The start of the game will be delayed because of ‘inclement weather’. So Ernie will be called inclement today?
Yesterday’s game was very entertaining, and the good guys won.
Hopefully, tonight will be more of the same.
And it is Canada-US Friendship Day. We steal your team, and put tariffs on your products, but let’s have a friendship day.
Lips is at the top of the order tonight. And Kirk gets the day off.
Time/Place: 6:40 p.m., Comerica Park
SB Nation Site:Camden Chat
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Pitching Matchup: RHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA) vs. RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA)
| Player | G | IP | K% | BB% | GB% | FIP | fWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melton | 10 | 60.0 | 23.3 | 8.1 | 43.1 | 4.06 | 0.8 |
| Kremer | 6 | 32.0 | 26.2 | 6.2 | 34.5 | 5.79 | -0.2 |
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Go Rays!
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After dropping last night’s contest, the pressure is back on the Nats. They were riding high after the series win against Arizona, but the bats did not show up last night. Now, they will need a bounceback performance to stay above .500. With the deadline looming and this club in a playoff race, every game matters so much.
The Nats are making a couple changes to the lineup. Jose Tena is out, with James Wood replacing him at DH. That means the outfield consists of Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews, who is notably hitting third against a righty. Jorbit Vivas will stay in there at third, which indicates that he and Brady House will likely be a platoon. Cade Cavalli has been sharp of late, and is on the mound tonight.
With a right handed starter, the Blue Jays are making some tweaks. We are seeing Yohendrick Pinango for the first time, and he is leading off. Andres Gimenez will also be in the lineup, playing shortstop. Jays breakout catcher Brandon Valenzuela will also make his first start of the series. A lot of eyes will be on Shane Bieber tonight, who is a trade candidate. He has been sharp his last couple of starts.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 6:45 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
Last night was about Max Scherzer’s return and the vibes were high. However, after losing that game, the focus is squarely on the playoff race again. The Nats did not lose any ground, so that is a positive. However, they need to keep winning to stay in the hunt. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Orioles are one victory away from having their winningest month of the season. So far in July, they are 13-7. With only three games left, including tonight, until the calendar flips, they have already guaranteed themselves their first month above .500 and their best winning percentage of any month. Another win will push them past the 13 wins they collected in both April and May. That would be pretty neat! Good timing too with the trade deadline less than a week away.
Based on run differential, the Orioles are the seventh-best team in the AL, which is three spots better than where they sit in the win-loss standings. They have been outscored by their opponents by 11 runs this year. That’s six runs better than the Cleveland Guardians, who currently occupy the final AL Wild Card spot with a 55-53 record. If they are going to inch any closer, they need to keep beating teams like these Tigers, who themselves are slipping closer and closer to selling.
Tonight’s task is a surprisingly tall one. Troy Melton is a 25-year-old, former fourth-round pick that has been very, very good this year. He has allowed more than two runs in a start just once this year, and it came back on June 9. He doesn’t usually go super deep into a game, failing to get out of the sixth inning in each of his last six starts. But the quality is undeniable. Each month has seen him post an ERA of 2.88 or better. So far in July he has a 1.21 ERA.
We will get to see the Orioles debut of Yohel Pozo behind the plate. He replaces Sam Huff on the team’s active roster after being claimed from the Cardinals a few days ago. He owns a .515 OPS this season and a .637 OPS for his career. The sooner one of Adley Rutschman or Samuel Basallo can get back behind the plate the better.
Orioles lineup
RHP Dean Kremer (1-3, 5.06 ERA)
Tigers lineup
RHP Troy Melton (5-1, 1.95 ERA)
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Former Winnipeg Jets goaltender Michael Hutchinson has played his last game in the NHL.
The 36-year-old is retiring after 11 seasons in the league, the Jets confirmed Monday, closing the book on a career that began, and was defined, in Winnipeg. Hutchinson will return to the city this October, when the Jets host him at their Alumni Game.
Hutchinson's NHL journey started with Winnipeg in 2013, after he signed with the club as an unrestricted free agent following three seasons splitting time between the AHL and ECHL in the Boston Bruins' system, the team that had originally drafted him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft.
He made his NHL debut with the Jets that year and went on to spend five seasons with the franchise, the longest stretch of his career with any team. Those five years in Winnipeg produced Hutchinson's best professional numbers, serving as a reliable backup netminder with a 43-39-11 record, a 2.65 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in 102 games. Hutchinson was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month in December of 2014.
He served behind then Jets starter Ondřej Pavelec before eventually settling in as the backup to Connor Hellebuyck, giving the Jets a dependable presence in net as the franchise built toward its playoff runs later in the decade.
After leaving Winnipeg, Hutchinson entered a well traveled stretch of his career, suiting up for the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings.
The signature moment of Hutchinson's career outside Winnipeg came during his time with Colorado, inside the 2020 NHL postseason bubble. With Avalanche starters Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz both sidelined by injury in the second round against Dallas, Hutchinson was thrust into a Game 5 start with Colorado trailing 3-1 in the series.
He stopped 31 shots to pick up the first playoff win of his career, then backstopped the Avalanche to a Game 6 victory to force a decisive Game 7, making him just the seventh goaltender in NHL history to win his first two career starts while facing elimination.
He closed out his playing days overseas, joining SaiPa Lappeenranta of Finland's Liiga in November 2024, where he appeared in 24 games and posted a .886 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average in what proved to be his final professional season.
Across six organizations, Hutchinson built a career on consistency and trust, and it was in Winnipeg, where it all started, that he found his most productive years, and where he'll be welcomed back this fall.
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The Diamondbacks bullpen has reverted to regular form since the All-Star break – and that’s not a good thing. Over 45 innings in the second half, they have a 4.60 ERA, which ranks them 23rd in the majors. That compared to an ERA exactly at four before the break, good enough for 13th – there hasn’t been a better ERA by the D-backs bullpen since 2018. That number was more or less in line with the peripherals: FIP 3.92, xFIP 4.12 and xERA 3.96. None of them great, but compared to what we’ve seen in previous season, mere competence from the Arizona relief corps feels like a breath of fresh air.
But since then, the peripherals have all taken a turn for the worse. Home-run rate, only marginally – up from 0.96 to 1.00 per nine innings. But the walk-rate has increased from 3.01 to 3.40, and they haven’t been striking out nearly the number of batters they were. It wasn’t great before: a K-rate of 7.86 per nine innings is tied for 25th in the majors by a bullpen. But that has plummeted to just 6.40: the Nationals (6.33) are the only other team with a K-rate below seven since the break. Kevin Ginkel has faced 26 batters with just three K’s. Taylor Clarke has faced 27 and struck out two. And Ryan Thompson? 23 batters without a single strikeout in the second half.
This matters, because fewer strikeouts = more balls in play, which will almost inevitably lead to more hits. That’s why we have a FIP of 4.56, xFIP of 4.76 and xERA of 4.56 – all up by approaching two-thirds of a run in the second half. Now, we are still in the somewhat small sample size range, but I do have to wonder if the heavy work-load in the first half for Arizona’s A-bullpen is leading to fatigue. We have six relievers with more than forty appearances (including all three of the pitchers mentioned above): no other team has more than that in 2026, with only the Yankees, Cardinals and Blue Jays having more than four such arms.
Well, tomorrow’s going to be a busy one! The Braves and Mets played through a little bit of rain during Monday night’s debacle and even though tonight has already been declared a washout, there’s a chance that they may have to dodge some more raindrops tomorrow as well. The weather is looking really bleak either way, so hopefully they’ll be able to complete the doubleheader just so that won’t cost Atlanta another off day down the stretch.
For now, we’ve got a rain-induced off night so what are y’all getting into? If you’re planning on watching baseball (outside of the hate-watch down in Miami) then I’d suggest tuning in to see the Yankees and White Sox since that seems like an intriguing series going on at the moment.
If you aren’t going to watch baseball and you have Apple TV then I suggest that you actually put it to use for something other than watching the Atlanta Braves. I’ve really enjoyed the Cape Fear miniseries, even if it was a head-scratcher as to why we needed a remake (2026) of a remake (1991) of a movie that originally came out in 1962. Still, it’s been pretty fun and if you enjoy extremely-messed up stories then it’s worth a watch. The finale is in a few days so you’ll be getting in at the best part.
Also, here’s a Feed post to get into as well if you want to just hang out here on Battery Power with your ol’ internet pals. We’ve got a lot going on here. Anyways, the floor is now yours!
Knowing the Los Angeles Dodgers and their free-spending ways, it’s inevitable they’ll acquire pitcher Tarik Skubal or another high-priced player before the Aug. 3 trade deadline and maximize their chances to win a third straight World Series title.
Their willingness to pay top dollar for free agents is indisputable. Start with Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract. Or the $240 million, four-year deal Kyle Tucker got before this season. Six other players on the roster signed deals worth more than $100 million.
But do the Dodgers go all out at the trade deadline?
Of the eight highest paid players on the current roster, none were acquired at the MLB trade deadline. In fact, their past two were awfully quiet: yet Los Angeles still won the World Series in 2024 and 2025.
For the Dodgers in 2024, there was no obvious splash at the trade deadline.
Los Angeles added pitchers Jack Flaherty and Michael Kopech, along with utility player Tommy Edman and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.
The Dodgers were 63-46 (.578) before the trade deadline and 35-18 (.660) after the deadline. Flaherty and Kopech strengthened the Dodgers’ pitching in the regular season, going a combined 10-2, with Kopech taking on a high-leverage role in relief.
But Edman wound up the postseason hero. He won the National League Championship Series MVP, batting .407 with 11 hits, one home run, 11 RBIs, and five runs in six games against the New York Mets and the Dodgers won the series four games to two.
In the World Series, the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games. Kopech made 12 postseason appearances and Flaherty started five games in the playoff run.
For the Dodgers in 2025, the club generated even less buzz at the trade deadline.
Los Angeles picked up three minor leaguers (pitcher Adam Serwinowski along with outfielders Zach Ehrhard and James Tibbs III), outfielder Alex Call, pitchers Paul Gervase and Brock Stewart and catcher Ben Rortvedt.
The Dodgers went 63-46 (.578) before the deadline and 30-23 (.566) after the deadline.
There was no Tommy Edman among this group. But the depth proved vital for the Dodgers with Rortvedt starting four playoff games as Smith dealt with injury, while Call made three starts in the outfield.
The Dodgers went on to win the World Series, prevailing over the Toronto Blue Jays with a heart-stopping fashion, extra-inning victory in Game 7.
The Dodgers have made significant upgrades with the trade deadline over the past decade. The acquisitions included pitcher Yu Darvish in 2017, when he was a four-time All-Star; shortstop Manny Machado in 2018, when he was a four-time All-Star; pitcher Max Sherzer in 2021, when he a seven-time All-Star; and shortstop Trea Turner in 2021, who won the NL batting title that year.
But none of those additions led to World Series rings, and the Dodgers have assembled their most fruitful rosters through other methods.
The Dodgers used free agency to sign first baseman Freddie Freeman, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, pitcher Blake Snell, Ohtani (designated hitter/pitcher) and Tucker, the outfielder.
Though winter trades, the Dodgers acquired shortstop Mookie Betts and pitcher Tyler Glasnow.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers' World Series show splurging at MLB trade deadline isn't mandatory
The Cincinnati Reds dropped an up and down Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader, a game rife with twists and turns that ultimately didn’t go their way. A grand slam off Chase Burns in the Top of the 1st (after an Edwin Arroyo error on a would-be inning-ending double play) set them back 4-0, but they roared back to take a 5-4 lead thanks the heroics of rookie Sal Stewart.
Not deterred, the Cleveland Guardians stole the lead right back thanks to future Hall of Famer Jose Ramirez, and Cincinnati’s bats simply couldn’t claw their way back again in an eventual 6-5 loss.
That sunk the Reds back to 7 games under .500 on a day that began with their hopes that they could climb as close to as just 4 games under. Such is life when you’re on the bubble in trade season and playing twice in the same day.
Caleb Ferguson will be the opener for the Reds in Game 2, which will start at 7:10 PM ET. Jose Franco was called up to be the 27th man on this doubleheader day, and the expectation is that he’ll end up getting the bulk of the work at some point mid-game.
Here’s how the Reds will line up for the second game of the day, with the bottom half of the lineup looking about as gross as it possibly could be:
Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @BobbyBuckets313. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @bobbybuckets313.bksy.social.
Join us live later this week as we get through the dog days of summer together. What questions do you have for Wes and Robbie?
Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.
The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.
The Pindown: a Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:
When: Thursday, July 30 at 2:45 p.m. ET
Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel
How to submit questions:
As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.
Go Stones.
The Chicago Blackhawks hit their fans with a hint of nostalgia over the last week as they have signed Patrick Kane to a two-year contract. He is coming back to contribute to winning and the future of the team, more than it being some "ride off into the sunset" moment, but it will surely bring back great memories for him and the fanbase.
It wasn't just Kane who contributed to three Stanley Cups in six years, the greatest in the history of the franchise. Many were a big part, and none were bigger than former captain Jonathan Toews.
Toews was away from the game for a few years after his final season with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-23. In 2025-26, he came back to the NHL and played one year with his hometown Winnipeg Jets.
Following the conclusion of that campaign, Toews announced his retirement from the National Hockey League. The Winnipeg Jets held a presser for him to do so on his own terms.
Blackhawks Legend Jonathan Toews Is Retiring From National Hockey LeagueChicago Blackhawks legend is retiring from the National Hockey League after one year with the Winnipeg Jets in 2025-26. Now, it is time for the Blackhawks to give him the proper send-off that he deserves. Eventually, he will have his number retired, be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and possibly get a statue, but a ceremony should be a must for the 2026-27 season.
In the past, the Blackhawks have brought back former players for "one last shift". A moment like that for Toews would be unlike any other that came before him, as he was so beloved as the captain of the team.
"Nothing is set in stone or anything, but I think it's likely we'll go down [that path]," Davidson said when asked about the possibility of Toews getting a moment like that during the upcoming season. He all but confirmed that it's in the works.
"Having him back and having him back with [Kane] back in a Blackhawks sweater would be a pretty exciting thing, too. But, again, much like I’ve said in the past with Patrick, Jonathan, he’s a Blackhawk for life.”
Is it possible that Toews comes back as an employee someday? He hasn't confirmed or denied being interested in coaching or a front office role in the NHL since retiring, but the way he played the game makes it clear that he might have the wisdom to consider a job like that.
Scouting or player evaluation could be in his future as well, if he chose to do so. For now, he deserves a proper send off as a player, and he's going to get it.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
As we rapidly approach the end of July, it's reaching a point in the summer where action lulls and rosters are mostly set for the 2026-27 season. With that being said, when training camp approaches this September, there will be a number of players fighting for a job on the San Jose Sharks.
There are three categories of player on each team at this point in the summer: the locks, the bubble players, and the long shots. Over the next three days, we'll take a look at where each player falls and get a rough idea of what the San Jose Sharks should look like on Opening Night. Today, kick things off with the forwards.
Locks: Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Mason Marchment, Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg, Michael Misa, Zack Ostapchuk, Barclay Goodrow
Of the 12 forwards that will take the ice on October 1, nine fall directly into the "lock" category. The reasoning behind some are obvious, Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and Michael Misa are the long-term stars of the Sharks and should be expected to play a big role in the long run.
Others, like Mason Marchment, Kiefer Sherwood, Alex Wennberg, and Zack Ostapchuk, are in the first year of big-money contracts and it would make zero sense for the Sharks to sign the deals if they weren't going to use them on their everyday roster.
That accounts for seven of the nine players in the lock category, but what about Tyler Toffoli and Barclay Goodrow?
Toffoli is one of the most well-liked figures in the Sharks' locker room. Although his play did regress a bit last season, the Sharks are hoping he'll be able to bounce back this fall. With that being said, even if he doesn't, there's not much they can do since he has a full no-trade clause. They could, of course, do what the New York Rangers did to Goodrow and place Toffoli on waivers for someone else to claim, but it's hard to imagine that would go over well in the locker room. As a result, he seems to be here to stay for at least one more season.
Goodrow, on the other hand, is seemingly a favorite of both Mike Grier and Ryan Warsofsky. He was one of only four players to appear in all 82 games, despite Warsofsky constantly rotating players in and out of the bottom-six forward group. While many fans likely don't feel that Goodrow should be guaranteed a roster spot this season, and there is some merit to that with his on-ice performance, it seems very unlikely that he'd be taken off of the Opening Night roster.
On the Bubble: Collin Graf, Ivar Stenberg, Igor Chernyshov, Ty Dellandrea, Adam Gaudette
If Collin Graf's contract were done and we had an idea of what term he's going to be signed to, he'd easily be a lock for the Opening Night roster. He finished third on the Sharks in goals last season and played very well alongside Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. While he does have the versatility to play a bottom-six role, at this stage, it seems like a waste of his talent.
As someone who has overcome the odds numerous times to even reach this point in his career though, Graf will find a way to make it work regardless of what happens.
The re-signing of Kiefer Sherwood followed by additions of Mason Marchment and Ivar Stenberg have made it tough to find a spot for Graf in the top-six, or even the top-nine for that matter. While Graf should undoubtedly be on the ice when the Florida Panthers come to town on October 1, it's hard to tell what the Sharks are planning on doing with him at this point and as a result, he fell to the top of the bubble.
Speaking of Stenberg, while many will likely pencil him in as a lock on the Opening Night roster, the Sharks are at a point where there's no need to rush him. While he was incredible in the Swedish Hockey League last season, some players struggle to adapt to the tighter confines of a North American rink which could hinder his performance in training camp and during the preseason.
Since he's coming out of Europe, Stenberg would be eligible to report to the American Hockey League right out of the gate if he were to struggle early on. It seems more likely than not that he'll take the ice on October 1, but it doesn't seem guaranteed just yet.
Igor Chernyshov is another player who has been hampered by the Sharks' additions over the summer. He seemed like a strong contender to earn his first full-time NHL role this season, but now there's even less room for him. If he's not going to be on the ice regularly, sending Chernyshov back to the AHL would be the right call, but it could lead to some frustration in the long run.
Lastly, Adam Gaudette and Ty Dellandrea are in an odd spot. On paper, they'd likely slot in as the Sharks' 12th and 13th forwards. However, it seems more likely that they're competing strictly for the 13th forward role. Whoever wins out the battle will likely play very little in the coming season, while the other could be placed on waivers, and likely claimed, when the time comes.
The Longshots: Quentin Musty, Filip Bystedt, Ethan Cardwell, Patrick Giles
Of these four, Quentin Musty has the highest NHL upside at this point in time, which ironically makes him the least likely to earn a spot with the Sharks this season as he'd be better suited to playing top-six minutes at the AHL level.
Filip Bystedt's odds of ever getting an opportunity with the team in teal seem slim at this stage, as I discussed in detail earlier this week.
What About Bystedt? Does Filip Bystedt Have a Place in the Sharks' Future?When the Sharks drafted Filip Bystedt with the 27th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, he was a key building piece for a rebuilding team without much prospect quality. Of course, the additions of Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini in 2023 and 2024 respectively, it didn’t take long for Bystedt to fall down the depth chart.
Meanwhile Ethan Cardwell and Patrick Giles are slightly different. They're never going to be counted on as top-nine forwards at the NHL level at this stage, but they could fill a depth role if the Sharks opted to move any of their bottom-six wingers like Gaudette and Dellandrea for example. It's very unlikely to happen, but if both players were moved, Cardwell or Giles could sneak into the 13th forward role with a strong performance at training camp.
There's certainly a lot to consider for Mike Grier and Ryan Warsofsky when training camp gets underway this fall. One thing is for sure though; they'll have to make at least a couple of difficult decision.
Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 5:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)
Tropicana Field
RHP Cal Quantrill vs. RHP Griffin Jax
Go Rangers!
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the second matchup of a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park.
The Pirates will have Bubba Chandler in the spotlight tonight as he makes his 21st start of the season for the team. His record is 3-8, but he is coming off a strong showing in his last appearance against the New York Yankees on the road. Chandler pitched 6.1 innings, giving up two hits and no earned runs. The Yanks scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning off of reliever Brandon Eisert, resulting in a 2-0 loss.
The Diamondbacks are handing the ball to Brandon Pfaadt, who has won each of his last five starts after going winless for his first 13 appearances of the season. In the second half of the season, Pfaadt has only made two starts, both of which were against the St. Louis Cardinals. In his last start on July 23, he pitched six innings, giving up seven hits and two runs in a 10-6 victory at Busch Stadium.
With the calendar slowly moving from July to August, the Pirates are moving into the final stretch of the season, so they need to make the most of each game, especially at home.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.43 ERA) vs. Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.47 ERA)
BD community, chime off in the comments section below.