Fists up for the playoffs! | Jacob Soriano / MLB Photos via Getty Images
First Pitch: 8:05 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: TIBN, WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM, Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe:Athletics Nation
alexa. sweet transvestite. loud enough to kill
— number #16: limit-liz ! (@thedeparted_rat) August 26, 2026
How to do it? Pushing through it, August plummeting. A little wet in the feet In the Cali heat Instead of steady summiting.
Though down, not out — but it’s getting dire — So light a fire in their bottom. There are twenty-eight games To improve their play: Hit a groove, and they’ll make it to autumn.
Tonight in Sacramento, Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!
Yes, a pair have been split, But don’t chuck it and quit: The Twins may just pick up the series And they can get out of Sutter As rather astuter: How to execute game-winning theories.
They’re sending Prielipp to start; Has he fallen apart? His stats have been quickly ballooning. (Right.) Could he return to form, Or the offense get warm? How else will the fanbase be swooning?
And in the standings, you’ll find They’re just behind A trio of contenders. Better race up the pace Or get egg on the face, The ultimate non-spenders offenders.
But here in Sacramento, Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!
So when they’re playing tonight (-night), Please be a delight (-light) And get back to playoff contention. It’s more fun when the Twins Are out stacking up wins In remarkably steady ascension.
Yes, here in Sacramento, Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow! (Hit it, hit it!) Tonight in Sacramento, Get rambunctious — rampant praise’ll grow!
So, come up to the plate— We none of us can wait And watch aquiver In antici
pation. Just start up the game, And get wilder, not tame: We long for thrilled applause And jubilation!
Athletics starting pitcher J.T. Ginn (35) delivers a pitch in the first inning between the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The A’s won the middle game of their three-game set against the Twins last night. Now they have a chance at a series win, which would be their fourth series win this month after not winning one in July. And with a win and some help tonight the A’s can break their tie with the LA Angels for the worst record in the American League. That should be plenty of motivation for the guys tonight in front of the hometown Sacramento crowd.
Taking the ball and looking to get that series dub tonight is J.T. Ginn. The right-hander has been consistently solid for the club but we’re in uncharted territory for him the rest of the way. Every pitch, every out, and every inning is a new career-high for the 26-year-old, who is in his first full season as a big league starter. He’ll carry a 3.60 ERA into tonight’s contest against the Twins, who he’ll be facing off against for the first time this season.
Here’s the lineup Mark Kotsay is going with this evening in the series finale:
With a lefty on the mound for the Twins the A’s are stacking up on right-handed hitters in tonight’s starting lineup, with the lone exception being right fielder Lawrence Butler, whose batting third tonight.
Minnesota meanwhile is sending left-hander Connor Prielipp in this one. The southpaw is in his rookie campaign after making his big league debut earlier this season. Considered one of their better pithing prospects, Prielipp has mostly held his own facing big league hitters for the first time, though he’s run into a rough spot of late. He’s allowed eight and six runs over his past two starts, respectively, so the A’s are getting him at the right time.
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 31: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his RBI double against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Nationals Park on May 31, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.
It has been a season of opportunity for some of the players on the San Diego Padres roster. Some of those players have taken full advantage of their opportunity and that could result in more playing time, higher expectations or in some cases more money.
Ty France
France signed with the Padres in the offseason on a minor league deal. He was promised nothing but an opportunity to make the team and the Gold Glove Award winner did that out of Spring Training. There was a time where he and Gavin Sheets and Nick Castellanos were all expected to share time at first base and France was thought to possibly be the odd man out. His play turned not only allowed him to outlast Castellanos on the San Diego roster, but it also cemented him into the No. 4 hole in the lineup. France has performed on defense and has provided production at the plate. He has 344 at-bats with 99 hits, 18 of which were home runs, for a .288 average. France also has 56 RBI, 44 runs scored and has even stolen a base.
Luis Campusano
Campusano finally got some regular playing time under new Padres manager Craig Stammen. The catcher finally had a manager who was going to allow him to play free and play often without the fear of being sent back to the minors the first time he hit a slump or failed to block a ball in the dirt. Campusano has responded with a solid season in which he has amassed 143 at-bats with 41 hits, five home runs, 23 RBI and 18 runs scored. He holds a .287 average on the season and has been able to catch and serve as the designated hitter throughout the season.
Walker Buehler
Buehler, like France, was only promised an opportunity. He got more of a chance than he thought when Joe Musgrove was unable to be ready to return to the mound following Tommy John surgery and Nick PIvetta went down with arm issues early in the season. Randy Vasquez started the season strong but quickly faded. Buehler has had some duds this season, but overall, he has been a consistent starter for a team that was limited to Michael King in terms of pitchers who could take the mound and instill confidence in the team and the fanbase. Buehler has appeared in and started 26 games in 2026. He has a record of 8-6 with a 4.63 ERA. He has thrown 126.1 innings and has 108 strikeouts over that span. He is 3-1 in his last seven games with a 2.89 ERA and has only gotten better as the regular season winds down.
Bradgley Rodriguez
Rodriguez is a rookie reliever who flashed at the end of the 2025 season. He started this season with the big-league club and was even sent to the minors for a short period to give him a break due to his level off usage early in the season. Rodriguez has slowly climbed his way toward the top end of the bullpen arms and after finding himself involved in more high-leverage innings, an argument could be made he is the best arm in the ‘pen behind Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon. Rodriguez has appeared in 55 games, throwing 60.0 innings. He has started four games as an opener and saved two as a closer. He has a record of 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA and 65 strikeouts.
All four of these players have been impressive and each is deserving of recognition for their respective contributions to the success of the Padres to this point in the 2026 season. Gaslamp Ball would like to know who the Friar Faithful thinks has been the most impressive this season. Results will be posted later in the week.
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 23: Manager Dan Wilson #6 takes Bryce Miller #50 of the Seattle Mariners out of the game during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park on August 23, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners haven’t yet committed to whether or not they’ll stick with the six-man rotation, go back to the piggyback, or move a starter either to the bullpen or the IL, but there was a glimmer of a clue during Wednesday’s 6-0 loss to the Phillies.
Sharp-eyed viewers might have noticed a quick shot of Miller walking out to the ‘pen with Muñoz late in Wednesday’s game. The explanation that was given is that the Mariners were thin on bullpen coverage, and today is Miller’s day to throw a side session, so instead of having him throw pregame and be unavailable, they pushed his bullpen to postgame so he would be available as an emergency option if needed. That decision was made pregame, per Miller, before Woo struggled through his first two innings and wound up having a shortened outing.
“They just said that Woo is coming off injury and the bullpen’s thin,” said Miller postgame, who didn’t appear in the game but instead threw his regularly-scheduled bullpen postgame before the team departed for Toronto. “So if Woo comes out of the game early, it’d be better to throw the bullpen afterwards, and that way I’m available rather than to throw a bullpen before the game and then be for sure unavailable.”
Miller said he was initially somewhat confused by the directive, because Woo had told Miller he was feeling fine – a statement Woo doubled down on postgame after allowing six runs over four innings to the Phillies, blaming his struggles on “too much throwing, not enough pitching.”
“But I think it’s more of a precautionary thing in case something happens,” said Miller.
Woo did manage to reverse course over his next two inning, giving the team four innings and limiting the damage to the initial six runs, with five left to be covered by the bullpen. With Philly stacking lefties in their lineup, the leverage side of the Mariners bullpen – Eduard Bazardo and the two lefties, Jose Ferrer and Gabe Speier – were able to cover the next three innings without incident, and Carlos Vargas, still getting in work after missing all season with a lat injury, pitched a solid scoreless two final innings, rendering the need for Miller’s assistance moot – and delaying any widespread speculation about a potential move to the bullpen.
“If something would have happened and I would have needed to get us through today, then that’s fine. I do what I need to. I feel good today, so yeah.”
But that doesn’t mean Miller is happy about it. He does have a background in relieving in college, but notes that it’s been five or six years since he did it regularly, aside from the postseason last year.
“You always think ahead and try to figure out what’s going on. But as far as I know, as far as it’s been communicated to me, we’re just bullpen low, and the uncertainty with how Woo was going to feel was the main thing. And if something had happened in warmups with him, or if something happened in the first inning and we have to cover eight or nine innings, the bullpen’s not in a great spot for that. So I think, as far as I was told, that’s what today was.”
He also deflected a question about how his stuff might play in a bullpen role.
“The fastball is always good, so if I had a shorter outing, then that would probably be the main focus, to let it rip. But I’m not really thinking about that right now. As far as I know, I’m scheduled to start coming up.“
The Mariners have not yet announced their starters for the Toronto series.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 28: Ricky Vanasco #70 of the Detroit Tigers looks on from the dugout during the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park on May 28, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. The Angels defeated the Tigers 7-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves have claimed right-handed pitcher Ricky Vanasco off waivers from the Detroit Tigers and have optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. The Tigers designated him for assignment when they signed former Braves reliever Tyler Kinley.
Vanasco, 27, made his MLB debut in 2024 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The former Texas Rangers draft pick in 2017 made two appearances each with the Dodgers and Tigers in 2024 and pitched in five games for the Tigers this season, which is the extent of his MLB career to-date.
Although his big league appearances this season were less then inspiring, he’s shown a propensity for striking out matters this season at Triple-A with 59 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.
He is a no-risk addition for the organization that adds depth with the Stripers with roster set to expand, slightly, on September 1.
Aug 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo (22) reacts after surrendering a three-run home run to Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12, background) during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Going into Wednesday afternoon, the Mariners were hoping to really turn the screws on the Astros and Rangers atop the division by sweeping a formidable National League opponent. As it turned out, this wasn’t to be; the Mariners dropped the series finale to the Phillies.
The Phillies jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Kyle Schwarber laced a ground-rule double to the gap in the left center to lead off the game. Even though Bryan Woo was able to strike out a couple of hitters in the frame, he left an elevated fastball over the plate to Bryce Harper, which was deposited over the wall in left-center, just out of the reach of Julio Rodríguez’s glove, to put the Phillies up 2-0.
Unfortunately for Woo and the Mariners, the first inning was only the precursor for things to come. The Phils came out firing again in the top of the second, putting the first two hitters on base to begin the inning. A single on a ground ball through the right side by Justin Crawford tacked on another run, and Kyle Schwarber broke the game wide open by punishing a fastball over the heart of the plate for his league-leading 40th homer of the year. Before even coming up to bat a second time, the Mariners trailed 6-0.
Woo’s stuff could’ve been worse, which is a positive with all eyes on his health after missing his last start with shoulder discomfort. Despite the damage dealt, he still struck out five and generated 10 whiffs while topping out at 99 mph in four innings of work. He said that the fastball almost felt too good that he became predictable.
“I think just second inning was just got a little too fastball heavy,” Woo said. “I think on days like this, where the fastball does have life and feels good, obviously you want to keep going back to it, but you got to pitch as well, especially with a lineup like that, with veteran hitters that are, you know, they’re smart. They’re not just going up there with without a plan. Like they know what they’re trying to do, and yeah, I just feel like it was too much throwing, not enough pitching. I actually feel physically like as the game wore on, you know, pitch counts builds, I felt better.”
As I sort of alluded to in the preview, the Mariners didn’t roll out their best lineup. Several regular starters (Cole Young, Josh Naylor and Dominic Canzone) all got days off. This isn’t a knock on the management — with a series win already banked and a lefty on the mound, Wednesday was probably as good a time as any to give some days off and load up the lineup with righties. However, the offensive output went about how you might expect. The M’s went without a hit for the first four innings, with Jhonny Pereda notching the team’s first of only two for the entire day with a two-out single in the fifth.
Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo was on his game, striking out nine and allowing only the one hit over seven innings. Even when the Mariners made decent contact off of him, the Phillies infield was there to flash the leather. Multiple “should-be” hits with expected batting averages above .500 were turned into groundouts. Rodríguez also put a charge into a ball in the first inning for one of the Mariners’ hardest-hit balls of the day, but Harper was there to put it away up against the wall in right field.
The remainder of the game was rather uneventful, to be completely honest. One of the more notable things to happen wasn’t within the run of play. Prior to the fifth inning, Bryce Miller joined Andrés Muñoz as he made his way out to the bullpen. Dan Wilson was quick to downplay this development postgame, saying that it was specific to today in case they didn’t have enough coverage in the bullpen.
“It might have been something that would have worked out, but you know obviously didn’t need to do that today,” Wilson said. The Mariners have lost each of Miller’s last eight starts.
Ugly loss aside, the Mariners took back-to-back series on the homestand over a couple of difficult opponents. They’ll get a day off Thursday as they head to Toronto for a three-game set starting Friday. Here’s to hoping they can continue to isolate bad baseball to as few individual days as possible.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 22: Héctor Rodríguez #43 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after hitting his first career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning at Chase Field on August 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The moribund Cincinnati Reds looked just that for most of their three-game series by the San Francisco Bay. They entered play on Wednesday afternoon having scored just a lone run through the first two games of the series, that coming late on Tuesday in the form of a solo Sal Stewart homer.
Not even moving Hector Rodriguez to the leadoff spot could seemingly spark enough of a turnaround, even though he’d homered earlier on Wednesday. The problem this time was that starter Nick Lodolo and the bullpen arms who backed him had struggled mightily themselves, and the Reds found themselves in a 9-3 hole heading into the Top of the 9th.
It was Rodriguez who got that party started, too, even if he did so with a noted ‘rally killer.’ Of course, when the rally killer comes off the bat at 115 mph and lands in McCovey Cove, the one run may well have been a bit more magnified to the bats behind him that suddenly saw the ball go in the basket for once.
The Reds later loaded the bases for the struggling Eugenio Suarez, who un-struggled the bases clear with a monster grand slam into the wind that brought the Reds to within 9-8.
The Reds later kept the pressure on with some noted small ball that featured an infield single, an error by the defense, and even a Matt McLain bunt single. Jose Trevino then leveled the score with a sac fly before Tyler Stephenson smoked a liner into LF to drive in the game’s final run and give Cincinnati a 10-9 lead that Emilio Pagan made good.
Quite the way to finish an otherwise dismal road trip. We’ll see if the Reds have what it takes to a) channel this momentum and b) capitalize on a lineup shuffle that maybe, just maybe will get Hector hot and put some more runs on the board going into the meat of their schedule.
KNOXVILLE, TN - MAY 31: Wake Forest Demon Deacons infielder Dalton Wentz (1) hits the ball during the NCAA Division I Regional Tournament baseball game between the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Miami (OH) RedHawks on May 31, 2025, at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, TN. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For the final time this year, five of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday. Let’s jump straight into it.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
A trio of pitchers are headed to AAA Sacramento from AA Richmond: RHPs Trystan Vrieling, R.J. Dabovich, and Darien Smith.
In less happy news, High-A Eugene RHP Ramon Marquez was placed on the 7-Day IL. Fingers crossed that it’s nothing bad. Richmond shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) was also placed on the IL, while Low-A San Jose RHP Sam Knowlton was released.
AAA Sacramento (72-52)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Reno Aces (D-Backs) 12-3 Box score
The Giants have a lot of outfielders, and it’s going to create a thorny situation this offseason. Even having traded Heliot Ramos, San Francisco has 7 outfielders on the 40-man roster, and that doesn’t even count Casey Schmitt, who might have pole position for the opening day left field spot.
That number figures to grow in the offseason, too. Bo Davidson (No. 4 CPL) will need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft and, if he doesn’t debut before then, it sure looks like Scott Bandura will need to be as well.
Bandura, a 7th-round pick in 2023, continued his assault on the league on Tuesday, hitting a nearly-perfect 4-5 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, and 4 runs batted in.
On the one hand, that’s an absurd day. On the other hand, it’s kind of just the norm with Bandura these days. It was the 12th time this month that he’s had a multi-hit game. It was the 4th game in a row in which he had multiple hits and at least 1 extra-base knock. It gave him a 6-game hitting streak, during which time he’s gone 16-27 with 6 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 0 strikeouts. It’s given him a 2nd consecutive month with an OPS that begins with a 1.
Let’s run the splits once more on his run in AAA following an early-season promotion:
First 34 games: 31-129, 1 home run, 2 triples, 7 doubles, 8 walks, 28 strikeouts Next 45 games: 71-181, 7 home runs, 1 triple, 14 doubles, 31 walks, 25 strikeouts
That all adds up to an .896 OPS and a 135 wRC+. Add in the 21 stolen bases (in just 22 attempts) and the solid defense, and that’s a player who will absolutely need to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft … and possibly should be playing ahead of some of the other players on the MLB roster right now. The Giants have already had 4 outfielders make their Major League debuts this season … could that number soon be 5? It sure feels like the lefty has mastered the level.
Were he Rule 5 eligible, we might also be talking about an upcoming debut for third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), who has seamlessly handled the transition to AAA. Unlike Davidson and Bandura, who had slow starts and then caught absolute fire, Harber has been more steady, for better and for worse. He’s been extremely solid his entire time in AAA, without ever really struggling too much or going on an absolute heater. There’s a lot to be said for consistency when that consistency is well above average!
Harber had himself a lovely Tuesday, hitting 3-4 with a double, a sacrifice fly, a walk, and a strikeout. He’s now at an .894 OPS and a 133 wRC+ with Sacramento, and through 32 games he’s really been a remarkably balanced offensive package. He’s hitting for average (.313), hitting for power (.180 iso), drawing walks (11.8% rate), and limiting strikeouts (21.7% rate). With him not being Rule 5 eligible and an impending lockout, I’d guess that he stays in Sacramento for the rest of the year.
As for Davidson, he had a very rare hitless day, going 0-4 with a strikeout, but he did draw 2 walks.
Designated hitter Eddys Leonard had an awesome day, hitting 2-2 with a double and 3 walks. He’s no longer on the 40-man roster, so we probably won’t see him back in the Majors, but good to see him putting up nice numbers.
A fairly nondescript pitching performance in a bullpen game. The exciting news was that MLB LHP Matt Gage made his 2nd rehab appearance, and retired all 3 batters he faced, with a strikeout. The fact that Gage has returned to the mound this season at all is a big win, and it looks like we’ll see him back in the Majors soon, too.
RHP Christian Alvarado got stretched to 3 innings of relief and handled them brilliantly, giving up 2 hits, 0 walks, and 0 runs, with 2 strikeouts. The 31-year old has been an excellent story and is settling in to his 1st AAA experience. He could be a factor in the MLB bullpen in 2027.
The home run surge continues for first baseman Sabin Ceballos (No. 43 CPL). The just-turned 24-year old, who was a 3rd-round pick by the Braves in 2023 before being shipped to San Francisco in the Jorge Soler deal, went 1-3 in this game, with a walk, a stolen base, a strikeout, and, critically, a solo home run.
A year after Ceballos saw his power shockingly evaporate, the Oregon Duck has tapped back into it in a big way. Last year, Ceballos spent the entire season with Richmond and hit just 6 home runs. This year? He’s already at 16, despite only having 27 more plate appearances.
That power surge is exciting and encouraging but, unfortunately, it’s not really leading to a good overall line, even though the righty draws a ton of walks, too. He has just a .741 OPS on the year which, thanks to the Eastern League’s improved offense this year, is good for just a 104 wRC+, only 2 points over last season’s. Ceballos continues to run an extremely bizarre low-strikeout, low-average profile. Despite striking out just 18.8% of the time, he has a meager .220 batting average, and those numbers were similar last year (17.4% and .232, respectively). That strikeout rate is 21st out of 121 EL hitters with at least 200 plate appearances this year … but the batting average is 95th. Very odd.
Richmond is currently lacking in top prospects, since outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL) and shortstop Gavin Kilen (No. 7 CPL) are both on the IL. So it was up to center fielder Trevor Cohen (No. 15 CPL) to hold it down for the big namers, and hold it down he did. Cohen, last year’s 3rd-round pick, reached base in all 4 of his plate appearances, as he bopped 2 singles and drew 2 walks.
Cohen has been scuffling a bit following a hot start to AA. Over his last 12 games, he’s 9-49 with no home runs, 1 triple, 1 double, 7 walks, and 7 strikeouts. It’s still been a very strong debut at the level, given that this is his 1st full season of pro ball, and that he’s playing excellent outfield defense with 14 stolen bases in 22 AA games. He has a .735 OPS and a 98 wRC+, though those numbers will likely come up given his 118 wRC+ with High-A Eugene.
Fairly uninteresting pitching performance. RHP Trystan Vrieling had another fine-but-not-particularly-good start, as he gave up 2 baserunners per inning, allowing 7 hits (including a home run), 3 walks, and 2 runs in 5 innings, with 5 strikeouts. That’s just kind of been the year for Vrieling, who has been consistently mediocre. In 23 starts this year, the 2022 3rd-rounder (by the Yankees), Vrieling has given up 4 or more earned runs just 5 times, but has a 4.23 ERA and a 5.03 FIP, with just 8.3 strikeouts per 9 innings and 5.3 walks. Just not a ton to be excited about, unfortunately.
Another scoreless outing from LHP Jack Choate (No. 37 CPL), who retired all 3 batters he faced. It was Choate’s 3rd straight game without allowing a hit, and he’s really been strong this year save for one awful game in early July. Walks are the big issue for the funky southpaw right now, as he’s given up 5.9 per 9 innings. The 11.2 strikeouts, however, have helped lead to a 3.05 ERA and a 3.92 FIP.
High-A Eugene (73-47)
Eugene Emeralds beat the Everett AquaSox (Mariners) 10-4 Box score
There were two big stories from two exciting young talents, one on each side of the ball.
In the batter’s box it was second baseman Dalton Wentz, who left the yard for the first time in his young career. Not only that, but he did it in grand fashion … the switch-hitter went 1-3 with 2 walks and a strikeout on the day, and smashed a glorious grand slam in the 1st inning.
Needless to say, that’s a swing that Wentz will never, ever forget! It’s been a slightly slow start for Wentz, which is understandable given that he went straight from college to High-A, with a few months in there to accumulate some rust. The 16th-rounder, who was given a 4th-round sized bonus, is 6-21 through 5 career games, with 2 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. There’s a lot in his bat worth being excited about, though, as that swing is evidence of!
The other excitement came on the mound, courtesy of LHP Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 CPL). It was one of Bresnahan’s worst games in a while from a run suppression standpoint, as he gave up 4 earned runs. But that certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as the 21-year old southpaw was otherwise dominant, giving up less than a baserunner per inning (4 hits and 1 walk in 6 frames) while striking out 10 batters. 10!
10 STRIKEOUTS 🔥
Jacob Bresnahan delivered another dominant start last night, allowing just 1 hit over his final 5.2 innings while matching a season high with 10 strikeouts.
It was a doubly encouraging start because of how well Bresnahan settled into place. He let the 1st 3 baserunners he faced reach base, and then gave up a 1-out grand slam. And then that was that. He faced 15 more batters and retired 14 of them. He couldn’t be touched.
The grand slam allowed was notable, however, and not just because it put runs on Bresnahan’s sterling ERA, which sits at 2.92 (his FIP is lagging at 4.28). Bresnahan gave up just 2 home runs last year in Low-A, in 93 innings. This year? He’s at 13 already, in just 98.2 frames.
But the good news? Those home runs are really the only bad news. Bresnahan is striking out 10.8 batters per 9 innings, only walking 3.5, and, perhaps most impressively, allowing opponents to hit just .183 against. That’s the 2nd year running that Bresnahan is keep opposing hitters on the interstate! Mighty impressive.
Those were the stars, but there were some other nice performances. Left fielder Walker Martin went 3-4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout; the 22-year old lefty has a .739 OPS, a 93 wRC+, and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts. Shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL) went 2-5 with a stolen base, a caught stealing, and a strikeout; the 19-year old switch-hitter is rocking an .867 OPS and a 128 wRC+, with 13 stolen bases in 19 attempts. And third baseman Hayden Jatczak hit 2-4 with a walk, a stolen base, 3 runs batted in, and an error; the 25-year old righty has a .685 OPS and an 88 wRC+ through 25 games at the level, with 3 stolen bases in as many attempts.
Low-A San Jose (71-50)
San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide (D-Backs) 6-5 Box score
An exciting game for the Baby Giants, who used a 4-run rally in the bottom of the 9th to turn a 5-2 deficit into a walk-off win. It was certainly a case of letting the other team grant you a gift, as the inning featured a walk, a hit batter, and 3 wild pitchers … the final of which allowed center fielder Peyton Bonds to score the go-home-happy run.
TAKE A WALK(OFF) ON THE WILD SIDE. Giants score 4 in the 9th and have now won ELEVEN games in a row! pic.twitter.com/zrm1zjipBn
While it was a tremendously exciting end to the game, it wasn’t a very exciting game from an individual performance standpoint. The offense was mild-mannered, with no extra-base knocks on the day. Bonds had another multi-hit game, though, as he went 2-5 with a strikeout and 2 runs batted in. Barry’s nephew, taken in the 3rd round in July’s draft, went 0-4 in his pro debut, but has gone 2-5 in both games since. A slower transition for second baseman Luke Nixon, the team’s 5th-round pick, who went 1-4 with a strikeout and his 1st career stolen base. Nixon is 1-10 with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts, but hey, he’s got an average now!
Another really nice game for left fielder Broedy Poppell, who went 2-3 with a walk, a strikeout, and a stolen base. It’s been a tough season for last year’s 13th-rounder, but he’s been red hot lately: in his last 7 games, Poppell has hit 12-23 with 7 extra-base hits and 7 walks, bringing his OPS up to .782 and his wRC+ to 100, with 15 stolen bases in as many attempts (impressive success rate!). Right fielder Tanner Mally, July’s 17th-round pick, continues to look comfortable, as he went 1-3 with 1 walk, 2 hit by pitches, 2 stolen bases, and a strikeout. Through 15 games, Mally has a .972 OPS, a 158 wRC+, and 4 stolen bases in as many attempts.
RHP Trey Seeley had a pretty strong day on the mound, cruising through 6 innings while allowing just 3 hits, 1 walk, and 2 runs, with 5 strikeouts, though he gave up a home run. A 14th-round pick out of Hope International a year ago, Seeley has been pretty strong lately, after a slow start to his career. But, despite that, one of the funnier stats in the system took a step forward with this game, as Seeley did a good job limiting hits, but did give up a home run. That has been the season for him, and the numbers are truly shocking: Seeley has given up 42 hits this year with the Baby Giants, and 14 of them have left the park. Add in the home run he allowed in 9 innings in the Complex League, and Seeley has given up 15 big flies this year, which is 4th-most in the entire system. The 48.2 innings pitched? 40th. And that’s how you end up with a 6.84 ERA and a 7.46 FIP across the 2 levels.
Dominican Summer League Black
DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Padres Gold 8-3 Box score
And with that, the DSL season is over. The Giants Orange team didn’t make the playoffs and, after a nice run, the Giants Black team was eliminated.
It was not for lack of effort by their starting pitcher, RHP Santiago Guerrero. The 19-year old from Mexico capped off an intriguing debut season with a dominant showing, striking out 7 batters in 5 shutout innings, while allowing just 1 hit and 1 walk. What a spectacular game! You don’t see pitching performances like that in the DSL very frequently.
Guerrero, who ended the regular season strong, finished the season (which doesn’t include his pair of postseason starts) with a 3.34 ERA but a 6.04 FIP. Including the postseason, he struck out 49 batters in 43 innings … but walked 38. There was a lot to love, but a lot to work on in his 2nd season.
Right fielder Vinicius Dos Santos had a pinch hit home run, which was notable since it was just his 2nd career home run in 3 seasons. Center fielder Djean Macares went 2-4 with a walk and 2 stolen bases. The 18-year old from Aruba finished his 2nd season with an .828 OPS, a 121 wRC+, 26 stolen bases, and a 9.7% strikeout rate … my guess would be that this was his final game in the DSL.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - JULY 23: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 23, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s game 2 of the St. Louis Cardinals playing host to the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night. Michael McGreevy gets the start for the Cardinals while the Orioles will send Kyle Bradish to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium while the game broadcast is available via Cardinals.tv.
Mason Miller's unreal homerless streak came to an end in the top of the ninth inning at Petco Park on Tuesday night via a go-ahead solo shot from Oneil Cruz, the only run of the game in the San Diego Padres' 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Up until then, Miller hadn't given up a home run in over a calendar year.
After the game, Padres manager Craig Stammen summed up the rare misstep from baseball's most dominant closer in a few words.
"He's human," Stammen told reporters. "Part of the gig when you're pitching. Every once in a while, someone's gonna get you."
Or, as Miller put it when his manager's comments were relayed to him, "Humans can be idiots sometimes."
"Tip your hat," Miller told reporters. "Good swing. Crushed it obviously. But I just can't be throwing that pitch in that spot."
The pitch, a changeup, was perhaps just as rare a sighting from Miller as the long ball. It's the third pitch in his repertoire, but his fastball and slider are both so effective that he only throws it 2% of the time this season, according to Baseball Savant. And of that 2%, he's thrown the changeup exclusively to left-handed batters.
Miller felt good about his pitch selection, which he says was part of his plan from the scouting reports and prep work he had done leading up to the series against the Pirates. He tried to place it low and away but, instead, left it hanging over the inside part of the plate; a disastrous location against lefties, especially those with as much pop as Cruz.
The result was predictable: a 111.8 mph missile over the porch in right field.
"Looking back, I can be a good enough self-evaluator to say that that was a stupid pitch," Miller said. "But, yeah, I was convicted in it and had a plan. Didn’t execute it."
Miller's status was unclear throughout most of Tuesday, as he had thrown 30 pitches in Monday's 12-inning loss to the Pirates and pitched in three of their last four games. But Miller said that didn't factor in. He went through his normal pregame routine and let Stammen know he was ready if he needed to be called upon.
"I felt good enough to go today," Miller said. "We had a lot of guys throw yesterday. That’s part of my value and part of my responsibility to this team and to my teammates − to be available any time that I can.
"My workload’s been high. But it wasn’t: 'Yeah, I wasn’t feeling good, didn’t have my best stuff.' I think it was just one dumb pitch, and that’s kind of the story."
Stammen, meanwhile, wasn't going to be one to question his shut-down closer in that situation.
"When a pitcher like Mason says 'Hey, give me the ball,' you're willing and able to give him the ball," Stammen said. "Especially where we're at in the season."
The Padres, one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past month, entered Wednesday just a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third and final wild card spot in the National League.
Aug 25, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) celebrates with right fielder Leody Taveras (30) and second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) after hitting a three run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Orioles vs Cardinals 7:45 EDT MASN/MASN+
The Orioles laid the smack down on the Cardinals last night with a 13-1 victory to kick off their nine-game road trip. It was an exciting win but let’s be honest: we are Orioles fans. We know that this means the Orioles will probably suffer a demoralizing loss tonight. Maybe a two-hitter? Or maybe they’ll have plenty of baserunners but strand them all until someone hits a too little, too late home run in the ninth inning.
I don’t want to think that way. But the Orioles did this to me. It’s not my fault. You understand.
But maybe, just maybe, the Orioles will build on their strong start and take the series tonight. They are facing solid righty Michael McGreevy, who has a 3.54 ERA in 25 starts this season. The good news is he does give up home runs (18 in 137.1 innings), and he’s not a big strikeout guy (6.2 K/9). McGreevy has been with the Cardinals for his entire short career; only Pete Alonso has ever faced him (o-for-2).
The Orioles will be looking for a strong start from Kyle Bradish who worked without his best stuff against the Yankees back on August 20th. He kept his team in the game but allowed a lot of baserunners and two home runs. His team lost, but not because of him.
Alonso is back at DH today with Samuel Basallo playing first base. With a righty on the mound, lefties Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers are both in the lineup. Coby Mayo starts the game on the bench.
Tyler O’Neill, who hurt his shoulder on his game-saving catch last Saturday, had an MRI yesterday and was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain. Luis Vázquez will replace O’Neill on the roster, though as of 6:25 that move isn’t official. O’Neill hasn’t been on the IL since April, so I guess he was due.
Orioles lineup
Jackson Holliday (L) 2B Pete Alonso (R) DH Gunnar Henderson (L) SS Samuel Basallo (L) 1B Christian Encarnacion-Strand (R) 3B Dylan Beavers (L) LF Leody Taveras (S) RF Colton Cowser (L) CF Carlos Narváez (R) C
Cardinals lineup
JJ Wetherholt (L) SS Iván Herrera (R) DH Alec Burleson (L) 1B Jordan Walker (R) RF Nathan Church (L) CF José Fermín (R) 2B Nolan Gorman (L) 3B Bryan Torres (L) LF Jimmy Crooks (L) C
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 25: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles in the seventh inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn Skeean/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Dodgers look to get back in the win column as they take on the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Roki Sasaki faces A.J. Smith-Shawver.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 24: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts against the Seattle Mariners during the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park on August 24, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Francisco Giants wisely decided to become extreme sellers at this year’s trade deadline, swapping six major-leaguers in five separate trades. While the players coming back are all in the minor leagues, besides reliever Anthony Molina, the ex-Giants are all over the playoff race. Here’s how these old friends are faring in their new homes.
Luis Arraez
The Giants second baseman is hitting almost exactly the same for the Philadelphia Phillies as he did for the Giants, slashing .305/.318/.439 in 20 games, compared to .324/.360/.440 (he’s walking less). The Phillies have gone 13-7 since trading for Arraez, including nine-game win streak (what’s that?). He still holds a comfortable lead in the race for the batting title, hitting .321, 14 points clear of Nick Gonzales.
Arraez has been hitting cleanup for the Phillies as protection for Bryce Harper, who seems to have been inspired by the Contact King by significantly cutting his rate of chasing pitches since Arraez arrived. Even shuffling their defensive alignment to accommodate Arraez at second base has worked, with Harper shifting to right field, Alec Bohm moving to first base, and Bryson Stott going to third.
Caleb Killian
The erstwhile Giants closer made only four appearances for the Phillies before going on the injured list with a left oblique strain. He had a nightmarish outing in his second appearance with the Phils, giving up four runs in the top of the 11th inning for his 7th loss of the season. He did get his fourth win in his final appearance in the City of Brotherly Love in an extra-inning win.
Robbie Ray
Robbie Ray has made four starts for the San Diego Padres, going 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA and going about five innings per game. It’s a small sample size, but the biggest change is that Ray has given up a home run about every five innings, as opposed to every eight innings with the Giants. He’s not working as far into games, which seems tied to walking about a third more hitters, as well as the Padres’ bullpen full of flame throwers.
The Padres remain a game up in the NL wild-card race, just ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adding Ray could prove crucial for their injury-plagued starters, though they should be getting Joe Musgrove back soon.
Heliot Ramos
Former Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos has not had much success since joining the New York Yankees. He’s slashing .113/.230/.189 with 18 strikeouts in 16 games. Ramos has six hits in 53 at-bats, scoring one run and delivering just one RBI. It’s terrible timing for a Yankees lineup that already skews heavily left-handed with Aaron Judge out, but Ramos isn’t hitting anyone who throws with either hand right now.
Erik Miller
The Giants lefty specialist has been awesome for the Boston Red Sox. He’s thrown 10 1/3 innings and struck out a whopping 18 batters, walking three and giving up seven hits. He’s given up a single run, unearned, and hit one batter. Facing his old team last weekend, Miller got into one game and struck out Jonah Cox and Willy Adames in his one inning of work.
The Atlanta Braves have gotten solid work from Tyler Mahle, who is 2-1 in four starts with a 1.52 ERA. He got a no-decision after throwing six shutout innings in his first Braves start, and has gone at least five innings in each start, with 23 strikeouts against five walks. He’s stopped using his cutter as much and relied on a splitter more, while also benefiting from the Braves’ superior defense.
"I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once, as I ever was."
Ronald Acuña Jr's defense gets maligned a lot these days, but he gets Tyler Mahle out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 2nd thanks to this sliding catch pic.twitter.com/LDezk8ROD9
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) August 23, 2026
It’s nice to see some beloved Giants succeed, and even some less beloved Giants do well. If anything, the better traded Giants do, the easier it might be to make future trades. It’d be nice to see Ramos pull things together, because someone from the 2026 Giants should get to enjoy the playoffs at least.
Jul 17, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of the home run dragon of the Toronto Blue Jays during batting practice before a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Game Two of Three with the Royals, who are now on a 9 game win streak. Ending it would be a good idea.
Also it would be nice if we were make fewer mistakes. Vlad throwing wide of first (he leads first basemen with eight errors, for a .990 fielding average). And Lukes….well, we’ve talked about that enough. Baseball is much better when it is the other team making the mistakes.
We are going to see a few different pitchers for the Jays today, putting to test the line about ‘if you use enough pitchers, sooner or later you are going to find the one that doesn’t have it today’. But we have done well on bullpen days.
Aug 26, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez (44) fails to catch a two-run home run by Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Bryce Harper (3, not pictured) during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Phillies 6, Mariners 0
Breaking up the no-no: Jhonny Pereda, 0.01 WPA
A mistake pitch to the home-run leader: Bryan Woo, -0.38 WPA
