The Kansas City Royals dropped a series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco find plenty worth discussing in both the struggles and the small victories along the way.
Jac Caglianone remains the most compelling storyline on the roster right now. He is hitting for average and looking increasingly comfortable at the player while playing first base, and Jacob and Jeremy dig into the ongoing debate about which position actually maximizes his value to this team. It is a conversation about more than just defense but where he plays affects the entire lineup construction moving forward.
Carson Roccaforte is making waves with legitimate home run power, and Sean Gamble continues to impress in his second-half turnaround. The headline name, though, is Angeibel Gomez at just 17 years old and already drawing comparisons to Juan Soto. Jacob and Jeremy place his early performance in the context of the Royals’ historically uneven track record developing outfielders, while acknowledging that the depth and quality of this farm system feel different than in years past.
Injury updates round out the roster conversation, with Vinnie Pasquantino back from injury and Maikel Garcia’s status also addressed. Statistical trends across the roster get a look as well, including the team’s surprising leader in OPS.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom left Thursday night’s start against the Los Angeles Angels after two innings because of right triceps fatigue and will undergo an MRI on Friday.
“I’m not too concerned,” deGrom said following a 7-0 loss to the Angels. “I mean, hopefully I’ll make my next (start). We’ll see. It was tight in the second inning, and it just didn’t want to loosen up, so I don’t know, I haven’t really had this before.”
The 38-year-old right-hander, who has been dealing with a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the first but gave up two runs and five hits during a 32-pitch second. He was replaced by right-hander Peyton Gray to begin the third with the Angels leading 2-0.
It was the first time deGrom permitted five hits in an inning since Sept. 5, 2017, with the New York Mets.
“I wasn’t going to risk it once I heard (it was) the triceps,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Obviously, you don’t want to hear anything arm-related. You pull a guy out in the second inning, it’s concerning. But we’ll figure it out when he gets some imaging. We won’t know until they get in there.”
This seven-game road trip began with the Rangers placing pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list because of elbow inflammation Monday. Texas beat the Angels 4-1 that night but lost the next three games to fall to 60-62 and two games behind first-place Houston in the AL West.
Now, the Rangers might have to navigate the next few weeks without their two best starting pitchers.
“Our starting pitching has taken a hit, that is reality,” Schumaker said. “With two guys going down, we’ll see what it looks like, but it’s never easy when you’re No. 1 and No. 2 guys are down.”
A two-time Cy Young Award winner, deGrom allowed six hits, struck out three and walked one. He needs two strikeouts to become the ninth active pitcher and 94th in major league history to reach 2,000.
In three starts against the Angels this season, deGrom has yielded 10 earned runs in 10 innings.
“It was very disappointing,” he said of Thursday night’s start. “I needed to go out there and give us some length and wasn’t able to do it. I said I could probably keep going, and they said, ‘Well, we’re not going to risk this right now,’ so we’ll just see how it is tomorrow and I’ll go from there.”
One of baseball’s best pitchers when healthy, deGrom made at least 31 starts per season and pitched to a 2.53 ERA across 622 1/3 innings from 2017-19 with the Mets.
He won NL Cy Young Awards with New York in 2018 and 2019 and led the National League with 255 strikeouts in 2019 and 104 strikeouts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
But deGrom made only 35 starts because of injuries from 2021-24 and underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June 2023, which sidelined him for much of his first two seasons with Texas in 2023 and 2024.
This series wraps up Cubs vs. Cardinals for this year (barring an unlikely postseason matchup). After struggling vs. the Cardinals in their first two series of 2026, the Cubs took three of four in St. Louis last month and so the season series is tied at five wins each.
For more on the Cardinals, here’s Doc Holliday, manager of our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos.
Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy have emerged as top of the rotation talent. Pallante may be the most effective arm on the staff right now after May got traded and Michael McGreevy had a couple of less-than-ideal starts. Meanwhile, Matthew Liberatore has been a dumpster fire and he’s the scheduled starter on Friday. Major control issues. He had one start out of his last four that was strong when he had everything working. That has been the exception and not the rule. He’s the weak link which again is why Friday afternoon’s game is crucial.
Riley O’Brien has gotten his control back and has been effective in his most recent save attempts. Caleb Ferguson was a mistake pickup at the trade deadline who might not be on the roster by the time the Cardinals arrive in Chicago.
The Cardinals’ offensive story is a mixed bag. Alec Burleson has returned to his Silver Slugger-level self and has been a RBI monster this past week. He had three home runs a few games ago and was key to the victory over the Phillies on Wednesday. Jordan Walker hit his first home run since the All-Star break recently. He has not regressed to 2025 Jordan Walker and continues to make hard contact. JJ Wetherholt has been struggling at the top of the lineup as his average is now down in the .240’s, but there were signs today that he might be coming out of the slump. Ivan Herrera has also become red-hot. He’s horrific as a defensive catcher, having not thrown out even one runner this year, but as a DH he’s amazing. Newcomer Everson Pereira, who the Cardinals claimed a few days ago from the White Sox, has made a great first impression. Made one of the best plays we’ve seen this year in center field Tuesday night as he slammed into the wall at full stride to rob the Phillies of a scoring chance. Then he hit a solo blast in the late innings to ice Tuesday night’s victory.
St. Louis will arrive in Chicago with momentum. There’s a vibe similar to what the team had early in the season, but I suspect Friday’s game will be key. I’m expecting an exciting weekend. The Cubs have the chance to torpedo the Cardinals chances at making a run at the third Wild Card spot. If St. Louis can somehow manage to win the series against Chicago, could be the springboard to a serious September run.
Fun facts
After losing two of three games when they hosted the Cardinals for the first time this season, July 3-5, the Cubs were 50-40 and the Cards were 47-40.
Since then, the Cubs are 21-11; the Cardinals, 14-20. Instead of leading the Cards by 1.5 games, the Cubs are up by 9.0.
The ancient rivals have played 2,536 games, the second most the Cubs have played against any opponent, behind 2,631 against. the Pirates. Their 1,286 wins over the Cards are their second most, too, just five fewer than their 1,291 vs. the Pirates. 716 of the Cubs’ win have come at home, their most vs. any guest. They have won 700 against the Braves and 691 against the Pirates.
The Cubs have split 10 games against the Cards this year. They won the series, 8-5, a year ago, by sweeping the last three games of the season at Wrigley, by 12-1, 7-3 and 2-0. They had won two of three earlier in the year and three of four in the second series of 2024, so the Cubs are 9-4 in their last four at home in the rivalry.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday: Clay Holmes, RHP (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 2.000 WHIP, 7.33 FIP in one start with Cubs; 4-5, 2.86 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 3.48 FIP in 10 starts overall) vs. Matthew Liberatore, LHP (5-9, 5.15 ERA, 1.522 WHIP, 4.70 FIP)
Saturday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-1, 3.50 ERA, 1.218 WHIP, 3.95 FIP) vs. Michael McGreevy, RHP (4-9, 3.64 ERA, 1.222 WHIP, 4.25 FIP)
Sunday: 2:15 p.m. CT, ABC-TV (full national broadcast, no blackouts). Also available streaming on the ESPN App (subscription required).
Prediction
The Cardinals just took two of three from the Phillies at home, but the Phillies have been in a slide in general lately, while the Cubs have been hot. That should be enough for the Cubs to take two of three here.
Up next
The Cubs host their crosstown rivals, the White Sox, in a three-game series at Wrigley Field beginning Monday evening.
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (61-55) won 4-1 (BOX SCORE)
Alexander started for Sugar Land and pitched well allowing one run over 6 innings while striking out 8. The offense got on the board in the 6th inning on RBI doubles from Brooks and Cole. In the 7th, Alexander added a 2 run double to extend the lead. The bullpen was solid tossing 3 scoreless innings as they closed out the 4-1 win.
Jason Alexander, RHP: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K (WIN)
Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (SAVE)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (52-59) lost 5-1 (BOX SCORE)
Gillis started for the Hooks and allowed a run retiring just two batters before being pulled. He was relieved by Swanson who allowed 3 runs over one inning of work. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Janek RBI double. The bullpen allowed another run and the offense was unable to score again as the Hooks fell 5-1.
Hudson Leach, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
A+: Asheville Tourists (37-72) lost 8-3 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville got on the board in the first inning on a Thomas lead-off home run. After the Emperors scored two runs in the second inning, Asheville responded with one on a Powell RBI single. Shoemaker tossed two hitless innings as the starter, but allowed two runs as he walked five. Cruz struggled in relief allowing 5 runs over 2.2 innings. Asheville got a run back in the 7th on a Powell RBI single but that was it as Asheville fell 8-3.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (56-52) won 7-4 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the first inning scoring two runs on a Luciano 2 run double. They got two more runs in the 2nd inning on a Ramirez RBI single and a run on a fielder’s choice. Verdugo got the start and pitched well, allowing three runs, two earned, over 5.1 innings while striking out six. The offense responded with three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning on a walk to Ramirez and two runs scoring on wild pitches. The bullpen was solid allowing one run over 3.2 innings as they closed out the 7-4 win.
Note: Fielder is hitting .278 with the Woodpeckers.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Franklin Arias #19 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a photo during the 2026 All-Star Futures Game player photoshoot at Philadelphia Marriott Downtown on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Georgia Soares/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Woo Sox pounded out 10 runs and 13 hits on Thursday night in an emphatic victory over the Bisons (TOR). Franklin Arias led the way with three hits, three runs, two RBI, and his fourth home run at Worcester. He has 23 home runs and 70 RBI in 90 games combined in the minor leagues this season.
Franklin Arias solo shot.
The Boston Red Sox prospect is 3-for-4 with a double (4), a homer (4), and two RBI (17) in Triple-A tonight. 23 total homers on the season. pic.twitter.com/VIufQuVx7G
The chirping is getting louder on social media, asking for Arias to get the call in 2026. Unfortunately, with the looming lockout, it’s difficult to see top prospects who are not on the 40-man roster getting the call this season. Minor leaguers will still be able to play next year if the lockout spills into the season, and Arias doesn’t need to be protected from the Rule Five draft until after 2027.
I know that we don’t shout out the Triple-A players in their thirties too often, but it’s easy to forget how recently Mickey Gasper played a significant role with the major league team. Gasper had two doubles and an RBI on Thursday, and his slash line in 233 plate appearances at Worcester this year is .340/.451/.571, with a 161 wRC+. The guy shows up for work every day and will be ready for the call when needed. I expect to see him hitting .300 somewhere at the age of 40.
Kristian Campbell also had a couple of doubles to stay hot, and Nathan Hickey had two hits, three RBI, and finished the game on the mound (allowing two runs).
Gage Ziehl (1-0, 0.00) will get his second start since being promoted to Worcester on Friday at 6:45.
I’ve looked at quite a few line scores in my day. It’s not often that I see a “6” in the final column of a professional baseball game.
That seems suboptimal when trying to win a ballgame. Believe it or not, five of the six Binghamton (NYM) runs were unearned, with starter Hayden Mullins allowing one earned over five innings and striking out eight. Miguel Bleis and Johanfran Garcia each hit solo homers, with Brooks Brannon contributing three doubles on the day.
The Sea Dogs have yet to name a starter on Friday at 6:00.
Hub City Spartanburgers 6, Greenville Drive 3 (BOX)
The Drive were never really in this one, as the Spartanburgers (TEX) went out to a 6-0 lead after six innings. Starter Jacob Mayers allowed one earned run over 3 2/3 innings but was saddled with the loss.
DH Ronny Hernandez homered in the loss, his twelfth, and had both of the team’s RBI. Yophery Rodriguez contributed two hits as well.
Jason Gilman (0-1, 5.40) gets the ball on Friday at 7:05.
The RidgeYaks got off to a tough start against the Shorebirds (BAL), who tallied five runs in the bottom of the first to chase starter Williams Montero from the game. Reliever Berny Ortiz calmed things down in relief, throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings.
At the dish, Andruw Musett had two doubles and three RBI, accounting for all three of the Salem runs on the day.
On Friday, Leighton Finley (6-4, 4.87) will take the mound at 7:05.
The game returns to San Francisco for the first time since 2007, and commissioner Rob Manfred has acknowledged the relatively quick return to the Bay Area for the big game would boost the chances MLB players could toggle from the All-Star break to the Summer Games in Los Angeles, with the baseball portion held at Dodger Stadium.
Creating a multiple-week block of high-ratings exhibition baseball will result in a longer midseason shutdown, but players have expressed interest in participating in Olympic ball. Their participation has become a bargaining point in negotiations with the league ahd the MLB Players' Association during collective bargaining talks.
This will mark the fourth All-Star Game in San Francisco, with the first two held at Candlestick Park. The 2027 game will be at Chicago's Wrigley Field, while Toronto, Baltimore and Boston have expressed significant interest in hosting games in the near future.
The Milwaukee Brewers (75-47) stormed back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (73-49), 5-4. Milwaukee scored three runs in the ninth inning rallying Edwin Diaz out the game.
After seven-straight losses, Los Angeles is 4-2 in the last six games. The Dodgers are batting .222 in that span (22nd) with 23 runs scored (15th). The pitching has held Los Angeles together lately. The rotation has posted a 2.95 ERA (5th) with the fourth-most strikeouts (54), and eighth-ranked OBA (.203) in those six games.
Milwaukee snapped its three-game losing streak with the comeback win on Thursday. The Brewers were swept by the Padres, losing two games by one run, so it's fitting they won by one against the Dodgers. In August, Milwaukee has a 3.78 ERA (14th) as a team and batting .218 (24th). The Brewers offense has scored 45 runs over 13 games, which is tied 18th with the Pirates.
Let’s dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Brewers at Dodgers
Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: 10:10 PM EST
Site: Dodger Stadium
City: Los Angeles, CA
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Brewers at the Dodgers
The latest odds as of Friday:
Moneyline: Los Angeles Dodgers (-181), Milwaukee Brewers (+168)
Spread: Brewers +1.5 (-137), Dodgers -1.5 (+114)
Total: 7.5
Probable starting pitchers for Brewers at Dodgers
Friday's pitching matchup (August 14): Robert Gasser vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Shohei Ohtani is batting .298 to start August (14/47) with three home runs
Mookie Betts is hitting .282 in August (11/39)
Kyle Tucker is hitting .243 in August (9/37)
William Contreras is hitting .116 in August (5/43) with eight strikeouts and seven walks
Jackson Chourio is hitting .284 in August (13/46) with four home runs
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Brewers at Dodgers
Los Angeles is 50-72 ATS, ranking third-worst
Milwaukee is 63-59 ATS
Los Angeles is 64-57-1 to the Under
Milwaukee is 67-52-3 to the Under, ranking fourth-best
Los Angeles is 21-39 ATS at home, ranking second-worst
Milwaukee is 28-28 ATS on the road
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Dodgers and the Brewers
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Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Dodgers and the Brewers:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Brewers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Brewers at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Under on the Game Total of 7.5
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A season after the Mets (and every other team but the White Sox) passed on slugging Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, New York is showing interest in reigning NPB MVP Teruaki Sato.
It hasn't yet been confirmed that the star third baseman will be posted by the Hanshin Tigers this offseason, but Jorge Castillo of ESPN reported in May that teams are "preparing" for Sato to be available.
Sato, 27, hit .278/.345/.579 with 40 home runs, 34 doubles, and 102 RBI in 139 games in 2025 for Hanshin.
He's taken it up a notch this season, slashing .318/.404/.622 with 27 homers and 28 doubles in 103 games, though he has struck out 116 times.
Sato would very likely have to slide over to first base in a world where he lands in Queens and Bo Bichette doesn't opt out of his contract.
New York's current in-house options at first base for next season include Jared Young and Jorge Polanco. But Polanco has been abysmal at the plate this season, with his Achilles issue limiting him to DH duties since he returned from the IL.
Regarding Bichette, he has opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season. However, it's difficult to envision him exercising it this offseason, with him set to get an AAV of $42 million in both 2027 and 2028.
Bichette has been a lot better since his tough start, hitting .307/.349/.458 (.807 OPS) with seven homers and 11 doubles in 232 plate appearances dating back to June 11. But his OPS for the year is still just .690.
As far as Sato, Heyman notes that the Yankees, Dodgers, and Phillies are also "linked" to him.
Sato continued his huge season on Thursday night, when he crushed a 480-foot homer.
It was a day of high-scoring wins across the three highest levels of the Dodgers minor league system and a blowout loss for the Tower Buzzers.
Player of the Day
It had been a while since the name of James Tibbs III was mentioned in the running for Player of the Day. Yet here he is once again, the standout player in the Comets’ blowout win at home, hitting two home runs.
Tibbs hadn’t hit multiple long shots in the same game since the end of May, and with his four RBI, the corner outfielder moved to a team-leading 88 on the season.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
In one game, James Tibbs III hit more home runs (2) than he had since the start of July, commanding a great Comets effort in a 9-to-3 win over the Isotopes. Also pitching in on the power department, Zach Ehrhard and Ryan Ward both left the yard in this win.
Settling in nicely after nearly two years away from the mound, Gavin Stone was terrific, with a solo homer being the only hit he allowed in three innings of work, punching out five. Kyle Hurt and Ben Casparius also had scoreless appearances, with the former earning the win.
Gavin Stone strikes out his final four batters to end his second rehab start🔥
Capitalizing on big rallies of seven and four runs in the third and sixth innings, respectively, the Drillers beat the Travelers 11 to 8 despite getting out-homered two to nothing. Elijah Hainline was a key factor in both of those innings, driving in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run single in the sixth.
Elijah Hainline with a clutch 2-run single and the Ranch Dippers have taken back the lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5CxrZQkzLV
Tulsa starter Zach Root’s six earned runs allowed were the most he has had all season long, coughing up a 7-1 lead alongside reliever Myles Caba. However, Carson Hobbs, Kelvin Ramirez, and Lucas Wepf were able to shut things down in the backend of the bullpen with a combined 5.1 scoreless innings to give the offense enough time to retake the lead.
High-A Great Lakes
Scoring seven of their eight runs in the first two innings, the Loons built enough of a cushion early on to earn the win over the Cubs. Leadoff hitter Charles Davalan started things off with a solo shot and added another one in the fourth, the only two homers that the Loons hit.
Adjusting well to his time in High-A, Mairo Martinus was another key performer offensively with a pair of doubles—the only Loons player with multiple RBI besides Davalan. Across two levels this season, Martinus has a .890 OPS in 102 games.
The Cubs slowly but surely built a comeback effort against Sterling Patick and Justin Chambers, but Davis Chastain got the job done in the ninth to earn the save, his fifth of the season.
Single-A Ontario
When your leadoff hitter strikes out three times in just four at-bats, that’s probably a sign of a struggling offensive effort, such as it was in the Tower Buzzers’ 10-2 loss against the Quakes. Ontario’s offense was dominated by starter Derek Clark, who struck out 12 through seven innings of two-run ball.
Take the contributions of Brayan Vergara to close the game as well, and the Tower Buzzers struck out 17 times. On a positive note, though, Joendry Vargas left the yard for his 10th homer of the season; no surprise it was a solo shot given the Tower Buzzers’ offensive struggles in this one.
Transactions
The Loons activated catcher Anson Aroz off the injured list and placed right-hander Hyun-Seok Jang on the IL. The Tower Buzzers activated right-hander Mason Estrada off the IL. The Dodgers sent righties Jonathan Hernández and Landon Knack to Triple-A, and the Comets were also assigned catcher Chadwick Tromp.
Thursday’s scores
Oklahoma City 9, Albuquerque 3
Tulsa 11, Arkansas 8
Great Lakes 8, South Bend 6
Rancho Cucamonga 10, Ontario 2
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Isaac Ayon) vs. South Bend (Alfredo Romero)
5:00 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Luke Fox) vs. Arkansas (Kade Anderson)
5:05 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Tyler Glasnow) vs. Albuquerque (Mason Adams)
6:30 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Rancho Cucamonga (Mikey Cascino)
DETROIT, MI - JULY 10: Catcher Rafael Marchan #13 of the Philadelphia Phillies during a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on July 10, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Scranton/WB 5, Lehigh Valley 1
IronPigs had a bullpen game and it showed. Tucker Davidson gave up four runs and took his 5th loss of the season. The offense was held to just 4 hits on the game and 3 walks. Rafael Marchan was rehabbing the game and went 1 for 2 at the plate. His mid-game replacement Payton Henry had the lone RBI, a force-out where the bases were loaded. The IronPigs were 0 for 8 with RISP.
Reading 6, Chesapeake 4
27 year old starter Adam Seminaris has put up a nice little season with Reading this year, his first year with the organization after being a 2020 5th round pick of the Angels. He has a 3.24 EA with 131 strikeouts in 111 innings pitched. Raylin Heredia hit his 20th HR of the season, a solo shot, and relative newcomer Wuilfredo Antunez (signed back on July 17th) hit his first HR with the org and 13th overall on the season. Heredia also picked up stolen bases 18 and 19, setting himself up for a nice 20/20 soon.
Brooklyn 6, Jersey Shore 1
Sam Highfill takes the loss, his 5th of the season, and has had a very bad time since being called up to High-A. His ERA has has ballooned to 5.83 over 66.1 IP. Meanwhile, the BlueClaws offense was held to 5 hits and went 1 for 12 with RISP. Devin Saltiban had two hits among those five.
Fort Myers 10, Clearwater 4
Always fun when you outhit the opposing team 13 to 9 and still lose the game and that is what happened here. Only two of those hits were for extra-bases. Starter Sean Youngerman gave up 4 of the runs (3 earned) and took his 6th loss. Catcher Macon Winslow had a multi-hit game, the first of his young professional career and is riding a 3-game hitting streak (he also had a throwing error and passed ball…).
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 13: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox hits a grand slam during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on August 13, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Bombers took a painful 1-0 loss on Thursday at the hand of the Mariners. They mustered just one hit against Seattle, wasting a very solid effort from Max Fried, as they drop to 6.5 games out of first place in the East. As something resembling a silver lining, they were far from the only contender in the AL to be shutout on Thursday, as quality pitching was abundant around the league on a short day. With a disappointing contest for the Yankees behind us, let’s take a look at some of the other action around the Junior Circuit.
Boston Red Sox (65-56) 7, Toronto Blue Jays (59-64) 0
The Red Sox scored in the top half of the first inning on Thursday, and never looked back. Willson Contreras’ RBI double had them up early, and it was left-hander Payton Tolle’s game from that point on.
Boston’s 23-year-old lefty enjoyed one of the best starts of his season against Toronto, as he tossed eight strong shutout innings, striking out four batters and surrendering just two hits. Until the offense broke out late in this one, it was Tolle’s excellence on the mound that had Boston rolling.
The Red Sox lead remained at just 1-0 until the eighth inning, when they loaded the bases with a pair of singles and an intentional walk. Caleb Durbin made the absolute most of the opportunity, when he belted a grand slam into the Jays’ bullpen in left field.
Now up-5-0 in the ninth, Boston added some insurance thanks to a sacrifice fly from Masataka Yoshida, and another RBI off the bat of Durbin. Greg Weissert finished things off on the mound after Tolle’s eight innings of work, as the Jays a pair of hits in the scoreless affair. With the win, the Sox maintain their cushion in the wild card race.
Detroit Tigers (60-61) 3, Cleveland Guardians (59-63) 0:
Despite all of the selling taking place at the deadline, the Tigers netted another win on Thursday, and actually have hold of the final wild card spot in the American League. They took the lead in the third inning, thanks to a timely ground out, but would later add on to their total with a homer from Eduardo Valencia and an RBI from Spencer Torkelson. Most importantly, starter Keider Montero worked 6.1 scoreless frames, while the Detroit bullpen continued that trend to keep the Guardians out of the run column for the day. With no Tarik Skubal or Casey Mize, the Tigers still find themselves very much involved in the playoff hunt.
Cincinnati Reds (58-62) 9, Chicago White Sox (62-58) 8:
Elsewhere in the Central, the White Sox dropped a tough one in a slugfest at home. The Reds jumped out early, with homers from Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suárez putting them up three runs in the first inning. The White Sox countered with help from some big hits off the bat of Randal Grichuk, whose double gave them the lead in the second inning, but the Cincinnati bats would not be silenced. The Reds plated six more runs between the third and the sixth, which included another long ball, this one from Tyler Stephenson. Chicago did what they could to stage a comeback, initially down 9-5, when a pair of big hits in the ninth cut the lead to just one, though they couldn’t ultimately complete the comeback.
Los Angeles Angels (48-74) 7,Texas Rangers (60-62) 0:
The Angels jumped on the trend of tossing shutouts, doing so against Texas late on Thursday. All nine Los Angeles hitters tallied a hit in this one, including three each from Mike Trout and Denzer Guzman, who played big roles in the seven-run output. All the while, Walbert Ureña and the Angels’ bullpen kept things in check and the Rangers out of the run column. With the Tigers winning, the Rangers drop to a half-game out of the wild card with their loss.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 8: Former San Francisco Giants player Buster Posey waits in the dugout before the Wall of Fame pregame ceremony at Oracle Park on August 8, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rosalind Adams at The City Reporter broke news that the Brooklyn Cyclones withheld tips from concessions stand employees. The Cyclones are owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings, the company that has purchased several minor league teams in recent years.
Although Shohei Ohtani’s contract stipulates that he could opt out in the event of a sale of the Dodgers, Alden Gonzalez at ESPN reports he would likely stick with the organization in that scenario.
Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) celebrates his solo home run during the sixth inning of their National League Championship Series game against the Milwaukee Brewers October 14, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
On Thursday, MLB Pipeline rleeased its newest prospect rankings, including the overall top 100, as well as new top-30 rankings for each individual club.
Here’s how the Arizona Diamondbacks made out after this latest update. It’s not exactly ideal.
Corbin Carroll added another extraordinary accomplishment to his growing résumé Wednesday night, even if the Arizona Diamondbacks could not give him a victory to celebrate. Carroll hit the 100th home run of his career and added his 57th triple during Arizona’s 6-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field. By reaching those marks in his 606th career game, the Diamondbacks star became the first player in MLB history to record at least 100 home runs, 50 triples and 100 stolen bases within his first 650 games.
He also became only the second player to reach all three totals within his first 700 games. The other was Willie Mays. That is rare company for any player, let alone one who is only 25 years old.
Schwarber wasted no time making his mark on the MLB Field of Dreams Game presented by John Deere, blasting a leadoff home run into the corn beyond the right-field wall. But he wasn’t done yet — the Phillies’ slugger then went back for seconds just a few innings later in the Phillies’ 7-1 victory over the Twins.
It’s perhaps only fitting that the player who leads the Majors in home runs (37) also leads in home runs to land in a cornfield (two).
On Wednesday, PCA had a game-tying RBI double and then scored on a go-ahead home run in a Cubs win, while Ohtani hit a go-ahead home run in a Dodgers win. The Dodgers are 73-48 and the Cubs are 71-50, both within close range of the best record in baseball.
It’s only August, of course, which means both players have six weeks to continue building their résumés. But there’s another interesting wrinkle in the race: does Ohtani pitch again during the regular season? And if so, how much does he actually pitch? On that front, there’s been movement. Sort of.
An underdog career on the least underdog of teams culminated in Muncy becoming the all-time leader in home runs at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, hitting his 131st in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. He had entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Miguel Rojas and lifted a 426-foot homer off Brewers reliever Antonio Senzatela.
SAN DIEGO, CA - OCTOBER 08: San Diego Padres mascot Swinging Friar poses for a photo prior to Game 3 of the Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Padres are 16-9 since the All-Star Break. The Guardians are 8-17. Something’s gotta give! The unstoppable force vs. The easily moveable object!
The Padres are 65-57 with a +1 run differential, 19th in team wRC+ at 97, sixth in baserunning runs above average at 5.5, sixth in Defense at -0.5, 26th in starting pitcher ERA at 4.62 (4.65 FIP), and fifth in bullpen ERA at 3.58 (3.70 FIP). Mason Miller and Adrian Morejohn are the best relievers in baseball.
The Guardians are 59-63 with a -30 run differential, 22nd in team wRC+ at 95, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 5, ninth in Defense at -6.2, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.75 (3.92 FIP), and 14th in bullpen ERA at 3.98 (3.87 FIP).
GET TO THE STARTERS OR LOSE.
Matchups:
Friday, 7:10PM ET: Williams, RHP 3.55 ERA vs King, RHP 3.37 ERA
Saturday, 7:10PM ET: Probably Randy Velazquez, 4.80 ERS vs. RHP Cantillo, LHP 3.91 ERA vs.
Sunday, 1:40PM ET: Bibee RHP 3.99 ERA vs. Mize, RHP 3.38 ERA
The Padres are led by Luis Campusano 161 wRC+, Luis Rengifo 148 wRC+, Tyler France 140 wRC+, Samad Taylor 134 wRC+, Fernando Tatis Jr, 116 wRC+, and Will Wagner 113 wRC+.
The Guardians are led by… well. You know the story. Chase DeLauter, Steven Kwan, Angel Genao, Nate Lowe, And Jo Adell are about all we have to offer right now in terms of hitters getting on base. But Jose did hit the ball hard that last game. Surely some of those hits have to fall.
Have some pride, guys. Show some fight. Win this series
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 14: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets and CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals speak during the second inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fresh off their best road trip of the 2026 season, the New York Mets (53-69) return home to take on the Washington Nationals (59-63). The Mets have dropped four out of the seven games they’ve played with the Nats so far this year, including dropping two out of three to conclude the month of April. The two sides also split a four-game set in D.C. back in May. They’ll square off one more time after this, in the final series of the season.
The Mets had a somewhat disappointing end to their road trip, dropping the final two games to the Braves to finish off their trip 6-3 after starting off with wins in six of their first seven games. Nevertheless, they fared quite well against three teams that one could reasonably say are in contention (the Braves moreso than the Guardians and Pirates at the moment). They burst out for five runs in the first inning of this last series, punctuated by a Brett Baty grand slam, and then held on for an 8-5 win on Monday.
Beyond that, after scoring seven runs in the first three innings in Atlanta, they managed just four in the final 24 frames, and ended up dropping the last two games, 4-0 on Tuesday and 6-3 on Wednesday. In the latter, the club managed three solo homers, one apiece from Luis Torrens, Luis Robert Jr., and Bo Bichette, but could not piece much together after getting shut out in their Tuesday loss. On the bright side, their young pitching held up quite well in the heat of Atlanta, historically one of the toughest places for the Mets to play. After an uneven outing from Christian Scott in Monday’s win, both Nolan McLean and Zach Thornton offered up quality starts in defeat.
But beyond the pitching, the offense was really the story on this road trip. It was really a tale of two sets of games for New York, which I suppose is not surprising: In their six wins, they plated 50 runs, and in their three losses, they scored just three, which included shutout losses in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Since August 4, the Mets have scored hit the most home runs of any club (17), have the second-highest wRC+ (130), own the third-highest OPS (.830), and have scored the third-most runs (53). Much like last August, the bats have heated up with the warmer weather.
There were three players who really shined on this most recent trip, starting with Luis Torrens. While only playing five games, he led the club with three homers and slashed .462/.563/1.154 (tops in each category) with a team-best 346 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR. Unsurprisingly, Carson Benge has been the catalyst for the club, hitting .394/.444/.667 with two homers, seven runs scored, six runs batted in, and a 207 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR across eight games. Bichette, who homered in yesterday’s loss, also had himself a nice trip, hitting .361/.439/.451 with two homers, six runs scored, eight runs batted in, a 192 wRC+, and 0.6 fWAR while playing all nine games.
The Nationals have shocked everyone by having one of the best offenses in all of baseball despite only one plate appearance from someone over the age of 29. They are incredibly young with some incredibly talented bats, though their pitching has kept them out of the race for much of the season. However, yesterday’s 7-0 win against the Cubs was a combination of solid hitting mixed with stellar pitching, as Cade Cavalli took a no-hitter into the seventh before relinquishing a hit. The victory helped Washington avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cubs. The Nats have won four of six heading into this series.
The Nationals lead all MLB teams in runs scored (622), home runs (177), and stolen bases (134), while their .769 OPS is also tops in baseball. It’s something that very few people could have reasonably predicted heading into this season, but the Nationals, with their young core, seem to have a bright future. CJ Abrams has led the charge, especially following the All-Star break, when he’s hit .311/.376/.642 with nine homers, 20 runs scored, 24 runs batted in, nine steals, a 175 wRC+, and 1.4 fWAR. Needless to say, he leads the club in every one of those categories since mid-July. James Wood, on the other hand, has struggled since the break and recently landed on the IL with an oblique strain. It was revealed that he won’t return this week, meaning the Mets won’t see him this weekend. Before his injury, he was hitting .191/.296/.324 with a 70 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR since the break.
Friday, August 14: Robert Stock vs. Andrew Alvarez, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX
Stock’s second start with the Mets this year did not go quite as well as his first. After allowing just one earned runs on three hits in five innings against the Marlins on August 2, he was tattooed for eight earned runs on nine hits over three-plus frames against the Pirates. Besides the nine hits, the big difference between the two starts can be found in the ‘walks’ column, as he issued five free passes against Pittsburgh after not walking a single batter against the Marlins. Andy Green noted that he would remain in the rotation, though another start like his last one likely will test that resolve.
After posting a 2.31 ERA in five starts for Washington last year, the 27-year-old Alvarez has been strong yet agains for Washington. He’s made 17 appearances, including nine starts, and has a respectable 3.76 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 69 1/3 innings. He’s also been strong in August, allowing just three earned runs on six hits over 11 2/3 innings in his two starts against the Phillies and Reds. He’s faced the Mets twice in his career—he picked up his first loss against New York after allowing six runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings last September, and he earned his first career save against New York after going four innings and allowing two earned runs on two hits back on May 20 of this season.
Saturday, August 15: Sean Manaea vs. TBD, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY
Manaea turned back the clock in his last start, giving the team an incredible outing the likes of which they had not seen since 2024. The left-hander struck out a season-high 11 over seven one-run innings. The best part was that he did not walk a single batter, only the second time this season that he accomplished this feat in a start. velocityHe has now struck out 18 and allowed three earned runs over 13 innings in his last two starts. He also has experienced an uptick in his velocity, which is a great sign. He threw 13 pitches of at least 94 mph in his last two starts after not doing so at all this season and routinely topping out below 90 mph in the early stages of the year. In a lost season, Manaea’s resurgence has been a really nice story to watch.
TBD
Sunday, August 16: Christian Scott vs. Jake Irvin, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY
Scott’s last start was a bit up and down. He only lasted four innings and ran up a pretty high pitch count, which resulted in him getting lifted early. He was charged with four earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one. Over his last two starts, he’s allowed seven earned runs in nine innings, though the Mets have won both contests. On the bright side, he’s struck out 13 while only walking three in these two outings. Scott’s development over the past few weeks of this season will be one of the most important things to watch for the Mets.
Irvin is making his fourth start after returning from a two-month long IL stint with a right shoulder strain. It’s been a rough go of it since his return, as the righty has allowed 12 earned runs on 10 hits over 13 2/3 innings. He’s struck out eight in these three outings while walking six and surrendering four home runs. Irvin had a really rough season even before hitting the shelf in May, and will look to get back on track and end the year on a high (and hopefully healthy) note.
