Baseball News
The Royals and Cubs have their rubber match on Sunday afternoon. Jac Caglianone got it going last night with a two-homer game.
Randy Dobnak tries to keep his hot start going. Bobby Witt Jr. gets a half day off, in the DH spot today.
The Cubs go with Matthew Boyd on the mound. I got to be in Chicago for his last start – we had just sat down and he had already given up three runs to the Dodgers. Maybe the Royals can do the same?
Game time is at 1:10 CT on Royals.TV.
Baltimore Orioles @ Texas Rangers
Sunday, August 09, 2026, 1:35 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
The Shed
LHP Cade Povich vs. RHP Kumar Rocker
Go Rangers!
Beginning at the turn of the month, as 24 new White Sox (20 draft picks and four UDFAs) assumed their places in the White Sox organization, there was the usual downside of players cut to make room. Not coincidentally, there were 24 cuts made to affiliate rosters:
Triple-A Charlotte Knights cuts
2B Darren Baker
Most notable for being Dusty Baker’s son and the baby batboy who almost got run over on the field, at age 27 Baker is near the end of his professional time, which means his MLB .500 career average (7-for-14) will be something he can carry with him forever. He was signed to the White Sox organization before the 2026 season and sat out all but 13 games of it with injuries.
RHRP Chase Plymell
The No. 69 preseason South Side Sox prospect, Plymell was a 2021 UDFA success, working his way all the way up to Triple-A and having particularly promising stretches at Double-A and Charlotte in 2023-24. Fell off badly with the Knights this season (6.55 ERA in 33 relief innings).
RHRP Lucas Sims
After signing, releasing and re-signing Sims earlier this year, the White Sox are letting him go, again. The 10-year veteran saw nine nondescript games (4.50 ERA) with the big club this season but was godawful in Charlotte.
RHRP Javy Guerra
The five-year veteran signed on with the White Sox in June after being cut by Atlanta, and pitched well for the Knights over 10 games (3.09 ERA, five finishes, two saves). This would seem a move borne of a contract wrinkle or make-good to Guerra, giving him a shot to catch on for the stretch run with someone else.
Double-A Birmingham Barons cuts
1B/3B Brenden Dixon
Signed before the 2026 season out of the Pittsburgh org, Dixon just doesn’t have enough thump to justify his corner infield spots, and the White Sox have enough organizational players of their own who fit that “eh, just keep him around” status.
LF Adam Fogel
This was a pretty quick decision, as the left fielder was signed as a UDFA before the 2026 and had only 23 games to prove himself. Basically thrown right into Double-A ball, Fogel mashed, with five homers in just 91 plate appearances and a .513 slugging percentage. But the White Sox just had an outfielder-heavy draft, and Fogel has little to no pedigree.
OF Eddie Park
Not a shocker release, but a bit of a shock Park was still around; the 2023 eighth-rounder out of Stanford hit the ground running with his pro debut after the draft, but dropped off badly in 2024 and missed all of 2025 after knee surgery right before the season. Made it as high as N0. 48 (2024) in our Top 100.
RHRP Jared Kelley
Now this one was surprising, as the 2020 second-rounder who the White Sox coaxed away from a University of Texas commitment with an over-slot bonus was considered a plum in the system, still. He fell off very badly at Birmingham in 2026 (12.06 ERA) but pitched very well in three games at Charlotte. He’s still just 24, and though slipping down the ranks still held as the No. 55 SSS prospect before the season (he sat as high as No. 5 overall, in 2021).
RHRP Mark McLaughlin
A seventh round pick in 2022, McLaughlin found his professional ceiling to be Double-A Birmingham, where he struggled a bit in 2025 and really bottomed out this summer, to a 9.14 ERA and 2.215 WHIP. He was, at 25, still promising enough to earn the No. 67 SSS Top 100 spot before the season.
LHRP Jacob Heatherly
Heatherly sat out the entire 2025 season (or was injured), but signed on with the White Sox out of the Cincinnati system for 2026. He slid right back into Double-A ball, where he left off with the Reds, but found no traction.
LF Drake Logan
Always a long shot, this 19th-rounder from 2022 got as far along in the White Sox system as Charlotte (two stints, beginning with an impressive 11 games at the end of 2025). The No. 79 preseason SSS prospect learned that there’s just not a huge demand for LFs with middling power, but as in the case of teammate Fogel, the White Sox only have so many spots in their system.
OF TJ McCants
A 16th round pick in 2024, McCants was a solid if not underwhelming performer over two-plus years in the White Sox system. He was the No. 58 SSS prospect before the season.
High-A Winston-Salem Dash cuts
RHRP Jake Bockenstedt
An undrafted free agent in 2023, Bockenstedt was advanced through the White Sox system, as high as Double-A, more due to age than merit. He was demoted back to the Dash in 2026 after putting up a 9.58 ERA with the Barons.
RHRP Madison Jeffrey
Drafted in the 15th round by the Dodgers in 2021, Jeffrey was released out of their system early in 2024, and the White Sox snagged him out of indy ball. He was better with the Dash (4.34 ERA) in 2026 than 2025, but not better enough.
RHRP Jake Peppers
Peppers was an unorthodox project from the start, a tweener of a pitcher taken in the ninth round in 2023. He simply never gained traction with the White Sox, never making it out of A-ball. He was the No. 98 SSS prospect before this season.
INF Arxy Hernández
Speaking of “just keep him around” guys in the White Sox system, Arxy is the poster boy. From the beginning of his career, in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, Hernández did not distinguish himself. The 2026 season was by most measures his best, but he’s still positionless in A-ball, with a .681 OPS.
OF Alex Ungar
The White Sox took a UDFA shot at this outfielder out of the State University of New York at Albany before the 2026 season, and despite a somewhat aggressive assignment right to High-A, handled it pretty well (seven homers, .687 OPS, 12-of-14 steals).
Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers cuts
LF Nathan Archer
This 2024 14th-rounder packed a lot of swing-and-miss into a hitting profile with no power. He’s already caught on in indy ball, inking with the Lake Erie Crushers.
C/1B Adrian Gil
Exhibit A in how DSL stats can deceive, as Gil completely crushed the league as a 17-year-old in 2023 but struggled Stateside after that. Actually, his ACL seaosn in 2024 was just fine, but beginning in 2025 the White Sox made the odd decision to have this player — signed as (and still listed in his release as!) a second baseman but playing only 18 professional games there and relegated to 1B duty after that — transition to catcher. Needless to say, it did not work. Based on the promise of the DSL and the off-chance he could make it work as a backstop, Gil was our No. 87 preseason prospect.
INF Jurdrick Profar
Younger brother of the currently drug-suspended Padre Jurickson Profar, Jurdrick pretty much always had his family name as his top “skill.” But after the debacle of Fernando Tatís Jr., the White Sox were not going to prematurely bail on a Profar (see: Enoy Jiménez, et. al). SSS is guilty of this as well, tabbing him preseason as our No. 100 prospect.
Rookie League ACL White Sox cuts
RHRP Cesar Familia
Not good in the DSL in 2025. Not good in the ACL in 2026.
RHP Jommy Hernandez
Decent in the DSL in 2024. Not good in the ACL in 2025. Had yet to pitch in 2026.
INF D’Angelo Tejada
This international free agent in 2023 never really did much at any level, but advanced as high as Kannapolis this season. He was the No. 93 SSS prospect before the season.
OF Leandro Alsinois
One of the coolest names in the White Sox system, Alsinois could not translate excellent seasons in the DSL in 2022 and 2023 into sustained success Stateside. Over two runs in A-ball in 2025-26, Alsinois slashed just .143/.192/.184.
And if all this release news isn’t sad enough, on July 31 the White Sox officially ended William Bergolla Jr.’s season with placement on the 60-day IL, as his shin contusion in Triple-A transitioned into a bone fracture during rehab play in the ACL. Our SSS No. 11 prospect had such an impressive Spring Training and start at Charlotte, he seemed destined for a 2026 call-up to Chicago.
What we learned as Phillies survive Jays after ‘pen lets another lead slip originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
You could tell Jesús Luzardo was in a groove from the start.
That was exactly what the Phillies needed.
They entered Sunday trying to salvage the final game of a three-game set against the Blue Jays to close out Alumni Weekend. They also needed length from their left-handed starter after a week that had pushed the bullpen close to its limit.
For seven innings, Luzardo gave them everything they could have asked for in the Phillies’ 7-6 extra-inning win.
The 28-year-old, in the middle of the best season of his career, again showed the type of presence that can take over a game. Some of that comes from his stuff. Some of it comes from the competitive fire he brings every start.
But when Luzardo is right, his pace becomes part of the problem for hitters.
In a sport built more than ever around pace of play, Luzardo at his best is exactly what the league wants. On Sunday afternoon, he was routinely delivering pitches with nine seconds left on the pitch clock, quickly resetting and attacking again as soon as the hitter engaged.
When his whole repertoire is working, led by a dominant sweeper and a high-90s four-seam fastball, that pace can make an at-bat feel overwhelming.
That was clear early against Toronto.
Luzardo hit a few bumps in the fourth and fifth, allowing a run in each inning, but he regained control of the game. He started nearly three-quarters of the 27 hitters he faced with a first-pitch strike.
He carried that rhythm through seven innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out 12 against a Blue Jays offense that had bothered the Phillies all weekend.
HIS OUTING LOOKED IMPORTANT…
The Phillies have been caught in a dangerous bullpen cycle lately, and Sunday showed why Luzardo’s length was so valuable — for a while.
Their rotation had worked through a stretch of rain delays, shortened starts and early exits. That forced the same group of relievers into games over and over again.
Luzardo gave them the start that should have helped ease that strain.
Seven innings. Two runs. Twelve strikeouts. A three-run lead with six outs to go.
And still, the bullpen turned it into another long day for itself.
Even after Luzardo did his part, the Phillies could not get the ball to Jhoan Duran with a lead. Orion Kerkering struggled again Sunday, allowing three runs in the eighth as Toronto tied the game. He has posted an 11.74 ERA and a 2.09 WHIP over his last 10 outings.
That forced Duran into another non-save situation, with Tim Mayza, Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian eventually following. The Phillies got length from a starter and still had to cover five innings with their bullpen because the bridge to the ninth collapsed.
That is not on Duran.
It speaks to how often the Phillies have failed to create the right path to him. They have played 22 games since the All-Star break, and Duran has had only two save opportunities.
Right now, neither Kerkering nor José Alvarado has been reliable enough in high-leverage spots. Until that changes, even adding one of the best closers in baseball can only solve so much.
This is the part of the year people call the dog days, but the concern is more specific than fatigue. A struggling relief group cannot keep creating extra work for itself and expect to hold up through September.
BEAST AWAKENS
Are the Phillies too reliant on Kyle Schwarber’s power?
That question has lingered lately.
Schwarber had not homered since July 18, and the Phillies went 7-12 in the stretch that followed. Even with the 17-game homer drought, he still entered Sunday tied for the National League lead with 33 homers.
Schwarber took over the NL home run lead on May 8 against the Rockies and has held the top spot, or at least a share of it, for 94 straight days.
On Sunday, he finally broke through again.
In his second at-bat of the afternoon, Schwarber got ahead 2-1 against Shane Bieber, stayed back on a changeup and drove it the other way into the first row in left field.
A three-run homer.
Exactly the type of support a locked-in Luzardo could use.
And when Luzardo ran into trouble, Schwarber answered again.
After the Blue Jays scored in back-to-back innings, Schwarber came up in the fifth, got into a 2-0 count and stayed aggressive. Bieber dropped a knuckle curve below the zone, but it was in Schwarber’s low-and-in damage area.
He did not miss it.
Schwarber sent it into the right-field seats for his second homer of the game, pushing the Phillies’ lead back to three.
The lead did not hold, but Schwarber’s swing had at least returned. On a day when the Phillies needed a jolt, he gave them two.
THE WALK-OFF
It felt like a never-ending contest.
Two teams kept throwing up zeroes in extras, finding ways not to finish it. In the 11th, the Phillies nearly did, but Garrett Stubbs, running for Schwarber, was thrown out at the plate by Blue Jays right fielder Nathan Lukes.
Then Toronto took the lead in the 12th against Caleb Kilian, putting the Phillies in one more hole.
This time, they climbed out.
With runners on the corners, Bryson Stott lined an RBI single to tie the game. Toronto then intentionally walked Alec Bohm, who has struggled in those spots, to load the bases.
That brought up Derek Hill.
Three days after a scary collision with the center-field wall, Hill ended an exhausting series with a walk-off hit.
The Phillies had watched the game bend in the wrong direction after Luzardo left. They had failed to get a three-run lead to Duran. They had been doubled up at the plate with a chance to win it an inning earlier.
But they still found a way to put the series away.
It was not clean. It took longer than it should have. And it did not erase the bullpen questions that carried through the weekend.
But after the way the first two games against Toronto ended, the Phillies needed the win more than they needed style points.
INTERESTING ROAD AHEAD
The Phillies closed the homestand with a needed win and enter a unique stretch over the final 43 games of the season.
Their next 18 games come against teams currently outside the playoff picture, including this upcoming Midwest trip against the Cardinals and Twins.
Then the schedule stiffens.
Thirteen straight games against Arizona, Atlanta, Houston and Atlanta again, all teams currently in playoff position.
After that, the Phillies finish with six games against Washington and the Mets, two non-playoff teams, and six more against Milwaukee and Tampa Bay, both first-place clubs.
That puts real weight on the next three weeks.
I’m playing tennis tomorrow morning, so putting together the Game Thread after our Saturday night win. I should be able to finish tennis, shower and get up to the bar in time for first pitch. I was a non-drinker in my younger days. Maybe an occasional glass of wine, but beer didn’t interest me until craft beers started becoming good. And Scotch, well I didn’t have money to get anything that wouldn’t make you blind.
After some of the awful baseball we’ve seen this season, it is great to have some fun baseball to watch. I don’t mind watching the Jays lose. Generally there are enough good moments in losses that I’m happy to watch. I’ll always find moments I like.
I’ve been a Jays fan through some terrible seasons, so I’ve learned to appreciate the good moments. I’m looking forward to watching the new guys. And those moments (say a Vlad home run, or Springer scoring from second, Gimenez or Clements making a great play in the middle of the diamond, Lukes having one of those I don’t care what happens to my body defensive plays, a pitcher making the perfect pitch) are why I’m a baseball fan.
Also it is great if there is that moment to argue about. Should they have bunted? (never). Pinch hit? Left the starter in one guy too long/took him out too soon.
But a sweep would be great.
I’m not kidding myself that they are making a run for the playoffs, but I’m going to enjoy every win (and likely 60% of the losses).
Anyway, Go Jays Go.
The Colorado Rockies have a chance to end their first series of this road trip on a high note. A victory against the St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon would put them one step closer to the 50-win mark in addition to cementing a series win—just their second since the All-Star break.
Right-handed veteran Michael Lorenzen will start for the Rockies today. The 34-year-old is looking to find his footing after falling into a skid. Despite a string of solid appearances in June and July, Lorenzen has a 13.50 ERA and 6.84 FIP over his last three starts. In those three starts he has given up six or more earned runs twice and made it through four innings just once.
Lorenzen’s last time out against the Tampa Bay Rays lasted just three innings. He gave up seven earned runs on seven hits—one of which was a home run—and three walks while failing to notch a single strikeout. It was just the second occasion this season that Lorenzen didn’t record any strikeouts, and the first time since mid-April.
26-year-old righty Michael McGreevy will toe the rubber for the redbirds in his 23rd start of the season. Now in his third big league year, McGreevy is enjoying the best results of his career. Through 22 starts he has an ERA of 3.59 with 81 strikeouts across 120.1 innings and he leads the Cardinals pitching staff with 2.3 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference.
McGreevy went 4.1 innings against the New York Yankees his last time out, giving up two earned runs on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. His low-90s four-seam fastball anchors a pitch arsenal of seven different pitches and he gets whiffs from his changeup, curveball, and sweeper. He also throws a sinker, a traditional slider, and a cutter.
First Pitch: 12:15 p.m. MDT
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: OA 850 AM/94.1 FM and KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Cardinals SB Nation site:Viva El Birdos
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FIRST PITCH: 110p Central
TELEVISION: Twins.TV, presented by Flo and Dr Rick
RADIO: WCCO 830 AM, KMNB 102.9 FM “The Fox”, Paul Molitor Radio Network, Audacy Application
KNOW THE FOE:Brew Crew Ball
The Minnesota Twins have one more contest against the Milwaukee Brewers, and it’s the rubber match of the series. The Twins are embroiled in a race for either the American League Central or one of the Wild Card spots while the Brew Crew looks to continue staving off the Chicago Cubs for the National League Central pennant. A Twins win would be a positive, of course, but it would be great to take a series from the team who holds the best record in baseball, and they’ll have to do it against one of the best starters this year.
Jacob Misiorowski gets the call for the Brewers. If you’re unfamiliar with him, he throws heat. His four-seam fastball is consistently over the century mark while he also throws a cutter in the mid-90s, a curve in the upper 80s, as well as slider and change. The Miz has struck out 10 or more batters in four of his last five starts. He took the loss in his last start, giving up two earned runs against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim en route to a 3-0 Milwaukee loss.
The Twins will turn to Connor Prielipp, who’s had some extra rest as his last start was one week ago from yesterday. His last five starts have resulted in a 3.86 ERA/4.09 FIP over 28 innings of work. He’s struck out 30 and walked 10 batters while giving up four homers. Milwaukee batters saw him earlier this year when he threw a great start: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 2 BB, and 8 K. The Twins offense could only scratch across one run and lost the game.
GO TWIMS GO
LINEUPS:
Saturday night’s game at Chase Field looked eerily similar to the night before. Tasked with a lead in the ninth inning after a low-scoring game, an ineffective Edwin Díaz surrendered the advantage.
Geraldo Perdomo tripled, then Corbin Carroll did the same. A precarious 1-0 lead was gone, and the Diamondbacks had the winning run on third base with nobody out. FanGraphs’ game log shows Arizona having a 93.4-percent chance of winning the game at that point, and Baseball Reference had them at 93 percent.
This was going to be a loss, the Dodgers’ eighth defeat in a row.
Only Carroll never scored. A lineout right at Max Muncy, followed by an infield popout gave the Dodgers hope. Following an intentional walk, Ildemaro Vargas struck out, and the Dodgers somehow escaped having stared certain death straight in the face.
Los Angeles scratched together a run, and Jack Dreyer stranded the free runner in the 10th to give the Dodgers their first win of August, a sense of relief matched only by the promise that Díaz won’t pitch on Sunday after appearing in each of the previous two games.
Allowing two triples is rare for a reliever, something done by the Dodgers only a dozen times since moving to Los Angeles. Before Díaz, the last Dodgers reliever to give up two triples was Ricky Trlicek on June 10, 1993 at San Diego. Díaz is the first such reliever two allow two triples in the same inning since Tim Crews on July 30, 1988 against the Houston Astros at Dodger Stadium.
Díaz was the first Dodgers reliever to allow triples to consecutive batters since Howie Reed on August 6, 1964 at the Pittsburgh Pirates. Like Díaz, both triples off Reed started the inning, but Reed permitted both to score.
Someone coming out of the bullpen and giving up two triples is not conducive to winning, as the Dodgers have lost 65 of the 70 games in which this has happened. The only other game a Los Angeles Dodgers team won despite a two-triple reliever was June 23, 1963, overcoming Bob Miller to beat the Cardinals in St. Louis.
Díaz got the win on Saturday night because baseball has a sense of humor sometimes. He’s the first Dodgers reliever to allow two triples and get a win out of it since George Jeffcoat for Brooklyn on July 18, 1936 to beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
The first two games of this series against Atlanta, the NL East front-runner and a possible postseason opponent should the Yankees go deep in October, have gone almost as well as possible, considering the glaring holes in the New York lineup. Starting pitching has been a huge reason for that success. Max Fried and Gerrit Cole combined to allow two runs through 13.1 innings in the opening contests. Should similar events unfold today, a sweep is tantalizingly close.
The Yankees theoretically have the right guy on the mound to do it. Cam Schlittler is in the middle of a dominant season, one that has him at the head of the pack for the AL Cy Young (or at least neck-and-neck with Dylan Cease). He’s admittedly in a bit of a rough spell, with a 3.86 ERA over his last seven starts. But in his final two starts of July, he allowed one run in 13.2 innings prior to his bumpy outing against St. Louis, so let’s not fret he’s turned into a pumpkin.
Anyone who has been watching Cam knows what to expect. He brings the heat. His four-seamer, cutter, and sinker account for 90 percent of his pitches and he has been overpowering with them. When he does sprinkle in the curve, it is overwhelmingly to lefties. If you are a right-handed hitter, prepare for the gas.
The Braves turn to Grant Homes to prevent the sweep. Holmes is in the middle of a perfectly cromulent season of his own, for what it is worth. Today should be a juxtaposition of styles. While Schlittler attacks with the No. v1, Holmes will throw the kitchen sink at Yankee hitters. Righties can expect to see his slider, four-seamer, and sinker. He attacks lefties, meanwhile, with the slider, four-seamer, cutter, curve, and changeup. All told, he throws the slider more than any other pitch so expect to see it frequently today.
With a righty on the mound, the Yankee lineup is littered with lefties. In fact, it’s actually identical to the one that they deployed on Friday against Holmes’ fellow righty, Tyler Mahle. Heliot Ramos and beloved rookie George Lombard, Jr. are the only righties starting today. Ben Rice, fresh off ending an 11-game homerless streak, hits second. The aforementioned Lombard, who went oppo taco for a homer of his own yesterday, hits seventh. Newly acquired Luis García Jr. hits cleanup. Perhaps unsurprisingly as a former division rival of Atlanta, García has the most familiarity with Holmes of any Yankee batter, the erstwhile Nat possessing a 4-for-10 line against Holmes, including a longball.
After today is a well-earned day off, and then the Mariners come to town. Let’s end the weekend with a sweep.
How to Watch:
Location: Yankee Stadium — Bronx, NY
First Pitch: 1:35 pm EDT
TV broadcast: YES / BravesVision
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 / 680 AM/93.7 The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
Online stream: MLB.tv
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The Atlanta Braves are looking to avoid a sweep, while the New York Yankees are hoping for a successful outing with Schittler on the mound.
Tune in at 1:35 p.m. ET for the first pitch to watch how this contest unfolds.
The latest news and notes about the Houston Astros:
Four times since 1920 has a player led all of MLB in AVG, HR, and RBI. The last player to do it was Mickey Mantle in 1956. 70 years later, Yordan Alvarez is challenging to be the next to do it:
Some Astros top draft picks from this year’s draft are headed to Class A Fayetteville.
After failing to land a quality right-handed outfield bat at the deadline, the Astros still find themselves in search of one. Recently released players like Austin Hays, Rob Refsnyder and Jorge Soler are reported to be on the target list:
Mike Burrows is getting close to making a rehab start at Triple-A Sugar Land:
How Steven Okert went from tragedy to success as “Everyday Okert”:
Peter Lambert’s durability (and sustainability) will be key for Astros down stretch:
Can Cam Smith turn his recent hot streak into continued growth?
Astros owner Jim Crane reportedly refused to trade Bryan Abreu at the deadline. Abreu hasn’t allowed an earned run since July 12. He’s allowed only 7 earned runs since May 1 after allowing 13 earned runs in March/April. Abreu’s velocity also appears to be back to Abreu’s normal range:
After an off day on Saturday to recover from wrist soreness, Mets outfielder Carson Benge is back in the starting lineup for the rubber game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Benge jammed his wrist into the left field wall on a spectacular sliding catch in the third inning of Friday's game and left shortly after. After the game, interim manager Andy Green said the rookie's X-rays came back negative as New York avoided an injury scare.
Regardless, the team would wait and see how Benge felt the following day before deciding what to do and sure enough, out of an abundance of caution, Benge was on the bench in the second game of the series.
"Great," Green said regarding how Benge feels. "He’s mad he didn’t play yesterday. His swings look good, he’s moving around fine. Obviously recovered pretty quickly from the collision with the wall so we’re glad to have him back out there. We waited a while to let the lineup out [today], we wanted to see if he was gonna be good to go and he felt great."
Benge is batting cleanup and playing right field with A.J. Ewing sliding over to left field and Luis Robert Jr. in center field.
Not in the lineup is Jorge Polanco, who played the first two games of the series while going 0-for-7. Green said that's where the team is at with Polanco right now, not starting him for more than 2-3 days in a row.
"We’ve been doing that fairly repetitive with him," the skipper said.
Meanwhile, Green also spoke about the plan for Robert Stock, who pitched on Saturday and struggled mightily, going three innings and allowing eight earned runs on nine hits and five walks -- the complete opposite from his season debut against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 2 in which he allowed one run over five innings.
"I think more than likely we’re anticipating him making his next start for us," Green said. "Still kinda being a little bit patient before being fully committed to it, but I think we’re leaning that direction."
Despite having a day off on Thursday next week before hosting a six-game homestand at Citi Field, the Mets are reluctant to skip Stock's turn in the rotation entirely because of the heavy workload that their young starters have already been through this season.
"I don’t think that’s our best choice given the load a lot of the young guys have carried into their first full season in the big leagues," Green said. "So as much as we’d like to get those guys back on the mound quickly, the extra day is good for them."
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back at home for a weekend series at PNC Park when they take on the New York Mets for the final contest of a three-game set.
Jared Jones is on the bump for the Buccos for the first time since August 4, when he pitched four innings, giving up eight hits and three earned runs as the Pirates lost 4-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.
The Mets giving the ball to Sean Manaea, who is 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA so far this season. Manaea has gone back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation, but he has been consistently playing as a starter since the middle of June.
Manaea’s last start came against the Cleveland Guardians on August 4, when he pitched six innings, gave up seven hits, and earned a 6-2 victory on the road. Manaea pitched against the Pirates earlier this season on March 29, giving up one hit in 1.1 scoreless innings.
It’s the final matchup of a quick homestand for the Pirates, who will head back out to South Florida for a series against the Marlins in the middle of the week. They want to send the fans home happy with a win.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Sean Manaea (3-5, 4.33 ERA) vs. Jared Jones (2-3, 4.02 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
SP: Sean Manaea – LHP
SP: Jared Jones – RHP
First pitch: 1:35 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The impossible happened last night: the A’s won a game! The club snapped their 9-game losing streak, getting their first August win while snapping Boston’s winning streak. Fitting. Now the A’s need to prove it wasn’t a one-off and make it two in a row, something the team hasn’t done since before the All-Star Break.
Taking to the hill in this afternoon’s series finale will be right-hander J.T. Ginn, who is set to get the ball for his 21st start. Ginn spent a couple weeks on the IL recently with a blister issue but didn’t seem to miss a beat while he was on the shelf. In his first start back he fired six innings of three-run ball in an eventual loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Hopefully the bullpen won’t waste another fine start from the emerging righty.
Here’s how the Athletics will line up this afternoon for the finale:
Mostly the same lineup as yesterday and why mess with something that worked? The only changes at the top of the lineup are Jonah Heim is catching instead of DH’ing today while Tyler Soderstrom occupies that role with a half-day for the lefty slugger. Jonathan Ornelas will replace him on the grass and bat seventh this afternoon, ahead of third baseman Max Muncy and second baseman Jeff McNeil.
The Red Sox meanwhile have left-hander Erik Miller getting the ball for them today. A deadline acquisition from the San Francisco Giants, Miller is only expected to go an inning or two at most this afternoon before making way for the rest of Boston’s relief unit. Expect to see lots of pitching changes from Boston today.
And Boston’s starting lineup today shakes out like this:
Two in a row? I forgot what that feels like. Let’s make it happen A’s!
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