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The Miami Marlins (52-51) welcome the San Diego Padres (50-53) to South Beach this weekend. It is a crucial three-game set for both teams’ playoff hopes. Each club has struggled following the All-Star break. The loser of this series will kiss their postseason chances goodbye.

Thursday Results

The Padres fell short for a second consecutive day, as a late-game rally ended in a frustrating 6-5 defeat to the Atlanta Braves. The loss dropped them to 2-5 on their 10-game, three-city road trip.

The Friars began the scoring with a three-run rally off of Braves ace Chris Sale. A fielding error by left fielder Mauricio Dubón aided the offense, as it was followed by a bases-loaded walk to Fernando Tatis Jr. and a two-run single by Luis Renglio. But that lead was short-lived.

After Padres opener Kyle Hart pitched a scoreless first inning, Griffin Canning came into the contest as the bulk pitcher. His struggles continued with the first batter he faced. Michael Harris II homered on the second pitch of his at-bat. The Braves scored four more runs in the fourth inning, as Ozzie Albies hit a solo home run and Dominic Smith followed with a three-run blast. 

Atlanta closed out its scoring with Drake Baldwin hitting a solo home run off Matt Waldron in the seventh inning. The Friars came back with a two-run shot by Ty France. The bats tried to rally in the ninth inning, but to no avail.

Taking the mound: German Marquez (SD) vs Ryan Gusto (MIA)

The Marlins waited until this morning to name their starting pitcher for this afternoon’s game. The club is trying to fill a void left by star pitcher Max Meyer, who recently went on the injured list with a neck strain.

The team has chosen right-hander Ryan Gusto (0-2, 4.70 ERA), who has worked out of the bullpen and been a spot starter this season. He has a deep pitching repertoire, as Gusto does not throw particularly hard. But the right-hander will use his four-seam, cutter, and breaking ball to strike out left-handed batters. The movement keeps them off-balance during their at-bats. 

The Marlins have struggled to begin the second half of the 2026 season, as the team is 1-9 in their last 10 games. At the All-Star break, the club held the final wild card position. But now, the Marlins find themselves two games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

German Marquez (4-2, 5.24 ERA) takes the ball and is determined to end the Padres’ recent slide. He has pitched better since coming off the IL. Marquez has become more effective by working on a pitch count that allows him to go through an opposing lineup once. 

The right-hander has averaged three-plus innings since returning to the starting rotation. But to be effective, Marquez must avoid contact, which is impossible with the lowest strikeout rate (13.8%) among all major league starters. 

The offense scored 21 runs in the four-game set against the Braves. The hope is the bats remain alive this weekend. It would be the perfect time for Miami native Manny Machado to put on a show for the home folks. He leads the Friars with 22 HRs and 59 RBIs. 

Today’s lineup

It would seem we’re going to have to wait at least one more day to see Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s return to the Braves.

While it was reported he could be back as soon as tonight, the team hasn’t yet announced his return from his rehab assignment and he’s not in the starting lineup the Braves released for Friday’s series opener at the Baltimore Orioles.

Instead, Atlanta is running back a very similar lineup to the one it used for Thursday afternoon’s series finale vs. San Diego. The top six in the order remain the same, although Drake Baldwin is DHing after catching that game.

At the bottom of the order, Eli White replaces Mike Yastrzemski in right field and will hit seventh, Joey Bart will catch and hit eighth and Jorge Mateo will make his first appearance since last Friday, giving Jim Jarvis a day off as Mateo hits ninth and plays shortstop with Ha-Seong Kim’s return also on the horizon.

It’s a chance for Mateo to play against his former team, having suited up for the O’s from 2o21-25.

This will be former Marlin Trevor Rogers’ 11th career start against the Braves. So a few of the relative veterans of the lineup in Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley have faced him a decent amount. Albies is 8-for-25 (.320) with a double and three RBIs against Rogers, while Riley is 5-for-23 (.217) with three doubles, a homer and four RBIs.

One Braves hitter who has not had success against Rogers is Matt Olson. The slugger is 1-for-16 (.063) against the southpaw with a double, eight strikeouts and one walk. It’s not a huge surprise given the matchup but still a staggering number.

Mauricio Dubón (3-for-6, two doubles) and Michael Harris II (2-for-5, one double) have had success against Rogers in smaller sample sizes. Overall, the current Braves have hit .241 against Rogers with eight doubles, a homer, 10 RBIs, 24 strikeouts and seven walks.

The Orioles are giving left fielder Taylor Ward an off day in the field, moving Dylan Beavers into his spot in the field and leadoff spot in the lineup while Ward will hit fourth and DH. Tyler O’Neill, who typically hits cleanup for Baltimore, is out of the lineup.

In the lineup is Chadwick Tromp, who will hit ninth and catch. After he started the season in the Braves organization, it’s just his fourth game with Baltimore and he’s gone 2-for-8 with two singles, a run and an RBI.

Considering Braves starter Grant Holmes has made just one start against the Orioles, it makes sense that former Met Pete Alonso (3-for-5, 1 RBI) is the only member of the Baltimore roster with more than three career bats against him.

Jackson Holliday (3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs) had a great game against Holmes last July in Baltimore’s 2-1 win. Those two account for the much of the reason why Baltimore’s current roster is a combined 7-for-15 (.467) with a 1.222 OPS against the right-hander.

First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET at Camden Yards as the Braves look to keep the good vibes rolling.

1956
On the fourth at-bat of the game, and with the Yankees already leading, 1-0, Moose Skowron drove a Billy Pierce pitch over the roof at Comiskey Park. It was the 14th roof shot ever by a White Sox opponent and 15th overall.

The good news for the Good Guys is that it took the White Sox a while to get warmed up, but once they did they won in a rout, 11-5. Tied 4-4 at the seventh-inning stretch, Chicago struck for three in the seventh and four in the eighth. Larry Doby and Minnie Miñoso teamed up in the No. 3-4 slots in the batting order to go 5-for-7 with two homers, six runs and six RBIs.

Pierce overcame two solo homers in the first inning to go the distance and improve to 15-4 on the season.

On a trivial note, Yankees starter Don Larsen entered the game in the ninth inning as a pinch-hitter for second baseman Jerry Coleman, and singled. Three months later, Larsen would author the only perfect game in World Series history.

1960
In the first game of a doubleheader at New York, future Hall-of-Famer Nellie Fox banged out his 2,000th career hit. On the afternoon he’d have a pair in the 6-3 White Sox victory. The hit came in the first inning, on a single to left field off of Jim Coates.  

The Sox split the doubleheader for the day.

1968
White Sox relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm took a 2-1 loss in a doubleheader nightcap against Oakland, but in the doubleheader opener set the record for most appearances by a pitcher. The future Hall-of-Famer broke Cy Young’s record of 906 games. “Old Tilt” would appear in a staggering 1,070 games before he retired.

In Wilhelm’s six years with the White Sox, he won 41 games and saved 98 others, while producing some astonishingly low ERAs considering he threw a knuckleball. His highest ERA between 1963 and 1968 was 2.64 — every other season it was below 2.00! In 1968, pitching in 72 games at the age of 45, Wilhelm had a 1.73 ERA and 3.3 WAR.

2004
After a Paul Konerko sacrifice fly in the eighth tied the game, 6-6, Joe Crede stepped up with one out in the ninth and clubbed a sayonara home run out to left-center to win over Detroit, 7-6. After Aaron Rowand struck out to lead off the frame, Crede fell behind 0-2 and worked the count to full before ending the game with his 13th homer of the season.

The win put the White Sox back in first place, by a half-game. But, sadly, it was the last day that season the team would sit atop the division, eventually falling to third before recovering and ending the year at 83-79, nine games out.

2020
Because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, the regular season started four months later than normal. A 60-game season was ordered by commissioner Rob Manfred after the owners and players union could not agree on a longer schedule.  

There were also new, bizarre rules put in place, including doubleheaders consisting of seven-inning games and extra innings starting with a runner already on second base. Meanwhile, many people questioned the wisdom of sports being played while thousands were getting infected and many still dying.

The White Sox, hoping to build on three years of retooling the team and a terrific offseason, hosted the Minnesota Twins on this late Opening Day — and were beat up, 10-5, immediately putting a damper on things.

2022
After 22 unsuccessful votes by the BBWAA and Hall of Fame Veterans’ Committees, and many years of waiting and coming close, White Sox great Minnie Miñoso was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The “Cuban Comet” was the first Latin player to excel in the Major Leagues and opened the door, much like Jackie Robinson did for Blacks, to the wealth of talent in Mexico and Central America. 

Minoso was a six-time All-Star representing the White Sox, was named the American League Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News in 1951, won two Gold Gloves with the White Sox and led the league at various times in triples, stolen bases and hit-by-pitches. He batted better than .300 seven times with the Sox, scored 100 or more runs four times, and drove in at least 100 runs four times. His combination of speed and power were unique for the time period.

He ranks among White Sox leaders all-time leaders in triples, at bats, walks, runs, RBIs, hit-by-pitches, hits, total bases, on-base percentage, doubles, extra base hits and OPS.

Meanwhile on the field, on this day …

White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Cease was masterful against Cleveland at Guaranteed Rate Field, going six scoreless innings on seven hits, striking out four in a 6-3 win. That marked his 11th consecutive start allowing one run or fewer, which tied the modern era record for pitchers.

It had only happened twice before: Bob Gibson of the Cardinals in 1968, and Jacob deGrom of the Mets in 2021.

2024
With a 10-2 loss at Texas, the White Sox lost their 10th straight — the first time in team history the club bore two losing streaks of at least 10 games in the same season.

It would get worse, as this losing streak would stretch from 10 games to a club-record 21 straight.

The 10-2 loss also dropped the White Sox to 27-77, 50 games worse than .500. To put that in perspective, the White Sox had finished a season at 50+ games worse than .500 in just three of their 124 years.

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The weekend has finally arrived! Let's get the night rolling by backing some guys to go yard!

These are my top looks to leave the yard, featuring Alec Burleson and Tyler Soderstrom in these MLB player props. 

Here are my favorite MLB picks & home run predictions for Friday, July 24.

Best MLB home run props today

Player to hit a HR	Odds
Alec Burleson	+434
Tyler Soderstrom	+362
Bryce Eldridge	+392
💲Today's HR parlay	+12038

Home run pick: Alec Burleson (+434)

It is time to back the burly boy from St. Louis, Mr. Alec Burleson!

Entering Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals slugger carries an elite rating on Batters-Box while also covering 100% of Cincinnati Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder's pitch mix.

The big fella has been seeing the ball extremely well against right-handed pitching, posting a .308 BA, .343 wOBA, 45.5% hard hit rate, and 18.2% barrel rate over his last 30 plate appearances.

Lowder, meanwhile, has been getting crushed by left-handed hitters, especially on the road. Lefties are batting .350 against him with a .583 SLG and .444 wOBA, while producing a 41.2% hard hit rate and 68.6% elevation rate.

With Burleson being one of the hottest hitters in the Cardinals lineup over the last week, I love this spot for him to do damage against Lowder.

• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: CARD, CINR

Home run pick: Tyler Soderstrom (+362)

One of my all-time favorite pitchers to fade is Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews. Why? Well, he is always getting crushed. 

Over his last three starts, Matthews owns a 10.54 ERA and 2.19 WHIP while allowing a 42.55% hard hit rate and 12.77% barrel rate. That is why I want to target one of the hottest bats in the Athletics lineup this evening.

Tyler Soderstrom stood out the most to me, as he is batting .346 with a .731 SLG and 1.164 OPS over his last 30 plate appearances against right-handed pitching. He also covers 99.2% of Matthews' pitch mix.

Matthews has struggled against left-handed hitters all season, with the last 60 he has faced posting a .438 xBA, .848 xSLG, and .399 xwOBA.

With how well Soderstrom has been seeing the ball and how poorly Matthews has been pitching, this is a great spot to back the Athletics slugger to go yard in Minnesota this evening.

• Time: 8:10 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSCA, MNNT

Home run pick: Bryce Eldridge (+392)

San Francisco Giants young slugger Bryce Eldridge finds himself in a prime spot against Los Angeles Angels right hander Grayson Rodriguez, who has struggled mightily this season. The Angels starter enters with an 8.49 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, while allowing nearly 50% hard contact and a 9.17% barrel rate to opposing hitters.

Eldridge enters Friday with an elite rating on Batters-Box, along with 84.2% arsenal coverage against every pitch in Rodriguez's mix. He has also been seeing the ball extremely well against right-handed pitching over his last 30 plate appearances, posting a .500 SLG, .867 OPS, .381 wOBA, and .231 ISO while producing a 62.5% hard hit rate and 12.5% barrel rate.

Against his last 60 left-handed hitters faced, Rodriguez has allowed a 61.7% hard hit rate and 70.6% elevation rate, with hitters posting a .382 xBA, .643 xSLG, and .296 ISO.

Everything points toward a big opportunity for Eldridge, and I think he is in a great spot to collect extra bases this evening.

• Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
• Where to watch: NBCSBA, ABTV

Today’s HR parlay

Alec Burleson	Bet Now +12038
Tyler Soderstrom
Bryce Eldridge

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.

The Colorado Rockies (41-63) begin a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers (64-38) with some daytime baseball on a Friday afternoon. Brewers legends will take the field after the real game for a postgame alumni contest — an idea the Rockies should feel free to borrow.

This is the start of a quick road trip. After three games in Milwaukee, the Rockies will have Monday off before playing a rare two-game series against the Friars in San Diego. Another off-day follows Thursday. 

Colorado was off yesterday and could have used the break. The Rockies are 3-7 over their past 10 games and are coming off a disastrous loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. 

On paper, this is not an especially compelling matchup. The Brewers carry baseball’s second-best record, while the Rockies own the worst mark in the National League. 

Milwaukee is a deep team that pitches brilliantly and applies consistent offensive pressure. The Brewers rank first in starting-pitcher ERA, first in starter strikeouts per nine innings and second in starter WHIP. Their offense ranks fourth in on-base percentage and fifth in runs scored. They lead the NL Central by seven games and have scored 133 more runs than they have allowed. 

The Rockies have a much-improved offense of their own, ranking fourth in batting average, fifth in OPS and eighth in runs scored. However, their rotation ranks 30th in ERA, WHIP and hits allowed per nine innings. The bullpen has not been much stronger, and the defense continues to struggle. 

The intrigue comes from within the Rockies themselves. 

With the trade deadline approaching, several players could be appearing in a Colorado uniform for the final time. The Rockies have said they intend to be active and have already completed an intra-division trade. We do not know exactly who will be moved, but today’s starter, Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之), has reportedly generated interest. 

Sugano has been more than serviceable during his time in Colorado and will look for his 10th victory this afternoon. The veteran right-hander enters at 9-4 with a 4.76 ERA. 

That ERA is considerably better than his 7.00 xERA, which ranks in the first percentile. Sugano’s actual results have consistently outpaced his underlying metrics, just as they did with Baltimore in 2025. 

His success is not built on premium velocity or exceptional movement. Nearly every pitch in Sugano’s seven-pitch mix moves less than the typical offering of its type. 

Sugano has survived by distributing his pitches evenly and avoiding predictable patterns. He has also limited damage in the most perilous situations. Opponents have slugged .575 against him with the bases empty but only .388 with runners in scoring position.  

That helps explain why his 4.76 ERA remains so far below his 7.00 xERA. 

Taking the ball opposite Sugano will be 27-year-old rookie Shane Drohan. The left-hander has appeared in 20 games and will make his 11th start after working primarily out of the bullpen during March and April. 

Drohan enters with a 5-3 record, a 3.20 ERA and 76 strikeouts across 76 innings. He generates plenty of chase, rarely gives away free bases and limits hard contact. His chase rate ranks in the 88th percentile, his walk rate in the 79th percentile and his average exit velocity allowed in the 65th percentile. 

His four-seamer, sinker and slider form the foundation of the arsenal. 

Both fastballs sit around 95 mph. His four-seamer stays up and carries roughly 3.5 inches more arm-side run than the typical left-handed four-seamer. The sinker arrives at nearly the same velocity and moves even farther arm-side. 

The mid-80s slider gives him a tighter breaking pitch off those two fastballs and has been one of his more effective offerings. Drohan also mixes in a slower curveball and a cutter around 90 mph, while using his changeup sparingly. 

The sinker presents the clearer opportunity for Colorado. Hitters have batted .332 and slugged .618 against it, while the four-seamer and slider have been much harder to square up.

Hunter Goodman continues to pace the Rockies on Fridays, with five home runs and a .985 OPS in 16 Friday games. Jake McCarthy follows with three homers and a .973 OPS. 

Ezequiel Tovar has endured a horrendous season but has also produced on Fridays. Tovar has three home runs and a .941 OPS in 16 Friday games. 

Enjoy a rare daytime Friday tilt and a chance to watch a few Rockies who may be playing their final games in purple.

The details…

First Pitch: 2:10 pm MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

BrewersSB Nation site: Brew Crew Ball

Lineups:

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