PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 21: Logan Wagner #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers bats in the seventh inning during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Two games and two wins, as the Comets and Drillers were the only teams in action on Wednesday.
Player of the Day
Logan Wagner hasn’t had the easiest of transitions to Double-A, which is to be expected given he began the year in rookie ball. However, in this particular game against the Naturals, he was as menacing a hitter as the Drillers had at the plate, with a pair of long shots.
Although Wagner had multiple displays of power this season prior to yesterday’s game, it was only his second multihomer performance of the season, taking his season total to 22 across three separate levels.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
What did Gavin Stone, Edwin Díaz, and Kris Bubic all have in common as the Comets outhit the Space Cowboys on their way to an 8-6 win? All three of them failed to complete a full inning; Stone was removed with two outs in the first after seeing his pitch count rise over 30 in an inning in which he allowed three runs. Díaz’s pitch count climbed over 20 to secure a pair of outs as he allowed multiple walks, and lastly, Kris Bubic came into the game just to finish off the third inning started by Díaz.
The lack of length from several Comets pitchers led to Jackson Ferris coming in early and completing six innings of work as the Comets rode the hot hand all the way to the end of this game. Ferris had the incredibly rare six-inning save, allowing fewer hits (2) and runs (1) than the pitchers for the game’s first three innings combined.
Scoring six of their eight runs in the first two innings, the Comets were aggressive early and didn’t require a lot of slugging to reach this impressive total. Their most important hit came in the second when Ryan Fitzgerald knocked a bases-clearing double to make it 6-4 and give OKC its first lead of the game. James Tibbs III led the team with three runs scored, twice walking and also recording a hit.
In his final game with the Drillers before joining the big league club on Friday, Josue De Paula showed why he is one of this game’s most promising prospects. The Dodgers’ number one prospect homered as part of a blowout win for the Drillers. It was his 27th long shot of the season and one of four for the Drillers against zero from their opponent.
While the batting average has taken a big hit for Logan Wagner in his second promotion of the season—this one to the Drillers—the third baseman had his best game at this new level, securing a pair of long balls, now with six in 29 games in Double-A.
Alex Walsh, Christian Suarez, and Jacob Kmatz did a fantastic job behind starter Aidan Foeller, each of them delivering two-plus scoreless frames to keep the Naturals from even scoring multiple runs. Foeller ran into some problems early on, allowing four of the Naturals’ five hits in just 2.1 innings, but kept the damage minimal, not that it mattered much with the offense scoring 10.
High-A Great Lakes
There was no game in High-A, as the Loons return to postseason action this Thursday, visiting the Dragons.
Class-A Ontario
The Tower Buzzers also had an off-day, with Game 2 of their Division Series against the Storm coming this Thursday.
Transactions
The Dodgers extended Gavin Stone’s rehab assignment with the Comets.
Wednesday’s scores
Oklahoma City 8, Sugar Land 6
NW Arkansas 1, Tulsa 10
No games scheduled
No games scheduled
Thursday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Brooks Auger) at Dayton (Kyle McCoy) – Division Series (GL up 1-0)
4:35 p.m. PT: Oklahoma City (TBD) vs. Sugar Land (Brandon McPherson)
5:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (TBD) at NW Arkansas (Grant Grambell)
6:05 p.m. PT: Ontario (TBD) at Lake Elsinore (Kruz Schoolcraft) – Division Series (ONT down 1-0)
Gage Wood of the Reading Phillies warms up before a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on July 7, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It wasn’t a good night for Lehigh Valley, but the news was much better out of Reading, where Gage Wood was backed by four home runs, and the Fightin’ Phils reached the precipice of a spot in the Eastern League playoffs.
Worcester 8, Lehigh Valley 3
The IronPigs fell into an early hole on Wednesday, giving up seven runs in the first four innings. Starting pitcher Brian Keller had a rough game, as he was responsible for all seven of those runs.
The ‘Pigs offense was quiet for most of the game before a too little, too late three-run eighth inning. Gabriel Rincones was one of the few players to have a good game with two hits, including his third home run of the season.
Reading 11, Erie 3
The Fightin’ Phils reduced their magic number for a playoff spot to one by bashing the Erie Seawolves on Wednesday. Gage Wood had another encouraging start, giving up two runs in his five innings to earn his first win of his career.
The Phils backed him with plenty of offense including four home runs. Aroon Escobar, Bryson Ware, Raylin Heredia, and Carson DeMartini all went deep in the game.
AN ABSOLUTE BOMB FROM AROON ESCOBAR 💣
The @Phillies No. 6 prospect CRUSHES his 10th homer of the year!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 06: Head coach Nick Nurse of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts during the first quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Two of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 06, 2026 in New York City. 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. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Nick Nurse took over as the Sixers’ head coach ahead of the 2023-24 season, players were buzzing with excitement about his energy and creativity. But with Joel Embiid and Paul George cycling in and out of the lineup over the past two seasons, Nurse hasn’t gotten many chances to show off that side of himself. His experimentation with lineups was more out of necessity than anything else.
That shouldn’t be the case this coming season. Between Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe and some guy named LeBron James, the Sixers have more top-end talent than they’ve had arguably in decades. But their talent doesn’t just stop at their starting five. They’re far deeper than they’ve been at any point in the Nurse era, too.
After an up-and-down regular season last year, Nurse already started getting back in the good graces of Sixers fans by helping orchestrate the Sixers’ thrilling 3-1 series comeback against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was so rattled by the end of that series that he started Baylor Scheierman, Luka Garza and Ron Harper Jr. in Game 7. On purpose!
Granted, the good vibes didn’t last long. A second-round sweep at the hands of the eventual champion New York Knicks left the Sixers looking rudderless heading into the offseason. Of course, that was before new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey pulled off the coup of all coups by landing both Brown and James.
Those two were the headliners of the offseason for obvious reasons, but they weren’t the Sixers’ only key additions. Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could all play key roles off the bench this season. Gansey also resisted the temptation to draft for fit over talent when he took Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall, giving the Sixers another ball-handler behind Maxey and Edgecombe.
It’s now on Nurse to figure out how all of these pieces will fit together.
Will the ‘mad scientist’ show up?
Nurse made a name for himself in Toronto when he helped guide the Raptors to their first-ever championship in 2019. His decision to deploy a box-and-one defense against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals that year was some true sicko stuff.
“Trying new stuff, being innovative, is who Nick is,” then-Raptors president Masai Ujiri said about Nurse during his introductory press conference in Toronto in 2018. “You can tell he’s a tactician who really thinks the game.”
That innovation hasn’t been on display as much as expected in Philly… yet. The Sixers had 54 different starting lineups in 2024-25 (!), but that was a byproduct of injuries more than anything else. Much like Doc Rivers before him, Nurse flirted with the idea of double-big lineups featuring Embiid and either Andre Drummond or Adem Bona, but Embiid and Bona played only 46 minutes together last year, while Embiid and Drummond shared the floor for only eight minutes.
This season, Nurse should have plenty of chances to lean back into his experimental nature.
Nurse already confirmed that he plans to deploy LeBron as an “offense creator” who will “bring the ball up the floor and try to create for himself and others,” but Maxey and Edgecombe should get some ball-handling reps as well. Being able to use LeBron, Maxey and Edgecombe both as on- and off-ball weapons should make the Sixers that much more unpredictable on offense, so it’ll be imperative for Nurse not to lean solely on LeBron as the main ball-handler.
Nurse already began moving away from Embiid as the Sixers’ offensive fulcrum last season, and the Sixers’ offseason overhaul should only further expedite that process. This will be the first time in Embiid’s career where he doesn’t have to score 20-plus points on any given night to give the Sixers even a puncher’s chance of winning. Can Nurse get him to buy into scaling back his offensive role even more and instead get him to spend his energy on defense, rebounding, screen-setting and boxing out?
And how will he deploy Brown, who’s fresh off a career year as the No. 1 option in Boston? Brown’s handle isn’t tight enough to merit running the offense through him again, but he’s a legitimate weapon in isolations. He’s also big and physical enough to back down smaller defenders. Finding the balance between that and keeping the ball moving might be among Nurse’s greatest challenges this year.
Pace is the other big question looming over the Sixers offense. Maxey, James and Brown were second, third and fourth, respectively, in transition points per game last season, and Edgecombe’s youth and athleticism should make him a dynamic weapon in the open floor as well. Embiid… not so much. How does Nurse blend those two styles together?
While the Sixers’ starting five figure to open and close games together, they’ll also have plenty of time intermingling with bench players. It’ll be on Nurse to figure out which combinations and skill sets fit best together.
He did lean into more three-guard lineups with Maxey, Edgecombe and Quentin Grimes last year—again, mostly out of necessity—but will he try out units with three of Maxey, Edgecombe, Simons, KCP and Philon? How will the forward rotation shake out behind Brown and James? What’s the optimal role for Wade and Dominick Barlow this year? Do Jabari Walker and Justin Edwards factor into the rotation at all?
While it’s imperative for the starting five to develop chemistry—after all, they’ll be playing the lion’s share of the minutes if (when?) the Sixers make it to the playoffs—Nurse needs to lean into his experimental side during the regular season, especially early on. The Sixers will have an opportunity to address any holes in their roster at the trade deadline or on the buyout market, but they first need to identify their biggest needs before looking to rectify them.
Luckily, Nurse’s experience with integrating Kawhi Leonard into the 2018-19 Raptors could help him this season.
“Nurse was brought in to deliver outside-the-box thinking to a group that had grown stagnant, and accordingly, he was all over the map in his first go-around,” William Lou of Yahoo Sports wrote in 2019. “He treated the entire regular season as one great experiment, shuffling through 22 different starting lineups while managing a never-ending slew of injuries.” (Sound familiar?)
“The Raptors lacked the consistency and continuity that powered them under [former head coach Dwane] Casey, but it was a concerted sacrifice made in the name of versatility,” Lou added. “The ability to adapt was thought to be an advantage come playoff time.”
During his introductory press conference with the Raptors, Nurse specifically said that he wanted to get more creative defensively “so we can try to be ready for more things in the playoffs.” The box-and-one in the 2019 Finals was a total wild card, but Nurse used a double-big lineup with Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the Raptors’ second-round series against the Sixers to flip the script after they fell into a 2-1 hole.
The Sixers will face a variety of threats throughout the Eastern Conference this year, all of whom present different challenges. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers will all trot out double-big lineups, while elite guards and wings and a five-out starting unit will be the New York Knicks’ calling card. Befitting their name, the Pacers figure to push the pace and overwhelm opponents with depth, while the Boston Celtics will once again likely look to leverage the math battle by bombing away from deep.
The Sixers need to be prepared for all of the stylistic challenges that their potential playoff opponents can present. The regular season is an 82-game crucible to get them ready for that. While they need to focus on winning as many games as possible for playoff-seeding purposes, using the same lineups and combinations night after night won’t do much to get them ready for the postseason.
In 2022, Ujiri described Nurse as a “mad scientist” who “lives, sleeps and drinks the game.” He’s had plenty of time this offseason to be in his lab figuring out the best ways to deploy the new talent he has at his disposal. In a few weeks, we’ll get to see what he’s cooked up.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians is unable to catch a foul ball during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 9, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You don’t have to be an expert baseball analyst to see that Jose Ramirez is not his old self.
Last night, Jose’s OPS dipped below .700 for the first time since the Cavaliers still had never won an NBA title. He has a .591 OPS since returning from hamate surgery. Now, prior to surgery, Jose was not his usual self in actual production with a 111 wRC+ but his xwOBA of .354 was in line with his production from 2024-2025. He wasn’t hitting as usual pulled-fly-balls as usual, but everything else looked about normal. And, who knows exactly how long the hamate has been bothering him.
Since returning, Jose continues to have an elite eye at the plate with a 10/9 K/BB% and elite baserunning… but his power is completely gone and he has had some concerning defensive issues (last night’s drop of a pop-up foul, included). The power being gone seems very clearly explained by his hamate issue; his strength has not yet returned and likely will not until next season. The defensive issues… my guess is Jose is carrying his disappointment with him into the field, which, while understandable, does need to improve.
So, what should we think about this?
First of all, if you are looking at Jose and angry because you believe he does not care or is not trying… you can kick rocks. He clearly cares as much as always… probably caring too much is part of his problem.
Second of all, if you believe Jose should be benched, you need to go research the results of hamate surgery for older players and look at how to root for aging faces of the franchise. I swear to you if I hear any of you boo Jose, I will personally curse you so that both sides of your pillow are perpetually uncomfortably moist and warm.
José Ramírez chose us when no other superstar in the history of any Cleveland sport would have done what he did in extending here in 2022. He is Cleveland baseball. He will return to being a great player in 2027 (provided there is a season). Don’t abandon a future hall of famer at the first sign of trouble and make yourself look like an idiot when he shows you he’s not washed in short order.
Should José be batting third right now? No. Should he probably be on the IL? Maybe. Should we support him and believe in him and make excuses for him because he loves us like no other Cleveland athlete ever has. Absolutely.
So, get your act together, Guardians’ fans. Stay in Jose’s corner with the kind of grit and stubbornness he and our city are famous for.
May 11, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers Elvis Andrus (1) lays down a sacrafice bunt in the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Morning, all!
Sebastian Walcott has been setting the Texas League on fire but has been limited to DH as he recovers from an internal brace procedure performed in February. The plan is for him to return to the field for the playoffs and then play in the Carrinean this winter. League
Nathan Eovaldi is chomping at the bit to return to the Rangers active roster, where he will likely be limited to a relief role in the final stretch.
If the Rangers are going to make the playoffs they need Wyatt Langford to get his poop together.
Yolfran Castillo is knocking at the door of of MLB top prospect lists on the strength of his speed, defense, and maturing plate approach.
Cody Bradford collected his fourth straight loss last night after giving up three runs in four innings.
Max Fried has been dealing for the New York Yankees. He owns a 2.47 xERA over his last two starts, and the left-hander is consistently limiting damage.
Fried has allowed Under 1.5 earned runs in five consecutive appearances while also pitching deep into games. The 32-year-old gets a favorable matchup against the Colorado Rockies tonight, who have one of the worst lineups in baseball.
Colorado also has a poor 80 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. Expect Fried to twirl another gem.
Play this comfortably up to -130.
Time: 7:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, Rockies.TV
Zack Wheeler Under 1.5 earned runs (+104)
Zack Wheeler has had his struggles at times this season, but the right-hander has found a rhythm, and he's looked unhittable. Wheeler has posted a solid 2.95 xERA over his last two outings with strong command and minimal home run damage.
He has surrendered just one earned run in each of his previous two appearances and now faces a Houston Astros lineup today that has just an 84 wRC+ over the previous two weeks.
Wheeler has also limited opponents to a 22.2% hard-hit rate recently. He's inducing weak contact and pounding the strike zone, making this a perfect spot to keep up his recent dominance.
Play down to -110.
Time: 1:05 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, SCHN
Tristan Peters Over 0.5 hits (-138)
Tristan Peters has been a consistent offensive force for the Chicago White Sox. The Canadian outfielder is batting .400 over the last week, and he's cashed the Over in hits in four of his previous five contests.
Peters will face Jared Jones tonight, and while the right-hander has limited damage lately, he's still allowed a 40.7% hard-hit rate across his last two starts.
Jones has been more vulnerable on the road as well, and the Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen isn't untouchable, either.
Peters' recent 55.6% hard-hit rate just adds more fuel to this pick.
Play up to -150.
Time: 7:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CHSN, SportsNet Pittsburgh
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 12-12, -1.80
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
San Diego, CA - September 9: Jackson Merrill #3 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-run triple in the third inning against the Washington Nationals looks on at Petco Park on September 9, 2026 in San Diego, CA. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
The high-leverage arms in the San Diego Padres bullpen of Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller needed a day to sit and watch a game without having to warmup and without having to come into the game to protect and/or save another one-run game. Jackson Merrill gave them that day with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate with two home runs, a triple and six RBI to lead the Padres to a 9-2 win and series sweep over the Washington Nationals at Petco Park on Thursday.
Merrill made his first impact in game in the bottom of the third inning with San Diego trailing Washington, 2-1 with runners at first and second with two outs. Merrill drove a ball to center field that caused Nationals center fielder Jacob Young to crash into the wall before he could make the catch near the 396 marker. The ball bounced off the wall and rolled back toward the infield as Merrill raced into third base with a two-run triple to give the Padres a 3-2 lead.
The young star struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning with San Diego leading, 5-2. Merrill connected on an opposite field two-run home run to put the Padres up 7-2. He later added a second home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning to give San Diego and 8-2 lead. For good measure, Merrill ripped a ball toward first base in the bottom of the eighth inning and Washington first baseman Andres Chaparro was unable to make a play and the ball rolled into right field to give the Padres their final run of the game and a 9-2 lead en route to the win.
Walker Buehler started on the mound for San Diego and turned in his worst start in recent memory. Padres manager Craig Stammen went out to the mound in the third inning with Buehler struggling to locate his pitches after he retired the first six Nationals in order, four of which were strikeouts. Buehler then allowed a leadoff home run to Keibert Ruiz to put Washington up, 1-0. Buehler then allowed a walk to Nasim Nunez, a single to Young and another walk to James Wood to load the bases. The right-hander induced a line drive to right field off the bat of Dylan Crews which should have been caught, but Jase Bowen fell trying to make a play on the ball and it dropped in for an RBI single to put the Nationals ahead 2-0 with the bases still loaded and no outs.
Buehler got Chaparro to pop out for the first out of the top of the third inning, but then Stammen went out to talk to his pitcher. Buehler had apparently convinced Stammen to let him stay in the game and as the manager started to walk away from the mound he was advised that was the team’s second visit to the mound in the inning and he would have to make a pitching change. Kyle Hart had been warming and was able to come into the game and record a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat and the inning, but Buehler’s day was over after 2.1 innings pitched with two runs allowed on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The remainder of the game was handled like a “pitching chaos” bullpen game for San Diego. Hart completed 2.1 innings and was followed by David Morgan who worked 0.1 inning. Yuki Matsui pitched a scoreless sixth inning and Wandy Peralta threw two scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth. Griffin Canning was called on for the top of the ninth inning and he retired the Washington batters in order on 11 pitches to close out the game.
The Padres have an off day today, but will return to action on the road against the San Francisco Giants for a three-game series at Oracle Park starting Friday at 7:15 p.m.
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 08: CJ Abrams #5 of Washington Nationals looks on during the game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ryan Levy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Heading into the season, one of the main questions CJ Abrams had to answer was whether he could sustain his production over a full season. In 2024 and 2025, Abrams was phenomenal before the All-Star break before fading down the stretch. This season, he had his best first half yet, with a .275 average and .862 OPS which made him the starting shortstop in the All-Star game.
Unlike previous years, Abrams got off to a red hot start in the second half. His performances late in July actually helped him win player of the month. It looked like Abrams was finally delivering a full season of excellence. However, he has fallen on hard times lately.
— Baseball Performances (@MLBPerformances) July 26, 2026
A lot of Nats players have been impacted by the trade deadline and the season going down the tubes, but none more than Abrams. Since the deadline, Abrams is hitting an abysmal .171 with a .536 OPS. That is just not a month you can be having if you are a star player.
Abrams has obviously had his second half slumps before, which we will get into. However, one thing that makes this run unique is just how much he is striking out. In August, Abrams stuck out over 35% of the time, which is not something I would associate with him. It is actually the most he has struck out in a month his entire MLB career.
When Abrams slumped in the past, we tended to see a lot of weak contact. Right now, he just is not making consistent contact at all. It feels like he is trying to break out of his slump with one swing, when he should be trying to just rack up base hits.
Watching Abrams come up to the plate is honestly something I dread right now. It is not even because I am mad, it is more out of sadness. Abrams is a player I really like and is so fun to watch when he is on his game. Seeing him strike out in big spots over and over is just a real bummer.
It’s absolutely brutal watching CJ Abrams right now.
One month ago he was one of the best hitters in baseball with a .920 OPS and .298 AVG.
We all know that Abrams is a streaky player, but this month was extreme even by his standards. The 40 wRC+ he posted this August is the second worst since becoming a full time big leaguer and the worst of any second half month. He has had second half struggles in the past, but none of those months were as bad as this one.
When Abrams’ name was in trade rumors at the deadline, I did not want to move him unless there was a godfather offer. That seemed to be the same line of thinking the front office had. In hindsight, maybe the deadline was the perfect time to move him. They already sold off a lot of what made this offense great, so why not move Abrams as well.
For the Nats to keep Abrams into next season, there needs to be a clear plan to build a playoff team by 2028. After this deadline, that still feels far off, especially if Abrams can’t carry his weight in the second half. If they trade Abrams this offseason, you are not going to get the kind of return you would have received at the deadline.
At that time, Abrams had an extra half season of control and was exercising his second half demons. However, old habits tend to die hard and Abrams is falling back into his old ways. He just does not look right physically or mentally.
One thing that absolutely seems to have taken a toll on him is the position change. On August 14th, it was announced that Abrams would be moving to second base, something he did not sound happy about when he talked to the media. Since August 15th, Abrams is hitting .118 with a .390 OPS. He is 9 for 76 with 29 strikeouts.
Blake Butera said CJ Abrams will start playing second base in a few days. Will still have shortstop reps once a week or so. But a big decision from the organization.
Abrams has to take some blame for this, but it does not seem like the position change has gone down well. The timing of the move seemed odd and it is not aging well. If the idea was to show other teams Abrams can play second to boost his trade value, the idea backfired. The move has played a role in muting his offense, thus lowering that value.
As I said, Abrams deserves blame for letting this throw him off his game. He is a professional and needs to be a team player. However, all of this just seems like an unforced error that did not need to happen.
What could have been a special season for Abrams is once again ending on a sour note. He still has 30 homers and 28 steals, but his numbers have really gone in the tank. When July ended, Abrams had a .290 average and .930 OPS. Today, CJ Abrams now has a .259 average and .827 OPS.
That .930 OPS was over his true talent level and we had to expect regression. However, it is very disappointing to see Abrams totally go in the tank down the stretch. He is getting better every year, but we always end seasons with more questions than answers.
With a career 56 wRC+ in August and 84 wRC+ in September, this might just be who Abrams is. The only thing that is holding me back from saying that outright is the kinds of teams he has been on. Over the last three seasons, the Nats have been a pretty sad team down the stretch.
Abrams is clearly a player who thrives off good vibes and confidence. With everything collapsing around him, it is tough to have those things. If he were actually on a team that was competitive in September, I do not think the collapses would be this bad.
However, that is just a theory right now. At some point, Abrams has to go out there and prove he can perform at even an average level the last two months of the season. If Abrams wants to consider himself a superstar that deserves a massive payday, he cannot perform like this down the stretch.
Philadelphia (64%) is a sizable favorite to take the series finale against Houston as I make my Astros vs. Phillies predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, Sept. 10.
The Phillies are 8-2 with a 2.5-run average margin of victory in home games with Zack Wheeler on the mound, and I'm expecting that success to continue tonight.
Who will win Astros vs Phillies today: Philadelphia Phillies (63%)
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
Zack Wheeler appears to have rebounded after a mid-season rough patch. He posted an xERA of 3.14 in three of the past four starts, and Wheeler is in a good spot to build on that against the Houston Astros.
They sit 28th in xwOBA against right-handed pitching in September, and rank dead-last over the past 30 games.
Cristian Javier has found his footing as well, but five of his past six starts came against teams ranking in the bottom 10 in OPS vs. righties (the Philadelphia Phillies are 18th).
Astros vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (50%)
I don’t see either team producing a ceiling performance at the plate.
The Astros are 26th in hard-hit rate and 28th in squared-up contact against righties this month. They’re not stringing together many damaging swings.
While the Phillies have been generating more hard-hit balls, they’re not finding barrels. Only the Guardians rank below the Phillies in barrels versus righties in September.
Javier’s pitching profile has improved drastically of late, but he's still struggling to limit home runs. The matchup should help.
Play to 53%.
Astros vs Phillies home run prediction: Bryce Harper (22%)
Fastballs and changeups account for nearly 70% of what Javier throws against left-handed hitters. That should play into Bryce Harper's hands, as he's gone nuclear when facing those two pitches this season.
Harper has hit .354 with an xwOBA of nearly .500. More importantly, his barrel rate sits at 17.2% and his xSLG has cleared .700.
He consistently hammers those pitches, and Harper will see a steady diet of fastballs and changeups with Javier on the mound.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 106-92, -7.4 units
Over/Under bets: 101-91-6, -2.61 units
Astros vs Phillies weather
Temperatures in the low 80s are expected, with winds blowing left to right. That's a boost to the bats.
Astros vs Phillies odds
Moneyline: Astros 38% | Phillies 63%
Run line: Astros +1.5 (55%) | Phillies -1.5 (46%)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (51%) | Under 8.5 (50%)
Astros vs Phillies trend
Philadelphia has hit the moneyline in 18 of the last 24 games (+10.80 units, 29% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Phillies.
How to watch Astros vs Phillies and game info
Location
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Thursday, September 10, 2026
First pitch
1:05 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Astros starting pitcher
Cristian Javier (2-5, 5.98 ERA)
Phillies starting pitcher
Zack Wheeler (12-5, 3.24 ERA)
Astros vs Phillies latest injuries
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How happily Chris Getz and Will Venable end the season may well depend on one upcoming decision. | Getty Images
Anybody in sports management has to make a lot of decisions that may or may not pan out. GM Chris Getz made some last offseason that went well, and some at the trade deadline that have proven dismal. Manager Will Venable has to make decisions in-game that may or may not work that particular day, like the lineup, pitching changes and substitutions, not to mention all his off-field management of the team.
But even in a year that has wildly exceeded expectations even if they go 0-for-the-rest-of-the-season, the White Sox have one decision coming up that could ruin all the goodwill amassed so far, or make them heroes nigh on forever — or at least until next season, whenever that may be.
That decision is what to do about Sean Burke.
There’s no question the ace of the staff is struggling. He was just absolutely pounded by the Pirates, but he’s had a hard time of it for a month. Even in the only start with a good finishing line, allowing no runs to Houston, it took him 104 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings.
Something has to be done. But what?
Well, that’s why Getz and Venable get paid the big bucks.
Burke is obviously out of gas. Not all pitchers indicate so by a drop in velocity — some, like Burke, lose command and/or sharpness instead. He’s already 22 innings beyond his total for 2025, and Steve Stone says you can increase a pitcher’s workload from year to year but usually not by much. Stone also points out that it’s not just how many innings or pitches you throw, but the pressure under which you’re working — and the pressure of performing as the ace of a team with a narrow division lead is a whole lot different than just being another guy on a team heading to 100 losses.
Midseason, you could afford to rest him. But with just 18 games to go — three more turns through the rotation for him — and just a two-game lead on Cleveland for the AL Central title and 1 1/2 games on the Astros for the No. 2 playoff seed — how do you do that?
There are two directions to go.
You can realize that without a long rest Burke will be useless in the playoffs, potentially leaving the Sox with no starting pitcher they can really rely on in the postseason, and so find him a handy blister like the one that put Davis Martin on the 15-day IL and bring him back for one appearance to warm up before the playoffs. But that could very well mean not making the playoffs — so the point would be lost.
Or, you can decide that without Burke for the rest of the regular season you’re apt to fade out of playoff status, and keep him in the rotation and hope for the best. Even if he is totally tanked, if you somehow get to the postseason anyway, you can still claim, “We made the playoffs, we made the playoffs!” no matter what happens at that point.
With a loaded staff, the decision to rest Burke would be easy. But while the bullpen rates first place in Baseball-Reference’s Wins Above Average by Position (and is itself starting to look very tired), the starters are on the fade. After his restful IL stint, Martin came back with a strong game in Houston — but that’s one game, which may or may not be indicative of how he’ll be the rest of the season (this is written before he faced the Pirates). Anthony Kay is showing a lot of wear and tear, getting through three innings or so looking like Sandy Koufax, but then getting shelled in the fourth or fifth every time. Luis Castillo, the alleged innings-eater, has proven to be an over-the-hill huge mistake. José Urquidy has been awful except for one game, and is apparently now hurt.
That leaves Erick Fedde as the ace if Burke is out. Fedde has been OK since being reinstated from the bullpen in mid-August (maybe a nice rest there helped), with six runs in 21 2/3 innings in five starts or pseudo-starts. But do you really want to depend on Fedde in a big game?
Of course, rest Burke and you need to either really stretch out Hagen Smith before he’s ready, tax your already-tired relievers with regular bullpen games, or bring up someone from Charlotte. Several of the minor leaguers have thrown well … in the minors, that is. In brief stints with the Sox, not so much.
The choices don’t appear attractive. But decisions have to be made.
What say, Will and Chris?
And, for that matter, handed control of the team, what would say you?
As many Sixers fans have seen, Embiid has been on the court and looked in excellent physical shape this offseason. Embiid has indeed been moving well and feeling good about his summer, a team source recently said. The organization is optimistic about his health and mobility in the season ahead.
We’ll see exactly how the team handles his games and minutes this year. It would certainly be a surprise to see Embiid play back-to-backs again off the bat. The Sixers plan to have a fluid approach with Embiid as the season progresses and they see what works for his body and for the team. On head coach Nick Nurse’s 2018-19 NBA champion Raptors, Kawhi Leonard played in 60 games and zero back-to-backs.Toronto went 9-3 on the second leg of back-to-backs. The Sixers had a great year in that regard last season, going 12-4 on the second night of back-to-backs, and would be thrilled with similar results in the 2026-27 campaign as they manage their star-packed roster.
“We figured out the schedule,” Embiid said, “and what I have to do every single day to make sure I’m prepared and that I feel good. … Simon Rice, he’s been the main guy when it comes to everything. I would say probably everybody mostly gave up on me.
“He’s the one guy who kept trying to figure it out. What can we do? How can he help me? I’m really thankful because he was that one person. He’s in the background. No one is ever going to mention his name and talk about him, but he’s the guy.”
James played 60 games last season and averaged a career-low 33.2 minutes. Like with Embiid, the Sixers will care more about his playoff availability than the regular season. Of course, James has developed an exceptional understanding of how to treat his body and get through seasons over the years. He’ll turn 42 years old during the regular season and will undoubtedly have periodic rest with the postseason in mind.
Tyrese Maxey’s norm the past three years with Nurse has been enormous minutes. He played an NBA-high 38.0 per game last season. Whatever that number is for the 2026-27 season, the Sixers will expect Maxey’s minutes to be substantially less taxing with two new stars on the team in James and Brown.
Maxey logged 70 games last year, though he returned from a pinky finger injury ahead of schedule late in the season, aggravated it multiple times, and wasn’t near 100 percent in the playoffs. The two-time All-Star guard will always push to play, but it’s worth remembering that nagging, recurring injuries have impacted him before and the Sixers would obviously prefer to avoid those sorts of problems in 2026-27.
The Sixers are pleased with their depth, including second-unit summer pickups Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade, but any team can be stretched thin when injuries pile up. They’ll try to control what they can health-wise and hope for better luck than in injury-cursed years past.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are mourning one of their own, while joining the rest of rhe hockey world in remembering Barry Melrose.
The former defenceman from Kelvington, Sask., who later became the most recognizable hockey voice in the United States, died Wednesday at 70 after a three-year fight with Parkinson’s disease.
The club issued a statement late Wednesday night calling him a “hard-nosed defenceman” who played 173 of his 300 NHL games in Toronto and later “informed and entertained hockey fans all over the world.”
Melrose arrived in Toronto mid-season in 1980-81 after a stop with the Winnipeg Jets. Over three seasons he piled up 420 penalty minutes in a Leafs sweater, skating alongside Börje Salming and Darryl Sittler early on and later under Punch Imlach
A decade later he came back to Maple Leaf Gardens as the enemy.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Barry Melrose.
A hard-nosed defenceman from Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Barry played in 173 of his 300 NHL games with the Maple Leafs and amassed 420 penalty minutes in that time with the club. Following his… pic.twitter.com/Yreu1mIUa1
In his first season as an NHL head coach, the 36-year-old Melrose took Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille and the Los Angeles Kings all the way to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. First they had to get past Toronto. The Campbell Conference Final went seven games and remains one of the most crushing playoff defeats of the Leafs’ 1990s. After the teams split the first six, Gretzky scored the winner in Game 7 at the Gardens. An all-Canadian Final against Montreal vanished in a night. The series was defined by Marty McSorley’s hit on Doug Gilmour and the brawl that followed, a moment Melrose later said “won us the series.” For a generation of Leafs fans, that night still sits in the same drawer as 1993 itself. Los Angeles then fell to Patrick Roy and the Canadiens in five games.
That was the last great chapter of Melrose the coach. The next one made him bigger than any team he ever ran.
From 1996 until his 2023 retirement, Melrose was ESPN’s hockey guy. He became the face of the sport for millions of American viewers who otherwise might never have found hockey. He worked All-Star Games, playoffs and Stanley Cup Finals. When ESPN did not hold NHL rights, he still showed up on SportsCenter and sold the game anyway.
Colleagues called him a hockey original. Gretzky said he was “bigger than any team.” Commissioner Gary Bettman noted that Melrose “cut an unmistakable figure” and spent decades making the sport bigger in the United States
We at the The Hockey News pass along our condolences to the Melrose family.
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The Cubs, hopefully, will right the ship soon or any postseason play they do qualify for — and yes, there’s now a chance they won’t make it at all — will be short.
They lost to the Brewers 8-6 Wednesday evening in Milwaukee, and the game wasn’t that close. That’s a series sweep for the Brewers and the Cubs’ fourth straight loss. How was your Wednesday?
Let me get straight to the first Craig Counsell managerial choice I disagreed with.
The Brewers took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on a three-run homer by Christian Yelich. Yelich is not the player he was a few years ago and that was just the second home run he’d hit in his last 19 games. Both of those homers are off Cubs pitching.
Anyway, Kevin Gausman, who was so good against Milwaukee last week at Wrigley Field, clearly didn’t have it on this night. He gave up two more hits after the homer and threw 33 pitches in the first inning.
Javier Assad is available. He last pitched Saturay in Miami, that’s three days rest after an 88-pitch outing. Surely, Assad could have given the Cubs four innings or so. Right? (Also, there’s an off day today, a perfect time to use a pitcher like this.)
Wrong. Gausman was sent out for another inning, and another home run was hit, this one by Jackson Chourio, and the ball was last seen heading down I-94 toward Chicago. (Not really, but it went 436 feet at 109 miles per hour, yikes.) A walk followed, and then William Contreras launched one and this game was pretty much over.
BCB’s JohnW53 described this to me as a “brutal” fact:
The third home run off Kevin Gausman was the 221st surrendered by the Cubs this season, the most they ever have served up through 147 games of a season.They allowed 219 in 20o0.
Gausman was left in for four innings and 94 pitches and I’m still picturing Assad, sitting forlorn in the Cubs bullpen, wondering if he’ll ever get to pitch again. Hey, Iowa’s season has a week and a half to go! Can’t waste that option, right, Jed Hoyer?
You’ll pardon the sarcasm, but…
Oh, yes. More on Gausman’s start from John:
Kevin Gausman’s start was the fifth this season by a Cub of four or fewer innings in which he allowed at least seven runs.
Edward Cabrera had two of them: eight and seven runs, both in 3.2. Jameson Taillon gave up seven in 4.0, the same as Gausman. David Peterson surrendered 10 in 3.2. One runs off Gausman was unearned. All the others were earned.
Anyway. After Nico Hoerner made a rare throwing error in the third, the Brewers scored yet another run to make it 7-0, that one unearned off Gausman.
Meanwhile, Logan Henderson retired the first nine Cubs. Pete Crow-Armstrong singled for the first Cubs hit leading off the fourth and went to second on a passed ball. He took third on a fly to right by Seiya Suzuki and scored on this ground out by Michael Busch [VIDEO].
Trent Thornton relieved Gausman in the fifth and threw a scoreless inning. The Brewers scored a run off Daniel Palencia in the sixth, unearned due to another throwing error, this one on second baseman Pedro Ramirez. That made it 8-1.
Caleb Thielbar and Colin Rea added scoreless innings, one each, in the seventh and eighth. Assad sighs and sits in the bullpen with the rest of his teammates.
Then the Cubs put together a rally in the ninth, which, unfortunately, came up a bit short.
PCA led off with a walk, advanced to second on a throwing error on an attempted pickoff by Brandon Sproat, and then Sproat threw a wild pitch, sending PCA to third.
Sproat then walked Suzuki and Busch to load the bases with nobody out. Hmmm. Could something actually happen here?
Now it’s 8-6 and the tying run is going to step to the plate. You don’t suppose…
Here’s where I take issue with another Counsell choice. Carson Kelly was the next due hitter. Counsell sent B.J. Murray Jr. up to bat for Kelly, I suppose to get the platoon advantage with Murray, a switch-hitter, batting left-handed.
Sometimes managers overthink the platoon advantage and I think Counsell did so here. Kelly had that key two-run double on Tuesday and was 1-for-3 in this game. Murray’s a rookie with nine MLB at-bats in which he’d gone 1-for-9.
Now which guy would YOU have had take that at-bat? Me, I’m picking Kelly 100 times out of 100.
The Cubs didn’t lose the game just because of those two decisions, still, I would have chosen otherwise.
The worst part of this defeat wasn’t just the loss, it was the Phillies win over the Astros, which put the Cubs 1.5 games behind Philadelphia for the top wild card spot. The Cubs lead the Padres by 2.5 games and the Diamondbacks by three. The latter two teams will play their last three games against each other in San Diego and that series might make or break the Cubs’ postseason chances.
Is this a collapse? Not yet, fortunately, but the Cubs are going to have to right the ship quickly.
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field Friday after an off day today to open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs. Braxton Ashcraft will go for Pittsburgh. Game time Friday is 1:20 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network (and MLB Network outside the Cubs and Pirates market territories).
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 5: Martín Pérez #33 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Braves 4-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nature is healing, as they say. For two very distinct reasons.
Reason 1: The Braves, having sauntered to a pretty lofty record despite mediocre production, have been absolutely ravaged by some combination of baseball’s luck dragons and/or the Tampa Bay Rays’ sublime-in-this-series defensive positioning. Seriously:
First game: the Braves actually out-xwOBAed the Rays, .334 to .326, but managed just a .156 wOBA while the Rays managed a .426 wOBA. That was the Braves’ biggest xwOBA underperformance of the year. Amazingly, the Rays outhitting their xwOBA by .100 in a single game didn’t even fall in their top ten xwOBA overperformances for the year.
Second game: in nearly a repeat of Game One, the Braves put forth a .336 xwOBA… and a .197 wOBA. The Rays out-xwOBAed them (.347), but not by much, and certainly not to the extent that they out-wOBAed the Braves (.339).
If this is how the universe attempts to set things to rights for the Braves leading the division while sliding towards the bottom third in position player production, well… the rest of the season is gonna suuuuuuuck. So let’s hope that doesn’t happen. It probably won’t, but we’ve seen this team run extended xwOBA underperformances for a while, and it’s awful every single time.
Reason 2: I have to cover another Martin Perez start. Sigh. Maybe this means that Perez Pachinko will turn up positive for the Braves, though I wouldn’t count on it. But at least I’ll get to complain about it if it doesn’t.
On the season, Perez is up to 124 1/3 innings and 1.2 fWAR on the back of a 78/104/104 (ERA-/FIP/xFIP-) line. He’s been fine and the defense has done a good job of preventing runs behind him… which means that he’s a prime target for getting blooped and bleeder-ed to death by the Rays, given the way this series has gone. Perez is coming off pretty much his worst pitching of the year. The media narrative has been that extra rest messed with his command, but let’s be real: it was the eighth time in 23 outings that he walked more than he struck out, so it seems more like it was just one end of the gamut of possible starts you get when you employ Perez, moreso than anything else. It just so happened to be paired with his third-lowest grounder rate of the year, which is why he got knocked around by the Phillies before exiting after 3 2/3 innings of work.
In addition to the universe and/or the Rays’ defensive positioning, the Braves will need to contend with Nick Martinez as they try to avoid getting swept at home and possibly dropping the division lead down to two games ahead of a weekend set with the Phillies. Martinez has had a weird year — he’s put up 2.6 fWAR in 160 innings, but it’s come with a 73/95/108 line. It’s tempting to say that the Rays made some set of big fixes to get more out of the journeyman despite him playing in his age-35 season, but his 108 xFIP- is similar to his career 111 xFIP-. He’s just running a low HR/FB and getting fortunate when the ball remains in play. Some of that is going away as the season progresses: he’s at 90/97/105 since the All-Star Break compared to 63/93/110 before, but whether you believe that trend will keep up against the Braves right now is up to you.
In his career, the Braves have been a mixed bag against Martinez. He’s dominated them in his most recent two outings, but the Braves tagged him pretty handily in the other two that came earlier. Martinez-as-Ray is a bit different, and the most recent start he had against the Braves came as a Red in 2024, so I’d sweat whatever the baseball gods have planned for the Braves far more than their history against Martinez.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 10, 12:15 p.m. EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
TV/Streaming: BravesVision
Radio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan, La Mejor 1600/1460/1130 AM
Max Fried
Zack Wheeler
Tristan Peters
COVERS INTEL:
