Monday is filled with pitching props featuring Kyle Freeland, Jameson Taillon, and Payton Tolle, which give us plenty of high-value targets on tonight's betting card.
Typically, an Over 3.5 runs team total would make me a little nervous, unless it was a team like the Dodgers, but the Washington Nationals are a different story.
Washington gets after early runs, ranking second in first five runs scored while averaging Over three runs through the first five innings.
They draw Colorado Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland, who has been awful all season. The veteran left-hander carries one of the worst pitcher ratings on the slate and now has to face a Nationals lineup featuring six elite-rated hitters and one strong-rated hitter based on the current season ratings at Batters-Box.
At home this season, Freeland owns a 6.38 ERA and 1.58 WHIP, while allowing a 40% hard-hit rate and 11% barrel rate.
The Nationals should have a field day in Coors.
I would play this down to -110 at most.
Time: 8:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: COLR, NATS
Jameson Taillon Over 2.5 earned runs (-135)
It is hard for me to overlook the data here, as Chicago Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon draws six elite-rated Detroit Tigers bats while carrying one of the worst pitcher ratings on the day over at Batters-Box.
Taillon has struggled all season long, posting a 7.77 ERA, 6.92 xERA, and 1.64 WHIP. Over his last five starts, he has allowed a 42.67% hard-hit rate and a 16% barrel rate.
The Tigers have been a little cold offensively over their last six games, but I will always lean toward trusting the advanced data and betting on bad pitching being exposed over bad offense.
The wind is blowing out at Wrigley, which could provide some extra help tonight. I know this prop is juicy, so I would not pay much more than the current price.
If the first five team total is available at a better number, I would rather go that route.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: MARQ, DSN
Payton Tolle Over 6.5 strikeouts (+125)
I may just be drinking the "Payton Tolle is awesome" juice, but I absolutely love him to shove against the Baltimore Orioles this evening.
Sure, Baltimore’s offense has been heating up over the last few days, but its strikeout rate has still been hovering around 30%. The O's also have not fared well against southpaws this season, posting a 26% strikeout rate against left-handed pitching.
Over their last 60 at-bats vs. lefties, seven Orioles hitters have posted at least a 21.7% strikeout rate, six are at 25.4% or higher, and three are at least 31%.
There are plenty of strikeouts available in this lineup.
Meanwhile, Tolle has maintained a 30% strikeout rate both at home and over his last three starts.
At +125 for seven strikeouts, I think we are getting excellent value and should be in a great position to cash.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NESN, MASN
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 313-586, -6.6 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 6: Cristopher Sánchez #61 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park on April 6, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 8-7. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As a whole, despite taking two out of three in one of the toughest places to visit, Yankee Stadium, the Dodgers offense didn’t have the best of times, twice failing to even crack three runs in a game. Well, the post-All-Star break journey doesn’t get any easier with a stop in Philly that begins with a matchup against the best left-handed pitcher in the National League, Cristopher Sánchez.
This particular task gets much more daunting when you account for Sánchez’s drastic splits this season. The Phillies’ ace will host the Dodgers with as many wins at home (7) as he has earned runs (7). While the left-hander is running a near 5.00 ERA on the road, raised significantly after a horrible start against the Royals a couple of weeks ago, Sánchez has a sub-1.00 ERA in a larger sample in front of his home crowd. One of the things that makes facing Sánchez even more difficult is that even when you think you have him, capitalizing on that opportunity is an entirely separate challenge. Take his last start, for instance: the Tigers had 10 hits against the Phillies ace, and yet multiple double plays on too many ground balls bullied them into scoring just two runs in a 4-2 defeat.
Until Blake Snell is back—with Shohei Ohtani taking a break from pitching for an undetermined period to fully recover his knee—the Dodgers will need a bit more from the likes of Emmet Sheehan, who, in turn, needs a bit more from the offense that has let him down in recent starts. Since the start of June, the Dodgers have won only one of Sheehan’s seven starts, even though the young right-hander has allowed more than three runs just once in this period.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 29: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on April 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After what felt like a never-ending wait, the time to trade is nearly upon Major League Baseball. This year’s trade deadline is August 3 at 6 p.m. ET, giving contending clubs just two weeks to reinforce their rosters for the stretch drive. The Atlanta Braves are one of many teams seeking the missing pieces for their rosters.
The trade deadline is not what it used to be, however.
When the expanded playoff format went into place in 2022, it created more opportunity for clubs on the bubble to ponder their postseason chances. This caused many teams that previously had little or no path to the playoffs to take more time to carefully consider the decision to sell at the trade deadline.
Heading into Monday’s action, 23 of the 30 teams in MLB are within 4-1/2 games of a playoff berth. That creates an incredible amount of intrigue leading up to the deadline.
Atlanta entered the second half in first place, but its hold on the top spot in the National League East diminished greatly over the past two months. The Philadelphia Phillies whittled the Braves’ 10-1/2 game lead down to just two games by the All-Star break. The Miami Marlins also transformed into one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past six weeks, putting the Braves in the middle of a full-blown division race. Atlanta’s lead is currently three games, but in order to hold off these rivals and secure a postseason spot, the time to add pieces is near.
Over the winter, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos expressed a desire to acquire a proven starter who could bolster the rotation come playoff time. When that did not happen during the offseason, it left Atlanta to depend on its organizational depth and a stable of starters with a litany of durability concerns and questionable availability in some cases.
Given the injuries which began in spring training and persisted throughout the regular season, it goes without saying that the Braves find themselves in a familiar position of needing help in the starting rotation. While it may have been reported that Anthopoulos is prioritizing offense in advance of the August 3 deadline, there is little reason to believe Atlanta will not also be having serious discussions about addressing their many pitching issues.
Just what are those issues? I’m glad you asked.
Potential returns for both Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider remain unclear. Though Schwellenbach is in Florida ramping up his throwing progression, Strider has not picked up a baseball since being placed on the injured list on June 13 with elbow inflammation. Given his lengthy history of elbow issues, both the injury and time remaining may be working against him.
AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep could help but carry their own viability concerns. Smith-Shawver is currently rehabbing with Triple-A Gwinnett and could be closing in his return from Tommy John surgery in just 13 months. Waldrep underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in Spring Training. Though he returned to the Atlanta rotation a few weeks ago, Waldrep was optioned back to Gwinnett to allow additional time to return to his 2025 form.
Martin Perez patched one of the rotation spots and should return this week after an injury scare when he was struck in the forearm with a line drive. All of these circumstances led to top prospects JR Ritchie and Owen Murphy being pressed into duty to mixed results.
With Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes each essentially being five-inning pitchers and Bryce Elder regressing mightily after a strong start, there are simply more questions than answers for Atlanta’s starting five after Chris Sale takes his turn.
In 38 games since June 1, the Atlanta rotation averaged 4-2/3 innings per start. Only the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and Chicago White Sox have received fewer innings from their rotation over that stretch. Braves starting pitchers have produced a combined 0.7 fWAR since June 1, a mark that is tied for 25th in Major League Baseball. Considering that Sale accounts for a 1.3 fWAR in his past seven starts, this paints a rather unflattering picture of the other eight Braves to start a game during that time.
Now that you’re up to speed on where the Braves stand, what they need, and why the need it, let’s take a look at some of the candidates. There will certainly be others, but I’ve identified 11 pitchers that could be dealt by the deadline. Since the ideal fit is subjective and is oftentimes price dependent, I’ll leave you to debate the merits and cost of acquiring each.
Tarik Skubal | DET | 29 y/o | 2.2 fWAR
May as well get this one out of the way first, because there’s not a bigger name that could be on the move as we approach the trade deadline. Skubal is the two-time, reigning, defending American League Cy Young Award winner. You don’t need me to tell you what that kind of talent can do for the rotation of any contending club. As such, expect just about every single contender or postseason hopeful to at least inquire with Detroit about Skubal.
That’s the good, but here’s the rest of the story. Skubal has appeared mortal at times this season. After starting 31 games, surpassing both 190 innings and 200 strikeouts while posting 2.39 and 2.21 ERAs in 2024 and 2025 respectively, Skubal is 6-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 14 starts this season. He also underwent surgery to clear loose bodies from his pitching elbow.
That cost him just six weeks because it was a cutting-edge procedure, but Skubal has been more homer-prone – eight in 39-1/3 innings – since returning to the Detroit rotation in mid-June. Of course, he also averaged 12.1 K/9 over that stretch. The first start out of the All-Star break was vintage Skubal – seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts on Saturday, so perhaps the elevated home run rate is not quite the canary in the coal mine after all.
Regardless of the in-season elbow surgery, it’s hard to talk anyone out of the desire to add Skubal. However, the prospect bounty required will be exorbitant, even if there are lingering questions about not only his health but his direct path into whatever free agency looks like with a potential work stoppage awaiting. The last part of that discussion can wait, but it’s worth noting Skubal is due the remainder of a $32 million salary this season. Obviously, that’s unlikely to dissuade many suitors who are in the market for arguably the best pitcher in the game for the stretch drive.
Joe Ryan | MIN | 30 y/o | 3.3 fWAR
While the Minnesota Twins were the busiest team at the trade deadline a year ago, they currently have a legitimate shot at a postseason berth. The Twins find themselves contending for one of the AL Wild Card spots and are also in range in the AL Central race. That could make ace starter Joe Ryan difficult to acquire despite heavy interest.
Ryan is 6-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 20 starts and has struck out 128 batters across 110-1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .218 batting average and just a .614 OPS. Minnesota avoided arbitration by signing Ryan to a contract that calls for $6.1 million for this season and includes a $13 million mutual option with a $100,000 buyout for 2027. He is under team control through arbitration for another year even if that option is not exercised. Given his impressive work again this season, Ryan is likely to be one of the most sought-after starters on the trade market. As a result, he could be one of the most expensive to acquire given he is not just a rental.
Sonny Gray | BOS | 36 y/o | 1.8 fWAR
The 36-year-old veteran is currently fronting the rotation of the surging Red Sox. Gray is 12-1 with a 2. 48 ERA in 18 starts and Boston is riding a 13-game winning streak. The incredible turnaround allowed the Red Sox to claim the third Wild Card spot in the AL. Boston is a case study for why clubs aren’t in a hurry to trade off their pieces and what a well-timed winning streak can do for a team that many gave up on following an abysmal start. All of that winning puts Gray’s availability in serious question unless Boston falls apart in the next two weeks.
While his numbers are solid, Gray is significantly outperforming his both his 3.65 FIP and 3.67 xFIP and a 7.97 K/9 is his lowest since 2016, his fourth season in the big leagues. That does not necessarily set off alarm bells but is worth noting for sustainability’s sake. One of Gray’s best abilities is availability. He’s averaged 31 starts and 177 innings from 2023-2025. If a team is looking for a proven arm to throw competitive innings, then Gray may just be your guy.
Gray has a no-trade clause but could be convinced to waive it to pitch for Atlanta, a team close to his home in the Nashville area. The St. Louis Cardinals are paying $20 million of Gray’s $35 million salary this season, making the financial component more palatable for any team that acquires him. Gray also has a $30 million mutual option for 2027 which carries a $5 million buyout. The big question now is will the Red Sox actually be sellers? Time will tell.
Reid Detmers | LAA | 27 y/o | 3.0 fWAR
One of the youngest arms who could hit the market, Detmers is a talented yet inconsistent lefty starter who comes with several years of team control attached. In parts of six seasons with the Angels, Detmers has yet to really put everything together. He owns a 24-37 record to go along with a 4.64 ERA in 564 innings and moved back to the rotation this season after spending 2025 in the bullpen for Los Angeles.
The strikeout numbers are intriguing. Detmers has posted 10.2 K/9 and has 130 strikeouts in 114-2/3 innings across 19 starts this season. Just 3-6 with a 4.16 ERA, Detmers holds a respectable 3.21 FIP and 3.26 xERA per FanGraphs. Given the Angels are one of the worst fielding teams in baseball, a change of scenery could be just what Detmers needs to level up.
Unlike some of the bigger name starters who could change addresses by the deadline, the price tag on Detmers could be more reasonable. The fact that he’s not eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season only enhances Detmers’ value when parting with prospects.
Casey Mize | DET | 29 y/o | 2.7 fWAR
It took eight years, but the top pick in the 2018 draft is enjoying his best season as Detroit is struggling to stay afloat in the AL Central race. While Skubal is the Tigers starter everyone is talking about, Mize could be the more realistic target. The 4-6 record is deceiving as Mize owns a 2.79 ERA that is backed by a 2.62 FIP and 3.12 xERA. He is also averaging a career-best 9.2 K/9 through 15 starts and 80-1/3 innings this season.
Here’s the bad news, however. Mize was forced out of his most recent start over the weekend after being struck in the left wrist by a comebacker. While the Tigers aren’t overly concerned with that issue, it was revealed that Mize is also dealing with groin tightness. Mize described his early exit as precautionary, but the severity of that issue could impact his availability.
A true rental, Mize will be a free agent following the season. While his résumé is considerably lighter than Skubal’s, plenty of teams would like to add a capable starter who is enjoying his best season just as the pennant race heats up. Mize is an Alabama native who attended Auburn University before being drafted by the Tigers eight years ago. While he may not have produced the career Detroit envisioned, Mize picked a great time to put things together and could command a decent return in trade if he does get moved.
Michael Wacha | KCR | 35 y/o | 1.8 fWAR
One of two veterans the Royals could shop at the deadline, Michael Wacha is a battle-tested starter who provides quality innings on an annual basis. From 2022-2025, Wacha averaged 27 starts and 150 innings while logging a 3.46 ERA – though it does come against a 4.24 xERA. What’s hard to argue with are the innings themselves, which is what the Braves desperately need. An All-Star for the second time in his career – and first time in 11 years – Wacha leads the AL with 119-1/3 innings pitched while posting a 3.77 ERA in 19 starts thus far this season.
Wacha is owed the remainder of an $18 million salary this season and $14 million for 2027. The Royals also hold a $14 million team option with a $1 million buyout for 2028, which would be Wacha’s age-36 season. Given the money attached, Wacha may not be the most expensive trade piece moved at the deadline in terms of prospect return. His consistency, however, should be in demand and thus garner some value heading back to Kansas City.
Robbie Ray | SFG | 34 y/o | 0.7 fWAR
A former Cy Young Award winner who could be on the move as the San Francisco Giants reevaluate just what it is they’re building, Robbie Ray is putting together a solid season in the final year of a five-year, $115 million deal he signed with the Mariners prior to 2022. Ray made just 32 starts for Seattle before being shipped to San Francisco in January of 2024. After fully recovering from Tommy John surgery, he went 11-8 with a 3.65 ERA in 32 starts for the Giants last year, averaging 9.2 K/9 and posting a 2.2 fWAR.
While no longer a frontline starter who can lead the league in strikeouts, Ray still profiles as solid mid-rotation arm. He is 8-6 with a 3.33 ERA in 110-2/3 innings for the Giants so far in 2026 and could bolster the Braves’ depleted ranks and provide them with a second lefty in rotation. Another rental acquisition that will likely command a modest return unless a team is willing to overpay in prospect capital, Ray should draw interest from numerous contenders.
Trevor Rogers | BAL | 28 y/o | 1.9 fWAR
The Orioles entered the season with high hopes and Trevor Rogers was supposed to be part of their success on the mound. Instead, the club stumbled out of the gate and spent the majority of 2026 looking up in the standings at the Rays, Yankees and Blue Jays. Rogers was solid in his first three outings this season before getting absolutely blasted for a 10.01 ERA over the next seven starts and then spending a few weeks on the injured list due to a severe illness.
Rogers returned to form in June and owns a 1.69 ERA over his last eight starts while throwing 48 innings and allowing just two home runs. This looks a lot like the version of Rogers that went 9-3 with a 1.81 ERA in 18 starts for Baltimore last season. He may be outpitching his FIP, but Rogers has a five-pitch mix that can garner good results.
Acquired him from the Marlins at the trade deadline in 2024, he has enjoyed some success in Baltimore. Yet another pending free agent on this list, Rogers is owed just $6.2 million in his final year of arbitration. The Orioles are just two games out of the final Wild Card spot, so they may just hold onto Rogers and ride out the final two months.
Michael Soroka | ARI | 28 y/o | 2.2 fWAR
Here’s a blast from the past. After years of injuries and the subsequent search for consistency, Michael Soroka appears to have his career back on track with Arizona. He signed a one-year, $7.5 million contract over the winter and delivered a strong first half, going 8-3 with a 3.07 ERA (2.93 FIP) in 15 starts. Not only is Soroka boasting a healthy 8.7 K/9, but he finally solved the home run problem that plagued him since returning to the mound in 2023 after two major Achilles injuries with Atlanta. In short, Soroka looks a lot like the All-Star pitcher he was for the Braves at just 21 years old in 2019.
Unfortunately, Soroka is currently on the 15-day IL with a strained left glute. That injury occurred roughly a month ago and he is not expected back until early August. Not only will Arizona not have Soroka’s services at a critical juncture of their season, but they will not be able to showcase him for other teams should they decide to sell.
The Diamondbacks may be buried in the NL West standings, but the remain very much alive in the Wild Card. Arizona enters the week just a half game out of the race, though there is a three-way tie for that final spot. Like many teams, the next two weeks could decide the fate of the Diamondbacks when it comes to buying or selling at the deadline. If Soroka is made available, he would be an attractive piece for any contender to add to its rotation.
Seth Lugo | KCR | 36 y/o | 1.1 fWAR
Aside from Michael Wacha, another veteran starter the Royals could make available is righty Seth Lugo. After seven seasons pitching mostly in relief for the New York Mets, Lugo moved to the rotation with the San Diego Padres in 2023 and parlayed his success into a multi-year deal with Kansas City. The runner-up for the AL Cy Young in 2024 when he posted a career-high 4.7 fWAR and went 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA in 33 starts, regression came calling for Lugo over the past year and a half. He owns a 4.25 ERA over his past 46 starts, but his 5.31 xERA is the worst of the 42 starting pitchers who’ve thrown at least 250 innings since the start of 2025. His strikeout rate has also declined for the seventh consecutive season.
Whether or not the Royals want to cover some or most of his considerable salary in order to improve their prospect return is the major consideration in a Lugo trade. He is owed the remainder of a $21.5 million salary this season along with another $21.5 million next season, plus a $3 million buyout of his $17.5 million team option for 2028. There’s been no indication the Royals want to dump salary, even though they are operating at a club-record $140 million payroll this season. They may be hesitant to subtract veteran starters that could help them next season, cover some of the salary, and then have to find capable replacements.
Freddy Peralta | NYM | 30 y/o | 1.2 fWAR
The Mets acquired Freddy Peralta from the Brewers to help them make a playoff push in 2026, but the season has not played out favorably for New York or its newest starter. In the final season of a five-year contract, Peralta is suffering through his worst season. Just 5-8 with a 4.66 ERA in 20 starts, Peralta’s strikeout rate is a career-low 9.0 K/9 and his stuff has taken a noticeable step back as measured by MLB’s Statcast data.
What you have here is both a rental and a project, which is not exactly a great combination. Though stranger things have happened, the fact that Peralta is pitching for a division rival that seldom trades with Atlanta only raises the level of skepticism that a deal would materialize. This is due to the mutual desire by both clubs not to help one another outweighing any tangible benefit to swapping players. The last trade between the two teams was June 8, 2016, when Atlanta sent infielder Kelly Johnson to New York in exchange for pitching prospect Akeel Morris. Most importantly, this version of Peralta seems a far cry from the one who finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting just last year for Milwaukee.
The All-Star break did little to slow down the resurgent Boston Red Sox.
Now they’ll take on another streaking AL East team as the race for postseason spots begins to simmer.
The Red Sox completed a sweep of division-leading Tampa Bay, extending their run to 13 games without a loss. The franchise record is 15 straight wins in 1946. Boston will have a chance to break that against a Baltimore team that arrives at Fenway Park on a seven-game winning streak of its own.
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline drawing ever closer, teams on the bubble between buying and selling might make their decisions based on what happens over the next week or so. The Red Sox (50-48) have crept above .500 and now occupy the American League’s third wild card. Cleveland, which holds the second wild card, is only a game ahead of Boston.
Seattle is a game behind the Red Sox, and then it’s another game back to the Orioles, who took three in a row in Houston. That sweep knocked the Astros to 4 1/2 games behind a playoff spot.
The good news for Houston is that it has more than one path to the postseason. The Astros actually are closer (four games) to the lead in the AL West than they are to a wild card.
Detroit is in a similar spot, and plenty of teams around the league will be watching how the Tigers approach the deadline with star pitcher Tarik Skubal. Detroit is 4 1/2 games out of a wild card, but also just 6 1/2 behind the AL Central-leading White Sox.
Trivia time
The American League beat the National League 4-0, and Cody Bellinger became the fourth member of the New York Yankees to win All-Star MVP honors. Who were the other three? (Hint: The All-Star MVP debuted in 1962.)
Performance of the week
Hunter Goodman homered three times in Colorado’s 9-6 loss to Cincinnati. It was the second three-homer game for him in under a month. He also did it at Minnesota on June 27.
He’s the first player in Rockies history — which includes plenty of homers — to hit three twice in the same season.
Comeback of the week
Arizona beat St. Louis 8-7 in 10 innings in a game the Diamondbacks trailed 7-0 in the sixth inning.
The Cardinals allowed two bases-loaded walks during Arizona’s three-run sixth. Geraldo Perdomo hit a two-run inside-the-park home run an inning later. A two-run homer by Nolan Arenado tied it in the eighth.
Then St. Louis blundered its way to a scoreless top of the 10th. With men on first and third and nobody out, Jordan Walker hit a broken bat flare to Perdomo at shortstop, who charged the ball and caught it on the fly. Bryan Torres, apparently worried about the ball hitting the ground in front of Walker, was too far off first and got doubled off.
Max Kepler’s hit in the bottom of the 10th won it. Arizona’s win probability in the sixth was as low as 1.5% according to Baseball Savant. That makes the Diamondbacks’ playoff chances — 27.4% according to FanGraphs — seem promising by comparison. Arizona is a half-game behind the Cardinals for the National League’s final wild card.
Trivia answer
Giancarlo Stanton in 2022, Mariano Rivera in 2013 and Derek Jeter in 2000.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets walks on the carpet during the 2026 All-Star Red Carpet Show presented by Mastercard at Independence Mall on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.
TUESDAY
Juan Soto became the third Met to start the All-Star Gamein right field, along with Dave Kingman (1976) and Darryl Strawberry (1984-1988). Soto also became just the sixth Met since 2000 to get a hit in an All-Star Game, joining Carlos Beltrán (2005-2007, 2011), David Wright (2006-2010, 2013), José Reyes (2007), Michael Conforto (2017), and Pete Alonso (2019, 2025).
The All-Star Game resulted in a shutout for the first time since 2013, when the American League defeated the National League by a final of 3-0 at Citi Field.
THURSDAY
Luke Weaver’s dazzling streak came to an end with Trea Turner’s solo home run. His 25 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run is tied for the second-longest such streak in Mets history with A.J. Minter, behind only Mark Guthrie’s 33 straight in 2002.
SATURDAY
A.J. Ewing became just the 10th Met to record 10 stolen bases before their 60th career game, joining Lee Mazzilli, Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry, Lenny Dykstra, José Reyes, Carlos Gómez, Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, and fellow 2026 rookie outfielder Carson Benge.
Kyle Schwarber hit his 26th homer against the Mets, fourth-most among active players behind teammate Bryce Harper (43), Giancarlo Stanton (38), and Freddie Freeman (31).
SUNDAY
Francisco Lindor reached base five times in a game for the fifth time in his career, having previously done so twice with Cleveland (September 3, 2016, vs. Miami / July 1, 2018, at Oakland) and twice with the Mets (July 6, 2023, at Arizona / September 5, 2025, at Cincinnati — better remembered as the new-cleat game).
Nolan McLean struck out 10+ batters in a game for the second time this season, and the third time in his career. No Met besides McLean has recorded a double-digit strikeout performance since David Peterson on August 19, 2025, in Washington.
McLean has a 0.47 ERA over his first three career starts against the Phillies, by far the best for any Met through their first three outings (min. 5 IP per outing) against the rival Phillies. Frank Viola is second with a 0.87 ERA, while Jon Matlack is third with a 1.01 ERA.
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Before 2026, the last time the All-Star Game was played in Philadelphia was 1996. Mets center fielder Lance Johnson started and went 3-for-4, marking one of two three-hit performances at an All-Star Game in Mets history (the other was José Reyes in 2007 in San Francisco).
There were only three games played by MLB teams over the past week because of the All-Star break.
I’m not going to let that stop me from doing a “weekly” update. So, here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over those three games.
Three up
Welcome back, Nico Hoerner’s bat
The break seems to have done Nico some good, whether it was rest, or working on things, or both. Hoerner went 8-for-13 (.615) over the three games against the Twins with one extra-base hit (Sunday’s triple) and five RBI.
There was some discussion in Sunday’s recap comment section about whether that should have been scored a single and a two-base error. The thing is, Twins center fielder Luke Keaschall never touched the ball, simply waving at it as it went by. Having actually been an official scorer at some minor league games, I concur with the scoring decision that gave Nico the triple.
In any case, nice to see Nico’s bat back. That will be a huge help to the offense.
Shōta Imanaga threw some shutdown innings
Imanaga threw seven scoreless innings against the Twins Sunday, allowing just six hits and striking out four.
Since an awful five-start stretch in May and June in which he allowed 13 (!) home runs in 28.1 innings, he’s been pretty much lights-out: Seven starts, 2.31 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.243 WHIP, only five home runs in 39 innings. He’s now got his season ERA under 4.00 at 3.91. If he keeps this up, he’ll be starting postseason games, something Craig Counsell wouldn’t do with him in Game 5 against the Brewers last year.
Boyd continued his good stretch of starts following his knee injury with a solid outing Saturday against the Twins: Six innings, three hits, one run (a solo homer) and four strikeouts.
Since returning from the knee injury: Five starts, 2.57 ERA, 1.143 WHIP. His season ERA in 10 starts is now down to 4.15, and overall since his rough Opening Day start it’s at 3.35. Like Imanaga, he’s putting together a good run of starts which could serve the team well in October.
H/T to Seiya Suzuki, who went 4-f0r-9 against the Twins with two doubles, four RBI and four runs scored, and to Alex Bregman for his two-run homer that began the festivities on Sunday.
Three down
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a rough weekend at the plate
PCA was 1-for-12 with six strikeouts against the Twins, and at times appeared to be reverting to some bad habits that we thought might be gone.
Every hitter goes through slumps and bad times, and in fact, this goes back to the Cincinnati series before the break. Over the six games in the Reds and Twins series, PCA is 2-for-22 with 11 strikeouts.
Last week, our Rangers Reacts survey asked folks to grade the team’s 2026 draft. This turned out to be one of the rare instances where most everyone was pretty pleased.
Over 90% of respondents gave the draft either an A or a B, with the B’s narrowly edging out the A’s. Most of the rest gave the draft a C, with 1% apiece going with D or F.
As for the national questions, over half of respondents feel that the draft should go back to being held in June.
MLB had a June draft for decades, with the result being that players were being picked while the college season was still going on. The July draft allows for a draft combine to take place once the college season is over, as well as giving the opportunity for less-heralded players to play in the MLB Draft League or other early summer leagues, and potentially improve their draft status.
The other question has to do with the Futures Game, which MLB seems to be giving short shrift.
Having the Futures Game take place on the Sunday before the All Star Break, when major league games are taking place, doesn’t seem to be the best way to promote the game. But what do I know…
Ray Shero still has the text message on his cell phone. It came in the night of Feb. 4, less than a month after Sidney Crosby was shut down for God Knows How Long. It was from Evgeni Malkin, who had just left the game against the Buffalo Sabres after falling into the boards awkwardly.
Things looked gruesome, particularly given the fact that just about all of Tyler Myers’ 227 pounds had come down on Malkin’s right knee. Everyone suspected the worst, and it turns out they were right. The message contained only two words: I’m sorry. “I’m sorry?” said the Pittsburgh Penguins GM. “I’m sorry for what? For getting hurt?”
Winston Churchill once said the price of greatness is responsibility. Evgeni Malkin can relate. It turns out the man who, until recently, never talked to the media actually carries the weight of responsibility around with him all the time. So few have seen it because Malkin has not let us into his world, but behind the quiet facade is a man who cares intensely about his craft and his hockey team.
This will become more evident to us all as Malkin’s career unfolds and as he seizes more responsibility for the success of the Penguins. God forbid Crosby should miss the rest of this season or (gulp) find his long-term playing future in jeopardy, but one thing that will come of it is that Malkin will no longer be able to defer to Sid the Kid, on or off the ice.
It’s almost preposterous to say this season has been a coming-out party for a guy who has already won a Stanley Cup along with the Calder, Art Ross and Conn Smythe Trophies, but as Malkin nudged his way into being the top contender for his first Hart Trophy as MVP, the hockey world began to see a different, more committed player. Just watch his work along the walls.
He rarely won battles there in the past, but is now using his size, strength and reach to emerge from corners with the puck on his stick. Case in point, a game in late January against the Washington Capitals. With Pittsburgh trailing 3-2 in the third, Malkin gained the zone and fought off Matt Hendricks and Roman Hamrlik through the slot, with the latter knocking him down. But Malkin immediately sprung back up and beat Hamrlik to the puck in the corner before feeding James Neal for the tying goal. And for good measure, he scored the overtime winner.
There are those who watch Malkin every day who claim that he is playing the best hockey of his career. And that’s saying something. Go back to tapes of the 2009 playoffs and see what we mean. Neal did not have the benefit of playing with Malkin last season, and it showed. Without a center who could get him the puck, Neal scored one goal in 20 games after coming over from the Dallas Stars. Now Neal has a player who can do the heavy lifting in terms of lugging the puck up the ice, and all he has to do is find the open lane.
“I’ve only seen him this way,” Neal said. “I’ve never seen a guy be able to make so many moves at such high speed. He has that ability to drag guys to him and hit the open man.”
It’s reasonable to suggest that when more is asked of an athlete, the natural inclination for most of them is to step up their game. What has always been the Penguins’ strength – Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal down the middle – has suddenly become a concern with the long-term absences of Crosby and Staal.
And whether it’s wittingly or not, Malkin has responded by being truly dominant. It must be difficult for a player to assert himself and be the focal point when Crosby is around. That might be a function of nothing more than their birth certificates, but the pressure has never been on Malkin to carry the team or to carry the mantle of being the league’s best player. Now that he’s doing it, he looks more and more comfortable all the time.
And he should. This is his sixth season in the NHL and even though he didn’t have the luxury of coming from a cosmopolitan city the way Alex Ovechkin did, he could only play the part of the quiet Russian for so long. Those who know Malkin well say he has an exuberant personality and might be the most intelligent player on the Penguins. And now we’re beginning to see that shine through. During the all-star weekend in Ottawa, which was minus both Crosby and Ovechkin for the first time since the two broke into the league, Malkin looked far more comfortable being in the spotlight.
He even tweets now and has more than 128,000 followers. One of them is Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a player Malkin refers to as “their best defenseman.” Most of the tweets are rather innocuous. They include pictures of his cat, Dixi, of him on a Zamboni or dressed for Halloween with a curly wig, a plume of chest hair coming out of his shirt and a bushy moustache, of him standing behind the cutout of an enormous offensive lineman. When NHL Twitter king Paul Bissonnette of the Phoenix Coyotes tweeted he would see Malkin at the All-Star Game, Malkin fired back, “sorry nasty you are play rookie game.”
Much of Malkin’s renewed vigor has to do with the injury last season, which turned out to be a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a malady that certainly isn’t as devastating as it once was in sports, but one that usually requires six months to heal. Regardless, Malkin insisted that had the Penguins managed to get by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, he would have somehow willed himself back into the lineup for the rest of the playoff run, a mere three months after the injury. In fact, he wanted desperately to play in Game 7, which the Penguins lost, before being shut down by the organization. It was a preposterous notion, one the Penguins didn’t even begin to entertain, but it did show them how much Malkin wants to win.
“In every conversation about our team and his role, it ends up with him thinking we can win a Stanley Cup and thinking how good our team is and where we can go,” said Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. “Last year he wanted to come back because he thought he could help our team win a Stanley Cup, and this summer, his focus was not, ‘I want to be the best player in the league.’ It wasn’t ‘I want to win a scoring title.’ It was, ‘We gotta add more Stanley Cups.’
The Penguins knew Malkin was serious when he hired strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar to come to Russia for two weeks to supervise his dryland and on-ice training. Two workouts a day every day with everything from kettle bells in the gym to flippers in the pool, Malkin displayed a vigilance and level of motivation few had ever seen before from him. He even admitted that early in his career he was a little bit lazy when it came to off-season conditioning, but the injury made him realize he had to put in the work if he wanted to return to his sublime level of play.
“I am hungry because I miss lots of games,” Malkin said. “Not just two or three games, 50 games. Of course I am hungry to play hockey, and to miss all those games is a very hard time for me. But I had a great summer.”
And you simply cannot discount the absence of Crosby and Staal in all of this. Because despite the fact Malkin now faces the other team’s top line, targeted as the player who must be shut down, he is excelling. It’s no coincidence he was averaging 21:21 in ice time per game, which was almost two minutes more than last season.
It’s also no coincidence that Malkin is more productive when Crosby is out of the lineup, and the numbers bear that out. Over the course of his career, Malkin has scored 185 goals and 477 points in 396 games for an average of 1.2 points per game. With Crosby in the lineup, he has posted 137 goals and 366 points for an average of 1.16 points per game. But in the 81 games without Crosby, Malkin has 48 goals and 111 points, for an average of 1.37 points per game.
That, of course, has something to do with the fact Malkin gets better wingers when Crosby (and Staal) aren’t in the lineup. Most of this season, he has been playing with Chris Kunitz on the left and Neal on the right. “This is the best line I’ve ever played with in my career,” Malkin said.
Both Shero and Malkin envision a day when Crosby, Malkin and Staal will be healthy and reunited. But will that day ever come? If it does, it doesn’t appear to be anytime soon. Crosby and the Penguins found themselves in the middle of a controversy during all-star weekend when it was revealed that doctors found an injury in his C1 and C2 vertebrae that Crosby’s agent later confirmed was a crack. Another doctor then said it was a soft tissue injury. All the while Crosby was skating, but nobody seems to know when he’ll return to the Penguins lineup. Staal, meanwhile, has been out of the lineup since early January with a sprained knee.
But they’re getting what they need from Malkin, who has only the Hart Trophy to win to complete his collection. This might be the year he gets it and the one in which he, and not Crosby or anyone else, leads the Penguins through the playoffs.
“We need that or else it would be a tough go for us,” Shero said. “If we don’t have this guy…yikes.”
DENVER — Hunter Goodman went deep three times to not only break out of a mini-homer slump but break into an exclusive Colorado Rockies club in which he’s now the founder.
The All-Star catcher became the lone player in franchise history to turn in a pair of three-homer games in the same season. Hall of Famers Todd Helton and Larry Walker never accomplished this particular feat. Neither did any of the famed “Blake Street Bombers.”
“Definitely cool knowing all the guys, the great players that have played here, the Hall of Famers that have played here,” Goodman said after the Rockies lost 9-6 to the Cincinnati Reds to drop two of three in the series. “It’s a pretty cool accomplishment.”
Goodman’s big day included two homers off Hunter Greene — a solo shot in the first and a two-run liner in the sixth — along with another two-run shot off reliever Sam Moll in the eighth. Those were homers No. 28, 29 and 30 of the season for Goodman.
This after not going deep since July 1. This after not being picked for the Home Run Derby. This after a day off from the hitting. Goodman wasn’t in the lineup Saturday and decided to not swing a bat in an effort to rest up.
“I feel like some of those off days you just take the full day and kind of just reset a little bit,” explained Goodman, who also had a three-homer game at Minnesota on June 27. “It’s not always the swing. It’s not always different stuff like that. Sometimes you’ve just got to keep going.”
And going and going and going — his three homers were a combined estimated total distance of 1,302 feet.
Turns out, it was just a good day to be a catcher in this game. Goodman’s counterpart, Tyler Stephenson, had two of Cincinnati’s four homers.
Give some credit to a hot summer day and this being Coors Field.
“The ball ball tends to fly on those days,” Goodman said. “And then I got some good pitches to hit.”
More specifically, a slider and fastball (98.6 mph) from Greene and a sinker from Moll.
Goodman became the fourth player in franchise history with at least a pair of three-homer games in their careers, joining the company of Walker, Helton and Carlos González. His just so happened to occur all in the span of a few weeks.
Here’s more history for Goodman: He’s the fourth-fastest Rockies player to reach 30 homers in a season (101 team games). The only ones ahead of him are Vinny Castilla (97 in 1998), Andrés Galarraga (99 in 1994) and Walker (100 in 1999), according to Rockies research.
“He looks dangerous. He just looks in sync,” manager Warren Schaeffer said of Goodman. “He was really good. You can see the confidence kind of seep out.”
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Jameer Nelson, Nick Nurse and Jaylen Brown attends a game between the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers on July 11, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Choi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The NBA preseason schedule is officially out, and with it comes the first opportunity for Jaylen Brown to return to TD Garden since the blockbuster offseason trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Celtics will host Philadelphia on Oct. 10 before making the trip to face the Sixers on Oct. 16, giving Brown two chances to face his former team before the regular season begins.
Jaylen Brown will return to TD Garden for a preseason game on Oct. 10. His first game in Boston since the trade from the Celtics to 76ers.
Whether Celtics fans actually see Brown on the floor in Boston, however, remains an open question.
Veteran stars often play limited preseason minutes, if they suit up at all, and Philadelphia could choose to ease Brown into training camp rather than having him play in both exhibition games. Even if that’s the case, Oct. 10 now stands as the first date Boston fans can circle as Brown’s return to TD Garden draws closer.
If Brown does play, it’ll mark his first appearance in Boston since the trade that ended one of the most successful individual tenures in recent Celtics history.
Selected third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brown spent nine seasons with the Celtics, developing from a raw, athletic wing into a four-time All-Star, NBA champion and one of the franchise’s cornerstone players. Alongside Jayson Tatum, he helped lead Boston to multiple Eastern Conference Finals appearances and delivered Banner 19 before the organization made one of the boldest roster moves of Brad Stevens’ tenure this summer.
The preseason matchup also offers the first opportunity for Brown and Paul George to face their former teams following a trade that reshaped the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. Assuming both veterans are available, the Oct. 10 game would provide an early glimpse of two Eastern Conference contenders, even if the result won’t count in the standings.
Preseason games are notoriously unpredictable when it comes to star availability. Teams frequently prioritize conditioning, experimentation and evaluating younger players over giving established veterans extended run, particularly in the first week of exhibition play. Brown, George and several other key contributors could ultimately see only a handful of minutes, or none at all.
Still, the schedule release gives Celtics fans something they didn’t have yesterday: a date for Brown’s first possible return to the Garden.
Boston’s full preseason schedule is as follows:
Oct. 8: at Cleveland Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET)
Oct. 10: vs. Philadelphia 76ers (8 p.m. ET)
Oct. 14: vs. Charlotte Hornets (7:30 p.m. ET)
Oct. 16: at Philadelphia 76ers (7 p.m. ET)
The Celtics have announced their preseason schedule.
The NBA has not yet announced the 2026-27 regular season schedule, meaning these preseason meetings will be the first chance for Brown to reunite with his former team.
Whether that reunion lasts 30 minutes or simply consists of Brown waving to a familiar crowd from the bench will depend on Philadelphia’s plans once training camp gets underway.
CLEVELAND — Esmerlyn Valdez’s strong start to his major league career is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder’s two-run homer in the ninth inning of a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians made him the fourth player in major league history with at least 12 homers and 31 RBIs in their first 31 games.
The others to accomplish that feat were Rhys Hoskins with Philadelphia in 2017, Cincinnati’s Aristides Aquino in 2018-19 and the Dodgers’ Will Smith in 2019.
“It feels great for the start that I’ve had. I always believe in myself. I prepared — mentally and physically — for this season to achieve what I’m achieving today, and the results are showing,” Valdez said through a translator.
The 22-year-old Valdez, nicknamed “The Magician” because his first name sounds like Merlin, was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He was added to the 40-man big league roster last November after batting .368 with eight home runs in the Arizona Fall League.
He went 5 for 17 during spring training but started the year at Triple-A Indianapolis. He made his major league debut on May 22 and appeared in five games before returning to Triple-A. He was recalled on June 11 and quickly became an integral part of the roster.
Manager Don Kelly said Valdez’s power isn’t the only impressive part of his game.
“It’s the professionalism of the at-bats. He’s not going up there necessarily trying to hit the home runs. He’s going up there to hit, and he’s got the power to leave anywhere in the yard,” Kelly said. “I mean, it’s been really impressive what he’s been able to do in such a short amount of time, but the adjustments he’s made and the changes he’s made so far have been really impressive.”
Valdez has hit safely in 19 of his past 22 games, batting .370 (30 for 81) with 18 extra-base hits and 27 RBIs. He is the first Pirates hitter with an extra-base hit and RBI in seven straight games since Willie Stargell in 1971.
His 20 RBIs in July lead the majors and make him the sixth Pittsburgh rookie since 2000 with at least 20 RBIs in a calendar month.
Pirates ace Paul Skenes — who allowed one run and struck out eight in the victory — said he saw signs during spring training that Valdez could have a big impact.
“You see a lot of guys that can hit the ball really far and take big swings and hit the ball really hard, but you don’t see guys very often that take big swings and hit the ball really hard, really far and not chase and put together as good at-bats as he does,” Skenes said.
Valdez, who went 3 for 11 with two home runs and five RBIs in the weekend series against Cleveland, is also part of a Pirates’ offense that has hit its stride this season.
“Everyone on the team is doing a tremendous job. I think we’ll keep working to achieve the goal,” he said.
ATLANTA — After returning from an oblique injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a month, Braves catcher Drake Baldwin said he found himself desperate for a hit.
In the finale of the Braves’ three-game home series against the Texas Rangers, Baldwin had no problems making contact. The catcher was a career-best 5 for 5 at the plate and homered twice in Atlanta’s 8-5 win.
“Baldwin, he’s back. He’s back to form. I think it’s official now,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said after the game. “He was on an MVP-type trajectory before he got hurt, and he’s looking like that again.”
In the Braves’ first games back from the All-Star break, the club clinched its 21st series — tying its total from the 2025 season.
Baldwin spent his days off as the National League’s starting catcher in his first All-Star game. Third baseman Austin Riley’s break looked a little different, but it proved just as efficient in being the reset he needed to get back on track.
“I actually didn’t do anything over the break. Just more of a mental break. ... Went home, hung out with my family, chased my boys around,” Riley said after his first two-homer outing since April 17. “After a couple of days off, coming back and just kind of a little recharged, it’s nice to see that we’re kind of firing on all cylinders with the offense there.”
Riley homered twice and had four RBIs, including a clutch two-run single in the seventh inning to put the Braves up 6-3. Weiss said it’s hard not to root for a player, teammate and person like Riley.
“That’s a great sight to see Riley swinging the bat like that,” Weiss said. “He’s been taking better swings lately, and he’s hit the ball really hard. ... He’s shown some really good signs, and that’ll be huge for us.”
After a difficult June, Weiss hopes a series victory against the AL West-leading Rangers is enough for his team to turn the page. The Braves have a three-game lead over second-place Philadelphia in the NL East.
“Our team had a rough June, but we’ve come out the other side still in first place, and we’re playing better now,” the first-year Braves manager said. “Those things are deposits in the bank as far as your mental toughness and being battle-tested — as long as you come out the other side, and I think we have.”
San Diego (49-50) travels East for a four-game series with the Atlanta Braves (57-41). Earlier in the season, the Padres swept the Braves over three games, outscoring Atlanta, 13-8.
The Padres are coming off a 19-2 throbbing of the Royals after losing the first two games of the series. San Diego had five home runs, including two apiece from Ty France and Jackson Merrill. France hit a grand slam to top off the highest scoring performance of the season for San Diego.
Atlanta won the series over Texas, 2-1, outscoring the Rangers, 29-13. The Braves are 5-5 in their last 10 games, but the offense is cooking to start the second half of the season as they are still without Ronald Acuna Jr. who was injured on June 9.
Let’s dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
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Game details & how to watch Padres at Braves
Date: Monday, July 20, 2026
Time: 7:15 PM EST
Site: Truist Park
City: Atlanta, GA
Network/Streaming: MLB TV
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Odds for the Padres at the Braves
The latest odds as of Monday:
Moneyline: Atlanta Braves (-131), San Diego Padres (+109)
Spread: Braves -1.5 (+144), Padres +1.5 (-175)
Total: 9.0
Probable starting pitchers for Padres at Braves
Monday's pitching matchup (July 20): JP Sears vs. Bryce Elder
The Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. is hitting .284 with 109 hits, 7 home runs and 41 RBI over 384 at-bats
The Padres’ Jackson Merrill is hitting .221 with 83 hits and 102 strikeouts over 375 at-bats
The Braves’ Michael Harris III is hitting .301 with 105 hits, 17 home runs, and 58 RBI over 349 at-bats
The Braves’ Austin Riley is hitting .217 with 77 hits and 115 strikeouts over 355 at-bats
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Padres at Braves
The Padres are 53-46 ATS, ranking tied for seventh-best
The Braves are 54-44 ATS, ranking sixth-best
The Padres are 54-44-1 to the Under, ranking fifth-best
The Braves are 47-45-6 to the Over
The Padres are 24-22 ATS on the road
The Braves are 26-22 ATS at home, ranking eighth-best
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Padres and the Braves
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Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Padres and the Braves:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Braves on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Braves at -1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Over on the Game Total of 9.0
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One rainy day removed from the WooSox’s one-run loss to the RailRiders (Yankees AAA) on Friday night, they fell to a walk-off home run at the end of a pretty effective bullpen day when they allowed just five hits, three of those being home runs. The WooSox even being in a position to close out the game was unthinkable because they had almost no offense to speak of until the eighth inning; that frame was when they had three of their seven hits, three of their four runs and turned a 4-1 deficit into a tie game, but ultimately couldn’t get the series finale to extras.
Gage Ziehl is making better and better starts as the season goes on, save for that horrific outing ten days ago when he allowed eight runs, and he’s one to watch as a potential piece to be dealt at the deadline if this team is truly going to buy (and I’m finally in the camp that says they should.) Sunday was another example of him generating those swings and misses; he had eight strikeouts in his five scoreless innings and he allowed just three base runners. He did not have a ton of run support in Sunday’s win against the Patriots (Yankees AA) but, with Somerset being shut out until the ninth inning, all the Sea Dogs needed were two runs, which they got with RBI knocks from Matt Frazier and a white-hot Jack Winnay.
Ziehl, who I’ll never stop reminding people the Red Sox acquired in part of the “please get Jordan Hicks off this team” deal, is an interesting piece. He’s never been a particularly highly regarded prospect, but he’s sat down 84 batters on strikes in 72 innings of work, and his five-pitch repertoire is also intriguing.
*And, yes, I’m aware that the picture of him above is from when the 23-year-old and former Miami Hurricane was in high school, but it’s an incredibly posed shot.
To say Frederick (Orioles High-A) dominated Salem pitching would be an understatement. When guys start coming to the plate a seventh time in a nine-inning game, you know something has gone catastrophically wrong. When four batters in a row in a lineup have at least three hits, you’re in blowout territory. The Drive allowed twenty-five hits and six home runs (half of those coming off the glove of Griffin Kilander) in a game that couldn’t have even been close. Catcher Luke Heyman got his fourth home run of July, but even that cut the deficit to 6-5 after the Drive took Matt Duffy for five runs in the top of the fifth, and the hole didn’t get any more level.
The RidgeYaks had this rainy one against Delmarva (Orioles A) wrapped up with a three-run shot in the first inning by catcher Kleyvar Salazar, they just weren’t aware of it yet. They’d get a very respectable five innings out of Leighton Finley and twelve lock-down outs from Trennor O’Donnell. On top of Salazar also stealing a base later in the afternoon, the usual suspects showed their speed in the win; Andrews Opata stole his 39th base of the season and Skylar King swiped his 27th.
Kleinow, New York, American League, from the White Border series (T206) for the American Tobacco Company, 1909-11. Played for the New York Highlanders (1904-10). Artist American Tobacco Company. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
Born John Peter but better known by his nickname, Red Kleinow was with the organization before the Yankees officially adopted their famous moniker. A late bloomer behind the plate, Kleinow never quite blossomed into a star, but he carved out a respectable career as one of the better defensive catchers of his era.
John Peter “Red” Kleinow Born: July 20, 1877 (Milwaukee, WI) Died: October 9, 1929 (New York, NY) Yankees Tenure: 1904-10
Born in America’s Dairyland in 1877, Kleinow traveled south to attend St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, becoming the first Hilltopper to reach the major leagues. After playing for St. Edward’s, Kleinow spent the 1902 and 1903 campaigns with the Toledo Mud Hens, developing a reputation as a strong defensive catcher, and—after hitting .320 in 1903—drew the attention of both the New York Highlanders and the Cincinnati Reds.
There are conflicting reports regarding which club first secured Kleinow’s rights and exactly how the dispute unfolded between the two clubs in these early days of the American League. After some debate, the Highlanders were ultimately awarded his contract, making Kleinow a member of the club prior to the 1904 season, just the second season in the club’s history.
The former Hilltopper would play for the Highlanders at Hilltop Park, making his MLB debut on May 3, 1904. He spent his rookie season backing up veteran Deacon McGuire, slashing .206/.259/.282 while appearing in 68 games. It would prove to be one of the best seasons of Kleinow’s tenure in New York, as the Highlanders narrowly lost the pennant to the Boston Americans on the season’s final day. Kleinow was also behind the plate for Jack Chesbro’s infamous wild pitch that helped seal the pennant for Boston. The pitcher’s wife later said that she thought it should have been a passed ball on Red, but regardless, it was a painful way for a fun season to end.
Kleinow improved in 1905, appearing in 88 games while slashing .221/.284/.281. His 1906 season was statistically very similar, and the Highlanders once again finished second in the pennant race.
The 1907 campaign proved to be Kleinow’s best. He raised his batting average to .264 while collecting 71 hits and scoring 30 runs. However, that success was short-lived. Red followed his best season with arguably his worst, watching his batting average fall nearly 100 points during his age-30 campaign. The Highlanders also struggled in 1908, losing 103 games.
After such a difficult season, both Kleinow and the Highlanders needed a change in fortune. The club debuted the now-famous interlocking NY in 1909 and improved to a 74-78 record, though it still finished fifth in the pennant race. Kleinow also rebounded, lifting his batting average back above the .200 mark.
Kleinow opened the 1910 season with New York before being sold to Boston after just six games. He remained there for the rest of the season and appeared in a handful of games in 1911 before being released. Following his release, he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies and finished the season by appearing in a handful of games for them as well.
In 1912, Kleinow signed with the Baltimore Orioles but appeared in fewer than 10 games before being released in early June. He then spent several more seasons in the minor leagues and Independent baseball before finally hanging up his cleats.
After his playing career ended, Kleinow worked as both a scout and a coach. Even by Deadball Era standards, he was never much of an offensive player, but he built a reputation as one of the better defensive catchers of his day. In his seven years in New York, Kleinow produced 5.1 WAR and was also one of the players who was featured in the 1909 T206 tobacco card set made famous by Honus Wagner.
Happy birthday, Red!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Kyle Freeland
Jameson Taillon
Payton Tolle
