeline and the son of former Met Benny Agbayani, was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 draft. He's spent his whole minor league career in Low-A, where he's played at shortstop and second base. This season, he's slashed .266/.412/.341 with an OPS of .753 in 10 games. However, his season has been marred by an injury he sustained in May. 

Amick is the Twins' No. 21 prospect and has played at third and first. He was drafted in the second round of the 2024 draft out of Tennessee. In 86 games this season with the Twins' Double-A affiliate, Amick is slashing .217/.338/.482 with an OPS of 820 to go along with his 23 home runs.  

Minter, who signed with the Mets ahead of the 2025 season, missed most of last year due to a serious lat injury that required surgery. 

His return to the mound has been great for the Mets, pitching to a 2.35 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP across 23 appearances this season. 

Minter is set for free agency after this season.