Category: Baseball

A very businesslike win for the Guardians tonight as they beat the Angels 4-2.

The Guardians scored early to give Parker Messick a small lead to work with, which has been rare of late for Cleveland’s best pitcher and Cy Young/Rookie of the Year candidate.

Nathaniel “Knows What to Do With RISP” Lowe got a sacrifice fly in the third after a Kwan walk, Jose single and Jo Adell walk. Rocchio had flied out sharply to begin the inning and Angel Genao was putting up an excellent AB when Adell was caught in a rundown that ended with Jose getting tagged out at third.

Messick’s only troublesome inning was the fourth where a single from Zach Neto and single from Mike Trout allowed a Moises Ballesteros single to drive in the Angels’ only run to tie the game at 1. I am so impressed with how Messick never gets frustrated. He finds his center and gets himself out of trouble over and over.

Another Guardians newcomer got a hit with RISP when Adell got an RBI hit in the fifth to make it 2-1 Guardians.

Then, folks… Austin Hedges hit a two-run homer off a lefty reliever to score Angel Genao who had walked. Somehow, we are at August 24th and Hedges has a 110 wRC+. Is this man going to get a $10M contract from someone as a 35 year old? Good for him. Incredible.

Messick went six, Colin Holderman and Hunter Gaddis held the Angels scoreless for two and then Cade Smith had another shaky ninth, weirdly, but still got the save allowing one run.

I felt like Jose looked a little better at the plate. Now, to hope that Chase DeLauter’s hamstring tightness scratching him from the initial lineup turns out to be nothing. Also… does anyone know if David Fry is alive? Man hasn’t had an at-bat since he got back.

I have to say that it IS nice to know fly balls to the outfield will be caught by either Kwan or Petey Halpin. I get it, Stephen. I get it.

The Guardians are now .500, 2.5 games in back of the Central Division-leading White Sox and 0.5 games ahead for the AL’s third wildcard spot.

It’s no secret that the Rockies are struggling at home right now.

Not only has Colorado lost eight in a row at Coors Field, but the Rockies are 27-38 at home. That’s more losses at home than every team except the A’s, who are temporarily playing in West Sacramento as a rest stop between Oakland and Las Vegas.

While there needs to be significant improvement on the pitching side and on the hitting side for Colorado at 5,280 feet, having more Rockies fans engaged in the game also couldn’t hurt.

There are the fountains that get fired up in center field on homers, which doesn’t happen as much as it needs to, and there is the dark-into-flashing lights before the ninth inning, but it seems like there needs to be more.

This summer, MLB.com is running a 250 for 250 series. As MLB.com says, “As part of our celebration of America 250, MLB’s content team has created 25 top 10 lists that capture the plays, people, rituals and moments that make baseball America’s game.”

In other words, it’s a list of lists. The list for Aug. 21 featured the top 10 in-stadium traditions. The list includes these 10 rituals:

1. Wrigley Field sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”

2. The Phillie Phanatic means Phun

3. Mascot races take over the Majors

4. Yankees fans perform the Roll Call

5. “Sweet Caroline” is a hit at Fenway

6. Orioles fans put their emphasis on national anthem

7. The Homer Hanky is a Twins postseason icon

8. Mets hit a homer? Raise the Home Run Apple!

9. Bernie Brewer celebrates every big fly with a slide

10. Angels fans rally behind the Rally Monkey

It got me thinking that the Rockies need a new tradition. Purple Row’s Zeke Perez got a discussion going about a new mascot race in June. That could certainly be part of it.

What do you think the Rockies should do? Should it be a new feature of the stadium? Something on the field? A fan-centered activity?

Personally, I love the traditions that include a song. I miss singing “Tooooniiggghhtttt” when Charlie Blackman came to the plate. Singing “All the Small Things” by blink-182 at Colorado Avalanche games is about as good as it gets. I liked it when the sound crew used to play “Mountain Music” by Alabama after the seventh-inning stretch. I think it’s time for something new and I also think John Denver is overplayed in Colorado events.

But what about “Mountain Sound” by Of Monsters of Men?

Or a ballad sing along of “Mountains Win Again” by Blues Traveler? That is if the Rockies can find ways to win again at home.

Or, perhaps following the Angels rally monkey theme, and in an attempt to fuel more late-inning comebacks, the Rockies should go with a Colorado band. Anytime the Rockies start a rally, or need one, they could play Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats “Survivor.” It’s made for a sports showdown and could definitely provide some energy.

What do you all think?

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The White Sox got steamrolled, 11-2, by a team that entered the game worse than .500. The pitching was terrible, the bats were ice-cold, and the Rangers took advantage of the long ball on several occasions.

José Urquidy did not have a great start, tossing 39 pitches in his first frame. He walked the leadoff batter and the third batter, then hit Brandon Nimmo with a pitch to load the bases with only one out. Ezequiel Duran grounded into a force out at second, but sent Joc Pederson home. Evan Carter doubled, putting the second run on the board. With two outs, Jake Burger picked up a walk, but a pop-up from Elias Díaz would finally stop the damage. Miguel Vargas singled with two outs, and Andrew Benintendi nearly tied the game and would have with just a bit more wind, but Nimmo jumped up to rob the good guys of any runs.

With two outs in the top of the second, Corey Seager singled and was safe at second after Colson Montgomery scooped up a single from Wyatt Langford. Drew Romo blew through the first challenge as Nimmo picked up a walk to load the bases, with Urquidy already passing the 50-pitch mark. Chase Meidroth slipped, unable to grab what should’ve been an easy out, and another run came in on an infield single from Duran. Pederson, after not getting his challenge call in on time on a strikeout, continued to throw a tantrum, leading to his ejection. Romo ended additional on-field drama by tagging home for the inning-ending force-out. Braden Montgomery singled for the Good Guys, and with two outs, Tristan Peters took a slider and made the Rangers pay, cutting the deficit to 3-2. That home run put him in double-digits and his 10th homer this season:

With one out in the top of the third, Elias Díaz was hit by a pitch, and Cody Freeman singled. Seager caused more damage with a two-run double, giving the Rangers a 5-2 lead with two outs. The frame ended with a pop fly, but also on 93 pitches for Urquidy. The the bottom half Munetaka Murakami singled and Miguel Vargas walked to put two on base early. Benintendi grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Braden Montgomery picked up a walk to load the bases. Of course, the next two batters struck out to strand all three runners.

Jake Burger started the fifth with a solo homer off Tyler Schweitzer to make it 6-2. Justin Foscue, who replaced Pederson, doubled, and Seager sent Foscue home on another double, making it 7-2 before Langford struck out to end the top half of the fifth. The White Sox went down in order.

Duran picked up a one-out walk and was caught stealing in the sixth. Carter walked right after, and Burger sent him home before being thrown out while trying to get to third on what should’ve stayed a double, making it 8-2.

Duran was back to double in the eighth, got to third on a wild pitch, and came home on a wild pitch/ball four to Burger, making it 9-2. The Rangers continued to pile it on in the ninth, as old friend Nicky Lopez singled and Langford homered, making it 11-2. To spare the already-taxed bullpen, Luisangel Acuña came in to pitch. He got Nimmo to hit a grounder for the final out, at least.

There was no answer to the 11 runs, and the White Sox lost in an embarrassing fashion.

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MVP:
Tristan Peters: 1 HR, 1 RBI

Runner-Up:
Braden Montgomery: 1 H, 1 BB, 1 R

Cold Cat:
José Urquidy: 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB

Runners-Up:
Colson Montgomery: 0-for-4, 3 K
The entire bullpen: 6 IP, 6 ER, 4 K, 4 BB
Chase Meidroth: BB, 0 H, 2 K

For Kiké Hernández, one of the most meaningful connections of his baseball career began when baseball was temporarily taken away from him.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superutility player has spent plenty of time on the injured list over the past two seasons, where the rhythms of a major league season suddenly give way to rehab rooms, empty hours and plenty of time in isolation. Somewhere inside that monotony, Hernández realized that baseball had consumed so much of his life that he didn’t have any real hobbies. 

“If I’m being honest, the IL is something that’s very boring and lonely,” Hernández told the California Post in an exclusive interview last Thursday at the Harold & Carole Pump Foundation 26th Anniversary Celebrity Dinner. “I’ve spent a lot of time on it the last two years.”

So instead of taking up pickleball, crochet or baking, Hernández started ripping Pokémon packs. 

Hernández said he originally started collecting Pokémon cards as a kid, but was excited to return to it as an adult. The first pack he opened was enough to transport the 35-year-old Dodgers fan favorite backward in time. 

“The smell, the sensation of ripping a pack, all these things,” Hernández said. “It made me feel like a kid.”

What began as an escape during an emotionally difficult stretch soon became something bigger when his 5-year-old daughter, Penélope, joined him.

She fell for Pikachu, just like her dad.

Now, father and daughter tear into packs of Pokémon, Disney, My Little Pony and even Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, turning Hernández’s hobby into family time. His collecting obsession has even turned into a side business for the three-time World Series Champion. 

Hernández created his own social media channels under the name “PokéKikémon,” his Pokémon- inspired alter ego. His Instagram account alone has over 112,000 followers and spawned its own line of merchandise. 

“Not only do I get my fix, but it also helps us connect as a family,” Hernández said. “It’s something that we look forward to.”

We asked Hernández what’s the greatest pull he’s ever had to date. His answer was a Japanese Sabrina’s Gengar 1st edition that sells for over $10,000 on some collection sites. 

“I pulled it and got it graded a [PSA] 10. So that is definitely my best one, for sure,” said Hernandez. 

But every collector has a holy grail and there’s one card that Hernández wants that still haunts him. It’s a 2001 Japanese Corocoro promotional card whose shining Mew tail swirl artwork caught his eye before the price climbed between $75,000 and $500,000

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It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. It may be hot outside, but it’s cool in here. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last week I asked you if the Cubs should re-sign Clay Holmes. A large majority of you thought that was a good idea, with 75 percent of you thinking that the three-year, $70 million offer was fair. Another 16 percent of you wanted to re-sign Holmes for less.

Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You can come join us or you can skip ahead. Or you can stay for the music and movies and skip the baseball stuff. Or you can just read it all. Your call.

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Tonight we’re featuring the legendary team of trumpeter Clifford Brown and drummer Max Roach in 1954. This is one of their signature tunes, “Jordu,” from 1954. Joining Brown and Roach are Harold Land on tenor sax, George Morrow on bass and Richie Powell on piano.

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Director Edward Dmytryk was coming off an Oscar nomination for Crossfire in 1947 when he was summoned before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Dmytryk refused to testify and became known as one of the “Hollywood Ten” who were charged with contempt and subsequently blacklisted by the film industry. Rather than go to prison, Dmytryk fled to England and directed a few films there before returning to the United States in the early fifties. He then served his six-month prison sentence. After he got out, he changed his mind and agreed to testify before Congress about communism in the film industry and he was cleared to work in Hollywood again. He was the only one of the “Hollywood Ten” who reversed their position and agreed to name names. Dmytryk claimed that he only gave Congress names they already had, but many who suffered under the blacklist never forgave him for testifying.

That’s a long introduction to The Sniper (1952), Dmytryk’s first studio film (and second overall) after getting off the blacklist. It’s a disturbing picture about a mentally-ill serial killer who shoots and kills brunette women from a distance with an M1 rifle. Like many other films by producer Stanley Kramer (High Noon, Inherit the Wind, Judgment at Nuremberg, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?), The Sniper is a message picture and in this case, not a very subtle one about mental illness and sex criminals. I can’t say it’s a good film, but there are a lot of good things about it, including an unhinged performance by Arthur Franz as the titular serial killer Eddie Miller.

Miller is what we’d today call an “incel.” He has a menial job as a delivery man for a dry cleaner. He finds himself attracted to women, particularly brunettes, but he is so socially awkward he is invariably rejected by them. This makes him feel emasculated and angry—angry enough to kill them. He first takes out his anger on himself by burning his hand on a hot stove. The doctor who treats him knows that it was intentional and wants to put a psychiatric hold on Miller for his own good, but he’s too busy at the moment and he gets released.

After his release, Miller turns to killing brunettes from a distance. Miller also writes letters to the police begging them to catch him, but of course he doesn’t stop the killing. Adolphe Menjou plays the police lieutenant Frank Kafka, who is assigned to catching the sniper killer. Kafka talks to psychologists to try to narrow down the suspects and understand his motive, which is a very early example of criminal profiling. There’s some suggestion that the killer might be a veteran, although Miller doesn’t appear to be one in the end. I found that interesting because the Defense Department at the time was hyper-sensitive to the idea that soldiers might return from the battlefield with PTSD that turned them into killers. Kramer probably wanted to raise the possibility, but Columbia Pictures probably didn’t want to incur the wrath of the Pentagon.

Much of Kafka trying to catch Miller is just the same kind of stuff you’d see on an episode of CSI or Law and Order, minus the modern forensics. But the film also wants to get a message out about sex criminals. The psychiatrist (Richard Kiley) makes a plea that all sex offenders need to be locked up at their first offense. That’s something that a lot of people today would agree with, but then he goes on to say that “those who can be cured should be released.” That’s an awful lot of trust in the psychological community that they can tell when someone is “cured” of their urges to commit sex crimes or that criminals wouldn’t be able to fool them into thinking they were “cured” to earn their release. It’s a noble but not-very-well thought out sentiment.

I was also disturbed by The Sniper for how prescient it was. While there were certainly serial killers in the 1950s (and the film makes a reference to Albert Fish), Charles Whitman and the Texas Tower sniper shooting was still 14 years in the future. The idea that Miller was some kind of “incel” who turns to murder over his frustrations over being constantly rejected by women has also become a major topic in mass shootings today.

As noted earlier, Franz’s portrayal of Miller is the best part of the movie. He plays him as both unhinged and sympathetic, swinging between the two poles with ease. The film wants to make clear that this is a sick man who can be cured more than a hardened criminal who is a natural-born predator. Noir veteran Marie Windsor plays one of Miller’s victims who doesn’t even realize that she’s rejected Miller’s advances. Menjou is just a stock “wise veteran detective.”

The film also makes great use of the streets of San Francisco to create its world. Cinematographer Burnett Guffey would go on to win Oscars for From Here to Eternity and Bonnie and Clyde, and you can see his skill in an earlier work here. The streets look narrow enough to feel claustrophobic but expansive enough to give sniper a good shot from a distance. There’s lots of crawling around rooftops and fire escapes. Anyone interested in what San Francisco looked like in the early-fifties will want to watch The Sniper.

The Sniper veers too close to an episode of of a police procedural for me to think it’s a good film. The performance of Franz and the terrific black-and-white cinematography certainly keep it from being a bad film. But more than anything else, it certainly disturbed me in the way it predicted events that were years in the future.

Here’s the trailer for The Sniper. The entire film appears to be available for fr on YouTube.

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Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

We are one week away from roster expansion from 26 to 28 players on September 1. The Cubs, like every other team, will be allowed to add one position player and one pitcher.

The Cubs are going to have some hard decisions on the pitching side, as there are several relievers who are getting healthy and will be ready to be activated by next Tuesday. Things aren’t much more straightforward with the position players. Matt Shaw is getting ready to return from his injury and may be activated ahead of the September roster expansion. In his case, however, either Kevin Alcántara can be sent back down to Iowa or Gabriel Arias can be designated for assignment. (Which would be the third DFA this month for Arias.)

One of the bigger questions, however, is who the Cubs should call up to be their 14th position player on September 1. One option that is getting a lot of attention is the Cubs’ number-two prospect, catcher Owen Ayers.

The Cubs have been extraordinarily lucky this season in that neither of their two catchers, Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, have been injured this year. It’s especially fortunate because the Cubs’ haven’t had an experienced catcher in Triple-A since Christian Bethancourt opted out of his contract in mid-July. Had either Kelly or Amaya gone down after that, the front office would have had to scramble for a replacement.

The one thing any front office should plan for during a season is that at least one of their catchers is going to get hurt. It’s an incredibly physically-demanding position and all it takes is one pulled hamstring coming out of the crouch or one missed catch that hits them in a bad spot to take them out for a while. We all know this from experience as Amaya missed most of last season with injuries.

Manager Craig Counsell has done a good job of alternating Kelly and Amaya to keep their workloads manageable. Yes, there’s been a lot of luck in the two staying healthy, but giving them days off has probably helped a lot too.

This is where Ayers comes in. When Bethancourt opted out in July, Ayers got promoted from Double-A Knoxville to Iowa. Ayers had never played above Low-A Myrtle Beach before this season, unless you count the Arizona Fall League, but he blew through High-A South Bend in 11 games (hitting .372/.481/.860) and then dominated in Double-A with a line of .304/.417/.591 with 16 home runs in 65 games. The power hasn’t translated to Triple-A, but he’s still performing at a very respectable clip of .270/.387/.370 with two home runs over 29 games.

So would you call up Owen Ayers for his major league debut to help keep Kelly and Amaya fresh down the stretch? He probably wouldn’t play much—just one or two games a week for the final four weeks. The switch-hitter might get an occasional pinch-hitting opportunity as well if he shows he’s not overpowered by major-league pitching. But having Ayers on the major league roster would allow the other two catchers to get a little more rest as well as give Counsell more roster flexibility to pinch-run for Kelly or Amaya in critical situations.

Defensively, Ayers is a mixed bag. No one questions his arm or his ability to control the running game. He’s thrown out ten runners trying to steal in 35 attempts and I suspect that he would throw out a lot more if he had pitchers who could hold runners on better. I’d put a “70” (on the 20-to-80 scouting scale) on Ayers’ arm, and most online evaluators agree with me.

He does struggle a bit with the “catching” part of catching, as he has five passed balls in those 26 games in Iowa. Now some of that may just be him getting used to new pitchers, but he’d (mostly) have that same problem in the majors. He also needs to work on pitch framing, although the ABS system lessens that problem somewhat. Ayers could use more experience calling a game from behind the plate, although one would think that working with Kelly and Amaya for a month would be the best way to improve that skill. There’s also always the choice of calling pitches from the dugout like the Marlins and some other teams do.

The other negative about calling up Ayers for September is that it also means that someone like Kevin Alcántara or James Triantos. The Cubs would also have to put Ayers on the 40-man roster, which might have implications for next year and a possible lockout.

The positive is that Ayers would get his feet wet in the majors, he could be pretty good, he could gain some knowledge working with Kelly and Amaya and he would give Counsell more flexibility with his catchers. The downsides is that he wouldn’t play a lot, he’d have to be added to the 40-man roster, his total defensive might not be fully major league ready and it would prevent the Cubs from calling up someone else.

So would you call up Owen Ayers on September 1?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. We’re always glad when you decide to stop by. Please get home safely. Call a ride if you need one. Don’t forget any personal items. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.

Folks in the District of Columbia were not moved by the opportunity to see two of the National League’s struggling teams on a Monday night, as the Colorado Rockies (50-80) and the Washington Nationals (61-71) kicked off their four-game series in front of a sparse crowd of 12,105. Those that did show up got to witness an offensive outburst for the hometown team.

The game started with a strong battle between starters Ryan Feltner and Cade Cavalli. Then — stop me if you’ve heard this before — one big inning brought the Rockies down. Colorado couldn’t claw back into it after a fifth inning full of Nationals hits, Rockies errors, and an Ezequiel Tovar injury that erased their early lead.

The Rockies logged their 50th win back on August 16th. The 51st has proven to be elusive as Colorado’s losing streak climbs to a season-high seven straight losses.

A pitcher’s duel through the first three frames

Cavalli had built a good bit of momentum through his last few starts. He carried that into the early part of today’s game. After giving up a leadoff single to Jake McCarthy, Cavalli got the next three batters out with balls in play.

The Nationals followed suit and stranded runners of their own in the first. Feltner walked his first batter faced in CJ Abrams, but came right back to strike out Abimelec Ortiz, getting him to chase a changeup outside. Abrams threatened by stealing second before Feltner walked Dylan Crews. The Nationals couldn’t do anything from there, as a Daylen Lile line out and a Brady House grounder left runners on first and second.

Feltner started the second inning with another walk to Kelbert Ruiz. Then he flipped the switch in a big way after his early struggles. With Ruiz on first, he sat down the next six batters faced. He logged four strikeouts across those six.

Of note was a successful challenge by Brett Sullivan in the bottom of the second to turn a ball into a strike that would ring up Jorbit Vivas.

The Rockies went down 1-2-3 in the second and couldn’t muster much in the third, despite an Ezequiel Tovar double giving them a shot.

Drawing first blood, Big Willi Style

Heading into the fourth, Cavalli reached 20 consecutive innings without surrendering a run. That streak came to a quick end when Willi Castro took a 96 MPH fastball in the middle of the zone deep to right field.

Castro donned the purple jacked and launched the Rockies to a 1-0 lead. Cavalli seemed a little rattled in the immediate aftermath, giving up a single to TJ Rumfield next and then walking Troy Johnston before a mound visit would calm him down.

With runners on first and second and no outs, the Rockies faltered and Cavalli responded by getting three quick outs (including two Ks) to escape the inning without further damage.

Despite some contact, the Nats’ bats kept quiet through the fourth inning. Lile and House grounded out, before a Ruiz fly ball to right ended the inning.

A rollercoaster fifth inning swings the game

Good news, the Rockies started the fifth in a big way. Tovar, party of one?

Another solo home run gave them a 2-0 lead as Tovar followed up his third inning double with a 416-foot shot to center.

Bad news, the Rockies ended the fifth in an uglier way. Feltner had a no-hitter going through four innings of work. In the blink of an eye, the hits jumped from zero to five. When all was said and done, several sloppy plays later, the Rockies two-run lead turned into a three-run deficit.

It all started when Jacob Young hit a soft line drive towards the gap. Tovar tried to make a diving grab to stop the ball and rolled over on his wrist. He was shaken up but stayed in the game (at least initially).

The bad news snowballed from there. Vivas singled to advance Young. Nasim Nuñez dropped a sacrifice bunt, but a bad throw by Castro got by Connor Norby to score both baserunners and tie the game. Next, an Abrams double brought Nuñez home.

It keeps going…

Abrams stole third, which turned into a run on an Ortiz grounder, making it 4-2 Nats. Lile came to the plate and doubled. Lile would try to join the steals club and take third. Sullivan tried to make the throw, but another throwing error would end up scoring Lile, as the ball ricocheted off of House’s bat and got away.

House then doubled, but the Rockies got Ruiz to line out to end the action at 5-2.

An unceremonious end to the pitcher’s duel

The Rockies went down 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth, unable to chip away at the lead.

The Nationals bats, on the other hand, were officially awake. The bad news kept pouring in for Colorado, both in terms of the score and personnel. Tovar was no longer able to play through his injury and was replaced by Ryan Ritter to start the sixth.

What was once a battle between Feltner and Cavalli continued to grow more lopsided. Vivas singled, Nuñez walked, and Feltner’s day ended with two on and two outs after 103 pitches (one shy of his career high). Feltner’s line for the day was 5.2 innings pitched, seven runs (five earned) on six hits, with six strikeouts and four walks.

Juan Mejia entered in relief of Feltner, walked Ortiz to load the bases, and walked a run in. He then gave up a single to make things 8-2 Nationals. The early no-hitter was nothing more than a distant memory.

Cavalli was replaced by Erik Tolman to begin the seventh. Cavalli ended his day in line for his seventh win in eight games at 6.0 innings pitched with five hits and two earned runs, seven strikeouts, and one walk.

A major league debut amidst the chaos

Yesterday, the Rockies announced moves to place Kyle Freeland on the 15-day injured list and select the contract of Blake Adams. Adams, the right-handed pitcher drafted by the Rockies in 2022, made his MLB debut, entering in relief in the bottom of the seventh.

In 17 appearances (two starts) with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, he was 2-5 with an 8.10 ERA across 50 innings.

Unfortunately, he got his “welcome to the big leagues” moment and gave up a single to his first batter faced in Ruiz. Familiar names continued to go off for the Nats, as Young connected for a double, followed by a Vivas single that scored both Ruiz and Young to make the game 10-2.

Adams started the eighth, but it wasn’t pretty. He allowed a leadoff single followed by a walk. Lile capitalized with a three-run dinger. 13-3 Nats (following a Norby RBI single for the Rockies in the top of the inning).

Adams was given a chance to stay in and walked House before being pulled for a Troy Johnston pitching appearance. His debut line was one inning of work with five runs on five hits.

Final Thoughts

The Rockies started the night in promising fashion, chipping away at a strong starter in Cade Cavalli. It felt for a moment like they might shake the bad baseball that has caused losses to pile up this month.

Unfortunately, one rough play turned into a few batters that got away which led to a bad inning which spiraled into 13 runs and a game that got away.

Manager Warren Schaeffer pointed to the defensive miscues that sparked the loss: “We gotta take care of the baseball better than that. That was an inning that got out of control. This is the big leagues. We have to play better than that.”

This falls into the column of “when it rains, it pours” soul-crushing losses that the Rockies have been susceptible to this season.

Up Next

The Rockies and Nats are back at it for another 4:45 p.m. MT first pitch on Tuesday night.

Along with the Blake Adams roster move, the Rockies were expected to call up right-handed pitcher Mason Adams who was acquired in the Brenton Doyle trade with the Chicago White Sox.

Schaeffer confirmed that Mason Adams will make his MLB debut with a start tomorrow. Since being acquired by Colorado, Adams has a 2.08 ERA in three starts with Albuquerque.

Southpaw Andrew Alvarez will start for the Nationals. Through 19 games (including 11 starts), Alvarez is 2-5 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.338 WHIP, and 74 strikeouts.

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José E. Feliciano, the new controlling owner of the San Diego Padres, lives in Los Angeles. You know, that place at the end of the Padres’ incessant “Beat L.A.” chants.

No worries, Padres fans. Feliciano is — make that was — a longtime New York Yankees fan.

“The good thing is,” he told me after an introductory news conference Monday, “rooting against the Dodgers comes naturally to me.”

It was only 18 months ago that Padres fans wondered whether the good times might come to an end, with the widow of beloved owner Peter Seidler suing his brothers for control of the team. For their part, the brothers said they had “no plans to sell the Padres.”

That sounds a lot like what Dodgers president Stan Kasten said Friday, amid a federal investigation into alleged financial improprieties among insurance companies controlled by Dodgers owner Mark Walter.

“The Dodgers are not being sold,” Kasten said. “They’re not going to be sold.”

Read more:Dodgers president Stan Kasten reiterates 'Dodgers are not being sold'

What is true today might not be true tomorrow. What is true today, as potential bidders for the Dodgers lurk and coalesce amid L.A.’s turn at uncertainty, is that the Padres have an energetic and effervescent couple as their new principal owners.

Feliciano, a founder of Clearlake Capital in Santa Monica, took the mound at Petco Park on Monday afternoon, working out of a stretch and looking toward an invisible runner at second base before delivering a pitch. In spring training, he said, he stepped into the batting cage to try to hit simulated pitches from Padres All-Star closer Mason Miller.

His wife Kwanza Jones, an artist and entrepreneur, led her husband into the news conference amid the sounds of a song she co-wrote, she said, inspired in part by a catch made by Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr.

“My only musical talent is my name,” Feliciano said. “I humbly ask you to please add my middle initial so I never get confused with the singer.”

As the couple looks for a home in San Diego, Jones appealed to fans to share what they love about their neighborhoods. Later, the couple took selfies along the first-base line.

Their enthusiasm bubbled forth as the news conference proceeded, as their sense of whether the Padres might finally win a World Series got more and more optimistic.

Feliciano, three minutes into the news conference: “We cannot promise we are going to win.”

Jones, two minutes later, riffing off her lyrics, her voice rising: “We gonna win! We gonna win! We gonna win — win it all!” And then a pause, to lower her voice: “We hope it’s sooner rather than later.”

Feliciano, two minutes later: “We need to win a World Series. It’s that simple. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Jones, one minute later: “Multiples.”

Feliciano, one minute later: “The impossible becomes possible when somebody does it. So let’s do it.”

This is not Feliciano’s first foray into professional sports. Clearlake Capital is the majority owner of Chelsea, the storied soccer club.

“I’m missing the first game of the Premier League right now,” Feliciano said.

He said he could not comment on reports Walter is looking to sell his stake in Chelsea. Two weeks ago, Walter announced an agreement to sell controlling interest in the Lakers at a $12.5-billion valuation, the cash from which could help repay loans under scrutiny. The Dodgers could command a similar valuation, industry sources not authorized to discuss the issue publicly told The Times, should Walter decide to sell.

Read more:Plaschke: Beneath the Dodgers' latest sweep, the scary rumblings of a team sale persist

As part of a search for cash, Puck reported last week, Walter had talked with Charter Communications about whether the company would be interested in paying a lump sum now to get out of its SportsNet LA contract — a money-losing deal for Charter, but the primary source of the Dodgers’ financial advantage over the other 29 teams in the major leagues.

The talks “went nowhere,” Puck reported. Kasten declined to address the matter, as did a Charter spokesman.

In 2011, with the Dodgers headed toward bankruptcy, former owner Frank McCourt found what he believed would be his financial lifeline in a television rights deal with Fox Sports.

In a withering letter to McCourt, then-commissioner Bud Selig rejected the deal, criticizing McCourt for proposing a financial structure that would have foreclosed the Dodgers from pursuing more lucrative options “because of your desperate need for immediate cash.”

That precedent could inform how Rob Manfred, the current commissioner, would evaluate any proposed restructuring of the Dodgers’ television deal. Under the owners’ current collective bargaining proposal, to which Walter agreed, the Dodgers’ annual television riches — more than $500 million per year by the end of the deal in 2038 — would be fully contributed toward revenue sharing among all 30 teams.

I asked Feliciano whether the Dodgers’ uncertainty might make this a particularly opportune time to buy the Padres.

“You’ve got to look at these things on a generational, multi-decade basis, honestly,” he told me. “It’s like trying to time a great investment in the market. You can’t.

“What I can tell you is that this is the good time — the best time — for us. I think it also coincides with Peter’s legacy: The team is in a great place, the city is in a great place.”

Read more:The Dodgers are Mark Walter's crown jewel. Can he hold on to it amid federal probe?

The Dodgers’ revenue advantage remains significant, not just because of their SportsNet LA deal but because they fill the largest stadium in the majors almost every night and employ Shohei Ohtani.

In San Diego, however, where ticket sales represent the largest source of team revenue, the Padres sell more tickets than any major league team besides the Dodgers. Petco Park already is a year-round concert venue and event center, and the Padres could rekindle plans to develop a large parking lot near the ballpark.

And, if owners emerge from collective bargaining with a salary cap or other restraint on the Dodgers’ spending, that would be a win for San Diego.

On the field, the Padres entered play Monday with 21 victories in their past 28 games. The Padres acquired Robbie Ray and Casey Mize at the trade deadline to bolster a patchwork rotation, and they retained Miller and Adrian Morejon rather than break up a mighty bullpen. Tatis leads the National League with 12 home runs since the All-Star break; outfielder Jackson Merrill has 11.

“As we have seen the last few weeks, we are very competitive. I feel we are one of those teams — us and the Phillies, probably — that nobody wants to play,” Feliciano said.

“We want to keep it that way.”

The Phillies entered play Monday on a nine-game winning streak, in position for one of the National League wild cards. The Padres also are in position for an NL wild card, keeping alive the possibility that the Dodgers and Padres could meet in the NL Championship Series.

If that happens, it won’t matter how many games the Dodgers finished ahead of the Padres during the regular season.

“We’d just need to win four,” Feliciano said.

Beat L.A., indeed.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Ketel Marte will rejoin the Diamondbacks next week — they hope.

The All-Star second baseman mysteriously disappeared before a game in Boston two weeks ago, an absence the team has not fully been able to explain. The plan is for him to return on Aug. 31 against the Phillies in Arizona.

“That’s what we’re thinking about,” manager Torey Lovullo told reporters Monday. “I think that will be the 10th day or the 11th day, so there is definitely a strategy to get him back on the field, get him healthy.”

Marte was placed on the restricted list after he no-showed for an Aug. 17 game against the Red Sox, and he has since been moved to the 10-day IL with inflammation in his left knee.

He reportedly still has not addressed the bizarre absence with his teammates as they fight for a playoff spot — they entered Monday’s slate two games behind the Padres for the third Wild Card berth. On Friday, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported Marte was at a Scottsdale casino “for hours” as the Diamondbacks faced to Reds.

“We’re trying to create the softest space for him to re-emerge back in this environment,” Lovullo said Monday . “That’s up to him however he wants to do it. I cannot force a human being to do something that I want to do, or anybody in this room wants to do, or a fan wants to do.

“One of the things that makes Ketel such an extraordinary player is he goes to the beat of his own drum. I respect that.”

Lovullo has offered plenty of support and emotional response to Marte’s disappearing act and is imploring fans to do the same when he finally takes the field again.

“Ketel is a very loving young man,” he said. “I don’t want (booing) to happen. I understand it’s a possibility it could happen, but we’ll all rally around him.”

Marte is slashing .249/.314/.446 over 118 games on the season with 21 home runs and 67 RBI this season.

It’s not the first time he’s gone AWOL on the Diamondbacks, having returned home to the Dominican Republic and missing three games after his house was burglarized in 2025 — an incident he apologized to this teammates for.

The Red Sox and Marlins played a tense, back-and-forth, entertaining game that our boys won, against a Cy Young Award winner still in his prime, in front of a crowd that the Marlins announcers nonetheless said was Boston supporters by more than half. Which okay but we all know how Florida works you’re the Marlins, even if somehow, this year, less so, and you’re above .500, and life is relatively good. So good that the game enters the 9th inning tied 2-2. It enters the bottom half down 4-2, because this was a textbook 2026 Red Sox game (complimentary), and it holds, because it’s a textbook 2026… you get it.

It was back and forth from the jump, tho, but with escalating stakes. The Marlins manufactured a run in the 2d and then the teams combined to go like 3-763 with RISP for the next few innings. The Sox tied it on a Mickey Gasper double in the fifth that scored Jarren Duran, who was all over the place (complimentary) tonight. They were then lucky to escape a scary situation that saw them get an out at home and limited it to 2-1 before scoring *on a wild pitch* to tie it in the 8th. Then they took the lead in the 9th after Mickey Gasper walked, Eli White pinch ran, and Anthony Seigler hitting a game-defining triple to make it 3-2:

Anthony Seigler’s first career triple puts the @RedSox ahead in the 9th inning! pic.twitter.com/zVdVHXoz8p

— MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2026

A Nick Sogard single made it 4-2. Then you-know-who came in to shut it down. He was sweating a lot and it was weird. But he did the thing. Labor Day is still two weeks away but September ain’t. Prepare thyselves:

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Guardians 8/24

S. Kwan LF
C. DeLauter DH
J. Ramírez 3B
J. Adell RF
N. Lowe 1B
A. Genao 2B
P. Halpin CF
A. Hedges C
B. Rocchio SS

P. Messick SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 24, 2026

Here’s the Angels lineup:

Angels 8/24

Z. Neto SS
M. Trout CF
V. Grissom 1B
M. Ballesteros DH
J. Siri RF
G. Campero LF
C. Moore 2B
D. Guzman 3B
T. d'Arnaud C

G. Klassen SP

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 24, 2026

Let’s go, Guardians!

The Tigers continue to lose at the worst possible time, dropping the first game of their series against the Rays 4-1.

Let’s throw our memories back a ways, to the last time the Tigers squared off against the Rays. Detroit was down and out, and the Rays were red hot. That series defied all expectations as the Tigers triumphed and went on to continue winning for almost a month. The Tigers once again find themselves struggling, while the Rays are having an incredible season. Perhaps magic could strike twice, as the Tigers hoped to bust out of their present slump, and do it against a team that helped turn things around for them once this season already. To do it, they’d have Framber Valdez on the mound for the first game of the series, up against one of the hottest pitchers in the Rays’ rotation, Drew Rasmussen.

The Rays got things going with some early contact. Yandy Diaz singled. Ryan Vilade then singled, and thanks to a fielding error from Brett Callahan, both runners advanced into scoring position. A Junior Caminero groundout allowed the first run of the game to score. Jonny DeLuca then singled, bumping Vilade to third. A Jonathan Aranda groundout scored another run for the Rays. Jorge Mateo drew a walk before Valdez finally got the last out of the inning. In the home half, the Tigers went 1-2-3.

Valdez turned things around in the second, getting the side out in order, a much-needed adjustment. The final out of the inning was in thanks to an incredible throw from Kevin McGonigle.

KEVIN. McGONIGLE. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/ulV5C2F50h

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 24, 2026

Unfortunately, the Tigers also went 1-2-3 again in the home half.

With one out in the third, Junior Caminero drew a walk. A Jonny DeLuca double then appeared to score Caminero, but the Tigers challenged the safe call at home, and after a review the call on the field was overturned. Depending on the view it didn’t even look like he touched the plate, but it definitely confirmed Dillon Dingler tagged him before he reached the plate. A groundout then ended the inning. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Javier Baez singled, but that was followed by a Colt Keith strikeout to end the inning.

Jorge Mateo opened the fourth with a leadoff double. Then a Nick Fortes sac bunt advanced Mateo to third. Chandler Simpson then singled, scoring the third Rays’ run of the night. Two outs followed, but the Tigers had more work ahead of them if they were going to stage a comeback. In the home half, McGonigle got a one-out double. Dingler then singled, pushing McGonigle to third. Callahan then made up for his earlier error with a sac fly to bring McGonigle home and put the Tigers on the board at last.

Caminero got a one-out single in the fifth, but DeLuca then hit into a double play to end the inning. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the home half.

Aranda opened the sixth with a solo home run. Three outs followed, but the Rays had boosted their lead to 4-1. The Tigers went three-up, three-down again in the home half.

Valdez was done after six, with a final line of 6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR on 84 pitches. We haven’t seen a ton of consistency from Valdez in his recent starts, but him getting through six innings really helped the Tigers’ bullpen. He was replaced by Tanner Rainey. Rainey got the first strikeout of the game for the Tigers, then walked Yandy Diaz. Two outs followed, though, leaving the runner stranded. Garrett Cleavinger replaced Rasmussen in the bottom of the inning. The Tigers once again went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

In the eighth, Mateo drew a walk with two outs. He then stole second, but was caught stealing (after narrowly avoiding a tagout at first right beforehand). While Mateo did indicate he wanted a review, the Rays didn’t challenge the call. Manuel Rodríguez was the new Rays’ reliever in the bottom of the inning. Spencer Torkelson got a leadoff double. Two outs later, Keith walked. The Tigers were not able to take advantage of their baserunners, though, and a final out ended the inning.

Tyler Holton came in for the top of the ninth. He gave up a one-out single to Simpson, but the Rays weren’t able to capitalize on the baserunner or add to their lead. Bryan Baker was the final Rays’ reliever for the bottom of the inning. With one out, Dingler was hit by a pitch, then Ben Malgeri singled, sending Dingler to third. The Tigers were not able to take advantage of a perfect scoring opportunity and dropped the first game of the series to the Rays.

Final: Rays 4, Tigers 1

The last time the Rays faced the Tigers, it went very poorly for Tampa Bay. They went into the series looking to topple an easy opponent, and instead the series seemed to turn everything around for the Tigers, at least for a brief period of time. The Tigers once again find themselves down and out, so it remains to be seen if it will be an easy series for the Rays, or if it will once again be a surprise turnaround for Detroit. To open the three-game series, the Rays had Drew Rasmussen on the mound. The Tigers, meanwhile, had gutted much of their pitching core at the trade deadline, and had a groundball-heavy pitcher Framber Valdez up in the rotation.

The Rays got on the board right out of the gate with some early contact. Yandy Diaz got a leadoff single. Ryan Vilade then singled, and thanks to a fielding error from Tigers’ outfielder Brett Callahan, so both runners advanced into scoring position. A Junior Caminero groundout allowed the first run of the game to score. Jonny DeLuca then singled, bumping Vilade to third. A Jonathan Aranda groundout scored another run for the Rays. Jorge Mateo drew a walk before Valdez finally got the last out of the inning, but he was showing some obvious early signs of struggle, so the Rays would need to chip away and try to get to the Tigers’ struggling bullpen early.

Make it ✌️ pic.twitter.com/Dlx6ZKHoZG

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 24, 2026

In the home half, the Tigers went 1-2-3. Chandler Simpson had an ugly catch in the outfield and it appeared he might be injured, but he came up to bat at the top of the next inning.

Despite a rough first inning from Valdez, he turned things around to get a three-up, three-down inning. Thankfully, the Tigers did the same in the home half to keep the score even.

With one out in the third, Junior Caminero drew a walk. A Jonny DeLuca double then appeared to score an additional run, but it wasn’t a clear safe. The Tigers challenged the safe call at home, and after a review, the call on the field was overturned. Depending on the view it was possible Caminero might have missed touching the plate altogether, but it definitely confirmed Tigers’ catcher Dillon Dingler tagged him before he reached the plate. A bummer for the Rays, but they still held a two-run lead. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Javier Baez singled, but that was followed by a Colt Keith strikeout to end the inning.

Jorge Mateo opened the fourth with a leadoff double. Then a Nick Fortes sac bunt advanced Mateo to third. Chandler Simpson then singled, scoring the third Rays’ run of the night.

How bunt dat? pic.twitter.com/YPUpLBdU3A

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 24, 2026

In the home half, McGonigle got a one-out double. Dingler then singled, pushing McGonigle to third. Callahan then made up for his earlier error with a sac fly to bring McGonigle home and the Tigers got their first run of the evening.

Caminero got a one-out single in the fifth, but DeLuca then hit into a double play to end the inning. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the home half.

Aranda opened the sixth with a solo home run. Three outs followed, but the Rays had boosted their lead to 4-1.

AIRanda 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/d55JVJstbz

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 25, 2026

The Tigers went three-up, three-down again in the home half.

Tanner Rainey was the first reliever out of the Tigers’ pen and got the first strikeout of the game for Detroit. He then walked Yandy Diaz. Two outs followed, though, leaving the runner stranded. Rasmussen was also done for the day, going 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, on 103 pitches. A really nice outing from Rasmussen. Garrett Cleavinger replaced him. The Tigers once again went down in order in the bottom of the inning.

In the eighth, Mateo drew a walk with two outs. He then stole second, but was caught stealing (after narrowly avoiding a tagout at first right beforehand). While Mateo did indicate he wanted a review, the Rays didn’t challenge the call. Manuel Rodríguez was the new Rays’ reliever in the bottom of the inning. Spencer Torkelson got a leadoff double. Two outs later, Keith walked. The Tigers were not able to take advantage of their baserunners, though, and a final out ended the inning. The Rays just had to get through one more inning.

Tyler Holton came in for the top of the ninth. He gave up a one-out single to Simpson, but the Rays weren’t able to capitalize on the baserunner or add to their lead. Bryan Baker was the final Rays’ reliever for the bottom of the inning. With one out, Dingler was hit by a pitch, then Ben Malgeri singled, sending Dingler to third. The Tigers were not able to take advantage of a great scoring opportunity and the Rays held on to win the first game of the series.

Final: Rays 4, Tigers 1

The Mariners start this series today against the Phillies of Philadelphia fame (the city, not the cream cheese), coming off of a huge series victory over the Chicago Cubs. Granted, the victory also included a more-than-15-run loss in game three, but it was a series victory nonetheless. The Phillies come into today’s series on a huge 9-game winning streak, including three sweeps. The Mariners are still very much in play for the division and the Wild Card, so a couple of back-to-back series victories over two of the best teams in the NL could be just the momentum the Mariners need heading into the last month of the season. With the lowest-rated strength of schedule for their remaining games, the Mariners could easily put themselves back in the playoff picture.

Lineups

Game Info

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m. PT

Radio: Seattle Sports (710 AM) and Mariners.com

TV: Mariners.TV

Facts and Stats

• Randy hit his 20th home run of the season in yesterday’s game, recording his 6th consecutive 20+ home run, 20+ stolen bases season, becoming the 11th player in MLB history with at least 6 such seasons and the 5th to do it in at least 6-consecutive seasons, joining Barry Bonds (1990-98), Bobby Bonds (1969-75), Bobby Abreu (1999-2005) and Willie Mays (1955-1960).
• Logan Gilbert has registered a quality start in his last 6 home starts (June 16-c), going 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA (40.1 IP, 9 ER), 9 walks and 47 strikeouts during that span.
• Julio Rodriguez is six RBIs away from reaching the 400 career RBIs mark
• The Mariners announced Rick Rizzs will be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame during the 2027 season, becoming the 12th member and joining longtime broadcast partner Dave Niehaus as the only non-uniformed members of the Mariners Hall of Fame.

After being shaken up on a diving play in the fifth inning, Colorado Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar left tonight’s game against the Washington Nationals in the sixth inning.

Prior to exiting, Tovar had a solo home run and a double in two at-bats.

The club confirmed that Tovar sustained a left wrist strain. Tovar was replaced by Ryan Ritter at short.

Officially a left wrist strain for #Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. https://t.co/kGisktk0tk

— Eli Whitney (@eliwhtney17) August 25, 2026

More to come about the severity of Tovar’s injury and his timeline to return to the lineup.

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The San Francisco Giants welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Oracle Park tonight to begin a three-game series.

Taking the mound for the Giants will be left-hander Carson Whisenhunt, who enters tonight’s game with a 7.03 ERA, 5.65 FIP, with 23 strikeouts to 20 walks in 32 innings pitched. His last start was in the Giants’ 8-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians last Tuesday, in which he allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits with one strikeout and two walks in four innings.

He’ll be facing off against Reds right-hander Chase Burns, who enters tonight’s game with a 2.51 ERA, 3.07 FIP, with 159 strikeouts to 48 walks in 136 innings pitched. His last start was in the Reds’ 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals last Wednesday, in which he allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Game #131

Who: San Francisco Giants (52-78) vs. Cincinnati Reds (62-69)

Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California

When: 6:45 p.m. PT

Regional broadcast: NBC Sports Bay Area

National broadcast: Fox Sports 1

Radio: KNBR 680 AM/104.5 FM, KSFN 1510 AM