Well, Luke Keaschall led it off with a quickly-blasted homer, Then Brooks Lee and rookie Kaelen matched his power blow for blow. But middle letters three were in fact a misnomer, ‘Cause the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego.
Now, the Padres got a tally with a shot from Jackson Merrill, But then our starter Kremer settled with every throw. Got a clean quintet of innings ere he even entered peril, But the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego.
There was a scare off of Minter: A slug off a splinter Hooked foul as we howl, and The batter strikes out!
But the Padres got one back, and in the seventh entered Morris: Early catcher’s interference was an omen, we know. A string of hits, some errant throwing, and a defense staying porous Meant the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego. No, the Twins couldn’t win; Oh no, this game was a sin.
And Morejon, Miller, Are always a killer; They power, we cower; Goodbye, ‘cause it’s all through.
Blunders and chunders: oh my!
So another painful loss as they battle for October; Can they ever be consistent in a forward-moving flow? There’s another game tomorrow, and I wish I wasn’t sober, ‘Cause the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego.
No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; No, the Twins couldn’t win tonight in San Diego; Out of whack.
(a few more DUDS: Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, Josh Bell, & Trevor Larnach — 0-4 apiece.)
In his second game back in Chicago against the White Sox, Luis Robert Jr. crushed two homers. | CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 22: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the New York Mets rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning during the game between the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Saturday, August 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kyle Sheridan/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The White Sox (67-62) failed to build on their come-from-behind victory on Friday night, as the Mets (59-71) picked up a 10-5 victory against a pitching staff that struggled from start to finish.
Luis Castillo, 33, started on the mound for the South Siders, and things did not go as planned. In the first, A.J. Ewing led off with a single on the game’s first pitch. Castillo retired the next two batters he faced, but Ewing stole second to put himself in scoring position. That set the stage for Carson Benge, who hit a soft liner into left on a low changeup to drive in the game’s first run.
Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott, 27, did not have any trouble in the bottom of the first, but the White Sox got on the board against him in the second. With the bases empty and one out, Braden Montgomery stepped up to the plate and delivered a moonshot.
The blast was Montgomery’s fifth of his young MLB career, and it tied the game at one.
The good vibes did not last long, as the third inning did not go smoothly for Castillo and the South Siders, to say the least. Francisco Lindor led off with a ground out, but Bo Bichette put the Mets back in front with a solo homer, and New York was not done. Benge added another single, and although Jared Young flew out, Benge stole second, and up to the plate stepped Luis Robert Jr. On a crucial 1-2 pitch, Castillo appeared to escape further damage with a called strike three. However, Robert made a risky move by using a challenge as early as the third on a borderline call. When I say borderline, I am serious, as ABS showed the pitch missed outside by less than one-tenth of an inch. Given how close that pitch was, it likely was not a great idea to challenge it. However, Robert’s decision worked out, and two pitches later, he launched a two-run homer to make the score 4-1.
Castillo proceeded to walk Brett Baty, and he allowed a single to Marcus Semien to wrap up his day. Castillo threw 80 pitches in 2 2/3 innings, and 42 of those happened in the third, which he did not manage to complete.
The White Sox put a nice rally together in the bottom of the third, when Tristan Peters launched a deep fly ball that resulted in an interesting moment. On the first pitch Peters saw, he hit a fastball to right that Benge followed to the wall. For an instant, Benge seemed to have it, but he collided with the wall, and the ball popped loose and sailed over the fence for a solo homer.
Drew Romo followed with a single, but Sam Antonacci struck out looking before burning an early challenge. After that, Munetaka Murakami singled, and Miguel Vargas walked to load the bases. Incredibly, that was one of four walks for Vargas, who reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances. From there, Andrew Benintendi hit a sacrifice fly to narrow the deficit to one.
The score remained 4-3 until the top of the fifth, when Benge crushed a solo homer to add an insurance run against reliever Tyler Schweitzer. Jared Young followed with a double, and although Robert grounded out, Eric Wagaman and Semien hit back-to-back RBI singles to make the score 7-3.
The White Sox got one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth, but they missed an opportunity to get a huge inning. Romo was hit by a pitch to open the inning, and Antonacci walked. Murakami struck out, but after a wild pitch and a walk, the South Siders had the bases loaded with one out. This time, Benintendi missed out on an RBI opportunity, as he struck out. However, Braden Montgomery worked a six-pitch walk after falling behind 0-2 to drive in a run and extend the inning for Colson Montgomery. With the score 7-4, Colson crushed a 1-0 cutter over the heart of the plate deep down the right field line. This swing nearly resulted in an enormous grand slam, but Colson barely failed to keep the ball fair, so it was merely a long strike. Colson would eventually strike out looking at a sinker near the middle of the zone.
In the bottom of the sixth, once again, the White Sox picked up a run, and tell me if you have heard this before, but they could have scored more. Chase Meidroth led off with a single, and Peters drew a walk. Romo followed with a sacrifice bunt that put two in scoring position. Next up was Antonacci, who hit a high chopper to third that was placed perfectly. That resulted in an RBI infield single, and the White Sox still only had one out. Murakami struck out looking, but Vargas walked to load the bases and put the potential tying run in scoring position. Benintendi stepped up to the plate and lined the first pitch he saw to left. Initially, that liner looked like it could be trouble, but Robert tracked it down to preserve New York’s 7-5 lead.
Deadline acquisition Huascar Brazobán struck out Young to open the top of the seventh, but Robert did not make things easy on Brazobán. Robert saw a 2-2 fastball over the middle of the plate and did not miss it, as he crushed it 417 feet for his second homer of the day and his ninth of the season.
The score remained 8-5 until the top of the ninth, when the Mets put the game completely out of reach. White Sox reliever Trevor Richards pitched a scoreless eighth, but the ninth was a struggle. Young led off with a double, and although Richards retired Robert with a ground out, Luis Torrens hit a two-run blast to extend New York’s lead to five. Meanwhile, although the White Sox had a solid offensive performance with five runs on nine hits, they finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Ultimately, the White Sox could not keep up with New York’s bats.
The rubber match is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT on Sunday. The probable starters are Sean Newcomb (2.44 ERA, 3.04 FIP, 1.5 fWAR in 70 innings) and Nolan McLean (3.34 ERA, 3.61 FIP, 2.6 fWAR in 142 2/3 innings). As usual, CHSN will televise the game, and ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage. We hope to see you then.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 22: Starting pitcher Tanner Bibee #28 of the Cleveland Guardians (R) touches first base ahead of Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies (L) for an out after receiving the throw from Nathaniel Lowe #46 in the fifth inning at Coors Field on August 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The force is not with the Rockies right now.
Despite matching the Cleveland Guardian’s hit total with seven, the Colorado Rockies went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base, while also striking out nine times on Star Wars night on Saturday at Coors Field. In the end, the difference was a three-run homer for Jo Adell, while the Rockies went yard twice, but they were both solo shots from Connor Norby and Mikey Moniak.
The loss was the fifth in a row for the Rockies and eighth straight at home.
Not the start we were looking for
Through three innings, Gabriel Hughes was cruising. He only needed 32 pitches. He gave up one infield single, forced four ground outs and struck out one. He was effective because he was throwing strikes and not falling behind hitters. He led off the second by striking out Jo Adell.
That changed in the fourth when the Guardians as Hughes faced the lineup for the second time through, starting when he issued a five-pitch walk to Chase DeLauter. José Ramírez followed with a single, setting the table for a three-run, 450-foot homer to left field to put Cleveland up 3-0. Hughes gave up another walk and another single in the inning, but was lucky to avoid any further damage in the frame.
Hughes bounced back and sent the Guardians down in order in the fifth to help keep the Rockies in the game. He is now 0-6 in nine appearances and wasn’t able to get a win on his 25th birthday.
“I thought he battled. I thought he came out of the chute very efficient,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Overall, it was just one inning, one bad inning. Steps forward for sure for Gabe. Attack right out of the zone.”
When he left the game after five innings, Cleveland was up 3-2 after Hughes gave up three runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Trying and not enough doing
The Rockies got on the board in the fourth when Willi Castro hit a two-out single. Troy Johnston took advantage by hitting an RBI double to cut the Guardians lead to 3-1.
“Troy’s been doing it all year. He hit two balls hard tonight. Big RBI,” Schaeffer said. “He always takes good at-bats. You can always trust Troy.”
It helped make up for a wasted chance in the first inning when Jake McCarthy led off the game with a single and Cole Carrigg walked to put runners at first and second. But Tanner Bibee struck out TJ Rumfield and got Kyle Karros to ground out to end the threat.
“You play nine innings for a reason. The first inning is just as important as the ninth inning in terms of runs scoring,” Schaeffer said. “We made Bibee work tonight in the first inning, but nothing to show for it. The next step for us is to put something up there to get the game rolling and get momentum on our side. We just couldn’t do that tonight. Bibee kept us off balance. He was really good tonight.”
Moniak doubled the Rockies score in the fifth when he hit his 21st homer — a 407-foot line drive to left field — to make it 4-2.
Karros was forced out of the game after the fifth inning and it wasn’t clear why at first. In the postgame press conference, Schaeffer explained why and it’s definitely worrisome.
“[He had] symptoms similiar to his concussion. So we had to take him out,” Schaeffer said. “We’ll know more tomorrow.”
Castro moved to third base for Karros and Norby entered the game at second. He tried to help the Rockies come up with a much needed comeback in the ninth with a solo homer that was his first in a Colorado uniform.
For three innings, the bullpen was amazing. It was the one blimp that ended up being the difference in the game.
The ball just didn’t bounce Nick Frasso’s way when he entered the game in relief in the sixth. After giving up a hard-hit (114 mph) line drive up the middle, Nathaniel Lowe hit a comebacker to the mound that Frasso tipped and shortstop Cole Carrigg wasn’t able to make the play on the deflection. Frasso then got two quick outs before giving up an RBI single to Patrick Bailey to put Cleveland up 4-2.
Brennan Bernardino was next out of the bullpen and put up a three-up, three-down seventh. Juan Mejia did the same in the eighth and returned for the ninth. Despite giving up a two-out walk, he finished the game with two scoreless innings to keep the Rockies in the fight.
“I thought that was one of the biggest highlights of this game for us because everybody knows that Juan struggles when he goes back out [for a second inning], specifically his inability to find the strike zone,” Schaeffer said. “But it seemed like he overcame that hurdle tonight and he’s going to need to do that. That’s why in a down game he needs to go back out and do that. He went back out and attacked the strike zone. …That was a big step forward for Juan.”
Up next
The Rockies and Guardians will conclude their series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m.
Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) will get the start for Colorado and enters the game with a 12-6 record and 4.70 ERA. Cleveland will send LHP Foster Griffin (14-4, 3.18) to the mound.
Before the game, the Rockies will unveil Larry Walker’s statute at 9:30 a.m. The first 15,000 fans will get a replica of the statue.
CHICAGO — Carson Benge forged quite a relationship with the right-field fence on Saturday.
One moment, the Mets rookie was face-planting into that fence, attempting to catch a ball hit by Tristan Peters that caromed off his glove for a home run.
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Before long, Benge would clear that same fence, with a shot mightier than the one he failed to catch.
“I like playing the game. I don’t want to be taken out unless it’s anything too serious,” Benge said after his three-hit night — four if you include his face’s collision with the chain-links — led the Mets’ 10-5 victory over the White Sox.
The win was the Mets’ 12th in 17 games since the trade deadline and added another molecule of oxygen to the team’s microscopic hope of a late-season magic trick to reach the playoffs.
Benge’s big week has included contributions from his right arm (he nailed two runners at the plate in the same inning on Monday) and a bat that won’t quit. He began the day with a .905 OPS in August that included a .308 batting average for the month.
And his homer after hitting the fence two innings earlier was just his latest Mets moment.
Carson Benge gestures after reaching second base after hitting an RBI single during the first inning of the Mets’ 10-5 win over the White Sox on Aug. 22, 2026 in Chicago. AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh
“Carson said he was even for the day,” interim manager Andy Green said. “He tipped one over the fence and hit one over the fence. He’s a special guy. It’s a lot of fun watching him play baseball.”
The Mets hit five homers on this night, including two by Luis Robert Jr., who is playing in his first series against his former team.
Benge’s two-out RBI single against Luis Castillo in the first inning gave the Mets a fast run after A.J. Ewing singled on the game’s first pitch and stole second.
Bo Bichette’s second homer in as many games extended the Mets’ lead to 2-1 in the third inning. Bichette cleared the left-field fence for his 14th homer this season and continued his torrid month — he entered play with a .947 OPS in August.
Robert delivered a two-run homer later in the inning, following Benge’s second single of the game. It was a homecoming moment for Robert — who heard boos as he circled the bases. Robert spent the first seven seasons of his major league career with the White Sox before he was traded to the Mets in January.
Castillo didn’t survive the inning. The right-hander, acquired from the Mariners at the trade deadline, allowed eight hits and four earned runs over 2 ²/₃ innings with one walk and three strikeouts.
Carson Benge rips an RBI single during the first inning of the Mets’ win over the White Sox. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The start was his third in four since the trade in which he failed to complete at least five innings.
Braden Montgomery’s homer in the second inning accounted for the first run of the night against Christian Scott. In the fourth, Benge face-planted the fence pursuing Peters’ shot to right that caromed off his glove for a home run. Benge was briefly shaken up and received a visit from the trainer, but he remained in the game.
“I saw it hit, and I didn’t get the best read on it,” Benge said. “Went back on it, fast toward the wall, kind of caught it in my glove and it popped out as I hit that fence.”
Benge’s homer leading off the fifth was the start of a three-run inning. Before it concluded, Eric Wagaman and Marcus Semien each stroked an RBI single that increased the Mets’ lead to 7-3.
Scott slogged through 4 ²/₃ innings and allowed four earned runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts.
“I just didn’t have it today, especially with the offspeed stuff, I didn’t really locate in the zone very well,” Scott said. “I thought the bullpen did a really good job coming in there, cleaning it up.”
Luis Robert Jr. round the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of the Mets’ win over the White Sox. He had two homers in the game. Getty Images
Jonathan Pintaro got a huge out in the bottom of the frame, replacing Scott with the bases loaded and striking out Colson Montgomery to end the frame. The White Sox pulled to within 7-4 in the inning on Braden Montgomery’s walk with the bases loaded.
Austin Warren escaped trouble in the sixth after the White Sox had pulled to within 7-5 against Pintaro.
But Robert created breathing room with his second blast of the game, a solo shot in the seventh. Luis Torrens’ pinch-hit, two-run blast in the eighth was the Mets’ fifth homer of the game.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 22: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the New York Mets celebrates hitting a two-run home run during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on August 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Luis Robert Jr. and his powerful bat got revenge against his former team in the Mets’ 10-5 win over the White Sox to even the series.
The offense, with the help of Robert, jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the third inning and chased Chicago starter Luis Castillo from the game after getting his pitch count up. Great at bats by Bo Bichette, Carson Benge, and Robert led to an early exit in the third inning for Castillo. Bichette hit a solo home run with one out that inning and then Robert blasted a two-run shot after an ABS challenge overturned a strikeout call against him. Castillo never recovered and departed two batters later having thrown 80 pitched in 2.2 innings pitched.
With the offense clicking unfortunately Christian Scott could not hold his end of the bargain. The White Sox fought their way back in the bottom of the third after Carson Benge ran into the wall attempting to make a catch that forced the ball over the wall for a home run. Scott would go on to give up another run that inning to make it a one-run game.
In the fifth, Benge reclaimed the home run he forced over the wall with his glove by blasting one with his bat to lead off the inning. Eric Wagaman and Marcus Semien also added RBI singles and the Mets held a more comfortable 7-3 lead when the inning was over.
Once again Scott could not keep Chicago off the board and was pulled when he walked in a run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth. It was not a great outing for the young righty who couldn’t complete five innings on a night the offense provided plenty of run support. With both starters out of the game early this one came down to a battle of the bullpens. Jonathan Pintaro was the first man up out of the Mets bullpen, and while he was able to complete the fifth after entering for Scott without further damage, he did give up a run an inning later which allowed the White Sox to inch closer yet again. However, when Chicago turned to old friend Huascar Brazobán, Robert struck again with another home run to make it 8-5.
Throughout the game manager Andy Green seemeed to pull all the right strings. First he pinch hit Eric Wagaman for Brett Baty and Wagaman came through with an RBI single. Then in the ninth, with a runner on, he pinch hit Luis Torrens for Wagaman and Torrens continued his recent power streak with a two-run home run to give new closer Kodai Senga a five-run lead to work with.
Senga allowed the first two runners to reach base but he retired the next three batters in order to finish off the victory.
It was a good bounce back win for the team who suffered a heartbreaking loss in the series opener against the first place Sox. This team continues to play well against tough competition since the trade deadline and perhaps some positives will be found in an otherwise dismal season.
Big Mets winner: Carson Benge and Austin Warren, +23% WPA Big Mets loser: Christian Scott, -19% WPA Mets pitchers: -1% WPA Mets hitters: +51% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Luis Robert Jr. home run in third, +17.7% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Braden Montgomery home run in second, -11.2% WPA
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 22: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates with Andruw Monasterio #32 after his ground ball scoreds the game winning run during the ninth inning of their 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park on August 22, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s the magical summer of 2026. Fenway Park was full and frenzied on a slightly cool August evening. And the Red Sox were wearing the City Connect yellows, which (to me, anyway) still glow with a corona of magic from that wonderful 2021 season. And so, even as the Sox sleepwalked through the first seven innings of the game, I felt pretty confident that they were going to find a way to pull out yet another memorable win.
They did. Somehow.
Patrick Sandoval was, once again, not all that good. In fact, had Jung Ho Lee’s sharply hit groundball with the bases loaded been just a foot or two to either the left or the right, this game might’ve been out of reach in the third inning. But that ball was snagged for the third out by Willson Contreras, and Sandoval did manage to keep the offense in the game as he labored into the sixth.
For most of the night, though, the offense didn’t really seem like it wanted to get into the game; they mostly seemed like they wanted to get home. The Sox put just one single runner in scoring position in the first seven innings: it was Nick Sogard in the third and he was stranded there one batter later when Willson Contreras struck out to end what little threat there was. This was one of those nights where the Sox just couldn’t get that one hit they needed.
Then came the eighth. Mickey Gasper doubled into the right field corner. Nick Sogard took a four-pitch walk. And Ceddanne Rafaela stung a single to left that was hit too hard to score a run but brought the ballpark to life nonetheless. The Sox had the bases loaded with no outs and the heart of the order up. Bases loaded/no outs situations result in runs so often that Bill James actually invented a stat (the Houdini) to track the rare times that it doesn’t. There’s an entire internetty acronym that flies around Twitter every time a team fails to score there. Any MLB team would be expected to score there. The 2026 Red Sox — in August, in the yellows, with Abreu, Contreras, and Adley Rutschman due up — would be expected to start a dance riot.
Instead, the Giants called on closer Dylan Smith for a six-out save. Abreu struck out for the fourth time, Willson Contreras was caught looking on an ABS challenge that wasn’t particularly close, and then Rutschman flew out to deep center to end the threat.
But reread the first sentence of this recap — summer 2026, Fenway, the yellows. This game wasn’t over yet.
Gassed by all those high-leverage pitches, Smith immediately issued a non-competitive walk to Caleb Durbin to leadoff the ninth. He was replaced by Sam Hentges, who immediately hit Jahmai Jones. Andruw Monasterio lucked out of a double-play on a booted soft grounder to second, putting runners on the corners. Then Eli White lucked into the Sox’ first RBI on a softly hit single up the middle. One hit away! Again!
This time they did get that one hit — from Nick Sogard, who roped a double to left to tie it. Wilyer Abreu strode to the plate with the bases loaded and a chance to redeem himself for what had been an awful night. And he did. I mean, he only barely did: he grounded to first and then the Sox got their third bit of ninth inning luck when a bad throw barely pulled Andrew Knizner’s foot off the plate to score White from third. (Frankly: he looked out to me. Still not sure how it wasn’t overturned.)
It was an incredibly lucky ninth inning, but by now it’s clear that the 2026 Red Sox specialize in that type of thing. Magic.
Studs
Nick Sogard: It wasn’t just the RBI double in the ninth. He’d already reached base three times and made a key defensive play in the game. How could you even consider sitting him in favor of Trevor Story right now?
Caleb Durbin: He didn’t hit the ball particularly hard tonight, but he reached base three times, including a hope-inducing leadoff walk in the ninth.
Wilyer Abreu: Abreu was terrible for most of the night. The Sox only put runners in scoring position on two separate occasions in the first eight innings and Wilyer Abreu subsequently struck out both times. He struck out four times overall. He went 0-5. And his game-winning RBI came the lamest way an RBI can: via a fielder’s choice combined with a very questionable call. But it was a game-winning RBI, damn it.
The Mets bats were on fire Saturday night in Chicago with five home runs and 16 hits, beating the White Sox, 10-5.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The rookies stepped up early to give the Mets a 1-0 lead in the first inning. A.J. Ewing hit a leadoff single and stole second base to get into scoring position, as he'd come around to score on Carson Benge's two-out RBI single to left field.
Although, New York's lead didn't last long as Christian Scott let up a solo homer to Braden Montgomery with one out in the second inning. Scott locked back in and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
-- Perhaps a sign of how the third inning would go -- Bo Bichette won an 11-pitch battle by blasting a solo home run off Luis Castillo to put the Mets back up 2-1. It's his second straight day with a solo HR, extending his on-base streak to 12 games. New York continued to make Castillo work as Benge, the next man up, singled in a 10-pitch at-bat to push the right-hander's total to over 60 pitches in the third inning.
Former White Sox Luis Robert Jr. took advantage of a flustered Castillo (including winning a challenge on what would've been strike three), launching a two-run homer on the eighth pitch of the AB to extend the lead to 4-1. After Brett Baty walked, Marcus Semien knocked Castillo out of the game with a two-out single. The star's day finished after just 2.2 IP, having thrown 42 pitches in the third and 80 pitches overall.
The wild third inning continued in the bottom half with Scott letting up a leadoff HR to Tristan Peters, making it 4-2. Benge got shaken up on the play, crashing into the chain link fence in right field with the ball ricocheting off his glove over the wall. Scott then loaded the bases and let up a sac-fly to Andrew Benintendi, cutting the Mets' lead to 4-3.
-- Benge showed his toughness, shaking off the hard hit and smashing a solo home run in the top of the fifth inning to make it a 5-3 game. Eric Wagaman kept it going with a pinch-hit RBI single and Marcus Semien then drove him in, pushing the lead to 7-3.
-- Scott tossed a much-needed 1-2-3 fourth inning to keep the score intact, but it unraveled for him in the fifth inning. He hit the leadoff man, walked two more to load the bases, and walked in a run to make it 7-4. RHP Jonathan Pintaro came in and struck out Colson Montgomery to escape the jam. Scott finished after 4.2 IP, allowing four runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks over 94 pitches.
Pintaro ran into trouble of his own in the sixth inning with two in scoring position, as a run scored on a chopper that Bichette couldn't handle. Austin Warren was able to hold the score at 7-5, striking out Munetaka Murakami and getting Benintendi to line out.
-- Robert put an exclamation point on his big night with a second solo homer in the seventh inning, this time against former Met Huascar Brazobán to go up 8-5. Luis Torrens joined in on the fun in the top of the ninth, launching a two-run homer to right field to make it 10-5 -- it's his sixth home run in his last nine games.
Warren, Dedniel Núñez, and Kodai Senga closed it out, tossing a combined 3.2 scoreless innings.
Game MVP: Luis Robert Jr.
In what's been a rough season for the outfielder, Saturday was easily his best game. It's his eighth career multi-HR game and first with the Mets, naturally against his old team.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal delivers during a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. Skubal earned his first win with the Dodgers. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Tarik Skubal hadn’t delivered a signature outing, nor had he earned a win, over his first three starts with the Dodgers.
And six minutes into Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two-time defending American League Cy Young Award winner seemed on his way to his worst performance yet with his new club, giving up three runs on three hits.
Then, the left-hander that manager Dave Roberts has been waiting for finally arrived, giving up just two hits over the next six innings while striking out 11 in a 4-3 win.
“Obviously the first inning didn’t go great,” Roberts said after the series-clinching win. “But just seeing him on the attack after they got those two runners on in the second inning — from that point on, it was a different pitcher.
“Yeah, that’s the guy that we needed; completing seven innings, reset the bullpen; great outing.”
Skubal finally looked like himself, earning a standing ovation as he walked off the field in the seventh.
“It feels good, obviously, to get the first one out of the way,” said Skubal as “Scooby Doo Pa Pa” by DJ Kass blared in the clubhouse. “I didn’t do a good job early in the game, but the boys picked me up and were able to keep us in a game. The offense got going, and that’s all we needed to get a win today.”
Kyle Tucker was one of the Dodgers (79-51) who got going.
Riding an 0-for-26 drought and hitting below the Mendoza Line at home, Tucker delivered a go-ahead, two-run single off Yohan Ramirez in the fifth, giving the Dodgers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Kyle Tucker runs to first base after hitting a go-ahead, two-run single against the Pirates in the fifth inning Saturday.
Tucker gets a pat on the back from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts after the Dodgers' win.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
“I don’t, like, keep up with the stats like that,” Tucker said. “I’m just trying to go up there ... try and have a quality at-bat, whether it’s working a long at-bat or drawing a walk, getting ahead [or] moving guys over.”
Roberts has been outspoken in his support of Tucker and was thrilled to see the four-time All-Star have a good moment in front of the 12th sold-out crowd at Dodger Stadium this season.
“Obviously, everyone’s talking about the splits and how much he struggled at home,” Roberts said. “But I do think that the fans, every at-bat, cheering for him — you gotta feel that as a player. ... It was really good for him to come through right there.”
Another Dodger who came through was Alek Thomas. Called up from triple-A Oklahoma City after center fielder Andy Pages sustained a hand fracture Friday, Thomas delivered an RBI single off Pirates starter Jared Jones, a Whittier native, in the fourth.
“It’s been a little while,” said Thomas, who made his Dodgers debut after spending 55 games in Oklahoma City. “So, I’m super glad to be back, and happy to help the team in any way, shape or form.”
Over parts of five seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Thomas heard his fair share of boos when playing in Dodger Stadium.
“It’s funny, because they always hated me whenever I came out there in center field,” said Thomas, who was acquired by the Dodgers in May. “I was, like, ‘Come on, guys, I’m Mexican too. You don’t have to yell at me; like, we’re on the same side here.’
“But, obviously ... it doesn’t matter where you’re from. ‘If you’re not a Dodgers guy, you’re not my guy.’”
Dodgers center fielder Alek Thomas points skyward next to first base coach Chris Woodward after hitting an RBI single in the fourth inning Saturday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Relievers Evan Phillips, Jack Dreyer and Tanner Scott combined for two shutout innings. Dreyer struck out Oneil Cruz looking to end the top of the eighth with a runner on third, fighting off the Pirates’ final gasp.
The Dodgers, who have won five straight for the first time since late May, will look to sweep Pittsburgh (63-68) on Sunday.
“I’m excited,” Skubal said. “You got a ton of really good arms here and a ton of talent. It’s just about us going out there and playing baseball and executing. And when we’re doing that, we’re the best team in the league.”
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 22: Randy Arozarena #56 of the Seattle Mariners catches a fly ball hit by Miguel Amaya #9 of the Chicago Cubs (not pictured) during the third inning against the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park on August 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The show you came to see: Randy Arozarena, 1.08 WPA
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 22: Dylan Beavers #12 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a walk off double to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Saturday, August 22, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
There’s been plenty to criticize this season, but nobody can question Baltimore’s ability to find the right bat at the right time. The Orioles offense went scoreless for seven innings before Samuel Basallo delivered a pinch-hit, game-tying homer in the eighth. The bullpen did its part, and Dylan Beavers came off the bench to walk it off in the bottom of the 10th. The late-inning heroics propelled Baltimore to a 3-2 victory and another series win over the first-place Rays.
Before the fireworks, Brandon Young gave the Orioles a chance to win the game. Young didn’t have his best stuff, but he fared better than his performance against Tampa last week. The righty allowed the first two batters of the game to reach before generating a pop out and an inning-ending double play.
Liam Hicks took him deep to start the second inning, but Young used another twin-killing to escape the frame with only one run allowed. The 28-year-old went on to retire the next eight batters that he faced. Cedric Mullins worked a two-out walk in the fifth, but Carlos Narváez nabbed Mullins attempting to steal second.
The Rays clung to the one-run lead before doubling their advantage in the sixth. Young walked Taylor Walls to start the frame. Yandy Díaz followed with a single to right, but Tyler O’Neill fired a strike to third that caught Walls attempting to take an extra 90 feet. Young retired Jonathan Aranda for the second out, but he failed to escape the inning unscathed. Chandler Simpson advanced Díaz with an infield single, and Junior Caminero drove him in with a base hit up the middle. Young left after 5.2 innings, and Josh Walker retired Ryan Vilade to end the frame.
Baltimore threatened a couple of times but struggled early to find the big hit. Coby Mayo delivered a double with Pete Alonso running in the first. Alonso may have scored if he followed the ball, but he slid into second before realizing that Mayo had made contact. Alonso made it to third base with less than two outs, but he declined to break home on a shallow fly ball by Tyler O’Neill. Gunnar Henderson struck out to end the inning.
Mayo and Alonso found their way into scoring position again in the third, but O’Neill flew out to end the threat.
The Orioles finally broke through in the eighth inning. Jackson Holliday turned a Kevin Kelly sinker around for a leadoff base hit. Kelly struck out Alonso with a high fastball for the first out, but Craig Albernaz pushed the right button once again. Albernaz sent out Basallo to pinch hit for Mayo, and the rookie tied the game with one swing of the bat. Basallo worked ahead in the count before sending a sinker 411 feet from home plate. The ball cleared a jumping Mullins, and Baltimore found its way into a brand new ball game.
O’Neill kept the Rays off the board with a pair of spectacular plays in the top of the ninth. The two-time Gold Glover chased down a screaming line drive to rob Caminero. Andrew Kittredge generated a ground ball from Kenny Piper for the second out, but Jonny DeLuca found his way into scoring position with a double to left field.
Richie Palacios followed with a shallow fly ball to right field. It felt like the type of soft single that propels a team like the Rays to victory, but O’Neill raced in and made a diving grab to keep the score even at two. The game went to extras after Baltimore went quietly in the bottom half.
Cedric Mullins advanced the designated runner to third with a ground ball to start the tenth. Taylor Walls attempted to bunt Palacios home, but Rico Garcia cleanly fielded the squeeze play and flipped home to nab the potential go-ahead run. Garcia fell behind 3-0 to Díaz before closing out the inning with a fly out to left.
The Birds entered the bottom of the tenth needing only one run to walk things off. Albernaz sent out Beavers to pinch hit for Carlos Narváez, and the pinch-hit magic continued to propel the Orioles. Facing former Oriole Bryan Baker, Beavers fell behind 0-2 before taking a pair of fastballs outside of the zone. Baker made a quality pitch with a changeup below the knees, but Beavers went down to get the ball and ripped it to right center.
The ball bounced off the wall and allowed designated runner Leody Taveras to race home without a play. The MASN broadcast booth originally thought Beavers homered, but everyone gladly settled for a walk-off double and a 3-2 win.
These are the types of games that make you believe in the 2026 Orioles. Basallo delivered the big fly, the team made several impressive plays on defense, and Beavers came through with another clutch knock. Baltimore moved to 63-67 with the win. They’ll go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon with Shane Baz set to face Nick Martinez.
O’Neill shined on defense, while Basallo and Beavers delivered huge hits off the bench. Let us know your pick for the Most Birdland Player of the Game in the comments below!
Kyle Tucker and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense showed some positive signs on Saturday, Aug. 22.
He hit a two-run single to right field against pitcher Yohan Ramírez of the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing Max Muncy to score what proved to be the game-winning run. The Dodgers have now won five straight games.
The runs Tucker provided gave the Dodgers a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning after trailing 3-2. They held on to win by a 4-3 final.
Tucker snapped an 0-for-26 hitless streak at home. It was his first hit at Dodger Stadium since Aug. 2.
“I haven’t had a hit in the last three home stands," Tucker told reporters after the game. "I don’t keep up with stats like that. I just go out there and take the next at-bat and try to have a good quality at-bat.”
Tucker received a standing ovation from the crowd before his first at-bat on Friday. There was an effort made by fans to show their support for Tucker during his return amid his slump.
“It’s nice, they come out and support us every single day," Tucker said. "... They’ve been doing their part. We try to go out there and win games.”
The outfielder was previously booed at the home stadium on Sunday, Aug. 16. He managed to draw a walk but remained hitless on Friday, Aug. 21 after four at-bats.
South Bend infielder Josiah Hartshorn warms up before a Minor League Baseball game between the South Bend Cubs and the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Four Winds Field on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Jordan Wicks continues to pitch well in August. Tonight, he allowed two runs on four hits over a five-inning start. Wicks struck out six and walked on.
Shelby Miller pitched the sixth inning and struck out the first two batters he faced before giving up a two-out double. But Miller got a line out to center to end the threat from the next batter.
Antoine Kelly let the tying run score with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch. But he got the win when the I-Cubs stormed back for four runs in the tenth. Kelly’s final line was one run on one hit and one walk over one inning. He did not have a strikeout.
James Triantos led off the top of the first with a solo home run, his eighth on the year. Triantos went 2 for 5 with a double and the home run. He scored twice.
Justin Dean blew this game open with a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double in the top of the tenth, scoring three. It was Dean’s only at-bat of the game.
Brooks Caple started and took the loss. Caple allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings. Two of the hits were solo home runs in the fifth inning. Caple struck out one and walked no one.
Ethan Flanagan tossed two perfect innings of relief in his Double-A debut. He struck out three. Vince Reilly pitched the ninth, retired the side in order in the ninth and struck out two.
Third baseman Edgar Alvarez hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, his tenth on the year. Alvarez went 1 for 4.
Center fielder Kane Kepley went 0 for 1 with three walks and three steals. He scored once.
Pierce Coppola absolutely dominated the Whitecaps for five innings, giving up no runs and no hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
The Whitecaps took the lead when they scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning off of reliever Nate Williams. But the Cubs came back and took the lead in the bottom of the eighth, giving the win to Yoendris Gonzalez. Gonzalez pitched two innings and only allowed one baserunner and that came on a one-out error in the ninth. Gonzalez struck out three.
After the Whitecaps took a 3-0 lead in the sixth, first baseman Josiah Hartshorn hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. It was Hartshorn’s 15th home run with South Bend and 20th overall. That makes Hartshorn the first Cubs teenager to have 20 home runs in a season since Corey Patterson in 1999.
Hartshorn also singled in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning. He finished today 3 for 4 with the home run. He drove in two and scored twice.
Shortstop Angel Cepeda also hit a solo home run in the sixth inning and hit the go-ahead single in the eighth, scoring Hartshorn. It was Cepeda’s sixth South Bend home run and seventh overall. Cepeda was 2 for 4.
Center fielder Ethan Conrad went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his South Bend debut.
Aug 22, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Athletics pitcher Jacob Lopez (57) throws a pitch against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The A’s snapped their five-game losing streak on Saturday night, beating the Astros 4-3 on Houston’s home turf for the club’s 50th win of the season and setting the team up for a possible series win tomorrow morning. Wouldn’t that be something?
CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 16: JJ Bleday #22 of the Cincinnati Reds bats during the game against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park on August 16, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Miami defeated Cincinnati 7-1. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
JJ Bleday leaned out and turned on a Zack Littell meatball in the Top of the 6th inning of Saturday night’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks down in the Land of the Endless Strip Mall, and the laser flew over the fence in right field at Chase Field for a homer.
That’s cool in a nutshell. What made it even more special, though, is that the Cincinnati outfielder had already picked up a single, double, and triple on the evening, and this homer game him the cycle.
The cycle – just the 8th in the long, storied history of the Cincinnati Reds – was a marked change from where Bleday’s form has been so far in August. Despite scorching the earth with his play in May after being recalled from AAA Louisville, he’s fallen into something of a three true outcomes slugger ever since, with the hits and homers being much fewer and more far between.
Not so on Saturday, though.
Bleday’s homer played pile-on for the Reds, who held an 8-2 lead at the time. Each of JJ, Elly De La Cruz, and Sal Stewart had been electric at the plate so far on the day, and that’s pretty much the lone recipe for the Reds having success on any given night.
Fortunately, that was the case tonight – including Elly smashing a towering 450 homer to right off his former teammate Littell.
At the beginning of Saturday’s game, Tarik Skubal suffered his worst inning as a member of the Dodgers.
By the end of the team’s eventual 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, however, the marquee trade deadline acquisition had rebounded for perhaps his best start with the club.
“When you get punched in the mouth early in this game, I always think it’s important for any pitcher to see how you respond to those moments,” Skubal said afterward. “I think that’s when the true, who-you-really-are kind of shows out.”
Indeed, despite giving up three runs in a first inning full of less-than-fortunate contact (two soft singles and a down-the-line triple) on what Skubal felt were mostly well-executed pitches (only one of the hits came on a pitch even in the strike zone), the star pitcher did not waver in his fourth start with the Dodgers.
Even after two more tough-luck singles dropped to begin the second, he did not falter in the face of early adversity.
“I’m not going to be perfect out there, but yeah, I need to be more efficient,” Skubal said last week, after failing to pitch into the seventh inning in each of his first three appearances with the Dodgers. “That’s the standard that I hold myself to, is pitching deeper into ballgames. Giving our team a chance to win every time out.”
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
And right on cue, he rebounded en route to a seven-inning, three-run, 11-strikeout showcase –– finally finding a rhythm just when it appeared his game might go off the rails.
“From that point on, it was a different pitcher,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He sort of went into bully mode … and you could see we fed off of that intensity.”
The turnaround started in the second, when Skubal stranded runners at second and third by getting his first two strikeouts of the day, turning to his slider for each after struggling to get early whiff with his trademark changeup.
From there, the momentum kept building. He retired the side in order in both the third and fourth with a pair of Ks each. He worked around a two-out walk in the fifth while dialing up a couple more punchouts. Then, he reached top gear in the top of the sixth, striking out the side in a breathtaking 14-pitch sequence that was punctuated by a 100 mph fastball –– his hardest pitch with the Dodgers, and second-hardest all season.
“Early in games, I might just be trying to feel it out too much instead of just competing with what I got in that moment,” Skubal said. “I feel like deeper into games, you just kind of get into a little bit better rhythm and your command cleans up … So when I feel confident commanding the ball, that’s when I feel like I can really start letting it rip, and it’s going to go where I want it to.”
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal throws to the plate during the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Then, in the fifth, Kyle Tucker ended his historic home-field hitting drought, snapping a 26-at-bat hitless streak at Dodger Stadium (which dated back to Aug. 2) with a two-run single through a drawn-in infield (giving him his first RBIs at the venue since July 8).
“I think the last couple days is more of what we’re going to see going forward,” Roberts said of Tucker, while praising what he felt was an uptick in the quality of his at-bats. “Obviously, everyone’s talking about the splits and how much he struggled at home … So it was really good for him to come through right there.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) pitches in the first inning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, August 22, 2026. (This asset – including all text, audio and imagery – is provided by Imagn Images. Reuters Connec) IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Skubal made sure to make it count, too, finishing his 106-pitch outing with one more 1-2-3 inning in the seventh.
Overall, he retired 18 of the final 19 batters he faced, finished one strikeout away from his season-high of 12, and –– for the first time since his blockbuster arrival before the trade deadline –– flashed the sort of sustained dominance that has made him arguably the sport’s best current pitcher.
“That,” Roberts said, “is the guy that we needed.”
Added Skubal: “The stuff coming out of hand is as good as it’s ever been.”
All it took to get there was the pitcher overcoming his worst inning as a Dodger along the way.
