Category: Baseball

Happy Friday, Camden Chatters. The weekend has arrived! Are we still scoreboard watching? If so, after the Orioles lost yesterday they fell to one game out the final Wild Card spot. And the team that has that last spot just happens to be the team the Orioles are playing this weekend. The Texas Rangers.

The Orioles and Rangers faced each other in the second series of the season. The Rangers won two out of three that time. Not ideal.

This time, if the Orioles lose two out of three, they’ll find themselves two games behind the Rangers. If they get swept, it’ll be four games behind and that, frankly, will be all she wrote. If they somehow take two of three, they will leave Texas tied with the Rangers. So it’s a pretty big series. And if they survive this one, they are off to Minnesota to face the team that is currently a half-game ahead of them in the WC race. And that’s to say nothing of the Guardians, who are also a half-game up on the Orioles.

So they’re in it, for now. But the problem, as I see it, is this: they can’t hit. They’re just so bad at hitting! If you take a glance at the team’s Baseball Reference page, there are four players on the top section with an OPS+ over 100, which is league average. They are Pete Alonso, Samuel Basallo, Adley Rutschman, and Taylor Ward. Uh…get well soon, Samuel! Also, Blaze Alexander while we’re at it.

In yesterday’s game, the Orioles were facing Ryan Johnson, a starter with an ERA over 7 and they couldn’t do anything with him. In the first five innings, they have five walks, three hits, and a HBP. But they also hit into two double plays and had a runner caught stealing. Their only runs scored came on a home run from Yohel Pozo. So good for him!

Even in their two wins over the Angels, one of the worst teams in baseball, they struggled to score runs. On Tuesday they scored just three runs in a game started by Grayson Rodriguez, and on Wednesday they were clinging to a one-run lead until an unlikely Leody Taveras home run.

Well, this turned into a downer. They should hire me to be their hitting coach so I can tell them to be better hitters.

Links

David Rubenstein talks Orioles trades, payroll and World Series hopes – The Baltimore Banner
Andy Kostka recounted an event the Orioles’ owner had to promote his new book. This headline had me hoping for answers. I don’t know that I got them.

Orioles offense can’t convert opportunities in 4-1 loss to Angels – MASN Sports
Roch Kubatko’s game story from yesterday’s loss.

Orioles Legend Jim Palmer Tackles a Challenging Career Quiz – FanGraphs
Well know Jim Palmer has an incredible memory. Take a trip down memory lane with him.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have seven Orioles birthday buddies. That’s a lot! Gerónimo Gil is 51 years old today. Gil spent five seasons with the Orioles, 2001-05. He spent that time as a backup catcher, except in 2002 when he got into 125 games.

Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Wade LeBlanc (42), Jason Grimsley (59), Tex Nelson (b. 1936, d. 2011), Don Larsen (b. 1929, d. 2020), Art Houtteman (b. 1927, d. 2003), and Bob Alexander (b. 1922, d. 1993).

On this day in 1964, the Orioles defeated the Yankees 2-0. Steve Barber pitched 6.2 shutout innings and Harvey Haddix finished the game. Brooks Robinson had an RBI single and Jerry Adair hit a home run.

In 1998, the Orioles pounded the Twins 16-9. Brady Anderson had five hits with two doubles and two home runs. Harold Baines and Cal Ripken also homered. Starter Scott Erickson was knocked out after four innings and seven runs, but that’s ok in this instance.

In 2016, Manny Machado hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in a 10-2 Orioles win over the White Sox. He had three more chances to hit four homers, but went hitless for the rest of the game. He had seven RBI.

In 2019, in the midst of a 14-2 loss to the Yankees, Chris Davis and Brandon Hyde got into a fight in the dugout. It was the most exciting thing that happened for the Orioles in the game.

You’ll be relieved to know that these 2026 Giants are still 4 games off the pace of the 100-loss 1985 Giants. Will that have any bearing on this weekend’s series against the Detroit Tigers aka The Team That Just Traded The Best Pitcher In The World To The Los Angeles Dodgers?

Well, if they’re swept, it will prevent them from winning their 50th game. Haha, what am I thinking? They’d have to win the series to get to that mark. That seems like a stretch!

For as much as the Tigers signaled they’re punting on 2026 with their deadline deal of Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers (2.9 fWAR) and Casey Mize (3.0) to the Padres, it’s worth pointing out that their pitching remains solid, along with their lineup. They’re now led by Framber Valdez, who’s having a rough transition to a new team this season (1.3 fWAR in 120.1 IP) but shutout the Mariners for 7 innings just last night. The Giants will miss him, but they won’t avoid the two other valuable starters: 25-year olds Keider Montero (a righty; 2.2 fWAR) and 25 Troy Melton (a lefty; 1.2).

But what you really want to pay attention to is that lineup. They’ve got a 27-year old catcher named Dillon Dingler and he seems to have stolen the crown of thumping catcher from Big Dumper Cal Raleigh by Dinglering 25 dingers so far this season. He also leads the Tigers in value (5.4 fWAR). He’s a very Giantsy player, too, with a line of .275/.339/.529 and a walk rate of just 6.1%. They’ve also got 21-year old Kevin McGonigle, who just hits and hits and hits and hits (.282/.388/.422 in 495 PA). Riley Greene (.458 slug), Spencer Torkelson (20 dinlgers), and Gleyber Torres round out a solid core that will almost certainly frustrate the Giants’ prospects in training.

The big news on Detroit’s side will be the season debut of flamethrower Jackson Jobe, who will step onto a major league mound for the first time in 14 months following Tommy John surgery. The former first rounder (#3 overall in the 2021 draft) last pitched in May. The 23-year old will almost certainly be on a pitch count.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Tigers are 14-16 in interleague (-4 run diff.) and 26-32 on the road (+37); but, after an awful month of May (6-22), they’ve been the fourth-best team in the sport with a record of 34-21. The Giants are 25-31 over the same span. They’re just 12-21 in interleague (-15 run diff.). They’re also 26-27 at home (-14). They’ll be throwing the best of what’s left of their rotation at the best of what’s left of the Tigers’ rotation and I think, you know, it seems like a pretty lopsided matchup.

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Series Overview

Who: San Francisco Giants (48-67) vs. Detroit Tigers (56-59)
Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California
When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 4:15pm PT, Sunday at 1:05pm PT
National broadcasts: Fox TV (Saturday)

Projected starters
Friday: Keider Montero (RHP 8-6, 3.17 ERA) vs. TBD
Saturday: Jackson Jobe (RHP season debut) vs. Landen Roupp (RHP 7-10, 4.34 ERA)
Sunday: Troy Melton (LHP 7-1, 1.58 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (RHP 7-7, 3.74 ERA)

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PHILADELPHIA — When Cody Bellinger made the cross-country flight to participate in the 2007 Little League World Series, he had no clue where Williamsport was located in Pennsylvania.

How about almost two decades later for the now-New York Yankees outfielder? 

"I still don't know," Bellinger jokingly told USA TODAY Sports last month.  

While Williamsport's exact location may still escape Bellinger, the memories haven’t. Nearly two decades later, the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP can still vividly recall what he considers the "100%" no-questions-asked most fun summer of his life before turning pro.

To reach Williamsport, Bellinger and his team defeated Hawaii 8-1 in the championship game of the West Region Tournament in San Bernardino, California. It marked just the second time that Chandler National had sent a team to the Little League World Series. 

"It was just so fun. It’s a lot of baseball to get there," Bellinger said. "... San Bernardino was cool because that was one of the nicest fields and we had a new dorm set up. That was our first time living together. I thought that was really fun. Then we got to Williamsport. 

"It's just a sleepover with your boys for however long you’re there."

Cody Bellinger at the Little League World Series

The significance of reaching the Little League World Series hit Bellinger — who was coached by his dad, two-time World Series champion Clay Bellinger — almost immediately. He said it came in the first inning of Chandler’s opener against Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic representative, at Howard J. Lamade Stadium, when he paused in the outfield and had a "holy crap" realization that he made it to Williamsport, where over 10,000 fans packed the grandstands of one of baseball’s historic ballparks on top of the 30,000-plus around the berm.

"I was in center field and I looked behind me and the whole berm was filled with people. I was like, 'This is actually crazy,'" Bellinger said. "And then later that night we ended up going on the ESPN Baseball Tonight set and had a microphone on my face. The whole thing was just wild."

Bellinger hit the ground running in that opener against Maryland, as he went 4-for-5 at the plate with three runs and three RBI, two of which came on an opposite-field two-run homer. 

"I was really nervous my first at-bat," Bellinger recalled. "I ended up hitting a single, which was really nice."

Chandler would finish 2-1 in Pool B play on the United States side of the bracket, with wins coming against the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Bellinger would hit .400 overall in the tournament to go along with six runs scored, two extra-base hits and three runs driven in.

The Little League World Series experience

While in Williamsport, those who compete in the tournament are the town's celebrities for their entire stay, as spectators who flock from all over to the small Western Pennsylvania town ask players for photos and autographs.

However, Bellinger said that with the tournament keeping the players "secluded" from the general public during their stay, it was what took place inside The Grove, the players' village, that made it an "unbelievable experience" for him.

Take, for example, the ping-pong games against Chinese Taipei and Canada, the latter of whom Bellinger and his teammates shared the dorms with in The Grove. And don’t forget the food in the cafeteria, a vivid memory Bellinger still has today.

"(Just) remember the food room being filled with a bunch of kids from different parts of the world," Bellinger said. "Then the playroom … there was ping pong and arcade games. And on top of all that, just being in the dorm with the whole team and watching ESPN and seeing your highlights of the game. It was just unreal."

The trip to Williamsport marked one of Bellinger’s final Little League experiences, as Chandler National split into two teams and the future MLB star moved on to club baseball the following summer.

"I was sick about it because I really thought that we would’ve went back (the next year) but they split us up,” Bellinger said. "I don’t even think I ended up playing Little League that next year just because. 

"... That literally was my last Little League experience."

Bellinger said it wasn't until their loss to Georgia in the semifinals of the United States bracket that the two-time World Series champion fully understood the magnitude of the Little League World Series.

"We were devastated. (In) tears," Bellinger said. "Think just as a kid, we were just having so much fun. Baseball was just added fun."

For the 200-plus players that have advanced to Williamsport this season and will experience the LLWS in its fullest over the next few weeks, Bellinger’s advice is simple — and one that he included in a video for the Chandler National Team a few weeks back. 

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You're with your boys for two weeks, having a sleepover, eating together, playing together. At the end of the day, you want to win, but priority number one is enjoy (it). That's it," Bellinger said. "You might not go back, and it's such a fun experience."

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cody Bellinger recalls 2007 Little League World Series trip: 'It was so fun'

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be bringing back and honoring a former Bucco All-Star, as Josh Harrison is set to officially retire as a Pirate.

Harrison was visiting PNC Park in June for the first time since he was there as a visiting player with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. In the swirl of emotions and interactions, it was one conversation with owner and chairman Bob Nutting that sparked this reunion for Harrison. Despite not playing for the Pirates since 2018, Nutting made it a point to express his fondness of “JHay” and the time he spent in Pittsburgh.

“Throughout his career, Josh Harrison embodied what it means to be a Pittsburgh Pirate: a gritty, hardworking player, a great teammate and a kind person who was always gracious with his time. He was and remains a cherished member of our organization,” Nutting said. “Josh is incredibly deserving of this celebration, and we look forward to honoring him alongside his family and friends in front of our fans at PNC Park.”

Counting down the days until J-Hay's retirement!

4️⃣ days out: "No-hitter gone, shutout gone, and now the game is gone." pic.twitter.com/hOfUN7KAIc

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 4, 2026

Harrison expressed that while he never thought about it seriously, he was excited at the opportunity to retire with the team that he became a star with.

“It’s not anything I thought much about,” Harrison said. “It’s easy when someone plays for one team their whole career. I played for six. But I know when people talk about my body of work, mostly the Pirates come to mind. “I was never gonna say, ‘Let me retire a Pirate.’ But it’s always cool when it happens naturally and organically. That’s how I wanted it to be.”

JHay said his conversation with Nutting was surprising but was one that he was excited was happening.

“Bob said the Pirates wanted to bring me and my family back and have me retire as a Pirate,” Harrison said. “I was excited. I thought it was pretty cool. “I don’t know how those things work, but when Bob mentioned it, I thought, ‘Oh, yeah. We can definitely make something happen.’”

At this point in his life he Harrison also has the opportunity to bring his family back to the city where he started his major league career.

“The city means a lot to us,” Harrison said. “It’s our home away from home. I had some of my better years in Pittsburgh and grew a lot. That’s where me and my family started. For it to come full circle is really special.”

During his career as a member of the Pirates, Harrison became one of the most electrifying players in baseball. While in Pittsburgh he was named to two All-Star teams and collected 773 hits while hitting .277 with 73 home runs and 91 stolen bases. He had a breakout season in 2014 when he finished second in the NL batting title race with a career high .315 batting average. That season he had 13 home runs and snagged 18 stolen bases. In 2017 as a member of the Pirates, he also represented Team USA at the World Baseball classic when the team won Gold.

2x All-Star
2014 Heart and Hustle Award winner
Beloved Bucco
𝐏𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫.

🔗 https://t.co/RNqXVawPbPpic.twitter.com/AWddvNt7rk

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 27, 2026

JHay will officially retire as a Pirate on Friday with a corresponding press conference, before being honored on Saturday with a pre-game ceremony, a game-time first pitch and the first 20,000 fans at PNC Park will receive a commemorative T-shirt as a part of the weekend’s celebrations.

Harrison was a key part of the Pirates’ post season run from 2013-2015 and was undoubtedly one of the most exciting Pirates of the 21st century. Very few had the talent that he had to play at five different positions at any given time, while also being one of the most elusive baserunners in baseball. He enjoyed the most success in his career in Pittsburgh and it’s only fitting that Harrison officially retires with the Pirates.

“As a player, you don’t sit there and think about your numbers or what you meant to a city,” Harrison said. “I just kind of lived in the moment.” “But it’s cool to be acknowledged that way. I was just in the right place at the right time with those guys. Pittsburgh gave me an opportunity. I’ll always be a Pirate.”

POSTPONED: Toledo Mud Hens vs. Omaha Storm Chasers

Rain, rain, go away. The Hens play two tomorrow.

pic.twitter.com/InDFXGHIrb

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) August 6, 2026

Coming Up Next: Two 7-inning games on Friday, starting at 5:35 p.m. ET. The series is tied, 1-1.

Altoona Curve 10, Erie SeaWolves 6 (box)

Not a ton happened in this one until the fifth inning. Altoona and Erie combined for just four hits over as many innings. Zyhir Hope turned one of those into an out with his rocket arm in the first, but it was mostly boring until the extra-base hits started flowing.

A leadoff hit for Altoona, but Zyhir Hope gets to the ball quickly and throws a strike to second base to get the out. pic.twitter.com/5FRF9Ux2GY

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 6, 2026

The Curve struck first, knocking Andrew Sears out of the game with a two-out double. Dariel Fregio took over, and things got worse fast. An RBI single, wild pitch and home run made it 4-0, setting up Sears for the loss. Fregio gave up another homer to start the sixth, pushing Erie’s deficit to five runs.

The SeaWolves got in the board in an exciting way in the bottom half of the inning, though. Hope hit his first home run following the Skubal trade, and it is some easy power. He flicked his bat out for something low and away, and took it for a ride to left-center. His pull-side homers are going to be even more impressive shows of strength.

Zyhir Hope’s first hit in the Tigers farm system is a two-run HR. No. 24 on the year.

As @BurgessLuke03 says, he didn’t even get all of it. #Tigerspic.twitter.com/aBpJwJM1MJ

— David Rosenberg (@DavidRosenbergg) August 6, 2026

Josue Briceno didn’t want people to forget he’s also a big power threat, so he went back-to-back with Hope, crushing a hung slider into oblivion. These are the future middle-of-the-order bats in Detroit, and those homers are two easy reasons to get excited. Briceno was on track to get to Detroit just after Max Clark, but he was slowed down by injury. Hope should be on an accelerated track to join Clark and Riley Greene in the outfield next year.

Josue Briceno goes back-to-back with hope. Big power coming to Detroit soon. #Tigerspic.twitter.com/zcsNW14waE

— David Rosenberg (@DavidRosenbergg) August 7, 2026

Unfortunately, the rest of the game was not as fun to watch. Marco Jimenez took over on the mound in the seventh and promptly gave up a solo homer. After an out, the next four batters reached, making it 9-3 in favor of Altoona, and a two-out single brought the Curve into double digits. Sigh. Jimenez does get a bit of a pass since he’s still figuring things out after an injury.

Trevin Michael stopped the bleeding, getting the final out of the seventh and pitching through the eighth. Erie loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, scoring on an error, but Altoona traded a sixth run for a double play and that was that.

Tanner Kohlepp went 1-2-3 in the ninth, but Erie’s offense only offered a two-out single in the final frame.

Hope: 1-4, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

Briceno: 1-2, HR (7), 2 R, RBI, 2 BB

Sears (L, 2-2): 4.2 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday. Altoona leads the series, 2-1.

Fort Wayne TinCaps 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)

Fort Wayne and West Michigan combined for just six hits on the day, and the longball was the difference in this one.

The Whitecaps had just one hit. Beau Ankeney doubled in the second; it was nearly a home run but just caught the top of the wall padding to stay in the park. He ended the inning stranded on third. Only two other batters reached base—Woody Hadeen and Luke Shliger—both on walks.

Beau Ankeney rips the ball high off the wall in left – it might have been a home run, but it’s called a double. pic.twitter.com/CyLZyCeXio

— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 6, 2026

It’s a shame because Lucas Elissalt was putting together a pretty nice start. His heater was up to 95 mph and hitters were late on it. His breaking ball might have been even better, drawing plenty of swing-and-miss. Elissalt finished the day with 13 whiffs, the third-most across High-A today.

Lamar King Jr. homered off Elissalt with a man on base in the fifth, giving him the loss, but it was still a good outing with no walks and six strikeouts. Joe Miller got the final three frames. His lone blemish was a solo homer in the seventh.

West Michigan had trouble putting anything together against Fort Wayne’s Carson Montgomery. He only struck out three over six innings, but he also only allowed one hit for a quality start. Carlos Medina was sharp out of the bullpen, going three perfect innings with six strikeouts.

Elissalt (L, 3-5): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K, HR

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday. West Michigan leads the series, 2-1.

Dunedin Blue Jays X, Lakeland Flying Tigers X (box)

More rain… Looks like it’ll be two doubleheaders tomorrow on the farm.

Tonight’s game has been postponed ⛈️ pic.twitter.com/ozJkXGGSuX

— Lakeland Flying Tigers (@LkdFlyingTigers) August 6, 2026

Coming Up Next: Two 7-inning games on Friday, starting at 4 p.m. ET. The series is tied, 1-1.

DSL Tigers (2) 9, DSL Rockies 1 (box)

The DSL Tigers 2 squad crushed the DSL Rockies on Thursday, outscoring their opponents 9-0 after giving up a leadoff homer in the first.

Besides the home run, Albert Ramos as sharp for five innings. He worked around three more hits and two walks, striking out three batters before turning things over to the bullpen.

The offense got Ramos the lead back right away, with Eduardo Tusen reaching on an error and Manuel Bolivar hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. That’s Bolivar’s seventh of the year, so the $2.3 million international signing bonus is working out well so far. I’d like to see him stateside sooner rather than later, though.

Tusen was another member of Detroit’s international signing class this year, so it’s good to see him producing immediately at the top of the order.

Wagnel Luna tripled in the second, bringing home Jeiker Gudino. Tusen singled in Luna and later scored on a balk. Actually, it was two balks. The DSL is wild, man.

Diego Orro knocked in Jonathan Moya in the third, and Tusen doubled in two more runs in the fifth. Bolivar made it 9-1 right after with his fourth hit of the day.

Edgar Leon closed out the final two innings. He gave up a leadoff single and two walks but got the job done just fine.

Bolivar: 4-4, HR (7), R, 3 RBI

Tusen: 2-4, 2B (16), 3 R, 4 RBI, K

Albert Ramos: 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HR

Coming Up Next: Both DSL Tigers teams are in action on Friday. The No. 1 club is on the road against the DSL Angels, and the No. 2 team is on the road agaisnt the DSL Phillies.

The Yankees got a much-needed offday yesterday, coming off a stretch of 13 games in 13 days. Despite the negative sentiment around the team for much of that span, I’d argue that this stretch went well; the Yankees played for 13 exhausting days in row, largely against strong opponents, with ten of those games on the road, all with their injured list littered with stars. They came out of it 7-6, and with some positiveinjury news coming out during that time to boot. If you can see past the (many) frustrating close losses the Yankees have suffered in the last week or two, maybe, just maybe, there is something bright on the horizon.

We’ve got another tough series coming up, this one with the Braves, which Matt will preview this morning, while Madison recaps a light Thursday of AL action. Also, Nick profiles Don Larsen, born on this day 97 years ago, Peter gives us his Sequence of the Week, featuring some superlative work from a surging Ryan Weathers, and Madison delivers this week’s mailbag.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, BravesVision

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. The Yankees have their big three starters lined up for this series with Atlanta: Fried, Cole, Schlittler. Can they convert that advantage into a series win?

2. After their historic run the last two months, do you think the Red Sox are a bigger threat than the Yankees to rally past the Rays in the AL East?

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Top prospect George Lombard Jr. has just two MLB games under his belt, but he’s looked like he belongs at this level. The new shortstop credits the major-league experience of his father and the general upbringing that has now produced two first round MLB picks, the other his brother Jacob. The other sons-of-MLBers in the Yankee clubhouse, Cody Bellinger (who Lombard met while his father coached with the Dodgers from 2016-20), Ryan Weathers, and Aaron Boone can all empathize with the value add of genetics, and now all Lombard Jr. has to do is keep going.

New York Post | Zack Braziller: Veteran lefthander Carlos Rodón will eventually return to the Yankees’ rotation, forcing the club to keep one of Ryan Weathers or Will Warren in the starting five, and sending the other to the bullpen. Although I think Weathers’ stuff, especially his excellent breaking balls, would play up more in relief, the performance on the field will dictate that decision. Warren simply hasn’t been as good as Weathers over the last six weeks or so, with Will having that one standout performance against the Cubs and not much else to show for it. Weathers, on the other hand, has allowed a single run in his last 20.1 innings.

FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: There’s a lot of things you can say about the state of the Yankee roster, but once again they made one of the very best relief pitchers in baseball appear out of nowhere. Lefty Brett Headrick has become Aaron Boone’s security blanket, deployed against hitters of both handedness with one of the best fastballs and sliders in the game — not quite Mason Miller-level stuff, but not far off. Headrick is in the midst of one of ten or so most dominant relief seasons in franchise history, and that is saying something with this org’s history.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: We close with an update on the injured list. Giancarlo Stanton and the aforementioned Rodón are facing off against each other in simulated ABs, Aaron Judge was re-imaged and can begin light workouts, and Clarke Schmidt is cleared to continue rehabbing after a brief scare earlier this week. There’s some 15-17 wins sitting on the IL right now, and if one or two of those returns can be ahead of schedule, that may be enough to start closing some ground in the division race.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.

The San Diego Padres entered the MLB Trade Deadline with multiple paths in front of them. Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller has been aggressive at past deadlines, but he has had a more complete team. San Diego has struggled on offense throughout the year, but has been playing better recently and put Preller into a position where he had to make a choice. Buy additonal resources to help the 2026 team attempt to get into and make a run in the playoffs. Sell off players with expiring contracts to try to replenish one of the worst farm systems in the league. He had the option to do nothing and let the remainder of the season play out or he could have done a combination of buying and selling to make the 2026 team better, but also address future needs.

Rumors were flying throughout the game that teams like the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates would come after All-Star closer Mason Miller, who was acquired at the 2025 Trade Deadline from the Athletics, but Preller seemed reluctant to move the player that cost him Leodalis De Vries. Rumors about Miller began to fade as it became clearer he was not available, so Adrian Morejon became the desired target. Morejon made it clear he did not want to be dealt and Preller again made it known that any team seeking to add the dominant left-handed reliever would have to pay a high price. Michael King was also rumored to be a possible trade candidate as the only rotation piece with any value.

The Padres also had a position player who some teams might have found attractive in Ty France. The first baseman signed a minor league deal with San Diego in the offseason. He plays solid defense and is a former Gold Glove Award winner, but even more appealing is his offensive resurgence. France has found his power stroke and is tied for second on the team in homers with 16. He also has a .288 average and 49 RBI.

Preller decided not to move any of his MLB assets and instead added two of the top starting pitchers on the market in Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers. Gage Workman a left-handed utility player was also added in the trade with the Tigers. Preller and the Padres paid a price for their additions. Former first-round pick pitcher Kash Mayfield, 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez, pitcher Miguel Mendez and pitcher Jackson Wolf were all used as currency to make the deadline additions.

Mize made his first start for the Padres against the Arizona Diamondbacks and had a horrible night. He allowed eight runs on nine hits in three-plus innings, but by all accounts, that performance was an anomaly and not the norm from Mize. Workman chipped in with a three-run double in the loss on Wednesday, which was his first hit with San Diego. Padres fans will get their first look at their other new pitcher when San Diego returns to Petco Park to host the Houston Astros. The Friar Faithful will be looking for a similar result to the last time Ray took the mound at Petco when he completed six innings and allowed one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts as a member of the Giants.

Now that the deadline has come and gone and decisions have been made, Gaslamp Ball would like to know what you, the readers, think about the performance of Preller and the Padres at the deadline. Results will be post later in the week.

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The San Diego Padres split the series and evened the season series tonight at 5 wins a piece as the Padres bullpen really shut things down.

Kohl Drake was getting almost no swing and miss tonight as his stuff was simply not playing against this Padres lineup. Drake didn’t even have good command tonight as he pitched to a lot of 3 ball counts. Drake was only able to get through 3 2/3 innings tonight needing 80 pitches to do so as he was simply not effective. It honestly felt like he should’ve given up more than the 3 runs he gave up, but some good outfield defense which we will get to later bailed him out on some balls that were smashed.

Phillip Abner struggled over 3 innings, but atleast he was able to give this team 3 innings. Abner threw 52 pitches which Lovullo acknowledged in the post game was probably a little bit above what his limit likely was, however getting those extra outs definitely put this bullpen in a better position heading into the big weekend series against the Dodgers.

Ryan Waldschmidt who consistently has been getting replaced deep in games defensively had 2 phenomenal catches earlier in this game. Both of them crashing into the CF wall and traveling more than 80 feet to catch both. Maybe this will allow him to stay in games?

The Dbacks offense plated a run in the 3^rd inning on an RBI single by the hottest catcher in baseball Gabi Moreno who would go on to record 3 hits on the night. The Dbacks were able to load the bases with 2 outs in the inning, but unfortunately Nolan Arenado flew out and the Dbacks offense was unable to score more runs. The red hot Tim Tawa would then single in the 4^th inning, and that would be the last base hit for this offense until 2 outs in the bottom of the 8^th. Pretty tough to win many games with that little of offensive production. Not much else to report on the offense however it is probably fair to note that the Padres bullpen has really carried this team, so maybe we just chock it up to that.

The Dbacks will now gear up for a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers as they will look to Merrill Kelly to rebound in a big way from his last start. After the series split, the Dbacks will keep just a 1 game lead over the Padres for the final wild card spot as the Phillies won tonight. The Dbacks will square off against the Padres for 3 more games on the final 3 games of the season in San Diego to see who wins the season series, and potentially to decide who gets to go to the playoffs.

I guess you can say the White Sox refused to go down without a fight, but the Red Sox wouldn’t die. In a 13-inning game that lasted more than four hours, the White Sox fell short in the finale in Boston, falling victim to a late-night sweep.

Luis Castillo debuted with a much-needed nine-pitch inning and kept the Red Sox quiet again in the second. Ranger Suárez plunked Joey Bart in the second, but that was the only baserunner for the White Sox through two innings.

Suárez went well over the 30-pitch mark in the third inning, with the bullpen up and warming by the end of his frame after 70 total pitches. His nightmare inning started with a walk to Braden Montgomery and a two-run homer well over the Monster by former Red Sox minor leaguer Chase Meidroth.

With two outs, Suárez picked up a pitch clock violation to walk Miguel Vargas. Randal Grichuk and Colson Montgomery had back-to-back singles. Colson’s knock sent both Vargas and Grichuk home, with Grichuk scoring on a throwing error by center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Bart would end the inning, but the White Sox had exhausted Suárez and taken a 4-0 lead.

The Red Sox answered in the bottom of the third. With one out, Anthony Seigler walked and came home on a Connor Wong home run. Nick Sogard singled, but Rafaela grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, preventing further damage.

Greg Weissert replaced Suárez for the fourth inning and quickly gave up a single to Brenton Doyle, who then stole second. Doyle got to third when Wong couldn’t squeeze the pitch after Braden struck out. Doyle started the frame by beating out the throw to first, then winning a challenge after stealing second. Moments later, pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci drove in Doyle with a double. Meidroth picked up a walk with Munetaka Murakami looming, prompting another meeting at the mound. Weissert would luck out by striking out both Murakami and Vargas. Thankfully, though, a lead was still intact at 5-2.

Castillo ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth, surrendering three straight hits. Andruw Monasterio doubled, sending Caleb Durbin home. Then Seigler doubled, tying the game.

Andrew Benintendi and Colson started the fifth with back-to-back singles. With two outs, Braden singled, beating out the throw and then getting to second as a plethora of bad throws sent two runs in, making it 7-5, Good Guys.

Bryan Hudson came on to replace Castillo. Rafaela singled with one out, and Wilyer Abreu struck out right after. Rafaela tried to steal second, but Bart threw a dart to second, and Meidroth tagged him out when he stepped off the base, ending the threat and the inning.

Jordan Hicks gave up back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the sixth, allowing another Red Sox run to score. Grant Taylor came in for the final out and shut the Red Sox down.

For the second time in the game, Bart was hit by a pitch with two outs in the seventh. Unfortunately, the newly acquired catcher left the game with a trainer after taking the hit. It was all in vain via a failed bunt from Tristan Peters. Taylor stayed in for the seventh and put two straight batters aboard, one on a walk and the other on a hit-by-pitch. The righthander somehow escaped the jam with a strikeout, keeping the game within one run.

During the eighth inning, the broadcast announced that Bart suffered a fracture in his fifth metacarpal, so see you again soon, Edgar Quero. Two runners got on base, but the White Sox failed to make anything happen. With two outs in the bottom half, Jarren Duran reached on a throwing error. Seigler singled to put two on, driving Taylor out of the game. After an overturned challenge, Drew Romo managed to catch Duran stealing third for a massive out to end the inning.

With the game on the line, Colson picked up a one-out walk and was rewarded second after a balk. Peters picked up the second free pass of the frame with two outs, but Braden hit the ball right to second on the first pitch. Huascar Brazobán stayed in the game to pitch for the bottom of the ninth after coming in for the last batter in the eighth. Wong started the inning with a double and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Sogard. Two outs and two strikes later, the Red Sox tied up the game with a single from Abreu. Will Venable challenged another safe call, and it was overturned, sending the already-stressful game into extras.

Known terrible person Aroldis Chapman gave up a beautiful home run to Meidroth in the top of the tenth, his second two-run homer of the night.

Trent Richards, on for the bottom half, issued a walk to Masataka Yoshida and an RBI double to Monasterio to put the game within one run with only one out. Duran was intentionally walked to load the bases as the bullpen started moving. Seigler’s sac fly sent another run in to tie it 9-9 with two runners still on base. Richards walked yet another hitter to load the bases, but Sogard hit into force out.

With a wild throw and a sac fly, the White Sox reclaimed the lead in the 11th. Rafaela started the bottom half of the inning with a single, and Abreu would tie the game once more at 10-10. Richards walked yet another batter, putting two runners on base with only one out. Jahmai Jones singled to load the bases, putting five players in the infield for the White Sox. A fly out from Monasterio kept the bases loaded, and Richards was finally pulled from the game. Duran ended the inning with a fly out.

Once again, the White Sox took the lead, now in the 12th. Peters singled, and with one out, Antonacci singled to send the ghost runner Romo home. Meidroth snuck one under the glove, prompting Justin Jirschele to send Braden home, but he was thrown out. Murakami was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs, and Vargas hit into a force out. A sac fly from Rogers tied the game for the fifth time, as we’re in hour four of this game.

The Good Guys couldn’t get it done in the top of the 13th. Erick Fedde came out to try and hold the tie, but four-plus hours of torture finally ended when Durbin walked it off with a single, handing the White Sox a 12-11 loss and a sweep.

MVP
Chase Meidroth — 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 H, 4 RBI, 2 BB, E

Runners-Up
Colson Montgomery — 2-for-5, R, 2 RBI, BB, K, SF
Sam Antonacci — 3-for-5, 2 RBI, 2B

Cold Cat
Munetaka Murakami — 0-for-6, 1 BB, 3 K

Baseball is a funny game. It’s hard to win a lot. You win seven straight, sweep one team, win a series against another, Martin Perez is on the hill, it’s rainy — you figure, no one can win ‘em all, we’ll get ‘em tomorrow, we’re in a good place, yadda yadda yadda. Well, turns out, the Braves can get ‘em tomorrow and today, as they showed no signs of letting up in an 11-3 rout that granted them a sweep of the Marlins as well as their eighth straight win. The victory extended their longest winning streak of the season so far, while extending the stretch of three or fewer runs given up to six games, and the stretch of four or fewer runs given up to nine.

Overall, this game featured one of the silliest homers you’ll ever see, and then descended into silliness basically everywhere else, as the Braves walloped Miami pitching. In the end, it was a stat-padding laugher, which was kind of a nice change of pace amid a stretch of fairly tight games.

Things were pretty quiet for the first few frames; Matt Olson hit a ringing double in the bottom of the first, but Michael Harris II grounded out. Perez issued a leadoff walk in the second, but a double play ball allowed him to have a 1-2-3 frame.

The first bit of silliness came in the bottom of the second. Mauricio Dubon hit a soft liner to right for a single, and decided to try to stretch it into a double, where he was handily thrown out. That wasn’t all that remarkable in and of itself, except that two batters later, Dominic Smith dunked an even softer liner to left, and was also thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. That was a nice appetizer for the bottom of the third, where, with two outs and a runner on first, this happened:

Ronald Acuña Jr. 2-run HR with some major help from the Marlins outfieldpic.twitter.com/N7jPWeSBLD

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 6, 2026

It wasn’t the ball going off Jose Canseco’s head. It wasn’t even Tim Hudson’s adventure with Bryce Harper. But, nonetheless, it was very silly, and helped repay Ronald Acuña Jr. for at least some of the heinous xwOBA underperformance he’s experienced this season.

And then, perhaps as a result of some skybound deity laughing so hard they cried at the Marlins own-goaling the Braves two runs, the rains came. Said rains lasted for quite a while, knocking both Perez (3 IP, 3/1 K/BB) and Janson Junk (3 IP, 1/1 K/BB, one “homer” allowed) out of the game.

Tyler Kinley had few issues in the fourth. The Braves had a scoring chance in the bottom of the inning, as Mauricio Dubon walked against Tyler Zuber, and eventually stole second and took third on a throwing error. However, Smith grounded out, and Austin Riley stared at a Zuber strike three down the pipe for some reason. Victor Mederos followed Kinley with two quiet frames (2/1 K/BB ratio). John King matched Mederos for one frame, but the game got completely away from the Marlins in the bottom of the sixth.

Olson started the inning by nearly homering on a ball just foul. Five pitches later, he found a changeup just above his ankles and scoop-bliterated it into center to make it 3-0. Harris followed with a double, and Dubon bounced a curve below the zone for a single. Given that King throws with his left hand, the Braves then pinch-hit Lane Thomas for Mike Yastrzemski. Thomas swung at a first-pitch get-me-over slider from King and yanked it down the left-field line for his first hit with his new team, pushing the score to 4-0. The Braves then proceeded to rouse Ozzie Albies from his team-enforced slumber; he drew a walk to re-load the bases. Out went King, in came onetime Braves farmhand Victor Vodnik, and Riley greeted him with a sac fly to center. Two groundballs against Vodnik suggested that the inning end, but Xavier Edwards bobbled the second one, allowing another run to score. Things could’ve gotten even zanier, but Acuña’s hard liner was hit right at the center fielder to end the inning.

Danny Young came in for the seventh and was really the only Brave (other than Jim Jarvis, who went 0-for-4) to not have a good game. Young started his night with a strikeout, but then a walk and a few singles made it 6-2. Young could’ve gotten out of the frame by retiring backup catcher Brian Navaretto, but instead, he hit him on the shin with a sweeper. That forced Dylan Lee into the bases-loaded situation, and Lee got out of it as Otto Lopez weakly lifted an 0-1 changeup to center. I feel for Young, who is not that far removed from Tommy John Surgery, but you figure that the Braves won’t keep him on the roster too much longer if he doesn’t find some feel for his arsenal sooner rather than later.

With the Miami rally thwarted, the game then descended into something more farcical. Walk-triple-single against Vodnik in the bottom the seventh got those two runs right back. Brent Suter made his Braves debut in the eighth, and picked off a batter he walked. Cade Gibson was Miami’s last pitcher-slash-victim, and he gave up Acuña’s second longball of the night. It wasn’t really fielder-aided this time, but it was also just a routine fly ball that happened to float all the way towards the right-field corner and across the very generous wall out there in front of the Chop House. As a result, Acuña now has his second two-homer game of the year… and maybe the most unique one of his career. That may have been a good place to shut this one down, but it was not to be. Olson hit a liner to center that smashed out of the center fielder’s glove; a Harris single then scored Olson, and a Dubon double then scored Harris to make it 11-2. Dubon’s double actually came against Sanoja, who was “punished” for whiffing on Olson’s liner by being forced to pitch and get the final Braves out of the game.

Suter went back out for the ninth and was basically just lobbing it in there to get the game over with. The Marlins ended up collecting three hits on letter-high, sub-90 mph fastballs in the process, but eventually they ran out of BABIP and outs, and the game ended.

It was a fun one in the box score here:

• Acuña had the two homers;
• Olson would’ve been perfect but for the liner-that-turned-into-an-error, with two walks to go with his homer and double (and “double”);
• Harris finished a homer short of the cycle, with his triple somehow his first of the season; and
• Dubon went 4-for-4 with a walk and a double.
  

Meanwhile, Braves pitching had an 8/4 K/BB ratio and avoided any Marlins longballs — by my count, they haven’t allowed a homer in five games now, which is wild (and very helpful).

Stay tuned for tomorrow, when the Braves rumble into Yankee Stadium to face old pal Max Fried.

I can’t believe they did it again…

The Red Sox pushed their winning streak to eight games with a 12-11 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, overcoming five separate deficits to secure their third walk-off victory of the season in the 13th inning at Fenway Park.

Boston received contributions from almost every single person on the roster, deploying everyone who was available in the bullpen and on the bench. Connor Wong, Jake Rogers, and Erik Miller all left their mark on the contest, though things were punctuated by Caleb Durbin.

THE DURBINATOR FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/Edsxa88ig3

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 7, 2026

I’ve got you covered with the game’s studs and duds:

STUDS

Durbin: I’ve learned to love this young man…

Durbin almost definitely broke his pinky again, but still left the game with three hits — including the game-winner — and played stellar defense at third base. Dirt. Dog.

Miller: The Red Sox leaned heavily on their most-recent addition to the bullpen, and he delivered with two scoreless innings that kept the game in reach. Miller has now struck out four of the nine batters he’s faced in his new uniform.

DUDS

Jarren Duran: Boston had the game-tying runner in scoring position with two outs in the eighth inning when “captain chaos” decided to do something completely idiotic and advance to third base on a ball in the dirt — he was thrown out rather easily. 0-for-5 on the night, as well.

Ranger Suarez: If this team is going to make noise down the stretch, they’ll need more out of their veteran starting pitchers.

Suarez has gone 4.2, 4.0, and 3.0 innings, respectively, in the three starts that he’s made since coming off the injured list on July 26 — which quite frankly isn’t going to get the job done. It’s imperative that he turns things around and stretches back out…

“OH MY GOD, FENWAY PARK IS COMING UNGLUED” MOMENT OF THE GAME

Anthony Seigler.

AND WE. ARE. TIED.

TONY SEAGULLS RBI DOUBLE ✌️ pic.twitter.com/3gLRbxW8Yj

— NESN (@NESN) August 7, 2026

No, Wilyer Abreu.

RED SOX TIE THE GAME!

WILYER. ABREU. pic.twitter.com/yy2hR20RP7

— NESN (@NESN) August 7, 2026

NO, ANTHONY SEIGLER AGAIN!

AND ANTHONY SEIGLER TIES IT UP

"They don't know how to lose!" pic.twitter.com/dRgeAVILew

— NESN (@NESN) August 7, 2026

NOPE! CALEB!!! DURBIN!!!!!

How about this team?

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The Minnesota Twins rallied late to defeat the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night, 4-3. In doing so, the Twins snapped their four-game losing streak to get within a half-game of the final American League Wild Card spot while the Royals fell back to 20 games under .500.

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The Royals led for most of the evening. The scoring started in the bottom of third when, with two outs, Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr. singled. After Witt stole second for his 31st stolen base of the year, Jac Caglianone, on an 0-2 pitch, lined a single to right, scoring both baserunners.

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¡Vámanos!

Jac Caglianone serves one into right to drive home two! pic.twitter.com/rJ2OwF5IEg

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 7, 2026

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Michael Wacha pitched 5-and-2/3 innings and, while he didn’t have his best stuff, kept the Twins in check aside from a home run allowed to Royce Lewis in fifth. He only allowed three hits but walked three compared to only one strikeout—the first batter of the game. The Twins consistently worked long counts against Wacha, forcing him to throw a ton of pitches. He left with the Royals leading 2-1 and Lewis once again at the plate.

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An absolute rocket from Royce 🚀 pic.twitter.com/KpHljgl39T

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 7, 2026

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Jose Cuas ultimately retired Lewis in a 12-pitch battle. I guess I’ve never seen Cuas pitch because, wow—that was an experience, one I didn’t like. But hey, he got the job done, unlike some other relievers. #Foreshadowing

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Witt scored again in the bottom of the sixth to extend the Royals lead back to two runs. For the night, he went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a stolen base. Since returning from the Injured List, he’s 6-for-12 with two doubles, three runs, a stolen base, and two RBIs.

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In the seventh, Alex Lange worked around a two-out walk when he struck out Tristan Gray swinging. Combined, Cuas and Lange threw 24 pitches, but neither appeared in multiple innings.

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Things went awry in the eighth when Aaron Bummer entered the game as the Royals’ fourth pitcher. Bummer, who somehow has a worse pitcher’s name than the recently traded Bailey Falter, certainly lived up to his moniker. He induced a groundball out against Austin Martin to begin the inning, but then gave up a single to Luke Keaschall, walked pinch-hitter Ryan Jeffers, and gave up a run-scoring single to Josh Bell to make it 3-2. He left with one out and responsible for the runners on first and third.

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Nate Pearson, yet another reclamation project, because why not, replaced Bummer, and immediately plunked Lewis. Neat. Bases loaded. Brooks Lee followed with a two-run single to right, giving the Twins a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish thanks in part to boneheaded baserunning by the Royals.

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Great hit from Brooks!! pic.twitter.com/IIJQPG5JMH

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 7, 2026

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Salvador Perez, who had earlier singled home Witt, led off the bottom of the ninth inning by working a walk. Tyler Tolbert replaced him on the basepaths with Michael Massey at the plate. Tolbert took off once and probably had the base stolen, but Massey, facing a two-strike pitch, fouled it off. Back on first, Tolbert then proceeded to get picked off so easily that the Royals didn’t even bother challenging it.

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Massey struck out swinging before Isaac Collins concluded the evening by lamely watching strike three catch the corner. He challenged it, but the call was confirmed. Ballgame. Twins win, 4-3.

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The loss drops the Royals record to 48-68. Goodness, that’s bad. What’s worse: Bummer’s ERA is now a staggering 10.26.

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Kansas City next plays host to the Chicago Cubs who arrive on a four-game winning streak. Game one is tomorrow night at 7:10 P.M.

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Right-hander Andrew Wantz re-signed with the Cubs, three days after he declared free agency. Wantz was assigned back to Iowa.

Iowa Cubs

The Iowa Cubs lost to Indianapolis (Pirates), 3-2.

Connor Noland made his first start for Iowa since June and kept Indianapolis scoreless over three innings. He allowed one hit and one walk and struck out two.

Gabe Klobosits gave up a two-out triple and an RBI single inthe bottom of the ninth to take the loss. Klobosits’ final line was one run on two hits over 1.2 innings. He struck out one and walked one intentionally.

Left fielder Hayden Cantrelle went 3 for 4. He scored once.

Third baseman Ben Cowles was 2 for 5.

Knoxville Smokies

The Knoxville Smokies got in the eyes of the Chattanooga Lookouts (Reds), 7-3.

Brody McCullough started and got the win after five innings of work. He gave up three runs on three hits. All three runs scored on two home runs allowed by McCullough. He walked two and struck out two.

Connor Schultz did not allow a run or a hit over three innings of relief. Schultz struck out six and walked one.

The Smokies hit four home runs tonight. The first one was by DH Miguel Useche, who connected with the bases empty in the fourth inning. It was Usche’s third-straight game with a home run, his fourth for the Smokies and 11th overall. He was 1 for 4.

Second baseman Drew Bowser hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning, his second with Knoxville and seventh overall. Bowser was also 1 for 4.

First baseman Edgar Alvarez cranked his ninth home run with the bases empty in the seventh inning. That sets a new career-high for home runs for Alvarez. He went 1 for 3 with a walk and two runs scored.

Finally, left fielder Andy Garriola hit his team-high 19th on the year in the eighth inning with a man on. Garriola went 1 for 4.

Center fielder Karson Simas 3 for 4 with a double and a steal. He had one run scored.

Useche’s home run.

MIGUEL USECHE IS ON FIRE 🔥

3 GAMES. 3 HOMERS 💣 pic.twitter.com/3glJlTdUyK

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 6, 2026

Drew Bowser goes deep.

A BOWSER BLAST FOR THE LEAD 💥 pic.twitter.com/C1b7t4Yf29

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 7, 2026

The Alvarez home run.

Edgar Alvarez sets a new season high with his 9th homer of the year 📈 pic.twitter.com/GVuBu5zVKq

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 7, 2026

Garriola’s blast.

Going, Going, Garriola! A team high 19th of the year 💣 pic.twitter.com/SnM8sUukf4

— Knoxville Smokies (@smokiesbaseball) August 7, 2026

South Bend Cubs

The South Bend Cubs split a doubleheader with the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins), winning the continuation of yesterday’s suspended game 4-1 and losing the regularly-scheduled game 4-2.

Braylon Myers started game one yesterday and lasted three innings before the rains came. Myers gave up just one run on one hit, a solo home run in the second inning. Myers walked four and struck out three.

JP Wheat threw the next two innings and did not give up a run or a hit, but Wheat did walk three while striking out one.

Brayden Spears pitched the final four innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and got the win. Spears struck out one and walked no one, but he did hit two batters.

First baseman Josiah Hartshorn broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth inning with an RBI single. Hartshorn went 2 for 2 with a walk and a first-inning sacrifice fly. Hartshorn also scored later in the eighth on a double by center fielder Alexei Lumpuy. Lumpuy went 1 for 4.

Shortstop Angel Cepeda went 2 for 4 with a double and a stolen base. He scored twice.

Second baseman Jose Escobar was 2 for 4 with a steal.

Diving catch for Lumpuy in center.

Alexey Lumpuy looks comfortable in center!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/Vtw693iif1

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 6, 2026

RBI single for Hartshorn.

Josiah Hartshorn singles in the lead!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/KJ2y5qXuxH

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 6, 2026

Lumpuy’s double was his first South Bend hit.

Alexey Lumpuy's first High-A hit and RBI!#SBCubspic.twitter.com/xJ2eEn7dRo

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 6, 2026

Nazier Mulé started game two and allowed only one run on four hits over five innings. Mulé struck out six, walked two and hit one batter.

Adam Stone went the rest of the way, gave up three runs inn the sixth inning and took the loss. Stone’s final line was three runs, two earned, on two hits over two innings. Stone struck out two and walked no one, but he did hit two batters.

Left fielder Kade Snell hit a solo home run in the sixth inning, his seventh on the year. Snell was 1 for 3.

Snell’s home run.

Some Kade Snell oppo juice for your Thursday night.@hoosierlottery Home Run | #SBCubspic.twitter.com/3gtgnFCkVK

— South Bend Cubs (@SBCubs) August 7, 2026

Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The Pelicans were rained out in Columbia. Doubleheader on Friday.

The Minnesota Twins desperately needed a win tonight against the Kansas City Royals for a variety of reasons. One reason: to win a game in August. Another couple reasons: to keep pace in the American League Central and Wild Card races. One more reason: to see if the offense is alive.

Bailey Ober kept the Twins in the game as best as he could, shaking off the Kauffman Stadium curse that has haunted him throughout his career. He extended the “clean first inning by Minnesota Twins starting pitchers” streak to two games and even got through the second and two outs in the third before allowing any runs. Back-to-back singles followed by a stolen base by Bobby Witt Jr, brought Jac Caglianone to the plate. He also stroked a single to right field, scoring both Carter Jensen and Witt Jr to give Kansas City the lead in the game.

Minnesota’s bats stayed relatively quiet as usual, this time against K. C. starter Michael Wacha. An Alan Roden double to open the third inning did not spark the offense. A bases-loaded opportunity with two outs in the fifth lead to nada, but not before Royce Lewis hit a bomb 421 feet and over the left-field wall to cut the Royals’ lead in half:

Witt Jr smacked a double to center field to start off the home sixth, advancing to third on a ground-out and scoring on a Salvador Perez single. Ober was able to induce a double-play to end the inning and his outing. It was a fine outing for Ober – 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, no walks – yet odd considering he did not notch any strikeouts. Kody Funderburk took over pitching duties in the seventh, allowing a hit and notching a strikeout, but not allowing any runs.

Jose Cuas finished up the sixth inning for Wacha – who turned in 5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, K – while Alex Lange turned in a scoreless seventh. Aaron Bummer was called in for the eighth and he lived up to his last name for Royals fans. With one out, Luke Keaschall singled, Ryan Jeffers walked, and Josh Bell singled to bring in Keaschall, bringing the score to 3-2. Bummer was yanked in favor of Nate Pearson, who hit Lewis with a pitch. Brooks Lee singled, scoring two Twins and giving them a 4-3 lead. Although Roden walked, Victor Caratini and Tristan Gray couldn’t do their part to keep the line moving.

Andrew Morris and Easton McGee traded zeroes for their respective teams in the bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth. Yoendrys Gomez issued a walk to Perez to start the bottom of the ninth. Perez was replaced by the speedy Tyler Tolbert. After two disengagements, Gomez stepped off a third time and picked Tolbert off for a big first out. The next two outs were on Ks and the door was closed with a final score of 4-3 in favor of the Twins.

With their first win of the month, Minnesota snaps a four-game losing streak, pulls alongside the Cleveland Spiders for second place in the A. L. Central (with both under .500), and only half-game behind the Texas Rangers for the last Wild Card spot.

W: Kody Funderburk (3-1)
L: Aaron Bummer (1-2)
S: Yoendrys Gomez (15)

STUDS

• Royce Lewis: 1-4, HR
• Brooks Lee: 1-4, 2 RBI
• The Twins pitchers: keeping it together

duds

• no duds – t W I M s

COTG

• tWIMs and snap the losing streak, so everyone in the game thread as of right … now! … gets COTG.

The Twins will enter a border battle, travelling to Milwaukee to face the red-hot National League Central-leading Brewers. First pitch is slated for 640p Central. The Brew Crew is slated to send out southpaw Shane Drohan (6-4, 3.48 ERA) while the Twins currently have TBD. It’s anticipated that Minnesota will put Joe Ryan on the I. L. with a bum butt and call up Zebby Matthews for the start.