Mark Vientos continued his rehab stint with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday and had his best game with the club.
The young Mets slugger went 2-for-5 and drove in two runs. He also hit a home run against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Vientos' first hit came in the first, smashing a single to score Emilien Pitre from second and give Syracuse an early 1-0 lead. His longball came in the fifth with the bases empty. He smashed a changeup in the middle of the plate 409 feet to give Syracuse a 6-1 lead at the time.
It was a great offensive day for Vientos, who started at DH, and he needed it. He was hitless over his first three minor league games in his current rehab assignment and Mets interim manager Andy Green had some pointed things to say about the slugger and his future role on the team.
"I was very forthright with him when he started the rehab assignment that a lot of that will be dictated by how others perform and also by how he performs," Green said Wednesday. "Still think there’s a very bright future for him out there if he wants to grab a hold of it. That’s on him."
An RBI single for Mark Vientos on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse pic.twitter.com/OxyvA3b2wy
Aside from Vientos, the rest of the Syracuse Mets lineup exploded offensively.
Up and down the lineup, Syracuse received contributions from prospects, former big leaguers and more. The team hit four home runs, one from Vientos, one from catcher Shawn Ross and two from Billy Amick.
Amick, acquired from the Twins in the A.J. Minter deal at the deadline, has shown incredible power in Triple-A. His two blasts Wednesday give him five in seven games since he was promoted. He finished 3-for-5, but his average still sits at .192, so there's still development to be had.
Other contributions from the lineup include Pitre going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Ronny Mauricio driving in a run with his two hits, and MJ Melendez driving in a run in Syracuse's 11-1 rout.
Billy Amick - acquired from the Twins in the A.J. Minter deal - hit two home runs for Triple-A Syracuse tonight pic.twitter.com/srrjUFqB3j
It’s been a tough season for Yorman Gomez, and that continued today. He allowed four earned runs on six hits including three home runs. His ERA on the season is up to 7.19. Steven Perez, Connor Brogdon, and Carlos Hernandez combined for 4.2 scoreless innings of relief.
It wasn’t a great day for the offense but Daniel Schneemann went 2-4 with a HR. Kyle Manzardo went 1-3 with a walk and an RBI double, and Kody Huff went 1-4 with an RBI double.
Jake Fox and Bennett Thompson were the story of this game. Jake Fox went 3-3 with three RBIs and a triple. He is now hitting .311 with an .878 OPS on the season. Bennett Thompson went 3-4 with an RBI double.
Ryan Degges had a solid outing today. He allowed two earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched while striking out three and walking two. His ERA for the RubberDucks is now at 2.41.
The showtime Captains were at it again today. Welbyn Francisca went 2-5 with a HR and three RBIs today, he continues to impress a ton as a 20 year old in High-A. He is now hitting .289 with a .937 OPS on the season. We also saw multi hit games from Tommy Hawke, Anthony Martinez, and Jose Pirela. Cannon Peebles went 1-4 with a walk and a HR of his own.
It was a rough game all around for the Howlers as they were shut out on just four hits with one walk to six strikeouts. Alejandro Garza and Deiten Lachance both went 1-4.
Ryan Desanto had a solid outing where he allowed just two runs in 5 innings with 5 strikeouts. His ERA is down to 4.37 on the season.
May 20, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss poses for a selfie during a baseball game between the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If I had a nickel for every time Jeanie Buss took her family to court, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s odd that it’s happened twice.
Jeanie has officially filed a petition to block the family’s sale of the Lakers, a move that became public on Tuesday. It’s the second time Jeanie has taken her siblings to court over matters relating to the Lakers.
The 97-page(!!) petition includes a whole host of things including Jeanie calling the actions of her siblings “devious behavior” and stating that she “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” all reported by Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Times.
“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”
Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”
Jeanie’s stance is based on that 2017 ruling, which backed her as the family attempted what was effectively a coup to get her out as owner after she fired Jim Buss from the front office.
Two other parts of Jeanie’s petition are that she believes the franchise is being undervalued with the sale and that the price will only continue to go up. On top of that, she also has the backing of the two other minority owners, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski.
The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the L.A. Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”
Perhaps the worst news is that the court date is slated for Nov. 5, which means we’re still far from a resolution, barring an unlikely out-of-court settlement.
So, buckle up, folks. We’re gonna be here a while.
WILLIAMSPORT, PA - AUGUST 23: Didier Fuentes #72 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the 2026 Little League Classic presented by New York Life between the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field on Sunday, August 23, 2026 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hailey Leonard/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Didier Fuentes was a main character in Wednesday night’s epic win over the Dodgers for Atlanta. He worked two scoreless innings, escaping two bases-loaded jams (one of his own creation). This highlighted how good he has been this season, producing 1.8 fWAR, the 10th most of any reliever in baseball. His 2.37 FIP and 3.10 xFIP illustrate how dominant he has been out of the pen as the youngest pitcher in baseball. Perhaps the highlight of his night was striking out Max Muncy to end the eighth inning and escape a bases-loaded jam. This is particularly interesting since he used his splitter to put Muncy away, which is his third pitch. Didier is still incredibly young and already very good, but his ability to develop and use a third pitch like his splitter will play a major factor in when or if he gets a chance to try his hand at being a starting pitcher again or if the Braves are content for him to be a dominant reliever for a long time.
She accuses them of “devious behavior’’ and for trying to carry out a “scheme” to circumvent her and violate the family trust.
Jeanie Buss also says three of her siblings – Jim, Johnny and Jesse – should be held in contempt of court and that her two other siblings, Joey and Janie, should show cause why they should not be held in contempt of court.
A longtime family feud resurfaced Aug. 12 after Mark Walter, controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, agreed to sell the Lakers to venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger at a $12.5 billion valuation, the most ever paid for a U.S. professional sports franchise.
Attorney Adam Streisand, who represents Jeanie Buss, said in a declaration filed with the court that on Aug. 17 ESPN reported all six Buss siblings had voted to sell the team and Jeanie Buss was “out’’ as controlling owner. The report was considered part of the "scheme,'' according to the petition.
On Aug. 18, ESPN published a story reporting five of the siblings, with the exception of Jeanie, were united in their decision to sell the team. That would have a direct impact on her role with the Lakers.
The family must own at least 15% of the team for Jeanie Buss to remain controlling owner.
Tale of finances
The matter dates back to 1979, when Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers for $67.5 million and turned the team into one of the most storied franchises in sports. Upon his death in 2013, all six of his children were given equal shares of his stake in the team and Jeanie was named his successor.
In 2017, Jeanie Buss filed a lawsuit accusing two of her brothers, Jim and Johnny, of trying to oust her as controlling owner. A court order affirmed she was the controlling owner and directed the family co-trustee to take “all actions reasonably available’’ to ensure that continued. That year, Jeanie fired Jim Buss as the team's head of basketball operations
In June 2025, the Buss family agreed to sell the majority of the Lakers to Walter on a valuation of $10 billion, and the sale took into account Jeanie Buss' position with the team.
According to Jeanie Buss’ petition, “Specifically, the co-trustees enabled each beneficiary to receive substantial wealth while preserving the Buss family’s ownership interest in the Lakers above the 15% threshold required for Jeanie to remain Controlling Owner, and while securing a contractual commitment from the new owner to maintain Jeanie as Controlling Owner for at least five years, through October 30, 2030.’’
Jeanie Buss' track record
The Lakers have won 17 NBA championships, more than any team but the Boston Celtics, who have won 18.
But since Jerry Buss died in 2013, the Lakers have won just one championship. And after his death, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs for six consecutive seasons.
There is no mention of the team’s struggles in a section of the petition outlining Jeanie Buss’ successes as controlling owner.
The petition states, “During her tenure, among other of her extraordinary achievements, she overhauled the front office, signed LeBron James, traded for Anthony Davis, and delivered the 2020 Championship, becoming the first female Controlling Owner to win an NBA title, before obtaining Luka Dončić and while growing the Lakers to a record valuation for an NBA franchise.’’
The $12.5 billion Kushner and Iger have agreed to pay for the team reflects the massive growth of the team’s value – from their father’s purchase of $67.5 million, not to mention a growth of 25% in about a year.
According to the petition, two of the Lakers' minority owners, Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski Jr., “have made the determination, as has Jeanie, that the value of Lakers stock will continue to increase over the value of the stock in the current proposed offer…and, for that reason, they have no intent to sell their Lakers stock at this time.’’
The NHL announced on Wednesday that four St. Louis Blues game times have been changed for the 2026-27 season.
The games include:
* Nov. 7 at Nashville, from 12:30 p.m. to noon
* March 7 at Philadelphia, from noon to 2:30 p.m.
* March 28 vs. Buffalo, from 8 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
* April 6 at Vegas, from 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Also, the Blues will have 11 games televised on national TV this season, including seven on the ESPN networks and an additional four more on TNT:
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New York Yankees pitcher Elmer Rodriguez pitches in the first inning during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. (Robert Sabo for NY Post)
Elmer Rodríguez stepped into a big Yankees moment and delivered the best outing of his young career.
The Yankees called up Rodríguez, their No. 3 prospect, to start Wednesday, and he provided them with a quality outing at a time when their injury-riddled pitching staff’s depth is being tested amid a two-front race in the standings.
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It was the 23-year-old’s fifth start — and first since June 21 — in the big leagues this year. After four shaky starts — he entered Wednesday with a 4.76 ERA in 17 innings pitched — he returned and provided the Yankees with a needed lift.
“That’s what we get excited about right there,” manager Aaron Boone said. “I think he got [the Astros’] attention right away — you’re seeing 97, 98, 99 [mph] sinkers filling up the zone, spinning a good breaking ball. That was really encouraging, to see that. And to see him, it felt like, a little bit more settled, too.
Elmer Rodriguez looks out to center field after giving up a solo home run to Daulton Varsho (rounding third base) during the fourth inning of the Yankees’ 9-3 blowout win over the Astros on Aug. 26, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“That’s the electric arm that we know is in there. I thought he threw the heck out of the ball.”
Rodríguez came back out for the seventh inning but was pulled after walking Jose Altuve to start the frame. He left to loud applause from Yankees fans.
His final line also would have looked a bit better if it weren’t for some rough fielding in the first inning, when Trent Grisham misplayed a fly ball to hand the Astros their first run.
Rodríguez’s velocity was noticeably a few ticks higher Wednesday than it was across his first four starts. And Wednesday was the deepest he’s pitched across his five starts — he had never gone further than 4 ²/₃ innings previously.
“Just trusting myself,” Rodríguez said. “Something that I’ve been building up since my first couple of starts. Each time, I felt better. I’ve been working on a couple [of things] down there [in Triple-A] and I feel like it’s been working.”
Elmer Rodriguez pitches in the first inning of the Yankees’ blowout win over the Astros on Aug. 26, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Yankees rotation has been hit by injuries recently, opening the door for Rodríguez to return to the big leagues — for the moment, at least. Ryan Weathers was placed on the injured list earlier this week with a low-grade flexor strain that will likely keep him sidelined for several weeks.
And Max Fried hit the injured list earlier this month with a bone bruise in his left elbow, though he could return as soon as Saturday. The bullpen, particularly with Fernando Cruz now dealing with a partial UCL tear, has been hit, too.
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Rodríguez’s performance came at an important time for the Yankees even beyond the injuries — they remained 3 ½ games behind the Rays atop the AL East and extended their lead to 2 ½ games above the Red Sox for the top wild-card spot.
“That’s by far,” Boone said, “the best stuff he’s had since he’s been up here with us.”
Five games, five homers. Tristan Peters is officially Bananas. | (Zoe Davis/Getty Images)
Boy, oh, boy, do these guys need Thursday’s off-day.
Chicago’s (70-63) arms are cooked. Sean Burke lost the strike zone, and the Rangers took 10 free passes. Not that it mattered. The South Siders just kept swinging, Tristan Peters kept launching balls into orbit and somehow the Good Guys walked away with a 10-4 win and the series in hand.
Was it tidy? Absolutely not. Was it fun? You bet.
Burke had nothing from pitch one. He fell behind the first four hitters and handed Corey Seager a free pass with one out, while his fastball velocity was down 0.4 mph. Four pitches into Wyatt Langford, Burke tried to pick off Seager. The ump called him safe, but Will Venable challenged and got the out. The successful challenge did nothing to fix Burke’s control, as he walked Langford with two outs. Fortunately, the Rangers bailed him out. Langford got greedy on a 2-2 pitch to Brandon Nimmo, and Jake Rogers gunned him down at second to end the mess.
Burke needed 22 pitches to survive the first, throwing only 10 for strikes. Buckle up.
The bottom half was less chaotic but equally frustrating. Miguel Vargas worked a six-pitch walk, his 20th free pass of August, but Munetaka Murakami pounded a 3-1 pitch into the ground for a double play. Randal Grichuk followed with a strikeout, and MacKenzie Gore escaped without breaking a sweat.
Burke continued searching for the strike zone in the second. He issued a one-out walk to Ezequiel Duran and surrendered a single to Evan Carter, although he appeared to find a little more feel for his fastball toward the end of the inning. He retired the next two batters to strand both runners, but his pitch count had already ballooned to 52.
Thankfully, the offense decided to give him some breathing room.
Chase Meidroth opened the bottom of the second with a double, and Braden Montgomery immediately drove him home with an RBI double to right. Brenton Doyle kept the line moving with a single to left that scored Braden, although Doyle was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Rogers restarted the rally with a base hit to center, and after Peters flew out, Luisangel Acuña bounced a ground-rule double into the stands to put runners on second and third. Texas intentionally walked Vargas to pack the sacks for Mune, but Murakami struck out to leave them loaded.
Still, the Sox had a 2-0 lead. That lasted approximately five minutes.
Burke opened the third by walking Cody Freeman, and Joc Pederson promptly launched a two-run homer to tie the game. After Seager flew out, Burke walked Langford for the second time, balked him to second and appeared to get strike two on Nimmo on a 3-1 pitch. Nimmo was already halfway to first when he challenged the call, and the automated system agreed with him. Ball four.
Somehow, Burke pulled himself together long enough to punch out Ezequiel Duran and Evan Carter, escaping with the score still tied. It took him 81 pitches to record nine outs, though, which is generally not the preferred ratio.
The Sox did not give Burke much time to contemplate his life choices. Grichuk lined out, Meidroth walked, Braden flew out and Doyle struck out to send him right back to the mound.
For some reason, Venable allowed Burke to come back out for the fourth. He walked the first two batters, because of course he did, and FINALLY the skipper went to the bullpen.
Burke’s night ended after three-plus innings, two hits, two earned runs and a career-high eight walks. If Texas were a competent baseball team, those eight free passes might have buried the Sox.
Instead, Sean Newcomb came riding to the rescue.
Newcomb got Freeman on a sacrifice bunt before coaxing a pop out from Pederson and a fly out from Seager. Two inherited runners, zero runs. What an enormous job by Newcomb to bail out his teammate and keep the game tied.
The Sox rewarded him immediately.
Peters ripped a one-out double in the fourth, and Acuña followed with a single to center to put runners on the corners. Vargas worked his way into a 3-0 count before dropping a duck snort just inside the first-base line, driving in Peters and moving Acuña to second.
It was not majestic, but it counted all the same. The Sox had reclaimed a 3-2 lead.
Acuña was caught stealing third with Mune at the plate, but Murakami eventually worked a walk to end Gore’s night. Venable then sent Sam Antonacci up to pinch-hit for Grichuk, and Antonacci delivered a clutch RBI single to make it 4-2.
Newcomb returned for the fifth and surrendered a pair of singles, but Braden made an outstanding play in right to end the threat and preserve the two-run cushion.
Then it was time for the Tristan Peters Show.
Rogers worked a huge two-out walk in the bottom of the fifth, and Peters promptly shot a laser over the right-field wall for his fifth home run in as many games.
Yes, five.
The two-run blast gave the White Sox a 6-2 lead and put Peters alongside Murakami and Ron Kittle as the only rookies in franchise history to homer in five consecutive games. Peters also tied the White Sox record and the MLB rookie record for consecutive games with a home run.
Bananas Bonds strikes again.
Newcomb finally delivered the first 1-2-3 inning by a White Sox pitcher in the sixth, and the offense responded by putting the game away.
Vargas led off with a single and took off for second. The throw sailed into center field, allowing him to scamper all the way to third. Murakami walked to put runners on the corners with nobody out, and Antonacci did what Antonacci does, sneaking a grounder between short and third to drive in Vargas.
After Meidroth flew out and Braden hit into a force out, Doyle stepped in with two aboard and two down.
Boom.
Doyle crushed a three-run homer to stretch the lead to 10-2 and turn the rest of the evening into something resembling a bullpen rehabilitation assignment.
Newcomb’s night ended after three magnificent scoreless innings. The southpaw allowed only two hits, did not issue a walk and struck out one. On a night when Burke could not locate anything and the pitching staff desperately needed length, Newcomb could not have been much better.
Jonathan Cannon took over in the seventh for his first major league appearance since April 12 after spending the past several months refining his mechanics in Charlotte. He struck out Seager before allowing a walk, a double and a single that brought home two runs. Cannon then walked old friend Nicky Lopez — he’s from Naperville, you know — but recovered with a fly out and a strikeout to escape the inning.
Peters led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, leaving him a triple shy of the cycle for the second consecutive night. Apparently, homering in five straight games is not enough for him. Unfortunately, Acuña followed with a double play, and Vargas struck out to end the inning.
Cannon made things interesting again in the eighth when Jake Burger doubled and Langford singled, but Texas failed to capitalize. Meidroth added a two-out single in the bottom half, giving the White Sox 15 hits on the night, and the Rangers never mounted the miraculous comeback necessary to spoil the party.
It was not exactly a pitching clinic, but who cares? The South Siders survived Burke’s eight walks, received three enormous innings from Newcomb and battered Texas pitching for the second consecutive night. Antonacci drove in two off the bench, Doyle collected four RBIs, Vargas reached base four times and Peters finished 3-for-4 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.
On the out-of-town scoreboard, the Tigers and Twins lost while the Guardians won. The White Sox maintain their 2 1/2-game advantage atop the AL Central and, mercifully, have Thursday off before opening a three-game series in Minnesota on Friday.
Get these pitchers some ice, a comfortable pillow and strict instructions not to pick up a baseball for at least 24 hours.
MVP Brenton Doyle: 2-for-4, R, 4 RBI, HR
Runners-Up Tristan Peters: 3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, 2B Miguel Vargas: 2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, SB, K Sam Antonacci: 2-for-3, 2 RBI Chase Meidroth: 2-for-4, R, BB, 2B Luisangel Acuña: 2-for-4, 2B, CS Sean Newcomb: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
Cold Cat Sean Burke: 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 8 BB, 3 K, PO
Runners-Up Jonathan Cannon: 3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K Randal Grichuk: 0-for-2, K Munetaka Murakami: 0-for-3, R, 2 BB, 2 K
South Bend shortstop Angel Cepeda waits for the pitch during a Minor League Baseball game between the South Bend Cubs and the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Four Winds Field on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
Right-hander Luis Rujano moves from the High-A South Bend Cubs to the Double-A Knoxville Smokies
Right-hander Jackson Kirkpatrick joins the South Bend Cubs from the ACL Cubs.
It was a terrific start for Kohl Franklin who allowed no runs on two hits over 4.2 innings. Franklin struck out seven and walked just one.
Luis Peralta got the final out of the fifth inning and got the win. Peralta faced one batter and gave up a single, but then that batter was thrown out trying to steal second.
Shelby Miller struck out the first two batters of the sixth inning swinging, but then he struggled with control as he walked the next two. So with two on and two outs, Miller was relieved by Connor Noland, who gave up a three-run home run to the first batter he faced. So two of those runs were charged to Miller.
However, Noland stayed in the game after that and actually got the save by pitching the final 3.1 innings. Noland surrendered one run (of his own) on two hits. He walked two and struck out one.
The I-Cubs exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth off former Cub Luke Little. The highlight was a “Little League grand slam” by right fielder Justin Dean, which officially went into the scorebook as a two-run single and a three-base error. Dean was 1 for 4.
Second baseman James Triantos was 2 for 5 with a double and a stolen base. He scored one run.
Center fielder Chas McCormick went a perfect 1 for 1 with three walks and a stolen base. He scored on the “grand slam” and singled home a run in the seventh inning.
Matt Shaw played the entire game at third base and went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the sixth. He then scored on Dean’s single.
Brody McCullough started and took the loss. McCullough gave up three runs in the first inning, including a two run home run and then settled down until the fifth inning when he allowed one more. McCullough’s final line was four runs on seven hits over five innings. He struck out five and walked one.
First baseman Miguel Useche went 3 for 4 with one run scored.
Third baseman Edgar Alvarez was 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored.
Brayden Spears pitched the first three innings and allowed two runs on two hits and two walks. He struck out five.
Braylon Myers relieved Spears to start the fourth inning and got the win because Spears didn’t go five. Myers pitched 4.1 innings, giving up four runs on three hits, two of which were home runs. Myers walked two and struck out five.
Shortstop Juan Cepeda cranked two home runs tonight: a solo home run in the fourth inning and a three-run home run in the ninth. That gives Cepeda eight South Bend home runs and nine overall. Cepeda was a tough out all night, going 4 for 5 with the two home runs and a walk. He scored three times to go with the four RBI.
First baseman Josiah Hartshorn also had four hits tonight, going 4 for 6 with a double and two RBI. That gives the teenager 77 RBI in South Bend and 102 overall this year.
DH Reginald Preciado played in his first game since April and was 2 for 3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch to reach four times. Preciado scored twice and had three RBI.
Catcher Logan Poteet was 2 for 4 with a double and two walks. Poteet drove home one run and scored twice.
Right fielder Alexey Lumpuy hit an RBI triple in the fourth inning. Lumpuy went 2 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base. He had two total RBI and scored twice.
Left fielder Kade Snell went 2 for 6 with a double. He scored one run.
Starter Hayden Frank took the loss after he allowed four runs on four hits and three walks over 3.1 innings. Frank struck out three and also hit a batter.
The Pelicans had one hit in this game and it was a third-inning home run by center fielder Darlyn De Leon. De Leon now has three home runs this year. He was 1 for 3.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 26: Christian Encarnacion-Strand #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates after hitting the game-winning RBI double against the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on August 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, this game was like a rollercoaster. And when it ended, I felt much like I do after a real rollercoaster: happy but mildly nauseous.
The Orioles jumped out to a huge early lead in this game, big enough to make us relax a bit. The vibes were good, and the offense was cooking. But then they missed some opportunities to add on. And Kyle Bradish, who had battled throughout the first part of the game, fell apart. The Cardinals came all the way back. It took ninth-inning heroics from Christian Encarnacion-Strand and a gutsy performance from closer Andrew Kittredge to secure an 8-7 win.
Before all the drama, we had a very fun first two innings. With two outs in the first, Gunnar Henderson slapped a ball to the opposite field for a single. Samuel Basallo worked a walk, setting up back-to-back RBI singles by Encarnacion-Strand and Dylan Beavers. Both hits went to right field and the Orioles were up, 2-0.
Cardinals’ starter Michael McGreevy went to a 2-2 count on Leody Taveras, then threw a curveball that Taveras did not miss. It also went to right field, only it landed on the other side of the fence. It was his 8th long ball of the year and gave the Orioles a 5-0 lead. Wow, a five-run lead in the first inning! What could go wrong?
In the second inning, Pete Alonso decided to get in on the action. As he does. With Carlos Narváez on base from a HBP, Alonso once again took the ball to the opposite field. Note to McGreevy: don’t throw Pete Alonso a fastball down Broadway. That made the score 7-0. Uunfortunately, the offense cooled off after that.
They still got plenty of runners on base, but they could not get them in. In the third inning, they had first and third with no outs, then bases loaded with one out, and got bupkis. In the fourth, Basallo legged out an infield single with two outs and moved to third on a double by Encarnacion-Strand. It was CES’s third hit in four innings! But they were both stranded as well.
They had just one baserunner in the fifth, a single from Colton Cowser. And when the bottom of the fifth rolled around, you can bet the Orioles regretted stranding all those runners.
Bradish got off to a rough start in the game, but as I said, he battled. He pitched a scoreless first, but gave up two hits and threw 28 pitches. In the second, he allowed a home run to .190 batter Nolan Gorman, plus another single. The home run made the score 7-1, which still felt quite comfortable.
He settled in after that, getting help from a slick double play in the third to erase a single. And in the fourth, Bradish had a quick and easy 1-2-3. He went into the fifth inning looking stronger than he did at the start of the game. He had a pitch count of 69 and a six-run lead. What could go wrong? Well…about that.
Bryan Torres jumped on the first pitch he saw for a single, then after a fly out, Bradish issued back-to-back walks. The first walk, to JJ Wetherholt, went to a 3-2 count, but none of the balls were particularly close to the plate. The second walk, to Iván Herrera, was similar. Alec Burleson smoked a ball to center field and two runs scored, making it 7-3.
After that, things got a little ridiculous/unfair/weird for Bradish. Jordan Walker chopped a ball down the third base side that looked to almost everyone to be foul. It did not look foul to the third base umpire, and it wasn’t a challengeable play. Another run scored. Then Nathan Church hit a ball into deep left field, close to the foul line. It was a long run for Beavers, but he got there. He attempted to make a sliding catch but slid right past it. It was called a double; two more runs scored. 7-6.
That ended Bradish’s night. He was bad, but he was also a little unlucky and had a little bad defense. It’s a bad combo. Alex Hoppe replaced Bradish, and Church promptly stole third. That set up an RBI groundout for José Fermín to tie the game. Bradish’s final line: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
This was Bradish’s second struggle in a row, though last time he kept the run scoring down. After tonight, he has thrown 144 innings this season. Last year, when he came back from Tommy John surgery, he threw a combined 54 innings between rehab and the majors. In 2024, before he went out with injury, he threw 39.1. It could be an issue.
In the sixth inning, the Cardinals also went to their bullpen, and things got quiet on both sides. The Orioles went 1-2-3 in the sixth, then wiped out a baserunner on a double play in the seventh. They had a chance in the eighth. Cowser singled, then move to second on a bunt by Narváez. But Holliday grounded out and, after an intentional walk to Alonso, Gunnar did the same.
Josh Walker started the sixth inning for the Orioles and allowed the first batter, Torres, to reach on an infield single that he bobbled. Torres stole second on a pitch, then moved to third on a groundout. That prompted Craig Albernaz to go to Rico Garcia. Garcia has been better of late, and that held true tonight. He stranded the runner and followed with a scoreless seventh. Grant Wolfram did the same in the eighth, which took us to the top of the ninth inning.
Finally, the Orioles got another run on the board. Basallo hit a soft ground ball that snuck into left field. In the olden days we could have said he went against the shift. He was replaced at first by the newest Oriole, Luis Vázquez. Cardinal pitcher Riley O’Brien did the Orioles a solid, throwing a wild pitch that put Vázquez in scoring position. Up came our hero, Encarnacion-Strand. With a 2-2 count, he saw an outside pitch and he went with it. He drove the ball to right-center field, easily scoring the go-ahead run.
It was a double for Encarnacion-Strand, his fourth hit of the day. I hoped they might bring him in for insurance, but neither Beavers nor Taveras could get the job done. Luckily, one run held up.
Andrew Kittredge came in to get the save, and he did. But whew, was it dicey. Herrera, the tying run, singled. Then Burleson hit a hard, low liner to Encarnacion-Strand at first base. He could have caught it, but he didn’t. Wait, why was Encarnacion-Strand at first? He had been playing third the entire game, but moved over after Basallo was pinch-hit for. He did get the out at first, at least. But Herrera moved to second.
Kittredge followed with a walk to Walker, but Jackson Holliday made a very nice diving stop on the next batter to get the second out. Finally, Kittredge got an easy out to end the game. A routine pop out to Holliday and the win was secured.
Orioles win, 8-7! That game was fun, then terrible, then exciting, then stressful, then happy. . But it all worked out in the win. They go for the sweep tomorrow at 2:15 with Trevor Rogers on the mound.
As is Camden Chat tradition, every win means selection of the Most Birdland Player award! Who is your choice? It could be Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who had four hits, including the game-winning RBI in the ninth. Maybe Pete Alonso and his 32nd home run. Perhaps even Rico Garcia for 1.1 clutch innings in relief. Let us know in the comments!
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 2: Adam Ottavino #0 of the Colorado Rockies pitches during the National League Wild Card game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
As part of the celebration for America 250, MLB’s content team has been putting together 25 top-10 lists to honor the history of the game. Today’s list featured 10 of the nastiest pitches in MLB history. The list featured pitches like Nolan Ryan’s fastball, Clayton Kershaw’s curveball, and Mariano Rivera’s cutter. It’s a fun trip down baseball memory lane, but what about the Colorado Rockies?
The pitching history of the Rockies is obviously not that great and mostly forgettable. Still, some pitchers have had a signature pitch that comes to mind when they are mentioned.
For example, whenever I think of sliders, my thoughts immediately turn to Adam Ottavino. The absolute frisbee he would sling across the zone, particularly in 2018, will be etched in my memory forever. To this day, I consider him the gold standard for sliders in Colorado.
For tonight’s point of discussion, I want to know: what pitches in Rockies history do you consider iconic? What offering from a pitcher always impressed you with its movement, effectiveness (or even lack thereof), and so forth?
If you don’t have a Rockies pitcher in mind, I’ll also accept any pitcher in MLB history.
Sound off below, and if you can, leave a link to one of the pitches!
Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green tells NBA fans to shut up over the Peyton Watson trade.
Draymond Green wasn’t shy about revealing his true feelings about the NBA salary cap.
During his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” he spoke about the Denver Nuggets’ decision to trade Peyton Watson due to salary restrictions and told basketball fans that if they didn’t like it, to “Shut the hell up.”
“I saw a lot of people saying, ‘Aww man, it’s unfair that they drafted Peyton Watson, they built him up, they helped him grow, and now they have to trade him away because of the salary cap,” Green said.
Denver Nuggetts’ Peyton Watson dribbling the ball during an NBA game against the Dallas Mavericks, AP Photo/Julio Cortez
The decision to move Watson came with the Nuggets being $1.3 million over the second apron of the NBA luxury tax threshold, with two open roster spots.
With Denver having to make a tough decision, Green said that he’s seen the Warriors make their share of tough moves in order to keep him playing alongside Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.
“Decisions had to be made with our roster, due to the Golden State Warriors drafting those teams,” Green said. “There are no breaks for drafting a guy and improving from within. You don’t pick up tax breaks and different things. You hit that tax, you’re gonna get taxed.”
Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green sounds off over Peyton Watson complaints. Getty Images
Despite the Warriors having to make harsh decisions like moving on from young players like Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney, Golden State has managed to find ways to sign big fish during free agency.
Less than a month after they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors paired their beloved trio with Kevin Durant.
The four of them went on to win two NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018, where Durant was crowned the Finals MVP in both of them.
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ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 26: Nolan Gorman #16 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third base after hitting a home run against the New Baltimore Orioles in the second inning at Busch Stadium on August 26, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
How can two baseball games start out so similar, but end so differently? I present to you Tuesday night’s Cardinals/Orioles game as Exhibit A and Wednesday night’s Cardinals/Orioles game as Exhibit B. Very similar games as the Orioles brought out their bats and put the Cardinals down big early. St. Louis Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy suffered much of the same fate as Matthew Liberatore did the night before. There was one key difference, though. Wednesday night, the St. Louis Cardinals fought back after going down big. It would unfortunately not end up being enough at the end, though.
The trouble for Michael McGreevy started with two outs in the top of the 1st inning. Gunner Henderson singled, Basallo walked and then Encarnacion-Strand did damage again as he hit a RBI single scoring Henderson and giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Beavers followed that with a single of his own scoring Basallo and upping the Baltimore advantage to 2-0. Leody Tavaras would be the one to give the Cardinals flashbacks to Tuesday night’s game as he crushed a 78 mph McGreevy curve into the right-centerfield seats for a 3-run homer and 5-0 Orioles lead.
It would get worse in the top of the 2nd inning when Narvaez was hit by a McGreevy pitch leading off and he would score two batters later when Pete Alonzo hit a 2-run homer to right giving the Orioles a seemingly insurmountable 7-0 lead. It felt like it was going to be another one of those nights for the Cardinals, but it only seemed that way. This time, the Cardinals flipped the script and came roaring back.
It started in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Nolan Gorman did something that Nolan Gorman hasn’t done in a long time. He hit a home run at Busch Stadium to get the Cardinals started Tuesday night. He caught up with a 96 mph Kyle Bradish sinker and sent it 410 feet into the Cardinals bullpen making it 7-1 Orioles. However, the best was yet to come.
The 5th inning has been a perilous one for the St. Louis Cardinals this season. I’ve lost track of how many games have gotten away from us as opposing teams punished us in the 5th. Well, the tables turned Wednesday night at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals came all the way back from a 7-run deficit by plating 6 in the bottom of the 5th inning. It all started with a Bryan Torres single. Two batters later, JJ Wetherholt had a great 8-pitch at-bat drawing a walk. Ivan Herrera followed that with a walk of his own to load the bases. Alec Burleson smoked a single up the middle scoring both Torres and Wetherholt reducing the Orioles lead to 7-3 and the Cardinals weren’t done. Jordan Walker and Nathan Church hit back-to-back doubles scoring 3 more runs to bring St. Louis to within 1 run. After a pitching change, Jose Fermin grounded out to short scoring Church and tying the game at 7!
This was not a good outing by Michael McGreevy, but he did give the Cardinals 5 innings. He also rebounded from a disastrous start in the first 2 innings to holding the Orioles scoreless for the other 3 he was responsible for. He gave St. Louis some innings and didn’t allow any more damage and that allowed the offense to make the comeback. Luis Gastelum was brought into the game to relieve Michael in the top of the 6th inning and he shut the Orioles down 1-2-3 and he did it with ATTITUDE. He was pumping his fist and screaming after he got the last out. Love it!
Ryne Stanek kept the fire going in the top of the 7th inning as he struck out Encarnacion-Strand then walked Beavers, but then got out of the inning as he got Tavares to ground into an inning-ending double play. The Cardinals offense unfortunately could not take advantage of the bullpen holding the Orioles at 7 runs after Bryan Torres reached on a bunt single and then stole second on a play that Baltimore unwisely challenged which eliminated their challenges for the rest of the night. Torres advanced to third on a ground out from JJ Wetherholt, but he would be stranded when Ivan Herrera struck out. Nathan Church walked in the bottom of the 7th inning, but he didn’t even make it into scoring position.
George Soriano had to pitch out of a mini-jam in the top of the 8th inning when Cowser singled to lead off the inning. He was moved into scoring position on a successful sacrifice bunt. The Cardinals intentionally walked Pete Alonzo after Jackson Holliday grounded out advancing Cowser to third base, but Soriano got Henderson to ground out to Wetherholt at short who stepped on second base to end the Orioles 8th inning.
After the Cardinals failed to score in the bottom of the 8th, it was Riley O’Brien’s game in the top of the 9th inning. It didn’t start out well as Basallo hit an excuse me ball past Blaze Jordan at third base for a leadoff single. The Orioles pinch-ran Vasquez as he represented the go-ahead run. Riley did not help his cause by winging a wild pitch to the backstop allowing Vasquez to take second which proved crucial as Encarnacion-Strand blasted a double into the right-centerfield gap giving the Orioles their lead back at 8-7. It could have been worse, but O’Brien managed to get flyouts from Beavers and Tavaras and a groundout from Cowser to end the top of the 9th.
The Cardinals had the heart of the lineup in the bottom of the 9th inning against former Cardinal Andrew Kittredge for the Orioles. Ivan Herrera was first up for St. Louis. Herrera smoked a single to left to give the Cardinals a chance. One of the MLB’s top RBI men, Alec Burleson, was up next for St. Louis. He lined a ball off of the first baseman Encarnacion-Strand which allowed Herrera to move up to second, but he recovered quick enough to tag first to get Burleson out. Jordan Walker was unintentionally intentionally walked by Kittredge putting the potential winning run at first base. Nathan Church had the chance to put on the hero cape. He ripped a ball deep into the hole at 2nd base, but Jackson Holliday made a great play getting Church out at first, but the tying run was only 90 feet away at third and the potential winning run was standing tall at second base in the form of Jordan Walker. Jose Fermin was the Cardinals last hope. Sadly, he popped out to Holliday at second to end the Cardinals night.
I’ll credit the Cardinals for doing something Wednesday night that they did not do Tuesday night. They put up a fierce fight, but the closer was unable to close again and that’s the way baseball goes.
The Cardinals will try to salvage their series against the Orioles in a Thursday afternoon contest at Busch Stadium. St. Louis has not formally announced their starter as of this moment, but Baltimore will send LHP Trevor Rogers to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
ATLANTA — Roki Sasaki left the game early. Then, the Dodgers gave it away late.
So things went in an excruciating 6-5 defeat to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night –– in which the Dodgers first lost Sasaki to a middle finger blister, then lost an early lead on a costly Teoscar Hernández fielding blunder, before ultimately losing the game on Ha-Seong Kim’s walk-off single against Tanner Scott in the bottom of the ninth.
“The base hit by Kim ended the game, but it’s not what cost us the game,” manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s a lot of plays that lead up to circumstances, whether it be defensively, offensively, that sort of come to pass when you don’t execute. So, yeah, I mean, there’s just a lot of things that we got to keep getting better at.”
Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is pulled from the game due to an injury during the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on Aug. 26, 2026. (Getty Images) Getty Images
Indeed, after seemingly ending a second-half slump with back-to-back series sweeps last week, the Dodgers have frustratingly lost whatever momentum they were beginning to build, too.
Wednesday’s loss clinched a series defeat to the Braves, who have suddenly trimmed the gap for a top-two National League playoff seed down to just two games ahead of Thursday’s series finale.
It also marked a fifth-straight series loss against an opponent with a winning record –– a concerning trend even for the two-time defending champions.
“This,” Roberts said, “was a tough one.”
Wednesday’s game epitomized such struggles, with a domino effect of missed chances and unforeseen setbacks setting the Dodgers up for a fatal, final punch.
The team had been in a good spot early, leading 3-1 after Tommy Edman doubled and scored in the second on a Hunter Feduccia RBI single, then hit a two-run homer in the third (making him one of four Dodgers with two hits, along with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Hernández).
But in the bottom of the fourth, everything began to go sideways — starting with Sasaki’s blister, and culminating in Hernández’s consequential defensive gaffe.
At the start of the inning, the skin on Sasaki’s right middle finger ripped open. He lost his command on a leadoff walk, then gave up a run on a single, sacrifice fly and double before finally making it clear something was physically wrong.
“It was a pretty good blister,” Roberts said, while announcing postgame that Sasaki would go on the injured list. “It just came out of nowhere.”
With Sasaki gone, the Dodgers summoned Edgardo Henriquez from the bullpen, handing him an unenviable two-on, one-out jam with the top of the Braves order due up.
Despite that, the hard-throwing right-hander initially appeared to get a key out against his first hitter, Drake Baldwin, inducing a high fly ball into the left-field corner.
As Hernández tried to track it, however, he misjudged its flight and overran it as it dropped.
The resulting two-run double gave the Braves a 4-3 lead. A Dodgers team that has been living on the margins lately –– 14 of their last 19 have now been decided by two runs or less –– found itself grinding through another close game again.
“Balls typically that go into the corner … will go back to the field,” Roberts said of the play, after Hernández declined to speak with reporters after the game. “He got in the corner and just overran it … Would’ve given up one run [even if he caught it]. But ultimately, it ended up being two.”
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers breaks his bat while hitting a single during the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves on August 26, 2026, at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images) Getty Images
Such differences would matter, especially after Sean Murphy made it a 5-3 game with a solo home run off Eric Lauer in the sixth.
The Dodgers evened the score in the seventh, scoring twice on three hits (including a leadoff double from Ohtani that was aided by a curious decision from right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. to bluff a throw even with Ohtani caught out on the base paths) and two walks (the latter of which was a bases-loaded free pass from Edman for his third RBI) before recording an out.
But from there, with a chance to blow the game open with the bases still loaded, they instead came up empty, after Kyle Tucker flied out and Alek Thomas bounced into a double-play (part of 0-for-5 nights from each).
“Creating traffic, getting guys on base is one part of the equation,” Roberts said. “But you got to finish the inning.”
That rang true again in the eighth, when the bases were again full for Max Muncy with two outs.
Though he worked a nine-pitch at-bat against Braves reliever Didier Fuentes –– which included seven-straight fastballs after a first-pitch splitter –– he couldn’t stop his swing on a full-count splitter that started on the edge of the plate before darting helplessly away.
“We haven’t cashed in,” Muncy said after the Dodgers left 11 men on base. “We’ve had a lot of opportunities but we haven’t cashed in on it … If we do our job on any of those opportunities, it’s a different outcome.”
Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves celebrates hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Getty Images) Getty Images
Instead, the game remained tied until the ninth, when Scott took the loss for a second-straight night.
It started with a two-out double to Lane Thomas. Then an intentional walk to Riley prompted the Braves to pinch-hit Kim.
Despite coming up to the plate with an historically bad .066 batting average this year, Kim got a notably steady diet of fastballs from Scott, who threw seven in a row while working a 3-0 count back to full.
Scott said afterward he was playing to his strengths and felt his heater was good. But, he also acknowledged he probably leaned on the pitch too much.
Thus, when he missed low and over the plate with his eighth-straight fastball, Kim was on time to shoot a line drive to left, sending the still-scufflling Dodgers to a painful loss that hurt in more ways than one.
“I thought we had a really good chance to win this game,” Roberts said. “I just think that it’s a tough loss.”
The alarm bells were ringing at the SCG in January amid cries about the future of spin bowling in Australia, a craft that elevated Shane Warne to legendary status in cricket.
