Carlos Rodon reacts to George Lombard's defensive play.
Carlos Rodón got his first taste of pitching with George Lombard Jr. behind him at shortstop, and it’s fair to say the lefty was very impressed with what he saw.
One particular play garnered an NSFW response from Rodón, who was starting his first game since June 28 in the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards on Tuesday night.
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Christian Encarnacion-Strand led off the bottom of the fourth inning of a tie game by grounding a ball sharply and well to Lombard’s right toward third base.
The rookie not only got to the ball, but he also made a strong off-balance throw while leaning backward to get Encarnacion-Strand at first base.
Lombard, 21, checked his glove after the play before Rodón could show his appreciation.
Carlos Rodon reacts to George Lombard Jr.’s sterling defensive play in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Orioles on Aug. 18, 2026 at Camden Yards. YES
Carlos Rodon shares the same reaction as Yankees fans watching George Lombard Jr. play defense. pic.twitter.com/Tl5qdYEOUr
“You’re a bad motherf–ker, man,” Rodón appeared to say toward Lombard on the YES broadcast.
Lombard, who also went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, has impressed defensively since the moment her was called up — turning a nifty double play in his debut on Aug. 4.
George Lombard Jr. makes a fine defensive play in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ win over the Orioles. YESGeorge Lombard Jr., making a great play in the hole in the fourth inning of the Bombers’ win over the Orioles, has impressed with his defense for the Yankees. YES
He helped Rodón, who was coming back from elbow inflammation, allow just one run on four hits across four innings.
Lombard’s play defensively has been as good as advertised since taking over for Anthony Volpe at short.
He’s also been a boost to the Yankees’ offense that has struggled to score runs in the absence of stars Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton.
Shortstop George Lombard Jr. warms up before the Yankees’ win over the Orioles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Lombard is hitting .293 with two homers, three RBIs and an .833 OPS in 41 at-bats.
Rodón will probably be looking forward to pitching more games with Lombard behind him as the Yankees jockey for playoff position and make their way to October.
As the Mets’ season chugs along, so does the inevitability that beloved broadcaster Howie Rose will soon call his final game as a full-time broadcaster.
Rose announced earlier this year that he would be hanging up his headset and microphone after this season, ending a broadcast career that has spanned three decades and one in which he served as the voice of the Mets and Islanders and called one of the most memorable goals in Rangers history.
In honor of that career, SNY planned to air a documentary covering his career after Tuesday’s Mets game, and the network had Rose appear alongside SNY broadcaster Gary Cohen for an inning of the Amazin’s 5-2 loss to the Padres.
"I've never had a brother, but you're the closest thing and I treasure you"
The appearance led to a touching moment between the broadcasters as Rose left the booth.
Rose shook Cohen’s hand, and the two shared a hug as Cohen called his counterpart “the best.”
“I’ve never had a brother, but you’re the closest thing, and I treasure you. I really do,” Cohen added.
Longtime Mets broadcaster Howie Rose (l.) and Gary Cohen shake hands in the SNY booth on Tuesday night. SNY/X
“And you as well,” Rose said back.
As seems to be the case for the beloved SNY booth, there was some tomfoolery mixed into the appearance by Rose, who cut back on his workload at WCBS Radio to just calling home games and Subway Series contests against the Yankees following his battle with bladder cancer.
As Cohen introduced Rose, SNY analyst Keith Hernandez snuck back into the booth and reached around Rose, causing Cohen to call him out.
Longtime Mets broadcasters Howie Rose (l.) and Gary Cohen shake hands in the SNY booth on Tuesday night. SNY/X
“Keith, what are you doing?” a perplexed Cohen asked.
The former Mets star could be seen grabbing his phone, which he informed Cohen he had forgotten before vacating his seat in the booth.
Rose might not fully call it quits, though, after this season, recently telling Newsday that he could “pop into the booth” if someone needs a break.
“I’m not saying I’ll never do another game after Sept. 20, but as a full-time thing, that’ll be it,” he said.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 18: Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox hits a home run, his first in a Red Sox uniform, during the third inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 18, 2026 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The runs came early and often for the Sox in this one as they scored in the five of the first seven frames, including three in the opening inning to set the tone. However, the most impressive baseball of the night came in the bottom of the third.
Right after Ranger Suarez served up a grand slam to erase an early 3-0 Sox lead, Boston counterpunched and posted a pair of runs on their own. Adley Rutschman got things started with this homer, his first in a Red Sox uniform.
That bomb was impressive for two reasons: First, Rutschman’s struggled out of the gate in his Red Sox tenure, going 0 for his last 18 before this series started. So getting him off the schneid is an encouraging sign.
But secondly, the way a guy breaks out of a slump tells you a little something about how useful he might be in a playoff push, and this shot checked a bunch of boxes. It was a home run, it was crushed, it tied the game, it came right after Arizona scored four runs. Lots to like there!
Later in the inning, the impressive baseball continued with this slide by Caleb Durbin.
Granted, a bunch of this is also bad baseball by Arizona. Merrill Kelly has oscillated between being excellent and terrible all season long (and the latter version clearly showed up tonight). They’re on a rough east coast road trip. Ketel Marte went missing yesterday before heading back to Phoenix for an MRI, and they made several boneheaded plays defensively over the last two games.
But still, the Sox are taking full advantage of it, and that’s what good teams do during the dog days of summer. When you’re on the right side of games like this, you can marvel at things like this Durbin slide on repeat all night long.
Three Studs
Adley Rutschman: In addition to his home run, Rutschman also got the scoring started in the first inning with this bases loaded single. (He ended up getting on base three times to go along with his three RBI.)
The Jimmy Fund: The annual radio-telethon broke a record and is now at $7 million and counting in donations. As a cancer survivor, Thank You to everybody who donated! Also, Thank You to all the fans who share their stories, the players who get active in the event, and the Red Sox and NESN for doing an awesome job hosting this thing every year. This one was especially outstanding!
(Also, more good news. The previous five years that were at the top of the list in donations were years the Red Sox ended up making the playoffs.)
Two Duds
Wilyer Abreu: Only guy in the lineup without a hit. He went 0-4, but did walk and score a run.
Bullpen management: Why are we using Erik Miller up five runs? With both Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten on the IL, the Sox need to use Tyron Guerrero and Miller as strategically as possible. They are the two best weapons to bridge the starter to Chapman in the ninth, and using Miller tonight in the eighth wasn’t a very productive use of resources.
Ranger Suarez:
He gets his own category here. I don’t want to give him a dud, because he did get the win and pitched well for most of the night (throwing more pitches than any outing since before going on the IL with a groin injury in July), but the top of that third inning wasn’t nothing.
The D-Backs strung a two-out rally together that culminated in a grand slam and temporarily gave Arizona the lead. On a night like this, it didn’t really matter because the Sox offense stayed on the attack. However, if Boston’s going to make a deep run in the playoffs, they can’t afford to have Suarez come off the rails like that for a random inning. We’re getting closer to the point in the calendar where they’re going to need him to lock in, and each start he doesn’t gets a little bit more concerning. Tonight was closer to what we’re looking for, but things are still not fully buttoned up. Maybe next week in Miami?
Play of the night:
Amazingly, the most encouraging effort of the night from a big picture standpoint didn’t even come from Fenway Park. Instead, it happened in Portland, Maine, where in the first game of his rehab assignment, Roman Anthony obliterated a baseball over the right field grandstand and completely out of Hadlock Field! Mercy!
Roman Anthony no-doubt home run 💪
He's reached base all 3 plate appearances in his first rehab appearance with Double-A Portland. pic.twitter.com/rxMxFb05B9
(We’re still working to get a distance on this home run, but it hasn’t landed yet.)
Anthony got on base in all four of his plate appearances, which included two walks and an opposite field base hit to go along with his mammoth home run. In some ways the opposite field 108mph single was almost as encouraging as the home run. (We’ll have more on this and the rest of that game tomorrow here at Over The Monster with Dean Roussel on Minor Lines.)
Looking Ahead:
Wednesday’s game is on a bit earlier at 4:00pm, and it serves as a mini get away day for Arizona. It also gives the Sox a bit more breathing room, as they have an off day on Thursday in the middle of this homestand, their first since way back on August 3rd.
Before the rest and recovery though, Payton Tolle will take the mound going for the sweep of the snakes.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 18: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros hits a solo home run in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park on August 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tuesday Night marked the fifth time this season that the last place Angels defeated the Astros.
Final Score LA 3 Houston 1
The Angels scored the first run of the night in the top of the third inning. Wade Meckler singled to center, stole second and came around thanks to a clutch two out RBI from Nolan Schanuel. The Astros had chances in the first. With two outs, Issac Paredes drew a walk and went to third on a single from Jose Altuve. However, each were stranded when Daulton Varsho struck out swinging.
Josh Lowe would add to the Angels lead, launching an opposite field home run in the fourth inning off Cristian Javier. It was Lowe’s 10th home run of the season. Javier would last four innings, allowing 5 hits, a pair of runs and striking out five on 87 pitches. The 87 pitches would be Javier’s highest total of the year. Bryan King would come on in relief and exit after a Nolan Schanuel single. King would give way to Enyel De Los Santos, who would promptly allow an RBI double to Zach Neto. Just like that, the Angels had posted runs in three consecutive innings.
In just his fifth major league start, George Klassen would pitch shut out baseball over seven innings, resembling Chuck Finley in his Halos prime. He’d earn the win. The Astros lone run came off the bat of Cam Smith who hit his 17 home run of the year of Jose Fermin.
One thing is for certain, the Astros are as flat as day old soda. The Mariners in 2024 sat 64-64 when they released manager Scott Servais in hopes of a jump start. That firing occurred on August 22nd of that year, so there is precedent for a late season managerial change. Of course, that move ultimately made little difference in the grand scheme of things as Seattle would miss the playoffs.
Who knows, perhaps .500 baseball or slightly above it will ultimately win the A.L. West. It’s happened before. In 2005, the Padres won their division with a mark of 82-80. Would it shock anyone if the Astros in their final stretch went 19-17, matching the mark of the Pads, albeit 21 seasons later?
Maybe newcomer Ethan Pecko can breathe some life into Daikin Park on Wednesday Night when he takes the mound. They are in need of a wakeup call. Walker’s heroics from last Friday Night already feels like a month ago.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 18: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a lead off home run with David MacIas #46 during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets dropped the middle game of their three-game set with the Padres, 5-2.
The Mets’ string of good luck somewhat dried up tonight, although starter Zac Thornton gave them a perfectly cromulent start, five inning performance, allowing three earned runs on two home runs, while striking out seven and walking just one. Thornton has bent but not broke in many of his starts thus far, and this start continued that trend.
In fact, if Thornton had been able to control Fernando Tatis Jr., his start would’ve looked quite different. Tatis drilled two home runs in the first five innings, driving in three runs and putting the Padres up ahead enough that he didn’t need the insurance runs provided by his teammates. But alas, Tatis has woken up his bat in the second half, and Thornton was on the other side of that tonight.
The sole Mets’ offense came from solo home runs from Luis Torrens and Luis Robert Jr. The Torrens renaissance continues, and while Robert is more than likely not a Met next season, it’s nice to see the Mets producing up and down the lineup. Bo Bichette collected two hits, and first baseman [checks notes] Christopher Morel collected one hit as well. But aside from a few walks, that’s all folks.
Some of that can be credited to Robbie Ray, who looked really good over his six innings of work, allowing just three hits, three walks, and striking out four. He wasn’t overpowering, but he kept the Mets off-balance enough to limit their productivity.
Ty France singled home Jase Bowen in the seventh off of Jack Weisenburger and Manny Machado added a solo home run in the ninth off of Dedniel Nuñez, but overall the Mets’ bullpen was similarly fine tonight. After four games in a row where the Mets looked like they had some juice behind them, tonight just looked flat.
Tomorrow, Robert Stock makes his fourth start of the season, facing off against Michael King in the rubber game in a matinee at Citi Field.
Three of the recently acquired Mets prospects had big nights on Tuesday.
Third baseman Jefferson Rojas, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor trade, showed why he's viewed as the club's new No. 1 prospect. The 21-year-old went 3-for-5 with a game-tying double in the ninth, a HR, and three RBI for Double-A Binghamton.
Rojas now has two home runs in 11 games since joining the organization and is up to 17 home runs on the year (all in Double-A). Overall, he's hitting .273 with a .813 OPS over 102 games this season.
Over in Syracuse, Émilien Pitre and Billy Amick both made an impact in their Triple-A debuts after being promoted on Monday.
Pitre, who was one of three players the Mets got from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Freddy Peralta, led off and went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored. The 23-year-old has now played in four different minor league levels this season after starting the year in High-A and owns a collective .318 batting average.
Amick went 1-for-4 with an RBI double, but did strike out three times. He came to New York, along with Bruin Agbayani, from the Minnesota Twins in the A.J. Minter deal. The 23-year-old hit fourth in the lineup behind Ronny Mauricio (who went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a walk) and played first base, which he's split time at along with third base this season (48 games at 3B, 36 games at 1B).
Tuesday Tanks.
Jefferson Rojas (@Mets No. 1 prospect) launches a two-run home run. 🚀
📏405 FT 🔥106.7 MPH
It's his second home run as a member of the Mets organization.
Aug 18, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz (3) congratulates Milwaukee Brewers third baseman David Hamilton (6) after hitting a home run against the Seattle Mariners int he sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Brewers poured it on the Mariners tonight with 22 hits and 22 runs in a game that became a laugher late. But even discounting the nine runs that Milwaukee scored off of a position player, the offense showed real, positive signs against Mariners starter Bryce Miller and a series of ineffective relievers. On the other side of the ball, Kyle Harrison kept the Mariners off the board for five innings and the bullpen kept it going. What resulted was a historic night: the Brewers matched the largest margin of victory in a shutout in the last 126 years.
Brendan Donovan, the first batter against Harrison tonight, smacked a ball to the base of the wall in the right-field gap for a leadoff double. But Harrison locked in, and even with a wild pitch that advanced Donovan to third, Harrison got managed a scoreless inning with a strikeout, a ground ball to second with a drawn-in infield, and another strikeout. (William Contreras, unfortunately, burned a challenge on a 2-0 pitch with two outs that was almost three inches off the plate, putting Milwaukee behind the eight ball early in that respect.)
The Brewers got some good swings on Miller in the bottom of the first. Brice Turang, playing for the first time since last Wednesday, hit a solid line drive to left but it was caught by Randy Arozarena. Jackson Chourio nearly went yard; he hit one 102 mph and 402 feet to center, but Julio Rodríguez caught it on a leap at the wall. It wasn’t quite a home run robbery, but it kind of looked like it on TV. Jake Bauers was next, and he ripped a double into the right-field corner, just barely beating out Victor Robles’ throw at second. Three pitches later, William Contreras blooped a soft line drive just over shortstop. Bauers looked like dead meat at the plate—Arozarena’s throw beat him by a mile—but when Raleigh put a tag on the sliding Bauers, the ball was knocked loose. Bauers hadn’t touched the plate and didn’t immediately catch that Raleigh didn’t have the ball, but he realized in time to just beat the scrambling Mariner catcher back to home plate. Christian Yelich struck out to end the inning but the Brewers had an early lead.
Harrison got a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the second. The Brewers continued to hit it hard in the second; Luis Lara flew out to the warning track for the first out, and Garrett Mitchell and Joey Ortiz followed with back-to-back one-out singles that were both hit over 100 mph. Miller did manage to work his way out of it after a fielder’s choice from David Hamilton and a ball that just jammed Turang enough for him to fly out to deep right, but Miller was up over 40 pitches through two innings and still trailing 1-0.
Both pitchers started rolling after that, and after each had perfect innings in the third and fourth, Harrison had retired seven straight and Miller eight. Harrison got up to nine straight before walking Robles with two outs in the fifth, and an infield single from the number-nine hitter, Brock Rodden, followed. But the two-out rally was ended when, on a double steal attempt, Contreras threw Rodden out at second (with an assist from a Brewers challenge).
Miller also got to nine straight, but Hamilton ended the streak with one out in the bottom of the fifth on an infield single. With Turang batting, Hamilton stole second—barely—and Turang walked to give the Brewers two runners on with one out. On the first pitch to Chourio, both Hamilton and Turang took off and easily stole third and second with no throw made. Two pitches later, Chourio knocked a base hit to center that scored Hamilton, though Turang, who couldn’t tell if the ball was going to be caught, ended up needing to hold at second.
Bauers kept the rally going by drawing a walk, which loaded the bases for Contreras. The Brewer catcher hit a hard line drive to left—it was caught, but Turang was able to score from third to increase the Brewer lead. After that, the Brewers got the big hit that this offense has lacked lately. With two outs, Mariner manager Dan Wilson chose to stick with Miller rather than move to either of the two lefties who were ready in the bullpen. Yelich made him pay; his three-run homer to right center was his ninth of the season and first since July 24. Josh Simpson came in after Yelich’s homer, a batter too late, and retired Lara to end the inning. The Brewers put a five-spot on Miller in the fifth, and the lead was up to 6-0.
Harrison was done after five innings despite just 79 pitches—he’s still recovering, and it was apparently very hot and humid at American Family Field today. Harrison’s velocity was down a little compared to earlier in the season, and he didn’t appear to have his sharpest stuff, but he still carved up the struggling Mariners offense tonight: he finished with five scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks and striking out eight. Harrison was replaced by Shane Drohan, who has at least temporarily rejoined the bullpen; Drohan gave up a two-out double to Dominic Canzone, but Rodríguez flew out to left to end the inning.
After a 109.6 mph single in his fourth-inning at-bat, Mitchell did it again—109.6 mph—in the sixth, punching one through the right side. A walk by Ortiz put two runners on with nobody out, and Hamilton followed with a borderline shocking lefty-on-lefty home run, a three-run shot that made it 9-0 Brewers. It was just the second time Hamilton has homered off a lefty as a big leaguer, though he has only 18 career homers, so I guess that’s not all that crazy.
Simpson, who was quickly unraveling, walked Turang on four pitches. A strikeout of Chourio settled things for a moment, but Bauers got a 2-2 hanging sweeper and hit the Brewers’ third homer of the night, a two-run shot that made it 11-0. Simpson was pulled in favor of Nick Davila, who got Contreras and Yelich to end the inning, but the rout was on.
With their first huge lead in some time, the Brewers made some defensive changes in the top of the seventh behind Drohan, with Jonathan Ornelas, Andrew Vaughn, and Brandon Lockridge entering the game for Turang, Bauers, and Chourio, respectively. Vaughn immediately got to make a play, a pretty nice one on a grounder down the right-field line, and Ortiz followed with some fancy glovework for out number two. Drohan issued a couple of two-out walks, but a Rodden lineout ended the inning.
Things continued to go a bit sideways for the Mariners in the seventh. Lara started the inning with a single and Mitchell followed with another. An Ortiz fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with one out, and a Hamilton single made it 12-0. Lockridge hit a grounder back to Davila, but Davila, looking to start a double play, made a bad throw to second. The ball stayed close enough to the infield that a run didn’t score, but the Brewers had the bases loaded with one out for Vaughn. Vaughn hit into what should’ve been a tailor-made double play to end the inning, but Josh Naylor simply dropped the throw to first—there was nothing wrong with it whatsoever—and Vaughn was safe at first, allowing another run to score. Ornelas struck out to end the inning, but it was the third straight inning in which the Brewers scored multiple runs.
Grant Anderson came in to pitch the eighth for Milwaukee, and after a strikeout of Weston Wilson, he got the second out with the aide of some very slick fielding by Ortiz, who slid to his left and made a sharp throw to first just ahead of Arozarena. Canzone, on the first pitch, flew out to left to end a quick, easy inning for Anderson.
Utility infielder Leo Rivas was on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, offering some 40 mph heat. Contreras led off and missed a home run by a foot or two, settling with a double off the top of the center field wall. Yelich roped a single into center, and Lara followed with the first homer of his career. I’m not sure how he’ll feel about doing it off of Leo Rivas and his 36.9 mph lob, but hey, a homer is a homer.
Rivas proved incapable of getting the Brewers out, as the home batters did a little bit of stat padding. Bauers and Ortiz followed Lara’s homer with a couple of singles. Hamilton flew out to center for Rivas’s first out, but Lockridge kept the hit parade going with a single through the left side of the infield. Vaughn was up with the bases loaded, and he singled in about the exact same spot that Lockridge used, which scored the Brewers’ 17th run on their 20th hit. Ornelas got a hit on a fly ball to left, and for the third time in the game, the Brewers had scored five runs in an inning.
Contreras, who led off the inning, drew an RBI walk. If you didn’t think this game could get any weirder, Yelich then hit a fly ball to center, which Rodríguez caught… but he thought it was the third out, so he threw it into the stands, but it was just the second out, so instead of one run scoring on a sac fly, that run scored and the other batters got to advance two bases. Lara hit an RBI single before Mitchell finally, mercifully, flew out to right—with Robles doing a weird little impersonation of Willie Mays’ famous “Catch.” If you had trouble keeping up with the runs scored there, it was nine; Milwaukee led 22-0.
The Brewers also didn’t feel like letting this game end normally, so Gary Sánchez came out to pitch the top of the ninth. Sánchez was sitting in the high 30s but showed an ability to dial it up all the way to the low 70s. His ability change speeds kept the Mariner hitters off balance, and despite a couple of hits, Sánchez put a zero on the board in the ninth.
That was a historically important zero: with their 22-0 win, the Brewers matched the largest margin of victory in a shutout in the “modern era,” since the American League was founded in 1901. The feat was done just two other times: when the Pirates beat the Cubs 22-0 at Wrigley Field on September 16, 1975; and when the Cleveland Indians beat the Yankees 22-0 on August 31, 2004. In the former game, Pittsburgh leadoff hitter Rennie Stennett went 7-for-7, Hall-of-Famers Willie Stargell and Dave Parker combined for five hits and eight RBI (plus a homer from the Cobra), and John Candelaria went seven shutout innings. In the latter game, Omar Vizquel was 6-for-7 with four RBI, Travis Hafner hit a triple, and home runs came from Coco Crisp, Victor Marínez, and Brewers legend Jody Gerut, while Jake Westbrook went seven shutout while picking up his 12th win of the season.
A box score to remember, here. The Brewers had 22 hits; every player on the team, including the three subs, had at least one except for Turang, who was 0-for-2 with two walks. Yelich, Hamilton, Bauers, and Lara all homered, while Bauers and Contreras both hit doubles when the game was still contested. On the pitching side, Harrison was effective in five shutout innings, while Drohan, Anderson, and Sánchez finished things off.
The Mariners will look to flush this one and get back to good baseball tomorrow, while the Brewers will hope that there’s some real building blocks for their struggling offense in this one. Dustin May is back on the mound for Milwaukee tomorrow, while Seattle will counter with Logan Gilbert. It’s a 6:40 start, and we’ll see you then.
Aug 18, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers designated hitter Justin Foscue (14) follows through on his solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Texas Rangers scored five runs while the Washington Nationals scored zero runs.
Maybe all the Rangers needed was to play a team from the National League. Sure the American League is terrible this season but Texas obviously likes a challenge. Why put in your best effort against the likes of Anaheim and Not-Oakland when you can show up the Senior Circuit?
It’s probably just anecdotal but it feels like the Rangers have been cooled off a time or two by scheduled days off. However yesterday was a day off that was most welcome and allowed the club to reset after a well-documented unseemly trip out West.
Back home and with the trouble on the coast fully flushed, the Rangers scored a run in the first inning to grab the all important early lead. The run that scored following a couple of hits from Wyatt Langford and Corey Seager came after Cal Quantrill had worked around a leadoff CJ Abrams double in the top of the first.
An inning later, Texas didn’t need to manufacture a run as they turned to the long ball with a solo shot from Justin Foscue. One of many Rangers who have been slumping in August, Foscue collected his eighth dinger of the year as the night’s designated hitter against a left-handed starter for Washington.
Two early runs were nice but a run apiece in a couple of innings is hardly a crooked number. The Rangers fixed that in the bottom of the third when they put together a rally that produced three runs, including the first RBI base hit with the bases loaded in franchise history! (probably)
Cody Freeman’s infield single with the bags packed made it 5-0 Texas and from there, thanks to a great evening of pitching ignited by Quantrill, that score remained there until the final out as the Rangers returned home winners.
Player of the Game: Quantrill, who I likened to Dave Burba in a skeet to AJM earlier today, was out there looking more like Roger Clemens with seven shutout innings on four hits, zero walks, and five Ks.
With Nathan Eovaldi out and Jacob deGrom hurting, Quantrill has stepped up in a big way for a rotation that seemed on the verge of collapsing.
Up Next: The Rangers and Nationals will be back at it tomorrow with Texas not yet able or willing to list a starter while Washington will opt for RHP Cade Cavalli.
The Wednesday evening first pitch from The Shed is scheduled for 7:05 pm CDT and you can catch it via the Rangers Sports Network.
South Bend infielder Josiah Hartshorn swings and hits a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game between the South Bend Cubs and the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Four Winds Field on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Lots of movement over the weekend.
Iowa left-hander Josh Fleming was released.
Iowa right-hander Tyler Santana was activated off the Development List.
Left-hander Ethan Flanagan was promoted to Double-A Knoxville from High-A South Bend.
Outfielder Ethan Conrad was promoted to South Bend from Low-A Myrtle Beach.
Right-hander Luke Alwood was promoted to South Bend from Myrtle Beach.
Right-hander Edwardo Melendez was also promoted to South Bend from Myrtle Beach.
South Bend first baseman Michael Carico was placed on the Development List.
Right-hander Ariston Veasey was promoted to Myrtle Beach from the ACL Cubs (Mesa).
Right-hander John Alkire II was promoted to Myrtle Beach from Mesa.
Right-hander Jhon Cabral was promoted to Myrtle Beach from Mesa.
Myrtle Beach right-handers Daniel Avitia and David Bracho were placed on the Development List.
Braxton Garrett started this game and took the loss. Garrett gave up five runs on six hits over just four innings. The one positive is that Garrett struck out five and waked just one.
Shelby Miller pitched the bottom of the seventh inning in a rehab appearance and allowed one run on a home run by Max Burt. But then he retired the next three batters, striking out one.
DH Chas McCormick hit a solo home run in the eighth inning, his 11th on the season. McCormick was a perfect 2 for 2 with two walks. He drove in both Iowa runs.
The Smokies scored nine runs in the top of the first inning, but the game was suspended by rain after one batter in the second inning. They’ll finish this one tomorrow followed by seven-inning nightcap.
Jostin Florentino gave up just one hit over five innings, but unfortunately it was a home run to the second batter of the game. But Florentino finished with one run on one hit over five innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
The Whitecaps did not have another hit after that first inning home run. Brayden Spears pitched the next two innings and got the win. He did walk one while striking out four.
Adam Stone struck out the side in order in the eighth inning. Then Yoendris Gonzalez finished off the one-hitter by pitching the ninth. He walked a batter with two outs, but allowed no other baserunners. He struck out two.
Left fielder Kade Snell led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run, his eighth on the year. Snell went 2 for 4 with a double and the home run.
South Bend took the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning when center fielder Josiah Hartshorn hit a two-run home run, his 19th this year and 14th with South Bend. Hartshorn also had an RBI single in the eighth, giving up three total RBI on the night. He was 2 for 4.
Starter Kevin Camacho didn’t make it out of the second inning. Camacho finished the night having allowed three runs on four hits over 1.1 innings. Camacho walked three and struck out two.
Julio Valdez gave up four runs in the top of the sixth inning and took the loss. Valdez’s final line was four runs on four hits over 2.2 innings. He walked one and struck out one.
Third baseman Corey Nunez was 2 for 5 with a double and one run scored.
Second baseman Juan Cabada stayed hot, going 2 for 3 with three RBI.
Center fielder Caden Sorrell was 2 for 4 with a steal and one run scored.
Left fielder Derik Alcantara went 2 for 4. He scored twice.
Here are the Birds scoring four runs in the fourth inning.
He set the tone on the first pitch of the game, creating his own version of “OMG.”
The Padres star outfielder sent Zac Thornton’s first delivery over the wall in left field, an ominous sign for the evening ahead.
Thornton couldn’t solve Tatis — he homered twice off the rookie — but even worse for the Mets, Tatis did more than just swing a power bat.
His robbery of a Francisco Lindor grand slam was ultimately the difference in the Padres’ 5-2 victory in front of 35,508 at Citi Field that snapped the four-game Mets winning streak.
“Impressive and annoying, both of those things,” interim manager Andy Green said of Tatis. “Put two good swings on, started the game off [with a home run]. I think there’s probably enough superlatives that have already been thrown out at the robbed home run.”
San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) scores on his two-run home run in the fifth inning. Jason Szenes for the New York PostZac Thornton, who allowed three runs over five innings, watches Fernando Tatis round the bases after belting a two-run homer, his second of the game, in the fifth inning of the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Padres on Aug. 18, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for New York Post
The Mets only managed a Luis Torrens solo homer off Robbie Ray in six innings. Luis Robert Jr. added another solo shot in the eighth.
Tatis was the unquestioned star. He rocketed a first-pitch fastball from Thornton over the wall at a blistering 113.2 mph. It traveled an estimated 452 feet and landed in the second deck. In the fifth, he went to the opposite field for a two-run shot, his 15th of the season. They were all the runs the Padres would need — thanks to Tatis.
Fernando Tatis Jr. robs Francisco Lindor of a grand slam in the second inning of the Mets’ loss to the Padres. Jason Szenes for New York Post
The Mets loaded the bases in the second without a hit, as Ray lost the strike zone. After Torrens grounded into a force out, Lindor sent a fastball toward the right field line. Tatis brought it back, robbing the Mets of four runs.
Tatis ranged to the wall by the 330-foot sign in the right field corner. He leapt and stretched his glove over the fence as his hat flew off his head. Citi Field went quiet, unsure what had happened. Tatis stood motionless for a moment, then let everyone know he had come down with the ball, flipping it from his glove to his bare hand.
“I’m just going for it. I didn’t know it was going out right away,” Tatis said. “But I knew it was going to be a play at the wall. As soon as I was getting close to the wall, just great timing.”
Thornton lasted five innings, giving up the two Tatis homers and striking out seven. It marked Thornton’s eighth straight start of allowing three earned runs or fewer.
Carson Benge makes a big leap but can’t haul down Fernando Tatis Jr.’s two-run homer in the fifth inning. Robert Sabo for New York Post
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“Obviously, I’d like to get a little bit deeper,” he said. “I thought I wasted a few pitches there in the third. I had two outs, and [I gave up a] walk and a base hit. I could’ve saved 10 or so pitches there. I just got to get deeper into games.”
It was a frustrating night for the Mets lineup, which went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
They wasted Bo Bichette doubles in the first and third innings, and a two-on, one-out situation in the seventh when Lindor and Bichette failed to come through against Padres lefty Adrian Morejon.
Morejon put two on in the eighth, but struck out A.J. Ewing — the third time the rookie went down swinging.
The second inning was the big chance, though, and Tatis was responsible for the Mets coming up empty.
Roberts cited Tucker feeling frustrated about some of his recent home performances. He did return for another game against the Brewers and has remained present during the series against the Rockies.
"I don't think he even realized (his frustration) until recently, when I think people brought it to light, but the fact is that the splits are stark (between home and road),” Roberts told reporters on Aug. 15.
Tucker went 1-for-4 in the game, scoring a run and driving in another in the Dodgers' 7-6 victory.
Aug 18, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Umpire Quinn Wolcott (81) calls Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) safe as he steals second ahead ahead the tag by Seattle Mariners second baseman Brock Rodden (90) in the second inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Brewers 22, Mariners 0
This Tornado Loves You: Brendan Donovan, .00 WPA no one, none of you are without sin
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 18: Jeff McNeil #22 of the Athletics reacts after being tagged out at home plate by catcher Carter Jensen #22 of the Kansas City Royals while trying to score during the 1st inning of the game at Kauffman Stadium on August 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics’ blew another late lead on Tuesday night in Kansas City, allowing three runs in the bottom of the ninth to let an easy win slip right through their fingers. This one hurt.
Facing Kansas City left-hander Daniel Lynch IV tonight, the A’s got to work right away against the reliever-turned-starter. Zack Gelof drew a one-out walk to spark the first-inning rally and was immediately followed by a Jeff McNeil single and another walk to Jonah Heim. That loaded the bases and brought up rookie infielder Tommy White. A productive out would have been fine but the A’s ideally needed a hit, and White delivered with a base knock to left field to drive home one:
McNeil got a bit greedy behind Gelof trying to score and was gunned down at the plate. That took the air out of the rally and the A’s would ultimately only come away with one. Felt like they left some meat on the bone there.
That one run was enough for the Athletics’ pitching early. Righty Jack Perkins was initially slated to start but a late change saw left-hander Brady Basso get the ball for the first couple frames. He had a clean 1-2-3 bottom of the first then allowed one harmless single in the second. Pressing his luck, Mark Kotsay sent Basso back out for the third and Basso allowed another hit but also got one more out before getting pulled for Perkins.
Perkins was just as effective as Basso. He finished the third inning and would end up pitching through the sixth inning. He’d only allow two base runners in his work tonight, looking sharper as the game went on. He ended his night on a massive high, striking out the side in the sixth including an inning-ending punchout of Royals star Bobby Witt Jr.
Jack Perkins: 3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 53 pitches
A much better performance from him tonight. The opener strategy worked to perfection and that’s got to be the strategy next time his turn comes up. Fingers crossed he can use tonight’s quality outing and build on it over the final few weeks of the season. He’s “lined up” to pitch next in Houston against the Astros.
Back to the offense, things went quite for a few innings after that quick first inning run, with just one drawn walk between the second and fifth frames. It wasn’t until the top of the sixth did the A’s finally get those much-needed insurance runs. Henry Bolte smacked a leadoff single for the A’s third hit of the night, Gelof drew his second walk, and then it was McNeil coming through again with an RBI hit to make it 2-0 A’s:
The A’s would add on another run in the frame thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Max Muncy. That made it 3-0 A’s and with the way the pitching was rolling it felt like the A’s could finally enjoy the final frames of a win.
One of the newest members of the bullpen Drew Rom replaced Perkins for the seventh. The left-hander only faced three batters with two of them collecting doubles to make it 3-1. No cruising for the A’s tonight after all. Kotsay immediately came and got him, asking Luis Medina to put out the fire. Medina did just that, coming through by getting two groundball outs to escape the jam. Still a two-run lead and six outs to go.
Medina stayed in for a quick bottom of the eighth and got two outs but also put two on with free passes. That brought out Hogan Harris for an extended save chance. First he ended the Royals’ threat by getting the final out of the eighth, then it was time for the ninth.
Things did not go as planned. The Royals were able to load the bases with one out thanks to a catcher’s interference, a single and a walk. Then a two-run RBI single tied this game and then Bobby Witt Jr. walked it off for the Royals. A’s lose.
A disgusting end to this game. The A’s were three outs away from their 50th win and instead allowed three runs. Unacceptable and tough to think about. Need to flush this one as fast as possible.
It hasn’t been announced yet but tomorrow’s game lines up for a Gage Jump start. If the 23-year-old makes his scheduled appearance it’ll be his 16th of the year. He’s coming off a decent outing against the Rangers when he pitched into the sixth and allowed three runs, but only collected one punchout compared to four walks. He’ll try to clean things up tomorrow against a weaker KC lineup.
The Royals, like the Athletics, haven’t announced their starting pitcher yet but if they stick with the regular rotation it’ll be veteran right-hander Seth Lugo making his 26th start. He’s been serviceable as a back-end type of pitcher for the past couple of years but at 36 he’s beginning to slow down. The righty will bring a 4.58 ERA into tomorrow night’s contest.
The Mets didn't have enough offense to keep up on Tuesday night, falling to the San Diego Padres, 5-2.
New York's four-game winning streak came to an end with the loss.
Here are the takeaways...
-- It didn't take long for New York to go down 1-0 as Fernando Tatis Jr. launched a no-doubt, first-pitch home run off rookie Zac Thornton. Tatis then showed his defensive skills in the second inning, robbing Francisco Lindor of a grand slam for the third out.
The star's big night continued in the top of the fifth inning, blasting a two-run homer off Thornton to make it a 3-0 game.
-- Besides the two home runs, Thornton had a solid outing over 5.0 IP and a career-high 99 pitches (69 strikes). Interim manager Andy Green kept Thornton in the game after the second homer and he powered through to strike out three straight Padres. Overall, Thornton struck out seven and allowed the three runs on six hits and a walk.
-- Bo Bichette recorded the team's only two hits through three innings, doubling twice against LHP Robbie Ray. Their only other baserunners came from three walks, including two on challenged calls, in the second inning before Lindor's near grand slam.
-- New York finally got to Ray in the bottom of the fifth inning as Luis Torrens went deep to dead center, cutting the San Diego lead to 3-1. It's Torrens' second straight game with a homer and fifth home run in his last seven games.
-- RHP Jack Weisenburger got through the sixth inning without a problem, but walked two in the seventh and was replaced by LHP Jefry Yan with one out. Yan let up an RBI single to Ty France that extended the Padres' lead to 4-1, and then prevented further damage by striking out Jackson Merrill and getting Xander Bogaerts to ground into a forceout.
-- Luis Robert Jr. brought the Mets within two on a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, trailing 4-2. Christopher Morel, playing in his first game with the Mets, singled with two outs and Marcus Semien kept the rally alive by drawing a walk. A.J. Ewing had a chance to tie things up, but went down swinging against lefty Adrian Morejon.
-- Dedniel Núñez let up a solo home run to Manny Machado in the top of the ninth inning as San Diego extended their lead to 5-2.
Game MVP: Fernando Tatis Jr.
Simply put, it was the Tatis game. The star accounted for three of San Diego's runs and took four runs away from New York.
Aug 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Josh Bell (56) runs the bases on his two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Twins jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the 1st thanks to Josh Bell’s 17th homer of the year. That came with Ryan Jeffers on base to put them up 2-0.
Over the following four innings Tyler Mahle and Zebby Matthews traded zeros. A couple double plays grounded into by the Twins stifled rallies, and Zebby scattered a few hits and a walk. In the top of the 6th, Drake Baldwin hit a solo homer to left to finally put the Braves on the board. Two outs later, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies hit back to back singles. That prompted Derek Shelton to turn to Kody Funderburk out of the bullpen, who got Lane Thomas to strike out to end the threat.
It was around this time in the game that a bat appeared in the sky, and I like to think it sparked something for the Twins. In the bottom of the 8th, a couple of singles put Ryan Jeffers at the plate with 2 on and 1 out. He promptly lined a ball into the gap in right center, scoring Kaelen Culpepper and Byron Buxton to make it a 4-1 game.
Funderburk was followed by Andrew Morris and A.J. Minter in the 6th and 7th innings, who both threw shutout innings. In the top of the 9th, Yoendrys Gomez allowed a double but no runs for the save, as the Twins take game two of this series, clinching a series win. They’ll try for a sweep tomorrow with Taj Bradley on the mound.
