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It’s getting late early for the 2026 Cincinnati Reds, who still sit at just 50-56 with less than a full week remaining before the August 3rd trade deadline. While the club is all but out of it and almost certain to be sellers any day now, they do deserve at least a bit of credit for not throwing up the white flag completely.

The Reds won each of their three road series as the season’s second half opened up, a 6-3 road trip that showed there’s still at least a bit of competent fight within them. They also split yesterday’s doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians, setting the stage for a fourth straight series victory if they can just pull another rabbit out of a hat tonight in Great American Ball Park.

Brady Singer will take the ball in a Reds uniform, perhaps for the final time. The free agent to-be has pitched alarmingly well over the last two months and given that and the back of his baseball card he’s going to be a coveted piece by most every team needing pitching depth who’s in the hunt for a playoff spot.

[SPOILER ALERT: That’s every good team in baseball not named ‘Seattle Mariners]

Lefty Joey Cantillo will get the start for the Guardians, and manager Terry Francona has tweaked his lineup to attack the southpaw. JJ Bleday will start on the bench, for instance, as the Reds will field perhaps the most punchless outfield and bottom of the order ever recorded in human history instead.

First pitch is set for 7:10 PM ET. Here’s how both clubs will line up to start:

Every 12U baseball team has the same types of players. There’s the chunky first baseman who hits like Mark McGwire but has the speed and agility of a 70-year-old version of himself. There’s the coach’s son, who hits leadoff and plays shortstop, even though he just flat-out sucks. Then there’s the slap hitter: often undersized, blessed with excellent bat-to-ball skills, yet cursed with a swing that can hardly generate a cool breeze. These kids were always lightning fast and a nightmare for GameChanger parents everywhere, somehow going 4-for-4 with four infield singles, two of which were probably errors, but generously scored as hits anyway.

Players like this tend to dry up as they grow up. By junior year of high school, most of the talented ones add power as they grow into their bodies. As for the rest, they usually fade out of baseball in favor of a sport that more directly rewards their speed and athleticism.

By the time they reach college or pro ball, the few pure contact hitters who persist often see their swing changed into something more analytically viable. The highly paid stats nerds behind the modern front office are quick to erase .030 points of batting average in exchange for some more extra base hits. It’s just optimal baseball nowadays, and now that most teams have come to that same conclusion, many of them aim to trot out rosters that are strategic carbon copies of one another. 

Yet one player in MLB can still be called a true slap hitter, bucking nearly every trend of modern offensive efficiency while serving as the everyday outfielder for the American League’s top team: Tech alum Chandler Simpson.

Simpson had a brief yet productive stint on the Flats, slashing .433/.506/.517 with 25 RBIs and 27 stolen bases in his sole season. He was subsequently drafted with the 70th pick of the 2022 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rays have always been unafraid to balk at league conformity, running what can only be described as a modern-day Moneyball scheme. Their greatest exploits have been on the mound, turning castaway arms into bona fide aces year in and year out. Their system valued Simpson higher than most, picking him some 50 spots ahead of where some outlets had him. So far, that bet has paid off, as Simpson sits on a .294 batting average with 70 stolen bases in his first 207 MLB games.

Yet these surface-level numbers don’t even begin to tell the story. In reality, Simpson is more of a crusader against modern three-true-outcome baseball. He doesn’t strike out much, with the third-fewest among qualified hitters. He also doesn’t take many free passes, with the 13th-fewest walks. The coup de grâce? Simpson is the only qualified hitter in the MLB not to hit a home run this season. Remarkably, Simpson has actually never hit a true over-the-fence home run in a post-high school baseball game.

Now, technically Simpson has three home runs. Personally, I don’t believe any count. In reverse order, there was one earlier this season, but that was in spring training, and any league where the likes of Will Ferrell and Russell Wilson see the field shouldn’t statistically count.  Then there was an inside-the-park home run when Simpson was playing for the Montgomery Biscuits, the Rays AA affiliate, but since that ball didn’t leave the park, that doesn’t count either. Finally, there was a game on the Flats against Gardner-Webb. Simpson pulled a ball down the right field line, which, if undisturbed, would’ve bounced off the top of the wall and landed in play, likely for a triple. Instead, the Gardner-Webb outfielder tries to catch the ball at the track and winds up volleyball-setting it over the wall. That, for obvious reasons, shouldn’t count either.

This playstyle produces a Baseball Savant page that is simply a thing of beauty. It looks like a min-maxed RPG build rather than an actual baseball player. He is either last or wrestling for last in nearly every imaginable offensive statistic, except those related to the mechanics of his swing or low K rate. Yet, it’s obvious that he isn’t the worst offensive player in the league, so what gives? Well, Baseball Savant just doesn’t have the metrics to convey the value of Simpson’s ultra-small-ball playstyle, because there is no other player like him.

In search of a contemporary, the closest thing you’ll find is Luis Arraez, another ultra-contact hitter. But Arraez isn’t very fast and has the upside for 5-10 home runs per season. Simpson trades this power upside for being, according to Baseball Savant, the best baserunner in MLB. While Simpson is quite good at swiping bags, his best value comes in taking extra bases: turning doubles into triples and scoring from first on shallow doubles. This alone has generated 6 extra runs this season, a league best.

In his rookie campaign, the biggest knock on Simpson was his defense, as he graded as one of the worst fielders in MLB. His issue was his range, marked as 11th percentile in outs above average, confounding for such an athletic player. He drastically improved within the next season, going from 11th to 95th percentile, a meteoric rise that shows his adaptability.

All of this goes to show why Chandler Simpson fascinates me. In a game that analytics gurus have deemed all but solved, Simpson shows there still are multiple ways to not only survive in the league, but thrive. To many players, Simpson’s results would be treated as a fault, an inefficient bug waiting to be squashed. To him, it’s a feature, and one that he’s using to become a top outfielder in MLB. There is simply no other player like him, and with how the sport is trending, I doubt there will be one for a very long time. But, who knows? Maybe there’s a 14-year-old somewhere watching Simpson that’ll ditch the Muscle Milk and squat racks in favor of peppering endless ground balls up the middle. Sure, it’s not glamorous, but it certainly gets the job done.

Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets series finale. Once again, the Braves are in a position where they’re trying to avoid a sweep. Can they do it and score the runs they need with Chris Sale on the mound?

First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. E.T.

Lineups

Preview

After a blown save ruined game one of the series, the Royals head back onto the field to face the Twins again this evening. It is still fun to watch games, but the looming trade deadline is really the star of this week unless it continues to be near radio silence across the league. The injury train keeps rolling in KC as well, with Vinnie Pasquantino going back on the IL with wrist soreness.

Luckily for the Royals, they have their ace going tonight. Since joining Kansas City, Randy Dobnak has only given up 3 runs across four outings for a sparkling 1.42 ERA. He certainly won’t keep that up over the long-term, but hopefully he can keep it rolling for tonight. It will be frequent foe Joe Ryan going for Minnesota.

Go Rays!

Mets lineup

A.J. Ewing – LF
Francisco Lindor – SS
Bo Bichette – 3B
Luis Robert, Jr. – CF
Francisco Alvarez – DH
Jared Young – 1B
Carson Benge – RF
Marcus Semien – 2B
Luis Torrens – C

SP: Christian Scott – RHP

Braves lineup

Drake Baldwin – C
Ronald Acuña, Jr – DH
Matt Olson – 1B
Michael Harris – CF
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Mauricio Dubón – LF
Mike Yastrzemski – RF
Austin Riley – 3B
Jim Jarvis – SS

SP: Chris Sale – LHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 7:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

The White Sox are bleeding, and tonight is triage. Chicago has dropped two straight and is just 4-6 over its last 10 games, yet somehow still clings to a faint 1 1/2-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. That cushion feels increasingly fragile as July has become one complication after another, easily the club’s toughest month of the season. Rate Field had been where the White Sox found a pulse for most of the year, but the Good Guys are just 4-7 at home this month, and the first two games of this series have only added to the frustration. Both were there for the taking, continuing a trend of missed opportunities during an offensive slump that has arrived at the worst possible time.

Unfortunately, there is little relief in sight as the schedule is not doing the South Siders any favors. After tonight and tomorrow against the Yankees, the White Sox head to Tampa Bay to face the American League’s top dogs before traveling to Boston, where the suddenly red-hot Red Sox already swept Chicago at Rate Field just before the All-Star break. Then comes a pivotal three-game home series with the Guardians. There are no soft landings on the schedule, meaning the Sox will have to play their way out of this funk against some of baseball’s best clubs.

The offense has cooled considerably after carrying the club for stretches earlier this summer. Chicago still ranks seventh in baseball in home runs on the season, but over the last 15 days the power has all but disappeared, falling to 27th over the stretch. The arms aren’t bailing anyone out, either. A season ERA that still ranks 11th in baseball at 4.14 has inflated to 4.36 over the past two weeks, good for just 19th in the league. When both the bats and the arms cool off simultaneously, forget about winning the nail-biters.

Davis Martin gets the ball tonight, hoping to stabilize the club. Martin was arguably Chicago’s first-half MVP on the mound, posting a microscopic 1.41 ERA in April and following it with a 2.05 mark in May before the regression monster showed up. June brought a 5.68 ERA, and July has been even rougher at 6.00. Even so, Martin enters tonight 9-5 with a 3.49 ERA and a respectable 1.27 WHIP after coming off a meh outing against Houston (four runs over five innings).

Martin’s path to success against New York is clear. He doesn’t overwhelm hitters with elite velocity, sitting around 94 mph with the fastball, but he succeeds by mixing six different pitches and avoiding hard contact. His changeup is filthy, grading in the 94th percentile in run value, while his sinker is no slouch either. If Martin can establish his sinker and changeup early, expand the zone with his slider and curveball, and limit loud contact, he has a good chance to neutralize a Yankees lineup built around power. The biggest key will be getting ahead in counts and avoiding the free passes.

Standing opposite Martin is one of baseball’s biggest breakout stars. Cam Schlittler has been sensational in 2026 and has firmly planted himself in the AL Cy Young conversation. The Yankees righthander is 10-6 with a league-leading 2.07 ERA and 0.93 WHIP while holding opponents to a .200 batting average. He was dominant again in his last start, blanking Philadelphia over 7 1/3 innings while allowing just three hits, striking out 12 without issuing a walk. Yikes.

Schlittler’s Savant page is a sea of red. The fastball is a monster — 99th percentile in run value, big velocity, nasty chase rates, a 94th-percentile strikeout rate and above-average command. The expected stats are just as scary. Trying to slug your way past him? Good luck. The Sox need to grind out at-bats, make him work, and pounce if he falls behind. His breaking stuff is hittable, but the heater is a nightmare. Chicago’s best bet is to avoid chasing, string together some singles and walks and maybe manufacture a run or two. The three-run bomb likely isn’t coming to the rescue tonight.

Tonight’s matchup is a study in opposites. Schlittler is the flamethrower, racking up whiffs with a killer four-seamer and video-game numbers. Martin is the craftsman, mixing six pitches, changing speeds, and living on soft contact. Schlittler’s game is all power; Martin’s is all guile. If Martin’s sharp, he can hang, but his leash is considerably shorter than the Yankees’ ace.

Offensively, the White Sox will lean on a pair of hitters who have been carrying the lineup since the All-Star break. Chase Meidroth continues to spray base hits all over the field, while Braden Montgomery appears to be breaking out after a slow stretch, giving the middle of the order some desperately needed life. On the flip side, Tristan Peters and Sam Antonacci are ice-cold and have endured a difficult two weeks at the plate, with Miguel Vargas also searching for his early-season mojo. If the Sox are going to knock off one of the AL’s hottest arms, they’ll likely need their hottest bats to get even hotter and for a few of those cold ones to join the party.

Here’s how skipper Will Venable sends them out against Schlittler:

And for the Yankees:

First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised on CHSN and can be heard on ESPN Chicago 1000.

Welp,

The Atlanta Braves won’t take the series win against the New York Mets, but they have a shot to avoid a sweep.

Let’s take a look at these lineups for the series finale.

Drake Baldwin will be leading off, which will place Ronald Acuña Jr. in the second batting slot. Some good news, Jim Jarvis and Mike Yastrzemski are in the lineup, and are looking to add some offensive power to the night. Maybe Matt Olson can knock in another bomb to add to it.

A lot of ifs, but the main thing that keeps setting the Braves back (besides a lackluster bullpen) is an inconsistent offense. Even worse, production that won’t show up at all, especially in a Chris Sale start.

Christian Scott is our opposing pitcher for the night, currently holding a 3.13 ERA. It’s an expected duel between the two on the mound. The Mets, though coming off a low-scoring win, are looking to finish off the way they started.

Both offenses, however, have shown signs of inconsistencies, then a flip to a sudden understanding of offensive effort. Which one will reach that understanding tonight?

Tune in at 7:10 p.m. ET to find out.

Texas Rangers @ Tampa Bay Rays

Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 5:40 PM CDT (105.3 The Fan / Rangers Sports Network)

Tropicana Field

LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. RHP Casey Legumina (followed by LHP Ian Seymour as the bulk pitcher)

Go Rangers!

It’s over. We are so back. It’s over. We are SO back. It’s over. We are SO BACK! Like a tennis rally that seems to go on forever and you can only watch in increasing awe as it plays out, the Orioles veered between these two extremes on Wednesday afternoon. They played some absolutely atrocious baseball and deserved to lose, no question. They played some amazing baseball and deserved to win. In the end, as ever, deserve has nothing to do with it. There’s only what happened, and what happened is the Orioles took 12 innings to win a 10-9 game.

All of this craziness occurred in a game that “everyone” expected going in would be a pitcher’s duel. The starting pitchers, back when it began, were Tarik Skubal for the Tigers and Trevor Rogers for the Orioles. Each of these guys has been pitching great for the last little while (Skubal for longer than Rogers) and each is a pending free agent. The losing team would lose the series and be highly likely to trade their guy. That was the narrative going into the game. There were real stakes for these fringe wild card contenders.

The Orioles started sending this thing into “it’s over” in the third inning. After two perfect innings from Rogers to begin the game, the bottom third of the Detroit lineup started a rally, a single and then a double to set up Detroit with no one out and men on second and third. Teams who are not the Orioles often capitalize on such situations. Tigers #9 hitter Javier Báez did so, hitting a single into right field that easily scored a run.

In un-Oriole-like fashion, Tyler O’Neill in right field hit the cutoff man while throwing home and the batter, Báez was hung up between first and second base. Rogers chased Báez into a rundown. Gifted with this “free” out from this rundown, Pete Alonso threw the ball into left field, allowing the runner to score from third base. They held a 2-0 lead and got a third run later in the inning on a sacrifice fly. Three runs went onto Rogers’s ledger, though only two were earned.

Orioles defense struck again in the fifth inning. Leody Taveras played a single into a triple. No error was charged here, but it was an egregious misplay and it gifted Detroit with a runner on third and no one out. Báez cashed that in quickly by hitting a single, and after a double and another sacrifice fly, a fifth Tigers run crossed the plate.

If that wasn’t hopeless enough, more unbelievably bad defense in the sixth inning brought two more Tigers runs home. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Henderson committed errors on back-to-back plays; both of these guys scored. Rogers pitched through this inning and that closed the book on him with seven runs allowed, only four earned. The Orioles have the league lead in unearned runs and are on pace for possibly the worst defensive season in franchise history by that measure.

The Orioles trailed, 7-0, with Skubal on the mound and cruising into the late innings. There were two outs in the top of the seventh inning, the Orioles had Henderson on third base, and Coby Mayo was at the plate trying to try to do anything to chip away at that massive deficit. The game was so over, and with it, essentially, were their hopes of doing anything other than selling before Monday’s trade deadline.

Then, suddenly, it wasn’t over. Mayo walked and Taveras singled, chasing Skubal, who was at 92 pitches. Detroit brought in reliever Kyle Finnegan, who faced the minimum three batters and retired none of them. Jackson Holliday pinch hit for Chadwick Tromp and delivered a two-run single, then Taylor Ward followed with another single to score two more. Almost in the blink of an eye, the insurmountable 7-0 lead was narrowed to 7-5.

The very next inning saw the Orioles tie it up, with a little help from the Tigers defense. Henderson led off with a walk. Dylan Beavers followed by hitting a grounder to second baseman Gleyber Torres that Torres decided to try to throw to second base instead of getting the sure out at first. He couldn’t beat Henderson to the bag. No outs were recorded on the fielder’s choice.

Eventually, these runners were on second and third with one out. Mayo crushed a pitch to deep center field, like “it would have been a home run in 25 other stadiums” deep center, and this went over the head of Báez in center field. Báez was in a horrible position to play the bounce off the wall and it was ultimately left fielder Riley Greene who threw to third base to try to stop Mayo from safely reaching for a game-tying triple. It didn’t work. Mayo’s hit made it 7-7.

There was still only one out, but neither Taveras nor substitute catcher Yohel Pozo could bring Mayo home. That’s where the score stayed until the game went into extra innings. That’s when things got truly weird.

It’s so over: Beavers popped out on the first pitch, failing to get the zombie runner Henderson over to third base. Encarnacion-Strand hit a line drive to shortstop and Henderson was caught going just a little too far; rookie Kevin McGonigle made the catch and doubled up Henderson.

We are so back: Tyler Wells needed only three pitches in the bottom of the tenth to get a groundout, intentional walk, and ground ball double play. Staying back, the Orioles got two runs in the top of the eleventh. Taveras bunted the Manfred Man over to third base, generally a bad choice for the road team in extra innings and doubly bad when the no-bat catcher Pozo was due up. Pleasantly, Pozo delivered a sacrifice fly, and after him, Holliday slashed a single into left field for a 9-7 Orioles lead.

It’s so over: Manager Craig Albernaz brought in Rico Garcia for the bottom of the eleventh. Garcia served up a game-tying home run to Spencer Torkelson, the first batter he faced. There has been an unfortunate amount of that this week. Remaining in “it’s so over” territory in the top of the twelfth, Alonso struck out and Henderson delivered a fly ball that could only advance the runner to third base with two outs. They were on the verge of failing to score and then having to get who knows what reliever to pitch a scoreless inning.

Then, once more, we are so back: Colton Cowser, maligned (often unfairly) as one of the least clutch guys around, worked a full count before ripping a single up the middle. That made it 10-9 Orioles, which was, at last, the final score. Even this was not without excitement; the speedy McGonigle was the Manfred Man for Detroit, and Grant Wolfram began the inning by walking Ben Malgeri, who I just re-confirmed is a real baseball player. Two outs later, with the runners moved over to second and third, the Orioles turned to Andrew Kittredge to get the last out. He did it. An easy groundout, Henderson to Alonso for the game-ender, no bad throws, nothing else weird, just the end of one of the wildest Orioles victories of the year.

This game went down as just the third time since 2020 that a team came back from a 7+ run deficit in the sixth inning or later. It’s also the largest Orioles comeback win since June 30, 2009, when they mounted a nine-run comeback to beat the Red Sox. The 2026 Orioles have many problems. A lack of fight is not one of them. These guys are really something. That something is not always good, but it’s always something.

The Orioles are still three games below .500 even after all of this. Whether they gain ground in the wild card race depends on whether Cleveland beats the Reds later on Wednesday. There is a lot more work to be done in the standings and they are going to need to find a way to tighten up some of their problems, particularly their defensive problems but also their “bring in relief pitchers because they were good earlier this year even though now they clearly aren’t still good” problems.

If the Orioles had blown this game, it would feel like they had no chance to come back in the standings. Now, they have a chance. It’s a small chance, but still a chance. That’s better than last year. We will have to wait out the Thursday off day and then three games against the Phillies to see where they stand heading down to the deadline.

The Orioles could blow that series and end up sellers anyway. They could play well in the series and have Mike Elias still decide to pull the plug, like he did in 2022. They could play well and have Elias fail to substantially reinforce a contender, or maybe even they could play well and Elias pushes some chips in. Baseball is great and terrible because we don’t know.

A lot is riding on Friday’s game against the Phillies, and Saturday’s, and Sunday’s. Brandon Young is set to start the 7:05 series opener. The Phillies haven’t listed a starter for Friday yet.

**

It is a longtime Camden Chat tradition to proclaim a Most Birdland Player after each Orioles victory. During that June 30, 2009 comeback win I mentioned above, the entire team was proclaimed to be Most Birdland. What is Most Birdland? Each person must decide for themselves. Sometimes, this is the most valuable player of a game. Sometimes, this is not. Let us know your choice in the comments.

Wednesday notes…

• TAKE TWO: This is the Cubs’ 27th series of at least four games at St. Louis since the National League’s Expansion Era began in 1962. It is only the fifth in which they won the first two games. The previous four: 1976 (finished 2-2), 1992 (3-1), 2014 (2-2) and 2023 (3-1). The last of those is the only time they won the first three. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• ON WEDNESDAYS: The Cubs are 12-5 on Wednesday, their second-best record on any day after 7-2 on Thursday. They are 7-2 on the road on Wednesday, also second best, after 4-1 on Thursday. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• RISPy BUSINESS: In their last four games, the Cubs are 23 for 58 with runners in scoring position, a gaudy average of .397. They have raised their season average to .248, the highest it has been since May 8, when it was .253 after the last of their second streaks of 10 straight wins. They have played 68 games since then. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Jason Heyward and David Ross homer and the Cubs blow out the Mariners 12-1 at Wrigley Field. It happened 10 years ago today, Friday, July 29, 2016.

Cubs lineup:

Cardinals lineup:

Matthew Boyd, LHP vs. Dustin May, RHP

Matthew Boyd has been nails since returning from the knee injury suffered while playing with his kids. Oddly enough, the enforced layoff might have actually helped him.

In six starts since his return: 2.31 ERA, 1.200 WHIP. That’ll play.

Boyd has not faced the Cardinals this year. Current Cardinals are a small sample size 8-for-3o (.267) against Boyd with one home run (Jordan Walker) and 11 strikeouts.

Dustin May was a Top 100 prospect before 2020 but injuries prevented him from making any sort of regular starts until last year, which he split between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He came to the Cardinals as part of the deal that sent Willson Contreras to Boston.

His last start against the Cubs was April 22, 2025 at Wrigley Field, that whacked-out game where the Cubs scored five runs off him in the first inning, including a homer by Pete Crow-Armstrong, then had to come back to win in extras.

He was going along okay this year but has a 7.66 ERA and 1.970 WHIP over his last six starts. He did throw well in his last outing against the Reds last Friday (six innings, one run).

Here is the weather forecast for the area around Busch Stadium.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network. It’s also streaming on Peacock (outside the Cubs and Cardinals market territories).

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit our SB Nation Cardinals site Viva el Birdos. If you do go there to interact with Cardinals fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.