Category: Baseball

Rangers 2, Angels 1

• I wrote this in the pre-game lineup post:
• “Hopefully the Rangers will break the trend of scoring just one run in regulation in games Detmers and Gore go up against each other.”

• This was the third time this season that Reid Detmers and MacKenzie Gore had faced each other.
• In each of the first two games, Gore and Detmers each allowed one run in their starts, and the Rangers scored just one run in nine innings.
• In one of those games, the Rangers won in extra innings. In the other, the Rangers lost the game on a walk-off with two outs when Justin Foscue made a bad throw.
• Somehow, the Rangers managed combine the outcomes of the previous two Detmers/Gore starts into one package by winning in extra innings in a walkoff due to an Angels infielder making a bad throw.
• We had good MacKenzie Gore on the mound for this one.
• I mean, I guess you could probably guess that, given that the Angels only scored one run, and that one in extra innings.
• But Gore was masterful, allowing just four baserunners in six innings, with two singles, a walk and a hit by pitch. Gore struck out seven and got a 21 whiffs on 100 pitches. He was missing bats with a bunch of different pitches, too, generating at least four swings-and-misses with the fastball, the slider, the changeup and the curveball.
• Gore has a 2.10 ERA in his last five starts, with 34 Ks against just 8 walks in 30 innings over that stretch, and one would like to think that he’s turned a corner, though given Gore’s history, it is just as likely he’s about to turn another corner that will send him back to where he started.
• We got a scoreless Cole Winn outing, which I know excites everyone, and Chase Silseth and Jacob Latz each keeping the Angels off the board for an inning apiece.
• For those of you out there who aren’t math whizzes, that totals up to nine shutout innings, and that should have been good enough to keep the game from going into extra innings.
• I will take the blame for that, due to my inadvertent monkey paw wish about this not being a game that the Rangers score one run in regulation in. I apparently hexed the Rangers bats in the first nine innings, as they managed to get baserunners on, get some hits even, but still not score.
• The Rangers had one hit in the first nine innings with a runner in scoring position. It was a fifth inning one out bunt single by Evan Carter that loaded the bases for Justin Foscue and Corey Seager, neither of whom could drive a runner home.
• They even had Ezequiel Duran on third base with one out in the ninth, after a double and a wild pitch, but offensive catalyst Nicky Lopez struck out, and after pinch hitter Joc Pederson was walked intentionally, Evan Carter also struck out.
• Carter challenged the third strike call, for what it is worth. It was unsuccessful. To rub salt in the wound, that was right after a successful ABS challenge by the Angels on a pitch that was called a ball initially, and would have made the count 3-1 to Carter, rather than 2-2.
• Carter, I will note, was 2 for 4 in the game, with a double to go with his bunt single. He and Corey Seager were the two hitters with exactly two hits apiece, of the 11 Rangers hits.
• Tyler Alexander allowed a double in the tenth — just the third Angels hit of the game — that gave the Angels the 1-0 lead that the Rangers had to surmount in the bottom of the inning against Ben Joyce.
• Ben Joyce throws really hard. He threw 11 pitches Friday night. The fastest of those pitches was 103.0 mph, which is pretty fast.
• A Justin Foscue fly out sent Zombie Runner Evan Carter to third base. Corey Seager struck out, no doubt prompting knowing nods from the “Seager is toast and the Rangers should’ve dumped him when they had the chance” crowd, and Wyatt Langford quickly went down 0-2, challenging the second strike unsuccessfuly and thus burning the Rangers’ final ABS challenge.
• Down 0-2, our intrepid squad seemed doomed. Ben Joyce hadn’t allowed a hitter to reach all year after being down 0-2. True, this was just the fourth 0-2 count Joyce had had all season, what with it being just his 7th appearance on the year, but still…
• Yet, somehow, Langford managed to get wood on a 102.4 mph Joyce heater, managed to flare it the other way, with the ball finding grass, Carter scampering home, and Langford ending up at second.
• I would say it is better to be lucky than good, but you have to be kind of good to make contact on an 0-2 102+ mph fastball.
• An intentional walk to Brandon Nimmo brought up Ezequiel Duran, who already had three hits on the day. And then this happened:

• Duran smokes a ball that Denver Guzman makes a diving play on to prevent a game winning single, or double, depending on your point of view. In retrospect, he should have put it in his pocket and let Joyce go after Jake Burger with the bases loaded. But no, he tried to get the out at second, threw the ball away (and wouldn’t have gotten Nimmo even if he had made an accurate throw, I don’t think), and that was ballgame.
• So something kind of weird…Joyce’s fastball to Duran was 95.8 mph, the slowest pitch he threw by 2.5 mph in the outing. It also had less spin and more downward movement than any of his other fastballs in the game.
• Was he trying to take something off the pitch? Did he just not have a good grip? Was it supposed to be a sinker (his sinker averages 95.8 mph) and he just got too much spin on it?
• Like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll pop, the world may never know.
• Somehow, the Rangers are back in sole possession of Wild Card 3 right now, a game up on Cleveland and Minnesota, and are just a game back of Houston.
• Amazing.
• MacKenzie Gore touched 96.5 mph with his fastball, averaging 95.0 mph. Cole Winn’s fastball topped out at 96.9 mph. Chase Sileth hit 97.4 mph with his fastball. Jacob Latz’s fastball maxed out at 96.3 mph. Tyler Alexander hit 92.9 mph with his fastball.
• Wyatt Langford had a 108.9 mph GIDP. Elias Diaz had a 106.6 mph single and a 106.2 mph groundout. Ezequiel Duran had a 105.0 mph single, a 102.2 mph single, a 101.9 mph groundout and a 100.9 mph single. Corey Seager had a 102.4 mph fly out. Justin Foscue had a 101.9 mph fly out. Evan Carter had a 101.4 mph double. Brandon Nimmo had a 100.1 mph groundout.
• This is a two game winning streak. I think they should make it a three game winning streak on Saturday.

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Another full slate in the big leagues means lots of opportunity for long balls in my MLB player props home run analysis. 

Included in today's picks are Alejandro Kirk, Jordan Walker, and Pete Alonso. 

Find out more in my MLB picks for Saturday, August 22. 

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Jordan Walker	+442
Pete Alonso	+414
Alejandro Kirk	+442
💲Today's HR parlay	+14944

Home run pick: Jordan Walker (+442)

St. Louis Cardinals star Jordan Walker is tearing the cover off the baseball right now. He's gone deep in three straight games, and the slugger has four long balls in his last eight contests. 

During that span, Walker has a .471 ISO and a mind-boggling 22.2% barrel rate. He's consistently getting lift as well, posting a 55.6% fly ball rate in the last week.

Walker will face Andrew Painter tonight, who has a 6.08 FIP in his previous two outings while allowing 1.74 HR/9 and a fly ball rate of 41.4%. 

One mistake from Painter could be punished by one of the hottest bats in the big leagues. 

I'll play this pick down to +400. 

• Time: 6:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Cardinals.TV

Home run pick: Alejandro Kirk (+442)

Alejandro Kirk may not be a player who hits a lot of home runs, but he's showcasing his power lately. The Toronto Blue Jays catcher has two bombs in his last six games and a .304 ISO. 

Although his fly ball rate isn't huge during the last week, Kirk is consistently squaring up the baseball, posting a 50% hard-hit rate.

Ryan Weathers hasn't allowed a lot of home run damage lately, but the New York Yankees' bullpen is vulnerable to the long ball at times, surrendering 1.26 HR/9 across the last month. 

Kirk is hot, and one mistake could see him leave the yard again.

Play this pick down to +400. 

Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Sportsnet

Home run pick: Pete Alonso (+414)

Pete Alonso is really finding his power stroke lately. The Baltimore Orioles slugger has clubbed four home runs in his last seven appearances with an ISO of .481. His slugging also sits at a ridiculous .981. 

Alonso will face Shane McClanahan tonight, and while it's a small sample size, he has homered off him before. However, where I see the best chance for Alonso to go deep is when the left-hander exits. 

The Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen has allowed 1.59 HR/9 over the last week, and over half of Alonso's homers have come at home. 

Play this pick down to +400. 

• Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MASN, Rays.TV

Today’s HR combo

Jordan Walker	Trade Now +14944
Pete Alonso
Alejandro Kirk

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

When a player in today’s Major League Baseball scene comes along and does something extraordinary, he’ll provide a flurry of answers as to what brought him into that position in the first place. When Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs in 2022, the number by itself was otherworldly, but passing Roger Maris’ mark of 61 made it even more special. The players who came before set a standard. And one of the leaders for early switch-hitters and catchers was Wally Schang, the first regular backstop for a Yankees World Series champion.

Walter “Wally” Henry Schang
Born: August 22, 1889 (South Wales, NY)
Died: March 6, 1965 (St. Louis, MO)
Yankees Tenure: 1921-25

Walter Henry Schang was born into a baseball family, gathering passion for the game from his father, who played in the local town league. “Wally” started playing semipro ball in Holland, New York, in high school. Over three seasons, Wally earned a reputation as one of the area’s best semipros. The Buffalo Bisons of the International League were impressed and picked up Schang’s contract near the end of the season. Appearing in 48 games for the Bisons in 1912, Schang batted .333 along with making an excellent defensive impression. In the 1913 season, 13 of the 16 MLB clubs attempted to draft him (per SABR). The Philadelphia Athletics were the fortunate team to land Schang, and from there, he began his professional career.

The one season with the Bisons was the only one that Schang would play in the minor leagues. A’s owner/manager Connie Mack decided he would be best served at the highest level. Schang finished with 207 at-bats and hit .266, ranked first among all major league catchers with three home runs, and his .392 OBP with a .416 put him at an .808 OPS to end the year. He also was one of the league’s best defensive catchers, and all of those facts helped him to finish eighth in MVP voting.

The Athletics played the New York Giants in the 1913 World Series, and Schang hit .357 in four games with a team-leading seven RBIs. With that, the rookie was a champion already at just 23 years old.

Philadelphia won the 1914 American League pennant with a 99-53 record and was again aided by Schang, who developed from an exciting up-and-comer to the best offensive catcher in the game. Wally led all catchers in the Junior Circuit in batting average (.287), extra-base hits (22), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.404), and RBI (45). However, he fell short on the defensive end due to a broken thumb and was tied for the AL lead for catchers in errors, but he still finished 10th in MVP voting that year thanks to his impressive offensive performance. Schang went 2-for-12 during Philly’s surprising World Series sweep at the hands of the “Miracle” Boston Braves.

Despite the Athletics’ rapid decline following the 1914 season, Schang remained an excellent player. In his final three years with the team, his lowest posted OPS+ was 122. In 1916, he posted the second-highest home run total of his career (7). But in 1917, Mack’s gradual firesale of his wonderful team led to Schang’s dismissal. The A’s traded him to the Boston Red Sox, along with right-handed pitcher Joe Bush and center fielder Amos Strunk.

In three seasons with the Red Sox, Schang did exactly what he had done previously with Philadelphia, including a World Series win in his second season, 1918. The backstop went 4-for-11 in five games against the Cubs to secure the title. Two years later, he posted an .862 OPS and four home runs compared to his zero in the two previous years. In 1919, the Red Sox had sent Babe Ruth to the Yankees, and after that 1920 campaign, Schang followed in a trade with three teammates for catcher Muddy Ruel and three other Yankees. Bombers GM Ed Barrow had been Schang’s manager in Boston, and he wanted his old catcher back on board — like many of his former Red Sox standouts.

In 1921, at 31, Schang joined Ruth and helped the Yankees reach the World Series for the first time as a franchise. He also played a career-high 134 games that season. He slashed .316/.428/.453 with a career-high 78 walks, 53 RBIs, and 134 hits (also a career best). In 1922, he played 124 games with a .319/.405/.412 slash line with 52 RBIs, 130 hits, 53 walks, and 36 strikeouts, helping him to finish 13th in MVP voting, the first finish in the top 15 since his top-10 finish eight years earlier in 1914. He hit a disappointing .188 in the Yankees’ 1922 World Series loss, but recovered the next year in the postseason.

Schang made three total World Series with the Yankees, winning the third of his career in 1923 against the crosstown Giants, and he wasn’t just along for the ride. He batted .318 in the postseason with a .711 OPS. And while he didn’t record an RBI, Schang came across to score three runs in that 1923 Fall Classic, a career-high. It was his final career playoff appearance, but the Bombers made it memorable — in their first season at newly-constructed Yankee Stadium to boot.

In 1924 with the Yankees, Schang hit just above the average for a catcher, with an OPS+ of 108. But in 1925, now 35 at this point, with rumors that Schang’s eyesight might be declining, he didn’t do much to quell them, finishing with a .645 OPS in 73 games, and he was traded to the St. Louis Browns in 1926.

In five seasons with St. Louis, he didn’t play over 100 games outside of his first year, but he still performed well in a limited role. He hit .294/.423/.439 through his career before being sent back to Philadelphia to join the World Series-bound (and winning) Athletics, who Mack had successfully rebuilt with the help of Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane, and more. However, Schang did not appear for the team in the 1930 Fall Classic and finished his MLB career with the Detroit Tigers at age 41. He slashed an abysmal .184/.311/.211 in 30 games, but he continued to be revered by his teammates.

In retirement, Schang was a coach and minor-league scout/manager, even mentoring teenage prodigy Bob Feller at the outset of his Hall of Fame career in Cleveland. Schang missed the Hall of Fame multiple times, but he is still a player who made an impression on the early days of 20th-century baseball, both as a switch-hitter and as a catcher.

Happy birthday, Wally!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

A four-run bottom of the fifth inning by the San Diego Padres gave Randy Vasquez all he needed to complete seven innings in a 6-2 win over the Minnesota Twins in the opening game of their three-game series at Petco Park on Friday night.

Vasquez had cruised through the first three innings after being given a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Ty France connected on a mammoth two-out, two-run home run that he knew was gone off the bat. Vasquez seemed to pitch freely and worked quickly with the lead, but found trouble in the top of the fourth inning.

The right-hander allowed a single and hit a batter, but was able to get two outs inning the inning. Kody Clemens was down 0-1 as Vasquez looked to get out of the jam, as he so often does, without allowing a run but Clemens lined a ball over Fernando Tatis Jr. in right field that resulted in a two-run triple to tie the game at 2-2.

The Padres did not immediately respond, but after Vasquez pitched a scoreless fifth inning San Diego erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Austin Hays beat out what was essentially a swinging bunt to start the inning. Jake Cronenworth worked a one-out walk to put two runners on and Tatis delivered a line drive single through the right side of the infield to put the Padres back in front, 3-2. Luis Rengifo followed with a single to left to make the score 4-2 and Manny Machado recorded the third consecutive hit with a single to right which pushed the lead to 5-2. France stepped to the plate with one out and runners on the corners and drove in his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right field to give San Diego a 6-2 advantage,

Vasquez who looked to be finished with his outing before the big inning, returned to the mound in the sixth and again in the seventh and retired a string of 10 batters stretching back to the final out of the fourth inning. He finished his night after seven innings having allowed two runs on two hits with no walks and three strikeouts. Bradgley Rodriguez pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Mason Miller came in for the ninth in a non-save situation. He struck out all three batters he faced to secure the opening game of the home stand.

Tatis led the Padres offense with three hits and was followed by Rengifo and Machado who each added two hits. France finished 1-for-1 with the first inning home run and had two walks, three RBI and a run scored.

San Diego will try to make it two in a row when they return to action tonight at 5:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• No one outside the Padres organization knows what they will do with top prospect Ethan Salas. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball makes the case for why he should be called up for the postseason run.

• Padres prospect Kruz Schoolcraft did not get out of the first inning in his latest outing with Lake Elsinore.

• Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta continued their rehab and the hope is we will see one or both pitchers sooner than later.

• If you have ever wondered what Padres players do on their off days, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune has answers.

Baseball News:

• Willson Contreras hit a monster home run in a 6-4 win for the Boston Red Sox over the San Francisco Giants.

• Cam Schlittler pitched the New York Yankees to a win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

• Jake Rogers homered to help the Chicago White Sox walk off the New York Mets.

• Jacob Misiorowski guided the Milwaukee Brewers past Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers got a walk-off win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 10th.

• The Seattle Mariners got a walk-off win in extra innings over the Chicago Cubs.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks got a 9-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

• The Cleveland Guardians topped the Colorado Rockies, 9-1.

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The Atlanta Braves have scored two runs or fewer in four of their last five games, and now they're tasked with facing Logan Henderson and the Milwaukee Brewers (-170).

My Braves vs. Brewers predictions and MLB picks expect Atlanta's offensive struggles to continue, setting the stage for Milwaukee to claim another low-scoring victory on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Who will win Braves vs Brewers today: Brewers moneyline (-175)

The Atlanta Braves are reeling offensively. They sit 28th in on base percentage against right-handed pitching in August, and it’s not going to get any easier for them facing Logan Henderson.

He has been exceptional, pitching to a 2.70 ERA, 2.90 SIERA, and striking out over 31% of opposing batters.

The Milwaukee Brewers are more likely to hold their own at the plate. Regression started to come for Martin Perez last time out, and his season numbers (3.15 ERA, 4.64 SIERA) indicate tougher times are still ahead.

Back the in-form offense against the weaker pitcher. Brewers to -180.

COVERS INTEL:Henderson ranks in the 94th percentile in xERA, and will make life miserable on a struggling Braves offense.

Braves vs Brewers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-105)

Six different Braves own xwOBAs of .300 or worse against Henderson’s pitch mix over the last 30 games.

There are a lot of black holes in their offense right now, and that is going to make it tough to score more than a couple of runs off Henderson.

Perez is an elite home run suppressor, on pace to give up fewer than one HR/9 for the second consecutive year.

His ability to limit raw power — even when not at his best — should help keep the Brewers to a manageable number.

Take the Under to -112.

Braves vs Brewers home run prediction: Jackson Chourio (+425)

Jackson Chourio has a strong profile against left-handed pitching. He owns a .305 average, .891 OPS, and his batted ball numbers are very good.

Chourio sits in the 82nd percentile in xSLG, as well as the 88th percentile in both hard-hit rate and barrels. He is consistently making powerful contact.

His exit velocity and hard-hit rate are trending up over the last 25 at-bats, and he's taken Perez yard in one of eight career at-bats against him.

I’d play Chourio to +415.

Braves vs Brewers weather

This game will be played in a dome.

Braves vs Brewers odds

• Moneyline: Braves +145 | Brewers -170
• Run line: Braves +1.5 (-140) | Brewers -1.5 (+120)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-115) | Under 7.5 (-105)

Braves vs Brewers trend

Milwaukee has hit the moneyline in 35 of their last 50 home games (+11.55 units, 14% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Braves vs. Brewers.

How to watch Braves vs Brewers and game info

Braves vs Brewers latest injuries

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

The Guardians had a great series-opening win against the Rockies.

Jake covered it for us here in a very fun recap. Stephen Vogt talked a lot about Kwan and Bazzana not trying to do too much and taking the ball where it was pitched. I know folks are concerned the team is overemphasizing pull-lift. Vogt never sounds like a guy who believes every pitch should be pulled and lifted, for what it’s worth.

Since I questioned if trading for Patrick Bailey was a mistake, he has been Barry Bonds. So… we should bench Rocchio, guys. He’s terrible.

Around MLB

The White Sox, Orioles, Astros and Rangers won, Tigers, Blue Jays and Twins lost. The Guardians are currently one game behind the Rangers for the third wildcard, and 4.5 behind the White Sox in the division. The Rangers are one game behind the Astros in the West.

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It’s Dylan Cease bump day, so you know we have to back Toronto in our Blue Jays vs. Yankees predictions.

The Toronto Blue Jays visit the New York Yankees for Game 2 of their three-game series this afternoon at Yankee Stadium as slight -105 underdogs at BET99. They’ve shrunk their path to the Wild Card to just 1.5 games, and are looking for an eighth straight series win.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Saturday, Aug. 22, and win another best bet.

Blue Jays vs Yankees predictions

Blue Jays vs Yankees best bet: Blue Jays moneyline (-105)

Dylan Cease is likely going to win the AL Cy Young odds race for a reason — he’s pretty good at throwing baseballs. He’s especially good at throwing baseballs against the New York Yankees.

Across 126 plate appearances, New York owns just a .306 xwOBA, .232 xBA, and is striking out at a 28% clip.

The Toronto Blue Jays fare much better against Ryan Weathers, owning a .311 average and .469 xSLG over 66 at-bats.

Look for them to take Game 2 of the series with Cease on the mound.

COVERS INTEL: Who's hotter than Alejandro Kirk right now? He just moved his hitting streak to nine games yesterday, and is 3-for-5 with a .330 xBA against Weathers.

Blue Jays vs Yankees same-game parlay (SGP)

We’re riding Cease to go deep and record nine strikeouts after punching this lineup out at a 28% rate.

Charles McAdoo has also done his job since getting called up, and we’re taking a chance on him after going 2-for-3 in his initial meeting with Weathers. Let’s cash our third SGP this week.

Blue Jays vs Yankees SGP

• Charles McAdoo 2+ H/R/RBI
• Blue Jays moneyline
• Dylan Cease 8+ Ks

Blue Jays vs Yankees home run pick: George Springer (+575)

Let’s ride with the veteran George Springer here, who has two homers under his belt against Weathers in just eight at-bats.

At this price, you have to take a chance on him at one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the bigs.

Blue Jays vs Yankees odds

• Moneyline: Toronto (-105) | New York (-115)
• Run line: Toronto -1.5 (+170) | New York +1.5 (-210)
• Over/Under: Over 7 (+100) | Under 7 (-120)

Blue Jays vs Yankees trend

The Blue Jays are 5-0 in Cease's last five starts as a road underdogs. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Yankees.

How to watch Blue Jays vs Yankees and game info

Blue Jays vs Yankees latest injuries

Blue Jays vs Yankees weather

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It's another busy day in the Majors, and my MLB player props analysis is eyeing value both on the mound and at the dish. 

I'll start things off with Dylan Cease, followed by Casey Mize and Jordan Walker.

Read more in my MLB picks for Saturday, August 22. 

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Dylan Cease	Under 1.5 earned runs	+102
Casey Mize	Under 2.5 earned runs	-151
Jordan Walker	Over 1.5 total bases	+104

Dylan Cease Under 1.5 earned runs (+102)

The Toronto Blue Jays send their ace Dylan Cease to the hill today against the New York Yankees. While Cease has been a little bit more vulnerable lately, he still owns a stellar 1.81 xERA over the last month. 

The right-hander has cashed the Under in earned runs allowed in three of his previous five appearances, and he'll face a Yankees lineup with a poor 78 wRC+ across their last six contests. 

On top of that, Cease has dominated this lineup. Across a large sample size of 95 at-bats, New York is only hitting .168 against him. 

I'll play this pick down to -120. 

• Time: 1:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Sportsnet, YES

Casey Mize Under 2.5 earned runs (-151)

Casey Mize gets the ball tonight against the Minnesota Twins. The San Diego Padres right-hander has allowed Under 2.5 earned runs in two straight starts with his new team, and he has a 3.42 FIP during that span. 

Mize rarely gives up a lot of runs. In fact, he's held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in four of his previous five outings. The veteran faces a Twins lineup that isn't in the greatest form, collecting a 91 wRC+ in the last week.

Mize will keep Minnesota at bay here. 

Play this pick up to -160.

• Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Twins.TV, Padres.TV

Jordan Walker Over 1.5 total bases (+104)

Jordan Walker is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now. He has smacked four homers in his last eight games and posted a ridiculous .471 ISO. 

The St. Louis Cardinals slugger has cashed the Over in total bases in five of his last six games, and he finished with three hits in Friday's loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Walker will face the vulnerable Andrew Painter tonight, who sports a 6.08 FIP over his previous two appearances. 

Walker also has a 55.6% hard-hit rate and 22.2% barrel rate over the last week. He'll keep it rolling. 

Play this pick down to -110.

• Time: 6:05 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Cardinals.TV

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

The Mets continue a three-game series against the White Sox at Rate Field on Saturday night at 7:10 on SNY.

Mets Notes

• Carson Benge is hitting .300/.362/.463 in 223 plate appearances dating back to June 18
• Bo Bichette is hitting .311/.354/.475 (.829 OPS) with eight homers and 33 RBI in 260 plate appearances dating back to June 11
• Nate Lavender is still yet to allow a run in eight appearances with the Mets (7.2 IP)
• Christian Scott lowered his ERA to 3.51 with 6.1 strong innings against the Nationals his last time out

Today's Lineups

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides vs. Nashville Sounds (Brewers) — POSTPONED

This game was canceled due to wet grounds and will be made up as part of a Saturday doubleheader.

Double-A: Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants) 4, Chesapeake Baysox 3

A 2-1 Baysox lead disappeared after a three-run top of the eighth for Richmond, with reliever Ryan Long coughing up an Earl Weaver special to Giants prospect Lisbel Diaz. Before that, starter Patrick Reilly had his most successful outing since returning from Tommy John surgery, holding the Flying Squirrels to one run in five solid innings. He walked three and struck out six.

The Chesapeake lineup managed only five hits in this game. Wehiwa Aloy was the only batter with multiple knocks, going 2-for-4 with a double. The red-hot Aron Estrada was held hitless but contributed a sac fly and a walk.

Box score

High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals) 1, Frederick Keys 0 — Game 1, F/7

The Keys and Blue Rocks played to a scoreless tie until Wilmington walked it off in the bottom of the seventh (remember, doubleheader games in the minors are only seven innings). But you certainly can’t pin the loss on starter Kyson Witherspoon, who was absolutely brilliant in his third start since joining the organization in the Adley Rutschman trade. The right-hander pitched five hitless, scoreless innings, racking up eight strikeouts and walking three. It was the first hitless outing of his career and the second scoreless.

Unfortunately, Witherspoon got no help from the Keys offense, which had only three hits, all singles. Fellow Rutschman trade acquisition Enddy Azocar had one of them. The Keys drew six walks but went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Reliever Bradley Brehmer continued the Keys’ no-hit bid in the sixth inning, but in the seventh, he gave up a double and a Jacob Walsh walkoff single.

Box score

High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks 2, Frederick Keys 1 — Game 2, F/7

In a makeup of Thursday’s rainout, Wilmington completed the doubleheader sweep with another low-offense, one-run victory. This time the Keys got only two hits, and all told, they went just 5-for-43 in the doubleheader. Not great! Again they had plenty of baserunners, thanks to seven walks, but they squandered nearly every scoring opportunity. They took another 0-fer with RISP and their only run scored on a double play.

Stephen Still (not the guy from Buffalo Springfield) struck out eight batters in four innings, but he gave up two runs, and on this night that was enough for him to be saddled with the loss. Once again it was Jacob Walsh who did all the damage with a two-run single. Walsh drove in all three of the Blue Rocks’ runs in the twin bill.

Box score

Low-A: Hickory Crawdads (Rangers) 3, Delmarva Shorebirds 0

Offense continued to be nonexistent for Orioles affiliates on this night. The Shorebirds were blanked by Crawdads pitchers Moises Morales, who worked six innings for the win, and Jake “Shrimp on the” Barbee, who earned a three-inning save. The Shorebirds actually didn’t have a problem getting hits — collecting eight in all — but couldn’t push a single one of them home. It didn’t help that all eight hits were singles, giving them very few chances with runners in scoring position. They also didn’t have any walks.

But there’s good news: Esteban Mejia had another solid (abbreviated) outing. He delivered 3.1 scoreless innings, struck out five, and — most promisingly — walked only one. The Shorebirds seem to be limiting Mejia to 2-3 inning outings to help him work out his season-long control problems, and it’s worked out well three times in a row. Reliever Brandon Downer gave up three runs, but righty Andrew Herbert tossed three scoreless.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: vs. Nashville: doubleheader starting at 4:35 PM. Game 1 starter: Michael Forret (1-2, 5.77); Game 2 starter: TBD
• Chesapeake: vs. Richmond, 6:35 PM. Starter: JT Quinn (0-0, 2.25)
• Frederick: at Wilmington, 6:05 PM. Starter: Twine Palmer (4-3, 3.39)
• Delmarva: at Hickory, 7:00 PM. Starter: Francisco Morao (0-0, 3.46)

SEATTLE — To begin this recap of Friday night’s 6-5 Cubs 10-inning loss to the Mariners, I thought it would be appropriate to give you this fact from BCB’s JohnW53, because this is the primary reason the Cubs lost this game:

The Cubs’ 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position was their worst with one hit this season. They were 1 for 15 in a 4-3 loss to the Pirates at home on April 11. They were 0 for 13 in a 6-0 loss at Texas on May 9.

One for sixteen. Eleven runners left on base. The Cubs had 12 hits and smacked four home runs. You’d think that would produce more than five runs.

It did not, and this game wound up in the “L” column.

The home run fun began in the first inning, indeed yet again on Pete Crow-Armstrong’s leadoff at-bat [VIDEO].

As you can see, that ball just barely made it over the right-field wall, and on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. More from John:

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s homer was his second leading off a game on the road and the Cubs’ 117th since 1910, first year for which baseball-reference.com has searchable play-level data.

Alfonso Soriano did it 12 times as a Cub; Dexter Fowler, seven; Ian Happ, Brian McRae and Rick Monday, five. Soriano hit 20 as the first Cub to bat in a game (eight at home).

PCA now has done that five times, tying for sixth most with Michael Busch, Eddie Miksis, Karl “Tuffy” Rhodes, Kyle Schwarber and Eric Young Sr. McRae had seven; Happ, eight, Fowler, 11; and Monday, 12.

It was also PCA’s seventh leadoff home run of the season. The Cubs’ franchise record for such things is 12, set by Alfonso Soriano in 2007.

The Cubs were not done in that first inning, either. One out later Michael Busch doubled and that was followed by a two-run homer from Alex Bregman, his 17th [VIDEO].

So the game is four batters old and the Cubs lead 3-0. This is good!

After the first four Mariners were retired by Matthew Boyd, things turned not good. Josh Naylor singled and Taylor Ward walked.

That brought up Cal Raleigh, who after hitting 60 home runs in 2025 is suffering through an injury-plagued, awful year in which he entered this game batting just .156 and over his last 14 games was 4-for-38 with 14 strikeouts.

No matter. Look where Boyd left his first pitch to Raleigh:

Well. That’s what you call a mistake pitch, all right, and even a MLB hitter in a horrid slump will hit that a long way, and Raleigh did, for a three-run homer tying the game.

The Mariners were not done in that inning, either. Cole Young singled and when Brock Rodden flied to left, moved up to second. That’s not something you see too often, that kind of tag-up, and it paid off for the Mariners when Brendan Donovan singled him in to give Seattle a 4-3 lead.

That’s where the game stayed until the bottom of the fifth, despite the Cubs having RISP in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and in each of those innings that situation happened with fewer than two out. They couldn’t score in any of them, and Seattle extended their lead when Nico Hoerner allowed Rodden to reach on a throwing error leading off the fifth. He was balked to second by Boyd, and that call got Craig Counsell tossed [VIDEO].

As you can see in the clip, Boyd asked plate umpire Brennan Miller for an explanation of the balk, which was not only his first of the year, but first in his two years as a Cub, and only the third called on a Cubs pitcher this year. And the expression on Boyd’s face after the balk call kind of sums up this game. Also — happy birthday, Craig Counsell, your birthday gift is being ejected! It was the fifth ejection for Counsell this year, tied for the most in a season in his 12-year managing career.

Anyway, that was important because it put Rodden in scoring position, where a single by Randy Arozarena scored him to make it 5-3. The Mariners were 4-for-7 with RISP in this game and… sigh.

Boyd’s outing wasn’t awful — six innings, five runs (four earned) — but it wasn’t really that good, either. Daniel Palencia, just returned from the injured list, threw a 1-2-3 seventh with a pair of strikeouts, so that’s good. Here’s his K of Arozarena [VIDEO].

Ian Happ brought the Cubs within one run with this leadoff homer in the eighth [VIDEO].

Happ has started to hit recently, a bit. Over his last 12 games: .286/.348/.548 (12-for-42) with three home runs. One of Happ’s late-season hot streaks would be quite welcome right now.

After that homer, again the Cubs put runners in scoring position. Hoerner singled and Pedro Ramirez walked. Nobody out. Great scoring chance, right?

Not so much. Michael Conforto popped up. Carson Kelly grounded out, with the runners advancing. That prompted the Mariners to intentionally pass PCA and face Seiya Suzuki. Good opportunity, but… Suzuki struck out [VIDEO].

Colin Rea threw a scoreless eighth and so the Cubs had one last chance in the ninth.

They made the most of that when with one out, Bregman smacked his second homer of the game and 18th of the year [VIDEO].

But the Cubs could not score again in the ninth, and Jacob Webb entered to attempt to preserve the tie for extras, which he did. That was Webb’s 24th consecutive scoreless appearance dating to the second game of the doubleheader against the Mets June 24 — a stretch of 24.2 innings in which he’s posted a WHIP of 0.932 and has 25 strikeouts.

The Cubs could not score in the top of the 10th and so that left the bottom of the inning to Javier Assad — oh, wait, no, because Assad had been optioned to Triple-A Iowa earlier in the day to make room for the activation of Palencia. Instead, Ryan Zeferjahn was given the 10th.

Victor Robles sacrificed the placed runner, Arozarena, to third. Zeferjahn got Julio Rodriguez to hit a comebacker. Okay, two out, runner on third. The Cubs opted to intentionally pass Josh Naylor to pitch to Leo Rivas, a backup infielder who’d entered the game as a pinch runner and remained as the DH.

This was the right call. Rivas entered the game batting .130 and had been 3 for his last 40 with 14 strikeouts.

Sigh. Rivas lined a single to center, game over. The loss dropped the Cubs to 19-14 in one-run games and 11-7 in extra-inning games. The 18 games in extras are the most for any MLB team this year. Also (Bluesky link):

And not only the four home runs, but all those baserunners and 1-for-16 with RISP… this game should never have even gotten to the 10th inning, the Cubs should have scored far more than five runs in regulation and won easily.

But they did not. The loss dropped the Cubs six games behind the Brewers in the NL Central, and perhaps more importantly, the Cubs’ lead over the Phillies for the first wild card spot is now just three games, as the Phillies have won seven straight. So it would be pretty important, I’d think, to turn things around and win the next two games of this series.

Which will be particularly interesting to watch Saturday, as the Mariners are calling up their top prospect and MLB’s top pitching prospect (fifth overall per MLB Pipeline), left-hander Kade Anderson, to start Saturday’s game. The Cubs will counter with David Peterson. Game time Saturday is 6:15 p.m. CT and Fox-TV (regional — coverage map). A reminder that if you subscribe to MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings, you can watch this game via those services even if it’s not on the Fox affiliate in your market. In the Chicago local market this game will be on WPWR-Ch. 50 because WFLD-Ch. 32, Fox-TV’s primary channel, is carrying the Bears preseason game.

I’ll yield the floor to our own Gaurav Vedak for a moment.

He has a point. I’ve been referring to him as Didi but I’m saying Dee Dee, the Spanish pronunciation. It used to be Bobby Cox’s deal to call the player’s name and tack on a -y. Maybe we can do better. His play deserves, nay demands a proper nickname. After all, watch this in case you were at work on Thursday.

Fuentes came into the game after Grant Holmes was allowed to start the seventh inning. He arrives with two on and no out. He steals the soul of Braden Montgomery, and then brushed off Colson Montgomery and Chase Meidroth. The bullpen was a monster Thursday, that’s for sure. Just look at this slider.

Very solid. Not earth-shattering, but very good. But pair it with this split fingered fastball.

My. Word. This is not even a strike. It is so good Braden didn’t bother with a challenge. But it looked so similar to the slider in the first pitch of the at-bat. He wasn’t going to be fooled again, only he was fooled in an entirely different way. Take these and add a four seam fastball that can touch 100, and the Braves have something very special.

So does Didier Fuentes need a nickname? Honestly, I don’t think we can legally allow a reliever like this to operate without one. What’s “Destroyer of Souls” in Spanish? Google says Fuentes translates to “sources” or “fountain”. Come thou Fount of Every Fastball? Help me out here.

The Phillies are blessed to have three ace-type pitchers atop their starting rotation. Having Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and Zack Wheeler should make everyone feel a little better about their playoff chances, so long as they a) get there, and b) hit.

Focusing in more on Luzardo and Sanchez, they each possess a pitcher that is considered among the game’s elite, Luzardo and his sweeper, Sanchez and his changeup. Which one is better?

By Statcast, Luzardo has the best sweeper in the game among qualified pitchers, a +19 run value on the pitch. Sanchez ranks second among those that have thrown a qualified changeup, coming in with a +12 on his particular pitch. Head over to Fangraphs, by Stuff+, Sanchez’s 123 is second for changeups. They do not rank sweepers there, instead calling Luzardo’s a sweeper and that Stuff+ comes in at 122, seventh in the game. So, there’s some disagreement there about which is better.

What say you?

The Yankees had a tense affair to open their homestand against the Blue Jays, as Cam Schlittler wasn’t on his A-game and the offense got a couple across early before shutting down. Despite this, their Cy Young candidate managed to fight through and give them six innings of one-run ball and the crooked number they put up in the second would be enough to survive as they won their fifth straight game and continued to put pressure on their AL rivals to match them.

Tampa Bay Rays (76-52) 3, Baltimore Orioles (62-67) 5

After getting swept by the Yankees, the Orioles turned around and scrapped with the top team in the AL. Though the O’s were up 1-0 in the second inning, it looked like the Rays were going to keep them at bay with a three-run frame started by a Junior Caminero double and capped off by a Kenny piper two-run shot. However, that was all the offense the Rays would muster, and the Orioles were far from out of it.

Baltimore’s comeback started right away in the bottom of the second with a Dylan Beavers solo shot, but a couple of one-two-three innings afterwards kept the score in Tampa’s favor. Freddy Peralta started off the fifth by plunking Coby Mayo though, and from there the wheels fell off. Colton Cowser singled and a throwing error brought the runners both into scoring position. After a strikeout brought in the first out, Jackson Holliday lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game at three. Now an out away from escaping, Peralta faced Pete Alonso and gave him a 2-2 fastball low but down the middle. The Polar Bear punished it, driving the ball 443 feet to left.

Trevor Rogers held things down once his team got him the lead back, lasting seven innings without any more incidents, and Andrew Kittredge and Rico Garcia pitched through the eighth and ninth without incident. Tampa’s loss coupled with the Yankees’ win cuts the deficit in the AL East to just three games after the little hot streak that New York has built, and getting help from the team you just beat has got to feel great.

Other Games

Boston Red Sox (69-59) 6, San Francisco Giants (52-76) 4: Rafael Devers was traded away in an early midseason move last year, and though he played against his former team quite quickly afterwards that was out in San Fran. This was his trip back to Fenway since the deal, and there was a decent mix of cheering and boos for the former star of the team. Unfortunately for him, the Giants lost his potential revenge homecoming as Logan Webb fell apart in the third inning. Willson Contreras launched a three-run homer with two outs to give Boston the lead, Webb gave up a couple of singles to continue the rally, and then he completely lost the zone sandwiching a walk to Andruw Monasterio around a pair of hit by pitches to push across two more runs. The five spot was enough to survive the Giants’ comeback attempt, though Devers managed to get something for himself as he ripped a solo homer in the fourth inning.

Chicago White Sox (67-61) 6, New York Mets (58-71) 4: The Mets were cruising in this game, up 4-0 after five thanks to a Brett Baty two-run shot and a Bo Bichette solo homer, but the White Sox woke up in the sixth facing Sean Manaea. A trio of homers from Miguel Vargas, Randal Grichuk, and Colson Montgomery tied the game up at four, and that score held until the ninth when Jefry Yan entered to try and bring it to extras. Yan walked Montgomery on six pitches, though he thought he’d gotten him to strikeout twice and did his signature hop off the mound each time. Montgomery got bunted over to second and advanced to third on a groundout bringing Jake Rogers up down to their last out. Rogers got a hold of an 0-1 fastball and drove it just over the reach of center fielder A.J. Ewing for the walk-off two-run blast.

AL Wild Card Rock Fight

Those of you who have been around the site for a number of years may remember when our own Jake Devin coined the AL Central Rock Fight title for when we had to cover the division’s many inept but still contending teams. With the way that the third Wild Card has developed this year with multiple teams under .500 competing for it, perhaps its time for a reprisal. We’ll give each of these teams a short summary while they try to scramble out of the muck, and if anyone out West wants to pull away with their division a bit they would be welcomed out of the fracas as well.

Houston Astros (65-64) 4, Athletics (49-80) 0: Let’s start with the Astros, who have been flirting with .500 for a while but have pulled their head above water with this win. Hayden Wesneski gave the ‘Stros five one-hit innings and the bullpen carried his work over, four relievers combining to allow two base hits the rest of the way. A pair of RBI doubles from Yordan Alvarez as well as an Isaac Paredes RBI double and a Christian Walker sac fly were more than enough to give Houston the lead, handing the A’s their league-worst 80th loss.

Texas Rangers (64-65) 2, Los Angeles Angels (51-78) 1 (10 innings): A scoreless game through nine was finally broken up by the Manfred runner, Denzer Guzman leading off the top of the 10th with an RBI double (just the third hit all game for the Angels). The Rangers’ similarly inept offense responded in the bottom half with an RBI double from Wyatt Langford, and then after an intentional walk Ezequiel Duran singled through the left side to walk it off for Texas.

Minnesota Twins (63-66) 2, San Diego Padres (69-60) 6: The Padres jumped ahead 2-0 after a Ty France two-run blast in the first, but coughed that up in the fourth when Kody Clemens tripled in a pair. The home run was the last hit Minnesota would get all game, as Randy Vasquez buckled down for seven strong innings and the Padres rallied for four runs in the fifth on a procession of four singles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.

Cleveland Guardians (63-66) 9, Colorado Rockies (50-78) 1: The Rockies briefly held a 1-0 lead after Willi Castro knocked a run across in the first, but it was all Cleveland from there. Petey Halpin tied it up with a solo shot in the third, Travis Bazzana gave them the lead with a two-run single in the fourth, and Patrick Bailey put it out of reach with his three-run homer in the seventh inning.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Reynaldo López is ramping back up and is set to make a rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Sunday. López landed on the injured list on July 30 with inflammation in his left knee; fortunately, his MRI did not reveal any structural damage. 

The hurler has had a subpar year for Atlanta. Through 24 games, he’s recorded four wins and posted a 3.64 ERA. He’s fanned 66 through 71.2 innings. 

If all goes well, López could soon rejoin Atlanta’s pitching staff and provide a boost down the stretch. Sunday’s outing should give the Braves a better idea of how close he is to returning.

More Braves News:

The Braves dropped Friday’s series opener to the Milwaukee Brewers, 2-1.

Alex Lodise logged his first home run in Double-A on Thursday. More in the minor league recap.

MLB News:

The St. Louis Cardinals have placed right-hander Andre Pallante on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation. The move is retroactive to August 18.

The New York Yankees placed third baseman Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left thumb. The move is backdated to August 20.

The Kansas City Royals have officially placed Maikel Garcia on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain.