KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 28: Jalen Milroe #6 of the Seattle Seahawks stiff arms Cole Christiansen #48 of the Kansas City Chiefs while scrambling in the second quarter of an NFL preseason game between the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs on Aug 28, 2026 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs played to a 9-9 tie that was as ugly as the final score suggested, but it was not a totally disastrous night. There were some great moments from quarterback Jalen Milroe, such that I don’t think there should be too much discussion over whether or not he makes the 53-man roster. Rookies like Emmanuel Henderson and Andre Fuller made some nice plays, while cornerback Trevon Diggs’ Seahawks debut saw him make an immediate impact with an interception.
If there was one worrisome story from Friday’s game, it was Jason Myers. Seattle’s longtime kicker has not been his usual self all preseason, and his two misses against the Chiefs included an extra point and a game-winning walk-off field goal. Five total misses through three preseason games for Myers, is it time to worry?
Myself and The Hawks Eye Podcast host Bryce Coutts are live at 8:30 pm PT with analysis and takeaways from Seattle’s preseason finale. Are we going to talk about Jalen Milroe? Of course. But there will be other things worth discussing as we now turn our attention to roster cuts and opening day of the 2026 regular season.
Javier Mogollón’s standout night and strong August explain why he’s crept up on the White Sox prospect rankings. | Sam Phalen
Memphis Redbirds vsCharlotte Knights (Postponed due to rain) Charlotte’s date with the International League East leader has been postponed due to rain. The Knights and Redbirds will play a doubleheader on August 29.
Birmingham Barons 3, Rocket City Trash Pandas 2 Thanks for coming out of hiding, Barons pitchers, we’ve missed you all season! It’s better late than never, as despite a terrible, 54-70 season record, Birmingham remains one game out of second-half postseason qualification, at 28-27.
Barons pitchers were shoving. Rocket City had to settle for just one run during starter Jake Palisch’s five innings, as he allowed just six hits, two walks, and that sole run while punching out five. Mathias LaCombe built off the pitching momentum and blanked Rocket City while adding three strikeouts of his own, and Liam Paddack followed in step with two whiffs and a strikeout looking in the eighth. But the ninth was a whole other ball of wax. Paddack’s no-nonsense eighth was a distant memory, as he walked two and hit two batters and gave up the tying run with two outs and the sacks packed. Though it was an admirable night on the pitching front, it came to a disappointing close.
The mostly lights-out pitching provided Bham’s offense enough leniency to survive with hits that were few and far between. Colby Shelton got a break from being an RBI workhorse, but he still scored on a Jose Colmenares sac fly in the third. Alec Briley, as expected, generated the second run with a sac fly in the fifth, scoring Dylan Campbell. For much of the game, the Barons did nothing else to produce runs, going 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding nine on the bases. However, in the bottom of the ninth and the game knotted at two apiece with runners on the corners, Caleb Bonemer came through with a walk-off single to remind fans why he’s still the top shortstop on the farm.
The Dash needed a team-wide effort to keep up with the Hot Rods at the plate and offset their own pitching blunders. Although they did get some help from George Wolkow’s sac fly in the sixth and a bases-juiced walk in the eighth, Javier Mogollón’s exceptional three-hit evening and home run sent the game to extras:
By the start of the 10th, Justin Sinbaldi’s costly pickoff error and Drew Conover’s three-run relief outing were forgotten. But Winston-Salem wasn’t anywhere close to out of the woods.
Landen Payne, who has been exceptional this year with eight saves and 42 strikeouts, didn’t deliver the closeout everyone expected. After allowing the ghost runner to steal third, Payne secured one out before giving up the go-ahead run on a competitive pitch almost in the dirt. His confidence shaken, he was pulled from the game and replaced by Carlton Perkins, who did worse. The next three batters walked and were hit by pitches, turning the 7-7 tie into 9-7 within moments. By then, the writing was on the wall, and all the Dash could do was figure out the fastest way to end the game.
Although it ended unceremoniously and the Hot Rods pulled back ahead of the Dash in the second-half standings, notable performances by Riley Gowens and Mogollón helped Winston-Salem keep the game within arm’s reach.
Runners-Up Drew Conover: 1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, K Blake Perkins: 2/3 IP, H, 2 R, BB, K George Wolkow: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K Landen Payne: 1 1/3 IP, H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Hill City Howlers 5, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 1 Hill City got the best of Kannapolis in a match where nothing went in the CBs’ favor. The lineup tallied 15 strikeouts and managed just five hits, with Efran Teran accounting for three. Jaden Fauske and Grayson Fitzwater created plenty of wind energy, the former striking out thrice and the latter earning a golden sombrero. Landon Hodge drove Jake Berkland in to score Kanny’s only run in the second, but the rest of the offense was dead. Considering only three runners got into scoring position, it’s a miracle the Ballers didn’t get blanked. While things couldn’t have gotten much worse with hitting, the pitching crew didn’t do their best, either. Fabian Ysalla exhibited another disappointing start, but at least he lasted five innings. By the time Ysalla was pulled and Andrew Berg and Frankeli Arias came into the game, it was clear the bats couldn’t rally, so surrendering two more runs didn’t make a difference for the struggling relievers.
MVP Efran Teran: 3-for-3
Runners-Up Landon Hodge: 1-for-3, RBI, 2 K Jake Berkland: 0-for-2, R, BB, K Frankeli Arias: 2 IP, 2 H, R, 3 K
Cold Cat Grayson Fitzwater: 0-for-4, 4 K
Runners-Up Jaden Fauske: 0-for-4, 3 K Fabian Ysalla: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, K Steven Lancia: 0-for-4, 2 K Crew McChesney: 0-for-3, 2 K
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 14: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at UNLV on July 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jazz fans have had one of the most eventful offseasons I can remember. Arguably the greatest prospect in team history was drafted while a massive trade for their starting center surprised everyone. So how do Jazz fans feel about it? Well, that was the point of this week’s Jazz Reacts survey.
So there you have it, the vast majority of Jazz fans gave an A or B to the offseason. The majority of fans gave a B, but because there are so many As, I think you could say the grade is either a B+ or an A-.
It’s a fair assessment for a team that is on the verge of starting one of the most exciting chapters in team history. Yes, they’ll be without Walker Kessler, but they also won’t be with Kessler’s albatross of a contract going forward. In a league with an incredibly restrictive cap, the Jazz kept their best players and have the flexibility to move forward with multiple options.
If you go to FanDuel, you can see that the NBA hasn’t caught on to how good the Jazz offseason was yet. The Jazz aren’t favored to win 40+ games. They’re currently a +140 to win 40+ games and +360 to win 45+ games. Personally, I’d be shocked if Utah didn’t win at least 40 games this year. In a month, we’ll find out if I’m wrong or right.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 28: Kyle McCord #18 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field on August 28, 2026 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Green Bay Packers won a thriller, if there can ever be one in August, in their preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. Mike LaFleur, trying to best his older brother, called two timeouts in the final five seconds of the game, trying to set up a Hail Mary after receiver KiSean Johnson’s second fourth-quarter touchdown for the Packers.
The Cardinals’ Hail Mary attempt fell short, though, and was batted away by a crowd of green and gold as Arizona fell 42-38 with zeroes on the clock.
The Packers did not play their best players on Friday Night, as 37 were held out. 32 of those players were among the 46 we listed as Packers “roster locks” earlier this week, with the remaining five comprising four players on Green Bay’s physically unable to perform list and tight end Thomas Yassmin, the Packers’ international exemption player who is currently dealing with an injury.
On top of that, others who were “active” were held out as reserve/emergency players, like backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor — who didn’t play a single snap in the game. Instead, it was Kyle McCord, Green Bay’s QB3, who played under center for the offense today.
The most interesting part of the game, from a players participating standpoint, was probably that the second-team offensive line was able to go for the game and mid-round picks Chris McClellan and Dani Dennis-Sutton (who was inactive for the first two preseason games) suited up on the line of scrimmage.
The second-team offensive line was made up of John Williams, Donovan Jennings, Jager Burton, Travis Glover (who hasn’t been getting work with the second-team up to this point) and Anthony Belton (from left to right). Glover was later kicked out to replace Belton, and Darian Kinnard, who was the team’s sixth offensive lineman in the second half of the Packers’ 2026 season, came off the bench to play right guard. Kinnard has had maybe the biggest drop on the depth chart of any returning player on Green Bay’s roster.
Defensively, the standout was easily Dennis-Sutton, who recorded one sack in his NFL debut, several pressures and a couple near-sacks, too. He looked like an NFL rookie playing against a group of practice squaders, so he’s checking the box there.
McCord continued a solid summer for the rising quarterback, completing 22 of 35 for 226 yards and four touchdowns versus the Cardinals. In total, his preseason has amounted to 70 passes for 37 completions, 446 yards (6.3 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. Meanwhile, Taylor was 8 of 16 for 38 yards (2.4 yards per attempt) this preseason, but it appears that Taylor will be Green Bay’s backup — barring an outside addition — as he was shielded from contact tonight.
Receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, who is the most likely undrafted free agent to make the Packers’ 2026 initial 53-man roster on Sunday as a seventh receiver and special teams contributor, led the team with six receptions for 112 yards, despite Johnson hauling in one more touchdown. Meanwhile, Isaiah Neyor, who is pushing Sturdivant for a roster spot, dropped a wide-open deep ball from McCord. Will Sheppard, who has been ninth in the receiver pecking order this preseason, returned a punt for an 81-yard touchdown against the Cardinals, too.
Rookie kicker Trey Smack continues his perfect stretch of play, as he hit two more field goals and four extra points versus Arizona.
Unfortunately, the reserve defense was lunch, as they gave up 326 yards in the air (including sack yardage) and 166 yards on the ground. Obviously, an 80-point game isn’t going to have much defense played in it, but the Packers could have been much better in that department tonight. Notably, rookie cornerback Domani Jackson, who had an alright NFL debut last week after missing the preseason opener, played pretty poorly opposite Jaylin Simpson, who himself hasn’t looked good as either an outside cornerback or a slot defender this preseason.
Maybe Green Bay should just keep four true cornerbacks, if you consider Kamal Hadden a “safety” now that he’s playing in the nickel spot and” third-safety” packages on the team.
The Packers end the preseason 2-1, with more good than bad put on tape. If we’re going to crown anyone a preseason MVP this summer, it’s probably McCord, who will likely be offered a practice squad job in Green Bay this upcoming season, assuming he clears waivers on Monday. Initially, McCord battled with undrafted rookie Kyron Drones for third-team offense snaps until Drones took three sacks in four dropbacks in the preseason opener and was quickly waived — giving McCord the clear runway as the QB3.
With preseason finally over, the Dallas Cowboys and the rest of the league have to now get down to the nitty-gritty of roster manipulation to get under the league mandated 53-man limit. New additions via the waiver wire or trade will surely shake some things up, but as things stand right now below is a final 53-man roster prediction for the Cowboys.
Quarterback (2)
Dak Prescott, Joe Milton
Prescott is the unquestioned QB1 and a MVP candidate this year, and Milton will once again be his primary backup after outperforming Sam Howell. Ideally Howell is traded, if not, hopefully clears waivers and re-signs to the practice squad.
Running back (4)
Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, Jaydon Blue, Hunter Luepke
Williams and Davis are the Cowboys top two backs and Luepke will reprise his role as a Swiss Army knife FB. Blue provides an explosive element and could have a specific package just for him. Phil Mafah and Israel Ibanikanda hopefully revert to the practice squad.
Wide receiver (6)
CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Ryan Flournoy, KaVontae Turpin, Jonathan Mingo, Camden Brown
After the top four, a tough decision will have to be made. The Cowboys are high on both Mingo and Brown, the former due to his blocking/special teams ability and the latter due to his upside. Both stick with Anthony Smith and Jordan Hudson hopefully re-signed to the PS.
Tight end (4)
Jake Ferguson, Brevyn Spann-Ford, Luke Schoonmaker, Michael Trigg
Both Ferguson and Spann-Ford are the unquestioned top TEs for the Cowboys, and as such, are roster locks. We believe Schoonmaker and Trigg will round at the group. No. 86 for insurance and Trigg due to his upside and the fact he likely won’t make it through waivers.
Offensive line (9)
Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, TJ Bass, Nate Thomas, Nick Leverett,, Drew Shelton
Dallas’ starting five OL is set with Thomas backing them up as the swing OT and Bass as the backup iOL. Leverett has proven to be a solid backup C/G, but could be replaced by an outside addition. Shelton makes the cut for now purely based on his draft status, but hopefully can be stashed on IR to make way for a more proven vet swing OT.
Defensive tackle (5)
Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otito Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, LT Overton
The top three are easy predict, but after that less so. Overton and Bullard make the cut for now, but the latter could revert to short-term IR to be recalled later. Keep an eye out for an experienced vet DT to add to the mix and look for Tommy Dunn and DJ Withers back on the PS.
Outside linebacker/Edge (5)
Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, Von Miller, James Houston
The top four are locked in with Houston rounding out the group. Marist Liufau or Sam Williams could force the Cowboys to go six and deep here, but neither has looked particularly impressive. A waiver wire addition or trade wouldn’t be shocking here.
Inside linebacker (5)
DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Jaishawn Barham, Shemar James, Justin Barron
Overshown, Winters, and Barham will rotate as the starters with James and Barron backing them up. No. 55’s pass rushing ability also helps going a little short at OLB. Adding a veteran such as Bobby Wagner to solidify things could still be very much in play.
Cornerback (5)
DaRon Bland, Cobie Durant, Shavon Revel, Devin Moore, Reddy Stewart
Dallas’ top three CBs are locked in, but the depth behind them is still in question. Moore, much like Drew Shelton, makes the cut due to his draft status and we believe Stewart rounds out the group with Ameer Speed barely missing out. Hopefully Speed slips through to the PS.
Safety (5)
Caleb Downs, Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, P.J. Locke, Markquese Bell
The Cowboys love for Bell forces them to go five deep here with the top four already locked in. They would love to find a way to hold on to Julius Wood, also keep an eye on Alijah Clark to return to the PS. He was on the first team kick return unit in practice.
Special teams (3)
Brandon Aubrey, Bryan Anger, Trent Sieg
Nothing new here. There’s no questioning these three are roster locks.
Aug 6, 2026; Canton, Ohio, USA; Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill (right) and general manager Monti Ossenfort on the sidelines prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Arizona Cardinals’ preseason is officially over and the regular season kicks off for them on September 13th in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
However, the first order of business for the Cardinals is to cut their 2026 roster down from 90 to their initial 53-man roster by Sunday, August 30th at 3:00 p.m. Arizona Time.
Here is something that is wild for the Cardinals even before roster cuts happen for every team in the NFL… According to our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook, no team has longer odds to make the playoffs in 2026 than the Arizona Cardinals at +1600.
That is an insane number when you remember that the Miami Dolphins exist and are only +1500. In the NFC, the next team with the lowest odds is the Washington Commanders at +285.
No one believes in the Arizona Cardinals.
With the preseason over, the Arizona Cardinals will begin their roster cuts to get down to their 53-man roster on Sunday and we will update it as we get the information.
The Cardinals are historically one of the last teams to announce their cuts, but maybe this year will be different.
Odell Beckham had a lot to smile about Friday night. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The New York Giants finished their preseason on Friday with a 23-6 victory over the New York Jets. Odell Beckham Jr. had a big night. Dominic Zvada learned he had won the placekicking job. Let’s review the action in our unique ‘Kudos and Wet Willies’ style.
Kudos to …
Odell Beckham Jr. — Is anyone still questioning whether or not Beckham is making the 53-man roster? Beckham nearly had a 73-yard touchdown reception, but Jameis Winston slightly overthrew him and the ball fell incomplete.
Beckham still had an outstanding night. He caught three passes for 53 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch, with the longest being a 23-yard grab. He has enough juice to be a useful player for this Giants team.
John Harbaugh said after the game that Beckham has done enough to make a roster, but stopped short of anointing him as part of the Giants’ 53-man roster.
"Super grateful for the opportunity. At this point, it's in God's hands. I know that I have a good feeling about myself – there's ball to be played, plays to be made."
Tyrone Tracy — The third-year running back needed a big night after mishaps in the first two preseason games. He got one with four carries for 37 yards, including a 16-yard run, and a 6-yard touchdown. He also survived an injury scare, passing a concussion test and seeming to be fine while on the sideline in the second half.
Offensive line — There were holes to run through and pockets to pass from all night. The Giants traded offensive linemen Daniel Faalele and Josh Ezeudu over the past week, because they liked their depth. Friday night you could see why. Sisi Mauigoa was outstanding in his brief stint. Guys like rookie J.C Davis, Evan Neal, and Jake Kubas all played well. It was fun, and sort of mystifying, to watch Neal push guys backwards all night. Where has that been for the last four years?
Zaire Barnes — Barnes capped off an excellent summer with a tremendous, athletic interception. The fact that he was also a game captain was a massive pre-game hint that he is making the 53-man roster.
Trace Ford — I don’t know if there is a place for Ford on the 53-man roster, but he certainly made a case on Friday for the Giants to find one. Ford, an edge defender, had five tackles, three for loss, a sack, two quarterback hits, and two passes defensed. Question is, will he have a roster spot on Sunday night?
Dominic Zvada — Zvada has won the placekicking competition with Ben Sauls. Zvada made field goals of 23, 46, and 53 yards, and added two extra points. It didn’t hurt that short-time Giant Jason Sanders missed an extra point and was short on a 54-yard field goal try. John Harbaugh made it official after the game that Zvada will be the placekicker.
Jake Haener — After just joining the Giants a couple of weeks ago, Haener was impressive in his only game action of the preseason. He went 6 of 7 for 101 yards, a touchdown, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Haener’s touchdown was a beautifully directed and thrown ball to wide receiver Xavier Gipson. Did Haener do enough to take a practice squad spot away from Brandon Allen?
Jordan Stout — Thanks to a penalty, Stout was forced to re-kick after a 63-yard punt. He responded with an amazing 81-yard punt that was nearly downed at the 1-yard line by Darius Muasau and Dalen Cambre.
Najee Harris — The newly-signed running back got his first game action, and looked good. He carried 11 times for 39 yards, with a long run of 9 yards, as the Giants got him ready for Week 1.
Wet Willies to …
Run defense — Not sure that the Giants need to be scouring cuts for defensive line help? All you had to do was watch the Jets’ opening 10-play, 36-yard drive to know that the answer is absolutely. The Giants need rotational players to join D.J. Reader and Shelby Harris, and they are sorely lacking in capable run defenders on the interior defensive line.
Darius Alexander, Bobby Jamison-Travis, Leki Fotu, and pretty much everyone the Giants put out there left a lot to be desired in run defense. Jamison-Travis and his sack celebration are fun. His job, though, is run defense. He needs to get better at it.
Turnovers — The Giants committed two. One, a Jameis Winston interception after a pass bounced off Beckham’s hands, set up the Jets’ touchdown. The other, a red zone fumble by Braxton Berrios, denied the Giants a scoring opportunity.
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 19: A detail view of an official Wilson game ball on the field before an NFL football game between Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 19, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings will square off in the final preseason game for both teams. We don’t expect much in the way of snaps from starters tonight, but a lot of these players are having their last chance to make a case for a roster spot – whether on the final 53 or the 16-man practice squad. Week 1 is officially just around the corner, Broncos Country!
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Mile High time on Friday, August 28, 2026 at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. You can also check local Broncos radio network affiliate stations. Join the discussion in the comments section below.
Lutz hits a 43-yard field goal to cap the Broncos' first drive. Big gain was the 26-yard pass from Stidham to Adkins. Marvin Mims Jr. comes down hard after the last play of the series. Came back to the bench, threw his helmet in frustration, sat down on the bench, then appeared…
Broncos drive stalls in the red zone after a Dane Key holding penalty. They settle for a 37-yard Wil Lutz field goal and a 13-3 lead with 5:30 left before halftime.
A nice response in the two-minute offense by the Broncos to expand their lead back to double digits on Jaleel McLaughlin's 20-yard catch-and-run from Ehlinger.. Ehlinger found Bandy for 13 yards and Dane Key for 20. Broncos up, 20-6.
I am not even sure if Cody Schrader makes the practice squad…but he's making the decision harder for the Broncos coaches than it was prior to this game
The pick not with standing, Ehlinger's had a really good night, 15-20, 233, 3 TDs, so 16 for his last 19, and obviously a couple of really nice throws.@guerillasports#BroncosCountry
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 26: Christian Yelich #22 of the Milwaukee Brewers hits a double against the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field on June 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Make that three straight wins for the Crew after their 6-1 victory over the Texas Rangers. Tonight’s win adds another to their MLB-leading 84 wins while also extending their division lead to eight games with less than a month to play.
All around the diamond, there were standout players tonight for the Brewers, and while the likes of William Contreras, Jake Bauers, and Jackson Chourio stay hot, there’s one bat that has awakened: Christian Yelich. Yelich finishes the night with three hits and an RBI with a double. After tonight’s showing, he’s now batting .391 with a .462 OBP over his last seven games.
Sticking with the train of hot offense, Contreras came through with two men on in the bottom of the first inning to give the Brewers an early 1-0 lead. In the very next at-bat, Yelich hit his 21st double of the season, driving in Bauers to extend their lead to 2-0.
Then, the Rangers were introduced to one of the best upcoming pitchers in all of baseball in Logan Henderson, as he picked up his first of seven strikeouts. In fact, going forward, the Rangers were only able to pick up one hit, and that came on a solo home run from former Brewer Danny Jansen in the bottom of the third inning. Henderson went the rest of the way, only facing one of the minimum, finishing the night with only 91 pitches thrown.
With the number of records that this edition of the Brewers has racked up to this point in the season, Henderson continued to pile on his accolades tonight as well. Following tonight’s start, he now has the second-lowest ERA in his first 19 career starts with a 2.30 ERA. The only man above him is Bill Parsons with a 2.27 ERA.
The Brewers’ offense went silent after the first inning until Yelich kicked things off with a weak base hit. After a two-out walk from Sal Frelick, David Hamilton went the other way with it to drive in Garrett Mitchell to extend the Brewers’ lead to 3-1.
After the final 1-2-3 inning from Henderson in the top of the seventh, Contreras picked up his second RBI of the game with a base hit to center field to make it 4-1. Then, for no particular reason, the Brewers decided to play a little small ball in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Frelick and Hamilton both reached base via the drag bunt, but it was Brice Turang who bunted one foul on the third pitch of the at-bat to strike out. Chourio then poked a ball through the left side of the infield to make it 5-1, then, for good measure, Contreras added one final run for his third RBI of the night to cap it at 6-1.
After Henderson provided another stellar outing, Aaron Ashby and DL Hall shut down the Rangers in the final two innings. Hall capped off the series opener win by striking out the side.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 28: Quinn Mathews #60 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Busch Stadium on August 28, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Watching the Cardinals for the past week has been similar to that meme where the stick figure pokes the stick at an object saying “do something”. Many of us who witnessed the early season version of the St. Louis Cardinals have been anxiously waiting for the team to do something and they did some of that Friday night against the Pirates. Fortunately, those “somethings” included a big blast from Jimmy Crooks and a stellar effort from Quinn Mathews.
Quinn Mathews got off to an efficient start limiting his pitch count by getting pounding the strike zone and allowed the defense behind him to help out. Great example of that happened in the top of the 2nd inning when he handed out a one-out walk to Gonzales, but got a ground ball out of Flores Jr. which turned into a nifty double play thanks to some fancy glovework by Nolan Gorman at third.
Gorman helped out with the bat, too, in the bottom of the 3rd inning when he waited on a 94 mph changeup and smacked it into the right-centerfield gap for a double that turned into a triple with Cruz couldn’t get a handle on the ball. He was able to take a leisurely stroll to home plate when Jimmy Crooks followed that with a 90 mph slider he launched 416 feet for a 2-run homer deep into the right field stands for a 2-0 Cardinals lead.
To sum up the Cardinals pitching start Friday night, Quinn Mathews was DEALING! The Pirates didn’t have a real scoring chance until the top of the 4th inning when he gave up a leadoff single to Triolo. Two batters later, O’Neil Cruz hit a hard grounder off of Alec Burleson’s glove at first giving Pittsburgh runners at first and third with two outs, but the Pirates were held scoreless when JJ Wetherholt made a nice play on a sinking line drive for the final out of the Pittsburgh 4th. Quinn was at 65 pitches going into the top of the 5th inning which is a big improvement over his last couple of outings.
The Cardinals offense seemed determined to give Mathews some more run support as Jordan Walker started the bottom of the 5th with single he smoked into left field from a 96 mph four-seam fastball. Jose Fermin then poked a single into right field which moved Walker to third. Nathan Church took advantage of that as he lifted a sacrifice fly to center scoring Walker and upping the Cardinals lead to 3-0. Joshua Baez kept the party going as he ripped a double into the left field corner giving St. Louis runners at second and third with just one out as Fermin was held up at third. It was then Nolan Gorman’s turn. He had a very effective at bat as he came back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk which loaded the bases for the Cardinals. Jimmy Crooks had a prime opportunity to break the game wide open, but he was called out on a check swing for the second out of the inning. It was up to JJ Wetherholt to come through with some two out magic, but all he could manage was a first-pitch dribbler out to the pitcher. Humongous missed opportunity.
The top of the 5th inning has been the land of baseball danger for the Cardinals during the second half of the season. How many games with promise have come apart at the seams in the infamous 5th? Too many to count is the answer. Quinn Mathews ran into a bit of trouble in the 5th inning of Friday’s game, too, but fortunately it did not doom the Cardinals to a sudden deficit. With one out, he hit Mangum with a pitch. Yorke then singled to right giving the Pirates runners at first and second. It looked like Mathews might get out of it without damage when he got a ground ball out of Davis that looked like it might turn into a double play, but the Wetherholt to Fermin to Burleson turn only got the force out at second since injured Masyn Winn was not a part of it. Triolo hit a 2-out single just in front of Baez in left to drive in the first Pirate run of the night making it 3-1 Cardinals. Fortunately, Quinn struck out Valdez to end the threat and maintain the Cardinals advantage.
The Cardinals knocked Pirates starter Jared Jones out of the game in the bottom of the 5th inning when Jordan Walker and Jose Fermin hit back-to-back two out singles. It ended up being fruitless as Nathan Church bounced a ball off of Pirates reliever Evan Sisk, but could not beat the throw to first to end the Cardinals 5th.
Quinn Mathews first Busch Stadium start was a memorable one. He got the Cardinals through 5 2/3 and was in position for a win after Ryan Fernandez got the last out in the top of the 6th. Mathews left the game with a pitch count of 102 allowing 5 hits, 1 earned run while striking out 7 and walking only 1.
Ryan Fernandez stayed in the game to handle the Pirates in the top of the 7th and handle them he did 1-2-3. No runners and no drama. He was also the Cardinals answer for the top of the 8th inning after St. Louis failed to mount any kind of offensive momentum in the bottom of the 7th. Fernandez was able to lock down the Pirates for the first two outs of the 8th inning before he walked Reynolds bringing up O’Neil Cruz as the potential tying run. That brought manager Oli Marmol out of the dugout to bring in Caleb Ferguson for a lefty-on-lefty matchup. That led to a huge break for the Cardinals as Cruz hit a hard ground ball that appeared to go into right field for a single that would have given the Pirates runners at first and third, but the ball hit Reynolds for the final out of the inning. We’ll take it!
The Cardinals tried to add to their lead in the bottom of the 8th inning when Jordan Walker led off with a single into right for his third hit of the night. Jose Fermin was drilled in the chest by a pitch that he squared around to bunt on, but on replay challenge it was overturned after video showed it hit the bat first. Fermin did end up grounding out to the pitcher, but he did move Walker up into scoring position at second on the play. Jordan moved over to third on a ground out to first by Nathan Church. He would score when Joshua Baez grounded out, but shortstop Gonzalez hurried his throw which pulled Horwitz off first base giving the Cardinals a valuable insurance run increasing the lead to 4-1. Three errors on the night by the Pirates helped the St. Louis cause.
Ryne Stanek was brought in to lock down the game for the Cardinals and win for Quinn Mathews. Ryne got Gonzalez to fly out to right for the first out. Next up was Flores Jr. who Stanek struck out with 99 mph HEAT. Mangum was the final Pirates hope which turned out to be no hope at all as Ryne got him out to seal the deal for St. Louis.
The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates will convene again Saturday afternoon for game 2 of their weekend series. Kyle Leahy is the scheduled starter for the Cardinals while the Pirates have yet to announce who they’ll send to the mound. First pitch is 1:15pm central time with the game broadcast available via Cardinals.tv.
The main story of the game for the Mets was starting pitcher Christian Scott, who had an up-and-down outing in the strangest possible terms.
Scott was spotless through five innings, allowing just one hit and two walks and keeping Houston off the scoreboard.
However, after recording the first out in the fifth inning, Scott issued three straight walks to Yordan Alvarez, Isaac Paredes,and Jose Altuve. Having lost control of the strike zone, interim manager Andy Green pulled his starter for Nate Lavender, who surrendered two hits which drove in all three baserunners, tagging Scott with three earned runs on his final line.
Speaking with the media postgame, Green expressed no regrets with his decision to let Scott push past the fifth inning.
"Today was a good day to test him," Green said. "He had been efficient through five innings, so I wanted to give him [the chance to face] the third time through [the batting order]."
Both Green and Scott were asked if the right-handed pitcher is feeling any arm fatigue in his first season back from Tommy John surgery and, if so, whether it was a factor in his control issues.
"I'm sure he's feeling it more as the season goes on," Green said. "I think you see it often in their first game back from Tommy John...when he gets further and further from that, the walks will dissipate."
Scott, in contrast, refused to pin the blame on anything but his own performance.
"I wouldn't say I did [feel any arm fatigue] tonight," Scott said. "I just didn't execute, didn't get a lot of whiffs, didn't throw the ball well in the sixth ... need to do a better job filling up the zone."
"Physically, I feel fine," Scott said. "I feel like I'm pitching very well right now, but I need to do a better job executing, especially later in the game."
Whatever the case, Green has the 27-year-old's back.
"It was a learning experience today," Green said. "I have a ton of confidence that the next time he is staring down the middle of the order in the sixth inning, he's going to succeed in that situation."
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 28: Zac Veen #13 of the Colorado Rockies slides into third base during the fifth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on August 28, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After splitting a series against the Washington Nationals, the Colorado Rockies looked to start the series in Atlanta on a high note. Despite a solid night offensively, the Rockies left a small village on the base paths as the big hit eluded them and couldn’t keep pace with a dangerous Braves offense.
A tough night in Atlanta for Tomo
Hoping to break a string of difficult starts, the cards were not in Tomoyuki Sugano’s (菅野 智之) favor against the Braves. Things looked promising as Sugano worked a quick 1-2-3 first inning, a far cry from the 45 pitches he threw in his last outing. Unfortunately for Sugano, the Braves picked away at him in the second inning to build a 3-0 lead.
Ronald Acuña Jr. led off with a walk and came in to score on a double from Michael Harris II. After Maricio Dubón flew out, advancing Harris to third base, and Mike Yastrzemski struck out, Sean Murphy delivered an RBI double down the line to score another run. Ha-Seong Kim was then hit by a pitch, setting the table for Drake Baldwin to shoot a ball up the middle to score a third run.
Dubón added another RBI single in the third inning to increase the lead to 4-0. Sugano managed a harmless fourth inning, and his offense closed the deficit in the top of the fifth inning, but his night would be over after just three batters when he came back out to pitch. Acuña smoked the first pitch he saw all the way to the wall for a double, and then Harris launched a two-run home run on the second pitch of the inning to give the Braves a 6-3 lead. Dubón’s single delivered the final blow to knock Sugano out of the game.
Once again, Sugano’s command eluded him. Due to the Atlanta heat and humidity, he struggled to grip the baseball and ended up having to rely on his fastball much more than usual. As a result, he threw 91 pitches, 58 strikes, and allowed six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and one walk. He wasn’t able to dip into his secondaries and was often working behind hitters, and the contact started to get harder and harder by the time that fifth inning rolled around.
“He got behind in the count again,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “Not a lot executed tonight. Got hit pretty hard there. It’s just been a tough couple of times out for Tomo.”
Bullpen boys keep it in reach
The Rockies bullpen has continued to do their job and pick up quite a bit of slack from the rotation and this game was no different.
Mark Manfredi relieved Sugano in the fifth inning and continued to impress in his young career. He ended up throwing two solid innings, giving up just three hits and striking out one batter. He was then replaced by Juan Mejia, who tossed a scoreless inning, allowing just one hit. Brennan Bernardino then faced the minimum in the eighth inning.
They combined for just four hits over four innings on 49 total pitches.
The quest for the big hit
Once again, the Rockies found themselves searching for the big hit in the game on offense. In the second inning, the Rockies had something promising after TJ Rumfield walked and Willi Castro singled to put runners on first and second against Grant Holmes. Mickey Moniak smoked a liner to first base that was snagged by Matt Olson for the first out. Connor Norby then grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the fourth inning, Rumfield singled and was then replaced on the bases by Castro after he grounded into a fielder’s choice. Moniak singled to put men on the corners, but Norby grounded out to end the threat once again.
They finally broke through in the fifth inning against Holmes when Zac Veen, who recorded his first multi-hit game, singled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a base hit from Ezequiel Tovar. Jake McCarthy got the Rockies on the board with a sacrifice fly to center field. Cole Carrigg tallied a base hit and Tovar came in to score the Rockies’ second run on a single by Hunter Goodman. The third run of the inning came when Rumfield grounded out to the shortstop, allowing Carrigg to score from third.
The string of hits made it a one-run game at the time before the Harris home run in the bottom half of the inning. It also ended Holmes’s night after the fifth inning as he allowed three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.
“All year… we pass the baton,” Schaeffer said. “That’s why our offense is so much better this year. Selfless baseball, just trying to get on for the next guy, that’s what we do.”
Facing the dangerous Braves bullpen, the Rockies threatened Ray Kerr in the seventh inning, but couldn’t get the big hit to shift the momentum of the game. McCarthy was hit by a pitch, Goodman singled, and Rumfield walked to load the bases with one out. Castro sent the first pitch he saw to center field for a sacrifice fly to give the Rockies their fourth run of the game. Unfortunately, the Rockies couldn’t get more as the left-on-left matchup for Moniak resulted in a strikeout to end the inning.
The eighth inning continued the theme on offense. Veen drew a one-out walk and moved up to third on a two-out single by McCarthy. With men on the corners and two outs, Carrigg ripped a ball to second base that was gathered by Ozzie Albies. Carrigg flew down the line, forcing a bang-bang play at the bag, and was called out. The Rockies challenged, but the call was upheld, ending the inning.
Goodman secured his third hit of the night with a single in the ninth off of Raisel Iglesias, but was quickly erased on a double-play. Castro then lined out softly courtesy of a diving catch by Albies to end the game. That was a common trend on the night as well, as the Braves continued to make some impressive defensive plays to rob the Rockies of hits that could have drastically altered the game for them.
Despite the 12 hits, the Rockies ended up going 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men on base. They have now gone 2-for-20 over the last two games. They only struck out five times and had three walks, with the only extra-base hit being Moniak’s double in the sixth.
“We had chances all night; I thought we swung the bats well, ” said Schaeffer. “We got after it offensively; we came back, kept the foot on the gas. Just didn’t get the job done.”
Up next
The Rockies and Braves continue the series Friday, with Ryan Feltner (5-8, 6.08 ERA) facing veteran lefty Martín Pérez (8-8, 3.12 ERA).
First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 pm MDT. See you then!
Aug 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) celebrates with center fielder Michael Harris II (23) after a two-run home run against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
You can’t get a high-octane, 1-0 complete game every night. The series opener for Braves-Rockies was always bound to feel different than this last few nights versus Los Angeles, and boy, did it deliver on that front.
The swing-happy Rockies collected eleven singles and one double off of the Braves pitching staff. But the Braves weren’t going to be outdone Friday at home, where they’ve been dominant. They outhit and outscored the Rockies by two for fourteen hits and a final score of 6-4 to secure their 80th win of the season.
It was a quiet first frame as each starter began the game with a 1-2-3 inning. Grant Holmes issued a leadoff walk to TJ Rumfield followed by a single to Willi Castro, but got out of it with a Mickey Moniak lineout and a Connor Norby double play.
“Cleanup man” may just be the psychological trick needed to get Ronald Acuña Jr. going. He led off two innings anyway, but the reset / new mentality seemed to make all the difference as he ended up 3-for-3 on the evening. His great night began with a leadoff walk in the second. He then scored from first on a double off the bat of Michael Harris II, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead.
Mauricio Dubón’s productive out moved Harris to third before Mike Yastrzemski battled for nine pitches before he whiffed for strike three. But Harris wouldn’t be stranded – Sean Murphy, in a bit of deja vu from Wednesday, laced one down the third base line juuust fair for a double to make it 2-0.
Don’t look now, but Ha-Seong Kim has now reached base three straight games after being hit by a pitch. We take those.
Drake Baldwin drove in his fellow catcher on a single to center field to extend the lead to 3-0 before Ozzie Albies flew out to end the inning. A crooked number for the Bravos? Is that allowed?
Holmes worked around a Zac Veen leadoff single in the top of the third before setting down the next three Rockies in order.
Ronald’s first hit of the night came in the bottom of the third with a single to center field. He advanced to second on a Harris sac bunt and scored on a Dubón single.
Holmes allowed a couple more singles in the top of the fourth, but a nice Ozzie/Kim play and two other groundouts helped him escape.
Grant was not so fortunate in the top of the fifth. Consecutive singles by Veen (again) and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar set the table for Jake McCarthy’s sac fly to end the shutout and make it 4-1.
Two more singles by Cole Carrigg and Hunter Goodman kept the line moving. Seemingly aware it was not our usual infielders and alignments, there was a weird vortex that appeared between Dubón at third and Ha-Seong Kim at short. Goodman’s hit deflected off of both of their gloves before rolling into left field.
All of a sudden, Colorado had chipped away enough to make it a one-run ballgame at 4-3. Holmes settled down to get Castro to fly out and end the fifth, closing the book on tonight’s outing: 8 hits (all singles), 3 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts on 84 pitches.
But the Braves would get some of those runs right back. Our outfielders combined for our first multi-run home run in a while: Ronald doubled to right, and once again got to trot home to score on a blast to the Chophouse by Money Mike. Dubón’s single prompted Warren Schaeffer to make a pitching change.
Tomoyuki Sugano exited to the dulcet tones of Ke$ha proclaiming that this place was “about to blow”. With the field awash in red light, Mark Manfredi entered to stop the Braves from adding on any further. He struck out pinch-hitter Lane Thomas, got Murph to fly out sharply to center, and Kim to pop out to short to end the rally with the Braves leading 6-3.
Dylan Dodd allowed a leadoff double to Moniak to start the sixth, but put up another zero with a swinging strikeout and two flyouts.
After a Baldwin lineout and Ozzie taking a risk on a hustle double that did not work out, Matt Olson finally decided to join the party with a single to right, followed by Ronald’s second single. But Manfredi got Harris to line out sharply to left to end the sixth, keeping the Braves off the board for his two innings of relief.
Ray Kerr entered to face the top of the Rockies order in what ended up being an eventful seventh inning. He hit McCarthy and got Carrigg to fly out. But a single to Goodman and a walk by Rumfield loaded the bases, prompting a mound visit from Jeremy Hefner. Castro’s sac fly made it 6-4 before Moniak’s strikeout ended the inning.
Murphy hit a two-out single off new reliever Juan Mejia in the bottom of the seventh, but nothing else of note occured.
Victor Mederos jogged out of the bullpen for the eighth inning. Veen worked a walk between Norby groundout and flyout by pinch-hitter Troy Johnston. But a McCarthy single put runners at the corners. A diving play by Ozzie / flip to Olson on a ground ball hit by Carrigg was challenged by Colorado. We all braced for the replay center to overturn the out call and allow the Rockies to add another run, but New York was on our side for this one (!) and we moved right on along. The home half of the eighth ended expeditiouisly as Brennan Bernardino set down our top three in order.
Raisel Iglesias came into the ninth with the two-run lead and set to face the heart of the Rockies order. Team home run leader Goodman did not hit a dinger, thankfully, but a freak single off his bat allowed him to reach. But our own home run leader can also pick it with the best of them – Olson started a beautiful double play to send Goodman and Rumfield back to the visiting dugout and bring Castro up as the last hope for the Rockies.
More defensive magic in the form of an Ozzie Albies diving play for out number three sealed this one for the Braves.
With a final score of 6-4, that extends Atlanta’s win streak to five games, is the 80th win of the season, and improves the Braves’ home record to 46-23, which is the best in baseball. Most excitingly? Every Brave except Lane Thomas (who had two ABs after hitting in Yaz’s spot) and Ha-Seong Kim had a hit tonight. Here’s hoping that this upward offensive trend continues.
The Braves will return to action tomorrow afternoon with Martín Pérez on the mound for the 4:10 pm ET start.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 28: Danny Jansen #9 of the Texas Rangers catches a bunt in front of home plate for an out against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field on August 28, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers scored one run but the Milwaukee Brewers scored six runs.
I did not have much hope for the Rangers to beat the Brewers tonight and they lo and behold, they did not.
In fact, the Rangers trailed 2-0 after one inning and the writing was pretty much already on the wall. That the game remained close through much of the evening was only a mirage as the Rangers didn’t collect their second hit of the night until the eighth inning, which is also when they had their one and only at-bat with RISP.
Despite being one mighty speculative swing away from tying the game for many innings, it never really felt like Texas was close to eclipsing the early scant deficit they found themselves in against baseball’s best club. Eventually Milwaukee made even running into one a moot proposition as they displayed their superiority in the late innings.
After scoring their one run of the night on their first hit via a solo home run from No. 9 hitter Danny Jansen in the top of the third, the next Ranger to reach was Justin Foscue on an infield single with an out in the eighth inning. Following an out and a walk, Jansen grounded out to end Texas’ first and only threat.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee had 14 hits. Perhaps the best thing you can say is tonight’s starter Cody Bradford and the Rangers walked a tightrope to prevent this from turning into a disaster until much later than it seemed it would as the Brewers left eleven on base while going just 4-for-15 with RISP while Texas had two non-Jansen dinger base runners all night.
Player of the Game: Jansen’s fifth home run of the season prevented the ignominy of a shutout loss.
Up Next: The Rangers and Brewers are back at it tomorrow evening with staff ace Cal Quantrill set to take the mound for Texas against LHP Shane Drohan for Milwaukee.
The Saturday evening first pitch from American Family Field is scheduled for 6:15 pm CDT and will be aired nationally on FOX.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 28: First baseman Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees hits the ball while playing the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Yankee Stadium on August 28, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Benjamin B. Braun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
How many scoring chances can two teams accumulate without actually driving in runs? The Yankees and Red Sox played a game hellbent on figuring that out. In the end, one timely homer from Paul Goldschmidt was enough to supplement the effort from Cam Schlittler, the Yankees’ bullpen, and left fielder Cody Bellinger to earn a shutout win, beating Boston 1-0.
More than either lineup, failing to get anything going in the early innings of this matchup, no one was having a worse time than the umpire, Edwin Moscoso, seeing both offenses asking for challenges every other at-bat. The Yankees and Sox combined to get five challenges right in a row before Boston lost its first in the top of the third on a Schlittler curve to Willson Contreras, nicking the top of the zone—eventually punching out the first baseman.
With multiple changes in premium spots in the order against a left-handed starter, the Yankees needed those players to perform in favorable matchups, and in tonight’s game, they were 1-for-2 in that department. First came the frustration in the opening inning, seeing Heliot Ramos punched out on three pitches to strand Ben Rice at second, but a few frames later, the power of Goldschmidt showed up to give the Yankees the lead.
Goldy was looking hard in and ambushed a sinker right at the edge for a home run worthy of this team’s top sluggers.
Facing Schlittler for the fourth time this season, the Red Sox came up with a plan to be patient as a team, working five walks against him. While it is arguable that those free passes were as much his fault as Boston genuinely executing a patient approach at a high level, they managed to really drive up his pitch count, even if the zeroes remained on the board. By the time Schlittler completed the fourth inning, he was already well over 70 pitches and destined for a short start.
Although they had gotten players on before, the Red Sox had their biggest threat against Schlittler in the top of the fifth. A Ceddane Rafaela single—then Boston’s only second hit of the game—set up a two-on-one-out situation for the third-hole hitter. Wilyer Abreu hit a sinking liner to center that Trent Grisham caught, reading it well, certainly far better than Rafaela, who was left in no man’s land and thrown out at first for the double play to end the frame.
The Yankee starter was one out away from grinding out six innings, but a two-out walk not only led to a hook but nearly created a blowup inning. In continuity with the self-imposed challenges of handing out free baserunners, Brent Headrick faced a sequence of three pinch-hitters as the Sox turned over the bottom of the order against a lefty—Headrick allowed a walk and an infield hit to load the bases before narrowly escaping the inning, inducing a lineout to left from Andruw Monasterio.
It’s one thing to be leading a game, but another entirely to be in control of it. And with a 1-0 lead, the Yankees had the chance to seize that control with an opportunistic inning after escaping that bases-loaded threat in the top of the sixth, only to fall flat like the Red Sox offense in their scoring opportunities. New York loaded the bases with just one out against Sandoval, leading the Sox to bring in the righty Greg Weissert. The former Yankee retired George Lombard Jr. with a lineout too short for a tag play and then bullied Jazz Chisholm Jr. into a strikeout, whiffing on nothing but heaters.
Speaking of control, with the bullpens coming into play, the momentum of this game seemed to be continuously shifting all without the actual score moving. In the seventh, Paul Blackburn came in after Headrick retired the inning’s leadoff hitter and then experienced both sides of the coin when it comes to defensive impact. First, a jam was formed courtesy of a lousy read by Ramos on a softly-hit fly ball that dropped in down the right-field line—that double would’ve driven in a run had it not gone over the wall and out of play.
Much like the Yankees, the Sox also hit a sinking liner with a runner at third and fewer than two outs—Rafaela defied his third-base coach and tried to score on Cody Bellinger, an ill-advised move, and was gunned down at the plate to preserve the 1-0 score. At 99.7 mph, it was the third-fastest throw of Bellinger’s superb career and the third-fastest by a Yankee since they started tracking via Statcast in 2015.
After the seventh inning, the relievers on both sides actually started working clean innings, including the case for Blackburn himself in the eighth and David Bednar in the ninth, securing his 31st save of the season with three consecutive popups. It was a nailbiter, but the Yanks left with the 1-0 triumph.
Making up for a postponed game over two months ago, the Yankees and Red Sox will play a southpaw showcase split-admission doubleheader on Saturday. Carlos Rodón gets the ball in the opener against fellow lefty Jake Bennett, while Max Fried starts the nightcap against an unknown Boston starter (Brayan Bello is expected to at least get a chunk of those innings). Fried will be making his first start back after returning from an IL stint that turned out to be way shorter than expected. The first game will start at 1:05pm ET, while the second one has its first pitch at 7:05pm ET.
