San Diego Padres starting pitcher Casey Mize throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller had another busy trade deadline and succeeded in helping an ailing group.
The Padres acquired right-handed pitcher Casey Mize ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
One of Preller’s deadline acquisitions was Casey Mize of the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander was sporting a 2.70 ERA with 85 strikeouts across 86.2 innings pitched before he was traded to the Padres.
Mize made his Padres debut Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, and it was everything but spectacular as San Diego lost 10-4. It was a complete dud as Mize gave up a career-high eight earned runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings.
The eight runs allowed by Mize are the most by a pitcher in his Padres debut since Jhoulys Chacin allowed nine runs in 2017, which is tied for the franchise record.
Mize acknowledged the poor performance and expressed disappointment in himself.
Casey Mize’s Padres debut was disastrous as he gave up a career-high eight runs in his first start with the organization. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
“Not the first impression I wanted to make for my teammates and for the fans. Pretty tough time to have the worst start of my career. I just put us in a really tough spot, didn’t give us a chance to win. So, frustrated and embarrassed by that,” Mize said.
The Padres have arguably one of the biggest games of the 2026 season Thursday against the Diamondbacks. A loss would mean the Padres are three games behind Arizona, while a win would reduce the deficit to one game.
Padres manager Craig Stammen will have to make sharp decisions in Thursday’s series finale against Arizona. AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
The matchup is also important because a Padres win would tie the season series with the Diamondbacks. There’s a lot on the line for San Diego today, and the Padres buying at the deadline made their plans for the remainder of the season increasingly clear.
The Padres are going for it in 2026, and they’ll need Mize to regroup as the squad chases a wild-card spot.
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Barring something unforeseen, the Philadelphia Flyers more or less have their NHL roster set heading into training camp next month.
After a long wait, the Flyers finally re-signed exciting forward prospect Nikita Grebenkin on Thursday evening, inking the Russian winger to a two-year, $2.2 million contract with a $1.1 million AAV.
Grebenkin, 23, recently switched agents, going from Gold Star Hockey powerhouse Dan Milstein to Adel Mansurov of Newport Sports, who wrapped up this lengthy but relatively straightforward negotiation with the Flyers.
And now that Grebenkin is signed, the Flyers have 14 NHL forwards under contract. Unless general manager Danny Briere and Co. swing a trade in the next five weeks, or an injury happens, Grebenkin and his 13 peers are your NHL forwards going into opening night.
The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect will have to battle with Carl Grundstrom and Noel Acciari for playing time after suffering a season-ending injury in March.
Veterans Luke Glendening and Garnet Hathaway had filled in for Grebenkin after his injury, but Denver Barkey and Alex Bump have established themselves, and Noel Acciari got a decent chunk of money with his $2.8 million cap hit earned in free agency. Tyson Foerster is healthy now, too, so Grebenkin will have to work for the minutes he gets next season and moving forward.
As for the rest of the roster, the last remaining free agent the Flyers have is defenseman Hunter McDonald.
The 6-foot-4, 24-year-old defenseman played in the Flyers' season finale against the Montreal Canadiens last year, making his NHL debut and recording his first NHL point--an assist--in 15:11 of ice time, posting a +3 rating and four penalty minutes.
The Flyers still rate McDonald highly, as further evidenced by his traveling with the team as a ringer in case of injury last season, even though they were never forced to call his number.
McDonald will, however, turn 25 late next season, and the time to establish himself as an NHL player is quickly running out.
Nick Seeler no longer has trade protection, and newcomer Simon Benoit is under contract for only one more year.
The same is true for Rasmus Ristolainen, who has long been a trade candidate and an ace in the hole for the Flyers if and when the right offer comes across their desks.
Like Grebenkin's, that negotiation shouldn't be too difficult for either side, but both sides will assuredly be making their cases on their view of an NHL fit in the meantime.
Pete Crow-Armstrong went on a podcast last week and said with a laugh he likes the theory that Babe Ruth never existed. Baseball's internet treated it like a confession.
"This is gonna be crazy," the Cubs center fielder told Kristin Cavallari on her show "Let's Be Honest." Then he brought up the theory that the sport's greatest player may never have existed. He picked up the theory from Tayler Saucedo, a Mariners pitcher at the time, who floated it on a podcast in 2024 because he had barely seen any video of Ruth playing. Saucedo said this was a discussion in the Mariners bullpen and that they also decided that Ted Williams' legendary 500-foot home run never happened either.
Crow-Armstrong piled on Ruth saying the game has changed so much since then that pitchers back then might as well have been throwing underhand.
Then everybody lost it. One site used the quote to worry about American public education. Another brought up the plague of misinformation. A bunch of them criticized the young Cubs outfielder. It raised eyebrows and ruffled feathers! That's a lot of coverage for a 24-year-old answering a question about an unpopular opinion on a podcast hosted by somebody from "Laguna Beach."
The video thing has an actual answer, if any Millennial or Gen-Zer wants it.
Film in the 1920's was shot on nitrate, which is chemically unstable, burns easily and eventually turns to dust on its own. Studios also destroyed and recycled old reels, because before television there was no money in keeping last year's pictures. The Library of Congress studied it in 2013 and found that 70% of the roughly 11,000 American silent features made between 1912 and 1929 are completely gone. Only 14% still exist. Newsreel crews shot a couple of minutes of highlights, not whole games, because nobody was broadcasting anything.
The written record of Ruth is voluminous.
Every game he played was covered by competing newspapers in every American League city, with box scores and photographs and league records to go with them. Crow-Armstrong's real question about Ruth's greatness compared to the modern era is an old argument in clubhouses over the decades. Adam Ottavino took flack a few years ago for saying he could strike Ruth out. It's a time-honored tradition to argue about the eras of baseball players.
And for those paying attention, Crow-Armstrong is making a case for being considered among the great young players of his generation.
He leads the Cubs in homers (26), RBI (69) and hits (126). He has 29 stolen bases, including stealing third base in the bottom of the 11th inning on Thursday. He pressured the Blue Jays and forced Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela into a throwing error to score the winning run.
Crow-Armstrong is suddenly in the debate for the National League MVP, ironically battling the player that they call the modern day Babe Ruth: Shohei Ohtani.
San Francisco Giants fans already have enough reason to be sick of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While San Francisco dominated this rivalry with three World Series victories in the 2010s, the Dodgers have already three championships this decade and are odds-on favorites to three-peat this season.
Thankfully, San Francisco still has Logan Webb, its longtime ace whom the Giants’ front office was not entertaining offers for at the deadline.
Giants pitcher Logan Webb was untouchable at this year’s trade deadline. Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
The last thing Giants fans want to think about is Webb pitching for the Dodgers. But given their ability to acquire what feels like every elite starter in baseball, Webb donning Dodger blue at some point is never out of the question.
This feels especially true after comments Webb made to NBC Sports.
“This is probably not a fan-favorite answer, but I love playing at Dodger Stadium,” Webb said when asked about his favorite stadium to play in.
“It’s a great energy, obviously it’s a great team. It’s a lot of fun, like, they got the huge speakers in center field. So, it’s just a good atmosphere to play in. We go there [and] they don’t like us. You hear a lot of little smack talk, so it’s fun,” he added.
Webb said he enjoys playing at Dodger Stadium.
Granted, Webb is far from the first player to speak highly about Dodger Stadium, as it’s undoubtedly one of baseball’s best environments. But that isn’t going to assuage Giants fans’ fears about whether this indicated Webb would be open to playing for Los Angeles.
Webb is signed with San Francisco through the 2028 season, so fans don’t worry about him jumping ship in free agency. But if the Giants are sellers next season, and the Dodgers come calling about Webb, it doesn’t seem like he would turn down a trade.
The 2026 season hasn't gone how the Mets or Bo Bichette envisioned.
Bichette, who was so close to winning the World Series with the Blue Jays last season, signed with the Mets because he viewed it as an opportunity to win.
It's been tough sledding for Bichette and the team this season, though.
Even after signing the All-Star infielder to a lucrative deal this offseason, along with other notable additions, the Mets find themselves 16 games below .500, even after completing their three-game sweep of the Guardians on Thursday.
The team dealt many of their pieces at the deadline, leaving some veterans and kids to finish out the season.
Bichette, who signed a three-year, $126 million contract, has opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo asked Bichette about that option and whether he will use it this offseason, but the converted third baseman said he's focused solely on finishing the season strong.
“The way I look at it is, I think there’s no doubt this team is going to be better next year,” Bichette said. “I really believe that. There’s still a lot of talent in this room, a lot of young talent that’s really hungry, combined with guys that have been around who have done a lot of great things in this game. And then on top of that, typically when you have a season like this, people show up a little bit more motivated. So I think that this group is going to be well prepared to be better next year.”
If Bichette doesn't opt out, he'll make $55.3 million in 2027. After a rollercoaster 2026, Bichette will likely remain in Queens instead of testing free agency.
To Bichette's credit, he's overcome a terrible start to the season, but hasn't been consistent enough to hit the numbers he's put up in his career. After a successful series in Cleveland, where he went 5-for-14 with a home run and three RBI, he's slashing .257/.301/.370 with an OPS of .671.
The Mets are looking to compete in 2027 and if Bichette stays, he'll be one of the players looked upon to help make the turnaround happen. A strong finish will go a long way towards that.
“It hasn’t been my best season for sure,” Bichette said. “If I played better, maybe the season would be different for the team. But just focused on trying to finish strong.”
A little over a month since the Sixers shook up the NBA summer by trading for him, Jaylen Brown held his first press conference in Philadelphia.
Here’s what stood out from Brown’s introductory press conference Thursday:
The shock factor
How did Brown initially react to the news of the trade?
“When I first (learned) I got traded, I just threw my phone across the room,” he said with a laugh.
Multiple Sixers soon reached out to Brown and welcomed him aboard, including Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid. Still, on a day that included posing for photos with his No. 7 Sixers jersey and throwing out the first pitch at the Phillies game, Brown acknowledged his new reality hasn’t entirely sunk in yet.
“There’s been a lot of emotions,” he said. “It’s been a process. To be honest, I’m still processing to some degree. One, the excitement of coming to a new city, new place, new expectations, new energy. And then also leaving somewhere that you’ve been for a very, very long time.
“I’ve been in Boston for 10 years. I’m 29 years old, so I was there a third of my life. I met some lifelong friends, some people that I’ll still be connected to. … It’s just a process. Just like everybody else has to deal with certain things, it’s no different. It’s just been public; that’s the only difference.”
Focused on winning and work
Brown was crystal clear about his priorities.
Details will matter for the Sixers’ dramatically revamped roster, but the five-time All-Star wing’s drive to win is simple.
“I’m not sure completely yet,” Brown said when asked where he envisions himself most helping the Sixers. “I think we’ll figure it out as time goes on. … But I’m excited to just be myself. That’s one thing I can promise the city, the organization and the coaching staff, that I’m going to come in every single day and be myself. Put my best foot forward, lead with my integrity, lead with my mentality and lead with my capacity and my will to win.
“So we’ll figure out the X’s and O’s, the ins and outs, but winning is the agenda. That’s the first thing that’s on my mind.”
Brown’s new teammates certainly won’t be strangers at training camp.
“We talk damn near every day almost,” he said. “We’ve got group chats, multiple now, and we’re all trying to figure this thing out. LeBron (James), he’s active in the group chat. We’re just all trying to get on the same page. I think everybody knows how incredible the opportunity that we have is, but we’ve also got to put in the work. My focus is on that — putting in the work, earning the respect from the city, from the coaching staff.
“Everything will take time. I understand how that process of winning works. You’ve got to build from the foundation and build up. You can’t skip steps. So we’re not skipping (any) steps. We’re starting early.”
No pretending time with Celtics ended on pleasant note
While Brown opted against going into great depth on the final stages of his Celtics tenure, he didn’t act as if the parties parted on swell terms.
“The whole process,” he said Thursday. “But to be honest, my mind is so focused on what’s in front of me. … I’m moving on. Maybe one day you share the details of how everything transpired, all the moving parts that took place in this. Obviously, there’s a lot of speculation. I feel no need to chime in on it because I’m focused on what’s in front of me.”
Brown spoke highly of his decade in Boston and said he was “very grateful for my experience” during formative years in his life.
He was asked about his relationship with former Celtics co-star Jayson Tatum.
“We won a championship together,” Brown said. “Anybody that you won a championship with, you’d think that’s what a brotherhood and a lifelong legacy would entail. Obviously, there’s ups and downs in any type of relationship for sure. But on my end, there’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well. But other than that, everything for me is just based in respect.”
Has Brown talked with Tatum after the trade?
“Not really,” he said.
Responding to all the noise
Brown has not been oblivious to the NBA world’s discourse about his game and personality.
“I feel like I’ve dealt with that for a while internally, externally,” Brown said. “I just choose to focus on what I focus on. Obviously, it got to a threshold this offseason that was a little bit higher than what it’s been in the past. I think people attacked my character. Someone even went as far as saying that I had a disease. … But none of it is completely surprising. Some of these things were said externally. Internally, through the organization and stuff like that, there’s been conversations. … It’s just been a crazy process and transition.
“And then obviously, getting traded to the Sixers, somebody that you competed against for the last 10 years, someone that’s been a rival, that was a process, too. So there’s been a lot of stuff. Having to move your family and move places … it has been a lot. But people deal with it every day. People have to change, relocate. I’m not complaining up here. … It is what it is. So let’s get to it.”
Safe to say Brown won’t lack motivation next season.
“I don’t care about the MVP awards, Finals MVP,” he said. “None of that stuff really moves me. It’s nice, but the only thing that’s going to move me is doing something collectively — a championship. That’s what I’m looking forward to, trying to start that journey and building. But all the other stuff that comes with it is just a distraction to me. Whatever it takes on a night-to-night basis. Whatever it takes.”
Centering the community
Brown didn’t pick the standard press conference setting of the Sixers’ training complex in Camden, New Jersey.
He instead chose the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in Philadelphia. Local kids sporting Jaylen Brown shirseys were among the attendees.
Brown’s done extensive work in the Boston community through his 7uice Foundation, which describes its mission as partnering with“institutions, organizations and social change leaders to bridge the opportunity gap for youth in traditionally underserved communities.”
“For me and for people who know my family and I, we are rooted in the community,” Brown said. “That’s where we hang our hat, being able to affect other people’s lives. I think we’re very blessed. We’ve been able to help our own family and be able to kind of change the course of what our generation or our family name could possibly do. But we look forward to being able to impact others and to touch families and households that we may never get to see.
“Being here at Francis J., as I’m still getting to learn this community, I just wanted to make this an important pillar in my life — the community and the foundation. And as I’m getting started on the journey here in Philadelphia, the introduction, the first impression is everything. I just wanted to let people know here in Philadelphia that this is something that’s important to me. … So I’m happy to be here, and thank you to the community for allowing me to be here and holding my space here. I’m looking forward to learning the community, meeting some like-minded individuals and doing some work. That’s what we’re about.”
Danny Briere crossed off his second-to-last restricted free agent of the offseason.
The Flyers agreed to terms with Nikita Grebenkin on a two-year, $2.2 million contract Thursday night. The deal has an average annual value of $1.1 million. Grebenkin will remain a restricted free agent when the contract expires after the 2027-28 season.
The 23-year-old winger had four goals and 10 assists in 55 games last season, his first with the Flyers. The rookie played 11:17 minutes per game. He missed the final 13 games of the regular season and the playoffs because of an upper-body injury that ended up costing him more time than expected.
“Initially we thought it was going to be something short,” Briere said in May, “and it just never got better.”
Grebenkin was rehab skating in late June and early July while the Flyers had development camp. He joined the prospects for some drills and looked pretty good. It’s looking like he’ll be healthy and good to go for training camp, according to a report by Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports.
Nikita Grebenkin looking pretty good here as he’s taking part in a session with the prospects.
He ended the season with an upper-body injury and there’s some uncertainty about his status to start next season.
A product of the Scott Laughton trade two seasons ago, Grebenkin turned some heads last training camp. He won a job, showing his ability to hunt the puck and battle for it. His speed and competitiveness made him an intriguing guy in the Flyers’ bottom six.
But he’ll have a ton of competition when this season’s training camp arrives next month. Porter Martone, Denver Barkey and Alex Bump are young wingers coming off difference-making performances down the stretch and in the playoffs. Martone is poised for a big role this season, while Barkey and Bump could be in the lineup on opening night.
Hunter McDonald is the Flyers’ final restricted free agent who needs to be re-signed. The 24-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut last season in the team’s regular-season finale. He’s projected to open this season with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 05: Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals is congratulated by teammates after the Royals defeated the Minnesota Twins 2-1 to win the game at Kauffman Stadium on August 05, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good evening, Royals fans.
It’s Thursday night, it’s been raining a lot today, but hey, at the time of this writing, there’s baseball to be played between the Kansas City Royals and the Minnesota Twins, the finale of a three-game series in which the Royals won the first two.
Tonight’s game is also the last of the season between the Royals and Twins.
On the mound for the Royals: Michael Wacha, still a Royal. Yes, many fans pined for Wacha to be moved at the deadline as he looked like the Royals’ best trade chip. And maybe he was. But he didn’t get moved, and takes the bump tonight looking to help the Royals sweep the Twins out of town.
Opposite Wacha is right-handed pitcher Bailey Ober, who is 7-3 on the year with a 4.45 ERA and 4.63 FIP. Not great numbers, but decent. In his last outing, he faced the Royals and limited them to three runs (two earned) over six innings while walking three, allowing four hits, and striking out three. He would’ve taken the loss had Kody Clemens not hit a walk-off Grand Slam.
Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey drove in the Royals’ two runs in last night’s victory. Isbel tied the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fifth. A few innings later, Massey, facing a lefty, scorched a homer to right to put the Royals up 2-1. The real story of the game was, of course, Noah Cameron, but, as I like to say, you can’t win if you don’t score. Thanks, at least in part, to Isbel and Massey, Kansas City prevailed, and in doing so improved their record to 48-67.
Still grisly, but not “20-games-under-.500” grisly.
And Wacha will face the following:
Twins 8/6
T. Larnach LF L. Keaschall CF K. Clemens 2B J. Bell DH R. Lewis 1B B. Lee 3B A. Roden RF V. Caratini C T. Gray SS
Last night’s loss pushes the Twins’ losing streak to four games as they currently sit 56-59 but only one game out of a Wild Card spot. Of course, this is the American League in 2026, so it’s a crowded field. Cleveland owns the last Wild Card with Seattle, Minnesota, and Baltimore all a game back, Detroit 1.5 games back, and Toronto three back. The Guardians themselves are only a half-game back of the Rangers for the second Wild Card. No, none of these teams mentioned having winning records.
Think about how much worse things would be for the Twins had Royce Lewis and Clemens not provided walk-off wins last week against the Royals.
First pitch tonight at 6:40. Let’s end the series on a high note, shall we?
The Buffalo Sabres made it into the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, ending a 15-year playoff drought. Buffalo went on to beat an upstart Boston Bruins team in the first round before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.
The Sabres’ step forward in 2025-26 means TheHockeyNews.com’s annual process of grading the Sabres will result in mainly-positive grades, Buffalo is far from a perfect team, but when we’re analyzing their individual performances from last season, we must be more generous than not.
That said, in this particular “Sabres Grades” file, we’re focusing on goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukonen. The 27-year-old Finn appeared in 36 games this past season, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.52 GAA. But his playoff performance was less than ideal, as he had an .876 SP and 3.18 GAA in six appearances, and in four of six playoff appearances, his SP was .880 or worse.
So, while we’re going to acknowledge Luukkonen’s strong stretches this year, we’re not going to give him an ‘A’ – at least, not just yet:
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
Position: Goaltender
Grade: B+
The Skinny: Prior to this past season, Luukkonen had been a workhorse for the Sabres, as he’d played a combined 109 games in two seasons from 2023-2025. But the lesser workload this season resulted in a significant bounce-back season from him this past year. Luukkonen has put up a .910 SP in two of the past three seasons, so you can see why the Sabres have kept him as their de facto starter.
Luukkonen also is signed to a team-friendly contract paying him $4.75-million for the next three seasons. But backup Alex Lyon (.907 SP, 2.77 GAA) provided him with healthy competition, and youngster Colten Ellis is also in the picture. Luukkonen has some no-trade protection – a five-team no-trade list – and if Buffalo did choose to go in a different direction in net, Luukkonen would get a lot of attention based on his strong play in two of the past three years.
Had Luukkonen come into the 2026 post-season and showed consistency between the pipes, his grade here would easily move into ‘A’ territory. But he gets a B+ because his playoff performance left much to be desired.
Let’s not forget – the Sabres were linked to rumors about Winnipeg Jets superstar netminder Connor Hellebuyck. But if Buffalo does pull the trigger on that trade, you have to think Luukkonen would be the player going the other way, so long as Winnipeg isn’t on Luukkonen’s modified no-trade list.
But if that doesn’t happen, much of Buffalo’s season is going to be dependent on how well Luukkonen performs. The Sabres’ defense corps has undergone massive change this summer, and not for the better in the short-term. So Luukkonen will be leaned on at least as much next season, if not more than they leaned on him in seasons before then.
Luukkonen gave Buffalo a great regular-season performance last season. But the goaltending business is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately line of work – and the lasting memory of Luukkonen last season was him faltering when the games mattered most.
The Sabres may eventually go in another direction, but this series grades Buffalo’s performances last year, and Luukkonen’s efforts were a tale of two worlds. Luukkonen needs to be more consistent next season, because if he can’t, the Sabres will almost assuredly go with another goalie sooner than later.
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani hasn’t made a pitching start for LA since early July. AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh
MLB insider Jeff Passan doesn’t seem to think the Dodgers’ current struggles are a point of concern.
“They are still going to go into the postseason as favorites to win the World Series because of the plethora of talent that they’ve got,” Passan said on First Take.
"They are still going to go into the postseason as favorites to win the World Series because of the plethora of talent that they've got."@JeffPassan isn't concerned about the Dodgers' six-game losing streak pic.twitter.com/k5Qzaqq5bb
Last July, the Dodgers went on a seven-game losing streak where the team looked completely lost. But come October 2025, it was the Dodgers who emerged victorious and held the Commissioner’s Trophy.
“I think the fight the players showed was really good. Of course, losing is frustrating and something you truly hate, but the wins will come again,” he said.
Manager Dave Roberts isn’t worried about the Dodgers’ six-game losing streak. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers faced a five-run deficit in the series finale at Wrigley Field, but made a comeback bid in the eighth inning with a three-run homer from Max Muncy and a two-run drive from Shohei Ohtani.
While the Dodgers’ fell short by a run, Roberts noted the team’s resilience in Chicago.
“We have a great baseball team. We just haven’t played well the last week,” Freeman said. “We’re going to take our positives. I know the fans probably don’t want to hear it but we’re going to take it. What the last couple innings looked like as an offense, hopefully we can carry that in. Our pitching’s been good. We just need to score more runs.”
Dodgers star Freddie Freeman exited Wednesday’s game against the Cubs in the fifth inning. Getty Images
For opponents, the unfortunate truth is the regular season for the Dodgers is simply a pretext to what really matters for LA, the postseason.
The Dodgers could continue losing games, which could make their path to the World Series more difficult, but the defending champions shouldn’t be underestimated in the playoffs.
Aug 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle (7) slides home in the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tigers 11, Mariners 0
Sure, why not, he reached base twice: Randy Arozarena, +0.04 WPA
You can’t lose in the top of the first, but you can dig a large hole: Bryce Miller, -0.26 WPA
San Diego Padres SP Walker Buehler (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Timely hitting and quality starting pitching have defined the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks’ four-game series. The teams are in a fierce battle for the final National League Wild-Card berth. Tonight, the Padres are seeking a series split in the final game.
Starting pitching has dominated the four-game set
At the trade deadline, the Friar Faithful hoped the club would acquire at least one starting pitcher to bolster the rotation. But Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager AJ Preller did one better; he acquired two serviceable starters.
Not surprisingly, pitching has dominated the four-game set in the desert this week. Each night’s winner threw a gem, as the games could not have played out any better for each fan base.
The series opener was highlighted by Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt’s pitching outing. The young pitcher earned his sixth win of the season by tossing 6.1 innings and giving up only five hits. The Friars could only muster one unearned run off of him. His pitching performance has set the standard for the series.
On Tuesday night, Padres starter Randy Vasquez turned in a much-needed dominant performance in the second game of the series. He fired six scoreless innings of two-hit ball for his seventh win of the season.
The D-Backs relied on rookie pitcher Mitch Bratt to secure the third game of the set. He struggled with his control in prior starts, but Bratt set the tone last night. The young left-hander threw strikes that earned him the victory and extended the Snakes’ Wild-Card lead over San Diego to two games.
Taking the mound: Walker Buehler (SD) vs Kole Drake (ARIZ)
Tonight’s game will be the 10th meeting between the Friars and the Diamondbacks in the season series. San Diego is looking to gain a split in the four-game set and will send out Walker Buehler (6-5, 5.18 ERA) to the mound. The right-hander hopes to remain consistent, especially after his rough stretch before the All-Star break. Over a brutal 11-inning span, Buehler was tagged for 20 runs.
He settled down in the second half, giving the Padres a chance to win each start. One pitching issue that has lingered all season is his control. Buehler’s command of the strike zone has been missing in 2026. It has allowed opponents to put the ball in play and increased his runners stranded on base rate for the season.
The Snakes will counter with rookie Kole Drake (0-0, 4.85 ERA), who is making his fourth career start in the majors. Injuries to the starting rotation have forced the D-Backs to call up their promising young starters. Drake has been very solid in each outing, but he must maintain consistency to remain in the majors.
The left-hander is vulnerable to giving up the long ball, as he averages over two home runs per start. The Friars’ middle of the order (Manny Machado, Ty France, and Jackson Merrill) will provide a challenge this evening.
Drake has pitched only 13 innings, so it is tough to decide if he is a swing-and-miss pitcher. But his strikeout numbers (12 Ks) are impressive.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 06: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers reacts after hitting a two-run home run during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tigers’ offense was on fire in their 11-0 win against the Seattle Mariners.
The Tigers were looking to come away with a series win after a strange and difficult game two of their series against the Mariners. They were hoping to avoid more antics and ejections this time around and just come up with a nice win. To get the job done, they had Framber Valdez on the mound, up against Bryce Miller for the Mariners.
The Tigers wasted no time getting a man on base as Kevin McGonigle got a leadoff walk. Then, with one out, Dillon Dingler hit a two-run homer to center.
Spencer Torkelson walked, but he was followed by two outs to leave him stranded. However, the Tigers were up 3-0 after one. In the bottom of the inning with one out, Randy Arozarena walked. But Dominic Canzone hit into a force out to eliminate the baserunner. A third out then followed to leave a runner on base and end the inning.
With one out in the second, McGonigle singled. A Gleyber Torres groundout pushed McGonigle to second, then a Dingler singled brought McGonigle home to extend Detroit’s lead.
Cole Young took a leadoff walk in the third (that’s at least one walk per inning so far between the teams). Weston Wilson then hit into a double play to eliminate the baserunner, and a strikeout made short order of the side.
In the top of the third the Tigers went 1-2-3 for the first time in the game. In the home half the Mariners got a two-out single from Taylor Ward, but that was followed by a groundout to leave their baserunner stranded.
It was another 1-2-3 for the Tigers in the top of the fourth. Julio Rodriguez got a one-out single, with a well-placed line drive to center. But he was swiftly eliminated in a double play off the bat of Young.
After starting out hot, it was another three-up, three-down inning for the Tigers in the fifth. Valdez returned the favor, though, getting the Mariners out in order in the home half. Dare I say Valdez has been looking very efficient today? Don’t make me regret it, Framber!
Michael Rucker replaced Miller in the top of the sixth and he got the Tigers out in order. In the home half, Colt Emerson got things started with a single. Then, with one out, Arozarena singled. The Tigers were able to get out of the jam, though, getting the next two outs to leave two on and no runs scored.
In the seventh, Cole Wilcox was the new pitcher for the Mariners. With one out, Zach McKinstry walked. Then McGonigle hit a two-run homer, adding on some insurance runs.
Gleyber Torres singled, then Dingler singled behind him. Thanks to a fielding error from Taylor Ward and some heads-up baserunning from Torres, another run scored and Dingler ended up at second.
With two outs, Josh Simpson had to replace Wilcox as Wilcox appeared to have pulled something in his ribs while delivering a pitch to Greene. Keith singled, bringing Dingler in for another run.
In the bottom of the seventh with one out Wilson snuck a single into left. Valdez then did exactly what he does best and induced a ground ball to turn a double play to end the inning. His final line for the game was 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K on 95 pitches. A really nice outing for him even though he started to show signs of struggle in the seventh; he was able to course-correct.
Javier Baez hit a beautifully placed single into left field. Then McKinstry was hit by a pitch in the leg, though it did look unintentional and there was no reaction from the benches. Ben Malgeri came in for McGonigle, and singled. Rodriguez completely lost the ball in the sun and it dropped on him. The play probably should have been ruled an error, but at the time was called a single. Hao-Yu Lee came up with bases loaded and got hit in the ankle with a pitch in the dirt. Rivas almost made the same error as Rodriguez catching Lee’s final foul. Dingler struck out, leaving the bases loaded. Kyle Finnegan was the new Tigers pitcher for the eighth. Leo Rivas singled, but was then eliminated thanks to a double play off the bat of Emerson, then a final out wrapped up the inning in short order.
Position player pitching alert as Victor Robles came in for the Mariners. A pinch-hitting James Outman got a leadoff single. Then Colt Keith singled. Robles should have studied at the Jake Rogers school of position player Eephus pitching. Spencer Torkelson singled to load the bases. Max Clark singled, bringing Outman home. Baez singled right down the left base line, scoring two more runs. With one out, Malgeri walked, re-loading the bases. Robles actually managed to get out of this jam, inducing two outs to end the inning.
Brenan Hanifee came out of the Tigers’ bullpen for the bottom of the ninth. Canzone got a one-out single into right. They were able to wrap up the inning and maintain the shutout, sealing the series win.
The misdemeanor unlawful carrying of weapons charge that the Cleveland Cavaliers guard had been hit with stemming from his June arrest was dropped Thursday, according to court records viewed by The California Post.
The mugshot of NBA star James Harden released following his arrest. The Houston Police Dept.Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden’s gun case was dismissed in Houston today. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Harris County, Texas prosecutors wrote in a motion to dismiss the case that they were seeking to dispose of the matter after Harden had completed an “alternative resolution agreement.”
A judge formally signed off on the motion just before 4 p.m. CT, the records show.
Harden was taken into custody on June 13 by the Houston Police Department after he allegedly had an unholstered firearm in plain view in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop. AP Photo/Adam Hunger
Messages seeking comment from Harden’s attorney as well as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office were not returned.
Harden was taken into custody on June 13 by the Houston Police Department after the 11-time All-Star allegedly had an unholstered firearm in plain view in his vehicle during a routine traffic stop.
Harden never publicly commented on the arrest, though the Cavaliers said in a statement on the day of the incident that they were “aware” of the situation and were “in the process of gathering additional information.”
“We are in contact with James and his representation,” the team said, “and will continue to monitor developments as they become available. At this time, we will have no further comment.”
Harden spent nine seasons of his NBA career in Houston. He had played for the Los Angeles Clippers for over two years before joining Cleveland this past season.
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This game was lost, over, done, the Cubs totally dominated by Blue Jays pitching. And then Alex Bregman banged one off the ad sign in left field just over the basket for a game-tying homer and Pete Crow-Armstrong made the winning run happen by stealing third and drawing a bad throw in the 11th inning.
Wow. Just wow. Yes, I have more words, but those are pretty good, let me say it again: Wow!
This game did not start well. David Peterson struggled in the first inning, issuing a one-out walk and giving up a single. Then George Springer hit into a force play, pushing Kazuma Okamoto to third.
Now, you have to remember that Springer is nearly 37 years old. It’s the first inning. He’s not a base-stealing threat, yet Peterson kept throwing over. Once, twice, three times — well, you can’t do that if you don’t get the runner, and he didn’t, thus it’s what’s termed a “disengagement violation,” officially scored a balk, and a run scored. If you didn’t see it, watch [VIDEO].
I don’t know how often that happens across MLB but I don’t think I can recall a Cubs pitcher doing it, and it cost Peterson a run. About the balk, from BCB’s JohnW53:
The run-scoring first-inning balk by David Peterson was the Cubs’ second balk of the season. Colin Rea had one July 1 at Wrigley in the 23-3 demolition of the Padres. The Guardians, Orioles and Rangers also had one. The White Sox had the most, eight. The Athletics and Diamondbacks had seven, and three teams had six, including the Blue Jays.
Peterson had a lot of traffic on the bases through his five innings, but got helped by inducing a couple of double plays. Overall the line doesn’t look too bad — five innings, one run, three strikeouts — but it was a slog. Of his 15 outs, he did get the ground balls he’s known for, nine of them were on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Cubs could not do anything with Dylan Cease, and he’s done this before — two years ago he threw seven one-hit innings against the Cubs while with the Padres, striking out 12. That was pretty much what he did in this one, allowing just a walk to Miguel Amaya in the third, a fourth-inning single to Alex Bregman and a sixth-inning single by Amaya. Only Amaya, on the sixth-inning single, got past second base. He reached third with two out but Michael Busch struck out to end the inning.
The game went 1-0 into the seventh, thanks to a scoreless sixth by Ryan Rolison, and then Aaron Civale gave the Jays a second run in the top of that inning. Toronto executed a successful sacrifice bunt in that rally, something we don’t see around Wrigley much, as the Cubs are dead last in MLB in sac bunts this year with just five.
Civale then threw a scoreless eighth and ninth. The Cubs went down 1-2-3 in the eighth, so the last of the ninth was their last chance.
PCA led off with a single and one out later, went to second on a ground out by Busch.
You can hear the ball loudly bang off the metal advertising sign, land in the basket and then fall to the field. As was said on that video clip, what a moment for Bregman, who’s struggled much of this year. That was his 12th home run and as dramatic as they come. And it’s very rare — details from John:
Alex Bregman’s home run was just the Cubs’ 11th since 1910 that tied the score with the Cubs behind by two runs and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The previous one was nearly 13 years ago, on Aug. 22, 2013, by Donnie Murphy off Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals.
The others were by Vic Saier in 1913, Woody English in 1930, Zeke Bonura in 1940, Ernie Banks in 1954, Keith Moreland in 1986, Andre Dawson in 1987, Aramis Ramirez in 2005, Bryan LaHair in 2011 and Darwin Barney in 2012.
They have had six such homers on the road.
Beyond all that, Jays closer Louis Varland has been one of the best closers in MLB all year. That was just the second home run he’s allowed this year of 230 batters faced — and his first blown save.
So the game went to extras. Caleb Thielbar, who had a rough go of things Wednesday, entered to throw the 10th and he got out of it 1-2-3 — in part thanks to this fantastic catch by Bregman [VIDEO].
In the bottom of the 10th, Tyrone Taylor was sent in to run for Ian Happ as the placed runner. Nico Hoerner popped to short right, then Michael Conforto was intentionally walked. A wild pitch moved the runners up, but Dansby Swanson struck out.
Props to Clement, that was an absolutely outstanding play.
So, on to the 11th, with Trent Thornton pitching. He retired the first two Jays, with placed runner Clement taking third on the second out, a ground out. Andres Gimenez was intentionally passed, and he stole second uncontested.
Thornton then got a ground ball to short to end the inning.
Kelly was the placed runner in the bottom of the 11th. The Cubs had to do that because Amaya had been removed and no one else could catch. This proved to be important, for a moment, anyway.
PCA took second on that throw, and that proved to be very important. Suzuki was intentionally passed as the Jays tried to set up a double play situation. Then PCA took off for third on Brendon Little’s first pitch to Busch and… well, you know what happened, now watch [VIDEO].
This is the sort of thing that makes PCA such a strong MVP candidate. Beyond the homers, beyond the defense, beyond just the steals, he can create havoc on the basepaths and today, it gave the Cubs a crazy walk-off win. That completed the homestand with five wins in seven games and should set them up well for the upcoming road trip to Kansas City and Washington.
About winning a game in this fashion, from John:
The last time the Cubs earned a walk-off win on an error was on a nearly similar play, almost 30 years ago, on Sept. 27, 1996, vs. the Pirates. With the score 9-9 and two out in the ninth, Jose Hernandez walked on a 3-2 pitch and advanced to second on an infield hit by Luis Gonzalez. When pitcher Joe Boever threw a wild pitch on an 0-1 count to Mark Grace, Hernandez headed for third. Catcher Jason Kendall threw the ball past the base and Hernandez raced home.
If you were at Wrigley Thursday afternoon, you know the excitement felt by everyone at the ol’ ballyard. This was one of the best wins, if not the best win, of the entire season to date. The Cubs kept pace with the Brewers, who also won Thursday, and remain 5.5 games out of first place in the NL Central.
One more historic fact about this game from John:
With today’s win, the Cubs’ are 600 games above .500 in their 22,533 regular-season games since 1876, first year of the National League: 11,486 wins and 10,886 losses. They have tied 161 games.
This is the first time they have been +600 in more than 27 years, since June 16, 1999, when they were 9,324-8,724-160 following an 11-4 loss at Milwaukee.
Beginning the next day, they lost four straight games at San Francisco, to drop to .500 for the season and they never were above .500 the rest of the year.
The Cubs’ all-time peak was 1,179 games above .500 after a 6-3 win at home over the Phillies on June 14, 1947.
The Cubs open a six-game road trip Friday evening in Kansas City. As of now pitchers are not officially listed for either the Cubs or Royals, but it’s been generally known that Kevin Gausman should make his Cubs debut in this game. Hopefully I’ll have more info on Friday’s starters by the time Heroes and Goats posts tomorrow morning. Game time Friday is 7:10 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Now go enjoy this win and watch that winning play as much as you want!
