Category: Sports News

Worcester: W, 6-2 (BOX SCORE)

After dropping game one in Norfolk (Orioles AAA) following a six-game win-streak, the WooSox are back on top on Wednesday. They enjoyed not only another solid five-inning start from Blake Wehunt, who is impressing with a small sample size in Triple-A thus far, but also twin sixth inning home runs from their infielders, Bret Harris and Vinny Capra (the latter was the DH last night.) Those two long balls broke a 2-2 tie and put Worcester up for good, as the bullpen perfectly navigated the waters following Wehunt’s exit. Braiden Ward also was notably a speed demon on the basepaths, increasing his season total to a eyebrow-raising 46 stolen bases. The other two batters with multiple hits, you ask? Mikey Romero and Kristian Campbell.

Portland: L, 6-9 (BOX SCORE)

The Sea Dogs tried to subject Harrisburg (Nationals AA) to some small ball, as all but two of their eleven hits were singles, and they had 4 hits with runners in scoring position. They had 4 batters with 2 knocks. Still, Erik Rivera had a ninth inning melt down in a save situation and took the decision loss after a 6-4 lead turned into a 9-6 loss.

Greenville: W, 13-1 (BOX SCORE)

Offense was not at a premium on Wednesday night in Asheville. (Astros High-A) This game featured a lot of offense as Greenville got to the Tourists early and often. After four innings, the score was 12-1. A white-hot Justin Gonzales left the yard in the first inning with this 15th homer of the year. Maximus Martin, who made some waves with his contact tool in 2025, is back after a lengthy injury, and he hit a home run of his own in third. The Drive were able to coast to a win and Kyson Witherspoon had a lot of pressure taken off of him and was able to relax into one of his most effective starts as a pro, pitching into the sixth and allowing just the lone run.

Correction to yesterday’s article: the double header from Tuesday’s rain-out starts tonight at 5:05.

Salem, Game 1: W, 7-2 (BOX SCORE)

The RidgeYaks got two early home runs of their own in an abbreviated contest in Kannapolis (White Sox A) following Tuesday’s rainout. I guess in a seven-inning game homering in the third and calling it “early” is relative, but it came before Salem had still another effective inning in which they hung three more on the Cannonballers. As you might imagine, having a sizable lead like that gave the pitchers a bit longer of a leash than they might normally be offered, and Blake Foutch and Cole Tolbert were able to pitch a bit more lax (and longer into the game) than usual; they each allowed 2 hits en route to a decisive win in the afternoon game.

Salem, Game 2: L, 0-1 (BOX SCORE)

The nightcap featured about 25% of the total offense despite having an extra inning, and, by my math, only sported 11% of the runs. The only run of the game came via a sac fly in the bottom of the fourth, and it’s fitting that it wasn’t via a bonafide hit, as both teams combined for just five hits and three walks. Despite pitching well and super efficiently, Jason Gilman, who pitched all six innings for Salem, was handed the decision loss. There was suspense, but the game was still extremely brisk due to no one getting on base: these seven innings lasted just an hour and twenty minutes.

No series for the Cincinnati Reds now, or for the rest of the season, will be considered ‘vital.’ That’s what happens when you find yourself 7 games under .500 and heading towards next week’s trade deadline as a pretty clear seller. The Reds are a minimum of an 8 or 9 game win streak away from anything being considered even close to vital, in that regard, despite the Pittsburgh Pirates rolling into town this weekend in what’s sure to be a testy series regardless.

Pittsburgh is hungry right now. They are in ‘vital’ territory, a game over .500 at this juncture of a season for the first time in a long time and with a core that surely demands more additions for a playoff push. That’s what the Reds will get to deal with in Great American Ball Park beginning on Thursday evening, and they’ll do so with Rhett Lowder on the mound desperately hoping to turn around his season.

Lowder will have some new help, too. Or, rather, some old help making a return and shaking things up a bit.

Prior to Thursday’s series opener, the Reds activated Matt McLain from the injured list, optioning the struggling Edwin Arroyo back to AAA to make way. They also swapped pitchers as Chase Petty was optioned and Zach McCambley was recalled for the first time in a month.

Arroyo showed flashes during his first stint as a big leaguer, but the power never arrived and several notable defensive miscues this week got the spotlight despite the rest of the roster playing just about as poorly as he did at the very same time. Still, it’s a perfectly fine time for him to head to AAA and reset with the knowledge that he’ll almost certainly be back up at the big league level within a month or so (if not earlier).

It remains to be seen whether McLain is actually an upgrade, or not. He’s hitting just .190/.293/.328 on the season in 309 PA, and he went just 3 for his last 37 across 15 games before landing on the IL in the first place. Hell, at this point he may well be playing for a 2027 roster spot altogether seeing as he’s already earning $2.3 million as a super two arbitration guy and will get a raise on that this winter after turning 27 years old next week.

We’ll find out if any of it matters tonight in GABP, with Lowder chucking out the first pitch at 7:10 PM ET.

After struggling for two seasons to field enough outfield depth to survive injuries and defections, the Texas Longhorns have made the position a focus in recruiting from the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, efforts bolstered on Tuesday with the commitment of former Campbell Fighting Camels standout Carlos Lugo.

The 5’9, 185-pounder is ranked as the No. 232 portal prospect by 64Analytics and has four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cavalry Christian Academy, Lugo played first base and pitched in addition to playing in the outfield. A true left-hander pitching and hitting, Lugo has a fastball that reached into the low 90s in high school. During an impressive senior season, Lugo slashed .494/.614/.882 with 12 doubles, seven home runs, and 17 stolen bases.

In one season at Campbell, Lugo earned first-team All-CAA recognition thanks to an impressive debut that saw him make 54 starts in the outfield among 56 games played, posting a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings over eight appearances, striking out 12 while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. As a hitter, Lugo was even better, slashing .370/.457/.534 with 13 doubles, six home runs, 34 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. With 26 walks and only 16 strikeouts, Lugo is a contact hitter who flashed some power and struck out in only 8.5 percent of his at bats, presenting a unique hitting profile for his size and contact ability.

In recording three outfield assists in 2026, Lugo also showed off the arm strength that makes his fastball a credible pitch at the college level.

Next season, Lugo projects as a depth piece for the Longhorns who provides a valuable left-handed bat and insurance in case of injuries as head coach Jim Schlossnagle tries to avoid future scenarios similar to light-hitting utility player Jayden Duplantier slashing .255/.372/.362 in 94 at bats in 2026.

The Cincinnati Reds have a handful of significant pieces who have been out injured in various forms and fashions, and on Thursday afternoon manager Terry Francona gave updates on a trio of players who’ve featured so far in 2026.

Some of the news was rather good. Nick Lodolo, who’s been plagued by blisters on his throwing hand – potentially due to the grip used on his slider – will face hitters in live batting practice on Friday. That was relayed to the beats prior to Thursday’s series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Similar good news was reported in the form of Brandon Williamson’s rehab start, which will begin on Saturday with AA Chattanooga. Williamson was shut down after just 6 games in late April after being sidelined all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery, his 2026 problems coming from his shoulder. Getting him back to help fill some innings at season’s end would be paramount given that Chase Burns is heading towards an innings limit and Brady Singer is likely to be traded by the August 3rd deadline, and now he seems on track to help do just that.

The news wasn’t all good, however. Blake Dunn, who’s been out for a month after revealing pain in his throwing elbow, will go ahead and have surgery. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, they won’t know exactly how deep the surgery will have to go until they get in there, but that at least leaves on the table the potential for Tommy John surgery which, at this point of the year, would mean he’d be out for the bulk of 2027, too.

That all follows up the unfortunate news about Jose Franco from Tuesday’s doubleheader against Cleveland. Called up as the 27th man to provide length in the bullpen game, Franco exited with elbow discomfort. Given that he was the 27th man and not technically on the roster, any time spent on the injured list will be qualified at the AAA level instead of at the big league level, so he would be paid only as a AAA player while out instead of a big leaguer. If the injury were serious enough to require surgery and a lengthy rehab, that’s the difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a guy who a) hasn’t banked a ton as a big leaguer yet and b) didn’t get a huge signing bonus up front when he turned pro.

Fortunately, it looks as if that won’t be too long of a stint. As Charlie Goldsmith reported yesterday, it’s a flexor mass problem that will sideline him, but ‘his elbow structurally looked good.’

The Rays were hoping to come away from their three-game series against the Rangers with a split-series win on Thursday afternoon after dropping one game to the Texas club on Tuesday night. To get the job done they had Shane McClanahan on the mound. The Rangers, meanwhile, were going the Opener route with a one-inning starter and then Marco Gonzalez lined up to take the bulk role.

Ezequiel Duran got a one-out walk in the first, but two outs followed to get the Rays out of the jam. In the home half, Yandy Diaz got a leadoff walk. Jonathan Aranda then grounded into a double play to eliminate the baserunner. It very briefly looked as if Junior Caminero hit a home run, but the call was challenged when it was called a flyout and the call on the field was upheld as an out.

The Rangers went 1-2-3 in the top of the second. Marco Gonzales came in to replace the Opener Cole Winn, and he got the Rays out in order.

McClanahan continues to cruise in the third, getting the Rangers three-up, three-down. In the home half with two outs, Hunter Feduccia doubled. Diaz then singled to bring Feduccia home and put the Rays on the board first.

Aranda singled and Caminero was intentionally walked, but no additional runs scored.

Duran was hit by a pitch to start the inning, then Brandon Nimmo walked. Shane McClanahan was then pulled from the game, though his injury if there was one was unclear. He appeared to have some neck discomfort and it seems like the team might have been aware because Casey Legumina was already warming and came in to replace him. With one out, a pinch-hitting Joc Pederson singled to score Duran and tie up the game. Pederson was then immediately swapped for a pinch-runner in Josh Smith, and with two outs, Legumina was swapped for Cam Booser. RIP if you’re keeping score the old-fashioned way. Booser got the final out of the inning. Victor Mesa Jr. got a one-out single in the home half, then Ben Williams singled. Taylor Walls walked to load the bases. Unfortunately Feduccia grounded into a double-play to end the inning.

With one out in the fifth, Alejandro Osuna singled. We got an update on McClanahan: mid-back tightness. So we’ll see how that pans out. Craig Kimbrel replaced Booser and then gave up an RBI double to Wyatt Lanford. With two outs, Nimmo walked and then stole second, but the Rays were able to get out of the inning with only the one extra run scoring. Peyton Gray replaced Gonzalez in the bottom of the inning and got the Rays out in order.

Steven Matz was the new Rays’ pitcher in the sixth and he mowed through the Rangers in order. In the bottom of the inning the Rays got their mojo back a little as Jonny DeLuca hit a solo home run with one out. Two outs followed but the Rays had come even.

With one out in the seventh, Osuna walked. He stole second after two outs, and the Rangers were not able to bring him home. Robby Ahlstrom was the new Rangers pitcher in the bottom of the inning and got the side out in order.

Garrett Cleavinger came in for the Rays in the eighth. After two outs, Josh Smith walked but Cleavinger got the final out to end the threat. With one out, Ben Peoples came in from the Rangers’ pen. After two outs, Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer to put the Rays in the lead.

DeLuca singled, then stole second, but the Rays were limited to just the one run for the inning. Thankfully it was a big one.

Bryan Baker came in for the top of the ninth and gave up a leadoff walk to Nicky Lopez. Langford got a two-out walk, but despite the nail-biter ending the Rays did pull off the third out to win the game and the series.

Final: Rays 3, Rangers 2

The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Tampa Bay Rays scored three runs.

Saving Nathan Eovaldi for Houston, the Rangers opted for a total bullpen game today with Cole Winn getting the opening inning. Winn got through his inning unscathed and handed things over to what amounted to a bulk pitcher today in Marco Gonzales, who I both forgot was a Ranger and had ever been one before he appeared on the mound today.

Gonzales was in and out of trouble and lucky to make it through three innings allowing just one run. That run, in the bottom of the third, gave the Rays a 1-0 lead which the Rangers tied a half inning later when pinch hitter Joc Pederson hit a ball that appeared destined for a threat-ending double play but turned into a run-scoring fielder’s choice error.

Pederson hit in that inning because Rays’ left-handed starter Shane McClanahan exited with an injury after three innings, rendering it a battle of the bullpens for both squads. That designation seemed to favor the Rays but it was the Rangers who took a lead in the middle innings when Texas sequenced into a run via an Alejandro Osuna single followed by a Wyatt Langford RBI double.

That was Texas’ only two hits of the game.

The Rays eventually tied the game on a solo home run by Jonny DeLuca off of Peyton Gray in the bottom of the sixth and then went ahead via a two-out solo home run by Cedric Mullins off of Ben Peoples in the bottom of the eighth.

If you’re wondering why the Rangers were making a trade for a reliever last evening, look no further than them turning to Ben Peoples in a tied game late that they could have stolen. But it’s not like the Rangers outplayed Tampa Bay and lost.

Avoiding getting swept in this series was crucial and the Rangers accomplished that in the first game. They could have snuck another victory today but their overall lack of big league quality down the lineup and in the bullpen was evident in as getaway as you can get.

Player of the Game: Langford is Texas’ best player and sure enough, he was the only guy to hit an extra base and the only guy to drive in a run today unless you are counting Pederson which I am not.

Up Next: In a familiar scene to one from a few days ago, the Rangers enter a series up a half game against the American League West opponent directly behind them. The Rangers will open that series in Houston with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound opposite RHP Hunter Brown for the Astros.

The Friday evening first pitch from formerly Minute Maid Park by way of Enron Field now named Daikin Park is scheduled for 7:15 pm CDT and you can find it on Apple TV.

Over the last 24 to 48 hours, there has been a lot of smoke around a Foster Griffin extension. Buster Olney reported that the Nats have been exploring the idea of extending Griffin. With the deadline just a few days away, it feels like there will either be a deal soon or the Nats All-Star southpaw will be shipped off.

The comparison to Seth Lugo is an interesting one. Like Griffin, Lugo is a pitcher with a deep mix, who relies on command and variety to throw hitters off. He also did not have a large history of starting, spending most of his career in the bullpen. Lugo received a 2-year deal worth $46 million. 

That $23 million AAV is pricey, and could certainly throw the Nats off. However, there is another Royals pitcher whose contract could also be a comparison point. Michael Wacha got a 3-year $51 million deal, which has aged very well. If I were the Nats, that would be a number worth paying.

With Griffin pushing for that Lugo number and the Nats looking at the Wacha deal, they could meet somewhere in the middle on something like a 3-year $57 million deal. Whether Toboni or Lerner would be willing to give out that kind of deal is unclear, but that is what I think the market would be around.

This morning, Barry Svrluga put out a good piece arguing for a Griffin extension. His argument was simple but effective. The Nats are not in the same place they were in the past when selling rentals was a no-brainer. This is a team whose window is opening and still has a chance to make the playoffs.

Griffin has been a huge part of that success. Losing him would pretty much erase the Nats playoff hopes. The Nats have won 17 of Griffin’s 21 starts. With Griffin and Cavalli on the mound, the Nats are a real force. However, things get really shaky after that. If Griffin is locked up and Connelly Early comes back, the Nats rotation would be in good shape.

However, the playoffs do remain fairly unlikely. If an extension cannot be reached, trading Griffin would be the smart play. His value is likely at its peak right now and just about every contender needs starting pitching.

While I think Griffin will be good for years to come, there is some risk for a guy with such a small track record. A lot of pitchers who come back from Asia have their best season in the first one back.

If you look at the ERA indicators, Griffin is due for some regression, and this is probably a career year. However, with his command and deep bag of pitches, I think he can be a mid rotation starter for years to come. That Wacha like deal is right in line with mid-rotation money.

Personally, I hope Griffin sticks around. Watching him pitch is such a blessing. Seeing a guy dominate without velocity is so much fun in this modern era. He is truly pitching out there, and playing chess with hitters all game.

When hitters face Griffin, they are in for mental and physical warfare. It always feels like Griffin is one step ahead of hitters. Hopefully, tomorrow is not the last time we get to see Griffin play chess on the field for the Nats.

It is time for the Lerner’s to put their money where their mouth is. For years, fans have been holding out hope that the Lerner’s were just waiting for the right moment to pounce and open their wallets. Well, based on how this season has gone, the time is now. A Foster Griffin extension would be a great first step in winning back the fanbase.

Astros GM Dana Brown has maintained that he intends to be a buyer at the deadline. Whether he is buying name brand or knockoff is a major question.

Houston is a conflicting situation. They have been ravaged by injuries for the third straight season. Owner Jim Crane has been watching the bottom line, leery of exceeding the luxury tax for a third straight season and incurring the penalties that come with it. The roster is top heavy, and not necessarily with as many top players as hoped at the beginning of the season. The outfield consists of a lot of guys who may benefit from playing at Sugar Land instead of Houston.

The Astros are also getting a generational MVP season from Yordan Alvarez that would be a baseball sin to waste. Jeremy Pena continues to play the role of ignitor at the top of the order. Isaac Paredes found hit bat on May 30th and hasn’t lost it since.

Jose Altuve is having a career-worst season. Christian Walker started hot, and has cooled off significantly.

The lineup legitimately needs two bats – outfield bats, ideally at least one of them being left-handed. At least one of them needs to be an impact bat of moderate value, the other at least a good avg/obp/speed type.

The starting pitching has been among the worst in baseball. Mike Burrows was the team’s big trade acquisition this offseason. He was brutally bad, and now he’s on the IL. Tatsuya Imai was their biggest free agent signing, and he’s been woefully inconsistent vacillating between looking like a top pitcher and looking like a disaster.

Ronel Blanco and Hayden Wesneski have just returned from Tommy John surgery. Spencer Arrighetti has starred in his Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde role, sometimes looking fantastic and sometimes awful, and is now on IL. Cristian Javier just had his best outing of the season in relief, 5 shutout innings that lowered his ERA to *7.17*. You read that right.

Hunter Brown is the ace of the staff. A grade 2 shoulder strain cost him 2 months. He struggled with his command afterwards, though his most recent start indicated he may be past those struggled. Peter Lambert has become the most consistent starter on the team and he was DFA’d after Spring Training.

The team needs a starting pitcher, ideally 2. They need at least one number 2-3 type starter, someone they can depend on to start a playoff game. They could still use another back of the rotation inning eater type, because getting 5 innings from each starter a full turn through the rotation has been a Herculean task for this team this season.

The bullpen has dealt with injury to All-Star closer Josh Hader, and reliable setup man Bennett Sousa. Bryan Abreu underperformed badly to start the season, Bryan King is underperforming right now. Kai-Wei Teng has been shifted back and forth between the pen and rotation, and has worn down from such heavy usage. The team has preferred to keep AJ Blubaugh in a multi-inning reliever role rather than stretch him out so that he could start.

The Astros could really use a righthanded leverage reliever to balance their lefthanded tandem of Steven Okert and Sousa in front of Hader. This is especially important if the starting pitching is still inconsistent and the team is unwilling to pay the freight for starters.

Which brings us to the biggest issue facing Houston at the deadline. They say they are going to be buyers, but what are they really buying?

Will the Astros buy the brand name players they need to make their team strong enough to be a legitimate contender in a soft American League, or will they shop in the bargain bins hoping to make the playoffs and rely on the old mantra ‘anything can happen in the postseason’ for their chances of success?

This deadline will represent a strong seller’s market. Prices are sure to be sky high as there are limited sellers. Top prospects will be at a premium as the spectre of a long-term lockout looms over the deadline and the rest of the season.

Will the Astros have the stomach to pay the price for the kinds of players they really need to be real contenders? Last season, they refused to pay the freight for starting pitching, instead choosing to bank on players returning from injury and it backfired hard.

Prices will not be lower this year.

Will Crane require Brown to perform the wild gymnastics needed to keep the team under the luxury tax? In the past, Crane has shown a willingness to exceed the tax for a player he believed could help push the team over the top. He did so last season with the acquisition of Carlos Correa, who played markedly better in Houston after the deadline than he did in Minnesota before.

Houston has a track record of being innovative, creative and aggressive at the deadline in many of the deadlines during the Golden Age. Can they find a way to do so again?

The reality is if the Astros chose to sell, they could get absolute king’s ransoms for some players and reload in the offseason. Understandably, no one wants to sell when they are just a game out of the division lead, even if they did just get back to .500 for the first time yesterday since they were 6-6.

The team has to understand the kind of hauls they could get as sellers, and their buy has to match the impact. They have to buy the kind of impact players that will shift them from AL mediocrity to AL power.

They don’t need to be reckless with the cost, but they cannot fear the cost either. They can’t be afraid to move guys off the major league roster, and reallocate funds to greater positions of need. They can’t be afraid to utilize positional flexibility.

While there may be some good deals in the bargain bin at TJ Maxx, they can’t be afraid to go into Nordstrom either. They make the money, they can pay the bills.

Are they willing to push in hard enough to truly be contenders in the AL, or is just getting to the party good enough?

Getting to the party with no chance of winning isn’t what I want to see. It’s not what most fans want to see, based on the cross section of fans I see online and who connect with AREA 45 on Sportsradio 610 each night. They want to buy to win, or sell to reload. They don’t want to surrender assets for a ‘maybe we make it into the Wild Card’ type of deadline decisions.

Dana Brown is fighting for his job. He cannot be reckless, but he cannot be hesitant either.

It’s gut-check time. We are about to see what the Astros are willing to stomach in the name of winning and “the window” always being open.

It seems that Clay Holmes' tenure with the Mets is about to come to an end.

With four days until the Aug. 3 trade deadline, there are no talks ongoing between Holmes' camp and the Mets on a potential extension, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

This doesn't come as a surprise, since Holmes said last week that there hadn't been "a ton" of progress there.

SNY MLB Insider Chelsea Janes reported recently that there had been mutual interest between the two sides about an extension.

If an extension isn't agreed to, the expectation is that Holmes will be traded. That's because he has a $12 million player option for the 2027 season that he will almost certainly decline.

Holmes, 33, is one of the most sought-after starting pitchers on the trade market, with Tarik Skubal alone at the top.

The right-hander has been out since May 15 due to a broken fibula he suffered when he was struck by a line drive.

Holmes is set to throw a bullpen session on Friday, after which he and the team will determine next steps.

On Wednesday, interim manager Andy Green seemed to suggest that Holmes' next start could come elsewhere.

"We'll continue to evaluate that as we get closer to the deadline," Green said. "Obviously, anybody can count out and figure out what five days is from now, and it's Sunday before the deadline. So acknowledge that there's a decision to be made around that.

"We'll partner with him in making that decision. We'll have to wait until he gets past his bullpen, regardless, to make a declaration of what's next. So I think we've got a few days here to kind of let things play out."

If the Mets trade Holmes instead of extending him, it of course remains possible that they will sign him as a free agent after the season.

As of now, starting pitching options the Mets have under team control for next season include Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, and Sean Manaea. Kodai Senga is also under contract through 2027, but it's hard to envision him being in the mix for a role in the rotation going forward.

Other rotation options for New York next season could include Jonah Tong, Jack Wenninger, and Jonathan Santucci, who are all with Triple-A Syracuse.

Speaking recently, president of baseball operations David Stearns suggested the Mets are highly likely to supplement the rotation externally this offseason via free agency and/or the trade market.

Tuesday night’s win over the Seattle Mariners was the Dodgers’ 108th game of the season. That means the 2026 campaign is officially two-thirds complete. Let’s look how the team has done comparing the first 54 games of the season to the middle 54 games

The Dodgers had the same record in both 54-game stretches, even though they outscored opponents by two runs per game in the first 54 games and less than half that in the middle 54. The offense as a whole was mostly the same, scoring 279 runs in the first third of the season and 277 runs in the second third, with the same wRC+ in both sets.

Let’s delve into the offense first, beginning with the catchers.

Will Smith hasn’t played since June 5, so the bulk of the time behind the plate has been claimed by Dalton Rushing, in his first real extended run of consistent catching as a professional. The dropoff, especially offensively, is palpable, with 12 starts from Chuckie Robinson and Eliezer Alfonzo instead of Smith or Rushing.

Shohei Ohtani (.306/.385/.596) and Freddie Freeman (.340/.399/.529) paced the offense in the middle third of the season, with Ohtani finding his power after a relative down period in that regard over the first 54 games.

Corner outfield production was abysmal in the middle third from Kyle Tucker (.227/.315/.337) and Teoscar Hernández (.183/.244/.268), with Hernández missing a month with a hamstring strain. Max Muncy and Andy Pages stayed productive, and Tommy Edman’s return (.330/.403/.481) added another dimension to the offense.

Now, the pitching.

The Dodgers were without Tyler Glasnow after his productive first third of the season, and didn’t have Blake Snell at all. But Eric Lauer filled in quite nicely, making for a surprisingly stable six-man rotation, even with Shohei Ohtani’s knee inflammation keeping him off the mound since July 3.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was excellent in the middle portion of the season, averaging 6.85 innings per start.

The Dodgers used one true bullpen game in the first third of the season, and three such contests in the middle third. Lauer followed an opener on June 22 with six scoreless innings, so I counted that among the Dodgers’ quality starts total. On the season, they have 58 real quality starts (plus one relief appearance by Lauer), nine more than the next-best team.

Relief pitching is the biggest difference in the first third and second third of the season, with a walk rate over 40 percent higher in the middle 54 games compared to the first 54.

Will Klein and Kyle Hurt were load-bearing members of the bullpen in the first third of the season, combining for a 1.64 ERA with 10 walks in 38 1/3 innings. But in the middle third of the season they had a combined 6.62 ERA and a stunning 28 walks in 35 1/3 innings. Walks ate into Alex Vesia’s middle third as well though his overall numbers were otherwise mostly fine.

Brock Stewart has been a stabilizing force since returning from the injured list. Evan Phillips is back too after Tommy John surgery, but has allowed four home runs in his seven appearances.

The bullpen in the middle third also allowed a combined 28 runs and 11 home runs in 28 2/3 mop-up innings from Jonathan Hernández, Charlie Barnes, and Landon Knack.

Two thirds of the season are complete. The final 54 games start Thursday night against the Mariners.