Category: Baseball

Even the usually stable Martín Pérez couldn’t halt the Braves’ skid that has carried throughout this week’s wild four-city road trip.

A strong few innings by the veteran lefty were derailed by an error he made in the field, causing enough of a tailspin in the aftermath that proved to be too much to overcome in Atlanta’s 4-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday afternoon.

With the loss, the Braves (75-55) have lost five of six games on this road trip and seven of nine games overall. Should the Phillies win their eighth straight game later on Saturday, the division lead would fall to three games.

The Braves opened a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Drake Baldwin worked a leadoff walk, moved to third on Matt Olson’s single and scored on Michael Harris II’s double. But it was something of a chance wasted when Atlanta managed to scrape across just the one run with runners in scoring position and one out after Ozzie Albies popped out and Mauricio Dubón lined out to right.

Still, it was the Braves’ first run scored in the first two innings of a game since last Saturday, no doubt a step in the right direction.

That joy was somewhat short-lived, however, as the Brewers rallied to take the lead in the third thanks to Pérez’s critical error.

The left-hander bobbled a slow-roller back his way to allow Cooper Pratt to reach on a leadoff error. After consecutive fielder’s choices moved the runner to third, William Contreras brought him home with a single to right, tying the game on an unearned run.

That jumped up to three unearned runs when Jake Bauers crushed a two-run homer on the 12th pitch of his at-bat 413 feet to center to give Milwaukee a 3-1 lead. What should have been a 12-pitch inning and a 1-0 lead turned into a 37-pitch inning, leaving Pérez at 74 pitches through three and putting a relative cap on how long his outing could be.

Another extended inning where he allowed one more run — close to best-case scenario after Milwaukee had runners on first and third with no outs — ended Pérez’s outing after just four innings. He allowed four runs (one earned) on four hits, leaving the Braves in a 4-1 hole that felt insurmountable given Atlanta’s recent offensive output.

As it turned out, that instinct proved correct. After three of the first four Braves reached against Brewers starter Logan Henderson, the rookie retired 16 of the final 20 Atlanta batters he faced.

By the time his outing concluded after six innings, Henderson’s tough start was long gone as he held the Braves to one run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Victor Mederos gave Atlanta one scoreless inning of relief, and Brent Suter followed with three shutout innings to give the Braves offense a chance to come to life. But Atlanta couldn’t scrape a run across in the seventh against Chad Patrick, eighth against DL Hall or ninth against Aaron Ashby.

The ninth inning, which the Braves led off with back-to-back singles before Lane Thomas flew out and Austin Riley grounded into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play, summed up the recent slump, which has seen the Braves score two or fewer runs in five of their six games this week.

The Braves will look to avoid their second straight sweep Sunday night in a neutral-site finale against the Brewers at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

The Yankees rallied late after being kept off balance by Dylan Cease, but fell short in their 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx.

New York was no-hit by Cease for 6.2 innings before back-to-back singles knocked the Cy Young candidate out of the game, and picked up a run along the way. A two-run shot by Luis Garcia Jr. off of Tyler Rogers in the eighth cut the Jays' lead to 4-3. Against Louis Varland in the ninth, Jazz Chisholm Jr. led off with a double, but Austin Wells struck out, Jose Caballero grounded out, and Trent Grisham struck out to end the game.

The Yankees' five-game winning streak was snapped and they were out-hit 15-4. New York finished 1-for-12 with RISP and left seven on base. Toronto was 4-for-18 with RISP and left 12 on base.

Here are some takeaways...

-The Blue Jays made Ryan Weathers work early, pushing across a run in the first inning on three hits, with George Springer lacing a one-out single to get Toronto on the board.

Weathers would pitch around baserunners in the second and third, but Toronto put the pressure on the southpaw in the fourth. Kazuma Okamoto led off with a ground-rule double and Ernie Clement reached on a perfectly placed bunt to put runners on the corners with no outs. Charles McAdoo punched a one-out single into center field. After a couple of pitches to Myles Straw, Weathers called for the trainers and left the game with left forearm discomfort. 

Yerry De los Santos came in and got Straw to fly out and, after a walk to load the bases, De los Santos got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out and escape without further damage.

Weathers tossed 72 pitches (51 strikes) in 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out three batters. 

-Going up against Cease, runs would be a premium, but the bats didn't do themselves any favors. They stranded a runner on third with one out in the first two innings. Heliot Ramos (strikeout) and Garcia (strikeout) strandedGrisham in the first, while Chisholm (flyout) andWells (strikeout) left Spencer Jones 90 feet away from homeplate.

The Yankees put pressure on Cease in the fifth after two walks. Caballero smashed a line drive, but the shortstop snagged it and doubled up George Lombard Jr. at second to end the inning. Cease would push his no-hit bid until two outs in the seventh when Chisholm looped a single into right field. That hit made Wells the tying run with two runners on, and the Yankees backstop lined a hit to score the team's first run and chase Cease.

Caballero was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Grisham, but the outfielder grounded out to end the threat and put a bow on Cease's day.

The Cy Young candidate allowed one run on two hits and five walks through 6.2 innings. He struck out eight batters. 

-De los Santos would allow another run in the fifth on a pinch-hit single by Nathan Lukes before giving way to Bradley Hanner in the seventh. Lukes would take Hanner deep in the eighth to give the Jays some breathing room after the Yankees cut their deficit to two runs.

-Guerrero Jr., activated before the game from the concussion IL, went 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Game MVP: Dylan Cease

Without Cease's 6.2 no-hit innings, the Yankees may have been able to complete the comeback.

Highlights

What a play by Jazz Chisholm Jr.! pic.twitter.com/D8rIMP7mpt

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 22, 2026

The Yankees are on the board!

Austin Wells brings home a run pic.twitter.com/NACSbRpZiN

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 22, 2026

Luis Garcia Jr. hits a ROCKET to the second deck! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Gba9dgm35J

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 22, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Blue Jays wrap up their weekend series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m.

Carlos Rodon (4-2, 3.22 ERA) will make his second start since coming off the IL. He'll go up against Jose Soriano (10-6, 3.23 ERA). 

The San Diego Padres desperately needed to get back in the win column. Yes, they occupy the last Wild Card spot. Yes, they’re on a hot streak as one of the best second-half teams in baseball. And yet, it could all come to an end so quickly. The Friars struggled this week in a series loss to the New York Mets. They needed a win like the one they got Friday night.

Ty France got on the board quickly with a towering two-run shot in the first inning. Starter Randy Vásquez wouldn’t need that lead until the fourth inning. He pitched a perfect three frames before running into trouble in the fourth. Vásquez gave up two runs to tie the game before San Diego topped the Minnesota Twins with a four-run fifth inning. That would be enough as Vásquez pitched seven fantastic innings. The righty was in vintage form Friday night. His resurgence would be a massive development for San Diego.

This is another winnable series for the Friars. If they can finish the Twins off tonight and go for the sweep, it would be a huge sigh of relief for the Padres as well as the Friar Faithful. The offense will need to look like it did last night in order to do so, but that order isn’t nearly as tall as it used to be.

Taking the mound

Dean Kremer (MIN) v. Casey Mize (SD)

Kremer is a recent acquisition for the Twins. Minnesota recently traded for the right-hander’s services at the Deadline. Since joining the Twins, Kremer has looked decent. In his first two outings, he gave up just two runs across 12 innings pitched. But, in his most recent appearance, Kremer surrendered four runs over just 5 1/3 innings.

That may bode well for the Friars, as many in the lineup have faced him before. Though sparingly, most of the Padres have seen Kremer’s stuff well in the past. It’s unlikely that will change tonight, and it should give San Diego an edge against Minnesota.

It’s the battle of the Deadline deals with Mize on the other side of the bump. Since coming to San Diego, Mize has looked good in the brown and gold. After having just about the worst debut game ever (8 ER, 3.1 IP), the right-hander has since pitched incredibly for the Friars (2 ER, 12.0 IP). There’s no suggestion that won’t continue against Minnesota tonight.

The Twins have faced Mize before. The righty spent all of his career in the AL Central with the Detroit Tigers before coming to San Diego. That gives veteran players like Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers an edge against the righty. Buxton owns a .348 batting average and 1.087 OPS against Mize (23 at-bats).

Batter up!

The offense was pristine Friday night, with Fernando Tatis Jr. going 3-for-4. As a matter of fact, the top four batters in the order (Tatis, Luis Rengifo, Manny Machado and France) went a combined 8-for-13 with two walks. The rest of the lineup went 1-for-16 with two walks.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Luis Rengifo, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Luis Campusano, C
7. Gavin Sheets, DH
8. Xander Bogaerts, SS
9. Jake Cronenworth, 2B

Merrill has looked worse for wear lately, batting .080 across his last seven games with a blistering 13 strikeouts in 25 at-bats. The center fielder has just started to turn things around post All-Star break. Hopefully he can rediscover the groove he was in sooner rather than later.

Relief corps

Between Michael King’s gem in New York, the off day on Thursday and Vásquez twirling seven innings, the bullpen is well-rested in San Diego. Bradgley Rodriguez and Mason Miller covered the final two innings of the series opener, pitching two perfect frames. Miller struck out all three batters he faced.

That leaves Griffin Canning, Jeremiah Estrada, Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, Adrian Morejon and Wandy Peralta available out of the ‘pen for the Friars. Manager Craig Stammen has plenty of options to turn to once Mize exits the game, though Canning or Hart may be out first if Mize hits trouble early.

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

This week’s question was in regard to a – for now, theoretical – playoff series for the Diamondbacks. Who would we want to start Game 1 in the postseason for Arizona. Right now, there are a number of potential candidates. Brandon Pfaadt has been excellent since his return from Reno (save that last start in Boston!). Eduardo Rodriguez has been the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher overall, since the beginning of the year. And they should be getting reinforcements for the stretch run in a couple of weeks, in the form of Corbin Burnes. A former Cy Young winner should never be discounted, even if ring-rust is an obvious potential concern.

Here’s how you voted.

Brought to you by FanDuel

That was a little bit of a surprise. Fandom is nothing if not reactive: it’s what we do. Lose a game to the Red Sox and social media is full of “season over” comments. Pfaadt’s recent run of success has been so stellar, I was expecting him to be the top pick. However, the SnakePit has taken a somewhat longer term view. Rodriguez may not have been as spectacular as Pfaadt. But there’s probably a better chance of a reasonable outing. After last night, their average Game Scores for 2026 are almost identical: just three-tenths of one point separate them, with Pfaadt on 56.5 and Rodriguez on 56.2. But the latter’s quality start rate is 62%, compared to Brandon’s 46%.

Pfaadt has three starts in his fourteen, where he got an out in the sixth inning, and allowed one or two runs, but wasn’t able to finish the inning to record the QS. Rodriguez has two like that, but that is a much lower percentage of his 26 outings. Though in terms of average innings pitched per start, their numbers are again, very close. Rodriguez is a best on the team 6.0, with Pfaadt just behind at 5.9. The Boston outing was definitely a bit of a reality check, but it’s not as if Brandon was going to pitch to a 1.15 ERA forever. Fingers crossed he can bounce back on Tuesday against the Cubs.

Interesting to note that a double-digit percentage of voters opted to roll the dice on Corbin Burnes. I can see the appeal, and if he proves himself over the last few weeks of the season, there’s a definite possibility he will indeed get the call. He is scheduled to pitch in a camp game this Tuesday, and is expected to throw around 35 pitches. If all goes well, he can then start to ramp up, though it is still going to be significantly into September before he can be considered as a candidate for rejoining the roster. I’d say he’ll need at least three or four more rehab appearances beyond Tuesday, though I’m sure Corbin will be lobbying to make it as short as possible.

Texas Rangers lineup for August 22, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels: starting pitchers are Cody Bradford for the Rangers and Ryan Johnson for the Angels.

Texas will try to win another game today, and it would be nice if they’d score runs before the inning count gets into double digits.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Seager — SS

Langford — LF

Nimmo — RF

Duran — 3B

Carter — CF

Burger — 1B

Freeman — 2B

Jansen — C

6:05 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -165 favorites.

The Nats actually mounted a rare 9th inning comeback last night, but it was not enough in the end. Now they will look to even the series here in Miami. The pitching has been decent enough lately but the injury stricken lineup has struggled. Hopefully they can put together a complete performance.

Usually when there is a righty starter on the mound the Nats load up with lefties, but not today. There are 5 righties in the lineup today. The struggling Dylan Crews is in the 2 spot. Andrew Pinckney and Jose Tena have been put back in the lineup for this one. So has Harry Ford, who will do the catching. Jake Irvin will look to string together a quality start.

game ✌️

→ https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/6CbdfSYDg8

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 22, 2026

The Marlins have two new faces at the bottom of the order. Javier Sanoja and Esteury Ruiz came off the bench yesterday but they will start today. Otherwise it is the same cast of characters as last night. Miami has their young ace Eury Perez on the mound. Perez has been pitching very well lately.

A Baby Goat pitches tonight.

🤝: @PNCBank
📺: https://t.co/pMAEOPHNJ8
👂: @MarlinsRadio, @radiomambi710, 560 WQAM
⏰: 4:10 PM ET
🏟️: Roof status: CLOSED#FightinFish // https://t.co/ZrOdIbYDTIpic.twitter.com/aMJG1CGM1E

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) August 22, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: loanDepot Park

Time: 4:10 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV and FS1

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nats showed some spirit last night, but the team is just a shadow of what it once was. They desperately need a good offensive performance but it will be tough with Perez on the mound. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.

By almost all measures, the Yankees’ decision to roll the dice this past offseason and trade for lefty starter Ryan Weathers has worked out like gangbusters. A talented arm that was once the seventh overall pick in the MLB Draft, Weathers had never thrown more than 95 big-league innings in a season despite debuting at the beginning of the decade. But the Yankees knew that with a rotation as deep as theirs, they could slot him in the back, allow him to flourish with lower expectations, and see what happened.

Although Weathers got off to an uneven start, once the Yankees got to work with him a little more, he turned into quite the steady, productive arm to have in the third or fourth spot of a rotation. On the season, he had a 3.56 ERA and 118 ERA+, and it was a 2.56 ERA from the beginning of July onward. In fact, in the past month, no qualified starter had a better ERA than Weathers’ 0.85. That was, of course, unsustainable, but spoke to how tough Weathers could be to hit at his best. And this was all coming from a guy who was firmly behind Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón on the rotation depth chart.

Weathers has been key to the part of the Yankees that has carried them since Aaron Judge went down at the end of May. Their offense has often been paltry, but the pitching has firmly held up. Now, it must be tested again because the injury bug has finally come at last for Weathers. He left his start on Saturday afternoon against the Blue Jays, mid-at-bat in the fourth. Weathers had allowed two runs on eight hits (granted, some weak contact) with three K’s in 3.1 innings. Out came the trainer …

… and soon, out came the ominous report.

Ryan Weathers left the game with left forearm discomfort and will undergo imaging today.

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 22, 2026

That is, in short, a damn shame. Imaging will reveal more, but the Yankees will no doubt play it carefully with Weathers.

In terms of immediate impact, the Yankees will need to fill Weathers’ spot in the rotation this coming week, particularly with a doubleheader on deck for next Saturday against Boston. Prospect Elmer Rodríguez has come up from Triple-A a few times in 2026 and could very well do so again. The doubleheader might create an opportunitity for spot starter Brendan Beck as well. Luis Gil is rehabbing as a reliever, so he would seem to be out of the equation.

Regardless, the Yankees are undoubtedly hoping these are all short-term solutions, as Fried—who just returned to the IL with another bone bruise in his left elbow—is already throwing in anticipation of a minimum IL stint. The soonest he could get back from the IL is the last series of August, though he’s probably more beholden to a throwing schedule than that. As far as Weathers goes, we’ll just have to see how serious the concern is on the elbow. If it’s Tommy John time, then see you in 2028. If it seems like he could still impact the team in 2026, perhaps it will be time to start using him in the bullpen in anticipation of a possible playoff role there (which was always possible given the rotation depth). That may be the best-case at this point.

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.

There has been plenty of discussion in recent days about the possibility of the San Diego Padres calling up their top prospect catcher Ethan Salas for the postseason push to close out the 2026 season. He has been drawing rave reviews since his promotion to Triple-A with the El Paso Chihuahuas.

In 17 games with the Chihuahuas, Salas has made 64 plate appearances and has recorded 23 hits, giving him a .359 average. Salas has three home runs, a triple, six doubles and nine walks. He has only struck out eight times and. Salas has also driven in 20 runs and scored 11 runs over that span. Salas is just 1-for-3 on stolen base attempts. His defense, which has always been what made him a valuable prospect, has continued to improve in the areas of pitch framing and throwing out runners, although he has allowed some passed balls.

The offensive performance of any prospect at the Triple-A level can sometimes be inflated due to the playing conditions in the Pacific Coast League, but that typically surrounds the power numbers and Salas has hit just three home runs. He has excelled at making contact and driving the ball. It is his offensive success with the Chihuahuas that has got media and fans thinking he might have success at the MLB level. Even Gaslamp Ball’s own Thomas Conroy published an article this week in which he made the case for why the Padres should bring Salas up to the major league roster.

The Gaslamp Reacts Survey poll question this week asked respondents what they thought about a possible promotion for the catching prospect and the majority think he should finish the season at Triple-A.

Not bringing Salas up to the majors might not be the exciting move, but it may be the more prudent move. In the event of a lockout after the CBA expires in December, the Padres organization could not communicate with Salas if he is on the 40-man roster and he would not be able to play in the minors. If there is a lockout and if it does extend into the season, it could be detrimental to Salas’ development. There is also the argument that San Diego should only add Salas if the intention is to play him. The stretch run of the season in which the Padres are fighting for a postseason berth may not be the best time for a 20-year-old catcher to make his MLB debut when you have two veteran catchers who have different strengths and skillsets already in place.

Salas’ time is coming, but the Friar Faithful do not think his time is now.

Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

The sun was out Saturday in The Bronx, but boy was it a dark day for the Yankees.

An afternoon that began with the revelation that Giancarlo Stanton had suffered a third calf strain of the year later transitioned to further bleakness, Ryan Weathers leaving the game with a trainer in the fourth inning.

Weathers threw a second-pitch sweeper to Toronto’s Myles Straw and immediately betrayed that something was wrong.

He looked awkward after the pitch and circled the mound as teammates called toward the Yankees’ dugout.

Manager Aaron Boone and a trainer approached, and after a short talk, Weathers exited with what the Yankees said was forearm discomfort. Weathers will get imaging done later today, the team announced.

The Yankees did not provide an immediate update on Weathers, who left trailing the Blue Jays 2-0 and who left enjoying what has been the best season of his career.

The lefty entered with a 3.56 ERA in 24 starts and pitching better as the season wore on.

The Yankees already are without the injured Max Fried, who threw a bullpen session Saturday.

Remaining in the rotation are Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodón and Will Warren.

The hits keep coming for the Yankees. 

New York has been ravaged by the injury bug of late, and now Ryan Weathers was forced to leave Saturday's start in the fourth inning due to left forearm discomfort.

Aaron Boone didn't have an update postgame, but Weathers is set to undergo further imaging. 

The young lefty was shaken up after throwing an 0-1 sweeper for a ball to Toronto outfielder Myles Straw. 

He took a few minutes after delivering the pitch, then, after a meeting around the mound, made his way to the dugout alongside the Yankees training staff. 

Ryan Weathers leaves the game with a Yankees trainer pic.twitter.com/OEQF4cy9YZ

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 22, 2026

Yerry De los Santos was called upon in relief.

De los Santos allowed Toronto to load the bases with two outs, but was helped out by Jazz Chisholm Jr. to escape the inning without further damage on Weathers' line.

The lefty saw his book close with just two runs allowed on eight hits while striking out three across 3.1 innings of work, but the elbow discomfort is certainly cause for concern.

Losing Weathers for a significant amount of time would be a blow for the Bombers, as he has been spectacular of late, entering Sunday with a 1.94 ERA over his last seven starts.

New York is also already without Max Fried due to a bone bruise in his elbow.

"You never want significant pieces to go down, but that's part of it," Boone said. "We're throwing the ball really well and expect to continue to do that -- if this creates an opportunity in the short term, we've had guys step up all year and we'll need to do it again."

The White Sox are one of the few AL teams to beat as the home stretch of baseball approaches, and a lot of the credit goes to Will Venable. The sophomore skipper has led Chicago to first in the division with a 67-61 record, giving him a huge leg up in this year’s AL Manager of the Year Award. 

But Venable can’t get too comfortable. Two games ahead of the White Sox are the Red Sox, who were 37-47 at the end of June, staring down the barrel of being the biggest disappointments this season but emerged as one of the strongest AL wild card teams since the All-Star break. And interim manager Chad Tracy is receiving high praise for steering the Bosox back into the playoff hunt. Kevin Cash’s unwavering first-place standing with the Tampa Bay Rays the AL East also makes him a formidable MOY frontrunner.

For Venable to win AL MOY, the White Sox must win the division. Here are three things the franchise and Venable can do to secure the AL Central.

Find a pitching diamond in the rough
The quickly-fatiguing pitching staff needs a boost. Since the beginning of August, Venable has been forced to get creative with his permutations of openers, starters and relievers. An arm is an to him, and how you pitch matters more than where in the game you pitch. Venable managed to squeak two wins from games played with only relievers on the bump, but the luck is starting to run out.

Chicago’s pitching needs a hero in September. Luis Castillo has been a stand-up starter since the trade deadline, but the White Sox need more, and there are two possibilities: Davis Martin or Drew Thorpe.

Martin needs to come back from his blistered finger looking like the early Cy Young candidate he was with a 8-1 record from March through May, with a 2.00 ERA, 71 strikeouts, 14 walks, and just three home runs allowed. He was a force to be reckoned with, with command and presence on the mound that made him look a lot older and wiser. Martin’s time off will hopefully be the reset he needs to finish the season strong.

Otherwise, Thorpe needs to be the pitcher’s version of Tristan Peters: An underrated and unexpected workhorse who emerges out of nowhere. Thorpe has been working his way back to Chicago, but timing his return and ensuring he’s ready to dive into the deep end will be challenging. Thorpe only has 22 innings under his belt since 2024, and began his recovery just over a month ago. And he was hardly an experienced hand before TJS, tossing only tossed nine inconsistent games before his injury. Expecting Thorpe to be able to keep pace sprinting while he’s still learning to walk is a tall order, but dropping a series to the Mets would warrant an expedited return. If Thorpe can give the White Sox at least three starts that last into the fifth while giving the team a chance to win, he’ll make a huge impact.

Eliminate silly mistakes
Venable can’t afford another embarrassing mistake. Despite some of his brilliant platoon and pinch-hitting decisions, his naïvité and newness to managing aren’t lost. His least forgiving misstep was losing track of the mound visits in an eventual 8-2 loss to the Guardians on August 7, which forced Noah Schultz off the mound prematurely.

Will Venable took me through what happened with the two mound visits in the first inning that resulted in Noah Schultz having to exit the game. #whitesoxpic.twitter.com/B2MxPSqIfX

— Brooke Fletcher (@BrookeFletcher) August 8, 2026

A smaller but equally-costly error recently committed was not walking Pete Crow-Armstrong leading off the 10th of the first White Sox-Cubs game at Wrigley, with the score tied and PCA’s run having no meaning.

Despite his willingness to take responsibility for his poor decisions, Venable can’t afford another blunder.

Win more games than Boston
Evading a collapse as catastrophic as Detroit’s last year should be the top priority for Chicago. Getting a fair pitcher back and eliminating bad decisions will help, but Venable needs to win games, period. 

Chicago has five divisional series ahead of them, and it can’t be understated how important it is to win them. Winning at least eight of those 16 games is pivotal, although the standard should be much higher.

Also, Venable has to take the winnable games on the schedule. Excluding the Tigers and Guardians, the White Sox face four teams with a .500 record or worse. Winning 10 of those 15 games is table stakes. Setting the bar lower would not be MOY-worthy.

Together, those 18 wins should be enough to at least keep pace with Boston. But if Venable wants to win MOY and finish first in the second-easiest division in the league, he must come out on top of the Red Sox when all is said and done. If the Red Sox win more games than Chicago, Chad Tracy is the obvious MOY choice.

Yesterday, the Milwaukee Brewers became the first team to reach 80 wins with a 2-1 series-opening victory over the Braves and ace Chris Sale.

Things will get a little easier — although not quite easy — against Atlanta’s starting pitcher for today’s game, Martín Pérez. The 35-year-old Pérez doesn’t throw hard (89.3 mph average fastball velocity this year), but he’s hung around in the majors since 2012 thanks to his ability to limit barrels and induce ground balls. He’s having the second-best season of his career, with a 3.15 ERA and 133 ERA+, although — as you might expect from someone with that profile — his 4.14 FIP is quite a bit worse.

On the mound for Milwaukee will be rookie right-hander Logan Henderson, who has a 2.44 ERA through 17 career starts with the Brewers. Henderson has missed some time due to injury in each of the last couple of seasons, but when healthy, he’s been a revelation. He’s made 12 starts this year, pitching to a 2.70 ERA and an even-more-impressive 0.87 WHIP.

Before we get into today’s lineup, I wanted to share some news for those of you who haven’t seen it. When right-hander Brandon Woodruff left Milwaukee in late July, his plan was to undergo shoulder surgery, but his shoulder has reportedly shown remarkably unexpected healing, and his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, is no longer recommending surgery. Given the way Woodruff’s season has gone, it’s hard to fault anyone for not getting too optimistic just yet, but you never know. Even seeing him pitch out of the bullpen before the end of the year would be an unexpected — but pretty great — way for his season to end.

Just talked with Brandon Woodruff, who in a twist didn’t need surgery and will start throwing progression Wed. As he exhausted his options pre-surgery, 4-week scan showed unexpected healing, so he went to Dr. Meister, who said surgery was not recommended. “I’m thankful,” he said.

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) August 22, 2026

Could Brandon Woodruff pitch sometime this postseason? The Brewers are realistic about the challenge that lies ahead, but “it’s possible,” Pat Murphy said. https://t.co/59AHU7SIAX

— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) August 22, 2026

As for the lineup, no massive surprises today. Leading off will be Jackson Chourio, followed by Brice Turang and William Contreras, who went 4-for-4 with an RBI yesterday in a game the Brewers won by one run. Behind Contreras are Jake Bauers, the team leader in home runs with 22, and Andrew Vaughn, starting at first base with Bauers in right field. Rounding out the lineup are designated hitter Christian Yelich, third baseman Joey Ortiz, center fielder Luis Lara, and shortstop Cooper Pratt.

As usual, you can catch today’s game on Brewers.TV, WTMJ 620, and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 1:10 p.m. CT.

Saturday Matinee

📺: https://t.co/eycfmE2vgm
📻: WTMJ

→ https://t.co/mvGXoRMTFSpic.twitter.com/RZprCcUNt5

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 22, 2026

How we're lining up this afternoon ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/wlUprT33gi

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August 22, 2026

The Braves could badly use a win Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee.

They’re 1-4 on their four-game, seven-day road trip this week entering this 2:10 EDT game at American Family Field. The Phillies, meanwhile, have won seven straight games to trim the NL East lead to four games.

Atlanta hopes Martín Pérez (8-7, 3.15 ERA) can return to his normally solid form after a rocky start Monday at the Twins.

Milwaukee is starting rookie right-hander Logan Henderson (7-2, 2.70) in his first career appearance against the Braves.

Tune in on BravesVision, 680 or however you watch/listen to the Braves and see if they can force a rubber match in Sunday night’s series finale at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

Winning is nice. I like winning. Do you like winning? The Yankees have been winning.

With a victory in the Bronx last night, the Bombers have clinched a winning week, and will have two opportunities to make it a perfect week. Meanwhile, the Orioles, whom they just swept, bounced back to beat the Rays for the fourth time this week. That assistance from Baltimore has allowed New York to pull within three games of first place in the AL East.

The Yankees grabbed the initiative in the first of 10 games in this critical late-August homestand, finding more answers than the Blue Jays in a 3-1 win. Cam Schlittler wasn’t his absolute best, but still kept Toronto at bay while a hulking homer from Spencer Jones which just stayed fair proved the pivotal highlight. This Saturday afternoon will feature a familiar matchup on the mound as New York looks to take the series and get their revenge for last weekend.

I’m feeling some personal dèja vu from my last recap, which involved the Yankees playing the Blue Jays—with Ryan Weathers against Dylan Cease as the pitching matchup. That game, if you’ll recall, ended with the ever-so-rare extra-innings win on the road (despite a ninth-inning debacle) which kicked off the current five-game winning streak they find themselves riding. Ben Rice hit a huge two-run homer in the 10th inning to atone for his critical error the previous frame, and the Bombers escaped with a 1-2 split of that weekend’s battle.

Weathers and Cease both pitched brilliantly, but both ended with no-decisions. Cease left on the hook for the loss thanks to a booming double by George Lombard Jr. followed by an RBI hit from José Caballero (and a failed a Matrix choreography shoot). Weathers completed his sixth consecutive quality start with 7.1 innings of one-run ball, continuing his sensational second half. If he continues this roll and the bats meet him halfway, we could be looking at a breezy series win. We’ll see if the Jays have adjusted their approach from then.

It’s a day game after a night game, so there are some changes to announce from last night’s lineup. With the right-handed Cy Young candidate Cease on the hill, Aaron Boone’s card will look more familiar. Trent Grisham goes back to his leadoff spot ahead of Rice and Heliot Ramos. Luis García Jr. and Jones will bat ahead of Lombard in the middle third, then Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, and third baseman Caballero pull up the rear. Hello Kitty will unfortunately not be able to come off the bench today.

For what it’s worth: the struggling Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was placed on the concussion IL the previous weekend, is back in the Blue Jays’ lineup. New Jersey icon Davis Schneider was optioned to make room. Guerrero has obviously played quite a bit better at Yankee Stadium than at Rogers Centre. It’s a shame the latter is his home ballpark.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY

First pitch: 1:35 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet, TVA Sports

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | SN590 THE FAN (TOR)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

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

Saturday at The Stadium.#RepBXpic.twitter.com/rzV9ikh9bq

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 22, 2026

Cease Day 🔥 #BlueJays50pic.twitter.com/RFlkcMo2gb

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 22, 2026

Twenty years ago today, Dustin Pedroia made his major league debut in Anaheim. It was a big moment for Red Sox Nation. The transition from the 2003-2005 Red Sox teams was happening and they were calling up a player who would define the next decade of Boston baseball.

In both the April and June updates to the SoxProspects rankings, Pedroia was the #4 prospect in the system. He was behind legends like Jonathan Papelbon (who would graduate while holding down the closer job), Jon Lester, Craig Hansen, and Jacoby Ellsbury. Hansen aside, that’s quite the top four guys.

Think of the possible back of the bullpen for 2006…

Pedroia was a second round draft pick in 2004 and made it to the majors just about two year later. As a shortstop. Yes, for a time there was a middle infield logjam with Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, and Jed Lowrie. No one knew who would shake out at second base and shortstop. Well, Theo probably knew. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis were taking the other two spots because of another trade. That trade was Hanley finding himself on the Marlins in exchange for Josh Beckett, the aforementioned Lowell, and of course, Guillmero Mota.

The rest of the lineup against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim that August night?

Coco Crisp, CF

Mark Loretta, 2B

David Ortiz, DH

Kevin Youkilis, 1B

Wily (not Fitzy) Mo Peña, LF

Mike Lowell 3B

Doug Mirabelli, C

Gabe Kapler, RF

and of course, Dustin Pedroia, SS.

Seeing Mirabelli listed you probably have a good idea who the starting pitcher was. You would be wrong.

This game was started by Kyle Snyder! Before he became the slow-walking pitching coach of the Tampa Bay Rays he was a pitcher for the Red Sox.

Snyder would be relieved by Kason Gabbard and Manny Delcarman.

Pedroia would be pinch hit for by Manny Ramirez. Manny doesn’t usually pinch hit at all, mostly because he’s in the lineup already. But there he was, ready to go.

The Sox would go on to lose that game but Dustin Pedroia would collect his first hit (a single to center field off Joe Saunders) and go on to have a great career. Starting with his Rookie of the Year the very next season. And an MVP. And three World Series rings.

He wasn’t even #15 yet in 2006. But he was a dirt dog.

Pedroia wouldn’t hit his first home run for a few more games – September 9th 2006 – and since the MLB Filmroom has zero Pedroia moments from his #64 days, I’ve taken the liberty of tracking it down.

Classic Don and Jerry reactions.

I’m sure someday he’ll start appearing as a regular in the Legends Box during Sox games and will get a fantastic response each time.

Can you believe it’s been 20 years? Do you have a favorite memory of Pedroia? A game you were at or watched?