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KNOW THE FOE:Royals Review

The Minnesota Twins look to salvage something… anything… from this series with the Kansas City Royals. The series is lost, but they have one more chance to achieve a lot: leave K. C. with a win in their pocket, leave K. C. with the first win of the month, and, well, just leave Kansas City. Luckily, the American League Central teams the Twins are chasing are also hitting a rough patch: both the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Spiders have lost their last two going into today; the Sox are 5-5 in their last ten games while the Spiders are 3-7, but the Twins can’t take advantage. Unluckily, the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners – who just took a series against Minnesota this past weekend – are now lock-step with Twins in the A. L. Wild Card race. Lastly, while the Twins may have had the Detroit Tigers by the tail (it was plain to see), the Tigers have Minnie and Paul by the tail as they’re a half-game behind them.

The Twins offense have a slightly better chance at getting to a Royals starter as Kansas City will call upon Michael Wacha. Minnesota touched him up in early June to the tune of eight hits, five runs (four earned), no walks, and only two strikeouts. Wacha had a bit of a struggle in July as well, putting up a 4.25 ERA/4.81 FIP in 29.2 innings of work during five starts; the Royals went 2-3 during his starts in that timeframe.

On the flip side, Bailey Ober will answer the call for Minnesota. He faced the Royals a week ago today and went six strong innings, allowing only four hits, a couple of walks, and three runs (two earned) while striking out three. The Twins offense were nowhere to be found until Kody Clemens’ super-cool grand salami put things to rest. Historically, Ober has been notoriously “Not Good” against the Royals in his career. He’s started against them 15 times and has a 4.60 ERA against them. The ERA jumps to 5.02 when it’s narrowed down to Kauffman Stadium.

As always, GO TWIMS GO!

LINEUPS:

As someone who has been to Boston and Fenway, I can say both are lovely. When I was there, the White Sox won, so I was able to leave happy. Unfortunately, this series has me so excited about the White Sox getting the hell out of there because it’s been nothing short of a disaster. The Red Sox managed to get red-hot in July, and they’re continuing the domination into August. (Thank goodness for the Mets right now, because they’re keeping Cleveland off our tails.)

Tonight, we’ll see our final trade deadline acquisition, Luis Castillo, on the mound. Also in the lineup are our newest catcher, Joey Bart, behind the plate and Brenton Doyle in center field. Despite Andrew Benintendi’s success this series, Randal Grichuk will DH instead. Maybe the change will actually help.

Ranger Suárez (4-3) will get the start for Boston. Their lineup stays consistent, with batters who can launch a ball over the Green Monster with ease.

First pitch is 6:10 p.m. CT. You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.

Triston Casas’ bumpy path back to the majors has hit another setback.

The slugging first baseman, who has not appeared in an MLB game since he was carted off the field at Fenway Park last May after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee, went under the knife once again. Boston announced Thursday that the 26-year-old underwent a successful left wrist arthroscopy.

While the Red Sox did not provide a timeline for his return to baseball activities, the procedure likely means he will miss the entire 2026 campaign.

As he recovered from knee surgery, Casas went down with an intercostal strain on the left side of his ribs in April, which shut him down indefinitely.

Interim manager Chad Tracy announced in late June that Casas had begun taking light swings and doing soft toss, but a wrist injury shut him down again just two weeks later.

“Those things are better,” Tracy told the Boston Herald in late July of Casas’ knee and intercostal strain recoveries. “Those things kind of got better, he started swinging again and the wrist thing is what popped up after that, so he’s still dealing with that.”

After undergoing wrist surgery, Casas’ future with the Boston — after appearing to be a possible fixture for years to come — now remains uncertain.

He debuted with the Red Sox in 2022 and enjoyed a breakout the following season, slashing .263/.367/.490 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in 132 games.

Casas had a strong start in 2024, but a series of rib injuries derailed his season.

After his scary knee injury last season, Boston acquired Willson Contreras to man first base with Casas’ health uncertain.

Carson Benge kept it short and sweet when asked about his approach at the plate of late. 

“See ball, hit ball.”

That simple-swinging approach certainly seems to be working for the youngster. 

Benge has been enjoying himself a spectacular rookie campaign, and he kept that rolling to help the Mets secure a sweep-clinching victory over the Guardians on Thursday.

He was retired his first time up but then picked up an extra-base hit for the third consecutive game, lacing an RBI triple 411 feet high off the center-field fence. 

Marcus Semien brought him home with a sacrifice fly two batters later. 

Benge was retired two more times but also singled twice on the afternoon, reaching base three times while also scoring a pair of runs across six plate appearances. 

He finished the series 5-for-15, with three of those hits going for extra-bases. 

“It’s just about being on time and getting a pitch I can handle,” Benge said.

While he’s battled through some tough stretches like any rookie would, the 23-year-old seems to just keep getting better and better as the season progresses. 

Benge is now hitting .294 with six homers, 18 RBI, and a .809 OPS over his last 40 games. 

“He’s doing a good job,” interim manager Andy Green said. “Shooting the ball to all parts of the park, putting together professional AB's -- it looks like he’s been around for a while instead of just four months, it’s a good start to a career.”

Legendary San Francisco Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow announced on Thursday, April 6, that he's calling it a career after 36 years in the booth. The voice of Giants baseball alongside his commentary partner Duane Kuiper, Krukow, 74, will retire at the end of the season.

The duo known as "Kruk and Kuip" have been a mainstay in the Bay Area over the past three decades that spanned some of the most memorable eras in the club's history. They called three World Series runs and Barry Bonds' road to surpassing Hank Aaron as MLB's all-time home run king, and they did so in their own unique way.

The pair coined so many terms that The Athletic published an in-depth glossary with all of their iconic sayings, from "Bettina Bunge backhand" to "Yarrraaaarraaarrrarrrahhhaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh" (the sound someone makes when they get caught yawning on camera).

Krukow and Kuiper are so legendary together, that Ken Rosenthal openly advocated on Thursday for the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame to make an exception to its longstanding policy of only allowing broadcasters to be inducted into Cooperstown one at a time.

Kuiper told The Athletic he plans on continuing next season.

Statement from Giants Broadcaster Mike Krukow pic.twitter.com/e9WbJFG3T9

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 6, 2026

"I just want to let everyone know that I will be retiring at the end of the season. I want to take this time to thank you for your incredible support," Krukow said in a statement released by the Giants. "Jennifer and I have been so blessed to be able to stay in the game for as long as we have and it’s really made it impossible to feel sorry for myself that my career is coming to an end.

"We are bracing for the emotional hits we know we are going to feel in the next few weeks. Jennifer and I are wondering if it is even possible to let everyone know how deeply we love and respect our Giants family. Our time together has been a gift. When Green Day asked, 'I hope you’ve had the time of your lives,' we certainly have."

In honor of one of baseball's biggest voices, here's a look back at some of Krukow's (and Kuiper's) most memorable calls:

San Francisco Giants fans will take any excuse to smile this season, even if it’s at the expense of one of their own players.

One silver lining about the Giants’ brutal record is that they can afford to give other players an opportunity to contribute on the big league club for the rest of the year, who otherwise might not have gotten a chance if San Francisco was in the pennant race.

One such player got his opportunity to shine on Wednesday and made the most of it.

25-year-old infielder Eddys Leonard made his MLB debut on Tuesday after spending nine years and over 3,000 plate appearances in the minor leagues. He recorded his first MLB hit with a double in the second inning and was grinning from ear to ear when reaching second base.

The game’s broadcast cameras panned to Leonard’s family, who was out of their seats and celebrating in hysteria after the hit. Leonard also pointed to his family afterwards.

Leonard (who took Heliot Ramos’ spot in the field after Ramos was traded to the New York Yankees at the deadline) spoke with the media after the game and said the moment was, “A dream come true.”

“A long time ago, I was waiting for that moment, and it happened today. I give all the glory to God,” Leonard added. “I’m not going to lie, I was crying because I was waiting for this moment for a long time.”

Leonard also said that he planned to give the ball to his parents, because “They deserve it. This wouldn’t be possible without them because of all the things that they did when I was a little kid.”

Perhaps Leonard can give Giants fans more reasons to smile as this season continues.

Blue Jays 2 Cubs 3 (11 innings)

Two outs in the ninth and two strikes, I figured it was time to open the computer and get on the recap. Boom. Alex Bregman homers to tie the game.

It was hardly fair to Dylan Cease who threw seven innings of two hit ball with one walk and ten strikeouts. He was amazing. Couldn’t gave been any better.

And Braydon Fisher threw a quick and efficient eighth.

Louis Varland gave up a single to start the ninth, then got a fly out (fairly deep to center) and a ground out. Then got to 1-2 on Bregman, threw a pitch right at the bottom of the zone (but dead center) and it ended up over the left field wall. Varland’s first blown save of the season.

We didn’t score in the top of the ninth.

Chase Lee got the tenth. With the runner on second he got a fly out. They opted to intentionally walk the next batter, to set up the double play. But wild pitch ended that hope. Runners on second and third, but Lee (with a five-man infield) got a strike out. Then Carson Kelly lined one up the middle, which looked like it was going to be the game, but Ernie Clement made an amazing jumping catch.

So, we got to the 11th. Our old friend Trent Thornton on the mound and Clement on second. The Jays strikeout (Josh Smith), ground out (Jesús Sánchez), intentional walk and a Straw ground out.

Brendon Little got the bottom of the inning. The first batter singled up the middle, but Straw made a great throw to get the runner at the plate. We were back to a runner on second, Pete Crow-Armstrong, now with one out. He went to steal throw, Brandon Valenzuala’s throw was a little off line, and it got past Josh Smith at third. Game over.

We scored one in:

• The first: Kazuma Okamonto walked with one out. Alejandro Kirk singled, George Springer hit into a force at second, putting runners on second. And we scored on everyone’s favourite play, a ‘disengagement violation’. David Peterson threw to first three times.
• The seventh: Andrés Giménez started it with a single. Myles Straw bunted him to second. After an Okamoto fly out, Kirk singled bringing in our second (and last run).

We had 11 hits and 4 walks, we should have scored more than two runs. Kirk had four hits. Giménez three. Clement two. Straw (2 k), Springer and Nathan Lukes (1 k). Well, Davis Schneider was 0 for 1, but had two walks.

We were 1 for 19 (yes, 19) with RISP. David Peterson was terrible and we couldn’t score against him. If you can’t score, you can’t win.

Jays of the Day: Cease (0.47), Lee (0.31), Kirk (0.22) and Fisher (0.09)

Other Award: Varland (-0.41), Straw (-0.28, but the throw from center should subtract some from that), Springer (-0.29), Lukes (-0.20), Smith (-0.15) and Clement (-0.11). I’m also giving on to Valenzula for the bad throw. Little had the number too, but all of that was from the throwing error.

Tomorrow the Jays will be in Philadelphia and we get our first look at José Soriano. Scott Wheeler starts for the Phillies.

The Milwaukee Brewers have found their fourth starter.

Dustin May, who was recently acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, made his Brewers debut this afternoon and delivered a gritty six-inning performance, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out five.

While riding high on the May train, the offense kept it going into today’s ballgame. Jackson Chourio hit a home run for the second straight day, this time in the bottom of the first inning to make it 1-0.

Later on, the rookie Cooper Pratt made his presence felt by driving in a run via the sacrifice flyout to extend the Crew’s lead to 2-0.

One of the lone blemishes of May’s debut was the home run he allowed to Brandon Lowe in the top of the fourth inning to pull the Pirates within one. Later in that same inning, Spencer Horwitz singled and drove in a runner to tie the game at 2-2.

Gary Sanchez is starting to heat up as we enter the middle part of August, as he has five hits over his last 19 at-bats, including a home run today in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Brewers back their lead at 3-2. Today’s home run was his first since his solo blast against the Chicago Cubs on June 28.

Pratt stayed hot in the bottom of the fifth inning as he drove a ball into the right-center field gap for a double before he later scored on a base hit by Brice Turang to extend the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. The offense kept nickle-and-diming the Pirates in the bottom of the sixth as well with an RBI base hit from Andrew Vaughn that drove in Garrett Mitchell from second base.

With today’s win, the Brewers not only lock up the series win but also improve their record since the All-Star break to 13-5, while holding the best record in baseball by three games. On the division side of the record breakdowns, the Brewers don’t have much room for error at this time as the Cubs are hot, but fortunately, they didn’t make up any ground despite sweeping the Dodgers last night.

Going back to May’s incredible debut with the Brewers this afternoon, his outing was among the top of those starting pitchers that were traded to another team, including (arguably) Tarik Skubal’s outing with the Dodgers. After this series, the rotation looks like it’s in a great spot to excel coming down the stretch, so long as everyone stays healthy.

The Brewers will be back in action tomorrow night as they take on the Minnesota Twins, a series in which they took two of three back in May. But with a retooled pitching staff, this could be a tricky series for the Crew. Shane Drohan will take the rock in the opener tomorrow, while a starter has yet to be announced for the Twins. First pitch is 7:40 p.m.

The Nats got a much needed win last night to snap their 7 game losing streak. Now they will look to build off that exciting victory and get a split here in Philly. This losing streak really put them behind the 8 ball in the playoff race, but if they get hot there is still time.

With a lefty on the mound, the Nats lineup looks very different. CJ Abrams is the only true lefty in the lineup, hitting cleanup. Andrew Pinckney will make his first career big league start, hitting 6th and playing left field. Andres Chaparro and Brady House both came up big off the bench last night, and will now be in the starting lineup. Miles Mikolas is on the mound, and the veteran just reached 10 years of MLB service time.

The Phillies are rolling out the exact same lineup for a third straight night. We all know the big names by now. Kyle Schwarber is at the top, Bryce Harper is hitting third and playing right, while new addition Luis Arraez plays second. It is a veteran laden lineup that Nats fans know all too well. Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez has cooled off somewhat, but remains an elite arm in this sport.

Game Info:

Stadium: Citizens Bank Park

Time: 6:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

Now that the monkey is off the Nats back, hopefully they are able to play more freely again. They will need to prove that this losing streak was just a mirage and not a sign of things to come. Winning tonight would be a good place to start. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.

The beginning of this week was tough for the Mets. 

They found themselves stuck in another offensive lull, dropping three straight to the Marlins at home after taking the opener of a four-game weekend set. 

They left numerous teammates behind in New York, then watched over the next two days as one-by-one they were shipped out ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. 

Instead of sulking, though, the depleted club went out and did what they needed to do. 

They showed some much-needed fight and were able to take care of business, securing a commanding three-game series sweep of the second place Guardians.

“They showed up to play,” interim manager Andy Green said. 

New York’s offense busted out of their skid in a big way with at least three homers in all three games, they played strong defense all over the field, and received a boost from the new-look bullpen.

Green particularly liked the energy they brought both on and off the field. 

“It was great,” he said. “Baseball can be misleading because when you don’t hit there isn’t energy -- we’re coming off a series we didn’t swing the bats well, then you come here and guys are hitting and feeding off each other.

“Then you add in the debuts and guys touching their dreams for the first time -- everybody loves being part of that no matter how the season has gone -- seeing guys step up adds energy, and guys are feeding off one another.”

Even sitting 11.5 games out of a Wild Card spot, Green sees the value in the Mets battling for wins down the stretch.

“If there’s a game, you should play to win,” he said. “That should be the cutthroat competitor that every person is in a clubhouse -- the city we play for deserves that, the fanbase deserves that, and that’s the identity we want to have.

“No matter how many times you get hit, you have to show up and you have to play to win -- it was a good series for us to show up and do that here, and there are a lot of games left to be played.”

The Red Sox had a stunning 2026 trade deadline — and team brass is shutting down any noise surrounding one of their more surprising moves.

There was the blockbuster trade for former Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, and then the Red Sox dealt former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to the Giants in the trade for reliever Erik Miller.

On Thursday, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow appeared on WEEI and discussed what went into the decision to part ways with the 23-year-old Mayer.

“There is this nonsense that appears on the social medias. Were there off-the-field issues with Marcelo? With Roman Anthony?” host Greg Hill asked Breslow.

“There are no issues with Marcelo and Roman off the field,” Breslow confirmed.

Breslow’s insistence comes after rumors that part of the reason the Red Sox traded away Mayer was because of his and Anthony’s off-the-field antics, and that the team felt the only solution was to separate the two friends.

A post on Reddit theorizing about a fight between the two that led to Anthony’s finger injury, which he’s now recovering from in Florida, only exacerbated rumors in the past couple of days.

“I’m not sure that something has to go wrong in order for that to be the outcome,” Breslow continued. “[Mayer is] still very young. I still expect him to have a very good Major League career.

“I think a lot of the perception that followed him was completely unfounded and completely untrue, but this was a baseball trade and it was an opportunity for us to strengthen a bullpen that I think is a core part of our team.”

Breslow called both players “great guys.”

Mayer and Anthony, alongside Kristian Campbell, were once considered the “Big 3” of elite Boston prospects.

As it stands now, Anthony hasn’t played since May 4 with a finger injury, Mayer is on the opposite coast in San Francisco and Campbell is back in Triple-A Worcester after seeing some time in the big leagues in 2025.