Category: Baseball

After exiting his start in Houston early with shoulder soreness and then having his start skipped when the team returned to Seattle, Bryan Woo threw a bullpen today prior to Sunday’s series finale against the Cubs. Woo threw a complete bullpen with all of his pitches, and Pete Woodworth stood in against him for some of the at-bats.

Woo spoke briefly with the media after his bullpen session, saying he was pleased with how everything felt (“really good”) but even more pleased with the way he was able to throw his pitches, with comfort and confidence.

“I was able to throw everything – I wouldn’t say max effort, but with really really good intent,” Woo said. “Velo is one thing, but like, in your mind, you don’t want to have any hesitation on it.”

Specifically, Woo was encouraged by his ability to throw pitches other than his fastball with conviction in his bullpen session.

“I know I can throw sliders, breaking balls, whatever. Fastballs are the easiest anytime you’re coming back from injury or dealing with anything. Breaking balls I feel like are always tougher because it’s just like you really want to finish pitches. You don’t want to have any hesitation on finishing them. But everything felt good.”

That was also the assessment of those who stood in alongside Woo during his session, including pitching coaches Trent Blank, who offered a thumbs up as his assessment, and Pete Woodworth, who said Woo looked great (“struck me out.”) Logan Gilbert also said he thought Woo looked really good and ready to go (“wait, is this on the record? Don’t quote me on that!”).

For Woo, a challenge of assessing this soreness has been understanding where the team is in the season, and balancing the need for rest versus the needs of the team.

“It’s just being smart about what’s realistic. Being smart about a couple of days off and coming back and not missing much time. But it’s a really tough balance, especially this time of year, especially with the position that we’re in. We don’t have any room for grace. It’s a sprint now.”

However, having had a few years of experience under his belt and having dealt with both serious injuries and the everyday soreness that nags over the course of a long, grueling season, Woo is in a good position to know himself and know how to balance those needs.

“I think it’s all understanding your own body and yourself and how you know everything is supposed to feel and how everything’s supposed to move. So it wasn’t one of those things where I felt like, you know, the season was in jeopardy or something like that. It was just a matter of what’s the proper way of going about this. I’m dealing with it the right way, but I’m also staying on the field.”

The team is yet to announce what the plan will be with Woo or the future of the rotation going forward, but from Woo’s comments and the response today it seems like an IL stint is unlikely.

Blake Snell takes the mound as the Dodgers look to end this week a perfect 6-0.

Today’s #Dodgers lineup vs. Pirates: pic.twitter.com/Qzjrtvb3xN

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 23, 2026

SUNDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Pirates
• Stadium: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 1:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

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

Sunday Night Baseball between the Braves and Brewers should be an exciting matchup.

I'll be highlighting why Austin Riley is a great look in my Braves vs. Brewers props and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 23.

Braves vs Brewers props for August 23

Braves vs Brewers player prop picks

Jake Bauers To Record a Hit (-145)

Easily one of the hottest bats in the Milwaukee Brewers lineup is Jake Bauers, who enters Sunday with a strong matchup rating on Batters-Box, where he also covers 100% of Atlanta Braves right-hander Tyler Mahle’s pitches.

Over his last five games, the first baseman owns the highest barrel rate on the team at 25%, while sporting a .647 SLG and 62.5% hard-hit rate.

Despite Mahle’s recent success against left-handed hitters, he still owns a 5.01 xERA while allowing a 45.5% hard-hit rate and 31.8% ground-ball rate to the last 30 left-handed hitters he has faced. Those hitters have posted a .387 xBA, .607 xSLG and .361 xwOBA.

For a guy to do the bare minimum, take this down to -150.

Austin Riley To Record a Hit (-160)

There might not be a guy more due for a big game than Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley. Yes, he has had a down year. However, over his last 10 games, he has been generating almost a 64% hard-hit rate and over a 13.5% barrel rate, while owning a .506 xSLG.

On top of that, in his last 30 at-bats against a left-handed pitcher, Riley has posted a .520 SLG and .200 ISO, while producing a 62.5% hard-hit rate and 12.5% barrel rate.

Today marks his 111th Strong rating on Batters-Box over the last three seasons. When strongly rated, he has recorded at least a hit nearly 62% of the time.

With Milwaukee Brewers southpaw Shane Drohan allowing over a 47% hard-hit rate, 14.3% barrel rate and 33.33% ground-ball rate to the last 30 right-handed hitters he has faced, Riley is a strong look to do some damage.

Do not pay more than this price. Take his bases or hits, runs and RBI if the price surpasses -160.

Shane Drohan Under 4.5 Strikeouts (-115)

Brewers southpaw Shane Drohan has hit a wall over his last three starts. His ERA is up, his strikeout rate is down, and he is allowing more hard-hit balls. His under strikeouts is a very intriguing look this evening.

Even with the Atlanta Braves going through their current cold streak, they have fared well against left-handed pitchers this season, posting a 20.8% strikeout rate against southpaws. Over the team's last 30 at-bats versus a lefty, only three hitters are above a 20% strikeout rate.

Drohan owns just an 18.3% strikeout rate over his last three home starts and a 17.5% rate over his last three overall. The under is a go. Take this down to -120.

If you're feeling froggy, take the Braves' first five team total over 1.5, or Drohan's over 1.5 earned runs.

How to watch Braves vs Brewers and game info

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.

Roster moves

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.

• Reinstated from the 15-day injured list: RHP Drey Jameson (right hip inflammation, retro to July 20)
• Designated for assignment: RHP Zack Littell

Can’t say this one comes as any surprise. After a surprisingly good first outing for Littell, in his last two outings, we’ve seen precisely why Littell got dumped by the Nationals. No big though. Someone had to pitch those innings, and having thoroughly burned him yesterday – probably saving three “proper” relievers from having to work those innings – now is a good time to make the move. Jameson last threw on the 19th, tossing 34 pitches, but since it was for Reno, it doesn’t show up above. He’d still be good to pitch today, but hopefully Mitch Bratt will be able to go longer than three innings this time.

With the Padres and Phillies both winning yesterday, the loss for the D-backs definitely hurt the team’s playoff chances. While a loss this afternoon wouldn’t be the end of the season, it wouldn’t exactly help. Both San Diego and Philadelphia have been on a tear of late. While Arizona hasn’t been playing badly, they just haven’t been able to keep up. Since July 9, the D-backs are 23-15, the second-best record in the NL over that time. The problem is, the Padres have been better still, at 24-15, and the Phillies aren’t far behind on 21-16. So while we have improved significantly from a 45-47 mark, the amount of ground we’ve been able to make up on that pair is minimal.

The Diamondbacks do have to face both those teams, and I suspect the results there might go a long way to determining the outcome of the campaign. Both season series are very much to be decided, which would be the first tiebreaker in the event of equal records, so if effectively a “+1” on the record for the winning team. But taking care of business also means not dropping series at home to teams like the Reds. With the Phillies losing at time of writing to the Cardinals, victory this afternoon would sure be nice. And please stick around for the guest recap, today brought to you by JustRonn.

Minnesota Twins (63-67) at San Diego Padres (70-60), August 23, 2026, 1:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Petco Park – San Diego, Calif.

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

---

Series finale on deck. pic.twitter.com/hr4TP2FBMC

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 23, 2026

Last one from SoCal

📺 https://t.co/7owDbqKTsIpic.twitter.com/nFRrpnPO7K

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 23, 2026

---

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our thread

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, August 23, 2026, 4:10 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are facing off against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game weekend set at Dodger Stadium. The Pirates have held the lead in each of the first two games, but they have been unable to keep it, dropping both of the earlier games in the series by one run.

Now, the Pirates hope to avoid a sweep by sending Lake Bachar to the mound to start what should be a bullpen game for Pittsburgh.

Bachar has made five appearances for the Pirates since being acquired earlier this month in a trade with the Miami Marlins. He appeared in Friday’s contest against the Dodgers, going through one inning but walking three batters in the process. It’s a second start for the Pirates after pitching the first three innings in the team’s 8-3 win against the Boston Red Sox on August 16.

The Dodgers will be countering with two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell, who is making his fourth start of the season after returning from injury. Snell won his first start of the year in his last appearance on August 17 against the Colorado Rockies, going six innings and giving up two hits and one earned run.

Location: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Lake Bachar (1-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Blake Snell (1-1, 3.60 ERA)

BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Sweep? 👀#GuardsBall | #PlayersWeekendpic.twitter.com/N9TQxQ7XWO

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 23, 2026

Here’s the Rockies lineup:

Our Sunday starters ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ltLJRbLjJs

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 23, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

It’s time for some day baseball, and the San Francisco Giants are looking to salvage one win in the series finale against the Boston Red Sox.

Taking the mound for San Francisco is rookie lefty Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, who makes his second appearance. Wilkinson, a burly 23-year old acquired in May’s Patrick Bailey trade, made his MLB debut last week and pitched two awesome innings against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing just one hit and no runs. It seems likely that Wilkinson will get stretched out more in this game, as the Giants have announced that Adrian Houser will return to the rotation on Tuesday, so Tugboat isn’t just an opener.

Boston is also turning to a southpaw pitching in his first season, as they’re using 25-year old lefty Jake Bennett. A second-round pick in 2022, Bennett has made 14 starts in his debut year, and is 7-6 with a 3.46 ERA, a 3.28 FIP, and 61 strikeouts to 17 walks in 80.2 innings. He’s been struggling lately though, and gave up four runs in as many innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his last start.

Enjoy the game, everyone!

Lineups

Giants

1. Osleivis Basabe — 2B
2. Rafael Devers — DH
3. Willy Adames — SS
4. Bryce Eldridge — 1B
5. Victor Bericoto — LF
6. Jung Hoo Lee — RF
7. Andrew Knizner — C
8. Jonah Cox — CF
9. Christian Koss — 3B

LHP. Matt Wilkinson

Red Sox

1. Jahmai Jones — DH
2. Ceddanne Rafaela — CF
3. Wilyer Abreu — RF
4. Willson Contreras — 1B
5. Caleb Durbin — 3B
6. Nick Sogard — 2B
7. Andruw Monasterio — SS
8. Eli White — LF
9. Connor Wong — C

LHP. Jake Bennett

Game #130

Who: San Francisco Giants (52-77) vs. Boston Red Sox (70-59)

Where: Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

When: 12:15 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: n/a

National broadcast: NBC/Peacock

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM

It will be a battle of southpaws in the Land of the Endless Strip Mall on Sunday afternoon as Andrew Abbott and Mitch Bratt share the mound in Chase Field for the finale of the series between the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Reds turned the tides on the Snakes late Saturday after having been demolished 9-0 on Friday night, the top of the order going nuts on old friend Zack Littell en route to a thunderous 11-5 win. JJ Bleday hit for the cycle, Elly De La Cruz smoked a 450 foot homer, and the vibes were generally good for a change for the otherwise abysmal offense.

Now, the series is officially up for grabs.

Sunday’s game will see its first pitch chucked at 4:15 PM ET, and coverage for the day will be carried by Peacock, so good luck tracking that down.

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

Happy Sunday, folks. The Red Sox secured a second straight series win with their comeback victory against the Giants last night. Today, Jake Bennett will take the mound after a brief hiatus, attempting to take the series. Solid starts from Sonny Gray and Patrick Sandoval, combined with an off day on either side of this series puts the Red Sox bullpen in a decent spot, though they’ll hope Bennett can get through at least five innings. The Giants are starting Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson, a big lefty with a low-90s fastball making his second career appearance. He’s not likely to go more than three or four innings, so San Francisco will be leaning on their bullpen once again.

For the Red Sox to host a playoff series, they’ll need to pass the Yankees in the standings. Every game counts the same, but taking today’s game, plus a couple from the Miami Marlins, would set up a high-stakes series with the Yankees to end August.

3:15 PM first pitch on NBC and Peacock.

Lineups

Ready for more. pic.twitter.com/tXdB8ag8C1

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 23, 2026

Giants 8/23

O. Basabe 2B
R. Devers DH
W. Adames SS
B. Eldridge 1B
V. Bericoto LF
J. Lee RF
A. Knizner C
J. Cox CF
C. Koss 3B

M. Wilkinson SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 23, 2026

The Colorado Rockies have been sputtering lately, losing five straight games and eight overall at home.

They won 13-7 in San Francisco last Sunday, and will look to avoid an 0-6 homestand this afternoon against the Cleveland Guardians. Their eight consecutive losses at Coors Field are tied for the second-longest home losing streak in franchise history, with the record being a nine-game losing streak in 1993 at Mile High Stadium. They have never been swept three series in a row at home, and have been outscored 63-35 during this skid while the pitching staff has posted a 6.96 ERA (9.64 by the starters alone).

Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) will take the mound for the 23rd time this year.

Sugano has been a bright spot for the Rockies and a steady piece in the rotation. Since June 2, he has gone 8-2 across 11 starts, posting a 5.37 ERA with 11 walks and 38 strikeouts since then. His last outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers was a rare clunker, as he allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts across five innings. He also gave up two home runs — a three-run shot to Max Muncy in the third inning and a solo shot to Shohei Ohtani in the fifth. Since June 2, he has allowed 15 home runs (11 solo) and has allowed a home run in his last 10 starts, matching a career-high. This happened from August 25, 2025 through April 17, 2026 (10 GS).

But, with his 12-6 record, Sugano is also the first pitcher to log double-digit wins in his first season with the Rockies since Kyle Freeland in 2017. Sugano has faced the Guardians twice in his career — both in 2025 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles — posting a 1-0 record and 4.22 ERA.

Sugano will face Guardians’ left-hander Foster Griffin, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline.

The 31-year-old was drafted in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft, and he made his debut on July 27, 2020. However, he suffered a UCL injury just 23 pitches into that game and ended up undergoing Tommy John surgery. He had a brief return to the majors in 2022, but ended up heading to Japan and playing alongside Sugano with the Yomiuri Giants for three seasons. Griffin came back stateside ahead of this season, and has had a career renaissance.

Between the Nationals and the Guardians, he has a 14-4 record and 3.18 ERA in 25 starts. He was named to the 2026 All-Star Game as a replacement for Chase Burns. In his last outing against San Francisco, Griffin pitched six innings and allowed just one run (a solo homer) on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts on 101 pitches.

Interestingly, he has never faced the Rockies.

Can the Rockies avoid another sweep while they celebrate Larry Walker’s statue unveiling?

First Pitch: 1:10pm MT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

SBN Site:Covering the Corner

Lineups:

Sweep? 👀#GuardsBall | #PlayersWeekendpic.twitter.com/N9TQxQ7XWO

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) August 23, 2026

Our Sunday starters ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ltLJRbLjJs

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 23, 2026

---

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

SEATTLE — Sunday notes…

• THE NUMBER OF THE COUNTING SHALL BE THREE: The Cubs have dropped three games in a row for the first time since May 31-June 3, when they lost at St. Louis, 5-1, then fell twice at home to the Athletics, 2-1 and 5-4 in 10 innings. They are 42-26 since then, a winning percentage of .618. Their last string of four consecutive losses was the final four of a 10-game losing streak, May 23-26. They lost at home to the Astros, 3-0 and 8-5, then were beaten at Pittsburgh, 2-1 and 12-1. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• AVOIDING SWEEPS: This is the ninth of the Cubs’ 43 series in which they lost the first two games. They avoided a sweep by winning six of eight third games. Their only losses were at home, in back-to-back series, to the Brewers on May 20 and the Astros on May 24. They have won the third game of four such series since then, including two on the road, at Pittsburgh on May 28 and at Colorado on June 11. The win over the Rockies started their current 40-22 surge. They won one other third game after two losses on the road, May 14 at Atlanta. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• ROAD WARRIORS: The Cubs are 22-18 in third games of series but only 10-10 on the road. A year ago, they finished 15-11 on the road and 27-23 overall. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: The Cubs enter the ninth trailing the Padres 4-2. RBIs from Hector Villanueva (on a triple, one of just two he had in his career), a sac fly from Jerome Walton and walk-off single by Mark Grace, lead the Cubs to a three-run ninth and 5-4 win over San Diego. It happened 35 years ago today, Friday, Aug. 23, 1991.

Cubs lineup:

How we're lining up for the series finale.

Watch the game live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/zldz6irodJ

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 23, 2026

The Mariners lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Mariners lineup. However, there is this clue, after Brendan Donovan was scratched from the Mariners lineup yesterday:

Patrick Wisdom just arrived in the @Mariners clubhouse.

He was a late scratch from the Rainiers lineup yesterday down in Sacramento.#TridentsUp#SeattleMariners

— Circling Seattle Sports (@CirclingSports) August 23, 2026

So we might see an old friend today.

Shōta Imanaga, LHP vs. Bryce Miller, RHP

Shōta Imanaga had a really good start against the White Sox last Monday, allowing only two hits and striking out 10. One of the hits was a three-run homer by Randal Grichuk, accounting for all the Sox runs off of him.

Despite that, his numbers over his last 12 starts are still good: 2.67 ERA, 1.099 WHIP over 67.1 innings. Still too many homers — 12 in that span — but only 13 walks.

His only career start vs. the Mariners came April 13, 2024 at Wrigley Field. He threw five innings and allowed one unearned run.

Bryce Miller is having a decent enough year if you just look at his overall numbers, but he was pitching pretty much lights-out until early July and then, thunk: 6.57 ERA, 1.568 WHIP in seven starts since then. He missed the first six weeks of the season with bone spurs, and in his first nine games (eight starts) he had a 33.2 percent K rate. But in those last seven the K rate has dropped to 15 percent. That might suggest some arm fatigue.

Miller’s last start against the Cubs came April 12, 2024 in Seattle and he allowed one unearned run in 6.1 innings. But, if you look at that boxscore link, several of those Cubs aren’t on the team anymore. Alex Bregman has faced him a lot, but is just 3-for-18 (with two doubles).

So we’ll see.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

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

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Detroit Tigers (61-68) vs. Kansas City Royals (57-74)

Time/Place: 2:10 p.m., Kauffman Stadium
SB Nation Site:Royals Review
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: TBA vs. LHP Daniel Lynch IV (4-4, 2.83 ERA)

Left-hander Andrew Sears is expected to be promoted on Sunday to serve as the Tigers’ bulk arm for a bullpen game, but he may have an opener rather than simply making a short start.

130/162

⚾️ 2:10 PM ET
📺 @WatchDSN
📻 @971theticketxyt
🏟️ Kauffman Stadium pic.twitter.com/hIruUzH6pb

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 23, 2026

Wrapping up the homestand and #PlayersWeekend. pic.twitter.com/pX073SdzoH

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 23, 2026

After a sweep in Minnesota, a win against the Chicago White Sox, and now a chance to avoid a sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers, could Tyler Mahle be the guy to save the Atlanta Braves tonight and get them back on track?

Mahle has had his fair share of quality starts since joining Atlanta’s rotation. And though he didn’t get the results he worked for in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins earlier this week, he’s still on pace for a solid appearance, with an ERA of 1.45 over his last seven outings.

So far, he has a season WHIP of 1.31 and a 4.53 ERA. His five-pitch arsenal is led by his top three pitches: four-seamer, splitter and cutter, but Milwaukee has a thing for right-hand pitchers, and they’re riding a momentum that the Braves’ offense has given them thus far.

For Milwaukee, Shane Drohan is taking the mound. Boasting a 3.86 ERA and a 1.25 season WHIP, Drohan will need to tighten up after allowing 22 earned runs across his last seven outings. And, with the Braves hitting fairly well against left-handed pitchers, this could be the day their bats decide to wake up.

Tonight’s matchup is anyone’s game. It’s going to be hard to predict a clear-cut winner when Atlanta’s offense could be an outlier, and Milwaukee’s pitching is questionable. Either team could decide to show up in this finale.

The Braves are looking to avoid a sweep and get back to business before heading home and the Brewers are looking to bring out the brooms.

Tune in at 7:10 p.m. E.T for first pitch.

Game Info

Game Time: Sunday, August 23rd, 7:10 pm EDT

Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

Watch: National- ESPN/ESPN APP

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

OK, we got the Luis Robert Jr. revenge game out of the way. Phew. Nothing more to say, except for perhaps the hope that today may be Luisangel Acuña’s turn.

I’m not holding my breath. If I was holding my breath, I would probably lose my life, because Acuña isn’t even in the starting lineup today. If the Sox want to take this series, it’ll have to be through the good, old-fashioned, regular brand of revenge, much-angsted-over offseason trades aside.

The Acuña-less lineup will have its work cut out for them, because they’re getting a look at Nolan McLean today, the fireballing 25-year-old who’s encountered some consistency issues in his first full season in The Show but has generally been outstanding, working to a 3.02 ERA with 219 strikeouts over 33 career starts dating to around this time last year. A stocky righthander whose fastballs sit in the upper-90s and are complemented by (count ’em) at least six secondary pitches, he’s given up no more than two runs in 18 of his 25 starts to begin this campaign.

Jake Rogers is the only Sox hitter who’s ever seen McLean, having struck out in two tries against him with the Tigers earlier this year. For a glimmer of hope, McLean hasn’t been nearly as consistent as those numbers might have you think. He’s had his share of blow-ups, allowing 5+ earned runs on four other occasions this year, and he’s walked at least two hitters in 20 of those 25 starts, only once going without issuing a free pass.

Given that the White Sox draw walks about as well as anyone in the American League — what a concept! — it seems likely that, unless McLean is hopelessly locked in, they’ll have at least a few free baserunners to make hay with this afternoon. If the Sox can break with their worrying second-half trend of leaving hitters on base and failing to punish mistakes, there is a very reasonable path to taking this game, the series, and entering the final leg of this brutal no-days-off stretch with a secure hold on the AL Central.

Naturally, just as much will depend on the opener-bulk combo of Sean Newcomb and Erick Fedde, both of whom were absolute nails in identical spots against the Cubs earlier this week. This will be Newcomb’s fourth turn as an opener in 2026, and he’s been nearly untouchable in the role, throwing 6 1/3 hitless innings. And we can only hope that if Fedde manages to turn in another 4 2/3 shutout innings of bulk work, it won’t go down in a losing effort like it did at Wrigley.

It’s a typical Sunday matinee matchup, with first pitch from Rate Field coming in at 1:10 p.m. CT. Standard broadcasts will be available on CHSN (TV) and ESPN 1000 AM (radio). We’ll see you there!