Category: Baseball

The Atlanta Braves are looking to stop a two game skid and secure a win against the Washington Nationals behind Grant Holmes who could surpass 130.0 innings on the season with his start today. Brad Lord will be pitching for the Nationals and all four of his starts have been in the opening capacity.

The goal for the Braves will hopefully be to get to Lord as fast as possible to get the the subpar Nationals bullpen that has the third worst ERA in MLB this season. The Braves need to win games they are supposed to win to stay in first in the NLE, and this is one of those games.

Follow along in the comments.

Lineup

Preview

After the new kids led the Nats to a 9-5 win last night, they have a chance for a mini sweep in this two game set against the Braves. It will not be easy, but the Nats are playing solid baseball lately and get a major weapon back. This has been a good home stand, and now it is time to make it a great one.

James Wood is back! After missing about a month with an oblique injury, the Nats star slugger is back. He is leading off and playing right field. That moves CJ Abrams to the cleanup spot. Abrams is playing second base for a second time today. YoYo Morales will play the field for the first time, getting a start at first base. That moves Andres Chaparro to third and Abi Ortiz to DH. Keibert Ruiz is back behind the plate for this one. Brad Lord will get the start, but all hands will be on deck heading into the off day.

The Braves are only making a couple changes. Mike Yastrzemski will get the start in left field today. Sean Murphy will catch, which causes a chain reaction. Drake Baldwin moves to DH, Ozzie Albies moves to second and Mauricio Dubon is out of the lineup. Grant Holmes will make the start for the Braves who look to salvage a split.

Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 1:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

With Wood back in the lineup, this offense feels complete again. There is just so much more depth now. With Daylen Lile rolling too, this offense is fierce. The Nats are looking to make this a 7-3 home stand. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

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With all-day baseball on tap, there is plenty to dig into across the MLB player propsmarket.

Join me as I break down three of my favorite MLB picks for Wednesday, Sept. 2, including why Jake Burger will light up Jacob Lopez.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Jake Burger	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-103
Rafael Devers	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	-122
Tomoyuki Sugano	Over 3.5 earned runs	+102

Jake Burger Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-103)

Get those burgers on the grill, STAT! This game kicks off early this afternoon, and we are backing Texas Rangers slugger Jake Burger to go over his hits, runs, and RBI prop against Athletics southpaw  Jacob Lopez.

Burger has an elite rating on Batters-Box’s current-season dataset, where he also has nearly 76% arsenal coverage against Lopez’s pitch mix.

The Rangers first baseman has been punishing the ball over his last 10 games, posting a .548 SLG, .765 xSLG and .290 ISO, while generating a 26.1% barrel rate. He has also crushed left-handed pitching this season. Over his last 60 at-bats against lefties, Burger owns a .636 SLG and is still generating a 25% barrel rate.

Lopez has been very solid for the Athletics, but he has allowed more than 70% elevation and a hard-hit rate of nearly 44% to the last 30 right-handed hitters he has faced. Those right-handed hitters also own a .288 xBA and .482 xSLG.

• Time: 2:35 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, RSN

Rafael Devers Over 1.5 hits + runs + RBI (-122)

The third-highest-rated hitter on the day is San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers, who has homered in back-to-back games. Some will argue he should not be touched after going deep in consecutive games, but that ideology is flawed.

So far this season, across 36 elite ratings, Devers has surpassed this prop 58.33% of the time, while going deep more than 25% of the time.

The big fella draws Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler, against whom he has nearly 90% arsenal coverage. The last 60 left-handed hitters Chandler has faced have been producing a ton of hard-hit balls while elevating the baseball at a very high rate. During that stretch, those hitters also own a .389 xBA and .548 xSLG.

Devers has been outstanding over his last 10 games, posting a .789 SLG and .421 ISO while generating a 51.7% hard-hit rate and 17.2% barrel rate.

Despite the offensive explosion from both teams last night, expect Devers to get involved tonight.

Take this down to -130.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SNP, NBCSBA

Tomoyuki Sugano Over 3.5 earned runs (+102)

It is extremely hard to worry about how cold the Baltimore Orioles’ bats have become when Colorado Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano owns a 12.75 ERA and 2.42 WHIP over his last three outings. Plus, he has the worst pitcher rating on Batters-Box today.

Sugano draws a fully elite-rated Orioles lineup with seven elite-rated hitters and two with strong ratings.

In five of Sugano’s last 10 poorly rated matchups, he has allowed five or more runs. It might be more fun to alt this prop up for better value, especially because manager Warren Schaefer gives him a very long leash and rarely pulls him early.

With the amount of power the Orioles’ bats can produce, this is well worth a look today.

Do not pay juice for this prop. We are already asking the Orioles to go above and beyond their first-five runs average.

• Time: 3:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: COLR, MASN

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

 The Houston Astros player development department has named IF/OF Logan Hughes the Astros Player of the Month for August and RHP Alex Santos II the Astros Pitcher of the Month for August.

Hughes, 21, batted .343 (24×70) with 17 runs, eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, 25 RBI, 12 walks, eight stolen bases and a 1.073 OPS in August with Single A Fayetteville. The left-handed hitter has a hit in every minor league game he’s played in since being activated by Single A Fayetteville on August 7 for a 19-game hitting streak. Hughes was drafted by the Astros with the 17th overall pick of the 2026 MLB Draft from Texas Tech University. According to MLB.com, Hughes is rated as the Astros number three overall prospect.

Santos, 24, went 1-0 with a 0.68 ERA (1ER/13.1IP) in August between Double A Corpus Christi (six appearances) and Triple A Sugar Land (four appearances). He also recorded 24 strikeouts, a 1.28 WHIP and a .204 opponent batting average in 10 relief appearances. For the minor league season, Santos has recorded a 3.15 ERA (21ER/60IP) with 93 strikeouts, a 1.38 WHIP and a .216 opponent batting average in 44 relief appearances. The right-handed pitcher was drafted by the Astros with their second-round compensation pick (#72 overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft.

April Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Brandon McPherson

May Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Kellan Oakes

June Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Javier Perez

July Astros Pitcher of the Month: RHP Bryce Mayer

April Astros Player of the Month: C Jason Schiavone

May Astros Player of the Month: C Jason Schiavone

June Astros Player of the Month: OF Drew Brutcher

July Astros Player of the Month: IF Waner Luciano

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Detroit is a live underdog at Polymarket today, so we're riding with them as part of my Tigers vs. Twins prediction.

Yes, the Detroit Tigers are trading at 49 cents today, but should be able to get the best of Dean Kremer, a pitcher they've historically rocked.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Wednesday, Sept. 2.

Who will win Tigers vs Twins today: Detroit Tigers (49%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Detroit Tigers are in need of a bounce-back game after surrendering 26 runs across their first two against the Twins, and they may just get it with Dean Kremer on the mound for the Minnesota Twins.

Not only has he allowed a homer in three straight starts, but this Tigers team also seems to have his number, owning a .303 xBA and .510 xSLGacross 98 plate appearances against him. Now that's a sample size we can get behind.

On the other side, Drew Anderson has been serviceable this year in Detroit, owning a career-best 3.91 xERA and 34.1% chase rate. The Tigers are a live 'dog tonight, trading at 49 cents, and I'd play them up to 54.

COVERS INTEL: Are we about to witness the Gleyber Torres game? He's got a long history against Kremer, going 10-for-31 with three doubles and a homer against him while rocking a .467 xSLG. If Detroit wins, he'll be at the center of the offense.

Tigers vs Twins Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (53%)

The Over has hit in four straight Kremer startsand has cashed in five straight when the Tigers and Twins meet. Yes, the trends are on our side, and they likely won't stop tonight.

Expect Detroit to get the best of Kremer, with the Twins, who have the fifth-highest wRC+ in baseball, doing their part to get us over the line.

Tigers vs Twins home run prediction: Gleyber Torres (9%)

Torres has the deepest history against Kremer to draw from, and at 9 cents, we'll take that type of value to the bank. Owning a respectable .714 OPS in August with a homer already against the righty, we're going to ride with him to take his old friend over the wall. He's undoubtedly the best bang for your buck on the board.

Tigers vs Twins market trends

Here is how the trading volume is coming in on tonight's Tigers vs. Twins matchup at Polymarket, with a slight lean to the visitors as of 5:25 p.m. ET.

Tigers vs Twins weather

It looks to be a perfect night for baseball in Minnesota at Target Field, with temperatures sitting around 77 degrees Fahrenheit under partly cloudy skies.

Tigers vs Twins odds

• Moneyline: Tigers 49% | Twins 52%
• Run line: Tigers -1.5 (38%) | Twins +1.5 (63%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (52%) | Under 8.5 (49%)

Tigers vs Twins trend

The Over is 3-0-1 in the Twins' last four when their opponent scores two runs or less in their previous game. Find more MLB betting trends for Tigers vs. Twins.

How to watch Tigers vs Twins and game info

Tigers vs Twins latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

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

It’s been an awful season for the San Francisco Giants, but there have been a lot of opportunities to reminisce. In July, the team drafted Peyton Bonds. A few weeks later, they traded for Kaeden Kent. Earlier this week, they signed Darren Baker.

And of course, in late July, Jeff Kent was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Giants honored Kent, the five-time All-Star and 2000 league MVP, with a ceremony on Saturday. And while addressing the crowd, a notably softened and more family-friendly Kent embraced his former frenemy Barry Bonds, and commented on how Bonds could still get into the Hall of Fame some day.

It is, of course, absurd that Bonds is not in the Hall, and for now his pathways are closed. But pathways can always change, especially for such an arbitrary institution.

So, be it in a year, a decade, or a century, will MLB’s home run leader make his way to Cooperstown some day?

Left-handed pitching prospect Ben Jacobs was the Detroit Tigers third round pick in the 2025 amateur draft out of Arizona State University. We liked the pick at the time for his fastball shape, strike throwing, and his developing bag of secondary pitches, but there was also a bet placed on his physical projection. With refined mechanics and plenty of good muscle added in his first year of pro ball, Jacobs has already laid all concerns to rest. The draft of Cameron Flukey in the first round of the 2026 draft gives him some competition in terms of top pitching prospect in the system, but Jacobs is certainly high on the list, with a chance to break into national top 100 rankings in 2027.

In our preseason scouting report, we talked about Jacobs’ crossfire delivery, and suggested the Tigers would try to get him moving more directly down the mound to home plate, rather than the closed stride and rotation required to get back on target that was prominent in his college work. Jacobs was basically pitching out of the stretch, so it certainly wasn’t an elaborate move to the plate, but the big crossfire move was squandering energy and forcing him to compensate a lot to locate back on target, especially to his glove side.

As Jacobs told David Laurila of FanGraphs recently, he’s made short work of that requirement. By adding a rock step back toward third base with his lead leg to get him moving into his delivery rather than driving to the plate from a full stop, they improved his rhythm and repeatability and cleaned up his stride direction at the same time. That more direct move has given him more extension to the plate as well, though it only got him to a roughly average level. The delivery adjustments, along with putting on a reported 10 pounds of lean muscle since draft day, have him throwing a consistent 94 mph velocity now, with a little extra in the tank.

The changes to Jacobs’ delivery haven’t just gotten him throwing harder. Because he’s getting further down the mound with his lead leg, he’s throwing from a lower point, giving him a flatter angle to the top of the zone. With around 19 inches of induced vertical break on his heater, those two elements are helping him miss a ton of bats with fastballs along the top of the zone. His command took time to come around after making these changes, and his walk rate was a little high, but he powered right through Low-A Lakeland after just 16 2/3 innings of work in the spring.

Things were tougher in West Michigan. Jacobs was piling up a lot of strikeouts, but the walks spiked against more advanced hitters, and his were hit harder. His first 10 starts for the Whitecaps were a real mixed bag, but in late July and August everything started to come together for him. He started spotting his slider and splitter a little better, and still has a solid curveball to mix in as well. With the improved velocity, shape, and angle to the plate, Jacobs just needed to locate more consistently, and once he did, hitters have done very little against him.

Over his last five starts, covering 26 innings of work, Jacobs has only allowed two earned runs. He’s currently on a streak of three consecutive scoreless outings, and he’s punched out 33 hitters in that span. In his August 12th start against the Lansing Lugnuts, Jacobs did walk five batters in 4.2 innings of work, but he also didn’t allow a hit in that start and struck out seven on the night. In the other four outings on this five start run, he’s walked one batter three times, and two batters once. There’s still work to do in the consistency department, but no one is hitting him right now. He’s surrendered just 10 hits in those 26 innings. His 33.6 percent strikeout rate in the Midwest League is excellent, and this is his first year of pro ball. Jacobs just turned 22 years old back in June.

The improvements in his fastball and better command of it more recently is a big factor in this run, but the splitter is playing a major role as well, drawing a huge whiff rate just short of 50 percent. It doesn’t fall off the table like a classic splitter. Instead it has funky, late tailing action away from right-handers. That’s gotten it mis-identified as a changeup fairly regularly, but Jacobs set the record straight in the Laurila interview.

At this point the fourseamer and splitter are both flashing plus. A little more consistent velo and more importantly, better command of those two pitches will take him a long way. His slider and curveball are solid breaking pitches, and he’s showing some good signs of spotting them for strikes and breaking off slightly sharper versions to get hitters chasing. More often, at least until recently, his command of both has been a little hit or miss.

If hia trendline continues in terms of commanding the whole package and building himself up, Jacobs looks like a future quality mid-rotation starter. If he falls a little short or doesn’t quite prove durable enough to be a full-time starter, he’s still got a nice future as a versatile lefty relief option. It’s been a very successful year for him, and at this point it’s comfortable to put a 45 grade on him, and real optimists may go higher. Jacobs will make one more start this week for a Whitecaps team fighting for its playoff life, which will get him over 90 innings on the year. He should be clear to stretch out to 120-130 innings next season starting at Double-A Erie.

If Jacobs can take the step up to Double-A Erie and throw something like 115-130 innings in 2027, lingering questions about durability, which follow every young pitcher through the A-ball levels, will dissipate. We can hope for a little sharper slider with more work, but at this point the four-pitch mix is already good enough if his command improves a little more. He’s on his way though, and has executed complicated sequences more and more over the past month. Instead of falling back on his fourseamer too much, he’s working backwards more with curveballs and sliders to start at-bats, and then expanding the zone up with his fastball and away from right-handers with the splitter once they’re behind in the count. Jacobs is a much more polished and dangerous pitcher than he was when the season began, and the Tigers have to be pretty thrilled with his progress in year one.

At this point only Cameron Flukey really stands out above Jacobs in the Tigers’ pecking order, and Flukey himself is just getting started. If things continue to go well there’s an outside chance Jacobs could reach Detroit next summer, but for now we’ll keep to a 2028 timetable.

Lázaro Montes’ debut last night got the lion’s share of the attention, but we would be remiss if we did not dedicate some time to another Mariners debut on Tuesday evening: Journeyman lefty Hoby Milner.

In the bottom of the ninth with a five-run lead, Dan Wilson turned to his newest toy in the bullpen. The M’s had signed Milner to a minor league deal on August 31, shortly after the Cubs released him, and brought him up with the expanded rosters on September 1.

Roman Anthony, a lefty, at the plate. Hoby serves up his first pitch as a Mariner: an 85 MPH sinker, hold the sink. Anthony lines it to center for a single.

Jahmai Jones replaces lefty Mickey Gasper, takes a sweeping 77 MPH pitch well outside and scoops an 86 MPH sinker, tasteful sink, way over the Green Monster.

He’s thrown three pitches, given up two runs and cannot be pulled because he has to face a third hitter. He blinks grimly at Eli White and digs in. 78 MPH sweeper a country mile wide. 77 MPH down the pipe; White politely stands still. 79 MPH outside and low this time. At Bat identifies it as a changeup, and I’ll let you do with that what you will. 80 MPH change outside middle; White’s politeness gone, he shoots to kill. Hoby survives, but Wilson steps onto the field. Andrés Muñoz arrives and cleans up the mess with four pitches. No dance for Hoby tonight. It is an inauspicious start for a pitcher who was in talks with Seattle during the off-season. The comments rain down, but you sillies, you waste your words.

You think you can hurt Hoby?

Hoby has been saddled with a David Hasellhoff-inspired name all this life.

Hoby grew up with the fragility of baseball dreams woven into his childhood. His father, Brian, made his big league debut at age 18, played two games and never returned to the majors.

Hoby was a multiway player throughout college until he took a fastball to the eye.

Hoby named his cat Darth Kittypuss because he wanted to make a play on Darth Sidious.

Hoby has raced through the streets in a stranger’s car as his organ failed.

Hoby is on his seventh team in nine seasons, zigzagging across the country and toiling intermittently in the minors for years.

Hoby survived Anaheim in 2020.

Hoby’s overhead pictures depict a shadow that looks closer to kokopelli than a human man pitching.

Hoby has never known a velocity beginning with 9.

You cannot hurt Hoby. Only Hoby can hurt Hoby. And he knows it could always be worse. He’s a perfect Mariner.

Brandon Williamson returns to the mound for the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday to start the series finale against the San Diego Padres. In doing so, he’ll make his first appearance in the big leagues since all the way back on April 29th as a shoulder issue shelved him for the bulk of the 2026 season.

That, of course, is after he missed all of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery. That is on top of him making only 3 appearances during the 2024 season, as injury after injury has set him back at just about every turn.

How he finishes this season will go a long, long way towards the Cincinnati Reds being able to plan for their 2027 starting rotation. To be quite honest, they pretty desperately need Williamson to be a dependable, available option, and it sure seems like he’s going to get the chance to show that’s what he can be down the stretch.

First pitch is slated for an early 12:40 PM ET start. Here’s how both clubs will line up for first pitch:

Worcester: W, 9-1 (BOX SCORE)

With a depleted pitching staff, the WooSox needed an extremely effective outing out of Gage Ziehl and they got it, as Ziehl pitched into the seventh allowing just one run on four hits and didn’t walk anyone. He got those twenty outs with just 73 pitches, and Noah Song and Sam McWilliams kept Buffalo (Blue Jays AAA) off the board. The WooSox were in a pretty close game even with that outstanding Ziehl start until they scored three each in the seventh and ninth innings and turned this one into a laugher.

The bottom four slots of the lineup went 0-for-14, but it didn’t matter because the top four each had multiple hits. Romy Gonzalez hit a home run and Mikey Romero went 4-for-4 with a double. At this point, four years after the infielder went in the first round and a couple short days after some returning players on this year’s Red Sox roster shared a lineup card with Romero, it seems easier to point out reasons why Romero wouldn’t fit organizationally in 2027 and beyond than reasons why he would, but he may at least play a part in a good return in the offseason (or after the lockout) if the front office feels the same way. With Romero being just 22 years of age until January 12, it’s possible other front offices – like the one employing the man who drafted him – may feel the same. Still, there’s something to be said for a resilient infielder who hits to contact and is as good as he is running the bases. Whether that something to be said is ever spoken with a promotion remains to be seen.

Portland: L, 6-4 (BOX SCORE)

Noah Rogers did what most would describe as “shoving” as he also pitched over five innings and struck out seven, though he did give up three runs. Cooper Adams allowed that same amount over the last eight outs, though, and that sixth inning where the guard changed was where the BaySox (Orioles AA) scored five of their six runs. Ultimately, strikeouts did the Sea Dogs in, as they saw strike three 15 times on the night.

Greenville: W, 13-11 (BOX SCORE)

Greenville has now given up eleven runs in each of their last three games and has won two of those games. This includes the opener of the final series of 2026 against the Hot Rods (Rays High-A.) Brady Tygart may have let up seven runs, but he also struck out ten and stayed in the game long enough for a four-run top of the ninth.

This game was bookended by great home runs; Jake Schaffner made this a 5-1 game in the second inning with his first professional home run (he’s not much of a power guy and is more known for contact, so this is a big deal) and Yophery Rodriguez completed a 3-for-4 day with a three-run shot in the top of the ninth. Nazzan Zanetello hit his second home run of the week just for good measure.

Salem: L, 7-8 (F/10) (BOX SCORE)

The day of the Howlers’ trek from Hill City (Guardians A, and “the Hill City” in question is Lynchburg, Virginia, not, to my dismay, Fitchburg, Massachusetts, a truly hilly city deserving of the moniker) ended with the RidgeYaks walking them off and turning a coin flip game into a win in two at-bats. Andrews Opata scored from second on a single, doing what he does best, as he also stole his 54th base of the season earlier on in the contest. Adonys Guzman, the walk-off hero, continues to see the ball very well lately. And, most importantly, the whole team saw the ball well with men on, going 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

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

Good morning, folks, and welcome to the latest edition of Lone Star Ball Reacts.

We all want the Texas Rangers to advance to the World Series from the American League. However, odds are that won’t happen…not because the Rangers are inherently incapable of making the World Series, but because the natural of Major League Baseball, and their playoff structure in particular, is that for every team the odds are they won’t advance to the World Series. Given a choice between a particular team and the field, you’re always going to take the field.

So our question today is, if the Rangers aren’t the team to advance to the World Series from the American League this year, who do you want to see make it and face off against the National League champions?

Cast your vote below…

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Happy Wednesday! We have baseball going on all day! 

Here are my MLB moneyline predictions for today's slate include backing a lot of pricey favorites, which include the New York Yankees.

Before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our MLB picks on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

MLB moneyline picks for September 2

For help understanding Polymarket probabilities, see our odds calculator.

Matchup	Pick
Padres vs Reds	58%
Braves vs Nationals	41%
A's vs Rangers	60%
Orioles vs Rockies	60%
Phillies vs Diamondbacks	52%
Mariners vs Red Sox	44%
Mets vs Rays	62%
Giants vs Pirates	58%
Blue Jays vs Guardians	46%
Tigers vs Twins	52%
Marlins vs Royals	51%
Brewers vs Cubs	41%
White Sox vs Astros	56%
Yankees vs Angels	60%
Cardinals vs Dodgers	31%

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 9-2.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for September 2

Padres vs Reds: San Diego Padres 

Padres win probability: 58%

Reds southpaw Brandon Williamson makes his return since April 29. Prior to his injury, he sported a 6.11 ERA and 1.64 WHIP and was a hard fade every time he was listed as the starting pitcher for this writer.

On the other side, Casey Mize takes the mound this afternoon for the Friars and has been very solid over his last three starts, posting a 3.71 xERA and 1.17 WHIP.

The Cincinnati Reds' bats have come alive as of late, but with Williamson making his first start since the season's infancy, take the road favorites here.

Braves vs Nationals: Washington Nationals 

Nationals win probability: 41%

Statistically, the Braves are back in untrustworthy territory, sporting a sub-100 wRC+, .133 ISO and generating just a 6.2% barrel rate over their last six games. Over their last 21 games, they have been even more lifeless.

This afternoon, Grant Holmes is on the mound, carrying a 5.52 ERA and 1.50 WHIP while allowing a hard-hit rate over 51% in his last three starts.

This should be a great spot for a Nationals lineup that has been crushing the baseball over the last two weeks. Plus, Brad Lord is on the mound, and he has been extremely serviceable for the Nationals as of late.

Take the dog.

A's vs Rangers: Texas Rangers

Rangers win probability: 60%

Despite Athletics left-hander Jacob Lopez being lights-out over his last five starts, the Athletics' bats have gone cold. Meanwhile, the Rangers are on a heater offensively, consistently making hard contact while sporting a 124 wRC+, .350 wOBA and .795 OPS.

Cody Bradford has struggled in some of his recent starts, but he has held it down at home.

Orioles vs Rockies: Baltimore Orioles

Orioles win probability: 60%

Death. Taxes. Fade Tomoyuki Sugano.

Let's keep this short and sweet. You have other games to take a look at.

Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano enters Wednesday with a 12.75 ERA and 2.42 WHIP, while allowing a hard-hit rate above 45%. He has been a punching bag on the mound.

Take the birds.

Phillies vs Diamondbacks: Philadelphia Phillies 

Phillies win probability: 52%

Speaking of punching bags, Diamondbacks starter Jose Cabrera has posted a 6.75 ERA, 5.54 xERA and 1.58 WHIP over his last three starts. On the other side, Andrew Painter has been turning things around, posting a terrific expected ERA across his last five starts.

The Phillies as a whole are in the better spot today, with hotter bats and the better arm on the mound. Solid price for the Phillies today.

Mariners vs Red Sox: Seattle Mariners 

Mariners win probability: 44%

If they want to prove me wrong, fine. I will back them.

The Seattle Mariners have looked outstanding at the dish in Boston, racking up 17 runs over the first two games of the series. Now they draw Patrick Sandoval, who owns a 6.00 ERA, 5.28 xERA and 1.73 WHIP over his last three starts.

The southpaw does force a lot of strikeouts, and the Mariners do strike out a ton, but their bats are simply too hot to fade.

Mets vs Rays: Tampa Bay Rays 

Rays win probability: 62%

Real simple, the Mets own a 62 wRC+, .253 wOBA and .563 OPS over their last six games, while Rays right-hander Griffin Jax has a 1.55 xERA and 0.96 WHIP, giving up little to no hard contact or barrels over his last three starts.

Plus, Justin Hagenman is making his season debut, the hot Rays lineup should feast on his offerings.

Rays or nothing.

Giants vs Pirates: Pittsburgh Pirates 

Pirates win probability: 58%

After both teams scored two touchdowns last night, it is only right to assume we may have a dud on our hands this evening. However, the hometown team should get the job done once again with Bubba Chandler on the mound, who has looked great over his last few starts.

On the other side, Landen Roupp takes the bump with a 5.58 xERA and 1.44 WHIP over his last three starts. The Giants' bats have been heating up over the last few games, but with how poorly Roupp has pitched, the Pirates are my lean.

Blue Jays vs Guardians: Cleveland Guardians 

Guardians win probability: 46%

Let's chase the value. We are fading Dylan Cease and the ice-cold Blue Jays bats.

Over their last six games, the Guardians have posted a 115 wRC+, .336 wOBA and .764 OPS. This evening, Joey Cantillo takes the bump, owning a 2.78 ERA over his last five starts. He draws a Blue Jays lineup that has not been generating much hard contact or barrels for weeks.

Take the dog.

Tigers vs Twins: Minnesota Twins 

Twins win probability: 52%

28 wRC+, .210 wOBA, .448 OPS, .066 ISO.

Those are the numbers the Detroit Tigers have put up over their last six games.

Who cares how bad Dean Kremer has been over his last few outings? The Tigers are sleepwalking.

Twins or nothing.

Marlins vs Royals: Kansas City Royals

Royals win probability: 51%

Despite the Royals coming back down to earth after the heater they were on last week, they are still performing at a higher level than the Marlins. Miami has identical numbers over their last six and 12 games.

Right-hander Eury Pérez has been great, but Noah Cameron has been far better over his last five starts.

Back the home team.

Brewers vs Cubs: Chicago Cubs

Cubs win probability: 41%

“Bu-but Jacob Misiorowski is on the mound tonight.”

Okay?

The Cubs' bats have looked incredible over the last week, as they own an astounding 175 wRC+, .425 wOBA, .990 OPS and .311 ISO.

Cubs southpaw David Peterson does not give a lot of confidence, but with how well the Cubs are seeing the ball, they are worth a sprinkle.

White Sox vs Astros: Houston Astros 

Astros win probability: 56%

Fade Davis Martin.

The White Sox right-hander has not been able to stop a cold over his last five games, posting a sub-10.00 ERA and 1.63 WHIP while allowing a hard-hit rate above 46%.

Astros right-hander Hayden Wesneski has been far more trustworthy, sporting a 3.67 ERA, 3.05 xERA and 1.11 WHIP over his last five.

Houston's lineup has gone cold, but Martin's weak arm should wake them up.

Yankees vs Angels: New York Yankees 

Yankees win probability: 60%

Little juicy for a moneyline price, but with Cam Schlittler on the bump and how well the Yankees have been hitting the ball as of late, they are worth paying the juice.

Plus, the Angels have a 71 wRC+, .271 wOBA, .575 OPS and .063 ISO over their last six games. Right-hander Reid Detmers has been very solid as of late, but trusting this lifeless lineup does not sound fun.

Cardinals vs Dodgers: St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals win probability: 31%

View this from a pure betting perspective, especially with how lifeless the Dodgers' lineup has been as of late.

Why would we pay that much juice for any team to win a regular-season game?

Plus, the Cardinals' bats have been pretty solid over the last week, making a ton of hard contact, far more than the Dodgers.

Ride with the dog.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

LOS ANGELES — John Shoemaker is in his sixth straight year managing the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate and his first year in Ontario after the previous five campaigns with Rancho Cucamonga. He’ll be at Dodger Stadium on Friday night as part of the annual celebration of longtime employees in the organization.

This is Shoemaker’s 50th year with the Dodgers, first as a player from 1977-80 as he was selected in both the MLB Draft and NBA Draft, then as a coach every season since 1981. He was named the Dodgers captain of player development in 2015, and accordingly wears a C on the front of his jersey to this day.

There aren’t many things Shoemaker hasn’t done within the game of baseball, but come October he can check off another box. He will manage the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League.

The AFL is the annual showcase of prospects throughout the game, with six Arizona teams comprised of prospects from five MLB teams each. Glendale, which plays its games at Camelback Ranch, the home of the Dodgers and White Sox, will consist of prospects of those two teams plus the Braves, Marlins, and Pirates.

Among the notes for Shoemaker in MLB’s press release is that he’s had 20 separate winning seasons as a minor league manager and his 1,984-1,864 lifetime record has him third among active minor league managers.

Before the Arizona Fall League begins on Monday, October 5, and runs through November 11, Shoemaker will be busy in the California League playoffs beginning on September 8, as Ontario won the second half in the South Division.

San Diego Padres (73-66) at Cincinnati Reds (66-73), September 2, 2026, 3:40 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Great American Ball Park – Cincinnati, Ohio

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Texas Rangers lineup for September 2, 2026 against the Sacramento A’s: starting pitchers are Cody Bradford for the Rangers and Jacob Lopez for the A’s.

The Rangers have a matinee game today, and are looking to finish off a sweep of the A’s, extend their winning streak to four games, and get back to .500 before the Rays come to town tomorrow for a four game series. It is the last game I will be attending this season. My dad will also be there, and is very disappointed that Cody Bradford is starting, because one of his favorite things to do at the games is marvel at the upper-90s readings on the speed gun on the scoreboard. He lamented last night, “Bradford barely hits 90, doesn’t he?” Such it is for a crafty lefty pitcher.

The lineup:

Duran — CF

Seager — SS

Langford — LF

Nimmo — RF

Burger — 1B

Foscue — 2B

Diaz — DH

Freeman — 3B

Jansen — C

1:35 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -165 favorites.