BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 11: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles catches against the Kansas City Royals at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 11, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
I’ve just double-checked, wondering if perhaps Monday’s events were just a fever dream, and I can confirm: yes, the Orioles really did trade Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox.
It still stings. And don’t just take my word for it. The clubhouse reaction from Orioles players yesterday reflected just how much the Rutschman trade has affected his longtime teammates and friends. Trevor Rogers described it as “a shock.” Jackson Holliday said, “he’s going to be very missed around here.” Gunnar Henderson was too worked up to even put it into words, telling reporters, “I’m not going to be able to talk about it today.”
The impact of Adley’s departure was best described by Colton Cowser, who was with Rutschman when he received the call that he’d been traded. “Just from a human side of it, obviously, it was tough. I was pretty emotional yesterday,” he said. “Definitely some sadness there, and all I could do was give him a hug and tell him I’m here for him and I love him.” (I’m not crying. You’re crying.)
I attended last night’s game and I couldn’t help sensing a bit of a funereal atmosphere, as if fans were saying goodbye not just to Adley the individual, but also to the era of Orioles baseball that he represented. Rutschman’s much-hyped arrival in 2022 ushered in an (all too brief) renaissance of the club’s fortunes, a return to glory fueled by young, exciting, homegrown players. When the O’s peaked to a 101-win season and AL East title in 2023, Adley was the poster child for their success, the affable All-Star and team leader who seemed destined to guide the Orioles to perennial contention for his long and illustrious Baltimore career.
It didn’t turn out that way. The O’s stumbled into mediocrity during the 2024 season and have really never recovered. Many of the homegrown prospects have failed to develop in the majors, or have regressed after having initial success. Rutschman himself is part of that group, having battled injuries and offensive struggles for the last three years. And now the Adley Era is officially over for the Orioles. He’s moved on to greener pastures, while the O’s are left to face the harsh reality that the total organizational rebuild they underwent for the last seven years has fizzled out, with not even one playoff game win to show for it. It sucks.
That’s not to say that the Orioles are necessarily doomed. They’ve still got plenty of talented players on the roster and intriguing prospects on the farm who could help the team in the not-too-distant future. But after witnessing the disappointing, anticlimactic end to the Adley Era, it’s hard to feel particularly optimistic about the state of the Orioles or the people who are making the decisions right now.
Considering that Mike Elias is the architect of this wholly disappointing Orioles team, it’s hard to stomach his comments about how he’s trying to “make the right moves by the franchise.” Why start now?
In his farewell to Baltimore, Adley has some nice things to say about the Orioles and their fans. Warning: this article features a photo of Rutschman in his Red Sox uniform. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go throw up.
The Orioles won their first game of the post-Adley era last night, and Andrea SK has the details. Sure, the Orioles just barely beat the worst team in baseball, and were out-hit 11-4, and were dominated by former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez and his 7.98 ERA. But a win is a win, I suppose.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with two former O’s right-handers: John Wasdin (54) and the late Nelson Briles (b. 1943, d. 2005).
On this date in 1994, Orioles righty (and current MASN analyst) Ben McDonald pitched a one-hit shutout against his future team, the Brewers. McDonald threw 145 pitches (!) in tossing his sixth — and final — career shutout.
And on this day in 2019, Jonathan Villar hit for the cycle, becoming the fifth player in O’s history to do so. Villar tripled in the third, doubled in the fifth, homered in the sixth, and singled off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth. Sadly, the Orioles still lost the game, 9-6, largely because they coughed up five home runs to the Yankees. It was the Orioles’ 10th straight game in which they gave up multiple home runs, setting a dubious major league record.
That was a rough year for the Orioles, but at least the rebuild was all worth it in the end, right? …Right?
Random Orioles game of the day
For today’s date, the random number generator spat out the number 2025. Well, OK then. So much for reminiscing about some old Orioles teams. Way back on Aug. 5, 2025, the Orioles got shut out in Philadelphia, 5-0. Starter Dean Kremer gave up four runs, including a Max Kepler homer, while the O’s offense — which days earlier had traded away Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins, and Ramón Urías — was utterly stymied by Taijuan Walker and three Phillies relievers. They managed only five hits, all singles.
Happy birthday to Tim Federowicz, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1921 – KDKA radio station provides its listeners with the first-ever broadcast of a major league game. Harold Arlin becomes baseball’s first play-by-play announcer as he details the action as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Phillies at Forbes Field, 8-5, and other stories as well.
1969 – Willie Stargell becomes the first player to hit a home run completely out of Dodger Stadium. The 512-foot, seventh-inning, bases-empty blast breaks a 3-3 tie, helping the Pirates defeat Los Angeles, 11-3. The 2,500th career hit of Roberto Clemente and a two-run homer from Bill Mazeroski figure prominently in Pittsburgh’s seven-run ninth inning. Taking a no-decision in what will prove to be his final Major League appearance is Dodger starter Don Drysdale, pitching with a torn rotator cuff, which, despite assurances that it is “something I’m going to have to learn to pitch with,” will lead to his retirement within less than a week.
1994 – Atlanta 1B Fred McGriff hits a home run in the Braves’ 16-6 win over Cincinnati, making him only the ninth major leaguer in history to hit 30 or more homers in seven consecutive seasons.
2007 – Tom Glavine becomes the 23rd pitcher and fifth left-hander to win 300 games in the major leagues with an 8-3 victory over the Cubs.
2009 – Jim Thome hits two homers, including a three-run blast off Darren Oliver in the sixth, to pace the White Sox to a 6-2 win over the Angels. It is the 44th multi-homer game of Thome’s career; with 561 round-trippers, he is only two behind Reggie Jackson for 12th place on the all-time list.
1931 – The Cubs edge the Reds, 3-2 at Wrigley Field, when Leo Durocher boots a ground ball hit by Kiki Cuyler. It ends a string of 251 errorless chances in 53 games for Durocher.
1945 – The Cubs bang out 22 hits in the first game of a pair to overwhelm the Reds, 12-5. Stan Hack has three doubles and a single, and Phil Cavarretta has four hits. The Cubs take the nightcap, 2-1, behind Claude Passeau‘s six-hitter. Chicago has won 17 of their last 18 games.
1979 – In pre-game ceremonies at Wrigley Field, announcer Jack Brickhouse is honored. Today’s broadcast is his 5,000th television broadcast of a game.
2000 – Sammy Sosa becomes the first Cubs player to reach 100 RBIs six consecutive times. Hack Wilson did it for five straight seasons from 1926 to 1930.
2014 – Highly touted prospect Javier Báez homers in his major league debut for the Cubs, leading off the 12th inning against Boone Logan of the Rockies, to lead his team to a 6-5 win.
1864 – Battle of Mobile Bay won by the Union Navy, led by Rear Admiral David Farragut with the cry “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!”
1926 – Harry Houdini stays in a coffin underwater for 1½ hours before escaping.
1932 – Clyde Barrow and two associates kill Sheriff C.G. Maxwell and his deputy, Eugene C. Moore, in the first instance of the Barrow gang killing a lawman.
1936 – American athlete Jesse Owens wins the 200 m in a world record time of 20.7 seconds, his third gold medal of the Berlin Olympics.
1992 – Four officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, previously acquitted on charges of beating Rodney King, are indicted on federal civil rights charges.
2012 – Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt wins the 100 m at the London Olympics in 9.63 seconds, breaking the record he set in the 2008 Olympics.
Today in music history:
1966 – The Beatles release their “Revolver” album in the UK,
1967 – Bobby Gentry releases her hit “Ode to Billie Joe”.
1972 – The Moody Blues reissue their 1967 single “Nights in White Satin,” and it reaches #2 on the US charts, higher than the initial release..
1974 – Joan Jett forms her rock group, The Runaways, in the United States.
2021 – Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts (80) announces he will be unable to accompany the band on its 2021 U.S. tour based on medical advice, with American Steve Jordan tapped to fill in.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 04: Antonio Senzatela #49 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning at American Family Field on August 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve finally reached the end of trade deadline season, and after five weekly articles previewing what might happen, we now know: the Brewers tried but failed to acquire Tarik Skubal, and instead settled for two trades that netted Dustin May, JoJo Romero, and Antonio Senzatela. (A smaller trade earlier in the week shored up catching depth, with Bo Naylor heading to Triple-A Nashville.)
First, on Skubal
There has been an inherent disappointment with the Brewers around the league’s punditry because they did not acquire Tarik Skubal. By all accounts, they pushed extremely hard, but the Tigers chose to go with the Dodgers’ offer, and there’s not really much the Brewers can do about that. If they were willing to include Luis Peña, as reports suggest, the only thing they could’ve done to up the ante would’ve been to include Jesús Made. Trading the game’s top prospect for a two-month rental that probably wouldn’t even make you the favorite in the National League would’ve been insanity for a small-market team like the Brewers.
If you’ll allow me to rant a little, this disappointment—which in many cases feels like blame or rage from people who did not want the Dodgers to get Skubal—drives me nuts. I am extremely tired of national writers who pay no mind what it’s like to be a long-term fan of a small-market club telling me that it is my team’s fault for ruining baseball. Let’s dissect the Skubal scenario for a minute.
The Tigers wanted a controllable pitcher who was in or close to the big leagues. For the Brewers, this likely meant Logan Henderson. Obviously, Henderson is not Tarik Skubal. But… Henderson has a better ERA than Skubal this season. He has a better WHIP. He has struck out more batters per nine innings. He has nowhere near enough innings to qualify, but if he did, Henderson would be ninth in the majors in ERA this season, nestled comfortably in between Cristopher Sánchez and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. [Note that stats in this article are current as of Tuesday morning.]
Logan Henderson is really good. In the majors. Right now. Henderson is not Skubal, but this season he’s producing at a level that’s about 80% of Skubal… so if you give that back in a trade, is that not like four steps forward, three steps back? There were no other real options for the Brewers to build a trade like this around. Kyle Harrison is a good young pitcher but the same concept applies to him. Brandon Sproat has been a mess this season, and I can’t imagine the Tigers would’ve gone for that. Jacob Misiorowski is obviously not going to be included. Tyson Hardin, the top Brewers prospect at Triple-A Nashville, isn’t in the same league.
The Dodgers can afford to give away a guy like River Ryan because they have Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Justin Wrobleski.
All of this ignores the other obvious factors at play. Like how the Dodgers don’t need their prospects to work out because they can just buy starters when they need them. Or how they got Zyhir Hope, the centerpiece of the Skubal trade, because when 29 other teams would’ve promoted Michael Busch to play first base, the Dodgers instead signed Freddie Freeman as a free agent and traded Busch to the Cubs for younger prospects… including Hope. They don’t have to worry about Hope making it to the big leagues because if they have a hole, they’ll just fill it with the next Kyle Tucker that comes along.
Yes, the Brewers could maybe push their payroll a little further. They could’ve done the incredibly irresponsible thing of offering Made. But the Brewers, the team in the smallest market in the league, has made the postseason in eight of the last nine years. Shouldn’t that give the front office a little bit of the benefit of the doubt? Haven’t they proven that whatever approach they have taken works? That maybe the fact that they are risk averse isn’t a flaw but is in fact central to their unprecedented success?
There will come a time when Matt Arnold will need to go for it. But the Brewers simply cannot afford to be reckless with their assets. The “bites of the apple” approach might be infuriating sometimes, but there’s no denying that they’ve set themselves up for success. The team is still very young. There’s no reason to think they won’t be good again next season and the season after. At a certain point, Arnold not making a huge move will be a true mistake, but I don’t think this trade deadline was that time.
Ignore all of the pundits who say the Brewers failed by not acquiring Skubal. They are the same pundits who’ve predicted the team’s downfall over and over again, only for the team’s win total to keep rising.
The Brewers are better
With all that said and the context understood, let’s look at what the Brewers actually did.
If I were to put forth an optimistic take about Dustin May, it would be this: if, when the season ends in a couple months, we look back and see May as the second-best pitcher traded at the trade deadline, I would not be shocked. Would I predict that? No. Does that say more about the market than May? Yes.
But everyone raves about May’s stuff, and he’s gone through stretches where he looked great this season. In a 12-start stretch between April 10th and June 15th, May had a 2.54 ERA, 2.68 FIP in 74 1/3 innings. This included a game when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Brewers (but ultimately lost, 2-1) and a complete-game, one-hit, one-walk, nine-strikeout shutout of the Padres. May’s overall numbers on the season are somewhat mediocre—his 4.38 ERA translates to just a 91 ERA+, for instance. But the underlying numbers are strong: May’s 3.14 FIP is well over a run better than his ERA, and if you merely lop off the two duds he started the season with, May has a 3.54 ERA and 2.91 FIP in 19 starts.
There will always be injury questions with May. With 109 innings pitched, he’s already approach his career high (132 1/3) despite debuting eight years ago, in 2019. He had a brief bout of back tightness in June during a start against the Royals in which he got lit up; he skipped his next turn in the rotation but never went on the IL. But he is healthy right now, and there’s some real upside.
In the bullpen, the Brewers did not get the lights-out reliever they coveted, and given the relatively small price the Pirates paid for Luke Weaver, one wonders if David Stearns and the Mets were ignoring the Brewers’ calls. They did, however, get two players who can help. Romero is on the injured list after an emergency appendectomy but should be back in the big leagues within a few weeks. He is having mixed success this season, but he was lights out in 2025 to the tune of a 2.07 ERA in 65 appearances. He’s also left-handed, which, along with DL Hall’s return, can take some of the pressure and usage off of Aaron Ashby.
Senzatela was a career-long starter until this season; he got off to an incredible start and has been roughed up of late, but while he posted a 1.30 ERA in his first 17 appearances and an 8.15 ERA in his next 17, is FIP is nearly identical: 3.30 in the first half, 3.49 in the second. Senzatela’s home vs. road splits also tell the story of a guy who will be happy to get out of Coors Field: this season, he’s got a 4.81 ERA in 16 games in Colorado and a 2.57 ERA in 18 games on the road.
All three players will help. Adding May to the mix will keep some pressure off of Misiorowski, Harrison, and Henderson, and the bullpen adds a couple of pieces that should give Pat Murphy and Chris Hook a couple more options that they can really count on.
What went out
The trades were not without cost. The prospects sent out for Senzatela were marginal (left-handed pitcher Mark Manfredi and shortstop Juan Martinez), but the Brewers gave up (and gave up on) Craig Yoho and parted with longtime depth piece Blake Perkins to acquire Naylor, who probably won’t even play in the majors this season. (The other player the Brewers acquired in that trade, Codi Heuer, was shuttled along to the Orioles for cash on deadline day.)
But the big headlines came in what the Brewers sent the Cardinals—a longtime foe—for May and Romero. Center fielder Josiah Ragsdale has enjoyed a big breakout season and is killing the ball at Double-A Biloxi, but, as they say, you have to give up something to get something. However, if you’d told me before the deadline that Ragsdale was included in a trade for May and Romero, I’d have assumed he was the better prospect.
That wasn’t the case here, as the highly-regarded 18-year-old Alexander Frias was the other piece sent out. Like Jackson Chourio and Jesús Made before him, Frias put up eye-popping numbers (and batted-ball metrics) in the Dominican Summer League and Arizona Complex League before making it to low-A Wilson as an 18-year-old; Frias hit .316/.411/.400 in 27 games in the Dominican Republic, then hit .441/.518/.678 in 32 games with one of the Brewers’ teams in Arizona. He was promoted to the Carolina League in July, and in 28 games hit just .236 but he showed patience and flashed pop, with four homers, four doubles, and two triples, good for a .328 OBP and .418 slugging percentage.
Frias’s batted ball metrics were high enough for some prospect observers to rate him very highly. FanGraphs was the most optimistic: they had Frias as the #43 overall prospect on their big board, behind only Made and Luis Peña on the Brewers. Keith Law also included Frias in his midseason update at #69, again behind just Made and Peña among Brewer prospects.
That feeling on Frias is far from universal. MLB Pipeline had Frias as the Brewers’ #11 prospect, and while Baseball America did give Frias the #100 spot on their midseason update, that was behind eight other Brewers, though three of those have graduated or are about to (Made, Peña, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, Logan Henderson, Josh Adamczewski, Braylon Payne, and Jett Williams).
The reality here is that the Brewers—the team with the most knowledge on Frias—were probably lower on him than the public consensus. And while he drew early comparisons to Chourio and Made, that’s a bit overblown; those two players were both considered five-tool prospects, while Frias is viewed as a future corner outfielder who isn’t likely to have speed as a killer tool in his arsenal. There’s a world where Frias turns into a deadly power hitter, and another where he’s a top-10 overall prospect by the end of next season, but the risk factor here was clearly higher than it was with Chourio and Made (who both, for what it’s worth, put up better offensive stats at the same age as Frias did).
What they didn’t do
Of course, adding pitchers, whether that’s May or Skubal, doesn’t change the fact that the Brewers have the fewest home runs in baseball and an offense that, at times (like right now!), can look awful. The paths to any sort of meaningful offensive upgrade were challenging; the best offensive players to move at the deadline didn’t really have positional fit on the Brewers. Luis García is a left-handed first baseman, duplicative of Jake Bauers. The Brewers wouldn’t have made an offer for Curtis Mead (who unfortunately broke his wrist in his first game with the Red Sox) that included a controllable, promising big-league pitcher (Connelly Early) like Boston did. Adley Rutschman didn’t make sense for Milwaukee and the cost was enormous.
The increasingly large elephant in the room is Christian Yelich’s poor performance as the designated hitter. The Brewers are surely hoping that Yelich can turn things around, given that they still owe him another $48 million over two years after this season, but at this point, his performance and Murphy’s insistence to keep him at or near the top of the lineup is actively hurting the ball club. Over his last 38 games, since June 12, Yelich is batting an appalling .182/.285/.318 with three home runs.
Bringing in a right-handed platoon option—or a right handed batter that would move Andrew Vaughn into a platoon situation at DH—could’ve really helped the team, even if Yelich has been slightly better against left-handed pitchers than righties this season (that bucks a career-long trend, so I don’t really trust those numbers). Jo Adell, Heliot Ramos, and George Springer (who did not move) are all right-handed batters who would’ve interested me as a way to get a little more power into the Brewers’ lineup, and to mitigate the presence of the apparently rapidly deteriorating Yelich.
Another offensive question without an apparent solution is that of William Contreras, who, like Yelich, has been alarmingly bad lately. Contreras’s OPS is down to a career-low .722 (not counting his partial rookie season in 2021), and it is trending in the wrong direction: since a season peak in late June, Contreras has hit an absolutely abysmal .165/.227/.257 over his last 29 games.
The Brewers did not have much of an avenue to improve on Contreras—they’re not going to bench him, and the reality of the situation is that they’re not going to bench Yelich, either. Now that the Brewers have chosen not to make any offensive changes at the trade deadline, they have no choice but to hope that Yelich, Contreras, and Chourio (.240/.304/.351 since June 21) find a way to turn things around. They simply cannot afford not to get contributions from any of these three players; that the Brewers went 15-10 in July with all three players mired in deep slumps is a minor miracle (and a testament to the excellent months had by Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz, and Cooper Pratt).
Moving forward
The Brewers wanted to take a Prince Fielder-style swing at this deadline, but the Dodgers, as they do, stepped in and walked away with the top prize. After missing on Skubal, there wasn’t anyone else even close to that league for the Brewers to pivot to, but they did reasonably well to shore up their pitching staff.
The rest of the job will need to be done by players who were already on the team. The simple fact is, the Brewers even with Skubal wouldn’t have been a favorite to beat the Dodgers in a postseason series (which is a solid argument for why they shouldn’t have gone all in for him in the first place). That the Brewers’ two biggest potential postseason rivals—the Dodgers and Cubs (who added Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Braxton Garrett, and Ryan Zeferjahn)—were two of the teams that did the most at this deadline is not encouraging, but Milwaukee should take heart in the fact that they’ve still got the league’s best record and a healthy cushion in the division. The offense needs to improve, no doubt. But this team is really good, and there’s no reason to say they couldn’t catch lightning in a bottle at the right time come the postseason.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 04: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts to a play during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Derik Hamilton/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s amazing what happens to a lineup when people aren’t constantly getting struck out with men on base and less than one out. I know the defense is going to be wonky, but the addition of Luis Arraez to the lineup is going to be great.
NEW YORK — George Lombard Jr. saw a sweeper over the middle of the plate, sent the 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence and made his highly anticipated big league debut even more memorable.
A few hours later, Lombard was exchanging memorabilia with the fans who caught the first home run ball of his career.
After being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier in the day, Lombard gave the Yankees a two-run lead in Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals by hitting a 392-foot solo shot off Hunter Dobbins in the fifth inning.
Lombard rounded the bases as his parents cheered and hugged in the stands. His father, George Lombard Sr., is the bench coach for the Detroit Tigers and a former major league player himself.
“It was really cool,” the younger Lombard said. “Being a close game, it was a big run. So it was probably a moment, a swing, a day I won’t forget.”
The 21-year-old Lombard became the first Yankees shortstop to homer in his major league debut. After the game, the touted prospect met in the hallway outside the clubhouse with the fans who caught the ball. He signed hats and traded a bat for the souvenir ball while posing for pictures.
Lombard was the 14th player in franchise history to hit a home run in his big league debut and first since Jasson Domínguez went deep in his initial plate appearance against Justin Verlander in Houston on Sept. 1, 2023. The group also includes injured captain Aaron Judge (2016) and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra (1946).
At 21 years, 63 days old, Lombard became the sixth-youngest Yankees player since 1985 to make his debut and the second-youngest shortstop in that span. Derek Jeter debuted May 29, 1995, in Seattle at 20 years, 337 days.
Lombard also started inning-ending double plays in the second and fifth.
“Obviously, a great first night for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The home run was great. The defense was tremendous.”
In the second, Lombard ranged to his right to field Blaze Jordan’s grounder and made an off-balance throw to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. In the fifth, Lombard ranged to his left, fielded Nathan Church’s grounder behind second base, stepped on the bag and made a clean throw to first baseman Ben Rice.
“It’s one of those plays that you practice,” Lombard said. “I’ve made that play countless times in practice. Just getting to the game and it’s your body kind of takes over.”
Lombard wasn't the only player to make his Yankees debut Tuesday night. Newly acquired outfielder Heliot Ramos went 0 for 4 but made a nice catch in left field with two runners aboard in the sixth. Ramos was obtained from the San Francisco Giants before Monday’s trade deadline.
To make room for Lombard and Ramos, shortstop Anthony Volpe and Domínguez were optioned to Triple-A, where Volpe is expected to see time at second base.
On Monday, general manager Brian Cashman implied the Tigers and Orioles asked for Lombard in potential deals for Tarik Skubal and Adley Rutschman, who were acquired by the Dodgers and Red Sox, respectively.
Lombard, a first-round draft pick by New York in 2023, began this season by hitting .312 in 20 games with Double-A Somerset. After getting promoted to Triple-A, he batted .268 with six homers and 21 RBIs in 56 games.
Lombard’s time in Triple-A was interrupted by a left finger injury that sidelined him for nearly a month. He batted .377 in 14 games after returning and went 4 for 5 with three RBIs in a 13-3 win over Iowa on Sunday.
Ramos joined the Yankees after hitting .264 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games for the Giants.
“When I first found out about the news I started shaking a little bit because obviously I didn’t know anything else,” Ramos said Tuesday afternoon. “But then I realized, I’m like, man, I’m going to be a New York Yankee. Like, that’s crazy.”
Ramos is expected to get the bulk of his playing time in left field, where he started 64 games for the Giants this season. He did not make any errors in 111 chances after leading National League left fielders with nine errors last year.
Besides adding Lombard and Ramos to the roster, the Yankees promoted Yerry de los Santos from the minors to replace Angel Chivilli in the bullpen.
Chivilli was optioned to Triple-A after allowing three homers in the eighth inning Monday, including Alec Burleson’s third of the game. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 15 appearances for the Yankees, who acquired him from Colorado in January.
In five appearances for the Yankees, de los Santos has a 1.04 ERA.
NEW YORK - APRIL 04: Xavier Nady #22 of the New York Yankees at bat against the Chicago Cubs during their game on April 4, 2009 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, last night was a blast, wasn’t it? The only nitpick I have is that I’d have liked more offense than a couple solo shots, but Ryan Weathers was great, David Bednar was nails in relief, Jazz Chisholm Jr. provided the pop, and—oh yeah—the Yankees’ youngest shortstop since Derek Jeter looked years beyond his age (which is younger than this very website). As the late Stuart Scott would say, George Lombard Jr. was cool as the other side of the pillow in his MLB debut, making excellent plays on defense and even making his first career hit a 392-foot homer. That’s the dream, isn’t it?
So where does one go from here? It’s baseball, so you know the answer: right back to the grind. The Yankees have a series to hopefully win against the Cardinals tonight, with Lombard back in the lineup at the six. There’s no rest yet for the weary on this long stretch of games on 13 consecutive days, though they will at least have an offday tomorrow. The Rays and Red Sox both just keep winning, too, so the Yanks can’t take a beat just yet.
For today’s question, we’re falling back a bit on an old cliché: X-factors. Yeah, yeah, they’re a little silly, but they’re fun to consider. The definition is in the eye of the beholder, but generally, it’s not someone (or something) that you would typically expect to be decider. It’s too easy to say that Aaron Judge’s health and recovery from his rib injury are the biggest X-factor in the Yankees’ 2026 fate. Although it may literally be true, it’s not the spirit of the exercise!
I’ll get us started. This is just a gut instinct that I’m coming up with while writing this, but two guys who keep popping up in my head are Paul Blackburn and Clarke Schmidt. It’s no secret that the Yankees have given a lot of bullpen work to David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Fernando Cruz late in ballgames throughout 2026. Headrick and Cruz rank second and fifth in the majors in most games pitched with 58 and 54, respectively, and Bednar leads MLB with 42 games finished across his 46 appearances.
The trio needs a little breathing room, and though the Yankees perhaps regrettably stood pat on bullpen aid at the Trade Deadline, Blackburn has helped provide it in recent months as he’s ascended the pecking order, transforming from a middle/long relief option to someone now accustomed to short relief himself. His potential has been apparent, and it’s vital that he keeps it up. Schmidt keeps coming to mind as well as a former starter who can be a boon to the bullpen once his Tommy John surgery rehab is complete. The 2024 playoff rotation member has already said that he doesn’t have time to come back to start, but that he’s hopeful of returning to the mound in the big-league bullpen this year. Schmidt has pitched in relief earlier in his career, too, so it’s not a totally unfamiliar role.
Now, it’s not wise to count on someone coming back from Tommy John, especially since Schmidt’s procedure was done just 13 months ago. Setbacks happen all the time, and this is also Schmidt’s second Tommy John. It’s very possible that he doesn’t pitch in 2026, or that he throws a few innings and isn’t that good, so they nip it in the bud and have him focus on 2027. Schmidt is getting closer to a rehab assignment though, so for now, let’s dream. (And if it doesn’t work out, then Blackburn can be the X-factor on his own.)
Today on the site, we’ll have Jeff, Jeremy, and Sam write up our post-Trade Deadline/monthly check-ins on the NL East, NL Central, and NL West, respectively. Sam will also write up the birthday of the owner who made them the Yankees perhaps more than anyone else: Jacob Ruppert. Madison will tackle the Rivalry Roundup, and Peter will discuss a pair of excellent trips to the dish by José Caballero and Ryan McMahon for our At-Bat of the Week feature.
A historical photograph from the City of Atlanta, Georgia. Artist unknown, 1949 (Photo by Pierce Archive LLC/Buyenlarge via Getty Images) | Buyenlarge via Getty Images
Before the Braves moved to Atlanta from Milwaukee in 1966, the minor league Atlanta Crackers called Atlanta home for most of the century. Their park, as well as that of the Atlanta Black Crackers of the Negro Leagues, was Ponce de Leon Park located just east of downtown Atlanta.
In the outfield at “Poncey” was a majestic magnolia tree that was as iconic as the park itself. The final season of full-time baseball there was 1964, and the stadium – which was across the street from the Sears building now known as Ponce City Market – was demolished in favor of a shopping center. Then, when that shopping center was replaced with the current retail development, one constant remained: the magnolia.
Nestled between that retail center and the re-developed rail lines called the Atlanta BeltLine, the tree was a living monument to baseball in Atlanta.
That was until August 3, 2026, when storms that rolled through Atlanta felled the magnolia, as seen in this post by long-time Atlanta sportscaster and journalist Jeff Hullinger.
The mighty Spiller has been felled, a pair of historic 125-to-160-year-old trees in Atlanta. They famously stood in the outfield (deep center-right field) of Ponce de Leon Park—also known as Spiller Field—where any batted ball hitting the trees remained live in play until 1947. pic.twitter.com/DCVSieJ2I3
Most of you reading this may not be aware of Ponce de Leon Park – or if you are, it is from stories of parents or grandparents or friends or relatives who visited the park that also hosted Georgia Tech football games and other events. If you have spent time in this area of Atlanta in the last 10-15 years, you are aware that it has seen massive redevelopment with an influx of residential and commercial development.
But with fading baseball lore, sickos of the sport would often go there to get a moment of historical retrospection standing between the branches of a tree that saw baseball and Atlanta in a different era, a different time, but with the same grand game.
As Hullinger noted in his post, the magnolia that was 462-feet from home plate was in play as the reconstructed ballpark Spiller Field – the original Ponce de Leon Park had burned in 1923 – was built around the trees. The stadium was re-named back to Ponce de Leon Park in 1934 when the team’s owner, for whom the re-build stadium was named, sold the team.
Famously, the legendary “500-mile home run” was hit at Poncey in 1954 when Crackers’ slugger Bob Montag hit a home run that landed in a coal car of a train passing on the rail line and ended up in Nashville, TN, before being found and returned to Montag.
Legend also has it that Babe Ruth hit a home run even further – with the Bambino also hitting one into a coal car that ended up in Joplin, MO. That 700+ mile home run may be more lore than truth. But Ruth and Braves Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews were two players to have hit balls that got caught in the branches of the in-play magnolia.
Ironic how trees and baseball are connected as the crack of the bat couldn’t be possible with out ash or hickory trees. In a time with trees are seemingly being cut down without care, it was a thunderstorm brought down a magnolia that thousands of people walked by daily and likely never know how significant that old magnolia was.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 04: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees smiles after hitting his first career home run during the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on August 4, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Brendan Samson: Yesterday was a very cool moment for the Lombard family, as George Jr. made his MLB debut for the Bombers, his younger brother, Jacob, also made his professional debut for the Marlins’ Low-A affiliate. While Mom and Dad Lombard were going to Florida to see Jacob’s debut, they quickly pivoted (with Jacob’s encouragement) after news of the older brother’s MLB debut broke. Even cooler for the family is that both brothers homered yesterday, and while their parents only got to see George’s in person, cameras did catch them watching the younger brother’s bomb on their cell phone.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch, Jared Greenspan: The organization’s message to their top prospect after his call-up and ahead of his debut was quite simple: “Go be you.” George Lombard Jr. has seen success at every level he’s been, easily earning the Yankees’ top prospect title, and it’s easy to see why. They don’t want him to change anything, just do what he does best and they think success will come. If Monday night was any indication, he’s all ready for the challenge. With a big blast for his first major league hit and a few smooth defensive plays at shortstop, there could be big things in his future.
NJ.com | Adam Zagoria: Anthony Volpe has some things to work on as its clear that he needs to improve his game if he wants to have a future with this team. In order to help his value, the Yankees are planning to get some reps in at second base while he’s in the minors, following his demotion. Aaron Boone spoke about both his and Jasson Domínguez’s demotions and how they were difficult conversations, but opportunities for them to work on things and refine their game so they might be able to earn another shot in the majors.
"Two people that we love and think highly of, and think still have very bright big-league careers ahead of them."
Aaron Boone talks about the "tough conversations" he had with Anthony Volpe and Jasson Domínguez after they were both demoted to Triple-A: pic.twitter.com/PLIOsrrqzz
MLB.com | Jared Greenspan: Heliot Ramos was at the gym for a quick workout when he found out he had been traded to the Yankees. His phone was in his locker but he looked up at the TV in the gym and found out he’s coming east to New York. Even though he had a hitless debut, Ramos talked about how cool it is to wear the pinstripes and how he’s willing to play whatever role is necessary in order to help the club. While not the flashiest acquisition, it’s still nice to see players who want to be here and hopefully a change of scenery will help him find some success.
*(Credit to Matt Ferenchick for today’s home page title)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - AUGUST 29: SpongeBob SquarePants delivers the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the San Diego Padres and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Friday, August 29, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by James Vigil/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
How tough am I? How tough am I? I watched that entire Mariners game… with the audio on.
The Mariners couldn’t cut it at the Salty Spittoon on Tuesday, losing to the Tigers 8-0 in the first game following the trade deadline. Emerson Hancock pitched fine but had some poor defense behind him. Seranthnoy Domínguez made his Mariners debut and got shelled. The lineup posted a big ol’ zero. Maybe they should try Weenie Hut Juniors instead. The Mariners had the gall to implode on SpongeBob Night at the ballpark. If you see a link in the writing that follows, give it a click if you wish to sing along.
The Tigers did most of their damage in the third. Zach McKinstry doubled to lead off the inning and made his way to third on a groundout. Gleyber Torres then hit a big chopper to short. Colt Emerson reached up to snag it, then fired home to nab McKinstry at the plate. It was a nice play!
But this was an inning that just wouldn’t end. Dillon Dingler slapped a hard single past a diving Emerson at short to put two on with two out. Riley Greene hit a broken-bat slow roller to Emerson again, who ranged so far to his right that he had to backhand the ball and make a crossbody throw. Unfortunately, it was a poorly aimed crossbody throw, sailing weast of first and into foul territory, allowing the first run to score. Colt Keith dropped a looping single into right field to plate two more and make the game 3-0. It was still early, but this already felt enough like the 2026 Mariners that I started watching SpongeBob videos instead.
Hi, how are ya
Hancock would eventually give up a legitimate run on a solo shot to Greene in the fifth. Otherwise, Hancock was fine. He threw six innings, struck out six and kept the hard contact to a minimum. It was a perfectly normal start.
Greetings, from Apple World
The game was still 4-0 in the ninth, and Dan Wilson saw fit to bring in Domínguez for a no-pressure debut. He got shelled. Domínguez walked the first batter then gave up a single. After an out, he gave up a three-run homer to Gleyber Torres. Then he immediately gave up another homer to Dingler. After another single and another walk, his night was done.
That’s not my wallet
The Mariners would have lost this one no matter how many runs they gave up. They scored zero. It wasn’t the absolute worst performance of the year, but only because there’s been a lot of competition. They picked up just four hits — all singles — and three walks without ever really threatening. In fact, they picked up only two hard hit balls all night, as Troy Melton ate everything in sight. They couldn’t lay off the hook (it was a splitter but let me have this one). The Mariners tepid deadline was largely an acknowledgement that they won’t go anywhere if their existing starts step up. They still seem to be in denial of their identities. Not even Ward could get them going, with an 0-for in his debut.
Tax exemption
Colt Emerson struck out swinging in the fourth on a fastball at eye level, which is the type of thing people say to mean “high”, but this one was literally at eye level. Not to pick on the kid, but this was a bit avant garde.
CHICAGO — The first fans booed Tarik Skubal at 6:22 p.m. CT, as he jogged on the outfield grass in front of the visitor's bullpen at Wrigley Field. They booed him again, and louder than any of his new teammates, when the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup was announced. They booed more as Skubal stepped to the mound for his first start with a team, which also doubled as his first career start inside the "Friendly Confines."
The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner was officially a villain, and he already knew it’s a feeling that will become familiar.
“I plan on pitching in front of those atmospheres for the rest of the season,” Skubal said. "I actually haven’t made a home start in the postseason. They’ve all been on the road. I’ve pitched in pretty good environments and I’d say that’s up there with any of those postseason starts.”
The result of Skubal’s debut as a Dodger – a 5-1 Cubs win on Tuesday, Aug. 4 – wasn’t as significant as the sensation everyone involved left with once this highly anticipated regular-season game was over. The potential presented by Skubal’s overwhelming power, as well as the perils of being an overwhelming favorite, were on display for a sold-out crowd of more than 40,000 and a national television audience.
If this Los Angeles team is indeed ruining baseball en route to a third straight World Series championship and perhaps a lockout, it’ll only do so after taking the entire sport’s best shot.
“Everyone can’t play here for the Dodgers,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the pressure.
There is a target on these Dodgers unlike their past two predecessors that won titles, and it got bigger when they acquired the best pitcher in baseball. That reality confronted Skubal almost as soon as he walked inside Wrigley Field on Tuesday, even though he’s now another superstar on a roster filled with them.
A plane flew around the stadium a few hours before first pitch carrying a banner that read, “The Dodgers ruined baseball.” It was sponsored by Underdog Sports, a daily fantasy sports and predictions market operator. There was just one problem: The banner was upside down.
Skubal said he struggled to fall asleep Monday night. “It felt like my major league debut,” he explained. Roberts admitted before the game that Skubal "just wants to get this first one out of the way.”
“Yeah, it’s 1 of 162 but I do think Tarik Skubal making a start for the Dodgers is a big deal for baseball,” Roberts said of the moment.
So then Skubal struck out Cubs star Pete Crow-Armstrong looking with a 99 mph fastball to start the game. A solo home run by Dansby Swanson was the lone hit of substance he allowed before the sixth inning, even though his strike rate was the lowest it had been in three years. Then came a sequence seemingly set up for Skubal’s first fist-pumping, adrenaline-fueled celebration in a Dodgers uniform.
He had nearly escaped his only jam when he fired a four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone that Nico Hoerner hit directly into the dirt. The ball traveled just one foot in the air, according to the official scorer, but then bounced so high into the Chicago night that Hoerner had nearly reached first base by the time it settled into the glove of Dodgers infielder Tommy Edman. A run scored, a 1-1 stalemate was broken, and the Cubs held on to deliver a fifth consecutive defeat for the Dodgers.
Skubal finished having pitched six innings and given up two runs on four hits, with six strikeouts, in his first game with the Dodgers. He was on the hook for the loss, but "there’s nothing he really throws that you can hit hard,” Hoerner said with a laugh.
That, of course, is why the Dodgers traded for Skubal. It's why he could command $400 million as a free agent after this season.
It's also why nobody is ready to make this easy on them.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 04: Osleivis Basabe #39 of the San Francisco Giants reacts after being late on the tag in a pick-off attempt on Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers in the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on August 04, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You follow the San Francisco Giants, so you’re familiar with bad baseball. You’re well aware of it from watching the Giants, both this year and in many other years. But you’ve also become keenly alert to bad baseball through divisional foes such as the woeful Colorado Rockies, who, in most years, make you feel a little better about the Giants.
Through all of this you’ve learned something critical to the baseball-watching experience: there are levels to the badness. There are bad teams and there are bad teams, and there’s a whole gradient betwixt the badness, plus a little something something past the extreme end of the spectrum.
The Giants have been a bad team if you look at the year as a whole, but they’ve sneakily only been a bad bordering on mediocre team in recent weeks. Entering tonight’s game, the Giants were 25-27 over the last two months. Not the stuff dreams or even playoff teams are made of, but certainly not bad.
Well let me tell you something, folks: that might have been a borderline competent team you watched for the last two months, but it’s going to be a downright bad team that you watch for the next two months. That’s just the nature of the beast when you sell at the deadline, as the Giants absolutely, positively, most definitely needed to do and, thankfully, did (and very well, I might).
You don’t get rid of your best position player, your second-best starting pitcher, your fourth-best starting pitcher, two of your best relievers, and your everyday outfielder and expect to get anything other than categorically worse, especially when the haul in return only featured two rostered players, one of which is playing fairly poorly in AAA, and the other of which is injured with no timetable for a return.
That’s not to say the Giants aren’t worth watching. There will be storylines and prospects and debuts and first hits and first homers and milestones galore. But a good baseball team? No. A bad baseball team? No. A bad baseball team?
Now we’re getting somewhere.
That was fully evidenced on Tuesday night, when the Giants took the field against the Texas Rangers. Robbie Ray is gone, and replacing him was Blade Tidwell, someone who has spent the year in AAA for a reason. Heliot Ramos is gone, and replacing him was Eddys Leonard, an infielder who has exhausted all of his Minor League options despite never making the Majors, is on his fifth team, and was making his MLB debut as a left fielder, rather than at his home on the dirt. Luis Arráez is gone, and replacing him was Osleivis Basabe, who is in his fourth season of trying (and failing) to hit league average in AAA. And just for old time’s sake, Buddy Kennedy was the DH so Bryce Eldridge, nursing a sore thumb, could get the day off.
So yeah. You’ve got eyes. You’ve got baseball knowledge. You understand the situation. The Giants will win some games, and they might even entertain the heck out of you, but they are going to be bad.
Which made Tuesday’s loss to the Rangers that much funnier. Because ultimately, it was all those reasons why the Giants should be bad that they almost won … and primarily the reasons why they were decent for a while that led them to defeat.
It sure didn’t feel that way at the onset, though. Tidwell made his first Major League appearance in more than three months, and his first start as a Giant, and it almost didn’t last a full inning. He got ahead of the leadoff hitter, old friend Joc Pederson, 0-2, but ended up walking him. He had a nine-pitch battle with Corey Seager, who roped a 108-mph one-out single. He gave up an RBI double to Brandon Nimmo and an RBI single to Ezequiel Duran, and when he finally escaped the inning you could almost see the oil that he was leaking. He’d thrown 32 pitches. It was ugly.
And then he retired the side in order on nine pitches in the second. And he had a relatively easy third, with just a two-out single, and a relatively easy fourth, with just a two-out single, and a relatively easy fifth, with just a two-out single.
It wasn’t an overpowering performance by any stretch of the imagination: he needed 100 pitches to get through his five innings, and only struck out three. But it was a very solid outing, and if you’re crafting a list of reasons the Giants lost, Tidwell’s name is nowhere to be found.
Shortly after Tidwell’s night ended, the Giants offense finally broke through. After six dominant innings from MacKenzie Gore, the Rangers moved to the bullpen and righty Chase Silseth. Drew Gilbert welcomed Silseth into the game by drawing a leadoff walk in the seventh, and stealing second base. After the Giants recorded two outs, the hottest man on the planet, Basabe, stepped to the plate. The same Basabe who has five home runs in 75 games in the Pacific Coast League this year, where baseballs fly like tennis balls in the dreams of a labrador retriever.
And in his sixth game with the Giants, Basabe demolished his third home run to tie the game.
A youngster leading a pitching charge. A youngster getting on base. A youngster tying the game with one swing of the bat.
Veterans gave it right back. After Jason Foley cruised through the sixth on five pitches, and JT Brubaker handled the seventh with ease, Brubaker opened the eighth with a walk. With a pair of lefties due up, Reiver Sanmartin entered the game, and promptly loaded the bases by allowing back-to-back singles to Seager and Nimmo. Forced to stay in against a righty, Sanmartin had no choice but to challenge Duran, who punished the very first pitch he saw for a two-run double.
Credit where it’s due, though: with runners at second and third and no outs, Sanmartin got two unproductive outs, before Adrian Houser entered and finished off the inning, keeping the Giants within striking distance.
And strike they did. With, you guessed it, a parade of youngsters in the top of the ninth.
It began in the most improbable fashion: with Gilbert knocking a one-out single off of Jacob Latz. Not just a single, but a single in an 0-2 count.
To recap, for the uninitiated: Latz was an All-Star this year, has a 1.80 ERA on the season, and, critically, is left-handed. Gilbert, a left-handed hitter, entered the game having hit 3-51 against southpaws in his career.
So yeah, naturally he got an 0-2 knock.
Next up was Grant McCray, another lefty, who also fell behind 0-2. McCray who, as a refresher, entered the game having drawn 12 walks in 185 plate appearances in his career. And who also entered the game with a career .427 OPS against lefties.
He worked the 0-2 count to a 4-2 count, putting the tying run on base. And then a somewhat rattled Latz threw a wild pitch, allowing the runners to move over.
And that set the table for the best youngster of them all: Eldridge, yet another lefty, who came off the bench to pinch-hit, and he delivered in style, drilling a game-tying single.
To the ninth we went, and in came Dylan Smith, who gave up a double on the first pitch he threw. But being something of an unproven youngster himself, Smith remembered the theme of the day. He got an unproductive fly out, then issued an intentional walk to Seager, and then struck out Nimmo. The stage was set for Smith to work his heroics and get the game to extras. He went to work against Duran, getting the count to 2-2. And then Smith briefly won, as Duran hit what felt like a harmless enough fly ball to right field.
And then Jung Hoo Lee took one of the worst routes I’ve seen in my entire life and didn’t even get close to catching the ball, and the Giants lost 5-4.
And so the Giants, who project to be bad for the next two months because of their reliance on youngsters, got heroics from Basabe and Eldridge, an improbable rally prompted by Gilbert and McCray, a delightful pitching performance from Tidwell, and some magic from Smith.
And those same Giants, who have been surprisingly competent for the last two months because of their capable veterans, got next to nothing from Willy Adames and Rafael Devers, had a mini blowup from the bullpen, and were walked off by Lee not catching a routine fly ball.
Baseball’s a funny sport. Is “funny” the right word?
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 04: Lars Nootbaar #21 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gets ready in the on deck circle against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Chase Field on August 04, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dbacks manager Torey Lovullo started off his postgame interview stating that this game had a ‘funky rhythm’ to it, and I think that is a great way to summarize it.
Eduardo Rodriguez who went 8 scoreless in his last outing, got jumped in this outing. The Padres came out of the gates with a lot of hard contact scoring 3 runs in the first inning and 2 more in the second inning and before anyone could get settled in, the Dbacks were already chasing 5 runs. ERod certainly didn’t have his best stuff tonight, but due to the amount of hard contact he was giving up early in this game, Im sure there are going to be people who are suspecting there was atleast some degree of pitch tipping going on.
The defense behind ERod also let him down multiple times as multiple balls clanked off of Arenado’s mitt at 3rd base, none of them errors, but still not common to see from the perennial gold glove winner. Ketel Marte also missed a critical double play on a bobble that allowed extra runs to score as of the 7 runs scored tonight while ERod was pitching, only 5 of them were earned. Certainly not the crisp defense this team typically relies on to win games. It should be noted however that despite not having his best stuff, ERod was still able to pitch into the 6th inning tonight.
The offense did nothing for 8 of the 9 innings tonight with the exception of the 7th when the Dbacks offense blasted 2 homeruns. Nolan Arenado hit the first, a 2 run shot to get the Dbacks on the board. James McCann hit the second of the inning another 2 run shot, and then all of a sudden its an 8-4 ballgame and the Padres are getting up Mason Miller in the 8th. However the Padres would then tack on another run in the 9th inning to sit Miller back down and solidify the final score of 9-4.
Of particular note in this one, Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll combined to go 0-8 as they continue to slide as they have done the past 6 weeks or so. This team desperately needs them to step up if this team is going to maintain any kind of wild card lead and make a playoff run. Hopefully this is just the calm before the storm.
All in all, this game was a frustrating one tonight as the final score appeared closer than the game really ever felt. The Dbacks will face newly acquired Casey Mize tomorrow night and will send rookie Mitch Bratt to the hill in a huge game in which they need to get back out in front of the Padres and hold them off in this tight wildcard race.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 04: Cleveland Guardians third baseman Gabriel Arias (13) makes a throwing error during the second inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians on August 4, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Jo Adell was awesome; he left nobody on base. So how did the other 9 participants leave 29? Bazzana left 7, Hoskins left 6, Martinez left 5. There’s 18. Arias’s 4 gets us to 22. More on him in a minute. Lowe 3, Kwan 2. 27. DeLauter and Rocchio 1 each. 29. Austin Hedges, who was hitless, was the only new friend of Adell’s who also left 0.
The gawdawful situational hitting wasn’t the only fundamental that the Guardians neglected last night.
It was Rocchio who made the last out at third, and it was Arias who made a terrible throw for the error. He might be DFA’d by the time you read this becauuuuuuusssseeee…..
Let’s hope it’s that, and not Jose Ramirez going back on the IL with the wrist soreness that kept him out of this game v NYM.
They couldn’t even score against Kodai Senga who entered the game 0-8 with a 8.66 ERA. Senga walked the 8th Guardian of the night. None of those 8 scored.
Stephen Vogt might need a new staff more than he needed new players.
Aug 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks (34) celebrates his grand slam with third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
This was Tampa Bay Rays starter Freddy Peralta’s third time to face the Rockies this season following two starts with his previous team, the New York Mets. He came into the game with a 3-0 record at Coors in addition to a 1.23 ERA.
But it didn’t seem like it would matter against a persistent Colorado Rockies club that took an early lead.
However, the Rockies offense stalled after the fourth inning, and the Rays got back in the game ultimately winning 9-7 in extra innings.
The offense got an early start — and then stopped
The Rockies got off to a quick start on the offensive side in their third time facing Peralta this season. (They faced him twice when he was with the New York Mets.)
Jake McCarthy kicked things off with a lead-off single, and Cole Carrigg followed his example with another single that moved McCarthy to third. Mickey Moniak then hit into a double play, but it was enough to score McCarthy and give the Rockies a 1-0 when the first inning had concluded.
The Rays did not have a baserunner until the third inning when Cedric Mullins hit a single. After that, Gabriel Hughes walked Richie Palancios, and Taylor Walls executed a successful bunt single, loading the bases with no outs. He struck out Yandy Díaz before issuing a walk to Jonathan Aranda, and the score was tied with the Rockies desperate for a double play with Junior Caminero at the plate. Hughes struck him out with a four-seam fastball The Rockies just needed one more out to minimize the damage.
Hughes came back to get a groundout and end the inning.
Jordan Beck made his presence felt in the Rockies half of the third when he led off with a triple, his second of this season. Coming off a four-hit night, Ezequiel Tovar picked up where he left off. After a 10-pitch at-bat, he singled to bring home Beck and make the score 5-2 Rays. After that, McCarthy singled giving the Rockies runners at first and second.
The 2026 Colorado Rockies are nothing if not persistent, and such was the case in the third inning.
Moniak stepped to the plate and belted a three-run, 380-ft homer — his 19th of the season — tying the game and celebrating his two-year contract extension.
With that, the score was 7-5 Rockies as Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta visited the broadcast booth.
After that, Peralta got two quick outs before allowing McCarthy to hit a single, and that was it for him. Although he’s had a history or success at Coors Field, that was not the case tonight. His final line was 3.2 IP, allowing seven runs (all earned) on nine hits. He walked one, struck out three, and allowed two home runs on 71 pitches.
Hughes was terrific in the fifth inning, striking out all three batters he faced and kicking the sixth off with a fourth K. However, when he allowed Hicks a double, Warren Schaeffer went to the bullpen for LHP Brennan Bernardino.
Although Bernardino allowed a single, no runs scored, and the Rockies finished the sixth inning with their 7-5 lead.
The Rockies went quietly in their part of the sixth, and recently recalled Parker Mushinski came in for the seventh, a rare stretch when the Rockies were able to pitch back-to-back lefties. Although he had some traffic, the Rays did not score.
That said, the Rays bullpen was successful in quieting the Rockies offense, which did not have a base runner after a McCarthy single in the fourth until the eighth inning when TJ Rumfield hit a double. However the Rockies failed to score.
Schaeffer haded the ball to Juan Mejia in the eighth, who allowed two hits but no runs.
Jordan Romano entered to close, and things went sideways.
He struck out Ben Williamson before surrendering a walk to Walls, who then stole second, and a single to Díaz, who followed suit, grabbing second as well. A base hit from Aranda tied the game with one out and Caminero at the plate.
Romano struck out Caminero with the Rockies opting to intentionally walk Hicks to get to old friend Ryan Vilade. A 5-3 ground ball to Karros ended the Rays half of the inning with a blown Romano save and a tie game.
The bottom of the ninth would bring up Castro, Beck, and Tovar. After Castro failed to get on base, Rays manager Kevin Cash went to Kevin Kelly while Troy Johnston entered for the Rockies to pinch hit.
Although Johnston was a quick line out, Tovar stayed hot and hit a double, which brought McCarthy to the plate — 3-for-4 so far on the night. But he was unable to get on base, and the game went to extras.
Warren Schaeffer went with Jimmy Herget for the 10th inning. With Vilade as the ghost runner, the Rockies got a 4-3 out that moved the runner to third. He struck out Jonny DeLuca and Williams to end the inning without allowing a run.
The stage was set for a Rockies walk-off with McCarthy the ghost runner.
The Rays begin by walking Carrigg, which brought Tyler Freeman to the plate. He executed a successful bunt that advanced the runner and brought up Hunter Goodman.
That led to a pitching change for the Rays who went to LHP Garrett Cleavinger. Goodman flew out to right, but it wasn’t enough to bring McCarthy home.
With two outs, everything came down to Rumfield.
He flew out to left, and the game went to the 11th inning with recently acquired Nick Frasso making his MLB debut.
It wasn’t the start he wanted as a wild pitch scored ghost runner Williamson from third, and the Rays took a 8-7 lead with one out. Following that, Díaz hit a double. He advanced to third on a fly ball, and a Caminero single gave the Rays a 9-7 lead. Hicks flew out to left to end the inning.
Cash turned to his closer, Bryan Baker and a wicked elevated changeup, for the Rays half of the 11th while the Rockies ghost runner Rumfield started at second. Karros was unable to advance the runner; Castro struck out; and Johnston struck out.
Game over.
In total, the Rockies had seven runs on 11 hits. They walked once and struck out six times.
“They got the job done in a battle,” Schaeffer said of the Rays bullpen. “It was a great baseball battle back-and-forth.”
Walks came back to haunt Gabriel Hughes — but then he called Ghost Busters
If anything has defined Gabriel Hughes’ time with the Rockies, it’s been his ability to get ahead in counts and avoid walks.
That did not happen for him in the third inning, when he surrendered two walks and a grand slam, but he kept his composure for the rest of his outing.
He relied primarily on his four-seamer (44%) followed by his curveball (23%) and changeup (14%).
Hughes final line was 5.1 IP with five runs (earned) on four hits. He walked two, struck out seven, and allowed one home run on 71 pitches.
He continues his quest to notch his first MLB win.
“Just one rough inning with a couple of walk mixed in there,” Schaeffer said. “I thought Gabe gave us a chance to win.”
The bullpen picked up where Hughes left off — until it didn’t
Although Bernardino had some traffic, his streaks across 23 games of not allowing an earned run continues. He went 0.2 IP, allowing one hit but no walks, strikeouts, or runs.
Mushinski’s Rockies debut was not without a few hiccups, but no harm, no foul. His final line was 1.0 IP with one hit and one walk.
Mejia’s eighth inning was mostly uneventful: 1.0 IP with two hits and no runs.
Then it all came down to closer Jordan Romano, who blew the save by allowing two walks (one intentional), two runs, and two hits while notching two strikeouts.
Jimmy Herget pitched a lovely scoreless 10th inning that saw him striking out two and setting up the Rockies for the walk-off.
“Obiovusly it’s big for Jim to get that inning in,” Schaeffer said. “That’s the Jimmy we know, and it was good to see that.”
As for Nick Frasso’s MLB debut, it would not without its problems, but ultimately, he allowed two runs and did not strike out or walk any batter. He also earned the loss.
Up next
Join us tomorrow for Game 3 when Nick Martinez will face Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) as the Rockies look to avoid the sweep.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 4: Liam Hicks #34 of the Tampa Bay Rays hits a grand slam in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was an impressive showing for the Rays offense last night, as Junior Caminero’s two homers and Jonathan Aranda’s four hits led the way to a 13-9 victory.
But tonight it was all about the brand new battery, as trade deadline acquisitions Freddy Peralta and and Liam Hicks both made their Rays debuts at pitcher and catcher, respectively. On the other side it was Gabriel Hughes, with just four major league starts under his belt coming into tonight.
Peralta got into some trouble immediately, giving up two hits out of the gate in the bottom of the first, but a double play and a strikeout on an elevated heater to catcher Hunter Goodman limited the damage to just one run. Whether is was just nerves or not to start the game, he recovered nicely to pitch a clean second.
Things were quiet until the top of the third when Cedric Mullins opened the Rays offense with the team’s first hit of the night. After a Richie Palacios walk and a Taylor Walls bunt single, the bases were loaded with no outs. Hughes promptly struck out Yandy Diaz, but Aranda followed up with a game tying walk. Caminero gifted Hughes another strikeout, and it looked like Hughes was going to get out of it.
Not only was it the first grand slam of Hicks’ young career, it was the first for the Rays this season.
Unfortunately though, the Rays couldn’t quite coast after that, as the Rockies came roaring back in the bottom half. Jordan Beck led off the inning with a triple off the top of the right field wall. Ezequiel Tovar drove in the Rockies’ second run and two batters later, they delivered a big blow of their own:
And that wouldn’t be all, as the Rockies scored two more in the fourth from a two run homer off the bat of Willi Castro for six unanswered runs. Peralta wouldn’t finish the inning. To put it nicely, it was not a good debut for the Rays’ shiny new starter.
Hughes, on the other hand, settled in nicely after the grand slam, retiring the next 7 batters he faced. For the Rays, it was Cam Booser who was tasked with keeping the deficit at two, and did so for the next one-and-a-third innings. Casey Legumina held the Rockies down for the next two.
Despite having two on in the sixth, seventh and eighth, the Rays were unable to score, as Brennan Bernardino, Parker Mushinski and Juan Mejia held the Rays scoreless. But it was old foe Jordan Romano who would cough up the lead in the ninth, as an Aranda single drove in two, tying things up at seven.
Steven Matz came back out for the bottom of the ninth after pitching a clean eighth when Kevin Kelly came in to finish the frame. After fielding a few comebackers, they were on to extras!
The Rays pulled ahead in the 11th after Walls’ second bunt of the day (third attempt) moved auto-runner Ben Williamson to third. A wild pitch from Nick Frasso brought him in. Diaz broke out of his slump to inside out a double off of the right-center wall, then Caminero added a much needed insurance run on a ground ball single to center. Closer Bryan Baker came in to seal the victory in the ninth, recording his 32nd save of the season.
The story was the bullpen for the Rays, as they allowed only three baserunners in five-and-two-thirds innings. Hicks said it best in his post game interview when he described the unit as ‘A Bunch Of Nasty Guys.’
The Rays will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon as Nick Martinez takes the ball opposite Tomoyuki Sugano for a 3:10 PM eastern start time.
