Category: Baseball

TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (52-55) and Los Angeles Angels (42-64) begin a 3-game series tonight in Anaheim.

RHP Tatsuya Imai (6-4, 5.59 ERA) will start for the Astros vs. RHP Walbert Ureña (6-7, 2.78 ERA). Imai’s 1st career ML start was vs. LAA on March 29 at Daikin Park. He ended up with a no decision in a 9-7 Astros win (2.2 IP, 4 ER). This will be Ureña’s 4th career appearance and 2nd start vs. HOU, all this season. His most recent app. vs. the Astros was a start on June 9 at Angel Stadium (5 IP, 0 R in a 10-1 Angels’ win).

ABOUT IMAI: Tonight will be RHP Tatsuya Imai’s 15th start of the season. He was solid in his last start on July 21 vs. MIA, allowing just 1 run and 4 hits in 6.0 IP with 8 K’s to earn a 5-3 victory. The Astros have won 6 of his last 7 starts (he is 4-1 in that span). For the season, HOU is 9-5 in his 14 starts overall.

In 2025, Imai was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games.

RECENT STROS: The Astros have won 5 of their last 6 games. Their recent 5-game win streak (7/20-25) matched their longest win streak of the season (other was 3/28-4/1).

ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the 4th game of a 6-game road trip for the Astros. HOU was 2-1 over the weekend at CWS on the first stop of the trip. The Astros are 19-13 (.593) on their last five road trips combined and are 25-19 (.568) on the road since going 1-9 on their first road trip of the season.

ROAD SLUGGING: The Astros have been one of the AL’s top offensive clubs on the road this season. They are currently ranked T-1st in the AL in road HR (76), 2nd in SLG (.418) and OPS (.742) and 3rd in road runs scored (259).

VS. THE HALOS: The Astros are 3-4 vs. LAA thus far in 2026. They dropped 2 of 3, June 8-10 at LAA in the most recent series. Over the years, the Astros have had success vs. the Angels. They are 141-92 all-time against the Halos, including a 67-48 record at Angel Stadium.

Note: The Astros were 2-0 vs. LAA in a 2-game, regular season series in Mexico, May 4-5 of 2019.

MEASURING UP: The Astros are 27-22 vs. teams currently over .500. Additonally, HOU is a combined 20-10 vs. the 6 AL clubs currently holding playoff spots, with a 10-5 record vs. the 3 AL division leaders (2-1 vs. TB, 6-4 vs. TEX, 2-1 vs. CWS) and a 10-5 record vs. the 3 current AL Wild Card teams (5-1 vs. BOS, 4-2 vs. CLE, 1-2 vs. NYY).

PLAYER OF THE WEEK!: Jeremy Peña was named AL Player of the Week today. Peña posted incredible numbers last week, hitting .500 (13×26) in 6 games with 5 HR, 8 RBI and 10 R while posting a 1.577. This is Peña’s 1st POTW Award. The Astros have won this award 4 times this season, with Yordan Alvarez winning the other 3 times.

Highlights from Peña’s week included:

*2 leadoff HR.

*2nd career grand slam

*collecting 3 hits in 3 straight games.

*homering in 3 cons. games.

PEÑA POWER: Jeremy Peña has hit safely in 8 straight games at a sizzling .516 (16×31) clip with 5 HR, 8 RBI and 12 R.

LEADING THE WAY: Jeremy Peña opened yesterday’s game at CWS with his 3rd leadoff HR of the season and the 8th of his career. He is one of 3 Astros to hit leadoff HR’s in 2026. Jose Altuve and Brice Matthews are the others.

THEIR KIND OF TOWN: After taking 2 of 3 games from the White Sox at Rate Field over the weekend, the Astros are 5-1 in the city of Chicago this season. They also swept a 3-game set from the Cubs at Wrigley Field, May 20-22.

CLOSE CALLS: The Astros are 31-20 in games decided by 2 runs or less: 22-12 in 2-run games, 9-8 in 1-run games.

MVP-CALIBER: Yordan Alvarez is a strong AL MVP candidate as he enters tonight leading the league in all three Triple Crown categories, ranking 1st in batting average (.323), HR (34), and RBI (77). Additionally, he currently leads all of baseball in OPS (1.074), OBP (.431), SLG (.643) and TB (245), and in the AL, he also ranks 1st in hits (123) and runs (72) and 4th in walks (70).

TAPPING FOR SUCCESS: Astros hitters have won an MLB-best 73 ABS challenges and lead the Majors in challenge success rate (58%).

HIT PAREDES: Isaac Paredes is hitting .324 (11×34) in his 9 games since the AS Break with 2 HR and 8 RBI while posting a .559 SLG and a .943 OPS. Since June 3, Paredes is batting .294 (48×163) with 22 runs scored, 6 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 33 RBI and 19 walks in 44 games.

BRYAN’S BACK: RHP Bryan Abreu has a 1.59 ERA (2ER/11.1IP) in his last 11 apps. with just 7 hits allowed and 13 K’s in that span. Additionally, since May 1, he has a 2.39 ERA (7ER/26.1IP) in 27 apps., and is 5-for-5 in save opp. in that span. Prior to May 1, Abreu had a 12.54 ERA in his 1st 11 apps. of the season.

ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Astros lead the AL in fielding pct. (.988) and have the fewest errors in the AL (44). 1B Christian Walker has led the way, as he has not committed an error in his 99 games played at 1B. Dating back to last season, Walker has not made an error in his last 128 games at 1B (last error was Aug. 23, 2025 at BAL).

TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1982 – RHP Nolan Ryan earns his 200th career win in style, going the distance in a 3-2 victory over the Reds in the Dome. Ryan also tallies 13 K’s in the historic win. He would end up with 324 wins in his HOF career, including 106 as an Astro.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Monday, July 27, 8:38 p.m. CT

Location: Angel Stadium, Anaheim, CA

TV: SCHN

Radio: KTRH 740 AM; KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)

Whether it be on the field or in the clubhouse, Mickey Moniak has made his presence known in his two seasons with the Colorado Rockies.

The outfielder—now in his seventh season as a Major Leaguer after stints with Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Angels—is slashing .277/.322/.553 this season, even though he missed nearly a month due to right ankle tendinitis.

His nine games with multiple extra-base hits are tied for the fourth-most in the Majors this season.

For his part, Moniak has helped Colorado avoid deficits and start well in games this season by displaying the ability to have success at the plate in early at bats.

For instance, he recorded a homer in the first inning in three straight games (June 30-July 2) to become the first player in franchise history to homer in the opening inning in three straight contests.

Moniak’s approach at the plate, no matter the situation, is straightforward.

“I just try to treat every at bat as the same,” said Moniak, whose 16 homers are second on the club only trail Hunter Goodman’s total of 31. 

“However it may fall, obviously, hitting those homers those three games in a row was cool but it’s not like there’s any more focus on the first at bat versus the last.”

“I think every at bat is just as important, keeping zeroed in and just having a good at bat every time,” he said.

Moniak—who was signed by Colorado as a free agent on March 27, 2025—made his presence on the field felt immediately by slamming a pinch-hit home run in his first plate appearance as a Rockie just three days later on March 30 at Tampa Bay.

But for all Moniak’s contributions on the diamond, his time spent mentoring Colorado’s youthful roster the past two campaigns—including players such as Cole Carrigg, TJ Rumfield and Kyle Karros this season—has been invaluable. 

Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer is quick to point why having someone with Moniak’s veteran experience is important.

“I wish you could see behind the scenes and see how much of an impact he has because it’s an enormous one,” Schaeffer said.

“Mickey is a team leader in the clubhouse every day. He shows up as the same guy every day, no matter what’s going on on the field, no matter what’s going on in his life. He comes and just sets the tone for the day, along with other guys. But he’s one of the main guys that does it and that just helps all the young players.”

Rumfield, who is vying for Rookie of the Year honors, spoke of Moniak’s influence in the clubhouse this season.

“Absolutely, he’s the leader,” Rumfield said. “I think we look to him and I think he does a great job of just setting an example, being a great teammate, great guy and also a great baseball player.

“He brings knowledge and wisdom to the game beyond his years,” he added. “It’s really unbelievable to watch every night. You know you are going to get a good at-bat.”

Moniak takes the role of being a mentor to young players in stride.

“It’s one of those things that nobody tells you that, ‘Hey, this year you’re the veteran; you’re the guy leading the team or in a leadership role,’” Moniak said. “I’ve been very fortunate to be around a lot of good leaders in my time in the big leagues in Philly and with the Angels. 

“I think just the biggest takeaway is to kind of lead by example. Go about your business, just be me,” he added. “I was a young player who had a lot of downs and a lot of learning to do. Just try to be a guy who guys can lean on. 

“We have a lot of young guys in this clubhouse. If they have any questions, they know I’m an open door.”

With the trade deadline approaching and Moniak and Jake McCarthy both rumored to be trade candidates, which player would be more important to a rebuilding team? Would you value Moniak’s leadership or McCarthy’s athleticism? Let us know in the comments!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a position to make a big move ahead of the MLB deadline.

MLB pundits have been pointing to the Dodgers as a landing spot for Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal.

In fact, the Dodgers were linked to Skubal back in December, when Kyle Tucker also was being floated as a potential target in free agency. Tucker eventually did sign with the Dodgers in January.

The Dodgers remain serious about their quest for a World Series three-peat, which would add a 10th championship to the trophy case at Dodger Stadium.

Manager Dave Roberts and superstar Shohei Ohtani have led the way to back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. The New York Yankees and the Athletics are the only other franchises to win three consecutive World Series titles.

MORE: Tarik Skubal, Tigers win again. That's bad news for rest of MLB

Here's what the Dodgers will consider before the trade deadline:

The squad is back in Sacramento for some much-needed home games after a tough road trip featuring two series losses. Things don’t get any easier for the A’s though as they’ll welcome a surging Boston Red Sox squad that recently went on a massive winning streak. Maybe they’ve used up all their juice and the A’s will be able to put on their spoiler hats this evening in the first of four games against our AL East rivals.

Getting the ball for the series opener is right-hander Jack Perkins. His first half was a disaster as he struggled in his return to the starting rotation. He had a solid start to begin his second half when he went five full frames against the Diamondbacks while allowing just three runs off a three-run home run in the first inning. The A’s would take more of the same tonight.

Here’s the starting lineup for tonight’s series opener in Sacramento against the Red Sox:

A healthy mix tonight, though no Nick Kurtz in this one as the club correctly isn’t going to push him too much when he just came off the IL. It’ll be veteran Jeff McNeil at first instead. We’ll get to see Tommy White at the hot corner again tonight. How he does on defense at third base is a major storyline to watch over the rest of the season. Jacob Wilson and Alika Williams will make up the middle infield duo tonight.

The squad is going with Jonah Heim behind the plate again and we can pretty much expect to see him there the rest of the season. The outfield situation is a bit interesting tonight as Lawrence Butler draws the start in right field against a left-handed pitcher. Might as well let him try to work through his struggles against same-handed pitchers over the final couple months. Regular left fielder Tyler Soderstrom will DH in this one. Rookies Colby Thomas and Henry Bolte flank Butler on the grass tonight in left and center field, respectively.

That lineup will be going up against Boston lefty Payton Tolle. The rookie is in the midst of his first full big league season and he’s impressed Boston up to this point. The former top prospect has a fantastic 3.31 ERA over 16 starts this season, rewarding Boston’s faith in the 23-year-old left-hander. This’ll be the second time the Athletics have ever seen him as he started a game last year against the Green & Gold and allowed a pair of runs in two innings of work in his third big league game last September.

And Boston’s batting order tonight against the right-handed Perkins:

Let’s play spoiler and get a win tonight. Let’s go A’s!

Follow the Game:
Watch:
Athletics – NBCSCA

Listen:
Athletics – Talk 650 KSTE, KVMX 92.1/105.5, A’s Cast

Of all David Stearns’ misfires last winter, probably none resonates louder than at first base. 

The all-time Mets home run leader is playing at a typical Pete Alonso level for the Orioles. He began Monday with an .812 OPS and 22 homers; not surprisingly, he had appeared in all 106 games for his new team. 

Stearns, the Mets president of baseball operations, signed Jorge Polanco to play first base. Polanco has played only two games at the position. Mark Vientos was miscast at first base before hitting the injured list with a broken hand. Jared Young has at least brought a level of respectability to the position, but it’s hard to view a decent stretch by Plan C as organizational success. 

Also, Alonso has excelled defensively. This comes after Stearns’ main talking point heading into the offseason seemed directed at Alonso: the need to improve run prevention. Alonso is three outs above average defensively, placing him in MLB’s 85th percentile. 

Francisco Lindor was asked before Monday’s game if the Mets front office miscalculated by not bringing back Alonso. 

“We do all miss Pete,” Lindor said. “We love him and he’s a great player and he’s going to be one of the greatest Mets to ever play. I think they made an effort [to keep him]. All I know is they thought they were going to improve the team. At the end of the day, we love Pete. We miss Pete.” 

Whether the Mets tried to keep Alonso depends on how you view the seven-year, $158 million offer extended to him two years before he hit free agency. Last November, Alonso was realistically a goner after the Orioles offered him $155 million over five years. The Mets never countered. Within days they signed Polanco to a two-year deal worth $40 million. 

Stearns had a brutal offseason, importing Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien and Luis Robert Jr. as core position players, along with Polanco. Bichette needed two months to get going offensively (by which time the Mets were buried in the standings) while Robert and Polanco have spent much more time on the injured list than active. Semien has simply been one of MLB’s least productive players. 

Polanco began the day with 101 plate appearances for the Mets and a .431 OPS. 

“We certainly signed him with the anticipation of him being a force in our lineup,” interim manager Andy Green said. “His health hasn’t allowed that to happen for us this year … it’s hurt us. I talked to him [Sunday] for a little bit and just said what I truly believe: by the time he’s done in a Mets uniform he’s going to help us win big games that matter a ton. I don’t think anybody has given up that expectation with him.” 

Now the Mets are headed to Monday’s trade deadline as sellers, something that should never happen to a team with MLB’s second-highest payroll. And yet it’s the second time in four seasons the Mets are selling at the deadline after constructing an underperforming roster. 

This is not to suggest the Mets would be a first-place team or even in the postseason hunt if they had simply re-signed Alonso. That’s unless Alonso magically could have gotten Freddy Peralta to pitch beyond the fourth inning or Kodai Senga to revert to his 2023 level. 

But the Mets would at least have a watchability factor heading into the dog days of summer. The sense of bleakness is only underscored by Juan Soto’s calf injury that will keep him sidelined into September if not the remainder of the season. 

And, of course, if Alonso had returned there would be less uncertainty about first base heading into next season. 

It’s understandable Stearns didn’t want to “run it back” with the same group after last season’s second-half collapse that left the Mets absent from the postseason. 

But there have been few more popular players in Mets history than Alonso, and the franchise record 264 homers he hit over seven seasons are a testament to his ability. 

By the way, the 22 homers he’s hit this season would lead the Mets. 

“He’s one of the greatest teammates I’ve ever had,” Lindor said. 

The Mets’ purge last winter included trading Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and letting Edwin Díaz escape through free agency to the Dodgers. 

None have left the kind of glaring hole created by Alonso’s absence.

The St. Louis Cardinals begin a crucial 4-game series versus their arch rivals the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium Monday night. According to MLB.com, the Cubs will start LHP David Peterson. The Cardinals starter is Matthew Liberatore according to MLB.com. First pitch set for 6:45pm Monday night at Busch Stadium with the TV broadcast available through Cardinals.tv.

It’s a new week and a new series, this time with the Bronx Bombers in town. With similar records, the White Sox will see a mostly dominant Yankees team for the second time this year.

Before the game, the White Sox returned outfielder Everson Pereira from his injury rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, reinstated him from the seven-day injured list and optioned outfielder Junior Pérez to the Knights.

Noah Schultz is on the bump tonight. Schultz (3-7) has had a tough transition back post-injury, with a 6.04 ERA, and the Yankees’ hitters will be tough. Former Yankee lefthander specialist Randal Grichuk and leads off tonight:

Max Fried (4-3) is starting for New York. The lefthander has an ERA of 2.97 but only 57 strikeouts this season. White Sox defense will also need to keep a close eye on Ben Rice, who is having quite the season.

You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. CT.

After the Yankees placed left fielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain Sunday, manager Aaron Boone shared the severity and return time frame.

"Grade 2 strain, so probably a 4-to-6-week situation," Boone said before Monday's game opened a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox. "The good thing is he's obviously able to move around right now, so we'll continue to do that and just allow this thing to heal and get him right."

Bellinger is slashing .259/.350/.420 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 102 games this season.

"Obviously we've had some tough, tough injuries to some really important people," Boone said. "But again, that is part of it. And as I said, the season waits for no one. It creates an opportunity, legitimately does, for one or more people to go plug that hole -- to develop, to grow -- and we feel very much that we have capable people out there, capable guys who are capable of going out there and performing at a high level. We've got to weather that storm, and confident we can do that."

With the MLB trade deadline set for next Monday at 6 p.m., does Boone expect Bellinger's status to impact the front office's approach?

"No," Boone said. "I get the sense that they have been working on this in different ways, shape and form for the last several weeks, getting ready for trade deadline stuff and I expect them to try and do all they can to improve our team. But again, you never know how that's going to shake out. We'll see. Again, you've got still teams out there defining who they are and what they're even going to do come a week from now or whenever it is. No, I think they're eager to improve our club if they can. But things got to line up, too."

"We'll see," Boone added. "You never know. You go in looking to try and improve certain areas. Sometimes it lines up. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you've got to pivot and go add to a strength or you never know how it's going to go. You've just got to be prepared that if something lines up and makes sense you're able to go do that. I know the front office is doing all their due diligence right now and we'll see how it shakes out over the next week."

Other injury updates

Boone was also asked about Giancarlo Stanton, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt.

There is no clarity of when Stanton (right calf strain) could return, Boone said.

"He's continuing with his running progression," Boone said of Stanton, who is with the Yankees as they continue their 10-game road trip. "The strength stuff, explosive stuff he's doing in the weight room has been very good. We've just got to get him up to a level, obviously, on the running side of things to be able to go out there."

Rodón (left elbow inflammation) and Schmidt (right forearm tightness) are set to throw live batting practices this week, Boone said.

"I think he's a live Wednesday, I believe, and Clarke is, I think, on Friday," Boone said. "Carlos will have a two-up live Wednesday -- I believe that's Somerset."

Curtis Mead leaves Red Sox debut after getting hit by pitch on wrist originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Curtis Mead’s debut with the Red Sox didn’t go the way he or the organization hoped.

Mead was forced to leave Monday night’s game early after getting hit by a pitch in the wrist from A’s starter Jack Perskin.

Mead, who struck out looking in the first inning, took a 95 mph fastball off the left wrist in the top of the fourth inning. He remained in the game, diving back to first base twice on pickoff attempts and playing the field in the bottom of the fourth.

Yet when the Red Sox took the field for the fifth, Anthony Seigler was in at second base.

The Red Sox acquired Mead over the weekend, trading left-handed pitcher Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals in a one-for-one swap.

Though Mead has primarily played third base in his career, he is expected to play second base for Boston, with Caleb Durbin manning third. Interim manager Chad Tracy also indicated that he likes Mead in the two-hole in the lineup, in part to give Ceddanne Rafaela more freedom to steal bases out of the fifth spot.

Those plans though, may be on hold for the near future, depending on how severe the injury suffered on Monday night might be.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Welcome back to another edition of our Reacts Survey! In this week’s survey, we’re asking about Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski, specifically how you think the Brewers should manage his workload down the stretch.

Misiorowski, 24, pitched 66 innings in the majors (plus another 12 in the playoffs) last season after 63 1/3 innings at Triple-A in the first half of the year, totaling 141 1/3 innings to set a career-high mark.

This year, Misiorowski has already spanned 120 innings with two months left in the regular season, not to mention the postseason. While there’s no question Misiorowski is as dominant as they come — he struck out 12 in just five innings on Sunday, including the first seven batters of the game — the Brewers have already shown signs of cutting back on his workload.

He’s made just two starts since July 7 (with the All-Star break in there), and those two appearances have totaled just nine innings on 148 pitches. So, that leaves the question: How would you like the Brewers to handle Miz’s workload over the next two months? Keep pitching him as usual to keep him fresh? Set strict pitch/innings limits? Spread his starts out more? Weigh in below (or directly on The Feed), and we’ll share the results later this week!

The MLB trade deadline is about a week away, and several playoff contenders are in dire need of an extra kick to push them into World Series contention.

Whether it's a great starting pitcher, a platoon role hitter, or just some depth in the bullpen, there is a myriad of players available across the league who could help bolster your favorite team's roster.

While superstars like Tarik Skubal, Byron Buxton and Mason Miller will certainly steal the headlines if they swap teams, it's the smaller, more subtle moves that could shape the upcoming MLB postseason above all else. Here is one player every team in playoff position should target as the trade deadline approaches.

The Yankees got walloped last night, but overall their road trip is off to a strong start having taken two out of three from the Phillies. Now they’ll have the rare chance to get comfortable in a city other than New York, as they’ll be in the Windy City for the next week starting with a four-game set against the Chicago White Sox. The surprise division leaders in the AL Central have managed to jump ahead a few games of the pack thanks to a decent post-break start as well as the Guardians sliding down, and they’ll look to get revenge for a series victory that New York took in the Bronx back in June.

Max Fried is set to make his second start since returning from the IL, and his previous outing was about as good as you could ask for. Limited to 60 pitches, Fried was hyper efficient going five innings and striking out seven with just one hit and one walk allowed, and though the organization has not said there’s an official pitch limit in place for tonight you’d have to imagine he’ll be lifted somewhere in the 80-85 pitch range this time out as he builds back up from his bone bruise. Overall Fried’s been solid this year, pitching to a 2.97 ERA in 66.2 innings with 57 strikeouts to his name.

Noah Schultz will go for Chicago, and the 22-year-old rookie has been welcomed to the league rather roughly. He’s the owner of a 6.04 ERA in 12 starts, and he got rocked in his most recent start for five runs and 11 hits in 3.2 innings. Schultz hasn’t made it past the fifth inning in any of his July starts, and has given up three or more runs in seven of his last eight, so the onus is on the Yankee offense to wake up and make it a comfortable game for Fried. Schultz carries a wide pitch repertoire, consisting of a mid-90s four-seam, a cutter, a sinker, and a slider that he utilizes around 20 percent of the time each. He’s also got a changeup that he mixes in around 10 percent and a curveball that’s for show occasionally.

The Yankee lineup gets shaken up despite facing another lefty, with Max Schuemann leading off with Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt swapping order as they bat second and third respectively. Jasson Domínguez shifts over to right field as Spencer Jones enters the starting lineup and will play in center batting eighth, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. returns to second base batting sixth while José Caballero will move across the diamond and play third base.

Chicago’s answer to Fried starts with former Yankee Randal Grichuk leading off, the outfielder hitting for a 132 wRC+ in 53 games after getting DFA’d earlier in the year by New York. Home Run Derby participant Munetaka Murakami will bat behind him and Miguel Vargas rounds out the top of the order, both hitters having clubbed 22 home runs thus far. Montgomeries Colson and Braden cover the middle of their lineup, the former having hit 24 home runs while the other is a bench bat, and former Yankee Everson Pereira has been activated off the IL and will hit seventh manning center field.

How to watch

Location: Rate Field, Chicago IL

First pitch: 7:40 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES Network, Chicago Sports Network

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM, 107.9 La Ley (CWS)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

The shocking Red Sox resurgence has happened nearly entirely on or near the East Coast; that changes tonight, in Sacramento, where the Sox will face the A’s behind Payton Tolle. I’m not being hyperbolic to say that this trip is the Sox’s everything; while this year will always be known for The Streak, the ability to hit the road in the dog days and come back stronger is what powered the 2004 team (for example). It’s time for the Sox to win the games they’re supposed to win. I gotta good feeling, folks. Curtis Mead is batting second. Let’s get this.

I suppose thinking I’d find the A’s lineup on BlueSky was a bad idea. It’s okay, I’ve got plenty of those.

Things I did instead of starting this recap, a woeful 7-3 Mariners loss to the Rangers:

• Made a cup of coffee. Just one cup to get me going!
  
• Decided I deserved some chocolate syrup in the coffee. A treat for the recapper.
  
• Checked Slack, Bluesky, Twitter. Maybe someone else has some fresh insight on this team that will spark something that isn’t just baseball sucks dressed up in nicer language.
  
• Made a second cup of coffee because chocolate-laced coffee disappears quickly, it turns out.
  
• Thought about how the Rangers hitters seemed to have the Mariners’ pitchers figured out all weekend long, pouncing early and often and doing damage.
  
• Thought about how that approach really didn’t matter when George Kirby was grooving sweepers and sliders middle-middle, putting the Mariners in first a 1-0 hole, then a 4-1 hole, then a 7-2 hole, effectively wiping out any chance at a comeback despite some early signs of life from the offense, which shut down after that against Kumar Rocker, who demolished Mariners hitters with his slider and looked unhittable over his last four innings.
  
• Thought about how George Kirby, who gave up four (4) homers today to Rangers hitters, once looked unhittable against Texas.
  
• Checked to make sure the chart posted properly. Read the comments. Felt bad.
  
• Debated a third cup of coffee. Filled water bottle instead.
  
• DM’d a bit with Sam, the site manager for Purple Row. Sympathized about how tough it is to run a site when the team sucks. Got and gave pointers on dealing with “doomers” in the comments because that is the level we are at, needing advice from people who have to deal with the literal Rockies on a daily basis.
  
• Thought about the Dodgers series looming and the real chance the Mariners will go 1-6 on this roadtrip.
  
• Checked chart comments again. Felt worse.
  
• Forced self to think about a positive thing about this series. Positive thing: Colt Emerson with five hits against just three strikeouts this series against a tough slate of Texas pitching.
  
• Considered if trading a lost 2026 season is worth it if Cole Young – who had six hits this series, didn’t strike out once, had the hardest-hit ball in today’s game at 111 mph, and looks locked in as the leadoff man – becomes the Mariners version of Jose Altuve.
  
• Entertained self by imagining Astros fans hating Nice Young Man Cole Young with the white-hot passion Mariners fans have hated Altuve.
  
• DM’d some more with Sam from Purple Row. The Rockies have just called up a young Cole of their own, Cole Carrigg, who plays at 150% at all times and the other day the Rockies broadcaster described him as “emotional.” Debated if “emotional” is pejorative or not, when “emotional” turns into “fiery competitor,” and how that term gets applied differently depending on a player’s age or national origin.
  
• Watched some Cole Carrigg highlights. Decided I much prefer having Cole Young.
  
• Wondered if the Mariners might give Michael Arroyo, who plays a pretty high-emotion brand of baseball himself, a shot since firing the hitting coach didn’t seem to spark anything.
  
• Made a third cup of coffee. Ignored water.
  
• Decided I already put more effort into this recap than the Mariners did this game. Tough recap today.

Oh boy. Here we go.

Here’s the Guardians’ lineup:

Here’s the Reds’ lineup:

Let’s go, Guardians!