HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 21: Alperen Sengun #28 & Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets smile before the game against the Miami Heat on March 21, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country.
Last week, Holly posted the ESPN predictions for the upcoming NBA season. In it, ESPN predicts the Rockets for 51 wins ands tied for third in the NBA’s Western Conference. If given the option, are you taking the over, under or is ESPN right on the money?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results!
AUBURN HILLS, MI - 1990: Larry Bird #33 of the Boston Celtics looks to pass during a game circa 1990 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1990 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
People who never saw great athletes play frequently can’t believe the claims about them. We’ve seen this recently with some who doubt that Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single NBA game, apparently because there’s no video. In 1962, though, not only was the NBA not on TV a lot, TV cameras looked like this (he did score 100, by the way, as his teammate, Al Attles, attested).
More recently, there is a bizarre theory that Babe Ruth didn’t actually exist because, again, there’s not much video. Well, of course there wasn’t much video in the 1920s.
This is what those sorts of cameras looked like about 100 or so years ago. You had to advance the film manually, there was a lot of technical expertise involved, the film wasn’t necessarily cheap, and you also had to have a certain level of expertise to develop it.
And of course you had to get lucky to an extent because it’s not like they filmed every minute of every game.
Which brings us to a more recent misunderstanding: could Larry Bird play in today’s game?
Which is a really dumb question.
The argument is that Bird was too slow and too unathletic to play in today’s game, which is just foolish. People had the same concerns when he came into the league in 1979. There were plenty of freak athletes in the NBA in the 1980s – Clyde Drexler, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan, to name a few. All of those guys have talked about what a nightmare it was to play against Bird.
Beyond that, though, today, Luka Doncic and Kon Knueppel are slow, unathletic players, and they’re thriving.
Also, in the 1980s, guys like Bill Laimbeer and Charles Oakley made their living essentially mugging opponents. In today’s game, you can’t do that.
But that’s not the main reason Bird would thrive.
It’s true that he wasn’t fast or athletic by the normal definition of those things, but his hands and his mind were extraordinary.
He made decisions incredibly quickly and ruthlessly, and he moved the ball like no one else has ever done.
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 30: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees high fives teammates during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on August 30, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Ian Browne: Sunday’s blowout win over the Red Sox came with some minor controversies, but one of them was generated by a broadcast booth. Red Sox radio play-by-play commentator Will Flemming became irate with Jazz Chisholm Jr. stealing a pair of bases in the eighth inning with the Yankees up 7-1 at the time, calling first for Boston’s pitcher to drill Austin Wells (who was at the plate at the time) before turning his temper to Jazz as he walked over to home plate after Wells hit a home run and saying that the pitcher should start a fight with the Yankee second baseman. The Rivalry can certainly cause a flare of emotions from time to time, even if nowhere close to as often as the 2000s teams did, but Flemming truly crossed a line when he called Chisholm a “bush league player” for stealing those bases and adding that he “didn’t play the game the right way,” invoking the type of commentary that less than stellar folks tend to direct at Chisholm over a decision to swipe some bags in a game that was still very much up for grabs.
Aaron Boone, when asked about the incident on Monday, added that he was the one who told Chisholm to go for the steals since the Sox weren’t holding him at first and he wanted to rule out needing David Bednar in that game, even yelling at the Sox’ dugout that he would let Chisholm loose if they didn’t care to hold him. Boone also added that Flemming reached out to apologize about the incident, though he didn’t give that apology to Jazz. Chisholm, to his credit, took it in stride saying he didn’t care about an apology as he didn’t know who Flemming was until he was told about it Monday morning, and he’d forget about him soon after.
NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankees are keeping a watchful eye on Shoki Oda, an 18-year-old Japanese pitching prospect turning lots of heads as he weighs a decision to declare for the Nippon Professional Baseball draft or become an international free agent. The NPB draft is on October 22nd, effectively serving as Oda’s deadline, but if he chooses to go stateside teams wouldn’t be able to sign him until January 15, 2027. That pushes him into the 2027 signing class as opposed to the 2026 period, the latter of which the Yankees still have a rare pile of money to spend after previous agreements they made under international scouting director Donny Rowland fell through after he was let go by the organization. The Yankees are one of many teams highly interested in Oda, but they’re also showing a renewed effort in making connections with the Japanese market — an area they’ve been largely absent from since signing Masahiro Tanaka way back in 2014.
NJ.com | Bob Klapisch: Heliot Ramos didn’t get off to the most impressive start in his Yankees tenure, hitting 2-for-32 in his first 13 games in pinstripes. He’s turned it on of late though, encapsulated by his three-run homer on Sunday to break open the scoring in what became a rout, and having Ramos contributing goes a long way towards making the Yankee lineup a more balanced threat. Ramos was the right-handed addition to the offense at the deadline, and being able to slot him in around Aaron Judge once the captain returns will go a long way to building the deepest threat they have for October.
NY Post | Greg Joyce: In case you missed it, the Yankees continued their roulette spinning in the relief market by picking up John Schreiber off of waivers from Kansas City. Schreiber has been a solid enough reliever this year, owning a 3.65 ERA in 55 games, but his numbers come with a very obvious split: right-handed hitters have a .414 OPS against him while lefties have crushed him for a 1.024 OPS. He’ll get a chance to pick up innings against righty-dominant stretches of opposing lineups and carve out a niche for himself with the potential to earn a postseason roster spot if he succeeds, but the biggest impact he could carry is simply lightening the load a little bit from the Yankees’ top three arms in David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick.
When Stephen Curry signs another contract with the Warriors, as he surely intends to, the significance of that moment will extend far beyond continuing his journey with the Bay Area’s NBA team.
Whether that signature becomes official this month or in October or in February 2027, it’ll reaffirm Curry’s commitment to the Bay Area, to people he’ll never know and to causes local and global for which he has no mandatory obligation.
Curry’s multigenerational wealth – he has earned nearly $500 million in basketball salary alone – has allowed him and his wife, Ayesha, to build programs that bless people with food, books, toiletries, computers, playgrounds and more. Underrated Golf is paving a path for broader inclusion in one of the world’s most exclusive institutions. With Unanimous Media, he and his partners are creating content that might otherwise not be supported elsewhere.
Why?
Because it’s Curry’s mission. He’s not the next Muhammad Ali, but he was a deserving winner in July of the Sports Humanitarian award named after The Greatest. He was among thousands walking the streets of Oakland in protest in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. Curry’s benevolence stems from his faith-based disposition and innate desire to drive societal progress.
“It’s such a grounding aspect of my life because it allows me to make sense of all this in a way that wouldn’t necessarily otherwise could,” Curry said of his faith Sunday at the University of San Francisco. “I don’t understand why I’m on the stage. I love to play basketball. I was blessed with a gift from an early age, and I love to do it. And the doors that have been opened, there has to be some reason, some outcome that is beyond my imagination. I’m walking in that purpose.
“And that’s been a huge part of being able to connect with people, to see God in each one of us. I think the idea of being passionate about who you are, what makes you different, and leaning into that is . . . you’ve got to live an authentic life. And just the idea of there has to be something bigger than myself because none of this really makes any sense.”
Curry was among those sharing the stage at USF’s Sobrato Center for a screening and panel discussion of an upcoming Netflix documentary, “The Baddest Speechwriter of All.” The film chronicles the life of Clarence B. Jones, a soldier on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement and a confidant and advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King.
Curry’s involvement began in January 2025 when Jones visited the Warriors at Chase Center. Jones, who passed away in May at age 95, was honored as an “Impact Warrior” for a lifelong quest for racial and social equality that included eight years writing speeches and providing legal counsel for Dr. King.
Jones had asked to meet Curry, and the two spent enough private time that a friendship was born. They found they were in many ways kindred spirits.
“There’s a big point in the film about choosing your teammates, and I asked Dr. Clarence Jones about that,” Curry said. “About him and Dr. King’s team chemistry, if you will. On the surface, (he said) they couldn’t be further apart. He didn’t know that they would have that gel and that bond.
“But everything that you do great in the world, you do with a team. Finding that team is as important as anything. Being able to find it with these people on the stage right here, Ben (Proudfoot) and EP (Erick Payton), the entire Jones family, I want to thank you all for allowing us to be able to be a part of this.”
The team behind the documentary includes Curry, making his debut as a director, and Academy Award-winning co-director Proudfoot, for Breakwater Studios, and Payton, the CEO of Unanimous Media, who co-founded the company with Curry in 2018. Proudfoot and Payton flanked Curry at the Sobrato Center.
Unanimous Media represents an expansion of Curry’s zeal to educate, to give people tools of growth. It’s a step beyond the “Eat. Learn. Play.” foundation Stephen and Ayesha started a few months later – a few years after the couple was quietly serving Oakland and the Bay Area community.
There was a time when Warriors coach Steve Kerr wondered if Curry, by loaning his time and contributing money to so many people and causes, was spreading himself too thin. That was early in the 2015-16 NBA season.
“Then I saw how much it meant to him,” Kerr, sitting at an outdoor table at the team’s former practice facility in Oakland, told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He needs to do these things. It’s part of who he is. It brings him joy, and I’m not about to take that away – especially since it hasn’t hurt how he plays.”
The Warriors won an NBA-record 73 games that season. Curry was the MVP, the first – and only – to win the award by unanimous vote.
Almost 11 years later, Curry only has added to his off-court repertoire. His fuel is basketball, but it allows him to reach the places essential to make a difference beyond the game. To go places he never dreamed of and touch people in ways he barely could imagine.
“I didn’t create this,” Curry said. “But I’m walking in the direction that was made for me.”
Still making my way through the Atlantic Division as I explore the world of basketball around us. I feel like LeVar Burton doing Reading Rainbow, except instead of riveting children’s stories, I’m learning about why nobody has won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors last did it between 2017 and 2018. One of those teams that had an opportunity and squandered it is the Boston Celtics, who won in 2024 and then suddenly have a roster that looks markedly different than that squad.
Golden State and Boston played twice last season with Boston winning both. Jaylen Brown had a triple-double in one and dropped 32 in the other. Brown was the one lighting the match both times, much to Golden State’s chagrin. But it makes sense as Brown was Finals MVP two years ago and finished sixth in MVP voting last season. He’s 29 and in his prime, and led the Celtics after his running mate Jayson Tatum got injured.
So naturally, Boston’s offseason move was to trade him. And Boston sent him to their division rivals in Philadelphia for Paul George and four draft picks: two firsts, two seconds. FASCINATING. I mean I love Playoff P’s game as much as the next guy, but I did NOT see that trade coming.
Celtics owner Bill Chisholm admits he needed to be convinced to trade Jaylen Brown
“I needed to be convinced. I definitely have a level of trust in Brad Stevens and his team… But as a fan, that was tough"
So what’s the roster now? Jayson Tatum, still working his way back from the Achilles tear that cost him the first 62 games of last season. PG13, on an expensive deal, with health a real question at this point in his career. They’ve got Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta manning the paint, with the timeless wonder Mike Conley running point at 38 years old.
But I wonder if that means the Celtics didn’t just trade Jaylen Brown; did they trade title contention this year too? What does Boston know about Jaylen Brown that the rest of us don’t?
Brown and Tatum won a title together and Brown’s the healthier player as of late. Unless Brown is constantly acting like the smartest guy in the room (lol) every clue in my mind keeps coming back to money. Reading between the lines, this feels less like Boston souring on Brown as a player and more like Boston deciding it couldn’t afford him at the same time as Tatum and everything else on the books.
If that’s the real answer, it’s a lot less interesting than “we don’t believe in him anymore,” and honestly worse for the rest of the league, because it means the sixth-place MVP finisher is walking around for the price of an expiring vet and picks purely because of the way the new cap rules bite. I defer to an SB Nation article by Ricky O’Donnell to shed some light on this topic:
The simple version for why the Celtics traded Brown is because he’s a good player, but a bad asset. He’s owed $180 million over the next three years, and the Celtics decided their team wasn’t good enough right now with him on that deal to win a championship. Why did the Celtics trade Brown? I don’t think it’s because he believes he’s the smartest guy in the room, or because they couldn’t repair the relationship. It’s more because Brown finished with a -1.6 RAPM last season. By time decay RAPM, Brown ranks No. 270 in the league.
Regardless of where you fall on the Jaylen Brown debate, it is pretty remarkable that the Boston Celtics were better with him off the court than on the court over his entire 10-year tenure with the team pic.twitter.com/J2dUkBU8vr
Well if his RAPM was so bad why did Boston just throw him a farewell block party?! We’re talking ten thousand people on Boston Common and a key to the city. Did you see that street sign that says “Jaylen Brown Way”? They traded him in July but they named a street after him in August. Boston, pick a lane!!
He’ll walk back into that building wearing a Sixers jersey this season. Good luck figuring out whether that crowd is supposed to cheer, cry, or boo. So thanks, Boston. You finally found a way to stop Jaylen Brown from kicking the Warriors’ (regular season) ass in a Celtics jersey.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 14: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz poses for a portrait during the 2026 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on July 14, 2026 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In the spirit of Bill Simmons and his NBA trade-value rankings, I wanted to rank the Utah Jazz players by how valuable they are as prospects.
Just like with Bill Simmons’ trade value rankings, this isn’t ranking players from best to worst (even though that is a consideration) but rather a list of who is the “most untradable” based on multiple factors. From Bill Simmons, here are the considerations:
Rule no. 1: Salaries matter (more than ever in the Apron Era, by the way).
Rule no. 2: Age matters.
Rule no. 3: Contract length matters.
Rule no. 4: Happiness matters; so does durability.
Rule no. 5: Bizarre real-life trades SHOULD affect the list.
Rule no. 6: Concentrate on degrees.
Basically, you can sum this up as the likelihood that the Jazz will trade this player. With that out of the way, let’s get started.
10. Josh Green | 26’ $14.6m | Age 26 | Drafted 18th overall
With a list of players ranked by how untradable they are, the first on the list has to be the guy who was signed because of how tradeable his contract is.
That said, Green does bring a lot to the table as a role player. He has good size at 6’6” and shoots 42% from three. He’s not all-defense, but he’s a positive defender. Considering all of that, and that he’s still just 26, he has a chance to make himself much more untradeable. Although, in a weird way, him playing well makes him more tradeable? Look, it’s a weird paradox here, and I don’t know the witchcraft that can help him. But let’s just say Green playing well helps the Jazz in a variety of ways, whether it’s winning games or helping Utah make a big trade come trade deadline.
If this were a player ranking list, Svi Mykhailiuk would be higher. His shooting is consistently great, and he brings a fearlessness backed up by real production. His contract is also incredibly affordable. You could argue the value you get for the cost makes him one of the best values in the league.
The defense is the biggest liability here. If he was more impactful on that end, he’d be even more untradable. Ironically, if Svi wasn’t so low in salary, he’d be more tradable. His $3M+ contract is difficult to move because it’s hard to find a salary match for Svi with comparable winning production. Unless Svi is added to a multi-player trade, it’s not likely to see him be moved.
This is a tough one. Collier would typically be higher in the rankings because of his age and lower salary. The issue is that Collier hasn’t proven he can shoot the three consistently, or that he can impact the game in a winning way. Dunks and threes has him as a negative on the offensive and defensive end with a -3.6 overall EPM. What does that mean? He’s the #553 ranked player in the league.
Alllllll that said, Collier is in the 98th percentile in assist rate. He’s also just 22 and is still in the “potential” zone as a player. He’s tantalizing enough now that there may be a team interested in that potential. The best case for Utah is if he can improve while on the Jazz and can become the third guard in the Jazz rotation.
Okogie was a nice addition to the Jazz this offseason with the sole purpose of improving Utah’s defensive intensity. Okogie has also shot 38% from three last season. If he keeps up that production, it makes him incredibly valuable. Like Mykhailiuk, Okogie’s contract isn’t big at $6M, so he’s probably only going to be in a multi-team deal if that happened.
But Utah isn’t as interested in moving this contract unless they have to. Okogie is the perfect type of role player for the Jazz.
This was not on purpose, but I like that Brice Sensabaugh comes in at #6 on this list because he has the potential to be a fantastic 6th man in the league. Sensabaugh has got to work on his consistency, but on some nights you’ll see Sensabaugh play and he’ll look like one of the best shooters in the league.
Sensabaugh is a career 38% shooter and shoots 45% from the field. He’s also not just a catch-and-shoot player, he can handle the ball and score in the mid-range. He’s the type of player that can get you 30 on any given night. That type of scoring punch is really valuable off the bench, and the more that Sensabaugh develops alongside Keyonte George and Darryn Peterson, the more likely he is to be a valuable contributor.
Here’s where things get interesting. Markkanen is one of the more proven players on the Jazz with his three-point shooting, his transition play, his cutting, and his improved mid-range post game. The Jazz have had him as the cornerstone player during the entire tank and now come out of it with Markkanen proving to be a complementary star rather than the focal point of a winning team. And when I say complementary player, that’s not a slight. Markkanen, when he’s playing well, is one of the best off-ball players in the league on the offensive end.
The issue with Markkanen is that he makes a LOT of money for a complementary player. For a team that is not interested in winning, that’s not an issue. When you’re playing to win, that salary can get scary. If Darryn Peterson and Keyonte George look like a star duo next year, Markkanen looks more expendable. If Ace Bailey takes off, it might be only a matter of time before a move happens.
4. Jaren Jackson Jr. | 26’ $49M, 27’ $50M, 28’ $52M, 29’ $53M | Age: 27 | Drafted 4th overall
Jaren Jackson Jr. was easily the biggest surprise from last season. In a year where fans expected to be losing games to get the best player possible in the draft, the last thing they expected was to trade for a former All-Star and DPOY.
Utah’s biggest need this upcoming season is more defense. Jackson’s two-way ability is exactly what Utah needed, as well as some proven star power and veteran leadership on the floor. Jackson is arguably the best player on the Jazz, and Utah was able to get him for three picks, which shows just how valuable he is. But that does mean he’s tradable. Jackson is in the middle of his prime on a max contract, and Utah is hoping he can find his DPOY form this year. If he does, it takes Utah to another level. If he doesn’t and isn’t living up to his contract? We might start seeing some trade rumors. That seems extremely unlikely. Utah has the firepower to allow Jackson to focus on what he does best and doesn’t have to be the focal point of the offense. That would put Jackson into the complementary player category. Utah can only have so many complementary players on the roster making max money. At some point, Utah will likely have to choose between Jackson and Markkanen.
No one on the Jazz rocketed up in the rankings more last season than Keyonte George. He was a frontrunner for Most Improved Player last season, thanks to his incredible leap in production. He had a legitimate shot until he was pulled so Utah could tank for Peterson. That potential he showed, along with his age and cheap contract, makes him extremely unlikely to be traded.
There’s also more to George’s game than just production. He’s looked like a real leader for the Jazz on and off the court and has been a big part of the Jazz in Utah’s offseason workouts. George is completely bought into Utah and is poised to get a big contract this season. Depending on that contract, he may rise and fall on this list. If he has an all-star season and meshes well with Darryn Peterson, he becomes invaluable to the future of the Jazz and becomes almost untradeable.
Before Utah had the luckiest night in team history, Ace Bailey was the potential savior of the franchise. Even with Darryn Peterson on the team, Ace Bailey is the player that could swing everything for Utah towards a championship. At 6’8” with his athelticism, defensive potential, and scoring, he’s got as much a chance as anyone to be a true star in the league. His rookie season wasn’t Rookie of the Year caliber, but he did show enough signs that he could become something special.
This is a big year for Bailey, and he needs to show improvement. If he does, he’s probably as untouchable as Peterson. Wings with his talent and size are impossible to get outside of the draft, and there’s almost zero chance Utah would take a call with someone asking for Bailey.
This was a difficult list to think through, but this was the easiest of all the choices. The list of players the Jazz would consider in a trade for Peterson right now is extremely small. It may only be one and rhyme with … Memben…pama?
Peterson has the talent and upside to be one of the literal best players in the league. His skill level is the type that just needs refining rather than developing. He should destroy opposing defenses this upcoming season, and it’s scary to think of how good he can become when he improves his decision-making and acclimates to the grind of the league.
Utah has some tough decisions ahead with other contracts, but building the team around Peterson is one of the easiest they’ll ever make.
Inglewood, CA - April 15: Forward Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers fights for the ball against forward Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors and forward Gui Santos, right, of the Golden State Warriors in the first half of a NBA play-in tournament basketball game at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
I’ve been hanging out in the Western Conference doing my division by division analysis, until my phone started blowing up from my college buddies in the Eastern time zone. They wanna hear what the Gold Blooded King is seeing with their teams too apparently. Ask, and you shall receive my friends!
But where to start? I’ll tell you where, the storied Atlantic division. Why you ask? Wellp, that’s where the Toronto Raptors play. And that’s the team Kawhi Leonard is trying to escape to after Draymond Green’s Warriors banished his Clippers out of the play-in tournament and into the off-season. And if he gets there legally or illegally, it doesn’t matter!
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Clippers-Toronto Raptors trade centered on Kawhi Leonard will not be finalized until the NBA investigation into the Clippers is complete, per @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/hYB2w5S1Na
Golden State did not handle Toronto well last season. The Raptors swept the season series 2-0, and imposed their length, athleticism and physicality on the Dubs. If there was ever a time the Warriors fans would wish for James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga picks to have panned out, it was these games where the Warriors just had no answer for the swarming, bouncy style of play Toronto has. They averaged 140+ points on Golden State last year…that’s insane!
Toronto went 46-36, third in the Atlantic, and lost in the first round to Cleveland in seven games. Then the front office looked at a team that finished 5th in the league in defense and 15th on offense and decided the fix wasn’t patience. Rather, it’s THE KLAW. They decided to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick and draft capital out the door to the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard, come on back to the North!
And Toronto didn’t really have to rip the foundation out to get him. Ingram was probably the worst defensive starter they ran out there. Not that he’s a slouch so to speak, but that’s just how good that Raptors squad is on that side of the ball. So if this trade goes through…they are basically just trading their worst defensive starter for Kawhi Leonard???
Think about how many times last season the Raptors offense boiled down to a late shot clock shot for Brandon Ingram.
Kawhi was top 10 in FG% on shots in the last 4 seconds of the clock last season. https://t.co/a2qNYgNdh4
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) July 4, 2026
Kawhi isn’t walking into some tired roster squeezing out one last run either. They’ve got a great mix of youth and vets with playoff experience. RJ Barrett is 26, former Warrior prospect Trayce Jackson-Davis is also 26, and then you’ve got that monster Scottie Barnes at 25. Immanuel Quickley is back and reportedly healthy after missing the whole postseason and he’s only 27. Their oldest player is Kyle “SloMo” Anderson at 32! This team is primed for a run.
The one thing standing in the way is the league itself. The Clippers are still under investigation for alleged cap circumvention in how this deal got structured. If the NBA unwinds it, Brandon Ingram has to walk back into Raptors training camp next month after everybody already watched Toronto trade him away. Toronto’s operating like the trade sticks.
Everyone is talking about Year 6 Scottie, but Immanuel Quickley running the offense with a full offseason of health is what unlocks this entire roster.
And look Dub Nation, I know none of us wants to hear “Kawhi Leonard” and “Toronto Raptors” in the same sentence again. The last time that combination showed up in June, it ended with a title and the Finals we don’t talk about at family dinners. KD’s Achilles, Klay’s ACL, Oracle’s last game, and a banner in Toronto. All bad for the Bay.
I hope this trade sticks so the Dubs can get some measure of vengeance.
Have you ever heard the saying, “I don’t have to be faster than the bear; I just have to be faster than you?”
Because that’s kind of what this is for Devon Levi.
Levi doesn’t have to prove he’s better than Frederik Andersen. He has to prove he’s better than Tristan Jarry, and he’ll have however long Andersen is out to do it. When Andersen returns, the Edmonton Oilers will have three goalies and only two positions available. At some point, somebody will have to go.
This is Levi’s chance. It might be the best chance he’s ever had in his NHL career.
Andersen is expected to miss training camp after suffering an injury during an offseason training session, and the Oilers haven’t given a timeline for his return. That leaves Jarry and Levi as Edmonton’s two healthy NHL goalies entering camp and, presumably, the regular season.
Levi was buried so deep in the Buffalo Sabres prospect pool that he never really got looked at the way he could have elsewhere. He entered the NHL as one of the Sabres’ top prospects and played seven games immediately after leaving Northeastern University in 2023, then started 21 games as a rookie the following season. Buffalo kept adding goalies around him, including Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, which started a series of events that led Levi to spend much of his time in Rochester.
Levi has appeared in 39 NHL games over three seasons and has a 17-17-2 record with an .894 save percentage. Those numbers don't establish him as an NHL goalie, and his time in Buffalo never established that either. He has spent much of his professional career moving between leagues while trying to get enough NHL starts to show where he belongs.
Edmonton can give him those starts now.
Jarry enters camp with the inside track because of his experience and contract, though his standing with Oilers fans isn't particularly strong after last season. He has been around the NHL for years, has been an All-Star and has handled a starter's workload before. His recent seasons have also included enough poor stretches that fans are not unreasonable for not trusting him.
Once Andersson gets healthy, Mike Babcock and his staff will have seen who should back him up between Levi and Jarry.
Edmonton has no reason to run Jarry through every preseason game while Andersen is unavailable, and Levi needs to spend time in the NHL at this point in his career. He's 24 years old now. Another season spent waiting for occasional opportunities won't do him much.
Jarry will have the same opportunity, of course, but his job isn't protected simply because he enters camp having been in the NHL longer.
Now, there are fans out fans wondering "what about Connor Ungar."
Ungar has gotten a lot of attention after his first professional season in the AHL, but he still needs time. Goaltending development rarely benefits from skipping steps, and another season in the AHL gives Ungar more needed time to develop before he makes that next step.
There is no reason to push him into the NHL in September, especially when Levi is already there.
He's played in the NHL before, albeit for fewer games than Jarry, and has reached the point where Edmonton needs to find out whether he can be an NHL goaltender. Buffalo never gave him a long runway to answer that question, and his path kept getting crowded by other goalies.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - AUGUST 31: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks greets Dave McKay #36 in the dugout before the MLB game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field on August 31, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Record: 73-66. Pace: 85-77. Change on 2025: +5.
The Diamondbacks won the series against the Phillies on the East coast, but all three games there were decided by one run. Tonight’s game at Chase Field was just as close, neither side exactly taking advantage of their scoring opportunities. Arizona and Philadelphia combined to go 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. But it was the “1” which proved the difference maker, Bryce Harper’s RBI double off the outfield wall turning out to be enough. It gave D-backs’ pitcher Brandon Pfaadt his first loss since April 11th, ending his streak of unbeaten starts at ten, though it was definitely a tough loss.
Of course, the major storyline tonight was the return of Ketel Marte to the Diamondbacks’ line-up. It came after ten days on the Injured List for a knee issue, and a few more on the Restricted List after he failed to show up at Fenway Park for a game. How would he be greeted by the fans at Chase? Listening at home, it seemed a genuinely mixed greeting, but reporting from the ballpark, Jack said, “Many more booing than cheering, booers were louder, and booed again as he grounded out.” However, the reception for his subsequent at-bats seemed to be kinder. Maybe it’s like family: you can’t stay angry at them forever. You still have to live with them, after all.
In the end, Marte went 1-for-3 with a walk (we’ll cycle back to that later). Hopefully, this entire situation is something the team can now put behind them for now, and just concentrate on the battle for a wild-card spot. Regardless of what does (or does not) happen in the off-season, the month of September is something which deserves absolute focus and commitment from everyone on the roster the rest of the way. Hopefully, it shouldn’t be too hard for everyone to pull in the same direction over the remaining games. Except in the absence of a relapse, I’m inclined to draw a line under everything for the balance of this season. So, moving on…
After a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the first, the Phillies took the lead with one out in the second. It came on an absolute monster shot by Bryson Stott off Pfaadt, estimated at 464 feet. That’s the second-longest hit at Chase Field this year, trailing only a ringworm-powered one which went one foot longer. It was also the third-longest allowed by Pfaadt at Chase, the record belonging to a 472 footer by Oneil Cruz. In case you’re wondering, in the Statcast era, the record is a Franchy Cordero blast in 2018 off Matt Koch, tracked at 489 feet. Of course, like the blast tonight, it still only counted as one, the Stott shot giving Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.
They were then able to double their tally in the third, though things could have been a lot worse. A single and a walk started the inning, then Harper’s double with one out put two in scoring position. Luis Arraez did Luis Arraez things, putting the ball in play. However, it was firmly hit to Ildemaro Vargas, who came home for Gabriel Moreno to apply the tag at home for the second out. Pfaadt was able to escape further damage, and got through six innings on 87 pitches, allowing five hits, with one walk and just the one strikeout. While he did take the L and there were only five swinging strikes, it was a better performance than his outings against the Red Sox or Cubs.
After the second Phillies tally, the D-backs were able to get on the board in the bottom of the third. Though they had already stranded their first runner in scoring position in the second inning, after a Lars Nootbaar walk and Nolan Arenado legging out an infield hit (no, really!). Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas came up empty, but definitely weren’t the last Arizona hitters to do so. But in the third, a two-out double just fair down the left-field line by Moreno, and an aggressive send by third-base coach J.R. House, got Geraldo Perdomo all the way from first across home-plate, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.
While the visitors would not be able to score over the remaining six innings, neither could the home team. Arizona’s best chance perhaps came in the sixth, where Moreno singled and Marte walked, to put two on with nobody out. But Nootbaar, Arenado and Tawa couldn’t move the runners. The most egregious mistake might have come in the seventh, where Vargas’s lead-off hit was erased on an ill-advised attempt to start running for second while the pitcher still had the ball. There were two more Arizona men on base with one out in the eighth, but Arenado and Tawa were, again, unable to do anything.
The last chance came in the ninth against (as Sneeks pointed out in the GDT) former D-backs prospect Jhoan Duran, now the Phillies’ closer. He was part of the haul sent by Arizona to Minnesota in 2018 for Eduardo Escobar, and after becoming the Twins closer, was traded to Philadelphia in 2025. Tonight, the D-backs almost got to him. Ryan Waldschmidt and Corbin Carroll each got infield hits (Carroll avoiding an 0-for-5 night), to put the tying run in scoring position with two outs. Moreno came up, with Marte lurking in the on-deck circle, ready to speed-run the Redemption Arc storyline. But Gaby grounded out, and another one-run game went the Phillies’ way.
Click for details at Fangraphs Redemption, of a kind: Ketel Marte, +10% Damnation: Tim Tawa, -26% Perdition: Arenado, -18%; Vargas, -18%; Perdomo, -12%
Interesting to see Ketel Marte leading the Win Probability on his return tonight. Of note, after the game:
Ketel Marte after the game said he misunderstood the question asked to him pregame on if he had any message for the fans, a question he shook his head no to.
Comment of the night to AzDesertLovr (one of these days, I will both spell and capitalize that correctly first time – but today is not that day!) for coming oh-so close to a correct prediction about Ketel Marte’s performance on his return.
With the Padres winning, Arizona drops out of a wild-card position by one-half of a game. We will see what tomorrow brings, in the second game of the series. It’s another 6:40 pm pitch, with Eduardo Rodriguez taking the mound for the Diamondbacks.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — After his first four big league starts were all fairly similar — meaning not particularly effective — Elmer Rodríguez dazzled his last time out, offering hope the young right-hander had figured things out in his time back at Triple-A.
Then came another dud Monday, with most of his teammates following suit.
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Rodríguez walked three batters, hit two more and gave up four runs in 3 ²/₃ innings as the Yankees fell flat all around following their big weekend against the Red Sox, losing 10-1 to the Angels, who came into the night tied for the worst record in baseball.
“Obviously an ugly one for us tonight,” manager Aaron Boone said. “It’s just a great reminder that in this league, you got to play well or you get it handed to you.”
Coming off a high-stakes series win over the Red Sox, with four games in three days and then a cross-country flight Sunday night, the Yankees (78-60) were not sharp in any area Monday in a lifeless performance.
“That’s an excuse. That’s an excuse,” Boone said. “It’s obviously been a tough stretch. We’re coming out here, we know we got to play well. We were ready to go today, we just played poorly.”
New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodriguez comes out of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in the fourth inning on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. AP Photo/Wally Skalij
They wasted a chance to pick up a game on the Rays, remaining 4 ¹/₂ games behind them for the division, while the Red Sox moved back within three games of the Yankees for the top AL wild card.
Any chance the Yankees had of coming back after Rodríguez spotted the Angels (53-85) a 4-0 lead was sabotaged by some sloppy play late with three errors, two charged to José Caballero on one play.
Rodríguez had actually flown ahead of the rest of his teammates, landing in Los Angeles around 7:30 p.m. local time Sunday to get him a good night’s rest, though it did not make a difference. After tossing six innings of three-run ball against the Astros last week, Rodríguez needed 91 pitches to record 11 outs Monday, with his velocity falling off late in addition to his poor command.
“Just falling behind a lot of hitters,” Rodríguez said. “I feel like if I just attacked from the start — I know when I was ahead, I was getting my outs and executing good pitches.”
In relief, Michael Fulmer, Luis Gil (in his first career appearance out of the bullpen) and David Bednar (who got hit around in a 28-pitch eighth after pitching just once in the last 10 days and the rest of the seven-man bullpen taxed) each gave up at least one run, allowing the game to get out of hand.
The Yankees, who scored 25 runs in their last two games against the Red Sox, made plenty of loud contact early against Angels right-hander Walbert Ureña with little to show for it before he settled into a groove. They let him off the hook in the first inning, when Trent Grisham — moved out of the leadoff spot against a righty (in favor of Ben Rice) for only the second time since May — struck out to end the threat.
Michael Fulmer of the New York Yankees reacts to a run from Christian Moore of the Los Angeles Angels after a failed pickoff attempt at second base during the fifth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Getty Images
Their only run in seven innings against Ureña came on Spencer Jones’ moonshot in the fifth inning. In each of the first three innings, Rodríguez issued a two-out walk. He worked around the first two but the third, which came after a leadoff double, eventually gave way to the Angels’ first run on Vaughn Grissom’s RBI single.
Rodríguez then got himself in trouble again with two outs in the fourth after hitting ex-Yankee Oswald Peraza and Tyler Heineman in back-to-back at-bats, both on curveballs. Zach Neto and Mike Trout followed with back-to-back singles that made it a 4-0 game.
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Fulmer gave up a pair of runs in an ugly fifth, which were not entirely his fault. With a runner on second and one out, Christian Moore hit a bloop to right field that Jones tried to make a sliding grab on, only to come up short, with his glove flicking the ball back toward the infield and allowing the run to score and Moore to take second on a double.
Fulmer then tried to pick off Moore, but Caballero could not catch the throw and it got worse from there, as Grisham lobbed the throw in to no one in particular. That allowed the advantageous Moore to come all the way around to score for the 6-1 lead.
Caballero later committed two errors on one play in the sixth inning behind Gil, who gave up one run in two innings. First, Caballero bobbled a grounder to cost him a shot at a double play, then tried to just get the out at first, which did not happen either after he bounced the throw there, as the Angels made it 7-1.
“Couple mistakes we made, including me,” Caballero said. “Just need to clean that up and play better baseball.”
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees smiles on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Yankees began a weeklong trip on the West Coast on Monday with Aaron Judge in tow — and not just so he could be back in his home state.
If his ramp-up continues to go well this week as he adds more activity, “it’s possible” Judge could return to the Yankees during their next homestand that runs Sept. 8-13, manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Monday.
“I’m not going to put a date on it, but I think those things are in play now,” Boone said before a lackluster 10-1 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium. “It’s about getting the durability and the workload built up on him, which is the biggest thing now.”
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees smiles on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels. Getty Images
As the Yankees took batting practice Monday, Judge was out in right field doing defensive drills. The back-to-back AL MVP has been hitting inside over the past week, not yet against high velocity but responding well as he comes back from the right rib stress fracture that has sidelined him since the end of May.
Judge has said he hopes to avoid a rehab assignment, instead making up for one by facing the equivalent of live pitching against the Trajekt machine — which simulates exact pitches of big leaguers.
“He’s doing well,” Boone said. “He’s here, to continue to ramp up baseball activities. We’re getting closer, but feel good about where he’s at.”
The Yankees took another flier on a veteran reliever Monday, claiming John Schreiber off waivers from the Royals for the price of roughly $600,000 that he has left on his contract. The righty sidearmer had a 3.65 ERA in 55 appearances this season with the Royals and was especially good against right-handed batters, whom he held to a .143 average and .414 OPS. Lefties, meanwhile, hit .326 with a 1.024 OPS against him.
“We think he has a lot to offer, especially in some of these righty lanes,” Boone said. “We’re pretty familiar with him, having faced him a lot over the years with Boston and Kansas City, Kansas City’s playoff run [in 2024]. So familiar with him and kind of that unique angle. He’s still really handling right-handed hitters at a high level. Feel like he can certainly come in and help us.”
Because of Schreiber’s low slot, pitching coach Matt Blake described him as a “complement to Timmy [Hill] in some ways to get some of these heavy righty lanes.”
George Lombard Jr. remained out of the lineup Monday for a second straight game due to right knee inflammation. But the shortstop tested it early Monday afternoon, going through some running and agility drills on the field to see if he could make himself a player off the bench.
“Definitely continues to improve,” Boone said. “We’ll see on the level of availability as the day unfolds.”
Ryan Weathers is early in the second week of what the Yankees said would be a two-to-four week shutdown from throwing because of a left forearm flexor strain, but Boone is hoping he could begin playing catch this week.
“Looks like he’s trending in a better way than that,” Boone said of the initial target. “There’s check marks that tell us he’s ready to go throw. Seems like he’s getting close to that.”
Ryan McMahon (left thumb sprain) will be activated Tuesday when rosters expand from 26 to 28. … Reliever Justin Topa, after being designated for assignment Saturday, elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment to Triple-A.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 31: Colton Cowser #17 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with Leody Taveras #30 after robbing Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies of a home run in the ninth inning that would have won the game at Coors Field on August 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Baltimore Orioles won the game 2-1. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For a few moments, it looked like Jake McCarthy had hit a walk-off home run that would have given the Rockies a 3-2 win in a game that ended four hours and 33 minutes after it started.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
McCarthy’s bomb with two outs in the bottom of the ninth was headed into the water feature beyond the center field fence at Coors Field, but Baltimore’s Colton Cowser timed his jump perfectly and reached over the wall to rob the homer and bring the Orioles to .500 (69-69) on Monday night.
“It’s like a knife to the heart. The boys played hard all game long,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “That’s a great play to end the game. Jake had a heck of a swing in a big-time, big moment. Three more inches, we win. But we lose. And we’re going to come up tomorrow and try to win that ballgame.”
The Rockies took a 1-0 lead before Baltimore tied it up 1-1 in the fifth. A one-hour and 38-minute rain delay then changed the course of the game and sent the Rockies to their fifth straight loss and 10th consecutive at Coors Field.
Raining on Gordon’s parade
Rain cut Tanner Gordon’s night short, and we’ll never know if he could have had a longer night, but he made the most of the five innings he had. Through four innings, Gordon was rolling. He gave up one infield single in the second, but no damage was done. In the second, he recorded the first of his three strikeouts.
In the third, Gordon walked Leody Taveras, who was then thrown out attempting to swipe second base by Goodman. Back-to-back doubles from Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo to lead off the fifth inning tied the game at 1-1. Gordon bounced back with two groundouts sandwiching a strikeout to end the inning.
When the rain ended Gordon’s night prematurely, he’d given up one run on three hits with three strikeouts and one walk. After a seven-inning, one-run performance in his last outing, Gordon seems to be settling into his starter role, according to Schaeffer.
“I thought TG stacked another good one on top of the last one. I thought he was really good,” Schaeffer said. “I thought he pounded the strike zone. His spin was good, change was good, heater was good. He got ahead in counts. He did everything you want your starter to do.”
Blame it on the rain?
The Rockies relievers who came in after Gordon really struggled with control. At first, Mark Manfredi looked sharp, walking one but then getting Gunnar Henderson to ground into a double play to end the inning. In the seventh, the walks came. Manfredi got one flyball out in between walking Coby Mayo and Basallo, which was enough for Schaeffer to pull him from the game.
Unfortunately, Nick Frasso was also in walk mode. He issued a free pass to Blaze Alexander to load the bases. It seemed like the Rockies might escape unscathed when Cowser hit a grounder to Connor Norby. Norby tried to turn a double play, but his throw wasn’t as quick as it needed to be and Ezequiel Tovar threw a hopper to Rumfield at first. Initially, the umpire called Cowser out, but Baltimore called for a review and the decision was overturned, allowing the Orioles to go up 2-1.
Shockingly, despite walking four Orioles, the Rockies didn’t give up a hit in the seventh and were able to prevent any more runs.
“Four walks in the seventh, not good, obviously,” Schaeffer said. “And then a tailor-made double play is not turned. Colton Cowser won that game for them, getting down the line for a run and then obviously that play at the end.”
Brennan Bernardino threw a scoreless eighth, only allowing one single, while Jordan Romano threw a perfect ninth to give the Rockies a chance to win it.
Swinging before the rain
The Rockies got on the board first in the fourth inning when Hunter Goodman led off with a double. TJ Rumfield followed with a walk, but then Willi Castro struck out and Mickey Moniak grounded out, which at least moved the runners up. But a promising inning with no outs quickly had two. Luckily, Jordan Beck was able to cash in with a single up the middle to score Goodman.
Troy Johnston, who doubled in the ninth to start the would-be rally, drew a walk to load the bases, but Tovar followed up with a fly out with the bases loaded.
Bad luck followed in the fifth when Goodman drew a two-out walk only to be called out when a single off the bat of Rumfield hit him and turned him into the final out of the inning. Through five innings, the Rockies had five hits, but only one run to show for it because they left five runners on base.
Then the rain — and the delay — came.
The weather also ended the night for Orioles lefty Cade Povich, who only gave up one run despite surrendering five hits and three walks. He also struck out four Rockies in five innings.
Up next
The Rockies and Orioles will be back at it on Tuesday. First pitch is slated for 6:40 p.m. Colorado’s RHP Gabriel Hughes (0-6, 6.61) will face off against Baltimore’s RHP Kyle Bradish (7-12, 4.03).
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 31: Colton Cowser #17 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates robs Jake McCarthy of the Colorado Rockies of a home run in the ninth inning that would have won the game at Coors Field on August 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Baltimore Orioles won the game 2-1. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s just one of those things, I guess. The Orioles are playing some of their best ball of the season. The offense has been hot lately. They’ve been dispatching competitive teams, and moving up in the Wild Card chase. And so of course they’d travel to the thin air of Denver, where they’d face the worst team in baseball, and a 28-year-old starter with just 30 career starts and a negative bWAR for most of them, and do basically nothing at the plate.
It’s true, against Colorado’s Tanner Gordon, the Birds managed only one run on three hits over five innings, only spared from total futility by a run-scoring double from Samuel Basallo. We’d played five at that point when the skies opened up, at around 10 pm, and we got stuck in an hour forty-five minute delay. It was a long, weird game. Once the rain cleared, and despite getting outhit 8-4, the Birds pulled out a much-needed win and returned to .500 for the first time since April 30, while also gaining a half-game in the wild card race, now standing just a half-game back of Cleveland. They did it with style, too: centerfielder Colton Cowser made the catch of his life with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, stealing a home run and an otherwise-certain Colorado win.
Let’s beam back to the game’s antediluvian prehistory for a second. The Orioles came out with an aggressive approach, which, facing an inexperienced, strike-throwing pitcher like Gordon, makes some sense. But Gordon is also an offspeed guy, and the danger of selling out on the first pitch against someone like that is you end up just making bad contact. Like when Gunnar Henderson his a 55-mph squibber early in the first. He, and the rest of the Orioles’ hitters, looked very annoyed to make Tanner Gordon work so little early on. (I shared the sentiment.)
Then, after three innings of futility against Tanner Gordon, the Orioles were about two feet away from a 2-1 lead (and a de facto win, if the powers that be had decided to call the game due to rain after five). The fourth inning saw the mood of offensive futility lift as soon as Dylan Beavers got one of Gordon’s first bad changeups—a cement mixer, as Ben McDonald likes to say—and doubled. It should have lasted a little longer: Samuel Basallo connected on a changeup of his own, driving it 409 feet and off the center-field wall, just short of a home run in that part of Coors Field. Beavers, caught off guard, had to dig for home, but he made it, tying the game at one. But O’s hitters went down in order after that.
As for our guy, Cade Povich, meanwhile, has long been known for his Jekyll-and-Hyde tendencies. He either looks hittable—like when he leaves up fastballs, a couple of which sustained hard contact in the first and second innings—or swing-and-miss-worthy—as when he struck out catcher Hunter Goodman on a gigantic curveball.
But overall he did fine: five innings, five hits allowed, one run, three walks, four strikeouts. The fourth inning was trouble for him: he allowed a leadoff double to Hunter Goodman (on a hittable heater), then walked first baseman TJ Rumfield on four pitches. Then, he racked up two quick outs—a strikeout, then a stellar play from his shortstop, as Gunnar ranged to his right and threw off-balance to nab Mickey Moniak. But he left up a hittable fastball, and outfielder Jordan Beck singled to make it 1-0 Colorado. Disappointing, frankly. Povich walked the next guy on four pitches to load the bases. It was an ugly moment, but he got a butt-saving flyout to end the inning.
And that was there things stood when the rain set in.
Two hours later, after the rain had cleared (and while you were already in bed while I recapped this thing), the Rockies sent out one Mark Manfredi to the mound to face the top of the order. A recent call-up from Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate (the Albuquerque Isotopes—mentioned purely because of the great physics-themed name), Manfredi navigated through the sixth intact.
But he may have stayed in a bit too long, because in the seventh inning, he walked both Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo. His replacement, Nick Frasso, immediately walked Blaze Alexander, and we had ourselves a one-out, bases-loaded deal. Then, shenanigans: Colton Cowser grounded into a double play to end the inning. Or did he! The Orioles astutely challenged, and got the call overturned. Now Coby Mayo had actually crossed the plate, and it was 2-1 Orioles.
The O’s’ litigiousness paid off in other ways. An inning before, they’d challenged a play on Grant Wolfram’s watch, a strike-‘em-out/throw-‘em-out where Basallo would get credit for the caught stealing. That helped extend Wolfram’s longevity, as the righty ended up giving them a second clean inning.
The O’s could have attacked again in the top of the eighth, but they got a Gunnar Henderson single and then slunk back lamely to the dugout.
That left two innings left to cover before we could all go to bed for a win. Alex Hoppe took custody of the eighth. Immediately former Oriole Connor Norby burned him with a single. Hoppe got a flyout. But he walked TJ Rumfield to put the winning run on.
That earned Hoppe the axe, and saw Rico Garcia take over instead. Garcia has had his struggles, but he is so good in that mopman role. He got Willi Castro swinging on three pitches, and drew a flyball out on just two pitches more. Huge outing by Garcia.
After the O’s went down like meek little lambs in the top of the ninth, only three outs remained. Andrew Kittredge took over, the tension palpable (assuming you were still awake). Colorado pinch-hit Cole Carrigg, who flew out on one pitch. But Troy Johnston, also swinging at the first pitch, doubled, putting the tying run in scoring position. Colorado, playing this one aggressively, came out with another pinch-hitter (Zac Veen). Kittredge responded with several sinkers and a diving slider—and got the result he (we) wanted: a swinging strikeout. Centerfielder Jake McCarthy came up, the Rockies’ last chance: he, too, had gotten notes to be aggressive, and on most nights, what he did next would have been to hit a two-run, walkoff homer. Tonight, however, the ball flew all of 425 feet—and right into the glove of a leaping, felonious Colton Cowser. It was absolutely the catch of Cowser’s life to date, and not something I expected from the Milkman, if I’m being honest with you. Check if out for yourself. Game over. O’s win.
With Cleveland having the day off today, the Orioles are now back at .500 and a mere half-game out of a wild card spot. It wasn’t always pretty today, but it was a win. And it certainly ended with a bang—or, rather, didn’t, thanks to a gigantic Cowser.
So, who is your Most Birdland Player? Samuel Basallo, with his double, walk, RBI and near-homer? Coby Mayo, who is clobbering the ball day-in, day-out still? Grant Wolfram, for two clean innings after a two-hour rain delay? Rico Garcia, for cleaning up Hoppe’s mess? Or is it the Milkman himself, snatching Colorado’s win away with one huge leap?
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 31: Jonah Cox #53 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning during the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Monday, August 31, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kathryn May/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On paper, it looked like a big advantage that the Atlanta Braves got to play the makeup game for a June 18 rainout at the end of August. The San Francisco Giants would have to wait 10 weeks, fly across the country ahead of a six-game road trip, and trade away six veterans in the interim before facing a division-leading team on a seven-game win streak.
But waiting meant the Braves had to face a trio of rookies that weren’t on the roster three weeks ago. Monday night, Sluggin’ Jonah Cox, Nate “The Great” Furman, and Turner “King Of The” Hill rained on the Braves parade with three runs, five fits, and four RBIs in a 7-3 win. Their sad fans were Tomahawk-chopping their umbrellas as they walk out of the stadium in despair.
This means that, perhaps unofficially, the Giants have finally swept a series in 2026. And it only took them until the last day of August! Their rainy visit to Hotlanta Wetlanta in June saw one game cancelled and another postponed after a two-hour rain delay, but the Giants won both halves of an improvised doubleheader on the one day with ded=cent weather. This means the Giants technically have swept a series this season, won a series on the road in the process and are currently on a three-series unbeaten streak.
Former Brave Anthony Molina (2-0), acquired in the deadline deal for Tyler Mahle, won his second game in seven days by giving up three runs in five innings in his first start of the season and the third of his career. He struck out five straight Braves between the 3rd and 4th innings and escaped the 5th after giving up four hits but only one run, and leaving with the game tied 3-3.
The Giants broke things open in the top of the 6th thanks to Osleivis Basabe and a trio of rookies. Basabe led off the inning with his 4th home run of the season, bouncing it off the top of the center field wall just above the Papa John’s sign, which should probably earn him some free terrible pizza, right?
Losing pitcher Bryce Elder (8-8) proceeded to give up singles to Andrew Knizner and Furman, leaving the game with runners on second and third and one out. Furman is quite small at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, but in the minors, all he did was hit for average and get on base, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise he’s finally getting a few hits in the majors.
Elder gave up eight hits and walked three, showing roughly the same level of command as Greg Maddux did with his ceremonial first pitch in Chicago this weekend.
The Braves brought in lefty Dylan Lee to face Drew Gilbert, but they only played into mad genius Tony Vitello’s hands with the gambit. He pinch-hit Turner Hill, who delivered a two-run double to right, then scored on rookie Bryce Eldridge’s RBI single with a gorgeous head-first slide.
A Turner succeeding in Atlanta? Well I’ll be. Hill has nine hits this season and five of them are doubles. He’s 2-for-4 with two walks off lefties this season, after an unsuccessful attempt to bunt for a hit in the 8th.
He may have been inspired by Cox, who surprised the Braves with a two-out bunt single in the 5th inning to score a hustling Rafael Devers, pushing the ball into a huge gap in the overshifted infield.
Cox hit it soft for one run and hit it hard for another, launching his 4th home run of the season in the top of the 9th. He’s slugging .556 on the season and hasn’t set foot on a scooter once!
Devers scored two runs and walked twice, blasting a massive first-inning home run that just barely stayed fair. It was the 30th homer of the season for Devers, the 5th time in his career he’s hit the 30-dinger mark. The Giants hadn’t had anyone hit 30 homers in 21 years before Willy Adames did it last year, and now they have had two players do it in consecutive years.
If Devers can go deep three more times this year, he’ll have one of the top 50 home run seasons in franchise history, joining a seven-way tie with Barry and Bobby Bonds, Hall of famers Jeff Kent and Mel Ott, Hall of Very Gooder Matt Williams, and Jim Ray Hart.
Next up is the Pittsburgh Pirates and a duel between Paul Skenes and Logan Webb. The marketing department will be excited that the Giants are starting a Blade and a Tugboat back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday and fans will be excited that the broadcast will almost certainly show a clip of Brandon Crawford’s grand slam from the 2014 wild card game, still perhaps the fastest we’ve ever heard a baseball crowd go from roaring to silent.
The only downside is that the loss put the Braves a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the No. 2 seed in the National League and its accompanying bye. But that’s what they get for not approaching Nate Furman and Jonah Cox with appropriate respect.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 31: Cam Smith #11 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a two-run double in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park on August 31, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At approximately 830pm local time, you could hear the roar emulating at Daikin Park for miles. Nelson Velazquez had erased Chicago’s lead with one mega blast. 21,236 in attendance left the exits satisfied.
Astros 6 White Sox 3.
Even though Dana Brown was jettisoned a week ago, the waiver acquisition of Velazquez is firmly notched on the plus side of his ledger. Nelson’s two-run shot to left field traveled 415 feet, landing on the train tracks. As important as the runs were, of equal importance was generating some power from another left-handed bat in bottom third of the lineup.
As he’s prone to do, Peter Lambert had flashes of brilliance, but it wasn’t sustained for a deep outing. He’d strike out Vargas and Benintendi in the first, and for the night, recorded six punchouts. However, walks were also on the menu, five in total were served up before being pulled in the fifth. A 30-pitch, 4th inning pretty much told the story. 8 Sox batters would appear that frame, and when it concluded the Sox had their only lead of the night. Lambert has now gone winless in his last 9 starts.
Lambert’s counterpart, Anthony Kay, would also depart after going 4.2 innings. He’d leave with the bases loaded, and things only got worse from there. Trevor Richards came on in relief, and the game was busted open thanks to a Cam Smith 2-run double. At that point, the Astros were up 6-2. The White Sox would load the bases in the 6th but failed to score. However, in next inning, they’d inch closer on Colson Montgomery’s solo homer. It was Montgomery’s 29th of the season cutting things to 6-3. That would be the only run the White Sox would manage off of four different Astros relievers.
Bryan Abreu came on in the ninth to close the door.
Odds & Ends:
Peter Lambert’s 5 issued walks tied a career high. The Astros would allow 10 on the night.
September brings roster expansion. Expect the Astros on Tuesday to activate Mike Burrows from the IL.
Jose Altuve earned a rest day in the midst of a current 13 day stretch of contests.
With the win on Monday Night, the Astros finished August with a mark of 14-13.
