KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 06: Alex Jackson #70 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates at home plate after scoring in the eighth inning during the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Thursday, August 6, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sydney Schneider/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):6:40 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Battery Power
Fresh off a sweep where the lineup went mostly dormant outside of the 1st inning yesterday, the Twins have finally summoned reinforcements to get the bats rolling: Alex Jackson.
Now, you may be thinking, is this the same Alex Jackson that has been needlessly taking a bench spot as a third catcher since Ryan Jeffers’ return a month ago? The same one who is taking away what could be a useful role player who could do something like hit against righties? Or pinch run or be a late defensive sub? Yes. That one. After being off the 40-man roster for 72 hours, GM Jeremy Zoll got cold feet and brought him back after Austin Martin went on the IL this morning.
While it would be fun to see Walker Jenkins or Emmanuel Rodriguez (or to a lesser extent, Matt Wallner) up with the Twins, I do get the lineup logistics with holding off there. To get one of those lefty bats into the lineup, one of Trevor Larnach, Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, Kody Clemens, Josh Bell, or Royce Lewis would likely need to be removed from the lineup, which just isn’t going to happen right now as those are all their best hitters (we can quibble about Clemens who has been pretty terrible for two months, but he’s done enough to keep his spot at this point).
This isn’t even a dig at Jackson, it’s just a fact. In the best case scenario for any ballgame, Twins fans aren’t even aware Jackson is on the team. In the past 3 weeks, Jackson has started 0 games, had 1 plate appearance, and played just four innings in the field. It’s a complete punting of a roster spot from a team whose offense is in the bottom 10 in nearly every offensive category of substance since the All-Star Break.
Maybe this group of players aren’t ready or never will contribute, but it would be a better use of a roster spot than Jackson collecting dust at the end of the bench.
Aaron Sabato: 1.114 OPS vs LHP this season
Ben Ross: right-handed utility player with a 1.011 OPS vs lefties in 2026. Think Ryan Kreidler part two (not great, still more useful than Jackson)
Kala’i Rosario: he’s struggled vs lefties this year, but he put up a .900+ OPS against them each season from 2023-2025.
Gabriel Gonzalez: honestly not a great season from the young righty, but there’s potential and he can play LF vs LHP
Kyler Fedko: out for the season with an ACL tear, but probably still faster than Jackson.
And that’s all before we get to the slew of right-handed bats released by bad teams over the past few weeks: Starling Marte, Gabriel Arias, Jorge Soler, Marcel Ozuna, and Joey Wiemer have demonstrated some ability to hit left handed pitching in the recent past and would be worth a flier.
Instead, we get to be one of three teams currently carrying three catchers. The others are the St. Louis Cardinals, who are only here on a technicality since All-Star Ivan Herrera is still technically a catcher despite 80% of his playing time coming at DH. And the last team is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, a team you haven’t wanted to be mentioned with for over a decade.
No time like the present to get things going against a lefty! Twins legend Martin Perez is on the bump for Atlanta, and the book on him is largely the same as it was in 2019 when he was in Minnesota: he walks too many, doesn’t strike enough out, but gets enough weak ground balls to keep his overall numbers palatable.
It feels all doom-and-gloom, but the Twins are somehow still only a 1.5 games out of a playoff spot and have a very easy schedule after this week. From next Monday on, Minnesota has only three series against teams currently with a winning record. One against the Yankees and two against the White Sox (who are still the White Sox despite currently leading this terrible division). Weather the storm and get out of this week at .500 and everything’s looking pretty good from there. Let’s start things out right.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 16: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets and Carson Benge #3 celebrate after the Mets defeated the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on Sunday, August 16, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the past two weeks, the Mets have swept two series and only lost one series. They were shut out in two of their three losses in the past 12 games, but other than that, the offense has ironically produced considerably better since losing Juan Soto. Francisco Lindor has been raking, Bo Bichette earned what I think is his first fireball of the year, Luis Torrens has gone on a power surge, and several guys who had been performing poorly are trending upwards.
Player
Last week
This week
Francisco Alvarez, C
Gabriel Arias, INF
—
Brett Baty, UTIL
Carson Benge, OF
Bo Bichette, 3B
A.J. Ewing, OF
Francisco Lindor, SS
Cristian Pache, OF
—
Jorge Polanco, DH
Luis Robert Jr., OF
Marcus Semien, 2B
Luis Torrens, C
Eric Wagaman, 1B/DH
Jared Young, 1B/DH
Let’s start with our raging hot hitters. Despite having half the number of plate appearances as the everyday players, Luis Torrens leads the team with ten runs batted in over the past 12 games (of which he played in 7 of them). Of his eight hits, half of them were home runs—good for a scorching 332 wRC+, which is by far the best mark on the team. Torrens has also walked four times and scored six runs. Francisco Alvarez, by contrast, has not done nearly as well, but has an at least respectable 91 wRC+ in his last 41 plate appearances. Of his 7 hits, three went for extra bases—two doubles and a home run. He also continues to walk at a much higher rate than at any point in his career, drawing five free passes over the past two weeks. Unfortunately he leads the team in strikeouts as well with 18.
Bo Bichette is our other fireball recipient, posting a 197 wRC+ in 53 plate appearances. He leads the team in hits with 18, of course buoyed by his 5-for-5 performance in Pittsburgh in the Mets’ 11-1 victory over the Pirates. Bichette also scored seven runs, drove in nine runs, and walked six times. Since his five-hit day on August 9, Bichette has only gone hitless in one game.
Francisco Lindor has been almost as good and I considered giving him a fireball as well. Lindor’s 11 hits are second only to Bichette for the team lead and he leads the team in runs scored with 11 and walks with seven. He has gone deep three times and driven in seven runs. In Juan Soto’s absence, Lindor has been the engine of the Mets’ offense in the month of August, including collecting the walk-off knock in the Mets’ come from behind victory on Saturday.
Like Lindor, Jared Young marks his second straight meter in the green with a 174 wRC+ in 45 plate appearances, still playing nearly every day. His ten RBIs in the past two weeks match Torrens for the team lead and his eight runs scored are second only to Lindor for the team lead. Of his 15 hits, six went for extra bases, including a home run and two triples.
Carson Benge has rocketed into the green with a blistering 189 wRC+ in 48 plate appearances. He got fireball consideration as well, especially considering how well he continues to play in the field, generating highlight reel worthy catches and outfield assists. Benge is getting it done on both sides of the ball, driving in eight runs and scoring eight runs in the past 12 games. He matches Young’s hit total with 15 and five of those went for extra bases, including a triple and three home runs.
Unfortunately A.J. Ewing’s struggles since the break continue; he put up a 61 wRC+ in 54 plate appearances over the past 12 games. Of Ewing’s 8 hits (good for just a .174 batting average), half went for extra bases, but he hasn’t hit a home run since July 8. Ewing scored six runs and drove in six runs, but he has not driven in any runs in two weeks and he has struck out 14 times over that span.
Jorge Polanco has continued to struggle as well, but it says something about how bad he was before that a 62 wRC+ is an improvement. He amassed five hits in 26 plate appearances, two of which went for extra bases, including a home run on August 5 that helped lift the Mets to an extra-inning win over the Guardians. That represented his only run scored and one of his two RBIs in this two-week span. We’re still a far cry from Polanco being anything resembling a productive hitter, but there have at least been signs of life.
Similarly, though the performances of Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr. haven’t been anything to write home about, they are at least trending in the right direction. Robert joins Lindor, Bichette, Benge, and Young among the Mets that have notched double-digit hit totals in the past 12 games. Two of his eight hits went for extra bases—both home runs, one of which came on the same day as Bichette’s five-hit game. Though Bichette stole the spotlight that day, Robert drove in four in that game and he had just one other RBI in all of the other games in the past two weeks combined. Robert posted a 105 wRC+ in these 12 games. Semien, meanwhile, also went deep twice and amassed seven hits in total. He scored five runs, drove in six runs, and walked five times—good for an 84 wRC+.
Brett Baty also went from “bad” to “just kind of mediocre” in this early part of August, putting up an 82 wRC+ in 29 plate appearances, being reduced to a part-time role due in part to Jared Young’s consistent production. Baty went back-to-back with Polanco in that win over the Guardians on August 5 and five days later, he hit the first grand slam of his career in Atlanta, helping power an 8-5 victory over the Braves. That grand slam represented four of his five total RBIs over this 12-game span. He also walked three times and scored four runs. But he had just 4 total hits in those 29 plate appearances.
There are a couple of new faces on the meter this time around. Cristian Pache was called up to the Mets when an outfield spot became available after the Mets traded Tyrone Taylor at the deadline. Pache has gone hitless in his first six plate appearances, but has scored a run. Right after the Mets played the Guardians, Cleveland designated Gabriel Arias for assignment and the Mets picked him up. Eric Wagaman, who went 1-for-2 with a run scored, was optioned to Triple-A when the Mets added Arias to the roster. Arias went 0-for-5 during his brief Mets tenure and it turns out he may be a one-and-done for the meter series and a future Mets Sporcle answer because earlier today, the Mets designated him for assignment just nine days after acquiring him.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 28, 2026: Bo Davidson #91 of the San Francisco Giants takes a lead at first base during the eighth inning of a spring training game against the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
A rather poor weekend for the San Francisco Giants, but a tremendously exciting weekend for their Minor League Baseball affiliates. Let’s dive into the 15 games that were played on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
AAA Sacramento outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week. It was very well earned. You’ll find out why in a moment.
Also very well earned was the promotion of outfielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL), the organization’s home run leader. He moves up from High-A Eugene to AA Richmond.
And, in case you missed the news, Sacramento LHP Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson has been called up for his MLB debut!
AAA Sacramento (68-49)
Friday/Saturday Game 1: Sacramento River Cats lost to the Las Vegas Aviators 10-5 [box score] Saturday Game 2: Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators 3-2 (7 innings) [box score] Sunday: Sacramento River Cats beat the Las Vegas Aviators 15-11 [box score]
A lot of fun storylines going on with the River Cats over the weekend, though it took them awhile to get started … Friday’s game was postponed at the start of the 3rd inning, and resumed on Saturday.
The big story is a very exciting one, though: right fielder/left fielder Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) has taken off. It was an absolutely dreamy weekend for the lefty, who hit 4-7 with a walk and a strikeout across Saturday’s games. But he was just getting started. Oh my goodness was he only just getting started.
On Sunday, Davidson put forth one of the best games that any Giants prospect has had this year.
His 1st at-bat? He drew a walk.
His 2nd at-bat? He ground out, but at 95 mph.
His 3rd at-bat? He went the other way for a double.
Davidson, like many prospects, really struggles to find his grip when he advances to a new level. But when he takes off, he takes off, and his AAA experience has highlighted that. Just look at his performance since getting promoted in mid-July:
First 22 games: 17-86, 0 home runs, 3 doubles, 10 walks, 21 strikeouts Next 5 games: 14-22, 4 home runs, 3 doubles, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
That, my friends, is someone who has figured it out. And who, despite such a slow start, is already up to an .820 OPS and a 114 wRC+, with a sub-20% strikeout rate in AAA. Might we see the recently-turned 24-year old in the Majors before the year ends?
The opposite — albeit it far less dramatically — has happened with third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), who was promoted at the same time as Davidson. Harber started out red hot but has been cooling down, but over the weekend hit 1-4 with a strikeout … but drew 4 walks (he didn’t play on Sunday). That’s a mighty fine weekend, though Harber hasn’t been doing much damage with the actual bat lately: after hitting 4 homers and 3 doubles in his 1st 14 games with Sacramento, he has just 1 homer and 2 doubles in 12 games since. He’s having a particularly hard time with off-speed pitches, but hey, that’s what AAA is for! In all, it’s a .916 OPS and a 138 wRC+ for the 25-year old, and a wildly successful debut stint at the highest level of the Minors.
Marcelo Mayer continued his rehab over the weekend, as the former top-20 prospect gears up for a Giants debut sometime this week. It was a tale of 3 acts over the weekend for Mayer, who played second and third base: in the 1st game, he went 3-6 with a double and 2 strikeouts; in the 2nd game he didn’t play; and in the 3rd game he hit 1-6 with 4 strikeouts. Mayer giveth, and Mayer taketh away!
Fantastic weekends for center fielder/right fielder Scott Bandura and first baseman/DH Diego Velasquez (No. 31 CPL). Bandura hit a lovely 7-15 with 3 doubles, a stolen base, a walk, and a strikeout, while Velasquez went 3-11 with a triple, 2 doubles, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts. Bandura, a just-turned 25-year old lefty who has really taken off over the last 2 months, is up to an .850 OPS and a 124 wRC+ through 72 AAA games, with 17 stolen bases. Velasquez, a 22-year old switch-hitter who normally plays the non-first base infield positions, has an .832 OPS and a 119 wRC+ through 11 games at the level. This was his 1st stolen base in AAA, where he’s fitting in beautifully.
Second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL) and center fielder Grant McCray made their Sacramento returns after getting optioned. Furman hit 3-7 with 2 walks and sacrifice fly, while McCray went 1-5 with a 3-run double, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts. Left fielder/shortstop Shay Whitcomb made his organizational debut and hit 3-12 with 2 walks, 3 strikeouts, and an error.
The best pitching performance belonged to LHP Joe Whitman (No. 26 CPL), who had his best appearance since returning to the rotation following a brief bullpen stint. Whitman was awesome on Sunday, pitching 4 innings and allowing just 5 mild-mannered baserunners (4 singles and a walk) en route to 1 run allowed, with 6 strikeouts. That’s a fantastic game!
Whitman wasn’t as efficient or strike-dependent as those numbers would suggest, though, as he needed 72 pitches to get through those 4 innings, and threw just 45 of them for strikes. There’s a lot for him to work on, but then again, he only just got to the level. Whitman has a 5.09 ERA and a 5.57 FIP in 16 games (8 starts) with the River Cats.
RHP Anthony Molina made his 2nd appearance since the Giants acquired him and moved him to the rotation. It didn’t go well, as he gave up 4 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs in 2 innings, while striking out 2. Better luck next time.
LHP Cesar Perdomo had a decent start, pitching 6.2 innings (a deep start!) while giving up 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs, with just 2 strikeouts. Not the most exciting, but encouraging given the struggles he’s been having since getting recently promoted to AAA. Steps in the right direction!
RHP Joel Peguero (No. 27 CPL) made his 2nd rehab appearance and gave up hits to the 2 batters he faced on Friday before the game was postponed. That was his only appearance of the weekend, and he’s now yet to retire any of the 5 batters he’s faced since starting his rehab.
RHP Braxton Roxby had another strong outing, pitching 1.1 no-hit frames with a walk and a strikeout, lowering his ERA to 3.54 (albeit with a 4.88 FIP).
AA Richmond (66-46)
Friday: Richmond Flying Squirrels beat the Harrisburg Senators 9-7 [box score] Saturday: Richmond Flying Squirrels lost to the Harrisburg Senators 7-2 [box score]
Just 2 games for the Squirrels, who had Sunday’s game rained out.
That pair of games though? Well, they weren’t interesting, so I’m not sure why I had a lead-up like that.
Third baseman Dayson Croes had the best weekend, as he hit 3-8 with a home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly, and 2 strikeouts. Croes was a feel-good story last year, when he signed as a 25-year old and proceeded to hit comfortably above average in the ACL, High-A, AA, and AAA. But his follow-up campaign has been poor, as he’s hit below average in both AA and AAA, as well as in his rehab stint in the ACL. He’s now at over 200 plate appearances in AA this year, with just a .660 OPS and a 78 wRC+. Add in the fact that he turns 27 in October and doesn’t have a lot of defensive value, and it he might need more days like he had this weekend to keep his pro baseball dreams alive.
Catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL) has been a little slow to adapt to AA after an excellent year in High-A, but Friday was a nice game for him, as he hit 2-4 with a double and 3 runs batted in, before not playing on Saturday. Left fielder Jack Payton struck out in both at-bats on Friday, but went 3-4 with 2 doubles on Saturday, albeit with a strikeout an an error. Villarroel, a 21-year old righty, has a .565 OPS and a 53 wRC+ through 16 games with Richmond; Payton, a just-turned 25-year old righty, has a .739 OPS and a 101 wRC+ through 71 games at the level.
Modest, but not altogether bad, weekends for the top prospects in Richmond, as shortstop/DH Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) hit 1-8 with 2 walks and a strikeout, while center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) went 2-10 with a triple and a strikeout. Kilen, last year’s 1st-round pick, has an .863 OPS and a 125 wRC+, while Cohen, last year’s 3rd-rounder, has a .743 OPS and a 97 wRC+.
Not good pitching performances. Kind of some throwback ones, though, as the stat lines look like something from a different decade for the starters: on Friday it was LHP Charlie McDaniel, who gave up 10 hits, 1 walk, and 5 runs in 6.1 innings, with 4 strikeouts; on Saturday it was LHP Tyler Switalski, who allowed 8 hits, 2 walks, and 6 runs in 4.1 innings, though he struck out 8. Both pitchers are having a very difficult time adjusting to life in AA, as McDaniel has a 5.23 ERA and a 4.42 FIP, while Switalski has a 9.00 ERA and a 6.84 FIP.
Switalski’s homer numbers in his short career are one of the more odd things you’ll see. The 2024 16th-rounder debuted last year and, across 96.2 innings in Low-A and High-A gave up just 3 home runs. This year? He’s doubled that figure through 6 AA starts alone, and in 100.2 innings across High-A and AA has ceded 19 big flies.
High-A Eugene (69-44)
Friday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops 6-5 [box score] Saturday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops 8-4 [box score] Sunday: Eugene Emeralds beat the Hillsboro Hops 5-3 [box score]
And with that, the Emeralds are flying high once more, and float into the off-day with a 4-game winning streak. 25 games above .500! Must be nice.
It was all about the long ball for the Emeralds, who used 7 home runs over the weekend, with the big fly accounting for 11 of their 19 runs.
That included one from the organizational leader, as center fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL) stayed juuuust ahead of Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) by bopping his 24th homer of the year, as part of a 3-11 weekend that also featured a double, a walk, an outfield assist, and 2 strikeouts. And with that, Diaz can kiss his splendid time in the Pacific Northwest goodbye, as he’s using the off-day to fly across the country and join AA Richmond. An incredibly well deserved promotion for the recently-turned 21-year old, who has been on an absolute tear this summer. Since the start of July, the right-hander from Cuba has hit a stunning 51-154, with 14 home runs, total 24 extra-base hits, and 6 walks, and 25 strikeouts. He ends his time in High-A with an .843 OPS, a 114 wRC+, and just a 16.7% strikeout rate. He’ll need to learn to be more selective at higher levels — both to keep the power up and add to the paltry 3.6% walk rate — but my goodness there is a very talented player in there!
You’re seeing this right… Lisbel Diaz went yard again!
All-or-nothing weekends for a pair of prospects with big power bats, right fielder Cam Maldonado (No. 34 CPL) and left fielder Walker Martin. Maldonado hit just 2-11 with 2 strikeouts and a stolen base, but smashed a 2-run bomb; Martin went 3-12 with 4 strikeouts and an error, but had a solo blast and a double. Maldonado has shown off the power since a recent promotion, as he has 3 dingers in just 8 games with Eugene, giving last year’s 7th-round pick an .842 OPS and a 112 wRC+. Martin, who is now playing left field after starting his career at shortstop and later moving to third, is up to 18 homers on the year, but still has just a .721 OPS, an 89 wRC+, and a 33.7% strikeout rate.
Also continuing his high-homer season was third baseman Zander Darby, who is getting the bulk of the reps at the hot corner now that Martin is in the outfield. Darby has had a few issues this year, namely with strikeouts, but he’s been a home run machine and has a strong overall line. He had a game that epitomized his season, going 3-11 with a 2-run blast, a double, and a sacrifice fly, but striking out 5 times. The 23-year old, taken in the 12th round in 2024, has 16 homers on the year, along with an .825 OPS and a 116 wRC+ … but a 31.4% strikeout rate. Some adjustments need to be made, but there’s certainly something there!
Catcher Daniel Rogers logged his 1st homer at the level, going 3-5 with a big fly and a double.
But no one could compete with designated hitter Robert Hipwell, who went 3-10 with a pair of home runs, though he struck out 4 times. It’s been a tough year for Hipwell, the team’s 6th-round pick in 2024. He has just a .174 batting average and a 42.5% strikeout rate with Eugene, though a 16.9% walk rate has boosted his .665 OPS up to an 86 wRC+. He’s gonna need a lot more weekends like this to save his prospect status, though, especially since he’s a bat-first corner infielder/DH.
Two consecutive days with a HR for Robert Hipwell!
Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) didn’t climb the home run leaderboards like that quintet of players, but he continued his excellent season, hitting 3-9 with a double, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 2 stolen bases. The 19-year old switch-hitter just looks unbelievably comfortable against Northwest League pitchers, and through 54 games has an .849 OPS and a 125 wRC+, with 8 stolen bases and just a 16.9% strikeout rate. Even those of us who were extremely bullish on Level didn’t expect him to hit this well this quickly in High-A! He’s setting himself up for a no-question AA assignment to open 2027, when he’ll turn 20 right as the season is kicking off. Don’t pinch yourself, you’re not dreaming!!
RHP Niko Mazza had a stellar start on Friday, throwing 6.1 brilliant innings while allowing just 3 hits, 2 walks, and 1 run, with 8 strikeouts. The 2024 8th-rounder had an ERA that lived in the 2s for much of the season, but it went from 2.50 to 4.10 with a quartet of ugly starts in late July and early August. But with this outing, he announced that he is back to his old run-suppressing ways!
Mazza, who now has a 3.91 ERA and a 4.22 FIP on the year, still needs to get his walks in check — he’s issued 5.1 per 9 innings — but pretty much everything else in his profile is shining. He’s striking out 10.2 batters per 9 innings, and has only allowed 68 hits in 92 innings. Also, try this on for consistency when it comes to baserunners allowed: he’s pitched 92 innings, with 68 hits and 52 walks. Last year, in 93.1 innings? 68 hits and 52 walks. Wild!
LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL) had another rough go of it, giving up 3 hits, 3 walks, and 1 run in just 3 innings, with 2 strikeouts, while only throwing 36 of 62 pitches for strikes. LDLT has really had the exact same story all year long: so many strikeouts (10.9 per 9) and so few hits (65 in 91.2 innings), but so many walks (7.3 per 9), too many homers (10), and way too many runs (5.20 ERA, 5.23 FIP).
RHPs Gerelmi Maldonado (No. 21 CPL) and Marty Gair, who have some of the nastiest stuff in the system but struggle to harbor it, both pitched, with predictable results. Maldonado struck out 2 in a scoreless inning, but allowed a hit and 2 walks, while Gair gave up 2 walks in a no-hit inning, with 1 strikeout. Maldonado has a 3.14 ERA, a 6.30 FIP, and 40 strikeouts to 38 walks in 28.2 innings; Gair has a 4.35 ERA and a 3.82 FIP across 2 levels and 2 organizations, with 71 strikeouts to 25 walks in 39.1 innings.
Low-A San Jose (64-50)
Friday: San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 6-4 [box score] Saturday: San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 9-2 [box score] Sunday: San Jose Giants beat the Fresno Grizzlies 10-9 (11 innings) [box score]
The Baby Giants, like the Emeralds, cruise into the off-day on a 4-game winning streak. And they sure did it in style, as Sunday’s game was pure drama. San Jose trailed 8-5 going into the bottom of the 9th inning, but mounted a rally, which resulted in a game-tying single by designated hitter Oliver Tejada.
They trailed 9-8 going into the bottom of the 10th inning, and had 2 unproductive outs, when right fielder Tanner Mally tied things up with a clutch single.
And they walked it off in the bottom of the 11th despite opening the inning with a line drive double play that erased the Manfred Man. And getting the winning knock? None other than the potential superstar in the making, Josuar González (No. 2 CPL), who singled home the winning run.
González was, once again, the star on offense for San Jose. He had a brilliant trio of games, hitting 5-13 with 2 triples, a double, 3 walks, a stolen base, 2 strikeouts, and 2 errors.
The 18-year old switch-hitter is only 77 games into his Low-A experience, but he’s already acing the test: his average (.342), isolated slugging (.211), walk rate (16.6%), OPS (1.067) and wRC+ (162) are among the very best in the league, while his strikeout rate sits at a lovely 18.2%. It’s hard to put to words how impressive he’s been, and I’m holding out hope that he has a brief introduction to High-A at the end of the year.
Josuar Gonzalez with a triple to send three home! That's his third triple this week. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vxCxIrdGws
Interestingly, González played second base in all of these games, while Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) played short. Previously, the pair had been switching off on a day-by-day basis … it’s unclear if the Giants are wanting to now switch series by series (as Jhonny Level and Gavin Kilen did in Eugene), or if they’re temporarily moving González to second base in hopes that it will be less stressful on his body, as he’s pulled his hamstring twice this year.
As for Hernández, he’s been coming along slowly at the level, but hit 6-15 over the weekend, albeit with 6 strikeouts. The numbers are ugly for Hernández, as he has a .634 OPS, a 59 wRC+, and a 30.3% strikeout rate, but that’s to be expected for a 17-year old in his debut season.
Enjoy the Luis Hernandez RBI single, stay for Josuar Gonzalez FLYING to score from first… pic.twitter.com/2odoh5q5Fy
It was a balanced offensive weekend, as the Baby Giants scored a lot of runs but, other than González, no one really stood out. Mally, a 17th-rounder who is still the only player from the team’s 2026 class to debut, hit 3-10 with 2 walks, a hit by pitch, a sacrifice fly, and 2 strikeouts, bringing his OPS to 1.020 and his wRC+ to 159 through 9 games. Center fielder Andy Polanco had a nice time out, hitting 6-12 with a double, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 3 strikeouts. Polanco, a 2024 11th-rounder in his 2nd season, has been all about the defense and the swiped bags (he has 36), while his hitting has lagged (.722 OPS, 81 wRC+, 30.9% strikeout rate).
Friday was an exciting game, as RHP Miguel Mendez made his organizational debut. Mendez, who came over in the Robbie Ray trade, had only pitched once since mid-June, so this was a rehab assignment. He wasn’t very sharp, as he gave up 2 hits and a hit batter in 2.1 innings, with just 1 strikeout, which tagged him for a run despite the fact that he didn’t allow any hits. It’ll be interesting to see if the Giants assign Mendez to High-A and or AA when he’s up to speed … or just keep him rehabbing in a low-pressure environment for the rest of the year.
Also rehabbing was RHP R.J. Dabovich, who pitched a perfect inning with a strikeout. Dabovich has now made 3 rehab appearances and has pitched wonderfully. Great to see him healthy at long last; it had been far too long since he’d pitched regularly.
LHP Leandro Rodriguez had his best start since getting promoted, as he gave up just 3 singles, 0 walks, and 1 run in 4.2 innings, while striking out 5 batters. The 20-year old had an awesome stateside debut in the ACL this year … he only had a 4.18 ERA and a 4.35 FIP, but finished with 11.0 strikeouts to 2.1 walks per 9 innings. He was especially strong late, as he had a 40-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his June and July starts in Arizona. Nice to see that show up in his 4th Cal League appearance.
More struggles for RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL), who needed 59 pitches to get through 3 innings, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, and 2 runs, while striking out 4. After starting to get his walks in check in July — he issued just 4 free passes in 19 innings — Martinez’s pair of August starts have featured a combined 6 walks in 4 innings, with 9 earned runs. He’s up to a 5.42 ERA and a 5.21 FIP, and while the walks (5.1 per 9) remain a concern, the strikeouts (13.2 per 9) give you reason to dream.
Dominican Summer League Black (34-20)
Friday: DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Red 7-6 (7 innings) [box score] Saturday: DSL Giants Black lost to DSL Arizona Red 18-6 (7 innings) [box score]
Awesome weekend for the Camacaro brothers. Shorstop/third baseman Keiberg hit 2-7 with a home run, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout, while second baseman Alexander went 3-6 with a home run and a walk. Keiberg, who is about to turn 20, has a 1.014 OPS and a 152 wRC+ in his 4th DSL season; Alexander, who is about to turn 19, has an .807 OPS and a 105 wRC+ in his 2nd season.
Shortstop Joniel Hernandez, who continues to look like the steal of the Giants 2026 trade deadline, hit 4-7 with a home run, a walk, and a stolen base, while getting caught stealing once. The 17-year old righty in his debut season has a .966 OPS, a 135 wRC+, 10 stolen bases, and just a 15.5% strikeout rate. He is going to find himself positively flying up prospect boards.
The star in these games was center fielder Jose Valdez, who is quietly putting together a super strong debut season. The 17-year old lefty hit 1-4 in these games, with a 3-run home run, 3 walks, and 2 stolen bases. He has an .860 OPS and a 112 wRC+ on the season, with 6 home runs and 12 stolen bases. That might not be enough to get him a ticket to Papago come 2027, but it should certainly put him on people’s radars.
Home run tracker
24 — Lisbel Diaz — [21 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 23 — Bo Davidson x2 — [4 in AAA; 19 in AA] 18 — Walker Martin — [High-A] 17 — Cam Maldonado — [3 in High-A; 14 in Low-A] 16 — Zander Darby — [High-A] 7 — Keiberg Camacaro — [DSL] 6 — Robert Hipwell x2 — [High-A] 6 — Joniel Hernandez — [DSL] 6 — Jose Valdez — [DSL] 5 — Daniel Rogers — [1 in High-A; 4 in Low-A] 4 — Dennys Riera — [DSL] 3 — Dayson Croes — [1 in AAA; 2 in AA] 3 — Alexander Camacaro — [DSL]
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 11: Mason Barnett #63 of the Athletics pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on August 11, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This past weekend, the Athletics finished the homestand on a positive note, winning two of three games against the Texas Rangers for their first series victory at Sutter Health Park since the end of May.
The A’s will look to carry that momentum into this roadtrip, which begins tonight with the first of a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals. Both teams entered this season with playoff expectations, yet find themselves in last place in their respective mediocre divisions with two of the three worst records in the league.
A major reason behind the A’s success against the Rangers was their starting pitching, as all three starters tossed six solid innings, giving the Green and Gold the chance to win each game. Tonight, A’s right-hander Mason Barnett will start the series opener in Kansas City, looking to deliver his best outing since joining the starting rotation and give the team another quality start.
The 25-year-old enters his 18th appearance and fourth start of the season with a 1-3 record, a 6.16 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP and 36 strikeouts over 38 innings. After lasting five innings in his first start a few weeks ago, Barnett has failed to make it past four innings in his last two outings. Most recently, he took the loss against the Tampa Bay Rays, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks over four innings pitched.
With the A’s not receiving an off day in between these two series, the team needs Barnett to pitch efficiently and effectively. Today would be as good a day as any for the youngster to earn his first win as a starting pitcher this year. Additionally, a quality start could help him maintain his place in the rotation. Veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs will return from the injured list soon. He will likely replace either Barnett or tomorrow’s scheduled starter, Jack Perkins.
Here’s the A’s lineup for this evening’s road trip and series opener:
SS Jacob Wilson has been scratched from tonight's lineup with left shoulder soreness. pic.twitter.com/jc1C5jEU5Y
The A’s starting nine features several players who have been swinging the bat well lately. First baseman Jeff McNeil put together a four-hit night, while center fielder Henry Bolte recorded back-to-back three-hit games.
Right fielder Lawrence Butler is on a much-needed hot streak, homering in four of his past five games. Speaking of home runs, third baseman Tommy White finally lived up to his “Tommy Tanks” nickname by hitting his first major league home run yesterday. Zack Gelof, who will serve as the designated hitter, has been one of this season’s pleasant surprises, from his offensive prowess to his newfound defensive versatility.
Those players will need to capitalize on any scoring opportunities the A’s get today. There may not be many, as the A’s will face Royals right-hander and 2026 MLB All-Star Michael Wacha. The 35-year-old enters his 25th start of the season with a 5-8 record, a 3.46 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 117 strikeouts over 150 2/3 innings.
Wacha has gone winless over his past seven starts, although he has pitched well, posting a 3.86 ERA during that stretch. He received a no-decision in his last start against the Los Angeles Dodgers after allowing three runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings.
Wacha will look to fare better after losing to the Athletics earlier this season in Sacramento. In that April outing, the veteran pitcher allowed four runs on eight hits over five innings, yet he was facing a more complete lineup than the A’s current injury-depleted group. Will the A’s offense do damage against Wacha again, or will the Royals right-hander shut them down?
The Royals still revolve around shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.,who is one of the best players in the sport. Young slugger Jac Caglianone’s emergence gives Witt protection in the lineup and adds another threat for opposing pitchers. Additionally, Kansas City’s lineup became stronger just in time for this series, as the team activated third baseman Maikel Garcia and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino from the injured list before the game.
If Barnett wants to have success tonight, he must avoid hanging breaking balls and issuing free passes. That’s what Royals hitters will be looking for, as opposing hitters have teed off on his breaking pitches, hitting five home runs and posting roughly a .545 slugging percentage.
Gotta win today and we need some help to get out of last place. Not just in our division, but in all of baseball. Time to make it two wins in a row. Let’s go A’s!
BOSTON, MA - JULY 25: Alec Gamboa # 68 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the game at Fenway Park on July 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox, currently in a funk after winning All the Games in July, turn to opener Alec Gamboa in tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks at Fenway. After not losing a series in forever, they’ve dropped consecutive three consecutive slates. A win tonight would help avoid a fourth. Gamboa, making his first career start, will be followed by Brayan Bello, but not be backed up neither by Jahmai Jones, who was a late scratch, nor Jarren Duran, who just ain’t playing. Arizona will roll out rookie Mitch “Balthazar” Bratt in his eighth MLB appearance coming off three strong starts. AZ has a nearly identical record with some really neat players in the lineup in addition to Nolan Arenado, who the Sox wooed this offseason, so this one should be fun.
The D-Backs, apparently on Mountain Daylight Time, didn’t rush their lineups, getting them in fairly late. That’s very annoying because I like to post the lineups, relax, then flip on the game. This time I had to stay glued to the computer after a full day of it. I gotta say tho that Alex Cora was, for a time, the worst offender about this. He’d wait until like 20 minutes before the game started. That sucked! This was a flashback to those times and not a welcome one. And I sat and waited until I realized that none of you wise people care about the D-Backs, and you’d see the lineup during the game. And I was Free. To publish. Go Sox.
Mark Walter is looking to sell another piece of his sports portfolio.
For now, however, there remain no indications that the Dodgers could be next.
Days after Walter’s stunning sale of the Lakers last week, the longtime Dodgers owner was back in the news Monday, when the Financial Times reported that he and business partner Todd Boehly (another Dodgers co-owner) were looking to sell their stakes in Chelsea Football Club of the English Premier League.
Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter attends a press conference announcing a new partnership between the Los Angeles Dodgers and UNIQLO at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. The partnership renames the Dodger Stadium playing field to UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium. (MediaNews Group RM) MediaNews Group via Getty Images
However, the expectation within the organization is that Walter is still not planning to sell the MLB franchise, a source with knowledge of the situation told the California Post on Monday.
“This is a Lakers story,” Kasten told reporters then. “It’s not really a Dodgers story.”
The exact same can’t be said now, of course, with Boehly and Walter looking to offload ownership stakes in Chelsea that they had held since 2022.
But in this case, at least, the Chelsea sale isn’t coming completely out of the blue, thanks to years of reported strife that Boehly and Walter had with the soccer club’s other chief investors at private equity firm Clearlake Capital (which, notably, counts newly-minted San Diego Padres owner Jose E. Feliciano as one of its co-founders).
Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez celebrates scoring their first goal with Wesley Fofana on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Anfield in Liverpool, Britain. (Phil Noble) REUTERS
Mark Walter, left, a majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jeanie Buss, minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, talk as the Lakers play the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Last week, Kasten declared he had “no reason to think” the resources provided to the team by Walter and his Guggenheim ownership group would change –– yet also professed not to have intimate knowledge of Walter’s non-sports businesses nor the investigation into them.
It is all contributing to a cloud that continues to hang over the franchise, amid it’s attempt to win a third-consecutive World Series this year.
And while, to this point, there have been no signs of change within the organization, uncertainty still very much abounds in the wake of yet more news surrounding the owner.
Ohtani, 32, is in the third year of a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
Opting out could afford him a chance to find a richer deal elsewhere. Joining the Dodgers has allowed the franchise to cash by signing lucrative marketing contracts with several Japanese companies.
That includes Uniqlo, a global Japanese clothing company that, according to the Los Angeles Times, signed a five-year naming rights deal worth more than $125 million. The payoff: it’s now Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani also has delivered on the field, winning the National League MVP awards in 2024 and 2025 while helping lead the Dodgers to back-to-back World Series titles.
Boston, MA - May 21: Customers line up outside the Cheers Pub next to a note of condolence and flowers in honor of the late actor George Wendt who played Norm on the TV show Cheers. The actor was 76. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Full lineups not yet available. Particularly Boston’s.
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster remains at 40.
Reinstated from the 60-day injured list: RHP Justin Martinez (sprained right ulnar collateral ligament)
Reinstated from the 10-day injured list: OF Jordan Lawlar (strained right hamstring)
Optioned to Triple-A Reno following yesterday’s game: RHP Gerardo Carrillo + INF Tyler Locklear
Designated for assignment: RHP Andrew Hoffmann
A lot of moves to get through here, with the return of a long-anticipated bullpen arm topping the moves. The last time Martinez pitched in the major leagues? June 9th, 2025. That’s one year, two months and eight days ago. So it has been a while. He made four rehab appearances, and all reports were, he looked very good. Certainly can’t complain about the numbers. 13 batters faced, one hit and twelve outs, six by the strikeout. He reportedly hit 102.4 mph in one of those outings, so the velocity is certainly there. It’s good to have him back, though I am sure we will see Carrillo again soon: potentially when the rosters expand in two weeks.
Lawlar’s layoff hasn’t been quite as long: just shy of two months since he went on the IL for the second time this year. He also missed two months with a broken wrist earlier in the year, and was back for little more than a week before the hamstring issue send him to the treatment room again. He was hitting .316 with an .856 OPS at that point, albeit over just 44 PA, so hope he can find that form again and stay healthy. Locklear may well also be back in September too, and his numbers this year had certainly been a massive improvement over his first two seasons, with an .806 OPS (albeit also over just 42 PA).
Hoffman loses his 40-man roster spot, after coming from the Royals for Randal Grichuk at the 2025 trade deadline. The numbers haven’t been great, with a 6.08 ERA for Reno, and 7.71 over 11.2 major-league innings. Though he hasn’t actually pitched at all for over two months, his last appearances being June 5, thanks to a lat strain. But among all the moves, one which didn’t happen may be the most significant. Nolan Arenado remains on the roster, so fingers crossed his strained trunk (!) isn’t too bad. According to Gambo, Arenado “may try to grind through the injury.” He’s not in the line-up today, but should be available off the bench if needed.
A spokesperson for the Lawton Police Department told The Post on Monday that representatives from both the Lawton Fire Department and Kirk’s Emergency Medical Service were called out to Huskey’s residence in Lawton on the day of his death.
Outfielder Butch Huskey of the New York Mets bats against the Pittsburgh Pirates during a Major League Baseball game at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Penn., in 1997. Getty Images
A rep for Kirk’s EMS stated the call was fielded at around 9:28 a.m. for a man suffering from “chest pain.”
The rep added that Huskey was still alive when he was transported from his home to a nearby hospital.
Mets vice president for alumni relations Jay Horwitz confirmed Friday afternoon that Huskey ultimately died of a blood clot in his lungs. New York Post
“I just want to acknowledge this solemn day with the passing of Butch Huskey this morning,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said after the news was announced. “Just want to send prayers and thoughts to his family. I know all of our Mets family is thinking of him and the people who love him today.”
Huskey was picked by the Mets in the seventh round of the 1989 MLB draft and he made his Big League debut in 1993.
He played for the team for five seasons, before he finished his career with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies.
Huskey played for the Mets for five seasons. New York Post
Huskey, a fan favorite in New York, had a career batting average of .267, but he was perhaps most well known for his jersey number.
Huskey donned the No. 42 because of Jackie Robinson, and when MLB universally honored the Dodgers legend by retiring the digits in 1997, Huskey was still allowed to wear it for the duration of his career. In 2024, he said being able to wear the number “meant the world to me.”
Huskey was the second-to-last Met to sport No. 42 — only Mo Vaughn had it in New York after him.
Huskey is survived by his wife and three children.
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CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 15: Alec Burleson #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals jogs back to the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Saturday, August 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After the Cardinals won a close game 1, it’s game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals day/night doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds Monday night. First pitch scheduled for 5:40pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 16: Closing pitcher Yuki Matsui #1 celebrates with catcher Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres after the game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on August 16, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Padres defeated the Guardians 5-0. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (67-58) at New York Mets (56-69), August 17, 2026, 4:10 p.m. PST
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NEW YORK, NY - JULY 30: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets pitches during the game between the Miami Marlins and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday, July 30, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Mets lineup
A.J. Ewing – LF Francisco Lindor – SS Bo Bichette – 3B Carson Benge – RF Luis Robert – CF Jared Young – 1B Marcus Semien – 2B Jorge Polanco – DH Francisco Alvarez – C
SP: Nolan McLean – RHP
Padres lineup
Fernando Tatis – RF Jake Cronenworth – 2B Manny Machado – 3B Ty France – 1B Jackson Merrill – CF Luis Campusano – C Gavin Sheets – DH Xander Bogaerts – SS Luis Rengifo – LF
SP: Walker Buehler – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 7:10 PM ET TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Dodgers anticipate Shohei Ohtani will be pitching again in September barring any setbacks, according to Nightengale, who writes that the two-way star “should also clinch his fifth MVP award as he returns to being a two-way player.’’
Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is the other leading candidate for NL MVP.
Ohtani, 32, has not pitched since July 3 because of inflammation in his left knee. He is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 85 2/3 innings.
On Friday, Aug.14, he threw 35 pitches during a bullpen session.
"He used his entire mix (of pitches)," Dodgers manager Roberts told the media. "He felt encouraged."
The knee issue has not kept Ohtani out of the lineup as a designated hitter. He leads the Dodgers with 27 home runs, 77 runs scored, an on-base percentage of .388 and a slugging percentage of .540.
As a hitter and a pitcher, Ohtani has a combined WAR of 6.3.
Ohtani won the AL MVP with the Angels in 2021 and 2023 and won the NL MVP with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025.
Crow-Armstrong leads the Cubs’ regulars with 28 home runs, 75 RBIs, an on-base percentage of .374 and a slugging percentage of .533.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - AUGUST 12: Carmen Mlodzinski #50 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on August 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are continuing their home stand at PNC Park as they host the Detroit Tigers for a three-game set. The first matchup of the series is getting the national TV treatment in ESPN’s edition of Monday Night Baseball.
Taking the mound for the Pirates is Carmen Mlodzinski, who is making his third start since returning to the rotation earlier this month in replacement of Mitch Keller, who is out for the rest of the season. Mlodzinski is slowly working his way back towards pitching like a starter, but he has struggled in his first two starts, failing to make it into the fourth inning in either appearance. In his last start against the Miami Marlins on August 12, he pitched 2.1 innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs in an 8-2 loss.
The Pirates will face off against Tigers’ left-hander Framber Valdez, who is in his first season with the Tigers after spending eight seasons with the Houston Astros, becoming a two-time All-Star and a World Series champion.
Valdez has not pitched his best since arriving in Detroit, going 7-8 with a 4.26 ERA, the first time since the 2019 season that he’s had an ERA above 4. He’s coming off a loss in his last start against the Cleveland Guardians on August 12, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and four earned runs, and losing 6-4.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, ESPN
Pitching Matchup: Framber Valdez (7-8, 4.26 ERA) vs. Carmen Mlodzinski (6-5, 3.79 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.
After a road trip that took them from hazy, hot and humid St. Louis to the cornfields of Iowa and finally to a weekend in the city where Mary Tyler Moore once tossed her hat in the air, the Phillies returned to Citizens Bank Park to begin an important six-game homestand Monday night.
They had the guy they wanted on the mound.
Lefty Cristopher Sanchez entered the series opener against the Miami Marlins tied for the major-league lead with 15 wins, 10 of which had come at home.
Those numbers got better after Sanchez helped the Phillies beat the Marlins, 6-5.
Sanchez pitched six innings of one-run ball and took over the major-league lead with his 16th win, one more than Boston’s Sonny Gray.
For the season, Sanchez is 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 26 starts.
He is 11-1 with a 1.42 ERA in 15 starts at home.
For his career, he is 29-9 with a 2.43 ERA in 73 games (64 starts) at Citizens Bank Park.
If the Phils stay on their regular rotation, Sanchez should make seven more starts as he tries to win 20 games. There were no 20-game winners in the majors the last two seasons. Roy Halladay was the last Phillie to reach the plateau when he won 21 in 2010.
“It would be an honor to be in position to get 20 wins, but my first thought and my first goal is to throw as many quality innings as I can for the team and always leave the team in a good position to win games when I’m on the mound,” Sanchez said. “After that, if that mark happens, I’ll take it, of course, and it would be an honor.”
Sanchez has had sharper outings. He allowed 11 base runners on eight hits (seven of which were singles) and three walks, but he got outs when he needed them most. Three times he registered the third out of an inning with two runners on base. Two of those came on a strikeout.
“They’re a contact-oriented team,” Sanchez said. “I just tried to get as many zeroes on the board as I could. That was the main goal tonight.”
Manager Don Mattingly said, “I thought Sanchie was good. That’s kind of what he does. He gets some traffic but hangs in there and gets the ball on the ground. He almost gets a triple play there in (the fifth) inning.”
Sanchez left with a 4-1 lead, but the Marlins scored a pair of two-out runs against Jonathan Bowlan in the seventh. It could have been worse. Javier Sanoja’s bases-loaded, two-run double was initially ruled foul. It was overturned by replay officials in New York, who called for runners to be placed at second and third. Had the play initially been called correctly, three runs would have scored and the game would have been tied at 4-4. Marlins’ manager Clayton McCullough didn’t care for the call and was ejected.
The Phillies put a run on the board in the bottom of the seventh to extend their lead to two runs, but ended up leaving the bases loaded. The Marlins again made it a one-run game when Brian Navarretto homered against reliever Brooks Raley in the eighth. Orion Kerkering came on and got out of the inning, preserving a one-run lead, and Alec Bohm once again extended it to two runs with a base hit in the bottom of the inning. Bohm’s hit scored Bryce Harper, who reached base four times on three hits and a walk.
Derek Hill came off the bench and had two RBIs late in the game on a base hit and a bases-loaded walk.
“They kept coming,” Mattingly said of the Marlins. “It seemed like every time they scored, we were able to answer back, which was huge.”
The day after throwing a season-high 33 pitches in Minneapolis, Jhoan Duran pitched the ninth. He allowed a run but ended up with his 27th save.
The victory was the Phillies’ fourth in a row as they moved into sole possession of the second NL wild card spot, a game up on San Diego. The Padres hold the third and final spot by a game over Arizona. Miami and St. Louis are both three games behind the Padres.
The Phillies have two more games remaining against the Marlins before hosting St. Louis in a weekend series. With 36 games remaining, it would behoove the Phils to have a good homestand and keep the Marlins and Cardinals from creeping upward.
“We’re on a day-to-day basis now,” Mattingly said. “It’s not like win a series. It’s more like win every day no matter who we play. That’s just where we’re at.”
