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The Braves have a quartet of solid pitchers going on Thursday night, and Davis Polo topped the bunch by completing 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven batters. Polo has had a wonderful season in returning from Tommy John surgery and has been one of the best pitchers in the system for the past month and a half, and has earned a breakout status amongst prospects.

(59-57) Gwinnett Stripers 3, (41-74) Norfolk Tides 2

Box Score

Statcast

• Brett Wisely, SS: 2-4, BB, RBI, .275/.393/.412
• Patrick Clohisy, RF: 3-5, .413/.481/.620
• Owen Murphy, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 3.52 ERA
• Rolddy Munoz, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.35 ERA

Owen Murphy had a solid final line against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday night, though he may have gotten away with more than better lineups in the league would have let him. Murphy’s fastball was the only reliable weapon he had throughout the game as he was scattered with all of his pitches, missing dangerously high on secondaries and finding a way to get away with it throughout the evening. The one exception was a changeup he left glove side and up to a left-handed hitter that got hit for a solo home run. For the second straight outing Murphy’s average fastball velocity was a little bit down from where it has been for most of the season, but the numbers are still within his normal range and he held velocity into the fifth inning with a drop in the sixth that was only represented by two pitches. For Murphy those secondaries up in the strike zone can work given his fastball-heavy approach, as hitters expecting fastballs may get fooled by non-fastballs dropping, and his slider did put up a good performance throughout this game. However this was a case of Murphy missing his spots with every pitch and only getting a few nice fastballs in there at the top or just above the zone. As mentioned in the last recap of Murphy’s outing he deserves some leniency for the rest of the season given how much of a jump in his workload he has faced this season, and he’s held up remarkably well to that as most pitchers have more setbacks.

Gwinnett got most of their offense out of the way early and then went quiet on the scoreboard despite scattering hits throughout the game. Patrick Clohisy was unsurprisingly a major contributor, punching a one out single the opposite way in the third inning that kicked off their biggest rally. The Stripers strung together three singles with two outs, capped by a bloop hit to score Rowdy Tellez from second base, and took an early 2-1 lead that held until Murphy coughed up that home run. Gwinnett managed 13 hits despite only getting three hard hits balls in the game, but it was one of those days that the ball was falling even if they couldn’t come through in the later innings against the bullpen. Clohisy had three hits himself all without getting a hard hit ball, though in his first two at bats against the Tides starter he showed a great approach even if he didn’t hit the ball solidly. His last matchup against the starter was much uglier as he swung at two breaking balls that bounced before chipping one the opposite way off the end of the bat for an out. Clohisy looks lost on sliders below the zone right now regardless of if it’s a lefty or righty on the mound, but is getting enough of them in the strike zone and making contact that he’s finding an avenue to success. After both sides went scoreless in the tenth inning it came down to Luke Williams for the Stripers in the 11th inning, which didn’t bode well for Gwinnett. Williams came into the at-bat with four strikeouts and nine whiffs on the day, then fell down 0-2 after swinging through two straight fastballs. Williams then somehow put this horrendous day behind him and hit a hanging slider for a single, driving home the go ahead run. Bailey Falter struck out the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the 11th, then forced a fly ball right at Clohisy to end the game.

Swing and Misses

Owen Murphy – 11

(51-55) Columbus Clingstones 6, (45-66) Birmingham Barons 7

Box Score

• John Gil, SS: 2-4, BB, .294/.375/.353
• Eric Hartman, LF: 2-5, RBI, .200/.349/.229
• Owen Carey, RF: 1-4, 2B, .219/.342/.438
• Brett Sears, SP: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 3.55 ERA

It was the first game for the Clingstones that Gil, Hartman, and Carey all put it together at once, but in the end it was still not enough for the pitching staff to hold onto the lead. I say they all put it together, but it was still not a great day from Owen Carey. Carey had a great swing in the fourth inning and split the gap for a double that ended up being a huge hit in the game. Carson Taylor followed it up by driving in both runners to put Columbus on top, but that was the end of the good hitting from Carey. He struck out swinging in his other three at bats, and strikeouts have been an issue for him since being called up. Strikeouts have been a bit elevated for all three, which I supposed is to be expected for making the transition to Double-A the first time. Gil has been the best of the three in that regard which isn’t a surprise given their relative histories offensively, and he has come along nicely with six hits in his last four games. Gil hasn’t really had a signature performance but has consistently gotten on base at a high clip, with him failing to get on at least one time only once in the nine Double-A games he has played. Gil pulled a couple of line drives hard in this game, and even though he’s not elevating as well as he did in Rome he has maintained his pace of hitting a ton of line drives and giving himself chances for hits. Gil had a big one in the top of the ninth inning with Columbus trailing by four runs with two outs, and that helped set the stage for a late rally. Hartman followed that up with his best hit when he laced a single to center to score Dalton McIntyre, and Jordan Groshans delivered with the Clingstone’s biggest hit. Groshan’s reached for a slider and muscled a three-run home run out to left field, tying the game up at six runs apiece.

What was a bad final line for Brett Sears really boils down to a terrible single inning of work after four innings of slicing through the Birmingham lineup. Sears started out shaky with a walk and a hit batter to lead off the first inning, but after that he locked it down and carried momentum over the next four innings. Sears was a little bit less fine with his pitches than he was in his great stretch during July, but commanded the ball well until he didn’t anymore. Sears hit two batters and walked two others in the fifth inning, gave up a double on a slider thrown in about as bad a location as you can put one, and ended up allowing three runs in the fifth inning to give Birmingham the lead. Sears lost every bit of touch he had in an instant, and wasted a solid outing. In the tenth inning LJ McDonough had the unfortunate task of trying to strand the runner at second after the offense failed to score, and he lost it in one of the worst ways possible. McDonough got his outs and had a chance to end the game, but threw two wild pitches that let the Barons runner advance in to score and win the game.

Swing and Misses

Brett Sears – 13

Anderson Pilar – 9

Samuel Strickland – 5

(52-55) Rome Emperors 8, (37-72) Asheville Tourists 3

Box Score

• Luis Guanipa, CF: 1-5, 2B, BB, 3 RBI, .186/.205/.326
• Conor Essenburg, RF: 0-4, BB, .176/.317/.294
• Alex Lodise, SS: 0-3, BB, HBP, .264/.394/.415
• Zach Royse, SP: 6 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 4.62 ERA

The Emperors faced off against an old friend in Adam Shoemaker, who reminded us of the good old days by walking five batters in two innings. He started the game off with a strikeout of Luis Guanipa, and while he did chase out of the strike zone it was a solid at-bat and Shoemaker has a great slider that is tough for any batter when he locates. Guanipa also got a called second strike in the at bat on a borderline slider down and in and probably felt he had to protect that spot. Conor Essenburg then fought a ball into right field and was robbed of a hit by a diving play and Alex Lodise drew a two-out walk. After a defensive lapse allowed Dixon Williams on base the Emperors had a chance to get a run early, but a shoestring catch on a hard hit liner from Cody Miller ended the inning. In the second inning Shoemaker ran out of charm, and walked four hitters including a free pass to Guanipa that forced home the first Rome run. Essenburg smoked a ball in the fourth inning that got tracked out for a fly out, and had a walk later in the game. So despite a hitless game Essenburg looked solid at the plate and had the contact to make a bigger contribution even if it didn’t show in the stat line. Alex Lodise didn’t have a particularly great day at the plate but had a fly out to the wall in the fifth inning and yet again no strikeouts. Lodise has had a couple of rough games in a row but continues to have infinitely more success at hitting breaking balls both in and out of the strike zone. Guanipa had one of his best days in terms of seeing the ball at the plate. He had that strikeout in the first but overall made the right decisions on when to swing and hit a ball hard off of the wall the other way for a double. But there are also at bats like in the fourth inning where I truly don’t understand what he is trying to do. A first pitch slider up in the strike zone is a great pitch to swing at, but pushing it the other way on the ground with a slow swing is not it and another example of the complaints I’ve had with him lately. Still he has had some hard hit balls the last few games which is a good sign for him, so I’m hoping this is the start of an upward trajectory for him.

Zach Royse was not quite his normal self in this game, though despite the unfriendly confines he did just enough to keep this game from being a disaster. Throughout the season Royse has made a pattern of looking good early and hitting a wall later in the game after guys get multiple looks at him, but he didn’t have much of a feel for his command early in this outing. He allowed a run and a walk in each of the first two innings, including a leadoff home run, and he never fully settled into the game. What he did was pound the strike zone after his early struggles, and even if this led to some more hits he made the Tourists batters put the ball in play and got solid work from his defense. By focusing on landing his sinker at the bottom of the strike zone he was able to get quick outs in the middle innings and extend his outing to six innings without allowing another run. It wasn’t clean and he allowed nine hits in the game, but he pitched to what he had working even when his slider wasn’t consistently getting the results he is accustomed to.

Swing and Misses 

Zach Royse – 10

Jarret Whorff – 2

(58-51) Augusta GreenJackets 7, (62-49) Charleston RiverDogs 2

Box Score

• Carter Beck, CF: 1-3, 2 BB, .353/.436/.353
• Junior Tilien, 2B: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, .143/.217/.286
• Davis Polo, SP: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 3.19 ERA

Davis Polo keeps churning out great starts for Augusta, and it’s long since been time for him to move up to Rome and get a challenge. Polo really didn’t have his best stuff early, and the RiverDogs were on his changeup but couldn’t square it up. Polo was very predictable with his sequences and locations this outing, which isn’t really anything shocking at this level, and early on he had some high misses with the changeup that limited how much he was able to get whiffs on the pitch. Everything else was working, but with a heavy lefty lineup and Polo’s reliance on his changeup that made it hard for him to get ideal results early in the game. As he settled in that pitch really started to fade below the zone or off the plate arm side and he was churning through this lineup. It was some of the best command he’s shown in any start over the final four innings or so, with him able to hit the sinker at the bottom of the zone and tunnel the changeup off of that, or move the fastball high in the strike zone to get whiffs there as well. His slider didn’t feature as much, but when he did have a righty up he pitched well with it and didn’t make any mistakes up with the pitch. There’s only positives to take out of this for Polo. The sequencing thing is a coaching decision to help guys at this level develop, and in terms of execution Polo did his job.

This lineup has become an older group of guys quite quickly, which has robbed which has robbed it of the consistent intrigue it had prior to this month. The major exception is Carter beck who got on base three times and stole three bases. Beck didn’t even have to take his bat off of his shoulder for his two walks and has been dicing fastballs all across the field for his hits. Beck hasn’t looked to pull the ball in the air as much as I expected and most of his results are coming against fastballs right now, though we’re still well in small sample territory. 15th round pick Caleb Klein had a three hit game to add to a magical start to his professional career. Klein has been a bit of a whiff machine early on, but everything he has made contact with has found a hole somewhere and he has four multi-hit games in six appearances.

Swing and Misses

Davis Polo – 15

Yander Pinero – 5

Entering the season, the Athletics hoped to take the next step toward division and playoff contention. The team got off to a promising start, spending a couple of weeks atop the American League West. However, the Green and Gold could never break free from a .500 record. That proved to be the high point of the season, as everything has gone downhill since.

From the middle of June, the club has nosedived to the bottom of the league, seemingly unable to escape a nightmare of its own making. A horrid pitching staff, coupled with injuries to several of the A’s key position players, has doomed the Green and Gold to another frustrating and embarrassing campaign.

In the modern era, the worst run differential belongs to the 2025 Colorado Rockies, who finished at −424. It would not be surprising if the 47-74 A’s came close to that mark—or even their own franchise record of -339, set by the 2023 club. Entering this weekend’s series against the Texas Rangers, the A’s have an MLB-worst -180 run differential.

Outfielder Carlos Cortes has pitched eight times this season, a testament to how often the A’s have found themselves down double-digit runs. Half of the team’s bullpen consists of guys claimed off other teams’ waiver wires, which helps explain why the group has posted the worst ERA in the majors.

Right-hander Luis Severino signed the largest free-agent contract in A’s history two winters ago, a decision that has turned into a bust. He spent last season complaining about his working conditions. This year, Severino has barely been able to work, as he has been sidelined since late May with a shoulder injury and shows no signs of returning anytime soon.

Speaking of right-handers with electric stuff, the team has also failed to unlock Luis Morales’ potential. The Cuban native showed his immense ability in his MLB debut last year but has struggled to replicate that success this season, both in the majors and at Triple-A.

The problems go beyond the players on the field. The Tampa Bay Rays have a lower payroll than the A’s, yet have the best record in the sport. While the A’s have fallen behind in the analytics and baseball development stuff because of owner John Fisher’s penny-pinching ways, the Rays have continued to invest in those areas to compete with bigger-market clubs.

That is why the club must not only hire the right general manager this offseason but also give that person the resources to bolster this roster by any means necessary. Hopefully, the two sides will figure out a new CBA deal in time to have a full 2027 baseball season. The Athletics need to show signs of progress next year. After everything the remaining A’s fans have endured, they deserve to cheer for a winning, playoff-contending team before this Sacramento era ends.

A’s Coverage: 

• The A’s expected to be better than this by now – here are 3 ways to fix them
• A’s Swept Again in 8-4 Series Finale Loss
• Athletics Outright Jonathan Ornelas
• Perkins confident he can be the pitcher he wants to be in season’s final weeks
• Pair of Waiver Claims Could Become Key Pieces of A’s Bullpen
• A’s Blown Out By Rays 12-4
• Wilson’s errorless streak survives a scare after further review
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• Almost Everything Has Gone Wrong for the Athletics
• Feinstein discusses new role as A’s interim GM
• Sage-burning A’s cope with departure of GM as spiraling season continues
• Mason Edwards Headlines Athletics’ Pitching Play In 2026 Draft
• Late Comeback Helps A’s Beat Red Sox 4-3
• Athletics Claim Taylor Rashi
• 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

MLB News and Interest:

• NEW Top 100 and Top 30 Prospects lists are here!
• Everything to know about tonight’s MLB at Field of Dreams Game on Netflix
• Benches clear, Martin ejected after hitting Stewart in the helmet with a pitch
• Buster Posey’s Giants legacy is on the line as adulation is shifting to anger
• Reds’ Greene could miss 2027 season after Tommy John surgery
• Paul Skenes exits after 65 pitches amid latest velocity drop
• MLB Farm System Midseason Talent Rankings For August 2026
• Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List
• Blue Jays claim Paul Sewald after veteran DFA’d by Diamondbacks
• Freeman smiles through ‘total body soreness’ after scary tumble into opposing dugout
• Alex Bregman’s first 3-homer game helps Cubs rout Nationals
• Yandy Díaz Reaches Vesting Option Threshold
• Rays, Jorge Mateo Agree To Major League Deal
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

A’s minor-league left-handed pitcher Corey Braun and outfielder Breyson Guedez are two players standing out at the lower levels of the A’s farm system.

This season has taken an unfortunate but predictable turn for the worse. Hopefully the A’s can turn things around and start winning more games during the final stretch.

What a special scene. Imagine the Athletics playing in a showcase game like this one year.

Fresh off their best road trip of the 2026 season, the New York Mets (53-69) return home to take on the Washington Nationals (59-63). The Mets have dropped four out of the seven games they’ve played with the Nats so far this year, including dropping two out of three to conclude the month of April. The two sides also split a four-game set in D.C. back in May. They’ll square off one more time after this, in the final series of the season.

The Mets had a somewhat disappointing end to their road trip, dropping the final two games to the Braves to finish off their trip 6-3 after starting off with wins in six of their first seven games. Nevertheless, they fared quite well against three teams that one could reasonably say are in contention (the Braves moreso than the Guardians and Pirates at the moment). They burst out for five runs in the first inning of this last series, punctuated by a Brett Baty grand slam, and then held on for an 8-5 win on Monday.

Beyond that, after scoring seven runs in the first three innings in Atlanta, they managed just four in the final 24 frames, and ended up dropping the last two games, 4-0 on Tuesday and 6-3 on Wednesday. In the latter, the club managed three solo homers, one apiece from Luis Torrens, Luis Robert Jr., and Bo Bichette, but could not piece much together after getting shut out in their Tuesday loss. On the bright side, their young pitching held up quite well in the heat of Atlanta, historically one of the toughest places for the Mets to play. After an uneven outing from Christian Scott in Monday’s win, both Nolan McLean and Zach Thornton offered up quality starts in defeat.

But beyond the pitching, the offense was really the story on this road trip. It was really a tale of two sets of games for New York, which I suppose is not surprising: In their six wins, they plated 50 runs, and in their three losses, they scored just three, which included shutout losses in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. Since August 4, the Mets have scored hit the most home runs of any club (17), have the second-highest wRC+ (130), own the third-highest OPS (.830), and have scored the third-most runs (53). Much like last August, the bats have heated up with the warmer weather.

There were three players who really shined on this most recent trip, starting with Luis Torrens. While only playing five games, he led the club with three homers and slashed .462/.563/1.154 (tops in each category) with a team-best 346 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR. Unsurprisingly, Carson Benge has been the catalyst for the club, hitting .394/.444/.667 with two homers, seven runs scored, six runs batted in, and a 207 wRC+ and 0.6 fWAR across eight games. Bichette, who homered in yesterday’s loss, also had himself a nice trip, hitting .361/.439/.451 with two homers, six runs scored, eight runs batted in, a 192 wRC+, and 0.6 fWAR while playing all nine games.

The Nationals have shocked everyone by having one of the best offenses in all of baseball despite only one plate appearance from someone over the age of 29. They are incredibly young with some incredibly talented bats, though their pitching has kept them out of the race for much of the season. However, yesterday’s 7-0 win against the Cubs was a combination of solid hitting mixed with stellar pitching, as Cade Cavalli took a no-hitter into the seventh before relinquishing a hit. The victory helped Washington avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cubs. The Nats have won four of six heading into this series.

The Nationals lead all MLB teams in runs scored (622), home runs (177), and stolen bases (134), while their .769 OPS is also tops in baseball. It’s something that very few people could have reasonably predicted heading into this season, but the Nationals, with their young core, seem to have a bright future. CJ Abrams has led the charge, especially following the All-Star break, when he’s hit .311/.376/.642 with nine homers, 20 runs scored, 24 runs batted in, nine steals, a 175 wRC+, and 1.4 fWAR. Needless to say, he leads the club in every one of those categories since mid-July. James Wood, on the other hand, has struggled since the break and recently landed on the IL with an oblique strain. It was revealed that he won’t return this week, meaning the Mets won’t see him this weekend. Before his injury, he was hitting .191/.296/.324 with a 70 wRC+ and -0.2 fWAR since the break.

Friday, August 14: Robert Stock vs. Andrew Alvarez, 7:10 PM EDT on WPIX

Stock (2026): 8.0 IP, 8 K, 5 BB, 1 HR, 10.13 ERA, 4.95 FIP, 251 ERA-

Stock’s second start with the Mets this year did not go quite as well as his first. After allowing just one earned runs on three hits in five innings against the Marlins on August 2, he was tattooed for eight earned runs on nine hits over three-plus frames against the Pirates. Besides the nine hits, the big difference between the two starts can be found in the ‘walks’ column, as he issued five free passes against Pittsburgh after not walking a single batter against the Marlins. Andy Green noted that he would remain in the rotation, though another start like his last one likely will test that resolve.

Alvarez (2026): 69.1 IP, 65 K, 32 BB, 2 HR, 3.76 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 90 ERA-

After posting a 2.31 ERA in five starts for Washington last year, the 27-year-old Alvarez has been strong yet agains for Washington. He’s made 17 appearances, including nine starts, and has a respectable 3.76 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 69 1/3 innings. He’s also been strong in August, allowing just three earned runs on six hits over 11 2/3 innings in his two starts against the Phillies and Reds. He’s faced the Mets twice in his career—he picked up his first loss against New York after allowing six runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings last September, and he earned his first career save against New York after going four innings and allowing two earned runs on two hits back on May 20 of this season.

Saturday, August 15: Sean Manaea vs. TBD, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY

Manaea (2026): 104.2 IP, 106 K, 35 BB, 14 HR, 4.13 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 102 ERA-

Manaea turned back the clock in his last start, giving the team an incredible outing the likes of which they had not seen since 2024. The left-hander struck out a season-high 11 over seven one-run innings. The best part was that he did not walk a single batter, only the second time this season that he accomplished this feat in a start. velocityHe has now struck out 18 and allowed three earned runs over 13 innings in his last two starts. He also has experienced an uptick in his velocity, which is a great sign. He threw 13 pitches of at least 94 mph in his last two starts after not doing so at all this season and routinely topping out below 90 mph in the early stages of the year. In a lost season, Manaea’s resurgence has been a really nice story to watch.

TBD

Sunday, August 16: Christian Scott vs. Jake Irvin, 1:40 PM EDT on SNY

Scott (2026): 78.1 IP, 98 K, 33 BB, 7 HR, 3.45 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 85 ERA-

Scott’s last start was a bit up and down. He only lasted four innings and ran up a pretty high pitch count, which resulted in him getting lifted early. He was charged with four earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one. Over his last two starts, he’s allowed seven earned runs in nine innings, though the Mets have won both contests. On the bright side, he’s struck out 13 while only walking three in these two outings. Scott’s development over the past few weeks of this season will be one of the most important things to watch for the Mets.

Irvin (2026): 65.1 IP, 66 K, 28 BB, 11 HR, 5.79 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 138 ERA-

Irvin is making his fourth start after returning from a two-month long IL stint with a right shoulder strain. It’s been a rough go of it since his return, as the righty has allowed 12 earned runs on 10 hits over 13 2/3 innings. He’s struck out eight in these three outings while walking six and surrendering four home runs. Irvin had a really rough season even before hitting the shelf in May, and will look to get back on track and end the year on a high (and hopefully healthy) note.

The Padres are 16-9 since the All-Star Break. The Guardians are 8-17. Something’s gotta give! The unstoppable force vs. The easily moveable object!

The Padres are 65-57 with a +1 run differential, 19th in team wRC+ at 97, sixth in baserunning runs above average at 5.5, sixth in Defense at -0.5, 26th in starting pitcher ERA at 4.62 (4.65 FIP), and fifth in bullpen ERA at 3.58 (3.70 FIP). Mason Miller and Adrian Morejohn are the best relievers in baseball.

The Guardians are 59-63 with a -30 run differential, 22nd in team wRC+ at 95, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 5, ninth in Defense at -6.2, seventh in starting pitcher ERA at 3.75 (3.92 FIP), and 14th in bullpen ERA at 3.98 (3.87 FIP).

GET TO THE STARTERS OR LOSE.

Matchups:

Friday, 7:10PM ET: Williams, RHP 3.55 ERA vs King, RHP 3.37 ERA

Saturday, 7:10PM ET: Probably Randy Velazquez, 4.80 ERS vs. RHP Cantillo, LHP 3.91 ERA vs.

Sunday, 1:40PM ET: Bibee RHP 3.99 ERA vs. Mize, RHP 3.38 ERA

The Padres are led by Luis Campusano 161 wRC+, Luis Rengifo 148 wRC+, Tyler France 140 wRC+, Samad Taylor 134 wRC+, Fernando Tatis Jr, 116 wRC+, and Will Wagner 113 wRC+.

The Guardians are led by… well. You know the story. Chase DeLauter, Steven Kwan, Angel Genao, Nate Lowe, And Jo Adell are about all we have to offer right now in terms of hitters getting on base. But Jose did hit the ball hard that last game. Surely some of those hits have to fall.

Have some pride, guys. Show some fight. Win this series

Diamondbacks news

(SI.com) Where Diamondbacks Rank After Newest MLB Prospect Update

On Thursday, MLB Pipeline rleeased its newest prospect rankings, including the overall top 100, as well as new top-30 rankings for each individual club.

Here’s how the Arizona Diamondbacks made out after this latest update. It’s not exactly ideal.

(Sporting News) Corbin Carroll joins Willie Mays in MLB history with latest milestone

Corbin Carroll added another extraordinary accomplishment to his growing résumé Wednesday night, even if the Arizona Diamondbacks could not give him a victory to celebrate. Carroll hit the 100th home run of his career and added his 57th triple during Arizona’s 6-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field. By reaching those marks in his 606th career game, the Diamondbacks star became the first player in MLB history to record at least 100 home runs, 50 triples and 100 stolen bases within his first 650 games.

He also became only the second player to reach all three totals within his first 700 games. The other was Willie Mays. That is rare company for any player, let alone one who is only 25 years old.

MLB News

(MLB.com) If you build it, Schwarbombs will come! Phils slugger blasts 2 HRs at Field of Dreams Game

Schwarber wasted no time making his mark on the MLB Field of Dreams Game presented by John Deere, blasting a leadoff home run into the corn beyond the right-field wall. But he wasn’t done yet — the Phillies’ slugger then went back for seconds just a few innings later in the Phillies’ 7-1 victory over the Twins.

It’s perhaps only fitting that the player who leads the Majors in home runs (37) also leads in home runs to land in a cornfield (two).

(CBS Sports) Can Pete Crow-Armstrong beat Shohei Ohtani in the National League MVP race? Pitching will be the key

On Wednesday, PCA had a game-tying RBI double and then scored on a go-ahead home run in a Cubs win, while Ohtani hit a go-ahead home run in a Dodgers win. The Dodgers are 73-48 and the Cubs are 71-50, both within close range of the best record in baseball.

It’s only August, of course, which means both players have six weeks to continue building their résumés. But there’s another interesting wrinkle in the race: does Ohtani pitch again during the regular season? And if so, how much does he actually pitch? On that front, there’s been movement. Sort of.

(Yahoo! Sports) Max Muncy, once cast off by A’s, becomes Dodger Stadium’s all-time home run leader

An underdog career on the least underdog of teams culminated in Muncy becoming the all-time leader in home runs at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, hitting his 131st in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers. He had entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Miguel Rojas and lifted a 426-foot homer off Brewers reliever Antonio Senzatela.

The Red Sox 5-game losing streak, thankfully, is over. And while I wouldn’t exactly say that Red Sox Nation was panicking this week, there certainly was a sense of “oh no, what’s going on here?” as the bats went silent and the losses piled up.

It’s hard to blame anyone for feeling that way— we were subjected to some UGLY baseball for the first third of the season. A lot of fans probably don’t fully trust this team, and for good reason. And yet the FanGraphs playoff odds remain extremely favorable for the Sox, who currently sit with a 94.2% chance of making the playoffs. (And, by the way, that number never even dropped below 90% during the mini losing streak.)

So after Payton Tolle’s heroics yesterday, how are we feeling today? Are you brushing off the losing streak as something that almost every team goes through at some point, or are you worried about fundamental issues with the roster (i.e. the lacking of power hitting) popping up again?

Talk about the streakiest team in MLB history and whatever else you’d like in this space and, as always, be good to one another.

The great divide between critics and the casual fan has never been greater, and the work of critics is under much more scrutiny than ever before.

Take a look at any movie on Rotten Tomatoes, and you'll see the disconnect between critics and fans. The same can be said about MLB stadiums. While supposed experts can give their take on a certain ballpark, nothing beats the opinions of the thousands of folks actually attending the games.

That's where Yelp comes into play. A collection full of people's thoughts and their greatest and worst experiences at each MLB park is exactly what we need to put together a true ranking of all 30 MLB home stadiums.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers suffered another horrible loss last night.

Shawn McFarland wraps up the disastrous series in Anaheim.

Jacob deGrom had to leave the game early due to arm issues.

Degrom will undergo imaging later today.

Elsewhere Evan Grant answered Rangers questions in a live Q&A.

And good news! The BZZR app is now on Roku. So…. there’s that.

That’s all for this morning. Sigh.

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Two National League contenders collide as the Los Angeles Dodgers (-178) host the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. 

L.A.'s bullpen imploded in the series opener, and the Boys in Blue have been a vastly overvalued commodity this month.

See why I'm bullish on Robert Gasser with my Brewers vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 14.

Who will win Brewers vs Dodgers tonight: Brewers moneyline (+165)

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a great team, but they haven't been playing like one lately. 

Dave Roberts' squad is in a prolonged slump (89 wRC+ this month). Pair that with a faulty bullpen (4.81 xFIP) that cost them Thursday's series opener, and it's evident why they've dropped nine of their last 13 games. 

The market is still pricing them like the World Series odds favorite Death Star they're typically viewed as, but it's the dog days of August, and this team is going through it.

I'd play the Milwaukee Brewers down to +160.

COVERS INTEL:Robert Gasser has seen a three-point increase in Stuff+ and a nine-point increase in Location+ since July 1.

Brewers vs Dodgers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-103)

Neither lineup has been hitting with aplomb, ranking 20th (L.A.) and 21st (Milwaukee) in wRC+ this month. 

Given the Dodgers' bullpen struggles, they'll hope for a lengthy outing from Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He's in great form, posting a 2.12 ERA and 0.83 WHIP since May 18 while limiting hitters to a .167 AVG.

The recent uptick in Gasser's Pitching+ metrics is notable, and it's difficult for markets to price that effectively. He's been hurling his four-seamer (109 Stuff+), sinker (107), and slider (128) all well above average in his last six outings. 

The bullpen behind him has been fantastic (3.10 SIERA, 3.28 xFIP this month), so Milwaukee has a strong chance of run suppression.

Brewers vs Dodgers home run prediction: Teoscar Hernandez (+474)

Nine of the 11 home runs Gasser has surrendered have been by right-handed hitters. He surrenders 1.8 home runs per nine innings against righties, so that's who to look for on a night where the wind is blowing out (8-10 mph) to dead center.

Teoscar Hernandez has a 121 wRC+ and .179 ISO against southpaws, so he's a strong culprit to dole out damage. He's a bit undervalued after slumping throughout July, and he's shown signs of the old Teoscar in August (.194 ISO).

Brewers vs Dodgers weather

It's decently warm, and the wind is blowing out to dead center.

Brewers vs Dodgers odds

• Moneyline: Brewers +170 | Dodgers -178
• Run line: Brewers +1.5 (-133) | Dodgers -1.5 (+122)
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-108) | Under 7.5 (+104)

Brewers vs Dodgers trend

The Brewers are 8-1 in Gasser's last nine starts. Find more MLB betting trends for Brewers vs. Dodgers.

How to watch Brewers vs Dodgers and game info

Brewers 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.

The San Diego Padres just completed a run of 26 games in 27 days, the last 16 of which were played without a day off. The Padres got a much-needed day off on Thursday before they open a three-game series against the Cleveland Guardians tonight.

Michael King has had an up-and-down season thanks to some command and control issues, but he has worked to a 3.37 ERA on the year. In his last outing against the Houston Astros, King delivered a six-inning performance where he allowed one run on three hits and earned a win.

The Padres will need another similar outing from the right-hander if they want to continue the momentum they built over a 5-1 homestand that saw them sweep the Milwaukee Brewers. King could set the tone for the six-game road trip which starts with three games in Cleveland and ends with three games in New York against the New York Mets. The Friar Faithful hope that is a positive tone, but if King is not on his game, it would go the other way.

San Diego opens its road trip and three-game set against Cleveland today at 4:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• Jagger Haynes had a good showing in his recent outing with the El Paso Chihuahuas.

• Steven Souza Jr. was the target of several complaints from the Friar Faithful due to the poor offensive start for San Diego, but now both are showing signs of progress in the second half of the season.

Baseball News:

• Philadelphia Phillies dominant Minnesota Twins in the cornfields of Iowa.

• The Cincinnati Reds win heated matchup with Chicago White Sox.

• Payton Tolle throws eight scoreless innings to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Toronto Blue Jays.

• The Seattle Mariners edged out the New York Yankees for a 1-0 win.

• Cade Cavalli pitched the Washington Nationals past the Chicago Cubs.

• The Detroit Tigers got a shutout win over the Cleveland Guardians.

This is going to be a quick one. I watched this game for about three innings before heading off with my family for dinner. Boy, did I pick a good one to miss. I basically announced I was trust falling with this team yesterday and then I splatted into this game. Yuck.

The Cubs offense was missing in action Thursday afternoon. The pitching wasn’t much better. Kevin Gausman started well, but didn’t sustain. Remember that one awful David Peterson start? He’s been awfully good besides that. Bad games are gonna happen. One on a Thursday afternoon on the way out of town isn’t going to ruffle my feathers.

This team has finally played enough good ball that you can look at a game like this and just tear the page off of the calendar and keep on trucking. We’re a savvy group around here. No one has to be reminded that good pitching, when it is executing the game plan, is basically going to always win. It has to be both. You have to have very good pitching and you have to have a very good plan. On Thursday, the Nats had both. The Cubs were tarred and feathered.

Not a lot of fun. Moving along.

Three Positives:

• Michael Busch had a single.
• Dansby Swanson drew two walks.
• Aaron Civale threw 3.1 innings and gave the other seven relievers a day off.

Game 122, August 13: Nationals 7, Cubs 0 (71-51)

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

THREE HEROES:

• Superhero: Aaron Civale (.006). 3.1 IP, 13 BF, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 R, K
• Hero: Tyrone Taylor (.000). 0-1
• Sidekick: Dansby Swanson (-.012). 0-1, 2 BB

A negative WPA game makes a rare appearance on the hero podium.

THREE GOATS:

• Billy Goat: Kevin Gausman (-.189). 4.2 IP, 22 BF, 7 H, BB, 6 R, 7 K (L 1-1)
• Goat: Alex Bregman (-.060). 0-3
• Kid: Pete Crow-Armstrong (-.056). 0-4

WPA Play of the Game: Dylan Crews batted with a runner on first and one out in the fourth, the game scoreless. He had an RBI-double. (.143)

Cubs Play of the Game: With the Cubs trailing by one in the fifth, there were runners on first and third and no outs in the fifth. Kevin Gausman struck out Keibert Ruiz. (.052)

Cubs Player of the Game:

Game 121 Winner: Alex Bregman with 90 of 92 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 +28
• Alex Bregman +20
• Carson Kelly +14.5
• Shōta Imanaga +14
• Trent Thornton +13.5
• Phil Maton -10
• Nico Hoerner -11
• Jameson Taillon -13
• Dansby Swanson -18
• Caleb Thielbar -19.5

Up Next: Back to sweet home Chicago, where the Cubs are 35-24. They’ll start a three-game set with the Cardinals ,who are 61-60. The Cardinals had the luxury of an off day Thursday after a day game Wednesday at home. That’s a pretty friendly setup for them. Clay Holmes (4-5, 2.86) will make his second start as a Cub and second start since getting off of the injured list. The first wasn’t great. He pitched against the Cardinals back in March as a member of the Mets and won, allowing two runs on four hits in 5.2 innings. More of that please.

Lefty Matthew Liberatore (5-9, 5.15) starts for the Cardinals. He’s been a bit better of late, but still not winning games (2-4, 4.25, 36 IP) over his last seven. Last time out, he allowed five runs in five innings in a loss to the Rockies. On July 27, the Cubs posted three earned runs on eight hits and two walks in just 3.2 innings. They also got four runs (three earned) in five innings against him in Chicago on July 5. So he’s 1-2 in three starts. More of that, please, too.

Start a good home stand off on the right foot.

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Tampa Bay’s 41-18 home record and nine-game win streak make the Rays tough to fade against a slumping Baltimore club.

The Tampa Bay Rays own the best record in baseball at 74-46, and they host the Baltimore Orioles tonight as a -155 home favorite, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field.

That dominance is the backbone of my Orioles vs. Rays predictions, which back Tampa Bay on the moneyline, lean Over the total, and target a Baltimore bat to go deep.

Read more in my MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 14.

Who will win Orioles vs Rays today: Rays moneyline (-161)

Kyle Bradish gives the Baltimore Orioles the better traditional starter, but the Tampa Bay Rays are playing too well to fade at home. The Rays enter on a nine-game winning streak and a 9-1 mark over their last 10, and they've been even tougher at Tropicana Field, going 41-18 at home against Baltimore’s 26-33 road record.

Tampa Bay owns the stronger offense on the season, and even Bradish’s 3.69 ERA leaves openings against a lineup this locked in right now. Meanwhile, Baltimore comes in scuffling after losing five of its last seven and hitting just .231 over the team's previous 10 games.

With the Rays scorching at the plate and holding one of baseball’s biggest home-road splits, I’m comfortable laying the price despite the pitching disadvantage. I’d play Tampa to -165.

COVERS INTEL: Bradish is more vulnerable than his record suggests, with opponents slugging .524 against his slider, his second-most-used pitch, and .393 against his four-seam fastball.

Orioles vs Rays Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (+105)

There are enough weak points in this pitching matchup to take the Over at plus money, starting with Steven Matz. He carries a 5.46 ERA, was pulled from Tampa Bay’s rotation earlier this season after his velocity dipped, and the hurler worked out of the bullpen on Wednesday. Kevin Cash is unlikely to give him a long leash.

Both offenses can move the line in a hurry. Tampa has scored 30 runs over its last three games, including 10, 12, and eight against the Athletics, while Baltimore has put up five runs in each of its last three. The Orioles’ bullpen adds another route to late scoring, entering with a 6.65 ERA over the last seven days.

At 8.5 and +109, I don’t need both starters to implode. Matz’s volatility plus an exploitable Orioles bullpen will get us there organically. I’d play the Over down to -110.

Orioles vs Rays home run prediction: Tyler O'Neil (+388)

Tyler O’Neill has rediscovered his power stroke, and a matchup with left-hander Steven Matz is a great chance to keep it going. O’Neill has homered three times in his last 10 games, including a 425-foot blast against Texas on Sunday, and his production against lefties has been taking off.

Since June 1, O’Neill is hitting .357 against left-handers with an .875 slugging percentage and eight home runs in just 62 plate appearances. Matz is the ideal target for him, as the Rays' lefty has allowed 12 home runs this year, with 10 coming against righties. His sinker, which he throws nearly half the time, carries a -9 Statcast run value.

O’Neill has always punished southpaws, slugging .750 against them during his 31-homer 2024 season, and that part of his game is clearly back. At +340, I’ll take a shot on the power continuing against a pitcher this vulnerable to right-handed home runs. I’d play this to +300 for a quarter unit.

Orioles vs Rays weather

Tropicana Field is a fixed-dome ballpark, so weather is a non-factor tonight. Conditions stay controlled with no wind or precipitation in play, meaning the Over and the O’Neill home run bet come down entirely to the pitching matchups rather than the elements.

Orioles vs Rays odds

• Moneyline: Baltimore +140 | Tampa Bay -161
• Run line: Baltimore +1.5 (-168) | Tampa Bay -1.5 (+140)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+109) | Under 8.5 (-121)

Orioles vs Rays trend

The Tampa Bay Rays rank first in MLB in batting average (.261), fifth in on-base percentage (.331), and sixth in OPS (.739), with the Rays boasting a top-tier offense that powers both the moneyline and the Over. Find more MLB betting trends for Orioles vs. Rays.

How to watch Orioles vs Rays and game info

Orioles vs Rays 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.

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees hit the road to take on the Blue Jays in a three-game series starting Friday...

AL East battle

Toronto has had a tough season. After being so close to capturing a World Series title a year ago, the Blue Jays find themselves entering this series below .500 (59-64) and on the outside looking in on the postseason.

However, Toronto has played much better of late. They are 6-4 in their last 10 and just took three of four from Boston. This stretch has allowed Toronto to climb within 2.0 games of the third and final Wild Card spot. 

Can the Yankees put Toronto's playoff hopes on ice, or will they give them life like they did the Red Sox? 

The Yanks need these games just as much as Toronto. Although they are firmly in the first Wild Card spot, they can't allow the Red Sox to get close -- they enter Friday three games up on Boston -- and are 6.5 games behind Tampa for the AL East crown. 

Cy Young battle

The top two AL pitchers vying for the Cy Young are Cam Schlittler and Dylan Cease. 

Schlittler was the favorite for much of this season, but Cease has come on of late, pitching deep into games and piling up the strikeouts. Both will have their next starts in this series. And while they are currently not scheduled to pitch against each other, they will look to boost their Cy Young credentials this weekend.

Schlittler struck out 11 and allowed one run across seven innings in his last start against the Braves, while Cease struck out seven and allowed three runs in five innings against the Red Sox. 

There's also the All-Star starter "controversy" when Blue Jays manager John Schneider -- managing the AL side -- was going to peg Cease to start the game over Schlittler, but the Yankees ace took himself out of the running once he got wind of it. This could be a chance for Schlittler to show the Jays skipper what he can do.

Spencer Jones' continued development

While George Lombard Jr. is getting the headlines for what he's done in his short stint with the club, Jones is quietly becoming a productive player.

Yankees skipper Aaron Boone has slotted Jones into the three-hole the last few games and it's paid off, with Jones coming through with runners on base in the first two games of the Mariners series.

And while he went hitless in the series finale on Thursday, Jones is looking more and more comfortable as he stacks starts. Can he continue to put up quality ABs and play good outfield defense in Toronto?

Can the Yankees offense wake up?

Yankees pitching has done its part, but the offense continues to be inconsistent.

There was some life from the lineup against Seattle, with New York scoring 10 runs in the middle game of the series, but the Yanks were shut out in the finale on Thursday. 

Which version of the Yankees will show up this weekend? 

Deadline bats not doing their part

Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos were brought over to infuse some life into the lineup. And while they've been solid, they need to do more. Garcia, especially. 

After having the best OPS in the NL when he was with the Nationals, it has not been the same since he donned the pinstripes. He's slashing .258/.303/.452 with an OPS of .755, one home run, three doubles and two RBI in eight games with the Yankees. Decent, but New York needs more power from the left-hander.

Ramos is simply lost. He's slashing .080/.233/.160 with an OPS of .393 in eight games with the Yanks, and was benched in the series finale against the Mariners. 

Can they turn it around?

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Ben Rice

It's hard to pick any player right now, but Rice needs to shoulder the offensive load until reinforcements arrive.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Cam Schlittler

Schlittler has his best starts when he's motivated to prove people wrong. He'll do that against Schneider and the Jays.

Which Blue Jays player will be a thorn in the Yankees' side?

Ernie Clement

The infielder always gives the Yankees fits. He has 33 hits with two homers and 17 RBI in 35 games against the Yankees in his career.