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Paul Skenes needs his speed back.

Coming off his worst month as a major leaguer, Skenes showed slight progress in his first August start on Wednesday.

Skenes allowed three runs on two hits and four walks against six strikeouts, though it wasn’t enough in a 4-2 loss to the Brewers tin Milwaukee.

July was a slog for Skenes, posting a 6.25 ERA over six starts, and the last one was the worst of his career: Seven earned runs in four innings on the 31st.

The poor stanza follows a month-by-month decline that the LSU and Air Force product has seen throughout 2026.

Skenes’ ERA in the month of April was 1.89 and has risen each month since.

After April, his ERA came to a still solid 2.87 in May, then 3.58 in June, before a horrid 6.25 in July, where he allowed 22 earned runs in six starts.

“It’s been an interesting year, a little bit,” Skenes said after his July 31 outing. “But it could be a lot worse. We’ll figure it out. I’m going to figure it out. But it could be a lot worse.”

One reason for this has been a noticeable downtick in velocity. Skenes’ fastball is averaging 97 mph this season, down from 98.2 in 2025 and 98.8 in his rookie season.

He also hasn’t thrown a single pitch over 100 mph this season after throwing over 100 of them a season ago.

In fact, prior to Wednesday night’s start, Skenes hadn’t thrown a pitch over 98 mph in five starts, according to Codify Baseball.

“I don’t think velocity is something I need to pitch well,” Skenes said during the All-Star break. “I think it’s probably the first time in my career the velo has kinda dipped. It’s not something that I’m stressed over at all. I’m healthy. I’m feeling good and still pitching at a high level.”

The Pirates ace’s off-speed have also been an issue.

After ranking in the 100th and 98th percentiles for Skene’s off-speed pitch quality and run value ranked in the 100th and 98th percentiles respectively, last season, they have dropped immensely to the 17th percentile in 2026.

According to Fangraphs, hitters are also on time on Skenes’ pitches 45-percent of the time this season, compared to 39% last season.

It doesn’t help that the Pirates’ defense has been below average once again this year, holding a minus-12 record in outs above average and ranking sixth-worst in MLB at turning batted balls into outs.

Last summer, the Red Sox made a bold bid to bolster the rotation and acquire Joe Ryan from the Minnesota Twins. But of course, as we now know, they didn’t land their man.

What we didn’t know at the time – or at least didn’t know in detail – is that the Twins balked at an offer including both Payton Tolle and Franklin Arias. On one hand, most Red Sox fans are thrilled that puppy didn’t go through, and for good reason. But you know what? After this week’s deadline that included Adley Rutschman coming in and Marcelo Mayer going out, I’m still kind of fascinated by that potential blockbuster that fell apart the last trip around the sun.

When you couple the 2025 Joe Ryan deadline deal that didn’t happen with the moves this week that did, a pretty clear and wild pattern emerges: Craig Breslow is stunningly aggressive. Over the last year and a half, this trend has consistently manifested itself in two clear ways: One, he’s not afraid to put a haul of prospects on the table to get a player he covets. And two, if you’re not marching in tune of his vision for club, you’re going to be shown the exit, and quickly.

Let’s run through six examples here (three from each category) to underscore the point.

Since December of 2024, Craig Breslow:

• Traded Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery and Wikelman Gonzalez to the White Sox for Garrett Crochet.
• Offered to trade Payton Tolle and Franklin Arias to the Twins for Joe Ryan.
• Traded Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar and Carlos Narvaez to the Orioles for Adley Rutschman.

That’s eight top ten prospects (albeit not at the same time) that Breslow’s been willing to part with to acquire established major league pieces.

Secondly, we have the Breslow moves that purged certain guys from the organization. All three of these occurred in just the last 15 months:

• The Rafael Devers trade to the Giants last year.
• The Alex Cora firing in April.
• The Marcelo Mayer trade to San Francisco.

All three of those guys were involved in some level of friction within the organization, and when the front office saw their chance, they parted ways. That’s the complete opposite of how Chaim Bloom ran the show.

Now, to be fair, Bloom was in accumulation mode while he presided over the farm, but stop and ask yourself this: How many of those six moves would Chaim Bloom have made, and how many of those six moves would Dave Dombrowski have made? Regardless of your exact answer, it’s hard to imagine any scenario where Bloom’s number is higher.

The biggest difference between now and ten years ago is the Red Sox aren’t going to lead baseball in payroll anytime soon like they did at the end of the Dombrowski era. But that has nothing to do with Breslow; he’s operating inside the budget granted to him by ownership. What he’s proven in the last 20 months is he’s willing to spend the currency sitting in front of him, and spend it big.

Ideally, there will be more of a balance in the spending of prospects and dollars when everything shakes out, and who knows, perhaps that will come in the form of an Adley Rutschman extension soon. But in the meantime, it’s been quite a ride to watch Craig Breslow get this aggressive.

Looking forward along those lines, I anxiously wonder how much this is sustainable. One of the worst things about the last great core of Red Sox baseball is how little the group accomplished outside of 2018. They followed up that 108-win, World Series season by missing the playoffs in 2019, and then having that unmitigated disaster during the Covid season of 2020. The details of how that fell apart so fast are a topic for another day, but the discussion as to how to make sure that doesn’t happen again is very present.

So with that, I want to bring up another element that’s somewhat specific to Breslow’s vision, and may also be driving his actions.

Namely, all the prize pieces acquired in Breslow’s big deals have been under team control for at least two cracks at a World Series. Crochet was under control for two years (and then they extended him). Erik Miller, whom they got for Mayer, is under team control through the end of 2029. Curtis Mead is here through 2030. And Joe Ryan would have been here for three shots at a World Series. Even Adley Rutschman will be in Boston for at least two more Septembers, and if he ends up signing an extension, it really solidifies Breslow’s long-term vision and trade type.

The broader point here is the guys Breslow goes after are not rentals. He wants multiple bites at the apple, and that’s a big reason why he’s been willing to pay such a high price in terms of prospects. Perhaps the thinking there is that while long-term, expensive free agent contracts often turn sour on the backend, deals that include big payments in prospect hauls leave you time to rebuild the farm as long as what you get in return is under team control for multiple years.

It’s a great idea on paper, but let’s see how it plays out in reality.

Lastly, bringing it all back to the Joe Ryan deal that didn’t go through a year ago, not having Joe Ryan in that Wild Card series again the Yankees absolutely kneecapped this team. Even if you’re thanking whatever God you pray to that Payton Tolle and Franklin Arias are still here, it’s okay to admit that Brayan Bello starting Game 2 in New York completely derailed the Sox in that series. He faced eleven batters, failed to get five of them out, got bailed out by an Anthony Volpe double play, and put the Sox on a track where they had to use six relievers and ultimately stretch the high leverage part of the pen too thin.

Knowing this, I wonder if Breslow and company are still stinging from that experience, because they’ve certainly responded like it. In the last nine months, they’ve aggressively added to the rotation, started their trade deadline moves a week early with Curtis Mead (even though that blew up in their face), and then offered another huge package to land Adley Rutschman and ensure they weren’t left without their man again.

Maybe he’s a nerd, maybe he’s a stiff, maybe he’s still learning on the job, and maybe he still reminds you of Chaim Bloom — but make no mistake, Breslow is acting a whole lot more like the guy who was here ten years ago than the guy who was here five years ago. He just doesn’t have the same sized checkbook at his disposal. Now we’ll see how long he can make this run last.

Somehow, Martin Perez and I are inextricably linked in the shimmering web that is the universe. It could be worse, perhaps.

The Braves are on quite a roll, having won seven in a row. They’re also on quite a run prevention stretch as part of this winning streak (and a little beyond). Since letting the Mets raze Connor Thomas into the ground, the Braves have allowed four or fewer runs in their last eight games; they’ve allowed three or fewer in each of their last five. They’re not necessarily pitching all that well — despite the league’s best ERA going back to July 29 and its seventh-best FIP, they’re still firmly middle of the pack by xFIP — but great defense and a favorable HR/FB cures a lot of run prevention ills.

Perez has been deeply ensconced in this fortuitous stretch. Early last week, he had another underwhelming start against the Mets, his fifth outing in a row with meh to bad pitching. He departed a tie game after five innings; in came Thomas for his obliteration. After that, the Braves have kept opponents largely off the board, including Perez himself, who broke his extended stretch of poor pitching by dominating the Nationals last Saturday: six strikeouts, two walks, and all goose eggs in a season-high seven innings. It was Perez’ longest outing in nearly a calendar year, and his best since a generally more-successful stretch he had earlier in the year. The kicker was that Perez wasn’t even scheduled to start that day: he was tapped to perform less than an hour before game start after scheduled starter Reynaldo Lopez went down with a knee issue.

On the season, Perez is now at a 77 ERA-, 104 FIP-, and 99 xFIP-. It’s been a bit of a coup for about $3.5 million (which might be a high-end estimate given that he was DFAed by Atlanta earlier this season), considering how many worse-performing starters signed for “real major league money” in the offseason. While his aggregate performance isn’t any better than “fine” and it drives me crazy (maybe you too) by dint of his pitching style, he’s up to nearly 100 innings of decent starting pitcher production at this point. It remains to be seen whether his recent great start was the result of the Nationals being unprepared for the starter swap — it’d be lame if the Braves’ awesome run prevention streak ends tonight — but we’ll see some Perez pachinko either way (unless the game gets rained out or whatever).

A small note is that if this game does occur, it will be Perez’ second time facing Miami this season. The first was wild: he dominated to the tune of a 10/2 K/BB ratio achieved in just five innings, but was charged with four runs, including a leadoff homer, by the time he departed. (The Braves didn’t care, they stormed back with six unanswered runs in the final five frames.)

At 58-57, the Marlins are hanging out in the NL Wild Card race. They currently trail the Phillies and Diamondbacks by three games for that final spot. To avoid a sweep, they’ll send Janson Junk (108 ERA-, 100 FIP-, 102 xFIP-) to the hill. The Braves clobbered Junk back in May, with Austin Riley hitting a three-run homer early, and then Dominic Smith chasing him with another three-run homer in the middle innings. The Marlins and Junk probably hoped he’d build on a really nice 2025 where he posted 2.5 fWAR in just 110 innings, which was partly driven by a teeny-tiny walk rate and also highly influenced by a six percent HR/FB. However, the walk rate has increased and the HR/FB has jumped back to normal, hence Junk’s fairly generic stats. He’s been more or less the same guy month to month, too. He won’t strike a lot of guys out, whether he’s walk-prone seems to vary substantially from start to start, and yeah, you can hit homers off of him now. All of that lines up for another comfortable win… but that doesn’t mean it’ll happen that way.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, August 6, 7:15 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

Phillies notes: Hill, Painter updates, defensive alignment, prospect watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Twenty years ago, Aaron Rowand famously ran into the center-field wall at Citizens Bank Park, smashing his face into the fencing area while making one of the greatest catches in Phillies history.

On Wednesday night, Derek Hill hit the wall in almost the exact same spot.

Rowand went on the injured list and returned 16 days later. His injury required a trip to the emergency room after he broke his nose, cheekbone and orbital bone.

For more than two minutes Wednesday, Hill stayed down on the field as he waited for help from the Phillies’ medical staff. It was a scary scene, and the comparison was hard to miss.

Fortunately for the Phillies’ outfielder, the initial news was much better.

Mattingly said Wednesday night that Hill had a shoulder contusion. On Thursday, he said Hill went through the necessary protocol and could be available if he got through pregame work.

“Derek went through all the protocol he had to go through,” Mattingly said. “He feels like he probably should have after running into a wall.”

That counts as a win for the Phillies.

Hill has dealt with several injuries across his seven-year major-league career, and his intensity can work against him at times. But that same edge is part of what he has brought to the Phillies since arriving in a June trade.

He has given them defense, speed and more power than expected. Hill’s .437 slugging percentage ranks 16th among right-handed hitting outfielders with at least 150 plate appearances. It is four points below Mike Trout’s and higher than Julio Rodríguez, Teoscar Hernández and Ronald Acuña Jr.

Hill has nine homers, and among that same group, he ranks fifth in plate appearances per homer at 18.44.

Selective endpoints or not, he has given the Phillies a version of what Harrison Bader provided last year whenever his name was called.

That is why avoiding the injured list is crucial, in many ways.

“If he’s good, he’ll be ready to go tonight,” Mattingly said.

PAINTER UPDATE

The Phillies also got encouraging news on Andrew Painter.

The rookie right-hander left Wednesday’s start after four innings and 63 pitches with left hamstring tightness. It was an immediate concern because the Phillies had just committed to him as their fifth starter after the trade deadline.

Painter was optimistic after the game regarding his healthy and the update verified that feeling.

He underwent imaging, and Mattingly said the results came back clean. The expectation is that Painter will make his next start against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

“Andrew feels pretty good,” Mattingly said. “Had imaging this morning. Came back good. I expect him to make that start at this point unless something comes up.”

For a team that did not add a veteran starter at the deadline, that was a major sigh of relief.

“Really good,” Mattingly said. “You’re not going to be searching for a starter every fifth day. And really everything last night could have been a lot worse.”

That included Painter’s hamstring, Hill’s collision with the wall and Harper’s hand getting stuck in the dirt on a stolen-base attempt.

“It all basically came up good,” Mattingly said.

Could the Phillies still look around for starting pitching that gets designated for assignment around the league?

That still seems likely. There is not much upper-level rotation depth in the minor-league system, and it seems unlikely that top pitching prospect Gage Wood, even fully healthy, would be the next arm they turn to in September.

But for now, the Phillies are not scrambling to replace Painter.

DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT

The Phillies are two games into their new defensive alignment after acquiring Luis Arraez.

On Tuesday, Harper started in right field and Bryson Stott started at third base, positions neither had played in at least four years. They became just the seventh pair of teammates since 1946, the post-World War II era, to start the same game at positions they had not played in at least four years.

It was the first such pair since 1997.

The last Phillies pair to do it was Bill Kelly at first base and Al Nixon in left field on April 11, 1928.

When the Phillies traded for Arraez, they believed the bat and glove at second base warranted the shuffle. That does not even factor in Alec Bohm moving across the diamond to first.

Arraez has been one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball this season. Stott has been there for years.

So, with Stott, Bohm and Harper settling into new spots, how much worse can the defense really get, for the club that has the lowest defensive runs saved metric in baseball?

It could eventually be better.

Mattingly is not worried about Stott at third or Bohm at first. Harper is the variable.

“Getting him in shape for the outfield, accustomed to it, where he’s feeling like an outfielder,” Mattingly said. Bohmer and Stott, I don’t worry about at all… they’re both good at them.”

Harper’s first few games back in the outfield have looked fine, though Wednesday did bring a reminder that the move will take time.

On CJ Abrams’ triple in the 11th inning, Hill crashed into the wall after the ball ricocheted off the center-field fence. Mattingly said he did not notice it live, but the Phillies want Harper backing up on that type of play.

“Obviously, we had a little bump with the backup last night,” Mattingly said. “He’s not used to that.”

The Phillies are also still figuring out exactly where Harper should play in right field. Mattingly said he would probably feel more comfortable with Harper deeper, but the club will trust its positioning.

“I just think it’s harder to field it going back than coming in,” Mattingly said.

The larger defensive question still sits at shortstop.

Turner has again graded poorly by the metrics at one of the most important defensive positions on the field. If Harper is the biggest adjustment in the short term, Turner remains the most important piece if the Phillies want this new alignment to stabilize.

EYES ON FARM

Since the Phillies sent Alex McFarlane back to Triple A after his major-league debut, he has thrown 3 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

He was one of the more interesting trade chips the Phillies could have used at the deadline. Instead, they held onto the 25-year-old fireballer.

The biggest thing for McFarlane will be continuing to improve against left-handed hitters. The Phillies view him as a potential high-leverage reliever down the road, but they also want him to develop before calling him back solely out of need.

The bullpen is in a much better place from a depth perspective than it was a week ago.

Francisco Renteria, meanwhile, might be the most exciting player in the lower levels of the system.

The 17-year-old outfielder, whom the Phillies signed out of Maracaibo, Venezuela, is batting .360 with eight homers and 43 RBIs in the Dominican Summer League.

Renteria already has the feel of a prospect who could become one of the bigger names in the organization over the next few years. He has shown five-tool ability since arriving in professional baseball.

Remember the name.

Some say it’s ridiculous.

Some say it’s refreshing.

Some say it’s unprofessional.

Some say it’s all in good fun.

One thing is certain — Mets relief pitcher Jefry Yan got everyone’s attention with his high-flying, post-strikeout celebration during his MLB debut on Wednesday in Cleveland against the Guardians.

Read more:Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show as NL MVP talk heats up: 'He's a great player'

Called up from triple-A Syracuse a day earlier, the 29-year-old Dominican left-hander took the mound to start the bottom of the sixth inning and faced Guardians pinch-hitter Ángel Martínez. Five pitches into the at-bat, Yan caught the hitter looking on an 88.7-mph slider for a called third strike.

Then came the celebration. Yan jumped up — way up — into the air, contorting his legs into somewhat of a split. He landed in a crouch position and slapped the ground before popping up, standing still with his hands up for a fraction of a second, then walking back up the mound with a bit of a leg slide to commemorate his first Major League strikeout.

Jefry Yan brings his energy to the majors 😮‍💨 https://t.co/nQYCljo0fgpic.twitter.com/26X3ZDuUyR

— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2026

“Once I had him with two strikes I said, you know what, I’m going to throw that slider,” Yan said through an interpreter after the Mets’ 6-5 victory in 10 innings. “And if I freeze him, which is exactly what I did, I celebrated accordingly.”

Several batters later, however, Yan commemorated his second major league strikeout similarly. Yan had given up two singles and a walk to load the bases before getting Cleveland designated hitter Chase DeLauter on a 90-mph slider for strike three and the second out of the inning.

Once again, Yan did the whole jumping, landing, ground-slapping thing (no slide this time though). Later in the game, Cleveland’s José Ramírez was seen in the dugout apparently imitating Yan’s airborne style of rejoicing.

Read more:Two of Rob Reiner's children pay tribute to their late parents with Dodgers ceremonial first pitches

While most MLB fans might be seeing Yan’s post-strikeout air show for the first time, the celebrations have actually become a signature move for the player during his long, unconventional journey to the majors.

After initially signing with the Angels organization as a teenage international free agent in 2013, Yan eventually spent several years out of affiliated baseball, playing for semipro and amateur teams while also working odd jobs.

He was signed by the Miami Marlins organization in 2021, followed by the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball and the Colorado Rockies organization before the Mets last August.

The Jefry Yan Experience pic.twitter.com/yHbZ5r5rB4

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) February 25, 2025

Yan has other methods of celebrating during games as well. On Wednesday, after Guardians right fielder Jo Adell — playing his second game for Cleveland after being traded by the Angels earlier in the week — grounded into a fielder’s choice at shortstop to end the inning, Yan did a low slide move and slapped his chest, then smacked his glove emphatically several times and blew a kiss toward the sky while leaving the field.

Cleveland fans expressed their displeasure, but Yan wasn’t bothered.

“If they want to yell at me, if they want to boo me, they can do whatever they want,” Yan said. “I’m in my zone. And yeah, I’m going to enjoy my game any way that I want to.”

Read more:Shaikin: Angels finally play it smart and go on a franchise-jolting trading spree

Yan gave up two hits and no runs with two strikeouts and one walk in one inning pitched. Five of his pitches, all sliders, reached triple digits on the speed gun.

“It’s real stuff. It’s really impressive,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “To get out of a bases-loaded jam, get your first punchout, just excited for him. He deserves that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Since Brady House has been back in the big leagues, the team’s plan for him has been very clear. They have been using him in a platoon role against left handed pitching. When you look at his numbers, the plan is quite logical. On the season, House is hitting .355 with a 1.009 OPS against lefties compared to a .177 average and .538 OPS against righties. 

However, with the Nats drifting away from contention, I would like them to prioritize House’s development. Right now, House is platooning with Jorbit Vivas, who only has a .666 OPS against righties himself. If House had a stronger platoon partner it would be one thing, but Vivas should not be playing more than a high pedigree guy like House.

We all know what House can do against left handed pitching. Last night he reminded us once again, coming off the bench to hit a homer off Brooks Raley. House looks very comfortable against lefties, letting the ball travel and using his big raw power to smoke balls all over the yard. His homer off Raley was a no-doubter the other way.

sorry can’t make it it’s at the same time as me watching this brady house pinch hit homer pic.twitter.com/c332LRe36F

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 6, 2026

Sure he struggles against righties, but the only way he is going to get better is through reps. It would be harsh to label a guy who just turned 23 a couple months ago as a pure platoon guy. They are not doing that with Dylan Crews, who has similarly putrid numbers against righties, so why House.

If I am being honest, I do not think management is that high on House. The comparison with Crews is good evidence of this. House has slightly better offensive numbers this year, both on the surface and analytically. However, Crews is the one being hit higher in the lineup and not being platooned. In my opinion, the two are on a similar level, but it does not seem like the Nats braintrust agrees with that.

House was the one who started the year in the bigs, but in Mid-May Crews was called up for him. When House was in the minors, he hit over .300, but showed similar strengths and weaknesses. He hit for a decent amount of power, but most of it was against left handed pitching. House hit for the cycle in AAA, with three of the hits coming against lefties.

🚨 BRADY HOUSE CYCLE 🚨

triple in the 1st, double in 3rd, homer in the 5th, single in the ninth 🚲 pic.twitter.com/DHFZrZRIZl

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) July 11, 2026

Long term, there is a good chance that House is just a platoon bat. However, this is the time where we should be experimenting and seeing if he can get anything going against righties. He is still such a young player who is rough around the edges. Most platoon guys are either lower ranked prospects fighting for a role or veterans who have proven for years they are only good against one side.

House is not either of those things. He is a former first round pick who was a fixture on top 100 lists for years. Usually guys like that get more of a leash for everyday playing time. 

The youngster has really struggled against righties, but he has also shown the ability to run into some homers. He has hit five homers off right handed pitching this year. However, most of them have come on hanging breaking balls like this one.

BRADY HOUSE FOR THE LEAD!
CJ Abrams for good measure!

The @Nationals hit three homers in one frame 💪 pic.twitter.com/8rPCs8m0LX

— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2026

Honestly, House’s biggest red flag is his struggles against fastballs, particularly against righties. This season, House is hitting just .104 against righty fastballs. There is a chance that the front office sees that number and just thinks House is beyond saving against right handed pitching.

However, I would still give him a shot. If you like Vivas’ on base skills against righties, I would mix him in more at second base than third. Nasim Nunez has some exciting traits, but it feels like he is being overplayed this season. A player with Nunez’s skillset is a questionable fit in an everyday role, especially with some of the mental mistakes he has been making lately.

If House continues to struggle the rest of the way with righties, I would be fine to pigeon hole him as a platoon bat. However, I am not at that point yet. Letting House play as often as Curtis Mead did would be a smart move. 

Mead played always against lefties and most of the time against righties. However, he would get days off against some of the tougher righties in the league. With the rest of the season being about development, it is time to give Brady House that role and see how it goes.

It’s been an awful season for the San Francisco Giants, in virtually every way imaginable. But on Thursday morning, arguably the hardest piece of news all season landed: Mike Krukow is retiring.

The beloved broadcaster announced on Thursday morning that the 2026 season will be his last in the booth. The news was shared via the team’s social media accounts, as well as in a press release. The organization also announced that there will be a celebration for Krukow on the final day of the season, September 27.

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

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) August 6, 2026

Here’s the full statement from the legendary broadcaster:

I just want to let everyone know that I will be retiring at the end of the season. I want to take this time to thank you for your incredible support.

Jennifer and I have been so blessed to be able to stay in the game for as long as we have and it’s really made it impossible to feel sorry for myself that my career is coming to an end.

We are bracing for the emotional hits we know we are going to feel in the next few weeks. Jennifer and I are wondering if it is even possible to let everyone know how deeply we love and respect our Giants family.

Our time together has been a gift.

When Green Day asked, “I hope you’ve had the time of your lives,” we certainly have.

Thank you.

— Mike Krukow

The news is gut-wrenching for any Giants fan, as Krukow’s voice has been synonymous with the team for more than three decades. It is, frankly, difficult to imagine the Giants without Krukow.

While the news is heartbreaking, it’s hardly surprising. Krukow has been dealing with a degenerative muscle disease, inclusion body myositis, for some time now. In recent years, he’s dramatically reduced the number of games he broadcasts, and has stopped traveling for road games. When he and his broadcast partner Duane Kuiper call home games these days, Kuiper does so from the ballpark, while Krukow is in the NBC Sports studios back in the Bay Area.

Unfortunately, that toll became too difficult for Kruk. In an interview with Alex Pavlovic, Krukow revealed that his reasons for retiring are entirely due to his health.

“I don’t want to quit,” the former All-Star pitcher told Pavlovic. “Unfortunately the rules change, first from year to year and then month to month and now it’s day to day. It’s becoming unsafe. My home in Reno is so much safer and it really is the determining factor in how I can’t do games anymore.”

It the coming days and weeks, we’ll pen lots of words about how great Krukow is, and how dearly he’ll be missed. For now, though, we’ll just let his words do the talking.

Thank you, Kruk.

Mike Krukow, a one-time All-Star pitcher who entertained San Francisco Giants fans alongside fellow broadcasting legend Duane Kuiper through the club's glory years, announced he will retire at the end of the season, ending a 36-year run behind the microphone.

Krukow, 74, and Kuiper have been the voice of Giants baseball during their most prosperous era in the Bay Area, their low-key musings and undeniable chemistry providing the soundtrack for runs to three World Series titles, along with the club's move to what's now Oracle Park and the record-breaking accomplishments of slugger Barry Bonds.

Krukow has been slowed in recent years by a degenerative muscle disease that has prevented him from traveling with the squad; he and Kuiper have called home games with road assignments parceled out among the rest of the Giants broadcasting crew.

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

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

Krukow's mention of the Bay Area rock trio is appropriate, as he has been woven into the city's fabric for decades. Krukow pitched seven of his 14 years for the Giants, often serving as staff ace for some terrible ballclubs at wind-swept Candlestick Park. He earned his lone All-Star nod in 1986, when he won 20 games.

Yet the club's prosperity as he transitioned to broadcasting seemed karmic payback for the grim years spent on the field. He and Kuiper lent a voice to the exploits of greats like Bonds and Buster Posey but also characters such as two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, Hunter Pence and Sergio Romo, now a studio host for the club.

The pair were nominated for but did not win the Hall of Fame's Ford Frick Award for broadcasting excellence in 2024. After Krukow's announcement Thursday, Kuiper told The Athletic he intends to continue calling games in 2027.

Krukow has always been blunt and entertaining in his broadcasts and elsewhere. After the organization came under fire when a group of pitchers altered or refused to wear the club's Pride Night hats, Krukow responded on the club's flagship station. 

"I think when you're a player and you come into this environment, it's your responsibility to know just how sensitive this city is in regards to that cultural freedom and religious freedom, and just the way that you live your life," Krukow said on KNBR.

"And I think they were in for a rude awakening with the response, and it wasn't just from the gay community; it was from the Northern California community that supports the gay community."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Legendary Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow to retire at season's end

Paul Skenes wobbled through another start for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, Aug. 5, putting a sharp focus on the rotation as the biggest source of question marks for the team following the MLB trade deadline. 

Yes, the bullpen still needs to earn trust amid 20 blown saves this season, but GM Ben Cherington addressed it meaningfully with deals for veteran relievers Luke Weaver, Camilo Doval, Kirby Yates and Lake Bachar this week. 

Concerns about the offense are valid as well. Injuries to outfielder Oneil Cruz, first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and shortstop Konnor Griffin will inevitably slow down an offense that enters Thursday ranked first in hits and third in runs scored across MLB this season. Cruz and O'Hearn have combined for 31 homers this season.

Skenes, however, is the reigning Cy Young winner in the National League, and manager Don Kelly’s starters were supposed to be the foundation of his team’s success. And yet, consistency has been hard to find in recent weeks.

Required Reading: Why Paul Skenes' latest start for Pirates can be seen as progress ... barely

The 24-year-old ace had a 6.25 ERA in July and has allowed at least three earned runs in each of his last four starts while failing to get out of the sixth inning in any of them. On Wednesday, he walked four and reached nine three-ball counts. The Cy Young-caliber efficiency was not there, even as he escaped the night without any catastrophic damage. 

“I thought it was pretty good, outside of the fourth inning,” Skenes told reporters afterward. “Probably need to get ahead in counts a little more, just overall. … I mean, you can’t walk guys.”

Adding pressure for Skenes is the reality that he’s not the only issue within the group. Earlier in the week, veteran Mitch Keller was placed on the 60-day injured list with a teres major muscle injury in his right arm. The previously reliable innings eater ends the season with a 5.29 ERA and a concerning drop to a career-low 6.9 strikeouts per nine innings. 

All-Star Braxton Ashcraft was even worse than Skenes in July, pitching to a 7.78 ERA. He took a promising step with a win against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 1, in which he allowed just a run on two hits in five innings. Still, it’s hard to know what to expect from him down the stretch of his first full season and an MLB starter. 

The story is similar for Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler in the back end. The former has been the most reliable of the group lately with a 2.00 ERA in August and three starts of at least six innings in his last five outings. The Pirates have been cautious with him, though, after he lost all of 2025 and some of 2026 to elbow surgery. 

Chandler, meanwhile, has gotten out of the sixth just once since the start of July as walks continue to pile up. His ERA sits at 4.49 for the season. 

None of it portends well for a team that’s now 4.5 games out of the final wild-card spot in the National League after a loss in a rare national television appearance against the Brewers. Skenes and Co. will have to show an ability to course correct, especially if the injuries begin to take a noticeable toll on the offense. 

There’s also the matter of replacing Keller in the rotation. Long reliever Carmen Mlodzinski is the likely candidate after starting the year among the team’s top five starters. He pitched to a 3.76 ERA through May before being demoted to the bullpen upon Jones’ return to action. 

Fans have clamored for his return ever since as he’s kept his ERA under 3.00 throughout June, July and August, albeit in mostly lower-leverage innings of long relief. It appears they’ll now get their wish to see if he can help Skenes and Co. stop the proverbial bleeding down the stretch. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pirates need more from Paul Skenes, rotation to make MLB postseason push

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Milwaukee Brewers, August 6, 2026, 2:10 p.m. ET

The Pittsburgh Pirates are playing in a Thursday matinee for the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.

The Pirates will hand the ball to their All-Star starter Braxton Ashcraft, who has won his last two starts, including his last appearance on August 1 against the Cincinnati Reds on the road. He pitched five innings, giving up two hits and one run in a 4-1 victory. Ashcraft has been the Pirates’ most successful pitcher this season, and the team will need him to stay hot in order to stay in the wild card hunt.

Facing off against Ashcraft is Dustin May, who is making his debut with the Brewers after being acquired in a trade shortly before the deadline earlier this week. May went 5-7 with a 4.38 ERA in 21 appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this season. This will mark May’s third start against the Pirates this season, after pitching against them on the road at PNC Park in April and at Busch Stadium in May.

May struggled in his last start against the Pirates back on May 21 at Bush Stadium. He gave up six hits and four earned runs in 5.1 innings as Pittsburgh won 6-2.

Location: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI

Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pitching Matchup: Braxton Ashcraft (11-4, 3.96 ERA) vs. Dustin May (5-7, 4.38 ERA)

BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game. Chime off in the comments section below.