HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 03: Wide angle view of Minute Maid Park showing downtown Houston skyline before an MLB game between the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners on April 3, 2017, at Minute Made Park in Houston, TX. (Photo by Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Today’s Lineups
DIAMONDBACKS
ASTROS
Geraldo Perdomo – SS
Jeremy Pena – SS
Ketel Marte – 2B
Yordan Alvarez – DH
Gabriel Moreno – DH
Isaac Paredes – 3B
Nolan Arenado – 3B
Jose Altuve – 2B
Corbin Carroll – RF
Christian Walker – 1B
Tommy Troy – LF
Nelson Velazquez – LF
James McCann – C
Daulton Varsho – CF
Ildemaro Vargas – 1B
Cam Smith – RF
Jordan Lawlar – CF
Christian Vazquez – C
E. Rodriguez – LHP
Peter Lambert – RHP
Roster moves
The Arizona Diamondbacks made the following roster moves. The D-backs’ active roster is at 28 and the 40-man roster is at 38.
Recalled from Triple-A Reno: C Adrian Del Castillo
Designated for assignment: OF Max Kepler
Good riddance.
Hey, it IS possible to get hits with a runner in scoring position! Who knew? Hopefully, that comeback, from two down through six innings, will have unclogged the pipes as it were. The offense can then do their part to make things easier on the pitching. Five of Arizona’s last seven wins have been by one or two runs, which perhaps plays into the sense of tension lately. Easy victories have been the exception, rather than the rule. But another factor is the team’s inability to put together a winning streak. Never mind seven games, the Diamondbacks have not won more than two in a row since August 1, a span of 32 games.
As a result, the team’s recent progress towards the postseason has felt like one step forward, one step back. The chart above shows their playoff odds (per Baseball Reference) over the past couple of weeks, and the whiplash is real. Since August 24, there have been seven days in which their postseason percentage has changed by 7.5% or more – over half the time. Yesterday’s win, combined with results elsewhere (most obviously the Padres’ loss to the Yankees), resulted in an improvement by 12.2% to 56.8%. That’s the highest since August 15, and despite all the “alarums and excursions” of late, the trend is up. Before the game in Boston where KetelGate started, the odds were 51.4%, so the team is slightly better off now.
A win today – ideally combined with a San Diego loss – would definitely be helpful. Victory would ensure another series crossed off the schedule, with Arizona at least retaining a wild-card spot. That’s all we need to keep doing: reducing the window for the Padres to catch us, until it closes entirely. The D-backs have been almost relentlessly mediocre of late: 5-5 in the last ten, 10-10 over the last twenty, and 15-15 in their last thirty games. But the Padres have been little if any better. If we play out the remaining 19 games, as we have the last 19, Arizona will go 9-10 end at 84 wins. If San Diego do the same over their final 20? They are 9-11, to end the year at 83 wins…
Sunday Night Baseball between the Twins and White Sox should be an exciting matchup.
I'll be highlighting why Kody Clemens is a great look in my Twins vs. White Sox props and MLB picks for Sunday, Sept. 6.
Twins vs White Sox props for September 6
Pick
Odds
Munetaka Murakami 1+ Hit
-170
Kody Clemens Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI
+100
Tristan Peters 1+ Hit
-160
Twins vs White Sox player prop picks
Munetaka Murakami 1+ hit (-170)
Despite the Chicago White Sox superstar rookie’s recent issues at the dish, Munetaka Murakami is still the most lethal bat in this lineup. The South Side slugger enters Sunday night with the highest matchup rating on both of Batters-Box’s datasets. The model has him covering nearly 85% of Minnesota Twins right-hander Bailey Ober’s arsenal.
So far this season, across 31 elite ratings at home, Murakami has recorded at least one hit 67.74% of the time. Overall, across 66 elite ratings, he is still recording a hit 65% of the time.
Although he has been slumping over the last few weeks, Murakami has posted a 33% ground-ball rate, 55.6% hard-hit rate and 11.1% barrel rate over his last five games.
Over the last 60 left-handed hitters Ober has faced, they own a sub-.300 xBA, .525 xSLG and .342 xwOBA.
Is this a juicy price? Yes. But 67.74% implies -210, so we are getting a great edge even though we are paying $1.70. Do not pay more than this because I wouldn’t. If you want to add some value, sprinkle on his double and home run.
Kody Clemens Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI (+100)
White Sox right-hander Jose Urquidy has been pure nails for the South Side since joining the team. He does not give up a lick of hard contact, but he does allow hitters to elevate the ball at a high rate. Twins second baseman and son of Roger, Kody Clemens, has been keeping the ball elevated while making plenty of hard contact.
Over the 30-year-old's last 10 games, Clemens owns a .694 xSLG and .265 ISO while generating a 33.3% ground-ball rate, 55.6% hard-hit rate and sub-15% barrel rate. Clemens owns the hottest bat in the Twins lineup, and snagging his HRR prop at even money feels like a steal.
Do not pay juice for this prop. Plus money, or nothing.
Tristan Peters 1+ hit (-160)
I am not thrilled with telling you all to pay this much juice for a seven-eight-hole hitter, but the way Tristan Peters has been hitting the ball lately, asking for the bare minimum is very doable. The former Banana Ball player owns a .296 BA, .519 SLG, and .886 OPS while posting an almost 61% hard-hit rate.
If Ober is allowing left-handed hitters to own a sub-.280 BA and .486 SLG while allowing a 70.5% elevation rate on the road, asking Peters to find some grass at $1.60 is not a big ask.
Shop around; there are far shorter prices. Do not pay more than this.
How to watch Twins vs White Sox and game info
Location
Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Sunday, Sept. 6, 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.
Every hockey fan goes down a YouTube rabbit hole once in a while, especially on long summer days out of boredom or in search of entertainment. The prime example is Pavel Datsyuk, who isn’t the greatest player of all time but is the ideal YouTube rabbit-hole highlight-reel machine.
A plus for the New Jersey Devils being great in the 1990s and onward is that all of their best moments are on YouTube (the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers aren’t as fortunate). So, who are the best players to watch? What highlights have fans hooked? Below is a ranking of some of the best, although, like any ranking, there are certainly plenty of great highlight players who will be left off the list (so comment below on who or what was overlooked).
Honorable Mention - Martin Brodeur Empty Net Goals
This is a very niche category. Martin Brodeur is one of the greatest goaltenders of all time and holds just about every record a goalie can hold. Sure, his greatest saves are worth rewatching, as are his greatest moments. However, those don’t stand out.
What stands out is his goalie goals record. Brodeur has three empty-net goals in his career, and while two came by default, the other is a reminder of how great a puck-handler he was (and why the NHL changed the rules). Watch all three below!
5) Patrik Elias
The Devils' all-time leader in goals and points will have his fair share of highlights. Patrik Elias had all the skills to beat a great threat offensively, and on a dynasty known for defense and goaltending, he was the constant scoring threat.
It’s hard to pick out one or two goals from his career, making him the type of rabbit-hole player worth watching full highlight videos of (often with heavy metal music attached to them for some odd reason). That said, his most significant goal was his game-winner in Game 7 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Final against the Philadelphia Flyers. While not a fancy goal by any measure, it sent the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final on their way to their second title in five years.
Interestingly, another career highlight came in that same playoff run. When the Devils faced the Dallas Stars in the Final, Game 6 went to double overtime. Elias collected the puck along the boards, and a backhanded centering pass to Jason Arnott set up the game- and Cup-winning goal.
Along with the highlight goals and assists are the shootout dandies. Elias has plenty of them, as does the next person on this list.
4) Ilya Kovalchuk Shootout Goals
There was an era when the Devils were the best shootout team in the NHL, or at least top three in the league. Ilya Kovalchuk was one of the reasons why. The fun thing about Kovalchuk’s shootout style is that he’d fly up the ice and skate so fast that the goaltender wouldn’t have enough time to react.
Like this goal against the Washington Capitals, where he was skating fast enough to freeze goaltender Michal Neuvirth and fire the puck right past him to the top shelf.
Or this goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi. He just flew right past him and backhanded the puck into the net (huge shoutout to DevilsHQ for providing many of these highlights).
Of course, Kovalchuk wasn’t just a shootout specialist in his four years with the Devils. He was also one of their most skilled players and a key part of the 2012 run to the Stanley Cup Final. However, his goals stand out and can make a hockey fan who hates the shootout appreciate it.
3) Zach Parise
Like Kovalchuk, Zach Parise has plenty of shootout moments, albeit his goals came from his stickhandling, not his skating. It’s a part of the Parise rabbit hole, which features highlight goals and plenty of iconic moments from the 2000s era.
Parise is also one of those players who has an iconic non-Devils moment. In his case, it’s scoring the game-tying goal in the 2010 Gold Medal game against Canada, which was one of the best USA hockey moments until the past Olympic Games. While Parise’s game-tying goal didn’t give the USA a Gold, the next player on this list did.
2) Jack Hughes
At 25, Jack Hughes still has plenty of hockey left in him. That said, he’s already established himself as a highlight-reel player, not just on the Devils but around the NHL.
Hughes creates plenty of fun goals to rewatch. Most of them come on odd-man rushes where his speed and skill take over the play, but he’ll also do something special when the game slows down in the offensive zone and the Devils need a big-time play.
He’s already put together a career's worth of highlight moments with the Devils. That said, his most iconic moment came at the Olympics. It’s the Golden Goal against Canada, where he got the open look in overtime and fired it past Jordan Binnington to give the USA their first Gold in 46 years. It’s not just the biggest moment of his career but arguably one of the best hockey moments of this century (certainly, a top-five moment).
Scott Stevens inspired this list in the first place, specifically his bone-crushing hits. As one of the greatest Devils and greatest defensemen in league history, he had his fair share of big hits, some of which make any hockey fan wonder whether he’d be allowed to play in the NHL these days (without receiving too many multi-game suspensions).
The biggest is his hit on Paul Kariya during the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. To put it bluntly, Stevens knocked him out cold. Of course, this hit was followed by the “off the floor on the board” goal scored by Kariya.
There’s also the big one on Flyers forward Eric Lindros in the 2000 Eastern Conference Final. Lindros was big and hard for anyone to take down. But he skated into the offensive zone and didn’t catch Stevens, who not only leveled him but also changed the complexion of the series.
The other memorable hit was in Game 2 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings. Slava Kozlov didn’t see Stevens coming and paid the price. Like the hit against Lindros, this one fueled a Devils series victory, as they swept the Red Wings on their way to their first Cup title.
There are plenty more Stevens hits to dive into. The bottom line is that back in the day, when someone cut to the middle through the neutral zone, they kept their head on a swivel.
Like any list or ranking, there are sure to be a handful of players who were overlooked. So, which ones were missed? Comment below!
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 01: Cesar Perdomo #83 of the San Francisco Giants pitches in his major league debut in the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 1, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time, and it’s the rubber match between the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets, a pair of teams who expected to be a whole lot better than they are.
On the mound for the Giants is left-hander César Perdomo, who makes his second career appearance. The 24-year old, who was only just added to the roster, made his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and gave up just one run in four relief innings. Now he’ll get a chance for his first Major League start, and his first Major League win. In nine starts with AAA Sacramento this year, Perdomo had a 5.10 ERA and a 5.33 FIP, with 36 strikeouts and 20 walks in 47.2 innings.
For the Mets, it’s right-hander Christian Scott, a 27-year old in his second career season. Scott has made 20 starts this year, and is 4-4 with a 3.80 ERA, a 3.76 FIP, and 113 strikeouts to 44 walks in 94.2 innings. In his last outing, Scott gave up three runs in 5.1 innings against the Houston Astros.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 18: Miguel Ullola #66 of the Houston Astros pitches in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Daikin Park on August 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros announced this morning that they are recalling reliever Miguel Ullola from Triple-A Sugar Land. The team optioned reliever Kai-Wei Teng to Sugar Land following last night’s game.
Ullola, 24, is 0-0, 4.50 ERA for Houston in 4 appearances spanning 6 innings. He has allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out 9. He did allow 2 HR.
At Sugar Land this season, Ullola converted from a starter to a reliever, as the team believed it would help with his control issues. He is 5-4 with a 4.21 ERA for the Space Cowboys this season. In 39 appearances (including 10 starts) Ullola has allowed 45 hits and 42 walks in 66.1 IP, with 90 strikeouts.
Teng, 27, started the season well but has struggled since developing arm fatigue and then landing on the IL with a knee sprain in late June. Teng is 5-7 this season with a 4.76 ERA. In 30 appearances (including 10 starts), Teng has allowed 69 hits, 33 walks and 10 HR in 73.2 IP. He has struck out 73, but he has hit 13 batters.
Teng had allowed a run in each of his last 3 outings. In that time, he has allowed 6 ER in 3.1 IP on 6 hits, 3 walks and only 2 strikeouts. He took the loss on Tuesday Sept. 1 when he allowed 3 runs in 2 innings against the White Sox.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 1: Starting pitcher Kyle Bradish #38 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s been a tough week in Birdland. After beginning the week with two heartbreaking losses in Denver, the Orioles have been thoroughly outplayed in three straight losses to the Red Sox.
Pitching hasn’t been the problem for the O’s. During their current five game losing streak, Baltimore has three quality starts and none of their starters have allowed more than three runs.
Offensively, the Orioles have been a disaster. Over the last fives, Baltimore is averaging just 2.4 runs/game. The O’s haven’t scored any runs since Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s two-run homer in the 9th inning of Thursday’s Game 1 vs. the Red Sox. Friday and Saturday’s shutout losses was only the second time all season the O’s were shutout in back-to-back games.
The Orioles’ playoff chances are on life support, and if they want to stop them from flatlining, they’ll have to score some runs against stingy southpaw Payton Tolle. The rookie left-hander has faced the Orioles twice this season, both times in Fenway Park.
His first matchup with Baltimore back in June saw him toss 6 shutout innings while punching out five. A month later, the Orioles tagged Tolle for 4 runs, though he struck out 9 in a game Boston won 6-5.
Much like Brandon Young for the Orioles, Tolle pitching has meant wins for Boston. The Red Sox are 9-1 in the left-hander’s last 10 outings.
The Orioles will turn to right-handler Kyle Bradish as they look to end they five-game skid. Bradish has faced Boston twice this year, guiding the O’s to a win in Boston in July, but taking the L against the Red Sox back in April. His last six starts have been a bit rocky for the Orioles’ former ace, putting up a 5.10 over 30 innings.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 05: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox takes the field before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Baltimore Orioles are clinging to their playoff lives. They’ve dropped five straight games and sit three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot, with two teams between them. With just 19 games remaining, they’ll need to turn things around in a hurry to sneak into the final spot.
Unfortunately for Baltimore, they have an opponent with added motivation. After Blaze Alexander’s questionable slide and subsequent hyping of the crowd on Friday, the Red Sox weren’t happy. Last night, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa mocked Alexander’s slide, and Sonny Gray said they wanted to “bury” the Orioles. If last night wasn’t the final nail in the coffin for Baltimore, a sixth straight loss could be.
Payton Tolle goes for the Red Sox, who went 5.2 against the Seattle Mariners last Monday. He looked fatigued throughout the start, so the extra rest is very welcome for Tolle. The team has an off day each week to finish the season, making the pitching management much simpler. The Orioles will throw Kyle Bradish. He held the Sox to one run over six innings back in July, but has a 5.71 ERA over his seven starts since then.
In roster news Ceddanne Rafaela went on the injured list retroactive to September 3rd with a quad sprain, while Nate Eaton was recalled to take his place. Eli White gets his fourth straight start in center field today.
We’re still 3.5 games behind the Yankees, but dates with the Angels and Royals on the horizon represent a chance to stack wins and gain ground if New York scuffles. Taking care of the O’s is up first, though, at 1:35 PM EST on NESN and WEEI.
Lineups
Red Sox look to sweep the Birds:
Anthony RF, Gasper 1B, Rutschman C, Story SS, Sogard 2B, Durbin 3B, Duran LF, Monasterio DH, White CF, Tolle P
It seemed like a heartwarming ending. Chris Paul, the man who helped turn around the Clippers' culture and the transition from Donald Sterling to Steve Ballmer as an owner during the Lob City era, came back to the Clippers for his final season before retiring.
Instead, Paul's strong leadership style clashed with coach Tyronn Lue and management — CP3 would say he was holding them accountable — and 21 games into the season they sent him away from the team (but still on the roster). Then at the deadline he was traded to Toronto in what was purely a financial move.
"What's interesting about that whole situation is, it's probably one of the most disrespectful things that I've endured...
"I think just because of the investment we made in the team for as long as we have, and to see the way stuff was handled. What it lets you know is that no matter what you do or what you've done, nobody cares."
Paul played 16 games with the Clippers last season, his final ones in his Hall of Fame career.
In his first stint with the franchise, from 2011-2017, he became a Clippers legend, part of the core of Lob City with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. Those seasons saw Paul making three NBA First-Teams, five First-Team All-Defensive teams, and two top-five MVP finishes. For a variety of reasons, those teams never had the playoff runs to match their regular-season success.
Paul was in a limited role with the Clippers last season at age 40, playing 14 minutes a night and averaging 2.9 points per game while shooting 32.1% from the field. However, the Clippers knew what they were getting when they brought him in: A strong leader in the locker room who would call out teammates but also coaches and management. When Los Angeles got off to a 5-16 start, there was a lot of finger-pointing, and things got so bad between Paul and Lue that they were not talking. That led to the Clippers separating him from the team — the news coming down on the road in Atlanta in the middle of the night (news leaked at 2:40 AM Eastern). That was poorly handled and caught the rest of the players off guard.
CP3 talking almost seems like piling on after the week the Clippers had, where the league stripped them of five first-round picks, suspended owner Steve Ballmer for a year, suspended head of basketball operations Lawrence Frank for six months and fined the team $30 million for salary cap circumvention in the Kawhi Leonard case. Although, is it piling on when the Clippers brought all of this on themselves?
Tim Wellens, teammate to Tadej Pogacar at the UAE Emirates XRG team, took overall victory in the men’s Tour of Britain, after the Belgian rider had decisively snatched the overall race lead on the fourth stage on Saturday, through the hills of North Yorkshire.
Wellens had started the final stage in Earlston 21 seconds ahead of Lewis Askey but extended that advantage to 42sec by the finish. The British rider finished second overall after riding impressively through the earlier stages, while Ben Wiggins, the 21-year-old son of Sir Bradley Wiggins, placed 10th overall.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 10: Starting pitcher Christian Scott (45) of the New York Mets delivers a pitch during the Monday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets on August 10, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Mets lineup
Francisco Lindor – SS
Juan Soto – DH
Bo Bichette – 3B
Carson Benge – RF
Mark Vientos – 1B
Marcus Semien – 2B
Nick Morabito – LF
A.J. Ewing – CF
Luis Torrens – C
SP: Christian Scott – RHP
Giants lineup
Drew Gilbert – CF
Rafael Devers – DH
Bryce Eldridge – 1B
Jonah Cox – 2B
Jung Hoo Lee – RF
Osleivis Basabe – 3B
Grant McCray – LF
Drew Cavanaugh – C
Christian Koss – SS
SP: Cesar Perdomo – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 1:40 PM EDT TV: SNY Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
Over his last few games, Stowers has been generating too much hard contact to ignore. Over his last 30 at-bats against right-handed pitching, he has an 83.3% hard-hit rate and a 25% barrel rate. On top of that, he owns a .577 SLG, .977 OPS, and .269 ISO.
According to Batters-Box, where he owns an elite rating today, Stowers covers more than 83% of Holmes' pitch mix.
Despite Holmes' success against left-handed hitters this season, the way Stowers sees and hits the ball makes this hard to pass up.
Jones has been crushing right-handed pitching over his last 30 at-bats, owning a .538 SLG and .307 ISO while generating a 62.5% hard-hit rate and 25% barrel rate.
Over the last 60 left-handed hitters Padres starter Michael King has faced, they are generating a barrel rate of nearly 10%, while posting a .291 xBA, .548 xSLG and .406 xwOBA.
Five of Jones' last 10 batted balls have been at least 102 mph off the bat. It is hard to pass up backing a guy making that much hard contact.
Take this down to 20%.
Time: 4:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: YES, SDPA
Home run prediction: Rafael Devers (22%)
Another heavy hitter who has been making a boatload of hard contact is San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers. Over his last 10 games, he has generated the third-highest barrel rate while posting a 62.1% hard-hit rate and .949 SLG.
This afternoon, he draws New York Mets right-hander Christian Scott, who has been getting lit up by left-handed hitters. The last 30 lefties he has faced own a .346 xBA, .526 xSLG and .383 xwOBA. Scott is also allowing 2.70 HR/9 during that span.
Devers enters Sunday with the second-highest matchup rating on Batters-Box, where he covers 100% of Scott's pitch mix.
Ride the hot bat.
Take this down to 24%.
Time: 1:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SNY, NBCSBA
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 120-411, +25.3 units
Best home run combo for Sept. 6
Kyle Stowers
Trade Now 118.00x
Spencer Jones
Rafael Devers
Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!
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.
We’re 4-4 in the doubles and knocking up on Ashe. Thinking more about the match, I’d expect Townsend to use top spin to hit cross at Sabalenka’s backhand, taking her outside the lines if possible. She’ll also try and slow the game down, I think, and frustrate the champ, who doesn’t enjoy the wind-ups.
Townsend comes out wearing a coat that wouldn’t be out of place in the Night’s Watch, photo to follow but, in the meantime:
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders logo is seen on a hat before a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It should be a very interesting final two weeks to the International League season.
Entering Triple-A play on Sunday, nine teams are within 4.5 games of first place in the second-half IL standings. At the top of those standings are the Rochester Red Wings, Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, with a 37-25 record. One game back are the Yankees’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders with a 35-25 record. Those teams will meet in a six-game series starting Monday* at ESL Ballpark in New York.
*There’s a rare Monday game on Labor Day; the two teams will be off on Tuesday and resume the series on Wednesday.
At 82-53 overall, Rochester has the most wins in the IL this season. In the first half, the Red Wings finished one game behind the champion Memphis Redbirds. The RailRiders are 72-62 overall.
In the season series, the RailRiders hold a 10-8 edge, outscoring the Red Wings, 101-94. They took four of six games from April 1-5 in Rochester and four of six from April 21-26 at PNC Field in northeastern Pennsylvania. When Rochester returned in an August 4-9 series, it won four of six.
Both teams are evenly matched. Rochester ranks second in the league in team batting average at .264 and the RailRiders rank third at .262. The RailRiders are second in the league in home runs with 195 and the Red Wings tied for third with 189. Rochester is third in team earned-run average at 4.44, the RailRiders fourth at 4.47.
Trey Lipscomb leads the way for the Red Wings, batting .292 while ranking second in the league in home runs (30) and RBIs (88) and tied for second in hits (135). Phillip Glasser bats .271 with 44 RBIs. Andrew Pinckney hits .270 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs. Seaver King is the No. 4 prospect in the Nationals organization and is batting .301 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs. One of his home runs came off Carlos Rodón when the Yankees’ 2025 All-Star lefty was making a rehab start on August 8th at PNC Field.
On the mound, Red Wings right-hander Chander Champlain is 8-5 with a 3.68 ERA, which ranks second in the league, and 85 strikeouts in 120 innings. If his name rings a bell, he was a 2021 ninth-round pick by the Yankees and part of the Royals’ return for Andrew Benintendi in the trade at the 2022 deadline; he signed with the Nats as a minor-league free agent this past offseason. He combined with four relievers on a two-hit shutout of the RailRiders on April 22nd. Two more familiar faces in the bullpen are former RailRiders Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird, who were in the trade the Yankees made with the Nationals to acquire Luis García Jr. Both were briefly in the Nats’ big-league bullpen after the deadline but have since been sent back to Triple-A.
Oswaldo Cabrera leads the RailRiders in batting at .291 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs. He is tied for fifth in the league in hits with 128. Yanquiel Fernández is tied for sixth in the league with 24 home runs and tied for third with 78 RBIs. Duke Ellis ranks second in the IL with 49 steals.
Anthony Volpe has provided an offensive spark since being sent down by the Yankees in early August. In 26 games, he is batting .300 with seven doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 20 RBIs. Five of his home runs have come in the last six games.
“He looks like a man on a mission,” RailRiders manager Shelley Duncan said. “We’re getting a good glimpse of the Anthony Volpe that a lot of the people in New York have fallen in love with. It’s fun to see him play with that freedom, that energy that he has.”
Brendan Beck is the top pitcher in the league, ranking first in innings (125.2), strikeouts (140), ERA (2.86), opponents’ battings average (.204) and WHIP (1.04) and second in wins (9). Rochester did inflict one of Beck’s two losses this season April 26th. However, the right-hander has not lost since, winning seven games with 10 no-decisions. One of the wins came against the Red Wings on August 4th when he tossed six shutout innings and struck out a career-high 12.
While the RailRiders can help themselves against Rochester this week, they also have to be aware of the teams behind them in the standings. The Worcester Red Sox, Indianapolis Indians, St. Paul Saints, Durham Bulls, Syracuse Mets, Columbus Clippers, and Nashville Sounds are all still in the mix and have ideas at making a run at first place.
However, Duncan said the RailRiders can’t get too caught up in scoreboard watching.
“We can only control what we can control and that’s what we’re going to put all our energy into,” Duncan said. “When those games happen, they bring enough energy on their own. To try to induce it by worrying about all that stuff, it’s a trap. Any time you start hunting those on the scoreboard and start letting it get in your head, it’s a trap to get you out of who you are. These guys play hard every single day no matter what situation they’re in. It’s fun to just go out there and win a game regardless.”
While the second-half title likely won’t be clinched this week, the series between the RailRiders and Rochester could go a long way in determining who does.
“I feel like we’re in a good spot to get that first place,” RailRiders pitcher Alexander Cornielle said. “The guys are rolling, coming together more, speaking on stuff as a team that we need to get better at. We support each other and I feel like we’ve hit that point in the season where everything is falling in place. I feel like we have a pretty good chance of making first place. I don’t like to speak on the future, but I’m pretty confident that we have the tools here to make it.”
Sep 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (13) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Through two games of this Braves-Phillies series, we’re exactly back where we started.
After one win apiece, the Braves’ NL East lead remains four games.
Atlanta can push that back to five or the Phillies can reduce it to three during Sunday afternoon’s 1:10 p.m. ET matchup at Citizens Bank Park, which will be a national broadcast on NBC.
The Braves are turning to Tyler Mahle, who has made a strong case for best deadline rotation addition through his first five starts with Atlanta, while the Phillies will counter with Aaron Nola, who is in the midst of a resurgent stretch himself.
The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
We are continuing to look at potential options for the Sabres, now that veteran Patrick Kane has returned with Chicago. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally is looking for someone who could make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, or someone who can fill the leadership gap and/or add some snarl and sandpaper to the middle-six, either before the start of the season or before the NHL Trade Deadline.
Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?
Veteran Teuvo Teravainen has 90 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience, something that will likely not be a factor for the Blackhawks, who will be without star center Connor Bedard to start the season. The 31-year-old was a first round pick of the Hawks in 2012, and won a Cup in Chicago in 2015, before being dealt for cap reasons to Carolina in 2016.
Teruvainen spent eight seasons with the Hurricanes, where he scored more than 20 goals four times, and more than 50 points five times. In 2024, the rebuilding Hawks looked to surround Bedard with veteran talent to take some of the offensive burden off of the top overall pick. After scoring 58 points in his first season, his numbers dropped to 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 75 games.
The Hawks are expected to be at the bottom of the Western Conference once again, which would put GM Kyle Davidson in the position of being a seller at the deadline, as he was last March when he dealt Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, and Colton Dach to Edmonton, and Nick Foligno to Minnesota.
Davidson and Kekalainen already made a significant transaction with the Byram/Greenway deal last June, and the Sabres could be looking to add a versatile veteran forward (who the Sabres GM is familiar with based on his playing internationally for Finland) on an expiring contract closer to the deadline.
Teravainen has an eight-team no-trade list and a $5.4 million cap hit in the final year of his deal, which might make it necessary for Chicago to retain salary to get an asset, but the cost of a draft pick might be what Buffalo is willing to give up for some late-season offensive help.
Munetaka Murakami 1+ Hit
Kody Clemens Over 1.5 Hits, Runs, RBI
Kyle Stowers
Spencer Jones
Rafael Devers
