Category: Sports News

A team doesn’t fall this short of expectations without at least a few players failing to meet their expected level of production. The Orioles are no exception. Gunnar Henderson has been in the spotlight all season for his lack of superstar production, but this rings true for several players. Colton Cowser has failed to make an impact on the offensive side of the ball. Andrew Kittredge has disappointed as a high-leverage reliever. Carlos Narvaez has not resembled a major league hitter since coming over in the Rutschman deal.

At the same time, a few players have punched above their weight class. Blaze Alexander emerged as one of Baltimore’s best hitters. Christian Encarnacion-Strand took full advantage when given an opportunity. Brandon Young grabbed onto a rotation spot and never let go.

The next three guys do not fit into either category. Dylan Beavers, Jackson Holliday, and Coby Mayo all have the potential to be above-average hitters but have yet to carve out consistent everyday roles with the team.

Mayo has made headlines as a lefty masher. His superhuman numbers against left-handers have elevated his OPS+ to an above-average 110. At the same time, only five of his 21 home runs have come against right-handed pitching. His .323/.384/.752 line against southpaws is certainly something to marvel at, but his struggles against righties remain a mystery. Mayo did not exhibit anything close to these platoon splits in the minors, and he still feels like a guy that can figure it out with time. The numbers against lefties are destined to decrease, but a 110 OPS+ feels repeatable with heavy power numbers.

The Orioles made the decision to roll with Mayo out of necessity when Jordan Westburg went down. The team could have deployed a glove-first option at the hot corner, but the team gave Mayo an extended window to work out his defensive kinks. Things were not pretty early in the year, but Mayo rewarded the Orioles for sticking with him early in the season.

Mayo’s defense was a story all spring, but all three of these guys have significant room to improve. Beavers entered last night’s game with a -7 Fielding Run Value. Holliday started the game at -4. Mayo actually checked in as the “best” of the three with only a -2 FRV.

Holliday missed the beginning of the season after having his hamate bone removed. Players often struggle to regain their power after the procedure, and Holliday followed suit. He’s tallied only seven home runs over 92 games and has struggled to get going outside of a red-hot July.

The Orioles believed in Beavers enough to hold him back last summer until the deadline for PPI players had passed. Did the organization really view Beavers as a candidate for rookie of the year? The 25-year-old has failed to meet that expectation, but he continues to show an ability to get on base. Beavers currently holds a 101 OPS+ despite a rocky season that saw him miss well over a month with an oblique strain.

Mayo received an early opportunity and eventually clawed his way into the heart of the order. Holliday struggled before catching fire in July. An injury to Blaze Alexander cemented Holliday as an everyday player and eventually created an opportunity at the top of the lineup. Beavers fell back into a timeshare with a mediocre outfield, but he remains a long term option.

All three of these guys have room to grow on defense, and they’ve all been inconsistent at the plate, but the thing that really brings them together is a need for daily reps. With this season all but lost, will these guys be guaranteed the opportunity in 2027?

The early years of the Mike Elias tenure were brutal, but at least fans knew what to expect. Developing talent was the most strategically relevant goal, and the team could afford to give players an extended leash. The Orioles have tried (and failed) to put together a winning team over the last two seasons, and they will enter the offseason looking to win in 2027. How will they value this trio moving forward?

The team isn’t going to cut bait with any of these guys. Holliday is a former number one pick that should benefit from a healthy offseason and another year of quality instruction from his father. Mayo has all the power in the world, but will the team look to unlock his bat against righties? Does the team view Beavers as a starter or an extra outfielder?

The product on the field has been bleak over the last week. Pete Alonso has been great, but some of these guys have played brutal baseball. Beavers, Holliday and Mayo haven’t been the problem, but they’ll finish this season with a lot of meat left on the bone. Can the Orioles find a way to unlock that potential moving forward?

A throwaway today, but I can at least provide some interesting-ish context.

The Braves were third in homers through April, and pushed up to second in May. Then June happened and June was June, and the Braves fell all the way down to 12th. Their July homer binge, driven in part by so many pulled flies down the line, kicked them back up to fourth. They dropped to seventh by the end of August, which is where they sit right now.

There are about three weeks left in the season. Four teams (Mets, Athletics, Dodgers, Orioles) are less than ten behind the Braves. The White Sox and Astros are less than ten ahead of the Braves. The overall spread of homers-per-game in the league goes from 1.4 (Cubs) to 0.9 (Brewers); with 18 games left, it seems unlikely that the Braves will catch the currently-fourth Yankees (13 more homers right now) or fall as far back as the 12th-ranked Phillies (12 fewer homers right now). But, they’re also not quite on a homer binge right now (the opposite really) so that tilts the calculus a bit.

I’ll say they finish tenth, which will end up being a veiled reference to the fact that they have easily top-ten homer skill but faltered in execution pretty badly for long stretches over the course of the season.

This one hurt.

The Cubs were one strike away from a stirring, ninth-inning rally win over the rival Brewers.

Then: Single, two-run homer smashed halfway to the moon off Jacob Webb, and eventually a 10-inning loss, 4-3 to Milwaukee.

For those of you of a certain age, you were likely reminded of this game, almost exactly 57 years ago to the day, that helped kill the 1969 Cubs.

Fortunately for the 2026 Cubs, there are more postseason spots available now than back then, and the Cubs are still likely headed for a wild card series. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully.

Sigh. Let’s recap, shall we?

The Cubs jumped on Jacob Misiorowski for a run in the first inning. Seiya Suzuki hit a one-out double and one out later, Michael Busch singled him in [VIDEO].

The Brewers came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a double by Jackson Chourio and single by Brice Turang.

And that is where the score stayed until the ninth inning. David Peterson settled down, but had to be removed in the fifth at 83 pitches, only 47 of which were strikes. About that, from BCB’s JohnW53:

David Peterson became the 11th different Cubs starter this year to complete four innings but not five. Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon did it four times; Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga and Colin Rea, three; Ben Brown, Edward Cabrera, Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, two; and Peterson and Jordan Wicks, one.

That adds up to 27 starts, one of every 5.4 total starts.

From the second through the eighth, the Brewers got just three runners past first base. Along the way, the Cubs got a great defensive play from Matt Shaw in the second [VIDEO].

In the fifth, the Brewers had runners on first and second when Peterson was removed with one out. Trent Thornton relieved Peterson and struck out pinch-hitter Jake Bauers.

Then this happened [VIDEO].

That was just a fantastic throw from Suzuki and great tag by Miguel Amaya.

But the Cubs got only one runner past first base from the second through the eighth. That was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who singled with two out in the fifth and stole second, his 36th [VIDEO].

That was also PCA’s 100th career stolen base. More on that from John:

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s stolen base was his 100th. He is the 34th Cub to reach triple digits but only the ninth who played after 1947. Of those, Ryne Sandberg stole 344; Sammy Sosa, 181; Shawon Dunston, 175; Ivan de Jesus, 154; Nico Hoerner, 153; Jose Cardenal, 129; Bob Dernier, 119; and Ryan Theriot, 100.

But he was stranded.

The Cubs got some excellent relief work from Aaron Civale, who has been a revelation in the pen. He retired all six batters he faced, four by strikeout, and for an outing with that many K’s, it was efficient: Just 26 pitches, 19 of which were strikes. Ryan Rolison threw a scoreless eighth on just 13 pitches (nine strikes).

Then the Cubs took the lead in the ninth. Nico Hoerner and Pedro Ramirez led off with singles. Matt Shaw was called out on strikes, but Michael Conforto then walked to load the bases.

Craig Counsell sent Carson Kelly up to bat for Amaya. Kelly had an excellent at-bat, fouling off a whole bunch of pitches before hitting this two-run double [VIDEO].

As you can see, that didn’t miss being a grand slam by much, and, well, that would have helped.

In any case, the Cubs led 3-1 going to the bottom of the ninth. Webb retired the first two Brewers on just seven pitches. Webb ran an 0-2 count on pinch-hitter Christian Yelich.

One. Strike. Away.

Yelich ran the count full and then singled. Chourio, who had been 3-for-4 coming into this at-bat, slammed Webb’s second pitch out of the yard at 110 miles per hour to tie the game.

A fly out ended the inning and on to extras it went.

Suzuki was the placed runner. Bregman flied to right. Suzuki tried to take third, the right thing to do in this situation, but he overslid the base and was thrown out [VIDEO].

Thus the Cubs did not score in the 10th, and that gave them a near-impossible situation in the bottom of the inning. Caleb Thielbar entered to pitch and struck out Bauers, and then William Contreras was given an intentional pass. A single by Sal Frelick loaded the bases, and Luis Lara singled in the game-winner.

Sigh, again.

Here are postgame remarks from Webb [VIDEO].

Credit, at least, to Webb for being a standup guy.

Here are Counsell’s postgame comments [VIDEO].

One more note on this one from John:

This was the 11th game of the season in which the Cubs blew multiple leads. They are 5-6 in such games.

They have blown 63 leads, 24 of them in the next half-inning after going ahead, including both Wednesday night.
In all games in which they have blown leads, the Cubs are 23-29. They have lost nine in a row starting on Aug. 21. They had won five straight before then.

As bad as this feels, this is not the end of the world. The Cubs still trail the Phillies for the top wild card spot by just half a game, as the Phillies also lost Tuesday. The Cubs lead the Diamondbacks by three games and the Padres by 3.5 in the wild card race. As you know, the Cubs have the tiebreaker over all three of those teams. That might become very, very important.

The Cubs will try to salvage the final regular season game against the Brewers Wednesday evening in Milwaukee. It’ll be the third straight pitching rematch from last week: Kevin Gausman vs. Logan Henderson. Gausman had a really good game last week; here’s hoping for another just like that. Game time is 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.

Happy Wednesday, folks. Last night, Tanner Houck completed his first rehab assignment since undergoing Tommy John Surgery in August 2025. He threw 20 pitches, 8 for strikes, and allowed a run in 0.2 innings. Regardless of the results, getting back on the mound for the first time in two years is a step in the right direction. Assuming he recovers well, he’ll throw in another game later this week, ramping up to closer to 40 pitches. If all goes well, Houck could be in the mix for the playoff pitching staff.

Do you trust him, though? His best season was back in 2024, and there was little track record before that. At the same time, one of his biggest issues is getting through lineups multiple times. In a bullpen role, that becomes irrelevant. Lefties are another question, but pitching as a reliever allows Chad Tracy to pick his spots to deploy the righty. Despite these “solutions” to his weaknesses, will the rust be too tough to shake off? Strike-throwing and the lack of a third pitch are also questions.

I’m personally skeptical, but what do you think? Is his major league experience enough to displace Wyatt Olds or Greg Weissert on the staff, or should Houck be left on the shelf until 2027? USe this space to talk about what you want and be good to one another.

The Mets continue a three-game series against the Marlins in Miami on Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.

Mets Notes

• A.J. Ewing is hitting .379/.455/.586 with a homer and three doubles in 33 plate appearances over his last eight games
• Carson Benge is slashing .295/.357/.445 (.802 OPS) in 109 games dating back to May 3
• Nate Lavender has fired 14.0 scoreless innings with a 0.71 WHIP since making his big league debut

Today's Lineups

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Detroit Tigers are 55% favorites for this afternoon's AL Central showdown with the Minnesota Twins at Comerica Park, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET. 

With Keider Montero in good form, my Twins vs. Tigers predictions back Detroit to take the rubber match. Read more in my MLB picks for Wednesday, Sep. 9. 

Who will win Twins vs Tigers today: Tigers moneyline (55%)

For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.

The Detroit Tigers should feel confident today as they send Keider Montero to the mound. The right-hander owns a 2.91 xERA over his last four appearances with strong command and just 0.87 HR/9 allowed.

Montero is coming off a bit of a rough start, but that was more of an exception than the norm. The 26-year-old also tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins earlier this season, and this lineup is sitting right around league average offensively at the moment.

As for Zebby Matthews, he was tagged for four earned runs and three home runs last week against the White Sox. Matthews also owns an ugly 5.59 FIP on the road this season.

While the Tigers aren’t in their best form at the plate, Matthews’ struggles give them the cleaner edge.

Play this pick up to 58%.

COVERS INTEL: The majority of Zebby Matthews' long ball issues have been on the road, where he's surrendered 2.40 HR/9. At home, he's allowed just 0.95 HR/9. 

Twins vs Tigers Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (47%)

I’m leaning Under 8.5. Neither offense is in great shape, and Montero’s recent profile gives Detroit a stable starting point. 

Matthews is the obvious concern given his home run vulnerability, but the Tigers lineup isn't exactly firing on all cylinders, either. The Twins’ bullpen has also held its own lately with a 3.94 FIP over the last week.

Detroit’s relief corps is more vulnerable, but neither bullpen is allowing many homers, and neither lineup is going yard often as of late. I'm expecting another controlled offensive game at Comerica Park. 

Play this pick up to 53%.

Twins vs Tigers home run prediction: Riley Greene (19%)

Riley Greene is an intriguing value pick today. The slugger has cracked three home runs in his last six games, and facing Matthews creates a real opportunity to continue that power surge.

Matthews has allowed a 52.5% fly-ball rate over his last two starts, while Greene’s fly-ball rate over the last week sits at that same mark. Minnesota’s bullpen has also allowed a 44.4% fly-ball rate recently, giving Greene another path to damage if Matthews exits early.

Greene’s .500 ISO during this hot span only adds fuel to the pick, while his 46.3% hard-hit rate and 26.1% barrel rate are hard to ignore.

Play this pick up to 25%.

Twins vs Tigers weather

Weather could be a factor at Comerica Park, with overcast skies, humidity near 78%, and rain chances sitting around 47%-59% early in the game before easing later in the afternoon. Temperatures hover around 78-80°F with winds near 12 mph, so there's some delay risk but no extreme scoring boost.

Twins vs Tigers odds

• Moneyline: Twins 46% | Tigers 55%
• Run line: Twins +1.5 (64%) | Tigers -1.5 (37%)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (52%) | Under 8.5 (47%)

Twins vs Tigers trend

The Tigers have cashed the Under in 30 of their last 50 home games for +9.25 units and a 17% ROI. Find more MLB betting trends for Twins vs. Tigers.

How to watch Twins vs Tigers and game info

Twins vs Tigers latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Rangers 10, Mariners 5

• So that was pretty fun.
• Going on the road, entering the Mariners’ house, and putting up a 10 spot? That is baseball pleasure.
• Cal Quantrill gets credit for a Quality Start, giving him five such QSs in a row. I don’t get it , either.
• All three runs he allowed came on a two out, three run fourth inning home run by Lazaro Montes, a very large DH who the Mariners added to their active roster when rosters expanded. Quantrill served up a 2-1 Paul Lynde fastball that Montes…
• I am searching my vocabulary to find a word that adequately describes what Montes did to that baseball.
• It had a 116.1 mph exit velocity, and went, per Statcast, 474 feet. It was one of the farthest balls hit in the majors this year.
• Montes, in his minor league career, has been a Three True Outcomes guy, someone who walks a lot, hits a lot of homers, and strikes out a ton. He struck out his first time up against Quantrill, and struck out again in the ninth inning against Adam Macko.
• That homer by Montes cut the Rangers’ lead to 4-3, and made for some nervousness, briefly, in Rangers fans households.
• The Mariners executed an anti-shutdown inning in the top of the fifth, however, allowing five runs, two of them coming on a Wyatt Langford homer and three on a two out, three run Danny Jansen homer that swung any momentum the M’s thought they were getting from the Montes homer back the other way.
• That seemed to take the wind out of the Mariners’ sails, as they went meekly the next three innings, only challenging again when Adam Macko entered the game in the eighth.
• Macko allowed a run in the eighth and another in the ninth, with things getting a bit worrisome when the M’s loaded the bases with one out (that out coming on the Montes strikeout by Macko, supra) courtesy of a pair of singles and a Cody Freeman error. Fortunately for everyone’s peace of mind, Macko got Randy Arozarena on a sacrifice fly for the second out before striking out Dominic Canzone to end the game, making all the Rangers and Rangers fans happy.
• In between Quantrill and Macko, Robert Garcia made his triumphant return, needing just eight pitches to retire the side in the seventh, striking out pinch hitter Michael Arroyo on three pitches for the third out, a little exclamation point, of sorts, on Garcia’s outing.
• The Rangers got on M’s starter Bryce Miller early, with Corey Seager homering to start the scoring off in the first, and Nicky Lopez blooping an opposite field single to bring home Wyatt Langford in the second.
• Lopez was making his first start since August 19, something Dave Raymond and Mike Bascik were very excited about. He rewarded their enthusiasm by reaching base all four times he batted, going 3 for 3 with a hit by pitch, before being lifted for Freeman.
• Miller was lifted in the top of the fourth, with the Rangers up 2-0, the bases loaded, two outs, and Joc Pederson due up. Lefthander Jose Ferrer was summoned from the pen to face Pederson.
• Skip Schumaker, who has not been shy about pinch hitting early in games, sent Justin Foscue up to hit for Pederson.
• Pinch hitting for your lefty-swinging DH in the fourth inning of a game opens you up for criticism if it doesn’t work.
• On the other hand, in a bases loaded, two out situation and with the opportunity to break the game open, you can see why Schumaker would be willing to pull the trigger and send up Foscue, rather than having Pederson deal with a lefty.
• Foscue came through with a two run single, and thus the Rangers had a 4-0 lead rather than a 2-0 lead when Montes hit his homer in the bottom of the inning, and probably it didn’t matter in the long run, what with the Rangers scoring a bunch of runs in the top of the fifth, but it certainly didn’t hurt that the Montes bomb didn’t give the Mariners the lead. Vibes, momentum, whathaveyou.
• Sadly, the Guardians and Astros also both won on the road, so the Rangers are still a game and a half back of Cleveland in the Wild Card race and two games back of Houston.
• Still, better to tread water than lose ground.
• Cal Quantrill hit 95.3 mph with his fastball, averaging 94.1 mph, and 96.2 with his sinker, averaging 94.3 mph. Robert Garcia touched 94.6 mph with his fastball. Adam Macko’s fastball reached 95.7 mph.
• Wyatt Langford had a 107.3 mph home run. Corey Seager had a 106.9 mph home run. Evan Carter had a 104.2 mph single and a 100.9 mph groundout.
• The Rangers need to keep this going to stay in the race. Let’s do that.