Category: Sports News

The wins keep on rolling: tonight, the Kansas City Royals walked into the home of the Toronto Blue Jays and won 5-3 with a wild ninth inning that featured a pair of crucial defensive masterpieces.

In the first inning, both the Royals and Jays traded blows. Carter Jensen immediately singled against Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer; he was immediately followed by Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino walks to load the bases. Salvador Perez hit into a double play, an unfortunate result that at least scored Jensen. Fortunately for Kansas City, Toronto also loaded the bases in the first inning and also only scored one (a sacrifice fly from Jesús Sánchez).

From there, the game remained scoreless until the fifth inning, although not without traffic on the pasepaths. Royals starter Seth Lugo gave up half a dozen hits and a walk in his five innings, while Scherzer allowed nine total baserunners in his five innings.

Three said baserunners happened in the fifth inning. This time, Salvy singled to score Witt from third base and give the Royals a 2-1 lead—a lead which they would not relinquish.

The very next inning, the Royals extended their lead to three. Against relievers Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty, Nick Loftin and John Rave notched singles. Kyle Isbel then bunted, fueled by a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. throwing error. Jensen then hit a sac fly.

In the ninth inning, Rave hit another RBI single against submarine righty Tyler Rogers. Funky delivery means nothing against the Raver!

By this time, though, the bullpen had entered the game. And the Kansas City bullpen has been, shall we say, unreliable this year. The seventh inning was the first inning that made me go “uh oh.” Connor Thomas replaced John Schreiber and responded by immediately hitting Andrés Giménez with a pitch. This brought up Alejandro Kirk…who fortunately hit into a double play to defuse the situation. George Springer then grounded out.

The eighth inning was similar. Nate Pearson replaced Thomas, and after a strikeout walked Nathan Lukes on five not-close pitches. Guerrero hit a booming double to right-center field to put runners on second and third with one out. But Kazuma Okamoto popped up, and after Ernie Clement hit a foul ball into his cylinder he hit a lazy fly ball. This put the Blue Jays at 0-10 with runners in scoring position.

This set up the ninth inning. Tyler Tolbert had entered the game to play second base after Michael Massey bonked his head on the ground after a nifty play to throw out Lukes. He left the game out of a precaution.

For a second, it looked like Stephen Cruz would cruise through the inning. He quickly got two outs, both grounders to second base. The second one was an excellent dive and throw by Tolbert, who broke and timed his play perfectly.

Then the wheels fell apart a bit. Daz Cameron singled. Brett Bateman singled and advanced to second base on defensive indifference. Lukes then hit a single to left-center field, which scored Cameron and Bateman to put the game at 5-3, Royals with Guerrero coming up.

Only Lukes tried to stretch that single into a double. And he was thrown out for the final out of the game.

It was a beautiful play. Collins cut the bouncing ball off well, spinning to throw it accurately to Witt, the cutoff man. Witt then rifled the ball with perfect accuracy to Tolbert, who applied the tag efficiently and effectively. Just…wow.

At 59-74, the Royals are a significant longshot to make the playoffs. Yet they have scored nine straight, and sources tell me that if they continue to win every game, they’ll make the playoffs.

Tuesday night was an opportunity for the St. Louis Cardinals to rebound from a profoundly disappointing end to the road trip returning home from Philadelphia, but would they? Much of that would depend on which version of Matthew Liberatore took the mound for the Cardinals. The answer is not the one most Cardinals fans were hoping for and the end result was appalling. Not to spoil this for you if you didn’t see the game, but everyone in Busch Stadium that was not an Oriole’s fan should demand their money back.

The game would get off to an auspicious start in the top of the 1st inning when Matthew Liberatore fielded Jackson Holliday’s dribbler on the 1st base side of the mound and fired the ball over Alec Burleson’s head into right field. Pete Alonso followed that with a solid single into left field with Holliday running on the play which gave the Orioles runners at first and third with no outs. Matthew would find a way out of the jam as he got Gunnar Henderson to pop out and then struck out Mayo and Encarnacion-Strand.

The top of the 3rd inning would be similar to the top of the 1st, but the result would be much different. Taveras reached as he beat out an infield hit. Jackson Holliday whistled a single into center which brought up Pete Alonzo who was not fooled by an 88 mph changeup which he sent soaring 435 feet deep into the left field stands for a 3-0 Baltimore lead. Two outs later, Encarnacion-Strand absolutely annihilated a 94 mph four-seam Liberatore fastball 450 feet even deeper into the left field stands for a 4-0 Orioles lead. That’s the longest home run in Busch Stadium this season.

The Cardinals would not go away completely silently. Nathan Church waited on a 72 mph curveball from Orioles pitcher Chris Bassett and ripped it 405 feet into the Cardinals bullpen giving St. Louis a run making the score 4-1. That’s the lone St. Louis Cardinals highlight, by the way.

That brief moment of St. Louis Cardinals optimism was short-lived. Matthew Liberatore would not survive the 5th inning. Jackson Holliday led off with his third hit of the night followed by another single from Cardinals nemesis Pete Alonzo. Matthew Liberatore then walked Gunnar Henderson to load the bases with no one out. Liberatore’s last batter was Mayo who he surrendered a single to making it 5-1 Orioles and even though Matthew was done, Baltimore wasn’t done scoring. Liberatore’s replacement was Peter Strzelecki who didn’t fare much better than his predecessor. He immediately gave up a single to Encarnacion-Strand which plated two more Orioles upping the Baltimore lead to 7-1. Stzelecki did accomplish one good thing during his relief outing. He struck out Basallo and…yeah, that’s it. Next he hit Franklin with a pitch, gave up a single to Taveras, a single to Holliday and a double to Alonzo. When the dust settled, it was 12-1 Orioles and by the time the horrific 5th inning was done, Caleb Ferguson was in the game as the designated “you’re pitching until you’re too tired to pitch for the rest of the game” guy.

As many of the regulars for both teams sat going into the top of the 6th inning, the Orioles decided to score again just for fun when Ferguson gave up back-to-back doubles to Franklin and Beavers. 13-1 Baltimore. Someone please make it stop. Oh, did I say that out loud?

The Cardinals brought in Ryan Fernandez to take care of the Oriole’s 7th inning. After Carlos Narvaez hit a double, it’s almost like the Orioles had to try hard NOT to score. When Henderson grounded out, he seemed to just stroll to third as if he felt guilty about possibly scoring another run. Fortunately, Fernandez was able to get out of the inning without further humiliation. By contrast, the Orioles starter Chris Bassitt pitched deep into the bottom of the 7th inning when he was finally lifted for Baltimore reliever Cano.

Instead of going into any more details about the nuts and bolts of what happened for the start of the St. Louis Cardinals homestand, I can sum it up in 3 words: THAT. WAS. UGLY.

I’ll add just one more thought before calling it a night. Was Matthew Liberatore’s performance sub-par? Sure it was, but that’s no excuse for what I perceived as an overall lack of energy from the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday night. The fact that the game completely got out of hand in the 5th inning didn’t help, but if they expect fans to fill the stands anytime soon, a better effort isn’t just expected. It is demanded. I know it’s a long season and we’re nearing the end of it, but I’d like to see some resemblance of the young, hungry team we saw during the first couple of months. I started watching Tuesday night’s game believing the Cardinals could muster a run to grab the third Wild Card slot. Now? Give me a break. Put a fork into this season. This team is done. I’d love to be proven wrong.

The St. Louis Cardinals will try again against the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday night. Michael McGreevy gets the start for the Cardinals while the Orioles will send Kyle Bradish to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm central time at Busch Stadium while the game broadcast is available via Cardinals.tv.

The Yankees’ offense had really struggled for more than two months, something that has held the team back from truly going on a run. They’ve still managed to win despite it, but that’s due to their outstanding pitching. An unheralded aspect of said pitching is the bullpen, which despite feeling incredibly shallow, has been one of the more effective units in the sport. If you were told entering the night that the Yankees put up seven runs and Will Warren only allowed three in five innings, it would be reasonable to put this one in the bank as a win.

But with an opportunity to gain a game on Tampa, pretty much nothing went right in the ‘pen. Fernando Cruz and Brent Headrick gave up back-breaking homers as the unit allowed six runs in four innings, spoiling Luis García Jr.’s best game as a Yankee in a 9-7 loss to the sputtering Astros.

It’s never an easy first inning when Warren is on the mound, but this one was less on him than others. After starting the game with a K, he allowed a bullet single to Yordan Alvarez and an infield single off the glove of Jazz Chisholm Jr. to put runners on the corners with two outs, but he wiggled out of it on a Daulton Varsho groundout. Despite a long Ben Rice flyout and a two-out single by Luis García Jr., the Yankees again did not score in the first inning against Ethan Pecko.

Yainer Diaz opened the scoring in the second by ambushing Warren’s first-pitch sinker inside for a two-out home run to make it 1-0 Astros. It wasn’t a bad pitch, but it was a hitter who knew what he wanted to hit. A walk to Taylor Trammell looked potentially perilous when the lineup flipped over, and Jeremy Peña shot one towards the porch, but Spencer Jones made a running play on the track to get back in the dugout.

Pecko had a much rockier second inning with his command, falling behind Jones 3-0 before eventually retiring him and proceeding to walk the next two batters to bring José Caballero up with two on and two out, only for him to ground out with a full count. Warren continued to grind through long at-bats in the third, but got a raw deal with two outs on a ground-ball single by Jose Altuve, a passed ball by Austin Wells, and a Varsho RBI single to make it 2-0, where it seemed Cody Bellinger could’ve had Altuve with a better throw than a three-hopper.

There’s something sweet about the feeling of redemption, though, as Bellinger made up for a rare underwhelming defensive play with a big swing in the bottom half. Pecko continued to struggle with command, walking Grisham and allowing a single to García to put runners on the corners with one out, setting up the Yankees’ left fielder to crush a first-pitch fastball off the face of the second deck for his first home run in over two months and a 3-2 Yankees lead.

Both pitchers finally put up a 1-2-3 fourth, but not without their pitch counts continuing to climb. Warren ran into more trouble in the fifth with a Yordan single and a walk to Isaac Paredes, but it looked like he was going to get out of it when Varsho hit a slow grounder to the right side, but it squeaked just between García and Jazz to tie the game at three. Warren finished his outing with an acceptable five innings and three runs, but it was the slog most of his starts have been of late.

Pecko, even with his bumpy first four innings, was given a bunch of rope in the fifth, and fortunately, the Yankees made him pay. Rice used ABS to get himself on base with a walk with one out, which set up García to hammer a 3-2 cutter at the top of the zone into the short porch for his fourth homer as a Yankee to briefly give the Bombers a 5-3 lead after five.

Fernando Cruz was given a clean inning in the sixth, but his outing was anything but. A one-out walk to Diaz came back to haunt him, as he grooved a 2-1 fastball to Peña, who snuck a game-tying two-run home run over the left-field fence, continuing the recent struggles of Cruz. With the lack of a deadline upgrade, the Yankees are not really in a position to afford this sudden regression in the bullpen.

A quiet sixth against Bennett Sousa gave the Astros a chance to take the lead against Yerry de los Santos in the seventh, but the righty worked around a leadoff walk to keep the game tied. He’s a guy who can earn himself some leverage situations with effective play. Against the tough lefty Steven Okert, a trio of Yankee lefties put together some great ABs. Grisham worked a walk, Rice lined a single, and García did it again with a double down the right-field line to make it 6-5. They had a chance for more, but a good play by Peña on a contact play and Bryan Abreu coming in to get Lombard ended the inning.

Brent Headrick got the eighth for the Yanks, and with the way this game was going, you kinda felt like this was going to happen. After striking out the pinch-hitting Cam Smith, Diaz shot a fastball on the outside corner towards the short porch, which got out for his second home run of the game, tying it at six. Of all the guys on the team who could’ve hit two of them tonight, he’s not high up on that list, having not done so since April 1, 2024.

Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. Peña ripped a single with two outs after barely holding up on a check swing that would’ve ended the inning to set up Yordan, who hit another bullet into the right-center field gap for an RBI triple. A laboring Headrick ended his night by allowing an RBI single to Paredes to make it 8-6 Astros, needing Bradley Hanner to mop up the rest of the frame.

It wasn’t quite over yet. Jones hit a bullet double to start the inning off Abreu and was able to come around and score on an RBI single by Chisholm. You wondered whether Jazz would try to steal to get the tying run in scoring position, but the AL leader in stolen bases stayed home and paid for it when Wells hit into a double play. Caballero reached on an infield single to force Josh Hader into the game, who struck out Grisham.

Hanner was tasked with getting this one to the bottom of the ninth, which he did, but not without giving up a run on a Smith triple and another RBI by Diaz, who really hurt them all night long. Hader recorded just his third four-out save in the last 10 months (two against the Yankees, typical) to close it out.

The Yankees will look to get back on track tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. against the Astros. Peter Lambert will go for the visitors against a pitcher to be determined, but it’s assumed that Elmer Rodríguez will be recalled to pitch in some capacity.

Box Score

The Braves have had a massive power outage — their recent skid has seen their run-scoring capabilities wither without the ball leaving the yard. Tonight, though — and perhaps just tonight, but emphatically so — it didn’t matter. The Braves found just enough to skitter past the Dodgers, 4-3, in a game that featured some single-laden rallies, a key knock by Ozzie Albies, and Raisel Iglesias surviving a critical outfield defensive miscue in the ninth inning.

Bryce Elder was on the hill tonight after having his turn in the rotation skipped due to some knee pain. He breezed through the first, but opposing starter Tyler Glasnow, making his first start since early May due to lingering back spasms, was not so fortunate.

Drake Baldwin started the home half of the first by skirting a single through the infield. Matt Olson then followed with a weak bouncer that got by Freddie Freeman at first base, putting runners on the corners. Mauricio Dubon, batting cleanup for the third time this season (and first since early July), battled Glasnow and then dunked a single into right field on a knuckle curve that was going to hit the dirt — 1-0, Braves. Michael Harris II followed with another roller through the infield, even weaker than Olson’s, doubling the lead. Albies followed with a sac fly on a hanging knuckle curve to make it 3-0.

Then a weird thing happened. With Harris at third and a 3-1 count on Mike Yastrzemski, Glasnow lost control of a fastball and basically spiked it towards Yastrzemski’s shin. That didn’t deter the Braves’ left fielder from swinging at it and missing horribly, nor the Dodgers’ catcher from also whiffing on the pitch. Harris would have and should have scored easily, except… the result was inexplicably ruled a foul, despite the egregious amount by which Yastrzemski’s hack missed the pitch. Apparently, this isn’t reviewable, so the Braves didn’t get a fourth run… at least not there. To add insult to insult, Yastrzemski was rung up after the next pitch was challenged and found to barely clip the zone.

After all that early drama, it was the Dodgers’ turn to bloop their way to some runs. Birthday boy Max Muncy started the top of the second with a solid single off Elder; three bloop singles later in the inning made it a 3-2 game. To make it stupider, both of the RBI bloops were on pitches basically below the zone. That brought up Shohei Ohtani with two on and two out, but Elder managed to freeze him on a pretty blatant 3-2 fastball around the knees, though it required an ABS challenge to end the frame.

I don’t know if Glasnow was just shaking off some rust or fell subject to the dreaded road pitcher first inning penalty, but he came out firing for much of the rest of the game. (Alternatively, you could say he just didn’t get BABIPed anymore.) He struck out the side in the second, got a strikeout and two foulouts in the third, and struck out two more in the fourth. He departed after five, with a 7/0 K/BB ratio.

Meanwhile, Elder’s day was much more BABIP-y, even after that initial rally. Though he had a 1-2-3 third, the Dodgers tied the game in the fourth on a leadoff single, a steal, and a one-out bloop to center. Another single brought up the Ohtani-Elder matchup again with men on base, but this time Ohtani hit a soft liner to left to end the rally. Elder had another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, but seemed to totter a bit in the sixth. He hit the leadoff guy, and there was yet another bloop single. But, he buckled down and ended his day with two strikeouts.

It was an odd but ultimately fortuitous and effective outing for Elder. For much of his major league tenure, there’s been a persistent issue with his times-through-the-order splits, especially against left-handed batters. Here, the Braves let him face Ohtani multiple times in key spots, but he came through. They similarly could’ve pulled him at any time in the sixth after he hit the leadoff guy, but they didn’t, and he found the two key strikeouts he needed to secure one of his better starts of the year (5/0 K/BB ratio). It’s not the sort of thing that the Braves have been rewarded for often, but it happened tonight.

So, onto the bottom of the sixth we went. Alex Vesia had no trouble with the Braves’ bats. Dylan Lee had little trouble with the Dodgers’ bats in the top of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, the Braves managed a mini-rally with Sean Murphy drawing a two-out walk against Jack Dreyer and Baldwin following with a hard grounder single. That brought up Ronald Acuña Jr. and summoned Evan Phillips out of the Dodger bullpen. Acuña battled to 3-2 and then smashed a sweeper 112 mph, but unfortunately he hit it right at Mookie Betts at shortstop.

The eighth saw something that probably had Braves fans tearing their hair out: tie game, and here comes… Victor Mederos? It looked brilliant for a second, as Mederos got a one-pitch popout and then struck out Kyle Tucker. But, then he walked back-to-back hitters. With a lefty due up, the Braves went to Dylan Dodd and the Dodgers pinch hit with Miguel Rojas, but all that happened was a soft fly to end the inning (mercifully not a bloop hit).

Tanner Scott, in the midst of a great season, was the Dodgers’ choice for the bottom of the eighth. Olson greeted him with a hard slice the other way that went for a belly flop double. Dubon squared to bunt against Scott, then pulled the bat back and… hit a sub-50 mph, basically-a-bunt grounder that pushed Olson to third with one out. Harris followed and swung at a first-pitch slider that was running way in on him and hit another sub-50 mph grounder that didn’t score Olson. So, up came Albies, and he delivered the game-winning turnabout, blooping a 2-0 hanging slider into center at 77 mph to push Olson across. The Braves got that long-deferred fourth run after all.

Oh, but we weren’t done yet. More drama came, almost immediately. With the Braves now having a lead, Raisel Iglesias trotted out for the ninth. Ohtani took a 1-0 sinker outside and bashed it the other way. It could have and should have been caught, but Lane Thomas was as awkward as my AIM conversations when I was 12 years old out in left field, and had the ball carom off his glove instead of just catching the ball at the wall. Ohtani never stopped running and made it to third.

But, not to worry! (Apparently.) Iglesias struck out Freeman on a changeup. Betts fell behind 0-2 and then chopped a sinker into the ground, where it bounced neatly to Dubon for the second out. After giving the birthday gift of an intentional walk to Muncy, Iglesias began his battle with Tommy Edman. On the fifth pitch, he threw him a fairly meaty fastball, but Edman weakly lifted it to center, where it fell into Harris’ glove to end the game.

It’s a welcome win for many reasons, in large part because the Braves overcame a huge defensive miscue and managed to come out on top without the longball. The offensive issues persist, but they won’t lose ground tonight. The Phillies are tied with the Mariners at the time of writing.

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Please come on in and sit with us for a while. There’s no cover charge. We have a few tables available. There’s a two-drink minimum, but you need to bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night, I asked you if one of the Cubs top prospects, catcher Owen Ayers, should make his major-league debut when the rosters expand on September 1. Most of you were against it, as 74 percent of you said “no.”

On that front, the Cubs signed free agent catcher Austin Wynns today. Wynns had been designated for assignment by the Rangers last week. So that gives Iowa a second catcher if the Cubs want to call up Ayers. Or they could call up Wynns, I presume, if they just want a third catcher.

On Tuesday nights, I don’t normally do any movie stuff. But I always have time for jazz, so let’s take a break for that now.

Tonight we’re featuring vocalist Samara Joy in studio performing “You Stepped Out of a Dream” in 2024. A great performance of a jazz standard, written by Nacio Herb Brown and Gus Kahn in 1940.

Yesterday I asked you the straightforward question of whether or not the Cubs should call up catcher Owen Ayers when rosters expand on September 1. Tonight, I’m going to try to tackle the much more thorny issue of what to do with the pitching staff.

The Cubs bullpen currently looks like this:

Aaron Civale RHP

Daniel Palencia RHP

Colin Rea RHP

Ryan Rolison LHP

Caleb Thielbar LHP

Trent Thornton RHP

Jacob Webb RHP

Ryan Zeferjahn RHP

Down in Iowa, left-hander Hoby Milner is on a rehab assignment and will have to be activated by this weekend. There’s a lot of speculation of whom Milner might replace, with the possibility of Thielbar being designated for assignment. However, Palencia, Rolison and Zeferjahn still have minor league options, and the Cubs could decide to send one of them down. In any case, if one of them goes down, they can’t be brought back up to the majors for fifteen days unless there’s an injury. Of course, you can almost always find an injury in a pitching staff.

So let’s assume that Milner is activated on Friday, when his 30-day rehab assignment is ahead of roster expansion. Someone either gets released or sent down to the minors for 15 days. Who should then get called up on Tuesday?

One possibility is Shelby Miller, who has been terrific in his rehab appearances for the Iowa Cubs this past month. The Cubs signed Miller this past winter to a two-year deal as he was coming off of elbow surgery. He was expected to miss all of 2026 and pitch for the Cubs in 2027. However, his rehab has been ahead of schedule.

So far in Iowa, Miller has made six rehab appearances, five for Iowa and one for Double-A Knoxville. In that time, he’s pitched 5.2 innings and has allowed three runs for an ERA of 4.76. That doesn’t sound that great, except in that time Miller has struck out ten batters and walked just one. His fastball was sitting 95 miles per hour and his splitter came in at 86-87 in his last appearance. He has not allowed a run in his last two appearances.

Another possibility for a call-up is right-hander Ethan Roberts, who has become kind of a forgotten man in the organization. Roberts didn’t pitch all that well in the majors this year, which got him sent down to the minors on August 9. Down in Triple-A, his results have been better, posting an 0-1 record with a sparkling 2.21 ERA in 19 appearances. In 20.1 innings, Roberts has struck out 22 batters and walked eight, and giving up too much contact and walking too many batters was one of Roberts’ biggest issues in the majors this year. But one of the strongest arguments for calling up Roberts is that he still has an option, which means he could be sent back down to Iowa once someone like Ben Brown or Justin Steele is ready to return to the majors.

A third possibility is Javier Assad. Assad got sent down to the minors, despite pitching well in the majors, primarily because he still had an option and because the Cubs wanted to keep his stretched out so he’d be ready to start again in case of another injury. Assad might be the best pitcher to call up, but it would also mean he probably wouldn’t be stretched out to start if necessary.

Finally, there is the wild card of Jaxon Wiggins. The Cubs’ top pitching prospect coming into this season has battled injuries, but he’s fully healthy right now. He’s also been moved from the starting rotation to the bullpen in case the Cubs needed him this September. Wiggins’ line this year doesn’t look like someone ready to make his major league debut. He has an 8.31 ERA in 26 innings in Iowa. His ERA in his first five starts after returning to Iowa from the IL is 12.21.

However, since Wiggins has been moved to the bullpen, he’s made four appearances and has allowed no runs and no hits over four innings. Can’t get much better than that. OK, the four walks could be better, but Wiggins has also struck out seven in those four innings. He’s looked dominating out of the pen in Triple-A.

The downside to calling up Wiggins is that he’d have to be added to the 40-man roster, although Gavin Hollowell could always go to the 60-day IL. However, he has to be added to the 40-man this winter anyway to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. (Assuming there is one.) He also has options and could be sent back down to Iowa if and when Ben Brown or Justin Steele are ready to return.

So which pitcher would you call up on September 1 when rosters expand?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. It’s been nice hosting you. Please get home safely. Tell your friends about us. Don’t forget any personal items. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.

The Yankees bullpen allowed six runs in New York's back-and-forth 9-7 loss to the Astros on Tuesday night.

The Yankees were outhit by Houston, 14-10.

With the Rays' loss and the Red Sox's win earlier in the evening, the Yankees remain 3.5 games behind Tampa for the AL East, and Boston is now 1.5 games behind New York 

Here are the takeaways....

-In his second game back off the IL, Cody Bellinger breathed some life into the Yankees' offense, smashing a three-run shot to put New York up 3-2 in the third inning. It was Bellinger's first home run since June 17 (32 games). He finished 1-for-5. 

Luis Garcia Jr. joined in on the home run parade with a two-run blast in the fifth to give the Yankees the lead at the time, and came through in the seventh in a tie game with an RBI double. 

Garcia finished 4-for-4 with two RBI and finished a triple short of the cycle.

-Will Warren had to grind in this one. The right-hander allowed a solo shot to Yainer Diaz in the second and an RBI single to Daulton Varsho -- set up by an Austin Wells passed ball -- in the third. Warren couldn't hold the lead after the Astros pushed across another run on a Varsho single. Although Warren got out of the inning, he couldn't give the Yankees length.

He tossed 97 pitches (56 strikes), allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four batters. 

-The Yankees bullpen couldn't hold the lead, with Fernando Cruz allowing a two-run shot to Jeremy Pena in the sixth to knot things at 5-5. Brent Headrick, with the lead in the eighth, allowed a solo homer to Diaz. A few batters later, Yordan Alvarez put the Astros ahead with a go-ahead triple off of Headrick. Isaac Paredes followed with a single to put Houston up 8-6. 

Bradley Hanner allowed an insurance run in the ninth, just as Jazz Chisholm Jr. brought the Yankees within one with an RBI single in the eighth. 

-Lombard made a throwing error in the first, his fourth error in his last four games.

Game MVP: Yainer Diaz

The Astros backstop drove in three runs in the win

Highlights

WELCOME BACK, CODY BELLINGER!

A three-run blast off the facing of the second deck! pic.twitter.com/oTIaLsWnK1https://t.co/PvY9iwe85i

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 26, 2026

Luis Garcia Jr. puts the Yankees back in front! 💣 pic.twitter.com/rkWgLhn10a

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 26, 2026

LUIS GARCÍA JR. AGAIN!

YANKEES LEAD AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/tl7R1JTi3Y

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 26, 2026

What's next

The Yankees and Astros continue their three-game series on Wednesday evening. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

Houston will start Pete Lambert (6-8, 4.38 ERA), while the Yankees have yet to announce a starter, but Elmer Rodriguez is expected to take the mound.

The Mets failed to protect a ninth-inning lead, but had just enough big moments to grab a 3-2 walk-off win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night at Citi Field.

ChristopherMorel, in his second at-bat after coming on as a pinch-hitter, came up in the game’s biggest spot with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th and the game tied. Against the drawn-in infield, Morel hit the ball just hard enough to the left of the third baseman for him to panic and make a wild throw wide of the plate to allow the game-winning run to score on David Hamilton's throwing error.

New York had plenty of chances to make something happen earlier, but could only muster a pair of solo home runs from Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. in the first nine innings, wasting rookie left-hander Zac Thornton delivering another quality start of six innings of one-run ball. But a clutch diving grab from Lindor to end the top of the ninth put the home team in position to improve to 60-72 on the season and 13-6 since the trade deadline.

Milwaukee fell to 81-51 as they went 2-for-14 with RISP and left nine on base.

Here are the key takeaways...

- Down 1-0 in the fifth, Lindor leveled the score with one down, smacking an 0-2 fastball into the seats in left-center (400 feet, 104.8 mph off the bat) for his 13th round tripper of the season. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk, but was picked off first to end the ninth on what might have been a balk by Trevor Megill.

But his biggest moment may have come on defense in the top of the ninth.

Austin Warren was called upon for the save in a one-run game, but got himself into trouble immediately as William Contreras smacked a double to left-center for his third hit of the night and pinch-hitter Jake Bauers walked. After 10 pitches, the lead was gone as pinch-hitter Christian Yellich dropped a double into the left-field corner on a nice piece of hitting. Warren got a strikeout before interim skipper Andy Green called on lefty Jefry Yan, who got the Brewers' lefty Garrett Mitchell looking and walked Joey Ortiz to load the bases. On Yan's 13th pitch of the inning, Hamilton's liner looked destined to drive in two runs, but Lindor made a diving backhanded grab to keep the game tied and end the threat.

- Robert, who singled and bounced into a 5-4-3 twin-killing off the Brewers starter, gave the Mets their first lead of the night in the first at-bat against Milwaukee's bullpen, driving a cutter over the outside corner 390 feet to left for his 10th home run of the season to start the home half of the sixth. Robert now has four homers in his last 11 games, as he finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

- Needing nine outs and protecting a one-run lead, Nate Lavender was the first man out of the bullpen and he needed just nine pitches for a clean seventh with a strikeout and 11 pitches for a perfect eighth. Jonathan Pintaro, pitching with a speedy ghost runner at second in the 10th, kept the game tied as he blew fastballs past the first two men he saw and got a flyout to right to strand a pair and earned the win.

- Thornton, who punctuated a perfect first by blowing a heater at the top of the zone past Contreras, cruised through two innings on 21 pitches, then was strung for back-to-back singles to start the third. Thornton escaped without any damage, starting by getting the first out fielding a comebacker well and getting the out at third.

Thornton had a bit of tough luck in the fourth when a leadoff double on a ball that took a funky bounce past Bo Bichette’s glove down the third-base line, and with two outs, Luis Lara's groundball single to left scored the first run of the night for Milwaukee.

The left-hander allowed the leadoff man to get aboard in four of his six innings, but surrendered just the one run, thanks to two well-turned double plays behind him and holding the visitors to 1-for-7 with RISP. His final line in his 10th career start: seven hits and one run with four strikeouts on 89 pitches (62 strikes) to lower his ERA to 2.88.

- The Mets got the game’s first scoring chance as Bichette blopped a two-strike single to right, Carson Benge’s broken-bat flare found grass past a diving shortstop, and Robert grounded a hit to left to load the bases with one down in the first. 

But left ‘em loaded as Eric Wagaman swung through a 95 mph fastball and Jared Young, in the lineup against Brewer's left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, dribbled a slow roller to the left side.

The Mets had another chance with two down in the second when A.J. Ewing smacked a single, quickly stole his 19th base of the season, before Lindor walked. But Bichette was frozen by a fastball that painted the inside corner to strand two more runners. The home side had five hits and a walk through three innings but were held scoreless. The Mets left eight men on base and went 1-for-7 with RISP, left to rue their missed chances.

- Ewing got a chance with two men aboard and two outs in his third time up, but went down swinging on a fastball on the outside corner to end the sixth. He finished 1-for-3.

- Benge finished 3-for-4 with a walk and every one of his hits coming on balls he muscled into the outfield grass. The NL Rookie of the Year contender bumped his average to .282 with a .773 OPS and is batting .376 with a 1.022 OPS in his last 24 games.

- Bichette, who entered Tuesday's game batting .305 with an .813 OPS in 71 games since June 1, finished 1-for-5, going hitless in two chances with RISP.

- Young made a nice scoop on a low throw in the first and a fine stretch to complete a 6-4-3 double play in the sixth. But he went 0-for-4 at the plate, twice failing with RISP.

- Luis Torrens went down swinging in his first two times up before cracking a two-out single in the sixth. He finished 1-for-4 with three strikeouts.

- Marcus Semien went 0-for-3, including a strikeout swinging on an eye-high fastball.

- Brett Baty, pinch-hitting for Wagaman, doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was gunned out at the plate on a Semien groundout for the second out of the sixth.

- Wagaman finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being lifted.

Highlights

Semien ➡️ Lindor ➡️ Young for the double play! pic.twitter.com/6qEXFiqHaI

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 25, 2026

Francisco Lindor ties the game with a solo homer! pic.twitter.com/0C8ZgzC0Mq

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

Jared Young makes the stretch to complete the double play! pic.twitter.com/uvYXGsXMSU

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

"ROBERT IS ON FIRE!"

Luis Robert Jr. homers to give the Mets the lead! 💣 pic.twitter.com/hDAUzPIlJh

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

WHAT A PLAY BY FRANCISCO LINDOR! pic.twitter.com/uKdVoGXc9m

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

A scoreless 10th inning for Jonathan Pintaro 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UJp802eArX

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

METS WIN! pic.twitter.com/6f6zgHNEHh

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 26, 2026

What's next

These two sides renew their hostilities Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m.

Robert Stock (5.40 ERA, 1.680 WHIP in 16.2 innings) takes the ball for the Mets and will face off against Dustin May (4.57 ERA, 1.298 WHIP in 124 innings) for his fourth start after arriving in a deal with the Cardinals at the trade deadline.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts could see the kind of inning right-hander Tyler Glasnow had to begin his start Tuesday, plagued by soft contact and bad luck, derailing a younger version of him.

“That’s an outing that a couple years ago I think might have gotten away,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Braves, ending a six-game winning streak. “And I don’t think he would’ve been as efficient getting through the fifth like he did. But there’s just a lot of growth with Glas. Just can’t wait to see more. Like I told him after the start, it’s just really good to have him back.”

Glasnow’s return was a major step for the Dodgers as they assemble their postseason pitching staff. The next will be two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching — which could happen as soon as this weekend.

Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday or Friday, pitching coach Mark Prior said. Then Ohtani and the Dodgers will finalize next steps. But Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility of Ohtani making a short start Sunday in Detroit.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Read more:How two decades of friendship have shaped Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward

Tuesday marked Glasnow’s first start since May 6 in Houston, when back spasms cut his outing short after one inning. He’d been pitching so well to start the year (2.72 ERA in seven starts) that the Dodgers hoped he could avoid the IL, even for precautionary reasons.

Instead, he did have to go on the IL and had to halt his throwing progression multiple times for flare-ups, prolonging his time on it.

Even so, in Glasnow’s last two weeks on the IL, he seemed “at peace” to Roberts. So, the manager was confident that the growth in mindset that the Dodgers had witnessed over the last year would carry through the down time.

“I felt that he just got to a place — and I don’t know if it was last year’s postseason or what — but the game slowed down,” Roberts said. “Nothing spiked him. I think there was just a maturity in how he went about things. Coming out of the [bullpen], something he’s never done … in the postseason, and performing the way he did. And then coming into this spring training, he just seemed like another level of confident, that I just felt it was palpable.

“So that translated into the season. And I was so bummed, like we all were, to see him go down.”

The Dodgers’ rotation weathered the loss of Glasnow and Blake Snell (arthroscopic elbow surgery) admirably. And both are back in time for the stretch run.

“It felt like a long time,” Glasnow said. “I think any time you’re out that long, just doing rehab the whole time, it definitely sucks. So it’s exciting to be able to get back. But I’m glad, too, my body’s in a spot where I felt like I was before.”

His stuff followed suit.

“Even with all the talent that we have on our roster, [Glasnow] might surpass it with his raw stuff, and the ability to shut down any team at any time,” Prior said before the game. “Do we expect that to be Day 1, today, who knows? We’re facing, obviously, one of the best teams in baseball. But it’s really good to have him back because he changes a lot of things with our personnel.”

Though Glasnow gave up four hits and three runs in the first inning, only one of those hits, Drake Baldwin’s leadoff single, was hit hard. The rest were simply hit where the Dodgers’ defense couldn’t field them.

He finally escaped by striking out Braves No. 7 hitter Mike Yastrzemski, with the help of a successful ABS challenge.

In that 35-pitch first inning, Glasnow threw the kitchen sink at the Braves. But that included a lot of first-pitch four-seam fastballs — and six straight fastballs to Baldwin.

“Coming out in the second, I just felt more in rhythm,” Glasnow said, “and slider was working a lot better, and just felt a lot better.”

Glasnow leaned on that slider, making sure to throw it at different points in the count — “just trying to not be so predictable,” he said — pairing it with his four-seamer and sinker.

It took him just 13 pitches to strike out the side. He retired three straight batters in the third with roughly the same plan of attack.

In the fourth, he started mixing in his knuckle curve again, even ending the inning on that pitch and Austin Riley failed to check his swing on a curve that broke into the dirt, for strike three.

After that first inning, Glasnow gave up only two more hits. And in five innings, he recorded seven strikeouts.

“I thought all night long, he threw the ball fantastic,” Roberts said. “The stuff, the strikeouts, swing and miss, how he navigated that first inning to not let it spiral, reset. He did everything he could to prevent runs tonight.”

Glasnow left with the score tied. The bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup evened the score, with RBI singles from Alek Thomas, Hunter Feduccia and Alex Call.

Read more:Dodgers Dugout: Previewing an important series with the Braves

The score remained knotted until the eighth inning, when Dodgers left-hander Tanner Scott gave up a leadoff double to Matt Olson — the first extra-base hit of the game — and a two-out RBI single to Ozzie Albies to give the Braves the lead.

“We’ve had to lean on our ‘pen, man, the last two months really,” Roberts said. “The last two months we’ve played a lot of one-, two-run ballgames. There’s no margin. I thought we pitched well enough to win tonight. Unfortunately it just didn’t happen.”

To open the ninth inning, Ohtani struck back with a triple off the left-field wall. But the Dodgers stranded him there against Braves closer Raisel Iglesias.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Washington Nationals had plenty of puppers in attendance at Nationals Park as they welcomed the Colorado Rockies in for Game 2 in a four-game stint. It was, you see, an opportunity to celebrate the Nats mascot, Natty — which is very cool.

In keeping with the spirit of the day, fans brought their furry friends to the ballgame.

Coming off a seven-game losing streak, the Rockies were ready for the occasion as they brought their big dog, Hunter Goodman, to the park. Back off the Injured List after dealing with a shoulder issue, clearly, Goodman was ready to run as he hit a homer in the fourth to get the Rockies offense, well, howling again.

Add to that a weird score that involved interference by Brady House, the Nationals third baseman, and it was enough to give the Rockies a 3-1 win.

“It’s good to be back in the win column,” manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game.

Treats for everyone! The losing streak is over.

Hunter Goodman and the Rockies offense gnawed out a win

It was a slow start for the Rockies as Andrew Alvarez moved quickly through the first and second innings facing the minimum and on just 23 pitches.

Jordan Beck gave the Rockies their first hit in the third inning with one out, and Ryan Ritter followed that up with a walk. However, Jake McCarthy and Cole Carrigg struck out to end the threat.

Hunter Goodman had seen enough, and when he stepped to the plate to lead off the fourth, he sent the ball over the left field wall in his seventh home run in 13 games against the Nationals.

For all the Coors skeptics, in hitting his 35th home run, it was also his 20th road homer.

“It’s good to have him back in the lineup,” Schaeffer said, noting the catcher’s contributions on both sides of the plate.

TJ Rumfield followed that up with a walk, his 52nd. As Evan Lang pointed out, “Rumfield needs two more walks to pass Todd Helton’s rookie mark. There’s a solid chance he sets the Rockies’ all time rookie walk record set by Dexter Fowler at 67.” So that’s something to watch for.

Willi Castro got on base, and Connor Norby hit an RBI-double, giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead. (He was also thrown out trying to stretch that double into a triple.)

However, the Nationals would soon answer back when Daylen Lile hit his 17th homer, a single shot that made the score 2-1 Rockies and went down in the books as the first MLB home run allowed by Rockies pitcher Mason Adams (No. 17 PuRP).

In the fifth inning, Beck started things off with a single. With one out, McCarthy added a single of his own to place runners at first and second.

And then things got a little weird.

Carrigg struck out, and catcher Harry Ford lost the ball, which spurred the runners to action. As Beck was rounding third, third baseman Brady House obstructed his forward progress. This moved Beck to home plate to score the run.

That was it for Andrew Alvarez who finished the evening with 4.2 IP on 81 pitches. He allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits. Alvarez walked two and struck out six. Manager Blake Butera went to the bullpen with two out and McCarthy on third as Goodman stepped to the plate. He struck out, but the Rockies finished their half of the fifth with a 3-1 lead.

In the fifth inning, Schaeffer went to the bullpen and turned the ball over to Mark Manfredi after Adams allowed a double to start the inning. Manfredi retired the side and did not allow Jacob Young to score, even after he stole third.

It was a quiet sixth inning for the Rockies with Connor Norby managing a walk but no other action with the score still 3-1 Rockies.

Manfredi faced one batter in the sixth, Lile, who hit a single. However, Jimmy Herget entered in relief to get two outs. Hunter Goodman threw Liles out as he was attempting to steal second, and the inning was over.

The Rockies went quietly in the top of the seventh, but Jaden Hill answered back with a 1-2-3 inning to retire the Nationals.

For those keeping score at home, Rumfield walked again in the eighth — #53 — and Castro followed that with a double to move Rumfield to third with two outs. But Norby struck out to retire the side, and the score remained 3-1 Rockies.

LHP Brennan Bernadino handled the eighth for the Rockies and did not allow a run.

And then Nationals manager Blake Butera sent out old friend Jake Bird to face the Rockies in the ninth.

Bird got through Moniak and Beck before Ryan Ritter hit a single, his first hit since returning to the Rockies last week. McCarthy, though, flied out to right field to finish off the inning.

That brought in Rockies closer Jordan Romano. He managed two quick outs, but the third was a challenge. First he walked Ford. Then Butera went to Keibert Ruiz as a pinch hitter for the tying run.

After one pitch, Ruiz flew out to right.

Ballgame over.

The Rockies finished the evening with three runs (two earned) on seven hits. They had four walks and struck out 11 times.

Mason Adams howled (complimentary)

For his MLB debut, Maston Adams had a solid first inning in which he ran the gamut: a flyout, a single, a walk, and two strikeouts, one swinging and the other looking, on 19 pitches. Still, he did not give up a run, which was a promising beginning.

Take a moment to appreciate this beauty:

He had some traffic in the second, but, again, no runs scored. However, he struggled to get the third strike, and Adams’ pitch count was at 40 when the second inning concluded. As Cory Sullivan noted at the top of the third, of the batters he faced, Adams got five of them to two Ks relatively quickly, but he ultimately threw 16 pitches to get the out.

However, the third inning was stellar with Adams facing the minimum and throwing just eight pitches.

He started the fourth by giving up a one-run homer to Lile, but after that, he walked one and struck out three.

Schaeffer sent Mason out in the bottom of the fifth to face Jacob Young, who hit a double, that was it for Adams.

Adams is on a limited pitch count, so he was done early, but it was solid work for a pitcher making his MLB debut. He went 4.0 IP with one run (earned) on three hits. He walked three and struck out five on 75 pitches (with 48 for strikes). Currently, Adams has a 2.25 ERA.

In terms of pitch usage, Adams relied primarily on his four-seamer (35.1%) followed by his curveball (23%), his sinker (18%), and his sweeper (16%).

“I thought he did a great job out there. He looked really composed out there,” catcher Hunter Goodman said.

As Schaeffer noted, “He was poised for his debut. I thought he looked totally in control. He was great.”

The bullpen chewed up the rest of the outs

It was another excellent outing from the Rockies arm barn.

Mark Manfredi continues to be solid in relief. In 1.0 IP, he allowed on hit but no runs and struck out two. He threw 18 pitches, 11 for strikes.

The sixth inning went to Jimmy Herget, who also went 1.0 IP. He did not allow a hit on seven pitches, three for strikes.

It was another dominant inning for Jaden Hill: 1.0 IP with five pitches for five strikes.

Brennan Bernadino continued to be excellent and allowed one hit but no runs in the eighth inning, throwing 13 pitches, 10 for strikes.

As for Jordan Romano, he walked one but did not allow a hit or a run.

In the end Rockies pitching allowed the Nationals to get one run on five hits. They issued four walks and struck out 10. The Nationals have one of the best offenses in baseball, but thanks to Rockies pitching, not tonight.

“Quite the performance from the bullpen,” Schaeffer said.

Up next

Join us tomorrow afternoon at 4:45 pm when the Rockies will meet the Nationals for Game 3.

Tanner Gordon will face a pitcher yet to be named.

See you then.

But in the meantime, feel free to take a walk (either with or without your four-legged bestie).

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Ozzie Albies singled home Matt Olson with two outs in the eighth inning, giving the Atlanta Braves a 4-3 win over the Dodgers in Tuesday night’s series opener at Truist Park. The Dodgers got the tying run on third base with nobody out in the ninth, but couldn’t bring home the equalizer.

The run came off Tanner Scott, who allowed the leadoff double to Olson but got two infield outs before Albies singled in the go-ahead run, just the third run scored off Scott in his last 18 appearances, dating back to before the All-Star break.

We both know I’m not what you need

Shohei Ohtani tripled to the wall in left field to open the ninth with the heart of the order following. But Freddie Freeman struck out against closer Raisel Iglesias and Mookie Betts grounded out. After Max Muncy was intentionally walked, Tommy Edman harmlessly flew out to center to end the game.

It’s enough to drive you crazy if you let it

Tyler Glasnow’s first major league start in over three and a half months got off to a frustrating start with four batted balls finding grass for singles in the first five batters of the game, only one of them hard hit. That led to three runs but more importantly 35 pitches in a tiring opening frame.

Tide’s gonna turn and it’s all gonna roll your way

Glasnow immediately got things in order in the second inning, inducing seven swinging strikes in that frame alone as he struck out the side. That was part of a run of five straight strikeouts for Glasnow, who struck out seven on the night and got through five innings.

After 35 pitches in the first inning, he only needed 54 to get through the next four frames, and only allowed two singles and no runs after the first. After inducing only two swinging strikes in the opening inning, Glasnow got 13 whiffs over those final four innings. Overall, this was a good first game back for Glasnow, who didn’t walk a batter.

Here you come again

The Dodgers called up Thomas to help fill in for the loss of Andy Pages because of his superlative defense in center field. But so far, Thomas has played in all three games since getting called up from Triple-A, and he has an RBI single in all three games, including a second-inning hit that game the Dodgers’ their first run on Tuesday.

I may have just what you’re looking for

Thomas batted eighth on Tuesday, just ahead of catcher Hunter Feduccia, two players who weren’t in the organization to open the season. Batting seventh was Alex Call, making his third start in the last 29 games, having batted only twice in the team’s previous seven games.

The bottom third of the lineup drove in all three Dodgers runs, and combined for five hits in nine at-bats — what a way to make a living — plus two walks, reaching base a convenient seven times in 11 plate appearances.

Message is clear, this could be the year for the real thing

The Dodgers are a game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the top seed in the National League, with Milwaukee owning the tiebreaker. But Tuesday was the third win in four tries against the Dodgers for the Braves, who now are just three games behind Los Angeles for the two seed. The top two division winners in each league get byes into the Division Series, while the division winner with the third-best record has to play during the best-of-three wild card round.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: none

WP — Dylan Dodd (4-1): 1 up, 1 down

LP — Tanner Scott (1-4): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run

Sv — Raisel Iglesias (28): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 intentional walk, 1 strikeout

Up next

Roki Sasaki is on the mound as the Dodgers try to rebound on Wednesday (4:15 p.m. PT; SportsNet LA, MLB Network), while right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver starts for Atlanta.

Here’s the Guardians lineup:

Here’s the Angels lineup

Lets go, Guardians!

ATLANTA –– In the past, the Dodgers might have been more worried.

About how Tyler Glasnow would return from yet another injury. About whether he could rediscover his dominant form from early season. About how he would handle the latest physical setback in a career that has been full of them.

“Things that were really out of his control got to him more than they should have,” manager Dave Roberts said of the old Glasnow, the one who could never seem to consistently live up to his potential.

Now, however, Roberts and the Dodgers have developed renewed faith in their former $136.5 million signing –– a belief that was put to the test immediately in his return from the injured list on Tuesday night.

After missing the last 3 ½ months with a back spasms problem that lingered far longer than initially expected, Glasnow was dealt early adversity in his comeback start against the Atlanta Braves, getting BABIP’d to death with four softly-hit singles in a three-run first inning.

It was the kind of sequence that, in the past, might have sent Glasnow spiraling.

“That’s an outing that a couple years ago, I think might have gotten away,” Roberts said.

This time, though, the newly-turned 33-year-old settled down, found a groove and didn’t allow any further damage over a five-inning, seven-strikeout outing.

It helped the Dodgers get back in the game, on RBI singles from Alek Thomas, Hunter Feduccia and Alex Call, before a late run against Tanner Scott and wasted leadoff triple from Shohei Ohtani in the ninth ultimately doomed them in a 4-3 loss at Truist Park.

“I just think that he’s come of age,” Roberts said of Glasnow. “He’s kind of coming into his own right now.”

Roberts has felt that way since last October, when Glasnow overcame another long-term injury (shoulder inflammation that cost him almost three months) to play a leading role on their postseason pitching staff.

During the World Series run, Glasnow had a 1.69 ERA in six outings. He came out of the bullpen three times, including for a save in Game 6 of the World Series. He maintained a level of consistency that had too often eluded him over his decade-long big-league career –– one in which he has never made more than 22 starts in a regular season (and even that was in 2024, when he missed the playoffs because of an elbow problem).

“The game slowed down [for him],” Roberts said. “Nothing spiked him. I think there was just a maturity in how he went about things. Coming out of the pen, something he’s never done really, certainly in the postseason, and performing the way he did. And then coming into this spring training, he just seemed like another level of confident that I just felt it was palpable.”

That indeed showed during the opening month of this season, when Glasnow went 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA in his first six starts.

He spoke repeatedly then of the comfort level he had with his delivery. 

He had hoped it was priming him for a potentially career-best year.

Instead, another campaign was quickly sidetracked again, after Glasnow left a May 6 start in Houston when his back started spasming.

The injury wasn’t believed to be serious at first. Glasnow even voiced optimism of being able to avoid the injured list altogether.

But when his discomfort lingered, the Dodgers opted for a conservative recovery process. Glasnow didn’t resume a throwing program until midway through the summer. He only went on a minor-league rehab assignment at the start of this month.

“It felt like a long time,” Glasnow said. “I think anytime you’re out that long, just doing rehab the whole time, it definitely sucks.”

Then again, all that really matters for the Dodgers is having Glasnow at full strength for the postseason –– when he could either be a traditional starter, or provide a swing option out of the bullpen again if the rest of the team’s rotation (including Shohei Ohtani, who is a “possibility” to start on Sunday, per Roberts) enters October fully healthy.

And after he impressed on his rehab stint, which was punctuated with eight- and nine-strikeout performances with triple-A Oklahoma City the last two weeks, he rejoined the Dodgers bristling with his early-season confidence.

“It all feels feels the same,” Glasnow said of his delivery. “Feel healthy and feel strong.”

“I was so bummed, like we all were, to see him go down,” Roberts added pregame. “But even in the last couple weeks, seeing him coming into today’s start, he just seemed at peace.”

Tuesday didn’t begin easily, with Glasnow needing 35 pitches to get through his three-run first inning.

After that, however, he showcased his improved mentality.

He struck out the side in the second. He retired nine in a row before stranding singles in the fourth and fifth. And while a limited pitch count forced an early hook from Roberts, he gave himself something to build on entering the stretch run of the season.

“There’s just a lot of growth with Glas. Just can’t wait to see more,” Roberts said. “Like I told him after the start, it’s just really good to have him back.”

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The Mariners look to make it back-to-back wins and back-to-back series wins.

After getting smacked around by the Cubs on Sunday, the Mariners smacked around the Phillies on Monday night. Cal Raleigh hit three home runs, and Julio and Cole Young each got one as well. It was a lot of fun, which was much needed after the last… five months or so. They’ll look to keep it going.

George Kirby gets the ball. He’s hoping to bounce back from a pair of true clunkers his last turns out. I’ve written so many times that it’s been a weird season for Kirby, but that’s a lot different from “it’s been a bad season,” because even though that’s been true at times, he’s turned in several excellent performances. The Mariners will certainly hope that’s the case today.

Facing him will be Austin Nola’s brother, Aaron. “It’s been a bad season” does largely apply here, for the second year in a row. He’s still a former ace — and not just in the way people say “ace” to mean good — so the Mariners will have to show up, as they say. But for a lineup looking to stay hot, the guy with -32 run value allowed on the fastball (which appears to be pretty close to a record in the Statcast era) figures to be as a good a choice as any for a tee.

And hey, they’ll have some extra help today. The Mariners activated J.P. Crawford from the injured list today, who’s been out since July 30 with wrist inflammation. He slots back into the lineup at third base, with Brock Rodden sticking at shortstop.

Lineups

Game Info:

First Pitch: 6:40 p.m.

TV: Mariners.TV

Radio: Ol’ Reliable

Pitcher Tyler Glasnow made his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking the mound for the back-to-back World Series champions on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

He was activated Tuesday after dealing with back spasms since May.

“I like where he is at; he had a good rehab and threw the ball really well,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told SportsNet LA before the road game against the Atlanta Braves. “Seeing him get into the sixth inning is our goal. Our bullpen is in a good spot, and I know Tyler’s anxious to get back.”

Glasnow allowed five hits and three earned runs while striking out seven in five innings pitched.

He quickly got reacquainted with the big-league setting, allowing three runs in the first inning. He settled in, though, and left the game with the score tied at 3.

Glasnow made four rehab appearances, including his last with the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets. The right-handed pitcher allowed one hit, one earned run and a walk while striking out nine in 5.1 innings that game.

Tyler Glasnow stats vs. Braves

• Innings: 5
• Hits: 6
• Runs: 3
• Earned runs: 3
• Walks: 0
• Strikeouts: 7
• Home runs: 0
• Pitches: 89 (55 strikes)

Tyler Glasnow's impact for Dodgers

Glasnow will help bolster a star-studded pitching rotation that includes Blake Snell, Tarik Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The pitching core will try to lead the organization to a third straight World Series title.

Glasnow did not have an opportunity to participate in the 2024 World Series run due to right elbow tendinitis, but he played a vital role in winning the title in 2025.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did Tyler Glasnow do in return? Dodgers vs. Braves box score

The last time Clarke Schmidt was on the Yankee Stadium mound before Tuesday, he cut his live session short because of forearm cramping.

Three weeks later, he got through an 18-pitch live session feeling good, with a rehab assignment up next if he recovers well in the coming days.

At a time when the Yankees have taken some hits in their pitching department with injuries to Max Fried and Ryan Weathers, Schmidt’s potential return — albeit in a bullpen role — from Tommy John surgery looms large if he can make it to the finish line without any setbacks.

“I think he could really help us,” manager Aaron Boone said Tuesday. “Obviously he’s been a really good starter in this league. He’s not going to get back to that this year, but to get him, when he’s on his game, he’s got a lot of weapons that could really land him a role down there, whether it’s an inning, a couple innings, whatever it may be.”

There will be a delicate balance ahead for Schmidt, whose rehab assignment will likely be more about shortening the period between his outings than building up his pitch count.

He is coming off major elbow surgery, so there will still be guardrails in how the Yankees use him.

But he is also coming back to a playoff race, so there will not be much margin for error as he tries to settle back in on the fly.

“There’s a little bit of training wheels at first, but I’m coming in in big situations right here, in a pennant race, so I understand that,” Schmidt said. “I kind of embrace that pressure of, ‘Hey, there’s expectation. I know you’re coming off of surgery, but we got to get outs here.’ I’m trying to get outs, trying to compete and be competitive and be a guy they can rely on.

“You see it’s working for Gerrit [Cole], and he puts his pants on just like I do.”

Pitching coach Matt Blake indicated that at some point, the Yankees will need to see Schmidt pitch with only one day between outings.

“Having an extra body in September helps to provide some flexibility, but it’s hard to protect one-inning guys like that,” Blake said. “I think we want to feel comfortable with him managing the up-downs and pitch-off-pitch. But the stuff looked good today.”

Fried’s stay on the 15-day injured list might actually end up being just the minimum.

The lefty, again dealing with a left elbow bone bruise, threw four innings and 60 pitches of live batting practice Monday, putting him in play to possibly be activated Saturday — the first day he is eligible — for one of the doubleheader games against the Red Sox.

“Potentially,” Boone said. “But we’ll see where we are as these next couple days unfold.”

In the meantime, Elmer Rodríguez had a locker in the clubhouse Tuesday and could be part of Wednesday’s pitching plan in some form — as a starter or bulk reliever — depending on how the first game of the series against the Astros went.

In a move that could have been made at any time over the past two months without much repercussion, the Yankees transferred Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list Tuesday to make room for reliever Justin Topa on the 40-man roster.

The procedural move comes roughly two months after Stanton eclipsed 60 days on the injured list, dealing with two strains in his right calf and now one in his left.