Category: Baseball

Thursday was a rare quiet day across the American League, with just three games going on and only two of them on our radar. The Yankees were one of many that had the day off as they travelled to Philadelphia, so they had nothing to do but see if the Blue Jays could do them a favor and get them a half-game closer to the Rays. Surprisingly, they were up to the task.

Tampa Bay Rays (59-43) 1, Toronto Blue Jays (47-56) 3

The Rays were on the verge of sweeping this four-game series in Toronto, having taken the first three games with Wednesday’s 4-2 result being the only close one compared to two blowouts. Shane Bieber had other ideas in the finale, tossing a gem to give Toronto a chance. He only picked up three strikeouts on the night, but he kept baserunners from running rampant thanks to some good defense and enough soft contact on top of not walking a single batter in his seven innings of work.

Tampa Bay tested him in the first inning, Yandy Díaz leading off with a six-pitch at-bat that led to a pop-up before Jonathan Aranda took a golf swing at a ball down below the zone. He still managed to drive it, going all the way to the warning track in the right-center gap, but Miles Straw had a beat on it from the jump and managed to track it down before colliding with the wall. Junior Caminero lined out, and that clean first inning set Toronto up to do something they’d rarely done all series: take a lead.

Casey Legumina got the start as an opener for the Rays, and he got two quick outs to open the frame. Ernie Clement attacked a first-pitch slider at the top of the zone for a single to start a rally though, and George Springer worked an eight-pitch walk to keep the pressure on. Alejandro Kirk stared at a slider that landed dead-center for strike one and then fought off a couple of heaters well out of the strike zone before getting the slider again, and got another mistake pitch from Legumina. This time he swung, and even though he only got a weak dribbler out of it luck was on his side — Caminero came charging at the ball but couldn’t field it, letting it slip behind him and briefly losing track of the ball. Clement had the play developing right in front of him and never stopped hustling as he rounded third, easily scoring despite the ball never leaving the infield.

The second inning was light work for Bieber, who induced three easy grounders around the infield. Toronto worked a leadoff walk in the bottom half but erased it immediately on a double play, sending us to the top of the third where Tampa saw their first real chance of the game. Bieber started off with two more grounders for outs, but he threw a mistake fastball down the middle to Hunter Feduccia that got ripped to right field for a double. The top of the order was back up and Díaz didn’t get cheated on a knuckle-curve low in the zone, sending a single out to right to tie the game at one apiece. Toronto picked up their pitcher though, responding against the new pitcher Ian Seymour with a leadoff double in the bottom of the third off the bat of Yohendrick Piñango and scoring him on a Springer single to left.

The fourth could have been déjà vu as the Rays made two quick outs before collecting another double, this time off the bat of Jonny DeLuca, but Chandler Simpson flew out on the first pitch to end that threat as quickly as it materialized. Bieber and Seymour traded outs until the seventh inning, when Straw worked a seven-pitch walk aided by a successful ABS challenge. Straw stole second base to put himself in scoring position for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and though the Jays superstar has been having one of the worst seasons of his career he came through with an RBI single here to give them some insurance.

Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland were tasked with taking the eighth and ninth innings respectively after Bieber’s night ended, and both were more than capable of neutralizing Tampa’s bats. Varland ended the night with back-to-back punchouts to secure the save and prevent the sweep, giving Toronto some reprieve in what’s been a lost season for the AL champs. More importantly for the standings, the Rays’ loss brings them back to two games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East.

Other Games

Cleveland Guardians (54-50) 1, Minnesota Twins (51-53) 3 (12 innings): The Twins just refuse to go down, splitting a four-game set with the Guardians after losing the first two games of the series. Wednesday was a barnburner of a game that saw 16 runs cross the plate, but this time we’d see each team only score once through 11 innings of stellar pitching. Gavin Williams got the start for Cleveland and delivered an ace performance, tossing seven innings and striking out 11 batters while allowing just two hits for no runs. He even had an immaculate inning in the fourth, overpowering the Twins’ batters. Taj Bradley wasn’t quite as sharp but he got the job done, matching Williams in length with seven innings under his belt and just a lone run coming on a Patrick Bailey solo shot in the fifth inning.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, things got messy as soon as their bullpen factored into the game. Hunter Gaddis relieved Williams to start the eighth and promptly walked Royce Lewis, who then stole second base. Gaddis picked up a strikeout but issued another walk to Luke Keaschall, and with a pinch-hitter in Alan Roden coming Guardians manager Stephen Vogt chose to go back to the ‘pen summoning Cade Smith. The switch didn’t work, Roden smacking the first pitch he saw from Smith up the middle for a game-tying RBI single.

The Guardians still had a chance to right their wrongs, getting two batters on in the ninth inning against Yoendrys Gómez, but Kyle Manzardo struck out to strand them. To extras we went, and the Manfred Runner surprisingly proved ineffective in the 10th and 11th as both sides went down without incident. In the 12th inning the tide finally came crashing down though, Trevor Larnach poking a single through the infield to score a run followed by Keaschall also singling to the left side to make it 3-1 Minnesota. Jack Anderson got the assignment to convert the save and did just that, allowing a walk but escaping without even endangering the insurance run.

The Twins didn’t start off hot out of the All-Star break, but working their way into a split with Cleveland has given them a life preserver. They sit three games back of Cleveland for second place in the AL Central and are 2.5 games behind Boston for the final Wild Card slot, still well within reach if they choose to push for it. Not great news if you’re the Yankees, as they would certainly like the Twins on the seller’s side of the Trade Deadline, but there’s still a week and change to go.

Hello everyone and happy Friday!

The M’s are back in action this afternoon, traveling to Arlington to face the Rangers. What would you need to see from the club’s upcoming road trip to Texas and Los Angeles to consider it a success?

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, the Mariners parted ways with assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes.
• Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon at The Athletic provided the latest trade deadline intel regarding the Mariners, who are reportedly listening to offers on Luis Castillo and Emerson Hancock.
• Ryan Blake wonders what happened to Josh Naylor’s power stroke this year.

Around the league…

• Tigers ace left-hander Tarik Skubal has voiced a preference to stay with the Tigers as trade rumors swirl.
• Rintaro Sasaki — the Japanese slugger who made headlines a few years back when he chose to attend Stanford rather than enter the NPB draft — explained his reasoning for signing with the Marlins after being drafted in the 8th round, rather than heading back home to compete in NPB.
• Keith Law at The Athletic updated his list of the top 70 prospects in baseball, and he’s got some awfully good things to say about Kade Anderson. ($)
• Fangraphs updated its list of the top 100 prospects in advance of the trade deadline.
• How exactly does a three-team trade come to be? Stephen J. Nesbitt and Zack Meisel at The Athletic talked to some architects of recent three-team deals — including Jerry Dipoto — for a behind-the-scenes look.
• Jay Jaffe at Fangraphs checked back in on the Red Sox now that they’ve triumphantly re-entered the playoff picture.
• Former Angels shortstop José Iglesias is headed to Broadway to join the cast of Buena Vista Social Club. Evan Drellich at The Athletic has the story. ($)
• José Caballero continues to make enemies of umpires around the league.

• Passing along a plug here to help a local Harleem baseball icon’s family pay for his funeral expenses.

The other day the Rochester Red Wings faced the greatest pitcher in Nationals history. Max Scherzer was on a rehab assignment for the Blue Jays and faced the Nats AAA affiliate. I was worried this would be a little sad and the Nats Triple-A lineup would rock the 41 year old. However, I was wrong and Scherzer threw five no-hit innings, striking out seven.

In his six big league starts this year, Mad Max has certainly shown his age. His ERA is over 10, and the future Hall of Famer has looked washed up. However, with the Blue Jays out of the race, the Nats have a chance to take a flier on the greatest pitcher in franchise history. If he looks like he did in that rehab start, he would easily be an upgrade over the likes of Mikolas and Littell.

It is very unlikely to actually happen, but I actually think bringing in Scherzer makes a lot of sense for several reasons. The first one is that it is a cheap flier on a guy who still has some upside. It was only last year when Scherzer gave the Blue Jays extremely valuable innings in the playoffs. He proved that he still had the juice to start a playoff game. For crying out loud, he started game 7 of the World Series last year.

If the Nats do sneak into the playoffs, I would trust Max, even in this state, to be the Nats three starter. He has more upside than Littell, Mikolas and Alvarez. Last year, Scherzer looked over the hill and a complete liability. However, the old dog still had that ability to rise to the occasion. The fastball crept up a couple ticks, the slider was sharper and his command was more pinpoint. Mad Max can’t do it for a full season anymore, but he can tap into those reserves when he needs it.

It would also be a move that would cost you absolutely nothing. Scherzer turns 42 in a few days, and has not been effective this year. Honestly, you could probably acquire him for cash or a player to be named later. At most, you would have to give up an org player who is unlikely to ever reach the big leagues.

Even beyond his performances, I think Scherzer’s presence could help power the team. You cannot deny that he would put butts in seats and make the atmosphere at Nationals Park special. The Nats have not exactly had much of a home field advantage this year. In fact, they actually have the worst home record in all of baseball. I think the buzz that Scherzer would bring could actually be somewhat helpful in improving home performances. It would certainly bring better crowds.

Another reason to bring back Scherzer is for his impact on the clubhouse. Imagine all the things a young power pitcher like Cade Cavalli could learn from one of the greatest power arms of all time. Cavalli probably looked up to Scherzer growing up, and may have even had some conversations with him in 2021 Spring Training. It would be cool to see Scherzer pass his knowledge to the next generation of Nats arms.

He would also provide much needed playoff experience and wisdom to a team that does not have a lot of that. Also, it would likely ensure that Scherzer would go into the Hall of Fame as a National. Seeing the greatest player in franchise history finish his career in DC would be so special.

This is not going to be one of those trades that would make a lot of sense on Paul Toboni’s model. However, it is something he should keep in the back of his mind. The Nats need a third guy who could start a playoff game. Scherzer may be way past his best, but he has shown very recently that he still has the ability to be effective in a playoff setting.

It is time to finish the story. Let’s bring back the greatest pitcher I have ever seen in this uniform. I am probably just delusional and dreaming after one rehab start. However, I would truly love to see Mad Max take the mound at Nationals Park one last time rocking the Curly W.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers were off yesterday.

Evan Grant writes that this upcoming series against the Mariners will go a long way in determining who these 2026 Rangers really are.

Jeff Wilson has some fun draft tidbits such as one of the Rangers’ picks actually sizing up 6’10” Chris Young.

MLB Pipeline has a list of the biggest movers on each team’s refreshed top 30.

And Grant answered fan questions in a YouTube live stream yesterday, including about the prospect of a Jacob Latz trade.

That’s all for this morning. The Rangers take on the Mariners tonight at 7:05 with MacKenzie Gore on the mound for Texas.

Happy Friday and go Rangers!

For the third time in the four-game series the San Diego Padres lost a one-run game to the Atlanta Braves. The Padres struck first against Braves pitcher Chris Sale with a three-run second inning, but after a four-run fourth inning the Braves held a 5-3 lead and that deficit proved too much to overcome as San Diego dropped the game and the series with a 6-5 loss.

Kyle Hart started the game as an opener for Griffin Canning and recorded three outs against three batters to start the contest. Hart, a left-hander, faced two left-handed hitters and a switch-hitter in Ozzie Albies who batted from the right side. Michael Harris II led off the bottom of the second for the Braves and rather than continuing with the left-on-left matchup, Padres manager Craig Stammen went to Canning, a right-hander, in the second inning. Harris immediately got the home team on the board with a long home run to right field to make the score, 3-1.

Canning got the next three batters out to end the second inning and faced the minimum three batters in the third. He opened the fourth inning allowing a solo home run to Albies to make the score, 3-2 before getting Matt Olson to pop out. Canning allowed a one-out single to Harris and Mauricio Dubon reached on a catcher’s interference, the second one this week on Freddy Fermin, and Canning responded with a strikeout of Austin Riley. Canning was almost out of the inning, but Dominic Smith hit a 1-1 changeup that was left up and out over the plate over the right-field wall and Atlanta took a 5-3 lead.

The Braves tacked on another run in the bottom of the seventh when Baldwin golfed a home run out to right field off Matt Waldron, but that proved to be the game-winner. The Padres scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning when Manny Machado singled and Ty France brought him in with a two-run home run to pull San Diego within a run.

The Padres mounted a two-out rally in the ninth inning against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias when Jake Cronenworth and Fernando Tatis Jr. reached on back-to-back singles. Luis Rengifo who has been arguably San Diego’s hottest hitter, stepped in looking for a base hit to tie the game, but struck out on a high fastball on an 0-2 count to end the game.

The Padres are 2-5 after the All-Star break and start a three-game series in Miami against the Marlins today at 4:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Padres traded reliever Ron Marinaccio, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for international bonus pool money.

• Padres reliever Adrian Morejon, who is a free agent after this season, could be on the move at the trade deadline.

• According to reports, the Milwaukee Brewers have contacted the Padres about a Mason Miller trade. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball has a solution for San Diego concerning what to do with the All-Star closer.

Baseball News:

• Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball breaks down the latest CBA proposal from the MLBPA.

• The Arizona Diamondbacks got a win over the St. Louis Cardinals thanks to a late addition to the roster.

• The Detroit Tigers rallied for a one-run win over the Kansas City Royals.

• Shane Bieber led the Toronto Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays with a strong performance on the mound.

Wins on the lower levels and losses on the higher levels marked the day of baseball in the Dodgers minor league affiliates.

Player of the day

Eduardo Guerrero and Hayden Gilliland both had four-RBI games with a home run, but the difference is that the Loons won their matchup, while Gilliland couldn’t carry the Drillers all the way to the finish line.

Not much of a power bat with a slugging percentage below .400, Guerrero now has five home runs, already an improvement on the three he accumulated in over 100 games across three different levels in 2025.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The good news is that Kiké Hernández’s rehab is trending in the right direction, with the veteran utility man hitting a home run. The bad news is that the Comets didn’t have much scoring outside of that, losing to the River Cats by a score of 4 to 2.

These days it is not easy to see a team finish an entire game without recording a walk, but that was what OKC did against the River Cats pitching staff. On the other side, the Comets bullpen game allowed seven free passes and recorded just four strikeouts.

Double-A Tulsa

Needing your catcher and eighth-hole hitter to secure all of your RBI in a game is not the path one normally takes to win a game. Hayden Gilliland did his best with a season-high four RBI—it wasn’t enough, though, with the Travelers winning at home 5 to 4 thanks to an eighth-inning run hit by Hayden Fitz-Gerald.

The top three in the order all went hitless for the Drillers, including an 0-for-5 performance from leadoff hitter Taylor Young. The only one of three to get on base safely was Mike Sirota, earning a walk. Three of Gilliland’s four RBI came on an opposite-field home run in the fourth.

High-A Great Lakes

The team effort that was lacking in the Drillers lineup was present for the Loons, with everybody but the ninth-hole hitter recording at least one base hit in an 8-to-5 win. The Eduardo brothers (not actually brothers) ran the show, with both Quintero and Guerrero leaving the yard, the latter of whom was responsible for half of the team’s eight runs driven in.

With starter Tyler Gough off his game, allowing four runs in as many innings, the key pitcher for the Loons was Jacob Frost, tossing four scoreless innings and earning what became his eighth win, lowering his season ERA to 3.11.

Single-A Ontario

It was a push-and-pull game for the Tower Buzzers pitching staff, allowing just three hits and at the same time handing out 10 free passes and seeing their defense commit three errors behind them—all of this wasn’t enough to take the win away from Ontario, fixing many of these problems with the long ball on the offensive side.

Easton Shelton’s terrific form continued with the first baseman hitting a milestone 30th long ball before August rolls around. Kellon Lindsey and Ching-Hsien Ko also left the yard in this game.

Transactions

The Tulsa Drillers placed left-handed pitcher Wyatt Crowell on the injured list.

Thursday’s scores

• Sacramento 4, Oklahoma City 2
• Arkansas 5, Tulsa 4
• Lansing 5, Great Lakes 8
• San Jose 5, Ontario 7

Friday’s schedule

• 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Zach Root) at Lansing (Jorge Marcheco)
• 5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Arkansas (Kade Anderson)
• 6:45 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (Blake Snell) at Sacramento (Cesar Perdomo)
• 7:00 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at San Jose (TBD)

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The Detroit Tigers sit as a heavy -270 moneyline favorite behind Tarik Skubal tonight against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park. 

My Royals vs. Tigers predictions are expecting Detroit to come out on top here against a vulnerable K.C. bullpen. 

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, July 24. 

Who will win Royals vs Tigers today: Tigers -1.5 (-121)

Tarik Skubal may not be as dominant in 2026 as last year, but the Detroit Tigers star is still in solid form.

He's collected a 3.04 FIP over his last five appearances. During that span, Skubal has allowed a mere 17.5% hard-hit rate. 

As for the Kansas City Royals, they will go with opener Beck Way. He typically pitches just one inning, which means this will be a bullpen game.

K.C.'s relief corps is struggling immensely, posting a 5.27 xERA across the last week while surrendering 3.09 HR/9. 

I'll play this pick up to -130. 

COVERS INTEL: Skubal owns a 1.27 FIP in his last two outings, and he hasn't allowed a single homer in those starts. 

Royals vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Over 7.5 (-107)

This total sits at just 7.5, and the Over has a clear path despite Skubal’s presence.

The Tigers have been average overall with a 98 wRC+ over the last week, but their .185 ISO shows some extra-base pop.

Kansas City has also been productive lately, carrying a 107 wRC+ during that same span.

The bigger concern is the relief pitching. Detroit’s bullpen owns a 4.71 xERA over the last week, while K.C.’s bullpen game is the main path to runs. 

I'll play this pick up to -125. 

Royals vs Tigers weather

Conditions look excellent at Comerica Park tonight, with clear skies and temperatures sitting in the low-to-mid 70s throughout the game. Winds should stay light around 7-8 mph, and there is no rain risk.

Royals vs Tigers odds

• Moneyline: Royals +257 | Tigers -270
• Run line: Royals +1.5 (+113) | Tigers -1.5 (-117)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-104) | Under 7.5 (-100)

Royals vs Tigers trend

The Tigers have hit the moneyline in 14 of their last 19 games (+8.45 Units / 33% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Tigers.

How to watch Royals vs Tigers and game info

Royals vs Tigers latest injuries

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We officially have trade deadline rumors! Is anyone interested in a little Zach Neto action?

Yesterday, The Athletic reported that “after expressing interest in the Los Angeles Angels shortstop last offseason, [the Red Sox] continue to view him as a strong fit, according to people briefed on their discussions.”

As fun as it was to watch Anthony Seigler and Tsung-Che Cheng make surprising contributions during the 15-game win streak, there is no question that the middle infield continues to be a major weak spot on the Red Sox roster. Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story are making progress on their rehab journeys, and Franklin Arias is now knocking on the door at Worcester, but Zach Neto and his 2.8 bWAR would be a significant upgrade. And, as a right-handed home run hitter who would likely see a Green Monster-induced power boost, he’s a great fit for the lineup.

But Neto is by no means a perfect player. He strikes out a lot, doesn’t walk much, and has consistently graded out as a poor defensive shortstop. He’s unlikely to be the long-term answer at the most important defensive position on the diamond. But he’s just 25-years-old, is under team control through 2030, and his 19 homers would be second on this Red Sox team behind Willson Contreras. Frankly, he looks a lot like a younger, healthier Trevor Story.

Personally, I don’t love Neto’s profile. But he’s a young player who will almost certainly put up 3-5 WAR over the next 3-4 years, which is more than you could reasonably project from Marcelo Mayer at this point. And with Arias almost ready for the bigs, the Sox will have a painless avenue for moving Neto off of shortstop in the very near future. The prospect of a Contreras-Neto-Arias-Durbin infield is tasty.

From that perspective, a package headlined by Mayer makes sense, though the Sox would almost certainly have to sweeten the deal with additional prospects, and we’re talking about top-10 guys here, like Kyson Witherspoon, Anthony Eyanson, and Justin Gonzalez. The Angels might even insist on a big league-ready arm like Connelly Early.

So what would you be willing to ship to LA to land him?

Talk about trades and whatever else you want in this space and, as always, be good to one another.

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The slightly favored Pittsburgh Pirates (-120) host the Chicago Cubs in a National League Central Division battle tonight. 

The Pirates are rightfully favored with Jared Jones on the bump, but tonight's Cubs vs. Pirates predictions and free MLB picks think the price tag is too short.

Who will win Cubs vs Pirates today: Pittsburgh Pirates (-120)

Jared Jones has been nothing short of exceptional over the past month. He is sporting an excellent 2.29 ERA and his indicators (2.15 xFIP, 1.86 xERA) are even better.

The Chicago Cubs have hit .236 with a strikeout rate above 25% during the same period. This is a matchup Jones should continue to find success.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Piratessit sixth in homers, fifth in OPS, and first in average against lefties at home.

Matthew Boyd struggles to limit power, and that will get him in trouble against this lineup.

Back the Pirates to -135.

COVERS INTEL:Boyd's ERA is 2.25 runs lower than his FIP over the last 30 days, signaling his recent success is smoke and mirrors.

Cubs vs Pirates Over/Under pick: Under 8.0 (-115)

Jones has averaged more than 12 punchouts per nine innings in three consecutive starts, over which time he allowed two runs.

He is providing the Pirates with ace-caliber pitching right now and that’s not something I want to challenge.

The Pirates continue to hit for power against lefties but their low 5.9% walk rate in July could lead to less traffic on the basepaths when that power arrives, making it more difficult to score in bulk.

The Under is my preferred route, and I would play it to -120.

Cubs vs Pirates weather

The forecast calls for temperatures in the high 70s with winds blowing inwards. Small boost to the arms.

Cubs vs Pirates odds

• Moneyline: Cubs +100 | Pirates -120
• Run line: Cubs -1.5 (+160) | Pirates +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under: Over 8.0 (-105) | Under 8.0 (-115)

Cubs vs Pirates trend

Pittsburgh has hit the moneyline in 10 of the last 16 games (+4.80 units, 27% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Pirates.

How to watch Cubs vs Pirates and game info

Cubs vs Pirates latest injuries

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Defending World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers will launch a summer of live Major League Baseball on the BBC when they meet the New York Mets on Sunday.

The Dodgers lead the National League again in 2026, with last season's Most Valuable Player, Shohei Ohtani, to the fore as they target a third consecutive World Series title.

The struggling Mets are in need of inspiration from star man Juan Soto as they look to turn around a difficult start to the season.

The game sets up a run of 10 consecutive live Sunday night MLB matches on the BBC, including the season finale on September 27 before four post-season games the following week.

• Why Dodgers are on brink of World Series dynasty

• The night the Tartan Army took over iconic Fenway Park

The Dodgers' record of 65 wins and 38 defeats means they are likely to win the National League West for the 13th time in 14th years.

Their recent dominance is built around Ohtani, whose achievements are now compared to the greatest players in the history of the game.

His ability to both hit and pitch at the top level consistently - he already has 22 home runs this year and has recorded eight wins as a pitcher - demonstrates a similar skill-set to the legendary two-way player Babe Ruth.

Ohtani has been named Most Valuable Player in his league four times, including last season, when the Dodgers became the first franchise in 25 years to win consecutive World Series titles.

Dominican left-fielder Soto became the highest-paid player in baseball history in 2024 when he left the New York Yankees and signed a $765m deal with their bitter cross-city rivals the Mets.

He hit his 250th career home run against the Yankees earlier this season, one of 21 home runs he has delivered in 2026.

Despite Soto's contribution, the Mets narrowly missed out on a post-season berth last year and now sit bottom of the National League East with 43 wins to 60 defeats.

This season, the MLB Bases Covered Live team will again be led by play-by-play announcer Melanie Newman, with former St Louis Cardinals first baseman Xavier Scruggs and Maccabees guitarist Felix White alongside to call the action for seasoned baseball fans and new viewers.

During the 2026 Fifa World Cup, baseball played an unexpectedly large role in the experiences of football fans and players from the UK as they enjoyed memorable outings to ballparks across the US.

After defeating Haiti in their opening game in nearby Foxborough, Scotland's Tartan Army took over Fenway Park in Boston to celebrate while watching the Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers.

England manager Thomas Tuchel threw out the first pitch at Kaufmann Stadium when several members of the England squad watched the Kansas City Royals play the St Louis Cardinals.

How to watch: MLB Bases Covered Live

(all times BST)

Sunday, 26 July - 1830 - 2100

Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets

Watch on BBC iPlayer, follow on the BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 2 August - 1900 - 2130

New York Yankees @ Chicago Cubs

BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 9 August - 1830 - 2100

Toronto Blue Jays @ Philadelphia Phillies

BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 16 August - 1830 - 2100

New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays

Sunday, 23 August - 1830 - 2100

St Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia Phillies

Remaining fixtures to be confirmed

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The Toronto Blue Jays open a weekend set at Fenway Park against a red-hot Boston Red Sox club, sending Trey Yesavage to the mound against left-hander Patrick Sandoval.

Toronto finally broke out of its slump on Thursday, and I’m backing the bats that did the damage, starting with Ernie Clement.

Read on for my Blue Jays vs. Red Sox predictions and MLB picks for this Friday, July 24 matchup.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox predictions

Blue Jays vs Red Sox best bet: Ernie Clement Over 1.5 total bases (-110)

Ernie Clement has the shortest line for total bases, yet I’m still drawn to this pick. On the simplest level, he’s been the Toronto Blue Jays' most consistent hitter, especially in July, where he has at least one hit in 13 of 17 games. 

But his advantage Friday runs deeper than the box score.

The Boston Red Sox send out lefty Patrick Sandoval, who has allowed 14 hits in 9.1 innings this season and leans on a shaky mix of sliders and changeups. Sandoval throws the slider 35.5% of the time, and opponents have teed off on it this year, slugging .667 over a 50-pitch sample. 

Clement is the slider-hitting extraordinaire on this roster, hitting the pitch for a +2 run value, per Baseball Savant, along with a .339 average and .475 slugging mark.

I wouldn’t play this bet past -110. 

COVERS INTEL: Clement has always hit left-handers better, with a .725 career OPS against southpaws versus .669 against righties, giving him an edge Friday against Patrick Sandoval.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox same-game parlay (SGP)

For the same-game parlay, I’m stacking Toronto’s momentum from Thursday’s win. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases leads the way, backed by his platoon edge against a left-hander and his long history of damage at Fenway Park.

Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts is an aggressive play, even if he’s punched out five or more in three of his last five starts and carries an 8.7 K/9.

I’ll cap it with the Blue Jays moneyline at plus money, a live price for a club that just snapped its skid against a starter making only his third appearance of the year.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox SGP

• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Over 1.5 total bases
• Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts
• Blue Jays moneyline

Blue Jays vs Red Sox home run pick: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+525)

This whole Blue Jays offense seems cursed to hit nothing but singles this season, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be primed for a big day, especially at Fenway Park.

Red Sox fans must be terrified of Vladdy, who owns a .342/.415/.589 slash line at their home park with 12 home runs and 49 RBI in just 56 games.

That’s a 35-homer pace.

Guerrero already went deep at Fenway earlier this year, and he arrives equipped to keep mashing on the road after two clutch hits on Thursday helped Toronto break out of its slump.

He’s also been far better against lefties (.784 OPS) than righties (.668 OPS) this season, and Boston is sending out a lefty. I’d play this until +500 and, as usual, keep it to a quarter unit.

Blue Jays vs Red Sox odds

• Moneyline: Toronto +105 | Boston -125
• Run line: Toronto +1.5 (-180) | Boston -1.5 (+155)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-120) | Under 8.5 (+100)

Blue Jays vs Red Sox trend

Patrick Sandoval carries a 1.71 WHIP through his first two starts of the season, allowing 14 hits across 9.1 innings, which suggests he’s still shaking off some rust. Find more MLB betting trends for Blue Jays vs. Red Sox.

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Tyler Kinley’s relationship to the Braves has been an odd one over the last year.

Before 2025, Kinley had a career 107/102/109 line (ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) and 1.2 fWAR in just under 260 innings. Most of that value was accrued in 2022, when his season was cut short by injury. It’s also important to keep in mind that there’s at least some evidence that the Coors Field park effects are overly punishing to hitters and therefore overly generous to pitchers.

Before the Braves traded for him in 2025, it was more of the same: 118/96/113. Those numbers are barely rosterable for a reliever aside from a low HR/FB. The Braves hoped they could get more out of him, and they did in some ways, though it wasn’t exactly him hitting a new gear or anything: 17/68/105. Basically, Kinley had an epic run of not having runs charged to him and allowing very homers… while pitching as effectively (or, I guess, ineffectively) like the Kinley of old. The Braves had Kinley throw fewer fastballs, work harder on getting the fastball up, and change the way he threw his curveball so that it came out of a similar arm slot as his slider. They had him focus on getting the breaking pitches in the zone, with the fastball going above it.

Kinley did all of this. There is a very clear breakpoint in his pitch usage and location, among other things, between his time with the Braves and the Rockies. This wasn’t a matter of an inability to implement desired changes. It was just that it didn’t really matter. Though Kinley did halve his walk rate as a result of the changes, getting the ball in the zone or higher made him less of a grounder-generator and didn’t help him in the strikeout department. The fewer walks were great, but that was largely the only benefit.

While we don’t know the reasons, all of this led to a surprising-at-the-time-I-guess? declining of his team option in the offseason. There was some clamor about $5.5 million being an okay price for Kinley’s services, but from my perspective, there was no reason to give a reliever who never pitched all that well and couldn’t even manage a 100 xFIP- with the Braves anything above league minimum in the first place. The Braves ultimately re-signed Kinley for $4.25 million, essentially saving $1.25 million relative to his option price.

There was a stretch, a relatively brief one, where Kinley at least seemed better. Through May 3, he kind of seemed like he was picking up where he left off in 2025, with a little bit better performance overall: 42/82/94. His walk rate was back up to its former gross levels, but he was actually striking a bit more guys out. A reliever with an xFIP- around 90, especially one that you believe has some contact/homer suppression, can definitely play in a bullpen.

It didn’t last, though. Over the next month or so, Kinley went 111/130/96. His walk rate fell, but so did the grounder rate. You can write off the homers, as well, HR/FB stuff, but it didn’t feel great. His elbow may not have felt great, either, as he missed about a few weeks with inflammation.

At this point, Kinley has been back for about a month, and his performance has been ghastly. 231/202/132 is really bad. His strikeout rate plummeted, his walk rate is bad again, he’s barely getting any grounders. Joel Payamps got canned after a 193/137/116 line. Aaron Bummer got canned after a 179/207/136 line. The Braves ate some money in both of those cases. Kinley could very well be next: his season line is now 107/125/103, and has been getting dramatically worse basically every other outing or so.

Probably the biggest issue is that in aggregate, Kinley is losing any reason for positive prognosis. Even if he was never a guy to dream on given his track record, you could at least… ponder that he’d be okay for a while? But, with his season xFIP- crossing the 100 mark again, and with him not even doing the homer suppression thing, there’s not much there there. Basically every plate discipline metric is down across the board from his Braves stint in 2025, and his fastball command has been an utter disaster. While he’s really honed his slider release such that it hits the corner of the zone over and over, that’s actually not as helpful when everyone knows it’s coming at least two out of every three pitches, and he has no idea where his fastball is going. (The fact that the slider’s shape isn’t very good is another detriment — batters have an easier time hitting it relative to another slider if they know it’s coming and they can reach it, and they definitely know it’s coming and can reach it in the zone.)

So, put all that together, consider the impending Trade Deadline, and… will Tyler Kinley make it to season’s end with the Braves? Or, will they eat another partial reliever salary to reconfigure their bullpen to hopefully be a bit better?

Tyler Wells wasn’t supposed to be here. By here, I mean, in the Majors at all, and certainly not taking the mound in the ninth inning with a lead to protect for this Orioles team. But injury luck has a way of rewriting careers, and Wells’s is one of the stranger paths in today’s game.

We can start with how he arrived into the Orioles org. Wells was a selection of the Minnesota Twins in the 15th round of the 2016 draft out of Cal State San Bernardino, #453 overall—this is hardly a pedigree that promises a big-league career. Wells reached Double-A in 2018 with a 2.49 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 119⅓ innings—so far, so good. But then he blew out his elbow, had Tommy John surgery in May 2019, then the pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor league season. That is how Tyler Wells ended up never throwing another competitive pitch for the Twins. Minnesota left him unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, and the Orioles snatched him up that December.

The 6-foot-8 prospect seemed a long shot, indeed, with his rebuilt elbow and pedestrian fastball. This is true of Rule 5 picks generally, who have to stick on their new team’s active roster for the entire following season or get offered back to their old club, not to mention pitching fifteenth-rounders. Most don’t make it. Over the 2018 and 2019 drafts combined, only seven of 25 picks (28%) met that bar.

Well, Tyler Wells has beaten those odds by a wide margin: not only did he stick with Baltimore in 2021, he made 44 appearances and pitched to decent numbers: 4.11 ERA, .192 average against and  a 0.91 WHIP. This was a 52-win team only, but Wells was already showing his value.

Wells moved into Baltimore’s rotation in 2022, his rise mirroring that of the team—at 83-79, they finished just outside of the playoffs—and in 2023, the Orioles’ fourth best season in team history, Wells emerged as one of the team’s best starters. Well, he had a tale of two halves: through his first 18 starts of 2023, Wells posted a 3.18 ERA and an MLB-best 0.93 WHIP, one of the biggest surprises in the American League. But the innings caught up with him. By late July, Wells had thrown 113⅔ innings, a career high, and it showed: an 11.00 ERA over his next nine innings, three ugly starts in a row, resulted in a demotion to Double-A Bowie.

Wells clawed his way back to Baltimore that fall, finishing the year with eight scoreless outings between the regular season and the playoffs, but questions had been raised about his fragility, despite his undeniable talent. The next few seasons only reinforced that reputation. Elbow inflammation sent Wells to the injured list again in 2024, and after only three starts it was announced he’d have to right elbow UCL surgery. He’d make just four starts in 2025.

Heading into 2026, nobody was quite sure where, or how much, Tyler Wells would pitch. President of baseball operations Mike Elias had said back in the fall that the plan was for Wells to start, but with Shane Baz, Zach Eflin, Chris Bassitt, Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer fighting for rotation spots, Wells was far from a lock. And in the end, the big righty opened the season in the bullpen as Baltimore’s top right-handed setup man in front of new closer Ryan Helsley.

In some ways, 2026 was already a success for Wells before the whole closer thing began. Between March 26, his season debut, and July 1, Wells made 30 appearances—he was finally healthy! And, even more happy news, he was good! Wells pitched to a 3.18 ERA in 39.2 innings as a setup man, making the majority of his appearances in the sixth or seventh innings. Then a “break” of sorts: in early July, Helsley felt discomfort warming up against the White Sox and landed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort. Thankfully, the veteran righty managed to avoid structural UCL damage, but Wells got the call anyway.

Wells has more than delivered in his new high-leverage role: in nine games, he has a 1.93 ERA, and just one run allowed in his last five appearances. He was scoreless in six of seven outings that month. Manager Craig Albernaz has stopped short of naming him the permanent closer, noting that Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano remain in the mix and that “everything is on the table.” But for now, the job is Wells’s to lose.

It is a strange but fitting turn for a pitcher whose entire career has been defined by other people’s plans falling apart around him.  Perhaps more than ever, it’s a triumph that Wells has been healthy. Wells is a setup man promoted by his closer’s bad elbow: Baltimore never drew this plan up. But this season he’s been there when his team needs him.

We’ve all seen the latest prospect rankings that cast the Phillies farm system in a rather dim light. We all know that they don’t have much in the way of ammunition to acquire upgrades at this upcoming trade deadline.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t be sending any of their prospects out in a deal over the next week and some change. Dave Dombrowski likely won’t be shopping in the Jhoan Duran tier of the market as he did a year ago, but Dombrowski and the Phillies are certain to be heavily involved in the Harrison Bader tier of the market to put it in 2025 terms. They will likely be targeting rentals which of course come with less cost in prospect capital than players with multiple years of control.

It can’t be ruled out that the likes of Gage Wood or Aidan Miller could be moved, but it feels extremely unlikely, especially in Miller’s case due to injury. Once you get into the Ramon Marquez, Dante Nori, and Aroon Escobar tier of the Phillies system though, it’s extremely likely that at least a couple of players will be moved. Again, there’s not much in the way of trade bait for a big fish, but there’s enough to find moderate upgrades if the opportunity cost is weighed correctly. The Phillies have enough glaring holes that even a mid-tier upgrade could go a long way to increasing their win total and therefore their chances at the division title or the postseason in general.

So, who is the Phillies prospect most likely to be moved at the deadline? Does your prediction align with what you would do if you were in charge of the deadline?

Although lacking the drama of their historical post season battles, the three game series forthcoming on Chicago’s south side holds heightened significance should the Astros hope to remain relevant this baseball season.   

Len Kasper calls games for the White Sox and he joins us exclusively at The Crawfish Boxes to preview the weekend ahead.  

Q: How personally fulfilling has this season been for you after witnessing the rebuild?

A: Super, super fun for Darrin Jackson and me. I recall a few weeks ago when the Sox were like 31-28 and we had the note that 2 years ago they were 31-109 I had to do a double take. I called all of those games and lived it but it still doesn’t seem real. Having said that, this season has really put all those struggles in the rear view mirror. It doesn’t matter anymore. This team is good and the way they play is FUN and we are living in the moment. They play hard, they slug, they claw from behind, they enjoy each other. There is something really special about this group that is hard to quantify, but when you see it, you acknowledge that it matters. Also, our fans adore this team. They love the winning but they love how this team plays just as much.

Q: How huge has a guy like Sean Newcomb been?

A: I think it’s fair to say he’s been the most valuable pitcher on the roster. He has done a little bit of everything which is where the league is now headed — closers, set-up men, etc. are becoming a thing of the past. Pitchers are just out-getters and in Newcomb’s case, you feel comfortable using him in any situation. What a great under-the-radar addition he’s been. One underrated thing about the bullpen is most of the guys are multi-inning options: Newcomb, Taylor, Hudson, Murphy, Richards, et al.

Q: Not to put it on one guy, but if Sean Burke continues the strong outings, you must feel pretty upbeat about the remaining two months of the season, correct?

A: Burke has pitched like an ace over the last several weeks. The stuff has always been there but it has been about strike-throwing and he is now doing that. One walk in his last 3 starts and a ton of strikeouts. I kinda hate the “this guy is a 1, this guy is a 3” conversation, BUT if we are gonna do that, the Sox have been looking for a “1” and right now, it’s Sean Burke. It’s interesting, they opened for him a few times earlier this season and he always pitched really well in that bulk relief role. But I’m guessing he didn’t love it and the best way to not be in that position is to pitch like he has. I wouldn’t expect an opener to be in play for him again for awhile.

Q: Biggest need at the deadline? Will it be another arm or a combination of things best guess?

A: These are questions for Chris Getz, but I just think the “you can never have enough pitching” cliche applies. I trust he will do everything he can to supplement the current roster while not sacrificing the future.

Q: I’m guessing if things stay the course, there will be some awards handed out on the south side for this unexpected season?    

A: If the Sox make the playoffs, they will undoubtedly have the AL Manager of the Year and probably the Executive of the Year. Both would be well deserved. Will Venable has created a great culture here by allowing this group to kind of dictate the vibe. So many managers, even some of the all time greats, loom over all of it and sometimes that can dampen whatever the natural atmosphere might be. And while Will has some things he expects out of his guys and is very clear about those things, he has “stayed out of the way” to a degree in this area and that’s a huge thing here. As a former player, he understands how important it is for the nucleus to set the tone on a daily basis and it has made a very talented team even better. And Getz made a trade for Tristan Peters who came out of nowhere to become an All-Star, and another piece from the Crochet deal, Braden Montgomery, is now the everyday right fielder. Miguel Vargas has had a breakout season. The Murakami signing is looking like one of the best from last winter in the entire league. He has flipped this roster upside down and it’s now super young and on the position player side, one of the best in the entire league.