Category: Baseball

There is a lot to be negative about round these parts right now—the O’s have lost three of four series, find themselves last in the AL East, and seem ready to change the channel to 2027. I don’t need to perseverate. But this post is a conscious choice to focus on the positive.

And one undeniable bright spot this season has been Brandon Young, the 6’6” Texan bound for Triple-A this spring and not expected to play a role in the rotation.

Well, now he’s arguably the best starter in a rotation that’s actually been decent this season. Young doesn’t have the stuff or talent of Shane Baz, Trevor Rogers, or Kyle Bradish, but he leads them all in bWAR (1.9), wins (9, a throwback stat, I know), ERA (3.33), and ERA+ (124).

Not bad for a depth arm not expected to play a role with the Major League team.

Especially given how bad Young’s 2025 season was. The righty had one glorious moment, a near-perfect game against his hometown Houston Astros, where he tossed eight shutout innings and allowed just one hit. But besides that, he was bad: he went 1-7 with a 6.24 ERA, a -0.7 WAR, and a 65 ERA+.

Well, year over year, Young has made a drastic change. The arsenal is different, and the individual pitches are better. Easy to say, hard to do.

Arsenal changes first. In 2025, Young threw six pitches, in order of usage: four-seamer, splitter, curveball, cutter, slider, and changeup. Three of those were simply unplayable. The split-finger was ranked one of the worst in the league, in run value. The cutter got hit at a .429 clip and slugged .857, a pitch Young never recorded a strikeout with all year. The changeup was even worse: hitters batted .625 and slugged 1.000 against it. The latter two are gone entirely from his 2026 mix.

In their place, Young added a new pitch, a sinker, has remade his splitter entirely, and has leaned harder on his slider. His 2026 five-pitch mix, by usage, now runs four-seamer (39.8%), splitter (19.8%), slider (15.3%), sinker (13.5%), and curveball (11.7%). Trimming from six pitches to five let him funnel his offerings into fewer shapes, and the results show it.

Start with the fastball. Young is throwing it about 1.7 mph harder on average this year (94.2 mph, up from 92.5), and it now grades as one of the better heaters in baseball: a 95th-percentile pitch by run value, up from the 30th percentile a year ago. That added velocity buys him a lot of margin, looks like.

The slider is another breakout. In 2025 it was a middling, rarely-used fourth or fifth option, generating just a 19.4% whiff rate and a 10.5% strikeout rate on pitches that ended at-bats. In 2026, it’s a weapon: a 41.1% whiff rate and a 40.5% strikeout rate, by far his best swing-and-miss pitch. Young is throwing it nearly twice as often as he did last year, and hitters simply aren’t squaring it up.

Then there’s the splitter, the new one. As the story goes, on May, after a rough start in Washington, Young was approached by several pitching coaches about trying an entirely new grip. Well, it worked, a totally different pitch from the one he threw last season and in his first six starts of 2026: about five miles lower, with very different spin and much more vertical break. Results have been good with the new grip so far.

The brand-new sinker, well, looks like it’s work in progress. Batters are hitting .324 and slugging .486 against it, but he has, interestingly, used it pretty often as a putaway pitch. Might be worth seeing what the fate of the Brandon Young sinker is. The curveball, finally, a true holdover from last season, has is somewhat improved, too.

There’s surely more to say about the Brandon Young renaissance (including that he’s lately shown signs of fatigue that need to be watched), but it’s worth giving credit to the big righty for something so rare: he went from essentially a AAAA option last season to the team’s most reliable starter option this one. He’s not just skating by, either, cheating the data: his fastball is one of the best in the league right now in run value, he’s 81st percentile in chase rate, and the hard contact against him has plummeted. The lesson? By scrapping his two worst pitches, sharpening his best one, and adding a jolt of fastball velocity, Young has turned himself from an emergency call-up into the answer at the top of a taxed Orioles rotation. If nothing else this season, that’s worth appreciating.

Columbus Clippers 2, Omaha Storm Chasers 8

Clippers fall to 61-54

Offense was hard to come by for Columbus as the lone two runs came on a pair of solo home runs.

Ralphy Velazquez went 1-for-3 with an inside the park home run and a walk. Kyle Manzardo also homered and walked.

No one else reached base safely twice or had an extra base hit, although Kody Huff walked and stole a base.

Starting pitcher Yorman Gomez allowed four runs on six hits in 4.0 innings. He struggled with his control, walking four and striking out just one.

Jack Leftwich allowed two runs on five hits in just 1.1 innings of relief. Jack Jasiak had the lone scoreless outing for the pitching staff, tossing a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts.

Akron RubberDucks 4, Altoona Curve 2

RubberDucks improve to 54-56

Three different players had multi-hit games for Akron in a strong all-around showing.

Aaron Walton was terrific, going 2-for-5 with a double and a stolen base.

Dean Curley was even better, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk while Jaison Chourio went 2-for-4 with a walk and two stolen bases.

The biggest story of the game was the fact that Braylon Doughty was back on the mound after a brief trip on the injured list. He returned with a vengeance, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings with two hits, two walks and one strikeout.

Dylan DeLucia followed with 3.0 innings of long relief, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks, but the rest of the bullpen slammed the door. Zane Morehouse tossed a scoreless inning and Carter Rustad was superb, finishing the game with 2.0 perfect scoreless innings and a pair of strikeouts to earn his third save.

Lake County Captains 1, Dayton Dragons 3 (Game 1)
Lake County Captains 4, Dayton Dragons 3 (Game 2)

Captains move to 58-50

In game one, Welbyn Francisca was the lone offensive standout, going 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.

Starting pitcher Jackson Humphries was decent, allowing three runs on five hits in 4.2 innings while striking out four and walking one. Zane Petty was excellent out of the bullpen, tossing 2.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out the game and striking out four.

Game two was an opportunity for Jeffrey Mercedes and Luis De La Cruz to shine. Mercedes went 2-for-3 with his 11th home run while De La Cruz went 2-for-4 with his first home run at High-A since being promoted recently. Riley Nelson went 1-for-3 with a walk and Cannon Peebles walked twice.

Starting pitcher Harrison Bodendorf allowed two runs on five hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out three and walked four. Logan McGuire allowed one run in 1.2 innings of long relief and Conner Whittaker finished off the game with a scoreless inning to earn the win.

Hill City Howlers 4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 11

Howlers fall to 47-64

No one on Hill City had a multi-hit game, although Jonathan Martinez walked a whopping four times and stole a base.

Gabriel Rodriguez doubled, hit a sacrifice fly and stole a base and Alejandro Blasco went 1-for-2 with a walk after coming in the game halfway through it.

Starting pitcher Ryan Prager allowed four runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Luis Fernandez followed with 2.0 innings of scoreless relief.

Unfortunately, Javi Torres got lit up for six runs on four hits and a walk in just 0.2 innings to put the game out of reach.

The Braves are 8-3 in August so far. That’s really good, and even better than when they went 22-10 through the end of April.

That sad, they have 17 more games. They need to go 20-8 to beat their through-April record, which means 12-5. That’s a tall order!

The schedule is also weird slash daunting for the rest of the month:

• Diamondbacks at home (3)
• Twins on road (3)
• Make-up game against White Sox on road (1)
• Brewers on road (3)
• Dodgers at home (3)
• Rockies at home (3)
• Make-up against Giants at home (1)

That’s two series, back to back, against what are likely baseball’s best two teams. Plus, two make-up games, two other series against contenders, and another road set. The only reprieve is playing the Rockies at home.

Here’s a reason why the Braves probably won’t hit 20-8 and have their best month yet: if you take game-by-game odds and take the ones they’re projected to win, that’s how you get to 12-5. So, by default, adding up the individual odds will be lower (which isn’t surprising, but it is what it is). Basically, for the Braves to outdo April in August, even with their 8-3 start to the month, they’ll need to win every game they’re favored in for the rest of the month. That means sweeping the Diamondbacks and Twins, taking a series from the Dodgers, and then sweeping the Rockies and taking that make-up game against the Giants. But, getting swept by the Brewers is also baked in there.

Again, a tall order. Can they do it?

The Field of Dreams game last night was a rousing success for the Phillies, as they were able to beat the Twins by a score of 7-1. First, legends of the game emerged from the signature Dyersville, Iowa cornfield, including some from Phillies history such as Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton. Once the game began, Kyle Schwarber mashed a majestic home run on the third pitch he saw, sending the ball deep into the Iowan cornfield surrounding the diamond. He later added a second corn bomb, in the fourth, this time with Brandon Marsh on base. Speaking of Marsh, he added a two run homer of his own in the seventh that gave the Phillies their comfortable 7-1 lead.

Aaron Nola meanwhile pitched five solid innings and collected nine strikeouts. Three Phillies relievers were able to successfully bridge the gap to Jhoan Duran who retired the side on 16 pitches despite it not being a save situation.

After a week of disheartening and rather frustrating baseball, the Phillies were able to show at least for one night that they can be a good team that’s worthy of playing on a national stage such as this one. Some cinematic scenery certainly didn’t hurt one’s ability to forgot some of the heartache caused earlier in the week.

So, what did you think of the Field of Dreams game?

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Blue Jays in a three-game series starting Friday...

AL East battle

Toronto has had a tough season. After being so close to capturing a World Series title a year ago, the Blue Jays find themselves entering this series below .500 (59-64) and on the outside looking in on the postseason.

However, Toronto has played much better of late. They are 6-4 in their last 10 and just took three of four from Boston. This stretch has allowed Toronto to climb within 2.0 games of the third and final Wild Card spot. 

Can the Yankees put Toronto's playoff hopes on ice, or will they give them life like they did the Red Sox? 

The Yanks need these games just as much as Toronto. Although they are firmly in the first Wild Card spot, they can't allow the Red Sox to get close -- they enter Friday three games up on Boston -- and are 6.5 games behind Tampa for the AL East crown. 

Cy Young battle

The top two AL pitchers vying for the Cy Young are Cam Schlittler and Dylan Cease. 

Schlittler was the favorite for much of this season, but Cease has come on of late, pitching deep into games and piling up the strikeouts. Both will have their next starts in this series. And while they are currently not scheduled to pitch against each other, they will look to boost their Cy Young credentials this weekend.

Schlittler struck out 11 and allowed one run across seven innings in his last start against the Braves, while Cease struck out seven and allowed three runs in five innings against the Red Sox. 

There's also the All-Star starter "controversy" when Blue Jays manager John Schneider -- managing the AL side -- was going to peg Cease to start the game over Schlittler, but the Yankees ace took himself out of the running once he got wind of it. This could be a chance for Schlittler to show the Jays skipper what he can do.

Spencer Jones' continued development

While George Lombard Jr. is getting the headlines for what he's done in his short stint with the club, Jones is quietly becoming a productive player.

Yankees skipper Aaron Boone has slotted Jones into the three-hole the last few games and it's paid off, with Jones coming through with runners on base in the first two games of the Mariners series.

And while he went hitless in the series finale on Thursday, Jones is looking more and more comfortable as he stacks starts. Can he continue to put up quality ABs and play good outfield defense in Toronto?

Can the Yankees offense wake up?

Yankees pitching has done its part, but the offense continues to be inconsistent.

There was some life from the lineup against Seattle, with New York scoring 10 runs in the middle game of the series, but the Yanks were shut out in the finale on Thursday. 

Which version of the Yankees will show up this weekend? 

Deadline bats not doing their part

Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos were brought over to infuse some life into the lineup. And while they've been solid, they need to do more. Garcia, especially. 

After having the best OPS in the NL when he was with the Nationals, it has not been the same since he donned the pinstripes. He's slashing .258/.303/.452 with an OPS of .755, one home run, three doubles and two RBI in eight games with the Yankees. Decent, but New York needs more power from the left-hander.

Ramos is simply lost. He's slashing .080/.233/.160 with an OPS of .393 in eight games with the Yanks, and was benched in the series finale against the Mariners. 

Can they turn it around?

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Ben Rice

It's hard to pick any player right now, but Rice needs to shoulder the offensive load until reinforcements arrive.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Cam Schlittler

Schlittler has his best starts when he's motivated to prove people wrong. He'll do that against Schneider and the Jays.

Which Blue Jays player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?

Ernie Clement

The infielder always gives the Yankees fits. He has 33 hits with two homers and 17 RBI in 35 games against the Yankees in his career.

The very best stats are mirror images of each other. Last time we looked at offensive efficiency and it only makes perfect sense to turn around and look at defensive efficiency. When we look at both halves we get a much clearer picture as to how good a team really is and whether there are any hidden gems in there that could make noise come playoff time.

So, if you did not catch that particular article, I would strongly suggest going back and taking a look at it. Essentially, efficiency is rated by taking total runs scored or allowed and dividing it into hits, walks, and hit by pitches. We will make the same adjustment with home runs that we made with the offensive numbers to see what happens. As you might imagine, the Astros are near the bottom of this one as their units have served as mirror images for much of the season. Statistics are accurate coming into play on Wednesday.

Let’s start local and move our way out. The Astros pitching staff has been awful overall on the season, but as we saw in an earlier lab, most of that came in March and April. They are 13th in the American League in runs allowed over the full season, so it shouldn’t be any surprise that they are one of the worst teams in terms of efficiency. I’ll just say that the Athletics numbers are staggering on so many levels, but the rest of the league looks normal with one notable exception.

When I looked at the offensive chart, I noticed that the Rays were not nearly as efficient as they could be. We see the same thing here on the pitching end. They rest near the bottom in efficiency even though their overall record in terms of runs scored says they should be much better. I’m not a betting man, but if I were I might put a wager on them come playoff time because that is a baseball team that’s underlying numbers are much better than they are actually performing.

As for the hometown nine, they are 2nd in walks allowed and first in hit batsman. Thank God for the Angels because otherwise it wouldn’t even be close when we combine those two together. Eight AL teams have surrendered more hits than the Astros. So, when you look at raw ability, they should be in the middle of the pack and that is what we have seen from May 1st on.

As we saw with the offensive numbers, home runs dramatically impacts efficiency, so we should expect to see the same thing on the pitching side. So, what we are doing is simply removing home runs from the total base runners column and from the runs scored column (assuming solo shots for now) to see what happens to the efficiency rating.

The Red Sox and Athletics are really mirror images of each other. Neither is historically bad or good compared to the very best and worst seasons on the bump (2018 and 2022 Astros are at the top since the DH). However, since this is an Astros site, we should focus in on the hometown nine. They are slightly better comparatively when we remove the home runs.

One of the things to come out “Moneyball” was the development of something called the “Beane count”. It was a crude metric where you compared the amount of home runs hit and home runs surrendered along with walks drawn and walks surrendered. In most seasons, if you are on the positive end of both of those then you probably have a pretty good baseball team. The opposite is obviously true as well. So, the Beane count for the Astros looks like this:

Home Runs: 162 for, 164 against = -2 HR
Walks: 411 for, 504 against = -93 walks

These numbers predict that the Astros should not be a good team and when you look at the Pythagorean record you can see that the Astros currently sit at 58-64. For those unfamiliar, the Pythagorean record takes the runs scored and runs allowed and spits out an expected record. The Astros have surrendered more runs than they have scored, so they should not be above .500. Of course, there are any number of factors that could credibly explain why teams overperform or underperform. Some of those tend towards the luck end of the spectrum while others are structural with things like bullpen performance and other factors.

The Beane count is crude and it seems easy enough to say hit more dingers and walk more, but turning things around can be that simple. In the Astros case, they probably need to work on the pitching end of that equation. In particular, being 29th in walks allowed is not acceptable. Adding in being 30th in hit batters is also not a good thing. It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the year when we look at these numbers again.

Hickory starter Evan Siary went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs, striking out six and walking two. Michael Trausch struck out one and walked one in 1.2 scoreless innings.

Yolfran Castillo was 2 for 5 with a sotlen base. Marco Argudin homered and walked. Pablo Guerrero had a double and two walks. Kaden Carpenter had a homer and a walk. Jay McQueen had three hits and a stolen base. Sebastian Baquer had a pair of hits. Curley Martha had a hit.

Hickory box score

Kamdyn Perry went 4.2 innings for Hub City, allowing a solo homer, walking three and striking out three. J’Briell Easley allowed two runs in 1.1 IP, walking one and striking out one.

Gleider Figuereo had a double. Paxton Kling had a pair of walks and a stolen base.

Hub City box score

Frisco starter Dylan MacLean allowed five runs in 1.1 IP, including two homers, walking one and striking out two.

Rafe Perich was 2 for 4 with a double and a homer. Dylan Dreiling was 2 for 5 with a double and a homer. Sebastian Walcott had a pair of doubles. Malcolm Moore had a hit. Arturo Disla had a double and a walk.

Frisco box score

Rehabbing Jack Leiter started for Round Rock, striking out three and walking one while using 48 pitches to throw 2.2 scoreless innings. Marc Church retired the one batter he faced. Dalton Pence allowed two runs in three innings, walking three and striking out two. Emiliano Teodo threw 37 pitches, 22 of them for strikes, while facing seven batters. He walked one of them and struck out the other six.

Rehabbing Danny Jansen was 1 for 3 and caught six innings. Logan O’Hoppe doubled.

Round Rock box score

DSL Rangers Red

DSL Rangers Blue

Meet the Mets

Luis Robert Jr. has kept his hot streak alive post-deadline, showing that maybe he should have garnered more interest than he did.

Jon Heyman presented a blueprint for bringing the Mets back to contention as the Tarik Skubal chase looms large for New York.

Anthony DiComo took to Reddit to answer some Mets-related questions.

Laura Albanese answered some Mets-related questions.

The Mets could look to pursue Hanshin Tigers star 3B Teruaki Sato to fill their glaring void at first base.

Howie Rose reflected on 40 years in the radio booth ahead of his impending retirement.

Joe DeMayo did a deep dive on Mets’ prospect Sammy Stafura.

Around the National League East

The Phillies dominated Twins in the Field of Dreams game, 7-1. Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs in the victory in Iowa.

Bryce Harper dressed the part with his head-to-toe corn-themed apparel.

Schwarber and Harper were excited to see some corn in last night’s Field of Dreams game.

Bryson Stott wore custom Field of Dreams cleats for the game.

The Phillie Phanatic made the most of his field trip to Iowa.

Cade Cavalli carried a no-hitter into the seventh and pitched eight one-hit innings with ten strikeouts to lead the Nationals past the Cubs 7-0.

The Marlins were walloped 13-1 by the Pirates.

Around Major League Baseball

Contenders’ aces filled up the latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings.

Fangraphs’ Ben Clemens aimed to put Tarik Skubal back on the Tigers.

The Rays signed infielder Jorge Mateo to a major league contract.

The Red Sox placed set-up man Garrett Whitlock on the injured list and recalled Greg Weissert from Triple-A.

Boston got back in the win column with a 7-0 shutout victory against the Blue Jays. Payton Tolle’s gem played a big role in the win, as he struck out 14 batters.

Behind Logan Gilbert’s gem, the Mariners blanked the Yankees 1-0 to halt their losing streak. Max Fried continued rolling for the Yankees despite the loss.

The Tigers blanked the Guardians 3-0 without striking out a single batter, the first time an MLB team has accomplished the feat since the 2014 Tigers.

Yesterday’s Reds vs. White Sox game featured a benches clearing ball and Chicago starter David Martin getting ejected after plunking Sal Stewart. In the end, cooler heads prevailed, and the Reds emerged victorious by a 9-8 score.

The Angels blanked the Rangers 7-0. Mike Trout turned it back to 2018 with another big night.

Edwin Díaz blew his fourth save of the year and his third in one week (his ERA ballooned to 11.57 on the season) as the Dodgers fell 5-4 to the Brewers. On the bright side for LA, Max Muncy passed Eric Karros for home runs at Dodgers stadium with Karros on the call.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Allison McCague, Linda Surovich, and Maggie Wiggin talked about the Mets being a slightly more watchable disaster on the newest episode of A Pod of Their Own.

This Date in Mets History

Stephen Matz carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning in a 5-1 Mets victory over the Padres on this date in 2016.

Following a dance with the Mariners at home, the Yankees are heading north of the border for a three-game set with a largely struggling Toronto club. Despite looking up at a significant deficit in the AL East standings, the Blue Jays are at least playing some decent ball of late, winning five of their last seven games and on the heels of a four-game set with the Red Sox, of which they won three.

The Yankees have been doing enough to get by of late, and will head into this East matchup with some of their best pitching on tap. They’ll have hope the bats can do enough to support the likes of Gerrit Cole and Cam Schlittler and take a few games from the middling Jays.

Friday: Gerrit Cole vs. Shane Bieber (7:15pm Eastern)

Cole will make his 15th start of the season to kick things off in Toronto, as the 2023 Cy Young Award winner will look to continue a stretch of very solid starts. He is boasting a respectable 3.35 ERA and a 3.36 FIP to match in his 80.2 innings thus far. In his last three outings, the veteran has punched out 21 batters in 18.2 innings, while allowing just three runs in that stretch. Since his late start to the season, Cole has been largely himself outside of a couple of duds, and will hope to keep the good stuff pumping on Friday.

He’ll square off with 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber, who has not quite enjoyed the same fate this season. Once one of the more promising pitchers in baseball, with a world-class ability to rack up Ks, Bieber has suffered multiple lost seasons in a row due to injury, and has reached new lows in 2026. The righty made his season debut in late June, and has a FIP approaching six in just over 40 innings. While he’s had a handful of good outings, plenty of bad ones have been sprinkled in as well. Bieber is coming off of five earned runs and a pair of homers in 5.2 innings against the Phillies.

Saturday: Cam Schlittler vs. TBD (3:07pm Eastern)

The Yankees will follow up their veteran stud with their young one, as Cam Schlittler makes his way to the bump on Saturday. The 25-year-old has been a true force this season, leading the American League in fWAR and posting the lowest ERA across the fourth-most innings in all of baseball. He is a legitimate Cy Young contender, and has been a joy to watch this season. His latest outing saw him go seven strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out 11. Schlittler has allowed three earned runs across 13 innings of work against the Jays this season.

For the Jays on Saturday, things are still up in the air as far as the starter goes. Simeon Woods-Richardson (10 starts this year), and Lazaro Estrada, who’s bounced around different levels in 2026, are possible options for the Jays.

Sunday: Ryan Weathers vs. Dylan Cease (1:37pm Eastern)

In Sunday’s finale, Ryan Weathers will be making his 24th start of the season for the Yankees. On the whole, the lefty has been good for New York, posting solid ERA and FIP marks in the mid-threes, while striking out more than a batter per inning in a fairly full workload. The 26-year-old southpaw has had the good stuff of late, as he’s allowed just a pair of earned runs to cross in 24.1 innings over his last four starts on the mound. While he may not carry the weight of a Cole or Schlittler, Weathers has been a major contributor to this team, and will close things out in Toronto.

The Blue Jays also have a strong Cy Young candidate, Dylan Cease, who projects to take the mound on Sunday afternoon. The righty has always been a very high-ceiling hurler, but we are seeing perhaps the best of him in 2026. His 2.41 FIP is tops in the AL, and he’s striking out a whopping 36.1 percent of batters. A first-year Blue Jay, having signed a nine-figure deal, Cease is proving his worth every fifth day for Toronto, and the Yankee lineup will have their hands full wrapping things up for the series. In his last outing against the Yankees back in May, New York tagged him with five runs and a pair of long balls as the possible Cy Young favorite took the loss.

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

The Boston Red Sox head into tonight's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates as the -127 moneyline favorites behind left-hander Jake Bennett. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET at PNC Park. 

While Bubba Chandler has pitched well, my Red Sox vs Pirates predictions are backing Bennett to outduel the right-hander. 

Find more in my MLB picks for Friday, August 14. 

Who will win Red Sox vs Pirates today: Red Sox (-126)

Jake Bennett has been brilliant for the Boston Red Sox this season, posting a 3.21 xERA over his last five appearances while allowing just 0.62 HR/9 and limiting walks.

He has also held opponents to a 3.2% barrel rate over the last month, which matters against a Pittsburgh Pirates lineup that struggles badly against lefties. Pittsburgh owns an 89 wRC+ versus southpaws compared to an 111 mark vs. righties.

Bubba Chandler is in good form with a 2.65 FIP across his previous two outings, but the hurler's 5.91 xERA and 43.3% hard-hit rate during that span show vulnerability. With Boston carrying a 125 wRC+ over its last 13 games, the Red Sox hold the edge.

Play this pick up to -140.

COVERS INTEL: The Red Sox have been swining better on the road, posting a 105 wRC+ compared to a 93 mark at Fenway Park. That gives Boston another matchup advantage against Chandler tonight. 

Red Sox vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+109)

The total is too low, and I’m targeting the Over. Boston’s offense has a 106 wRC+ over the last week, and although the power hasn’t been there, the Red Sox have still averaged nearly five runs per game during that span.

Pittsburgh’s lineup is also in decent form, posting a 107 wRC+ over its previous six contests while averaging nearly the same number of runs. Offense may be harder to find against Bennett and a Red Sox bullpen with a 2.78 xERA over its last 60 frames, but the Pirates may not need to do too much if Boston produces.

There’s vulnerability once Chandler exits, with Pittsburgh’s relief corps owning a 4.47 FIP lately.

Play this pick up to -130.

Red Sox vs Pirates home run prediction: Wilyer Abreu (+388)

Wilyer Abreu is smashing baseballs recently. The slugger has logged five home runs in his last 12 games while posting a .415 ISO. Abreu also owns a 56.3% hard-hit rate and 12.1% barrel rate over the last week.

He’s consistently getting lift on the baseball, with a 20-degree launch angle during that span and a 50% fly-ball rate, and that matters here. While Chandler doesn’t give up a ton of fly balls, the Bucs’ bullpen has posted a 42.4% fly-ball rate over the last week while surrendering 1.14 HR/9.

Play this pick down to +300.

Red Sox vs Pirates weather

Weather at PNC Park looks clean tonight, with partly cloudy skies early before clearer conditions around first pitch. Temperatures should fall from 78°F to 74°F, winds are light around 3–5 mph, and rain chances stay low.

Overall, weather should be fairly neutral with no real delay concern or major scoring boost.

Red Sox vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Red Sox -127 | Pirates +122
• Run line: Red Sox -1.5 (+133) | Pirates +1.5 (-138)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-108) | Under 7.5 (+104)

Red Sox vs Pirates trend

The Boston Red Sox have cashed the moneyline in 23 of their last 35 away games (+10.25 units for a 24% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Pirates.

How to watch Red Sox vs Pirates and game info

Red Sox vs Pirates 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.

Angels 7, Rangers 0

• Well that was pretty terrible.
• Jacob deGrom left the game after two innings with triceps soreness. That’ll ruin your night right there, regardless of whatever else happened.
• deGrom said afterwards he couldn’t get his triceps loose warming up for the second inning, that he hadn’t felt that before but that he hoped it was no big deal and he’d make his next start.
• I hope so, too.
• The alternative to deGrom making his next start would either be Jordan Montgomery, who allowed four runs in two innings of relief in this game, or Jack Leiter, who threw 2.2 scoreless innings in a rehab start on Thursday.
• With Nathan Eovaldi already on the injured list, no deGrom would be, problematic, shall we say.
• To say the least.
• The hope was that the return of Cody Bradford and Jordan Montgomery would give the Rangers starting pitching depth to spare. It was suggested that the Rangers didn’t need to make a move for relief arms at the deadline, what with Bradford and Montgomery and Leiter coming back to provide reinforcements.
• Bradford has looked pretty good in his two starts.
• Jordan Montgomery, on the other hand, has looked like he’s cooked.
• His sinker averaged 89.8 mph in this game, his fastball 89.1 mph. Both pitches were in the low 93s in 2023.
• Losing 3-4 mph on your fastball is going to make it hard for you to succeed.
• So yeah, probably Jack Leiter gets the nod if/when deGrom can’t go, after going 48 pitches for Round Rock, because what else are you going to do? Cal Quantrill is already in the rotation, filling in for Eovaldi. Jordan Montgomery ain’t the answer.
• The Angels’ decision to fire their pitching coaches before Tuesday’s game now looks like a sage move, what with the Rangers’ offense being helpless the past three games.
• I whopping five hits in the game. Jarred Kelenic, pinch hitting for Brandon Nimmo because the game was out of reach, had one. So did Evan Carter, Nicky Lopez and Austin Wynns, and when those three are leading the offensive charge, well…
• And yet somehow, the Rangers are just a half-game back of a playoff spot, trailing the Tigers, who have moved into WC3. And they are just two back in the American League West.
• What a weird year.
• Jacob deGrom hit 99.0 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.8 mph. Peyton Gray’s fastball reached 94.2 mph. Jordan Montgomery topped out at 91.1 mph with his sinker. Ben Peoples’ fastball maxed out at 95.8 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball touched 96.4 mph. Tyler Alexander hit 93.0 mph with his fastball.
• Wyatt Langford had a 109.4 mph single. Joc Pederson had a 104.9 mph groundout and a 100.5 mph fly out. Ezequiel Duran had a 103.8 mph fly out and a 102.1 mph fly out. Justin Foscue had a 103.5 mph fly out. Austin Wynns had a 101.9 mph E6.
• On to Sacramento, where things will hopefully go better.

Coming off a series win against the New York Mets, the Atlanta Braves head back to Truist Park for a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Braves enter the series with 73 wins and are 7-3 in their last 10. The D-Backs have a less impressive record with 64 wins and going .500 over their last 10 games.

The Braves have yet to announce their starters for the weekend series, while Arizona is sending out Brandon Pfaadt, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Michael Soroka. The series gets underway tonight at 7:15 ET.

More Braves News:

Walt Weiss spoke with the media on Thursday, providing updates on Robert Suarez, Spencer Schwellenbach, and AJ Smith-Shawver.

Herick Hernandez recorded 11 strikeouts in Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap.

MLB News:

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Endy Rodriguez on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his left hip. The move is retroactive to August 10.

The Boston Red Sox placed righty Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. The move is backdated to August 10.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the entire 2027 season.

From the Feed:

Former Brave Jorge Mateo has inked a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Former Dodger Tony Gonsolin has found a new home, as the right-hander signed with the Kansas City Royals on Thursday, per a team announcement. The financial details have yet to be disclosed, notes Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors, but Gonsolin is signed through the rest of the 2026 season and has a club option for the 2027 season. He has been placed on the 15-day injured list, and his status is unknown.

Gonsolin pitched in parts of six seasons spanning from 2019-2025, helping the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series and making the National League All-Star team in 2022, finishing that season with a 16-1 record. Gonsolin made just seven starts in 2025 once he returned from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3-2 record with a 5.00 ERA over 36 innings before elbow discomfort and an internal brace surgery ended his season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment in November before he elected free agency.

The Dodgers shored up their catching depth, as they signed Chadwick Tromp to a minor league deal on Thursday. Oklahoma City Comets announcer Alex Freedman was the first to report the signing.

Tromp has played in parts of seven seasons with the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles since debuting in 2020, and he has appeared in 21 big league games with both Atlanta and Baltimore. Tromp has slashed .163/.160/.184 with a double and four RBI across 51 plate appearances in the big leagues this year, while he is slashing .200/.280/.347 with three home runs and 12 RBI across 30 Triple-A games.

Shohei Ohtani continues to trend in the right direction with his throwing program, as he was able to throw from a 200-foot distance. Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports that the next step for Ohtani would be a bullpen session off a mound, although there are no set dates for said sessions yet. Chen notes that while the Dodgers have taken their time with Ohtani’s progression, they are still eager to see him return to his two-way status.

“I still feel just his health is kind of the main thing anyway,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Regardless of having Skubal or not, or having Snell back, you still have to treat him individually as what is best for him. It is additive, given he’s a two-way player, to get those innings, for sure.”

Eric Lauer gave the Dodgers much-needed length on Wednesday against Kansas City, going 6 1/3 innings while tossing 112 pitches in a 4-2 win. Looking ahead to the postseason, his status as a rotation member will be jeopardized once more reinforcements make their returns, and Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times delves into which current starters will be the odd men out of the playoff rotation.

Whether it’s the physical demands on the body of playing at altitude or the grind of adjusting back and forth from a mile high to sea level, attracting talent to join the Colorado Rockies has always been a challenge.

For Sam Hawkins, it’s the exact challenge she was looking for.

The Rockies new performance dietitian, who also happens to be the first woman with that title in MLB, came to Colorado specifically for the obstacles the Rocky Mountains presented.

“I believe that MLB is behind the eight ball when it comes to nutrition,” Hawkins told Purple Row. “My goal as a human is to help as many humans as I can and to be the most well-rounded dietitian I can be.”

She’s off to a great start, revolutionizing the program by looking at everything from bloodwork and performance to rehabilitation from injuries and oxygen flow in order to optimize how each Rockies player’s body functions. For example, if a player’s glycine is low, it’s usually connected to low collagen. The solution? Could be a supplement, bone broth, chicken with the skin on or even an oyster.

“What fascinates me is how nutrients can affect the body. So, there’s some specialty blood work that the guys are able to do, and that I did a lot when I was in the NFL,” said Hawkins, who was the team dietitian for the Washington Commanders before coming to the Rockies. “That can show exactly what’s going on from every amino acid, every fatty acid in your body. … All of that just fascinates me — the nitty-gritty of it. How one small change to your diet can completely change how your body functions.”

Nutrition has always been Hawkins’ passion, but her path to the Rockies is as unique as the trail she is blazing for women in the profession.

Calling her shot

It all started when Hawkins was in high school in Mississippi. One day, she called her shot.

“At the age of 16, I told everybody in my class that I was going to be head of sports nutrition for the Dallas Cowboys,” Hawkins said. “They laughed at me. … I’m very headstrong. If I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.”

From then on, Hawkins decided to seize every opportunity she could until she landed in the NFL, where she did indeed land. Just trade the Cowboys for the Commanders.

In between, she did her undergraduate at Mississippi State, specifically so she could work in SEC athletics. She helped with baseball, football, men’s and women’s basketball and track and field. She continued to work with a variety of athletes in internships at Louisiana State University, the University of North Carolina and Southeastern Louisiana before getting her first full-time gig at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Earning the credentials and experience to master her craft, Hawkins started to make name for herself in the performance nutrition world. So when the University of Memphis asked if she would build their football nutrition program, she answered the call.

“I built that program from the ground up for two and a half years,” said Hawkins, who also earned a master’s degree in exercise nutrition while she was working at Memphis.

After success with the Tigers, the dream set out by her 16-year-old self came true — if not in location, in title as Hawkins became one of the youngest dietitians in the NFL when she took a job with Washington. She not only achieved her dream, but she also did so with some world-class athletes like linebacker Bobby Wagner, tight end Zach Ertz, and quarterback Jayden Daniels.

“I enjoyed it. Washington called it a recalibration. So I came in with the new regime with the new coaching staff, new front office, new owner, all of those things,” Hawkins said. “I did what I could do there, and I got to a point where I wanted something a little bit different. I got the NFL experience, and it was great, but I wanted something more. And if I kept going down that path at 28 years old of just football, that was going to be my life, and I felt like I was meant for more.”

Recalibrating again

Hawkins always loved baseball and knew taking her talents to MLB could bring something the sport sorely needed.

Enter Keith Dugger, the head athletic trainer and director of medical operations for the Colorado Rockies. When Hawkins talked with Dugger about coming to Colorado, Hawkins felt like she had found her next step.

“We hit it off, and they were also we were in the process of recalibrating, if you will,” Hawkins said. “So, we talked about working on building out a program here. I was really passionate about coming out here specifically because of the altitude.”

One of the items she was most excited to add to the menu in Colorado to help with the elevation is beets.

“I’m a big believer in beets, in beet powder, beet juice, beets. It’s great whether you get it in a supplement or you get it in a juice,“ Hawkins said. ”It’s a dietary nitrate, so it helps the blood flow, and so the more blood flow you get, the more oxygen you can uptake, so you’re gonna feel a little bit better at altitude.“

One thing that has surprised Hawkins is how the altitude has affected her own body. Born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, altitude presented a new world for Hawkins. Now, she’s learning she also has to practice what she preaches to combat the elevation changes.

“I’ve learned that I struggle to go back to altitude, probably more than they do. … So I have a habit, and I think all dietitians have this to an extent of like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna educate, educate, educate on this,’ and I’m so focused on making sure that the guys are in the right spot that I forget that I also need to do that as well,” Hawkins said. “I didn’t think I was going to feel much because I’m not an athlete, but it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who you are.”

Going through the changes herself, Hawkins is also using her own body as a laboratory to find out what helps her feel better. Understanding what players are going through, and being able to connect with them and build trusting relationships, is the strength she prides herself in even more than her vast nutrition knowledge. She laughingly admits she talks a lot and could talk to a brick wall, so she can work well with outgoing personalities like Troy Johnston or more reserved players like Ezequiel Tovar.

She’s also in a continuous education loop to bring in new information, learn each player’s needs, find innovative ways to deliver that information to the players, stay aware of trendy nutrition fads on TikTok, be prepared to fend off misinformation and to do it all over the grind of a 162-game season.

Hawkins also said she works hand-in-hand with the training staff as well, especially when guys are injured and then rehabbing. When a player might be amping up their physical activity, Hawkins will make sure they up their caloric intake to help their bodies adjust to those changes. With an office that is one door down from the Rockies clubhouse, the location encourages easy access and ongoing communication.

Passion over glamour

For Hawkins, one of her favorite parts of the gig is planning what the fuel will be pre- and post-game for the players. In football, that only happened once a week. In baseball, it’s nearly every day, and Hawkins loves it. Even then, it changes, say for a starting pitcher or one that could be called upon to pitch in long relief like Tanner Gordon. She’s worked with him when he was starting and developing plans for how everything changes out of the bullpen.

“My favorite part of my job is the small wins. We look at what we’re doing, and we kind of critique that,” Hawkins said. “To watch him be as successful as he is, and for that plan that we put in place to be properly executed and working, those are my favorite.“

It can be harder on the road when certain foods, especially when she is trying to cater to the cultural diversity of the Rockies locker room, are hard to find. But she’s making it work.

When asked what she would want fans to know about her job, Hawkins gave a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her work.

“I think the biggest thing is nutrition is not glamorous. When people think, ‘Oh, I’m working for this professional sports team,’ I’m in the back making shakes. I’m literally asking guys about their bowel movements,” Hawkins said. “You have to love what you do to do this, and if you don’t, you’re not going to be happy. I want the fans to know is that it’s not glamorous, but whatever you’re passionate about, go for it because I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the passion for it.”

On the farm

Triple-A: Oklahoma City Comets 9, Albuquerque Isotopes 3

A four-run third inning was enough to sink the Isotopes on Thursday night in Oklahoma City. Braxton Fulford hit a solo homer, walked and scored another run, Nic Kent doubled, singled and drove in a run, Conner Capel went 2-for-4 and scored a run and Drew Avans added a sac grounder. Keegan Thompson took the loss, giving up five runs on four hits, three of which were homers, with two walks and one strikeout in 2.2 innings.

Double-A: Erie SeaWolves 3, Hartford Yard Goats 1

The Seawolves scored two runs in the second, neither of which was earned due to a fielding error, and that turned out to be enough to beat the Yard Goats. Hartford actually out-hit Erie 9-6, but went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left 14 runners on base. The Yard Goats scored their lone run when Jared Thomas hit an RBI single to score Tevin Tucker in the seventh inning, but it was too little, too late. Jack O’Dowd had a big night at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, while Thomas added three hits. Stu Flesland III was saddled with the loss, despite giving up no earned runs (two total) on two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in five innings.

High-A: Everett AquaSox 7, Spokane Indians 1

Spokane was held to one run on six hits, while the AquaSox posted 10 hits, six of which came with runners in scoring position to put up a win on Thursday night. Tanner Thach singled on a line drive to score Ethan Hedges in the sixth inning for the Indians lone run. Thach and Hedges each recorded two hits on the night. Everett Catlett dropped to 5-8 on the season after surrendering five runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and four walks in six innings.

Low-A: San Jose Giants 5, Fresno Grizzlies 0

The Grizzlies actually saw their first two batters reach base when Ashly Andujar led off the game with a single and Landyn Vidourek walked, but a double play ended the threat and Fresno only saw five more base runners for the entire game in Thursday’s loss. The closest the Grizzlies got to scoring was when Sebastian Blanco led off the eighth with a double and advanced to third on a one-out wild pitch, but the Giants were able to escape unscathed. Juan Martinez added two singles for Fresno. The Grizzlies were held to five hits and committed two errors, leading to one unearned San Jose run.

My personal Field of Dreams | Purple Row

While the Rockies were off on Thursday, the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins took the state in MLB’s annual Field of Dreams game. The pregame festivities including honoring a handful of Hall of Famers, including former Rockie Larry Walker. Check it out on Netflix if you didn’t see it. In this article, Purple Row’s Skyler Timmins reflects on the power of baseball and its connection to memories.

Francis Rivera is pitching his way through the Rockies minor league system | Purple Row

Renee Dechert continues Purple Row’s series exploring how Spanish-speaking players learn about English and American culture while working their way through the Colorado Rockies system. In the latest addition, she interviewed Francis Rivera. The 25-year-old ight-handed pitcher for the High-A Spokane Indians signed with the Rockies in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic. Hailing from a baseball family, Rivera has a passion for the game that’s carried him through injuries as he’s climbing through the Rockies farm system.

Renck: Time for Rockies to call up Charlie Condon to big leagues — in September or sooner | Denver Post ($)

Troy Renck explores how the possible lockout next season and timing could complicate callups and long-term rookie statuses for prospects, but especially for slugging outfielder Charlie Condon. Renck argues the Rockies might as well go for it and call him up now.

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