Category: Baseball

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The Houston Astros are short road underdogs against the San Diego Padres tonight, and I’m taking the plus-money price for two units.

Houston’s current hitting profile gives the Astros a better matchup against Randy Vasquez than the market is pricing.

Here are my Astros vs. Padres predictions and MLB picks for Aug. 9, with first pitch scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET at Petco Park. 

Also make sure to check out our favorite Astros vs. Padres props, featuring another big game from Yordan Alvarez!

Who will win Astros vs Padres tonight: Astros moneyline (+105)

I'm backing the Houston Astros down to +100. It's a great price on the team in better form with the stronger matchup.

Randy Vasquez starts for the San Diego Padres with a profile that is all over the place. He is coming off his best outing of the season, six scoreless innings and two hits against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his underlying metrics still tell on him.

His barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and ground-ball rate all sit in the Bottom 25% of the sport. Houston attacks exactly that, ranking 12th in barrel rate and 10th in hard-hit rate over the last two weeks.

While that's not eye-popping, it's enough to make me buy against a poor pitcher at this price. 

COVERS INTEL: Vasquez is in the midst of a third straight season with at least one run of differential between his actual ERA and expected ERA, a strong signal that negative regression is inevitable with more volume. 

Astros vs Padres Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-112)

I’m playing the Over because both starters bring run-prevention concerns into a matchup with enough recent offensive pressure.

Vasquez’s low-strikeout profile gives Houston a path to sustained traffic, while Cristian Javier has allowed a 6.59 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across 27 1/3 innings.

San Diego does not need to crush Javier to contribute here. Walks, elevated contact, and early bullpen exposure can get this game toward nine runs without requiring a full slugfest.

Astros vs Padres weather

Petco Park weather does not create a major betting adjustment.

Unless the wind shifts closer to first pitch, there is no weather edge strong enough to change the side or total.

Astros vs Padres odds

• Moneyline: Houston +109 | San Diego -118
• Run line: Houston +1.5 | San Diego -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 | Under 8.5 

Astros vs Padres trend

The Astros have hit the run line in 11 of their last 15 games (+9.15 Units / 48% ROI)

How to watch Astros vs Padres and game info

Astros vs Padres latest injuries

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

The Mets have optioned right-handed pitcher Xzavion Curry, who gave them three scoreless innings of relief last night Pittsburgh, to Triple-A Syracuse. And the team has called up fellow right-handed pitcher Jack Weisenburger to take his place on the active roster.

Curry joined the organization ahead of the 2026 season, and he’s gone back and forth between Syracuse and the big league club already this season. The 28-year-old has a 2.81 ERA and a 4.77 FIP in 16.0 innings with the Mets, while he has a 4.56 ERA and a 5.64 FIP in 51.1 innings in Triple-A.

As for Weisenburger, if he gets into a game, he’ll be making his major league debut. He’s also 28 years old, and he’s spent several years of his professional career in the Athletics’ minor league system. From there, he pitched in the Atlantic League and Mexican League before the Mets signed him. He’s thrown 52.1 innings in Syracuse this year and has a 7.22 ERA and a 5.37 FIP in that time.

Team News

Pfaadt continues to dazzle (7 IP, 0 R) despite D-backs’ extras defeat
His changeup was dominant, generating six whiffs on 16 swings, while his sinker maxed out at 95.5 mph.

“[Catcher James McCann] did a good job calling the game, keeping them in between the fastball and changeup,” Pfaadt said. “When all six pitches are working, I feel like we’re able to have separate game plans with our pitch mix.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/brandon-pfaadt-holds-dodgers-scoreless-in-d-backs-loss

Diamondbacks had Dodgers cornered, but they slipped away to set up season-series rubber match

“Tough loss,” Nolan Arenado said. “We feel like we could have won that game and took care of business. But, like I said, we battled. It just didn’t go our way. … There’s no doubt that when we get chances to capitalize against a good team, we got to do it.”

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/dodgers-survive-sunday-season-series-finale

Brandon Pfaadt Lives Up to His Nickname Once Again vs Dodgershttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/brandon-pfaadt-nickname-once-again-dodgers

Nolan Arenado recognized for winning Diamondbacks’ Heart and Hustle Award

“That’s voted on by his teammates, by his peers, which speaks volumes about why he’s been doing it for so long at such a hard level,” manager Torey Lovullo said pregame on Saturday. “Well-deserved honor. He does it right. He’s very intentional with his day. He’s very open about what he’s coming to do for this team and his teammates, and everybody picks up on that vibe.”

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/nolan-arenado-recognized-heart-and-hustle-award

D-backs’ reigning MiLB Pitcher of the Month keeps rolling at Single-A
https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/diamondbacks-prospect-dean-livingston-july-pitcher-of-the-month?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

Other Baseball

Scherzer moves into 10th all time in strikeouts in Jays win
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49564979/scherzer-moves-10th-all-strikeouts-jays-win

White Sox retire ‘grateful’ Ozzie Guillén No. 13 in pregame ceremony
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/49564294/ex-player-manager-ozzie-guillen-grateful-no-13-retired-white-sox

Tommy John shares message thanking fans and teammates as he battles health issueshttps://www.mlb.com/news/tommy-john-misses-old-timers-day-for-health-reasons

Jump K’s career-high 11 as A’s halt 9-game skid, stump scorching Red Sox
https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/gage-jump-strikes-out-career-high-11-as-a-s-beat-red-sox

McCarthy’s 4 hits, 2 homers power Rockies to victory over Cardinals
https://www.mlb.com/rockies/news/jake-mccarthy-hits-2-home-runs-rockies-beat-cardinals

5-run rally carries White Sox to a significant 60th victory
https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/white-sox-rally-for-win-after-retiring-ozzie-guillen-s-number

Alcantara sets 3rd Marlins franchise record of ’26, this time for career innings
https://www.mlb.com/marlins/news/sandy-alcantara-sets-marlins-franchise-record-for-innings-pitched

‘I gotta wear the slanted hat’: Baker breaks Rodney’s record with 23rd consecutive savehttps://www.mlb.com/rays/news/rays-bullpen-leads-way-in-win-over-mariners

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-9

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/August_9

The human brain is 78% water.

Up to 60% of the adult human body is made up of water. Research has indicated that both the human brain and heart are around 73-78% water. 

British teens think Sherlock Holmes is a real person.

A British study on teens revealed that 1410 out of 3000 respondents believed that Sherlock Holmes was an actual historical figure. 

In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was fined for voting.

At the time, women were not allowed to vote. After being charged a fine of $100, Anthony ignored this and never paid it. 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers (-138) wrap up a six-game road trip with Sunday's series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Boys in Blue finally got back in the win column Saturday, breaking a seven-game skid.

I'm betting they get the job done again with my Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 9.

Who will win Dodgers vs Diamondbacks today: Dodgers moneyline (-142)

The Arizona Diamondbacks are getting credit for hitting left-handed pitching well (112 wRC+), and they forecast to start eight right-handed bats.

That strength is mitigated by Justin Wrobleski's reverse splits. He limits righties to .220/.262/.354 at the dish, and his four-seamer and slider combination should work against an Arizona lineup with poor results against both offerings.

Eduardo Rodriguez was tattooed for seven runs on 11 hits in his last outing. The Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup has a .986 OPS in 184 previous at-bats against the veteran, so Wrobleski should get a decent amount of run support.

Play L.A. to -150.

COVERS INTEL: Wrobleski throws either his four-seamer or slider 78% of the time. Arizona ranks 23rd in runs above average per 100 four-seamers seen and 20th against sliders.

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-121)

Neither starter's ERA is supported by their underlying metrics. Wrobleski's xERA (4.51) is a full run higher than his actual ERA (3.31), and Rodriguez's is two runs higher (4.88 xERA, 2.71 actual ERA). 

Both lineups hit southpaws well, and hitter-friendly Chase Field is a great venue for the regression monster to feast on those ERAs. 

L.A.'s bullpen has been in shambles (5.23 FIP in the last 14 days), and Arizona's hasn't been much better (4.71 FIP). The runs could come in bunches at any time during this contest.

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather

The roof will be more than likely be closed at Chase Field, given forecasted triple-digit temperatures.

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds

• Moneyline: Los Angeles -138 | Arizona +133
• Run line: Los Angeles -1.5 (+122) | Arizona +1.5 (-127)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-117) | Under 8.5 (+113)

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend

The Dodgers have won 12 of Justin Wrobleski's 18 starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.

How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info

Dodgers vs Diamondbacks latest injuries

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Led by the two favorites for the NL MVP, Shohei Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong, there are plenty of great bats in position to hit for power on Sunday, as my Aug. 9 home run props explain.

Let's take a closer look with my MLB picks and MLB player props.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+230
Alex Burleson	+290
Shohei Ohtani	+275
💲Today's HR parlay	+4726

Home run pick: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+230)

Pete Crow-Armstrong is hammering the baseball right now. He owns a .491 xSLG, 22.9% barrel rate, and 57.1% hard hit rate against right-handed pitching over the last 20 games.

He now finds himself playing in a very hitter-friendly ballpark with scorching hot conditions and high winds blowing out to boot.

The game conditions give a 33% boost to home runs today, which is extremely noteworthy for an elite player consistently hitting the ball hard.

Randy Dobnak has pitched well this season, but it only takes one mistake against PCA. Not to mention, the Kansas City Royals have an atrocious bullpen.

Play to +220.

• Time: 2:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MARQ, ROYL

Home run pick: Alec Burleson (+290)

Michael Lorenzen gives up a ton of power, particularly to left-handed bats. He ranks in the 19th percentile or worse in HR/9, xSLG, and average exit velocity.

Enter Alec Burleson.

He has crushed right-handed pitching this season, and consistently taken advantage of similar matchups.

Burleson has left the yard in 29.2% of his games against a right-handed starter ranking in the 30th percentile or lower in HR/9 vs. lefties. That implies +242 odds based on his success rate this season, making +290 an attractive buy.

I’d bet down to +270.

• Time: 2:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: COLR, CARD

Home run pick: Shohei Ohtani (+275)

Shohei Ohtani has been as productive as anybody against lefties, hitting .405 with an .811 SLG and 17% barrel rate over the past month.

He has also excelled against the pitch mix of Eduardo Rodriguez. Isolating his five pitches, Ohtani owns a .457 ISO and .504 wOBA against lefties the last 25 games. Incredible numbers across the board.

Eduardo Rogriguez owns a career HR/FB rate of 11.4%, and has only ever dipped beneath 10% in a season once.

His 8% HR/FB is likely to regress down the stretch, and Ohtani is a great target to take advantage.

Bet to +250.

• Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNLA, ARID

Today’s HR combo

Pete Crow-Armstrong	Trade Now +4726
Alec Burleson
Shohei Ohtani

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Adley Rutschman is playing baseball! Unfortunately he’s doing it in Worcester, not Boston. Still, it was nice to see him behind the plate for five innings, during which he went 1-2 for two walks and threw out a runner. It was also nice for him, given that he played in front of both his father and the family that hosted him during his season playing in the Cape league. “He was great to have. It was exciting, he was coming off being in the College World Series at Oregon State,” said his former host Bill Matta. “He’d play with my boys — they played wiffle ball, they’d go for ice cream. And then we’d watch him play.” (Matty Wasserman, Boston Globe)

Speaking of rehab, Marcelo Mayer hopes to finish his rehab soon and make his debut with the Giants. He doesn’t sound too upset about being shipped west. “It’s been, like, six months since I had a burger from In-N-Out, so had to go back,” he said. “That’s usually the first thing I do when I get home in the offseason. So I was able to get one two months early.” (Andrew Baggarly, The Athletic)

Rutschamn didn’t need to be worried about being booed by the fans in Worcester. But apparently Willson Contreras did need to worry about it at Fenway. In his first game after returning from an illness, Sox fans booed the team’s best player after he didn’t run out a grounder to lead off the eighth. Chad Tracy didn’t take isssue with his play, though. “I know how that looks,” he said. “But I’m also aware, more than others, that he’s a little beat up and told us before the game, ‘I don’t have everything today.’ So I’m fine. Especially with a guy that plays the game as hard as he does, and how hard he turns around first base all the time. I’m fine with him.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Contreras returned just in time to anchor the middle of the lineup on a day when Wilyer Abreu wasn’t able to, after he suffered some swelling as a result of hitting a foul ball off his leg on Friday. But he’s expected to be back in the lineup this afternoon. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Someone who won’t be back, though, is Raymond Burgos. Burgos had the unusual honor of pitching three innings in two consecutive games, as he saved the bullpen during yesterday’s loss. He’s been optioned back to Worcester, with Seth Martinez taking his spot. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Burgos played his part in the Red Sox historic streak. Just how historic was it? Here’s a look at the numbers. (Sarah Langs, MLB.com)

But despite the Red Sox playing better than just about any other team in the history of baseball over the past six weeks, they haven’t won over all the skeptics:

It is prudent by starting out with a big thank you to Al for filling in for me for the last week plus while I vacationed with my family. Midseason vacations are never optimal, but with one of my adult children and her significant other both deriving employment from Penn State University, summer was the only time to bring the whole family together for a trip.

Looking back, the last time I wrote was following the Cubs’ 7-3 win over the Cardinals. Does that feel like a very long time ago? I was out of the country, did I miss anything? I don’t have a lot of in-season vacation memories, but one of them involves Cole Hamels and a no-hitter. I still sometimes like to mentally pretend that the game happened in an alternate timeline that I’m not a part of.

I’m going to have some things to say about the trade deadline and this 17 straight game stretch that I had circled. Well, I and just about every other even remotely informed Cubs blogger or writer. Sometimes you may pick a certain landmark series or two for looking at a block of games, but this one was easy with them being 17 straight games. Coming into this game with the Royals, the Cubs were 11-4. By any objective measure, this has been a very successful string of games. This hiccup doesn’t make it any less impressive, though obviously after sweeping four games from the Dodgers and Blue Jays, you wanted to get greedy and run a winning streak out to seven. It wasn’t meant to be.

The start of the Clay Holmes era wasn’t a great success. David Peterson had that one terrible start and he’s been terrific as Cub, so let’s go ahead and not draw any conclusions, all right? There are still a ton of injured Cub pitchers rehabbing from various maladies. So the Cubs are no longer married to any one pitcher or group of pitchers. They have depth. Hopefully, Holmes had an off night and the pitching department will find a workable plan moving forward. If not, they can find another way to use him and give someone else a shot in that rotation spot.

Let’s hit a quick perspective check, did you miss me doing this? Four teams have a better record than the Cubs. I’m, of course, disappointed to see that didn’t change, even with a hot stretch of baseball. They are closing in on the Dodgers and Braves now, though that doesn’t have a lot of immediately apparent value. They’ve created a ton of space with the Phillies and Diamondbacks and are pretty comfortably the first Wild Card now. The Cubs appear to be the long shot in a two-horse race. The Cubs are on a better than 93-win pace and now, I feel there is a real chance to exceed that. This team, right now, is better than the one that set this pace. Though I will always concede that they were fortunate to win as many games as they did. All of the walk-offs and the lack of consistently good pitching might have suggested a few more losses.

I’m back, but I’m going to be a little bit brief here tonight. The standings will return in a day or two as I work backwards through the numbers. I will also have a longer form thought about the trade deadline. I was legitimately not tapped in to the BCB reaction, but I did see it on social media and in the national media. I’ll assume that, save for a little trepidation here or there about a prospect that moved, the feedback was wildly positive.

Three Positives:

• I saw that we are trying to vote Ian Happ off the island as a fan base again. Pardon my overall lack of surprise that I return to him having a double and a homer, driving in a run and scoring one. Ian is one of the weirdest players ever. He is remarkably consistent year over year while having long stretches of unproductive offensive play. Never mind that he gets pretty hot between those stretches to maintain that productivity.
• Michael Conforto got into the game, had one at bat and doubled. He’s been such an incredibly effective pinch hitter this year.
• Carson Kelly had a two-run double.

Game 118, August 8: Royals 6, Cubs 3 (68-50)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Ian Happ (.088). 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI, R
• Hero: Carson Kelly (.070). 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
• Sidekick: Michael Conforto (.043). 1-1, 2B

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Clay Holmes (-.211). 4 IP, 18 BF, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 ER, K (L 0-1)
• Goat: Seiya Suzuki (-.149). 0-4
• Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.119). 0-4

WPA Play of the Game: Jac Caglianone’s second homer of the game off Colin Rea, extending the lead back to two. (.147)

Cubs Play of the Game: Carson Kelly’s two-out, two-run double in the fourth inning, cut the lead to two. (.134)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 117 Winner: Kevin Gausman received 79 of 98 votes.

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

This spot will return in a day or two.

Up Next: The third and final game of this series, the 17th and final game of this stretch before an off day Monday. Matthew Boyd (7-1, 3.59) starts for the Cubs. Matthew is 5-0 with a 2.66 over his last seven starts, though he did allow four runs to the Dodgers in his last start.

31-year-old righty Randy Dobnak (2-0, 1.16) makes the start for the Royals. He’s made six appearances to date, four of them starts. He’s been in the rotation since the break, recording the two wins and allowing only two runs, both earned, over 21.1 innings as a starter.

Find a win to finish this stretch.

The infield of the 2014 World Series Champions haven’t thrown the ball around the horn in years, but the shadow they cast is a long one. Pablo spread-eagled in foul territory after squeezing Game 7’s final out. Posey wrapping Bumgarner up in his arms. The 4-6-3 double play, the Panik dive and glove flip, the Crawford turn and Belt stretch, is probably the most consequential defensive play in Giants history. 

After Saturday’s Wall of Fame pre-game ceremony celebrating the feats of yore, the 2026 Giants honored the inductees by making everyone in attendance pine for those days. Days of winning? Days of championships? Sure, but also just days with familiarity and warmth, chemistry, and some resilience.  

An 8-0 loss to the Tigers had none of those things. It was like the 2026 kids were handed a stack of plates and asked to set the table. They got as far as the threshold between the kitchen and dining room before they lost their concentration, got bored or tired or both, and the wobbles started. In Friday’s win, the team regained their balance, they managed the mistakes made and moved forward. On Saturday, the stack of plates teetered, quickly tottered, then crashed to the floor…and the kids just sat down amongst the shattered pieces, utterly bewildered.

Landen Roupp and Detroit starter Jackson Jobe traded zeroes through the first five innings. Unlike Friday’s game, baserunners were at a premium. Roupp walked two and allowed just two singles. One of them was a soft dribble that spun back into fair territory in the 2nd that compounded into a bases-loaded situation that Roupp nullified with two shallow flyball outs. 

Jobe hadn’t thrown in a Major League game for 14 months and pitched like he was making up for lost time. He allowed just a walk and a single over 5 scoreless innings and needed just 71 pitches to do it. He announced his return with a strike out of Bryce Eldridge. He K’ed righty-mashed Rafael Devers twice and then got him to ground into a double play immediately after Willy Adames’s single (one of two hits the Giants would manage all game). The most convincing knock against Jobe was Drew Gilbert’s liner to center in the 2nd. Hard-hit, yes, but the hardest part for centerfield Max Clark was not the quality of contact, but battling the late-afternoon sun.

The game shifted out of the Giants favor when Landen Roupp took the mound in the 6th inning.

Time had passed since he had pitched this deep into a game. He couldn’t stick around through the 4th against the Brewers on July 28th. In his last start against the Padres, he got pulled in the 5th. Walks were a problem in both games, and they scuttled his outing here.

After getting ahead 1-2 on Gleyber Torres, Roup missed big on three of his next four pitches. Bad offerings especially with his curveball that saw his count leverage slip away. He walked Torres. He rifled through his sinker, change-up, curve and sinker again against Dillon Dingler — all came in uncompetitive and wild. Riley Greene, who had already struck out twice and looked completely lost against Roupp, helped him get some footing in the frame by flailing at three change-ups off the plate. The out was generous, not necessarily earned, and a more disciplined hitter in Colt Keith, who had already walked twice, exposed Roupp’s lack of command. 

The right-hander disowned the baseball the moment the 3-0 sinker slid from his grasp. A ball all the way, and the pitch sealed the deal. His day was done. He had just generated a rally for the Tigers. Two of those passes were uncompetitive, efficiently handed out on four pitches.  

Still, he seemed to huff and puff in visible consternation when Tony Vitello mounted the top step and strode out to the hill. A glare was thrown in the manager’s direction, and he shook his head as he aggressively scraped dirt from his studs. He even threw his hands up to his chest and motioned as if to tell Vitello to stay in the dugout. While nothing near the same scale as Devers’s infamous finger wag, the gesture’s meaning was clear. He wanted to stay in.

Admirable in some instances…myopic, prideful, grace-less in this one.  

Words were forced through the webbing of his glove, but Roupp did eventually give up the ball. You walk the bases loaded, you forfeit any legitimate claim to the mound — I’m sure that truth sank in as he watched the rest of the game from the dugout railing. Hopefully more truths were reckoned with in those lonely and raw moments. Like many of his outings, Roupp was in control and in rhythm, and then suddenly, he wasn’t. The pitch count was in his favor when he started the 6th. He didn’t throw many stressful pitches leading up to it either. So what happened?

Roupp has now pitched one more start than in 2025 and passed his previous career high in innings pitched by 17. Maybe it’s the workload. More likely it’s the temperament. I can see how losing Torres when he had count advantage served as a penny on the tracks, just thinking about that 2-2 sinker that he yanked, letting it eat away at him — he couldn’t throw another one for a strike, and Lord knows, he tried.   

This was Roupp’s fourth game in which he walked 5 or more batters. He’s now tied with Robbie Ray and Trey Yeasavage for most in the Majors. It’s also his ninth start in which the walk total has matched or exceeded the hits total on his final pitching line. The truth is that hasn’t always been a bad thing for him. He’s had success when strutting that fine line, balancing between how much to give and how much to take. Opposing hitters have such a hard time getting quality contact off him that he can sustain and manage inflated BB totals more than most. 

After Keaton Winn immediately walked the next batter to plate the Tigers’ first run, he fanned both Max Clark and Javier Baez to end the inning and keep Roupp’s earned run total at one. It could’ve been a lot worse for the Giants’ starter. It also could’ve been better — that’s a pill Roupp seems to have swallowed a lot this year. 

While Roupp’s ERA made out nicely, things did get a lot worse for the team as a whole. The one-run in the 6th broke the freshness seal on the pitching duel and it spoiled fast, devolving into a lopsided and poorly played blowout.

Recently called up right-hander, Trent Harris made his Major League debut — and it didn’t go well. He threw 14 pitches, faced four batters and three of them reached base. Dillon Dingler’s 2-run double chased Harris from the mound, and his replacement, Reiver Sanmartin didn’t fare much better. Both arms bore the brunt of three runs each as Detroit sent ten up to the plate in the inning.

The defense didn’t help much either. Eddys Leonard made a desperate and ill-advised heave home, allowing Kevin McGonigle to advance to second base, taking away the chance of a double-play on the subsequent ground ball off the bat of Torres. Drew Gilbert lost a line-drive in the sun…with the exact tool needed for success perched on his hat rather than over his eyes.

There’s gotta be a lesson to be learned here.

These last two wins have been key in stabilizing the Nats season, which looked to be going off the rails. Between selling at the deadline and that miserable road trip, the playoffs are highly unlikely, but the Nats have righted the ship. Surprisingly, their pitching staff has been a big reason for that.

The back end of the bullpen has been particularly impressive lately. We talked about that yesterday, but they looked good again today. Outside of the home run Max Kranick allowed, the bullpen was pretty close to perfect. It really seems like Blake Butera has a steady back of the pen for the first time all year.

A big reason for that is new addition Yovanny Cruz, who has electric stuff. Blake Butera couldn’t believe some of the pitches he threw, saying Cruz threw some “ridiculous” sliders. They were 93 MPH with vicious movement. He also said that Cruz will continue to get more comfortable with his splitter as well.

Last night, the splitter was very helpful for him. Cruz got back to back whiffs on that pitch to strike out Elly De La Cruz to get out of a jam. The strikes are not always there for Cruz, but the stuff is easy to see. Having your worst pitch be a 100 MPH fastball is pretty nuts.

It is not just Cruz who is helping out this pitching staff though. In the bullpen, guys like Beeter, Ribalta and Tom Cosgrove have also done a nice job. They are also getting some quality outings from Brad Lord and Trevor Williams. A massive weakness has now become much less of a problem. It is too soon to call it a strength, but if the Nats have a 3 or 4 run lead, I am not as worried anymore.

Cade Cavalli and Andrew Alvarez also delivered very solid starts these last two nights. Alvarez has been particularly impressive in his last two outings. For most of the season, he has had a habit of nibbling, but lately he has been attacking the zone with intent.

This has made his manager Blake Butera very happy. In the post game interview, both he and Alvarez mentioned how getting too deep into counts has been a problem in the past. Butera said that Alvarez continues to gain more belief in how good his stuff is. He added that “A lot of it when you get to the big leagues is believing you can pitch here and have success here”. 

It seems like Alvarez is starting to gain that belief and realize that he does not have to nibble to get outs. He has some really good breaking stuff, which he showed off tonight. If Alvarez can continue to get deeper into games, his stock will really rise.

At the moment, the pitching staff seems to be in a good spot, outside of a couple guys. However, it seems like help should be on the way soon. Spencer Nusbaum put out an article where he said that prospects Luis Perales and Jackson Kent are likely to join the club sometime soon.

Those two would make the staff even more exciting. Kent projects to be a sturdy and dependable number 4 starter with a very good changeup. His stuff is not electric, but he has good command and deception while having average raw stuff.

Meanwhile, Perales is pretty much the opposite. He has a fastball that routinely hits triple digits, a nasty cutter and a splitter that falls off the table. However, his command and execution is a work in progress, though it has been improving lately.

Watching this pitching staff has been a chore for most of the season, but it is looking more exciting as we enter the stretch run. As we enter 2027, the pitching staff is in a much better place than it was entering 2026. That is without even mentioning the return of the Nats top 2 pitching prospects in Travis Sykora and Jarlin Susana.

This time next year, we could be talking about the pitching staff as a borderline strength. A lot of it comes down to the work that Paul Toboni has done. It has taken longer and there have been plenty of misses, but it feels like we are finally finding a formula here.

There is plenty of time for things to go sideways and there are still some real weak links. However, the arrow is finally pointing up on the pitching side. Hopefully that continues down the stretch and the Nats can finish this season on a high note.

Michael King gave the San Diego Padres exactly what they needed against the Houston Astros on Saturday. The right-hander returned to his ace-like form and gave his team six innings of three-hit baseball. Over that span he allowed one run and one walk and struck out six batters. Jackson Merrill provided the offense driving in two runs, one of which came on a solo home run to center field, and the Padres went on to beat the Astros 3-2 at Petco Park.

King looked locked in throughout his start and used 93 pitches to get through the sixth. He threw 64 pitches for strikes and the one run he allowed came on a solo home run to Taylor Trammell in the top of the second inning. The ball was hit out of the yard to tie the game 1-1 at the time, but it was not a bad pitch, it was just a better piece of hitting by the former San Diego farmhand.

The Padres offense made Astros starter Peter Lambert work. They did not score a ton of runs, but he was under attack throughout his outing, which lasted five innings. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. It seemed like almost every at-bat was a seven or eight pitch at-bat and many times it was more than that.

San Diego and Houston will meet for the final game of the series in the rubber match today at 5:20 p.m.

Padres News:

• Ethan Salas cannot stop hitting at Triple-A and David Morgan continues to work back to his big-league return.

• Adrian Morejon proves he is as good off the field as he is on it.

• Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune thinks the work the Padres did at the Trade Deadline could help them in the offseason and beyond.

Baseball News:

• Gerrit Cole recorded his 1,000th strikeout as a New York Yankee and helped his team get a win over the Atlanta Braves.

• The Toronto Blue Jays got an extra-innings win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

• Shohei Ohtani helped the Los Angeles Dodgers end their losing streak with a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

• The Athletics ended their losing streak and the Boston Red Sox winning streak with a win on Saturday.

• The Chicago White Sox used a five-run inning to beat the Cleveland Guardians.

• Sandy Alcantara pitched the Miami Marlins to a 7-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

• Jac Caglianone powered the Kansas City Royals past the Chicago Cubs.

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The Toronto Blue Jays are +170 underdogs as they look to complete the sweep in Philadelphia today.

My Blue Jays vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 9 expect Toronto to keep things close, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. factoring in at the plate.

Blue Jays vs Phillies predictions

Blue Jays vs Phillies best bet: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 0.5 singles (-130)

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. historically hits left-handed pitching well, and we’ve seen that more over the last month. 

Vladdy has hit .333 with a 50% hard hit rate, a number not bested by any member of the Toronto Blue Jays during that span.

His improved play has led to a spike in hits, but the power still lags behind. Only one of his hits went for extra bases, which is a plus when chasing singles.

Jesus Luzardo is excellent at limiting quality contact, forcing opponents to take what they can get. That sets up well for Guerrero Jr. and his current hitting profile.

Bet to -140.

COVERS INTEL:Guerrero's .378 wOBA and .048 ISO against lefties the past 30 days creates a perfect storm for singles.

Blue Jays vs Phillies same-game parlay (+390)

Alejandro Kirk leads the Blue Jays with a strong .279 average against lefties this season. He hasn’t hit for power (35% hard hit rate, 3% barrel rate), leading to almost all of his hits going for just a base.

Shane Bieber struggled out of the gate but has posted a 4.18 xFIP or lower in three of his last four starts.

He is pitching much better, and should be able to keep this game competitive against a Philadelphia Phillies offense ranking 25th in wOBA vs. right-handed pitching over the last month.  

Blue Jays vs Phillies SGP

• Alejandro Kirk Over 0.5 singles
• Shane Bieber Under 2.5 earned runs
• Blue Jays +1.5

Blue Jays vs Phillies home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+380)

Kazuma Okamoto has been the go-to power source for the Blue Jays all season, and is the most likely candidate to go yard in this game. 

It is feast-or-famine for Okamoto, as he’s struck out a lot while chasing power. It’s hard to argue with the process given he leads the team in hard hit rate, barrel rate, and homers when facing left-handed pitching.

He owns a 12.5% barrel rate or higher against each of Luzardo’s four pitches, giving him a real chance to get a hold of one.

Blue Jays vs Phillies odds

• Moneyline: Toronto +170 | Philadelphia -210
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-120) | Philadelphia -1.5 (+100)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+100) | Under 8.5 (-120)

Blue Jays vs Phillies trend

Toronto has covered the Run Line in 24 of the last 40 away games (+6.20 units, 11% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Phillies.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Phillies and game info

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Good morning, folks…

The Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles last night by a score of 5-1.

The DMN’s game story talks about Jacob deGrom coming up big in his first start after saying he wanted to stay with the Rangers, and win with the Rangers, rather than be traded.

Jack Leiter is making progress in his return from ankle surgery, and could be close to starting a rehab assignment.

Former Ranger Max Scherzer has moved into the top 10 on the all-time strikeout list, and it’ll probably be a long time before anyone displaces him.

David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.

MOOSIC, Pa. — It wasn’t about the results. What mattered was how Carlos Rodón felt after making a rehab start Saturday night for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders against the Rochester Red Wings at PNC Field.

Since he felt good, the New York Yankees’ left-hander was satisfied with the outing despite allowing three runs and three hits — including a home run — in 2.2 innings.

“I’m happy with how I feel healthwise,” Rodón said. “Barring the results, I just feel good about how I came out of the game.

“It was good to get back on the mound and compete. The goal was to get out there and get 48 pitches in. So I’m happy with how I feel.”

RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan said that Rodón may not have had his best stuff, but did show some good glimpses.

“You’re not going to see his best in the process of building up to where he wants to be and that’s understandable,” Duncan said. “It’s a journey when you come back from anything and develop a pitch count. But he was attacking the zone, his slider looked good, his fastball looked good.”

On the injured list retroactive to June 30th with left elbow inflammation, Rodón threw 48 pitches Saturday, 29 for strikes. He walked two, struck out four and topped out at 93.8 mph on a pitch to Seaver King in the top of the third inning.

Rodón was fine with his velocity.

“I think it will tick up when I get on the mound at Yankee Stadium,” he said.

“I had a good mix. Obviously, I was working on fastball command mostly. Mixing some sliders and changeups, a couple of sinkers. Just normal work.”

Things got off to an inauspicious start when King whacked Rodón’s third pitch past the 408-foot mark in center field to the grassy area beyond the fence for a home run, giving the Red Wings a quick 1-0 lead.

“It was just a fastball middle down and he put a good swing on it,” Rodón said. “Tip of the cap, that’s good for him.”

He retired the next seven batters after yielding the home run. He got Phillip Glasser and Yohandy Morales on groundouts and Trey Lipscomb on a strikeout to end the first inning. In the top of the second, he threw just nine pitches and got Riley Adams on a flyout, caught Sam Petersen looking at strike three and Cayden Wallace on a groundout.

After whiffing Maxwell Romero Jr. on three pitches to start the top of the third, things soured for Rodón. Leandro Pineda dunked a double inside the right-field foul line. After King walked, Glasser punched a triple into the right-field corner to score both Pineda and King and give Rochester a 3-0 lead on its way to an 8-0 victory.

“Sinkers in, I’m not upset with the pitches,” Rodón said. “I think the exit velo on both of them was pretty low. One was 78, the other was 80-something. Obviously, the results for them were good. If I’m nitpicky, I’m probably a little more down with the sinker. But they were three balls inside. I think I broke one bat.

“I’m not too caught up in the results. There’s more important games to be pitched.”

Morales walked and Lipscomb struck out for the second out of the inning. With the count 1-1 to Adams, Rodón reached his 48-pitch limit and Duncan came out of the RailRiders dugout to get him.

“It’s not like you can say he got shelled. He didn’t,” Duncan said. “The only really well-hit ball was the home run. It was right into the guy’s bat path.

“It was good. He got his work in, got what he needed to get done. Just keep moving forward. Looking forward to him getting healthy and helping that big-league team.”

When that is remains uncertain. Rodón doesn’t know what his next step is. It could be another rehab start. He could also rejoin the Yankees and “piggyback” in starts with another pitcher—-like Ryan Weathers or Will Warren—while he builds up his pitch count.

“It’s beyond my control,” Rodón said. “Just looking forward to getting back on the mound whether it’s here or Double-A, maybe in the big leagues I don’t know. I’m assuming it will be one more rehab start, but I’m not sure. It’s not up to me.

“It might be a pitch-count thing. Obviously I need to get the pitch count up. If it’s another rehab start, we’ll work on a couple more things and I’ll be happy with it.”

Whatever the case, Rodón is eager to get back to pitching for the Yankees.

“It’s pretty frustrating having to be in this situation once again, not being able to compete and trying to help the team win,” he said. “We’ve struggled as of late, but I feel like we’ve played some pretty good baseball considering a lot of close games — 2-1, 2-0 — that we’ve had to learn how to win. I think that will make us better down the stretch.”

In his second game with the RailRiders since being sent down by the Yankees, Anthony Volpe started at second base Saturday night. It was just the third time he played the position in the minors and the first since 2021 when he did it twice: once with Low-A Tampa and once with High-A Hudson Valley.

With a runner on first in the top of the eighth inning, Volpe made a nice play going to his right to field a ball hit by Glasser. He shoveled it with his glove to shortstop Oswaldo Cabrera for the force at second. Cabrera then threw to first to complete the 4-6-3 double play.

Volpe finished with three assists and two putouts, including applying the tag when left fielder Jasson Domínguez threw out Glasser trying to stretch a single into a double leading off the top of the fifth.

“He’s so athletic and quick,” Duncan said of Volpe. “He can be good anywhere. Throw him anywhere and I expect him to be good, no matter what the position is.”

Offensively, Volpe was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. He ripped a two-out double into the left-field corner in the third inning, but unfortunately Tyler Hardman was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first base.

One night earlier, in his first game back with the RailRiders, Volpe was 1-for-5 with three strikeouts. However, the hit was a two-run home run.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (59-53) lost 10-1 (BOX SCORE)

Mayer made his Triple-A debut but got roughed up a bit allowing 6 runs over 3 innings of work. The pen allowed another four runs as the Isotopes opened up a big lead. The offense got on the board in the 8th on an Alexander RBI double but that was it as Sugar Land fell 10-1.

Note: Loperfido is hitting .301 in Triple-A.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 2-for-3, BB
• Joey Loperfido, LF: 2-for-5, R, 2B
• CJ Alexander, RF: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI
• Zach Dezenzo, 1B: 1-for-3, BB
• Lucas Spence, CF: 1-for-3, BB

• Bryce Mayer, RHP: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Trey McLoughlin, RHP: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Julio Rodriguez, RHP: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (51-56) won 3-1 (BOX SCORE)

Taylor made his Double-A debut and was solid allowing 1 run over 4 innings while striking out 5. The Hooks got on the board in the third inning on a Holy solo home run, and another in the 4th inning on a Schiavone RBI double. In the 6th, the offense added another run on a wild pitch. The bullpen was great tossing 5 scoreless innings as they closed out the 3-1 win.

Note: Encarnacion has 48 stolen bases this season.

• Yamal Encarnacion, CF: 1-for-3, R, SB
• Jason Schiavone, C: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
• Max Holy, 3B: 1-for-2, R, HR, RBI, BB

• Andrew Taylor, RHP: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Railin Perez, RHP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Nic Swanson, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (34-69) SUSPENDED

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (53-52) lost 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

The Woodpeckers got on the board in the 2nd inning scoring on a wild pitch. Pichardo got the start for the Woodpeckers and allowed 5 runs over 3 innings of work. The Woodpeckers got one back in the 5th on a Ramirez RBI single. Carrera went the final 5 innings allowing just one unearned run with 8 strikeouts but the offense was unable to score again as they fell 6-2.

Note: Ramirez has 30 stolen bases this season.

• Waner Luciano, 3B: 1-for-3, 2 BB
• Josh Wakefield, CF: 2-for-2, R, BB
• Luis De Leon, 1B: 1-for-3, BB
• Jadyn Fielder, LF: 2-for-4, R, 2B
• German Ramirez, SS: 1-for-4, RBI, SB

• Jank Pichardo, RHP: 3.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Jesus Carrera, RHP: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 2:35 CT

CC: James Hicks – 5:05 CT

AV: TBD – TBD

FV: TBD – 3:05 CT

Saturday was a busy day in the Atlanta Braves farm system, with a total of six games played, that the Braves affiliates split. The headliner had to be Owen Carey hitting his first Double-A home run just a handful of games into his promotion. However we also got to see JR Ritchie throw five innings of one unearned run baseball, exciting DSL arm Martires Polanco with a big start, and positive performances from Alex Lodise, Eric Hartman, John Gil, Patrick Clohisy, and Carter Beck among the notables.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 8, Gwinnett Stripers 4

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 1-4, 2B, .403/.465/.649
• Rowdy Tellez, 1B: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, .262/.362/.488
• Drue Hackenberg, SP: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 6.16 ERA
• Duncan Davitt, RP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 6.23 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

Drue Hackenberg started the first half of the doubleheader and struggled in this one. Hackenberg allowed six runs on eight hits and a pair of walks, though did strike out seven and had 12 whiffs. Hackenberg allowed a run in the first, four in the third, and then the final run came during the fifth inning. Duncan Davitt, the return in the Joey Bart deal at the deadline, made his first appearance with the Braves organization and allowed a run in his inning and a third, but did strike out two with three whiffs. Rolddy Munoz pitched the final inning and also allowed a run to score.

The offense was led by Rowdy Tellez and Cal Conley in the first game. Tellez had a single, double, and two runs batted in during his four plate appearances, while Conley singled twice, stole a base, batted in a run, and scored two runs. Brewer Hicklen was the third Striper to reach base multiple times, as he walked, singled, and batted in a run. Patrick Clohisy was one for four, but that hit was a double.

Gwinnett Stripers 4, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 1

• Patrick Clohisy, CF: 0-1, 2 BB, R, 2 SB, .397/.472/.641
• Rowdy Tellez, DH: 2-2, BB, .268/.369/.492
• JR Ritchie, SP: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 3.52 ERA

Box Score

Statcast

In a second game that was already being shortened to seven innings, JR Ritchie got credit for a complete game when the game was called at five innings. Ritchie allowed a pair of hits and walks with one unearned run, striking out six and getting six swings and misses. It took him 80 pitches to get through five innings, with 47 of them for strikes.

The offense saw seven of the nine guys in the lineup reach base despite this being a five inning game. Patrick Clohisy walked twice, stole two bases, and scored a run to reach base three times between the two games. Rowdy Tellez also continued his strong day by going two for two with a walk, making him four for six on the day. Sandy Leon added a home run, while Brett Wisely had a pair of singles.

Columbus Clingstones 7, Biloxi Shuckers 0

• Eric Hartman, LF: 1-4, BB, R, SB, .211/.348/.263
• John Gil, SS: 0-2, 2 BB, R, SB, .222/.318/.333
• Owen Carey, RF: 1-3, HR, BB, R, 3 RBI, .176/.333/.353
• Garrett Baumann, SP: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K, 4.95 ERA

Box Score

Columbus got a dominant pitching effort as three pitchers combined to strike out 15 hitters in a shutout. Starter Garrett Baumann did the bulk of the work, going five innings and giving up just one hit and three walks with nine strikeouts and 22 whiffs. Then two relievers went two scoreless innings apiece. First was Isaac Gallegos, who allowed a hit and a walk as he struck out three to go with six whiffs. Then came Blane Abeyta, who allowed one hit with three strikeouts and eight whiffs. Biloxi hitters managed just three hits and four walks on the day, despite having a strong lineup led by the game’s top prospect in Jesus Made.

The bottom of the order led the way, but the recently promoted trio at the top certainly had their moments in this win. Owen Carey hit his first Double-A home run, going one for three with a walk and batting in three runs, while John Gil walked twice and stole a base, while Eric Hartman singled, walked, stole a base, and scored a run. The leaders at the bottom of the lineup included Will Verdung going three for three with a double, walk, and two runs scored, Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. homering for the second straight day and batting in four on a two-hit night, and Luke Waddell also having a two-hit game that included a double.

Greensboro Grasshoppers 3, Rome Emperors 2

• Alex Lodise, SS: 2-4, 2B, BB, RBI, .282/.383/.487
• Dixon Williams, 2B: 0-3, 2 BB, SB, .219/.326/.410
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 0-4, BB, R, .200/.304/.250
• Cade Kuehler, SP: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 7 BB, 1 K, 5.76 ERA

Box Score

Rome lost this one in the 11th inning after blowing a lead in the ninth inning. Cade Kuehler got the start and it was a bit of a weird one for him. On one hand he pitched four and two thirds no-hit innings, and allowed one run. However he also walked seven and struck out only one with three whiffs on his 81 pitches. Mathieu Curtis followed with two scoreless innings. Tyler Schoff went the next two and a third, and he was the pitcher who gave up that run in the top of the ninth. The 10th and 11th went to Jarret Whorff, who allowed only the inherited ghost runner to score in the 11th.

Alex Lodise put together another solid game, going two for four with a double, walk, and run batted in. That gives him an .870 OPS with four walks and only five strikeouts over 47 plate appearances through his first 10 games since being promoted. Dixon Williams was hitless in three at bats, but drew a pair of walks and stole a base, while Conor Essenburg walked and scored a run during his five plate appearances. Archer Brookman added a double and walk, while Dallas Macias had a single and a walk. Luis Guanipa was hitless in five at bats, while Cody Miller went one for five.

Hickory Crawdads 10, Augusta GreenJackets 1

• Carter Beck, CF: 2-4, .471/.526/.471
• Juan Mateo, SS: 1-4, 2B, RBI, .253/.332/.349
• Caden Merritt, LF: 1-3, BB, SB, .200/.348/.273
• Carter Lovasz, RP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.26 ERA

Box Score

This game didn’t start until almost 8:30 due to rain, and I’m guessing Augusta came away wishing this one never started as they lost 10-1. Luis Arestigueta got the start in what was a bullpen game, and went one inning allowing a pair of runs. Yander Pinero came in for the next inning and also gave up two runs. The next two and a third innings went to Lewis Sifontes, who allowed three runs (two earned). Then came Cristobal Abreu for an inning and a third, and he allowed three unearned runs. The only Augusta pitcher not to allow any runs to score was Carter Lovasz, who went the final two and a third innings in this loss.

The Augusta offense struggled to get anything going in this one, scoring just one run on five hits and four walks. Two of those five hits came from Carter Beck, who continues to be red hot to start out his professional career. Two more were doubles, from the bats of Juan Mateo and Cooper McMurray. The other came from Caden Merritt, who singled, walked, and stole a base, having him join Beck as players to reach base multiple times. It’s also worth noting that due to the recent promotions and sudden rash of injuries (Patrick Engskov and Manuel Campos this week alone), Juan Mateo played in just his third game of the season at shortstop defensively.

DSL Braves 4, DSL Red Sox Blue 2

• Edelson Cabral, SS: 0-2, 2 BB, R, SB, .261/.412/.380
• Jose Nelo, 1B: 1-2, 2B, BB, R, 3 RBI, .298/.388/.411
• Martires Polanco, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 2.67 ERA

Box Score

Martires Polanco continued his excellent season in the first year of his professional career with another strong outing on Saturday. Polanco allowed just one unearned run on three hits and two walks over five innings, striking out eight. Diego Ramirez allowed a run over an inning and two thirds of relief, with Darren Pereira coming on to pick up the save by getting the final out of the game.

Catcher Jose Nelo was the leader today, playing first base and going one for two with a walk and double as he accounted for all four runs via one run scored and three batted in. Edelson Cabral was hitless in his two at bats, but walked twice, stole a base, and scored a run. Joan Hernandez also stood one as he singled in his only official at bat and also walked twice to reach base in all three plate appearances. The only other hit was a Luis Fortunato single.