Category: Baseball

With the trade deadline in the books and on field action resuming tonight, it’s a good time to address a pair of odd but compelling scheduling items that will help define the final two months of the season:

1) Starting with the just completed series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, the Red Sox began a run in which they play 17 straight series against 17 different opponents to close out the season. We’ll see a couple of familiar and recent opponents like the White Sox, A’s and Blue Jays in the next ten days, but nobody left on the schedule appears on it again.

2) And, on a somewhat related note, tonight’s game against the White Sox begins a stretch of series at Fenway Park in which seven straight opponents are not from the eastern time zone. In fact, the only east coast opponent left on the schedule this year is Cleveland, who doesn’t come in until September 22nd through the 24th.

Baked within that second point is perhaps an even more important nugget: The next five straight Fenway opponents after this series with the White Sox are against teams west of the Rockie Mountains (A’s, D-Backs, Giants, Mariners and Angels).

In other words, if the Red Sox can keep their scalding hot streak alive and win another series against the surprisingly solid White Sox, things set up pretty favorable for them to remain hot at Fenway Park right into the final week of the year.

As far as tonight goes, the pitching matchup has another small scheduling oddity. Specifically, it’s a pair of pitchers who each started a game in the series in Chicago last month, but not against each other. For the Red Sox, Patrick Sandoval made his Boston debut back on July 9th in the 2-1 win, and Davis Martin pitched for the White Sox the previous day on July 8th’s 5-0 win.

We’ll have to see which Davis Martin shows up for the White Sox tonight. He was excellent in his first nine starts of the season (to the tune of a 1.61 ERA), but has been considerably less so in his last twelve (5.46 ERA).

Lastly, before we get to the lineups, the Red Sox also made several roster moves this afternoon to balance things out after yesterday’s trade deadline. Below are three additions and two subtractions from the 26-man roster (with the third subtraction being Carlos Narvaez, who was included in the Rutschman trade).

⚾️ First Pitch: 7:10pm — Fenway Park, Boston, MA

📺 TV: NESN

📻 Radio: WEEI

Join us below in the game thread!

Mets interim manager Andy Green met with the media for the first time since the 2026 trade deadline to discuss a number of topics...

How Mets will deploy new-look bullpen

The Mets traded quite a few household relievers at this year's trade deadline. Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley and Huascar Brazoban are now with other clubs and that leaves a lot of roster spots to fill.

New York activated a number of relievers, including Dedniel Nunez and Jefry Yan, and Green was asked how he plans to use his new relievers. 

"We know where we want to pocket guys to give them the best opportunity to be successful; at the same time, we want to get feet wet as quickly as possible," Green said. "The hardest thing to do to a young player is to leave them on ice in the bullpen for three, four, five days. If the game opportunity presents itself today, we’ll try to get some debuts in. If it doesn’t, we’ll try to get it done as soon as possible."

While there are a few notable returns like Nunez, Yan will be making his major league debut when he hits the mound. The 29-year-old has become known for his strikeout celebrations and Green sees potential with the southpaw.

"The stuff is there. Really comes down to how often he can gets that stuff in the zone," Green said of Yan. "When he’s done that, he’s shown he’s a unique left-handed pitcher, who jumps really high."

Kodai Senga's role

The last time Senga took the mound, he made an emergency start for Freddy Peralta after coming out of the bullpen the last few times. Senga showed flashes of brilliance, but Green made it clear the Mets want Senga to be a leverage reliever for them.

"I want to see him as a leverage reliever," Green said. "See him in a one-inning burst. We talked about it, the construction of our pen did not allow it when we had Minter and Brazo, and Weaver and Raley. It does now. We’re aware with his traditional workload as well, I don’t expect him to pitch three out of four at this time. I do think, that his right arm has 100 mph and a nasty forkball. That profile plays for a late-inning reliever."

Green was asked if they want Senga to eventually become a reliever that can pitch in three of four days, and the interim skipper said that they want to see how Senga responds in this role over the next few weeks. They also reserve the right to pivot and put him back in the rotation if they think that's what's best for the organization.

Stock making another turn

With the departure of Peralta, Green was asked who will be the rotation's No. 5 starter, and he confirmed that Robert Stock will make another start with the team.

Stock, 36, allowed one run across five innings Sunday against the Marlins. It was the right-hander's major league debut and his performance stuck with the team.

"I think for him, where he’s at in life, a four-day commitment feels pretty good," Green said. "He took that news pretty positively today. He did a great job last time."

Green said he hasn't committed to anything beyond when Stock pitches next.

How OF will be used

Luis Robert Jr. was one of the Mets not traded at the deadline, which gives New York another outfield for their lineup. However, with Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing needing reps, Green made it clear that Ewing will not start in the infield in the meantime.

"I don’t know if we’re leaning toward A.J. in the infield at all," Green said. "As we look at the outfield, We’ll try to look at different alignments as we move forward. Luis is going to get an opportunity to play baseball. He’s a very good baseball player, brought him here to help us win baseball games. Will love to see him going in a really positive way."

Robert will see consistent reps in center field, but there may be opportunities to play him in one of the corners. 

Mets lineup

A.J. Ewing – LF
Francisco Lindor – SS
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Alvarez – DH
Carson Benge – RF
Luis Robert – CF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Jared Young – 1B
Luis Torrens – C

SP: Sean Manaea – LHP

Guardians lineup

Steven Kwan – CF
Jo Adell – RF
Chase DeLauter – DH
Rhys Hoskins – 1B
Angel Martinez – LF
Travis Bazzana – 2B
Gabriel Arias – 3B
Austin Hedges – C
Brayan Rocchio – SS

SP: Joey Cantillo – LHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:40 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

The A’s are set for their first post-Trade Deadline matchup this evening, in Cincinnati to take on the Reds in the first of three games. The Athletics had a quiet deadline but so did the Reds. The calendar has turned and now it’s time to start playing some winning baseball again and be the spoiler for our upcoming opponents. Time to snap this five-game losing streak with a big night tonight.

Taking the ball this evening for the Green & Gold will be right-hander J.T. Ginn, who the club is welcoming back after a brief stint on the IL with a blister on his pitching hand. Ginn has had a great season to date but could be showing signs of slowing down. He has after all surpassed his career-high in innings pitched already and we still have two months to go in the season. Considering he’s a Tommy John survivor the hope is that the club doesn’t push him too hard in the last weeks of a lost season.

Here’s how the Athletics’ lineup looks this evening courtesy of manager Mark Kotsay:

The squad is mixing things up a bit at the top of the lineup with Lawrence Butler leading things off tonight. Makes sense as he’s in a groove right now, going eight for his last 23. It’s the usual suspects behind Butler though as Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and Jonah Heim round out the top half of the lineup.

With Nick Kurtz out it’ll be Jeff McNeil drawing another start at first base. Tommy White is back at the hot corner as the club continues to assess his glove at third base. Veteran journeyman Donovan Walton is handling the keystone this evening while Carlos Cortes is at DH and Henry Bolte is back in center field.

That starting lineup will be going up against Reds right-hander Brady Singer. The 30-year-old veteran was considered a possible trade candidate a couple days ago but finds himself remaining in Cincy for the remainder of the season. He’s had an up-and-down year to date but he’s on a roll coming into tonight with a 3.67 ERA over his last seven starts.

And here’s Cincy’s starting lineup for the series opener:

Cincy was mostly silent at the trade deadline so just about all of their hitters (outside of first baseman Nathaniel Lowe) are in the lineup tonight. We have a notable big league debut for the Reds this evening as their #3 prospect Hector Rodriguez makes his debut. And we’ll also see old friend JJ Bleday in the lineup tonight batting third. He’s had a resurgent year for the Reds.

Let’s get back in the win column. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

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Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, A’s Cast

Both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing are on the injured list, and Ben Rortvedt has come to the Dodgers rescue yet again, this time from not only off the 40-man roster but also from a different team. One day after the Dodgers’ acquired Rortvedt from the New York Mets, they selected him to the major league roster to catch Tarik Skubal’s Dodgers debut on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.

Hunter Feduccia, who was also acquired on Monday in a separate trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, was also recalled from Triple-A. Eliezer Alfonzo was optioned to Oklahoma City and Chuckie Robinson was designated for assignment on Tuesday, completing the full catching tandem swap.

Last season with both Smith and Rushing sidelined, Rortvedt started 15 of the final 21 games of the regular season and also started the first four postseason games too, until Smith returned from his hand injury. Looks like it’s going to be the same for now, at least for the next few weeks.

“Given what Ben did for us last year, us knowing him, him being with a lot of our guys, being more of a guy that’s been around for a while,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday in Chicago, “I could see him taking the lion’s share for the foreseeable future.”

Rortvedt had been with Triple-A Syracuse all season, starting 39 games behind the plate. He hit .235/.391/.414 with six home runs in 167 games.

Feduccia this season started 51 games behind the plate for the Rays, and hit .234/.306/.340 with seven doubles and two home runs in 160 plate appearances.

Smith is expected to miss at least three or four more weeks with his neck inflammation, and Rushing will miss at a minimum of 10 days on the injured list.

“It’s protecting the downside with the catching,” Roberts said Monday. “We’ve always liked [Feduccia], so obviously with the catching, losing Rush and not having Will back, kind of just making sure — coverage is important.”

Alfonzo started nine games and caught 74 innings for the Dodgers in his first stint in the major leagues. Robinson caught 59 innings and started six games behind the plate. Alfonzo had five hits, including two doubles in 27 at-bats, while Robinson had two singles in 23 at-bats this season.

Much more so than on the position player side, this meter will look completely different the next time it is posted as a good chunk of the players in the table below are no longer on the roster because they were traded at the deadline. The Mets dealt starters Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes (not listed because he never took the mound in a Mets uniform in the second half), as well as relievers Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, and A.J. Minter. Moving forward, many young Mets pitchers will be given a chance to see if they can be part of the solution moving forward, but for now let’s see how these departing Mets finished their tenure in Queens.

Player	Last week	This week
Huascar Brazobán, RHP
Xzavion Curry, RHP
Daniel Duarte, RHP	—
Kevin Herget, RHP	—
Sean Manaea, LHP
Nolan McLean, RHP
A.J. Minter, LHP
Freddy Peralta, RHP
Cionel Pérez, LHP
Jonathan Pintaro, RHP	—
Brooks Raley, LHP
Christian Scott, RHP
Kodai Senga, RHP
Robert Stock, RHP	—
Zac Thonton, LHP
Luke Weaver, RHP
Devin Williams, RHP

Unfortunately, Freddy Peralta’s already unsuccessful Mets tenure ended on a sour note. He got knocked around by the Brewers on July 20 to the tune of seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work, taking his ninth loss of the year. He struck out six and walked only two in the outing, but he gave up eight hits, including two home runs. His last start before the trade deadline was a little bit better—and the Mets won the game—but he only lasted four innings, so he was not able to factor into the decision. In that outing, he gave up three runs (only two of them earned) on six hits, striking out three batters and walking two. He was the Mets’ biggest offseason acquisition on the pitching side and unfortunately it didn’t work out how either he or the Mets would have wanted. He was dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays for a package of three prospects and the return is undoubtedly not as good as it would have been if he had pitched to his career norms; though if Peralta had pitched to his career norms, it’s possible the Mets would not have been in the position they are in today.

It was Cionel Pérez who earned the win in the series finale against the Dodgers that Peralta started with two scoreless innings of work and three strikeouts. Pérez’s second half was off to an excellent start, as he went five straight appearances without allowing a run out of the break. Unfortunately, he hit the injured list on Friday with a left forearm strain, which is never a good thing to hear about a pitcher.

At the same time as Pérez hit the IL, A.J. Minter became the first Mets reliever to be dealt. Minter had a mix of good and bad outings in the second half prior to the trade. He gave up a solo homer to Alec Bohm in the series finale against the Phillies, but the Mets had the game pretty well in hand at that point. He had a good outing in the series finale against the Brewers in a close game that the Mets ultimately lost, but then he gave up a crucial two-run homer to Kyle Tucker in the Dodgers series two days later. His final outing as a Met came in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader, in which he pitched a scoreless seventh inning to keep the Mets within a run.

In Pérez and Minter’s places, the Mets recalled Jonathan Pintaro and Xzavion Curry. Curry was the hero of Friday’s game, soaking up the final five innings of that game to save the rest of the pitching staff. He was sent back down to Triple-A after that, but he is already back in the aftermath of all of the other trades the Mets have made. In that outing, he gave up two runs on six hits, striking out two. He’s had two other outings in the second half so far—both multi-inning appearances. In Philadelphia right after the All-Star break, he twirled two scoreless frames in the only loss of that series. Then he pitched the final 2 2/3 innings in relief of Peralta in Milwaukee and gave up a home run to Joey Ortiz in an already lopsided game—charging one run to Peralta and one run to Curry. Pintaro’s only appearance since being recalled was a multi-inning one as well; he pitched two scoreless innings in Saturday’s loss to the Marlins. Kevin Herget, freshly recalled from Triple-A, pitched a scoreless inning in that game as well when he was called up to replace Curry on the roster.

Zac Thornton started Saturday’s game and struggled, taking the loss for giving up four runs—only three of them earned—in 4 2/3 innings of work. A guy who usually doesn’t walk many, he issued three free passes in the outing and struck out only two. It was Thornton’s first mediocre outing since his major league debut in Washington DC, ending a run of dominance that carried into the second half to start with. In the Mets’ only win of the Brewers series, Thornton pitched six scoreless innings in what ended as a shutout victory. He followed that up with another quality start and another win against the Braves, giving up three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking only one.

Saturday’s game also featured Daniel Duarte giving up his first two earned runs all season in his eighth appearance of the year. Prior to that outing, Duarte appeared in four games in the second half of July and was unscored upon across 6 1/3 total innings, striking out eight batters and walking only one across those four appearances. He remains on the active roster and will likely be a major contributor in the Mets’ bullpen over the final couple of months.

If there’s one reason to believe the future is bright, it’s that Nolan McLean has been great. He hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in any start in the month of July. He was excellent in his first start of the second half in the series finale in Philadelphia, in which he struck out a whopping ten Phillies in six scoreless innings of work, yielding just two hits and earning the victory. McLean took a tough luck loss in a close game against the Dodgers in his next start. He allowed four runs, but only two of them were earned. He struck out seven and walked two in six innings of work. He was good, but Yamamoto was just better. He did not factor into the decision in his most recent start against the Marlins in which the Mets broke through for two runs in the eighth to win the game. McLean gave up two runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings of work, striking out six batters and walking two.

It was Brooks Raley who earned the win in that game, getting out of a jam for McLean in the seventh and then pitching a scoreless eighth as well. That was Raley’s penultimate appearance as a Met and he ends his Mets tenure with the second-highest ERA of any Mets pitcher with more than 100 appearances. Overall, in six appearances totaling six innings of work in the second half prior to the trade, Raley was scored upon in only one of those appearances, taking the loss for allowing the go-ahead run in the seventh inning in the series opener against the Dodgers. Otherwise, he went out on a high note.

Sean Manaea started that series opener against the Dodgers and pitched really well, limiting the damage to just one run on six hits in six innings of work. He struck out three and walked one in the outing, in which he ultimately took a no-decision. It was Manaea’s best result of his three starts so far in the second half. Manaea pitched the only game the Mets lost in Philadelphia in the first series out of the break, allowing four runs on seven hits, including two home runs in just 4 2/3 innings of work. He struck out seven and walked two. Kodai Senga helped Manaea navigate his way through the fifth, but then came back out for the sixth and allowed two additional runs to put the game far out of reach. Senga didn’t pitch again until he was forced into emergency starting duty on Friday when Freddy Peralta was scratched in anticipation of a trade. He was pretty good, giving up three runs on two hits in four innings of work, striking out four and walking two. Curry pitched the rest of the game and Senga took the loss, falling to a brutal 0-8 on the season. Manaea pitched Game 1 of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Braves and held Atlanta to just two runs on five hits in six innings of work.

Devin Williams earned the save in that game and in the victory over the Marlins that McLean started. Williams went 3-for-3 in save opportunities in the second half of July and didn’t give up any runs in his five total appearances over that span. He was unscored upon in the second half until he pitched the ninth inning of Sunday’s game with the Mets down a run and gave up an insurance run to the Marlins in the form of a single, a stolen base, and another single.

That helped ensure a very tough luck loss for Robert Stock in his season debut with the Mets. Stock was battling for a roster spot out of spring training when he went down with thoracic outlet syndrome, requiring surgery. He finally returned on Sunday to a team with the roster spot to welcome him and he was fantastic, giving up just one run on three hits in five innings of work. He struck out four and walked none in the outing. Stock may very well just be part of the Mets’ rotation moving forward.

Sunday’s game marked the final appearance as a Met for multiple relievers, including Huascar Brazobán, who was traded just hours later. Brazobán led Mets relievers with seven appearances in the second half prior to the deadline. He was only scored upon in one of those appearances; he gave up what turned out to be a crucial insurance run to the Brewers in the rubber game loss. He gave up a two-out double and then made way for A.J. Minter, who allowed that run to score, charged to Brazobán.

Christian Scott started that game and took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and lasting just 3 2/3 innings. He struck out an impressive six batters, but walked three. His other two starts in the second half thus far were much better. In the first game after the break, Scott shut out the Phillies for 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven batters and walking none. He allowed just three hits and earned the win. His clunker in Milwaukee pushed his season ERA above three briefly, but he snuck it down to 2.99 with six one-run innings against the Braves at Citi Field in Game 2 of Wednesday’s double header. One run was all the Braves would manage, but it was enough to hand Scott the loss, as the Mets were shut out by Chris Sale and the Braves bullpen. Scott struck out seven and walked only one in the outing.

Sunday’s game also represented Luke Weaver’s final game as a Met. Given that he is under contract for next year, Weaver was arguably the Mets’ most valuable trade chip and in his five appearances in the second half prior to the trade, he demonstrated why. He appeared in relief of Scott in the first game of the second half and allowed a run on a Trea Turner solo homer that was ultimately meaningless; Weaver still earned a hold anyway and Williams earned the save in the ninth. That was the only run Weaver gave up in five innings across his five appearances. He ends his Mets tenure with a spectacular 1.84 ERA—one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise miserable season.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy -210 favorites in Tarik Skubal's team debut.

With Skubal at the top of his game and likely to get plenty of run support from an offense that's heating up, I'm backing the road team to win by margin.

Find out more in my Dodgers vs. Cubs predictions and MLB picks for Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Who will win Dodgers vs Cubs tonight: Dodgers -1.5 (-125)

Tarik Skubal is in peak form as he begins a new chapter with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He's posted a stingy 2.03 ERA and 2.41 xFIP, and punched out nearly 12 batters per nine innings over his last five starts. 

While the Chicago Cubs have hit lefties well over the past month, Skubal is almost untouchable when he’s pitching like this.

Javier Assad has almost no strikeout ability, and that will get him into trouble against a Dodgers squad leading the majors in wOBA and OPS vs. righties.

Play to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Skubal leads all of today's projected starters with a 34.2 K% over the last month.

Dodgers vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+100)

Skubal limits runs effectively no matter the opponent. He's started six games against teams ranking Top-10 in OPS vs. left-handed pitching and managed a sparkling 1.95 ERA along the way.

His 0.93 HR/9 rate combined with elite control and a high strikeout percentage should help him navigate through a tough Cubs lineup without too much damage.

The Dodgers could score their fair share against Assad and a bullpen in middling form. Even so, it’ll be tough for this contest to go Over with the Cubs unlikely to contribute much against Skubal.

Bet to -110.

Dodgers vs Cubs weather

The forecast calls for temperatures in the low 80s with 7 mph winds blowing out. Boost to the bats.

Dodgers vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Dodgers -210 | Cubs +170
• Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (-125) | Cubs +1.5 (+105)
• Over/Under: Over 9 (+100) | Under 9 (-120)

Dodgers vs Cubs trend

Los Angeles owns a 53-60 O/U record this season. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Cubs.

How to watch Dodgers vs Cubs and game info

Dodgers vs Cubs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

As if this no good, very bad week for the Nationals could not get any worse, now they are losing their best player. James Wood is headed to the IL with a minor oblique strain. For an offense that has already lost two high level hitters in trades, this injury makes things even worse.

This is obviously not great, but thankfully we seem to have avoided the worst case scenario here. It is only a mild oblique strain and the team is optimistic that Wood will be back after the minimum 10 days. That is a relief because more severe oblique strains can take months to heal.

Last season, Dylan Crews missed about 3 months with an oblique strain of his own. That will not be the case here for Wood. Blake Butera stressed that it was very minor, with the doctor having to look pretty hard to find a problem. However, it is still enough to put him on the IL. The Nats seem to be playing it safe here, and that is the smart move.

In his place, the Nats are calling up Andrew Pinckney, a 25 year old outfielder with an electric combination of power and speed. He has hit balls as hard as 119 mph in the minors this season. Not even James Wood has hit a ball that hard in the big leagues.

Pinckney’s poor hit tool limits his profile, but he is still a fun addition to the roster. I would love to see him run into one at least once in his big league stint. However, it is still a massive drop off from Wood.

Everything that can go wrong is going wrong for the Nats at the moment. It has been a real reversal of fortunes for a team that has had a lot go right for them. In fact, this is the first starting position player to go on the IL for the Nats all season.

That injury luck is part of the reason for this offensive success. Now with the injuries and trades, the Nats are fighting an uphill battle. Hopefully, the guys we have can hold down the fort until Wood is back.

It’s the moment Mets fans dreaded to see happen. 

After being traded to the Pirates as part of the Mets sell-off on Monday, veteran reliever Luke Weaver posted a heartfelt goodbye to the team on Instagram. 

“Thank you to the New York Mets, my teammates, staff, and fans! Forever grateful for the memories and relationships I gained here in such a short amount of time. Thank you all for embracing my family and I with open arms! All the best,” Weaver posted. 

View this post on Instagram

Weaver was one of four relievers the Mets traded before the deadline, and the team got back Pirates No. 9 prospect and die-hard Mets fan Sammy Stafura in the deal. 

Although he was with the Mets for just half a season, Weaver shined with a 1.84 ERA in 42 appearances. 

The 32-year-old struck out 45 batters and walked only 11 in 44 innings while allowing just nine earned runs. 

Weaver was especially dominant from April 30-Aug. 2, allowing just one earned run in that stretch before being traded. 

While it’s not a surprising trade, it’s notable because Weaver was still under contract for next season after signing a two-year, $22 million contract last offseason. 

According to The Post’s Joel Sherman, the Mets are taking on $2 million of Weaver’s contract this season and $6 million next year. 

In addition to losing Weaver, the Mets also traded relievers Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and Huascar Brazoban, leaving multiple holes in the bullpen entering 2027. 

The Mets trading Weaver was largely due to how their season has gone so far, as they entered Monday 47-66 and last in the NL East.

Before joining the Mets, Weaver spent time with the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Royals, Reds, Mariners and Yankees. 

Despite being in MLB since 2016, Weaver’s 1.84 ERA this season has been his best by more than a run.

In baseball, we talk about the grind of a 162 game season, and how you can never get too high or too low. Those words usually ring true across a long season. However, seasons can still crumble very quickly, and that is exactly what happened to the Nats last week.

Last Monday, the Nats were coming off a monster series win against a fellow Wild Card contender in the D-Backs. Now, it was on to the last place Blue Jays. The best offense in baseball would be facing the best pitcher in Nats history in Max Scherzer, but a very diminished version of Mad Max. It was supposed to be a passing of the torch night. However, since the Nats let a laboring Scherzer off the hook, things have gone off the rails.

Since last Monday, the Nats are 1-7, going from one game back of the NL Wild Card to 5.5 games back. Such a promising season has gone so wrong so very quickly. Even if this is the beginning of a limp towards the finish line, it is important to remember that this season is still very likely to be a success. Key pieces such as CJ Abrams, James Wood and Cade Cavalli took major steps. They also got great production out of Curtis Mead, Luis Garcia Jr. and Foster Griffin before selling high on that trio.

That does not make this collapse out of playoff contention any less painful though. The most ironic thing is that the Nats greatest strength was the thing that did them in this weekend. Sure, the pitching and defense has not been stellar, but the biggest reason for this collapse has been the lack of offense, particularly with runners in scoring position.

They have been truly dreadful with ducks on the pond lately and it is why this offense has only scored more than 4 runs once in the last 8 games. Guys like James Wood and Keibert Ruiz picked bad times to start slumping. The offense has also really felt the loss of Curtis Mead, who was arguably the best clutch hitter on the team.

The slide started against the Blue Jays, but it was the Braves series that really did them in. These Nats have been a great road team all season, but they laid an egg in the 4 game set at Truist Park. The experienced Braves totally outplayed the Nats, who did not look ready for the moment. It was a comprehensive beatdown.

As the noise surrounding the trade deadline grew, this Nats team just seemed to shrink. The now departed Griffin basically admitted that the past week has been tough on him with the trade rumors surrounding him. It sure seemed like he was not the only one struggling with that pressure. 

When the Nats needed to rise to the occasion, they buckled. That is why Paul Toboni ended up selling. He can talk all he wants about how he believes in this team, but he threw in the towel at the deadline. With how the last week went, it is tough to blame him. For Toboni to buy, this team needed to show something and they did not.

Based on this quote, this was clearly a tough decision for Toboni, and he wanted to wait as long as he could to see which direction he would go. However, this past week made the decision less difficult. It was clear that Toboni knew that this organization needed more pitching depth and with the team falling out of the race, selling off pieces was the way to accomplish this.

I do think Toboni envisions this team competing for the playoffs next season (assuming there is one). Most of the pieces he got back in these returns are players that can contribute in 2027. A lot of them are role players, especially in the bullpen, but that is exactly what the Nats need. People have been asking what this season would be like if the Nats had an average bullpen. With this stockpile of arms, Toboni is trying to build that average, and eventually very good bullpen.

When the dust settled, the Nats got a lot deeper on the mound as an organization. However, they lost several of the main drivers of what made them great this season. Abrams and Wood remain, but that supporting cast is very diminished. Toboni is betting that he can continue to develop bats the way he did with Garcia and Mead.

The first game after the deadline showed us what the reality of the rest of this year may look like. This offense is not as explosive, but the bullpen sure is leaky. Derek Hill’s grand slam was the final nail in the coffin of the Nats playoff hopes. It was another bullpen meltdown combined with a lack of fight after they fell behind, as well as plenty of missed chances.

This season was a step in the right direction, but the Nats are going to have to build off this. That means ownership and the front office will need to be aggressive this offseason. With ownership, I am not that confident in this. Hopefully they spend, but I will have to see it to believe it. 

It has been a mostly fun season, but we got a real reality check last week. This team still needs to make plenty of improvements and the core players still need another year to mature. Hopefully this season was just the start of something special because it has been the best season of Nats baseball in a while.

Jonathan Hernández pitched the final two innings of the Dodgers’ loss on Monday night at Wrigley Field, the eighth time in 13 appearances this year he’s finished off a game, most of them lopsided scores.

What was notable was Hernández wearing number 26 on Monday, after getting called back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City. That was different from earlier this season, when he wore 29. But the Dodgers added Sunday added a two-time Cy Young Award winner in Tarik Skubal, and 29 is the only number he’s ever worn in the major leagues.

Skubal adds star power to the number 29 for the Dodgers, something the team hasn’t seen wearing the number since third baseman Adrian Beltré. In between, it’s fun to look back at the most recent numbers 29 with the team, a wonderful collection of remembering some guys.

In reverse chronological order:

• Pitcher Jonathan Hernández (2026)
• Pitcher Michael Grove (2024)
• Catcher Austin Wynns (2023)
• Pitcher Dylan Covey (2023)
• Outfielder Billy McKinney (2021)
• Infielder Andy Burns (2021)
• First base coach George Lombard (2018-19)
• Pitcher Scott Kazmir (2016-17)
• Third base coach Tim Wallach (2013-15)
• Pitcher Ted Lilly (2010-13)
• Pitcher Jason Schmit (2007-09)
• First baseman James Loney (2006)
• First base coach Mariano Duncan (2006)
• Hitting coach Tim Wallach (2005)
• Third baseman Adrian Beltré (1998-2004)

Inspiration.

The Diamondbacks are above .500 and I’m excited that they could play in the postseason. At the same time, many starting pitchers are on the injured list, and there is delay in the return of Corbin Burnes.  Also, performance at first base, left field, and center field are weak.  Despite limited resources, how will the Diamondbacks improve their chances at the trade deadline?

The Diamondbacks are contending for a Wild Card.

If the season ended today, the Diamondbacks would be a Wild Card in the playoffs.

Looking at the other contenders, since the All Star break the Diamondbacks have played very well against them, which is a positive for tiebreakers, if there are ties at the end of the season.

The following table compares the standings of the Diamondbacks and other contenders for the NL Wild Cards.  Also, it shows the games between the Diamondbacks and those teams since the All Star break – the results of games played and the dates of future games. 

In summary, the Diamondbacks are on track and strongly contending.

Acquisitions made impacts.

Instead of looking at every trade and acquisition, the first step was determine the biggest needs/opportunities of each team in the race.  Acquisitions (in July and August) that filled those needs would likely impact the Wild Card race.  The following table shows which needs were addressed (or not).  It excluded players in the minors. A subjective evaluation of the impact on the Wild Card race is shown in the last column.

Pirates.  My view is that the Pirates are doing everything they can to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015.  Camilo Doval (relief pitcher) and Jacob Gonzalez (playing shortstop) will make a positive impact.  Luke Weaver, who was a starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks from 2019 to 2022), was acquired as a relief pitcher with a career best ERA of 1.84. Despite not adding a starting pitcher, my view is they added two wins down the stretch of the Wild Card race.

Phillies. The Phillies made a solid improvement at second base by acquiring Luis Arraez. His batting is much better than Bryson Stott (OPS+ 127 vs 93). His defense at second base is much better (11 OAA vs 6 OAA). In addition, the Phillies acquired relief pitchers Caleb Kilian and Brooks Raley. My view is they added two wins down the stretch in the Wild Card race.

Padres. The Padres acquired twostarting pitchers, Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. Ray pitched for the Diamondbacks for 6 seasons (2015 to 2020). In the next season (2021), he won the Cy Young. And Mize is having a career best season. My view is they added three wins down the stretch in the Wild Card race.

Nationals.  The Nationals added Connelly Early (starting pitcher who should be off the injured list by late August), Tom Cosgrove & Yovanny Cruz (relief pitchers), and some pitching prospects.  In September, their rotation will likely be at its peak.

On the other hand, the Nationals traded away two of their best batters (Curtis Mead with OPS+ of 134, and Luis Garcia Jr. with OPS+ of 137). In addition they traded away Foster Griffin for four pitching prospects. My take is that the overall impact is near zero.

The Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks need a starting pitcher, a left handed bat (either at first base or the outfield), and a relief pitcher (the recent collapse of Paul Sewald adds an exclamation point).

“There’s been a lot of conversation around a bunch of different stuff.  So we’re mostly in the starting pitching/bat market. Some in the reliever market, just to stay involved in that.” — Mike Hazen

August will be difficult for the Diamondbacks.  In August, they will play two teams contending for a NL Wild Card (Padres and Cubs), plus two first place teams (Dodgers and Braves).  Although every win counts the same, my view is the most important series is with the Padres.  The reason is that winning that 4-game series would make the most impact in keeping the Diamondbacks in a Wild Card position.

“I’m more worried about getting through August than what happens at the end of August and September.  August is going to be particularly challenging for us with no off-days and probably the toughest run of games we’re going to have all year.” —  Mike Hazen

The Diamondbacks added left-handed batter Lars Nootbaar, who plays in the outfield. This season, his batting is much better against right-handed pitchers (.737 OPS vs .483 OPS). He will likely play in left field.

My view is that the Diamondbacks added one win down the stretch in the Wild Card race.

Cardinals. My view is that the Cardinals were the team that did the least to improve their team prior to the trade deadline. My view is that they missed chances to improve their chances of reaching this season’s playoffs.

Summary.

The Diamondbacks are strongly contending for one of the NL Wild Cards. August will be challenging.  Although they met only one of their needs, they improved their chances in the race by acquiring Lars Nootbaar at the trade deadline.

Although they did not acquire a starting pitcher, the Pirates did a lot to meet their needs and make the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Although they did not acquire a starting pitcher, the Phillies made solid improvement in their team to ensure they retain their position as a Wild Card team.

Starting pitching was the primary need (perhaps the only need) for the Padres. It was impressive that they acquired two starting pitchers. They are strong contenders for the third Wild Card in the NL.

The Nationals addressed their pitching needs by trading away two of their top batters. And they traded away a relief pitcher for four prospects. The net impact may be zero.

Of the contenders for a NL Wild Card, the Cardinals did the least to improve their team prior to the trade deadline.

Brady Singer is still a part of the Cincinnati Reds rotation, and he won’t have to waste any time in showing himself as a part of this club going forward.

The Reds first game after Monday’s trade deadline will be a home contest against the Athletics, formerly of Oakland, Sacramento, and currently of Las Vegas, and Singer will get the start for the upstart Redlegs. Cincinnati is fresh off taking 3 of 4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend, and they’ve won 4 of 5 series out of the gate since the All Star break in early July.

They are still pretty buried in the standings at the moment, sitting in last place in the NL Central and still 6 games back of the final NL Wild Card game (with 6 teams to jump to earn their way in). Still, Nick Krall & Co. thought it fit to hold on to several veterans who are due to reach free agency at season’s end, and that crew will get at leats a moderate opportunity to make a push towards season’s end and see if they can drum up a miracle.

Righty JT Ginn will start for the A’s in Tuesday’s series opener opposite Singer, with first pitch set for 6:40 PM ET. Top Reds prospect Hector Rodriguez was called up earlier on Tuesday to make his MLB debut, taking over the roster spot from the recently traded Nathaniel Lowe.