Category: Sports News

41 games left, and there is a three-way tie for the second and third wild-card spots in the National League. The Diamondbacks, Phillies and Padres all go into play today with the same record of 64-57, so it’s how the trio perform over the remaining quarter of the season which will decide who reaches the postseason. There are a few metrics which we can look at, to try and gain some insight into how things might break down.

• Run differential: The D-backs actually lead the way here, at +13. The Padres are exactly even, and the Phillies are -1. Interestingly, there are “better” teams further back in the NL, led by the Nationals, who are +22 despite being three games under .500 in the standings.
• Strength of remaining schedule: With Arizona having crossed two games against the Rockies off the schedule, they have now dropped into a virtual tie with San Diego. Both sides face opponents with an average win percentage of .499 the rest of the way. Philadelphia have a tougher run, at .518.
• Projected record: Fangraphs gives the edge to the Phillies at 23-18, with the Padres and D-backs tied at 21-20. That would mean the third wild-card would be decided by whoever wins the final series of the season, when Arizona goes to San Diego. Baseball Prospectus concurs, having the Phillies finish at 88 wins, with the D-backs and Padres both at 84 (technically, the Padres are two-tenths of a win better).
• Playoff odds: Fangraphs: PHI 75.3%; SDP 51.9%; ARI 49.4%
  Baseball Prospectus: PHI 85.0%; SDP 49.7%; ARI 46.1%
  Baseball Reference: PHI 60.7%; ARI 50.9%; SDP 41.7%

Really, you pay your money and you take your choice. I’m not sure the extent to which any of the projection factor in the returns of players for Arizona like Corbin Burnes and Justin Martinez, which should provide a boost (although you can certainly argue the size) for the Diamondbacks down the stretch. For now, though – let’s just worry about finishing off the series today with a win.

Duke Ellis took a lead off first base in the seventh inning of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ game against Rochester on August 6th at PNC Field. He broke for second and when the throw from Red Wings catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. was high, Ellis safely slid headfirst into the bag.

It was Ellis’ 41st stolen base of the season and 83rd of his career, surpassing the franchise record of 82 set by Nick Punto from 2001-03.

Since then, he has extended the mark to 85 steals in 156 career games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Ellis is on the brink of another franchise record, too. He ranks second in the International League with 43 steals in 49 tries; Braiden Ward of the Worcester Red Sox leads with 51 swipes. Ellis is one steal away from tying and two shy of breaking the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre single-season record of 44 set by Tommy Barrett in 1989 — the franchise’s inaugural season.

“I take a lot of pride in my baserunning. It’s kind of gotten me to where I am now,” Ellis said. “Individually, it’s a big accomplishment and really cool to get to that achievement.

“At the end of the day, though, I really don’t do it for me. I do it to win ballgames. I get to second so it’s a little easier RBIs for everybody else. That’s kind of the reason I do it. The achievement is awesome, but in the bigger picture it’s not just for me.”

Both Punto and Barrett played for the Red Barons when Scranton/Wilkes-Barre was affiliated with the Philadelphia Phillies. So did Ellis’ father Robert. In fact, he threw one of the franchise’s seven no-hitters on June 6, 2004, against Louisville in the second game of a doubleheader.

That connection made breaking the career stolen base record even more special.

“He called me and said, ‘I have a no-hitter there and now you have that record there,’” Ellis said. “It’s kind of cool to hear his stories and follow in behind it.”

In describing the art of stealing bases, Ellis said swiping second is like playing checkers and taking third is like playing chess.

“Stealing second is all about jumps and obviously how fast you are,” Ellis said. “Stealing third, it took me a lot of years to get where I am now. I wasn’t even close to it to where I’m at right now even last year. These guys have been pretty awesome here with my development on just stealing third. I have found there’s a small art to it, but it’s not like I do anything special. I play it more like chess. You have to look for little things in game and what the pitcher’s doing and everything else to be able to take third base.”

There is an added challenge, too, when Ellis comes into the game as a pinch-runner where the opposition — and everyone in the ballpark — knows he is going to steal.

“It’s a little more difficult, but not much more as stealing when I’m playing,” Ellis said. “When I come in a pinch-running situation to steal bags late, everybody obviously knows you’re stealing. You’re there to steal bags and get into scoring position. But I get to do a lot more studying on the tendencies of the pitcher and maybe what the catcher does that gives some things away. So there’s more studying thought-process into that situation than if I’m in the lineup that night.”

In six minor-league seasons, Ellis has 223 stolen bases and been caught 31 times in 439 games. He has played for four organizations: the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees. He was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from the M’s on August 26, 2024.

Ellis also appeared in 11 MLB games in 2024 with the White Sox (8) and Yankees (3) and has five stolen bases without ever getting caught. His lone hit in the majors came with the Yankees on September 4th at Texas — a ninth-inning single off Grant Anderson.

With the RailRiders this season, Ellis is batting .237 (55 for 232) with 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 21 RBIs.

“The team is doing solid and I feel like if the team is going good, then individually you’re going good,” Ellis said. “Me, as an individual player, I feel like it’s going solid. You have you’re ups and downs, just like what baseball is. But I have a good group of guys around me, so my lows aren’t that low and my highs aren’t that high. They keep me pretty even keel.”

This season is the final stop for the RailRiders.

Team officials announced that it will rebrand for the 2027 season. The new name has already been chosen and approved by Major League Baseball and will be unveiled in early November. In a statement, team officials said the new name will “celebrate the region’s beauty, heritage and outdoor legacy.”

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre began in 1989 as the Red Barons, Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 2007, when it became the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the team was known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. After PNC Field underwent a season-long renovation in 2012, a “Name the Team” contest was held and RailRiders was the winner starting with the 2013 campaign, beating out five other finalists (Blast, Black Diamond Bears, Fireflies, Porcupines, and Trolley Frogs).

Along with the rebrand, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre also revealed its 2027 schedule. It will open next season on the road with a three-game series at the Worcester Red Sox on March 26-28, followed by a six-game series at the Buffalo Bisons on March 30-April 4. Its home-opening series at PNC Field is April 6-11 against the intrastate rival Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The season concludes at home Sept. 14-19 with a series against the Rochester Red Wings.

In the 150-game schedule, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will face traditional northeast opponents Buffalo, Lehigh Valley, Rochester, and the Syracuse Mets 24 times each — two six-game home series and two six-game road series. It will play Worcester 18 times (9 home, 9 away).

One of the highlights of the schedule is the first-time meeting with the Memphis Redbirds, Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, on May 11-16 at AutoZone Park in Tennessee. Besides Memphis, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre again will make road trips to face the Indianapolis Indians (June 8-13) and Iowa Cubs (Sept. 7-12). It visited both those cities this season.

Other opponents coming to PNC Field next season include the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (June 15-20), Charlotte Knights (June 22-27) and Toledo Mud Hens (July 20-25).

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There’s a rookie making his debut on the mound for Washington tonight, so I’ll be fading him as part of my Cubs vs. Nationals predictions.

We’re not seeing much value on the moneyline, so I’ll be riding the Cubs at +101 on the run line over at Polymarket. Let’s take advantage of a rookie arm going up against one of the most potent lineups in baseball.

Time to dive into my MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Who will win Cubs vs Nationals today: Cubs -1.5 (+101)

Today’s analysis is simple: the Chicago Cubs have killed lefties to the tune of a .806 OPS this season, and they’re seeing a rookie pitcher on the mound. The term “fresh meat” comes to mind. 

The No. 8 prospect for the Washington Nationals, Jackson Kent, gets the nod. With a career 4.22 ERA in the minors, I’m not expecting him to mow down the team with the highest wRC+ in baseball (111).

Opposite Kent will be David Peterson, who’s held the Nationals to a .243 xBA and .302 xwOBA over 80 at-bats against him, which is a large enough sample size for me to know what we’re going to get tonight. That includes a 4-for-24 (.224 xBA) mark from CJ Abrams.

Looking for more plays? Dive into Colby Marchio’s MLB moneyline picks for Wednesday.

COVERS INTEL: Peterson’s bloated 5.35 ERA is largely due to one start from July, when he allowed 10 earned runs to the St. Louis Cardinals. Since then, he’s only been charged with five earned runs across 28.2 innings pitched.

Cubs vs Nationals Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (-103)

While I expect the Cubs to feast on the young left-hander tonight, the Nationals will likely need some offense from someone other than Abrams. I’m keying in on Keibert Ruiz, who’s 6-for-17 against Peterson with a .315 xBA. 

It helps to know that the Over is 6-0-1 in the Cubs’ last six games as a road favorite — let’s see if that hits for the seventh time.

Cubs vs Nationals home run prediction: Seiya Suzuki (+365)

If you’re looking for a rock-solid home run prediction, it’ll be Seiya Suzuki. The outfielder absolutely rakes against lefties, owning a 1.007 OPS against them this year; coming off a 2-for-5 game with a double and home run, I'm expecting him to stay hot at the plate tonight.

With 103 long balls at Nationals Park this season — good for 11th among all ballparks — while going up against a rookie in his debut, I’ll give Suzuki the tap on the shoulder to hit one out.

Cubs vs Nationals weather

With temperatures nearing 86 degrees Fahrenheit for tonight, we should see a perfect night of baseball in Washington with minimal impact on game conditions.

Cubs vs Nationals odds

• Moneyline: Cubs (-150) | Nationals (+144)
• Run line: Cubs (+101) | Nationals (-108)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-103) | Under 9.5 (-109)

Cubs vs Nationals trend

The Over is hitting at a 3-0-1 clip across the Cubs' last four games, and it's also hit four straight times when the Nationals are an underdog. Find more MLB betting trends for Cubs vs. Nationals.

How to watch Cubs vs Nationals and game info

Cubs vs Nationals latest injuries

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Go Rays!

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Join me as I dive into why I'm also expecting big nights from Munetaka Murakami and Griffin Conine in my three favorite MLB player props for Aug. 12.

Best MLB player props today

Player	Pick	Odds
Griffin Conine	Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI	+105
Carmen Mlodzinski	Over 2.5 Earned Runs	+123
Munetaka Murakami	Over 1.5 Total Bases	+131

Griffin Conine Over 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI (+105)

I have to run back Miami Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine after flying out to the wall in his first at-bat last night, only to later be robbed at the wall. I think Conine is beyond due for a massive outing, and today he draws an even better matchup against Pittsburgh Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski.

The Pirates right-hander has allowed a 50% hard-hit rate and 11.36% barrel rate to opposing hitters over his last five starts. Against the last 60 left-handed hitters he has faced, they own a .352 xBA, .538 xSLG and .367 xwOBA. During that stretch, those hitters are generating a 47% hard-hit rate and 29.8% ground-ball rate.

With Conine carrying a .529 SLG and .264 ISO while producing a 50% hard-hit rate and 22.75% barrel rate over his last ten games, I think he is primed to go off this evening.

Plus money for a guy performing at the level Conine is right now feels like a steal. I would try my best to get this prop at plus money, but I’m comfortable playing it down to -105.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MIAM, SNP

Carmen Mlodzinski Over 2.5 Earned Runs (+123)

I absolutely love the idea of the Miami Marlins popping off against Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski.

As mentioned above, he has been allowing a ton of hard contact and barrels to opposing hitters while struggling against left-handed hitters. The Marlins will have five hitters batting from the left side this evening.

Mlodzinski has allowed a 51.72% hard-hit rate and nearly a 14% barrel rate to opposing hitters over his last three starts, while sporting a 5.18 xERA against the last 60 lefties he has faced. It is going to be a long game for Mr. Mlodzinski.

The Marlins have posted a 138 wRC+, .366 wOBA and .823 OPS over their last 12 games at home, while also owning an 11% walk rate. On top of that, the Fightin’ Fish rank eighth in first-five scoring at home this season, averaging 2.84 runs.

The amount of hard contact Mlodzinski has been allowing should continue this evening, and the Marlins will feast on his offerings.

Take this down to +110.

• Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: MIAM, SNP

Munetaka Murakami Over 1.5 Total Bases (+131)

We are getting a ton of value on Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami to go Over his 1.5 total bases prop this evening, with it sitting at +131.

Murakami owns the highest rating in this matchup on Batters-Box, while covering nearly 100% of Cincinnati Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder’s entire pitch mix. Through 47 elite ratings this season, the White Sox slugger has surpassed this prop 53.19% of the time, going over in seven of his last 10 elite ratings as well.

Over his last 10 games, the first baseman is slugging .512 while owning a 30% ground-ball rate, 61% hard-hit rate and 21.7% barrel rate.

Meanwhile, Lowder, on the road against left-handed bats, is allowing just a 32.6% ground-ball rate while allowing a 41.8% hard-hit rate.

I would take this down to +120, but +131 is a fantastic price.

• Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CHSN, CINR

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The Colorado Rockies managed to snag a 3-2 victory Tuesday night thanks to another inspired Tomoyuki Sugano start on the mound and a clutch two-run home run by Kyle Karros. Now, with the series tied, the Rockies face off against their most dreaded foe this season, the rubber match.

When a chance to win a series is on the line in the final game of a series, the Rockies have been, to be frank, abysmal. In 15 chances to win a series rubber match, the Rockies are 3-13. They previously lost a rubber match game last Sunday in St. Louis, 7-4.

The Rockies will try to change their luck by sending Ryan Feltner (4-6, 5.71 ERA) to the mound. He was solid in his last outing, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs on four hits. His inconsistencies have been quite noticeable over the last two months as his command has waned, leading to a lot of contact and an uptick in walks, or he can work quickly and efficiently to cruise through a game. Home runs have been quite the issue this season, having given up 18 on the season, two shy of a career-high 20 in 2024. He has struggled to a 6.27 ERA over four starts against the Arizona Diamondbacks, including a 5.40 ERA in one start at Chase Field. He’ll need to be careful in hitting his locations and commanding his pitches because the Diamondbacks have shown they are ready to swing in this series.

The Snakes will send out Merrill Kelly (8-9, 4.88 ERA) to make the start. The veteran righty hasn’t been as crisp this season, as his walks are up and his strikeouts are down. He’s also been stung by the home run ball at a higher clip as well. Still, he is not one to be taken lightly, especially since he’s come back into form a bit over the last month. In his last outing, he allowed just one run on two hits over 5.2 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his previous start against the Rockies this season, he tossed a complete game at Coors Field in May, allowing just one run on four hits on 100 pitches. In his career, he has a 3.08 ERA over 18 starts against the Rockies with 105 strikeouts and 24 walks in 117 innings. In 90 starts at Chase, he has a 3.50 ERA.

In roster news, the Rockies have recalled Adael Amador from Triple-A Albuquerque and placed Kyle Karros on the 7-day concussion injured list.

First Pitch: 1:40 pm MDT

TV: Rockies TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Lineups:

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Walker Buehler played spoiler to the Milwaukee Brewers’ hopes of evening the series at a game apiece. He allowed one run and three hits over six innings in a 11-2 victory.

The San Diego Padres continue their hot streak with a 17-hit attack. Luis Rengifo’s grand slam set the tone of the evening. Luis Campusano added a two-run home run, and Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a solo shot.

Today’s daytime affair is the final game of the three-game set. The Padres are looking to sweep and climb in the competitive National League Wild-Card standings. Currently, they’re tied with the Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks for the final two playoff berths. 

Taking the mound: Dustin May (MIL) vs Robbie Ray (SD) 

This afternoon’s starting pitching matchup features two trade-deadline acquisitions that are expected to bolster each team’s rotation. Dustin May (6-7, 4.30 ERA) is facing off against Robbie Ray (10-7, 3.24 ERA). 

May is having a rebound season after a disastrous 2025 campaign; he posted a 4.96 ERA, splitting time between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. His troubles were allowing 138 base runners. 

This season, the right-hander has been impressive with attacking the strike zone. He regained his elite velocity after enduring several arm injuries. His four-seam fastball, slider, and cutter have registered over 96 MPH on the gun this summer. May should surpass his career strikeout total of 123 before Labor Day. 

Today, he is put in a tough situation, but May has past success against the Friars. The right-hander threw an impressive one-hit shutout for the St. Louis Cardinals in June. Some believe it was the best start of his seven-year major league career.

The Padres have razor-thin starting rotation depth and desperately needed to add another arm at the trade deadline. Ray was the Friar Faithful’s desired choice because they love his confidence whenever he faced San Diego. 

Few starters were as dominant as Ray over the last two months. Before his debut with the Brown & Gold, the left-hander was 7-0 with a 1.09 ERA in 12 starts. Ray allowed one run or less in nine of those outings. 

His anticipated debut was disappointing, but could it have lived up to expectations? Ray’s command betrayed him, as he issued five walks over five innings. The only good news was that his velocity was still clocking in at 93 MPH for the four-seam fastball and 86 MPH for the slider. 

Ray has the pedigree to out-duel his pitching counterpart in today’s contest. 

Today’s lineups

The Colorado Rockies announced this afternoon prior to their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks that third baseman Kyle Karros has been placed on the 7-day concussion injured list.

Karros, who has largely been the Rockies’ everyday starting third baseman this season, suffered a head injury during Tuesday night’s game against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. In the bottom of the sixth inning he collided with shortstop Ezequiel Tovar while attempting to field a ground ball of the bat of Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte.

The 24-year-old has been enjoying a breakout season during his second year in Major League Baseball. In 112 games, Karros is hitting .265/.361/.424 with 20 doubles, two triples, ten home runs, and 44 RBIs while being worth 1.6 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference. He also leads the Rockies in walks with 47.

In a corresponding roster move, infielder Adael Amador has been recalled from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.

Amador, 23, was once a top prospect in the Rockies organization but has experienced limited success over multiple call-ups in 2024 and 2025. In 164 big league plate appearances, he has hit .176/.242/.250 with eight doubles and a home run.

In 86 games with the Isotopes this year, he is hitting .261/.370/.432 with 19 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, and 58 RBIs while drawing more walks than he has struck out. Amador has largely been the starting second baseman in Albuquerque, but has recently begun expanding his skill set to left field. He is also capable of playing shortstop.

In addition, right-handed reliever Jeff Criswell (right shoulder strain) has been activated from the 15-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Criswell, 27, returned from Tommy John surgery this season and has appeared in three games for the Rockies and has given up two earned runs on four hits and three walks over four innings. He has struck out three batters.

The Rockies’ 40-man roster currently sits at 38.

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The Dodgers arrived back home on fumes, having lost eight of their previous nine games. They’ve eked out two one-run wins over a last-place Kansas City Royals team, and on Wednesday have a chance to do something that’s been a long time coming: sweep a team.

Last time the Dodgers swept a team was June 22-24 against the Twins in Minnesota, and are just 20-19 since. Their last sweep of a team at home was June 15-17 against the Tampa Bay Rays, and the Dodgers are just 10-11 at Dodger Stadium since, and have been swept twice themselves.

Last season was a more sweep-heavy season at home, with 10 sweeps in 26 series at Dodger Stadium — eight for the good, two times getting swept — en route to a 52-29 home record.

So far in 2026, the Dodgers played 18 home series before this week, and swept four teams. They were swept twice at Dodger Stadium — by the Arizona Diamondbacks from July 10-12 and by the Boston Red Sox from July 31-August 2.

That all adds up to a 35-23 home record, a perfectly fine mark that’s sixth-best in baseball. That .603 winning percentage translates to 49 wins in 81 games. This is going to sound like someone complaining about the brand of caviar at a fancy party, but the Dodgers haven’t been this “bad” at home in eight years.

Dodgers recent home records

• 2018: 45-37 (.549)
• 2019: 59-22 (.728)
• 2020: 21-9 (.700)
• 2021: 58-23 (.716)
• 2022: 57-24 (.704)
• 2023: 53-28 (.654)
• 2024: 52-29 (.642)
• 2025: 52-29 (.642)
• 2026: 35-23 (.603)

Three previous times this year the Dodgers had a chance to sweep at home but lost the final game — against the Texas Rangers (April 10-12), Angels (June 5-7), and Padres (July 2-5). On the road the Dodgers left unfinished sweeps in Toronto (April 8), West Sacramento (July 1), at Yankee Stadium (July 19), and at Citi Field (July 26).

Dodgers have a chance to finish the job against the Royals on Wednesday night.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Royals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)