Category: Sports News

Usually, there is no reason to focus on MLB free agency in August. It's three months away and there's playoffs to worry about.

Except this year, baseball's traditionally drawn-out free agency period is expected to be a frenzy, condensed into the three weeks between the end of the World Series and the end of the collective bargaining agreement.

The market opens five days after the World Series ends. The labor deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1, and a lockout is widely expected the moment it does. The last one ran 99 days and froze every signing and trade in the sport. This one could be worse, because the owners want a salary cap and the union has spent decades saying that's not even in the conversation.

So, the players about to hit the market are looking at a narrow chance in November where deals can actually get done under the current CBA before the expected lockout.

These last two months will matter more than they normally would. Almost every name in this free agent class just changed teams at the deadline. Tarik Skubal is a Dodger. Freddy Peralta is a Ray. Luis Arraez is a Phillie. Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes are Cubs.

They're all auditioning somewhere new, right now, for a market that might slam shut before anyone gets their money.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country.

The Rangers are fighting for a playoff spot, and are currently a half game back of Houston in the American League West and a half game up on the Detroit Tigers for the third Wild Card spot.

It seems to be a given that, if healthy, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi would be the top two starters in a playoff series. What we want to know this week is, who would you feel best about having the third starter spot?

Cast your vote below…

The Cubs are now 8-2 in August after what was a really nice win in Washington. The Nationals are almost certainly going to miss the playoffs again, but they have a talented and young team. If you missed the stat, the Nats have had exactly one plate appearance by a player 29 or over, and that was by Miles Mikolas of all people. Even if that changes in September after roster expansion, they should set a nearly unbeatable record. The future is bright and the present isn’t all that dim. They stubbornly fought this game all of the way down to the last pitch.

Alas, the Cubs got just enough of everything to pull out yet another win. This was another team effort, with at least half a dozen players making significant contributions. This offense is relentless, this defense is excellent. They just need to pull together enough pitching to be able to hold the line when an opposing pitcher is going off and shutting them down. Can they do that? That is the question.

Let’s break out the perspective check before we further discuss this. Four teams with more wins than the Cubs. The Cubs now own a 6.5 game lead on the first Wild Card spot. The Diamondbacks have caught the Phillies for the second spot. The Brewers got clobbered in San Diego and just like that, the Cubs are only four out in the division. I think it’s probably a little too early to get excited about that. But definitely time to start peeking over the fence a little. The Cubs are now on a 94.5 win pace. The Cubs are a season high 20 games over .500 and only need to split their remaining games to win 91. This team is starting to feel like the 2015 Cubs to me.

This was a game shaped a little unusual for this 2026 season. The Cubs fell behind early, trailing by two after each of the first two innings. But they scored in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings (and added an insurance run in the eighth). That turned a two-run deficit into a four-run lead heading to the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs have come from behind all across the map. They score so many runs that it isn’t terribly unusual for them to trail at some point and then bounce back. But usually once they get their offense going, they take off and leave the other team in the dust. I thought for a minute this one would go that way.

I thought wrong. That led to Jacob Webb being called upon for a four-out save. One of the fun things about a guy ascending to the closer role mid-season is that you sometimes end up with a multi-inning closer. Webb has seven saves to lead the team and in three of those he recorded more than three outs. He’d twice previously recorded six-out saves. That’s the benefit of Monday’s off day and having a very well-rested bullpen. Even with four relievers being used, there will be four other relievers with at least two days of rest heading into Wednesday’s game.

Offensively, the Cubs were fairly efficient. They had nine hits and drew five walks and had two HBPs. They turned that into eight runs. That’s a strong offensive output. Unsurprisingly, there were three homers and a couple of doubles. One of the walks scored, one of the walks drove in a run and one of the hit by pitches contributed to another run scoring. Free bases, they will kill you.

The Cubs survived a subpar start and a subpar evening out of the bullpen. That’s generally hard to do. But this team is playing exceptional baseball right now. Keep it rolling.

Three Positives plus Pete:

• Alex Bregman had another excellent night at the plate. He worked long counts all night, had a homer and a single, drew a walk and scored three times.
• Jacob Webb’s four out save was enormous.
• Seiya Suzuki had a double and a homer, he drove in two runs.
• Pete hit his 27th homer of the year. He’s had such a strong year that he homered and saw his wRC+ drop on the season. He already has 30 steals, so he’s just three homers away from back-to-back 30/30 seasons. At 24 years of age. Bobby Witt Jr. and Julio Rodriguez are two active players that got their second such season in their age-24 season.

Game 120, August 11: Cubs 8, Nationals 6 (70-50)

Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Jacob Webb (.177). 1.1 IP, 5 BF, H, 2 K (Sv 7)
• Hero: Alex Bregman (.145). 2-4, HR, BB, RBI, 3 R
• Sidekick: Nico Hoerner (.127). 2-3, 2B, HBP, SF, RBI R, SB

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Shōta Imanaga (-.189). 4.2 IP, 21 BF, 6 H, 0 BB, 4 ER, 5 K
• Goat: Ryan Zeferjahn (-.115). 0.2 IP, 6 BF, 3 H, BB, 2 ER
• Kid: Michael Busch (.090). 0-5

WPA Play of the Game: CJ Abrams hit a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first for the game’s first two runs. (.185)

Cubs Play of the Game: Nico Hoerner batted with a runner on first and no outs in the fourth, the Cubs down one. He doubled. (.134)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 119 Winner: Matthew Boyd received 58 of 91 votes

Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong +29
• Alex Bregman +19
• Carson Kelly +15.5
• Shōta Imanaga +14
• Trent Thornton +13.5
• Edward Cabrera -9.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Caleb Thielbar -19.5
• Dansby Swanson -21

Up Next: Game two of the series Wednesday night. David Peterson (6-7, 5.35) will pitch for the Cubs. Peterson is 3-1 with a 4.03 (38 IP) over his last seven starts. He’s had no decisions in his last two starts despite allowing two earned runs in 11. 1 innings. Jackson Kent gets the call for the Nats to make his MLB debut. The 23-year-old lefty is 9-4 with a 3.72 in 20 starts (94.1 IP) across two levels this season. He averages more than a strikeout an inning and has allowed opponents a .216 batting average. He’s done a little worse at Triple-A, so there is some question if he’s ready yet for this test. He was a fourth round pick out of the University of Arizona in the 2024 draft. He’s originally from Roselle, IL. So I imagine he has some thoughts one way or the other about debuting versus the Cubs. He was 13 when the Cubs won their championship.

Give the kid a warm welcome.

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

George Springer loves what he sees from Ranger Suarez, so we’re riding with him as part of our Red Sox vs. Blue Jays predictions tonight.

The Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red Sox for Game 3 of their four-game series tonight at the Rogers Centre as slight +105 underdogs at BET99.

They’ve shrunk their path to the Wild Card to just 2.5 games and are looking for a third straight win against the Red Sox with Jose Soriano on the mound.

Let’s dive into my MLB picks for Wednesday, Aug. 12, and win our third consecutive best bet.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays predictions

Red Sox vs Blue Jays best bet: George Springer Over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI (-105)

George Springer has cashed this play in two consecutive games against the Boston Red Sox, and we’re getting some tremendous value for him to do it one more time.

Now, Springer hasn’t seen a ton of Robert Suarez over the course of his career, but when he has, he’s found his way on base. The Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter is 2-for-5 lifetime against the lefty with an xBA of .344 and hasn’t struck out once, meaning we should see some balls in play tonight.

To take it a step further, Springer owns an above-average 105 wRC+ vs. lefties on the season.

His solid contact percentage is among the best of his career this year, and with Springer hitting in the four-spot routinely, we may only need one or two at-bats to build our bankroll.

COVERS INTEL: Springer has been one of the best hitters in the American League following the All-Star break, owning a .824 OPS since returning to action. And out of his 36 RBI this season, 15 have come from hitting in the four-hole. Yes, he's had 20 from the leadoff position, but with 164 more at-bats.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)

We’ll keep Springer as the heart of our Blue Jays same-game parlay, but behind him, we’re rolling with the Blue Jays to keep things close, and for Jose Soriano and the now-rested bullpen to hold the Red Sox Under 3.5 runs.

Toronto has just found a way to scrape and claw themselves back into games against Boston, a big reason why they have won nine of their last 13 games and four straight series.

With Soriano on the mound making his home debut,I’m expecting him to hold the Red Sox bats at bay after allowing just three earned runs across his last 16 2/3 innings. Boston hasn’t scored more than three in four straight — let’s cash this one.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays SGP

• George Springer Over 1.5 hits+runs+RBI 
• Blue Jays +1.5 
• Red Sox team total Under 3.5 

Red Sox vs Blue Jays home run pick: Alejandro Kirk (+675)

The Blue Jays haven’t been hitting the long ball this season like in years past, but if anyone is going deep off Suarez today, it’s Alejandro Kirk.

The catcher owns a .599 xBA and a massive .714 xSLG against the lefty, leading me to believe he’s the man for the job. With his average exit velocity sitting at 98 MPH in this matchup, you should, too.

Let’s ride Kirky to go deep tonight.

Red Sox vs Blue Jays odds

• Moneyline: Boston (-125) | Toronto (+105)
• Run line: Boston -1.5 (+140) | Toronto +1.5 (-160)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (+105) | Under 7.5 (-125)

Red Sox vs Blue Jays trend

If you're looking for a play on the total, the Under is 6-0 in the Red Sox's last six games as a road favorite. Find more MLB betting trends for Red Sox vs. Blue Jays.

How to watch Red Sox vs Blue Jays and game info

Red Sox vs Blue Jays latest injuries

Red Sox vs Blue Jays weather

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.

Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below.

AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (59-55) lost 9-8 (BOX SCORE)

Hendrickson started for Sugar Land but struggled allowing 7 runs, 4 earned, over 6 innings of work. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on an Alexander 3 run home run. They got 2 more runs in the 5th on a Biggio RBI triple and Ferreras RBI double. An Alexander double in the 7th brought Sugar Land within a run. In the 9th, Sugar Land tied it on a Brooks walk. The game went to extras and in the 10th, Salazar drove in a run on a sac fly. Unfortunately Santa wasn’t able to hold the lead as Sugar Land fell 9-8.

Note: Alexander has 20 home runs this season.

• Cavan Biggio, 2B: 2-for-6, R, 3B, RBI
• Pascanel Ferreras, SS: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, RBI
• Ray Delgado, 3B: 2-for-5, R
• CJ Alexander, 1B: 2-for-4, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB
• Collin Price, DH: 1-for-5, R, 2B
• Cesar Salazar, C: 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI

• Josh Hendrickson, LHP: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Trey McLoughlin, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Roddery Munoz, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• Alimber Santa, RHP: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (52-57) won 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

Dombroski started for the Hooks and tossed 2.2 scoreless innings. The Hooks got on the board in the 2nd inning on a Call sac fly and Holy RBI double. In the 5th, Bush connected on a solo home run. Mancini went 2.1 innings in relief allowing 2 runs, 1 earned. He was followed by Perez who tossed 2 scoreless innings. The rest of the pen was solid as they closed out the 3-2 win.

Note: Bush has a .792 OPS this season.

• Will Bush, 1B: 1-for-4, R, HR, RBI
• Walker Janek, C: 1-for-3, BB, SB
• Tyler Whitaker, RF: 1-for-3, R
• Chase Call, LF: 1-for-3, RBI, SB
• Max Holy, SS: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, BB

• Trey Dombroski, LHP: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Joey Mancini, RHP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (WIN)
• Railin Perez, RHP: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Jose Guedez, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Amilcar Chirinos, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K (SAVE)

A+: Asheville Tourists (37-70) won 14-9 (BOX SCORE)

Asheville got on the board in the first inning scoring 2 runs on a Moss RBI double and Garcia RBI single. They scored 5 more runs in the 2nd inning on a fielder’s choice, Neyens walk, Huezo walk, Moss sac fly and Walker sac fly. In the 3rd, the offense got 4 more runs on a Newman groundout and Huezo 3 run home run. Potter got the start and allowed one run over 3 innings of work. Santos pitched in relief and allowed 6 runs but the offense got another in the 4th on a Newman single and then 2 runs in the 7th on Newman and Thomas back to back home runs. Varela allowed a couple of runs in the 9th but held on as Asheville won 14-9.

Note: Huezo has a .839 OPS in High-A.

• Justin Thomas, RF: 1-for-5, 2 R, HR, RBI, BB
• Xavier Neyens, 3B: 1-for-3, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB
• Anthony Huezo, CF: 1-for-4, R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 SB
• Jack Moss, 1B: 3-for-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI
• Kyle Walker, 2B: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
• John Garcia, DH: 1-for-4, RBI, BB
• Zach Daudet, SS: 0-for-2, 3 R, 3 BB, SB
• Yosweld Vasquez, C: 2-for-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SB
• DJ Newman, LF: 2-for-5, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI

• Nick Potter, RHP: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• Yeriel Santos, RHP: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 3 K
• Joan Ogando, RHP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (WIN)
• Jose Varela, RHP: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (53-52) SUSPENDED

Today’s minor league starters:

SL: TBD – 6:45 CT

CC: Brett Gillis – 6:35 CT

AV: Javier Perez – 5:35 CT

FV: TBD – 5:35 CT

Worcester: L, 9-6 (BOX SCORE)

It was close, but in a game that featured twenty-seven hits between the two teams, the WooSox fell just short against the Bison (Blue Jays AAA) after a late rally. Mikey Romero had a two-RBI single to score Mickey Gasper and Franklin Arias (both of whom looked good Tuesday, obviously good enough to get within scoring position) to add to his sac fly. The former first rounder has hit .364 with an OPS of 1.072 in the month of August. This one was decided early in retrospect, though; John Holobetz finally looked a bit too human after an awesome start to his Triple-A campaign, was pulled early, and the bullpen (mostly Eduardo Rivera) didn’t help matters on a night where the offense certainly did enough to win most other games.

Portland: L, 16-4 (BOX SCORE)

By the time the Sea Dogs got a ball over the fence, Brooks Brannon’s 19th of the season that also scored Jack Winnay, the score was 16-4 and the expected winning percentage stayed securely at 0.1%. The Rumble Ponies (Mets AA) had an outstanding sixth inning off the mitt of Cooper Adams, beckoning seven runs and turning a 7-1 game into an absolute laugher. The game didn’t start off right as Dalton Rogers allowed a first-inning home run to Jefferson Rojas and the pitching staff then allowed two doubles to the young shortstop. That was just one indication of a night that would just not let up. 

Greenville: PPD in 3rd, Make-Up Today

The Drive have a pretty good handle on this one as the rain came down too quickly in Spartanburg (Astros High-A) to continue. They’re up 5-0 in the third, having jumped to an early lead thanks to Isaiah Jackson’s 16th of 2026. “First” pitch at 5:00.

Salem: L, 3-2 (BOX SCORE)

The bullpen held up their end of the bargain against Delmarva (Orioles A) on Tuesday night, allowing just one hit after the third, but the offense was extremely lackluster, getting just six total bases on the night and only drawing two walks. As a result, the RidgeYaks were unceremoniously walked off without recording an out in the bottom of the ninth. Franklin Primera had two hits as he and Skylar King remain maybe the two most intriguing batting prospects in Salem, but when you can’t get the ducks across the pond… I can’t think of an analogy to end this, but you get the point, it’s tough to win. 

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

Dinger Tuesday was good to me, with two of three cashing for +7 units and one step closer to digging out of what seemed like an impossible home run hole. MLB player props have been better for me in the summer months. Let's crush Wednesday.

In addition to targeting the two leaders in the NL MVP race, I'm adding the new Tampa Bay Rays catcher, Liam Hicks, to take advantage of a favorable situation in Sacramento. 

These are my favorite MLB home run props for Wednesday, August 12.

MLB home run props for today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Shohei Ohtani	+276
Pete Crow-Armstrong	+344
Liam Hicks	+830
💲Today's HR parlay	+11684

Home run prediction: Shohei Ohtani (+276)

Shohei Ohtani for a homer at +250 or better is usually a price point for me, but it’s not something we see daily, with his average HR price closer to $2. I’m a Pete Crow-Armstrong guy all the way for NL MVP right now, but I’m willing to back Ohtani at this price against the Kansas City Royals and their bullpen.

Lefty Daniel Lynch is getting the start, which is why the price is higher with the lefty-on-lefty matchup. However, Lynch threw just 35 pitches and recorded five outs in his last turn, his first start of the season, before handing things over to the relievers. Kansas City currently has no left-handed options in its bullpen, which sets up well for Ohtani later in the game.

Since 2024, 71% of Ohtani’s home runs have come against right-handed pitching, so the matchup gets considerably better once the Royals go to their right-handed relievers.

Dodger Stadium is also a favorable home run environment, with some of the shortest fence distances in MLB. THE BAT has the fair price all the way down to +220.

• Time: 10:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: SportsNet LA, Royals.TV

Home run prediction: Pete Crow-Armstrong (+344)

This is a huge outlier price at Polymarket. I hit this winner last night at +325, and tonight’s matchup is just as good, with a fair price of +260.

Pete Crow-Armstrong launched a 111-mph missile last night and has moved to -125 as the NL MVP betting favorite. He saw Jake Irvin last night but can do some damage against the Washington Nationals and rookie left-hander Jackson Kent, who is making his first MLB start.

The southpaw started the year at Double-A and is getting the promotion after Zack Littell was finally designated for assignment. Kent was a strikeout-per-inning pitcher at Triple-A this year but also allowed eight home runs over 63-plus frames. He’s tough on lefties from a batting average perspective, but left-handed hitters have taken him deep at a rate similar to righties.

Nothing cute here — just backing a great bat in a great spot at a great price with my MLB picks.

• Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: Nationals.TV, Marquee Sports Network

Home run prediction: Liam Hicks (+830)

The Tampa Bay Rays might have the best HR matchup on the slate today. They get Sutter Health Park, which is ranked as the best home run park by a fair margin, according to Ballpark Pal.

Jack Perkins is also one of the best HR starters to target. He ranks in the Bottom 20 of all MLB pitchers in HR/9 and the bottom 40 in HR/FB rate. He's allowed nine home runs over his last 28 innings at home.

Liam Hicks is projected to hit out of the cleanup spot and is paying a robust +830, with some books as short as +500. He has a solid .884 OPS since joining the Rays and gets to face a right-handed starter, with 14 of his 15 homers coming against RHPs. The A's are also down their best lefty middle reliever and are a bottom-three bullpen in terms of HR/9.

It's a buy to +650. 

• Time: 11:59 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: One National or Two local

Best home run combo for Aug. 12

Shohei Ohtani	Trade Now +11684
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Liam Hicks

Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!

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.

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

The Los Angeles Dodgers took the first two games of this series against the Kansas City Royals, and they're -215 favorites to complete the sweep tonight.

L.A.'s lethal offense is finally waking up, and I'm backing it to put forth another productive outing with my Royals vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks on Wednesday, Aug. 12. 

Who will win Royals vs Dodgers tonight: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5 (-110)

Kansas City Royals pitching appears to be the elixir to the Los Angeles Dodgers' offensive struggles.

The Dodgers have scored at least five runs in each of the first two games of this series, and I project them to do so again tonight.

Daniel Lynch conceded three runs in less than two innings of work in his first start. He will not give the Royals much length, and he’ll be backed by the league’s worst bullpen in FIP.

Back Dodgers bats to lead the way in a one-sided affair. Play to -115.

COVERS INTEL:Lynch's 28th percentile K% will make it difficult to navigate a powerful Dodgers lineup.

Royals vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Over 9.5 (+120)

The Royals’ bullpen ranks dead last in HR/9, and that’s with Lynch, normally a staple out of the ‘pen, playing a regular role rather than starting things off.

The Dodgers sit second in OPS this season, and conditions are expected to provide a 14% boost to home runs.

I expect the Dodgers to score early and often in this game, and the Royals should chip in against Eric Lauer. 

He has pitched better with the Dodgers but has still conceded 2.15 HR/9. Favorable hitting conditions in the forecast won’t help his cause, either.

Back to -120.

Royals vs Dodgers home run prediction: Shohei Ohtani (+245)

Shohei Ohtani is as good as anybody when he’s on, and it looks like he’s starting to heat up.

Ohtani has hit .417 over the past 10 games with a .333 ISO, .503 wOBA, and team-leading 17.6% barrel rate.

He will face poor pitching in this contest, and winds blowing out should only highlight the crazy power Ohtani possesses.

Ohtani has homered in 29% of home games, and 34.5% when seeing a HR boost of at least 10%.

I like his chances of taking the Royals deep, and would back him to +215.

Royals vs Dodgers weather

The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid 70s with outward winds blowing near 10 miles per hour. Boost to the bats.

Royals vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Royals +175 | Dodgers -215
• Run line: Royals +1.5 (-115) | Dodgers -1.5 (-105)
• Over/Under: Over 9.0 (-120) | Under 9.0 (+100)

Royals vs Dodgers trend

The Over is 5-0-1 in Kansas City's last six games against teams with winning records. Find more MLB betting trends for Royals vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Royals vs Dodgers and game info

Royals vs Dodgers 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.

AJ Smith-Shawver has improved with every start he has made in Gwinnett, and reached new heights with his most complete outing yet in a dismantling of the Norfolk offense. Smith-Shawver’s improved command and ability to hold his stuff late into the game marked significant advances from his earlier games, and in total the Tides managed only one baserunner across 5 1/3 innings against Smith-Shawver.

(58-56) Gwinnett Stripers 3, (40-73) Norfolk Tides 4

Box Score

Statcast

• Patrick Clohisy CF: 3-4, BB .405/.479/.631
• Carlos Santana, 1B: 3-5, 2 RBI, .286/.385/.390
• AJ Smith-Shawver: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1.66 ERA
• Blake Burkhalter, RP: 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1.98 ERA

AJ Smith-Shawver is leaping towards his return to Atlanta and continues to up his performance with each start. Smith-Shawver had a bit of a buffer because he was facing the International League’s worst offense by scoring and OPS, and it was never really a fair matchup. Smith-Shawver dominated and allowed only one hard-hit ball, while managing to miss bats with all four of his pitches at a decent rate. Smith-Shawver didn’t have a huge peak velocity inning like in past starts but was able to hold his velocity across all 95 pitches, averaging 96.2 mph on his fastball in the first inning and 96.3 in the sixth. That and him holding his command for the full game checked off two significant boxes in feeling confident in his return, and the third came by him putting up his best work with his changeup to date. Smith-Shawver still had a problem with leaving the pitch to high up in the strike zone, but did well to land the pitch on his arm side consistently and the pitch featured heavily for him against this predominantly left-handed lineup. Smith-Shawver had some mid-zone misses with his fastball which is the biggest knock you could have on him from this game, but he really had success across the board and was able to move his pitches around the zone and hit spots for most of the outing. There is nothing you can point at in this outing and really criticize Smith-Shawver too heavily over, which is more a sign that he is finally showing off at the level he was prior to surgery. This start carries magnitude in getting Smith-Shawver over the hump and truly ready to contribute to the home stretch of the playoff run.

Patrick Clohisy continues to get on base at an extreme rate, though the conviction with which he is getting his hits continues to fall. He did somehow managed to hit a pitch well below the zone for a 105 mph single in the first inning, but that tendency to swing below the strike has been a consistent theme for him and pitchers are giving him fewer and fewer looks at fastballs. Clohisy is able to recognize and make solid contact with breaking balls and has been hitting them all over the place and finding holes, but in his last 13 games his only extra base hit is a lone double. His ability to make out of zone contact is bolstering his performance and it’s a repeatable skill for him, but there hasn’t seemed to be a shift on his part to adjust to the new approach from opposing pitchers yet. Behind Smith-Shawver the Stripers were able to take a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning of the game, and turned it over to Blake Burkhalter who coming into the game had yet to allow a run at Triple-A this season and only had a total of one earned run allowed all year. Since I’m mentioning all of that you can surely guess what happened next. Burkhalter really did not pitch poorly at least at the start of the inning. He jammed the leadoff guy with a fastball on the corner, but the hitter managed to fight off a bloop single into shallow center field. He then came back to get a strikeout and a soft tapper back to the mound that he made a play on despite slipping on the infield grass, but that slip may have thrown him off a bit. The trainer came out to check on him, and even though Burkhalter stayed in the game after a few tosses to home plate to check he was not the same guy after that. He could not locate anything and walked the next hitter, then left a fat fastball that got hit for a three-run home run. Burkhalter walked the next hitter on four pitches that all missed up and out of the zone and had to be pulled at that point. Burkhalter was cruising prior to the slip and it seems pretty obvious the culprit of the one bad game he has had all season.

Swing and Misses

AJ Smith-Shawver – 16

(50-54) Columbus Clingstones 2, (44-65) Birmingham Barons 3

Box Score

• Eric Hartman, LF: 0-3, 2 BB, .154/.333/.192
• John Gil, SS: 1-4, .280/.367/.360
• Owen Carey, RF: 0-4, .208/.345/.458
• Braden Scott, SP: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 2.14 ERA

The refreshed Columbus offense didn’t get off to a hot start in Birmingham, where they got shut down for most of the game and then choked away a two-run lead late with the assistance of three errors. It didn’t take long for Eric Hartman to make his mark on the game when he led off with a walk in the first inning. He stole second base and advanced to third on the attempt to throw him out, putting him in position to score the first run of the game on a ground out. Unfortunately both John Gil and Owen Carey struck out in the inning and had two strikeouts each in the game. Hartman walked again in his second plate appearance but was stranded and didn’t make an impact for the remainder of the evening. Hartman had a hard hit ball in the fifth inning that got knocked down by the second baseman for an out, and while that was the best contact from the trio it wasn’t the only solid hit. John Gil hit a sharp grounder to lead off the next inning, and even though the shortstop made a diving play he couldn’t get up in time to throw out Gil and sailed the throw allowing Gil to move into scoring position. Gil would eventually score the game’s second run on a gapper from Jordan Groshans with two outs, and headed into the latter half of the game Columbus had a 2-0 lead. In the ninth inning Carey finally joined the party and reached on an error, but after getting to third base with one out Adam Zebrowski struck out and Luke Waddell flied out to strand a key insurance run in scoring position. In the tenth inning Hartman struck out to end the inning with no runs scored and Birmingham went on to walk the game off in the bottom of the tenth.

It was a shaky game for Braden Scott, but he somehow managed to make it work and keep the Barons off of the scoreboard for five innings. Scott ran into bouts of trouble with his control and he missed fewer bats than he’s accustomed to due to his locations not working for him, but he didn’t give up much hard contact and that made the difference. Scott has enough movement on all of his pitches that hitters aren’t able to get a good look at him, especially with his funky delivery, and for five innings in this game it worked and he allowed no hits. In the sixth inning the Barons managed to push across a run, but going into the ninth the Clingstones had to feel confident with Tyler LaPorte on the mound and a one run lead. That faith was dashed by an abhorrent defensive showing. Gil got a bit in between hops on a backhand play and had trouble wrangling it, failing to get a clean transfer which allowed the leadoff hitter to reach on an error. LaPorte then hurt his own cause, turning and firing a throw on a bunt attempt to second which sailed wide and pulled Gil off of the bag. Gil made a terrific play to keep the ball from going into center field, but with the damage done it was going to be hard for LaPorte to protect the lead. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base, and LaPorte uncorked a wild pitch that tied the game and put the winning run 90 feet away. Columbus got bailed out by a hard grounder finding its way right to Groshans at third base who cut down the runner trying to score, and Zebrowski gunned down the runner trying to steal to end a tumultuous inning. After a terrible effort in the top of the tenth LaPorte had to try to strand the runner, and didn’t get off to a bad start when he fielded a comebacker and got the leadoff hitter at first base. LaPorte then hit the next batter and issued an intentional walk to load the bases, both of which probably helped the Clingstones cause, but he left a slider middle-middle and of course the next hitter burned Dalton McIntyre on a deep line drive for a walk off hit.

Swing and Misses

Braden Scott – 8

LJ McDonough – 6

(50-55) Rome Emperors 9, (37-70) Asheville Tourists 14

Box Score

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-5, .152/.152/.242
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 0-3, 2 BB, .185/.333/.333
• Alex Lodise, SS: 2-4, BB, .311/.429/.489
• Ethan Bagwell, SP: 1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 5.66 ERA

The Emperors are in Asheville this week, so even though they’re facing an awful team things are going to get crazy in a way that isn’t going to be fun for Rome pitchers. Ethan Bagwell got hammered, though the park really wasn’t fully to blame for his troubles. Bagwell couldn’t throw strikes and he didn’t last long into the second inning, finishing out with six runs allowed over one official inning of work. Bagwell was removed in the second inning after a meeting with the trainer, though there wasn’t an obvious reason for the trainer to be out there at least from what can be seen on MiLB tv. Bagwell doesn’t pitch this poorly ever, really, and he could possibly have been hurt, so there isn’t really anything meaningful to glean from this start. He’s going to come out the next time around and not have nearly the amount of command issues he did in this game when he couldn’t land anything, and it’s one of those days that every pitcher is bound to have at some point. Bagwell has been terrific at Rome otherwise and this is the first time he didn’t pitch into at least the fifth inning since his start in Augusta on May 22nd that was delayed by rain after two innings. Realistically it’s the only time this entire season he hasn’t pitched well enough to get at least into the fifth inning, which is remarkable consistency for a player this young that was seen as a project when he was drafted.

The game didn’t get any better once Bagwell was out of there. Logan Samuels walked five hitters in 1 2/3 innings of work so Rome was staring down an 11-1 deficit and a ton of relief innings after just three frames. Offensively they at least made some interest out of the game, and it’s worth just going through every guy one-by-one. Starting with Luis Guanipa, he did have an opposite field single in the game, but it’s more of the same and I really don’t like where he is right now at the plate. He’s tumbled back into bad habits and is slow getting to contact, shooting everything up the middle or away and not really hitting it hard when he does. It’s still early at this level but there hasn’t been a meaningful adjustment to his approach, and while he is making a ton of contact and always will even when he chases he is already running into pitchers who are good enough to make his approach untenable. Conor Essenburg had a solid game at the plate and looked great in terms of his approach, though he did get frozen for called strike threes on borderline pitches twice. Both of these were deep counts, however, and he drew two walks to boot. Essenburg is having a bit of an adjustment to the jump in quality between levels but overall has looked fine at the plate and I’d expect him to have at least a couple of good stretches at the plate intermixed with times he strikes out too much. Alex Lodise added two more hits and a walk to his ridiculous streak at the plate, and once again he didn’t have a strikeout. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a player jump levels and suddenly stop striking out without really changing his approach or sacrificing power but Lodise is hitting everything and hitting it hard. He’s absolutely earning it and this is sort of who I expected him to be in Single-A where I was surprised pitchers at that level were able to get him to whiff so much. I don’t think he’s in the clear because this is a small sample and the approach issues are not going anywhere, but nonetheless these two weeks have been a huge positive development. Cody Miller had his first big day at the plate since being promoted, and he just missed a home run when he hit a double off of the top half of the wall to drive in two runs. Miller has not shaken the strikeout issues but the more patient approach at the plate he showed in Augusta has carried over and those swing decisions will hopefully lead to more consistent results from him in the final weeks of the year.

Swing and Misses 

Jacob Shafer – 5

Tanner Bauman – 5

Ethan Bagwell – 4

(57-50) Augusta GreenJackets 5, (61-48) Charleston RiverDogs 7

Box Score

• Carter Beck, CF: 0-5, .346/.414/.346
• Juan Mateo, 2B: 1-5, .254/.335/.347
• Parker Brosius, RF: 2-5, 2B, .333/.458/.556
• Derek Vartanian, SP: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 4.23 ERA

And we end the day with another ugly loss caused by a pitching implosion. Augusta pitchers shut out the RiverDogs through six innings of this game and held a 3-0 lead, then allowed seven runs in the final three innings. Derek Vartanian was decent in his start as it was one of the times he was able to find the strike zone with his sinker and get results early in counts. Charleston hitters were rolling over everything for six innings of this game, then in the seventh inning locked in and started mashing everything Vartanian had to offer. They had three line drive singles and a line out off of Vartanian, and even with this sudden increase in hard contact the GreenJackets didn’t budge and made Vartanian work it out. He did not do that. Vartanian threw one up in the strike zone at 88 mph, and even at this level you can’t make that mistake. Vartanian gave up a three run home run, and after six innings of dominance he walked off of the field trailing by a run. The bullpen didn’t help him much either, though the defense committing errors that led to three unearned runs didn’t help the team’s cause.

Surprisingly it was not Carter Beck doing a lot of the damage in this game, though Parker Brosius certainly had his say. Brosius had a two hit game and doubled, though his three strikeouts dampened what was an otherwise strong addition to his start of games. Mostly the offense just scraped together singles up and down the lineup, and when they had runners in scoring position they were able to come through with clutch hits. Beck had not gone a game without a hit prior to this, though there really isn’t anything worth taking away from his performance in Augusta. It has been nice to see him on the field and guys meeting expectations isn’t a small feat based on what the college hitters drafted last year have done, but Beck is just too good a pure hitter to not feast in Single-A. Beck is definitely going to have to get a primer on how to take more pitches out of the strike zone, but he can flat out hit and Single-A has not been a challenge.

Swing and Misses

Derek Vartanian – 9

Adiel Melendez – 4

Welcome to Wednesday!

Last night, the Athletics’ struggles at home continued as they lost a second straight game to the Tampa Bay Rays. A’s pitchers allowed six home runs, while Rays’ starter Nick Martinez twirled his second career complete game.

With only a little over 40 games remaining in this season, the A’s once again find themselves looking toward the future. As a result, it is imperative that the team finishes this season strong while continuing to evaluate its players to determine who to keep and who to move on from.

If the 2027 season does not get wiped out due to this offseason’s looming lockout, it will usher in a wave of change, from a new league-wide CBA agreement to the A’s new general manager and potentially a new manager. That last part depends on whether owner John Fisher and the new head of baseball operations keep Mark Kotsay around for another season or make a change to better position the club for success.

Regardless of that decision, the A’s need to put more resources into upgrading their pitching staff, specifically the bullpen, which has been one of the biggest factors behind this disappointing campaign. At the moment, left-hander Hogan Harris and right-hander Luis Medina are the only two current relievers who deserve a spot in the bullpen moving forward.

Right-handers Elvis Alvarado and Seth Johnson have the stuff to pitch in high-leverage situations, but neither has fully harnessed his ability. Johnson began the A’s eighth-inning bullpen implosion on Monday night.

The A’s also must not forget about the rotation, which will be led by J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump. Luis Severino, who has missed most of this season with an injury, can opt out of his contract and enter free agency or accept a $22 million player option to remain with the A’s. In addition, the team needs to invest in more pitching coaches and support systems to foster better pitching development throughout the organization.

Alternatively, its offensive core is mostly in place. Top prospect Leo De Vries, who if healthy should join Triple-A Las Vegas for its playoff run, could join Jacob Wilson, Zack Gelof and Nick Kurtz on the infield sometime next season. Designated hitter Brent Rooker will return after undergoing season-ending knee surgery. Last but not least, the current starting outfield trio could carry over, with center field being a spring training battle between Henry Bolte and Denzel Clarke.

Mason Barnett, Jack Perkins, Tommy White and Max Muncy have the rest of this season to prove they deserve to remain key contributors for the A’s. Will they make the most of this opportunity or prove overmatched? What else are you looking forward to as the club plays out the rest of this season?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s Blown Out By Rays 12-4
• A’s Bullpen Chokes in 10-6 loss Against Rays
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• Feinstein discusses new role as A’s interim GM
• Sage-burning A’s cope with departure of GM as spiraling season continues
• 111 games, zero errors: Wilson sets MLB record at shortstop
• Mason Edwards Headlines Athletics’ Pitching Play In 2026 Draft
• Late Comeback Helps A’s Beat Red Sox 4-3
• Athletics Claim Taylor Rashi
• A’s Claim Drew Rom
• Miracles Happen: A’s Win 7-3
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• A’s Top Prospect Jamie Arnold Sets Career High in One of His Best Double-A Starts
• A’s First-Round Pick Drew Burress Already Showing Prodigious Power in Single-A
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season
• Signs Of Hope And Signs Of Hopeless
• Athletics prospect Ryan Lasko says feeling in his legs returning
• Cuban’s investment group purchases minority stake in Athletics
• Chan Ho Park joins A’s group; 1st Korean to buy stake in MLB club
• Blogfather Saves The Day With Pearls Of Most Excellent Advice

MLB News and Interest:

• Watch MiLB at Field of Dreams tonight on MLB Network
• Updated 2026 top 10 prospect rankings for all 30 MLB teams
• Angels relieve pitching coaches Maddux, Chiti, Scott of duties
• Yankees receive $2.6 billion in financing deal with Apollo Sports Capital
• Snell’s Tuesday return to give LA yet another two-time Cy winner
• Diamondbacks Designate Paul Sewald For Assignment
• Red Sox set to activate Deadline prize Rutschman on Tuesday
• Reds’ Hunter Greene to have season-ending surgery for torn UCL
• Mets lose closer Williams to IL, then Senga records first MLB save
• Taillon exits first Toronto home start with right forearm discomfort
• Giants’ Daniel Susac Diagnosed With Patellar Fracture
• Rangers’ Nathan Eovaldi hits IL with inflammation in elbow
• Congress asks MLB to take action after Bryce Harper betting video
• Tim Anderson, 2-time All-Star and former batting champ, retires
• D-Backs To Use Zack Littell In Relief
• Braves Release Jorge Mateo
• Rule check: Red Sox-Blue Jays delayed for unusual run-scoring play
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Sounds like the team smoothed over the nature of the decision to part ways with former general manager David Forst.

An update on the A’s Las Vegas stadium construction:

Is Maddux a good fit to be the Athletics’ next pitching coach?

Are you excited for Thursday’s Field of Dreams Game? The third MLB game at the nostalgic baseball field will pit the Philadelphia Phillies against the Minnesota Twins. What is your favorite baseball movie of all time?