OTM weather guru Matt Gross is confident that this game is going to happen eventually. Will it still be a wet, messy affair and will the number one priority be keeping everyone healthy? Yes, especially you, Peyton Tolle. You too, Willson Contreras, who was activated by the Sox earlier today.
First Pitch is currently scheduled for 3:05 PM. Catch the game on NESN.
Another Sunday, another critical rubber match in what I think we can safely say is the most rear-end-clenching division race we’ve had in nearly 15 years. Perhaps 20, depending on how you feel about Robin Ventura’s debut 2012 that produced a bizarre 85 wins and a missed playoff berth after leading the division most of the year.
That ending doesn’t make me feel great about saying this, but of all the all-too-rare fun and competitive Sox teams since 2005, that 2012 squad is where I see shades of 2026. We didn’t know quite how bland as a manager Ventura was at that point, and while that team’s young, breakout talent was concentrating on the pitching side, it was a mix of up-and-coming youth who appeared to be cornerstones for years to come, aided by highly unexpected bounceback efforts from veterans like Jake Peavy and Andrew Benintendi. It’s not a perfect analog, but if they are similar at all, I also think the talent of this team ultimately wins out in a way that 2012 group couldn’t.
Here’s Will Venable’s lineup this afternoon as they try to get that magic number closer and closer to single digits:
After seemingly more months at sea than an aircraft carrier halfway around the world, the White Sox starting pitching staff FINALLY has relief, as David Sandlin gets the call from Charlotte for his first appearance in the bigs since early August. He’s been dominant against Triple-A pitching his last two starts, allowing just a single run over 12 2/3 innings along with 20 strikeouts.
Here’s the lineup he’ll get a look at, courtesy of Oli Marmol’s crooked-capped Cardinals:
McGreevey is a former first rounder of the Cards who has firmly established himself in their rotation this summer, making 28 starts to the tune of a 3.92 ERA, exactly league average for a starter. With just 106 punchouts in 154 innings, though, he could be the type of pitcher the offense needs to jolt itself awake for the home stretch.
First pitch will be broadcast on CHSN and 1:15 pm C.T., and Len Kasper and Darrin Jackson will be there with their usual radio broadcast on WMVP AM 1000. See you in the comments!
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Steve Kerr candidly reflects on Warriors' failure to get younger this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steve Kerr hoped the Warriors could add some “younger legs” this offseason, but the Warriors coach knows addressing the need was easier said than done.
As Golden State approaches the 2026-27 NBA season with a roster closely resembling the aging group that competed last campaign, Kerr explained why on Friday’s episode of the “Tom Tolbert Show.”
“Having been a GM, I know how hard it is to just magically say, ‘All right, we’re going to get younger,’ ” Kerr told Tolbert. “We obviously tried to get younger, but stuff has to materialize. You have to have the assets or the cap room to be able to do certain things.
“The stuff that came our way, I mean, it’s [Mike Dunleavy’s] job and [Joe Lacob’s] job, but they obviously run everything by me. I mean, there was nothing that made sense to me to make this huge move. So, look, we did the best we could to put together the roster.”
In addition to bringing back veterans like Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors added Georges Niang and Brandon Williams in free agency after drafting Yaxel Lendeborg No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It’s Kerr’s hope that the current roster, anchored by Steph Curry and Draymond Green, has enough depth to overcome its age as the team waits for Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to return from their respective injuries.
“I think Yaxel’s going to help quite a bit,” Kerr continued. “He’s a really good player. He’s older, he’s mature. Watching him work out with our guys, he’s going to help us. Gui Santos, Brandon Podziemski, these guys are going to help us. George Niang, Brandon Williams, new signees. Nothing earth shattering, but really good players who can play a lot of minutes.
“And so I think our depth is the answer to the question you asked. We’re going to have to rely on our whole roster, including our two-way players at times. And fortunately, I do feel really good about the guys we have who have kind of filled out the back end of the roster. And I think they can help us hold down the fort until Jimmy [Butler] and Moses [Moody] get back the second half of the year.”
For the first time since the 2021-22 season, the Warriors are fielding a full 15-man roster to start the campaign in an attempt to make up for Moody and Butler’s absences.
Despite the odds — and Father Time — seemingly stacked against them, Kerr and the Warriors certainly hope they can recreate some of the magic from that championship year.
It’s game 3 of the Cardinals weekend series against the White Sox Sunday as Michael McGreevy takes the mound for the Cardinals. The White Sox will start RHP David Sandlin. First pitch scheduled for 1:15pm central time and the game broadcast will be available via Cardinals.tv.
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Here’s the Guardians lineup:
Here’s the Twins’ lineup:
Let’s go, Guardians!
“Enzo, Enzo, Enzo, in your head” was how delirious Manchester City fans regaled Enzo Fernández, who after a star role in a memorable victory has instant cult hero status.
This 199th derby was won by Erling Haaland’s ninth strike in the fixture but the visitors’ totem was their new No 17. He was the key nuisance in a goal ruled out initially for offside and which the video assistant referee overturned when ruling that Fernández was not distracting Lisandro Martínez when Josko Gvardiol’s ball came over. The Argentinian, too, was an emblem of the fight Maresca’s team carried to Manchester United after Phil Foden appeared to turn the game the hosts’ way on 22 minutes.
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One last rubber game in Miami to decide the weekend series. First major league outfield start for Josue De Paula. Turf days off for Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman.
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Elversberg 1-2 Bayern; Sassuolo 3-2 Juventus
Barcelona see off Levante, PSG end winless run
Harry Kane scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season to help Bayern Munich edge to a 2-1 win at promoted Elversberg on Sunday. Handed the captain’s armband with skipper Manuel Neuer rested, Kane scored with 18 minutes remaining to break a 1-1 deadlock and put the defending champions on track for victory.
Bayern had taken the lead through teenage Germany winger Lennart Karl, but Elversberg – who had won their opening two matches in their maiden top-flight campaign – levelled things up just after the hour mark thanks to a stunning curling effort from Maurice Krattenmacher.
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The San Diego Padres have been close to blowing some perfect leads. But, this is the time to do that. In both Games 1 and 2, the Friars have scored seven runs. In both games, the Friars have allowed the San Francisco Giants to come back within at least two runs as last as the eighth inning. That has forced the Padres to dip into their high-leverage relievers despite their potent offense.
With Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez all having pitched on back-to-back days, they’ll be unavailable in the series finale. The onus will be on the offense and the Padres’ lower-leverage relievers to finish out the sweep over San Francisco. With how San Diego’s been swinging the bat, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Webb, despite some flashes of elite pitching, has struggled this season. He currently sits at a 4.10 ERA. If he finishes the season with an ERA over 4.00, it will be the first time he’s done so in six years. The last time he did so was in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
He hasn’t pitched much better down the stretch (4.66 ERA in last seven starts), but Webb is coming off of six innings of one-run ball versus the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s also done a pretty good job of limiting the Padres historically. Only Jake Cronenworth, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill have batting averages over .240 (15-plus at-bats).
Pivetta had just about the closest thing to a perfect return to the mound on Monday. He hurled five scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals, one of the most potent offense in the league. Still, Pivetta is mostly untested since returning back from his three-month IL trip.
He’s faced most of the San Francisco lineup, and has limited them well. That said, Jung Hoo Lee has had his number for quite some time. In 13 career at-bats, Lee owns a .462 batting average and 1.577 OPS when facing Pivetta. Hopefully the righty will be able to limit the Giants’ bats in the series finale.
The lineup has returned to its incredible potent ways, scoring 14 runs in the first two games of this series. The Friars have gotten some incredible production from their stars, as well as their contributors. San Diego needs to keep that rolling in order to hold onto their postseason spot.
Harris made his first appearance batting second in the order yesterday. He did not disappoint. He ended the game 1-for-4 with three RBIs after going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk in the series opener. Harris could very well remain in that two-spot going forward.
Despite some struggles in the first few innings, Michael King locked the game down from there on. The starter pitched seven innings before Rodriguez entered the game. Rodriguez made it interesting, giving up a three-run shot to make it a one-run ballgame. After that, Morejon and Miller were used to finish out the last two innings.
That gives San Diego some options for the series finale. Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, Yuki Matsui, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Randy Vásquez will be available once Pivetta departs form the game. That said, if Pivetta isn’t as dominant as he was on Monday, Vásquez will likely enter to pitch in bulk relief.
Game three of three with the Orioles.
I’m getting this together early because I’m busy until game time.
The lineups aren’t up yet, But we have Dylan Cease (10-5, 2.40) vs Trevor Rogers (10-9, 4.15).
Go Jays Go
1923
Though the team was not contending for the pennant, the White Sox made a late move that would have terrific short- and long-term consequences: Buying center fielder Maurice Archdeacon from the Double-A Rochester Tribe in the International League, for the impressive sum of $50,000. The speedster was hitting .357 for the Tribe — and dialed it up when inserted as an everyday major-leaguer as an audition for 1924. Archdeacon hit .402 in 22 late-season games for the White Sox, with his batting average never falling any lower than .378. He followed that up in 1924 by hitting .319 for the South Siders.
By …
1925
… Archdeacon’s star had faded, and he saw just 10 games of action before being traded to the then-Double A Baltimore Orioles in June. The player to be named later in that deal arrived in Chicago on this very day: Righthander Tommy Thomas, who would go on to put up a 22.2 WAR career over seven seasons in the South Side rotation, beginning in 1926.
Not only was the swap an enormous win for the White Sox, but brought one of their best-ever pitchers to the South Side, as Thomas ranks as the 15th-best pitcher in franchise history per WAR.
1967
In one of the longest games in franchise history (tied for 13th-longest overall), and in the middle of a four-team pennant race, the White Sox shut out Cleveland, 1-0 — in 17 innings! (Now that’s pitching!)
The game lasted more than 4 1⁄2 hours, and was finally finished when Rocky Colavito singled to right, driving home Buddy Bradford.
White Sox starter Gary Peters allowed one hit in 11 innings, striking out seven … but also walked 10! (I wonder what his pitch count was!) This came just two weeks after also throwing 11 scoreless innings against Boston, in a four-hit win.
But opposing starter Sonny Siebert outdueled Peters, also going 11 innings, yielding four hits but no walks.
Don McMahon, the fourth Sox pitcher, picked up the relief win.
1985
With one out and the bases full in the ninth inning of a game the White Sox led, 2-1, at Seattle, pinch-hitter Joe DeSa crushed a grand slam to right field, becoming the eighth White Sox ever and first since 1972 to have a pinch-hit slam. The White Sox went on to win, 6-1, improving to 72-68 on a season marked by a strong September finish.
DeSa’s story takes a sad turn, however, as this would be his final of his two career major league homers. The Hawaii native played all of 1986 in Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .283 with 17 homers and 83 RBIs. He became a free agent but was snapped up by the Kansas City Royals, with a good chance of breaking camp on the MLB roster. However, while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, he was killed in a car accident on Dec. 20, 1986.
1987
In a game in his old haunts of Seattle, White Sox pitcher Floyd Bannister fired a one-hitter in winning, 2-0. Harold Reynolds’ two-out single to left in the first inning was the only baserunner on the night for Seattle — and he was thrown out trying to stretch the hit to a double! Bannister faced the minimum 27 hitters, and struck out 10.
Opposing starter Mark Langston pitched a two-hitter for the Mariners — and took the loss! Unfortunately for him, his two hits allowed were solo homers to Pat Keedy and Donnie Hill.
1996
After James Baldwin endured a six-run outburst in Boston to fall behind, 6-0, in the third, Frank Thomas led off the fourth inning with an answer: a solo shot off of Roger Clemens. But that blast over the Green Monster didn’t just cut the Red Sox lead to five, it tied Thomas with Harold Baines and Carlton Fisk for most-ever White Sox homers, 214.
Interestingly, Baines had been the former franchise leader, passing Bill Melton, but after being traded from Chicago in 1989, Fisk took over the franchise lead. Baines had tied Fisk atop the White Sox leaderboard just two weeks earlier, on August 30.
2002
For the first time, the new Sox Park hosted a concert. The Rolling Stones took the stage in the middle of a three-day stand in Chicago that saw them first at the United Center, later at the Aragon Ballroom. The Daily Herald reported 52,000 fans, but the true total was likely in the 40,000 range. The Pretenders opened the show, then giving way to two hours of Stones. The tour celebrated the 40th year of the Rolling Stones.
As for the White Sox, they trounced New York at Yankee Stadium, 13-2, getting multi-hit games from José Valentín, Magglio Ordóñez, Frank Thomas and Joe Crede.
2004
Due to Hurricane Ivan, U.S. Cellular Field hosted the first two games of a series between Montreal and Florida. It was the first time a National League team had played a regular season “home” game in an American League park since 1946. Attendance for the curiosity was 4,003.
The Yankees got spanked on their home turf yesterday, Gerrit Cole and a few mop-up relievers combining to surrender six home runs and a dozen runs total. The best way to wipe clean the stink of that performance is with a win in the rubber game to secure the Subway Series this afternoon.
Cam Schlittler keeps on rolling as he looks to keep pace just ahead of Dylan Cease in the AL Cy Young race (and perhaps compete for an MVP as well). Last time out, he allowed one run while striking out 10 across seven innings against the Rockies, which was his 20th start of the season with one or fewer runs allowed to extended his franchise record. In 30 starts, Schlittler is 13-6 with a 2.01 ERA (209 ERA+), 2.61 FIP, and 220 strikeouts in 178.2 innings while leading all AL pitchers with 5.7 fWAR.
Christian Scott is one of the many young starting pitchers the Mets have produced and graduated to the majors over the last few seasons. The 27-year-old righty debuted in 2024 but underwent Tommy John surgery in September of that year, forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2025 season. He offers a rare combination of wipeout stuff and damage limitation, sitting in the 84th percentile in both strikeout and hard-hit rates. He technically has a seven-pitch arsenal but will generally lean on three pitches: a four-seamer in the upper-90s, a sweeper with a 30.9-percent whiff rate, and a cutter against which hitters are batting just .132. In 21 starts, Scott is 4-4 with a 3.81 ERA (108 ERA+), 3.60 FIP, and 120 strikeouts in 99.1 innings.
The Yankees get some thump back in their lineup, Ben Rice and Luis García Jr. returning after getting the day off yesterday. There was a question of when Aaron Judge’s next rest day might come — it’s certainly not today as the Yankees go for the series win. If he can really get his timing back over the next couple of weeks, a top-five of the lineup of him, Rice, Cody Bellinger, García, and Spencer Jones looks pretty dangerous.
Four of the five Mets who homered yesterday remain in the lineup, only Luis Torrens getting replaced by Francisco Alvarez behind the plate. Francisco Lindor led the way with his two home runs and five RBIs and remains at leadoff today. Schlittler has his work cut out for him against a lineup with pop at almost every station, particularly now that Lindor and Juan Soto are healthy.
Please note that first pitch has been delayed slightly due to the weather to 1:55 PM.
How to watch
Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY
First pitch: 1:35 pm ET 1:55 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES, SNY
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (NYM)
Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)
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After winning two close games, the Nats have secured a series win against the Angels. This afternoon, they will be looking for the sweep and a chance to get to 70 wins on the season. The Nats have had trouble getting sweeps this season, but this is a prime opportunity.
There are a couple changes to the lineup this afternoon. Jose Tena gets his first start of the series at second base. Andres Chaparro will be back in the lineup over at third base. Yohandy Morales is also back in there at first. Dylan Crews is out of the lineup, which means the outfield consists of Daylen Lile, Jacob Young and James Wood. Riley Cornelio will be the opener in this one.
With a righty on the mound, the Angels are bringing back some of their left handed bats. Wade Meckler, Moises Ballesteros and Josh Lowe are all in the lineup today. Mike Trout will be the DH which means Jose Siri will be in center field. Former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez will be on the mound for the Halos.
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Game Info:
Stadium: Nationals Park
Time: 1:35 PM EST
TV: Nationals.TV
Radio: 106.7 The Fan
The Nats have actually been playing solid baseball at home lately. Hopefully that can continue this afternoon. Sweeps have been hard to come by, but after two hard earned wins, the Nats have a chance to close the show. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
The Chicago Blackhawks have a surplus of young defensemen. Some are already in the NHL, while others are in development leagues around the world.
There are also some good ones at this year’s prospect camp, where a group of Blackhawks prospects is preparing for the 2026 Prospect Showcase against the St. Louis Blues.
Leading the way for that group on the blue line is Taige Harding. Chicago selected Harding with their 3rd-round pick (91st overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft. At 24, he is one of the older players at the tournament, and he is standing out.
Harding is a big player. At 6’7” and 236 lbs, he’s one of the largest players in the organization. He uses every bit of that size on the ice as well. For being as big as he is, he skates well, too.
During these practices, he has looked like the number one defenseman at the event. It is lining up as if he is going to be on the top pair against the Blues. Jake Furlong is his likely partner on the ice. During drills of all kinds, Harding seems to have a grasp of what’s expected, and he feels good about it.
"Everything's kind of just getting ready for mini-camp," Harding said about what he's working on. "Help the younger guys; this is my second one now, so I feel pretty comfortable. Just kind of work on the details and get back into game shape."
Throughout the year, Taige Harding is going to spend his time with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. This is another good opportunity for him to develop down there and learn for another year.
"For me, personally, it's making an impression," Harding said. "Everything I can so the staff knows who I am; prove I belong here."
If Harding were a perfectly sound prospect, he would be in line to make his NHL debut this season, but it isn't likely. There is a lot for him to work on within his game, and he recognizes that.
"Being a big guy, skating," Harding said. "At this level, everyone skates so well. I think I do skate pretty well, but just being more fluid, being a little quicker in some areas. [I have to] continue working on that and just using my brain; make sure I don't get caught."
When Harding was asked who he models his game after, he mentioned St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko. Of course, that is a high ceiling for a large defenseman with that skill set. Parayko was a top-pair caliber defenseman on a team that won the Stanley Cup in his prime, so it's a good goal for him to have.
"Taige took huge strides last year," IceHogs head coach Jared Nightengale said of his defenseman. "With his size, when he plays with an edge, I think he's going to make us a heck of a hockey team."
The plan for Harding in Rockford is for him to be on the penalty kill, play against top lines, and bring a physical presence to the team at even strength. When asked who Harding's ideal partner would be, coach Nightingale said he didn't have one particular person in mind.
Of course, there is a lot of fluidity to AHL lineups due to the nature of the league, but Nightingale did say that an offensive defenseman would work well with someone like Harding, who leaves a lot of "outs" with his stay-at-home nature.
There are not many players of Harding's size in pro hockey. Just because a player is big doesn't make them good. When Harding is on the ice, there are other big players, but his game is much more noticeable than most.
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A sweep would be sweet. Win today and we can potentially pack some champagne for the road trip…
Join us in the comments, on the SB Nation app (available on iOS or Android!) or on the site, as the Braves face the Philadelphia Phillies for the final time in the 2026 regular season.
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