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Pirates catcher Henry Davis hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations you get when you are selected with the first overall pick. Davis has a batting average of .170 with just eight home runs and 32 RBIs. 

However, MLB.com believes Henry Davis is a top Gold Glove candidate and should be in that conversation. Going into this week’s games, Davis was worth 10 defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs. That is tied for second in Major League Baseball. In 2025, Davis was ninth among catchers with at least 500 innings caught with 8 DRS. 

Davis does have an absolute cannon behind home plate, throwing for 85.6 mph, which is ranked first in the league. He has also thrown out 17 runners, which is surpassed by only six catchers who’ve caught at least 500 innings. Davis would also have more caught-stealings if anyone actually ran on him. The 35 attempts against him are the fewest on that list.

Base runners just simply don’t run on Davis, and he doesn’t cause any major defensive errors when behind home plate. Davis perfected his setups along with where and how he catches the ball, Davis has seen that number become a positive (2.3, 10th in MLB).

Another big stat to look at for catchers is their challenge success rate while using ABS. After going 19-24 (44.2%) on challenges in the first half, Davis is 20-12 (62.5%) since the All-Star break. Overall, Davis has a 52% success rate (51st among those with 20 or more challenges), but he’s also flipped 16 strikeouts in the Pirates’ favor, which ranks tied for ninth. 

MLB.com used all of those stats to say that not only should Davis be a candidate but that he could be the favorite. Although I would love to see Davis win a gold glove this year I just don’t think it will happen. Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants is an elite defender behind home plate and is having a great defensive season. Luis Torrens from the New York Mets is also a top candidate because of his defensive runs saved which is top five in the majors. 

Davis is a very good catcher because of what he can do defensively but this season he has been a liability offensively. It brings up a difficult question. Do you keep Henry Davis because he is a great defender even though his offense is lacking ?   

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Our Sunday MLB moneyline predictions feature a strong mix of short favorites and massive underdogs in appealing individual and team matchups across the board.

Read on for my MLB moneyline predictions and MLB picks for Sunday, Aug. 23.

MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 23

Matchup	Pick
Cardinals vs Phillies	+194
Rays vs Orioles	-104
Blue Jays vs  Yankees	-127
Nationals vs Marlins	+133
Athletics vs Astros	+138
Tigers vs Royals	-127
Mets vs White Sox	-117
Angels vs Rangers	-156
Guardians vs Rockies	-163
Giants vs  Red Sox	+223
Cubs vs Mariners	+104
Twins vs Padres	-133
Pirates vs Dodgers	+233
Reds vs Diamondbacks	-122
Braves vs Brewers	-133

Prices courtesy of Polymarket as of 8-23.

Expert MLB moneyline picks for Aug. 23

Cardinals vs Phillies: Cardinals (+194)

Cardinals win probability: 34%

Laying -203 on Philadelphia ignores the value on St. Louis' bats, which have produced a solid 112 wRC+ and .756 OPS over the last 14 days. Kyle Leahy gives the Cardinals a live puncher’s chance to exploit Philadelphia’s bullpen vulnerabilities (3.71 SIERA) at a massive plus-money price.

Rays vs Orioles: Rays (-104)

Rays win probability: 51%

Tampa Bay enters with a red-hot offense posting a 113 wRC+ over the last 14 days, pairing high contact with disciplined plate approaches. Baltimore's bullpen has been prone to high-damage contact despite strikeout flashes. Back the Rays' superior operational baseline at a coin-flip price.

Blue Jays vs Yankees: Yankees (-127)

Yankees win probability: 55.9%

While the Yankees' lineup has slumped (86 wRC+), their bullpen has been historically stingy, sporting a slate-best 1.55 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across the last two weeks. Carlos Rodón should exploit Toronto's low-power profile (.125 ISO) to keep this tight and let the late-inning relievers finish.

Nationals vs Marlins: Nationals (+133)

Nationals win probability: 42.9%

Washington brings significant value at +133 against Janson Junk, targeting Miami's bullpen that has struggled with a 4.87 ERA over the past two weeks. Jackson Kent limits self-inflicted damage, while Washington's relievers boast a strong 25.4% strikeout rate and 3.63 SIERA to close this one out. 

A's vs Astros: A's (+138)

Athletics win probability: 41%

Houston's offense has bottomed out over the last two weeks, generating a 65 wRC+ and a dismal .200 batting average. The A's bring above-average pop (.167 ISO, 103 wRC+) and present massive underdog value against Cristian Javier, making this price an ideal fade of Houston's dormant bats.

Tigers vs Royals: Tigers (-127)

Tigers win probability: 56%

Detroit gets the nod at a manageable price against Daniel Lynch IV and a Kansas City bullpen that has struggled badly with command, issuing 5.36 walks per nine with a 4.95 SIERA over the last two weeks. Even with the Tigers' starter still undecided, Detroit has the stronger late-inning path and enough offensive depth to capitalize if Lynch fails to work deep.

Mets vs White Sox: Mets (-117)

Mets win probability: 53.9%

New York offers a major pitching edge with a dominant bullpen posting a 2.90 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 25.6% strike rate over the last 14 days. With Chicago starting an undecided arm against Nolan McLean, backing the Mets at a short, playable price avoids laying massive juice.

Angels vs Rangers: Rangers (-156)

Rangers win probability: 60.9%

Both offenses have cratered recently (Texas 74 wRC+, Angels 72 wRC+), but the Angels' league-worst .086 ISO severely caps their run ceiling. Cal Quantrill's ground-ball profile matches up well against an Angels lineup striking out 24.8% of the time, giving Texas the defensive edge.

Guardians vs Rockies: Guardians (-163)

Guardians win probability: 62%

Colorado's bullpen remains a liability, yielding a 4.97 SIERA and managing only a 14.8% strikeout rate over the last 14 days. Cleveland puts the ball in play with elite bat-to-ball skills (16.4% K rate), allowing them to consistently manufacture runs at altitude against Tomoyuki Sugano.

Giants vs Red Sox: Giants (+223)

Giants win probability: 31%

Laying -233 chalk on Boston creates negative expected value regardless of recent lineup splits. Carson Whisenhunt gives San Francisco a live southpaw option, while the Giants' bullpen holds a sturdy 3.32 FIP over the past two weeks. Take the massive plus-money price against this massive juice.

Cubs vs Mariners: Cubs (+104)

Cubs win probability: 49%

The Cubs are mashing the ball, posting a 116 wRC+ and .218 ISO over the last 14 days. Seattle's bullpen has melted down recently, posting a 7.59 ERA and 1.64 WHIP. Shota Imanaga gives Chicago the stability needed to keep the Mariners' lineup in check and exploit Seattle's pitching struggles at plus-money.

Twins vs Padres: Padres (-133)

Padres win probability: 57.1%

San Diego is firing on all cylinders, combining a 120 wRC+ with the league's most dominant bullpen (2.18 ERA, 2.95 SIERA, 31.0% K rate over two weeks). Ober is capable, but Walker Buehler and this stacked Padres relief core hold the distinct late-inning advantage.

Pirates vs Dodgers: Pirates (+233)

Pirates win probability: 30%

Laying -257 juice on Los Angeles is untenable with their bats slumping to a 93 wRC+ and sub-.300 OBP over the last two weeks. Carmen Mlodzinski and a high-leverage Pirates bullpen posting a dominant 28.0% strikeout rate and 3.77 SIERA over the past 14 days offer massive price value against heavy market tax.

Reds vs Diamondbacks: Diamondbacks (-122)

Diamondbacks win probability: 55%

Cincinnati has been the league's worst offensive team over the past two weeks, slashing .183/.257/.290 with a dreadful 47 wRC+. Arizona's lineup is rolling (118 wRC+, .349 OBP), giving Mitch Bratt tremendous run support and setting up the Snakes to dictate today's game.

Braves vs Brewers: Brewers (-133)

Brewers win probability: 57.1%

Atlanta's offense has stalled completely, putting up a 64 wRC+ and striking out 25.3% of the time. Milwaukee pairs disciplined hitting (11.1% walk rate) with a shutdown bullpen posting an MLB-best 1.54 ERA and 0.99 WHIP over the last two weeks in this neutral-site Williamsport showcase.

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The Dodgers are riding high on a five-game winning streak after sweeping the Colorado Rockies in Denver and taking the first two of three games against the Pittsburgh Pirates at home.

Next week will see the return of an important reinforcement for the starting rotation, as Tyler Glasnow is expected to make his return from injury on Tuesday during the team’s series in Atlanta. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic tweeted the return date for Glasnow on Saturday.

Glasnow had started seven games this season before low back spasms caused him to miss over three months worth of playing time. In those starts, Glasnow tossed 39 2/3 innings to the tune of a 2.72 ERA with 49 strikeouts, 13 walks and a 0.832 WHIP.

Links

Tarik Skubal stumbled out of the gates on Saturday, as the left-hander allowed three runs in the first inning highlighted by a two-run triple from Oneil Cruz. From the second inning through the seventh, the two-time AL Cy Young winning form of Skubal was finally on display, as he struck out 11 hitters while holding Pittsburgh at bay, earning his first win in a Dodger uniform.

Skubal noted that the “punch in the mouth” he got from Pittsburgh in the first inning helped him settle in throughout the rest of his start, while Dave Roberts noted that Saturday’s version of Skubal is what the team needs moving forward, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I always think it’s important for any pitcher to see how you respond to those moments, getting punched in the mouth,” Skubal said. “I think that’s when the true who-you-really-are kind of shows out. And yeah, that’s something I take a ton of pride in.”

Said manager Dave Roberts: “That’s the guy that we needed.”

Outfielder Alek Thomas made his Dodger debut on Saturday, finishing with an RBI single while reaching base twice. While showing excitement towards playing as a Dodger at the big league level, Thomas found it rather comical that the fan base has become accepting of him after relentlessly booing him during his time with Arizona, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.

“I’m super glad to be back, and happy to help the team in any way, shape or form.”

“It’s funny, because they always hated me whenever I came out there in center field,” said Thomas, who was acquired by the Dodgers in May. “I was, like, ‘Come on, guys, I’m Mexican too. You don’t have to yell at me; like, we’re on the same side here.’”

Mark Manfredi did not speed.

This is worth establishing up front because he had every reason to. He he ducked out of the clubhouse in Albuquerque the night before to FaceTime his wife and his seven-month-old son before bedtime, and he was back at his apartment when his pitching coach called with a message that was less a request than a summons.

“He goes, ‘Hey, Skip wants to see you,’” Manfredi said. “I was like, ‘Well, I’m saying good night; I’m at the apartment.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, you better want to get back here as soon as you can. He wants a word with you.’ So I rushed back, trying not to speed for whatever reason it may be.”

It was a 10-minute drive. He was asked, later, whether it felt longer than that.

“Longest 1o minutes of my life.”

Then he walked in, and Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez asked where he’d been. Manfredi told him the same thing.

“And he was just like, ‘Well, you better call them back and tell them that their dad and husband is going to be a big leaguer.’ And I was just like — I am at a loss for words.”

The road to the 26-man

Manfredi’s route here was not linear, and he does not pretend otherwise. A ninth-round pick in 2023 out of the University of Dayton — 272nd overall, a $27,500 bonus — he spent 2024 in High-A as a swingman, moved to the bullpen full-time in 2025, and broke out this spring: a 39.2% strikeout rate across 16 games in Double-A, then 18 more with Triple-A Nashville, where he ran a 3.09 ERA and a 31.3% strikeout rate over 23.1 innings.

Then on August 3, Milwaukee traded him to Colorado. He found out the way most players do — his name scrolling across a television.

“That was the first thing that I had in mind when I saw my name on the TV, and I got the calls,” he said of the chance to reach the majors. “The Brewers are a fantastic organization, but I love it here already.”

The Albuquerque line that followed does not look like a promotion case: four appearances, five innings, six walks, six earned runs. The peripherals were kinder — a 4.76 FIP against a 10.80 ERA — and so was the context. He was learning to pitch a mile up in real time.

“Everyone talks about the PCL and elevation,” Manfredi said. “The only way I can describe it is you don’t really know until you experience it for yourself. Pitching in game, everything is different — besides maybe a pitch or two. And then you go back to non-elevation, and your pitches move the way they have your whole life.”

The data backs the complaint precisely.

His four-seamer averaged 14.1 inches of induced vertical break in Nashville. In Albuquerque, it averaged 11.9. For a pitcher that throws the fastball nearly 60% of the time, that is not a rounding error; that is the pitch he built a career on, arriving flatter than he had ever seen it.

His adjustments followed the shape of the problem. Start two-strike pitches further off the plate, because they won’t chase as far. Get ahead early. And lean on the one thing altitude can’t take.

“I knew that in altitude, the gyro slider is going to play,” he said. “It’s the pitch that’s least affected by altitude.”

He threw it 31.7% of the time in Albuquerque, up from 24.1% in Nashville — partly by design, partly because the two weeks in the PCL brought him more left-handed hitters than he’d seen all season, which also gave the developing sweeper a workout it badly needed. He picked up the grip in spring training from former Milwaukee Brewer-turned-Rockie, Sammy Peralta.

And then, in a touch-and-feel session in Albuquerque the day before he was called up, he found something.

“I threw a two-seam a couple weeks ago in Nashville and never really visited it again. And then I threw one yesterday, and it was my exact four-seam metrics in non-elevation with my two-seam,” he said. “Me and [Craig Bjornson], the pitching coach in Albuquerque, we were just like, we might be onto something here.”

Wednesday night

Kyle Freeland’s neck tightened up, and Manfredi knew what was coming next before anyone told him.

“When I saw the injury, and he was walking off, I was just like, ‘This is 100% going to be me.’ So I ran frantically and started throwing plyos as fast as I could, and then my name got called.”

What he walked into was a two-out, bases-empty situation against the Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani due up first. Warren Schaeffer, who watched him take the ball with what the manager described as a big smile, got a five-word scouting report from his own reliever.

“He said, ‘This is the perfect spot,’” Schaeffer recalled. “I’m glad his family was here to see that. I thought he threw that ball exceptionally well. His first at-bat against Shohei — I thought that was perfect. He’ll never forget that.”

Manfredi’s plan for Ohtani was the same plan he’d described that afternoon, before he knew he’d be using it that night: go right at them, don’t pitch around them. He also, finally, got to run his experiment. He threw the two-seamer — one to Ohtani, he thinks, and maybe one to Freddie Freeman.

“And it sank.”

The full debut line: 1.1 innings, one hit, one walk, two strikeouts, no runs, on 19 pitches. Eleven four-seamers averaging 94.0 mph, four sliders, two sinkers, and one each of the sweeper and changeup. He landed a first-pitch strike on five of six hitters.

The second inning of work was where he felt himself arrive — “coming back in, winding down, and starting to be like, okay, this is where I’m at, and I’m here” —and it opened with a strikeout of Freddie Freeman. Which very nearly cost him his first career strikeout ball.

“No, not at all,” he said, when asked whether he’d realized what it was. “I was just kind of in the moment and just rolling with it. And then when he asked me for a new ball, I was like, I want this ball. And then it kind of clicked.”

The people who would want to see that ball were all in the building: his wife Madison, his son MJ, his parents, his grandparents from Cleveland, his college head coach at Dayton, a buddy from Dayton, and both his agents. On less than a day’s notice, across a two-hour time difference.

“That was all orchestrated at like two or three in the morning,” Manfredi said. “I can’t express how grateful I am.”

Prior to his debut, he’d been asked how he processes a season that took him through two organizations, three levels, and a first child in January.

“Me and my wife always say it’s God’s plan; it’s not our timing,” he said. “All I’ve got to do is just throw the ball to the best of my ability and kind of ride the wave. Because in this profession, you’ve got to be like that. If you’re not, you’re not going to last very long.”

To Read: Rockpiles

• Monday: Kyle Karros, Cole Carrigg, and the Power of Friendship | Sam Bradfield
• Tuesday: As Zac Veen and Cole Carrigg show, these aren’t your mother’s Colorado Rockies | Renee Dechert
• Wednesday: Taking stock of the Rockies’ current starting depth | Skyler Timmins
• Thursday: What is fueling the Rockies offensive improvements? | Cory Cohen
• Friday: A look into a new 1B receiving stat and how TJ Rumfield measures up | Joelle Milholm
• Saturday: What Are the Rockies Actually Trying to Build on the Mound? | James Riggenbach

To Read: PuRPs

Full Stream | Jeff Aberle

• Nos. 25-21
• Nos. 20-16
• Nos. 15-11
• Nos. 10-7
• Nos. 6-4

To Read: News

• Roster News: Rockies DFA Michael Lorenzen, recall TJ Shook | Renee Dechert
• Weekly Pebble Report: Jared Thomas lost six months. He never lost his belief. | Eli Whitney
• Roster News: Rockies place Hunter Goodman on the injured list; recall Braxton Fulford | Skyler Timmins
• Roster News: According to reports, Rockies to call up Mark Manfredi | Renee Dechert
• Staff Feature: The Purple Row Mailbag: August 2026 | Skyler Timmins
• Staff Feature: Colorado Rockies 2026 walk-up songs 2.0 | Renee Dechert
• Purple Row After Dark:The Rockies have 50 wins. Let’s celebrate! | Sam Bradfield

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Triple-A: Norfolk vs Nashville (MIL) – PPD

The Tides and Sounds were scheduled to play a doubleheader today, but it never happened. The first game was suspended for rain in the top of the first, and the second was canceled. They’ll try again today with another doubleheader. The first game will pick up where the suspended game left off, with a 3-1 count on the first batter of the game.

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 4, Richmond Flying Squirrels (SFG) 3

The Baysox took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Fernando Peguero and Wehiwa Aloy. Peguero homered in the fifth inning, so a big day for him. Colin Tuft also homered, his first since being promoted to Double-A 12 days ago. Aloy also walked twice in the game, a good table setter. The red-hot Aron Estrada went 0-for-4.

JT Quinn started and gave up two runs in five innings. He allowed five hits without a walk, one of which was a home run. He only struck out two.

Box Score

High-A: Wilmington Blue Rocks (WAS) 1, Frederick Keys 0

Twine Palmer pitched four innings with just one unearned run allowed. Yeremy Cabrera of the Blue Rocks singled, moved to second on a passed ball, to third on a balk, and then stole home. Carson Dorsey followed Palmer with four scoreless innings on four hits.

The Keys were held to just five hits, two from Randal Diaz. Enddy Azocar singled, and Colin Yeaman had a single and a walk.

Box Score

Low-A: Hickory Crawdads (TEX) 7, Delmarva Shorebirds 2

Starting pitcher Brayan Orrantia pitched four good innings and one lousy one. In the fourth, he allowed three runs on a hit-by-pitch, three singles, and a wild pitch. In his other four innings, he allowed one hit, one walk and one HBP. He hit the same guy twice, which just seems mean.

One offense, Miguel Rodríguez singled in Carlos Sanchez in the fourth inning. In the sixth, Hector Campusano walked, went to second on a bad pickoff pitch, and scored on an Adriander Mejía single. Jaiden Lo Re went hitless in the game. Stiven Martinez singled and walked. Both Eric Booth, Jr. and Ty Head had the day off.

Box Score

Today’s Schedule

• Norfolk vs Nashville, 12:05. Game 1 starter: TBD; Game 2: Trace Bright
• Chesapeake vs Richmond, 1:05. Starter: Sebastian Gongora
• Frederick @ Wilmington, 1:05. Starter: Boston Bateman
• Delmarva @ Hickory, 2:00. Starter: Collin McKinney

Today’s Reflections

What a winnable mess that was in Seattle Friday night.

And Matthew Boyd created it. The lefthander allowed just six home runs in his first 12 games this season. In four August games, Boyd has allowed eight home runs in the last four starts, including two three-run and three two-run blasts.

Boyd called it part of the gameplan to throw Cal Raleigh a juicy high heater because he’s struggled with them this season. If you are a guy that hits 100+ with your fastball, maybe. But when yours is mid-90s at best, (not that I was a pitcher, but) it seems like you would set it up with something off-speed. In general, throwing a fastball at the top of the zone isn’t a bad idea, but it is when it’s right in the middle of the plate. Same thing a few batters later against Brendon Donovan — Boyd got the ball to the bottom of the strike zone, but it also was in the middle of the plate. Two pitches turns a 3-0 lead to a 4-3 deficit.

Suddenly Boyd’s fastball dropped 2.5 miles per hour from his maximum pitch between the third and fourth innings. It looked like Boyd was trying to pitch around it, though, in the bottom of the fifth. After the “Balk Heard ‘Round the World”, Boyd threw a 78 mile per hour curve to Donovan to move the runner to third. That was followed by a 72 mile per hour curve to Randy Arozarena to make the score 5-3. His curves were all well below its fastest pitch late in his outing. Something was off.

NOTE: The article below by Evan Altman by Cubs Insider came out after I wrote this, but has some addition deep stats and opinion on Boyd.

None of that was related to the balk call. But my thought on it — I’ve thought it was balk nearly every time he throws over to first. Friday may be the best example of it. His step toward first is no more than a shoe-length, and the rest of his motion sends his body more toward home plate than normal. In other words, he had decreased his move toward first to almost zero. It will be interesting to see next time if he has made his move more traditional. It doesn’t have to be a lot more — just a more definite move toward first than home. I think a balk call (other than a twitch) should normally be made by the field umpires, but in this case, it was most obvious from home plate.

And if the Raleigh blast was just a one-off mistake and the Cubs won 5-3, little would be said about the RISP. Which is unfortunate, because this stat is just as important in a win as it is in a loss. As I’ve said before, continuous contributions from the entire offense (just a bunch of singles is fine) is at least as important as the 2-3-4 guys that hit solo home runs. As we saw last year, failing in all RISP situations is contagious. Its head has peaked above water a few times lately. The hitters need to avoid that.

Okay, positives. Alex Bregman’s 3-for-5 night with two home runs and three RBIs was huge. Ian Happ and Michael Busch both went 2-for-5 with Happ adding a solo homer, and Busch two doubles and a run scored. And PCA started the game with his 32nd home run of the season.

Despite the poor RISP numbers and being struck out 11 times, seven of the nine starters did get a hit. The rest just weren’t timely. And the lack of production set the Cubs up to lose in the 10th inning, as with two outs, Cubs righty Ryan Zeferjahn allowed a walk-off single to Leo Rivas, at .130 hitter, to lose, 6-5.

The main highlight from the pitching staff was the return of Daniel Palencia. He pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts on 10 pitches and seemed no worse for wear.

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Friday’s Game Stories:

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Bregman homers twice, but Cubs fall in extras. ‘The North Siders were unable to push a run across in the top of the 10th, ending the night 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and giving the Mariners the opening they needed.“

• Megham Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Matthew Boyd allows big HR and is called for costly balk as Chicago Cubs waste early lead in 10-inning loss. “The Chicago Cubs finished an ugly 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base Friday night in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners.“

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Matthew Boyd called for balk on pickoff try, Craig Counsell ejected in Cubs’ loss: ‘The umpire got fooled’. “Boyd led the majors in pickoffs last year, but an attempt Friday was deemed a balk. Counsell disagreed to the point of getting ejected from the Cubs’ extra-inning defeat.”

More about Friday’s game:

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Matthew Boyd’s Recent Struggles Underscore Concern About Cubs’ Postseason Viability. “Unless they pull some 1969 BS, the Cubs will be in the playoffs after the regular season concludes.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Happy Birthday, you’re outta here! Counsell tossed over balk call. “One of Matthew Boyd’s specialities is his pick-off move — a bit of deception that has caught plenty of baserunners by surprise over the years.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): A Lousy, Frustrating, Annoying Loss, Boyd’s Fastball, Missing Swanson, and Other Cubs Bullets. “The reason the word annoying comes to mind for me with last night’s loss is watching Matthew Boyd have costly, big misses with his fastball in the middle of the plate time and time again.”

Assorted Stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Slow start behind him, Alex Bregman piling up big moments, looking capable of carrying Cubs deep into October. “Bregman, who signed a $175 million contract last offseason, has emerged from a sluggish start at the plate and has caught fire in the second half, looking like the player who was promised, capable of starring in the postseason.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Explaining why the Cubs keep sending a successful Javier Assad to Triple-A. “As Craig Counsell noted, it’s certainly not because he hasn’t pitched well.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Big picture, Cubs are thinking World Series: Explaining the Assad decision, plan for Palencia. “”We’re getting to a point in the year where … we’re trying to do something that’s really hard to do,” Craig Counsell said.”
• Chris Pownall (DaWindyCity): The Cubs are experimenting with a fascinating postseason possibility. “The Chicago Cubs are preparing for the postseason, even if they have not officially secured their place yet. One subtle choice during Matt Shaw’s return to game action revealed a fascinating option the club could carry into October.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Weighting Cubs’ Historically Good Defense By Position. “The 2026 Cubs are turning in a historic defensive season. But where in the field is such prowess being compiled?”

Food For Thought:

Muddy Waters (born April 4, 1913?, near Rolling Fork, Mississippi, U.S.—died April 30, 1983, Westmont, Illinois) was a dynamic American blues guitarist and singer who played a major role in creating the post-World War II electric blues that typified the Chicago blues style. His music profoundly influenced many rock artists, especially British blues-based bands of the 1960s. Waters, whose nickname came from his proclivity for playing in a creek as a boy, grew up in the cotton country of the Mississippi Delta.

He taught himself to play harmonica as a child and took up guitar at age 17. He eagerly absorbed the classic Delta blues styles of Robert Johnson, Son House, and others while developing a style of his own. As a young man, Waters drove a tractor on the sharecropped plantation, and on weekends he operated the cabin in which he lived as a “juke house,” where visitors could party and imbibe moonshine made by Waters. He performed both on his own and in a band, occasionally earning a little money playing at house parties. He was first recorded in 1941, for the U.S. Library of Congress by archivist Alan Lomax, who had come to Mississippi in search of Johnson (who had already died by that time).

World’s fastest motorized clog shoe exceeds 70 mph

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Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to an end today, so it’s time to find out what everyone’s favorite highlights of the week were.

Arguably, the highlight of the week was Willy Adames hitting his 200th home run on Thursday. But I posted about that on Friday, so I’m going to pick Rafael Devers hitting Splash Hit #110 in Sunday’s 13-7 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Anytime there’s a splash hit, it’s always going to be in consideration for my highlight of the week because it’s just such an iconic part of getting to watch baseball at Oracle Park.

What was your favorite highlight of the week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants conclude this weekend series against the Boston Red Sox this afternoon at 12:15 p.m. PT.

Andrew Painter?

Andrew Painter.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The win streak the Phillies had may mean we have to reconsider some things, including Alec Bohm and his place on the roster ($).
• Luis Arraez had to leave the game with cramps in his lower body. They were likely just being cautious with him.

MLB news:

• Seems that Fangraphs is starting a series to challenge old baseball adages with math. These are the kinds of pieces that are interesting.
• Andy Pages has a broken hand and will be shelved for 4-5 weeks. Alek Thomas will take his spot on the roster.
• The Yankees may have suffered another shot to their starting rotation with Ryan Weathers leaving his start with forearm discomfort.

Triple A: Syracuse Mets (63 – 61)

SYRACUSE 3, WOOSTER 0 (BOX)

Three runs in the second were enough for Syracuse in this one, with RBI singles from Zack Short, Emilien Pitre, and D’Andre Smith. Jonah Tong got the win, though he wasn’t exactly impressive. It’s been a lost season as he continues to search for a viable breaking ball as well as the good version of his fastball. Hopefully an offseason reset can get him back on course for 2027 – if he’s still even in the org at that point, that is.

• 2B Émilien Pitre: 1-4, RBI, K
• CF D’Andre Smith: 2-4, 2B, RBI, K
• SS Ronny Mauricio: 1-4, 2 K, SB (12), CS (3)
• RF Jose Ramos: 1-4, CS (1)
• LF MJ Melendez: 0-4, 3 K
• 1B Nick Lorusso: 1-3, 2B, K
• C Hayden Senger: 0-2, R, BB
• DH Shawn Ross: 1-3, R, K
• 3B Zack Short: 2-3, R, RBI
• RHP Jonah Tong: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, E (4), W (4-6)
• RHP Chris Devenski: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, H (2)
• RHP Tobias Myers: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, S (1)

Double A: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (53 – 66)

BINGHAMTON 4, ALTOONA 0 (BOX)

Binghamton scored four runs in the first four innings, and the pitching made it stand up. Jacob Reimer had three htis and a steal and Vincent Perozo homered to pace the offense. R.J. Gordon had another solid outing as well as he pitches better here down the stretch.

• DH Marco Vargas: 0-3, R, BB, 2 K
• SS Jefferson Rojas: 1-3, BB
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 3-4, 2 RBI, SB (14)
• CF John Bay: 0-2, RBI, 2 BB, 2 K
• 1B Corey Collins: 0-4, K
• C Kevin Parada: 0-4, K
• RF JT Benson: 0-4, K
• 2B Jamari Baylor: 1-4, R, K
• LF Vincent Perozo: 1-3, 2 R, HR (8), RBI, BB
• LF Branny De Oleo: 0-0
• RHP R.J. Gordon: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (4-7)
• LHP Felipe De La Cruz: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Brendan Girton: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

High-A: Brooklyn Cyclones (52 – 65)

BROOKLYN 15, ASHEVILLE 3 (BOX)

The Cyclones scored 16 last night and added 15 more today. Somehow they did it today without a home run – 10 walks will go a long way, particularly alongside 13 hits. Every starter except Daiverson Gutierrez had at least one hit, and all nine reached base at least once. Aidan Smith had two hits and a walk (surprisingly, he didn’t homer) and Elian Pena managed a single in five at bats.

• 2B Sammy Stafura: 1-2, R, RBI, 3 BB, K, E (7)
• SS Elian Peña: 1-5, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, K
• CF Aidan Smith: 2-5, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 K, E (2)
• 1B Ronald Hernandez: 2-4, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K
• LF Trey Snyder: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K
• 3B Yonatan Henriquez: 2-6, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, SB (21)
• RF John Spikerman: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, 2 K
• DH Colin Houck: 1-5, R, K
• C Daiverson Gutierrez: 0-2, 2 R, 2 BB, K, E (14)
• RHP Jose Chirinos: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• RHP Ryan Dollar: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W (3-1)
• RHP Parker Carlson: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• RHP Joe Scarborough: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Low-A: St. Lucie Mets (51 – 67)

ST. LUCIE 6, LAKELAND 2 / 10 (BOX)

A walkoff grand slam is always fun. With the score tied at 2-2 in the tenth (after the Mets had already scored once to tie it), Jack Toomey stepped to the plate and hit a bomb over the left field fence to send the St. Lucie fans home happy. The only recently healthy Boston Baro went hitless in three at bats, as did Jeremy Rodriguez. Zack Mack got the win.

• 2B Boston Baro: 0-3
• 2B Vladi Gomez: 0-1, RBI
• C Ryan Tayman: 1-3, R, 2 BB
• LF Eli Serrano III: 0-4, 3 K
• CF Bohan Adderley: 1-1, R
• DH Kuhio Aloy: 0-2, R, BB, K
• RF Jack Toomey: 2-5, R, HR (1), 4 RBI
• 3B Jeremy Rodriguez: 0-3, BB, K
• SS Dylan Carey: 0-4, 3 K
• 1B Reed Stallman: 1-4, R, 2 K
• PR Jake Ogden: 0-0, R
• CF-LF Wyatt Vincent: 0-2, BB, 2 K
• RHP Aidan Keenan: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP AJ Krodel: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Joel Lara: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
• RHP Ernesto Mercedes: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• RHP Zack Mack: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (7-2)

STAR OF THE NIGHT

Jacob Reimer

GOAT OF THE NIGHT

None, system sweep!