TORONTO, CANADA - AUGUST 11: Patrick Sandoval #43 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on August 11, 2026 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Paul Skenes hasn’t quite been PAUL SKENES this season — he gave up at least 5 earned runs in 3 of his 6 starts in July. Nevertheless, it’s still a nice little treat for the Sox that he’s been bumped from this afternoon’s start.
Instead, it’ll be Lake Bachar taking the bump for the Pirates. Bachar is a reliever, but he has thrown 3 innings in a game 4 times already this season, including twice this month. Presumably, that’s what the Bucs will be hoping to get out of him before turning the game over to the rest of the bullpen.
With Masataka Yoshida heading to the IL, Adley Rutschman will assume DH duties. Willson Contreras, who is hitting under the Mendoza line with just a single homer in August, will get the day off.
On the other side of the ball it’ll be Patrick Sandoval making his seventh start of the year. Sandoval’s superficial numbers are perfectly respectable, but anyone who’s watched him pitch knows he’s been the beneficiary a lot of luck and has walked on a tightrope every time out. Hopefully this afternoon he doesn’t fall off.
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA - 2016/04/16: Self employed man selling cotton candy in front of Roger Centre entrance, the landmark is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Toronto, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays among other sports teams. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) | LightRocket via Getty Images
This is game #126. And it is an early game, but I’m out for a while. I might be back before game time, but I might not, so this is the GameThread if I don’t get back in time. I played singles tennis this morning, I don’t do that very often, but won. It is fun, but I like doubles because if I lose, it is my partner’s fault.
Dylan Cease gets the start for the forces of white.
Tommy John, who pitched 26 seasons in the majors, including eight with the Yankees, has died at the age of 83.
“The New York Yankees mourn the passing of Tommy John, who was a bedrock of our rotation during his time in pinstripes and a longtime favorite of Yankees fans," the club said in a team statement. "While his incredible longevity and post-surgery achievements changed the fortunes and trajectory of countless athletes around the world, it also overshadowed his excellence as a pitcher, which included consecutive 20‑win seasons with the Yankees. We pause to remember the totality of his legacy — his competitiveness and skill, his penchant for conversation, his kind and gracious nature, and his stature as an athletic and medical pioneer. The Yankees extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, including wife, Cheryl, daughter, Tamara, and sons Tommy III and Travis. We also keep his son Taylor in our hearts.”
"I want to thank the Yankees organization & the Steinbrenner family for giving me this opportunity to say goodbye to everyone, along with all the friends & fans who followed me throughout my 26-year career."
John also thanked Dr. Frank Jobe, who performed UCL reconstruction surgery on the pitcher in 1974 that is now forever known as Tommy John surgery.
John pitched in eight seasons with the Yankees (1979-82, 1986-89), posting a 3.59 ERA. He also pitched for the White Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Indians, and Athletics in a career that spanned from 1963-89.
Keith Hernandez also shared some words about John during Sunday's game between the Mets and National:
"Just a wonderful man... he should be in the Hall of Fame, I'm going to continue to promote him for that"
Keith Hernandez talks about his first time facing Tommy John, who was pitching for the Dodgers: pic.twitter.com/C0bx7cPSCV
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 15: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals runs the bases after his sixth inning three-run home run against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Divisional matchups have not gone well for the Nats this season. They are now 11-26 against NL East teams. After dropping the first two games to the Mets, they will look to improve that dismal record. After a promising series against the Reds, the bullpen has been a real problem again.
With a righty on the mound, Blake Butera is making a few lineup changes. Jorbit Vivas is in for Nasim Nunez at second base. Abimelec Ortiz will be at first base, but Andres Chaparro will stay in the lineup at DH. Keibert Ruiz will do the catching in this one. Jake Irvin looks to bounce back from a rough start against the Cubs.
The Mets are only making a couple changes. Luis Robert is back in the lineup, but playing left field, which is new for him. Brett Baty will slide from left to second base, with Marcus Semien getting a day off. Luis Torrens will be doing the catching. Christian Scott is on the bump for the Mets.
This has been a really disappointing series for the Nats but they have a chance to salvage a game today. They will need more consistent play at the plate and on the mound to do that though. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats.
Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger is set to start a rehab assignment this week, manager Aaron Boone said before Sunday's game at the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bellinger (left hamstring strain) is expected to play games Tuesday and Thursday, likely with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, before potentially rejoining New York for this coming weekend's three-game series against the Blue Jays.
Bellinger, 31, has been on the injured list since July 26.
Before his injury, he slashed .259/.350/.420 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 102 games.
"Grade 2 strain, so probably a 4-to-6-week situation," Boone said July 27. "The good thing is he's obviously able to move around right now, so we'll continue to do that and just allow this thing to heal and get him right."
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 30: Ryan Weathers #40 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Rate Field on July 30, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Two of the three least productive offenses in baseball walk into a ballpark. One of these offenses has the backing of the league’s best pitching staff. Who wins? The answer may shock you!
In a style once again reminiscent of the 2025 ALDS, the Yankees have allowed the Blue Jays to dance circles around them in two consecutive enervating losses. The Bombers—at least their position players—were the proverbial Wet Bandits, getting outsmarted by the exact same tricks over and over again. Did they forget that this is what the Jays, who had been starting to click in the leadup to this series, do?
As punishment, the Yankees are now forced to go up against the only pitcher in the American League with a solid chance to unseat Cam Schlittler as Cy Young frontrunner. Dylan Cease will have a golden opportunity to cement a sweep against these moribund Bombers, while Ryan Weathers will look to continue a terrific personal stretch of pitching which has just as often as not gone wasted.
Weathers is achieving success by cutting back on his four-seam fastball, the chief culprit for his tendency to surrender oodles of homers in the first half. Now, he’s a far harder foe to slug against; the changeup, sinker, and sweeper have all been much trickier to generate lift on. The recent results have spoken for themselves: he’s allowed a maximum of one run in five consecutive starts.
Another quality outing from Weathers will mean nothing if his offense cannot put runs (plural) on the board. Forget that the lefty rarely gets run support; nobody is getting run support these days. The Yankee offense since the All-Star Break has a 75 wRC+, second worst behind the free-falling Angels. They’re hitting .203 as a team—dead last. They’re reaching base at just a .275 clip—also dead last. They’re striking out at the second-highest rate in MLB and they aren’t hitting for power either. Lacking Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger in the lineup is not an excuse for playing like headless chickens.
So again, what better time than to run into Dylan Cease?
Cease has himself only gotten better since the Midsummer Classic. In five second-half starts he has allowed just seven earned runs in 33 innings; a 1.91 ERA with 43 strikeouts and a .158 opponent’s batting average. Only Jacob Misiorowski has run a higher K rate than Cease’s 36.1 percent clip this year. He’s the last kind of pitcher a punchless lineup like New York’s wants to tangle with. But baseball is funny—maybe Cease loses his command, or maybe the Bombers start to play like the talented lineup they actually are, even without Judge and Bellinger.
Aaron Boone is shuffling the deck a bit with his starting nine today. Ben Rice, he of a .551 OPS since the Midsummer Classic, will hit leadoff for the first time since July 1st. He’ll be followed by the two Trade Deadline additions, Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos. Trent Grisham will clean up, with the rookie duo of Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. coming up afterward. Ryan McMahon, Austin Wells, and José Caballero—playing second base in lieu of the struggling Jazz Chisholm Jr.—comprise the bottom of the order.
How to watch
Location: Rogers Centre — Toronto, ON
First pitch: 1:37 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), SN590 THE FAN (TOR)
SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE: This is the 19th of the Cubs’ 41 series in which they have split the first two games. They are 9-9 in previous third games, including 3-4 at home. They are 3-3 after having won, then lost, with wins in the only two games played at home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
THE NUMBER OF THE COUNTING SHALL BE THREE: The Cubs are 12-6 this year in third games of series at home. They finished last year 12-12. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RISPy BUSINESS: By going 2 for 4 yesterday with runners in scoring position, the Cubs raised their season average with RISP to .250. It had not been that high since May 8, when it was .253 after they went 5 for 15 a Texas in the final win of their second 10-game winning streak. They have played 85 games since then. In the first of those, the next day, the Cubs went 0 for 13, dropping their average to .245. It was down to .217 after they went 0 for 8 in a loss at home to the Rockies on June 16. Since then, it is .295. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: After using 10 pitchers in an 18-inning win over the Astros the previous day, the Cubs summon Ryan O’Malley from Triple-A and send a limo to pick him up in Round Rock, Texas, where the Iowa Cubs were playing, to drive him to Houston. O’Malley throws eight shutout innings in his MLB debut and the Cubs win 1-0 on a home run by Michael Barrett. It happened 20 years ago today, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. O’Malley will pitch in only one other MLB game, six days later at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs lineup was not available at posting time. Please check BCB social media for the Cubs lineup.
Cardinals lineup:
8/16 ⚾ Cardinals Lineup is Out! Provided by mlbstartingnine (@DailyMLBLineups for link)
Edward Cabrera, as you know, suffered a groin injury while pitching against the Mets June 23 in New York. That was actually one of his better outings, so the injury was truly unfortunate.
So it’s been nearly two months since he threw in a major league game. His last rehab outing, Tuesday for Double-A Knoxville, was really good — five no-hit innings with seven strikeouts. Yes, Double-A hitters. Still.
No word as of the time of this preview as to who’s going off the active roster to make room for Cabrera, but it seems likely it’ll be Javier Assad optioned tp Triple-A Iowa.
Cabrera last faced the Cardinals Aug. 19, 2025 while with the Marlins and trust me, you do not want to look at that boxscore link. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Hopefully things go better this afternoon.
Hunter Dobbins was one of the players the Cardinals received in the Willson Contreras trade last winter. He spent a fair amount of time at Triple-A Memphis this year, and has made nine appearances (six starts) for the Cardinals.
He has made two relief appearances against the Cubs this year with a 5.00 ERA and home runs hit by Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner.
Today’s game is on ABC-TV (full national broadcast, no blackouts). It’s also available streaming on the ESPN App (subscription required). Announcers: Jon Sciambi, David Ross and Eduardo Perez.
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.
Aug 15, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin (30) reacts after hitting a double against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Braves have avoided a three-game losing streak through the first month of the second half of the season.
They need a win in Sunday’s home series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks to maintain that run and avoid being swept for the first time since June 22-24 at San Diego.
Bryce Elder gets the ball for the Braves against Michael Soroka of the Diamondbacks.
First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. ET. Let’s see if the Atlanta bats can wake up after a sleepy start to the weekend.
CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 05: Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee (28) in the guardians dugout after leaving the game during the sixth inning of the Major League Baseball interleague game between the New York Mets and Cleveland Guardians on August 5, 2026, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
ATLANTA - JULY 17: '100 Years of the Coca-Cola Bottle' banner flies at the World of Coca-Cola on July 17, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
BRAVES
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Drake Baldwin – C
Corbin Carroll – RF
Ronald Acuna – RF
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Matt Olson – 1B
Ketel Marte – 2B
Michael Harris – CF
Max Kepler – LF
Mike Yastrzemski – LF
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Ozzie Albies – 2B
Tim Tawa – 1B
Dominic Smith – DH
James McCann – C
Austin Riley – 3B
Jorge Barrosa – CF
Jim Jarvis – SS
Michael Soroka – RHP
Bryce Elder – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ 40-man roster remains at 40.
Selected from Triple-A Reno: RHP Dennis Santana (No. 59)
Designated for assignment: LHP Philip Abner
No great surprise to see Abner off the active roster: shoewizard was suggesting exactly that in the GDT. But more of a surprise to see a) him dumped from the 40-man roster, and b) Santana being the replacement. It may be a short-term thing, since it seems that Justin Martinez is very close to being ready for action. But I wonder if it might be Gerardo Carrillo who is now on the hot seat? It’d seem weird to add Santana to the 40-man roster, and lose Abner, if he’s only needed for a day or two. I’m sure Mike Hazen has a plan. We just don’t know what it is…
So, we are back, exactly where we were after Tuesday’s game. Which would be, in a three-way tie with the Phillies and Padres for the second wild-card spot, because each team has gone 2-1 since then. The wins for the D-backs over the Braves have certainly helped the playoff odds to rebound. Arizona now sits at 53.2%, up sharply from the figure after losing the series to Colorado. Indeed, it puts them marginally ahead of San Diego (52.7%), though Fangraphs still puts the Phillies as strong favorites, at 75.6%. I’m not really seeing that, in terms of recent form and/or their remaining schedule. Philadelphia isn’t above .500 over the last 10, 20 or 30 games. AZ and SD are.
Having put away the Braves handily last night, got to be looking for an unexpected, but most welcome sweep this afternoon. We should have an unlimited Michael Soroka this time out, since he threw 77 pitches last time out, in his first start since coming off the Injured List. Ketel Marte is back in the line-up this afternoon, after a day off for his balky knee. So we’ll see if that helps or hinders things. 🙂 TheRealRamona will be bringing you the guest recap, so hopefully she’ll get to write up that sweep, and the Diamondbacks can head off to Boston knowing a split of this tricky road-trip is already in the bag.
Will Burke at work drive the Tigers berserk? | Getty Images
The White Sox have a chance today to not just sweep a road series, but in the process give Tigers players confidence that they can schedule a vacation in early October without fear of a schedule conflict. And the pitching matchup is strongly in favor of dropping a Detroit team that traded away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize to 5 1/2 games back.
That’s because the Sox will start Sean Burke, who has been excellent all season (2.99 ERA), but superb lately, yielding just five earned runs in 30 innings in his last five starts. That would make Chicago a strong favorite under any circumstance, but they’re even more so because Detroit is countering with 32-year-old righty Drew Anderson, a reliever who pitched 1 1/3 innings for the Sox in 2020 and surrendered six runs.
Anderson is a career minor-leaguer getting his first crack at extended major league time, and he’s spent almost all of that time in the pen, with only four starts in 42 appearances. He was stretched out to as long as four innings in his last two times out, but look for a string of relievers before the day is out.
Ansderson hasn’t faced the Sox much, but Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery have both gone deep on him in a total of three at-bats. And Burke faces a Tigers lineup that is 8-for-30 against him lifetime with no dingers (but a Dingler):
First pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Central, with a chance of thunderstorms in mid-afternoon. Usual broadcast suspects.
As the Senators enter a new season, one of their biggest areas of strength is their depth at centre. There may not be a Hart Trophy candidate in there, but there’s some serious quality throughout the group.
Ten years ago, the Senators probably envisioned 18-year-old Logan Brown now being the best of this group in 2026, a skilled veteran leading the way for younger centres.
But it's a vision that never came close to reality.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss Jake Sanderson's standing among the best defensemen in the game.
At the 2016 Draft, the Senators were so excited to draft Brown that they didn't even want to risk waiting one more pick.
Pierre Dorion, less than two months into his new job as Sens GM, held the 12th overall selection. Worried that the New Jersey Devils would take Brown at 11, Dorion sent them a third-round pick for the right to switch spots with them and select the Windsor Spitfires star at No. 11.
When you think about it, the Devils' willingness to make that deal might hint that Brown wasn't actually going to be their selection. But you never know.
Brown was seen as one of the best prospects in the draft. So expectations were high. The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy summed it up in our 2026 draft review issue.
"The Senators liked Logan Brown so much they traded up one spot to ensure they'd get him in the draft. The son of Ottawa 67's coach Jeff Brown was thrilled to go to the team he cheered for as a kid. Everyone involved will be even more thrilled if the 6-foot-6 center turns out to be the second coming of Joe Thornton."
Ten years later, and with all due respect, the Senators would have settled for the second coming of Joe Veleno.
The Senators weren't alone in seeing Brown's upside. He had 74 points in 59 games with Windsor in his draft year, and towering centres with skill don't come along too often.
But after draft day, it was one battle after another on the injury front. And even when healthy, it was clear that his skating needed further development.
Because of those two factors, he played just 30 NHL games for the Senators over four years. But his agent, Andy Scott, had another opinion of the situation right after the Sens cut him from training camp in 2019.
"I can say with full confidence, that I've really never seen another player met with such resistance by the team that drafted them early in the first round," Scott told TSN 1200 radio.
Scott pointed to the fact that the Senators were in the middle of a rebuild and were promoting "The Kids are All Right" as their slogan, arguing that if that was the case, maybe they should, you know, actually play the kids.
Brown did play 23 games with Ottawa that year, while putting up 8 points. In Belleville, he thrived with 28 points in 25 games, but as has been the case in every season of his career, it too was shortened by injury.
During training camp in 2021, five years after they drafted him, the Senators turned the page. They traded Brown to the St. Louis Blues for one season of forward Zach Sanford.
Going to St. Louis, where Brown spent a lot of years growing up, seemed like an ideal fresh start. He played a career-high 39 NHL games for the Blues in 2021-22, putting up 11 points. Brown played another 30 games for St. Louis in 2022-23, finishing with two goals and six points.
Those remain the last NHL games he's played. And while he's proven to be an excellent producer in the AHL, injuries have continued to leave him playing only small parts of seasons.
Brown signed a one-year deal with Tampa in the summer of 2023, but injuries wiped out his entire 2023-24 season. The following year, he signed an AHL contract with Syracuse and had a solid comeback season, recording 29 points in 33 games.
That was enough to convince Los Angeles to sign him to a one-year, two-way deal in July 2025. He played just 29 games for Ontario, posting 14 points.
As of this writing, Brown remains an unrestricted free agent.
Of course, criticizing a draft decision 10 years after the fact is super easy. Literally every NHL team has a long list of draft stories they'd like to rewrite.
But if the Brown pick feels like it has a little extra sting to it, there are a couple of reasons for that:
They gave up a third-round pick for the right to make an ill-fated decision.
Some pretty good players were still sitting right there.
Charlie McAvoy went three picks after Brown, 14th overall, to Boston. He's gone on to become a fantastic, hard-edged NHL defenceman, playing more than 570 games and producing more than 350 points.
And if they were really set on a skilled, 6-foot-6, 220-pound centre, Tage Thompson was still on the board too. Thompson took five years to pop as an NHL player, but he's become a star as well.
We also don't have to just cherry-pick the stars from that draft. If we're being honest, almost every first-rounder that year went on to play more NHL games than Brown's 99.
In fairness to Dorion and his crew, Brown wasn't some wild reach in 2016. He was a highly regarded prospect with a rare combination of size and skill, and the Senators weren't alone in believing he could become an impact player.
He's still only 28, so maybe his hockey story still has a chance for a happy ending. Stranger things have happened.
In the meantime, 10 years later, it's still fascinating to look back and wonder what might have been.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the latest headlines below:
The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros close their three-game series tonight at Daikin Park on Sunday Night Baseball, with Bryan Woo facing Hunter Brown in the rubber match.
Houston is a -129 moneyline favorite, while Seattle is +121 with the total set at 7.5.
Our Mariners vs. Astros predictions are backing the Astros behind Brown's contact suppression. Read on for our MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 16.
Who will win Mariners vs Astros today: Astros moneyline (-120)
The Houston Astros are my moneyline pick because their biggest offensive strength attacks Bryan Woo's clearest weakness.
Houston owns an .859 OPS against right-handed pitching at home over the last 30 days, the best mark in MLB over that span.
Woo has allowed a 43.5% hard-hit rate, ranking in the 13th percentile, while his four-seamer has been hit hard 44.3% of the time.
Hunter Brown provides the opposite matchup, holding opponents to an 85.7-mph average exit velocity and 36.2% hard-hit rate.
I'd play to -140.
COVERS INTEL:Woo throws his four-seam fastball 47.4% of the time, and opponents have produced a .418 xSLG against it.
Mariners vs Astros Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (+101)
The Seattle Mariners' recent offensive form runs directly into Brown's greatest strength.
Seattle owns just a .660 OPS over the last seven days, and Brown has been one of baseball's best pitchers at limiting any type of hard contact.
Brown ranks in the 95th percentile in hard-hit rate, allowing just a 36.2% mark with an 85.7-mph average exit velocity and .334 xSLG.
Woo has also limited barrels to 6.7%, despite allowing more general hard contact. Seattle's matchup with Brown makes it difficult for both offenses to contribute enough to clear 7.5.
I'd play to -118, or +110 at 7.
Mariners vs Astros home run prediction: Yordan Alvarez (+276)
Woo throws his four-seamer and sinker on 65.8% of his pitches, and Yordan Alvarez has destroyed both offerings. He carries a .796 xSLG, .516 xwOBA, and 59.1% hard-hit rate against four-seamers, plus a .584 xSLG and .439 xwOBA against sinkers.
If Alvarez gets anything competitive, then this matchup sets up well for him.
Chris Hatfield's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 43-42, +2.1 units
Over/Under bets: 48-37, +12.58 units
Mariners vs Astros weather
Houston is forecast to remain around 95 degrees near first pitch, but Daikin Park's roof guidelines call for closure when the temperature or heat index exceeds 77 degrees, so I expect a climate-controlled matchup.
Mariners vs Astros odds
Moneyline: Mariners +120 | Astros -130
Run line: Mariners +1.5 | Astros -1.5
Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5
Mariners vs Astros trend
The Astros have covered the run line in 29 of their last 50 games (+10.75 Units / 17% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Mariners vs. Astros.
How to watch Mariners vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Sunday, August 16, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo (8-8, 4.15 ERA)
Astros starting pitcher
Hunter Brown (3-2, 2.68 ERA)
Mariners vs Astros latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Don't worry, the good people over at FanDuel are offering a 30% boost for this matchup, which gets Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez up to +114 if you want to take advantage.
Regardless, the lone elite-rated hitter in this matchup on Batters-Box covers 100% of Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo's pitch mix. On top of that, in 21 elite ratings at home this season, Alvarez has recorded at least a hit 90.48% of the time, two hits 52.38% of the time, and has gone Over this prop 71.43% of the time.
Over the big fella's last 10 games, he owns a 50% hard-hit rate and 13.3% barrel rate. Woo has allowed the last 30 lefties he has faced to produce a 58% hard-hit rate and 21.1% ground-ball rate.
Alvarez has been crushing the baseball as of late, and he broke his home run drought on Friday. Look for more bases this evening.
Take this prop down to -120, or take his alt line of 3+ hits, runs, and RBI.
Taylor Trammell Over 0.5 hits (-135)
Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell doing the bare minimum this evening feels worth paying the $1.35 juice. The 28-year-old has been crushing right-handed pitching, generating a 53% hard-hit rate and 23.5% barrel rate while owning a .308 ISO and .462 SLG over his last 30 at-bats against righties.
With Woo allowing a ton of hard-hit balls to left-handed bats and Trammell swinging it so well against right-handed pitching, simply putting the ball in play and reaching base safely feels very doable.
Use the boost, or take this down to -140.
Hunter Brown Over 17.5 outs (-130)
Houston Astros right-hander Hunter Brown has been shoving all season long, and he draws one of the coldest lineups in baseball on Sunday night. The Seattle Mariners' offense over their last 21 games owns a 94 wRC+, .302 wOBA, and .678 OPS.
The top of the lineup has gone extremely cold over their last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching. Taylor Ward, Cole Young, Randy Arozarena, and Dominic Canzone all have batting averages of .250 or worse, on-base percentages of .267 or worse, and barrel rates of 5% or worse.
Brown has been fantastic over his last five starts, posting a 3.81 ERA, 3.21 xERA, and 1.13 WHIP. The right-hander has also done a great job limiting hard-hit balls during that stretch.
With Brown owning the second-highest pitcher rating on the day, along with an elite-rated matchup wOBA, ISO, strikeout rate, and ground-ball rate, I trust him to go six full innings.
Take this down to -140.
How to watch Mariners vs Astros and game info
Location
Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Date
Sunday, August 16, 2026
First pitch
7:20 p.m. ET
TV
NBC/Peacock
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
Parker was a two-time NCAA national champion at Tennessee, was drafted No. 1 in 2008, and became the only player in WNBA history to be named Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. She went on to be a three-time WNBA champion and two-time league MVP (2008, 2013). Parker also is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012).
In her induction speech, Parker talked about how her journey started with her father.
The man that planted the seed
Candace Parker shares the story on how her dad positioned her at point guard, forever changing the game.
Parker also gave a big shout-out to Allen Iverson.
"In '97, my brother got drafted and traded on Draft night to the Sixers."
-throws basketball to Allen Iverson-
"And this guy right here became his teammate... the dominance and the impact he has is still felt today... I am sorry I am blown away by you having a suit that has… pic.twitter.com/5PiLZ2t03K
She also talked about being part of the fabric of the game — learning lessons from Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie and passing them on to future Hall of Famer A'Ja Wilson.
Whether Candace was a rookie or a vet, the momentum was always there
Candace Parker speaks on the impact of the early days with Lisa Leslie, and passing the torch to A'ja Wilson.
COVERS INTEL:
Yordan Alvarez Over 1.5 total bases