ARLINGTON, TX - JUNE 5: Stefen Romero #17 of the Seattle Mariners bats and runs to first base from the batter's box in the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 5, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. The Texas Rangers defeated the Seattle Mariners 3-2. (Photo by John Williamson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association has announced the winners of the 2026 Heart and Hustle Award, which goes to one player on each team who “exemplifies a true passion for the game and who best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of the game.”
Jeff Passan at ESPN told the behind-the-scenes story on how the Tarik Skubal trade came down. Apparently, the Tigers felt increased urgency to deal him because they were afraid potential suitors would pivot to George Kirby.
Bradford William Davis at eyeblack continued his exceptional investigative journalism in a recent article in which he laid out a whistleblower’s claims that identifying irregularities in the baseball are “nearly impossible.”
A drama series featuring the New York Yankees is coming to Netflix with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films and Emmy winner Josh Wakely leading the project.
Anders picks…
Sounder at Heart shared a letter written by a longtime Seattle Sounders fan to the club about why he’s considering giving up his Legacy Season Tickets after 17 years, citing lackluster investment in the team and worsening fan relations from the organization.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MAY 22: Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles works the fourth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 22, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Of immediate interest to the big league club is that this was another rehab start for Chris Bassitt. There’s little to complain about in the results, as Bassitt pitched six innings without allowing a run, scattering three hits, two walks, and a hit batter. That looks about as stretched out as a guy is going to get on a minor league rehab assignment; this was his third start. I wouldn’t be surprised to see his next game in Baltimore.
Bassitt handed the baton off to my honorary hyphenated cousin, Juaron Watts-Brown, with a 3-0 lead in the bank. Watts-Brown blew the lead while pitching in the eighth, putting two men on base before giving up three runs on a single swing. That sent things into extra innings, where the Tides were able to plate their Manfred Man plus two more in the tenth.
If you thought that would be enough to close out the game without drama, you haven’t met Norfolk’s pitching staff. The Bisons loaded the bases with one out against previous Oriole Jose Espada. (Why is this team called the Bisons when the plural of bison is bison?) They didn’t get any closer.
Looking at the Tides lineup is depressing. There are only two guys worth mentioning and one of them is because I just can’t give up on Heston Kjerstad, even though the Orioles appear to have done so. Kjerstad had two hits and drew a walk and was picked off once. Creed Willems is down to a .766 OPS after a 1-5 night at the plate.
Despite being out-hit by the Senators by an 11-7 margin and only having four of their players get hits at all, the Baysox were able to win this one. Even tougher than that previous sentence sounds for Chesapeake is that their 1-6 hitters had just one hit combined across all of them. You might think that Harrisburg’s three errors would have helped, but no, none of the runs were unearned. Baseball can be weird and minor league baseball can get even weirder.
My guy Aron Estrada took an 0-4, as did recently-promoted Victor Figueroa. Wehiwa Aloy was also hitless, though his night included a walk and a sacrifice fly, as well as his second stolen base at this level.
For Baysox pitchers, Patrick Reilly made his third start back at the Double-A level after having Tommy John surgery last year. The runs column reads zero on the stat line, so that’s good. He had a whole lot of traffic, though, with nine hits and one walk over 4.2 innings. When the WHIP is over 2, that’s less good. But any starts for the rest of this year are really just about shaking off the rust.
High-A: Frederick Keys 2, Jersey Shore (Phillies) 0
These two teams combined for eight hits, four errors, 13 walks, and 23 strikeouts. Minor league baseball! Recent promotions and injuries have left this Keys lineup depleted compared to early in the season and it shows. Both of the Keys runs scored on groundouts. No one even got an RBI hit.
The starting pitcher who got this thing going towards the combined shutout was JT Quinn, the Orioles competitive balance round B pick from last year’s draft. Quinn’s 5.2 scoreless innings saw him give up just three hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters. He hasn’t raced to Double-A like Joseph Dzierwa and later Caden Hunter did, but he hasn’t acquitted himself badly at the level, sporting a 3.75 ERA and 1.13 WHIP for the season, with a K/BB rate near 5.
A Shorebirds pitcher struggles early and the offense never does much the whole game is pretty much the whole season for Delmarva. They had a 1-0 lead after an RBI groundout in the third inning, starting pitcher Holden deJong gave up four runs while failing to complete the bottom of the inning, and they coasted along on the way to a loss. They’re 37-69. It’s rough down there.
Not rough is infielder Jaiden Lo Re, the fifth round pick from last year. Lo Re accounted for two of the five Shorebirds hits all on his own and scored two of their runs. Outfielder Jordan Sanchez also had two hits and drove in all three Delmarva runs. Lo Re has a .915 OPS after 45 games at this level, pretty good for age 19.
Chesapeake: vs. Harrisburg, 6:35. Starter: Anthony Eyanson
Frederick: at Jersey Shore, 7:05. Starter: Kyson Witherspoon
Delmarva: at Fredericksburg, 6:35. Starter: Harrison Kreiling
That’s three players who were acquired at the trade deadline, and the fourth (De León) was recently promoted to the Triple-A level. An interesting night for pitching on the farm. Hopefully it turns out well for everyone. Experience as an Orioles fan teaches me that it will not.
Jul 15, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger and New York Mets mascot Mrs. Met on the red carpet before the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Meet the Mets
The post-trade deadline Mets continue to be unstoppable, as they began their series against the Pirates with their fourth straight victory. The Amazins were buoyed by a three-run homer from Marcus Semien in their four-run third inning, along with five scoreless innings from Zac Thornton.
Tyler Mahle delivered a good performance in his Braves debut, but Raisel Iglesias blew the save and the Braves ultimately fell to the Yankees 3-2 in 10 innings to snap Atlanta’s eight-game winning streak.
The Phillies lost to the Blue Jays 5-4 on the same night in which they honored Chase Utley. Very sad, that.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 04: Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr #7 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after a triple during the 5th inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on August 04, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Many fans clamored for the team to tear it down, trading most everyone and starting anew to build around Witt. But Picollo gave the team a vote of confidence, and they appreciate it.
“I think he’s not wrong with that, right?” second baseman Michael Massey said. “I think it’s been a group that was here for a long time. I think ‘24 kind of showed the potential that we have, and obviously last year wasn’t what we wanted, but we were still above .500 and right there in September. I think we were four games out.
“Obviously, this year the wheels kind of fell off a little bit. Part of that’s injuries, part of that just on us not doing a great job, us as players. But yeah, I agree, I think the core is here. I think this is a team that can definitely be right back in at this time next year.”
Overall, the data looked good. He threw his changeup more than anything after leaning heavily on his cutter in the last two starts. I think it was because he kept trying to find it. But he threw his slider second-most, throwing 22 of them and 23 changeups. For the season, he uses his slider about 10 percent of the time, and last night he used it 21 percent of the time. It’s because it was a dominant pitch, particularly late.
He got seven whiffs on it in 15 swings and allowed just three batted balls against it. Twins hitters saw 13 of them out of the zone, and they swung at eight of those. That’s pretty incredible. I mentioned it in yesterday’s newsletter, but the Twins are a fairly patient offense. To get a chase rate of 62 percent on one pitch and 42 percent overall is very impressive.
As expected, the Royals didn’t do much at the deadline — there really wasn’t much for them to do. The healthy version of Kansas City’s roster looks moderately more complete than its current Stock Watch ranking suggests, but that’s not to say there isn’t work to be done. Even with the injuries in the rotation — some of which will carry over into next season (Cole Ragans, Stephen Kolek, Luinder Avila) — the Royals have a solid foundation in that group. The challenge will be to deepen the lineup and almost completely revamp the bullpen. It’s a lot to do given what is likely to be limited payroll flexibility and too few prospects pushing up from below.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 07: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after Ceddanne Rafaela (not seen) made a diving catch to end the third inning against the Athletics at Fenway Park on August 07, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As improbable as it seems, the Yankees won both a one-run game and an extra innings game in one fell swoop, Ryan McMahon’s tenth inning sac fly enough to sink the Braves, 3-2. Max Fried tossed 6.1 scoreless while his offense waited until the ninth inning to score their first runs. There were a handful of sparkling defensive plays to keep the bats in it long enough for the win, and it certainly looks like this recipe of shutdown pitching and sure-handed defense will have to continue until Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton return.
Tampa Bay Rays (69-46) 2, Seattle Mariners (56-61) 1
Drew Rasmussen was dominant yet again, holding the Mariners scoreless for seven innings, allowing just two hits and two walks against eight strikeouts. Things could have gone sideways in the second, the Mariners loading the bases on a Julio Rodríguez single and walks by Josh Naylor and Cal Raleigh, but Rasmussen struck out Colt Emerson to strand all three in place. Starting with that punch out of Emerson, Rasmussen would go on to retire the final 16 batters he faced in order. It’s already Rasmussen’s seventh start of the year of at least six scoreless innings, two of those coming against the Yankees.
There wasn’t much offense to be found in general, all three runs in the game coming via the solo home run. Jonny DeLuca and Jonathan Aranda put the Rays up early with solo shots in the second and third, respectively. Rodríguez ended the shutout and cut the deficit to one with a two-out solo shot in the ninth, but that was all Seattle would muster. It’s the Rays fourth win in a row as they are now 13-4 in their last 17 games to remain 4.5 games up on the Yankees.
Other Games
Boston Red Sox (64-51) 13, Athletics (45-71) 1
For as stressful and exciting as their 12-11, 13-inning barnburner win over the White Sox on Thursday was, this was about as straightforward a win as the Red Sox could have asked for. On the day that the A’s parted ways with general manager David Forst, the roster he assembled got absolutely thrashed, 13-1, by Boston. The fact that they did it while hitting just one home run made it all the more impressive.
It started with one of the most dominant starts across all of MLB this season, Payton Tolle tallying a career-high 14 strikeouts across his six innings of one run ball. He allowed just two hits and no walks, the lone damage a Tyler Soderstrom solo home run in the fifth. He struck out the side in the second, fourth, and sixth, and the third was the only frame where he failed to punch out at least a pair. It lowers his season ERA to 3.20 as he makes a late charge in the AL Rookie of the Year race.
As for his offense, they did most of their scoring in the first half of the game, dropping five in the second and four in the fourth. Every member of the starting lineup had at least a hit — only Nick Sogard, Caleb Durbin, and Jarren Duran failing to record multi-hit games — Boston ending the day with 15 hits.
Boston has now won nine in a row and have lost just three games since July 1st, their 27-3 record over that span bringing them within a half-game of the Yankees for second.
Cleveland Guardians (58-59) 8, Chicago White Sox (59-56) 2
Noah Schultz recorded just one out and had to depart in the first inning, but it wasn’t due to injury. One batter after the pitching coach came out to check on Schultz, manager Will Venables made their second mound visit of the inning, which by the rules of the game necessitates the removal of the pitcher. The reliever they replaced him with, David Sandlin, got torched for six runs on seven hits and two walks in 5.1 innings, five of those runs coming in the fifth courtesy of a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded and an Angel Martínez grand slam. Martínez had already struck with a two-run single off Schultz in the first as he finished the day with six RBI. Steven Kwan went 3-for-5 with a solo home run while Chicago’s two runs arrived via solo home runs by rookies Braden Montgomery in the second and Munetaka Murakami in the sixth in this pivotal AL Central battle between first and second place teams.
Houston Astros (60-57) 6, San Diego Padres (60-57) 3
The Padres’ two blockbuster additions to the rotation at the deadline have not had the best starts to life in San Diego. First it was Casey Mize giving up eight runs on nine hits and three walks in 3.1 innings of a 10-4 loss to the Diamondbacks and tonight it was Robbie Ray coughing up four runs on seven hits and five walks in five innings against the Astros. Cam Smith had the big day on offense for Houston, with a pair of solo home runs as part of a 3-for-4 afternoon. Isaac Paredes went 3-for-5 and Christian Walker drew a pair of free passes while adding a two-run single in the third. Fernando Tatis Jr. went 2-for-5 with a solo shot. The Astros were in fourth place as recently as June 26th, but a 13-3 record in their last 16 while playing in the joke that is the AL West have them atop the division.
Aug 7, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Rafael Devers (16) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Detroit Tigers outhit the Giants 11 to 5 on Friday night. They outwalked them too, 4 to 3, and earned 12 at-bats with a runner in scoring position while San Francisco had just 4. The visitors had hot bats in Kevin McGonigle, who reached base four times, and Spencer Torkelson, who reached thrice; and Dillon Dingler, one of the premier RBI men in the league, who quickly added to his robust total in the 1st inning.
But in baseball math, all that doesn’t necessarily add up to a win. A runner doesn’t mean a run. One big swing can outweigh 27 little ones, and for once, the Giants weren’t on the receiving end of that head-butt of truth in their 5-2 win.
Hit home runs and never die. The Tigers had the knocks, 11 singles in all, but the Giants had the taters. Rafael Devers and Willy Adames both left the yard against right-handed starter Keider Montero: one claimed the lead in the 1st, and the other stretched it in the 5th.
Devers’s 24th was a two-fer — coming with two outs, in a two-strike count, and worth two runs. Montero sped his bat up with a four-seam fastball at the top of the zone in the previous pitch, and then tried to pull the rug out from under it with a slow-breaking knuckle curve. A 15 MPH difference is a tough adjustment for the hitter, the pitch probably would’ve been unhittable if it broke further down in, or out of, the zone… it didn’t. Montero hung it, and Devers crushed it.
The 2-run shot turned an early deficit into a lead that the Tigers would chase and nip at all evening. They had at least two runners on base in 6 of their 9 chances at the plate, bringing the tying run to the plate plenty of times. The Giants pitching and defense did their best impression of a supple and lithe white ash, bending but not breaking, as the ol’ cliché goes. For once, they played as the frustrator (this is a word), rather than the frustrated.
Adrian Houser gets a lot of credit for that, who pitched through the middle innings, after JT Brubaker handled the 1st. His only blemish came on a two-out flare from number-9 hitter Zach McKinstry that knotted the game at two runs a piece. The four-seamer on the hands didn’t deserve that outcome, and at the time, the RBI single felt like a harbinger of things to come. Paper cut after paper cut. Single run tallies all the way through to the end. A steady drip…drip…drip of baserunners eventually overflows a cup.
But Houser turned off the tap. He retired six in order through the 3rd and 4th frames while the Giants retook the lead. He’d kept Detroit off the board through to the 6th, putting him line to earn his first win since May.
It definitely got dicey at times. McKinstry and McGonigle put Houser in a first-and-third conundrum after lead-off singles in the 5th. The prospect of a run felt certain with the heart of the order stepping into the box. Another single felt just as plausible. The defense would trade an out, or outs, for a run, so a groundball would do, as would a deep enough flyball. Gleyber Torres got the ball in the air, but Jung Hoo Lee did an excellent job of charging the shallow-ish fly and releasing an accurate one-hopper to the plate. McKinstry bluffed home, then quickly retreated back to third as he watched the throw come in. With Dingler up, who is second to just Yordan Alvarez for in RBI totals, did the same thing. Again the ball drifted into foul territory, just over 200 feet from home. Lee charged in, caught it and got the ball back in quickly. Based on his arm’s reputation, evidenced by the previous throw, and the fact that the flyball bordered on a pop-up, neither runner chanced the advance. A nice sliding catch by left-fielder Grant McCray ended the threat.
In the 6th, Houser again worked around a pair of singles, ending his night with an 11-pitch epic against his ultimate foe: number-9 guy McKinstry, who had gone 2-for-2 with an RBI against the Giants right-hander. After five straight fouls in a 3-2 count, McKinstry conceded, flying out to center. Two more runners stranded.
Overall the Giants did a nice job of keeping Detroit’s singles small. How do you do that? By countering with your own little excellences. Doing little things to cut their little things down, and keep them from growing. In a 3-2 count, Houser put six straight pitches in the zone to McKinstry. He didn’t give in, he didn’t let McKinstry’s stubborn fight-’em-off swings beat him..
McGonigle yanked a low-liner into right to lead off the 7th against Keaton Winn. Off the bat it looked like a potential double, but the way Lee aggressively chased down the baseball kept McGonigle from risking a sprint to second against the right fielder’s strong assist arm. Lee’s initial accurate relay home in the 5th rippled into the latter innings. That mattered considering it kept the double play in order — which Gleyber Torres promptly grounded into — and with two outs, the subsequent walk and single proved manageable. If Lee doesn’t hold McGonigle to a single, that inning snowballs.
The Giants weren’t perfect. There were errors, throws to the wrong base, and free passes handed out — but they were perfect in managing their imperfections. Three of the four walks came with the bases empty. When Riley Greene took second on Drew Gilbert’s throw to third in the 7th, the individual error in judgment didn’t send the collective spinning off their axis into known oblivion. Sam Hentges didn’t implode, but countered by freezing Eduardo Valencia on a big 3-2 curveball. Another two runners stranded.
Back in the 2nd, when Christian Koss couldn’t put the ball in play with runners and second and third and one out, Bryce Eldridge didn’t swing out of his boots trying to pick up his teammate. He recognized Montero, with a base to play with, wasn’t giving him anything to hit. He took the walk, which extended the inning and got Lee, arguably the best two-out hitter in the Majors, a chance to rake in the split.
He touched his cap, much obliged, and roped a 2-RBI single .
San Francisco earned back the lead, and perhaps against all odds, they held onto it.
But if recent history is any guide, now that the Giants won the first game in the series, fans are in for a rough couple of days. And since Saturday is a Fox broadcast, we won’t even have Mike Krukow’s dulcet tones to guide us through it.
BAJA, HUNGARY â" AUGUST 8: People gather along the exposed riverbed of the Danube, after exceptionally low water levels revealed the remains of an old World War II-era ship from the riverbed in Baja, Hungary on August 8, 2026. The emergence of the wreck has attracted hundreds of curious visitors to the site. (Photo by Robert Nemeti/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Hickory starter Mason McConnaughey was alright, alright, alright, striking out three in four scoreless innings. Jormy Nivar (who I keep wanting to call Ramon Nivar) allowed three runs in 2.2 IP, striking out five and walking two. Michael Trausch struck out one and walked one in 1.1 scoreless innings.
Paulino Santana had a hit and a stolen base. Noah Franklin homered. Kaden Carpenter had a hit and a stolen base. Marco Argudin had a walk and a stolen base. Kolby Branch had a hit, a walk and a stolen base.
Hub City starter Caden Scarborough was quite good, throwing 51 of 75 pitches for strikes in 5.2 IP, walking two, striking out five, and allowing one hit and one unearned run.
Maxton Martin was 3 for 4 with a double and a homer. Casey Cook was 2 for 5 with a homer.
Round Rock stater Dalton Pence allowed two hits and one walk in five shutout innings, striking out six. Ryan Lobus struck out one in a scoreless inning. Michel Otanez struck out two and walked two in a shutout inning. Wilian Bormie allowed a solo homer in an inning of work, striking out one.
Logan O’Hoppe doubled. Cody Freeman had a hit. John Taylor had a hit and two walks.
The Toronto Blue Jays go for a series win as +140 road underdogs against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, and they draw a huge opportunity in Aaron Nola, one of the worst starters in baseball this year.
Max Scherzer takes the ball for Toronto, but my card is all about attacking Nola, starting with Alejandro Kirk.
Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks for this Saturday, Aug. 8 matchup.
Blue Jays vs Phillies predictions
Blue Jays vs Phillies best bet: Alejandro Kirk Over 1.5 total bases (+130)
Nola has allowed an MLB-leading 28 home runs, and hitters are teeing off on his fastball. Normally I’d lean on Kazuma Okamoto, the club’s best fastball hitter, but he went 0-for-5 on Friday, so I’m turning to Alejandro Kirk and his contact-heavy profile.
Kirk does a great job thumping fastballs the other way, and he’s locked in, with 12 hits in his last 10 games and an .804 OPS over that stretch. I like his chances to rack up two hits against Nola’s hittable pitches, or better yet, to double to right field.
I’d play this down to +110.
COVERS INTEL: Nola’s four-seam fastball carries a -13 run value and yields a .727 slugging mark, arguably the worst pitch in baseball and right in the wheelhouse of a fastball hitter like Kirk.
Blue Jays vs Phillies same-game parlay (SGP)
For the same-game parlay, I’m all-in on a high-scoring night. George Springer Over 0.5 hits leads it off, and he’s blistering hot with 14 hits in his last 13 games.
I’ll add Over 9.5 total runs, with Scherzer and Nola both carrying ugly ERAs on a hot night at a bandbox, then cap it with the Blue Jays moneyline at plus money.
Blue Jays vs Phillies SGP
George Springer Over 0.5 hits
Blue Jays moneyline
Over 9.5
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Blue Jays vs Phillies home run pick: Jesus Sanchez (+390)
Jesus Sanchez has become a reliable power threat since returning from an ankle injury, going 3-for-12 with a home run and a double.
He came off the bench on Friday and picked up a hit, and I love his upside on Saturday against Nola.
As noted, no pitcher in baseball allows more home runs than Nola, so Sanchez, with his uppercut left-handed swing, has a great shot to clear the wall at Citizens Bank Park.
Watch the four-seamer in particular, a pitch he slugs .514 against, and note that five of his seven homers have come off fastballs. Keep this to a quarter unit, even against Nola.
2026 Transparency Record
Best bets: 16-15, +0.63 units
SGPs: 3-29, -4.31 units
HR picks: 4-27, -1.88 units
Blue Jays vs Phillies odds
Moneyline: Blue Jays +140 | Phillies -160
Run line: Blue Jays +1.5 (-140) | Phillies -1.5 (+120)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 | Under 9.5
Blue Jays vs Phillies trend
Max Scherzer (7.92 ERA) and Aaron Nola (5.55 ERA) carry two of the ugliest ERAs among Saturday’s starters, pointing toward the Over 9.5. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Phillies.
How to watch Blue Jays vs Phillies and game info
Location
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Saturday, August 8, 2026
First pitch
6:05 p.m. ET
TV
NBCSP, SN
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.92 ERA)
Phillies starting pitcher
Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.55 ERA)
Blue Jays vs Phillies latest injuries
Blue Jays vs Phillies weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 01: Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians scores on a two-run homer during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Progressive Field on August 01, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes, you gotta make the tough call to put the old steer out to pasture.
Rhys Hoskins has a 95 wRC+ this season. That, especially on the Guardians, is not bad. However, this includes a 79 wRC+ since June 1st, during which time he has struck out 37% of the time. Even more prominently, since June 1st of LAST season, Hoskins has a 57 wRC+ against LHP. Why has Hoskins forgotten how to hit southpaws on a team that needs him to be able to be the career 130 wRC+ against them he has traditionally been like no other? I don’t know. Because the baseball gods hate us, probably. It’s likely one of two options: 1. small sample size and he’ll eventually correct things, or 2. the canary in the coal mine that he is washed overall.
Regardless, Hoskins isn’t helping the Cleveland Guardians win baseball games in his current role of supposed lefty masher who plays first base when LHP are on the mound. He’s not a good defender. But, he is, from all accounts, great in the clubhouse. So great that the team is a game under .500 on August 8th. You can probably sense my skepticism that his clubhouse skills are indispensible to this team’s success.
I think it’s probably time to give Kody Huff a chance at a platoon first-base/occasional catching reps role. Huff has a .793 OPS against LHP and .914 OPS against RHP this season, but has traditionally hit LHP better than RHP as most RHH’s do. Most importantly, he has a higher OPS away from the Columbus bandbox than at home (.888/.879). Zach Meisel of the Athletic has repeatedly mentioned on the Selby is Godcast that the team “LOVES” Huff and it was a big reason they were willing to trade Jacob Cozart and Bo Naylor at the trade deadline. Great opportunity to potentially get Huff some experience with Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey and make use of the 235 innings he has played at first base to hopefully leverage their way to an improvement over what Hoskins has done against left-handed pitching.
By September, if Huff struggles and Ralphy Velazquez continues his recent breakout, I would love to see the team give Velazquez reps in a first base/DH role and let him hit LHP. (Cooper Ingle cannot hit lefties, in case anyone is wondering about him in a full-time DH role). Ralphy has consistently hit LHP slightly better than he has RHP over the past two seasons. He’s a full-time hitter, eventually, and it would be great to give him a chance to experience big league pitching and potentially help a team trying to make the playoffs. But, for now, the team needs to take a shot at improving their roster in the Hoskins’ role, even at the risk to clubhouse chemistry, and Huff seems to be the best potential option.
The Detroit Tigers dropped the series opener to the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, 5-2, at Oracle Park. The good guys outhit the hosts, but were plagued by LOBsters while Kieder Montero coughed up five runs over six innings to earn his seventh loss of the season.
Making his first appearance for the Motor City Kitties since last season on Saturday evening is right-hander Jackson Jobe, who will be returning from Tommy John surgery after 14-plus months on the shelf. The freshly turned 24-year-old actually faced the Giants the last time he pitched in the big leagues, surrendering three runs on seven hits (one home run) and three walks while striking out four over 4 2/3 frames for a no-decision in a 4-3 win at Comerica Park.
Jobe’s rehab process stretched across five games over four levels of the minors — rookie ball to Double-A — resulting in a 1.76 ERA and 2.35 FIP over 15 1/3 innings of work, giving up 14 hits and four walks while striking out 17, plus one each of a hit-by-pitch, balk and wild pitch.
San Francisco, on the other hand, has fellow righty Landen Roupp taking the mound for his 23rd appearance this season. The 27-year-old has struggled over his last two games, posting an astronomical 9.72 ERA along with an ugly 5.85 FIP over 8 1/3 innings, allowing 10 hits (one home run) and seven walks while striking out seven and hitting a batter over that span, earning a pair of losses in the process.
Speaking of losses, Roupp’s 10 recorded defeats this season are tied for the National League lead as of Friday night.
Here is a quick look at how the two hurlers matchup for Game 2 on Saturday.
Detroit Tigers (56-60) vs. San Francisco Giants (49-67)
Time (ET): 7:15 p.m. Place: Oracle Park, San Francisco, California SB Nation Site:McCovey Chronicles Media: FOX, Tigers Radio Network
Game 117: RHP Jackson Jobe (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Landen Roupp (7-10, 4.34 ERA)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 07: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Petco Park on August 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another Trade Deadline acquisition took the mound for the San Diego Padres against the Houston Astros. The result was another disappointing outing and another loss for the Padres.
Robbie Ray who won his last start at Petco Park as a member of the San Francisco Giants made his debut with San Diego and allowed four runs on seven hits with five walks and two strikeouts over five innings pitched in what proved to be a 6-3 loss for the Padres. It was another disappointing result for a Trade Deadline acquisition after Casey Mize was roughed up in his first outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks where he allowed eight runs in nine hits in three-plus innings of work last week.
The San Diego offense tried to climb back into the game and cut the deficit to 4-3 scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth and a run in the bottom of the fifth. The third run of the game for the Padres came on a monster solo home run off the bat of Fernando Tatis Jr. The hope was that blast would ignite the offense and San Diego would come back to win the game, but Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta each allowed a run in their combined four innings pitched and the Padres were unable to add to their run total.
San Diego plays the second game of the series tonight at Petco Park at 4:15 p.m.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will be looking to end their seven-game losing streak, and they're -175 favorites to do just that.
My Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks believe the road team is worth backing with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.
Who will win Dodgers vs Diamondbacks today: Dodgers (-175)
Brandon Pfaadt has gotten remarkable results of late, but even so, his season-long outputs are not overwhelmingly impressive.
Most alarming are his 48th-percentile ranking in xBA and his inability to generate strikeouts. He sits in the seventh percentile with a 15.6 K%.
The Los Angeles Dodgersrank first in OPS and wOBA vs. righties despite their recent struggles.
They are a breakout waiting to happen, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of nine road starts, with better underlying numbers to boot.
He’s the perfect person to get the Dodgers back on track. Bet to -185.
COVERS INTEL: Yamamoto ranks in the 99th percentile in Pitcher Run Value this season.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-110)
His ability to keep the ball in the park and limit free baserunners makes it very difficult for opponents to put together big innings.
Pfaadt has been even better at limiting the longball (0.92 HR/9), and has conceded just one bomb over his last 40.1 innings of work.
He has induced grounders efficiently while limiting hard contact, setting him up to avoid blow-up innings.
I’d play the Under to -117.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 73-66, -7.50 units
Over/Under bets: 76-57-6, +9.89 units
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather
This game will be played in a dome.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -175 | Diamondbacks +150
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-110) | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-110)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend
Arizona has hit the Game Total Under in 25 of their last 45 home games (+7.50 units, 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info
Location
Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
Date
Saturday, August 8, 2026
First pitch
8:10 p.m. ET
TV
SNLA, DBacks.TV
Dodgers starting pitcher
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (11-7, 2.76 ERA)
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Brandon Pfaadt (6-1, 3.66 ERA)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Texas Rangers have won three consecutive games and are -150 favorites to extend their winning streak tonight when they host the Baltimore Orioles.
With Baltimore struggling mightily at the dish following a deadline selloff, my Orioles vs. Rangers predictions and MLB picks see value backing Texas to pick up a low-scoring win.
Who will win Orioles vs Rangers today: Texas Rangers (-150)
Jacob deGrom is not in great form, but he has been very good on the year, pitching to a 3.26 xFIP.
He is in a nice spot to rebound against a Baltimore Orioles team that pulled the plug at the trade deadline, selling multiple everyday bats for futures.
We’re dealing with small samples, but the Orioles have predictably fallen off since that happened. They’re hitting a league-worst .160 against righties since Aug. 3.
The Texas Rangers are 18th in wOBA vs. right-handed pitching the past two months, and should give deGrom enough support against Kyle Bradish.
Bet to -160.
COVERS INTEL:Baltimore ranks dead last with a .190 average on the road against righties over the last month.
Orioles vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-115)
deGrom has done a much better job of limiting damage at home. He owns a 3.04 ERA and 0.80 HR/9 in Texas compared to a 4.87 ERA and 1.73 HR/9 on the road. Night and day.
His home success should continue against this watered-down Orioles lineup that has plated three runs or fewer in three of four games since the deadline.
Run line: Orioles +1.5 (-160) | Rangers -1.5 (+140)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-105) | Under 7.5 (-115)
Orioles vs Rangers trend
Baltimore has hit the Game Total Under in 27 of the last 45 games (+8.55 units, 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Rangers.
How to watch Orioles vs Rangers and game info
Location
Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
Date
Saturday, August 8, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Orioles starting pitcher
Kyle Bradish (7-10, 3.79 ERA)
Rangers starting pitcher
Jacob deGrom (7-7, 3.96 ERA)
Orioles vs Rangers latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 04: Jo Adell #7 of the Cleveland Guardians runs onto the field prior to a game against the New York Mets at Progressive Field on August 04, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jo Adell built a reputation as a lefty masher before being traded to the Guardians. His career numbers vs. RHP have been a weakness, but there were stretches of success off them in the past. Today we will take a look at what the numbers say and try to determine if Adell has potential to hit RHP well enough to impact the game offensively on an everyday basis.
Jo Adell had a very successful 2025 vs. RHP relative to his career numbers, but has fallen back down to being very poor against them so far in 2026. Was 2025 a fluke, or is there something there to indicate that there’s potential to recapture that success in what remains of the 2026 season? To determine that, let’s look at some of his underlying stats over the last 2 seasons.
We can see the K% and the BB% have both dropped, which is a bit of a mixed bag, but the Whiff% has stayed fairly stable, so there’s no obvious deterioration in contact ability. The biggest change here is the 2026 vs. RHP contact quality has dipped a bit, with the largest drop coming in Barrel%. When we look at the numbers outright, we can see he’s basically league average in EV and in Barrel%, and decently above it in Hard-Hit%. This would indicate he’s still able to impact the ball with legitimate authority, but his precision is off in such a way that he’s not able to translate those swings into barrel level damage vs. RHP.
The good news is that there’s no indication that the approach has collapsed, and he’s still showing some ability to hit the ball hard vs. RHP. This data points more to a loss of consistency than a loss of ability to make quality contact. Obviously a .300 xwOBA is not good. In fact, it’s well below league average, but it’s also not “this hitter has no ability to hit righties.” As it stands right now, a .300 xwOBA would rank 4th on the Guardians’ current roster of hitters with over 50 PAs.
With the Guardians offense being in the state it’s been over the past 2 seasons, I can see why the team would want to give Adell a run vs. RHP. There’s enough to like in the underlying numbers and the recent history that it seems more than worth giving him a chance to recapture that 2025 form. Hopefully Adell can find that consistency again and be a formidable force in the box for the Guards, no matter who takes the mound against us!
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 07: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the eighth inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, August 7, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It might be possible that second half Austin RileyTM has arrived. Maybe we should ask Fernando Cruz.
It might be possible. The man was left for dead in the first half, only sporting a .207/.288/.329, a 73 wRC+, and 9 home runs in 385 plate appearances. It wasn’t just the top-line numbers. He was genuinely lost at the plate. It appeared to be largely an approach with him. His bat speed is in the 92nd percentile.
We don’t recognize that guy any more. Since the All-Star Break (not counting last night), Austin is on a .290/.333/.522 tear with a 131 wRC+ and four home runs. The fifth was pretty huge last night, until the ugliness occurred.
I owe you guys a deep dive but it’s after midnight. I will show you know one thing that I have noticed lately. Austin is pulling non-fastballs now. I don’t know if this is an approach thing or he’s seeing the ball better or what exactly. But it’s definitely a trend. Might want to add another data point well into the Yankee Stadium left field bleachers.
Here’s something with more data points. He’s not taking breaking pitches to right field. Everything is pulled here or hit straightway. I mean, that has to be pitch recognition, no? But that’s not the question. Is Austin Riley back? Looks like it from here.
COVERS INTEL: Nola’s 
