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The surging Boston Red Sox head into tonight's series opener against the Athletics as a massive -245 moneyline favorite as left-hander Payton Tolle takes the hill. 

With those odds offering minimal value, and Boston's offense in peak form, my Athletics vs. Red Sox predictions are targeting the Boston run line. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 7. 

Who will win A's vs Red Sox today: Red Sox -1.5 (-126)

The Athletics send struggling Jack Perkins to the hill tonight. He owns a 5.64 FIP across his last two starts while allowing 2.45 HR/9, which is dangerous against a Boston Red Sox offense carrying a 147 wRC+ and .243 ISO over its last six games.

Payton Tolle counters for Boston, and he's been reliable with a 2.62 xERA over his previous four appearances. He also faces an A’s lineup in horrendous form, posting a 67 wRC+ and .080 ISO over the last week.

Boston has the offensive edge to create separation, while Tolle limits the damage.

I'll play this pick to -140. 

COVERS INTEL: The Athletics have been substantially worse offensively on the road, collecting an 82 wRC+. That's compared to a 116 mark at home. Tolle is in a prime position to deal. 

A's vs Red Sox Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (-116)

The total sits at 8.5, and I’m leaning toward the Over.

Boston’s offense is averaging 8.33 runs per game across the last week, and Perkins’ inability to limit damage gives the Red Sox a clear path to early production.

The Athletics bullpen is vulnerable, too, posting a 5.30 FIP over its last 22 2/3 frames while surrendering 1.59 HR/9.

Boston’s relief corps has been much better with a sub-3.00 xERA during that same span, but the A's do not need to contribute much if the Red Sox do most of the scoring.

Play to -130.

A's vs Red Sox weather

The weather looks warm and clear at Fenway Park tonight, with temperatures falling from the upper 80s at first pitch into the low 80s later on. Winds should stay light around 4-5 mph, and rain is not a concern. The warm air could slightly help carry, but overall conditions look clean.

A's vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: A's +233 | Red Sox -245
• Run line: A's +1.5 (+117) | Red Sox -1.5 (-122)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-113) | Under 8.5 (+108)

A's vs Red Sox trend

The Red Sox have hit the team total Over in 24 of their last 35 games (+11.50 Units / 28% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for A's vs. Red Sox.

How to watch A's vs Red Sox and game info

A's vs Red Sox latest injuries

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I don’t know how to explain the 2026 Red Sox and I don’t know anyone else who does. As the recent A’s series showed us, even when they’re bad, they’re somehow good. They simply cannot lose right now, which isn’t how baseball is supposed to work, or has ever worked for as long as I’ve watched it.* And the fact that all of this is coming on the heels of a three-month stretch during which the Red Sox were arguably the most mocked team in baseball, playing in front of a fanbase that had grown as apathetic as I’d ever seen it, makes the story even more remarkable.

(*This is in fact the 20th time since 1901 that a team has won at least 31 of 36 games. Frankly, it’s amazing that it’s happened even that much.)

So all of this raises the question: is this the most memorable regular season in Red Sox history?

When it comes to looking at the season’s I’ve been alive for, I think there is no question that the answer is yes.

The 2004 season had its ups-and-downs, including an incredible August run that saw the Sox move from 10.5 games behind the Yankees to just 2; but the Red Sox were essentially in second place all season and the playoffs were rarely in doubt. 2018 was, frankly, too dominant to be all that memorable; from the All-Star Break on, the Red Sox’ division lead never fell below 4.5 games and grew to be much larger than that. 2013 certainly deserves a place in the conversation. Unfortunately, 2011 does, too. In fact, if we’re using the word “memorable” in its most elemental sense without regard to the nature of the emotions attached to it, then I think 2011 is this season’s closest competitor.

Obviously the answer to this question will be greatly affected by what happens over the next seven weeks, but as of right now I think it clearly is the most memorable regular season of my lifetime. If we’re talking all-time, then the 1967 impossible dream season enters the picture. That’s a hard one to top — entire books have been written about it. And, unfortunately, pennant races like the one the world witnessed that summer are no longer possible. But what we’re witnessing right now might be the modern equivalent.

Talk about your favorite seasons of Red Sox baseball and whatever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.

Eric Young Sr. knows a thing or two about making the most of the moment. 

So, it’s no surprise that the former Rockie and current manager of the Los Angeles Queens, one of four teams in the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League, has made seizing the day the motto guiding his approach to his first baseball managing gig.

“I told them in the meeting [before the first game on Aug. 1], ‘there’s going to be a moment throughout this year that’s going to be very special for you,” Young said during a press conference after the first game in Springfield, Ill. “I said, ‘the only thing I want you to do is to be mentally prepared for that moment.’”

His words turned into reality immediately as the Queens rallied from a 7-2 deficit to the New York Heights for an epic 10-8 win on a rainy day that couldn’t dampen the joy of the debut of the first women’s league to exist in the United States since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) ended in 1954.

“What a game and what a start to the Women’s Pro Baseball League,” said Young, who played with the Rockies from 1993 through half of the 1997 season. “The energy was electric out there.”

And just like that, Young, aka EY, recorded his first victory as a manager. Young, a first base and baserunning coach for five different MLB teams — including the Rockies from 2014-16 under then-manager and his former Rockies teammate Walt Weiss — joins former MLB players Matt Williams and Keith Foulke and women’s baseball pioneer and former Colorado Silver Bullet Rachelle “Rocky” Henley as the first-ever WPBL managers this season.

With another 12-4 victory on Wednesday, Young and the Queens have jumped out to a 2-0 start in the debut season where each team will play 15 games before the playoffs in September. In the middle of a historic moment, and with only about a week of practice with the team before the season started, Young had nothing but praise for his players. He shouted out their energy, willingness to play wherever he needs them and their love of the game. 

“For me as a manager, that makes it easy because this is my first day managing and I’m trying to figure the pieces out, but they were helping me. They don’t even know how much they were helping me tonight,” Young said. “They made it look good for our whole team. Kudos to them. They just deserve all the credit in this, and I was just happy to be next to them to enjoy the moment.”

As a member of the inaugural season for the Colorado Rockies, Young knows what it’s like to make history. Not only was he part of a brand new team, but he hit a home run in the first home at bat for the Colorado Rockies on April 9, 1993 at Mile High Stadium.

In his time as a Rockie, Young hit .295/.378.412 with 30 homers, 102 doubles, 28 triples with 227 RBIs and 378 runs scored in 613 games over five seasons. Young, who remains the Rockies all-time leader with 180 stolen bases, clearly understands the pressure of being part of something new and is trying to help the Queens navigate the experience.

“The main thing is to stay positive. This is going to be a process. We are going to have some ups and downs, but if we can stay positive and push each other, you never know what could happen and it happened tonight,” EY said after the comeback win on Aug. 1. “The bench was still cheering the same way as if we were up 7-2 or 8-4. There is so much positive energy in our clubhouse. I am amazed at it.”

Young played under some legendary managers in his 16-year MLB career, which included time with the Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Padres, Rangers and Giants. From playing under Rockies manager Don Baylor, to other skippers like Tommy Lasorda, Bruce Bochy, Ned Yost, Davey Johnson, he learned from them all. In 2025, he told FanGraph’s David Laurila specifically what he liked about playing for Baylor.

“I liked the calmness of Don Baylor. He was OK with players that were upset, because he knew how to handle guys. He knew how to push guys’ buttons based on their personalities. Don Baylor was a strong personality,” Young said. “He was also the type of manager who was going to give you a chance. If you told him you can do something, he was going to give you that opportunity. But you better do it.”

Young has adopted that philosophy as a manager for the Queens. With a shorter roster in his debut, he put utility player Maggie Fox on the mound to get the save, despite having never seen her pitch in practice leading up to the game.

“The first day, I have to admit, when I met Maggie, she said, ‘I can play all over. I can play anywhere you want me to play.’ She gave me that attitude right there,” Young said. “To be honest, I didn’t even see her pitch and [late in the Aug. 1 game] I am looking around and I said, “Maggie I need you on the mound.” And that’s it. She went running and getting loose and everything. But the thing is, it doesn’t matter. She loves the games so much, you put her at catcher, pitcher, she’s going to play.”

EY’s style is landing well with his players, as evident by L.A. center fielder Mo’ne Davis’s comments in the press conference after the first game. She appreciates his positivity and energy.

“He just always sits on the side and he just lets us play our game and how this is our stage,” Davis said. “We just want to give props to him and give him the respect because he allows us to play our game and be ourselves.”

Young’s resume includes the wins to back up his approach. After all, he was part of the 1995 squad that went 77-67 (season shortened by strike) and earned a National League Wild Card berth, when there was only one Wild Card slot per league, in the Rockies third year of existence. He hopes he can achieve quick success with the Queens as well.

“The most important thing through this process is that we get better each and every day,” Young said. “If we get better every single day, I’ll take our chances when we get to the postseason.”

On the Farm

Triple-A: Albuquerque Isotopes 5, Sugar Land Space Cowboys 3

Charlie Condon and Connor Norby, who the Rockies recently aquired from Miami in a trade for Victor Vodnik, each hit solo homers, and TJ Shook threw two scoreless innings to earn the save and preserve the win for the Isotopes on Thursday night. Ryan Ritter tripled, singled, and drove in a run, and Zac Veen stole second and scored on a throwing error. Albuquerque was able to squeak out a win and fend off a three-run eighth, depsite going 0-for-10 and leaving eight runs on base. Eiberson Castellano gave up three runs on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts for the Isotopes to earn the win and improve to 3-2 on the season.

Double-A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies 23, Hartford Yard Goats 3

The Yard Goats had a really bad night and the Ponies had a really good one. Roc Riggio hit a two-run single and Mike Antico hit a solo homer to make up for Hartford’s scoring. Binghamton out-hit the Yard Goats 21-7, and Hartford committed six errors to aid the Ponies, who scored three unearned runs.

High-A: Eugene Emeralds 15, Spokane Indians 10 (10)

A valent comeback was foiled when the Emeralds unleashed a five-run 10th inning to beat Spokane. Eugene jumped out to an 8-2 lead after four innings, but the Indians slowly clawed their way back to within one run entering the bottom of the ninth. Kelvin Hidalgo drew a one-out walk and Roynier Hernandez hit a pinch-hit RBI single to send the game into extra innings. Roldy Brito recorded three hits and scored two runs, Ethan Hedges posted two hits, two runs and to RBIs and Tevin Tucker added three hits and a run. Cameron Nelson and Juan Castillo each chipped in two hits and one run, while Nelson also drove one in.

Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 4, Visalia Rawhide 3

Cristian Arguelles had himself a night. Arguelles hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to help the Grizzlies regain the lead and it was enough to earn the victory on Thursday. The Rawhide scored in the second to take a 1-0 lead, but Sebastian Blanco hit a sac grounder to score Wilder Dalis to tied it in the bottom of the frame. Arguelles singled and scored Juan Martinez in the third to put Fresno back on top, only for the Rawhide to rally back again and set up Arguelles homer in the sixth. Aidan Redahan and Martinez both had two-hit nights for the Grizzlies. Bryson Van Sickle improved to 4-0 after throwing a quality start, giving up three runs on six hits with four walks and five homers in seven innings.

Zac Veen named Pacific Coast League Player of the Week | Purple Row

For the second time this season, Zac Veen has earned PCL Player of the Week. Veen (No. 9 PuRP) has been tearing it up for Triple-A Albuquerque, going 13-for-29 with four doubles, a triple, four home runs, and 14 RBI in games.

Wilder Dalis named California League Play of the Month for July | Purple Row

Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP) outstanding performance for the Fresno Grizzlies in July did not go unnoticed. Over 24 games in July, Dalis batted .374/.443/.727 for just a taste of his stats in the month.

MLB Power Rankings Week 19: Post-trade deadline edition | ESPN.com

Guess what? The Rockies aren’t last.

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Happy birthday to Marc Pisciotta, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in1984 – The Cubs sweep a pair from the visiting Mets, winning 8-6 and 8-4. Rick Sutcliffe (9-1) beats Ron Darling (10-5) in the opener, benefiting from a six-run fifth inning. Keith Moreland hits a three-run home run and Ron Cey a two-run shot in the fourth. A five-run fourth in the second game propels Chicago to the win for reliever Tim Stoddard. Lee Smith notches his 25th save, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1907 – Senator hurler Walter Johnson wins his first major league game beating the Naps, 7-2. The “Big Train” will tally 416 victories during his 21-year career.
• 1915 – In Chicago, the White Sox top the Senators, 6-2. Relieving for losing pitcher Jim Shaw is future Hall of Famer Sam Rice, who will pitch only eight more times before going to the outfield for two decades. Playing RF in the game for Washington is Walter Johnson, filling in for the injured Danny Moeller.
• 1915 – At Fenway Park, Smoky Joe Wood fires a one-hitter, beating Cleveland, 2-0. Bill Wambsganss‘ single is the only Cleveland hit. For Wood, it is his fifth one-hitter, and the third over regulation distance.
• 1929 – For the second game in a row, Babe Ruth hits a grand slam home run as the Yanks roll to a 13-1 win over the A’s in the lidlifter. Mickey Cochrane homers in his one at bat for the A’s only run.
• 1999 – For the second consecutive day, a major leaguer gets his 3000th career hit as Wade Boggs homers in the 6th off the Indians’ Chris Haney. The Devil Rays’ third baseman, who is the first player to reach the milestone with a home run, rounds the bases pointing skyward blowing a kiss in memory of his mom and gets down on his knees to kiss home plate. Tony Gwynn also collected hit No. 3,000 yeaterday.
• 2001 – Passing the mark of 68, established Christy Mathewson (with the Giants in 1913) and Randy Jones (with the Padres in 1976), Braves right-hander Greg Maddux sets the National League record for consecutive innings without allowing a walk as he pitches six innings without giving up a base on balls to extend the new record to 70.1 innings.
• 2010 – For the first time since May, the major leagues’ all-time save leader, Trevor Hoffman, gets the ball in a save situation. He disposes of the Astros in order on eight pitches to preserve a 5-2 Brewers win for his 597th career save. Hoffman blew five of his first ten save opportunities this year to earn relegation to the outer reaches of the Brewers’ bullpen.
• 2016 – Ichiro Suzuki of the Marlins becomes the 30th member of the 3,000 hit club with a seventh-inning triple off Chris Rusin of the Rockies in a 10-7 Marlins win. What makes it more remarkable is that Ichiro did not collect his first major league hit until he was 27. He is only the second player to reach the milestone with a triple, after Paul Molitor, and the hit comes on the day when the last player to join the club before him, Alex Rodriguez, announced his retirement.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1906 – On John McGraw‘s orders, umpire James Johnstone is refused admittance to the Polo Grounds, and the ump, standing outside the ballpark, forfeits the match to the Cubs. McGraw insists the game go on with a player from each team umpiring. McGraw picks reserve Sammy Strang, but Cubs manager Frank Chance refuses to go along, pointing out the game has already been forfeited. National League President Harry Pulliam will uphold Johnstone’s decision the next day.
• 1911 – The match-up between Three Finger Brown and Christy Mathewson is something less than a pitching duel as Chicago bangs out ten hits, including two singles, a double and a triple by Joe Tinker. Tinker also adds a steal of home. The Giants collect 13 hits, but Chicago wins the game, 8-6.
• 1963 – At Chicago, Sandy Koufax locks horns for the second time this year with Dick Ellsworth, a battle that ends in a 1-1 draw. Koufax is removed with one out in the 10th inning, while Ellsworth is replaced after the 10th. The Dodgers go on to win, 3-1, over the Cubs with neither starter getting a decision.
• 2001 – Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez ejects Steve “Mongo” McMichael from Wrigley Field as the former Chicago Bears football player is about to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch. McMichael, presently a pro wrestler, tells the crowd over the P.A. system “he’ll have a talk with the ump” concerning a close call made by Hernandez earlier in the game and then boos and blows a kiss toward the ump.
• 2004 – Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux enters the history books with his 300th career win in Chicago’s 8-4 triumph over San Francisco at SBC Park.

Cubs Birthdays:Marc Pisciotta*, Don Larsen, Adonis Terry. Also notable: Bill McKechnie HOF,

Today in history:

• 1420 – Construction begins on the dome of Florence Cathedral, designed by Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi.
• 1606 – Possible first performance of Shakespeare‘s tragedy “Macbeth” takes place in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace for King James I.
• 1782 – Commander of the Continental Army, George Washington, creates two Honorary Badges of Distinction and a Badge of Military Merit (now the Purple Heart). First time military awards are presented to common soldiers.
• 1882 – Hatfields of southwest West Virginia and McCoys of eastern Kentucky feud, with 100 wounded or dead.
• 1969 – Fantasy Records releases “Green River”, the third studio album by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, featuring the title track and “Bad Moon Rising”, and “Lodi”.
• 2016 – United States men’s 4 × 100 m freestyle relay team wins the final in 3:09.92 at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, earning Michael Phelps his record 19th Olympic gold medal.
• 2021 – As part of the winning American 4 × 400 m relay team in Tokyo, Allyson Felix takes her total to 11 Olympic medals and becomes the most decorated female Olympian in track and field history.
• 2021 – Kevin Durant, with 29 points, leads the USA to his third and the team’s fourth consecutive Olympic men’s basketball gold medal with an 87-82 win over France in Tokyo.

*pictured.

Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The trade deadline is officially in the rearview, and we’re now less than two months from the end of the regular season. The Brewers are trying to fend off a comeback in the NL Central from the Cubs while also maintaining their status with the top record in baseball, as they became the first team to 70 wins earlier this week.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread:

It’s Alumni Weekend at Citizens Bank Park. The Blue Jays are in town, and a familiar face will be joining the Wall of Fame.

On to the links.

Phillies news

A Phillies fan won the chance to do the radio broadcast for an inning of Wednesday’s game, and knocked it out of the park. ($)

The Phillies have plans for how to handle Harper’s return to right field.

Chase Utley’s dad tells some tales on the occasion of his son’s induction to the Wall of Fame.

The Field of Dreams game is coming up fast.

MLB news

ESPN gives out their trade deadline awards.

And MLB executives give their anonymous opinions on the trades.

A hilarious blooper-aided homer is always fun, though it’d be more fun if it wasn’t hit by a Brave.

Happy Friday, Camden Chatters. The weekend has arrived! Are we still scoreboard watching? If so, after the Orioles lost yesterday they fell to one game out the final Wild Card spot. And the team that has that last spot just happens to be the team the Orioles are playing this weekend. The Texas Rangers.

The Orioles and Rangers faced each other in the second series of the season. The Rangers won two out of three that time. Not ideal.

This time, if the Orioles lose two out of three, they’ll find themselves two games behind the Rangers. If they get swept, it’ll be four games behind and that, frankly, will be all she wrote. If they somehow take two of three, they will leave Texas tied with the Rangers. So it’s a pretty big series. And if they survive this one, they are off to Minnesota to face the team that is currently a half-game ahead of them in the WC race. And that’s to say nothing of the Guardians, who are also a half-game up on the Orioles.

So they’re in it, for now. But the problem, as I see it, is this: they can’t hit. They’re just so bad at hitting! If you take a glance at the team’s Baseball Reference page, there are four players on the top section with an OPS+ over 100, which is league average. They are Pete Alonso, Samuel Basallo, Adley Rutschman, and Taylor Ward. Uh…get well soon, Samuel! Also, Blaze Alexander while we’re at it.

In yesterday’s game, the Orioles were facing Ryan Johnson, a starter with an ERA over 7 and they couldn’t do anything with him. In the first five innings, they have five walks, three hits, and a HBP. But they also hit into two double plays and had a runner caught stealing. Their only runs scored came on a home run from Yohel Pozo. So good for him!

Even in their two wins over the Angels, one of the worst teams in baseball, they struggled to score runs. On Tuesday they scored just three runs in a game started by Grayson Rodriguez, and on Wednesday they were clinging to a one-run lead until an unlikely Leody Taveras home run.

Well, this turned into a downer. They should hire me to be their hitting coach so I can tell them to be better hitters.

Links

David Rubenstein talks Orioles trades, payroll and World Series hopes – The Baltimore Banner
Andy Kostka recounted an event the Orioles’ owner had to promote his new book. This headline had me hoping for answers. I don’t know that I got them.

Orioles offense can’t convert opportunities in 4-1 loss to Angels – MASN Sports
Roch Kubatko’s game story from yesterday’s loss.

Orioles Legend Jim Palmer Tackles a Challenging Career Quiz – FanGraphs
Well know Jim Palmer has an incredible memory. Take a trip down memory lane with him.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have seven Orioles birthday buddies. That’s a lot! Gerónimo Gil is 51 years old today. Gil spent five seasons with the Orioles, 2001-05. He spent that time as a backup catcher, except in 2002 when he got into 125 games.

Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Wade LeBlanc (42), Jason Grimsley (59), Tex Nelson (b. 1936, d. 2011), Don Larsen (b. 1929, d. 2020), Art Houtteman (b. 1927, d. 2003), and Bob Alexander (b. 1922, d. 1993).

On this day in 1964, the Orioles defeated the Yankees 2-0. Steve Barber pitched 6.2 shutout innings and Harvey Haddix finished the game. Brooks Robinson had an RBI single and Jerry Adair hit a home run.

In 1998, the Orioles pounded the Twins 16-9. Brady Anderson had five hits with two doubles and two home runs. Harold Baines and Cal Ripken also homered. Starter Scott Erickson was knocked out after four innings and seven runs, but that’s ok in this instance.

In 2016, Manny Machado hit three home runs in his first three at-bats in a 10-2 Orioles win over the White Sox. He had three more chances to hit four homers, but went hitless for the rest of the game. He had seven RBI.

In 2019, in the midst of a 14-2 loss to the Yankees, Chris Davis and Brandon Hyde got into a fight in the dugout. It was the most exciting thing that happened for the Orioles in the game.

You’ll be relieved to know that these 2026 Giants are still 4 games off the pace of the 100-loss 1985 Giants. Will that have any bearing on this weekend’s series against the Detroit Tigers aka The Team That Just Traded The Best Pitcher In The World To The Los Angeles Dodgers?

Well, if they’re swept, it will prevent them from winning their 50th game. Haha, what am I thinking? They’d have to win the series to get to that mark. That seems like a stretch!

For as much as the Tigers signaled they’re punting on 2026 with their deadline deal of Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers (2.9 fWAR) and Casey Mize (3.0) to the Padres, it’s worth pointing out that their pitching remains solid, along with their lineup. They’re now led by Framber Valdez, who’s having a rough transition to a new team this season (1.3 fWAR in 120.1 IP) but shutout the Mariners for 7 innings just last night. The Giants will miss him, but they won’t avoid the two other valuable starters: 25-year olds Keider Montero (a righty; 2.2 fWAR) and 25 Troy Melton (a lefty; 1.2).

But what you really want to pay attention to is that lineup. They’ve got a 27-year old catcher named Dillon Dingler and he seems to have stolen the crown of thumping catcher from Big Dumper Cal Raleigh by Dinglering 25 dingers so far this season. He also leads the Tigers in value (5.4 fWAR). He’s a very Giantsy player, too, with a line of .275/.339/.529 and a walk rate of just 6.1%. They’ve also got 21-year old Kevin McGonigle, who just hits and hits and hits and hits (.282/.388/.422 in 495 PA). Riley Greene (.458 slug), Spencer Torkelson (20 dinlgers), and Gleyber Torres round out a solid core that will almost certainly frustrate the Giants’ prospects in training.

The big news on Detroit’s side will be the season debut of flamethrower Jackson Jobe, who will step onto a major league mound for the first time in 14 months following Tommy John surgery. The former first rounder (#3 overall in the 2021 draft) last pitched in May. The 23-year old will almost certainly be on a pitch count.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. The Tigers are 14-16 in interleague (-4 run diff.) and 26-32 on the road (+37); but, after an awful month of May (6-22), they’ve been the fourth-best team in the sport with a record of 34-21. The Giants are 25-31 over the same span. They’re just 12-21 in interleague (-15 run diff.). They’re also 26-27 at home (-14). They’ll be throwing the best of what’s left of their rotation at the best of what’s left of the Tigers’ rotation and I think, you know, it seems like a pretty lopsided matchup.

Series Overview

Who: San Francisco Giants (48-67) vs. Detroit Tigers (56-59)
Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California
When: Friday at 7:15pm PT, Saturday at 4:15pm PT, Sunday at 1:05pm PT
National broadcasts: Fox TV (Saturday)

Projected starters
Friday: Keider Montero (RHP 8-6, 3.17 ERA) vs. TBD
Saturday: Jackson Jobe (RHP season debut) vs. Landen Roupp (RHP 7-10, 4.34 ERA)
Sunday: Troy Melton (LHP 7-1, 1.58 ERA) vs. Logan Webb (RHP 7-7, 3.74 ERA)

PHILADELPHIA — When Cody Bellinger made the cross-country flight to participate in the 2007 Little League World Series, he had no clue where Williamsport was located in Pennsylvania.

How about almost two decades later for the now-New York Yankees outfielder? 

"I still don't know," Bellinger jokingly told USA TODAY Sports last month.  

While Williamsport's exact location may still escape Bellinger, the memories haven’t. Nearly two decades later, the 2026 MLB All-Star Game MVP can still vividly recall what he considers the "100%" no-questions-asked most fun summer of his life before turning pro.

To reach Williamsport, Bellinger and his team defeated Hawaii 8-1 in the championship game of the West Region Tournament in San Bernardino, California. It marked just the second time that Chandler National had sent a team to the Little League World Series. 

"It was just so fun. It’s a lot of baseball to get there," Bellinger said. "... San Bernardino was cool because that was one of the nicest fields and we had a new dorm set up. That was our first time living together. I thought that was really fun. Then we got to Williamsport. 

"It's just a sleepover with your boys for however long you’re there."

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be bringing back and honoring a former Bucco All-Star, as Josh Harrison is set to officially retire as a Pirate.

Harrison was visiting PNC Park in June for the first time since he was there as a visiting player with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023. In the swirl of emotions and interactions, it was one conversation with owner and chairman Bob Nutting that sparked this reunion for Harrison. Despite not playing for the Pirates since 2018, Nutting made it a point to express his fondness of “JHay” and the time he spent in Pittsburgh.

“Throughout his career, Josh Harrison embodied what it means to be a Pittsburgh Pirate: a gritty, hardworking player, a great teammate and a kind person who was always gracious with his time. He was and remains a cherished member of our organization,” Nutting said. “Josh is incredibly deserving of this celebration, and we look forward to honoring him alongside his family and friends in front of our fans at PNC Park.”

Harrison expressed that while he never thought about it seriously, he was excited at the opportunity to retire with the team that he became a star with.

“It’s not anything I thought much about,” Harrison said. “It’s easy when someone plays for one team their whole career. I played for six. But I know when people talk about my body of work, mostly the Pirates come to mind. “I was never gonna say, ‘Let me retire a Pirate.’ But it’s always cool when it happens naturally and organically. That’s how I wanted it to be.”

JHay said his conversation with Nutting was surprising but was one that he was excited was happening.

“Bob said the Pirates wanted to bring me and my family back and have me retire as a Pirate,” Harrison said. “I was excited. I thought it was pretty cool. “I don’t know how those things work, but when Bob mentioned it, I thought, ‘Oh, yeah. We can definitely make something happen.’”

At this point in his life he Harrison also has the opportunity to bring his family back to the city where he started his major league career.

“The city means a lot to us,” Harrison said. “It’s our home away from home. I had some of my better years in Pittsburgh and grew a lot. That’s where me and my family started. For it to come full circle is really special.”

During his career as a member of the Pirates, Harrison became one of the most electrifying players in baseball. While in Pittsburgh he was named to two All-Star teams and collected 773 hits while hitting .277 with 73 home runs and 91 stolen bases. He had a breakout season in 2014 when he finished second in the NL batting title race with a career high .315 batting average. That season he had 13 home runs and snagged 18 stolen bases. In 2017 as a member of the Pirates, he also represented Team USA at the World Baseball classic when the team won Gold.

JHay will officially retire as a Pirate on Friday with a corresponding press conference, before being honored on Saturday with a pre-game ceremony, a game-time first pitch and the first 20,000 fans at PNC Park will receive a commemorative T-shirt as a part of the weekend’s celebrations.

Harrison was a key part of the Pirates’ post season run from 2013-2015 and was undoubtedly one of the most exciting Pirates of the 21st century. Very few had the talent that he had to play at five different positions at any given time, while also being one of the most elusive baserunners in baseball. He enjoyed the most success in his career in Pittsburgh and it’s only fitting that Harrison officially retires with the Pirates.

“As a player, you don’t sit there and think about your numbers or what you meant to a city,” Harrison said. “I just kind of lived in the moment.” “But it’s cool to be acknowledged that way. I was just in the right place at the right time with those guys. Pittsburgh gave me an opportunity. I’ll always be a Pirate.”

The Yankees got a much-needed offday yesterday, coming off a stretch of 13 games in 13 days. Despite the negative sentiment around the team for much of that span, I’d argue that this stretch went well; the Yankees played for 13 exhausting days in row, largely against strong opponents, with ten of those games on the road, all with their injured list littered with stars. They came out of it 7-6, and with some positiveinjury news coming out during that time to boot. If you can see past the (many) frustrating close losses the Yankees have suffered in the last week or two, maybe, just maybe, there is something bright on the horizon.

We’ve got another tough series coming up, this one with the Braves, which Matt will preview this morning, while Madison recaps a light Thursday of AL action. Also, Nick profiles Don Larsen, born on this day 97 years ago, Peter gives us his Sequence of the Week, featuring some superlative work from a surging Ryan Weathers, and Madison delivers this week’s mailbag.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. Atlanta Braves

Time: 7:05 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, BravesVision

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. The Yankees have their big three starters lined up for this series with Atlanta: Fried, Cole, Schlittler. Can they convert that advantage into a series win?

2. After their historic run the last two months, do you think the Red Sox are a bigger threat than the Yankees to rally past the Rays in the AL East?

POSTPONED: Toledo Mud Hens vs. Omaha Storm Chasers

Rain, rain, go away. The Hens play two tomorrow.

Coming Up Next: Two 7-inning games on Friday, starting at 5:35 p.m. ET. The series is tied, 1-1.

Altoona Curve 10, Erie SeaWolves 6 (box)

Not a ton happened in this one until the fifth inning. Altoona and Erie combined for just four hits over as many innings. Zyhir Hope turned one of those into an out with his rocket arm in the first, but it was mostly boring until the extra-base hits started flowing.

The Curve struck first, knocking Andrew Sears out of the game with a two-out double. Dariel Fregio took over, and things got worse fast. An RBI single, wild pitch and home run made it 4-0, setting up Sears for the loss. Fregio gave up another homer to start the sixth, pushing Erie’s deficit to five runs.

The SeaWolves got in the board in an exciting way in the bottom half of the inning, though. Hope hit his first home run following the Skubal trade, and it is some easy power. He flicked his bat out for something low and away, and took it for a ride to left-center. His pull-side homers are going to be even more impressive shows of strength.

Josue Briceno didn’t want people to forget he’s also a big power threat, so he went back-to-back with Hope, crushing a hung slider into oblivion. These are the future middle-of-the-order bats in Detroit, and those homers are two easy reasons to get excited. Briceno was on track to get to Detroit just after Max Clark, but he was slowed down by injury. Hope should be on an accelerated track to join Clark and Riley Greene in the outfield next year.

Unfortunately, the rest of the game was not as fun to watch. Marco Jimenez took over on the mound in the seventh and promptly gave up a solo homer. After an out, the next four batters reached, making it 9-3 in favor of Altoona, and a two-out single brought the Curve into double digits. Sigh. Jimenez does get a bit of a pass since he’s still figuring things out after an injury.

Trevin Michael stopped the bleeding, getting the final out of the seventh and pitching through the eighth. Erie loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, scoring on an error, but Altoona traded a sixth run for a double play and that was that.

Tanner Kohlepp went 1-2-3 in the ninth, but Erie’s offense only offered a two-out single in the final frame.

Hope: 1-4, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

Briceno: 1-2, HR (7), 2 R, RBI, 2 BB

Sears (L, 2-2): 4.2 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday. Altoona leads the series, 2-1.

Fort Wayne TinCaps 3, West Michigan Whitecaps 0 (box)

Fort Wayne and West Michigan combined for just six hits on the day, and the longball was the difference in this one.

The Whitecaps had just one hit. Beau Ankeney doubled in the second; it was nearly a home run but just caught the top of the wall padding to stay in the park. He ended the inning stranded on third. Only two other batters reached base—Woody Hadeen and Luke Shliger—both on walks.

It’s a shame because Lucas Elissalt was putting together a pretty nice start. His heater was up to 95 mph and hitters were late on it. His breaking ball might have been even better, drawing plenty of swing-and-miss. Elissalt finished the day with 13 whiffs, the third-most across High-A today.

Lamar King Jr. homered off Elissalt with a man on base in the fifth, giving him the loss, but it was still a good outing with no walks and six strikeouts. Joe Miller got the final three frames. His lone blemish was a solo homer in the seventh.

West Michigan had trouble putting anything together against Fort Wayne’s Carson Montgomery. He only struck out three over six innings, but he also only allowed one hit for a quality start. Carlos Medina was sharp out of the bullpen, going three perfect innings with six strikeouts.

Elissalt (L, 3-5): 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K, HR

Coming Up Next: It’s a 7:05 p.m. ET start on Friday. West Michigan leads the series, 2-1.

Dunedin Blue Jays X, Lakeland Flying Tigers X (box)

More rain… Looks like it’ll be two doubleheaders tomorrow on the farm.

Coming Up Next: Two 7-inning games on Friday, starting at 4 p.m. ET. The series is tied, 1-1.

DSL Tigers (2) 9, DSL Rockies 1 (box)

The DSL Tigers 2 squad crushed the DSL Rockies on Thursday, outscoring their opponents 9-0 after giving up a leadoff homer in the first.

Besides the home run, Albert Ramos as sharp for five innings. He worked around three more hits and two walks, striking out three batters before turning things over to the bullpen.

The offense got Ramos the lead back right away, with Eduardo Tusen reaching on an error and Manuel Bolivar hitting a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. That’s Bolivar’s seventh of the year, so the $2.3 million international signing bonus is working out well so far. I’d like to see him stateside sooner rather than later, though.

Tusen was another member of Detroit’s international signing class this year, so it’s good to see him producing immediately at the top of the order.

Wagnel Luna tripled in the second, bringing home Jeiker Gudino. Tusen singled in Luna and later scored on a balk. Actually, it was two balks. The DSL is wild, man.

Diego Orro knocked in Jonathan Moya in the third, and Tusen doubled in two more runs in the fifth. Bolivar made it 9-1 right after with his fourth hit of the day.

Edgar Leon closed out the final two innings. He gave up a leadoff single and two walks but got the job done just fine.

Bolivar: 4-4, HR (7), R, 3 RBI

Tusen: 2-4, 2B (16), 3 R, 4 RBI, K

Albert Ramos: 5.0 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HR

Coming Up Next: Both DSL Tigers teams are in action on Friday. The No. 1 club is on the road against the DSL Angels, and the No. 2 team is on the road agaisnt the DSL Phillies.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Top prospect George Lombard Jr. has just two MLB games under his belt, but he’s looked like he belongs at this level. The new shortstop credits the major-league experience of his father and the general upbringing that has now produced two first round MLB picks, the other his brother Jacob. The other sons-of-MLBers in the Yankee clubhouse, Cody Bellinger (who Lombard met while his father coached with the Dodgers from 2016-20), Ryan Weathers, and Aaron Boone can all empathize with the value add of genetics, and now all Lombard Jr. has to do is keep going.

New York Post | Zack Braziller: Veteran lefthander Carlos Rodón will eventually return to the Yankees’ rotation, forcing the club to keep one of Ryan Weathers or Will Warren in the starting five, and sending the other to the bullpen. Although I think Weathers’ stuff, especially his excellent breaking balls, would play up more in relief, the performance on the field will dictate that decision. Warren simply hasn’t been as good as Weathers over the last six weeks or so, with Will having that one standout performance against the Cubs and not much else to show for it. Weathers, on the other hand, has allowed a single run in his last 20.1 innings.

FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: There’s a lot of things you can say about the state of the Yankee roster, but once again they made one of the very best relief pitchers in baseball appear out of nowhere. Lefty Brett Headrick has become Aaron Boone’s security blanket, deployed against hitters of both handedness with one of the best fastballs and sliders in the game — not quite Mason Miller-level stuff, but not far off. Headrick is in the midst of one of ten or so most dominant relief seasons in franchise history, and that is saying something with this org’s history.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: We close with an update on the injured list. Giancarlo Stanton and the aforementioned Rodón are facing off against each other in simulated ABs, Aaron Judge was re-imaged and can begin light workouts, and Clarke Schmidt is cleared to continue rehabbing after a brief scare earlier this week. There’s some 15-17 wins sitting on the IL right now, and if one or two of those returns can be ahead of schedule, that may be enough to start closing some ground in the division race.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country.

The San Diego Padres entered the MLB Trade Deadline with multiple paths in front of them. Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller has been aggressive at past deadlines, but he has had a more complete team. San Diego has struggled on offense throughout the year, but has been playing better recently and put Preller into a position where he had to make a choice. Buy additonal resources to help the 2026 team attempt to get into and make a run in the playoffs. Sell off players with expiring contracts to try to replenish one of the worst farm systems in the league. He had the option to do nothing and let the remainder of the season play out or he could have done a combination of buying and selling to make the 2026 team better, but also address future needs.

Rumors were flying throughout the game that teams like the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates would come after All-Star closer Mason Miller, who was acquired at the 2025 Trade Deadline from the Athletics, but Preller seemed reluctant to move the player that cost him Leodalis De Vries. Rumors about Miller began to fade as it became clearer he was not available, so Adrian Morejon became the desired target. Morejon made it clear he did not want to be dealt and Preller again made it known that any team seeking to add the dominant left-handed reliever would have to pay a high price. Michael King was also rumored to be a possible trade candidate as the only rotation piece with any value.

The Padres also had a position player who some teams might have found attractive in Ty France. The first baseman signed a minor league deal with San Diego in the offseason. He plays solid defense and is a former Gold Glove Award winner, but even more appealing is his offensive resurgence. France has found his power stroke and is tied for second on the team in homers with 16. He also has a .288 average and 49 RBI.

Preller decided not to move any of his MLB assets and instead added two of the top starting pitchers on the market in Robbie Ray from the San Francisco Giants and Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers. Gage Workman a left-handed utility player was also added in the trade with the Tigers. Preller and the Padres paid a price for their additions. Former first-round pick pitcher Kash Mayfield, 17-year-old shortstop Joniel Hernandez, pitcher Miguel Mendez and pitcher Jackson Wolf were all used as currency to make the deadline additions.

Mize made his first start for the Padres against the Arizona Diamondbacks and had a horrible night. He allowed eight runs on nine hits in three-plus innings, but by all accounts, that performance was an anomaly and not the norm from Mize. Workman chipped in with a three-run double in the loss on Wednesday, which was his first hit with San Diego. Padres fans will get their first look at their other new pitcher when San Diego returns to Petco Park to host the Houston Astros. The Friar Faithful will be looking for a similar result to the last time Ray took the mound at Petco when he completed six innings and allowed one run on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts as a member of the Giants.

Now that the deadline has come and gone and decisions have been made, Gaslamp Ball would like to know what you, the readers, think about the performance of Preller and the Padres at the deadline. Results will be post later in the week.

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